April 1980

S. D. Warren warned its Westbrook paper mill employees, “It is possible we may have some short time, if customers don’t begin to place more orders.” Warren also warned college students who are summer employees not to count on summer jobs this year. Warren hired 232 last year.

Westbrook aldermen are looking at a $6 increase in the tax rate, $2.42 for city expenses, $2.80 for schools and the rest for the county.

In the Westbrook Fire Department’s new union contract, four jobs are newly designated as captain. Holding them are Lloyd Storey, Clyde Chapman, Larry Whitten and Robert Lefebvre.

Halsey Smith, president of Northeast Bankshare Association, said in a Westbrook speech that we’re on a national drunk, with politicians as bartenders. We seem to want a risk-free society when in fact “It is the ability to take risks that has made this country great.” He said many today believe it is an inherent right to live off the government, including corporations like Lockheed and Chrysler, and “We have allowed profit to be made a dirty word.” He decried ski slopes that run for federal help when they have bad snow. He urged his audience not to accept actions of the federal government as beyond their own influence.

The Westbrook Art Alliance will hold a downtown sidewalk art show July 19, a Saturday.

The South Portland Housing Authority may buy the former Reynolds School and convert it to eight or 10 family apartments. Rocco Marzilli Jr., the city finance director, and Raphael DePrez, SPHA executive director, are discussing the plans.

A purchasing agent handling both city and school purchases has been proposed in South Portland. School Superintendent John I. Seekins is cool to the idea, however.

South Portland’s City Council voted to make Redbank a separate polling district, with voting in its community center.

Gorham has hired Jack R. Gorsuch, Westbrook, as its first finance director. He is a former Cape Elizabeth school business manager.

Windham has bought the IDSOM trash burner from C. Richard and Susan Tandberg.

Demolishing a house on Route 302, Fred Haskell discovered century-old posters advertising a performance in North Windham on Monday, Aug. 22, of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

The South Portland Church of the Nazarene will dedicate its new $750,000 sanctuary at 525 Highland Ave. Sunday. Dr. Jerald Johnson, Kansas City, Mo., executive director of Nazarene World Missions, will speak.

William W. Gowen, 48, of Westbrook, is a Democratic candidate for county commissioner.

Trustees of the Scarborough Sanitary District granted nine sewer permits to Town Councilor Charles Webber so that he can sell house lots in Webber Farms.

Gail Jackson, Westbrook, and Paul Burrell, South Portland, are among the 75 girls and 75 boys named to the National High School Athletic Coaches Association’s Converse All-American Basketball Squad.

May 1990

The city again will buy flags for war veterans’ graves, Mayor Fred Wescott and the Westbrook City Council agreed, even though “it may be a lean year,” as Wescott put it.

Bruce Atkinson, general manager of GTE’s Standish plant, said the company expects to spend from $500,000 to $1.5 million to clean up metal plating wastes in a lagoon at the plant.

The Portland Rotary Club has a Russian woman as a new member. She is Victoria Kamennaya, a visiting professor of Russian at the University of Southern Maine.

In a letter to the editor, Tuffy Laffin called on the Westbrook City Council to give Westbrook police officers “a livable wage.”

Bob Williams, Westbrook, caught a brook trout that weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces. It’s bigger than the biggest one caught in Maine last year.

The Maine State Housing Authority has made more money available in grants and interest-free loans to pay for removal of underground oil tanks.

Westbrook’s new city budget says the city expects to use its copy machines in the year to make 249,185 copies.

Westbrook Agway offers 50 gallons free for new customers for its diesel oil.

The Windham Historical Society is inviting the loan of arrowheads and other Indian artifacts for an exhibition.

For Elmer Currier’s 94th birthday, he got together with Bill Clarke to enjoy cream puffs, as they used to do when Currier was Westbrook mayor and Clark was (still is) city clerk.

The budget for using Westbrook City Hall’s new computer (Altos 1870T-33) in the coming year is $23,897.

Lester Rogers, Blue Hen Gardens, 197 Main St., Westbrook, is pictured planting peas – “Green Arrow, small pod, few peas to the pod, but good eating.”

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