Archive for ‘News’

  • Maple syrup: Sweet on the brain and taste buds

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer HARRISON — As she poured topaz-colored maple syrup across the wintery white ice cream, Melissa Duffy talked about what she had recently learned about the sweet substance. “There was a great show on NPR. It explained how the Canadian government sets the market price for maple syrup. There is […]

  • Bridgton selectmen budget $6,500 for fireworks

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Bridgton’s time-honored fireworks display is a sure bet this July 3, with a decision by Selectmen Tuesday to include $6,500 for fireworks in the fiscal year 2014–2015 budget. The vote was 3–2, with Selectmen Doug Taft and Bernie King opposed. Passing the boot, or fundraising suppers and other events have […]

  • Casco seeks change to business setbacks

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Casco Selectman Ray Grant thinks that the town’s commercial zone ordinance is too prohibitive. He suggested that changes to those zoning rules might help businesses looking at Casco as a potential location. “In order to have a commercial business on Route 302 or Route 11, the property […]

  • Naples considers codes for development

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — In his capacity as an elected town representative and as resident of Naples, Robert Caron II has been attending Naples Planning Board meetings. He was in the audience when Dunkin’ Donuts was approved to construct a new building, demolishing the structure that many locals remember as Sydney’s […]

  • Business façade requests nixed from CDBG project list

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Community Development Block Grant money won’t be used this year to improve the looks of downtown businesses, Bridgton Selectmen decided Tuesday. Wanting to reserve as much funding as possible for Depot Street and Town Hall municipal projects, the board only narrowly awarded $22,000 to the nonprofit Rufus Porter Museum for […]

  • Board opts for status quo in planting bid

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer It was a case of “Be careful what you wish for,” when Bridgton Selectmen decided to go out to bid for care of the downtown plantings and gardens. When the bids came back, the board was left with a dilemma: Lucia Terry, whose company, Perennial Point of View, has done […]

  • Deputy town manager position okayed

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Selectmen voted March 11 to authorize Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz to fill a newly-created position of Deputy Town Manager. The position, after the Deputy Town Manager’s probationary period has passed, would replace the position of Executive Assistant, which would then be eliminated. The vote was 3–2, with Selectmen Paul Hoyt […]

  • Space heater suspected cause of fire

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer A electric space heater is suspected as the cause of a fire that destroyed an old farmhouse and barn at 849 Valley Road March 12. The owner, Marcel Sol, who lived there alone, was able to escape uninjured after the fire broke out around 5 p.m. The property is located […]

  • Assessors tardy on response time

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Residents who have had questions about their recent property assessments have had a hard time getting answers. Some of those inquiries, which were made to the company Vision Government Solutions, have gone unanswered for as long as three weeks to a month. For now, the solution has […]

  • Down-to-earth woman makes roots in Casco

    As part of National Women’s Month, which occurs during the month of March, The Bridgton News is exploring the stories of some of the women who are not normally in the limelight but contribute to the community or stand out as worthwhile role models. By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Never have chickens […]