100 years ago, 1915
“Talk about city hustle, Sanford can put it all over our Maine cities,” said a patron of the movies, this week. “Sanford is sending flicks all over the country showing her plush factories, citizens and fine residences. Is not there a hint here for the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce?”

50 years ago, 1965
Auburn’s Code and Ordinance Review Committee tackled the city laws pertaining to traffic signals Tuesday night, finding several inconsistencies and apparent errors, including the lark of any law against going through a red traffic light. The committee found many areas in the chapter in which they would like to make recommendations for changes by the Auburn City Council. it was deemed in one section dealing with traffic lights that it might be better to adopt a similar section from the model ordinance which is needed as a guideline by municipalities throughout the country.

25 years ago, 1990
New development projects could come to a grinding halt because of the Auburn’s inability to keep pace with a state Department of Environmental Protection regulation aimed at ending the practice of dumping sewage and storm water into the Androscoggin River. City councilors Monday were told by Auburn Water District Superintendent Normand R. Lamie that the DEP is requiring the city to remove five gallons of storm water from the drainage system for every new gallon added to the network from new developments. The issue came to light last week when the DEP withheld approval for an expansion of the Auburn Mall because of the requirement and the city’s insufficient number of credits earned from other separation projects, Lamie said. The situation could become one faced by other developments, from the Mid-Maine Waste Action Corp. plans for a $38.5 million trash-to-energy plant to a United Parcel Service distribution center at the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport.

The material in Looking Back is reproduced exactly as it originally appeared, although misspellings and errors made at that time may be edited.