School daze for new Biddeford city councilors?

December 8, 2025December 9, 2025 ~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

By RANDY SEAVER, Editor

Tomorrow night – Dec. 9 – the new members of the Biddeford City Council will be getting some required “training” for their new roles in city government.

The city council workshop –– ostensibly open to the public, but why? — will feature four breakout sessions, including updates from City Manager Truc Dever, City Attorney Harry Center, City Clerk Robin Patterson and Executive Assistant Shelly MacNeill – the person who answers calls and schedules appointments for the mayor and city manager.

No, I am not making this up.

It’s probably safe to say that veteran councilor Marc Lesard will not be required to attend the Tuesday workshop meeting, given the fact that he’s been serving on the council since before Abraham Lincoln was shot, back in the days before Alan Casavant was Biddeford’s mayor.

It remains unclear whether Councilors Patricia Boston and Brad Cote will need a refresher course in protocol, since they both previously served on the council – back when Barack Obama was president.

But newbie councilors Lisa Vadnais, David Kurtz, Jake Pierson and Abigail Woods will likely enjoy the various breakout training sessions, learning new skills such as how to control your gag reflexes during public meetings, the secret handshakes used during closed-door executive sessions and the limit of eyerolls that can be used whenever Richard Rhames approaches the podium.

But seriously, there are some protocols and procedures that city councilors must follow. So, it makes sense to learn the ground rules before you can actually start doing some serious damage to the city.

One thing blatantly missing from Tuesday’s training session: how to deal with the media.

*A photo of downtown Biddeford taken shortly after Marc Lessard was first sworn into office as a city councilor. This is satire, feel free to smile.*

The new councilors should be aware that a former member of British Parliament – reportedly one of Lessard’s classmates – once opined that the press is the proverbial “fourth estate of government.”

The point Edmund Burke was trying to make back in the late 1700s was that the press held almost as much power and influence in policy as government officials, both elected and appointed.

But let’s turn the tables for a moment and examine first what our new councilors should expect from the media.

First and foremost, government officials should expect members of the media to be accurate. Secondly, responsible journalists should always be fair and strive for objectivity. Thirdly, journalists should treat government officials with respect and basic civility.

Now what does the media expect of government officials?

The top-three things? (in order) 1.) Honesty. 2.) Honesty and 3.) Honesty.

Seriously, always be honest, even if it means you’re not able to offer a comment because of state or local laws and ordinances. No one can fault you for following the law.

If a member of the press takes the time to call you, return the call. If you’re busy, ask the reporter if he or she is on a deadline. If you don’t know the answer to a reporter’s question, simply say, “I don’t know.”

This is the same basic advice I offer to my public relations clients. Don’t panic when a reporter calls. Just be polite and honest.

Finally, on your way home from Tuesday night’s workshop meeting, maybe swing by Kohl’s and get yourself a pair of big boy pants.

You – despite logic and common-sense – signed up for public office, which means you are now fair game for public criticism. For your own sanity, you’re gonna have to learn how to let some stuff just roll of your backs.

Actually, Marc Lessard provides an excellent example of how to deal with media criticism: You just ignore it. Seriously. It’s not personal. It’s business.

No city official – past or present – (okay, maybe Joanne Twomey) has endured more media criticism and bloviating from me than Marc Lessard.

*City Councilor Marc Lessard (official photo)*

For nearly three decades, Marc and I have sparred on several issues. I have publicly called him to task on countless occasions and roundly scolded him in long-winded, poorly-written editorials for his positions, comments and actions.

“That’s billion with a B, boys.” (Inside joke probably only remembered by Lessard and Harry Center)

Nevertheless, Lessard always returns my calls promptly. He’s always ready to defend and explain his positions. He is invariably cordial and professional.

Make no mistake. Reporters – especially this one – can be a pain in the ass, but we could all learn a lot from Marc Lessard.

Now, is a zebra white with black stripes or black with white stripes?

Good luck, newbies! And thanks for stepping up to serve the city!

_________________________

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

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Candidates share concerns about UNE pier

October 18, 2025October 27, 2025 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

Amid the ongoing and intensifying controversy surrounding the University of New England’s plans to construct a large research pier on the Saco River, the two candidates who hope to represent that area on the city council say they are watching the issue closely.

Former city councilor Patricia Boston and political newcomer Jim LaBelle both say the issue has become “divisive” and lament “missed opportunities for mediation” during the two-year-long review process.

Boston, a Hills Beach resident, has been closely following the university’s ongoing expansion over the last two decades. She is hoping to make a return to the city council after a 14-year hiatus.

LaBelle recently retired after serving seven years as the executive director of the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce and lives in Biddeford Pool.

Although the Biddeford Planning Board narrowly voted in favor of UNE’s proposal in August, many coastal area residents and others say the city’s review process was deeply flawed.

Last month, a group of residents were able to collect enough signatures to trigger a special Citizens Grievance meeting about the pier proposal. That meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Oct. 23 at City Hall.

Additionally, an appeal of the Planning Board’s decision has been filed with the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), a review agency that has not met in more than a year.

Although the ZBA meeting has been scheduled for Nov. 13, attorneys representing both the university and the city said this week that the ZBA has “no standing” to reconsider the planning board’s Aug. 6 decision because those who filed the appeal are not “abutters” to the project and arguments regarding the lack of harbormaster approval are “irrelevant” to the planning board’s review.

“It’s become quite a mess,” said LaBelle. “A lot of people I talk to see UNE as a big asset to the city, but it does look like some things were missed during the review process.”

Specifically, LaBelle pointed to the recent news that the Saco River Corridor Commission failed to include a previous ruling when that agency reviewed the proposal last year.

Ultimately, the Saco River Corridor Commission (SRCC) approved UNE’s application, but now says that a required 250-foot vegetative buffer zone would prohibit the construction of a necessary access road.

Donald Furman, Biddeford’s representative to the SRCC, abstained from the agency’s vote.

Other regulatory agencies, including the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, approved the project but without opportunity or consideration for public comment or feedback.

“It feels as if this thing has been on greased skids since the beginning,” said John Shafer, former chair of Biddeford’s Harbor Commission.

“It does look like
mistakes were made.”
— Jim LaBelle, Ward One candidate

Boston says it is “unfortunate” that the issue has become “so divisive.”

Boston also said she has concerns about how the city was able to remove the city’s harbormaster and assistant harbormaster from the review process last year.

“How did the city authorize or approve a private engineer to fill that position?” she asked.

Both Boston and LaBelle said they plan to attend the special Oct. 23 meeting at City Hall.

“I want to hear what everyone has to say,” Boston said.

“It does look like some mistakes were made,” LaBelle said, pointing out that the university will still need to get a building permit from the city.

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

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OPINION: Should age matter in Biddeford elections?

August 12, 2025August 13, 2025 ~ 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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