Editor’s note: The following is a look back at news events from the second half of 2009 covering July to December. The first installment appeared in last week’s edition.
Somewhere the sun was shining on the Fourth of July, but it wasn’t in Houlton. Even though it poured off and on throughout the parade route it didn’t really dampen the nostalgia of being in Houlton for the holiday. Participants on the floats thought there were as many if not more than if it had been a good day. The sidewalks and streets were peppered with every color umbrella you could imagine. Most floats were rain-proof. Pete Stratton of Pittsfield brought a beautiful pair of Percheron horses to enter in the draft horse event at Community Park and did double duty by hauling the 1884 Houlton Fire Department’s steam pumper in the parade.
According to the Fair Association, just fewer than 12,000 people attended the four-day festival that usually pulls in almost 14,000. Poor weather was to blame for the reduced attendance.
Houlton was the only town in Maine that got to hear the explosive sounds of country music star Josh Gracin over the July Fourth weekend. At the Millar Civic Center during Houlton’s annual Midnight Madness, those in attendance enjoyed a high energy, rocking evening.
Modern-day pirates, or at least those dressed like pirates, roamed the streets of Houlton while others in buccaneer costumes and head scarves manned cash registers ringing up sales to keep with this year’s theme for the Midnight Madness sales event — Pirates of the Caribbean.
Homeowners were likely going to pay higher taxes this year barring any unforeseen influx of cash or miracles from above. The Houlton Town Council voted 5-1 to authorize the transfer of $100,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance to help reduce the impact to taxes. In a separate 5-1 vote, the council reduced the 2009 budget by $75,500 through departmental cuts. Those reductions were for fuel allowances, administrative costs and future purchases of public works equipment. The current 18.25 mil rate was predicted to rise to 19.25.
Former Houlton artists, Diane and Glenn Hines, attended the dedication of their life-size bronze moose sculpture that was installed in Riverfront Park in time for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The town raised close to $1.5 million over 10 years for park restoration.
Renovations began at Houlton High School for the first phase of the Houlton Community Arts Center. The project that was first introduced in 2005 has been building momentum since then. In 2007 voters approved a $5 million bond with the understanding that the arts committee would actively seek half of the amount from private donations and matching funds. Fund-raisers have been ongoing to raise the money needed.
The Houlton Rotary awarded the Paul Harris Fellow Award to Rotarian Max Lynds and community member Paul Porter. Houlton Rotary members selected these two individuals for exemplifying the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.”
Just a few weeks after the local citizens voted down the proposed $11.5 million school budget, the SAD 29 school board chose not to change its proposed budget. They stayed steadfast to the course stating that they had spent many hours deliberating and truly believed this was the appropriate sum of money to request in order to provide and maintain the best education possible for the students in SAD 29. After a second, district wide vote, the budget passed 372-292.
Thanks to Houlton’s voter-approved million dollar bond for road and sidewalk repair, bright orange construction signs and road cones keep popping up around town. Trucks regularly haul asphalt and traffic flaggers wearing neon-colored hats and safety vests direct cars to go slow or stop. Substantial progress had been made on plans to repair 21 roads and 23 sidewalks, according to Houlton Town Manager Doug Hazlett. Seven sidewalks are completed; four are in process. Two roads are completed; nine more were in process.
The Houlton Police Department got a morale boost and a vote of support from Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine) when he showed up at their annual barbecue and praised the job they do, especially the successful Citizens Police Academy that graduated 26 residents from the greater Houlton area.
The Houlton Police Department and the FBI launched a joint investigation after the State Police detonated a small suspicious package left at the National Guard Armory on Pleasant Street. Two guardsmen notified Staff Sgt. Joseph Schools that the small brown paper-wrapped package, approximately 6 inches by 9 inches by 3 inches, was in front of the armory. A note was attached that said, “Vets enjoy,” with instructions to “call 1 (800) FBI,” according to HPD Detective Carolyn Crandall.
Gray skies and intermittent showers didn’t dampen the nostalgia at Oakfield’s annual Rail Fan Day. The restored train station known as the Train Museum attracted more than 200 visitors from throughout the County and beyond.
The Houlton All-Stars captured the District 3 Little League championship and went on to play in the state tournament in Ellsworth. Playing for the team were Matthew Tuttle, Connor Grant, Cameron Graham, Patrick Howe, Isia Bouchard, Logan Ellis, Abe Lorom, Billy Phillips, Nathan Mooers, Nick Cowperthwaite, Zachary Hagan, Jacob Worthley, Caleb Tribou and coaches Eric Cowperthwaite, Barry Lorom and Shawn Graham. The squad won one of three state games.
The town of Benedicta was celebrating its rich, 175-year history built on hard work, faith and fun. Festivities were planned to mark this important milestone. In 1834, Benedict Fenwick, Catholic bishop of Boston, first sent Irish settlers to the area that is now Benedicta.
The era of poodle skirts, leather jackets and pompadour hair styles got a breath of new life with Patten Pioneer Days’ “50’s sock hop” theme.
First Wind, an independent developer and operator of wind power in the United States, announced that it had closed two financing transactions for a total of $191 million. The first was an eight-and-a-half-year $115 million term loan from Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo). The second was a $76 million one-year loan with HSH Nordbank for First Wind’s Stetson project.
Wesley Tidd sustained injuries after an emergency landing and plane crash in a Hodgdon hayfield. Tidd, 49, was flying his 2003 Team Mini Max single-seat airplane over Hodgdon when he developed engine difficulties forcing him to attempt a landing in the large field. According to police reports, Tidd’s airplane flipped over, landing on its roof in the field.
The Elms in Houlton, located on 59 Court St, was entered in the National Register of Historic Places, according to Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr., director of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, whose staff prepared the nomination. This designation indicated that the property has been documented, evaluated, and considered worthy of preservation and protection as part of the nation’s cultural heritage. Boardman Stevens, a leather and boot manufacturer originally built this house in the 1870s. He was a relative of the well-known Frisbie family of this town, of which the Frisbie Block was named.
Six towns, 30 firefighters battled a blaze at Norman Kaufman’s home in Smyrna. The blaze destroyed the home,
For 50 years, Potato Feast Days has been the culmination of the summer events for our community, and this year was no exception. What began as a way to “create a community event that features the great agricultural product – potatoes” as set forth by the then Houlton Chamber of Commerce and Retail Trade Board, continued with the three-day celebration in Houlton.
One of Houlton’s finest men of music — Rodney Palmer — turned 90, and was recognized for his talent and his life during the final concert of the season for McGill’s Band.
John Bishop, a career educator and experienced school administrator was named as successor to retiring Greater Houlton Christian Academy Head of School, Mark Jago. Bishop returned to Maine with his wife and daughter, after having spent the past 11 years as headmaster at Schenectady Christian School in Scotia, N.Y. The Bishops’ two sons continue their college careers at their respective schools.
A dozen Bowdoin College students traveled from Brunswick to spend three days in Aroostook County picking potatoes.
Bill McDonnell, a long-time educator in SAD 29, died Aug. 12, at the age of 72 in Delray Beach, Fla. He was honored at a memorial service at the Military Street Baptist Church. Many colleagues attended the service remembering McDonnell as a leading force in the SAD 29 program, both in the classroom as a team-teacher in the late 1960s and then moving into positions of administration.
Fall was in the air, potatoes were in the ground, and crews were heading to the fields as the annual potato harvest season was upon us. According to Donald Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board, this year’s growing season was “an interesting one” due to the random weather of heavy rain in June and July, followed by extremely dry conditions in August and September.
Maliseet Chief Brenda Commander estimated about 600 people attended a day-long celebration recognizing Native American veterans on tribal land.
Eight-year-old Leif Dahlk of Littleton was treated to a dream come true; having a ride in a bulldozer and even getting to drive a skid steer. This dream came true thanks to Nickerson Construction of New Limerick and local representatives with the Maine, Make-A-Wish Foundation. Leif, the son of Stephen and Paula Dahlk was diagnosed three years ago with Hodgkin’s disease.
In addition to the lime yellow flag men that have lined South Street for the past six years and the yellow crosswalk markers, drivers who approach Houlton Southside School on Walking Wednesdays saw students manning crosswalks to make sure it’s safe for their classmates to cross the street. The students were members of the school’s newly formed Safety Patrol.
An Aroostook County icon was destroyed, when the Elm Tree Diner received extensive fire damage. Fire gutted the inside of the building, closing the doors to one of the area’s landmark restaurants. Owner Gary Dwyer announced that not only would he rebuild the Elm Tree Diner at its Bangor Street location, but he also planned to open a temporary restaurant at the former Atrium/Governor’s establishment on the North Road.
Oakfield voters, by about a 9-1 margin, gave a proposed wind farm the go-ahead. Town Manager Dale Morris said the vote, 127 no and 14 yes, “sent the moratorium down in defeat” when they checked off their ballots to proceed with the wind farm and related issues.
Due to state budget cuts, eight employees who assist disabled individuals with daily living skills and activities at Community Living Association (CLA) were unemployed.
The Houlton golf team won the state Class C title, marking the second title in the last four years. Members of the Houlton golf team were Ethan Quint, Mike Ring, Logan Shaffer, Isaac Brown, Gaige Flewelling, Eric Cone, Ben Flewelling, Zach Ritchie, Ian Gervais, Nick Chase and Parker Sanderson.
Three candidates — incumbent Nancy Ketch, Fred Grant and Phil Bernaiche — were seeking two seats to the Houlton Town Council, while four candidates Bruce Clark, Tammy Goetsch, Paul Cleary and Lorie Holmes were seeking three available seats on the SAD 29 (Houlton, Littleton, Monticello) school board.
The Linneus Sno Club’s Haunted Hayride scared up a lot of money for recreation programs as the popular event was held over three weekends in October. High school and middle school students from Hodgdon participated in the event and received a portion of the gate to use for class trips and projects. The ride also benefited recreation programs in Linneus.
As a prelude of things to come, snow fell in Aroostook County covering Halloween decorations with a thin blanket of snow.
Thanks to a $75,000 federal stimulus grant, the Department of Environmental Protection has made a section of the Bangor Road a little bit cleaner. Underground fuel contamination has been prevalent along the Bangor Road and the DEP has spent several years digging up, removing and replacing contaminated soil with clean soil. The latest project involved a section of road adjacent to Daigle Oil Company.
Robert Guptill’s milk barn in Patten was destroyed by fire. Five calves and one cow perished in the fire.
The Houlton Knights football team captured the 2009 Aroostook Football League crown. The Knights defeated the Madawaska Mustangs, 19-6 to complete a perfect season of 7-0.
Travel for motorists got a little easier when the Hodgdon Stream Bridge at Cary’s Mills officially reopened. For three months, detour signs had directed motorists to use the Porter Settlement Road, Smyrna Street, North Street and Kendall Street.
A week after fire destroyed their post office, Orient residents were still picking up their mail 12 miles away in Danforth, according to Raelene Page, that town’s postmaster. Intense heat, flames and billowing smoke inhibited firefighters who battled the devastating fire that destroyed Bartlett’s Store, the Orient Post Office and a Laundromat, all housed in the structure on U.S. Route 1. Eric Young, assistant chief in the Danforth Volunteer Fire Department said the building was a total loss.
The Southern Aroostook Warriors girls soccer team hoisted the state soccer championship trophy after beating Greenville 2-0 for their second straight title.
Out of 4,227 eligible registered voters 2,110 Houlton residents cast ballots in what Election Warden and Town Clerk Cathy O’Leary termed “a good turnout, especially in an off-year election.” Elected to the Houlton Town Council were Ketch and Grant, while Clark, Goetsch and Holmes were voted to the SAD 29 school board.
Houlton Town Manager Doug Hazlett laid out the following budget objective — adjust for a loss of nearly a quarter of a million dollars in state funding; maintain current public services; replenish the fund balance that the town has used in the past to fill the revenue-expense gap; invest in road and sidewalk improvements; and avoid tax increases.
To assuage parents’ concerns about Swine flu, an informational meeting was held at Houlton Elementary School with health officials from the local and state level. About 40 parents attended the meeting,
The 54th Annual Houlton Rotary Radio and TV Auction was gearing up with a revised format as the event began a half hour earlier than usual and ended a half hour earlier than last year. The auction is also being broadcast on a different channel than in years’ past. The auction was held at Watson Hall at the Episcopal Church on Main Street
The Houlton Community Arts Center Council and the SAD 29 Music Department were hosting several special events to celebrate the opening of the newly renovated Houlton High School Auditorium. Since construction started in June, contractors were pushing hard to finish all the major changes in the new audience entry area and the auditorium. The Houlton Community Arts Center Council held an invitation-only sneak peak to the new auditorium. Houlton High School opened its doors to the public with the production of the musical “Damn Yankees.”
First Wind broke ground near Danforth to begin construction for the expansion of its Stetson Wind project during a ceremony that included state and local political officials, environmentalists and community residents.
The Houlton Fire Department conducted a training exercise that culminated with the burning of a Military Street building. The property, which was owned by Dave Cunha, was used numerous times over the past four months before it was burned to the ground.
A string of incidents in town had Houlton Police Chief Butch Asselin asking residents to contact the department if they saw or heard something suspicious.
All the traditional aromas of Thanksgiving filled St. Anthony’s Hall when an estimated 150 community people enjoyed a sumptuous dinner prepared and served by volunteers. In the background the clanking of dishes, pots and pans and the muted hum of cheerful chatter mixed with music.
In spite of rain, wind and less than perfect weather Houlton’s Holiday Light Parade was once again an incredible event with about 3,000 spectators estimated. The tree lighting and the visit with Santa was a real delight for the children.
The familiar sights and sounds of Salvation Army bell ringers standing next to the organization’s distinctive red kettles were strategically located around town at popular shopping locations for residents to drop their donations. Capt. Irma Pearl said “those donations go right back into the community to help with rent, food and fuel assistance. We have budgeted $60,000 to support the needs of our clients this year.”
President Barack Obama created a stir at Houlton Elementary School when he responded to a letter last year’s second-grade class wrote him about their individual dreams for the future and the work they were doing in school. The President thanked the children and wrote, in part, “America needs young people like you who are studying hard in school, serving your community, and dreaming big dreams.”
Lorraine Monfils and supporters of the Ark Animal Sanctuary deemed their, “Miracle on Mechanic Street” a great success. With the sun shining and moderate temperatures, shoppers stopped by to sample a variety of food and drinks for sale and to buy some good home cooked food.
SAD 29 Superintendent Steve Fitzpatrick painted a gloomy financial picture for the next fiscal school year at the board’s December meeting. Fitzpatrick updated the board on possible budget curtailments by the state for the 2010-11 fiscal year, which could result in reductions across the board. “The budget curtailment for MSAD 29 is going to be $105,000,” he said. “There was a $38 million curtailment to educational funds statewide. There is a projected $400 million deficit statewide, so they are still trying to find savings, which could impact us.”
Plans of forming a three-school, Regional School Unit between SAD 70, SAD 25 and CSD 9, suffered a major snag when one of the three schools pulled out of the plan. The SAD 70 School Board threw a curveball to Superintendent Robert McDaniel at its December meeting when the board voted against continuing its regionalization talks with SAD 25 (Stacyville, Sherman, Mount Chase and Patten) and CSD 9 (Crystal, Dyer Brook, Island Falls, Merrill, Oakfield, Smyrna). Instead, the board asked McDaniel to explore talks with SAD 29.
The Houlton High School Alumni Association conducted its sixth annual fund-raising campaign recently. As part of this campaign, a direct mail piece was sent out to alumni earlier in the fall that gave an update of projects the organization has committed to and invited former students to join in supporting the future projects, including scholarships.
Nature’s Bounty Food Pantry was hoping for a Christmas miracle to help feed the needy this holiday season. It was a difficult past few months raising money and collecting food items for the pantry as the group has been dealing with rumors that it had closed its doors.
The Houlton Lodge of Elks was buzzing with activity for its annual senior citizens dinner.
As the end of the year approached, Stepping Stones Centers celebrated the holidays by counting its blessings and giving back to the community and agencies that supported them by conducting its fourth annual Christmas Cookie delivery day.
Houlton Regional Hospital announced the visitor restriction policy put in place as a result of Swine flu had been lifted. Those 18-years-old and younger were once again allowed to visit patients at the hospital.
It has been five years since the United Way of Aroostook introduced “Aroostook Idol” to Northern Maine, and by any measure the singing competition has been a huge success. Aroostook Idol was changed to Northern Star to reflect the wider net for talent.
