Mayor responds to 'Denim-Gate' with jeans fundraising auction

LACONIA — When Mayor Mike Bordes attended the Memorial Day ceremony at Veterans Square, wearing a pair of jeans, with his therapy dog, Huckleberry, by his side, he had no idea that would cause a controversy — or an eventual charity auction for his pants.

"Tie Up for Our Vets" takes place at Liliuokalani's Ice Cream & Coffee Bar on Tuesday, June 30, and will feature an auction for the jeans Bordes wore that day, along with other prizes.

After a picture of him at the event was printed The Laconia Daily Sun, Virginia Nadaud sent a letter to the editor to The Sun, on June 12, about Bordes’ disrespect for the event, writing, “Extreme poor, poor, poor judgement, Mike Bordes. Next time, leave the dog at home. Dress properly in proper dress clothes.”

Bordes said he attended the event as a community member and not as mayor, and was unexpectedly called up to speak. Accompanying him to pay his respects was Huckleberry, who works as a therapy dog at the New Hampshire Veterans Home, in Tilton.

“I attended in good faith, dressed appropriately for the role I was there to fulfill, and accompanied by Huckleberry, a dog who actively serves the very population being honored,” Bordes wrote in his own letter to The Sun, on June 15.

The interaction, dubbed "Denim-Gate," blew up online.

“I said, ‘I got a great idea. Why don’t we auction off these jeans and let them go to charity?'” Bordes said in an interview. “I thought it was a good way to turn something negative into positive, or something controversial that people were bickering about into something positive.”

Bordes saw fit Operation Delta Dog would benefit from the public debacle. Operation Delta Dog is a nonprofit organization from Hollis, whose members rescue and train dogs to become service dogs for veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, and sexual trauma.

Local business owner Frank Pasquarello caught wind of the controversy online, and offered Liliuokalani's Ice Cream & Coffee Bar, which he owns, for the fundraiser. Residents and visitors alike can stop by anytime from 4 to 7 p.m., on Tuesday June 30, during "Tie Up for Our Vets," to support the cause. Throughout the evening, attendees can make donations to Operation Delta Dog.

"Instead of focusing on what divided us, we're focusing on helping veterans and supporting an organization that makes a real difference in their lives,” Pasquarello said, according to a press release on June 19.

Attendees will receive a free small ice cream cone if they wear a tie, and dogs in attendance wearing a service vest will enjoy a free dog biscuit. Maybe the most anticipated aspect of the fundraiser, Bordes’ infamous jeans will be auctioned off. Bordes said he's seen prospective bids online as high as $400 for the controversial pants.

“I’m hoping we’re going to get some other items to donate and auction off as well. My outlook is if we can raise $1,000 or something like that, that’s a win-win for the whole community,” Bordes said.

Nadaud sent another letter to the editor to The Daily Sun this week, taking ownership of the misunderstanding. “This senior citizen apologizes for jumping to conclusions without knowing the true facts,” she wrote. “So hopefully Mayor Mike Bordes will accept the apology of this senior citizen for commenting on his ‘attire’ and for bringing his dog.”

“Our former Gov. Chris Sununu walked around in jeans a lot. Our current Gov. Kelly Ayotte walks around in jeans a lot. We’re people, too,” Bordes said. “We don’t have to be stuck in stuffy suits all the time.”