Read more about Feb. 23, 1948, in the SunJournal.com archives.

100 Years Ago: 1923

It looked today as tho the Auburn Carnival folks had a “drag” with the weather. The opening day of the Auburn Winter Carnival was perfect in both weather and entertaining qualities. The morning and afternoon snow races and jumps went off in great style and the crowds which gathered to see the activities proved beyond question that the winter sports program was popular with the public. The parade and hockey games closed in a blaze of glory Friday morning found weather conditions as near perfect as they had been Thursday. The air was clear and sharp and the sun had just enough heat shooting from it to be felt and yet not so much that the snow would be softened.

50 Years Ago: 1973

(from a Sun Journal photo) One of the new interests being developed at St. Joseph’s School is square dancing and the second graders are proving so adept at the art that they performed recently for the school body at an assembly in the auditorium. Guests for the afternoon were the members of the eighth-grade square dancing group from St. John’s School at Brunswick. This group has been dancing for the past three years under the direction of Mrs. Lila Skolfield supported by Sr. Pauline, principal. From the left Susan Healey, St. Joseph’s. Neil Lafferty, St. John’s; Maureen Lacharite, St. Joseph’s; Stephen Dubreuill, St. John’s; Debbie Morin, St. Joseph’s; Norman Lavoie, St. John’s; Coral Gosselin, St. Joseph’s; Michael Lloyd, St. John’s; Mrs. Lila Skolfield, English teacher and director of the square dancers from the Brunswick School and Sr. Julianna, second grade teacher, director of the Square Dancers from St. Joseph’s.

25 Years Ago: 1998

They have their keys now, and five families who have become first-time homeowners can’t wait to move into their brand new houses. Arlene Raymond was hostess to about 45 guests for a Self-Help Housing Program key ceremony Friday afternoon at her new home on Nichols Street in Paris. She is one of the homeowners who have worked cooperatively for more than a year in hands-on construction of the houses, located in four different communities.

The Self-Help Housing Program of Community Concepts Inc. and Rural Development, the lending agency, is the only one of its kind in Maine, said Mary Hutchinson, Community Concepts’ construction supervisor.

“About five to seven families get together and build all the homes,” she said. “They don’t have to make a down payment, but by building the houses themselves, they are putting about that much value into the so-called sweat equity.”

Hutchinson noted that children are not allowed on the work site, so there was an additional challenge of getting daycare for some youngsters.

Receiving their keys Friday were Raymond; Henry and Brenda Brooks, Greenwood; Richard and Donna Musto, Woodstock; Jesse and Carolyn Rowell, West Paris; and David Starbird, Paris.

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

Copy the Story Link