May 1980
Westbrook is closing Forest Street and Rocky Hill kindergarten centers and sending the children to the Warren Kindergarten Center. The three are the city’s most cheaply heated and operated schools.
Mayor William O’Gara walked out of an audit meeting of the Westbrook City Council’s Accounts and Claims Committee. He apologized later to the committee chairman, Beverly Morin. Neither would explain.
Ray Foley’s camera caught a handsome picture of Kathryn Mailman, 8 months old, and her mother Roxanne, watching a Westbrook High School track meet. Kathryn’s father, Ray, is the coach.
Data General, marking five years in Westbrook, is holding open house with public tours of its Westbrook plant.
Westbrook High School’s Bellringers are looking to break the Guiness world record for continuous bellringing, 46 hours.
Westbrook High School will welcome the public to two performances of its variety show, “America America.”
Katherine and Alton Benson have a new 40-by-164-foot barn on their dairy farm on the Plummer Road, Gorham. The lumber is from their land.
Frederick D. Williams, Windham lawyer and former chairman of selectmen, is a candidate for delegate to the Democratic national convention in Detroit.
Windham High School’s valedictorian is Julie Millard. Others in the top five are, in order, Gregory Karantza, Lauri Nezwek, Leslie Elston and Deborah MacDonald.
The U. S. Army is offering a $3,000 cash bonus for new enlistments, plus “guaranteed assignments of your choice and many other benefits.” Its advertisement tells you to call Sgt. Bob Jackson, 772-7768.
Petitions are being circulated in Scarborough calling for each of the seven town council members to be elected by a district.
May 1990
At Westbrook High School, Eric Vanni is valedictorian, Darren Cook is salutatorian and Laura Brown is honor essayist.
Maine National Bank directors voted Friday to abandon plans for a $16 million administrative building on the County Road, Westbrook, for which it has erected a concrete foundation and steel framework. The bank has invested $4 million thus far, including land costs. The bank lost $8 million last year.
County Commissioner Gary Plummer will be moderator for a Windham cable TV debate among the seven candidates for 1st District congressman. They are Democrats Linda Abromson, Tom Andrews, Ralph Conant, Libby Mitchell and James Tierney and Republicans David Emery and John McCormick.
Russell Fearon, Westbrook school assistant superintendent for finance, is resigning to take a similar job in Tilton, N.H. He has been in Westbrook 10 years.
Property tax increases of 10 percent or more are looming in Falmouth, Windham, Westbrook, South Portland, Saco, Brunswick, Scarborough, Standish and New Gloucester, according to a taxpayer group.
Westbrook city councilor Elmer Welch is proposing that the city invite volunteers to help with an annual spring Clean-Up Week.
Ray Pepin, environmental manager at the S. D. Warren paper mill, told the Westbrook City Council that the mill’s strong smell May 2 was due to the deterioration of a coupling in the bark boiler. It was replaced.
Mark Usinger, 34, is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for state representative from South Portland. A Rutgers University graduate, he is employed by the L. L. Bean Co.
Oakhurst Dairy is testing the “mini-sip milk pouch” for school lunches in School Administrative District 6.
Joan Duffy, of Foxton, New Zealand, visited for a week with Robin and Lorraine Chambers, Sanborn Street, Gorham. Joan and Lorraine have been pen pals 40 years.
Jason Cassidy, clarinet, and Philip Spiller Jr., trumpet, of Westbrook High School, will play in the band in the All-State Music festival in Rumford.
Rebecca Mason, Dingley Spring Road, Gorham, won the Cumberland county 4-H Dress Review. Phoebe McNeally, Dunlap Road, Gorham, was a runner-up.
Westbrook High School Band alumni are invited to join the current band for the Westbrook Together Day parade.
Public Cable is donating half of its $9.95 installation fee to the Preble Street Resource Center to help the homeless.
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