EQUUS Foundation honors Riding To The Top’s Paxton Abbey horse

By Kelly Johnson
Special to The Windham Eagle

Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center is thrilled to announce the induction of Paxton Abbey into the EQUUS Foundation’s Horse Stars Hall of Fame.

Paxton Abbey celebrates her 25th birthday with some of the
crew at Riding To The Top in Windham. From left are
RTT volunteer Piper, client Susan, client Missy, volunteer
Pat, client Eliza, and volunteer Olivia.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

The Horse Stars Hall of Fame honors the contributions of amazing horses by sharing the stories of their athletic and humanitarian feats. It was established by the EQUUS Foundation and the United States Equestrian Federation in 2013 to celebrate the extraordinary talent of horses and their powerful bond with people. Paxton Abbey is one of 11 horses to be inducted by EQUUS Foundation in 2023.

The state of Maine might not be known for producing elite sport horses, but should you visit most any stable there and mention the name "Paxton Abbey," you will receive a knowing look and a smile. Perhaps one of the most famous equine athletes to call the state her lifelong home, Paxton (or just plain "Pax" to her close friends) enjoyed a storied career in both eventing and para dressage with her owner/breeder, Mary Jordan. But perhaps her most significant role has been as a healer, first at Carlisle Academy in Lyman, and since 2017 at Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center in Windham.

"Paxton is legendary, everybody knows Paxton!" says Kate Jeton, RTT program director. "She's quite a horse."

A homebred, Paxton is out of Jordan's event horse, Nut Brown Ale, and by the Hanoverian Pray for Snow. She made her show ring debut at just 3 months old, besting imported warmbloods to win the title of Reserve Best Young Horse at the New England Dressage Association Breed Show. Jordan developed Paxton for the sport of eventing herself, ultimately competing at the American Eventing Championships annually between 2005 and 2007 and earning the 2007 U.S. Eventing Association’s “Training Level Horse of the Year” title. The pair competed through preliminary level, a lifelong goal for Jordan, before retiring from the sport.

In 2002, Jordan was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and suffered several serious physical setbacks during Paxton's eventing career. Unwilling to give up on her equestrian goals, in 2010, Jordan became classified as a Grade IV para dressage rider, and her training with Paxton took on a new focus. The pair competed on the U.S. para dressage team at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, just months after debuting in the sport.

Throughout Paxton's competitive career, but particularly as Jordan's physical health became challenging, she relied on her homebred's kind, willing and steady temperament to help keep her safe. When it came time for the mare to step down in her workload, Paxton brought those same qualities to her new role as a therapy horse.

"She makes this connection with people," explains Jeton. "She just gives and gives and gives."

Almost immediately upon arriving at RTT, Paxton proved to be a natural fit for their programming.

"We have riders of so many different abilities get on her," says Jeton. "She knows who is on her back."

Although Paxton is only about 15.2 hands, her dam's Percheron/Morgan/Thoroughbred genetics instilled her with breadth and bone. For some clients, Paxton seems larger than life. Yet when they have the opportunity to ride her, they find a sensitive and responsive partner.

"She instills confidence, whether her rider is a little beginner, or somebody who's been riding for a number of years," says Jeton.

It is nearly impossible for RTT staff to quantify the impact Paxton has had on their clients. For one young man with autism, Paxton was the mount who showed him he could ride independently. For a woman living with MS like Jordan, Paxton has been both a confidant and a source of hope, helping her to focus on what she can do rather than what she can't. For several children with complex mental health issues, Paxton has become the mount they connect with most deeply.

"Throughout her career, Paxton has risen to every challenge, be it on the national or international stage of competition, or in serving clients with significant physical and cognitive challenges," says Sarah Bronson, RTT executive director. "Some horses need their humans to help them stay organized, while other horses are pros at keeping their humans organized. Paxton is definitely the latter. She gives her all to everyone who comes in contact with her at RTT including our clients, our volunteers and our staff. She is indeed a very special horse, who has changed hundreds of lives."

Learn more about Paxton, and the EQUUS Foundation’s Horse Stars Hall of Fame at https://tinyurl.com/PaxtonAbbey.

About Riding to the Top

Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center was founded in 1993. Its mission is enhancing health and wellness through equine assisted services. Located in Windham, RTT is the state’s only PATH Intl. accredited center (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International) solely dedicated to Equine Assisted Services. More than 250 participants are impacted annually, assisted by certified instructors, a herd of 17 horses and close to 100 volunteers, all specially trained to assist with therapeutic riding, carriage driving and hippotherapy. Riding To The Top is a community-based nonprofit, receives no federal or state funding and provides scholarships to over 60 percent of its clients. For more information about client services, volunteering, or making a gift, please visit www.ridingtothetop.org or call 892-2813. <

Restored blacksmith shop brings history to life at Raymond-Casco Historical Museum

By Ed Pierce

Steeped in history, the Watkins Blacksmith Shop is one of the oldest blacksmith shops still in existence in Maine, and this summer visitors to the Raymond-Casco Historical Society Museum will be able to watch blacksmiths take red-hot iron from the fires of the shop’s forge and hammer it into a variety of tools and hardware.

The Old Watkins Blacksmith Shop, dating back to the
1850s in Casco has been moved and fully restored and
will be open this summer for forge demonstrations at
the Raymond-Casco Historical Museum in Casco.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

A year-long project to resurrect and preserve the shop and move it to the museum grounds in Casco is nearly complete and it will become the centerpiece and star attraction to a revitalized museum of artifacts and antiquities unequaled anywhere in the Lakes Region of Maine. The blacksmith shop was first opened in the 1850s by William Watkins and was in use right up until the 1940s in Casco.

Footage of the blacksmith’s forge and shop was included in a 1922 silent movie called “Timothy’s Quest” and it once was part of a thriving rural community in Casco, but over the past eight decades, the building slowly become a crumbling relic of Maine’s past. That is, until an idea about moving the building was pitched to Frank McDermott, president of the Raymond-Casco Historical Society. He saw the potential of moving the blacksmith shop to the society’s museum on Watkins Farm in Casco, restoring it and using it for live demonstrations for the public and now that idea has become a reality.

Carefully disassembling every piece of the old shop, refurbishing them and reassembling that building, the blacksmith shop is now weather tight, and steps have been taken to preserve its interior, particularly the ox-lift. The split stone hearth has been moved and reassembled and the chimney has been reconstructed using period bricks. Historical society volunteers are presently restoring the building’s windows and doors. A great deal of work remains with sorting, preserving, and displaying the artifacts from the shop, including rebuilding the harness from the ox lift and re-leathering the bellows.

McDermott expects to have the forge operational for the debut of the blacksmith shop at a grand opening on June 11, but work will continue restoring the shop throughout the season. New historical society members who want to assist and learn more about this interesting project are always welcomed.

A team of advisors assisted the historical society in moving the structure to the museum and that group included Dr. Robert Schmick, Museum Director of 19th Century Curran Village in Orrington, Ed Somers of Bridgton, a specialist in preservation and restoration of buildings of this era, and Kerry Tottle of Limington, who devised a plan for lifting sections of the building over an adjacent building at its original location.

“Keep in mind that the majority of the work in taking it apart and putting it back together was accomplished with the help of six or eight volunteers that worked five to seven hours a day for two and a half months last summer,” McDermott said. “Where we presently stand in the shop, we are amazed at what was accomplished. We realize that we have saved an important part of history that should serve the communities as well as the state for another 200-plus years. Most of the credit for saving this piece of history must go to the citizens of Casco and Raymond for their generous donations they voted to give the project last summer. Then we must thank the individual donors that put us over the top. Without them, nothing would have been accomplished.”

According to McDermott, the hardest part of the entire project was truly believing that the Raymond-Casco Historical Society could pull it off.

“When we first considered the project, we had no more than eight or 10 working members and the majority were in their 70s and beyond,” he said. “We realized that for our society to survive, we needed to attract new, younger members. Taking on this project seemed to be the answer. Hopefully there are people out there that will be willing to help us flourish and grow.”

McDermott said Lucas Damen, a Master Blacksmith, has been working with the historical society from the beginning of the project and he will be stopping in from time to time this summer and is presently helping the museum line up blacksmiths to work the forge at the site this summer for museum demonstrations.

Guests to the Raymond-Casco Historical Society Museum can explore four buildings at the site. The main building is the museum itself. It was constructed and then donated by Skip and Zina Watkins to the Historical Society and contains exhibits of historical value to Raymond and Casco. There’s also a barn featuring farming and industrial exhibits that were used in both Raymond and Casco dating as far back as the 18th century.

The third building on the museum grounds is a true replica of the Friends School House that was destroyed by a fire years ago. At the time of the fire, historical society members were in the process of moving it to the site and it’s an excellent example of a one-room schoolhouse. The school is used for demonstrations as well as a meeting space. And now the fourth building at the museum is the Watkins Blacksmith Shop.

There is no charge to visit the museum which opens Memorial Day Weekend and will be open from noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Expanded museum hours may be available this summer. The Raymond-Casco Historical Society Museum is located at 1 Shadow Lane in Casco. For more information, call 207-655-6389. <

PNF fitness training event benefits Kelly's Loving Hands charity

By Jolene Bailey

When it comes to being healthy, many people think in terms of physicality. However, mental health is equivalent to our physical health when addressing the wellbeing matters of ourselves. While people may struggle with both their mental and physical health standards or goals that they create for themselves, this can not only affect their appearance, but also their overall attitude.

PNF gym in Windham hosted a fitness event on Saturday,
May 20 as a charity fundraiser for Kelly's Loving Hands,
a financial literacy organization for students.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

This is where Personalized Nutrition & Fitness (PNF) comes in. Located at 15 Storm Dr. in Windham, this gym’s mission is to provide an encouraging, helpful environment to achieve the wellbeing physical and mental state for which you may strive.

PNF independent contractor Mikayla Jeannette organized a charity training event on Saturday May 20 with the objective of donating all proceeds she collected to Kelly’s Loving Hands, a literacy charity that teaches students about financial independence and the value of investments.

“The event was a great opportunity to connect the community and educate the public on the mental health benefits of exercise, while also having an opportunity to give back. This weekend was also graduation for many, and most parents had a kids’ sports game to attend at that time. Many of those who wanted to attend were not able to,” said Jeannette.

Despite this, Jeannette plans to host possible quarterly events similar to this. The event drew 14 participants, with no sign ups needed. For the first time being hosted in the community, those who participated were eager to engage and help the ones who wanted to join.

In addition to assisting a deserving charity, as a reward for attending, participants were offered a 10 percent-off discount to be used at the Ice Cream Dugout as well as a raffle ticket to earn a free one-on-one based training session.

“The process involved seeking out a charity I wanted to work with, getting in contact with them, creating a flier to advertise, contacting The Windham Eagle, getting trainers to participate and lead stations, reaching out to other businesses like the Ice Cream Dugout to create an incentive to potential attendees, and getting needed supplies. I organize the event myself and also lead one of the stations,” said Jeannette.

PNF is open to all ages. This event specifically focused on movement and circuit training with each trainer leading their favorite style. There was a spin station, core station, mobility station, kettlebell station, booty boot camp station, stability and balance station, and a stability ball station.

At each station, participants were given an opportunity to try out different fitness styles and notice the overall change in their mood from participating in the event.

“We ranked everyone's mood before and after the workout. All participants saw a rise in energy and motivation and a decline in anxiety,” said Jeannette.

She said that physical health can take a toll on mental health but working on both while focusing on one at a time can help others better themselves and their state of health.

For more info regarding PNF or future events being held please visit https://www.pnfme.com/

WHS Key Club hosts luncheon for janitors and lunch ladies

By Masha Yurkevich

Often, that which so often goes unnoticed is that which students take for granted; a great example of this being janitors and lunch ladies. On Thursday, May 18, the Key Club at Windham High School hosted a luncheon for the janitors and lunch ladies to thank them for their hard and not always pleasant work.

A Windham High School Key Club member
writes a thank you note to be presented to
janitors and lunch ladies at the school. The
club hosted a luncheon for janitors and
lunch ladies at WHS to thank them for 
all of their hard work.
PHOTO BY MASHA YURKEVICH 

The Kiwanis Club — nicknamed the Key Club — is an international organization that focuses on giving back to the community without expecting anything back in return. Members of the club want to show the community that they care through volunteering and doing what they can to help those who cannot help themselves.

Noelle Denslow is a senior and is the Vice President of Key Club and said the luncheon gesture is a way of telling valuable school staff members they are appreciated.

“The idea for the luncheon was born in an officer meeting that we had last year, out of the spirit of pointing out and appreciating the effort of those who are often taken for granted,” said Denslow. “Quoting one of the janitors, ‘this is one of the most thankless jobs out there’. We wanted to change that.”

To prepare for the luncheon, the Key Club fundraised for a month or two by collecting donations in the main office and announced it via the daily-emailed announcements. Then they communicated with the principal and the janitors to determine where they would like to spend the money and what food they would want. Club members also gathered and made thank-you cards.

“The luncheon turned out better than I expected,” said Denslow. “We were instructed to host the luncheon in a small teacher's room, and so many Key Club members came to help that we couldn't all stand in the room at one time. A few of the members, myself included, stayed behind at the end to talk with them as they ate. It was really special to hear how much it meant to them to be seen and heard.”

Scott Loring is the head custodian for WHS and has worked for RSU 14 for 17 years.

“We are so grateful for the lunch that the Key Club provided for us, this is a very rare thing for a custodian to see,” he said. “I have an amazing crew that works extremely hard to keep this 220 thousand square foot building clean and ready for kids and teachers every day. These are the people — along with the kitchen staff — that make this all possible.”

If high school students want to join the chapter of Key Club at Windham High School, they can sign up at the start of every school year. There are $11 member dues to help the international-level leadership fund and support efforts worldwide, but there is help for those who have financial hardship. If community members want to help, they can reach out to Ted Becker who can be reached at tbecker@grsu14.org to help volunteer or aid with fundraising. If there is a need in the community that needs to be met, either with a fundraiser or with manual labor, Ted Becker is a great contact, and he said something could be organized to meet that need.

Key Club members will continue to do projects such as school cleanups, winter clothing drives, Animal Refuge League collections, and volunteering for organizations such as Furniture Friends or Maine Needs. Other, more unique projects also come up, including the Community Softball Tournament coming up at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 27 at the Manchester School baseball field in Windham. Ages 9-plus are invited to play, and playground access and face paint will be provided for younger children, who will be chaperoned by Key Club Members, WHS students, and WHS staff. Concessions will be provided. There is a $2 buy-in for each person attending this event. All proceeds go to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital.<

Memorial Day activities pay tribute to fallen military members

By Ed Pierce

For some Americans, Memorial Day is time to enjoy a day off from work, enjoy a family barbecue or the official start of the summer movie season. But for others, Memorial Day marks another occasion to cherish the memory of lost loved ones, who sacrificed their lives in defense of liberty.

Earlier this month more than 350 flags were placed on local
veterans' graves in cemeteries across Windham like this
one at Arlington Cemetery in North Windham. The 
project is an annual activity for the American Legion.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE   

The tradition of observing Memorial Day across the nation began in 1868, as an idea formulated by General John A. Logan, the commander of the Civil War veterans’ organization known as The Grand Army of the Republic. He suggested that Americans pause for a national day to commemorate soldiers who died in battle. Logan called his idea “Decoration Day” and he recommended that Americans everywhere take time to stop and reflect on May 30, 1868 with flowers and prayers about the courage and valor that our soldiers demonstrated in preserving the union of American states.

Newspaper reports from 1868 say that Logan selected May 30 as the date for “Decoration Day” because it was not a day that a Civil War battle had been fought, but others speculated it was warm enough after months of winter for spring flowers to reach full bloom and be in plentiful supply to decorate veteran’s graves.

Logan had served with distinction during the Civil War, and he sustained serious wounds at the Battle of Fort Donelson in Tennessee in 1862. After recovering from being shot, Logan then became a command officer and served under Union Generals William Tecumseh Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant. He later was elected by Illinois voters to serve as a member of the House of Representatives and then as a U.S. Senator and was chosen by Republican candidate for U.S. president James G. Blaine of Maine as his vice-president running mate in 1884, but Democrat Grover Cleveland won the national election that year.

When Logan died in 1886, he became one of a group of 40 Americans who have laid in state in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.

Through the decades after Logan’s original proposal, Americans came to embrace “Decoration Day” and used the occasion to commemorate all American military members who died during wars.

The federal government’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1972 moved the annual “Decoration Day” observance from May 30 to the last Monday in May with the new official name of the holiday changed to “Memorial Day.” The change was enacted to standardize the holiday to a Monday since May 30 could fall on any day of the week.

This year Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 29 and Windham’s American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 will conduct traditional Memorial Day festivities on behalf of the Town of Windham.

Legion members have been preparing for the Memorial Day events for the past three weeks with American flags hung on utility poles around town. These flags will fly through Labor Day in Windham. Members and volunteers have been visiting local cemeteries in the town placing more than 350 flags on the graves of local veterans buried there. Cadets from Windham High School also have placed more than 200 U.S. flags at the Windham rotary.

On Memorial Day Monday the community is invited to view the Annual Windham Memorial Day Parade. The parade starts at 9 a.m. and will run from the Windham Town Hall on School Road and then proceeds onto Route 202 in the direction of Windham High School. The best vantage point for viewing this year’s parade will be around the intersection of Windham Center Road and Route 202.

The parade is not limited to a specific war era, and any veteran who would like to march with the Windham Legion, VFW, and DAV component are welcome. All groups or individuals desiring to join the parade should meet and check in by 8:45 a.m. in front of the Town Hall on School Road.

This year’s parade route terminates at Windham’s Veterans Memorial Flagpole at Windham High. At 10 a.m. there, a Memorial Day Ceremony will be held featuring guest speaker retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Bob Chapin. After serving in the military and as a defense analyst, he moved to Raymond in 2008 with his wife, Susan, and has been active in local conservation, environment, neighborhood, and local hunting and fishing organizations. Chapin is the past president of Raymond Waterways Protective Association, the current president of Thomas Pond Improvement Association and the Pulpit Rock Road Association of homeowners. He’s also a past president of Windham-Gorham Rod and Gun Club and is the current president of the Sebago Lake Anglers’ Association.

Ceremonial events include patriotic music performed by the Windham High School band, laying of a commemorative wreath on behalf of Windham veterans who lost their lives, bell tolling for local veterans who have died during this past year and a ceremonial burning of flags removed from veterans’ graves, followed by the traditional rifle salute and the playing of “Taps.” The Master of Ceremonies for the event is Post 148 Commander Tom Theriault.

Following those events, the public is invited to an open house at noon at the Windham Veterans Center at 35 Veterans Memorial Drive in North Windham with a picnic-style luncheon open to the public hosted by Field-Allen Post 148 members. A brief wreath ceremony will be conducted prior to the picnic in the Windham Veterans Center Memorial Garden.

All these events are entirely free and open to the public. <

Windham Town Council revises open space impact fees

 By Ed Pierce

The Town of Windham will increase open space impact fees following a unanimous vote taken by the Windham Town Council on Tuesday evening.

The Windham Town Council has revised open
space impact fees as costs for land in the area
for preservation continue to rise significantly.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE  
  

State statutes give municipalities the authority to impose impact fees to all development that creates an impact on capital improvements for which the fee has been established. The fee must be proportional to a new development’s share of the improvement, and the development upon which a fee is assessed must reasonably benefit from the improvement.

Windham Planning Director Amanda Lessard told councilors that an impact fee increase is necessary because the cost to purchase land in the area has skyrocketed in the past few years.

Lessard said that in reviewing more recent land sale data, the open space impact fee methodology used by the town did not reflect current market rate land values and that the new fees will be calculated based on a per capita basis and then assessed based on the expected occupancy levels of various types of residential housing.

Under the change in the cost to expand publicly accessible open space, the open space impact fee is proposed to double, where under the range of occupancies a new single-family home would be assessed between $608 and $1,163 as an open space impact fee.

According to Lessard, the open space impact fee schedule fits with the goals and objectives of the town’s Comprehensive Plan, including creating a source of funding for the purchase of development rights of land as opportunities are presented to the community.

Windham’s 2022 Open Space Master Plan identifies priorities for acquiring new open space properties and the open space impact fee proposal was recommended by the town’s Planning Board following a public hearing and discussion earlier this month.

Impact fees collected by Windham will be used to expand the publicly owned open space in the community in the future to serve the needs of a growing population. As such, the town will use the revenue generated from the open space impact fee to acquire land or easements, including conservation easements, and improve conservation land to expand the supply of open space available for community use as set forth in the Comprehensive Plan and other studies of priorities for open space preservation.

As the community grows and develops, Lessard said that more preserved open space will be needed that is available to the public.

In a memo to the council and town manager, Lessard outlined that the town's adopted Comprehensive Plan identifies the need to invest in rural Windham to keep it rural and the plan proposes creating a Land for Windham's Future program that would acquire and preserve open space funded in part by impact fees.

Currently, the supply of about 48 acres of town-owned open space per 1,000 residents in 2019 is adequate for current needs, Lessard said. But as Windham grows, the ratio of open space per capita will need to be maintained and serves as the basis for the open space impact fee.

Any residential development activity in Windham should pay an impact fee based upon the expected population of the project considering typical occupancy rates and that includes single-family homes that are not part of a subdivision, conversions of non-residential buildings to residential use, and modifications to existing buildings that increase the number of dwelling units.

The new fee structure requires that the open space impact fee shall be the adjusted per capita cost of providing additional open space as determined in Windham’s Open Space Impact Fee Methodology calculations created in 2019 and revised in March, multiplied by the anticipated number of residents in the new unit.

The type of units and the typical occupancy of those types of units include single-family homes of 2 or fewer bedrooms; 3 bedrooms; 4 or more bedrooms; multifamily housing or accessory apartments such as 1-bedroom units, 2 bedrooms, or 3 or more bedrooms; Mobile homes in a mobile home park consisting of 1 bedroom; 2 bedrooms; or 3 or more bedrooms.

Under the new schedule, the impact fee shall remain in effect until July 1, 2035, and could be reviewed every three years if needed by the Windham Town Council.

The new fee structure places Windham in the middle of similar impact fee schedules that are charged by neighboring communities. <

Windham residents to vote on municipal budget on June 17

By Ed Pierce

With all the 2023-2024 budget details having been finalized by the Windham Town Council, town voters attending the Annual Town Meeting next month will now determine if the budget is approved.

Pie charts show where funding in the proposed 2023-2024
Windham Municipal Budget will be directed to. Windham 
residents will be able to vote on the budget during the 
Annual Windham Town Meeting on June 17 at Windham
High School. COURTESY PHOTO

Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts has proposed an annual town budget for 2023-2024 of $40,418,346, up from the current 2022-2023 budget of $38,227,469. That amounts to a budget increase of 5.7 percent. For a home valued at $400,000 in Windham currently paying taxes of $4,644, under the new budget, taxes would rise to $4,910. That’s about $266.16 more per year or about $22 per month.

Tibbetts said the budget proposal weighs many different factors and influences, including projected lower town revenues, fixed expenses, and two planned town personnel additions. Some of the increase will offset the loss of $700,000 the town incurred by switching over from the Pay As You Throw (PAYT) trash collection system to a new trash cart system this fall.

There is also about $400,000 less coming into the town revenue stemming from a decline in state sales taxes. Overall revenue for Windham is also projected to decline $1.2 million because of rising energy and healthcare costs, contractual obligations, long-term debt and new staff hires.

The town’s long-term debt includes expenses for projects that are offset by grant funding, Tibbetts says. Some of the projects include an expense of $2.052 million for reconfigured sidewalks along Route 202 in South Windham offset by a grant of $1.856 million, an expense of $625,000 for rebuilding the sidewalk on Route 302 at Boody’s Corner offset by a grant of $684,000, and an expense of $751,000 to reconfigure the intersection of River Road and Route 202 offset by a grant of $751,000. Short-Term Debt includes $551,000 set aside for heavy equipment and vehicle purchases including a plow truck, an ambulance, fire department vehicles, fire pumping equipment and training materials and placing $150,000 in an account reserved for future debt.

“Overall, the town’s current total indebtedness (town and schools) is $25,641,000, or .88 percent of the state valuation, so the margin for additional borrowing is $411,474,000,” Tibbetts said. “Bonding Agencies recommend that an average of 12 to 14 percent of the total operating budget as debt service is consistent to addressing infrastructure needs.”

The budget proposal also includes capital equipment investments and some short-term debt for public safety including the purchase of heavy equipment and vehicles such as an ambulance and two fire vehicles. If the budget is approved by voters, Windham would purchase a new snowplow truck and some specialized fire safety equipment including a new fire pump, nozzles, training materials, mechanic specialty equipment, and shelving.

Capital projects funded under the proposed budget include repaving sidewalks in South Windham, reconfiguring the Route 202 Intersection and maintenance paving for Collin Circle, Running Brook Road, and Montgomery Road.

The Windham Police Department also plans to add an additional school resource officer in the coming year and Windham is also expected to hire a new communications director.

Tibbetts says that the town’s TIF district funding is projected to be basically flat for the coming year as revenue from that source is being used for significant infrastructure improvements for the town that have been approved by voters. Those include upcoming projects such as Route 302 access roads to alleviate traffic congestion in North Windham, the North Windham Wastewater Project, and the East Windham Conservation Project.

Members of the Windham Town Council approved the final budget proposal at a meeting on May 9 and also set the Annual Town Meeting to be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 17 at Windham High School. <