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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 150, No. 15
14 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
Help restore area’s beauty
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Looking to enjoy a wonderful spring day, Karen Cousins went for a walk. It soon became a walk of shame. “Good news, the snow is gone. Bad news, there is litter everywhere! I filled a 30-gallon trash bag just cleaning up between my home and my neighbors. I could not stand going for a walk and seeing the mess!” she wrote in a Facebook post. “Lots of nips and Reddi Whip aerosol cans. Paper wrappers, masks, coffee cups, beer cans, broken car parts, side view mirror and even an eyeglass lens. Just disgusting! C’mon people. You know better, so do better!” Like Karen, everyone can rid the area communities of trash and unwanted items by taking part in an upcoming Earth day event. Some scheduled clean-up efforts include: • Join the Bridgton Community Center and Loon Echo Land Trust to celebrate Earth Day in Bridgton on Thursday, April 22! They will be working together to complete a number of projects around the Community Center and Pondicherry Park. Participants will work in the morning and celebrate with a free barbecue chicken lunch around 12 p.m. Come for the whole event or drop by for as long as you can. All are welcome! Projects include: • Community Garden: clean out beds, rebuild nine EARTH, Page 3A
April 15, 2021
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and formed a non-profit with the mission of doing clean-ups in the two towns that share borders. The non-profit was named the Casco-Naples Earth Day Organization (CNEDO). It’s been hosting community clean-up events and supplying trash bags for participants for about five years up through Earth Day 2019. Unfortunately, the pandemic cancelled the event in 2020. Next weekend, the community clean-up is being CLEAN-UP, Page 5A
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Just when people thought it was safe to return to in-person selectmen’s meeting, Covid-19 struck the Bridgton Municipal Complex on Monday. The town office closed to the public on April 12 after an employee tested positive for Covid-19. “Out of an abundance of caution, the Bridgton Town Office will be closed tentatively until Thursday, April 22, 2021 per CDC recommendation,” said a message posted on the Town Office website, as well in an e-mail sent to citizens signed up to receive town notices. “Any member of the public who has been in the town office and is considered a close contact will be notified directly.” So, Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting returned to virtual. During his report, Town Manager Bob Peabody reminded the public that masks are required at the Town Office and Transfer Station. “If you are unable to wear one due to an underlying medical condition, please call to set up an appointment so that we can accommodate you in a manner that is safe for you and our staff,” Peabody said. Some short takes from Tuesday’s virtual meeting: Support for the process. Hearing a citizen at a previous meeting raise questions regarding the validity of Bridgton’s election process last November, Ursula Flaherty tossed her support for the hardworking individuals who strived to make it a “fair, clean and good election.” “I know how hard everyone worked. They spend a lot of time feeding mail-in ballots into the machine with Democrats and Republicans present — all of the T’s were crossed and I’s dotted,” she said during Public Participation. “Innuendo of fraud undermines the integrity of the election. It is important to me that everyone has a voice. I thank all the people involved in the election process. To suggest irregularities in the voting process without foundation is unacceptable. It suggests our officials lack integrity. It is sad that these voter fraud complaints have reached our town.” Seeking public office. Citizens filing nomination papers to be on the June annual town meeting ballot include: • James Kidder, Bernard King, Carmen
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The water levels in Brandy Pond and Long Lake have been noticeably low — enough to warrant complaints to the town and the state. Now, despite rising an additional five inches over the course of a week, the water levels are still incredibly low. On Monday evening, Naples Town Manager John Hawley provided a brief report on the water levels
this spring. “The Long Lake/Brandy Pond Water Level Advisory Committee met this morning to discuss the current water levels,” Hawley said. “The state has received some complaints and we have received a handful,” he said. “The sluiceways were closed at the end of last week, and water levels had risen five inches over the previous seven days,” People at the meeting confirmed that the state park
officials closed the Songo River lock on Friday. “They did. They have a policy. They have to have the water level at a certain point by May every year,” Hawley said. “The issue is there has been no snowfall and very little rain,” he said. “Since it was closed on Friday, the water level has come up five inches. That is some increase. But when you go over the bridge, you can tell” how low it is, Hawley said.
“Currently, there is not enough water at the Kent’s Landing boat launch to put a boat in,” he said. “We got a permit by rule to go in and do dredging a couple years ago” but the maintenance department was unable to do the job with the equipment the town has. “If the water level doesn’t go up, we cannot open the boat launch,” Hawley said. “For the people who are complaining, the water level should start coming up, and pray for rain.”
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The outdoor stage of a local business is being reconstructed to absorb the sound of future musicians. The Naples Board of Selectmen approved the Entertainment Permit for Gary’s Olde Towne Tavern — based on the condition that the stage will be soundproofed before bands play there. “His entertainment permit will not permit him to have outdoor entertainment until soundproofing is met to town satisfaction. We will be checking it,” according to Naples Town Manager John Hawley. During Monday’s meeting, the board heard from the owner Gary Skellett and the abutting neighbor who lives off Bay Village Road.
Other residents testified during the public hearing portion for the liquor license renewal and the entertainment permit approval. The immediate neighbor asked that her name not be used. Her chief complaint was that the outdoor music is going on every weekend during the summer; and when the previous owners had the place, outdoor music happened about five times during the summer. “It is every weekend. That is why I was speaking up,” she said after the meeting. The immediate abutting neighbor spoke at the microphone. During her testimony, she did get emotional, breaking into tears. “He is doing something that other businesses in town don’t do. He is being allowed to do so at the cost
of the neighborhood not being able to enjoy their own property,” she said. “It has been claimed that we complain all the time. This just doesn’t feel right. This just isn’t fair,” she said. “The frequency of outdoor music is just too much.” She said that Gary could run a successful business like the previous owner did without trampling on the rights of neighbors by increasing the number of nights outdoors entertainment happens.
Owner Gary Skellett said that he had invested in what was needed to abide by the Entertainment Ordinance, which has a noise limit of 70 decibels. “Again, like I said, an ordinance was created that said 70 decibels was the limit. I am in the process of spending $20,000 to soundproof stage,” he said. He explained that a professional company from Massachusetts was insulating the stage. The soundproofing material is shaped GARY’S, Page 2A
COLLECTING TRASH IN SPRINGTIME Shown here during the 2018 clean-up are: Courtney Underwood and Corbyn Levesque. The Casco-Naples Earth Day Organization, a grassroots nonprofit, is hosting a community clean-up day on Saturday, April 24, starting at 9 a.m. at Q-Team Parking lot. (Photo courtesy of Casco/ Naples Earth Day Organization.)
Clean-up in honor of Rick
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — It is disappointing and frustrating to see trash in the ditch, especially in the community where you live. On the other hand, it is amazing how much trash can get collected and disposed of when lots of people show up with trash bags and clean up the ditches they drive by every day. A group of likeminded people — who noticed that organized community clean ups hadn’t been happening anymore — got together
To keep readers up to date regarding Covid-19 vaccinations and issues regarding the pandemic, The News holds a Tuesday morning conversation with Bridgton Hospital President Peter Wright. The following is this week’s Q/A session with Mr. Wright: By the Numbers: Bridgton Hospital is scheduled to conduct 620 vaccinations this week. Q. This past Saturday, the hospital reached out via social media to the public to fill some vaccination slots. How does BH handle its waiting list? Wright: Our mission is to absolutely never waste a single dose, period. The team has done a really good job of keeping a handful of folks in the queue — okay, we see you are slated for next week, are you interested in getting the vaccine as soon as possible and could you be available in 30 minutes if we call you? There are certain people who can’t do that, but there are other folks who say they can drop what they are doing and come in. When dealing with the older population, they are great flexibility because of their schedules, so we didn’t need as big a list. Now that we have opened up to 18-plus, we want to make sure we have enough people on the call list. People will schedule from all over the state. We’ve had people from Cape Elizabeth to the County. We’ve been successful, we haven’t wasted a dose so far. Q. Can you respond to reports this week regarding people across the country who were vaccinated later contracted Covid-19. Wright: The vaccine is not 100% effective. Depending upon which vaccine, it ranges from 65% to 95%. Even 65% for a vaccine is really, really good. One a good year with the flu vaccine, we’re hitting 55 or 60%, that’s really strong. It (the vaccine) doesn’t make you bullet proof. There are a variety of variants that came out after the vaccines were studied, tested and manufactured. So, you could be getting a variant, which is more than likely is what is happening lately. Each individual and their own immune system and the vaccine taken react differently to the variants. The vaccine is a layer of defense, but it may still have vulnerabilities, which is why we ask people to continue to wear a mask, wash their hands and socially distance. It’s only when we get to roughly 70% of the population is vaccinated we can declare some type of herd immunity. We’re not there yet. What you are seeing is the younger population contracting the virus, and we’re seeing unlike before get sick, be hospitalized. It’s quite dangerous for them. They are not bullet proof. Also, just because you get your secBH, Page 2A
Lone and Robert McHatton for two selectmen vacancies. Lone is seeking re-election, while current chairman Lee Eastman will be stepping aside. • Daniel Harden, Rolf Madsen and Dee Miller are running for two planning board seats. Harden and Miller will be seeking re-election. • Catherine DiPietro is the only candidate for the one-year alternate planning board seat; there are no candidates for the three-year alternate seat. Alternate Michael Figoli is stepping down. • Kimberly Beuler, Sharon Menegoni and Karla Swanson-Murphy are running for two SAD 61 School Board seats. Menegoni and Swanson-Murphy are seeking re-election. • Todd Perreault is the only candidate for the one Bridgton Water District Trustee seat. Resignations. In his manager’s report, Peabody announced the resignations of Public Services Department foreman Ken Lane and Public Services employee Kane Toothaker. Employed with the town since 1984, Lane’s resignation is effective May 5 as he “starts a new chapter in his life.” Toothaker has been with the department since 2016, and his resignation is effective April 16. Put the stop sign back? Maybe a stop sign is needed where Lower Main Street intersects with Kansas Road. After hearing from some citizens regarding visibility issues, Selectman Paul Tworog thinks it might be time to revisit the matter before a bad accident occurs. “Kansas Road doesn’t come in straight, so people have to turn and look hard to the right. It is more difficult than anticipated,” Tworog said. Chairman Lee Eastman agreed. “I question the same thing. Without a stop sign (on Lower Main), people travel the road at quite a clip. The angle is very difficult.” Selectwoman Carmen Lone heard from five homeowners in that area who reported vehicles are traveling faster through that intersection since the stop sign was removed during construction and not reinstalled. She suggested the matter be placed on an upcoming agenda to allow the public to chime in. Peabody noted that the move to not reinstall the sign came as a recommendation from Police Chief Phil Jones.
Low water level draws complaints
Gary’s soundproofing garden stage
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