Dream big Olympian luge racer Julia Clukey encourages LRMS students to set big goals Page 1B
Time to move on
Inside News
Citing a desire to be able to spend more time with family, FA hoop coach resigns
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 6A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 5B Country Living . . . 7A-9A Directory . . . . . . . . . . 6B
Page 1B
Obituaries . . . . 10A-11A Opinions . . . . . . 7B-10B Police/Court . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . . IB-4B Student News . . . . . . 6B Games . . . . . . . . . . . 11B
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 148, No. 12
24 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
March 23, 2017
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5B
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
The big picture
Bridgton could target upgrades in one major project package
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer If voters approve funding this year for upgrades and expansion of the wastewater system, Selectman Bear Zaidman sees a real chance for Bridgton to make significant infrastructure improvements. He sees the project widening to include fixing and possibly developing sidewalks, and partnering with the Bridgton Water District to upgrade water lines.
Zaidman pointed out that recent work on Depot Street uncovered copper piping that dated back to 1944. Town officials expect to receive an engineering report from Woodward & Curran this Friday, giving them a better idea of what the wastewater system project looks like in terms of work to be done and costs. From there, Zaidman feels the town should look at other issues that need to be addressed, and possibly
seek a bond to finance the work. “Let’s fix all the items at once so we don’t have to go back and tear up patches of the road for the next 20 years,” Zaidman told fellow selectmen at their meeting Tuesday night. “I think we can get more bang for the buck if we do it all together.” A key, Zaidman added, would be to get all pieces of the puzzle together, deterPICTURE, Page 3A
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Certainly, the best news is that the removal of the Old Route 302 Bridge, which crosses over the Crooked River, will not be the financial responsibility of the Town of Casco. Whether residents love or hate the old concrete bridge or whether citizens are indifferent to the aging structure partially-hidden by overgrown trees, it is going to be demolished this summer. Town Manager Dave Morton updated the Casco Board of Selectmen on the project that has been on the state’s two-year construction
budget plan since 2015. “I had a meeting today with the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT). They are preparing to remove the redundant bridge at 302, what we refer to as the Old Route 302 Bridge,” Morton said on Tuesday evening. “They have awarded a contract,” he said. “The work to remove the bridge will start in July,” he said. “It is entirely being financed by the MDOT. There is no town money going into that project,” Morton said. He provided some details of the demolition project
that should span about three months. “They will be coffer damming the center portion of the bridge and the abutments on either side to do that removal,” he said. “They will be sloping the abutments.” The contractor “will continue the flow in the river and people who want to tube or canoe or kayak can continue to do so,” Morton said, advising river recreationalists to exercise caution when approaching the deconstruction zone The project should start July 10 and should be finished in September, Morton said.
Old 302 bridge to be removed on state’s dime
As the Crowe...runs
By Perri Black Staff Writer Bridgton’s annual 4 on the Fourth Road Race is a major fixture in the region’s summer calendar, attracting over 2,000 runners of all ages from dozens of states and foreign countries. Many competitors run to record times to qualify for other races that may lead up to international competitions. Other runners participate for different reasons. John Crowe is one of those others. He first ran the race around 2001 to support a friend who was undergoing treatment for cancer. He was 74 years old then and has run the race every year since. He ran it when he was 80, along with 14 relatives and friends. He even appeared in the town’s Fourth of July parade dressed as the iconic “Uncle Sam.” John has already signed up to participate in the race again in 2017 after he turns 90 this coming Sunday, March 26. He will most likely be the oldest person to run the race this year, as he probably was in 2016. I know everyone along the route will be rooting for him and admiring his incredible spirit, stamina, and downright gumption as he crosses the finish line. I used to see John running up and down the horrendous hills along Route 93 in Sweden and I was very impressed. My parents live in Sweden and we have known John and his wife, Shirley, for many years. They are a bit of a fixture in the local community and I knew they were involved with the food pantry at the Sweden Community Church, but I didn’t know much else. For instance, I didn’t know that John was an ordained minister, which is how he and Shirley first came to this region of Maine. After a brief stint in the
Navy at the end of WWII, John attended the University of Connecticut on the G.I. Bill, which is where he met Shirley. They both graduated in 1951, married the same year, and are ardent UConn basketball fans to this day. John went to Andover Newton Theological School to become a minister and, in 1953, he took on an advertised job for a summertime student minister at the Community Church in Sweden, Maine, where he presented some sermons, ran the summer bible school, and even taught swimming lessons. John and Shirley came back the following year and did the same thing, staying in
temporary housing including a boat house, dog and housesitting for friends, and camping out in a tent. In 1955, the couple moved to Harrison with their first two children. John was ordained 60 years ago in North Bridgton, and took on the joint parish of Harrison and North Bridgton. Two more of their children were born in the former Bridgton Hospital on Main Street (now the Clipper Merchant Tea House and an antique shop). After five years in Harrison, they moved back to Connecticut and then on to Massachusetts, with John serving at a number CROWE, Page 12A
ILLUSTRATION OF A LIBRARY for mice is on the wall of the Casco Public Library, where Michelle Brenner is the director. With a background in preschool education, Brenner started out as the children’s librarian about 10 years ago. The story below is Part 2 of a four-part series speaking with area women as part of (De Busk Photo) National Women’s Historyt Month.
One on One with...
Michelle Brenner
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO – Children are the most appreciative and the most unpredictable audience when it comes to story time at the library. Almost as colorful as the illustrations on the book’s pages are the verbal responses and playful antics of the children listening to them. For almost a decade, Michelle Brenner has been the voice reading the words during children’s story time program on Tuesday mornings. Her hands have held open the pages of more than one-thousand books. Becoming involved in the children’s program at the Casco Public Library ended up being a “foot in the door” for Michelle who became the library director when that position opened up two years ago. Then, her role with the local library expanded greatly. Tuesday mornings remain a fun, familiar ritual for Michelle and the one- to two-dozen children who listen to stories and partake in crafts. While many people might think that a librarian is somewhat of a bookworm, Michelle knows it’s wise to be social butterfly, too. B-News: How many years have you been working at the Casco Library? Michelle: Almost 10 years. B-News: How long have you been serv-
ing as director? Michelle: Two years. B-News: When and why did you decide to become a librarian? Michelle: I really didn’t make a conscious decision to become a librarian, although I have always loved libraries. I started working at the Casco Public Library doing children’s programming because of my preschool teaching experience. I really enjoyed working at CPL so as the opportunity to become Children’s Librarian and later, director came up, I jumped at the chance to take on bigger roles at the library. B-News: For which other libraries have you worked or volunteered? Michelle: Although I patronized many libraries through the years, the only other library I volunteered at was the Mary E. Bartlett Memorial Library in Brentwood N.H. when I was in junior high school. B-News: List the three most fun things on this month’s calendar at this library? Michelle: This month we are hosting two movie nights — on March 16 we showed an Academy Award-winning musical from 1952 to celebrate the library’s 65th birthday. We will be screening a newly-released animated musical for a Friday Family Movie March 24. We have an art class happening on Sunday, March 26 with our resident artist, Sue Pride LIBRARIAN, Page 12A
Naples keeps broker
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The Town of Casco is selling tax-acquired lots to the public — using the bid proposal method. That town has almost two-dozen pieces of property that it is selling with the objective of transferring the land to taxpaying owners. In the Town of Naples, the town is also selling some parcels. However, the difference is the land being sold by Naples has been owned by the town for a number of years. One of those lots, located off State Park Road, was used as a transfer site and eyed as potential land for a dog park. As required, the sale of these lots was approved by residents at a past town meeting. Several months ago, the Town of Naples engaged the services of real estate agent Jocelyn O’Rourke-Shane to handle selling the land for the town. At the time, she was employed by Lakes Region Properties. Recently, O’RourkeShane started her own busiSTILL GOING STRONG — John Crowe approaches the ness, Maine Real Estate finish line at last July’s Bridgton 4 on the Fourth, and he Choice, where she is a coowner. plans to take part in the four miler this year.
The business is located in the building which formerly housed Anne Plummer & Associates real estate. Since the Naples Board of Selectmen had engaged the services of LRP, a new vote was required for the town to continue using O’RourkeShane as its real estate agent. Naples Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak mentioned this to the board, saying that O’Rourke-Shane was
eager to hear the outcome of the selectmen’s vote. Selectman Kevin Rogers favored keeping the current broker. “She did all the work,” he said. Chairman Bob Caron II agreed. “Yeah, she did all the work. Let’s stick with her,” Caron said. The board voted, 4-0, to retain O’Rourke-Shane.
Income over space
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The extra space might be nice, but the reliable income is even better. Naples Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak said the lease of a small section of the Naples Fire Station is up for renewal, and the lease money is probably worth more than using the space for the town’s needs. The State of Maine Department of Corrections — not the county — rents the space from the town, Paraschak said. INCOME, Page 12A
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