To the editor:
The car coming in our driveway had a license plate with Fizzit on it. Indeed, it was House of Representative for District 2 candidate Ben Paradis, a native of Frenchville, son of Lucien and Marie, one of 12 siblings.
When his parents and siblings left for Connecticut for employment, Ben was already at St. Joseph Seminary Catholic High School in Bucksport and attended two years of novitiate in Bar Harbor. Ben was immersed in the Christianity he was raised in as a child.
He did his undergraduate work at UMFK and received his master’s at Cornell University in New York and continued his education at UMass in science and math. He’s still teaching high school, and at the university when needed.
Back in the St. John Valley, Ben married Nancy and had five sons and now has 10 grandchildren. A fierce athlete, he enjoys several sports and is a coach to winning teams.
He is a jack of all trades, like many people in the Valley. He owns several properties, including apartment buildings and the Century Theatre. He’s very sympathetic to the business sector, small and large. In his campaigning, he finds that the major issues confronting everyone are the costs of electricity and heat. This is an issue he understands very well.
In addition, he maintained a presence in many organizations that has kept him going to Augusta. Ben serves on their policy committees. Sitting around a table with individuals of varying viewpoints has been an informed preparation for making him a positive and strong advocate for the people in the seven towns he’ll be representing.
Ben will work for the issues his constituents are grappling with, like access and affordability of health care, the elderly, getting our fair share of education dollars from the state, meeting our huge transportation and energy needs, plus other issues that are often problematic in our area that are beyond the citizenry managing themselves, for which Ben will be a great state representative.
Vote Ben Paradis on Nov. 8.
Ross and Judy Ayotte Paradis
Frenchville
