September, 1980
Maine is ready to vote on whether to continue to generate nuclear power. Like all other such power plants, Maine Yankee has to keep its radioactive wastes under water, and the water has to be constantly cooled by electric refrigeration, says an editorial. Nuclear power is expensive, writes Mort Mather, North Berwick, urging voters to close Maine Yankee. We’re paying for the Three-Mile Island accident in our taxes, he writes.
The Westbrook School Committee is buying a Point-4 computer for general administrative uses without waiting for the city to join it in buying one for both city and school use. It will cost $87,410.
The state’s Department of Transportation has killed plans for the Gorham bypass, Town Manager Donald Gerrish said yesterday. The state had planned to spend $900,000 on engineering.
In a close vote, Gorham citizens cut $50,000 from the town’s new budget. The vote was 1,516-1,385.
WJBQ’s plan for three radio towers on Gorham’s New Portland Road apparently will go ahead now, as a result of an agreement with neighbors.
Work will start in October, but not be completed until spring, on widening Route 302 to four lanes between the Windham Mall and the White’s Bridge Road. That stretch now is two lanes. It will be doubled in width 50 feet, with curbing on both sides, and with a 6-foot sidewalk on the east side.
Northeast Sports Exchange opened Aug. 20 in North Windham.
American Field Service exchange students at Windham High School this year will be Bonnie Roudebush, Auburn, Calif.; Marcia Ximena Cortines, San Fernando, Chile; and Alexandra Kastamoniti, Corfu, Greece.
A petition asks for a referendum on setting up seven voting districts in Scarborough.
“Save the energy we’ve got instead of building nuclear plants to produce more,” said Amory Lovins, scientist, economist, and advocate of no nukes. Among other things, he called for revival of old dams for hydro power.
Westbrook City Council President Charles M. Roma said the city has $331,000 in unappropriated surplus, and probably will raise the tax rate $2.50, not the expected $4.
Michael Paul Wilson was born Aug. 16 to Steven and Patricia Wilson, West Buxton, and all 12 of his grandparents and great-grandparents are living.
The Gambo Bridge between Gorham and Windham is being rebuilt and probably will re-open in September.
September, 1990
An internal committee has recommended to directors of the Guy Gannett Publishing Co. that the Portland Evening Express be closed down, General Manager Steven Braver said, confirming radio news reports. Express circulation now is 22,732. It peaked just over 30,000 in the mid 1960s.
Daniel Grover resigned from the South Portland Planning Board in protest against enforcement of a city rule that requires members to attend at least 75 percent of meetings.
An American Journal survey by Cavenaugh Kelly finds that the number of girls in school sports is growing and nearly equals the number of boys, but many girls’ coaches and most of the officials and athletic directors are men.
The 70 floodlights installed in parking lots by the Westbrook Urban Renewal Authority in the 1970s still burn electricity all night long at a time when we are at war with Saddam Hussein and are much concerned about energy.
Maine passed a law last year barring radioactive wastes, including those of low level, from landfills and incinerators. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission now says the law is unconstitutional; that states can’t overrule federal regulations. U. S. Sen. William Cohen, R-Maine, responds that the NRC is “completely” wrong. “If states want to insist upon more rigid, more stringent controls, they ought to be able to do so,” he said.
After a letter complained that Westbrook police don’t ticket cars that are parked on the wrong side of the street, facing traffic, Police Chief Ronald Allanach responds that police do enforce that rule and have issued several hundred tickets to violators. Capt. John Schmidlin said that police issued 19 tickets for that violation on the Sunday before that letter appeared.
Westbrook is seeking federal and state funds to widen Route 302 by five feet between Rocky Hill and Windham.
The Chamber of Commerce of the Greater Portland Region has received a recommendation from its president, William Nugent, that it support the regionalization proposals of Vision 2000.
Andrew Adam, Augusta realtor, is an independent candidate for governor. He calls for “the return of democratic government to the people.”
Embassy Players will present Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” in the Schoolhouse Arts Center, Sebago Lake, Sept. 13-15 and 20-22.
Bruce Chuluda, Spring Street, Westbrook, has joined First Maine Bank, Portland, as assistant vice president and branch manager at its Congress Street office. He formerly was central services manager at Casco Northern Bank.
Cole-Layer-Trumble Co. has a $285,000 contract to revalue Westbrook real estate properties for taxation. Paul Ferguson, its director of operations, said some communities have seen a shrinkage of 5 or 10 percent in values because of the depressed 1990 market.
It was bright sun and 86 degrees as members of the Westbrook High School Marching Band came Aug. 29 to get in some early rehearsing for the upcoming season. Photographed are Martha Whitten, Rachel McCarthy and Jennifer Roy, who play the clarinet.
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