100 Years Ago - Feb. 9, 1912
A petition is being circulated to have an article in the town warrant to have Andover street from T.A. Matthews' house to Abbott's bridge macadamized. This is an improvement that is greatly needed and should certainly be adopted at the coming town meeting.
The minstrel show which promises to be the very best ever given in this vicinity, will be held in the Bradlee hall Tuesday evening, February 20. Full details later.
The Dickens carnival at the South church called forth a great number of old-fashioned gowns and bonnets. Many of the costumes worn by those who took part dated back many years and the carnival was fresh proof of the fact that Andover is rich in treasures of the past.
75 Years Ago - Feb. 5, 1937
Two more men took out nomination papers this week, one adding further complications to the already over-complicated tree warden's contest and the other adding a complication to the thus far quite peaceful school board race.
Crime down slightly, drunkenness up markedly is the substance of Chief of Police George A. Dane's annual report. A total of 299 arrests were made in 1935 as compared to 291 in 1936. Male arrests dropped from 297 to 285 and female jumped from two to six.
Trial Judge Joseph M. Hargedon held his first session of police court on Tuesday afternoon, filing two automobile cases with the admonition that "I want it understood that automobile and highway law violators will not get away as easily in the future as they did today."
50 Years Ago - Feb. 8, 1962
One of the town's oldest traditions — the call fire department — will go by the boards this spring. Town Manager Thomas E. Duff, in taking the required funds out of the budget, said there are too few call men now, and their services really don't help too much. He noted that additional men, plus mutual aid pacts with other communities, take care of any emergency.
Town Manager Thomas E. Duff will get a $1,000 pay raise, to $11,500 this year. The selectmen, in charge of this department, voted to grant the raise following a half-hour executive session Monday night with the manager, and some private deliberation.
Following approval by the Massachusetts Council of Churches, plans are underway for the establishment of a Lutheran Church in Andover.
25 Years Ago - Feb. 12, 1987
Tuesday night, the Planning Board gave its blessing to plans for the potential expansion of the Sheraton Rolling Green on Route 133.
John H. Carroll Jr., president of the board of directors of Central Catholic High School, has announced that the school has taken a very important step toward its anticipated relocation to West Andover. The board of directors has signed a purchase and sale agreement with the Franciscan Order for the purchase of the former St. Francis Seminary and Christian Formation Center, which includes approximately 100 acres on the south bank of the Merrimack River.
