(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

10 years ago – Feb. 22, 1997

Comet Hale-Bopp, which has been making a spectacle of itself before an early morning audience of astronomers and insomniacs for weeks now, has a giant core as much as 25 miles across that makes it one of the biggest, perhaps even the biggest, comet ever seen.

Considering that the last time Hale-Bopp’s long, narrow orbit brought it close to Earth was about 4,200 years ago, scientists said that we are lucky to be here when this comet is coming through.

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BANGOR – Shaw House, an emergency shelter for teenagers at 160 Broadway, has picked out a new home. The agency is asking for rezoning of the Pro Realty building at 136 Union St. so the shelter can relocate.

Once known as the Valentine School and later as the home of the local American Legion, the three-level brick building on Union Street was for years part of a government and institutional service district zone.

25 years ago – Feb. 22, 1982

BANGOR – Owen Monday Jr. of Bangor, a graduate of John Bapst High School, recently completed training at San Diego, Calif., Naval Training Center. He is the recipient of the Meritorious Achievement Award and was selected as recruit chief petty officer. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Owen Monday of Bangor, he currently is attending the Correy Naval Technical Training Center and is studying administrative cryptology in Pensacola, Fla.

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OLD TOWN – John Ste. Marie, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul R. Ste. Marie of Front Street, recently achieved Eagle Scout rank at the Old Town Community Center. He is a junior at Old Town High School and has been a member of Troop 74 for seven years. Ste. Marie has been a member of the Order of the Arrow since 1979 and is currently assistant Scoutmaster for his troop. In high school, Ste. Marie spent two years in football, one year as junior varsity basketball manager, one year on the winter track team, two years in the Pep Club and one year as a Catholic Youth Organization member.

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ORONO – Future generations may be admonished to eat their vegetables and drink their milk by so-called electronic mothers – home computers with a health-monitoring software package.

Computers have managed to wangle their way into every nook and cranny of our lives. Now they are being used to monitor our diets. It already is possible to buy programs that will help dieters assess carbohydrate, mineral and other nutrient intake and relate the information to age, gender, frame size and weight.

It is estimated that within four years, more than 1 million home computer owners will use software to monitor their health, exercise and diet.

A preview of what’s to come will be demonstrated at the University of Maine in March when the Office of Residential Life sponsors its second annual Diet Data Days. Two computer programs – one from Pillsbury, the food company, and the other from Apple Computer Inc. – will be set up in the Memorial Union.

Last year, when only the Pillsbury computer was in use, 1,500 people fed their daily intake into a computer for analysis.

Pillsbury loaned the computer and program to the university at no charge last year except for the cost of transportation, which amounted to a whopping $800.

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BANGOR – Alan Switzer III, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alan Switzer Jr. of Broadway, recently won the Penobscot County American Legion Oratorical contest held at the Orono post.

Switzer is a senior at Bangor High School and was given a cash award presented by County Commander David Cullens of Mattawamkeag, East Millinocket Post 13.

Helen M. Soule, 16, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William L. Soule of College Avenue, Orono, was runner-up. She is a junior at Orono High School.

50 years ago – Feb. 22, 1957

BANGOR – Bangor’s city and school officials have been thrown into turmoil several times by telephone reports – which turned out to be false – that bombs had been planted in high schools, causing scares that prompted immediate action in getting students out of the building. And there have been similar scares in other parts of the state.

“I do not see anything funny at all about these reports from unidentified individuals who call officials on the telephone that a bomb has been placed in a school or some other place and was about to explode,” said Maine Rep. Richard H. Broderick of Portland. “To the contrary, this is really serious, and something should be done about it by this legislature.”

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VEAZIE – “Condition fine” was the bulletin flashed to friends and relatives of Linda Rogers from the Children’s Medical Center in Boston.

The report referred to the 9-year-old girl’s condition following a long and complicated heart operation by a team of surgeons.

Veazie residents had backed the girl and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Selden L. Rogers, in their long fight against the heart ailment which culminated in the rare but successful operation.

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BANGOR – For a short time Thursday morning it looked as though somebody’s holiday celebration was spoiled.

Patrolman Frank Bryce was dispatched in a police car to investigate a mysterious box in the roadway near the corner of Cumberland and Center streets.

He returned to police headquarters with two half-gallon jugs and six quart bottles of wine and 14 pint bottles of whiskey.

The mystery was solved a short time later when a local trucking firm called to claim the merchandise which had fallen out of a truck.

100 years ago – Feb. 22, 1907

ORONO – This afternoon the first intercollegiate hockey game ever played in this part of the country will be played on the Stillwater River at Orono when the University of Maine will play Bowdoin. Last Saturday, Bowdoin beat Maine at Brunswick, 4 to 1. Maine made a good showing considering the short time the team has been organized and the limited amount of practice and coaching it has had.

Today Maine hopes to even up the matters with Bowdoin. The baseball bleachers have been moved down upon the ice and everybody will have a good chance to see what will be, no doubt, an exciting game.

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CARMEL – Ice is being housed at the rate of 40 horse loads a day at the creamery plant.

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WINTERPORT – Telephone instruments have been installed in the Bangor and Aroostook station at Winterport and also in the Frankfort creamery and Warren S. Grant’s store in Frankfort.

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WINTERPORT – News was received Thursday morning that the schooner Pemaquid, Capt. Raymond Taintor, and owned by C.W. McKenney, foundered at the dock in Rockland during the storm of last night. Both masts were torn from their places and the schooner sank at the wharf.

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CARMEL – Owing to the fierce storm of Sunday, R.F.D. carriers report slow traveling and all were late in reporting to the office. Capt. C.F. Kimball, 73 years of age, carrier on Route number 4, was the first carrier in.

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BANGOR – It was a case of a fine day and a fine track on the speedway Thursday afternoon. Some of the best races came as a result of arrangements made by the racing committee of Gentlemen’s Driving Club.

The race was won by J.T. Clark’s black mare Dolaress. She is pronounced by many to be the most promising green horse in this section.

Second prize went to a handsome mare owned by Harvey Bowles. This horse was the only trotter in the bunch and it was her maiden race, never having been in such fast company before.

J.W. Cratty’s entry and Austin L., owned by Mr. Durgin, finished the bunch of lively steppers.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin