Jan. 18, 1989

The Gorham Town Council will no longer meet in the cozy confines of their chambers in the municipal center if a current plan to use that space for the police department and town manager is put into effect. At a Jan. 10 workshop, the council confronted the issue of how to solve the short-term space problems, particularly for police, that remain since voters rejected a $1.3 million expansion of the municipal center. The council decided to use the entire council chambers for the police and town offices and to investigate which school space would be appropriate for their meetings.

The Westbrook Planning Board voted this week to recommend that the city extend R-4 zoning so that Blue Rock Industries can build the office building it wants on Spring Street near the County Road. A public hearing is set for Feb. 14.

A newly released study on ways to reduce noise from the Portland Jetport has recommended buying a 20-lot trailer park on Spring Street, but owner Matty DiRenzo leaves no doubt he will resist any attempt to take the land. “At no price am I interested in selling,” he said Monday. He said he has been offered $2.2 million for the property, but believes it is worth $1 million an acre for each of his 14 acres. The study identifies the mobile home park as the only incompatible land uses in the area near the jetport. The Portland City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed noise reduction plan on Feb. 6.

The Koala Kare Child Care Center on Spring Street in Westbrook reopened Thursday after a suspicious fire at around 10 p.m. Jan. 10. Larry DeRoche, owner of the center, said all his staff and volunteers were in the building Thursday cleaning up smoke and water damage. The cause of the fire was being investigated by the state Fire Marshal’s Office. Unofficial sources say gasoline may have been used to start the fire, which damaged two rooms in the middle of the building.

Gorham Police Chief David Kurz is spreading the word about a program run by his department that aims to provide a vital communication to people living alone. Called the Gorham Community Cares Call, the program was started in 1987 in conjunction with the Gorham Ecumenical Commission. It’s administered by the police department. Each person in the program is expected to call into the police department between 7 and 9 a.m. If they don’t, the dispatcher will call their home. If no one answers, a police officer will check on the residence.

Jan. 20, 1999

Thirteen people, eight from Maine and five from out of state, have applied for the job of Westbrook school superintendent. If that turns out to be too few to choose from, the School Committee is already prepared to reopen the search. If needed, Robert Hall has agreed to stay on the job six months past his July 1 retirement.

After 28 years as a teacher and principal in Westbrook’s public school system, former Prides Corner Elementary School principal Steve Harnois, 49, became a deacon in the Catholic Church and is now principal of the Holy Cross School in South Portland. Six years ago, Harnois got a letter from Bishop Joseph Gerry of the Portland Diocese telling him that he was a candidate for permanent deacon’s position in the church. To Harnois, who attended Mass daily, the letter was a complete surprise. He entered a four-year master’s degree program in pastoral studies. A deacon is ordained by the church, but is not a priest.

The towns of Gorham and Windham have joined to apply for $400,000 is state-federal help for the Little Falls/South Windham area. Both town councils voted recently to apply for state Downtown Revitalization Grant money. If awarded, it would be used for “gateway” improvements, sidewalk improvements, new crosswalks, traffic warning signs, “street furniture” and a business fac?ade program. Richard Rothe of Rothe Associates, Hallowell, was hired to write the application for the money.

A discussion of the novel, “Patrimony,” by Phillip Roth, will be held Jan. 28 at Baxter Memorial Library, Gorham. The library has a number of copies of the book.

If you don’t count that overtime heartbreak in the state championship last year, it’s been a very long time since anyone beat the Westbrook High School girls basketball team. They were 18-0 last year and have charged back this season, too. They’ll travel to play Lewiston, Western Class A’s only other undefeated girls team, Feb. 2, and play Feb. 12 and 16 on the road at Deering and Portland. Gorham girls, meanwhile, moved into first place in the standings this week by defeating Scarborough.

Gorham Trails and Portland Trails are working together to extend a walking path along the Stroudwater River from behind Unum near the Maine Turnpike in Portland to Spring Street in Westbrook. Gorham Trails received in June 1997 an easement on 14 acres on the banks of the Stroudwater in Westbrook from the Twin Falls Golf Course. It’s planning to build a half-mile trail. The organizations are working together to bridge a gap between the two trails of about two miles.

In 1915, cousins Louis and Alex Kourapis rented space in a small store at 888 Main St., on the corner of Main and Central streets, and opened a fruit and vegetable store. In 1918, Louis Kourapis joined the U.S. Army and served for two years of active duty, while Alex  operated the business. Louis returned in 1920 and bought out his cousin Alex, who wanted to return to his native Athens. Louis expanded the business to include a couple of trucks to deliver fruits and vegetables to neighboring towns, and also started producing a line of homemade candy, including hand-dipped chocolates, fudge and ribbon candy. In 1946, Louis purchased the building he was in and two adjoining properties, one next door on Main Street and the other behind his store on Central Street. The three buildings were part of the C.P. Paine estate and were believed to be the oldest buildings in the downtown business district. Kourapis demolished all three buildings and built a single-story brick building to house his business and rental space for another business (Western Auto becamea longtime occupant of that space). The new store included a lunch counter and a line of S.S. Pierce spices. Kourapis retired in 1958 and his son Odysseus (known to everyone as Oddi) took over the business. Oddi remodeled the interior of the store, shown here, and it became known as Kourapis Farms. He sold the business in October 1973. Main Street Café is the present occupant. To see more historical photos and artifacts, visit the Westbrook Historical Society at the Fred C. Wescott Building, 426 Bridge St. Inquiries can be emailed to westhistorical@myfairpoint.net. The website is www.westbrookhistoricalsociety.org.