April 1981

Westbrook Mayor William B. O’Gara is taking a strong stand against the recommendation of School Superintendent Carl Knowlton that Forest Street Elementary School and the Warren kindergarten be closed. O’Gara said closing them would cause harm that would show up in students years later.

Sarah MacDuffie is this year’s valedictorian at Westbrook High School, and Colleen Doughty is salutatorian. Their parents are the Rev. and Mrs. John MacDuffie and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Doughty.

The South Portland City Council voted 3-3, defeating two proposals of the South Portland Housing Authority. One was for a big apartment house at 832 Broadway. The other was for federal “Section 8” loans to pay for subsidized rental housing.

The Rev. John MacDuffie is resigning as associate minister of the Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church to give full attention to his work as manager of the denomination’s Pilgrim Lodge, West Gardiner.

Windham’s Planning Board tabled action on a proposed family park at Route 302 and the White’s Bridge Road after opponents raised questions of traffic, drainage, financing and security.

An editorial calls for a finding of treason and punishment by death of anyone who tries to assassinate our president – as a young man just did.

Westbrook’s School Department has asked the U. S. Postal Service to investigate “certain aspects of harassment” of School Committee members that occurred in December during contract negotiations.

Lewis Beckford is seeking re-election to the South Portland Board of Education. He is the chairman.

Santo “Sam” DiPietro is seeking re-election to the South Portland City Council. He represents District 3.

Gorham has issued building permits for these homes: Rodman Holmes, William Henry Drive; Ronald Demers, Seven Oaks Drive; Brian Frost, Queen Street; and F. S. Plummer Co., Elkins Road.

Bobby Orr, now-retired star of hockey’s Boston Bruins, presented one of his Bobby Orr Sportsmanship Awards to Geoff Dyhrberg, of the Crusaders Pewee Team, a student at Shaw Junior High, Gorham. Geoff is the son of John and Katie Dyhrberg.

April 1991

Gorham has hired David C. Sawyer, 40, as assessor, succeeding Robert Libby. Sawyer has been Falmouth’s assessor three years, and previously was assessor of New Gloucester after serving as assessor of Gray.

Casco Bank is foreclosing on the Walker Street and Webb Street apartment buildings in Westbrook of Paul “Bucky” and Pauline Holloway. Tenants, neighbors and friends are rallying to their support.

In court papers, a man charges that Westbrook police and sheriff’s deputies in arresting him, smashed his face, Maced him, kicked, dragged, stripped, burned, punched and beat him, and threw him down a flight of stairs. His charges are headed for a jury trial.

Westbrook city and school budgets indicate a property tax increase of 7 to 10 percent.

The Westbrook Housing authority is holding a meeting at Lisa Harmon Drive to tell senior citizens about its senior housing project on East Bridge Street. All subsidized units have been taken. Remaining units are $636 a month. A real estate agent will help you sell your home.

Brick crosswalks installed by the Westbrook Urban Renewal Authority are being torn out by the city and replaced with macadam. They don’t fit well with street maintenance equipment.

City Councilor Robert Fickett proposed sending the South Portland city budget back to the city manager with orders to cut it to a zero increase, but the Council defeated his motion 5-2. Only Kevin Glynn voted with him.

Cumberland County has 1,350 lawyers. Gorham’s Town Manager Paul Weston is canvassing them for the town’s legal services.

David Tobin took out papers to run for the Windham Town Council on the first day they were available.

The new Standish Baptist Church is almost ready to open, led by the Rev. Gary Wilkins and his wife Maeve.

The American Journal printed the annual salaries of all Gorham town and school employees.

A charter review commission is recommending that Scarborough have a mayor. The title would go with the chairmanship of the Town Council.

For the eighth time since 1977, a homosexual rights bill has been introduced in Maine’s Legislature.

Jack Gordon has gone to court to fight a Gorham Appeals Board decision denying expansion of his gravel pit on Mighty Street.