10 years ago – Nov. 20, 1993

(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

BANGOR – Hope’s on tap for beer connoisseurs beleaguered by the absence of brew pubs in Bangor.

The Sea Dog, a microbrewery and restaurant in Camden, could soon set up shop on the banks of the Penobscot.

Peter Camplin, proprietor of the Sea Dog, has his eyes on the Viner building, a long-vacant building the city owns on the waterfront. City officials are prepared to give Camplin exclusive rights to the building for 60 days, time enough to negotiate a sale or lease.

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LUCERNE – Anyone with around $620,000 to spend probably could have purchased the Lucerne Inn. But when no one would bid that much, SKW Real Estate Limited Partnership retained control of the property.

The setting was the foreclosure auction held at the historic inn, which is located halfway between Bangor and Ellsworth.

During the 1980s, Joseph and Lois Foran made the inn a popular attraction, restoring it to its historic glory. In 1987, the Forans sold it to Baron Resources Corp. of Avon, Conn.

When the economy turned sour, Baron ended up in bankruptcy court. Last spring Connecticut National Bank, an affiliate of Shamut Bank and holder of a mortgage on the inn, foreclosed.

25 years ago – Nov. 20, 1978

BANGOR – The lure of a prestigious American education financed by petro-dollars and other income sources from developing nations has brought 42 students from as far away as Venezuela and Iran this fall to study at the International Center for Language Studies, a private, profit-making institute located at Husson College.

Students such as Ali Mohammed Mokarrami and Majid Pourshadi, both of Iran, are mixing with Husson students while taking intensive drill in English in preparation for American university educations.

Mokarrami, who has an Iranian law degree, says he plans to study engineering management at a Louisiana university after he completes a four-month program at the center. Pourshadi, who already has a degree in medical technology from Iran, plans to pursue a master’s degree in America after taking a center course for a few weeks.

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BANGOR – Many a good churchgoer has dozed during a sermon, though few churches have actually harbored a dozing bulldozer. But wrecking crews continue the demolition of the 103-year-old St. Mary’s Church, destroyed last winter by fire. The double doors to the entrance of the church were saved from the fire. Many of the bricks have been saved from the structure, and will be used in the new church to be built on Ohio Street in the spring. Next week crews plan to bring the huge bell tower down.

50 years ago – Nov. 20, 1953

BANGOR – Thousands of Maine boys have gone out of Union Station, Bangor, for military service, but this week it was a beautiful German Shepherd dog that left to report for duty. Ball-Moores Prinz V. Shepwold left to report for duty at Cameron Station, Alexandria, Va. He will be a sentry dog with the United States Army and is already trained for his duties. His serial number is tattooed on his left flank.

Prinz Lamie will take his “basic” at Cameron Station and then will be sent by the Army to guard some important military installation.

The dog is owned by Gerald E. Ballanger of Hudson and Bangor, who raises dogs. He hated to part with this lovely animal, but the army needs these dogs and they paid him $150 to have Prinz Lamie help in the defense of the country.

Ballanger is a member of the faculty at Beal College, where he teaches typing, shorthand, bookkeeping and mathematics.

It is reported that thousands of dollars of the taxpayer’s money are being saved each year by use of sentry dogs. Not only do these dogs protect millions of dollars worth of government property, but they keep down theft and sabotage.

The Army sent a special crate for Prinz Lamie and he left Bangor via Railway Express Agency to start his Army life, which may carry him eventually to the four corners of the globe where U.S. military installations must be guarded.

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BREWER – A census of preschool children submitted to the Brewer school board shows that some elementary schools may be overcrowded by 1955.

The census, which considers the last five years, was taken by two parent-teacher associations and presented to the board by Superintendent Albert S. Pillsbury. The board took the matter under study.

The census indicates that four schools – Washington, Dirigo, Excelsior and State – may be overcrowded by 1955.

Pillsbury pointed out that some elementary rooms are near capacity now.

The board voted to require Brewer teachers to obtain at least six credits from a university or teacher’s college within each five-year period.

The board voted to give $100 to teachers for each six hours of credit obtained in the summer school. Previously, teachers received $50.

100 years ago – Nov. 20, 1903

BANGOR – “You may announce that, notwithstanding many rumors and insinuations to the contrary, we shall positively play Brewer upon Thanksgiving Day. The fact that our team is somewhat crippled had nothing whatever to do with it. We shall play if the snow is 10 feet deep and our entire 11 is composed of substitutes.”

This was the statement made by Capt. Chris Toole of the Bangor High School football team to a Daily News reporter.

“There have been many intimations that we would not fill our engagement with Brewer,” continued Toole, “and as late as Thursday morning a published report stated that the game with Portland would probably be the last one of the year. Now, there is no foundation whatever for any such belief – for Bangor High is not in the habit of slighting its engagements, however good the cause; and after battling Portland, it should certainly be able to give Brewer a severe run for its money – however much the latter team has been strengthened by skillful coaching during the past few weeks.”

The Bangor line-up at the game is: Mongovan, Talbot, Smith, Veague, Burrill, Fox, Rogan, Toole, Hodgins and Robinson.