Archive for ‘News’

  • Saturday storm postpones Festival of Lights in Bridgton

    That’s real 2020 of you Mother Nature….. Unfortunately, 2020 strikes again. The Bridgton Festival of Lights parade has been postponed due to the storm predicted for Saturday afternoon into Saturday night. ?“We are looking to make the parade up as early as next Friday or Saturday,” Bridgton Rec Director Gary Colello reported Friday afternoon. “A […]

  • Living through being homeless

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — Diane True has been through the ordeal of being homeless.  “It is winter. There is Covid. People are sleeping in the parking lot of the Naples post office. It is tragic. It is frightening. It is horrible. Until you’ve been there you don’t understand how it feels […]

  • ‘Lack of homes’ is the issue; Workshop targeted possible solutions

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — People might be surprised that in a tourist town like Naples that a homeless person was sleeping on a bench on the Causeway this summer. Yet, homelessness is a reality that is not confined to the city. It has become a reality in rural areas, too. There […]

  • Festival of Lights — Change in approach due to Covid-19

    Bridgton Rec Director Gary Colello understands the need to bring some type of normalcy during Covid-19 times. With so many traditional events and activities being shelved due to the pandemic, Colello and other local residents tried to brainstorm to find creative ways to keep the annual Festival of Lights on the calendar. “As Covid continues […]

  • Bridgton Farmers’ Market moves to new indoor location; Lovell starts new food pantry

    While farmers might be putting their fields to sleep, they are busy sorting and washing storage produce for long winter nights… and for the fifth season of the Bridgton Winter Farmers’ Market!  Many favorite vendors will be in attendance with fresh baked goods, small-batch roasted coffees, veggies, grass-fed meats and dairy along with jams and […]

  • Board wants to capture taxes on home sales

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer  NAPLES — Local selectmen view the job of being the stewards of taxpayers’ dollars as a top priority — whether it is keeping the budget down or not losing out on valuable revenue.  Naples selectmen expressed a desire not to miss out on the property tax on homes that […]

  • Naples plans revaluation in 2023

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The longer a town goes without reassessing property values, the more expensive the cost of doing a revaluation becomes. That is according to Naples Assessor John O’Donnell. He spoke to the Naples Board of Selectmen recently. Also, O’Donnell will be on hand for an assessing workshop that […]

  • Granting TIF a key to memory care facility project

    By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Matthew Walters believes Bridgton is the ideal location to build a 48-bed memory care facility. To make the financial numbers work, however, Walters says the project will require a TIF — tax increment financing. What is a TIF? It is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure […]

  • Naples predicts work from home order

    By Dawn De Busk Staff Writer NAPLES — The dust had barely settled from the election season craziness when the staff at Naples town hall started preparing for the possibility of work-from-home quarantine. It’s a possibility, Naples Town Manager John Hawley said.  The increase of daily positive Covid-19 tests in Maine could mean some changes for […]

  • Reaching milestones — Proud veterans, former summer residents set to celebrate 75th anniversary

    By Wayne E. Rivet Staff Writer Over their lifetime, Don and Helen Mellor have been extremely proud of three things: One, they worked very hard. Two, they proudly served their country. Three, the couple has created a loving, close-knit family. They will soon add another impressive milestone to their life’s resume — the Mellors will […]