Brace yourselves. Find a comfortable seat and maybe grab some popcorn.
I have some shocking news to share, and this blog post may trigger certain emotional reactions.
From what I am told, some people in Biddeford do not like me very much. Shocker! This has been hard news for me to process and absorb. So please bear with me.
It was only three weeks ago that someone suggested that I was the “God of Biddo.”
What went wrong?
A lot of this criticism is rather recent and mostly comes from people who were likely still wearing diapers when former Biddeford Mayor Jim Grattelo tried to have me fired as editor of the Biddeford-Saco Courier in 1999.
I am no different than any other Biddeford resident. Some people like me; some people don’t like me. It goes with the territory when you have a recognizable name in a very small pond.
Travel more than two miles beyond Biddeford’s city limits, however, and my name recognition drops off sharply. Very sharply.
Although it’s plainly obvious why so many people like me. (I’m ruggedly handsome, clever with a razor-sharp wit and pretty easy to get along with)
People who don’t like me think I am an arrogant, pompous ass with poor cognitive skills and a lack of ethics.
So, which narrative is true? Duh! The latter one, of course.
In fact, the tagline on my personal Facebook page reads: “Randy Seaver is a cranky, nearly insufferable malcontent living in Biddeford.”
The God of Biddo?
For reasons I cannot fathom or explain, a relatively large number of people in Biddeford seem to think that I have some mystical power, and that I somehow control or dictate public opinion.
For Pete’s sake, I constantly lose my wristwatch. I am bald and overweight, and I sometimes forget to put in my partial dentures before I leave the house. I am also not very bright, as we’ve discussed earlier in this post.
Is this really the stuff “gods” are made of? I hope not. Because if so, then we have really lowered our standards.
According to my more recent critics, I often blur the lines between the three hats I wear: a.) Randy Seaver, the person and blogger; b.) Randy Seaver, one of four admins on the Biddeford-Saco Community Facebook page; and finally, c.) Randy Seaver, the editor and chief bottle washer at the Biddeford Gazette.
Which hat should I wear?
Let’s quickly break down these three roles I play, one by one.
The blogger: Yup, I am fifth-generation resident of Biddeford. I have a journalistic advantage because I know a lot of people and grew up here.
I write this blog to vent about national politics, public policy issues and to share stories regarding my battle with a significant mental illness. I have been doing this since 2011. I am also a semi-retired public relations consultant. I have no clients in Biddeford. I am married and have a dog, two cats and two adult children.
Still with me?
Secondly, yes, I am one of four admins in a very popular Facebook Community Group. When our team was asked to take over the group on July 31 last year, we had roughly 16,100 members. Flash forward one year, and we now have more than 25,000 members.
It would appear that we’re doing something right, but we also enforce the same group rules that were in place when the group was originally started.
Do I often post stories from the Biddeford Gazette on that community page? You bet your sweet ass I do. I’d be crazy not to.
But here’s the deal, I also post every story and announcement I find about the community and link those stories to their original source.
I recently did a rough count. During the months of June and July, I shared 41 stories from the Gazette on that page. During that same time period, I also published 37 stories from other news sources, including Saco Bay News, the Biddeford-Saco Courier, the Press Herald and WGME-TV.
When I see news about Biddeford, I share it, regardless of where it comes from.
Still with me?
I am also the editor of the Biddeford Gazette, a media outlet I formally launched in January. The Gazette is not intended to dominate local news, rather fill gaps in media coverage about Biddeford.
Do I have a little bit of fun and practice Gonzo Journalism with the Gazette? Sure sometimes.
I don’t make one red cent from the Gazette. No paywalls, no advertisements. No paid subscriptions. I do it because it is my passion; because I truly love Biddeford.
Every newspaper editor on the planet controls what is or is not shared on their pages. It’s no different with the Gazette.
The Gazette is so much more than just another platform for Randy Seaver. Every week we publish obituaries for free. Does that strike you as personal self-promotion?
Every newspaper editor on the planet
controls what is or is not
shared on their pages.
It’s no different with the Gazette.
Every week, I hunt down and offer stories to highlight and support local businesses for our Taking Care of Business section. Unlike some politicians, I don’t feel the need to take pictures of myself when promoting downtown businesses.
The Gazette has a citizen advisory board for the sole purpose of gathering and exploring constructive criticism and feedback about our efforts.
The Gazette also encourages and regularly publishes articles, columns and opinion pieces from our readers.
Most recently, the Gazette started a feature to highlight pets waiting for adoption at the local shelter. All of that takes work, time and commitment.
I am proud of the Gazette’s in-depth reporting such as our three-part series regarding the city’s housing issues and our recent partnership with The Maine Monitor.
Do I push the envelope a bit with my opinion pieces? Yup, but otherwise we take great pains to make sure our news coverage is accurate, balanced and fair.
You don’t like me? I don’t care.
Join the I Hate Randy Seaver support group that meets weekly at the former armory on Franklin Street in Saco, ironically almost directly across from the house where I grew up between the ages of seven and 15. (Note: this is satire. I do not actually know where that group meets).
Buckle up, because until my horrible diet, sedentary lifestyle or severe sleep apnea send me to my grave, I’m gonna keep writing. And I’m never going to stop.
If you can’t have a little bit of fun, why bother?
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