75 years ago

The Commencement Exercises of the Class of 1940 of Stanley High School will be held at Webster Hall, Thursday evening, June 6 at 8 o’clock. This year the class rolls numbers 15, seven girls and eight boys, namely: Lois Beedy, Eleanor Dyer, Clement Hutchins, Ernest Meldrum, Irja Niemi, Catherine Simmons, Richard Vose, Donald Davenport, Dwight Hall, Lyndall Knapp, Aili Niemi, David Parsons, Phyllis Simmons, Jerold Wilbur and Emma Williamson.

In this class, there are twins, the Misses Irja and Aili Niemi, and sisters, the Misses Catherine and Phyllis Simmons. The Class motto this year is, Life is Now Our School; Class colors, royal blue and silver, and Class flower, white rose.

Wilton’s eighth grade class graduated in a ceremony on June 1. The commencement exercises were held in the Wilton Theater with the following program: Processional, class, with the music; prayer, Rev. Nelson Felch, East Wilton; song, Marching with the Heroes, class; address, Professor Herbert C. Libby of Colby College; song, class; Presentation of Diplomas, Superintendent Arnold M. Sanborn; Class Ode; Recessional, class, with music by the Academy Orchestra.

The Commencement exercises of Phillips High School will be held in the Union Church on Thursday and Friday evenings at 8 o’clock. Class Day exercises will take place on Thursday evening with the following program: Class history, Waman Mills; class prophecy, Jean Sanders and Lillian Hinkley; alto saxophone solo, Weeping Willow Waltz, Stanton Davenport; class gifts, Virginia Wing and Jesse White; essay on Outside Activities, Everett Russell; guitar solo, Andantino, Kenneth Cushman; class will, Lawrence Schultz; Address to Undergraduates, Frederick Burnham. Hilda Steward is to be piano accompanist for the two musical numbers.

The Commencement exercises of New Sharon High School started on Sunday morning, when members of the Senior Class were honor guests at the Baccalaureate service of worship at the Federated Church. The attractively decorated church was well filled when the Senior Class, marshaled by Miss Arline Hooper of the Junior Class, made entrance, followed by the entire student body of the High School. The members of the graduating class present were: Misses Marjorie Daggett, Minnie Butterfield, Jennie Butterfield, Leona Tracy, Susan Davis, Iris Brown, Edith Russell, and Messrs. Harry Vivian, Burchard Harris, and Herman Redlevske.

50 years ago

Recognizing nearly 50 years of service in teacher preparation in the State of Maine, the Faculty of Farmington State Teachers College and the State Board of Education will honor Miss Agnes P. Mantor with the dedication of the Agnes P. Mantor Library, Alumni Day, Saturday, June 5. The dedication is scheduled for Merrill Hall, at 11:30 a.m. All faculty, staff, alumni, and friends in the State of Maine are cordially invited to attend.

Dennis Pillsbury, son of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Pillsbury of Phillips, is a candidate to receive a Master’s Degree in Engineering Physics at the commencement exercises of Northeastern University, Boston, Mass. He was graduated from Phillips High School in 1958 and received a B.S. degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Maine in 1962. Following graduation, he was employed for a year by RCA in Boston. He also taught several classes in Physics at Northeastern University during the past two years while studying for his degree.

Wilton Academy scored 73 points Saturday to win the Franklin County Track meet at Hippach Field in Farmington. Farmington High School was second in the meet with 65 1/2 points; Stratton third with 43 points; Rangeley fourth with 27 1/2 points; Strong fifth with 22 points; Phillips sixth with 18 1/2 points; Jay seventh with 13 1/2 points. New Sharon trailed with three points.

Farmington’s Rick Howatt won the two-mile run and beat last year’s record. Howatt kept a steady pace for the 10 laps for a new record of 10:32.8. Dave Toothaker of Phillips set the record last year with 10:44.7. He was third Saturday and Kelley of Wilton was second. Mike Savage of Stratton set a new record with the shot put. His distance was 47 feet and 9 inches. Kent Mitchell of Wilton tied the high jump record of 5 feet, 7 3/4 inches.

Winston Beal was crowed King for a Day by his fellow workers at a dinner given in his honor, Friday, May 28 at the Forster Memorial Building in Strong. Beal, who has worked for the company 19 years, retired Friday evening. He served 11 of the 19 years as plant superintendent in Strong.

A Farmington High School student is one of four Maine High School seniors to receive State of Maine Scholarships, it was announced Wednesday, by president James S. Coles of Bowdoin College. Owen W. Gilman Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Owen W. Gilman Sr. of Farmington Falls, is the local recipient.

Gilman, whose father is a member of the Bowdoin Class of 1931, is a member of the National Honor Society. He won his school’s science award and served as a delegate to Dirigo Boys’ State his junior year. He is president of the Student Council, president of the school orchestra and has been active in the Glee Club.

25 years ago

Bears have been raising havoc in the Northern Franklin County communities. Over the week-end, four bee hives owned by Emery Hall of New Portland, at the residence of William Jones in Eustis, were attacked by bears who lugged the hives into the woods, devouring the honey. Maine State Game Warden Blaine Holding set a bear trap to try to catch the animals, but with no luck.

Twenty eight representatives from Franklin County made the five hour trip to Presque Isle over the weekend to attend the State Democratic Convention. During the platform discussion, Democratic candidate Diana White of Farmington ardently opposed a plank that would have supported a seven-day waiting period on the purchase of a hand gun. Previous to the floor vote, Franklin County delegates took a straw vote with 19 opposed to the amendment, five in favor and two abstaining.

A turn-out of less than three percent of the eligible registered voters in the nine towns that comprise SAD #9 quickly passed the District Budget Tuesday evening at the Mt. Blue High School gymnasium at a cost of $14,414,623. In slightly under one hour, residents passed all nine articles on the budget warrant, adding an additional $12,500 for the reinstatement of a part time Constitution Project/Social Studies Developer that had been deleted by the Board of Directors during budget deliberations.

Farmington resident Warren Bogardus pointed out that the program had won three study awards, a state award, and a national leadership award and offered students a learning opportunity.

Downtown Farmington is putting on a party Saturday to celebrate the successful completion of Farmington’s Revitalization Project. According to Rita Campbell of Rita’s Fine Fashions, a Teddy Bear parade will be organized in the Post Office parking lot at 10:45 a.m. with the parade headed for Meeting House Park to begin at 11 a.m. There will be a Teddy Bear picnic in the park, with a choice of bring lunch or buying it there, courtesy of the Homestead Bakery.

Compiled by Barry Matulaitis