Courier Connection
Obituaries - Jan. 26, 2012
Ann Temm
Ann Temm, 71, of Arundel, passed away Jan. 13, 2012, at her residence.
She was born in Biddeford May 23, 1940, the daughter of John P. and Anne Horsefield Cowgill.
Ann grew up in Arundel and attended Durrell School. The one room schoolhouse housed eight grades under the teaching of Mildred L. Day. She graduated from Kennebunk High School with fourth honors out of a class of 62 students. She was voted most athletic and co-captain of the girls’ basketball team.
She went to the University of Southern California, returning to Arundel in 1961. She married Clifton Temm in 1966.
Ann started driving school buses in 1975 and later became the head bus driver and director of transportation.
Because of her many years at this position, the Arundel Town Report of 2002-2003 was dedicated to her.
She was an avid Boston sports fan.
She was predeceased by her husband, Clifton E. Temm in 1994.
She is survived by a son, Dr. Clifton “Kip” Temm and his wife, Suzanne, of Kennebunk; a daughter, Kelley Blow and her husband, Eric, of Saco; two brothers, J. Paul Cowgill of Kennebunk and Albert Cowgill of Arundel; three grandchildren, Amelia and Steven Temm and Amy Geilen.
Arrangements by Dennett, Craig & Pate, Saco.
Calixte “Edward” Martel
Calixte “Edward” Martel, 84, of Saco, passed away Jan. 13, 2012, at Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford.
He was born in Biddeford Jan. 2, 1928, the son of Calixte and Margaret Moran Martel.
He was educated in Saco schools and left there at a young age to serve in the Merchant Marines during World War II.
After the war, he returned home, married and worked for the Saco Lowell Shops.
His later employment included Portland Copper, Lund Manufacturing and then Saco Defense.
Edward retired in the 1990s and was an avid movie buff.
He was predeceased by his wife, Priscilla Keithley Martel, in 1996.
He is survived by two sons, Michael Martel and Robert Martel and his wife, Carlene, all of Saco; a daughter, Patricia Wheelden and her husband, Christopher, of Old Orchard Beach; two grandchildren, Brian Martel and his wife, Danielle, of Biddeford and Eric of Saco.
Arrangements by Dennett, Craig & Pate, Saco.
Ann Temm, 71, of Arundel, passed away Jan. 13, 2012, at her residence.
She was born in Biddeford May 23, 1940, the daughter of John P. and Anne Horsefield Cowgill.
Ann grew up in Arundel and attended Durrell School. The one room schoolhouse housed eight grades under the teaching of Mildred L. Day. She graduated from Kennebunk High School with fourth honors out of a class of 62 students. She was voted most athletic and co-captain of the girls’ basketball team.
She went to the University of Southern California, returning to Arundel in 1961. She married Clifton Temm in 1966.
Ann started driving school buses in 1975 and later became the head bus driver and director of transportation.
Because of her many years at this position, the Arundel Town Report of 2002-2003 was dedicated to her.
She was an avid Boston sports fan.
She was predeceased by her husband, Clifton E. Temm in 1994.
She is survived by a son, Dr. Clifton “Kip” Temm and his wife, Suzanne, of Kennebunk; a daughter, Kelley Blow and her husband, Eric, of Saco; two brothers, J. Paul Cowgill of Kennebunk and Albert Cowgill of Arundel; three grandchildren, Amelia and Steven Temm and Amy Geilen.
Arrangements by Dennett, Craig & Pate, Saco.
Calixte “Edward” Martel
Calixte “Edward” Martel, 84, of Saco, passed away Jan. 13, 2012, at Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford.
He was born in Biddeford Jan. 2, 1928, the son of Calixte and Margaret Moran Martel.
He was educated in Saco schools and left there at a young age to serve in the Merchant Marines during World War II.
After the war, he returned home, married and worked for the Saco Lowell Shops.
His later employment included Portland Copper, Lund Manufacturing and then Saco Defense.
Edward retired in the 1990s and was an avid movie buff.
He was predeceased by his wife, Priscilla Keithley Martel, in 1996.
He is survived by two sons, Michael Martel and Robert Martel and his wife, Carlene, all of Saco; a daughter, Patricia Wheelden and her husband, Christopher, of Old Orchard Beach; two grandchildren, Brian Martel and his wife, Danielle, of Biddeford and Eric of Saco.
Arrangements by Dennett, Craig & Pate, Saco.
Dollar store to open on Biddeford’s Main Street - Jan. 26, 2012
By David Harry
Staff Writer
Value-priced offerings on Main Street will also be a sign of faith in Biddeford as a local businessman prepares to open his second downtown store.
Dan DuCharme, owner of DAD’s Cigar Parlor and Tobacco Shoppe on Alfred Street, said he has obtained the financing and signed a lease to open the Downtown Dollar Store at 148 Main St.
DuCharme, 49, who has owned the tobacco shop for about four years, said he expects his new venture to be open in early March.
The store will be located in a 2,500-square-foot space on the first floor of the building owned by Peter Floros of Saco River Realty LLC.
DuCharme said it takes about three weeks to set up the store and then a week to train new employees before the doors open. He expects to hire about five employees for the store that will be open seven days a week.
“It is still kind of surreal, but I am excited,” DuCharme said about the protracted effort to expand his business ventures.
DuCharme said the Main Street location will provide foot traffic and residents of nearby apartments, including in renovated mills, will always be on the lookout for bargains.
Inventory will include household goods, small gifts, greeting cards, toys and novelties and tourist items including sunglasses, all priced at a dollar, DuCharme said.
The store is independently owned, but DuCharme said he is working with Las Vegas-based Dollar Store Services to provide interior décor, signs and store merchandise.
DuCharme said he chose the company because it offered the best value to him in a market where there are plenty of companies ready to supply store startups value priced inventory.
“I saw a need after Reny’s left,” DuCharme said.
The value-priced chain left its Main Street location in Biddeford for a Saco location on Scamman Street in 2008.
DuCharme said he hopes city officials will move forward to build a downtown parking garage and said the store location would benefit from improved parking. He said assistance from Biddeford City Planner Daniel Stevenson and officials at the Biddeford – Saco Area Economic Development Corp. were critical in getting his new venture ready.
“This is almost like paying back the city while also providing for my family,” said DuCharme.
He said the success of DAD’s is a primary reason city and development corporation officials had faith in his plans.
DuCharme also thanked Floros for his patience, noting the building owner could have found other tenants because of delays in the project.
“This will attract a wide variety of people. No matter the income level, people shop at dollar stores,” DuCharme said.
Staff Writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
Staff Writer
Value-priced offerings on Main Street will also be a sign of faith in Biddeford as a local businessman prepares to open his second downtown store.
Dan DuCharme, owner of DAD’s Cigar Parlor and Tobacco Shoppe on Alfred Street, said he has obtained the financing and signed a lease to open the Downtown Dollar Store at 148 Main St.
DuCharme, 49, who has owned the tobacco shop for about four years, said he expects his new venture to be open in early March.
The store will be located in a 2,500-square-foot space on the first floor of the building owned by Peter Floros of Saco River Realty LLC.
DuCharme said it takes about three weeks to set up the store and then a week to train new employees before the doors open. He expects to hire about five employees for the store that will be open seven days a week.
“It is still kind of surreal, but I am excited,” DuCharme said about the protracted effort to expand his business ventures.
DuCharme said the Main Street location will provide foot traffic and residents of nearby apartments, including in renovated mills, will always be on the lookout for bargains.
Inventory will include household goods, small gifts, greeting cards, toys and novelties and tourist items including sunglasses, all priced at a dollar, DuCharme said.
The store is independently owned, but DuCharme said he is working with Las Vegas-based Dollar Store Services to provide interior décor, signs and store merchandise.
DuCharme said he chose the company because it offered the best value to him in a market where there are plenty of companies ready to supply store startups value priced inventory.
“I saw a need after Reny’s left,” DuCharme said.
The value-priced chain left its Main Street location in Biddeford for a Saco location on Scamman Street in 2008.
DuCharme said he hopes city officials will move forward to build a downtown parking garage and said the store location would benefit from improved parking. He said assistance from Biddeford City Planner Daniel Stevenson and officials at the Biddeford – Saco Area Economic Development Corp. were critical in getting his new venture ready.
“This is almost like paying back the city while also providing for my family,” said DuCharme.
He said the success of DAD’s is a primary reason city and development corporation officials had faith in his plans.
DuCharme also thanked Floros for his patience, noting the building owner could have found other tenants because of delays in the project.
“This will attract a wide variety of people. No matter the income level, people shop at dollar stores,” DuCharme said.
Staff Writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
Dollar store to open on Biddeford’s Main Street - Jan. 26, 2012
By David Harry
Staff Writer
Value-priced offerings on Main Street will also be a sign of faith in Biddeford as a local businessman prepares to open his second downtown store.
Dan DuCharme, owner of DAD’s Cigar Parlor and Tobacco Shoppe on Alfred Street, said he has obtained the financing and signed a lease to open the Downtown Dollar Store at 148 Main St.
DuCharme, 49, who has owned the tobacco shop for about four years, said he expects his new venture to be open in early March.
The store will be located in a 2,500-square-foot space on the first floor of the building owned by Peter Floros of Saco River Realty LLC.
DuCharme said it takes about three weeks to set up the store and then a week to train new employees before the doors open. He expects to hire about five employees for the store that will be open seven days a week.
“It is still kind of surreal, but I am excited,” DuCharme said about the protracted effort to expand his business ventures.
DuCharme said the Main Street location will provide foot traffic and residents of nearby apartments, including in renovated mills, will always be on the lookout for bargains.
Inventory will include household goods, small gifts, greeting cards, toys and novelties and tourist items including sunglasses, all priced at a dollar, DuCharme said.
The store is independently owned, but DuCharme said he is working with Las Vegas-based Dollar Store Services to provide interior décor, signs and store merchandise.
DuCharme said he chose the company because it offered the best value to him in a market where there are plenty of companies ready to supply store startups value priced inventory.
“I saw a need after Reny’s left,” DuCharme said.
The value-priced chain left its Main Street location in Biddeford for a Saco location on Scamman Street in 2008.
DuCharme said he hopes city officials will move forward to build a downtown parking garage and said the store location would benefit from improved parking. He said assistance from Biddeford City Planner Daniel Stevenson and officials at the Biddeford – Saco Area Economic Development Corp. were critical in getting his new venture ready.
“This is almost like paying back the city while also providing for my family,” said DuCharme.
He said the success of DAD’s is a primary reason city and development corporation officials had faith in his plans.
DuCharme also thanked Floros for his patience, noting the building owner could have found other tenants because of delays in the project.
“This will attract a wide variety of people. No matter the income level, people shop at dollar stores,” DuCharme said.
Staff Writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
Staff Writer
Value-priced offerings on Main Street will also be a sign of faith in Biddeford as a local businessman prepares to open his second downtown store.
Dan DuCharme, owner of DAD’s Cigar Parlor and Tobacco Shoppe on Alfred Street, said he has obtained the financing and signed a lease to open the Downtown Dollar Store at 148 Main St.
DuCharme, 49, who has owned the tobacco shop for about four years, said he expects his new venture to be open in early March.
The store will be located in a 2,500-square-foot space on the first floor of the building owned by Peter Floros of Saco River Realty LLC.
DuCharme said it takes about three weeks to set up the store and then a week to train new employees before the doors open. He expects to hire about five employees for the store that will be open seven days a week.
“It is still kind of surreal, but I am excited,” DuCharme said about the protracted effort to expand his business ventures.
DuCharme said the Main Street location will provide foot traffic and residents of nearby apartments, including in renovated mills, will always be on the lookout for bargains.
Inventory will include household goods, small gifts, greeting cards, toys and novelties and tourist items including sunglasses, all priced at a dollar, DuCharme said.
The store is independently owned, but DuCharme said he is working with Las Vegas-based Dollar Store Services to provide interior décor, signs and store merchandise.
DuCharme said he chose the company because it offered the best value to him in a market where there are plenty of companies ready to supply store startups value priced inventory.
“I saw a need after Reny’s left,” DuCharme said.
The value-priced chain left its Main Street location in Biddeford for a Saco location on Scamman Street in 2008.
DuCharme said he hopes city officials will move forward to build a downtown parking garage and said the store location would benefit from improved parking. He said assistance from Biddeford City Planner Daniel Stevenson and officials at the Biddeford – Saco Area Economic Development Corp. were critical in getting his new venture ready.
“This is almost like paying back the city while also providing for my family,” said DuCharme.
He said the success of DAD’s is a primary reason city and development corporation officials had faith in his plans.
DuCharme also thanked Floros for his patience, noting the building owner could have found other tenants because of delays in the project.
“This will attract a wide variety of people. No matter the income level, people shop at dollar stores,” DuCharme said.
Staff Writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
Program for Biddeford children finds new home - Jan. 26, 2012
By David Harry
Staff Writer
By about 3 p.m. last Thursday things began to get hectic and noisy at Joyful Harvest Neighborhood Center in Biddeford.
The foosball table got so much action it was rocked off its floor pads. Volunteer art instructor Frankie Dailey was inundated with requests to help decorate the picture windows and create a smaller gathering area for older children at the social center.
Meanwhile, Joyful Harvest Executive Director Shay Stewart-Bouley fretted about how to get more children to the center’s new 128 Main St. location.
Last week, Joyful Harvest moved to its new location from the former site on Water Street, tripling its space for computers, books, a quiet room for homework and a full kitchen for serving daily snacks and lunches in the summer program. The programs for children ages 7 to 17 are free, Stewart-Bouley said.
“I’m a big fan of open spaces, they are more inviting,” Stewart-Bouley said, surveying the scene in the Main Street building owned by developer Doug Sanford.
In the front windows, fifth-graders Cheyenne Creegan, Annie Karin and Mikel Souliea hung artwork with help from Dailey. They were decorating for passers-by to see and also creating a separate social area for youths from 11 to 17.
“I have been coming here since preschool,” Creegan said. “I wanted to hang out with my friends and they told me to come here.”
Stewart-Bouley said Joyful Harvest usually serves more than 20 children from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, but she needed volunteer help from adults who could walk with children to and from the former Water Street location.
With a center staff of two, Stewart-Bouley said she and program coordinator Jason Malcolm could not break away from Joyful Harvest to walk with children.
Stewart-Bouley said she is confident the walk is a safe one, although the intersection of Main and Alfred streets had to be considered with extra care because of its shape and traffic volume.
Each Tuesday, Dailey arrives with the Art Van, part of a Bath-based program that provides art education to youth in southern Maine.
On Thursdays, Dailey comes back on his own, drawn to spur creativity and encouragement.
“I like seeing what kids come out with,” Dailey said. “The creative process is really neat.”
It is a process Dailey wants children to embrace through their own work. As Creegan asked him to draw block letters for window signs, he told her he would show her how to do it and then she and Karin would make the signs themselves.
Souliea said the spirit of helping is what he enjoys most about afternoons at Joyful Harvest.
“I like helping the younger kids with homework, helping them with their words,” he said.
According to www.joyfulharvestcenter.org, the neighborhood faith-based center opened in 2001 and provides after school and summer programs and a space for Girl Scouts to meet. The program roots extend to 1995 with the establishment of a Baptist church that eventually moved to Bacon Street. Ultimately, the neighborhood center outlasted the church and also provided a food pantry. In 2003, the Stone Soup Food Pantry became its own entity.
A Chicago native with a master’s degree and experience operating nonprofits, Stewart-Bouley said directing Joyful Harvest for the last three years has offered a unique reward.
“I can merge my faith with what I do for a living,” she said.
The annual budget of about $60,000 is funded largely through church and individual donations, Stewart-Bouley said. United Way provides about 25 percent of funding, but leaner times have led to the elimination of Friday sessions at the center.
Neighborhood support for Joyful Harvest is already evident as the owners of Little Joey’s Pizza at 140 Main St. have pledged to donate $2 from each large, extra large and jumbo pizza sold on Wednesdays and Thursdays through Feb. 9
Sanford said he was delighted to lease the space to Joyful Harvest.
“They are great,” Sanford said. “Their mission is commendable and Shay is great for what she does for the kids.”
Malcolm said he hopes the new location will draw more children from throughout Biddeford, and Stewart-Bouley hopes to expand programs to possibly include offerings for adults and English as a second language courses.
Stewart-Bouley and Malcolm have additional jobs beyond Joyful Harvest and administrative work at the center can be very time-consuming for Stewart-Bouley. But she said there is still plenty of time to enjoy the ultimate rewards of the center.
“Just to see the smiles on looks on their faces, I get to see proof of what I do,” she said.
To learn more about Joyful Harvest Neighborhood Center, visit www.joyfulharvestcenter.org.
Donations for the center can be sent to Joyful Harvest Neighborhood Center, P.O. Box 447, Biddeford, ME 04005. Contributions can also be made through Paypal on the center’s website.
Staff Writer
By about 3 p.m. last Thursday things began to get hectic and noisy at Joyful Harvest Neighborhood Center in Biddeford.
The foosball table got so much action it was rocked off its floor pads. Volunteer art instructor Frankie Dailey was inundated with requests to help decorate the picture windows and create a smaller gathering area for older children at the social center.
Meanwhile, Joyful Harvest Executive Director Shay Stewart-Bouley fretted about how to get more children to the center’s new 128 Main St. location.
Last week, Joyful Harvest moved to its new location from the former site on Water Street, tripling its space for computers, books, a quiet room for homework and a full kitchen for serving daily snacks and lunches in the summer program. The programs for children ages 7 to 17 are free, Stewart-Bouley said.
“I’m a big fan of open spaces, they are more inviting,” Stewart-Bouley said, surveying the scene in the Main Street building owned by developer Doug Sanford.
In the front windows, fifth-graders Cheyenne Creegan, Annie Karin and Mikel Souliea hung artwork with help from Dailey. They were decorating for passers-by to see and also creating a separate social area for youths from 11 to 17.
“I have been coming here since preschool,” Creegan said. “I wanted to hang out with my friends and they told me to come here.”
Stewart-Bouley said Joyful Harvest usually serves more than 20 children from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, but she needed volunteer help from adults who could walk with children to and from the former Water Street location.
With a center staff of two, Stewart-Bouley said she and program coordinator Jason Malcolm could not break away from Joyful Harvest to walk with children.
Stewart-Bouley said she is confident the walk is a safe one, although the intersection of Main and Alfred streets had to be considered with extra care because of its shape and traffic volume.
Each Tuesday, Dailey arrives with the Art Van, part of a Bath-based program that provides art education to youth in southern Maine.
On Thursdays, Dailey comes back on his own, drawn to spur creativity and encouragement.
“I like seeing what kids come out with,” Dailey said. “The creative process is really neat.”
It is a process Dailey wants children to embrace through their own work. As Creegan asked him to draw block letters for window signs, he told her he would show her how to do it and then she and Karin would make the signs themselves.
Souliea said the spirit of helping is what he enjoys most about afternoons at Joyful Harvest.
“I like helping the younger kids with homework, helping them with their words,” he said.
According to www.joyfulharvestcenter.org, the neighborhood faith-based center opened in 2001 and provides after school and summer programs and a space for Girl Scouts to meet. The program roots extend to 1995 with the establishment of a Baptist church that eventually moved to Bacon Street. Ultimately, the neighborhood center outlasted the church and also provided a food pantry. In 2003, the Stone Soup Food Pantry became its own entity.
A Chicago native with a master’s degree and experience operating nonprofits, Stewart-Bouley said directing Joyful Harvest for the last three years has offered a unique reward.
“I can merge my faith with what I do for a living,” she said.
The annual budget of about $60,000 is funded largely through church and individual donations, Stewart-Bouley said. United Way provides about 25 percent of funding, but leaner times have led to the elimination of Friday sessions at the center.
Neighborhood support for Joyful Harvest is already evident as the owners of Little Joey’s Pizza at 140 Main St. have pledged to donate $2 from each large, extra large and jumbo pizza sold on Wednesdays and Thursdays through Feb. 9
Sanford said he was delighted to lease the space to Joyful Harvest.
“They are great,” Sanford said. “Their mission is commendable and Shay is great for what she does for the kids.”
Malcolm said he hopes the new location will draw more children from throughout Biddeford, and Stewart-Bouley hopes to expand programs to possibly include offerings for adults and English as a second language courses.
Stewart-Bouley and Malcolm have additional jobs beyond Joyful Harvest and administrative work at the center can be very time-consuming for Stewart-Bouley. But she said there is still plenty of time to enjoy the ultimate rewards of the center.
“Just to see the smiles on looks on their faces, I get to see proof of what I do,” she said.
To learn more about Joyful Harvest Neighborhood Center, visit www.joyfulharvestcenter.org.
Donations for the center can be sent to Joyful Harvest Neighborhood Center, P.O. Box 447, Biddeford, ME 04005. Contributions can also be made through Paypal on the center’s website.
Looking back at ‘The Way We Were’ - Jan. 26, 2012
By Gillian Graham
Staff Writer
George “Pete” Lamontagne may not know the name of each person in old Biddeford photos, but he recognizes most of their faces.
He hopes his neighbors will have the same experience when they step into an art gallery next month for a trip down memory lane.
Tammy Ackerman, executive director and co-founder of Engine, said the “The Way We Were” photo exhibition will open Feb. 10, but she first needs more Biddeford residents to dig through their albums for photos of city life in decades past. Photos provided to her by Feb. 7 will be returned following the exhibition.
The photo exhibition is part of the La Fete d’ Hiver, the Biddeford winter carnival planned for Feb. 10 to 12. Downtown events will include snowshoe racing, snow volleyball, food, Franco music and snow sculptures.
Ackerman, who developed the idea for the exhibition with partner and Engine co-founder Josh Bodwell, said it is designed to draw people into the gallery to connect with the city’s past.
“The idea is to sort of take a trip back in time,” Ackerman said of the exhibit, which will feature photos from before the 1970s. “It’s really important for people who are here now to understand where the city has been.”
The first exhibit will be followed by two more: “The Way We Are Now” and “The Way We Will Be.”
Ackerman called on Lamontagne to help gather photos and put together “The Way We Were.” Lamontagne, a former city councilor and mill veteran, is also a photographer who enjoys looking through old photos of the city.
“I respect Pete’s knowledge of the community and he has an interest in photography as a medium,” she said.
Last week, they stood in the Engine gallery at 265 Main St. and flipped through an album of photos from mill union events in the 1950s and 1960s. Many of the photos were taken in the former union hall, which Ackerman bought and restored after she moved to Biddeford in 2005.
“The period dress is absolutely wonderful,” Lamontagne said as he flipped through photos of bowling outings and banquets. “These photos are so valuable to us.”
Ackerman said she hopes the exhibition will help people connect the past and future.
“The intent of this isn’t just to walk down memory lane,” Ackerman said.
“It’s more about recognition … ‘Oh, there’s my mother, there’s my aunt,’” Lamontange added.
Ackerman said part of the intent of the exhibition is to use the Engine space to engage the community and show it’s not intimidating to walk into an art gallery.
Lamontagne said he hopes to engage more community members who are artists and musicians but don’t necessarily consider themselves that. Biddeford is full of talented people who deserve recognition for what they do, he said.
Lamontagne recalled his own mother, who played piano, often with a cigarette in hand.
“She was a wonderful, wonderful musician,” he said.
Ackerman and Lamontagne said they are enjoying the increasing arts activity in Biddeford, which includes the monthly ArtWalk, theater and music performances and cultural festivals.
“It’s gaining momentum. (People) are understanding that arts can actually have an impact on the development of a community,” she said. “It’s not just about hanging art on walls.”
“I’m amazed that it’s taking hold,” Lamontagne added.
Both Ackerman and Lamontagne said they hope Biddeford residents – or those with connections to the city – take time to view the exhibition and reflect on the city’s past.
“I’d love to see a lot of smiles and hear a lot of stories being told as people reconnect with people,” Ackerman said.
An opening reception for “The Way We Were” will be held 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 10. Gallery hours are noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. The exhibition will be on display through the end of March.
Photos can be dropped off at Engine by Feb. 7. For more information, call Ackerman at 229-3560 or Lamontagne at 283-1855.
Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 220.
Staff Writer
George “Pete” Lamontagne may not know the name of each person in old Biddeford photos, but he recognizes most of their faces.
He hopes his neighbors will have the same experience when they step into an art gallery next month for a trip down memory lane.
Tammy Ackerman, executive director and co-founder of Engine, said the “The Way We Were” photo exhibition will open Feb. 10, but she first needs more Biddeford residents to dig through their albums for photos of city life in decades past. Photos provided to her by Feb. 7 will be returned following the exhibition.
The photo exhibition is part of the La Fete d’ Hiver, the Biddeford winter carnival planned for Feb. 10 to 12. Downtown events will include snowshoe racing, snow volleyball, food, Franco music and snow sculptures.
Ackerman, who developed the idea for the exhibition with partner and Engine co-founder Josh Bodwell, said it is designed to draw people into the gallery to connect with the city’s past.
“The idea is to sort of take a trip back in time,” Ackerman said of the exhibit, which will feature photos from before the 1970s. “It’s really important for people who are here now to understand where the city has been.”
The first exhibit will be followed by two more: “The Way We Are Now” and “The Way We Will Be.”
Ackerman called on Lamontagne to help gather photos and put together “The Way We Were.” Lamontagne, a former city councilor and mill veteran, is also a photographer who enjoys looking through old photos of the city.
“I respect Pete’s knowledge of the community and he has an interest in photography as a medium,” she said.
Last week, they stood in the Engine gallery at 265 Main St. and flipped through an album of photos from mill union events in the 1950s and 1960s. Many of the photos were taken in the former union hall, which Ackerman bought and restored after she moved to Biddeford in 2005.
“The period dress is absolutely wonderful,” Lamontagne said as he flipped through photos of bowling outings and banquets. “These photos are so valuable to us.”
Ackerman said she hopes the exhibition will help people connect the past and future.
“The intent of this isn’t just to walk down memory lane,” Ackerman said.
“It’s more about recognition … ‘Oh, there’s my mother, there’s my aunt,’” Lamontange added.
Ackerman said part of the intent of the exhibition is to use the Engine space to engage the community and show it’s not intimidating to walk into an art gallery.
Lamontagne said he hopes to engage more community members who are artists and musicians but don’t necessarily consider themselves that. Biddeford is full of talented people who deserve recognition for what they do, he said.
Lamontagne recalled his own mother, who played piano, often with a cigarette in hand.
“She was a wonderful, wonderful musician,” he said.
Ackerman and Lamontagne said they are enjoying the increasing arts activity in Biddeford, which includes the monthly ArtWalk, theater and music performances and cultural festivals.
“It’s gaining momentum. (People) are understanding that arts can actually have an impact on the development of a community,” she said. “It’s not just about hanging art on walls.”
“I’m amazed that it’s taking hold,” Lamontagne added.
Both Ackerman and Lamontagne said they hope Biddeford residents – or those with connections to the city – take time to view the exhibition and reflect on the city’s past.
“I’d love to see a lot of smiles and hear a lot of stories being told as people reconnect with people,” Ackerman said.
An opening reception for “The Way We Were” will be held 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 10. Gallery hours are noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. The exhibition will be on display through the end of March.
Photos can be dropped off at Engine by Feb. 7. For more information, call Ackerman at 229-3560 or Lamontagne at 283-1855.
Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 220.
Mayor says opponent is breaking party protocol - Jan. 26, 2012
By David Harry
Staff Writer
The 2012 race for the Maine House District 137 seat has become a Democratic Party fight between two experienced legislators.
Maine Sen. Nancy Sullivan, now serving Senate District 4, has filed to run for the House seat now held by Rep. Alan Casavant, who also is mayor of Biddeford.
Sullivan is prohibited by state term limits laws from seeking a fifth two-year term in the Senate seat that comprises the eastern portion of Biddeford and all of Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport.
Casavant, elected mayor of Biddeford in November, said he will file his nomination papers with state officials next month as he seeks a fourth two-year term in the House district comprised of wards 1, 2 and 3 in Biddeford and all of Kennebunkport.
“I am definitely running,” Casavant said.
Sullivan said she decided to enter the race because it appeared Casavant was indecisive about his future in the Legislature and she wanted the district to have an experienced candidate on the ballot.
Before replacing Democrat Lloyd LaFountain as District 4 senator in 2004, Sullivan served three two-year terms in Maine House District 17, comprised of much the same areas as House District 137.
House and Senate districts are renumbered each decade as part of redistricting based on federal census data.
“I’m concerned,” Sullivan said. “I did not do this easily.”
Sullivan said she decided to enter the race after Casavant asked for more time to make a decision about running for any Legislative seat, but he said he indicated all along he was interested in seeking a fourth term for the House seat he initially won in 2006.
“I never usually file until mid-February,” he said. “It will be a tough battle, she is breaking with party protocol.”
Sullivan said filing for the race was a partial break from protocol about running against incumbents who can seek re-election, but noted she did not seek a fourth term for her House seat in order to run for the Senate seat LaFountain held. In 2004, Sullivan defeated former Biddeford Mayor Donna Dion in the Democratic primary.
Casavant said he had been clear he was not interested in seeking the Senate seat Sullivan must give up because duties in the Senate would conflict with municipal duties as mayor and chairman of the Biddeford School Committee.
However, Casavant said serving in the House has presented only one scheduling conflict so far as Gov. Paul LePage made his State of the State address Tuesday at the same time as a school committee meeting.
Both candidates worried a contested primary could boost the fortunes of a Republican candidate in the November general election and said new efforts to place a racino in Biddeford would be the most likely topic that could cause disagreement between them.
Sullivan supported a bill in the Legislature to allow Scarborough Downs to relocate to Biddeford while Casavant voted against it. The bill was eventually voted down in the Legislature under the threat of a LePage veto last June.
A statewide referendum seeking approval for racinos in Biddeford and Washington County was defeated in November.
In the interim between Sullivan’s tenure in House District 17 and Casavant’s election in House District 137, Kennebunkport Republican Seavey H. Stedman served one two-year term in the district. Casavant defeated him in 2006.
Biddeford firefighter David E. Dutremble and former Biddeford Legislator Stephen Beaudette have filed to run as Democrats for the Senate District 4 seat.
Maine Governmental Ethics and Election Practices records do not show any Republican candidates have filed to run in House District 137 or Senate District 4.
Staff Writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
Staff Writer
The 2012 race for the Maine House District 137 seat has become a Democratic Party fight between two experienced legislators.
Maine Sen. Nancy Sullivan, now serving Senate District 4, has filed to run for the House seat now held by Rep. Alan Casavant, who also is mayor of Biddeford.
Sullivan is prohibited by state term limits laws from seeking a fifth two-year term in the Senate seat that comprises the eastern portion of Biddeford and all of Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport.
Casavant, elected mayor of Biddeford in November, said he will file his nomination papers with state officials next month as he seeks a fourth two-year term in the House district comprised of wards 1, 2 and 3 in Biddeford and all of Kennebunkport.
“I am definitely running,” Casavant said.
Sullivan said she decided to enter the race because it appeared Casavant was indecisive about his future in the Legislature and she wanted the district to have an experienced candidate on the ballot.
Before replacing Democrat Lloyd LaFountain as District 4 senator in 2004, Sullivan served three two-year terms in Maine House District 17, comprised of much the same areas as House District 137.
House and Senate districts are renumbered each decade as part of redistricting based on federal census data.
“I’m concerned,” Sullivan said. “I did not do this easily.”
Sullivan said she decided to enter the race after Casavant asked for more time to make a decision about running for any Legislative seat, but he said he indicated all along he was interested in seeking a fourth term for the House seat he initially won in 2006.
“I never usually file until mid-February,” he said. “It will be a tough battle, she is breaking with party protocol.”
Sullivan said filing for the race was a partial break from protocol about running against incumbents who can seek re-election, but noted she did not seek a fourth term for her House seat in order to run for the Senate seat LaFountain held. In 2004, Sullivan defeated former Biddeford Mayor Donna Dion in the Democratic primary.
Casavant said he had been clear he was not interested in seeking the Senate seat Sullivan must give up because duties in the Senate would conflict with municipal duties as mayor and chairman of the Biddeford School Committee.
However, Casavant said serving in the House has presented only one scheduling conflict so far as Gov. Paul LePage made his State of the State address Tuesday at the same time as a school committee meeting.
Both candidates worried a contested primary could boost the fortunes of a Republican candidate in the November general election and said new efforts to place a racino in Biddeford would be the most likely topic that could cause disagreement between them.
Sullivan supported a bill in the Legislature to allow Scarborough Downs to relocate to Biddeford while Casavant voted against it. The bill was eventually voted down in the Legislature under the threat of a LePage veto last June.
A statewide referendum seeking approval for racinos in Biddeford and Washington County was defeated in November.
In the interim between Sullivan’s tenure in House District 17 and Casavant’s election in House District 137, Kennebunkport Republican Seavey H. Stedman served one two-year term in the district. Casavant defeated him in 2006.
Biddeford firefighter David E. Dutremble and former Biddeford Legislator Stephen Beaudette have filed to run as Democrats for the Senate District 4 seat.
Maine Governmental Ethics and Election Practices records do not show any Republican candidates have filed to run in House District 137 or Senate District 4.
Staff Writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
In the News - Jan. 26, 2012
Power company
suspends subcontractor
The subcontracting company that employed the Oakland man killed last week in Saco has been indefinitely suspended from working on upgrades of Central Maine Power Co. utility lines.
Power company Spokesman John Carroll said Hawkeye LLC, based in Hauppage, N.Y., will be banned from further work on the Maine Power Reliability Program pending the investigation of the death of John R. Plante.
Plante, 44, died Jan. 16 at Maine Medical Center in Portland after falling while descending from a utility pole off Boom Road, according to Saco Police Deputy Chief Jeffrey Holland.
Holland said the accident occurred just before 4 p.m. at a spot off the road, which prevented emergency crews from immediately reaching him.
Holland said the accident is also under investigation by the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
Plante was reported to have been wearing safety equipment when he fell. Carroll said the company has 30 days to file an incident report with the Maine Public Utilities Commission.
Carroll said all work on the upgrade project in southern Maine was suspended and safety procedures for climbing and descending poles were reviewed.
Homeless woman granted permanent guardian
York County Judge of Probate Donna Bailey declared the Maine Department of Health and Human Services a permanent guardian for a local woman known for her presence on the streets of Biddeford and Saco.
The Jan. 19 hearing on the case of Laurette C. Doyon, 79, who was listed as homeless in court documents, allows the state to manage the affairs and provide shelter for Doyon while reviewing her case annually and presenting findings to the probate court in Alfred.
The department was declared a temporary guardian for Doyon in November in response to worries from local officials that Doyon’s mental and physical health declined so sharply she might not have survived the winter.
An ensuing evaluation by psychologist Kerry Drach determined Doyon was showing signs of mental illness and dementia and “was not able to demonstrate the ability to reason through practical problems around her own safety,” according to court records.
Suspect sought in downtown robbery
Saco police are looking for a male suspect alleged to have robbed the Community Pharmacy at Main and Pleasant streets around 10:45 a.m. on Jan. 19.
Deputy Police Chief Jeffrey Holland said police were called to the downtown pharmacy at 10:49 a.m.
The suspect is believed to be in his 20s or 30s. He allegedly approached the pharmacy counter and handed a clerk a note demanding prescription medication. The suspect allegedly threatened to use a weapon, Holland said.
The suspect was given an undetermined amount of drugs before leaving the store through a rear exit, Holland said. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Employees and customers provided descriptions of the suspect, who is believed to be about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weigh between 180 and 200 pounds. He was wearing a navy blue hooded jacket with an emblem on its left side, blue denim jeans and tattered white and red sneakers, Holland said.
Anyone with information about the robbery or suspect is encouraged to call Saco police at 284-4535.
– Compiled by Staff Writer David Harry
suspends subcontractor
The subcontracting company that employed the Oakland man killed last week in Saco has been indefinitely suspended from working on upgrades of Central Maine Power Co. utility lines.
Power company Spokesman John Carroll said Hawkeye LLC, based in Hauppage, N.Y., will be banned from further work on the Maine Power Reliability Program pending the investigation of the death of John R. Plante.
Plante, 44, died Jan. 16 at Maine Medical Center in Portland after falling while descending from a utility pole off Boom Road, according to Saco Police Deputy Chief Jeffrey Holland.
Holland said the accident occurred just before 4 p.m. at a spot off the road, which prevented emergency crews from immediately reaching him.
Holland said the accident is also under investigation by the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
Plante was reported to have been wearing safety equipment when he fell. Carroll said the company has 30 days to file an incident report with the Maine Public Utilities Commission.
Carroll said all work on the upgrade project in southern Maine was suspended and safety procedures for climbing and descending poles were reviewed.
Homeless woman granted permanent guardian
York County Judge of Probate Donna Bailey declared the Maine Department of Health and Human Services a permanent guardian for a local woman known for her presence on the streets of Biddeford and Saco.
The Jan. 19 hearing on the case of Laurette C. Doyon, 79, who was listed as homeless in court documents, allows the state to manage the affairs and provide shelter for Doyon while reviewing her case annually and presenting findings to the probate court in Alfred.
The department was declared a temporary guardian for Doyon in November in response to worries from local officials that Doyon’s mental and physical health declined so sharply she might not have survived the winter.
An ensuing evaluation by psychologist Kerry Drach determined Doyon was showing signs of mental illness and dementia and “was not able to demonstrate the ability to reason through practical problems around her own safety,” according to court records.
Suspect sought in downtown robbery
Saco police are looking for a male suspect alleged to have robbed the Community Pharmacy at Main and Pleasant streets around 10:45 a.m. on Jan. 19.
Deputy Police Chief Jeffrey Holland said police were called to the downtown pharmacy at 10:49 a.m.
The suspect is believed to be in his 20s or 30s. He allegedly approached the pharmacy counter and handed a clerk a note demanding prescription medication. The suspect allegedly threatened to use a weapon, Holland said.
The suspect was given an undetermined amount of drugs before leaving the store through a rear exit, Holland said. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Employees and customers provided descriptions of the suspect, who is believed to be about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weigh between 180 and 200 pounds. He was wearing a navy blue hooded jacket with an emblem on its left side, blue denim jeans and tattered white and red sneakers, Holland said.
Anyone with information about the robbery or suspect is encouraged to call Saco police at 284-4535.
– Compiled by Staff Writer David Harry
Letters to the editor - Jan. 26, 2012
Thank you again for library upgrade
To the editor:
I know this is late in coming, but I just want to extend to all Old Orchard Beach residents who voted for the Libby Library expansion bond a great big thank you.
I know “thanks” have been given in newspaper interviews immediately after the November election. Signs are up in the library and our wonderful staff has been thanking all our patrons many times over for their support.
But I just wanted to let all know that the behind the scenes work is moving along, working out the details to reach our goal. We are sifting through the mundane nuts and bolts details that will eventually be a wonderful, much needed addition to the library for the citizens of Old Orchard Beach.
Alice T. Langdon
Treasurer, board of trustees
Libby Memorial Library
Old Orchard Beach
Scholarships awarded from ‘Run For Cash’
To the editor:
Christopher Jones of Biddeford, Erica Reaser of Dayton and Michelle Johnson of Old Orchard Beach have all received a $1,000 scholarship from the “Run For Cash” Memorial Scholarship Program.
Christopher is attending the University of Maine, Orono and he is studying business marketing. Erica is attending East Kentucky University majoring in occupational health. Michelle is at the University of New England pursuing a nursing career. We are honored to be able to award these fine students these scholarships. All proceeds from the Cpt. Christopher S. Cash Memorial Family Race Day, known as the “Run For Cash,” provide the funds for this scholarship program. Congratulations to all of you. This year’s race day takes place June 23.
Nancy Lee Kelley
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
www.runforcash.org
Republicans will caucus throughout county
To the editor:
Presidential primary season is rapidly approaching. To date there has been a lot of attention paid to the caucuses and primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Super Tuesday.
Maine residents may be wondering “when is our primary?” Maine isn’t having a presidential primary this election cycle. In Maine the parties have decided to return to the old style of caucuses to select our choices for presidential candidates. The Maine Republican Party has decided to hold its caucuses Feb. 4 to Feb. 11. Old Orchard Beach Republicans will caucus 9:30 a.m. Feb. 4 at the Loranger Middle School cafeteria. Saco Republicans will caucus 9 a.m. Feb. 4 at Saco City Hall auditorium. Biddeford Republicans will caucus 2 p.m. Feb. 11 at the J.R. Martin Community Center in Biddeford. Most other York County Republicans will caucus 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 11 at Sanford High School. Old Orchard Beach and Saco Republicans are welcome and encouraged to attend the county caucus in Sanford, but must attend their local town caucuses for their vote to be counted.
The town caucuses will select representatives to the state convention with its town’s preference for candidate. At the state convention delegates to the national convention will be elected.
In order to caucus with the Republican Party residents must be registered as a Republican. Voters enrolled in other parties must change their enrollment 15 days prior to the caucus. Republicans who moved from a different district, new voters and voters who are not enrolled may register and enroll up until the caucus begins. The registrar will be available one hour prior to the start of the caucus at the caucus location. Residents who will turn 18 prior to November 6, 2012, are eligible to caucus.
If you want a voice in the choice of candidates for president, you have to caucus. If you want to caucus you have to register with a party. Anyone who wants more information on the Republican caucus may contact me at 934-6078 or billg@yorkgop.org.
Bill Gombar, vice chairman
York County Republican Committee
To the editor:
I know this is late in coming, but I just want to extend to all Old Orchard Beach residents who voted for the Libby Library expansion bond a great big thank you.
I know “thanks” have been given in newspaper interviews immediately after the November election. Signs are up in the library and our wonderful staff has been thanking all our patrons many times over for their support.
But I just wanted to let all know that the behind the scenes work is moving along, working out the details to reach our goal. We are sifting through the mundane nuts and bolts details that will eventually be a wonderful, much needed addition to the library for the citizens of Old Orchard Beach.
Alice T. Langdon
Treasurer, board of trustees
Libby Memorial Library
Old Orchard Beach
Scholarships awarded from ‘Run For Cash’
To the editor:
Christopher Jones of Biddeford, Erica Reaser of Dayton and Michelle Johnson of Old Orchard Beach have all received a $1,000 scholarship from the “Run For Cash” Memorial Scholarship Program.
Christopher is attending the University of Maine, Orono and he is studying business marketing. Erica is attending East Kentucky University majoring in occupational health. Michelle is at the University of New England pursuing a nursing career. We are honored to be able to award these fine students these scholarships. All proceeds from the Cpt. Christopher S. Cash Memorial Family Race Day, known as the “Run For Cash,” provide the funds for this scholarship program. Congratulations to all of you. This year’s race day takes place June 23.
Nancy Lee Kelley
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
www.runforcash.org
Republicans will caucus throughout county
To the editor:
Presidential primary season is rapidly approaching. To date there has been a lot of attention paid to the caucuses and primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Super Tuesday.
Maine residents may be wondering “when is our primary?” Maine isn’t having a presidential primary this election cycle. In Maine the parties have decided to return to the old style of caucuses to select our choices for presidential candidates. The Maine Republican Party has decided to hold its caucuses Feb. 4 to Feb. 11. Old Orchard Beach Republicans will caucus 9:30 a.m. Feb. 4 at the Loranger Middle School cafeteria. Saco Republicans will caucus 9 a.m. Feb. 4 at Saco City Hall auditorium. Biddeford Republicans will caucus 2 p.m. Feb. 11 at the J.R. Martin Community Center in Biddeford. Most other York County Republicans will caucus 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 11 at Sanford High School. Old Orchard Beach and Saco Republicans are welcome and encouraged to attend the county caucus in Sanford, but must attend their local town caucuses for their vote to be counted.
The town caucuses will select representatives to the state convention with its town’s preference for candidate. At the state convention delegates to the national convention will be elected.
In order to caucus with the Republican Party residents must be registered as a Republican. Voters enrolled in other parties must change their enrollment 15 days prior to the caucus. Republicans who moved from a different district, new voters and voters who are not enrolled may register and enroll up until the caucus begins. The registrar will be available one hour prior to the start of the caucus at the caucus location. Residents who will turn 18 prior to November 6, 2012, are eligible to caucus.
If you want a voice in the choice of candidates for president, you have to caucus. If you want to caucus you have to register with a party. Anyone who wants more information on the Republican caucus may contact me at 934-6078 or billg@yorkgop.org.
Bill Gombar, vice chairman
York County Republican Committee
Head shop among new Main Street businesses - Jan. 19, 2012
By David Harry
Staff Writer
They came from North Conway, N.H., Portland and just around the corner with Main and Alfred Street in mind as destinations.
Since last fall, six businesses have opened in downtown Biddeford with owners who said the eclectic mix they found provides the promise of potential profits.
“I joke around and say we need to make a Biddeford SoHo here,” said Bella Caruolo, who opened Utopian Tattoo and Body Piercing on Main Street in October.
Caruolo has been joined downtown by Perk Coffee Bar, which re-opened in North Dam Mill earlier this month; Second Hand Sandy’s, an Alfred Street thrift store; M’s Malt Shoppe on Alfred Street; and J and J Antiques and Tebb’s Head Shop on Main Street near Elm Street.
Caruolo relocated her shop from the Old Port in Portland, saying she was drawn by the ethnic restaurants and small stores on Main Street as it stretches downhill to the Saco River. Add a funky clothing boutique to the mix and Caruolo said the environment would be ideal for her customers who may travel from southern New England for three-hour or longer sessions.
In North Dam Mill, Tim Silva and his business partner Stephanie Moore commute from North Conway, N.H., to serve coffee, tea, baked goods and sandwiches Silva makes early each morning.
“I get up at midnight,” Silva said.
Silva said he bought the coffee shop after seeing it advertised on Craigslist and intends to shift his baking operations to North Dam Mill.
It was a sitcom as opposed to Craiglist that provided inspiration for Michele Ayotte, co-owner of M’s Malt Shoppe.
Opened early last fall, M’s is a family place that serves quick meals and snacks, Ayotte said, with an interior that takes her back to her childhood and “Brady Bunch” episodes she watched.
“It’s a little fun and a little different,” she said about the shop she owns with her mother, Dot Letourneau.
John Harkins said there is a simple reason he and his wife, Joan Harkins, opened their antique shop on Main Street.
“My wife happens to own the building – she put a lot of pressure on me to move in,” he joked.
Collectors of antiques for decades, the Harkinses operated in a shop in Saco before shifting to Biddeford in early October. Their store is filled with antique, old and unique items such as vintage Polaroid cameras, furniture, art and collectibles.
About two doors down, Tebb’s Head Shop, managed by Michael Spinney, opened just before Christmas.
“I want to prove we can do it right,” Spinney said about selling water pipes, ceramic and metal pipes, tobacco grinders and jewelry.
The store has drawn attention from Biddeford police and agents from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, according to a Jan. 13 press release from Biddeford Deputy Police Chief JoAnne Fisk.
Fisk said agents learned four youths, one under the age of 18, were hospitalized Jan. 10 after they smoked free herbal incense samples called Legal Phunk. The samples came from Tebb’s Head Shop, Fisk said. Subsequent investigation by police and MDEA agents determined store surveillance cameras were inoperable and samples of Legal Phunk will be analyzed for potential illegal ingredients.
No one has been charged in the incident. Spinney said he has stopped selling Legal Phunk and fixed the cameras. A sign saying why the incense is no longer available was added to signs that warn all customers must be at least 18 and prohibit any mention of illegal use of pipes.
“They misused our product,” Spinney said, adding it was clearly marked as not for human consumption.
Biddeford City Planner Daniel Stevenson and Heart of Biddeford Executive Director Delilah Poupore said the new businesses are the beginning of what they anticipate to be a strong year as business owners find low lease rates and Heart of Biddeford and the city team up to draw three businesses through a package of incentives.
The incentives include local business owners chipping in with legal, promotional and architectural services to get businesses off the ground.
While welcoming the new businesses to the area, chairman of the Downtown Development Commission Chairman Brian Keely (husband of Courier Editor Molly Lovell-Keely) said a lack of downtown parking hampers future development.
A supporter of a downtown parking garage since he joined the commission in 1997, Keely said the lack of on-street parking hurts many local businesses, including the WonderBar, the Washington Street restaurant owned by his father, Vincent Keely.
The city has commissioned a $98,000 study by Portland-based Winton Scott Architects to determine parking needs, including whether a garage might be built behind the Pepperell Campus or on Washington Street.
Stevenson said the study will also show how current parking can be better used, but he disagreed with Keely’s assessment of downtown parking.
“Research shows parking is adequate,” Stevenson said.
Ayotte, who also works at Tan, Tone and Do, a Foss Street salon owned by her mother, said Alfred Street paring is made easier because of the lot adjacent to the Biddeford Police Station. But Keely said available spaces near the WonderBar can be quickly taken when Biddeford District Court is especially active on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or when area residents ignore time limits on spaces on weekends.
With a customer base that could spend money at local restaurants or stores before or after visiting Utopian Tattoo, Caruolo said she really enjoys showing off Biddeford and events like the monthly ArtWalk.
Yet those customers will often spend three or four hours getting new tattoos or getting existing ones touched up, all while there are two-hour parking limits outside the shop.
Caruolo said she sets an alarm to remind her and her customers to move their vehicles.
Several blocks away, Joan and John Harkins said the effects of minimal parking can make it difficult for customers who want to browse or to pull up out front to load what they have bought.
“Everything is full circle for parking,” Keely said.
Staff Writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
Staff Writer
They came from North Conway, N.H., Portland and just around the corner with Main and Alfred Street in mind as destinations.
Since last fall, six businesses have opened in downtown Biddeford with owners who said the eclectic mix they found provides the promise of potential profits.
“I joke around and say we need to make a Biddeford SoHo here,” said Bella Caruolo, who opened Utopian Tattoo and Body Piercing on Main Street in October.
Caruolo has been joined downtown by Perk Coffee Bar, which re-opened in North Dam Mill earlier this month; Second Hand Sandy’s, an Alfred Street thrift store; M’s Malt Shoppe on Alfred Street; and J and J Antiques and Tebb’s Head Shop on Main Street near Elm Street.
Caruolo relocated her shop from the Old Port in Portland, saying she was drawn by the ethnic restaurants and small stores on Main Street as it stretches downhill to the Saco River. Add a funky clothing boutique to the mix and Caruolo said the environment would be ideal for her customers who may travel from southern New England for three-hour or longer sessions.
In North Dam Mill, Tim Silva and his business partner Stephanie Moore commute from North Conway, N.H., to serve coffee, tea, baked goods and sandwiches Silva makes early each morning.
“I get up at midnight,” Silva said.
Silva said he bought the coffee shop after seeing it advertised on Craigslist and intends to shift his baking operations to North Dam Mill.
It was a sitcom as opposed to Craiglist that provided inspiration for Michele Ayotte, co-owner of M’s Malt Shoppe.
Opened early last fall, M’s is a family place that serves quick meals and snacks, Ayotte said, with an interior that takes her back to her childhood and “Brady Bunch” episodes she watched.
“It’s a little fun and a little different,” she said about the shop she owns with her mother, Dot Letourneau.
John Harkins said there is a simple reason he and his wife, Joan Harkins, opened their antique shop on Main Street.
“My wife happens to own the building – she put a lot of pressure on me to move in,” he joked.
Collectors of antiques for decades, the Harkinses operated in a shop in Saco before shifting to Biddeford in early October. Their store is filled with antique, old and unique items such as vintage Polaroid cameras, furniture, art and collectibles.
About two doors down, Tebb’s Head Shop, managed by Michael Spinney, opened just before Christmas.
“I want to prove we can do it right,” Spinney said about selling water pipes, ceramic and metal pipes, tobacco grinders and jewelry.
The store has drawn attention from Biddeford police and agents from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, according to a Jan. 13 press release from Biddeford Deputy Police Chief JoAnne Fisk.
Fisk said agents learned four youths, one under the age of 18, were hospitalized Jan. 10 after they smoked free herbal incense samples called Legal Phunk. The samples came from Tebb’s Head Shop, Fisk said. Subsequent investigation by police and MDEA agents determined store surveillance cameras were inoperable and samples of Legal Phunk will be analyzed for potential illegal ingredients.
No one has been charged in the incident. Spinney said he has stopped selling Legal Phunk and fixed the cameras. A sign saying why the incense is no longer available was added to signs that warn all customers must be at least 18 and prohibit any mention of illegal use of pipes.
“They misused our product,” Spinney said, adding it was clearly marked as not for human consumption.
Biddeford City Planner Daniel Stevenson and Heart of Biddeford Executive Director Delilah Poupore said the new businesses are the beginning of what they anticipate to be a strong year as business owners find low lease rates and Heart of Biddeford and the city team up to draw three businesses through a package of incentives.
The incentives include local business owners chipping in with legal, promotional and architectural services to get businesses off the ground.
While welcoming the new businesses to the area, chairman of the Downtown Development Commission Chairman Brian Keely (husband of Courier Editor Molly Lovell-Keely) said a lack of downtown parking hampers future development.
A supporter of a downtown parking garage since he joined the commission in 1997, Keely said the lack of on-street parking hurts many local businesses, including the WonderBar, the Washington Street restaurant owned by his father, Vincent Keely.
The city has commissioned a $98,000 study by Portland-based Winton Scott Architects to determine parking needs, including whether a garage might be built behind the Pepperell Campus or on Washington Street.
Stevenson said the study will also show how current parking can be better used, but he disagreed with Keely’s assessment of downtown parking.
“Research shows parking is adequate,” Stevenson said.
Ayotte, who also works at Tan, Tone and Do, a Foss Street salon owned by her mother, said Alfred Street paring is made easier because of the lot adjacent to the Biddeford Police Station. But Keely said available spaces near the WonderBar can be quickly taken when Biddeford District Court is especially active on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or when area residents ignore time limits on spaces on weekends.
With a customer base that could spend money at local restaurants or stores before or after visiting Utopian Tattoo, Caruolo said she really enjoys showing off Biddeford and events like the monthly ArtWalk.
Yet those customers will often spend three or four hours getting new tattoos or getting existing ones touched up, all while there are two-hour parking limits outside the shop.
Caruolo said she sets an alarm to remind her and her customers to move their vehicles.
Several blocks away, Joan and John Harkins said the effects of minimal parking can make it difficult for customers who want to browse or to pull up out front to load what they have bought.
“Everything is full circle for parking,” Keely said.
Staff Writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
Great Person Award winner Chris Tillotson is ‘doer’ - Jan. 19, 2012
By David Harry
Staff Writer
Chris Tillotson may have the ability to lead firefighters and local youth, but he is distinctly uncomfortable in the spotlight.
Tillotson, 44, a Saco resident and Portland Fire Department lieutenant, was voted this year’s Courier Great Person.
“I was kind of surprised by the nomination and receiving so many votes,” Tillotson said. “I’m not looking for anything out of the ordinary, just my own satisfaction – I give it my best.”
Nominated by his colleagues in the Portland Fire Department, Lt. Chad Johnston and Firefighter Keith Willett, Tillotson is a man who devotes himself to his job and community, Johnston said.
“I just see it as a normal way of life,” said Tillotson, who has been married to his wife, Lynn, for 16 years. The couple has two daughters, Grace, 10, and Faith, 7.
His “normal way of life” includes volunteering and coaching for his daughters’ sports and artistic activities, volunteering to assist tornado victims last summer in Springfield, Mass., and organizing Portland firefighters to raise money for the American Lung Association by climbing the stairs inside the 52-story Prudential Tower in Boston.
The climb is made in full gear, including the air pack, Willett said.
Johnston said Portland firefighters have raised more than $10,000 with the climbs and set the standard for using full gear.
Tillotson is also known by friends and family for his dedication to physical activity and workouts in the gym. He said sharing the active lifestyle is at the core of volunteering as a coach for his daughters, but fun is always as important as winning.
“The coaching is just joyful,” he said. “Every time I go out it is fun.”
Whether it is soccer, cheering, softball or dance, Tillotson said he loves being there for his daughters and their friends.
“I just love seeing the children having fun. Parents push too much sometimes. Let them be children. My main goal is we will have a lot of fun and the girls will learn a little discipline and respect,” he said.
Promoted to lieutenant this week at the fire department, Tillotson will become part of a handpicked team that will oversee heavy-duty rescues, Johnston said.
“He is a doer. If someone is pinned underneath a freight train, he is the guy I want there,” Johnston said.
In a profession where he does not routinely meet people under the best of circumstances, Tillotson knows how to put people at ease and give them confidence during a crisis, Johnston said.
Tilltoson said he goes to Massachusetts once a month to participate in Urban Search and Rescue training overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Training led to his work helping storm victims in Springfield last summer. His ability to share his knowledge with Portland firefighters has helped the department, Johnston said.
“He has the ability to articulate, never dumbs anything down,” Johnston said. “People walk way feeling ‘I got that.’”
Willett said Tillotson is equally at ease with children.
“He is always genuine. It is all about sitting and laughing and enjoying them as they grow up,” he said.
A native of upstate New York, Johnston said he grew up on a dairy farm and learned the value of hard work and leadership at an early age. He served in the Army during the Gulf War era, including a year on the Demilitarized Zone that divides North and South Korea.
He became a firefighter while living near Orlando, Fla., he said. That is also where he met his wife, Lynn.
“For 16 years, I have been telling her she was married to a Great Person,” he joked.
Becoming this year’s Great Person is bittersweet for Tillotson and his family, he said, because of the death of his father-in-law, Saco resident Paul W. Tousignant.
Tousignant died Jan. 10 and Tillotson said he was a far more deserving Great Person to be recognized.
“I would dedicate this to him,” Tillotson said. “I learned a lot from him and we were blessed to have him in our lives.”
What Tillotson views as ordinary is what Johnston and Willett and local Great Person Award voters find to be great.
“I have known him 11 years. He is just a really great guy who works hard for his family and the community,” Willett said.
“I just try to stay as involved as possible with God, family and friends,” Tillotson said.
Staff Writer
Chris Tillotson may have the ability to lead firefighters and local youth, but he is distinctly uncomfortable in the spotlight.
Tillotson, 44, a Saco resident and Portland Fire Department lieutenant, was voted this year’s Courier Great Person.
“I was kind of surprised by the nomination and receiving so many votes,” Tillotson said. “I’m not looking for anything out of the ordinary, just my own satisfaction – I give it my best.”
Nominated by his colleagues in the Portland Fire Department, Lt. Chad Johnston and Firefighter Keith Willett, Tillotson is a man who devotes himself to his job and community, Johnston said.
“I just see it as a normal way of life,” said Tillotson, who has been married to his wife, Lynn, for 16 years. The couple has two daughters, Grace, 10, and Faith, 7.
His “normal way of life” includes volunteering and coaching for his daughters’ sports and artistic activities, volunteering to assist tornado victims last summer in Springfield, Mass., and organizing Portland firefighters to raise money for the American Lung Association by climbing the stairs inside the 52-story Prudential Tower in Boston.
The climb is made in full gear, including the air pack, Willett said.
Johnston said Portland firefighters have raised more than $10,000 with the climbs and set the standard for using full gear.
Tillotson is also known by friends and family for his dedication to physical activity and workouts in the gym. He said sharing the active lifestyle is at the core of volunteering as a coach for his daughters, but fun is always as important as winning.
“The coaching is just joyful,” he said. “Every time I go out it is fun.”
Whether it is soccer, cheering, softball or dance, Tillotson said he loves being there for his daughters and their friends.
“I just love seeing the children having fun. Parents push too much sometimes. Let them be children. My main goal is we will have a lot of fun and the girls will learn a little discipline and respect,” he said.
Promoted to lieutenant this week at the fire department, Tillotson will become part of a handpicked team that will oversee heavy-duty rescues, Johnston said.
“He is a doer. If someone is pinned underneath a freight train, he is the guy I want there,” Johnston said.
In a profession where he does not routinely meet people under the best of circumstances, Tillotson knows how to put people at ease and give them confidence during a crisis, Johnston said.
Tilltoson said he goes to Massachusetts once a month to participate in Urban Search and Rescue training overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Training led to his work helping storm victims in Springfield last summer. His ability to share his knowledge with Portland firefighters has helped the department, Johnston said.
“He has the ability to articulate, never dumbs anything down,” Johnston said. “People walk way feeling ‘I got that.’”
Willett said Tillotson is equally at ease with children.
“He is always genuine. It is all about sitting and laughing and enjoying them as they grow up,” he said.
A native of upstate New York, Johnston said he grew up on a dairy farm and learned the value of hard work and leadership at an early age. He served in the Army during the Gulf War era, including a year on the Demilitarized Zone that divides North and South Korea.
He became a firefighter while living near Orlando, Fla., he said. That is also where he met his wife, Lynn.
“For 16 years, I have been telling her she was married to a Great Person,” he joked.
Becoming this year’s Great Person is bittersweet for Tillotson and his family, he said, because of the death of his father-in-law, Saco resident Paul W. Tousignant.
Tousignant died Jan. 10 and Tillotson said he was a far more deserving Great Person to be recognized.
“I would dedicate this to him,” Tillotson said. “I learned a lot from him and we were blessed to have him in our lives.”
What Tillotson views as ordinary is what Johnston and Willett and local Great Person Award voters find to be great.
“I have known him 11 years. He is just a really great guy who works hard for his family and the community,” Willett said.
“I just try to stay as involved as possible with God, family and friends,” Tillotson said.
Stage is second home to Saco teen - Jan. 19, 2012
By Gillian Graham
Staff Writer
If Alison Folsom has learned one thing in her 17 years, it’s that “a stage, is a stage, is a stage.”
That attitude has allowed the Saco teen to shine brightly in the spotlight of both pageants and theatrical performances.
“I’ve called stage home for a long time,” she said.
Crowned Miss Maine’s Outstanding Teen last summer, Folsom returned Sunday from a trip to the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas. There, she supported Miss Maine Julia Furtado, toured Wayne Newton’s ranch and performed a dance number on the Miss America stage.
“The stage looks so big on TV, but it’s really not that huge,” Folsom said.
Folsom, whose interest in pageants began several years ago, said it was interesting to see how the Miss America pageant works behind the scenes. During breaks for commercials, hair and make-up artists would rush on stage to fix up contestants.
“That was really unique and a cool way to seeing it,” Folsom said.
During the week leading up to the pageant, Miss America contestants are kept under tight security, Folsom said. She was allowed a quick daily visit with Furtado, a 19-year-old University of New England student from Dayton.
“It was really nice to have those half-hour blocks to get to support our misses,” she said.
Folsom said she also enjoyed spending a stress-free week with other Outstanding Teens, who she first met last summer during the national pageant in Florida. In addition to the dance number, the teens visited a children’s hospital and talked about their platforms and experiences.
Though Folsom now has several pageants under her belt, it wasn’t long ago that she had never even seen a pageant on television. Pageants caught her interest in 2006 when friend Karissa Staples was crowned Miss Maine. Folsom’s older sister, Shannon, has also been crowned Miss Maine’s Outstanding Teen.
Folsom said her first pageant experience was with Miss Teen USA, the pageant system that also crowns Miss USA. She said that pageant organization is more modeling based than the Miss America system, which focuses on providing college scholarships. She said the switch to the Miss America organization was a good fit for her focus on academics and singing.
“I really like it because it’s not all about beauty,” she said. “I really like to perform on stage, which is a big component.”
Folsom’s early pageant experiences led to a modeling contract. She is now signed with New England Models Group, a Manchester, N.H.,-based agency that focuses on both modeling and acting. Her first runway experience was modeling pieces by Australian and Canadian designers during Boston Fashion Week in September.
“That was exhilarating,” she said. “It was a really long runway. I felt like I was in Paris because it was such a professional setting.”
Now that she is home from Las Vegas, Folsom is switching her focus back to finishing her senior year at Thornton Academy and performing in the school’s production of “Phantom of the Opera.” Singing and performing in community theater since age 6, she said she is looking forward to the challenge of the production.
In the fall Folsom will head to the University of Maine in Orono as an animal and veterinary science major. She was awarded a $32,000 Maine Merit Scholarship, the highest scholarship given by the university. She said she plans to become a veterinarian, a continuation of her pageant platform to help homeless animals by promoting adoption, volunteer opportunities and donations to animal shelters.
Folsom said she hasn’t ruled out the possibility of future pageants, but doesn’t want to compete for the Miss Maine title against her sister.
“I think it would be a nice opportunity someday,” she said.
Staff Writer
If Alison Folsom has learned one thing in her 17 years, it’s that “a stage, is a stage, is a stage.”
That attitude has allowed the Saco teen to shine brightly in the spotlight of both pageants and theatrical performances.
“I’ve called stage home for a long time,” she said.
Crowned Miss Maine’s Outstanding Teen last summer, Folsom returned Sunday from a trip to the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas. There, she supported Miss Maine Julia Furtado, toured Wayne Newton’s ranch and performed a dance number on the Miss America stage.
“The stage looks so big on TV, but it’s really not that huge,” Folsom said.
Folsom, whose interest in pageants began several years ago, said it was interesting to see how the Miss America pageant works behind the scenes. During breaks for commercials, hair and make-up artists would rush on stage to fix up contestants.
“That was really unique and a cool way to seeing it,” Folsom said.
During the week leading up to the pageant, Miss America contestants are kept under tight security, Folsom said. She was allowed a quick daily visit with Furtado, a 19-year-old University of New England student from Dayton.
“It was really nice to have those half-hour blocks to get to support our misses,” she said.
Folsom said she also enjoyed spending a stress-free week with other Outstanding Teens, who she first met last summer during the national pageant in Florida. In addition to the dance number, the teens visited a children’s hospital and talked about their platforms and experiences.
Though Folsom now has several pageants under her belt, it wasn’t long ago that she had never even seen a pageant on television. Pageants caught her interest in 2006 when friend Karissa Staples was crowned Miss Maine. Folsom’s older sister, Shannon, has also been crowned Miss Maine’s Outstanding Teen.
Folsom said her first pageant experience was with Miss Teen USA, the pageant system that also crowns Miss USA. She said that pageant organization is more modeling based than the Miss America system, which focuses on providing college scholarships. She said the switch to the Miss America organization was a good fit for her focus on academics and singing.
“I really like it because it’s not all about beauty,” she said. “I really like to perform on stage, which is a big component.”
Folsom’s early pageant experiences led to a modeling contract. She is now signed with New England Models Group, a Manchester, N.H.,-based agency that focuses on both modeling and acting. Her first runway experience was modeling pieces by Australian and Canadian designers during Boston Fashion Week in September.
“That was exhilarating,” she said. “It was a really long runway. I felt like I was in Paris because it was such a professional setting.”
Now that she is home from Las Vegas, Folsom is switching her focus back to finishing her senior year at Thornton Academy and performing in the school’s production of “Phantom of the Opera.” Singing and performing in community theater since age 6, she said she is looking forward to the challenge of the production.
In the fall Folsom will head to the University of Maine in Orono as an animal and veterinary science major. She was awarded a $32,000 Maine Merit Scholarship, the highest scholarship given by the university. She said she plans to become a veterinarian, a continuation of her pageant platform to help homeless animals by promoting adoption, volunteer opportunities and donations to animal shelters.
Folsom said she hasn’t ruled out the possibility of future pageants, but doesn’t want to compete for the Miss Maine title against her sister.
“I think it would be a nice opportunity someday,” she said.
Retiring superintendent loves ‘good challenge’ - Jan. 19, 2012
By David Harry
Staff Writer
Last week, Biddeford School Superintendent Sarah-Jane Poli announced she will retire at the end of June.
Now in her eighth year as superintendent, Poli will have taught and administered in city schools for 48 years when she retires. A Biddeford native, Poli, 70, also attended local public schools.
Mayor Alan Casavant, who recalled having Poli as his teacher in junior high school, said efforts to replace Poli will begin shortly, perhaps with a candidate search conducted by the nonprofit Maine School Management Association.
Q: How did your career evolve to becoming superintendent?
A: It has all been in Biddeford. I was nine years as a teacher, became curriculum director for 28 years, was assistant superintendent for three years and this is my eighth year as superintendent.
Q: Why retire now?
A: I actually made up my mind at least two years ago, but the high school project came up and I love a good challenge. So I said “I have to go through that process.” It will be a few more months for the building to be completed, so it is a good time to leave. There are lots of changes occurring in Augusta that affect educators, so it is a good to time to (leave). Plus, I have family that would love to have me home for a while. I live with a sister and a brother. They would like to go out and do things.
Q: Did you aspire to or imagine you would be superintendent?
A: No, never. I always knew I would be a teacher. When I went on for my master’s curriculum work really interested me. My sister was involved in Connecticut with curriculum work and she would come home and tell me all about it. I really got excited about that and decided to pursue the curriculum position. They convinced me I needed to apply as assistant superintendent and then another superintendent convinced me I should apply for the superintendency. I never really had any intention of applying for it. I received letters from former students saying “now’s the time you should apply for it.” So I thought I would throw my name into the ring and see what happens, and I got it.
Q: This is a progression that takes you away from the classroom to some degree.
A: It does, and it was difficult because I enjoyed working with students. I had a great time in my math classroom. But like every other job you get into, you get overly involved. Working with staff was another interesting component. It was really hard to give up working with staff when I moved into the superintendency, but then I had a whole new staff and leadership team. It is always a learning experience.
Q: How have curriculum needs changed over the years?
A: I really think youngsters need a hands-on curriculum. I am a big supporter of vocational schools, the arts, industrial arts and life skills, even though they don’t call that home (economics) any more. I think the youngsters of Biddeford need to have those experiences and have to know how to do those things because in many cases they are assisting their parents in the home because you usually have two parents working. They want something better for their youngsters. When I was a math teacher, I used hands-on manipulatives in my classroom.
Q: Is it difficult to balance curriculum for job skills with subjects to create a wider base of knowledge?
A: It is very difficult. There are things we would love to be offering, but can’t afford to offer. That is where collaborative education can come in. Before the RSU consolidation, the local school districts were discussing how to collaborate and consolidation consumed a lot of people’s time. We are just going back to discussing collaboration because every school district knows it cannot offer everything. By working together, maybe we can offer students a variety of programs. A good example is Old Orchard Beach is discussing putting in a culinary arts program. We would eventually like to do that in Biddeford, but our facilities need to be renovated. So we would be willing to send students to Old Orchard Beach who would be interested in taking that kind of program.
Q: What are the strengths of Biddeford schools in any collaboration?
A: I think we offer some academic programs other school districts offer, but our approach is a little different. We have a strong special education component and the vocational school and have increased our Advanced Placement courses. We already collaborate on our school calendar because of our center of technology. We have four or five school districts that come to Biddeford.
Q: What has remained similar and what has changed about keeping students engaged?
A: We are competing with technology. Teachers have had to learn how to use technology in the classroom because that is what the youngsters understand. I think another big change is getting students up and around so they are not sitting in their seats for 40 minutes at a time.
Q: Do you think attention spans are shorter?
A: I think so because of TV. Commercials come at you so often. Despite all of the technology out there, I am still amazed when I go to McArthur Library and see how many people are using it. Maybe they are using the computers, but people are still reading books as well. I know I want a hard copy, I want to hold something in my hand.
Q: How does technology affect creating a school budget?
A: We do have to set a certain amount for the state EPS (Essential Programs and Services) for technology, so you have to take that into consideration. Basically, we only have about 10 or 12 percent, so much is fixed with utilities or salaries and benefits. We really don’t have a whole lot. In some instances, we have been able to use federal funds to purchase technology. We were able to do that with some ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly called the Stimulus Act) funds and we have had some from the local budget. But you have to be very careful, looking at the pros and cons each time. There is so much out there, everyone wants the latest thing. We are seeing some positive things with our iPads, but we are being cautious there. Can an iPad do everything a computer does? We can buy more iPads than we can buy computers, but can we do the things we want to do with them? Can we use it as an academic piece?
Q: Is it more difficult to keep up with technological advances now?
A: I think we have to do a lot more staff development training. A few years ago, I took training on the iPod, and I am thinking OK, how am I going to use this in education? But you can, there’s a number of things you can do. Now I am learning how to use the iPad.
Q: How does the new technology affect department policy making?
A: We are looking at more policies and are hoping for some guidance from the Department of Education regarding cyber bullying and the courts because we are beginning to see more and more cases. Anytime you pick up a newspaper, you read about a cyber-bullying case. Maybe not here in Biddeford, but somewhere else, so we are well aware that can occur at any time.
Q: What are some of the best memories of your career?
A: I think I am proud of the fact I had an opportunity to construct Biddeford Middle School and now the renovation of Biddeford High School. Also, what goes with that is hiring good people to work in the district. We have worked very hard to make sure we have the right people.
Q: What have been some of the difficult moments?
A: I started so many programs through the years. Then over the last two years to see those programs being eliminated is really, really difficult. But even more so, to see some of the staff members go that I worked with and hired, that was really difficult to tell them their positions are being eliminated. It was probably the most difficult thing I have ever had to do.
Q: How difficult is was it to do labor negotiations after being a teacher?
A: I’ve negotiated many contracts and been on both sides of the table. I am now living with some decisions I made as an educator and how those interpretations have changed over the years. We are going to be negotiating six contracts again. I said I’d never be around for it, but I am. I think it will be a big thing for a new superintendent if they are not resolved. I hope they will be resolved. It is a big thing, understanding the community, the politics of the community and understanding just how much money we have and trying to get that across to the various unions. We did something different the last time with three of the unions, we did problem solving negotiations and I loved it. It was really nice, we left as a team. In traditional negotiations, you end up not so positive at the end.
Q: Does it take a personal toll?
A: I found in the last round of negotiations, the unions were saying “well Sarah-Jane, you are here, you understand this, but we have to make it clearer for the next superintendent.” And I’m saying, “yes you do.” We have some very good collective bargain agreements with some good language in them.
Q: Is there anything about this job you think the public does not fully understand?
A: The whole thing. I don’t think the public realizes that school is a business and you have to run it like a business. You are not making a profit, but you have to make sure you are in your budget. It is a great learning experience. I look at position of superintendent as equal to the position of CEO of any company. You have to be on top of everything and make sure you have all the key people in place. I don’t think people realize the financial impact.
Q: As you progressed from teacher to superintendent, what parts of your personality developed?
A: I was a hard teacher is what my students tell me. I wanted the best from them and I did get the best from them. I think I have mellowed through the ages. As superintendent, you have to think of all aspects, you just can’t jump to conclusions. There are many sides to many stories and you have to listen to all of them and then make decisions based on what you have found out from people. That was a learning experience for me. When I moved to management, from teacher to curriculum director, I was challenged. I had to make a decision, was I a teacher or am I management? I had to be management, and some of my best friends when I was teaching thought “she has really gone on the other side.” I had to, it was my job to look at the whole thing. Mayor Casavant is going to see that. He is now CEO of the city. He has got to balance education with the city side, now he is going to learn the whole thing. I’m actually going to see him grow into another position.
Q: What will you miss most?
A: The people, definitely. I love going into the schools and seeing the youngsters because they are funny and they are cute. They always have something to say with a big smile on their face and I will miss that.
Q: What remains constant in students to you?
A: School is a safe haven for our students, they are able to get the love they need, the attention they need and they have all kinds of programs for them. I think we have picked up more of the social aspect from when I was a youngster to now. But I think that is everywhere because parents are working. Most homes have both parents working or are single parents and they are just not able to do all those things so the school has to pick up.
Q: What kind of pressure does more standardized testing put on curriculum development?
A: A lot of pressure. I guess I’ve never understood why we are not measuring the same group of kids to see the growth in the kids from one year to another. We started out testing grades four, eight and 11, but we never test those kids again. Fourth-graders one year are completely different from fourth-graders another year. I used to take that into consideration, but I also look at other means of assessment because I wanted to see the growth in our students. Hopefully with the Common Core (new curriculum programs), we will see more growth model comparisons than grade level to grade level comparisons. I think we test too much. It consumes an awfully long part of a teacher’s day when they could be doing other activities. Testing is just one means of judging. Some students do well on one type of assessment and very poorly on another type of assessment.
Staff Writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
Staff Writer
Last week, Biddeford School Superintendent Sarah-Jane Poli announced she will retire at the end of June.
Now in her eighth year as superintendent, Poli will have taught and administered in city schools for 48 years when she retires. A Biddeford native, Poli, 70, also attended local public schools.
Mayor Alan Casavant, who recalled having Poli as his teacher in junior high school, said efforts to replace Poli will begin shortly, perhaps with a candidate search conducted by the nonprofit Maine School Management Association.
Q: How did your career evolve to becoming superintendent?
A: It has all been in Biddeford. I was nine years as a teacher, became curriculum director for 28 years, was assistant superintendent for three years and this is my eighth year as superintendent.
Q: Why retire now?
A: I actually made up my mind at least two years ago, but the high school project came up and I love a good challenge. So I said “I have to go through that process.” It will be a few more months for the building to be completed, so it is a good time to leave. There are lots of changes occurring in Augusta that affect educators, so it is a good to time to (leave). Plus, I have family that would love to have me home for a while. I live with a sister and a brother. They would like to go out and do things.
Q: Did you aspire to or imagine you would be superintendent?
A: No, never. I always knew I would be a teacher. When I went on for my master’s curriculum work really interested me. My sister was involved in Connecticut with curriculum work and she would come home and tell me all about it. I really got excited about that and decided to pursue the curriculum position. They convinced me I needed to apply as assistant superintendent and then another superintendent convinced me I should apply for the superintendency. I never really had any intention of applying for it. I received letters from former students saying “now’s the time you should apply for it.” So I thought I would throw my name into the ring and see what happens, and I got it.
Q: This is a progression that takes you away from the classroom to some degree.
A: It does, and it was difficult because I enjoyed working with students. I had a great time in my math classroom. But like every other job you get into, you get overly involved. Working with staff was another interesting component. It was really hard to give up working with staff when I moved into the superintendency, but then I had a whole new staff and leadership team. It is always a learning experience.
Q: How have curriculum needs changed over the years?
A: I really think youngsters need a hands-on curriculum. I am a big supporter of vocational schools, the arts, industrial arts and life skills, even though they don’t call that home (economics) any more. I think the youngsters of Biddeford need to have those experiences and have to know how to do those things because in many cases they are assisting their parents in the home because you usually have two parents working. They want something better for their youngsters. When I was a math teacher, I used hands-on manipulatives in my classroom.
Q: Is it difficult to balance curriculum for job skills with subjects to create a wider base of knowledge?
A: It is very difficult. There are things we would love to be offering, but can’t afford to offer. That is where collaborative education can come in. Before the RSU consolidation, the local school districts were discussing how to collaborate and consolidation consumed a lot of people’s time. We are just going back to discussing collaboration because every school district knows it cannot offer everything. By working together, maybe we can offer students a variety of programs. A good example is Old Orchard Beach is discussing putting in a culinary arts program. We would eventually like to do that in Biddeford, but our facilities need to be renovated. So we would be willing to send students to Old Orchard Beach who would be interested in taking that kind of program.
Q: What are the strengths of Biddeford schools in any collaboration?
A: I think we offer some academic programs other school districts offer, but our approach is a little different. We have a strong special education component and the vocational school and have increased our Advanced Placement courses. We already collaborate on our school calendar because of our center of technology. We have four or five school districts that come to Biddeford.
Q: What has remained similar and what has changed about keeping students engaged?
A: We are competing with technology. Teachers have had to learn how to use technology in the classroom because that is what the youngsters understand. I think another big change is getting students up and around so they are not sitting in their seats for 40 minutes at a time.
Q: Do you think attention spans are shorter?
A: I think so because of TV. Commercials come at you so often. Despite all of the technology out there, I am still amazed when I go to McArthur Library and see how many people are using it. Maybe they are using the computers, but people are still reading books as well. I know I want a hard copy, I want to hold something in my hand.
Q: How does technology affect creating a school budget?
A: We do have to set a certain amount for the state EPS (Essential Programs and Services) for technology, so you have to take that into consideration. Basically, we only have about 10 or 12 percent, so much is fixed with utilities or salaries and benefits. We really don’t have a whole lot. In some instances, we have been able to use federal funds to purchase technology. We were able to do that with some ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly called the Stimulus Act) funds and we have had some from the local budget. But you have to be very careful, looking at the pros and cons each time. There is so much out there, everyone wants the latest thing. We are seeing some positive things with our iPads, but we are being cautious there. Can an iPad do everything a computer does? We can buy more iPads than we can buy computers, but can we do the things we want to do with them? Can we use it as an academic piece?
Q: Is it more difficult to keep up with technological advances now?
A: I think we have to do a lot more staff development training. A few years ago, I took training on the iPod, and I am thinking OK, how am I going to use this in education? But you can, there’s a number of things you can do. Now I am learning how to use the iPad.
Q: How does the new technology affect department policy making?
A: We are looking at more policies and are hoping for some guidance from the Department of Education regarding cyber bullying and the courts because we are beginning to see more and more cases. Anytime you pick up a newspaper, you read about a cyber-bullying case. Maybe not here in Biddeford, but somewhere else, so we are well aware that can occur at any time.
Q: What are some of the best memories of your career?
A: I think I am proud of the fact I had an opportunity to construct Biddeford Middle School and now the renovation of Biddeford High School. Also, what goes with that is hiring good people to work in the district. We have worked very hard to make sure we have the right people.
Q: What have been some of the difficult moments?
A: I started so many programs through the years. Then over the last two years to see those programs being eliminated is really, really difficult. But even more so, to see some of the staff members go that I worked with and hired, that was really difficult to tell them their positions are being eliminated. It was probably the most difficult thing I have ever had to do.
Q: How difficult is was it to do labor negotiations after being a teacher?
A: I’ve negotiated many contracts and been on both sides of the table. I am now living with some decisions I made as an educator and how those interpretations have changed over the years. We are going to be negotiating six contracts again. I said I’d never be around for it, but I am. I think it will be a big thing for a new superintendent if they are not resolved. I hope they will be resolved. It is a big thing, understanding the community, the politics of the community and understanding just how much money we have and trying to get that across to the various unions. We did something different the last time with three of the unions, we did problem solving negotiations and I loved it. It was really nice, we left as a team. In traditional negotiations, you end up not so positive at the end.
Q: Does it take a personal toll?
A: I found in the last round of negotiations, the unions were saying “well Sarah-Jane, you are here, you understand this, but we have to make it clearer for the next superintendent.” And I’m saying, “yes you do.” We have some very good collective bargain agreements with some good language in them.
Q: Is there anything about this job you think the public does not fully understand?
A: The whole thing. I don’t think the public realizes that school is a business and you have to run it like a business. You are not making a profit, but you have to make sure you are in your budget. It is a great learning experience. I look at position of superintendent as equal to the position of CEO of any company. You have to be on top of everything and make sure you have all the key people in place. I don’t think people realize the financial impact.
Q: As you progressed from teacher to superintendent, what parts of your personality developed?
A: I was a hard teacher is what my students tell me. I wanted the best from them and I did get the best from them. I think I have mellowed through the ages. As superintendent, you have to think of all aspects, you just can’t jump to conclusions. There are many sides to many stories and you have to listen to all of them and then make decisions based on what you have found out from people. That was a learning experience for me. When I moved to management, from teacher to curriculum director, I was challenged. I had to make a decision, was I a teacher or am I management? I had to be management, and some of my best friends when I was teaching thought “she has really gone on the other side.” I had to, it was my job to look at the whole thing. Mayor Casavant is going to see that. He is now CEO of the city. He has got to balance education with the city side, now he is going to learn the whole thing. I’m actually going to see him grow into another position.
Q: What will you miss most?
A: The people, definitely. I love going into the schools and seeing the youngsters because they are funny and they are cute. They always have something to say with a big smile on their face and I will miss that.
Q: What remains constant in students to you?
A: School is a safe haven for our students, they are able to get the love they need, the attention they need and they have all kinds of programs for them. I think we have picked up more of the social aspect from when I was a youngster to now. But I think that is everywhere because parents are working. Most homes have both parents working or are single parents and they are just not able to do all those things so the school has to pick up.
Q: What kind of pressure does more standardized testing put on curriculum development?
A: A lot of pressure. I guess I’ve never understood why we are not measuring the same group of kids to see the growth in the kids from one year to another. We started out testing grades four, eight and 11, but we never test those kids again. Fourth-graders one year are completely different from fourth-graders another year. I used to take that into consideration, but I also look at other means of assessment because I wanted to see the growth in our students. Hopefully with the Common Core (new curriculum programs), we will see more growth model comparisons than grade level to grade level comparisons. I think we test too much. It consumes an awfully long part of a teacher’s day when they could be doing other activities. Testing is just one means of judging. Some students do well on one type of assessment and very poorly on another type of assessment.
Staff Writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
State takes notice of teen drivers - Jan. 19, 2012
By Gillian Graham
Staff Writer
Officials are seeking input on ways to update Maine driver’s education curriculum in the wake of three accidents in January that killed young drivers and passengers.
Secretary of State Charles Summers is hosting a series of “Conversations with the Communities” across the state to solicit ideas from parents and teens about an overhaul to teen driving laws. The state’s driver’s education curriculum was last updated in 1996.
The next “Conversations with Communities” will be held at 6 p.m. Monday at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in Portland. A link to watch a live stream of the session is available on the Secretary of State’s website. The first session was held earlier this month in Kennebunk.
Gov. Paul LePage designated January “Young Driver Safety Awareness Month,” an announcement that came the Monday after a weekend of deadly accidents that involved people younger than 20.
Chaz Dorais, 19, of Biddeford, died Jan. 8 when the car in which he was riding failed to negotiate a curve and crashed into a garage on West Street in Biddeford. A 20-year-old Wilton woman died in a Jan. 8 crash in Freeman Township.
The day before, 16-year-old Rebecca Mason of West Paris and 19-year-old Logan Dam of Norway were killed in a crash on Route 219 in West Paris. The driver, 19-year-old Kristina Lowe of West Paris, had allegedly been drinking at a party and was sending a text message when she hit an icy patch of road, according to police.
Summers said statistics related to teen driving are eye-opening: 16- to 24-year-olds make up 11.4 percent of drivers, but account for one-third of all fatalities and nearly 40 percent of all accidents.
“Those statistics alone caught my attention,” he said.
Summers said he recognizes the importance of including teenagers in conversations about driver’s education, especially at a time when they hear about deadly crashes on Maine roads. His interest in overhauling the curriculum was first piqued after talking with a group of high school students in Washington County.
“That led me to investigate how long it had been since Maine updated driver’s education curriculum,” he said. “We still doing business the way we were 16 years ago.”
Summer said he was surprised to find the last time was 1996 – the same year he shared one computer with Internet access with Sen. Olympia Snowe’s entire Portland staff. Since then, different technologies have emerged that can be used in classrooms, including lap top computers and interactive driving simulators, he said.
Jaime Kelly, co-owner of GoDriving.co in Biddeford, said current state regulations require teenagers younger than 18 to take a 30-hour class and spend 10 hours driving with a state-certified instructor. They must then complete 35 hours of practice driving with an adult and have a learner’s permit for six months before applying for a driver’s license.
Kelly said increasing the number of driving hours with an instructor would be beneficial for young drivers.
“It’s good, it’s a lot better than in other states, but I think it should be more,” he said. “Anything more than what we have now is better.”
Kelly said he also feels curriculum needs to be updated to include current statistics and videos. Some videos currently shown in class were made before the students were born, he said.
Kelly said it is also important to incorporate into class discussions about fatal accidents and how to make responsible decisions. He said he doesn’t think it hurts to “put a little fear” into young drivers by sharing details and images of serious accidents.
“I always say this isn’t a video game where if you crash and die you hit reset,” he said.
As required under state law, Summers has put together a Technical Review Panel to look at curriculum and suggest updates. The panel will gather public input through Conversations with Communities then submit a report to the Legislature’s Transportation Committee by the end of February.
Summers said he expects the Legislature to work on overhauling the driver’s education curriculum during the current session.
“The Legislature has been incredibly receptive and supportive in this effort,” he said. “This is a very serious issue that needs community involvement.”
Also supportive of the process is Sarah Beth Campisi, a 15-year-old sophomore at Thornton Academy in Saco. She became a student representative to the Technical Review Panel after she interviewed Summers for a journalism class.
Summers said Campisi’s input is especially valuable because she recently completed driver’s education classes and has her learner’s permit.
“To be able to put in my two cents about it is important to me,” Campisi said. “I think if they could do anything they could focus more on distracted driving.”
Campisi said it is also important to use news stories about accidents to help teenagers understand the responsibility they take on when they get in cars. While some teen drivers are mindful of risks, others seem to think accidents won’t happen to them, she said.
“If they could push (news stories) a little more that would get their attention,” she said.
Campisi said she and many of her peers think state officials should increase the number of practice hours required before teens apply for a license. Currently, teens must log 35 hours of driving time, including five hours of nighttime driving.
Campisi’s mother, Julie, said she agrees that more practice driving should be required, especially for highway driving. She also feels parents play an important role, both through setting a good example and having open conversations with their children about the dangers of distracted driving.
“Any time there is an accident in the paper, we talk about it,” Julie Campisi said. “I think it would be invaluable if they could set up a program where they have guest speakers with those parents who have lost children in accidents. To hear the parents speak, it’s heart wrenching.”
Julie Campisi said she also feels it is important to properly educate teenagers about the dangers of distracted driving because they have easy access to cell phones, iPods and other electronic devices. She said she often finds school parking lots to be the “scariest place on Earth” because of the number of young drivers on cell phones.
“It’s a leap of faith,” Julie Campisi said. “You just have to hope once they get behind the wheel that they take that responsibility seriously.”
Biddeford Police Chief Roger Beaupre and Kennebunk Police Chief Robert MacKenzie said they feel it is time to update curriculum and stress to teen drivers the importance of acting responsibly behind the wheel.
MacKenzie attended the Kennebunk session with Summers and listened as more than 30 people talked about their experiences and changes that may be needed. He said he feels drinking and driving continues to be an important issue that needs to be presented to young drivers.
MacKenzie said Kennebunk’s school resource officer has used driving simulators with students. He also conceived the idea of “Point of No Return,” a movie about teens in different scenarios that was produced by Video Creations of Kennebunk. The movie, which shows teens making decisions about drinking and driving, is now being distributed nationally. The movie ends with a fatal car accident.
“It’s very realistic, that was very important to us,” he said of the video, which was first shown to Kennebunk High School students. “There was dead silence during the movie and when it ended you could hear a pin drop.”
MacKenzie and Beaupre agree it is important for parents to take an active role in educating their teenagers about driving safety.
Beaupre said his department will offer a series of teen driver courses about the liabilities, rights and obligations parents have when they have a teen driver. The sessions are targeted to parents of soon-to-be or new teen drivers, includes presentations and interactive discussions and is free to anyone who is interested.
“We encourage parents to come and bring their teens,” Beaupre said.
Beaupre said education and experience are important factors in preparing teens to drive responsibly and ignore distractions that come from technology and passengers.
“There’s nothing like experience to teach people the proper way to handle a vehicle,” he said. “It’s all about attitude and courtesy. They need to be mindful of the fact that they’re in control of metal and glass that weighs 1 ton or better.”
The Biddeford sessions are scheduled for 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 8; 6 to 7 p.m. March 6; and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. April 4 in the second floor classroom at Biddeford Police Department. For more information, call Sgt. Ricky Doyon at 282-5127.
For more information about “Conversations with Communities,” go to www.maine.gov/sos.
Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 220.
Staff Writer
Officials are seeking input on ways to update Maine driver’s education curriculum in the wake of three accidents in January that killed young drivers and passengers.
Secretary of State Charles Summers is hosting a series of “Conversations with the Communities” across the state to solicit ideas from parents and teens about an overhaul to teen driving laws. The state’s driver’s education curriculum was last updated in 1996.
The next “Conversations with Communities” will be held at 6 p.m. Monday at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in Portland. A link to watch a live stream of the session is available on the Secretary of State’s website. The first session was held earlier this month in Kennebunk.
Gov. Paul LePage designated January “Young Driver Safety Awareness Month,” an announcement that came the Monday after a weekend of deadly accidents that involved people younger than 20.
Chaz Dorais, 19, of Biddeford, died Jan. 8 when the car in which he was riding failed to negotiate a curve and crashed into a garage on West Street in Biddeford. A 20-year-old Wilton woman died in a Jan. 8 crash in Freeman Township.
The day before, 16-year-old Rebecca Mason of West Paris and 19-year-old Logan Dam of Norway were killed in a crash on Route 219 in West Paris. The driver, 19-year-old Kristina Lowe of West Paris, had allegedly been drinking at a party and was sending a text message when she hit an icy patch of road, according to police.
Summers said statistics related to teen driving are eye-opening: 16- to 24-year-olds make up 11.4 percent of drivers, but account for one-third of all fatalities and nearly 40 percent of all accidents.
“Those statistics alone caught my attention,” he said.
Summers said he recognizes the importance of including teenagers in conversations about driver’s education, especially at a time when they hear about deadly crashes on Maine roads. His interest in overhauling the curriculum was first piqued after talking with a group of high school students in Washington County.
“That led me to investigate how long it had been since Maine updated driver’s education curriculum,” he said. “We still doing business the way we were 16 years ago.”
Summer said he was surprised to find the last time was 1996 – the same year he shared one computer with Internet access with Sen. Olympia Snowe’s entire Portland staff. Since then, different technologies have emerged that can be used in classrooms, including lap top computers and interactive driving simulators, he said.
Jaime Kelly, co-owner of GoDriving.co in Biddeford, said current state regulations require teenagers younger than 18 to take a 30-hour class and spend 10 hours driving with a state-certified instructor. They must then complete 35 hours of practice driving with an adult and have a learner’s permit for six months before applying for a driver’s license.
Kelly said increasing the number of driving hours with an instructor would be beneficial for young drivers.
“It’s good, it’s a lot better than in other states, but I think it should be more,” he said. “Anything more than what we have now is better.”
Kelly said he also feels curriculum needs to be updated to include current statistics and videos. Some videos currently shown in class were made before the students were born, he said.
Kelly said it is also important to incorporate into class discussions about fatal accidents and how to make responsible decisions. He said he doesn’t think it hurts to “put a little fear” into young drivers by sharing details and images of serious accidents.
“I always say this isn’t a video game where if you crash and die you hit reset,” he said.
As required under state law, Summers has put together a Technical Review Panel to look at curriculum and suggest updates. The panel will gather public input through Conversations with Communities then submit a report to the Legislature’s Transportation Committee by the end of February.
Summers said he expects the Legislature to work on overhauling the driver’s education curriculum during the current session.
“The Legislature has been incredibly receptive and supportive in this effort,” he said. “This is a very serious issue that needs community involvement.”
Also supportive of the process is Sarah Beth Campisi, a 15-year-old sophomore at Thornton Academy in Saco. She became a student representative to the Technical Review Panel after she interviewed Summers for a journalism class.
Summers said Campisi’s input is especially valuable because she recently completed driver’s education classes and has her learner’s permit.
“To be able to put in my two cents about it is important to me,” Campisi said. “I think if they could do anything they could focus more on distracted driving.”
Campisi said it is also important to use news stories about accidents to help teenagers understand the responsibility they take on when they get in cars. While some teen drivers are mindful of risks, others seem to think accidents won’t happen to them, she said.
“If they could push (news stories) a little more that would get their attention,” she said.
Campisi said she and many of her peers think state officials should increase the number of practice hours required before teens apply for a license. Currently, teens must log 35 hours of driving time, including five hours of nighttime driving.
Campisi’s mother, Julie, said she agrees that more practice driving should be required, especially for highway driving. She also feels parents play an important role, both through setting a good example and having open conversations with their children about the dangers of distracted driving.
“Any time there is an accident in the paper, we talk about it,” Julie Campisi said. “I think it would be invaluable if they could set up a program where they have guest speakers with those parents who have lost children in accidents. To hear the parents speak, it’s heart wrenching.”
Julie Campisi said she also feels it is important to properly educate teenagers about the dangers of distracted driving because they have easy access to cell phones, iPods and other electronic devices. She said she often finds school parking lots to be the “scariest place on Earth” because of the number of young drivers on cell phones.
“It’s a leap of faith,” Julie Campisi said. “You just have to hope once they get behind the wheel that they take that responsibility seriously.”
Biddeford Police Chief Roger Beaupre and Kennebunk Police Chief Robert MacKenzie said they feel it is time to update curriculum and stress to teen drivers the importance of acting responsibly behind the wheel.
MacKenzie attended the Kennebunk session with Summers and listened as more than 30 people talked about their experiences and changes that may be needed. He said he feels drinking and driving continues to be an important issue that needs to be presented to young drivers.
MacKenzie said Kennebunk’s school resource officer has used driving simulators with students. He also conceived the idea of “Point of No Return,” a movie about teens in different scenarios that was produced by Video Creations of Kennebunk. The movie, which shows teens making decisions about drinking and driving, is now being distributed nationally. The movie ends with a fatal car accident.
“It’s very realistic, that was very important to us,” he said of the video, which was first shown to Kennebunk High School students. “There was dead silence during the movie and when it ended you could hear a pin drop.”
MacKenzie and Beaupre agree it is important for parents to take an active role in educating their teenagers about driving safety.
Beaupre said his department will offer a series of teen driver courses about the liabilities, rights and obligations parents have when they have a teen driver. The sessions are targeted to parents of soon-to-be or new teen drivers, includes presentations and interactive discussions and is free to anyone who is interested.
“We encourage parents to come and bring their teens,” Beaupre said.
Beaupre said education and experience are important factors in preparing teens to drive responsibly and ignore distractions that come from technology and passengers.
“There’s nothing like experience to teach people the proper way to handle a vehicle,” he said. “It’s all about attitude and courtesy. They need to be mindful of the fact that they’re in control of metal and glass that weighs 1 ton or better.”
The Biddeford sessions are scheduled for 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 8; 6 to 7 p.m. March 6; and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. April 4 in the second floor classroom at Biddeford Police Department. For more information, call Sgt. Ricky Doyon at 282-5127.
For more information about “Conversations with Communities,” go to www.maine.gov/sos.
Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 220.
Rory Holland to stay behind bars - Jan. 19, 2012
By David Harry
Staff Writer
Former Biddeford resident Rory Holland will spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2009 shooting deaths of brothers Gage and Derek Greene. Justices from the Maine Supreme Judicial Court rejected his appeal to have his convictions and sentences overturned.
In a unanimous decision released Jan. 12, justices rejected seven arguments presented last month by Holland’s attorney, Amanda Doherty.
Doherty argued her client had not received a fair trial because a Penobscot County jury did not hear evidence supporting his contention he shot Derek and Gage Greene in self-defense around 1 a.m. on June 30, 2009.
Doherty said jurors were prejudiced by an opportunity to view a Maine criminal code found in Holland’s South Street home by investigators, opened to a page that outlines the grounds for killing in self-defense, according to court records.
Holland was never properly identified in court as the man who shot the Greene brothers and jurors were prejudiced when they heard a question referencing funeral services for the victims, Doherty said in her argument to the justices.
The jury found Holland, 58, guilty in November 2010. The trial was moved to Bangor from Alfred at the request of defense attorneys because of pretrial publicity.
Doherty also claimed York County Superior Court Justice G. Arthur Brennan erred in handing down two life sentences by failing to observe sentencing guidelines that require him to consider the cruelty to the acts.
Brennan sentenced Holland last February in York County Superior Court in Alfred.
Through Doherty, Holland argued he acted in self-defense when he shot Gage and Derek Greene in a confrontation on the sidewalk outside Holland’s South Street home. Gage Greene was 19 and Derek Greene was 21 at the time of their deaths.
Holland and Derek Greene had a conflict about a month before the shootings when Derek Greene accused Holland of inappropriately touching him, according to court files.
Justices rejected three different arguments that claimed self-defense by Holland, including questions about the victims’ character, a 2000 conflict Holland had with a Biddeford resident that suggested he feared for his safety and conflicting testimony at the trial.
Jurors were not allowed to hear about alleged activities by the Greene brothers and justices said because Holland learned of those allegations after he had shot the men they remained inadmissible by state law.
Court records show Gage Greene shoved Holland just before Holland fired the fatal shots, but justices said “there is no evidence that either of the victims or anyone associated with them used or threatened deadly force that would justify Holland’s deadly response.”
Justices rejected the claim the jury was prejudiced by seeing the law book found by investigators because they viewed only the page Holland had marked during their deliberations and a court officer was there to supervise them.
As to whether Holland was properly identified and whether a mistrial should have been declared when the prosecution reopened the case to identify Holland in court, justices said he had been clearly identified as jurors watched a video of his interrogation by police after he surrendered on June 30.
Justices also said the two life sentences given to Holland were justified because he shot two unarmed men in a premeditated act, had a prior conviction for attempted murder of his 15-month old daughter and showed no remorse for shooting the Greenes.
Staff Writer
Former Biddeford resident Rory Holland will spend the rest of his life in prison for the 2009 shooting deaths of brothers Gage and Derek Greene. Justices from the Maine Supreme Judicial Court rejected his appeal to have his convictions and sentences overturned.
In a unanimous decision released Jan. 12, justices rejected seven arguments presented last month by Holland’s attorney, Amanda Doherty.
Doherty argued her client had not received a fair trial because a Penobscot County jury did not hear evidence supporting his contention he shot Derek and Gage Greene in self-defense around 1 a.m. on June 30, 2009.
Doherty said jurors were prejudiced by an opportunity to view a Maine criminal code found in Holland’s South Street home by investigators, opened to a page that outlines the grounds for killing in self-defense, according to court records.
Holland was never properly identified in court as the man who shot the Greene brothers and jurors were prejudiced when they heard a question referencing funeral services for the victims, Doherty said in her argument to the justices.
The jury found Holland, 58, guilty in November 2010. The trial was moved to Bangor from Alfred at the request of defense attorneys because of pretrial publicity.
Doherty also claimed York County Superior Court Justice G. Arthur Brennan erred in handing down two life sentences by failing to observe sentencing guidelines that require him to consider the cruelty to the acts.
Brennan sentenced Holland last February in York County Superior Court in Alfred.
Through Doherty, Holland argued he acted in self-defense when he shot Gage and Derek Greene in a confrontation on the sidewalk outside Holland’s South Street home. Gage Greene was 19 and Derek Greene was 21 at the time of their deaths.
Holland and Derek Greene had a conflict about a month before the shootings when Derek Greene accused Holland of inappropriately touching him, according to court files.
Justices rejected three different arguments that claimed self-defense by Holland, including questions about the victims’ character, a 2000 conflict Holland had with a Biddeford resident that suggested he feared for his safety and conflicting testimony at the trial.
Jurors were not allowed to hear about alleged activities by the Greene brothers and justices said because Holland learned of those allegations after he had shot the men they remained inadmissible by state law.
Court records show Gage Greene shoved Holland just before Holland fired the fatal shots, but justices said “there is no evidence that either of the victims or anyone associated with them used or threatened deadly force that would justify Holland’s deadly response.”
Justices rejected the claim the jury was prejudiced by seeing the law book found by investigators because they viewed only the page Holland had marked during their deliberations and a court officer was there to supervise them.
As to whether Holland was properly identified and whether a mistrial should have been declared when the prosecution reopened the case to identify Holland in court, justices said he had been clearly identified as jurors watched a video of his interrogation by police after he surrendered on June 30.
Justices also said the two life sentences given to Holland were justified because he shot two unarmed men in a premeditated act, had a prior conviction for attempted murder of his 15-month old daughter and showed no remorse for shooting the Greenes.
In the News - Jan. 19, 2012
Man killed after fall in Saco
An Oakland man working along power lines in Saco was killed Monday after falling at a site off Boom Road.
Saco Deputy Police Chief Jeffrey Holland said John R. Plante, 44, died at Maine Medical Center in Portland after falling just before 4 p.m.
Holland said police and rescue teams were called at 3:51 p.m., but found Plante had fallen in a spot that was inaccessible to police cruisers and an ambulance. The distance was estimated to be at least 500 yards from the road.
It took about 40 minutes to get Plante from where he fell to an ambulance, Holland said.
Plante was working for Hawkeye LLC, a company based on Long Island, N.Y., on a project to replace utility poles.
Police determined Plante fell more than 50 feet but was wearing safety harnesses on the job. Holland said the investigation was ongoing and will involve inspectors from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The Office of the Maine Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy on Plante, Holland said.
Hostess files
for bankruptcy
Workplace fines and a bankruptcy filing by its parent company made for an eventful week at Interstate Brands Bakery in Biddeford.
The bakery at 1 Baker’s Way, where Hostess brand cakes and pies are made, was issued four citations by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration for serious and repeated violations. The agency assessed more than $104,000 in fines for the violations outlined in a 22-page complaint.
Included in the citation is a $35,000 fine for allowing workers to be exposed to live electrical currents in the workplace without providing protective equipment. The bakery was also cited for a lack of protective guardrails in mixing areas and not enclosing belts and chains used on bakery machinery, according to OSHA documents.
Hostess Brands, owners of the Interstate Brands bakery in Biddeford, filed motions in United States Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York, seeking Chapter 11 protection from debtors. The filing came Jan. 11, about 2 years after Hostess Brands emerged from Chapter 11 proceedings filed in 2004, according to bankruptcy court documents.
In a court motion, Hostess attorneys said the 82-year-old company with 36 bakeries and 565 distribution centers nationwide employs about 19,000 people.
With more than $860 million in debt, company officials will seek concessions from union workers to help protect about $250 million cash assets, according to the motion. Attorneys estimate 83 percent of Hostess employees are union members and the company has 372 separate bargaining agreements.
According to court documents, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union are the largest of the 12 unions representing Hostess employees.
Hostess officials will also seek to reduce contributions to union and medical benefit and pension plans, streamline product distribution and reduce the cost burden of “restrictive work rules,” according to court records.
– Compiled by Staff Writer David Harry.
An Oakland man working along power lines in Saco was killed Monday after falling at a site off Boom Road.
Saco Deputy Police Chief Jeffrey Holland said John R. Plante, 44, died at Maine Medical Center in Portland after falling just before 4 p.m.
Holland said police and rescue teams were called at 3:51 p.m., but found Plante had fallen in a spot that was inaccessible to police cruisers and an ambulance. The distance was estimated to be at least 500 yards from the road.
It took about 40 minutes to get Plante from where he fell to an ambulance, Holland said.
Plante was working for Hawkeye LLC, a company based on Long Island, N.Y., on a project to replace utility poles.
Police determined Plante fell more than 50 feet but was wearing safety harnesses on the job. Holland said the investigation was ongoing and will involve inspectors from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The Office of the Maine Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy on Plante, Holland said.
Hostess files
for bankruptcy
Workplace fines and a bankruptcy filing by its parent company made for an eventful week at Interstate Brands Bakery in Biddeford.
The bakery at 1 Baker’s Way, where Hostess brand cakes and pies are made, was issued four citations by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration for serious and repeated violations. The agency assessed more than $104,000 in fines for the violations outlined in a 22-page complaint.
Included in the citation is a $35,000 fine for allowing workers to be exposed to live electrical currents in the workplace without providing protective equipment. The bakery was also cited for a lack of protective guardrails in mixing areas and not enclosing belts and chains used on bakery machinery, according to OSHA documents.
Hostess Brands, owners of the Interstate Brands bakery in Biddeford, filed motions in United States Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York, seeking Chapter 11 protection from debtors. The filing came Jan. 11, about 2 years after Hostess Brands emerged from Chapter 11 proceedings filed in 2004, according to bankruptcy court documents.
In a court motion, Hostess attorneys said the 82-year-old company with 36 bakeries and 565 distribution centers nationwide employs about 19,000 people.
With more than $860 million in debt, company officials will seek concessions from union workers to help protect about $250 million cash assets, according to the motion. Attorneys estimate 83 percent of Hostess employees are union members and the company has 372 separate bargaining agreements.
According to court documents, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union are the largest of the 12 unions representing Hostess employees.
Hostess officials will also seek to reduce contributions to union and medical benefit and pension plans, streamline product distribution and reduce the cost burden of “restrictive work rules,” according to court records.
– Compiled by Staff Writer David Harry.
