Sun-Journal from Lewiston, Maine • 1

FIRST EDITION 4 -V i EumwChkfScottThittle778-772 1-888- 23 Friday January 28 2000 Sun Journal Section! levels By Poisna Perry StaffYfrittr tax-exeihpt issue! al services-to surrounding cox munities and factor that intcrtl formula for how much addition revenue sharing atown might gs The proposal Ja to foertasefi amount of income and setaCtl revenue that fife stats shares irj towns ''ti Now 5-1 percent of those taw are refurwwPtrfW that revenue shafthg One firefighter was in- jured and the owner and her daughter of the historic KlirBeck house were treated for smoke inhalation in an early morning fire 1 that ripped through the building Thursday Fire Chief Jon IJung-grensaid y- Pour cats perished About 50 firefighters from nine towns fought the Naze that destroyed file more than 100-year-old -home known as The Gnomes on Klir Beck Road which is owned by Cynthia and Robert Knudson he said The twostoiy house originally a farmhouse built in the 1800s was remodeled and added onto by renowned artist Klir Beck Cynthia Knudson and her daughter Janna whowas visiting from California were sleeping in bed- The bills would ease the burden of towns with hospitals universities and other exempt properties By Scott Thistle 1 FARMINGTON Hie Legisla- Taxation Committee is drafting bills that could give'' towns with high percentage of tax-exempt property a financial hreakaccordihg to Mkhasi Stam -of the Maine Municipal Asaoda-1 tkrn One hill If passed would be good news for towns that have large properties that be taxed because they are either owned by the state like the Uni-varsity of Maine at Farmington or they are nonprofit organisations like FTanklin Memorial Hospital 8tarnsaid The proposed bills also look at which fowna are providing region- It was awful because you see It was just black blacksmoke If heard the boom we mitftt not have gotten out tynthiaKmtdsoit SAD 36 backs NYC nil donna pmrtsum Journal KNOCK DOWN: Vienna firefighter Lenny Meader used his excavator to knock down walls ofltieGnomex a historical house remodeled and added onto by renowned artist Mir Beck In 1927 wqlls were knocked down to aBow firefighters to extinguish the blaze Thursday "-'V would be far towns and gfoual hubhe iali IawmakqrsfkiFfld- (hroiqfii the defrRa'Wk ala seem the committee chairman Kenneth Gagnon D-WateL Other sessions have drafted afii lar bills but have never garndN the support theyVe needed tael passed into law he said fririy well along in terms-determlnlng the details of tl PLEASE SEE BILLS PAGEBU The aqi theprbgfthi geOur into a wall hanging play intheachocd In other buainere InterluLS perintendent Gary Crook report that the building project at the Ei mentary learning Canter in ermore is on schedule and almd dosed in It was fortunate fiiat winter he off long enough for the roof tor on he said Hie contractor expei to put on extra help and the Mil ing will be ready for the Assistant Principal Jeannlt Backus and reading spedallatCs ole Godomsky rqnrted on the Maine Education tests which are now aligned fl Learning Results a aer educational goals students mq meet to graduate Three types of reports went thia year Backus explained1: class report was received in CD her received report PLKAgE SEE SAD PAGE HaR BLOCK! pSr! ofcxhSa MON-IVIM-SAT I1? rooms on the second floor when the fire began she said 1 heard a loud bang and I went out into the hallway and smoke wds Just pouring up the stairs flynthia Wimrtsnn daughter was sleeping In the little room and I went to her room and told her to shut the door because the fire gotten that far So I went downstairs to find out where my sdh was and I managed to get the four dogs out I see anything I know if they were even alive A man came by the house to pick up my son for work and I said me help me the house Is on The unidentified man used his cell phone to report the fire at 7 amt she said Her son Harlan was staying downstairs in another section of the home and had gotten Us coffee about 10 minutes earlier in the main house He had gone back to his room to finish getting' ready fbr work she said four cats up in the bedroom Knudson said "My son and daughter went around outside and put up a ladder and broke a window to try and get the cats but It was awful because you see It was Just black Mack smoke If I heard the boopi we might not have gotten outV Both Cynthia and Janna Knud-aon were treated at neighbor John Jones' home for smoke inhalation by Mpimt Vernon Rescue Knudson's husband Robert was out of state in Massachusetts at PLEASE SEE FIRE PAGE B2 ByCoraCBbjgps Special Iti At Sm Journal LIVERMORE Directon ofSAD 86 gave unanimous approval Thursday night to the Humanities 2000 proposal which includes an overnight trip April 9 and 7 to New York City for 44 Juniors and seniors from Livermore Fall High School This Is the fifth year for the program during which 144 students have visited New York PrlnripsT Scott Phair said While in the city students will see a Broadway performance of "Mlse Saigon" have dinner before 1 file show and eqjoy walking toura in small groups Students and chaperanas pay for their own 35 tickets and the cost of the chartered but S2J75 is un- derwrltten by sponsors Students have to sign psrticipag tiem contracts which indude seminars Thursday evenings in -March During there they wfll learn about the musical the his-' torical perspective the New York experience and create a quilt -square 20 OFF ALL PENDLETON (instock only) -sni- aw sunr emrer soawAi KAon 743-6501 Jj Bede designed the home in Swiss chalet and frndflil ngh Tudor style Cynthia Knudson said It had a lot of eaves bal-' conies and canopies Ornate brick with designs carved-in and butter- flies flowers and bees and a tree of life decorated outer stucco panels of the home He hand-carved squirrels under the gables Twenty-four French doors framed the great room Hudson said Set into the middle of the floor near the hearth was a colorful stone compass decorated with the north free puffing out his cheeks' Beck devised a curved sliding door made of fake bricks to close off the pantry The study door to the home Was made of deeply carved walnut weighing 300 pounds 1 Beck designed a 40-pound keyless lock for the door but the secret combination went with him when hediedfatUGR "Until we can get into the rubble we know if the door Knudson said Tf a possible still intact" She said foe cellar where the fire started was right underneath where the door led into the great nm beep working on the house for these Knudson said "The big loss is all the work a lot of people put in! She said the house was in bad shape when they purchased it and they have been renovating It ever since They had Just gotten to the point where interior work could be started she said' believe the work Seafood RntaftbeSauoal MB SHRIMP JkFKESH SMELTS 6 pk BudBud Light Cans $299 Inftnfrri Oyer Scaflof Beef Variety T-iMil I WcAgyfco4l PLEASE SEE GNOMES PAGE B2 Advantage Insurai Rumfotd 04-9293 By Donna Perky OiOjj wwftttT i A fire destroyed a Klir Beck Road home listed on' the National Register of Historic Places taking with it a piece of foe heartbeat and a dreams Thursday The Gnomes adapted from a 1800a farm house that was added on to redesigned and reconstructed in 1927 by the late craftsman Klir Beck famous artist renowned for his clever animated scenes that were made for the Maine Fish and Game Department and displayed at national shows His dioramas wen featured at die Maine State Museum Beverly Wight Smith said a Vienna natlve and member of die historical society "He was such a famous person" Smith said "It was a one-of-a-kind house it was quite unique' He was one of the greatest artists and craftsmen of our Cynthia and Robert Knudson own the home Snowshoes OPW 9 AM-5 PM CLOSED HEP SEN) SnowsmoiesI AND SALES QaarAftatlare The Annual Stockholder's Meeting of i FARMINGTON FARMERS UNION will be held Tuesday February! 2000 at 1:30 pm at Henderson Memorial Baptist Churdi fart Triff Tharat Cirri You Deserve Good Insurance Rates You may be eligible for a aubctantial discount on your Auto Home and BusineM inauiance Get the coverage you need at a price you can afford Call us today for a quote: Daaieb AHewe Lewiston 7IJ-999I AaitiVaiK OUTFITTERS ANNUALlSNOWSHOEfJAMBOREE Sunday7Jan230 starting atJOam National Grange Mutual' Insurance Company snoEffi ftiee Dinci At all three Oxford Hills- American Lepion nffrs Main Street Norway Monday January 31gt SOUTH PARIS LEGION IIAL6 Church Street South Paris MH Tuesday February 1st 22 Your creative florist Fbr agmt lstywar ct OXFORD LEGION HALL Kin Street Oxford MES Saturday February 5th To Show Our Appreciation Be Having 10 OFF SALE ON ALL BOYDS YANKEES Jan31 -Fetk5 With Giveaways All Week! 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