100 Years Ago — Dec. 20, 1912
Arthur Slane of Higgins Court had a very narrow escape from drowning last Saturday. Along with a few more boys skating on the Shawsheen River, he went out too far on the thin ice and fell in. The timely aid of James Buss of Shawsheen Road saved the youngster from drowning.
B.F. Holt is repairing and improving his icehouse at Pomps Pond.
The Wonderland management announce that they have no connection with the American Tobacco Company and will not accept their cigar coupons as admission to the theater.
Real estate agent S.P. Hulme has sold for George C. Foster his vacant land on Woodland Road to John N. Cole.
The Willing Workers of the South Church Courteous Circle met on Monday evening with Miss Evelyn Hardy of Maple Avenue.
75 Years Ago — Dec. 17, 1937
The traffic lights on the island at the junction of North Main and Union Streets was in the way of another errant motorist on Sunday evening, and came out a poor second in the resulting meeting. A Lowell man was taken into custody by Officer William Stewart and state officer William Horan on charges of operating under the influence and drunkenness and in District Court on Monday morning he was held in $350 for appearances on Dec. 20.
Two more steps in the school board’s attempt to reduce its bill for light and power were taken at the meeting on Tuesday evening. The report of the Lawrence Gas and Electric company showing that the installation and operation of the diesel plant would mean a greater annual cost to the town, as printed in last week’s Townsman, was discussed in connection with the report form a diesel company which estimated a substantial saving.
The annual Goldsmith prize speaking contest will be held tonight at the Memorial Auditorium, with six Punchard high students delivering selected pieces. The combined glee clubs will play two selections.
50 Years Ago
Dec. 20, 1962
Teachers with a bachelor’s degree can earn $4,600 to $7,600 here, starting next September, the tracks for masters, masters plus 30 hours, and the doctorate, are progressively $400 higher. The total estimated payroll for teachers will be $1,315,462.
Wage and salary negotiations between the manager and Employees Association centered this week around an across-the-board 8.5 percent wage hike, as requested by the employees.
Photo caption: Little Anne Fitzgerald had a big smile for the photographer Saturday afternoon at the skating area behind Central School. The time she spent on her feet posing was about the longest she managed to remain upright, but she sure had fun anyway.
Advertisements under “Merry Christmas to All”: Andover Playhouse, Purity Cleansers and Dyers, 13 Essex St.; Park Street Garage, 33 Park St.; John and Rita Hewitt Real Estate, 8 Elm St.; Kenneth P. Thompson Co., 48 Main St;. Atlas Paint & Supply Co., 7 Elm St.; Shawsheen Luncheonette, 2 Lowell St.; Rickey’s Variety Store, 53 Essex St.; Ford’s Coffee Shop, 14 Main St.; Clark Motor Co., 41 Park St.; Andover Cordial Shop, 11 Barnard St. [among many others].
25 Years Ago
Dec. 17, 1987
Elementary children in rapidly increasing numbers are using computer keyboards as tools of learning in reading, spelling, composing, and in computer activities. An exciting use of the computer is to use it as a word processor. Sophisticated software packages have made word processing less complicated and students in early grade levels are composing material on the computer.
The Andover Committee of the Appalachian Mountain Club honored the late Louise Van Everen, a former member, Sunday Dec. 13. The group dedicated a bronze plaque in Rogers Dell to Van Everen’s memory. Van Everan was a longtime devotee to the outdoors, and it was largely due to her efforts that the dell was turned from a dump site into a picnic ground.
