Outdoor adventure Tracking wildlife can present a fascinating day as some discovered during a recent LEA hike Page 1B
Happy 85th!
Inside News
The Bridgton Lions celebrate a historic anniversary, and welcome a new Melvin Jones Fellow
Calendar. . . . . . .9A-10A
Page 2A
Classifieds . . . . . . . . 6B Country Living . . .6A-8A Directory . . . . . . . . . . 9B Obituaries . . . . . 10B-11B Opinions . . . .6B-9B, 11B Police/Court . . . . . . .11A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 1B Student News . . . . . . . . . Towns . . . . . . . . . . . .10A Weather . . . . . . . . . . 6B
www.bridgton.com Vol. 142, No. 11
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. 24 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
March 17, 2011
(USPS 065-020)
SIXTY CENTS
C.A. Snow makes the cut School ranks fifth on project list
By Lisa Williams Ackley Staff Writer FRYEBURG — The decades old Charles A. Snow School here has made the Number 5 position on the Maine Department of Education’s “priority list” of those that are in line to receive construction funds. A total of 71 construction applications were reviewed by the DOE, with only 22 making the “priority list.” The Maine DOE presented its ranking of the Pre-K through 12 school projects on March 9. The proposed “priority list”
is the first rating of school construction projects since the 2004-2005 rating cycle, through which 22 schools were approved for renovation or construction. “The list is a vitally important tool for us in understanding the scope of the needs in our schools,” Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen said. “When resources become available, we’ll be able to address the most significant needs first.” Commissioner Bowen, who is the one who will decide how many projects will be able to
move forward, and the timing of those projects, said the priority list is “only the first step in a comprehensive process that includes prioritizing, determining solutions, designing, and building. Project costs will be estimated and based on those estimates,” Bowen said. The oldest building in the 71 reviewed applications was built in 1861. Fourteen of the buildings were built in the 1970s or later. In all, there are 207 portable classrooms being used in the 71 schools, and in six of the schools, more than 40 percent of
students are in portables. “Big if” regarding funding “We’re extremely happy and look forward to the actual project being able to be started in the next few years,” said SAD 72 Superintendent of Schools Gary MacDonald. “We were anxiously awaiting the ‘priority list’ being released at 2:30 p.m. last Wednesday. We were not surprised, as we thought we had an extremely competitive application. We’re quite excited. I’m also well aware of several other schools in the state that have SCHOOL, Page 3A
By Lisa Williams Ackley Staff Writer NAPLES — The Naples Planning Board tabled a request by Warren Dyke for a change of use and shoreland zoning application for property along the Naples Causeway, Tuesday night, until more information is submitted. Project Manager Dyke, of Naples Causeway Development LLC, presented plans March 15 for Charlie’s on the Causeway, a sandwich and ice cream and pastry shop, that will be located in the former ERA Today building along Route 302, as well
as Kon-tiki Boat Tours, which will offer rides on a 40-foot by 10-foot, 24-passenger pontoon boat that will be docked on Brandy Pond out behind the property at 844 Roosevelt Trail. The planning board asked Dyke to come back with more information on the septic disposal system, as well as a drawing showing where parking spaces will be located and another indicating where the path to the Kon-tiki boat dock is going to be. Dyke said both businesses are located on the same lot
and will not require any new building or site improvements. He said he is requesting a change of use for Charlie’s on the Causway, as “the existing space was primarily used for retail for many years.” “This new shop will primarily offer sandwiches, pastries, beverages and ice cream and have limited indoor seating for 22 and some outdoor seating for about 15,” according to Dyke. He said there will be “very limited cooking with just warming equipment, panini press, coffee makers, etc. All snacks and meals will be
served with paper and plastic to keep the dish washing needs at a minimum.” Kon-tiki Boat Tours Dyke said he is requesting a change of use, as well, for the Kon-tiki Boat Tours, because “this original dock was used for commercial purposes but not for public access.” He said the dock location on Brandy Pond will be approximately where the previous dock was used for the dredging barge owned by Frank Gerrish. According to Dyke, the pontoon boat will be equipped CAUSEWAY, Page 4A
Causeway in line for new look
BEHIND THE MICROPHONE — Elihu Upham airs his unique show, “Keeping Up with Upham,” across the world via Internet radio at www.wuphradio.com. Upham has a studio located on the third floor of the former Maine Difference building on Main Street in Bridgton. The station plays a wide array of music, most of which was created by area musicians. (Rivet Photo)
Radio man Air time with Elihu Upham
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer eaning back in his office chair inside a tranquil space on the third floor of the Maine Difference, Elihu Upham is reaching out to a worldwide audience. There is no giant satellite dish or spider-web like antenna perched atop of the Main Street building. Peering out a side window, Upham can see Highland Lake as he talks about a wide spectrum of topics from “living green” to interviewing authors and national celebrities. As a “registered” talk show host based on his air experience (over 1,500 interviews), Upham has interviewed the likes of Joan Lunden, John Travolta and national motorcycle reviewer Carol King. Bridgton is home to Upham’s Internet radio station — www. wuphradio.com — which may be a well-kept secret right now, but a project on the cusp of a major promotional effort. “The station is up, alive and well,” said Upham, who moved the station from the Wales & Hamblen building in January to its new location “at the other end of Main Street.” “We’ve created a very unique platform. We have listeners here to Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea and other places across the world.” Presently, the station draws about 250 listeners per day (as tracked on the station’s web server), but with several promotional events scheduled for 2011, Upham hopes to push that number to the 1,500 range. The station presently offers music and talk shows from 6 a.m. to midnight, but is scheduled to expand to 24 hours within six months. Upham plans to add to the line-up a children’s show featuring local storyteller David Neufeld, as well as two specialty programs focusing on cooking and fine beverages. “We can do whatever we want on the Internet, but we want to be family-oriented,” Upham said. “The whole idea of the station is to help people. We offer musicians an outlet to get their music out there. If you are looking for good entertainment, no swearing (if some topics could result in the use of certain language, we will tell people ahead of time about the content as a warning) and unique music, this is the station for you.” On the radio station’s website, Upham says, “WUPH is committed to bringing you the best in talk radio, the best in unique music, and the best in alternative thinking….Left, right or center, it doesn’t matter what their political point of view is. What matters to us is hearing their story the way they want to tell it.” The station carries a wide range of music provided by local talent, as well as original programming including Upham’s talk show, “Keeping Up with Upham,” which airs daily from 6 to 7:30 a.m. and again from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The host describes his approach as “quirky at times, a little off balance, but it’s fun.” “I let the cosmos take care of what people want to talk about or hear about,” he said. “People have great ideas, if you listen. We don’t surprise people we interview. We want to hear what they have to say. We don’t ambush people. We don’t ask questions that might embarrass them. We’re not shock radio. We want people — from the common man to celebrities — to tell their stories that move and change our world. Things people aren’t aware of.” Even his 90-year-old dad is involved. According to the radio station’s website, “the Olda Fella brings his nine decades of
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RADIO MAN, Page 5A
Power of mapping revealed
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer For the first time ever, the seven towns of the Lake Region have come together to define the key attributes of their landscape that make it special to them. And for the first time ever, the elements that make up the Lake Region’s 316-squaremile “Quality of Place” have been synthesized into powerful, award-winning GIS Greenprinting software that cost $200,000 to develop, and now can be accessed by everyone online through the Internet. Are you looking for that dream home near walking trails or water? Are you on a town committee looking to update your comprehensive plan? Are you a developer, looking for that DANCING MUBARAK OUT — Bridgton native Melinda Holmes, at left wearing scarf, and ideal parcel of well-drained land her Egyptian friends celebrate in the streets of downtown Cairo on Feb. 11. MAPPING, Page 12A
Local view: Egypt waiting for change
By Melinda Holmes Special to the News CAIRO, EGYPT — Realization dawned slowly as I stared from across the room at the large brown eyes of my Egyptian friend growing steadily wider. The gravely voice coming from the old television next to me on Feb. 11 spoke deliberately, with a measure befitting an aging politician. My urgent pleas for translation were answered first by a roar of screams and shouts erupting from the people as they streamed out of their houses and shops and into the street: Mubarak had stepped down! Leaping into the arms of my two revolutionary sidekicks, bonded now for life over what we experienced together during those 18 days, a grin spread over my face that would stay plastered there until sleep brought the muscles of my face some
relief. We couldn’t put our jackets on fast enough, running down the stairs two to three steps at a time, we burst out onto the street joining the jubilant crowds. There was no discussion, at this point it was innate, restraining ourselves from breaking into a run, we made our way to Tahrir. Every ounce of apprehension and debate had vanished, it was clear that not a single person was sorry to see him go. My friends hugged and kissed those we met in the street, arms raised in victory, voices raised in celebration. Joy, relief and pride The now familiar checkpoints at the square’s entrance were in force, though the woman patting me down was shaking with excitement. I couldn’t help but embrace her in my sheer joy at witnessing this moment, in my relief and pride that this moment had arrived, achieved honorably
and independently by the people of Egypt. The famous festival atmosphere of Tahrir was no longer ironic. The people were already packed in like sardines, chains of friends pressed one behind the other snaked their way through the human sea. To the steady beating of drums, circles of young men danced around the musicians, accelerating until they could no longer hold on, breaking into joyous leaps and shouts. After a while we extracted ourselves and in a side street near
Talat Harb Square, merely two blocks away, we stumbled into the midst of a dance party. There we were, singing along in unison to the kind of songs that everyone knows the words to, dancing in the street by the sparkling light of fireworks and the sudden flames of lit aerosol (a typical form of celebratory flash here). In a country normally overcome by propriety regarding public physical displays, here the static bodies of men and women alike could not contain their joy and so EGYPT, Page 11A
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