100 years ago: 1925

“Federal men, following orders from their chief, Seth May of Auburn, Maine Prohibition Director, last night made one of the most sensational taxi ‘clean-ups’ ever staged in Lewiston. Within a period of two hours and a half, from 8.05 o’clock to 10.35 o’clock, to be exact, they seized six local taxis and arrested their drivers. In each case booze was seized. The work was accomplished expertly and quietly, the drivers and their cars being tucked away on side streets until the clean-up was effected.”

50 years ago: 1975

“‘We work hard to make it so the kids will like (the food),’ commented Jeanne Hood, manager of the Lewiston School Lunch Program at the Multi-Purpose Center. ‘I hate to hear them say ‘yeech’….but if they do, we try to do something to make them like it better.’ Mrs. Hood’s philosophy seems to be shared by many of the 44 women cooks, bakers and servers in the school system’s corn hot lunch program.”

25 years ago: 2000

“In the end, it was not the Maine Legislature that killed Maine Education Services.

“The Portland nonprofit that controls Maine’s student loan market committed political suicide by attacking lawmakers, stonewalling debate and making veiled threats in an unprecedented campaign that angered many lawmakers and raised suspicions over its tax-free bond operation, according to interviews with legislators late last week.

“After a year of investigation and debate, the Legislature last week passed a measure giving the state majority control over the two student loan bond authorities that fuel the entire MES enterprise. The bill effectively pries loose MES’ grip on the market and implements the same accountability standards that other state bond authorities must meet.

“MES officials underestimated the intelligence of the Legislature and then insulted it, according to Sen. Carol Kontos, D-Windham, who fought and won the MES battle as Senate chairman of the Business and Economic Development Committee of the Legislature.”

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