Dec. 6, 1989

Westbrook’s biggest taxpayer single-handedly has cut the city’s 1989-90 budget $917,012. That’s not necessarily what was intended, but that’s the way it will work out. A Scott Paper Co. employee walked into City Hall Nov. 13, the last day for paying taxes without penalty. He brought a first-half check for $2,728,065, and the word – that’s all you’re going to get this time, and that’s all you’ll get in May. The payment was $458,506 less than the city’s bill. It was Scott’s way of saying forcefully that it thinks the city is putting too high a value on some of its S.D. Warren paper mill property. Some compromise with Scott still might be possible. Scott reps were to meet last night with the City Council to try to talk it out.

Westbrook City Engineer Donald Mannett is optimistic about the anticipated results of a $210,000 study that will suggest ways to stop discharging raw sewage into the Presumpscot River from the seven remaining sewer overflows in the city. “I’m not expecting this report will show that we’re very bad off,” he said last week. The study on the problem of the combined sewer overflows, all located in the heart of downtown between Bridge Street and S.D. Warren, was commissioned by the Portland Water District, which operates a treatment plant on Park Road. The sewage bypasses the 11-year-old plant and is discharged into the river during periods of heavy rain. A draft report is expected in January.

Gorham High School may soon get a facelift. The School Committee met Wednesday to discuss the estimated $870,000 project with TFH Architects of Portland. They made no decision on whether to go out to referendum in March. That decision, which may be tied to construction design, may come as early as next Wednesday’s meeting. Window walls on the east and south side of the buildings are rotting, caused by moisture leaking behind a wallboard material. The 535-student high school is also suffering from overcrowding in the cafeteria, with some students taking lunch in the hallways. Designed for 400 students, the cafeteria would be expanded to roughly twice its size.

Advertisement: Bean Bags for Sale. 2 lbs. of regular coffee $4.99. Dunkin’ Donuts.

The Westbrook City Council got a bill for $3,607.40 Monday for the expense of moving the belongings of Peter Eckel, administrative assistant to the mayor, and his wife Jennifer, from 201 Thomas Ave., Frederick, Md., to 16 Walton St., Westbrook, Nov. 18-21. The bill covered seven dish barrels, 111 assorted cartons, six wardrobe cartons, six mattress cartons, 15 corrugated mirror cartons, washer, dryer and sewing machine, all insured for $50,000. Arrow Moving & Storage, Portland, reduced its original bill by 35 percent.

The final deer tally from Sawyer’s tagging station in Gorham, reporting 202 deer tagged compared to 145 last year.

Dec. 8, 1999

“I’m glad we have Jim Bennett. It’ll be this community’s loss if some day Jim moves on,” Westbrook City Councilor John O’Hara said in a speech praising Mayor Donald Esty’s administrative assistant at the start of Monday’s City Council meeting. O’Hara, who served on the council that hired Bennett, said at the close he was praising Bennett because he was disturbed by “what I considered an accusation made during the mayoral campaign that I didn’t like.” Independent candidate Martin Pizzo announced that if elected, he would fire Bennett. O’Hara’s praise comes when a rumor has been making the rounds that Bennett has applied for the job as Lewiston city administrator. “I’m not dissatisfied here. I enjoy my job,” Bennett said yesterday when asked if he has sought the Lewiston job. “I’m very happy. I’m not actively seeking employment in other places.”

The Sappi paper mill in Westbrook has received word to expect a fourth UltraCast release paper coating machine to be up and running next year, with a fifth machine likely to follow, workers report. Mill manager John Donohue reportedly brought the word after returning from a corporate meeting in Europe. “We continually look at our production capacities and at capacity within the market, and we’ve made no decision on putting in a new UltraCast machine, Sappi spokesman Melanie Otero said yesterday.

Westbrook’s “Toys for Kids” Christmas drive needs help. Residents have responded to recent appeals for unwrapped gifts and cash donations, but collections are still below last year and short of what’s needed to distribute presents to needy families identified by the city’s welfare department. A particular need is for presents suitable for older children, ages 11-15.

Lampron Energy Inc. wants to add a convenience story to its car wash and gas station at 435 Ossipee Train (Route 25) in Gorham. Planning Board members will go on a stie walk Dec. 11 to learn about plans for a three-phase development of the site. The first phase would include converting the garage and car wash building to a proposed convenience store. Phase 2 would include addition of two new gas pump islands and new underground fuel storage tanks. Phase 2 would include an addition to the existing Lampron Energy office building.

Andrew B. Gray, son of Daniel and Brenda Gray, 11 Huntress Ave., Westbrook, caught a beautiful 40-inch striped bass while surf fishing at night at Point Point in Scarborough. The 1997 Westbrook High School grad is a junior at the University of Chicago majoring in biological sciences. He also is a certified scuba diver.

Few doubt that Gorham will be sending two basketball teams to Augusta in February. The girls team, defending Class B champs, returns nearly every key player from last year’s 21-1 season. The entire starting five from last season on the boys team is returning and the roster includes nine seniors, more than coach Kevin Jenkins has ever had on one team.

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50 Years Ago

The Westbrook American reported on Dec. 2, 1964, that Mrs. Lawrence Fickett would host the Half Hour Class in a meeting at her home on Johnson Road in Gorham. Mrs. Milton Look was scheduled to show slides of Iceland.

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Clarke of West Buxton and their two daughters, Cathy and Judy, entertained several dinner guests from Saco and Massachusetts for Thanksgiving.

On Main Street looking east on a winter day in the 1940s, Lawrence B. Seavey sold gasoline and tires out of a building at 908 Main on the corner of Mechanic Street. The house to the left was 902 Main, occupied by Seavey and his wife Geneva. The building next to the house was the Odd Fellows Building at 900 Main, where the second floor was used for public functions and was at one time home to the Rialto and later the Brook Theatre. Commercial stores were on the first floor, and in later years the building was home to American Legion Post 197, which moved to Conant Street prior to the demolition of this and the other buildings during urban renewal. The site is presently occupied by Martini Lane, Hub Furniture and a parking lot. 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.