A little more than 35 years ago, I found myself working as a volunteer on the Cheyenne River Indian River Reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. Life was good. I had a full head of hair, a smoking hot girlfriend and I was doing my part to make the world a better place by promoting … Continue reading Twisting By The Pool
Category: ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER
Selected pieces from my newspaper column, All Along The Watchtower
Werewolves of London
It is a well-known fact that participation in the world of politics – whether it is national, statewide or local -- is often a rough and tumble affair. But here in my hometown of Biddeford, politics is a blood sport and its machinations are not for the faint of heart, those with thin skin or … Continue reading Werewolves of London
Biddeford After Dark | When writing was fun
Biddeford After Dark” is a five-part series of articles that I wrote more than 20 years ago while serving as the editor of the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier. According to what I wrote at the time, the purpose of the Biddeford After Dark series was “to explore what was often ignored: what happens in our community after most people have gone to sleep.”
Shiny, happy people
The 19th Century French novelist Romain Rolland once opined that “we are reckless in our use of the lovely word, friend.” Nowhere is that more true than on Facebook and other social media platforms. As an example, as of today, I have 1,202 “friends” on Facebook. Really? Do I have more than a thousand people … Continue reading Shiny, happy people
Gimme Shelter
There is no question that downtown Biddeford is going through a renaissance. From a run-down and neglected corridor of assorted and vacant mill buildings to one of the most desirable places for young people to live in southern Maine. Suddenly, without warning, downtown Biddeford became hip. Today, long-since abandoned textile mills in the downtown area … Continue reading Gimme Shelter
I’m a boy and I’m a man
Ralph Waldo Emerson once quipped that “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” This week, I offer a solid example in which society is best served from at least a little bit of consistency. State Rep. Maggie O’Neil (D-Saco) has introduced a bill (LD 706) to lower the voting age in Maine from … Continue reading I’m a boy and I’m a man
Video killed the radio star
As we continue our march through the 21st Century, there are still a great many people who are less than pleased about the various advances of technology and about how the so-called charge into a brave new world is affecting their lives and their nostalgic memories. Henry Thoreau opined that “the mass of men lead … Continue reading Video killed the radio star
Je suis navré
Over the last 24 hours, many of my Facebook friends changed their profile pictures with a backdrop of the French flag. I did not. I have no criticism for my friends who did this, I can only explain why I did not. What happened in Paris last night was an outrage. Those were cowardly acts … Continue reading Je suis navré
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
No woman, no cry in Biddeford
Critics of the Republican Party often say the GOP is the party of old, white men: a diminishing demographic in a nation with increasing diversity. Roger Hurtubise Clement Fleurent John McCurry Although I am hesitant to generalize the Republican Party, I can say with confidence that the Biddeford City Council is whiter than the Academy … Continue reading No woman, no cry in Biddeford
