Sun-Journal from Lewiston, Maine • B2

SUN JOURNAL FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014 WILTON B2 River Valley Region New Sharon bridge comes down with dynamite and jackhammer DONNA M. PERRYSUN JOURNAL Dynamite charges set on the abutments of the old iron bridge in New Sharon failed to drop it into the Sandy River early Thursday afternoon, workers brought in an excavator with a Jackhammer and finaly toppled it at about 5:30 Frankln county Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. said. TOWN MEETINGS AND ELECTIONS Saturday, March 1 EUST1S: 9 a.m., Community Building. Elections 4 to 8 pm Friday, Feb.

28, Town Office LOVELL: 9 a.m.,Town Office MlNOT9a.m.,Minot Consolidated School. Elections 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, Town Office NEW SHARON: 9 a.m., Cape Cod Hill School STONE ham: lOa.m.jown Office waterford: 9 a.m.jown Office weid: lOa.m.jown Hall. Elections 4 to 8 pm Friday, Feb.

28, Town Office WEST RAMS: 10 a.m., Agnes Gray Elementary School Monday, March 3 newry: 5:30 pm potiuck supper, 7 p.m. meeting, Bear River Grange Hall roxbury: 6 pm, Municipal Building Saturday, March 8 GREENE: 9 a.m., Greene Central School. Elections 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, March 7, Fire Station industry: 2 p.m.

Town Hall. Elections 8 a.m. to 1 pm, Town Hall NEW VINEYARD: Smith Hall VIENNA: 9 a.m., Community Building. Elections 4 to 8 pm, Friday, March 7, Community Building Monday, March 10 BYRON: 6:30 pm, old Coos Canyon Schoolhouse CHESTERVILLE: 7 pm, Town Office. Elections 1 to 6 p.m.

RANQELEY PLANTATION: 6 p.m., Town Office TEMPLE: 7 p.m.,Town Hall Wednesday, March 12 CARRABASSETT VALLEY: 7:30 pm, Outdoor Center. Elections 8 a.m. to 6 pm, Town Office Saturday, March 15 andover: 9 a.m., Town Hall. Elections 8 a.m. to 8 pm "Tuesday, March 18, Town Hall AVON: 9 a.m.jown Hall By Donna M.

Perry STAFF WRITER NEW SHARON The dynamite charges went offbut the old iron bridge didn't budge Thursday. It took more than three hours of an excavator with a jackhammer attached to bring it down shortly before 5:30 p.m., Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. said. Deputies will provide security at the site overnight, he said. People had gathered to see the bridge built in 1916 topple into the Sandy River.

Onlookers had to be at least 500 feet away from the bridge site. Some walked along a snowmobile trail that runs by the Town Office off Cape Cod Hill Road. They left the trail to trudge through deeper snow to get a position on a cliff overlooking the river. One person had a lawn chair, another a 5-gallon bucket that was tipped upside to use as a seat. The others sat in the snow to watch.

The Maine Department of Transportation notified New Sharon town officials last year that the old bridge, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is in imminent danger of failing. Selectmen made a decision Nov. 13, 2013, to allow the state to remove the bridge. Otherwise the town would have to pay for the costs if or when it was removed. The town did not have the money to pay for removal, selectmen Chairman Maynard Webster said at the time.

The bridge used to carry traffic from the old Route 2 but was closed to motor vehicles due to cracks in an abutment more than a decade ago. The bridge built in the 1950s runs parallel to the iron bridge. Franklin County sheriffs deputies and Maine State Police were in the area Thursday to keep people a safe distance away and to stop traffic on Route 2. Firefighters were also on hand. Board considers personnel policies By Ann Bryant staff writer WILTON A personnel policy is being drafted for town employees, Town Manager Rhonda Irish told the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday.

Part of it deals with use of town vehicles, she said. Department leaders for Recreation, Public Works and the Police Department have use of a town vehicle after work hours. During a discussion at their last meeting, some board members asked for the Recreation Committee to give reasons for Recreation Director Frank Donald's use of a department truck. Four members of the committee attended Tuesday's meeting to support Donald. "It's not about defending him," Selectman Tiffany Maiuri said.

"It's about understanding why." Although policy decisions about employees fall outside the scope of the committee, Chairwoman Stacey Damon and other members said efficiency is the main reason for Donald using a truck. Members said Donald opens the park at times in the summer and winter and closes it on summer nights. He often works a split shift in the winter, taking part of the afternoon off and returning for evening recreation programs, one member said. They voiced concerns about vandalism if the truck was not kept in a safe place, as well as the inconvenience for Donald to drive to the truck, drive it to the park and then return it. "It's not a 9-to-5 job," Town Manager Rhonda Irish said.

LOWE Continued from Page B1 tal recovering from crash-related injuries. A motion to exclude Jar-rold Mason, Rebecca Mason's father, from the courtroom at a trial was also denied by Cliflbrd. In his motion, Howaniec argued that Jarrold Mason made an outburst during a previous court hearing and Lowe is intimated and fearful of him. Clifford noted that court marshals are aware of the issue and will address it in the case of atrial. Clifford asked for more case law from Howaniec to support his motion to exclude the evidence that Lowe had been drinking and requested examples of media reports to back up his motion to move the trial to another county.

Howaniec said he remains concerned that an impartial jury can be found from the tight-knit communities in Oxford County, especially considering the substantial local media exposure the case has garnered. "We can never go into the mind of a potential juror, but we'd like to see everyone erring on the side of caution and moving this case to another county, where we'd be running into less risk of potential juror bias," Howaniec said. BINGO EVERY SUNDAY Lane-Dube BTSPOST 33 Doors Open Early Bird Starts at 12:45 2 Kinds of Pull Tabs Meals Fresh Cut French Fries! $1400 PAYOUT 111 Main St, Jay 207-897-4112 FS -AMY This is the steeple 4 grade," Pam Yeaton, who grew up in New Sharon, said. She lives in Wilton now but family members still live in town. "We don't have a walking path," she said.

"The other bridge is not safe to walk on," referring to the traffic on busy Route 2. When Julie Bartlett first moved to New Sharon she used to walk across the bridge with her dog. "It was lovely to look at the river," she said. The iron bridge provided for the community a safe place to walk across to get to the downtown, post office and Town Office, Michelle Wynn of Chesterville said. The Post Office and the Town Office have since been moved from that area.

The little downtown used to be used more, she said. "When they actually put the barricades up, it was a sad day," Bartlett said. tyerryOfunJoumiLcMn VuTV Representatives of contractor CPM Constructors of Free port, the Maine Department of Transportation, and Maine Rural Water Association were up on the cliff to watch. The tap-water line runs under the river. Maine Drilling Blasting did the blasting.

DOT Project Resident David Doucette said explosives were set up on the northern and southern abutments. They had an excavator with set of shears ready to cut the bridge up once the abutments were blown from underneath it The plan was for the bridge to tip away from the Route 2 bridge and fell into the river. CPM Safety Officer Bill Marquis said an access road was built so the sheers could get down to the bridge. Holes had been drilled to put the dynamite and caps into the abutments. Ford Crown Victoria that has about 136,000 miles, he said.

The board went with the lowest bid for a 2014 Interceptor from Quirk Ford in Augusta for a total of $21,989, Peck said. Other bids included Farmington Ford for a 2014 Interceptor for $25,292 and Preparation work to remove the bridge began last People sat and waited. It was about 1:30 p.m. when a blast sounded. The whistles that people thought they would hear signaling 5 minutes, 1 minute and then all clear could not be heard from the cliff.

Marquis looked through a pair of binoculars to check out the site. He then used his cellphone to call down to workers. All the shots went offbut nothing happened, he said. "The concrete is so soft they think it rifled back on them and blew old concrete out," Marquis said. "The blast went offbut it didn't work." One young boy who sat and watched with family yelled, "Try it again." That brought laughter from those around him.

"I walked back and forth to school across the bridge from kindergarten to sixth another Quirk Ford bid for a 2014 Dodge Charger for $25,498. The board also approved hiring a new police officer, Derrick Doucette, 22, of Lewiston. Doucette will begin his duties with the Police Department on Monday, March 3, Peck said. 10 am, location to be announced Saturday, March 22 STRONG: Forster Memorial Building. Elections 1 to 6 pm Friday, March 21 SWEDEN: 9 a.m.jown Meeting House Monday, March 24 farmington: 7 p.m., Community Center.

Elections 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. WOODSTOCK: 7 p.m., Woodstock Elementary School Saturday, March 29 GILEAD: 7 p.m.,iown Hall SunJournal CONNECTING YOU WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DANCE SNOWSHOE CLUB SATURDAY, MARCH 1ST MUSIC BT DANCING 7:00 11:00 PM MEMBERS AND QUEST WELCOME 887 Waldo St, Bumford LESLIE H. DIXONSUN JOURNAL The 40-foot steeple of the 1860 North waterford Congregational Church can be seen in the Mis of North waterford from Route 118. The steeple, which sits over a tower holding an 1 872 Hoi brook bell, underwent a major repair in 2009.

Farmington board approves police cruiser bid Ann Bryant staff writer FARMINGTON The Board of Selectmen approved a bid for a new police vehicle during their Tuesday meeting. Police Chief Jack Peck received three bids for a 2014 sedan to replace a.