June 6, 1990

Westbrook will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its city government next year, and Norman Conley, who pulled together Saturday’s highly successful Westbrook Together Day, is looking ahead to a bigger and better, perhaps three-day, celebration of the centennial. “It’ll take me a couple of months to recover from this one,” he said Saturday afternoon as crowds continued to swirl around Riverbank Park. “But then I’d like to go after it and get every organization in tow involved in a big one for 1991.”

Gorham Town Councilor Phil Charest has been promoted at work and will have to move closer to his new job in Bridgton. He expects to resign soon from the council seat he has held since March 1989. A special election will have to be held within 60 days of his resignation to fill the remainder of his term. Charest has been promoted to district line supervisor by Central Maine Power Co.

Westbrook students Aaron Debson and Matthew Desfosses each have poems published in the current issue of Children’s Album, a national children’s crafts and creative writing magazine. Both are students of Barbara Dalvet at the Canal School. Aaron is in the fifth grade and wrote free verse about a roller coaster ride. Matthew, in the sixth grade, wrote an alliterative and rhythmic piece, “The Many Moods of the Sea.”

Westbrook Police Department will be buying 30,000 45-caliber bullets for 6 cents each. The City Council has given first-reading approval to the $1,800 purchase. The seller is the U.S. Defense Department’s Defense Reutilization Unit and Black Lick, Ohio.

Mrs. Genevieve Gorham, Longfellow Place, Westbrook, is proud and pleased that her husband, Howard, a patient in the Barron Center, Portland, was recently chosen king for the upcoming year. The Barron Center held a gathering in the activity room for the crowning of King Howard and the reigning queen for the year, Mrs. Ruth Davis. They were presented certificates and flowers.

Fire swept Bertin’s Greenhouses in Westbrook Tuesday, destroying a city landmark for more than 50 years. Owner Roger Bertin was back in business the day after the fire, with lights and phones hooked up in an office trailer brought to the property. “But we lost everything. Everything. Two big coolers. The heating plant. All our office records – receivables and payables,” he said.

June 7, 2000

Westbrook voters will all get a local ballot when they go to vote Tuesday, asking if they favor borrowing $8.3 million to finance the costs of a new combined Public Safety Building. The referendum has no binding effect. If voters say no or say yes, with a small turnout, the city could still borrow and building and if they approve it the city need not necessarily build it. Total repayment of the debt, over 20 years, would cost the city $15,904,786, information on the ballot says.

The valedictorian of Westbrook High School this year is Nicholas R. Walker and the salutatorian is Dustin D. Gervais. Both are residents of the town of Poland, who made the long commute back and forth every day for the past four years while their town built its own high school.

Kathleen Miller was specially recognized at the start of Monday’s Westbrook City Council meeting as winner of the Fred Wescott Public Service Scholarship. It is paid for by a fund raised in memory of the late former mayor and School Committee member. Miller, daughter of Bruce and Catherine Miller, has completed the early childhood education program at the Vocational Center. She’ll use the $200 scholarship toward the cost of her studies at the University of Maine at Farmington.

Westbrook’s City Council gave first reading approval Monday to a combined municipal and school budget totaling $36,933,856. Anticipated revenue of $18,601,052 will cut the amount to be raised locally to $18,332,804.

Joe Rinaldi, 48, is the newest addition to the American Journal team. As news editor, he will write news and be responsible for planning the writing and photography of the other news staff members. He comes to the AJ from Calais, where he has been editor of the weekly DownEast Times.

Advertisement: Kids Summer Sale. 25 percent off all children’s clothing. By popular demand: Summer T-shirts still on sale, 2 for $7. Personally Yours, 36 Main St., Gorham. Fabulous Fashions, Jewelry, Accessories, Custom Embroidery.

The Westbrook High School Marching Band and Westbrook Music Boosters thanked the businesses, parents, families, alumni and private donors who helped the band take part in the Citrus Bowl Parade for the 2000 celebration. The band took a first place in the national competition for Division A.

Russ Lemieux operated a Texaco station and towing service from this location at 897 Main St. for many years. The station was razed during urban renewal and the land was converted into Saccarappa Park. The building to the left is 901 Main St. 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