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"My belief is that.... the moratorium was in effect" - ZBA Board Member May 4, 2026, A big win for those who have expressed opposition to the University of New England building a new pier along the Saco River - at tonight's Biddeford Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) hearing, the ZBA voted to uphold the City's recent application denials issued to the University of New England pertaining to trees being "cleared" along the waterway, as well as the demolition of a building (Leonard

April 27, 2026, the following letter was sent this evening to Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain from University of New England President Dr. James Herbert. In the letter, Dr. Herbert writes to the Mayor to discuss "current inability of the City leadership and the University to work together constructively." Later in the letter, Herbert reminds LaFountain, "As you know, you are in receipt of correspondence from UNE on April 15 requesting that you agree to an independent mediator

April 23, 2026, A big change was made earlier today to federal cannabis policy by the Trump Administration when Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche, officially reclassified cannabis from a Schedule 1, to a Schedule 3 Substance. A release from the Justice Department explains that the reclassification "Places FDA-Approved Marijuana Products and Products Containing Marijuana Subject to a Qualifying State-issued License in Schedule III, Strengthening Medical Research While Ma

The defending champions return with a revamped roster, elevated difficulty, and a target on their backs. By: Mackenzie Schors, Biddeford Buzz April 9, 2026, No tumbler falls. No flyer leans. No base bobbles. One year after capturing their first national championship, the University of New England cheer team is headed back to Daytona Beach, Florida, prepared to defend their title at the National Cheerleaders Association Collegiate National Championship. This time, the Nor’eas

April 8, 2026, the University of New England sent the following statement to the Biddeford Buzz regarding the City of Biddeford’s recent decision to appeal the "Saco River Corridor Commission Case ", please see below: "UNE has learned that the City of Biddeford plans to appeal a York County court’s decision to dismiss the city’s lawsuit against the Saco River Corridor Commission. We strongly believe this appeal is frivolous, without any merit, and an unfortunate waste of taxp

By Danica Lamontagne, Contributing Writer April 8, 2026, The City of Biddeford today filed an appeal to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court following the Superior Court’s dismissal of the City’s challenge to a permit issued by the Saco River Corridor Commission (SRCC). The City is seeking a legal determination on whether the Commission acted within its authority when it issued a 2024 permit for the construction of a pier within the Saco River Corridor that ignored a longstandin

By Deirdre Fleming Stires, Contributing Writer April 7, 2026, The University of New England hosted its bi-annual President's Forum Monday, April 6, at the Harold Alfond Forum in Biddeford bringing together faculty, staff students, and members of the larger Biddeford community to examine how American higher education became a flashpoint in the nation's culture wars — and what it might take to reclaim its footing. The discussion took place at a charged moment. Recent headlines

By Alan Bennett, Contributing Writer, UNE Office of Communications April 3, 2026, Researchers from the University of New England have installed specialized wave-monitoring equipment off the coast of Saco to better understand how a planned coastal engineering project may reshape shoreline conditions near Camp Ellis. UNE students Elizabeth O’Brien (left) and Lincoln Smith deployed gauges to measure wave activity near the new to-be-constructed spur jetty in Camp Ellis. A crew of

By Danica Lamontagne, Contributing Writer April 1, 2026, City Manager Truc Dever has asked the City Council to support her nomination of Brian Clark as the City of Biddeford’s next Economic Development Director. Clark is a senior leader and administrator with over twenty years of experience transforming and repositioning higher education institutions and growing the capacity of mission-driven organizations to maximize their impact in the community. Clark most recently served

March 23, 2026, the following statement was sent directly to the Biddeford Buzz today from Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain regarding the recent dimissal of a court case brought forward by the City pertaining to the University of New England’s proposed pier. The dismissal and additional information about the complaint can be viewed here: https://www.biddefordbuzz.com/post/biddeford-court-dismisses-city-s-complaint-une-saco-river-corridor-commission Mayor LaFountain writes: “I

The ruling goes on to state, "even if the city had first requested the Commission reconsider the 2024 permit and waited for it to render a final agency action before appealing to this court, the deadline for judicial review is long expired under the Maine law." March 23, 2026, this past November the City of Biddeford filed a formal complaint with the York Judicial Court System seeking judicial review of a permit (#20-491) granted by the Saco River Corridor Commission, to the

"Biddeford officials’ decision to freeze all development on the university’s campus is a mistake. UNE is not a problem to be managed.... UNE is not a burden to this city. It is one of our greatest assets. Let’s act like it." By Alan Casavant and Marty Grohman Alan Casavant served as mayor of Biddeford from 2011 to 2023. Marty Grohman served as the city’s mayor from 2023 to 2025. March 22, 2026, Biddeford has blossomed into one of Maine’s most dynamic communities. Once derided

By Alan Bennett, Assistant Director of Communications, UNE March 20, 2026, The University of New England announced today that 166 graduating physicians have matched to residencies in Maine, New England, and beyond, with over 50% heading to primary care posts amid a national shortage of primary care providers. The Match Day celebration was held at UNE’s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences, which is home to Maine’s only medical school located in the recently inaugurated Har

March 11, 2026, the below message was sent directly to the Biddeford Buzz from University of New England President Dr. James Herbert regarding the proposed research pier on the Saco River. Dr. James Herbert, President of the University of New England "Dear Members of the Biddeford Community, In recent months there has been significant discussion about the University of New England’s proposed research pier on the Saco River. I understand that projects affecting our waterfront

By Deirdre Stires, Contributing Writer March 5, 2026, For the second year in a row, University of New England students will help the Biddeford Pool Conservation Trust plant dune grass along a section of beach in Biddeford Pool to help make the beaches more climate resilient. On Tuesday, March 10, from 11:30 to about 1:40 p.m. about 16 students from Assistant Professor Will Kochtitzky’s Geographic Information System (GIS) course will aid Biddeford Pool Conservation Trust Presi

By Liam LaFountain, Mayor of Biddeford March 1, 2026, On Monday, March 2 at 6:00 p.m., the Institutional Zone Review Committee will hold its first public hearing at City Hall . The meeting begins the public input phase of a broader review of how Biddeford regulates institutional development. For many residents, the term “ Institutional Zone ” may not be familiar. In practical terms, it is the zoning framework that governs development at the University of New England’s B

The event, part of UNE’s enhanced workforce-ready initiatives, left many students with newfound confidence in breaking the ice By Deirdre Fleming Stires, Contributing Writer UNE February 25, 2026, In a crowded communal area in the University of New England’s Ripich Commons on the evening of Feb. 18, the University's first Career Connections Mixer got off to a rousing start. And the impromptu conversations between employers, alumni, local civic leaders, entrepreneurs, faculty,

February 18, 2026, at last night’s city council meeting, Biddeford City Manager Truc Dever informed councilors and the Mayor, that according to a memo she received from Alan Thibault (UNE Vice President for University Operations), the University of New England is "considering working with Unitil on an extension of the natural gas main from downtown to the UNE campus." VIDEO CAN BE VIEWED HERE: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DZ5FiBJRr/ The full memo shared by City Manager D

By Deirdre Fleming Stires, Contributing Writer February 14, 2026, The University of New England’s dining service provider, Parkhurst Dining, set out to raise $10,000 last fall for Maine's only full-service children's hospital through a fund-raising campaign that culminated in a holiday lunch served on UNE”s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences. UNE's Parkhurst Dining team more than doubled last year's fund-raising effort in the Caring for Kids campaign. In the end, UNE’s P

By Mackenzie Schors, Biddeford Buzz Contributing Writer Now celebrating their 10 year anniversary, UNE has been hosting their annual “Teddy Bear Toss” (TBT) game every year since 2017 - Here’s a glimpse into what TBT weekend looks like for the community and the UNE Nor’easters: February 11, 2026, What began as a small, community-focused initiative in 2017 has grown into one of the University of New England’s most beloved traditions. This year marked the 10th anniversary of