BN11-031821

Community Rotary Mask Challenge helps food pantries; Meet the Author series Page 8B

H.S. Sports

Inside News

Making the best of a limited track season; hoop wraps up; senior athlete spotlights

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 2B Country Living . . . . . . 8B Directory . . . . . . . . . . 2B Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 5B

Page 7A

Opinions . . . . . . . 1B-4B Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . 7A-8A Student News . . . 6A, 8A Games . . . . . . . . . . . . 4B Legal Notices . . . . . . . 3B

Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870.

Vol. 150, No. 11

14 PAGES - 2 Sections

Bridgton, Maine

March 18, 2021

www.bridgton.com

(USPS 065-020)

95¢

Paying for greater ‘presence’

By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer HARRISON — One way people sought relief from Covid-19 restrictions was to get outdoors — be it going for a hike, bicycle ride or a spin out on local lakes and ponds.

Boat traffic was indeed heavy last summer, and with it, came more problems from careless operation, excessive alcohol consumption and folks using the lake as toilets.

While Covid-19 restrictions will likely ease as the public vaccinates, local officials hope to bring a little more order out on Long Lake. Harrison and Naples plan to contract with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to add 40 hours of warden coverage — that is in addition to

already scheduled Warden details on the popular lake.

IFW will provide the boat and other needed supplies, while the towns will pay $20,000 to cover salary. There was some thought that the Warden could also spend a few hours here and there on busy Highland Lake and Moose Pond in Bridgton. Initially, the three towns that border Long Lake — Bridgton, Harrison and Naples — talked about seeking additional law enforcement presence, thus dividing the cost by three, $6,600 each. But, Bridgton selectmen backed away from the proposal during recent budget discussions, feeling it is the state’s responsibility to patrol the lake.

Harrison Town Manager Tim Pellerin said his town and Naples will proceed,

splitting the bill at $10,000 each. Last week, Pellerin informed selectmen that Harrison is likely to receive $278,000 in Covid-relief money from the federal government, which he will use to cover the additional warden patrol, thus not impacting local taxpayers.

While managers await specific guidelines, Pellerin pointed out that the federal funds can’t simply be applied to tax relief. However, towns can use the funds to cover Covid-related expenses, such as renovations (air handling units installed at the town office), hazard pay, etc.

Based on receipts on items purchased during the pandemic, Pellerin said the town can justify $222,000.

“It’s not direct tax relief, but in the end, it will help us,” Pellerin said.

Bridgton is expected to receive an estimated $541,759 under the Covidrelief package.

Another uptick created by the pandemic has been Harrison’s surge in new home construction. Pellerin said the town is experiencing major growth, and with the spike in population, officials see a growing need for more law enforcement coverage. On this year’s town warrant, taxpayers will be asked whether to fund a second contract deputy at the cost of $126,514. The addition would result in 80-plus hours of police presence, seven days a week.

“We’re seeing more incidents and police statistics show crimes are getting more serious,” Pellerin said.

“What we’ve seen during PRESENCE, Page 2A

By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Things can change quickly.

A few weeks ago, the Casco Board of Selectmen were relieved and excited to be hiring a town manager. During that March 2 meeting, the board signed the employment with contract with Brenda-Fox Howard.

She was scheduled to start her position in Casco on April 5.

On Tuesday, it was evident that the game plan had changed.

In an act that reversed the hiring, the selectmen signed a document which terminated the town manager employment contract.

According to the paperwork that terminates the employment agreement, Fox-Howard had asked that the town release her from the contract so that she could pursue another position. Her request was made on Monday.

The paperwork states, “The town is in agreement with Fox-Howard’s request and has no objection to the termination of

the employment agreement.”

Essentially, all points of the employment contract which was signed when Howard was hired, are no longer legally binding.

“The Town and Brenda Fox-Howard hereby agree that all terms of the employment agreement are null and void,” the new agreement stated.

Fox-Howard was not present at the selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday night.

Currently, she is the town manager of New Gloucester, a job she has

held since May 2020. Last year, she signed a one-year contract with that town.

Since September, the Casco Board of Selectmen have been trying to fill the vacancy left when former Casco Town Manager Courtney O’Donnell resigned. O’Donnell came to Casco and served in the position for a year after being the town manager of Stockton Springs.

O’Donnell was hired to replace Dave Morton who retired after holding the title of Casco town manager for 40-plus years.

By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The code enforcement office is seldom a dull place.

The phones are ringing.

The e-mails are lining up in the queue. People are applying for building permits while other folks need their home’s construction or plumbing inspected. There’s been reports that someone is violating a shoreland ordinance by cutting down trees and another person built the deck too close to the water.

Then, the recent adult recreational-use marijuana law’s passage brought in a whole crop of questions from would-be entrepreneurs.

Code enforcement is out straight these days.

Naples Code

Enforcement Officer (CEO) Renee Carter will be leaving the busy department for retirement — following almost a decade of employment with the Town of Naples.

Some might aim for peace and quiet as the objective of retirement.

But, Carter has some creative goals on her agenda.

She hopes to delve into her artistic side. She has lined up permits to teach classes to children and adult when social gathering restrictions are lifted.

Her last day as CEO is June 25 of this year.

She answered a few questions about her time with the Town of Naples and what she plans to do when she has more time on her hands.

B-News: You are retir-

ing after 36 years in code enforcement, will your end date make that 36 or 37 years?

Carter: I started work-

ing in Harrison in 1985, so it is 36 years. I worked in Harrison for 10 years and then worked in the Town of RETIRE, Page 4A

By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — As the Naples Marine Safety Department (MSD) has grown, so has the need for more space.

The department really could use additional room for both current needs and future uses, according to Naples Harbor Master Shawn Hebert.

“We’ve certainly outgrown the space in the year we’ve been here,” he said.

Lately, staff have been working with members of the public to figure out mooring locations, which requires lots of physical maps, he said. Other examples include: holding water rescue trainings or courses on harbor management, having an office to sit and do administrative paperwork, having

a place for volunteers from other towns.

Hebert suggested the brick building on the edge of the village green be the new office space for marine safety.

It isn’t being rented, he said. Plus, the lease was up.

On Monday, the Naples Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to allow the MSD to use the larger of two brick buildings, located 21 Village Green Drive. The building was once the Naples Town Hall.

Earlier in the meeting, Hebert had described what he wanted in a working space.

“It is more than” just a space. “We have taken this space and made it a home.

Not just a space to meet, to have trainings, to do admin-

istrative duties, to have a place where the membership could come and respond to an emergency right across the street. To people from other towns, they will spend more time here if we have a central location,” Hebert said.

If the selectmen would agree to it, Hebert offered volunteer labor to do stay on top of upkeep.

“A lot of the work we can do ourselves. We can paint.

At our cost. Labor is free,” he said. “We are trying to ensure that we have bigger space to meet and train.”

So, the MSD will be using the structure — which has running water and a rest room. That’s unlike the smaller brick building the department had been using.

“Our building doesn’t

have heat. We have a space heater that warms it enough to keep the computers from freezing. It has burnt up to the circuit plugs,” Hebert said.

During the conversation, Chairman Jim Grattelo argued against the town leasing the space to a town department because any repairs would become the town’s problem, and would need to be fixed using the municipal budget, Grattelo said. If a private entity rents the brick building, that party becomes responsible for the maintenance, and the repair and upkeep costs don’t fall to the taxpayers, he said.

However, before the vote, Grattelo said, “We have always said that town buildings should be used for MARINE, Page 3A

Newly hired manager backs out

Naples CEO to retire in June

NEW COMMANDER of local American Legion Post 67, Brian Conroy, and his wife, Ami.

One-on-One with...

Brian Conroy, New Post Commander

By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Under the leadership and drive of Commander Don Mulcahy, new life and purpose was breathed into the decaying little building on Depot Street.

Many hands and many heartfelt donations transformed the desolate structure into a vibrant and revived American Legion Post.

Now, Brian Conroy looks to build upon that legacy as the new Lopeman-Potts Post 67 Commander.

“The previous Commander, Don Mulcahy, led us in building one of the most amazing Posts in our state. As the new Commander, my mission is to continue to build on that legacy and improve every step of the way,” Conroy wrote in his letter to Post 67 membership. “In combat, the outgoing unit being relieved must train the incoming unit on the lessons learned and the way forward. This is referred to as the ‘Right Seat Left Seat Ride.’ I stand before you ready to lead and build the best Post in the country.”

The News recently reached out to Commander Conroy for the following One on One interview: Q. How is a Commander selected? As Commander, what are your responsibilities?

Commanders are selected by general elections cast by all members of the Post. In February, I ran for Commander and was selected by our members. During our Officer Appointing Ceremony held March 2 at the old Town Hall, State and District officers came to appoint, support and ONE ON ONE, Page 5A

RETIRING — Naples Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) Renee Carter poses in front of her art supply shelves.

Carter will retire from her position this June.

(Photo courtesy of Renee Carter)

Marine Safety lands its home

Will vaccinations pick up speed?

Editor’s Note: To keep area residents updated regarding Covid-19 vaccinations, The News will hold a weekly Q/A with Bridgton Hospital President Peter Wright.

Q. How many vaccinations were given at Bridgton Hospital last week? PW. 519.

Q. With President Biden’s announcement last week regarding the purchase and availability of Covid-19 vaccines, what can local residents expect to see in the coming weeks? PW. With the purchase of 100 million Pfizer and 100 million Moderna vaccines and the arrival of J&J vaccine, some barriers will be eliminated and our focus can become getting the entire population vaccinated, not just our older most vulnerable people.

This week, Central Maine Healthcare is partnering with the state to create a high-volume vaccination site at the Auburn Mall, which will vaccinate 1,000 people per day.

We’re on the right track. Next month, we’re hoping to see more vaccine at the hospital to accelerate the vaccination process before summer arrives. There’s a lot of hope for better days ahead.

COVID UPDATE, Page 3A

The Bridgton News Established 1870

P.O. Box 244, 118 Main St. Bridgton, ME 04009 207-647-2851 Fax: 207-647-5001 bnews@roadrunner.com

Page 2A, The Bridgton News, March 18, 2021

Area news

Harrison, Naples pay for more lake presence

SHOULD BE A LITTLE WARMER this weekend for this tufted titmouse perched on a wooden post.

(Photo by Pam Ward)

Naples hires architect

By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — There are a couple compelling reasons to look into constructing a new community center in Naples.

One is that the town hall space is crowded, and gets more cramped as departments grow bigger.

Two is the gymnasium’s flat roof, which leaks. Also, according to an engineer, the roof would need more supportive walls in order to

be replaced with a pitched roof.

So, a committee was formed to look into a new building that will suit Naples future needs.

The Naples Community Center Exploratory Committee has recently hired Frank Harmon Architect, a firm in the Southeast with a reputation of designing structures that complement a place or location.

According to Selectman

Bob Caron II, the committee hired the architect firm. Also, they met with the firm representatives, outline the proposal and provided the square footage of what the town needs for space.

“By the end of June, they will come to the board with a conceptual design,” Caron said.

A Community Development Block Grant will help to cover the architect’s costs.

SAD 61 will hold a public hearing via Zoom (only board members will be in person) this Monday, March 22 at 6 p.m., regarding the proposed budget. Check the district’s website for Zoom link — lakeregionschools. org Directors will vote on the proposed budget on April 5.

The district budget meeting is set for May 11.

The referendum vote is May 25.

Here’s a snapshot of the proposed budget, as presented by SAD 61 Finance Officer Sherrie Proctor at their March 8 board meeting: • Initial budget requests totaled $33,019,019 or a 6% increase. The Leadership Team proposed budget that went to the Finance Committee totaled

$32,492,840 which was a 4.4% or $1,336,222 increase over the 2020-21 budget.

After continued review of many areas/requests, further reductions were made to get the 2021-22 proposed general fund budget to 2.6% with town assessment increases estimated to be at 2.3% or less over the prior year.

• New staff requests totaled just under $800,000 and has been adjusted to $355,000.

• The opening of Crooked River has been a factor in this budget increase and SAD 61 officials have “worked hard over the past couple of years to plan for this.” Because of this planning and efforts around Covid-19 funding, SAD 61 officials were able to put an additional $825,000 toward the FY22 budget to help

offset those increases and keep the tax assessments to a minimum.

• Health insurance increases were budgeted at 6% as that is the cap in most of the negotiated agreements and 10% where there is no cap. SAD 61 will not know new rates until late March, early April.

• All equipment requests (besides MLTI, technology and copiers) totaling $122,892 have been removed from this proposed budget. Items for the new Crooked River Elementary School will be funded through the construction project and after further reductions by administrators, the remaining equipment requested totaling $28,241, will be funded with FY21 funds.

• Operation/Maintenance SAD 61, Page 3A

Virtual public hearing on SAD 61 budget Monday

Sat., March 20 Noon to 1:30 p.m.

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Public Hearing on Harrison Draft Warrant • Thursday, March 25, 6 p.m.

• Virtual, join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone at: https://www.gotomeet.me/TownofHarrison/ select-board You can also dial in using your phone: (Toll Free): 1 866 899 4679 or at +1 (669) 224-3319; Access Code 195619-517 • Residents will hear explanations and be able to pose questions regarding 27 warrant articles.

• Articles include: A3 interest on unpaid taxes 6% A15, $615,174 for Administration A16, $663,941 for Public Works A17, $145,565 for Fire Department A18, $321,771 for Solid Waste Disposal A19, $134,229 for Parks A20, $146,369 for Recreation A21, $85,520 for Insurance A22, $226,028 for Public Safety A 23, $83650 for Community Services A24, $179,076 for Code Enforcement/Assessing A25, $700,000 for Capital Roads A26, $500,000 for Comprehensive Capital Reserve Account A27, $126,514 for second CCSO patrol deputy (see accompanying story for explanation) TOWN MEETING & ELECTION SCHEDULE 2021 April 8: Sign town meeting warrant April 9: Nomination papers due May 10: Absentee ballots available May 13: Selectmen meeting, public hearing (informational only) June 3: Register to vote and absentee voting, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

June 3: Last day to vote absentee June 8: Voting 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to 1840. One question was water rights. Pellerin said a survey indicated the existence of old wells. “We don’t know if they are active. We don’t think they are,” he said.

• Report dedication.

Normally, the town report is dedicated in memory of a resident. However, 2020 was unlike any other year due to Covid-19. So, officials will go a different route — this year’s town report will be dedicated to all the “essential workers” who kept Harrison running “during this historic world pandemic.” It’s a wide list — nurses, doctors, healthcare workers, truck drivers, general store staff, town office staff, etc.

“It’s a great idea,” Selectman Laplante said.

• Nomination papers now available for: 2 selectmen seats for three years, two Planning Board seats for three years, one Appeals Board seat for five years and one SAD 17 School Board seat for three years. Papers due to the clerk’s office on Friday, April 9 at 4:30 p.m.

• Building bustles along.

A total of 24 building permits have been issued, Pellerin noted in his manager’s report. Seven of those have been for new singlefamily homes. Total revenue generated from all building

permits is $5,734.65.

Inspections slowed slightly in January and February, but have started to pick up in March. A total of 17 plumbing permits have been issued so far this year. $2,440 has been collected in permit fees with $610 of that being the State of Maine’s portion. Harrison also collected another $90 in state surcharges for septic systems that will get turned over to the state. In addition to that, $240 worth of administration fees were collected for the Town of Harrison. Total amount collected, $9,114,65.

Quick takes: RADR complex gate is closed for mud season.

Spring Road Posting March 1 through May 1.

Winter parking ban in effect until April 15.

Harrison Village Library is now open by appointment. 15-minute blocks will be available to one person or one household—up to five members—at a time. Curb service will still be available for anyone who wishes it, or for anyone unable to wear a mask. HVL will offer these services during regular hours: Monday 1-7, Wednesday 1-7, Thursday 11-5, Saturday 10-2; call or e-mail to arrange your time.

HARRISON, Page 3A

Master’s Touch, LLC

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Hosted by Veterans Barry Bisco and friends to benefit American Legion Post 67

(Continued from Page 1A) Covid is a growth pattern one would expect over 10 years happen in one year. I don’t know when it will stop.

As a community grows, people expect better services.”

Other items from last Thursday’s board meeting: • Recused. When the town eliminated an administrative assistant position for the Emergency Management Authority director, the money was shifted to the director’s post ($2,000 to $4,000). So, when it came time for the board to approve the move, Selectman Ray Laplante recused himself from the vote since he is the town’s EMA director.

Pellerin checked with the town’s attorney, and noted that Laplante and Selectman Rick Sykes, who both serve on the fire department, could vote on the HFD budget request since their action is on a department, not a single position, as was the case in the EMA stipend.

• Tough break. The town has had a run of bad luck with its 2011 wheeler. First, the truck’s engine has been problematic. Then, the truck sustained significant damage when it struck a rock while plowing the Crystal Lake parking area. The truck has 96,000 miles. Officials discussed various options, including repairing the truck or selling it and using those funds along with insurance money to purchase a new vehicle. Selectmen favored going new than looking into the used market, and also purchasing a wheeler rather than a smaller truck (at a reduced cost) due to the steep roadways the vehicle will need to maneuver and reduce the need to make more return trips to load sand/salt.

• Public Works building. One project Pellerin will give plenty of focus on in 2021 will be a proposed new Public Works building.

The town has already done a needs study and evaluation of possible sites for the structure — the leading candidate being on RADR land off Route 117. The target date is likely 2023, since the town will be retiring a road bond with a final payment of $301,000 in February 2022.

• No chance for clear title. With the Harrison Village Cemetery Committee looking to abolish the Association with the town in line to take over the care of the property, town officials will unlikely be able to get a “clear” title because many documents date back

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Area news

March 18, 2021 The Bridgton News, Page 3A

SAD 61 budget

Man dies in Raymond crash

(Continued from Page 2A) special projects totaled $424,000 and have been removed from this budget. Some air quality projects totaling $23,000 may be funded through CRF monies, $255,000 will be RAYMOND — A Raymond man died Tuesday night funded with FY 21 funds and for the paving projects at when his vehicle struck a utility pole and rolled over on $146,000, SAD 61 officials will be requesting from taxValley Road. payers to use some Maintenance Reserve funds. The grants The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said the driver and reserve funds will not increase the assessments to the was Adam T. Woodbrey, 33. He was the lone occupant of taxpayers. the vehicle, and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

• Projected local contributions — Bridgton, $9,721,339 Deputies from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office (decrease $101,665); Casco, $6,573,171 (decrease responded to the area of 175 Valley Road in Raymond at $65,891); Naples, $8,108,722 (increase of $182,255).

11:16 p.m. for a report of a single motor vehicle crash.

• Average enrollments — Bridgton 582.5 (38.53%), OVERTURNED — This GMC Yukon, operated by Upon arrival, deputies located the white 2017 Chevrolet Casco 404.5 (26.75%), Naples 525 (34.72%). a Standish woman, overturned on Marston Road in Silverado, registered to and operated by Woodbrey, sitting Baldwin last week.

(Photo courtesy CCSO) on its roof in the middle of the road. The truck left the roadway, went airborne, struck a CMP utility pole and rolled, coming to rest upside down in the middle of Valley Road.

The vehicle endured extensive damage to include the roof being torn off. There were no other vehicles involved in the (Continued from Page 2A) crash. There was a disruption to the power in the area and Storytime every Thursday at 10 a.m. via Zoom. E-mail the roadway had to be shut down for several hours.

Kathleen for an invitation to join Storytime!

The crash is currently under investigation by the Wednesday, March 31, 4:30 p.m., Flying Peeps Virtual Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance Workshop via Zoom. Have you ever wanted to watch a of the Windham Police Department Crash Reconstruction fluffy marshmallow critter go flying through the air? Well, Team. Speed and alcohol are believed to be factors in the here is your chance! HVL is partnering with Oxford County crash.

4-H for a virtual Peep Launching party, open to children in BALDWIN — The grades K-5. All materials will be provided, but you must County register by March 19. Follow the link to register, and feel Cumberland Sheriff’s Office is investifree to contact the library with any questions. https://extension.umaine.edu/register/product/flying- gating the tragic death of a 42-year old Standish woman peeps-workshop/ Desiree Lessard (Continued from Page 1A) Saturday, April 3, 2 p.m., Book Club via Zoom. This after her vehicle went off the Q. What has been the response regarding people decidmonth’s selection, Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. New road in the Town of Baldwin 9 a.m. ing whether to get vaccinated or not? PW. A majority of the last Friday.

The crash remains members are always welcome; for an invitation to join, At about 9:11 a.m., the under investigation and the people I’ve spoken with are eager to be vaccinated and overplease e-mail Kathleen at kkramer@harrison.lib.me.us To call the library: (207) 583-2970. To e-mail: kkramer@ Sheriff’s Office, Baldwin Sheriff’s Office is working whelmingly grateful to get it. Our staff at Bridgton Hospital Fire Department, and with the Office of Chief is so excited to work on this project. There are very few times harrison.lib.me.us Harrison Food Bank, Tuesdays from 12 to 6 p.m., Standish EMS responded Medical Examiner to deter- when people come to the hospital for such a positive situation. located at the Harrison Food Bank, Ronald G. St. John to the Marston Road in mine the exact cause and They’re usually sick and having a bad day. I have heard some say they won’t get vaccinated. A high percentage of those are Community Center, 176 Waterford Road in Harrison, mail- Baldwin for a report of a manner of Lessard’s death.

The crash occurred on young people, who simply don’t feel vulnerable. Some folks ing address: PO Box 112, Harrison, ME 04040; telephone single vehicle crash. Upon arrival of law enforcement an unimproved section of simply don’t want to talk about it because they don’t want 207-647-3384. and fire personnel, a green Marston Road, which is to face possible confrontation. I enjoy talking to people with 2004 GMC Yukon was not plowed or maintained opposing opinions because I want to learn more, learn why a found off the road and down during the winter months. person thinks a certain way. I stick with science.

Q. Any reports regarding bad reactions to the vaccine? an embankment. The vehi- The Sheriff’s Office does PW. What we’ve seen is everyone is different. Some people cle was resting on its roof not believe speed played a HARRISON — Winter seems to be flying by or at least in approximately 12 to 18 factor in this incident, as experience no adverse reactions, while others experience what we had of a winter! The sunshine feels amazing and it inches of water. The water travel conditions were very fever, chills and fatigue for a day or two. It really varies. is going to be beautiful today! Harrison Rec has been busy was part of a small stream, difficult. Police continue to Q. How does one schedule a vaccination appointment? prepping for the next several months. which runs next to the road. examine whether other fac- PW. At this time, people 60 and older are being vaccinated, Coming up on Saturday, April 3, Harrison Rec will hold Desiree Lessard, 42, tors played a role in the along with recently added education staff and teachers, as its Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Crystal Lake Park at 10 a.m. of Standish was found crash. well as licensed daycare providers. BH is using a first-come, for kids ages 10 and under. Don’t forget your Easter bas- deceased near the vehicle. It Lessard was born in first-served approach, scheduling appointments based on the kets, come find the golden eggs! was determined that she was Westbrook on April 20, allotted vaccine to the facility. BH has not created a “waitBaseball, softball and T-ball registration is open online! the driver and only occupant 1978, a daughter of Robert ing list.” The public is encouraged to contact the Call Center Rec Director Kayla Laird is happy to announce that all lev- of the Yukon. “It appears and Jeannette Poirier. (207) 520-2917 or go online and use the following links: els will be playing this season! Rec will be forming teams that Desiree was able to According to her obituCMHC website: https://www.cmhc.org/get-covid-vaccine/ and hitting the fields as soon as the snow is gone! Go to escape the partially sub- ary, Desiree will always be Scheduling Link: https://apps.cmhc.org/ the Town of Harrison website, look under Recreation, and merged vehicle by crawling remembered by her selfless CovidVaccineRegistration/signups/add?page=add use the link to register for programs online.

The public is encouraged to check daily. To reach those in through a rear window. She and helping personality. She Summer Rec registration is also open online! Harrison then pulled herself up onto loved her family and friends the community that may not have Internet capability or the Rec is looking forward to another fun-filled summer! the snow-covered embank- and endlessly gave to others technical capability, a community advocate is reaching out Though Rec won’t be able to have any field trips at this ment where she died,” including being a “therapist” to those folks. time, it is planning some extra fun events and theme weeks CCSO reported. to people who wanted to talk for kiddos to enjoy! Remember, you only need to pay a The exact timing of this about their issues. $100 deposit to reserve your spot for the summer. If you crash has yet to be deterShe is survived by her would like to mail in registrations rather than go online mined, but investigators beloved husband, Thomas you can find all registration forms at www.harrisonmaine. believe it occurred sometime Lessard; children, Aurora, org (Continued from Page 8A) late Thursday night or early Justin, Jaysin, and Eve; sibHarrison Rec is also pleased to announce that it will be Friday morning. A local lings, Chris Poirier and Rena Racer 1st Run 2nd Run Total having Run Club this spring at Crystal Lake Park! The Rec woman out walking her dog Garland; and many other rel- 8. Madison Frost, LRMS 32.95 35.26 1:08.21 director is still ironing out the details so please stay tuned! discovered her shortly after atives and dear friends.

13. Madelyn McDougall, LR 37.22 37.67 1:14.89

Harrison notes

Woman dies in crash

Covid-19 update

Harrison Rec

MS Alpine Racing

Marine Safety lands its home

(Continued from Page 1A) towns first.”

Town Manager John Hawley said the lease is being agreed to with the understanding that there is no budget for the building.

The request to use the brick building turned into a conversation about the lack of space at the town hall.

There had been a room for the harbor master than that became the Community Activities and Recreation office. Another space once used as a small meeting room has become an office.

“We used to have a room for the harbor master . . .

That’s been gone for a long time now,” said Naples Code Enforcement Officer Renee Carter. “There is no place for a harbor master. His office is extremely helpful to the public. I cannot tell you what it has done for this town, to

have his eyes on the water.”

Chairman Grattelo expressed his concerns.

“What if there’s a situation, and that building needs a lot of work. When we make it a municipal office, we are responsible. If we rent it out, we are not responsible,” he said. “I don’t see us having the money we need to do repairs.”

He switched topics and asked about a room in the town hall that would accommodate the dozen or so members of marine safety who meet occasionally.

“That is what the conference room is for. We’ve got the space available. We need to organize it and make it available,” Grattelo said.

Carter disagreed that there were extra rooms.

“We are out of space,” she said.

During the night, there

had been conversations about how boxes of documents were stacked in various places. But if the files were cleared out to make space for an office, then employees would have to go into basement to fetch those files. There was a lack of storage space, too.

Grattleo pointed out that the taxpayers may have a limit to what they pay for marine safety. He said the brick building could become an unexpected expense.

“There is already a resistance in this town on how the marine budget has expanded” from this monetary amount to this monetary amount,” he said. “Let’s not have a situation now that this building is the marine safety, and next year’s budget is more because we need to put money into the building.”

“From a cautious stand-

point, we are adding onto warden safety this year,” Grattelo said, referring to the town contracting a warden for the boating season.

“There is a lot in this budget that we are going to be asking the town to support, and a lot of new stuff, the more we throw into this the less likely people are to support it.”

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Police news

Page 4A, The Bridgton News, March 18, 2021

Bridgton Police Department

THE BLUEBIRD OF HAPPINESS — Although this Bluebird may have been here all winter, this was a rare and welcome sighting at the bird feeder. “Be as a bird on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, she still sings away all the same, knowing she has wings,” — Victor Hugo.

(Photo by Suzanne Richard)

Fryeburg Police These items appeared on the Fryeburg Police Department log (this is a partial listing): Saturday, March 6 3:47 p.m. Assist citizen on Fair Street.

4:10 p.m. Investigated alleged violation of a protection order on Bridgton Road.

4:51 p.m. Lost/found property on Fish Street.

5:46 p.m. Officer assist at police headquarters.

8:40 p.m. Following a stop at the intersection of Main and Oxford Streets, police charged Walter PeekAntolin, 28, of Brownfield with failing to register a motor vehicle.

Sunday, March 7 10:24 a.m. Alleged violation of a protection order on North Fryeburg Road.

2:46 p.m. A 71-year-old man was charged with gross sexual assault. The News does not release the name of individuals charged with sex crimes until they have been arraigned.

7:40 p.m. 9-1-1 hang-up on Leach Road investigated.

8:13 p.m. 9-1-1 hang-up on Portland Street checked.

Monday, March 8 7:54 a.m. Traffic control at Molly Ockett Drive.

11:53 a.mn. Welfare check on Main Street.

12:29 p.m. Assist citizen on Eastland Street.

1:31 p.m. Motor vehicle crash on Bog Pond Road.

2:32 p.m. Assist fire department on Smith Street.

6:53 p.m. 9-1-1 hang-up on Main Street.

9:52 p.m. Disturbance reported on Leach Road; peace restored.

Tuesday, March 9 7:14 a.mn. Assist citizen on Lovewell Pond Road snowmobile trail.

7:33 a.m. Civil matter on Leach Road.

8:31 a.m. Responding to a complaint at a Wicks Road apartment, police charged Alexa M. Maddocks, 25, of Conway, N.H. with harassment.

12:40 p.m. Civil matter on Island Road.

1:55 p.m. Radar detail at Bridgton Road school zone.

7:52 p.m. Unwanted subjects at Leach Road.

Wednesday, March 10 11:57 a.m. Disturbance on North Fryeburg Road checked.

12;52 p.m. Suspicious activity on Buzzell Drive investigated.

1:34 p.mn. 9-1-1 hang-up on Bridgton Road.

11:29 p.m. Traffic complaint on Fish Street.

Thursday, March 11 6:56 a.m. Radar detail on Oxford Street.

9:26 a.m. Theft complaint on Howe Street.

1:35 p.m. Terrorizing complaint filed at police headquarters.

1:40 p.m. Traffic complaint on Main Street.

3:47 p.m. Welfare check on North Fryeburg Road.

4:55 p.m. Welfare check on Andy Lane.

7:01 p.mn. 9-1-1 hang-up on Pond Street.

Friday, March 12 6:56 a.m. Radar detail on Oxford Street.

12:30 p.m. Civil matter on Silver Parkway.

4:36 p.m. Assist county deputy on Pequawket Trail.

6:01 p.m. Theft complaint on Portland Street.

8:46 p.m. Traffic hazard on Main Street (state line).

BUILDING 40+ YEARS IN THE LAKES REGION AREA

These items appearted on the Bridgton Police Department blotter (this is a partial listing): Monday, March 8 10:59 a.m. Criminal trespass complaint made.

12:30 p.m. Motor vehicle crash on South High Street.

1:56 p.m. Motor vehicle crash at intersection of Main Street and Harrison Road.

3:04 p.m. Officer met with subject regarding bad checks.

7:39 p.mn. Motor vehicle crash at intersection of North High Street and Quarry Road.

Tuesday, March 9 6:25 a.m. Responding to a report of a subject harassing a Portland Road resident, police issued the subject a warning for disorderly conduct.

9:07 a.m. Police received a report of possible child abuse or neglect.

9:43 a.m. Police were alerted that a duck was outside of a daycare fence and refused to leave the area. Adults were concerned children might try to interact with the duck during recess. Using a broom, officials were able to scare the duck away from the daycare.

11:53 a.m. Harassment complaint regarding text messages.

4:50 p.m. Assist to a county deputy who had stopped a vehicle on Bolsters Mills Road in Harrison regarding a spree of burglaries in Oxford County.

After the deputy spoke with the motorist, the subject was allowed to leave.

5:44 p.m. A caller requested information regarding her son’s property seized during a drug overdose investigation.

Wednesday, March 10 8:48 a.m. Speeding complaint on Chadbourne Hill Road.

9:07 a.m. Possible theft of a truck on North High Street.

9:09 a.m. Responding to a report of a car/deer collision on Harrison Road, police found that the deer had sustained a “large caliber” gunshot wounds to its hindquarter and right eye. A Game Warden was notified.

Thursday, March 11 3:53 a.m. Citizen assist regarding drug information.

5:37 a.m. Officer checked a subject asleep in an idling vehicle parked off Portland Road. Subject, who was en route to New Hampshire, claimed he was overly tired, and noted that the vehicle had struck a curb, causing damage to the passenger side.

12:24 p.m. Weapons offense (illegal discharge in residence’s back yard too close to neighbors).

10:22 p.m. Motorist reported a large number of deer that “refused to clear the roadway” on North High Street. Caller suggested the town install “deer crossing” sign in that area.

Friday, March 12 10:47 a.m. Fraud call (claiming to be U.S. Marshall) received by a Wildwood Road resident.

12:35 p.m. Motor vehicle crash on Portland Road.

1:21 p.m. Fraud call (claiming to be Medicare representatives) received by Kansas Road resident.

2:55 p.m. Motor vehicle crash on Headwall Drive.

3:29 p.m. Juvenile problem at

Sawyer Circle.

4:08 p.m. Caller reported vehicle’s tires slashed on Main Street during the night.

4:42 p.m. Report of male blocking the roadway at the intersection of Knights Hill Road and East Pondicherry Road and yelling at the caller.

10:41 p.m. Welfare check (subject uspet over attempts to retrieve personal property from an “ex”) on Harrison Road.

Saturday, March 13 5:58 a.m. Animal problem on Willis Park Road.

3:19 p.m. Juvenile problem (homeowner wanted subject to leave residence) on South High Street.

5:33 p.m. Fraud attempt from subject claiming to have “hacked” complainant’s computer. Hacker threatened to disclose complainant’s computer viewing history to family and friends unless complainant send $1,500 worth of bitcoin to a code provided in the e-mail.

6:55 p.m. Disturbance at hospital; subject issued a disorderly conduct warning.

Sunday, March 14 11:34 a.m. Assist animal control officer in issuing summons on Zion Hill Road.

11:54 a.m. Assist subject with sex offender registration.

2:50 p.m. Theft of a handgun from a vehicle on Sweden Road sometime between March 10-14.

4:17 p.m. Complaint of subjects smoking marijuana at a South High Street apartment.

CEO Carter to retire in June (Continued from Page 1A) Gray for 5 years and then the Town of Windham for 12 years. I have been here [in Naples] since October 2012.

I am very thankful to the Town of Naples for hiring me when they did. You see, I had just had a serious head-on collision in July of 2012, and I came to the interview with my walker.

I told the interview committee how honored I was not only being asked to be interviewed but to be alive because if I had not had the Naples Fire and Rescue come to my accident I would not have survived.

Their quick response was what saved my life, and I will be forever grateful.

B-News: You’ve been with Naples for 10 years— what are the top accomplishments in code enforcement department?

Carter: When I was interviewing with the committee, they kept asking me if I had any problems with enforcing and following through on the ordinances as written. If you remember when you first interviewed me, I said, “A new sheriff has arrived in Town.” And, I did work hard on enforcing for the Town’s ordinance because these are the laws of Naples and I honored them. When I first started, we had many “single” ordinances and in need of

organizing all of them into one Land Use Ordinance which we are hopefully adopting this year at the town meeting. One of the many ordinances that we changed was getting rid of the in-law apartment and making an ordinance for accessory apartments. It gives taxpayers the ability to have an apartment, but it also allows them to rent these small apartments and I think in this economy the Town needs that.

B-News: You told the Naples Board of Selectmen that when you retire, you hope to have time to do art. What type(s) of art do you do? Do you plan on doing art simply for enjoyment? Is there a homebased business or going to crafts fairs in your future, going to art workshops & classes?

Carter: I built a small studio on my land where my house is located in Harrison. I went to the Town of Harrison before COVID hit for site plan review to hold classes. I do all mediums and all subjects. One reason I built the studio was that I wanted to hold classes for adults and children. I am a firm believer in art and the joy it can bring to people. I will be offering classes for oil, acrylic or just plain drawing. I also built my studio for my photography.

I love art and photography,

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neither of which I have had time for.

In addition to all of that, I have decided to offer consultations to anyone needing land use services. Since I have been working with towns for 36 years and know the permitting processes and requirements, I feel I have a lot to offer. I do not plan on doing to this full-time and it will be on a case-by-case basis.

However, I am licensed through the state as a Third-Party Inspector and with my years of working with shoreland zoning and planning it would be a shame not to put this to good use independently.

B-News: What else will take up your time in retirement?

Carter: I have three grand-children, Olivia 1 ½ years, Henry, 1 year old, and Emma, the youngest is only 7 weeks old. I see

them as often as I can as well as making them suffer from Grammy taking endless pictures in different outfits in her photography studio.

B-News: What skills and characteristics should the next code enforcement officer have?

Carter: When I first started in Naples, I did not realize how many lakes, streams and rivers were located in Naples and any new applicant should have a strong enforcement and shoreland zoning background. I trust John Hawley to make that decision.

He has seen the amount of time and care that the Town has taken with all of the ordinances and all of its water-frontage. Naples has earned the name the Heart of the Lakes Region justly. So many people have shared their love for this beautiful town. I wish them well.

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Area news

March 18, 2021 The Bridgton News, Page 5A

Department of Maine Commander Mathew Jabaut POST 67 LEADERS Commander and Membership Chairman Brian J. (right) and American Legion Post 67 Commander Brian Conroy, Adjutant and Finance Officer Rod Edson, Sgt-at-Arms Barry Bisco, Service Officer and Chaplain Kelly Ela, Historian Liam Opie, Judge Advocate J. Conroy. and First Vice-Commander Mark Smith.

One on One with... Brian Conroy (Continued from Page 1A) congratulate our leadership. I am humbled and honored to be the Commander of American Legion Post 67. I recognize that members have had senior leadership come before them with false promises, only to climb the ladder for self-fulfillment.

I stand before them promising to do better. I give them my word to always put veterans first, know myself and seek selfimprovement, be technically and tactically proficient, make sound and timely decisions, set an example, know my people and look out for their welfare, keep my people informed, seek responsibility and take responsibility for my actions, ensure assigned tasks are understood supervised and accomplished, train my people as a team, and employ my team in accordance with its capabilities. Most of all, I want to inform everyone I will change the game as we know it.

Q. What skills or characteristics do you feel you bring to the position that will benefit Post 67? As a NonCommissioned Officer in the U.S. Military during my 17 years of service leading soldiers from the front including eight combat deployments, I have the philosophy of don’t ask your subordinates to do anything you wouldn’t do yourself, lead from the front with your sleeves rolled up, and always seek selfimprovement to include holding yourself accountable for all actions good or bad. I lead.

Q. During your tenure, what will be your main goals/ focus? I will seek to change the culture of our organization from every level of the American Legion leadership and our community partners. I will not focus on negativity, gossip or rumors as we simply don’t have time for it. I will stand in the face of the impossible and demand a successful outcome just as I’ve done during my service to this great nation. I left this community in 2002 for college and a career in the U.S. Military and since my return in February 2019, I have committed to serving my community in several ways. I am an Army Senior Non-Commissioned Officer and Platoon Sergeant for the 3-304th Infantry Regiment in Saco. The New Hampshire State Joint Force Headquarters Sexual Assault Victim Advocate Coordinator and now the Commander of Post 67. I cannot do these things alone nor

Lopeman-Potts American Legion Post 67 Elected Officers 2021 Commander & Membership Chairman: Brian J. Conroy Adjutant & Finance Officer: Ron Edson First Vice Commander & Judge Advocate: Mark Smith Service Officer & Chaplain: Kelly Ela Historian: Liam Opie Sergeant-At- Arms: Barry Bisco Service Officer (Training): Bill Vincent The American Legion Post 67 is located on Depot Street in Bridgton. have I. I have utilized the help of each and every person in this Post and community, and I will rely heavily on them during my commandership. I am not here to make friends, nor am I here for political gains, a fancy hat or medals. Trust me, I have enough of those. I am a (PUFL) Paid Up For Life regardless of the outcome. I am here to make the tough calls and commit my time to oversee the successful improvement of a lifelong team known as the American Legion Post 67 of Bridgton, Maine.

Q. How/when did you get involved with Post 67? What has impressed you most about the local Post? I first joined the American Legion via a phone call from a satellite phone in 2018 during a combat deployment to Iraq and Syria supporting (OIR) Operation Inherent Resolve. The members and what they bring to the table have surprised me most to include the love and support from the community. We have not only rebuilt our Post building over the last three years, but we’ve created that culture and comradery that we all have missed and seek out after our service in the military.

Q. Anything you take away from past leadership as you take over the role of commander? I think the previous Commander is a wonderful man and did amazing things to build this Post. One thing I learned from him is you can’t do it all yourself as you’re only one person. You must always utilize the assets around you which are your biggest investment, your members. Mainly what skills and experience your leadership and membership bring to the table.

Charge them with putting in as much of themselves as they’re comfortable with and continue to challenge them to be invested in the betterment and outcome of the Post. I am only as good as those I surround myself with.

I have always prided myself with having some of the most amazing people in the world around me driving me to be a better father, husband, leader,

soldier and community member.

Becoming the Commander of Post 67 has only taken that goal to the next level as our members have some of the richest backgrounds known and I am so excited to learn from them and work alongside of them.

Q. Now that the Post’s physical structure has been seriously upgraded, how does one look to build its membership and services? During my short time with the American Legion, I have noticed that the only drive is to improve the structure and grow membership to get the attention of state and district leadership. During my Commandership, I will strive to create a family, involve the families of members, include the community in everything we do, and to always put the veterans first, not just impressing senior leadership. I have found that being a part of something greater than yourself is what people are eager to do. I will ensure we give them that opportunity and make them feel welcomed at all times.

Q. Let’s take a few steps back, and tell me how you decided to make the military a career? I graduated from Lake Region High School and Lake Region Vocational Center June of 2002 and set out for college at The California Culinary Academy. As many college students experience, I found myself broke and lacked the detailed plan needed for my next step in life. I stopped into a recruiter’s office in May of 2004 and six days later I shipped out Navy Boot Camp in Great Lakes, Ill. The military built me into the man I am today. I owe everything to the amazing men and women who serve this great nation each and every day, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We all signed a blank check putting our lives on the line in order to ensure the safety and success of this country. We miss holidays, family gatherings, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, funerals and time with loved ones to put the

love of our country to the forefront. It’s an honor wearing this uniform each and every day. I wouldn’t trade it for the world on a silver platter.

Q. What led you to becoming a chemical biological radiological nuclear and explosives specialist? Sounds dangerous.

What does one do in this role?

I imagine you must have been placed in some very difficult spots, any general examples you can share? I started my military service in the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Ordinanceman in May of 2004 serving onboard the USS George Washington (CVN-73) on Norfolk Naval Station in Norfolk, Va., eventually finding a home with Team/ Group shortly after in Little Creek, Va. until January 2011 when I transferred into the U.S. Army. I had to go back through Basic Training yet again as the U.S. Army doesn’t recognize U.S. Navy Boot Camp. When picking my new (MOS) Military Occupational Specialty, I already had an extensive background in Guns, Bombs, Torpedoes, Rockets and Missiles so taking that to the next level as a CBRNE Specialist seemed like a great idea and eventually became one of the best career choices I would make. CBRN Specialists protect the country from the threat of weapons of mass destruction. The weapons they train to detect, and protect against, include any weapons of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear type.

The 74D CBRN Specialist use planning and highly sophisticated equipment, and coordinating defense systems. They work in support of joint and combined arms operations. CBRN specialists serve on Biological Integrated Detection Teams, STRYKER NBC Reconnaissance Platoons, Technical Escort Battalions, Special Forces and Ranger Units. They are trained to manage, train, and maintain protective gear of fellow Army soldiers. This equipment is used in the event of a CBRN threat on the battlefield. Systems that a CBRN specialist may use include: CBRN reconnaissance systems, Biological agent detection systems (BIDS), Obscurant systems that hide movements or defeat enemy targeting, CBRN decontamination systems and Oother CBRN hazard detection and warning systems.

Q. What lead you to being a sexual assault victim advocate/coordinator? What are the challenges you face in this role? Prior to departure for my most recent combat deployment with the 275th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion from June 2017 to June 2018, the Battalion Commander, Executive Officer and Command Sergeant Major asked me to serve as the Sexual Harassment/ Assault Response Program Unit Victim Advocate. During our pre-mobilization activities, I attended the 80Hr SHARP Foundations Course and applied for my Department of Defense Sexual Assault Advocate Certification Program. I serve as a Unit Victim Advocate for the Army Reserves for the 3-304th Infantry Regiment of Saco, and currently serve as the Joint Force Headquarters Victim Advocate Coordinator in Concord, N.H. for both Army and Air National Guard as a Title 5 Federal Civilian Employee.

The JFHQ VAC serves as the designated specialist of victim support services who coordinates and oversees local implementation and execution of the Sexual Assault Prevention and

Response (SAPR) Programs.

Ensures overall local management of sexual assault awareness, prevention, training, and victim advocacy (VA). Provides collateral duty victim advocate support by providing, along with the JFHQ SARC, advice, guidance or victim services question clarification. Incumbent is required to maintain a network of victim advocacy services contacts to ensure 24/7 availability. Provides comprehensive advocacy services to individuals exhibiting a wide range of issues related to being a victim or survivor of sexual assault.

Assist victims in developing safety plans, conduct a risk assessment, and provide emotional support, crisis intervention, prevention awareness and education to victims. Assesses the need for immediate victim response and develops a plan for assistance.

Q. At this point, any thoughts of what you will do career wise, stay military or pursue other interests? I came into the military as an E-1 in May of 2004 and by the time I retire I will be an E-9/CSM Command Sergeant Major hopefully in the next five to eight years.

As far as my Federal Civilian GS General Schedule career which is similar to the military being it goes from GS-01 to GS-15, I entered in the Nuclear Division of Radiological Health Code 105.5 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va. as a GS-06 in November of 2016 and have the goal of a High-3 as GS-15 retiring on/about 2044.

In regards to the American Legion, I started as the Assistant Adjutant in September of 2020 and just started my Post 67 Commandership on March 2 and hope to excel to the District level, Department level and possibly the National level depending on what opportunities present themselves.

Q. What do you enjoy in your free time? Spending time with my family, outdoor recreation and serving my community.

Originally from? Bridgton, (Church Street) and Pleasant Hill, Calif. (East Bay Area).

My Dad is the Bay Area in California and my Mom is from North Bridgton, so I split my time growing up between both areas. As an Army Brat, we lived all over the place growing up so it allowed me to become diverse in many backgrounds and meet people all over the country.

Where do you reside? Off of Route 114 in Naples, Maine.

How old are you? Turned 37 on Feb. 11.

Family? My Wife AmiLee Conroy is my high school sweetheart and hero taking lead on raising our six children — Deagan (14), Keegan (12), Devlin (12), Dierks (6), Asher (4) and Rhett (2). I have two older brothers, Bradley R. Conroy (37) of Novato, Calif. and Peter A. Conroy IV (41) of Saco; father Peter A. Conroy III of Woodacre, Calif.; and mother Constance J. Shahan of Springvale.

Return of 4th festivities?

As Bridgton Recreation Director Colello started work on summer programming and events, he wondered whether people felt comfortable about attending a fireworks display or other happenings with more and more people being vaccinated and Covid-19 numbers dipping.

So, he asked.

On Facebook, Colello put up a survey last week regarding a July 3 fireworks display. He posted the following results from 250 respondents on Tuesday: 84% of the surveys collected were by Bridgton seasonal or fulltime residents or Bridgton business owners.

72% would attend the fireworks display on July 3.

95% support resuming town events.

95% support having fireworks.

72% would attend July 4 events.

Colello and Health Officer Cathy Pinkham are currently reviewing the State of Maine Large Gathering Guidelines and will make a recommendation to Town Manager Robert Peabody this week.

“Thank you for those who took the survey it certainly helps to know what the community is thinking and wants this summer!”

Colello said.

Page 6A, The Bridgton News, March 18, 2021

Grant provides BA winter festivity

Lions’ Student of the Month Sophia Leighton has been selected as the area Lions Clubs’ “Student of the Month” for March.

Each month, area Lions Clubs recognize a Lake Region High School senior who has excelled academically. The recipient is presented a monetary award.

Name: Sophia Leighton Class of: 2021 Residence: Bridgton Parents: Peter, Kimberly, and Natasha Leighton Siblings: Reiyn Hart, Nadia Leighton, Wildr Hart, Aurora Hart Activities: ASTRA Club, Interact Club, National Honor Society, soccer, alpine ski team.

C o m m u n i t y Activities: Volunteering at local community kettles (pre-Covid-19), the Bridgton American Legion, Camp Invention at Stevens Brook Elementary School, and various Earth Day clean-ups.

Hobbies: Hiking, painting/drawing, yoga, reading, writing, spending time with friends and family, skiing, learning new things, and playing with my pets.

Future Plans: I plan on going to Simmons University to study psychology with a focus on eating disorder awareness and prevention. Maybe someday, I’ll even get my Ph.D. or PsyD. Schools that you have or will apply: Simmons University, University of Southern Maine, Colby College, University of New England, Northeastern University, Harvard University Schools that you have been accepted to: Simmons University,

Bridgton Academy was pleased to be the recipient of a Hancock Charitable Trust grant earlier this winter. The grant was used to provide a special themed event for Bridgton Academy students that also benefited area businesses. Bridgton Academy was soon underway with The Taste of the Lakes Region event, which featured entrees, appetizers, and desserts from several area restaurants.

In a year when it’s been difficult to bring Academy students out to eat at local establishments due to Covid-19 protocols, this event allowed the Academy to bring local offerings right here to campus. And, with the support of Bridgton parents, the Academy was able to add even more offerings to the culinary event.

The Taste of the Lakes Region was held in the

Sophia Leighton University of Southern Maine, University of New England What is your favorite class and why? Right now, my favorite class is Abnormal Psychology which I am taking through the University of Maine at Machias. I love learning about the brain — it’s something that is so diverse among different people, yet the same in many ways.

What is your toughest class and why? Calculus.

It pushes me to think in very abstract ways and forces me to persevere even when I feel like giving up.

How do you balance your class work and your extracurricular activities? I use a planner to keep myself organized and make the most of any free time to keep up on classwork. More than anything, it takes a lot of dedication and self-motivation.

What is the biggest challenge high school students face today?

From what I’ve seen, a lot of students do not see the meaning in their schoolwork. It’s hard to see how things like calculus or painting will apply to one’s life outside of high school, especially if they are planning on going straight into the workforce SOPHIA, Page 8A

Academy’s Wolverine Den by student cohort. The young men came dressed up for the event, along with their cohort faculty. Prior to their dinner, each student was given a selection of local entrees to choose from. Appetizers, salads, drinks and desserts from area businesses were also provided. With door prizes and lots of laughs, it was a festive ‘outing’ on campus that the whole community has enjoyed.

“It was fun to get everyone dressed up and feel like we were away from campus for a little bit. The food was great and it was a nice departure from our normal routine. We still had study hall later that night, but that was okay,” said Dante Roselli, from Burlington, Ontario.

Bridgton Academy extends its sincerest thanks

to the Hancock Charitable Trust, participating Class of ’21 parents, Maine Root Beverages, and Summit Spring Water for their generous charitable support of this festive event.

The Academy would also like to thank those businesses partnering with Bridgton for this event including:

College notes Bridget Tweedie of Brownfield was named to the Dean’s List at Bates College for the fall semester ending in December 2020. This is a distinction earned by students whose grade point average is 3.88 or higher. Bridget, the daughter of Peter A. Tweedie and Lauren R. Tweedie, is a 2017 graduate of Fryeburg Academy. She is majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry at Bates.

Emma Jo Armington of Lovell was named to the 2020 fall semester Dean’s List at Simmons University in Boston.

To qualify for Dean’s List status, undergraduate students must obtain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, based on 12 or more credit hours of work in classes using the letter grade system.

Emily Lake of Naples was among over 20 students from the Western New England University College (Springfield, Mass.) of Engineering inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society in a virtual ceremony held on March 5. Emily is working toward a BSE in Mechanical Engineering.

Alpha Lambda Delta recognizes the best and brightest members of the nation’s first-year college students. The mission of the Society is to encourage superior academic achievement, to promote intelligent living and a high standard of learning, and to assist students in recognizing and developing meaningful goals in society. Students in Alpha Lambda Delta must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 after their first semester of full-time enrollment.

Krista Marceau of Lovell has earned a MBA, Healthcare Management degree from Western Governors University (Salt Lake City). The online, nonprofit university has graduated over 218,000 students from across the country since its inception in 1997.

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A La Mexicana, Bavarian Chocolate Haus, Beth’s Kitchen Café, Campfire Grill, Kindred Farms, Valley View Orchard Pies, Mack’s Place, Standard Gastropub, and Barbara Bloomgren (Towanda’s Catering). BA hopes to host this event in future years and work with additional area businesses.

Rotary Club’s Good Citizen Logan Davis of Naples has been selected as the Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club’s “Citizen of the Month” for March.

Each month, the Rotary Club recognizes a Lake Region High School student who displays good citizenship and contributes to the school community.

The recipient is presented a monetary gift.

Name: Logan Davis Class of: 2021 Town: Naples Parents: Stephanie and Scott Davis Sibling(s): Paige Davis, Taylor Davis Activities: Soccer, alpine ski racing, baseball Community Activities: Youth soccer programs Hobbies: Golf, running Future Plans: Attend a post-grad year at Bridgton Academy What do you consider as traits that make someone a good citizen?

Logan Davis Someone that is willing to give with no return and has the best interest at heart for everyone.

Who has inspired you to be a good citizen and why? My grandfather, he was always a very kind man to everyone and was always willing to help in any way.

What have you done to make the school community a better place? I like to think I am a person LOGAN, Page 8A

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Regional Sports

March 18, 2021 The Bridgton News, Page 7A

Bella Russo (right)

LR senior spotlight: Bella Russo

Name: Bella Russo Residence: Casco Parents: Tara and Steven Russo Sports you play: Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball School groups/honors: National Honor Society Q. Why did you choose these sports? I’ve played them since emendatory school and just kept signing up because I couldn’t get enough!

Q. What do you enjoy most about sports? The adrenaline rush, teammates and fans.

Q. How has competing in sports changed you as a person? Playing sports has made me a natural leader, goal setter, given me self-discipline, strong sense of motivation, and self-confidence.

Q. During this period of Covid-19, what has been the most difficult adjustment and what have you been doing to occupy your time? Not seeing my friends and teammates everyday was a huge change in my everyday life. I was so used to going to school every day, and going straight to a game or practice. I’ve done it for years now, so to put a dead stop to it was a body shock. To keep myself occupied, I started to work on myself as a person more. Starting new hobbies and setting new goals for myself outside of school and sports.

Q. What is your favorite sports memory? My sophomore year soccer quarter-finals game. We went into double overtime and lost on a corner kick. Even though we lost that game, we still won in hearts, and put everything we had on that field!

Q. What is your most disappointing sports memory? My sophomore year we went to our second state championship game against St. Dom’s in lacrosse, but ended up losing.

Q. How has sports prepared you for your future?

Sports have taught me to never give up on something, BELLA, Page 8A

Making the best of tough situation

The 2021 Lake Region Winter Track and Field team completed their season last Thursday. The athletes competed in a few traditional events and several quirky events created by the team during the season.

You may wonder what track and field team?

You may wonder what season?

Both are good questions.

Hopefully the following answer those questions.

Each winter sports team had restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The biggest one for the Indoor Track team was that there would be no meets at the University of Southern Maine’s field house in Gorham.

So, Lake Region coaches laid out a plan to work out, improve fitness and have a few team competitions to have fun. Other restrictions were to wear masks the entire time, no weight room use, and no hallway running. This forced the team outside on days they did not have the gym.

“We decided to change our team from ‘Indoor T&F’

to ‘Winter T&F.’ All these factors contributed to fewer athletes coming out to participate,” LR Coach Mark Snow reported. “Then, our county went ‘yellow.’ A few athletes got jobs or made other after school commitments. When the district was given the okay to participate again, about 5 to 10 athletes were able to come to practices.”

The athletes that stayed worked on their aerobic fitness on the days they were outside. This included interval work in the front parking lot and laps around the school. They did medicine ball work and other conditioning drills in the gym.

One day, they all went over

the fundamentals of high jump. Other highlight events during the months of practice were 30-minute run/jog/ walks, yoga, a team hike, a snowbank traverse, and snow sprints next to Route 302.

Periodically, the team practiced the events that would be used as their team championship. The championship was held over the last two days of practice.

“I am extremely proud and impressed with the athletes’ dedication to this season mainly knowing there would be no real meets,” Coach Snow added. “It is a testament of their character to complete the season under the given conditions.”

Results from the Team Championships held We d n e s d a y - T h u r s d a y, March 10-11: One Lap: 1. Leah Plummer 1:51; 2. Abigail Roberts 1:53; 3. Rachel Lake 2:09; 4. Alex Kuvaja 2;23; 5. Chantale Symonds 2;43; regular season best, Keegan Owens.

Two Laps: 1. Abigail Roberts 4:22; 2. Leah Plummer 4:23; 3. Rachel Lake 4:35; 4. Alex Kuvaja 5:13; 5. Chantale Symonds 5;34; regular season best, Abigail Roberts.

30-Minute Run: 1.

Abigail Roberts 11.9 laps; 2. Chantale Symonds 10.1 laps; 3. Leah Plummer 6 TRACK, Page 8A

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL Lakers 33, Cape Elizabeth 30: Senior guard Shauna Hancock scored 15 points (8-of-10 from the foul line), dished out a pair of assists and hauled down three rebounds as the Lakers squeaked out a win over the Capers.

Shelby-Lynne Sheldrick netted 5 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 2 steals.

Ava Smith contributed 4 points, 4 rebounds and 4 blocked shots, while Elle Hall had 2 points, 3 rebounds and 4 steals. Others on the stat sheet: Melissa Mayo 3 points, 2 steals; Vanessa Stone 2 points, 2 rebounds; and Kasey Johnson 2 points.

Lakers 51, Poland 33: Shauna Hancock and ShelbyLynne Sheldrick each con-

nected for three 3-pointers and finished with 15 and 17 points respectively as the Lakers out gunner the Knights.

Hancock collected 7 rebounds to go along with 3 assists and 3 steals. Sheldrick nabbed 5 rebounds and dished out 2 assists. Melissa Mayo also filled up the stat sheet with 4 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds.

Other LR contributors were: Liz Smith with 3 points, 5 rebounds; Bri Sargent 3 points, 3 rebounds; Vanessa Stone and Kasey Johnson each with 3 points; Elle Hall with 1 point, 5 rebounds and 2 steals; Ava Smith with 2 points; and Abby Lavoie with 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

Oxford Hills 61, Lakers 28: In the season finale at

Oxford Hills, the Lakers fell to the Vikings. Melissa Mayo was LR high scorer with 12 points, going 4-of-7 from the foul line. Elle Hall chipped in 7 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals, while Shauna Hancock closed out her high school hoop career with 6 points (4-of-7 from the charity stripe) and 4 rebounds.

Hancock was the squad’s lone senior.

Other LR contribu-

tors were: Shelby-Lynne Sheldrick 3 points, 2 steals; Vanessa Stone 3 rebounds; Ava Smith and Kasey Johnson each with 2 rebounds.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL Coach Ryan Martin offered up some closing thoughts to a very different varsity boys’ basketball season — “I think we made the most out of the season. The guys worked LR HOOPS, Page 8A

BOYS’ BASKETBALL Raiders 71, Poland 62 (3 OTs): Eli Mahan (8 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) converted a free throw with .5 seconds on the clock to force a third overtime session, and the Raiders took advantage of their size and strength in the final quarter to pull away from the Knights.

Armel Maloji netted 15 points, hauled down 6 rebounds while also recording 6 assists and 3 steals to pace the Raiders. Eloi Terricabras also had a big night, scoring 14 points and collecting 7 rebounds.

Center Will Hallam checked in with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocked shots, while Kyle Littlefield had the hot hand behind the 3-point arc, sinking four treys en route to 12 points.

“It was a wild game needless to say,” FA Coach Sedge Saunders said. “We got off to a good start in big part to some hot shooting from the perimeter. Eloi had three 3-pointers and Kyle had 2 all in the first half.

Armel was on the attack both offensively and defensively. He took the ball hard to the hole and really pestered Poland’s best player.”

Fryeburg lead 33-23 at the half.

“We knew Poland would not go away, especially because they are a very good 3-point shooting team,” Coach Saunders noted.

FA built a 46-34 lead after three quarters, again shooting the 3-ball very well, as Poland tried to take away the Raiders’ inside attack

MAD DASHERS sprinting in the snow are members of the Lake Region Indoor Track Team (left to right) Chantale Symonds, Alex Kuvaja, Abigail Roberts, Sanjay Tucker, Leah Plummer and Rachel Lake.

(Photos by Kevin Murphy)

Lakers close out hoop season

Maggie Powers

FA senior spotlight: Maggie Powers Senior Athlete Questions Name: Maggie Powers Residence: Fryeburg Parents: Sarah and David Powers Sports you play: Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Unified Basketball Q. How long have you played each? I’ve played field hockey for nine years, lacrosse for six, and unified basketball for three seasons.

Q. Why did you choose these sports? I used to do the kids’ field hockey camp every summer.

Q. What do you enjoy most about this sport? It’s been so much fun playing field hockey with an amazing group of teammates and coaches.

Q. How has competing in sports changed you as a person? I think sports have made me more of a leader as the captain of the team this year. I definitely started out on the team as a freshman much quieter.

Q. During this period of Covid-19, what has been the most difficult adjustment? How has it impacted you? During this last season, it was pretty hard not knowing if we would have another game or if the one we were competing in would be the last as a high school player.

Q. What is your favorite sports memory? It will forever be when Eliza Thorne scored two goals at Freeport to put us into the Regionals game last year.

Q. Name a coach who has made a difference in your life and in what way? Coach Frost, she goes absolutely above and beyond for her players and I will miss her very much.

Q. What are your future goals? I plan on majoring MAGGIE, Page 8A

Raider report

FA HOOPS, Page 8A

BLOCKING THE PASSING LANE is Lake Region’s Elle Hall.

(Photo by Kevin Murphy)

Page 8A, The Bridgton News, March 18, 2021

Area sports

Track results

(Continued from Page 7A) laps; 4. Tie Rachel Lake and Alex Kuvaja 4 laps; regular season best, Abigail Roberts.

Shot Put: 1. Alex Kuvaja 24-10; 2. Sanjay Tucker 24-5.5; 3. Keegan Owens 23-8.5; 4. Leah Plummer 21-8.5; 5. Abigail Roberts 21-3; 6. Chantale Symonds 18-1.5; regular season best, Alex Kuvaja.

Turbo Toss: 1. Rachel Lake 24.5; 2. Tie Chantale Symonds and Leah Plummer 14; 4. Sanjay Tucker 9; 5. Alex Kuvaja 5; 6. Tie Keegan Owens and Abigail Roberts 4; regular season best, Chantale Symonds.

Fris-freeze: 1. Abigail Roberts 8.5 inches; 2. Alex Kuvaja 2-2; 3. Sanjay Tucker 2-7; 4. Keegan Owens 15-6.5; 5. Leah Plummer 18-3; 6. Chantale Symonds 20-6; 7. Rachel Lake 21-3; regular season best Rachel Lake.

Vertical Jump: 1.

Sanjay Tucker 47; 2. Abigail Roberts 39; 3. Keegan Owens 37; 4. Leah Plummer 35; 5. Rachel Lake 31; 6.

Chantale Symonds 27; regular season best, Alex Kuvaja.

Broad Jump: 1. Abigail Roberts 6-6.5; 2. Sanjay Tucker 6-5; 3. Leah Plummer 5-10; 4. Keegan Owens 5-9;

Bottle drive April 10 benefits LR Project Grad

5. Chantale Symonds 5-7; 6. Alex Kuvaja 5-5.5; 7.

Rachel Lake 5-1; regular season best, Sanjay Tucker.

Triple Jump: 1. Sanjay Tucker 27-11.5; 2. Abigail Roberts 25-11; 3. Leah Plummer 21-5; 4. Chantale Symonds 19-6.5; 5. Keegan Owens 19-2; regular season best, Nathan Casali.

4 Lengths: 1. Sanjay Tucker 20.8; 2. Keegan Owens 21.0; 3. Alex Kuvaja 21.5; 4. Abigail Roberts 21.8; 5. Leah Plummer 22.0; 6. Rachel Lake 30.6; 7. Chantale Symonds 36.2; regular season best, Leah Plummer.

8 Walls: 1. Keegan Owens 27.3; 2. Leah Plummer 27.4; 3. Alex Kuvaja 28.0; 4. Sanjay Tucker 29.7; 5. Rachel Lake 30.6; 6. Abigail Roberts 31.8; 7. Chantale Symonds 36.2; regular season best,

Leah Plummer.

Med Ball Chase: 1.

Keegan Owens 44.6; 2.

Abigail Roberts 47.5; 3. Sanjay Tucker 49.7; 4. Rachel Lake 50.8; 5.

Alex Kuvaja 51.2; 6. Leah Plummer 52.1; regular season best, Nathan Casali.

LR hoops

(Continued from Page 7A) extremely hard, they stayed positive despite an extremely hard schedule. We were in every single game besides one. We played without two very important players all season, and dealt with some injuries too, but the players still remained optimistic and competed every game. The game against Greely, we really put it all together playing good defense and we shot pretty well too. I think we played well against Cape in the last game of the season too. Evan (Willey) being in foul trouble hurt our scoring, but we played great defense all game.”

Seniors included: Jason Harlow, Liam Grass, Christian Attwood, Evan Willey, Daniel Brewer, Aiden Lajoie and Chris Peterson,

Mason Student of the Month LR

Taylor Dastoli has been selected as the Lake Region Vocational Center’s Mason Student of the Month. Students are selected by the Vocational Center staff, based on a set of performance criteria.

Name: Taylor Dastoli Class of: 2022 Town: Parsonsfield Parent(s): Joseph and Bethany Dastoli Siblings: Jake Hobbies: Cheer, Track, backstage for school plays What program are you in at the Vocational Center? Law Enforcement What do you like most about your program? I like how every day is something new. I also like how straight-forward Mr. McDermott is with the class. This class really sets you up to succeed in the real world and in a school setting.

What are your plans after graduation? After I graduate, I’m going to go to college and major in Criminology.

What career goal(s) do you have? I want to

volleys

Taylor Dastoli either be an FBI profiler, undercover officer or a S.W.A.T. officer. My first choice would be an FBI profiler, though.

Who or what inspired you to pursue this path?

My grandfather is one big inspiration and my mom is another. I have always been interested in this path.

What advice would you like to give future students? My advice would be to give your all to the class. It’s one of the best classes I have ever taken and it’s my favorite.

You won’t regret taking this course.

Logan Davis (Continued from Page 6A) that’s always willing to help someone out and just be an overall friendly person to everyone.

Why is volunteerism important? If you are able to volunteer to help out I think you have a moral obligation to do so.

In the future, what do you see yourself doing to make the world a better place? Just trying to be a good overall person, someone who does the right thing no matter what.

Sophia Leighton (Continued from Page 6A) after graduating. Sometimes, I wonder if our educational system is outdated and needs adapting to this generation.

Who has inspired you educationally, and why?

My dad. When I was growing up, he always worked so hard and showed me what dedication really looks like. I remember going to the Harvard Medical School campus with him when I was little and he said, “You’re going to go here someday.” From the moment I began school, my dad always gave me the motivation and support I needed to be as successful as possible.

In Lake Region varsity volleyball action: G1: 25 to 13, Gardiner In set one, the Lake Region back row struggled with Gardiner’s serve, as the Tigers did a good job of moving the ball around the court, which allowed them to get an early lead in the set.

Hailey Gove and Freedom Potter did contribute to the LR offense, with each earning 3 and 6 kills respectively.

Freedom also had some great blocks, with four in the first set. Mikayla Allen and Corrie Turentine came up with some great digs off of Gardiner’s hits into the back row, with each earning 8 and 6.

G2: 25 to 20, Lake Region LR’s serving and passing were both much better in set two; Hailey Gove served some rockets, earning at total of 4 aces, and Jo-Hannah Vincent and Ioanna Katsgiannis also each earned an ace. LR back-row players Mikayla Allen, Ciara Huggins, Corrie Turentine and Jo-Hannah Vincent were very strong on defense, making many needed digs, and they consistently got the ball to setters in the front row, Coach Ryan Shible said.

“We were able to maintain this passing and serving consistency, which enabled us to take the second set,” the coach said. “Our two setters, Ciara Huggins and Ioanna Katsgiannis, both did a wonderful job setting our front row, which helped us maintain a consistent offense.”

G3: 25 to 21, Gardiner In the third set, the Lakers unfortunately got behind early on, some strong serving from Hailey Gove and Jo-Hannah Vincent helped to bring them back within range, but Gardiner was able to survive. Gove again served really strong and earned another 3 aces, yet, unfortunately, she needed to leave the game early due to a muscle strain in her right arm. Both Freedom Potter and Jo-Hannah Vincent also had a strong performance at the front of the net, with some

Parents of the Lake Region H.S. Class of 2021 want to create a special graduation celebration for them, especially after the loss of so many events and memories due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

But, they are going to need the communities’ help.

“We are short on funds to help the senior class have a Project Graduation this year. Due to the pandemic and limitations with gatherings, the class is very behind on fundraising,” says Project Grad parent member Jessica Sloan. “We are in desperate need of community help! These kids have never had a prom. They have had no Homecoming, no Winter Carnival, have been separated into cohorts dividing the class in half, some have had no sports at

all, and there are numerous other activities and traditions missed.”

With the arrival of vaccines and the declining Covid-19 case numbers and deaths, state officials have revisited gathering limits, and there is hope at SAD 61 that graduation could take on a more traditional approach with an outdoor ceremony.

So, the Project Grad Committee is scrambling to put something together for the Class of 2021.

The start is a bottle drive, set for Saturday, April 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at LRHS. To make a donation to Project Grad, send a check to: Project Graduation, P.O. Box 1292, Naples, ME 04055.

FA final hoop report

(Continued from Page 7A) by sagging their defense into the paint. FA made the Knights pay, knocking down 11 treys.

But, in the fourth quarter, Poland started to heat up and FA went cold. Poland tied it up with a minute to go and had a chance to take the lead but turned the ball over. FA had the last shot, but a 5-foot bunny by Will Hallam just rimmed out, forcing OT. It took three extra sessions before the Raiders pulled out the win.

“It was an unbelievably gutsy performance by the guys,” Coach Saunders said.

“Their second game in a row in which they won in OT. Once again, everyone contributed and showed the heart of a champion.”

FA would sweep the Knights as the Raiders jumped on Poland early and never looked back. Two 3-pointers by Terricabras and one by Bobby Hallam in the first quarter got FA off to a good start. Maloji was

also in attack mode, sliding to the hoop and finishing strong for 6 first quarter points.

It was 32-22 at the half, and Maloji continued his aggressive play scoring 6 points in the third quarter and helping FA maintain an 8-point lead at the end of three frames. Maloji scored 8 points in the fourth including 4-of-5 free throws to seal the deal.

Maloji finished with 22 points and Terricabras had 9 to go with some hard-nosed defense in the paint.

• The Raiders battled Windham back and forth, but unfortunately too many turnovers and some breakdowns defensively proved to be FA’s undoing in a 38-31 loss to a tough double A team.

“It was a great year.

We were 4-2 in the last six games with the two losses to double A schools. We were 8-5 overall and I’m very proud of how well the team played down the stretch and

how well they conducted themselves on the court,” Coach Saunders noted. “We got a lot of good minutes from 10 different guys. The seniors played together and played well and provided great leadership. We had five underclassmen, who got valuable minutes and will be better for it next year.”

Coach Saunders wished the seniors had received the chance to play in the tournament, but “they’ll have memories that will last forever. It was a season that they, and I, will never forget.”

Two former Raider players — Ben Darling and Oscar Saunders — worked as assistant coaches, and “did a great job guiding the JV team and helping the varsity. I’m eternally grateful for their commitment to the program,” Coach Saunders added.

Seniors: Armel Maloji, Kyeni Musembi, Eli Mahan, Kyle Littlefield and Eloi Terricabras.

Spotlight: Bella Russo (Continued from Page 7A) no matter the obstacles. They have also taught me to not only push myself but to push others in order to accomplish your goal.

Q. Name a coach who has made a difference in your life and in what way? My soccer coach, Peter Webb, has made a huge impact in my life. Coach Webb has been my coach since I was in elementary school.

He has always pushed me, and made me set goals for myself. He always knows when I’m not playing up to my full potential and is a constant encourager on and off the field, in season or not. He is always there

to talk to, and has the best advice. He’s everything you would want and expect from a coach!

Q. What are your future goals? I plan to become a dental hygienist in the future.

List of Favorites Favorite food: Shepherd’s Pie Favorite movie: The Lion King Favorite TV show: The 100 Favorite school subject: Humanities Favorite athlete: Lionel Messi because he is the greatest soccer player of all time Favorite sports team: FC Barcelona Advice for future Lakers: Always put yourself first and push to succeed!

(Continued from Page 7A) in health science for the next four years but I’m still waiting to hear back from some colleges before I make my decision on which school.

Q. What are your pre-game rituals?

Dancing with the team during warmups.

List of Favorites Favorite food: Ben and Jerry’s

Favorite TV show: Outer Banks, Grey’s Anatomy Favorite subject: Biology Favorite athlete: James Littlefield Favorite sports team: Red Sox Advice for future Raiders: Always appreciate the little moments that you spend with your teammates and be thankful for everyone supporting you.

Spotlight: Maggie Powers

great hits that led to 4 and 3 kills for each of them. Ciara and Ioanna each had another great game with their setting, and both also made some nice defensive plays at the front of the net too.

G4: 25 to 15, Gardiner In set four, Gardiner did a good job of moving the ball around with their servers, which helped them gain an early lead. Also, their front row used some quick attacks from their middle hitter, which helped them to build onto their lead and momentum.

“Our front row did have some nice hits and blocks from Freedom Potter and Jo-Hannah Vincent, who both earned 3 and 2 kills each, and both of them also picked up a block each in the fourth set, which helped our team generate some momentum in the middle of the set,” Coach Shible said. “Unfortunately, Gardiner was able to maintain their lead till the end of the fourth set.”

“Looking ahead to the Gray-NG match, we will want to work on tightening up our passing and coverage in our back row, so we can break their serve early, and work on generating and maintaining our own offense in the match,” the coach added.

MS Alpine racing CCC Slalom at Shawnee Peak, March 11 Girls’ Standings: Freeport 32, Falmouth 36, Greely 40, Lake Region Middle School 43, Windham 74 Racer 1st Run 2nd Run Total 1. Bridget Jacobson, FAL 29.31 31.45 1:00.76 4. Laura Dutton, LRMS 35.78 37.49 1:13.27 7. Madison Frost, LRMS 38.48 43.13 1:21.61 15. Harper Proulx, LRMS 46.92 44.95 1:31.87 17. Madelyn McDougall, LR 45.14 51.41 1:36.55 19. Grace Armstrong, LRMS 51.89 52.96 1:44.85 Boys’ Standings: Freeport 29, Falmouth 31, Windham 41, Greely 56, Lake Region 69 Racer 1st Run 2nd Run Total 1. Ian Christie, FAL 26.02 28.88 54.90 12. Cameron Chappell, LR 35.95 37.14 1:13.09 16. Josh Wright, LRMS 39.34 41.08 1:20.42 19. Abe Grace, LRMS 45.12 40.03 1:25.15 22. Gabe Grace, LRMS 42.85 45.97 1:28.82 29. Brady Chappell, LRMS 55.41 45.31 1:40.72 30. Collin Varney, LRMS 50.62 51.65 1:42.27 31. Adrian Wozich, LRMS 57.59 46.40 1:43.99 CCC Giant Slalom at Shawnee Peak, March 16 Girls’ Standings: Falmouth 10, Freeport 35, Lake Region 43, Greely 68, Windham 76 Racer 1st Run 2nd Run Total 1. Bridget Jacobson, FAL 27.05 26.73 53.78 6. Laura Dutton, LRMS 30.70 30.93 1:01.63

ALPINE, Page 3A

Opinion & Comment

March 18, 2021, The Bridgton News, Page 1B

Letters

Open government key to honest govt.

By Ken Paulson Guest Column When government fails, it’s the rare public official who says, “Oops. My fault.”

That’s human nature, particularly for officials in the public eye who may have to run for office again. No one wants to be held directly responsible for letting the public down.

Case in point is the recent catastrophe in Texas, when unexpected winter storms left four million homes withKen Paulson out power, ruptured pipes and tainted the water supply for many.

Texas’ energy grid essentially collapsed. While Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was quick to blame frozen wind turbines, the cause was much more complex than that. To truly understand how things went so terribly wrong will require time, study and research.

So, too, with the coronavirus vaccine distribution. In this state and others, residents are frustrated with the slow rollout of vaccines. Is it poor distribution? Politics? A flawed strategy? These are literally matters of life and death.

But how do you get to the truth when public officials so rarely step up to take direct responsibility for failures?

The answer is public records. And public meetings. And access to the information that taxpayers deserve.

States throughout the country have laws that guarantee access to government records and meetings. But, the details vary widely and there are many statutory exceptions. New challenges to access emerge every year in virtually every state.

The need to fight for government transparency is reaffirmed each year during Sunshine Week, a national awareness event overseen by the News Leaders Association and keyed to the March 16 birthday of James Madison. The fourth president of the United States drafted the Bill of Rights – including the guarantee of a free press – in 1791.

That journalism connection reflects the role news media play in the free flow of information, but it unfortunately can also leave the public with a sense that Sunshine Week reflects the concerns of a single industry.

To the contrary, access to government information is critical to every American who cares about the quality of his or her community, state and nation.

It’s important to see government employees – including elected officials – as the people we hire through our tax dollars to do a good job for all of us. If you run a business or hire a contractor, you wouldn’t hesitate to demand a full understanding of how something went wrong. That should be exactly our relationship with government.

Getting that information, though, requires public meetings where residents can ask questions. It also means access to the documents that led to a poor decision. Words on paper can be much more forthright than the dissembling of politicians.

It’s critical that we hold government accountable, for better or worse. (It’s also important to acknowledge when government leaders are doing a good job.)

How can you help? I have two suggestions.

First, keep doing exactly what you’re doing at this moment. Read and support your local newspaper. Local journalists, more than anyone else, will stand up for your right to information. Facebook will not be going toe-to-toe with your mayor.

Second, when you believe government isn’t doing its job, demand an explanation. Ask to see the documents.

Attend public meetings. And above all, support legislative efforts to make government more transparent.

It’s too easy for officials who have failed us to point fingers, blame the media and wait for their side of the partisan fence to rally to their defense. We deserve better. We all pay taxes to support the work of government. We should get our money’s worth.

Ken Paulson is the director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, a lawyer and a former editor-in-chief of USA Today.

Bird Watch

by Jean Preis BN Columnist

Horned Larks

When I see a bird species for the first time, I make a note of the date and location in the margin of my field guide. Later, those notes are a happy reminder of the bird, the excitement of having seen a new species, and the entire scene, the place, and the memory of fellow birders who were there. One such note, scribbled in the margin of my field guide, reminds me of the first time I saw a Horned Lark, in February, 1984, at Sandy Hook, N.J. The Horned Lark is larger than a Sparrow, and is typically found walking on bare ground in areas where vegetation is short and sparse. It is brown on the back and whitish below, with a distinctive black and yellow pattern on the head and neck. The horns are short feathers on the head that can be raised or lowered.

Although there are many species of Larks around the world, Horned Larks are the only members of the family that are well established across North America, where they breed from Newfoundland to Alaska. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (allaboutbirds.org), Horned Larks are usually found around beaches and dunes, deserts, prairies, tundra, and fields that have been heavily mowed or grazed. Most of their diet consists of seeds and insects that they pick up from the ground. They also perch on seed bearing plants to eat the seeds.

Here in Maine, Horned Larks can be seen during spring and fall migration along coastal beaches and marshes, and sometimes we find them around the working farms just west of here. They can also be seen in the agricultural fields of Aroostook County, where they breed. In winter, small numbers of the birds can be found along the coast, as well as in farmlands in the central parts of the state. According BIRD WATCH, Page 2B

Divisive

GALLERY 302 GIVES TO FOOD PANTRY — With so many families struggling due to the pandemic, the members of Gallery 302 decided to give some help to the Bridgton Food Pantry. Artist Ruth Boisvert donated a felted figure of the iconic “Bernie with Mittens” meme, to be raffled. Proceeds were shared between the food pantry and the gallery’s computer fund. The February raffle was a success, and each organization received $250. Kate Krukowski Gooding, Gallery 302 president, also donated 125 of her cookbooks for the 125 families coming to food pantry. Pictured are Penny Robbins of the Bridgton Food Pantry (left) and Kate Krukowski Gooding of Gallery 302. The Bridgton Food Pantry, located in the former United Methodist Church at 214 Main Street in Bridgton, is open to anyone in need every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Gallery 302 is an artists’ cooperative that manages the daily functions and expenses related to running a year-round Gallery for over 40 artists, located at 112 Main Street in Bridgton, across from the library. For more information, call 207-647-2787 or visit gallery302.com.

Our focus is off-based

Way back in the 20th century, I was born into a family of Boston-IrishCatholic-Democrats, the fourth of eight children. Protestants and Republicans were different from us and not to be trusted, we were taught. My parents were politically active at the town level and some of my earliest memories are of our mother driving us kids around town to deliver fliers door-todoor encouraging people to vote for either my father running for local office, or a family friend who was.

Politics of all kinds were discussed most nights around the supper table beginning at 5:45 p.m. If I showed up late because I was fishing, playing baseball, or finishing my paper route, there would be consequences. After supper, I would sit in front of the television while my father watched the news, usually dominated by state, national, and international stories. John F. Kennedy was our hero and my father proudly displayed a photo of him and Congressman JFK standing next to each other at a meeting to organize a public-employee union called NAGE — the National Association of Government Employees which later morphed into today’s SEIU, that army of Democrat poll workers.

On weekends, my father watched 30-minute episodes of “World

Front Row Seat

by Tom McLaughlin BN Columnist at War” or “Victory at Sea” and occasionally would say: “I was there” as a flotilla was crossing the English Channel on D-Day, the Battle of Okinawa was depicted with kamikazes crashing in to U.S. ships. But then most other fathers on our street were WWII veterans too. Three of my uncles also served in the Navy and Army. That’s just how it was in suburban Massachusetts in the 1950s and 60s. Every kid was proud of his father and that shaped his world view.

In the late sixties and early seventies, however, things changed. Baby boomers grew up, went to college. Many of them challenged the values of the Greatest Generation, using drugs, discarding sexual norms, and opposing the Vietnam War. Heroes like JFK, RFK, Martin Luther King were assassinated.

Cities burned in riots.

The Vietnam War divided the country. President Johnson chose not to run again. Nixon resigned.

My older brother started using drugs and left home. Those previously edifying conversations around our supper table

turned acrimonious at times.

Similar things were happening up and down my street and across the country. American culture was fraying. Respect for the Greatest Generation was replaced by: “Don’t trust anyone over 30.”

That unraveling of American pride paused during eight years of the Reagan Administration, but began anew under the Obama Administration.

Last summer, cities were burning again in riots following George Floyd’s death. America was shaking again. Today, after only two months of the Biden Administration, political polarization in America is worse than at any time since the Civil War. And racism is back.

Although banned by President Trump, the teaching of Critical Race Theory has become dominant in public school classrooms just since the November election. If you look at sample curricula virtually anywhere in our country now you’ll see students being taught to categorize themselves by skin color.

White people are born FRONT ROW, Page 2B

To The Editor: On March 9, the Bridgton Select Board debated and voted on a proposed resolution to “protect” gun rights. Apparently, the Second Amendment is “under attack.” Bridgton would be declared a “sanctuary city” for gun rights.

And really what does that mean? For those of us that support reasonable gun control measures, are we to be shunned, fined or chased out of town if we mention background checks, etc. Is there a Bridgton problem that needs addressing? The Second Amendment rights issue is a national “hot button” debate. Why are some of the selectmen spending their time promoting a resolution that is unnecessary, not local, and is divisive in a town that is already divided regarding local issues?

Local issues such as location of commercial development projects and marijuana retail sales have recently split the town. The 2020 political campaign and election season was very toxic and there is still lingering anger from those that disagree with the outcome.

There is Covid-19 pandemic fatigue from a stressfilled year of complying with Covid-19 mitigation measures.

And now, this resolution is proposed which will only “stir the pot” and inflame emotions among local residents. This resolution is not to have a public hearing or a town vote. The reasoning for its proposal is based upon the opinions of a couple of selectmen and some townspeople. Have those who have proposed and supported this resolution considered this divisiveness and other potential consequences? Thanks to Selectmen Lone and Tworog who were wise enough to say “no.” The resolution failed to pass because of a tie vote. However, the discussion was noted in a Portland Press Herald opinion pierce by Bill Nemitz on Sunday. Now, a broader readership is aware that Bridgton is attempting to label the town as a gun rights haven using the local town government platform.

In my opinion, this certainly does not engender a warm, welcoming, safe, friendly atmosphere as we look forward to welcoming summer tourists back to help our local business economy.

Hopefully, this is put to rest and will not be brought up again at future Select Board meetings when there is a full quorum present with five members.

Marcia Sullivan Bridgton

Unify

To The Editor: I wish to express my gratitude to the Bridgton News for accepting letters to the editor. I try not to abuse the privilege with too many LETTERS, Page 3B

Can’t someone fix those roads?

Howdy Neighbor!

Today’s piece is a very instructive letter to the editor which was first run in the Bridgton News of March 18, 1921, exactly one hundred years ago this week. It is a letter of protest, yet despite its age it is about an issue which I believe many of us will still feel sympathy for, as in some ways we are still facing it today. This letter presents a case on the condition of the roads, and the damage to the roads which accumulates each year, and all the taxes we pay for the roads, and at last the question of why the taxes seem to increase every year even while the roads do not get better.

Sound familiar?

It is a letter expressing frustration with inconsiderate summer tourists, an unresponsive state government, and a plea that our community be allowed to settle for itself a problem which the state regulations had overtaken. We still struggle with these concerns today. How many times in the

last few years have I and others gone before our annual town meeting, and raised the question of the poor condition of the highway leading from here to Fryeburg, or the state of South High Street or Kansas Road come spring, or the speed limiting along Depot Street or Highland Avenue. How many times have I heard my neighbors come forth and ask selectmen why the town won’t send workers to improve a bad stretch of road? These are local concerns about the roads in Bridgton, yet what is invariably the answer? Well, those are state roads, and regarding state roads the town has rather little ability to actively improve, pave, or post them. The town’s hands are tied, regulatory authorities need to be con-

In Ye Olden Times

by Michael Davis BHS Assistant Director tacted, and it becomes instead a matter of appealing to the state, and road commissioners, and transit authorities, and a central government which has grown to manage duties which towns once handled internally.

So, it is today, and so it was in 1921.

But the difference between now and then is, and the reason I have selected this letter for our review today, is that in 1921 many locals had not yet forgotten the facts of the old system which prevailed before the state took over the roadways; the system which had well governed our streets from ROADS, Page 3B

Opinions

Bird Watch

Classified Advertising BN 11

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Viewpoint: Front Row Seat

(Continued from Page 1B) “privileged.”

They’re inherently racist against all other people. They $5 FOR TATTERED — U.S. perpetuate, consciously and unconsciously, “institutional racism.”

Curriculum like “The 1619 Facilities Crew Member Needed Project” which purports April 1 - September 30, 2021 the United States was built 40 hours a week (some weekends) on slavery, not ideas of liberty and freedom spelled $12.25 an hour out in the Declaration Camp Walden in Denmark is hiring of Independence and the facilities crew members to help with Constitution are being maintaining our facility. Responsibilities adopted in several states. include spring cleanup, mowing, painting, A new acronym emerged: light carpentry, and hauling trash.

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(Continued from Page 1B) to Birds of Maine, by Peter D. Vickery, in winter Horned Larks are seen only occasionally, or rarely, in northern or eastern Maine.

A couple of weeks ago we happened to be riding our snowmobiles across the agricultural fields of northern Aroostook County.

Riding for miles across rolling hills covered with deep snow, under a brilliant blue sky, sometimes through clouds of wind driven snow, can feel as if we are flying across the

it yet? If you haven’t, you will. It stands for: Black, Indigenous, People of Color.

And it’s not just happening in schools either.

Coca Cola and many other mainstream corporations today train their employees to first acknowledge, then renounce their alleged “White Privilege” and learn to “Be Less White.”

Colleges now offer majors like “Ethnic Studies” and “White Studies.”

Government forms compelling us to pigeonhole us

according to race abound.

Choose a category: white, Hispanic non-white, black, Pacific Islander, etc. How about we abolish all that?

As I’ve written here before, my habit when filling out such forms is to add another category called “human,” make a little box, and put a check mark in it.

The focus is increasingly on what makes us different, what divides us rather than what unites us.

It’s not good and it won’t end well.

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MAR 2021

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top of the world. On one of those clear, sunny, frigid days, we stopped for lunch at our favorite restaurant.

It sits on top of a hill with a commanding view to the south, over a long snowcovered lake, white fields, dark green forests, and distant mountains. As we approached the restaurant, we rode toward an open area where we would park our sleds, but it was early, and only a few other snowmobiles were there. As I turned my sled toward the parking area, I was surprised to see three small birds on the ground. They were a bit larger than Sparrows, with an upright stance, and I was able to see a yellow throat with a black band at the top of the breast. There was some yellow and black on the front of the head, too.

For a few seconds the birds stood watching us, and then they flew low to the ground, around the edge of a snowbank, to join a dozen others. They were Horned Larks.

When our small group gathered inside for lunch, the conversation ranged from snowmobile trails to trees, fish, knitting and books, but I was not the only bird watcher in the group, and not the only one who had seen the Horned Larks. One can only wonder what the other snowmobilers in the restaurant thought as they listened to our rather lengthy, loud and enthusiastic discussion of birds.

I expect that for a very long time I will remember the day we saw Horned BIRD WATCH, Page 3B

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Page 2B, The Bridgton News, March 18, 2021

Opinions

Letters

(Continued from Page 1B) or derogatory letters against other writers. The message this week is to encourage respect and understanding of other views. The real hope is to work toward unification of all citizens toward the betterment of our country.

In his speech to the nation last week, President Biden missed a perfect opportunity to do so. I wish he might have acknowledged and thanked former President Trump for his efforts to encourage and induce manufacturing companies to roll out the Covid-19 vaccine in such a timely fashion. Is it too much to ask for recognition of Trump’s efforts?

There has been too much hatred demonstrated against the former president, but at least we should be able to accept some of his accomplishments with thanks.

Bob Pelletier West Bridgton

Well done

To The Editor: I would like to mention the remarkable service my wife and I received at Bridgton Hospital in regards

to our Covid-19 shots. From the time that we entered the door to the time we left was no more than 35 minutes.

We met with four people and in each engagement, people were pleasant and greeted us with patience and a genuine smile. The whole thing ran like a metronome!

Whoever organized the logistics for delivering over 400 shots per day, while still allowing time for compassion and a personal touch, they deserve to be recognized! Sincere thanks to all the folks that made this happen!

Pete DuBrule Bridgton

Put at ease

was calm, ready for my papers and pointed me in the next direction. Katherine Vincent, kindly and efficiently, took my pertinent information. I was then met

by Karen Harding, who cordially invited me into a room which offered me some privacy for the shot.

Elaine Drew greeted me warmly and compassionately as she helped me prepare for the vaccination. She expertly and quickly gave me the shot. I felt no pain!

Then, a friendly and considerate Mary Stinchfield, offered me a bottle of water, answered the few questions that I had and let me know what time I could leave, after 20 minutes of observation! I was impressed with everyone’s professionalism, competence and friendliness as I advanced through the hospital’s smooth process from start to finish.

Again, thank you, to all the nurses and staff at Bridgton Hospital for their kind and courteous attention. You alleviated the fears of one nervous 60-plus year old!

Linda Freese Harrison

To The Editor: The following letter was sent to Bridgton Hospital President Peter Wright: I want to commend the nurses and staff members who worked in the Bridgton Hospital vaccination clinic!

The day I arrived for my vaccination, March 3, I found that the people were welcoming and the process was extremely organized. Everything ran like a well-oiled machine! The person (don’t know her name), who checked me in To The Editor: and took my temperature, I’ve been vaccinated,

Don’t fail

but how safe am I? I got my second Moderna vaccine shot two weeks ago.

Does that mean I won’t get a Covid-19 infection?

No! The efficacy of the vaccines two weeks after the second shot is about 95% of the general population, but only about 86% for people 65 year of age or older. What does that mean for us older folks?

While 86 out 100 people will not get the infection, there are 14 people out of 100 that, even though they got vaccinated, could still get a moderate to severe infection. Are you in the “group of 86” or the “group of 14?” You don’t know and no one knows.

There are only a few things you can do to increase your chances of not getting the infection.

You need to: continue masking, physical distancing, hand washing and avoiding crowds. Failure to do so could be deadly!

Barry Jorve Casco

Better spot

To The Editor: After settling in with my Bridgton News this morning, I find that what I had suspected was in the works

Can’t someone fix those roads?

(Continued from Page 1B) the days our settlers blazed them in the 1760s, to that first road survey of 1794, and all the long years down through the 1800s and into the 20th century, whereby the tax paid by each family for the upkeep of roads was proportional to the stretch of road passing over or along their lands, and that those sums were to be spent in the maintenance of each of those pieces of roads.

Your dollars maintained your streets directly. And if any family or property owner wanted to abate the taxes on their piece of road, they would instead have to take on the duty of rolling or plowing it in winter, or of maintaining the ditches, or by other road improving services. Under this system, by either direct taxation or personal investment, each roadway in Bridgton from the High Street corridor to Highland Avenue to Hio Ridge was cared for by the members of the communities who lived there; they being the groups of citizens most concerned, interested and indeed proud to ensure their stretches of highway

Bird Watch

(Continued from Page 2B) Larks on our snowmobile trip to northern Aroostook County. That’s a good thing, too, since in spite of my 1984 note in the margin of my field guide, I have no recollection at all of seeing Horned Larks at Sandy Hook, N.J.

This week’s game solutions

be kept in order, clean and well-graded. Under this system, each taxpayer saw the direct result of their contribution. There was no sending money away to some ambiguous fund, to be used on other maintenance elsewhere which you see little to no benefit from, even while the road in front of your very house continues to degrade and be overlooked by the state because not enough people travel it.

Now, was this old system a cure-all? By no means.

There were and are many sound arguments for the inadequacies of the former system. But is our present system a perfect cure? Well, to answer that I’d simply ask you — are you happy with the state of your road, your side-street, or the highway you need to take to get into town? If you aren’t, are you frustrated at times with the amount of taxes you pay for the roadways? Would you even pay a little more if you knew that it would actually go straight towards patching that pot-hole, leveling that frost heave, or getting a crew of town men out there the next week to settle an issue, instead of waiting months or years before the state is motivated to address it? If you’ve ever thought these things, and thought or been told there’s simply nothing to be done about it, then it might interest you to learn that once upon ye olden times, there was a different way. So, let’s sit back and read the letter of Edward S. Allen, of the Highland Ridge, and his struggles with taxes, representation, and the eternally poor Maine roads.

Dear News, Believing you would like an item in

regard to the Highway on the Highlands, I submit the following for what it is worth.

Years ago, when we were under the old district system, we took pride in having the best road in Northern Cumberland Co. We had our own surveyor and each man worked out his own tax, and it didn’t matter if he did a little more than that for the good of the cause. Then came along the new law giving us the town system so called, and we were placed in the hands of a Road Commissioner and from that date our splendid road began to decay.

After a time, we began to see that we were not getting the value of the money we were paying in taxes, while year after year our road was growing worse; then came along the automobile and our road began to go from bad to worse very rapidly, until today we have the worst road in town, and year after year our money is taken from us in heavy taxes and spent in other parts of the town. And where is our redress? Every year we have been asking the Highway Commissioner to do something for us. He would come up each year and scrape the road a little, cart of a few pebbles and leave us, and when we found fault he would tell us there was no money, notwithstanding our taxes have been mounting higher each year. Now there is not a community in town outside of the village that

pays to large a tax as the Highlands, with our splendid farms and summer residences, to say nothing of the cottages along the lake, so we protest against the treatment we have been receiving. I well know that the summer people who come to Ingalls Grove are a great deal to blame for the bad conditions, for they persist in coming out with their heavy cars every time there is a heavy rain. I have watched them time and again coming down from the grove with the mud and water flying both ways clear across the ditches and they seem to have no concern about how much damage they are doing, but rather seem to take delight in tearing the road to pieces and then complain because they are not better. But those people bring a great deal of money into town and should be encouraged.

The more we have of them the better, and I believe we should make it as pleasant for them as possible, and they should consider us and keep their heavy cars off the road while it is muddy.

Now what are we going to do about it? If we don’t get our just dues in the future, we have cast our politics to the four winds of Heaven for the common good, and hereafter we shall present a solid front and we shall be heard from. Respectfully, Edward S. Allen.

So, neighbor, what do you think? Write in, and let’s have a chat about it. Till next time!

Kindergarten Screening/Registration for the 2021-22 school year in the MSAD #61 School District It is time to register your child for Kindergarten if he/she will be five years old on or before October 15. 2021 .

KINDERGARTEN

March 18, 2021, The Bridgton News, Page 3B is really going to happen: a developer will take one of the rare fields along Route 302, a place of significant natural beauty, and exploit it with a storage facility.

I grew up in Bridgton, and as a child, I would ride to the dump with my father often. Along the way, we would emerge from the trees along South High Street and drive between two farm fields which, as an adult, I find aren’t quite as impressive for their size as they were then. We live in an extremely wooded state and clearings are a great treat for the eye. They certainly were then and they still are.

I am not opposed to development, commercial or residential. I watched Saratoga Springs, N.Y. go from real decline in the 70s to an upscale city today thanks to talented, creative builders and developers willing to take risks. A little of that is going on in Bridgton today on a much smaller scale. However, we should not let developers get lazy. If a Bridgton-based nursery can carve out space in a pine grove to grow and show plants, then developers can find wooded property less exposed to make room for a storage facility.

Carolyn Taylor Naples LEGAL NOTICE

Get going

To The Editor: It has been just over a year since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Gov. Mills declared an “emergency” a year ago.

It’s been an extremely challenging and difficult year for all, with the impacts becoming more apparent. Many executive orders were issued, forcing many businesses and organizations to close and forcing many Mainers to remain home, causing adverse impacts upon the economy and the people of Maine. “Emergencies” shouldn’t last forever, and the Maine Legislature has failed to adequately deal with the ongoing situation.

Further, the Legislature failed to do its job last year, after Speaker Sara Gideon adjourned the Maine House and Senate President Troy Jackson adjourned the Maine Senate. Our legislature is supposed to write the laws and represent Maine people and citizenry. Further, it is supposed to resume its lawful control over public policy in the state. It failed to do so last year and is finally getting underway with its legislative session. The previous “leadership” of Sara Gideon failed!

There are many issues LETTERS, Page 4B LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

Pursuant to the rental agreement between AKA Storage and the parties named below, their personal property shall be auctioned at Storage Auction Solutions on March 27, 2021, in order to satisfy all liens brought on by the default of payment.

Joseph Beecher – Naples, ME 04055

M.S.A.D. No. 72

2021-22 KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION and STUDENT SCREENING Child must be five (5) on or before October 15, 2021

DATES: APRIL 14th and APRIL 15th LOCATION: Molly Ockett School – Fryeburg TIME: Beginning March 15th, please call for an appointment: 207-935-2600, Ext 1401 or 1414 BRING: Birth Certificate ~ Immunizations ~ Proof of Residency ~ and The Child You are Registering Call early for preferred time slot

Public Notice

TOWN OF NAPLES Board of Appeals Meeting

The Naples Board of Appeals will hold a meeting on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at 6 p.m., at the Municipal Office Building located at 15 Village Green Lane. On the agenda: A.) An application for a 17-ft., 4-in. right yard setback reduction and 10-ft. left yard setback reduction for the property located at 152 Harbor Road, Tax Map U28, Lot 25 submitted by Kristin McDuff.

The public welcome to attend. Masks are required.

2T11 PUBLIC NOTICE

TOWN OF HARRISON Harrison Board of Selectmen The Harrison Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing for the preliminary Annual Town Meeting Draft Warrant/Draft Budget on Thursday, March 25, 2021, at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Town Office located at 20 Front Street, Harrison.

To avoid a large gathering because of COVID-19 restrictions: Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://www.gotomeet. me/TownofHarrison/select-board You can also dial in using your phone. United States (Toll Free): 1 866 899 4679 United States: +1 (669) 224-3319 Access Code: 195-619-517 2T10

Public Notice

TOWN OF NAPLES REGISTRATION IS COMING You can find and download the registration form by visiting MSAD 61 website (www.lakeregionschools.org).

Please complete the form and return it to your child’s school, either by mail or by dropping it off. Once the school has your completed registration form, you will be contacted to schedule a screening appointment, which is required by state law. Due date for registration is 4/9/2021.

• April 27 & 28, 2021 - Songo Locks School for

Casco and Naples Residents – 25 Songo School Road, Naples. Call Elaine at 693-6828 or e-mail elaine.griffin@ lakeregionschools.org

• April 29 & April 30, 2021 - Stevens Brook Elementary School for Bridgton Residents – 14

Frances Bell Dr., Bridgton.Call Marybeth at 647-5675 or e-mail at marybeth.lesure@lakeregionschools.org 4T11

Public Hearing

The Naples Budget Committee and Select Board will hold a public hearing and meeting on Monday, March 22, 2021, at 5 p.m., in the Gymnasium of the Naples Town Office located at 15 Village Green Lane. On the agenda: 1. The Budget Committee will make budget recommendations for fiscal year 2021-2022 to the Select Board.

2. The Select Board will vote on the Warrant articles in preparation for Town Meeting (which is scheduled for April 29, 2021).

The public is welcome to attend. If preferred, you may mail / e-mail your remarks to Paula Miller, 15 Village Green Lane, Naples, ME 04055 / pmiller@townofnaples. org. Submissions must be received by noon on Monday, March 22, 2021.

2T10

Opinions

Page 4B, The Bridgton News, March 18, 2021

Letters

(Continued from Page 3B) and disturbing matters of concern, including but not limited to agency failures. This includes ongoing unemployment system “issues” and problems, including delayed weekly claims payments and nonpayment of other weekly claims, with closed Career Centers for Maine job seekers, etc. This is all on the Department of Labor’s watch, under the “leadership” of Commissioner Laura Fortman.

When is enough going to be enough? Much work needs to be done to address many problems left behind from the pandemic fallout, including but not limited to the Department of Labor, among other agencies.

I urge our representatives and senators to put an end to the State of Emergency declaration and regain control of our state, on behalf of the people of Maine.

This “emergency” has gone on far too long. Mainers deserve a real voice in their government once again, with meaningful recourse to many issues, grievances, etc.

It must be done and it needs to be done expeditiously or swiftly. Please “make it so.”

Let’s also address, fix and reform Maine’s agencies that have issues with timely delivery of services, etc.

Additionally, we have a long road ahead of us to recover from last year’s Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing economic fallout. Let’s help support one another and help out our local area businesses, including small businesses and fix our area towns to boot.

Further, more improvements to infrastructure including high-speed internet, among other related issues, need to be addressed and dealt with in a meaningful way, as expeditiously as possible.

It is time for the people to be in touch with their political leaders on all concerns and issues. Hopefully, more substantive progress will be made with the ground-work and prep. work laid out in the coming days.

Lastly, it’s time to get ready for spring and be ready for a hopeful busy and more prosperous summer ahead, including for summer tourists, etc. Let’s hope that can or will happen vs. the challenging period of last year. Time to get going for a hopeful better and more prosperous year ahead.

David Hall Cornish

Too distant

To The Editor: Social distancing is diabolical. It is the most destructive thing of all because it is more than

physical distancing; it is intellectual distancing. We don’t talk to each other anymore. Often in the past, we would lower our voices and speak in confidence to privately share our true feelings with a trusted friend or like-minded people. Not anymore. Even when we were election officials, we had to speak very loudly: “Don’t get closer than 6 feet” were the instructions.

There is one place where we can get closer than 6 feet…at the dentist. Even at the hospital, they stand back and aim the thermometer at me.

1984 is a book that we should all read. It is not an easy read. It is slow moving, as if we are inside the brain of the main character, Winston, ensnared in the mental traps of a mindcontrol society. We are frighteningly close to this here in America. There are people who have lost their jobs, and therefor “lives” for “disagreeing.” Millions of people through the ages since Socrates have lost their lives because they disagreed with “governments.”

This is more than frightening; it is terrifying, and the fear is paralyzing to many people.

“Social Justice” is really the equivalent of Orwell’s “Thought Police.” You cannot say anything that offends anyone, even if you are speaking the truth. The truth is now considered false.

Science says that there are two sexes, but the social justice advocates say there are, according to Wikipedia, 38 gender identities. If you say the wrong thing, you will be ostracized and attacked by the “WOKE community.” Do not blame “us” for being confused because we think “they” are confused.

Recently, we were told that the 20-year-old daughter of a friend has chosen to be Nonbinary. We didn’t know what that meant, so we looked it up and found that it means: she will have her ovaries and her breasts removed, and she will be given hormones to counter nature’s attempt to keep her a female. If you don’t believe this, go to the Internet and check it out. The tendency of “Woke” people is to split into intolerant factions. This appears to be happening at a very early age. As children, we believed in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy. As we entered adolescence, most of us realized the truth about Santa and the tooth fairy, and we were okay with this — we did not have to go to a therapist to accept this truth.

Almost all of the “Woke” people that we know are going to a therapist.

Because as mentioned in the movie, “A few Good Men”: “You can’t handle the truth.” It is obvious that the therapists have failed, while they have succeeded financially to an extraordi-

SNOW SNAKE — The elusive Winter Tree Snake that Trish DuBrule happened to catch sight of the other day in West Bridgton. nary degree. Their patients keep coming back. I guess I am very naïve. I thought the goal was to make the patient well again, so they didn’t have to keep going to the therapist.

There is a Greek myth about the creation of the first man and the first woman and the introduction of evil into the world. It starts with Zeus, a Titan who was the Boss, the head God. He achieved his power by winning a big battle against many competitors, and after he won the battle, which had involved brothers fighting against brothers, Zeus punished all the defeated Titans by locking them up — except for two. Prometheus and Epimetheus, who were twins that had fought with Zeus. Prometheus, whose name meant “forethought,” knew who was going to win. Epimetheus, whose name meant “afterthought,” had joined into the battle after he saw who was winning and sided with Zeus. In gratitude, Zeus granted the brothers freedom to roam the earth. To amuse himself, Prometheus started molding figures of clay. He made figures of animals and birds, and to further amuse himself he “breathed life into them.” He gave each creature special gifts to protect against harm. Wings for the birds, shells for the turtles, quills for porcupines, etc.

Finally, he shaped a creature that looked like himself and proclaimed to his brother, Epimetheus: “this is man, my masterpiece.”

Prometheus said, “I will give

man fire and he will dominate the earth.” This made Zeus very unhappy because he did not want man to have fire; it would make him too powerful. So, Zeus sent his strongest servants, “Force and Violence,” to chain Prometheus to a mountain where a vulture was sent to eat and tear at his liver every day. To make matters worse, his body was renewed each night so he could experience agony every day. Being immortal, he could not die.

He was finally freed by Hercules, and that is another story, but man had been created and had the gift of fire, which gave him dominion over the earth. However, the Olympian Gods were persuaded by Zeus that man should be punished for daring to accept the gift of fire from Prometheus. Zeus decided to create a woman as a punishment to man.

Though man was molded from clay, “woman” was made by the gods using exquisite materials in Olympus. Each God gave her a special gift: intelligence, charm, beauty, grace, good humor, gaiety, kindness among others, and one last gift — a generous portion of curiosity. She was named Pandora which means “all gifted,” and she was sent to earth with Epimetheus, who loved her.

Zeus presented her with a golden box with the instructions: “never open this.”

Pandora was married to Epimetheus. One day her curiosity overcame her, and she cracked the lid of the box open to take a peek, the lid

31.

32.

33.

34.

36.

38.

45. Centers, old-fashioned 49. French vineyard 51. *Last of 3 numbers on a bag of fertilizer 54. Be a pest 56. Washington, e.g.

57. Grow dim 58. Extraterrestrials’ rides 59. Pilot’s stunt

slipped from her hands, and thousands of tiny shrieking imps escaped, jabbing her lovely face with their sharp little stingers. Epimetheus screamed in horror “what have you done? Because of you, never-ending misery has been loosed upon the world. You released: greed, pain, jealousy, disease, hate, bitterness, cruelty and spite.

Mankind will be plagued by them forever.”

There is wisdom contained in the “Greek Myths.”

In the bottom of Pandora’s box, after all the evils escaped there was a “shining gem, whose soft radiance filled the room.”

It was “hope,” the one good thing that the gods had put in the box. The Greeks believed that no matter how bad things were, there was always Hope that peace will come again into our hearts.

Indeed, we truly hope that the Greeks were right.

Think about it.

Please note: this is part of the curriculum that was taught in most high schools 70 years ago.

The information about Greek mythology in this letter is taken from three sources: Bullfinch’s Mythology, Mythology by Edith Hamilton, and The Magic and the Sword by Miriam Cox. Bob and Claire Wilkinson Bridgton

Tell truth

To The Editor: The other day I came home to a flyer hanging on my front door that supported the CMP and HydroQuebec Corridor. The flyer called the transmission line the “CLEAN Energy Corridor”. This is an out and out fraud. The energy from Hydro-Quebec’s massive dams is far from CLEAN. The science is very clear. The power generated is some of the dirtiest generated power on the planet.

This greenwashing is a complete distortion and fabrication of the truth.

Hydro-Quebec and CMP, both foreign owned corporations, have already spent over 20 million dollars on a false and scurrilous disinformation campaign.

Their campaign war chest has no bottom and as with most issues or political campaigns money can often trump truth. For these foreign owned companies, it is not about saving the planet from climate change. This is about money – billions and billions in profit, CMP 3 billion and Hydro-Quebec 12 billion, – plain and simple.

This is why they are willing to spend millions on large scale “bribes” and slick PR campaigns.

The production of this power from 550 dams

and dikes has resulted in the flooding of 3.8 million acres of once carbon sequestering boreal forest – this means an area about the size of Connecticut is no longer pulling carbon out of the atmosphere on an ongoing basis. We hear a lot about the destruction of the Amazon, but hear little about Hydro- Quebec’s annihilation of northern Canada’s boreal forest. In addition to reduced sequestration, the reservoirs are producing massive amounts of greenhouse gases from detritus/slash decomposition. One report out of MIT has estimated some of the reservoirs are emitting more carbon than a coal fired power plant. Much of the carbon released from decomposition is the greenhouse gas methane – 80 times more impacting than CO2 The flooding has engulfed whole river systems. Virtually, in several instances, the direction of river flow has been reversed in order to fill up the reservoirs. The downstream impact to river systems and estuaries is equally damaging.

Vast quantities of water are held back during spring runoff and then released as needed during the summer and fall. This has disrupted seasonal water flow cycles. The riverine biology has been completely thrown off – seasonal insect hatches have disappeared and caused fish population declines- and the impact continues up the food chain.

Perhaps, the least talked about impacts are from seasonal flow changes in the estuaries in the spring.

The spring flush of water carrying immense amounts of nutrients and minerals is effectively eliminated.

Estuarine phytoplankton, the base of the marine food chain, under normal flow conditions would experience a massive population bloom as a result of the nutrient laden spring freshet. These phytoplankton are an important carbon sink. Through the process of photosynthesis, they sequester vast amounts of CO2. Normally these exponential spring population explosions enrich the estuaries which are critical nursery habitat for many marine species. The arrival of the spring freshet results in the mixing of fresh and salt water which in turn results in temperature and salinity differences. These differences help promulgate water currents that can transport the cornucopia of phytoplankton virtually hundreds and hundreds of miles. There is now evidence that suggest the fisheries decline in both the Gulf of Maine and the Grand Banks may LETTER, Page 5B

This week’s puzzle theme:

In the Garden

ACROSS 1. Great divide 6. World’s oldest national broadcaster 9. Pasturelands 13. Chinese fruit 14. #9 Across, sing.

15. Clemency 16. One in advertising 17. “____ the land of the free ...”

18. Characteristic of birds 19. *Ongoing job in the garden 21. *Without synthetic fertilizers 23. 2nd tallest bird 24. Theatrical production 25. Curiosity killed it?

28. Additionally 30. Capital of Poland 35. Passage into a mine 37. Prefix in levorotary 39. Mid-century modern, e.g.

40. Toothy wheel 41. *Some are heirlooms 43. Make like a cat 44. Erasable programmable read only memory 46. Stanislavski’s rifle, e.g.

47. Unwanted correspondence 48. Motionless 50. Catch-22 52. “Are you sure?” in a text 53. Freight horse cart 55. Opposite of don’ts

57. *6 or more hours of sunshine 61. *Radicchio or frisÈe 65. On foot 66. Negative vote 68. 2020 NFL MVP 69. Morrison’s “The ____” 70. Hockey great Bobby 71. Respectable and quiet 72. Sports award 73. Affirmative response 74. Infernos DOWN 1. Old bathtub foot 2. Opposite of seek 3. Ne plus ultra 4. *Opposite of #57 Across 5. Minimum, pl.

6. Influencer’s journal 7. *Stinging pollinator 8. Holiday song 9. Bulgarian money 10. Julia Roberts’ Academy Awardwinning role 11. Popular smoothie berry 12. Update an iPod 15. Inhabitant of Hungary 20. Nothing, pl.

22. Like sashimi 24. Lack of money 25. *Tomato supports 26. Highly skilled 27. Miss America’s headdress 29. Slowly leak

Moves at the gym Monument to Buddha Orderly arrangement *Wiggly plowers Faster than a walk *Some plants and flowers emit a good one 42. *Type of digger

60. Type of parrot 61. “Musical” constellation 62. Russian mountain chain 63. *Type of garden hose

that saves space 64. Goes with “odds” 67. Am is to I as ____ is to we

Solutions on Page 3B

Obituaries Terry D. Buck

Donna M. Berry

1956-2021

DELAND, FLA. — Terry Dean Buck, 65, of Turner, passed away suddenly at the Advent Health Hospital in Deland, Fla., on February 25, 2021.

He was born February 18, 1956, in Bethlehem, N.H., to Carroll (Squeak) and Pat Buck.

Terry was larger than life and generous to a fault. He was well-respected and loved by many friends, business associates and family.

Terry was a hard worker beginning as a small boy working with his dad in the woods logging. As he grew he juggled school with work in construction.

Graduating from Fryeburg Academy, he began his construction career with Cianbro Construction followed with Nalews, R.C. Foss, Wincon, Northern Constructors, Beaver Corp., then established T Buck Construction in Conway, N.H. As the company grew he then moved to Bridgton, onto Lewiston-Auburn, and now was located in Turner as a thriving construction company which he loved and was very proud of. During this time he also purchased a welding company in Lewiston eventually moving to Auburn as Global Metal & Fab. His favorite hobby in early years was skiing at his beloved Shawnee Peak in Bridgton. He had a racing ski team meeting every week. Enjoyed snowmobiling, traveling, and spending time at his home on the lake with all his kids and grandkids. But his top favorite in life was his cars. He loved going to the car shows and the Barrett Jackson and the Mecum Auctions and collecting many of his favorites.

Terry was so generous and kind. He loved life and willing to help those in need.

Terry is survived by his wife Jane of 27 years, having a full and happy life together cut way too short. He did spend some time in his beautiful home in Florida. His dream and goal was to finally retire there. He is also survived by his children, Sarah McGuinness and husband Shawn of Rutland, Mass., Melissa Ferland of Poland, Tim Hiltz and wife Georgia of Buxton; five grandchildren, Maggie Ferland and partner Nathan St. Laurent, Allison Ferland, Brayden, Dillon and Logan Hiltz; sisters, Cindy Fox and husband Peter of Stoneham, Vicki Pike and husband Steve of Waterford; brother, Carroll Buck and partner Dawn Kidder; many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles. Predeceased by his mother and father; one brother, Chet Buck.

You are invited to offer condolences and pay tribute to Terry’s life by visiting his guestbook at www.thefortingroupauburn.com Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 10, at 11:37 a.m. (Those who knew Terry will know why this time is so important) at East Auburn Baptist Church, 560 Park Ave., Auburn.

Celebration of life will follow at T-Buck Construction in Turner.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of The Fortin Group/Plummer & Merrill Funeral Homes, Cremation & Monument Services, 217 Turner St., Auburn, 783-8545.

Gene A. Hurt NAPLES — Gene Ann Hurt, 46, of Naples, died Thursday morning, March 11, 2021 at her home in Naples with her loving family by her side.

Gene was born on March 30, 1974, in Bridgton, a daughter of Bernard and Joyce (McGarvey) Hurt. She attended local schools and graduated from Lake Region High School in 1994.

Genie is survived by her mother, Joyce of Naples; two sisters, Sandy Anderson of Norway and Debra Dadmun of Casco; a brother, Mark Hurt of Naples.

She was predeceased by her father, Bernard; and a brother, Shawn.

Cremation arrangements are in the care of the Hall Funeral Home in Casco. Please share your kind words and condolences on her Tribute Wall at www.hallfuneralhome.net.

Elaine Reese SOUTH PARIS — Elaine Reese, 60, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2021, surrounded by family and friends at her home.

She was born on August 16, 1960, in Jersey City, N.J., to William and Marilyn (Benaderet) Jones of Florida. She was a customer service rep for Dead River in South Paris, for over 25 years.

Elaine loved and was passionate about her family, dogs (especially Spike), her large extended “friends/ family” and her customers. Her house was opened to everyone. She consistently gave whatever she could to others and will always be remembered for her selflessness, kind open heart, laughter, strong convictions and special dance. Elaine was a “mom” to so many in the Oxford Hills area and was someone who always had the best advice.

She enjoyed having visitors, playing games, puzzles, going to the lake and Frank FM. She is survived by her parents; two sons, TJ Reese and wife Michelle, and Rob Reese; four siblings, Debbie O’Rourke and her husband Joe, Sheryl VanKuyk and her husband Artie, Roy Jones and Mark Jones; nine nieces and nephews; many cousins, aunts and uncles in New York, Florida and Pennsylvania.

Family and Friends may attend a celebration of life visitation on Monday, March 15th from 2-4 p.m., at Chandler Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 45 Main St., South Paris.

Online condolences may be shared with the family at www. chandlerfunerals.com

Donna Marie Berry, 76, passed away on Feb. 23, 2021, at Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, S.C. Born on August 26, 1944, in Melrose, Mass., to William H. and Virginia (Morton) Buckley, Donna grew up in Massachusetts and later moved to Maine living most of her adult life in Bridgton.

Donna proudly worked at the Bridgton Knitting Mill while raising her family in South Bridgton.

She later began a 20+ year career at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham from where she retired.

Donna loved spending time with family, having Sunday dinners and sitting on the porch in the summer. She moved to South Carolina in the Fall of 2019 where she was able to enjoy sitting on her patio more frequently throughout the year and spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Donna loved to travel! She raved about the beauties and her experience in Ireland. She enjoyed many trips to York Beach with her grade school friends as well as her trips to Arizona and North Carolina to spend time with two of her closest lifelong friends.

No matter the season, Donna always knew the weather and was continuously prepared with the report of the day. It did not matter where her loved ones might be in the world, she was ready with an update as well as related safety reminders.

Donna was predeceased by her parents William and Virginia Buckley, her brother William Buckley Sr. and her husband, Howard ‘Sonny’ Berry Jr. She is survived by her daughters Tracy Berry, Lisa Berry, Dawn and husband Dan Reiman and Melissa Berry; her nephew William Buckley Jr.; her grandchildren Ashley and husband Dean Wheeler, Danielle Stanton, Chelsea Cross, Dylan Sprague, Halee Reiman and Grady Reiman. Her great-grandchildren Kenzie Wheeler, Maddi Robbins, Selena Rogers, Kayden Wheeler, Kameron Wheeler and Karson Wheeler. The Berry Family and longtime family friend Buster Arris.

Services will be held at Fryeburg Recreation, 59 Recreation Dr., Fryeburg, ME 04037 on Saturday, May 8, 2021, at 2 p.m.

Dwight E. Martin NAPLES — Dwight E. Martin, 65, of Naples passed away peacefully early Wednesday morning, Mar. 10, 2021, at the Androscoggin Hospice House in Auburn after a brave battle with heart disease.

Dwight will be sadly missed by all who were fortunate enough to know him, but will always be a beacon of light.

He is loved by his wife of 37 years, Deb; four children, Megan Crawford, Tessa Farrington, David Rand and Randy Rand; a brother, David Martin and his wife, Deb; a sister, Deb; eight grandchildren; one and two/three great-grandchildren.

Cremation arrangements are in the care of the Hall Funeral Home in Casco where Dwight’s family welcomes your kind words and “Ike” and “Twiggy” stories on his Tribute Wall at www. hallfuneralhome.net.

HIRAM — Louis A. “Jay” Turner Jr., 59, husband of Pamela J. (Tate) Turner, passed away unexpectedly Sunday evening, March 14, 2021, in Fort Fairfield. He was born June 5, 1961, in Camden, the son of Louis A. Sr. and Nancy Ann (Stork) Turner.

Jay spent his childhood in Belfast, his teen years in Forks, Wash., and was a graduate of Forks, Wash.

High School, Class of 1979. He was married to Pamela J. Tate on October 12, 2019, and was employed by Limington Lumber in Baldwin as a saw filer. He enjoyed snowmobiling, four-wheeling, motorcycles, and fishing.

Jay was predeceased by his father and is survived by his wife Pamela of Hiram; his mother, Nancy A. Turner of Laconia, N.H.; one son, Kenneth Turner; one daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Jamie Spencer, all of Forks, Wash.; stepson, Christopher Chase and his wife Sarah of Winthrop; two stepdaughters, Paula Anthony and her husband Andrew, Kayla Urquhart, all of Buxton; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Lynn and Richard Cushman of Amesbury, Mass., Denise and Sheldon Corey Sr. of Northfield, N.H.; grandchildren, Cade Spencer of Forks, Wash., Gabby and Otto Chase of Winthrop, Lilly Anthony and Michael Urquhart, both of Buxton; several nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life for Mr. Turner will be held at a later date. Those who wish may contribute in memory of Mr. Turner to a charity or organization of one’s choice. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Giberson-Dorsey Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 144 Main Street, Fort Fairfield. Online condolences may be expressed at www.gibersondorseyfuneralhome. com .

We just completed a major renovation to be more comfortable and up-to-date for today’s families. And Chandler Funeral Homes is constantly advancing and offering more services than any other funeral homes in the area.

Family and friends attending services now have a stunning reception area to share a meal after the service. Also, our casket selection is now online for your convenience.

Improvements all done with our families in mind to give quality service above and beyond the rest at affordable prices.

While we are adding more, we are still committed to keeping our prices fair. That’s one important reason we are the most preferred funeral home and we won’t ever forget that.

Family Owned and Operated

TF25

45 Main St. • South Paris (207) 743-8402 Fax: (207) 743-0497

Greenleaf Chapel 37 Vernon St. • Bethel (207) 824-2100

26 W. Dwinal St. Mechanic Falls (207) 345-5691

Oxford Hills Funeral Svc. 1037 Main St. • Oxford (207) 743-0270

www.ChandlerFunerals.com

Margaret A. Butterfield Margaret Alice (Edwards) Butterfield, 81, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 14, 2021 with her family by her side at Market Square in South Paris.

Margaret lived most of her life in Harrison with her husband, Clyde. In her younger years, she took care of many children at their home on Bolsters Mills Road. She loved to play bocce, bowling and board games.

She leaves behind her husband of 63 years, Clyde Butterfield; children she raised, Leroy Edwards, Keith Edwards, Robin Thayer and Wilson Pike; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Margaret requested that there be no services.

Letter: Tell truth (Continued from Page 4B) be tied to the mega-dam development around the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

I often call this “Dirty Energy Corridor,” Canada’s Tar Sands Project East. The corridor, if it were to be built, would like the Keystone XL Pipeline, transport dirty power. One lesson, we need to learn, is that just because something is renewable – like hydro — does not make it automatically clean. It bewilders me that Massachusetts considers the power it might receive from the corridor as emission free. They are going to include it in their power portfolio as carbon neutral. This is totally delusional. Not only is the power a carbon emissions disaster, once an electron enters the grid, it source is completely obscured.

So, what’s to stop HydroQuebec from reshuffling its power source mix to meet demand?

The Mill’s administration support for the transmission corridor is troubling to say the least.

Generally, I would give the governor high marks for taking a strong stand for moving Maine toward carbon neutrality. The Maine Climate Council has established some ambitious

In Loving

Memory

Louis A “Jay” Turner Jr.

Always Improving

8 Elm St., Bridgton (207) 647-5502

March 18, 2021, The Bridgton News, Page 5B

Wood Funeral Home 9 Warren St. • Fryeburg (207) 935-2325

©2019 MKJ Marketing

March 17, 2019

Remembering you is easy, We do it every day.

It’s just the pain of losing you That never goes away.

Love & miss you , Vicki, Paul & family, Josh & family, Peggy, Linda, family & friends!

goals. However, getting a handle on climate change in Maine requires recognizing that there are no borders. It is completely hypocritical to say we need to take steps to mitigate the impacts of climate change, but then allow the “dirty” power from Hydro-Quebec to transit the state. The state of Maine needs to stake out the moral high ground.

Indeed, our future depends on it. I would love to see the Mill’s administration change course, but I am not holding my breath. There are just too many “bribes” being offered up by CMP and Hydro-Quebec as well as too many well healed political cronyisms in play.

Our best hope is to pass the citizen initiative. Bravo to the folk who in spite of the cold and Covid-19 were able in record time collect the requisite number of valid signatures. This initiated bill requires the approval of the Legislature for the construction of high-impact electric transmission lines and provides that high-impact electric transmission lines crossing or utilizing public lands must be approved by 2/3 of all the members elected to each House of the Legislature. This initiated bill also prohibits the construction of high-impact electric transmission lines in the Upper Kennebec Region. If you want to say no to the corridor, you will need to vote “Yes” on this bill. I hope you will join the citizen effort to protect Maine and the planet from those who value profit over planet. Learn more at www.nocmpcorridor.com We are confronted with the catastrophe of climate change. It is no joke. If we don’t make every humanly possible effort to reduce emissions, our grandchildren are going to be living in a world of utter chaos and horror. This is not time to engage in a shell game of deceit.

Jonathan Carter, Director. FEN, Former Green Candidate for governor, Lexington Twp

Warren’s Florist

~ Always Fabulous Florals ~ ~ Fruit & Gift Baskets ~ ~ Ganz Plush Animals ~ Balloons ~

39 Depot Street, Bridgton, ME 04009

207-647-8441 • 800-834-8407

TF32

Obituary Policy

To run at no charge, The News will include: who the person was predeceased by (i.e. parents, siblings, spouse, children), or survived by (i.e. spouse or significant other, children, and parents). Names of spouses of surviving relatives will not be included.

Names of grandchildren will not be included, but the number of grandchildren or nephews and nieces will be used. If the deceased individual’s only connection to the area is a nephew, niece or grandchild, that person will be listed by name.

Obituaries to run “as written” are paid obituaries, a price quote and proof will be provided. The News reserves the right to edit all obituaries including length if necessary.

The Bridgton News P.O. Box 244, 118 Main St. Bridgton, ME 04009 tel. 207-647-2851 fax 207-647-5001 e-mail: bnews@roadrunner.com

Eric Nelson, Owner and Funeral Director TF43

165 QUAKER RIDGE RD., CASCO, ME 04015 207-627-4538 • HALLFUNERALHOME.NET

Country Living

Page 6B, The Bridgton News, March 18, 2021

Award-winning writers to join Meet the Authors LOVELL — Good stories written for teens and children are great for all ages, as Young Adult authors, Terry Farish and Elizabeth Atkinson, will discuss on Thursday, March 25 at 7 p.m. on Meet the Author, a monthly online series hosted by the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library.

The two award-winning Maine authors will talk about issues challenging today’s youth, as well as offer tips on getting your children and teens to read.

And, you might be surprised to hear how many adults enjoy their books too.

Terry Farish writes picture books, Young Adult novels, and nonfiction, and has won the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults.

Many of her books for children and teens are about families who have come to the United States as refugees, including Either the Beginning or the End of the World, winner of the Maine Literary Award for YA literature. “Farish’s writing is haunting… An excellent choice for readers seeking a less than neatly packaged

Terry Farish

love story…” says School Library Journal.

Elizabeth Atkinson, author of several pre-teen novels, writes heartfelt coming-of-age stories set in New England. Best known in Maine for her novel, “The Island of Beyond” (inspired by summers on Kezar Lake), her books have gathered several honors, including three Gold Moonbeams, the International Book Award for Children’s Fiction, and the National Council of English Teachers Notable Book Award. Kirkus Book Reviews says, “Atkinson deftly portrays the intense

Elizabeth Atkinson

self-consciousness that is an inherent part of the transition between childhood and adolescence…”

To learn more about Terry and Elizabeth, please visit their websites: www. terryfarish.com and www. elizabethatkinson.com.

“Meet the Author” is co-sponsored by Bridgton Books and White Birch Books of North Conway, N.H., where you can pick up ROTARIANS Carol Rothenberg and Peter Kaurup present adult masks to Faylene the authors’ latest releases.

McKeen at the Universalist Church of Norway.

Log on to this free Zoom event next Thursday, March 25 at 7 p.m. using the link posted on the library’s website: www.hobbslibrary.org

BFM recipe

Pollo Alla Cacciatora

By Nancy Tripp Bridgton Farmers’ Market This is one of my alltime favorite recipes. While we are all ready for some warm spring weather, we are still having breezy and chilly days. A plump chicken in the pot for an afternoon makes a warm and welcome meal for this changeable season.

In this recipe, you can

Birth notices Prue Monroe Cleveland, daughter of Dorcey and Randy Cleveland of Harrison, was born on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 2:41 a.m. at Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway. Prue weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces. She joins sisters Peyton, Piper and Preslee.

Maternal grandparents: the late Glenn Dunn of Andover and the late Marlene Bean of Bethel.

Paternal grandparents: Doug and Donna Cleveland of South Paris.

River Carlton Croy, son of Lindsay Day and Dennis Croy of Harrison, was born on Sunday, March 14, 2021 at 11:45 a.m. at Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway. River weighed 7 pounds.

Maternal grandparents: Lisa Ivey of South Paris, Chris Ivey and Kelby Day of Otisfield.

Paternal grandparents: Dianne Croy, Dennis Croy and Donald Doughty of Harrison.

Molly Jean Coady, daughter of Katie and Tom Coady of Otisfield, was born on Sunday, March 14 at 11:03 p.m. at Bridgton Hospital. Molly weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce and was 19 inches.

She joins sibling Charlie Coady.

Grandparents: Thomas B. Coady and Sue Wobst of Bridgton; Cathy Coady of Norway; Ann Melious and Chuck McCarthy of Naples; David Horst of Connecticut.

Great-grandparents: Virginia Coady of Bridgton; Donna Edwards of Winthrop.

use a cut up whole chicken or my family likes to use the thighs and legs, leaving a few dollars to splurge on a bottle of chianti to marinate the chicken in. I still have a few jars of my own home-canned tomatoes from Hosac and Patch Farm this summer, and the sprigs of rosemary come from a plant I keep near the sink so it can have a shower every week or so, and a bunch of bay leaves from Deborah’s bay laurel on Highland Lake. Add a handful of briny green olives and you have a feast for the evening. Serve this with a lovely fresh green salad or Italian cannellini beans and a homemade loaf of bread from Lollipapa. Yum…...

Slurp…Good!

POLLO ALLA CACCIATORA from Jamie Oliver “Jamie’s Italy” 1 4 ½-pound chicken cut up or use the equivalent amount of chicken pieces Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 8 bay leaves 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary 3 cloves of garlic, peeled (1 crushed, 2 sliced) ½ bottle Chianti Flour for dusting Extra virgin olive oil 6 anchovy fillets A handful of green or black olives, pitted 1 14 ounce can of good quality plum tomatoes Season the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground pepper and put them into a bowl. Add the bay leaves, the rosemary sprigs, the one clove of crushed garlic and cover with the wine. Leave to marinate for at least an hour, but preferably overnight in the fridge.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Drain the chicken reserving the marinade, and pat

dry with paper towels. Dust the chicken pieces with flour and shake off any excess.

Heat an ovenproof pan (I like a Dutch oven), add a splash of olive oil, fry the chicken pieces until browned lightly all over, and put to one side.

Place the pan back on the heat and add the sliced garlic. Fry gently until golden brown, then add the anchovies, olives, tomatoes (broken up with a wooden spoon), and the chicken pieces with their reserved marinade.

Bring to a boil, cover with a lid or a double thickness layer of aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 11/2 hours.

Skim off any oil that’s collected on top of the sauce, then stir, taste, and add a little salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs and serve with a salad, or some cannellini beans, and plenty of Chianti. Enjoy!

The Bridgton Farmers’ Market is located at The All Roads Hub (the old Macdonald Motor Building) at 4 Nulty Street. Beginning April 3, the BFM will again open its doors to the public in a traditional Farmers’ Market set-up from 9 a.m. to noon. Through the remainder of March, BFM is implementing a pre-order curbside delivery only on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Please use designated parking spaces adjacent The Hub to pick up your order.

Mask Challenge second round goes to pantries

Rotarians Carol Rothenberg of the Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club and Peter Kaurup of the Oxford Hills Club handed over 70 hygienically-repackaged packets of 10 masks each for distribution to patrons of the Universalist Church of Norway Food Pantry on Wednesday, March 10. Fayelene McKeen, director of Food Pantry gratefully accepted them.

The first round of the New England Rotary Clubs’ Million Mask Challenge arrived in October 2020 and were distributed to police and fire departments and community centers. At the same time, the Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club distributed to Food pantries in Bridgton, Naples and Sweden.

The second round of masks arrived in January along with a limited number of children’s face coverings. These too were delivered to food pantries in the region. The last of the masks were distrib-

New sales agent Kristina Reimers has joined The Lakes Real Estate (175 Portland Road, Bridgton) as a sales agent.

“She’s a brilliant woman with a passion for real estate,” said Bernadette McIver, agency owner.

“Kristina has a personal connection to the community she serves, as she’s a native of the Oxford Hills and Lake Region area.”

McIver added that “hard

work has always been a defining feature of Kristina’s life.” She entered the workforce at a young age and has had a long career in sales and customer service.

Kristina loves spending time with her family and golden retrievers, cooking and the outdoors.

She can be reached at (207) 210-7165 or (207) 647-5371 or kristina@ mainelakes.com

Kristina Reimers

Sign up for Rec programs Did you register yet for spring Bridgton Rec programs?

There may be snow on the ground now, but in just a few short weeks, we will be outside complaining about black flies and mosquitos while watching the return of full sports.

Bridgton Rec spring sports are set to begin in April.

Programs available include: • Run Club, open to all Stevens Brook Elementary School students.

• Baseball, for children up to 15 years old! Babe Ruth 15U, Cal Ripken 12U Majors, 10U Minors, 8U Rookies, Quickball (formally T-Ball) 6U! • Softball, for children up to 14 years old! Babe Ruth Majors 14U, Babe Ruth Minors 12U, Lake Region Youth Softball 10U, Lake Region Youth Softball

Need enrollment help?

Get covered with affordable health plans. New open enrollment is now to May 15, 2021. Enroll or change your plan. Amy March, certified Marketplace Navigator,

uted to pantries in Naples, Sweden and Norway in early March. The Club recently received 400 kids’ masks from the Bethel Club; those masks are being delivered to Naples, North Fryeburg and St. Joseph’s Food Pantry in Bridgton in mid-March.

Rotarian Carol Madsen, the Club’s Covid-19 Project Coordinator, remarked, “With the Biden Administration’s plan to deliver face masks to food pantries and health clinics throughout the country from March through May, the Rotary Club will move to providing local food pantries with more health and wellness products.”

For any questions about Rotary, contact President Julie Forbes or President Elect Jessica Putnam at LakeRegionRotary@ gmail.com.

Check the website at https://lakeregionrotary.com and like the Facebook Page at BridgtonLakeRegionRotary.

offers free, unbiased help over the phone: Call 207452-2493. Sponsored by Western Maine Community Action.

8U, Quickball (formally T-Ball) 6U! • Lacrosse, open to all Lake Region School District and Sebago School K-6 grade students. Programs for K-2 Clinic Based Group, 3rd-4th Grade Girls and Boys, 5th-6th Grade Girls and Boys. Equipment available for you to get started!

“Do not let money be a barrier,” Colello said. “We want your child to play and we will work with any situation.”

Volunteers are also needed, Rec Director Colello said. “We cannot have teams without volunteers!” he pointed out. “Yes, we plan to play games and have a regular season for all sports.

We will follow State of Maine guidelines.”

Register now. Call 6471126 or e-mail rec@bridgtonmaine.org for more information. Go to the Town of Bridgton website, look under Recreation, and find info to register online.

Apply for grant

The Maine Community Foundation’s Start Up/Scale Up Grant Program seeks applications from Maine nonprofit organizations that help new ventures start and grow through programs such as collaborative workspaces and incubator and accelerator programs.

Grants will be awarded to organizations and projects that meet the criteria and that have the greatest potential to support innovation and entrepreneurship in Maine.

Deadline for applications is April 1, 2021. Guidelines, application, and a list of 2020 grants can be found at www. mainecf.org. Maximum grants of $25,000 may support a range of program expenses as well as capital investment in equipment, technology, and buildings.

Last year, Start Up Scale Up awarded $200,000 to 10 nonprofit organizations, including: • Tear Cap Workshops, Hiram, to support Rent-a-Bench makerspace program and to develop a new workspace for an entrepreneur or artisan.

Questions directed to Senior Program Officer Maggie Drummond-Bahl at mbahl@mainecf.org or (207) 412-0839.