Jan. 5, 1983

The Maine Department of Transportation is having a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 12 on proposed changes at the intersection of routes 25 and 202 in Gorham, west of the village. The state’s proposal calls for removing the gas station at the intersection, widening the streets and making traffic one-way around an island, which would be located in front of what is now the service station. The project would be funded by state and federal money. Town officials do not have an estimate of

the cost, but have been told that the state has available a fund of

about $275,000 to reconstruct high-accident intersections. “It’s a state project and the state can go ahead and do it, but their policy is they won’t do it without town approval,” said Mark Eyerman, Gorham planner.

Mayor William O’Gara called a meeting to push a $120,000 plan to promote downtown Westbrook. A principal objective, O’Gara made clear, is to get a state (federally financed) development grant. The most the city could hope for is $400,000. Elements of the plan were: A staff person as salesman and coordinator; a cooperative marketing program for existing businesses; rent subsidies, writing down the first year’s costs for tenants of new and recently renovated properties; doing something about all-day parking and improved signing.

Westbrook’s deputy finance director, Antoinette Finegan, resigned as of Dec. 24 to move with her husband to their hometown, Virginia City, Va. Administrative Assistant Jonathan Carter said that the city is seeking a new deputy.

Four months on the force have convinced Gorham’s first woman police officer that she’s chosen the right profession. Jody Thomas, 29, joined the department in August after working six months as a reserve officer in Gorham. She has praise for her fellow officers. “The guys out here are really great. They’ve been very fair, very helpful,” said Thomas. Her favorite aspect of police work is “working with the public.”

The pleasant aroma of baking beans on Jan. 8 were not emanating exclusively from the B & M bean factory in Portland. From 4-8 p.m., area bean-eaters and pastry lovers for miles around were enjoying home-baked beans, hot dogs, casseroles, salads, rolls, chop suey, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, roast beef, ham, beverages, homemade pies and neighborly conversation at the Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church, St. Mary’s Parish Hall and Pride’s Corner Congregational Church, both in Westbrook; Holy Cross School cafeteria and First United Methodist Church in South Portland; and the Lions Den, sponsored by the Scarborough Lions Club, in Scarborough.

Jan. 6, 1993

With big money at stake, hearings were to begin yesterday in Augusta on the taxable 1989 value of the S.D. Warren paper mill in Westbrook. Scott Paper Co., the mill’s owner, says it was worth $276 million less than the city taxed it for. A decision in Scott’s favor would save it about $500,000 in 1989 taxes and a similar amount in 1990 taxes. Scott has not challenged the values put on the mill in the revaluation of 1991. Further hearings are likely.

Westbrook’s new City Council Chambers in City Hall Annex at the old junior high school will cost about $80,000, not the $50,000 previously reported. The money is in hand, Peter Eckel, administrative assistant to Mayor Fred Wescott, told the Council Monday. The city asked and got $50,000 for the job from the state’s Jobs Bond pie. The city then awarded the job to Gene Francoeur’s Norcoeur Construction Co. Since then, air conditioning, windows, and sheetrock instead of painted

brick were added.

At a meeting that lacked proper legal notice for a public hearing,

the Gorham Town Council voted last week to accept a $100,000 grant that would allow a private company to pay off debts. Only Councilor Janice Labrecque voted against the proposal that would benefit Superior Design and Fabrication Inc. if the state also approves the application. The business is in the Gorham Industrial Park. That money would then be loaned to the company, repaid to the town, then repaid back to the state.

A parked truck rolled into two parked cars at the ATM machine near Bradlee’s, Westbrook. It did $2,000 damage to the 1986 Buick of Raymond Michaud, Lewiston and $1,000 damage to the 1989 Olds of Carol A. Pattle, 54, of 423 Riverside St., Portland. The truck, a 1977 Ford owned by Concrete Sealants U.S. Inc., 291 Larabee Road, Westbrook, was parked by Fred A. Allen, 62, of Willowdale, Ontario, who left it running while he was using the ATM machine.

Mrs. George H. Merrill Sr. (Nancy Alcott), Bridge Street, Westbrook, informed her two grown sons, George Merrill Jr., Limington, and Rickie Merrill, Westbrook, last May that they had a half-brother. With their approval, an adoption search began. The last of June she received a call and a birth record. On June 25, her 35-year-old son called from his home in Barrington, R.I. On June 27 he was at the Westbrook home of the Merrills. The Merrills hosted a party and barbecue Aug. 8 at their home with 105 relatives and friends attending to meet Paul. Nancy said, “Everything is wonderful. His life and mine are whole. It

certainly has been an education for me.”

Jan. 5, 1983

The Maine Department of Transportation is having a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 12 on proposed changes at the intersection of routes 25 and 202 in Gorham, west of the village. The state’s proposal calls for removing the gas station at the intersection, widening the streets and making traffic one-way around an island, which would be located in front of what is now the service station. The project would be funded by state and federal money. Town officials do not have an estimate of

the cost, but have been told that the state has available a fund of

about $275,000 to reconstruct high-accident intersections. “It’s a state project and the state can go ahead and do it, but their policy is they won’t do it without town approval,” said Mark Eyerman, Gorham planner.

Mayor William O’Gara called a meeting to push a $120,000 plan to promote downtown Westbrook. A principal objective, O’Gara made clear, is to get a state (federally financed) development grant. The most the city could hope for is $400,000. Elements of the plan were: A staff person as salesman and coordinator; a cooperative marketing program for existing businesses; rent subsidies, writing down the first year’s costs for tenants of new and recently renovated properties; doing something about all-day parking and improved signing.

Westbrook’s deputy finance director, Antoinette Finegan, resigned as of Dec. 24 to move with her husband to their hometown, Virginia City, Va. Administrative Assistant Jonathan Carter said that the city is seeking a new deputy.

Four months on the force have convinced Gorham’s first woman police officer that she’s chosen the right profession. Jody Thomas, 29, joined the department in August after working six months as a reserve officer in Gorham. She has praise for her fellow officers. “The guys out here are really great. They’ve been very fair, very helpful,” said Thomas. Her favorite aspect of police work is “working with the public.”

The pleasant aroma of baking beans on Jan. 8 were not emanating exclusively from the B & M bean factory in Portland. From 4-8 p.m., area bean-eaters and pastry lovers for miles around were enjoying home-baked beans, hot dogs, casseroles, salads, rolls, chop suey, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, roast beef, ham, beverages, homemade pies and neighborly conversation at the Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church, St. Mary’s Parish Hall and Pride’s Corner Congregational Church, both in Westbrook; Holy Cross School cafeteria and First United Methodist Church in South Portland; and the Lions Den, sponsored by the Scarborough Lions Club, in Scarborough.

Jan. 6, 1993

With big money at stake, hearings were to begin yesterday in Augusta on the taxable 1989 value of the S.D. Warren paper mill in Westbrook. Scott Paper Co., the mill’s owner, says it was worth $276 million less than the city taxed it for. A decision in Scott’s favor would save it about $500,000 in 1989 taxes and a similar amount in 1990 taxes. Scott has not challenged the values put on the mill in the revaluation of 1991. Further hearings are likely.

Westbrook’s new City Council Chambers in City Hall Annex at the old junior high school will cost about $80,000, not the $50,000 previously reported. The money is in hand, Peter Eckel, administrative assistant to Mayor Fred Wescott, told the Council Monday. The city asked and got $50,000 for the job from the state’s Jobs Bond pie. The city then awarded the job to Gene Francoeur’s Norcoeur Construction Co. Since then, air conditioning, windows, and sheetrock instead of painted

brick were added.

At a meeting that lacked proper legal notice for a public hearing,

the Gorham Town Council voted last week to accept a $100,000 grant that would allow a private company to pay off debts. Only Councilor Janice Labrecque voted against the proposal that would benefit Superior Design and Fabrication Inc. if the state also approves the application. The business is in the Gorham Industrial Park. That money would then be loaned to the company, repaid to the town, then repaid back to the state.

A parked truck rolled into two parked cars at the ATM machine near Bradlee’s, Westbrook. It did $2,000 damage to the 1986 Buick of Raymond Michaud, Lewiston and $1,000 damage to the 1989 Olds of Carol A. Pattle, 54, of 423 Riverside St., Portland. The truck, a 1977 Ford owned by Concrete Sealants U.S. Inc., 291 Larabee Road, Westbrook, was parked by Fred A. Allen, 62, of Willowdale, Ontario, who left it running while he was using the ATM machine.

Mrs. George H. Merrill Sr. (Nancy Alcott), Bridge Street, Westbrook, informed her two grown sons, George Merrill Jr., Limington, and Rickie Merrill, Westbrook, last May that they had a half-brother. With their approval, an adoption search began. The last of June she received a call and a birth record. On June 25, her 35-year-old son called from his home in Barrington, R.I. On June 27 he was at the Westbrook home of the Merrills. The Merrills hosted a party and barbecue Aug. 8 at their home with 105 relatives and friends attending to meet Paul. Nancy said, “Everything is wonderful. His life and mine are whole. It

certainly has been an education for me.”