100 Years Ago: 1920

Greene Patrons of Husbandry are looking forward to the program prepared for Thursday evening at Androscoggin Grange Hall, when Maine Centennial Day will be celebrated. After preliminary opening, it is expected that the program will be open to the public.

50 Years Ago: 1970

Auburn Building Inspector, Ralph B. Emery issued building permits during August for a total estimated construction cost of  $829,556. The structures included in the permits are one for the new St. Philips Church on the Turner Road and the other for the Auburn Masonic Temple on upper Turner Street.

25 Years Ago: 1995

The Country Way Restaurant in South Paris, scheduled to close Sept. 10 after 29 years of  serving the community, has been a family business, and many regular customers feel like a part of that family. Working at the restaurant are three generations of Paradis: owner Henry Paradis, his wife Barbara, daughter Jody and son Robert with his wife Lynn, and sons, Scott and Nick. Henry Paradis’ other two daughters, Darcy McCabe and Andrea Tucker have also at times worked there. And Jody Paradis’ son John, who is in the Marines, worked there for eight years. “When asked how he got started in the restaurant business, 67-year-old Henry Paradis replies, “I married Jo’s daughter, so that’s probably how I got started in it.” His wife of 46 years is the “daughter of Josephine Stone, who began and ran Barjo’s Restaurant in Norway for 55 years. Barjo’s was named after Barbara and Jo. He says he started working as cook at Barjo’s in 1944, then continued cooking in the Army Air Force from 1946 to 1949, He then returned to work at Barjo’s until they purchased the Twin Town Hardware Store and converted it into the present restaurant.

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