As 2010 draws to a close, here’s a look at some of the top  Leader stories from the past year.

South Portland resident Lorraine Ela continues to wait for police on Long Island, N.Y., to identify four bodies found along a beach a few miles from where her daughter was last seen.

Megan Waterman, 22, a Scarborough resident and mother of a 4-year-old daughter, was last seen at a hotel in Hauppage in Suffolk County on June 6. She had last contacted her family on June 5.

Waterman had gone to Long Island with her boyfriend, 21-year-old Akeem Cruz, just after Memorial Day weekend. Police said Waterman was known to work as an escort and placed ads on Craigslist.

In late November, Suffolk County Police Officer John Mallia discovered a body along a desolate stretch of shoreline highway on the island’s Atlantic coast. Three more bodies were discovered two days later, all within 500 feet of each other. While police confirmed the bodies were women, no positive identifications have been made and Waterman’s case is still considered a missing person investigation.

In November, Cruz, considered by police to be a witness in the missing person case, was sentenced to a 20-month prison term for drug distribution.

The past year has not been easy for friends and family of Steven Delano.On May 8, the 18-year-old Scarborough resident was killed when a tanker truck driven by Nathan Allen, 37, of Casco, collided with his pickup at the intersection of Payne and Scarborough Downs roads.  

Delano and passengers Kevin Grondin, Julia Waters and Kayla Carpenter were on their way to a Gorham High School prom when the accident occurred.

Although Waters and Carpenter, both of Gorham, sustained minor injuries from the accident, Grondin, a Scarborough High School student, spent three weeks at Maine Medical Center after suffering brain injuries.

He has since lost hearing in his left ear and now has anxiety attacks. Allen was not injured in the accident, and on Oct. 15, pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter, aggravated assault and reckless conduct at his Cumberland County Superior Court arraignment.

In the wake of the accident, Grondin and friends have done their best to remember Delano. They created a memorial at the crash site and decorated a tree with ornaments during the holidays.

As Christmas neared, Grondin and Carpenter held a toy drive in honor of Delano and the service he gave to the community as a volunteer firefighter, among other charitable endeavors.

“It was always Steve’s idea to help people out, that’s just the type of person he was,” Grondin said.

Grondin and friends Kelsey Michaud and Audra Gordon on Dec. 20 delivered the gifts they collected – four large bins filled with stuffed animals, video games and other toys – to the Barbara Bush Children’s Center at Maine Medical Center where Delano’s mother, Cindy, is a nurse.

Cindy Delano said the children would be more than appreciative of the gifts, and that “Steve would be very honored.”

In August, asbestos was detected on the outside paneling of 28 windows at Wentworth Intermediate School during an examination of the building’s air quality by Northeast Test Consultants. 

Then Superintendent David Doyle ordered that windows remain closed until a more permanent solution could be found and further testing on the quality of air inside the building. 

Although levels of mold, radon, carbon dioxide and asbestos were all found to be low and not pose a health risk, parents, teachers and administration voiced concerns about other problems in the building, including efficient heating and air conditioning concerns, rodents, insufficient bathrooms and sprinkler systems. 

Those concerns were addressed in November when the Wentworth Building Committee was formed to assess the building and determine whether to pursue construction of a new school or continue renovations. 

On Dec. 6, the group of Scarborough residents from a variety of professions unanimously decided to pursue construction of a new intermediate school. 

Interim Superintendent Jo Ann Sizemore, a member of the group, said construction of a two-story building would provide a “safe and more healthy environment for children and staff.” 

Sizemore said the group will present its recommendation for a new building to the School Board Jan. 6 and to the Town Council at its Jan. 19 meeting.

“We all want to work together, that’s our goal,” Sizemore said.

Window paneling with asbestos was removed during Christmas break and will continue on weekends throughout the school year, said Todd Jepson, school facilities manager.

Installation of Central Maine Power Co.’s smart meters led to an uproar from residents concerned about possible adverse health effects and safety liabilities associated with the meters.

John Carroll, a spokesman for the company, said the wireless meters are safe and are simply a digital improvement to current analog meters.

Town Council members responded to concerns and in October passed a resolution to delay installation of the meters for 90 days to gather more information. CMP agreed to host two open forums to address residents’ concerns. 

Carroll said the company hopes to begin installation of meters in Scarborough during the first quarter of 2011 and may begin as early as January. He said the company also is awaiting response from several complaints that were filed by residents to the Public Utilities Commission. 

CMP has already received approval from the PUC to install meters throughout the state and has installed more than 56,000 throughout Greater Portland. He said CMP intends to replace all existing analog meters by early 2012.

Scarborough resident Elisa Boxer-Cook, who filed a complaint with the PUC, said she has met with legislators who support her and others who believe CMP should grant customers the option whether to participate in the program. 

“Whether it’s health, safety or privacy, our main concern is that we want people to have a choice,” Boxer-Cook said

In November, residents of the Green Acres neighborhood became concerned over potential development of a 6-acre parcel of land that abuts their homes.

The land, listed for sale by the Maine Department of Transportation for $695,000, attracted the attention of Maine Eye Care Center, which expressed interest in expanding its office in the area. 

Harvey Rosenfeld of Scarborough Economic Development Corp. suggested the land be rezoned to accommodate Maine Eye’s interest in the property.

Neighborhood resident Deborah Histen said the land acts as a buffer between I-295 and the neighborhood and worried a new development would bring added traffic, noise and light to the area.

She soon formed the group, Save Green Acres to oppose the zone change and was joined by other residents who shared her concerns. The Town Council unanimously decided  Dec. 1 that the land would not be rezoned. 

Last week Histen and others in the group met with Sen. Phil Bartlett (D-Gorham, Scarborough, Westbrook) to discuss concerns about how the DOT acquired the land.

Bartlett said he is organizing a formal meeting between residents and the DOT so the issue can be addressed.

Although the council voted against rezoning the land, Histen and others in the group are concerned Maine Eye may pursue the option of a contract zone with the town to build on the property. 

If Maine Eye does decide to request a contract zone, it would have to demonstrate a public benefit for the town and agree on terms of negotiation, said Assistant Town Planner Jay Chace.

Histen said the group continues to maintain its position that the land is a residential area and should not be rezoned for development under any circumstances.

She said the group intends to protect the land as a green space and will seek town support for its efforts to purchase the land from the state.

In September the town and fishermen’s co-op agreed on an easement that paved the way for construction of a new pier at Pine Point.

The easement resulted in a land swap between a portion of the co-op’s waterfront property in exchange for 25 parking spaces and deeded access to King Street. 

Construction of the new pier began in December.

Marine Resource Officer David Corbeau said installation of 100 Greenheart piles, specifically designed to last longer in water, has begun and that the new pier should be completed by April 30. It will be built to the left of the existing pier, which will remain in place, Corbeau said. 

Once the pier is finished, it will be approximately 216 feet long, 14 feet wide and enable fishermen to access a new 72-foot by 25-foot dock by truck to unload gear. The pier also will be equipped with two, 1-ton jib cranes to allow workers to load gear during both high and low tides, as well as other amenities such as fresh water supply, lighting and a power supply for welding, Corbeau said. 

After 24 years of service in the Scarborough School Department, superintendent David Doyle resigned in October. Doyle had originally intended to remain as superintendent until the end of 2010, and cited personal reasons for his early departure.

Assistant Superintendent Jo Ann Sizemore is the temporary replacement for Doyle.

 “It’s been a very good experience and I have enjoyed the work so far. There is a lot to be done, but it’s been good,” Sizemore said.

The search for a new superintendent began in November when focus groups of staff members and parents met with the New England School Development Council to determine what character traits they’d like in a new superintendent.

 Several of those attributes were, “a strong leader, motivational and an effective communicator and manager of personnel,” Sizemore said.

Sizemore said interviews for a new superintendent will begin in January and the Town Council will assist in screening candidates. Sizemore said the position should be filled by July 1.

Former District 127 Rep. Sean Flaherty of Scarborough was arrested in August for driving under the influence after he flipped his car on I-295 in Freeport.

Flaherty said he was returning home from a wedding in Sebago when he overcorrected his vehicle, causing it to hit a guardrail and flip onto its roof, according to Maine State Police. Flaherty, who sustained minor cuts and bruises from the accident, declined to be taken to the hospital.

A Breathalyzer was not administered on site due to blood and dirt in Flaherty’s mouth, although the smell of alcohol was noticeable, police said. Flaherty was released on bail later that day.

In October, weeks before he lost re-election to his House seat to Amy Volk, Flaherty admitted he was driving under the influence. 

Flaherty said in a written statement that the accident was a “stupid mistake” and he would do his best to learn from his mistakes.

He pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a $500 fine. Flaherty’s license was also revoked for 90 days. 

Construction began in April on a new beach access area between the Lighthouse Inn and Beach Walk subdivision at Pine Point.
The project, which was designed over the course of three workshops, included plans to create a drop-off zone, paved walkway and other roadside improvements.

Changes included the addition of sidewalks, crosswalks and narrower traffic lanes to allow beachgoers better access. 

The cost of roadside improvements was approximately $214,000, said Town Manager Tom Hall, and other costs associated with the walkway were nearly $98,000. 

Hall said the money came in part from a 2008 capital improvement project of $219,500 designed to improve conditions on Broadturn Road that was never undertaken. The Town Council approved $146,000 of that money for the Pine Point project along with $35,000 from capital improvement funds for the 2011 fiscal year.

The walkway was completed in July as well as installation of a water fountain, bicycle rack and split-rail fence. The area will be known as Snowberry Ocean View Park in honor of an amusement park that once stood next to the Lighthouse Inn.
  The only remaining work is installation of a wood-framed seating area next spring and historical signs that explain the name of the site, Hall said.

Before it began construction of the access area, the town first needed to swap Depot Street for a parking lot between the Lighthouse Inn and Beach Walk subdivision.

Some residents were concerned the loss of Depot Street would further restrict access to the beach, not improve it. Hall said he believes the new access area was the proper decision. 

“It was a difficult process, but I thought it was worth it,” Hall said. “I think the final product confirmed the fact that it was the right thing to do. I know there are still some folks that have resentment, but I think the end result really serves the public well,” Hall said.

Biddeford voters in November paved the way for Scarborough Downs to move to Biddeford and open a racino. 

Residents voted 4,636 to 3,244 in favor of allowing development group Ocean Properties Ltd. and Scarborough Downs to create Biddeford Downs on Andrews Road. The $125 million facility would include a racetrack, racino and hotel complex. 

Scarborough Downs Owner Sharon Terry and Ocean Properties representatives told voters the project would create 500 jobs, boost the economy, provide tax revenue and support the harness racing industry. Biddeford Mayor Joanne Twomey, who in the past opposed the expansion of gambling in Maine, said she could not turn her back on that many jobs. 

Opponents of the project questioned whether it will really create 500 jobs and draw people away from the downtown area. Members of Citizens Against a Bad Deal voiced concerns at public meetings about the city’s role in promoting the project and whether it had been given proper discussion. 

The project faces limitations from a 2003 statewide referendum to allow racinos in Maine. The law allowed Scarborough Downs and Bangor Raceway to seek local approval to operate slot machines by Dec. 31, 2003. The law also stipulates each racetrack could move within a 5-mile radius of its 2002 location. 

Voters in Scarborough twice rejected Scarborough Downs’ attempt to add slot machines, prompting Terry to look for another community willing to host the facility. Hollywood Slots opened in Bangor in 2008. 

Lawmakers also will need to eliminate a provision in a law approved by voters Nov. 2 that prohibits casinos within 100 miles of a casino in Oxford County.

Scarborough Downs Lawyer Ed MacColl said following the November vote that the harness racing industry “has always had very good relations with the Maine Legislature” and he is confident the “small blemishes” will be fixed.