JSMS teacher empowers students to shape their own learning

By Lorraine Glowczak

Students thrive in classrooms where learning is fun, engaging, and meaningful. At Jordan-Small Middle School (JSMS), teachers strive to create that environment every day, and one standout educator, Jennifer Beaulieu who is the Industrial Tech Teacher, is making a lasting impact.

To meet student requests, Jennifer Beaulieu goes above and
beyond her role as an Industrial Tech Teacher at Jordan-Small
Middle School by leading activities like Spirit Club, Shop
Club and the school newsletter, all of which are student
initiatives. PHOTO BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK 

Beaulieu embraces 21st-century learning by tapping into students’ natural curiosity and passions. She believes that when students take the lead in their own learning, they become more engaged and invested in the process.

“I have a lot of students who are eager for fun and exciting experiences,” Beaulieu said. “They crave hands-on learning, and their enthusiasm makes it easy to provide opportunities that go beyond the classroom.”

To meet students’ requests, Beaulieu goes above and beyond her role as an Industrial Tech Teacher by leading activities like Spirit Club, Shop Club, and the school newsletter.

“The best part is that students are having fun while learning,” Beaulieu said. “The clubs and newsletter are built around clear learning outcomes that align with 21st-century skills. Students collaborate, create, and take pride in producing meaningful skills that will serve them well in the real world.”

Beaulieu ensures that students don’t just learn – they thrive. For example, the School Spirit Club has not only designed new merchandise for JSMS students and staff but also taken initiative in fundraising for a laser engraver to produce their products. Through teamwork and innovation, they are bringing school spirit to life while honing valuable real-world skills.

Kaleb Fitch, an eighth grader at JSMS who helped to develop a new updated JSMS logo, decided to join because it looked like everyone was having a great time.

“I just saw all the cool things they were making and how much fun everyone was having, so I wanted to join,” he said. “Learning how to use all the tools and deciding who is going to use which ones has been another fun part. This experience has made school more fun, and it is cool to see students wearing the school merch that we made. Seeing people happy and wearing their school swag.”

The Shop Club also provides learning opportunities, including the chance to give back to the community. Evelyn St. Cyr, a JSMS sixth grader, is thrilled to be part of this organization because of her passion for creativity and art.

“I wanted to be in a shop club because I like making stuff and anything artistic,” she said. “I like making stuff and I thought it would be a good way to do that.”

Right now, the club is building a bench for students to use while waiting for the bus.

“The hard part so far has been figuring out what type of look we wanted for the bench and what kind of wood we would use,” St. Cyr said. “I asked people if they wanted a bench to sit on in the foyer. Then I wrote a persuasive letter to the principal to see if it would be okay. I felt strongly that we needed a bench for the front of the school because there wasn't anywhere to sit while we waited for the bus after school clubs. When it is all finished it will benefit so many students, and we will finally have a place to sit.”

The newsletter, The Roadrunner, goes beyond teaching writing and reading—it fosters student connections through interviews while also building skills in graphic design and research. The paper includes teacher highlights, fun facts, important dates and comics.

Beaulieu shared that while The Roadrunner has long been a part of JSMS, interest had declined over the years. However, with the upcoming school merger into Windham Raymond Middle School, enthusiasm for the newsletter has been reignited.

"Lucas Gasbarro, a fifth-grade student, approached me because he wanted to capture memories of his final years at JSMS," she said. "I felt it was important to support him in preserving these moments before JSMS becomes part of history."

Beaulieu said that Gasbarro and the rest of The Roadrunner team have been deeply committed to making the newsletter a success. Their creativity has brought fresh energy to the publication, including an updated design and logo.

Whether it is the school newspaper, the School Spirit Club, or the Shop Club, Jennifer Beaulieu goes beyond her role as an Industrial Tech teacher to support an environment where students feel empowered to initiate their own exploration, creation, and leadership. Importantly, her students are gaining real-world skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

By fostering collaboration, innovation, and a love for learning, Beaulieu isn’t just shaping her students' futures, she’s empowering them to shape the world. <

Windham and Raymond announce road postings to avoid frost heave damage

By Ed Pierce

A total of 115 roads within the Town of Windham and 49 more in Raymond have been posted for frost heaves this season by the Windham and Raymond Public Works Departments.

The Town of Windham and the Town of
Raymond have each posted dozens of
local roads in an effort to avoid frost heave
damage. The restrictions are for trucks
weighing more than 23,000 pounds and 
will remain in effect until May.
COURTESY PHOTO 

The road restriction in Windham is for trucks weighing more than 23,000 pounds and is effective from March 3 until May 15, 2025. Trucks exceeding the 23,000-pound weight limit and not exempted by town ordinance must be cleared to travel over a posted road if conditions continue to warrant such actions.

Frost heave damage to roadways is caused by an upward movement of pavement resulting from the expansion of trapped water beneath the roadway surface. Considerable frost heaves can produce permanent damage to roads and crack pavement surfaces with differing levels of severity.

Pavement distress attributed to frost heaves can impact road surface quality and are unpredictable and costly for towns and municipalities to repair.

According to the Maine Department of Transportation, as spring temperatures warm and the ground thaws, the soil situated beneath roadway pavement becomes saturated with water, making it unstable and leaving many roads unable to support heavy loads and putting them at risk for damage.

Typically, a road that can easily handle a 15-ton weight truck in summer or winter months may only be able to handle a 5-ton load during spring thawing.

MDOT says a posted road’s maximum weight limit is 23,000 pounds and it’s a temporary measure that’s designed to protect roads in vulnerable conditions.

The costs pf repairing or rebuilding a road damaged by frost heaves can be substantial, running as much as into the tens of thousands of dollars per mile in some cases.

When the ground begins to thaw and materials beneath roadway surfaces are saturated with moisture, then travel over these roads by heavy vehicles exceeding 23,000 pounds also can cause cracking, potholes, and rutting to road surfaces.

Raymond Public Works Director Nathan White said the restrictions for roads in Raymond will start on March 11 and will run through May 1.

According to White, frost heave restrictions for major roadways in Raymond cannot be applied.

“Routes 85, 121, 302 and the Egypt Road will be exempt from this closure because they are State maintained roads,” White said.

Windham Public Works says that the posted roads in Windham may have restrictions lifted earlier than May 1 should weather conditions warrant.

The purpose of imposing weight restrictions on heavy trucks traveling on roads susceptible to first heaving reduces the possibility of cracked road and pavement surfacing that leads to the formation of potholes and weakened asphalt. <

Windham in the '60s: Springtime at Field-Allen

By Max Millard
Special to The Windham Eagle

During Easter vacation of 1963, as winter gave way to spring, the snow shrank to patches and became a rapidly flowing icy creek alongside Windham Center Road. It was a perfect scenario for the “dare” game we called “saved your life.”

Mr. Sweatland gathers with eighth-grade students
at Field Allen School in Windham in the
spring of 1963. SUBMITTED PHOTO

The rule was simple: Without warning, you pushed your friend toward a dangerous spot, then pulled him back at the last instant while shouting, “Saved your life!” I surprised Lloyd Bennett with the trick when he came to visit and grabbed him just in time to avoid disaster.

He responded by doing the same to me. But I somehow slipped his grasp and plunged into the ice-cold water. I ran screaming back home, chilled to the marrow.

That spring, Field-Allen Junior High held a competition to see who could sell the most magazine subscriptions. I was eager to win, so I asked Lloyd if he and I could sell together and list everything under my name. He agreed, and we set off on our bikes, covering every part of town that we could reach.

My friend Bob Clark, who lived on top of Windham Hill, saw us riding by and guessed our scheme. By the time we reached the bottom of the hill and rang the next doorbell, Bob had already called ahead and secured his neighbor's promise to buy from him instead. He emerged as the top salesman in the class, and earned three large prizes, while Lloyd and I settled for a cheap alarm clock.

But I admired Bob's pluck, and we remained friends, as we still are today. We sometimes pulled a caper in study hall when Mrs. Johnson was on duty. She was hard of hearing and couldn't tell where voices were coming from. When she wasn't looking, Bob and I would take turns yelling “hey!” from different parts of the room. She would look up with annoyance unable to identify the culprits.

All the girls at Field-Allen took home economics, while the boys took shop taught by Keith Richardson. We spent the class time working on our separate projects, such as a wrought iron plant potholder, an electric magnet fashioned from wire, and a pump lamp – a wooden lamp designed like a mechanical water pump, with a handle for the light switch. Some of the boys spent the whole year making that lamp and sanding it with the finest sandpaper until it was as smooth as a baby's cheek.

Only the older boys were allowed to use the electric saw and electric drill. To change the drill bit, one had to insert a “key,” a piece of geared metal attached to a metal chain.

One afternoon when Mr. Richardson stepped out, a boy inserted the key and left it in, then turned the drill on. The key and chain spun around violently, then flew off, just missing a student's face. Other times we used the electric saw to make wooden slingshots, cutting slots to insert the thick rubber bands that we bought at the Surplus Store in Portland.

The school lunch cost 25 cents. Every Monday my dad would put $1.25 on the table for each of his school-age children, but sometimes we would bring extra food.

Mr. Gardner once caught me eating an orange in class. To set an example, he called me up to the front of the class and stuffed the whole orange into my mouth, one section at a time.

In a room packed with 35 adolescents, it was a challenge for the teachers to maintain control, but they had a potent weapon: the detention. When a child – always a boy – did something to interrupt the flow of instruction, the teacher would announce, “That will cost you two hours and 10 minutes,” which was how long the student had to sit in study hall after school. We didn't consider that it mainly punished the teacher, who was eager to get home but had to stay and monitor the miscreants.

I never got a detention, but I had occasional run-ins with Mr. Crowley, an English teacher with a confrontational style. I once corrected him in front of the class for using the word “heighth” instead of “height.” He told me to shut up. I said OK. He shouted back, “When I tell you to shut up, don't say another word. Do you understand?” I said, “Yes sir, I'll be quiet now.” His face reddened and he fumed, “Don't try to get the last word in!”

Earl Sweatland, who joined the school during my eighth-grade year, was one of the most popular teachers, a jolly and rotund minister who brought a Christian humor to the classroom. If something went badly, he'd describe it as “a mell of a hess.” He kept track of student behavior by writing their names on the blackboard under the headings “saints and sinners.”

About 15 years later, I heard he was in the last stages of cancer. I tried to see him, but he was receiving no visitors. He died in 1978 at age 61, a much beloved son of Windham. I remember him, along with William B. Herrman, Reginald Fickett, and Blair Higgins as outstanding male teachers from the Windham schools.

They have all passed from the scene now, but I look back on them gratefully as role models who later inspired me to become a schoolteacher for my second career. <

Windham Historical Society presents ‘Why is Sebago Lake so deep?’

By Masha Yurkevich

On Monday March 3, the Windham Historical Society presented its first program of the 2025 season, ‘Why is Sebago Lake so deep?’ led by Don Wescott of the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust and Irwin Novak, professor emeritus of Geology of the University of Southern Maine.

Sebago Lake and the Presumpscot River are very
important to the State of Maine and the Lakes
Region community, providing water and 
aquatic life. COURTESY PHOTO

The presentation consisted of a review of the geology of Sebago Lake as well as the geology of the Presumpscot River.

Presenters said that the roots of the word “Sebago” come from the Abenaki people meaning, “great waters.”

Sebago Lake is the drinking source for Portland Water District, stretches over 14 miles, and covers 45 square miles. It stands at 270 feet above sea level, has a volume of 995 billion gallons, and has the deepest point at 316 feet, making it the deepest lake in Maine and perhaps New England, with the exception of Lake Champlain.

According to the presenters, the current Sebago Lake originally formed at the edge of the continental ice sheet over 14,000 years ago. During the later stages of glaciation, ice melted from the highland areas and a great ice block filled the lake basin.

They say that as the ice melted, water and ice filled a basin that had been scoured out by a combination of glacial ice and stream erosion. Post-glacial streams formed and shaped the surrounding landscape.

Moving ice and meltwater steams deposited massive amounts of sand and gravel at the southern end of the lake northeast of Sebago Lake Village forming an end moraine and delta complex. This end moraine and delta complex acted as a dam causing a large lake to form behind it.

Unable to flow in its old path to the south, a new lake outlet formed over bedrock outcrops at the east side of the lake, near Whites Bridge.

The presentation examined construction of the Eel Weir Dam beginning in 1820, just below Whites Bridge, which raised the water level in Sebago Lake about 12 feet to its present full pond level of 270 feet.

The rocks that are visible now were originally deeply buried and long periods of erosion exposed the deepest rocks.

The Presumpscot River plays a big role in Sebago Lake, being the main outlet of the lake, draining its water into Casco Bay. During the last ice age, glaciers depressed the land surface below sea level and when the glaciers melted, sea water flooded the coast.

Meltwater from the glaciers carried silt and clay to the seafloor and the weight of the ice sheet caused the crust of the earth to curve, the presenters said. As the ice melted, the crust did not immediately rebound, allowing the sea to flood inland.

The melting of the last Ice Age carved out the river valley and deposited glacial sediment, what we know today as the “‘Presumpscot Formation,” along its path. This sediment was largely composed of fine particles like clay and silt carried by glacial meltwater and deposited as the ice retreated, creating the river's current course through the landscape that was previously depressed by the weight of the glacier.

Today, Sebago Lake and the Presumpscot River are very important to the state and particularly our community. Sebago Lake provides water to about 16 percent of Maine with exceptionally clean water that requires minimal filtration, and the Presumpscot River acts as the main freshwater input to Casco Bay, supporting both aquatic life and recreational activities in the region.

While this information might not have a direct effect on us today, both Wescott and Novak shared that it is nice to know the information and history of where you live.

“Some may be interested in where our rocks came from and how Sebago Lake formed,” said Novak.

If you are someone with an interest in history, these facts and information might leave you with a different point of view next time you visit Sebago Lake, Wescott said.

“Next time you go to Sebago Lake station, it is likely that you will think and wonder what was happening here 15,000 years ago,” said Wescott.

For more details about upcoming Windham Historical Society presentations, visit https://www.windhamhistorical.org/programs as well as the information contained on its Facebook page. <

Raymond Rattlers Snowmobile Club savor stellar season

By Kendra Raymond

Members of a local snowmobile club know a thing or two about high-octane winter adventures. The Raymond Rattlers are carving up the trails this season, thanks to some recent cold temperatures and heavy snowfall.

Members of the Raymond Rattlers show off
the new bridge which was constructed last
year to help provide fun and safe snowmobile
trails for the Raymond community.
PHOTO BY LARRY WOOD

Coming in on the tails of some pretty disappointing sledding seasons, the Rattlers are taking advantage of prime trail conditions this year. The enthusiasm is palpable for club members as well as the general public who also utilize the trails.

Raymond Rattlers Membership Committee chairman Larry Wood is encouraged about the favorable environment this year.

"It pretty much came together in the last two weeks,” he said. “The conditions the definitely the best so far.”

Wood says that there are about 30 miles of trails throughout Raymond. So far, property owners are mostly agreeable and supportive of the trails that cross their land. He is always appreciative of their continued permission.

Alan Plummer is the President of the Raymond Rattlers. He says that this is the first time in nearly three years that the trails in Raymond have been groomed.

“The trails are in phenomenal shape right now,” he said. “The Pipeline is the biggest part of the trail system (in Raymond). And a lot of the trails stem from that.”

Plummer chalks up the recent prime conditions to the perfect combination of ice-making on local lakes and ponds as well as some pretty hefty snowstorms.

“We are reliant on lakes being frozen and a good coating of snow afterwards,” he said. Plummer explained that the trails cross several bodies of water such as Crescent Lake, Raymond Pond, and Panther Pond, with the latter providing trail access into Windham.

Speaking of neighboring towns, the Rattlers pride themselves on great working relationships with snowmobile clubs in the area.

“We work with the Windham Drifters Snowmobile Club who recently held their First Annual Poker Run,” said Plummer. “We also collaborate with the Crooked River Snowmobile Club in Casco.”

Plummer said that the clubs work together to help each other out as much as possible.

“We keep track of what’s going on with them and do what we can to support that,” he said.

In fact, the Rattlers have not had a place to hold regular meetings for the past few years.

“The Crooked River club has a brand-new clubhouse in Casco, and they offered for us to use the facility to hold our meetings,” said Plummer. “It’s been great! We’ve had two meetings over there so far, and we even got a few new members. The Crooked River club has been really generous to offer that to us. It’s all about the small community - we help them and they help us.”

With trails like “Ballfield, Pipeline, and Rattlesnake Mountain,” who wouldn’t have fun? While trail riding comes with its own sense of adventure, the Rattlers also focus on building a cohesive club that welcomes everyone.

“We typically do a barbecue event at the clubhouse off Pipeline each winter. With no snow the past couple of years, no planning was done (this year) because we were not sure about what we could expect for snow,” said Plummer.

The event sounds like a blast – snowmobilers ride in and gather to enjoy burgers, hot dogs and all the fixings. Donations are accepted and it serves as the club’s big fundraiser for the year. Wood hopes to organize a barbecue for March this year, weather permitting.

Denise Plummer, local business owner and wife of Alan Plummer said that the season has taken everyone by surprise.

“This year has been hard. The snow came really fast, and it’s been tough to put this all together,” she said. “We like to encourage family sports and focus on the camaraderie. It has been awesome seeing it all happen.”

The Raymond Rattlers Snowmobile Club map was created to provide visual aid for sledders to make safe plans to get around the area trails.

Wood says that they have been available at Sunset Variety in the past, but at present it can be distributed by mail. For those interested in obtaining a map, just message the Rattlers on their Facebook page and they will make sure you receive one.

Wood wants to remind everyone to have fun this season and “ride safe”.

If you are interested in learning more about the Raymond Rattlers Snowmobile Club, there are several options.

Learn about the Raymond Rattlers on the Town of Raymond website by visiting https://www.raymondmaine.org/content/raymond-rattlers-snowmobile-club

Email the Rattlers at raymond.rattlers@gmail.com

Feel free to call Club President Alan Plummer at 207-239-2374.

Check them out on Facebook at: Raymond Rattlers Snowmobile Club (make sure to choose the correct one - you want the one with the “Think Snow” logo.

The Raymond Rattlers are always seeking new members. Currently, the club has 25 families and eight business members. If you’d like to join, simply reach out to Larry Wood at 207-776-5489, or simply join by mail.

Club membership information: Single or family: $35, Business: $50 (includes your business name in the Maine Snowmobiler business section)

Make checks payable to: Raymond Rattlers Snowmobile Club. Mail to: PO Box 994, Raymond, Maine 04071. <

WHS soars in Quiz Bowl tournament in Plymouth

By Jolene Bailey

On Feb. 8, Windham High School students participated in a Quiz Bowl tournament hosted by Plymouth High School.

Members of the WHS Quiz Bowl
Team counterclockwise from left
are Delia Tomkus, Francesca
Lomonte, Mason Bragdon, and
Nick Davenport review questions
during a practice session at the
school on Monday, Feb. 24.
PHOTO BY JOLENE BAILEY 

“A quiz bowl tournament is an academic competition where students compete in a number of matches throughout the day,” said John Ziegler, who coaches the high school Quiz Team at WHS. “Each match consists of a team of up to four players from one school going against a team of up to four players from another school. Whichever team scores the most points wins the match. At the end of the day, the team that won the most matches wins the tournament. Ties are broken by a total high score.”

For many Quiz Bowl participants, the most exciting part of every tournament is the first round as it faces the rest of the competition.

“Windham was facing one of the best teams in the tournament, Plymouth,” Ziegler said. “Windham jumped out to a big lead early, as Mason Bragdon was playing really well, and Plymouth's best player Reagan was having a hard time getting going. However, a couple mistakes by Windham let Plymouth back into the game, and Reagan took advantage. She went on a tear to put Plymouth in the lead going into the last question. Mason again stepped up, nailing the final question to tie the game.”.

This gave Windham a chance to win if they scored any one of three bonus questions.

The team missed the first two bonus questions and tensions were high, but Windham scored on the last bonus question to win and advance.

Students prepare for the quiz bowl tournaments by setting time aside to practice twice a week, Ziegler said.

Every Monday after school the team gathers to work on potential questions and to practice for upcoming Quiz Bowl events. On Thursdays they meet and practice for appearance on the television’s “High School Quiz Show.”

“As a quiz team, we attend two different types of tournaments. One is Quiz Show, a televised program that you can watch, High School Quiz Show Maine, on YouTube, with simple, often pop-culture based questions,” said Delia Tomkus, the captain of the WHS Quiz Team.

“Quiz Bowl, however, is significantly more academic. Quiz Bowl questions are often longer and more detailed than those on Quiz Show, and they cover a wide variety of topics including, but not limited to, literature, science, pop culture and history.”

During practices the students share a number of resources as Ziegler works to create many Gimkits and other fun games dealing with specific knowledge that often will come up in Quiz Bowl events.

“Being a Quiz Team coach has been one of my favorite aspects of working at WHS. I enjoy watching the students learn and develop,” Ziegler said. “It's great when you see a student get a question right that they have missed in the past because they finally got that piece of knowledge ingrained. I also enjoy getting the opportunity to hang out with students who are genuinely interested in knowledge for the sake of knowledge.”

Being in friendly competition with the underlying desire for learning has helped many students step out of their comfort zone and find their inner strengths.

At Plymouth High School, the WHS team that competed consisted of Tomkus, Chessie Lamonte, Mason Bragdon, and Nick Davenport found smooth sailing, beating all teams except for one taking second place at the tournament and placing first among the other Maine schools that participated.

Tomkus praised Bragdon, who was the sixth-highest scoring player at the tournament.

“Being a part of the Quiz Team has really helped me understand leadership, and how to work together better with other people,” she said.

Quiz Bowl is an extracurricular activity for students and Tomkus said her participation in it has left her with many great memories.

“Probably some of my favorite memories from being on the quiz team are the van rides home,” she said. “All of the stress of playing is gone, and we sing and listen to music. Sometimes, for our farther-away games, we stop to get dinner together, which is also fun.”

Ziegler said he was pleased with how the WHS team performed at Plymouth High School.

“As a whole, I was very happy with what the team accomplished on Feb. 8,” he said. “To come in second in a tournament that was stacked with our toughest competition was very impressive and bodes well for our two remaining tournaments of the season at Cony High on March 1, and the state championship here at Windham on April 5.” <

In the public eye: WPS Behavior Specialist thrives on solving problems

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

By Ed Pierce

It’s no secret that poor behavior in a classroom can result in lost learning time for children. Windham Primary School is fortunate to have someone on staff to tackle this quickly so that WPS is able to provide high quality teaching to all students.

Laura Record is Windham
Primary School's Behavior
Specialist and RTI
Coordinator and has been
serving in the role for
three years. She formerly
taught Kindergarten at the
school from 2012 to 2022.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Laura Record is Windham Primary School’s Behavior Specialist and RTI Coordinator and has been serving in the role for three years.

Among her duties at the school, Record works with the Student Support team at WPS comprised of social workers, assistant principal, and a behavior interventionist. She provides social-emotional-behavioral support and interventions to children in and out of the classroom; provides a calm place for students to regulate as needed; and provides in-the moment support for students with behavior needs.

She analyzes student behavioral data; teaches various whole class lessons as requested by teachers; provides teacher coaching; is part of the school’s attendance team; coordinates the WPS “Bus of the Month” program; is a 504 case manager; an IEP case manager; supervises and oversees the Noon Monitors for lunch and recess staff and assists with recess and lunch behaviors; is a Safety Care Trainer; and a member of the WPS Response team.

As RTI (Response to Intervention) Coordinator, Record schedules meetings, is a RTI team member, and manages RTI plans for students.

Record has worked at Windham Primary School since August 2012, serving first as a Kindergarten teacher from 2012 to 2022 when she switched positions to become the WPS Behavior Specialist.

According to Record, the best thing about her job is that no two days are the same.

“It’s great to see children making progress,” she said. “What may seem as a small step forward to us, usually takes a lot of work and effort from a child.”

That’s also the most challenging aspect of her work.

“Often my schedule goes out the window when a student is struggling and needs support,” Record said. “The biggest misconception people may have about my work is that I only deal with behaviors. I tell children that I’m the ‘problem solving’ teacher. If they have or had a problem, we can work together to figure out how to solve it or make it right.”

The one thing that the public may not know about her job is that she tries to be proactive as much as possible by putting interventions in place and teaching regulation strategies to children before it becomes a crisis, Record said.

Originally from Upstate New York and then Massachusetts, Record earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany and then obtained a master’s degree in education and her teaching certification in Low Incidence Disabilities (Special Education) at Boston College. She also has earned an early childhood and regular education teaching certificate and an Assistant Principal certificate.

“My husband’s job brought him back to Maine as he was born and raised here,” Record said. “After a year of him commuting between Maine and Massachusetts, we moved to Maine. With two young children and a newborn, it was great to finally be all together again.”

Prior to living in Maine, Record taught Kindergarten in Massachusetts from 2003 to 2012 and was a developmental inclusion preschool teacher from 1998 to 2003.

Her family is supportive of her work at WPS and because of her they have a greater understanding of the educational system.

“I think they like seeing the other side of a school from a teacher's perspective, especially when they were younger,” Record said. “Teachers don’t actually live in school. They usually help me set up my room. In the past they’ve also helped out with different school events like Fall Fest and Popsicles with the Principal.”

For Record, her most memorable moment while working for Windham Primary School so far is establishing a new program that holds a great deal of promise for the future.

“I am very excited about our new Bus of the Month program that recently began,” she said. “It’s great to hear the children cheer when I announce it to their bus and see the Bus of the Month magnet on the outside of the bus.”

Of everything that she’s learned while working for Windham Primary School, one thing stands out above the rest.

“The teachers and staff are child-focused,” she said. “We are a team at WPS with a lot of collaboration and problem solving. We all support each other with the best interest of the children in mind.” <

Windham to restrict public EV charging at town hall

By Ed Pierce

Without objection from members of the Windham Town Council, the town manager’s office will restrict public access to the three Electric Vehicle charging stations at the Windham Town Hall.

During Tuesday night’s council meeting, Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts discussed posting signs and installing locks on the EV chargers after town employees could not charge their municipal EVs because the public was using them.

Tibbetts said that the town obtained grants in 2015 to install two charging stations at Windham Town Hall and added a third one several years later.

Through the years the town has been working to increase its fleet of municipal electric vehicles and decrease its dependence upon gas-powered vehicles, Tibbetts told the council.

He said that as more residents purchase EVs, finding places to charge them has led them to use the charging stations at Windham Town Hall.

“I thought it was important to bring this before the council,” Tibbetts said. “When municipal vehicles are unable to be charged because all three stations are in use by the public, we need to do something. It's like in essence that they’re getting a free tank of gas.”

A high-speed charger typically can add 200 to 250 miles of range per hour to an electric-powered vehicle.

He proposed restricting use of the three EV charging stations at the town hall, posting signage that they are for municipal vehicle use only and securing them with locks.

Assistant Windham Town Manager Bob Burns said a review of the grants used to obtain the EV charging stations does not contain language that the town must make the chargers available to town residents.

“I think the EV system is being abused,” Councilor David Nadeau told Tibbetts. “You’re right to do something with this.”

Other councilors raised the question about public access EV charging stations in town.

The chargers installed in North Windham at Hannaford in 2021 were funded using only grant funds derived from the settlement of a federal lawsuit against Volkswagen, and Efficiency Maine led the development and installation of high-speed EV chargers (also called “Level 3” chargers or “DC fast chargers”) there.

Last year, the State of Maine received a $15 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to install 62 Level 3 fast charging ports and 520 Level 2 charger ports at more than 70 sites in 63 Maine cities and towns, including some future charging stations at Shaw’s Plaza in North Windham.

Councilors did not object to Tibbetts’ proposal to reserve the Town Hall EV Charging Stations for municipal vehicles only, so Tibbetts said signs and locks will be installed there by March indicating the new policy. <

Raymond author to discuss her popular book at Erik’s Church event

By Ed Pierce

The enduring popularity of a Raymond author’s book remains strong. Cheryl Blanchard will be discussing both her book and additional memories about her childhood at an upcoming event at Erik’s Church in Windham.

Author Cheryl Blanchard of
Raymond will discuss her popular 
book '236 Cumberland Ave. Portland,
Maine: Strange happenings in our
young lives' at Erik's Church in
Windham on Thursday, Feb. 27.
COURTESY PHOTO 

Blanchard is the author of "236 Cumberland Ave. Portland, Maine: Strange Happenings in our young lives," and she will be speaking at the meeting of Volunteers of America group at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27 and everyone is welcome to attend.

The book is a recounting of tales from Blanchard and her siblings' recollections that haven't been spoken of for more than half a century. Published by Newman Springs Publishing, the book remains popular more than five years after it was first published, and especially among Maine residents.

“It's amazing how my story about my childhood and my gifted talents and all the music has touched so many and how it all saved our young souls through this time in our lives,” Blanchard said. “Volunteers of America had so much involvement with this. I've been so honored to have this invitation to meet with their team and to share more memories.”

In the book, Blanchard describes how she and her siblings would suddenly catch glimpses of silhouettes and shadowy figures looming on walls in their home without a human nearby casting a silhouette or shadow. She also discusses in detail finding a tunnel underneath the building she lived in, and many frightful memories associated with that.

"There are such a lot of memories for a small child at the age of 6, along with five brothers and five sisters who were also very young,” Blanchard said. “All of those memories are still living in the minds of all of us. We haven't talked about them in over 50 years. I would like to thank the Maine historian Herb Adams for asking me about the house up over Botto's Market that I lived in as a child."

Blanchard’s family eventually moved away from the building and the trauma and bad memories she and her siblings experienced living there. The entire block has been demolished since the family moved from there in the early 1970s.

Just a few years ago, one of her friends asked Blanchard to share some of her memories about growing up there and that led to the creation of "236 Cumberland Ave. Portland, Maine: Strange Happenings in our Young Lives.”

Once her book was published, Blanchard was then interviewed on the Maine television show “207” and she also received a personal note from renowned Maine resident and noted author Stephen King, who is a master of telling “haunted” stories. In 2019, she was a guest of book groups that met at public libraries in Augusta and in Windham to discuss her book.

Despite being subjected to what she calls “paranormal occurrences” while growing up on Cumberland Avenue in Portland decades ago, Blanchard has gone on to lead a happy, productive and normal life otherwise.

Married, and a mother and a grandmother, Blanchard is now retired from a career in the nursing field. Many in the community know her from her time serving as a substitute teacher in Windham schools or for creating the first cheerleading squad for Windham Youth Football.

Published by Newman Springs Publishing, Blanchard's lively tales in the book are peppered with vivid descriptions of the historic district of her childhood and photos. Blanchard recalls everything from the smell of her mother's home cooking on the wood stove, to the numerous accounts of unexplained supernatural phenomena that the children experienced in their apartment over Botto's Market.

The stories contained in “236 Cumberland Ave. Portland, Maine: Strange Happenings in our Young Lives" serve as a primary document that offers a glimpse into life in a bygone era. Blanchard remains humble and appreciative that people find the book interesting and has a simple message to readers.

“Just remember how truly blessed we truly are, and I hope you hold your loved ones, always reach out and feed the hungry and clothe the less fortunate,” Blanchard said.

Blanchard’s book "236 Cumberland Ave. Portland, Maine: Strange Happenings in our young lives" is available for purchase at select bookstores in Maine, or online at the Apple iBooks Store, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble. Copies may also be purchased by contacting Blanchard at cherylblanchard43@gmail.com.

She says she’s been slowly working on writing an extension to “236 Cumberland Ave. Portland, Maine: Strange Happenings in our Young Lives" and perhaps another book. <

Windham Natural Resource Advisory Committee leads efforts to improve water quality

By Kaysa Jalbert

The Natural Resources Advisory Committee of Windham is working to improve protections on bodies of water that have been identified as polluted in the Windham, Grey and Falmouth areas, with a focus on lakes and streams.

McIntosh Stream in Lowell Preserve is just
one of many streams, lakes and ponds that
Windham's Natural Resources Advisory
Committee helps to protect. 
COURTESY PHOTO 

Dennis Brown participates in Falmouth Conservation Committee activities and serves as the chair of the Natural Resources Advisory Committee in Windham.

“Our job is to make sure that the streams and lakes and ponds in Windham are protected from further degradation and in fact improved,” says Brown.

Most of Brown’s work has been on improving the environmental protections on Highland Lake, which he says is considered one of the most protected lakes in the state. Seeing these improvements, the committee was able to get many of the same protections to apply to the other lakes in town.

Brown started working with the town of Gray two years ago to get them to instill similar protection to the ones in Windham. They had a meeting on the morning of Feb. 10 to discuss these protections and how they will focus these protections on lakes and streams.

Windham has five streams that are impaired and most of the lakes and ponds are on the Department of Environmental Protection list of most at risk of new development.

Brown says the committee’s solution is to keep its focus on increasing water protections, with some additional emphasis on the Pleasant River watershed and on Blackbrook Preserve.

While the lakes are monitored by local lake associations, it’s hard to get people invested in the streams.

“It’s hard to get the same enthusiasm as you get for a lake,” said Brown.

Recent focus of the NRAC has been on the Pleasant River, where there is already an established watershed program. However, watershed programs come in 10-year spans and it’s reaching the end of its term.

Recognizing that a large part of the river in located in Gray, Brown says the committee is working with the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust to focus water testing that’s done on many of the streams in the Windham, Portland, Westbrook area on the Pleasant River. It originates in the town of Gray and follows U.S. Route 202 as it flows through the town of Windham to discharge into the Presumpscot River upstream in South Windham.

It was discovered that the land trust has water testing sites for the Pleasant River, but they are all located in Windham. Brown was able to identify a spot on the Windham and Falmouth town line to find out if the water enters Windham in bad shape, or if Windham is causing the pollution. What was found is that the water coming in from Gray was already impaired. Brown is now working with the town of Gray to upgrade their water protection ordinates in the town.

“Sustainably encompasses environmental, economic, and social concerns, which are not mutually exclusive,” says Mary Wicklund, Environmental and Sustainability Coordinator in Windham. “No matter which perspective you choose, sustainability initiatives for the town are driven by the desire to create a more resilient future for our community.”

Wicklund started as the Environmental and Sustainability Coordinator for the Town of Windham in mid-September. The position of Environmental and Sustainability Coordinator is a specialized professional and technical position with responsibility for developing comprehensive policy and a strategic plan that encompasses current and long-term environmental initiatives towards a more environmentally sustainable future – including planning, managing, and coordinating the activities and implementation of the Stormwater Management Program.

This position has three priority areas:

MS4/Stormwater – Implement Windham’s MS4 General Permit with including annual inspections of stormwater infrastructure, conducting illicit discharge detection and elimination follow-up, providing technical training to municipal staff and board/committee members, and developing outreach for the community on issues relating to stormwater. Windham is a member of the Interlocal Stormwater Working Group (ISWG), a coalition of 14 municipalities and two nested communities in the greater Portland and Saco areas, who work together to address stormwater pollutants.

Watershed Management – Responsibility for coordinating watershed monitoring and protection efforts across the municipality. The town is partnering with Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District to identify, prioritize, and strategize ways to effectively protect and improve threatened or impaired waters. Efforts include working with the CCSWCD during efforts to implement and update the Pleasant River Watershed Management Plan and supporting the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust on volunteer water quality monitoring. With support from the Natural Area Resources Committee, the town offers Watershed Protection Grants to support watershed protection/improvement efforts throughout the Town.

Sustainability - Coordinate Town strategic plan and policies that encompass current and long-term initiatives toward a more environmentally and economically sustainable future.

According to Wicklund, Windham has more than 30 significant waterbodies that provide immeasurable benefits including high property values, tourism funding, and recreation opportunities such as boating, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, fishing, ice skating.

“Sustainability can be viewed from many angles,” Wicklund said. It may be protecting our numerous waterbodies for both environmental protection and economic growth or it may be reducing the municipality’s energy use. It may be looking at the comprehensive plan, and land use planning.”

Past actions taken by the Natural Resources Advisory Committee include coordinating a town-wide LED streetlight conversion, installing a 504-kilowatt solar array on the town’s former landfill, and updating the town’s Energy Plan.

The Natural Resources Advisory Committee was first established in Windham in 1997, with the purpose of serving as an advisory body to the Windham Town Council on issues related to the protection and enhancement of the community's natural resource base. It was amended in 2011 and again in 2017 but had had gone dormant for some time until it was reintroduced in 2018.

The Natural Resources Advisory Committee is responsible for identifying problems, recommending solutions and proposing policy goals for consideration by the Town Council which will preserve, protect, and enhance the community’s natural resources. In addition, they update town councilors about the status of the community’s natural resources, assist with the investigation of current and/or potential threats to the community’s natural resources and help educate the public on short-term and long-term threats to the community’s natural resources.

The committee meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the Windham Town Hall. <

Funding to clean up contaminated Keddy Mill may be slashed

By Ed Pierce

With drastic budget reductions planned for many federal agencies, the status of available funding to complete the Environmental Protection Agency’s cleanup of the contaminated Keddy Mill in South Windham is up in the air.

With uncertain funding available from the federal government,
the EPA Superfund's plans to demolish and clean up the
contaminated Keddy Mill in South Windham may have to be 
put on hold. The project is estimated to cost $17 million.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

The Keddy Mill site is located at 7 Depot St. in South Windham and includes a 6.93-acre abandoned mill complex property adjacent to the Presumpscot River. The mill building was constructed in the early 1900s although a sawmill existed there previously.

The sawmill closed in 1822, and the Keddy Mill property was then used as a grist and carding mill. In 1875, the Sebago Wood Board Company acquired the mill site and constructed a pulp mill complex, which included a three-story main mill building, machine room, drying rooms, and a wood preparing house. Between the late 1800s and 1922 additional process buildings/facilities were added, including storehouses, a second railroad siding, the finishing and shipping building, a water tank, machine room, and engine room. The mill was used for pulp and box-board manufacturing through the 1940s.

In 1945, the Keddy Mill shifted from manufacturing paper to steel products such as heavy equipment buckets. Scrap metal was transported by rail cars to the mill and melted into steel billets, which were then used to manufacture steel parts. By the 1960s and early 1970s, manufacturing included flanges and fire suppression materials. EPA officials say that it was during this period that significant disposal of hazardous substances, including harmful PCBs, may have occurred at the site. A large oil-based fire in 1969 damaged the mill complex and destroyed several blast furnaces and by 1974, a scrap recycler launched operations in the mill building.

The property was used as a machine shop and for equipment storage until 1997.

Since 2014, the Keddy Mill site has been included on the EPA’s National Priority List, also known as the Superfund, recognizing it as contaminated and hazardous to human health.

In 2023, after years of conducting environmental studies, the EPA Superfund adopted a cleanup and remediation plan based upon an EPA Remedial Investigation Report, human health and ecological risk assessments, the Feasibility Study, and comments received on EPA's Proposed Plan during a 30-day public comment period.

“EPA’s cleanup plan for the Keddy Mill Superfund Site is a strong effort to ensure the health and safety of community members, protecting them for generations to come,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash at the time. “Cleaning up Superfund sites helps us ensure that no community, no family, and no child has to face exposure to chemicals and other dangerous substances in their day-to-day lives.”

Consistent with Superfund agreements signed in 2022, the EPA has been developing plans for the implementation of various investigations which are necessary in advance of the mill's demolition. Data collection was completed in 2024 and the submittal of a PDI Report is anticipated by early April 2025. The results of these investigations will be evaluated and ultimately used to support the design of the demolition and removal activities.

Following approval of the design, the removal action will be implemented by the PRP and then EPA Superfund monies obtained for the work. That is, if adequate funding is made available.

EPA’s cleanup plan will take two to four years to design and execute and will take place after the significant completion of a Removal Action to demolish the mill complex and associated structures.

The cleanup plan includes the following components:

* Excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil and debris from the Mill Complex property.

* Targeted treatment of soil (within the footprint of the excavation) with amendments in support of groundwater cleanup.

* In place treatment of groundwater contaminants.

* Excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated sediments from the Presumpscot River.

* Treatment of water generated from soil and sediment dewatering and removed from excavations based on applicable water discharge standards, as required

* Restoration of the portions of the Presumpscot River altered by the remedial cleanup action.

* Land use restrictions to prevent exposure to site-related contaminants in groundwater and fish tissue until cleanup levels are met.

* Inspections and operation and maintenance.

* Monitoring of groundwater and fish tissue to evaluate the achievement of cleanup levels.

* Five-Year Reviews to assess the protectiveness of the remedy.

EPA estimates that the total cost of this portion of the Keddy Mill cleanup project, including construction, operation and maintenance, and long-term monitoring, will be about $17 million. The Superfund is the federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled, or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country to protect people's health and the environment.

But finding necessary funding for the cleanup may prove to be a significant challenge. At least $19 billion in Environmental Protection Agency funding to thousands of state and local governments and nonprofits remained on hold through last Friday and permanent budget reductions to environmental remediation programs may mean that the Keddy Mill Superfund cleanup work could be indefinitely on hold. <

Fiddlehead’s Giuliano among Cumberland County Teacher of the Year nominees

Sara Giuliano, a second-grade teacher at Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences in Gray, has been nominated for Cumberland County’s Teacher of the Year.

Sara Giuliano, a second-grade
teacher at Fiddlehead School
of Arts and Sciences in Gray,
has been nominated for 
'Cumberland County Teacher
of the Year.' 
SUMBITTED PHOTO

This prestigious honor is particularly meaningful as it comes directly from parent nominations, recognizing the profound impact that Giuliano has upon her students and the school community.

Giuliano, who has been part of Fiddlehead’s faculty since 2019, brings a deep love for hands-on learning and child-centered education to her classroom. With a background spanning multiple grade levels and outdoor education, she has created a joyful, engaging, and curiosity-driven learning environment for all her students.

"I’m incredibly honored by this nomination," said Giuliano. "Teaching at Fiddlehead has been such a gift – our students are full of wonder, and I’m lucky to spend my days exploring, questioning, and learning right alongside them. To know that families see and appreciate the work we do every day means the world to all of us."

At Fiddlehead, teachers are more than educators. They are innovators, designers, and mentors who craft unique, inquiry-based curricula tailored to their students said Jacinda Cotton-Castro, Fiddlehead’s Executive Director and CEO.

She emphasized the depth of dedication among the school’s faculty.

"Sara’s nomination is a reflection of the incredible educators who bring Fiddlehead’s mission to life every day,” said Cotton-Castro. “Our teachers don’t follow a scripted curriculum; they build meaningful learning experiences that are tailored to each child, inspiring creativity, critical thinking, and a deep connection to the world. Sara embodies that approach, and we are so proud to see her recognized."

Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences Principal Jason Manjourides praises the lasting impact of Giuliano’s work.

"Sara’s classroom is a place of constant joy, laughter, and discovery,” he said. “She has a gift for making every child feel seen, valued, and excited to learn. Her students adore her, and she approaches each day with a contagious enthusiasm that makes Fiddlehead a better place for all of us."

The Cumberland County Teacher of the Year program is part of the Maine Teacher of the Year initiative, which recognizes exceptional educators across the state who make a difference in the lives of their students, schools, and communities. Nominees are selected based on their dedication, creativity, and ability to inspire a love of learning.

Each year, 16 teachers are named County Teachers of the Year, and one is named State Teacher of the Year. These exceptional teachers serve as role models for the profession, advocating for students, communities, and education issues while participating in professional learning and community efforts to improve education.

To be considered for this honor, teachers must have at least five years of teaching experience, including three years in Maine. They must hold the appropriate professional certification for their position, be actively teaching at least half of the workday, and they must maintain their teaching position and remain in the county for which they are selected.

Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences is deeply committed to fostering an educational environment that nurtures academic excellence, character development, and strong community values, and provides a joyful, integrated educational experience for children. It was one of the first free public charter schools established in Maine.

Rooted in the Reggio Emilia approach, the school offers arts-infused, inquiry-based learning that encourages creativity for the younger ages and project-based learning that develops critical thinking and a deep connection to the natural world for students.

Giuliano graduated from the University of New England in 2012 and started her teaching career in Scarborough for Grades 1 and 2 and later for sixth grade science. After taking a few years off to work as an associate director at a summer camp in Raymond, she discovered Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences, and said it seemed to be the combination of all things she loved about teaching and the outdoors.

She started as the Teaching Assistant in the school’s fourth and fifth grades, then taught third grade the following year, and has since found her home teaching second grade.

When she is not teaching, Giuliano said that she loves to be outside, whether it is spending time at the beach, hiking, camping, or playing with her dog, Lily. <

In the public eye: Art teacher ignites student creativity at Windham Middle School

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

By Ed Pierce

Hillary McHugh believes that the art of teaching is the art of assisting students to discover a world of possibilities and it’s made her a successful teacher at Windham Middle School.

Hillary McHugh is a Visual Arts Teacher for sixth graders at
Windham Middle School. She has worked at the school since
2019 and also serves as the faculty sponsor for the WMS 
Pokemon Club and the school's Art Club.
SUBMITTED PHOTO    

McHugh is a Visual Arts Teacher and is part of the sixth-grade team working out of the Field-Allen Building on the WMS campus.

“When the entire middle school was housed in Field-Allen School, my room was the cafeteria,” McHugh said. “I love the history of the school and being part of a generational community.”

She says her role at Windham Middle School assists middle school students to develop a love of learning.

"I want my students to look forward to coming to school, and I try to make class fun for them every day,” McHugh said. “In our hands-on learning environment, I crack a lot of corny jokes and try to get to know my students individually. Responding to their academic and social-emotional needs is not always easy, with close to 120 students. We create and study Art, but there is so much more to it than that. I have six different classes of sixth grade Art and Advisory, and one class of eighth grade Ignite. I enjoy developing an interdisciplinary curriculum and feel grateful to have such an active studio program. My students love working with clay, and we were fortunate to get pottery wheels recently. We look forward to the district Art Show each May. I have been on several committees at school, and this year I am faculty sponsor of the Pokemon Club and the Art Club.”

Her duties include teaching art techniques like drawing, painting, and sculpture, demonstrating art techniques through lectures and demonstrations, instructing students on how to use art materials like pencils, brushes, and watercolors, and assigning art projects and grading student work. She also is tasked with developing lesson plans that teach art theory and principles of design, incorporating technology into art lessons and creating an age-appropriate curriculum for her art students.

Originally from Long Island, New York, McHugh has been teaching for 30 years in a variety of settings for all ages from PreK to adults.

“My career has taken me to public and private schools, colleges, community centers, commissions, art museums, and most recently as an instructional designer with the Maine Department of Education’s MOOSE platform,” she said.

She started at Windham Middle School as a long-term substitute in January 2019, after moving to Maine from the Washington, D.C. area in 2017. Before that she worked for L.L. Bean.

“It has been fun to see siblings come down through the years, and my students graduate high school,” McHugh said. “The senior clap out in June has been a fun tradition. I love it when students come back to say hello.”

According to McHugh, the best thing about what she does in her job is getting her students excited about learning, finding success at school, and fostering creativity.

“The most challenging aspect of what I do is starting at 7 a.m.,” she said.

For McHugh, she says learning about the new Windham/Raymond Middle School has been her most memorable moment of working at the school so far.

“We are scheduled to start at the opening of the 2027 school year, and it will be fantastic for the whole community to have a new facility,” she said.

Her family is proud and supportive of her work.

“My family enjoys hearing my success stories and think I should write a book about all the funny moments and quips I hear from my students,” McHugh said.

She said teachers often work and advance their training during the summer and art teachers are no exception to that.

“This year, I will be doing both,” McHugh said. “I am teaching Ceramics classes through Windham Raymond Adult Ed and completing my UMaine Educational Specialist degree. ‘Sigma,’ as my students would say.”

As far as the most important thing she has learned while working for Windham Middle School, McHugh says it’s not an abstract idea.

“It’s all about relationships – with my students, colleagues and families,” she said. “Building bridges gets everyone further.” <

Space to Thrive conducts groundbreaking for new facility in Windham

By Ed Pierce

Space to Thrive, also known as Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care, and Great Falls Construction conducted a groundbreaking on Tuesday afternoon for a new early childhood education center at 184 Pope Road in Windham.

Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care held a
groundbreaking Tuesday for its new 'Space to Thrive'
facility on Pope Road in Windham. From left are Pam
Whynot, Board member; Hannah Marshall, Executive
Director; Donna Cobb, Board President; Jeanette Lamb,
Board member; Julia Champagne, Project Manager; 
and Sherri Evans, Board member.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

The Windham/Raymond SACC program is designed to provide students with quality, affordable childcare before and after school with a special emphasis placed on creating an environment that fosters friendships, responsibility, respect and cooperation. It is a licensed child-care program inspected by the State of Maine with facilities operated in compliance with state rules for child-care programs. All SACC programs meet or exceed all licensing, fire, health, and safety requirements.

The new Space to Thrive building will be about 6,000 square feet and will include infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms, as well as a multipurpose conference room, and supporting spaces. Outdoor space will be designed to encourage children’s natural wonder and curiosity. With an eye on sustainability, the facility will be built to have as minimal environmental impact as possible.

The Space to Thrive mission is to provide every child with positive and accessible experiences that nurture development. This new facility will be crucial in expanding the nonprofit Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care’s mission to encompass early childhood, in addition to supplementing the program’s rich history of providing before- and after-school care.

“We are grateful for the State of Maine Child Care Infrastructure Grant, as well as financial backing through Coastal Enterprises, Inc. Without these programs, this facility would not exist,” said Hannah Marshall, Executive Director for Space to Thrive and Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care. “We understand the financial burden child-care places on families, and we will continue to seek funding sources to support quality care while minimizing impact on families.”

State of Maine Child Care Infrastructure Grants are made possible through funding provided available by Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan investments and other state and federal funding distributed to support the child-care industry. As part of the Maine supplemental budget bill passed in April 2022 and in accordance with the original Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan legislation of 2021, more than $5.2 million in early childhood funds were reallocated to provide additional resources for grants to renovate, expand or construct child-care programs.

Coastal Enterprises, Inc. is a Community Development Financial Institution that works to build a more equitable economy by growing good jobs, livelihoods and diverse business ownership, while advancing a just transition to a climate-resilient future.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) is administering the Child Care Infrastructure Grant Program through a partnership with CEI.

The Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care Program was originally founded in 1990 and began offering services at some RSU 14 schools in Windham and Raymond in 2002. It strives to provide a high quality, engaging and safe place for children to attend before- and after-school programs, as well as offering full-day programs.

According to the most recent census data, Windham has a population of about 19,658 residents and the town has seen a population growth of 6.7 percent since the 2020 census.

Marshall said that this growing community includes many young families in need of quality childcare and preschool services.

“The Windham/Raymond School Department, RSU 14, serves a student population of 3,200 students across six public schools,” she said. “The addition of Space to Thrive will help support the childcare needs of families in the area, ensuring that children receive the care and early education they need to thrive.”

Great Falls Construction of Gorham will be the contractor for the Space to Thrive project with Taselpointe Architecture of Windham serving in the role as the new project’s architect.

For more details about Space to Thrive early childhood education and before-and-after school programming available from Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care, visit its website at windhamraymondsacc.com to receive updates as it undergoes this transition.<

Several upcoming local events have been rescheduled

By Ed Pierce

Organizers say that several popular events, including the upcoming Annual George Bartlett Memorial Sebago Lakes Region Polar Dip and Windham's Got Talent, will be rescheduled after being postponed by storms and other conflicting issues.

The Annual George Bartlett Memorial Sebago Lakes Region Polar Dip is sponsored by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce and is one of the chamber’s foremost fundraisers of the year. During the Polar Dip, teams and individuals dive into the icy waters while helping collect pledges that are then donated to “Feed the Need,” an organization supporting 12 different food pantries throughout the Lakes Region.

The Polar Dip was supposed to be held Saturday, Feb. 15 in conjunction with the annual Sebago Lake Rotary Ice Fishing Derby. But according to chamber officials, it has been postponed to sometime in April. The chamber will be making an announcement in the coming weeks finalizing the date for the rescheduled event.

The event is held in memory of George Bartlett. Bartlett was a Rotary Club member for over 30 years, and he worked with the Maine Children’s Cancer Network to start the Polar Dip event.

When interest in the Polar Dip came to an end after many years, Bartlett approached Mullins wanting to restart the Polar Dip through a benefactor in town, leading to its subsequent connection with the chamber and “Feed the Need.” After Bartlett passed away in 2023, it was decided the event would be renamed in his honor for the effort and dedication he had given this cause.

Participation in the Polar Dip is open to anyone of any age. You can sign up through the online registration form at https://www.sebagolakeschamber.com/cal-event/sebago-lakes-region-polar-dip/.

The receiving food pantries are Casco Village Church Food Pantry, Casco Alliance Church Food Pantry, Gray Community Food Pantry, Crosswalk Community Outreach, Naples Community Resource Council, First Congregational Church in New Gloucester, Raymond Food Pantry, Sebago Warming Hut, Standish Food Pantry, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry and Town of Windham Food Pantry.

Also, the first “Windham’s Got Talent” event was supposed to be presented on Friday evening, Feb. 7 at the Windham High School Performing Arts Center. That has been postponed until March.

The “Windham’s Got Talent” event has been rescheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, March 28.

“A variety of conflicts within our district, including the Father/Daughter Dance were already scheduled,” said event organizer Shelly Cook of Windham Middle School.

“Windham’s Got Talent” is designed as a fundraiser to support Windham Middle School activities. It is open to residents, of any age, who want to step on stage before an audience and display their aptitude for singing, dancing, magic, playing a musical instrument, juggling, dramatic readings, a comedy skit, or any other creative skill.

Cook said the talent show organizers see a critical need in funding in Windham for certain school activities such as field trips and other programs and are hoping whatever amount is raised at the talent show will help serve a need for WMS students.

“We hope to make this an annual event and although we don’t know how this first one will turn out, we’re excited about the concept and hoping the community will support this,” she said.

The competition will include one round and feature a panel of four judges. Richie Vickers will serve as the emcee for the event and trophies will be awarded to acts finishing in first, second and third place.

A QR code to sign up to compete has been posted on local community boards on Facebook or signups may be done by visiting www.bit.ly/windhamsgottalent

Tickets for “Windham’s Got Talent” will be $10 and $12 for adults and may be purchased at the door on the evening of the competition. <         

Age Friendly Windham event focuses on neglected health issues

By Masha Yurkevich

While it may often be overlooked, your teeth and toes are an important part of your health. From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday March 5, Age Friendly Windham will be hosting a free Teeth to Toes event at Union Gardens, teaching how to properly care for your teeth and toes with specialists Tara Wilson of Lunder-Dineen Health Education Alliance of Maine about oral health and foot care from Heather Fogg of Fundamental Footcare.

Erica Bell-Watkins, Age Friendly coordinator, connected with Wilson and Fogg and thought that it would be a great idea for Age Friendly to offer their valuable information and services to the community.

“Even though these are opposite ends of the body, it is still important to know how to care for them properly, especially as you age,” says Bell-Watkins.

Tara Wilson is a health education implementation specialist and is a part of Lunder-Dineen Health Education Alliance of Maine as well as Maine’s Oral Team Based Initiative: Vital access to Education (MOTIVATE).

It is a program that helps educate and promote oral health for older adults. The MOTIVATE at Home program provides free education, information, and tips. The program teaches older adults, caregivers, and health care professionals the importance of oral health and what their role can be for promoting oral health for their older adult living at home, even if they do not provide hands-on care.

This is important as older adults have unique needs that put them at greater risk when oral health is overlooked. The majority of the program is available online offering 24/7 access to education in the form of videos, tip sheets, audio recordings and oral health resources and tip sheets. More information about MOTIVATE can be found on its website at https://lunderdineen.org/program/motivate-at-home-portal/

“There is a lot of value in bringing this kind of education to nursing homes and organizations that really do not have funding and other sources to help provide this kind of education,” says Wilson. “Many people do not understand that oral health is very important; there is a lot of evidence out there that really shows the connection between oral health and overall health, especially for older adults who are at greater risk for oral health problems.”

Wilson stresses the need to understand that without good oral care, our older population is more at risk for health disease, cardiac disease, diabetes, and many other health issues that can impact them.

“Fogg reached out to me because she is always looking to train nurses to help people with toenails and feet maintenance,” says Bell-Watkins. “We talked about what she does and then it grew into this education opportunity.”

Fogg says that chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and cancer are growing at an alarming rate, due to lack of health maintenance, patient education, and difficulty accessing affordable care.

“I have seen too many patients, young and old, lose toes, feet, and limbs unnecessarily,” she says. “Being proactive in the management of our health will minimize the burdens on ourselves, our loved ones, and to our overall healthcare system. That is why I started Fundamental Foot Care.”

Feet are often overlooked by the majority of the medical community. Consequently, the hospitalization of people with diabetes is most often due to diabetic foot ulcers. The cost burden to our healthcare system is in the billions.

“The majority of older adults cannot safely trim their toenails themselves — due to arthritis, reduced eyesight, weight gain, loss of balance —and are embarrassed to ask family or friends for help or feel ashamed that they can no longer do it themselves,” says Fogg.

Fogg provides in-home, person-centered care, that focuses on prevention of infection, avoiding falls, improving comfort, and maintaining dignity, and is committed to growing the availability of competent, medically trained nurses to fill this void in care.

Bell-Watkins said she hopes that the valuable information that these ladies will share will help our community gain more knowledge about proper oral and foot care.

The event is free and will be held at Unity Gardens in Windham, 124 Tandberg Trail, Windham. Each specialist will speak for about 20 minutes, followed by questions. There will then be handouts and other resources that can be taken home.

For additional details regarding other Age Friendly Windham events, go to https://agefriendlywindham.org/. <