Archive for ‘News’

  • Funds okayed for historic walking trail

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Tom Stone wasn’t sure he heard correctly when the Bridgton Board of Selectmen voted March 12 to fully fund a long-awaited plan to create a Historic Walking Trail in the downtown. At first, the Bridgton Historical Society Trustee thought the board was still debating, as it had been for two […]

  • Bridgton elections: Who will fill the void?

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Two of Bridgton’s most outspoken elected officials, Woody Woodward and Fred Packard, are stepping down. In their combined 28 years of service both men have represented opposite poles on the political spectrum. With nomination papers only available since Monday, it’s too early to say who might try to replace them. […]

  • Tar sands resolution to go before Bridgton voters

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer Bridgton Selectmen voted Tuesday to include a resolution on the June Town Meeting warrant opposing the transport of tar sands diluted bitumen through the Portland Pipe Line. Even thought the pipeline doesn’t run directly through Bridgton, it passes through the neighboring towns of Waterford, Casco and Harrison. The board, while […]

  • Bridgton budget panel trims nearly $300,000

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer With an uncertain state revenue picture, Bridgton’s Budget Advisory Committee felt duty-bound this year to wield sharp scalpels, recommending nearly $300,000 in municipal budget cuts across nearly every department. “As far as all the department heads had to cut their budgets, we had to cut them more,” BAC Chairman Bill […]

  • Condo’s assessment too high for today’s market, board rules

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer In what may prove to be a precedent-setting ruling, the Cumberland County Board of Assessment Review voted unanimously Feb. 7 in favor of a Bridgton taxpayer who argued that the assessed value of his Pleasant Mountain condo was inconsistent with its current market value. “The taxpayer proved that the assessed […]

  • Water contract concern: ’25 years too long’

    By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer FRYEBURG — With a strong voice and a firm hand gripping a piece of paper with his prepared comments on it, Luke Flanders made a plea to state officials to protect his community’s water. “Please protect us,” the nine-year-old from Fryeburg said. “I am glad that I am allowed […]

  • Pickles & Things: Passion ‘can’ lead to success

    By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer FRYEBURG — Chris Baker is extremely enthusiastic and skillful when it comes to cooking and selling. She loves dabbling with new ideas inside her Fryeburg kitchen. Some pairings — like Pumpkin Butter and Wild Blueberry Salsa — might leave one initially skeptical as to how good the creation may […]

  • Tax maps to mirror Casco parcels

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer CASCO — Don’t worry, property taxpayers. The Town of Casco is NOT paying to put small planes in the air, and take aerial photos of each and every parcel within its town’s boundaries. There is no need to fly — with the advent of modern technology like Google Earth, […]

  • Naples secretary lands new job

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Ever since she was a young child, Barbara McDonough could envision working for a municipality as a job she could aspire to. “When I was a little girl and I went to the town office with my mom, I viewed the people at the town office as […]

  • New Harrison town clerk starts Monday

    By Gail Geraghty Staff Writer HARRISON — Melissa St. John will have big shoes to fill when she takes over the town clerk’s job in Harrison. The obvious reason is because she’s replacing a highly-respected veteran town employee, Judy Colburn, who served twice as Interim Town Manager over her 24 years as Town Clerk. Colburn, […]