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www.bridgton.com Vol. 144, No. 2
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. 20 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
January 10, 2013
‘Re-up fiasco’ shows signs of healing By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Seeking to salvage their broken relationship with town committees over a new reappointment policy, the Bridgton Board of Selectmen and Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz took it on the chin Tuesday, allowing committee members and other frustrated residents to rebuke
them for nearly an hour. But both sides saw the hourlong back-and-forth as only a beginning. The board agreed to table any action on reappointments and continue the discussion by holding an informal meeting with members of all seven committees next Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m. in the Selectmen’s meeting room.
The goal would be to come to an understanding and agreement on what steps are necessary to restore communication and trust between elected and appointed officials. It may take more than one sit-down session, all agreed, but in the meantime, the committees would continue to meet under their current membership.
Simmering resentments The meeting was in strong contrast to their last meeting on Dec. 11, when virtually no public comment was allowed as the board voted 3–2 (with Bernie King and Doug Taft dissenting) to proceed with an annual reappointment plan and standardization of the format for charges RE-UP, Page A
Turning salvage to cash By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — The items salvaged from a demolished home may have monetary value. The Casco Board of Selectmen would like to turn those salvaged treasures into cash. Or, more likely a check made out to the town: Money to defray the costs associated with ridding the community of an eyesore and public safety hazard. On Tuesday, the board discussed with Town Manager Dave Morton what to do with the rescued items that are now being stored at the Casco Memorial School. Among those items are a couple of wood stoves, a marble sink, a riding lawn mower and other yard work equipment. Morton pitched to the board the idea of donating some of the salvaged stuff to the CascoRaymond Historical Society. SALVAGE, Page A
IT’S CLEANUP WEEK at Bridgton’s Gallery 302 at 112 Main Street, where Bridgton Art Guild members are repainting all the walls, display racks and stands in preparation for a Grand Reopening this weekend. Pictured is Elna Stone washing one of the big display windows. Members are excited by two major infrastructure improvements at the gallery. The first is a new, energy-efficient lighting system that will direct soft light directly into display areas, making it no longer necessary to use existing overhead fluorescent lighting. The lighting system was made possible by a grant from the Davis Family Foundation. The second improvement is a new security system, made possible by a grant from the Ham Foundation. For a complete listing of Winter 2013 Classes and Programs, visit www.gallery302.com
(USPS 065-020)
SIXTY CENTS
MacDonald to retire in June By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer FRYEBURG — When Gary MacDonald was a substitute teacher in New Hampshire back in 1972, he had no idea that 41 years later, he would retire as SAD 72’s superintendent. After 31 years as an educator and administrator in SAD 72, MacDonald will retire June 30. He informed the school board of his decision in mid December. Under state law, school boards are required to vote on the superintendent’s contract in December, so MacDonald announced his decision — which he termed as “very difficult.” “I have been and continue to be so impressed with the professionalism of staff, the interest and dedication of school board members, and the support of parents and taxpayers,” MacDonald wrote in his letter to the SAD 72 School Board. “It has been a privilege to work with my colleagues in this district.” MacDonald praised the work of the SAD 72 administrative team, as well as Business Manager Madeline Bassett, who after 33 years working in SAD 72, will also retire in June. “I’ve been thinking about retirement for a few years — it was a matter of exactly when. I told the School Board chair last summer that this current year would very likely be my last year as superintendent of SAD 72,” MacDonald told The News
Gary MacDonald SAD 72 Superintendent this week. “There is never a good time to retire, especially when you enjoy so much of what you are doing. But, I am looking forward to having the flexibility of time to explore new things, having time to do the activities I enjoy, and spending more time with family.” The school board has contracted with Maine School Management Association to conduct a search for a new superintendent. A MSMA official was scheduled to meet with the school board yesterday (Jan. 9) to set up the process. MacDonald has served as SAD 72’s superintendent for the past eight years. Previously, he was the New Suncook Elementary School principal for 23 years. He served as principal at the old Sadie Adams School, the Annie Heald School (before MACDONALD, Page A
Selectmen to state: Don’t shift shortfalls to towns By Gail Geragty Staff Writer Bridgton Selectmen on Tuesday agreed to send a strongly worded appeal to county and state elected officials saying they need to avoid shifting state budget shortfalls onto local taxpayers, lest they have Bridgton “rethink our relationship with our state government.” The letter, dated Dec. 30, challenged state senators and representatives in the Lake Region, along with those in
Oxford and Androscoggin Counties, to not fall prey to pressures to reduce traditional revenue sources that towns rely on in preparing their annual budgets. The letter, drafted by Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz at the board’s request, cites three well-established revenue sources: the Municipal Revenue Sharing Program (MRS), Urban and Rural Initiative Program (URIP) and state education funding, more recently known as Essential Programs and
Services (EPS) funds. “The bottom line for Bridgton is that established statutes, relationships and partnerships with the state must not end, nor can we afford to assume expenses that have originally been within the obligation and purview of the state,” the letter states. The letter was approved and signed by the five-member board and Berkowitz at Tuesday’s selectmen meeting. It expresses the concern that changes may be on the hori-
zon in those longstanding funding relationships, borne of “an emerging attitude of the current administration” of Maine Gov. Paul LePage. If changes are made, the letter states that, “such actions would be construed as a fractured and mediocre approach to Maine’s future and the quality of life in our municipalities.” Further, states the letter, they would reflect a trend by the state to “dilute, dissolve or dismember the statutes that municipal officials and
‘Gazer’ captures UFO surprise By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer On a mountainside in West Bridgton Monday night, 18-yearold Chris Maglione trained the lens of his new mini-cam skyward, so his mother could remember the stars. “She was just so amazed at the stars outside,” he said, the last time they came to visit his grandmother, Cathy McKinley, of Little Mountain Lane. Their clarity seemed in stark contrast to the night sky above their home in Dorchester, Mass., Boston’s largest neighborhood. His Canon camcorder couldn’t pick up any stars, though; they were too distant. But then he noticed a bright light, much closer, “Not anywhere near as far away as the stars,” he said. “My first reaction was kind of like, wow, it’s a UFO,” said Chris. He started the video over again. “It was like…the ‘Where’s Waldo’ of the whole thing.” His second reaction was to immediately share his footage with the local newspaper. McKinley said her grandson could barely contain his excitement. They both arrived at The News the next afternoon. The footage shows a diamond-shaped white object looming large in the flip-out LCD screen that appears to be moving erratically. But Chris said the jiggling movement was his own shaking hands, as he held the mini-cam in both hands above his head while craning his neck back. “It was vibrating, but just a BRIGHTER THAN A STAR — Chris Maglione captured around 15 seconds of video of what appears to be a UFO little bit,” he said. on his mini-cam while stargazing Monday night in West Bridgton. (Geraghty Photo) UFO SURPRISE, Page A
state officials have respected and honored for decades.” Revenue sharing In terms of revenue sharing, which the letter refers to as “a key element in how municipalities budget and reduce the local tax burden,” the concern is that “you will be pressured into revisiting the mechanics of the MRS” as a way to make up state revenue shortfalls. The program, the letter notes, dates back to the early 1970s, when the Legislature decided to distribute
5% of all sales and income taxes to towns. In return, the towns agreed to no longer levy taxes on the value of inventory, such as logs in wood yards and other retail-related inventory. State aid for roads The letter said reimbursements from the URIP program, by which the state reimburses towns for handling certain elements of road maintenance on state-classified roads, “are not keeping pace with the costs for LETTERS, Page A
Resolution: Tar sands unwelcome By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — For several residents of the area, the idea of a potential tar sands oil spill is scary. Those community members spoke out against a proposal to use an existing pipeline to pump tar sands oil from the boreal forest in Canada to Portland for export. Representatives of a Canadian company, Enbridge Inc., and Exxon Mobil Corporation have repeatedly denied there is such a plan, which would call for reversing the direction of the
pipeline flow, according to residents’ reports. But, people are convinced the pipeline plan is on the drawing board and they want it in writing that the transportation of tar sands oil is unwelcome here. The 60-year-old pipeline crosses under Crooked River and also areas of Sebago Lake. A town-wide resolution to promote alternatives to using the pipeline for tar sands oil is among the issues that will be voted on at a Special Town Meeting on Saturday. TAR SANDS, Page A
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