Act 2 in the books
Pushed to limit
The field of eight is set for Lake Region’s Got Talent! semifinals this Sunday
Fryeburg Academy girls gave undefeated Spruce Mountain all they could handle
Page 6A
Page 4B
Inside News Calendar . . . . . . 7A, 11A Classifieds . . . . . 9B-10B Country Living . . 6A-11A Directory . . . . . . . . . 10B Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 9A Opinions 6B-8B, 11B-12B Police/Court . . . . . 4A-5A Sports . . . . . 1B-5B, 12B Student News . . . 4A-5A Games . . . . . . . . . . . 11B
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 145, No. 9
24 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
February 27, 2014
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . 10A
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Budget holds core services intact By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz was able to hold core services intact in his fiscal year 2014-15 budget, now under review by the Budget Committee. The proposed budget is $6,715,682, or $456,000 greater than last year. It comes with a projected tax rate of $14.02. Budget Committee member Bill Vincent said Tuesday his committee has met with all department heads and will be finishing up its recom-
mendations this week or next. After that, the budget will be sent along to Selectmen for their review in preparation for the June Town Meeting. Revenue projections are up by $110,000, and that’s not including extra savings from lower-than-budgeted costs for solid waste disposal through ecomaine. Still, the budget committee is scrutinizing every line, as a hedge against possible significant reductions in state revenue sharing and increases in support of the SAD 61 School District.
The budget includes a 2.1 percent salary increase for town employees and an anticipated increase in general assistance expenses. Another $50,000 is budgeted along with the $100,000 already approved for a townwide revaluation, scheduled to begin this fall and continue into the summer and fall of 2015. Berkowitz noted in his budget letter that the current proposal exceeds the LD-1 cap by about $165,000. If that amount stays intact, Town meeting voters will need to
be asked for permission to raise it to the new level of about $4,750,000. The budget is projected to be offset by $1,723,625 in revenues, leaving a net amount to be raised by taxes of $4,729,704. Budget Committee members began their review on Jan. 8, and have so far met with department heads and are expected to soon be reviewing their recommendations with Berkowitz. Members of the committee are Steve Stevens, Greg Jones, Venessa Jones and Bill Vincent.
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Three owners of downtown Bridgton properties face an uphill challenge in convincing the Board of Selectmen that they deserve a piece of the Community Development Block Grant Program pie. Beth Doonan of Beth’s Café, Charles and Pat Renneker, Depot Street building owners, and Julie Mannix and Michael Denison of Village Kitchen & Bath all have requested façade improvement funding from the $119,500 in 2014 CDBG funds available July 1 for “bricks & mortar” projects to alleviate downtown slum and blight. However, selectmen, having established improvements to Depot Street and Town Hall as
priorities this year, are leaning against granting CDBG funds to any for-profit enterprises. They came close Tuesday to voting to limit 2014 applications to nonprofits, but chose instead to follow the state-proscribed review process before taking formal action. The schedule calls for an initial presentation and review by the board on March 11, with a formal public hearing on March 25. “I’m concerned about taking applications out of the mix until they’ve been heard,” Director of Planning, Economic and Community Development Anne Krieg told the board. Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz agreed, saying, “You have no choice but
to listen. If you take a formal vote now, you’re predetermining the outcome.” Berkowitz noted, however, that the board was fully within its right, under Housing and Urban Development compliance rules for use of CDBG funds, to give priority status to municipal projects. “You’ve made that message clear (and) that’s completely appropriate.” The CDBG Review Committee, comprised of Greg Watkins, Mike Tarantino, Madelyn Litz and Rosie Schacht, had earlier met and recommended $70,000 of the $119,500 in “bricks & mortar” funding be set aside for municipal projects. Of the remaining $49,000, the committee made the following recommenda-
tion, based on applications for CDBG funding submitted to the town: • Beth’s Café (Doonan) — $3,800 • 16 Depot Street (Rennekers) — $4,900 • 18A Depot Street (Rennekers) — $5,500 • 6 Harrison Road (Mannix, Denison) — $12,800 • 121 Main Street (Rufus Porter Museum) — $22,000 Of the above list, only the Rufus Porter Museum is nonprofit. The Depot Street Streetscape Project includes a full road reconstruction with sewer work, sidewalks, streetlights and other amenities from Main Street to Corn Shop Brook. UPGRADES, Page A
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — During the 1928 presidential election, Herbert Hoover was credited with promising, “A chicken in every pot, and two cars in every garage.” However, attributing that statement to Hoover is an inaccurate recollection of history. Actually, the Republican National Committee paid for the newspaper advertisements, which pledged to put a chicken in every pot and one car in the backyard. Likewise, the Town of Naples can no longer provide two moorings for one property owner. Such practice contra-
dicts state law, according to Attorney Mary Costigan. Therefore, this summer when people register their moorings with the Town of Naples, only one mooring per property owner will be allowed. The topic, which was highlighted in a recent court case, Cynthia White versus the Town of Naples, was discussed during the Naples Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday. “The town’s permitting process for moorings is in violation of state mooring law,” Costigan said, referring to the court case ruling. According to Naples Code Enforcement Officer Renee Carter, “Every property
owner, besides those living in a subdivision, has the right to one mooring.” “That is all — Rick Paraschak clarified that that would be the town’s policy going forward. “If someone comes in tomorrow and says they want to re-up their two moorings. Do we just give one?” he said. Carter responded, “Yes.” She explained that there is a flyer on the office window; therefore, staff will not have to explain the current procedure. She said the legality of the flyer has been approved by the Town Attorney Geoff Hole. “The easiest way is: Everyone has one mooring.
That might not be the most popular way with homeowners, but it the easiest way to abide by the law,” Costigan said. Carter added that it is illegal for the seasonal harbor masters to okay more than one mooring for a shoreland property owner. “With this (court) ruling we are out of compliance with state law,” Paraschak said. “Our ordinance needs to be revised at Town Meeting,” he said. Costigan agreed that would remedy the situation of having an ordinance that conflicts with state law. “Your ordinance has been determined to be illegal,” she said.
CDBG façade upgrades in doubt
One mooring per property?
BPL hires new kids’ librarian By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer The Bridgton Public Library has hired a new Youth Services Coordinator after a two-month vacancy in the position. She is Honor Smith, a self-described “constant patron” of library services both here and elsewhere. “We’re constant patrons of several libraries. It’s always been a part of life,” Smith said Friday, a week after assuming the 20-hour-per-week position. Originally from Portland, Smith and her husband Matthew are Bridgton residents who’ve made regular use of the library to enrich the life of their young daughter. She has a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Printmaking, and while this is her first time working in a library, she is wellacquainted with its services. Moreover, she firmly believes in the power of books, so much so that she read to her daughter in utero, and from infancy on. “Books touch every aspect of a child’s development — cognitively, visually,” said Smith. She is looking forward to maintaining and adding to the library’s collection of books and other media for children, from infants to young adults. Children’s services at the library underwent transition a year ago when its space was relocated upstairs to become more integrated with the rest of the library. The move had its critics, but there was no drop in use by children; in fact, use by children and young adults has increased over last year, said Librarian Holly Hancock. “It’s just a different space,” Hancock said, that has allowed reference and technology services to be consolidated in the former children’s space downstairs. The restructuring was the result of a two-year study of how services at the library were being utilized, said Hancock.
HONOR SMITH is the new Children’s Librarian at the Bridgton Public Library. Having the children’s services on the main floor has definite advantages, said Hancock, in that “The kids are a part of the whole library,” encouraged to “be free to be themselves” as they interact with all of its staff. LIBRARIAN, Page 12A
SHARING THE MOMENT WITH LAKER NATION — Head Coach Paul True holds up the game ball and points to Lake Region fans after his girls’ basketball team won the Class B West title Saturday. The Lakers return to the state finals Friday in Bangor. See preview, Page 1B. (Rivet Photo)
Help watershed, donate easement
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Trees are nature’s water filtration system. Therefore, the more forested areas around Sebago Lake, the greater the benefit to the lake’s water quality. Portland Water District (PWD) provides that clean, unfiltered water to 200,000 consumers in 11 communities, including the Town of Raymond. The water is transported along 1,000 miles of water mains. The lake holds a trillion gallons of water; and, PWD draws on about one foot of that a year. That is according to Paul Hunt, the environmental services manager at PWD. “Why does the forest matter? It absorbs the water, promotes infiltration, and removes nutrients,” Hunt said, adding too many nutrients are harmful to the lake and its inhabitants. While the watershed that feeds into Sebago Lake is mostly forested or has lowdensity, rural development, this does not mean that clean water is guaranteed in the years yet to come, he said. On Monday, Hunt spoke to
members of the Casco Open Space Commission about the history and the future of Sebago Lake. The presentation was sponsored in collaboration with Loon Echo Land Trust. Currently, PWD’s Board of Directors has a mission to purchase conservation easements so that the district can continue to protect the quality of the H2O upon which so many people rely. PWD would not own the easements, but it would assist landowners with the costs of putting parcels of land into conservation districts, he said. The future of Sebago Lake is linked with the fate of private forested lands, he said. Creating Watershed Conservation Districts According to Hunt, about 8% of the watershed is conserved, and the PWD’s objective is to increase that percentage. Over the years, the district has bought the land around the lower bay, or south end of the lake, which is located in Standish. “We work with land trusts and private landowners. We have helped landowners with EASEMENT, Page 12A
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