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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 145, No. 20
28 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
May 15, 2014
(USPS 065-020)
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Division aired on hall funding
TOWN HALL CONCEPT — During a public hearing on Tuesday, residents reviewed this sketch of a proposed onelevel town hall as well as floor plans. (Photo courtesy of Sebago Technics)
Office concept concerns voiced By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — People did not shy away from speaking their minds when it came to where the proposed town hall should be. The Casco Board of Selectmen — taking the suggestions of residents — voted to address at Town Meeting the issue of budgeting for more detailed sketches and cost estimates. The next step would be to put a choice of locations on the local ballot during November’s gubernatorial elections. The town hall concept would change depending on the location, and whether it could be a remodel or new construction. The selectmen were in complete agreement with this plan of action. Their vote took place after a public hearing on the proposed town office. Seating was almost scarce
in the meeting room of the Casco Community Center on Tuesday night. However, many people commented that the hearing should have been better advertised, and more voices should be heard when it comes to whether or not the town builds a new town office and where that public facility should be located. The topic of property taxes was brought up several times during the public hearing that preceded the Casco Board of Selectmen meeting. Some comments indicated that Casco residents are likely to be cautious about spending money on a new town office. “The plan to present a new building for a town office is excessive,” said Sharlene Spauling, who owns a home in the village. She said with the recent property revaluation and higher tax bills for most prop-
erty owners, residents might opt to make due instead of building new. Since private individuals had to stretch their dollar and forego new purchases, perhaps the town should do the same, she said. She said her household kept the same used lawn tractor for a decade, and couldn’t afford a new one when the engine died. She suggested the town take another look at revamping the bank building. Some residents took the visionary road — viewing the town office as an opportunity to revitalize the Village District as a community center, or to construct a new building on the current lot using donated supplies and volunteers. Tom Mulkern said he would rather see the town hall in center of the Village than on the same lot as the Casco Fire Station.
Special call to Songo Locks School By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Everyone in the school felt like they had just scored the tie-breaking points, and won an important game for their team. Or, that particular Wednesday could be compared to the day that a budding athlete got to Skype with their favorite professional athlete. The U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan had phoned Songo Locks School to personally thank Vicky Edwards and her fifth-grade team for the thoughtful and hard work being done on a daily basis with their students. His phone call was part of Teacher Appreciation Week; and Songo Locks was the only school in Maine that Duncan called. “I was stunned! I told the students when I went back to class that it was like them, as a little league baseball player, getting a call from David Ortiz,” Edwards said, adding, “In the “teacher world,” this was a big event!” After the call ended, a smiling Edwards said her heart was beating so fast. She said she couldn’t think of what to say, but luckily she referred to the notes she had written for a staff meeting with her fellow teachers and School Administrative District (SAD) 61 Assistant Superintendent Deborah CALL, Page 14A
“It needs to come back to the village. (Having the town office there would be) a springboard to future development in the village. I think the bank building is the right building. It can be remodeled, and I don’t think parking is an issue,” Mulkern said. Several people, including Trevor Tidd, warmed up to the idea of that location — the former TD Bank building next to the public library. “In my mind the town hall is in the village. Here we are meeting and doing business,” Tidd said. He said it was important to hear all the opinions of the stakeholders, Casco residents. “Give us a chance to decide in the future. I hope it is a balBy Gail Geraghty lot issue. If you want to hear Staff Writer the voice of the people, have A plan by Dead River it on the ballot in November Company to place a 30,000when most people vote,” Tidd gallon liquid propane tank on CONCEPT, Page A its 161 Portland Road property has both the fire chief and the owner of a nearby nursing home worried about evacuation plans in case of a leak. The oil and propane supplier is seeking site plan approval from the Bridgton Planning Board to redevelop its bulk petroleum storage plant by removing a garage, unused tanks and loading rack, and installing the 30,000-gallon LP tank in their place. The board, which held an initial meeting on the plan May 5, had scheduled a May 27 public hearing on the plan, but Dead River has requested that it be postponed until a later date.
Rte. 11 work delays drivers those who travel on Route 35 in Harrison. The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) is doing ditch and culvert work on both Route 11 and Route 35 this month. Both roads are slated for improvements later this summer. According to MDOT Superintendent Tim Cusick, on both road repair projects MDOT crews removed aging culverts and put new ones underground, while keeping traffic delays limited to a matter of minutes. “However, future culvert work will stop traffic,” he said. On Monday, Route 11 will be closed to traffic from Leach Hill Road to Quaker Ridge Road, he said. This is “the only time that we’ll have to detour the road,” Cusick said. “The culverts will need to be removed on that section of road by closing it,” he said.
What do you do with the Jumpin’ Janes?
— Paul Hoyt Selectman
stabilize it for use for town recreation programs and town elections. The funding package is a combination of $103,030 in unused prior year Community Development Block Grant funds and a $225,000 loan, including a separate proposal to pay the debt service over five years using the $55,000 annual allocation of Moose Pond Trust Funds. Lead petition backer Chuck Renneker led off the public hearing by questioning whether the board’s funding plan was “financially responsible.” He said selectmen BRIDGTON, Page A
Tank location worries BHCC
EXPECT SOME DELAYS — The Maine Department of Transportation is doing ditch and culvert work on Route 11 this month. This Monday, the MDOT will reroute traffic on Route 11 from Leach Hill Road to Quaker Ridge Road. (De Busk Photo)
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Drivers have a good reason to slow down on Route 11. It is not just because of the presence of police cruisers in the American Legion parking lot or the school buses on the road in the mornings and afternoons. During the daytime hours on Route 11, traffic flaggers’ “Slow” and “Stop” signs should give drivers extra cause to brake. During the evenings last week, there were about a half dozen sections of the roadway where the pavement gave away to gravel. Not slowing down for those could give drivers a jarring experience as well as good justification to brake next time. “Caution,” “Slow down” and “Stop” could be the key words for commuters on Route 11 this summer. The same motto rings true for
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Bridgton residents, in favor of stripping this year’s budget of a funding package to stabilize Town Hall, turned out in force Tuesday to make their case. But, they were met with some surprising opposition from those who support Bridgton Selectmen and want the funding plan left intact. At issue was a citizens’ petition, Question 9 on the June 10 referendum warrant, which asks voters not to allow any work to be done on Town Hall in the coming fiscal year, other than normal or emergency repairs, and to redirect any funds earmarked for that work to other town needs. The 313 petition signers want a committee to be formed to plan for a larger, modern space for recreation. A “Yes” vote would nullify selectmen’s proposals in this year’s budget to spend up to $325,000 to make Phase 1 repairs to the North High Street building as recommended by an engineer to
Town Manager Dave Morton said people might want to preplan their Monday morning commute. “They are replacing culverts that are 40 or 50 years old. They cannot do half (the road) at a time,” he said. Cusick predicted that MDOT’s work on Route 11 should be completed in three weeks. Then, the road reclamation process should begin in mid-July, he said. Improvements include nine miles of road from Route 302 to White Oaks Hill Road, where the traffic light is located in Poland. The culvert work on Route 35 should be wrapped up this week, he said. That road is slated to be widened; the end result will be 12-foot lanes with 2-footwide shoulders, he said. The Harrison project encompasses a half-mile section and begins June 9, Cusick said.
Fire Chief Glen Garland specifically requested that the plan be subject to a public hearing, which is discretionary by the board. Garland requested onsite cameras that would be accessible to the fire department and dispatch in case the department receives an alarm or call for service. “My only additional concern is the nursing home across the street” from the Dead River property, Garland wrote to its President, John Yates. “If an evacuation were necessary due to a propane leak, the only access the nursing facility has is Portland Road, which might be very problematic depending on the direction the plume of LP vapors is moving,” he wrote. David Hicks, who owns Bridgton Health Care at 186 TANK, Page A
SAD 72 cost sharing rejected
By Emily Gillette Contributing Writer FRYEBURG — Despite best efforts and hopeful wishes, the SAD 72 cost sharing referendum failed. The vote was clear in its popularity with only 333 in favor of the initiative and a whopping 683 against, meaning roughly 67% of voters rejected the proposal. This now means that Fryeburg, Stow and Brownfield will not contribute to the cost of the new school building if it is approved, and that Sweden, Lovell, Denmark and Stoneham will be footing local bill, totaling $10,164,294. That amount is 34% of the entire expenditure, and the state will contribute the remaining 67%. The local debt service will be paid over the life of a 20-year
bond. On Tuesday, June 10, the townspeople in the district will determine whether or not to construct the new school that is set to replace the current C.A. Snow School in Fryeburg. There will be informational meetings Thursday, May 15, at Molly Ockett Middle School; Monday, June 2, at New Suncook School; and Tuesday, June 3, at Brownfield-Denmark Elementary School. All hearings start at 6:30 p.m. in their respective cafeterias. Next on the agenda was review, again, of the 2015 fiscal year budget for the district. The proposed budget calls for a 1.74% increase, amounting to $276,289. The proposal will not include SAD 72, Page A
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