Yesterday …

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(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

10 years ago – Aug. 28, 1998

BANGOR – The once struggling and now rebounding Airport Mall has been sold, 30 years to the month after construction began on the facility across Union Street from Bangor International Airport.

The announcement was made shortly after the sale was completed and ownership turned over to Airport Mall Associates LLC of Philadelphia.

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HAMPDEN – A group of concerned people will begin clearing old tires, scrap lumber and other debris near the Hampden Water District office on Route 1A as a precursor to removing or modifying three dams on the Souadabscook Stream. At least that’s the hope of Bob Wengrzynek, state biologist in Orono for the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Traditionally, the Penobscot Indians referred to the stream by a different name that meant “the river of sea fishes,” Wengrzynek explained. But dams for more than 200 years have blocked the passage of sea-going Atlantic salmon, alewives, shad, blueback herring, smelt and sea-run trout.

As part of a long-awaited effort, two of the dams will be torn out this fall and another made more fish-friendly, opening all 160 square miles of the watershed for the first time since the 1700s.

25 years ago – Aug. 28, 1983

NEWBURGH – Hiking with friends along the 280 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Maine five years ago, Jay McIntire of Newburgh met three lone hikers on their way to Mount Katahdin from Springer Mountain, 2,000 miles and 13 states to the south.

Now age 21 and a student at the University of Maine, McIntire made his way to Georgia this spring to hike the 2,096-mile trail in the installment plan. Between May 16 and July 31, he hiked 1,110 miles from Springer Mountain to Duncannon, Pa. He’ll do the rest next year.

While Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox keeps his batting average in the .370s by eating chicken nearly every day, McIntire found he could keep his body in peak condition by eating macaroni and cheese washed down with Kool-Aid almost every day.

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BANGOR – George Gonyar, vice president and general manager of Community Broadcasting, announced management changes for radio stations WABI-AM and WBGW-FM. George Hale has been named operations director for WABI-AM and WBGW-FM. Rich Kimball has become assistant operations director for both stations.

Kimball will move from WBGW to WABI to become the station’s 10 a.m.-2 p.m. weekday announcer. Tim Cotton will become announcer for the 2-6 p.m. afternoon slot. Tim Throckmorton will move from WABI to WBGW to become that station’s morning announcer. Throckmorton also will do sports coverage for both stations.

50 years ago – Aug. 28, 1958

VEAZIE – Gerald J. Grady, Democratic candidate for Congress, spoke on political labels and definitions at a meeting of the Veazie Grange.

Grady explained to the group what words such as “democracy,” “liberal,” “conservative,” “free enterprise” and “socialism” mean to him. He concluded by saying that “in a political campaign, we all have a right to know what each candidate means when he uses a political term, and we have a right to insist that candidates speak in specific issues, and current issues, and not make an overemphasis on general political terms and cliches.”

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BANGOR – Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Emple, 17 Elm St., will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary today. They have been residents of Bangor for 53 years.

100 years ago – Aug. 28, 1908

BANGOR – The Midway people brooded disconsolately over slack trade at the Bangor Fair, while at the same moment thousands in the grandstand and along the stretch cheered clean and spirited horse racing and a most admirable incidental program of vaudeville.

It was a most successful day. The attendance was large, there being between 10 and 15 thousand people in the grounds.

Qunitard’s horses, the Brownie troupe and the Donegan vaudeville all received hearty applause, while Professor Bonnette made his usual thrilling slides for life, and an admirable balloon ascension and parachute jump.

One noticeable thing about the fair in general this year is the great increase in the number of automobiles. A “park” of 36 cars was a most conspicuous feature of the landscape near the stretch, all handsome cars of high power containing parties of smartly dressed and interested spectators.

A dog that attracted more than ordinary attraction at the dog show is an old English sheepdog, Crossroads Caprice, owned by Mrs. W.P. Robertson of Bangor. The dog took four specials and a blue ribbon and also was reserve champion.

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PROSPECT FERRY – There was a clambake on the beach near the Greeley house given by the citizens of Prospect Ferry in honor of Capt. M.J. Brown and wife of Berkeley, Calif. About 50 were present.

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CASTINE – Mr. Henry Gardner is raising a squash for the Blue Hill Fair and those who have seen the squash think it is as large, if not larger than, any ever seen at that fair. Mr. Gardner confidently expects to bring the blue ribbon for large squashes to Castine.

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CASTINE – Dr. J.W. Grindle, long conceded a chief among the anglers who visit the Maine coast, was with friends A.A.D. Gray, and Sales Pickens of New York and B.D. Perkins of Castine, on board his yacht Nixie, as the morning sun was showing a rosy patch of fishing ground that he keeps in reserve for his friends near Isle au Haut. Contrary to any previous manifestations, our friend showed a dite of selfishness. For before night came, they had landed nearly 1,000 pounds of fine large cod and haddock. In fact, the catch was about all the dory they took along to fish from would safely carry.

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BUCKSPORT – A.L. Voorhees of Napa, Calif., has been visiting Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Wood. He is charmed with Bucksport, the home of his mother in girlhood days. She was known to the people of this town as Deborah Farnham, a sister of Mrs. Frederick Wood, and with her daughter Juanita visited Bucksport in the summer of 1900. Mr. Voorhees is a native son of California and this is his first trip to the eastern part of the United States. He is an energetic and progressive young man and has two large clothing stores in Napa.

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BUCKSPORT – The James E. Hall Post 53, under the management of the present commander, Fred Wood, is in a flourishing condition, with money in the treasury and old comrades coming back that have not been in for a number of years, and new recruits joining. All quiet along the Potomac.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin