Bn32 081017

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Summer Scene Wooden Boat Show preview, Mystery History Tour, Crabtree talk in Sebago Section B

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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 148, No. 32

32 PAGES - 4 Sections

Bridgton, Maine

August 10, 2017

(USPS 065-020)

Hearing lands in Sebago By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer While the high school might be the “centrallylocated” spot in SAD 61, the state’s commissioner of education has decided Sebago will host a public hearing regarding the town’s interest in withdrawing from the school district. Last week, Maine Department of Education Commissioner Robert G. Hasson Jr. notified the Sebago Withdrawal Committee that “conditional approval” of the withdrawal agreement between Sebago and SAD 61 has been granted. The next step is to hold a public informational meeting regarding the withdrawal MILFOIL REARS ITS UGLY HEAD in Long Lake, as shown here by Christian Oren, who is the milfoil control proposal. coordinator at Lakes Environmental Association. (Photo by Mary Jewett, LEA educator and naturalist) SAD 61, Page 2A

Long Lake hit with milfoil outbreak

NAPLES — Long Lake is no longer safe from milfoil. The Lakes Environmental Association and Maine Department of Environmental Protection have identified variable leaf milfoil growing in Long Lake. Long Lake had previously been thought to be safe from this invasive aquatic plant, but substantial growth has been found in Mast Cove in Naples. Variable leaf milfoil has the potential to occupy large areas of Long Lake because the water body is relatively shallow with many coves; perfect for milfoil growth. This invasive plant grows and

spreads incredibly quickly. Any fragment larger than an inch can re-root and become a new infestation. Milfoil grows to the surface, and then spreads out in mats dense enough to prevent recreation and boating. The concern is that milfoil will quickly spread across Long Lake if not contained. A few years ago, a survey showed no milfoil in the cove, however half an acre is now choked by the weed. Long Lake has been protected from milfoil for years despite its connection to Brandy Pond and the Songo River, which have serious, but controlled infestations.

Milfoil had grown up to the bridge over Route 302, which separates Long Lake from Brandy Pond. Hard work by the Lakes Environmental Association Milfoil Control Team brought the Brandy Pond and Songo River infestations under control, and prevented fragments from reaching Long Lake. LEA also posts Courtesy Boat Inspectors to prevent the introduction of invasive plants like milfoil at the three public launch sites on Long Lake. However, there are numerous private access points that would be impossible to staff throughout the summer. A

small private boat launch at the heart of this new infestation is the prime suspect for introducing this variable leaf milfoil, possibly from out-ofstate boats. LEA is acting quickly to attempt to control the new infestation before it can spread any further around Long Lake. LEA’s Milfoil Control Team brought their Diver Assisted Suction Harvester to the site on Monday to start eradication work. This is the same veteran crew that successfully controlled variable milfoil on the Songo River, so hopes are high that management will be successful.

Surveys are also planned for the southern portion of Long Lake. Early detection is key to preventing any additional plants from developing into large patches that are difficult to control. Volunteers are needed for this survey! The first survey is planned next Tuesday, Aug. 15 with a rain date of Thursday, Aug. 17. Contact mary@leamaine.org if you would like to help out. Until then, LEA advises boaters to stay out of Mast Cove, remove and dispose of any plant fragments, and to contact LEA at 647-8580 if they see any suspicious plants.

Marina expands on Route 11 lot By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Something deep in the ground caused one marina owner to rethink the location of his boat repair shop. “Remember a few years ago when the gas prices were through the roof. That was what prompted me to start looking for something closer,” said Dan Allen, who coowns Causeway Marina with his wife Dawn. The Causeway Marina is located next to the Robert Neault Memorial Bridge off Brandy Pond. Currently, the marina has property in

Bridgton for boat storage and repairs. “Repairing the boats that far away was getting costly,” Allen said. After looking at a few pieces of property on the market, Allen happened upon some acreage across the road from the American Legion Post 155. The lot is directly off Route 11. “That is where we are moving our shop to,” Allen said, adding the new space will be where the marina repairs and stores boats. The Bridgton location will be storage only, he said. MARINA, Page 2A

Time to seagull proof docks

By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The new dock system on the Naples Causeway is getting a thumbs up from most people as long as there is room to moor their boat. Some feathered friends favor the docks, too. As resident Phillip “Buzz” Morton recently mentioned, “The docks look good and the seagulls like them a lot.” According to Naples Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak, town officials, along with representatives from Great Northern Docks, which installed the synthetic docks, have been trying to address any issues with the

new setup that is barely a month old. For the townspeople, one issue is warding off seagulls. During the Naples Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday, the board addressed the future expansion of the docks as well as how to deal with the bothersome birds. “I have heard complaints about the seagulls,” Bob Caron II said. “I am not sure if it is the gray color or the motion of the docks” that is attracting the gulls, he said. “I am not sure why the seagulls haven’t been there in the past,” Caron continued. “It doesn’t have anything DOCKS, Page 5A

HALF-GONE is the state of the redundant Crooked River Bridge that has long spanned across the Old Roosevelt Trail. Workers put sand bags into place to divert the Crooked River prior to the demolition of the other half of the concrete bridge. This bridge borders the towns of Naples and Casco. However, neither town had to shell out a penny to say good-bye to the bridge. The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) had the removal of the bridge scheduled in its biannual budget. According to an MDOT document, the cost is approximately $18,500. The state had determined there was a flooding potential since the bridge caught debris Established 1870 that acted as a dam in the water. Also the deck had been deemed structurally unsound and unsafe for the public P.O. Box 244, 118 Main St. since chunks of concrete were crumbling from the deck. Bridgton, ME 04009 The bridge removal, which requires environmental per207-647-2851 mitting to work in and around the river, started after Fax: 207-647-5001 Independence Day and should wrap up around Aug. 18. bnews@roadrunner.com (De Busk Photo)

Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 4D

www.bridgton.com

SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS

Zoning regs put on shelf

By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Audrey Knight was expected to bring a fresh approach and “another set of eyes” to Bridgton’s planning and development. Her insight moved the Land Use Zoning Committee to abandon the idea of putting the proposed zoning ordinance before voters this November. In a prepared statement, committee member Bill Vincent informed selectmen Tuesday night that the group would like to delay bringing the proposal to a public vote for another six months, and present it at the annual town meeting in June 2018. “Audrey (the town’s new Community Development director) came in with both fresh and knowledgeable eyes and she had so many questions, not so much about the content, but the structure of the ordinance and how well it would stand up to legal challenge,” Vincent read. “We took a vote and came to the consensus that there’s no way we could put together a good document for November.” The Land Use Zoning Committee — created by selectmen — started work about 2½ years ago following the approval of a SELECTMEN, Page 3A

Pot business a worry

By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — With the current Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak leaving next month for a town manager position in Gorham, he wanted to make certain that Naples staff and the planning board worked together on a proposed marijuana moratorium. He recommended that the board keep the topic on its future agendas. During the Naples Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday, Paraschak shared information about how the town could put the moratorium in place, which would halt any pot-growing or retail stores from popping up within the town’s borders. It was brought up two weeks ago that a small business law pertaining to agriculture could potentially allow marijuana-based businesses to locate in Naples without going before the planning board with a site plan. Unlike some city councils, the Naples board does not have the authority to pass a moratorium, Paraschak said. It has to be passed by the legislative body, he said. That POT, Page 5A

The Bridgton News


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