Round one to residents in mailbox dispute

OTISFIELD — An unexpected uproar over the removal of the town's only collection mailbox has caused officials at the U.S. Postal Service to give the move a second look.

"It's being reviewed, re-evaluated, in light of customers' feedback," said Postal Service spokesman Tom Rizzo.

The blue collection box, which sits in the driveway of the Otisfield Town Hall on Route 121, had been given a 10-day notice for removal this week when residents sprung into action to stop the action.

This week's agenda

Tuesday

Bethel: Airport Authority, 5 p.m., Town Office

Casco: Selectmen, 7 p.m., Central Fire Station

Hartford: Road Committee, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall

Hartford: Cemetery Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall

Newry: U.D.R.O., 4 p.m., Town Office

Paris: Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Office

 

Wednesday

Buckfield: Buckfield Village Corp., 6:30 p.m., Municipal Center

Newry: Planning Board, 7 p.m., Town Office

 

Thursday

The way I see it

The Way I See It By Sharon Bouchard

Archie's getting married

Commitment can be a really tough issue. At the risk of sounding sexist, I think it's a little easier for women to commit than for men. Partly, it's the double standard under which women are raised as children. At least that's my opinion.

Girls are always told about the great American dream of growing up, falling in love with a handsome, successful man, getting married, having 2.5 kids and living happily ever after in a nice house with a white picket fence.

Selectmen hear earful on manager firing in Paris

Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
Forrie Everett, left, lets Paris Board of Selectmen Chairman David Ivey know he is not happy with how the town is being run during the selectmen meeting at the Paris Town Office on Monday. Everett is the chairman of the Paris Budget Committee. The town's attorney is in the middle.

Oxford County arrest log

PARIS — These arrests were recorded at the Oxford County Jail:

Robert M. Matteson, 33, of Paris, July 10, violation of bail conditions, no bail listed as of July 13, Paris Police Department.

Michael L. Day, 19, of Portland, July 10, violation of bail conditions, no bail listed as of July 13, Oxford County Sheriff's Office.

Echo A. Presgraves, 19, of Peaks Island, July 10, furnishing liquor to a minor, personal recognizance bail, Oxford County Sheriff's Office.

Flipping for Kiwanis in Paris

Oxford County arrest log

PARIS — The following arrests were recorded at the Oxford County Jail:

• Tony Ray Sanders, 49, of Oxford, July 6, operating without a license, $500 unsecured bail, Oxford Police Department.

• Lisa L. McKay, 45, of Rumford, July 6, Farmington District Court warrant for failure to appear in court on a charge of theft, $400 bail, Mexico Police Department.

Selectmen eye bids for grandstand rebuild in West Paris

WEST PARIS — Selectmen reviewed six bids for building a grandstand at the Harold C. Perham Athletic Complex on High Street and expect to make a decision July 23.

Three bids covered site and concrete work as well as construction: $68,000 by Scott Rainey, $77,000 by Lexmax Construction; and $82,000 by J.A. Haskel Builders. The rest covered only site and concrete work, or carpentry: $25,850 from Everett Excavation; $20,408 from T.K. Concrete; and $41,732 from Protech Builders.

Sun Shines on the Norway Arts Festival

Annaliese Paradis, 3, of South Paris, decides her next color while painting in the park during the 42nd Annual Norway Arts Festival Saturday. The festival featured many performances and a sidewalk art sale.

Waterman sentencing delayed

PARIS — The sentencing of a Sumner man convicted last month in a double homicide in West Paris last summer has been delayed because the presiding judge fell ill.

Duane Christopher Waterman, 33, of Sumner was scheduled to be sentenced Friday for the murders of Timothy Mayberry, 50, of West Paris and Todd Smith, 43, of Paris at Mayberry's house on July 25, 2008.

NEPW seeks court order to hasten fire claims

PARIS — A warehousing and transportation company that suffered $5 million worth of damage in a three-day fire last year has sought a court order to speed the adjustment of insurance claims, saying it risks losing customers who lost product.

NEPW Logistics is seeking declaratory relief from Travelers Indemnity Co. and Crum & Forster. According to NEPW lawyers Louise K. Thomas and Lucus A. Ritchie, both Travelers and Crum & Forster have refused to adjust and pay the claims of NEPW's customers.

Man falls 30 feet into Screw Auger Falls gorge, suffers serious injuries

GRAFTON TOWNSHIP — A man sightseeing at Screw Auger Falls on Bear River late Friday afternoon suffered serious injuries after falling 30 feet off a cliff into the lower gorge pool, according to rescuers on scene in Grafton Notch State Park.

Gem and mineral show tumbles into Bethel

BETHEL — For a mere $2, some lucky person attending this weekend's two-day Western Maine Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show will take home a piece of Maine history.

Two dollars covers the admission fee for the 48th annual show, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Telstar High School.

"This small admission fee gets you through the door to see the wonderful treasures that the dealers have for you to peruse and purchase," co-organizer Lin Chapman of Gilead said.

Indian Rock may still be moved

NORWAY — State officials are trying to determine whether Indian Rock on Route 117 can be moved to accommodate major road reconstruction.

"It's kind of an engineering issue," Maine Department of Transportation spokesman Herb Thompson said Thursday.

The rock has a deep depression and some believe it was used by Native Americans to grind corn or to tan hides. It was set to be blasted when a $1.6 million road reconstruction project got under way this spring. But residents and officials asked the MDOT to help save the rock.

Grabbing a seed snack

Submitted photo

A black bear grabs a paw full of birdseed from a feeder on the deck of John Foster's house in Bethel. The bear was about 8 feet away, with the doors open and showed no fear whatsoever," Foster wrote in an e-mail to the Bethel Citizen. "I finally had to discharge my 12-gauge right near his feet to make him leave. He came back again when I wasn't home and my neighbors brought down their dogs, who treed the bear. "

 

 

Man arrested in tobacco dispute

BUCKFIELD — One man was arrested and another injured early Thursday morning during a dispute over tobacco.

Matthew W. Allen, 26, of Norway, remained at the Oxford County Jail on Thursday afternoon on $30,000 bail after being charged with aggravated assault.
Trooper Jason Wing of the Maine State Police said a 51-year-old man began arguing with Allen at a Sodom Road home after Allen took some tobacco from him.

Kids to fast for the hungry and homeless

BETHEL — A youth group will spend a night in cardboard boxes and go hungry over the weekend to raise awareness of homelessness and hunger.

The 30 Hour Famine is put on by World Vision, a charitable Christian aid agency that specializes in anti-poverty efforts and disaster relief around the world, said Jim Rose, youth pastor at the Bethel Alliance Church. Sponsors will contribute donations to the local effort to go toward World Vision.

Farm fresh

M. Dirk Langeveld/Sun Journal

Pat Verrill of Harvest Moon Produce in West Paris completes a sale with Debbie Noble of Corpus Christi, Texas, at the Norway Farmers Market on Thursday.

Title search

Friends of the Norway Memorial Library worked Thursday in the Grange Hall on Whitman Street to prepare for this weekend's annual book sale. Pictured from left, first row, are Barbara Howard and Rosemarie Dulberg; second row, Chris Long and Marilyn Eaton; and back, Eleanor Kubeck. The book sale will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Upton Fun Day a first for the community

UPTON — This town of about 60 residents will try to raise some money, have some fun and get ready for its sesquicentennial at the first Upton Fun Day on Saturday, July 18.

Motorcyclist dies after accident; owned restoration shop

NORWAY — A New Gloucester motorcyclist injured in a crash on Route 118 last weekend died Tuesday at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

Carroll Francis, 52, was riding on Route 118 near the Red School House when a car driven by Susan Palmer, 52, of Florida attempted to make a left turn from the highway into a driveway and crossed in front of him, Maine State Police Trooper Paul Casey said. Palmer was not injured in the accident.

State seeking life for Waterman

PARIS — The prosecutor in the case of a Sumner man convicted of killing two men in West Paris last summer is asking for a life sentence.

In his 11-page sentencing memorandum, Assistant Attorney General Andrew Benson asks that Duane Christopher Waterman, 33, be given two concurrent life sentences. Waterman was found guilty at a jury trial of the murders of Timothy Mayberry, 50, of West Paris and Todd Smith, 43, of Paris. The two men were shot to death at Mayberry's residence on July 25, 2008.

Voters OK new pickup truck in West Paris

WOODSTOCK — At a special town meeting Tuesday, voters gave selectmen the go ahead to purchase a 2005 pickup truck to be used by the highway department in situations when a larger truck is not needed. The decision was made in an effort to save on fuel costs.

According to Town Manager Vern Maxfield the cost of the truck totals $5,000 which is well within the price range the board had aimed for.