100 years ago, 1916
The state highway commissioners have sent out the following communication to all municipal officers on the subject of road mileage. “It is highly desirable that we should have an accurate measurement of all road mileage in each town to take the place of estimates which we have been using up to the present time. The highway commission has decided that the best way to get an accurate statement of road mileage is to ask the selectmen of each town to have all their roads measured by an automobile speedometer and to that end the commission has prepared the blank enclosed and hereby request that you will attend at once to this.

50 years ago, 1966
A total of 61 loads of trash have been hauled to the city dump by Auburn Highway Department trucks during the first two days of the city’s annual fall Clean-Up Week. Roland Saucier, AHD superintendent, said Tuesday night that 31 loads of trash were trucked to the dump Monday and 30 loads Tuesday. Saucier reported he has had five trucks assigned to the job the first two days of the week, but that a total of seven trucks will be on the clean-up detail Wednesday. He said that as the demand for additional vehicles continues he will add more trucks to the clean-up work.

25 years ago, 1991
Diane Whalen’s third-graders have discovered something many students would say is impossible: Writing is fun. On Friday, the Sabattus Elementary School pupils released their sixth class newsletter of the school year. This week’s issue of “KID NEWS” focuses on insects, especially spiders, along with the weekly class updates, jokes and notices of upcoming events. This is the first year Whalen, whose pupils have done newsletters for many years, has had her class enter stories and position graphics using a computer. The children use a desktop publishing program called Newsmaster that makes the spacing of stories and layout relatively quick and easy.

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