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PRSRT STD Postal Customer U.S. Postage PAID Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107 Permit No. 62 Portland, ME ECRWSS The Cape Cour er Volume 25 Number 12 An Independent Not-for-Profi t Newspaper Aug. 22 - Sept.18, 2012 Serving Cape Elizabeth Since 1988 capecourier.com End-of-summer wishes: More waves, picnics and ... TIME Just for fun, with summer winding down, The Cape Courier asked a dozen people – 11 Cape Elizabeth residents and one choco- late ice cream-licking 9-year-old from South Portland – what fun activity they had hoped Marcus Donnelly, 14, Azalea Morgan, 5 Rafael Adams, 40, Mary Jo Gilchrest, Laura McGrath, 48, to get around to this summer but hadn’t yet. Cape Elizabeth almost kindergartner paddleboard patient representative physical therapist High School student shop owner At right, and continued on page 18, are “Storyland (in New “I’d really like “Bring a picnic dinner their answers. And remember, there’s still “Reading my Hampshire)! I want to “I would like to catch to spend some more to Scarborough Beach plenty of time to do these things ... and school-required books. go there because my some really good waves time with my some day after work more. I’m almost done cousin said it on a paddleboard!” grandchildren (ages 5 with all three of my Enjoy, and happy rest of the summer! with the fi rst of two.” is really fun.” and 9 months). Time kids and husband goes so fast!” present. That says – Patricia McCarthy, editor/publisher summer to me.” Bright skies shine on Arboretum at Fort Williams this summer By Wendy Keeler beth Town Manager Michael McGovern This has been a lush summer for the Ar- said on Aug 10. “It is wonderful to see so boretum at Fort Williams project. many park visitors already enjoying it. It In July, work was completed on Cliff- also complements so well the Cliff Walk side, the fi rst of the arboretum’s proposed itself, which was a generous donation from 15 garden landscapes. Then on Aug. 7, the Gus and Marjorie Barber.” South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club Arboretum organizers hope to repeat the wrote a $17,500 check to help fund the ar- success of Cliffside another 14 times so that boretum’s next phase: a children’s garden. by 2014, the 50th anniversary of Fort Wil- “We’ve had an unbelievable response liams Park, a trail system will link 15 land- from the community,” Fort Williams Foun- scapes located throughout the fort. dation Campaign Director Ginger Jones said The 16-member Arboretum Steering Aug. 9, two days after 150 people gathered Committee is now working to create a chil- to celebrate the completion of Cliffside, a dren’s garden near the pond at Fort Wil- swath of land overlooking Casco Bay. liams on a spot that was once home to a Two years ago, volunteers began clear- Camp Fire Girls of America summer camp, ing the 1.1-acre area of invasive vegetation Camp Ketcha. so it could be replanted with native species. A 12-member children’s garden de- The spot, located at the head of the park’s sign committee, made up of an architect, Cliff Walk near the former site of Battery a children’s garden designer, a Pond Cove Hobart, now abounds with juniper, blue- Photo by Sandy Adams teacher, horticulturists, Rotary members berry and huckleberry bushes, sedges, hay- About 150 people turned out at the recently opened Cliffside site of the Arboretum at Fort and Cape residents, recently selected fi ve scented ferns, birches, red oak and other na- Williams on Aug. 7 to celebrate the completion of the fi rst of the 15 landscapes that the landscape architect fi rms to submit designs tive species. Rock formations that had been Fort Williams Foundation hopes to install at the park. in a competition. hidden are now visible. Arboretum organizers plan to display “It’s hard to imagine that two years ago the architects’ drawings in September so you couldn’t walk onto this site,” said Kath- what was possible here.” ings, and take advantage of a stone stage. people can offer feedback. The drawings ryn Bacastow, who chairs the Fort Williams Since construction work was completed “The Cliffside arboretum represents the will be on exhibit at the Children’s Muse- Foundation’s Arboretum Steering Commit- at the spot, visitors have been able to sit on most generous gift the town has ever re- um of Maine in Portland and at a location tee. “I don’t think any of us could imagine stonewalls, walk on paths among the plant- ceived for Fort Williams Park,” Cape Eliza- —see PATH, page 9 Town Council brings down the house in otherwise quiet meeting By Bob Dodd McGovern said that it would not make sense lic road would be appealable to the Zoning The program was implemented on Jan. 1. In one of their shortest meetings of the to try to utilize the building. Board of Appeals. Its intent was to ensure that an emergency year, the Town Council still managed to The cost to demolish the building and The change takes the Town Council out of responder at the paramedic or intermediate bring the house down. dispose of the materials is estimated at the appeals process in such instances. level would be available during daytime At its Aug. 13 meeting, councilors gave $15,000. The proposed amendments to the En- hours. the OK to Town Manager Mike McGovern trance to Public Roads ordinance also in- Fire Chief Peter Gleason reported to to demolish the house behind the Thomas Hearing set on new appeals process clude revisions to standards applied relating councilors that of the 310 calls for emergen- Memorial Library. The town purchased the In the aftermath of an appeal of a Stone- to the issuance of permits. cy medical services in the fi rst six months gate driveway permit granted by the town’s building several years ago to accommodate The council also set a Sept. 10 public of the year, 171 occurred during the hours Public Works director, the Town Council is future possible expansion of the library. hearing on technical amendments to the (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) covered by the per-diem proposing changes to the Town Ways Ordi- McGovern reported that the house is town’s Administrative Code. program. in very poor condition, vacant, and a safe- nance. Gleason said that the program has also ty concern. The building would require A public hearing on the proposed changes Rescue response times cut in half signifi cantly reduced the town’s reliance on $50,000-$100,000 worth of work to make it is set for Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. Cape Rescue has cut its average ambu- mutual aid from other communities. He said habitable, he noted. Under the proposed change, a decision by lance response times from 10 minutes to 5 that currently the town is providing more Even if the library expansion project is the Public Works director on a permit relat- minutes as the result of its new per-diem emergency medical aid assistance to partner- not approved in the November referendum, ing to a driveway or other approach to a pub- program. ing communities than it receives. Page 2 • The Cape Courier LETTERS/THANK YOUs Aug. 22 - Sept. 18, 2012 Camp collaboration The Cape Courier P.O. Box 6242 Cape Elizabeth Maine 04107 207-838-2180 capecourier.com OUR MISSION STATEMENT The mission of The Cape Courier is to foster a sense of community by presenting news specifi c and unique to Cape Elizabeth and its residents, and, whenever possible, to promote volunteerism within our community. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Elizabeth Brogan, Debbie Butterworth, Bob Dodd, Sheila Mayberry, Bill Springer, Beth Webster Publisher: Patricia McCarthy [email protected] Editor: Patricia McCarthy (Letters, general news) [email protected] Photo by Julie Rieger School/Community Editor: Wendy Keeler (Business, Neighbors, schools, religion, sports) Martina Ousbeck of St. Maximillian Catholic Church in Scarborough leads children from her parish and St. Bartholomew Church in Cape [email protected] during an Aug. 10 song-and-motion prayer service at St. Bart’s. St. Bartholomew played host to this year’s SKY! Vacation Bible School. Advertising Manager: Trish Brigham About 80 children from grades kindergarten through high school attended the camp August 6-10, participating in games, music, crafts (Display ads): [email protected] and snacks. The campers donated close to $300 to buy baby formula for an orphanage in Haiti. Bookkeeper: Dorothy Stack [email protected] Inn has concerns about Crescent Beach access Proofreaders: Suzanne Higgins, Phyllis Resident offers more Locke, Anita Samuelsen, Sheila Zimmerman Continued access to Crescent Beach • A parking lot off Richmond Terrace, info about town debt Copy Manager: Diane Brakeley State Park over Sprague Corporation land covering the meadow, recently used library may bring Webmaster: Wendy Derzawiec is dependent on new lease agreements be- for agriculture, will erode neighbor- tween the state and Sprague Corporation. ing land values Photo fi nishing: Megan McConagha I read Councilor (Jessica) Sullivan’s let- Sprague Corporation, which leased 100 • Traffi c and parking will negatively Grand Maestro: Jeff Hewett ter in the August 8 edition of The Courier acres to the state for 50 years for $1, is now impact abutters’ quality of life in support of the new library building. The Technology Services: Katie Held seeking a more adequate lease. • The lot is adjacent to wetlands councilor made several good points, but I For general information & classifi ed ads: If agreement fails, alternative plans are • Traffi c backups from cars queuing disagree with her statement that the new debt [email protected]/207-838-2180 needed by Sept.