Editor’s Note: the following is a recap of some of the top news stories from 2016, covering the months of January to June. The second half of the year will appear in next week’s paper.
It was another exciting year for the Shiretown. Here are some highlights of what happened during the first half of 2016.
January
Houlton Middle-Senior High School held its annual spelling bee for students in grades 6-8 with a winner earning the right to advance to the Aroostook County Bee. Hope Chernesky, a sixth-grader beat out several older peers as she correctly spelled the word “phrasing” in the 12th round to win the crown.
A Houlton man was given more than $3,000 by the Town Council to pay for damages after the town discontinued snow plowing services on his road. Jay Witcher, who lives at the end of Carpenter Road, requested the money so he could buy a snowplow for his pickup truck in order to do the plowing himself.
An effort by the RSU 50 board to close Katahdin Middle-High School failed to gain the two-third majority vote needed, leaving the school safe for the time being.
February
Tasha Chambers knew the instant she saw a bright orange glow coming from the barn that her beloved animals were likely dead. Tasha and Andrew Chambers’ animal barn, located a short distance from their 439 Cold Brook Road home, was fully engulfed in flames by the time the fire was noticed.
A Maine State Police cruiser was heavily damaged in a collision with a tractor-trailer truck on snow covered U.S. Route 1. Both drivers escaped injury. Lt. Brian Harris, 45, of Blaine, who is the commanding officer for Troop F in Houlton, was traveling north in his 2014 Ford Police Interceptor directly behind a 2016 Volvo tractor-trailer driven by Glen Thomas, 45, of Madawaska when the crash happened.
By a split vote of the SAD 70 board of directors, it was decided that the seventh- and eighth-graders at Mill Pond School would move to Hodgdon High School at the start of the next school year.
A group of 46 fourth-graders at Houlton Southside School turned into young actors as the Children’s Stage Adventure group returned to the Shiretown. This year’s production featured the tale “The Sword Called Excalibur.”
The former executive director of the Houlton Humane Society said she was very sorry for fabricating an adoption story about a dog named Harley after the animal admittedly died in her care.
March
A touch of Hollywood came to the Shiretown as actress Susan Sarandon visited with the local native Americans and other interested parties, and Aroostook County gave a taste life in northern Maine to Sarandon as she was greeted with a wintery mix of precipitation during her quick visit to the County. Sarandon was in Maine, and across the country, drumming up support for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
The Houlton High School girls basketball team won the Class C state championship a year ago and became one of few teams to ever capture a title in a higher class the this year.
For nearly four decades, Andy Marino kept kitchens in southern Aroostook County stocked with a full assortment of grocery items. Marino was saluted at the 2016 Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner meeting and awards ceremony. He was chosen as this year’s “Lifetime Achievement” recipient.
A Houlton-based business was selected to fix the substantial damage to a block wall at the Gentle Memorial Building that was delayed by the town last fall. During a brief meeting, the council voted to accept the bid from Buildings Etcetera of $38,381 for the masonry wall repairs at the building.
The Greater Houlton Christian Academy Board of Directors announced that Tom Zimmerman was named Head of School.
April
The Maine Sheriffs’ Associations’ (MSA’s) annual conference and awards banquet was held March 24, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. At this banquet two members of the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office received awards. Deputy Sheriff Sgt. Kris Miller, of Ludlow, was named the MSA 2015 Deputy Sheriff of the Year for the state, while Deputy Stewart Kennedy of Oakfield received the Presidential Award for Valor.
Knights, dragons and a spot of tea were served up to perfection at the Houlton Community Arts Center as young actors in the Houlton Star Bright Children’s Theatre graced the stage. Performing the play, “The Reluctant Dragon,” a group of 17 young thespians acted out the tale of “Mortie” the harmless dragon who must defend himself against Saint George, who has been summoned by the king to protect the villagers of his kingdom, to slay what they think is a vicious monster.
A local man was charged with kidnapping after allegedly holding a woman captive for several hours before police battered down the door to his home to free her. Dushko Venelinov Vulchev, 39, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Bulgaria, faced two felony charges — kidnapping and theft by unauthorized taking — as well as misdemeanor charges of domestic violence assault, obstructing the report of a crime and domestic violence terrorizing.
May
A large gathering of supporters and well-wishers gathered Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the grand opening of the new Aroostook County Action Program facility on 91 Military St.The new facility marks the first time in the history of the organization that all of its programs and services in southern Aroostook, including early education, workforce development, energy/heating assistance and WIC (Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants and Children), are housed under one roof.
Sen. Susan Collins made a brief visit to her native Aroostook County Monday as she updated members of the Houlton Rotary Club on the topics of Social Security, Medicare and elderly fraud. Collins was also presented with a copy of the Houlton Band of Maliseets’ children’s book by Tribal Chief Brenda Commander.
Richard Hogan of Bangor drove more than 119 miles just to try a new type of beer. And that was what he was doing at the first annual Blackfly Brewfest in Houlton, as he sipped from a glass of ale he had gotten from the Sea Dog Brewing Company in Bangor, one of more than 30 vendors who packed into the Millar Civic Center for the first annal event.
June
Voters in the towns of Moro Plantation, Hersey, Patten, Sherman and Stacyville sent a loud and clear message when they went to the polls that changes were needed in the RSU 50 school district. An overwhelming 84 percent of those voting were in favor of starting the withdrawal process from RSU 50.
Local residents once again were able to purchase beer and wine on Sundays. By nearly a 5-to-1 margin, voters approved a citizens’ petition that sought to allow all stores in town to sell beer and wine on Sundays.
