100 years ago, 1916
Ara Cushman, Jr., of Auburn, has had the vacant lot beside his house flooded and now the kiddies in the neighborhood have a fine skating rink.

50 years ago, 1966
Hugh Maxwell Leighton Jr. was born at 5:02 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary’s General Hospital in Lewiston, and the little fellow became the 1966 New Year’s baby for the Lewiston-Auburn area. The five-pound, two-ounce baby boy is the fourth child of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Maxwell Leighton of Temple Street, Auburn. “Mister 1966” was the first of four babies born at St. Mary’s General Hospital on New Year’s Day. This was the first time in five years that the New Year’s baby was born at St. Mary’s General Hospital. A spokesman at the Central Maine General Hospital said that hospital did not have any New Year’s Day births.

25 years ago, 1991
The perception may be that because little snow has fallen this year the city has saved lots of money in its snow removal account, but in reality, says Auburn Public Works Director Robert Belz, “there have been nine storms to plow and sand. The total accumulation may be little, but it’s been often,” he said. “We’ve gone through about 40 percent of winter, so were not looking at the major savings one would expect.” There are a couple of positive aspects, however. “We got a favorable price bid on salt,” he said, “so we’re expecting about $20,000 worth of savings, and the overtime account is under the normal expenditure projection by about $10,000.” On the negative side, he continued, “we’re expecting a major snowstorm this weekend, and that will be all overtime.”

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