Relief effort
BN Index
Out on the Water
Sisters deliver Ukrainian care packages created by third graders; talk about trip
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 6B
Saturday was a perfect day for LEA’s Paddle Battle held on Highland Lake
Page 9A
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 9B Country Living . . . 5B, 7B Directory . . . . . . . . . . 6B
Page 7A
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 4B Opinions . . . . . . . 1B-4B Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A Student News . . . . . . 8A Games . . . . . . . . . . . . 6B
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870 Vol. 152, No. 26
20 PAGES - 2 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
June 30, 2022
Entertainment . . 8B-10B
www.bridgton.com
(USPS 065-020)
95¢
Gym, office straw poll results revealed
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES —A straw poll taken by 260 of the Election Day voters showed that the majority of people favored a complete rebuild of the gym and town office on the property where it exists. But, people’s pocketbooks are more likely to support the least expensive option instead. At least that is what people sitting on both sides of the table are saying. In fact, a couple residents said the talk around town is that people are afraid of what will happen to their tax bill — if a multi-million dollar project is passed. If what is on the November ballot is too extravagant or expensive, people are more likely to say no. If the town wants the voters behind the rebuild, go for the least cost now and do the rest later — was the advice of residents who spoke at a selectmen’s meeting this week. On Monday, the Naples Board of Selectmen heard the results of a straw poll asking people which option they preferred to replace the town gymnasium and town offices. On Election Day, the voting booths were in the gymnasium and the doors were
ON ELECTION NIGHT, Bob Caron II talks to people participating in a straw poll about a future rebuild of town gymnasium and town hall. People were asked to choose one of three options and also mark whether they preferred it with or without the post office space. On Monday, the Naples Board of Selectmen heard the results of the straw poll. (De Busk Photo) open to the wide hallway, where engineer’s sketches were set up and the straw poll was being conducted. On Election Day, more than 670 people in Naples showed up to cast their ballot. The total number of people who answered the straw poll was 261.
Therefore, about 38%, more than one-third, of the voters took some time to provide the town with their opinion. There were three options. Option #1 Full replacement on Village Green in two phases (Gym, recreation program and kitchen first, Town office and meet-
ing rooms second) Gym phase $6.0M + Office phase $7.5M = total $13.6 million. Option #2 Full replacement, split development — two phases (Gym/rec/kitchen next to fire station, town offices on Village Green) Gym phase $6.0M + Office phase $6.3M = total cost
88-81 vote, Wentworth was elected moderator. Before taking action on the first question, Wentworth informed the group, “This is not a regular town meeting. We’re not going to bat things around. We’re going to move this along.” On advice from legal counsel, the town had to address all articles that failed at the polls on June 14, and there would be no discussion or debate. Voters stood and raised a colored slip of paper to cast either a yes or no vote, as town staffers counted hands. A public budget workshop meeting was held on June 17, where the Select Board heard comments,
recommendations and ultimately settled on what would be presented to voters June 24. Citizens faced the prospect that a “No” vote on the administration article would force the town to close its doors and stop providing services. The figure was reduced from $740, 406 to $662,498. The motion passed (156 yes votes, as reported by Town Clerk Kristen MacDonald). Article 24 regarding code enforcement/assessing remained the same at $196,166. It also passed with 142 votes. Article 26 requested $150,000 from the Comprehensive Capital Reserve Account to be
CASTING HIS VOTE on one of five warrant articles at Harrison’s special town meeting Friday night at the Harrison Elementary School gym is long-time Historical Society member Gerry Smith (left). (Rivet Photo) used to fund Phase 1 of the moving toward a full-time ers scratching their heads. Downtown Improvement fire chief and adding two The Select Board recomproject. The article passed per diem firefighters/EMTs mended zero dollars (previwith 141 votes. to provide seven days a ously, the article requested Article 27 regarding week coverage left votHARRISON, Page 3A
Harrison stays open for municipal business
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer HARRISON — “This is an odd situation,” John Wentworth said to a big crowd inside the Harrison Elementary School Gym last Friday night. Indeed, there was nothing “regular” about the proceeding as taxpayers addressed five articles which were rejected on the June 14 secret ballot. The meeting started late as clerks busily registered a large number of folks entering the gym. What seemed like a formality that John Wentworth would serve as moderator, another candidate — Walter Riseman — for the job was brought forward. In a close
Trail upgrade ready to begin
Teen helps those in need
Joseph Angelo III recently reached a goal just 4% of Boys Scouts of America accomplish — on June 19, he attained the rank of Eagle Scout. To earn the Eagle Scout rank, a Boy Scout must fulfill requirements in the areas of leadership, service, and outdoor skills. One of the primary purposes of the Eagle Scout rank is to develop and demonstrate leadership skills. That goal led Joseph, whose family lives in Florida but summers in Bridgton, to organize a donation drive with the aim of assisting inmates and the homeless. His hope was to collect about $1,000 worth of items, but in the end, he collected over 6,000 hygiene items and $2,700 in cash. The total value of the collection, which was distributed to the Maine Prisoner Re-entry Network, the Trinity Jubilee Center in Lewiston, and Bridging the Gap in Augusta, was more than $11,000. The project was run through Catholic Charities Maine’s Parish Social Ministry program and St. Joseph Parish in Bridgton. “I was very surprised to see how generous people were,” said Joseph. “It was just nice to see how the citizens reacted, how they were just so generous in giving things to the homeless and to people who needed EAGLE, Page 10A
$12.3 million. Option #3 Full replacement next to fire station — two phases (All construction next to fire station, demolition and restoration on Village Green.) Construction $10.1M + Restoration phase $1.8M = Total cost $12 million.
The results were: Option #1 — 102; Option #2 — 84; Option #3 — 75. Fewer people answered the question about whether or not the post office should be included. The outcome was: Yes — 133; No — 78. Bob Caron II, who was chairman of the Naples Community Center Exploratory Committee, and Selectman Colin Brackett talked to the citizens about the straw poll, which is a non-binding vote. The purpose of the straw poll was to figure out which options people would support. “I want a clear understanding of where the board wants this committee to go,” Caron said. As the discussions took place, it was clear that each selectman supported a different version of the rebuild. Selectman Ted Shane promoted the idea of putting all three options on the ballot. “We should put this to vote in November with the three options. Say, ‘choose one,’ ” Shane said. Grattelo said that as elected officials it was the selectmen’s responsibility to narrow down the choices and “not throw a jump ball to the citizens.” Naples Town Manger John Hawley said it was STRAW POLL, Page 5A
Work will begin next week on upgrading a portion of the trail system at Pondicherry Park in Bridgton to improve accessibility for a wide range of users and to enhance access for future maintenance needs in the Park. Pondicherry Park, established in 2010, has become a treasured green space for residents and visitors to the Lake Region. Accessible by public transportation, and
within close proximity to Bridgton’s downtown business district, 16,000 annual visitors enjoy access to the Park from the Dunning Bridge entrance alone. The current trail system in the Park is noted for its views of winding streams and pine forests, but it is not currently accessible to those who utilize mobility devices such as wheelchairs, or families with TRAIL, Page 5A
The Bridgton News Established 1870
EAGLE SCOUT, Joseph Angelo III
P.O. Box 244, 118 Main St. Bridgton, ME 04009 207-647-2851 Fax: 207-647-5001 bnews@roadrunner.com