Town’s voters to decide
infrastructure spending

BRIDGTON — Bridgton is in line to get $11.5 million in federal aid for infrastructure improvements if voters approve local matches at the polls in November.

The town said it will receive $11 million from two federal agencies to help pay for a replacement of its wastewater system and $500,000 from the Maine Department of Transportation for improvements to Main Street. The grants, however, are contingent on voters approving three referendum questions to cover the local share of the costs on Election Day, Nov. 6.

The federal grants will cover about 48 percent of the cost of upgrading the town’s wastewater system, officials said.

Town officials said the wastewater system’s lack of capacity has hampered development in recent years, with retailers, restaurants and other businesses interested in locating in Bridgton being turned away because the sewage system can’t handle more wastewater.

Naples man, 24, dies
in motorcycle accident
NAPLES — Kyle Sweezey, 24, of Naples was killed last weekend when his motorcycle crashed on Harrison Road.

No other vehicles or people were involved in the crash a few minutes after midnight on Sept. 30. Sweezey was not wearing a helmet and died at the scene.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is reconstructing the accident as part of its ongoing investigation. Alcohol and speed appear to be factors in the crash, police said Monday.

Standish man dies
in collision with truck
GRAY — Bruce Smith, 56, of Standish was killed Sept. 29 when his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck on Route 26 in Gray.

Bruce Smith, 56, of Standish was riding a 2011 Can-Am Spyder when he failed to stop at a stop sign and ran into the side of a Ford F-350, driven by Ryan Glidden, 37, of Gray, according to Sgt. Marc Marion with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

“We don’t believe that speed or alcohol were factors,” he said.

Glidden was not harmed.

Marion said traffic was tied up for several hours as investigators worked to reconstruct the accident. He said Glidden and several other witnesses told police that it appeared Smith did not stop at the intersection of Route 26 and Game Farm Road and ran directly into the driver’s side of Glidden’s truck.

Community Health Forum
to discuss health care needs 

NAPLES — A Community Health Forum will be held from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11,  at Lake Region High School.

The public is invited to meet with representatives from local hospitals and organizations to discuss health data for Cumberland County, convey their needs in terms of community health and access to health care and help identify community health priorities in the county.

Yellow tulip event to mark
World Mental Health Day

BRIDGTON — Community members can plant yellow tulip bulbs at the Bridgton Community Center on Wednesday, Oct. 10, to create a community hope garden in honor of World Mental Health Day.

The event, from 3 to 5 p.m., is organized by the Bring Change 2 Mind campaign, which is focused on encouraging conversation to build understanding and acceptance of mental health and substance use disorders. Organizers encourage participants at the event to discuss mental illness, substance use disorders and suicide prevention with each other. 

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