A new asbestos curtain is to be put into the Empire Theatre before it opens on the 23rd of this month. There is also some repairing being done on the stage in order to make more room so that it will be possible to handle larger productions. Fred Keen, the Auburn contractor, is doing the repairing.

The Woodbine Cafe moved into their new quarters. They now occupy the store which was formerly the Emerton cigar store. It is larger than the store they formerly occupied and it has been repaired extensively. Mr. Emerton now occupies a store nearer Court street.

50 Years Ago, 1955

One hundred and six new cases of polio were reported in New England in one day, bringing the 1955 total to 1,189. Last year at this time 240 cases were listed in the six-state area.

The Maine Health and Welfare Dept. announced availability for the first time of Salk Polio Vaccine for purchase by private physicians and retail druggists. The serum is allocated to states according to their proportion of unvaccinated children in the 5-9 age group, the ages most successible to polio. Each state decides how much it will distribute through public agencies and how much through commercial channels.

25 Years Ago, 1980

Auburn needs more of both single- and multiple-family housing if it is to assure an adequate choice of housing, according to a report on the city’s Master Development Plan citizens opinion survey.

The survey was conducted by Bates College Professor John H. Reed under contract with master plan consultant Carl A. Zellner and Associates of Boston. About 370 Auburn residents responded to the questionnaire, which is intended to contribute citizen input for the planning process. The survey included questions on economic growth, transportation, city services, zoning and schools.