Bn14 040716

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School pride Students and staff honored with ‘Laker Pride’ awards Monday night Page 2B

Opening night

Inside News

The curtain goes up on the Lake Region Drama Club’s ‘A Funny Thing Happened...’

Calendar . . . 7A, 9A, 10A Classifieds . . . . . . 6B-7B Country Living . . 7A-12A Directory . . . . . . . . . . 7B

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Obituaries . . . . . . 6A-7A Opinions . . . . . . 8B-12B Police/Court . . . . . . . . 5B Sports . . . . . . . . . 4B-5B Student News . . . 1B-3B Games . . . . . . . . . . . . 8B Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 6B

Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 147, No. 14

24 PAGES - 2 Sections

Bridgton, Maine

April 7, 2016

(USPS 065-020)

www.bridgton.com

SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS

Tank safety: expert needed

By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Neighbors opposed to the Bridgton Bottled Gas project told the Bridgton Planning Board Tuesday that the town should hire an outside expert to help them answer unresolved questions on noise, odors and emergency evacuation plans in the event of a leak or explosion. Tuesday’s public hearing was ordered by the Bridgton Board of Appeals, which ruled in January that the planning board erred when it approved plans to site a 30,000-gallon propane tank at the corner of Raspberry Lane and Portland Road. The ZBA said Bridgton Bottled Gas, which has since been sold to Stone Road Energy, LLC, had not demonstrated it had met the town’s review standards as to pedestrian safety, impact on emergency medical services, air quality and noise. Also unresolved is whether the bulk storage facility is an industrial use and whether, therefore, it constitutes a public nuisance in proximity to a residential development. “This is obviously a very hot item of interest to a lot of people,” Planning Board Chairman Steve Collins said in leading off the hourand-a-half public hearing. In attendance, as at previous meetings on the project, were attorneys for both sides and the board’s attorney Aga Pinette. Tuesday’s meeting stood apart, however, in that

for the first time, the meeting drew a majority of the residents who live on Raspberry Lane, a 12-lot subdivision of single-family homes. Attorney Mark Bower of Jensen, Baird, Gardner and Henry told the board he represents eight of those families. He objected to materials submitted the day of the hearing by Stone Road in support of the project, saying the information should be disallowed because it was not submitted at least 12 days before the hearing, as the town requires for public hearings. Pinette said the board would “take it under advisement,” and following the hearing, the board agreed to recess the hearing until April 12 to allow written comments in response to the new materials submitted by Stone Road. Final deliberations will then be held on Tuesday, April 19, the board decided. Bower strongly urged the board to hold a site walk on Raspberry Lane, so members could get a feel for the residential nature of the neighborhood. Those who live on the road routinely walk there, including children who walk to the bus stop at the end of the road. Stone Road Finance Director Josh Sandahl said he installed a motion-activated camera over a 20-day period to record pedestrian activity, and found that only 10 people were out walking during that time. Traffic activity TANK, Page 4A

YES — Margo Tremblay waves at passing cars while rallying with other Casco residents on Saturday, April 2 to support the referendum to renovate and re-open Crooked River School. The vote takes place April 12 in all four towns of SAD 61.

NO — The Friends of Sebago Elementary gathered in Bridgton on Sunday afternoon to spread their message of opposition to the current CRES proposal. Many gathered at the intersection with signs and fliers to let people know that they support the students, but believe a faster, less expensive solution is possible to alleviate the overcrowding at Songo Locks School. Their message: “Vote No on April 12! End overcrowding now, not two years from now!”

Battle lines drawn

CRES project hearing ‘respectful’

By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Penn Worcester got his wish. Asked to serve as moderator of Tuesday night’s public hearing on the proposed Crooked River School renovation/construction project, Worcester set the tone for the evening with his opening comments. The long-time town meeting moderator asked the audience to present a “civil and respectful” discussion regarding the $7.88 million proposal.

“Let’s sit down, talk and accomplish something here tonight. Let’s be positive,” he said to over 100 in attendance inside the Lake Region High School gym. With both sides hitting local streets this past weekend with rallies across the district, hoping to bring awareness of the April 12 vote, rhetoric has heated up. SAD 61 mailed out to area residents an information-packed brochure outlining the project, as well as address-

ing the serious overcrowding at Songo Locks School. The Naples elementary school was built 25 years ago with a capacity of 380. Currently, the school has squeezed over 460 into the facility, utilizing spaces such as closets that now serve as special service quarters. Meanwhile, Friends of Sebago Elementary mounted their “no” campaign by handing out flyers in Pondicherry Square in Bridgton on Sunday, while also mailing lime green CROOKED RIVER, Page 5A

Directors reduce budget impact

POST 155 VISITED — Dale Barnett, the 2015–16 National Commander of the American Legion, stands outside the American Legion Post 155 in Naples on Saturday. Members of the Legion treated Barnett and attendees to a multi-course meal during the banquet. (De Busk Photo)

Commander:

Seeing a revival

By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — American Legion National Commander Dale Barnett has an incredible sense of duty to his country. He has a sense of humor, too. That was evident from the frequent friendly laughter as Barnett spoke during a dinner banquet at American Legion Post 155 in Naples on Saturday. He joked that his grandson was better at speaking than he was; and when his grandson grabbed the microphone at the 97th National Convention in Maryland this fall, Barnett thought the younger generation would walk away with all the votes. Since September 2015, when he was elected National Commander, Barnett has been on a whirlwind tour, traveling around the United States, talking with the people who belong to the American Legion family. COMMANDER, Page 3A

By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Although SAD 61 managed to piece together a proposed budget that is up less than 1%, Superintendent of Schools Al Smith was a little disappointed when he broke the news that Bridgton taxpayers were still looking at a $326,255 increase. Bridgton’s picture became a little rosier Monday night. During a public hearing on the proposed $29.9 million budget (up .93%), the

superintendent announced that the school board agreed to take $100,000 from the undesignated fund to reduce town taxes. The end result: • Bridgton (36.07% share of the budget) dropped from $326,255 to $277,288 • Casco (23.54%) dropped from $79,815 to $67,884 • Naples (26.11%) dropped from a decrease of $48,553 to $111,335 • Sebago (14.29%) dropped from a decrease of

$85,334 to $92,950. Bridgton’s hike was the result of its valuation and an increase in its student population. Meanwhile, Naples’ tax figure dipped dramatically, partly due to the fact that the town does receive some state aid, while the other three SAD 61 towns do not. Another piece of good news is that Superintendent Smith will be meeting with top Maine Department of Education officials regarding

inequities in the current funding formula, with the hope of finding ways to prevent SAD 61 from being penalized each time more money is added to the state’s educational coffers. Smith noted that when the Legislature added $15 million to state education aid, SAD 61 actual sees its aid number fall when distribution figures are refactored under the current finance formula. A few budget highlights presented by Superintendent BUDGET, Page 1B

By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer DENMARK — Greg Khiel wants it known that his company, Khiel Logging, did not build the road on the side of Pleasant Mountain that has become a controversial topic in town. “We were the clearing contractor for the excavation company, Steve Bennett Excavating, that did the earthwork for the road construction,” Khiel said Tuesday. His company obtained a permit by rule from the Department of Environmental Protection to cross a stream, and did the logging along two-thirds of the three-mile road. Khiel said he understands that people have concerns that the road was built in

preparation for development of a wind energy facility. “All we did was tree cutting,” he said. At a public hearing March 31, residents were told that the road does not need a permit because it is a logging road. Code Enforcement Officer Mike Lee wrote landowner Gordon Pulsifer in February, telling him he needed to complete a written erosion and sedimentation plan for the road, because several areas along its length have grades of 10% or greater. There was only minimal discussion at the hearing on a proposed moratorium on wind energy facilities. A special Town Meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 13, at 6:30 p.m. to

decide whether a six-month halt to any wind energy facility development should be adopted. If voters agree, an effort will be made to draft language governing such development, said Planning Board Chairman Luke Allocco. “This affords us the time to draft something, and then there’ll be another special town meeting to vote on it,”

he said. Allocco added that the town will likely enlist help from Southern Maine Regional Planning. Most of the debate at the public hearing centered on two other articles that will be decided April 13. The first is an attempt to clarify under what conditions an erosion and sedimentation plan should be required. LOGGING, Page 3A

Khiel only did logging, not road

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


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