Purchased
Pair of wins
Loon Echo Land Trust acquires the 1,600-acre Perley Mills Community Forest
Inside News Calendar . . . . . 10A, 11A
Lake Region sweeps Fryeburg Academy in varsity basketball Tuesday night
Page 3A
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 6B Country Living . . 6A-10A Directory . . . . . . . . . . 5B
Page 1B
Obituaries . . . . . . 8A-9A Opinions . . . . . . . 4B-8B Police/Court . . . . . 3A-4A Sports . . . . . . . . . 1B-3B Student News . . . . . . . . Games . . . . . . . . . . . 10A Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 7B
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 145, No. 2
20 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
January 9, 2014
(USPS 065-020)
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Brrrrrrrrr!
December’s cold ‘one for record books,’ PW Director Kidder says
CLEARING THE WAY — Bridgton Public Works Department employee Lester France was busy all day long Monday clearing slush and spreading sand. Here, he makes a last pass in the parking lot of the town garage before parking the plow out back. (Geraghty Photo)
Busy times for Bridgton planners By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owner Brian Fram will be able to separate the vacant lot he owns next to his Portland Road restaurant, in approvals given at Tuesday’s Bridgton Planning Board meeting. Down the road a piece and across the street, Justin McIver won final approval for Eco Estates, his eight-lot condo project of one-story single-family homes. The board also took note of departmental approval for a new downtown business, Crooked River Clock Works, where wooden-geared clock and kinetic artwork will be displayed and sold by Ron Edson in Unit 2 at Potter’s Place, at 2 Depot Street. Fram had already received a final okay on a site plan that will relocate his drive-thru window to the back of the building and allow for diagonal parking. There’ll be three more parking spaces under the new parking flow plan, he said, and he realized during site plan review that he didn’t need to tie the two lots together in order to meet parking needs. He doesn’t want the lots tied together, he said, because connecting them on the plans might hamper future use of the vacant lot, despite the fact that the town considers them as separate lots. McIver came back with a few tweaks to his subdivision plans, most notably a name change to the project’s planned new access road, located across the street from New England Boat & Storage. His first choice, Main Eco Way, was rejected for sounding too much like Main Street. So he chose Roosevelt Crossing instead, and the board agreed, providing E-911 Addressing Officer Dawn Taft agrees. The board also agreed to allow less of a turning radius around the project’s cul-de-sac. Engineer George Sawyer said the plans worked best in terms of environmentallyfriendly building design if the houses were built closer together. McIver plans to build the “empty nest” homes himself, through his Main Eco Homes business. A minimum centerline turning radius of 65 feet is required by the town, but the cul-de-sac will have a 35-foot turning radius, with a 25-foot width. Fire Chief Glen Garland told the board he was okay with the nonconforming radius, which Sawyer said is six feet greater than what is required by the town’s largest fire truck. PLANNERS, Page 12A
SAD 72, FA agree on pact
FRYEBURG — SAD 72 and Fryeburg Academy have reached an agreement on a five-year contract. “I am happy to report that the negotiating committees from Fryeburg Academy and SAD 72 have reached agreement on a five-year contract that will go into effect July 1, 2014, pending voter approval,” said SAD 72 Superintendent of Schools Jay Robinson. “Both the Board of Trustees at Fryeburg Academy and the Board of Directors of the (SAD 72) District voted unanimously to support the contract, and we both feel that the contract is fair to both parties and more importantly will meet the needs of the district’s secondary students.” The previous contract spanned 10 years. Superintendent Robinson said most of the changes had to do with clarifying language, which both sides were able to work through. Monetarily, the Academy agreed to a reduction in the per-student tuition (a combination of maximum-allowable tuition and Insured Value Factor), which will help SAD 72 moving forward, the superintendent said. From a SAD 72 perspective, Robinson and negotiators felt it was very important to continue the long-standing and successful relationship with Fryeburg Academy. “The students of our district have been the direct beneficiaries of a quality education for many years, and we are happy that this relationship will continue into the future,” Robinson said. “Additionally, the Academy has been willing to negotiate the financial implications of the contract, to the benefit of district taxpayers, at a time when districts all over the state are struggling to pass local school budgets.” Another important aspect of the contract is that it guarantees that the Academy can maintain its autonomy in making decisions that support its mission and beliefs. “The contract provides that the (school) district and Academy will regularly communicate to assure the mutual exchange of information such as enrollment numbers, stanCONTRACT, Page A
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Bridgton’s Public Works crew is down by half of its heavy-duty snowplow fleet as it tries to keep up with the worst that winter can offer. The department was already down one truck and awaiting delivery of its replacement, when a second truck broke down Dec. 30 in South Bridgton during a snowstorm. Since then, temperatures have dipped to the coldest on record for the past three years. Public Works Director Jim Kidder said Monday he has no idea when the second truck will be fixed. The cooler part that is needed is on back order. “He (the driver) managed to drive
(the second truck) back to the garage, but it had to be towed to Whited in Auburn,” Kidder said. He is not sure when he can expect delivery of the replacement truck, a new $120,000 wheeler. “I’m hoping by the end of the month,” he said. For now, he said he has six employees trying to do eight snowplow routes. That means long hours, with most of the men working 50- to 60hour weeks the last couple of weeks. If plowing of some outer roads was a bit slow during the most recent storm, the truck shortage was the reason why, said Kidder, who issued a press release after the Dec. 30 storm on the town’s website.
“This December has been one for the record books, with close to zero temperatures and (a number of days) of freezing rain and snowstorms,” Kidder wrote. “While we will continue to work to make our streets and roads safe, we ask for your patience, since it may take us a little longer to get to your neighborhood.” The recent icy roads have also been a headache, said Kidder. “I’m going through a lot of sand.” The town’s sand shed holds 7,000 yards. Kidder said he doesn’t like to use salt unless he has to, because it tends to be harder on the machinery in the truck’s rear spreader. RECORD, Page 12A
THIS PICTURE IS PROOF that sled dog racing in Bridgton dates back at least 73 years, much longer than when the tradition was revived 25 years ago by West Bridgton businessmen on Moose Pond. The photo, printed in a 1940 edition of The Bridgton News, also shows that the course ran right through the heart of the downtown business district. The mushers are shown racing by the block of buildings where Main Street Variety and Bridgton Books are located. (Photo courtesy Bridgton Historical Society)
Musher’s Bowl course most technically-challenging in N.E. By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer For sled dog racers that seek excitement and challenge, nothing in the Northeast compares to the hills and curves of the sixmile course at Five Fields Farm in South Bridgton. “There’s no question that this is not a typical course. It’s probably one of the hilliest courses in the Northeast,” said Tom Gyger, a key organizer in this year’s Maine Lakes Musher’s Bowl, set for Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 25 and 26. The course also has a number of fairly tight turns, requiring considerable technical skill. “The young drivers really like it — it’s exciting,”
said Gyger, owner of Five Field Farms, who works with neighbors Paul Field Sr. and Jr. and members of The Downeast Sled Dog Club to prepare the five miles of trails for the race. “They describe it as being technical, and that translates into being difficult.” Club members tell him that skijorers (those pulled on skis instead of a sled) are quizzed on their skill level before registering for the Musher’s Bowl. If new to competition, Gyger said “They say, ‘I wouldn’t make Bridgton your first race’.” Most of the 75 or more sled dog teams planning to compete will be running fourto six-dog teams, although
Kathleen Beecher will retire this June as Superintendent of Schools for SAD 61. The announcement was released on the school board’s agenda for this past Monday night. The meeting was canceled due to bad weather. District officials are working with Maine School Management regarding setting up a search for Beecher’s successor. “I am retiring as of June 30 for health reasons,” Dr. Beecher said. “It has been an honor working as the Superintendent for the Lake Region Schools. I have learned a great deal in all the jobs I have done for the
District: Principal of Sebago Elementary School, Assistant Superintendent for the District and Superintendent.” In other school board news: • Meeting rescheduled: Due to bad weather, Monday’s board meeting was canceled. It will be held this Monday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Great Room at Lake Region Vocational Center. • Condom policy: Directors will consider first reading approval to three policies regarding condom distribution at the high school. First up is “Access to Comprehensive Sexual Health Services.”
three-dog junior teams will also compete. Five Fields Farm didn’t set out to provide a challenge course for the sled dog racing community; it was simply a matter of keeping the sled dog racing tradition alive in Bridgton, said Gyger. “In the past, many of the races were held on lakes or open farmland, because both are flat,” he said. “Whatever the grooming equipment might be, you just carved out how many miles that you wanted, and you end up right back where you started.” Back in 1940, a musher’s bowl was held along downtown Main Street in Bridgton. West Bridgton businessmen revived the sport 25 years ago
on Moose Pond, and races were also held on Highland Lake. Racing on ice had its inherent problems, however. “With changing climate conditions it became difficult and unpredictable to plan for races,” said Gyger. Hidden pressure ridges and open spots on the lake ice posed a serious safety concern for both the dogs and the mushers. Seeking safer ground, the Musher’s Bowl was moved to the Fryeburg Fairgrounds. But that venue was laborintensive, because one or two handlers were needed at each street crossing. “It was difficult to procure enough labor to hold the races there,” he COURSE, Page 12A
Superintendent Beecher to retire “The intention of this service is to prevent sexuallytransmitted infections and/or pregnancy. These services will include condom availability and counseling for students who are or may become sexually active.” Condoms and informational pamphlets about absti-
nence, sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) and how to properly use a condom will be available free of charge. Prior to receiving the requested condom, the nurse and the student will discuss, in a confidential manner, the practice of safe sex, healthy relationships and POLICY, Page A
The Bridgton News Established 1870
P.O. Box 244, 118 Main St. Bridgton, ME 04009 207-647-2851 Fax: 207-647-5001 bnews@roadrunner.com