May 18, 1994
A brief line in Wednesday’s police log opens a new aspect of the
missing money in Westbrook City Hall. It indicates that someone was warned of the leak in April 1993. The first criminal charge might be not for taking the money, but for failing to fix the leak.
Police Chief Ronald Allanach said the item in the log does in fact
relate to the missing City Hall money. He referred other questions to City Hall. Acting Mayor Kenneth Lefebvre, confirming that the report relates to the City Hall leak, said it’s one of many reports that have to be checked out before the whole picture of what happened in the Finance Department is clear. People in that department are under a lot of stress, he said, emphasizing his faith in them. In any operation, “one bad apple” can cause a lot of grief, he said. Under state law, it’s an “official oppression” if a public official is warned that there’s something wrong and for selfish reasons fails to act to correct it. The log item does not name any person as accused of “official oppression.” In April 1993, when she says it occurred, Helen Jordan was an employee in the Westbrook City Finance Department. She left that 30-hour-a-week job in July 1993 to take what had been a full-time job under City Clerk William Clarke and Deputy Clerk T. J. Storer. Lefebvre has promised a full explanation of the City Hall money when the investigation is complete.
Through most of its years, the two-story square brick Forest
Street School, erected in 1894, was the neighborhood elementary school for the eastern part of Westbrook. More recently, it was home to the Westbrook schools’ Enrichment Center. Now it is the home of the Maine State Ballet and the Maine State School for the Performing Arts, and it is host to about 500 students of dance who come from various parts of Cumberland, York, and Oxford counties. Their performances are in bigger halls in Portland, Biddeford, Waterville and elsewhere, but they come to do their learning in Westbrook. Maine State School will be adding voice, drama, and music to its dance curriculum in the fall. This cradle of culture in a paper mill city is a welcome addition to Westbrook’s attractions. It’s also a direct financial benefit to the city government. The city is collecting $650 a month rent for the use of the building, and the tenants pay for heat and all utilities.
May 16, 1984
A request from V.S.H. Realty Inc. to convert the Mobil station
at New Gorham Road and Main Street into a Cumberland Farms convenience store, with self-service gas pumps, was tabled by the Gorham Planning and Zoning Appeals Boards last week. The tabling is until Cumberland Farms answers questions about parking, and until Police Chief Edmund Hagan studies possible traffic hazards.
The Gorham Planning Board has elected Stephen Abramson as
chairman for another year, and Dr. Ronald Brooks as co-chairman. Allene Bowler will continue as Planning Board representative to the School Planning and Building Committee. The Zoning Appeals Board elected Dennis Morton as chairman, Ann Larrivee as co-chairman and Kenneth Northrup as secretary.
Mrs. Walter Rosenblad, County Road, and friends Miss Ruth Greene and Miss Katherine Haniquet, Portland, enjoyed a recent six-day Maine Line Tour to Washington, D.C. The cherry blossoms were beautiful, and they most enjoyed visits to the Capitol, the White House, the national mint and Arlington Cemetery.
Mike Southwick, son of Mrs. Connie Jackson, Route 25, has taken
another first in skeet shooting and received a beautiful trophy. Mike competed against 20 other class “C” members of the Windham-Gorham Gun Club, and shot 83 birds out of 100, despite strong winds.
Among Westbrook High School graduates are students who fail some “required” courses, Principal Richard Getchell and Supt. Edward Connolly have reported to the School Committee. They recommend changing that, and also requiring students to pass an average of five courses every year. “Presently there is no real requirement to pass certain courses,” Connolly said in a report prepared for Monday night’s meeting. “One is required to take them, but the requirement to pass is not there. I realize how ridiculous that sounds, but you have to remember we are working with graduation requirements that are many years old. … It has not been the practice to allow youngsters to continually
fail courses and yet graduate,” Connolly said. Nevertheless, the rules permit failure, both men said.
Tougher rules for taking part in athletics and most other extracurricular activities in Westbrook High School were proposed to the School Committee Monday. At least one member, Arnold Gaudet Jr., felt they don’t go far enough. He said the school should insist that students be doing well enough to graduate before they are permitted to play. Supt. Edward Connolly disagreed.
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