Pride in their efforts
On the biggest stage
SAD 61 students and staff members recently received Laker Pride Awards
Kate Hall of Casco was up for the challenge, and returned home as a national champion
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Page 1B
Inside News Calendar . . . . . . . . . 10A Classifieds . . . . . . 6B-7B Country Living . . 7A-12A Directory . . . . . . . . . . 5B Obituaries . . . . . . 7B-8B Opinions . . . . . . 9B-12B Police/Court . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . 1B, 4B Student News . . . . . . 1B Games . . . . . . . . . . . 11B
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 146, No. 13
24 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
March 26, 2015
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 2A
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Time to rethink Town Hall project? By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Momentum is building in Bridgton to rethink the entirety of the Town Hall project in the wake of the recent furnace malfunction. At a Thursday workshop and again on Tuesday, residents strongly questioned the wisdom of sinking up to $1 million into a building that is primarily used for recreation, yet doesn’t serve its needs. The $300,000 in Phase 1 work, approved by voters and poised to begin, focuses on stabilizing the exterior of the century-old building on North High Street, including the rear parking lot, to fix existing water damage caused by improper drainage. It doesn’t cover a furnace replacement, now estimated to cost $70,000. Although the project’s scope was laid out specifically when voters approved funding last June, some residents now believe that approach is flawed because it didn’t address interior repairs and upgrades needed to make the building more functional for recreation. Residents like Mike Tarantino, Chuck Renneker and Mark Lopez, all members of the Community Development Committee, are urging Bridgton Selectmen to step back and appoint a building committee of local construction experts who can study the issues and
give a better picture of what the total project would cost. Town Hall tour Prior to Thursday’s workshop, Eric Dube of Casco Bay Engineering led a tour of Town Hall with around 20 residents, town officials and selectmen. The cracked furnace, which had been leaking CO2, had been patched enough to be restarted, so there was heat inside as the group gathered in the gym. Dube said it didn’t make sense to repair the 20-year-old furnace, which he had hoped would last another five years. He is now recommending a new ventilation system and installation of a propane heating system, which he said is more expensive to run but is cleaner and more efficient. The town has spent $13,000 this winter on oil to heat Town Hall, which is less than the $22,000 spent the year before. Dube talked of all the exterior needs covered in Phase 1 — replacing a beam to fix a dip in the gym floor; repairing sill rot on both sides, especially the side doors, caused by water intrusion; installing a vapor barrier under the floor; insulating the attic to prevent recurring ice dams and installing storm windows over the existing windows, which are expensive to replace; and replacing bath- WRONG GRADE — Eric Dube of Casco Bay Engineering pointed out during a tour room fixtures. Behind Town Hall, the parking of Town Hall on Thursday how the improper grade of the parking lot has, over time, caused major water intrusion to the foundation and walls. (Geraghty Photo) PROJECT, Page A
Up 2.3%: SAD 61 proposes ‘no frills’ budget By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Before Superintendent Alan Smith rolled up his sleeves and started work on his first SAD 61 proposed budget, he informed his leadership team of a philosophical shift. Instead of administrators putting together “wish lists,” they were asked to develop a “needs” lists. “Obviously, we approached developing a budget that addresses the educational needs of our children, yet is also sensitive to our taxpayers,” Superintendent Smith said. “There is no ‘fluff’ in this budget.” Initially, the Leadership Team recommended a budget that was up $1,165,120 over a year ago, which represented a 4.1% hike, but after some trimming and adjustments, the proposed package calls for a 2.3% increase, up $655,798.
“We started at $0, took a look at our programs, considered if there were things that we could do without or eliminate in exchange for something else that was more of a need,” Smith said. “I was very pleased with the way the process went. We created a budget with no frills. I am also amazed with how well our communities support education, especially in wake of declining state aid and municipal revenue sharing.” A public hearing on the proposed 2015–16 SAD 61 budget will be held this coming Monday, March 30 at 6 p.m. in the Great Room at Lake Region Vocational Center. Superintendent Smith met with Bridgton and Casco selectmen Tuesday night to provide an overview of the proposed budget, and will hold similar meetings with Naples (April 6 at 7 p.m.) and
Sebago (April 7 at 6 p.m.) town officials. Some highlights This time around, SAD 61 will catch a few financial breaks, which helped land a slight overall increase. One, the district initially budgeted for a 13% increase in health insurance premiums. Last week, Financial Coordinator Sherrie Small received word that the “highest” increase would be 5%. Anticipating hiring a fulltime math teacher at the high school (due to a growth in the student population — Small noted that over the past three years, 19 positions were cut at the high school level), extending the music program by a half position, and the likelihood of other hirings to fill vacant posts, the district will fund the line at a 9.5% increase (a savings of $60,000 from the early projected 13% hike) to cover those expenditures.
Secondly, SAD 61 will see a boost of $400,000 in state aid based on the number of economically-disadvantaged students (those eligible for free or reduced lunch) and Special Education costs, Small said. The district is a year away from making its final payment on the Songo Locks School modular, and four to six years out from paying off Stevens Brook, along with the middle school addition/ high school athletic complex renovation bond. Looking ahead With an eye to the future, the school board has included two items to address upcoming needs. One, a separate warrant item will ask voters to approve the purchase of three to four acres directly behind Songo Locks School. Directors held a handful of executive sessions over the BUDGET, Page 12A
Proposed 2015-16 costs Article 2: Regular instruction, $9,961,713, up $423,997 Article 3: Special Education, $5,125,357, down $18,996 Article 4: Career and Technical Education, $1,488,948, up $87,488 Article 5: Other Instruction (summer school, cocurricular, extra-curricular), $492,232, up $42,499 Article 6: Student and Staff Support (guidance, nurses, library/media, technology, student testing), $2,756,361, up $140,766 Article 7: System Administration, $825,722, down $33,153 Article 8: School Administration, $1,371,432, up $74,822 Article 9: Transportation, $1,738,163, up $107,515 Article 10: Facilities and Maintenance, $3,143,514, down $89,710 Article 11: Debt Service, $2,163,274, down $39,430 Article 12: Community Use/Food Service/Capital Reserve, $100,000 General Fund Budget Total: $29,166,716, up $655,798, 2.3% increase • Initially, the district’s Leadership Team recommended a budget of $29,676,038. • The proposed Adult Ed budget is $624,370, up $40,355. The local share would be $342,585, up $22,970. • Projected budget figures as of March 23
Third town hall option arises
DEEP-FRIED DOUGH — dipped in maple syrup is among the favorite treats offered at Maine Maple Sunday events. (De Busk Photos)
Cold slows sap flow, turnout
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — There are few things as delightful for the sweet tooth as warm maple syrup seeping into a stack of pancakes, or drizzled over vanilla ice cream. The maple syrup was warm at local sugar houses; but the outside temperatures were nothing shy of chilly. Cold was the word of the day. Still, that did not keep groups of people and families from partaking in the annual Maine Maple Sunday. “It was certainly cold,” said Bill Symonds, owner of Sweet William’s. “It was the coldest Maple Sunday we’ve had,” he said. In fact, it was so cold that his younger sister and daughter who helped with face painting had to stop. That’s because the paint brushes started to freeze along with the paint.
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — One of the last things that Ray Grant did before resigning from his term on the Casco Board of Selectmen was to draw up a rough sketch of how the current town office could be expanded. His idea included more floor space, and the installation of a geothermal forcedair system for heating the area. On Tuesday, Grant brought forward to the Casco Board of Selectmen an evolved, computer-generated version of that first sketch that had been done in pencil. Now, Grant has started a citizen’s petition to refurSERVED UP COLD — Katherine Cosgrove, 22, originally from Casco, and Cody Moen, 20, of Casco, helped to serve bish the existing town office. ice cream topped with maple syrup to the people who vis- According to the language of the petition, the cost of ited Sweet William’s during Maine Maple Sunday. the addition and renovations On Sunday, between 600 and 700 people showed up at the Sweet William’s located off Spiller Hill in Casco, Symonds said. That is down by about 50% compared to Maple Sunday in years past when the temperatures are above freezing and the sun is out, he said. Established 1870 Also, those consistently cold days during February and P.O. Box 244, 118 Main St. March made it impossible to get sap from the trees. The sap Bridgton, ME 04009 runs when daytime temperatures are 40 degrees and night207-647-2851 time temperatures fall to freezing. Fax: 207-647-5001 “Lots of years, we will make syrup the last week of bnews@roadrunner.com SAP FLOW, Page A
would not exceed $350,000. The petition restricts the town hall addition to 3,000 square feet. The addition drawn in Grant’s sketch is 36x80 feet, which totals 2,880 square feet. If the petition garners enough signatures, then the town hall expansion would become the third option for voters to consider at Town Meeting. The required number of signatures for a citizen’s petition is 10% of Casco voters from the most recent gubernatorial election, according to municipal law. Currently, Chairman Grant Plummer and Selectman Thomas Peaslee have paired up to get the most precise cost estimates for two options: revamping the former TD Bank building, and constructOPTION, Page A
The Bridgton News