State Rep. Marie Laverriere Boucher (D-Biddeford) is living in La-La Land, where every little girl has a pink pony and giant-screen televisions repeatedly show episodes of Little House on the Prairie. Let’s give the Biddeford City Council a rest this week, and turn our attention instead to all those wacky legislators we love to hate. … Continue reading Second-hand parents
Tweedle dee and tweedle thumb
Earlier this month, my youngest stepson, Matthew, nearly cut off his left thumb. In the greater scheme of things, this might not seem like relevant news. After all, what does a six-year-old boy’s thumb have to do with the earth-shaking events now going on in Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach? Voters will not decide … Continue reading Tweedle dee and tweedle thumb
The Trouble with Cinderella
I didn’t find out about Artie Shaw’s death until four days after it happened. Artie died on Dec. 31, and I learned the news when last week’s issue of Newsweek arrived at my house. Given all that is happening in the world, the death of a long ago band leader may seem insignificant and somewhat … Continue reading The Trouble with Cinderella
Automatic For the People
There’s just something about Old Orchard Beach. I don’t know what it is exactly, but ever since I moved here two years ago, I get a strange feeling every time I use my microwave oven. Convinced that the Central Intelligence Agency has been beaming harmful, mind-controlling, ultra-sonic rays into my home, I spent this last … Continue reading Automatic For the People
Deal Gone Bad
Four years ago, the owners of the Maine Energy Recovery Company told city officials they would never consider relocating their trash incinerator facility out of downtown Biddeford. Within the last two years, that message has drastically changed. The turnaround is likely the result of continuing closed-door negotiations between company officials and city officials from both … Continue reading Deal Gone Bad
Save The Fish or the Fishermen?
Peter Innis, a commercial fisherman from Portland, described the National Marine Fisheries Service as “terrorists,” who are out to destroy Maine’s ground-fishing fleet. During a public hearing Thursday on proposals that are now being considered for the implementation of stricter fishing rules in the Gulf of Maine, Innis compared the federal agency to the al-Qaeda … Continue reading Save The Fish or the Fishermen?
Hey, let’s go camping!
(Originally published July 2003) It was supposed to be a relaxing weekend of camping. I should know better than to include the word “relaxing” when talking about a camping trip with the kids and Laura, who — by the way — requires a minimum of 47 hours of sleep between Friday and Sunday. This camping trip … Continue reading Hey, let’s go camping!
MERC: Broader implications for Maine’s solid waste problems
In many ways, Old Town is a lot like Biddeford. Both cities are supported by a manufacturing base and perched along a river bank. Biddeford has the University of New England, and Old Town is just a short drive away from the University of Maine’s Orono campus. But while Biddeford considers the possibility of getting … Continue reading MERC: Broader implications for Maine’s solid waste problems
Tough Guys Don’t Dance | Biddeford After Dark
There is an undercurrent of violence and uncertainty hanging in the air, lending an ironic balance to the comforting quiet of the rolling fog.
The Naked & The Dead
A full moon is partially hidden by a thin strand of clouds in the eastern sky, and I am back on the streets of Biddeford after dark. I’m not sure if it is the moon or just because it’s the height of the weekend, but for whatever reason, there is a certain energy on the … Continue reading The Naked & The Dead
NOTES TO CARL | LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY 