March 1981
South Portland’s Long Range School Planning Committee warns that a school budget without an increase would be “devastating.” The committee favors closing Hamlin and Skillins schools.
Tenants of Hamlet Coach Park, the mobile home development in Westbrook, have organized and are negotiating with Bernard Shub, Marblehead, Mass., the park’s owner, over rent prices and park maintenance.
Plans are stalled for a Westbrook city park on the Thomas property on East Bridge Street. Engineering plans costing $10,000 have been developed, using money left over from the Westbrook Service Chest when it was absorbed into the United Way. Douglas Wallace, chairman of Westbrook’s Recreation and Conservation Commission, said half of the $75,000 needed to develop the park was to have come from the federal government and no longer is available.
Ann Waterhouse, Westbrook, who is director of computer services for South Portland, advised the Westbrook City Council to choose a computer system designed to grow. City departments will make more and more use of it, she predicted.
King’s shopping center, Waterman Drive, South Portland, plans a 100-by-100-foot addition. An addition, also 100-by-100 feet, also is planned at Shaw’s Mall Plaza, South Portland.
Charter changes proposed in South Portland would let the City Council pass emergency orders without 30 days delay; let a council member finish a term if he/she moves across district lines within the city; and let the council fill a school board vacancy of less than six months.
Pine State By-Products, Inc., which makes animal meal on the South Portland waterfront, is defending itself in court against city charges that its odors are obnoxious.
Kibby Porter, Hollis, is new manager of Yudy’s Auto Centers, Westbrook, a job he previously held from 1954-1961. He has been a Yudy’s employee 40 years.
March 1991
Roger Knight will play the part of Leander Valentine, Westbrook’s first mayor, Saturday as Westbrook reenacts the inauguration of its city government 100 years ago. Knight is a descendant of Col. Thomas Westbrook, for whom the city is named. Descendants of members of the first city government will take part, and today’s mayor, Fred C. Wescott, will preside.
After posing as a customer, a man, 21, dashed out the door of Day’s Jewelry, Westbrook, with a $3,000 diamond ring and dove into a dumpster. Day’s male employees surrounded the dumpster, police arrested the man, and eventually the employees found the ring in the dumpster.
A little-noticed proposal is for county sales and income taxes. Forget it, advises a South Portland citizens’ group. The proposal is sponsored by Rep. John Cashman, D-Old Town and Rep. Annette Hoglund, D-Portland.
John H. Rich Jr., Cape Elizabeth, the American Journal’s volunteer war correspondent at the Gulf War, reports that a hotel room in Kuwait City right now costs $110 a night but includes no water, lights, soap, towels or room key. What’s abundant in Kuwait right now is smoke from oil fires. Even on cloudless days, the sun doesn’t break through the pall of smoke.
A petition is circulating among employees in Gorham town offices for a place to smoke.
The Commission to Evaluate County and Regional Government has split three ways.
People who live in that part of Gorham that’s known as South Windham want a ZIP code of their own.
The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities says it isn’t offering the Parson Smith House and land for sale because Windham now taxes them but because it no longer can afford to maintain them.
Mark and Gaylene Cooper, Chute Road, Windham, invite the public to sample new maple syrup Sunday.
The Junior League of Portland will hold its 1991 Maine Horticultural Show Friday and Saturday.
Norway chose Cathleen Manchester, Bridgton, as its new police chief. Standish’s police chief, Tom Jones, was runner-up.
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