June 1982

Westbrook aldermen tabled for public reaction Monday a tough new ordinance giving the fire chief power to set up tow-away lanes on private property. Aldermen did not get copies of the ordinance until they arrived for the meeting, though it had been studied in a council committee, and it was not read to the public on grounds it is too long. They agreed that, in view of the fact there still had been no public discussion of its details, no harm would come from waiting to act. Under the proposed ordinance, a 20-foot wide strip, together with “an outside turning radius of 50 feet,” could be used for nothing except loading or unloading from cars.

The railroad crossing on Main Street in Westbrook near the

intersection of Rochester Street is scheduled to be rebuilt as part of the Maine Department of Transportation’s “Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing Improvement Program” for fiscal year 1982. The rebuilding will include crossing reconstruction, installation of rubber crossing surface panels, and rehabilitation and relocation of flashing light and bell warning signals.

Maine has sent $4,813.03 to Westbrook as reimbursement for

storm windows installed in the Recreation Center and City Hall. It

said these are among 500 buildings in the state to get funds for energy conservation.

The Gorham Town Council took action on the 1982-83 proposed

school and town budget of $5,585,411, up $453,810 or 8.8 per cent from 1981-82. Town Manager Donald Gerrish explained that the net local tax appropriation for school and town operation would be $2,719,963, plus $15,096 for overlay.

Richard Shannon of Country Corner Seafoods Inc., presented the Gorham Planning Board a site plan for construction of a retail

seafood store on the east side of South Street. The plan calls for a 2,152-square-foot, colonial-type building with parking, to be located where a body-shop and garage used to be. Shannon currently sells seafood from a truck he parks in the lot behind Amato’s. The board voted unanimously to walk the site.

Westbrook is getting another $269,000 in federal money for

neighborhood improvements, and will spend the money in the area from Riverbank Park to Cumberland Mills. It expects $160,000 in private funding to result, and will add $30,000 left from a previous neighborhood project, for a total of $459,000.

June 1992

The Westbrook City Council took its final vote Monday on the city

budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. It’s almost unheard of for the budget to be adopted before the year begins, and is expected to save $71,000 that otherwise could have gone for interest on tax anticipation loans. The city will spend $27,541,724 in the year – $11,183,172 for city operations, $15,805,811 for schools, and $552,741 for the county. The tax rate is expected to be a few cents below the 1991-92 rate of $18.65.

In a year when much is said about fresh faces in politics, Republicans of Maine Senate District 28 picked a newcomer over two veterans in primary elections. Allerton H. Hawkes, of country music fame but also long-time Westbrook businessman, never had run for election before. He won the Republican nomination to the Senate with 989 votes to 867 for Philip E. Curran and 528 for Tuffy Laffin. Curran and Laffin are experienced office holders. All three are from Westbrook.

The Westbrook City council voted 6-0 to allow “a family barbecue” at the Prides Corner Drive-in Theater from 5 to 12 p.m., July 11. As many as 2,500 may attend. Rules call for three uniformed police officers, three uniformed security guards and 12 staff security people trained by police and liquor enforcement people and for a limit of three 16-ounce beers per person. There will be rides, games and live bands.

Gorham Town Manager Paul Weston has announced the appointment of Shirley Hughes, Scarborough, as Gorham’s new finance director. Hughes succeeds jack R. Gorsuch, Westbrook, who is retiring at the end of June after 11 years as finance chief.

More than 50 well-wishers attended a surprise retirement party of Mary Estes, Libby Avenue, Gorham High School’s guidance department secretary since 1964. After the initial shock and greetings, Mary and husband, Elwood, joined their son and his wife, Skip and Betty Estes, West Buxton, and a daughter and her husband, Judy and Eugene Roy, Claremont, N.H., at the head table.

Shopping centers, the proposed bypass and downtown revitalization were among the topics discussed .when the Gorham Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting at the Gorham Station, Route. 25. The chamber

also reviewed the town’s proposed Comprehensive Plan.

Kathleen Flanagan, Gorham, has been named vice president of sales and marketing at Portland Glass, responsible for the 41 retail stores and its vinyl windows division in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. She and her husband, Atwood Pound, have two daughters, Lucy and Scarlett.