Summer Scene
At the finish line
This week’s line-up includes the Sebago-Long Lake Music Festival, Acoustic Sunrise
Inside News Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 7D
Strong turnouts at Sebago Days Fun Run and Lovell Old Home Days 5K
Page 1B
Classifieds . . . . . . 4D-5D Country Living . . . 7B-8B
Page 1C
Directory . . . . . . . . . . 3D Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 6D Opinions . . . . 1D-3D, 5D Police/Court . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . 1C-6C Student News . . . 7C-8C Games . . . . . . . . . . . . 5C
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 145, No. 30
32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
July 24, 2014
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
N. Bridgton Library closing
War-time art reveals, heals By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — J. Thomas Leamon refused to crumble under the horrors of World War II. Instead, he built an arsenal of art. Tom Leamon captured the real-life images of war — even while serving as an infantryman in the deplorable conditions that were present in the Battle of the Bulge during the winter of 1944/45. As part of the 75th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, his first This is much battle to stop the German more than just a advancement occurred on bunch of war picChristmas Day. Tom Leamon’s art net- tures. There is inted the terror and emotellectual content in tions of being a soldier — killing the enemy and his art. My feeling watching comrades die. is that this is a speHis sketches captured the cial presentation inextreme fatigue, the daily gruel of life in a foxhole, side the mind of the the uncertainty of life dur- artist as revealed in ing wartime, and even the insanity of shell shock on his art, the battlefield. — Jim Leamon, author, On the other hand, “The Military Art of J. humor emerged in illustraThomas Leamon” tions on the envelopes of letters he sent home during training and while recuperating from frostbite in various hospitals. Tom Leamon’s artistic work became prolific, continuing long after he returned home from the war. His artwork encompassed many genres: Three dimensional pieces, iconic shrines for war heroes, paintings, half-humorous greeting cards, and detailed model war airplanes started with store-bought kits and expanded upon through research and exacting details. His brother Jim Leamon felt that Tom’s art should be shared with others. As a former professor of history and a published author, the Casco resident decided to compile a book showing his brother’s art. “There was no definitive time that it had been on my WAR ART, Page A
Counselors hurt in rollover crash
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Six Naples summer camp counselors suffered minor injuries in a rollover accident around 7 p.m. Sunday on Portland Road in Bridgton. Their injuries likely would have been much worse, had they not been wearing seatbelts, because the car rolled over around five times, Police Chief Kevin Schofield said Monday. Schofield said the driver, Holden Hertzel, 20 of Cincinnati, Ohio, was distracted by a cell phone while headed south on Route 302 towards Naples, just past Mark’s Lawn and Garden. The speed limit there is 50 miles per hour, and preliminary indications are that he was driving at least that fast, Schofield said. Other drivers who witnessed the crash said Hertzel’s
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer After years of trying to hold on, the North Bridgton Library is closing for good after 98 years. Trustees of the North Bridgton Library Association voted June 30 to cease operations on Dec. 29. “It was awful,” said Don Amaya, one of seven board members, when the vote was finally taken. “A lot of people have put a lot of effort” into keeping the library operating, he said, including board members and Librarian Heather Silvia. But for the past two years, closing the library has been a topic, due to a steady decline in patrons and funding. The board has kept monthly statistics of the people who come in, and by and large, he said, it’s mostly the same group of faithful patrons, week after week. “All public libraries are struggling” to meet the needs of readers who are increasingly turning to WiFi and e-readers and away from books, said Amaya. Most small neighborhood libraries
like North Bridgton’s just don’t have the money for computers and e-readers. “It’s as much a part of declining interest as it is funding,” he said. The demographics in North Bridgton, once a mini-town center, have changed over the years, and Amaya said Bridgton Academy and the North Bridgton Fire Station are “the only thing that’s left of our little village.” North Bridgton also has a post office. The board voted to return the $7,000 the town of Bridgton gave the library this year, and are now planning how to go about selling off the library’s books and other assets. The good news is that the library will continue operating as usual, Amaya said, with the same programming and hours, until the closing date. “We have enough money in our reserves to keep us until the end,” Amaya said. As for the historic 30’x36’ building, built in 1916, the board has not yet decided what will happen. “We have
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Bridgton Selectman Bob McHatton wants to see work begin on the Town Hall as soon as possible, but the requirements of the Community Development Block Grant program and the Maine Historic Preservation Commission need to be met first. At Tuesday’s board meeting, McHatton asked Anne Krieg, director of planning, economic and community development, when the work would begin. She gave them a start date of March 2015, with completion expected by early summer of 2015.
Before work can begin, said Krieg, MHPC must review the town’s feasibility study and issue a permit. Then, 45 days after MHPC renders their written approval, CDBG staff will conduct an environmental review. McHatton asked whether some work could begin before that process is complete, since voters agreed to borrow up to $200,000 for the estimated $325,000 project. Krieg said that “the county is very cautious when we mix CDBG funds with other funds” for the same project, so reviews tend to take longer. On Depot Street, for
PICTURESQUE AND HISTORIC – The North Bridgton Library was built in 1916. the right to sell it,” said and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Amaya. The building is adja- Saturday. cent to Bridgton Academy. The library’s origins date The library is open 11 back to the formation of hours a week, from 1 to 5 the North Bridgton Library p.m. Monday and Thursday Association in 1875.
Hall project permits needed
2003 Chevy SUV swerved into the south breakdown lane on the right, and when he overcorrected the car went sideways, rolling over four or five times before ending up in a ditch. The Chevy was totaled. No extrication was needed to remove Hertzel and his five passengers, who were conscious and mobile when Bridgton Officer Mac McCormick arrived, along with Bridgton Fire Department volunteers. United Ambulance transported all six to Bridgton Hospital, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released, Schofield said. The counselors, all in their early 20s, admitted to being distracted by the cell phone. Schofield said alco- IN CHARACTER — Local children’s author Cheryl hol has been ruled out as a Johnson was on hand Saturday at Art in the Park, dressed factor. as a character in one of her books. (Rivet Photo)
Peabody: Meet & Greet The town welcomes the community to come meet new Bridgton Town Manager Bob Peabody at a Meet and Greet event on Wednesday, July 30, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the lower meeting room of the Bridgton Municipal Complex, with entrance off Iredale Street. You will also see the recently renovated space too. Peabody started work July 1 and looks forward to meeting people in an informal atmosphere. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call Anne Krieg or Georgiann Fleck at 647-8786. example, a combination of CDBG and TIFF funding will be used. Krieg said a lot depends on what level of review will be required by MHPC.
Engineer Eric Dube is now in the process of developing bid specs, which will be reviewed in detail by selectmen before the project goes out to bid.
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO – The people who attended the most recent meeting on several proposed ordinances explained how the information could be better presented so it would be easier to understand. This week, a new format is being drawn up to show each proposed ordinance side by side with the former language. According to Town Planner Jim Seymour, “I am in the process of developing another document per their suggestion to show old language and new language side by side.” “In the end this is the peoples’ decision and they will dictate by vote what is acceptable,” Seymour said, referring to a special town meeting to be conducted on Sept. 24. A first educational meeting was held on July 15. The next informational meeting is Monday, July 28 at 7 p.m. in the Casco Community Center. All Casco residents have
been mailed a large postcard with the dates listed for educational meetings and official public hearings, according to Town Manager Dave Morton. At this spring’s Town Meeting, four proposed zoning ordinances were tabled by citizens. The idea was to table the ordinances in order to provide time for people to discuss the topics and make revisions before the proposals became warrant articles at a future special town meeting. A fifth zoning ordinance was voted down at Town Meeting, and is now null and void. “That was voted down at town meeting. That is not coming back. That was killed,” Seymour said during the meeting earlier this month. That proposal, which was referred to as Article 26, “was defeated at the Town Vote and cancels the proposed reduction of lot sizes in both the village and commercial districts,” he said. ZONING, Page A
Zoning rules to powerpoint
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