10 years ago – Jan. 24, 1998

(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

BANGOR – The last time we visited the Bangor Public Library, the venerable old downtown landmark was showing the effect of its long and active life. The granite steps leading to the front doors, a path worn smooth by 85 years of steady foot traffic, were cracked, twisted and unusable. More than just a routine repair problem, they were the most visible evidence of a creeping deterioration that threatened the future of the classic beauty from the inside out.

Walls were cracked, floors sagged perilously and the leaky ceilings jeopardized the library’s book collections. Safety violations had rendered the upper rooms off limits most of the time, while downstairs the staff worked in crude, cramped quarters to maintain the library’s reputation as one of the busiest of its size in the country.

As for talk of outfitting the library for the high-tech demands of the telecommunications age, those closest to the operation wrestled with a sobering reality. The library’s woefully outdated wiring system, with its fuse panels lifted right out of Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory, was never going to power the grand old building into the 21st century.

Now the renovated, much-expanded Bangor Public Library is ready to open.

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BANGOR – The sleet and freezing rain predicted for the weekend could put the kibosh on Central Maine Power Co.’s cleanup efforts from the last ice storm.

CMP spokeswoman Gail Rice said that 1,020 customers were still without power. Officials said there was no way to predict whether those still without power would take priority in the event of a new storm.

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BANGOR – Middle school pupil Josh Kirstein might tell them to “learn from the past.” Senior citizen Persis Messer could urge them to “hang onto your memories and keep history alive.”

Residents happily speculated last week on the messages they will send to people in the middle of the 21st century via the Bangor Public Library’s time capsule.

TimeStoppers Committee Chairman Michael Crowley has encouraged community members to set aside Jan. 29 to take stock of their lives and communicate to future residents in writing, on tape or with photographs about their daily activities, concerns, values and aspirations.

The time capsule will be opened on Oct. 20, 2046.

25 years ago – Jan. 24, 1983

BREWER – The rain began about two hours before the bonfire was lit, but it failed to dampen the spirits of the members of Brewer’s First Apostolic Church as they burned several hundred dollars worth of goods “associated with a worldly life.”

Rock-and-roll records were the main fuel for the fire, but the Parkway South congregation also burned posters, T-shirts, magazines and books.

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ORONO – Mildred B. “Brownie” Schrumpf, Bangor Daily News food columnist, was the guest of honor at an 80th birthday party held Jan. 23 at the Asa C. Adams school.

More than 500 persons attended the event, which was planned by Brownie’s friends and colleagues. The open house-style event featured hundreds of congratulatory letters and cards, including one from President Reagan, one from Governor Brennan and greetings from James Horan, member of the Orono Town Council.

It was announced that as of Jan. 22, more than 190 people had contributed to the Brownie Schrumpf Scholarship Fund, which totals more than $4,000. The money will be used to help deserving students at the University of Maine School of Human Development.

Bill Cupp, a Bangor musician, read and sang his “Brownie a la Mode” tribute.

The birthday cake was composed of 10 individual cakes, each representing a phase in the columnist’s life. Among her accomplishments depicted by the cakes were her cookbook, “Flavor of Maine;” the blue and white University of Maine seal and the UM Black Bear mascot, symbolizing her long-term affiliation with UM; a church; a heart-shaped cake with owls, depicting her association as a member of the Chi Omega sorority; a gingerbread cookie cake; a ballot box; an appointment book cake and a cookie-cutter cake.

50 years ago – Jan. 24, 1958

BREWER – The Teen-Age Committee for the March of Dimes held a meeting at the office of Richard H. Whittemore, 60 Parker St. Mr. Whittemore is county co-chairmen for the March of Dimes and the adult adviser for the Teen-Age Committee.

These committees were appointed for the record hop to be put on in the Brewer Auditorium: decorations, Jane Laing, chairwoman, Brewer High School; Arthur Zoidis, Mary McDonald and Sharon Cole, Bangor High School; refreshments, Albert Whitmore, chairman, Bangor High School; Marilyn Leathers and Nancy Clendenning, Brewer High School; David Willette, John Bapst High School; and Ted Curtis, Orono High School.

Jim Winters will be the master of ceremonies and included on the program will be the Beltones and Dick Curliss.

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BANGOR – A deeply moving story of a family’s fight to conquer a wilderness and the homely yellow dog that gave them love, laughter and a heartache they’d never forget makes Walt Disney’s “Old Yeller” which opens at the Bijou Theatre, a most dramatic motion picture.

With “Old Yeller,” co-starring Dorothy McGuire and Fess Parker, Walt Disney has brought to life one of America’s finest regional novels. At the same time he has captured on film that most profound experience, the transformation of a boy into a man.

“Old Yeller” is Disney’s Technicolor dramatization of the distinguished novel by Fred Gipson.

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BANGOR – It hasn’t been determined what its value will be on the development of outer space travel, but a “Mutnik” was launched from Bangor Thursday evening, and the dog successfully returned to earth with no ill effects whatever from the trip.

The dog is Rin Tin Tin, an 8-month-old, 100-pound-plus German shepherd owned by Donald Tracy, 43, of 1 North High St.

The dog was in Tracy’s automobile when it started to slide on the High Street hill from where it had been parked. The dog rode it out as the car cut across the street and sidewalk, smashed into a heavy wooden fence and then plunged 20 feet straight down to become lodged against the back of a building that faces Hammond Street.

Considerable damage resulted to the vehicle but Rin Tin Tin, to all appearances, escaped without injury.

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BANGOR – Radical changes in this year’s midwinter sales promotion were announced by President David A. Rapaport of the Bangor Merchants Bureau, assuring that the event will be the most colossal affair ever staged in Bangor.

Shifting from the usual “Mystery Girl” gimmick in which a woman dropped dollar bills on the city’s downtown sidewalks, this year’s event has been labeled Midwinter Dollar Days Marathon.

The prizes will consist of complete Easter outfits for any four members of a family.

100 years ago – Jan. 24, 1908

CASTINE – The Hon. G.M. Warren is in receipt of a letter in answer to one of his, making inquiries as regards the origin of the name from a resident of Castine, Ohio.

The writer states that upon making inquiries among the oldest inhabitants of the town, the only information he can gain is that the town was named for a man who settled there in 1825 and whose name was thought to have been Castine and who came there from Castine, Maine.

While this undoubtedly accounts for the name, yet a mistake must have been made in the man’s name, as there was no one here at that time by the name of Castine, and whoever it was must have named it in remembrance of his old home. It would be of considerable interest to know what the man’s name was.

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OLD TOWN – A large crowd attended the lecture by the Rev. Norman La Marche, which was given at the Methodist church. Mr. La Marche had as his subject “Pilgrim’s Progress.” He handled his subject in a brilliant manner and his auditors listened spellbound while the eloquent young preacher delivered his address.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin