March 1982
Some 1,300 gallons of fuel oil disappeared at the Westbrook Housing Authority’s Pine Knoll Terrace project, and James Smith, WHA’s executive director, hopes it was only stolen. He feels he can fix that with locking caps. If it leaked, he’s got expensive digging ahead. “We honestly don’t know what happened,” he said. “The cap was not screwed back on properly – it was cross-threaded. And there was a little oil around the scene.”
The Westbrook Fire Department asked the city council’s Public Safety Committee recently to get the police department to enforce the ordinance against parking in fire lanes, especially those around Westbrook Junior High School. Aldermen told Fire Chief James Rulman and Deputy Chief Byron Rogers that it’s up to the mayor to tell the police what to do, but they talked about the problem anyway. Rogers said he had been fighting the problem for eight years.
Rhe staff at Westbrook Community Hospital is presenting “Music USA” in the Westbrook High Auditorium, to benefit patients at the hospital. Besides hospital staff, the cast of 40 includes doctors, board members, Mayor William O’Gara, City Clerk William Clarke and John Hay. Betty LeGasse is director.
Westbrook’s mayor and aldermen have granted a fish peddler’s license to Mrs. Ruth Wescott, whose son, Dennis Wescott, 307 East Bridge St., will operate the business.
The Gorham Town Council voted unanimously to take out a $185,000 bond from the Maine Municipal Bond Bank to pay for the sanitary sewerage facility design and road repaving, which were approved by the council Oct. 2, 1979, and July 14, 1981, respectively
Terry Milcarz, Gray, said she had been stopped in front of Rowe Ford by Portland police and might have lost her pocketbook there. Sgt. McCarthy found it; it had been run over several times.
A mother said her 14-year-old was threatened with a beating if he didn’t join the marijuana group at Saccarappa Falls Park. Police found 10-12 people there and couldn’t prove who was soliciting.
Mrs. Jensen, 8 Oak St., Westbrook, said her daughter started the car and found there was a cat under the hood. She was afraid it was hurt. It left before police could find out.
Greg Pizzo, son of Francs and Alphonse Pizzo, 34 Finch St., Westbrook, has been named captain of the 1982 Bates College golf team. A senior, Pizzo has been a regular on the team since his freshman year and compiled a winning record in each of his first three seasons. He also is a dean’s list student.
The 1981 Westbrook High wrestling team finished a highly successful season with a 12-5 record. The Blazes were third in both the Southern Maine Wrestling League and Western Maine Class A. tournaments, and seventh in the state Class A meet.
April 1992
The latest update on the unplanned parenthood of Nancy Perkins’s rabbits: The recent rain filled the burrows with groundwater and flushed the young bunnies up, and it seems there are at least a dozen of them, maybe more. They seem to be of two sizes, so there may be two litters involved. All are snow white. Father rabbit is now far away, in a new home in the barn.
Once in a while, a real hero comes along to remind us that there is much to be proud of in humankind. Mike Whitzell, 21, of Brown Street, Westbrook, is that kind of hero. His horn-honking as he followed an alleged drunk driver on Main Street gave pedestrian Martha Morrill the split-second reaction time she needed to avoid being struck and killed. Whitzell chased the driver, blocked his path and held him there until police arrived. The driver was arrested and charged with OUI.
A citizens’ committee says Westbrook schools should have longer days, longer years and can save money on sports, activities and school buses. It calls for closing the Forest Street School. The nine members have held a dozen meetings since November. They were appointed by Superintendent Edward Connolly, and Connolly and various staff members met with the group.
Westbrook Junior High School has a design flaw that will cost an estimated $1 million to fix for the long term. For the short term, the school department wants to spend $22,500 to build two classrooms outside the building. The flaw is a concept, the open classroom. The open classrooms were supposed to house seven classes each. In fact, anything beyond four has proved unworkable.
The Maine French Fiddlers, led by Lucien Mathieu, Westbrook, have been chosen as local talent for the May 16 American Radio Company radio variety show’s live performance at Portland City Hall auditorium, emceed by Garrison Keillor. They have been asked to prepare three, four or five songs for about 15 minutes of the two-hour show.
Tim Walsh, Westbrook’s school bus director, would like to heat the bus repair garage with waste engine oil, but says in his budget the burner would cost $6,500, which is not available. Instead, he recommendsed a propane infrared tube heating system at $3,600.
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