Biddeford recreation Department

What a week!

Considering it was the first birthday I was dreading; it turned to be the best birthday week I can remember.

As we age, we are all reminded to focus on friends, family and doing what we love.

Because I love writing news about Biddeford, I was able to accomplish all three of those goals this week.

The Gazette featured some pretty interesting and exclusive content this week, including our in-depth examination about a so-called buffer zone that has found the city of Biddeford and the University of New England battling in York County Superior Court.

UNE President Dr, James Herbert and City Councilor Pat Boston listen to several angry residents who expressed frustration during Monday’s public hearing about development at UNE;s Biddeford campus (Seaver photo)

Our contributing writer Jim Krause also offered Gazette readers a carefully researched story that explains what you need to know when a door-to-door solicitor comes knocking on your door.

We were also very pleased to share the great news that the York/Biddeford/OOB boys’ hockey team won the state championship Saturday, edging Hampden Academy, 3-2 in a thrilling game at the Cross Arena in Portland. Way to go, guys!

As an added treat, we had a blast providing video and print reporting of the first Coffee With A Cop event that was held Wednesday at the Community Center in Biddeford. Nice work by the Biddeford Recreation Department in organizing the event!

Joy to sorrow

The very best part of my week was being invited back to the Biddeford Primary School to read to some second-grade students in Jillian Palladino’s class on Monday. The kids surprised me with a special rendition of Happy Birthday to celebrate both my birthday and that of Dr. Seuss (also Jon Bon Jovi and writer John Irving).

For obvious reasons, I chose to read Oh The Places You’ll Go to the kids.

But this week ended on a bittersweet note when I learned of Curtis Robinson’s passing while working on this week’s local obituaries.

I did not know Curtis. He was only a few years older than me, but he was a notable, old-school journalist who got to hang around with my idol Hunter S. Thompson.

‘One of the last great newspapermen” | Curtis Robinson (Aspen Daily News photo)

According to a recent feature story in the Aspen Daily News, Robinson was a journalist’s journalist: “dogged and irreverent kind of journalist — the type who wouldn’t take BS if it was served on a silver platter and knew a government meeting was good material if you could write about it with verve.”

Robinson’s sister lives in South Portland. Our condolences to his family and friends

And that’s a wrap for this week! Some good stuff on the horizon, so keep reading and checking back for the latest updates.

Better yet, subscribe to the Biddeford Gazette today! It’s free and certainly worth it.

CORRECTION | In the first photo caption above, one of our readers alerted us that we mistakenly identified Biddeford City Councilor Pat Boston as “Bat’ Boston. It was a typographical error, and we apologize for the mistake.

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By RANDY SEAVER, Editor

Despite the well-known urban legend that no cop can resist a donut, several witnesses who attended Wednesday’s Coffee With a Cop event at the Biddeford Community Center say none of the officers even touched one of the fine donuts that were provided by Reilly’s Bakery.

Wednesday’s event was coordinated by Recreation Director Lisa Thompson who said she was pleased by the robust public turnout for the event.

*Lt. Normand Allaire; Deputy Chief Steve Gorton and Police Chief JoAnne Fisk answered a variety of questions and offered some sage advice, including the hazards of distracted driving. (Seaver photo)*

“This is something that has been done in many other communities across the country,” Thompson said. “Many communities – including right here in Biddeford – host Night Out events and other ways to get residents better connected to the law enforcement officers who serve the community.”

Biddeford Police Chief JoAnne Fisk, Deputy Chief Steve Gorton and Lt. Normand Allaire attended the event, fielding a variety of questions from the public and then later posing for photos with folks who were anxious to have their picture taken with a uniformed officer.

“It’s a lot of fun for us, and we enjoy the opportunity to connect with people in the friendly way – in a more relaxed and casual setting,” Gorton said. “Things like this are really the foundation of community policing.”

Roughly 25 people attended the 90-minute event, and the questions were rapid-fire and sometimes complex.

The officers answered questions on topics ranging from appropriate medication disposal to traffic accident investigations and how police handle protection from harassment orders.

*Officers pose with a few of the residents who attended the Coffee With a Cop event (Seaver photo)*

The mood in the room was friendly. And residents listened intently – even when officers were forced to decline talking about specific personal matters or ongoing investigations.

Officers also shared some of their pet peeves.

“For goodness’s sake, please put down your phones when you’re driving behind the wheel,” Allaire told the group of residents. “Even, when I’m off duty, I see it happening all the time – and I yell out ‘somebody call the police.’

Thompson said she was pleased that the event proved popular and said she would like to do another event with the officers.

“I always think it’s a good idea for us to collaborate with other city departments to promote community engagement and hopefully increase understanding of what’s happening in our city.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR | Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He has been covering Biddeford news and politics for nearly three decades. He may be reached by email: randy@randyseaver.com

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