June 14, 1995

For 19 years Gorham politicians have come and gone while Town Clerk Brenda Caldwell watched from behind the clerk’s desk, but not unnoticed. Recently, she was elected to represent New England and New York on the 22-person board of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. Board members come from all over the world. “They have lively debates, which I am looking forward to taking part in,” she said.

For the third time since it was built in the years 1946-50, the bell tower of St. Hyacinth Roman Catholic Church in Westbrook is being repaired. Each previous time, the cost was $50,000. This time it’s $70,000. With elaborate scaffolding in place, workers are surrounding the tall tower, filling cracks as wide as 1½ inches. The cracks in the tower aren’t a present danger, but had to be taken care of.

Car troubles from the Gorham Police Notes: Someone ran into a telephone pole by the Edgewood Animal Hospital. A Bartell Street woman reported that her car was stolen. A resident reported that two vehicles were blaring obnoxiously loud music near Village School.

The state’s record of corporations does not show any group called Westbrook Environmental Improvement Corp. However, it does show a Westbrook Environmental Assistance Corp. The Assistance Corp. was incorporated last August by the city solicitor. Mayor Kenneth Lefebvre said Monday he was not aware of the name issue, but guessed that it would only be matter of re-filing corporation papers.

June 15, 2005

Gorham residents of Teran Street, William Henry Drive, Adeline Drive and Solomon Drive want the town to install raised traffic tables to slow rush hour traffic. Commuters are driving through their neighborhood to beat bumper-to-bumper traffic in Gorham Village. Money to build a proposed bypass around Gorham Village is included in a federal transportation bill currently being discussed in a joint Congressional conference.

Shipbuilders will launch a Westbrook-built boat into Portland Harbor this week for the first time in 172 years. Unlike the last time, in 1833, the shipbuilders are not professionals. They are students in Wescott Junior High School’s alternative learning program. They have been working on the 21-foot dory since last September.

The Westbrook Food Pantry is looking for volunteers to help with the pantry’s move from the Dana Warp Mill to the basement of the American Legion Hall on Dunn Street at the end of July. The move of food and equipment will take place July 29 and 30, and the pantry will reopen in its new space the first Tuesday in August.

Throughout the year, the seven-member Westbrook School Committee has been joined by two non-voting, but vital, members: student representatives Michael Foley, a junior, and Adam Roy, a senior. While there have been student representatives for the past three years, this year for the first time the students played an active role in shaping the budget, joining in the debate as members of the Finance Committee. “They’ve really done their homework this year,” Committee Chairman Colleen Hilton said. “It was a great learning experience for us to review the budget,” Foley said.