Aug. 31, 1994

Eric Landry, 17, of Westbrook, went for a swim in Sebago Lake State Park and saved a life. Eric was there Aug. 18 for a family picnic with his parents, Donald and Mary Anne Landry, and his brother Benjamin, 10. Suddenly they heard a young man yelling for help. He was out beyond his depth and out of the sight or hearing of any lifeguard. At some risk to himself, as it turned out, Eric swam to the young man’s aid and so did his friend, Benjamin Boucher of Connecticut. Eric was able to calm the panicking man, keep him afloat and get him to shore. The man sat for 45 minutes recovering from his ordeal. Eric holds a lifesaving merit badge as a member of Boy Scout Troop 84, Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church.

From the Gorham Police Log: The Refreshing Paws farm on Brackett Road said a baby lamb was killed by something that jumped an electrified fence. It is believed to be either a coyote or a large dog. A fox was struck on Route 237 near Daigle’s by a pickup truck; the injuries were so severe that the animal was put down with a shotgun. A bull moose died in a 9:30 p.m. collision after causing extensive damage to an Oldsmobile station wagon on Route 114, near Day Road. The driver, Paul Lachance, and his wife, Ann, a passenger, were uninjured. The moose darted out of the woods and ran into the driver’s side window on first impact.

Albert and Marion Chretien, Falmouth Street, Westbrook, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary July 4 at a party given by their children. They were married in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and honeymooned in North Conway, New Hampshire, and Montreal, followed by a week at Panther Pond. For their 50th, they took a 10-day tour of Ireland. Albert worked 43 years for S.D. Warren Co., retiring in 1982. Marion worked 14 years for S.D. Warren. They have three children and five grandchildren.

A block party for Gorham residents of Church and Water streets and Glenwood Avenue was held Aug. 20, with some 50 people on hand. Half the street was blocked off and everyone barbecued a meal or cooked it, with picnic tables massed together.

Sept. 1, 2004

Opponents of the Saunders Bros. zone change have turned to legal action in their attempt to block the construction of a Wal-Mart on the site. Members of Westbrook Our Home filed a complaint this week in Maine Superior Court asking the court to overturn the zone change and send the entire process back to the city’s Ordinance Committee, which drafted the city’s new land-use ordinance, for review. Peggy McGhee, Westrook Our Home’s attorney, said the group believes the process for rezoning the property from industrial to gateway commercial  has been flawed from the beginning.

The Westbrook Downtown Economic Development Committee has recommended to Mayor Bruce Chuluda, who appointed the members, that the city develop Saccarappa Park, attract vendors to the Riverwalk and form a new business association separate from the Chamber of Commerce. Committee Chairman Ed Symbol said the formation of the downtown business group is already underway. He also said vendors would be an additional draw for residents to come downtown and enjoy the Riverwalk. The committee also believes that development of Saccarappa Park is “the key to economic development downtown.”

Gorham’s recent residential growth has created an increasing demand for public water in rural areas of town that have traditionally drawn water from private wells. Now, the town’s Planning Board is considering a proposed addition to the Land Use and Development Code that would require new developments to extend the public water line as part of the site plan approval process if it is deemed “feasible and economically viable” for the developer to pay for it. The code would require the extension if the development is within 3,000 feet of the existing public water main.

Jane Willett, a Gorham town councilor, recently returned from an educational trip to Australia and New Zealand with 30 high school students. She was a delegation leader for the People to People group that traveled to the two countries. Willett organized the trip for high-schoolers from Maine, Vermont and Pennsylvania. They spent three weeks traveling. Monique Lefebvre, 16, of Westbrook, said the trip “definitely has changed how I see other countries.”

On her last day as executive director of the Animal Refuge League in Westbrook, Deb Clark received a $500 donation from the Allstate Foundation. Carlo Giraulo, owner of Carlo Giraulo and Associates in Westbrook, made the presentation on behalf of Allstate. Giraulo has been volunteering to foster pregnant cats. Clark has been commuting to Westbrook from her home in the Augusta area for four years.