January


Traffic light funding proposed


    At a joint Cape Elizabeth Town Council/ School Board
meeting, Town Manager Michael McGovern unveiled a preliminary cost to
fund a required traffic light and road expansion at the intersection of
Route 77 and the high school driveway. Calling the proposed funding
formula a “public-private partnership,” McGovern said the roadwork
would be the responsibility of the developers of a yet-to-be proposed
commercial development on a parcel of land on the corner of Route 77
and the high school driveway widely assumed to include a Dunkin Donuts.





Woman arrested after


accusation investigation


    A woman who claimed she was assaulted by a South
Portland police officer was arrested on perjury and other charges in
Biddeford. On Jan. 2, Shannon Wehkoja, 29, a transient, came to the
South Portland Police station to file a complaint against an officer.
The investigation revealed Wehkoja fabricated her story. Police
referred to videotape evidence that demonstrated the officer did not do
the things Wehkoja claimed. Wehkoja’s complaint followed her arrest for
operating under the influence during the early morning hours of Jan. 1.






SMCC outlines campus zone vision


    The college would soon be seeking a zoning change to
allow it to proceed with some of those plans, including the
construction of a new residence hall. The college proposed to create a
“Fort Preble Zone.”  Most of the college property is currently
classified as residential, which limits the dimensions and uses of
proposed buildings.





‘Short cut’ petition to get hearing


    Cape Elizabeth officials announced the town has
received a petition from a citizen’s group concerned about road
connectivity. McGovern recommended to town councilors a public hearing
be set. According to Sharon O’Neil of Neighbors for Sensible
Development, the group filed a petition with over 800 voter signatures
with the Cape Elizabeth town clerk.





February


Lawsuit does not resolve


Edgewood Road dispute


    At its Jan. 18 meeting, the South Portland City
Council authorized a $523,201.63 payment to Cape Elizabeth resident and
developer John Frustaci. But some city officials say the story is not
quite finished.


    The lawsuit, one aspect of a largely unsuccessful
effort by the city and some residents to influence the construction of
a housing development, focused on South Portland’s ability to deny
residents of the new development access to a public road. Frustaci’s
lawsuit claimed he had been harmed by the move, as his development
plans could not proceed as planned without the access.





Armory building back


on council agenda


    The armory, which has been vacant since 1996, was
planned to be the home of a glass and ceramics art museum, but after
the museum filed for bankruptcy in August, plans have changed and the
building is back on the market.


    City councilors have been discussing the potential
purchase of the property in executive session. There have been no exact
plans for what will happen with the armory should the city buy it.


   


New slate of school


projects proposed


    Having just completed the modernization of its
elementary schools, the South Portland School Board will vote on a plan
to renovate the two middle schools and the high school. The
recommendations include an extensive renovation of the high school and
a consolidation of the two middle schools in a new facility to be built
on the property of the current Memorial Middle School. The committee
will recommend the city attempt to get state financing for the
consolidated middle school project and the high school project be
financed by local taxpayers.





Council urges new noise policy


    Engine brakes, broken mufflers, honking horns,
screeching stops, these are some of the sounds of Interstate-295. For
some residents of South Portland, they are also the sounds of home,
sweet home.


    “It’s right in our backyard,” said Ed McDonough of Fowler Road.


    The DOT has a program to dedicate funds to noise
abatement, but the South Portland neighborhood isn’t eligible under the
current policy. City officials, such as Councilor Jim Hughes say the
policy needs to be changed.





March


Spurwink Woods gets


preliminary approval


    The Cape Elizabeth Planning Board issued preliminary
approval to the Spurwink Woods development. Critics of the plan claim
the development will turn several little used dead end streets into
busy through streets that will be used by drivers seeking short cuts to
their destination.





Cape school budget collides with town tax cap


    Board of Education members agreed to reject a
proposed $18.1 million budget targeted to fall under the town
council-imposed 3.4 percent spending increase cap. The decision came at
a workshop in which Supt. Alan Hawkins and other school officials
described cuts needed to achieve the target. Calling the 3.4 percent
budget a “survivor’s budget” Hawkins warned that the school district
has seen an erosion of its budget over several years  and future
cap-controlled school budgets will force cuts in programs and services.





Jordan to step down


    South Portland’s long-time city manager, Jeff Jordan
announced last week his intention to step down from his position at the
end of June. Jordan, who has held the position since 1996, cited “a
need regain balance between [his] professional and personal life.”


   


Fickett’s departure does not


resolve underlying issues


    Long-time South Portland City Councilor Robert “Bob”
Fickett’s last public meeting was punctuated by a dispute that thrust
into the forefront a quiet debate surrounding Fickett’s tenure on the
council, which ends in December of 2007.


    That tenure abruptly ended at the council’s March 20
meeting, when City Manager Jeffrey Jordan read a statement announcing
Fickett’s intention to step down, effective April 1. In recent months,
Fickett’s health has presented councilors, city officials and the media
with a vexing problem: how to balance a family’s right to privacy and
dignity with the public’s right to transparency and effective
government.





Armory purchased


    At a special city council meeting held March 27, the
council voted 4-0 to approve a $650,000 bid for the property known as
the Armory Building. Councilors James Hughes and Linda Boudreau were
absent. The city has not expressed any immediate plans for the site.





April


Pay/display parking proposed for Fort Williams


    Cape Elizabeth Town Manager Michael McGovern
proposed is to install a “Pay and Display” parking fee, throughout the
park. The system uses vending type machines to dispense parking
vouchers that are displayed on a vehicle’s dashboard. The town council
voted 6-1 to form a working group to explore the proposal and make a
recommendation by June 5. The sole dissenting vote was cast by
Councilor Carol Fritz who explained she has a host of objections to any
type of fee structure at the park.





Town, police union divided on retirement plan


    Cape Elizabeth Town Manager Mike McGovern said he
and council members are not willing to convert back to the Maine state
retirement plan he said that plan was agreed to be abandoned 12 years
ago, in 1994. McGovern said reverting back to the Maine state
retirement plan would cost the town approximately a half a million
dollars.


    However, Mark Dorval, a Cape Elizabeth police
officer and president of the Cape Elizabeth Police Benevolent
Association, saw it differently.


    “We’re not looking for the town to exceed the
spending cap,” Dorval said. “It would cost the town $408,478 to buy
people back into the program. All that money is in the Maine state
retirement program’s surplus, the town will not have to eat the cost of
buying us back into the program.”





Jordan to leave City Hall for Brunswick


    Jeff Jordan, who originally tendered his resignation
on March 2 to be effective when the fiscal year ends on June 30,
announced last week he has accepted a position in Brunswick, which
begins May 1. Jordan’s new position is Deputy Director of the Brunswick
Local Redevelopment Authority. The BLRA will coordinate the various
bids and proposals for the bases reuse and distill a comprehensive
reuse plan by September of 2007.





SMCC withdraws new zone proposal


    Southern Maine Community College announced it was
withdrawing its proposal to create a new development zone that would
envelop its Fort Preble campus. SMCC president James Ortiz said the
Fort Preble Zone proposal, intended to smooth the permitting process
for the new dorm, as well as future building projects, had begun to
delay the new dorm plans.





May


Mill Cove Landing project moves forward


    A project which aims to dramatically transform a
blighted service station and impound lot in the center of Knightville
into a three-story retail and 27 unit residential complex, moved closer
to reality when the South Portland City Council approved a zone change
for the property. Developers say the zone change is needed to allow for
greater housing density than was previously allowed. The willingness of
the developers to seek public input and incorporate objections into
their plan has been rewarded with widespread support for the plan among
neighbors.





SPSD shaves $225k from school budget


    The South Portland School board “reluctantly” agreed
to reduce its $37.7 million budget request. The decision was based upon
feedback from city councilors during a joint School board/ City Council
workshop that board member Mark Reuscher described as “disappointing.”


    The cuts include the elimination of the
school-funded Police “resource officers,” who have been working out of
the two middle schools. The school board earlier voted to reduce the
program to one officer to cover both schools. The decision to eliminate
the other position will end the practice of having a police presence in
the middle schools.





Cape council cuts school board budget request


    Residents of Cape Elizabeth will see their tax rate
increase 24 cents, from $15.92 per thousand dollars of assessed value
to $16.16 beginning in July.


    Those figures are based on the $28.4 million budget passed by the town council on May 15.


    The budget, which increases spending by 3.8 percent
was higher than the council’s goal to limit spending to the rate of
inflation- pegged at 3.4 percent, but well short of what school
officials and school supporters say is needed to maintain excellent
schools.





Five candidates campaign for Fickett’s seat


    Two of the candidates, Ralph Baxter and Louis
Maietta, Jr. each have previous experience in city government. James
Crocker,  is a political newcomer of sorts. Although he has never
run for office before, he is heavily involved in the city’s Democratic
Party Committee. Roger Sabourin, who is making his first run for
political office is heavily involved in several veteran’s organizations
and is currently the Commanding Officer of the South Portland
contingent of Sea Cadets. Ray Lee, also retired, has run for political
office on numerous occasions and in the past has been a regular
attendee of City Council meetings.





June


Cape council sets pay/display public hearing


    Cape Elizabeth Town Council has planned a public
hearing regarding the Fort Williams fee proposal. The hearing comes as
a result of a report the council received earlier this week from a
special committee designed to come up with a plan for the possible fee
system.


    The proposed fee to park a vehicle at Fort Williams
will be $5 per day or $25 for a season pass. Tour buses will be charged
$20 per day or can purchase a season pass for $100. Buses transporting
school children, during the school year will be allowed to park for
free. The fee season is planned to go from April 1 to October 31 and is
projected to begin in April 2007.





Election round-up


    Cape Elizabeth residents approved a measure meant to
reduce “cut through traffic” and the town’s Republican voters 
picked Jennifer Duddy for November’s general election for State
legislature’s district 121 seat, being vacated by Connie Goldman.


    South Portland voters casted their vote to fill the
At-Large City Council formerly held by Robert Fickett, electing Ralph
Baxter, who garnered roughly 37 percent of the vote in an unofficial
tally.


    Duddy will face Cynthia Dill, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.


    Republican voters in both South Portland and Cape
Elizabeth both choose a likely also-ran, Peter Mills for the Governor’s
race in the party primary.


   


Board approves Spurwink Woods


    The Cape Elizabeth Planning Board voted 6-1 to grant
the Spurwink Woods subdivision final approval. Jim McFarlane, one of
the principal partners in the approved development said he expects
opponents of the controversial 42-unit subdivision to exhaust the
appeals process to delay or derail the project. The final approval was
granted after an exhaustive process in which the planning board votes
on 48 separate findings-of-fact.





Willard Square zone change moves forward


    The hoped-for rebirth of Willard Square as a
neighborhood commercial center moved closer to reality when the City
Council approved the first reading of a change in the zoning ordinance
to expand the square’s boundaries and relax several restrictions.


    The Willard Square zone was borne out of a proposal
by Mark Foley and Lisa Foster, owners of a large lot on the corner of
Preble and Willow streets to rezone the parcel to replace the existing
structures with three new buildings; one of which will contain a retail
space, artist studio space and an apartment. 





July


Dorm zone change approved


    The zone map change expands the Spring Point zone
roughly 76,000 square feet to encompass the corner of Fort Road and
Pickett Street, which was formerly zoned residential. The new zoning
boundary permits taller structures and higher density allowing the
college to build its 326-bed dormitory at the corner. While the college
ran into fierce opposition earlier this year in its bid to rezone the
entire campus, little opposition was expressed at the council meeting.
Several neighbors expressed concern about traffic and safety.





College celebrates pier’s return


    Under clear skies and before a large crowd, Southern
Maine Community College officially unveiled its newly rebuilt pier
meant to reinvigorate the schools connection to its neighbor, Casco Bay
and the public.


    The 226-foot-long pier replaces a pier that was built in the 1860s and last renovated during the 1950s.


   


Anchors joins Sentry staff


    The Sentry welcomes Zack Anchors as the newest member of our reporting team.


    Anchors will primarily cover South Portland for the
Sentry and will also be reporting for our sister publication, The
Scarborough Leader.


    Anchors comes to the Sentry after working as a
freelance journalist since he graduated from the Salt Institute for
Documentary Studies in Portland last year.





August


Developer’s plans for marsh unknown


    Residents of the Meeting House Hill neighborhood
crowded into the South Portland Community Center  to discuss
possible development on an 8.2 acre marshy field bordering Trout Brook
and Sawyer Street in the Sawyer Marsh area. Don Kale, a coastal waters
expert from the Maine DEP spoke to the crowd about the ecological
status of Trout Brook, one of the few streams in the region that hosts
a self-reproducing trout population. Kale referred to a list made by
the DEP of coastal waters bodies “that we felt were threatened and
needed to be protected.”





Local politicians dispute ethics allegations


Ann Jenness described a series of events involving Michael Mowles and
Kevin Glynn that she writes amounted to a “scam to assist them in their
quests for political gain.”  Mowles, she alleges, used the promise
of financial help to convince her to enter the race in which Mowles
himself was already a candidate. Mowles denies any wrongdoing and calls
Jenness’ claims “bogus”.


The ethics commission’s Executive Director Jonathan Wayne had not
identified violations of campaign finance law, but sees the situation
as “disturbingly similar to the situation of Stephen Haskell,” another
former candidate allegedly persuaded by Glynn and Mowles to run against
Glynn in a race for a seat in the state Senate, according to Wayne.





September


Delay muddies H.S. traffic light plan


    Town Manager Michael McGovern said he was informed
several weeks ago by the developer’s engineer that plans for a parcel
of land at the intersection of the high school entrance and Route 77
have been shelved as the owner pursues other projects.


   


New manager for So. Portland


    South Portland Mayor Maxine Beecher announced on
Tuesday the hiring of Thaddeus Jankowski as City Manager. He begins on
Sept. 24, Beecher said.


    Jankowski spent the past 13 years as deputy city
manager in Portsmouth, NH. Jankowski brings with him almost 30 years of
experience in local government administration, Beecher said. For nine
years he was Commissioner of Assessing for the City of Boston and
worked as Chief Operating Officer of Worchester, Mass.


   


Late entries change election


dynamics in Cape Elizabeth


    In both town council and school board races there
will be three seats being contested. The candidates for town council
are: incumbent David Backer, Greg Altznauer, Sara Lennon and James
Rowe.


    Councilors Michael Mowles and Carolyn Fritz have
declined to seek reelection. For the school board, incumbent Kevin
Sweeney, Piotr Stamieszkin, Karen Burke and Peter Cotter will appear on
the ballot. Incumbents Elaine Moloney and Anne Belden have declined to
seek reelection


    In South Portland, School Board Chair Burton Edwards
did not return nomination papers to allow him to seek reelection for
his District 5 seat. As a result, Stacy Gato’s campaign for the seat
will not be challenged on the ballot. The two candidates for the
District 3 City Council seat are incumbent Rosemarie DeAngelis and Jim
Soule. In the District 4 race incumbent and current Mayor Maxine
Beecher will face Vincent Maietta. Two other current school board
members will seek reelection without a challenger: Michael Eastman,
representing District 3 and James Gilboy, representing District 4.


   


Council hears TABOR critique


    A presentation by an organization opposed to the
Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) at a City Council workshop has
brought calls for the council to receive a similar presentation from a
pro-TABOR representative. Although Interim City Manager Jim Gailey
introduced Austin’s presentation by stating that he had invited Austin
for an unbiased analysis of TABOR, the presentation included sharp
attacks on the referendum and Austin made clear that his organization
was strongly opposed to the initiative, calling parts of it
“disingenuous,” “bizarre,” “anti-local control” and refuting proponents
claims that TABOR doesn’t require budget cuts.


   


Rough Seas claim boats, life


    On Sept. 13, beginning around 8 a.m. members of the
Cape Elizabeth public safety department as well as state and federal
agencies began receiving reports of capsized boats off the Cape
Elizabeth coast during a period of rough seas. The first report
involved a fishing boat that had capsized. A single crewmember was
located and retrieved. Units were dispatched to the area of Alewife
Cove for the report of a kayaker who had capsized and was unable to get
back in the kayak. The kayaker was subsequently picked up and did not
require medical attention.


    Later units responded to a report of an overturned
lobster boat. Two subjects were ashore but a third person was
unaccounted for. The body of Steve Smith of Hollis was later found
after being presumed drowned.





October


Shaw’s incident prompts


emergency, media response


    An incident at the Millcreek Shaw’s supermarket
involving an ammonium leak caused a scare but no serious injuries on
Monday night. About 50 people were sent to area hospitals. Spokespeople
for Maine Medical Center and Mercy Hospital reported all patients were
treated and released that night. The incident, in which dozens of
shoppers who were in the store between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. were
sickened, triggered a regional “Mass Casualty Incident” (MCI) system
prepared after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.





Council mulls Exit 3 night work request


The City Council is considering whether to allow noisy night work on a
major road project in a residential area. The Exit 3 project, which
will reconfigure the I-295 exit at the intersection of Westbrook and
Street and Broadway, has the potential to create major traffic and
safety dilemmas, and the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) has
asked the city to consider changing an ordinance that prohibits night
work in residential neighborhoods.


    “When we talk about night work–to put it
bluntly–night work stinks,” said MDOT engineer Ken Silver. “We’re not
going to do any more night work than is necessary.”





November


Cape Elizabeth election round-up


    A resolution intended to gauge public support for
instituting parking fees at the landmark Fort Williams Park was
defeated soundly. Council Chair David Backer won reelection to the body
in a four-way race for three of the council’s seven seats. Replacing
councilors Michael Mowles and Carolyn Fritz will be former school board
member Jim Rowe and political newcomer Sara Lennon.


    The school board will also see changes when it
reconvenes. Incumbent Kevin Sweeney will remain. Karen Burke and Peter
Cotter also won.. Democrat and sitting town councilor Cynthia Dill
narrowly defeated first-time candidate Jennifer Duddy for the Maine
House of Representatives District 121 seat being vacated by Connie
Goldman. Dill won by 176 of 4,688 votes cast. The slice of Cape
Elizabeth in House District 123 chose incumbent Democrat Jane Eberle
over Republican challenger Gary Crosby. Cape voters helped Democratic
Senate District 7 incumbent Lynn Bromley secure her reelection against
challenger Kevin Glynn.





Few changes in So. Portland elections


    The only tightly contested race in the city this
year was for the District Three seat on the City Council, with Jim
Soule edging out incumbent Councilor Rosemarie DeAngelis by less than
400 votes out of a total 10,527 cast.


    Mayor Maxine Beecher received 40 percent more votes
than her challenger Vincent Maietta and won another term as the
District Four city councilor. Democrat Bryan Kaenrath was elected to
his first term as the District 124 State Rep. by a wide margin, while
incumbents Lawrence Bliss and Jane Eberle, representing Districts 122
and 123, also won easily. Incumbent Democratic State Senator Lynn
Bromley easily fended off a challenge to her office by current State
Rep. Kevin Glynn.





Election Day error causes overvote


    An apparent miscommunication among election
officials in Cape Elizabeth led to the over counting of an estimated
240 ballots on Election Day.


    According to Town Clerk April Cohen-Tracy,
volunteers charged with reviewing ballots flagged by the optical
scanning machines were supposed to only count the ballot line that
caused the rejection. Instead the volunteers recounted the entire
ballot, causing an unknown number of votes to be counted twice.
Cohen-Tracy also said despite the apparent discrepancy with the ballots
with write in candidates, no race would have had its outcome overturned.





December


Firm seeks zone change for Viking home site


    The new owner of the vacant property formerly known
as the Viking Community nursing home wants to move quickly with it’s
redevelopment plan.


    Canyon Creek Development, Inc of Salem, Ore expects
to invest roughly $12 million in the project. But the project is not
allowable under current zoning laws. The total projected 95 units
exceed the current allowable density for the facility. In order to
proceed, the company has requested the density allowances for the zone
be increased as quickly as possible.





Taxes and police already driving budget debate


As South Portland city officials prepare to lay out next year’s budget
they are vexed by two conflicting aims–minimizing property tax
increases and hiring more police officers.


“I know it’s a bitter pill to swallow,” said Mayor Claude Morgan to the
council, “but I’m just suggesting that we go back and start making cuts
right across the board.”


At the workshop City Manager Thaddeus Jankowski asked the council to
provide for him and city staff a rough idea of the direction they saw
the budget taking.








Vose agrees to land swap


    If a land swap negotiated by the City of South
Portland is finalized, the development of property in Sawyer Marsh that
has riled residents for months will not go forward.


    Instead, the plan would grant the developers Paul
Vose and Larry Lydon a city-owned lot across the street known as a
sandpit for development. The 8.56-acre property that Vose and Lydon had
recently been issued a building permit for would be given to the city
and placed under a conservation easement.


    Assistant City Manager Jim Gailey, as well as
representatives of the South Portland Land Trust, the Meeting House
Hill Neighborhood Association and various city staff members expressed
great satisfaction with the deal and gratitude for the developers.


    Vose and Lydon will be trading 8.6 acres of property
for less than one acre. The 8.6-acre property had been found to be the
fifth most valuable open space by a city study.