July 1982
Westbrook aldermen listened quietly and then voted to place on file a citizen’s petition for a nuclear freeze. It asks the president and the congress to propose to the Soviet Union immediately a mutual freeze on testing, production and deployment of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems with verification safeguards.
U.S. Rep David F. Emery has appointed Leigh and Marguerite Flint as Westbrook chairmen of Senior Citizens for Emery. Flint, a longtime member of the Westbrook Republican City Committee, served as mayor of Westbrook from 1964 to 197l, and served on the Westbrook City Council from 1959 to 1963 and 1968 to 1970. He is a past president of the Westbrook Kiwanis Club and the Maine Municipal Association.
Genuine Parts Co. will start sooner than expected to build a new parts warehouse in the Exit 8 area of the city, now that the Maine Guarantee Authority has OK’d it. Soon, the Westbrook City Council will be asked for a vote approving municipal revenue bonds to finance the building, Mayor William O’Gara said. The Maine Guarantee Authority voted to approve use of such bonds to over protests of competitors, who said it gives Genuine Parts an unfair advantage.
Aldermen gave their final approval last week for fixing the sewer at the house at 500 Cumberland St., Westbrook, and collecting the $3,000 from the owner as a special tax assessment.
The Gorham Planning Board voted to allow Roger Hanscom, a used-car dealer, to display up to 35 cars on his property. Hanscom operates a used-car and repair facility at the corner of the Dingley Spring Road and Route 25 in the Roadside Commercial District. Currently, he is allowed under a special exception to display up to 12 cars.
The Gorham Town Council voted unanimously to renew a contract with the city of Westbrook and Mark Eyerman to share Eyerman’s services with Westbrook as town planner from July 1, 1982 to June 30, 1983.
The Westbrook Merchants of A Division in the Westbrook Recreation League won the Class C District Tournament in Sanford. There were 26 teams competing. The Merchants were undefeated in six straight games.
J. Russell Cook, Hollywood, Fla., formerly of Westbrook, is one of two employees honored by Southern Bell Telephone Co. for courage in rescuing two people from a plane that crashed and burned on takeoff in North Perry, Fla., May 11, 1981. They saw it fall and cartwheel in a burst of flame and went through flames to the victims. The pilot survived, but his passenger perished from burns.
July 1992
Much of Westbrook’s history is being permanently preserved thanks to the efforts of a retired Utah couple. Bill and Barbara Love, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, have been volunteering five days a week, eight hours a day since mid-May to record many documents of the Walker Memorial Library on microfilm. After they finish in Westbrook in a few weeks the Genealogical Society will assign them to a new library.
A North Gorham farmer, Alton( Bennie) Benson, outstanding in his field, crossed by a seemingly innocuous stream, proclaimed, “I think it’s wrong for them (the state) to reach into my pocket and take money out. I can’t do that, and in my religion it’s wrong.” Due to the restraints of new shoreland zoning ordinances, “I can’t cut the trees within 75 feet of the stream, I can’t sell the wood, and I can’t enlarge the fields. I can’t do much of anything with it.” Benson says he has lost the use of approximately 15 acres of land under the ordinance.
Patrolman Bilodeau stopped Waitus Lockerman, 26, on Stroudwater Street for investigation of driving after his license was suspended. Lockerman had a 4 1/2-foot boa constrictor in his car. Bilodeau called Animal Control Officer Dave Sparks to take care of the snake and took Lockerman to the county jail.
Fishermen’s Net seafood prices: lobsters, $3.99 a pound; haddock, $3.29 a pound; scallops, $5.99 a pound.
Chet and Wanda Phillips, East Baldwin, opened their second Aunti Leoni’s Pizza and sandwich shop Monday at 543 Main St., Westbrook. They have leased the former Steve’s Variety from its owners at Century 21 Northeast, next door. Their first shop opened 10 years ago on Pine Street, Portland.
The Maine French Fiddlers, Westbrook and Sanford-based Masters of French Fiddle dance music, have issued their own album. It is called simply, “Maine French Fiddlers.” Counting the medleys, there are 23 tunes on the cassette, played by the band of five fiddles, two guitars, string bass and piano.
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