100 Years Ago: 1921

Women jurors are no longer the bug-a-boo to the male folk of Oxford County in South Paris. At least, such is the assertion of the eleven men who this week served with Miss Harriet Abbott of Fryeburg in a trial before Justice Dunn in the supreme court for the county in South Paris. “She was all right,” the members of the panel confided to Justice Dunn, “the only thing was, that we didn’t smoke during the hour we were in the jury room, which was a little hard on some of us. Oh, she wasn’t to blame for that: she told us that we might go and smoke if we wished, but we thought we wouldn’t do it.”

50 Years Ago: 1971

The Polish and American Woman’s Club and the Polish Men’s Club are holding a supper at the clubrooms, 124 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, at six o’clock Saturday.  A Polish merue is being prepared by a committee which includes Vicky Ashe, Eleanor Olchowskl, Stella Henault, Mary Maytle, Stephanie Bedarezyk, Helen Sovetsky, Sophia Grondin, Katherine Volock, Charlene Black, Cecilia Parker and Ellen Lane. The Women’s Club is meeting on November 13 to make plans  for a Christmas party.

25 Years Ago: 1996

Maine’s first lady Mary Herman will help cut the cake Friday when Advocates for Children marks the first birthday of its Parent Resource Center at 27 Lisbon St. in Lewiston. The celebration begins at 10 a.m. and the cake cutting is scheduled for 10:30. Activities will continue until 6 p.m. Susan Pease of the Lewiston Public Library is scheduled  to read selections to pre-school children at 11:30, and additional story selections to school-aged children at  3:30 p.m. Children’s craft activities are planned all day. “It’s a time for kids to come in and have some fun, but it’s also a time for parents to come in and find out just what we do here,” said Resource Center director Nancy Reynolds. Reynolds said the center offers a growing collection of helpful books, videos and audio-tapes for parents. It also organizes parent support groups and offers parenting workshops, information and referral, Staff members and volunteers are available for drop-in visits to discuss a concern.

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