Political wisdom

Vern Lent, a Scarborough Democrat who got elected to Maine House of Representatives in the so-called LBJ landslide in 1964, but then got badly beaten by local Republican Neal Janelle two years later, told a group in the l990s, 30 years later: “I had it all wrong: I thought you got into politics, won the election, then punished your enemies, and rewarded your friends; I now realize you sometimes have to keep your friends at arm’s length, and you should be nice to your enemies once there.”

Sean Flaherty apparently understands that lesson, because the other day he told a person who had let him put a sign on his lawn during his legislative race this fall: “John McDonough, my opponent, called me the day after the election. Very nice guy. Real gentleman. Said congratulations. Wished me well in Augusta. Class act.”

A difficult job

Joe Johnson, a Saco Middle School teacher, has just taken the most difficult job in Scarborough – tougher than firefighter, harder to succeed at than police work, more frustrating than even some teaching jobs: Scarborough High boys varsity basketball coach, a position he takes with the good wishes of many.

Paul Parent, host of an informative, helpful and uplifting Sunday morning gardening show on W-BACH radio station, is remembered by some in Scarborough as proprietor of The Family Patch outdoor-type flower/plant stand located where Wendy’s restaurant is now in Scarborough, a place Mrs. Elliott and Mrs. Driscoll were authorized to give great two- or three-for-one deals in the l980s.

Jeff Messer, he of Nine Lives, whether it is coaching SHS track sprinters or being on the Scarborough Town Council, will be forever loved by those who appreciate his vote to remove controversial former Town Manager Carl Betterley a decade ago, and scorned by those who did not want that monumental change, an issue about which, I think, no one sits on the fence.

Going on 90?

Michael K. McGovern (guess his middle name and win a prize at P.O. Box 1, Scarboro 04070), Cape Elizabeth town manager who was known by his UMO classmates in the Class of l978 as “22 going on 50,” is now known as what, now that he is, in fact, 50?

Joan Benoit Samuelson, Cape Elizabeth High School Class of l975, is either deliriously happy that her alma mater has outstanding running teams now, or she regrets that, as a pioneer, she did not run on great teams at CEHS back then, a matter of curiosity that is probably easy to figure out.

Tom Hall, new Scarborough town manager, appears to be a friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, low-key guy, just like the person he replaced, whom I am pretty sure could not be identified by at least one-third of people in town even though he was here eight years!

Who were those masked men?

Karen Packhem and her crew at Project Grace, a Scarborough group devoted to helping the less fortunate, made several thousand dollars recently on the Town Trivia Bee held at SHS, and will make double sure that next year when Glenn Grant and I solicit dozens of volunteers to author questions on Scarborough history and turn it into a local knowledge event, which will attract dozens of schoolchildren teams who will be sponsored by local businesses (full disclosure: Glenn and I were two of the local “judges” in the contest with black church-choir robes and white Oak Hill Hardware store mop tops on our heads and everything!).

John Casey, former CEHS varsity boys basketball, had one of his many powerhouse teams 20 years ago this year and played in a tournament game against Ellsworth in a game that was one of the best in Maine schoolboy history.

Michael Shaw, Scarborough Public Works director, is the one to ask about what kind of winter we will have, not the Farmer’s Almanac, which doesn’t have to budget for and predict snowfall and other spitballs from Mother Nature;

Evelyn Horton, Joyce Jensen, Donna Jackman, Barbara Fletcher, Carol Landry, Kate Callahan and perhaps some others have retired from Pleasant Hill School in the past couple years, making the school unrecognizable to any parents of former students dropping in to say hello.

Try this one

Joe Doane, who looked like the Pied Piper when seen at a recent Middle School cross-country meet at Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook surrounded by all his runners, ignited a trivia question discussion about his brother Jim, a Scarborough teacher and tech whiz, who accomplished something on Patriot’s Day 30 years ago that no one has ever duplicated: The answer so hard to recall the winner gets a door prize (at P.O. Box 1, Scarborough 04070).

Randy Plummer redefined courage and stamina on Sunday, Nov. 23, when he braved a standing-room-only crowd at Richard Plummer Gymnasium at SHS to give the euology at a service for his father, after whom the gym is named, an act that life simply does not prepare one for.

Laurene Swaney might have been your choice for the most important person in Scarborough since, as head of the Land Conservation Trust, she was predicted to be looking at several nice parcels of land to take out of the development game now that building seems to have slowed down around here, but, say it ain’t so, Joe: She has resigned from the position and gone on to other, hopefully less stressful and time-consuming tasks, with the thanks of many.

Dan Warren is a lawyer and resident of Scarborough.