Build to suit?
10% hike
Formal review begins for proposed downtown Bridgton housing project
Inside News
Salmon Point Campground campers will see a lease increase, as well as other fee hikes
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www.bridgton.com Vol. 143, No. 40
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. 32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
October 4, 2012
(USPS 065-020)
SIXTY CENTS
Posted ‘mugs’ fuel BPD’s Facebook page popularity By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer “Face” time can be good in some cases, and embarrasing in others. Take the Bridgton Police Department Facebook page. Frequent readers often comment about photos posted of arrestees. Arrestees, however, often take offense to those comments. Bridgton Police Chief Kevin Schofield said public comments made under the booking photographs on the department’s Facebook page run “about 50-50” both for and against the practice, which dates back to when the page was first begun by Officer Joshua Muise on April 22, 2010. The News surveyed the comments and found Schofield’s statement to be generally true.
However, what is not accurate is the promise by the page administrator that “Derogatory comments about (suspects) are automatically deleted.” A review of comments made about the mug shots of arrested persons dating back to November 2010 includes such derogatory statements as “Just look at his picture he looks like a moron!! Maybe prison is what he needs!!”, “Looks like the grabbed this guy out of bed,” “She looks awful,” “I’m sure his momma is so proud,” and “What a loser. Good job guys!” This, despite a promise by the page’s administrator to permanently ban any “fans” of the page that make “inappropriate comments with vulgar language or that are insulting towards anyone.” However, there does appear to be a MUGS, Page A
Casco prevails in court cases, but faces big fees
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Despite favorable court rulings, the Town of Casco faces some hefty legal expenses — more than $18,000 — from three separate cases. The most expensive lawsuit against the town, which was filed by Jeannine Oren, went before the Superior Court in early August. But, the judge’s ruling was delayed until September. In that Superior Court case, Oren took the town to task over failure to comply with a Freedom of Information Access (FOIA) Act request. During a phone interview on Wednesday, Oren said the purpose for the lawsuit was to gain access to the auditor’s worksheets from the company Purdy Powers. “The judge ruled in favor of the town in that the justice ruled
that the documents were not public. I would not be able to access them,” she said. “I am going to continue to pursue this. What I would like to do is work with the Maine State Legislature to require municipalities to turn over the auditor’s worksheets,” Oren said. A law already exists that requires the licensee (Purdy Powers) to furnish documents to the client, she said. Currently, that law is not enforced, she said. “The town of Casco chose not to purchase them. I merely wanted to review and access these documents,” she said. Oren wants to push for future legislation that would require all municipalities to accompany audits with worksheets and engagement letters. “It would greatly benefit all taxpayers. There needs to be more eyeballs on the auditor
Glad to return to a small town
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES – The newly-hired code enforcement officer has decades of experience under her belt, and ample enthusiasm about being of service to residents who take on construction and home improvement projects. Renee Carter expressed satisfaction not only about landing the CEO position, but also about having the opportunity to again work in a small community. “In a small town like Naples people are more close-knit. They are active in the community. They feel like they are able to make a difference. They feel like they still have a voice here,” Carter said. “I am looking forward to working in Naples. I wanted to come back to a smaller town,” she said. Previously, for 13 years, Carter worked in the code enforcement department in Windham. Prior to that job, she served the towns of Gray and Harrison. In 1995, she made the move from Harrison to Gray because she wanted to gain the experience of working in a slightly bigger community. For the record books, Carter claims the honor of being among the first female CEOs in the State of Maine. In 1989, she was an employee with the Town of Harrison,
worksheets and the auditor’s engagement letters,” she said. Shortly after the court hearing and before the judge had decided on the case, Casco Town Manager Dave Morton pondered over a possible Catch22. He said if the judge ruled in Oren’s favor, the town would have to supply the auditors’ worksheets from an audit performed for the 2010–11 fiscal year. However, the town does not possess a copy of the auditors’ worksheets, Morton said. He added that according to the FOIA Act, government entities are not required to generate new paperwork to fulfill a request for information. During a recent Casco Board of Selectmen meeting, Morton said, “The town has no recourse under the law to recover expenses even though the town prevailed.” In the town’s budget there exists a Legal Fees Account, which is approximately $15,000, according to Morton. “That normally covers us for the whole year. During the Special Town Meeting in January, we will ask voters for additional funds,” he said. The bill stemming from Oren versus the Town of Casco totals FEES, Page A
REFLECTING TECHNOLOGY UPDATES — Naples Board of Selectman Rick Paraschak holds up one of the iPad 3 portable computers that the town recently purchased. (De Busk Photo)
Going green
Towns embracing technology
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Going paperless is the “in” thing. Not only is it a “green” idea, but — it is practical when it comes to dollars and cents. Area selectmen — both in Naples and in Casco — have invested in technology that will do away with the stacks of paper typically associated with serving on a municipal board or committee. In early September, the Casco Board of Selectmen voted to go paperless. This month, board members will pick up digital copies of the information need-
ed to make decisions on the town’s behalf. “We are spending money to save money,” Casco Board of Selectmen Chairman MaryVienessa Fernandes said. “We have to have six hard copies of practically everything,” she said. Those expenses add up in terms of staff time and the cost of paper, she said. According to Fernandes, before coming to a decision on which product to purchase, the selectmen reviewed Dell Ultrabooks, Netbooks, and iPads. “We are looking at a basic
application, just to store data,” she said. According to a recent vote, the expense was capped at $1,000 per unit, including the licensing. The money to pay for the technological upgrade would come from the town’s Contingency Fund, Fernandes said. Town Manager Dave Morton added that purchasing the devises will provide a rest for the copy machine, which the town leases and tends to be a highmaintenance, money-demanding item. “The other issue is the volGREEN, Page A
tivity. People wondered how something like this would do in a small town like Bridgton, especially since we see a lot of small businesses open and close. We knew this was something out of the ordinary, but we really felt it would work. We’ve stayed open year round. We did it! We’re going to be here for a long time!” To celebrate the oneyear anniversary, Jim wanted to make a “big splash.” Obviously, he could simply light up an expensive victory cigar and share the moment with some of his loyal customers. Not big enough. Jim decided to “go all out” and bring a celebrity to town. Legendary Luis Tiant is Who better than Luis Tiant, coming to Bridgton Saturday the former Boston Red Sox to the Small Business all-star pitcher and cigar conAdministration (SBA), which noisseur, who has his own keeps statistics on failures, 80% of new businesses fail within the first year. Add a sluggish economy to the mix, Established 1870 and the deck might appear stacked against the cigar P.O. Box 244, 118 Main St. lounge. Bridgton, ME 04009 Untrue. 207-647-2851 “We’ve had a great year!” Fax: 207-647-5001 he said. “When we first bnews@roadrunner.com opened, there was some nega-
line of stogies, “El Tiante.” This Saturday, Tiant will be the special guest at the William Perry Cigar Lounge, where he will take part in some special in-house promotions — including the sale of his own line, which includes a blue-wrap Oscuro and a red wrap Rosado (a medium body cigar with a little spice) — and meet with area fans from noon to about 6 p.m. The first 23 customers to purchase “El Tiante” cigars — the 20-cigar box range in price from $120 to $160 — will receive autographed items including a baseball and photo, as well as a chance to be photographed with the legendary pitcher. Sales after the first 23 will include an autographed cigar box and a photo with Tiant. TIANT, Page A
Red Sox great to help ‘celebrate’
RENEE CARTER, a longtime Harrison resident, stands outside the Naples Town Office on Tuesday. This month Carter will step into the position of Naples Code Enforcement Officer following the resignation of Boni Rickett. (De Busk Photo) where she has resided for 37 years. At that time, the state mandated that each municipality have its own code enforcement officer. At first, the town managers stepped forward to assume the role and responsibilities. However, that was later considered a conflict of interest. So, Carter studied for the state test and passed it. Ever since that time, the career NEW CEO, Page A
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Jim Apovian still remembers the raised eyebrows and cynical looks he received when he talked about opening a cigar lounge. “In Bridgton?” was the common response. Despite the skepticism, Apovian truly believed his idea would fly. He did his homework, checking where other cigar outlets were in relation to Bridgton. And, he did some old-fashioned field study. “I remember one day we drove by a guy who was sitting outdoors smoking a cigar. Jim stopped the car and asked the man if he wouldn’t mind telling him where he bought his cigar,” Jim’s wife, Kristin, said. “He found that many people either had to drive a good distance to buy a good cigar or they ordered them over the Internet.” Feeling a market existed for his idea, Jim launched the William Perry Cigar Lounge, located in the historic old hospital building on Main Hill. Jim believed in his plan. Yet, the odds were somewhat against him. According
The Bridgton News