By RANDY SEAVER 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 … Continue reading Political rivalry could play role in filling vacancies on the Biddeford City Council
Category: BLOG POSTS
Commentary that has not been published elsewhere.
No More Mister Nice Guy
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 … Continue reading No More Mister Nice Guy
Top-20 local, political movers and shakers
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.
Losing My Religion, Part Deux
Originally published at Saco Bay News, April 6, 2024 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 … Continue reading Losing My Religion, Part Deux
So Long and Thanks for All the Fish
The title of this week's blog post comes from writer Douglas Adams and his series of books in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy anthology. I thought it was an apt title for a column about Bobby Mills' quite sudden and rather mystifying resignation from the Biddeford City Council on Tuesday afternoon. Mills will also … Continue reading So Long and Thanks for All the Fish
Dance This Mess Around
Some helpful advice for the North Koreans, the Chinese, the Russians or anyone else looking to destroy the United States. Forget about obliterating our infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and tunnels. Don’t bother bombing NORAD or any of our ballistic missile sites. All you need to do is take out Facebook. Apparently, based on my … Continue reading Dance This Mess Around
Don’t Steal My Sunshine
Note: This is the unedited version of my March 8, 2024 installment of All Along the Watchtower that originally appeared on the Saco Bay News website. It probably would not come as much of a surprise if I were to tell you that a lot of people don’t like me very much. Chief among those … Continue reading Don’t Steal My Sunshine
Turn You Inside Out
When Biddeford City Manager James Bennett first unveiled his proposed FY 2025 municipal budget last week, he made a point of reminding the city council and the public that the city is not operated like a business. Bennett’s remarks were likely intended to get ahead of a frequent refrain often heard from beleaguered and stressed … Continue reading Turn You Inside Out
Sixty Lessons Learned Over 60 Years
Since I am literally on the cusp of turning 60 this week, I thought for this installment of All Along The Watchtower, I would share 60 different things I have learned (sometimes the hard way) over the past 60 years. Here we go:
Talkin’ ’bout My Generation
You see it from time to time, spread all over social media with reckless abandon. Defying history, logic and reasoning, there is a growing chorus of complaints about “kids today,” and/or about how "life was better in the 1950s, the 1960s, the 1970s" and even the 1980s. Social media platforms such as Facebook are plastered … Continue reading Talkin’ ’bout My Generation
NOTES TO CARL | LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY 