Man with vision
Tight finish
Frank Gerrish, who built and navigated the Songo River Queen, passes away
Inside News
With a record field on hand, the Tour de Lovell enjoys a fantastic ending
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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 144, No. 33
32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
August 15, 2013
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Questions posed by Kansas Road washout By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Four inches of rain within as many hours wreaked havoc on a section of Kansas Road recently, washing away a culvert and a large chunk of roadway. The failure sent water cascading down Kansas Shore
Road, a private road, and a couple living on it appealed to Bridgton Selectmen Tuesday to assume some responsibility for the damage to their road. But Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz wasn’t budging. “You have our sympathy,” Berkowitz told Kansas
Shores Road resident Kathy Fink, formerly a seasonal resident who, with her husband, now lives in Bridgton year round. “But even if there were a deluge coming through, we don’t go on private roads.” Public Works Director Jim Kidder said the town
has the right to move water from one side of the road to the other using culverts. As for how drainage flows tend to affect adjacent private roads, he added, “That’s up to the road association. They’re responsible for private roads.” Fink said the rain was
so heavy it left a “gaping hole” on Kansas Road that’s since been patched. Her husband said the culvert failure caused so much erosion on the private road that “Someone could break an axle on their car.” Kathy Fink added that it seemed to her that “the year round
roads seem to get paved first” in Bridgton, and town roads serving as the main arterial for lakefront roads have a low priority. Kidder didn’t deny her remark, responding instead by saying the town tries to spread its limited paving WASHOUT, Page A
Digital TV transition leaves some in the dark By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer If you plan to upgrade to a digital TV anytime soon, and you have cable service, make sure it has a QAM tuner. That’s the best advice Bridgton Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz could offer Tuesday, in response to complaints some residents have made to the town that they no longer receive the signal for the local access channel and cannot watch local meeting coverage. If the TV doesn’t have a QAM tuner, you can still watch LRTV. But — like those with older, analog TVs — you’ll have to use a conversion box, and it will cost you. Time Warner provides the boxes for free now, but after Jan. 1, 2015 the company will begin charging around $1 a month for their use.
LOOKING WITHIN — Pink Pony Express artists Cecilia Hendrickx and Tara Karpinski spent three weeks in an art residency at the Denmark Transfer Station, and found their inspiration in the mica under their feet, and glittering within the solid waste mounds (behind). (Geraghty Photo)
Art is sifted, beauty revealed at town dump
‘The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.’ — Pablo Picasso By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer A small-town dump in Western Maine is the last place you’d expect to find artwork. But to Jamie Hook, director of the Denmark Arts Center, there’s no more perfect place. Inspired by the notion that Denmark’s Transfer Station on Hancock Pond Road is the major social gathering place in town (aside from the DAC, of course), Hook convinced the Dutch Embassy to pay flight expenses to bring over two artists from Amsterdam
in The Netherlands who specialize in creating art in public spaces — akin (on a more modest scale) to the famed Christo, who wraps pink plastic around islands to make a point. “I’ve always believed that art should surprise you, and bite you — that when you look upon it, you’re not in control,” said Hook. What might result if professional artists were given free reign to create a public art installation on site, using only materials found in the dump? Buoyed by a $5,000 grant from the Oxford County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation, and Donna and Martin Seim’s offer of their lakeside cottage for a place
to stay, Hook had all the pieces in place to bring over Tara Karpinski and Cecilia Hendrikx, from the artists’ collective Pink Pony Express. The PPE, formed in 2009, were intrigued by Hook’s call to keep in mind that the dump is a place all of Denmark’s 934 residents must go to get rid of their trash, and to create an image that reflects the public space as “a petri dish for the study of small-town life in America, in this, our third century.” One challenge remained, and it was a doozy. Hook had to convince Denmark’s Board of Selectmen to go along with the three-week residency. No one, not the ART, Page A
Contrary to some residents’ beliefs, the town has no control over Time Warner’s conversion, he said, which comes as a result of the nationwide change, imposed by Congressional order dating to the Clinton era, from an analog to a digital television format. It was done to receive more bandwidth, he said, adding, “Although I won’t go into a conspiracy theory of the marketplace.” The bottom line is, said Berkowitz, selectmen have “no choice, no authority, no leverage” to intervene in the digital transition. But the town can try to answer questions for residents. Berkowitz talked with LRTV Director John Likshis prior to the meeting, and reported his advice in this week’s manager’s report, posted on the town’s website. DIGITAL TV, Page A
It’s time to celebrate Hacker’s Hill purchase
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — There are several levels of elation when purchasing a home or piece of property. The first step is falling in love with it, and imagining all the gatherings and activities that could happen there. The second step — once the buyer meets with the seller — is acquiring the money to pay for it. That typically happens through a cash down payment as well as by taking out a loan. The third step is the purchase. For Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) and residents dedicated to preserving the green space for public access, the purchase of Hacker’s Hill has been a long journey. So, a celebration is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Aug. 24, following the LELT Board of Director’s annual meeting, which starts at 5 p.m. The Hacker’s Hill Campaign Celebration will begin at 5:30 p.m. and last until sunset. “There were a lot of major
milestones for the project. Reaching an agreement with the Hall family was the first major step that really secured the property for the future. We were amazed about the amount of support. So, many people gave gifts,” LELT Executive Director Carrie Walia said during a phone interview on Monday. “Thanks to hundreds of contributors as well as town and state funding, the campaign to protect the Hill is
coming to a close. Last month the final mortgage payment was made, completing the purchase of the 27-acre scenic hilltop,” Walia said in a press release. “The endowment to maintain the property is not yet fully-funded. Through the remainder of the year, every dollar donated (up to $30,000) to the endowment will be matched by the Ryan family of Raymond,” the HACKER’S, Page A
Naples display permits on hold By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Business owner Dee Smart cannot imagine operating her nursery and gift shop without displaying the products she sells outside. Nor is she thrilled about the $500 permit required to place those products outside her place of business, Sweet Laurel. Smart appeared before the Naples Board of Selectmen
on Monday and expressed her concerns about the new business ordinance, which also governs street vendors doing business in Naples. She explained, when the ordinance was first being crafted, she thought it was specifically for businesses on the Causeway. Because Sweet Laurel is located near the Naples-Bridgton line, she did not think the ordinance would affect her — until she read it recently.
“Being called a street vendor broke my heart. I built that business. It has four walls, I pay property taxes and insurance,” Smart said, referring to the definition in the ordinance. “Being called a street vendor was a hard pill to swallow. But, a permitting fee every year. I have to take a stand,” she said. According to Naples Code Enforcement Officer Renee Carter, “It was never the
intention to put an umbrella over the whole town. That is what it did.” “I am pretty sure you don’t want to include businesses that are in existence,” she said. “We want to make this right,” Carter said. The board decided to suspend sections of the ordinance for a few weeks — until legal counsel can refine the language and local DISPLAY, Page A
‘Free meal’ location may move By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Some things need a few adjustments before they work out. In order to alleviate a parking issue outside the Naples Town Office building, an elected official has been scouting out other venues for Crosswalks Community Outreach to hold its bi-
monthly food pantry and free lunches. For almost six months, there have been complaints from the public about the lack of parking on Mondays when the food pantry is open. The food pantry serves residents from Naples and four neighboring towns from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every other Monday. The Naples Board of
Selectmen has stated that its members support and appreciate the services of Crosswalks. But, parking is still an issue. Recently, Selectman Robert Caron II looked into some optional sites for the food pantry. He reported his findings to the board on Monday. One feasible site is the American Legion Post No. 155, located right off Route 11
in Naples. “I met with (Post Commander) Curtis Merrill. (He had) a couple of financial concerns. The other thing that needs to be addressed: They have an outdated lift on the stairs. Also, there is not a lot of room for a (wheel chair) ramp,” Caron said. A new lift was estimated to cost $3600, LOCATION, Page A
CLOSING IN ON THE FINISH LINE — Kyle Conforte of Bridgton eyes the finish line during Saturday’s Tour de Lovell cycling race. Conforte placed 19th out of 89. (Rivet Photo)
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