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www.bridgton.com Vol. 142, No. 33
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. 40 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
August 18, 2011
(USPS 065-020)
SIXTY CENTS
On the clock
Raising funds to buy the Hill
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO – Like so many residents here, Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) employees understand that Hacker’s Hill is a property worthy of being preserved — an objective identified when the nonprofit was formed 25 years ago. For centuries, humans have valued the elevated land that affords views of the White Mountains and renown lakes Everyone agrees that Hacker’s Hill is a space by virtue of its natural beauty should have public access preserved — and the testimonies are many. During an informational meeting at the Casco Community Center on Tuesday night, LELT and about 20 town residents WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? — Loon Echo Land Trust and Casco residents are brainstormed fundraising plans embarking on the fundraising campaign to purchase the 27-acre tract this spring — as dis- to garner by May the remaining played on this sign at the beginning of a trail to Hacker’s Hill. (De Busk photo) money to purchase the 27-acre,
Fund drive
What: Hacker’s Hill Campaign to raise remaining funds to purchase 27acre parcel, and set aside maintenance endowment. How to volunteer: Call Loon Echo, 647-4352. How to donate: For online donations, go to www. lelt.org. Donation forms available at Hacker’s Hill entrance, off Quaker Ridge Road privately-owned parcel. With an impending spring deadline, the Hacker’s Hill Campaign is picking up speed, and organizers are confident the remaining money can be secured for a total sum of $800,000 to purchase and create an endowment for the land, according to LELT Executive
Director Carrie Walia. Last week, word came from the State Attorney General’s Office that all religious structures must be removed from Hacker’s Hill, because of laws separating church and state, she said. The news was such a recent development that some community members were still dealing with their initial responses to the state mandate. “I am trying to break the news in a sensitive way,” Walia said. “The bottom line: This is about land conservation for the entire community,” she said. For 40 minutes after the meeting ended, residents continued to stand in circles and converse — and sometimes, argue, about removing the religious icons. HACKER’S, Page A
Dearborn purchased by UK company for $83.5M
By Lisa Williams Ackley Staff Writer FRYEBURG — Dearborn Precision Tubular Products, Inc. on Portland Street here has been purchased by Hunting PLC, an international energy services company based in the United Kingdom, for $83.5 million. However, there will be no change in management or current employees, Dearborn’s President, Bill Findeisen, told The Bridgton News Tuesday afternoon. “It is business as usual
for Dearborn Precision,” Findeisen stated. “We’ll continue to remain here. The company has new owners that we have great confidence in that bring international operating expertise and growth capital to our business. The acquisition is positive for our customers and our employees. Our management is staying, and so are the employees — and we’re planning on being here for a long, long time.” Findeisen said longtime Plant Manager John Berg and other company administrators
and employees will continue on in their current duties at Dearborn. He said further, “I know the Hunting organization well on a personal and professional basis, and I am confident that they will be a great new owner for Dearborn Precision. I am pleased to be retained as President of the company and continue working with our great family of employees. Our management and employees have done a great job in building our business in Fryeburg. Hunting Energy
Services cares for its employees and that was one of the important factors in our decision as we considered the company’s future. The company’s employees and key managers will remain in place as we continue to grow in all of our product lines and markets.” Dearborn was formed in 1977 and provides specialist precision machining. It employs around 225 personnel and operates from one facility providing over 140,000 square feet of production, storage and office accommodation.
The acquisition of Dearborn is expected to be earnings enhancing in the first full financial year before acquisition costs and normal acquisition adjustments such as fair value adjustments and the amortization of intangible assets. Hunting is acquiring Dearborn from a company owned by three individual investors — Findeisen, Tom Shaffner and Ken Dearborn, son of Dearborn’s founder, Howard K. Dearborn, who moved to Maine from Ohio in the mid-1960s and turned 93
‘Little Mountain’ gets prelim okay
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer The Bridgton Planning Board gave preliminary approval Tuesday to 14 view lots on Little Mountain, providing the fire chief signs off on their decision. It was unclear, however, whether Fire Chief Glen Garland would do so. Garland met with Code Enforcement Officer Robbie Baker, Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz and developers of the Mountain View subdivision on Aug. 11, a week after serious questions were raised about the steep grades and non-conforming narrow roads proposed for the project at the board’s Aug. 2 meeting. Central Station District Chief Todd Perreault told the board on Aug. 2 that the chief wanted the project to conform to National Fire Protection Act codes, which require all subdivisions to be serviced by 60,000 gallons of water an hour in case of fire. Without nearby hydrants, the only way such a water supply can be provided is either through storage tanks on site or mutual aid from neighboring
towns. According to Baker, the developers maintained at the Aug. 11 meeting that a continuous water supply would be provided through mutual aid, with Bridgton fire trucks arriving in seven minutes and trucks from Harrison, Naples and Fryeburg in 10 minutes — thereby satisfying the NFPA requirement. There were no minutes taken of the Aug. 11 meeting, and Garland did not attend Tuesday’s meeting, leaving the board in a position of basing its decision on what member Dee Miller referred to as “hearsay.” Baker said Berkowitz recalled estimating costs of $3 a gallon for a 60,000-gallon cistern in Gray, or $180,000 — a cost said to be unreasonable by Ed Rock, representing Mountain View landowners Chet and Shirley Homer, ownREIMBURSED — David Turnbull stands in front of his home off Cooks Mills Road in Naples. ers of Shawnee Peak. Administrative Assistant Turnbull was reimbursed for the cost of having a lien removed and some paperwork filing fees Georgiann Fleck said Town after the town had placed a lien on his property before his 30-day period had expired. Attorney Richard Spencer wrote a memo stating that a final decision to resolve the matter rested squarely with the board. Board members Fred Packard By Dawn De Busk paid to the town last week, Goodine of Deeds in Portland early that and Roxanna Hagerman both Staff Writer said. morning. NAPLES — A community On the 30th day after Turnbull “If you are going to give me 30 MOUNTAIN, Page A member has questioned the Town received the letter warning him of days to pay, then, give me the full of Naples’ timeline for levying the impending lien, he drove to 30 days,” Turnbull said. “I paid my liens on properties which have back the Naples Town Office to pay his taxes before the 30 days were up, property tax bill. but they had already filed the lien. I The switchover from Bridgton Dispatch to the Cumberland taxes due. In response, Naples Town Turnbull was surprised and County Regional Communications Center in Windham will take Manager Derik Goodine has angry, when he learned the lien place at 7 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 22. changed the lien filing procedure against his property was already Anyone needing emergency or non-emergency services from so residents have the entire busi- in effect on Aug. 10 — the day he the Bridgton Police Department after 7 a.m. on that date should ness day to pay the debt before the had circled on his calendar to get Established 1870 still do exactly what they did before then, Town Manager Mitch lien process starts. together the money he needed to P.O. Box 244, 118 Main St. Berkowitz announced, at last week’s selectmen’s meeting. Also, the town will return $53 bring his tax bill to zero. Bridgton, ME 04009 “We are trying to make this transition as effectively and flaw- to resident David Turnbull. The At the town office, he was also 207-647-2851 lessly as possible,” Berkowitz said Aug. 9. “If people remember reimbursement includes the cost of informed he had to pay a $50 fee Fax: 207-647-5001 just one thing: If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1, and if you having the lien removed and some to have the lien removed because bnews@roadrunner.com have a non-emergency, dial 647-8814. Nothing has changed.” paperwork filing fees that Turnbull it had been filed with the Registry
Dispatch switchover
years old in May of this year. As for the sale price of $83.5 million (90£m), the consideration paid is on a cash-free debt-free basis and will be funded from Hunting’s existing cash and bank borrowing facilities. Dearborn manufactures high precision tubular and rotating metal components for customers who require products with exacting tolerances and unique configurations. The components are used primarily for Measurement-While-Drilling DEARBORN, Page A
Help map the future
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Any Bridgton resident, yearround or summer, who wants to have their say about what Portland Road should look like in the future is encouraged to attend next week’s design charette, which is being called the “People’s Development Choice Day.” The public design session, set for Thursday, Aug. 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., is the second such charette held since the Comprehensive Plan Committee was charged by Bridgton selectmen with developing new standards for the busy commercial corridor. The meeting will take place in the lower meeting hall of the Bridgton Municipal Complex. “This one is the critical sesCHOICE, Page A
Taxpayer: ‘Give me full 30 days’
paid my tax bill at 11:44 a.m. I have the receipt for it.” He added, “It is practices like this that upset me, especially in this economy.” Turnbull begrudgingly paid the
TAXPAYER, Page A
The Bridgton News