Read more about Feb. 28, 1973, in the SunJournal.com archives.

100 Years Ago: 1923

The lighthouse tenders at Seaport, Zizania and Hibiscus today completed breaking a channel through the ice to the coal wharf here. The steamer, Ripogenus, with cargo, was within two miles of the dock, and gradually working her way in. The tenders then started for Stonington to break out the ice there and dock the coal barge which temporarily disabled the cutter, Ossipee while towing her through the ice fields. The Hibiscus, while making a trip to Moosabec Light, broke out at Moosabec Reach between Jonesport and Beal’s Island.

50 Years Ago: 1973

(from a Journal photo) Construction of a bridge which will temporarily take the place in Lewiston, of the ailing Locust Street Bridge, was well underway today. The structure on loan to the city from the State Department of Transportation, was being installed by Lewiston Public Works personnel. Several weeks ago, it was determined that Locust Street bridge, which permits access to the Androscoggin Mill from Canal Street was unsafe for travel, and it was closed for reconstruction. The temporary facility. being constructed across the canal some distance from the old bridge, across from Maple Street, will connect Canal Street with Cloutier Field. A right-of-way across Cloutier field will enable vehicles to get onto Cedar Street.

25 Years Ago: 1998

Nothing says thank-you like a batch of homemade cookies.

That’s the theory behind an effort to mail cookies as “a big thank-you note” to electrical line workers who restored power after January’s ice storm.

The Operation: Power ME project was initiated by Anna Lyon of Wayne. She said this week she was overwhelmed by the response. “I’m kind of touched by how many have called. A recent widow talked about how isolated she was during the storm. She couldn’t wait to bake cookies for the lineworkers,” Lyon said.

“Another woman said that when she saw power trucks lined up at an Irving’s Big Stop in the morning she wished that she had a pocketful of $20s so she could buy them all breakfast. I couldn’t afford to do that, but I can be a part of the cookie plan,” Lori Ireland said in an email to Lyon.

After announcing in the Sun Journal early February that she was seeking volunteers to bake cookies for out-of-state line workers, Lyon was flooded with phone messages and electronic messages. “I would get home and there would be 20 phone messages, and my e-mail would go forever,” she said.

She had hoped to enlist 200 volunteers, but already sent 240 address labels to volunteers from Brunswick to Oquossoc and was still getting calls.

Once all of the workers at 64 out-of-state utility companies had received cookies, she began sending them to CMP workers. She’s still giving out labels and would like to be able to continue to send cookies to the Maine lineworkers.

“We’re not even halfway through the CMP guys. I figure I’ll need about 60 more batches,” she said. The CMP workers who’ve already received cookies have been “very, very touched,” CMP spokesman Mark Ishkanian said this week. “There’s some surprise that people are doing this now, a month after the storm. It’s a pleasant surprise and a confirmation that our customers are the best customers in the world.”

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

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