Fright night A Naples youngster is creating a haunted house to help raise money for Harvest Hills Animal Shelter Page 1B
Stick stunner
Inside News
A hot goaltender stuffs secondseeded Fryeburg Academy in field hockey playoff action
Calendar . . . . . . . 4B, 6B
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www.bridgton.com Vol. 142, No. 42
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. 28 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
October 20, 2011
(USPS 065-020)
SIXTY CENTS
Question of timing
Hopes remain for ‘Courtyard’
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer It was a dream that crashed with the economic meltdown of 2008; just as all approvals were granted. Bridgton Senior Courtyard on South High Street, across from St. Joseph Catholic Church, was to have been a retirement community for the 55+ crowd, with 60 maintenance-free and energy-efficient duplex townhouses, condos and apartments. Now, just one duplex townhouse has been built, and the developers, Ingrid and Fred von Kannewurff, are living in one of the units that once marketed for $299,000. The
unit on the other side is the only one that was sold. They relocated from the house they still own on Blueberry Hill, and haven’t yet been able to sell; they are no longer comfortable climbing the stairs of their former home, and figured they may as well take advantage of the energy savings from the duplex’s geothermal heating system and triple glass windows. “It’s just a question of timing,” said Ingrid, who still sees the need for a supportive retirement community in town for older people who sell their lifelong homes and don’t want to move too far away from their roots. “The
market needs to get better,” she said. The phased project envisioned a total of 60 condos, 12 townhouses and 48 apartments, ranging in size from 1,100 to 2,000 square feet, eventually including a common gathering center and restaurant. The von Kannewurffs are observing, with interest, the town’s efforts to help Avesta Housing overcome zoning hurdles in order to build 21 units of affordable housing in downtown Bridgton, on the site of the former Chapter 11 building at Pondicherry Square. The von Kannewurff’s project was never intended COURTYARD, Page A
Three vie for new county commissioner Dist. 1 seat
By Lisa Williams Ackley Staff Writer Three candidates are vying for the newly-created Cumberland County Commissioner District 1 seat representing the towns of Baldwin, Bridgton, Gorham, Harrison, Scarborough, Sebago and Standish that votPOURING — A crew from Wyman & Simpson Inc. poured concrete to create the coffer dam seal on the east abutment of the future bridge Tuesday. This part of the project used 520 yards of con- ers will decide at the polls on Nov. 8, 2011. crete, which arrived in 46 truckloads from Dragon Products Company of Portland. Neil D. Jamieson Jr. (De Busk Photo) of Scarborough, Annalee Rosenblatt of Scarborough and Lisa R. Villa of Harrison are all seeking the new District 1 County Commissioner’s seat that will take effect on January 1, 2012. Neil D. Jamieson Jr., an By Dawn De Busk attorney who has lived in Staff Writer Scarborough for 19 years, says NAPLES – Longtime resihe has two reasons for rundent Sonny Berman walks daily. ning for the District 1 County Since fall 2010, those walks Commissioner’s seat. have been a little bit longer, “I served on the Cumberland and a whole lot more interestCounty Charter Committee, ing because a bridge is being since 2008, and spent two years built in his hometown. drafting, revising and promotActually, as Berman points ing the County Charter,” said out, construction is going on in Jamieson. “I spent two years every corner of the Causeway. looking inside Cumberland But, in particular, he likes to County government and saw, joke with his wife that he is takas a direct part of that process, ing a walk to build the bridge ways we could improve the that will replace the one he saw efficiency and effectiveness of christened in 1954. He did not it.” witness the construction of the “(Cumberland County existing swing bridge, as his Manager) Peter Crichton full-time legal career kept him busy then. Now retired, watching the construction is part of Berman’s daily exercise routine. By Gail Geraghty “When I get home, my wife Staff Writer asks me what I learned today. It’s not so much the stainless I said, ‘I learned how to set a CHARTING THE PROGRESS — Naples resident Sonny steel three-bay sinks, the walk-in manhole,’ ” said Berman who Berman pauses during his walk along the Causeway. Berman cooler, double oven or the sleek is 82 years old. has been watching construction activity almost daily for the new six-burner grill that excites On Tuesday, Berman learned past year. (De Busk Photo) people about the long-awaited from the Wyman & Simpson construction crew the difference cement-mixing trucks was the bridge, according to Maine new kitchen at the Bridgton between cement and concrete. lined up on the construction Department of Transportation Community Center. It’s the commercial dishwashCement is the ingredient that site — the goal was to pour Resident Engineer Craig Hurd. er with — paper plates begone! is used to make concrete, he 460 yards of concrete under Each truck carried a load of — a two-minute wash cycle. was told. water to create the coffer dam 10 yards of concrete, he said. “Everybody’s excited about On Tuesday, a row of seal on the east abutment of LESSONS, Page A
Local’s daily walks turn into construction lessons
Neil D. Jamieson Jr. Annalee Rosenblatt Scarborough Scarborough and his staff are very good stewards,” said Jamieson, “but, I am always looking for improvements.” “I am committed to public service,” said Jamieson. “My wife and I teach our children that you have to be vested in your community and the public process, in some way, and make contributions through volunteer service.” Jamieson pointed out that, under the new County Charter, the positions of Register of Deeds and County Treasurer Lisa R. Villa will be appointed, rather than Harrison elected, as in the past. “One thing I think is very “The County Finance Director will interview the per- important, as a county commissons who have the best skills,” sioner, is to continue the consaid Jamieson. RACE, Page A
BCC to upgrade kitchen that,” said Carmen Lone, the center’s executive director. The dishwasher will allow the center to use real dishes, at last — saving enormous costs in paper plates, cups and plastic tableware. Eric Wissman of M & S Builders will begin construction Monday, Oct. 24 on the $54,000 project, the costs of which have nearly all been covered by a Community Development Block Grant awarded by the town to
the nonprofit organization. The kitchen will be built in Room 4 of the former National Guard Armory building on Depot Street, which the Community Center took over around a decade ago. The existing kitchen will become a walk-in cooler. “I tell you, the town of Bridgton is going to be very happy with this new kitchen,” Lone said. “Upgrading the kitchen is such KITCHEN, Page A
Hard work leads to Mountain Division ‘Rail Trail’ reality
By Lisa Williams Ackley Staff Writer FRYEBURG — The driving rain didn’t drive away those who wanted to participate in the joyous occasion of formally dedicating the one and one-half mile length of the Mountain Division Rail Trail that will connect the Visitors Center on Route 302 to Porter Road. Those joined together for the ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday cheered on several members of the Fryeburg Academy track team, as they
ran in the pouring rain toward the Visitors Center, to kick off the festive event Oct. 14. Mountain Division Alliance President Dave Kinsman smiled broadly, as speaker after speaker came to the podium to honor the hard work he and others have put in to their efforts to see the Rail Trail become a reality. Another section of the trail will be constructed next summer and will continue from Porter Road another two and one-half miles to the Eastern Slope Airport Road near the
Brownfield town line. The Town of Brownfield has already submitted an application to fund the construction of the section of the Rail Trail that will connect to Fryeburg, according to Kinsman. The Fryeburg trail project brings to fruition six years of planning by the Town of Fryeburg, the Maine Department of Transportation and the Mountain Division Alliance. Six miles of the Mountain Division Trail connect Windham,
Gorham and Standish, and engineering for another fivemile section that will connect Windham and Westbrook is being completed this fall. Funding for the Mountain Division Rail Trail project comes from federal funds dedicated for walking and bicycling projects. Kinsman said that, in recent years, Fryeburg and the Mount Washington Valley area have become a bicycle tourist destination and the trail will help attract more visitors to town,
as well as provide healthy recreation and a safe place to run and walk for local residents. At its completion, the Mountain Division Trail will connect nine communities
between Portland and Fryeburg with a 52-mile recreational trail that will also serve as an alternative transportation corridor and a safe route for school RAIL TRAIL, Page 2A
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