Current:Home > ScamsPortland, Maine, shows love for late Valentine’s Day Bandit by continuing tradition of paper hearts-VaTradeCoin
Portland, Maine, shows love for late Valentine’s Day Bandit by continuing tradition of paper hearts
lotradecoin staking View Date:2024-12-25 23:03:26
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — With the death last spring of Portland’s beloved Valentine’s Day bandit, some wondered if the mysterious appearance of red hearts around Maine’s largest city would continue. His admirers responded with plenty of heart.
Hundreds of red hearts appeared on storefronts, mailboxes and even trash bins on Wednesday, with giant banners defying gusty winds at DiMillo’s floating restaurant and on construction scaffolding in the Old Port. Another heart festooned the Portland Public Library.
“Long live the Valentine’s Day Bandit,” said Cary Tyson, executive director of Portland Downtown.
For more than four decades, Kevin Fahrman, of neighboring Falmouth, led a group of pranksters who always struck early on Feb. 14. His identity wasn’t revealed until after his death in April at age 67.
There was a revolving cast of helpers, but the one constant was Fahrman.
“It wasn’t for recognition, it was completely selfless. And that’s what made it feel so magical,” said his daughter, Sierra Fahrman, who found beauty in the “simplicity and sincerity” of his gesture.
After his death, a foundation was created and a website, BeAKevin.com, was launched. On the website, people can download and print the simple, red hearts and become a bandit.
The tradition had its roots in the 1970s when Fahrman moved to the city. He loved the red hearts and was bummed when they stopped, his daughter said. So he decided to take it on himself in 1979.
Fahrman was a musician, a photographer and an artist, among other things. He used to play in a band called The Van Gogh-Gos and showed his humor in the band’s slogan, “Lend us an ear.”
“He was so funny, kind and generous,” his daughter said. “He was caring and funny, and in a way flawed, but people adored him for his quirkiness.”
For all the fun and frivolity, the bandit’s wife, Patti Urban, dubbed herself a Valentine’s Day widow. She said her husband was usually too exhausted from his late-night shenanigans to enjoy the day.
But Sierra said her dad always made sure to decorate their home with hearts, and usually had a basket of goodies for her — similar to the way other families get visits from the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny or Santa Claus. It wasn’t until she started school, she said, that she learned that other people didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day with the same fervor.
veryGood! (3596)
Related
- Sabrina Carpenter Shares Her Self
- Cyprus minister says his nation leads EU in repatriations and migrant arrivals are down sharply
- How 'Iron Claw' star Zac Efron learned pro wrestling 'is not as easy as it looks on TV'
- Cameron Diaz says we should normalize sleep divorces. She's not wrong.
- She grew up in an Arizona church community. Now, she claims it was actually a religious cult.
- The Czech central bank cuts key interest rate for the first time since June 2022 to help economy
- North Dakota judge to decide whether to temporarily block part of abortion law that limits doctors
- UN says more than 1 in 4 people in Gaza are ‘starving’ because of war
- Supreme Court allows investors’ class action to proceed against microchip company Nvidia
- People's Choice Country Awards 2024 will return to Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House
Ranking
- Worst. Tariffs. Ever. (update)
- Science says declining social invites is OK. Here are 3 tips for doing it
- A police SUV slammed into a bar in St. Louis. Police response drawing scrutiny
- UN says more than 1 in 4 people in Gaza are ‘starving’ because of war
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- Why Lisa Kudrow Told Ex Conan O'Brien You're No One Before His Late-Night Launch
- Carson Briere, fellow ex-Mercyhurst athlete get probation in wheelchair incident
- After approving blessings for same-sex couples, Pope asks Vatican staff to avoid ‘rigid ideologies’
Recommendation
-
Wisconsin kayaker who faked his death and fled to Eastern Europe is in custody, online records show
-
A train in Slovenia hits maintenance workers on the tracks. 2 were killed and 4 others were injured
-
Science says declining social invites is OK. Here are 3 tips for doing it
-
'Not suitable' special from 'South Park' spoofs online influencers, Logan Paul and more
-
I loved to hate pop music, until Chappell Roan dragged me back
-
Do Wind Farms Really Affect Property Values? A New Study Provides the Most Substantial Answer to Date.
-
Cameron Diaz says we should normalize sleep divorces. She's not wrong.
-
Authorities return restored golden crosses to the domes of Kyiv’s St Sophia Cathedral