Oct. 4, 1989

James R. Fahey, 43, of 21 Temple St., Westbrook, filed nominating petitions Monday for the seat of mayor, running as an independent. But he and City Clerk William Clarke’s office are at odds over whether they are valid. Clarke’s office told Fahey that a new state statute bars party members from running as independents unless they have withdrawn from their party at least three months ahead of the filing deadline. Fahey, a registered Democrat, says he thinks that’s wrong, and is based on a misreading of part of the statutes that apply to state, county and federal elections. He told the city that he expects his name to be put on the ballot, and if they don’t, to say why in writing. The next step may be a court of law.

Firefighters, police and public works employees in Gorham spent 31?2 hours Tuesday cleaning up a trail of light blue paint from the Little Falls Bridge on Route 202 through town to the old racetrack on Narragansett Street. Gorham Fire Chief Robert Lefebvre estimated that 50 gallons of the water-based latex paint leaked from a truck belonging to Maine Tennis Court Inc. in Gray. The truck was headed for Waterboro.

With an estimated 3,000 people watching, Westbrook High School’s marching band stepped and played its way to first place among Class A bands in its eight annual band show at Olmsted Field Saturday. Ideal weather contributed to the success of the night. Fifteen high school bands took part. Westbrook also was first it in its only previous competition this season at Deering High School in Portland.

Callahan Brothers of Mechanic Falls was awarded a state contract recently to refurbish three bridges in Gorham.The$627,490 contract calls for replacing the deck on the Little River Bridge on Route 237, widening and replacing the deck on the Brandy Brook Bridge on Route 25 and replacing a single span bridge across Higgins Brook a little further up the road, near Nicely’s Market.

St. Rita’s Circle, Daughters of Isabella, will meet Oct. 6 in the Knights of Columbus Hall in Westbrook, when Lorraine Cox, state regent, will install officers.

The West Gorham Extension will meet Oct. 10 in the West Gorham Church to make dried apple decorations with leader Roxanne Moody.

Nicole Kangas, 7, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hutchins, Westbrook, was crowned Miss Northern New England at the 1990 Miss Northern New England pageant held recently in Manchester, N.H. She is a second-grader at Prides Corner Elementary School and is currently listed with two top Boston modeling agencies. She can be seen in many store circulars, magazines and TV commercials.

Oct. 6, 1999

If the reaction of a postal carrier’s wife is any indication, employees at the Gorham Post Office are going to be “wowed” by their new workplace. Pauline Mulkern, wife of carrier Robert Mulkern, was wowed when she dropped by there Friday morning. Telephones were being installed in the new $2.2 million post office building at 25 Mechanic St. behind Shop ‘n Save, while full-grown trees were being dropped in place outside. “What are you going to do with all this?” she asked about the large, air-conditioned room. Postmaster Mike Baillargeon casually said something about using the space for basketball, as a mill on his face greeted her enthusiasm. The new post office will open for business Oct. 12. The old post office, at 54 Main St., closes Oct. 9.

Thursday, Sept. 30, was the last day of work for most of the roughly 139 Sappi employees downsized under agreements with the unions to go along with the shutdown of the Westbrook paper mill’s pulping system. But the next day, Oct. 1, start of a new fiscal year at Sappi, the mill posted a general notice that it will be hiring new full-time hourly employees over the next few months. This week the company will be offering “spare” opportunities in the winder room, coating and release departments, and accepting applications to backfill vacated jobs.

University of Southern Maine President Richard L. Pattenaude said Thursday that the “patience” of USM administrations has grown “very thin” as far as fraternities and sororities are concerned. “We are taking another hard look at it,” he said. Fraternities and sororities are not part of the university, but they are sanctioned by it. Gorham Police Chief Ron Shepard said the fraternities and sororities, “despite the goodness they do, make lousy neighbors.” He said police get calls about fraternities having parties until 2 or 3 a.m., waking up neighbors.

The Westbrook School Committee named longtime math teacher Walter Hayes as the high school yearbook adviser Wednesday. The school had a hard time finding a teacher willing to take the adviser position. In June, former adviser Holly Wallace resigned after a racial slur had to be blacked out with a marker from hundred of copies of the yearbook. It had been written in the senior messages portion of the yearbook. A suggestive drawing of a gorilla that appeared on the first inside page of the yearbook also raised some eyebrows. In her resignation letter, Wallace said she put in some 451 hours on the job. “It is nearly impossible to publish a yearbook, supposedly produced by students, without errors,” she wrote. “The stress level surrounding this production has been far too high all year long because many staff members have been neither competent nor dedicated.”

The Westbrook Lions Club will have Theater Night Oct. 7 at Lyric Theater, Sawyer Street, South Portland, which is presenting Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado.” Proceeds will benefit the Lions Charity Fund.

50 Years Ago

The Westbrook American reported on Sept. 30, 1964, that Mrs. Richard Shiers of Wood Road in Gorham was to entertain the Brandybrook Garden Club.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Wiggin of Bar Mills were entertaining relatives from Massachusetts for the weekend.

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On Aug. 1, 1909, the Prides Corner Union Bible School was organized, meeting in Clark’s Store, which was located on Bridgton Road at Brook Street. Three years later the group reorganized as the Prides Corner Union Church. The group purchased land on Elmwood Avenue and started raising money to build a church. A building was eventually erected and on June 20, 1915, a formal dedication took place. On May 22, 1952, the church became affiliated with the Congregational Christian Churches. In 1956 the Religious Education Committee determined that more space was needed for the Church School and a year-long study commenced. In May of 1958 ground was broken for a new church on Pride Street and the completed Prides Corner Congregational Church was dedicated on April 10, 1960. The old church building on Elmwood Avenue was sold and fell into disrepair until it was purchased by Mr. & Mrs. Paul Holloway and remodeled into a commercial building. A hair stylist and tattoo parlor now occupy the building. To see more historical photos and artifacts, visit the Westbrook Historical Society at the Fred C. Wescott Building, 426 Bridge St. It is open Tuesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-noon, and the first Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m., September-June. Inquiries can be emailed to westhistorical@myfairpoint.net. The website is www.westbrookhistoricalsociety.org.