The last six months of 2015 saw setbacks for the Caribou Secession Committee and progress towards Caribou’s new school.
July
Secession committee members announced secession could be avoided if the City Council takes action on what committee members state are the “eight ways to avoid secession.”
At a meeting between Caribou City Council and members of the Caribou Secession Committee resulted in zero progress to prevent the rural part of the community seceding from the city and becoming the new town of Lyndon.
The Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery was awarded nearly $900,000 in federal funding which would allow them to add more burial slots for veterans and their spouses.
A unanimous vote by the RSU 39 school board welcomed their new superintendent of schools, Tim Doak, at a regular board meeting.
August
Caribou Mayor Gary Aiken gave the final vote to approve the sale of municipal parking lots in the downtown vicinity at a regular council meeting.
The Maine School of Science and Mathematics held a ground-breaking ceremony for the new student-designed greenhouse facility.
The RSU 39 school board voted unanimously to hire Jessica Smith, their new director of blended learning for the district.
Senator Susan Collins made her first appearance at Thursdays on Sweden (TOS) where she was presented with the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for her support of businesses in Maine and throughout the nation.
A Caribou family sent off their oldest daughter on a 3,300-mile bicycle journey from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, for a personal cause — her brother’s rare nervous system disease.
Limestone voters OK’d $55,000 to meet RSU 39 commitment. A vote to allow RSU 39 to expend $55,000 from Limestone’s Reserve Fund to reduce the town’s 2015 to 2016 tax assessment passed with 30 residents voting “yes.”
September
Mark Goughan and his family organized memorable events on their farm for decades. This year, Farmer Mark planned a special surprise for his wife Gloria’s 60th birthday.
The Aroostook Band of Micmacs held their 21st annual Mawiomi of the Tribes at Spruce Haven.
A new dual course credit agreement was signed by RSU 39 and the University of Maine at Presque Isle, which allowed students at Caribou High School and Caribou Regional Technology Center to earn up to 63 credits toward their college degree.
Maine State Police and the state fire marshal’s office investigated the suspicious death of a man found inside a burning house on Lyndon Street in Caribou.
October
PDT Architects and RSU 39 officials visited the Limestone Community School Auditorium, the Stockholm Town Office (old school gymnasium), and the Caribou Performing Arts Center to propose building a new preK-8 school in the Teague Park area.
In a meeting the Loring Development Authority unanimously agreed to accept their 2015 audit report as presented. Board member Dana Saucier of Wallagrass gave an overview and brought up a $1,940,715 revenue decrease for the current year.
The Caribou City Council allowed PDT Architects and RSU 39 to continue planning a new preK-8 school building in Teague Park.
Rural residents wishing to secede from Caribou suffered a setback, when the Maine Legislative Council refused to advance proposed legislation creating the town of Lyndon.
The Caribou City Council agreed not to fund the Caribou Chamber of Commerce for the upcoming year during their three-day public budget forums.
November
Despite being dealt another blow the Caribou Secession Committee vowed to not give up. The Maine Legislative Council on Nov. 19 denied, 8-2, an appeal to advance proposed legislation that would have allowed rural residents to continue their efforts to split off from Caribou and create the new town of Lyndon.
Three people riding in a car in Limestone were stopped Sunday for a traffic violation were arrested on drug charges following a search of the vehicle.
December
After nearly two years of planning, the city of Caribou shared plans of receiving a Sears Hometown store in the New Year.
Caribou City officials announced last week that they would be kicking off the Caribou Marathon, a local event in which competitors can qualify for the Boston Marathon.
