Back to School
Good deeds
There are several new faces at SAD 61 as schools open this coming Wednesday, Aug. 29
Inside News
While some kids spent their vacations enjoying the beach, others were doing good deeds
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www.bridgton.com Vol. 143, No. 34
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. 32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
August 23, 2012
(USPS 065-020)
SIXTY CENTS
Meeting set on Shorey Park, ‘First Power Site’
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Bridgton’s Shorey Park, at the foot of Highland Lake, is a pretty public space in a very special place, where the town’s first mill was built. In the 1800s, the land where Stevens Brook begins was called “The First Power Site,” a purely literal description that referred to a place where the energy of flowing water was first used to power the machines of industry. By the start of World War II, “The First Power Site” had seen a succession of mill building and mill owners, the last of which was the Little Gibbs Mill — fast becoming a decaying eyesore in the middle of downtown. Bridgton News Editor and Publisher Henry A. (“Harry”) Shorey worked to obtain the land, and began voicing a new vision, one where a pleasant natural oasis could be created to improve the
Splash park on tap?
ZOEY KIMBALL, 8, of Casco, snuggles with Samurai — a feline that her family adopted after a multiple cat rescue effort by Casco Animal Control. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Kimball)
Hoarding case
Adoption: Truly, a cat’s meow
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — When six-yearold John accompanied his mom Tracy Kimball to volunteer at the temporary cat shelter set up at the Casco Memorial School, he preferred spending his time in the kitten room. He thought it would be a great idea to surprise his mom for her birthday, and bring home a kitten as a present. “I really, really wanted him. He was a playful cat. The person
who named it Samurai probably liked the Power Rangers,” John Kimball Jr. said. “I was trying to get him for my mom’s birthday,” he said. But, the cat was already out of the bag. Instead of being surprised, Tracy Kimball surprised her son with a pet cat for his upcoming birthday. Actually, the family adopted two cats, Cocoa and Samurai, because it was too difficult to split up the playful pair.
The newly-adopted kittens were among the more than 40 cats that were rescued recently from a cat-hoarding situation in Casco. According to Casco Animal Control Officer Susan Fielding, only nine or 10 cats may be considered too feral to be adopted. Those cats will likely be turned over to the organization “Friends of Feral Felines,” which provides a barn atmosphere where cats are given ADOPTION, Page A
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The waterways accessible from the Naples Causeway — Long Lake, Brandy Pond, the Songo River, and Big Sebago Lake have long lured people from neighboring New England states. The various license plates of parked vehicles and the foreign accents of visitors illustrate how far people travel to vacation in the “Heart of the Lake Region.” Some community members here envision another draw: A historical-themed splash park located immediately south of the Bay of Naples Bridge. The plans are sketched on paper by Richardson and Associates, a Saco-based firm that delves into landscaping design. The blueprints call for a children’s splash park that mimics a map of the region — complete with a miniature lock and a tiny swing bridge placed in a few feet of water. Causeway visitors could cool down, chill out, and get a history of the region through the interactive splash park. Two waterfalls would be installed, one on each side of the Chute River. The water, which would be recycled from the river, would run over the teeth of the gears of the old SPLASH, Page A
U.S. flags to fly high on Causeway
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Laurel Cebra loves the American flag. Her goal has been two-fold: To demonstrate this town’s pride and patriotism with rows of the “Stars and Stripes” flying high along the entire Causeway. Secondly, every Flag Day she dresses as Betsy Ross and teaches elementary school children about the flag’s history and the proper etiquette for treating it. After watching the movie The Bucket List in 2008, Cebra vowed that she would spend the remainder of her time on earth installing and protecting the American Flag on Naples’ main street. Recently, she was shocked to see that light poles had been fitted with brackets to hang the newly-ordered ”Welcome to Naples” banners — and when erected, those banners would be flying above the American Laurel Cebra and Richard Cross, two members of the Naples flag. This would be considered an American Flag Fund, stand on the boardwalk where rows of U.S. flags hang from the streetlamps. (De Busk Photo) act of disrespect according to
the etiquette and codes for our nation’s flag, she said. Cebra and Richard Cross, both members of the Naples American Flag Fund, made emotional pleas to the Causeway Restoration Committee (CRC) members during their August meeting. “All codes say nothing is to fly above the American flag. To fly something above it is a dishonor,” Cebra said. “This is about what code is being violated. We hope you all do the right thing,” she said. Then, Cross spoke to the committee. “No banner is to be mounted above the flag,” he said. “That shows everyone who comes through our town that we are proud Americans, and we are a proud town,” said Cross, who paused momentarily as sentiment and heartfelt patriotism choked his voice. The American flags flying along the Causeway “represent how our town looks, and that FLAGS, Page A
downtown and reflect a positive self-image for the business community and its residents. His efforts paid off in 1941, when voters agreed to accept the land for a park. World War II meant doing nothing more until the war ended. And many more years had to pass before enough funds were raised to develop, design and landscape the park. But by the mid-1980s, Shorey’s vision finally was realized, and the park became one of the most photographed places in the state. News began to spread nationally through articles and post cards, showing off the park’s rare scenic beauty, and photographs were even turned into jigsaw puzzles. In recent years, however, the bloom has begun to fade from the rose of that vision. Invasive plants have overgrown the bankings surrounding PARK, Page A
MOMENT OF TRIUMPH — Triathlete Craig Marden receives a well-deserved hug after finishing the Great Adventure Challenge on Saturday. See story on Page 1C. (Greg Van Vliet/www.LakeRegionPhotography.com)
Farm welcomes town to the table FRYEBURG —The modern farm serves many roles, from steward of the land to retail business to entertainment, but its most important role is to provide food for a community. For more than 210 years, Rivercroft Farm of the Weston family has provided food for the Fryeburg and Mount Washington Valley communities. This has been a source of great pride for the family for seven generations. To highlight this fact and reinforce a farm’s role in the local food chain, the Westons are proud to offer a free dinner to the community next Tuesday, Aug. 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the farm on River Street in Fryeburg. The Weston Farm is a sevengeneration family farm located Fryeburg. Since 1799, the Westons have practiced sustainable agriculture on the rich soils of the Saco River Valley. Currently, over one thousand acres are under production in timber, diversified vegetable cropland, maple sugar orchard, Christmas trees and forage hay.
In July 2008, the farm was placed on the U.S. National Registry of Historic Places. The dinner is the family’s way of bringing the community together. “This is something we have thought about for a few years now, but could never seem to get all the pieces together to pull it off,” John Weston said. “There are three people that really got this started. Marc Libby, manager at our local Shaw’s Supermarket in North Conway, was the first. From the moment I mentioned the idea to him, he said he and Shaw’s would be behind it,
DINNER, Page A
The Bridgton News Established 1870
P.O. Box 244, 118 Main St. Bridgton, ME 04009 207-647-2851 Fax: 207-647-5001 bnews@roadrunner.com