75 Years Ago – Oct. 11, 1945
State wage board announced a two cent ceiling increase — Col. Wilson R. Buie, director of Labor, U.S. Department of Agriculture, authorized effective Oct. 9, an increase of two cents per barrel in the picking Wage Ceiling.
This section was requested by the State Board because of the adverse weather conditions which had resulted in heavy digging and was in line with picking wage increases allowed at the season for previous years.
Former Presque Isle girl entered convent — Miss Gladys Morrell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ellery G. Morrell of Sebago Lake, former Presque Isle residents, entered St. Joseph’s Convent at South Berwick, becoming a Sister of the St. Joseph Order. Miss Morrell, a graduate of Presque Isle High School in 1942, was employed at the office of the New England Tel. and Tel. Co. and at the local Air Base, and prior to entering the Convent as a novice. She studied at St. Joseph’s one year.
50 Years Ago – Oct. 14, 1970
UMPI senior was the only Maine tourney entry — One of Maine’s top young women golfers was the only state entry in the Women’s Eastern District Intercollegiate Golf Tournament held at Cornell University. Miss Donna Wallace, a senior at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, placed in the top 12 during the two-day tourney at Ithaca.
Honored — Sgt. Loren B. Lathrop, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Lathrop of Presque Isle, a medical supply specialist of Material Branch, Log Div., WRAMC, received the Army Commendation Medal, presented by Major Laird Leader, Chief Material Branch.
Scholarship award — Geraldine Cote, a senior practical nursing student at Northern Maine Vocational Technical Institute, received a $50 scholarship from Mrs. J. Virgie of Houlton. The award was given by the Alumni Association of the Maine School of Practical Nursing.
25 Years Ago – Oct. 11, 1995
Easton woman enjoyed harness racing success — Irene Dafonte remembers going to the harness races as a spectator when she was a little girl. In 1995, she was experiencing the sport from a different perspective… as an owner. The Easton resident had loved horses since childhood and had devoted much of her life to working with them. As a kid, she would ride her saddle horse into town to watch the races. Dafonte had taught riding, competed in shows and dressage competitions with saddle horses, and served as a jumping instructor at the Northern Lights Pony Club in Presque Isle. Dafonte’s horse, Colleen C., had become a sound investment with consistent top five finishes. The six-year-old was a five-year veteran of the racing circuit.
Hall of fame inductees — The University of Maine at Presque Isle inducted four new members to the Owl Athletic Hall of Fame Sept. 30 at the Campus Center. The new inductees were Jeannette Peters of Fort Fairfield; Laughn Drillen of Brewer; Robert Dryer of Sherman Mills; and Lisa Ronco of Bangor.
Presque Isle awarded $79,000 for a business loan program — New or existing businesses within the Presque Isle area had a little extra help thanks to a new loan program announced in Augusta. Under FAME’s (Finance Authority of Maine) Regional Economic Development Loan Program, 29 public sector and non-profit organizations were awarded grants totaling almost $10 million.
