75 Years Ago – May 5, 1949
Highway Commission Draft To Provide For New Road To Bangor — Plans submitted to the legislature this week by the State Highway Commission provide for a hard-surface road from Aroostook through to Bangor within the next two years, Harley D. Welch of Presque Isle, a member of the commission announced today. Projects planned for the next two years in Aroostook County include, in addition to completion of four and one-half miles now under construction in Bridgewater, Blaine, and Mars Hill, new construction of 3.21 miles in Westfield, 1.06 miles in Linneus, and 2.04 miles in Grand Isle and Madawaska.
Name Miss Varney Circus Queen Here — More than 2,000 people attended the annual Houlton High School circus Friday at which Miss Edith Varney, sophomore student, was crowned queen by last year’s queen, Miss Trudy Michaud, senior student, during elaborate ceremonies. The entire school building, decorated to resemble a circus atmosphere, was used for the event. Dancing, movies, minstrel show games, novelties, and beano were among the many projects offered during the evening.
50 Years Ago – May 1, 1974
Town To Get $165,000 ‘Spec’ Building To Attract Industry — The Houlton Regional Development Corporation has received notification from the Maine Guarantee Authority that Houlton is to be the first town in the State to receive financing for a community industrial building. Gene Sirois, executive director of HRDC, said this means that Houlton will receive a loan from the Authority, not to exceed $165,000 for the purpose of constructing a “spec” industrial building. The building will be sold or leased to an industry, and at that time the State agency will be repaid its loan. The money then becomes available for use in another community for the construction of another “spec” building.
Ground Is Broken — Construction of new Houlton Regional Hospital got its official start Thursday morning at groundbreaking ceremonies on the site. Despite a Wednesday storm that dropped nearly a foot of snow on the ground, about 75 persons turned out for the brief ceremony.
25 Years Ago – May 5, 1999
Houlton fifth-grader wins Best Male Vocalist’ Award — While some people have knick knacks and dust on their mantles, a local student has a newly-won trophy. Ten-year-old Peter Merbach, a fifth-grader at Houlton Southside School, won the award for “Best Male Vocalist” in the junior high show choir division for the April 9-10 Maine State Vocal Jazz Festival held in Houlton. Merbach said he was very happy to win the award. “I feel really thrilled,” he said.S.A.V.E Region II students give home a face lift — Since November, students in Southern Aroostook Vocational Education’s Building Trades Program have been busy working on remodeling a home located on Pleasant Street in Houlton. According to Instructor Paul Stewart, the homeowner, Charles Crayton of Mason Neck, VA., contacted him and hired students to redo the house. The owner worked with Greg Howes’ drafting students to design plans for remodeling the home, and then the Building Trades Program students brought it to fruition.
