PRSRT STD Postal Customer U.S. Postage PAID Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107 Permit No. 62 Portland, ME ECRWSS The Cape CourAn Independent Not-for-Profi er t Newspaper Volume 30 Number 11 July 26 - August 08, 2107 Serving Cape Elizabeth Since 1988 capecourier.com Artists paint en plein air for CELT’s 10th annual auction Photos by Bob Harrison Artists Caleb Stone (left) painted at Spurwink Church, while Marsha Donahue (above) was at Trundy Point. The Cape Elizabeth Land Trust’s 10th annual Paint for Preservation auc- tion raised over $75,000 toward conserving and caring for the natural lands that provide wildlife habitat, respite and recreational opportunities in Cape Elizabeth. See related story on page 13. CEHS Girls’ Tennis team are Maine State Champions Search for new principals at Pond Cove Elementary and CEMS By Marta Girouard later this month and into August. Interview teams will include teach- A search is underway for new principals ers, parents, school board members and at Pond Cove Elementary School and Cape central offi ce administrators. The school Elizabeth Middle School after Mike Tracy department also plans to provide larger and Kelly Hasson recently resigned from group meetings with fi nalists for teachers their positions. and parents in August. Hasson served as principal of Pond Cove “We will do our best and hope to have for the last fi ve years, having also previously someone here for the start of the school taught there for 20 years, and left to spend year,” Superintendent Howard Colter said. more time with her family. “We have great teams in place at both schools Tracy left to pursue career opportunities and if the positions are not fi lled, will put in his home state of Massachusetts, from people where they need to be to start the where he had been commuting to CEMS school year, support teachers and welcome for the last four years. “The School Board students.” Contributed photo thanks both Kelly Hasson and Mike Tracy “Cape Elizabeth schools are top-notch be- for their leadership in our school and wishes cause the teaching is excellent and we have Cape Elizabeth High School’s girls’ tennis team and coach Sarah Boeckel hold the champi- them the best in the future,” said Elizabeth wonderful parent and community support. onship trophy after winning the Class B Maine State Championships versus Camden Hills, Scifres, School Board Chair. Given those facts and because of our very winning 4-1. The deadline for applications for the desirable location, we anticipate fi nding out- This is their 14th state championship in the program’s history, and their coach expects open position at CEMS was July 24th while standing new principals to lead Pond Cove them to return with a solid team next year, despite losing seven of their top players to the deadline for applications at Pond Cove and Cape Elizabeth Middle School,” added graduation. is July 31. Interviews will start taking place Scifres. Page 2 • The Cape Courier LETTERS July 26 - Aug 8, 2017 and potentially set a precedent for special childhood home on Lindenwood Road and The Cape Courier Sees special interest interest management of our town’s future visiting some of my favorites places such as P.O. Box 6242 infl uence on shore by manipulation and other inducements. Casino Beach. Cape Elizabeth Maine 04107 What will be next, arbitrary manipulation While visiting Cape Elizabeth last week, 207-838-2180 access of property taxes or sales of town proper- my husband and I went to Casino Beach www.capecourier.com ties to developers by fi at? Councilors Jordan, to search for some colorful sea glass. As I Our latest Town Council meeting on July Grennon, Lennon and Jordan have moved walked on the beach path, a man stopped 10 showed how much we can be aff ected to ignore democratic procedures in our me and asked me for my beach pass. I told OUR MISSION STATEMENT by special interests driving agendas in our Th e mission of Th e Cape Courier is to foster town council, they should resign. him I did not have a beach pass. He checked a sense of community by presenting news town. In a discussion on adopting the plan- a note book he was carrying and confi rmed specifi c and unique to Cape Elizabeth ning document for our Greenbelt and town Henry Barksdale that my 90 year old mother had in fact paid and its residents, and, whenever possible, ownership of rights to paper streets, Caitlin our dues. We were then allowed to continue to promote volunteerism within our Jordan, Patty Grennon, Sara Lennon and to the beach. My family was one of the fi rst community. Penny Jordan blindsided the public and fel- to join the Cape Cottage Beach Association BOARD OF DIRECTORS low councilors by opening a motion to va- Town Council giving when it began in 1961. Since that time we Trish Brigham, Debbie Butterworth, cate the Surfside, Shore Acres paper street have paid our dues and spent many happy Bob Dodd, Jerry Harkavy, and shoreline trail plan without public dis- away access to shore Bill Springer days at the beach and never had a beach pass. cussion by executive order. I approached another family relaxing on Publisher: Kim Case On Tuesday morning Cape Elizabeth For those not following this, the neigh- the beach and told them my story. They too [email protected] residents woke up and found out that our borhood and town have been in active dis- had been asked for their beach pass. They Editor: Kevin St. Jarre property rights to the ocean are at risk. cussions on whether the Greenbelt plan told me that one of the Cape Cottage Beach [email protected] On Monday night, the Cape Elizabeth should incorporate a shoreline path along Association members decided that all beach Community Reporter: Marta Girouard Town council voted against the advice of the town owned paper street in this neigh- members must show their beach pass or not [email protected] its own Conservation Commission to retain borhood. The pathway would be a unique be allowed on the beach. They also said Advertising Manager: Tara Simopoulos the Town’s rights to access to the shoreline cliff side walk for our region and it has been they thought the new practice was “icky.” (Display and classifi ed ads) in favor of beginning the process to relin- recommended by town planners that the op- Real Mainers are many things. They are [email protected]/207-939-9766 quish these valuable rights to few wealthy tion be kept open to develop it at some point. often stoic but always hardworking and in- Bookkeeper: families, with no strings attached. Last October the Council voted to maintain herently honest. While newcomers to Cape [email protected] Without any notice to property owners the town’s rights to paper streets for the next Elizabeth may not be so honest or trusting, Proofreaders: or any other citizens of the Town, the Town 20 years. I still am. Samantha Lowe, Council voted 4 to 3 to start the process of and Chuck Rzeszutko The cited councilors sided with a very “Icky” indeed. giving away its rights. There was no no- Webmaster: Wendy Derzawiec small group of shorefront landowners to undercut the desire of this neighborhood of tice that this was going to take place since Photo fi nishing: Ann Kaplan Alison Poliner Moore 150 houses to maintain access rights to this a decision had already been made to retain Distribution: William Alexander paper street. This is a deeded right for most rights to shore access that abut paper streets. of us which we would like the town to help It only makes one wonder what the heck Letter ignored, noon For general information: us realize and which we feel will benefi t all was really going behind the scenes. [email protected]/207-838-2180 residents of Cape Elizabeth. The shore front We have problems in Washington, DC, meeting, process Writers: Debbie Butterworth, Wendy properties aff ected are largely occupied but we don’t need the same shenanigans in not transparent on Derzawiec, Bob Dodd, Erika Carlson Rhile, by recent purchasers and developers who our own Town. Marta Girouard, Ellen Van Fleet would like to wall off their properties from I implore the citizen of Cape Elizabeth ordinance change Photographers: Martha Agan, Jenny public access. to contact the Town Council and demand to Campbell, Ann Kaplan, Joanne Lee, These councilors broke with town stop it eff orts to diminish YOUR rights to I am concerned that a change to the Open Katherine Urbanek council procedural rules in setting this spe- shore access. While we are talking about Space Zoning Ordinance is being rushed The Cape Courier is printed by Alliance cial agenda and voting to undercut publicly the Surfside Ave. in Shore Acres and Two through without adequate community input. Press in Brunswick and mailed free to Cape aired and accepted meetings from the previ- Lighters, these are YOUR rights as well as This change revises the criteria for agricul- Elizabeth residents 22 times a year. We anyone else’s in town. YOU have access to tural open space and could aff ect all town disclaim all legal responsibility for errors, ous council. Their actions are undemocratic omissions or typographical errors. All the unbelievable shoreline views along the residents and future developments. reasonable care is taken to see that errors Surfside and Two Lights. A letter signed by 111 citizens was pre- do not occur. We print corrections upon A survey is now on the Town’s website sented at the July 10 Town Council meeting, timely notifi cation.