(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

10 years ago – Oct. 19, 1996

ORONO – Analies Ross-Dyjak is only 16 months old, but she’s older than the building she tottered through, her blue eyes wide as she looked up at a lighted sign that read, “Art demands of us that we not stand still.”

The study of performing arts at the University of Maine is changing, most visibly in its move toward the future as festivities at the Class of 1944 Hall marked that move with a grand celebration of what the school calls “the building of the century” – an unequivocally modern home for the practice and performance of music, theater and dance.

The theater and music departments recently merged. The classes had been split among five buildings on campus.

HERMON – When Hermon High School students began surfing the Internet last year, a few of them waded into objectionable material on their computer screens.

In order to prevent a flash flood of similar problems, Hermon High School decided to shut down student access to the electronic superhighway and worked on an Internet-use policy last summer. With the policy now in place, Hermon students are again using the Internet.

Hermon High School is not alone in its effort to restrict access to inappropriate material on the Internet. Several local schools are beginning to test the waters of this high-tech world.

25 years ago – Oct. 19, 1981

ORONO – The list of “ifs” grew a little longer among those affiliated with the University of Maine football program following the Bears’ 20-7 loss to Massachusetts.

The big “if” about the game involved the loss of freshman quarterback Rich LaBonte, who left the game in the first quarter with a sore back and did not return to execute the game plan that had been designed with his skills in mind.

BANGOR – When Dinner Theater initiates its sixth season at the Airport Hilton, its audience will be regaled with one of Acadia Repertory Theatre’s most beguiling comedies, Alan Ayckbourn’s “Round and Round the Garden,” from the trilogy “The Norman Conquests.”

50 years ago – Oct. 19, 1956

BANGOR – An ancient rusty cannon, which was buried six feet deep in clay for nobody knows how many years, was dug up by an 11-year-old Bangor boy.

Alton Sabin Jr. was digging in a pile of dirt which his father, Alton Sabin Sr., has dug from under his home at 161 Stillwater Ave., when he unearthed the piece.

Alton thought that he had found some sort of .22 gun when he first spotted the barrel, but digging deeper he uncovered the rest of the piece and it certainly looked like a cannon, but in miniature.

But how did the cannon get to Stillwater Avenue? Only time will tell. In the meantime Alton Sabin, a sixth-grader at Fruit Street School, is a hero in the schoolyard and a living example that mothers are not always right when they open the back door and shout, “Stop playing in the dirt, Junior.”

CASTINE – Superintendent Albert L. Skidds has reported at a meeting of the Castine superintending committee that a meeting will be held to discuss an area school. The towns of Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville, Castine, Penobscot and Sedgwick also are reported interested in exploring the possibility of an area high school.

School District law permits two or more towns to join in building a school, and the maintenance of the school when built.

The group decided that each town should hold a citizens’ meeting, then representatives from all the towns will meet to summarize their feelings.

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HAMPDEN – His 16th birthday was a lucky one for James Wing of Hampden, lost in the woods for two and a half days.

Wing was described as in “fair” condition at the Island Falls hospital where he was taken suffering from exposure after finding his way out of the woods and into the home of his brother-in-law, Leonard Heath, at 7:30 p.m.

Young Wing was taken to the hospital by Heath and Harold Goodale of Hampden. He was treated by Dr. William Daniels of Sherman.

The lad was reported missing after he had disappeared into the woods behind the Heath residence while partridge hunting.

The son of Earl Wing of Hampden, James has been in Sherman picking potatoes for his brother-in-law.

100 years ago – Oct. 19, 1906

BANGOR – Thursday was a fair day for game. Twenty-five deer, two moose and one bear were received in Bangor.

George Stickney of Aurora brought the carcass of a moose to Leighton’s market. He shot the animal, which was a handsome one, about a mile from his home.

Among Bangor’s successful hunters is E.K. Cleveland, who sold a deer at Baker’s market.

DIXMONT – John Morse, who has been ill for a long time, remains about the same. His many friends in Dixmont, Newburgh and Monroe met and dug 450 bushel of potatoes for him.

BANGOR – In the Supreme Court Thursday afternoon, the city of Bangor and the representatives of the Hayford estate engaged in a legal battle for possession of the lot on Hammond Street recently condemned by the municipal officers for a library site. Should the city win, there will be erected upon this site a magnificent library structure – an architectural adornment of which every citizen may feel justly proud; and the hearing, therefore, was of unusual importance and interest.

BANGOR – Miss Mary E. Wiswell, an elderly resident of Holden, was knocked down by a bicyclist on Maine Street near Sweet’s drug store and sustained a fractured hip. Miss Wiswell was taken into the drug store and Dr. J.A. Lethie of Brewer summoned, the injured woman being later removed to Russell Hospital in Brewer. Miss Wiswell was passing around an electric car and the bicyclist, not seeing her, struck and threw her to the ground.

BUCKSPPORT – Roy L. Bray returned on the morning train from a hunting trip in the Maine woods, bringing with him a fine buck weighing 175 pounds, and a doe.

BANGOR – The wedding of Frank Rollins of Waterville and Miss Alice Cowan of Bangor took place at the residence of the bride, 241 Center St. The bride was attended by her sister, Miss Etta Cowan, and the brother of the groom, Fred W. Rollins, was the best man.

The bride was attired in a cream-colored pineapple silk gown, which was the gift of her brother, Lt. A.S. Cowan of the 14th Infantry, U.S. Army, and was sent from Manila. The bridesmaid wore a gown of white voile over blue silk.

Miss Cowan is a former resident of Orono and a graduate of Orono High School and Bangor Business College. She has been employed as a stenographer with Lyons and Co.

HOLDEN – The funeral of the Rev. Ira A. Smith was held at the church in Holden. After prayers at the parsonage, the remains were borne to the church by Deacons Black and Burrill of Dedham, Deacons Copeland and Dole of Holden, H.B. Phillips, B.R. Terrill, W.L. Hart, H.M. Hart, C.I. Dole, E.V. Dole and Edward Hart.

The invocation was by professor J.S. Sewall, Scripture reading by professor Denio and the eulogy given by President Beach of Bangor Theological Seminary.

Among the floral offerings were a harp and cut flowers from the Holden church and friends, wreath from Dedham, cut flowers from the University of Maine, basket of roses from the young ladies of Castine, crescent from Miss Wallace and Mrs. E. Dole of Brewer, wreath and other flowers from the family, and cut flowers from Mr. and Mrs. Strout of Brewer, and many others.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin