Allow me to introduce myself to those of you who don’t know me, though most of you know me very well. I’m Lori Bowring Michaud, a South Portland resident for 35 years of my 46 years. My husband and I, as well as three of our four children, are proud graduates of South Portland High School. This community is the center point of our lives. My family, both the Bowrings and the Michauds, as well as our extended families in South Portland, are deeply rooted in community involvement and public service. I was a member of the South Portland School Board for nine years; my brother was a member and former mayor of the South Portland City Council. Many, many of us for several generations back have given selflessly to this community. Our community has given much back to us as well. My family has not forgotten how the South Portland community rallied around us when we lost our beautiful T.J.

What you may not know is that Grant “Chick” Wilder was my great-uncle. My Aunt Madeleine, my cousin Debbie, the Drum and Bugle Corps, and Willard Beach were his life. Chick was a lifeguard for the city of South Portland for 35 years, several of those years unpaid because the city didn’t have the funds. He taught hundreds of children about swimming, and more importantly about life on that beach. Every single person who knew Chick loved and respected him. He was quite simply the best. Chick walked from one end of the beach to the other when he wasn’t administering First Aid or teaching kids to swim from dawn to dusk from May through September. 

My parents met and fell in love at Willard Beach when my dad worked for Chick as a lifeguard. My husband and I have spent many, many summers on the sand at Willard, both as a children seeking entertainment and entertaining our four children. The “lifeguards” who “patrol,” and I use that term loosely as they mostly sit on their lifeguard chairs, Willard Beach since his retirement are cheap imitations of the man they’ve followed.

The committee that raised funds and had Chick’s monument installed was made up of people who loved Willard Beach. They also loved the man who WAS Willard Beach. The monument installation was given the blessing of Dana Anderson, director of parks, recreation and public works, and was approved by the city council. The beautiful eulogy to Chick’s life and beliefs was just that, the eulogy written and read at his funeral by Kevin Sweeney who grew up on Willard Beach at Chick’s elbow. The monument was dedicated on Saturday, Sept. 10, 1994 at 2 p.m. The lifeguard station is also named in his memory.

I would further like to comment on the absolutely disgusting and disrespectful comment by Crystal Goodrich of the South Portland Dog Owners Association in which she indicated that she “wanted to take a chisel and scratch that off,” regarding a sentence on the monument that states “Leave your dogs at home.” Chick’s monument has sat at Willard Beach for nearly 15 years and hasn’t had one mark placed upon it, a testament of the love and respect the people of South Portland still feel for him. If anything happens to that monument my extended family will personally hold Ms. Goodrich responsible for it. You have crossed a line, Ms. Goodrich. Save Willard Beach has gained additional supporters.

 I should also add that I am a dog lover. I do, however, believe they belong on a leash, or running freely in an enclosed yard or at a dog park. As much as I love dogs, I do not enjoy one moment of being accosted by an unleashed dog I don’t know while out for a walk. I do not believe they belong on a pristine beach running and excreting freely while humans are relaxing nearby. I did not enjoy for one minute the unleashed golden retriever running freely through Baxter Woods in Portland last fall during my daughter’s cross country meet. The dog repeatedly darted in front of the runners, nearly knocking three of them over. There was no owner in sight. When the idiot finally appeared, leash in hand, it took several calls after I chastised him for being irresponsible for the dog to return to him. I know of very, very few dogs who respond immediately to voice and most of them are professionally trained hunting or police dogs.

My Aunt Madeleine tells me that Chick did not believe dogs belonged at Willard when people were there swimming and enjoying the beach. “Chick was totally about safety and people enjoying the sand and water,” she says. This is certainly not an issue he would roll his eyes about.

Lori A. Bowring Michaud

South Portland