NEWSLETTER: Things are looking good, real good

It’s been a while since my last newsletter, but I am feeling good about the Biddeford Gazette’s trajectory and its future.

From time to time, I have to keep reminding myself that this publication is only four months old. We have come quite a way in just the last few weeks.

We also have some pretty big – and interesting – stories on the immediate horizon, but I am quite glad to be taking a bit of a breather during this holiday weekend. This last week, especially, has been a whirlwind.

Speaking of the holiday, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the local volunteers, veterans, city officials and non-profit organizations who work so hard every year to pay a somber and meaningful tribute to all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

Although the major sewer/road project is preventing a parade this weekend, there will be a very special ceremony held at Waterhouse Field, complete with marching bands and everything else you would see in a parade. As Marshall Archer – Commander of Biddeford AMVETS Post No. 1 – said, ‘It will be just like a parade without all the walking.”

You can find more information about this year’s ceremony by clicking this link

I am also quite proud of what the Gazette has been able to accomplish, and I really appreciate all the great feedback I have been receiving.

Striving to be part of the community

Two things stand out to me: our publication of weekly obituaries and the Community Voices section of our web site.

Unlike other media sites, we publish local obituaries from area funeral homes every Sunday at no charge to the families or the public. People seem to appreciate the service, and according to our analytical indicators it remains as one of the Gazette’s most popular features.

With the help of our social media partners, we have access to more than 35,000 people in the Biddeford-Saco area.

People also seem to enjoy our Community Voices page, where we feature things written and submitted to us from other people. Over the past few weeks, we have published stories from others about a project to preserve dune grass at local beaches, the accomplishments of Biddeford students. — including the undefeated Biddeford Middle School math teams — and the perspective of a volunteer at the Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Resource Center.

We plan to be expanding this section in the coming weeks, including coverage of legislative issues that are being shaped in Augusta.

A unique approach to sharing news

There is also one thing we do that is pretty unique in the competitive world of gathering and sharing news.

We actually highlight stories about Biddeford from other media sites. We use our social media page to share stories about Biddeford from other journalists and publications, including Saco Bay News, the Portland Press Herald, Maine Biz, Spectrum News, WGME-TV and WMTW-TV.

We help direct more traffic directly to their websites or social media pages.

Why do we do this? We do it for you so that you can have all of the latest news and information about Biddeford, all gathered and easy to find in one place.

To the best of my knowledge, no other news site does this.

Lots happening in Biddeford

As I said near the top, we have some pretty exciting news stories on the horizon, including the fact that Biddeford is close to hiring a new city manager and my suspicion is that we have yet to hear the last from former City Manager James Bennett who was ousted from his office in February.

Over the past several days, we have been averaging one new – and often exclusive – news story per day.

For example, this week we continued our ongoing coverage of a massive sewer/road project that will be continuing until November. (Please try to support downtown merchants. Many of them are hurting because people are avoiding the area)

We also continue to lead in our comprehensive coverage about the University of New England’s controversial pier proposal. We also reported as the community paid a final farewell to a former city councilor and an iconic member of the city’s Irish community. Among our other exclusive stories, we reported on a lawsuit being filed against the city in Superior Court, a new program to give unhoused residents employment opportunities and the opening of an aquarium in downtown Biddeford.

I think that about covers it. As always, thank you for reading! And if you haven’t yet, please join hundreds of others and subscribe to our site. Also, please like and follow us on Facebook. Tell your friends and family, too!

Enjoy your weekend, and let’s all hope that we can enjoy a few sunny days this summer.

Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He may be contacted by email: randy@randyseaver.com

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