American Journal, Aug. 17, 1983

Citing a 20 percent loss in retail sales, a 75 percent failure rate for urban renewal area business, 39 percent vacancy of renewal-cleared, and other downtown problems, Mayor William O’Gara asked the City Council Monday for two new studies of downtown Westbrook. One would be done by John Menario, the other would follow

up on his work. The planning cost would be $19,000; action money, amount not stated, would be sought later. Memos that went with the mayor’s request make up the administration’s frankest acknowledgement yet of the problems of urban renewal, which it said cost more than $10 million in public and private funds. The new studies would follow a $6,000 study earlier this year that recommended that Westbrook seek to

revitalize downtown retailing, possibly by attracting factory-outlet stores and possibly by adopting a back-to-the-land image for its retailers. According to the latest memo, the $6,000 study also found “that the downtown area could not either maintain or regain its historic retail role as a community shopping center in the face of the

existing competitive environment. The memo suggests that, instead, the city should seek a preferred alternative for the economic role of

downtown.”

Westbrook police notes: Someone got into the bath house at the Cornelia Warren swimming pool after hours on a Saturday and stole a bathing suit, a first aid kit, and a clock, and dumped a container of pine disinfectant onto the floor. Total loss: $435.

Someone put $600 worth of scrapes into the car of Maynard Rand, 227 Harriet St., South Portland, while it was parked at a house on Independence Drive.

The $160 Columbia bike of Chuck Waterman, 41 West Pleasant St., was stolen at the Rec Center.

Neighbors complained about the band practicing in a garage on Bridge Street at 10 a.m. An unknown woman was sitting on the front steps of a Lyman Street house at 7:30 p.m., crying. She was gone when police arrived. At 6:30 p.m. a Gorham youth

was on the roof of his house drunk, and called for his mother. Westbrook Police called by a neighbor turned him over to Gorham Police.

A Westbrook Gardens man said a Portland man stole his bottle of brandy and left him with $100 worth of bad checks.

You can eat all you want of anything and still lose weight, Gail and Tom Jackson’s way. All you have to do is ride a bicycle across the United States. Of course, it helps if you’re 19 or 21. The siblings of

Wayne and Mildred Jackson, 17 Woods Road, Westbrook, lost 30 pounds between them on their 51-day trip from Los Angeles to Westbrook.

American Journal, Aug. 18, 1993

The City Council moved Monday to cancel Westbrook’s contract for paving and striping, on grounds that Interstate Paving Marking

Company, Bangor, recommended by the Council of Governments, hasn’t started the work. Windham, Gorham, and Falmouth also followed the COG

recommendation and are having “similar difficulties” with Interstate Public Works Director George Googins said.

Westbrook gave its contract June 21 to Interstate over the strenuous objection of citizen Alfred Porell. Porell, who wants Westbrook to drop out of COG, has been critical of the city’s practice of paying COG to solicit bids and recommend winners. When he looked closely at the paving striping bid, he told aldermen in June, he found problems with Interstate, including delays and quality questions.

Googins told aldermen that as of Aug. 11, Intestate had done two-thirds of its job in Windham. “However, the quality of the work, according to the public works director is less than satisfactory.”

Edward Wolak, 25 Spurwink Road, Scarborough, who owns Westbrook’s Dunkin’ Donuts on Main Street, is ready to open a new Dunkin’ Donuts today at 24 Bridgton Road, at the corner of East Bridge Street and Route 302, Westbrook. It will operate 24 hours a day seven days a week, he said in an application to the City Council for a victualer’s license. Ray McKenney, 33 Union St., Westbrook, will be manager. Wolak said the building is owned by a partnership of Michael

Dalton, Bangor, and Ron Stoddard, Auburn.

Under a draft of a proposed new Westbrook school policy children being schooled at home would be

able to take part in school sports and other activities. It will go before the School Committee at its meeting Aug. 18.

Superintendent Edward Connolly said Monday, “There seems to be a sentiment at the state Department of Education level or the Legislature to pursue changing the rules to allow these children to take whatever they want in the public schools.” He said Westbrook now will supply books and materials to parents teaching their children at home but won’t allow the children on school teams, in band or in the Enrichment Center classes. He said he was just providing the committee with the text of possible changes; “That’s as far as I think we need to go now.”