75 Years Ago – May 19, 1949
C. of C. Delegate Presents Awards To “Ricker Champs” — Members of the Ricker Junior College basketball team were honored at an assembly Tuesday morning, when several awards were presented to them. On behalf of the Houlton Chamber of Commerce, each member of the team was awarded a jacket with an emblem inscribed “Ricker Junior Champs of 1949 of New England.” This award was made by Wilfred Hannan, a representative of the Houlton Chamber of Commerce. In his presentation talk, Mr. Hannan expressed appreciation to the team for the fine record they had made and that it not only was a reflection upon the college but upon the town of Houlton. He also paid tribute to Coach Ted Boynton.
Group Hears Talk on South America — Malcolm C. Shurtleff, customs inspector, of Bridgewater, former principal of Callao High School in South America, gave an illustrated talk on the ancient Inca civilization of South America, before a group at a public supper Monday night at the Methodist church for the benefit of the projector fund for the local boy scout program. About $40 was collected from the event, which brings the fund total to $163. The total cost of the projector is $300. Mr. Shurtleff served as principal for four years and while there made expeditions to the mountains of Peru. He described Peru as a great nation of stonework and explained that Peru can be divided into three sections, coastal, desert, and mountains and jungle. He showed many relics of the Inca civilization including burial jars, clothing made by the Andian Indians and pottery. Movies of Peru were also shown.
50 Years Ago – May 15, 1974
Over $1,800 Is Realized By Ricker Walk-A-Thon — Over $1,800 was realized from the Walk-A-Thon sponsored Saturday by the Ricker College Student Senate. One-quarter of the proceeds, before expenses, will go to the Houlton Recreation Department, with the balance going to the college. A major effort in the walk, which covered 13 miles, was made by Sally Dougherty of Morrisville, PA., a sophomore at Ricker. Miss Dougherty suffered a broken leg in a car accident several weeks ago, but despite being in a walking cast and on crutches she covered the entire distance. Another big effort was made by Jeff Moore, the 12-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. David Moore of Houlton who walked the 13 miles after collecting $250.25 in pledges. Nearly 100 people took part in the event, including Ricker students and faculty and school children from the community.
Professor Bither Retiring After 42 Years At Colby — Professor Philip S. Bither, who has taught at Colby College for 42 years and was instrumental in the reorganization of the modern languages department in the 1930’s, will retire in June. A native of Linneus, Professor Bither has worked with numerous college committees and organizations, including the Phi Beta Kappa Society and Alumni Council, since joining the faculty in 1932. A 1930 graduate, who received an M.A. degree from Harvard, he was selected by the Colby Alumni Council in 1970 for its highest award, a Colby Brick. Following studies at Ricker Classical Institute in Houlton and at Colby, Professor Bither taught Latin and French at Mount Hermon School in Northfield, Mass.
25 Years Ago – May 19, 1999
HHS Students Put Best Foot Forward — In an effort to bridge community relations, members of Houlton High School’s Student Council equipped with rakes, shovels, rubber gloves, garbage bags and other tools, launched a cleanup project around the school grounds and Community Park. Student Council President Jacob Cowperthwaite said that the group has been conducting a cleanup day for the last four years. “Actually, it started out as a school and parking lot cleanup day,” he said. “We can usually finish that in the morning, so it spread around the town more. We’re doing a lot of work at the park.” After promoting a food drive for Honduras after a hurricane devastated the country and bringing the AIDS quilt to the Shiretown, “We wanted to do something more community-oriented,” Cowperthwaite said. Student Council members are hoping to be role models for their peers.Houlton Elks Host Annual National Honor Society Supper — On Wednesday evening, March 5, the Houlton Lodge of Elks No. 835 hosted a dinner for the Houlton Chapter of the National Honor Society and their parents. This is the third year of having the dinner as a way of recognizing the achievements and commitment of those students to their school, family and community.
