Feb. 9, 1983
Monday’s 13-inch snowfall forced postponement of Westbrook’s City
Council meeting until Feb. 14. The storm didn’t stop the Gorham
Charter Commission, which met as scheduled with eight of
the nine commissioners present, as well as Town Clerk Brenda Caldwell and two members of the public. The Gorham Planning Board, however, was also a wash.
State Trooper Don Anastasoff, 34, his wife Catherine, 32, and their
son, Scott, 13, woke up at 3 a.m. in the wake of the snowstorm to find their house at 67 Garden Ave., Gorham, filled with smoke. They got out through windows, then had to break another window to rescue son, Shawn, 12, who was still asleep. All were taken to the Maine Medical Center by the Westbrook Rescue Unit for treatment for smoke inhalation. Gorham firemen “were just lucky, I guess,” said Fire Chief John Chandler and saved the one-story house from little more than heat and smoke damage.
Twelve landowners are being assessed $13,565 toward the cost of the $34,345 sanitary sewer laid along The largest assessment falls on Eleanor R. Waterhouse, 547 Saco st. Her assessment is $3,936. Owners of 100 feet or less are expected to pay by Nov. 7; others can pay for 100 feet a year, but must pay interest on all delayed payments.
Arlene Smith Gordon, Glenwood Avenue, Westbrook, was “a little bit leery when she heard that a letter she wrote to a sailor in 1942, when she was 16 years old, is now on display on the USS North Carolina. Lt. Brent Smith, also from Westbrook, who toured the USS North Carolina, harbored in Wilmington, N.C., now fitted out to recreate the appearance and atmosphere of 40 years ago, saw the letter displayed through the glass window of the mailroom with the date of August 1942. The letter is from a girl named Arlene, who lives at 196 West Valentine St. in Westbrook, to a man named Bill, who is billeted aboard the USS North Carolina. “I don’t even remember who ‘Bill’ was that I wrote to,” she said. “It wasn’t my husband (the late William Gordon). He was in the Air Force.”
The health, drug and sexuality studies developed for Gorham schools in 1980 are being continued in Shaw Junior High School this year. However the three-year grant under which they were developed has run out, and the teacher, Steve Merrill, who directed the program during those years has left Gorham to teach in Yarmouth.
School Committee candidate David Morrill, a University of Southern Maine professor of education, made his position clear on one thing – he told the School Committee he’s “ashamed” of what Gorham spends on schools. Superintendent Woodbury Saunders responded, “On the one hand, in spite of what people say, we’re very good at holding the line and we’re very good at negotiating.” And on the other hand “We’re not doing enough, and we
have the ability to do better.”
Feb. 10, 1993
There was a genuine hero in Gorham and he is just a child.
“Someone said it’s burning, and I said NOT.” That is 8-year-old
John Burke’s recollection of the morning he hauled his 20-month-old
brother Kevin from his crib and carried him down the stairs of their
burning home. John was named an honorary fireman by he Gorham Fire Department. His actions, just hours after Christmas celebrations, also has been commended for heroism by the Town Council. And the University of Southern Maine, where the boy’s mother, Kathy Mullen, has worked for 10 years as new-student coordinator, gave him a fancy trophy noting his bravery.
With $1 million of previous tax bills still unpaid, Westbrook
taxpayers face another tax bill deadline Friday. That’s the due date
for the third quarter payment of the annual property taxes. “The
collection rate is low,” said Peter Eckel, administrative assistant to
Mayor Fred Wescott, who acknowledged to the City Council’s Finance Committee. Unpaid taxes are on at least some minds as the aldermen and mayor discussed budget goals for 1993-’94 with Eckel, who will draw up the budget. “Cash flows remain a major concern,” Eckel said. He warned aldermen against counting too much on $1.2 million in the city’s “fund balance.”
Five hopefuls in the Gorham Council race are incumbent Janice
Lebrecque, along with Phil Dugas, Robert Fraizier, Audrey Jerry and
Carol Day. Councilor John Emerson is not seeking another term.
A student has been suspended from Gorham High School following a
small fire last week. Principal Gunnar Hagstrom said a student was
apparently trying to set fire to his sweatshirt in one of the gym
locker rooms. The student was disciplined and suspended.
Tests of emissions that will be required by a new state law may be
done on all Cumberland County autos in a garage to be built in
Westbrook. F.W. Cunningham and Sons Inc., Portland asked the Planning Board last night to make automobile testing facilities a permitted use on land in Industrial District I areas. Planning Board Chairman Charles Henderson said Cunningham has in mind a site on Thomas Drive in the Col. Westbrook Executive Park. There will be one such test site in each county, he said.
The Westbrook City Council’s Finance Committee voted 6-1 to approve Greater Portland Transit District (Metro) preliminary budget thatwould raise the city’s annual use cost from $228,300 in 1992 to $239, 700 in 1993. Aldermen were caught in a squeeze: It would take a year
to get the city out of the district, meaning that the city has to
accept this year’s budget as proposed by Metro directors, of who three are from Westbrook and five are from Portland. By state law, Metro must finalize its budget by March 1.
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