Summer Scene Bold Riley at HAYLOFT; Storyteller Jo Radner at Farm; Casco Days grand parade Section B
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Inside News
Camp counselor takes control at Casco Days race; Flynn’s streak comes to an end
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Page 1C
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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 149, No. 31
32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
August 2, 2018
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 6A
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Thoughts on weed?
Planners launch survey as first step in creating storefront rules By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer How does Bridgton want to tackle the matter of medical and adult use marijuana storefronts? The town currently has three marijuana grow sites, and officials suspect it is just NEED A TOW? Jet ski enthusiasts took on the role of tugboats this week, assisting the a matter of time before someone applies to open a retail Songo River Queen back to the dock on Long Lake after a malfunction. (Photo courtesy Erika Levitan-Browne) store. Hoping to get ahead of
Foundation laid for school replica
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — The community has been supportive of the concept of keeping history alive by constructing a replica of the old Friends Schoolhouse that was lost in a fire last April. Many individuals have stepped forward to donate materials, time and money to the project, according to Jean LaBrecque, a mem-
ber of the Raymond-Casco Historical Society. While many artifacts lost to the fire cannot be replaced, members of the historical society will be able to use the insurance settlement, which was $30,000, to rebuild the one-room structure on land next to the museum. “It was really a beloved icon in the Town of Casco,” LaBrecque said.
As of late July, the concrete slab was placed. The donated lumber was stacked nearby and three granite steps sat on the site. “The goal is to have the outside of the schoolhouse finished by winter. This is where the 19th century meets the 21st century: There will be a metal roof and vinyl siding,” LaBrecque said. “All of the dimensions will be what the original
was. It will be 20’x30’. It will follow the same lines. The doors will be in the same place,” she said. “There is a discussion going on about which wood to use for the floor. It is oak versus pumpkin pine. One of the problems with oak is that it takes a long time to dry. Pumpkin pine was used by people during the time period when the schoolhouse REPLICA, Page 2A
Conversation with Peter Ceprano
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Peter Ceprano leapt at the chance to make a change, accepting a newly-created job in a town that prior to his interview he had only driven through. He says the change — new job, new department — has not only been beneficial to his life but also it has been a good move for the Town of Naples. It’s something many in the communinity have welcomed
One on One with....
whole-heartedly. As the new Community Activities Director in Naples, Ceprano recognizes the importance of playing sports and staying active. He is no couch potato and prefers board games and conversations at the dinner table to TV. Playing sports at Edward Little High School helped with his transition from urban
Rhode Island to rural Maine. He learned to be a smart team player once he accepted he might not be the biggest, the strongest, or the fastest. Right now, he has been thrust into the limelight as the new director and the only employee in the Community Activities Department. At the same time, Ceprano appreciates being in the background,
which is one of his goals when he umpires. B-News: Do you feel like you hit the floor running when you started your new job in Naples this spring? Please explain. Ceprano: I feel like I have, although there have been challenges along the way. Coming out of the interview process, I felt confident that I was the ideal candidate for the position the town was ONE ON ONE, Page 4A
the curve, Bridgton will seek a second moratorium to put a freeze on such openings until a local ordinance can be crafted and put into effect (upon voter approval). The first step is to gain some input from local residents. Planning Board members held two meetings recently to develop a survey to gauge public opinion. The survey is offered in both written (copies are now available at the town office) and online (on the town website) forms. Note: A sample of the survey accompanies this story. Planner Ken Gibbs warned the group that research shows that a return rate of 20% (which would mean the town would need to see 800 responses) would be considered “accurate information”
regarding local opinion on the issue. The high response would likely be a good “cross section” of the local population. Neighboring Fryeburg conducted a similar survey, Gibbs said, and had a return rate of 8%, which he claimed was not “an adequate survey to reach decisions.” Fellow planner Deb Brusini suspects it will be “extremely difficult” for Bridgton to reach the 20% target line. She feels whatever public input planners receive will simply be “empirical data,” giving the group a “sense” of what people would like to see. Planner Dee Miller agreed, saying the survey will set a “broad picture” of the will of INPUT, Page 3A
First, Woods Pond. Now, Highland Lake Beach. Bridgton officials Tuesday closed Highland Lake Beach to swimming after testing on Monday indicated an e.coliform count above the acceptable limit. “We will be closing Highland Lake Beach immediately to swimming and will be moving the swimming lessons that are normally held at Highland Lake Beach to Salmon Point,” according to the town’s website. “Highland Lake Beach will
remain open for picnicking and the boat launch will also stay open.” The town sent out samples to be tested by the Paris Utility District. On Wednesday morning, officials reopened the beach when test results showed that the water’s e.coli count was “well below” the acceptable limit. As of now, the cause of the high e.coliform count remains unknown, but local fowl and low water levels may have played a role, the town press release said.
Highland Lake Beach reopened
Performers creating some special magic Intrigue awaits in ‘Woods’ By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Something magical, yet complex is ready to unfold on the Lake Region High School stage starting Friday. Into the Woods intertwines the plots of several fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. Characters include Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Cinderella. Headlining the musical will be Lydia Symonds of Casco, who plays the role of the Witch, and Matthew Mayo of Bridgton, who handles the duties of the Baker. The musical is tied together by a story involving a childless baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family, their interaction with a witch who has placed a curse on them, and their exchanges with other storybook characters during their journey. With the show opening this Friday at Lake Region High School, The News caught up with the two lead performers for their thoughts about Into the Woods and the thrills they get appearing on stage: Q. How did you get involved in theater? Lydia: I first got involved in theater when I was 11 at community theater in Windham. My older sister had been in a few plays at Lake Region.
Uke video taps local scenery
THE BAKER AND THE WITCH — Playing lead roles in the community theater production of Into the Woods are Matthew Mayo and Lydia Symonds. (Rivet Photo) I was never a sports person. I loved to perform — sing, dance, always animated. So, it was an obvious choice for me. I love just becoming a character — to be able to throw
myself into a different person’s life and situations. It helps me understand people by looking at life from a different perspective. WOODS, Page 8A
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Love is taking over Bridgton. The town’s official marketing line is “Love always, Bridgton,” so it seemed quite natural that during a recent two-week stay that Emmalie Keenan and Noah Wisch decided to use local scenic spots as backdrops to their latest YouTube video. Playing ukuleles and performing Loving is Easy by Rex Orange County, the couple created a 3-minute, 5-second music video for their BananaCactus Ukulele (BCU) channel. The video bounces between Highland Lake, a field area behind Saunders Mill and Corn Shop (Main Street) in Bridgton and a spot behind the Village TieUp in Harrison, as well as in front of the old ice cream shop, adjacent to Harry Hepburn’s antique and clock repair shop (Main Street). “My family has been coming to Highland Lake since my grandfather was a child. So, we love the lake, of course, and the small town feel of Bridgton,” said Emmalie, who is a graduate of UMass-Amherst. “We used some of my favorite spots in town. I always loved going to the Corn Shop and the town beach, and we used to always go to Harrison Marina (the Village Tie-Up)
HAVING FUN playing the ukulele at various spots in Bridgton and Harrison were Noah Wisch and Emmalie Keenan.
See the Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOGA1WxWStk to get subs. The tugboat was a new added bonus though. We felt the area fit the song. We spent about 30 to 40 minutes at each location, and post-production took about 15 to 20 hours.” Most people slowed their walk to see what Emmalie and Noah were doing and listened to their music. “Some people thought we were street performers. One woman (who made it into the video) thought so and even gave us a dollar,” Emmalie said. Both Noah and Emmalie are from Central Massachusetts. They met in history class in high school. Noah went to Emerson
College in Boston, studying Media Arts Production. Emmalie attended UMassAmherst, studying German. About five years ago, Noah took up playing the ukulele. A short time later, so did Emmalie. “I wanted to play because I used to play the tuba and I wanted something smaller,” she said. “Noah plays a multitude of instruments. He was drawn to the uke because it’s very fun with a warm and happy sound, plus you can play anywhere.” In 2017, Noah was featured in a Boston Globe article about creating his own ode to the state of Massachusetts. VIDEO, Page 2A
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