• Forty thousand people who get their drinking water from Lake Auburn – or at least a considerate portion of them – hold up their hands in horror every time someone is so unfortunate as to get drowned there, and turn to the spring water dispensary. The thought that several years ago men were lost there and never found, still deters many from using city water for drinking. But they never think of the immense number of fish that annually die in that body of water, and might be surprised if they read the report of Special Officer Lemuel Baker, which says that during the month of July he picked up 209 pounds of dead fish.

• Jean Baptist Fournier of Lewiston was before the Lewiston municipal court Tuesday, charged with assault on a merchant named Boukara. He was found guilty and fined the costs of the court. Boukara says he was sitting peaceably in front of his store when Fournier came along and kicked the chair from under him. Boukara told him if he did it again he would have him arrested. A few minutes later, Fournier repeated the act and true to his promise, Boukara swore out a complaint against Fournier and he was arrested.

50 years ago, 1958

Mayor Romeo T. Boisvert of Lewiston last night got Finance Board approval of $274 in expense funds for a trip to a mayors’ conference at Miami, Fla. Mayor Boisvert undoubtedly takes a different view of such conferences than that of former mayor Georges W. Rancourt who declared, when in office, that they were “a waste of money.”

25 years ago, 1983

• The Lewiston Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce will formally greet more than 100 new members at a special reception Aug. 11 at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston. “The Chamber made dramatic history June 22 to July 1 when we signed more than 100 members in one fell swoop – an unprecedented event in our nearly 100-year history,” President Bonnie Adams said.

• More than 25 courses aimed at children with high IQs will be offered at Bates College in Lewiston from Aug. 8 to 13. The Great Falls Creative Youth Festival, sponsored by the University School in Portland, is expected to attract 150 gifted children ages 5-17 from Oxford and Androscoggin counties.