Voters to decide Windham Town clerk position status

By Ed Pierce

On Nov. 5, voters in Windham will decide if the Windham Town Clerk will remain an elected position or by the appointment of the Windham Town Council.

Voters will determine on Nov. 5 whether the Windham
Town Clerk position will remain an elected job or be
converted to one that is appointed by the Windham
Town Council. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

The issue arose earlier this year when Linda Morrell, who has served for more than two decades as Windham Town Clerk as an elected official, sent a memo to councilors explaining why she supports changing the position to one that is appointed.

“The Town Clerk’s position should have someone who has clerk experience and who can be dedicated to this full-time position, including night meetings, and working evenings and weekends during election time. As an appointed position you can advertise and have the ability to choose the best qualified candidate,” Morrell wrote in the memo. “If the clerk is elected, anyone in town is able to run, and you may only have one person running who could absolutely have no experience or have any idea of what goes on in the clerk’s office. You cannot require qualifications when electing a clerk. This position has many responsibilities and involves several different jobs, most of which are state-mandated. Learning these jobs requires going to classes and workshops and repeating those classes due to laws and regulations continually changing. It takes two to three years to feel comfortable and knowledgeable in this position because there are so many things to learn and become familiar with. Elections are one of the most important things a clerk has to oversee, and you need to know what you are doing.”

During a council discussion in July, Morrell told councilors that she will retire someday and that the job is tremendously challenging, and she indicated that she only wants to ensure continuity and consistency for the Town Clerk’s office when she eventually departs the job.

In Windham, the elected town clerk position oversees Dog Licensing; Hunting/Fishing Licensing; Business Licenses and Permits; and Notary and Dedimus Service. The clerk’s office assists in Tax Collection/Auto Registration in collecting property taxes; assists in Tax Collection/Auto Registration in registering Autos, Boats, and ATVs; issues marriage licenses and has Welcome Packets available for new residents. The Town Clerk also ensures that customer service is provided to the public in a courteous and friendly manner and supervises all elections conducted in the Town of Windham. The town clerk also is tasked with ensuring that all voter registration for Windham is handled in accordance with Maine Law and the Windham Town Charter.

At the Windham Town Council meeting on Aug. 20, the public was given an opportunity to express their thoughts about converting the position from an elected one to by appointment and a motion was discussed by councilors to place a referendum on General Election ballot for Nov. 5. A portion of the proposed referendum would have included language to amend the Windham Town Charter to grant councilors the ability to appoint and remove the Town Clerk on a vote of five members and to remove the Town Clerk position from provisions related to elected officials, essentially making the position by appointment of the council without a residency requirement.

CONTROVERSY

Town Councilor Jarrod Maxfield was not present for a vote on the issue on Aug. 20, and councilors deadlocked, 3-3 at that time, effectively killing the issue being sent to a referendum on the ballot. But the issue was resurrected again during a special council meeting held on Sept. 3 as Windham Town Council Chair Mark Morrison said that a councilor can petition the Town Council chair to bring up the issue again if there is a substantive change from the proposed original language. During the Sept. 3 meeting Councilor John Henry, who had voted against creating a referendum on Aug. 20 had a prior commitment and was unable to attend the meeting. Both Councilor Bill Reiner and Vice Council Chair Nick Kalogerakis spoke during the special meeting, but each left before a vote to advance a referendum for the Nov. 5 election asking voters to determine if the town clerk position should remain elected or be changed to an appointed position. Councilors Maxfield, Brett Jones, David Nadeau and Morrison voted 4-0 to do that and it is on the ballot.

Morrison said in September in an email that he supports making the position an appointed one after doing more than 20 hours of research about this issue.

“Our Clerk, Linda Morrell has been advocating for the town to change to an appointed model going back to Manager Tony Plante five-plus years ago. She is not seeking reelection, and has one year left in her term,” he said. “She wants the town to vote to change the clerk position to the appointed model and prefers to have the residency requirement removed which broadens the pool of candidates for consideration. We have a beloved clerk of 30-plus years advocating for the change to appoint. She is in the best position to know what is best for our town. We must listen to her and move this to the townspeople so they can do their own research and vote at the ballot during an election which will have the highest participation rate within a four-year cycle. Thus, the town decides with the broadest number of citizens participating.”

According to Morrison, the elected clerk is an antiquated model.

“Virtually every town over 6,000 residents has already changed to some version of appointed,” he said. “The four remaining elected clerks in Southern Maine are taking action to change from elected to appointed. This is the direction Windham should go, not because we are ‘followers’ but because we value having the best people in place for the positions they hold.”

RESEARCH

He said that during his research, he interviewed eight town clerks, and most had over 25 years of experience.

“All stated very clearly, the appointed model is the best for their town and for the integrity of the vote. The clerk needs to be a true professional given all their responsibilities,” Morrison said. “An appointed clerk model seeks to fill the position with a person who possesses a qualified skill set commensurate with their roles and responsibilities. The clerk is a department head responsible for election integrity and the collection of millions of dollars in fees. Those clerks operating in an elected capacity are advocating for ‘appointment’ over ‘elected’ as the best long-term model for their own towns. They see the limitations of ‘elected’ every day, first-hand and support change in their towns by moving to appointed. Each elected clerk said they want to move to appointed, over the next few years. When it comes time for them to leave or retire, their town will be in a much better position to fill the clerk vacancy by hiring based on merit with credentials and can choose from a broad pool of candidates and not limited by residency.”

Councilor Nicholas Kalogerakis supports keeping the Windham Town Clerk as an elected position.

“My issue with appointing the clerk is I do not want to lose my right to vote on anything. The world and government are changing at a rapid pace, and we need to be careful with what liberties we are willing to give up,” Kalogerakis said. “Our right to vote is a sacred part of democracy that people died for in order to have so I don’t take it lightly even in our small town.”

He said that although some councilors have said they don’t want to hear the words “succession planning” again, he’s going to have to keep saying it because the town has failed in preparing for key departures, such as in the Assessing Department, in Public Works and now the Town Clerk’s office.

“If we planned for it, we could have had a seamless transition and Linda, our clerk, could have had someone working alongside her for the last year,” he said. “Mark Morrison did an in-depth interview with several clerks in neighboring towns. Most if not all of the clerks supported being appointed, according to his interviews. In my opinion, I can’t imagine any clerks wanting to have to run for public election versus being appointed simply for job security purposes alone. Run for election every two years or be appointed once.”

Kalogerakis said any elected official in any branch of government needs support and training when first elected.

“This is not abnormal, and we should be supporting the new Town Clerk in the same way,” he said. “When we appoint a clerk versus electing a clerk are we to be naive enough to think they won’t need training or support? They will definitely need it so why change? Simply put we should never be willing to give up our right to vote for anything. Nor should we think that a council of seven is better equipped to make a decision than the town as a whole.”

The council could appoint a clerk that doesn’t do well just as easily as it happens in an election, he said.

“Lastly, if we lose the right to vote and the council votes to appoint someone and it does not get the five votes needed, what then? Do we run the town without a clerk? I brought this up and it was not answered.” <

In the public eye: WMS science teacher finds true calling as an educator

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

By Ed Pierce

Pamela Mallard believes we’re all here to contribute something unique and that deep within all of us lies a special gift. It’s a philosophy that holds significance for Mallard as she found her true calling in working with students and now serves as a seventh- and eighth-grade science and math teacher at Windham Middle School.

Pamela Mallard has taught seventh- and
eighth-grade science and math at Windham
Middle School for the past 20 years and also
runs a 'Buddy Program' connecting WMS
students with second graders at Windham
Primary School. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

For the past 20 years, she has taught at WMS and in all has been a teacher for 25 years, but it wasn’t her first career.

“This is my third career. I was a bank manager, and then ran a preschool/daycare center,” Mallard said. “I know that I have found what I am meant to do. I believe statistics state that most people have three careers, and I am definitely a statistic.”

In her role as a teacher, she creates lessons to engage WMS students in science and strives to help all students, no matter what ability, to be successful. That includes implementing the standards and curriculum of RSU 14, assuring every student receives an education that is valuable to their future, to make community connections in her class which allows students to learn about opportunities outside the classroom, and to develop relationships with students that make them feel cared for and that school is a safe and welcoming place for them to be.

“I have a program with Saint Joseph’s College- under the supervision of Emily Lesher in which her students come and teach my students an exploration in science, Mallard said. “We then go to their college and experience the college science experience. I also prompt learning with community members, such as Adam Chasse, who has assisted the students in learning about energy and the balance of the environment. Experiences like this make it real for students.”

She also shares professional knowledge with colleagues and future teachers and has taken on student teachers, sharing her expertise and having them share their innovative ideas.

For Mallard, the best thing about what she does is being with middle school students and witnessing their excitement about learning.

“Witnessing the growth of kids is one of the most rewarding experiences,” she said. “I stay in contact with students and love hearing about their lives and where their paths have taken them.”

Teaching is not without its challenges as Mallard explained.

“When they say teachers teach with their heart, no statement is truer,” she said. “I want to make every student to not have any personal struggles that make them feel less of a person. I have lost students and watched students lose loved ones. Sometimes to know you can’t make it better for them is tough. I realized all I can do is be there for them and their families and know how much I care for them. Secondly, it’s challenging how to manage the time required to devise great learning experiences and blend it with my personal life. When they say a teacher never stops, even when leaving the classroom and it is so true.”

Originally from Belchertown, Massachusetts, she went to college at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire and thought she wanted to be an accountant.

“I share this story with my students demonstrating how what we think we want at 18 can definitely turn out to be something so different,” Mallard said. “I married and moved to Maine completing my degree at the University of Southern Maine in communications and minoring in Education. I went to the University of New England and attended their teacher certification program. After starting to teach, I earned my master’s degree in education at the University of Maine Orono, and I continue to study through seminars and courses, and am a firm believer in lifelong learning.”

After teaching in another district, an opening occurred in Windham and a friend suggested that she apply.

“I was offered the position and have never regretted it for a moment, Mallard said. “I feel my colleagues are my family and I am truly cared for as a person. Windham is so kid-centered, and it falls in line with what I believe. The families in Windham make you feel appreciated and valued. The community of Windham is one of the best.”

Among Mallard’s most memorable moments at WMS is running a Buddy Program pairing up middle school students with second graders at Windham Primary School to mentor them in science.

“The connections my middle school students make with their little buddies is so rewarding,” she said. “The ownership that develops in my students for their child is amazing.” <

Maine’s 2025 Assistant Superintendent of the Year hails from RSU 14

By Ed Pierce

In recognition of her efforts to advance equity, engage with the local community, and provide academic and social-emotional support to all students, RSU 14 Assistant Superintendent Christine Frost-Bertinet has been honored as Maine's 2025 Assistant Superintendent of the Year.

RSU 14 Assistant Superintendent Christine Frost-Bertinet
was honored as Maine's 2025 Assistant Superintendent
of the Year during a meeting in Augusta on
Wednesday morning. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

The award was presented to Frost-Bertinet during a meeting in Augusta on Wednesday morning.

Frost-Bertinet has served as the assistant superintendent in the RSU 14 Windham Raymond School District since 2019. As part of her efforts to support staff and students, Frost-Bertinet implemented a pre-K program through a partnership with community providers.

She also led the allocation of COVID-19 relief funding for RSU 14, meeting with students, teachers and community members to distribute funds for projects ranging from facilities improvement to mental health support, and outdoor education.

A critical member of the school district’s strategic planning work, Frost-Bertinet helped create an Equity Response Team to plan and provide professional development for RSU 14 staff.

"Christine has continuously demonstrated strong leadership, providing guidance and support to students and staff members alike,” said Eileen King, the executive director of the Maine School Superintendents Association, which presents the annual award. "By collaborating with other school districts in the region and community groups, she has worked tirelessly to ensure every student in her district receives a quality education."

She’s a member of the Maine State Literacy Team and has served on Maine’s Commission to Study Expansion of Public Preschool and Early Care and Education. Beyond the classroom itself, Frost-Bertinet has facilitated a group focused on addressing homelessness and affordable housing, which has led to greater cooperation between community support service organizations and area schools.

“From her swift action during the pandemic to her ongoing efforts in community development, professional mentorship, and maintaining robust district policies, Christine has consistently demonstrated the highest caliber of educational leadership,” said RSU 14 Superintendent Christopher Howell. “Her problem-solving skills and dedication to optimizing processes for the benefit of students and staff further underscore her exceptional qualifications for this recognition.”

Frost-Bertinet also writes and oversees RSU 14 grants, supporting the district’s administrative team with goal development, implementation, and progress monitoring, responds to the needs of families, partners with local organizations, supports the general business operations of the district, and serves as an instructional leader.

“The role of an assistant superintendent, like many leadership positions, includes a diverse range of tasks and experiences,” Frost-Bertinet said. “On any given day, I might spend time in a classroom alongside students and staff, sit down with a colleague to collaborate on a project, work on policies with board members, update a page on the website, work to support a parent with a concern, attend multiple zoom and in-person meetings, and stand in the lunch line with students at Windham High School to enjoy a meal prepared by our outstanding Nutrition Department. Each day is different and filled with both challenges and accomplishments.”

She joined RSU 14 after working as a teacher, a Teacher Consultant for the National Writing Project, a soccer coach, a cross-country coach, a track and field coach, a teacher leader, assistant principal, and a principal during her career.

Originally from Maine, she graduated from high school and earned an undergraduate teaching degree in English Secondary Education from West Chester University, a school outside of Philadelphia, before returning to her home state of Maine to teach at a middle school.

Having served as a teacher leader and school leader and supported multiple district-level initiatives in her two previous school districts, Frost-Bertinet said that she was growing increasingly interested in examining systems and working collaboratively to elevate schools in the service of every student and she is humbled to receive this award.

The Maine School Superintendents Association advocates for, represents, and provides professional development for superintendents across Maine, with a purpose of leading for equity, excellence and opportunity for all Maine students. <

Windham magnet fishing find amazes hobbyist

By Ed Pierce

For the past five years, Colt Busch has been searching for sunken treasures through his skill as a magnet fisherman and on Oct. 13, he landed a historical object in Windham that amazed even the greatest of skeptics.

Magnet fisherman Colt Busch and his friends
found a perfectly preserved Coca Cola
glass bottle made in Portland in 1915
in the Presumpscot River near the old
South Windham Fire Station on Oct. 13.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Busch, 41, was searching for items in the Presumpscot River near the old South Windham Fire Station with friends Frederick Hardy, Nick Wallace and Julie Easier when he hauled up a chunk of glass clumped in mud between several stones. The object was located at a depth of eight feet and had apparently been stuck there for some time.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an intact Coca Cola bottle manufactured in Portland in 1915, making it well over 100 years old.

“When I determined what it was, it kind of gave me the chills,” Busch said. “It’s always interesting to find historical items. The more historical they are, all the better.”

He has been magnet fishing as a hobby for the past five years after watching a video about how to do it. Magnet fishing involves the use of large and powerful magnets cast from the shore and then dragged across the bottom of a river or other body of water to attract and pull up any items that might be down there.

Working in maintenance for McDonalds, Busch said he tries to get outside to pursue his hobby whenever he can.

To date, he’s hauled up more than 140 bicycles from local rivers and an assortment of other items including scooters, grocery carts, keys, and even a wheelchair. Several years ago, Busch found an antique gun in a river in Westbrook which was also more than a century old. That’s now displayed at the Westbrook Museum.

Taking metal out of the river helps improve the environment, Busch said. And much of the metal he retrieves while magnet fishing ends up being recycled.

The basic equipment for magnet fishing includes grappling hooks to snag objects that are coming out of the water and powerful magnets, sometimes weighing more than several hundred pounds.

Safety is also a priority for Busch when he’s magnet fishing. He wears durable protective gloves when handling the magnets and makes sure his footing on the shoreline is firm.

“You just never know what you are going to find when you set out to do this,” Busch said. “Through the years I’ve found an old safe, old padlocks and one time I found an old picnic table.”

Finding this antique Coke bottle in Windham though was really a special moment for him.

“To still be intact after all these years is incredible,” Busch said. “To imagine it staying all this time in one spot with the river current rushing past decade after decade is mind-boggling and to not have the glass broken is unthinkable.”

When he first brought the bottle home after finding it, his wife and two daughters thought that it was an awesome feat, but his wife suggested that Busch needed to find a permanent home elsewhere for it.

“She really doesn’t like piling up a lot of junk around our house,” he said.

Because the Coke bottle was underwater for over a century, it’s kind of fragile and people he spoke with about it suggested keeping it in water to help preserve it.

“We took it to Mr. Drew and His Animals Too in Lewiston, and he agreed to keep it in water and display it there for us,” Busch said. “Lots of people will be able to see it on display there.”

Choosing the Presumpscot River site in Windham was the idea of Busch’s friends from Canada who were magnet fishing with him that day.

“They wanted to check out that particular spot and I’m sure glad they did,” he said.

With so many bodies of water in the Lakes Region, Busch thinks he’ll never run out of spots to search while magnet fishing.

“There are so many ponds, and lakes in Raymond that I’ve never even been to,” he said. “When you do magnet fishing there is so much to explore. There are countless lakes, creeks, rivers, streams and the ocean which are all very close to us. I don’t think I will run out of places to go anytime soon.” <

Wireless Society of Southern Maine to participate in statewide exercise

For four hours, beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, members of the Wireless Society of Southern Maine Emergency Communications Team, which meets monthly in Windham, will participate in a statewide drill to test their communications capabilities between various different sites throughout Cumberland County and the state.

Todd Rogers of the Wireless Society of Southern Maine was
a participant in last year's statewide emergency
communications exercise in Maine. This shows the portable
ham radio setup he used during the exercise.
COURTESY PHOTO  

The drill, known as the Simulated Emergency Test, or SET, is an annual exercise, sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, which encourages amateur radio operators from across the country to test their communications skills during a mock disaster.

During the SET, hams are required to quickly establish communications between various Emergency Operations Centers and exchange formal messages and traffic, which contain requests for supplies, medical information, or weather reports, or other information that may be of importance during a disaster. They do this via voice, Morse code, and digital two-way radio, on bands ranging from HF to UHF, as required.

“Similar to previous years, there’s been statewide coordination for the SET, and Maine ARES and others have developed a plan that involves testing both amateur radio and EMA communications,” says Tim Watson, the founder and President of the Wireless Society of Southern Maine, which provides auxiliary communications support for Cumberland County EMA, as well as the National Weather Service. “The SET tests how we respond during large-scale disasters, where commercial infrastructure has failed. In these events, hams are often the only source of communications.”

Ham radio operators have met the challenge of stepping up when needed in Maine.

“The hams in our club are a dedicated group,” adds club Secretary, Brad Brown, of Waterboro. “Amateur radio has a long history of volunteerism. Sure, it’s a hobby and there’s some fun things that we do like lighthouse expeditions or competitive events like contesting, but so many like to stay sharp by providing support for community events, and drills like this, so they’ll be ready to offer their time and expertise when disaster strikes.”

The Wireless Society of Southern Maine’s Emergency Communications Team is participating in their 10th SET. After the event, the participants will do an assessment to determine how well they performed and look for areas to improve upon.

“There’s always new things to learn and ways to improve,” says Watson. "This year, we’ll be integrating Winlink and other digital modes, which are among our more advanced tools for message transmission. Our goal is to deepen our understanding of their capabilities and explore ways to enhance them for future use."

Amateur radios, also known as ham radios, require a special amateur license to use but offer distinct advantages over conventional GMRS radios. Many amateur ham radios are used for general communications among hobbyists, and are great for emergency usage, with the equipment being typically of better quality than average GMRS radios. On average most ham radios on the market have a signal range between 25 miles to 300 miles.

For further details about amateur radio, or the Wireless Society of Southern Maine, please visit http://www.mainehamradio.com <

Voters to decide fate of five statewide referendums on ballot

By Ed Pierce

There are five statewide referendum questions on the November 2024 General Election ballot and voters across Maine will determine if they pass or fail.

Here in Maine, citizens have the power to initiate state statutes and to veto state referendums. Voters approved a constitutional amendment for initiative and referendum powers in Maine in 1908.

For a citizen’s initiative to make the 2024 ballot as a Maine referendum, the number of valid signatures required for an initiative to make the ballot is equal to 10 percent of votes cast for governor in the previous gubernatorial election.

The Maine Legislature can also place statewide ballot measures in the form of constitutional amendments and state statutes on the ballot. The most common form of this type of referred statute are statewide bond issues.

Maine is one of 16 states that requires a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 101 votes in the Maine House of Representatives and 24 votes in the Maine Senate. These types of constitutional amendments do not require the governor's signature to be placed on the ballot.

Statutes, including bond issues, require a simple majority vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session and the governor's signature to appear on the ballot.

The Maine Constitution also requires that state bonds exceeding $2 million be placed on the ballot for voter approval.

Here are this year’s five statewide referendum initiatives for 2024:

QUESTION 1: An Act to Limit Contributions to Political Action Committees That Make Independent Expenditures. Do you want to set a $5,000 limit for giving to political action committees that spend money independently to support or defeat candidates for office?

QUESTION 2: An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Research and Development and Commercialization. Do you favor a bond issue of $25,000,000 to provide funds, to be awarded through a competitive process and to leverage matching private and federal funds on at least a one-to-one basis, for research and development and commercialization for Maine-based public and private institutions in support of technological innovation in the targeted sectors of life sciences and biomedical technology, environmental and renewable energy technology, information technology, advanced technologies for forestry and agriculture, aquaculture and marine technology, composites and advanced materials and precision manufacturing?

QUESTION 3: An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Restore Historic Community Buildings. Do you favor a $10,000,000 bond issue to restore historic buildings owned by governmental and nonprofit organizations, with funds being issued contingent on a 25 percent local match requirement from either private or nonprofit sources?

QUESTION 4: An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Promote the Design, Development and Maintenance of Trails for Outdoor Recreation and Active Transportation. Do you favor a $30,000,000 bond issue to invest in the design, development and maintenance for nonmotorized, motorized and multi-use trails statewide, to be matched by at least $3,000,000 in private and public contributions?

QUESTION 5: An Act to Restore the Former State of Maine Flag. Do you favor making the former state flag, replaced as the official flag of the State in 1909 and commonly known as the Pine Tree Flag, as the official flag of the State?

The order of referendum questions on the November 2024 General Election ballot was established through a public lottery held by Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Maine Deputy Secretary of State for Corporations, Elections and Commissions Julie Flynn in July.

Under Maine Law, questions must be arranged in the following order: carry-over measures from a previous election; people's veto questions; initiated measures; bond issues; constitutional amendments; and other legislatively proposed referenda. Within each grouping, questions must be arranged in a random order determined by a selection process conducted in public. All questions must be numbered sequentially on ballots distributed to voters. <

VFW’s annual essay competition for students opens

By Ed Pierce

Two popular essay competitions for students sponsored by Windham’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10643 are back and promise up to a $35,000 college scholarship to the national winner.

Windham VFW Post 10643 is sponsoring the Patriot's Pen
and Voice of Democracy essay competitions for students
in grades 6 to 12. The deadline to submit an entry this
year is Oct. 31. COURTESY IMAGE  

This year’s VFW Patriot's Pen and the VFW Voice of Democracy essay competitions are open to any student in the area in grades 6 to 12, said VFW Post 10643 Commander Willie Goodman.

The topic for grades 6 to 8 is "My Voice in America’s Democracy" and the topic for grades 9 to 12 is "Is America Today Our Forefathers’ Vision?"

Goodman said that the Patriot's Pen essay competition is open to all middle school students from Windham and Raymond attending Windham Middle School, Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond, Windham Christian Academy, Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, and other public and private schools and home-schooled students, in grades 6 to 8. Middle school students are invited to write a 300- to 400-word essay about this year's theme and what it specifically means to them.

He said that the Voice of Democracy competition is open to all high school students from Windham and Raymond, in grades 9 to 12, including those who are home-schooled. Students are asked to write and record a 3- to 5-minute essay (on an audio CD) on this year's theme and the meaning it holds for them.

“Students in the Windham area and surrounding towns are all welcome to participate and are given the opportunity to compete in these VFW annual essay competitions with a chance to win thousands of dollars in college scholarships in either competition,” Goodman said. “This VFW-sponsored youth essay competition encourages students to use their minds and knowledge of America’s history and their experience of today’s American society to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme.”

The first-place VFW state winner for Maine in each competition receives a four-day trip to Washington, D.C.

The first-place winner nationally receives $5,000 for the Patriot's Pen winning essay and the first-place winning essay nationally for the Voice of Democracy receives a $35,000 college scholarship.

According to Goodman, students begin on the path for a national title competing at the local post level here in Windham. The VFW Post 10643 winners then advance to compete at the district-level. District winners compete in the VFW’s annual state competition while trying to secure a berth in the national competition next spring.

“These scholarships are dedicated to promoting patriotism and investing in our future generation,” Goodman said.

Each year, more than 72,000 students in grades 6 to 8 enter the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest for a chance to win their share of more than $1.4 million in state and national awards. The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society and express their own unique viewpoints.

Established in 1947, the VFW’s Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with a special opportunity to express themselves in a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Each year, nearly 48,000 students in grades 9 to 12 from across the country enter the “Voice of Democracy” contest to win their share of more than $2 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program.

The deadline for all student essay entries in Windham this year is Oct. 31, Goodman said.

Interested students and/or teachers with questions about the contests should contact VFW Post 10643 by phone at 207-228-4329. Entries may be submitted to VFW Post 10643 by mailing them to P.O. Box 1776, Windham, Maine 04062.

Local winners will be announced during the annual Veterans Day Observance at the Windham Veterans Center on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. <