Oct. 10, 1990

The real estate boom of the 1980s is a rapidly fading memory, the winners coveting their earnings and the losers still speculating as to how it could have been. One building that has endured the quirks of the real estate market for the greater part of a century – the Masonic Hall in Gorham’s village square – became a pawn in this boom, and is representative of the wave of speculation that swept through the regions Alan Wolf of Wolf Associates, present owners of the building, said this week that though his company is not actively seeking a buyer for the property, “if a buyer came along, we’d sell it.” Wolf bought the building 21?2 years ago for $500,000 from Bill Dowd of Dowd Associates in Portland. Prior to that, the tranquil history of the building had been interrupted by its sale to Dowd in August 1985 for $300,000. Before Dowd’s acquisition, the building had been owned by the Masonic Building Corp. of Gorham for more than 60 years. It was purchased by the Masons in 1922 from Charles H. Allen for “$1 and other valuable considerations.” It was built in 1906.

Francis J. Amoroso has returned to the Westbrook School Department as financial manager after an absence of 11 years. He takes over from the man who took over for him, Russell Fearon, who resigned to return to New Hampshire. Amoroso is a 30-year Scarborough resident who has served several years on the Board of Education. When he left the Westbrook job in 1979, it was to go on full-time duty in the Maine Army National Guard.

Alderman Don Richards, the Westbrook City Council’s Finance Committee chairman, asked his colleagues last week to begin cutting other city spending now to make up for the higher oil and gas prices the city will pay. “We’re going to be in serious trouble by the end of the winter. I think we ought to start cutting back,” he said.

The Rev. David A. Christensen will become the new pastor of the Galilee Baptist Church of Gorham. He succeeds the Rev. Richard H. Hopkins, who retired Sept. 30 as pastor there for 11 yeas. The Christensens have been in the Galilee congregation for some time and are members of the church already. This will be only the third pastorate at Galilee Baptist. The church was organized in 1975 and now has some 170 members.

Phil and Nancy Curran, 222 Duck Pond Road, Westbrook, were awarded the American Tree Farm System certificate at the recent S.D. Warren Tree Farm Family picnic in New Hampshire. The Currans designated 35 acres of their property between Duck Pond Road and Bridgton Road as undeveloped tree farm in 1988. In January 1989 they began selective cutting and timberland management under the direction of Howard Charles of the Woodland Division of S.D. Warren, which pruned about 15,000 board feet of logs and 410 tons of whole tree chips from the long-neglected overgrowth.

Oct. 11, 2000

The spell broke, finally. And in a big way. Westbrook High School’s first-year head coach Mike St. John won his first game, utilizing his team’s outstanding speed to whip visiting Deering, 40-13.

Todd Fields, the 2000 Maine Teacher of the Year, from Westbrook Regional Vocational School, will join nearly 120 of the nation’s top teachers in Washington, D.C., this week for a conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. The forum will explore the role of teachers as leaders of change in school districts.

Gorham town councilors gave a go-ahead on a $2.2 million addition/renovation to the Baxter Memorial Library, unanimously soliciting construction bids. Dr. Joseph Kerwin, library fundraising steering committee chairman, announced that his panel has reached the $1.4 million mark. That figure includes $500,000 from town funds approved through a referendum vote in November 1998. The goal, as fundraising continues, is $2.2 million.

Arthur H. Fogg, New Portland Road, Gorham, was honored July 23 for his 80th birthday. An open house was given by his children, David Arthur Fogg and Sara Fogg Barker, for his immediate family and close friends. He was born in Gorham July 22, 1920, a son of Asa Rand and Edna Emery Fogg. He has always lived in Gorham, on the same land. He was married for 50 years to the former Jane Lefebvre of Westbrook, who died Aug. 24, 1999.

The Rev. V. Joseph Milton Jr. has preached his farewell sermon as interim pastor at the Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church. He moved on to be interim pastor at the Old South Church, United Church of Christ, Kirkland, Ohio. He served in Westbrook since Nov. 2, 1998.

Classified ad: All Star Hot Dogs, 888 Main St. Westbrook, open 11-2:30 M-F, 11-2 Saturday. Quick! Fun lunch place to eat in or take out. Call ahead!

The Saccarappa Lodge No. 11 of the I.O.O.F. (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) constructed this building at 900 Main St. in 1882. The top floor was taken down in later years as it became unsafe. Over the years this building had a number of different tenants, including the Rialto and Brooks theaters, Zaharis Banquet Hall, a Maine state liquor store and a auto parts store. American Legion Post No. 197 purchased the building and the Odd Fellows constructed a new building on New Gorham Road. Urban renewal took this building and the American Legion constructed a new building on Conant Street. Hub Furniture presently occupies the site. To see more historical photos and artifacts, visit the Westbrook Historical Society at the Fred C. Wescott Building, 426 Bridge St. It is open Tuesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-noon, and the first Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m., September-June. Inquiries can be emailed to westhistorical@myfairpoint.net. The website is www.westbrookhistoricalsociety.org.Photo and research courtesy of Mike Sanphy

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