The new Empire Theatre was most successfully opened. A beautiful theatre.

A large and brilliant audience of the best people of the two cities and a fine opening attraction all combined to make the occasion an eventful one in the annals of local amusements.

Nearly every seat in the house was occupied when the curtain rose and many were the exclamations of pleasure and admiration for the beauties and comforts of the new house.

50 Years Ago, 1954

A trailer truck containing 310 boxes of 75 millimeter ammunition, destined for Loring Air Force Base at Limestone, was sidelined in Lewiston as the result of a mechanical breakdown. The truck was among three loaded with ammunition which passed through the Twin Cities. The trucks also contained rockets. One of the vehicles had to be pulled to the side of Main Street, near Lewiston Fair grounds, when a bearing burned out. Firemen from the Main street substation were called and they used fire extinguishers on the affected parts of the vehicle.

25 Years Ago, 1979

When it comes to cleanliness, the Androscoggin County Jail ranks with the best of them. And if it weren’t for the decor, lack of natural light, rather ugly furniture, and lack of privacy some might feel it wouldn’t be a really bad place to stay for a while. But jail isn’t supposed to be an experience one would want to repeat. It used to be that prisoners could get two helpings of food at any meal. No more, according to Chief Jail Administrator Andre Gagne. As administrator of the jail he is the only one to get to eat the food, and he does so every noon time. “If I can get by on the servings, then they can too,” he stated. This change took effect, he said when Norman Bureau took over as sheriff recently. They are also reducing the food one grade in quality.