Summer Scene Recapping the Rufus Porter Tour; Chamber Music Festival; ‘The Bikinis’ at Deertrees Theatre Section B
Red-lining
Inside News
Jane Gibbons of Sweden hikes 1,420 miles of White Mountain trails
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 7D
Page 1C
Classifieds . . . . . . 4D-5D Country Living . . . 5B-8B Directory . . . . . . . . . . 8D Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 6D Opinions 1D-3D, 8D-10D Police/Court . . . . . . . . 6A Sports . . . . . . . . . 1C-7C Student News . . . . . . 8C Towns . . . . . . . 11D-12D Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com Vol. 142, No. 30
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. 40 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
July 28, 2011
(USPS 065-020)
SIXTY CENTS
Information requests, ‘right’ vs. burden By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — The Town of Casco offices have been flooded with requests for information under the Freedom Of Information Access (FOIA) Act. During the past year, those requests have increased from an average of one to three a year, to as many as 15 per month. According to town office records, in August 2010, there were four FOIA Act requests;
September 2010, four; October 2010, seven; November 2010, seven; December 2010, zero; January, zero; February, 11; March, 15; June, three; and for July, one FOIA Act request so far. With the exception of two, the majority of the FOIA Act requests during the past 11 months were from Jeannine Oren and Jenn Murray, according to records. Both women served on the Casco Finance Committee
during the past fiscal year. Oren also worked on the Media Sharing Committee. Although it did not pass during this Maine Legislative Session, a proposed bill (LD 1465, SP 456) would amend and strengthen the state’s FOIA Act; and Casco Board of Selectmen Chairman Barbara York is concerned how that would affect the Town of Casco, as well as other small towns with limited staff. The FOIA Act — also referred
to as Sunshine Law — was designed to give both the media and citizens access to information that is included in the definitions of public records and open meetings. Currently, by law, town government and selectmen are required to respond to FOIA Act requests within a reasonable period of time, informing the person or group that made the request of a timeline to have those documents ready to be copied or inspected as well as sim-
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer A new after-hours and weekend Urgent Care Center will open this fall at Bridgton Hospital, filling a need for summer visitors and residents who either don’t have a primary care doctor or can’t get an immediate daytime appointment. The center, following a growing urgent care clinic trend, will open on Sept. 7. It will operate on a walk-in basis from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday as well as Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the specialty clinic area to the left of the hospital’s main entrance. Patients will enter through the left side door and be seen for acute illness and injury care by Nurse Practioner Ed Enos. Enos, a former BH Emergency Room nurse, is returning to Bridgton to work. The Urgent Care Clinic will be directed by Sue Rivet, RN, director of Oncology and Outpatient Services. “We’ve had many requests for an Urgent Care Clinic from
the community,” said Rivet, who also manages the hospital’s specialty clinics that will use the same space in the daytime. “We can take the overflow (from doctors’ offices) if their physician cannot see them and meet the needs of individuals who do not have a primary care physician. Nationally, 80% of individuals who use Urgent Care centers do not have a primary care physician. It is very exciting to bring Urgent Care services to the community. This is a goal that I’ve had and wanted to do for years.” Rivet’s goal has had the enthusiastic support of the hospital’s board of directors and Bridgton Hospital Vice President John Ludwig, who began working with Rivet last November on the plans. “A key component is the access problem in this area of establishing a relationship with a physician” in the hospital’s network of five physician practices, Ludwig said. “It’s
BH to launch urgent care clinic
URGENT CARE CLINIC TO DEBUT IN SEPTEMBER — Sue Rivet, director of Outpatient Services at Bridgton Hospital, and John Ludwig, the hospital’s vice president, stand in the hospital’s outpatient lobby, where a new Urgent Care Center will open on evenings and weekends beginning Sept. 7. (Geraghy Photo)
Communications Center in Windham — the dynamics that go on, from a community standpoint,” Schofield said July 20. The chief of police said he wants to make the transition from the local dispatch service to the County “a seamless one.” Chief Schofield said, “I want to focus on, ‘How is this change going to affect our citizens?’” “We have been working as diligently and as hard as we can, to ensure systems are in place, so EMS (emergency services) won’t be interrupted — we’re on target for Aug. 15,” said Schofield.
“Our goal is to make it as seamless a transition as possible for our citizens,” the police chief said. Chief Schofield explained that the Cumberland County Regional Communications Center in Windham “is a PSAP — or Public Safety Answering Point — a recognized E-9-1-1 facility for the state.” “They’ve been performing our E-9-1-1 function for quite some time,” Schofield said. “That’s the way the state set it up years ago, when they went to the 9-1-1 system.”
The police chief said, “One thing I’ve heard a lot, and there’s some validity to it, is, ‘How is somebody in Windham going to know where Hio Ridge Road or Church Street is, particularly if they haven’t spent time in our community?’” “PSAPs have more equipment — and the two key components are technological — they have two more screens — one is an Automated Number Indicator (ANI) and the other is an Automated Location Indicator (ALI) — so the name, address
DISPATCH, Page A
On recycling: Thanks, no thanks
By Lisa Williams Ackley Staff Writer Earlier this year, Selectman Paul Hoyt had an idea that was called a “win-win” situation, when he suggested that two local nonprofit organizations could make up funding cuts the town made to their annual funding by helping to increase the community’s recycling rate. Back in May, Hoyt suggested that the Bridgton Community Center and Bridgton Public Library could both reap financial benefits by helping to educate the public on the need to recycle more. “Paul Hoyt developed a very creative plan that would educate the citizens of Bridgton regarding recycling and, if successfully executed, would also provide some financial incentives to both the Bridgton Community Center and the Bridgton Public Library for Fiscal Year 2013. Preliminary discussions with both entities indicate a strong
willingness to develop details of such a plan,” Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz said at the time. ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ However, at Tuesday night’s Bridgton Board of Selectmen’s meeting, Steve Collins, president of the Community Center’s Board of Directors, turned down the offer made by the town, on behalf of both the Community Center and the Library. Collins announced that both boards of directors — the Library’s and Community Center’s — “met separately” and wanted to thank the board of selectmen. “Both boards met separately and concluded independently that it’s really pretty remote from our mission statements and the staff (at both the Community Center and Library) are stretched.” Collins went on to say that “to do anything at all,” would RESPONSE, Page A
according to the Maine Press Association’s Right To Know pamphlet. Related documents extend to e-mails, letters, rough drafts, notes, and inter-office memoranda, the brochure said. State and local government agencies, school districts, city councils, boards of selectmen and town-appointed committees and boards are all subject to Sunshine Laws because they are public rather than private entities.
REQUESTS, Page A
URGENT, Page A
Dispatch starts transition process
By Lisa Williams Ackley Staff Writer Bridgton Chief of Police Kevin Schofield spoke to the Bridgton Community Crime Watch group last week and explained how the change from a local dispatch operation to having dispatching handled by the Cumberland County Regional Communications Center, effective next month, will take place. “I want to talk about how the town and the police department is going to merge dispatch services from downstairs to the Cumberland County Regional
ply acknowledging that a request was received. The government agency cannot charge anyone for inspecting documents; however, citizens making FOIA Act requests should pay the cost of copying, according to the current law. (In Casco, the cost is 50 cents per page.) A public record is “any document relating to the transaction of public or governmental business,”
JOANNA KINSMAN, formerly of Fryeburg, is preparing to launch a luxury swimsuit line under her Miss Kinsman label. (Rivet Photo)
Local designer makes a splash
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer WINDHAM — When Joanna Kinsman was asked what career she might pursue some day as part of a seventh grade assignment, she chose fashion designer. At the time, it just sounded “cool.” “I’m not sure I really knew what that meant. It sounded like it had some kind of status,” she said, “but I could barely dress myself at the time, let alone in a fashionable manor.” Today, the 26-year-old is on the verge of making a big splash as the designer of luxury bikinis. Her plans are to launch the swimwear line next month over the Internet and in boutiques by next summer. In June, Joanna introduced some of her “Miss Kinsman” line at a fashion event arranged by Boston designer Conrad Lamour, whose resume includes creating a dress for singer Donna Summer and suit for P. Diddy. “I like her design principle — her fine attention to detail and fabrics give her collection a niche. I consider her swimwear luxury classic handmade pieces,” Lamour said. “To make it in the fashion business, you need talent, business savvy, people skills and the willingness to work long hours. Joanna is very driven, has vision and is a quick learner. She will do very well because she has already had challenges and I’ve given her opportunities that will help her succeed. Providence Fashion Week is another bull she is taking by the horns!” Breaking into the business is very hard, Lamour said, because while most people want to be involved and love fashion, “they don’t have any idea what the fashion business is.” “The main advice I’ve given Joanna is like Nike’s (slogan) ‘Just do it.’ To be in Vogue you have to do Vogue things. I’ve also given Joanna not only advice, but I’ve used my connections DESIGNER, Page A
The Bridgton News LONG TIME COMING — Ken Murphy, fundraising chairman for the Bridgton Community Center’s Board of Directors, has been one of the driving forces behind the return of a carnival. Here, he shows off the huge poster announcing the Depot Street Festival this Saturday, July 30 at Stevens Brook Elementary School. Story on Page 5A. (Geraghty Photo)
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