(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

10 years ago – July 17, 1998

BANGOR – There aren’t many summer events that bring together a shark show, a famous country singer, a brass quintet and a soap opera star. There’s probably just one: the Bangor State Fair.

The 149-year-old fair will begin July 31 and run through Aug. 9. Organizers hope attendance will exceed last year’s 66,229 people who attended the 10-day event.

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BANGOR – Andy Wentworth pitched a three-hitter to lead Brewer Junior All-Stars past Coastal of Blue Hill 8-5 for the District 3 title at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor.

The win highlighted another busy day of all-star tourney action in ages 9-10, 11-12 in Seniors in baseball and softball.

In ages 9-10 baseball action, Bangor West rolled by Hampden 12-2 and Orono-Veazie edged Bucksport 7-5.

Old Town stopped Machias 16-10 in ages 9-10 softball play.

25 years ago – July 17, 1983

BANGOR – More than 600 pre-registered photos have been submitted to Photo Show ’83 at the Bangor State Fair as the deadline grows closer. Joe Pate, executive director of the Bass Park Corp., operators of the fair, said this year surpasses all previous years, making it the largest photo competition in Maine and Canadian provinces.

This year, there will be a demonstration area for talks by camera companies and the display of new photography equipment. Tom Early will talk to camera buffs. A Berkey Marketing representative will show new cameras, tripods and lenses. Olympus Camera Co., and Eastman Kodak will have representatives available.

Professional photographer Lee Sirabella of Brewer will give a demonstration. John Poor of Kenduskeag, local representative of the Photographic Society of America, will offer a slide show. The Eastern Maine Camera Club and the Penobscot Valley Photographic Society will be represented.

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CASTINE – The American Eagle, a 150-foot cruise boat from Haddon, Conn., docks on Saturdays for overnight visits at Castine. The weeklong cruises start in Rockland and stop at ports on the Penobscot Bay. Philip Perkins of the Castine Historical Society gave a tour of Castine’s historical sites.

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BANGOR – John Bapst Memorial High School announced the naming of two men to the boys varsity coaching positions.

Ron Brown, former head coach at Piscataquis Community High in Guilford, was named the Crusader basketball coach.

Brian Otterson, an assistant gridiron coach at Bapst for the past four years, was named the head football coach.

In addition, it was announced Bangor High AD Bob Cimbollek would be taking over as the boys freshman basketball coach at Bapst for the upcoming season.

50 years ago – July 17, 1958

BANGOR – Pfc. Thomas H. Cammack Jr., son of Mrs. Thomas Cammack of Pearl Street, Bangor, missed the Lebanon landings of the U.S. Marine Corps by five days. [Ed. note: The United States had airlifted troops into Lebanon in the wake of a “revolt” in that country, sparking what was characterized by AP reporters as a “deepening world crisis.”]

The Fleet Home Town News Center at Great Lakes, Ill., announced young Cammack as among the Maine boys in the Marine Corps landing in Lebanon. That, and the fact that they spelled the boy’s name as Gammack, was all that was wrong with the information.

A member of the Second Marine Division, young Cammack has been in the Marine Corps for 15 months. He attended Bangor High School before entering the service.

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ORRINGTON – It was a happy day in an Orrington Center home when two brothers arrived from England to visit the sister they hadn’t seen in 37 years.

Mrs. Sherman Quimby, a native of England, welcomed her brother, Frederick Upshall of London, and her brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Upshall of Frome. Mrs. Quimby came to this country in 1912 and made her only visit to her homeland in 1921.

The brothers and sister are part of a family of 16 children, with 12 of them still living.

Since they have been together they have done little more than recollect memories of their childhood in England. They all agreed that they haven’t changed much, except each one is now a “little older.”

This is the first visit of the Upshalls to the United States and they were all impressed with the beauty of Maine and the spaciousness of the countryside.

“We wish that we had come to your country when we were younger,” Jesse Upshall said. His brother, Frederick added, “We would have been here sooner, but there is too much water separating the two countries.”

100 years ago – July 17, 1908

BREWER – The Hurdy-Gurdy dance will be held in Central Hall and promises to be an enjoyable entertainment. Indications point to a large crowd and those who attend are assured of a jolly good time. A feature of the dance will be the Merry Widow dance.

This will be given by George, one of the hurdy-gurdy men, and as George is a past master of the terpsichorean art it ought to be rather good. The music for the dance will be furnished by the hurdy-gurdy. [Ed. note: The hurdy-gurdy was a barrel organ played by turning a crank.]

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NORTH PENOBSCOT – The Rev. Mr. Greenan very narrowly escaped a serious accident when he was thrown from his bicycle while going down a steep hill at Lowell’s corner. No bones were broken, but he was severely bruised and shaken up. Probably riding a wheel down our hills is a different proposition from riding it in India, where he has been for 20 years as a missionary.

Mrs. Vesta Haney, who has been living in Bangor for two years, returned home to look after the haying on her farm.

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EAST EDDINGTON – After three weeks of the hottest weather that this village has ever known, the mercury suddenly dropped to the 70s. Showers have removed all traces of smoke from the atmosphere but not enough rain fell to be of any help to vegetation.

Mr. Byther has sold one of his cottages to the Bangor YMCA.

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NEWBURGH – The shower of Tuesday night was hardly more than a heavy dew in this vicinity. Many farmers have finished haying and a small crop is reported. Unless rain falls soon, crops of all kinds must be a failure. The apple crop is said to be the lightest in a number of years.

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GREEN LAKE – A.F. Higgins has a crew engaged in clearing the right-of-way for the Bar Harbor & Union River Power Co.’s line.

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CASTINE – The women of the town will be interested in learning that there is at Devereaux cottage a lady who is probably the finest needlework artist in the world and has received probably the highest price ever paid for modern embroidery work.

The lady is Miss Fanny R. Adams of Brooklyn, N.Y. She received a diploma at the Paris Exposition of 1900 for a display of roses. She gave an exhibition of some of her work to friends at the tea room.

J.M. Dennett received by schooner from Boston 30,000 gallons of gasoline.

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EDDINGTON – Captain and Mrs. Ulmer, and Mel Ulmer reached home from New York where they carried their vessel, the Sarah A. Blaisdell, with a cargo of lumber.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin