LETTER | News coverage upsets candidate

Editor:

I would like to thank all those who voted for me in the June 9 primary for County Commissioner.

I am ever so grateful that I was able to prevail here in my hometown of Biddeford, a community that I love dearly and where I have long sought to offer my time and energy.

I offer my sincere congratulations to my opponent, Doris Ortiz. I am proud of the way we both conducted ourselves and ran our campaigns with mutual respect.

But I didn’t see much in the way of respect when it came to the coverage of that important election by one so-called newspaper.

My political life started a long time ago, when I was just 16 years old and volunteered to serve as a ward clerk.

Times were much different back then. Although I was too young to handle the ballots – I did what I have always done since — I helped in any way I could.

As soon as I turned 18, I ran in my first political campaign — as an ‘election warden’ in Ward Six and those ballots were cast in the cafeteria of the former St. Mary’s School.

That was the start of my career In Biddeford politics, and I have seen a lot of changes since then.

Over the years, I have served on the school committee and several terms on the Biddeford City Council.

In addition to elected office, I have enjoyed serving my community on several boards and commissions, including my current service on the Biddeford Planning Board and decades of service on the city’s Economic Improvement Commission.

I was even honored to receive the city’s Volunteer of the Year award. I take pride in what I have done for this city, and I regret nothing.

But not all of the changes in our community have been positive.

Shortly after last week’s election results were announced, I received numerous phone calls about something that was published on the Biddeford Buzz website.

Frankly, I was taken aback about the way in which the county commissioner race was reported.

Many people told me they could not believe that someone would stoop so low as putting an X across my photo, especially when considering my many years of faithful service to this city.

I was never even asked for a comment or contacted for a story that seemed to delight in sensationalizing my loss.

I know this same tactic was previously used in a different election and another candidate, and I find that kind of reporting (if you want to call it that) to be grossly inconsiderate to those who step forward to serve our community.

I want to see more people step forward and seek public office, but who could blame anyone for reluctance if this is what passes for journalism. That type of reporting, I believe, is shameful and a stain upon our great city.

Roch Angers, Biddeford

NOTE: Roch Anger delivered these remarks before the Biddeford City Council on Tuesday, June 16. He then asked us to publish his comments as a letter to the editor.

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