Construction on William Clarke Drive Expected to Wrap Up in October

PDS:

Using 80 percent federal highway funds and 20 percent state funds, MaineDOT
hired R.J. Grondin and Sons of Gorham as the contractor. The job started in
spring 2010 and it's scheduled to be completed by the end of this October, Latti
said. "Basically we're widening that road, it's nearly a mile long, from the
Westbrook Connector to Saco Street in Westbrook," Latti said. Over 16,500
vehicles a day use this stretch of Route 25, which connects the Westbrook
Arterial to Saco Street. More than 19,000 vehicles a day travel some sections,
Latti said. In the past, pedestrians faced a steady flow of traffic with few
easy crossings.

- John C.L. Morgan

Mayor Hilton Named One of Five 'Women to Watch'

Maine Biz:

People seem to think Colleen Hilton should be more stressed out than she is. As
CEO of a health care organization facing major funding cuts and mayor of a city
that’s seen its share of controversy in the last year, she certainly has reason
to be. But for Hilton, making tough decisions comes with the territory.
"If you don’t have the mindset that you’re confident about what you’re doing,
you shouldn’t be doing it," Hilton says, sitting in her office at VNA Home
Health & Hospice, a nonprofit that serves more than 3,000 clients each year.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: CCB Inc. President a 'Woman to Watch' (October 13, 2009)

White Family Donates Land for Playing Fields

PPH:

White Bros., which was sold last year to Connecticut-based Lane Construction,
has offered the city 14 acres near its quarry to use for athletic fields. The
company is also donating its workers and equipment to build the two fields--an
estimated $400,000 gift. "It's an unbelievable blessing for the city," City
Councilor Victor Chau said last Monday, before voting in favor of an agreement
to lease the land for 25 years for $25. The council also voted to spend $26,400
on the engineering and design of the fields. City Administrator Jerre Bryant
said that cost would be covered by donations. He wouldn't say who was donating
the money because those deals hadn't been finalized.

- John C.L. Morgan

A Look Back at Urban Renewal Legacy

AJ:

The program offered free government funds and a promise: to transform America’s
aging traditional downtowns into modern, thriving hubs of commerce, community
and character. Three decades later, Westbrook is still waiting for delivery on
that promise. While the downtown area remains active, many of the smaller, local
retail shops that are the hallmark of the American downtown are gone. A changing
economic landscape surely had a role. But experts and city officials all agree
that a well-intentioned but poorly executed federal program must share some of
the blame.

- John C.L. Morgan

City, Ex-Fire Chief Reach Deal

PPH:

The city has reached a proposed settlement with former Fire Chief Daniel Brock,
who sued the city in 2010 after recently elected Mayor Colleen Hilton announced
she wasn't reappointing him to lead the troubled department. The City Council
will take an initial vote on the agreement Monday. Until then, representatives
of both the city and Brock declined to give any details of the settlement.
Brock, 63, who received about $6,000 in severance pay, claimed in his lawsuit
that the city violated its charter and wrongfully discharged him. He has said he
would drop the suit if the city paid the equivalent of four years' salary plus
the health and retirement benefits he would have received through his planned
retirement age of 66. That payment would be more than $330,000.

- John C.L. Morgan

Former Church Could Be Converted to Cultural Center

AJ:

A Portland church has made good on its promise to donate a former Unitarian
Universalist church building in Westbrook to the community, with an eye toward
cultural development. The Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church in Portland
has sold the former church building at 719 Main St. to Westbrook Housing for $1,
according to John Gallagher, executive director of the housing authority.

- John C.L. Morgan

On Angelone's

Included in this PPH article about the closing of the Angelone's pizza joint in South Portland is some background on the Westbrook location, which is celebrating 40 years of business this year:

The Angelone family is credited with bringing the modern pizzeria to Maine. Jack
Angelone opened his first restaurant on Veranda Street in Portland in 1947,
where he entertained crowds by playing the piano. Angelone was joined in the
venture by his brother Joe and his wife Patricia. Pizza was not then a staple in
the American diet. A 1953 news clipping that hung on a wall at the South
Portland shop included a pronunciation of the word, "peet-za." The food grew in
popularity in the years after World War II, and in the late 1950s the Angelones
moved their restaurant to Portland's Monument Square. Angelone family members
have since opened several restaurants in Maine under various names.

- John C.L. Morgan

Superintendent Nominates New High School Principal

AJ:

The Westbrook School District has chosen a new principal for the high school,
Superintendent Marc Gousse said Thursday. Gousse named Thomas O'Malley, of
Eliot, as the district's choice. The hiring must be confirmed by the school
committee to become official, but Gousse said today that he is strongly
recommending O'Malley. The school committee will likely vote on the hiring at
its next meeting.

- John C.L. Morgan

Charter Commission Receives Extension

AJ:

The city’s Charter Commission at the moment is trying to figure out how to
create terms for elected officials that make more sense, eliminate needless and
confusing bureaucratic layers of government, and eliminate conflicts that
contributed, in at least one case, to a high-profile lawsuit against the city.
So naturally, commission members feel they need more time. This week, they got
it.

-John C.L. Morgan

WPD Undergo Hostage Exercises

PPH:

All police knew was that shots had been fired at the middle school. What they
didn’t know was that the shooter had a hostage on the second floor of the
building. The scenario was one of several played out Tuesday at Westbrook Middle
School, where the Westbrook Police Department is holding training sessions all
week. Officers from Westbrook and Gorham were invited to sign up for one of the
half-day sessions.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Hires Alum for H.S. Girls Basketball

SJ:

"It's my alma mater," said [Chris] Aube. "That was pretty much the selling
factor. It was a tough decision. I think I established a pretty good program at
Gray-New Gloucester. I told the girls that this was the only position that I'd
consider. It's exciting to be going home, but it was also a tough decision to
leave." Aube coached the Patriots for four season, making the playoffs every
year. He went 44-30 in the regular season and posted double-digit wins each
year.

- John C.L. Morgan

IDEXX to Break Ground on Headquarters in Fall

PPH:

Idexx Laboratories this fall will begin construction of a $60 million corporate
headquarters for 700 employees in Westbrook. Idexx has talked about building its
corporate headquarters in Westbrook since 2006, but plans were sidelined in 2008
when Pike Industries announced its plan to expand nearby quarrying operations.

- John C.L. Morgan

PSAs

Clay Stewart, an experienced financial planner at Prudential Insurance, will host a financial planning seminar at Walker Memorial Library Thursday night (July 14) from 6p- 7:30p. According to librarian Marian Peterson, the event is not a sales pitch, but it is an opportunity for Westbrook residents ages 25-64 to learn more about the various aspects associated with financial planning.

Also, free lunches via the Westbrook Summer Lunch program will continue to be distributed to Westbrook youth (18 and younger) from 11:45a-12:30p every weekday through Friday, August 19. The lunch sites are Canal School (102 Glenwood Avenue) and the Brown Street Neighborhood Center (13 Reserve Street). For more information, see this virtual flier.

- John C.L. Morgan

Owners, City Differ on Vision for Property

PPH:

An owner of the former Maine Rubber building says he won't tear down the
massive, blighted structure at the western end of Westbrook's Main Street until
the city changes the zoning at the site or a tenant commits to the property. The
city secured a $125,000 Community Development Block Grant in April that would
cover most of the cost of demolishing the 27,000-square-foot building. The grant
was meant to give owners Dave and Jim Elowitch an incentive to tear down the
structure.

- John C.L. Morgan

City Opts to Not Apply for Grant to Restore 'Blue Note Park'

AJ:

On June 24, the Westbrook Environmental Improvement Corp. (WEIC) voted not to
pursue the application for a $140,000 state grant to revamp a walking mall
connecting Main Street and William Clarke Drive, known as Westbrook Commons,
according to [Director of Community and Economic Development Keith] Luke.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: City Explores Renovation of 'Blue Note Park' (June 23, 2011)

Paper City Pub Crawl (Summer '11 Edition): A Reflection

(Editor's Note: About twenty of us Brookies and a handful of adopted Brookies participated in the summer 2011 edition of the Paper City Pub Crawl on Saturday, June 25. Sponsored by the Paper City Junto, a fledgling social civic club I'm organizing, the pub crawl began at Thatcher's at 6p, and continued to Stockhouse (7p), Skybox (8p), The Frog and Turtle (9p), and Profenno's (10p). Below are three thoughts.)

Yes, a Burnt Trailer tastes as awful as it sounds.

The night's gimmick was a poker crawl of sorts, complete with designated drinks and playing cards for a poker hand at the end of the night. At Thatcher's, for example, the drink was Shipyard's Summer Ale, ditto Gritty's Vacationland Summer Ale at Stockhouse. Skybox was home to the Remember the Maine, and The Frog and Turtle whipped up more Rudy Vallee (page 3) cocktails in one hour than they had in a year. The headliner of the night, though, was the Burnt Trailer nightcap served by Profenno's.

Now, I'm a big fan of Moxie, and I think it's every Mainers' duty to have at least one of the numerous best-selling bottles of Allen's Coffee-Flavored Brandy stashed in a cupboard for special occasions. After experiencing the awful splendor of a Burnt Trailer (equal parts Moxie and Allen's) at Profenno's, though, I recommend keeping those two beverages at least 25 feet from each other, per the One Percent Doctrine. Think liquified coffee grounds, and you'll have a good idea of what the cocktail tastes like.

Hey, at least we survived to tell the grandkids.

We were a mobile economic stimulus package.

When I wrote the high-minded mission statement for the Paper City Junto, I noted the loosely-organized group's effort "to enrich the cultural, economic, intellectual, political, and social landscapes" of Westbrook. I'm still figuring out how to live up to that sentence, but I am comfortable the crawl improved the economy of Westbrook--for at least one night.

When about 15 of us kicked off the crawl at Thatcher's at 6p, no one else was in the restaurant. When we left an hour later for Stockhouse, the place was still empty. The economic impact of our group wasn't as drastic at the other four stops, but we did our part in injecting money into the Westbrook economy that would've otherwise been absent.

"I'm doing snow angels in front of the church."

Ask some of the old-timers, and they'll spin stories about that character or this incident that mostly came about because that section of town was a place people hung around in long enough to marinate in its surroundings and its people. It seems today, though, Westbrook's downtown is a destination spot for small, private happenings, whether it's a solo walk on the Riverwalk or a meal with family at a restaurant.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it (I do after all need to tease something out of a bunch of us walking--and imbibing--from bar to bar), but the pub crawl was a uniquely collective happening, an event downtown that has a common narrative among 20 or so loosely-joined people.

And the fact that one of those narratives may involve a lost crawler, snow angels in the middle of the summer, and St. Anthony's church makes it that much richer.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook a Testing Ground for Public Safety Consolidation

PPH:

[Public Safety Director Michael] Pardue said the consolidation of [and fire and
police[ chiefs' jobs isn't right for every community. It made sense for
Westbrook because the police and fire departments were already in the same
building and both had strong leaders as second-in-command, he said. "The stars
have to be aligned correctly." Still, considering the cost savings on
administrators' salaries, and increased coordination and efficiency among the
departments, the structure should be considered more frequently, he said. "It's
a concept that I think has the potential to be evaluated by other communities as
we look to streamline our resources and answer the economic challenges we're
faced with at this time," said Pardue.

- John C.L. Morgan

City Fines Pike $3,000 for Blasting Violations

AJ:

The city has fined Pike Industries Inc. $3,000 for two violations committed
during recent construction blasts the company conducted. City Administrator
Jerre Bryant said the city had the option of fining up to $2,500 per violation.
The fines, he said, total $2,500 for one violation on May 17, and $500 for
another violation May 20. Pike conducted the blasting in late May and early
June, while constructing an access road connecting Spring Street to a
controversial quarry the company plans to reactivate after decades of lying
virtually dormant.

- John C.L. Morgan

Tranchemontagne's Closes its Doors, Seeks Buyer

AJ:

When opportunity opened one door for Andre Tranchemontagne, in the form of his
band, Pinsky, getting signed by a New York record label, it necessitated the
closure of his eponymous eatery on Main Street in Westbrook. "We closed the
doors Saturday afternoon," said operations manager Sasha Richardson, on Tuesday.
"Andre is spending a lot of time touring, and so his time has become limited,"
said Richardson, adding that the catering business at The Frog and Turtle
restaurant, also co-owned by Andre and his brother, James Tranchemontagne, "has
just exploded."

The Craigslist.com ad for the turn-key operation can be seen here.

- John C.L. Morgan

School Board Hires Gousse as Superintendent, Approves New Teacher Contract

PPH:

Westbrook High School Principal Marc Gousse has
accepted an offer to become superintendent of the city's school district,
pending the negotiation of a contract. The School Committee made the offer
Wednesday after an interview with Gousse, who has been interim superintendent
since March. It was the only interview the committee conducted for the job. No
other members of the district's staff applied during an in-house search. After
the interview Wednesday, the School Committee decided that a regional or
national search for a new superintendent wasn't necessary. "We decided we had
the best candidate," said School Committee member Suzanne Salisbury.

[snip]

At a meeting Wednesday night, the School Committee approved a three-year contract with the district's teachers' union. Under the agreement, teachers will receive no raise or step increases in the first year, a 1.5 percent raise along with step increases in the second year, and a 2.5 percent raise with step increases in the third year.

- John C.L. Morgan

Full disclosure: I teach at Westbrook High School.

City Explores Renovation of 'Blue Note Park'

AJ:

According to the detailed proposal, revamping the space would include removing
some of the trees, pulling up uneven concrete slabs, then installing new
concrete slabs, putting in new areas of crushed stone, planting new trees,
installing new lighting, installing new benches and installing assorted
planters. In addition, the plan includes building two pergolas, and also calls
for two new concrete pads to accommodate sculptures to be installed in the
future.

- John C.L. Morgan

Developers to Present Expanded Plan for Senior Housing

PPH:

Tonight, [Sandy River Co.] will present an expanded proposal to the Planning
Board. The new proposal is for a three-phase project, with a 50-bed memory care
center for Alzheimer's patients, followed by a 120-unit independent- and
assisted-living facility and, finally, 44 cottages to sell to people who are 55
and older. Daniel Maguire, a partner in Sandy River, which owns 11 health care
facilities in Maine, said the economic downturn stalled the project and
eventually led the developer to change its plan. "We just felt there was a need
to add to (the previous proposal) and provide additional senior-care services,"
he said.

- John C.L. Morgan

Police Notes

The WPD suspects there might be an organized theft ring responsible for home break-ins since March. And in separate news, the WPD will be cracking down on impaired driving this summer, thanks to a $5,000 grant from the state.

- John C.L. Morgan

School Board Expected to Name Gousse as New Superintendent of Schools

AJ:

School committee members have finished advertising internally for candidates for
the new Westbrook school superintendent, and Marc Gousse is on a very short
list. In fact, he’s the only name on the list, according to committee members
this week. School Committee Chairman Ed Symbol said he thought there would be a
few others, but after the 10-day period for accepting applications expired last
week, Gousse, who is interim school superintendent, was the only one.

- John C.L. Morgan

(Full disclosure: I'm employed by the Westbrook School Department.)

Local Restaurateur's Band Gets National Pub

The band of Andre Tranchemontagne, a co-owner of downtown restaurants The Frog and Turtle and Tranchemontagne's Bar and Eatery, got national attention Monday when Alternative Press showcased its music video for their song "Losing Touch" (see below).

Pinsky, for whom Tranchemontagne is the drummer, will release a new album in early July.



- John C.L. Morgan

Dana Warp Mill Sold

PPH:

The Dana Warp Mill was sold at auction this morning to the real estate investor
who took over the loan on the building last month. Sasa Cook, the sole bidder at
the auction held at the mill, bought the 250,000-square-foot building for $2.5
million. He said he expects to close this week. Former owner Tim Flannery
defaulted on his mortgage in September, and Bank of America placed the building
into receivership. Since them, CB Richard Ellis/Boulos Property Management has
been managing the building and will continue to do so.

- John C.L. Morgan

Former School Superintendent a Finalist for National Award

PPH:

Former Westbrook Superintendent Reza Namin, who resigned in March, is one of
five finalists for a national superintendent-of-the-year award. The National
Association of School Superintendents announced the finalists Thursday. The
other four are from Colorado, South Carolina, Louisiana and Wisconsin. Theresa
Daem, the association's executive director, wrote in a news release that Namin's
outstanding achievements in Westbrook included the development of a strategic
plan for the district, reduction in drop-out rates and the initiation of virtual
high school courses.

- John C.L. Morgan

Voters Approve School Budget

AJ:

The Westbrook school budget season officially came to a close tonight, as voters
elected to pass the 2011-2012 budget by a more than 2-to-1 margin. The clerk's
office confirmed tonight that the budget passed by a vote of 780-320. The $30.7
million budget will cut six teachers and seven support staff. Despite massive
spending cuts, equally large losses in state and federal funding means the new
budget will raise the property tax rate 37 cents per $1,000 of valuation.

- John C.L. Morgan

Don't Forget to Vote

Polls are open from 7a-8p today, so don't forget to vote on the FY2011-2012 school budget. Voting information can be seen here, the finalized budget can be seen here, and a summary of the budget can be read here.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Ballplayer Named Best in State

PPH:

Scott Heath of Westbrook received good news Wednesday while resting his left arm
after experiencing pain while throwing a pitch in the second inning Tuesday
against Cheverus. Heath was named the Maine Gatorade high school baseball player
of the year after going 5-0 in the regular season with a 0.00 earned-run
average. Heath has 41 strikeouts in 32 innings and batted .390 with 18 RBI. The
Blue Blazes finished with a 14-2 record after a 6-2 loss to the Stags and will
enter the Western Class A playoffs as the No. 2 seed.

- John C.L. Morgan

WRVC Grads to Compete in National Auto Event

PPH:

A third turn of the ignition switch flashed a code on the scan tool: a
malfunction in the evaporative emissions purge solenoid, which transfers gas
fumes to the engine rather than the atmosphere. That was the problem,
but [Joshua Beeler and Anthony Perron] of the Westbrook Regional
Vocational Center would have to do additional tests to determine the cause and
the way to repair it. The scenario was just a test that instructor Carter
Waldren put together, the kind of challenge the teenagers will face next week at
the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills national competition in Dearborn, Mich.

- John C.L. Morgan

City Set to Celebrate WTD

AJ:

With 15,000 to 20,000 people expected, vendors, performers, and organizers are
preparing to go all out for the 32nd annual Westbrook Together Days this
weekend. The event Friday and Saturday features entertainment on three stages,
carnival rides, an animal petting zoo, rock climbing wall, mechanical bull
rides, and more attractions for all ages. Saturday will feature a parade through
downtown. It will start at 10 a.m. on Lincoln Street. It will travel along to
Bridge Street, then to Main Street, ending at Riverbank Park.

- John C.L. Morgan

New Senior Housing Complex to Host Open House

PPH:

The executive director of the city's housing authority concedes that he probably
overpaid for two dilapidated multi-family houses on Main Street 10 years ago.
The purchase, however, is about to pay off. Along with the houses came adjacent
land that stretches back toward the Presumpscot River. It is now the site of a
34-unit affordable housing complex for seniors. The property at 19 Ash St. will
be the site of an open house Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. Residents will begin moving
in next week, said John Gallagher, executive director of Westbrook Housing.

- John C.L. Morgan

Former Standout Coach Passes Away

PPH:

Bill Folsom, the former Westbrook High basketball coach, was always impeccably
dressed with his navy blue sports jacket, powder blue and white striped tie,
perfectly creased slacks and polished loafers. His teams reflected his sartorial
style. The Blue Blazes may have been the first high school team in the state to
wear warmup jackets and pants. The players wore knee-length socks, which some
teams wore in those days. The Blazes always looked sharp in pregame drills and
it carried over to the game. Folsom wanted his teams, as his son, Mark, said,
"to be top shelf" in their appearance and their play. Folsom, one of the top
coaches in Maine history, died Sunday at 83 from the effects of a stroke in
North Fort Myers, Fla., where he lived for 23 years.

- John C.L. Morgan

Vote on School Budget is June 7

AJ:

With a referendum on the 2011-2012 school budget less than a week away, it’s
decision time for Westbrook voters on whether they will approve a 2.1 percent
budget increase over the 2010-2011 budget. Voting is Tuesday, June 7, with polls
open from 7a.m,-8 p.m. Even if the $30.7 million budget passes, massive cuts in
state and federal money to the district means six teachers and seven support
staffers will lose their jobs, to say nothing of the cuts in programs the
district will have to weather.

- John C.L. Morgan

Judge Allows Former Fire Chief's Lawsuit to Proceed

PPH:

A lawsuit filed by a former Westbrook fire chief who says he was improperly
removed from his job can proceed following a judge's ruling this week. Daniel
Brock sued the city of Westbrook and Mayor Colleen Hilton last year after Hilton
announced at her inauguration that she would not reappoint Brock as fire chief.
U.S. District Judge D. Brock Hornby, ruling on a motion by the city to throw out
the case, said Monday that the Westbrook fire chief isn't subject to annual
appointment by the mayor, even though the position is listed that way in the
city's charter. At issue were two seemingly contradictory provisions in the
charter: one that says the fire chief is appointed annually and another that
says the chief serves until death, retirement or removal for cause.

- John C.L. Morgan

Middle School Students Attend to Veterans' Graves

AJ:

On Monday, as part of what is becoming an annual tradition, about 35 middle
school students listened to a presentation by [Deputy Public Services Director
Arty] Ledoux, who himself served as a U.S. Marine, about grave markers and their
significance for veterans and their families. Then, on Tuesday, the students
took to Woodlawn Cemetery, nearly across the street from the school on
Stroudwater Street, to attend to markers that had been bent, fallen over or
placed in the wrong position.

- John C.L. Morgan

New Investor Looks to Own Dana Warp Mill

PPH:

A local real estate investor has taken over the loan on a former Westbrook mill
and hopes to soon own the landmark building that's home to a mix of small
businesses and art studios. Aleksandar "Sasa" Cook, who owns three other
properties in Westbrook, purchased the loan on the Dana Warp Mill from Bank of
America earlier this month. He expects to take ownership of the five-story brick
building after a foreclosure auction in June. Cook plans to continue to market
the 250,000-square-foot building, which is 30 percent vacant, as a good place to
grow a young company.

Related: Owner of Dana Warp Mill Victim of Foreclosure (September 10, 2010)

- John C.L. Morgan

City Eyes Investment in Public Works Facility

PPH:

Finally, the public works project "has risen to the top," [department
director Tom Eldridge] said. The council earlier this month approved
spending $300,000 for Westbrook-based Sebago Technics Inc. to design the
facility. A 10-member building committee has been touring area public works
departments to get ideas for Westbrook. Arty Ledoux, deputy director of public
services and chairman of the building committee, said the city is awaiting a
report from engineers who will determine whether the existing 11,000-square-foot
building should be renovated or torn down.

- John C.L. Morgan

Pike Explosions Prompt Some Complaints, Citation from City

AJ:

The blasting began on May 12, and local residents said the noise and vibration
weren’t that bad. "I really didn’t think it was that loud," Ronald Daniels, 69,
who lives at 690 Spring St., across the street from where the blasting occurred,
said that Thursday. "It was just a second, and that was it. It was done." But a
blast on Monday prompted a different reaction in the Birdland neighborhood. "I
jumped out of that green chair,” Josephine Peterson, 69, of 59 Oriole St., said
Tuesday while pointing to a chair in her living room and describing her reaction
to the Monday blast.

[snip]

AJ:

A consent agreement between Pike and the city
set ground rules for how Pike could conduct operations at the quarry. The
violation notice cited the stipulation in the agreement that Pike cannot set off
blasts emitting noises louder than 129 decibels. According to data from the
city’s planning office, a seismograph in the Birdland neighborhood recorded a
decibel level of 129.3 on Tuesday.

- John C.L. Morgan

School Superintendent Lobbies for Passage of Budget Referendum

AJ:

The vote will be a make-or-break moment for the budget, and Interim School
Superintendent Marc Gousse knows it. After taking the reins in March, he took on
the task of deciding what--and who--to cut from the budget. Now, Gousse is
trying to get the word out to the public in advance of the June 7 vote, and is
asking for support. "Education is an investment," he said. "The generous support
we get from taxpayers will pay dividends down the road."

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Musicians Putting Old Rivalries Aside to Play Show

PPH:

It started with The Beatles' 1964 appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Tom
Dyhrberg, who was a preteen in Westbrook at the time, remembers watching the
performance on television. "The music was great. The hall was full of screaming
girls. I looked at the screen and said, 'I want to do that,'" Dyhrberg said.
Soon, rock bands started cropping up at high schools around Greater Portland,
and Westbrook seemed to be the epicenter of it all. With a strong music program
in the school district, the city was "a hotbed" of talent, said Tony Boffa, a
locally renowned musician who grew up in Portland around the same time. Members
of three former Westbrook High School cover bands, who once competed for gigs,
are putting their old rivalries aside. On Saturday, they will play hits from the
1960s and early '70s at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland.

- John C.L. Morgan

Wall Street Journal Looks to Local Chef for Franco Picnic

WSJ:

Enjoy a French-style picnic avec Creton (traditional French-Canadian pork
spread) from James Tranchemontagne of The Frog and Turtle in Westbrook, Me.

- John C.L. Morgan

Pike Begins Blasting Amid Letters of Protest

PPH:

Pike Industries set off its first blast Thursday for the construction of an
access road at its Spring Street quarry, despite a last-minute demand from
neighboring businesses that the city halt the activity. A letter from Artel Inc.
was hand-delivered Thursday morning to Westbrook Code Enforcement Officer Rick
Gouzie asking him not to allow the scheduled blasting to proceed. Smiling Hill
Farm and television stations WPXT/WPME also sent letters to Gouzie opposing the
blasting.

- John C.L. Morgan

Council Gives Final Approval to Budgets

AJ:

The municipal expense budget is now finalized at $24,292,628, an increase of
$19,675 over the 2010-2011 budget. To make up for revenue losses, the city will
have to raise a total of $477,106 more from taxpayers next year. That translates
into a 26-cent increase in the tax rate for 2012, or a $49.01 annual increase on
a $190,000 home, according to Chief Financial Officer Dawn Ouellette. The
council’s vote also approves the school budget, which now goes to a public
referendum on June 7. If approved by voters, the 2011-2012 budget will be
$30,855,304, which is about $2.4 million smaller than the current 2010-2011
budget. If approved by voters, 42 positions will be lost throughout the
district, including teachers, staff, and administration personnel.

- John C.L. Morgan

Plans Afoot to Reopen Daycare

PPH:

A new plan has emerged for reopening a day-care facility in Westbrook that
closed abruptly in February, leaving parents scrambling to find child care. Less
than a day after Lollipop Lane Educare shut down Feb. 11, the state issued a
temporary license to Norma Wolf, the parent of a boy at the center. Wolf wanted
to reopen the facility immediately, but said Wednesday that the plan "didn't
move forward." She declined to comment further. Now Mindy Brigham, a single
mother with a background in education, has applied to the state for a license to
operate a child care center at 18 Patrick Drive in one of the two buildings
previously occupied by Lollipop Lane.

- John C.L. Morgan

City Extends Trespass Order Against Former Finance Chief

PPH:

The city's former finance director has been banned from City Hall for another
year. Westbrook police served Susan Rossignol with a trespass notice Saturday at
the request of Mayor Colleen Hilton and City Administrator Jerre Bryant, said
police Capt. Tom Roth. Rossignol, who was Westbrook's finance director for 32
years, was served a one-year trespass notice in March 2010, two months after
Hilton announced at her inauguration that she was not reappointing Rossignol.

- John C.L. Morgan

Walker Memorial Library Participating in 'Food Not Fines Week'

Beginning today and ending Saturday, May 14, the Walker Memorial Library is participating in the "Food Not Fines Week" initiative organized by the Maine State Library. As a result, library patrons can have their late fees wiped clean this week, as long as they return an overdue item and donate a non-perishable food item to the library.

The donated food will be re-distributed to the Westbrook Food Pantry.

- John C.L. Morgan

City Approves Pike's Plans

PPH:

Pike Industries' plan to build an access road and buffers at its quarry in
Westbrook, as ordered by a judge in November, was approved by the city Thursday.
When it finishes the construction, Pike will be able to resume blasting rock at
its quarry off Spring Street. Work at the quarry has been on hold as Pike's
neighbors, including Idexx Laboratories, have challenged the company's right to
blast rock there. After years of debate before local boards and in court, a
Maine Business Court justice in November approved a consent agreement among
Pike, Idexx and the city that allows Pike to blast with certain conditions,
including the new access road and buffers.

- John C.L. Morgan

Public Safety Overtime Costs Aggravate Councilors

AJ:

Tempers ran high at the city’s Finance Committee meeting on April 25, as the
committee, made up of city councilors, voted to slash overtime for fire and
police officers by 10 percent. The move came after some councilors grilled
Pardue, over a total overtime budget of about $350,000. "I’ve been here for 12
years, and I’ve been hammering on this issue," said Councilor John O’Hara,
jabbing his forefinger at Pardue for emphasis. "The hemorrhaging is just
incredible."

- John C.L. Morgan

Pulse Hosts 7th Annual WMPG Fashion Show

The Spring Street dance studio hosted the event last Saturday (April 30).

- John C.L. Morgan

WHS Alums Stars for Keene State Lacrosse

PPH:

From the moment Lauren Sawyer first picked up a
lacrosse stick, she knew she found her athletic calling. "I just felt
comfortable from the minute I tried it," she said, of her freshman year at
Westbrook High. Eight years later, it's obvious that Sawyer was meant to play
lacrosse. A senior at Keene (N.H.) State, she will lead the second-ranked Owls
into the Little East Conference semifinals today against the University of
Southern Maine. Sawyer is the school's all-time leading scorer, with 102 goals
and a record 193 assists, giving her a total of 295 points.

- John C.L. Morgan

City Council Gives Initial Approval to Budgets

PPH:

The Westbrook City Council gave initial approval Monday to the operating budgets
of the city and the school department, totaling $55.1 million. Next Monday, the
council will hold a public hearing and a final vote on the budgets. Together,
the 2011-12 budgets would raise property taxes by 4.2 percent, which is the same
as 70 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value or $132 for the owner of
$190,000 home. Residents will vote June 14 on the school budget, which is
slightly less than $30.9 million and accounts for 44 cents of the tax rate
increase.

- John C.L. Morgan

City Council Replenishes Pool Funding, Though Pool Personnel Remains Unclear

AJ:

In a close decision, the City Council Finance Committee voted 4-3 Monday night
to restore funds saved by laying off Lisa Wohl, the former manager of the Davan
Pool at the Fred C. Wescott Building--but whether this leads to Wohl’s
reinstatement remains to be seen. Mayor Colleen Hilton has the ultimate
authority to hire or fire employees, regardless of the committee’s vote. After
the decision by the committee, which is made up of the entire City Council, she
said she stood by the layoff, but that she would re-examine the situation in
light of testimony from the public supporting Wohl and other details that
emerged during discussion of the issue.

- John C.L. Morgan

City: Messrs. Elowitch, Tear Down Those Walls

PPH:

Westbrook received a $125,000 Community Development Block Grant last week to
help pay for demolishing the blighted 27,000-square-foot building, which has
been used for storage since Maine Rubber moved out in the late 1990s. The
building's owners, brothers David and Jim Elowitch, are meeting with city
officials next week to discuss what to do with the property, which is bordered
by Main Street, Saco Street and William Clarke Drive. The city will only use the
grant money if the Elowitches cover the rest of the cost of the
demolition--roughly another $50,000.

- John C.L. Morgan

Owner of Pizza Time Looks to Expand Charitable Giving

AJ:

Called "Piece of the Pie," the program happens at [owner Steve] Orr’s shop on
the last Thursday of the month, which this month will be April 28. The shop will
donate 10 percent of all pizzas sold on the last Thursday of the month to a
specific charity. "We want it to get to the point where people are looking for
it every month," he said.

- John C.L. Morgan

Mass. Man Wanted in Stabbing Death

PPH:

Police are seeking a Massachusetts man in connection with a fatal stabbing
Thursday night that may have been drug-related. Police identified Tareek S.
Hendricks, 30, of Worcester, Mass., from photographs found on a cellphone that
he left behind when he fled 73 Central St. after the stabbing, said Maine State
Police Lt. Brian McDonough. The state Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Friday
afternoon that Robert Stubbs, 40, died of multiple stab wounds he sustained at
his home about 10:30 p.m. Thursday, McDonough said.

- John C.L. Morgan

'Half-Pint' Scouts Clean Riverbank Park

WCSH:

The Westbrook Daisy Troop #574 descended on Riverbank Park Friday in full force.
Their mission: to clean it up all in the name of Earth Day. Daisy scouts are
pre-Brownies... which are pre-Girl Scouts. But don't let their half-pint
appearance fool you. When it comes to Earth Day, these girls are smart cookies.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Parents Participate in International Diaper Changing Challenge

WLBZ:

The Great Cloth Diaper Change happened in Westbrook, Camden, Bangor, and four
hundred other locations in twenty- three different countries. The goal is to set
a Guiness World Record for the most babies changed into cloth diapers at the
same time. Cloth diaper advocates hope the event raises awareness about the
benefits of cloth diapers.

- John C.L. Morgan

WPAC to Host Earth Day Showing of 'Earth'

The Westbrook Performing Arts Center (WPAC) will be hosting a screening of Earth (see above) this Friday, April 22 to commemorate Earth Day.

The screening begins at 6:30p, and a discussion on what can be done to make Westbrook a more environmentally-conscious city will follow. Admission is free, though donations are welcome.

- John C.L. Morgan

Federal Funds to Save Some School Jobs

PPH:

The Westbrook School Department learned this week it will receive nearly
$600,000 in federal stimulus money, allowing the department to save 17 jobs that
had been targeted for elimination. Interim Superintendent Marc Gousse
recommended using the money to retain positions including four elementary school
teachers, four middle school teachers and a math and science teacher at the high
school. There are still 47 full- and part-time school employees who stand to
lose their jobs, Gousse said Thursday.

- John C.L. Morgan

The Full Circuit Clouters Return

After a one-year break, the guys at The Full Circuit Clout have returned to their typewriters to document the 2011 edition of the Boston Red Sox. Even better than their clever writing is their ability to almost always unearth a perfectly apropos vintage image (see: April 3, 2011).

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Printing Press Driving Force for Maine Poetry

PPH:

Alice Persons tied a pretty purple bow around the book of poetry and dropped it
in the mail. She assumed the chapbook would end up among a stack of others that
Garrison Keillor receives and never reads. Lo and behold, not only did Keillor
pay attention to the book, he read one of the poems as part of his syndicated
radio and online program, "The Writers Almanac." Ever since, Keillor has
returned again and again to the poems published by Persons and her tiny
Westbrook-based Moon Pie Press. In recent years, he's read 24 poems published by
Moon Pie on his radio show, and included four Moon Pie poems in his third
published anthology, "Good Poems, American Places," which came out last week.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Baseball 'Team to Watch'

PPH:

The Blue Blazes have seven returning starters from a team that was Western Class
A runner-up. The team is led by last season's Telegram League MVP, Scott Heath,
a pitcher-outfielder, and all-league second baseman Zach Collett. If Sean
Murphy's right shoulder is healthy, the team will have a very deep pitching
staff. Murphy and Matt Weimer, both right-handers, are capable of beating any
team. Murphy also was the second-team DH on the league's all-star team.

The team also has three players to watch, not to mention the focus of the PPH's pre-season feature, the twin brothers Jake and Zach Gardiner.

- John C.L. Morgan

Weekday Update

Technical difficulties with Blogger have prevented me from posting with my usual format, so here's a less reader-friendly update of the current news: The Westbrook School Committee's finance committee held a public hearing on the FY 2011-2012 budget and the proposed personnel and non-personnel spending cuts (a list of which is here). The Animal Refuge League has organized a 'Taste of Westbrook' fundraiser through April 2 ( a list of the twelve participating eateries is here). And a former physical education teacher at Westbrook High School has published a guide to all of the public golf courses in Maine.

Census: Westbrook Has Added 1,352 Residents Since 2000

PPH:

Merrill said the Portland suburbs of Gorham and
Windham had strong growth during the decade, gaining 2,240 and 2,097 residents,
respectively. Those towns were followed by Scarborough, with 1,949 more
residents; South Portland, with 1,678; and Westbrook, which gained 1,352
residents. "Portland used to be the hot spot. These figures may be an indication
that these towns have developed their own unique town centers and aren't just
bedroom communities anymore," Merrill said.

The U.S. Census Bureau pegged Westbrook's population at 16,142 in 2000, so this news means Westbrook's population has broken the 17,000 mark.

- John C.L. Morgan

School Department Could Shed Up to 73 Jobs

AJ:

The Westbrook School District could cut up to 73
faculty and staff positions in order to fill a $3.6 million budget gap for the
2011-2012 school year. Those numbers are the latest worst case scenario figures
coming from the Westbrook School Committee, which met Saturday to finish an
initial examination of the proposed $33.7 million budget. The committee has
scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, March 30, at 7 p.m. at the Westbrook Middle
School Performing Arts Center, where it will begin deciding what must be cut
from the budget.

(The PPH's story on the school budget caps the number of jobs cut at 53, but notes all middle school and frosh sports are on the chopping block.)

- John C.L. Morgan

Community Center to Be Re-Named After Fred C. Wescott

AJ:

Wednesday afternoon, [Annette] Wescott said, she,
along with two of her children, Susan Blais and Wayne Wescott, met with City
Manager Jerre Bryant. She said Bryant told the family the community center would
be re-named the Fred C. Wescott Building. Bryant, who confirmed the change, said
it was Mayor Colleen Hilton’s decision to restore the Wescott name to the
building.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: Fred C. Wescott's Widow Laments Name Change (March 2, 2011)

WPD Uses Facebook as Crime-Fighting Tool

AJ:

When Mike Nugent signs in to Facebook, he does the same thing as most users:
posts some pictures, lets people know what he’s been up to and what’s going on
around him. The only difference is that his posts detail police arrests of the
past week and his photos are mug shots of criminals.

As I note in this post, I don't object to the WPD's use of Facebook per se. I just think it would be beneficial for other City entities--i.e., City Hall, Westbrook High School, Westbrook Community Center, etc.--to create their own Facebook pages in order to balance the inherent negativity that comes along with the City's crime-fighters acting as its de facto PR arm.

That way we Facebookers are not only informed of the latest arrests and reminded of the sex offenders living in our midst, but also learn about the newest business in town, the latest homegrown award-winners in the high school drama festival, or the relatively inexpensive programming taking place at the WCC.

- John C.L. Morgan

Former WHS Principal Eager to Tackle Challenges as Superintendent

AJ:

After outgoing Superintendent Dr. Reza Namin
announced he had accepted a similar post in Massachusetts, the School Committee
voted March 9 to appoint [Marc] Gousse as interim superintendent through June
30, 2012. "It hasn’t sunk in yet," Gousse said on Friday. "It’s surreal
and has been nonstop--in a healthy way."

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Student Wins Food Writing Contest

PPH:

Zoe Popovic, a fourth grader at Congin School in Westbrook, won the grand prize
in the Grades 3 to 5 category by writing about how she can tell the seasons by
what shows up in her lunchbox every day. Her family has been a member of a CSA
since she first started walking. The 9-year-old's mother, Paula Sobierajski,
loads up her daughter's lunch box every day with local foods they buy from Wolf
Pine Farm in Alfred.

Popovic's essay can be read here.

- John C.L. Morgan

Namin to Vacate Superintendent Position Immediately

AJ:

The Westbrook School Committee has asked School District Superintendent Dr. Reza
Namin to relinquish authority after he accepted a similar job in Massachusetts.

[snip]

School Committee Chairman Ed Symbol said Tuesday the committee would be entering
an executive session Wednesday to discuss the situation. He said that, based on
discussions he has had with Namin, the committee is likely going to appoint an
interim superintendent immediately.

- John C.L. Morgan

(Update: The School Committee has named Marc Gousse, the principal of Westbrook High School, as the interim superintendent through June 2012.)

Full disclosure: I teach at Westbrook High School.

Former WHS Basketball Standout Caps Stellar Coaching Debut

PPH:

Bri Fecteau, the pride of Westbrook High girls'
basketball some 15 years ago, finished up her rookie season as head coach at
Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J., by winning the Empire 8
championship before losing to Colby in the NCAA Division III regional
tournament, 58-48. Stevens ended the season with a 19-9 record. Fecteau starred
at Bentley before serving seven years as an assistant at Harvard.

- John C.L. Morgan

Namin Takes New Job, Will Depart Westbrook in July

AJ:

Westbrook School District Superintendent Dr. Reza Namin will step down this
summer after accepting an offer to take a similar position in Massachusetts.
Namin acknowledged in an e-mail he is joining the Spencer East Brookfield
Regional School District located in Spencer, Mass. The announcement comes just
weeks after the two-year anniversary of Westbrook's decision to hire Namin.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: Mass. School District Offers Superintendent Job to Namin (March 5, 2011)

School Budget May or May Not Contain Job Cuts

PPH:

Westbrook Superintendent Reza Namin won't discuss
the potential for layoffs before school officials unveil a budget proposal
Saturday. "It may or may not include staffing reductions," said Namin, who's
working with a $33 million budget this year. "Everything's on the table because
this is going to impact the entire community. This community has never faced a
financial challenge this big, and we want to be very careful how we handle
it."

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Chef Cooks Food for Charity

PPH:

James Tranchemontagne, the chef/owner of The Frog
and Turtle in Westbrook, was looking weary as he ladled batter onto a griddle
for his version of "pork in the hole," a variation of pigs in blankets. The chef
left work at 1 a.m. Friday and got up again at 5 a.m. in order to be at Sea Dog
on time. But Tranchemontagne wanted to participate because "Preble Street is a
really good charity." "We usually only do stuff for charity," he said. "If it’s
tied to a charity, and a charity we like, we’ll get up early."

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: Westbrook Restaurateurs Cook Well, Do Good (November 8, 2010)

Mass. School District Offers Superintendent Job to Namin

Worcester Telegram and Gazzette:

The Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School Committee last night offered the
district’s superintendent position to a school superintendent from Maine. Reza
Namin, superintendent of the Westbrook, Maine, school system, was offered the
job last night pending successful contract negotiations, according to Peter M.
Rock, School Committee chairman.

- John C.L. Morgan

Full disclosure: I work at Westbrook High School.

Westbrook Football to Adopt Class 'B' Schedule

PPH:

Westbrook High and Marshwood High of South Berwick will inform SMAA officials
today they intend to play football where they have been classified by the Maine
Principals' Association -- in Class B--and leave the Class A conference. Todd
Sampson, the athletic director at Westbrook, and Rich Buzzell, the athletic
director at Marshwood, then will apply for admission to the Western Class B
Campbell Conference when that league holds a meeting on March 10. "I know I'm
going to miss the SMAA, I'll miss the coaches," said Westbrook Coach Jeff
Guerette. "It's a great football conference.

- John C.L. Morgan

City of Westbrook Receives Favorable Bond Rating, Low Interest Rate

AJ:

Despite a six-month delay in selling bonds due to the rejection of its 2009
audit, Westbrook received some refreshingly good financial news when it finally
sold the bonds this week. Westbrook received high scores from bond rating
agencies, helping it receive an excellent interest rate for borrowing, City
Administrator Jerre Bryant said. "We received four bids (Tuesday) morning with
the low bid submitted by Bank of America Merrill Lynch at an interest rate of
3.13 percent--we are thrilled with the rate," Bryant said.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Schools Satisfy Math Requirements, Fall Short in Reading

AJ:

The Westbrook School District made annual yearly progress in math this year, but
continues to lag behind in reading. Superintendent Dr. Reza Namin said the
district was recently informed of its Adequate Yearly Progress status for the
2010-11 school year. He said he is proud of the student body’s "great
accomplishment" of meeting the target for math, noting the district was in
"monitor" status in past years.

- John C.L. Morgan

Full disclosure: I teach at Westbrook High School.

Fred C. Wescott's Widow Laments Name Change

AJ:

The wife of Fred Wescott, the two-term Westbrook mayor who was the only one to
die in office, has taken the name change at 426 Bridge St. personally. It was
known as the Fred C. Wescott Junior High for nearly 17 years. But it became the
Westbrook Community Center after the new Westbrook Middle School opened on
Stroudwater Street last year.

- John C.L. Morgan

Gov. LePage to Host Town Hall Meeting in WPAC

AJ:

He will be at the Performing Arts Center at
Westbrook Middle School on Stroudwater Street from 6-7:30 p.m. Friday for a town
hall-style meeting. The public is invited to attend to ask questions of LePage.

- John C.L. Morgan

Audit of City Finances 'Not a Good Report Card'

AJ:

An independent audit of Westbrook's finances
for the previous fiscal year has uncovered many key deficiencies that officials
say left the door open for malfeasance. Audit problems also caused a delay in
the city’s ability to borrow for several high-profile capital projects,
including the Walker Memorial Library and community center repairs.

- John C.L. Morgan

Remember the Maine...By Drinking a Remember the Maine

Frontier Psychologist has the recipe for the drink that reminds us of the consequential sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor on this date in 1898.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: 'Czar' Reed and the Spanish-American War (April 28, 2010)

Westbrook Business Owner Likes Gov. LePage's Tax Proposal

BDN:

Duane Gushee, president of D&G Machine Products
in Westbrook, said the [reduction of the top income tax bracket from 8.5% to
7.95%] would encourage investments by companies like his. "This initiative
makes it more affordable to do business in Maine and allows us to be more
competitive," he said.

- John C.L. Morgan

Closing of Lollipop Lane Captivates Local Media

Owner Ann-Marie Hebert's announcement on Thursday that her child-care center, Lollipop Lane Educare, would be closing yesterday attracted the attention of most of the local media:

AJ: Here

PPH: Here

WCSH: Here, here

WMTW: Here

WGME: Here

With news of a possible new owner of the business swirling around, we might be hearing more about Lollipop Lane in the coming days.

(Update: The quick turnaround of the prospective new owner's application for licensing has some competitors crying foul.)

- John C.L. Morgan

'Westbrook Idol' Auditions to be Held Today

AJ:

That means the competition begins with open
auditions, set for Saturday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. at the Performing Arts Center at
Westbrook Middle School. Ray said local channel 2 is filming the auditions,
which are open to anyone age 12 and up. Everyone from kids to adults who live or
work in Westbrook is welcome to give it a shot, he said.

- John C.L. Morgan

Snowmobiles Killed the Skiing Star

AP:

Suzy Anderson recalls the days when everyone skied
in Aroostook County. She and her friends skied to school. They wore their ski
boots in class, and skied after school. They competed in winter carnivals and
raced each other on weekends. Then Anderson left northern Maine to go to
college. When she returned in 1974, the skis had disappeared. They'd been
replaced by gas-powered snowmobiles. "None of the kids were skiing. There was no
skiing whatsoever. It was because of the snowmobiles," Anderson recalled.
"Skiing was essentially over."

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Student En Route to MIT

AJ:

[Massachusetts Insitutue of Technology] admissions had informed early applicants
the exact date and time decisions would be available online: Dec. 16 at 9 p.m.
That night, I was very nervous and fully expecting to see a deferral letter on
the screen. When at 9:01 I pulled up the screen and read the words, "it is my
pleasure to offer you admission" I was completely in shock. I had to read it
several times before I told my parents. Once it actually sank in, I was beyond
excited and definitely relieved. Still, there are times, even now, when I have
to convince myself that I actually got in.

- John C.L. Morgan

A Look at Paul's Shoe Repair

PPH:

Rowland's job is all about the small details that make a shoe or boot or handbag
look like new. Many of those details, like tiny threads on a narrow band of
material at the bottom of a shoe, are not really noticeable to us non-cobblers.
But to Rowland, who has been doing it for 25 years, getting the details right is
a big part of his job satisfaction.

- John C.L. Morgan

A Family Tradition of Reffing

AJ:

It’s not often that history is made at a middle school basketball game. But that
is exactly what happened last week when Katelyn Benson of Westbrook stepped on
the court to officiate a Westbrook Middle School basketball home game. It was
the 18-year-old’s first official game, making her the youngest female basketball
referee in Maine history, a moment she shared closely with the game’s other two
refs: her father Bob Benson Sr., and her brother, Robert Jr.

- John C.L. Morgan

A Look at Haven's Past, Present, and Future

PPH:

A dedication to what works, even if it's old-fashioned, has helped the [Haven's
Candies] deliver profits nearly 100 years after it was founded, according to
owner Andy Charles. "What I love about Haven's is that we are 96 years old, and
although we have expanded our size and scope, and adopted some technology, we
still make candy by hand," Charles said. "We are sticking to our roots. That's
the soul of the company."

- John C.L. Morgan

Chief Baker, Police Department Look Forward

AJ:

[Bill] Baker’s new post is a full-time job [with the FBI], so he is not truly
"retiring," though he is stepping away from full-time law enforcement after a
36-year career. "It’s a pretty significant change. It’s a new phase, and maybe
the final phase, of my career," he said.

AJ:

Those within the Westbrook Police Department say it will be business as usual
come Monday, despite the absence of Chief Bill Baker. Baker announced his
retirement the first week of January. Since then, the city has announced fire
Chief Mike Pardue would step in on an interim basis to lead both police and fire
departments.

- John C.L. Morgan

More on WHS School for Success

PPH:

Last week, Alex Howe got a perfect score on his mid-term math exam. Last year,
he might have skipped school and missed the exam. "I got the highest grade in
the class," Howe said proudly. Howe is succeeding in a new program at Westbrook
High School that supports freshmen who are at risk of dropping out. He's one of
16 students in the School for Success, a program that school officials hope to
expand to include sophomores next year.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: Westbrook High Provides Support for Struggling Students (January 14, 2011)