June 1982

From the Westbrook police log: Sandra Wilson, Durham, ran over a beer bottle on Route 25 in Westbrook and it exploded, knocking a hole through the floor of her car. Someone shot pellets through two windows and into the side of the 1980 VW Rabbitt of John Hawkes, Portland, in an S.D. Warren parking lot. The same night, someone shot a pellet through a window of the 1979 Bonneville of Stanley Tripp, 300 Bridge St., and also, someone shot out the rear window of the truck cap of Allen Pelletier, 57 Falmouth St., the side window of the car of Charles Jacobson, 52 Monroe Ave., and a window of the truck of Kevin Dahms, 146 Bridge St.

Big trucks are now barred by ordinance from short-cutting over

Woodlawn Avenue and Forest Street in Westbrook. They were using that route, especially in the early morning hours, to get between Stroudwater and Main streets. The Westbriij City Council adopted the ordinance amendment on second and final reading.

After some dispute, the Gorham Town Council voted 5-2 to

appoint Jerome Clifford, Lawn Avenue, James Golden, Dow Road, and Richard Boyman, State Street, to serve on the Charter Review Commission. Councilor Edward Needham moved to table the item, but his motion lost, Councilor John Emerson saying the names proposed were suitable, but remarked, “I do have a qualm with the process. I don’t think we’ve actively solicited names from the town. I don’t think that all the people who may step forward have been approached or reviewed. I think it would at least be appropriate to do that.” Said Needham:”For once, I want

to go on record as agreeing with Councilman Emerson.”

Secretaries of the Southern District United Methodist Churches met for the second secretaries meeting and luncheon in the Westbrook United Methodist Church with the Rev. Lynne Josselyn, Portland, Southern District superintendent. Topics discussed pertained to general church office duties.

The Westbrook City Council has voted to buy about $11,000 worth of pavement marking by W. Poirier Guidelines,Inc., at prices quoted in bids asked by the Great Portland Council of Governments The prices are 4 cents a linear foot for double

yellow lines and 2.8 cents for single white edge lines.

The town of Gorham is among six area towns considering applying to the State Planning Office for a $400,000 housing rehabilitation grant. The money will come from the U.S. Department of Urban Development, and be administered by the State Planning Office. Money for home repairs would be loaned or given to low- and moderate-income families on a “first-come, first-served basis,” according to the management plan

proposed by the six towns.

June 1992

The American Journal is launching a general effort to develop

additional circulation. Over the years since 1965, when the Westbrook American and the South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Journal were separate papers, paid circulation has grown from about 2,000 to today’s 7,000. Most of this has been spontaneous growth. Roger V. Snow Jr., the former publisher of the American and Journal, rejoined the paper’s staff this week to build more circulation. Assisting him, with the goal of recruiting and training carriers, will be Roland Lemay, who also has a long affiliation with the AJ. Both will work part time.

Westbrook’s contracts with all four unions have expired. Aldermen voted to close the doors to the public to

talk about the contracts. Police Capt. Paul McCarthy, finance director Susan Rossignol and staff lawyer Richard Sullivan sat in on the meeting, along with Mayor Fred Wescott and his administrative assistant, Peter Eckel. The contracts cover police, fire, public works and City Hall workers. Present contracts continue in force until new ones are OK’d.

A new state laws calls for alternate members of boards of voter

registration. So Westbrook welcomes to the board Beverly Canales, 8 Lucille St., and Patricia Haskell, 135 Deer Hill Circle. They were nominated by Democratic and Republican City Committees and confirmed by the council. They will serve when one of the regular members is absent or when the workload is too heavy.

After 98 years of service to Westbrook, Forest Street School has seen its last classes. The Westbrook School Committee has voted to turn it over to the city by year’s end, and to transfer its Enrichment Center to the high school in September. Perhaps more than any other of the city’s schools, Forest Street has inspired a great loyalty among former students and parents They successfully resisted attempts to move regular classes out of it until Superintendent Edward Connolly brought it off in the 1980s.

“Twelve years ago we stepped into a school for the first time,” said Westbrook High School valedictorian Holly Mason at graduation ceremonies, “and most of us were excited but a little scared. We’ll experience these same feelings today as we walk out the doors of Westbrook High School and head into that so-called ‘real world.'”

The Gorham Town Council set the following fees for town services ,effective July 1: Notary fee, $2. Burial, $25. Voter lists, $50

for total list, $20 for party list, $10 for local district list.

Minutes of council and board of appeals for one year, $12. Liquor

license, $25 plus advertising cost.