10 years ago – Oct. 14, 1994

(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

HAMPDEN – Like plants thirsty for summer rain, members of the Hampden environmental trust soaked up information on the hydrogeological study of Sawyer Environmental Recovery Facility’s Secure III landfill. The relicensing of Secure III, which was tabled by the Hampden Town Council Sept. 19, will come up for vote Oct. 17.

The trust comprises volunteers from the community who look after the $2.7 million set aside by SERF to monitor wells around the landfill and pay for damage that might occur to nearby properties.

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BANGOR – After the first 393 pages a Stephen King’s new book, “Insomnia,” I realized just how scary a place the world could be if you’re looking at it through King’s words. All of a sudden, I stopped trusting everything my eyes saw.

No, that’s not an old man walking down the street, I think to myself. That’s a secret agent who has come to save us from the end of the world.

And that dog over there. It’s not really digging up a bone. It’s trying to get through to its underground cave where the devil lives.

The worst was one night when I woke up in the dark and there was one of the book’s characters right in front of me. He was dressed in a long robe that bore an uncanny resemblance to my bedroom curtains.

25 years ago – Oct. 14, 1979

BANGOR – Miles Morgan has signed a contract with Bangor Symphony Orchestra for two more seasons as music director, Dr. Robert E. Clukey Jr., president of the symphony’s board of directors, has announced.

Morgan came to Bangor three seasons ago as guest conductor while music director Peter Re was on sabbatical. When Re resigned, Morgan submitted his candidacy for the Bangor post and was chosen from more than 150 applicants from this country and abroad.

At that time, he had served for 11 years as musical director of Associazione Musicale Romana, a state-supported concert organization, which presents more than 60 concerts annually in Rome.

A native of New York City and a member of the well-known banking family, Morgan was educated at Groton School and Harvard University and the Mannes School of Music. He was a director of the Cambridge Drama Festival, lighting designer for the Chicago Lyric Opera, film director and producer, and helped to organize Janus films.

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ORONO – “Meters, Liters and You,” a metric workshop sponsored by the Maine Home Economics Association at the University of Maine, encouraged those attending to think metric.

Keynote speakers were Dr. Bernard Yvon and Dr. John Butzow of the university’s college of education. Dr. Yvon advised the participants not to convert from customary measurement into metric units. Instead, he urged going “cold turkey.” Using a metric measurement often to become familiar with the length of a meter or the weight of a gram gives one more of a feel for the new standards when trying to translate old to new.

After the keynote address, workshop enrollees engaged in learning center activities using metric measurements. Mrs. Wanda Lincoln, Old Town, conducted “Metrics in the Kitchen.” A “Metric Sew-in” was arranged by Mrs. Kathy Herring, Dover-Foxcroft. “The Metric Home” leader was Mrs. Mary Gibouleau, Old Town, and Dr. Peggy Schomaker, Orono, was responsible for “The Metric Customer.”

50 years ago – Oct. 14, 1954

BANGOR – Penobscot County during the early Civil War years of 1861 and 1862 is featured prominently in “Blue Hurricane,” F. van Wyck Mason’s new historical novel to be published Oct. 20.

Mr. Mason, a historian, sportsman and author of such best-selling novels as “Eagle in the Sky” and “Proud New Flags,” has spent many months recreating the authentic flavor of mid-19th century Maine. The logging industry, railroading, politics and the communities of Bangor, Portland, Newport Junction and Dexter are fully discussed with an eye to period detail.

The hero of “Blue Hurricane” is young Matthew Hovey, an inhabitant of Dexter, whose passionate nature and intemperate rashness carry him from a life of calm respectability through the profligate days of Civil War profiteering and gambling in what was then the far west – Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri.

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HERMON – Richard H. Kinney, local selectman, has been appointed town chairman of the Boy Scout financial campaign which will get under way throughout the state Monday, Scout officials announced Wednesday.

Kinney, who was himself a Boy Scout from 1931 to 1935, pointed out that “there is a serious lack of Scouting organizations in Hermon at the present time.”

He added that, through this campaign and the cooperation of interested citizens, it is hoped that there will be Scouting in Hermon in the next few weeks.”

100 years ago – Oct 14, 1904

BANGOR – Years ago Bangor had a “hoss” hose. Do you recall it? Not Hose 1, nor anything of the kind; but the “hoss” hose owned and run by Union 1.

Union 1 Hose, that was the ticket then. The running gear of the wagon was yellow, the hose was carried on a big wheel. The bell rang with every turn of the forward wheels and taken altogether the outfit was flashy, loud and cumbersome. It was kept at Central Street station in Harlow Street, known at that time as the Steamer house, and ran to every box in the city. Its crew was the crack crew of the town.

But a few years ago the reel was taken away and on the wheels was put a modern wagon body. The old gong, the sound of which will live for all time in the memories of those who have listened to it, was taken off and many other changes made.

Hose 1 now occupies Station 1 on State Street, just above the Morris-Oliver building, and is always a conspicuous figure at downtown boxes and at fires on the East side.

The present wagon has a handsome team of grays to haul it. Joseph W. Mann is the veteran driver of the department, along with George K. Adams, one of the regular men at Station 1.

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BANGOR – The three-masted schooner John C. Smith, Capt. S. R. Pendleton, bound from Bangor to New York with laths, went ashore on Shovelful Wednesday night, Oct. 5. She was ashore Sept. 27 on the same trip on Fort Point ledge, got off, put into Belfast, and sailed Sept. 27 for her destination.

The schooner was grounded on Shovelful trying to cross the shoals at high water. The crew at Monomoy Point life saving station went to her assistance and remained on the vessel all night. Their efforts to float the vessel were unavailing. The captain and crew of the Smith remained on board.

The tug Mercury, which was dispatched from Boston, made an unsuccessful attempt to float the vessel and on Saturday the crew were taken aboard.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin