New citizens take Oath of Allegiance to United States in Windham

By Ed Pierce

It was an emotional and highly anticipated event for 21 applicants as they raised their right hand and took the Oath of Allegiance becoming new American citizens during a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Ceremony held at the Windham Veterans Center on May 24.

Applicants from 20 different nations took the Oath of
Allegiance and became new American citizens during
a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 
Naturalization Ceremony held at the Windham Veterans
Center on May 24. A total of 21 individuals became
new citizens at the event. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

Hailing from 20 different nations, those taking the oath at the event successfully met the requirements to become an American citizen, including residing in the United States for at least five years, being at least age 18, demonstrating the ability to read, write and speak basic English, being of good moral character, passing an examination covering U.S. history and government, and swearing loyalty to the U.S. by taking the Oath of Allegiance. This group joins 878,500 other applicants who have successfully become U.S. citizens in the past year nationwide.

The new citizens were welcomed to the event by Sergeant James Barlow of Raymond, who serves in the Maine National Guard. He described how he left his home in Manchester, England and traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to become an American citizen.

Barlow went on to earn a college degree at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine and said he wanted to give back to America, so he joined the Maine National Guard where he serves as a recruiter.

“You have no limitations, the sky is the limit,” Barlow told the new citizens. “Be inspired, that is the mindset. This opens a new world for you.”

Ciaran Gill of South Portland, 35, was one of the applicants being sworn in at the event as a new American citizen.

He is originally from Australia and met his American wife, Alexandra Meyer, 12 years ago in Australia. The couple returned to Maine five years ago and Gill works for Idex in Portland.

Starting the process to become a U.S. citizen was something that Gill has strived to achieve for the past few years.

“We have made a permanent life here and to formalize it by doing this is a huge step,” Gill said. “The significance of this will probably sink in later today and in the coming weeks.”

According to Gill, passing the citizenship examination was not a difficult challenge for him.

“I love history and geography, so it was a fun test,” he said.

Meyer said she was proud of her husband for overcoming the various hurdles and requirements to citizenship.

“It’s exciting for him to now be able to vote and becoming a U.S. citizen also means he can receive a U.S. passport,” she said.

State Rep. Barbara Bagshaw of Windham was the keynote speaker at the naturalization ceremony and in her address to the new citizens she quoted remarks made by former U.S. President Donald Trump at a Naturalization Ceremony at the White House in 2019.

“There is no higher honor or greater privilege than becoming an American citizen. Our whole nation embraces you with open arms and joyful hearts,” Bagshaw said.

Music for the ceremony was provided by the Raymond Elementary School Chorus who performed “The Star Spangled Banner,” along with “America the Beautiful,” “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “This Pretty Planet.”

Also attending the event was State Senator Tim Nangle of Windham, State Rep. Jane Pringle of Windham, and American Legion Field -Allen Post 148 Commander Tom Theriault of Windham.

The Oath of Allegiance was administered to the new citizens by Erika Grunnet, acting Field Office Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Portland. Greg Marchand, UCCIS Operations Support Specialist, served as master of ceremonies for the Naturalization Ceremony.

Refreshments were provided by the American Legion Post 148 Auxiliary.<

Science experiments chart new path for students at Manchester School

By Kaysa Jalbert

Small steps are being made by students for another giant leap for mankind. This spring, six teams from Manchester School in Windham participated in the Plant the Moon and Plant Mars challenge, a global science experiment and inspirational project-based-learning challenge to see who can grow the best crops using lunar and Martian regolith simulant, a type of rocky soil mix.

Manchester School fifth-grade students called the 'Green
Team' earned 'Best in Show' awards at the elementary
school level for their scientific experiment to grow
lettuce in the Plant the Moon challenge from the Maine
Space Grant Consortium. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

One of the groups of students, who call themselves the Green Team, earned Best in Show awards at the school level for their experiment to grow lettuce. The Green Team’s hypothesis tested how layering soil, compost, and regolith differently would affect the growth of lettuce.

“I am incredibly pleased for them,” says Manchester School fifth-grade teacher Tracy Henderson. “It was a tremendous amount of work. But it’s a really big deal that they won this.”

Two classrooms at the school participated, with three teams in Henderson’s classroom who participated in Plant the Moon Challenge where students used lunar regolith simulant to test plant growth, and another three teams in Cindy Moore’s classroom who experimented for Plant Mars using Martial regolith simulant.

Henderson said the experiment gave students the opportunity to exhibit extraordinary leadership.

“That was really fun to watch over the course of a couple of months watching kids really become leaders,” she said.

The Plant the Moon and Plant Mars Challenge is part of a new United States initiative to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before through NASAs Artemis Campaign. Its purpose is to explore the moon for scientific discovery, make technology advancements, and to learn how to live and work on another world as humans prepare for manned missions to Mars.

The other two teams in Henderson’s class called themselves the Blue Team and Red Team. The Blue Team tested the differences in growth of radishes and spinach using a blue light or regular grow light, and the Red Team tested how different amounts of soil, compost, and regolith would affect the growth of spinach.

In Moore’s classroom for Plant Mars, teams included The Seven Seeds who grew radishes, Team Astreaus who grew lettuce and radishes, and Team Nyx who grew bok choy. Their independent variables were either the amount of water or type of fertilizer based on pH, and use of pink light.

“It involves a lot of work, for Mrs. Moore and myself because no one in Maine has ever done something like this before and we certainly have never done this kind of project before,” says Henderson. “It involves teaching a lot of vocabulary like what is a variable and what does control mean in an experiment.”

The classrooms of Henderson and Moore received a grant to complete their experiment from the Maine Space Grant Consortium (MSGC), a non-profit organization that is affiliated with NASA.

"There is a Space Grant in every state, including DC and Puerto Rico. We run, conduct, and fund NASA and other STEM programs in Maine,” said Jana Hall of Maine Space Grant Consortium. “Plant the Moon/Mars is a NASA program and so far, that we are aware of, we haven’t had any Maine schools participate yet until Manchester Elementary.”

Henderson said that the idea of participating in the challenge was brought to her by a mother of one of her previous students whose younger sibling is now in Moore’s class. The student’s mother, Nikki Becker, is a scientist and on the Board of Directors with the Maine Space Grant Consortium. She proposed the idea in Henderson’s classroom while giving a presentation one day, and since then has helped the school get in contact with MSGC to receive the grant and sign up for the competition.

“We really owe it to her,” says Henderson.

After signing up for the challenge, each team of students received a lunar or Martian soil simulant package complete with pots, masks, and a pH meter or strips and a digital Project Guide from the Institute of Competition Sciences. The lunar and Martian soil simulants are specially designed to mimic the soil of the Moon or Mars in chemistry, composition, grain size, and density. Following the Project Guide, students create your own experiment to examine important variables related to plant growth in the simulant.

In their experiment to grow lettuce from lunar soil by layering the compost, soil and regolith, the Green Team faced student-scientist type challenges such as going on February vacation, which was solved by another teacher taking care of the plants while they were away. At one point, they faced “having no school, no power, and no water for our plants for about four days, but luckily they survived,” as the team described their findings.

In their report, the Green Team wrote that they kept track of data by measuring the height of their lettuce plants every week, however the results showed “the (plants) that didn't grow had moss that absorbed most of the water and the ones that didn't grow that didn't have moss but had bad seeds.” The team concluded by saying “we think that the layers did not work because the plant that grew the best did not have any layers. It was mixed together.” <

WMS student’s interest in photography takes off

By Jolene Bailey

Taking a photo is as easy as the click of a button on a phone. However, that simple click can capture a moment in time and the calling of creating a returning memory.

Windham Middle School eighth-grade student
Aiden Hall is a new photographer and was 
inspired by his grandfather, who took many
photos during his lifetime. Hall is practicing
photography this spring by taking photos at
Windham sports events.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

“Before my grandfather passed away, he used to take so many photos. He took photos of loons, my mom’s graduation, and some of me. I just kind of want to carry on his legacy” said Windham Middle School eighth-grade student Aiden Hall.

Hall uses a Nikon D5300 camera to capture his passions and interests. The camera itself costs between $500 to $600.

“The camera has really good quality in my eyes and is really good for beginners,” said Hall, who has been taking photographs for about a month.

Photography can tell a story and inspire others. Pictures can be taken in different ways and are commonly seen as a unique art form. While it can give someone a closer look into what is happening in a scene, it can also require a process.

After the anticipation of waiting for the right moment, the one taking the photo is not actually done with it. The next steps after capturing the photo include downloading and editing the art.

“When it comes down to the editing, it is not really that hard for me,” Hall said. “I use an app called Canva and it has helped me a lot with my vision of what I want the photo to turn out as.”

After the editing process, then comes the finished product. Most of Hall’s photos are related to sports. He recently took photos at a girls’ lacrosse game in Windham.

“The game was at a little field near the Windham Middle School as we like to call it the bowl because it’s shaped like one. I guess this game lifted my photography and kind of got me started,” said Hall.

“A coach asked me if I wanted to help out with the team and I said yes. She is my English teacher, Ms. Blair, who’s the best teacher I have ever had. Now I play the role of their team manager/assistant coach in baseball,” said Hall.

Despite his interest in lacrosse, he also helps players in softball and baseball with everlasting memories in the form of a photograph. A typical game lasts around an hour and a half. These games and players have provoked Hall’s motivation.

“Just the way where people are always nice, treat me with respect and care about me really makes a difference,” said Hall. In fact, his sports friends constantly asking him to be around their games with his camera has given him hope for his future passion.

“Taking photos is something I do want to keep doing in the future, but I also want to be in the NFL, be a beta tester or game designer. It feels good that I know that people are liking the pictures I take,” he said. “Although most of my photographs are sports related, I do like to take some other pictures from time to time. One example is a nice close-up photo of grass moving from the wind and just like anything that’s really cool I see."

A passion for encouraging surrounding people can make a difference in many lives. With kind and supportive teammates, you can bring out the best in someone and yourself, Hall said. <

Windham varsity boys’ lacrosse making a difference through Dempsey Center fundraising

By Matt Pascarella

In a home game against Camden Hills on Friday, May 17, Windham’s varsity boys’ lacrosse team raised over $2,000 for the Dempsey Center through community donations.

Windham high boys' lacrosse seniors gather with their parents
on Friday, May 17 after the team raised over $2,000 to support
cancer research and services at the Dempsey Center. Back row, 
from left, are Amanda McPherson, Brooke Buzulchuck, Melissa
Holems-Perkins, Betsy Benish, Karry Joly, Cathy Streifel,
Ethan Smith, Stephanie Angelides, and Donna and Joe Somma.
Front row, from left, are Windham seniors Blake McPherson, 
Landon Buzulchuck, Tobias Perkins, Aiden Benish, Graden
Joly, Cam Streifel, Finn Smith, Jake Lord and Joey Somma.
PHOTI BY KRISTIN DROTTAR  

According to its website, the Dempsey Center was founded by actor Patrick Dempsey in 2008 and provides comprehensive cancer care to Mainers at no cost.

A Maine native, Dempsey watched his mother’s journey with ovarian cancer and wanted to create a space where those going through any type of cancer could find relief, comfort and resources. The Dempsey Center provides care and support to hundreds of individuals as well as their families.

“Any donation goes to support our clients,” said Director of Strategic Relations Lorianne Saniuk. “Broken out fundraising efforts can go to 100 different things. Fundraising goes into our general budget for the year. With that the gift makes everything possible at the Dempsey Center. I know their coach really wanted them to see the ‘why’ of the center and they were in awe. We want them to continue to support and act as ambassadors and if they know of someone with a cancer diagnosis can suggest the Dempsey Center for support.”

Windham varsity boys’ coach Peter Small wanted to have his team take the positive experiences and good fortune they have to play a game they love and use that to benefit the community. The team embraced the Dempsey Center and all they do for those affected by cancer. Seniors had an informational tour of the Lewiston location. The team wore pink jerseys on May 17 to embrace cancer research and the team bought four jerseys which they have been raffling off for every $5 donation with every dime going directly to the center.

"The main goal of the Dempsey Center is to help those affected by cancer and give them the services and goods that they need to have the best life that they can,” said Windham senior Finn Smith. “They offer things like massages, acupuncture, wigs, they’re entirely fundraising-based – things like this are really important. A couple of our players, me included, have been affected by cancer in our lives. It’s really great to raise that substantial amount of money for an organization.”

Windham senior Jake Lord said the fundraising really brought the team together and helped them become stronger.

“It was also pretty cool to play for something bigger than ourselves which was cancer awareness,” said Windham senior Tobias Perkins. “That means a lot to me and other players on the team who have friends and family who were directly affected. It really makes you think about the things you do with your money and how they can be used to benefit someone in need ... anything helps and it’s really wonderful to see.”

If you would like to donate, you can do so directly through the Dempsey Center or through the boy’s lacrosse Venmo account @psmalljr. Every cent goes directly to the center.

Windham boys’ lacrosse are planning to participate in the Dempsey Challenge, which will celebrate its 16th year in 2024. The challenge will be held in Lewiston on Saturday, Sept. 21 and will feature run, walk and ride events. <

In the public eye: Retiring teacher’s influence connects generations of WMS students

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

By Ed Pierce

The final day of classes at Windham Middle School next month will be bittersweet as Wendy Day-Maynard will retire following a 38-year career as a teacher in Windham.

Wendy Day-Maynard is retiring at the end of
the school year after working 38 years as a
teacher in Windham. She is currently a
sixth-grade math and science teacher at
Windham Middle School. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

A sixth-grade math and science teacher at WMS, Day-Maynard has worked closely with other teachers to plan curriculum, lessons, as many hands-on activities as possible, while planning and giving formative and summative assessments, and offering students feedback about their work.

“Arriving daily with a smile and energy to work with sixth graders is a must,” Day-Maynard said. “Besides teaching though, the other part of the job that is even more important is spending time each day building relationships. That's the best part of my job. It's getting those kids who ‘hate math’ to buy into what we're doing and help them to see they are capable and can find success. It's getting kids engaged in the science and math curriculum and showing them how it relates to their lives now and in the future. Our science curriculum focuses on Earth Science. Many of the lessons are around water, and living this close to Sebago Lake and other water bodies allows them to really think about how humans impact our community and its ecosystem every day.”

She was originally hired in 1986 as a seventh grade English and Language Arts teacher and with the exception of two years at Manchester School as a sixth-grade teacher, the other 36 years have been at Windham Middle School.

“When I started at the middle school it was grades 7 to 9, and then they moved ninth grade to the high school and grade six from Manchester to WMS,” she said. “It was a great move. And while I hadn't wanted to move to Manchester, my move from grade 7 to grade 6 was the best thing that could have happened. Having one group of kids for the day instead of seeing 100-plus students per day was the perfect match for me. It allowed me to better connect with my students. For me, I've always felt that smaller is better, especially as they transition from elementary to middle school.”

She says that the kids, the faculty, and the community are what have kept her coming back to teach in Windham year after year.

“Although I live in South Portland, Windham has really been my home in many ways since I started working here. I love the relationships I've made over the years with families,” Day-Maynard said. “In many cases I have taught my students' parents and now have them in the classroom. I love showing my students old pictures of their parents as sixth graders or sharing stories about them. At conferences I enjoy catching up with former students and getting to know them as adults.”

Day-Maynard grew up in Waterville and graduated from Waterville High School in 1981. She attended the University of Maine Farmington and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and then obtained a master’s degree from the University of New England.

She said it was her parents who encouraged her to apply for a position in Windham.

“I was subbing during the day and working in Portland at the time and making a lot of money, but they were adamant that I had gone to college to get a teaching degree and needed to get serious about finding a full-time job,” Day-Maynard said. “I applied for a long-term substitute position at WMS for a teacher on maternity leave, but she decided not to return, so I stayed for the rest of that year and never looked back.”

It’s tough for her to single out her most memorable moment working for WMS.

“I was lucky enough to be hired by Hal Shortsleeve in 1986,” she said. “I had no experience other than subbing, but he gave me the chance and I've never looked back. It's also the people I work with. Over 38 years you get to see many amazing people do great things in education. I've been blessed to have amazing co-workers each of my 38 years. While the names and faces have changed, the passion and enthusiasm they have for kids and teaching has not.”

According to Day-Maynard, the most important thing she’s learned while working for WMS is that Windham is a very lucky community.

“I work with the best educators around,” she said. “The community should feel very blessed to have so many loving and caring adults working with their kids each day.” <

Southpaw Packing Company recipient of prestigious award for mental health work with NAMI Maine

By Kendra Raymond

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – a time designated to recognize and raise awareness to reduce the stigma associated with behavioral and mental health issues. What better time to recognize local business owner Nichole Sargent’s Southpaw Packing Company of Raymond that was recently honored as the recipient of the C.A.L. ME Award. The acronym stands for “Caring About Lives in Maine” and aims to recognize those who advocate for mental health.

Nichole Sargent of the Southpaw Packing Company of
Raymond, left, was recently honored as the recipient of
the C.A.L. ME (Caring About Lives in Maine) Award
by Hannah Longley, Clinical Director of Advocacy and
Crisis Interventions with NAMI Maine.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Presented by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Maine, the notable recognition aims to promote caring about lives in Maine. The C.A.L. ME Award is presented to a person, group, or organization in recognition of heroic accomplishments that increase suicide prevention. Southpaw Meat Market was nominated by a representative of NAMI for their Herculean efforts in this area.

The NAMI Maine website lists their mission and vision providing advocacy, education, and support so that all individuals, families, and communities affected by mental illness can live fulfilling lives. NAMI Maine envisions a world where all people affected by mental illness live healthy, fulfilling lives supported by a community that cares about mental health.

A 30-year veteran in the health and human services field, Sargent realized the need for mental health awareness and knew she had the skillset to do something really powerful.

“We saw an increase in suicidal deaths around us, especially males,” Sargent said. “I decided to reach out to NAMI because we’ve got to do something.

Along with her husband Leon, Sargent owns and operates Southpaw Packing Company, Windham Butcher Shop and the Southpaw Meat Market.

Sargent developed a campaign aptly named “Slicing through the Stigma.” The fundraising effort looks to increase awareness and to start conversations about encouraging mental health support and suicide prevention. The effort works in partnership with NAMI Maine.

“Our campaign right now is a raffle for Mental Health Awareness Month,” said Sargent. “We have already received a sizeable donation from Mac Medical, 100 gift cards, and over $1,000 in cash donations. So many local businesses have rallied around it. For me it is so cool to see this kind of support. I love the way the community is coming to this to support the cause. Our goal is to raise $5,000 for NAMI Maine this year.”

Sargent said that she was looking for something unique and different to get people to talk about mental health. She came up with the idea of a raffle, and one thing led to another. The funds raised will help NAMI provide education and support to the residents of Maine.

The NAMI website says that 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year and that 223,000 adults in Maine have a mental health condition. Many Mainers are not receiving the mental health support they need. Of the 65,000 adults in Maine who did not receive needed mental health care, 46.1 percent did not because of cost. About 8.1 percent of people in the state are uninsured. On average, 1 person in the U.S. dies by suicide every 11 minutes. In Maine, 270 lives were lost to suicide and 52,000 adults had thoughts of suicide in the last year.

Sargent said that the agriculture industry is a male-dominated field, and to that end, many men battle with the shame associated with mental health conditions.

“General wellness and mental health is something that I'm very passionate about,” she says. “Shortly after purchasing the slaughter and processing plant and meeting with farmers, it became shockingly evident that most did not have access to mental health services, let alone healthcare,” she wrote in an American Association of Meat Processors newsletter.

Tapping into her experience in the health and human services and agriculture fields, Sargent recognized that NAMI resources could help fill a need in the agriculture industry. Her intention is to get people more comfortable talking about mental health and she has experienced first-hand the impact of mental health struggles of farmers and friends she encounters through her profession.

Southpaw developed a Health and Wellness tab on their website, filled with valuable resources to benefit both employees and the public. The company supports mental health, offers wellness and lifestyle benefits, as well as support to locate mental health services.

Sargent explained her position in the AAMP newsletter.

“As a processor, we believe we are a central informational hub, and therefore have an opportunity to make a difference. I am merely a drop in the ocean,” she said, “but I can Slice Through the Stigma around mental health services by speaking openly about it and offering resources and a safe space for people.”

The Southpaw Packing Company website lists as its goal to promote and support an atmosphere that encourages health and wellness and working together to enhance awareness of available services and resources.

Southpaw Packing Company, Inc. is excited to share with the public a wealth of information, thanks to the dedicated support of Hannah Longley, LCSW, Clinical Director of Advocacy and Crisis Intervention of NAMI Maine. Monique Coombs of Maine Coast Fisherman also provides support, and both are recognized by Sargent for the work they do above and beyond the campaign.

Sargent has plans to launch her Slicing the Stigma campaign nationwide through another organization soon.

“It’s all about awareness; The time has come to talk about it. People need to talk about mental health,” said Sargent. <

For more details, visit the Southpaw Packing Company website’s Health and Wellness tab at https://southpawpacking.com/health-wellness/

Learn more at the NAMI Maine website at https://namimaine.org/about/# <

Cyclist launches 1,100-mile ride to benefit Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing

By Kaysa Jalbert

If there’s anything we know about Bill Turner, it’s that he likes a challenge. At 73 years old, Bill Turner is taking on his fifth bicycle adventure ride with a goal of raising $15,000 for the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing where he will complete 1,100 miles in three weeks starting Thursday.

Cyclist Bill Turner is riding 1,100 miles from Seattle,
Washington to Green River, Wyoming to raise money for
the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing. This
will be the fifth time that Turner has taken on the challenge
of riding a long distance to help the nonprofit group which
assists Lakes Region elderly residents in need with home
repairs and projects. COURTESY PHOTO    

The trip will start in Seattle, Washingtonm and end in Green River, Wyoming. The planned schedule goes as follows: bike for five days, stop to sleep in church or community hall basements on a blow-up mat; on the sixth day stop to do a build project, if there is one, then have Sundays off. So far, Turner has raised over $12,500 through pledges.

“Currently our projects include ramps, decks, repairing and replacing doors and windows and roof repair for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities,” said Diane Dunton Bruni, Board Chair and President of the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Canter for Housing. “This will be a very busy summer and the money Bill is raising will help pay for materials. We are grateful for all Bill is doing for us.”

The dynamics of the bicycle groups are typically 20 to 30 people riding and split in teams of five or less for safety and car courtesy. Teams cycle through chores each week such as cooking, laundry, shopping, and clean-up, to share the different challenges of cross-country biking.

Training for this year’s ride has been especially challenging for Turner. In 2021, he underwent a prostatectomy and is now living cancer free.

“That’s an interesting adjustment,” he said.

Then, in 2022, Turner was given a new bionic right shoulder. “It’s working wonderfully to the point where I’m considering having my left one done,” he said.

Turner began riding for the Sebago Lakes Fuller Center for Housing six years ago and he was partly retired at the time. He had a dream of biking across the country, and asked himself if he could find a way to do that. He was inspired by a friend’s son who had done something similar, so, he did his research until finding the Fuller Center for Housing Bike Adventure, which runs several bike trips a year in the United States.

Not sure if he could complete the challenge, Turner first signed up to ride from San Francisco, California to Santa Fe, New Mexico to raise funds for the Fuller Center.

The next year, now fully retired and after consulting with his wife, Turner signed up for a ride from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine.

“I successfully did that for 10 weeks. My body didn’t rebel too much,” said Turner, who was 70 at the time.

Turner says he has been involved with Faith Lutheran Church in Windham for years and one day, after his ride across the country, discussion about forming a Fuller Center chapter in Windham with the pastor came up.

According to Turner, he and Windham resident Lorraine Glowczak put together a PowerPoint presentation to offer at churches around Windham. Six churches came on board and since then, Turner’s riding has been for fundraising for the Sebago Lakes Fuller Center for Housing.

During the pandemic, the Sebago Lakes Fuller Center for Housing implemented a ride from home program that Turner participated in, cycling the 40-mile route around Sebago Lake in September 2020. Turner says the biggest challenge for him at that time was adjusting to riding alone versus in a group.

On a larger Fuller bike adventure, riders can choose to ride in segments. This year Turner will be cycling in the first 3 segments.

“Timewise three weeks is what I can afford right now,” says Turner. “I have grandkids so to be gone for 10 weeks would not necessarily be a blast family wise.”

Turner has been riding bikes for 15 years. He says his son decided one day that he wanted to race cross-country mountain bikes and asked his father to join him. Turner went from 220 pounds to 180 pounds in a year and said his knees didn’t complain like they did when running.

“Bicycling has been an important part of my life for staying healthy at this point,” he said.

To stay in training year-round, he bought a fat-tire bike with studded tires and rides all winter with his rescue dog, a black 40 pound he says is a “I’m-ready-to-go-anytime dog” that the Turners rescued from the Texas shelter.

Prior to everything he is doing now, Turner used to manage an engineering office as a building scientist.

Sebago Fuller Center for Housing is an affiliate of the non-profit national Fuller Center for Housing that was founded by Millard and Linda Fuller, the founders of Habitat for Humanity. The local Sebago Lakes Fuller Center for Housing was founded by members from Faith Lutheran Church, the Unity Church for Spiritual Growth, the North Windham Union Church, Windham Hill United Church of Christ, Raymond Village Church and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, and serves the towns of Windham, Raymond and Standish.

You can donate to the Sebago Fuller Canter for Housing at https://sebagofullerhousing.org. <

Altitude Rippleffect partnership assists WMS students in creating stronger futures

By Masha Yurkevich

Our youth is our future, and it is important to invest in our next generation. For the past three years, Altitude Rippleffect has been arming students with important life leadership skills that are necessary to build a strong community in Windham.

Windham Middle School students
participate in a ropes course during
an Altitude Rippleeffect event on
Cow Island last year. The unique
partnership helps students develop
leadership skills through outdoors
exploration and builds confidence.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

“Altitude Rippleffect is a partnership. We work together to offer students challenges to build our community,” says Autumn Carlsen Cook, Windham Middle School (WMS) Altitude Teacher. “At the end of our first year, we took a group of seventh grade and eighth-grade students to Cow Island with Rippleffect. The Rippleffect program helps youth build confidence, develop critical leadership skills, strengthen relationships, and grow their appreciation for the outdoors through exploration and Altitude focuses on helping students recognize the assets and abilities they bring to the community we work to build. To celebrate the first year of community building in Altitude we took a culminating trip to Cow Island in May 2023. On the island, we witnessed an energy in our students. They had come together as a community.”

Carlsen Cook grew up in Oxford Hills and when she graduated from the University of New Hampshire, she headed west for work. She ended up in Washington state where she was a biotech for U.S. Fish and Wildlife, a National Park Ranger, and taught environmental education for a nonprofit called North Cascades Institute.

She began teaching after earning a master’s degree in science education from Oregon State University. Her goal in teaching continues to be to introduce her students to the world beyond their classroom, to bring formal education and informal education together. She taught in Mosier, Oregon for about 10 years and her husband, Carlsen Cook and their daughter moved back to Maine in 2021. They settled in Scarborough, and she started teaching science at WMS.

“I taught eighth-grade science for one year at WMS and when administrators decided to create an alternative education pathway I jumped at the opportunity,” said Carlsen Cook. “Since the fall of 2022 three teachers, this year myself, Lisa Anderson, and Sean Mains, have worked integrally to build an alternative pathway for seventh and eighth-grade students. We are approaching year three of development.”

As part of that alternative education pathway, a partnership between WMS Altitude and the Rippleffect field guides and director was reached.

“I have also worked to fund this partnership through the Town of Windham Substance Abuse Prevention Grant,” Carlsen Cook said. “Grant money has allowed us to work with Rippleffect as part of the Altitude pathway.”

The new partnership started in May 2023. The idea was born out of Altitude's time on Cow Island, Carlsen Cook said.

“For the 2023-2024 school year, we designed monthly excursions that offered outdoor challenges to both seventh and eighth grade participants,” she said. “The Altitude community spent time hiking, climbing, and engaging in teamwork games outdoors. We are about to embark on our second culminating trip to Cow Island. Eighth grade will have an overnight. Seventh grade will have a day trip.”

The goal of this partnership is to challenge students in ways they may not be challenged in their daily lives within the traditional school setting.

“We work with the intent of exploring students' abilities and the assets they contribute to their peers, and their community,” says Cook. “We strive to show students that there are many healthy ways to experience the world and face challenges at whatever level they are comfortable.”

The Altitude Rippleffect partnership is now an integral part of the Altitude pathway at WMS and each month, Rippleffect field guides visit the classroom the day before an excursion.

“We prepare together by reviewing the schedule, packing needs, lessons in outdoor adventure ethics (such as Leave-No-Trace) and engaging in energizing community games,” Carlsen Cook says. “We then bring seventh and eighth grades separately on their adventure. Following the excursion, we complete an in-class reflection that encompasses recognizing a high point from the day, a challenge that was faced and how it was overcome, and we look to the next trip and ask students what they are looking forward to.” <

A matter of the historical record: Provocations on the 18th century eastern frontier – Windham’s part in the French and Indian War

By Walter Lunt

Archaeologists have determined the first people arrived in certain regions of Maine over 11,000 years ago, including the Sebago Lake-Presumpscot watershed. After Columbus’ journey to the New World, European countries brought explorers, trade, intrusive practices, and bloodshed.

A memorial to Chief Polin, sagamore of
the Wabanaki tribe, was dedicated
in Westbrook in 2018.
COURTESY PHOTO 

Windham’s first settlers were not exempt from the ravages of war between two European powers that sought domination of the North American continent. Beginning in the early 1600s, England and France sought absolute control of the New World, building forts, expanding early fur trading posts into permanent settlements and establishing alliances with the Native tribes.

Ultimately, by 1763, Britain would be the victor. France, despite its strong alliance with the Natives, was defeated outright; for the Natives, it would be the beginning of the end. Over the next century they would be forced to sacrifice their numbers, their land, and their customs.

The early English settlers and the tribes of the Wabanaki battled for supremacy for nearly a century through four wars: King William’s War (1689-1697), Queen Anne’s War (1701-1713), King George’s War (1744-1748) and the French & Indian War (1754-1763). And to be clear, the intent of the English immigrants was to further an imperial policy of eliminating Indigenous people from the eastern frontier. Anthropologist Patrick Wolfe called it settler colonialism, or empire building with “the express purpose of taking and repurposing indigenous lands” and replacing the Native cultural landscape with one that was Anglo-American. The process became known as Eurocentrism. Further, the new power base could then scheme to reinvent itself as native born and characterize the new settlers as persevering and courageous as they turned a barren wilderness into a fruitful field while taming the savage Indian.

The wars over contested territory extended from the frontiers of western Massachusetts at North Adams to eastern Maine at Thomaston.

In addition to Britain’s imperialistic policies, disharmony between the settlers and local tribes aggravated and hastened hostilities. Chief Polin’s band of Sebago-Presumpscot Wabanaki fell into disaffection early on when the proprietors of early Windham, known as New Marblehead, voted to begin construction on the grounds of the new settlement.

Progress was well underway in the spring of 1738 on building a 40X30 foot meeting house for the purpose of public worship near the present-day Parson-Smith house, clearing for a road that would follow roughly the course of the Presumpscot River (to be known as River Road) and the construction of a sawmill at Mallison Falls (including claim on 10 acres around it). All work came to a halt with the sudden appearance of a contingent of the Sebago Natives who claimed ownership of all the land on both sides of the river, a claim that was disputed by Massachusetts Governor Belcher who stated that the Indians had given over deeds to the lands in question – he could not, however, produce such documents, claiming they had been lost in earlier wars.

But even if the documents had been revealed, it is doubtful the disagreement could have been resolved. Historian David Ghere points out the Wabanaki was an oral society and put little value on the written word that they could not read. Natives, he maintains, negotiated from a different perspective and never found that European translations reflected the terms as they remembered them. The Maine Historic Preservation Commission has written “…the Wabanaki viewed land sales as a means for cementing reciprocal social relationships with European people that included perpetual gift giving as well as cooperation.”

Chief Polin, sagamore (chief) of the Sebago band of Wabanakis, traveled to Boston and presented Governor Belcher with a list of grievances, including a complaint that a power dam constructed by Col. Thomas Westbrook, a wealthy landowner and entrepreneur, at Presumpscot Falls restricted the passage of salmon, a significant food source of the Sebago Indians. The governor responded by instructing Col. Westbrook to install a fish passage, but it never materialized. Further, the new settlers were clear cutting their lots which, according to the Indians, adversely affected game distribution and water quality. Essentially, colonialism seemed a serious threat to the lives and livelihood of the Presumpscot Wabanaki who claimed the Sebago region as their territory.

Finally, in what can be viewed as the crowning antagonistic event, the Massachusetts General Court (legislature) appropriated money for the construction of home garrisons and forts in the hostile territories of the eastern frontier. In New Marblehead, the block house was built on high ground near the present-day Parson Smith house.

To the Sebago Natives, the move was interpreted as an act of provocation. It was a message that the Massachusetts government intended to exercise complete authority over the Presumpscot-Sebago region. War ensued.

King George’s War would rage on the easter frontier from 1744 to 1748, then following a brief peace, the French & Indian War from 1754 to 1763, during which 46 destitute souls would live in fear and isolation within the defensive walls of New Marblehead’s province fort until the battle of 1756 on present-day Anderson Road. In that clash, Stephen Manchester would kill Chief Polin; as a result, the Presumpscot band of Wabanakis, after thousands of years, abandoned forever their settlement on Sebago Lake.

Following almost 80 years of warfare, Wabanaki communities on the eastern frontier suffered immensely. Abandoned and burned-out encampments emigrated to Canada. Townships like New Marblehead and Gorhamtown served as buffer zones for settlement expansion, including Naples, Raymond, and Sebago.

By the year 1900, census statistics recorded only a few Native American communities in Maine: Greenville, Calais, Perry, Indian Township and Old Town. In Cumberland County, just three individuals were identified as having Native American ancestry – all were incarcerated in the Cumberland County Jail in Portland. <

WHS Mock CSI exercise tests students’ sleuthing skills

By Jolene Bailey

Windham High School has been hosting Mock CSI experiences for students on campus since the 2017-2018 school year and this year’s exercise was intended to help participating students boost their speaking and listening skills, as well as writing, pre-calculus, and chemistry skills.

Windham High School students wrapped up their annual
Mock CSI exercise with a visit to the Public Safety
Simulation Lab at Central Maine Community College
in Lewiston on May 2. The exercise challenged the
students' speaking and listening skills, writing skills,
pre-calculus and chemistry abilities. SUBMITTED PHOTO

“The CSI unit we developed captured my favorite aspects of teaching, including creativity, authentic learning, true challenge, and student motivation,” said WHS teacher Adrianne Shetenhelm, a coordinator of the event. “I hoped to create a memorable learning experience that challenges and propels students to think about how their skills translate beyond the classroom.”

The Mock CSI unit for students began for most classes on Monday April 22 when there was a controlled burn on campus. On May 1 and May 2, about 100 students explored the burn site to attempt to solve the mock crime. This included student crime scene investigators in Shetenhelm and Nicole Densmore's English classes, John Ziegler's Pre-Calculus classes. Students from Lauren Ruffner's Chemistry class visited Central Maine Community College along with representatives of Windham’s Public Safety Departments to take on that angle of the mock investigation.

“Math students needed to come to our APEX classroom to ask my students what they learned from a suspect interview,” Shetenhelm said. “Our interviews informed those lab techs what evidence to analyze. Collaboration between students from different backgrounds unfolded. Students demonstrated they were clear and effective communicators, integrative thinkers, and practical problem solvers.”

Prioritizing math, science and English skills, students were able to crack the case of a mock serial arsonist during their investigation.

“We wrote a narrative of a ‘who dunnit’ and our School Resource Officer Seth Fournier got involved and he pulled in support from our Windham Police Department,” Shetenhelm said. “This year, to try something new, we worked with Windham Fire Chief Brent Libby and Forest Ranger Matt Bennett to concoct an arson narrative.”

The Mock CSI exercise is different each year. From an educational aspect, students are challenged to the Maine Guiding Principles, such as being a clear and effective communicator, self-directed and lifelong learner, creative and practical problem solver, responsible and involved citizen and an integrative and informed thinker.

“Students practiced the guiding principles that we want students to master,” Shetenhelm said. Many students often battle anxiety, which hinders their ability to speak or ask questions in the classroom. Amazingly, these students were leading the questioning of our suspects.”

This year’s serial arsonist case was completely designed by Windham teachers and part of the experience included a controlled burn on campus, interviews with actors as suspects/witnesses, and cell phone triangulation. The unit's grand finale included a day at CMCC's Public Safety Simulation building so students could learn from Public Service Department Chair Matt Tifft, Forensic Science Professor David King, and other CMCC staff.

This not only gave students insight into what it is like to solve a crime, but it also taught participants academic skills that they will need in and outside of a classroom environment.

"I was so proud to see my students, even often quiet ones who may not respond to a lesson within the classroom, engage with police officers, members of the community, and ask hard questions and work with peers to solve the crime. Many demonstrated clever problem-solving and leadership skills,” said Shetenhelm.

The planning process for this Mock CSI exercise started all the way back in September with the officers tasked with setting up the mock crime scene working collaboratively with the educators at Windham High. Expectations are that students will understand how the different pieces of evidence collected come together to show what happened, which tests are reliable, and which ones have a high possibility of error. <

First-ever Pride event nearing in Windham

By Ed Pierce

Final preparations are under way for the community’s first pride celebration next month in Windham.

According to Kate Turpen, Board Chair of Windham & Raymond Pride, the event will be called “Together We Rise!” and will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 2 at the Windham Town Hall Gym, 8 School Road in Windham.

“We've been lucky to partner with the Windham Police Department so we can ensure a safe day of community fun,” she said.

Turpen says the event will include activities both outside Windham Town Hall and inside at the Town Hall Gymnasium.

“Outside there will be an artist market with some of our local queer makers and allies where you can chat with makers, purchase their goods, and mingle with the community,” she said. “There will also be community resources with local non-profits and organizations, food trucks for lunch and treats that can be enjoyed under one of our community tents, and a playground hangout for little kids and parents to enjoy the outside and get to know each other.”

Additional outdoor activities will be a photo camper where participants can take photographs with friends and family to remember and the See-what-sticks Axe Throwing will be on hand for demonstrations in their mobile axe-throwing trailer. Live music will be performed by Viva! The Sensation.

Inside activities include bracelet making with Black Maple Piercing, Storytime, karaoke, special guests and performers on the event’s Main Stage.

There will also be a donation and information booth and a raffle of items donated from businesses and individuals in the community will take place, Turpen said.

"Little Chair Printing will be live printing our limited edition Together We Rise! tee shirts,” she said.

June has been globally recognized as Pride Month, a time of celebration, commemoration, and activism for the LGBTQ+ community. The activities during Pride Month are not only a vibrant celebration of diversity and self-affirmation, but also a potent reminder of the need to promote equity, acceptance, and respect for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Through parades, parties, protests, and educational events, Pride Month activities, such as the one in Windham underscore a rich diversity within the LGBTQ+ community, acknowledge the significant achievements made in the pursuit of equality, and highlight the ongoing struggles faced globally. It serves as an essential platform to increase visibility, encourage conversation, and further progress towards true equity and acceptance.

All ages are welcome to attend the Together We Rise!” event in Windham, Turpen said.

For more information about the “Together We Rise!” event in Windham, visit www.WindhamRaymondPride.org <

Practice interviews help teens find summer employment opportunities

By Masha Yurkevich

As the school year comes to an end, many teens may be thinking about starting a job and setting aside some money for college, a first car, or personal spending wants. Starting a first and new job may be frightening and stressful for some teens, especially a first job interview.

While the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce does not directly help teens look for jobs, they do help with an important and vital part of getting a first job: an interview.

Robin Mullins, President-CEO of the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce says that the chamber does not have a direct role in helping teens looking for work. They do, however, partner with local high schools in offering “mock interviews” for students.

“These practice interviews allow students the opportunity to learn valuable interview skills and receive useful feedback and tips on what potential employers are looking for in great employees,” says Mullins.

Having the opportunity to practice these skills ahead of time can help alleviate some of the stress of interviewing and give the student an indication of what the interview process will look like.

“During these ‘mock interviews,’ I talk with teens about the importance of looking for work they will be happy doing,” Mullins says. “Teens work in the summer for a number of different reasons. The need to spend money, to save for college, and to spend time with friends are just a few examples. No matter their reason for working, it is imperative they enjoy the work they are doing. If they like the work, they are more apt to stay for the entire summer and come back the following year.”

For some it could become the full-time career they choose to pursuit once they graduate.

Once the teen has determined what areas they may enjoy working in, they should look to see what businesses offering that type of work are hiring. This information can be found on company websites, Facebook pages and signage at the business locations. Other resources can include word of mouth from family and friends or using an employment agency or website, such as Indeed, Zip Recruiter or Bonney Staffing, located in Windham.

“The need for good summer employees is always great this time of year in our region,” says Mullins. “Tourism is a huge part of our economy in the late spring, summer, and fall. Having teens fill many of these roles is a win for the employers who can invite the students back each summer and will not need to lay people off at the end of the season. It is also a win for teens who can work during the summer when they have the flexibility and time off from school.”

Maine Department of Labor regulations stipulate that those 14 years old and older can work within certain boundaries that are in place to ensure that working does not interfere with the health or education of the minor, such as minimum age for employment, work permits, hours of work, and dangerous prohibited occupations.

All minors under 16 years old must obtain a work permit before beginning a job. This includes home-school students and they must obtain a new permit every time they begin a new job until they reach 16 years old, even if they work for their parents.

In order to apply for a work permit, the minor must be enrolled in school, not habitually truant or under suspension, and passing a majority of courses during the current grading period.

Employers must have a stamped, approved work permit on file before allowing any minor under 16 years old to work and parental permission is required for a minor to work. <

Nangle’s water protection legislation signed into law by governor

AUGUSTA – On May 10, Maine Gov. Janet Mills held a ceremonial bill signing for legislation sponsored by State Sen. Tim Nangle, D-Windham. LD 2101, “An Act to Strengthen Shoreland Zoning Enforcement,” will give municipalities effective tools for combating shoreland zone violations.

State Sen. Tim Nangle

“This bill is a significant milestone in ensuring that Maine's communities have the authority they need to manage their natural resources effectively,” Senator Nangle said. “I'm thankful to my Senate and House colleagues for their bipartisan support and to Gov. Mills for signing this into law.”

LD 2101 allows but does not require municipalities to deny, suspend, or revoke locally issued permits to property owners who violate shoreland zoning ordinances. Under current law, even with ongoing violations, municipalities are required to issue permits, limiting their ability to ensure compliance with state and locally established regulations. The municipality would be required to provide the property owner with a 10-day notice, ensuring fairness and due process to property owners.

Typically, when the violation is resolved in court, the court assigns the cost of enforcing the violation and any applicable fines to the property owner. Then another fight ensues to collect those costs, which places another undue burden on the town's taxpayers.

To help combat this, LD 2101 allows a municipality to file a civil action against the owner or occupant to recover unpaid penalties; the cost to remove, abate, or otherwise correct the violation; and court costs and reasonable attorney's fees necessary to file and pursue the civil action.

If the case is resolved and the court has awarded costs in favor of the municipality, the town would then be authorized to claim a lien against the land on which the violation occurred to ensure that the legally awarded costs are paid.

LD 2101 also enhances transparency in real estate transactions by requiring sellers to disclose any known shoreland zoning violations to potential buyers.

The law will go into effect 90 days after this session of the Maine Legislature adjourns. <

Windham Middle School students donate socks to the Windham Clothes Closet

By Jolene Bailey

Last winter, Windham Middle School seventh- and eighth-grade band and orchestra students conducted a fundraiser called “Rock Your Socks for Toes in Need” and proceeds from the event help the students with expenses to -participate in the upcoming Trills and Thrills Music Festival for WMS musicians.

Windham Middle School students Aiden Hall, left, and 
Annabelle Riley, right, present Colette Gagnon of the
Windham Clothes Closet with a donation of 98 pairs of
new socks for people in need. WMS students sold socks
as part of a fundraiser for WMS Band and Orchestra and
the sock company matched sales with new socks for
the students to donate. SUBMITTED PHOTO   

The event was such a success that it gave WMS students an opportunity to also give back to their community. For every pack of colorful, fun socks that the middle school students sold in the fundraiser, the company agreed to give students a pair of free socks to donate to the Windham Clothes Closet.

“I heard about this fundraiser and like that it emphasizes giving back to the community, as well as raising much needed funds,” said Morgan Riley, WMS music teacher.

The students say it gives them a good feeling to know they can help others in need.

“It felt really nice to know that people who need some clothing will get some from us buying socks and selling them,” said eight grader Aiden Hall, who is a tenor and saxophone player at WMS.

The Windham Clothes Closet is open to residents and non-residents of Windham who are in need of clothing. Donations of clean, usable clothing are accepted at the facility on Gray Road in Windham.

On May 7, WMS band and orchestra members Hall and Annabelle Riley delivered 96 pairs of brand-new socks to Windham Clothes Closet as a result of their school’s fundraising success and the company’s match.

This was the second consecutive year that WMS students were able to make a sock donation to the Windham Clothes Closet.

Collette Gagnon, the manager at the Windham Clothes Closet, told us that last spring's donation was very well received by Windham residents in need. “This is just a feel-good fundraiser all the way around,” said Morgan Riley.

Hall said it’s nice to know the socks will be put to good use.

“It's super fun and I hope a lot of other people should try being a part of a fundraiser,” he said. “My favorite part would have to be seeing all the socks we are able to donate.”

For further fundraising information for WMS band and orchestra students, or to participate in next year’s “Rock Your Socks for Toes in Need,” contact the school. A link will be posted alerting the public to the fundraiser on the Windham Maine Community Board Facebook page. <

In the public eye: WPS Instructional Leader a champion for learners

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

By Ed Pierce

Kaley Petros believes that a school leader presents the past, reveals the present, and creates the future.

Kaley Petros has served as the Instructional Leader at
Windham Primary School since last fall and a large part of
her job is focused on advocating for the needs of students
who need more support both inside and outside of the
classroom. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

It’s what she strives for every day in her position as the Instructional Leader at Windham Primary School. She joined the administrative team at WPS in mid-October and says that a large part of her job is focused on advocating for the needs of student learners who need more support both inside and outside of the classroom.

“As such, I get to wake up and know my work is purposeful and meaningful,” Petros said. “Helping to find what is going to work best for learners and seeing those learners ultimately succeed is the greatest feeling.”

As WPS Instructional Leader, she provides leadership at the school in a variety of ways.

“One of my primary responsibilities is coordinating the Academic Support program at WPS, partially funded by Title 1,” she said. “I consult with teachers and interventionists, supervise, and evaluate educational technicians and classroom teachers, assist with technology, coordinate, and facilitate professional development, and even run a few of my own intervention groups with students. I’m a core member of our school’s Response to Intervention (RTI) team and I work to facilitate the plans laid out in those meetings for students. I assist our school in analyzing different types of data to help us inform programmatic decisions concerning student learning. I am also a Diversity Equity and Inclusion team member.”

According to Petros, the most challenging aspect of her work is not having perfect answers every time.

“When we’re monitoring student progress for one student or for a whole school and we don’t have the exact reason why, it’s hard for me,” she said. “I always want to be able to provide our teachers and ed techs with a clear path forward, but education is a process, and that process is often messy. I’m thankful to have a supportive team of creative thinkers at the table in situations like those.”

Originally from Ellsworth, she moved to Massachusetts and completed an undergraduate degree in English and Elementary Education at Wellesley College and then went on to obtain a master’s degree in educational leadership at Boston College’s Lynch School.

She started her career in education as a student teacher in the Boston Public Schools while also helping to coordinate volunteers for after-school and summer programs that served the Chinatown neighborhood of Boston.

“I taught and led grade level teams as a fifth-grade teacher in Needham, Massachusetts for five years where I also interned in educational leadership,” she said. “My husband and I returned in 2019 and began our family shortly thereafter. I worked at Pownal Elementary School in RSU 5 from 2019 to earlier this year as a second- and third-grade teacher as well as leadership team member. I’ve done urban, suburban, rural, you name it.”

Searching for the right school leadership position for her since moving back to Maine, Petros had a dream to help lead a school for many years, but it had to be the right position.

“The role of instructional leader seemed to be the perfect blend of what I was looking for, a leadership role with a focus on the improvement of teaching and learning,” she said. “The role of instructional leader is unique and very few districts have similar roles. When I tell people my job title inside and outside of our district, there's always ultimately the question, ‘So what does that mean?’ I think that is both the beauty and the challenge of a position that people do not have a preconceived notion of. Having to define my position helps me remain focused on the goal of my work.”

“My husband, Matt, has always been one of my biggest supporters. He moved his entire life to Massachusetts for me, and he continues to fully partner in this crazy life we lead. We have two beautiful yet wild toddlers under the age of 4 and without his help, jumping head-first into a leadership role would have been impossible,” Petros said. “He loves to know I’m doing what I love. Sometimes I won’t stop talking about it. My daughters would probably say they like that they get to come to fun events like WPS Fall Fest and Movie Nights, plus extra time on the playground when Mom needs to do some extra work.”

She says the public would be surprised to know that very few decisions are made without input from someone or whole teams of people and she leans heavily on the other members of the leadership team at WPS including Dr. Kyle Rhoads, Diana Jordan, and Rebecca Miller to give her honest feedback and input.

“My work at WPS so far has emphasized the importance of building, prioritizing, and maintaining relationships with students and staff,” Petros said. “It is so easy to feel lost in a large school, and I feel it is one of my many duties to ensure that staff and students feel safe, welcome, and respected at our school.” <

Windham Chamber Singers able to reschedule Lewiston performance

By Masha Yurkevich

The April snowstorm caused many to lose power and caused the Windham Chamber Singers (WCS) to lose most of their entire spring tour. But Dr. Richard Nickerson, the conductor of the Chamber Singers since 1988, said that the performance at the Franco Center in Lewiston was the only concert that was able to be rescheduled.

The April nor'easter storm forced the Windham Chamber
Singers to cancel much of its planned spring tour, but
the concert in Lewiston at the Franco Center was able
to be rescheduled and was held in late April.
COURTESY PHOTO 

The Chamber Singer's history goes back 37 years and they have performed all over the world, but this was their first time they were performing in Lewiston. It was a wonderful night in a beautiful venue and both the choir and audience were electric.

“There isn't enough time or space to tell you what this group means to me,” says Nickerson. “My primary goal is to make music at the highest level. I hope the students will also gain an understanding of how to work together towards a common goal. We are ambassadors for our school, town, state and country and take that responsibility very seriously.”

Abigail Coleman, Windham Chamber Singers president, has been part of the Chamber Singers for all four years during her high school career.

“I have looked up to the Chamber Singers since third grade when I performed with them during the District Art Show, but I had never felt a very fierce interest in auditioning, mostly because I was convinced that I'd never be accepted,” says Coleman. After a virtual audition during COVID, she was delighted to learn that she had been accepted.

“Chamber Singers means the entire world to me,” says Coleman. “I have met some of my dearest friends through this group, friends who share the same passions as I do. This group has given me an incredible relationship with music; it has allowed me to sing so many amazing songs and be a part of so many fulfilling performances.”

Performing with the group has made her want to continue singing for a long time after she graduates, and she doesn't anticipate that this feeling will go away for a long time.

“I enjoy everything about being part of the Chamber Singers. I love rehearsing for three hours every Wednesday, and I love spending time with my peers beforehand while we wait for rehearsals to start. I love the sense of community it brings, and the bonds that can only be created with something as powerful as music,” says Coleman. “I love traveling with them and creating memories. I love every minute of every performance we do. Being able to show every audience what we have worked so hard for, whether that be the RSU14 faculty at the very beginning of the year, or the incredible people who come to AmFam, or any of the concerts in between, it fills me with a sense of pride and belonging that I have failed to find anywhere else.”

Coleman says that Chamber Singers has taught her many valuable lessons, big and small, but the biggest lesson that she will take away from her time in this group is taking responsibility.

“It sounds very simple,” she says, “but I have been taught through practicing my music, being to every single rehearsal and performance, and being in the Vice President and President roles that if you take full responsibility and make sure you are prepared, the outcome will be so much more fulfilling knowing how hard you worked. It was a lesson that I as a freshman needed to learn, and it is a lesson that I will carry throughout my entire life.”

Next year, Coleman will be majoring in Business Management and Marketing in college. Her career goals have nothing to do with music, and that is fully intentional.

"Music is my outlet and my personal way to decompress and allow myself to forget every other stressful component of my life,” she says. “I completely plan to pursue music throughout my life; however, it will strictly remain a hobby. My love for music is very special to me, and I do not want that love to fade by making it something that I have to do rather than something I get to do.”

Being part of Chamber Singers for the past four years has been an honor and something that will always be special to Coleman.

“It's given me so many dear friends, life lessons, and I can thank this group for being responsible for how happy I've been during high school. I will always be incredibly thankful for everything that the music, my friends, and Dr. Nickerson have done for me.”

The next upcoming Chamber Singers concert will be on Thursday, May 30 at Windham High School. This will be the Senior Concert and this event will honor the graduating class of 2024. <

Little Sebago Lake Association celebrating centennial anniversary

By Kaysa Jalbert

In honor of its centennial anniversary, Little Sebago Lake Association (LSLA) is hosting an abundance of events this summer in celebration of 100 years since the association was first formed in 1924. Activities kick off with a golf outing for lake community members and friends, then later a blessing of the lake with special guests from a Native American tribe, and many more festivities for all ages, all summer long.

To keep you caught up, here’s an ordered list of the events.

The first event is an inaugural fundraiser Golf Classic tournament created and planned in celebration of the centennial anniversary. “We hope to do this every year,” said Debra Lavoie, Board of Directors, and centennial Golf Classic organizer. “If the community really embraces it and we have a good turnout, then we will make it an annual event.”

The LSLA Golf Classic will take place on June 24 at Spring Meadows Golf Club in Gray. It starts at 8 a.m. for the lake community and friends to take part in foursomes in contests and win prizes.

“We have been really supported by the Windham and Gray businesses who have donated gift certificates and other gifts in-kind,” says Lavoie. “The tournament costs $125 per person or $500 per team includes golf, cart, contests, and lunch.”

The LSLA Annual Meeting will be held on July 13 at the American Legion Hall in Gray and will end with a social gathering.

The headline event of the centennial celebration will be the Blessing of the Lake at 10 a.m. July 14 on the shoreland of the pasture on the lake. People are invited to bring their boats and listen to the blessing.

“We are thankful for the lake for the past 100 years,” said Pam Wilkinson, President of the Little Sebago Lake Association. “Then we will bless the lake for the next 100 years. A pastor will say some words and lead a chant for the blessing.”

LSLA welcomes special guests that will play an invitation song on the windpipes and drums to welcome spirits and bless the land.

“They will also call for the Four Directions, welcoming the spirits to come forwards and help us in the blessing,” says Wilkinson.

In addition to those events, on July 17 LSLA hosts a “Lake Learn Fun Day” for kids to learn about the water, do some painting, study facts about loons and build fairy houses.

On July 20, LSLA will conduct a “Music on the Beach” event in the lower lake on the east shore for participants to float around and listen to live music.

The annual Pirate Parade will happen on July 27 and will include more than 100 boats with pirate decorations. People are also allowed to decorate their boats for this year’s Olympic Games. The parade begins in the lower narrows and travels to the upper narrows of Little Sebago Lake.

Test your knowledge starting August 3 with an online scavenger hunt called “So You Think You Know Little Sebago Lake.” Participants must take specific pictures of the lake, answer questions about the lake, and submit their answers on the LSLA website.

A classic boat and Amphicar parade also is set for August 10 and anyone is welcome to show off their antique boats. This usually includes Chris-crafts, Corsons, and many others.

LSLA will also host a Waterski show with the date to be determined and an ongoing decoration of the scarecrow that is a three-month event in which people submit their names and each month a name is drawn for that person to decorate the scarecrow how they please, so keep an eye out for the scarecrows changing costumes throughout the summertime.

Little Sebago Lake Associations is a non-profit organization that owns and operates Hopkins Dam. They prioritize protecting, restoring, and improving the lake’s water quality and fragile ecosystem, including the 2,009 acres, 30.6 miles of shoreline and 25 or more islands from degradation. The association is operated by 15 board members and volunteers.

Little Sebago Lake Association’s first annual meeting was held Sept. 6,1924 where they discussed different topics than those of today, such as fishing, ice harvesting, firewood procurement and road maintenance. Since 2002, LSLA has partnered with Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection focusing on a long-term collaborative effort to protect water quality at Little Sebago Lake. <

Fay bond bill to promote design, development and maintenance of Maine trails signed into law

AUGUSTA – A bipartisan bond measure sponsored by State Rep. Jessica Fay, D-Raymond, that would provide $30 million over four years to invest in the design, development and maintenance of trails statewide was signed into law last week and will appear on the November ballot.

State Rep. Jessica Fay

If approved by a majority of Maine voters, funding would provide grants to nonprofits, municipalities and other divisions of government across the state to support non-motorized, motorized and multi-use trails. The funds would be managed by the Bureau of Parks and Lands, which currently manages the federal Recreation Trails Program.

Funding would be distributed over four years, and applicants would be required to demonstrate at least 20 percent in matching contributions, leveraging at least $6 million in additional funds.

“Although Maine people love our trails for walking, hiking, biking, skiing, snowmobiling, ATVing and many other purposes, the state makes almost no investment in this resource,” said Fay. “I want us to strive for a future in which people across the full range of abilities have access to trails that provide options for exercise, inspiration, transportation and thrills. If approved by voters, this bond will get us started on the path to funding some great projects across Maine that will improve and expand our trails.”

The bond measure has been supported by many environmental organizations in Maine.

“The Trails Bond is supported by more than 520 organizations, businesses and towns from every corner of Maine,” said Pete Didisheim, advocacy director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “At a time when so many things seem to be dividing us, this bond that will be on the November ballot offers a rare opportunity to unite us around something we all value – our trails, the ones we have today and the ones we could build for tomorrow.”

Fay is the House chair of the Government Oversight Committee and is a member of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee. She is serving the community members of Casco, Frye Island, Raymond and part of Poland in her fourth term in the Maine Legislature. <