March 2, 1988

Clark Neily, Republican, and Tuffy Laffin, Democrat, announced last week that they are candidates for the Westbrook-Gorham-Buxton seat in the state Senate to be vacated by Sen. Ronald Usher, D-Westbrook. Usher has pledged his support for Donald Esty, a Westbrook Democrat. The district, No. 28, is the only one in the 33-member Senate in which a sitting senator is not seeking re-election, and is sure to be the focus of strong campaigns for the Nov. 8 election.

The town of Gorham will hold municipal elections March 8. Voters will choose among seven political newcomers for two open seats on the School Committee: Pricilla Mercier, Norman Weed, Janet Willis, Darlene Junkins, Carol Brown, Greg Flaherty and Steve Fermanis. Three others, also political newcomers, will vie for two vacant seats on the Town Council, Dean Evans, Thad Moody and Samuel Hoffses.

Some rainy days, the Little Falls sewer system has taken in water and sewage at a rate equal to 187,000 gallons a day – nearly five times its capacity of 40,000 gallons. That’s what Portland Water District general manager Joseph Taylor said, explaining the serious problem of excess water entering the system. At its Feb23 meeting, the Gorham Town Council postponed action on a 9.4 percent hike requested by the water district. Councilors decided to wait to see what’s causing the infiltration. Later this month a TV camera will be dropped into the sewer line to track down the source of the excess water. Officials hope a solution will follow.

John A. Schmidlin and Stephen T. Lyons are Westbrook’s newest police sergeants. Schmidlin, 50, of South Portland, joined the Westbrook force in 1986. He is a retired California police sergeant. Lyons, 29, of Naples, is one of five brothers who are in police-related work. He joined the Westbrook Police Department in 1983.

The Westbrook School Committee has approved the purchase of a $6,389 McGraw-Hill “School Master” computer system for the junior high school. Funding will come from re-allocated monies from the 1987-88 budget. The system will replace the “Point IV” system. “The School Master system is more applicable for school needs,” said Superintendent Edward Connolly.

A 19.7 percent increase in next year’s Gorham school budget was requested by School Superintendent Connie Goldman in her initial presentation to the School Committee last week. The projected $8,417,213 budget calls for an increase of $1,386,419 over this year’s budget of $7,030,794. Goldman said the school system has seen a 17 percent increase in the number of elementary school students. The budget also seeks to rectify some other problems of the school system, including an aging fleet of buses.

Gorham Cub Scout Troop 74 recently held a cake-baking contest. Seven-year-old winners were Ian Clark, first; John Labrecque, second; and Sam Webb, third. First, second and third places went to 8-year-olds Chris Barnes, Joshua Fasulo and Mike Wohmeyet. Nine-year-old winners were Ben Francus, Mike Begley and Billy Jackson. Ben Bottoms, Bret Sedenka and Joshua Serfes won in the 10-year-old category.

March 4, 1998

At the request of the Wormell family, the Portland Water District withdrew its application Friday for a license that would have allowed Wheelabrator Inc. to spread sludge on the Wormell farm at Bridgton Road in Westbrook. The withdrawal came after months of citizen outcry against the spreading, culminating in a charged public comment session at the water district trustees meeting Feb. 22, punctuated by protests from school Superintendent Robert Hall, former city alderman Alexander Juniewics and Robert Young of the Bella Villa Condo Association, whose land abutted the proposed spreading area.

The Westbrook City Council has given final approval to selling the first of nine lots of the Gagnon property along Stroudwater Street to the Westbrook-Gorham Rotary Club for $28,000. The vote clears the way for the Westbrook Vocational Technical Center to begin planning for construction of the 33rd house of the Rotary Club House Project. The project, begun in 1958, gives Westbrook and Gorham students hands-on experience in construction of new houses, which are then sold at market value. It is the oldest continuous program of its kind in New England. The Stroudwater Street houses will be the first Rotary-student development, as opposed to individual houses.

Southern Maine Firewood, owned and operated by James Dyer, was granted a special exception permit and thus final approval to operate, by the Gorham Planning Board on Monday. Though turned down by the board in December, Dyer had been allowed to continue operations temporarily while in the process of reapplying. Gorham has deemed the operation a sawmill. The property’s suburban residential zoning required the special exception permit. Dyer agreed to construct two new building and a sound berm to reduce the noise from his wood-splitting operation. He also agreed to soundproof the loading bins and truck beds at the facility, and to grade, see and mulch all land disturbed in the original processing area.

Westbrook High School’s Brandon Bushaw won the individual state wrestling championship in the 125-pound class during the Class A meet, held Feb. 14 at Oxford Hills High School. Bushaw, a junior, became only the second underclassman to bring home a state title in Westbrook history. Brian Walsh was the first, in 1991 and 1992.

The city of Westbrook’s shelter at Wescott Junior High School, which opened as a result of the January ice storm, served three hot meals a day, Jan. 8-17, serving totals of 499 breakfasts, 451 lunches and 461 suppers. Meals were prepared by school department workers. Sleepovers at the shelter (one person, one night) counted 322. “Community spirit and team effort made this a success,” said Michael J. Sanphy, director of Westbrook Emergency Management, which ran the shelter.

Bob and Evelyn Lemieux, Osborne Road, Gorham, spent all of January and part of February on a trip to Florida with their travel trailer. They first stopped in Connecticut to visit with her aunt Mildred Small and family, then tow nights in Myrtle Beach, N.C., then on to St. Augustine and a visit with former Gorham neighbor Collette Roche. The two visited Pompano Beach and then camped at Disney Wilderness Campgrounds, where they took in some amusements and met up with college friends Frances and Don Hale. They also traveled to Venice, Fort Myers and Wildwood.