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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 146, No. 16
20 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
April 16, 2015
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 4B
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Concerns over copied petition signatures
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Resident Mark Lopez was on his feet Tuesday before Bridgton Selectmen could even begin considering whether photocopied signatures rendered a Town Hall citizens’ petition invalid. When it came time Tuesday for the board to order the petition’s placement for a referendum vote in June, Chairman Bernie King said an issue had arisen, in the form of a memo from Town Clerk Lori Chadbourne. King read the memo, in which Chadbourne cautioned the board that accepting a petition with photocopied signatures would violate the Maine State Constitution. At issue were 33 signatures gathered by resident Chuck Renneker and submitted as photocopies. The photocopied signatures, if ruled invalid, would leave the petition
just shy of the 239 signatures, or 10% of total voters, required for validation of a citizen’s petition. Lopez called those numbers “convenient,” given the board’s decision at their previous meeting to move forward with Phase I of the stabilization project, for which around $300,000 received voter approval last June. The petition backed by both men calls for a freeze on spending any money to repair the Town Hall until the cost of both interior and exterior repairs are known and voters approve those costs in a secret ballot vote. “I can’t even believe you guys are going to go here,” Lopez told the board. “Nowhere does it say that the original signatures must be submitted.” Referring to Renneker, who was in the audience, Lopez
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — For years, it was simply a concept on paper: A bus that served the rural towns in the Lake Region and provided residents with a connection to Portland and the destinations in-between. For almost 18 months, the Lake Region bus has been a reality — rolling down Route 302 from Naples to Portland. Aside from a flat or a snowstorm, one of the things that could stop the wheels from rolling is a budget shortfall. Still in its infancy stages, the Lake Region bus service has yet to become selfsustaining. In other words, the cost of riding the bus does not pay the expenses and, typically public transit is supported with additional funding along with revenue. The four towns along the bus route — Naples, Casco, Raymond and Windham — are being asked to assist with a portion of the financial needs not covered by grants, in-kind donations and operating money, according to Regional Transportation Program (RTP) Executive Director Jack De Beradinis. Additionally, the town of Bridgton would be added to the bus route if residents support budgeting the amount being requested.
Already, a citizens’ signature petition was validated. Therefore, that question will be put to the Bridgton voters during the Primary Election in June. In the towns of Raymond, Casco and Naples, RTP’s financial request will appear as a warrant in the budget during the Town Meeting. The 18-passenger bus with wheel chair accessibility is a hybrid electric-diesel vehicle, and it was purchased through federal grants. After some test runs, the bus service went into full swing in December 2013, De Beradinis said. The bus operates on a Monday through Friday schedule with four departures from Naples and four arrivals from Portland. Currently, one of the bumps in the road is the budget necessary for the public transportation service. “To continue the four round trips each weekday and also connecting to Bridgton, the budget is $109,000 a year,” De Beradinis said. “We are asking the towns for $48,280. It is broken down into five equal parts,” he said. “RTP is using $33,280 in Federal Transit Administrative funds. We are taking a portion of that to continue the bus service,” BUS SERVICE, Page 2A
SIGNATURES, Page 3A
Bus service budget needs towns’ contributions
Donors, grants to give Park a boost By Emily Butterfield Contributing Writer FRYEBURG — Graustein Park will be receiving new playground equipment due to the generous donations and grants awarded, thanks to the help of Dick Krasker, but not everyone is pleased with how the equipment was chosen. Jennifer Regan of the Parks Committee voiced her displeasure at what she felt was a lack of involvement from other members of the Parks Committee. Regan told the Board of Selectmen on Thursday, April 9, that she was unaware of the playground equipment decision until later on, and that she and two other committee members didn’t have a choice in how the money was spent and on what. Regan also said that she was not informed of the additional cost of roughly $12,000 for the shipping, handling and assembling PARK, Page 3A
HARRISON FIRE — Firefighters from at least a half-dozen towns spent much of their time battling grass fires Tuesday after arriving at the scene of a structure fire at 485 Maple Ridge Road. That’s because the 19th-century house and barn was fully-engulfed in flames by the time water could be brought to the scene via a tanker shuttle from Crystal Lake, a mile and a quarter away. The fire, called in by a passerby at 3:55 p.m., gutted the structure, but the family and two dogs were able to escape unharmed. High winds caused fields adjacent to the home and across the street to catch fire, and firefighters focused their efforts on dousing the fields before the flames could spread further. It took around four hours before fire crews cleared the scene, and traffic was rerouted on Maple Ridge Road. Fire Chief Dana LaPlante said the Red Cross has been called in to assist the family.
Hand over machine Town opts for pricier signs By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Local artist and signmaker Nelle Ely successfully convinced Bridgton Selectmen Tuesday to go with her hand-painted signs, even though they’ll cost five times as much
as an outside company’s machine-made signs. The board received two bids for their downtown signage project, which will provide directional signs to municipal and community services, as well as larger ground signs in vari-
BALANCING BEAUTY & SAFETY — State transportation officials say guardrail treatments like the one pictured at Mt. Desert best balances driver safety while not degrading natural beauty. A similar guardrail treatment will replace the granite stones along the Moose Pond Causeway when a portion of Route 302 in Bridgton is repaved this spring or summer.
MDOT: Stone blocks don’t cut it
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Guardrails will replace the granite stones on each side of the Moose Pond Causeway, despite concerns that the Causeway’s aesthetic beauty will suffer as a result. Bridgton Selectmen had hoped to convince the Maine Department of Transportation to grant an exception to its design criteria and allow the stones to stay in place. They wrote to MDOT in February, pointing out that the Causeway has historically been a safe stretch of highway with very
few accidents. MDOT senior engineers met to consider the request, but decided that the upcoming Route 302 overlay project from Route 93 to Stack ‘Em Inn Road, which includes the Causeway, “is the right opportunity to address the lack of appropriate barrier from the roadside hazards in this area,” said Brad Foley, MDOT Highway Program Manager. The “roadside hazards” in this case are the waters of Moose Pond on either side of the Causeway. In a March 20 letter to Board Chairman Bernie
King, Foley said the decision by MDOT’s Engineering Council was primarily based on the continued prevalence of “run off the road” accidents in Maine, “and the ever-increasing occurrences of distracted driving.” He said Route 302 is a Priority 1 Corridor, carrying a high volume of traffic that would justify the use of guardrails. Foley added, however, that, “MDOT is mindful of your concerns and plans on installing an aesthetically pleasing guardrail treatment, which would provide longterm safety benefits while
still maintaining the unique vista.” In other words, the guardrails on the Causeway will not be as high as the standard guardrail, and will be similar to those used in other scenic highway stretches in the state.
ous locations. Ely’s bid was $30,348.35, while the Welch Signage of Scarborough bid was $6,850. Both Ely, doing business as Twin Lakes Studio, and Welch Signage representative John Schaberg were on hand to present their case and answer questions. Schaberg said Welch Signage has been in business since the 1850s, and has provided municipal signage to many towns and cities throughout the greater New England region. Their signs would be made from marine plywood, with a sealant on both the wood and coloring, and are made with a paint gun in a spray booth. The company guarantees that the signs will hold up for at least five years. “We make a perfectly fine sign that will last for a very long time,” Schaberg said. Mindful of the handpainted competition he faced, Schaberg added, “If a sense of rusticness is needed, I could give you a quote for that, but it would be very expensive.” He said pictures can also be incorporated into the sign, if desired. Ely said her signs were “all hand-done, not machine-made,” and would last around 20 years. Most of the cost included in her bid was for labor. “If they are damaged, I can repair them. You know my work in this town,” said Ely, who has creatSIGNS, Page 10A
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