100 Years Ago: 1921

As usual nature was kind to the Topsham fair, for the clouds which filled the sky Monday afternoon were all dispelled by the brilliant sun of Tuesday morning. Yes, the Topsham gate has again opened its gates for the annual show and all parts of Maine people are flocking to this town to attend the fair. Topsham Fair has a reputation which extends beyond the confines of Maine. Go to most any section of New England and you will find those who have, at least, heard of the big annual event, and probably have attended the fair. Monday afternoon the outlook was indeed discouraging for the fair, as most of the time heavy rain was falling, but this did not stop the work of preparations.

50 Years Ago: 1971

Arthur J. Turley of 434 Webster St., Lewiston, has been named district commissioner of Abnaki District Pine Tree Council, Boy Scouts of America, was announced Monday by Council Commissioner Harrison Williams. As commissioner, Turley is responsible for 96 Boy Scout packs with 1,200 boys and 40 Boy Scout troops with 1,300 members. The commissioner’s staff helps these groups present on active programs as well as being partly responsible for training programs, camporees, and roundtables. An engineer with Alonzo J. Harriman Associates, Turley was formerly assistant public works officer at Brunswick Naval Air Station. He is now commanding officer of the Seabee unit at the Naval Reserve Training Center in Augusta.

25 Years Ago: 1996

Two area residents are serving as AmeriCorps members for one year in the AmeriCorps College Conservation Corps of Maine. Crystal Aube of Auburn and Monique Paradis of West Sumner are serving on the Nahmakanta Management Unit, a 42,766-acre parcel  of wilderness between Greenville and Millinocket. The project involves building 35 miles of new trail and camping stations. Aube and Paradis will help with developing the final layout to clearing the trail, building steps, waterbars, bridges and other trail structures to blazing and installing signage. The AmeriCorp Conservation College is dedicated to accomplishing conservation and outdoor recreation, new trail and camping system, group service projects in Maine. AmeriCorps provides post-secondary education, service and career training opportunities to Maine youth. Aube is a recent graduate of Edward Little High School in Auburn and Paradis is a graduate of Buckfield Junior-Senior High School.

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

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