99 Years Ago – Jan. 15, 1925
Umphrey elected chairman — At a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, Honorary George R. Umphrey of Washburn was elected chairman for the ensuing year. Mr. Umphrey was well qualified for the chairmanship of this important Board. For the previous few years, the chairman had been Honorary S. P. Archibald. No man in Aroostook was better qualified for the position of County Commissioner than Mr. Archibald, who was beginning his third term at the time being.
50 Years Ago – Jan. 16, 1974
Couple given Granger of Year awards — January 10 was Dues Night when Aroostook Union Grange met at the home of deputies Fred and Phyllis Jordan. Mr. and Mrs. Merle Stonehouse were presented a Granger of the Year award from the State Grange by Master Merle Sprague. Lecturer Pro-Tem Dorothy Stonehouse arranged the program which saw Mae Knight speaking on her trip to Germany, Switzerland and France. She displayed articles brought back from the countries she visited. An oyster stew supper preceded the meeting.
25 years — William F. Cyr was presented a 25 year plaque for his years with Northern National Bank of Presque Isle. An assistant vice president of the bank, Cyr started his career in 1949 as a time sales collector. A resident of Van Buren, he was the manager of the Northern National branch there. He was also past president of the Van Buren Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce.
New DEP equipment — The Presque Isle regional office of the Department of Environmental Protection, bureau of water quality control, moved into new headquarters at 634 Main Street. The move from the former office at the Northern Maine Vocational Technical Institute was made early in the month. Previously, the office had a mobile laboratory but was in the process of setting up a fully equipped permanent laboratory. The office also planned to expand its staff to five employees. The DEP duties consisted of determining the quality of waters; enforcement of all water laws and regulations; following up on complaints; reviewing municipal and industrial treatment facility plans; providing technical assistance in plant operations; and monitoring of effluent parameters of waste discharge licenses.
25 Years Ago – Jan. 20, 1999
Flewelling elected to state council office — At the October, 1998, National Association of Insurance Women Maine State Council Annual Meeting, the following officer was elected: Membership Chairman, Lisa Flewelling-Haney, CPIW, NAIW Aroostook, Maine Mutual Insurance Company, Presque Isle.
Two new pharmacists — Matthew R. Harris and Eric A. Johnson graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences. Both boys graduated together from Washburn District High School in 1993 and began and finished their college days together. In the Jan. 10 ceremony at Boston College, parents Raymond and Laurie Harris and Boyd and Mary Jane Johnson, were present along with Matthew Harris’ three brothers, Mark of Jupiter, Florida, Mitchell of Mars Hill and Merrill of Augusta. Matthew is the grandson of Kathy Bull. Both boys interned in Maine and were working in Maine Pharmacies.
Partys Plus celebrated its fifth year in Star City — What started out as a money-making venture in college turned into a full-blown business for Jennifer H. Buzza. Buzza worked for a party store in Presque Isle on the weekends while in high school. But, just two months before her college graduation, she decided to go out on her own and build her own business. Buzza’s small business, Partys Plus, would have been in Star City for five years. Since opening in 1994, Buzza had been selling party decorations to people in Aroostook County for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, reunions and any other special occasion when a party is in order. She also included a decorating service after her first year in business.
