Suspect allegedly tries
to leave courthouse
PORTLAND — A city man charged with robbing a Westbrook convenience allegedly tried to leave the Cumberland County Courthouse during a court appearance Tuesday.

Michael Gray, 30, was apprehended in the exit area of the courthouse after walking out of a courtroom while wearing restraints, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Maj. Tim Kortes said in a news release Wednesday.

The incident occurred around 2:35 p.m. Gray left the courtroom while a deputy was “addressing another issue with another inmate.” He then ignored commands to stop from the deputy and a court marshal, Kortes said. 

Gray was facing a theft charge, a robbery charge and a charge of operating with a suspended or revoked license in connection with a robbery at Duck Pond Variety on Bridgton Road and a nearby car theft, Westbrook police said when he was arrested Monday.

Westbrook police were called to the store at 1275 Bridgton Road about 7 p.m. Monday after a masked man robbed the store and fled with cash from the register. Officers found an abandoned vehicle nearby that had been stolen minutes before the robbery from a business parking lot on Riverside Street in Portland.

Shortly after the robbery at the Westbrook store, a car was reported stolen from the driveway of a nearby home, also on Bridgton Road. That car was then discovered by Windham police officers who were investigating a disturbance on Haven Road in Windham.

Westbrook police said they arrested Gray after linking him to the robbery and the car discovered in Windham.

On Tuesday, Gray, was returned to the Cumberland County Jail, where police said he had been held without bail.

Kortes said the incident is under review and Gray’s security status has been upgraded.

Saccarappa redistricting
to be announced soon

WESTBROOK — When the newly expanded and renovated Saccarappa Elementary School opens in September, it won’t only mean new school space for Saccarappa families.

Superintendent Peter Lancia said because the school was purposely renovated to accommodate additional elementary school students, 100 kids from Canal and Congin Elementary schools will be redistricted to Saccarappa for the 2019-2020 school year.

How the school boundary lines change and which grade levels will be impacted will be outlined at a school committee meeting Feb. 27 at Westbrook Middle Schol. Once the committee approves the plan, notices will go out to the impacted families.

The new boundary lines also will be explained at a kindergarten orientation night planned for 6 p.m. Feb. 28, at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center, Lancia said. The night is only for parents, who can learn about kindergarten in Westbrook, pick up registration paperwork and set up an appointment for their child’s screening. Appointments can be made for between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on March 13 or March 14. There will be no school those days for current kindergarten students, although other grade levels will be in session.

Children who are 5 years old before Oct. 16, 2019, are eligible to attend kindergarten in the fall.

Advertisement

Top Kabab changing
over to Indian cuisine

WESTBROOK — Top Kabab, a Middle Eastern restaurant at 888 Main St., will be closed for the rest of the month and possibly for part of next month as it is renovated to be an Indian restaurant.

The restaurant will have a new menu, but ownership and the Top Kabab name will remain the same. When it reopens sometime in March, it will mean the return of Indian cuisine downtown. The Dancing Elephant operated at 855 Main St., now home to Big Fin Poke, from 2011 until 2015.

The 888 Main St. site has had a host of uses over the years, including All-Star Hot Dog, Arthur’s Restaurant, The Bus Stop, Kourapis, Main Street Cafe and  My Lady’s Tea Room & Antique Shop.

Law firm awards
MPTC $10,000

WESTBROOK — Law firm Bernstein Shur awarded $10,000 to My Place Teen Center last week in a video contest to shine light on five local non-profits.

The other non-profits chosen to be part of the contest were Locker Project, Boots to Roots, Preble Street and Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute.

Videos describing the organizations’ mission and community impact were sent to Bernstein Shur clients, who then decided which would receive the $10,000 prize.  My Place Teen Center, 755 Main St., which provides services and programming for youth 10-18, was chosen as the winner.

“My Place Teen Center plays an instrumental role in the development and well-being of our community’s children and teens. The firm couldn’t be happier to help the center expand its mission,” Pat Scully, CEO, Bernstein Shur said in a statement. 

“We’re ecstatic on so many levels,” said Donna Dwyer, CEO of My Place Teen Center. “The gift will help us on our journey toward expanding in Biddeford, opening another set of red doors in July 2020. We anticipate being able to serve more than 1,000 children and teens in that community.”

Westbrook snowmobiler
injured on Highland Lake

FALMOUTH — The Maine Warden Service is investigating a snowmobile crash that occurred Sunday morning, Feb. 17, on Highland Lake in Falmouth.

Colin Joyce, 22, of Westbrook, was operating his snowmobile on the lake when he struck a pressure ridge. Joyce and the machine were launched almost 140 feet before landing on the snow and ice, according to a Warden Service press release.

Joyce was transported by ambulance to Maine Medical Center in Portland with injuries that were not life-threatening. The Warden Service, which was being assisted by the Falmouth Police Department, said speed was a likely factor in the crash.

 

Top Kabab in Westbrook has temporarily closed for interior renovations. It will reopen with a new Indian menu in March.

Gray

Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

Related Stories
Latest Articles