An aging news editor still enjoys writing about the young punks who are now taking over his hometown of Biddeford
It’s really very cool being the editor of a community newspaper in a small town like Amity, Mass. – – oops . . . strike that . . . Amity (which means friendship) was a fictional town in the 1975 blockbuster Jaws.
I am not Harry Meadows, the fictional editor of the fictional newspaper — the Amity Gazette — in the fictional town of Amity, Mass.
I am Randy Seaver, the editor of the Biddeford Gazette, the community news organization that covers the city of Biddeford, a city that just feels fictional sometimes.
I must admit, I often channel the overweight, impatient and ass kissing Harry Meadows, a journalist who often blurred the lines between news and opinion and had his head permanently stuck up Mayor Larry Vaughan’s ass.
“Come on guys, I need a picture for the paper . . . stand together. Come on, I need a picture for the paper.”
If you haven’t figured it out yet, I am a Jaws superfreak fan, and yes – that is why I named my own media outlet the Biddeford Gazette, inspired by the Amity Gazette.
But I digress, like I often do – especially when I forget to take my meds.
RYAN FECTEAU | Then and Now
So, this particular cool story is about State Rep Ryan Feacteau of Biddeford, the man who today serves as Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.
I first met Ryan more than a decade ago, when he was nothing more than a snot-nosed, young punk looking for votes and name recognition.
Today, not much has changed.
Fecteau is still a snot-nosed young punk looking for votes and name recognition, and I am still an overweight, grumpy news editor.
(Relax. This is satire)
On a more serious note, I have been impressed by Fecteau’s meteoric rise in Biddeford’s political circles.
Although Fecteau and I sometimes disagree on specific policy issues and initiatives, there are a few reasons I really and honestly like him.
He’s smart. He’s funny. He is passionate and hardworking.
But the main reason I like Ryan is because we are kindred spirits. We both care passionately – to our core – about the city of Biddeford and its people.
What I wrote about Fecteau on my blog in 2016
“ . . .Fecteau began what will probably be a long and notable political career by actually winning an electionas one of five people elected to serve as a commissioner on the city’s charter review commission.
“The charter commission is not much more than a group of dorks who want to sit around and debate whether the city’s bylaws should include more semicolons.
“There were seven slots available and only five candidates on the ballot, so it’s not like Fecteau proved himself to be a tactical genius.
“But you still have to respect a kid who is willing to tinker with the city’s charter when most young men his age are doing more important things like getting laid or drinking beer.”
What I wrote about Fecteau almost a decade later (2024)
The Top-20 Political Movers and Shakers in Biddeford
“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.”
So, there you have it.
In 2016, I predicted a 20-year-old kid was going places as a politician.
Less than one decade later, that ambitious Charter Review Commission Candidate became the third-most powerful person in Maine’s state political arena.
And I crowned him as the most influential member of Biddeford’s political community.
If you live in Biddeford – and if you are politically ambitious – maybe you should stop by the City Clerk’s office and pick up nomination papers for the upcoming charter commission.
Who knows what will happen next.
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Samples of my previous reporting and columns I have published from Mr. Fecteau:
OPINION | Ryan Fecteau | ICE Enforcement activities do not reflect Maine values
Biddeford Gazette, Feb. 12, 2026
NEWS | Fecteau’s Housing Bill gets bipartisan approval
Biddeford Gazette, June 22, 2025
NEWS | Court puts Fecteau in national spotlight
Biddeford Gazette, May 21, 2025
NEWS | Fecteau want to return to Maine House
Saco Bay News, Jan. 27, 2024
OPINION | I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Saco Bay News, All Along the Watchtower, Nov. 10, 2023
OPINION | Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Lessons in Mediocrity, Dec. 15, 2024
INTERVIEW | RYAN FECTEAU by Randy Seaver
Saco Bay News, Jan. 24, 2023
All Along the Watchtower, Feb. 18, 2012
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR | Randy Seaver is still an overweight, grumpy and bald news editor living in the not-so fictional city of Biddeford, Maine. To this day, he is terrified of swimming in the ocean. Send him your news and dieting tips by email | randy@randyseaver.com
LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY | OUTLAW JOURNALIST 