100 Years Ago: 1924

Margaret Matzenauer, the great prima-donna of the Metropolitan Opera Company and star of the Central Maine Music Festival at the Lewiston Armory, is one of the very few stars who admits she is not in the least superstitious.

“There is no such thing as good luck or bad luck,” says Mme. Matzenauer “and fate never sends us anything in the way of omens of good or ill. I know that myriad ghosts of all sorts of superstition hover back of the footlights of every opera house and I know plenty of singers who would not do this or that for fear that bad luck will befall them.”

“As for me, I believe we make our own good luck or our own bad luck, and that we receive about what we expect in life. I imagine that if I were inclined to watch for hoodoos and try to avoid them, I would have little time to practice, let alone to sing. I simply go along without thinking anything except the particular task I have in hand and as I am always earnestly working –  success seems to find it waiting for me when I come along.”

50 Years Ago: 1974

Several Auburn citizens appeared at Wednesday night’s meeting of the Auburn School Committee to complain about unclean and unsafe conditions at Washburn School. They cited such items as paint peeling, putty falling off, windows flapping, no hand railings on stairways, faulty lights, and constantly running toilets.

ASC Chairman Gerald R. Pontbriand said the complaints will be checked out.

25 Years Ago: 1999

A 14-year-old boy from Lewiston was critically injured Saturday when he was struck by a car while trying to help a girl who was attacked by a stranger, police said.

Jeffrey Cressey of 53 Maple St. was listed in serious condition at Central Maine Medical Center, a nursing supervisor at the hospital said. Police said Cressey suffered from head and neck injuries.

Cressey had been responding to screams for help by a 14-year-old girl who was at the Great Falls School playground when he was struck by the car, Police Lt. Lionel Boulay said.

Cressey was approaching Main Street from Bonney Park when he heard the screams, Boulay said. He then darted across the street toward a man who fled when he saw Cressey approaching. Cressey was struck and knocked down by a car traveling east on Main Street.

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