Bluegrass Festival
Big turnout
Narramissic in South Bridgton will be alive with music this Saturday
Inside News
Jane McMurry of Camp Arcadia was one of over 500 to compete at Casco Days run
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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 144, No. 31
32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
August 1, 2013
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Water woes
Town grapples with lakefront issues
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer When you live in a town blessed by three lakes, all eyes are on the water, and every inch of shoreline is scrutinized. Therefore, at their last meeting, Bridgton Selectmen stayed close to the letter of the law in dealing with three separate shorefront issues — swim lines, illegal campground structures and dredging. Swim lines Code Enforcement Officer
Robbie Baker sent out a letter this spring to the Lakeside Condominium Association on Moose Pond, telling them they could no longer rope off a private swim area for their 60 townhouses because the state does not allow it. The association’s president, Byron Gayman, told the board that a state official advised him the town could, if they so desired, make an exception; but the board wasn’t inclined to agree. The swimming area for condo owners extends around
65 feet from the shore to the right of the swim dock, and in the past had always been roped with a swim line that enclosed a free-standing swim platform. “I don’t think the state statute gives us the authority to do that,” said Chairman Doug Taft. Selectman Bernie King agreed, saying, “The state statute is quite clear.” Under rules titled Regulation of Swim Areas on Inland Waters, the only shorefront owners allowed to have permits for swim lines are
“a camping area, recreational camp or governmental entity or governmentally-sponsored group.” Gayman said George Powell of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry told him that he’d provide an exception if Selectmen wrote a letter in support of Lakeside’s request. “This has caused a great deal of concern among Lakeside owners, since most of our owners have young LAKEFRONT, Page A
...Some tough days at the beach
EVERYONE GAVE CASCO DAYS TWO THUMBS UP including this giant gnome, who was one of several clever entries in Saturday’s Grand Parade. See more parade photos on Page 2A. (Rivet Photo)
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The Naples recreation director has been called a “Nazi” and the “Gestapo.” He has heard phrases like “I pay taxes in this town,” and “I don’t have to listen to you.” No, those are not words fly into the air during a baseball game or while he is refereeing a youth football game. They are some of the words he has heard while stepping into the role of enforcing the rules at the Naples Town Beach. According to Naples Recreation Director Harvey Price, one of his duties this summer includes trying to make sure people are following the posted rules. The beach “is a family environment. I don’t take my kids down there to hear some-
one swear and smoke,” Price said. “People are drinking (alcohol) and smoking and jumping off the dock,” Price said. “Smoking has been a huge issue. Vandalism — three of the five bathroom toilets have been broken. The lights have been broken,” he said. Last summer, caretakers resided at the beach and were not only responsible for some janitorial duties, but also with reminding people of the posted rules. This summer, those people bowed out of the unpaid job after someone purchased their camper. Price said he has spent 10 to 15 hours a week enforcing the rules and responding to complaints. “It’s anytime. I’ve kicked people out at 11 at night. I’ve kicked someone out at 9 a.m. for drinking,” Price said.
He came to work one morning and from that previous night, there were half-dozen complaints about activities on the town beach. “It fell on me being the person who is in charge of the facility. If not, it would be free-for-all,” he said. Often, Price tells people that he does not make the rules, and that the rules are posted. Consuming alcohol in a public place that is not licensed for drinking is against state law. A town ordinance prohibits smoking on the premises. There are also some parking rules. Six parking spaces are set aside for trucks with boat trailers. “There are six boat spots: That is really the only place that people can park their boat trailers. If I park my truck in one of those spots, now there
is no place for them to park,” he said. It creates a bottleneck for the people trying to use the public boat launch, he said. Also, in the ordinance: the beach is only for use by Naples residents and their families, and guests accompanying them. “In order to be a legal guest, it is really tricky to prove. They need to be with the resident or taxpayer,” he said. To prove someone is a resident of Naples, they must display in the vehicle windshield a sticker for the Casco-Naples Transfer Site, he explained. During a 10-day period that occurred from mid to late July, there were 24 vehicles without a dump sticker. There were five or six nonresidents who were asked to leave. A BEACH, Page A
Garden project to lease town land By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Already, there’s demand on Bridgton’s surplus lands — and it’s a beauty. A bountiful garden full of beauty, that is. The Frederika and Wardner Gilroy Charitable Foundation has received permission from Bridgton Selectmen to embark on a major expansion of their Community Gardens Project, by leasing a small vacant parcel of town-owned land to grow and distribute organic produce. The land is located on Park Street, between the parking lot of the U.S. Post Office and a paved parking area owned by the adjacent Nulty Street redemption business. The request came the same night that selectmen agreed to seek proposals from Realtors to become the exclusive listing
agent representing the town for the sale of up to a dozen taxacquired properties that were foreclosed on in February. The Park Street land is part of the town’s list of surplus lands, for which selectmen are currently considering a formal policy outlining how those lands should be disposed of. Selectmen agreed the potential benefits to the community from the garden project warranted taking it off the list of marketable properties and issuing a two-year renewable lease on the land to the Gilroy Trust instead. Glen Niemy, Gilroy Trustee, said the trust wants to expand its current program of raisedbed gardening at the Bridgton Community Center by using local high school students to grow the food for distribution to the local food pantry.
“We will give them the training, skills and tools they will need to effectively run the operation,” he wrote in a July 10 letter to the board. Eventually, the trust wants to encourage residents to become actively involved as well. “The goal is not just to distribute food, but to teach local residents the multiple benefits of eating healthy food. We hope to be able to encourage people to feed themselves and develop healthy habits that will serve them and their children a lifetime,” Niemy’s letter states. At the meeting, he also noted the garden project will “make that part of town a little nicer looking.” Trustees Avery Dandreta and Jamel Torres will spearhead the project, and use an electric pump to pump water from the adjacent Corn
Shop Brook for watering the plants. That last part sparked some concerns about noise among board members. “That’s a quiet neighborhood over there,” said Chairman Doug Taft. Niemy assured the board “you won’t even hear” the electric pump in operation, and there’s plenty of flow from the brook to accommodate their needs. The garden planting will begin next year. In agreeing to try to sell tax-acquired properties using a real estate broker, Selectmen were acting on the recommendation of the Community Development Committee, whose members reasoned that such active marketing might well bring a higher selling price to the town than the traLAND, Page A
NEW REC DIRECTOR — Bridgton’s new Recreation Director, Gary Colello, of Laconia, N.H., introduced himself to the Bridgton Board of Selectmen July 23, later shaking their hands. Colello, who has a master’s of education degree and a strong sports fitness background in schools, will begin his duties in early August.
Growing independence through community garden By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Kari Reed and her husband Chaz have four daughters ranging in age from nine- to three-years old. Recently, the couple took on the care of three other children from relatives. So, when it comes to mealtime, there are a lot of people at the kitchen table. This summer, the Reed family started a variety of edible plants in the Naples Community Garden. The garden is located behind the Naples Town Office; and last year, the harvest supplemented the food pantry organized by Crosswalks Community Outreach. The outreach GARDEN TALK — Resident Master Gardener Patrice Griffin discusses moths program aids people in five and blight with Bridgton resident Kari Reed at the Naples Community Garden on towns including Bridgton, Tuesday. (De Busk Photo) Harrison, Naples, Casco and
Sebago. This year, Crosswalks organizers selected some pantry participants and provided those 14 families with spaces in the garden plus the assistance of an on-site master gardener. On Tuesday — while her two oldest daughters were swimming, Kari spent a few hours weeding and treating some leaves for powdery mildew. Another couple weeded and raked the pathways
between the raised garden beds, while volunteers got rid of the perennial grasses trying to trespass the garden fence. Later in the day, Kari went home with sugar snap peas, cucumbers, green beans, parsley, basil, a recipe for vegetable lasagna, and a satisfied smile. Typically, her daughters Hannah, 9, and Michaela, 7, spend at least once or sometimes twice a week taking GROWING, Page A
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