May 16, 1990

Maine National Bank’s directors voted Friday to permanently stop work on a $16 million project, the bank’s new administrative office building off County Road in Westbrook. The bank will likely take down the steel framework that has been erected and with either have to fill or knock down the concrete foundation and then grade and seed the site. The bank announced Feb. 16 that it had lost $8 million in 1989 and was suspending work on the building for 60 days to “consider its options in light of current and future needs.” The 26-acre site cost the bank $1.1 million. The bank has spent about $4 million in the project, including the land.

When gravediggers shoveled into the family lot for burial of a Westbrook woman in St. Hyacinth Cemetery last fall, they found someone already buried there. The church, undertaker, cemetery superintendent, medical examiner, police, district attorney general’s office, city clerk and mayor all have been involved in trying to solve the mystery of who it is. At this point, nobody knows yet. Sgt. Stephen Lyons, the police detective assigned to the case, said Monday that police are pulling out after concluding that “absolutely no criminal problem” is involved.

Honor students announced for the class of 1990 at Westbrook High School are Eric Vanni, valedictorian, who plans to study chemical engineering at Dartmouth College; Darren Cook, salutatorian, who will attend the University of Notre Dame; and Laura Brown, honor essayist, who plans to study journalism at Northwestern University.

Members of the Gorham Land Trust and Gorham Planning Board met last Saturday for a site walk and discussion of plans for construction of a half mile pathway along the shore of the Presumpscot River amid the ruins of the 19th-century Gambo Powder Mill. With the aid of a conservation easement from Shaw Brothers, owner of the property, the land trust hopes to provide public access to a short length of Cumberland and Oxford Canal tow path.

Two Gorham women were top winners at the recent Cumberland County 4-H Dress Review. Rebecca Mason, of Dingley Spring Road, made a dress of American Beauty Rose satin. Phoebe McNeally, Dunlap Road, made a pink-and-blue flowered cotton print dress.

Past members of the Westbrook High School Marching Band are invited to join the current band to march in the Westbrook Together Day parade, at 10 a.m. on June 2, a Saturday. Music is available in the band office.

May 17, 2000

Cruiser the cat, the devoted pet of the entire Westbrook police force, escaped from his loving home at the station during the night of May 8 to 9 and remains on the loose. Police are seeking the public’s help in apprehending him, or rather, luring him back. Cruiser, black and white like a patrol car, is an inside cat and not at all dangerous. “We hope it’s just spring fever,” Chief Steven Roberts said. Cruiser was once a stray, taken in eight years ago at about 2 years of age by Russ Simmons, library custodian. Simmons couldn’t keep him and so the cat ended up at the police station. He has sneaked out before, but quickly returned on his own.

David Kilborn is getting a second-year contract at Gorham’s Shaw Junior High School in Gorham, after the School Committee reversed a decision not to rehire him. Now, some parents want the committee to give the principal, Susan Hodgdon, a vote of no confidence, and want the ratio of men to women teachers to change. Of the 31 teachers, nine are men. One reason Kilborn was supported, said Scott Guimond, a leader in the “Save Dave” effort, was that “he is a father figure.”

Instead of the usual boat ride on Casco Bay, this year’s Gorham High School seniors will take a raft ride down the Kennebec River. About half of the nearly 200 class members have signed to go June 4-5. “They wanted something more exciting,” said class adviser Amber Crabtree.

The Gorham Town Council approved last week a town and school budget for 2000-2001 of $26.2 million, up 10.03 percent from the current $24 million. The tax rate is estimated to be $21.61, up 5.41 percent from $20.50. The budget splits into $7.6 million to run the town and $18.2 million to run the schools. A separate capital budget of $700,000 was approved. County taxes are $450,000.

Some 226 seventh-graders at Wescott Junior High School and Westbrook High School’s Teen Leader Club pledged to remain tobacco free. The students placed hand prints and written personal messages about the dangers of tobacco or in tribute to loved ones who have died from a tobacco related disease on a “A Show of Hands” banner yesterday at the junior high school gym.

Gorham Memorial VFW Post has announced plans for a Memorial Day parade May 29. Groups participating will muster in front of Robie Gym at 8:30 am. The parade route will be down Main Street to Eastern Cemetery, where the Rev. Linwood Arnold will speak. The ceremony will end with “Taps.” The parade will then return on Main Street to Phinney Park on South Street, where a wreath will be placed at the Veterans Memorial.

Marsters Motors owned and occupied this building at 511 Main St. for many years before going out of business around 1976. Ron’s Vette Center (foreign and domestic used cars) occupied the building for several years before closing his business. Aubuchon Hardware then took over the building in the early 1980s and opened a Westbrook branch to their chain of stores Aubuchon subsequently closed the Westbrook store, and Premier Rental-Purchase Co. presently occupies 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. Photo and research courtesy of Mike Sanphy