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.