The Inside News Training for Big Night; ‘Chill Chaser’ benefits LEA; Recipe for Beef Brisket Pages 7A-8A
Entering the Hall
Inside News
Seven to be inducted into Lake Region Hall of Fame; four selected good citizens
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 9A
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Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 8B Country Living . . . 7A-9A Directory . . . . . . . . . . 5B Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 6A Opinions . . . . . . 6B-10B Police/Court . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . 1B-3B Student News . . . 4B-5B Games . . . . . . . . . . . . 5B
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 150, No. 11
20 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
March 14, 2019
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . .
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Owner addresses tax charges
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer FRYEBURG — When Bob Quinn stood before a judge last week to answer to charges that he underreported sales at his Jockey Cap Country Store and failed to pay expected sales tax for a 10-year period, he wanted to do the right thing. He pleaded guilty. And, he wants to “make things right.” Attorney General Aaron Frey announced last week that Quinn, 48, the owner of the Jockey Cap Country Store in Fryeburg, was sentenced in the Oxford County Unified Criminal Court to DOORS BACK OPEN — After being closed follow- serve three months in jail ing owner Bob Quinn’s court date, Jockey Cap was for failing to pay over a back in business on Wednesday. large portion of the store’s
sales tax for the years 2007 through 2017. Beginning in August 2007, and continuing through February 2017, Quinn intentionally underreported both the store’s sales and sales tax collected by substantial amounts, Frey said. Quinn diverted over $370,000 in sales tax to his own use. The state already has recovered over $206,000 from Quinn, and he was ordered to pay an additional $300,000 (which includes interest). Quinn pled guilty to the crimes of theft, tax evasion and failure to collect, truthfully account, or pay over tax. Justice Joyce A. Wheeler sentenced Quinn to four years, with all but three
months in jail, and three years of probation. Quinn was ordered to repay the $300,000 as restitution. “Business owners are entrusted to collect sales tax and properly pay the sales tax over to Maine Revenue Services. My office will continue to pursue business owners who, for personal gain, abuse the trust the state places in them,” said Frey in a press release. The case was investigated by the Maine Revenue Services’ Criminal Investigations Unit. Assistant Attorney General Gregg D. Bernstein handled this matter for the Attorney General’s Criminal Division. Bob Quinn comments “Obviously, I’m humili-
ated and embarrassed. I did indeed underreport sales and sales tax throughout the years. Instead of paying what we owed, I paid what we could afford. It was unethical and incorrect. I’ve taken steps to move forward,” said Bob in an interview at the store Tuesday afternoon. He was joined by his wife, Allyson. “I’m a lousy bookkeeper and really bad at keeping track of things. Certainly, things will change. Unfortunately, when you are not accounting things properly, your budget is messed up and you have to start making adjustments. When the audit began in January 2017, we took immediate steps, cutCHARGES, Page 2A
Town manager addresses pot facility rumor By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Naples Town Manager John Hawley is debunking the rumor that a major utility company installed new electric lines to power a future pot research facility. “We, staff and selectmen, have been hearing on more than one occasion that the recent CMP powerline upgrades on Route 302 were being installed for the benefit of the future mari-
juana growing facility that was mentioned in a Portland Press Herald article last June,” Hawley said. “For the record, there have been no plans submitted to the town office for such a facility,” he said. “We have not heard a peep from those folks,” he said. Hawley mentioned this matter during the meeting of the Naples Board of Selectmen on Monday, and also in an e-mail last week.
List of criteria needed before posting begins By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Before more “Posted” signs appear on Bridgton streets, officials believe they need to develop a list of criteria to work under. Selectmen Tuesday night heard more concerns from Cottage Street property owners regarding the dangers of tractor trailer trucks using narrow side roads. Resident Julie Harmon, at the last board meeting, recommended that Cottage, along with Church, Gage and Walker Streets, be posted and stop “through” travel by large delivery trucks. Police Chief Rick Stillman suggested a traffic study, which would look at the amount of truck travel through these neighborhoods, along with elements
“For the past several months, Central Maine Power (CMP) has been doing extensive power line upgrades on Route 302 coming in from Bridgton to the Lambs Mill Road. During this work, rumors began to circulate that the power upgrades were for the exclusive benefit of the future one million square foot marijuana research facility that is going to be built in Naples,” he wrote. However, the permits for
the facility never materialized, he said. “There have not been any inquiries or applications for the development of any such facility,” Hawley said. A few residents doing business at the Naples town hall mentioned to the clerks that they had heard the rumor from a CMP lineman on the project, Hawley said. “I reached out to Tim Laney of Central Maine Power for an official statement regarding the work
and he offered the following: ‘John, it sounds like you are a victim of a rumor that grew legs and I cannot imagine that our crews or the contractors working on this project would intentionally start a rumor like this. I will follow up with the supervisors in that area and also the contractors that worked on this project as you requested.’ ” According to CMP’s Laney, “This project has been in the works for years
and as you know a project this size takes extensive planning, permitting, engineering, etc. This project was brought up in 2012 when we realized the Naples area was continuing to grow and we had to establish another reliable means of service for the customers in that area for the future.” In fact, CMP purchased a sliver of land from the Town of Naples to put in a 7500kva transformer that RUMOR, Page 4A
including sight lines and turn radius. Selectmen asked if any business owners were present to discuss their point of view, regarding deliveries and other options. Despite being contacted, no business folk were present. Selectman Bear Zaidman noted that trucking firms can be contacted and alternate routing discussed. Selectman Carmen Lone doesn’t see the relevance of waiting for results of a traffic study when three known GIFT TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER — The Lake Region Middle School Student Council, on behalf of the student facts exist that tell tractor body, on Monday presented a $500 check to Tiffany Brown and Nena (dog) of the Harvest Hills Animal Shelter. trailer travel along these side This money was raised by LRMS students through a Penny Wars competition organized by the Student Council. streets present a danger. “We’re talking about substandard streets, going through neighborhoods with no sidewalks,” she cited. On Monday, the Naples town manager toured the old doesn’t have space for every By Dawn De Busk Town Manager Robert Board of Selectmen town hall and the Naples group to have their dedicatStaff Writer BRIDGTON, Page 2A NAPLES — With only renewed the lease for the Museum. The turning point ed space. What little luxury three months left until the old town hall building with was when Leo and muse- we have, we have to share,” Maine Blues Festival week- the Bluesfest. The old town um curator Merry Watson Hawley said during a Feb. end, organizers breathed a hall is the larger of two brick decided to share quarters in 25 meeting. Chairman Jim Grattelo sigh of relief that they will buildings that sits on the hill the museum, leaving the old town hall open for the cur- spoke on the topic during still have the space in the above Route 302. The lease renewal had rent renters, the Bluesfest. the Feb. 25 meeting. brick building on Village been tabled repeatedly since The Bluesfest pays $100 Numerous times, Grattelo Green Lane. Voters go to the polls on Tuesday, March 19 to act on Bluesfest co-found- January because a second a month to the town plus has stated that town-owned a proposal by SAD 61 to renovate and expand Crooked er Kevin Kimball had party, Brenda Leo, who shoulders the financial buildings should be utilized River School. expressed concerns that heads the visitors’ and infor- responsibility of heat and by town departments before The $8 million project calls for expansion of the Route the group would be scram- mation center, asked to use electricity. being rented to the private 11 facility, as well as renovations so that the school can bling to find another suit- the old town hall this sum“They (the Bluesfest sector. house students in Grades 3-5, thus easing the overcrowding able space in the short time mer. organizers) have control “In this particular case, at Songo Locks School. So, during the time because they pay the lease,” no one was using the buildleft before the festival. A To expand SLS, costs are estimated at $11 million. month ago, he was sweat- between January and mid- Naples Town Manager John ing forever. Someone came Presently, 50% of the SLS population is in portable class- ing bullets that the Bluesfest March, dozens of people Hawley said. before the [board of selectrooms. Overcrowding, SAD 61 officials say, has also cre- would be cancelled or would spoke before the selectmen. But, this issue pointed men] and made a proposal. ated security and safety issues at the school. be forced to seek venues in The comments included to the fact that the town has This was before my time on District officials feel the time is right to take on Crooked another town if the Bluesfest praise and mud-slinging, limited space in its public the board,” he said. “Now, River School construction costs since SAD 61 is on the foundation was evicted from depending on which group buildings. all of a sudden, we are being verge of retiring three debts — Lake Region Middle School the town-owned building it the individual supported. “The Town of Naples LEASE, Page 3A renovation (annual cost of $204,000, end date 2019-2020), rents. “In an ideal world, the Stevens Brook renovation ($336,000 annually, end date Also, the Bluesfest orga- two groups should comple2020-21) and Songo Locks portables ($648,000 annually, nizers and volunteers had ment each other. Both are end date 2020-21). Retiring debt from these projects will sweat equity in the building, for tourism — their goals are Established 1870 almost pay for Crooked River work ($660,000 annually), having cleaned and repaired not uncommon,” Selectman P.O. Box 244, 118 Main St. district officials say. If approved, SAD 61 would not start the structure inside and out Jim Turpin said two weeks Bridgton, ME 04009 paying for the Crooked River project until 2021-22. when the lease agreement ago before the lease renewal 207-647-2851 More information about the project is on the district first began three years ago. was tabled for a third time. Fax: 207-647-5001 website (lakeregionschools.org). Then, on Tuesday, March Now, things are harmonibnews@roadrunner.com Polls are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 4, the selectmen and the ous again.
Settled, Bluesfest renews lease
Crooked River project to polls
The Bridgton News