June 29, 1983
Westbrook policemen have been notified to expect more severe
discipline under Chief Carmine Russo. The notice was issued after
arbitrator Roger V. Snow ordered the city to be ready to take Peter Blanchette back as a patrolman, citing a past practice of lesser punishment for more serious offenses. Deputy Chief Wayne Syphers said notice to staff has been posted that “indicates that discipline will be more severe than under the previous administration.” He declined to release publicly the exact wording, on the advice of city staff lawyer Richard Sullivan. Russo was on vacation.
Principals’ salaries were set for 1983-84 by the Gorham School Committee Wednesday as follows: Philip Blood, high school principal $28,832; Arthur Lichtenstein, high school assistant principal, $22,366; James Silcox, junior high school principal, $26,000; Ervin Kimball and Norman Weed, elementary school principals, $27,666 each. The Gorham School Committee voted to hire Elizabeth Baird of Portland to teach art at the high school, replacing Julie Howison, who is on a leave of absence for a year. Baird is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a degree in art education. She also has studied at the
Fleisher Art Memorial and Boston. She has taught art in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, University of New Mexico, Westbrook College, Deering High School and Windham High School for a total of seven years’ experience.
In car racing, Westbrook’s Sonny Dirsenzo’s took his first victory of the season in the late-model division, coming from behind to take over the lead on the 30th lap of the 50-lap feature event. Direnzo was challenged by Bub Bilodeau but managed to beat the Bar Mills driver to the finish line. Other winners were Dave Lampron of Gorham in the limited sportsman class and Larry Tanguay of Windham in the modifieds.
John Amoroso, Newport, formerly of Westbrook, has been named Maine Small Businessman of the Year. He represented Maine at the Small Business Administration’s annual honors and award program in Washington in May. Amoroso is 42 years old and is president of Bangor Wholesale Foods in Newport. He and his wife, the former Claudette Brochu, also formerly of Westbrook, bought the business in 1975. It was selling dry groceries and coffee from a leased warehouse in Newport, with annual volume of
$600, 000 and six employees. It now has annual gross of $13 million, 50 employees, and a 40,000-square-foot warehouse.
June 30, 1993
Gorham and many small member towns in Regional Waste Systems likely will be the big losers from last week’s vote to kill plans for constructing a recycling complex in Gorham. After about 50 minutes of discussion, the RWS Board of Directors voted 7-8 against funding another $10 million to develop the site located off Route 25. Just over $8 million has already been spent on buying 260 acres there and completing preparations and permit work. Those who voted in the minority represented the smaller member communities, and some said the outcome was a “big city versus small town” decision. The board and the RWS
executive committee later this summer or fall will begin considering other options available for a long-term solution to handling recycling materials and non-burnable waste. T
The Westbrook School Committee backed away Wednesday from establishing a policy on use of beepers or pagers by Westbrook High School students. Principal William Michaud, who asked for a ban on their use except for students with a valid reason to have them, said he was content to wait. He said he’d like to return to the question in September. The committee tabled the question, to be taken up again only by a vote to take it from the table. Michaud did not return to a suggestion he offered two weeks ago, that the beepers could be used for criminal activity – interpreted by others as meaning drug sales. Superintendent Edward Connolly did say Wednesday, “I don’t want us to be a police force. Even though we know what a potential problem they can be, we’re not there yet.
The Westbrook School Committee is ready to buy a tractor with heated cab, front loader snow blower, mower and aerator for $20,427 for grounds work at schools, in addition to budgeting $33,000 for work by the city’s Public Works and Parks and Cemeteries departments. Michael Kane, vocational school director, said the machine would be used to aerate
football and baseball fields in spring and fall and would replace
individual snowblowers in clearing sidewalks. He said the purposes for which it would be used are different from those served by the city departments.
The Westbrook School Committee voted 7-0 Wednesday, with
little discussion, to abolish the mandatory 10-day suspension of any Westbrook High School student found to have drugs or alcohol, or consume or be under the influence of them, while school is in session. Instead, the penalty for a first offense will range from no suspension to up to 10 days’ suspension, depending upon the student’s participation in substance abuse evaluation and-or treatment. Principal William Michaud, who asked for the rule change, has said there have been no violations of the rule in his seven or eight years in school administration
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