(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

10 years ago – Nov. 27, 1998

BANGOR – The band was playing the blues, but there was only delight among the guests at Captain Nick’s on Thanksgiving Day.

According to one volunteer, more than 400 people attended the restaurant’s 13th annual turkey dinner, which provides a full traditional meal at no charge to those who cannot afford it. Last year the restaurant served about 275 people.

St. John’s Episcopal Church had about 150 guests attend its second annual turkey feed.

“The only rule we have for the day is that people bring an appetite,” said Brother Don, the Franciscan head chef who spent a good part of the day bounding about the church basement in apron and shorts.

As diners streamed into Captain Nick’s, they were greeted by the music of Cactus Highway, a two-piece blues band based in Boston. The band’s vocalist and sax player, Andrea Wollstadt, is from Old Town and had been eager to donate some of her musical talent in her hometown area.

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BANGOR – He wants Chinese food; she’s in the mood for pancakes. The trouble is, it’s dinner time and there aren’t any Chinese restaurants that serve flapjacks with maple syrup.

Enter OnCall Restaurant Delivery, a local company started more than a year ago by Bangor resident Tony Lavoie. The service, which employs about six workers, attempts to be the delivery staff for a half-dozen restaurants that usually don’t bring food to customers’ doors.

The restaurants that use OnCall Restaurant Delivery include King’s Kitchen, Colonial House of Pancakes, Panda Garden, Siam Garden, Pepino’s Taco Stand and Momma Baldacci’s.

25 years ago – Nov. 27, 1983

BANGOR – Heavy rains lashed the state, causing localized flooding and canceling a day-after-Thanksgiving holiday for many public works employees. A high temperature of 48 degrees was recorded at noon.

A result of the heavy rain was that many area residents found water backing up in their cellars.

Bangor Fire Department Assistant Chief Bruce Kigas said, “We’ve had a million calls” from people wanting water pumped out of their cellars.

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BANGOR – Five high school students from the Bangor Daily News circulation area are among 12 selected by the Bangor Symphony Orchestra’s Maine High School Competition committee to compete in a live competition at Lord Hall at the University of Maine.

Local students are Jennifer Jacobs, violin, and Marja Dubay, cello, both seniors at Orono High School; Jonathan Aceto, violin, freshman at Orono High; Robert Shuman, viola, a senior from Brewer High; and Joshua Sanborn, flute, a freshman from Oak-Grove Coburn School, Winslow.

50 years ago – Nov. 27, 1958

BANGOR – Santa Claus will arrive in Bangor on Christmas Eve by the same old-fashioned method of travel – in his sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. He will not arrive by jet or by space vehicle, as has been rumored.

Nobody knows for sure just where the rumors started. Maybe they began because Santa will have so many science playthings this year.

The two-stage rocket being featured this year will fire more than 150 feet into the air, using water for fuel. Another rocket, fueled by a safe chemical solution, is called the Alpha-1 Ballistic Missile. Operating on a gyroscopic principle is the motorized satellite and there is a special erector set which permits construction of a working rocket launch platform.

These toys seem to be the answer for parents, teachers and government officials in attracting more youngsters to an interest in science. The science toys also promise to interest Dad, who will help his son with these, just as he helped him with the electric train.

Little girls will find many of the dolls available this year quite sophisticated. Grown-up dolls’ clothes range from the sack daytime dress to the empire-waist formal. Taffeta cocktail sheaths with balloon hemlines are very popular in “doll-dom.”

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BANGOR – Nearly 1,000 people, predominantly teenagers and the “younger married set,” braved one of the most miserable Thanksgiving Eves in years, weather-wise, and saw one of the finest Firemen’s Ball programs on the City Hall stage to be presented here in a long time.

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BANGOR – Gay, full and swirling gowns added much to the holiday atmosphere of the Harvest Moon Ball sponsored by the Queen City Club at Pilots Grill. Some 200 of the club and their guests attended.

The lovely gowns worn by the girls were the latest styles and for the most part in pastel shades, as well as white and red. Sally Weatherbee wore a ballerina-length gown of salmon-color chiffon over net with an underskirt of taffeta. The back drape started from the back of the bodice and hung down in two streamers. Her matching shoes had the new pointed toes.

Kim Jordan was lovely in a watermelon dress in full length made of net over taffeta. The full skirt was decorated with swirls of net and satin ribbon with a tight bodice.

Sunny Netemeyer wore a full-skirted gown of blue silk with a ribbon necklace. Regina Crook wore red taffeta styled with a bubble skirt and a neckline in the form of a rope of rhinestones. She wore glass slippers.

Crystal Mayo’s light blue gown floated over an underskirt of taffeta embossed with net flowers. There were blue bows rambling over the skirt.

100 years ago – Nov. 27, 1908

CARMEL – John Shiffer is loading two cars with Christmas trees at this station to be shipped to Philadelphia.

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HAMPDEN – The Irving School of District 12, under the management of Miss Blanche Knowles, closed Nov. 20. An interesting program of music, quotations, readings, dialogue, tableaux, shadow-pictures, alphabetical rhymes and Grandma’s Album was carried out in a manner which reflected merit on all who took part.

The schoolroom was prettily decorated in red and white crepe-paper ornaments, rosettes and wreaths, and spruce and cedar trimmings. A large arch, from which was suspended “Irving School” in tinsel letters on a background of green, improved the schoolroom. Paper flowers of pinks, roses, asters and chrysanthemums added to the decorations.

Refreshments of chocolate ice cream and cake were served to 60 parents and friends.

Games were enjoyed and at a late hour all returned home. Much gratitude is extended to Miss Knowles for the manner in which she conducted the school for the past term.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin