Archive for ‘News’

  • Gift-giving game makes Merriam Christmas merrier

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — One extended family in Southern Maine kept trying to get it right when it came to the gift exchange during their annual Christmas party. For the past 10 years, the mandate for the Merriam family’s Yankee Swap is that all gifts must be homemade ones. With so […]

  • Angel donates handmade Nativity figures

      By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Biblical promises came to life during this Christmas season. Plus, gifts were exchanged in a manner of speaking. A Maine woman was able to revive the wooden nativity pieces hand-painted decades ago by the great-grandmother of one of her students in the faith-based preschool she established […]

  • Board fines couple for setback violation

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Bridgton Selectmen signed a consent agreement Dec. 22 that will allow Malcolm Road residents to retain the deck they built four feet too close to Highland Lake. In return, property owners Edward and Margaret Balestra of 66 Malcolm Road will pay a $1,000 fine. Code Enforcement Officer Robbie Baker said […]

  • Controversy clouds wayfaring sign project

          By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Nearly all of the long-awaited wayfaring signs for the town of Bridgton have been finished, but serious doubts were raised Tuesday as to whether they’ll be installed. Not all of the signs were finished by Nov. 30 as required under the contract the town has with local […]

  • Bridge to be replaced in 30 days

      By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The good news is that the typical bridge construction time could be cut by two-thirds. “A bridge closure is usually two to three months. With today’s rapid construction techniques, it will take 30 days or less” to replace the Crockett Bridge, according to Maine Department of […]

  • Neighbors off to strong start in bottled gas appeal

      By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer The controversial decision by Bridgton Planning Board members to allow Bridgton Bottled Gas to put in a 30,000-gallon propane tank may soon be coming back to haunt them. The Bridgton Board of Appeals began its hearing last week of a neighbor’s appeal of the decision. Once lawyers from both […]

  • Sewer rules will rise anew, with new blood

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer A downtown property owner is already feeling the effects of Bridgton voters’ rejection last month of a new sewer ordinance. Town Manager Bob Peabody said Tuesday he had the unenviable task earlier that day of telling the property owner, who he did not name, that there isn’t enough sewer allocation […]

  • People pledge Jesus, Mary for creche

      By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — December is a time of good deeds. In the weeks before Christmas known as Advent, many Christians make a conscious effort to connect with Christ’s birth. At one community church, the baby Jesus went missing from the outdoor nativity scene, also known as a crèche. The […]

  • Naples land sale to recoup money

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — It seems there could be a land sale by the Town of Naples to offset the town’s purchase of the Begin estate, which is the lot next to the fire station. The longtime town-owned property. that could be put out to bid. is on State Park Road. […]

  • Bridgtonites unite to fight Causeway guardrail

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer With well-reasoned arguments backed by a wealth of anecdotal evidence, Bridgton residents united Tuesday to convince highway officials not to install guardrails on the Moose Pond Causeway and leave all of the granite stones in place. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” said Selectmen Chairman Bernie King, summarizing the […]