During a sometimes terse and heated meeting, Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman defended the way the city has acted during the review of a controversial pier that the University of New England wants to construct on the Saco River. The nearly hour-long meeting was held at the request of John Schafer, […]
Tag: Randy Seaver
Aquarium Science Center opens in Biddeford
Tucked away in one of Biddeford’s former mill buildings on Pearl Street, there is a growing and thriving display of underwater life – from tropical coral reefs to freshwater rivers and lakes. The Northeast Aquarium Science Center attracted hundreds of visitors Saturday during its grand-opening event that showcased several species […]
City touts ‘major success’ in addressing homelessness
(From city personnel and previous stories by the Biddeford Gazette) Biddeford city officials say that a new partnership between the city and the Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Resource Center is delivering “real results” in addressing homelessness, with 43 individuals successfully housed since November through a “coordinated, compassionate approach.” At the core […]
Support for library, and a new bathhouse
Scores of Biddeford residents turned out Tuesday for the first of two public hearings on the city’s proposed budget. Only one resident — former City Councilor Michael Swanton — suggested a budget cut, calling on the council to close and sell the city’s public access television station on Pool Road. […]
Joint budget workshop: ‘A Tough Pill to Swallow’
Members of the Biddeford City Council and Biddeford School Committee held a joint workshop meeting to discuss “an especially tough” budget year By RANDY SEAVER | Editor With a “challenging” budget hanging over their heads, members of the Biddeford City Council and the Biddeford School Committee participated in a joint […]
Budget tensions include homeless funding
Last week, more than two dozen people appeared before the Biddeford City Council, each of them requesting varying amounts of public funding for their respective non-profit organizations. It is an annual process that is just one part of the city’s annual budget. None of the public presenters were questioned or […]
OPINION: What is community? How much does it cost?
Former Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant — now the vice president of the non-profit Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center — appeared before the Biddeford City Council Thursday to present his organization’s annual funding request. Before the meeting started, Casavant was seated next to me in the back row of the council […]
Chamber director announces pending departure
After nearly seven years at the helm, Jim LaBelle announced Thursday that he will be stepping down as executive director of the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce + Industry. LaBelle, 60, said he plans to stay in place and help the Chamber with its transition to new leadership. “It’s not an […]
OPINION | The Times, They Are A Changin’
The news was inevitable, but still sad. We learned yesterday that the weekly Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier will no longer be printed and now accessible only in digital form, online. This is just part of a global trend in the newspaper industry. Let’s face facts. The cost of printing and distribution are […]
Political gamesmanship threatens vulnerable Mainers
By HENRY INGWERSEN, State senator The last time I wrote to you, I spoke about the importance of MaineCare, our state’s version of the Medicaid program. MaineCare provides health care to low-income families and children, people with disabilities and pregnant women, and is overwhelmingly supported by Maine people. I also […]
