Wind farm forum brings ill breeze

DIXFIELD — More than 60 people turned out Friday night for the first public informational meeting on a proposed wind farm project on a ridgeline in Dixfield and Canton.

Most spoke against siting a wind farm on the Colonel Holman Mountain ridge, stating beliefs that noise and shadow flicker could cause a variety of illnesses in people who live within 2 miles of a turbine.

Canton man convicted in March 15 shooting deaths of two dogs

PARIS — A Canton man pleaded no contest Thursday in Oxford County Superior Court to two charges that he shot and killed his neighbor's two dogs March 15 when they got loose and came onto his porch.

Judge Donald Marden found Thomas E. Averill, 42, of Dearborn Road, guilty of two counts of animal cruelty in the deaths of pit bull-mix dogs Keisha, 5, and Ding Ding, 2.

A felony charge of reckless conduct with a firearm was dismissed in the plea arrangement.

Wrong cost

CANTON — The cost to build a new dam on Whitney Brook, which drains Lake Anasagunticook, would be $653,500. The cost was incorrectly reported in a story on B1 in the River Valley edition Friday.

Canton votes to pursue dam grant

CANTON — Residents voted unanimously Thursday night to apply for a $500,000 grant to build a new dam on Whitney Brook, which drains Lake Anasagunticook.

Voters also approved borrowing up to $200,000 as a match for the Community Development Block Grant. The Canton Water District is applying for the money because the lake is the source of town drinking water. Neither the towns of Canton nor Hartford could apply for the $500,000 grant.

The lake lies in both towns.

Residents vote to keep school, sell former town office

PERU — Residents this week agreed to keep the former Peru Elementary School as a community resource, and rejected a proposal to retain ownership of the former town office site.

The ballot count Tuesday was 448-316 to keep the school, and 353-402 to continue searching for a new owner for the former town office and surrounding lot.

Region 9 adult ed enrollment climbs 84 percent

MEXICO — Jonathan Downs of Andover is among a dozen adult students taking a course to become a certified nursing assistant through the Region 9 School of Applied Technology adult education program. He was recently laid off from his mill job at NewPage Corp.

The program has seen an 84 percent increase in enrollment since the fall of 2008, from 70 to 129. Director Nancy Allen said the biggest reason is the number of layoffs. Another is that some unemployed people realize they need a general educational development certificate.

Excessive winds may blow Rumford wind power project elsewhere

RUMFORD — Selectmen and a large crowd at Thursday night's board meeting came to hear a presentation by Boston-based wind power company First Wind on its proposed Longfellow wind farm project for Black Mountain and North and South Twin mountains.

Instead, everyone learned that such a project might not even be viable, because First Wind studies so far show that wind atop Black Mountain is too strong for wind turbine engineering to handle, said Matthew Kearns, vice president of business development for First Wind.

Med-Care to look at former SAD 43 central office building

MEXICO — Med-Care Director Dean Milligan wants to possibly use the former SAD 43 central office building to house the ambulance service.

Selectmen on Wednesday night approved a walk-through for Nov. 20 by the Med-Care board and its architect. And because Med-Care is considering the two-story, c. 1960 building among its possibilities, selectmen delayed putting the building on the real estate market until next month.

Voters on Tuesday passed two local referendum questions, one of which was to place the former central office on the market.

Wind farm forum set for Friday

DIXFIELD — An informational meeting on a proposed wind farm for a ridge that includes Colonel Holman Mountain is planned for 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at Dirigo High School.

Dan McKay, one of the organizers for the event, confirmed that Tom Carroll of Patriot Renewables LLC, local physician Dr. Albert Aniel, Roxbury summer resident Steve Thurston of Vermont and local businessman Tom Powell will sit on the panel.

Wrong vote tallies

RUMFORD — A story that was published on Page B1 Wednesday should have reported that the name "Chisholm Memorial Theater" received 485 votes and "The Clock Tower Auditorium" got 356 votes. The information about a ballot question to name the town's municipal auditorium was incorrectly reported.

Graffiti spree

MEXICO — Police on Wednesday were looking for people who spray-painted five exterior walls in town sometime between midnight and the early morning of Nov. 1. They believe the same people spray-painted several buildings in Rumford during the same time.

Sgt. Roy Hodsdon said “3rd World” was sprayed in black paint on a fire station wall, on the underpass wall that connects the Town Office and library, on the porch of a Granite Street residence, and on the stop sign at Osgood and Mexico avenues.

First Wind rep to present proposed windpower project for town peaks

RUMFORD — Townspeople on Thursday can learn what a Bay State wind power company plans for town peaks by attending a Board of Selectmen meeting in the town hall auditorium.

Matthew Kearns, vice president of business development for Boston-based First Wind, will conduct a presentation on the company's proposed project, Town Manager Carlo Puiia said Wednesday.

He said Kearns was expected to answer several previously received questions from the Rumford Wind Power Education Committee.

Mexico voters approve road bond, sale of former SAD 43 central office

MEXICO — Residents approved borrowing up to $2.9 million for the renovation, repair or reconstruction of town-maintained roads by a 605-485 vote Tuesday. They also overwhelmingly approved authorizing selectmen to sell the former SAD 43 central office building by a vote of 966-132.

Basket benefit for library

Jeanne Duguay, a member of the Friends of the Mexico Public Library, checks out some of the 20 themed baskets that will be raffled off on Nov. 24. Each basket, filled with six to 10 themed items, will be on display in the library where chances will be sold at $1 for one ticket, $2 for three tickets and $5 for seven tickets. Basket themes include Christmas, movies, babies, crafts, tea, blueberries, a winter evening and kid's crafts. The friends are holding the third annual raffle to benefit the library. It is the largest fundraiser held each year.

Can we leave yet?

Gretchen Errington of Dixfield votes Tuesday afternoon at the American Legion Hall in Dixfield while her two children, Curtis, 5, and Libbie, 3, wait impatiently. Voter turnout in the River Valley region was unusually heavy for an off-year election because of the number of state referendum articles. In Mexico residents were also deciding whether to accept the former SAD 43 central office building and whether to borrow money to repair some of the town's roads.

Voters choose 'The Rumford Falls Auditorium' for town theater name

RUMFORD — Faced with three names to pick from for the municipal auditorium, voters at Tuesday's polls overwhelmingly chose to christen the spacious theater The Rumford Falls Auditorium.

According to Town Clerk Jane Giasson, The Rumford Falls Auditorium garnered 1,377 votes, Chisholm Memorial Auditorium had 485 votes, and The Clock Tower Auditorium received 356 votes.

Selectman Frank DiConzo, who served as the polling station's warden, said late Tuesday night that the matter now returns to the Board of Selectmen.

Police resume seat belt, OUI crackdown details

RUMFORD — As part of the continuing nationwide crackdown to enforce laws on seat belts and operating under the influence, Rumford police will conduct four-hour saturation patrols from now through December, according to Cpl. Douglas Maifeld.

Using federal grant money distributed through the Maine Bureau of Public Safety, police will focus the details from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Rumford police log

Arrests

The following are to be arraigned on Dec. 8 in Rumford District Court, unless otherwise noted:

• Patrick Hentschel, 41, Peru, sex offender registry violation, 1 p.m. Nov. 3 at the police station on River Street. He was released on $800 unsecured bail. A court date has yet to be set.

Rumford Crime Bulletin

Incident Report Statistics:

Between 6 a.m. Oct. 25 and 6 a.m. Nov. 1, patrol officers responded to 70 complaints.

Arrests/Summonses:

On Oct. 26 — 10:51 p.m., Jonathan Dubey, 40, of Rumford was arrested by Ptl. Michael Belanger and charged with disorderly conduct on Waldo Street. Dubey was unable to post bail, was transported to the Oxford County Jail and is scheduled to appear in Rumford District Court on Dec. 8.

Canton to discuss dam grant at special town meeting

CANTON — On Thursday evening at 6:00 residents will gather to discuss applying for a Community Development Block Grant to build a permanent dam and to approve the interlocal agreement with Hartford for dam maintenance after construction. A special town meeting will follow the hearing to vote on whether the town will approve getting a loan for the 25 percent match if the grant is approved and to approve the interlocal agreement.

Peru man beaten; two charged, three other sought

DIXFIELD - Arrest warrants have been issued for two more men in connection with a beating that left a Peru man with broken facial bones.

Dixfield police Sgt. Jeffrey Howe said warrants are out for Shawn Noyes, 33, of 21 Brian St., Dixfield, and John Vargas, 33, of Peru. They are wanted on a charge of aggravated assault, police said.

Already charged with aggravated assault in the attack are David J. Gallant, 34, of 24 Parker St., Mexico, and David Wing, 34, of 21 Brian St., Dixfield, Howe said. A fifth man believed to be involved is also being sought, he said.

Dixfield Police Log

DIXFIELD — The Dixfield Police Department recently handled the following incidents.

Arrest

Peter Williams, 39, Beedy Brook Lane, Dixfield, on charges of operating without a license, failure to stop for a police officer and vandalism, at 11 p.m. Oct. 23. He was released from the Rumford Police Department on $500 unsecured bail. He is scheduled to appear in Rumford District Court on Jan. 5.

Thefts

Mexico police log

MEXICO — The following incidents were recently handled by the Mexico Police Department.

Accident

Jennifer L. Gerry, 19, Brighton Avenue, Portland, at 8:09 a.m. on Oct. 19, attempted to drive into a parking lot near Rowe's Restaurant along Route 2 when the sun apparently blinded her to several large boulders. Her 1999 Mercury sedan struck the boulders, causing $3,500 damage.

Vandalism

New roof almost done

Eileen Adams/Sun Journal

Employees Chuck LaPage and Josh Baril of Maida Construction in Minot replace the roof of the Mexico Public Library on Monday morning. Company owner Joe Theriault said the project should be completed by Wednesday.

Mowing while the sun shines

Eileen Adams/Sun Journal

Longtime member of the Mexico Congregational Church, Darrold Comstock, mows the church's lawn for one last time this season in preparation for a cider-making event Saturday.