100 Years Ago: 1924

Chief Field of the Lewiston police department called two store keepers before him Saturday to issue a solemn warning not to sell cigarettes to minors. Any further infraction of that state law will result in their appearance in municipal court to answer to serious charges.

Information has been received  at police headquarters that merchants have been guilty of selling cigarettes for a cent apiece to boys 10 and 12  years of age. Cigarettes have also been sold in packages to small boys.

50 Years Ago: 1974

The case of the missing Fairview School balloons has finally been solved. Word has just arrived that the 25 balloons which Mrs. Sharon Bremner’s second grade class released several months ago did indeed reach a safe destination.

The colorful helium-filled balloons were set free, with post cards attached, in an experiment to see how far they would travel. When none of the self-addressed postcards were returned after several weeks, the children were terribly disappointed, fearing they were lost and never to be heard from again.

But they were in for a pleasant surprise this morning. When they and their teacher entered their class after viewing a film, they found a box wrapped in colorful Christmas paper. There was a letter attached to it which reads as follows:

“Dear boys and girls and Mrs. Bremner,
Your lovely balloons. drifted up her, to the North Pole and Mrs. Claus and I put them on our Christmas tree. I am sorry that this letter is so late but I have been so busy packing toys in my bag that I couldn’t write sooner.
See you next Tuesday. Be good.
Your friend,
Santa Claus.”

On the back of the letter was a picture of the Claus’ tree with the balloons on it. And in the box were an assortment of lollipops for the kids.

25 Years Ago: 1999

Bates Dairy Farm on Line Road in Greene will present a large light display this year. People can drive through an arch of lights and around the farm to see different light displays, such as a tractor and wisemen.

A mailbox holds something for each person who stops, and there is a container to accept canned foods for those less fortunate that is located just before the mailbox.

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