99 Years Ago – Feb. 19, 1925
Land Bank president visited Aroostook — Bertrand G. McIntyre of Waterville, Maine, vice president and director of the Federal Land Bank and E. M. Thompson of Springfield, president of the bank, were in Aroostook County and held a conference in Presque Isle with the members of the local associations. Parker P. Burleigh, Ira J. Porter and Roland H. Hovey of Houlton were all present. On their return, they stopped in Houlton and were in conference with Mr. Burleigh on local matters. Both of these men were very much pleased with the conditions which they found in Aroostook.
50 Years Ago – Feb. 20, 1974
Hi, I’m Bill Cohen — Congressman William S. Cohen visited Aroostook County again, this time visiting the towns of Ashland, Washburn and Presque Isle where he was the guest speaker for the Republican Committee’s Lincoln Day Dinner at Presque Isle High School Thursday night, Feb. 14. Cohen chatted with several Ashland residents whom he surprised during their coffee break at Chris’ Diner. He talked with these and several other Ashlanders as he hoofed from store to store in Ashland introducing himself and offering to hear anything anyone wanted to say. His trip to Ashland also saw him giving a talk before the students of Ashland Community High School and playing basketball, and he breezed through Pinkham Lumber Co.’s sawmill shaking hands. In the afternoon, he spoke before students at Washburn District High School.
’73 Officers retired — Dana Crory, assistant cashier of Northern National Bank, was elected president of the Presque Isle United Fund at a meeting held Wednesday, Feb. 13. He presented a plaque of appreciation to Sherman Currie, the outgoing president for 1973. Also with a plaque, was outgoing fund drive chairman Richard Farnsworth under whose management the United Fund experienced a record year. More than $46,000 was pledged during the drie, setting a new high over the old $43,000 record set four years prior and placing the 1973 drive well above the $38,000 average United Fund collection.
Mapleton opened a plant — The Mapleton Sewer District held an open house of its new, $299,111 sewage treatment plant on the Pulcifer Road Saturday, Feb. 16.Funding for the treatment system was provided by several governmental agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Protection provided $261,000 and $142,500, respectively. Total project cost was approximately $710,000. Approximately 30 percent of the town’s buildings were hooked up to the system.
25 Years Ago – Feb. 24, 1999
Mills won an award — Management and employees of J. Paul Levesque & Sons were awarded first place with high honors for the 1998 Safety Award given by the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association. Mill manager Dan Levesque was invited to attend the organization’s spring convention in Boston to accept the award. The award was for combined operations at both saw and planer mills in Ashland and Masardis.
Peoples Heritage promoted Hebert — Athill A. Hebert was promoted to senior vice president in the Commercial Lending Group of Peoples Heritage Bank in Presque Isle. As manager of the department, Hebert continued to be responsible for commercial and business development in Aroostook County. Hebert had more than 17 years in banking and joined Peoples in 1992. He was a 1967 graduate of the University of Maine at Orono. A resident of Caribou and a native of Mars Hill, Hebert was a member of the Caribou Rotary Club and Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development. He also served on the board of directors of the United Way of Aroostook and was involved in the Maine Development Foundation’s Leadership Maine Program.
Donation — Barney Donnelly, manager of Lifeline at The Aroostook Medical Center, accepted a check from Katie Buck, president of Telephone Pioneers. The donation, contributed to by family, friends and the Telephone Pioneers in memory of Jame “Kyle” Wolfe, a dedicated Telephone Pioneer and active Lifeline volunteer, enabled Lifeline to purchase two new units. The Aroostook Medical Center had over 275 Lifeline units in homes throughout Aroostook County, enabling users to live safely and securely at home, knowing that emergency medical response was only the push of a button away.
