90th birthday honor
Former Mayor William B. O’Gara, seated, was presented with a plaque by Mayor Michael Foley to note that the city’s 2021 inaugural ceremonies were dedicated to O’Gara in honor of his 90th birthday. “The city is grateful for Bill’s many years of service and proud to honor him,” Foley said. Contributed / Mayor Mike Foley
Former city firefighter hired as new Freeport chief
A former Westbrook firefighter/paramedic was hired as the new Freeport fire/rescue chief in December.
Paul Conley Conley worked in Westbrook for 30 of his 45 years of service in southern Maine and was hired by the city in 1977 as a Boy Scout in Fire Explorer Post 50, according to the Westbrook Fire Department’s Facebook page. He joined the Westbrook Rescue Division as an EMT two years later.
According to the Facebook posting, the first ambulance Conley recalled riding in was a former Sears delivery van.
He returned to Westbrook in 1992 as a part-time paramedic after serving Portland Medcu for eight years.
50 years ago
The American Journal reported on Feb. 9, 1972, that a runaway bus owned by the Greater Portland Transportation Co. that was parked and driverless shifted into gear and headed for a home on Mechanic Street. A collision was avoided when the bus ran over a stump, got hung up and had to be lifted off to be freed.
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