Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman said this week that the city may not be included in the review process of a new pier that the University of New England wants to build on the Saco River.
According to city ordinances, such a project generally must first be approved and facilitated by the city’s harbormaster before any other regulatory agency can conduct its own review of the proposal, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Saco River Corridor Commission.
However, because of actions by the city’s harbormaster and the chair of the Biddeford Harbor Commission, Grohman said the only way for a “fair review of the application” might now include the city withdrawing itself from the review process entirely.
“At this point, they [UNE] are holding all the cards,” Grohman said. “I don’t know how we can get them back to the table.”
On Friday, John Schafer abruptly resigned his position as chair of the Biddeford Harbor Commission.
Schafer told Saco Bay News that he felt “shackled” in his attempt to provide “clarity and transparency” to the discussions surrounding the university’s proposal.
Schafer admits that he should not have played an advocacy role in the review process, but says he was angered by the university’s threat of litigation against the city if their new pier and its specific location is not approved.
According to documents obtained by Saco Bay News, the university began raising threats of litigation months before their pier proposal was formally submitted to the city in June.
“Talk about putting the cart before the horse,” Schafer said. “You had UNE bullying the city with threats of litigation even before they submitted their proposal.”
Several months before the university formally submitted its proposal, Ron Schneider, the university’s general counsel and vice president of legal affairs, sent a letter to the city’s attorney, arguing that the proposed location for the pier was already a “settled issue.”
“It is our position that the planned location of the GMSC Pier is a settled issue,” Schneider wrote. “Mr. Lariviere, and by extension the city, is estopped from reversing course at this time and mandating a different location for the pier.”
In his letter, Schneider says that both Lariviere and former harbormaster Marshall Alexander “specifically told university representatives” in 2015 that the proposed pier should not be built in the location that Lariviere is now suggesting as a more appropriate location.
Lariviere denied Schneider’s assertions about the location of the pier. “That is a complete fabrication,” he said. The harbormaster also says the city’s ongoing actions in removing him and the assistant harbormaster from the approval process violates several state laws.
Grohman says the situation has become a “real mess for the city,” and is causing “unfortunate delays” for the university.
“I’m not sure how we can proceed from this point,” the mayor said during a telephone interview on Sunday.
“There’s really nothing in our ordinances about how to proceed in this situation,” Grohman said. “We have been put into a difficult position.”
Although City Manager James Bennett has previously declined to say whether the university has threatened the city with possible litigation, two letters from Schneider to City Attorney Harry Center make clear that the university is prepared to use litigation if the city does not approve their proposed location for the new pier.
In his Feb. 13 letter, Schneider wrote that Lariviere’s “continued inappropriate obstruction would result in delay that would adversely affect Biddeford, would cause project delay, and would significantly increase expense to the university.”
“It is our sincere hope that UNE is not forced to resort to litigation to avoid the delay and expense that will result if Mr. Lariviere were to insist on obstructing the building of the pier,” Schneider wrote.
Schneider said the university “cherishes its relationship with the city and its people and only wishes to continue being a valuable member of the community.”
Grohman said the University of New England is one of the top-ten academic institutions in the world in field of marine research.
“What they are hoping to do with their pier will result in a lot of positive outcomes,” the mayor said.
As part of his resignation letter to the mayor and all members of the city council, Schafer included a brief video he produced that affirms what the city’s harbormaster, assistant harbormaster and others have been saying about the river depth where the university wants to build its pier.
In the video, depth measurement equipment clearly shows that the river is, in fact, deeper closer to the shore than in the location proposed by the university.
Lack of adequate mooring depth has been one pf the primary concerns raised by Biddeford’s harbormaster in connection to the university’s proposal.
UNE representatives, however, say the water depth is better in their proposed location, citing research from engineering firms they hired to study the issue.
Grohman said he has a high opinion of Schafer and his abilities. “I am sorry to see him step down, but I do think it was the appropriate thing to do,” he said.
“The best and fairest way to move forward may be to have the city withdraw from the approval process and see what other agencies have to say about the project,” Grohman said. “One way or another, we have got to get this thing figured out.”
Although he wears many hats, Richard Rhames of Biddeford could probably best be described with just three words: authentic, passionate and persistent.
Rhames, 78, is a well-known commodity at City Hall. He is an outspoken member of the public, a former city councilor and a tireless member of the both the city’s Conservation Commission and Cable Television Committee.
Richard Rhames/ Seaver photo
Over the last four decades, Rhames has developed a reputation as someone who means what he says, and says what he means. He rarely pulls punches when criticizing local leaders and their policies; and he is always willing to fight even when he knows the odds are insurmountably stacked against him.
Today, Richard and wife Pat own and operate Shady Brook Farm on outer West Street. That 80-acre farm has been in Rhames’ family for three generations, and the land represents one of the last family-owned farms in the area.
Rhames, who serves as president of the Saco Valley Land Trust, laments the loss of small farms, but keeps his hands firmly on the plow in a time when farming has pretty much become a corporate enterprise.
“If farming was easy, everyone would do it,” he said with a wry grin. “Let me assure you, nothing about farming is easy.”
To the casual observer, it seems that Rhames is always willing to do things the hard way. He dismisses the notion of going along to get along.
Sticking to his principles and beliefs has cost Richard some friends and his seat at the table of local power, where he was widely considered a thorn-in-the side of the Chamber of Commerce types.
Richard was an at-large member of the Biddeford City Council when the September 11 terrorist attacks occurred. Within days, the council had decided to place miniature American flags along the council dais. There was one flag in front of each councilor.
At the beginning of the next council meeting, Rhames used his arm to move the flag to his side as he was spreading out paperwork. A fellow city councilor expressed outrage, and a reporter from the Journal Tribune wrote that Rhames had “shoved the flag away.”
The public was largely unforgiving. It was a time of hyper-patriotism and there was little tolerance for anything deemed to be “un-American.”
Rhames had already been long criticized for his questioning of U.S. policies in the Middle East, including Iraq. He was unapologetic. Just a few weeks later, Biddeford voters showed him the door.
“I never shoved the flag,” he said. “But the damage was done. The political class was not happy with me, and they gladly grabbed onto a piece of red meat.”
Rhames never stopped sharing his political views. He wrote a regular column in both the Journal Tribune and the Biddeford-Saco Courier. Much of his written work focused on labor issues, workers’ rights and conservation issues.
He is a long-time advocate for single-payer healthcare and says if the city is serious about the issue of affordable housing, the best weapon to bring to that fight is municipally-mandated rent control.
He is also a fairly well-known musician, playing rhythm guitar with two different bands throughout the area.
What got you involved in local government?
“It was the airport. Back in the ‘70s, they started pushing a plan to build a cross-wind runway. They intended to buy the George Fogg property, which was between the paved part of Granite Street Extension and the town line. That’s always been the wet dream – – the cross-wind runway.
“I started going to Planning Board meetings and council meetings. I was probably the only guy in town who had actually read the master plan. I mean, who are we kidding? Master plan? Fuck that. It was supposed to be a done deal. The powerful people, the people with connections; it was what they wanted.
“Because Mayor [Babe] Dutremble was pissed that some of his political friends had been moving forward behind his back, he shut it down all by himself. It was in the papers, the York County Coast Star and the Journal.
“Then about 10 years later, in the mid-1980s, it came back again, with a vengeance. The new plan was even more grandiose. It would have Biddeford become a reliever for the Portland Jetport. We were going to get the freight shipments; it would have included 60,000-pound aircraft. They dream big, here in Biddeford. The FAA loved it, you know? And they thought they had it.
“We fought it. They wanted to change the zone to Industrial. That’s back when wetlands were just dismissed as swamps. We got some other people riled up and involved, and at one of our first neighborhood meetings we came up with a name at the supper table: NOISE (Neighbors Organized In Stopping Expansion).”
You have often complained about the fact that there is so little public participation in city meetings.
“In order to know what’s going on, you got to be there all the fucking time. And you’ve got to have no life, which is ideal for me. (Laughs)
But it’s not just local issues that get you fired up.
“Yeah, well you know. If I’m pissed about something, I’m going to stand up and say something. I don’t know any other way to be. I have this bad attitude, right?
“When I was younger, I could have gone back to teaching (public school). I was no longer 1A. I didn’t have to fight the draft anymore. When I grew up, I remember watching television and all the incessant propaganda. The whole mantra: the Russians are coming; the Russians are coming. The constant beating of the drum. The propaganda. The free world.
“I grew up in the ‘60s. I mean we were all drinking from the same propaganda trough, but it was the draft that literally forced a lot of young people to start recognizing what was happening, even though I went to a little white-bread Midwest college.
“I was as unquestioning as anyone else back then, until all this shit started happening. We had access to libraries and learning opportunities. We did this bus caravan thing. We went to Midland, Michigan, the home of Dow Chemical.
“We were all white bread kids; nobody had long hair; we were wearing suits at the march and the locals hated us because we had a rally in the park (Laughs).
“But we were earnest, and we had been looking into this a little bit. Most of us had some idea about the history of southeast Asia; how we took over for France in Vietnam. There was a history there that the newspapers never reported, but we came to understand that it was really fucked up; and why would anybody want to die for that?
“But to openly resist meant costs. Most of us were banking on what we were taught since elementary school: that we had some kind of career waiting for us in regular society.”
Do you ever get tired of fighting the good fight?
“I’m pissed, and I have been pissed for a long time. I don’t find that hope is terribly motivating. You gotta be pissed. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t right what we did on the grand scale.
“Even today, as much as the whole thing in Palestine is wrong, the Israelis, the Zionists, are pikers compared to the United States of America. The body count that we have rung up during my lifetime is really fucking impressive.
“Nobody talks about it, but if you want somebody killed, call us. We’ll either provide you with the weapons; better yet, we’ll do it ourselves. We’re really good at that. Spending a trillion dollars a year on the military? That’s easy.
“But if you speak up, they come after you. It’s dangerous, Randy. Why did they come after me the way they did after 9/11? Why have they come after me, including you, . . . why was I such a target? You know? This unassuming clodhopper with the big words and all that shit, you know? Why was I the target?
“Because I was willing to stand up and say this shit.”
What do you think about all the changes as Biddeford becomes a destination community?
“We were last in line. We had the incinerator [MERC]. They stopped pulping in Westbrook and that city began to gentrify almost immediately, and Westbrook isn’t placed nearly as well as we are. Against all the political odds . . . and the only reason that we got rid of the incinerator is because they wanted to leave . . . they [Casella Waste Systems] were ready to go.
“It always kills me, I guess it shouldn’t — when Alan [Casavant] expresses surprise, disbelieving; and talks about how quickly the shift started, how much things changed once we got rid of MERC. It would have happened anyway, but you had this whole Heart of Biddeford gentrifying, national advertising campaign. The whitewashing of Biddeford culture.
“We created a myth of what Biddeford is in order to entice new people to come here and exploit us, which they are doing.
“But we haven’t learned. The political class is still bending over backwards to subsidize private development.
“I keep telling them: Isn’t it time to pump the brakes a little? You don’t have to beg people to come here anymore. There’s no incinerator anymore. We’ve got all this ocean frontage, river frontage and all these old buildings from when Biddeford was the Detroit of New England.”
You are one of the most strident and vocal supporters of public access community television, even as the city slides further away from televised meetings to online forums.
“When we started with public access, there was some good stuff on the channel, but the political class was always uncomfortable. It frightened them because they couldn’t control the message.
“We used media for public education, to pull back the curtain and give information that you really couldn’t find anywhere else. It was good stuff, and I was never home.
“We were doing advocacy for ordinary people. You don’t generally find that on the airwaves. Who wants to do research to make a point? T.V. is something done to you now.”
Any thoughts on running for office again?
(Sighs) “I’m too old. My time is over. I understand how the world works. I’m not the one. I’m just not the one.”
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Although the University of New England earlier this month formally submitted its plan to build a new pier on the Saco River, that plan still remains mired in controversy.
Both the university (UNE) and Biddeford’s harbormaster seem to have their heels dug in regarding how the pier should be built.
Before the pier can be built, the plan must first be approved by the city of Biddeford’s harbormaster. The plan will then also require review and approval by several other agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Saco River Corridor Commission.
As of press time, it remains unclear how the city will be able to review the proposal because City Manager James Bennett removed both the city’s harbormaster and assistant harbormaster from the review process in May.
Bennett said he removed the harbormasters because he felt they were biased and would not be able to objectively review the application.
In May, Bennett said he would appoint a harbormaster “Pro-Tem,” specifically for reviewing the university’s plan. Last week, Bennett told Saco Bay News he has not yet been able to find a temporary harbormaster to review UNE’s proposal.
“It is taking a bit longer than I anticipated, but we are going to continue our search in order to ensure that the university’s proposal is handled fairly and objectively,” Bennett said. “There are not a lot of people with that kind of experience. So, we need to go back to the drawing board.”
According to documents obtained by Saco Bay News, Bennett reached out to and was then rebuffed by the Maine Harbormasters’ Association when he asked that agency for guidance and suggestions about someone who could review the university’s proposal.
In a June 4 email response to Bennett’s inquiry, Daryen Granata of the Maine Harbormasters’ Association, said Bennett’s desire to appoint a temporary harbormaster was “unprecedented” and would likely be a violation of state law.
“Our board is unaware of any precedent for such a position,” Granata wrote. “Review of the relevant state law contains no provision regarding such a position. To do so would be inconsistent with the explicit state law.”
“The Maine Harbormasters Association discourages you from pursuing a ‘protem’ harbormaster as it is inconsistent with the prevailing law. Instead, we recommend that you work within the review hierarchy laid out in your harbor ordinance.”
Bennett said both he and city attorney Harry Center disagree with the legal opinion given by the association.
Bennett would not say whether he contacted Saco’s harbormaster to help review the application.
Dan Chadbourne, Saco’s harbormaster, said he was told that he should not comment on the controversy surrounding UNE’s proposed pier.
“All I can say is that channel is a joint jurisdiction between the cities of Biddeford and Saco,” Chadbourne said. “At some point, the city of Saco will be involved.”
Why the controversy?
UNE wants to build a pier jutting away from the shore in a perpendicular design and into the channel with a T-shaped configuration. The new pier will be used to dock the university’s marine research vessel in close proximity to their Marine Sciences building on the Biddeford campus.
Biddeford Harbormaster Paul Lariviere said the university’s plan would have a significant impact on existing moorings, navigation and public access. Last year, he shared an alternative proposal with UNE officials.
Lariviere’s alternate design runs parallel to the shore, without jutting into the channel. The university has dismissed the alternate plan, raising concerns about water depth during low tide.
But Lariviere says water depth at low tide is actually deeper closer to the shore in that specific location.
Lariviere says he has nothing personal against the University of New England, and is not attempting to block their attempts to build a new pier for their research vessel.
“They [UNE] have been talking publicly about their plan to construct a new pier for a few years now,” Lariviere said. “My concern has always been about following existing laws, regulations and city ordinances. I took the time to do some research in order to offer them a plan that would better meet their needs and have fewer impacts on public access, navigation, existing moorings and water depth.”
While university representatives maintain that their design is the only one that will give them adequate water depth for docking their research vessel, Lariviere and others say that’s simply not true, pointing to recent data they collected.
“The way the river runs, they (UNE) would be much better off with the alternative I provided them,” Lariviere said. “At mean low tide, there is actually better depth closer to the shoreline than further out in the channel.
“Frankly I don’t understand their adamant objection to the alternative plan we developed,” Lariviere said. “It would probably cost them less money to build, meet all of their stated needs and offer better depth for their vessel. The alternative plan I showed them would have no impacts on existing moorings and would remove concerns about public access and navigation.”
Lariviere said that over the past several months, many people have asked him his thoughts about the university’s plans for a new pier.
“I have just been answering questions people asked me,” Lariviere said. “Of course, I told people that their plan – as presented – would never fly. It’s simply because their plan does not meet existing standards and regulations. It’s not bias. It’s common sense.”
What UNE Says
According to Sarah Delage, a spokesperson for the university, the university’s proposal was rigorously reviewed and designed by engineering and environmental consultants.
Delage said the location of the proposed pier was chosen after expert marine engineers looked at nine potential locations and considered potential impacts to mooring, navigation and environmental concerns.
In their application, the university altered the harbormaster’s proposal. Their design adopts a starting point at a shore location almost identical to what the harbormaster suggested. But the university presented a T-shaped perpendicular design that juts out from that starting point on shore well more than 150 feet into the river, at odds with the harbormaster’s recommendation.
Delage said the alteration was designed to point out the necessary depth that would be required for docking their research vessel.
Although Delage said “there is no physical map or design to represent” the harbormaster’s alternative, the university’s application does include a reconfigured drawing of the harbormaster’s alternative.
Delage says the university was first made aware of the harbormaster’s alternative during an informal meeting at City Hall in October 2023.
That meeting was attended by City Manager James Bennett, Harbormaster Paul Lariviere, UNE President James Hebert and John Schafer, chair of the Biddeford Harbor Commission.
“This was a verbal conversation,” Delage said. “The harbormaster never provided us with a physical alternative design.”
Based on the verbal feedback, Delage says the university then created a diagram of a pier in the location suggested by the Harbormaster to show what a pier would look like if it were designed to reach sufficiently deep water.
“With the assistance of the marine engineers, UNE understood that a pier hugging the shoreline would not reach deep enough water,” Delage said.
Lariviere disputes the claim regarding low tide depth, pointing out that he and several others conducted rigorous depth surveys in that location.
Furthermore, If the university were to adopt the harbormaster’s alternative, Delage said such a pier would have “to be about twice the size” of the alternate design that Schafer shared with the media.
Delage said the alternative plan would be more disruptive to the harbor and unable to accommodate both the university’s research vessel and the city’s fireboat.
“The bathymetric survey information relied on by the engineers to establish water depths comes from work done by Statewide Surveys in 2015,” Delage said.
Delage added that the shoreline elevations are further “corroborated by low-tide aerial imagery available from Maine Office of GIS and an additional imagery service used by GEI (Nearmap), which depict an intertidal zone along the shore, and the low-water location in close agreement with the location identified by on-the-ground land survey.”
Delage said the university’s research was summarily rejected by the harbormaster during another informal meeting at City Hall in January. She said that UNE’s design team and other staff, the city manager, City Councilor William Emhiser and Lariviere and Schafer all attended that meeting.
The cart before the horse?
Even before the regulatory review process has started, the university sought and received commitments of federal funding to help pay for the construction costs.
The university and city manager say that both Lariviere and Schaeffer should not have been making public comments about the proposed pier before the plan was even formally submitted.
Delage said there was a joint meeting of the Harbor Commission and the Shellfish Conservation Commission in February that was not publicly noticed.
“There was no agenda published, and no minutes are obtainable from the city’s website,” Delage said.
In addition to the lack of public notice, Delage says the university did not receive any notice of this meeting, despite the fact that their pier proposal would be discussed.
“Again, UNE has never received a drawing of any kind from the harbormaster specifying his preferred design and location,” Delage said.
Delage says that Schafer, chair of the city’s Harbor Commission, sent email messages to multiple people, including city councilors, indicating that he agreed with the harbor master.
Those actions are the basis of why Lariviere was removed from the review process, according to City Manager James Bennett and City Attorney Harry Center.
The Harbor Commission is the body to whom an applicant must appeal any adverse decision by the harbormaster, Center explained. “You simply cannot present yourself as able to review an application if you have already publicly stated an opinion about that application,” Center added.
“It is my professional opinion that the city would be unable to defend itself in a court hearing if the applicant decides to appeal a decision that was pre-determined before the application was submitted,” Center said.
Schafer said all meetings of the Harbor Commission are open to the public. He also said he rigorously prepares meeting agendas before each meeting and also provides minutes of every meeting to a long list of people at City Hall, including City Clerk Robin Patterson, the designated staff liaison for the Harbor Commission.
Schafer provided Saco Bay News with copies of emails he distributed before and after the joint Feb. 21 meeting with the Shellfish Commission.
“I specifically sent the detailed minutes of that meeting to a whole bunch of people,” Schafer said. “I am a strong supporter of open and transparent government. When I heard that UNE might be considering litigation against the city, I made it my mission to relay what our commission heard from the harbormaster at the Feb. 21 meeting.”
Schafer said every monthly meeting of the Biddeford Harbor Commission includes a standing agenda item entitled “Harbormaster Summary.”
“I had no idea what Paul [Lariviere] was going to say ahead of time,” Schafer said. “But I sure as heck made sure that everyone knew what he said during that meeting. We have never had a meeting without an agenda or detailed minutes.”
According to the meeting minutes that Schafer shared with Mayor Marty Grohman, all members of the city council, Police Chief JoAnn Fisk and the city clerk, Lariviere said he would not be able to approve UNE’s proposal simply because it did not conform to existing regulations.
“Yes, people have asked me questions and my opinion about the university’s plan,” Lariviere said. “There has been a lot of talk about this pier dating back to 2008. People have questions. I have been consistent with my response.”
During a prior interview with Saco Bay News, Alan Thibault, vice president of operations at UNE, said the university’s pier design was included in a master plan that was approved by the Biddeford Planning Board several years ago.
Delage says the university is only asking to have its proposal reviewed fairly and objectively, like any other applicant that goes to the city for an approval.
“No member of the community should have to be concerned that their applications would be rejected in advance,” Delage said.
If the harbor commission has already stated a position, any appeals by the university could be considered futile acts, Delage said.
“In my opinion, a lot of errors have been made,” Schafer said. “But I think it is absolutely critical to remind everyone that no one – – no one – has said that UNE cannot or should not have a new pier. This entire conversation is about where that new pier should be located. That’s it.”
Tensions about a proposed pier that the University of New England wants to construct on the Saco River prompted Biddeford City Manager James Bennett to remove the city’s harbormaster from the review process of UNE’s proposed pier.
The pending application from UNE has also prompted a former city councilor to raise his own concerns, demanding that the university addresses a “landfill with 23 buried cars” on the school’s campus near the Saco River.
In his May 22 letter to Harbormaster Paul Lariviere, Bennett said the harbormaster has been biased in his review of UNE’s proposal as evidenced by “several” public comments he has made outlining his steadfast objections to the project.
“These comments and other actions have raised the issue regarding your ability to perform your duties objectively,” Bennett wrote in his email to the harbormaster. “It is my conclusion that allowing you to be the administrative hearing officer on the anticipated application would be a mistake.”
Bennett has also removed the assistant harbormaster, Randy Desmaris, from the review process because he was “trained by” Lariviere.
“I am striving for complete fairness, Bennett told Saco Bay News, and I have to err on the side of abundant caution to protect the city, its representatives, residents and the applicant. My goal in all of this is to protect everyone and to ensure the fairest possible review of the application.”
Bennett says he will choose and appoint a special ‘Harbormaster Pro Tem’ for the sole purpose of hearing and deciding on the anticipated application from the university.
According to Alan Thibeault, vice president of operations at the University of New England (UNE), the university is expecting to submit its application directly to the city manager’s office within “the next few days.”
Thiebeault said the proposed pier, which would be located near the university’s Marine Sciences Center, is not something that was recently envisioned.
“This project has been discussed in various aspects for more than a decade,” Thibeault said, pointing out that the pier was part of the university’s master plan, which was first approved by the Biddeford Planning Board in 2008.
Thibeault described the proposed pier as a “vital part to our ongoing marine research program.” He said the university has spent several years rigorously evaluating at least nine different sites for the location of the new pier.
Before UNE can submit approval applications to any other agencies, the project must first be approved by the city’s harbormaster. Although approvals from the planning board, the state and even the federal government will be required, nothing can happen until the harbormaster grants approval.
Lariviere said his objections to the pier are based solely on well-established review criteria when a project could impact navigation, fishing or fowling in a federal channel. Lariviere says he developed an alternative plan for UNE’s pier, but says UNE has “made up its mind.”
At the base of his objections, Lariviere said UNE’s proposal would “encroach on existing moorings.”
Thibeault said he was aware of the harbormaster’s misgivings about the pier, but also said the university was “never presented with any objections or alternatives in writing” from the harbormaster.
Lariviere said he was deeply disappointed by Bennett’s decision and is especially irked by the city manager’s directive, which orders Lariviere “to make no further comments in this regard, public or private.”
Lariviere issued his own press release, and said he will not comply with Bennett’s “unconstitutional order.”
“Did either the mayor, the city attorney or any city councilor authorize the manager to order a Biddeford resident to keep his mouth shut about public business?” Lariviere asked.
Although he is still officially the city’s harbormaster, Lariviere described Bennett’s move as a “purge” on behalf of the university.
“I know Mr. Bennett is working hard for UNE, “Lariviere said. “But now that he’s executed his purge, who will look out for the people of Biddeford?”
Lariviere said he has been aware of UNE’s desire to have a pier on the Saco River since the idea was first discussed several years ago, but says for the time being he will make no further comment about the university’s plans.
“I do plan to be in touch with the mayor and the city council about Mr. Bennett’s attempt to intimidate me,” he said.
Asked what his next move will be, Lariviere shrugged his shoulders and said, “Right now, I don’t know.”
During a telephone interview Wednesday morning, Bennett defended his decision and said he had little choice in the matter. He stressed that the city could not afford even the appearance of impropriety. Bennett also said his removal of Lariviere was “not a disciplinary action, but rather a proactive move to make sure “that all persons, including the applicant, are treated fairly.”
What to do about an old landfill?
Meanwhile, UNE is now facing increasing pressure from a former Biddeford city councilor to address what he claims is a “former landfill with 23 buried automobiles” on the banks of Saco River.
Pieces of buried automobiles can be seen protruding from the shore along the Saco River, just below a parking lot at the University of New England in Biddeford. (Seaver photo)
Kyle Noble, a longtime Hills Beach resident and former city councilor, says the university should take “immediate steps” to remedy that site before any other pier proposals are considered for approval.
Earlier this year, Noble contacted the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to voice his concerns about the site where automobile tires, automotive fenders and other metallic pieces of scrap can be seen protruding from the ground below a parking lot.
According to both Noble and Thibeault, a representative from the DEP came to Biddeford earlier this year to inspect the area where it is obvious that scrap materials were used for fill decades ago.
Both Noble and Thibeault participated in the site walk, and both men say that the site walk did not seem to trigger any significant concerns by the DEP.
As of press time, representatives from the Maine DEP were unavailable for comment.
Thibeault says the university is not ignoring nor trying to “cover up anything about something that happened many, many years ago.”
In fact, Thibeault says the school is actively in the process of developing a remediation effort that will include creating a natural barrier between the landfill and the marshy area of the river bank.
“Frankly, I’m a bit perplexed by Mr. Noble’s press release,” Thibeault said. “He was with us during the site walk with the DEP. I think the timing of his press release is a bit questionable.”
But Noble said he sees the upcoming application for UNE’s new pier as an ideal time to address something that has been ignored for a long time.
“Given the university’s prominent role in trumpeting its own dedication to protecting the Saco River, I would like to respectfully suggest that UNE delay no longer and work diligently to remove the 23 cars that are buried just feet from the Saco River,” Noble wrote in a letter he sent this week to UNE president James Herbert.
Noble said he is not interested in retroactive fines or punishment, but wants to ensure that UNE will live up to its self-described status as a champion of the environment.
“I’ve held my tongue long enough waiting for the correct response,” Noble said. “Now I feel an obligation to let the people of Biddeford know about this. It’s been kept a secret too long.”
Noble said the cars were buried in a “makeshift landfill, unknown to almost all Biddeford residents, is near the town landing and owned by Biddeford citizens.”
Lariviere said he personally witnessed some cars being buried near the spot in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
“I’m not too concerned about the buried cars,” the harbormaster said. “But I am concerned that we observed pools of oil sheen on the water near that site during heavy rainfall events.”
Thibeault said the DEP has found no evidence of leaching materials, and said the agency did not consider the site to be a landfill. He did acknowledge that some erosion has occurred over the years, but stressed that any direct remediation effort could negatively impact the surrounding area.
“We can’t just go in and start digging up debris,” Thibeault said. “We are taking a more comprehensive approach, and we’ll be working closely with the DEP, the Saco River Corridor Commission and possibly the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address and remedy this issue.”
Town Versus Gown?
Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman said he supported the city manager’s decision. “It’s not something that any of us are thrilled about,” Grohman said. “But we have to ensure that everyone is treated the same, that everyone can get a fair hearing.”
Grohman acknowledged past tensions between the city and the university, saying many of the same tensions can be found in communities with college campuses, including Colby College in Waterville and Bates College in Lewiston.
“I think we have come a long way over the past few years,” Grohman said. “From where I sit, it appears me that the university is more than willing to work with us. We all know that relationship has not always been smooth, but I am reasonably confident that we can work together.”
Thibeault agreed with Grohman.
“We want to be an active and engaged neighbor in this community,” Thibeault said. “The university is absolutely committed to working with the city to address any concerns or issues. In my time here, I have seen tremendous progress over the last 30 years.”
For his part, Lariviere said he felt pushed by Bennett to approve UNE’s proposed pier.
“He called me on my cell phone after one of our meetings with UNE and asked ‘is there any way we can make this thing work?”
Bennett adamantly denies ever saying that or applying any pressure whatsoever for an approval from the harbormaster.
“I did remind him of his statutory duties and requirements, which are the same requirements that I have to follow as a city representative,” Bennett said.
Bennett said before making his decision he consulted the city’s attorney and extensively reviewed court cases in which municipalities lost legal battles because of allegations regarding bias and unfair treatment toward an applicant.
“My job is not always easy or pleasant,” Bennett said. “But it is my job to protect the city and to make that every member of our staff acts in full accordance with all federal, state and local regulations and ordinances. It’s not personal.”
The wait is over. Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman is expected today to formally announce his nomination to fill one of the two vacant seats on the city council.
According to multiple sources, Grohman has selected Neva Gross to take over the Ward Five council seat that was vacated by the resignation of former Councilor Julian Schlaver last month.
Neva Gross/Facebook
Schlaver, who ran unopposed for the seat in the Nov. 2023 municipal election, announced in April that he would be stepping down for “personal reasons.’
On Tuesday, May 7, the council voted unanimously to officially accept Schlaver’s resignation.
Ward Five includes the city’s downtown area, including the sprawling complex of renovated mill buildings and densely packed neighborhoods near the city’s core.
Gross, 49, said she is excited to serve on the council. She has lived in Biddeford for roughly 18 months and resides at the Lincoln Lofts. She graduated last year from the University of New England’s School of Pharmacy and holds a doctorate’s degree in pharmacology.
Grohman said he was pleased that several people expressed interest in serving on the council.
Others who expressed interest in the Ward Five post include Syed Zafar, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, Assessment Review Board and the city’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee; and Dominic Deschambault, a former School Committee member who now serves on the board of directors for the Biddeford Housing Authority.
According to the city’s charter, the city council must vote to confirm the mayor’s nominee. The council is expected to vote on that nomination this evening during a special council meeting.
The appointment of Gross to the city council will still leave one vacancy on the council, however.
On April 9, former Ward 4 councilor Bobby Mills resigned his seat roughly 48 hours after he was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
The timing of Mills resignation triggered the need for a special election.
According to the city’s charter, if a member of the council resigns within 180 days of the last election, a special election must be held to fill that vacancy. That election will take place on June 11, the date when voters will also decide whether to approve the school budget.
Schlaver’s resignation, however, was not formally accepted until this week, giving the mayor the power to appoint a replacement councilor.
Although Mills told Saco Bay News in April that he was interested in running to capture the seat that he resigned, only one resident actually turned in nomination papers with the required number of signatures to be on the ballot.
Dylan Doughty/Contributed photo
Dylan Doughty, who was appointed earlier this year as an alternate member of the Biddeford Planning Board, said he is “looking forward” to serving on the city council.
Doughty, 32, is a native of Arkansas who relocated to Maine three years ago for his job. He said he “loves the city of Biddeford” and is “excited about the opportunity to represent his neighbors.”
Doughty is employed as a senior buyer at General Dynamics in Saco. He has an MBA degree from Western Colorado University.
During a brief interview on Wednesday evening, Gross said she has “fallen in love” with the city.
“I came here during a blizzard to interview at the university, and I just felt instantly connected,” she said.
Over the past few months, Gross says she has been working to connect with her new hometown, including volunteer work with the Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Resource Center.
“I don’t have any political bias,” she said. “I like to be transparent and fair-minded. I know I’m stepping into a process that is already moving forward, but I do have the energy to jump in and see how I can help.”
Grohman said that he and Council President Liam LaFountain have personally interviewed each person who expressed interest in the Ward Five seat over the last two weeks.
“It’s gratifying to see the level of interest in community service,” Grohman said. “I look forward to working with [Gross] over the remainder of the term,” Mayor Grohman said. “Her unique experiences, like her work in the field of unhoused services, managing a popular restaurant here in Biddeford, and her service in the US Army, will bring a new and valuable perspective to our city council.”
For better or worse, I have a reputation in my hometown. I am the guy who holds local and state politicians’ feet to the fire. I rarely hesitate to publicly criticize elected officials when I think they have screwed up or acted inappropriately.
Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman
My column, All Along The Watchtower, debuted on the pages of the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier in 1999. Since then, it has appeared in other publications, most recently on the pages of Saco Bay News. I always tell people that I do not play favorites. I call ’em like I see ’em.
My column was based on the prolific work of syndicated columnist Art Buchwald and also well-known Maine columnist, Al Diamon, author of Politics and Other Mistakes
Well, folks — in the interest of fairness and full disclosure — I think that pendulum of criticism should swing both ways.
In this installment, we will focus on some of my bad (and rather outrageous) behavior over the last few days.
In short, I owe an apology to Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman and his family; and to City Council President Liam LaFountain.
If you’ve been paying attention lately to Biddeford politics, you already know that things have more or less blown-up over the last couple of weeks.
Our municipal elections were held only six months ago. Longtime Biddeford mayor Alan Casavant opted not to seek a seventh consecutive term. Voters chose former city councilor and state representative Marty Grohman to take over the helm at City Hall. Grohman won that seat with a comfortable margin of 54 percent over former state senator Susan Deschambault.
In that same election, LaFountain was unopposed for a second term on the council, representing Ward 7 (my ward). A few weeks later, the city council voted 6-3 to name LaFountain as the new council president.
Biddeford was getting a fresh start; a new perspective. Sure, the city was — and is — facing several challenges, but there is also ample room for optimism. Biddeford’s storied reputation of political bickering and City Hall drama seemed to be fading fast. We were beginning a second decade of being a more positive and attractive community.
Biddeford, the sixth largest city in Maine, suddenly found itself in an enviable place as a destination for fine dining, a boutique hotel, pristine beaches, thriving business parks and easy access to state highways.
Things were looking up. Yes, we are struggling — as are many Maine communities — with affordable housing and a growing unhoused population, but overall, the future seemed bright,
I have been covering the city of Biddeford for the better part of the last 30 years. We were in some unchartered waters.
Biddeford City Council President Liam LaFountain
Sure, we’ve had councilors resign before, but never two at basically the same time. The timing of the resignations became an issue. One would require a special election, the other — coming just a few days later — would require an appointment by the mayor without the need for public input.
Grohman was caught off-guard. LaFountain was caught off-guard. I was caught off-guard. Strange stuff. Lots of moving parts. Lots of questions. What’s the intent of the city charter in these situations? The city clerk was scheduled to go on vacation. A brand-new deputy clerk just started her job last week.
Yes, many people reached out to me. Some passed on rumors that I ignored. Others provided valuable information. Others were simply flabbergasted and raising questions about how the resignations should be handled.
Now, it’s not just Saco Bay News watching City Hall. Other media outlets are now reporting and paying attention to what is happening at Biddeford City Hall.
Let me be perfectly clear. My mental health issues are NOT and never have been an excuse for my stupid decisions. They do, however, provide a bit of context for what I am about to share.
I have a Bipolar-1 (manic-depressive) diagnosis, as well as severe anxiety and frequent bouts of schizoaffective disorder behaviors. Trust me. It can be challenging, especially for my wife and other family members. But it is NOT an excuse for my bad behavior last week.
Before the announcement of the city council resignations earlier this month, I was hard at work on three significant news stories. Sometimes, it takes weeks, even months, to put together significant news stories.
All three of these stories are connected to Biddeford City Hall. You’ll be reading about them in the near future. But the sudden and unexpected resignations threw a proverbial wrench into my workload.
Again, not an excuse for my boorish behavior, but mentioned here for context.
The journalism game can by hyper competitive. I have always been a competitive guy. The media industry is not a 9-5, Monday thru Friday gig.
Today, more than ever before, the media is a non-stop, 24-7 enterprise. We all want the story first. We all want your attention. Sure, we’re also doing a public service because we all basically believe in your right to timely, accurate and unfiltered information about your community but basically, we’re always competing.
In a recent blog post, I wrote “there is right way and a wrong way to resign from public office.”
Well, there is also a right way and wrong way to go about writing a news story. Last weekend, I chose the wrong way.
I almost literally had a meltdown while trying to obtain information about how the council vacancies would be handled. I was rude and belligerent. Sort of a “Do you know who I am?” moment of delusional grandeur.
I mean, really. I wasn’t working on the Pentagon Papers, the Watergate Scandal or the criminal trial of a former U.S. president.
Dude, it’s the weekend. Calm down, It’s a story about Biddeford City Hall intrigue, not the apocalypse. Get a grip.
On Friday, I called LaFountain, pressing for information. He was out of the country, but as always returned my call almost immediately with dignity and grace. He was also feeling pressure and doing his best to figure out the next right step. He was calm, respectful and doing his best to answer my questions.
I was acting in a complete opposite fashion. I wasn’t angry with him, but I found myself screaming into the phone, full of indignation, almost frothing at the mouth, my words laced with profanity. I was screaming and ranting about other people.
Liam was patient, thoughtful and respectful. He didn’t even try to interrupt my rant. I mumbled a half-assed apology for interrupting his vacation with my call. He actually thanked me for calling, said he understood my frustration and said I should call him back if I had more questions.
A few hours later, on Saturday morning I awoke with a proverbial hair across my ass. It’s 6:30 a.m. I am drinking coffee at my desk, muttering to myself. I’ll be damned if I am going to allow them to block the flow of public information, I tell myself. My blood pressure was soaring. They made a mistake of messing with a guy who buys ink by the barrel, I muttered.
My chest is puffed out now. My dog is begging for my attention, but I ignore her and instead begin crafting a story that I wanted to publish later that day. I wanted to have the news first. That was all that mattered to me.
It is now 7:45 a.m. Saturday. I send Mayor Grohman a terse text message. In essence, I tell him that it’s in his own best interest to call me back pronto. I am writing a story, with or without his input. At 8:17 a.m., I receive a text from the mayor. “I’ll email. Deadline?”
I hate text messages. It’s just so much easier to have a quick two-minute phone call, that way I can easily ask a follow-up question or for clarification. But whatever. You can’t really blame Grohman for being cautious with me. I have been acting like an arrogant prick for more than 72 hours. Grohman is smart. He’s probably pissed, most likely annoyed but he is responding on a Saturday morning.
I get the email from him with his official statement a few hours later. I then add fuel to the fire by sending him a series of pissy text messages. I ignored the fact that he was at a family function.
They say that all’s well that ends well. In this case, Marty and I had the opportunity to clear the air this week. He wasn’t his typical genial self. He was pissed and he (in a nice way) let me know that. I had to take it.
He was right. I was wrong. My judgement was clouded by my both my ego and my hyper-competitive nature. We got things squared away. We found a lot of common ground. Ultimately, we both want what is best for the city. We are both trying to stay ahead of a rather crazy curve of events.
I owe both Marty Grohman and Liam LaFountain a sincere apology for my belligerent behavior. They both acted much better than me, and I could stand to learn a valuable lesson from each of them.
Me Culpa.
Like, I said at the beginning: I call ’em, like I see ’em.
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BIDDEFORD — Dominic Deschambault, a former school committee member and current board member of the Biddeford Housing Authority, has reportedly expressed interest in being appointed to fill the city council seat that was vacated last week by former Councilor Julian Schlaver.
Mayor Marty Grohman declined an opportunity to confirm that he has heard from Deschambault. Grohman also declined to say whether he has heard from any other citizens interested in joining the council.
Deschambault
The Ward Five seat represents the downtown area. Deschambault lives in one of the many restored mill buildings near the core of the city. Schalver announced his resignation on Wednesday, April 17.
When contacted by Saco Bay News this morning, Deschambault said he contacted the mayor two days ago to express his interest. Deschambault said the mayor has not yet acknowledged his request for consideration.
Deschambault is the son of former state senator Susan Deschambault. Susan Deschambault was Grohman’s opponent in the Nov. 2023 mayoral election.
Grohman sent a curt, two-sentence e-mail response to Saco Bay News this afternoon.
“The Council President [Liam LaFountain] and I plan to interview everybody who expresses interest, and we hope to hear from Ward 5 residents who are interested in contributing to their community by being part of the Biddeford City Council,” Grohman wrote.
Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman
“It is hoped that we will have a proposed appointee for the full council to consider by May 7, but that may depend on availability during a very busy budget season.”
When contacted by Saco Bay News this morning, Dominic Deschambault said he is fully committed to further serving his community.
Deschambault, 39, is currently employed as a customer service manager. He says he is hoping to bring a measure of stability to the city.
“I want to be a level-headed voice on the council,” Deschambault said. “I don’t have an agenda. I personally know many members of the council, and I believe that I can contribute positively to our really great team of councilors.”
Deschambault, who served two terms on the Biddeford School Committee, said he does have concerns about a “high rate of employee turnover at City Hall.”
“I want to make sure that local government remains both transparent and responsive to the public,” Deschambault said. “I’m really hoping that the mayor will consider my interest in serving on the council.”
There is a right way and a wrong way to resign from public office.
Over just the past few days, folks in Biddeford and surrounding communities got to see examples of how to; and how not to act when you get caught with your fingers in the pudding.
In many ways, being a reporter in a relatively small community is a lot tougher than reporting on issues at the state house or the White House.
Former Biddeford Councilor Bobby Mills/Facebook
Why?
Because in a small town you often know the people you are writing about. They are sometimes your friends and neighbors. Furthermore, if you’re a reporter in a small town, many people also know you.
They know where you live; what kind of truck you drive. They know your wife, your parents and your kids.
Sure, you can tell yourself that none of it is personal, it’s just business, but that’s just not always true. And sometimes, it’s difficult for a reporter, editor or publisher to know exactly where to draw the line.
Journalists are expected to follow a strict set of self-imposed ethical guidelines. Sometimes, we make mistakes. More often, however, we find ourselves struggling to decide what is news and what is not news.
It’s not as easy as it may look, folks.
Yesterday (April 18) I got called onto the carpet by many people for what appeared to be some bias in my reporting regarding the separate resignations of former Biddeford City Councilors Bobby Mills and Julian Schlaver.
In some ways, my critics were right. But there are some circumstances you should know before claiming that I was nicer to Schlaver than I was to Mills.
So, let’s back up a bit and consider the bigger picture.
Mystery Achievement
In the interest of clarity, let’s follow a chronological order of the events that detail the reasons behind the resignations of both Bobby Mills and Julian Schlaver and why those resignations may look the same, but are so much different.
Former Biddeford City Councilor Julian Schlaver/City of Biddeford
Although it’s hard to believe, it’s important to remember that these are two completely separate matters.
Despite astronomical odds, these two middle-aged, white guys; who live within three miles of each other; and who were both elected in November; both resigned their seats on the Biddeford city council after receiving criminal summonses from the Biddeford Police Department within a period of nine days.
You can’t make this shit up.
So, let’s start at the beginning. On the evening of April 7, when then City Councilor Bobby Mills was involved in a non-reportable motor vehicle accident downtown. Mills was given a criminal summons for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
Roughly two days later, Mills decided to resign his position on the city council and his position as the York County treasurer.
So far, so good right? I mean we all make mistakes.
I begin receiving text messages from a slew of people who apparently closely follow every incident listed in the public police log.
I called Bobby Mills to ask for his side of the story and his explanation about why he resigned. Mills never called me. He did however, begin sending me several text messages, a virtual paper trail.
Mills knows me. He knows I am a reporter. We are not friends. We never communicate about anything other than city business. His first text to me outlines some very personal, family issues. There is no need for me to publish anything about Mills’ family or friends.
I then called my publisher Liz Gotthelf at Saco Bay News. I explain the story, and told her that I don’t think there’s any need to include mention of the summons that Mills was given by police.
Why?
I’ve known Bobby Mills for nearly 20 years. I have often roundly criticized his performance as an elected official. But I feel bad for the guy. Based on his first few text messages, I determine he already has enough on his plate. He doesn’t need more public shaming.
Saco Bay News does not regularly publish a police blotter or other OUI charges.
But my biggest reason for not including Mills’ OUI charge in my first story is the fact that Bobby has resigned. He no longer has any influence or potential influence in public matters. Also, he has been charged, not convicted.
Within an hour of filing my first news story (click here), I wrote a complimentary blog post about Mr. Mills, his public service and my sometimes-harsh criticisms of his political antics. (Click here to read that blog post).
Mills then sends me a text message, thanking me for what I wrote. He tells me he thought “it was nice.”
So, that’s where the story ends, right? Mills resigned for personal reasons. The city will need to hold a special election to fill his seat. Time to go to bed, relax and get a good night’s sleep.
Not so fast. We’re just getting started.
The Tragically Hip
It’s Wednesday, April 17. Eight days after Bobby Mills announced his resignation. It is about 2:30 p.m. I am with Laura, enjoying a late lunch at Mulligan’s.
My phone begins to vibrate on the bar. It is an incoming text message from one of my confidential sources. The message has only two words: “Schlaver resigned.”
I was stunned. I trust this source. How could this be true? A late April Fools joke because I included Schlaver’s wife on my list of the 20 most influential political figures in Biddeford-Saco?
What the hell?
I immediately call Schlaver. Laura picks up her phone and logs onto the Biddeford Police Department’s dispatch log.
Julian Schlaver does not answer immediately. I look at Laura. She is shaking her head. “Look at this,” she says, pointing to her phone.
According to police records, Councilor Julian Schlaver was given a summons by the Biddeford Police Department on a charge of an alleged assault at approximately 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 13.
Julian returns my call moments later. He explains his side of the story. He says he thought resigning his position on the council was the right decision. He expresses “sincere regret.”
Laura and I return home. I go into my office and lock the door. I begin making telephone calls; first to my publisher, and then Mayor Marty Grohman. My original plans for that afternoon were shot.
I begin working on the next story. As I did the previous week with Mills, I once again decided not to include the criminal charge because Julian resigned and no longer had power or influence over the citizens of Biddeford.
That may have been a bad call, but I was shooting for fairness and consistency. Was I wrong? Maybe.
But, wait. It gets weirder. Much weirder.
Cold Wind Blowing Over Your Private Parts
Just before filing my news story about Schlaver’s resignation, my phone chirps again.
Another confidential informant tells me that Bobby Mills, the man who resigned his seat on the Biddeford City Council eight days ago, is now planning to be a candidate for that seat in a special election scheduled in June.
What? Are you kidding me?
Now the kid gloves come off. The voters need to know what is happening. All of it. Bobby Mills could likely be back on the city council in June.
It is now almost 4 p.m. on Wednesday (still April 17).
I call Mills to confirm the news that he is planning to run in the special election. He sends me a text message in reply.
This is what he wrote: “Sorry I missed your call (sic) bud. I’m swamped at work. In case you were wondering, I am running, eager to head back to the council.”
I reply with my own text message: “We need to talk!”
A few minutes later, Mills sent me yet another text message: “I decided last night (April 16) that I would run in the special election and seek to return. I believe in our community and want to be there to continue the fight for the people that don’t speak out. I’ve been that way for a very long time.”
I have my story. It is unbelievable, but it is documented. I quickly back up my phone’s data and copy the files to two external drives. Why? Because I know Bobby Mills.
I call Liz Gotthelf, the publisher of Saco Bay News. I explain the latest developments. She is flabbergasted. We agree that we have no choice now but to include the police report regarding Bobby Mills and a criminal OUI charge.
Why now and not before? Because Bobby Mills has announced his candidacy and his intention to run. It’s a new ball game.
But what about Julian? Should we go ahead and include reference to his entanglement with police? Liz and I talk about it. I make the case that Julian is not seeking a return to public life. Liz agrees.
We file the story online. Almost immediately, I began to receive a slew of angry text messages from Mills. Not a peep from Schlaver, however.
I also start to get some angry messages from a few people who don’t exactly like Julian Schalver. They say, I am being biased by printing the police info about Mills, but not Schlaver.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, they argued.
In retrospect, I think I made a mistake, a judgment error, in both cases. I should have included the police records in the first story about Mills’ resignation, and I should have included the police records in the story about Schlaver’s resignation.
I own those errors.
But wait. There’s more:
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Beginning early Thursday morning (April 18) Mills continues to send me text messages. He talks about contacting his lawyer. He lashes out at me. He says he is tired of being “attacked” by me.
He thinks it is outrageous that I finally included information about his April 7 police incident.
His words: ““I have a job, career and family. I don’t need your consistent (sic) badgering. Just like you were before. I thought you changed. But your complete goal is to (sic) obviously to harass and ruin people’s lives.”
I send a reply text to explain that I changed gears simply because he is once again seeking the public spotlight. My exact words to Mills:
“You are now a candidate for public office,” I wrote. “People in the community have a right to know about elected officials. I am bending over backward to give you an opportunity to publicly present your side of the story.”
Mills responds: “I am not a candidate! Nothing has been filed! So (sic) your attacking me is unwarranted. You need to get your information correct!!!!!! No one is a candidate unless something is filed. Apparently, you don’t know that I am a private citizen and you keep attacking me.”
Huh? What?
Mills apparently forgot that 18 hours prior, he wrote to me (a well-known reporter in Biddeford), saying, “I decided last night (April 16) that I would run in the special election and seek to return.
Now he’s not a candidate?
For more than 15 years, Bobby Mills has been injecting himself into the public spotlight. He rarely misses an opportunity to run for office. (Check this prior blog post). He ran for the Legislature, switched parties, switched back and still lost. He has been on the city council for the better part of the last decade.
Up until 10 days ago, he was the county treasurer.
And now, he wants the luxury of being a “private citizen?” He is now outraged that the media is actually paying attention to him?
The media is ruining his life? Really? Maybe it had something to do with his poor decisions? Maybe?
Here is the ultimate irony.
Beginning yesterday, more than two weeks after Mills was arrested and given his OUI summons, the story about the resignations of Mills and Schlaver have now appeared in most every major media outlet in southern Maine.
I was the only reporter who tried to give Mills a break.
After more than 12 years, I have finally gotten around to publishing an update about who I consider to be the most influential politicians, policy makers and staffers in the Biddeford-Saco area. The Top-20.
This list is a bit different from my original 2012 list. Most notably, I have shortened the list from 25 names in 2012 to our current list of the top-20 movers and shakers.
Several people on this list are not elected officials or perennial candidates. Some of these folks work behind the scenes, but they all have a noticeable impact on public policy.
With just one notable exception, this list does NOT include any candidates who are hoping to be on the November ballot. Not including those folks does alter the rankings, but I was striving for fairness.
Speaking of fairness, let’s get something clear right now before we proceed any further. The criteria I used did NOT include gender, age, sexual orientation or race considerations, in any way, shape or form.
Some of the names on this list may surprise you. You may not like everyone on this list. In fact, I don’t like everyone on this list. This LIST is NOT about who are the coolest and most likable people in northern York County.
20.) Dominic “Alliteration is Cool” Deschambault
Dom Deschambault/Facebook
Dom Deschambault leads off this year’s list, but probably not for the reasons you might imagine. Sure, his mother, Susan, is a former state senator, city councilor and a one-time mayoral candidate, but Dom is making a name for himself beyond his family heritage.
Deschambault is one of the few people on the list who is able to seamlessly align with both the old and new Biddeford. A former BHS football player, Dom is a vicious defender of Tiger Pride, but he’s also just as comfortable hanging around a growing demographic of downtown hipsters. He lives in a converted downtown mill building and enjoys hanging out at places like Sacred Profane.
Dominic is a relatively young guy, but he’s already served on the Biddeford School Committee and on the Biddeford Housing Authority. The only thing really holding him back is the fact that he tends to wear his heart on his sleeve. He can be a bit thin-skinned and sometimes reacts just a bit too quickly. But if he can grow a thicker skin (likely) then there will be little stopping him from having even more influence in his hometown in the very near future. Basically, he’s someone to watch.
19.) James “I need to hire more assistants” Bennett
Jim Bennett/City of Biddeford
I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that you didn’t see this one coming. Although I have several concerns about his management style, there is little doubt that Biddeford City Manager Jim Bennett has a big influence on local public policy, at least on this side of the Saco River where he runs city hall with an iron fist. His reputation and condescending attitude have not helped Biddeford form a stronger alliance with our neighbors in Saco, but few people in Maine better understand municipal budgets or tax-increment financing than Bennett.
In fact, just a few weeks ago I was speaking with someone who lived in Old Orchard Beach a few decades ago when Bennett was then the town manager in that community. “Jim Bennett literally saved our town,” this person told me. “We were on the brink of receivership, and Jim Bennett was the main factor in putting us back on course and getting us back into good financial standing.”
Jim Bennett is smart. He’s also cunning and a bit arrogant, but undeniably smart. That’s why Jim Bennett is on this year’s list. If you disagree with him, he’ll just tell you that you don’t understand the situation. Remember, I told you that this is not a popularity contest.
18.) Jeanne “Ticket To Ride” Saunders
Saunders/Seaver photo
I had the pleasure of meeting Jeanne Saunders last year during an interview I was writing for Saco Bay News. Saunders lives in Saco, and although she is retired, she still spends an average of 40 hours weekly in advocating for senior citizens in the Biddeford-Saco region.
Saunders is leveraging her career in nursing and public health policy to successfully fight for seniors. In addition to being the Program Coordinator of Age Friendly Saco, Saunders also serves on the board of directors for the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Transit system.
In 2018, Saunders was awarded the Midge Vreeland Public Service Award by the Maine Public Relations Council for her work in assisting seniors in Saco. More recently, in 2022, she was named as the recipient of AARP’s Andrus Award, which recognizes and honors individuals who make a difference in the lives of others.
Jeanne Saunders is not afraid to bend the ears of local politicians. She is a tireless advocate, but is also widely respected as a person who is reasonable and knows how to get things done.
17.) Jim “I’ve Got Some Time on My Hands” Godbout
Godbout/Godbout Plumbing
Who doesn’t like Jim Godbout? Anyone? [Crickets]. As I said previously, this is not a popularity contest, but being well-liked, well-known, much-admired and almost universally respected sure doesn’t hurt when it comes to pushing levers in the sphere of local policy and politics.
A hometown boy who graduated from Thornton Academy in 1981, Godbout has built a successful plumbing and heating business on the bedrock principles of hard work and customer service. But what makes him somewhat extraordinary is his seemingly never-ending willingness to help his community.
If something needs to get done, whether revitalizing Waterhouse Field or leading the way in the renovation of the former St. Andre church for a planned teen center, Godbout is always raising his hand and the first to volunteer. He also excels in knowing how to get other people involved in community projects.
They literally named a street in Biddeford after this guy. The one and only thing I don’t like about Godbout is that his constant smile, tremendous work ethic and willingness to volunteer makes the rest of us look lazy and selfish.
And in the unlikely event you need another reason to admire Godbout, he is one of the most unassuming people you will ever meet. Unlike so many others on this list, he never frets about publicity. He expects nothing in return. He is not about self-promotion. Instead, he’s just a good guy doing good things. If you’re running for office, an endorsement from Godbout is as good as gold in your pocket.
16.) Mark “Let Me Make You a Sandwich” Johnston
Johnston/Seaver photo
Mark is one of the few people who remain from those listed more than a decade ago. In 2012, I dubbed him as the Number One political/policy person in the Biddeford-Saco area. Although he has slipped quite a bit in his rankings, he is still someone who can influence and shape public policy.
In 2012, I wrote this about the former mayor of Saco:
He can play nice or he can play mean. He’s polite. He’ll let you decide how you want to proceed before he tells you what you are actually going to do.
“Mark Johnston is the consummate politician . . . He’s Bugsy Seigel, Charlie Luciano and Meyer Lansky all rolled into one affable, near-sighted man with an uncanny resemblance to Sir Elton John.”
Local and state politicians still seek Johnston’s counsel, and that’s why he remains on this list.
Truth be known, Mark reached out to me a few weeks ago and suggested that the real influencers, movers and shakers in the area’s political realm are the dozens and dozens of men and women who sacrifice their time and energy by serving on local boards, commissions and committees, such as the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Harbor Commission or the Planning Board. Those people, Johnston explained, are the ones who make it possible for our communities to operate.
I agree with him.
15.) Roger “I Used to Have a Badge” Beaupre
Beaupre/Campaign photo
Yet again, we have another holdover from the 2012 list. Beaupre has actually moved up a few notches from his Number 19 ranking in 2012. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that he is no longer the Biddeford Police Chief and is now serving in a seat he has long wanted to hold, a member of the Biddeford City Council.
During the November 2023 campaign, I had serious doubts about whether Beaupre could cash in decades of service to the community for political support.
Beaupre won the Ward Three council seat in a close contest against a rather savvy and energetic politician. The Ward Three seat was the only contested ward seat on the council. (Three people, however, did vie for the two at-large seats on the council. The two incumbents easily won.)
But back to Beaupre. He has been on the council for fewer than six months, but he is already making a name for himself and watching the budget process like a hawk watching a field mouse.
But what makes Beaupre more influential than many other members of the council? Simply because Beaupre is pretty much all that remains from a once very powerful and influential block of voters: Older White Guys with a Franco-American ancestry that can be traced back 14 generations to whatever old country they came from.
Yes, Councilor Marc Lessard could certainly beat that same drum, but Beaupre is a bit less predictable than someone like Lessard. He is stealth, measured. Lessard is certainly smart, but he has almost resigned himself to the lonely place of being a fiscal conservative on the council. I’m curious, and I’m watching Beaupre closely. I think he has yet to show us his true potential as a politician.
14.) Roxi “May I see Your Tickets” Suger
Suger/Facebook
This is a tough one because I don’t really know much about Roxi beyond what I have heard from other people in the community or read on her website. Her partner, Julian Schlaver, serves on the Biddeford City Council, but word on the street says that Roxi wears the proverbial pants in that relationship.
While Schlaver is often quiet, calculating and demure, Roxi is somewhat the polar opposite: outgoing, ambitious and tenacious, especially when it comes to helping less fortunate members of our community.
Roxi is sort of a fundraising genius. Perhaps best known for being the lead organizer of the annual Biddeford Ball, a charity fashion event that raises money for the creation of new city parks and other worthwhile goals.
She is a fashion designer and the owner of Suger, a sustainable clothing manufacturer.
On her website, Roxi describes herself as: (Her words) “Open-hearted and gentle, clever and curious, a beautiful and powerful mix of passion, humility, and originality.”
Humility? Really? Her website continues: “Roxi Suger is the soul and spirit behind the brand of Angelrox. Dedicated to making a difference in both life and business, to spreading the joy and peace that so organically flows from her to the sweet angels she encounters, she delights in connecting with others to care, share, hope, and give.”
Who the hell is writing her website content? But hey, she is doing some pretty cool stuff for her community; and that’s more than a lot of people can say about themselves, including yours truly.
13.) Linda “Let me check with Justin” Valentino
Valentino/File
Former State Senator Linda Valentino of Saco may no longer be serving in elected office, but she is still very much connected to her hometown’s political infrastructure.
In 2012, I described Valentino as follows: “Linda is a thinker who doesn’t threaten those who don’t think much. Translated: she is very good at making people feel good about themselves. She also has a knack for knowing when it’s time to take the gloves off. If you don’t believe me, just ask [former mayor] Don Pilon.
She has slipped just a tad from her Number 8 ranking in 2012, but she is still a political force to be reckoned with, strategically connected to everyone who matters in Saco (It’s a short list).
12.) Alan “It’s Time for A Nap” Casavant
Casavant/Seaver photo
Alan has been involved in local politics longer than anyone else on this year’s list. First elected to the Biddeford City Council in the mid-1970s, Casavant also served four terms in the Maine House of Representatives.
Casavant also became the second-longest serving mayor of Biddeford. Casavant held the mayor’s seat by winning six consecutive elections over a 12-year period. Only Louis “Papa” Lausier served longer, a total of 14 years between 1941 and 1955.
Alan and I have known each other for a while. I was his campaign manager when he first decided to run for the mayor’s seat in 2011. He could have easily won without me. He was well-liked and respected, and the city was more than ready for a change.
Casavant made good on his campaign promise of restoring dignity and professionalism in City Hall. He steered the city through a period of turmoil, when a collection of malcontents decided to exploit the tragic and awful issue of alleged sexual abuse by two former police officers for their own political gain.
Casavant proved time after time that he was much tougher and resilient than he appeared. When most voters wanted to approve a racino, Casavant said he would not support the idea. He still won by a huge margin over the incumbent who supported the idea of a racino in Biddeford.
Casavant gladly and enthusiastically took over the torch of revitalizing downtown Biddeford. While he faced strong opposition for his support of a paid-parking garage on Peal Street, he recently said he that he stands “110 percent” behind the development and construction of that garage.
In fact, Casavant says the city could use a second parking garage, located a bit closer to the city’s core. Alan left office on a high note. But it was time for a fresh voice and a new set of eyes. You could literally see the relief in Casavant’s eyes during his last city council meeting.
Now Casavant gets to finally enjoy his well-deserved retirement, but he still offers his guidance and counsel to Mayor Marty Grohman and many others who want to be involved in local politics. In 2012, I ranked him as Number 4. The only reason he slipped a few notches, is because he no longer has to tolerate outrageous Facebook inquiries and criticisms.
Does he still have influence? Well, does Jim Bennett (No. 19) still have a job? Yes, and that’s primarily because Alan Casavant is one the very few people in his corner.
11.) Vassie “Let’s Get it Done” Fowler
Fowler/Saco Bay News
If you listen to my wife, she will tell you that I waited to publish this list until Vassie was out of the country and unable to beat the crap out of me for putting her name on this list.
Vassie is the executive director of the Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Resource Center in Biddeford. She is a powerful (and effective) advocate for the region’s unhoused population.
Truth be known, Fowler is also a powerful (and effective) voice for just about anything she decides to tackle. Sure, she doesn’t hold public office now, but she is super connected behind the scenes.
For many years, she and her husband Jack were featured as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus for Biddeford’s Downtown Holiday celebration. She also served on several boards and commissions, including the Joyful Harvest Neighborhood Center, Toys for Tots in Northern York County and she was elected to serve on the Biddeford School Committee.
A few years ago, she and her husband were given a key to the city in recognition for their long and countless contributions to the community. Sure, Vassie is sassy, but she also knows the players and how to get things done.
And now, for the Top-10 political movers and shakers in Biddeford and Saco . . .
10.) Tim “I Have a Plan” Harrington
Harrington/Jim Neuger, MaineBiz
If there’s one name often associated with the city of Biddeford’s ongoing renaissance, real estate developer Tim Harrington would be near the top of that list.
Harrington is a true visionary and willing to take some serious risks to make a plan work. In fact, one of his recent projects has become the focal point for Biddeford’s rebounding brand as a destination: a downtown luxury resort hotel that features a roof-top swimming pool on what was not long ago a crumbling, neglected and vacant former mill building.
Now finished with that stunning project, Harrington today is knee-deep in redeveloping a languishing and mostly vacant shopping center into a family-oriented, indoor-recreation complex.
Harrington is more than just a visionary with good luck. He is always considerate of the community that surrounds him. He does not seek the limelight, and places immense value on collaboration.
In summary, Harrington is not much different than another well-known real estate developer, Mike Eon. Like Harrington, Eon prefers the background, not the limelight; and both men sincerely care about community input and perception. So why is Harrington on this list and Eon is not?
To put it simply, I have a gut feeling that we will be seeing much more coming from Harrinton over the next few years. While Eon still has loads of potential, I think he might be enjoying a slower pace these days. Who knows? Just my gut,
9.) Delilah “Can You Help Us” Poupore
Poupore/LinkedIn
In case you have been sleeping under a rock for the last 15 years, Delilah Poupore is the executive director of the Heart of Biddeford, a non-profit organization with a mission to stimulate the downtown economy and improve community activity and connections within the city’s core.
Delilah is another one of those people who seems to be (strangely) always smiling. She has developed a proven track record of working closely with city officials to make things happen. She is also very keen on collaboration, working quite closely with the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Heat of Biddeford’s sister organization across the river, Saco Spirit.
Delilah avoids the spotlight, but she does not hesitate to step up to the podium when seeking assistance or approval for a community event.
She is a well-respected member of the business community and accordingly is often approached by political candidates seeking her advice. She has more than earned her spot in the Top-10.
8.) Michael “Aww shucks” Cantara
Cantara/Seaver photo
Former judge, district attorney and mayor Michael Cantara remains as the only person on this list to remain in the Top-10 of our rankings. In 2012, I ranked him at Number Five. He has moved only a few spots down the list and that’s just because he decided to retire from the bench.
When mayoral candidate Susan Deschambault’s team was looking for key endorsements, they naturally called on Cantara. The former judge was one of many leaders in the state Democratic Party who openly endorsed Deschambault’s campaign in an advertisement that included state senators and people like Justin Alfond.
That ad was literally, the bat signal for Democrats in a supposedly non-partisan election. If you vote blue, you better vote for Sue. (No, those were not the words used in the ad, but they should have been.) That’s what they get for not having me run that campaign. You see, I actually have a winning track record.
All that aside, Mr. Cantara, unlike me, is a true gentleman. He is kind, thoughtful and extraordinarily intelligent.
Despite Deschambault’s loss, Cantara’s name is still very much respected all over the state. For good reason.
7.) Justin “Do You Like This Picture of Me?” Chenette
Chenette/Sweetser
When it comes to shameless self-promotion and spotlight grabbing, no one in southern Maine does it better than former State Senator Justin Chenette of Saco.
Chenette is currently serving as a member of the York County Commissioners. Until he was elected, almost nobody in York County knew that there was such a thing as the York County Commissioners.
If Chenette ever stubs his toe on his way to the Hannaford supermarket, you can be assured that he will submit a press release about it, along with a complimentary photo of his smiling face.
Today, Chenette serves as the public relations point person for Sweetser, one of Maine’s oldest and largest providers of mental health services. For reasons I cannot explain, every press release about Sweetser seems to include a photo of Chenette.
As much as this kid grates on my nerves, you simply cannot deny that he is very skilled at political gamesmanship. I don’t have to worry if Justin will no longer return my calls just because I publicly criticized him. Justin likes reporters more than I like pineapple on my pizza. Delicious!
6.) Jodi “Can I Put a Sign on Yor Lawn?” MacPhail
MacPhail/City of Saco
Well, here’s something new and something I would have never imagined 12 years ago: One of my relatives is on this list.
Truth be known, the new mayor of Saco and I are only related through her mother’s marriage to my father several years ago. We didn’t grow up together or anything, but I can tell you stories about her when she was 12 years-old that would curl your toes. Just kidding. Not Kidding. Whatever.
A few months ago, Jodi made history by becoming the first female mayor in Saco. In fact, she was unopposed for the seat.
A few years ago, when she first told me that she was thinking about running for the city council, my response was immediate and definite: “Don’t do it,” I advised. “You’d be walking into certain death.”
Secretly, I had my doubts about whether Jodi was up for the task. I didn’t take her seriously. I was wrong. Very wrong.
Jodi has already delivered on one of her key campaign platforms: to provide a better connection between Saco City Hall and residents. She holds open office hours, an idea that Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman described as “intriguing.”
It’s only been a few months since she won her election, but I think she’s doing a pretty good job, and I think it’s because she genuinely loves doing it.
Besides, it gets me off the hook of ever having to cover a city council meeting in Saco. Sweet!
5.) Kevin “Please Don’t Take My Picture” Roche
Kevin Roche recently won an election to the Saco School Board, but he is perhaps best known for his work as president of the “S.O.S: Save Our Shores organization in the Camp Ellis neighborhood.
I don’t really know much about Kevin. But I can tell you that he is not tall, he loves hockey and knows the pulse of his community. What he lacks in height, he compensates with intelligence and wit.
He is a quiet, thoughtful guy, which leads me to think his political future will be somewhat limited.
Roche knows how to maneuver, whether its dealing with a behemoth bureaucracy like the U.S. Army Corps or Engineers or how to get the best seat on the Green Line at the Kenmore Square station.
He is pretty much the opposite of Justin Chenette (No. 7). It’s hard to find a photo of Roche in any of the usual places. He is a bit cagey, and I like that.
4.) Marty “I’m in Your Corner” Grohman
Grohman/Campaign photo
Marty Grohman seems to still be settling into his new role as the mayor of Biddeford. It’s understandable. It feels like the city of Biddeford is still trying to get comfortable with the fact that Alan Casavant (No. 12) is no longer the mayor.
Sort of like a second date. Should I make my move?
Grohman is a nice enough guy, maybe just a little too nice. He runs city council meetings like he’s in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. At any given moment, I’m half expecting King Friday, Henerietta Pussycat or Daniel Tiger to jump up from behind the council dais.
Grohman is a bit over the top and reliably effusive with his praise and compliments. You found a seat? Good for you! Nice job! We certainly appreciate you being here tonight! We can hardly wait to see if you have something to share! Gracias! Merci! We’re a super diverse bunch of folks, and we’re mighty excited about sustainability here in the Land of Make Believe.
Grohman has been criticized by many folks who see him as not much more than a political opportunist, invariably in search of another campaign or photo-op. Despite all that, Marty is actually the real deal.
While many politicians bloviate about climate change and sustainability for political points, Marty actually rides a bike to work. Even when it’s raining. Basically, he puts his money where his mouth is.
But why is the mayor of Biddeford ranked higher on this list than the new mayor of Saco? Is it sexism? No.
It’s because Marty also has statewide connections, having served in the Maine House of Representatives. On the flip side of that coin, Marty is the walking, talking definition of “when smart people do dumb things,” like taking on entrenched Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. Marty has potential and a good Rolodex. Keep your eyes on him.
3.) Liam “Does this tie match?” LaFountain
LaFountain/Seaver photo
Speaking of keeping an eye on someone, I advised Saco Bay News readers earlier this year to keep a close eye on this rising political star.
Liam LaFountain is the youngest member of the Biddeford City Council and is just beginning his second term. Despite his age and limited tenure on the council, his council peers voted overwhelmingly in support of his plan to become the next council president.
When asked my thoughts before making his move, I advised the young and eager city councilor to tread lightly and not make waves. I wrongly predicted he would get no more than two votes for his quest to oust long-time councilor Norman Belanger from the post.
Belanger never saw it coming. The move caught him by surprise. The vote was 6-3 among the nine councilors. Belanger was stunned. I was stunned. LaFountain just quietly picked up his laptop and moved to his new seat next to the mayor.
There is a back-story to that chain of events, but I’m not going to share that. At least not now.
LaFountain is from good family stock. His father Lloyd, an attorney, previously served on the council and also served as a member of the Maine State Senate for four terms. His grandfather, Lloyd, Sr., is also held in high regard throughout the city.
Liam, however, strikes me as a walking contradiction. He is young, a proverbial millennial. But he is careful, deliberate and respectful of his elders. Sure, he cares a lot about what people think about him, but he’s also confident and comfortable in his own skin.
Watching that council president vote was riveting, like watching a wolf chase and ultimately take down a fleeing doe. Circle of life, baby. Circle of life.
LaFountain is super committed to the job, going well out of his way to keep his constituents informed about almost everything happening at City Hall. When the city received complaints about dangerous traffic on May Street, LaFountain spent the better part of a week, knocking on neighbor’s doors to get their input and advice.
I expect big things from LaFountain; and I will never underestimate him again.
2.) Jeremy “Just Hear Me Out” Ray
Ray/LinkedIn
Of course, Jeremy Ray is high up on this list. His political influence straddles both sides of the Saco River.
In a brilliant move to both improve efficiency and save taxpayer dollars, Ray was appointed to be the superintendent of schools for both Biddeford and Saco.
Last year, Ray was named as Maine’s 2023 Superintendent of the Year. In their nomination of Ray, members of the Biddeford School Committee described Ray as a transparent, engaged, and highly visible leader. They went on to list several of his accomplishments, including hiring a Development Director to focus on private fundraising and grants to help bolster the taxpayer-infused bottom line; a 17 percent increase in the music and theater programs opportunities; and helping to establish a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Academy, “which has fueled the imagination and interests of many students.”
School superintendents across the state heap praise on Ray and his ability to get complex projects moving in the right direction.
Last year, Ray urged Biddeford voters to support a plan that would close the crumbling but much beloved JFK Memorial School by consolidating those students into an extended facility at the Biddeford Primary School.
The voters listened to Ray, and overwhelmingly approved his $9.5 million bond request. Jeremy Ray knows each and every elected official within 200 square miles of his office. Maybe a slight exaggeration, but you get the point. He has influence.
And now, drum roll please:
The Number One Position. Numero Uno on the list of the most influential politicians and policy wonks in the Biddeford Saco area . . .
If you’re a political junkie, you probably saw this coming from 10 miles away. Ladies and Gentlemen; boys and girls, I present to you, Ryan Fecteau.
Ryan Fecteau of Biddeford/Courtesy photo from Maine House of Representatives
There is absolutely no doubt about why Fecteau should be on this list. Twelve years ago, he was little more than a recent high school graduate with political ambition.
Today, he is once again running for office, building on an already impressive political legacy.
Ryan Fecteau served four terms in the Maine House of Representatives and was chosen by his peers to become Speaker of the House. He is the youngest person to ever serve in that position and the first openly-gay person to hold that office.
Because of Maine’s term limit laws, Ryan briefly left politics (wink, wink) to take a job within the Governor Mills Administration’s Office of Housing Policy.
That gig led him to become a senior vice president with Avesta Housing, one of New England’s largest housing providers.
A few months ago, Ryan and his partner Dylan purchased a new home, which is located in a different legislative district, but still in Biddeford.
When Democrat State Rep. Erin Sheehan announced earlier this year that she would be stepping down at the end of this term, the press release distributed to the media was more of an announcement that Fecteau would be seeking the seat, hoping for a triumphant return to Augusta.
You don’t get to become Speaker of the House by not knowing how to carefully break eggs and make deals across the aisle. Ryan accomplished all this before he was even old enough to serve as president of the United States . . . but I wouldn’t rule that out either.
A few weeks ago, the Biddeford City Council quietly approved Mayor Grohman’s appointment of Dylan Doughty (Fecteau’s partner) as an alternate member of the Biddeford Planning Board.
I’m sure that (wink, wink) Ryan had nothing to do with that appointment.
There is little doubt that Ryan will win his next election in November. He meets all the guidelines: he’s a registered Democrat with a pulse. The last time a Republican won that district was when Fred Flintstone was still working at the quarry.
That’s it, folks! More than 5,300 words. I look forward to your feedback; the good, the bad and the ugly. Have a great night!
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This is a story about a Maine state senator and some very blatant hypocrisy and the pure political exploitation of a religious holiday.
Despite the claims made by some neo-conservatives and other outright bigots, I believe — as did former President Ronald Reagan — that our country is only made stronger and more noble because we embrace and assimilate many different cultures and ethnicities under one umbrella; a nation where all those seeking freedom can co-exist equally and each set a course in the pursuit of happiness.
Henry Ingwersen/ Campaign site photo
Diversity is a good thing. Inclusion is a good thing — right up until such ideals are exploited for political favor or for silly campaign fodder.
As President Reagan eloquently explained in his 1987 speech before the World Affairs Council, “You can live in Germany, Turkey, or Japan, but you can’t become a German, a Turk, or Japanese,” Reagan said. “But anyone, from any corner of the earth, can come live in America and become an American. That is the essence and ultimate strength of our nation.”
But this is not a column about Ronald Reagan.
Instead, this is a column about State Sen. Henry Ingwersen, a Democrat seeking re-election to again represent the communities of Biddeford, Arundel and Kennebunk in the Maine State Senate for a second term.
Ingwersen is a nice enough guy, but he also might possibly be the whitest person to ever roam the shores of southern Maine. And he knows it. I think it actually causes him pain.
Ingwersen recently appeared almost desperate to showcase his appreciation for the ideals of diversity and inclusion. So desperate, in fact, that he actually took the time to send Saco Bay News a press release pointing out the fact that he attended a recent dinner to celebrate and honor Maine’s growing Muslim community during a time of their high holiday celebrations.
I think it’s awesome that Ingwersen took the time to attend the recent Iftar Celebration dinner, which celebrates the end of the daily fast during Ramadan. The community dinner was held at Southern Maine Health Care last Saturday.
Saturday’s celebration was rescheduled due to poor weather conditions. Thus, this celebration of the Muslim faith was held smack dab between Good Friday and Easter, two of the most important holidays in the Christian faith.
Laura and I were invited to the event but were unable to attend the rescheduled dinner. I was looking forward to it because I know next to nothing about the culture surrounding the Muslim faith.
According to a nugget I found on the city of Biddeford’s official website, ”during the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims worldwide dedicate time to spiritual reflection; at the heart of this sacred month lies the principle of charity, known as ‘Zakat’ in Arabic. Charity (Zakat) holds profound significance as one of the Five Pillars of Islam, underscoring the importance of sharing one’s wealth with those in need.”
More about the celebration and its cultural significance can be found in the April 8 edition of the Biddeford Beat newsletter, a municipal publication distributed online by city officials.
Full disclosure: I was raised Catholic and did not attend Mass on either Good Friday or on Easter Sunday. I have a complicated relationship with God, but I think He/She/It appreciates the fact that I avoid the hypocrisy of just going to Mass on high holidays such as Christmas and Easter.
But back to Ingwersen. I don’t recall getting a press release from the senator celebrating Easter, Chanukah or Wesak, which celebrates the birth of Buddha.
No press release and accompanying photo of Henry Ingwersen on Ash Wednesday or any other of the more boring traditional holidays likely celebrated by an overwhelming percentage of his constituents.
And that’s a good thing. Elected officials should really leave religion at home and not use it to curry the voters’ favor or to appear more “hip and diverse.”
The ultimate irony here is that Ingwersen politically decimated a Christian pastor who ran unsuccessfully as the Republican nominee for the District 32 senate seat.
I, and many others, found it a bit strange that Rev. David Corbett used his religious title in his campaign materials, including his lawn signs.
Despite common misconceptions, there is no specific mention of a “separation of church and state” in the Constitution. The First Amendment does, however, prohibit the government from establishing a national religion.
Many Democrats across the country are currently mocking Donald Trump’s sickening campaign ploy to sell autographed Bibles.
The Democrats laugh and point and Trump’s blatant hypocrisy and how he exploits Christians for his own political gain.
What would they think about Ingwersen actively seeking media attention for attending a religious event? Is what’s good for the goose good for the gander?
Ingwersen should publicly apologize for trying to use a wonderful community event for his own political gain.
In the movie Jaws, Police Chief Martin Brody says: “I’m the chief of police. I can do anything.” He soon learns a lesson about his arrogance.
Hopefully, Henry will learn a lesson, too.
Attending the dinner and celebration is important. Many other local politicians attended the event. But sending out a press release and a photo of yourself at the event is just boorish.
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LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY 