Oct. 11, 1995

Mayor Kenneth Lefebvre hailed two Westbrook business expansions in his remarks to the City Council last week. Both went before the Zoning Appeals Board Wednesday for review. Jordan’s Foods plans a distribution warehouse at its plant in the Col. Westbrook Executive Park on County Road. Portland Welding Supply plans a tank filling and distribution plant on Scott Drive, in the Glassworld Industrial Park.

From the Gorham Police Notes: Police found a 45-year-old resident sleeping in his car in the parking lot next to the Big Apple on Main Street. He said he had gotten into a fight with his wife and left the house for the night. Police got a call from a Buxton woman upset that her 17-year-old daughter hadn’t returned home from her friend’s house in Gorham. Officers went and told the girl her mother called.

The state wants to put a flashing beacon for firetrucks at Wayside Drive and Mechanic Street in Westbrook and also a right-turn lane for westbound traffic. Though aldermen worried about the effect on pedestrians already having a tough time getting across Wayside Drive, they gave first-reading approval for the project. The $44,000 project will cost the city $4,000.

The U.S. Navy is promoting Dr. Stephen S. Torrey Jr., son of Mrs. Margaret Torrey and the late Stephen Torrey Sr., Westbrook, to the rank of captain. He had been at the Naval Construction Battalion Center at Port Hueneme, California, as director of occupational and environmental medicine. He’s now based in Bethesda, Maryland. He graduated from Westbrook High School in 1970.

Oct. 12, 2005

Steven Roberts, 54, of Gorham, still works seven days a week. But after winning $250,000 in the Maine Lottery and a chance at $1 million, he was thinking about giving himself a little bonus this year. “I might take Christmas Day off,” said Roberts, who is self-employed. He’s among four finalists from the Million Dollar Bonus Spectacular Ticket Game. The $1 million drawing is tonight.

Photo caption: Lexi Merrifield, grade 5, at Village School in Gorham, gives her hog, J.D., a bath at the recent Cumberland Fair. She took a first place in showing with Benny, another one of her two hogs she exhibited at the fair.

Westbrook police will be seeking indictments in connection with a series of six car fires in the Brown Street area on Sept. 28 and 29. Chief Paul McCarthy said police expect to go to the grand jury in November. He declined to name suspects in the case. Police do not anticipate making any arrests until after the grand jury hands down indictments.

Westbrook resident Ray Richardson said this week he collected more than 1,300 signatures for a referendum that would have asked city voters to increase the allowable footprint of a proposed Walmart from 160,000 square feet to 180,000 square feet. The 160,000-foot size had been recommended by the Planning Board and approved by the City Council. However, Richardson said he’s decided not to turn the petitions in by the Sept. 30 deadline. He declined to explain why.