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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 150, No. 30
32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
July 25, 2019
www.bridgton.com
(USPS 065-020)
95¢
Medical marijuana standards sent back PB for more work
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Ordinances require “tweaking” from time to time. With review from legal counsel, the Planning Board brought proposed amendments to the town’s Land Use Ordinance to selectmen Tuesday night. Planning Chairman Deb Brusini walked selectmen through the changes and explained why “legal” was suggesting the revisions. Selectmen agreed to place the amendments before voters on the November warrant. Another Planning Board project didn’t fare as well. Selectmen heard opposition to proposed amendments to the town’s Site Plan Review and Land Use Ordinances to permit and regulate medical marijuana
establishments. Glenn Peterson, who operates a marijuana cultivation business in the former knitting mill building on Portland Road, argued that changes were highlyrestrictive, would prevent any future expansion and could essentially put him out of business. “It was written to put me out of business. I’d like to see a citizens committee to look at this…Let a citizen committee hash out what the problems are. My hope is to reject this and go back to the drawing board. I’d like to save my business and the 15 people who work there. The Planning Board has done a poor job. I don’t know what they were thinking when they wrote this ordinance,” Peterson told selectmen. Primary concerns voiced by Peterson regarded buffers
and testing. The proposed changes would shrink the distance standard (the closeness of the cultivation facility to other locations like schools, daycares, churches, etc.), and require testing. At the moment, testing of cannabis for pesticides and other components is not a requirement because certified labs do not presently exist. “To require testing they are suggesting would be prohibitive,” Peterson said. “I can’t support this [amendments]. We’ve been doing this for 10 years. We are hands-on operators with a great amount of industry knowledge. We would be willing to share it with you. People don’t know what we are doing. We would like for town officials to come in and see what we are doing.” Peterson added that the
“state has done a horrible job also” in regards to developing guidelines. Brusini explained to selectmen that planners looked at medical marijuana as a “medicine,” and decided “let’s treat it that way” by including a testing piece. “Poisons are being defined by the state that has to be tested,” she said. “If they don’t test for heavy metals or contaminants, then they have to place a giant Warning on the label.” Selectmen directed planners back in July 2018 to develop guidelines in reference to both medical marijuana and adult use (recreational). Since that time, planners held 12 workshops and a public hearing — all open to the public — to hear concerns and gain input as part of the regulation develBRIDGTON, Page 2A
Irate over departure
Harrison to look at coverage options
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer HARRISON — As far as officials are concerned, Dan Hastings set “the standard” when it comes to serving as Harrison’s local sheriff’s deputy. Hastings was conscientious. WAVING TO THE CROWD during the Lovell Old He listened to concerns Home Days parade this past Saturday is Dakota (the town fathers felt too Ward. More photos in Section D. (Rivet Photo) many vehicles were speed-
ing through the town) and acted. He developed a good rapport with selectmen and the public. “Dan had the pulse of the community,” selectmen said. He was accessible, often “checking in” with the town manager as part of his onduty routine to address problems or simply connect.
Hastings showed his mettle as an officer when he assisted Bridgton Police with the apprehension of a suspect involved in a brutal home invasion, town officials pointed out. With two weeks left on his probationary period (he had joined the CCSO after time with the Oxford Police Department), Hastings resigned last week as the
Residents’ complaints lead to forum
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — It is an example of giving the people what they want. What they want is a voice in the continued development of Naples. Residents have been commenting and complaining about the aesthetics of Naples and the late-night noise in Naples. The selectmen and the staff at the town hall hear it all the time through phone calls, e-mails and letters. So, a public forum is being planned for mid-August, during which time residents can air their views and have a say-so in the direction that Naples is heading. On Monday, Chairman Jim Grattelo handed over his gavel to the vice chair so he could speak as a citizen rather than an elected official. “There is no question that Naples is at a crossroads. We continue to receive complaints. We have ordinances being violated. The character of our town is being questioned right now,” he said. “We are either going to take a route that is going toward Old Orchard Beach and Windham, or
we are going to take a route that goes toward Camden, Rockport, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport,” Grattelo said. “And, I believe strongly that the citizens spoke several years ago and it is time for them to speak again,” he said. The Naples Board of Selectmen will be holding a public forum in the middle of August for all residents, year-round and seasonal. The town will send postcard invitations to all residents; and the public forum will be advertised once a date is set. “It is time for the people of Naples to stand up and speak, and determine once and for all what the Town of Naples is going to look like,” Grattelo said. “We receive complaints, we receive noise complaints. Our code enforcement officer is inundated with complaints of ordinances being broken. We passed a new sign ordinance. Several of those [sections] are not being followed,” he said. “The list goes on and on.” “It is time for the citizens to speak,” he said. “I am sure Old Orchard Beach
and Windham didn’t plan for their towns to end up the way they did. We have to make sure that it’s not too late for Naples,” Grattelo said. In the past year or so, the selectmen have passed five emergency moratoriums, he said. In fact, it was renewing a six-month moratorium to prevent retails and business property from becoming residential on the Causeway. “You cannot run a town based on emergency moratoriums,” Grattelo said. “We came this close to having an adult toy store on the Causeway because we didn’t have any zoning to prohibit it. We hear noise complaints from residents who have the right to enjoy their property. We have complaints about the digital signs that are on 24-7. We have a stack of Shoreland Zoning violations. I don’t even have enough paper to list the Shoreland Zoning,” Grattelo said. “Yet, what we do is we make the new guy who comes to town, we make him follow all the rules. Then, he points to his neighbors and wonders why they don’t have to follow
the rules. We have several people who have chosen not to follow the ordinances,” he said. “This is no way to run a town. This is crazy,” he said. Grattelo repeated that there was an urgent need to hold a public forum on these issues in Naples. He said that a woman came before the board during public participation at a meeting earlier in the month and she asked the board what the vision of the town is. “Tonight, we are going to hire a planner, which is desperately needed so that we can get our arms around this town,” Grattelo said. He said one flaw is that several town ordinances do not have penalties spelled out for violations. Grattelo said he owns five businesses in Portland and considers himself to be very pro-business. He said that town leaders can embrace being both pro-business and establishing “reasonable rules and regulations.” “It cannot be a free-for-all. It cannot be the wild west,” Grattelo said. “We have to get ahead of this COMPLAINTS, Page 3A
contract deputy. Town Manager Tim Pellerin was informed of the move by the Sheriff’s Department administration last Wednesday morning. The news caught Pellerin and selectmen by surprise. Then, surprise turned to dismay and anger. Pellerin and board members voiced their displeasure with the action and how the situation was handled during last Thursday’s selectmen’s meeting. After Matthew Frank was re-elected as chairman and Ray Laplante selected as vice chairman, Hastings told selectmen that he was “grateful for the opportunity to serve” the town. He found the town “inviting” and a “pleasure.” “I wish I could have stayed longer,” he said. Frank responded, “You did a terrific job here in Harrison.” Selectman Rick Sykes noted that the former deputy made a big impact, slowing traffic by having a distinct presence and being very responsive. Pulling up the police activity report during Hastings’ shifts in June, Sykes noted the number of violations (20 including speeding, operating after suspension and failing to secure a child) the deputy handled and service calls (71, including three domestic situations and a death). He then compared Hastings’ efforts to those of past contracted deputies. Whoever
Aquarium Club shares knowledge, love of fish
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer SEBAGO — Ribbons of sunlight skirt around the canopy of trees and illuminate the surface of the creek. It seems peaceful and quiet with only a few minnows passing through. However, there is a lot more going on beneath the surface of the creek than one realizes. Sam Rutka, an employee at Easy Aquarium in Gorham, and a contributSHOPPING IN NATURE — Sam Rutka, who works for Easy Aquariums in Gorham ing writer for the magaand writes articles for the magazine Paludarium Primer, searches in the Northwest River zine Paludarium Primer, for interesting plants that would work well in a freshwater aquarium. (De Busk Photo) is searching the water for
aquatic plants that are suitable for an aquarium. There are plenty of plants, each of which elicits a long explanation from Rutka. The river also provides a home to crawfish, leeches, and water skaters.
This is the field trip for the local aquarium club — an outing to collect plants. The Lake Region Aquarium Society was organized about three years ago with the aim of sharing with AQUARIUM, Page 6A
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