Holiday happenings
Season openers
Despite rain, people turnout for Christmas in Harrison and Festival of Lights
Several Raiders pin down wrestling victories; FA boys win in OT, LR girls lights out
Photos inside
Inside News Calendar . . . . . . . 4B-5B Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 6D Country Living . . . 1B-3B
Page 1C
Directory . . . . . . . . . . 5D Obituaries . . . . . . 4D-5D Opinions 1D-3D, 5D, 7D-8D Police/Court . . . . . . . . 6A Sports . . . . . . . . . 1C-6C Student News . . . . . . 7C Games . . . . . . . . . . . . 5C
Serving Bridgton and the surrounding towns of Western Maine since 1870. Vol. 145, No. 50
32 PAGES - 4 Sections
Bridgton, Maine
December 11, 2014
(USPS 065-020)
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . 8D
www.bridgton.com
SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS
Storm belts area with icy mess
Bridgton Police Lt. Peter Madura
After 35 years, last shift nears By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer The accolades have been flooding into the Bridgton Police Department’s Facebook page since the news broke that one of the “last of the great ones,” Lt. Peter Madura, is retiring after 35 years. “I hope you remember you are the last of the great ones. Love MR. PETE,” said one resident/fan, Laura McCabe. “Neither the town nor the police department will be the same without him,” said another resident, Jason Rowles. “A great example of a man.” Madura’s last day will be Friday, Jan. 2, 2015, and an informal gathering will be held in the Bridgton Municipal Complex on that day for residents and area law enforcement officers to stop by and wish him well. The department has begun advertising to hire a new full-time patrol officer as Madura’s departure allows for a restructuring of its ranks. Police Chief Kevin Schofield said his goal is to eliminate the lieutenant’s position and promote a sergeant from within the ranks of the department’s six patrol officers. That way, Madura’s replacement would be more of a front-line supervisor who would have both administrative and patrol responsibilities, he said. Schofield said Madura has been “a huge asset to me” since he became chief four years ago, and will be sorely missed. “Without Peter, my transition wouldn’t have been as smooth and as easy as it was,” said Schofield, adding that it’s hard to quantify the value of an officer who has as much institutional knowledge as Madura has. “The townspeople are going to miss him as well.” Madura’s law enforcement career at BPD began in 1968 as a Special Police Officer, working summers patrolling the Bridgton Drive-In. He worked as a part-time officer from 1969 to 1972. From 1972 to 1976 he was a part-time Deputy Sheriff and full-time Civil Deputy for the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department, becoming a fulltime Deputy Sheriff in 1976 until 1980. On April 3, 1980, Peter was sworn in as a full-time Bridgton Police Officer and it has been his home ever since. “He will have had 40 years of service in law enforcement when he finally hangs up his hat, gun and gun belt,” Schofield said. “I want to thank the citizens of Bridgton for everything they have done for me over the years, I made a lot of friends,” Madura said on the Facebook page. “I have very much enjoyed my time here at this department and I am looking forward to my next adventure.”
Woman dies in Route 5 crash
Town plow truck tips over
FRYEBURG — A Brownfield woman died Tuesday following a crash on Route 5 in Fryeburg. Fryeburg Police is investigating the fatal motor vehicle crash, which occurred near Bog Pond Road at 11:13 a.m. Route 5 was closed for several hours while Fryeburg Police and a State Police Crash Reconstructionist investigated the details of the crash. Fryeburg Fire, Saco Valley Fire and Fryeburg Rescue Departments utilized extrication equipment to free the two occupants from the vehicle. Passenger AT THE SCENE — Police and rescue workers tend the driver of a truck, which struck a tree on Route 5, resultCRASH, Page A ing in the death of a Brownfield woman Tuesday.
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer One of Bridgton’s newer plow trucks was damaged Monday when its driver slid on icy South High Street, tipping the truck onto its side. Bridgton Public Works Department employee and driver Gary Arris was transported by United Ambulance to Bridgton Hospital, complaining of back and neck pain, following the 9:53 a.m. accident. Police Officer Phil Jones said Arris was headed into town on South High Street near Warren Road when the accident occurred. Jones said Arris was attempting to make a left turn when the 2013 PLOW, Page A
Carbon monoxide grabs attention By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer WINDHAM — As far as most local politicians are concerned, it is better not to force upon private citizens a law that would require all Mainers to install carbon monoxide detectors in their homes. After all, the State of Maine already has rules for wearing seat belts and fines for not doing so. Plus, since 2009, there has been legislation that requires all landlords, and all contractors of newly-built structures to have working carbon monoxide detectors in those dwellings. People who sell and purchase new properties must also adhere to carbon monoxide detector laws. So, instead of working on legislation, influential residents of this state have decided to embark on a carbon monoxide awareness campaign. Currently, those people involved in spreading the message about “the silent killer” are regional firefighters and local politicians as
ENCIRCLED BY CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS, Casco Fire Chief Jason Moen finishes talking at the Carbon Monoxide Community Awareness and Education Press Conference, which took place Thursday morning. (De Busk Photo) well as real estate brokers. hosted by the Windham Fire No one is guaranteed a One of those events took and Rescue Department at safety pass when it comes to place during the day on the Windham Public Safety carbon monoxide poisoning. Thursday, Dec. 4; and it was Building. CARBON, Page A
Bids go out for Town Hall repairs
Trucking Wreaths across America
Poland Spring Water Company has been selected as a 2014 participant in the Wreaths Across America™ (WAA) truck caravan delivering 130,000 balsam wreaths from Maine to Washington D.C. to lay on military graves at Arlington National Cemetery. Harrison resident, Scott Edwards, a 20-year Poland Spring employee, has been chosen as the driver. Edwards, a tanker driver with an astounding one million miles of safe driving under his belt, was in the news last month when he stopped and contributed water in his tanker to firefighters who were battling an early morning house fire in New Gloucester. “Poland Spring is honored to be chosen to take part in the Wreaths Across America caravan again this year. We’re particularly pleased to have Scott Edwards, a dedicated employee and community volunteer, represent all of Poland Spring’s 800 employees on the journey to Arlington National Ceremony,” said Tom Hathaway, Transport manager for Poland Spring. “Scott is one of those people who puts the needs of others first, as was evidenced when he stopped at the fire scene in New Gloucester to offer assistance. He did the right thing that day, and jumped at the chance to give back again by driving the Poland Spring truck in the WAA caravan.” Poland Spring will pay Edwards his salary for the week he is on the road with WAA, according to Hathaway. Edwards is no stranger to driving a truck for a good cause, having previously taken part in Maine Trucking 4 Kids Convoy, a fundraising event supporting Camp Sunshine.
By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Bridgton Selectmen are very close to the bidding phase for long-awaited structural improvements to the Town Hall on North High Street. Construction is expected to get underway this coming March on the $300,000 project, which will address water problems, repair a broken beam in the first floor framing and rotted sill plates and greatly improve the energy efficiency in the turn-of-thecentury historic building. The project also will replace existing windows and doors, Poland Spring tanker driver Scott Edwards is pictured with the Poland Spring tractortrailer he will drive in the Wreaths Across America caravan. Edwards will drive the special Poland Spring tractor-trailer containing wreaths as part of the 10-truck caravan traveling from Maine to Washington, D.C. He was accompanied by his wife, Becky, when he traveled to Harrington to pick WREATHS, Page A
repair damaged vinyl siding, add more outdoor lighting and provide a time switch for night setback control of the heating system. Eric Dube and Tony Gillis of Casco Bay Engineering told selectmen at their last meeting that they are working with a company that does professional estimating, and provided the board with those estimates. The base total was $217,384, with a grand total of $301,670 once contingencies, insurance and overhead was added on. The engineers also proBIDS, 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