July 4, 2025

Town of Windham considers creating Forbes Lane pocket park

By Ed Pierce

During the Windham Town council meeting on June 12, councilors voted unanimously to explore the possibility of creating a pocket park for the Forbes Lane and Misty Drive neighborhood off Varney Mill Road.

A vacant lot on Forbes Lane off
Varney Mill Road in Windham 
could eventually become a new
pocket park for Forbes Lane and
Misty Drive residents.
PHOTYO BY ED PIERCE    
In April, Cumberland County Commissioners awarded $40,000 in Community Development Block Grant Funds to Windham for the purpose of eventually constructing a park in the Forbes Lane neighborhood based upon an application received from the town.

The funding is subject to an environmental review by Cumberland County to ensure compliance with the State Historic Preservation Office, local Historic Preservation Ordinances and other environmental regulations.

Community Development Block Grants supports community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities. Activities may address needs such as infrastructure, economic development projects, public facilities installation, community centers, housing rehabilitation, public services, clearance/acquisition, microenterprise assistance, code enforcement, and homeowner assistance.

Windham used CDBG Block Grant funding in 2020 for assistance in expanding a parking lot at 35 Main St. in South Windham to encourage economic development and recreational purposes. Through CDBG funding, Cumberland County contributed $205,295 to the project for surfaces and materials.

The site for the proposed pocket park in the Forbes Lane neighborhood is a vacant lot between adjoining neighborhoods. A pocket park is defined as a small park accessible to residents and the public which can be used for recreational purposes including picnic tables, benches, flower beds and greenery.

Councilors voted to establish a committee to research and explore the development of a pocket park in the Forbes Lane community area.

Jarrod Maxfield, Windham Town Council chair, said that committee members will recommend to the council a concept plan establishing connectivity with trails suitable for walking and biking to serve area residents and the public as well as an optional picnic pavilion, benches and recreational amenities suitably sized for the 1.33-acre land parcel.

Committee membership will be made up of up to four individuals who reside on Forbes Lane or Misty Drive, two town staff members and a Windham Town Councilor.

In voting to establish the committee, councilors mandated that town staff members would serve in an advisory capacity and not be voting members of the committee. The council also appointed Councilor Mark Morrison as the council’s representative to the Forbes Lane Misty Drive ad hoc park committee.

Members of the committee at the direction of the Council will research and explore property information to facilitate desired park amenities interconnectivity, access, and parking accommodations.

Anticipating this committee work taking up to two years, the group will make recommendations for a design concept and plan for the Forbes Lane Community Park and eventually present a concept plan for the park to the Windham Town Council. The effort satisfies a requirement by the federal government to replace recreational land which was reclaimed when RSU 14 upgraded the high school campus years ago.

If the council approves a design concept and before the park could be built, a series of public hearings to solicit public input would be held and it will also require approval from the Windham Planning Board. When and if the park is constructed, it will be overseen by the Windham Parks & Recreation Department, a town agency whose mission is to develop, operate, and maintain a park and recreation system that enriches the quality of life for residents and visitors, fosters a sense of community, and preserves and protects community open spaces. Windham’s Parks and Recreation Department currently maintains nearly 500 acres of parks and preserves for Windham residents.

The council is asking that any residents of the Forbes Lane or Misty Drive neighborhoods who are interested in serving on the ad hoc park committee to call the Windham Town Manager’s Office at 207-894-5900 and leave their name and contact information. <

Volunteers still needed for Sebago Lake loon count

By Ed Pierce

Maine Audubon is still seeking volunteers to assist with the 42nd Annual Loon Count to be conducted on Sebago Lake later this month.

Maine Audubon is seeking volunteers to assist with the 42nd
Annual Loon Count to be conducted 9n Sebago Lake 
early in the morning of Saturday, July 19. The annual
event is part of a statewide initiative to count loons and 
chicks and track the population changes.
COURTESY PHOTO  
The Sebago Lake count is part of a statewide initiative to count Maine loons and chicks and track the population changes and trends in the population. Information collected during the count helps Maine Audubon to assess the impacts of conservation efforts and to address any significant changes in the population and offer better management solutions in future years.

On Saturday, July 19, a contingent of volunteers will gather at Sebago Lake early in the morning for the count.

“The data volunteers collect is used to track population trends over time,” says Maine Audubon Director of Conservation Sally Stockwell. “We expect some fluctuations year to year, but the numbers indicate a healthy loon population, with a slowly increasing adult population and relatively stable chick numbers.” Maine has the largest population of loons in the eastern United States, which makes the breeding success of loons here critical to the regional population at large.

For years, counting Sebago Lake’s 100-plus miles of shorefront on nearly one trillion gallons of fresh water and at 49 different survey areas presented a significant challenge to Maine Audubon. And despite the efforts of many volunteers, the entire lake was never fully counted.

In 2022, volunteer counters were recruited from each of the seven municipalities that border Sebago Lake and other volunteers signed up as well who wanted to be part of the count. What resulted was the first-ever full Sebago Lake count thanks to more than 50 volunteers who participated and covered more than 30,000 acres of water.

Statewide in 2024, Maine Audubon drew its greatest amount of volunteer participants for the annual event and counted 1,624 loons on 407 lakes. Because of this, Maine Audubon estimated a Common Loon population in Maine of 3,146 adults, south of the 45th parallel. However, the organization says not enough lakes were surveyed north of the 45th parallel to estimate the loon population for the entire state.

Therefore, to expand its reach and involve more volunteers in the count, Maine Audubon will conduct Extended Duration Surveys this summer. This pilot program will count loon populations on remote lakes not surveyed in previous years from July 19 to July 26 while scouting, accessing, and conducting a one-hour survey of their assigned lakes

Most loons nest within one foot of the water’s edge, so they are especially vulnerable to washout from large waves. All motorboats on Maine lakes are required to travel at no-wake speeds when they are within 200 feet of shore or islands. Boats that facilitate wake surfing create even larger waves and can impact loon nests even when operating as far as 500-600 feet offshore. In 2024, a new state law was implemented to address wakesurfing activity and requires individuals “from operating a motorboat in less than 15 feet of water or within 300 feet of the shoreline when the motorboat is engaged in a wakesurfing activity.”

The Common Loon faces all kinds of threats including from boat strikes, nest flooding, lead tackle, eagle predators and despite that with the help of an ever-growing volunteer base, the population remains robust.

“There are so many people looking out for loons,” says Loon Count Data Coordinator Ethan Daly. “Loons are something Mainers can appreciate and unite behind. More people are educating their neighbors, more people are involved in our loon restoration program, more people are getting rid of lead tackle, and more people are considering how shoreline management can impact freshwater ecosystems.”

For more information about the annual count or the Maine Loon Project, or to volunteer as a counter on Sebago Lake, contact SebagoLakeLoonCount@gmail.com or visit maineaudubon.org/loons. <

Raymond-Casco Historical Society launches season with ‘Honey Bee Family Celebration’

By Kendra Raymond

There is always something exciting going on at the Raymond Casco Historical Society Museum and with the recent addition of bee hives to the site, people are swarming to check out the latest developments. From regular weekend events to new collections, there is always something there to fit everyone’s interests.

Beekeeper Ingo Hartig of Raymond will give
a free presentation to the public about bees
during the 'Honey Bee Family Celebration'
from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 20 at
the Raymond-Casco Historical Museum,
1 Shadow Road in Casco.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The museum campus has expanded exponentially over the past several years with the addition of a blacksmith’s shop and an old schoolhouse. Visitors can take in exhibits showcasing actual items from the area as well as the museum’s transportation barn.

Sue Pride is the collection manager for RCHS and recently shared some exciting news.

“A lot is happening here at Raymond-Casco Historical Society,” she said. “Construction has been completed on our brand-new kitchen and bath, making our location ideal for small group meetings. We have new exhibits, a model farm, and new bee hives,” she said.

The bee hives are an intriguing new feature at the museum campus and historical society members are busy preparing for the upcoming Honey Bee Family Celebration.

“Beekeeper Ingo Hartig set up two hives here at the museum in late spring because of the cold weather,” Pride said. “The idea is to let people know how important honeybees are. He especially likes working with children. We are having a Honey Bee Family Celebration from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 20. It will be a family fun afternoon where folks can visit the hives, meet the beekeeper, learn about honeybees, kids can do bee-related crafts, learn the bee dance, and have some ice cream.”

Best of all, Pride said that the event is free.

A variety of upcoming events are planned for the summer season at the museum.

Mike Davis will present a talk about the Portland-Harrison canal and the canal boats at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 14. Then at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 11, Cheryl Callahan will present Processing Wool and the Sheep Boom of New England. She will be talking about all things textile, sheep, wool, mills in Raymond and the tariffs on textile industry leading up to the war of 1812.

The society’s facility is finishing up a full kitchen and bathroom renovation and remodel and RCHS members are excited about the improvements.

“It is all done said RCHS member Greg Plummer who did all the work, and it is just beautiful,” Pride said. “It now makes it possible for us to rent out space for small meetings and functions year-round. RCHS members hope to make their space more accessible with these improvements.”

The historical society is working on a 2026 sesquicentennial project about Revolutionary War soldiers of Raymond, which will serve as a traveling exhibit for local schools and town groups.

Plummer is the host of the all-new Early Bird Show. Episodes can be viewed on YouTube, and includes the likes of Wayne Whitney, local legend Trudy Files, and Babbs Bridge history with Walter Lunt. He keeps these episodes brief but jam-packed with humor and history.

The RCHS is committed to preserving the history of Raymond, Casco and surrounding areas. It was created in 1971 as an educational, charitable, non-profit organization devoted to collection, preservation, and experiential learning which highlights the culture and working history of the Lakes Region Area.

Meetings are open to the public and held on the second Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. May through October on site at the museum, 1 Shadow Road in Casco. Donations are always accepted and greatly appreciated. RCHS is always looking for volunteers to assist in any capacity and is a great opportunity for students to gain community service hours, or for scouting groups to get involved with the history of the area.

The RCHS farm campus is open from noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

For further details, visit https://raymondcascohistoricalsociety.org/about or call 207-655-6389. Find them on Facebook and Instagram under Raymond-Casco Historical Society.

View Greg Plummer’s Early Bird Show on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@raymondcascohistoricalsoci7498 <

Senate passes, governor signs investments in Maine transportation led by Nangle

AUGUSTA – Late last month, the Maine Senate enacted several investments in Maine’s transportation infrastructure, sending five bills to the Governor’s desk where they now await her signature. State Sen. Tim Nangle, D-Windham, Chair of the Legislature’s Committee on Transportation, spearheaded the effort to pass the five bills.

State Senator Tim Nangle
“We on the Committee have the unique and special opportunity to make Maine a more accessible and connected state for all those who live here — from the northernmost corner of Aroostook County to the gateway down in Kittery,” Nangle said. “By improving our pedestrian and bike trails, updating the state’s transit systems and laying the groundwork for a potential ferry service to Monhegan Island, these bills don’t just strengthen accessibility today, they open the door to future tourism and economic growth tomorrow.”

The five enacted bills reflect the Legislature’s ongoing commitment to improving the roads, trails and public transit systems that connect Maine’s communities. LDs 29 and 30 will remove state-owned inactive railroad tracks along the Kennebec River Rail Trail and the Berlin Subdivision between Portland and Yarmouth, respectively. LD 1359 will improve funding transparency for public transit services and improve coordination between the Department of Health and Human Services and those transit services that serve Mainers travelling to health care providers.

As a part of Maine’s continued efforts to honor the service of its veterans, LD 1315 provides one-time funding to the Secretary of State’s office to issue commemorative license plate decals to Maine veterans of Operation Inherent Resolve and a variety of other service officers. Finally, with an eye towards increasing tourism, LD 1186 directs the Department of Transportation to work with island and ferry service stakeholders to study the feasibility of adding ferry service to Monhegan Island.

The five bills enacted off the Highway Table reflect Senator Nangle’s efforts this legislative session to lead the Transportation Committee in support of forward-looking initiatives that strengthen Maine’s connectivity, economic future and role as a tourist destination. All five of the bills were signed into law by Maine Gov. Janet Mills and will take effect 90 days after the First Special Session of the 132nd Legislature adjourns sine die. <

June 27, 2025

In the public eye: JSMS principal strives to foster a positive learning environment

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

By Ed Pierce


To serve as the school principal at Jordan-Small Middle School, Michelle Brann displays a keen sense of self-awareness, effectively communicates with school staff, students and parents, is influential among those she leads and has shown a willingness to learn from new experiences. These qualities have helped Brann connect with others, inspire action, and adapt to change.

Michelle Brann has just finished her
third year as the principal of 
Jordan-Small Middle School in
Raymond and is helping to lead the
transition for RSU 14 students to a 
different school when the new
Windham Raymond Middle School
opens in September 2027.
COURTESY PHOTO 
Brann just completed her third year at Jordan-Small and it’s a role she doesn’t take lightly.

“The best thing about what I do in my job is interacting and building connections with students,” Brann said. “I am not an administrator that sits in their office. I love walking through the building getting fist pumps and checking in with students. Jordan-Small is a small school. I know almost every student's name and something about them. I love having fun with them.”

Her duties as a principal are extensive.

“I help to create a positive and rigorous learning environment for students and to create a culture of support and achievement among students and staff,” she said. “I am helping to lead the coming together of Jordan-Small Middle School, Windham Middle School and Manchester School as we open the Windham-Raymond Middle School in the fall of 2027. This includes aligning the curriculum of all three schools and working with the staff of all three buildings. so that we’re ready on all levels when the doors open. I create positive connections with the community, especially with parents.”

According to Brann, the most challenging aspect of her work is maintaining a proper work/life balance.

“I love what I do and always want to work to make whatever it is I am working on better,” she said. “There is always something more to do. Sometimes it's hard to put work aside to make time for my family and myself. A big misconception people may have is that educators have all kinds of free time. They don't. They are working harder than they ever have.”

She grew up in Falmouth and attended Falmouth schools through her freshman year of high school when she transferred to Hebron Academy. After high school, she started at Wheaton College but eventually transferred to the University of Southern Maine, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, and then a masters’ degree in American and New England Studies.

“From there I did the ETEP (Extended Teacher Education Program) program to get my teaching credentials, and most recently, I received my CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) in Educational Leadership,” Brann said. “My first teaching job was at Lake Region High School teaching Social Studies. I was there for two years. I then went to Wells High School where I taught Social Studies for 13 years. From there I went to Lake Region Middle School where I was the assistant principal for five years. I am now completing my third year at Jordan-Small. I think I am heading into my 24th year in education.”

Something that the public may not know is that she is never “not working" at her job.

“As an administrator, even when I am not working, there is always something to think about or the potential for something involving a student or staff member may come up,” Brann said.

Her most memorable moment while working for Jordan-Small so far has been the Pasta Fundraising Dinner for eighth-grade end-of-year activities that the school held this spring.

“It was a great community event in which a number of local businesses donated food items for the dinner or items for the raffle,” Brann said. “District level as well as building-level food service staff volunteered their time to help make the dinner, and parents coordinated decorations, a raffle, needed items, and so much more. The best parts were the level of student participation preparing and serving the meal, and the number of community members that attended. It was a great community night and raised quite a bit of money for the eighth graders to have great end-of-year activities.”

She says the most important thing she’s learned while working at Jordan-Small is how amazing and dedicated the staff is on all levels.

“The level of instructional leadership from the upper administration is impressive,” Brann said. “I value the support I have received from fellow administrators, and finally the desire to support and push students to be successful by teachers and support staff is incredible. I completely appreciate where I am and plan to be a part of RSU 14 for a long time.” <

Raymond committee formulates ideas for repurposing Jordan-Small Middle School

By Dina Mendros

With a new middle school in the works for RSU 14, which includes the towns of Raymond and Windham, a committee has been meeting to determine how to best repurpose the Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond.

A Raymond Committee to formulate ideas for how to best
repurpose Jordan-Small Middle School when it becomes
vacant will present its recommendations to the Raymond
Select Board.  PHOTO BY ED PIERCE
The Jordan-Small Middle School Visioning Committee, created by the town Select Board, has been meeting for the past two months, and held its last meeting June 16. The committee is recommending that a variety of city services ranging from the library to town offices be relocated to the building after the school closes.

“The JSMS Visioning Committee is recommending to the Select Board and the future Building Development Committee to use the school building to house the Parks and Recreation Department, the Library, Town Hall Offices and Community Services,” Committee Chair Peter Lockwood said in an email. “Our focus is to create a Community Center that supports all ages and residents of Raymond.”

The new Windham Raymond Middle School will be situated in Windham and is scheduled to open in the fall of 2027. At that time Jordan-Small Middle School will close, as will Windham Middle School and JSMS will be ready for repurposing. The groundbreaking for the new school took place last September.

The committee’s recommendations align closely with an exit poll of voters on Election Day in June 2024. At that time the Raymond Comprehensive Plan Committee asked voters their thoughts about how best to repurpose JSMS. The results were – from highest to lowest – a community center, recreation, library, town office, and childcare, according to the April 15 committee meeting minutes.

When the idea to form the committee came up before the Raymond Select Board on Dec. 10, Board Chair Rolf Olsen said, “The committee’s task would be to do conceptual ideas on what could be done using the school. I don’t envision looking at cost or feasibility. That would be a second committee. This is the pie in the sky people that are going to say here’s things that could be done.”

He recommended putting a wide group of stakeholders on the committee. Committee members that were appointed March 11 included a librarian, an assistant scout master, a member of the Comprehensive Planning Committee, a retired educator and others.

Olsen said in December that the visioning committee would look at “what are practical, what are not practical and what are the costs going to be because at some point we’re going to come down to the fact that we’re going to have to spend some bucks up there. And we need to have a plan first that says this is what we want to do.”

During their work, committee members looked at the school and a number of other town facilities to see how they were being used and what was needed. They looked at the town office, the library, the Public Safety building and two locations leased for programs and offices.

They also visited facilities at nearby towns that took over former schools for town use.

“We started our process by first understanding the mission of this committee as communicated by the Select Board,” Lockwood said. “We reviewed the Raymond Comprehensive Plan which is in the final stages of being approved by the town. We had total freedom to dream and think about any and all options. We were not restricted by cost. Cost concerns will be part of the next phase or the next committee. First. we decided to tour all the current Town of Raymond facilities, JSMS, Town Hall, Library, Raymond Village Community Church (RVCC), and three Public Safety Buildings. Next, we contacted three adjacent towns that have gone through the same process or are currently working on a similar project, Gorham, Westbrook, and Windham.”

Public input will be sought during the process to determine the best use of the school. “In our report we have recommended an extensive survey of the town should be one of the first actions of the next committee,” he said.

The next step for the current committee is to report its recommendations to the Select Board. <

Hometown Hero Award honors work of Diamond’s Walk A Mile Foundation

By Ed Pierce

During Saturday’s Windham Summerfest Parade and festivities, Bill Diamond and the Walk a Mile in Their Shoes Foundation were honored as this year’s recipient of the Modern Woodmen of America Hometown Hero Award, presented annually to recognize individuals and organizations who have gone above and beyond in service to their community.

Bill Diamond and the Walk a Mile in Their Shoes Foundation
were honored as this year's Modern Woodmen of America 
Hometown Hero during the Windham Summerfest on
Saturday, June 21. Diamond created the nonprofit group
in 2023 to prevent child homicide and the abuse of children
who are under the supervision or direct cate of the State of
Maine or in the state's Child Protective System FILE PHOTO.
   
Diamond, a former Maine state legislator from Windham, founded the Walk a Mile in Their Shoes Foundation in January 2023 to help prevent child homicides and the abuse of children who are under the supervision or direct care of the State of Maine or who are or have been associated with the state’s Child Protective System.

From 1989 to 1997, Diamond served as Maine’s Secretary of State and during his tenure he was credited with improving efficiencies within the Department of State. Before he was the Maine Secretary of State, Diamond served three terms in the Maine House of Representatives and later was elected as a State Senator representing Windham. He has extensive experience as a small-business owner in Windham for more than four decades, and as a teacher, principal, and Superintendent of Schools in the Windham and Raymond school systems, where he worked for 20 years.

In creating the foundation, Diamond says that children associated with state care have been dying at record levels and something needed to be done to prevent that.

“How many more children must die before we make meaningful changes,” he said. “The problems are not partisan based. They are the concern of all of us. This is the most important thing I’ve ever been able to do, nothing comes close.”

To learn more about the issue, Diamond said he’s attended many child-homicide trials and sentencings over the past years and each time he does, he’s made aware of the gruesome and sad details of an abused child dying needlessly.

“Each time the fact is reinforced that we have the capabilities to fix our broken child protection system, all we need is the will to do it,” he said.

The Walk a Mile in Their Shoes Foundation is duly filed with the Maine Secretary of State and supported and guided by an advisory board consisting of experts in the field of child protection and child welfare. One of the purposes of the Walk a Mile in Their Shoes foundation is to bring people from a variety of interests and backgrounds together to develop meaningful strategies for positive changes to protect our children who are the innocent victims of a broken system.

“Since the foundation was founded, we’ve mobilized families, foster parents, legislators, law enforcement officers, health care and childcare providers, educators and others in advocating for change in Maine’s child welfare system,” Diamond said. “We’ve brought people together on social media and at rallies at the State House and beyond and used our platform to inform the public of the ongoing dangers Maine children face.”

After months of interviews with stakeholders of all kinds from around the state, the foundation released a report in December 2023 detailing how Maine’s child welfare system leaves children, caseworkers, foster families and others without the support they need to be safe and successful.

“We identified many of the same issues that the Maine Child Welfare Ombudsman Program, an independent watchdog, has identified in its annual report for the past several years,” Diamond said. “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services came to similar conclusions in November 2024, when it issued a report finding that Maine did not comply with screening, assessment and investigation requirements for responding to reports of child abuse and neglect. Maine’s DHHS has also seen fit to spend nearly $1.6 million in recent years to contract outside entities to examine the child welfare system, just to be told the same things: the system has serious flaws that are leaving children vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and in the worst cases, death.”

He said the intent of the Walk a Mile in Their Shoes Foundation is to work with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Child and Family Services in a joint effort to improve the state’s child safety policies and practices and make a difference.

Having the foundation honored as a Modern Woodmen of America Hometown Hero for this year’s Windham Summerfest came as a surprise to Diamond.

“I was not expecting any recognition although I will say we have so many dedicated volunteers who constantly give their time and energy to help vulnerable children who are living in unsafe and often times life-threatening circumstances,” he said. “These volunteers deserve this honorable recognition which has a history of outstanding recipients over the past years. All we hope for as a nonprofit organization is the reward that we save the lives of infants and young children by using whatever influence we can muster to rescue these children from ongoing abuse and too often eventual murders. To be recognized as a Hometown Hero is a privilege and heartwarming, however maybe the most important result of this award will be to help us build awareness of who we are and our mission which is to help vulnerable children who most people never see or even know exist.”

To learn more about the Walk a Mile in Their Shoes Foundation, visit https://walkamilemaine.org/ <