100 Years Ago: 1924

An article for October 12, 1924 was unavailable, therefore an article from October 12, 1923 is being offered instead.

A fire set in the pasture to dispose of rubbish resulted in the complete destruction of the home of Howard Parsons Monday afternoon; the damage is estimated at $5,000, nearly all of the furniture was saved but of the contents of the barn were destroyed. There were about 100 bushels of potatoes in the cellar besides the other vegetables.

50 Years Ago: 1974

For 200 boys and girls throughout the Lewiston-Auburn area and the company for which they work today is a very special day.

Today marks Newspaper Carrier Day in Maine, and even though it’s still more than six weeks to Thanksgiving, today in a small way says, “Thank you”.

In honor of the event, Sun- Journal Circulation Director Gerald P. Michaud, state chairman of the special observance proclaimed by Gov. Kenneth M. Curtis, decided to turn the tables on a youthful carrier, taking over a delivery route for a day, Friday, for a carrier who would, in turn, sit in at his desk for the day today.

Chosen for the two-day turnabout was 14-year-old Joline Desjardins of Lewiston, who inherited Journal Delivery Route 159 the way princesses inherit kingdoms or heiresses the family jewels.

“It came down through the family,” Joline explained today, sitting pertly in the Circulation Director’s office, trying to look comfortable behind the unfamiliar desk.

“First my brother’s best friend had it, that was in 1964, I think, and 1965,” she continued, “Then my brother Norman took it over, then my brother Roger started helping him. After they’d both quit by then it was 1967 or my brother Ronald took over the route with my sister, Rachel. Then in 1970, my brother stopped, and I took it over with my sister. Rachel’s now married, but I’ve been delivering ever since.”

Joline, a slender girl with long, shining blonde hair and an infectious giggle, begins her daily Journal route usually about 3:30 p.m., picking up her papers at Robert’s Card Center on Sabattus Street, Lewiston. The route, which takes her about an hour to complete, goes up East Avenue to Dumont Circle, then covers sections of Sabattus Street, Bellegarde Avenue, Russell Street, East Avenue and Lafayette Park.

Joline, who’s the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Desjardins, delivers 56 papers, six days a week for which she receives about $15 weekly.

“Oh, then you make about $2 an hour,” an interviewer mused. “$2.38…I get $2.38 an hour, I  figured it out,” Joline interjects quickly.

A good part of Joline’s earnings goes toward buying clothes, including a smart looking pair of electric fuchsia socks she was wearing today. But some is being saved toward the day when the ninth grader at Lewiston Junior High hopes to attend CMVTI.

25 Years Ago: 1999

The paintings and drawings of Marlo Hewitt, a seventh grader at Elm Street School in Mechanic Falls, will be on display at Central Maine Technical College through October.

Hewitt, who has been interested in art “since she could hold a crayon,” is especially fond of depicting houses in her work.

In 1997 her drawing of Larry Dobe, the first African American to play in baseball’s American League, won the grand prize in a national contest sponsored by Wheaties cereal. For her efforts, she won a Playstation and her drawing appeared on a Wheaties cereal box.

Hewitt has studied art with Mercedes Castonguay since 1996. Her work has been exhibited at L/A Arts, Lewiston-Auburn College and at area art shows and school. She works in pastels, watercolors and pen and ink.

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