Yesterday …

(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

10 years ago – May 1, 1993

BANGOR – Bangor International Aiport is in the midst of a building expansion that was slated to cost $10 million when it started 18 months ago, but now will cost more than $12 million to complete.

“With a project like this you encounter problems. You always do,” said Airport Director Bob Zieglaar.

The airport has enough money on hand to cover the cost overruns. Zieglaar said they tapped a contingency account in the construction budget. Monday, the City Council transferred $1 million from the airport’s operating budget to its construction budget.

Work should wrap up in late August, just about on schedule. The project entails enlarging the International Arrivals Building, renovating the administration offices and expanding the domestic terminal.

25 years ago – May 1, 1978

BREWER – The Brewer School Committee has gone part of the way toward cutting the $87,000 out of the 1978 budget as the city council requested last week.

The committee met to cut $52,617 out of its budget, reducing the projected increase to $192,539, 5.9 percent. The panel accomplished the reductions by abolishing three proposed faculty and staff positions, and reducing various line items.

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BREWER – Anne Tower, 18, and a student at Brewer High School, will compete in the finals of the state Miss United States Teenager contest in Lewiston. Contestants will be judged on scholarship, beauty, poise and personality.

50 years ago – May 1, 1953

ORONO – Sixty prominent architects and architectural firms will exhibit at the University of Maine original plans, photographs and models of more than 120 outstanding modern American schools.

A major exhibition of the year by the art department, the show, called “Contemporary Schools U.S.A. – Maine,” has been arranged by Vincent A. Hartgen, head of the art department.

Dean Mark Shibles, head of the university’s school of education, is high in his praise of the show. “This unique and magnificent exhibit shows some of the nation’s outstanding school buildings,” he said. “It is a veritable resource of ideas for those who are planning to build in the future. This display should be examined by parents, school architects, building committees and educators. The structures represented in the exhibit are studies in design, functional usage and economy in planning.”

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BANGOR – Maine Mu chapter of Beta Sigma Phi held its 22nd annual Founder’s Day banquet at the Tarratine club. The group also held the pledge and ritual of jewels installation ceremonies.

The banquet this year was dedicated to Beta Sigma Phi Girl of the Year – Miss Mu – and tying for the honor were Miss Georgia Blodgett and Miss Marie Sullivan.

Miss Mu is named by virtue of achievement and both girls rated so highly that it was necessary to name both. Each was presented with an official Beta Sigma Phi compact. Both were crowned with flowers by Miss Mu of 1951, Miss Doris Eaton, and Miss Mu of 1952, Miss Eleanor Scott.

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OLD TOWN – Nelson Ouellette celebrated his sixth birthday with a party after school at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Ouellette. Games were played and a birthday cake made by his aunt, Mrs. Jason Feero, was served. The color scheme was blue and white and favors were multicolored balloons.

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VEAZIE – James Millner Unit 169 American Legion Auxiliary has selected representatives for Girls’ State to be held at Colby College in Waterville.

The delegate chosen was Lois King, Bangor High School, who will be sponsored by the Penobscot County auxiliary. Alternates were Barbara Gilpatrick and Marion Cram, both Bangor High students.

100 years ago – May 1, 1903

BANGOR – The telephone linemen stationed in Bangor were busy all afternoon endeavoring to locate a trouble in the cable which conveys wires of the services in upper State Street from Exchange Street to the telephone exchange, but had not succeeded in finding it.

The cable burned out and was useless at noon, and the men went out in search of the trouble. Ordinarily, the rest would have been easy, but the wet weather made locating the electrical troubles difficult and, further, the wires were still burning, making it a dangerous matter for men to handle.

It was supposed that the cable had become crossed with an electric light wire in some manner and the heavy currents of the light wire had penetrated the cable insulation, causing the trouble. If such was the case, the cross had occurred at some place where it was hard to find.

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BANGOR – Chief Mason of the fire department is feeling especially proud of the latest acquisition to the horse equipment of that department, as they give signs of being exceptionally intelligent animals.

On Tuesday M. Willey and Sons received a lot of horses, among them being a matched pair of grays, weighing 1,470 and 1,480 pounds, respectively. Chief Mason and the committee on fire saw the animals and decided that they were needed for use on the big ladder truck and purchased them.

The animals were taken to a blacksmith shop, shod and taken back to Central station, where their education into the duties of a fire horse was begun. In 20 minutes from the time they were back in the stable, they would come to their places at the pole of the truck as readily and speedily as the oldest horse in the service. Chief Mason feels confident that in a few more lessons, they will thoroughly understand what is expected of them.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin