Freezin was worth it
Passing a tall test
BN reporter found annual polar dip not only a worthy cause, but a personal test
Inside News
Lake Region girls close in on a Number 1 basketball seeding with a victory over Greely
Page 5B
Page 1B
Calendar . . . . . . . . . 11A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 7B Country Living . . 9A-13A Directory . . . . . . . . . . 8B Obituaries . . . . 10B-13B Opinions 5B-6B, 9B, 13B Police/Court . . . . . 3A-4A Sports . . . . . 1B-4B, 14B Student News . . . . . 13A Games . . . . . . . . . . . . 4B Weather . . . . . . . . . . 10B
www.bridgton.com Vol. 144, No. 6
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. 28 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
February 7, 2013
(USPS 065-020)
SIXTY CENTS
Plans ok’d for four businesses
READY FOR TV — A second-grader at Songo Locks School, Carly Dyer and her mom Dani Longley are excited to see the televised version of Dyer’s play, “Hare’s Apology.” Dyer’s writing was selected to be performed on “Green Screen Adventures,” an educational program that airs on Me-TV. (De Busk Photo)
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Mid-winter might be dreary elsewhere in the Lake Region, but in downtown Bridgton, it just got busy. Plans have been okay’d by the town for the expansion and relocation of existing businesses Beth’s Café and Stone Surface Granite & Marble — and also for the startup of two new business ventures: a Class A restaurant with gas pumps called Standard Gastropub, and a bakery beside Craftworks called “Cupcake Love,” baking up to 600 cupcakes a day. “It’s terrific that a building that’s been empty for so long will now be filled,” said Planning Board member Dee Miller, following the board’s vote Tuesday in favor of plans by restaurant partners William Henry Holmes and Alvah Franklin Johnson to renovate the vacant Bridgton Gas & Convenience store. Miller echoed those sentiments when the board noted Code Enforcement Officer Robbie Baker’s department-level
ARTIST RENDITION of the proposed new location of Beth’s Cafe, at the former Cool Moose building, on Main Street. approval for Greg Smith to expand his custom stone and granite top business into the former Chapter 11 property at 247 Main Street. “Main Street is on the move,” agreed Planning Board Chairman Steve Collins. With final findings of fact expected in a month, here’s the rundown following Tuesday’s unanimous preliminary approv-
PROJECTS, Page A
Warden loses battle
Author’s play to be aired Sunday
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Seven-year-old Carly Dyer is thrilled that a play she has written is going to be televised. Despite her excitement, she kept her accomplishment quiet. At school, she told only her best friend what had happened, and told her to watch it on television. After all, “Hare’s Apology” is about the importance of keeping friendships. But, the second-grader’s good news did not stay mum for long. When the Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting Company selected Dyer’s play “Hare’s Apology” for the TV show “Green Screen Adventures,” and after her play had been taped and scheduled to air, the company sent e-mails to Songo Locks Elementary School. The principal, the librarian, the music teacher, and all the second-grade teachers got that e-mail. So, everyone knew about the honor, and was given a website link to preview the production. Meanwhile, at home, Carly had refused to explore the computer link even though her mom had already seen the play come to life before the second-grader got off the bus. Carly was prepared to wait for the official airing of “Hare’s Apology.” “I wanted to see it on the TV, and make sure it came on,” she said. But, as fate would have it, a TV was wheeled into her classroom and all her classmates were going to watch the show via computer link. So, she joined them. “They were really happy,” Carly said, describing her peers’ response to the production. Carly said she wrote “Hare’s Apology” especially for “Green Screen Adventures,” an Emmy® Award-winning educational program, which accepts illustrations and writings from students in second through eighth grade. Carly and her mom had been watching the show faithfully for about eight months. “This was the first really big idea I had for writing,” she said during an interview at her school on Tuesday. “I think it is fun to write because I like to draw, and it is kind of like drawing except with words.” Since kindergarten, Carly has kept a journal and a notebook for song lyrics. “I write about my cat, Cosmo, and sometimes about my brother, Rueben,” she said. “I really write about what is going to happen or what had already happened.” Carly summarized her story in her own words, “The narrator is the hare. The hare writes an apology letter to the tortoise. He goes to the post office to mail the apology letter. The tortoise goes to the mailbox and reads the letter. Then, he calls the hare and asks if he wants to be friends.” Is there a children’s book on the horizon? “I feel like I want to write it into a book and illustrate it, but I just haven’t had the time,” she answered. She suspects instead her time will be spent writing about her latest favorite topic — sharks. “I am really into sharks and writing about sharks. During February vacation, I am going to Nantucket (to visit family) and see sharks at the Boston Aquarium,” she said, adding that will give her plenty of fodder for some nonfiction writing. Her mom said Carly has checked out every book about sharks in the entire school library. The girl gently corrects her mom’s exaggeration, saying there are still a few shark titles she hasn’t brought home to read. Her other favorite reads include “Piggy Pie,” which is a humorous story, the magazines National Geographic and Cat Fancy, and of course, books about sharks. AUTHOR, Page 14A
als by the Bridgton Planning Board: Beth’s Café After five years of successfully growing her business at 82 Main Street, which necessitated expanding into another dining room, Beth Doonan of Denmark feels like “it is time to seize the opportunity” to buy her own building instead of leasing space. It’s not that she
wants more dining space right now, but that owning The Cool Moose building at 108 Main Street will allow her to create the kind of professional kitchen she’s dreamed of from the start. And with a second floor to work with down the road, there will be plenty of opportunity to grow. The planning board’s approval will need to be followed next Tuesday with action by the Bridgton Board of Selectmen, who will consider her request for outdoor café-style seating on both the side and front of the building. “I’m just really excited,” Doonan told the board after a brief overview of her change of use plans. “Are there any other questions?” She said she’d like to be up and running at the new location by May. Doonan will be buying the building from Adria and Jonathan Carr, who took over The Cool Moose business and property, with its signature moose mural, from relative Peter Lowell, who began the
Governor Paul R. LePage is among many in Maine mourning the loss of longtime State Game Warden Major Gregory “Gregg” Sanborn, who died Tuesday after a courageous battle against cancer. Sanborn, 47 and a native of Fryeburg, was a 23-year veteran of the Maine Warden Service, most recently its second in command. “Major Sanborn embodied what it means to be a Maine Game Warden, and was a true ambassador of our great outdoors and our entire State,” said Governor LePage. “I had the privilege to meet Gregg several times and was always humbled by his commitment to public service and his passion for life, even as he fought this horrible disease. The First Lady and I extend our thoughts and prayers to his family, and his extended family at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.” Services for Major Sanborn will be at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy on Saturday. His obituary appears on Page 13B.
Mondville resigns
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO – In an e-mail on Tuesday morning, Laurie Mondville made known her intentions to step down from the Board of Directors for the School Administrative District (SAD) No. 61. By Tuesday evening, Casco resident Donna Norton was named to fill the position for the remainder of the term. NEW MARINA OWNER — The Moose Landing Marina’s According to Town Manager Dave Morton, he and the board new owner, Steve Arnold, is pictured next to Service Manager members received the resignation notice from Mondville via eJohn Foss on Tuesday afternoon. (De Busk Photo) RESIGNS, Page 14A
Arnold buys Moose Landing Marina
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Mainer Steve Arnold grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he worked at a marina during his high school years. The boating atmosphere got him hooked. Since January 2004, he has owned Yarmouth Boat Yard — a successful business that dates back to 1948.
As of last Friday, when the real estate deal was signed, Arnold is the new owner of Moose Landing Marina in Naples. Longtime owner Dan Craffey said he decided to retire from the marina, and focus on other business ventures. Arnold said he met the local businessman about five years ago through the boating shows
they attended during the winter months. “Dan Craffey did an excellent job building the marina. He has put a lot of time and money into the marina, and he has built it into an excellent location,” Arnold said. “It’s a first class operation. It has a great staff. I am looking forward to working with those people this year,” he said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Arnold was on site — touching base with his employees and walking around the property located on the north shore of Brandy Pond. As part of the agreement, Arnold will lease the dry dock boat storage unit in Bridgton as well. Arnold plans on nothMARINA, Page 14A
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Like so many activities in Maine, the weather can change plans overnight. Activities to be held during the Naples Winter Carnival face a big, white Catch-22: Snow. The very same detail needed to support wintertime recreation can throw a Sasquatch-sized monkey wrench into preparations or thwart attendance on the day of the event. According to Muddy River SnoSeekers President Dan Allen, “It’s a go.” Earlier in the week, carnival organizers met and tested the
ice depths in various spots on Long Lake. The double-checking was prompted after a truck fell through the ice on the lake on Sunday, Feb. 3, he said. On Tuesday, Allen said everyone was moving forward with all of the activities slated to be held on the ice on Saturday. The scheduled events include the popular Radar Run snowmobile races, a broomball completion, antique snowmobile displays, free snow coach rides and fireworks after dusk. All events will be held on the Causeway, on the Long Lake side.
Unfortunately, there is no magic snow globe in which to see the future weather. But, according to the National Weather Service in Gray, the region could get a 3- to 6-inch snowfall, or the area could succumb to an intense storm that yields a foot or more of snow.
“It is still two days out,” NWS Meteorologist Mike Kistner said. “It is going to be a dry snow. But it is going to be a heavy snowfall, and it could be a significant amount in the Naples area,” Kistner said. CARNIVAL, Page 14A
Snow: Blessing or curse for carnival?
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