Take a bow
On the podium
Fryeburg Academy honors athletes at Winter Sports Awards Night
Inside News
Kate Hall of Casco places second in the long jump, ninth in 60 meters at Nationals
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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 145, No. 12
20 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
March 20, 2014
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5B
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Deputy town manager ok’d By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Selectmen voted March 11 to authorize Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz to fill a newly-created position of Deputy Town Manager. The position, after the Deputy Town Manager’s probationary period has passed, would replace the position of Executive Assistant, which would then be eliminated. The vote was 3–2, with Selectmen Paul Hoyt and Bob McHatton opposed. Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz, who is retiring in late summer after nine years, suggested creating the position, in large part so that his replacement as town manager can have more time to work on some
of the bigger policy directives from the board. Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz said he will fill the position through an internal job opening posting open to all municipal department employees. In the view of resident Venessa Jones, the new Deputy Town Manager position “could appear to be a position created for a certain individual,” referring to current Executive Assistant Georgiann Fleck. Fleck is a longtime town employee who has served as interim town manager during transition periods when the town was searching for a new town manager. The Deputy Town Manager position differs from
Executive Assistant primarily in allowing for supervision of department heads and disciplinary authority. In arguing against the new position, King said, “I don’t think the town needs two managers. That’s basically what you’re doing.” He favored delaying the decision until after a new town manager is hired. Chairman Doug Taft said past practice has been for the executive assistant to fill in when the town manager is away or unable to perform his duties, and to keep selectmen informed. However, the executive assistant was being asked to take on responsibilities without having the formal authority to do so,
FRYEBURG — Fryeburg Police Officers are investigating a stabbing that occurred Tuesday at 169 Lovewell Pond Road. The incident took place at Creature Comforts, which is a pet grooming business owned by a 46-year-old Fryeburg resident, at 11:30 a.m. The unknown male suspect entered the business carrying a pregnant dog wrapped in a dirty blue blanket and was seeking assistance with delivering its puppies. When the businessowner used the phone to call the veterinarian, he suspected she was calling the police and made reference to not wanting to go back to jail. The suspect became enraged at the business owner and began assaulting her using a statue that was on the shelf, according to Fryeburg Police Sgt. Joshua Potvin. The victim pulled out cutting shears
in an attempt to defend herself and was disarmed by the suspect, who then allegedly stabbed her repeatedly with the cutting shears. The victim went temporarily unconscious and sustained several lacerations and bruises in the altercation. She was transported to Bridgton Hospital, where she remains in stable condition. The suspect fled the business after removing cash from the victim’s purse and a donations jar for animal rescue that was on the counter. The suspect is described as: male, approximately 5foot-8 with a medium build; upper 20s to lower 30s age range; wearing a camouflage ball cap, a green canvas-style barn coat and black winter gloves; described as having decaying teeth and missing a bottom tooth on right side of lower teeth; and having severe acne.
A computerized composite sketch of the suspect was created with the assistance of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division. “This is a senseless crime that happened to a citizen who was just trying to help a stranger in need,” Sgt. Potvin said. “I have assured the victim that we will do everything in our power to bring the suspect to justice. We wish her a speedy recovery.” Sgt. Potvin added, “The robbery appears to be a crime of convenience after the assault occurred. The condition of the dog is unknown. The victim was also caring for her two-year-old daughter, who was just in the next room over at the time of the incident. The child was unharmed.” The suspect could face charges of aggravated assault
with a dangerous weapon (Class B), armed robbery (Class B) and cruelty to animals (Class D). Anyone with information is urged to contact Sgt. Joshua Potvin at 935-3323 or e-mail at poddy107@gmail. com
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer The town of Bridgton is withdrawing its letter of intent to leave ecomaine and is looking into doing its own hauling of solid waste instead of contracting it out. The actions follow recommendations by the Recycyling Committee, which spent a year researching options to reduce operating costs at the transfer station. The committee also recommended the following: • Allowing the town’s current metal contract to expire and then look at selling metals on the open market.
• Including wood and demolition debris in the solid waste hauled to ecomaine, so that it can be incinerated instead of landfilled. • Continuing the composting of biodegradable materials but increasing the cost of compost from one cent to four cents per pound, starting April 1, thereby increasing revenues from $960 to $3,840 a year. As an incentive, residents who bring in a bucket or tote of recyclables around Earth Day (April 22) will be allowed to fill that same bucket or tote with compost for free. Selectmen approved the
recommendations at their March 11 meeting after Recycling Committee member Nancy Donovan summarized findings of a 41-page report begun by the committee in May of 2013. Much of the report focused on analyzing the costs and benefits of withdrawing from ecomaine, the 21-member quasi-municipal waste-to-energy organization Bridgton belongs to. As a member community, Bridgton currently has around a $650,000 liability for closing costs for the ecomaine ash landfill, but those costs will decrease over
time. “When we were charged with our task, it seemed daunting,” Donovan said. But earlier this year, ecomaine’s Board of Directors voted to eliminate the assessment charge for all member communities. In Bridgton’s case, that will result in a savings of around $108,000 a year effective July 1. Ecomaine also voted to reduce its tipping fees. The committee’s report clearly favored the option of incinerating the town’s waste instead of landfilling it, saying the burning of WASTE, Page 12A
he said. The new position formalizes the relationship, spelling everything out. Resident Chuck Renneker told the board “It seems your purpose is to reward a person for good service to the town,” referring to Fleck, who is known as the “go-to” person for information needs at the Municipal Complex. If that’s the case, he said, “You could just modify the title without creating a whole new position.” Jones pointed out that if the executive assistant is not hired for the deputy town manager job, “Basically, you’re going to be firing someone.” Berkowitz said the town is MANAGER, Page 12A
Suspect sought in stabbing case
A LAPTOP HEN: Inside the cozy quarters of the chicken coop, Sara Tryzelaar holds a chicken named Samantha. Her egg-laying pets get a lot of human interaction from the time they are chicks, which promotes a friendlier fowl. (De Busk Photo)
Down to earth & growing roots
As part of National Women’s Month, which occurs during the month of March, The Bridgton News is exploring the stories of some of the women who are not normally in the limelight but contribute to the community or stand out as worthwhile role models. By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Never have chickens evoked so many words of praise. Sara Tryzelaar lavishes her egg-laying hens with intelligent conversation and an equal amount of mothering. The hens respond like winged puppies, flocking at her feet, eager to be held and to be cuddled. The chicken coop is warm and lush with layers of white pine woodchips on the floor. On nights that the temperature drops to 10 degrees or colder, Tryzelaar sleeps on the couch with a baby monitor that keeps track of the activities in the hen house. Her fear is that the heat lamp used to warm and keep alive the hens might accidently start a fire. Inside the farmhouse that was built around 1870, a flock of future egg-layers spends its time under red-tinted heat lamps. Tryzelaar has memorized the names of each female chick: Laverne and Shirley, Henrietta, Hazel, Annie, Penny, Molly, Bertha and Dahlia. In fact, a following of FaceBook friends and customers helped her select names for some of the birds. Tryzelaar described how the naked neck chicken, also called a ‘turken,’ is quite a character. She found Vivian asleep atop the glass jar that dispenses water for the cluster of chicks. During her waking hours, Vivian perches precariously on the metal feeder. A floppy-eared rabbit resides in the dining room. A burgundy and cream-colored rug has become the bunny’s property. According to Tryzelaar, Sophie the rabbit would like to befriend the household cat, but each time, the feline darts away. With a delightful, almost contagious laugh and a twinkle in her blue eyes, she said, “Sophie the bunny would like to DOWN TO EARTH, Page A
SUSPECT — Police are seeking this male subject in connection with a stabbing in Fryeburg on Tuesday.
Bridgton staying with ecomaine
Major policy change eyed for sewer system By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Bridgton’s Wastewater Committee is proposing major policy changes in the way the town administers its downtown sewer system, and will begin that policy review with selectmen at their meeting next Tuesday, March 25. At the same time, the committee is updating the Sewer Ordinance in anticipation of a November vote, and using a recently completed feasibility study to begin planning for future expansion of the system. “This is the time now to dig in and plan for the future,” said Ray Turner, chairman of the committee also comprised of Lucia Terry, Glen “Bear” Zaidman, David Crowell and Jim Kidder. They’ve been meeting weekly for at least two months, and will continue meeting weekly at least
until April, when they’ll present a draft of a revised Sewer Ordinance for discussion and public hearing. Their review has been aided greatly by a spreadsheet created by Zaidman and Chuck Renneker that shows the actual metered user flows going back to 2009. The data revealed an average daily usage of between 13,000 and 15,000 gallons a day, which means that roughly 50% of the system’s 31,000-gallonsper-day capacity is not being used. Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz said Selectmen acting as Sewer Commissioners could, as early as this summer, exercise their authority within the existing ordinance to grant new sewer requests to those now on a waiting list. “If not for the spreadsheet, we wouldn’t be as far as
we are now,” said Turner, who sat down recently with Terry and Berkowitz for an interview. Just what changes will be made to the existing ordinance, which assigns allocations to users based on outdated, conservative plumbing codes, is still very much under discussion, he said. “It’s a controversial issue, and we’re having some difficulty with it.” Cautious approach Prior to the spreadsheet, it was thought that the system was near or at capacity, based in large part because of allocations already assigned to existing users. And it wasn’t until work was completed last fall to repair leaks in the system (“Inflow and Infiltration) that the town could say with any assurance that the I & I factor had been addressed. “Even though it seems like we’ve got that cup half
full right now, the top of that can be filled up faster than you can blink an eye,” said Terry. “There’s people in line who’ve been waiting for more (capacity). I bet easily, inside of two years, we’ll be right back where we were,” with the system’s two leach fields running out of room. That’s why it’s so important to begin planning now for the future, Berkowitz said. “Just because the pressure’s off today, it isn’t off tomorrow.” The potential for adding users among commercial businesses on Portland Road, all the way down to Sandy Creek Road, is particularly high, he added. Turner said the existing ordinance is based on outdated plumbing codes that assign six gallons per use for toilets, when in actuality half that amount or less is used. “I was an industrial plumbing
contractor in Pennsylvania, and I never realized that these flow rates were so exaggerated,” he said. “I cannot tell you how conservative the plumbing industry is. Codes that go back to 1910 are still functioning. So that’s something we’re investigating.” The committee is also proposing to eliminate language from the ordinance concerning appeals, since it is superceded by state law requiring that sewer user appeals be heard by local appeals boards. Another change would eliminate the section on cluster
septic systems from the sewer ordinance. Turner has asked the Planning Board to address cluster septic systems in the Subdivision Ordinance by requiring homeowner associations to be responsible for their maintenance and repair, just like any other commonly-used infrastructure. Shortsighted start The existing sewer ordinance has only been updated once since it was created in the mid-1980s, when Bridgton built the sewer system to comply with the 1972 SEWER, Page A
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