In the public eye: Art teacher ignites student creativity at Windham Middle School

Editor’s note: This is another in an ongoing series of Windham and Raymond town employee profiles.

By Ed Pierce

Hillary McHugh believes that the art of teaching is the art of assisting students to discover a world of possibilities and it’s made her a successful teacher at Windham Middle School.

Hillary McHugh is a Visual Arts Teacher for sixth graders at
Windham Middle School. She has worked at the school since
2019 and also serves as the faculty sponsor for the WMS 
Pokemon Club and the school's Art Club.
SUBMITTED PHOTO    

McHugh is a Visual Arts Teacher and is part of the sixth-grade team working out of the Field-Allen Building on the WMS campus.

“When the entire middle school was housed in Field-Allen School, my room was the cafeteria,” McHugh said. “I love the history of the school and being part of a generational community.”

She says her role at Windham Middle School assists middle school students to develop a love of learning.

"I want my students to look forward to coming to school, and I try to make class fun for them every day,” McHugh said. “In our hands-on learning environment, I crack a lot of corny jokes and try to get to know my students individually. Responding to their academic and social-emotional needs is not always easy, with close to 120 students. We create and study Art, but there is so much more to it than that. I have six different classes of sixth grade Art and Advisory, and one class of eighth grade Ignite. I enjoy developing an interdisciplinary curriculum and feel grateful to have such an active studio program. My students love working with clay, and we were fortunate to get pottery wheels recently. We look forward to the district Art Show each May. I have been on several committees at school, and this year I am faculty sponsor of the Pokemon Club and the Art Club.”

Her duties include teaching art techniques like drawing, painting, and sculpture, demonstrating art techniques through lectures and demonstrations, instructing students on how to use art materials like pencils, brushes, and watercolors, and assigning art projects and grading student work. She also is tasked with developing lesson plans that teach art theory and principles of design, incorporating technology into art lessons and creating an age-appropriate curriculum for her art students.

Originally from Long Island, New York, McHugh has been teaching for 30 years in a variety of settings for all ages from PreK to adults.

“My career has taken me to public and private schools, colleges, community centers, commissions, art museums, and most recently as an instructional designer with the Maine Department of Education’s MOOSE platform,” she said.

She started at Windham Middle School as a long-term substitute in January 2019, after moving to Maine from the Washington, D.C. area in 2017. Before that she worked for L.L. Bean.

“It has been fun to see siblings come down through the years, and my students graduate high school,” McHugh said. “The senior clap out in June has been a fun tradition. I love it when students come back to say hello.”

According to McHugh, the best thing about what she does in her job is getting her students excited about learning, finding success at school, and fostering creativity.

“The most challenging aspect of what I do is starting at 7 a.m.,” she said.

For McHugh, she says learning about the new Windham/Raymond Middle School has been her most memorable moment of working at the school so far.

“We are scheduled to start at the opening of the 2027 school year, and it will be fantastic for the whole community to have a new facility,” she said.

Her family is proud and supportive of her work.

“My family enjoys hearing my success stories and think I should write a book about all the funny moments and quips I hear from my students,” McHugh said.

She said teachers often work and advance their training during the summer and art teachers are no exception to that.

“This year, I will be doing both,” McHugh said. “I am teaching Ceramics classes through Windham Raymond Adult Ed and completing my UMaine Educational Specialist degree. ‘Sigma,’ as my students would say.”

As far as the most important thing she has learned while working for Windham Middle School, McHugh says it’s not an abstract idea.

“It’s all about relationships – with my students, colleagues and families,” she said. “Building bridges gets everyone further.” <

Space to Thrive conducts groundbreaking for new facility in Windham

By Ed Pierce

Space to Thrive, also known as Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care, and Great Falls Construction conducted a groundbreaking on Tuesday afternoon for a new early childhood education center at 184 Pope Road in Windham.

Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care held a
groundbreaking Tuesday for its new 'Space to Thrive'
facility on Pope Road in Windham. From left are Pam
Whynot, Board member; Hannah Marshall, Executive
Director; Donna Cobb, Board President; Jeanette Lamb,
Board member; Julia Champagne, Project Manager; 
and Sherri Evans, Board member.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

The Windham/Raymond SACC program is designed to provide students with quality, affordable childcare before and after school with a special emphasis placed on creating an environment that fosters friendships, responsibility, respect and cooperation. It is a licensed child-care program inspected by the State of Maine with facilities operated in compliance with state rules for child-care programs. All SACC programs meet or exceed all licensing, fire, health, and safety requirements.

The new Space to Thrive building will be about 6,000 square feet and will include infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms, as well as a multipurpose conference room, and supporting spaces. Outdoor space will be designed to encourage children’s natural wonder and curiosity. With an eye on sustainability, the facility will be built to have as minimal environmental impact as possible.

The Space to Thrive mission is to provide every child with positive and accessible experiences that nurture development. This new facility will be crucial in expanding the nonprofit Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care’s mission to encompass early childhood, in addition to supplementing the program’s rich history of providing before- and after-school care.

“We are grateful for the State of Maine Child Care Infrastructure Grant, as well as financial backing through Coastal Enterprises, Inc. Without these programs, this facility would not exist,” said Hannah Marshall, Executive Director for Space to Thrive and Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care. “We understand the financial burden child-care places on families, and we will continue to seek funding sources to support quality care while minimizing impact on families.”

State of Maine Child Care Infrastructure Grants are made possible through funding provided available by Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan investments and other state and federal funding distributed to support the child-care industry. As part of the Maine supplemental budget bill passed in April 2022 and in accordance with the original Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan legislation of 2021, more than $5.2 million in early childhood funds were reallocated to provide additional resources for grants to renovate, expand or construct child-care programs.

Coastal Enterprises, Inc. is a Community Development Financial Institution that works to build a more equitable economy by growing good jobs, livelihoods and diverse business ownership, while advancing a just transition to a climate-resilient future.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) is administering the Child Care Infrastructure Grant Program through a partnership with CEI.

The Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care Program was originally founded in 1990 and began offering services at some RSU 14 schools in Windham and Raymond in 2002. It strives to provide a high quality, engaging and safe place for children to attend before- and after-school programs, as well as offering full-day programs.

According to the most recent census data, Windham has a population of about 19,658 residents and the town has seen a population growth of 6.7 percent since the 2020 census.

Marshall said that this growing community includes many young families in need of quality childcare and preschool services.

“The Windham/Raymond School Department, RSU 14, serves a student population of 3,200 students across six public schools,” she said. “The addition of Space to Thrive will help support the childcare needs of families in the area, ensuring that children receive the care and early education they need to thrive.”

Great Falls Construction of Gorham will be the contractor for the Space to Thrive project with Taselpointe Architecture of Windham serving in the role as the new project’s architect.

For more details about Space to Thrive early childhood education and before-and-after school programming available from Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care, visit its website at windhamraymondsacc.com to receive updates as it undergoes this transition.<

Several upcoming local events have been rescheduled

By Ed Pierce

Organizers say that several popular events, including the upcoming Annual George Bartlett Memorial Sebago Lakes Region Polar Dip and Windham's Got Talent, will be rescheduled after being postponed by storms and other conflicting issues.

The Annual George Bartlett Memorial Sebago Lakes Region Polar Dip is sponsored by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce and is one of the chamber’s foremost fundraisers of the year. During the Polar Dip, teams and individuals dive into the icy waters while helping collect pledges that are then donated to “Feed the Need,” an organization supporting 12 different food pantries throughout the Lakes Region.

The Polar Dip was supposed to be held Saturday, Feb. 15 in conjunction with the annual Sebago Lake Rotary Ice Fishing Derby. But according to chamber officials, it has been postponed to sometime in April. The chamber will be making an announcement in the coming weeks finalizing the date for the rescheduled event.

The event is held in memory of George Bartlett. Bartlett was a Rotary Club member for over 30 years, and he worked with the Maine Children’s Cancer Network to start the Polar Dip event.

When interest in the Polar Dip came to an end after many years, Bartlett approached Mullins wanting to restart the Polar Dip through a benefactor in town, leading to its subsequent connection with the chamber and “Feed the Need.” After Bartlett passed away in 2023, it was decided the event would be renamed in his honor for the effort and dedication he had given this cause.

Participation in the Polar Dip is open to anyone of any age. You can sign up through the online registration form at https://www.sebagolakeschamber.com/cal-event/sebago-lakes-region-polar-dip/.

The receiving food pantries are Casco Village Church Food Pantry, Casco Alliance Church Food Pantry, Gray Community Food Pantry, Crosswalk Community Outreach, Naples Community Resource Council, First Congregational Church in New Gloucester, Raymond Food Pantry, Sebago Warming Hut, Standish Food Pantry, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry and Town of Windham Food Pantry.

Also, the first “Windham’s Got Talent” event was supposed to be presented on Friday evening, Feb. 7 at the Windham High School Performing Arts Center. That has been postponed until March.

The “Windham’s Got Talent” event has been rescheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, March 28.

“A variety of conflicts within our district, including the Father/Daughter Dance were already scheduled,” said event organizer Shelly Cook of Windham Middle School.

“Windham’s Got Talent” is designed as a fundraiser to support Windham Middle School activities. It is open to residents, of any age, who want to step on stage before an audience and display their aptitude for singing, dancing, magic, playing a musical instrument, juggling, dramatic readings, a comedy skit, or any other creative skill.

Cook said the talent show organizers see a critical need in funding in Windham for certain school activities such as field trips and other programs and are hoping whatever amount is raised at the talent show will help serve a need for WMS students.

“We hope to make this an annual event and although we don’t know how this first one will turn out, we’re excited about the concept and hoping the community will support this,” she said.

The competition will include one round and feature a panel of four judges. Richie Vickers will serve as the emcee for the event and trophies will be awarded to acts finishing in first, second and third place.

A QR code to sign up to compete has been posted on local community boards on Facebook or signups may be done by visiting www.bit.ly/windhamsgottalent

Tickets for “Windham’s Got Talent” will be $10 and $12 for adults and may be purchased at the door on the evening of the competition. <         

Age Friendly Windham event focuses on neglected health issues

By Masha Yurkevich

While it may often be overlooked, your teeth and toes are an important part of your health. From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday March 5, Age Friendly Windham will be hosting a free Teeth to Toes event at Union Gardens, teaching how to properly care for your teeth and toes with specialists Tara Wilson of Lunder-Dineen Health Education Alliance of Maine about oral health and foot care from Heather Fogg of Fundamental Footcare.

Erica Bell-Watkins, Age Friendly coordinator, connected with Wilson and Fogg and thought that it would be a great idea for Age Friendly to offer their valuable information and services to the community.

“Even though these are opposite ends of the body, it is still important to know how to care for them properly, especially as you age,” says Bell-Watkins.

Tara Wilson is a health education implementation specialist and is a part of Lunder-Dineen Health Education Alliance of Maine as well as Maine’s Oral Team Based Initiative: Vital access to Education (MOTIVATE).

It is a program that helps educate and promote oral health for older adults. The MOTIVATE at Home program provides free education, information, and tips. The program teaches older adults, caregivers, and health care professionals the importance of oral health and what their role can be for promoting oral health for their older adult living at home, even if they do not provide hands-on care.

This is important as older adults have unique needs that put them at greater risk when oral health is overlooked. The majority of the program is available online offering 24/7 access to education in the form of videos, tip sheets, audio recordings and oral health resources and tip sheets. More information about MOTIVATE can be found on its website at https://lunderdineen.org/program/motivate-at-home-portal/

“There is a lot of value in bringing this kind of education to nursing homes and organizations that really do not have funding and other sources to help provide this kind of education,” says Wilson. “Many people do not understand that oral health is very important; there is a lot of evidence out there that really shows the connection between oral health and overall health, especially for older adults who are at greater risk for oral health problems.”

Wilson stresses the need to understand that without good oral care, our older population is more at risk for health disease, cardiac disease, diabetes, and many other health issues that can impact them.

“Fogg reached out to me because she is always looking to train nurses to help people with toenails and feet maintenance,” says Bell-Watkins. “We talked about what she does and then it grew into this education opportunity.”

Fogg says that chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and cancer are growing at an alarming rate, due to lack of health maintenance, patient education, and difficulty accessing affordable care.

“I have seen too many patients, young and old, lose toes, feet, and limbs unnecessarily,” she says. “Being proactive in the management of our health will minimize the burdens on ourselves, our loved ones, and to our overall healthcare system. That is why I started Fundamental Foot Care.”

Feet are often overlooked by the majority of the medical community. Consequently, the hospitalization of people with diabetes is most often due to diabetic foot ulcers. The cost burden to our healthcare system is in the billions.

“The majority of older adults cannot safely trim their toenails themselves — due to arthritis, reduced eyesight, weight gain, loss of balance —and are embarrassed to ask family or friends for help or feel ashamed that they can no longer do it themselves,” says Fogg.

Fogg provides in-home, person-centered care, that focuses on prevention of infection, avoiding falls, improving comfort, and maintaining dignity, and is committed to growing the availability of competent, medically trained nurses to fill this void in care.

Bell-Watkins said she hopes that the valuable information that these ladies will share will help our community gain more knowledge about proper oral and foot care.

The event is free and will be held at Unity Gardens in Windham, 124 Tandberg Trail, Windham. Each specialist will speak for about 20 minutes, followed by questions. There will then be handouts and other resources that can be taken home.

For additional details regarding other Age Friendly Windham events, go to https://agefriendlywindham.org/. <

Sebago Lake Rotary Ice Fishing Derby nearing

By Ed Pierce

It’s said that fishing is not just about catching fish, it’s about the journey and the memories that last a lifetime. For those looking to create some new memories and take home some cash prizes, the 24th Annual Sebago Lake Rotary Ice Fishing Derby is approaching on Saturday, Feb. 15 and Sunday Feb. 16 and everyone who enters qualifies for the 2025 Grand Prize of $5,000.

Children receive ice fishing instruction during a previous 
ice fishing derby on Sebago Lake. The 24th Annual
Sebago Lake Rotary Ice Fishing Derby will be held on
lakes throughout the region on Saturday, Feb. 15 and 
Sunday Feb. 16 with proceeds to benefit 'Feed the Need'
which supports 12 different food pantries in the area.
COURTESY PHOTO 

As Southern Maine’s Largest Ice Fishing Derby and premier outdoors family friendly event, this year’s derby promises to hold interest from start to finish and proceeds benefit “Feed the Need,” which supports 12 different food pantries across the Lakes Region and an array of other Rotary charities.

The Sebago Lake Rotary Ice Fishing Derby is held every year in February and had been organized and managed by the Sebago Lake Rotary Club since 2001.

Every togue, pike, perch and pickerel caught during this year’s derby will serve as one entry into the Rotary’s Fish Pool drawings. Each angler participates must enter their own fish at the weigh station.

The 2025 Derby Fish Pool Prizes will exceed $12,000 but not top $22,600 which is the maximum allowed by state law. All registrants, whether you decide to fish or not, will be entered for the $5,000 grand prize.

Derby organizers say the event serves as an important fisheries management tool for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. As such, the prize structure was developed in consultation with the MDIFW Fishery Biologist to encourage the harvesting of invasive Northern Pike in local lakes and to moderate the abundance of lake trout. The derby also provides harvesting information as part of an initiative to manage freshwater sport fishing in Sebago Lake.

Five cash prizes of $50 will be drawn from the pool of those who registered during January.

Other cash prizes include:

Most Pike Caught
1st Place: $500 Cash
2nd Place: $250 Cash
3rd Place: $100 Cash

Largest Perch
1st Place: $250
Kittery Trading Post Gift Card
2nd Place: $150
Kittery Trading Post Gift Card
3rd Place: $100
Kittery Trading Post Gift Card

Largest Pickerel
1st Place: $250
Kittery Trading Post Gift Card
2nd Place: $150
Kittery Trading Post Gift Card
3rd Place: $100
Kittery Trading Post Gift Card

Largest Togue
1st Place: $1,000 Cash
2nd Place: $500.00 Cash
3rd Place: $250.00 Cash

Derby officials say that if Sebago Lake is deemed unsafe because of ice conditions, the cash prizes for togue and pike will remain in the charitable fund.

Every fish that is weighed has a chance to win, but there are some derby stipulations:

 
Pike Prizes: Pike must be caught in Sebago Lake only. The 2025 Pike Prize is for most fish caught, not for size and weight. All pike caught must be brought to the Raymond Beach weigh station for counting and tracking. Pike rules are that there are no limits the most fish caught to win first, second or third place.

 
Perch Prizes: White or Yellow Perch in Perch Fish Category – Debry officials will weigh your top six fish, and the remaining may be donated and entered for a prize drawing.

 
Togue Prizes: Togue must be caught in Sebago Lake only. Prizes will be determined by weight and length. An additional drawing will be held for all Togue caught and donated. No bag limit for Togue under 26 inches and no minimum weight limit. Only one may equal or exceed 26 inches.

 
Fishing Limits: A limit of six fish for togue, perch and pickerel species per day will be weighed for cash prices. Remaining togue can be donated and entered for a special drawing. Only one extra ticket per togue is allowed for donated fish per day and there are no limits on donated fish.

Registrants can donate their catch which will be processed through Nova Seafood in Portland. Containers will be available at each weigh station and each fish donated qualifies to be entered in a supplemental drawing for prizes.

A total of 26 lakes and ponds in Cumberland County are eligible to be fished in the derby. Weigh station times are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16.

Entry fees are $25 for individuals, $35 for families of two adults and up to four children. Entries may be downloaded and submitted online at https://www.icefishingderby.com/derby-registration/ <

Windham Town Council approves substance prevention grants

By Ed Pierce

Members of the Windham Town Council have approved more than $6,600 in funding from the Substance Prevention Grant Program aimed at preventing students from using drugs or other dangerous substances and help them make positive choices.

Members of the Windham Town
Council have approved awarding
three grants totaling $6,600 and aimed
at preventing student substance abuse
from the town's Substance Prevention
Grant Program.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE
  
 

During the town council meeting on Jan. 28, councilors awarded three grants to help support positive activities for RSU 14 students. Funding for the Substance Prevention Grant Program is derived from annual licensing fees collected from cannabis businesses in Windham.

Councilors awarded Windham Middle School’s Smokescreen Program a grant of $2,500. The activity is an evidence-based game to educate students about the dangers of vaping. It promotes vaping prevention, education, and assists students in making positive choices in reducing youth substance use.

Tier 1 of the program will be used for all sixth-grade students and provides a universal prevention program focusing on vaping risks and developing peer resistance skills. The Tier 2 component of the program would be available as a targeted intervention for students involved in vaping or a substance violation at school.

Windham Middle School’s Band and Orchestra was awarded a grant of $2,600 by the council from the Substance Prevention Grant Program Fund to help pay for the group’s participation in the Trills and Thrills Music Festival, a recreational event that promotes prevention, education, and positive choices in reducing youth substance use.

The Trills and Thrills Music Festival will be held June 5 and June 6 at Canobie State Park in Salem, New Hampshire. It is a competition staged by former music educators familiar with the abilities of school-aged musicians and helps to build esteem and confidence in student musicians.

Council members also awarded a grant of $1,500 to the Windham High School Student Council for Raising Student Voice and Participation training and bringing a trainer from the National Association of Student Councils to Windham to conduct leadership training for 100 WHS students. The intent of the program is to provide more opportunities for all students to be active members of the school community by learning that they can share their voices, and that real change is possible through this process.

All three of these grants that were awarded by the Windham Town Council were approved and recommended by Windham’s Substance Prevention Grant Program.

In other actions also during the meeting, Windham Town Councilors approved an annual contract with the Animal Refuge League running from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 for services provided.

The rate for the contract’s renewal is based upon 2020 U.S. Census figures for the town, which recorded 18,434 residents living in Windham. The per capita rate charged by the Animal Refuge League is $1.47 per resident under the contract’s terms. The total amount of the contract is $27,098.

Maine law requires municipalities to provide shelter at a state licensed animal control shelter for strayed and lost dogs, cats, and domesticated animals that are a problem in the community and undomesticated animals that pose a threat to public health or safety, and requires that the municipality also must provide services relating to the humane disposition of said animals in the event they are not claimed by their owners. Funding obtained by the communities served by the Animal Refuge League and its shelter in Westbrook allows the organization to offer veterinary care for strays and provide adoption services for as many pets as possible into responsible and caring homes. It is an open-admission shelter, giving every pet hope for a new life.

Windham has contracted with the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland for stray care services since 1990. Animal control services in Windham are administered by the Windham Police Department through an annual budget of $77,046 and that includes the annual salary for the town’s animal control officer, animal control uniforms, equipment and supplies, and the services provided by the shelter. <

Town of Raymond to hold special town meeting about WiFi project

By Kendra Raymond

A last-minute Board of Selectmen meeting in Raymond was conducted on Jan. 31 via ZOOM where selectmen could vote to make a warrant available for easements requested by Sebago WIFI LLC during a Special Town Meeting.

A map by Sebago Fiber shows proposed
WiFi expansion throughout Raymond. A
Special Town Meeting to approve an 
easement for Sebago Fiber will be
conducted at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11
at the Raymond Broadcast Studio,
423 Webbs Mills Road in Raymond.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

As it happens, an oversight regarding a Sebago WiFi project was discovered by the Town of Raymond’s attorney, and it came to light last week. However, Raymond Select Board members were able to pull together an emergency meeting and voted to approve a Special Town Meeting Warrant authorizing a Special Town Meeting.

Raymond Town Manager Sue Look explained the oversight details prompting the meeting.

“In talking to our attorney about the Broadband Contract, I found that the Select Board does not have the authority to grant the easement needed to allow Sebago Fiber to build the proposed building on the Public Safety property for the broadband project, only (a) Town Meeting can do that,” she said.

The Special Town Meeting Warrant was approved with the required votes of at least three select board members. There was no opposition.

Look said this will allow for the Special Town Meeting to be called so it can be voted on by residents. The town is hoping to move forward with the project, so the broadband installation doesn’t get held up.

The Special Town Meeting Warrant stipulates:

Article 2 : To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to grant to Sebago Fiber & WIFI LLC a perpetual easement over and under a portion of Town-owned property identified as Tax Assessor’s Map 04 Lot 106A support the installation of a fiber optic network ring connecting all municipal buildings and public safety radio towers and for the purpose of erecting, installing and maintaining:

1. A structure of approximately 400 sure feet to be used as a central office,

2. Two new utility poles and underground conduit, and

3. Solar panels

“The easement will allow broadband with a fiber ring to the whole town, eventually,” Look said. “The next steps are developing the wording of the easement and drawing the proposed easement. It will be available for residents to buy, and I think it will be much better.”

The easement will allow construction of a small solar-powered building which will support the broadband ring. The new structure will be located on the town’s Public Safety property.

The Special Town Meeting Warrant voting to approve the easement will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the Raymond Broadcast Studio, located at 423 Webbs Mills Road in Raymond. The meeting is open to the public.

Sebago Fiber is owned by Andrew Davis and has been in business since 2021. Its team includes workers covering engineering, support, billing, customer service and field service technicians.

“We build our systems for reliability,” Davis said. “Light traveling over fiber does not have the limits of copper telephone or cable networks. Fiber is not susceptible to every power fluctuation in a storm causing power surges down the lines and frying the cable modem. We build our systems with reliable backup battery and generator power.”

To learn more about Sebago WIFI and take the survey visit: https://www.sebagofiber.net/lake

For updates about the Town’s approval process, visit: https://www.raymondmaine.org/ <