Raymond Comprehensive Plan meeting creates debate about sidewalk additions

By Kendra Raymond

The Raymond Comprehensive Plan draft was recently published for review and a public town hearing was held on Dec. 4 at the regular Comprehensive Plan Committee’s meeting. Committee members presented the current draft plan, shared updates, and heard feedback from residents.

Public feedback regarding
Raymond's new Comprehensive
Plan proposal has asked that more
road safety and road improvement
measures be included in the Raymond
Cape area of the town. The
Comprehensive Plan Committee
has extended the deadline to 
submit public comments about 
the plan to Dec. 31.
PHOTO BY KENDRA RAYMOND 

The public commentary about the plan was open from Oct. 11 to Dec. 4, where suggestions and input could be recorded and shared with the committee. CPC co-chair Peter Leavitt says that there was a unanimous vote at the meeting to extend the public comment period on the draft plan to Dec. 31, 2024.

Raymond’s new Comprehensive Plan’s Priority Goals and Actions includes five sections: Build a resilient Raymond, protect Raymond’s natural and water resources, invest in road and traffic improvements, prioritize walking and biking around Raymond, and strengthen Raymond’s sense of community.

The fourth item, “Prioritize walking and biking around Raymond: Build a trail or sidewalk that spans the length of Raymond Cape Road,” brought forth some lively discussion during the CPC committee’s Dec. 4 meeting.

Leavitt explained that the priority and verbiage around pedestrian accessibility was changed following the meeting,

“Based on both online and in person public comments the CPC decided to change the priority status involving Raymond Cape Road for the construction of walking/bike paths to include the village areas,” he said. “There was no public opposition to the draft plan's focus on promoting sidewalk and walking paths throughout Raymond in order to increase connectivity and/or improve roadway safety.”

Kelly Rocheleau is a Cape resident and attended the meeting.

“I would like to hear what other people are feeling. We are concerned about safety on the road for drivers and pedestrians,” she said. “I took away that the Cape improvements were low priority. It seemed like the sidewalks were being shot down.”

A local social media page discussion initiated some debate as well. Raymond resident Laura Abbott posted, “It’s insane. Is someone going to have to die for them to make it a priority? It’s a safety issue – at minimum.”

Kelly Rocheleau replied to the post, “The Comprehensive Plan is more about connectivity and bringing the town together. The paths make more sense to have them near the school, town office, Raymond village, and route 302. After hearing more, I understand that is the priority and that seems to benefit more of the town. To me, Cape Road is about safety. Something needs to be done before there is another fatal accident.”

Rocheleau said that she recalls a devastating fatality on the Cape in 2018.

“(Javiera Araya Arriagada) was my sister Karen’s tenant,” she said. The early morning collision occurred when Arriagada was driving north on the Cape. Her vehicle drifted off the pavement edge, and after over-correcting, Arriagada’s vehicle collided with a Ford F-550 hauling a trailer driven by Franklin Everett. She died at the scene. Cape resident Melissa Savage came upon the accident as it occurred. She said that the victim was responsive, but all Savage was able to do was make her comfortable and offer soothing words.”

The Comprehensive Plan draft section language under the heading Prioritize Safe Walking & Biking around Raymond says:

“Many Raymond residents are active people who love to spend time outdoors and would readily do less driving if it was safer and easier to walk or bike. Route 302 has a limited sidewalk network that lacks connectivity to other parts of town and nearby parks and public places. Routes 85 and 121 have a more rural setting and lack sidewalks or bike lanes. Raymond’s local roads do not have adequate road shoulders for pedestrians. Improving the ability to bike and walk around Raymond will be a big quality of life improvement for residents - and will help reduce traffic congestion. Policy: Make it easier to walk and bike around Raymond. • Build a trail or sidewalk that spans the length of Raymond Cape Road. • Develop a capital plan to prioritize and fund sidewalk construction and connections along the busiest parts of Route 302 and Route 85 in Raymond, and to widen or pave road shoulders along other public roads. • Amend ordinances to require sidewalks when new construction is built on Route 302, Route 85, and anywhere pedestrian activity is anticipated. • Partner with Maine DOT to add bike infrastructure like bike lanes or shoulders to Route 302, Route 85, and Route 121. • Create a plan to create pedestrian connections through sidewalks and trails in East Raymond Village. • Review and update standards for sidewalk construction in the Subdivision Ordinance to promote walkable new development. Policy: Increase off-road trails for recreation and bicycle/pedestrian travel through town. • Work with regional partners to connect to the Sebago to the Sea trail. • Partner with local snowmobile and ATV groups to create pedestrian and bike access to existing trails. • Build a trail connection between Sheri Gagnon Park, Raymond Village, and Route 302. • Increase trail, sidewalk, and bike lane connections to water access points and open spaces. Policy: Provide alternatives to driving. • Work with RTP, town staff and boards, and Raymond residents to bring back the Lakes Region Bus. • Explore partnering with regional towns for a vanpool service for seniors for daily needs and recreation.”

The CPC draft offered the following public comments: “Pretty much every road feels unsafe to walk or ride a bike on, except for the private, slow speed lakeside roads.”, “Cape Road needs a jogging/bike path! There are a lot of pedestrians and bicycles using that road safely. It is scenic with rolling hills and would be perfect for a path that has benches and lighting, from the ferry up to Hawthorne.”, “I love the idea of creating more sidewalks.”

“We deserve a better road,” said Rocheleau.

So, what’s next and how can residents have their voices heard? Leavitt said that once the Comp Plan is voted in, the townspeople will decide whether to fund the improvements.

“Implementation of the recommendations contained in the Comprehensive Plan begins once the residents approve the plan (on the) June 2025 town warrant and the Select board appoints the Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee. Ultimately the decision on funding any of the plan recommendations resides with the voters,” Leavitt said.

The recent CPC meeting was the last of its kind in the Comp Plan process. The CPC authorized the co-chairs Peter Leavitt and Kaela Gonzalez to make any additional edits to the plan that might be required by the Raymond Select Board or the state.

The Comprehensive Plan draft can be reviewed here: https://compplan.raymondmaine.org/index.php/review-the-plan/

Scroll to the bottom of the page to submit your feedback on the draft plan by the Dec. 31, 2024 deadline. <

In the public eye: WMS teacher dedicated to students and community

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

By Ed Pierce

It’s said that a great teacher is more than just someone who gives out answers to tests but is understanding of the needs and challenges of students and gives them the tools they need to succeed in life. Windham Middle School’s Mandy Lavallee can certainly be called one of those dedicated educators.

Mandy Lavallee teaches English and
Language Arts at Windham Middle School
and she also serves as the school's Student
Council Advisor. She's part of the
Leadership Team for WMS and has spent 
more than 20 years working in the field
of education. SUBMITTED PHOTO    

Lavallee teaches English and Language Arts at WMS and she serves as the school’s Student Council Advisor. She’s part of the Leadership Team for WMS and a member of the school’s Curriculum Committee for vocabulary work, the Community and Culture Committee and is the EF Tour Advisor.

“For eighth grade English and Language Arts, we are finishing up our World War II book studies unit,” Lavallee said. “Not only are we reading and analyzing, but we are crafting and writing. Students will be expected to write a literary essay as their final assessment.”

As WMS Student Council Advisor, Lavallee’s helped connect students to their community.

“So far this year we have collected food for the Windham Food Pantry, adopted a few families for Christmas and are currently supporting administration during our Holiday Assembly,” she said. “Within the next few weeks, we will be working on screen printing our own Windham shirts. Student Council has partnered with STEM to help bring this amazing opportunity to our students and staff.”

According to Lavallee, working on the WMS Leadership Team has been eye opening.

“It's important work and I'm proud to say, I've had the honor of working side by side with amazing staff from both middle schools,” she said.

Now in her second year of teaching at Windham Middle School, she has spent the past 20 years in the field of education.

“In 2005 I started as an educational technician at Windham Middle School. I worked with students who were in the care of the Department of Human Services and then the Functional Life Skills Program,” Lavallee said. “While I've worked in other districts teaching social studies and ELA, my favorite place to call home is WMS. While I do love curriculum work, making connections with my students and their families is what I enjoy the most. I truly enjoy my students and can't imagine doing anything different. Once my student, always my student.”

Originally from the Greater Portland area, she attended the University of New England where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history with a concentration in education. She later went back to UNE and obtained a teaching certificate and is certified to teach in both Kindergarten to Grade 8 and Grades 7 to 12. She did her student teaching at The REAL school on Mackworth Island. Lavallee has also worked as an educational technician, taught Social Studies for grades 9 to 12, been a Kindergarten to Grade 8 teacher and taught Language Arts for students in Grades 7 and 8.

“One of the most memorable moments I've had at WMS took place in October. We had just finished our memoirs and were celebrating our writing,” Lavallee said. “I decorated the classroom to look like a cafe. We had hot chocolate, tea and popcorn. The students were enthusiastic and engaged as we shared our pieces. I saw many smiles and heard several giggles. Their pieces were heartfelt and honored the people in their lives. It was a great day. When they asked if we could do it again, I knew our celebration of writing was a success.”

She says the most challenging aspect of her work is dealing with all the policies and procedures regarding schools.

“These can sometimes hinder activities designed to enhance curriculum or not get the support my kids need in what I believe to be a quick enough time frame,” she said. “Patience is something that I am working on.”

Last spring, Lavallee partnered with EF Tours in an effort to bring travel opportunities to RSU 14 middle schoolers.

“In April 2025 we will be traveling to Spain. This trip is designed specifically for middle school students,” she said. “We will be visiting an olive oil farm, making tiles, learning Flamenco dancing and more. I am already working on our next adventure which will be Italy.”

Her family is proud of her work and are her biggest cheerleaders.

“My own children love that I teach in their school district. It's a great thing when you can attend your own children's events and see your school kids succeed outside the classroom,” she said. “The most important thing I have learned while working for WMS is that you can do anything with enough heart and determination.” <

RSU 14 Backpack Program addresses food insecurity among students

By Ed Pierce

Launched during the 2011-2012 school year to assist school children in RSU 14 to overcome food insecurity so they can grow up healthy, do their best work in school, and become successful adults, the Windham/Raymond Backpack Program has become a lifeline for students when school is not in session.

Shaw Dwight of Windham's Paul's Boutique was honored
earlier this year for donating to the RSU 14 Backpack
Program which feeds students in need when school is not
in session. From left are RSU 14 Backpack Program
volunteer Marge Govoni, Shaw Dwight, and RSU 14
Kitchen Manager Ryan Roderick. SUBMITTED PHOTO   

Despite the Maine Legislature approving “School Meals For All” legislation in 2021 where all students in Maine are given access to school meals, some families of RSU 14 students continue to be faced with issues of feeding children on weekends and over vacations when school is not open.

That’s where the Windham/Raymond Backpack Program comes in. It provides food to supplement children in need over weekends and school breaks during the school year. Each “Backpack” contains breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, as well as snacks and they are discreetly distributed to the students by teachers or staff at each RSU 14 school and are packed every Tuesday by a team of volunteers at Windham Middle School.

Backpack Program volunteer Marge Govoni of Windham said that ongoing research indicates that children who grow up in food insecure households sometimes trail their peers in terms of cognitive, emotional, and physical development and this RSU 14 program was created to help students overcome those challenges.

She said that when the RSU 14 Backpack Program started, it provided meals for about 50 students but has since increased to more than 120 students participating from both Windham and Raymond schools.

“The increase in participation paired with rising food costs has made it more important than ever that we keep this program open and available to as many children as we can,” Govoni said.

Data formulated by the National Health Interview Study shows a direct correlation between household food insecurity and significantly worsening general health in American children, including more acute and chronic health problems and increased emergency room hospital visits.

The Windham/Raymond Backpack Program only accepts monetary donations to ensure the nutritional items and menu are similarly based and meet the needs of the child, Govoni said.

“In order to continue to serve up to 120 children each weekend during the school year, we need more members of the community to support our program,” she said. “We are reaching out to local businesses asking for additional sponsors to this program.”

For residents who are considering donating to the RSU 14 Backpack Program, Govoni said that donation benchmarks are one bag for one child at $10, and one child for the school year at about $300.

“Of course, any amount is helpful, and 100 percent of the donations go toward buying food and supplies with no administrative cost or fees applied,” she said. “Using this program to give students food for the weekend ensures that come Monday morning when they return to school, they will not be hungry and ready to learn. I am passionate about this program and making sure that students have access to food over the weekend and it is run totally on donations and the work of some wonderful and caring volunteers.”

Ryan Roderick, RSU 14 Kitchen Manager, said that the Backpack Program is invaluable.

“It is not uncommon to think that because school meals are free that these kids should already have everything they need. The unfortunate truth is that even though breakfasts and lunches are available to all students, there are still hundreds of children who leave school on Friday afternoon and have no certainty that they will be fed a complete meal until Monday morning when they return to school,” Roderick said. “If that is the case, you can bet those students are going to be the ones struggling to stay focused, stay awake and to be the best version of themselves when they are in attendance. The backpack program helps those children sustain over the weekend, to feel a sense of comfort and normalcy and to be confident knowing they will not have to feel hungry, tired, or irritable by the time they get back to school. Every child deserves to feel happy and energized and to be given the best possible chance to succeed and the Backpack Program is our way to ensure that chance is given.”

Govoni said making a donation to the program can help transform the lives of the RSU 14 students whose lives can be made a little easier with a nutritional meal that is not always available to them.

“We cannot make this program work without the help of our very generous businesses, organizations and residents of Windham and Raymond,” she said. “We are very grateful and cannot thank those who have contributed monetary donations or volunteer their time to help make this program successful.”

In this week's edition of The Windham Eagle, local businesses participated in an advertising holiday greeting fundraiser with a portion of the proceeds benefit the RSU 14 Backpack Program. Thanks to the 95 participants, the newspaper was able to raise over $1,100 for the RSU 14 Backpack Program.  

To make a donation helping ensure that the food insecure children of the Windham and Raymond communities are nourished and well fed, mail a check or money order to: School Nutrition Program, Attn: Ryan Roderick, 228 Windham Center Road Windham, ME 04062 Note: Backpack Program.

Online donations can also be made at https://rsu14.androgov.com/ - Select “all other student activities,” fill in your information, for a specific school, select “School Nutrition.” For *Payment Description* write “Backpack Program.”

For more details about the Windham/Raymond Backpack Program, call 207-892-1800, Ext. 2012 or send an email to rroderick@rsu14.org or mgovoni@rsu14.org <

Nangle to chair Transportation Committee for 132nd Maine State Legislature

AUGUSTA – State Senator Tim Nangle, D-Windham, has been appointed by Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, to serve as the Maine Senate chair of the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Transportation for the 132nd Maine State Legislature.

State Senator Tim Nangle of
Windham will serve as Maine
Senate chair of the Legislature's
Joint Standing Committee on
Transportation for the 132nd
Maine State Legislature.
FILE PHOTO

The Transportation Committee oversees a broad range of policy areas and agencies, including the Department of Transportation; Bureau of Motor Vehicles; Maine Turnpike Authority; and matters related to highway construction, safety and maintenance, traffic regulation, public transportation, aeronautics, waterways and railroads, the Highway Fund, driver education and licensing, and the Department of Public Safety (as it relates to motor vehicles and carriers).

“I’m honored to serve as Senate chair of the Transportation Committee. Reliable roads, bridges and public transit aren’t just conveniences — they are the lifelines that connect Mainers to jobs, education, medical appointments and other vital services,” said Senator Nangle. “Our work will focus on ensuring that our infrastructure is safe, resilient and equipped to meet the needs of our state today and into the future.”

He will also serve on the Maine Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee, which oversees the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and addresses issues such as MaineCare, children’s welfare and mental health services, public health initiatives, aging and disability issues, long-term care, health care facilities and workers, substance use disorder treatments, and other critical health and human services programs.

“I look forward to serving on the Health and Human Services Committee to help ensure that every Mainer — no matter where they live or what challenges they face — has access to quality, affordable health care and critical services,” said Senator Nangle. “This includes strengthening our child protection system so that our most vulnerable children are kept safe and have the support they need to thrive. From supporting our oldest neighbors to caring for our youngest, these issues are too important to ignore.”

Lawmakers are assigned to committees by the presiding officers based on their interests, experience and professional background. Joint standing committees are composed of three senators and 10 representatives.

Senator Tim Nangle has dedicated his life to public service. Prior to his election to the Maine Senate in 2022, he served on the Windham Town Council and worked 27 years as a paramedic with the Portland Fire Department’s MedCU (Medical Crisis Unit).

During his first term in office, Senator Nangle championed a new law that provides municipalities with additional tools to address shoreland zoning violations, preserving Maine’s tradition of local control. Senator Nangle previously chaired the State and Local Government Committee and served as a member of the Transportation Committee.

He’s now serving in his second term representing Maine Senate District 26, which includes Casco, Frye Island, Raymond, part of Westbrook and Windham. The Maine Legislature is set to reconvene on Jan. 8, 2025. <

Windham High graduate preparing to travel to Tanzania

WINCHESTER, Virginia – A 2023 graduate of Windham High School is about to embark on a journey which will take her to some of the world's most treasured national parks and game reserves in Tanzania on the African continent.

Sophie Koutalakis of Windham, a Windham
High graduate, will be one of 50 students
participating in Shenandoah University's
2025 Global Citizenship Project and will
travel to Tanzania in Africa in march as
part of the program. COURTESY PHOTO 

Sophie Koutalakis of Windham is one of 50 students who have been chosen to participate in Shenandoah University's 2025 Global Citizenship Project (GCP). She will join other Shenandoah University students, faculty, and staff members as they travel to one of five international destinations during spring break this coming March.

Tanzania is home to the Selous Game Reserve, which is the world's largest game reserve and home to more than 120,000 elephants, 160,000 buffalos and 2,000 rhinos. Situated just south of the equator in East Africa, Tanzania became a sovereign and independent nation in 1964 through the union of the separate countries of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. It also the site of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain peak on the African continent.

Koutalakis is studying environmental science and sustainability at Shenandoah University, and she learned what destination that she will be traveling to in March during the school’s International Convocation event in November. To qualify for the program, Koutalakis submitted an application and also wrote an essay which was chosen by the school’s selection committee based on her thoughts and passion expressed in the essay describing how she envisioned sharing her travel experiences upon her return from her trip overseas.

Shenandoah University’s Global Citizenship Project is celebrating its 20th year in 2025 and since first launching the program two decades ago, the Global Citizenship Project has witnessed more than 1,400 Shenandoah University students, staff, faculty, and trustees travel to 69 different countries and to seven different U.S. states and U.S. territories in an effort for each participant to learn more about the world and about themselves.

Along with her coursework at Shenandoah University, Koutalakis is a part of the Shenandoah University chorus. At Windham High School, she appeared on stage as Ali in the school’s production of “Mamma Mia” as Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors,” and as Anelle in “Steel Magnolias.” She also was a standout performer with the Windham Chamber Singers.

Shenandoah University was established in 1875 in Winchester, Virginia. Through innovative partnerships and programs at both the local and global level, there are exceptional opportunities for students to learn in and out of the classroom such as with the Global Citizenship Project, and it strives to empower students to improve the human condition and to be principled professionals and leaders wherever they go in life. <

Wreath-making class raising money for RSU 14 Travel Club educational trip to Spain

By Masha Yurkevich

Looking for an activity to put you into the holiday spirit, while also supporting a good cause? There’s one coming up this weekend in Windham.

Petals Farm and Garden Design, 11 Brick Hill Road
in Windham, is hosting a wreath-making class at
11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 to help the RSU 14
Travel Club raise money for an educational
trip to Spain for students at Jordan-Small
Middle School and Windham Middle School
next spring. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Participants will be able to create a customized and personalized Christmas wreath at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 at Petals Farm and Garden Design, 11 Brick Hill Road in Windham. The fundraiser is the idea of Alissa Messer, a parent whose daughter is a student at Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond and part of the Travel Club, which is raising money to travel to Spain. Messer will be chaperoning the Spain trip and said she had the idea to do a wreath-making class as a fundraiser for the Spain trip.

“I think it is very important that when we do community events that we support one another,” Messer said. “This wreath-making class is a great way to celebrate the season, spend family time together, and support a local business at the same time; it’s a win, win, win. Lyndsay Stretch was super gracious to quickly say ‘yes’ and supportive for this event.”

The wreath-making class will be led by Lyndsay Stretch, owner and operator of Petals Farm and Garden Design, whose child also attends RSU 14. Stretch is an expert in everything floral and is also a designer for landscaping. She is very involved with RSU 14 and field hockey.

The wreath-making class will be held inside of a greenhouse where Stretch will walk participants through how to make their own wreaths and show them how different supplements can be added to the wreath. Stretch is very artsy and creative and says participants will not leave this class with a generic, box-stamped wreath, but with something that is unique, different, and special, along with the memories of making it.

She said that the wreaths can then be used to hang on the door, entryway, or give as a beautiful gift.

This planned trip to Spain will be a first for students attending Windham Middle School and Jordan-Small Middle School.

“Last spring, I partnered with EF Tours to be able to offer tours for middle schoolers,” says Mandy Lavallee, a Windham Middle School eighth-grade Language Arts teacher and EF Tours group leader. “We chose Spain because it was specifically designed for middle schoolers, and we also wanted to make sure that it was equitable not just for students who were studying Spanish. We are taking seventh and eighth graders from both Jordan-Small Middle School and also Windham Middle School. We wanted the kids to be able to experience something different.”

Even though each student has their own fundraising page with a specific link, they have been working on other ways to raise funds. Students have gone to local businesses looking for donations and most recently the group participated in the district’s Athletic Booster's craft fair.

Still, teachers and parents sought a way to help alleviate costs. They did not just want the students to have the trip paid for them, but for the kids to also get involved and see the process. They just finished up in November with the craft fair where many talented and artistic students made things such as cards, woodworking projects, and other works of art and they were able to raise more than $700 for the trip through the craft fair.

“We also have a Clynk account and will be having a car wash in April along with some other fundraisers,” says Lavallee.

The Spain trip is scheduled to take place during April vacation for students.

“The eight days include airfare, a 24/7 tour guide, breakfast, lunch and all excursions,” says Lavallee. “Traveling to Spain is a great opportunity for our students to experience other cultures and ways of life. They will learn new skills such as tile making, olive oil farming and Flamenco dancing in Seville. Zip lining in Toledo is just the icing on the cake.”

If anyone would like to donate to the group, they may do so by writing a check out to EF Educational Tours. Please send to Windham Middle School, Attention Mandy Lavallee, 408 Gray Road, Windham, Maine 04062.

The wreath-making class costs $60 to participate and while the event will be held inside a greenhouse, organizers advise participants to dress seasonally. <

Maine Audubon’s 41st Annual Loon Count results show healthy loon population

It was a very good year – for Maine loons. When every single number associated with the Annual Loon Count goes up, scientists at Maine Audubon say it’s a great indication that the Common Loon population is healthy. All the numbers of adult loons, loon chicks, lakes counted, and volunteers were higher in 2024 than they were in 2023.

Estimated results of the 2024 Maine Audubon Annual Loon
Count reveal that the adult loon and chick population in
the southern half of Maine, including those in Sebago Lake,
has more than doubled in the past 40 years. 
COURTESY PHOTO 

Every year on the third Saturday in July, people get up early and head out onto lakes and ponds across the state to look and listen for loons. On July 20, 1,624 volunteers (up from 1,503 last year) headed out to 407 lakes across the state (up from 374 last year) to gather data that allows Maine Audubon to calculate a population estimate for southern Maine and keep an eye on trends over time. Sebago Lake is a prime location for Maine Audubon loon counters each year.

The Maine Audubon Annual Loon Count may only last half an hour, from 7 to 7:30 a.m., but the regional coordinators spend many hours assigning people to lakes, conducting outreach, compiling and checking data, and tallying numbers, from Aroostook to York. Volunteers look for loons in every one of Maine’s 16 counties.

To determine an estimate for adult and chick population in the southern half of Maine (south of the 45th parallel, where enough lakes are covered by counters to produce a reliable estimate) Maine Audubon uses a stratified random sampling method, which has been used since 1983.

Based on those calculations, Maine Audubon estimates a population of 3,146 adults and 420 chicks for the southern half of Maine. In comparison, in 1983, it estimated a population of 1,417 adult loons and 176 loon chicks in the southern half of Maine, suggesting a doubling since the initial year of the loon count.

Audubon officials say that there is not enough coverage in the northern portion of Maine (north of the 45th parallel) to confidently provide an estimate of the loon population for that part of the state. But the number of lakes and volunteer counters is also trending up there.

Last year, Maine Audubon had 69 northern lakes counted; this year, and 353 counters gathered data for 96 northern lakes. On those lakes, volunteers tallied 509 adults and 50 chicks. This number cannot be used as a straight comparison to the south, but it can serve as a reference for changes in loon numbers on individual lakes and for northern coverage.

Maine Audubon wishes to thank the volunteers who turned out to count northern lakes and hope to see more coverage in future years.

“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.

The Common Loon faces all kinds of threats—boat strikes, nest flooding, lead tackle, eagle predation—and yet, 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.”

All these steps can help ensure our lakes are clean and clear, which loons depend on to find and catch their prey. These efforts also help increase loon nesting success and survival. Maine’s loons are lucky to have so many incredible volunteers watching out for them.

This fall, a new law which prohibits the sale of painted lead jigs went into effect, closing a dangerous loophole. Lead poisoning has long been one of the leading causes of death for adult loons in Maine. Common Loons can ingest lost or discarded lead fishing tackle when it sinks to the bottom of a lake or pond, causing illness and death. It has been illegal to sell and/or use lead sinkers and bare “unpainted” jigs (weighing less than an ounce in weight or measuring less than 2.5 inches in length) in Maine since 2017.

Now the sale of painted lead jigs within these size and weight limitations is prohibited and the use of them will be illegal in 2026, bringing Maine’s waterways one step closer to being safer for loons. Maine Audubon is helping remove this dangerous lead tackle from circulation by buying and recycling newly illegal lead tackle directly from retailers, and by collecting old lead tackle items from anglers who want to get rid of it from their tackle boxes.

For specific information about the annual count, the Fish Lead Free program, or the Maine Loon Project, or to volunteer for projects and activities, contact conserve@maineaudubon.org or visit maineaudubon.org/loons. <

WHS varsity football athletes serve as mentors for third-grade players

By Jolene Bailey

Within the Windham school community, students are offered opportunities to interact with not only their classmates in the grade they attend, but with every grade.

Members of Windham High School's Varsity Football Team
served as mentors for students in the Windham Primary 
School's third grade class of Savannah Lemieux this
fall. The football players stressed the importance of
academics for student-athletes.
PHOTO BY JOLENE BAILEY

“I had an idea early in the school year to connect the high school football players with my third-grade football players. I had been asking around about the best way to do this” said Savannah Lemieux, a Windham Primary School teacher.

Lorraine Glowczack’s name was shared with Lemieux a few weeks later. Glowczak is the Director of Community Connections for Windham schools. She is also the coordinator for the WHS capstone project and extended learning opportunities available to high schoolers. She then connected a handful of high school football players who were interested in helping Lemieux.

The mentorship of varsity athletes with Windham Primary School students reinforced the lesson that being a student takes priority before athletics.

“This mentorship connects to the habits of work rubric. Prior to meeting the high schoolers, my students came up with questions for them,” Lemieux said. “My students wanted to learn about how important it was to keep good grades, take school seriously, and finish their work. The high schoolers stressed the importance of being a student before an athlete and discussed what it meant to be a student athlete.”

High school athletes practice the importance of time and stress management balancing out school life, athletic life, and their own personal life. Those are all critical and crucial skills important for growing minds to learn.

“I think for both the older and younger students they both walked away feeling like it was a great experience,” Lemieux said. “There was lots of laughter and connections made because of their shared interest in football.”

The high school students said that people look to them to be role models on and off the field. They said setting an example for your peers and touching upon picking each other up and supporting others when you fall down are crucial for young kids to learn.

“I have used this experience as a reminder when they don’t want to do work in class, and it has been a great motivator for them. I hope they were able to take away the feeling of pride in how hard they have worked to be where they are today,” said Lemieux.

The older students took the time to explain the importance of school in a student perspective rather than a teacher’s way that had come across more effectively to some students at a level that they understood.

“My students haven’t stopped talking about how fun it was and how cool they thought the older students were,” Lemieux said. “After seeing how successful it was this time, I will be looking to find other ways to make these connections.”

She said that connections throughout the community can go a long way in one’s individual life and having positive role models builds personal growth. <

In the public eye: WMS Science and Math teacher positively impacts lives of her students

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

By Ed Pierce

Every student deserves a champion, a teacher who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be. For many Windham Middle School students, Katie Franzoni is that teacher.

Katie Franzoni has  taught
math and science at
Windham Middle School for
the past 17 years and she
also serves as coach for the
WMS seventh-grade girls'
basketball team.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

Franzoni is a Sixth-Grade math and science teacher for the Maui Team at WMS, and she also serves as coach for the school’s seventh-grade girls’ basketball team. She takes her work seriously and believes she’s positively impacting the community by teaching her students valuable life skills and contributing to their character development.

“I love building relationships with my students and seeing them grow and develop new skills,” Franzoni said. “I also love that every day is different. Middle schoolers are unique and interesting too. They keep me on my toes and say and do the funniest things. Our motto is you can't make this stuff up."

She’s taught at Windham Middle School for the past 17 years and currently teaches three science blocks, one math block, an “ignite block” which is time for students to read, work on iReady math lessons, or other work that they need to, and an advisory block, a time to connect with a small group of students to build a small community within the bigger school community, and build peer-to-peer relationships. Franzoni also serves on the WMS leadership team that meets twice a month with school administrators to discuss school-related issues, plan upcoming professional development for the staff, and other topics.

“The most challenging aspect of what I do is meeting the diverse needs of all the learners in the classroom,” she said. “They come in with a range of abilities, prior knowledge, and home lives. My job is to make them feel safe and welcome so that they are ready and able to learn.”

Originally from Calais, Maine, Franzoni attended the University of Southern Maine and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with a minor in math before obtaining a master's degree in Elementary Education. While at USM she was a standout on the women's basketball team, serving as team captain and was a starter for the team that went to two Final Fours and was the national runner-up in 2006. She was proud to be inducted into the USM Hall of Fame in 2019.

Her student teaching in college was at Windham Primary School and Franzoni says through that experience, she fell in love with the school district here.

“The teaching program at USM has a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with RSU 14,” she said. “My family likes living in the same community where I teach. Windham is an amazing community who supports and encourages one another.”

According to Franzoni, her most memorable moments while working for Windham Middle School take place every spring.

“It's not one moment as it happens every year, but I love raising brook trout with my students,” she said. “We have 300 brook trout eggs delivered to our classroom at the end of January. We learn about their life cycle and the water quality that they need to survive. We release them into the Pleasant River at the end of May. My students love learning about trout. They check on them daily and are excited to watch them grow and develop and eventually release them into the river.”

The greatest misconception people may have about her work is that it is just a 7 to 2 job,” Franzoni said.

“Teaching is more than a bell-to-bell job. We often stay late or bring work home,” she said. “We care about our students beyond what they are being asked to learn. We often carry the worries, struggles, and hardships of our students.”

The most important thing that she says she’s learned while working at WMS is rather simple.

“Although we have to put up with a lot of demands, whether it be from administrators, students, parents, or anyone else who has an opinion about teachers and teaching, we need to put those interests aside and focus on doing a good job for our students,” Franzoni said. <

Windham extends property tax assistance program deadline

By Ed Pierce

The window for eligible seniors in Windham to receive help with property tax assistance will close on Dec. 27 and amended provisions for the program allow more elderly residents than in previous years to apply.

To encourage more participation, Windham
Town Councilors have extended the deadline 
for filing applications for the Senior Property
Tax Assistance program to Dec. 27 and 
dropped eligibility residency requirements
from 10 years to five years. FILE PHOTO  

During the Windham Town Council meeting on Nov. 26, councilors voted unanimously to authorize Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts to approve qualifying applications for senior property tax assistance for an additional extension of 45-days ending Dec. 27. Earlier in November, the council approved reducing the amount of eligibility time for senior residents having lived in Windham from 10 years to five years to encourage more seniors to apply for the program.

Councilors say extending the deadline for applications to Dec. 27 potentially ensures that more seniors benefit from the program, particularly those who previously didn’t apply due to the stricter residency timeline.

Windham’s Senior Property Tax Assistance Program awards a maximum property tax refund of up to $700 depending upon your property tax bill and your overall annual household income.

Eligible participants must file an application and meet other requirements including that they be at least age 65 when applying; have owned or rented a home in Windham that they have lived in for an entire year prior to the time of application; lived in Windham for at least five years; paid property taxes in Windham in 2023 and 2024 or rented in Windham for at least a year; have an annual household income less than $63,750; or are 100 percent disabled with Social Security Administration document verification.

At the Nov. 26 meeting, Tibbetts told the council that last year, the town approved a total of 276 households for the Senior Property Tax Assistance Program and reducing the residency time is expected to add at least 25 more applicants.

“This is trying to be fair to give them the opportunity to apply,” Tibbetts said.

Previous applications filed earlier this year that did not qualify because the senior applicants did not meet the 10-year residency requirement have been retained and will now be reconsidered under the amended 5-year residency reduction.

Tibbetts said a total of four senior applicants will be reconsidered who have lived in town for at least five years but did not meet the previous 10-year residency requirement.

According to Tibbetts, Windham Town Councilors Bill Reiner and Nick Kalogerakis advocated for the council to slash the residency requirement to five years to help senior town residents struggling to pay property taxes on fixed incomes.

“It makes a lot of sense to do that,” Tibbetts said.

Reiner said moving forward he would like to see the residency requirement for the program further dropped to one year.

“I think the residency requirement to file a Homestead Exemption is one year,” Kalogerakis said. “For the Senior Tax Assistance Program, I’ll take the lowest residency we can get, but I’d like to see it set at one year.”

Under the rules for filing for a Homestead Tax Exemption in Windham, the existing residency requirement in Windham is one year. This allows homeowners whose principal residence is in Maine a reduction in valuation, adjusted by the town's certified assessment ratio.

The maximum reduction in Windham for 2024 under the Homestead Tax Exemption is $25,000 off the assessed valuation of your property.

Property tax bills in Windham are collected twice a year with the first installment due on the first business day in October and the second installment due on the first business day in April.

To file an application for a property tax reduction under Windham’s Senior Property Tax Assistance Program, call Tammy Hodgman at 207-892-1907 or send an email to thodgman@windhammaine.us

More details about the program are available at https://www.windhammaine.us/616/Senior-Property-Tax-Assistance <

WMS Altitude students reflect on book drive to assist Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital

By Masha Yurkevich

On Nov. 26, eighth grade students from Windham Middle School’s Altitude Pathway visited the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital to donate books that they had been collecting throughout the month of November. This is the third year that Altitude has collected books for the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, and during a trip to the hospital, the students donated 90 books to be used by patients there.

Altitude students from Windham Middle School show a few
of the books they collected while visiting Barbara Bush
Children's Hospitalin Portland last month. Front, from left,
are Karina Fulkerson, Caitlyn McKeeman, Alli Muir,
Autumn Carlsen-Cook, and hospital employee Sharon
Granville. Back, from left, are Lisa Anderson, Carter
Coffin, Isaiah Duford, Saige Lombardo, Cooper 
Fournelle, Ryder Matheson, Katherine Jones, and
Kayjah Veilleux. PHOTO BY MASHA YURKEVICH
 

Sharon Granville, a Child Life Specialist at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, says that with such a saturation of technology over the past few years for children, they are thankfully seeing a re-engagement with books and reading, and often have families requesting books from them.

“Due to our policies here at the hospital, we have to have what we call a ‘giving library,’ where we offer children the opportunity to pick a book, and they get a chance to take it home. We partner with community friends to help us replenish and refresh our library,” Granville said.

Altitude students agree with the saying that it is better to give than to receive.

“My main takeaway from this trip was to be grateful for what you have,” says Kayjah Veilleux, an Altitude student. “I think the children and also their parents are very grateful for what we do, and it feels good to make a difference.”

Student Katherine Jones said that with everything that the children and their families have to go through, donating books is the least they can do to help out.

“Our whole purpose was to gather books to donate to kids who are going through a tough time and to inspire the rest of the community to start thinking in a giving spirit,” said Alli Muir, an Altitude Pathway teacher. “It has been cool to see that the eighth-grade Children’s Hospital Book Drive has inspired younger students in the school to start talking about wanting to make and donate things as well.”

Altitude teacher Autumn Carlsen-Cook said that this is a great way to practice compassion and empathy with our community with the idea that kids put themselves in the position of another kid who might be going through a hard time.

“We want to celebrate community and giving back to others,” says Lisa Anderson, an Altitude Pathway teacher.

The donated books are not just for distraction or enjoyment, but are sometimes used for educational purposes, as there is an on-site teacher. The hospital has children from infants to older adolescents, with 30 pediatric beds that care for pediatric patients with all different reasons for being at the hospital, eight beds in the intensive care unit, and fifty beds for a separate unit that care for their smallest patients.

The children at the hospital are grateful for the books that are donated.

“One of the first things that comes to mind for me is the fun connection for a child to see the title of the book that they got; for a child to see a favorite or to see a book that they were looking forward to,” says Granville. “I greatly appreciate the input from our teacher to know what are those popular that kids are reading now, and those are the books that we sometimes connect with community friends to donate to us. For a child to find that book that they have been wanting is such a nice thing to be able to offer to our patients. It is a wonderful way to support both developmental needs as well as emotional wellbeing while these children are in the hospital.”

She said that the Hospital also has opportunities for adults to volunteer for the children.

“We ask for a weekly commitment for a minimum of six months just because of the unique setting that we are,” says Granville.

A volunteer is someone who brings developmental play and gets to know the kids for who they are, not the reason that they are in the hospital. For the staff, their main focus for the children is why are you here and what is different about your body at this time, where volunteers have a primary focus of getting to know the patient better as a person and what do they like to do, based on age, interest, and activities.

“We love partnering with our community friends. I think it is a great project for school students to be able to know that they are making a difference to others who are experiencing a tough time,” says Granville. “No one knows or anticipates when they are going to need to come to the hospital, and it is nice to know that you had a chance to give back and that you are making a difference in the day of someone who may not be feeling well.”

The Altitude program at WMS is an alternative hands-on learning opportunity which focuses on service. It helps connect academically and aims to help students forge strong supportive relationships to foster confidence and trust while developing social skills and improved communication. <

With federal overtime rules blocked, Maine’s Minimum Salary Threshold set for 2025

AUGUSTA – This fall, the Maine Department of Labor shared the news that under a new U.S. Department of Labor rule, the minimum salary threshold for exempting a worker from overtime pay would be $58,656 in 2025.

The Maine minimum salary threshold for exempting a worker from overtime pay must exceed 3,000 times the state's minimum wage or the annualized rate established by the US Department of Labor, whichever is higher.

The new federal rule that would have increased the salary threshold was recently blocked by court action. Therefore, starting Jan. 1, 2025, the new minimum salary threshold in Maine will be $845.21 per week, or $43,951 per year.

This is only one of the factors used in determining whether a worker is exempt from overtime pay under federal or state law. An individual can earn more than the minimum salary threshold and still be eligible for overtime. The duties of each worker must be considered as part of this analysis.

The minimum wage and overtime law can be found here: http://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/26/title26sec664.html. The Maine Labor Department also has more information available on its website at https://www.maine.gov/labor/labor_laws/wagehour.shtml .

In other labor law reminders for January:

Paid Family and Medical Leave Registration & Contributions

Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, employers with employees in Maine will be required to register on the new Paid Family and Medical Leave Portal and begin payroll contributions.

The Maine Department of Labor is inviting employers and third-party administrators to December webinars at https://www.maine.gov/labor/news_events/article.shtml?id=13128223 that will focus on what they need to know about the new Paid Family and Medical Leave online contributions portal before they need to register in January.

Benefits are scheduled to begin May 1, 2026.

To keep up to date on Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave, register for webinars, and see the answers to frequently asked questions, visit https://www.maine.gov/paidleave/

Minimum Wage to Increase

Pursuant to Maine law (Maine statute Title 26, chapter 7, section 664), effective Jan. 1, 2025, the state minimum wage will increase from $14.15 to $14.65 per hour, based on data by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Maine law, amended by citizens referendum in 2016, requires annual adjustments to the minimum wage based on the cost-of-living index (CPI-W) for the Northeast Region. Between August 2023 and August 2024, there was a 3.6 percent increase in the CPI-W.

In addition to the minimum wage, the new "tip wage," or service employee minimum wage, in 2025 will be $7.33 per hour. This means that service employees must receive at least a direct cash wage of $7.33 per hour from the employer. The employer must be able to show that the employee receives at least the minimum wage of $14.65 per hour when the direct wage and tips are combined at the end of the week. The amount of tips needed to qualify as a service employee will increase from $179 per month to $185 per month.

Employers can download the required minimum wage poster at no cost on the Department's website: https://www.maine.gov/labor/posters/index.shtml <

Significant renovations completed at Raymond's Mill Street dam

Editor’s note; This is the final part of a two-part series about activities and renovations at Mill Street dam in Raymond.

By Kendra Raymond

The recent salmon egg retrievals that were conducted at Mill Street dam, also known as Panther Run, in Raymond were much easier this year, thanks to some major improvements that took place over the summer. Fisheries biologists and culturists are wrapping up the yearly “egg take” from salmon as they make their way up the Jordan River from Sebago Lake to spawn.

Restoration work performed this summer at
Mill Street dam in Raymond is shown.
PHOTO BY RICHARD PARKER 

Mill Street dam is an iconic spot in Raymond, frequented by residents and visitors hoping to participate in recreational activities such as fishing, picnicking, and swimming. Mill Street is located just off Main Street in the original downtown area. Motorists and pedestrians can observe the pastimes as they travel over the bridge heading away from town.

In recent years, the dam has become dilapidated and deemed unsafe after years of use and it became apparent that it was time to deal with the issues before there was a major failure.

Panther Pond Association member Bill Brennan said he’s pleased to see the renovations completed.

“Given the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the Dundee Park dam failure in Windham and results thereof, the Mill Street dam is a positive story,” he said. “I also know that these dams are aging out. The Town of Raymond is dealing currently with a request for the Dingley dam at Thomas Pond.”

Richard Parker is the Director of the Engineering Division for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. He emphasized that it was time to get the repairs underway.

“The water control structure of the dam was badly deteriorated posing unsafe conditions for staff who were tasked to manipulate the gate elevations to control water levels of Panther Pond,” he said.

Vital conservation role

The Mill Street dam plays a vital role in conservation of the area.

“The dam has two main purposes. It controls the water level of Panther Pond upstream. Secondly, it is crucial to provide water and flow to allow biologists to entrap spawning salmon for the purpose of removing the eggs to use to raise additional salmon at the hatchery,” Parker said. “Without the dam, water levels would be extremely low in Panther Pond. I would say it is very important to the community.”

Dam renovations began in May and were completed at the end of October, just in time for the spawning season. The process was involved and required a significant amount of planning.

Parker outlined the process.

“Steel sheet piles 30 feet in length were driven 12 inches upstream from the existing concrete structure to eliminate water seeping under the dam. Hundreds of yards of badly deteriorated concrete on the structure were removed to a point where the existing structure was solid, forms were erected, and new concrete with extensive reinforcement was installed,” he said. “The gate structure and gate were 100 percent replaced with new materials, and the right embankment received extensive drainage improvements and a new concrete retaining wall. One exiting upgrade that was made was the height of the left and right ogee on each side of the gate. The elevation of the left ogee is set to the ideal elevation of Panther Pond so water can naturally leave the impoundment without the necessity of opening the gate. The right ogee is set 3 inches higher than the left so it can alleviate high water caused by a storm. If rain events are extreme, then the gate can still be opened to evacuate the excess flow, but our hopes are this will only occur on a limited basis.”

Association involvement

PPA played a significant role in the renovations, as related by the Panther Pond Association Fall 2024 newsletter.

“Mill Street Dam is owned by the state of Maine and managed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The dam is critical for IFW in support of the fisheries hatchery activities focused on salmon spawning at the building adjacent to the dam. Many years ago, the state established a target water level for Panther Pond at 280.5 feet above sea level and have been managing to the target level ever since. This level assures there is enough water in Panther Pond to support a mid-October – late November release of water into the Jordan River of sufficient volume to allow salmon to migrate up the river to spawn. These salmons use a fish ladder to get into the building where they are milked for eggs, fertilized, and moved to the IFW fish hatchery in Casco. The salmon are then returned to Sebago Lake. The smolt are used to stock many lakes in Maine, including Panther Pond and Sebago. With a scientific name Salmo Salar Sebago, these fish have thrived as far away as Patagonia in Traful Lake and river.

“The old dam required a flood gate to be continuously opened and closed for management of the Panther Pond level with the goal of achieving the target level of 280.5 feet,” the newsletter article said. “Lake levels can fluctuate materially as most recently witnessed in the spring of 2022 and 2023. In 2022, many docks installed in mid-April were 6-12 inches underwater by the end of the month. Two significant rainstorms caused the lake to rise over a foot over a period of 4 to 5 days post-storm. The opening of the flood gates allowed the lake to subside, and it took around 3 weeks for the level to recede to the level it was at when the docks were put in. The results from the manual opening of the gate were a combination of art and science, with the goal of achieving the target level.”

PPA has good historical data on lake levels which fluctuate continuously depending on the extent of rain, melting, and other weather events.

According to the article, the new dam uses spillways to manage water levels, and the heights have been set and are completed.

“On Sept. 18, 2024, the lake level was 3 inches below the target level. There has been no material rain event in September to bring this level up and the dam is not releasing any water. The 2 inch drop below target level can be attributed to a combination of evaporation and some water seepage at the construction site,” information in the article cites. The engineering design of the new dam differs from the old dam in that the spillway height has been set to hit the Target Level of 280.5 feet, requiring no manual opening of the flood gate. Any water above the target level will naturally flow over the spillway until the target level is reached. A significant rain event will raise the lake level, and the spillway will overflow until the lake is back down to the target level. The PPA will be monitoring the lake levels of the new dam to determine how long it takes the lake to settle back to target levels after rain/melt events under the new dam engineering design.”

Salmon migration

On or about October 18, 2024, the flood gates were opened, bypassing the spillways, to release enough water into the Jordan River to allow the salmon to migrate from Sebago Lake to the dam to spawn. This flow will be maintained until late November and the fish will return to Sebago. In the absence of any material rain event, this will cause the lake to drop below the target level. This drop could be a material drop if there is no rain to offset the draw down.

Association members say the lake is very low, and many have commented that they have never seen it so low. Brennan concurs and believes that the lake should not drop much lower since the salmon drawdown has been completed.

“There is minimal water passing through the flood gate on the dam,” he said. “We have also experienced a lack of significant precipitation since August.”

The salmon milking on Nov. 13, was a success with more salmon in the milking house and in the pool below the dam than anyone can remember, he said.

“The lack of any meaningful precipitation created a condition where Panther Run was one of the few streams dumping significant water into Sebago Lake,” Brennan said. “IFW believes this concentrated the salmon into Panther Run and some estimates suggest that over 1,000 fish that made the journey to Mill Street dam. It was quite a sight to see all these salmon swimming up Panther Run and then settling into the pool below the dam. We hope mother nature provides the precipitation and deep snowpack that will be needed to refill the pond by spring.”

Brennan agrees that PPA is committed to the health and preservation of Panther Pond.

“The mission statement is about the water quality and ecology of the pond,” he said. <

Loon Echo Land Trust to build loop trail at Sebago Cove Forest

By Ed Pierce

Less than a year after conserving 362 acres along the shoreline of Sebago Cove in Naples, Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) has obtained funding from the Land for Maine’s Future program for construction of a loop trail at Sebago Cove Forest.

Loon Echo Land Trust has obtained funding from the Land
for Maine's Future program for construction of a loop
trail at Sebago Cove Forest in Naples. COURTESY PHOTO

In a statement posted on social media, LELT Executive Director Matt Markot said that construction of the new loop trail is scheduled to begin in 2025, along with a nearby new off-street parking area.

“This 2-mile loop trail will improve public access to Sebago Cove Forest, guiding visitors right to the shore of Sebago Cove,” Markot said. “The trail will be accessible by car or boat. Our work goes beyond conserving land for wildlife and water quality. Supporting and directly providing access to the outdoors is at the center of our mission.”

This comes on the heels of LELT’s multi-year fundraising effort which allowed it to purchase a conservation easement from the landowner, Oani-SC LLC, enabling LELT to conserve the undeveloped forest land. While Sebago Cove Forest remains under private ownership, the easement permanently secured public access for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other recreational activities while prohibiting commercial and residential development and subdivision.

“The Lake Region has a long and proud tradition of public use on private land for hunting and fishing,” Markot said. “We’re proud to protect those traditional uses and enhance access for other recreational activities.”

Conservation easements limit future development and ensure that working forests, farmland, clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and scenic beauty remain an important part of the regional landscape for generations to come. LELT’s conservation easement for Sebago Cove Forest will run with the land regardless of future ownership.

Sebago Cove Forest is an important addition to the region’s network of conserved lands in the Lakes Region because of its 2,500 feet of frontage on Sebago Cove, part of Sebago Lake. It is part of a large network of undeveloped forest land near Sebago Lake and home to countless wetlands, vernal pools, wild brook trout habitat, and deer wintering areas.

It is also within the traditional and unceded territory of the Abenaki, a member tribe of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Abenaki First Nations of Odanak and Wôlinak maintain reservations along the St. Francis and St. Lawrence Rivers in the Canadian province of Quebec, where they sought refuge from colonial warfare in the Saco and Androscoggin River watersheds during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Markot said that protecting the Sebago Cove Forest also plays an important role in safeguarding the water quality of Sebago Lake, which is the source of drinking water for more than 200,000 Maine residents and many Cumberland County businesses. Sebago Lake is so clean, thanks in large part to its forested watershed, that it is just one of 50 surface water suppliers out of more than 13,000 nationally that is not required to be filtered.

The new loop trail will be funded with financial assistance from the Land for Maine’s Future Fund, part of the Land for Maine's Future Program, which is the State of Maine's primary funding source for conserving land for its natural, economic, and recreational value.

Loon Echo Land Trust was founded in 1987, and is a nonprofit organization that protects land, ensures public access to the outdoors, and builds and maintains recreational trails in Raymond, Casco, Naples, Harrison, Sebago, Bridgton, and Denmark. The organization currently conserves more than 8,500 acres of land and manages a 35-mile trail network across the Lake Region. LELT protects many important local landmarks like Pleasant Mountain, Bald Pate Mountain, Raymond Community Forest and Hacker’s Hill. <

Chamber preparing for ‘Bid of Christmas’ auction

By Ed Pierce

Amber Rankine has only been the President and Chief Executive Officer for the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce since October but she’s about to take part in one of the chamber’s most popular annual events, the “Bid of Christmas” auction.

A toy John Deere mini tractor will be part of
the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of
Commerce's 'Bid of Christmas' auction
for this year. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

This year’s holiday chamber gathering will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3 at Rustler’s Steakhouse, 61 Tandberg Trail in Windham and will include festive holiday food, a cash bar, live music, shopping and both a live auction and a silent auction of prizes donated to the chamber for the event.

Rankine said anyone can participate and bid for items in the chamber’s live online auction which runs from Dec. 6 to Dec. 13. Auction items for the online auction may be viewed online by visiting BID of Christmas Online Auction.

“We are expecting to auction off around 70 to 80 items and that is combined with the live/silent and online auctions together,” Rankine said. “Money raised from the auction goes toward the support of other events that we contribute to during the course of the year as well as for our Feed the Need Campaign.”

Feed the Need is funded by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce Charitable Trust and benefits local food pantries in the communities of Casco, Gray, Naples, New Gloucester, Raymond, Sebago, Standish and Windham.

This will be the first time that Rustler’s steakhouse will host the chamber’s annual holiday event.

“Rustlers, the hosting location, is stellar. The auction, the people, the vendors, the food, it's all an amazing experience,” Rankine said. “It's a networking event but with lots of holiday cheer and laughs. It's one of the few times a year we can all collectively come together and appreciate what we do for one another as a community.”

About 75 people are expected to attend the holiday chamber gathering at Rustler’s and that’s in line with previous chamber events in December. The “Bid of Christmas” auction has proven its worth over the years since its inception and has helped raise thousands for chamber activities and charitable causes.

“My primary goal for this year is to foster a sense of unity and collaboration among local businesses, community members, and stakeholders,” Rankine said. “Of course, I would love to see us hit financial benchmarks for subsequent years but that's not what is most important. It's truly a great way for the chamber to honor, recognize and showcase our amazing businesses through auction contributions to the locals, visitors, and business partners that join in on the event.”

The “Bid of Christmas” auctions are sponsored by the chamber, Ruster’s Steakhouse, M&T Bank, Fielding’ Oil & Propane Company, Paul’s Boutique and Maine State Credit Union.

Some of the items up for auction so far include gift cards to Natural Beauty Day Spa; a gift certificate for a one-hour private pickleball lesson at The Woodlands Club; a gift bag from On the Docks; a gift card for Bob’s Seafood; a gift certificate for a free exam at Lake Region Animal Hospital; a holiday table decoration from Willow Tree Primitive Shop; a gift card from Erik’’s Church; a set of Tick Tweezers from Mainely Ticks; a gift card for Sportsman’s Kitchen and Keg; a gift card for Aroma Joe’s; a gift certificate for a two-hour set of live music with Doc and Dave; and a gift card for Rustler’s steakhouse. More items are expected to be added soon.

People are welcome to attend the live “Bid of Christmas” auction in person at Rustler’s or participate in the online auction by bidding on items through Bidding Owl at BID of Christmas Online Auction <

Community donations sought for Christmas season

By Ed Pierce

Residents of the Lakes Region are known for their willingness to help their neighbors in need and their generosity especially during the holidays.

This year is no exception and there are many ways throughout the community to bring much-needed holiday cheer and assistance to those experiencing difficulties this Christmas.

Here’s a quick rundown for ways you can help others in the community this holiday season:

North Windham Veterinary Hospital at 1 Badger Run in Windham and Sticky Buds, 815 Roosevelt Trail, Suite 1 are collection points for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots campaign. The Toys for Tots Program collects new, unwrapped toys each year and distributes those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. The last date to drop off toys at North Windham Veterinary Hospital is Dec. 9 and Sticky Buds is Dec. 13. Pet supplies plus at 770 Roosevelt Trail Suite 2 in Windham, and Windham Automotive, Inc. at 385 Roosevelt Trail in Windham, are collecting new unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots and will accept donations through Dec.15.

Monetary donations are requested for Kids Peace of Cumberland County. The organization gives toys, food, gift cards and holiday Christmas baskets to low-income families in Windham and Raymond. To help with a donation, call 774-226-8414.

It Takes a Village 207 helps struggling families get on their feet, while making them feel loved and understood. It has Amazon wish lists to shop from on their Facebook page and a convenient Venmo to make donations to support their program. You can also contact them if you want to sponsor a child or family. To make arrangements call 207-322-7065. There are It Takes a Village 207 toy collection boxes at The Windham Eagle, 585 Roosevelt Trail in Windham, On the Docks, 889 Roosevelt Trail in Windham, and Percy’s Table and Better Fit Fitness at 111 Ossipee Trail East in Standish. All items are due back Dec. 14.

Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors provides one-time emergency assistance to those Windham and Raymond residents who require immediate heating fuel. It uses its resources on behalf of those who have fallen through the cracks and either don’t qualify or are stuck in a bureaucratic process waiting for assistance from other entities. To make a donation or to volunteer to help, call 207-749-1336.

Blue Seal Feed at 43 Main St. in Windham is a collection point for Home Instead’s “Be A Santa To A Senior” program. It has requests from seniors in need for items such as socks, gloves, scarves or stationary supplies that you purchase and return to the location or to Home Instead at 502 Main St. in Gorham no later than Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Rustler’s Steakhouse at 61 Tandberg Trail in Windham and Lake House Tavern at 907 Roosevelt Trail in Windham have giving trees where patrons select a request for a gift for a child and then purchase and return them to the restaurant. For more details, call 207-892-8808 or 207-894-3020.

Consider making a donation to many local nonprofit organizations, such as the Windham Food Pantry at 207-892-1931; Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center at 207-892-2813; the Raymond Food Pantry at 207-655-4334; the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals at 207-892-3040, Safe Kids Maine at 830-1123; or the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing at 207-387-0855. The Windham Lions Club provides Christmas assistance to area families in need and gratefully accepts donations. To donate to the Lions Club’s holiday assistance program, call 207-892-5690.

Knuckle Up Customs at 608-A Roosevelt Trail in Windham is conducting a coat drive for children. Along with coats, drop off new and gently used hats, gloves, mittens, snowpants and boots. Monetary donations and gift cards will also be accepted through Dec. 13. Call 207-232-5533 for more details.

The Essentials Pantry at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, 40 Windham Center Road in Windham serves all those in need in the Windham area and provides bags of cleaning products and personal hygiene products provided by parishioners, local businesses, and benevolent organizations in the Greater Windham area. Monetary donations for the program can be made by calling 207-892-8447 or mailing a check to St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, 40 Windham Center Road, Windham, ME 04062.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 919 Roosevelt Taril in Windham is looking for warm winter clothing to give to those in need in the community. The church is asking for donations of warm clothing and gently used outerwear and putting it in the red barrel located in the Narthex coat room. Clothing will be distributed monthly. For further information, call 207-446-1012.

Windham American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 places wreaths every Christmas season on the graves of deceased military veterans in Windham cemeteries. It gratefully accepts monetary donations to keep the wreath program going. To make a donation, call 207-892-1306.

Both Windham Primary School and Windham Middle School each have programs available to assist families in need during the holidays. Call the schools at 207-892-1840 or 207-892-1820 to see what types of donations are needed. <