Hall of Fame worthy?
After the revolution
Lake Region High School is seeking nominations for the next induction class
Melinda Holmes, a former resident of Bridgton, files an updated story regarding life in Egypt
Page 1C
Inside News
Page 4A
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 7D Classifieds . . . . . . 4D-5D Country Living . . . 6B-9B Directory . . . . . . . . . . 8D Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 6D Opinions . . . . 1D-3D, 5D Police/Court . . . . . . . . 6A Sports . . . . . . . . . 1C-8C Student News . . . 6C-7C Entertainment 1B-5B, 10B Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com Vol. 143, No. 30
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. 36 PAGES - 4 Sections Plus
Bridgton, Maine
July 26, 2012
BN sold
SIXTY CENTS
Local preference: pricey proposition?
Since 1870, the Shorey family has owned and operated The Bridgton News. A new era started last week at the award-winning newspaper. Longtime editor Wayne E. Rivet and his wife, Susan, purchased the newspaper from the Shorey family. “We are truly blessed to be given this opportunity to carry forward the Shorey family’s tradition of journalistic integrity, the relentless CHANGING HANDS — After owning The Bridgton News since 1870, the Shorey family has drive to inform the reading sold the newspaper to longtime editor Wayne E. Rivet (second from the left). Pictured left to public and a commitment to right, Mary Shorey, Rivet, Stephen and Mary Shorey. (Geraghty Photo) make a positive impact upon the community we serve,” to produce a newspaper each and president of the Bridgton leadership chain, starting as a Wayne Rivet said. “I have the week that reflects those quali- News Corporation, decided to general reporter. He became retire this year. His search for sports editor and later, the utmost respect for the high ties.” Stephen Shorey, who a new owner led him to Rivet, editor. standards the Shorey family “The problem was to find developed in over 100 years joined the newspaper in 1973 who joined the staff in 1984 of ownership and will strive and has served as publisher and worked his way up the SOLD, Page A
Where are new park’s stewards?
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Bridgton Selectman Doug Taft just can’t understand it. Residents have said for years how much they wanted a downtown park, they spent their tax dollars to help buy the land and agreed to have the town take over ownership of Pondicherry
(USPS 065-020)
Park. Why is it, then, he said Tuesday, that only one person has offered to serve on a stewardship committee? “I’m a little disappointed with the lack of applications,” said Taft, as the board prepared to interview the one candidate, Lega Medcalf, who responded
to the ad seeking residents willing to serve on the Pondicherry Park Stewardship Committee. The ad began running a month ago, after the park was formally gifted to the town and a conservation easement was simultaneously granted to the Loon Echo Land Trust. LELT has led fundraising for the park proj-
ect from its inception six years ago, in partnership with Lakes Environmental Association. LELT and LEA will each have one member on the committee; the town will have three, serving staggered terms of one, two or three years. The town will also appoint one resident as an PARK, Page A
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer If the Bridgton Board of Selectmen wants to break new legal ground by requiring developers of apartment projects to give preference to local residents, they have two choices. Either spend a lot of money on legal advice, or forge ahead without it, and hope a local preference ordinance will stand up in court. Community Development Committee member Mark Lopez believes the town ought to take the risk, and become the first municipality in Maine to adopt a local preference housing ordinance. He said the CDC voted to recommend that selectmen draft a local preference ordinance to go before voters in November, after members attended an informational meeting in Bridgton by Avesta Housing, Inc. on their plans to build a 21-unit affordable housing complex on the former Chapter 11 property on Main Street. “They (Avesta officials) said that the possibility exists that not a single Bridgton resident would be living there,” Lopez told the board Tuesday. Lopez argued that local preference is allowed on the federal level when it comes to housing, and since it isn’t spe-
cifically prohibited in Maine law, it should be allowed. A third reason for going ahead with bringing a local preference ordinance before voters, he said, is that Maine is a home rule state. Besides, Lopez said, a legal opinion is, “at the end of the day,” just one man’s opinion. The town could spend many thousands of dollars on legal advice on the town’s right to assert local preference, and it still “could be a black hole that you pour money into.” Selectmen, acting on a suggestion by CDC member Chuck Renneker, voted to ask Town Counsel Richard Spencer of Drummond Woodsum to give the town an estimate of how much it will cost to research and help draft a legally-defensible local preference ordinance. So far, the town has incurred $4,000 in legal costs from meetings and conference calls between Spencer and the three town employees assigned to research the issue: Anne Krieg, director of planning, economic and community development; Robbie Baker, code enforcement officer; and Georgiann Fleck, executive assistant. In a memo summarizing a July 18 conference call with
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Selectmen once again tabled action on reviewing the lease agreement for the town-owned Salmon Point Campground Tuesday, deciding 4-1 (Paul Hoyt opposed) to wait until Aug. 14, when the Community Development Committee will offer its recommendations. However, one activity by long-term lease campers did get discussed — the practice of adding structures, such as decks or porches, to their campers or
recreational vehicles. “Some are probably as large as my house,” joked Chuck Renneker, CDC member. He characterized some of the structures as “permanent or semipermanent,” and said their owners should be taxed. “These are one-year leases,” he said with dismay. Renneker also pointed out that there currently is no deposit or damage provision in the lease agreement that would protect the town should damage or vandalism occur to the
PREFERENCE, Page A
Salmon Point structures reviewed
STRUCTURES, Page A
Casco Days: A truly town event
PROTEST — About 30 protestors created a human oil spill on Raymond Public Beach. The rally was held to observe the second year anniversary of a million-gallon tar sands oil spill into the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. (De Busk Photo)
Tar sands: Solution or a threat?
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer RAYMOND — On the eve of July 25, 2010, a pipeline rupture allowed tar sands oil to begin to leak into a tributary to the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. Seventeen hours passed before the company responsible responded. Two years later, after that million-gallon tar sands oil spill, some sections of the Kalamazoo River remain off limits to swimming and fishing. In addition, around 130 homes have been rendered inhabitable because of the pollution associated with the tar sands oil.
This is a scenario that area residents and representatives of the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) fear could happen in the Lakes Region — if a Canadian-based company is permitted to pump tar sands oil along the 60-year-old pipeline that runs between Montreal and Portland. On Monday — the anniversary week of Michigan’s misfortune — more than 30 citizens dressed in black formed a human oil spill by lying on the golden sands of Raymond Public Beach. Earlier in the evening, the group held homemade signs in front of the Raymond
Boat Launch, where a curious, suntanned local resident sincerely wished them good luck. Two rally participants, Kevin and Lindsey Sheehan, who live in the Town of Sebago on the west side of Big Sebago Lake, said if tar sands oil were to be pumped along the pipeline that was constructed around World War II, a spill would spell out catastrophe for the region. “We draw our drinking water from the lake. So, this is close to our hearts,” said Kevin, who sported a T-shirt saying: “There is no Planet B.” “See around that point. Sheehan Island was named after
my folks. I used to spend my summers there. We had kerosene lamps, and no electricity,” Kevin recalled fondly. “That would be impacted first. If an oil spill happened here, it would migrate that way before it impacted our drinking water,” he said, adding that Portland Water District customers also rely on a clean source of H2O from the lake. Lindsey said she has been following the tar sands oil issue on the Internet for the past two years, and it concerns her. In fact, she has signed every antitar sands petition that has come TAR SANDS, Page A
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Every summer in July, Holly Hancock and her husband invite their respective families to their house in Casco. During that weekend, Holly does not play hostess to her guests. Instead, she spends the majority of her time away from home. “We have a houseful, and they come and go. Both my husband and I work full-time during Casco Days. So, everyone has to fend for themselves,” she said. Hancock is the Casco Days co-chairman and the president of Casco Fire Association, the group that coordinates the annual threeday event. Like many people in this community of 3,500, she volunteers her time at the Casco Days Field in the Village during the last weekend in July. Tonight, Casco Days 2012 kicks
SETTING UP for Casco Days. off when the midway opens at 6 p.m. with a fireworks display beginning at 9:30 p.m.
CASCO DAYS, Page A
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