Police ID suspect
in armed robbery
GORHAM — An arrest warrant was issued this week for the suspect in a bold daytime armed robbery at the Bimbo Bakery in Gorham on Dec. 13.
Police have identified the suspect as Erroll Gethers, 56. “He should be considered armed and dangerous,” Deputy Police Chief Christopher Sanborn said in a press release this week.
Police have described Gethers as a black man, 5-foot-8-inches tall and weighing 165 pounds.
Police said a man entered the bakery, also known as the Freihofers/Nissen Bakery Outlet, at 587 Main St. about 1:50 p.m. on Dec. 13, “displayed a handgun and demanded money from the register.” The man fled the bakery on foot and made off with an undisclosed amount of money.
Joyce, Popovic elected
school board leaders
WESTBROOK — Suzanne Joyce, former vice chairman of the Westbrook School Committee, was elected by her peers last week to lead the group for at least the next year.
Joyce takes over the chairman role from Jim Violette, who served in the capacity for the last five years but lost his re-election bid this fall. Joyce began serving on the School Committee in 2010 when she was appointed to fill a void and resigned her seat on the City Council to do so.
Mike Popovic was chosen as vice chairman. Popovic has been serving on the school committee since 2013.
Both Joyce and Popovic are up for re-election in November 2019, along with Noreen Poitras.
Joyce said the makeup of the School Committee’s standing committees – finance, policy and education programs – will be announced in January.
New Saccarappa building
gets OK for occupancy
WESTBROOK — Superintendent Peter Lancia has received the go-ahead from the city’s code enforcement office to shift Saccarappa School operations into the new building while the existing school is renovated.
The building got its certificate of occupancy Tuesday afternoon. The goal, Lancia said, is to have teachers and staff move their classrooms and work spaces into the new school during winter break. Classes will open in the new space Wednesday, Jan. 2.
In order to give staff time to get acclimated to the new school, conduct training and understand the new emergency drills before Jan. 2, Saccarappa students will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 20, and Friday, Dec. 21.
Lancia said the shortened student days are necessary to train staff how to use the building and “have the first day of school in the middle of the school year.”
Idexx to pay for city
communication tower
WESTBROOK — In an effort to improve the emergency communication within its building and its environs, Idexx has donated $42,000 to the city to construct another digital communications tower on the Public Safety Building on Saco Street.
The donation was formally accepted without discussion by the City Council Monday.
In a memo to councilors, Public Safety Communications Director Greg Hamilton said the need for the additional tower came up during a meeting between public safety leadership and Idexx engineering leaders after “recent radio frequency testing at Idexx Laboratories revealed that buildings located at their campus on Idexx Drive did not pass the required national standards.”
Adding the tower, the two groups agreed, was “the best and most cost effective resolution.”
The digital simulcast site, Hamilton said, will be owned by the city and not only help Idexx meet the national communication standards, but upgrade communication in that area of the city. The tower paid for by IDEXX will be part of a city-wide digital emergency communication system upgrade. The location of the other towers are City Hall, the Prides Corner Fire Station and Westbrook Middle School.
Sappi North America
wins Governor’s Award
AUGUSTA — Sappi North America was honored at the Blaine House Dec. 18 as one of the five companies to earn a 2018 Governor’s Award for Business Excellence.
“It’s been an honor to annually recognize the best of the best here in Maine, businesses that clearly go above and beyond normal day to day operations,” Gov. Paul R. LePage said in a press release. “The businesses honored today are dedicated to quality workmanship, maintaining a loyal and dedicated workforce and giving back to the community. I thank each of them for doing business in our state and for setting the bar high.”
Sappi owns mills in Westbrook and Skowhegan and in Minnesota. It has a dedicated technology center in Westbrook and a shared service center in South Portland.
Also earning the business excellence award for 2018 were Enercon Technologies in Gray, Howe and Howe Technologies in Waterboro, Main-Land Development ConsultantsInc. in Livermore Falls and Sea Bags in Portland.
– Staff reports
Erroll Gethers
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