100 years ago: 1918

When Miss Helen J. Owen, automobile expert for the YWCA, first came to this country two years ago from England. Every man to whom she talked asked the same question, “Whoever heard of a woman chauffeur?” It was the Women’s Suffrage Party in Brooklyn which finally entrusted its car to her. Then, seeing that she knew her own machine, a garage allowed her to open a school in practical automobile driving and repairing in its building.

50 years ago: 1968

A well-known Auburn businessman today reported that plans are being formulated for the retirement of a well known local family from the retail grocery business. Richard B. Olfene, whose family has been in the grocery business for about 80 years, said the family plans to retire operation of the present facility on Court Street by the end of the year. Olfene said that the Court Street store will begin phasing out next Thursday with an inventory sale.

25 years ago: 1993

At a debate Monday night, mayoral candidate John Jenkins dismissed opponent Edouard Plourde’s question about whether his job would at times take him away from his city duties. Plourde noted that Jenkins, a nationally known motivational speaker, once resigned from the Planning Board because he was not able to meet the time commitment. Jenkins responded that his business had “hit hard times back then.” … “You don’t understand how difficult it is to keep a business going and growing? And if I’m gone a few hours a day or once a month, I don’t call that a lot of time. And when I’m away, I’m representing the city of Lewiston. It’s not like I’m working on my tan somewhere,” Jenkins continued to laughter from the audience of about 100.

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