Election: June 13, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Bridgton Town Hall (North High Street)

Absentee Ballots: Now available

POSITION: Bridgton Select Board

Vote for 2

By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

The race for two seats on the Bridgton Select Board includes incumbents Carrye Castleman-Ross, who completes a one-year term replacing Fred Packard who resigned, and Paul Tworog, who is finishing up a three-year term. They are challenged by Dan Harden and James Kidder.

The News posed the following questions to candidates, whose answers appear in alphabetical order:

Q. Why did you decide to run for office?

Castleman-Ross: I have long been involved in politics by campaigning for and supporting various candidates both in Maine and nationally, and have been a voting proctor for many years in Bridgton. I am fascinated by the process and admire people willing to step up and run for something instead of just complaining, particularly in these fraught times. I ran for my first Select Board term last November and was elected to Fred Packard’s vacated seat. I am grateful to have been entrusted with the position by my fellow Bridgton voters and appreciate your continued support.

Harden: I have been involved in town politics for about five years. I currently serve on the Bridgton Planning Board. I am running for Select Board as I feel my knowledge of business, local residential needs, and local politics will bring added strength to the board.

Kidder: I have served in municipal government for 45 years, worked my way up through the ranks so to speak. As a Director, I have been involved in every aspect of town government, giving me insights and understanding that I would like to put to work for the people of Bridgton by serving on the Select Board.

Tworog: I have enjoyed my first term on the Select Board and have made a real difference in moving the community forward in a thoughtful manner. My focus from day one has been to recognize changes, while always working to preserve the character and values that have made Bridgton such an outstanding community. I want to protect the key characteristics of this great community such as open space, water access, recreational activities, an appealing downtown, etc. The real character of Bridgton, however, is Bridgton citizens helping Bridgton citizens, and my service in office is geared to not ever losing sight of that. I am looking forward to continuing as a very active and engaged member of the board, who has the multiple skills necessary to navigate the real complexities of today’s world.

Q. What strengths do you feel you would bring to the job?

Castleman-Ross: My greatest strength and motivation in running for Select Board is that I am dedicated both personally and professionally to this town and want to contribute to its future success. It is also important to me that we keep it growing in a sustainable and measured way. Our streetscape and wastewater infrastructure upgrades have shown business owners and future residents that we are willing to invest in our town. The Comprehensive Plan is an important tool in setting building and design standards to keep us moving in a positive direction during these developments. During my current Select Board term, I have served as liaison to the wastewater infrastructure development team and both the Recycling and Community Development committees. It has been very fulfilling to collaborate with so many colleagues, volunteers, town staff and consultants, all of whom are dedicated to Bridgton’s future.

Harden: Having run a business for 11-plus years and managing many different budgets, I feel I can help the current board with executing various and complex projects. Being involved in many non-profits over the years and giving back to the community is something I truly enjoy. Additionally, my experience organizing events has given me the ability to make decisions that have been great for our community. We may not always see eye to eye on boards, but being able to have objective conversations and different points of view, we always focus on what’s right for our residents at large.

Kidder: Experience — knowing when to listen to all sides of an issue and working as a team to find the best solution; knowing who to ask when an issue is more complex and will take time to resolve. Longevity — having a history of the issues of the past and how they were resolved, knowledge key to future decision-making.

Tworog: I have an extensive knowledge of finance including auditing, banking and budgeting. Having run many large and small operations has given me experience in how to get things done. Another key strength of mine is listening skills. I will listen to and work for all the people of Bridgton. I will not fall back on pre-formed opinions and the “old school” thinking. 

Q. What do you see are the two biggest challenges of the job, and how what would be your approach to dealing with them?

Castleman-Ross: 1.) Moving the town forward in a fiscally responsible way by creating opportunity and economic stability for our residents while protecting our most valuable asset — our priceless geographical surroundings and natural resources.

The investments that local developers have made in Bridgton over the past decade have created jobs in both the construction and retail sectors, replaced blighted buildings in the village district and added to our tax base.

The Community Development staff is implementing the Open Spaces and Vision Bridgton’s goals of expanding and protecting our public lands and recreational opportunities and our municipal officers and town employees have supported these efforts. I believe they have done an admirable job of balancing growth with the greater good. It is an exciting time to be in Bridgton and I look forward to continuing my role in our sensible growth and success.

2.) Providing a safe and nurturing environment for our children to thrive through continued support of Bridgton Rec, after-school programs and local mentoring, providing a safety net to meet basic social, food and heating needs for our elderly and less fortunate, and procuring the old Memorial School property to provide services for all of the above, and supporting the overall wellbeing of our residents by continued focus on community volunteerism and the successful ongoing efforts of our local law enforcement through collaboration and outreach. We all succeed when we support each other and create a healthy environment for all of our citizens to prosper.

Harden: Being involved in property management and non-profits as mentioned, I am out and about our entire town. I feel we have fallen short in ensuring proper distribution of focus and funds to support areas outside of downtown. Clearly, downtown is an important part of our wonderful community and I just want to see more balance for all residents.

The other area I feel we need to do a better job is communicating with the people of Bridgton and see if we can get more involvement from all age groups. We need to focus on job growth and affordable housing to help keep our younger generation here in town. I often hear from graduating seniors that they can’t wait to leave Bridgton for better paying jobs.  Love Always Bridgton

Kidder: Keeping a stable tax base. In these tough times, the public needs to be reassured that the people they elect are doing everything they can to keep taxes affordable.

Looking to the future for all the departments, from helping Rec with programs for all age levels, transfer station and the recycling issues it faces, and other departments to make sure leadership is supporting staff so they are enabled to deliver their best to the town.

Tworog: Dealing with the pressures of growth is certainly one of the biggest challenges. It is important that we do not approach it in a piecemeal fashion, but have a clear vision and are able to set priorities. The new Comprehensive Plan will be helpful in setting a vision, but time will not stand still while that is being developed. Certainly, one piece of the puzzle is enough affordable and workforce housing, but local well-paying jobs are needed to draw new long-term community members. There is a delicate balancing act to improve our unique downtown with its role of a thriving village and not simply a slick tourist attraction or urban core. Growth also puts tremendous pressure on our precious natural resources such as lakes and trails.  Recreational activities such as snowmobiling, cross country skiing and hiking are all key, especially with encouraging people to come to town in the winter and “shoulder” seasons.

A second major challenge is never losing sight of the needs of the people who are already here. Sometimes, the excitement of new, bigger and better can distract from the services needed and the realization of the cost of those services. Taxes are an important item not just for the many elderly in the town but also for many others. The figures for SAD 61 show that more than half the students are from economically disadvantaged families.  We need to make sure that we get the biggest bang for our buck in providing services and opportunities. One way to do that is to partner whenever we can with non-profits and volunteer groups such as the Bridgton Community Center, food pantry, Rufus Porter Museum, the library, etc. Not only does this leverage our scarce economic resources, but it fosters the sense of community helping community. Another way to help meet this challenge is to provide facilities for people to use on their own from pickleball courts to tennis courts to basketball courts, etc. Efficiency also matters in big-ticket items like considering a public safety building. We also need to make sure that the new wastewater system is affordable for people to hook up to and use. 

Q. Finish the following line, “If people vote for me, they will get...”

Castleman-Ross: …I promise to continue listening to, responding to and representing you to the best of my abilities in a transparent and ethical manner. It is a great honor to serve on the Select Board and I thank you for your trust and support.

Harden: …Honestly, what you will get from me is the truth. Those who know personally know I don’t beat around the bush. I have been involved in many projects in town over the 15-plus years or so that I have been in Bridgton, as previously said we don’t always see eye to eye, but in the end, we always come with a solution that works for everybody. I ask for your vote, but in any case, get out and vote. You truly cannot go wrong with any of the four candidates that are running. We truly believe and love this town. Let’s keep moving Bridgton in the direction we have been going and keep our quaint little town what everybody has come to know and love.

Kidder: …Someone to listen, help with a solution to a problem, look to the future of the town and move the town in a direction that meets the needs of both our young and older citizens.

Tworog: …I will continue to serve the community as an active and engaged member of the Select Board. The financial expertise that I bring to the table is particularly important. My focus remains on listening to everyone’s concerns, with no preconceived agenda. I will focus on clear, consistent, fully transparent communication. Finally, I will stick to a clear long-range plan and not base decisions on the particular, narrow interests of a few.