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Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 148, No. 46
28 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
November 16, 2017
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Polishing a gem
Young Professionals propose ‘vision’ for Highland Lake By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer During the summer, Justin McIver and his wife like to buy a couple of lobster rolls from Maine Lobster Express on Main Hill, walk down to the beach and enjoy one of the town’s gems — Highland Lake. While the natural beauty is obvious, McIver and Bridgton’s Young Professionals believe the beachfront and surrounding area holds greater potential. “This is an underutilized asset and one of our most important that could be so
much more,” McIver told Bridgton selectmen Tuesday night. McIver asked selectmen how many towns have a beautiful lake such a short distance from its downtown? Not many, he noted, which is why Bridgton should capitalize on an opportunity to polish up this gem as an attraction spot for residents and visitors alike. Using an overhead projector, McIver posted images of the current site, which included a highly-weathered picnic table. He pointed out that “unsafe walking conditions”
exist and there is no “connectivity” from the beach to Shorey Park. How can the beach be improved? The Young Professionals have a “vision.” McIver, who is owner of Main Echo Homes and is vice president of the group, met with a surveyor and landscape architect to put various ideas onto paper. The parking area could be expanded (increasing parking space from about 20 to 49, including designated spots for boat trailers), while improveVISION, Page 3A
Scout, builder partner to replace beach shed
By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer When vandals burned down a storage shed at Highland Lake Beach, it made Kevin Tarr and Hannah Reid mad. The two will now partner to make a serious wrong a compelling right. Tarr is a contractor and lifelong resident of Bridgton. When he heard about the fire, Tarr contacted Bridgton Rec Director Gary Colello and offered his assistance (free of charge) with rebuilding the shed if the town supplied the materials. Reid knew firsthand how devastating the fire was. Not only did the town lose an estimated $2,785 in equipment from lifeguard tubes to life jackets to kickboards and first aid kits, the swim lesson staff lost a place of refuge when storms rolled in. Reid served as a volunteer member of the summer swim staff. She is also a local Girl Scout Troop member. When it came time for her to select a community project to earn her Silver Award — the highest honor for a Cadet
— Reid had the perfect idea — help rebuild and restock the beach storage shed by raising money through various events such as a spaghetti supper at the Community Center, kettle dinners and a Zumbathon. Her role will also include the title of “Clerk of the Work.” She will team up with Tarr as they discuss with Colello in coming weeks what type of structure will be built. She will work through the “town processes,” including formally presenting the idea to selectmen (which she did Tuesday night), obtaining simulated permits, working with town staff and coordinating matters with the contractor. Tarr and Reid appeared before Bridgton selectmen Tuesday night, and were applauded for their community pride and efforts. While Reid said the new shed could use shelving to better organize and store items, Tarr added that the structure may include a farmer’s porch and seating space inside for those situations that swim instructors need to
escape stormy elements. “We need to talk more,” he said. “We’ll see where it goes.” “It is very fascinating to watch this project develop. We had an act of vandalism that was relatively extreme compared to other acts of vandalism we have experienced. The amount of people who have reached out — we have received contacts from across the country including Wisconsin, California and Washington — to see how they could help speaks volumes of Bridgton and the lasting impact it leaves on people who live and visit here,” wrote Colello in his memo to town officials. “Losing the equipment and shed was unfortunate. However, the story behind this reconstruction is just another great opportunity to show why Bridgton is a great place to live and work.” Colello noted that The SCOUT, Page 3A
ANCHORED BY SERVICE — Hank Wernau, 73, of Naples, and his daughter Lea Wernau shared some stories about his service and the tattoo that he got years later. The two were among the guests at the Veterans Breakfast, hosted by the Casco Recreation Department. (De Busk Photo)
‘Destroyer stories’ — Lots of good, sad times By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Hank Wernau lost two shipmates on the USS Wedderburn before it arrived at its destination in August 1964. Wernau said he talks about his years of service whenever possible. The annual Veterans Breakfast at the Casco Fire Station was a chance to do just that. “The destroyer stories,” he said. “There were lots of good times and lots of sad times. We lost two people on the cruise over there. One was electrocuted. One was washed overboard. He had eight children. We never found his body.” He talked about the mission of the USS Wedderburn, a destroyer with a rich history in the United States military. “We were told the North Vietnamese had PT boats and could launch torpedoes. We were training to see if could spot their lights at night,” he said. “There was an alga in the water,” he
said, referring to bioluminescent plankton that lit up the water at night and could possibly assist the crew in spotting PT boats hiding in the darkness. The USS Wedderburn was “patrolling the Tokin Gulf specifically for that purpose,” he said. “One night we could see firefighting in the mountains with tracer bullets going back and forth,” he described. “We never fired a shot. What they told us later on is our planes went in and blew up the base where the PT boats were,” he said. “After that, the mission remained the same — patrolling the Tonkin Gulf.” “After we went over to ‘Nam, we homeported in Subic Bay,” Wernau said. According to Wikipedia, “The warship departed San Diego on 5 August 1964 to begin her 11th deployment to the Far East. Four days before, the Gulf of Tonkin incident occurred, signaling a steppedSTORIES, Page 8A
CEO’s phone ringing off hook By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — When the Casco Code Enforcement Officer Alex Sirois comes into work in the morning, there is already a stack of phone calls to return. “It is very busy. Every day, there are about 15 complaints that are backlogged. It’s everything from junkyards to people complaining about their neighbors,” Sirois told the Casco Board of Selectmen on Tuesday. Selectman Grant Plummer posed a question. “So, you aren’t able to get it all done at the end of the week,” Plummer asked.
Sirois said, “Definitely not, but that will always be the case.” Plummer responded. “That is what we need to know. That stack on your desk is there and is growing,” he said. Sirois said, “Three or four hours of my day are spent returning the previous day’s phone calls. That is half my day right there.” “My plan is to do some website updates, and address frequently-asked questions and do the [Geographical Information System] GIS maps so people can do that on their own. That is a big part of it: those questions.
Four hours a day, five days a week – that is a big chunk of the time,” Sirois said. The current CEO expressed his gratitude for the help he receives from town staff. His workload includes mostly residential building permits, plenty of tree-cutting permits in the Shoreland Zone following the windstorm on Oct. 30, issuing and resolving Shoreland Zone Ordinance violations, and tackling the stack of phone messages from the public. “Obviously, the last couple weeks, there has been a lot of tree cutting,” he said. “Everyone is scared. Now,
they have a lot of hazardous trees on their property.” As the CEO’s workload was discussed, the question of how to fill the part-time code enforcement assistant position was on the table. The job has been posted for more than a year. “There is a shortage of qualified people, particularly when looking at a part-time seasonal job,” Casco Town Manager Dave Morton said. Morton added that the deterrent is not as much that the town is not offering an enticing wage. The issue is more along the lines of the town is not “offering a longer PHONE, Page 2A
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Could operating a town without a town manager be compared to running a ship without a captain? The ship wouldn’t sink or run aground because the crew would have no choice but to do the necessary jobs to keep it ‘shipshape’ and running like a well-oiled machine. Likewise, Naples town employees and the board of selectmen have stepped into the roles and taken on the tasks typically done by the town manager. It has been two months
since Naples’ former town manager Ephrem Paraschak departed for the town manager’s job in Gorham at the beginning of September. It could take another two months — or less time — before the job vacancy is filled. In fact, a possible time frame for the new hire being officially announced is the end of 2017, according to Chairman Grattelo. “The candidates have been narrowed down to five people,” Grattelo said. On Monday, the Naples Board of Selectmen chose
“five candidates to set up interviews with,” Grattelo said, adding this was done in executive session. “The week after Thanksgiving is when the interview process will begin,” he said. “The timeline is for the
Naples town manager position to be filled by the end of the year,” Grattelo said. “That doesn’t mean we are going to meet the timeline.” “We are up against quite a bit right now” with the holidays that occur during the INTERVIEW, Page 8A
Five land town manager interview
YOUNGEST AND OLDEST — At the annual Veterans Day dinner, held at the Oriental Masonic Lodge in Bridgton, veterans and family members enjoyed a festive ham dinner with all the fixings, donated by area individuals and businesses. One of the traditions is to have the oldest and youngest veterans cut the cake. Roy Earle (right), the oldest veteran at age 93, served in the United States Marines from 1942-1945. He saw four major battles in WWII, the last of which was Iwo Jima. The youngest veteran was Thomas Moulton, who served in the United States Army.
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