100 years ago, 1917
A public measure which will have the commendation of every Auburn citizen is the starting of a series of city skating ponds. Through the kindness of Mark Morrow, a field which he owns on Minot Avenue, near Fairview Avenue, has been dammed by city employees and flooded by the Auburn Fire Department. Saturday morning it was fairly well frozen over, and the adventurous youngsters were already trying it out. Mayor Burnham has had many requests for something of this sort to keep children off the river, and is hopeful that locations for these skating ponds may be found.

50 years ago, 1967
Winter’s first real ice storm drenched the Twin Cities and surrounding area with freezing rain, sleet, and just plain rain today, and the resultant steady accumulation of ice on trees, wires, homes and streets caused untold damage, many injuries from falls, but few accidents involving motor vehicles. Schools were closed throughout central Maine as ice covered highways became so hazardous that only the foolhardy ventured out of doors, either afoot or behind the wheel. Electrical power was lost to many sections of the two communities as ice-laden lines, in many cases carrying the extra burden of ice-heavy tree limbs, snapped.

25 years ago, 1992
Concerned that math and science education in the U.S. does not compare favorably with that of other countries, representatives of Bates and Bowdoin colleges, University of Maine at Farmington and Maine’s other undergraduate colleges have formed a consortium to help reverse that trend. The Maine Undergraduate Science Consortium plans to promote the sciences in primary and secondary schools, and among the public at large. The group also wants to foster relationships among undergraduate programs, research institutions, private laboratories and government agencies.

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

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