Given the news of a recent resignation by a city councilor, there is one glaring item that members of the Biddeford Charter Review Commission should consider sending to the city’s voters for approval.
As it stands now, the mayor has the authority to nominate anyone to fill a vacated city council seat, regardless of when the vacancy occurs.
Although special elections can be costly, the curent charter gives too much power to the mayor, setting the stage for stacking the deck. Unless there is less than six months remaining in a term, the council should be required to call for a special election.
Unfortunately, Councilor David Flood’s sudden resignation puts Mayor Alan Casavant in an awkward position.
The mayor now has to nominate someone from Ward Seven to fill that seat. That nomination must then be confirmed by the city council. Thus, if the mayor chooses someone who is perceived to be on his side he runs the risk of a protracted debate and council objection.
On the other hand, if the mayor chooses someone who would not support his position, then the mayor’s influence with the council will be further weakened.
Thus, Casavant is screwed no matter which way he goes in the next 30 days.
Casavant ought to consider at least one of two approaches to solving this potential conflict.
Choice One: Nominate the individual who got the second most votes in the Ward Seven race in November, Bill Sexton. Under this method, Casavant would be signaling that he is at least attemting to follow the best intentions of the voters.
Choice Two: Ask the Council President and other councilors to offer suggested names for a replacement candidate. This method would go a long way toward ensuring a smooth confirmation and allow the mayor to bypass controversy and potential attacks of “cronyism.”
The next meeting of the Biddeford Charter Review Commission will be held on Feb. 23. More than likely, only a handful of people will attend. That’s fine, but don’t complain about the process unless you’re willing to change it.
It seems like rumors and speculation surrounding the sudden resignation of City Councilor David Flood is spreading faster than the odds on whether Ron Paul is actually still alive or in a cryogenic state to be unfrozen after Election Day.
Let’s put to rest a few of the more popular rumors:
1.) This is NOT the final phase of a secret master plan that was coordinated by me, Flood and Mayor Alan Casavant. There was nothing wrong with the three of us pooling our financial resources last month to purchase $500,000-worth of gift cards.
Our purchase of those gift cards is nothing to worry about. Pay no attention. There is nothing to see here.
2.) I shall not seek nor will I accept a nomination by Mayor Alan Casavant to replace Flood on the city council.
I spoke with the mayor a short while ago and we are on the same page: such a move would look awful and smack of cronyism. I called the mayor to offer him some suggestions about potential nominees and to ensure that our gift cards were not being used improperly.
Besides, I doubt the mayor would ever consider nominating me because I am actually taller, better looking and far more skilled at banging a gavel.
Furthermore, I would be an awful city councilor. I have neither the temperament or the desire to spend a bulk of my free time arguing about solid waste, graffiti or the merits of mounting a full-scale invasion of Dayton.
3.) I am NOT returning to my life as an under-paid, overworked weekly newspaper editor. I have not received a call from David Flood, nor have I received a call from the folks who own the Journal Tribune and the Courier.
4.) I did not start this blog as a precursor to Flood’s move to Current Publishing. Truth be known, Flood hates this blog almost as much as he hates me. I have it on good authority that he recently hired some professional thugs from Saco to take me out.
I am not concerned about Flood’s plan to have me assasinated while I sleep. I have well-armed body guards who accompany me 24-7 and a ferocious golden retriever, not to mention my stunning, Ninja-like reflexes.
If there is going to be a newspaper war in Biddeford (Likely), then you will find me on the sidelines, taking notes and pictures for this blog.
5.) If Donald Sussman ever offers me $5 million for an ownership stake in All Along the Watchtower, here are three things I wouldNOTdo with the money:
Buy a home within 1,500-feet of my present location
Buy a downtown building that needs serious and expensive renovations
Run for the Biddeford City Council.
I hope this clears the air. We return you now to your regular programming.
More breaking news… Biddeford’s own media mogul, David Flood, intends to resign his Ward 7 seat on the Biddeford City Council.
In 2007, Flood sold the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier and several other weekly newspapers that he and his wife published as part of the Mainely Newspapers Group to the parent company of the Journal Tribune.
Today it looks like he can’t wait to get back into the newsapaper game.
According to a story in the American Journal, Flood will take over as publisher of the Sun Chronicle and other York County publications owned by Current Publishing, a former competitor of Mainely Newspapers, Inc.
Only weeks after selling his newspaper in 2007, Flood jumped into Biddeford politics, winning an at-large seat on the city council, before making a failed attempt to oust Mayor Joanne Twomey in 2009.
Flood returned to the council in November, but now will be resigning after serving fewer than 90 days in office.
We have also learned that the Biddeford Courier will soon be looking for a new home.
Flood owns the 180 Main Street building where the Courier is now published. Apparently, he plans to use the same building to house his newest endeavor with Current Publishing.
Flood is reportedly planning to publicly announce his resignation from the council on Tuesday, during the council’s next regular meeting.
It remains unclear whether there will need to be a special election to fill Flood’s vacancy or whether Mayor Alan Casavant will be able to appoint a replacement.
Since there is far more than a year remaining in Flood’s term, it is likely that the council will call for a special election.
If Elmer Fudd had attended Tuesday’s Biddeford City Council meeting, he may have made the following observation about our city councilors:
“Those wascly wabbits seemed especially wambunctious last night.”
Fudd’s assessment matches my own observations.
Watching the councilors in action, I actually began to wonder whether a couple of our council critters had skipped their required rabies vaccinations, especially when they began talking about a favorite City Hall subject: solid waste disposal.
If you missed the meeting, then you also missed a rare opportunity to hear one of the city’s most eloquent and handsome residents address the council about the contentious issues surrounding trash and recycling.
No, Jim Grattelo did not show up last night.
It was me — yours truly — the voice of logic, reason and nicotine addiction from Ward Seven.
At issue is the perennial topic of how to both increase the city’s recycling rate and reduce the amount of trash we send to the Maine Energy Recovery Company, where household waste is recycled into electricity.
Council President Rick Laverierre seemed ready to explode or at least pop a button on his new suit, when he railed against the concept of a pay-per-bag trash collection system.
“This is not a Maine Energy thing,” he said, ignoring the obvious and hoping to avoid taking a public stance on a very controversial issue.
Laverierre strongly supports sending no less than two referendums to the city’s voters.
The first referendum would ask voter permission to even allow the council to discuss or say the words “pay-per-bag,” and the second referendum (a few months later) would ask the voters whether they approve a plan. Seriously.
For the first time in 192 years, I found myself in agreement with Councilors David Flood and Richard Rhames.
The last time the three of us agreed on a topic was in 1820, when we published a joint op-ed in the Boston Globe, making the case for Maine’s secession from the state of Massachusetts.
The opening line of that editorial proves the piece was a collaborative effort:
“For whatever. Massachusetts blows. We need another state where Democrats can control the Legislature.”
Back to last night’s meeting. Rhames, for a brief moment in time, seemed lucid with a firm grasp of the obvious.
Rhames reminded his fellow councilors that they will soon be forced to review the city’s waste disposal contract.
“This council needs to be grappling with this issue,” he said. “This matter is roaring up on us. It is not a simple issue and, unfortunately, we have not yet begun to consider our position.”
But Councilor Michael Swanton expressed doubts about how much the city would save its taxpayers by forcing the Solid Waste Commission to devise a plan that could increase the city’s recycling rate. “I ran the numbers at home,” he said. “And I figured out that I would save about 37 cents per week by recycling more.”
The council, however, did seem to agree on one thing: trash disposal involves a lot of fluctuating numbers, a good pair of rubber gloves and the willingness not to hoard No.2 plastic bottles.
Ultimately, the council voted 8-1 (Laverierre opposed) to kick the can down the road for another few weeks by sending a resolution to the Solid Waste Commission that seeks to increase the city’s recycling rate.
Take the money and run
Earlier in the evening, the council took up the issue of ethics, pondering whether to amend the city’s ordinances to require members of the Planning Board to sign a code of ethics.
It should be noted that members of the city council are not required to sign a code of ethics.
As I have explained to my children, whether you should take a 10-dollar bill from your mother’s purse is NOT an ethical dilemma.
It is a crime.
An ethical dilemma is a situation in which both choices have merit and must be carefully weighed against one’s own values and belief system.
At first blush, it seems more than reasonable to ask city officials to sign a code of ethics. But a closer examination of the proposed language reveals some glaring problems that leap off the pages and then steal money from your mother’s purse.
For example, Councilor David Flood (my neighbor, former employer and BFF) pointed out that by signing the code, planning board members would be required to only do reasonable things that also “appear to be reasonable.” Again, I’m not kidding.
If this same standard were applied to the city council, we would not have a city council.
Upon realization of this quandary, the council pondered their own ethical dilemma and rejected adopting a code of ethics for other people to follow.
Smart move.
In other business, the council put the brakes on a proposed policy that would allow the city to accept private contributions for public infrastructure.
After hearing further words of wisdom from yours truly about the slippery slope of unintended consequences, the council decided to send the proposed policy to the “Policy” Committee for further review and clarification.
If you would like to have Randy Seaver speak to your civic club, organization or rehab group, please send an e-mail to randy@randyseaver.com
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Councilor Roch Angers (left) consults the Council Rules for Color Selection while Councilor Richard Rhames urges Councilor Flood against choosing an official city color.
[Satire Alert]
If you thought watching the New England Patriots lose the Superbowl was painful, you should stay away from the Biddeford City Council’s next meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
For the past few weeks, the council has been working around the clock to nail down some serious matters that could have grave consequences for those of us who live, work and play in Biddeford.
It’s been a hectic few weeks, so let’s take a quick recap and review some of the bigger accomplishments of this industrious group.
By a 6-3 vote, the council finally settled on a seating arrangement in the council chamber. Councilors Melissa Bednarowski, Brad Cote and Mike Swanton voted against the measure, mistakenly thinking they would have to swap seats each week so that one of them would always have to sit next to Councilor Richard Rhames.
Things settled down and the council then moved quickly to unanimously approve the color beige as the “official color” of the 2012-13 City Council, but not without some heated and long-winded discussion.
“I like beige,” remarked Councilor David Flood. “I can get along with beige. For whatever.”
Councilor David Flood
Councilor Roch Angers, however, seemed less than pleased.
“I really wanted red,” Angers explained. “Not some half-assed, pansy shade of pink, mind you. I wanted crimson red. It’s an angry color, and I’m feelin’ some anger.”
Councilor Bobby Mills seemed hesitant about casting his vote. Only hours before the meeting, Mills told supporters of the color Yellow that he was definitely on their side, somehow forgetting that he had also told representatives from the Blue caucus he thought their color made the most sense because of its soothing nature.
Mills tried to split it down the middle so as not to offend anyone by nominating the color Green as an amendment, but Council President Rick Laverierre ruled Mills out of order to prevent Angers from having an aneurysm.
Of course, Councilor Rhames held up the vote with a 98-minute monologue about why the Council should remain “color neutral” and lambasted the influence of color in the black and white world of city politics.
Of course, Councilor Rhames held up the vote with a 98-minute monologue about why the Council should remain “color neutral” and lambasted the influence of color in the black and white world of city politics.
“These sorts of things have a way of leading us all down a very slippery slope,” Rhames cautioned his fellow councilors. “If we take sides with corporate America now, where will we stop? Next thing you know, we’ll be endorsing a particular brand of shaving cream, a product I have not purchased since 1988.”
Mills, who just last week narrowly avoided being in violation of a longstanding Mills family tradition of running for elected office at least every 60 days, moved quickly to end the discussion. “Let’s just do beige,” he said.
Councilor Brad Cote shrugged. Councilor Mike Swanton rolled his eyes, silently praying that someone would shoot him; and Councilor Bednarowski called for a roll-call vote.
You can expect more of the same on Tuesday, when Biddeford’s team of nine takes up the contentious issue of whether to adopt a “code of ethics” for the Planning Board.
Other items to watch: The council will vote on Mayor Alan Casavant’s most recent political nominations, which include a suggestion that two of the city’s most well-known and respected downtown property developers be allowed to join the Downtown Development Commission.
Doug Sanford, who owns the North Dam Mill Complex, the former West Point Mill building complex, the St. Jean Baptiste Hall, the Puritan Building and just about every other building in downtown Biddeford, apparently thinks he has something to offer to the DDC, one of Biddeford’s most notorious “good ol’ boy clubs.”
Casavant’s other nominee for the DDC is Chris Betjemann, who got smoked in November when he attempted to run for an at-large seat on the City Council. Betjemann and his business partner own just about every other building in downtown Biddeford that is not already owned by Doug Sanford.
When asked whether Sanford and Betjemann would be good fits for the commission, DDC Chairman Brian Keely chose his words carefully.
“I don’t know,” Keely said. “It really depends if they know how to plant flowers and smoke cigars. We have a certain way of doing things downtown. I think it’s great that they want to join us, but I hope they’re not expecting to waltz in here and start demanding that we do stuff, you know?”
Randy Seaver was secretly pulling for the New York Giants. Send him your death threats, hate mail or credit-card numbers by e-mail to randy@randyseaver.com
If you don’t know anything else about Biddeford politics, you ought to know about the Dutremble family, one of the city’s most prolific, political families.
For more than 50 years, the Dutremble family has been — in one way or another — deeply entrenched in local political circles.
State Sen. David Dutremble
Lucien “Babe” Dutremble, one of 13 children, never lost an election during a political career that included several terms on the city council, six terms in the Maine House of Representatives, the mayor’s office and serving as a York County Commissioner. Babe’s brother, Richard, was a York County Sheriff. Babe’s son, Richard, today serves as a York County commissioner.
Just as Babe’s political career was winding down, his second eldest son was making a name for himself. Dennis “Duke” Dutremble served several terms in the Maine Senate before being tapped as the senate president. But he retreated from the public spotlight after losing his bid to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Flash forward nearly two decades, and yet another Dutremble is making a foray into the city’s political establishment, banking on his family’s legacy and his “outsider” perspective.
David Dutremble is a lieutenant in the Biddeford Fire Department, the youngest of Babe Dutremble’s nephews, and is now a candidate for the District 4 State Senate seat.
Despite his legacy name and strong local connections, David is facing some challenges on the road to Augusta.
1.) A crowded primary field could split the city’s Democratic base and allow someone like businessman James Booth of Arundel to take the seat as a unenrolled candidate. Booth, a native of the neighboring city of Saco, is the son of former Saco Mayor Haley Booth and served on the Saco City Council.
2.) Expect his primary opponents (which could include former State Rep. Stephen Beaudette and former city councilor James Emerson) to question whether Dutremble can effectively balance his city job as a firefighter while serving in the State Senate.
Furthermore, we were stunned that David has yet to seek the counsel of his cousins, Duke Dutremble and County Commissioner Richard Dutremble.
CAN’T WE JUST GET ALONG?
David Dutremble graduated from Biddeford High School in 1985. Since 1988, he has been a Biddeford firefighter. He and his wife, Charlene, have five children.
Why jump into the fray for a state senate seat without any prior political experience?
“Honestly, I would have gone into local politics a long time ago, but the city’s charter prevents city employees from holding municipal offices. Initially, I was thinking about running for the House until I talked to Alan [Casavant] and found out he is hoping to keep his seat.”
You have all the political muscle you need, given your last name.
(Laughs) “It’s an intimidating last name, you know in local politics…absolutely, but it also carries a lot of expectations.”
Aren’t you busy enough. Why run for public office?
“I think we need more people in Augusta who can reach across the political divides. I think government has a responsibility to do good things for the people. Government should be creating an atmosphere that promotes economic development.”
You sound a little like a Republican.
(Laughs) “I’m a life-long Democrat, but I think both parties want to see Maine succeed. It’s time to stop all the political bickering and blame. It’s time to think about the people we serve. I don’t care who gets credit, as long as we do good things for the people.
“When my kids grow up, I want them to have the same opportunities I had. My step son had to move out west to find a good job. I think that’s really sad. It bothers me to see local kids miss out on the same opportunities we had growing up here.”
How can you be a firefighter and a state senator at the same time?
“I’ll use vacation time, and swap time. I’ve already run it past the guys in the department. I know I have support and we can swap shifts to accommodate my schedule.”
You haven’t talked to Duke about your decision to seek his old senate seat?
(Laughs) “He’s in Florida for the winter. I sent him an e-mail on Facebook, but I haven’t heard back. Maybe he doesn’t check his Facebook.
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rank Governor LePage’s performance?
(Pauses) “I’d probably give him a four. I just think his priorities are out of whack…like going after the labor mural.”
Same scale for President Obama?
“I’d say a 7. No matter who won in 2008, it was a no-win situation for our economy, whether we elected a Republican or Democrat. I don’t think we would be any better off if John McCain had won. I think President Obama has done a decent job.”
Do you really think you can change the political dynamic of partisan bickering?
“Yes, but you have to start small. People used to say that women would never be able to vote. We used to say that a black man would never drive the bus. I believe things can change for the better. I think elected leaders just need to focus on working in collaboration to solve problems.
A new mayor took the city’s helm a little more than 60 days ago, but he’s not the only one getting accustomed to the slow and tedious grind of public policy making in Biddeford, where even routine matters, such as liquor license applications or a purchase of road salt, can quickly morph into a an all-out, fist-to-cuffs brawl that requires 32 legal opinions, 14 SWAT officers, two paramedics and one obligatory 35-minute monologue by City Councilor Richard Rhames.
Welcome to Biddeford, boys and girls!
Mike Swanton
Sure, Mayor Casavant should know better. After all, he spent several years as a Biddeford City Councilor during the Eisenhower Administration.
But what about the council’s political newcomers?
Brad Cote
Of the nine city councilors, three of them are just now waking up to the grave realization that they actually got elected to the Biddeford City Council.
So while Melissa Bednarowski, Brad Cote and Michael Swanton are learning the ropes at City Hall, we thought you should know a little bit more about them and about what makes them tick.
If I were a reporter, I would have to pick up the phone or actually go meet these people to get a better understanding of what butters their bread or frosts their socks.
Luckily, I’m not a reporter. Thus, I can do what every other basement-dwelling blogger does during those long stints between dates, experiencing daylight or bathing:
I looked at their Facebook pages.
We’ll start with the council’s most inconspicuous member, who represents the good people of Ward Three.
BRAD COTE:
It’s not hard to win an election in Biddeford when your last name is Cote. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 387,000 people with the last name of Cote living in Biddeford.
Brad is an affable man who was born in 1981, five years after I was first arrested and three weeks before I flunked my driver’s exam for the second time.
He is the living, talking definition of easy-going, non-confrontational politeness. He graduated from Biddeford High School in 1999, and today works as an “internal audit consultant,” which makes him somewhat dangerous. Imagine a city official who can add and subtract without a calculator. The mind reels.
Apparently, Brad and his lovely wife, Lori, recently had a baby. Or his profile picture could be his own; taken by one of his 205 friends who were not at all surprised that this mild-mannered auditor would actually want to sit through long-winded, unproductive meetings about the perils of re-opening Bradbury Street Extension.
Brad went to St. Mary’s College, a school well-known for producing some of the nation’s most notable internal audit consultants.
His interests are almost as boring as his occupation. He “likes” Redbox, the Saco Drive-In and It’s ah Hair Thing Salon.
I wanna party with this dude.
In all seriousness, expect Cote to be on the same side as Mayor Casavant and fellow Councilors Mike Swanton and David Flood 99.9 percent of the time. But he will also deliver hand-written apology notes to councilors he disagrees with.
Brad, your Delta Chi name is “Cub Scout.” Let’s move along.
MICHAEL SWANTON:
You have to respect a man with such a serious moustache. Swanton, a plumber who originally hails from Garden City New York, looks like a contract assassin from a Quentin Tarantino movie.
He attended Biddeford High School and rides a motorcycle in some of the city’s prettier neighborhoods.
Apparently, he’s not big into the whole “social media” thing. He has 18 Facebook friends, including yours truly, Mayor Alan Casavant and several of the other city councilors. He says on his Facebook wall that he “caved” to the pressure of his friends for not being on Facebook. Don’t expect this guy to have a backbone when a controversial liquor license application comes before the council.
But Swanton is his own man. He is quiet, studious and unassuming. The new councilor from Ward One also exceeds the council’s average height metric by a whopping two feet.
This next part is true: as of today, and according to Facebook, Swanton only has two things that “interest” him, one of which is this blog. Psst, Mike…time to get a hobby, dude.
Mike, your Delta Chi name is “Chipmunk”
MELISSA BEDNAROWSKI
Melissa Bednarowski’s Facebook profile pic
Finally, it’s time to meet the only female member of the Biddeford City Council.
A former planning board member, Bednarowski was unopposed for her Ward 4 seat. It’s a good thing because the city clerk’s office could not fit any other names on the ballot under Ward Four.
Originally from Manchester, New Hampshire, Bednarowski seems to take her new position seriously, listing it as her occupation on Facebook.
Melissa is a bit of an enigma in the social media realm. She keeps her list of friends hidden from public view, but apparently fellow Councilor Roch Angers and I belong to a very elite and discreet club known as Melissa Bednarowski’s Facebook friends.
Melissa spends most of her time on Facebook posting photos of herself, her dog and some of her friends. She also likes to share thought-provoking quotes that seem to match her matter-of-fact style.
It’s hard to know how Melissa will fare over the next two years of her term. Expect her to be independent, stubborn and well-prepared for whatever debates may come down the line. She is a stickler for details and a true-believer of “government service.”
Come on, don’t tell me you didn’t see this one coming.
That’s right, word on the street, yet unconfirmed, is that former mayor Joanne Twomey is at least contemplating a bid to recapture her former District 135 House seat, and may challenge the incumbent, fellow Democrat Paulette Beaudoin for a chance to take on Republican Perry Aberle in November. So far, Twomey has not registered as a candidate with the Maine Secretary of State’s office.
Joanne Twomey: Portland Press Herald Photo
If this plays out like I predict, it will be the trifecta of disgruntled Democrats in Biddeford.
For those of you playing at home, here’s the run down of Democrat on Democrat for the city’s three State House Seats.
District 135: Joanne Twomey may face incumbent Paulette Beaudoin, a sweet, little old lady who just wants a fourth and final term.
Twomey got trounced just a few weeks ago, when Biddeford voters overwhelmingly rejected her bid for a third consecutive term in the mayor’s office, but she is a fierce campaigner and that, combined with her name recognition, could spell serious trouble for Beaudoin. If Joanne is able to re-assemble her kitchen cabinet, look out!
I have been watching Biddeford politics for more than a decade, and this seems like a first. The GOP must be loving it, and the Dems in Augusta better break out the riot gear. This is one primary you won’t want to miss.
George “Pete” Lamontagne is an uncomplicated man who has seen his fair share of complicated situations.
Political observers say the former city councilor’s laid-back personality and his friendly demeanor often calmed severe storms during especially contentious Biddeford City Council meetings.
Pete Lamontagne
He is a self-described man of the street, and he is widely perceived as a champion of those without friends or power. He is soft-spoken, but commands attention and respect when he speaks. He is a lover of history, politics and art.
He is a simple, courageous man with an extraordinary reputation, and he loves his hometown of Biddeford.
We caught up with Pete in the lobby of the North Dam Mill building, formerly the home of the Biddeford Textile Company, where both Lamontagne and his father worked. As always, he was gracious, understated and relaxed.
With the exception of a two-year hiatus, Lamontagne served as a member of the Biddeford City Council for more than a decade, first elected as a Ward 5 Councilor in 1997. He returned to the council in 2001 and remained there, serving as both an at-large representative and council president, until stepping down last year.
You and several other members of the last city council were roundly criticized because of the infamous executive session meeting held with the owners of Scarborough Downs before the city announced its intention to put out a racino referendum. Do you regret that decision?
“In hindsight, sure. We found out after the meeting that it wasn’t right. (Sighs) It doesn’t matter much now, it’s water under the bridge. I can’t speak for anyone else, we just wanted to do something for our community to help bring back jobs…it didn’t work out, and now the city will have to look at other things, but I don’t think we’ll ever see anything that big, anything that could have brought so many jobs here.”
You were a big supporter of the proposed Biddeford Downs project.
“Oh absolutely. I’ve spent a lot of time in both Bangor (Hollywood Slots) and Foxwoods, which are both about 180 miles either way of here. When West Point closed its doors, it was a like a stake in the heart of hope for those of us who worked there.
“I see these unemployed people every day. These are good people, hard-working people; they looked at this proposal and said, you know…maybe I can get a job there. It was something to hope for, and I was relentless. Today, those people are still unemployed.”
You were the president of the UNITE union and you worked in that mill for more than three decades. The closure hit you hard.
“Oh yes…. (Pauses) You know, I never thought it [West Point] was going to close. I never planned to retire. It was tough. It was devastating for a lot of families, my friends… A lot of us started taking retraining classes at the Community Center, but jobs are tough to find right now.”
You know a lot about hard times.
(Laughs) “I sure do, but I also know something about good times, and strangely enough, they often overlap.
“I grew up on Water Street, and back then it was a very poor neighborhood, mostly bars. But it was a also a close-knit neighborhood. It was where Raymond Gaudette and [former mayor] Gilbert Boucher grew up. I had lots of friends.
“Two of my aunts and one of my uncles lived with us; back then it was how families did things. Every store had a back room with warm beer, because that’s what people liked. Warm Schmidts …it was their beer of choice (Laughs).”
You were named after your dad.
(Laughs) “Well, sort of, . . . his name was Pete. He was a big guy. He worked at the mill as a mason in the late ’50s and early ’60s. People called me Little Pete or Pete junior. Actually, my middle name is Alphonse, but don’t print that.” (Laughs)
Did you get the political bug from your father?
“Well, you know, he ran for the council as a Republican, and he got trounced. I mean, he was a French Republican.”
Did he live long enough to see his son get elected?
“Yes, he passed away just after I won my first election. I think he was very proud.”
You served under three mayors: Dion, Nutting and Twomey. Is Biddeford’s political landscape as tough as its reputation?
“Oh yes, Biddeford politics can be very tough. You have to have a thick skin. I got to serve with [Jim] Grattelo and [Marc] Lessard. Those were my best days. (Smiles)
“There were times when I had to break up physical fights; and there were many times when Mayor Twomey and I found ourselves in very heated disagreements, and we didn’t always see eye-to-eye.”
So how did you broker the peace?
“I don’t look at the oyster shell, I’m always looking for the pearl inside the shell.”
You and Joanne Twomey go way back.
“She was a pretty, little blonde girl. When I was a young boy, my family spent a lot of time out at Hills Beach. She used to visit, and we would sit on the beach together and talk. I guess you could say she was my first girlfriend.” (Smiles).
You also befriended Rory Holland, a former mayoral candidate who is now in jail for murdering two young men.
“A lot of people didn’t like him. He was not well, but I think he understood where I was coming from. I would let him visit my house, but I was always firm with him, and told him I would not hesitate to throw him out. I think he respected me, but I also think he needed a friend.
“I woke up to the news about the shootings, and I was in shock. It took me more than three days to get my head around it, what a terrible tragedy. It still hurts to think about it.”
Your service in the Army didn’t get much respect from former mayor Wallace Nutting.
“His four stars had a big impact on me. I wasn’t intimidated by them, but I had a high degree of respect for his military service and accomplishments.
“I was a mail clerk in the Army, a desk jockey, serving with the Adjutant General’s staff. But still, here was this 19-year-old Biddeford boy in France.
“Mayor Nutting had a different way of doing things. He would always ask for your input or opinions, but you always knew what the answer was supposed to be.” (Laughs)
Who did you vote for during the last election, Casavant or Twomey?
“No answer.” (Laughs)
You wanted to serve as a citizen member on the council’s Policy Committee, but you were never appointed. What happened?
I don’t know. Alan [Casavant] and I met shortly after the election, and I told him I wanted to be on the policy committee. We were in his office at City Hall, and I saw him write it down. Then, the council agenda didn’t include my name as an appointment.
“At first, I was mad….Bastard!, I thought, until I saw the two names of people who got appointed to that committee, Laura (Seaver) and Renee (O’Neil). Those were perfect choices, so I decided not to say anything. It could not have worked out better. I think those two will do a wonderful job. I was very pleased with the mayor’s picks.”
There is rarely a day that passes when I am not reminded of my grandparents and the remarkable influence they had on the Biddeford-Saco region.
Alberta and Gilman Seaver
My grandfather, Gilman Seaver, was a teacher at both Biddeford High School and Thornton Academy. He was old school innovative: tough and uncompromising. He held high standards and valued original thought and critical analysis. He marched to his own drum and did not suffer fools lightly.
On the other end of that equation was my grandmother. One of Saco’s most beloved elementary school teachers, she was known affectionately to hundreds of her former students as Mrs. Seaver; to her husband and friends as Alberta; and to me and the rest of her grandchildren as Do0-doo. She spent nearly four decades teaching at both Fairfield and C.K. Burns School.
She was kind, patient and warm toward all of her students, especially toward those kids who may otherwise be overlooked. She cherished sharing the words of E.B. White with generations of Saco kids and befriended the author toward the end of her teaching career.
If you grew up in Biddeford or Saco, it’s more than likely that you were impacted by one of these teachers, and for that…consider yourself lucky, but not as lucky as the select few of us who had the privilege and honor of knowing her as Doo-doo, a proud matriarch with a smile that could melt glaciers.
Happy birthday, Doo-doo….
(Edited with apologies to my grandfather for reckless misspellings and poor grammar that is beneath even my own pitiful standards)
LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY | OUTLAW JOURNALIST 