Rumford Crime Bulletin

Rumford crime bulletin
Between midnight June 29 and 6 p.m. July 4, patrol officers responded to 79 complaints.
Arrests/summonses
  June 29, 8:27 p.m., Denis Carrier, 55, of Rumford was summoned by Sgt. Tracey Higley on a charge of theft. Carrier is scheduled to appear in Rumford District Court on Aug. 4.

Board caught in crosswinds

ROXBURY - Ninety-two people signed a petition that asks selectmen to convene a special town meeting vote to rescind previously approved changes to town law allowing wind power facilities, according to Town Clerk Nina Hodgkins.

At Tuesday night's board meeting, selectmen accepted both the petition and a letter from Record Hill Wind LLC principal and former Maine governor Angus King.

Cause of late night fire undetermined

DIXFIELD - The cause of a late-night structure fire Saturday will likely never be determined.

Fire Chief Scott Dennett said early Monday afternoon that the damage was so extensive that his official report will list undetermined. Dan Young of the Office of the State Fire Marshal was wrapping up an investigation Monday afternoon.

The roughly three-year-old, one-and-a-half story chalet-style home was nearly leveled following the 10:30 p.m. cell phone call.

Latest plan to move library, build addition

Eileen Adams/Sun Journal
The Rumford Library Growth Committee has released this rendering created by Scott Simons Architects of a new proposal for expanding the Rumford Public Library. It proposes moving the original section of the 1904 Carnegie Library to a site on the former Stephens High School lot, then building an addition.

Public hearing to discuss recall petition

ANDOVER — A public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, in the town hall to discuss the petition-initiated recall of 1st Selectman Susan Merrow and proposed changes to the employee ordinance.
This is the second straight attempted recall of board Chairman Susan Merrow.
Merrow, who was elected to a three-year term on the board in March 2008, survived the first recall attempt by 26 votes in November 2008. The tally was 289-263.
On May 19, selectmen received another recall petition signed by many of the same people who sought the first recall attempt.

John Kezal named top Rumford citizen; Half-size picnic tables going up along Canal Street

RUMFORD — Selectmen named resident John Kezal as Rumford Citizen of the Year 2009 at Thursday night's meeting, but the official awards ceremony will take place later in the year.

Reading from his letter nominating Kezal, Town Manager Carlo Puiia said Kezal has served Rumford for years on the Finance Committee.

"He has contributed to others' quality of life in organizing and coaching of sports," Puiia said. "But most notably is his dedicated service to our veterans, to the Maine Veterans Home, and the Western Maine Veterans Advisory Committee."

Hope Association gets new building

RUMFORD - A former art center building on Congress Street has been given to the Hope Association as a place to train its developmentally disabled clients.
"We feel indebted to Lem Cissel who made that gift. It's a wonderful commitment," said Joe Sirois, executive director of the Hope Association.
The transfer of the property took place Thursday.

Fund-raising tournament tees off Tuesday

MEXICO - The seventh annual Rotary/River Valley Chamber of Commerce/Franklin Savings Bank golf tournament tees off at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Oakdale Country Club.
The event is a major fundraiser for Rotary scholarships for area students and to help the chamber with its many promotional activities, said Rich Allen, chairman of the Golf Committee.
He said last year, $4,500 was raised for each of the beneficiaries.

Selectmen support fire station grant application

RUMFORD — A simple 4-0 vote at Thursday night's Board of Selectmen meeting could better Rumford's chances of winning a $3 million federal grant being sought to build a new fire station. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 10.
The unanimous vote OK'd a pledge by selectmen to approve spending up to $25,000 for in-kind services for the project, contingent on Rumford getting the grant.

Rumford police log

Arrests
The following are to be arraigned on Aug. 4 in Rumford District Court:
• Niklaus Justard, 20, Rumford, furnishing a place for minors to consume alcohol, 11:54 p.m. July 1 on Somerset Street. He was released on $500 unsecured bail.
• Justin Foster, 23, Rumford, domestic assault, 8:32 a.m. July 1 on Franklin Street. He was released on $500 unsecured bail.
Accidents

Town office abuzz about snake sightings

RUMFORD — Aside from being the "Joke of the Day" on Thursday in the municipal building, there were no more reported sightings of a giant snake in Rumford's canal system.
Of course, if it exists, it could be anywhere in the area by now.
On Wednesday morning, two people contacted Rumford police dispatcher Sue Milligan saying they'd seen a large snake entering the canal off Canal Street behind Bartash's store.
Based on their descriptions, the snake is purported to be a 17-foot boa constrictor.

Monster snake slithering in Rumford canal

RUMFORD - OK, snake owners. Check your cages. Anybody missing a 17-foot-long boa constrictor?

On Wednesday morning, two people contacted Rumford police dispatcher Sue Milligan and told her they'd seen a monster snake entering the canal system off Canal Street behind Bartash's store.

Milligan said that based on the descriptions of the reptile, she believed it to be a 17-foot-long boa constrictor.

Maine, federal officials to explain new flood ordinance

RUMFORD — To better inform residents about federally-proposed changes in the town's Flood Plain Management Ordinance, an official with the Maine State Planning Office will be answering questions starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 2, in the conference room of the municipal building.
"It gives the public a chance to ask questions and look at maps," Town Manager Carlo Puiia said Tuesday afternoon. "These people work with this all the time."
The regularly scheduled Board of Selectmen meeting will follow upstairs in the auditorium at 7 p.m.

Lithuanian Heritage Club forms

Eileen Adams/Sun Journal
Lithuanian Heritage Club organizational committee members show each other sections of the Baltic nation that were homes to their ancestors. The new group aims to preserve its heritage and teach children about their ancestors' culture. Shown are Olga Richardson of Peru, Barbara Buotte Arsenault of Rumford, Pat Hopkins of Rumford and Matt Kaubris of Rumford.

Sign of the times

Eileen Adams/Sun Journal
Tom Virgin, maintenance supervisor for the Dirigo Region, prepares to paint a tire rim on a school bus that had been part of the SAD 21 fleet. The new wording on the bus shows that it is part of the Western Foothills School District, Rregional School Unit 10. Virgin said more than 50 buses from the fleets of the former SAD 21, SAD 43 and SAD 39 will soon all have the new name.

Thief steals clothing from Santa's Helpers

MEXICO — Police are looking for one or more people who broke into the Free Store sometime between Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning and stole more than $500 in new clothing meant for the annual Santa's Helpers project.
Mexico police Sgt. Roy Hodsdon said the Free Store's manager, Margaret McNeil, reported at 8 a.m. that someone had forced open the door to the basement by breaking the lock, then broke the lock to an upstairs door where new clothing for infants through adults is gathered and stored until the annual Christmas event.

Mexico police log

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

Accidents
A 2005 GMC pickup truck driven by Susan C. Buotte, 53, Porter Road, Dixfield, sustained $5,000 damage when a moose ran in front of it as Buotte was driving east on the River Road at 9:30 p.m. June 12. The injured moose was put down.

Rumford Crime Bulleting

RUMFORD — Between midnight June 22 and midnight June 29, Police Department officers responded to 77 complaints.

Arrests/summonses

Signing up

Wyatt Lufkin, 7, of Peru signs up for Ludden Memorial Library's Be Creative @ Your Library summer reading program Tuesday, as librarian Peggy Malley looks on. She said more than 30 youngsters had signed up for the program. Children will keep track of the number of books they read and will be treated to a special activity each week. Next Tuesday, Mr. Science Guy will conduct experiments from 2 to 3 p.m. at the library.

Dixfield police log

DIXFIELD – These arrests were made recently by the Dixfield Police Department.

• Daniel Palmer, 55, Severy Hill Road, Dixfield, domestic assault, at 4 p.m. June 24 on Severy Hill Road. He was released from the Dixfield Police Department on $600 unsecured bail. He is scheduled to appear in Rumford District Court on Aug. 4.

Skateboard park is awesome

DIXFIELD — Dylan Lord and his friends had one word for the new skateboard park: awesome.

The 14-year-old from Peru and several of his friends on Tuesday were whipping down the ramps, twisting around, and landing on their feet. They were so anxious to use the new park next to the Western Foothills School District central office that they came out in the rain.

The park was installed by the American Ramp Co., based in Joplin, Mo., on Monday. The boys were waiting.

"It's better than the street," Dixfield ninth-grader Cody Berryment said.

Canton crash injures two

CANTON — A 15-year-old Canton girl remained hospitalized Monday and faces potential charges in connection with a crash that injured a 14-year-old pedestrian.
Maine State Trooper Greg Tirado said Monday that the Sunday evening crash on Jewett Hill Road in Canton remained under investigation as officials awaited a chance to interview the unlicensed driver, Megan Jordan, who was joy-riding in her parents' car when the crash occurred.
Jordan was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland where she was listed in critical condition Monday night.

Carthage man, 81, OK after rollover

MEXICO - An 81-year-old Carthage man escaped serious injury Monday morning when the 1998 Dodge pickup truck he was driving rolled over.

Officer Dan Carrier said Hurchial Noyes was driving west along the River Road when a truck hauling hay pulled out from the Big Apple.

Carrier said Noyes turned sharply to the right to avoid the truck, sending the pickup into a skid. Noyes' pickup rolled over and came to rest on a lawn across from the convenience store after hitting a mail box.

Dixfield selectmen, sewer district to negotiate new terms

Partly to mostly puzzled

Last Friday afternoon, Toby Leboutillier's "Down Memory Lane"  on public radio was interrupted every 30 seconds, or so it seemed, by the familiar, awful buzz of the National Weather Service in Gray followed by stern warnings of severe thunderstorms, flash floods and hail.
Weary of weather warnings, I turned off the radio. But weather still ruled. I was back to asking a question that has nagged at us for years: What is the difference between partly cloudy and partly sunny, or mostly cloudy and mostly sunny?