Compiled by Staff Writer Peggy Roberts, the Year-in-Review recaps the last year of news events in the Lakes Region. This week we present January through June’s items. Next week, look for the second half of the year. As this extensive list indicates, 2005 was a long year with many interesting developments. New stories caught our attention and old stories reappeared with different twists. Read through and jog your memory of what the first half of 2005 offered the Lakes Region.

January 7 issue

Plans for a Raymond Pond public boat launch on Knapp Road fell through because of a problem with the property’s title. The Baston family sought to sell the 7-acre parcel in east Raymond to the state but an easement to use the current access road could not be obtained.

Changes in the state’s educational funding formula under the new LD1924 legislation initially would have changed Frye Island’s contribution amount to SAD 6 from over $700,000 to zero. Under the new legislation, assessments are calculated based on the number of students a town sends to a school district. Since Frye Island sends no students, under the new formula their share would have dropped to zero. State Sen. Bill Diamond (D-Windham) said he and Rep. Gary Moore (R-Standish) planned to ask the committee to address the island’s unique situation to hold them to their obligations to SAD 6.

The State Planning Office has determined Windham’s comprehensive plan is too vague as drafted. But Windham sought to keep the plan less specific to avoid liability. The issue is still unresolved.

January 14

An auto accident killed Windham resident Kenneth Drouin when a car hit his truck, which had stalled in the middle of Pope Road while plowing snow. Drouin, who was standing next to the driver’s door, had called a friend to tow the vehicle when a car slammed into the passenger side, pinning Drouin in a ditch underneath his truck. He left behind his wife, Jennifer, and two young children, Caitlin and Brandon.

Windham hired Gorham’s tax assessor, David Sawyer, of South Portland, after being without a full-time permanent assessor since October, 2003. Sawyer’s new position came about only a month after Windham and Gorham decided against a combined assessing department. Sawyer had held the Gorham position for the past 14 years.

The Standish Town Council voted to apply for a $10,000 planning grant to investigate ways the town could regionalize various services with surrounding communities. The town planned to look at options with Gorham, Gray, Windham, Raymond and Freeport.

January 21

Sen. Bill Diamond (D-Windham) and Rep. Gary Moore (R-Standish) added language specifically addressing a Frye Island loophole in Gov. Baldacci’s tax reform package. The proposed changes meant Frye Island would continue to pay taxes into SAD 6.

Schools and organizations in the Lakes Region reached out to tsunami victims. SAD 6, Windham and Raymond schools raised money to donate to relief groups including the American Red Cross and Save the Children.

Windham considered a new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district in North Windham with benefits to be directed toward Windham taxpayers. Windham Director of Economic Development Keith Luke said the town could shelter about $35 million in projected property value as a result of the Lowe’s and Home Depot projects, saving state subsidy for education.

January 28

Robert LaMontagne, 78, was hit and killed on the morning of January 26 while crossing River Road in Windham. A familiar sight to many locals, LaMontagne walked the busy road daily, picking up trash. He had lived at the Windham Residential Care Facility on River Road since 1991.

Standish town councilors decided not to implement a pay-as-you-throw, curbside trash pickup program this year because it would add about $500,000 to the budget for pick-up and to transition to the new system. They agreed to revisit the idea in the next year or two.

Two separate developers sought financial support including a state grant and a new tax increment financing district to convert the old Keddy Mill site in South Windham into a combination of affordable housing and condominiums. Questor, a private development firm owned by Renee Lewis sought to build an 85-unit condo subdivision and Avesta Housing sought a 24-unit elderly housing complex.

February 4

Windham resident John Corbin, 58, was arrested for allegedly possessing and distributing pornographic images of children. With three prior convictions in California that included “lewd and lascivious acts upon a child under 14 years of age” and indecent exposure, Corbin was already registered as a sex offender. The arrest came after months of undercover investigation from an Internet child pornography sting operation.

The town of Standish hired Martin Jordan, 50, as their new Fire/EMS chief. Jordan, who said firefighting was the only full-time position he’d ever had, has a son in the Portland Fire Department and a brother in the Fire/EMS Department in Norton, Mass.

February 11

All but one employee at the North Windham Corner Store/Exxon quit their jobs over a dispute with a district manager from Webber involving racial and weight-related slurs. The walkout forced the former store manager to close the doors to the facility just two days before the Super Bowl, generally a lucrative few days. According to Michael Shea, president of Bangor-based Webber Oil, the company planned to reopen with new employees by Monday, Feb. 14.

The Portland Water District announced their intention to add an additional 4.88 miles of fencing on district land around Sebago Lake as part of their plan to open 1,700 acres of land to walking, hiking, fishing, hunting and snowmobiling to the public. District spokesperson, Michelle Clements, said the fence was necessary to control the security and quality of the water supply.

February 18

Bonny Eagle High School cheerleaders won the Class A state championship in Bangor on Feb. 12.

Manchester Elementary School principal Ronald Cote resigned from his position citing “health reasons.” Cote had come under fire from parents for allegedly causing the resignation of a popular teacher last October. Cote now works as principal for a school in the Midcoast region.

At a Standish Planning Board workshop, about a dozen residents gathered to express their disapproval concerning plans by two area developers to expand working gravel pits. Peter Busque and R.J. Grondin & Sons both planned to increase their mining rights, reducing the 250-foot buffer strip of mature pine trees between the two pits.

February 25

A petition circulated by Raymond resident Teresa Sadak targeting the town’s superintendent of schools received more than 200 certified signatures. The petition read, “We, the undersigned, being registered voters in the town of Raymond, request the Raymond School Board to re-evaluate the position of Sandra Caldwell as superintendent as we feel she does not have the children’s best interest or well-being in mind.” Some of the reasons individuals signed the petition included concern about the lack of the superintendent’s attendance at school functions, school budget shortcomings, and questioning whether the town needed a superintendent for two schools.

Executive Director Darcy Boulton of Crossroads for Women expressed consternation about the effect Gov. Baldacci’s proposed cuts to Medicaid would have on the Windham-based substance abuse program. Crossroads has been primarily funded by Medicaid payments to women without children. In Baldacci’s proposal, payments through Maine Care would be limited to women with children only as a way of reducing the tax burden.

March 4

Records were shattered at the fifth annual Windham Rotary Ice Fishing Derby Fest with the size of both crowd and catch. This year, the derby boasted the two largest fish ever caught, 2,300 registrants and crowds of at least 10,000 on the ice. The event netted about $100,000 for Camp Sunshine and the Maine Children’s Cancer program.

At a four-hour school committee meeting, Raymond residents were presented with a school budget representing a 4.1 percent increase in total expenses. Primarily, some residents were upset with the school committee’s proposal to eliminate a part-time social worker and full-time early childhood intervention coordinator.

A contingent of Maine soldiers finished the final leg of a return trip from Iraq to begin life as private citizens once again. Eighty-three members of the Maine Army National Guard’s 133rd Engineer Battalion were reunited with family and friends at a moving ceremony in the Westbrook High School gymnasium.

March 11

Town Manager Gordon Billington presented the proposed Standish municipal budget for fiscal year 2006 to the Town Council. The total increase in the budget, with the largest chunk slated for street improvements, was $583,000, or 5 percent.

Mary Wassick, 39, of Maplewood Avenue was appointed to an interim position on the Windham School Board. Wassick, who previously served on the board from 1999 to 2002, replaced Mel Winslow who resigned the month before.

Boy Scout Troop 800 from Raymond presented a check for $850 to soldiers representing the 2nd Battalion, 304th Regiment family support program. The troop earned the money by selling breakfasts and lunches during February’s Rotary Derby Fest.

March 18

The Standish Town Council enacted an emergency ban that forces trucks from R.J. Grondin & Sons gravel pit to use Gorham roads rather than Middle Jam Road in Standish. The council limited the weight of trucks on Middle Jam to 26,000 pounds.

By mid-March, towns in the Lakes Region towns were over budget for winter operations. With an increase in the cost of salt and a snowfall average that was way above normal, Windham was about $100,000 over budget. Other towns felt the pinch, as well with Raymond at $12,000 over, Standish at $19,000 over and Naples at $16,000 over budget.

March 25

A $4.5 million sewer line was proposed to replace an aging treatment plant shared by South Windham and Gorham. Windham Town Manager Tony Plante said it would encourage redevelopment at the mill site and attract other commercial developments to the region.

The Windham Town Council voted 5-1 to approve granting a liquor license to Brenda Day, the new owner of the Barnhouse Tavern on Route 35. The decision reversed an earlier denial of the license Day applied for with her former business partner John Wyman. At that time, Day responded “no” when the council asked if either applicant had a criminal background.

In a late session at Bonny Eagle High School, SAD 6 board members approved the 2005/2006 school budget. The $35.64 million budget was an increase of $1.66 million over last year’s budget.

April 1

Legislation was introduced that could increase the Portland Water District’s property taxes by more than $330,000. The bill would require public access to lands placed in tree growth tax status. The district owns almost 2,000 acres of waterfront property on Sebago Lake that is tax sheltered in tree growth but that is also fenced in and posted no trespassing.

Martin’s Point Health Care announced it would close its Windham branch in May due to “medical staffing issues.” The facility said it was unable to find a replacement for its only primary care physician and that it was struggling financially.

The Windham Planning Board approved a design guidelines proposal to regulate aesthetic aspects of new construction. Discussion of such a proposal had been ongoing in the town for the past four years.

At a Standish Planning Board meeting in March, Standish entrepreneur Dana Lampron presented preliminary sketches and plans for a 12-bay gas station and convenience store on Route 25.

April 8

A heavily traveled section of Route 114 disappeared into the Sticky River as rainfall and melting snow pushed tons of water through the culvert beneath the road surface. Only moments before the collapse, vehicle traffic was still using the road and disaster was averted only because emergency personnel were in place.

The Portland Water District withdrew half its lawsuit against the town of Standish. The original lawsuit asked for a declaratory judgment that the district is the sole owner of the land under Northeast Road Extension. When the judge in the suit, Thomas E. Delahanty, II, agreed to Standish’s request that the rights of the heirs of Pearsontown (original name of Standish) be considered in the case and indicated they should be identified and contacted, the district decided the ownership of that land was not the primary issue.

The town of Windham, prompted by illegal dumping of non-recyclable items, closed the two “silver bullet” recycling bins. The bins – one of which was located at the Windham Mall and the other near the Public Safety Building – had been abused by residents dumping household trash, bulky items, hypodermic needles and human waste.

April 15

Windham and Gorham both approved improvements to South Windham’s sewer system. This allowed the Portland Water District to begin the process of installing a new system to be completed in five years.

The Standish Town Council reversed March’s decision to impose a 26,000 pound, emergency weight limit on Middle Jam Road. The reversal came after R.J. Grondin & Sons offered a $25,000 impact fee to Standish for road repairs.

April 22

Carlton Mendell, 83, of Windham, was the oldest runner in the Boston Marathon. Although he didn’t break six hours like he’d hoped, he beat his time from the previous year by 23 minutes, clocking in at 6:43.

The town of Raymond planned to ask voters at June’s town meeting to approve the purchase of an 83-acre parcel of land on Egypt Road. The property, used as a landfill until 1983, belonged to Trudy-Linn Files, who planned to build a 9-lot subdivision on the front portion of the land. The town planned to buy the land in the interest of public safety.

April 29

According to lake level regulators, water levels on Sebago Lake were a couple of inches above “full pond” due to heavy rainfall. Sappi Fine Paper, which monitors the lake levels, opened all five of its dams on the Presumpscot River, releasing 190,000 cubic feet of water per minute from the lake.

Naples formed a downtown revitalization committee. At their first meeting, the committee brainstormed ideas for the future of the causeway and surrounding area.

May 6

Windham councilors discussed buying a 23-acre lot on Route 202 abutting the Smith Cemetery. The lot, eyed by the council for future development, was for sale for $400,000.

An electrical fire destroyed D&J Excavating on the corner of Route 302 and Vance Drive in Windham. By the time firefighters were on the scene, the blaze was burning through the roof.

May 13

Windham council approved the purchase of the 23-acre lot on Route 202. Although the decision to purchase the $400,000 lot was met with some dissention, in the end, the vote was 4-1.

The Kiwanis Club planned to host their third annual boat races on Watchic Lake, Saturday and Sunday, May 14 and 15. Expected to attract 45 entries and 300 spectators, the event was not without its detractors, who objected to the noise, the disruption and the possibility of introducing milfoil to the lake.

The town of Standish presented Florence Sturgis with the Boston Post Cane at a luncheon at the Steep Falls Fire Barn. Sturgis, 97, has lived in Standish for the past 75 years.

May 20

Voicing opposition to the proposed school budget, the Standish Town Council issued an order recommending a “no” vote for the 2005/226 SAD 6 budget at the June 14 referendum. By voting for the order, the council publicly opposed the school board’s use of a $3 million increase in state funding the SAD 6 was expected to receive because they wanted the district to use those dollars for property tax relief.

Outside Corsetti’s Market off Windham Center Road, voters gathered to sign a petition to reject the Windham Town Council’s vote to authorize the purchase of 23 acres for future land development. The petition’s main contention was that it should be the voters’ decision to authorize the purchase.

May 27

Over 200 Raymond residents turned out at their annual town meeting and approved the municipal and school budgets. Voters also approved the appropriation of $58,000 to construct a digital broadcast studio and $100,000 to purchase the Egypt Road former landfill property.

Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife finished cleaning up trash at the Little Sebago Lake boat launch. It was suggested that some of the garbage – trash, broken bottles, a mattress and construction debris – was the result of late-night “teen partying.”

June 3

Sebago Lake levels continued to be a source of contention for many area residents as heavy rains and what some have called poor management of the Eel Weir Dam have caused flooding and erosion. For others, S.D. Warren, which regulates the water levels, has done a good job controlling the dam.

The May 31 deadline came and went, bringing to an end a petition drive to overturn the Windham Town Council vote of May 11 to purchase a 23-acre parcel of land. The group who started the petition collected 400 or 500 signatures, far short of the 1,174 signatures needed to overturn the council’s decision.

June 10

The Standish Planning Board approved Dana Lampron’s proposed site plan for Pit Stop Fueling, Inc, a 12-bay gas station and convenience store slated for Route 25. The meeting, lasting until 1:50 a.m. was packed with Standish residents, most of whom opposed the project.

Casco was the only town from SAD 61 to support all of the articles in the school budget referendum. Consequently, the school board had to adjust the budget for another vote scheduled for June 16.

June 17

Raymond selectmen voted to enter into a contract with Frye Island for law enforcement services for a section of Raymond. Under the agreement, Frye Island police would provide a minimum of 20 hours weekly of police protection and law enforcement in exchange for use of Raymond’s Fire/Rescue boat.

In a Sebago car accident, three young people were killed on impact when their small pickup truck went off the road and collided with a tree in Sebago. Joshua Plummer, 23, of Naples, Matthew Waugh, 21, of Westbrook and Tamera Hearn, 18, of LaFayette, Oregon were being pursued by Cumberland County Sheriff Deputy Raymond McIntire when Plummer lost control of the vehicle. The three had spent the evening visiting several parties in the region.

June 24

Longtime Lakes Region Suburban columnist Ken Cole, Jr. passed away. An authority on the outdoors, the life-long Windham resident was described by all who knew him as kind and ready to help out.

Windham and Standish voters approved budgets at their respective town meetings. For Windham residents, votes were cast for both municipal and school budgets. For Standish, in an eight-minute meeting from the first to the last rap of the gavel, voters approved the municipal budget.

Craig McCabe, an inspector for the state Bureau of Liquor Licensing, issues a temporary liquor license to Brenda Day, owner of the Barnhouse Tavern Restaurant in North Windham last February. Despite the police chiefdispute because of errors in the restaurant

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