Memorable visitors
What to do next?
Rhonda Frisch had a great story to tell friends when a pair of loons took up residency at her Long Lake home
Inside News
Casco officials discuss what their next step should be after taking control of numerous cats
Page 7A
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 7D Classifieds . . . . . . 4D-5D Country Living . . . 7B-9B
Page 3A
Directory . . . . . . . . . . 8D Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 6D Opinions . . . . . . . . . . 1D Police/Court . . . . . 6A-7A Sports . . . . . . . . . 1C-6C Student News . . . 6C-7C Arts & Entertainment . 1B Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com Vol. 143, No. 29
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. 36 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
July 19, 2012
(USPS 065-020)
SIXTY CENTS
Construction soon?
Developer issued permit to build McDonald’s
By Lisa Williams Ackley Staff Writer Construction was expected to begin this week at the site on Portland Road where a McDonald’s restaurant is planned. Big Macs and fries will likely be available sometime in the near future, now that developer Mark Lopez of ML Properties, LLC has been issued a building permit by the Town of Bridgton. “We started clearing trees this week,” Lopez said Wednesday morning. Asked when the McDonald’s restaurant would be scheduled to open, Lopez replied, “It will be open, as soon as it’s done — I don’t mean to be evasive. This is the first time I’ve ever worked with McDonald’s.” Open by late October? “They (McDonald’s) would like to be open in late October, but I do not believe
that’s a realistic timeframe, given we weren’t allowed to begin construction until July,” Lopez said July 18. “They (McDonald’s) are tentatively set to open on October 25.” “The landlord is expected to break ground on the project this week. At this time, the restaurant is expected to open in late October,” said Nicole Dinoia, communications manager, McDonald’s USA. $20,000 In Lieu Fee due upfront However, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s official order, issued last month and granting a permit for the project, requires that Lopez pay a reduced In Lieu Fee (ILF) of $20,000, prior to construction, which he did in order to be able to have a building permit issued to him by the Town of Bridgton. Bridgton Code Enforcement Officer Baker said that, due to the conditions set forth in the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ approval of Lopez’s site for the future McDonald’s restaurant, construction could not commence until July 15 or after. “I could have started this in June,” Lopez said further, “but given my Army Corps of Engineers order, I wasn’t able to — the Army Corps’ order says work must be done between July 15 and October 15, as that is historically a dry time.” Again, Lopez stated, “If I could have started a month earlier, October 25th would have been a realistic date.” Lopez was granted a Maine Department of Environmental Protection last month, with conditions. He had sought to have the $30,000 in lieu fee imposed by the DEP for wetland impacts eliminated, in order to make the project economically feasible. However, one of the
MCDONALD’S, Page A
Structures could face demolition
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Two buildings have caught the eye of Casco’s new code enforcement officer. No, he isn’t in the market for a home. Instead, the structures pose a possible threat to public safety, and need to be removed, he said, outlining the monthslong process that is required by municipal and state codes. After a presentation by CEO Don Murphy on Tuesday, the Casco Board of Selectmen gave
their nod of approval to begin the lengthy and necessary process to notify the legal owners, and move forward with the demolition of the uninhabited buildings. Already, since Murphy stepped into the role of code enforcement officer in February, he has legally executed the removal of two unsound structures: A garage located from road view of Route 302, and a trailer on Point Sebago Road that was ‘junk.’ The two parcels, which
selectmen agreed were in dire need of removal, are located at 1387 Poland Springs Road and 50 Webbs Mill Road. On one of those properties, “an abutter had made an inquiry about an addition to the garage that is literally falling down,” Murphy told the board. One of the avenues to pursue — the one recommended by the town’s attorney — is to do a title search and make every effort to contact the person or the bank that currently holds the deed. Then, an advertised
public hearing would be scheduled. Basically, the removal of the two structures would occur within two to three months of notifying the proper landowners. “There is a careful process of notification of lien holders,” Murphy said. “The town’s first obligation is a courtesy letter. Each letter becomes a little more urgent to take care of it. The letters have a little stronger language each DEMOLITION, Page A
Hacker’s deal pending
COMMUNITY EFFORT — (From left to right) Songo Garden Club (SGC) Treasurer Carmen Caron, SGC President Doug Bogdan, CrossWalk Community Outreach President Mark Clement and CrossWalk board member Nancy Vose pose next to the new sign for the Manna’ Fest Gardens, the community garden located behind the Naples Town Office. The garden club donated $500 to pay for the irrigation system, which was installed by H2O Irrigation System Specialists. (De Busk Photo)
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO – The final closing on the Hacker’s Hill land purchase by Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) has been temporarily delayed – until an issue with the sellers’ property title is resolved, according to LELT Executive Director Carrie Walia. The initial closing date for the real estate deal had been slated for June 14. According to Walia, “The legal paperwork has just been received, as of today (July 18), to clear up this remaining legal matter, and the Hall family and Loon Echo are working to schedule a closing in the next 10 days.” “As with many land transactions, there is something in the chain of title that was discovered near the end of the project. While we had every intention to close on time, we understand that these things happen and are PURCHASE, Page A
Free labor, grant helps sprout garden By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — CrossWalk Community Outreach has taken on a basic task — providing food for those who find it difficult to afford that necessity on a regular basis. As struggling to “make ends meet” and put enough food on the family table has become a growing trend, so has the popularity of community gardens. The Manna’ Fest Gardens expanded in its second year – thanks to a grant and the commitment of local volunteers, according to Nancy Vose, a CrossWalk Board member who
is simultaneously involved in the Naples-based Songo Garden Club. “The purpose of this garden is to help people eat more vegetables when they go to the food pantry,” Vose said. “One of the most important things for the board is healthy food. We have vegetables all throughout the winter,” she said. With the assistance of the Songo Garden Club and the owner of H2O Irrigation System Specialists, a watering system was installed. While much of the labor was volunteer, and community mem-
bers donated the plants, a grant helped pay for the infrastructure that will sustain gardens for future growing seasons. “Logistically, getting the irrigation system in there was a big deal,” Vose said. Already, in the five raised garden beds, a variety of future produce is growing. Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, butternut squash, and eggplant flourish in the sun. Also, there are cucumbers, onions, peppers, green beans, wax beans and cabbage. The yield from the community garden will be used in the preparation of hot meals.
Those free meals are provided every other Monday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Naples Town Office gymnasium. Vose envisions encouraging food pantry participants to dedicate a few hours to the garden’s well-being. Also, local gardeners can be relied upon to teach food pantry participants how to utilize their yard space and grow a garden at home, she said. Currently, about 150 families use the food pantry services; and new families sign up each time the pantry is open, according to Vose. GARDEN, Page A
WORTH A TRY — Denmark Arts Center Jamie Hook sees Bicentennial Park as the perfect venue for a live music festival, which unfolds this Saturday. (Rivet Photo)
Park: Perfect venue to Jam
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer DENMARK — As a filmmaker, Jamie Hook searches out the finer details of his surroundings as he looks through a camera lens. As he looked across the street from the Denmark Arts Center one day, he saw an “incredible gem” that oftentimes goes unnoticed and underused. With a timber-framed pavilion, a small rise in the landscape and a lake in the background, Bicentennial Park seems to be a perfect venue for a music festival, Hook thought. The vision is Dam Jam 2012. This Saturday, Denmark Arts Center will host a festival, which will include six bands, a world famous magician, an art exhibit, kids’ adventure tent, as well as a beer garden. “We’ve come a long way in this country. We’ve elected a black man as our president, but would Denmark allow a beer garden in its public park? Yes, indeed. The town saw this as a great thing so Bray’s (Brewpub & Eatery in Naples) will handle the beer garden and food items,” Hook said. Those 21 years of age and older will be allowed in the beer garden. IDs will be required. The festival will also include an adventure tent to children. The festival will be held rain or shine. If bad weather rolls in, performances will be held inside the Denmark Arts Center (see sidebar story on Page 8C). Admittedly, Hook has no idea how Dam Jam will fly, but he has heard many enthusiastic and supportive comments. “The initial response about hosting this type of festival — disbelief. We got into this water very slowly so not to notice just how cold it could be. In the beginning, people were skeptical that it would fly. Yet, to their credit, they were willing to let us try. Maybe a few people on the board figured these young guys fall on their face and learn how hard it was,” said the Arts
Center director. “Maybe only 50 people will show up and there will be more mosquitoes than people, but we’re going to give it a try.” Hook envisions a slow, but steady growth process for Dam Jam. “We want to see it grow steadily, not just bloat and disappear, much like what happened over in Oxford. We want something that is sustainable,” he said. “There have been some hiccups along the way. I’ve learned to keep the perspective rather broad.” A major coup was landing world-class magician TB Benn, who has performed for celebrities, royalty, at major stockholder meetings and on television, including the “Oprah Winfrey Show.” Benn’s pricetag is usually in the $12 to $15,000 range, so how did the Denmark Arts Center with its “tiny budget” and “tiny staff” land such a marquee performer? “He’s coming to Maine for a vacation for nothing,” Hook said. The generosity of Arts Center supporters enable Hook to reel in artistic and musical talent from the big cities. “Some people who own some cabins on the water allow us to use them over the summer. So, you can get a guy who is usually paid $10,000 to come here. I tell them, ‘We can’t pay you, but we can pay your airfare or bus fare, pick you up and put you in a cabin
FESTIVAL, Page A
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