May 1982

A Little Avenue, Westbrook, resident reported several things were taken from her garage, including her son’s 1980 Yamaha dirt bike, value $700, two pairs of adult Head skis, a pair of children’s Head skis, ski poles and two children’s helmets. Several days later, Westbrook Detective Peter Murray, in plain clothes, bought the trail bike from a 16-year-old Gorham boy for $100 – and promptly arrested the boy for selling stolen property. He also arrested another 16-year-old Gorham boy for stealing the bike and selling it to the other boy. It had been damaged. Police are on the trail of the skis and helmets.

Thomas J. Joyce Jr., O.D., of Westbrook, was honored for his service to optometry by his alma mater, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, at the annual alumni reunion at the college in Philadelphia. Joyce, a member of the class of 1960, was president of the Southern Maine Optometric Society in 1968-69, the Maine Optometric Association in 1973-74, and the Maine Board of Optometry in 1977-78.

Aldermen voted 7-0 on first reading to give $1,000 to the

committee planning the third annual Westbrook Together Day, June 19. It’s the first time the city has put up money for the festival. Alderman Norman Conley said he didn’t see how anyone could vote against the $1,000 after Westbrook gave $6,000 to Celebration 350, “which benefits us only indirectly.”

Westbrook’s getting a new uniformed service. The council voted Monday to seek bids for rent of the uniforms. Alderman Donald Esty said they are called for in a new union contract.

Maintaining that you can have fun without getting drunk or stoned, Gorham High School, along with a newly formed group of parents called AWARE, is sponsoring a substance-free graduation party. The party will take place graduation night, June 13. At 10 p.m., students will be bused to the Portland waterfront where they will board a Casco Bay Lines ferry. There will be a live band and refreshments. The boat will dock at 3:30 a.m. Party-goers will then return to Gorham and have

breakfast prepared by the Gorham Lions Club and disperse at 5:30.

The Gorham Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend to the town council that it change the zoning regulations to allow light industrial uses as a special exception in the Roadside Commercial District. The ordinance would prohibit “high hazard” activity and exterior storage or assembly of materials or products, and limit noise levels to a maximum of 65 decibels.

After a two-year absence, balloons will be back at Westbrook’s

Memorial Day parade. The Westbrook City Council approved a vendor’s license for Christopher Brown, 38 Exeter St., Portland, so he can sell balloons and novelties at the parade and future holiday events in Westbrook. “As far back as I can remember,” commented City Clerk William Clarke, “we’ve always had balloons and novelties at the Memorial Day Parade, but the last two years we haven’t had them because Mr. Palmacci has been sick.”

May 1992

The top six of the top 12 seniors academically this year at Westbrook High School are girls who plan careers ranging from science to pre-veterinarian. They are, in order of standing, Valedictorian Holly Mason, Salutatorian Brigid Rielly, Honor Essayist Pamela Ezzy, Kelly Mirone, Kristin Pizzo and Gail Concannon. Rounding out the top 12 are Christopher Libby, Megan Healy, Matthew Binette, Jason Bowie,

Brent Cunningham and Bryan Pepin. Mason and Rielly have been named as Roy A. Robinson Scholars and Ezzy has won the Roy A. Robinson award for College Preparatory.

Aldermen have agreed to a small increase in taxes for schools in Westbrook if they can keep the total tax rate (city and schools) at the present level, $18.65. That agreement was announced by Superintendent Edward Connolly at the Westbrook School Committee’s public hearing on its

budget. Don Richards, chairman of the City Council’s Finance

Committee, said Connolly had it right, but he added that he couldn’t get other aldermen to support him in calling for a no-increase-at-all school budget.

A baby squirrel was abandoned in the yard at 44 Park Road. A Windham woman offered to Westbrook police a baby rabbit that her cat brought home. Animal Control Officer David Sparks accepted both for nurturing.

Westbrook police arrested a 30-year-old man at 250

Methodist Road for driving under the influence of alcohol; driving after his license was suspended; illegal attachment of plates or sticker; two warrants from Portland police charging failure to answer charges in court; and one warrant from Cumberland police for failing to answer charges in court. He was taken to Cumberland County Jail.

Someone has pulled up or broken down at least 10 campaign signs of Al Hawkes, Westbrook candidate for the Republican nomination in Senate District 28. Two suspects almost got caught in the act when they stole a sign from the lawn of his wife’s brother, at Sonny Keene’s house at 4 Independence Drive, Westbrook, early Saturday morning. The

Keenes were in bed but heard a car stop, and looked out the window to see two women in their 20s, judging by their voices, come on the lawn, take the sign and flee.

Westbrook Junior High Assistant School Principal Donald L. Harriman joined a distinguished list of former Westbrook High School graduates when he was presented the annual distinguished Alumni Award at the Academic Awards ceremony at the high school. Harriman, who graduated from WHS in 1954, joins previous recipients William O’Gara,

(class of 1950), the Rev. Reginald Redlon (class of 1939) and Dr. Samuel Broaddus (class of 1969). Harriman is retiring next month after 34 years as a member of the Westbrook Junior High faculty.