November 1981

Five times. William B. O’Gara was elected Westbrook’s mayor for the fifth time. It was O’Gara, Democrat, 2,041; Lyle B. Cramer, Republican, 1,707; and Donato Corsetti, independent, 1,553. O’Gara got 38.3 percent

Sam’s town. An article by Margo Greep looks at Westbrook’s Colonial Acres neighborhood, between East Bridge Street and the Presumpscot River. Sam DiBiase built all 264 homes there between 1965 and 1977, with streets, sewers and other improvements. The area now contributes about 300 children to Westbrook schools. DiBiase built 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom houses in a variety of styles, each on a quarter-acre lot.

Someone stole a $150 gumball machine from the lobby of LaVerdiere’s Westbrook.

Thirty-three from Gorham’s First Parish Church attended a faith workshop at Rockcraft Lodge, Sebago Lake.

School trash taboo. Since April, Standish has banned commercial trash haulers from its solid-waste transfer station, for School Administrative District 6, which hires commercial haulers for school wastes including those of five Standish schools.

Not Maine; Kentucky. Scott Paper Co. is paying more than $4 million for land in Kentucky for a new paper mill.

November 1991

Sewer leaks. Gorham built the Little Falls sewer four years ago. Now it faces a cost of $363,500 to fix its leaks, almost what it spent to build it.

Good Red Ribbon. Westbrook Police Capt. Paul McCarthy has been invited to speak in Boston and twice in Maine about Westbrook’s Red Ribbon Week drug awareness program.

Welfare leader. Clarette Charest, Gorham, is the new president of the Maine Welfare Directors Association. She is Gorham’s welfare director and coordinator of its senior citizen meal site program.

Boosting Windham. Bruce Pulkkinen is president of the new Windham Economic Development Corp. It replaces the Windham Municipal Development Committee. Unlike the committee, it can do business privately (not subject to the right-to-know law) and can receive government grants and loans.

Garage is clubhouse. The 24-by-36-foot garage at the Al Juniewicz property on Westbrook’s East Bridge Street has been moved to the Little League ballfields on Bridge Street to serve as a clubhouse. The former Juniewicz property is under development for senior housing.

Baby-shoe bronzer. Linda Limerick, Sebago Lake Road, Gorham, has a hobby of bronzing baby-shoes (and other small items).

Church bell revived. The bell of the old St. Mary’s Church, Westbrook, given in 1947 by Mr. and Mrs. Louis Zaharis, is being installed in the bell tower of the new St. Mary’s.

Mountain Club honors. Ruth Westin and Soren Christensen were honored by the Portland chapter, Appalachian Mountain Club – she for organizing the chapter in 1953, and he for the many climbs he has led. He’s the now-retired owner of a Westbrook printing company.