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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 147, No. 38
32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
September 22, 2016
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
‘Why are we doing this?’ By William O’Connor Land Use & Zoning Committee “Why are we doing this?” I must have asked myself this same question hundreds of times in the almost 18 months that the Land Use and Zoning Committee has been working on the Town of Bridgton’s new Land Use Ordinance. It is an important question to answer, as this new ordinance looks to shape how Bridgton is developed in the very near future. In an attempt to give an answer, let me first take the question apart. What is the “this” that we are doing? The Land Use and Zoning Committee has been directed by the 2014 Comprehensive Plan, and empowered by the board of selectmen to bring some form of land use
Analysis
management to Bridgton. The Selectmen asked the committee to first prioritize establishing regulating standards for Bridgton’s busiest artery, Route 302, from the area of downtown south to the Naples town line. This exercise has proven valuable as it has given the committee a chance to establish the language and format that it will use to apply to the rest of the town once it is finished with the downtown and major artery. The committee is well aware of the fact that Bridgton once had a form of land management (zoning) in the 1970’s, but that it proved unpopular and was eventually voted out. What is the committee WHY, Page 3A
Naples revises credit card policy
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The Town of Naples has revised its credit card policy and will no longer take credit card payments over the phone. Going forward, credit card payments shall be done only online or in person at the Town Office. According to Naples Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak, the new policy stems from an incident in which the authorization of a credit card payment was questioned. “It is unfortunate. But, as a result of this incident, we aren’t going to take credit card payments over the phone anymore,” Paraschak said. “It’s not that I don’t trust
A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING — Dan Kerr of Pennsylvania wipes the windshield of his antique car, which was part of the Glidden Auto Tour, which made a pit stop in Bridgton last week. Tour participants were greeted by town officials who handed out plastic mugs. While they enjoyed coffee and donuts at the Community Center, members of the public enjoyed their time checking out the antiques. Kerr has taken part in the tour for several years, and noted this was his first trip to Maine — one he was thoroughly enjoying. (Rivet Photos)
my employees,” he said. Basically, this policy will better protect both employees and residents of Naples who are using a credit card as a form of payment, he said. The specific incident that sparked this change occurred less than two weeks ago. It involves a disputed $202 debt owed to the Naples Recreation Department that was required to be paid in order for two Naples boys to play football. The cost to participate in the Youth Football League is $35 per person. Additionally, parents or legal guardians write a check for a refundable $25 equipment fee per child. That same check is returned to the person who POLICY, Page 6A
Selectmen get an earful about rec director By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The Naples Board of Selectmen was in no position to say anything. After all, the board members could not respond to most of the comments during public participation because what was vocalized had to do with a town employee.
Build food trade
That is a topic reserved for executive session. On Monday, people brought forward their complaints about the Naples Recreation Director Harvey Price. Also, that evening, those in support of Price stepped up to the microphone. On Sept. 8, Suzanne Deschenes launched an ipetition to have Price removed
Ken Meter knows what it will take to build a stronger local food trade here in the Lake Region. It is public involvement Meter, who is president Ken Meter of Crossroads Resource Guest speaker Center in Minneapolis, has just completed an assessment of the potential for growing the local food trade here in the lake Region. He will be the guest speaker this Monday night, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. in the downstairs meeting room of the Bridgton Municipal Complex (Iredale Street entrance). The public is invited to attend. RSVP as there will be refreshments served. Contact Anne Krieg, AICP, Bridgton’s Planning and Development director, at 6478786 or e-mail krieg@bridgtonmaine.org Meter’s action plan draws upon interviews with 40 farmers, grocers, chefs, wholesalers, and other food system leaders, and also summarizes a wealth of economic data covering the region’s food economy. His colleague, Megan Phillips Goldenberg, also surveyed owners of second homes in the region to learn how much food they FOOD, Page 2A
from his position. On Monday, the conversation went from the Internet world to the meeting room at the Naples Town Office. Roughly a few dozen people showed up and spoke. Early on, Deschenes addressed the board, saying, “I understand that you cannot discuss the employment
of a municipal employee in a public forum. I’m not here to ask that of you. I’m here to be heard and to ensure that the concerns of my family and many families in this community are also heard. I’m here to present a petition to remove Harvey Price from his position as Rec Director for the Town of Naples, backed with over
275 signatures last I checked, and a substantial number of documented complaints. I should also note that a number of those signatures represent the views of not only the signee, but also their spouse and children,” Deschenes said. “And many others have private messaged me their support, but do not want to go public for
fear of retaliation, which is evidence of a problem in and of itself.” “Attempts to reason with Harvey and the town manager had not succeeded prior to this petition,” she said. “Since starting the petition, I have heard and read of incidents that make me ashamed that I did PETITION, Page 7A
ID use at beach upsets taxpayers By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Most people enjoying time in the sun near a lake might say, “The beach rules!” However, for some Naples taxpayers, “the beach rules” has an entirely different meaning. Perhaps, it is not as much the rules at the beach as how those rules are enforced. On Monday, at least one-dozen residents shared with the Naples Board of Selectmen their upsetting experiences at the Town Beach in recent years. One of the most frequent complaints was being turned away from the beach because the person did not have the proper identification (ID) to prove their residency in Naples. Or a longtime resident was asked to repark along Route 302 because their vehicle did not have the proper decal on their windshield. Some of those individuals who have been kicked off
the town beach for failure to show proper ID are familiar faces in the community: Business owners, local volunteers, teenagers who have grown up in this small town. It is difficult to separate people’s frustrations with the Town Beach rules from the person enforcing the rules, the Naples Recreation Director Harvey Price. Naples resident Doug Bogdan, who video-records the meetings, spoke at the tail end of the public participation time. “Half of the comments are related to the rules. It is not necessarily the person who needs to change, but the rules,” Bogdan said. Some people in the audience had suggested that it might be time for Naples residents to review the rules for its town-owned property. On Tuesday, Chairman Bob Caron II said, “Maybe, it is time to review the town rules that govern town property.” The selectmen did not
publically discuss the issues brought up on Monday nor did the board respond verbally to what was said. People’s concerns that related directly to Price could not legally be discussed except in executive session since that is a personnel matter. However, it is possible that items relating to town beach rules will land on a future agenda. “All the stuff that was brought up on Monday — they are all ideas. I wrote them down,” Caron II said. “I jotted down a lot of notes. I will probably bring them up as old business.” “The ‘what’s next’ is we
bring it up at the next board meeting in two weeks,” he said. “I haven’t thought about the next meeting yet. I have to review my notes as I always do, talk with Ephrem (Paraschak) and plan the agenda,” Caron II said. According to the rules for the Naples Town Beach, children 16 years old and younger are not allowed to swim without adult supervision. The town does not hire a lifeguard for the town beach swimming area. A few of the parents or grandparents who spoke Monday night said that Price had told the teenagers, rangBEACH, Page 2A
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