On Thursday afternoon, the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife issued a press release that was, to say the least, shocking.

Col. Tom Santaguida, the chief of the Maine Warden Service, had resigned.

On Oct. 24, Santaguida, who is also a commercial lobster fisherman, was issued a summons by Marine Patrol officers.

The allegation: Santaguida had nine short lobsters among his legal catch of 54 pounds.

Santaguida was not a friend of mine, but I dealt with him fairly frequently since 2004, when he became the chief warden.

I always enjoyed those conversations and found Santaguida to be friendly and forthright.

When I asked Santaguida a question – even one he probably didn’t want to field – he answered it.

Directly. Succinctly. Without hedging.

That, I can tell you, is becoming a fairly rare trait.

In the press release, Santaguida explained that he resigned because he wanted the public to continue to be able to trust the DIF&W and the Maine Warden Service.

We don’t know what would have happened to Santaguida had he not resigned. Would he have been fired? Suspended? Reprimanded?

It really doesn’t matter now.

Santaguida did what he should have done: He quit.

In my book, there’s no difference between a warden being issued a summons for nine short lobsters and a warden being issued a summons for nine short trout. Or, for that matter, a nonwarden receiving a summons for either.

As a steward of the state’s wildlife resources, both violations are serious and must be addressed.

The loss of a 20-year career in the warden service is severe, but as Santaguida pointed out, the reputation of the warden service should remain untarnished.

Unfortunately, that’s now impossible.

Already, rabble-rousers have begun their chatter, saying that Santaguida’s resignation illustrates a pervasive problem in the warden service.

Check a few Internet message boards and you’ll find what I’m talking about.

In my experience, many of the folks who continually denigrate the warden service have one thing in common: They found themselves on the wrong side of the law at one time and were penalized for it.

In the eyes of some, that makes all wardens mean, or crooked, or vindictive.

The fact is, wardens are no different than you or me. There are good ones and bad ones. They all make mistakes. Just like us.

Casting a net of doubt over all wardens because of Santaguida’s alleged actions isn’t fair, nor necessary.

Those who wear the green uniforms proudly, and uphold the trust given them, should be praised.

And those wardens, I’d hazard a guess, are in the vast majority.

L.L. Bean unveils store

If you’re in the mood for a road trip, you may want to head south this weekend to check out a new addition to the state’s outdoor retail landscape.

It may sound like a bit of a stretch to call L.L. Bean “new,” but the venerable Freeport-based company will unveil its latest undertaking all weekend long.

So, what’s L.L. Bean planning this time? A bigger, better (and brand new) Hunting and Fishing Store.

The festivities began on Friday with the grand opening, during which the first 200 customers in line received gift cards.

The fun continues today, with a free hunters breakfast that begins at 4:30 a.m., and special events are planned all weekend long.

As you may recall, L.L. Bean opened a free-standing Hunting and Fishing Store back in 2003, moving all the hook- and bullet-oriented gear across a grassy knoll into a space formerly occupied by the L.L. Kids store.

At the time, L.L. Bean officials pointed out that the new store would be a nice step up, in that it would be a 10,000 square-foot facility … 2,000 square feet larger than the previous space.

Now, four years later, an even larger space is being devoted to hunting and fishing.

“Our new store is twice the size of our previous Hunting and Fishing Store, and includes the most comprehensive selection of the finest hunting and fishing products Bean has ever offered,” Ken Kacere, the senior vice president and general manager of retail for L.L. Bean, said in a press statement.

The new store boasts all kinds of new features that will delight kids and adults alike. A 24-foot riverbed aquarium, large sculptures and carvings of fish and game animals and taxidermy displays are among the attractions.

In addition, L.L. Bean is excited to include a full-service pro shop in the new store, which will offer gun servicing and cleaning, arrow cresting and dipping, bow fitting and repair, rod and reel repair, and custom fly tying.

L.L. Bean is in the midst of an ambitious development project, including the Freeport Village Station, which will offer 118,000 square feet of retail space and an open-air “lifestyle center.” The company is also planning to develop an Outdoor Adventure Center, which will operate in conjunction with a Coastal Outdoor Center.

I’m hoping to zip down to Freeport on Sunday to take a look around, and I’ll let you know what I find out in a future column.

Another travel option

If you do head down to Freeport this weekend, you may want to take a little side trip to Gray … especially if you take the kids along.

The Maine Wildlife Park, which is located on Route 26, is closing for the season on Nov. 11, and your chances to check out all the cool critters are running short.

The park has more than 25 species of native wildlife on display, including moose, deer and bears.

The park is open daily from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Beginning Nov. 4, visitors must leave the park by 5 p.m. because of darkness.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.