Editor’s Note: The following is the second of two articles highlighting some of the top news stories from 2013. This article highlights the events from July to December.
Compiled by Joseph Cyr Staff Writer
The second-half of 2013 featured a variety of news stories, including everything from winter storms dumping a foot of snow to tornados touching down in Danforth.
July
Sam Johnson, a Houlton native who is now a resident of Burlington, Vt., appeared on the television show “America’s Got Talent” performing a death-defying handstand on a “sway pole” 80 feet in the air without any harness or safety net.
The Military Street Baptist Church held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony with more than 100 individuals in attendance. Tours were given and a special concert performance given.
Houlton Community Park was buzzing with activity as organizers of the 2013 Houlton Agricultural Fair were putting the final touches on this year’s four-day celebration. Weather could not have cooperated any more than it did for the July 4th week, with sunny skies, a slight breeze and of course, a huge turnout for Midnight Madness and the Houlton State Agricultural Fair.
After a lengthy budget meeting, voters turned out in force at the polls to pass the RSU 50 budget. Voters adopted a $9,340,140 plan for the 2013-14 school year, which is a 1.39 percent increase ($114,929) over the previous year.
Taxes were once again on the rise in the Shiretown. Last year, taxpayers saw a one-mil increase in property taxes, but this year the hit to people’s checkbooks was even higher. Houlton Town Manager Eugene Conlogue told councilors that the tax rate for 2013 was rising 1.8 mils to a rate of 21.75. For a homeowner with property assessed at $100,000, the tax bill would be $2,175 (an increase of $180).
In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Patten Lumberman’s Museum and Founder’s Day, Timber Tina’s Great Maine Lumberjack Show was appearing in Patten.
An intense storm, including an official report of a tornado touching down, caused widespread damage through parts of northern Washington County. Danforth Town Manager Debbie Theriault said there were numerous downed trees and power lines, with many of the lakefront properties bearing the brunt of the storm.
Changes were under way at the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department, Aroostook County Jail and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. Darrell O. Crandall Jr., a lieutenant with the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department and commander of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, was named the new chief deputy for the department. He succeeded Craig Clossey, who was named as the new Aroostook County Jail Administrator during a July 17 meeting of the Aroostook County Commissioners in Houlton. Clossey replaced longtime jail administrator James Foss, who retired.
A non-profit group was hoping to bring public restrooms to downtown Houlton. Bob Anderson, chairman of the Riverfront Park Committee, spoke to the Houlton town council, hoping the group would give its blessing for plans to build a 10-foot by 20-foot public restroom facility near the picnic area. Anderson explained public restrooms were part of “Phase III” of the committee’s plans to beautify the park.
A 24-year veteran of the force, John Cote was promoted to the rank of lieutenant at Troop F, the highest rank one can achieve at a regional branch, during a swearing-in ceremony July 23 at the barracks. More than 70 people attended the brief ceremony to see Cote, a Houlton native and current resident of Mars Hill, sworn in as the new commanding officer of Troop F.
A steady stream of spectators came to the Houlton International Airport to get an up-close look at many airplanes and helicopters as part of the first Wings and Wheels event.
August
The week-long celebration in Island Falls got off to an explosive start and continued with a variety of events for young and old alike. Not to be outdone, the town of Patten also held their Patten Pioneer Days celebration.
In honor of the Houlton Farms Dairy’s 75th anniversary, sundaes were 75 cents all day Aug. 3 at the Houlton, Caribou and Presque Isle locations. According to Alice Lincoln, dairy co-owner, 880 sundaes were sold on the day in just the Houlton dairy bar.
Town officials traveled to Augusta with the hopes of speaking in front of the state’s Appropriations Committee to save the Houlton branch of the Maine Revenue Service. All 12 workers in the Houlton office, located on Water Street, were given lay-off notices.
The Houlton Regional Hospital was in the midst of significant changes to its facility, according to CEO Tom Moakler. That change included closing its 28-bed, separately licensed nursing home facility located on the third floor and relocating the Positive Steps physical therapy division to that space.
For nearly 40 years, Walter Goodrich played a prominent role in the community of Houlton through his actions as a town official and businessman. Goodrich was closing his store and moving to Massachusetts to be closer to family.
September
The Temple Theatre owner Mike Hurley was eying costly transition from 35mm film to a digital format. Upgrading the Temple Theatre to a digital format is not a question of “if” but rather a question of “when” because movie studios are slowly phasing out prints on 35mm film.
The events of Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists struck New York City and the Pentagon, are etched in the memories of millions of people across the world. Now, thanks to the efforts of Houlton artist Desiree Abbott, those memories were etched in glass so that the horrific events and the amazing recovery efforts will never be forgotten.
When students at East Grand School returned to the classroom, a new face was waiting for them in the principal’s office. Dawn Matthews of Houlton took over the position of principal for kindergarten through 12th grade. She replaced Dale Fiske who held the post for one year.
The Salvation Army has a new couple serving as a beacon of hope and inspiration. Damon and Phyllis Hayward took over as the new envoys for the Army. They replaced Capt. Steve and Irma Pearl, who served as the leaders of the Houlton Salvation Army for seven years before being transferred to Coshocton, Ohio.
A change in leadership took place in the small community of Orient with the selection of a new town clerk and selectman. Melony Lowery was elected as the town clerk, tax collector and treasurer during voting on Aug. 27. She replaced Alicia Silkey, who held the post for several years. According to Lowery, Silkey relocated to the Florida area earlier in the summer.
An intense storm was to blame for a fluke incident Sept. 11 that caused two major power lines to fail at almost the same time for residents in southern Aroostook County. The fast moving electrical storm knocked out power to 5,000 Houlton customers, while an estimated 5,000 additional customers of Maine Public Service from Mars Hill, Bridgewater, Monticello, Ludlow, Oakfield, Island Falls, Patten, and Sherman were also left in the dark for several hours.
Houlton played the first high school varsity football game at the new Maliseet Sports Complex.
The Maine State Police had a new sergeant for its Major Crimes Unit following the promotion of trooper Darrin Crane of Hodgdon during a special ceremony.
October
Thanks to a federal grant, the Region Two School of Applied Technology was hoping to be less dependent on fossil fuels this coming winter. Region Two was selected to receive a Community Facility Grant in the amount of $24,000. The funds were to be used to convert the current heating system from oil to pellets.
The shutdown of the federal government had a wide sweeping impact on many businesses and individuals since it took effect on Oct. 1. Carriages of Acadia owner Mike Carpenter, a Houlton attorney who started the tourist business in May 2009, said his company has been deeply impacted by the closure of Acadia National Park. The closure is a direct result of the federal government’s shutdown.
About 200 individuals came out for the annual Bridge to Hope cancer walk in downtown Houlton.
Hugh Farrar of Houlton spent part of his summer battling wildfires in Canada. He is a student at the University of Maine at Fort Kent in the forestry management program.
The Houlton Police Department was warning area residents on the dangers associated with uploading photos to the Internet. The department received several complaints from women who found intimate photos of themselves uploaded to the Internet without their permission.
After a one-year hiatus, the Linneus Haunted Hayride was back and better than ever, featuring a new location, a bundle of new scary scenes and a few old favorites guaranteed to elicit screams of terror from those brave enough to take the ride.
Phase Two of the North Road water/sewer project was nearly finished. John Clark, general manager of the Houlton Water Company, said there were a few minor items left to complete such as paving, correcting the manhole heights and pump stations adjustments.
The Greater Houlton Christian Academy held its 20th annual Harvest Festival and Auction under sunny skies at the school and raised $13,500 in the process.
It was back to the drawing board for SAD 70 in the district’s search for a new superintendent. The SAD 70 school board learned that the search committee had interviewed three candidates for the vacant superintendent position, but was not comfortable choosing any of the three individuals. Clayton Belanger has served as the interim superintendent since the start of the school year. Bob McDaniel, the previous superintendent, resigned at the end of the 2012-13 school year.
After four long months of detours through the rural community of Island Falls, Interstate 95 has officially re-opened for northbound traffic. Completed 12 days ahead of schedule, northbound traffic from Island Falls to Oakfield re-opened for traffic.
The Maine Potato Board announced that Sara Corey of Monticello was selected as the 2013 Young Farmer of the Year. Corey, 23, was the first woman to be chosen for this recognition and is also the youngest recipient of the honor.
November
Six candidates vied for two empty seats on the Houlton Town Council. All six candidates — Gerald “Jerry” Adams, Stan Ginish, Wade Hanson, Carl Lord Jr., Priscilla Monroe and incumbent John White Jr. — participated in a candidate’s forum. White and Hanson were elected to the board.
It took nearly four years to happen, but The Ark Animal Sanctuary finally had a home to call its own with the opening of its shelter on the Old Woodstock Road.
Groups and individuals opposed to the construction of a wind farm in Oakfield filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court to stop the proposed installation of 50 mountaintop turbines and 59 miles of transmission lines. Protect Our Lakes and the Forest Ecology Network, both nonprofit groups, and people who own camps in the area sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of the Interior.
One of Houlton’s largest employers, Smith & Wesson, told employees that layoffs were looming. The Massachusetts-based gun manufacturer told workers that 37 employees would be laid off over the next nine months as the company plans to shift several manufacturing processes from the Houlton facility to the company’s parent location in Springfield, Mass.
The Houlton Police Department tapped Stewart Kennedy as its new detective. Kennedy replaced Kris Calaman, who resigned from the position in October.
The Houlton Police Department held its third annual Employee Recognition Awards ceremony to recognize both those in their department, as well as community members for their remarkable contributions over the past year. Dispatcher Tom Milton was honored as the “Employee of the Year.”
Play enthusiasts took a trip back to the 1980s as Houlton High School’s music department put on three performances of “Fame: The Musical!”
December
The twinkle of Christmas bulbs illuminated the night sky during the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce’s annual Holiday Light Parade. More than 1,000 people lined the streets to watch the parade, either from the comfort of their vehicles or by braving the cold to stand downtown.
The town of Island Falls has unveiled a new website to aid its residents with municipal functions and streamline activity at the town office.
The Houlton Rotary Club declared that its 58th annual Radio & TV Auction was another big success, grossing more than $56,000, which includes money from the bidding, sale of oil raffle tickets, advertising, sponsorships and donations, as well as the sale of two Boy & the Boot statues for the Houlton Regional Health Services Foundation.
The Houlton Town Council unanimously agreed to add a new pellet boiler at the town office on Water Street and also agreed to convert the Millar Civic Center from No. 2 fuel oil to propane.
Houlton Regional Hospital was one of nine Maine health care centers named to the Top Rural Hospitals for 2013 by Leapfrog Group, a national non-profit organization.
With below-zero wind chills at times and snow that started out as fine powder, the first major snowstorm to hit left no doubt that winter had arrived in The County. Snowfall totals ranged from 10-19 inches throughout Aroostook County.
And while the dumping of snow assured Aroostook County of a white Christmas, local Salvation Army officials feared they would be seeing red this season. Because Thanksgiving was a week later than usual, collections for the charitable organization are far behind projections, which has Salvation Army Envoy Damon Hayward concerned about his ability to provide heating assistance this winter.
The Houlton Town Council agreed to bring forth a 2014 spending package in the amount of $9,853,105 during a special meeting. That budget figure was based on the recommendation of the Board of Budget Review and the town manager. If approved, the budget meant taxpayers would see an increase in their tax bill next year.
Louisiana Pacific Corporation was looking to build on the positive momentum it has gained over the last 12 months by expanding. The company hired 41 new employees in 2013 and as many as 20 more jobs were expected to be added in the first quarter of 2014.
