100 Years Ago: 1920

The big holiday party which will wind up before Christmas “Y” festivities takes place at the Abou Ben Adhem Hall Monday evening. All girls are invited. Christmas games and dancing will be included in the festivities and three big Christmas features are scheduled including a tableau. The party will commence promptly at eight o’clock.

50 Years Ago: 1970

On Wednesday, December 23, Saint Dominic Regional High School will hold its annual  Christmas Assembly. The Assembly will consist of nineteen songs, sung by the Glee Club and a play presented by the members of the Drama Club.

25 Years Ago: 1995

When storyteller Jane Gilbert speaks about African life, hundreds of schoolchildren listen quietly. Dressed  in a brightly colored tunic and skirt, Gilbert describes the folklore of native villages to audiences around Maine.  Gilibert recently visited Cascade Brook School in Farmington where she told students in grades five and six stories about Nigeria. She also helped the students paint Adrinka symbols on fabric. The symbols, representing animals and emotions such as trust, love, fear and defiance are carved into gourd shells and stamped on clothing. By wearing the cloth, the wearer tells people what she is feeling, Gilbert said. She told a story of bickering African chiefs who stopped going to war because of the symbol of defiance one of the chiefs wore on his robe. By wearing the symbol the rival chief knew he would be beaten. “The fern is the symbol of defiance. If you pull up a fern it will only take root again; it never gives up,” Gilbert said. “It is a very strong symbol to wear.”

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