Firehouse Chatter A one-on-one interview with interim Casco Fire Chief Brian Cole Page ABCD
‘Ice’ the answer?
Inside News
Bill Preis stumbled upon an ‘ice’ sign and wondered if it would work in Bridgton?
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Country Living . . . 7A-9A Directory . . . . . . . . . . 6B Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 6A Opinions 1B-4B, 6B, 10B Police/Court . . . . . 4A-5A Sports . . . . 7B, 9B, 10B Games . . . . . . . . . . . . 8B
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 149, No. 16
20 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
April 19, 2018
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 8B
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Town seeks legal advice on hiring process By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Bridgton continues to be on a rocky path when it comes to the Community Development Director position. This Friday is the filing deadline, and to date, the town
has received just four applications. Selectmen could reopen the process, but at their recent meeting, decided to take a wait-and-see approach. The CDD position has been somewhat contentious since the town moved on from Audrey Knight after a
brief tenure. Before seeking new applicants, Selectman Bear Zaidman suggested that the town explore other options, including contracting for planning services with the Greater Portland Council of Government. Ultimately, selectmen decided to seek a
new CDD candidate. A new bump in the road emerged at the recent selectmen’s meeting when Zaidman questioned the authority of the town manager to hire a department head. Zaidman requested that a legal opinion from Bridgton’s attorney be
sought regarding the authority of the manager and selectmen to hire a department head. The motion passed 5–0. By state statute, “The employment of all personnel shall be the responsibility of the town manager as follows — the town manager shall appoint, subject to confirmation of the board of selectmen, supervise and control the heads of departments…”
Town Manager Bob Peabody noted that appointment of a hiring committee is part of the hiring process and falls under the purview of the town manager. If the hiring committee included members from other town committees, then the manager requests selectmen to approve appointments. Zaidman, however, would HIRING, Page 5A
Candidates on the town ballots
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer RAYMOND — April 13 was the deadline for nomination papers to be turned in to town offices in the region. The towns of Raymond and Casco could have some lively races with more than one person running for some vacant seats. Regional School Unit No. 14 Board of Directors has some new faces after incumbent Diana Froisland chose not to run for the position this year. “We actually have two people running. It is really exciting,” said Raymond Town Clerk Sue Look. Those seeking the three-
BILL ELAND hangs from a limb of the stainless steel tree as Ric provides ground support. Below, in June 2012, the tree was finally finished and set on a slope on John Farquharson’s property framed by tall pines and nothing but air between the tree and Mt. Washington 20 miles away.
One mighty oak ‘steels’ the show LOVELL — It’s shimmering branches reach 12.5 feet high and are graced with the few remaining leaves and acorns of a winter oak. Its bark is formed of heated and twisted #304 (the purest) stainless steel strap of varying lengths then carefully welded over cages of concentric rings to form the only one of this kind. Ever. Anywhere. The tree stands in Lovell’s pocket-sized Minute Man park adjacent to the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, the hub of Lovell activity. Sightseers might ask about the tree at the library’s front desk, but few facts are known to be told. Some Lovellites see the tree every day while others have yet to discover it. Curiosity seekers check it out and discover there were 679 soldiers from Lovell who fought in any of the 11 wars. Their names engraved on the memorial stone which shares the park with the tree. The idea started in 2003 with art collector John Farquharson who wanted a metal tree that could light up at the flip of a switch. His friends, the Eland brothers, Ric and Bill, collaborated on the design and worked on it when the weather didn’t stop them. In winter, they brought branches into their Brownfield studio. Using tools, they invented to form their version of roots, bark, knots, branches, leaves, acorns, buds. For seven years, they worked together from the roots up and by October 2010, were in the crown of the tree. Meanwhile, John Farquharson, his health deteriorating, grew tired of waiting. So that same October, the tree was lifted by crane and moved by trailer from the Eland’s studio and that was the last Ric saw of the tree until March 2018. Bill still hasn’t. OAK TREE, Page 3A
where it looked aesthetic, Turpin said. “I think there are people who have an expectation that all that graffiti that is there will not be removed,” Chairman Jim Grattelo said. Turpin said, “I am talking about an opportunity to add more — at a price.” Selectman Turpin was offering up a creative fundraising idea — one that has not been officially acted upon. Likely, as Gratello pointed out, donations will be pledged and that grants will be written in order to raise the money to move the cupola. There are questions that can only be answered by future actions: How much
Restaurant to open ‘any’ day By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer This spring, restaurant owner Jose Chavez has had a lot on his plate, operating a food wagon in Raymond while waiting for construction on a diner there, and also trying to open a second A La Mexicana Restaurant at a new location in Bridgton. Now, Chavez is waiting for a state food inspector to come to Bridgton before he can start plating up authentic Mexican cuisine for the public. “We are waiting on the
food inspection license,” Chavez said, adding, “That is all I need.” With the exception of the state food inspection license, all the other local and state permits have been approved. “They have two inspectors for the whole state. So, I am just waiting. I am waiting for the food inspector,” Chavez said on Tuesday. His standard answer has been “any day now” to people asking when A La Mexicana will open its doors. “I hope it is going to be OPENING, Page 2A
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer WINDHAM — Katie Snell decided to start selling her art to justify creating it. “All of my art is inspired by nature and whimsy. I love the magic in nature,” she said. “For me, art is therapy. It’s magic. My paint brushes and pens are magical wands. It becomes tangible when it is on paper.” “I want my art to inspire people to embrace their imagination,” she said. Snell had a booth at the Spring Holistic Fair at the Microtel Inn & Suites in Windham, mainly because
she needed to sell some of her original pieces to offset the cost of art supplies. Working at her table was a nice way to spend the day with her teenage daughter. Plus, in the last hours before the fair ended, Snell sold two of her framed works. With an accepting and peaceful smile, she said, “They are going to a good home.” The Spring Holistic Fair took place during the last weekend of March. The exhibiters included many area business women from the towns of Naples, Casco, Otisfield and Windham — to name a few. The Spring FAIR, Page 10A
A fair way to spend Saturday
Cupola — Keep the graffitti
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — One elected official said the graffiti etched into the cupola should stay. “As it stands, the stuff I saw is pretty innocent,” Naples Selectman Kevin Rogers said, referring to graffiti written on the cupola that originated from the Bay of Naples Inn. Later, during the discussion at the Naples Board of Selectmen meeting, Selectman Jim Turpin suggested a cupola-relocation fundraiser similar to getting one’s name on a brick for a donation. People could pay to have their names done in graffiti on sections of board
year term with the RSU 14 School Board are Katie Levielle and Jacob Stoddard. There is plenty of room available on the Raymond Budget Finance Committee, and just enough people running that each candidate will be seated. In addition to a trio of threeyear terms, there is also a twoyear term on the budget committee. The two-year term was vacant because “there was an empty seat after the last election that the board of selectmen chose not to fill,” Look said. Incumbent Robert “Bob” OFFICE, Page 9A
will come from private donations? How much money will the taxpayers be willing to spend on the cupola? The cupola, which was gifted to the Town of Naples, is currently located on property that was sold. It is the desire of many people that the cupola be moved to a prominent public location so that it can be a visible part of the community. These discussions led to the selectmen’s formation of a Cupola Committee. Rogers ended up taking the reins of the committee. The charge of the committee is to gather information and to provide best cost estimates to relocate, refurbish and maintain the cupola.
The time is approaching for those costs to be nailed down. This upcoming Tuesday, the selectmen will hear from the Cupola Committee about costs and other details so that the cupola project can be a warrant article at the annual town meeting. “Present us with a budget and the future expenditures — windows, doors, etc.,” Chairman Grattelo said. “What you think you will collect from the public? And, what will you need from the town budget?” The selectmen had decided not to pitch the idea of taxpayers helping with the cupola move until a concrete CUPOLA, Page 2A
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