100 years ago, 1915
One of the most prominent men among our Lewiston merchants has this to say about what the rum situation here has to do with business: “My business has fallen off very heavily since the rum shops opened up. I think that this will hold true with every merchant in these two cities. Unless something makes our businessmen wake up then Lewiston is going to get a black eye. What are they thinking about? Are they going to let all our business interests suffer in order to make prosperity for rum sellers and gamblers? This is a serious matter. It is time that all of us throw politics to the dogs and go in together to elect county and city officials who will work for the interest of our cities instead of vice and crime. In the meantime those who vote for this thing should not whine.”

50 years ago, 1965
The director of the Lewiston-Auburn Child and Family Service this noon told L-A Rotarians that “Lewiston and Auburn are at a crossroad” in community planning for human services. Neil Michaud, speaking at the club’s weekly luncheon meeting at Steckino’s Restaurant, said that in the near future, area residents will “have to determine if we wish to merely continue with our scattered tentacles of services which can only lead to further confusion, frustration, disappointment and suspicion; or whether we shall marshal our varied resources behind an overall social planning and social action unit.”

25 years ago, 1990
Should the Lewiston City Council look higher than the mayor’s chair for direction? And would an imposed period of silence improve the tenor of council meetings where flaring tempers sometimes get in the way of city business? Two local ministers have asked the mayor and council to consider opening their meetings with two minutes of silent prayer to do just that. The Rev. Richard Bolduc and the Rev. Gerard Begin have had such a request placed on Tuesday night’s City Council agenda.

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