See master at work Professional artist William Janelle of Bridgton will carve pumpkins at BCC Page 1B
Down home stretch
Inside News
Local high school teams fight for playoff berths; football teams capture wins
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 4B Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 4D Country Living . . . 1B-6B
Page 1C
Directory . . . . . . . . . . 5D Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 3D Opinions . . . . . . . 1D-6D Police/Court . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . 1C-8C Arts & Entertainment . 1B Games . . . . . . . . . . . . 5C
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 147, No. 40
28 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
October 6, 2016
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Highlands clubhouse
Out with old, in with the new
VICTORIAN FENCING STOLEN — Sunday night, Oct. 2, someone stole Hiram’s lovely cast iron gate from the Joseph Rankin Jr. lot of the Hiram Village Cemetery. It faces Main Street, Hiram. The gate is highly-ornamental in Victorian style. It is cast iron and identified by the name and date. Joseph Rankin Jr. 1882 cast into the design of willow tree, flowers and lambs. Above, Priscilla Howard is pictured painting the trees, flowers and lambs. The gate is surrounded by a cast iron fence with willow tree, flowers and lambs. In 2014, the images were painted green, yellow and white. “Please help us get our beloved gate back. We are sickened by this act of desecration and theft of Hiram’s heritage,” wrote Sally Williams of Hiram. “If you know anything about this theft, please let us know. Please ask around if any one has any knowledge. Print these photos and show them to any antique dealers, auctioneers or scrap metal dealers you know.” Anyone with information regarding this theft should call 625-8074 or 625-4762.
Shed designed to prevent leaks By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — A resident brought up concerns about the contamination of water sources from the Town of Naples sand and salt shed. Naples resident Laurie Frizzell asked if the salt stored in the shed could get into other wells, the Village aquifer and eventually into Long Lake. She referred to the documented salt contamination that occurred in the well on the former Begin estate
property as the reason for her concern. The Begin estate sits adjacent to the Naples Fire Station, and was purchased by the town in 2013. Frizzell posed her question during the Naples Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday. Chairman Bob Caron II said that the town’s sand shed was designed to the required state-mandated specifications to prevent the road salt, or sodium chloride, from contaminating other sources. Therefore, nearby
wells and ground water are not in jeopardy of contamination, he said. Caron said that it was the insurance company that determined the salt in the Begin estate well was from the town’s shed. But, basically the insurance company’s evidence was inconclusive, he said. Frizzell suggested that the town monitor the well and aquifer for salt levels. “We know how to take a water sample,” Caron said. Later in the meeting,
Naples Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak reported on the status of parcels to be put on the market to offset the cost of purchasing the Begin estate. Paraschak plans to conduct a “telephone conference with the town attorney to go over the tax-acquired property list, including the Destiny Woods Subdivision that is in foreclosure right now.” There are three townowned properties that could SALT, Page 3A
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer During his first year as principal, Erik Good really wanted to know what things Lake Region High School did well, and what things needed serious improvement. All teachers and staff were called upon to paint an accurate picture of the school as part of a selfstudy. Now, Good is asking his staff to once again be very frank as a team of evaluators descend upon LRHS for a three-plus day visit. LRHS is up for New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation. School officials have already met the NEASC team leader and will host 12 visiting evaluators next week. Founded in 1885, NEASC is the nation’s oldest accrediting association that is “characterized by a commitment to establishing and maintaining high standards for all levels of education.” The 10-year accreditation cycle includes selfstudy, which engages the entire educational community in structured analysis, self-reflection and planning in response to the standards; peer review involving a visiting committee; and a followup, responding to findings by the visiting committee. All aspects of the school are evaluated from core values, beliefs and learning expectations to curriculum
and instruction to assessing student learning. The committee will speak with some staff, students, community members and school board members to gauge
school culture and leadership, available resources for learning, and available community resources. High school staff member Jamie Riel, who is the
NEASC building co-chairman, recently gave school board members possible questions they could face from the visiting committee. “We would like an honest accounting of who we are as a school and what LRHS, Page 2A
LR heading under microscope
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer The Bridgton Highland’s clubhouse will not be getting a facelift — it will undergo a full facial. Richard Martini presented a proposal to the Bridgton Planning Board Tuesday night to demolish the existing 1926 building and replace it with a new clubhouse. One of 18 owners of Bridgton Highlands Country Club, Martini told planners that the existing clubhouse has serious structural integrity questions, as
well as not meeting today’s accessibility requirements. “After much study of the existing facility, it was determined that the existing clubhouse can no longer fulfill its intended purpose and could not reasonably be maintained or upgraded to meet current needs or current building codes,” wrote club president, James Cossey. “The new facility is designed to be ADA compliant throughout all public spaces and energy-efficient per new building codes.” Cossey wrote that demoPLANNERS, Page 2A
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Many of the residents who spoke before the Naples Board of Selectmen said their complaints about a town employee have been ignored and continue to be disregarded. Additionally, members of the audience asked for clarification about the executive session that would take place later that evening. According to the agenda, the executive session was being held to discuss the duties and assignments of the Naples recreation director. Resident Jim Grattelo questioned the legality of this specific reason, saying the board could do this to discuss an employee’s salary or disciplinary actions. Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak said the town attorney had advised the board to cite duties and assignments as the reason for the closed doors session. Resident Roger Clement, who attends the selectmen meetings regularly throughout the year, spoke after the motion to enter into executive session.
“You plan to discuss duties and assignments only, not all the other things these folks came here to discuss?” Clement asked. Chairman Bob Caron II replied that was the case. The executive session started at 8:06 p.m., and the board made no motions other than to adjourn from the executive session. While three times as many people showed up at an open meeting two weeks ago, about a half-dozen people once again brought forward their complaints about the Naples Recreation Director Harvey Price during the regularly-scheduled selectmen meeting on Monday. The Naples residents who had grievances with Price expressed a common theme: Town management had ignored their concerns. People who could not reason with Price had gone to his supervisor, Town Manager Paraschak. Time after time, there was no resolution, people said. Yet on Monday, a few of the selectmen suggested that citizens take the same steps that had resulted in a deadend for other residents who DUTIES, Page 3A
who is at least 18 years old. Turpin referred to statements made by Bob Semple at selectmen’s meeting two weeks earlier. Semple had tried to drop off his two teenage grandchildren and a neighbor at the beach while he ran some errands. According to Semple’s account, which he shared on Sept. 19, “I took my two 13-year-old grandchildren and our 16-year-old neighbor to the town beach to swim around 6 p.m. I was told by the man who runs the beach that I could not leave the kids there. I was told the two 13-year olds have to leave, and the 16-year old can stay. He said, ‘I’ll have to call the police on you.’” He was referring to Naples
Recreation Director Harvey Price. “When he says he’ll call the police, most people walk away. If he called the police on everyone he said he would, you’d have the police chief here saying, ‘Give me some relief,’” Semple said. “I feel like the town is unfriendly, and it is becoming a police state.” On Monday, Turpin told the board that Semple had been within his rights as a town resident using the beach. “Per our ordinance, he was okay to drop off the 16-year-old and the two 13-year-olds,” Turpin said. “It would be nice and inviting if kids 12 years and BEACH, Page 3A
Rec director’s duties discussed in closed session
Naples town beach rules contradict ordinance
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — One resident brought to the attention of the town’s elected officials a contradiction between a Naples town ordinance and the posted rules for the town beach. During the public participation period of the Naples Board of Selectmen meeting, resident Jim Turpin spoke about “Kent’s Landing and whether or not it is a welcoming place.” “Have all of you had a chance to read the 19 beach rules, and the town ordinance,” Turpin asked the board. According to the town ordinance that was adopted after Kent’s Landing was purchased in 2010, children who are 12 years old and younger cannot be left unsupervised at the beach. However, the Town Beach Rules, which are presented in a flyer, state that children REACTING TO A CATCH — Lake Region H.S. Principal 16-years-old and younger Erik Good reacts after catching a ping pong ball in a cup must be supervised by a paron his head during Homecoming competition last Friday. ent, a guardian, or someone More photos appear in Section C. (Rivet Photo)
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