(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

10 years ago – May 25, 1995

BANGOR – Greater Bangor is leaking. What’s escaping is not water, noxious fumes or chemicals, but jobs and economic growth.

A yearlong study of five professional service sectors released recently by the Greater Bangor Chamber of Commerce found that many legal, architectural, accounting, engineering and management consulting jobs that could be done in this area, aren’t. Instead, construction projects, requests for legal representation and public relations jobs are heading south to destinations such as Portland and Boston.

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BANGOR – It was only 18 months ago that the future of Bangor Raceway, and harness racing in Bangor, appeared to be in serious jeopardy.

What a difference a year and a half can make.

Bangor Raceway opens for the 1995 racing season with a 10-race card.

Prospects for another solid season appear good, especially after a successful ’94 meet.

“We’re looking at it very optimistically,” said raceway manager Fred Nichols of Bangor Historic Track Inc., the private group that is running Bangor Raceway for the second year. He said the Bass Park oval should be home to harness racing for many years.

Bangor Historic Track pumped almost $60,000 into Bangor Raceway last year, much of it in improvements to the grandstand.

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VEAZIE – Silver’s mountain is coming down. Not overnight, but in time, reported town officials. The town’s planning board recently gave approval to Silver and Sons construction company’s site plan when it reviewed the application for a new building.

Silver and Sons is located on two sites. Part of the operation is located on the river side of Main Street next to the railroad tracks where construction materials, fill and loam piles are stored. The rest of the operation is on State Street-Route 2, next to Lancaster’s Market near the Orono town line.

The mountain, as it has been called by some residents at recent selectmen’s meetings, is a large pile of loam taken from the Hogan Road site in Bangor where the new veterans’ home is being constructed.

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HAMPDEN – Residents of Ichabod Lane expressed their concerns about a proposed wetlands recreation project to Maine Department of Transportation officials during an informational meeting.

Because a DOT road project in Orrington would destroy 2.2 acres of existing wetlands, the department, by law, must either re-establish wetlands or create new ones to compensate for the loss.

After looking at numerous possibilities, the state officials have picked former wetlands behind the Ichabod Lane subdivision as the ideal site for their mitigation project.

The sticking point proved to be what kind of access residents would have to the area, which has recreational uses like walking and biking, and educational uses like the study of birds and animals in the area.

25 years ago – May 25, 1980

HAMPDEN – As the Hampden bus service enters its fourth week of operation, Fred Clancy, transportation director for The Bus, said it’s the best transportation buy around.

“You can’t run your car from Hampden to Bangor for less than 40 cents,” he said. The Bus route started April 28, and so far more than 560 people are using the service weekly.

The town of Hampden decided to “try it out for a year” to see if the service would support itself. The only Citibus route making money, Clancy said, is the run to Old Town.

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NEWBURGH – Lendon Gray of Newburgh, riding Beppo, became the first Maine resident to be chosen as a member of the 1980 United States Summer Olympic team when she was selected a member of the U.S. Equestrian Dressage Team.

During competition in the Grand Prix, Gray finished in third place and also came in second in the Grand Prix Special, the most difficult equestrian competition.

Had the United States team been going to the Olympics, Miss Gray would have been competing as one of the four members of the U.S. team in Moscow. Because this country is boycotting the Olympics, the U.S. Equestrian team will participate in four meets in Europe this summer, including the prestigious Goodwood at Sussex, England.

50 years ago – May 25, 1955

BANGOR – Miss Nettie Doucette and Mrs. Bernice Paulin of the Mary Snow School faculty, who are retiring at the close of the school year, and Mrs. Barbara Davis, who also is leaving the teaching profession, were honored at a dinner in the Coral Room of the Brass Rail.

More than 35 members of the faculty and friends attended the dinner. Spring flowers centered the tables. A gift was presented to each honored guest by Ernest Wardwell, principal, on behalf of the faculty.

Arrangements for the party were in the charge of Mrs. Dorothy Barrett, chairman, assisted by Cecile Daigle, Mrs. Cecelia Norton, Helen Avery, Carrie Rowe and Mrs. Marion Graham.

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BANGOR – An outstanding program of entertainment will highlight the ninth annual Policemen’s Ball.

The entertainment will include six acts of professional vaudeville, accompanied by Norman Lambert on the electric organ. The entertainment will be introduced by popular Paddy Cliff of Boston, a well-known entertainer and master of ceremonies.

The other acts will include Senor Torino, assisted by Faye and his Magic Doves of Deception; Doris Dawn, rising young night club and television vocalist; Leon Collins, a versatile juggler and gymnast; Franny Collins, “Tops in Tunes;” and the Three Renowns, novelty comedy and dance team.

100 years ago – May 25, 1905

BANGOR – “Oh, isn’t this a cinch?” The remark came from a beginner at roller skating at the auditorium. The beginner was a bit wobbly, and his feet didn’t always go in the exact track which he desired, but still he got along and soon was hustling around the hall. He became over-confident, and in making – or trying to make – a lightning turn, turned a double somersault in the air, landing on his feet by a good honest margin.

It is not hard to skate on rollers, provided the beginner has a fair amount of confidence in his abilities, and a determination to learn. When the beginner gets the idea into his head that he can do anything on the skates, looping the loop, triple air springs, shooting the chutes, back dives and hundreds of ingenious and intricate acrobatic feats are not only possible but probable.

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ORONO – An alarm of fire was sounded at 2:45 o’clock that caused considerable excitement at the time. A report was brought to town in regard to a fire in Engel’s board yards at Great Works. A slight change in the wording conveyed it had broken out in Engel’s board yards in Webster and the whole town stampeded, for a fire in those board yards endangered every home and business place in Orono.

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BANGOR – Fire Chief Matthew Moriarity made a little demonstration with two engines yesterday afternoon that was startling in its results. It showed that even in the shadow of the big standpipe, Thomas Hill is wholly without fire protection.

Those who remember the night a good many years ago when Wheelden’s barn caught fire and caused a general conflagration on the brow of the hill, will never forget the disgust that came with watching the little weak squirts from the hydrant nozzles.

That fire was fought with a pail brigade and one engine, and only a change of the wind prevented serious damage.

Since then we have had the standpipe, and everybody up on the hill slept soundly in the thought that in case of fire there would be force enough to rip shingles off.

And now Chief Moriarity shows us that with the standpipe filled there is barely a head of 15 feet – that is, a hydrant stream running through 200 feet of hose will only splash up about 15 feet on the side of the standpipe.

– Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin