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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 146, No. 36
32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
September 3, 2015
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Residents continue fight against tank plan By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer More questions and conflict of interest charges have been raised as residents of a one-way in-and-out subdivision off Route 302 continue fighting to keep Bridgton Bottled Gas from putting a 30,000-gallon propane tank at the end of their road. The Bridgton Planning Board on Tuesday voted to hold a special meeting and public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. on the plan, which has residents of the 12-lot Raspberry Lane subdivision up in arms. The board tabled the issue Aug. 4, and agreed that a public hearing was needed after learning that not all of the property abutters had been properly notified. The plan was tabled to
resolve legal questions over whether deeded residentialonly use restrictions still applied to the subdivision road, which was taken over by the town in 1989. The answer came back to the board as “no,” in an opinion from the Maine Municipal Association. “Raspberry Lane may be used by any lawfully-registered vehicles for any lawful purposes, including commercial purposes,” wrote MMA Assistant Director Richard Flewelling. That includes large propane delivery trucks, which would be turning a short distance up Raspberry Lane to access the five-acre property owned by Bridgton Bottled Gas at the corner of Route 302 and Raspberry Lane. Owners Todd Perrault and Doug Holt
wanted the trucks to access the site from the highway, but the Maine Department of Transportation denied their request, citing the “double access rule” that favors entrances from a public way instead of an arterial highway whenever possible. But concerns over heavy truck traffic was only one of “other very serious issues this application presents,” said Robert and Rita Tyszka, in an Aug. 20 letter to the board. “We are also concerned with proposed site access and most of all, with the many fire and life safety dangers that do not seem to have any resolution, given the Raspberry Lane dead-end scenario,” the letter states. The Tyszkas, who live within 100 feet of the property
Good ‘vibe’ sealed LR deal
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer A. Erik Good had a variety of options when he was considering a job change. He felt it was time to move from an urban school in New Haven, Connecticut to a more rural principal’s job. But where? A native of Wyoming, Good could easily have selected a principal’s job closer to his family, but he had a feeling Lake Region High School was the best fit. “I was looking for a change. I applied to a lot of places. I knew Maine was doing proficiency-based work, which aligned well from where I was coming from. I have been coming to Maine the past 14 years to the Midcoast area. I like the geography and vibe here,” he said. “I applied (for jobs in) New Hampshire, Vermont, Wyoming and Colorado, closer to home. When I was done my interview (here), I knew it was the right one. Luckily enough, they felt the same way.” Good was in Wyoming on vacation when he interviewed with SAD 61’s search committee. “We did it electronically on Skype. I am not sure exactly what happened, but when the Skype connection opened, the first thing that happened was the whole group of peoQ&A, Page 3A
CART BEFORE THE HORSE? — Site improvements recently made to the Raspberry Lane entrance to property owned by Bridgton Bottled Gas have further inflamed residents of the subdivision, since approval has not yet been granted on the plan to add a 30,000-gallon propane storage tank at the site. (Geraghty Photo) line, said they did not receive abutter notification when the plans were first presented to the board in May. They also felt that all of the lot owners on the three-quarter-mile
long Raspberry Lane should have been notified, regardless of proximity, “because this application so greatly impacts the common roadway.” The Tyszkas said
Report details interior water damage at Hall
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer The firm doing the outside work on Bridgton’s Town Hall on North High Street has given the town an estimate of $81,565 for “real basic repairs” to replace drywall and repair other damage done by water seeping into the building. Anne Krieg, Director of Planning, Economic and Community Development, said recently that Doten Construction could get to work right away on the interior plumbing work, once the outside work is completed. They’ll also be putting in new doors, railings and windows. The building will need to stay closed for around another month, she said. However, it is expected that the work to repair interior water damage will have to wait until the funds for that are included in next year’s budget. The inside work would involve replac-
NEW LAKE REGION PRINCIPAL — A. Erik Good.
Age: 43 Native of: Wyoming Family: Single; no children; two brothers and two sisters, all younger, spread out from Australia to Washington; most of my family is in the West. Hobbies: I like to be outside — swim, paddleboard, ski (although I don’t do it that much). I like to build things, play around with my landscaping. Where will you reside: I am temporarily on Crescent Lake in Raymond, but on Oct. 1, I will be moving temporarily, for the rest of the school year, to a different place in Raymond, on Sebago Lake. Favorite food: Being from Wyoming, my all-time favorite would be steak. I like food in general. Cooking is another hobby. Favorite author: As an English teacher, it is hard to name one. I certainly have my list of favorites — Shakespeare, Jane Austin, John Steinbeck. I think about the 10 books I would take if I were stranded on an island. Those are the authors I would want with me. Favorite musician (or type of music): It has rotated around. I grew up on Top 40 and Country was big. I hated Country until I moved from Wyoming. In Connecticut, I liked it for a while. My radio is generally tuned to NPR. I have a background in a cappella vocal performance, not professional. QUICK FACTS, Page 3A
Raspberry Lane was designed as a residential subdivision road, and “there is simply no way large propane trucks will be capable of maneuvering TANK, Page 8A
ing and painting the drywall behind tongue-and-groove boards that in some places are showing signs of buckling. The board agreed it would be too expensive to also replace the boards. The work would also include replacing the acoustical ceiling tiles with a new 2’x2’ acoustical grid system, and installing new fluorescent lights on the ceiling to replace the existing sodium light fixtures. Doten’s estimate comes on the heels of an interior building evaluation done by Casco Bay Engineering that concluded, “Uncontrolled moisture has been a major issue at the Bridgton Town Hall building.” The report blames ice damming at the roof eaves that enters the building at the top of the outside wall and drains down through the walls and into the crawlspace under the foundation. Another source of the water damage REPORT, Page 8A
Lakes speak loudly on changes of our climate
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer With over 117 billion lakes on Planet Earth, you’d think their declining status would merit serious attention in current studies on climate change. But in the latest National Climate Assessment, an 800page report by 300 authors, the chapter on water resources only has one page devoted to the effects on water quality on lakes and rivers. That was a shocker for Lisa Borre, keynote speaker at the Aug. 22 Maine Lakes Conference held at Camp Skylemar in Naples. “I started word-searching by chapter. Lakes are barely mentioned,” Borre told the gathering of lake and watershed associations from around the state. When she
got to the national summary on lakes assessment, she said she began thinking the authors “took happy pills.” The assessment concluded that 56% of U.S. lakes are in good condition, with 21% fair and 22% in poor shape. “What about the other 46%” said Borre, who is with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Lake management efforts need to start seriously considering how to adapt to climate change, she said, “and build resilience of lake ecosystems to weather the changes already underway.” Borre said “Lakes are already feeling the effects of climate change, and science needs to catch up with that.” Over the past 25 years, she said, lake temperatures have increased on 95% of the lakes
LISA BORRE — lake researcher from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, addresses the crowd at this year’s Maine Lakes Conference at Camp Skylemar in Naples. around the world. “In some lakes, the water LAKE, Page 8A
chairman Janice Barter said. On Monday’s school board agenda, Lokken’s start date was listed as “effective date to be determined.” Most school contracts seek a 45- to 60-day notice of leaving a position. But, in most cases, the administrator is eager to start the new job while school officials are equally motivated to find a new leader and install that candidate into the position, as soon as possible, Barter said. Blue Hill had a “very strong interim candidate” in mind to replace Lokken, and were expected to act Monday night. And, SAD 61 now has a new administrative team
as the 2015–16 school year opens. Lokken earned his master’s of science degree in Educational Leadership from Saint Joseph’s College in Standish in 2014, and his master’s of education in Curriculum and Instruction from Montana State University in 2009.
Previously, he was an assistant principal of a PreK-Grade 8 school in DoverFoxcroft from 2012–2015. Lokken’s boss was SAD 61’s Superintendent Alan Smith. Before the search committee, which included administrators and other staff (about 14 to 16 members), started PRINCIPAL, Page 5A
LRMS principal named, creates stir in Blue Hill By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer He was here, then he suddenly wasn’t. Now, Matthew Lokken is back. Lokken was unanimously approved Monday night as the new principal at Lake Region Middle School. He succeeds Tonya Arnold, who resigned last month to accept a principal’s post at a charter school in Fairfield. Out of a pool of 22 applicants, the district interviewed four candidates for the LRMS vacancy. Lokken nearly became a SAD 61 employee back in late March when the school board unanimously approved
his nomination as assistant principal, succeeding J.P. Yorkey. There were 30 applicants for the position. But, Lokken withdrew his name just a few days later, informing SAD 61 officials he was accepting a principal’s job elsewhere. SAD 61 hired Maggie Thornton as LRMS assistant principal on May 4. Elsewhere was Blue Hill Consolidated, a pre-K to eighth grade with about 250 to 260 students. According to The Weekly Packet, a weekly newspaper, Lokken accepted the principal’s job at Blue Hill Consolidated on March 16. His nomination was approved by the school board
on March 11. He assumed the Blue Hill duties on July 1. Less than two months later, Lokken is back in Naples. The news stunned Blue Hill residents, as well as the school board and superintendent. “It was a surprise to me. Did I know he was applying for that job? No,” said Superintendent Mark Hurvitt in The Weekly Packet report. Fully understanding the difficulty of finding a replacement with the opening of school so near, SAD 61 was willing to be flexible as to Lokken’s start date, SAD 61 Superintendent of Schools Alan Smith and school board
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