May 1980

Russell R. Day, Westbrook Republican candidate for the Maine House, suggests playfully that members of the Legislature be allowed to introduce only one new law per term. They could add others if each repealed an old law.

Bill Clarke, Maine’s only elected city clerk, was honored at a dinner for his 25 years in office.

A survey by the Student Council shows that 25.1 percent of Gorham High School students use marijuana.

South Portland is spending $8 million, mostly federal money, to build Broadway West and Mill Cove apartments for the low-income elderly.

Terrence White and Scott Gordon will lead the 130-piece Westbrook High School Band in a concert Sunday in Riverbank Park.

Gorham Headstart will sponsor a Vacation Enrichment program June 23 through Aug. 22, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, for Gorham and Windham, ages 5, 6 and 7, in the School Street Methodist Church.

Candidates for the Windham Town Council are Charles C. Clapp Jr., Kenneth M. Cole, Richard Dupras, Harold W. Haskell, Brian R. Olson, Ann L. Tripp and Melvin Winslow. For the School Committee are Zusan Attwood, Bertrand R. LaValliere, Mariann Libby and Patricia Pettersen. The election is May 16.

The Scarborough Rotary Club has run the tourist information center in the blockhouse on Scarborough Marsh for ten years. This summer, the Scarborough Chamber of Commerce will run it.

Hitinowa Council, Camp Fire, will hold its annual Ketch Karnival June 7 at Camp Fire’s headquarters, 336 Black Point Road, Scarborough.

Michael A. Bowden and Nancy Works were married April 12 in the Windham Hill Church of Christ.

Dairy Queen of Westbrook opened its all-new store at 272 Main St. Bob and Arline Patten, owners, listed 14 employees.

Land Use consultants has produced a plan for development of Westbrook’s Thomas property as a new city park running from East Bridge Street to the Presumpscot River in the area of the Colonial Acres housing development.

May 1990

L. L. Bean, one of the largest banking accounts in Maine, is switching from KeyBank to Citibank.

The Westbrook Fire Department is marking its 100th anniversary. Mike Sanphy has a photograph of its first motorized fire truck, a Reo of uncertain date.

R. J. Grondin Company, laying a $2.2 million sewer from the Maine Mall to Cash Corner, found an uncharted old storm sewer in its way on West Broadway, South Portland. Moving the storm sewer will need federal permission, since the land now is owned by the South Portland Housing Authority.

Westbrook’s city administration moved City Clerk Bill Clarke into a smaller office. A citizen’s letter complains on Bill’s behalf, but he says renovations have made it all right.

A citizen reported seeing someone leave Shop ‘N Save, Westbrook, with shopping bags full of cigarettes.

Neil Rolde, Democratic candidate for the U. S. Senate, says we’re repeating the disastrous mistake of the Spanish Armada – spending the country broke on armaments.

The S. D. Warren Co. has 35 acres of roofs in Westbrook.

More than 80 radio-controlled model airplanes will be on display Saturday at the Windham Mall, and there’ll be demonstration flights.

The Portland Water district is seeking approval for a $1.5 million water tank that would improve water pressure in Windham. It would hold two million gallons.

Candidates for sheriff of Cumberland County are Michael Babin, Philip Foster, William McLaughlin and Wesley Ridlon.

Students of South Portland’s Kaler School held a party, with Big Bird as guest, in honor of Robert Train, who is retiring as custodian.

The 27th running of the Westbrook Kiwanis Relays will be Friday.

The S. D. Warren Company will be cutting its work force in Westbrook, Charles Rose told Mayor Fred Wescott and aldermen. Rose is vice president and mill manager.

Discussing world-wide competition, he said Warren must seek more efficiency. He said most of the cutting will be by not replacing those workers who retire or leave.

The Teen-age Mutant Ninja Turtles, a national comic book and movie hit as they cruise New York City sewers, are the creation of Kevin Eastman, a 1980 graduate of Westbrook High School, who first imagined them as creatures of Westbrook’s Ward 4 and the Presumpscot River.