100 years ago, 1918

“One out of every twenty-five of our soldiers who go across the water will fall as sacrifice to freedom, and God knows we cannot help it,” said Manager Otis of Auburn in an address at the High Street Congregational church Sunday evening. Continuing, he said: “Out of every twenty-five babies born in our continent, seven died in infancy, six of them a sacrifice to ignorance and apathy — and God knows we CAN help it.“ Mr. Otis gave a stirring address on civic conditions, bringing in the recently broached matter of child welfare, and the other important subject of taxes, as concerning Auburn.

50 years ago, 1968

The judge has struck again! Eighth District Court Judge Israel Alpren of Lewiston, a man who feels there’s nothing as effective in “curing” the litterbug disease as ordering convicted litterers to pick up trash which has accumulated along a stretch of highway, did just that again this week as a young man was brought before him on a charge of littering. And today, police reported he did a marvelous job. In three hours, the young man removed some 1,973 cans and bottles from a section of Route 196 in Lisbon Center.

25 years ago, 1993

The Lewiston City Council will hold its final public hearing Tuesday on the 1993-94 Community Development Block Grant program, and vote on amending the current program to allocate $10,000 for a Tall Pines playground. Lewiston will receive $1,073,000 in CDBG funds for the coming year. The single biggest chunk of money, $200,000, will go to revitalization of the city-owned Bates Mill. The rest will be disbursed to about 50 agencies and city programs, including Head Start’s Childhood Enrichment, American Red Cross disaster relief and Kennedy Park swimming pool rehabilitation. If the council approves the $10,000 proposed for Tall Pines, half of it will come from a past year’s funding for a Cote Street playground design and half from current money for Sunnyside Park basketball court improvements.

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