10 years ago – Jan. 20, 1995

(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

HAMPDEN – A famous passage from “The Velveteen Rabbit” on being “real” hangs on the wall outside the library, just below a plaque recognizing Evelyn M. Hutchins for 33 years of dedication to the children, teachers and staff and Earl McGraw School. Inside on a shelf is the handsome wooden carrier that transports the books, purchased in her honor, from library to classroom.

“The Velveteen Rabbit” was her favorite story, and her presence in Hampden is as “real” now as it was for all those years when she was a teacher at the school.

“You just didn’t misbehave in her class because you were having too much fun,” said Andy Plaisted, one of Hutchins’ pupils in the mid-1970s and now a physical education teacher at McGraw.

.

BANGOR – University of Maine President Frederick E. Hutchinson stunned a group of about 40 faculty members connected with University College when he announced that a two-year liberal arts program, currently connected to the University Maine in Orono, would be relegated to Bangor as part of a developing community college of Maine.

The decision was somewhat historic, according to some faculty members, because it contradicts, for the first time in recent memory, a resolution of the UMaine Faculty Senate. In December 1994, the faculty groups suggested that the University of Maine retain a two-year liberal arts program.

25 years ago – Jan. 20, 1980

BREWER – No man has ever dominated a sport in Maine for so long as has Charles H. Milan III of Brewer, who a year ago captured his 18th state candlepin lid and recently was cited by the state Legislature for that achievement.

In addition to a spectacular state showing, the genial proprietor of the Bangor-Brewer Lanes in Brewer has captured five world crowns, and as he puts it, “I can’t recall how many tournaments I’ve won in New England and Canada.”

Probably the greatest candlepin bowler ever in the long history of the popular sport in the Northeast, Milan has done all of this at the ripe old age of 43.

“I bowled my first string when a friend of my grandfather’s took me at the age of 5 to the Chateau, which in 1941 was probably the best of four candlepin establishments in Bangor.”

50 years ago – Jan. 20, 1955

BUCKSPORT – The general Extension division of the University of Maine will offer a course in oral Spanish in Bucksport during the spring semester, provided there is sufficient interest in such a course.

The course will be taught by Professor Stuart M. Gross of the University of Maine. Professor Gross teaches Spanish at the university and has spent considerable time in Latin-American countries where Spanish is the principal language.

Professor Gross pointed out that Spanish would be a handy language for the people of Bucksport, since ships from Argentina and Chile are calling at the port fairly frequently now to pickup loads of paper for South America. The officers and men from the ships have been invited to homes in Bucksport, but generally the language barrier has caused some difficulty.

.

BANGOR – A capacity audience filled the Bangor Auditorium to hear Yehudi Menuhin, famed violinist, in concert.

Presenting a program which displayed his virtuosity to the full, Menuhin opened his concert with the Beethoven sonatas which affirmed the reputation for facility and fine technique won by him since his debut at the age of 8, nearly 30 years ago.

Five movements from the Bach “Partita in E Major” for unaccompanied violin, and the brilliant and difficult Paganini Concerto which followed, were further proof of the artist’s deep perception and interpretation of the music which has been his life’s study and his life’s inspiration.

The program, chosen to display the marvelous ability of Menuhin as an artist, was perhaps too classical for the majority of the audience.

However, the final group of three Spanish Dances by de Falla, Ravel and Sarasate burst like a flash of color in a magnificent finale to the program.

The auditorium was packed to the tops of the bleachers set up to accommodate the crowd.

.

BREWER – The Freshman Home Economics Club gave a tea in honor of Mrs. Dione Hutchinson. Mrs. Hutchinson has been doing practice teaching under the supervision of Mrs. Helen’s Downing. She will complete her work Friday.

The honored guests, besides Mrs. Hutchinson, included superintendent and Mrs. Albert E. Pillsbury, principal and Mrs. Melvin Leighton, Mr. and Mrs. Guy Gove, and Miss Berneice Thompson. The pourers were Donna Aubrey, president of the club, and Mary Lindsay, vice president. The mothers of the freshmen and faculty members were invited guests.

100 years ago – Jan. 20, 1905

BANGOR – The attendance at the opening night of the circus at the YMCA was larger than had been expected and the show as a whole promises to be a great success. The strongest part of the entertainment is in the sideshows and menagerie, and on the grounds themselves.

A regular circus ring has been built in the gymnasium, with sawdust and flags and all the other paraphernalia. A clown gives a fine exhibition of balancing on a trapeze and some excellent horizontal bar work is done. An orchestra and the clown band furnish music for the big show and keep the air torn up most of the time.

The balloonist didn’t balloon. Professor J. Lauren Ball was to have made the ascension, but the gas pipes leaked and the spectators didn’t get the thrill. An understudy was hoisted to one of the trusses on the end of a parachute, and was lowered again. He struck on his head, but it didn’t hurt it any. This part of the show was loudly applauded.

.

BANGOR – J.F. Spellman of Bangor is to build a pile driver here, which will be used in the construction of the terminus of the new Seaport line railway at Stockton. Mr. Spellman’s men began work on Thursday clearing up the Marine railway wharf. When this is done, work will immediately be commenced upon the pile driver, the dimensions of which will be 46 feet long with a 20-foot beam. As soon as the ice at Stockton will allow work, the driver will be taken from Bucksport to that place, which will be much earlier in the season than if built at Bangor.

.

OLD TOWN – The Old Town High School basketball team will go to Guilford on Friday night, where a game will be played with the Guilford High School five. On Saturday night a game will be played with the Sangerville High aggregation in that town, and the Old Town boys will remain there over Sunday. Captain Hurley of the local high school team is ill and it is doubtful if he will be able to accompany the boys. The trip will be something out of the ordinary and is being looked forward to.

.

BUCKSPORT – Captain Bennett of the steamer Golden Rod announced that he would discontinue his daily trip between Bucksport, Camden and the way-landings until further notice. Captain Bennett decided to do this owing to thickness and large amount of ice in the river and bay.

The steamer went to Sandy Point on Thursday morning to discharge a large amount of freight, which she brought up from Camden for that place on Wednesday, but owing to being behind schedule and having many passengers for the evening train to Bangor, she did not make her landing on Wednesday afternoon, taking the freight down Thursday morning. Captain Bennett said that he thought he should resume his trip on Friday, as the heavy southwest wind of Wednesday cleared the lower bay of ice.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin