Sept. 6, 1995
Crack cocaine is a particular danger to Westbrook’s young people now, Police Chief Steven Roberts warned teachers and school leaders at meetings last week. He called on the schools to take a tough stand on drugs, alcohol and tobacco, and recommended periodic locker searches. He said school officials may cut locks on lockers if students fail to provide the key or combination.
Gorham town councilors are expected to decide this week if the town should start randomly testing some employees for drugs. Those employees are those who drive the larger Public Works trucks.
It’s been a rough week for speeders in Gorham and it won’t get any better until Saturday. That’s when the police department has to return the visual radar display it’s been using to slow traffic throughout town. The display is mounted on the back of a cruiser to tell motorists how fast they’re traveling. It’s resulted in a large increase in speeding citations.
The Hickory Flat Express clogging team of Westbrook won 14 awards last month in the East Coast Clogging Championships in Virginia – two firsts, five seconds and seven thirds. As a result, the group has been invited to send four teams to the American Clogging Hall of Fame Championships in North Carolina in October.
The Rev. Diane Bennekamper and the Rev. Bill Inderstrodt are serving jointly at the Prides Corner Congregational Church in Westbrook as co-interim ministers while the church seeks a new minister.
Sept. 7, 2005
Former Gorham resident Shirley Dorr moved to Derryville, Louisiana, about two years ago, a town just north of New Orleans about 10 minutes from Lake Pontchartrain. Last week she was forced to leave her home as Hurricane Katrina hit Aug. 29. Her sister, Teresa Arey of Westbrook, didn’t know how she was or where she was until later in the week, when Shirley called to say she was OK.
On Friday afternoon, just before the start of Labor Day weekend, two gas stations on separate sides of Westbrook featured something that hadn’t been seen since the gas crisis of the 1970s – long lines at the pumps. LeClerc’s Citgo and the Getty near Prides Corner had lines because they had the lowest prices at $3.09 a gallon. Gas prices have spiked sharply as oil companies react to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Westbrook American Legion Post 197 will hold an election this month on whether to ban smoking at the Conant Street building. It’s a controversial issue and the post would have to live with the outcome for three years. To retain smoking, 51% of membership must vote for it.
Disability RMS will add 50 jobs to its Westbrook center and exercise its option to lease the first floor of One Riverfront Plaza for the expansion. The company has begun interviewing and expects to complete hiring by November.
North Gorham Day is set for Sept. 17 at the fire station/library at the corner of North Gorham and Standish Neck roads. Activities include a parade, family entertainment, games, a pie-eating contest, dancing and a bean supper.
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