100 Years Ago: 1920

A picnic luncheon will be held in the vestry of the  Congregational Church, Lewiston, Tuesday April 13 at one o’clock to which all ladies of the church are cordially invited to come. Those wishing to attend are asked to notify Mrs. George P. Emmons of 8 Howe Street, if possible on or before Saturday, April 10.

50 Years Ago: 1970

Census ‘70 in the Lewiston-Auburn area is proceeding ‘very well” and may be completed by the end of April, according to a Lewiston crew leader. Miss Susan Cragin of Bates College told the Journal today she is very pleased with the progress which has been “achieved. Three or four of the 20 districts within her area have already been completed, she noted. Miss Cragin is one of three crew leaders in Lewiston and Auburn, each of whom is in charge of about 15 enumerators, people who travel to the homes, collecting mailed Census forms and asking extra questions of one out of
each five families.

25 Years Ago: 1995

Call them trinkets, knickknacks, Christmas decorations, or what you will, but for the members of a group called “The Village Maine-iacs,” tiny ceramic villages are collectibles. For some, collecting is more than just fun, it’s business. This weekend’s miniature display at the Lewiston Mall brought serious collectors from as far as Connecticut to get their hands on “retired” pieces. Charlie and Linda Aaskov, dedicated “Village Maine-iacs” who plan to start a Southern Maine branch this fall, have been collecting for six years. Although it starts out as something women like to do, men quickly become caught up in this hobby. “They come in and say, ‘I’m buying this for my wife.’ The men are the ones that are the crazy customers. Maybe it’s the model railroad mentality.” The first Friday of every December is an important day for these collectors because that’s when USA Today announces which pieces are being retired. Pieces that are retired instantly jump in value, so dealers expect to bombarded with calls every December. Frank Thomas, a regular customer at The Carriage House, first had the idea of bringing The Village Maine-iacs to the Lewiston Mall. He is a member of the club who has been collecting for only 18 months and has about 50 pieces.

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

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