Firefighters battle a blaze on Hanson’s Ridge Road, Sanford News, May 3, 2001
By Lawrence Furbish
“How dry is dry?” ran the headline in the Sanford News. Three unpermitted brush fires over the weekend had strained the Fire Department’s resources. Burn permits were not being issued and residents were warned that dry conditions could cause a fire to burn out of control. The fire danger was classed at 4 or 5 all week, with 5 being the highest. Although it had been a wet winter, water was well below the ground’s surface, leading to the dry conditions.
To cut or not to cut the school budget was the question facing the town. Selectmen had voted to cut the school budget by $339,100, but the Warrant Committee recommended an $800,000 cut. The School Board had set their budget at $25.2 million. School Board chair Robert Stackpole said the board had taken a “pro-education stance.” The issue was headed to the Town Meeting.
The state was testing for arsenic in over 100 wells in southern Maine, including Sanford. Arsenic occurs naturally and is usually found in clusters. The testing was an offshoot of random testing done in 1998 for MTDE, a gasoline additive that was banned because of its solubility in groundwater. The results of the arsenic testing were expected to be released by the end of the summer.
Scrumpdillyishes! Dairy Queen was celebrating its 50th anniversary. Begun by Emile Quiron in 1951, Sanford’s was the fourth DQ franchise in Maine. Emile was an auto mechanic who always wanted to run his own business. He made the decision to go with the soft serve franchise when driving through Portland, he saw people lined up at the first DQ to open in the state. Some of the customer favorites were Peanut Butter Parfaits, Brazier Burgers, and Blizzards.
Things were looking bleak for the SHS boys’ baseball team at Goodall Park. They had left runners stranded in the first and third innings and were behind the Blue Blazes of Westbrook 5-0 after five innings. But the squad came to life, tied the game and then won in the bottom of the seventh. Coach Mark Boissonneault’s team also had wins over Noble and Lewiston.
It was time to hit the trail for cleanup day. The Sanford Trail Development Committee was providing trucks and bags for a trail cleanup but needed volunteer muscle and ideas. The plan was to start with the railroad bed in Springvale and move on to Stump Pond if enough hands were available.
In honor of its 50th anniversary, DQ was offering a 5 oz. sundae for 50 cents.
At Chunky’s Cinema, you could catch “Spy Kids,” “Crocodile Dundee in LA,” and “The Mummy Returns.”
Lawrence Furbish is president of the Sanford-Springvale Historical Society. The Historical Society Museum in Springvale has many resources regarding Sanford’s history. It is open Thursday and Saturday, 10 am-2 pm and Friday 10 am-4 pm.
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