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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 146, No. 5
20 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
January 29, 2015
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5B
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Towns band together to save revenue sharing By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer They didn’t know what kind of turnout to expect, but Bridgton Selectmen were wellpleased when officials from area towns showed up to support what is shaping up as a major regional campaign to convince state legislators that the governor’s “bold” new plan to throw out revenue sharing in favor of giving towns new taxing authority is a bad idea. Besides Bridgton officials, among the audience of around 35 people attending the Jan. 20 forum were either selectmen or town managers from Waterford, Hiram, Oxford, Norway, Harrison, Naples, Bridgton, Denmark and Brownfield. It was equally gratifying for Bridgton Selectmen to see two current and one former legislator in attendance — Phyllis Ginzler, House District 69, of Bridgton; Nate Wadsworth, House District 70, of PITCH IN — Lake Region students Conor Small, Lily Charpentier and Olivia Toole Hiram; and former House District 98 Legislator hope local shoppers will donate nonperishable food items to the Good Shepherd Food- Rick Sykes, of Harrison. They first heard an overview of the many eleBank as part of the “School Spirit Challenge” to take place at LRHS on Feb. 13. ments of Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed fiscal year 2016–2017 biennial budget from Geoff Herman, legislative analyst for the Maine Municipal
Got food? $1 = 5
Association. The $6.3 billion, two-year plan presented Jan. 9, would cut income taxes and increase and broaden the sales tax. LePage has said his budget would better balance the three major sources of tax revenue (state sales tax, state income tax and local property taxes) by increasing state sales taxes from 24 to 32% and decreasing income taxes from 32 to 20%. The dilemma, as the towns see it, is that LePage’s budget would increase local property taxes from 45 to 48% of the total of the three taxes, which would “wreak havoc” on municipal budgets having to make up the difference. That’s because, in order to accomplish his aim of comprehensive tax reform, LePage is proposing to maintain revenue sharing funding at last year’s reduced level, which amounts to $60 million, or 40% of the $165 million required by law. Worse still, from a municipal perspective, LePage is proposing to eliminate revenue sharing altogether after July 2016. To soften the blow, LePage is proposing to give towns new taxing authority from several REVENUE, Page 10A
Lake Region H.S. invites public to join ‘challenge’ At annual pep rallies at Lake Region High School, the chant, “We have spirit, yes we do, we have spirit, how about you?” booms inside the gym. LRHS students hope to team up with local residents to show the area’s true spirit to help others in need by joining together for the “School Spirit Challenge.” Students at Lake Region High School will be showing their “Laker Pride” when they participate in this year’s “School Spirit Challenge” to raise much needed food and funds for the Good Shepherd Food-Bank on Friday, Feb. 13. Lake Region is one of nine schools chosen to participate in this year’s competition, which is sponsored by WGME 13 TV, FOX 23 TV and Maine’s Credit Unions. News reporters from WGME will be broadcasting “live” from Lake Region High School at 6 a.m. on Feb. 13, showcasing the school and how much Lake Region students have raised for the food bank. According to the WGME
Benefit supper A Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser to benefit the School Spirit Challenge, hosted by the Lake Region High School classes of 2015 and 2018, will be held this Saturday, Jan. 31, from 4 to 6:30 p.m., in the LRHS cafeteria. Cost is $5 at the door. Donations to the Lake Region High School Spirit Challenge can be made online via Mastercard, Visa, Discover or Paypal at: https://www.gsfb.org/donate/vfd/?id=375 Monetary or nonperishable donations can be made at A PLOW TRUCK DRIVER clears the ice from the windshield and wipers before LRHS. Monetary donations may be dropped off in collec- returning to Route 302 to continue his snow removal job in the early afternoon on tion jars at: The Umbrella Factory in Naples, Beth’s Cafe in Tuesday. (De Busk Photo) Bridgton, Food City in Bridgton and Hayes True Value in Bridgton. website, “The School Spirit Challenge is a friendly competition between schools to show school pride and spirit, all while helping the community. The program is designed to promote the community and good stewardship with students of high schools in Central and Southern Maine through an ongoing food drive to benefit the Good Shepherd Food-Bank. The SSC is all about showing off everything that makes your school a great place to be by
Fryeburg man kills wife, self FRYEBURG — A local woman, described by friends as having a “beautiful personality,” was shot and killed Monday by her husband. State Police investigated the shooting deaths of Jody Buzzell, 52, and Mark Buzzell, also 52, as a domestic violence murdersuicide. The bodies were discovered separately, in two buildings, early Tuesday morning by the State Police tactical team along the West Fryeburg Road in Fryeburg, Jody Buzzell which is also Route 113. Police believe Jody Buzzell was shot by her husband inside their home sometime Monday afternoon. Fryeburg Police were called to the home by relatives. Also responding were members of the State Police tactical team, negotiators and detectives. After hours in the subfreezing temperatures, the tactical team entered the house early Tuesday morning and found Jody Buzzell’s body in a first floor room about 1 a.m. About four hours later, Mark Buzzell was found in a vacant residence next door, owned by a family member. Detectives say Mark Buzzell left a note and also told family members he had killed his wife. The bodies were removed to a local funeral home SHOOTING, Page A
Blizzard blasts region, folks continue to dig out
demonstrating why you have the best school and the most community spirit.” Schools will compete to raise the most pounds of food this winter. Schools competing along with Lake Region include: Mt. Ararat, Gould Academy, Kents Hill, Cony, Catherine McAuley, St. Dominic’s, Boothbay and Winslow. The winner captures the coveted Spirit Cup Trophy. Past winners included: Season 1, Biddeford, 42,855 pounds (total raised by schools competing, 126,383). Season 2, Wiscasset, 58,662 (total raised, 241,604). Season 3, Sanford, 93,729 (total raised, 336,273). LRHS students, staff and community will be collecting nonperishable food and monetary donations between now and the live broadcast. Each dollar donated counts as five pounds of food to the total tally raised by the Laker SPIRIT, Page A
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Caleb Ela and Sarah Paul braved the elements and the snowdrifts on Route 35 to get to the Umbrella Factory Supermarket to buy dog food. “We were out of dog food,” she said. “We decided to get it now before the storm got worse,” he said. The couple did not jump into a four-wheeldrive. Instead, around noon, they drove their compact car with summer tires onto the wintery roads to a nearby destination. Luckily — as they had counted on — the local grocery store was open. So, they were able to pick up some chow for their pooch as well as extra edibles and apple cider for themselves. They said it was pretty hairy getting out their driveway and Route 35 had its share of snowdrifts and unplowed areas. The Umbrella Factory Outlet Supermarket, known to locals as Tony’s Foodland, was not only open, but Paul and Ela did not have to battle the crowds.
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer HARRISON — Harrison Town Manager George “Bud” Finch is projecting a 3.1% increase in the upcoming budget, which would raise the mil rate from $10.95 to around $11.30 per $1,000 of valuation. In his Jan. 23 weekly update, Finch said that even given the increase, municipal services are actually operating at less cost than they were in 2011, when he came to Harrison and instituted productivity improvements and cost avoidance measures to hold the line on taxes. “We have worked diligently to improve services and not raise taxes on what we have control over,” Finch
said as he worked with staff to prepare the budget. He characterized the 3.1% increase as “much higher than one would like to project,” but added that, “with 70% of our property tax dollars not under our control, going to education and county, it is difficult to project much less at this point without significant cuts in municipal operations.” The total municipal budget for the 2016 fiscal year is estimated at $1,892,592, a $33,891 increase over the $1,858,701 budgeted for the 2015 fiscal year. Expenses stayed nearly the same for solid waste ($248,029$248,585), insurance ($54,768-$55,888), public safety ($173,716-$173,984) and community services
Very few customers navigated the aisles with grocery carts. The lights to the deli department had darkened, and staff was sweeping and mopping the floors in the middle of the day. “It’s dead.” (When we were shopping) he said to me, ‘I’ve never seen it so dead in here,’” Paul said. “No one wants to be out in this weather,” she said. If it weren’t for a shortage of dog food in their home, they would have had no need to venture out. Paul works at The Village Donut Shop & Bakery in Raymond. She had the day off, even though the business was open earlier in the day. Ela is employed at Dunkin’ Donuts in Gray; and that New England establishment shuttered its coffee drive-through before the predicted blizzard started, he said. The couple was just happy to be headed home to hunker down before the blizzard worsened. Meanwhile, the Naples store at which BLIZZARD, Page A
Harrison proposed budget up 3.1% ($77,590-$78,090), but went up in the areas of administration ($495,813-$512,105), public works ($532,519$537,183), fire department ($97,341-$102,571) and parks and recreation ($178,925$184,185). Total revenue is up 5.5%, from $634,917 last year to $670,050, leaving a net amount of $1,222,542 to be raised by taxes for municipal services. Added to that
taxpayer obligation is around $4 million that Finch estimated will be Harrison’s share of the SAD 61 school budget, and $330,380 in county spending. “There is great hope our best guess is too high, not too low,” he said of educational and county spending. In addition, Finch has budgeted $200,000 to cover capital needs and reserve funds, BUDGET, Page A
The Bridgton News Established 1870
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