They say that no good deed goes unpunished, and if you don't believe that just ask Biddeford City Councilor Robert "Bobby" Quattrone. A couple of weeks ago, Quattrone and other members of the city council received an e-mail from Vicky Edgerly, the city's welfare director. In her e-mail, Edgerly asked if any of the councilors … Continue reading No Good Deed
It’s been a slow turning
I have come full circle. When I first met Laura, she was running for one of two seats on the Old Orchard Beach School Board. I was the editor of a local newspaper, and generally wrote endorsements for various candidates in five different communities. In that particular race, I endorsed the incumbent, mistakenly thinking there … Continue reading It’s been a slow turning
Meet your candidates
Hear ye, hear ye . . . I have just returned from Biddeford City Hall with the official list of mayoral and city council candidates. The deadline for filing nomination papers has come and gone; and these are the names you will find on your November 3 ballot. Let's start at the top . . … Continue reading Meet your candidates
No easy answers
In the wake of yet another senseless crime -- this one, which struck close to home in Saco -- there is a renewed debate about what to do with people who suffer from a mental illness. Earlier this month, Connor MacCalister allegedly slit the throat of an unsuspecting grandmother, Wendy Boudreau, in a Shaw's supermarket. … Continue reading No easy answers
#Black Lives Matter
I had a little bit of an epiphany yesterday during an especially long drive home. To prevent road boredom, I was a listening to talk radio, and a news segment about the Black Lives Matter movement caught my attention. Before we proceed, a bit of disclosure: I am a white, middle-aged man. Up until yesterday, … Continue reading #Black Lives Matter
The Island of Misfit Toys
August 15, 2015 It's not even Labor Day. Sweet Jesus take me now. Already the political machinations are beginning in Biddeford, a city that treats their biennial municipal elections like the Super Bowl. It's not like this in the neighboring city of Saco, but on the south side of the river -- local politics is a blood sport that rivals … Continue reading The Island of Misfit Toys
When love comes to town
And, they're off! The 2015 municipal election season in Biddeford has started with a bang, according to this story from the Portland Press Herald. As someone who has worked professionally on local, statewide and federal campaigns over the last several years, I find all of this somewhat fascinating. I have been covering Biddeford's political landscape … Continue reading When love comes to town
Bang and blame
Like most everyone else in the free world, I have finally finished the third season of House of Cards, a Netflix original series. And like most other House of Cards fans, I have been consistently intrigued with Francis Underwood, a ruthless politician played by Kevin Spacey. As Season Three begins to unfold, President Underwood hires … Continue reading Bang and blame
The Doctor is In
It's only July, but it looks like it could be a crowded field in November with several potential candidates jousting for the mayor's seat in Biddeford. Mayor Alan Casavant announced in April that he would seek a third two-year term. A few weeks before Casavant's announcement, Perry Aberele made a statement to a Boston Globe … Continue reading The Doctor is In
Boys Don’t Cry
Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was that more than 150 people had packed themselves into the tiny and cramped Biddeford City Council Chambers. More than likely, it was because tensions remain high between the city council and the Teamsters union that represents the city's police, fire and public works department in ongoing contract … Continue reading Boys Don’t Cry
NOTES TO CARL | LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY 