October, 1980

The baler is broken down and Regional Waste Systems is dumping rubbish loosely at its balefill on the Running Hill Road, Scarborough. The RWS agreement with the town calls for dumping only baled wastes. Also, commercial haulers must weigh in, then double back to be weighed empty, doubling time and gasoline costs.

Maine voters choose not to close the Maine Yankee nuclear power plant. Supporters of nuclear energy heavily out-spent opponents.

Ralph Hatt and his brother-in-law, Ken Ouellette, are pictured finishing construction of an 80-foot steel tower at Hatt’s home at 12 Willow Drive, Westbrook, just off Route 302 near the Methodist Road. In two weeks, he’ll mount an electric generator on it powered by a windmill.

Martha and Nathan Brackett have bought the Hyde House, the senior citizens’ clubhouse at the S. D. Warren paper mill, for $1 and plan to move it to 60 Cottage Place, Westbrook. Warren will build its new biomass boiler where the house stands now.

Gavin Ruotolo and partners will convert the 128-unit Kingswood Apartments to condominiums. A tenants’ group wants South Portland to adopt an ordinance requiring a year’s notice to tenants and two years’ notice to the elderly.

A Westbrook boy on a motorcycle was towing two boys on a skateboard, police warned them.

The Westbrook Tuffy League will hold a dance in St. Hyacinth Church hall to raise money for uniforms and football equipment.

Westbrook should build a soccer and hockey field next to the Stroudwater Street armory and a new football-soccer-hockey field at the junior high school, reports School Superintendent Carl Knowlton.

Westbrook will move a sewer so that Weyerhaeuser Co. can expand its plant on Hawkes Street.

Linda B. Johnson defeated six men and is the first woman ever elected to the South Portland City Council. William Dale, the city’s corporation counsel, thinks she shouldn’t be confirmed as a council member because she leases city school space for her day care center.

Gorham budgeted $39,140 for insurance for 12 months. After putting it to bid, and cutting the three months of the fiscal year already past, it will pay $22,251. The difference will fund spring sports and help social service agencies. Councilman Ernest Cressey suggested the changes.

Red ribbons mark 140 street lights in Gorham that would be turned off to cut costs. Any resident may pay Central Maine Power $3.16 a month to keep any ribboned light.

During the night, $4,600 worth of musical instruments and electronic equipment were stolen from Windham’s Arlington School.

After a year, Gambo Bridge between Windham and Gorham reopened Monday – except to trucks over 10 feet tall or weighing over six tons.

Windham voters approved borrowing $53,000 to add to $30,000 of town money to buy a new 1,000-gallon pumper fire truck, replacing No. 5.

It’s 4-H Club Week.

Patty-Ann Waters, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James F. Waters Jr. (Pamela Ferron), 67 North Street, Westbrook, celebrated her second birthday Sept. 8.

October, 1990

Members of the Windham Rescue Squad have voted to separate from the Windham Fire Department.

The dump for recycling and demolition debris proposed by Regional Waste Systems for the land it has bought at Mosher’s Corner, Gorham, is expected to generate 430 round trips a day by trucks. That could mean 670 truck trips a day through Westbrook.

Jim Gagan, former Westbrook city solicitor, has joined forces with Mary DiFusco and others who also are Higgins Beach residents in asking Scarborough to throw out revaluations by Assessor Paul Lesperance and hire an outside appraiser.

The S. D. Warren paper mill in Westbrook employs about 2,200, including 199 at its Research Laboratory.

The Church of Scientology warns against the drug Prozac, saying 7 percent of users turn suicidal.

Volunteers will erect the new playground equipment at Westbrook’s Saccarappa School.

In a high school band show in Westbrook Saturday, Westbrook finished first in Division 4, bands with more than 55 members.

Sebago Trading Post is expanding its building at Route 302 and the River Road, North Windham.

Scott Paper Co. plans to build a big new mill on the Ohio River to make tissue paper.

The South Portland Planning Board voted 3-2 against recommending a new zone to promote farming on outer Highland Avenue.

The South Portland City Council voted for a new roof, $15,315, for the branch library, but voted against installing equipment at the main library to detect book thefts. The library has lost $18,504 worth of books in three years – books carried out with no record.

Sherman “Red” Gray may sue Gorham for holding public meetings in Shaw School, which is not accessible to the handicapped.

Newly-weds Donald and Donna DeWitt, Winchester, Va., came to visit her parents, the Weston Masons of Highland Cliff Road, Windham.

Gov. John McKernan will speak at the dedication of Scarborough High School’s addition and its auditorium, the Winslow Homer Center for the Arts.