February 1981
U. S. Representative David Emery, speaking in Westbrook, said nuclear war is “unthinkable,” and went on to describe some aspects of today’s nuclear bombs, including a bomb with half the power of the Hiroshima bomb intended to knock out limited targets such as an airfield.
Emery’s audience pressed him to work in Congress for more development of solar energy and wind power, to relieve the U. S. from dependence on oil.
Thirty-six short Valentine’s Day greetings are printed this week, signed by first names or intimate names.
Six candidates, of an original 50, still are being considered for superintendent of South Portland schools. The six will be interviewed the last week of February.
Windham Police Chief Gregory Hanscom says that due to growth the town needs three more police patrolmen, at a first year cost of $40,000.
The Windham Recreation committee will hold a Winter Carnival Feb. 21 at Dick Hawkes’ field on the Pope Road.
Patrolman Amoroso got a bat out of the house of David Merrill, 148 Forest St., Westbrook, at 11:30 p.m.
February 1991
Don’t try one-way traffic in downtown Westbrook. That’s the recommendation of Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation Study. It looked at traffic and accident numbers and considered the various side-street adjustments that one-way traffic would require.
Charles Henderson was reelected chairman of the Westbrook Planning Board, 7-0. He has been chairman 22 years. In an earlier vote, he and Martin Pizzo tied, 3-3. The Portland Evening Express then said Pizzo would be more liberal with developers, and Mayor Fred Wescott wrote Planning Board and City Council members opposing any leniency with developers. After that, Pizzo apparently withdrew his name.
Four taxpayers are asking Scarborough to enter in the Cumberland County Registry of Deeds a map of North Scarborough property lines made 250 years ago by Moses Banks. Though it is referred to in several property transfers, the map never has been officially recorded.
Clifford N. Olesen, Jr.’s 12 acres on the New Gorham Road in Westbrook has changed owners only three times since the King of England seized ownership, he told the Westbrook Planning Board. He sought approval of a zoning change to allow a mobile home park on the land.
The South Portland City Council has voted itself into closed-door “executive” sessions recently and voted against motions by Councilor Kevin Glynn calling for more public information on what would be discussed. Now Councilor Linda Boudreau, mentioning Glynn’s motion, wants a council meeting on “team building.”
Letter writer Catherine Fernald of Westbrook, writes, “When Iraq invaded Kuwait, I would have ordered American citizens out of all Arab countries, which would have been a quarter of the population of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. I would have told the Arabian people in the Persian Gulf area that Iraq was their problem, that they would have to solve it themselves.”
As a college student and Republican, Kevin McGuirk, Westbrook, is among those who got a letter from President Bush about Iraq. It begins: “If armed men invaded a house in this country, killed those in their way, stole what they wanted and then announced the house was now theirs, no one would hesitate about what must be done.”
South Portland Police Officer Francis Clark has been named Officer of the Year for 1990 by his superior officers.
South Portland’s total debt is above $22 million. This includes voter-approved borrowing; the city’s share of Regional Waste Systems debt and of county government debt, including the new jail; and Metro bus system debt incurred before South Portland withdrew.
South Portland is buying two fire pumper trucks at a total cost of $209,350.
Westbrook has a new Rent Justification Board to oversee mobile home rental prices. Members appointed by Mayor Fred Wescott are Stephen Quigley, Robert Morrill and Malcolm Noyes.
Westbrook’s City Council voted 4-2 to end the city’s contract with the Maine Energy Recovery Corporation for trash disposal. Mayor Fred Wescott hasn’t said whether he’ll agree.
Standish has broken out of a 20-year contract with Maine Energy Recovery Corporation and will send its solid waste to Regional Waste Systems. ac
The Maine Public Health Association finds that Maine is the worst state in the nation for occupational injury and occupational illness; has the third highest rate of cervical cancer; and has the sixth highest rate of smoking-related deaths.
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