100 years ago, 1916
Lewiston Italians are interested in the formation of a local branch of the Sons of Italy. Lodges in this order were recently instituted at Rumford and Portland. It is expected that an effort will be made in the near future to organize Lewiston Italians as a subsidiary of this body.

50 years ago, 1966
Chief Musician Gordon P. Bennett Jr., of the U.S. Navy whose father resides at 131 Bradman St., Auburn, and whose grandmother, Mrs. Lucy Bennett, is a resident of Buckfield, is aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise in the South China sea about 100 miles off Viet Nam. In a recent story appearing in a New York paper and forwarded by Mrs. Lucy Bennett, the Auburn native is pictured as leading the Navy band aboard the Enterprise during supplying of the aircraft carrier at sea from a supply vessel. The news story depicts the 15-piece Navy band as playing “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” as bombs were loaded aboard the Enterprise.

25 years ago, 1991
Officials who handle the city’s waste pledge that they will do what some environmentalists say just isn’t done: run an incinerator plant and still aggressively recycle. This spring, residents in Auburn and possibly five other area communities will have two waste trucks stopping by their door, says Neal Allen, executive director of the Mid-Maine Waste Action Corp., the group that is building the Auburn incinerator plant. One truck will be picking up garbage to be burned; the second truck will be picking up waste to be recycled: metals, glass, and even paper.

The material in Looking Back is reproduced exactly as it originally appeared, although misspellings and errors made at that time may be edited.