“Mental health challenges in these industries don’t always look like crises. More often, they show up as exhaustion, irritability, isolation and a sense that there’s no room to slow down.”
OPINION
Letters to the Editor, Guest Columns, Editorials and more . . .
Mayor issues statement about court case
Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain issued a public statement to all southern Maine media outlets regarding a recent York County Superior Court decision to dismiss a lawsuit that was filed against the Saco River Corridor Commission (SRCC) in December 2025. RELATED | Court rules against the city of Biddeford Please find […]
OPINION | Why History Matters
By RANDY SEAVER | Editor One of the coolest things about doing something for more than 30 years is the memories you make along the way. As a political junkie – especially in regards to the city of Biddeford – it is extremely rewarding for me to have an archive […]
Saco has lost a former mayor; I have lost a friend
OPINION | RANDY SEAVER I am feeling so sad. I just learned from a reading a story in Saco Bay News that Bill Johnson – a former Saco mayor and city councilor — recently passed away at the age of 92. This news leaves a gaping hole. I regret losing […]
OPINION | Biddeford should tie taxes to inflation
By BEN NEVEUX | Biddeford Over the past decade, Biddeford’s property taxes have steadily climbed. In 2013 the city’s total tax rate was $16.54 per $1,000 of valuation. By 2022 it had reached $18.23, with several years above $19 and even $20 along the way. That may not sound dramatic […]
LETTER | Mayor’s column raises concerns
By DIANE SNOW | Cumberland, Maine Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain’s recent op-ed regarding the city’s new Institutional Zone Review Committee (Biddeford Gazette, Feb. 28, 2026) is very interesting. The mayor mentions that it is time to review the zone ordinance since it has not been updated in nearly 25 […]
Is the Gazette biased against UNE?
By RANDY SEAVER, Editor A former Biddeford resident who now lives in Ada, Mich., recently sent an email to the Gazette complaining that we have been “unfair and biased” toward the University of New England. In his March 6 email, Bernard Roy – a 1971 Biddeford High School graduate – […]
OPINION | Protecting manufactured‑home residents protects municipal budgets
By KATHY DOBBINS, Special to the Gazette Maine’s manufactured‑home communities are facing pressures that many towns and cities can no longer afford to ignore. When municipalities choose not to adopt basic resident‑protection measures—such as rent‑stabilization ordinances or guardrails on pass‑through utility charges—the consequences fall directly onto residents and, ultimately, onto […]
LETTER: City is treating UNE unfairly
By BERNARD ROY, Special to the Gazette I understand there is a moratorium on UNE initiated by the mayor and city council. UNE is an institution that is a huge plus for Biddeford. They hire professionals as professors, adjunct professors and administrators who live in our community. More importantly, UNE […]
OPINION | A Charter Moment for Biddeford
By SAM PECOR, Special to the Gazette On Monday (March 2) nomination papers become available for one of the most consequential civic processes Biddeford has undertaken in decades: — the election of a Charter Revision Commission. In November, voters approved Question Three (The Establishment of a Charter Review Commission) “for […]
