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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 150, No. 24
32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
June 13, 2019
www.bridgton.com
(USPS 065-020)
95¢
Planners pass hotel, approval challenge next By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Hotel Bridgton is off the Bridgton Planning Board’s table, gaining final approval Monday after 16 months of presentations, revisions and deliberations. The next hurdle will be a likely challenge by the Save Kennard Street group, presently represented by Attorney David Lourie. The group has 30 days to file an appeal. Developer Justin McIver, owner of Main Eco Homes, issued the following statement Tuesday regarding the decision and the process: “It is our firm belief that everyone here in town will stand to benefit from both the project itself and the long-term economic impact that it will have on the community. With years of planning, studying and collaboration behind it, Hotel Bridgton has been meticulously designed with our hometown in mind, and we
are proud to be able to move forward with this endeavor in what we believe could be a major turning point in the social and economic development of the entire region,” he said. McIver added, “Beyond that, we are also proud of Bridgton for both the suggestions and the scrutiny that the town brought to the planning board with regards to the hotel, as we are convinced that both of these contributed to honing and refining the final plans to the best they possibly could be.” He also thanked those who supported the plan during the lengthy review process. “Your dedication and commitment made all the difference at every stage in the process, and we could not have come close to such a quality final product without your input,” McIver said. “We greatly appreciate all of the contributions that so many of you have made,
and future generations will appreciate all of the good that will come to pass thanks to your efforts.” Final touches With town election looming and a change in the planning board makeup expected (with chairman Steve Collins retiring), planners looked to close out the review process Monday afternoon. The review of the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, which were enacted upon during two lengthy deliberation sessions last week, were made with planners either accepting the application with conditions discussed (see final list on Page 3A) or a move to reject the project. Collins noted that the information gathering process closed on May 22, and to accept any new material would only occur if a public hearing was reopened, “which no one has desire to do so,” he noted.
ONE HURDLE CLEARED — The Hotel Bridgton project, proposed by Justin McIver of Main Eco Homes, cleared its first hurdle Monday as the Bridgton Planning Board gave approval, with conditions. A challenge to that approval is expected by the Save Kennard Street group. Before moving ahead, Collins pointed out that the board had received a request by Attorney Lourie for 34
additional findings of fact. “The board is familiar The board had also received with the content and subrebuttal from the develop- stance of correspondences, er’s attorney. PROJECT, Page 3A
signed the job contract and will be the replacement for current Casco Town Manager Dave Morton, who is retiring after 42 years. She said that O’Donnell’s start date is July 8. The expectation is that O’Donnell will make an appearance and be introduced to residents at the Casco Town Meeting. (Town meeting occurs on Wednesday night after presstime for The Bridgton News.) Hancock listed some of the reasons that the board decided to hire O’Donnell. “She just seems like a good fit. She is upbeat. She has lots of experience,”
Hancock said. O’Donnell is the town manager of Stockton Springs, a job she has held since Feb. 2017. Prior to that, she worked in the city manager’s office in Bangor. Stockton Springs is a town located in Waldo County. According to the 2010 census, the year-round population is 1,591. Casco has a permanent population of 3,742, according to the 2010 census. Chairman Hancock drew some correlations between Stockton Springs and Casco. “They have the same type of summertime we do. It is a small town. Then, in the summer, the population
gets bigger,” Hancock said. “So, she is used to the seasonal transition.” On Tuesday, O’Donnell said she is looking forward to making the move to the area. “I plan to temporarily rent within easy driving distance until I find a suitable property to purchase,” she said. “The top three reasons I decided to accept the position as Town Manager of Casco was the [selectmen’s] genuine approach, the high level of collaboration and forward thinking, and the feel, opportunity and challenge that Casco has to offer,” O’Donnell said.
pool of workers in this field has dried up. This year, the Town of Naples budgeted and approved extra funding to have a full-time deputy in town during the summertime. That is above and beyond what the town pays the county to get police coverage. On Monday, the Naples Board of Selectmen learned that extra officers will be on the clock for the upcoming Maine Blues Festival.
Also, there will be plenty of law enforcement coverage in Naples on July 4. Still, the employment situation means that Naples won’t have the extra law enforcement it had budgeted for throughout the summer. The plan was to have a deputy in town for 10-hour shifts four times a week. “Due to staffing shortages at the Cumberland Country Sherriff’s Office (CCSO) and the challenges they are having with recruit-
ing qualified officers, they are not going to be able to commit to the level of staffing for the summer that we had requested,” according to Naples Town Manager John Hawley. The CCSO has “guaranteed us coverage for the Blues Fest weekend, for July 4 – 7, for Aug. 29 – 31 and for Sept. 1 – 2, from 2 p.m. to midnight,” Hawley said. The good news is: a depSAFETY, Page 8A
the first-ever Cigar Box Guitar Festival. So far as we know, it is the only cigar box guitar festival in New England. We’ve looked and we couldn’t find any others,” Kimball said. The Cigar Box Guitar (CBG) festival will be held at the Naples Village Green from noon to 5 p.m. There are four CBG players lined up to take the stage. Then, for the last hour, there will be an open jam. Like the blues, the cigar box guitar has its roots intertwined in the history of slavery in America. Both the blues and the creation of the cigar box guitar are solely American. “So far as I know, it goes back to slave days and the impoverished South. Either you were prohibited from having an instrument or you couldn’t afford it,” Kimball said.
He explained that the wooden cigar boxes were used as the body for the handmade string instruments. “Now-a-days, it has become quite a craze. People are making them from kits. No two are alike. There are one-string, two-string, sixstring cigar box guitars,” Kimball said. Martin Tauber has been collecting and making CBGs for years. He shared the history of the instrument that has gained popularity worldwide. “The cigar box guitar is
a typically American instrument. It was developed by the slaves because they came here with nothing, sometimes not even the shirt on their backs. And, their whole culture revolved around music,” Tauber said. “Most of the blues riffs come from field chants. The riffs are still used in blues music today,” he said. The CBG came into being in the mid-1800s, he said. “When cigars were shipped in smaller boxes instead of crates around 1860 to 1865, the landownBLUESFEST, Page 8A
Casco’s gain is Stockton Springs’ loss
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — A new job can bring about feelings of hope and excitement. It was no different for Courtney O’Donnell last week as she put her signature on the employment contract for the Casco town manager position. “When I signed the job contract, I had feelings of
happiness and excitement. I’m really looking forward to getting to know the people, the town, and everything that’s going on,” Courtney said via e-mail on Tuesday. “I’m very fortunate that they chose me,” O’Donnell said. Likewise, Holly Hancock, the chairman of the Courtney O’Donnell Casco Board of Selectmen, said she felt fortunate that O’Donnell agreed to take the job “She was our first choice in the first round,” Hancock BRIDGTON said. “We found a way to get Question 1, Willett Brook Aquifer Protection Ordinance her to say, ‘Yes.’” passed, 538-195 Hancock confirmed that Question 2, Land Use Ordinance, passed 426-347 on Friday, June 7, O’Donnell Question 3, Repeal of Affordable Housing Local Preference Ordinance, failed, 292 yes, 403 no. Question 4, Anti-Litter Ordinance, passed 545-177 Question 5, Bike Ordinance amendments, passed 453-246 Question 6, CATV amendments, passed 416-242 Question 7, Graveyard, Junkyards, Auto Recycling Ordinance amendments, passed 563-172 Question 8, Uniform Fee Ordinance, passed 363-316. Total of 787 votes were cast. Bridgton currently has By Dawn De Busk 4,481 registered voters. Staff Writer • Glenn “Bear” Zaidman was re-elected to the Board of NAPLES — Things in the Selectmen for three years with 644 votes; miscellaneous Marine Safety Department write-ins received 27 votes. • In the planning board race for two seats, incumbent are going just swimmingly. The Town of Naples has Deb Brusini received 453 votes and Greg Watkins received 311 votes. Other candidates: Dan Harden 233, Doug put more money toward Oakley 164, Samantha Zawistowski 135, Diane Paul 49, improving safety on the water and, already, the perwrite-ins 25. The three-year planning board alternate seat was won by sonnel is willing to work write-in Paul Tworog with 31 votes. Other candidates: Dan and is either certified or in Harden 13, Doug Oakley 11, Diane Paul 10, Greg Watkins the process of doing that. On the other hand, on 9, Samantha Zawistowski 9, Deb Brusini 4, Angela Cook 3, Walter Zach Horton 2, miscellaneous write-ins received land, a law enforcement presence will be less than 17 single votes. • SAD 61 three-year director’s term won by Debra what was expected. The Albert with 591 votes. Write-ins: Gary Colello 18, Madelyn Litz 2, Doug Oakley 2, miscellaneous 18 single votes. Sharon Menegoni won the two-year term with 550. • The Water District three-year term went to Wes By Dawn De Busk Gorman with 378. Challenger Catherine DiPietro had 287. Staff Writer CASCO NAPLES — The Maine • Board of Selectmen, two seats, Thomas Peaslee 78, Blues Festival in Naples will Mary Vienessa Fernandes 77 have all the same qualities • SAD 61 School Board, Stan Buchanan 87. that draw crowds to it every HARRISON year: plenty of talented artQuestion 1, Mass Gathering Ordinance, passes 91-40 ists playing toe-tapping, Question 2, Subdivision Ordinance, passes 99-32 hip-swaying, head-turning Question 3, Shoreland Map amendment, passes 98-31 music. Question 4, Building Code Ordinance, passes 101-31 Plus, for locals, there is a Question 5, Secret Ballot at 2020 annual town meeting, sense of state pride to boot passes 95-37 • Board of Selectmen, Raymond Laplante, 112 votes; 5 because every musician who performs in the festival hails write-ins • Two seats on Planning Board (three years), Colleen from Maine. This will be the 14th Densmore 107 votes, Brian Spaulding 101 votes; 10 write-ins Planning Board for two years to write-in Wendy Gallant consecutive year of the Bluesfest. Just when people with 15 votes thought that nothing new • Appeals Board, Lisa Villa 109 votes; 1 write-in could be added to the mix, RAYMOND • Selectmen, 2 three-year terms, Rolf Olsen Jr. 161, the organizers came up with something else to pique peoTeresa Sadak 137; 23 write-ins • Budget-Finance Committee, 2 for three-year terms, ple’s interest. “We have one thing that Joe Bruno 33, Karen Lockwood 23; 30 write-ins had four is new. We are going to have or less votes) • RSU 14 board member (three-year term), Janis a festival within a festival,” according to co-founder Cummings 182; 10 write-ins Kevin Kimball. • RSU 14 budget validation passes, 158-59 “We are going to have • RSU 14 budget validation continuation, passes 150-66
At the Ballot Box
Marine safety beefs up, while county deputies downsize
Cigar box guitars smoking at Bluesfest
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