St. John Valley area From our Files – Week of August 14, 2024

‘Thriftees’ are thrifty – Lewis Lamont, Zayre manager in Madawaska, presents Bea Chamberland with six shopping carts to be used by “The Thriftees,” the Madawaska food co-op. Because “The Thriftees” was growing, it was becoming hard to get the orders out efficiently. Lamont was approached by Mrs. Chamberland to let the Thriftees borrow six shopping carts to facilitate deliveries. (File photo 1974)

50 Years Ago — Aug. 14, 1974

Snowmobile accidents increased – Snowmobile accidents increased by 191 percent during 1974, according to a Snowmobile Accident Survey report issued by the Northern Maine Medical Center. “Through newspaper items and our emergency room statistics, the year 1974 seemed to have shown an increase in snowmobile accidents,” says Sr. Jeannine Daigle, executive director of the hospital. Financial costs increased by 50 percent, the survey shows, and accidents involving children increased by 75 percent.

25 Years Ago — August 18, 1999

Award created for Distinguished Service – John Houghton, former superintendent of schools in Madawaska and well-known St. John Valley educator, was recently honored at the 50th anniversary reunion of the Class of 1949 at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. Saint Anselm’s Alumni Association created an award known as the John Houghton Award for Distinguished Service to the Alumni Association. Houghton was honored for his guidance, encouragement, dedication, and involvement in the Saint Anselm community.

10 Years Ago — August 13, 2014 

Palmer swims across Eagle Lake — A Florida woman with family in the St. John Valley realized her dream of swimming across Eagle Lake on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014. Carol Palmer, who is legally blind, completed the swim in 35 minutes. “I did it!” wrote Palmer in an Aug. 3 e-mail. “No problems occurred.” Palmer resides in Sarasota.