Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 9 : Summer 2011 | Page 27

(L.D. 1542) establishing the institution in the deactivated over the years. The name of the institution has changed—to buildings of the missile base in Presque Isle on June 17, Northern Maine Vocational Technical Institute (NMVTI) in 1964, Northern Maine 1961. The U.S. government Technical College (NMTC) turned over 87 acres of land and in 1989 and Northern Maine over 36 buildings to the State of Community College in 2003. Maine for this purpose. Nearly all of the old base buildings have been razed over Befitting of their roles, the years, to be replaced by more buildings on the NMCC campus modern facilities. Programs have are already named after Augusta been added and discontinued in K. Christie, E. Perrin Edmunds, response to community needs. and John H. Reed. During a Through it all, the College has 50th anniversary luncheon on never lost focus on its mission to June 17 honoring local and its students and its community. past legislators from the region, plaques were unveiled honoring “I really enjoyed the actual both Harding and Stewart shop work. It offered me real which will hang alongside E. Perrin Edmunds’ plaque in the hands-on experience, and I think that’s what I enjoyed most. Edmunds Building. They provided me with the skills I needed to be successful The hands-on education that these individuals brought to throughout my career,” said Gary Cleaves, a 1965 graduate The County made a difference in the lives of the students from the automotive technology program. Cleaves went on and graduates of the institution, as attested to by alumni spend 37 years full service with the Maine National Guard SUMMER 2011 NMCC Turns Fifty 25