I am going to miss the councilor from Ward Five
It’s going to be weird on Tuesday.
Weird, happy and a tinge of sadness.
The first regular meeting of the new Biddeford Council — along with a new mayor — should give us a good preview and set the tone for what we can expect from these 10 individuals over the next two years.
I have been through this before. Many times.
I should be better prepared for the transition. In fact, Liam LaFountain is the sixth Biddeford mayor I have covered as a journalist.
I have seen lots of change over the last three decades: Five city managers, six mayors and more finance directors than you can count.
All kidding aside, I am optimistic about this new group, and I expect we’re going to see rigorous and thoughtful debate as this new council tackles a wide range of issues.
I really believe that we are at the beginning of a new era at Biddeford City Hall, but I will miss a few of the councilors who decided not to seek reelection this year.
In particular, I am going to miss former Ward Five Councilor Neva Gross – especially during the roll call at the beginning of each meeting.
During the roll call, each councilor answers the city’s clerk’s question. Councilor Belanger? “Here.”
Councilor Beaupre? “Here.”
Councilor Whiting? “Here.” And so on . . . with one notable exception: Councilor Gross would invariably set her own mark. Instead of saying “here,’ she would always respond: “Present.”
For the better part of two years, her response irked me. I thought she was just being a smartass, making a joke of the roll-call process.
Before we proceed any further, it should be noted that I consider Neva Gross to be a friend. She and her partner are expected to attend my family’s annual Christmas Chaos party.
Shortly after she was appointed to the council to fill a vacancy in 2024, Neva agreed to an interview with me.
In that interview – published in Saco Bay News – I described Neva as “somewhat reserved.” I told readers that she “listens intently to discussion, often sitting back with her chair leaning away from the council dais.”
So finally — just a few weeks ago – I got up the courage to ask Gross why she always bucked the roll call trend during council meetings.
She smiled. “It’s something that was literally drilled into me by my drill instructor during basic training,” she said.
“He expected more from us than just showing up,” Gross explained. “He demanded that we were ‘present.’ We were expected to know what was happening next to us, behind us and ahead of us. We were expected to be aware, ready to take action and constantly examining the landscape.
“Simply being here was never good enough for him. I always wanted to be present during council meetings.”
I suspect that Neva will still be present in Biddeford, even though she is no longer a city councilor. Maybe we should all be present instead of just being here.
Regardless, I am going to miss Neva’s smile and her thoughtful approach to governance.
Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He may be reached by email: randy@randyseaver.com
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