Rumford police log

Arrests

Unless otherwise written, the following will be arraigned on Feb. 2 in Rumford District Court:

• Troy Lake, 40, Rumford, operating after suspension, 1:08 p.m. Nov. 15 on Hancock Street. He was released on $300 unsecured bail.

• Betsy Lauze, 37, Rumford, operating under the influence, 5:30 p.m. Nov. 10 on Ellis River Road. She was released on $500 unsecured bail.

Small earthquake shakes western Maine

RUMFORD — The New England Seismic Network says a small earthquake shook parts of western Maine early Thursday morning.

According to Weston Observatory at Boston College, the earthquake happened at 2 a.m. and had a magnitude of 2.5.

"I felt it," said Newry Assistant Town Clerk Anita Clark a few hours after the quake. "To me, it was just a big boom, and I have plates that hang on the wall above my bed and they all rattled, but the boom just woke me up."

Bethel code officer, developer brawl

BETHEL — A dispute at a local eatery ended when the town's code enforcement officer punched a local developer in the face, Town Manager Jim Doar said Thursday.

Code Enforcement Officer Robert Folsom was confronted by contractor Rick Savage as they were eating breakfast Thursday morning at the Crossroads Diner & Deli on Route 2, Doar said. He said it remained unclear which of the two started the incident and that the men's stories did not agree.

Movies coming to Mexico

MEXICO — Young people in town may have a chance this winter to go to the movies at the Mexico Recreation Building.

Selectmen narrowly approved a Recreation Committee request to spend about $2,100 from the Recreation Department account to buy a PowerPoint projector, stand and 12-foot by 12-foot portable screen that can be used in the recreation building, or during warmer weather, the recreation park.

Mexico police log

MEXICO — Vehicles driven by Raymond J. Gaudet, 80, of Fairbanks Avenue, Dixfield, and Donna J. Thing, 51, of Dewsnap Road, Dresden, collided at 7:06 p.m. Nov. 13 near the Wal-Mart intersection on the River Road.

Thing and her passenger, Margaret Genthner, 27, were taken to Rumford Hospital by Med-Care Ambulance Service where they were treated and released. Thing's 2008 Toyota sedan and Gaudet's 2003 Chevrolet van were destroyed.

Turkey party

Eileen M. Adams/Sun Journal

Mexico Public Library librarian Valerie Messana reads a story Wednesday afternoon about how Sarah Hale helped Thanksgiving become a national. The reading was part of the Turkey Party held for area youngsters. More than a dozen children heard stories, played games, snacked and created crafts.

Trees, wreaths go on sale for police youth group

MEXICO — The Mexico Police Explorers, a youth group sponsored by the local Police Department, will launch its third annual Christmas tree and wreath sale the day after Thanksgiving.

In the past, funds raised benefited various projects and equipment the youths need for their club. This year, all funds raised will go to help pay tuition to the youth Criminal Justice Academy in Augusta for local members, Mexico police Sgt. Roy Hodsdon said.

Wrong date

NEWRY — A special town meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, at the town office. The date was incorrectly reported in story that ran on B3 in Friday's River Valley edition.

Mountain Valley begins reaccreditation process

RUMFORD — The reaccreditation process for Mountain Valley High School kicked off this month when the school's team was formed, and a representative from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges visited the school.

Principal Matt Gilbert said the process is expected to take more than a year and will look at what works, what doesn't, and evaluate every aspect of the school's educational program.

"When we put that stamp from NEASC on our letterheads, that ensures that this is a quality place," he said.

Video-conferencing technology awarded to Region 9

MEXICO — The Region 9 board learned at Tuesday night's meeting that the vocational school will share in a federal grant that will bring videoconferencing to their school.

"This is wonderful," said board member Betty Barrett of Mexico. "It's a good opportunity for us."

Rumford crime bulletin

Rumford crime bulletin

Incident report statistics:

Between 6 a.m. Nov. 8 and 6 a.m. Nov. 15, patrol officers responded to 78 complaints.

Arrests/summonses:

On Nov. 9 — 2:35 a.m., Aaron Sargent, 32, of Rumford, was charged by Sgt. Tracey Higley with domestic assault on Spruce Street. Sargent was unable to post bail, was transported to the Oxford County Jail and is scheduled to appear in Rumford District Court on Jan. 5.

This week's agenda

Tuesday

Bethel: Water District, 7 p.m., Town Office

Greenwood: Special town meeting on land use ordinance, 7 p.m., Town Hall

Hanover: Selectmen, 6 p.m., Town Office

Mexico: Region 9 School of Applied Technology Board, 7 p.m., River Road school

Rumford: River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition board, noon, Rumford Falls Auditorium

Rumford: Rumford Performing Arts Committee, 4:30 p.m., Municipal Building

Wednesday

Dixfield: Recreation Committee, 6 p.m., Ludden Library

Dixfield to study advantages of wind farm

DIXFIELD — Selectmen heard a presentation from Todd Presson and Tom Carroll on a proposed wind farm project at a special meeting Monday night that could add as much as $40 million to the value of the town.

But such an increase in value could be less, contingent upon any tax incentives granted to Patriot Renewables LLC and the possible decrease in state aid to education and the municipality that may result.

Special town meeting set on wind farm moratorium

RUMFORD — Selectmen on Friday afternoon voted unanimously to hold a special town meeting on whether to enact a six-month moratorium on commercial wind development. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Rumford Falls Auditorium.

The move was prompted by a tentative proposal by First Wind LLC, of Newton, Mass., to site a wind farm on Black Mountain and two adjacent mountains. A citizens petition with 774 signatures turned in to the town last week asked for a moratorium on such development.

A confession

Double up

I have twice now signed petitions calling for a 180-day moratorium on wind farm projects. First was on the way into the wind power forum at Mountain Valley High School on Oct. 13 and the second on my way out of the American Legion polling station Nov. 3.

So how will the duplicates be culled?

"Oh, lots of people sign petitions three or four times," said Beth Bellegarde in the Rumford Clerk's Office, relieving my conscience. She explained that in the case of a local petition she checks both for registered voters and for duplicate names.

New changes to town subdivision, building laws prompt special meeting

NEWRY — Officials in this western Maine town are once again trying to require subdivision developers to install either sprinkler systems, fire cisterns or fire ponds to meet residential fire protection needs.

They're also overhauling town regulations governing subdivisions, on which town planners base their findings, Newry Administrator Loretta Powers says.

Selectmen will hold a special town meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, to vote on an ordinance amending the Unified Development Review Ordinance and an ordinance to amend the Building Code Ordinance.

Sewer district, Dixfield near agreement

DIXFIELD — A formal agreement between the town of Dixfield and the Mexico Sewer District came closer to reality this week when the Dixfield Board of Selectmen tentatively approved the percentage of repairs the town would make on sewer lines when needed.

The agreement must go to the town attorney for review.

The agreed upon percentage of sewer line repairs was one of the options given to the town from the sewer district.

Anne Young, a Mexico Sewer District trustee, said her board is waiting for official word from Dixfield.

Clock tower 100th birthday celebration

ANDOVER — A 100th birthday celebration for the town hall's clock tower takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15.

The birthday party is being held at almost the exact time that the tower's clock began ticking Nov. 15, 1909.

Elissa Thibodeau, chairwoman of the Town Hall Restoration Committee, said Sunday's focus is on the clock.

"People are expected to come from several local historical societies as well as from northern Maine," she said.

Dirigo High School looking to change teacher-parent conference format

DIXFIELD — Dirigo High School Principal Michael Poulin is studying methods to better communicate student progress to parents and guardians as part of the current school reaccreditation process.

Fire chief seeks software for police substation

CANTON — The Oxford County Sheriff's Department is looking into installing a computer program on the Fire Department's computer so police can use the firehouse as a substation, Fire Chief Wayne Dube said Thursday

  He said the town would probably see more police presence if the software is installed. The sheriff's department may also bring a 4-wheeler to the station that could be used for rescues, he told the Board of Selectmen.

MVHS teen accused of whacking middle-school boy with bat

RUMFORD — Police on Tuesday night accused a 14-year-old Mountain Valley High School student of whacking a 12-year-old middle school student in the stomach with a baseball bat on Prospect Avenue.

Cpl. Douglas Maifeld charged the Rumford boy with aggravated assault because a dangerous weapon was used. The teen, whom Maifeld said has a history of domestic violence, was taken to the Long Creek juvenile detention center in Portland. He will be arraigned Jan. 5 in Rumford Juvenile Court.

Baking cakes for soldiers

Eileen M. Adams/Sun Journal

Two more arrests made in assault

DIXFIELD — Two more local men have been arrested on felony aggravated assault charges related to an incident that left a Peru man badly beaten on Oct. 28.

Dixfield police Sgt. Jeff Howe said John J. Vargas, 34, of Dixfield, and Shawn Noyes, 33, of Brian Street, Dixfield, turned themselves in to the Oxford County Sheriff's Office on Nov. 3. They were released on an unspecified amount of bail, and are scheduled to appear in Oxford County Superior Court on Dec. 17.

Roxbury Riders ATV Club getting defibrillator, training

ROXBURY — On Thursday, Nov. 19, the Roxbury Riders All-Terrain Vehicle Club will become the first ATV club in the state to get an automated external defibrillator, selectmen learned at Tuesday night's board meeting.

To make it happen, Med-Care Ambulance in Mexico and and NewPage Corp.'s paper mill in Rumford teamed up with the club to provide the life-saving device.

Mexico PD gets OUI, safety-belt grants

MEXICO — Additional patrols for drunken drivers and safety belt violators began Wednesday thanks to a grant from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Highway Safety.

Sgt. Roy Hodsdon said the Mexico Police Department received $2,400. This is at least the sixth year the department has received such a grant.

The funds will allow additional four-hour OUI patrols and two-hour safety belt check patrols in addition to the regular police patrol coverage.