Chief selected
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Raider field hockey blanks rival Lake Region, ranked #2; golfers open to 3-0 start
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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 145, No. 38
28 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
September 18, 2014
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 4D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Town revenue down, tax bill up By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Naples property owners will see an increase in their tax bills. This year, tax bills will increase because the mil rate went up by 55 cents. Following a workshop and vote of the Naples Board of Selectmen, the new tax rate was set at $13.55, Naples Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak said. In other words, for every $200,000 worth of property valuation, a Naples resident would pay $110 more per year, he said. According to Naples Town Clerk Judy Whynot, tax payments are due twice a year: By Oct. 20 and by April 20. Through their municipal taxes, residents pay for services from Cumberland County, School Administrative District (SAD) 61 and the town. According to Paraschak,
the increase of 55 cents per $1,000 of property valuation can be broken down: 33 cents is for the town budget, 20 cents is for the school district, and 2 cents goes to the county. He referred to the 2014– 15 budget as “Derek’s (Goodine) budget” since Paraschak did not step into the role of town manager until July 1, after the fiscal year began. The Town of Naples budget is approximately $3,233,000, which is a 3% increase from 201314. In reality, the Town of Naples budget, which was approved at Town Meeting in June, would have bumped up the mil rate by only 13 cents. However, the real hit to this most recent budget occurred due to decreased revenues. “So, 20 cents of the 55cent increase is from revenue that the town lost last year,”
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer Seven years ago, Sally Chappell held a small protest on the causeway below Mount Pleasant in Bridgton. On the shoulder of Route 302, along with like-minded community members, Chappell rallied for new policies — changes in legislation to reverse climate change, to lower the CO2 particles in the atmosphere. On Sunday, thousands of Americans will stand shoulder-to-shoulder for a People’s Climate March planned to be held around noon in New York City. Event coordinators have planned a three-mile march along the streets of the city. On Monday, the Climate Summit begins at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York. Around the nation and around the world, similar peaceful protests will be held in small towns and big
cities. Two such rallies have been scheduled in the Lake Region: In Bridgton on the corner of Routes 302 and 117, where the streetlight is located; and in Naples, on the Bay of Naples Bridge on the Causeway. People participating in the New York City march are taking to the streets with a message for U.N. delegates. Everywhere, the rallies are aimed at bringing to the attention of political leaders the importance of preserving life on our planet by changing our consumption of products that create carbon emissions. People will be protesting for action to be taken by all nations and countries to drastically reduce their carbon emissions and keep the worldwide increase in temperature to 2 degrees Celsius. That means that steps must be put in place, CLIMATE, Page A
WHERE THE MONEY IS SPENT — This pie chart shows the breakdown of what percentage of property taxes go to Cumberland County, School Administrative District (SAD) 61, and the Town of Naples. Property tax bills were mailed out last week, and should reflect a 55cent increase in the tax rate. (Photo courtesy of Town of Naples) he said. commercial vehicle excise The local excise tax tax for businesses, he said. is down along with State In the past, that was a source Revenue Sharing, he said. In of revenue for municipalities, addition, the state cut out the TAX BILL, Page A
Residents rally for climate change
NOT SHY ABOUT IT — Dressed as Mish the Mushroom Man, holding his sidekick Snee the Snail, Cheryl Johnson gets in the spirit for her planned 40mile walk to Portland on Sunday to raise funds to help keep a lien from being placed on her home by a college loan company. (Geraghty Photo)
IN APRIL 2007 — at the foot of Mount Pleasant, Bridgton resident Sally Chappell and other community members rallied to reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere. As a show of solidarity for the People’s Climate March in New York City, a couple rallies are being held in the area on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Sally Chappell)
Local author embarks on a ‘Mish’-ion Possible
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer In only 12 months, she’s published 10 books. In only 12 hours, she’ll walk 40 miles, from her hometown of Bridgton to Portland, outfitted head-to-toe like a giant mushroom, carrying helium balloons and a big pink stuffed snail. Nothing exceeds the imagination of Cheryl Johnson. Even though she’s 59 and nearing retirement age, this author and illustrator of the Mish the Mushroom Man series of children’s books tackles life’s challenges with gusto and a childlike enthusiasm. This Sunday, Sept. 21, at 4 a.m., Johnson will begin her walk on Route 302 and won’t stop until she arrives at her alma mater, the Maine College of Art on Congress Street. Her purpose is more than simply self-promoting; it’s driven also by desperation over defaulting college loans whose lender, Sallie Mae, is now threatening to take her home. Friends and family have to date pledged a total of around $50 per mile for Sunday’s walk, which should give her enough money, she says, “to keep Sallie Mae off my back for another year, while I get my career in full swing.” At the same time, Johnson hopes her walk, which she calls her “Mish-ion Possible,” will raise awareness about “the continuing struggles of college graduates paying back outrageously high student loans.” As a single mother supporting four children, Johnson MISH-ION, Page A
JOANNA VAIL, who volunteers for the Casco Village Church food pantry, is served a plate of spaghetti at Empty Bowls fundraiser. (De Busk Photo)
‘Hunger consumes our society’ By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — A spaghetti dinner fundraiser, that included a souvenir bowl decorated by school children, provided $760 for five local food pantries. On Monday night, the Crooked River Elementary School gymnasium was transformed into a fall feast with tables decorated in autumn orange. Dinner guests were eating and simultaneously providing purchasing power
for area food distribution centers. The topic of the evening was hunger, and many people heard that message as loud as a rumble in their own stomach. “It was a resounding success. We accomplished what we wanted to do: to bring attention to the problem of food insecurity, and to start talking about solutions,” said Joanna Moore, CrossWalk director and one of the many coordinators for
the fundraiser. The dinner brought in “much-needed funding for local food pantries. Winter is coming; and there will be more people in lines for
food,” she said. “I wanted to acknowledge the people who operate and volunteer for the pantries. They do a lot of the work, HUNGER, 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