25 years ago

march 5, 1997

Sergeant Lester Kaiser of Lincolnville and Specialist Lance Koslowsky of Peabody, both members of the Army Reserve, recently returned from a seven-month tour of duty in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The two men were part of a 24-member fire-fighting platoon of the United States Army Reserve, Unit 323, out of El Dorado.

Both men said their experience gave them a greater appreciation for everything, including clothes, food, water, and family.

“Beary Special Babies” born at St. Luke Hospital in February include Justin Dean Bina, born Feb. 5; Brenna Christine Shields, Feb. 12; Lisa Kathleen Geis, Feb. 14; and Ryan Patrick Hunter, Feb. 14.

Centre High School varsity girls’ basketball team defeated Hope, 61-38, Saturday to claim the championship of the 1A regional basketball tournament at Solomon. Pictured are head coach Greg Wyatt, assistant coach Alan Webb and team members Cassie Owens, Jill Vinduska, Lauren Brunner, Tara Haffner, Colleen Belton, Kelli Peterson, Natasha Prine, Wendy Rudolph, Kelly Riggin, Emily Belton, Erica Hatterman, and Nikki Bina.

Mary Westerhaus Philcox is one of the youth who grew up in Marion and we wonder “where are they today?”

Though she started her employment career as a soda jerk at Marion Pharmacy’s soda fountain, she went on to receive a degree in music education. She followed a friend to Rhode Island where she met and married a restaurateur and eventually ran the front end of the business.

Always interested in agriculture and conservation, Mary went back to college an earned a degree in landscape architecture. Today Mary manages the Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District based in Middletown. RI.