Blessing of the Animals St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and the First Congregational Church take part in a special ceremony Page 1B
Down the home stretch
Inside News
High school teams scramble to pick up one more big win to qualify for the playoffs
Calendar . . . . . . . 5B, 7B Classifieds . . . . . . 4D-5D Country Living . . . 2B-4B
Page 1C
Directory . . . . . . . . . . 3D Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 6D Opinions 1D, 2D, 5D, 7D, 8D Police/Court . . . . . 6A-7A Sports . . . . . . . . . 1C-7C Student News . . . . . . 8C Towns . . . . . . . . . 6B-7B Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com Vol. 142, No. 40
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. 32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
October 6, 2011
(USPS 065-020)
SIXTY CENTS
Shoreland rules cause $4M project’s collapse By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer A $4 million deal for a 21unit senior housing complex in downtown Bridgton — one that would have replaced the unsightly vacant Chapter 11 building — fell through Tuesday, just as the ink on the contract was about to dry. Chapter 11 building owner Zack Sclar, who also owns Food City, had negotiated a
purchase and sales agreement with Avesta Housing Inc., one of the state’s largest providers of affordable housing. Avesta, which had initially eyed the Crocket Ridge property on the Harrison Road for the project, had been persuaded by Economic and Community Development Director Alan Manoian that developing the Chapter 11 site would be a win-win for
both the project and the town. Late Tuesday, however, the deal fell apart when Code Enforcement Officer Robbie Baker said the site was in the shoreland zone. Under the ordinance, each unit is required to have 50,000 square feet of property — and the Chapter 11 property, the site of the old A&P Store, doesn’t even come close to meeting those rules.
Baker said at Tuesday’s Planning Board meeting that since half the property is within the 250-foot setback to Stevens Brook, shoreland zoning applies even though the property is zoned general development. The stretch of the brook near the site is actually classified as a river, he said, because it is at the confluence of Long Lake and Willett Brook. Shoreland zon-
ing density rules apply not only to any new development done at the Chapter 11 site, but to all other property on the brook side of Pondicherry Square, he said. “It’s an extremely exceptional barrier to development,” said a clearly disappointed Manoian, who urged the board to immediately begin the process of having the ordinance amended. “We just lost a $4 million deal today. The investors can’t wait.” Private investors had been lined up to work with Avesta by
forming a limited liability corporation to fund the development, using various tax credit platforms. Because they, and not Avesta, would have built the complex, it would not have been tax-exempt, Manoian said; the housing would have brought in around $48,000 a year in tax revenue to the town. Manoian said he hopes to convince Avesta to wait until next year, working with other investors, to revisit the project, providing voters agree PROJECT, Page A
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Local residents were saddened and shocked by the sudden closing of the Bridgton Gas & Convenience store on Main Street last week. Owner Kevin Hayes opened for business as usual that Wednesday morning, Sept. 28, just as he had for years, but had locked up by that afternoon without notice to his customers, or reportedly, his employees. Customers were still pulling up to his gas pumps days later, not realizing the store had closed. Hayes, who lives on the Pond Road, did not return a call made to his home by press time. His 233 Main Street store, in the heart of downtown, was a regular pit stop for locals and commuters alike, who came for the gas, the deli sandwiches, and the friendly atmosphere. Bridgton Gas & Convenience was an independently-run convenience store, one of the last remaining in town. Hayes’ decision to close up shop comes on the heels of the sudden closing on Sept. 15 of another popular local destination, the Trailside Restaurant on the Portland Road. In that case as well, employees also reportedly had no notice, and sever-
al customers who had bought gift certificates called police to inquire how they were going to get reimbursed. “Any and all small business people today are heroes. But you know, small businesses come and go,” said Alan Manoian, Bridgton’s director of Economic and Community Development. “It’s just unfortunate the way those businesses closed.” Manoian said he has talked to some people who are concerned about the health of the local economy because of the closings. “It creates just a sort of a sense of discomfort, since Trailside was doing amazing business. Everybody agrees it was less than a graceful departure, and your heart goes out to the employees.” Bridgton Police Investigator Brad Gaumont said he stopped in to Trailside to talk to restaurant owner Michael Luciano after the building’s owner, Jack Dean, became concerned that Luciano was removing items in the building not belonging to him. But Gaumont said Luciano was only taking oil he had purchased, and in fact was leaving some of his own equipment behind. “There was no theft involved, and there’s no open CLOSINGS, Page A
Some shocked by business closings
FINALLY, A SHOWROOM — Walter Bannon Jr. has finally realized his dream of a showroom for his vast collection of antique bottles, at the carriage house of the Robert Andrews estate owned by Peg Norman in South Bridgton. Here, he
kneels beside one of the display cases he inherited when the Jones Museum in Sebago closed. Bannon also acquired other material from the museum, and hopes to carry on its tradition of showcasing rare glass and bottles. (Geraghty Photo)
Mr. Bottle’s world of glass Grand opening of museum Saturday
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer When Walter Bannon of Sandy Creek goes bottle hunting, he looks for signs. Then he doesn’t hesitate; he digs. Or, more recently, he dives; he became a certified scuba diver three years ago, to better plumb the wealth of discarded bottles and artifacts in Greater Bridgton’s many lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. The results, after more than a decade of collecting, speak for themselves — in lovely colors of violet, green red, yellow and blue — bottles of every conceivable hue. Glassblowers created these works of art, a century or more ago. Their very DNA is preserved in bubbles inside the glass. So this summer, when Peg Norman offered her carriage house in South Bridgton as a display space for his collection, and the Jones Museum in Sebago closed and offered its shelving and display cases, he saw both events as a sign. “I’m the kind of person, when opportunity
knocks, I jump on it,” said Bannon. The Maine Antique Bottle & Glass Museum, next to Norman’s Margaret House across from Adams Pond, is the result. A grand opening will be held this Saturday, Oct. 8, beginning at 2 p.m. What makes the museum unique is that Bannon found nearly every bottle and artifact that is on display — and he can tell you where he found it, and the story behind it. Bannon takes from the shelf a tiny clear bottle, still capped, with brown liquid still inside, from a section of the museum displaying quack cures. Embossed on the outside are the words “Dunn Brothers,” a local pharmacy that had the liquid “cures” made up for them. Another bottle is from Stevens Pharmacy. A third proclaims “Dr. Kilmer’s Swamp Root and Kidney Cure.” He found the first of them five or six years ago, walking through Sandy Creek, by the old railroad bed. “That really inspired me. Not only do I love history, I love the town of Bridgton, and here I have some old artifacts from the 1870s,” he said. “And that motivated
me to get out digging again.” Bannon’s museum is a veritable treasuretrove of local history; along with the bottles, he has syrup jars, ink wells, salt shakers, vases, crocks, pitchers, glass insulators, wine bottles, pottery and bowls; and he has railroad stakes from the “Two-footers,” or Narrow Gauge Railroad that operated in town from the 1860s to the 1940s. He even found in pieces, and reassembled, a little iron bank that looks a lot like the Oberg Insurance Co. building, once operated as a bank in town. “Once you get bitten by this desire, this urge, it’s hard to shake it,” he said. “Especially when you know where to find things, and how to be successful.” He has a display case of bottles and glass items that are offered for sale. As for his museum collection, “If someone wants to purchase something, I might sell it. I only work parttime,” as a teacher in the local school system. Over the years, Bannon has acquired quite
BOTTLE, Page A
Reval referendum goes to voters
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — The recent petition to get Casco property reassessed to the tune of $290,000 received significant support in terms of citizens’ signatures. Two hundred seventy registered voters signed the petition. What is required by law — in order for a citizens’ signature petition to become a ballot item — is 10 percent of the turnout for the last gubernatorial election. In Casco, that number is 120. The property revaluation issue will go before the voters on Nov. 8. On Wednesday, Sept. 28, the Casco Finance Committee
voted unanimously to not throw its support behind the referendum. Because there is a fiscal note ($290,000 to be taken from the Undesignated Fund, or surplus fund) the finance committee was required to vote on whether it opted to recommend or not recommend the ballot item, according to Casco Town Manger Dave Morton, who called the emergency meeting. The vote of the seven-member finance committee will be recorded under the referendum language on November’s ballot. Most finance committee members were in agreement
that a revaluation could be a good idea — in another year or two. The last revaluation of properties in Casco was in 2007, according to Morton. Prior to that, 17 years had passed before a revaluation; and waterfront properties were listed at 45 percent below market value, he said. Currently, waterfront property is 106 percent and other property is 105 percent of the market value, Morton said. “The real problem is when property values are really askew from the market value,” he said. In past discussions, Assessor John O’Donnell recommended the town do a thorough, door-
to-door assessment of all properties, but said it would be prudent for the town to wait a few years. “O’Donnell said it wouldn’t hurt for the town to start planning for the revaluation,” Morton said. In fact, $69,000 has been reserved in a fund to pay for a future revaluation after the last one was done in 2007, Morton said. Also, during the Sept. 28 meeting, committee members discussed the possibility of all the towns in the SAD 61 getting together to coordinate revaluation at same time. The towns — by putting together REVAL, Page A
‘That’s no plane, that’s a UFO!’
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer HARRISON — The first time Judy Fleming saw a UFO over Crystal Lake, her late husband, who was sleeping at the time, didn’t believe her. “You were dreaming,” he said. “So why did the dog start barking, and practically tear off the screen door trying to get out?” she asked. That was nearly 30 years ago. Then, the Saturday before last, on Sept. 24, Fleming said she saw another UFO — and this time, there were witnesses. Around 10 of them, her family and friends, were sitting outside talking and playing cards near the beach at her home on Crystal Lake. The sky was clear; it was around 11:30 p.m. Suddenly, a bright round object, “about the size of a Frisbee,” appeared in the dark
‘THAT’S NO PLANE’ — Leo Bousquet of Harrison captured this image of an unidentified object in the sky over Crystal Lake, witnessed by a group of around 10 people near midnight on Sept. 24. sky to their right, said Fleming. “Everybody’s mouth was open,” she said. “We were all UFO, Page A
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