Edmund Burke, a member of British Parliament, once described the press and news media as the “fourth estate” of government during a 1771 speech.
Burke reasoned that the press had broad and significant power to influence government and public policy.
At that time, the other three estates of the realm were assigned to the clergy, the nobility and the commoners.
From time to time, people ask me why I put so much time and effort into running the Biddeford Gazette. After all, this project does not generate any revenue.
No paywalls, no ads and free subscriptions.
I do it because I really love doing it. I love telling the stories of people in our community. I love holding elected officials accountable, and I especially love being able to champion the needs of those without a voice.
Being a journalist is the most fulfilling career I can imagine, but it also comes with a very big responsibility. I do my best to live up to that responsibility with every keystroke on my computer.
This week, I was able to leverage the Biddeford Gazette as a resource to help a local non-profit agency finally get the restitution they were owed by a large, national corporation that had been ignoring the situation.
I have been doing this for more than 30 years. I don’t recall a more satisfying story than the one I wrote this week about Roxi Suger and her struggle to collect funds her charity was owed.
On the other end of the spectrum, I had an absolute blast interviewing Cash and Nick Cassidy about their indie film, Childish Things, which will kick off this year’s Vacationland Film Festival at Biddeford’s City Theater.
Hearing the brothers talk about their cross-country adventure sparked my own memories of a cross-country trip that my friend Dale and I took in 1986, carrying a black velvet painting of Abraham Lincoln along Route 66 in an attempt to get on the David Letterman show. You can read about the Lincoln Tour here.
We were also able to spark a conversation this week about age and whether it should be a factor in local elections; and we dug a bit further into the discussion about the term “Biddo.”
This week, the Biddeford Gazette was also able to raise awareness about the struggles facing Dupuis Hardware, a beloved downtown business; and we reported on the progress of a grassroots community effort to help the victims of a terrible fire earlier this month.
Finally, I was honored to share the story of Ryan Paige, a Biddeford native who overcame a drug addiction and is now leading an effort that is helping hundreds of Mainers achieve sobriety from Kittery to Caribou.
With any luck, 24 hours from now, Laura and I will be sitting on the shore of Moosehead Lake for a much-needed break over the next few days.
We’ll catch you on the rebound. In the meantime, stay safe and be good to each other.
THE BIDDEFORD GAZETTE 
Thank you for doing this. Portland newspaper and Portland tv stations pay no attenti
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I did superimpose the UNE dock plan over my aerial footage of the location. Itâs not an expert rendition but I believe the scale is pretty close.
I hope it helps people visualize it better than looking at a blueprint.
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You are performing a great service to the community. Many thanks for providing a place to keep current and for advocating for those who were done wrong.
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