UNE pier opponents ramp up their efforts

September 16, 2025September 16, 2025 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 5 Comments

Even as the University of New England begins construction of its controversial research pier, opponents of the project are ramping up their own efforts and raising new concerns about how the City of Biddeford handled its review of the project.

A group of Biddeford residents are now circulating a petition to require the mayor and city council members to host a citizens’ grievance meeting.

*This aerial photo from UNE shows where the university is planning to construct its new research pier*

According to the city’s charter, any Biddeford resident can force the council to publicly hear their concerns during a meeting in which only the citizens are allowed to speak if they can collect at least 100 signatures from registered voters.

Carole Alexander is one of the key organizers of the proposed Citizen Grievance meeting.

Alexander is the wife of the late Marshall Alexander who served as the city’s harbor master for 37 years. She says her husband proposed an alternate location for UNE’s pier more than 10 years ago.

“I’m angry,” Alexander said. “The city has bungled the entire process and the truth has been distorted. First, they removed our harbormaster, and now they are going after a planning board member who raised concerns. It’s time for citizens to stand up.”

Alexander says she is more than confident that her group can collect more than 100 signatures in order to force the meeting.

Meanwhile, questions are now being raised about the law firm that the city hired to represent the Zoning Board of Appeals and some potential conflict of interest issues.

Following the Planning Board’s approval of the university’s pier project, John Schafer – one of the project’s most vocal opponents — filed an appeal of that decision with the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

Schafer said that he and several other residents are appealing the planning board’s decision because it hinges largely on one central point: whether the university’s plan required the expressed approval of a harbor master.

“All I can hope for is that the zoning board will send this item back to the planning board,” Schafer said. “The planning board got bad information about whether a harbormaster approved the project.”

During the planning board’s review of the proposed pier, City Attorney Harry Center repeatedly told the board that the project had been approved by a harbormaster.

This audio clip of a discussion between Planning Board Chair Alexa Plotkin and Center during one of the Planning Board’s meetings shows that the role and definition of the harbormaster was a central issue of the board’s review.

But Schafer and others point to the city’s own ordinances and say the private engineer who was hired to replace the city’s harbormaster does not meet the definition of a harbormaster from both city and state regulations.

According to city ordinances, a harbormaster must meet specific requirements to hold that title, including being a “city resident for no less than five years; must have five years of marine experience and must attend annual Maine Harbormasters Association training.”

Center, however, argues that the engineer hired by the city only needs to “facilitate” the review process and ensure that other local, state and federal agencies have approved the project.

But opponents say the city’s ordinances are crystal clear in what defines a ‘harbormaster’ and what his or her responsibilities are.

Section 74-35 of Biddeford’s ordinances reads: “Permission for the construction of any new wharf or pier within the jurisdictional limits of the city shall not be granted without approval of the Harbormaster, along with federal, state and local governing authorities.”

“The planning board never heard from an actual harbormaster,” Schafer said. “That’s a big oversight that needs to be addressed.”

More conflicts of interest?

Earlier this month, the city hired Archipelago Law, a small Portland-based law firm to represent the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Former city councilor Kyle Noble says that particular firm has several conflicts of interest issues because four of the firm’s 12 employees graduated from the University of New England’s Marine Sciences program.

Keith Richard, the attorney who will be representing the Zoning Board, refused to comment for this story.

Mayor Marty Grohman declined to comment on the matter because it is a pending legal issue for the city.

Council President Liam LaFountain also said he could not comment directly on the story, but did indicate that he is hoping to learn more about the firm and why they were chosen.

In an email response to Schafer, City Manager Truc Dever wrote: “While I cannot speak to your assertions regarding potential conflicts of interest, I will be looking into this in advance of the appeals hearing to ensure there is, in fact, no conflict.”

Next steps?

A UNE spokesperson said the university is currently searching for a contractor and has initiated a bid process for the project.

Sarah Delage, Associate Vice President of Communications, said an actual construction schedule has not yet been established and that the university will need a building permit from the city’s code enforcement officer.

“The total work can be done in six to eight months,” Delage said, pointing out that both the land portion of the project and the water portion can be done in phases, as opposed to concurrently.

Delage said the university has not reached out to mooring owners who may be impacted by the project, saying that responsibility rests with city officials.

Delage also said the university will periodically update construction information on the school’s website.

The Zoning Board of Appeals hearing has been set for October 9 and residents who are now gathering signatures for a Grievance meeting with the council say they expect to have more than the required number of signatures they need within a few days.

Editor’s Note: A copy of the citizens petition may be viewed or downloaded using the link below:

General Meeting Download

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

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Biddeford scores another big land easement for public recreation

September 11, 2025September 11, 2025 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

According to a press release issued Thursday, the Maine Water Company and Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) announced a partnership that will permanently conserve more than 250 acres of forest and open space in a key watershed area of the Saco River in western Biddeford.

The signed agreement between Maine Water and MCHT has full support from the city of Biddeford, which helped facilitate the initiative. The Biddeford City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting the agreement in 2022.

The protected forest land is located on the southwest side of South Street, adjacent to Maine Water’s new Saco River Drinking Water Resource Center, which delivers drinking water to customers in Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Pine Point.

*The Maine Water Company and the Maine Coast Heritage Trust have reached an agreement to place more than 250 acres of land near the Saco River into permanent conservation. (Contributed photo)*

The 257 acres of land includes 4,000 feet along Swan Pond Brook and a large swath of forest and wetlands, including an exemplary red-maple swamp and a rare oak-hickory forest, providing vital habitat to a suite of Maine’s native species. The agreement will permanently preserve the land and prevent development, thus helping protect the high quality of the Saco River, which is a critical natural and cultural resource and the sole drinking water source for about 40,000 residents served by Maine Water.

“Our top priority is always clean, high-quality water, which is why we have such a strong drive to protect the resource,” said Mark Vannoy, president of Maine Water. “But we also want this land to be available for low-impact recreational use for the people of Biddeford and nearby towns.

“Working with the city and Maine Coast Heritage Trust has been rewarding, because the result is an environmentally responsible and visionary arrangement that will benefit southern Maine people for decades to come. MCHT is an ideal steward.”

MCHT is a nonprofit land conservation organization that protects and cares for vital lands on the coast of Maine.

“We’re focused on conserving healthy coastal ecosystems, actively responding to a changing climate, and contributing to the wellbeing of people and communities across Maine,” said Chris Schorn, MCHT’s southern Maine project manager. “Protecting a large forest block in this relatively developed part of the state is critical for helping our diverse plants and animals adapt to change, and we’re excited to offer residents of Biddeford and visitors to the city a new opportunity to find connection and wonder in this special landscape.”

Kate Stookey, president and CEO of MCHT, emphasized the value of collaborations like this in the work of protecting and caring for lands and waters in Maine. “We’re honored that the City of Biddeford and Maine Water have put their trust in us. This is a significant piece of land, just miles from downtown, that will be forever protected from development and available for the enjoyment of those seeking time outside in nature,” Stookey said.

*An aerial view that shows the land that the Maine Water Company has placed into a permanent conservation easement*

MCHT is fundraising to support the long-term care of this land, with goals to improve accessibility and recreational opportunities while remaining mindful of the land’s ecological significance. In the coming months and years, Southern Maine Regional Stewardship Manager Andrew Deci will work with community members, staff, and volunteers to develop an ecologically sensitive trail network.

“For the city, fresh off doubling the size of Clifford Park, this is fantastic news,” said Biddeford’s Mayor Marty Grohman. “It will provide more outdoor recreational access and is sure to be welcomed by residents and visitors. We applaud Maine Water for their dedication to conservation. This is a great example of corporate leadership dedicated to a common goal of preserving open spaces and finding more opportunities for time in nature.”

“We applaud Maine Water
for their dedication to conservation.”
— Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman

Vannoy said a historic infrastructure investment helped move the resource protection and conservation measure forward. The preservation initiative is directly tied to building the company’s new $60 million Drinking Water Resource Center, the design and construction of which included many environmental safeguard and sustainability measures.

The Resource Center, a long-term infrastructure investment, began producing water in June of 2022 and replaced a facility that was 138 years old. The old building also sat exposed in the flood plain of the Saco River and had been flooded at least three times in the last century.

“The quality of the water from the river is extremely high and we want to keep it that way,” said Vannoy. “In charting a smart course of reliable water service for the next 150 years and building the new drinking water resource center, we put environmental stewardship at the top our list.”

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Meet the new boss; Truc Dever takes the helm at City Hall

September 8, 2025February 4, 2026 ~ Jim Krause ~ 3 Comments

By JIM KRAUSE, Contributing Writer

Truc Dever – Biddeford’s new city manager – took over the helm at City Hall just a few weeks ago. She sat down with us for a one-on-one interview and happily answered a wide range of questions about her background, hobbies and management style.

Before taking on her new job in Biddeford, Dever served as the public works director in Kirkland, Washinton, a Seattle suburb.

We hear that you are a self-proclaimed Connect Four champion.

(Laughs) Yes! I love social time with good friends and backyard parties; and sometimes you bring out the board games.”

*Biddeford’s new city manager, Truc Dever (Krause photo)*

My mother was a schoolteacher, and I remember one of her first-grade kids with a similar name and it made me curious, are you familiar with any of the origins or meanings of your name at all?

“So Truc is short for Truc Mai, and Truc is a type of bamboo while Mai is a type of flower [apricot blossom] which normally appears around the Lunar New Year. Bamboo symbolizes strength while Mai adds a little more of a delicate touch to it. Though I have also gone by a few nicknames like 4×4, Mack truck and all sorts of things.”

You made the move here with your husband and your dogs. Are they acclimating to the East Coast?

“I think so. My husband and I moved here with our two French Bulldogs. And I can say that we adopted them before they became known as America’s favorite breed, long before Lady Gaga’s dogs were dognapped at gunpoint, before they got really popular so I can say I fell in love with the breed before it became super popular. They’re old boys, but they still think they are puppies (Laughs).

Hobbies or vices?

“I am an outdoors person, I love paddling on the water, kayaking, I’m a huge hiker. My husband and I did a lot of backpacking as well, off-roading with the Jeep, just all the outdoors stuff. We do also like the arts and music. I would say we are pretty well rounded in our interests.

If New England is playing the Seahawks in the Superbowl, which jersey are you wearing?

“Seahawks! (pounds on her desk) I know it’s not gonna fly here, I met with all of the firefighters, I get it, but Seahawks all the way!”

What is it about Biddeford that brought you here?

“My husband and I have been very fortunate. We have travelled all over the country as well as around the world. When we came out here to Maine years ago, we just fell in love with it. We both love the outdoors, the history, the people and the nature in Maine so when we decided some years ago to buy a place to vacation, we chose a camp in central Maine.

“We knew that we wanted to retire out here and with my husband working remotely when this job opportunity came up, we decided to jump at it. We have our camp up north, but we also just purchased a home here in Biddeford, we are invested in this community.

Your work experience includes job in the media. Was that your original plan in life or was it a basis for what you were eventually aiming for?

“When you’re in your youth, and you are pursuing the job options out there, you sometimes find opportunities that come along and change your path. I worked as a news reporter, a news producer, a news editor on an assignment desk and had the good fortune to work with some really amazing and talented people covering some hard-hitting news.

“I worked in San Diego and Los Angeles, and it gave me some exceptional experience on the communications side of things. At some point, I realized how different and challenging the lifestyle is. You work long hours, holidays and weekends and it’s a tough schedule.

“At some point, I decided to make the pivot to the public sector. I started off working as a public information officer, then moved to director of communications for a large public agency.

“I realized I enjoyed working for the community, working for a bigger cause and so I pursued my master’s degree in Public Administration and work in executive management.”

Kirkland’s population is about four times larger than Biddeford. Kirkland’s budget is about $1.1 billion biennial compared to Biddeford’s roughly $100 million (municipal and school). The two cities are quite different, with Kirkland being considerably more modern and populated. What is it about Biddeford that brought you here?

“You know, I wouldn’t say it was so different. I think the principles and values of those that live and work in Biddeford are not so dissimilar from Kirkland. We are experiencing the same challenges here.

“Kirkland was a smaller community with waterfronts and open areas that just exploded in growth. It became more attractive to industry and tech sector companies. With that comes people, and the need for housing. The city staff were trying to deal with the growth with limited resources and trying to look at infrastructure and the challenges that come along with it.

“Here in Biddeford. we are faced with the same things, a growing city with limited resources and expanding issues requiring study and action. In the end, I feel that there is a lot I can bring to Biddeford with my experience dealing with the growth, the unhoused community, and with the infrastructure.”

When your predecessor left the office, many residents felt as if the city went backwards from where it started under his management. There are still many questions about his 10-year tenure, and those questions are probably going to linger for a while.

What do you feel you bring to the office that will assure Biddeford residents that the city is back on an even keel?

When I interviewed for the position and I spoke to council, obviously I didn’t know all the history, I just knew what I could bring to the table. I feel that council chose me for this position because of what I bring to the table.

“I operate with transparency, honesty, integrity, compassion; these are principles that I live by. This is what the city needs and what the staff need. I learned a long time ago from my mentors that what I should lead by is to make sure that I am serving this community and do what is in the best interest of this community, the people I serve, and the people I work with.

“It’s not about individual needs or individual power or authority or whatever else. As a public servant, I am here to do what is in the best interest of this community and here to serve the council that is elected by the community members.

“Today we are trying to move past what has happened and we don’t want to make the same mistakes. We are looking at recruitment and retention, figuring out why do people stay, why do they want to come work here.

“I operate with transparency, honesty,
integrity, and compassion;
these are principles that I live by”
— Truc Dever

Biddeford is facing several controversial issues, and public confidence is low. We are seeing high employee turnover, overdue audits and questions regarding several development projects.

“My job right now is to figure out the lay of the land. We have a governing body in council. They have deliberated, made decisions and made policy. My job is to carry out and operationalize those policy decisions.

“If there are things that are within my purview in terms of contracts, these are the things that I am very quickly trying to come up to speed on. My job isn’t to push back on our governing body, I’m here to support them. The comprehensive plan has just been posted on the city’s website, and I would encourage everybody to look at it.

There are also two very important bonds that will be on the ballot in November. First is the combined sewer overflow project and second is the recreation bond. These are important issues and it is important for the community to make their decisions on them. It’s our job as government to “information share” and get the word out there.”

Homelessness is a growing problem throughout the country, and in Biddeford we see it on almost every major street and in every public space. Is Biddeford dropping the ball somewhere, and are we losing both residential and commercial opportunities because of it?

“What I am learning as I am delving deep into this with staff is there is a lot of effort happening, and most residents aren’t going to see all the internal workings of it.

“We have a very active General Assistance program, and we have two coordinators out of the police department that work with people with substance abuse and with people with behavioral health issues. There is a program we are working on internally that we will be rolling out in the coming months to assist from an interdepartmental and interagency approach.

“We need to look at solutions instead of pushing people across the river or across the train tracks. It’s going to be an effort that requires intense cooperation and to solve the problem we have to put resources behind it. And yes, that might mean some property tax dollars would have to go towards it. We look at every grant possible out there, partnerships with non-profits and churches, and whatever we can do.”

Winter is coming, which will bring the dreaded parking bans in Biddeford. What can the city and residents do to make it easier and less stressful overall?

“When the community was developed for the mills, it wasn’t a “master plan community” and that leaves us with very narrow roads, especially in the downtown area. We need these bans during snow events for the safety of our public works staff.

“This is an old city and parking is an issue. There isn’t even enough parking here at City Hall for our own staff. There just isn’t enough parking in general in the area and it’s something that we have to tackle.

“I believe in solutions over problems, so bring some ideas. What can we do to make the garage more accessible during inclement weather? I don’t have the answer now, but we have to come up with solutions.”

__________

Jim Krause is a freelance writer and Biddeford resident.

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Mayor refuses to give up on plan to oust Angers

September 5, 2025February 10, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 2 Comments

Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman seems ready to take another bite at the apple when it comes to ousting Roch Angers from the planning board, despite broad public opposition.

On Tuesday, Grohman presented the council with his recommendation to remove Angers from the Biddeford Planning Board. Only councilor William Emhiser was willing to take up the matter, but his motion failed to get a second from another member of the council.

While most people considered the issue dead on arrival, Grohman says he is still exploring ways to remove Angers from the board.

On August 5, Angers, a member of the planning board, brought his own personal concerns to the council regarding how the city was handling the University of New England’s proposal to construct a large pier near its Biddeford campus.

RELATED: Planning board member blasts city council

When contacted by the Gazette on Friday, Grohman remained steadfast in his effort to remove Angers.

“I don’t think it is something that can be ignored,” Grohman said. “We can’t have people doing whatever they want on boards and commissions, there are rules that need to be followed.”

Grohman says the complaint, which was lodged by Alexa Plotkin, chair of the planning board, should be heard before the council.

Several councilors we spoke to say they do not understand why or how the mayor intends to move forward.

When asked that question, Grohman acknowledged that he does not have an approach or plan worked out. “I’m not sure, I’m not going to do it. I think it has to come from the council chair or someone else.”

Emhiser was unavailable for comment as of press time. He was the only councilor willing to bring the mayor’s proposal forward. Emhiser represents the city’s coastal area including the University of New England’s campus. He is not seeking reelection.

Other members of the council say that they are somewhat baffled as to why Grohman is pursuing something that has so little support.

Councilor Marc Lessard said the mayor has the prerogative to pursue the item, but he also said “It’s really weird. It’s got me scratching my head.”

It’s really weird.
It’s got me scratching
my head.
— Councilor Marc Lessard

Council President Liam LaFountain said “It’s perplexing, but it’s the mayor’s prerogative.”

Councilor Norman Belanger echoed what Lessard and LaFountain said.

“I don’t get it,” he said. “Under Robert’s Rules of Order, it can be brought back up, but I don’t see this as proceeding forward.”

When contacted by the Gazette, Angers said he also does not understand the mayor’s dogged approach to remove him from the planning board.

“I have no clue why he is continuing to go after me. I see it as Marty just being Marty,” Angers said.

Angers added that he has no plans to step down from the planning board but did say that his relationship with Board Chair Alexa Plotkin feels strained and awkward.

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

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Angers will not go quietly into the night

August 30, 2025February 10, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

The Biddeford City Council is expected to vote Tuesday about Mayor Marty Grohman’s request to remove a member of the city’s planning board.

And now, another member of the planning board is rising to the defense of his colleague, saying a removal is not necessary and that a written reprimand would be more appropriate.

Grohman issued a public statement last week, announcing that he will be asking the council to oust Roch Angers – a longtime board member and former city councilor – from the planning board.

*Roch Angers addresses the Biddeford City Council on August 5*

Grohman says Angers acted inappropriately during the August 5 city council meeting.

At that August 5 meeting, Angers approached the podium and said he was speaking to the council as a citizen, not in his official capacity as a member of the planning board.

During his remarks, Angers raised several questions about the process connected to the municipal review of the pier project being proposed by the University of New England. Specifically, Angers said that he was disturbed about the city’s move to remove harbormaster Paul Lariviere from the review process.

While Grohman says that all planning board members sign a statement agreeing to be impartial and follow the board’s code of ethics, Angers said that his motivation for speaking out is rooted in the fact that people should know what is happening in the city with regards to the project.

Grohman says he has “tremendous respect” for Angers and his many years of service to the city.

“This was not an easy thing for me to do,” Grohman said. “But it is my responsibility to make sure that every applicant is treated fairly and consistently by the city’s review agencies, including the planning board.”

Angers said he was not especially surprised by the mayor’s move to oust him.

“I have always given my best effort to the city of Biddeford,” Angers said. “I also have a responsibility to make sure that the city is well represented on every application that comes before the board.”

According to the planning board’s rules of procedure and code of ethics,

“appointment to the Planning Board…represents a public trust”

The code of ethics also reminds members of the importance of seeking as much information as possible. The code of ethics states, that “members have the responsibility to insist that they are provided…information of sufficient scope and depth to allow them to fully understand the issues before the Board and the alternative actions available to the Board.”

Also, the protocol spells out what a member should do if they do not fully understand the issues immediately before the board. The board member has the responsibility to ask questions and to acquire the necessary understanding.

“I did what I did because I was speaking for the people of Biddeford,” Angers said. “There have been too many questionable things, and I have a reputation for calling it like I see it.”

Grohman said the decision was a hard one for him to make. He also acknowledged that the timing of his decision is less than ideal, given that citywide elections will be taking place in less than 90 days.

“I realize this is very bad for me politically, but I have got to do what is right, rules are rules,” Grohman said.

When contacted by the Gazette, planning board chair Alexa Plotkin said she was the one who filed the complaint against Angers.

“A joint request was made by myself and the vice chair of the planning board (Larry Patoine) to Mayor Grohman to begin the process of removing Mr. Angers from the board due to his actions at the August 5th, 2025 city council meeting,” Plotkin said.

However, when contacted by the Gazette on Friday, Larry Patoine — vice chair of the planning board— said he is reconsidering his position.

“I now think we are being a bit too harsh,” Patoine said. “I would be more supportive of issuing a written reprimand.”

Angers says he will personally attend Tuesday’s council meeting to defend his position as a member of the planning board.

“I am not going to walk away with my tail between my legs,” Angers said. “I have no regrets.”

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

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City alleges misconduct by former manager

August 25, 2025August 25, 2025 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

Did Jim Bennett manipulate the tax obligations on his own home?

According to court documents obtained by the Biddeford Gazette, former Biddeford city manager James Bennett allegedly used his position to lower the tax assessment for his personal property.

Earlier this year, after being removed from his office in February, Bennett filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Biddeford, claiming that he was still owed salary and benefits from the city.

According to the city’s counterclaim to Bennett’s lawsuit, the former city manager behaved in an unethical manner and acted inappropriately by allegedly using his position for personal gain.

Specifically, the city alleges that Bennett interviewed former assistant assessor Nicholas Desjardins for the position of assessor on June 29, 2018.

Three days later, on July 2, 2018, the city alleges that Bennett drove Desjardins to Bennett’s private property located at 9 Sky Oaks Drive “for the purpose of reviewing” the property.

The city also alleges that Bennett promoted Desjardins from assistant assessor to the position of assessor on the next day, July 3, 2018.

Then, one week later, the city says that Bennett received a reduction in his property tax assessment.

The city has hired an outside attorney who is expected to testify that Bennett’s conduct — of driving an applicant for the city tax assessor position to his own home; in his own personal vehicle and then asking Desjardins to conduct a tax abatement — is behavior that constitutes cause for termination.

Bennett adamantly denies the city’s claims.

Bennett says that he and his wife received a “justified abatement” on their home that was authorized by former city assessor Frank Yattaw in 2018.

Furthermore, Bennett says that Desjardins did not make the “final” decision on the abatement. According to Bennett, Desjardins was recommended to become the next assessor for the cities of Biddeford and Saco by an independent committee consisting of three officials from each community.

That committee, Bennett says, was chaired by former Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant.

Bennett says he simply forwarded Desjardins’ name as his nomination to the Biddeford City Council.

“All of this is known by the leadership of the city,” Bennett said. “They have elected to ignore the facts to avoid the city’s contractual obligations to me.”

“I look forward to the resolution of the legal process that will confirm these facts,” Bennett wrote in an email response to the Gazette.

Bennett says his lawsuit against the city will provide “an independent validation” of his integrity and will ‘begin to restore the damage” to his character and reputation.

“It is most unfortunate that the leadership of the city, with support of some members of the [Biddeford] City Council have chosen a path that has and will cost the taxpayers additional money,” Bennett added.

According to the city assessment database, Bennett’s home was built in 1950, has 3,360 square-feet of living area and is situated on a 2.25-acre land parcel. Bennett purchased the home in 2015 for $322,500. As of 2024, the home was assessed at $497,900.

Bennett was hired by the city in June 2015. Facing mounting public criticism, Bennett announced in October 2024 that he would be resigning his office in April 2025, roughly one year before his latest contract was set to expire.

The city removed Bennett from office and placed him on administrative leave on February 20, 2025, roughly two months before Bennett’s planned retirement date.

When contacted by the Gazette, Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman issued a statement saying that “the city will not comment on any pending litigation.”

Bennett was the city’s fourth professional city manager. Over the course of his 40-year career, Bennett has served as the manager in the cities of Lewiston and Westbook, and in the towns of Dixfield, Old Orchard Beach and Presque Isle.

Truc Dever was hired by the city to replace Bennett. She began her new position on August 11.

Bennett’s lawsuit against the city is now making its way through the docket in York County Superior Court.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

____________

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

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A new bridge between Biddeford and Saco?

August 18, 2025August 17, 2025 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

It is a community project that has been in the “conceptual phase” for nearly two decades, but now the conversation about a new ‘multimodal’ bridge connecting the cities of Biddeford and Saco is once again bubbling to the surface.

On Tuesday, the Biddeford City Council will hear a proposal about the multimodal bridge that would connect Saco Island to the planned Pearl Point Park in Biddeford.

Representatives from the city of Saco and the Maine Department of Transportation will update the council about the project, a plan that will likely cost millions of dollars and require federal funding to complete.

*The concept for a new bridge* (City of Saco)

“It is an exciting concept,” said Biddeford City Council President Liam LaFountain. “But obviously, this is something that the two cities cannot take on alone. We would new federal and state funding.”

Although there is already a pedestrian bridge connecting the two cities closer to the Saco River falls, the new bridge is designed to be more user friendly

Creating a link between Saco and Biddeford is a long-term goal that has been identified in Saco’s comprehensive plans since 2011.

The new bridge is designed to improve walkability; promote equitable access to public transit and help alleviate traffic congestion by creating a shift away from personal vehicle use.

Proponents of the project also say the new bridge will encourage further economic development near the downtown core shared by both cities.

“It really is a very interesting project,” said Saco Mayor Jodi MacPhail. “We’ve been talking about this for a long time. It’s nice to see some forward momentum.”

MacPhail said the project has been an ongoing topic of conversation between the two cities during past joint workshop meetings.

She said conversation about the bridge “sort of fizzled” because former Biddeford City Manager James Bennett did not view the project as a priority.

Joint meetings between the two communities slowed for a period of time until both MacPhail and Biddeford’s Marty Grohman were elected as their respective city’s mayor in 2023.

“We’ve been talking about this
for a long time. It’s nice
to see some forward momentum.”
–Saco Mayor Jodi MacPhail

Today, both Grohman and MacPhail say the cities have an “excellent working relationship.”

The project is expected to cost roughly $5.5 million to construct. If the two cities decide to move forward and apply for federal funding, the project could start construction as soon as 2028.

“I think we can get back on track, and continue looking at things we can do together,” MacPhail said. “When you step back and look at it, we really are joined at the hip and one community.”

Disclosure: Saco Mayor Jodi MacPhail is the step-sister of Biddeford Gazette editor Randy Seaver.

_______________

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

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Turning addiction into something positive

August 17, 2025 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 2 Comments

Ryan Paige grew up in Biddeford, and he has now taken the worst part of his life and turned it into a resource that has helped hundreds of people achieve sobriety all across Maine.

Paige, 43, has been sober and drug-free since 2019. Flash forward six years, and he is now running a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to helping others achieve sobriety.

“I would not be able to do this if I hadn’t gone through all the pain and my own poor decision making,” he said. “My own past, including incarcerations and all sorts of other stuff, has allowed me to build a reserve of empathy for others who are struggling.”

As part of his own recovery process, Paige started an informal support network to help those who want to pursue recovery.

*Ryan Paige talks about the recovery network that he built from the ground up (Seaver photo)*

At first, it was just him and his cell phone, interacting with people he met on the street. People he knew. People his friends knew.

Over time, the calls increased . . . dramatically.

“It was just word of mouth,” he said during a recent interview. “I was just staying busy, focusing on helping others, which is a big part of the recovery process.”

Before he knew it, Paige was helping people by driving them to recovery facilities between Kittery and Caribou.

“In the beginning, I was getting maybe 20 calls a month from people seeking help in their own recovery journey,” he said. “Before too long, that turned into a hundred calls a month.”

Today, Paige’s non-profit organization fields between 800 and 1,000 calls per month.

The AccessDirect Recovery Network partners with several other non-profit service providers across the state, including Opportunity Alliance, Spurwink and the Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Resource Center. Paige said.

“Our phones are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.

“I would not be able to do this
if I hadn’t gone through
all the pain and my own
poor decision making,”
— Ryan Paige

Paige said he would not be able to do what he is now doing without the help of his wife, Cynthia.

“She’s the business part of it,” he explained. “She does all the office stuff and so much more.”

Ryan and Cynthia were able to transform AccessDirect into a stand-alone non-profit organization. From there, Cynthia was able to apply for grant money to help keep the network running.

“I was doing everything out of my own pocket,” Ryan explained.” The expenses can add up quickly.”

Just two months ago, AccessDirect was able to secure a $500,000 grant from the Maine Recovery Council, the agency that was charged with dispersing Maine’s share of the federal opiate settlement funds provided by several pharmaceutical companies.

Ryan and Cynthia are using that money to add staff for their inbound call center, which is based in Biddeford. They are now also able to reimburse mileage expenses for their volunteer drivers.

AccessDirect has worked closely with the Biddeford Police Department and the city of Biddeford.

Paige says he has been asked to help train police officers about dealing with addicts and those struggling to achieve sobriety.

He also credits former Mayor Alan Casavant and current Mayor Marty Grohman for helping his organization grow and provide services.

In fact, Paige says City Council President Liam LaFountain was proactive in reaching out to learn how the city could support the recovery network.

Paige feels a strong connection to his hometown of Biddeford, which is why his organization is headquartered in the city.

“This is where I grew up,” he said. “These are the same streets where I was using.”

“None of this would be possible if I hadn’t lived through the darkest time of my life,” Paige said. “I was sick, desperate and hopeless. Today, I can leverage that part of my life to help others who are struggling.

“That’s the whole point,” he said.

To learn more about AccessDirect, please visit their website at accessdirectrecovery.org

_________________

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

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Biddeford charity will finally get compensated by a national company

August 16, 2025August 16, 2025 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

After almost two years of frustration, mixed signals and delays, it appears that a local charity will finally receive the roughly $35,000 that they raised to help develop a playground in Biddeford’s downtown area.

Roxi Suger, a well-known business owner in Biddeford, is also known as the driving force behind the annual Biddeford Ball, a gala event that raises funds to benefit the community.

In addition to ticket sales, the annual event also attracts corporate sponsors. All proceeds are then donated to the community via the Heart of Biddeford, a non-profit organization.

But Suger said something went wrong two years ago, following the fourth annual Biddeford Ball in 2023.

“It’s been a nightmare,” she said, pointing to the national company that handles online ticket sales for the event.

Suger says she has always used Brown Paper Tickets, a Seattle-based firm, to handle online sales and reservations for the Biddeford Ball.

According to Suger, the company has been withholding payment of more than $35,000 since April 2023.

“There were never any problems until then,” she said. “I was shocked because we used the same company before with no problems.”

Suger described her efforts to recoup those funds as an “exhausting ordeal” that has involved dozens of unanswered calls and emails.

Delilah Poupore, the Heart of Biddeford’s executive director, said she even tried contacting the Maine Attorney General’s office to no avail.

“It just felt like we were going round and round and chasing our tails,” Poupore said.

Brown Paper Tickets was acquired by Events.com nearly three years ago.

Events.com, based in La Jolla, Calif., operates all over the globe. According to their website they have provided services for “millions of events.”

“It just felt like we were
going round and round
and chasing our tails,”
— Delilah Poupore

Though both Suger and Poupore said they have been ignored by the company, the company responded almost immediately when contacted by the Biddeford Gazette.

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention,” read an email from an unnamed media spokesperson. “We have located this account and it is part of the final set of groups slated for payments as part of the last phase of the Events.com acquisition.

“We expect the payment issuance to be initiated no later than Friday of next week, August 22.

“We understand the acquisition of Brown Paper Tickets by Events.com took time. We apologize for the delay and sincerely hope the funds can still be used for their initial intent.

“We appreciate your patience and understanding throughout this process.”

When contacted about the company’s response to the Gazette, Poupore said the news brought tears to her eyes.

“That is amazing news for Biddeford,” she said.

For her part, Roxi Suger said she is grateful that this process will likely come to a close. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she said.

________________

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

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Get on the bus! Check out ‘Childish Things’

August 15, 2025February 10, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

Why run from your problems, when you can drive?

Although they are not yet as famous as the Coen brothers, Cash and Nick Cassidy are already making quite a splash in the world of independent (indie) filmmaking.

Their latest film – Childish Things – will kick off this year’s Vacationland Film Festival at City Theater in Biddeford on Thursday, August 21.

The movie’s tagline – ‘Why run from your problems, when you can drive?’ —encapsulates the 95-minute film’s premise, preparing the viewer for what could be described as a gritty docudrama.

In his publicly released director’s commentary, Nick Cassidy explains the film’s essence.

“I like to call Childish Things a “coming-of-more-age” story because, let’s face it, movie characters tend to come of age before graduating high school, but for many people, me included, it took a bit longer,” the elder Cassidy said.

The film is about a 30-year-old musician who is facing pressure from his girlfriend to get engaged. Thus, he embarks on a cross-country road trip to sell his beloved tour bus.

During that jaunt across America – from Portland, Maine to Los Angeles, Calif., –the main character is forced to question whether he really wants to marry his girlfriend, especially after he meets a free-spirited woman near Nashville.

We caught up with the Cassidy brothers this week to ask them about their film, the vitality of the indie-film world and how technology, including AI, has impacted movie making.

Cash Cassidy, 22, is the film’s producer. In addition to editing the film, he was also in charge of the lighting, sound and location management.

Nick Cassidy, 32, is the film’s director and also portrayed one of the lead characters in the movie.

“We basically figured most of it out as we moved through it,” Cash explains. “We had a friend with a small bus. He was already planning a road trip across country, so we jumped on that opportunity.”

Today, even independent films not produced by major studios can still cost millions of dollars to produce.

While Cash and Nick did not have access to that kind of money, they relied on resources they already had available to them, such as free software that is available on the internet.

*Cash and Nick Cassidy say new technology empowers people to produce quality independent films. (Seaver photo)*

To say their budget was bare bones is an understatement.

“I was able to tap in to some of my college funds because I described the project as an independent study endeavor,” Cash said. “I already had a camera, and was able to borrow some other equipment.”

In order to take advantage of their friend’s planned trip across the United States, the brothers found themselves on a tight timeline that only allowed three months for planning and pre-production.

The Cassidy brothers did a lot of improvising to make the film possible.

In fact, some of their primary casting was done via Instagram, where they met Guinevere Berthelot of Nashville.

In her video audition for the role, Berthelot placed her laptop on the floor and then roller-skated from across to the room to participate in an online Zoom audition.

“We felt the connection immediately,” Nick Cassidy said. “We knew she was perfect – exactly what we were hoping for.”

The brothers say they were both surprised that Berthelot agreed to join them on a road trip across the country simply after an online Instagram meeting.”

Nick said the film’s vibe required all the actors to be in character throughout the filming even when cameras were not rolling.

“We were looking for authenticity,” he explained. “Some of the scenes are pretty emotional and we wanted the viewers to be fully engaged, wondering whether what they are watching is a true story or a made-up adventure.”

Cash, who began making movies when he was eight years old, described Childish Things as “guerilla filmmaking.”

“We wanted the viewers to be
fully engaged, wondering whether
what they are watching is
a true story or a made-up adventure.”
— Nick Cassidy

“We wanted all the elements and the true sense of an indie film,” he said. “We weren’t looking for polish. We were looking for a raw connection that would fully engage our audience.”

Principle shooting of the film’s scenes took two weeks of filming: two days of footage in South Portland, 10 days of shooting across the country and then two more days of shooting in Los Angeles.

In all, the brothers accumulated roughly 25 hours-worth of footage, which Cash edited into a 95-minute movie.

“Today, thanks to technology, just about anyone can make a movie,” Nick explained. “You no longer need a big budget to make a feature film. Audiences are craving things that are not glossy.”

Asked about the impact of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the movie industry, both Nick and Cash said the only thing that really matters is “having the ability to tell a really good story.”

For more information about the upcoming Vacationland Film Festival, please visit vacationlandfilmfestival.com

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

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Dupuis Hardware: A local staple trying to survive

August 14, 2025February 10, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

One of Biddeford’s most beloved local businesses is also located in the epicenter of the so-called ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’, the six-month-long sewer upgrade project that has significantly interrupted traffic flow on Elm Street.

Dupuis Hardware is an old-fashioned hardware store, where knowledgeable employees can help you figure out what parts you need to repair a toilet or help you select the perfect grass seed for your lawn.

In an age of big-box stores, Dupuis Hardware remains as a community staple, and their customers are willing to put up with traffic in order to purchase a garden hose or get a new house key made.

*Stewart Dupuis stands ready to help you with your next project (Seaver photo)*

“I think people really appreciate our friendly service,” said manager Stewart Dupuis. “We’re able to offer personalized service and can really focus on each customer’s particular needs.”

Dupuis Hardware has been in business since 1957, and they have a loyal and dedicated customer base.

But they have also been hit very hard by the ongoing construction project taking place just outside their front door.

Dupuis said the family-owned business had to let go of two employees because of plunging sales likely connected to the massive construction project.

“It’s certainly been challenging, that’s for sure,” Dupuis said. “We just have to keep pushing forward. You do what you gotta do to survive.”

Dupuis says his store is best known for its expert locksmith department that provides resources for people with missing keys or malfunctioning electronic key fobs and many other services.

“We just have to keep pushing
forward. You do what you
gotta do to survive.”
— Stewart Dupuis

In addition to their professional locksmith services, customers can roam the store’s aisles and find everything from power tools to cleaning supplies; and from paint to gas grills.

If you have DIY project happening at home, a visit to Dupuis Hardware would be a good idea.

Dupuis Hardware is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

For more information, you visit their website at dupuishardware.com.

OPINION: Texting while driving | The epidemic we’re ignoring

August 13, 2025February 10, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

By GAIL TOUSSAINT, Gazette contributor

I see it every day. Someone behind the wheel looking at their cellphone and not the road.

Do you want to know how I spot them? They are unable to stay in their lane, veering into mine. This makes my blood pressure soar…they callously have a complete disregard for my wellbeing because sending or reading a text message was more important than my life.

Texting while driving is not just risky – it’s deadly.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) claims 3,275 people died from distracted driving in 2023.

That could be your spouse, daughter or son. It could be your sister, brother, mother, father, a best friend…your dog or cat even! Need I go on?

According to the NHTSA, when a car is driving at 55 miles per hour, a five-second glance at your phone means you have traveled the length of a football field with your eyes off the road. Think about that for a minute…a FOOTBALL field!

Texting demands all three things a driver needs most when behind the wheel: your eyes, hands and mind.

Texting is a deadly choice that far too many people make. Not only are they taking a gamble with their own life, but also the lives of their passengers, other drivers and pedestrians.

We need to see a cultural transformation shift. Parents can start with leading by example.

All too many times, I see an adult furiously texting away with children in the back seat. By doing this, you are teaching your children that texting while driving is okay.

The saying “do as I say, not as I do” doesn’t apply sadly. Parents must model phone-free driving for their kids. Put the phone down!

No text or phone call is worth increasing that statistic from 2023.

If it is that important, simply pull over. 90 percent of drivers are aware it is unsafe, yet over half admit they still do it.

Everyone knows better, but they haven’t decided to do better. How many more deaths must occur before this is taken more seriously?

_____________________

Gail Toussaint is a resident of Biddeford. The views and opinions expressed here are her own and not necessarily those of the Biddeford Gazette.

The Gazette strongly encourages reader feedback, including letters to the editor, contributed feature stories or op-ed pieces that offer perspectives different from the opinion pieces we publish. For more information, please send an email to biddefordgazette@gmail.com

OPINION | Should age matter in Biddeford elections?

August 12, 2025March 7, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

Age has – apparently — become a factor in Biddeford’s upcoming municipal election.

Today, the Biddeford Gazette published an update to its ongoing updates of potential candidates, pointing out that two more former councilors are hoping for a political comeback: Patricia Boston in Ward One and at-large candidate Clem Fleurent.

*Former city councilor Clement Fleurent*

The Gazette has been publishing these updates for several weeks. No one has questioned the age of any candidate – until today.

It should be noted that these brief updates are not stand-alone news stories, such as recent stories about both Liam LaFountain and Norm Belanger who are each hoping to replace Mayor Martin Grohman.

For the record, LaFountain – as we noted earlier – is 28. Likewise, Belanger – as we noted earlier — is 68.

Once the dust settles from all the flurry of the nomination process, our real news coverage of each and every candidate will begin.

Who raised the red flag about age?

Ironically, it was State Rep Ryan Fecteau who first asked for information (via a Facebook post) about Fleurent’s age. He did not make any inquiries about Boston’s age, nor did he reach out to provide us with the age of his partner, Dylan Doughty – another council candidate.

Fecteau – as I have previously reported – was only 16 when he stepped up to serve as a student representative on the Biddeford School Committee. A few years later, Fecteau became the youngest person to ever serve as Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.

Last year, the age of political candidates became a big deal when President Joe Biden stumbled through his first televised debate with Donald Trump.

For the record, Trump is only three years younger than Biden. Both men were in high school at the same time.

As the Biddeford Gazette recently reported, the median age in Biddeford is 36.1 years, meaning that half of the city population is 36 or younger.

Fecteau was only 19 when he decided to seek a seat on the Biddeford Charter Commission and said during a prior interview that his decision created a bit of a stir in the community.

“There were certainly a lot of skeptics who wondered about this new kid and what he was trying to prove,” Fecteau said, pointing out that the commission was chaired by one of the city’s most well-known politicians. “I was only 19, and I think some people wondered about my motivations.”

Today, I wonder a little about Fecteau’s motivations.

If we’re going to promote and celebrate diversity, well – that also includes older people and senior citizens.

I don’t think age matters. I think competence and positions matter much more.

This is Maine: Our governor is over 65. Both of our senators (King and Collins) are over 65. Congresswomen Chellie Pingree is well over 65.

Is Fecteau concerned about those candidates and their age? Maybe, but I haven’t heard anything from him about it.

In closing, Fleurent is 90. I don’t know how old Pat Boston is, but I have asked her to call me back and reveal that secret.

The election ballot will not be finalized until September. At that point, the Gazette will begin in-depth coverage of all candidates — and their age.

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

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Relief effort continues for fire victims

August 11, 2025February 10, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

According to organizers, the relief effort to help families that were displaced by last week’s fire on Brackett Street has received wide and ‘overwhelming support” from the community.

Jessica Johnson, a downtown business owner and former city council candidate, has been coordinating the effort to help provide essential items and clothing for people who “lost everything” during Wednesday’s fire.

“On the one hand, it’s heartbreaking to hear the stories of total loss, on the other hand, it is so heartwarming to see the response,” Johnson said. “This is an awesome community, and people from all over are pitching in and doing whatever they can to help.”

On Monday evening, Johnson coordinated a drop-off event at the Academy of Dance on Elm Street in Biddeford. There, volunteers spent several hours sorting through piles of donated clothing and small household furnishings.

*Mayor Marty Grohman joined volunteers for a photo during the distribution event that took place at the Academy of Dance (Contributed photo)*

“It was so amazing that Amanda and Nate Braley were willing to let us use their business space to get things organized,” Johnson said.

According to Johnson, four roommates and a family of six were living in the house that was destroyed by the fire at 10 Brackett Street.

But Johnson said a mother and her infant who were living next door were also displaced because of water, smoke and fire damage to their apartment at 12 Brackett Street.

Johnson said representatives of the American Red Cross were on the scene almost immediately and helped the family with emergency funding via donated debit cards.

Johnson says she has set up a GoFund Me account to help raise money for the displaced families. A link to that account can be found on the Biddeford Maine Facebook group, where she is an administrator.

During a brief interview Monday morning, Fire Chief Lawrence Best said he was proud of his department and impressed by the coordinated response of out-of-town firefighters who responded to the call.

“These are always tough situations.” Best said. “Our crews and those who responded from other departments did an extraordinary job and demonstrated sheer professionalism and commitment.”

According to Best, the apartment building next door suffered damage from wind-driven fire. No occupants from either building next door were injured, he said.

Two Firefighters were transported to the hospital due to heat exhaustion and were later released.

Eleven fire companies from surrounding communities responded to the scene. Four other communities, including Portland, South Portland, Waterboro and Hollis responded to Biddeford to cover other emergencies in the city.

*Crews spent hours battling the blaze at !o Brackett Street (Seaver photo)*

The State Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating the fire and no cause has yet been determined.

Johnson said any leftover funds from the relief effort’s fundraising campaign will be donated to the non-profit Pillars of Pride organization, an extension of the Biddeford Education Foundation,, which is a 501(c)(3) organization.

————————-

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

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How Maine towns are regulating development in flood zones

August 11, 2025February 10, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

By EMMETT GARTNER, The Maine Monitor

Early last spring, while still cleaning up the wreckage of devastating winter storms, southern Maine towns began drafting new rules governing how they’d rebuild or develop on stretches of land that were widely inundated months before.

The process coincided with the adoption of new federal flood maps and is required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.

After years of back-and-forth between FEMA and local officials, the agency finalized its first flood map updates for Cumberland and York counties in decades.

The maps’ finalization last summer meant local officials had to update their floodplain ordinances to FEMA standards or risk their residents losing out on federal flood insurance — often a requirement for homeowners with government-backed mortgages who live in FEMA flood zones.

While municipalities could simply adopt boilerplate language that the Maine Floodplain Management Program provides towns based on their local flood threat (i.e. coastal or riverine), towns also had the opportunity to fine-tune or strengthen their floodplain rules further.

One way to do that is by requiring heightened standards if new developments or significant renovations occur inside regulated flood zones.

Municipalities, for example, could require that the lowest floor of a new development be built higher than the one foot above flood level that FEMA recommends, giving future homes more protection from sea level rise, which FEMA flood maps don’t account for.

That’s the path that Scarborough’s town council took last year. Their updated floodplain ordinances require anyone building a new development or making repairs worth more than 50 percent of a building’s value to raise the lowest floor two feet above flood level.

Brian Longstaff, Scarborough’s zoning administrator, said that he was a little hesitant about the proposal at first when considering the challenges it could pose to homeowners who were already in compliance with the FEMA minimum.

“It was a little bit of a big bite, I thought, but in the end, it makes sense,” Longstaff told The Maine Monitor, adding that the town is conducting a vulnerability assessment and its projections for future sea level rise show local flood risks growing down the line.

“I’m looking at the vulnerability assessment, the picture of risk maps… and there are some areas of Scarborough [where] the projections are pretty scary,” Longstaff said.

Down the coast in Wells, town officials took a different approach. They kept the one-foot minimum elevation requirement in flood zones but expanded the criteria that triggers it.

Whereas Scarborough requires repairs or remodels that are worth more than 50 percent of a building’s value and completed within one year to be elevated to its two-foot minimum, Wells tracks the cumulative value of such projects — adding up project costs over a multi-year period to determine when an elevation change is required.

That’s an effective way to close a common loophole used to get around similar ordinances according to Sue Baker, coordinator of the Maine Floodplain Management Program. (The Wells code enforcement director and town planner could not be reached for comment by publication.)

“There are some people that will just piecemeal their projects so that they stagger them out over a number of years, so that they don’t ever trigger the substantial improvement rule,” Baker said. “What I think is bad about that is now you’re putting thousands and thousands of dollars into a building, but you haven’t changed the risk.”

Scarborough considered similar language during the town’s ordinance development, but ultimately town officials didn’t adopt it, according to Longstaff. As a certified floodplain manager, he said he carefully evaluates projects in flood

zones and can typically reach an understanding with the applicant about flood risks and how to mitigate them, though calculating cumulative improvements is “’a great idea to do over a reasonable period.”

The deadly floods that devastated Central Texas last month provide a stark example of what happens when flood zone development regulations are absent or unenforced. Camp Mystic, the summer camp where 27 campers and counselors died, was built in a high-risk flood zone.

In rural Texas, there are few regulatory powers afforded to county governments over flood zones and many communities exist outside of the jurisdiction of municipal ordinances, according to the Texas Tribune. In Maine, meanwhile, unorganized communities are overseen by the state Land Use Planning Commission, and county hazard mitigation initiatives are widespread.

Outside of southern Maine, Baker said the state is developing updated flood maps for multiple watersheds and pursuing new initiatives through the recently formed State Resilience Office and Office of Community Affairs.

But with the vulnerabilities exposed in last year’s storms and climate change’s intensification of sea level rise and heavy precipitation events, it only makes sense to elevate and move back from flood-ravaged areas whenever possible, according to Baker.

“I heard a good quote once upon a time,” Baker said. “‘There’s going to be retreat. The question is whether… it’s going to be managed or unmanaged.’”

__________

About The Reporter: Emmett Gartner is an environmental reporter for The Maine Monitor. Having grown up on the Chesapeake Bay, Emmett has long been interested in stories of adaptation and accountability.

He joined the Maine Monitor newsroom in 2023 as a Roy W. Howard fellow and now explores how environmental policy aligns with Mainers’ lived experiences and where climate change complicates the status quo.

Previously, he reported for a daily newspaper in Maryland and spent separate summer stints working as a trail maintenance worker in Nevada, a wildland firefighter in Oregon and an environmental educator on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Contact Emmett with questions, concerns or story ideas: mailto:emmett@themainemonitor.org

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by The Maine Monitor, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from The Monitor, sign up for a free Monitor newsletter here.

Biddo | an insult, or a term of endearment?

August 11, 2025March 7, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 3 Comments

“And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They’re quite aware of what they’re going through”

— David Bowie, Changes

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Biddeford is Maine’s youngest city, with a median age of roughly 36 years.

Take a moment and think about that.

Thirty-six is not the average age of Biddeford residents, it is the median age. Thus, half of all people living in the city are 36 and younger. Amazing!

How did this happen? How did an old mill town in Maine suddenly become such a dynamic and desirable place for young people?

According to research completed by the city’s department of economic development, this youthful energy is being largely driven by the revitalization of the city’s downtown area.

*Photo: City of Biddeford, Greg Tansley*

City officials point to “a significant influx” of young professionals and families moving here because of a “vibrant” downtown and a flourishing arts and food scene.

People are also coming to Biddeford because of its “affordable housing” options, especially in the downtown area.

Now, before you have a stroke or an aneurysm about what is (or what isn’t) “affordable” housing, take a deep breath and consider the following:

People who have lived here for a long time see their affordable housing options basically evaporate, most notably during the last decade – since the city was able to close MERC, our infamous downtown trash incinerator.

But newer residents – able to telecommute to their higher paying jobs in Boston, Portsmouth or Portland – see Biddeford as ripe for the picking. From their perspective, housing is super cheap in Biddeford, especially when compared to much of New England.

The bad news (and the good news) is that Biddeford is now hip and trendy; a desirable place to live. We are no longer “Trashtown, U.S.A.” as we were described not so long ago in a Portland Press Herald editorial.

We are not “Lewiston by the Sea” or all the other insulting names that have been slung toward our community for more than two centuries, when a wave of immigrants — searching for jobs and new opportunities — flocked to Biddeford from Quebec, Greece, Ireland and Albania.

Despite the fact that we are still a predominantly white community (91 percent), we were diverse long before diversity was a thing or so celebrated as a virtue.

Yes, the Klan tried to march here because they hate Catholics almost as much as they hate people of color.

“Biddo”: What say you?

Roughly 15 years ago, some people began using the word “Biddo” as slang to describe the city of Biddeford.

Many older residents get very riled up by that term. They see it as a put-down or at the very least as a lazy moniker for the city, much too close to the word “ghetto.”

More than a decade ago, I decided to examine this underlying current of resentment between “old” Biddeford and “new” Biddeford. You can find that story here: Biddeford: Thunderdome or Mr. Holland’s Opus?

When I was working on that piece, Roch Angers, a former city councilor, told me in no uncertain terms: “This is Biddeford, not Biddo. It has three syllables. Deal with it.”

Angers is “old school” Biddeford, like so many others who can trace their roots back to their Franco-speaking ancestors – the people who were instrumental in building this city.

As a native son, the word Biddo used to bug me too. Then again, I have a tendency to wear my heart on my sleeve.

“This is Biddeford, not Biddo.
It has three syllables.
Deal with it.”
— Roch Angers

Today, I am one of the admins on a community Facebook page, and I have to say, I see lots of examples where ‘Biddo’ can also be used as a term of an endearment, not just as an insult.

Consider this: does anyone get upset when people refer to the city of South Portland as “SoPo?” Or how about describing Kennebunkport as K’Port? Or closer to home, does anyone get frosty when the town of Old Orchard Beach is called “OOB?”

The young kids are just trying to be hip, and they are bringing their own vernacular to the larger conversation about our community.

Let’s embrace these new voices.

I cannot predict the future, but I can guarantee you one thing.

About 40 years from now, today’s young kids are going to be bemoaning the young kids of the future. They will complain about a lack of respect for your elders. It happens to every generation. Every generation.

We’re gonna be okay.

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

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NEWSLETTER: Big news, big changes

August 9, 2025August 9, 2025 ~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

Looking back over the last few days, I have to tell you, I am really looking forward to spending some relaxation time with Laura during our annual vacation on Moosehead Lake.

Spending time at Moosehead is always good for the head, heart and soul. Henry David Thoreau thought the same thing.

*Mount Kineo sits in the distance of Maine’s largest lake*

But back to Biddeford.

We’ll talk more about some big developments here at the Gazette, including our newly formed advisory board and our new media partners, but let’s start with some of our recent headlines.

LOTS OF NEWS: Click here to see my 30-second video update

Biddeford police arrested a transient who is now facing multiple charges in connection with two shootings near the Pearl Street parking garage.

Sadly, a significant fire on Brackett Street displaced two families who are now faced with the daunting task of putting their lives back together.

Biddeford’s former city manager was back in the news, asking the city to reimburse him for expenses he incurred while performing as a Shriner clown in other communities – roughly five months after he was shown the door at City Hall.

A two-year saga regarding a controversial pier proposed by the University of New England appears to be coming to an end. The planning board voted 3-2 to grant final approval of the project.

After a rather sleepy 2023 municipal election, this year’s races are really heating up, and we now have a three-way race for the mayor’s seat and several contested city council seats.

The Gazette is keeping a close eye on the city’s political landscape. You can always get the latest updates here.

There is a lot more, including reports and opinion pieces submitted to us by people like you. (Keep ‘em coming, folks!)

EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS:

I recently attended an event at the McArthur Library that was co-hosted by The Maine Monitor and Saco Bay News, both online publications.

The meeting was part of a statewide listening tour being conducted by The Maine Monitor, intended to explore how people are accessing local news and what they expect from local media outlets.

*Josh Keefe of the Maine Monitor, shares highlights of a break-out group discussion about local journalism.*

As the digital age of journalism continues, the new media landscape offers both opportunities and challenges for local journalists and news consumers.

Bottom line? Local newsrooms are fighting for survival. Reporters are expected to do more with fewer resources. Corporate media consolidation is shrinking news rooms and local coverage.

How do we do more with fewer resources?

Collaboration is the name of the game. Local media can break down traditional walls of competition and look for opportunities to work together and share resources.

That concept, I am proud to say, has been one of our core values. We are always looking for Biddeford news produced by other outlets. We use our social media pages to share those stories and direct readers to those media sources.

I was so pleased to be able to share a story about great white sharks that was originally published in The Maine Monitor. That’s how we leverage the internet to benefit our readers.

Thursday’s fire was a difficult story to cover. Of course, I went to the scene. It’s my job, but I was really tired and felt emotionally drained. Then I received a call from a news producer at WGME-TV (Channel 13). They asked permission to use my photos and video.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I could go home and not have another story to write. I could simply share WGME’s story on the Gazette’s website. That’s collaboration.

Another big step forward

Finally, most importantly, I am so proud and honored to announce that our advisory board is now a reality. We have seven members on the volunteer board and are actively seeking nominations from the community about possible candidates to fill the remaining two positions. Please contact us with your suggestions.

Check out the profiles of the individual members. It’s an impressive list and represents a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experience that will be invaluable as we move forward in our mission of providing community-driven news.

Our first meeting will likely take place sometime in September.

That’s it for now. Let the vacation count-down clock begin!

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

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Relief effort underway for Biddeford fire victims

August 8, 2025 ~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

Jessica Johnson — a well-known community volunteer, business owner and former city council candidate — is coordinating a community relief effort to help the families that were displaced by a significant fire Thursday near the corner of Brackett and Myrtle streets.

“I know this community, and I love that so many people are rallying to help these families” Johnson told the Gazette on Friday morning.

Johnson said she is coordinating her efforts with city officials and non-profit agencies.

“My heart aches for these families, and I want to do everything possible to help them,” she said.

In less than 24 hours after the fire was contained and extinguished, Johnson said she has already heard from dozens of people who all want to donate funds, clothing and furniture for the affected families.

Johnson, 41, is the owner of Soul Stitcher, an alteration and sewing craft store on Main Street. She is also married, the mother of five children, a moderator of a local social media page and volunteers her time as a trumpet player for the Alumni Band, a collection of musicians who performed during their high school years with either the Biddeford High School or Thornton Academy bands.

If you want to help the victims of Thursday’s fire, Johnson said people should send her an email to soulstitchersewing@gmail.com

“I just want this to be coordinated so that we can maximize our efforts to help these families,” Johnson said.

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

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Ex-city manager wants city to pay expenses for Shriner clown events

August 8, 2025February 10, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 2 Comments

Former Biddeford City Manager Jim Bennett is asking the city of Biddeford to financially reimburse him for expenses he incurred while performing as a Shriner’s clown in June and July this year.

According to documents obtained by the Biddeford Gazette, Bennett is asking the city for a total of $798.92 in expense reimbursements, including an overnight hotel stay in Wilton and for mileage to and from the Yarmouth Clam Festival Parade.

Bennett routinely dresses as a clown named Ginjo as part of his support for Kora Temple Shriners.

*Former city manager James Bennett as Ginjo (Facebook photo)*

Bennett is currently in the midst of a lawsuit he filed against the city earlier this year.

City Attorney Harry Center told the Gazette that the city has no plans to reimburse Bennett for those expenses.

Bennett was hired as Biddeford’s city manager in June 2015. His management style became a subject of community controversy over the last two years.

Bennett announced his resignation on October 14, describing it as phased “retirement,” despite the fact that he had more than a year remaining in his current contract.

Bennett publicly announced that he would step down in April.

On February 20, city officials booted Bennett from his office. City officials say they cannot comment about why Bennett was shown the door earlier than planned.

Although the Biddeford Gazette filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) asking for more details, Center said the city could not comment on personnel issues.

Earlier this year, Bennett filed a civil lawsuit in York County Superior Court against the city, claiming he is still owed salary. The city responded with a counter claim, saying Bennett was in breach of his contract.

That case is still pending in court.

One Biddeford resident, who asked for anonymity, told the Gazette that she is “dumbfounded” by Bennett’s request to be reimbursed for activities that happened months after he was removed from office. “You simply cannot make this [stuff] up,” she said. “He wants me and other taxpayers to cover his expenses as a clown in another community? Unbelievable.”

Bennett told the Gazette: “It is not [a] reimbursement request.”

“My employment agreement required the city to pay for my civic and community activities,” Bennett said. “However, I never asked the city to pay for those costs.

“Instead, I turned in any costs at on offset to my mileage stipend. There is no truth to it being any additional cost to the city.”

Bennett has been a member of Kora Temple Shriners for nearly 40 years. Shriners operate hospitals and facilitate medical treatment for children with serious illnesses.

NOTE: This story was updated to include Mr. Bennett’s remarks.

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

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Biddeford shooter arrested

August 8, 2025February 10, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

According to a press release issued Friday, Biddeford Police arrested Emil Girard, a 26-year-old transient, on multiple charges on Thursday, August 7, stemming from two shooting incidents.

Girard was arrested on Elm Street in Biddeford, and is now facing multiple charges, including parole violations in Maine and New Hampshire.

Girard is also being charged with Elevated Aggravated Assault, a Class A felony.

*Emil Girard is facing multiple criminal charges in connection with two shooting events.*

Girard was transported to the York County Sheriff’s Department when he was unable to make the $50,000.00 cash bail.

The Biddeford charges stem from two separate shooting incidents, July 31, and August 4. Both incidents occurred on Pearl Street in Biddeford.

Police say the July 31 victim is a 46-year-old man who received medical treatment. The August 4 victim is a 21-year-old male who also received medical treatment.

Through investigation by the Criminal Investigation Division, evidence in both attacks linked Girard as the sole shooter, according to police.

Police are not providing any additional information at this time because both incidents are active, ongoing investigations.

Police say it is likely that Girard will face additional charges.

Police Chief JoAnne Fisk said — “out of an abundance of caution” the incidents led to the cancellation of this year’s Night Out event

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

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