Democrats plan caucus
Westbrook Democrats will caucus at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26, at Westbrook High School to select delegates to this year’s Democratic State Convention.
The caucus will also elect officers for the Westbrook Democratic City Committee and appoint members to the Cumberland County Committee. Policy issues affecting all Maine people will be discussed.
City Council President Brendan Rielly, who will convene this year’s caucus, is hoping for a very strong turnout. “This is grassroots politics at its very basic level,” Rielly said. “Elected officials and Democratic candidates from various races will be there and we are asking everyone to bring their viewpoints, ideas and questions for discussion. It’s really important that as many Democrats as possible take part in this process.”
Those not currently registered in a political party who would like to enroll as a Democrat may do so immediately at City Hall or at the caucus. Voters who wish to change their party affiliation in order to participate in the caucus must do so with the City Clerk by Saturday, Feb. 11.
City Democrats to hear Collings
The Westbrook Democrats will hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, Feb. 16, in room 101 at Westbrook High School.
Ben Collings of the Maine Democratic Party will speak on the year ahead in the Democratic party. All Westbrook Democrats are invited.
Woman’s Club hear blues history
Terry Foster of the University of Southern Maine spoke about the history of blues music when the Westbrook Woman’s Club met for a luncheon last month.
Foster chronicled the lives of five black women who were noted for their singing of the blues in the first half of the 20th century. They were Sippie Wallace, Billie Holiday, Mamie Smith, Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. The presentation included several recordings of their songs.
Elaine Spiller, program chairman, introduced Foster.
More than 50 members and guests attended the luncheon at Keeley’s in Portland. Ruth Joy and her hospitality committee were hostesses. Nancy Curran said Carolyn Leavitt won the door prize, a “lovely centerpiece” of fresh flowers.
Girl Scouts community spirited
Westbrook Girl Scout Junior Troop 2026 shared the Christmas spirit, collecting 160 stuffed animals for the Barron Center in Portland where they also sang Christmas carols.
In addition, the girls donated two birthday boxes to the Westbrook Food
Pantry. They also collected clothes and winter coats for a service project.
Gray on dean’s list
Matthew Gray has been named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at Bowdoin College in Brunswick.
A sophomore, Gray is the son of Daniel and Brenda Gray.
Trio open FortA?© Hair Salon
Three local women each work independently in a section in the FortA?© Hair Salon at Martin’s Business Park at 28 Stroudwater St. at the corner of Stroudwater Street and William Clarke Drive.
The trio are Ruth Merritt of Windham, Amanda Lane of South Portland and Jean Strickland of Portland. FortA?© serves both men and women.
To reach one of the three women at FortA?© Hair Salon, call 854-2778.
Mailhot teaching drums
Marc P. Mailhot is accepting a limited number of drum students for private instruction.
Mailhot has been a professional drummer for over 40 years, playing with Love, Inc., Pegasus and Rain in the 1960s and 1970s. He is performing now with The Chapparals.
He’s accepting students of all ages and experience levels for sight reading and performance lessons.
For more information and appointments, call 856-6097.
Volkssport plans stroll
The Southern Maine Volkssport Association will meet at 7 p.m. today (Feb. 8) in the general assembly room at Walker Memorial Library, 800 Main St.
A guest will speak on outfits for outdoor activities including walking, snow shoeing and cross-country skiing. The public is invited to attend.
The group is hosting an “intro-stroll” at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12, beginning at Hannaford in Mill Creek Shopping Center in South Portland. The group will walk over the bridge to Portland and return. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information about meetings or events, call Carroll Tiernan at 839-8447 or e-mail CRRLLT@aol.com
Feline friends to hear Ross
The Friends of Feral Felines will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, at Walker Memorial Library, 800 Main St.
Westbrook Animal Control Officer Carolyn Ross will be the guest speaker. The public is invited.
For more information, call 797-3014 or visit the group’s web site www.feralfelines.net.
Gospel breakfast
The local chapter of the Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International will meet for breakfast at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the American Legion, 17 Dunn St., Westbrook.
Bob McClure of Portland, a Little League and youth football coach, will be the guest speaker. He is the chaplain for the Portland Sea Dogs and was the first chaplain of the United States Basketball League.
Cost for the breakfast is $8; $6 for seniors. For reservations, call 774-6416, 772-5744 or 727-3252 by today (Feb. 8).
Lamond in Universalits pulpit
Larry Lamond will speak at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19, at Westbrook Universalist Church, 719 Main St.
Warren Kids coffeehouse performance
Warren Kids and Teens TheaterWorks Coffee House, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, in Warren Library Auditorium, 479 Main St.
Donations will be accepted at the door. All proceeds benefit the WKTTW theater arts education program.
For more information, contact Alice Alexander at 637-2944 or warrenkidsandteens@yahoo.com.
Duddy at Valentine dance
Jose Duddy will provide the music at a Valentine dance 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, at Westbrook Eagles 2977, 89 Saco St.
The dance will benefit the Heart Fund.
Memories of a historian – Arthur Gordon
Arthur Gordon died on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 81. Gordon was recognized for his knowledge of Duck Pond heritage but he credited another. “The late Mrs. Fred Gowan was the true historian of the Highland Lake area,” Gordon said.
“From 1735, approximately, until 1901 it was Duck Pond. Everything was Duck Pond. The body of water, Duck Pond Road, Duck Pond Village and of course Little Duck Pond on the hill,” said Gordon in July 2004.
Gordon said a William Huston, a Scotch-Irish immigrant, was a trapper near the mouth of the Presumpscot River. Huston noticed ducks flying inland and followed them to their nesting spot on a pond, which he named Duck Pond.
He said Huston bought 200 acres from Phineas Jones in May of 1739. The land was adjacent to Duck Pond and Huston built a log cabin there on Mast Road in Falmouth. Later, Huston built a house, which is still standing in Falmouth, Gordon said.
Duck Pond was renamed Highland Lake in 1901, Gordon said, but he added why it was renamed remained a mystery. He thought the name change could have been attributed to a woman in the area who had “high flouting” ideas.
In the early days, Gordon said Duck Pond Village was quite prosperous. Early mills used waterpower and a sawmill was built on Mill Brook in the 1780s. “We’ve had a number of mills,” Gordon said.
The last of the mills was a bucket factory that also manufactured similar products such as firkins. Gordon’s grandfather had worked there.
He said the first dam was built in the 1850s. An early sawmill stored logs in the water to keep bugs out of them before being sawed. He said the Highland Lake Dam was swept away by a flood in 1936.
Gordon said he moved to Duck Pond in 1932 when he was eight years old. He attended the two-story Highland Lake School, which had six grades and one teacher, Verna Jones.
He recalled the building was heated with a wood fire and the school didn’t have modern plumbing. A janitor, a Mr. Dearborn, carried in drinking water and filled wood boxes.
The toilets were old fashioned. “It was breezy, cold and drafty,” Gordon recalled.
He said the original Highland Lake Church was “much traveled, ” as it had been moved from Hardy Road in Falmouth. The new church was built about 1906 using materials from the original, which was torn down.
The first Grange hall was built about 1875. It was moved to its present location and an addition was built. The Grange hall serves as a meeting place for Boy Scout Troop 83.
The Grange had a store and a stable, which was also used by parishioners who traveled to church by horse and buggy. Gordon said the Grange stable was the beginning of the present day store. It was moved by Al Phelps in 1935.
The old Woodbury store, which burned, was on the site of the current store. A post office was in the store, which had been a stagecoach stop.
The area also featured places of entertainment like the Millbrook Dance Hall.
Gordon said the present day Route 302 (Bridgton Road) was once known as Duck Pond Road. It was laid out in 1783. A portion of it through the Long Swamp was constructed in 1803 as a corduroy road.
Long Swamp had its own folklore. “Everyone knew Long Swamp was haunted,” Gordon said.
The original road was muddy but improvements were made following the Civil War, according to Gordon. He thought it was paved in the late 1930s.
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