Sept. 21, 1988

A proposal for a 21-lot clustered subdivision complete with a nine-hole golf course – the first project of its kind in Gorham – ran into stormy waters Monday as several neighbors of the project off Down Road voiced their doubts when the Planning Board ha its first look at the proposal. “I seriously question if this is the location for clustered housing, said Down Road resident John Godfrey. “This will have a different nature from the other homes in the area.” The project, proposed by Frank Piffath, president of Advanced Engineering of Gorham, is located on land formerly knows as the Rapp farm, not far from Route 25. The golf course I intended to satisfy the open space requirements that must be met in order to develop clustered housing. Other concerns raised centered on the ownership and operation of the golf course, which Piffath said would be owned by the homeowners but leased to a golf course operator for 99 years. The plan for the golf course must also receive approval for a special exception use from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Assistant Attorney General Michael Westcott has filed papers to dismiss the murder indictment against Scott Doucette of Gorham for the 1984 murder of Theresa Duran. “There is presently insufficient evidence to try and convict Doucette for the crime of murder,” Westcott wrote. Thomas Connolly, Doucette’s lawyer, said the indictment has been dismissed “without prejudice,” meaning the state could seek to try the case at another time if there is new evidence found. Duran’s parents, Donald and Irene Duran of Gorham, still hold out hope that eventually justice will be done to whomever murdered their daughter in July 1984.

Mike Charest and Christine Jollette were among those participating in an 18-hour vigil at Riverbank Park, Westbrook, for Americans missing in action in Vietnam, conducted Friday night and Saturday by the Maine Vietnam Veterans Vigil Committee. Prayer and speeches followed in a ceremony that drew veteran from a wide area of Maine.

Advertisement: Friday special at the Cornerstone Restaurant, 3 Bridge St., Westbrook: Fried Atlantic Haddock, tartar sauce, baked potato, vegetable, $3.95. Maine fish chowder, $2.35.

Advertisement: Bruce Violette is back in the service station business again after a short retirement. “I was tired of looking for a good reliable service station, so I thought I would open my own again.” Violette’s Getty is located on Route 302 between East Bridge Street and Pride Street. My crew and I will give you the same full service that the Violette have given you for over 50 years.

Westbrook is still waiting for the Maine Department of Transportation to approve its plans for a permanent trash-transfer station behind the city garage. It has been more than two years. In the meantime, most trash goes to the Biddeford plant in the trucks hat gather it along Westbrook curbs. A small temporary transfer station I in operation at the Sandy Hill landfill off Saco Street for other trash. When the permanent station is up and running, most Westbrook trash will be squeezed into big compaction trailers there that will be hauled to Biddeford, with an annual saving in hauling costs of about $35,000, Public Works Director George Goggins told the City Council’s Highways Committee last week.

Sept. 23, 1998

Revisions of plans for the improvement of the athletic fields at Westbrook High School include moving the field events of track and field off the football field. “It is apparent that having the discus, shotput and javelin events on the football field would cause considerable damage to this field. This was an oversight not caught in the original plans. The recommendation is to move these three events, Assistant School Superintendent Michael Kane told the City Council. He said the recommendation is to move these three events to the multipurpose field area. “In addition, it has become apparent that the high jump, pole vault and long jump areas do not meet the current rules specifications. Therefore these areas should be brought into compliance,” he said. The additional cost for these changes is $11,500, Kane said.

The Gorham Planning Board will hold a public meeting Oct. 5 to consider a proposal that would nearly double the town’s industrial district in the vicinity of the Gorham Industrial Park. According to Director of Planning Deborrah Fossum, the move to expand the district was spurred by growing concerns of the Gorham Economic Development Committee. “The Industrial Park is virtually filled to capacity now, said GEDC President Tom Ellsworth. “If we are going to be in a position to attract new businesses and increase the tax base in Gorham, we are going to have to be able to offer more space.” There are only five lots left in the Industrial Park, totaling slightly more than 17 acres.

Westbrook residents from one end of Brown Street to the other, and anyone else who has an interest in Brown Street, are invited to a meeting Oct. 7 of the new Brown Street Neighborhood Watch, at St. Hyacinth Religious Education Building on Walker Street. “Neighborhood watches cost only the time it take for us to care about our neighbors,” said a flyer announcing the meeting.

To qualify for Department of Human Services reimbursements, the York-Cumberland Housing Development Corp. needs to add three beds to its plans for an elderly assisted living facility knows as the Inn at Village Square, on School Street in Gorham. The original plan, approved by the Gorham Planning Board in July, included 36 beds, but the developers say the project will not be economically viable without the additional three beds. The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the request to modify the plans on Oct. 5.

Westbrook High School class of 1933 held its 65-year reunion July 29 at Valle’s Steak House. There were 78 in the graduation clad. Fifty are known to have passed away and three whereabouts of two are unknown. Since their 20th reunion in 1973, they have had one every five years. Present at the reunion were 13 of the remaining 27, and five guests.

50 YEARS AGO

The Westbrook American reported on Sept. 18, 1963, that those modeling for a fashion show sponsored by Friendship Circle at First Parish Congregational Church included Debbie Alden, Sally Chandler, Gwen Ray and Penny Maddox.

Grace Davis of West Buxton attended an antique show in Brattleboro, Vt., the previous week.

Cardamone’s Restaurant, at 920 Main St., as it looked in the 1950s The small, one-story section of the building was a variety store listed as 918a Main St. When the variety store went out of business, Laureat Gagne opened the Main Street Barber Shop there. In 1962, Peter Profenno purchased the building with restaurant from Michael and Maryanne Cardamone and opened Profenno’s Restaurant. When the barber shop closed, Profenno took the space to enlarge his restaurant. But in 2004, fire swept through this building and it was later demolished. Profenno purchased the former Hebert’s Market building at 934 Main St., and reopened Profenno’s Restaurant. Profenno rebuilt on the site of his old building. The building has six apartments on the second floor and offices and a hair salon on the first floor. To see more historical photos and artifacts, visit the Westbrook Historical Society at the Fred C. Wescott Building, 426 Bridge St. Inquiries can be emailed to westhistorical@myfairpoint.net. The website is www.westbrookhistoricalsociety.org.