100 Years Ago: 1918

Mrs. Dorcas A. Barker and her daughter, Miss Katherine Ricker, the well-known opera singer of Boston, have been visiting relatives at the Mansion House this week. On Thursday morning at the regular daily concert, Miss Ricker delighted the guests at the Poland Spring house with several solos.

50 Years Ago: 1968

Another big year is planned for the Edward Little High School Band, according to its director, Allen T. Simons. At this time of the year plans are not complete of course, but there are many events definitely on the schedule. Simons reports that graduation last June hurt as approximately 20 playing members and one majorette passed on into the ranks of alumni, but he said 21 incoming sophomores will join the ELHS musical forces, and there is the possibility of other new members. The band will begin the year’s activities with rehearsals the last week of August. An early start is necessary to get ready for a fairly long season of nine football games this fall. Besides playing for the home and away games the band also takes part at football rallies and school assemblies.

25 Years Ago: 1993

When city school buses hit the road for the first day of classes Tuesday, they will be leaving from the Auburn School Department’s new transportation garage on Industry Avenue. “When we put together the bus schedule, we banked on the new facility,” Business Manager Jude Cyr said. “The buses will definitely be leaving from the new building.” Although the School Department’s fleet of 30 buses will leave from 33 Industry Ave. each morning, and return there every afternoon, they will still have to stop at the old Drummond Street garage to fuel up. That’s because the City Council has yet to authorize school officials to spend $60,000 in surplus 1992 bond funds to install two above-ground fuel tanks at the new facility. If councilors decide not to reallocate the money, drivers will be refueling their buses at the Drummond Street garage all year — something School Committee members have said they would prefer not to do. The new 26,000-square-foot facility, which the School Department purchased in July for $360,000, is considered a superior building to the Drummond Street garage, and will eventually allow the district to consolidate its transportation and maintenance operations under one roof. Cyr said many needed repairs have already been completed at the new facility, but some work, including plumbing and brickwork, remains to be done. If and when the City Council approves the placement of two fuel tanks on the 3.3-acre property off Minot Avenue, the business manager said the plan is to sell both the old bus garage and the existing maintenance facility, located on Western Avenue. “I have spoken to two prospective buyers for the Drummond Street facility,” Cyr said Tuesday. “There is some interest out there.”

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