Norway businesswoman to residents: You can't get there from here

NORWAY — Michelle Campbell, owner of Hair Plus, wants people to know that she is not trying to be difficult.  She does not want to alienate anyone.  She is not looking to create controversy.  However, the local businesswoman does want local motorists to become acutely aware of one seemingly small, but vital, detail: the parking lot for her Paris Street hair and tanning salon is not, she points out, an entrance for Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers.

Complaints associated with the Paris Street entrance to Wendy's are nothing new.  Norway found itself embroiled in traffic problems at that location almost as soon as the fast food chain opened locally for business.  In the past year, especially, attention has been focused on 'Do Not Enter' and 'No Left Had Turn' signs that bar those heading into Norway from using the Paris Street entrance.

"If we had it to do all over again," said planning board chairman Dennis Gray, in a telephone interview, "I don't think I'd allow two entrances for Wendy's in the first place."

Still, the damage is done, and since opening her business in April, Campbell estimates that "a half dozen" vehicles per day pull into her parking lot, turn around, and then drive back up to the Wendy's entrance.  This, she feels, is evidence of local residents trying to circumvent the 'No Left Turn' sign by using her lot, which is, as the next curb cut, a convenient off-street location for a quick u-turn.

"The sign that DOT (Maine Department of Transportation) put up is of little value," acknowledged Norway Town Manager David Holt.  "You don't know where you're not supposed to take a left turn.  It [the sign] doesn't seem to help much.  It probably meets the letter of the law that was agreed to at the time, but it doesn't seem to be very practical."

Holt makes it clear that the town wants to be supportive of Campbell's' concerns, and of her new business.

"That building that she has built there is very pretty.  They've done a nice job with it, " said Holt.  "It fits in nice with the buildings on the street.  They took pains with it.  It's too bad that she's having troubles."

Campbell too is very happy with the location, noting that her attempt to bring a "stand-alone" salon to the Oxford Hills area has met with solid public support.  Business, she says, has been "phenomenal," with all three chairs full, and all three stylists booked almost constantly.

"We're mobbed," she said.

That burgeoning success means that her small parking lot, with room enough for only ten cars, is full most of the time.  This leaves little room for rapid turn-arounds, even if, as Holt noted, the practice is not, technically, illegal.

However, those zipping in and out of her lot are only a small part of the problem, observed Campbell.  There are also those who, judging by their rate of speed, seem to think that the Hair Plus parking area is actually the entrance for the Wendy's drive-thru.

"You would think that they'd realize Wendy's would not have a dirt entrance," said Campbell referring to the yet unpaved lot.  "I've seen dust and gravel flying from people coming in so fast."

But the vehicular atrocities do not stop there.  Apart from the rate of speed with which some drivers enter her parking lot, Campbell refers to more serious problems.  She estimates that, since opening her doors, approximately 25 to 30 motorists have not bothered to correct their mistake upon realizing that the Hair Plus parking area does not connect to the Wendy's lot.  These drivers, she said, have simply chosen to drive across the expanse of newly landscaped grass that separates the two businesses.

"One lady said 'Oh, I didn't realize it until I hit the curb,'" recalls the petite 30-year old Campbell, who had rushed out of her business to confront the offender.  "I was like, 'Did you see the grass?  Grass is not an entrance, honey!"

Campbell is quick to point out the irony created by those who are, at least nominally, obeying posted signage when using her lot as an alternate route.  Many commuters, Campbell said, simply ignore the signs and illegally turn into the Wendy's entrance anyway.  While interviewing Campbell last Thursday, at her salon, this reporter was among a dozen witnesses who observed a Wendy's delivery truck — with large blue lettering declaring it to belong to Willow Run Foods — make the prohibited turn.  This is a common occurrence, said Campbell, who cited Thursday afternoons and Sunday mornings as the most likely times to view the spectacle.

But Campbell's biggest concern is for safety.  Her agreement with the town requires that she maintain a public easement, allowing local students at the Oxford Hill Comprehensive High School to traverse her property.  Campbell fears that, if corrective action is not taken soon, one of the motorists charging through her lot is eventually going to hurtle headlong into a group of kids walking home from school.

Campbell believes that alterations to signage in the area might alleviate some of the issues.  The large Wendy's sign on Paris Street, along with the access road to the restaurant, actually predates her business.  Both are on her property, and were included as part of an existing easement when she purchased the lot from Tony Morra.  Morra still owns the property where Wendy's is located.

Gray was not able to recall why the planning board allowed Morra to put in this easement, or why it had been deemed preferable to simply having him convey to the Wendy's lot a portion of the lot he would later sell to Campbell.

Campbell says that she understood the easement was there when she purchased her property, but that she did not think it would become "this big of a problem."

Apart from the fact that Campbell receives no financial compensation from Wendy's for the easement on her property, the sign that beat her to the corner has created certain other issues.  Because Norway only allows one sign per lot, and since Wendy's already had a sign on the lot when Hair Plus opened, Campbell has not been able to erect a sign for her own business.

"Every business should have their own sign, it makes perfect sense to me," said Holt.

However, Gray stated that Campbell was aware of the easement when she purchased the property, and that she would have to follow local ordinances which would require her to pay a fee to erect a second sign announcing her own business.

And, because Campbell's husband Randy, who is a contractor, was forced to put the building "right up against the setbacks" in order to accommodate her parking lot, the Wendy's sign actually comes close to being directly in front of her salon. 

Campbell noted that "a half dozen people" have actually come into her salon inquiring if they were in Wendy's.  At that, Campbell silently gestured around her establishment, where three women sat in various stages of remodeling.  It was an expression meant to convey her frustration.  'Does this look like a fast-food joint?" her raised eyebrows seemed to say.

Barring an agreement to move the Wendy's sign closer to the corner, Campbell's other proposed solution would be to give in to those who insist on making the left hand turn into Wendy's.  She stated that she would be willing to enlarge the easement for Wendy's if it meant widening the access road enough to allow the entry of cars coming from both directions. 

"The way they have it laid out now is just ridiculous," Campbell  said.

Unfortunately, this solution is unlikely to fly with the planning board.  According to Gray, when the access road for Wendy's had first been proposed, a traffic study had been conducted.  The result was that MDOT declared Paris Street would have to be widened to create a new turning lane.  That requirement led to the current configuration compromise and would, Gray said, still apply.

Still, Gray noted that the planning board would be willing to listen to any other solution that might come along.  Campbell currently has her attorney seeking a dialogue with representatives from Wendy's, who could not be reached by press time for a comment.  Depending on the outcome of those discussions, Campbell does then intend to address the planning board.

In the meantime, Campbell has an important message for drivers who prioritize hunger over hairstyle.

"People just need to be careful," she said.  "They need to know that the middle of my parking lot is the right-of-way for students."

Will Minot approve a road to nowhere?

MINOT — The Minot recreation committee, recently created in March 2004, has developed a plan to construct new hiking trails on town owned property.  As a starting point for this project, they will seek $137,500 from voters at the town meeting in March, with the majority of this funding earmarked for construction of a 2,000-foot access road into the area where trailheads will be built at a later time.

“It’s [about] getting the area access, getting people walking around back there,” said Dean Campbell, a member of the recreation committee who is also chairman of the town’s board of selectmen.

Campbell was referring to the committee’s strategy of developing the project in phases, starting with the access road.  While it may seem odd to begin with an access road that, at least for a period of time, will not access anything, committee members theorize that this will be the best way to secure public support for later construction of the trails themselves.

“We’ve got to get the interest into it first,” said committee member Candice Benwitz.  “After getting that road in there, and getting people back in there to see that field, is when we’ll see the interest [needed for continuing the project,]”

“85-percent of the town has no idea what is down there,” declared Jim Chesare, putting it another way.

What is down there, committee members say, is a large area of relatively flat farmland, mostly already cleared, with an “interesting terrain” that includes many old stone walls.  As a professional engineer, Benwitz has already donated her time and equipment towards conducting a survey of the land.  Based on her recommendations, the access road will lead to what she described as the optimal location not only for trail heads, but also for the eventual addition of three new ball fields.

The 146-acre municipal property is comprised of six contiguous lots obtained by the town over a period of 30 years.  The two main, and oldest, parcels are the site of the Minot Consolidated School on Shaw Hill Road and the town office complex on Woodman Hill Road. 

Added to these properties in 2002 were two additional lots, known locally as the “Old Morrison Farm” and the “Hanscomb property.”     

“We bought it [the two lots] for recreational use and to tie school property in with municipal property we already had,” explained Campbell.

The fifth lot is a small parcel of land at the corner of Woodman Hill Road and Shaw Hill Road that Minot acquired “five or six years ago.”   Recently added to these five lots was a small area of wetlands and vernal pools donated to the town.  This last lot is situated nearly in the center of the site, wedged in between the Morrison and Hanscomb lots.

Most of the new construction, where recreation committee members would like to get residents “walking around,” is planned for the Morrison Farm lot. 

The proposed access road will start with a 100-foot by 200-foot expansion to the school parking lot.  From there, a dirt road will lead into the Morrison Farm property.  

One minor complication for the project, according to Town Administrator Gregory E. Gill, is that the Morrison farmland had previously been accepted as a 14-lot subdivision prior to its takeover by the town.  This development plan, known as the Hodge Hill subdivision, will need to be “unregistered” with the Androscoggin Registry of Deeds before any other use can go forward.

The new use that recreation committee members have in mind has its origins in a survey mailed to all Minot households in August.

1,056 letters went out asking residents which types of projects they would like the committee to focus on.  Only 61 completed forms were returned.  However, committee member Lisa Chesare described this 6-percent response as “better than the average return.”

Among the choices included in the questionnaire were ball fields, tennis courts, rollerblading, skateboarding, walking and hiking trails, and bike trails, as well as that dependable catchall: “Other.”

Of the respondents, 25 listed walking trails as their highest priority.  22 requested new soccer fields.  19 wanted “Babe Ruth League” ball fields and 15 were inclined towards biking trails.

Based on this survey, the recreation committee opted to start with walking trails as the best use of the town land, and to start with the access road as the best means of making that plan a reality.

Minot Road Commissioner Arlan Saunders had estimated construction of the access road, as well as an addition to the school parking lot, if “built to town specs,” at $150,000.  This price would have included paving, a concept later discarded.

One integral component in launching the project out of the wishing stage is the assumption that matching grants can be secured.  

“They [voters] will look at $250,000 [for the entire project] and they’re going to have a coronary,” said Campbell.  “It’s pretty much guaranteed. 

“[But] if we have all of our numbers together, [if we] say [to voters] we’re going for a 50 percent grant.  They might go for it.”

Assuming voters do “go for it,” the committee intends to pursue a National Park Service grant that will reimburse the town for 50 percent of the access road construction.  A warrant approved by selectmen at their December 20 meeting will ask voters to appropriate $100,000 for this purpose. 

Then, in the fall, the committee will apply for a Maine Recreational Trail grant.  If awarded, this grant will reimburse as much as $30,000 (80 percent) of the $37,500 voters will be asked to raise towards trail construction.

According to Gill, grant requirements would include approval of the site by the State Planning Office and the Bureau of Parks and Lands.  The town would also have to establish an oversight committee and sign a contract agreeing to retain the land, to allow public use, to guarantee regular maintenance, and to install a plaque acknowledging receipt of the grants.

Gill also noted that the town would have to raise at town meeting a sum equal to the entire cost of the project.  This is because both grants would not be paid until four to six weeks after the project is completed and the appropriate forms are filed.  

“You can use certain in-kind funds for the half the town will still be responsible for,” said Gill.  “You can use the highway department.  So you can come up with some of the [town’s] match that way.”

If voters do approve the requested amounts, it could have an impact on their mil rate.  Gill estimated that, with the mil rate currently at $14 per $1,000 of accessed value, property owners could expect an average household increase of $70 to their property tax bills. 

Still, the recreation committee is serious enough about the project that some minor work has already begun.

“They [highway department vehicles] are hauling stuff down in there right now anyway.  What are they doing?” asked Jim Chesare.

“Any decent ditching material, I’m having them start filling down in there,” answered Campbell.

“Oh, don’t you dare let them fill that wetland,” hissed Benwitz.

Minot 2005 budget takes shape

MINOT — Prior to their regular session on December 20, the Minot Board of Selectmen met for more than an hour to take their first initial swipes at the town’s 2005 operating budget.  Also attending the session were Town Administrator Gregory E. Gill and outgoing Treasurer Connie Taker.

Selectmen believe that voters should find very little in the way of budgeting surprises, when they gather at the annual town meeting in March.

Only one new expenditure is anticipated at this time.  Town fathers intend to honor a request from Road Commissioner Arlan Saunders to purchase a “skid steer” — a small four-wheeled vehicle, usually with a hydraulic loader attachment.

“It’s about the most versatile thing you can buy,” said Chairman Dean Campbell.

“I’m not really in favor of financing that skid steer,” added Campbell, referencing how the purchase is likely to appear on the town meeting warrant.  “I’d rather pay that in one year [and] be done with it.”

Gill advised selectmen that the Maine Municipal Authority (MMA), who this past year took over as the town’s insurer, was recommending that Minot budget for a 15 percent increase in premiums. 

“They only expect rates to go up 10 to 11 percent,” said Gill, “[but] they told me to make sure, just in case, to put in [for] a 15 percent increase.”

Gill said that, due to the timing of the town meeting, he will not be able to get a concrete figure from MMA.  He expects an exact percentage for the immanent increase to be made available to him “sometime in May.”

According to Campbell, the town also expects a 1.9 percent increase in county taxes.

However, most, if not all, of these new budgetary responsibilities are expected to be offset by a decrease in costs associated with Minot’s membership in the Mid-Maine Waste Action Corporation (MMWAC.) 

Selectmen cleaved $20,000 off of last year’s $52,000 appropriation for fees at the MMWAC transfer station in Auburn.

Because Minot no longer allows dumping of what is termed “oversized bulky waste,” the town does not need to set aside nearly as much money as it had in the past for “tipping fees” — the costs to dispose of one container car full of trash.  Minot residents must now pay out of pocket to drop off such items at MMWAC.

“We found people were basically tearing down houses,” said Campbell, when asked why Minot had decided, during the last fiscal year, that it would not longer pay for this service.

“For the average person to bring over something bulky, like a couch or something, it’s not really expensive,” said Campbell.

Additional savings were found when it was decided to no longer print enough copies of the annual town report to distribute to all households.  Instead, this coming year, a simple postcard will be sent out advising when the report becomes available for pick-up at the town office.  Copies will also be available on the floor of the town meeting.

Selectmen will hold their next budget meeting at 7:00 p.m., December 30, in the large meeting room of the Minot Town Office.  Selectmen will use this meeting to consider 2005 salaries.

Campbell stated that selectmen intend to hire a replacement for Taker.  They do not anticipate folding the treasurer’s position in with the town manager duties as Taker had recommended when she resigned in early December.

Selectmen then plan to hold their first formal meeting with the town’s budget committee on January 6.  That meeting is also scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the town office.

2004 Year-in-Review (October to December)

OCTOBER

October 7, 2004

Creeping black fungus wipes out man’s dream

OXFORD HILLS — Nearly one year after black mold forced 62-year old Gaynor Fitch out of his home and destroyed his health, the local maintenance man was still trying to recoup his financial losses.

The Advertiser-Democrat featured Gaynor’ plight, including his attempts to rehabilitate the used trailer he had obtained five years earlier, and his related history of health problems.

Inspectors with Community Concepts advised Gaynor to vacate the home, due to the insidious mold which had spread into the flooring, the insulation, the ceiling, and had rotted-out rafters.  State inspectors were unable to determine if the mold was present before Gaynor had taken possession of the mobile home.  Representatives from the Maine Manufactured Housing Board stated that there was no violation of the “implied warranty” on the home.

Plan to Change high school surprises SAD 17 directors

OXFORD — Questions and skepticism were the order of the day when a committee assigned to study “smaller learning communities” reported to the SAD 17 school board on what it termed the “advantages of switching to a team-orientated, four group approach for the high school.” 

The concept of four completely autonomous “vertical” teams in grades seven through 12, each with its own budget, administration, guidance department, schedule, and curriculum seemed to run counter to the original concept for the school when it opened in 1998, which was aimed at bringing technical and academic classes together in what was then described as a “seamless environment.”

Board members were concerned that the new plan might lead to increases in administrative costs.  The plan was also derided for its potential to “label,” or categorize, students.

Sheriff asks county to fund three more deputies

OXFORD COUNTY — As Commissioner’s gathered to finalize the new county budget, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department met them with a request to increase their own budget by $210,639 — or, 28.38 percent.  The increase was intended to fund three additional deputy positions.  The Sheriff’s Department, which has not added a new deputy since 1990, has reportedly become besieged with requests for increased coverage, especially in the more rural areas of the county.

October 14, 2004

Sherry and one-year-old twins thriving

REGION — It was a happy story that led the newspaper this week, when we followed up on Sherry Mason, now 17, whose difficult pregnancy we had first covered in August 2003. 

While still in the womb, Sherry’s babies — Abigail and Allison — had suffered from twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a condition in which one twin gets too much blood from the placenta and the other too little.  Each twin weighed in at under two pounds when they were born three months premature via emergency Caesarian section in October 2003. 

When we reintroduced readers to the twins one year later, they were happy and healthy despite some lingering health concerns.  Sherry was just moving out of a group home she and the twins had briefly been required to stay in by the Maine Department of Human Services.  She was now hoping to finish high school.

Feds have $2 million for tech park

NORWAY — Brett Doney, CEO of the Oxford Hills Growth Council announced that the Economic Development Administration, an arm of the U. S. Department of Commerce, had approved a pre-application worth $2 million to fund a portion of the planned infrastructure for a new business park at the top of Pike’s Hill.

“We are confident that this will lead to a final award [of the grant] in 2005,” said Doney.

If received, the grant will be used to run electricity and telecommunications lines, and to build storm water and fire protection systems at the new complex.

Priest’s body found in woods

OXFORD COUNTY — A body found off South Arm Road in Andover was identified as Rumford Priest Gordon “Father Mike” Chiasson.  Chiasson had been missing since September 29.  Sheriff’s Captain James Miclon stated that Chiasson had been dead “for some time” and that no foul play was suspected.

October 21, 2004

Officials try to deal with bullies

OXFORD — When a local mother expressed her concerns to the SAD 17 school board over the possible return to school of a youth who was accused of assaulting her son, we reviewed the district’s “zero tolerance” policy on bullying.

Those efforts center on actively involving the 85-percent of the school population, referred to as “bystanders,” who are not either directly involved in, or the victims of, bullying.

We also made special note of the 15 to 20 fifth and sixth grade students at the Guy E. Rowe Elementary School in Norway who are leaders in the “bully-busters” program.

Voters remove Roberts in Greenwood

GREENWOOD — In a special town meeting attended by 93 residents, voters approved a measure to remove Selectman Ivan Roberts from office.  The vote was 70 to 23 in favor of recalling Roberts.

Roberts fought for his job, noting his contributions to a recently completed dam project and towards cleaning up local junkyards.  He also claimed that he was alone among local selectmen in attending various training sessions and workshops.  Other municipal officers countered that Roberts overspent while taking part in those classes and that Roberts was “rude” and “difficult to work with.”

State official praises local highway effort

OXFORD HILLS — David Cole, commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, attended a local transportation summit and lavished praise on the Fix 26 Corridor Committee.  He stated that the region has become a leader when it comes to transportation issues.

The summit prioritized upcoming road issues, with the committee now focused on the following projects: reconstruction of Route 26 from the junction with Route 122 near the Poland Spring Inn traveling north to the Poland Regional High School.  Rebuilding the section of Route 26 in front of Oxford Plains Speedway.  Reworking Route 117 from Norway to Harrison.  Building a pedestrian bridge linking the former C. B. Cummings property to Main Street in Norway.  Also discussed was the concept of building a Route 26 bypass around downtown Bryant Pond.

October 28, 2004

Arsonist being sought by police

OXFORD — Police, forest rangers, and firefighters were on the lookout for an arsonist believed to have set a series of 13 small fires along a three-quarter mile wooded section of Skeetfield Road. 

The fires along the busy road were spotted soon enough — most having grown to only two or three feet in diameter — so that they were quickly extinguished.  However, authorities were concerned over the apparent manner in which the fires had set, theorizing the use of a “charcoal lighter of some kind.”

Oxford Hills jobless rate creeps up

OXFORD HILLS — We noted that local unemployment rates in the Norway-Paris Labor Market Area were inching up, from 5.3 percent in July, to 5.5 percent in August, and then to 5.8 percent in September.

This percentage was well above the 4.1 percent rate of unemployment for the state.  The national average was at 5.1 percent, but was actually moving in the opposite direction, down from 5.4 percent in the previous month.

It was also noted that there are currently approximately 700 persons without jobs in our area, while some 11,330 individuals are gainfully employed.

County Commissioners won’t hire more deputies

OXFORD COUNTY — County commissioners slashed $124,838 out of the requested budget increase from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department.  This effectively killed at least two of the three new deputy positions the department had been hoping to create. 

At work was a schism between the smaller towns of the county, which are requesting additional police coverage, and the larger towns, which are funding their own police departments in addition to contributing to the county budget for those same services.

NOVEMBER

November 4, 2004

Young child dies in trailer fire

OXFORD — After a week with multiple fires of unknown origin, the news centered on one blaze, in a Cheryl Lane mobile home, with a definite cause.  Tragically, this fire resulted in the death of a seven-year-old boy.

State Fire Marshall Sergeant Ken Grimes traced the origin of the fire to a couch in the center of the trailer, where smoking materials were later determined to be the source of ignition.

Kathy Bennett, 37, and Neil Gephart, 30, escaped through a bedroom window on one side of the trailer.  Their neighbor Raymond Reece, along with Police Officer Alan Coffin, rescued seven-year-old Shawn and 11-month old Andrea from the other end.  Sadly, Shawn was later pronounced dead at Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway, having succumbed to smoke inhalation.

Voters reject tax cap

OXFORD HILLS — The Advertiser-Democrat reported on initial poll results from the November referendum vote.  Question one, known popularly as the “Pelesky initiative,” had asked voter approval to cap property taxes at one percent of value, and to roll back those valuations to 1996 levels.

Support for the measure had initially been high in the spring, but support wavered as election day drew near.  Many local municipalities and school districts campaigned against the measure, noting that it would result in draconian cuts to town services.

All 18 towns in our coverage area weighed in against the proposal.  The measure had its greatest support in Hartford (48.2 percent), Mechanic Falls (47.7 percent), and Sumner (47.3 percent.)  The initiative lost by the widest margin in Stoneham, where “yes” only garnered 27.8 percent of the vote.  This was followed by the only other towns in our coverage area where “Pelesky” got less than 40 percent of the vote: Hebron (38.5 percent) and Waterford (39.4 percent.)

However, it is worth noting that Advertiser-Democrat readers seemed, among all voters, the least enthusiastic about abandoning Pelesky’s goal.  Within the newspaper’s circulation area, “Yes” held on for 41.6 percent of the vote.  In contrast, “Yes” only garnered 41 percent in Oxford County as a whole, 40.4 percent in Androscoggin County, and 37 percent statewide.

November 11, 2004

Little boy honors loss of friend

OXFORD — We followed up on the previous week’s devastating fire with a report on the cause from the Maine Department of Public Safety.  We also introduced readers to Kyle Rogers, the seven-year-old best friend of the child killed in the blaze.

Kyle had decided to reach out and help his friend’s family, single-handedly collecting $540 in donations in just one day.  Kyle visited area businesses, such as Oxford Homes, Burlington Homes, and Record Lumber, all of whom donated.  The first $240 Kyle collected was matched by Don and Terry Strout of Moon Dog Drywall.

One hurt in North Norway fire

NORWAY — Another fire was front-page news, this one at 598 Greenwood Road, the former location of Kavuja’s Country Store.  The store had been converted into a private residence.  According to Norway Assistant Fire Chief Jim Tibbetts, tenant Robert Paradis had been attempting to light a pilot light in a propane oven when an explosion occurred.  Paradis was transported to Stephens Memorial Hospital with “serious,” but not life-threatening, burns.

Rape Crisis center broke, closes

OXFORD HILLS — With payments coming in late from Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services, and without a cushion of donations to fall back on, the Rape Education and Crisis Hotline (REACH) was forced to close it’s doors, laying off all four employees.  Some volunteers remained for various support and advocacy services.

November 18, 2004

Dismal holiday for hundreds of kids?

OXFORD HILLS — On a related note, with the holiday season fast approaching, the Advertiser-Democrat focused on the struggles of Christmas for Kids.

Gerri Price, a coordinator for the local charity, which provides toys and winter clothing to needy families, told us that she already had more applications than last year, but that donations had dropped to such an extent that the program was “in crisis.”

One special concern, Price noted, was that former employees of local mills, once among the strongest block of donators, were reportedly now on the receiving end.

Buckfield loses thousands without a plan

BUCKFIELD — We reported on the efforts of Buckfield, like many towns in our area, to update its comprehensive plan.  Without a current plan, the town remains ineligible for many grants that it might otherwise apply for. 

While many towns in our coverage area are in the midst of a ten-year cycle of updating local growth plans, Buckfield’s plan has not been officially updated since 1985.

Business loan fund replenished

OXFORD HILLS — Western Maine Finance, the financial arm of Enterprise Maine, announced that it has received a $500,000 grant from USDA Rural Development.  These funds will be used in their Intermediary Relending Program, which will use the funds to make loans to area businesses — both new startups and those hoping to expand.

November 25, 2004

Paris selectmen accused of ‘law violations’

SOUTH PARIS — Selectman Barbara Payne stopped the board dead in its tracks when she publicly reprimanded them for conducting what she felt to be unlawful executive sessions.

Although this appeared to cause some acrimony at the time, Payne’s warning has since resulted in a plan to hold a workshop so that municipal officers, and others, from the area could study Maine laws concerning public access of information.

Sheriff may get three more deputies

OXFORD HILLS — The Oxford County Budget Committee put a funding request from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department solidly back on the books, overruling the county commissioners who had earlier cut the requested budget increase to fund three new deputy positions.

While it was agreed that nine more deputies would be needed to “adequately” staff the department, debate continued to swirl around how to best levy taxes for that coverage.  The smaller towns continued to support funding for new deputies while the larger towns with their own police departments were, generally, against the proposal.

Federico new Norway Chief

NORWAY — While the county was haggling over deputies, we noted the hiring of a new Police Chief in Norway. 

Local officer Sergeant Rob Federico was already a grandfather when he made a career move into law enforcement in 1995.  In a meteoric rise from part-time patrol officer to Police Chief, Federico was praised for “extremely good communication skills and an open attitude with the public.”

Federico replaced Chief Tim Richards, who had been terminated in April after charges that he had violated a restraining order filed be a former girlfriend who had also been, at one time, his subordinate in the Norway department.

DECEMBER

December 2, 2004

Raging vandal violates dead child’s ashes

WEST PARIS — In what was perhaps the saddest, and most disturbing, story of 2004, the Advertiser-Democrat reported on the tragic loss of Tina Loring. 

Burglars had battered down the rear door of Loring’s Tuelltown Road mobile home while she was away and had gone on a rampage, punching as many 61 holes in the walls. 

But the most sickening aspect of the wanton destruction was the violation of an urn containing the ashes of Loring’s 12-year old daughter, Cassie Bennett, who had died of a brain tumor eight years ago.  The urn was smashed and Cassie’s remains were scattered all about the home.

Although law enforcement sources have since identified, but not named, a “person of interest,” not enough evidence has yet been collected in order for an arrest to be made.

Should towns charge for fire calls?

GREENWOOD — Like many area small town all-volunteer fire department’s, Greenwood has been struggling to keep up with costs, training, and regulations.  We reported on the issue when we focused on local discussions of whether the town’s fire department should begin charging a fee for responding to certain types of calls.  No decision was reached, but the debate continues to be of interest throughout the Oxford Hills.

December 9, 2004

Deer sting nails two for poaching

OXFORD — We reported on three game wardens and an Oxford Police Officer who spent Thanksgiving Day manning a “robo-deer.”  The lifelike mechanical animal, positioned in a pasture just off of East Oxford Road, was designed to draw the attention of would-be poachers.  The stakeout location was chosen for being nearby to Jackson’s Deer Farm, where domesticated red deer and elk had been shot with a bow and arrow the previous winter.

Two local men were cited as a result of the sting.  A 45-year old Oxford man actually took a shot, while a 19-year old Hebron man, apprehended before he fired, was summonsed for carrying a loaded weapon in a motor vehicle.  Both men also received additional tickets for “hunting” without wearing the requisite safety orange.

Williams quits at chamber

OXFORD HILLS — After ten years as head of the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce, John Williams stepped down in order to focus on his broadcasting business.  Williams’ resignation is effective December 31.

December 16, 2004

Selectman provides fire victims with presents

NORWAY — Amanda Tapley had planned to take her two young daughters, Kaitlyn and Madison, and move out of state after Christmas.  One might have expected that decision to have been hastened when a fire ravaged their Cottage Street apartment in October, robbing them of all their possessions.

But, when a outpouring of local support flooded in — including a substantial financial gift from Norway Selectman Bill Damon and his wife Beatrice designed to make sure Amanda’s young girls had a merry Christmas — Amanda found herself with a brand new outlook on the Oxford Hills communities.

“I can’t think of any other place I would want my kids to grow up,” she said.

Officials mum on ‘big box store’

OXFORD — After noticing several surveyor stakes in the field where the Oxford Drive-In had once been located, the Advertiser-Democrat sent a reporter to investigate.  What we turned up was evidence that something is happening, even though all parties involved have reportedly been sworn to secrecy. 

Brett Doney, executive director of Enterprise Maine, confirmed that a national development company has put options on properties in the area.  Although he declined to name the company, he stated that “it does include a big box retail.”

However, Doney noted that actual construction on the site “could take place right away, or [be] put on hold for any number of years.”

Paris picks Sharon Jackson as manager

SOUTH PARIS — After two separate terms as interim town manager for Oxford, in which she was passed over both times for the top spot, Sharon Jackson was hired as the new town manager for Paris. 

Jackson replaces Steve McAllister, who surprised the board of selectmen with his sudden resignation to start a private business in Waterford

December 23, 2004

Calls reduce anguish for local military families

IRAQ/ GREATER OXFORD HILLS — Following the terrorist attack on a military dining hall in Monsul, Iraq, which killed two guardsmen from Maine and injured 10 others, we anxiously joined our surrounding communities as, one by one, our beloved soldiers in the 133d Engineer Battalion called home to check in with family members.

Should small towns pay for sheriff’s deputies?

OXFORD COUNTY — The debate over the funding of additional deputies at the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department reached a new crescendo when Bethel Town Manager Scott Cole began circulating a plan for proposed legislation that would reconfigure the funding formula, relieving larger town’s that operate their own police departments from some of the burden of supporting the Sheriff's department.

Join the crowd — urge L. L. Bean to stay here

OXFORD HILL — And finally, we advised our readers of a grassroots attempt, currently gaining momentum, whose goal is to convince the Maine-based outdoor apparel and equipment company to open up a permanent call center in the Oxford Hill area.

L. L. Bean had recently operated a seasonal call center in Oxford, while simultaneously abandoning plans to open a permanent operation in Oakland.  That satellite office was scuttled when a national cell phone company announced designs on a cell center in the same business park.  L. L. Bean pulled out, citing concerns over an adequate labor pool in that area.

We noted the large, talented pool of workers right here in the Oxford Hills.  We also pointed out how L. L. Bean’s founder and namesake, Leon Leonwood Bean, grew up in Greenwood.  And we brought our readers attention to a giant photo opportunity in which the community was being asked to turn out in L. L. bean clothing for an outdoor photo that will be turned into a promotional poster for the campaign.