PRSRT STD Postal Customer U.S. Postage PAID Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107 Permit No. 62 Portland, ME ECRWSS The Cape CourAn Independent Not-for-Profit er Newspaper Volume 28 Number 21 Feb. 12 - Feb. 25, 2016 Serving Cape Elizabeth Since 1988 capecourier.com The new library is open! Photo by Ulla Messerschmidt Photo by Elizabeth Brogan Photo by Elizabeth Brogan The Ashton family were the first patrons through the door at the “soft opening” of the new Thomas Memorial Library at 9 a.m. on Feb. 4. Clara, left, and Alora, right, (center photo) are homeschooled and Dad, Jon Ashton, said the visit was a planned field trip. “We definitely wanted to be first,” he said.“I love it,” said Clara, to which Alora added “This is one of the best libraries ever!” Just missing the first-through-the-door award, but no less excited, was Dan Foley, above right, who called the library not only beautiful but “a great investment.” Foley likes the 9 a.m. opening time, which allows him to work out at his gym at 6 a.m. and arrive at the library as its opening. “I missed it,” Foley said. “I’ll be here almost every day unless I’m out of town.” A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the library was held on Monday, Feb. 8. See page 12 for a story about the month-long celebratory events at the library. Community Services may leave School Dept. Verizon tries again for cell tower By Elizabeth Brogan nity Services Commission appointed by the Cape Elizabeth Community Services School Board, McGovern said. By Elizabeth Brogan Portland Water District in 2013. may become a separate municipal depart- But times have changed. According to Verizon Wireless submitted a second ap- An earlier application had been denied by ment, reporting to Town Manager Michael McGovern, the 55-plus segment of the pop- plication, on Jan. 29, to install a cell tower Cape Elizabeth Code Enforcement Officer McGovern, and no longer part of the School ulation is “fast growing” and Cape’s baby- on an 80-foot-tall decommissioned water Ben McDougal in 2014, followed by a failed Department effective July 1, 2016. boom generation is moving toward retire- tower at 11 Avon Road. Town Planner Mau- appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals and a McGovern recommended the move in ment. “Some older citizens, including the reen O’Meara said the application would be successful lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, a Jan. 1 memorandum to the Town Coun- recent Senior Citizens Advisory Committee, on the agenda at a Feb. 22 Planning Board which granted a summary judgment on Sept. cil. According to McGovern, Community have called for Community Services to do meeting. 30, 2015 concluding that the town erred, Services, created in 1977, took on many more for our aging population … It has be- The water tower, built in 1945, has been under its zoning ordinance, in denying the responsibilities for the School Department, come more crucial than ever to provide ad- dry since 2007 and is currently used only company a permit. including overseeing student transporta- ditional focus on what Community Services for antennas and equipment installed by the Judge Jon D. Levy found that the Avon tion and custodial services beginning in the can provide all citizens of Cape Elizabeth.” Portland Water District in 1985. Verizon 1990’s and into the first decade of the 2000’s, “The School Board and the superintendent purchased a lease on the property from the —see VERIZON, page 14 when its then-director served as liaison on already have much to focus on with all their large school renovation projects. “As a con- responsibilities,” McGovern said. “Dealing sequence of this school focus, the oversight with issues involving enhancing programs Town Hall parking lot ‘not a dump’ of the Community Services director was for senior citizens, determining pool sched- moved directly under the Superintendent of By Elizabeth Brogan of very frustrated conversations” among Schools,” with the members of the Commu- –see COMMUNITY SERVICES, page 14 If a picture is worth a thousand words, no members of the committee. story describing the mess in the back of the- The Town Hall parking lot typically has Town Hall parking lot should be necessary – two 20-foot silver bullets for recycling, as Speech team wins seventh state title! just take a look at the picture below, taken on well as a bin for cardboard, which are emp- Dec. 28, the Monday after Christmas. tied about three times a week. “The DPW Not seen in the photo: The pickup truck, keeps them there to make recycling a bit loader and three employees from the Depart- more convenient,” said Floyd. “On this par- ment of Public Works who had to be called ticular day, there was only one bin present in to clean the mess up, “all of our available (not shown in the picture) because of the crew on that day,” said Town Manager Mi- busy holiday weekend.” chael McGovern. But this is not just a holiday problem. “Imagine if you had to clean this up and According to McGovern, Public Works is how much extra work it would be if some- called to Town Hall to clean up a mess in one plopped it down in your backyard,” said the parking lot at least once a month. “It’s Recycling Committee member Tracy Floyd, all the time.” who noted the problem “has been the topic —see TOWN HALL, page 14 Cape Elizabeth High School’s 40-member speech and debate team returned home from Lewiston High School the night of Jan. 23 with the team’s seventh straight state speech championship. The team, led by Will Steidl, Catie O’Sullivan and Kinnon McGrath, earned the state’s top honor “through strong individual performance,” CEHS Theater Department Director Richard Mullen said. Students who won honors in their events include Steidl, Anya Kohan, Preston Stewart, Isabel Robertson, Blair Carpenter, Matt Fishbein, Makena Deve- raux, Tony Inhorn, Brynne Kennedy, Allie Moulton, Ella Strout and Jahanara Freedman. Trash left in the back of the Town Hall parking lot on Dec. 28, 2015. Page 2 • The Cape Courier LETTERS / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Feb. 12 - Feb. 25, 2016 The Cape Courier Resident questions Hockey team thanks community for support P.O. Box 6242 lack of public support Cape Elizabeth Maine 04107 207-838-2180 for curbside pick-up www.capecourier.com In the most recent issue of The Cape Cou- rier [Jan. 22 - Feb. 11, 2016], Councilor Jes- OUR MISSION STATEMENT sica Sullivan, a member of the Solid Waste The mission of The Cape Courier is to foster and Recycling Long Range Committee, is a sense of community by presenting news reported to have stated that there is little specific and unique to Cape Elizabeth and public support for curbside pick-up of trash its residents, and, whenever possible, to promote volunteerism within our community. and recycling. Really? Are we the only household which BOARD OF DIRECTORS Trish Brigham, Debbie Butterworth, doesn’t enjoy the weekly task of loading Bob Dodd, Jerry Harkavy, Martha Kelley, heavy, dirty, smelly trash into the car, driv- Bill Springer, Beth Webster ing it to the dump where we wait and wait Publisher: Kim Case for our turn, only to be cut off by a rude driv- [email protected] er, then returning home to find the trunk full Editor: Elizabeth Brogan of whatever liquid has seeped out of the bags (Letters, general news) and even a few maggoty friends? Everyone [email protected] in Cape likes doing this? School/Community Editor: Wendy Keeler I know that the Recycling Center has this (Business, Neighbors, schools, religion, sports) wistful reputation of being a great place to [email protected] meet and greet neighbors, local politicians, Advertising Manager: Jess LeClair etc., but honestly, this has to be the dump of (Display and classified ads): a bygone era. [email protected]/ 207-631-8414 I’d love to see the side-by-side compari- Sales Manager: Arielle Betlyon son of costs of curbside pick-up versus the [email protected] town going into debt for 1.4 million dollars. Bookkeeper: Dorothy Stack I’d even be willing to pay a little more in [email protected] property taxes to enjoy this service that our Proofreaders: Diane Brakeley, lucky neighbors in South Portland and Scar- Suzanne Higgins, Robin Loughman, borough have! Anita Samuelsen, Sheila Zimmerman Theresa Maher Webmaster: Wendy Derzawiec Photo finishing: Ann Kaplan Distribution: Tracy Northrup Technology Services: Chad Braley The boys hockey team poses in front of its mountain of collected Christmas trees. For general information: [email protected] / 207-838-2180 The Cape Elizabeth boys hockey team up 298 trees for Cape Elizabeth residents. Writers: Elizabeth Brogan, would like to thank the Cape Elizabeth com- Donations provide funding for needed ice Debbie Butterworth, Wendy Derzawiec, Bob Dodd, Wendy Keeler, Erika Carlson munity for their generous support during our time for practices. Rhile, Ellen Van Fleet eighth annual Christmas tree pick-up on Jan. We look forward to providing this service Photographers: Martha Agan, Elizabeth 3. again next year. Brogan, Jenny Campbell, Ann Kaplan, This was a record year; the boys picked Jennie Smith-Brock Wendy Keeler, Joanne Lee, Patricia McCarthy, Katherine Urbanek The Cape Courier is printed by Alliance Press in Brunswick and mailed free to residents 22 times a year. We disclaim all legal responsibility for errors, omissions or typographical errors. All reasonable care is taken to see that errors do not occur. We print corrections if notification is received in a timely manner. Photo by Ulla Messerschmidt LETTER & SUBMISSION POLICY A cake from an event for donors at the library.