Simple fix? Developer, town officials seek solution to Harrison subdivision question Page 2A
Awards Night
Inside News
Fryeburg Academy honors fall sports athletes; team to receive sportsmanship banner
Page 1C
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 5B Classifieds . . . . . . 4D-5D Country Living 1B-3B, 6B Directory . . . . . . . . . . 2D Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 4B Opinions . 1D-3D, 5D-6D Police/Court . . . . . . . . 5A Sports . . . . . . . . . 1C-6C Student News . . . 7C-8C Games . . . . . . . . . . . . 5C
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 144, No. 47
28 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
November 21, 2013
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 5D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Naples to Portland: Rural bus set to roll
By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — It is common knowledge that there is no such thing as a free lunch. But, for the next five-plus weeks, free bus rides will be offered in the Lake Region. The Regional Transportation Program (RTP) has announced a start date for its 22-passenger bus that will serve some of the towns west of Portland. On Nov. 25, the bus will start running between Naples and Portland with stops in Casco, Raymond and Windham. In addition to an official start date this month, RTP will be providing rides free of charge through the remainder of 2013. According to Daniel Goodman, RTP
Customer and Community Relations Coordinator, riders will be charged $3 on Jan. 1, 2014. The $3 fare will pay for a one-way ride, and includes a bus transfer, he said. “We are going to run the first week or two as a soft run,” Goodman said. This transition time will allow RTP to get into the swing of operating smoothly, he said. In fact, RTP has been contacting the people who responded to an online survey conducted during the summer. RTP has also been reaching out to municipalities to spread the word that the bus is finally on the road, he said. Bus stops have been identified in each BUS, Page A
SATs: It’s all about how you look at the numbers By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer When Principal Ted Finn reviewed Lake Region High School’s latest report card — SAT (Scholastic Achievement Test) scores — he had mixed emotions. If he looks at the numbers from a “glass half full” perspective, Finn can say that students produced an 11% improvement in math and reading over a three-year span. If Finn takes the approach of a parent who pushes a son or daughter to give their best effort to achieve top grades, he isn’t happy with the latest round of numbers. After taking two big steps forward last year, LRHS took a step backward in 2013. In 2011, juniors posted a combined math/ reading score of 74%. In 2012, the number jumped dramatically to 92% as the school started to see
some reward from its major overhaul in curriculum. This year, the number dropped to 85% — a 45 in reading and a 40 in math. “I am concerned,” Finn told SAD 61 school board members Monday night. “We’ll keep at it.” Schools are evaluated based on Adequate Yearly Progress — a combination of the previous AYP status and whether they meet academic, test participation and attendance/ graduation targets. Targets are the percentage of students who must be proficient in reading and math. Targets must be met by the student population as a whole and in eight subgroups — students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged, limited English-proficient and five ethnic groups. SAT SCORES, Page A
TALKING IT OVER — Discussing the plans before the start of last week’s Memorial School Charette were, from left, Peter Lowell, executive director of Lakes Environmental Association; Gary Colello, Bridgton Recreation Director; and Mike Tarantino, former Chairman of the Community Development Committee. (Geraghty Photo)
Ideas on table
Four options emerge for school redevelopment By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer A big dream is brewing for redevelopment of four allimportant acres of land at the upper end of Depot Street in downtown Bridgton. It is a dream of a one-
Present as Norway Savings Bank bestows a donation to Naples Main Street on Wednesday are: (From left) area resident and businessman Kevin Hancock, Naples Main Street members Nancy Hanson, Bob Neault, and Connie Eldridge, Norway Savings Bank President Pat Weigel, and Vice President and Naples Branch Manager Holly Chase. In addition to this monetary gift, Hancock and Dick Dyke donated $10,000 each. (De Busk Photo)
Causeway seed money grows By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Kevin Hancock might be a resident of Casco, but he understands the ripple effect that the new bridge and the vastly improved Causeway in Naples have on the whole region. “The Causeway has become the destination. When people see the new bridge and the boardwalk, they feel like they have arrived,” Hancock said. The Naples Causeway has earned a place in people’s conversation, and the comments are typically positive, he said. The improvements are a boon for the tourists, the local residents and the area businesses, he said. When Hancock heard about future enhancements to the Causeway, he decided it was a project worth donating to. So, he wrote a check for $10,000.
While most people see a completed product — the fixed Bay of Naples Bridge and an entirely renovated Causeway — local residents involved with that process have envisioned an even more inviting public space, according to Causeway Renovation Committee Chairman Bob Neault. The Maine State Department of Transportation’s infrastructure project wrapped up in September. However, continued improvements to that section of Naples are still in the works. On Wednesday, Norway Savings Bank donated $10,000 as seed money to pay for the engineering plans, and kick-start the fundraising campaign for the public park on the Causeway. “More than being just a business in town, we see ourselves as members of the greater vibrant Naples com-
munity,” said bank President Pat Weigel. “We recognize all the good work that has already been completed on the Causeway project, and we support the enhancements. These improvements will definitely draw even more people to the area, which we think benefits the whole community,” Weigel said. Naples homeowner and area businessman Dick Dyke also dedicated money to the Causeway project. “We are thankful that these community businesses are contributing to the Causeway enhancements,” Neault said. “We cannot do this without seeing the engineering plans. People said, ‘We agree to help you get to that point because we think it is that important.’” According to Neault, that seed money is being donated to Naples Main Street, which is the financial arm for the
Causeway projects. The CRC assists in decision making about the project. As stages of the project are approved, Naples Main Street would turn over the funding to the Town of Naples, Neault said. The proposed project includes an amphitheater stage and pavilion, plus an interactive historical park, and varying styles of water fountains. The firm, Richardson and Associates Landscape Architects will be creating the engineering plans for the multi-faceted project. Earlier this month, owner Todd Richardson met with members of the CRC and the Naples Board of Selectmen to discuss ideas. Richardson struck an agreement with the town to draw up the engineering plans for what would be designed on the south side of the bridge. As part of the SEED, Page A
stop building complex with a gymnasium and community center that would be large enough to serve all of the community’s social and recreational needs, fronted by a Town Common for outdoor community events, and bordered by nature trails connecting to the adjacent elementary school and Pondicherry Park. That dream was the overwhelming favorite of four redesign options for the former Memorial School property presented by town consultants Nov. 13, at a second and final public planning charette held before the drafting of a master plan. Two other plans that called for mixed-use redevelopment of the property, with twostory commercial buildings built around a public square, received a much less favorable response, although there were some advocates of the more open and nature-centered design among the 20 or so residents in attendance. A fourth plan, to save the school building for either public or private use, was the least favorite option, with Selectman Bernie King going so far as to say such an option “might as well not even be there.” None of the plans call for residential redevelopment of the property, because that possibility was not raised at a first planning session held Oct. 9. However, on Nov. 13, resident Sandra Collins strongly advocated for the development of market-rate housing on the site, saying it could be a good place for intown condominiums or townhouses. “I would like to see the property be on the tax rolls. We already have $60 million in tax-exempt property in this town,” said Collins. She said a residential option was favored years ago, and is still viable and needed. “I’m not talking Avesta, and I’m not talking affordable. I’m talking market rate.” Last week’s meeting was the first big step in a series of
actions that must take place in sequence if the town is to take advantage of up to $200,000 in cleanup grant funds available through the Greater Portland Council of Government’s Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund. The former school has asbestos in floor tiles and other areas that needs removal, and there are several areas of contaminated soil, dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s when the site was used as the depot terminal for the Narrow Gauge Railroad in town. Bridgton Director of Planning, Economic and Community Development Anne Krieg will by working with GPCOG’s Caroline Paras, as well as consulting professionals from Ransom Consultants and Richardson Associates to develop the master plan, which will be presented to Bridgton Selectmen sometime next month. At the same time, the town will be seeking proposals from the Bridgton Economic Development Corporation and other entities to act as a third party to implement the redevelopment plan for the property on behalf of the town. Under the Brownfields grant program, the town cannot receive the cleanup funds if it is also the owner of the property, so a third party is therefore needed. The Town Common/ Community Center plan, as drawn by landscape architect David Maynes of Richardson and Associates, features two larger buildings of 10,800 and 13,950 square feet each, big enough to accommodate both a community center and a recreational facility. An access road would allow people to be dropped off and picked up for activities, with parking for staff in the back. Maynes said the design is similar to the Town Common in Brunswick, with a large outdoor common area in front that could be used for public events and flooded in winter for skating. He said the design IDEAS, Page A
The Bridgton News Established 1870
P.O. Box 244, 118 Main St. Bridgton, ME 04009 207-647-2851 Fax: 207-647-5001 bnews@roadrunner.com