February 1982

Although Gorham’s snowstorm accounts aren’t in as good shape as they were last year, there is still some money left. According to Town Manager Donald Gerrish, those accounts were not overdrafted last year and it’s too early to tell if they will be this year. Of the $9,500 budgeted for salt, $6,000 has been spent; $8,500 of the $10,000 budgeted for overtime is gone. Last year, $8,150 was the total amount spent on overtime. “Hopefully, we’ll have the rest of our storms on weekdays,” said Gerrish at a recent Gorham Town Council meeting.

After a long public hearing, the Gorham Town Council voted 4-3 against allowing citizens to vote on the recall charter amendment at the March 9 municipal election. Opposed were Russell Boothby, Sherman Gray and Lincoln T. Fish. The proposed charter change would allow voters to recall council and school committee members before their three-year terms expire.

The Westbrook High School wrestling team, in its eighth year, achieved an important milestone, topping the 100-victory pinnacle with wins over Deering and Bonny Eagle in a home meet. The fired up Blazers seemed eager to present Coach Dennis Walch with his 100th career win.

Senior striker Bobby Dale Philbrick of Gorham became the first Amherst College soccer player in 12 years to be named an All American. Philbrick’s nine goals this season led the Lord Jeffs to an 8-2-1 record. The team’s accomplishments included a Little Three Championship, a No. 4 ranking in New England and 187th nationally in Division III.

Steve Doody, Limerick, who has been manager of the Westbook Agway three years, became manager Monday of the Skowhegan Agway, largest volume Agway center in Maine. He was succeeded in Westbrook by Gerald Duchesne, who has been assistant manager of the Auburn Agway. Doody’s wife is a registered nurse who has been working part time at the Westbrook Community Hospital. The former Rebecca MacElrath, she will be returning to her hometown, Skowhegan. The Doodys have two daughter, Angela and Krista.

Westbrook is buying a new compactor for the Sandy Hill landfill off Saco Street to replace one that has served well for more than seven years. METCO, Pleasant Avenue in South Portland, is selling the city the new John Deere Model 646C for a net cost of $84,381, allowing $54,618 trade-in value on the old machine.

The Gorham Barber Shop, 7 State St., Gorham, closed Feb. 1 and the space is being used in an expansion of the Pilgrim House, a home decorating shop next door. The Pilgrim House began business in 1974 across the square now occupied by Amato’s, and moved to the Masonic building the following year. It is owned my Carleen and Nicholas Aceto, 137 State St.

February 1992

Westbrook so far has escaped the attention given recently to the cities of Portland and South Portland about the need to upgrade its sewers. South Portland was recently fined $30,000 by the state for dragging its heels on eliminating its combined sewer overflows that dump raw sewage into Casco Bay during periods of heavy rain. While Westbrook has so far escaped being fined, it has not escaped the problem. Every time it rains, the sewage the system can’t handle goes directly into the Presumpscot River, from Bridge Street to behind the Warren Library just before the S.D. Warren Co. mill.

Richard Willoughby, proprietor of the Bus Stop, 888 Main St., Westbrook, is nearly paralyzed, his life in danger, in the Maine Medical Center after he was knifed in the neck by a customer he was evicting.

The Gorham School Department has been named in a lawsuit by parents, who say their learning-disabled son wasn’t getting the service he needed from the department’s special education program. The student’s parents contended during a series of meetings with a Gorham Pupil Evaluation Team that the Individualized Education Program developed by Gorham educators did not meet the needs of their 16-year-old son, who is classified as learning disabled due to a bout with meningitis as an infant.

Lynn Merrifield and Norman Justice Jr. have taken out nomination papers for seats on the Gorham town council in anticipation of the March 10 municipal election.

The action by Merrifield, North Gorham Road, and Justice, Wood Road, brings to seven the number of candidates vying for three seats on the council.