March 21, 1990
Westbrook Together Days is several months off, but the spirit of togetherness was never more felt than last Saturday evening. Over 400 people gathered at St. Hyacinth parish hall for what has become a community effort to save the life of a 9-year-old boy. Marc Amoroso, the son of local policeman Bob Amoroso, has leukemia. He has been fighting the battle with chemotherapy and blood transfusion for six years. Around Christmas time, Marc slipped from remission and is now in desperate need of a bone-marrow transplant, an expensive procedure only partly covered by insurance. In an overwhelming display of concern and caring, the benefit raised more than $6,000.
Agway Inc., the farm cooperative based in Syracuse, N.Y., has bought a 3.9 acre building site on Terminal Way, Westbrook, across the side street and in a bit from its present franchised retail store. “Our plans are to move our Agway store across the street. Within six months we hope to get started with plans with the city of Westbrook,” said John Libby, Agway’s director of corporate real estate. The new site is zoned Industrial and does not allow any retail sales. “That’s one of the hurdles that we’ve got to get over,” Libby said.
The Gorham Industrial Park could still become home to a proposed gas-fired electricity plant that would sell power to Central Maine Power Co., Town Manager John Marcarelli said Monday. He said town officials met a month ago with representatives from Advanced Engineering and Cianbro Corp. to find out what the town could do to attract the project developers. “We have an industrial park that we believe could be a favorable site for the plant,” Marcarelli said. “We asked point blank if we were out of the running and they said no.”
The Gorham Planning Board chose to delay final action Monday on the 17-lot Little River subdivision off Gray Road, for which approval is being sought by Clarion Inc. Since the DEP approved the project – first proposed in 1987 – last year, Clarion has appeared before the Planning Board three times, including Monday. Board reservations about increased groundwater delayed approval. Clarion was instructed to address the concerns of abutters over the groundwater.
It’s officially spring at 4:19 p.m. on March 20. Westbrook residents Keith and Barbara Libby, Little Avenue, reported crocuses in bloom on Feb. 23. We heard there was a cookout March 11 on Conant Street.
Sharon Robinson, daughter of Bob and Marion Robinson, Ellliot Road, Gorham, has returned after a weekend in New York City as a winner of the Ralph Gould Award, given to her and three other area high school juniors for their musical ability. Sharon plays piano.
March 22, 2000
As new neighbor Calpine’s big power plant rises in its back yard, Idexx, a world leader in making animal disease test kits, is getting itchy feet, according to a report in the Portland daily. David Shaw, Idexx president, said he’d like to use a new building as a recruiting tool for new employees, “so we need a headquarters kind of place.” The present rectangular, steel-sided industrial park building might not fit the bill, though Shaw also acknowledged the company is studying whether to expand the building where it is or build a separate smaller building elsewhere and split operations. Shaw, meanwhile, told the American Journal his company is very supportive of economic growth and considers the Calpine plant a great project. Idexx has occupied part of the former Data General building in the Five Star Industrial Park since 1992. It employs over 800 there and over 2,000 worldwide.
When he came on board as Westbrook’s new fire chief a year ago, Gary Littlefield told the City Council he wanted to make some positive changes. On Monday, the council’s public safety committee learned about what some of those changes should be: Increasing the fire-rescue budget in three steps, a total new expense of nearly $400,000, to provide more round-the-clock paid manning of more pieces of equipment. Another goal: get round-the-clock coverage in the Prides Corner station (Engine 3) moving the backup unit there and adding paid personnel. A large crowd of fire and rescue workers turned out Monday in support of the plan.
Traffic delays are coming this week on Westbrook’s Spring Street and, with a brief break, will probably continue into May and maybe longer. Northern Utilities will dig two trenches in the road, at Union and East Valentine streets, then will dig up the sidewalk along the south side of Spring Street the entire distance between them and lay a new gas line there, replacing the one under the street. Then the gas lines have to be moved out of the street before work begins to lay new big sewer lines there. “There’s a lot of infrastructure in Spring Street, an awful mess of stuff there,” said Paul Cutts, and engineer for the city.
Westbrook officials will meet with the public March 30 to present its first series of conceptual plans developed as part of the Riverfront Improvement Project. Included in the drawings are plans for riverfront and walkway development, creation of new boardwalks, new gardens and landscaping and proposed location of a new bridge.
Parents will have to pay an extra $10 a week this year to send their children to the Gorham Recreation Department’s summer day camp. Director Cindy Hazelton informed town councilors this week that fees will rise from $60 to $70 a week. Hazelton cited higher gasoline prices. Camp fees have not increased in three years.
Advertisement: Help wanted: Westbrook correspondent. We’re looking for someone to take over from Florence Wing in reporting family news of the people of Westbrook. It involves time on the telephone and a weekly report, typed or handwritten. Florence has been doing this for the community for more than 30 years. Now it’s your turn! Call Harry Foote, 854-2577.
This was the view looking up Brackett Street from Main Street in the 1940s. The building on left is the Westbrook Congregational Church. The building on the right is the Brackett-LaFond Block, which was once part of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. The buildings in the photo were demolished during urban renewal and this potion of Brackett Street between Main Street and William Clark Drive was closed off. 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 SanphySend questions/comments to the editors.
