100 Years Ago: 1922

Sarah F. Getchell of Rockland had a weird and thrilling experience during Thursday’s thunder shower when live wires fell on top of the umbrella which she was carrying. She fell to the sidewalk  but the umbrella warded off the death dealing wires, and she escaped without injuries, complaining only of a prickly sensation in one arm.

50 Years Ago: 1972

Sen. Margaret Chase Smith spent little more than a penny per vote in her Republican primary triumph over a millionaire challenger who waged the most expensive political campaign in Maine history. Robert A.G. Monks, the Cape Elizabeth businessman who lost to Mrs. Smith by a 2-1 margin, listed campaign expenses of at most $10 for each vote he received in the June 19 balloting. According to reports filed with the Secretary of State’s office, Mrs. Smith spent $9,343.11 for the 76,964 votes she received. Monks expenditures were $375,512.11 for 38,345  votes.

Mrs. Smith, the nation’s only woman senator, faces Democrat U.S. Rep. William D. Hathaway in the November election. Now serving her fourth Senate term. Mrs. Smith’s low-budget campaigns have become almost a personal trademark. Her report listed one contributlon – an $11,358 gift from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Monks showed contributions of of $265,337.31. including $115,000 of his own money.

25 Years Ago: 1997

Mt. Blue’s student-built electric cars are some of the best in the country. Four students took the school’s two state championship cars to Michigan last week and proved it. Two vehicles that won first place this year and last year, respectively, were held at the Berlin Motor Speedway just outside Detroit. And they bettered the old world record for electrathon vehicles doing it.

“Our cars were very simple but very good,” said instructor John MacDonald after the group returned from last week’s trip. “Our composite technology is as good as anybody’s. The only place we fell short was electronics, and that  costs money. We achieved our goals. Our cars were built by students. Some of their cars, maybe their students did some of the work, but they sent out a lot.

Four Mt. Blue students went to Michigan, which was all the project could afford to send, MacDonald said. The four who went were drivers Craig Coolidge and Chris Keene and pit crew Jason Marble and Matt Ridley. The cars were built at the Foster Applied Technology Center, and in all 40 students from both Mt. Blue and Foster were involved in the project over the year.

The trip was paid for by donations from local businesses, as well as a grant obtained by vo-tech  Director Ann De Raspe. The race was held in Michigan because that state has the largest number of and most competitive high school electrathon entries.

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

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