Raymond Scout Troop 800’s open house nearing

By Kendra Raymond

Do you have a young person in your life who is interested in adventures, learning new skills, making friends, and spending time outdoors? Scouts BSA might just be the answer. With a newly implemented program which includes both boys and girls, there are opportunities for all young people to grow and learn, while upholding the core beliefs of Scouts BSA.

Scouts from Troop 800 in Raymond participate
in various camping and outdoor activities 
throughout the year. The troop will host an
Open House for interested youth and parents
at 6:30 p.m. April 14 at the Raymond Fire and
Rescue Department, 1443 Roosevelt Trail in
Raymond. COURTESY PHOTO

Scout Troop 800 in Raymond will be holding an Open House for all interested parents and youth at the Raymond Fire & Rescue Department, 1443 Roosevelt Trail in Raymond, at 6:30 p.m. April 14.

Assistant Scoutmaster Mike Case says the troop is expecting a lot of interest in the upcoming Open House.

“We invite you and your family to our Scout Troop Open House to explore what Scouting is all about! Whether you are interested in joining a boy troop, learning more about forming a girl troop, or starting a Pack for younger youth, this event is for you,” Case said.

He outlined what the evening will be about:

What to expect

• Introduction to Scouting: Learn about the rich history and purpose of Scouting, and how it helps youth develop character, leadership, and life skills.

• Activity examples: Experience some of the exciting activities our Scouts participate in, from outdoor adventures like camping and hiking to hands-on skills such as first aid and orienteering.

• Scout-led activity: Watch or join in as our current Scouts lead an interactive activity, showcasing teamwork and leadership in action!

Interested in a Girl Troop or Cub Scouts?

Case said that while Scout Troop 800 is currently a boy scout troop, they are excited to collaborate and share information, experiences, and resources to help get a girl troop or Cub Scout Pack off the ground.

“Our Troop committee is eager to support the development of these programs, ensuring that all young people can experience the benefits of Scouting,” he said.

Who Can Join?

• Boys or girls ages 11 to 17 for Troops

• Younger youth ages 5 to 10 for Cub Scouts

• A desire to have fun, learn, and grow through teamwork and challenges.

Jason Moreau is the Scoutmaster for Troop 800 and says that he is excited to invite families who are interesting in learning more about the troop to join us.

“Aside from the Scout-themed games and activities, we will be providing an opportunity for questions and answers,” he said. “While Troop 800 is Boys Troop serving 11- to 18-year-olds, we encourage families who are interested in the Scouts BSA program for girls and younger Cub Scouts to attend as well to learn more about how we might bring those programs to Raymond.”

Moreau says he hopes to see the program continue to gain momentum in the community and that the troop keeps the adventures going year-round and have the group lead community service projects throughout Raymond.

“We have had some conversations with the Crescent Lake Watershed Association about assisting with erosion site projects this summer,” he said. “We’ve also been asked to help retire a collection of U.S. flags which is a great opportunity for our Scouts to engage in civic duty and learn proper protocol.”

The Troop has nine registered Scouts presently and Moreau hopes to add several more. He emphasized the importance of leadership and community, especially during a recent Eagle Scout project.

“We have one Scout who just completed their Eagle Project and is preparing for their board of review,” he said. "It was great to have the younger Scouts help with the process building park benches so they can get a sense of what is involved to reach that highest rank of the Scouts BSA program.”

While working their way through the ranks, the Scouts find a way to fill their progress with plenty of fun and skill building. Moreau says that the Troop has a lot of upcoming events for the spring and summer season.

“We always have a bunch of great outings planned. We try to schedule one per month. In April we’ll be honing our archery skills at Camp Hinds. In May, we’ll be camping at Spectacle Pond in Osborn Maine for a weekend and heading into Acadia National Park for the day. In June we’ll be heading to Baxter state park for weekend.” said Moreau. “During July we will be camping for a week session at Camp Hinds where the Scouts will swim, canoe, earn merit badges, and all kinds of activities with other troops from across Maine and beyond.”

Moreau is proud of the extensive resume that Troop 800 has under their belt. The enthusiasm and sense of adventure are palpable within the Troop.

“We’re always looking ahead to new and exciting outings. To give a sense of the type of activities we pursue, within the 12 months we’ve taken an overnight canoeing trip, backpacked via the light of a full moon to a rustic cabin in Camden State Park, hiked the Rumford Whitecap, and competed at a snowy Klondike derby, an ice fishing derby and a Star Wars themed camporee,” he said, “We just got back from an overnight trip at EVO Rock + Fitness in Portland where the boys scaled all kinds of climbing walls for hours before camping out on the mats for the night.”

Moreau says that he finds his time spent volunteering with Troop 800 very rewarding.

“As leaders and parents, it’s humbling watching the boys grow and mature, become a more cohesive team, and discovering new talents and interests they didn’t realize they had,” he said “Our Scouts really enjoy planning and going on regular trips, seeing various parts of our state and country, and connecting with the outdoors and our community. Our Troop is really dedicated to providing these opportunities for the youth in Raymond, and surrounding communities.”

Case and Moreau are anxious to share the benefits of Scouting with prospective members.

For further details about Raymond Troop 800’s Open House, send an email to troop800me@gmail.com or call or text 207-370-2896. <

In the public eye: WPS instructional interventionist gives students confidence to succeed

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

By Ed Pierce

To say that Debbie Greenlaw is important to student success at Windham Primary School would be an understatement.

Debbie Greenlaw is the Literacy Instructional
Interventionist for first grade students at
Windham Primary School and she also
leads the school's Summer Technology
Programs and After school Clubs.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

As the Literacy Instructional Interventionist for first grade students at WPS, Greenlaw provides targeted support and individual or small group instruction to students who are struggling in literacy. She focuses on skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and writing, all while collaborating with teachers and monitoring a student’s progress.

Her work involves directly working with students who need extra support; designing and implementing targeted interventions based upon student needs and data; and delivering instruction to individual students or small groups, focusing on specific skills or areas of difficulty that students may encounter. While she tracks student progress, Greenlaw can make adjustments as needed, coordinate other school staff members for support and inventions, and keep parents informed about their child's progress and intervention strategies.

“I found my passion helping littles with their academic success,” she said.

It’s a huge responsibility but that’s not all Greenlaw does at the school.

She also leads the WPS Summer Technology Programs and coordinates the school’s After School Clubs.

“The online Summer Technology Programs are free to any student in our school,” Greenlaw said. “The programs are engaging and motivating for our learners. The programs help the students keep up with their learning through the summer.”

The WPS After School Clubs give students an opportunity to pursue their interests along with being involved with at least one club each session.

“We have two sessions starting at the end of January through May,” Greenlaw said. “All these clubs are free for our students to attend.

Usually there are 10 to 12 clubs offered each session, and each club has grade levels from K to 3, giving students more opportunities to participate in clubs.

“The teachers are wonderful with thinking of engaging fun clubs for the students to choose,” she said. "There is a lot of participation in the clubs, and we have the lottery system in place for choosing clubs. The lottery is the first choice of selections for the clubs. When possible, my goal is to have the students get their first choice, but sometimes certain circumstances prevent students from having their first choice. Then the students get their second or third choice. We have been able to have every student that signs up for a club participate in the sessions.”

She says that WPS teachers are the reason the school can keep having clubs for its students.

“They take their extra time to plan clubs that are motivating and promote social skills for the students,” Greenlaw said.

After-school clubs offer many benefits, including developing cognitive skills such as problem solving, teamwork, exploring interests, fostering friendships, and making learning fun, she said.

“I would not be able to lead or coordinate either the Summer Technology Programs, or the After School Clubs, without Dr. Kyle Rhoads, WPS principal,” Greenlaw said. “He is the person who initiated the Summer Technology Programs and After School Clubs for our students.”

Greenlaw has lived in Windham her entire life. When her children went off to college, she decided to go to college too.

“I went to Andover College with my daughter,” she said. “We graduated together. I have two associate of science degrees in Office Management and Paralegal Studies. Law was not for me. I knew I wanted to help children in some way.”

“I contacted the DOE and was told that I could apply for an educational technician certification with my college credits,” Greenlaw said. “I went back to college and got six more credits to become an Educational Technician III. It was the best decision I have ever made. Every day I am thankful for the Windham Primary School Community and the students.”

She started working at WPS as an Academic Support technician for grade K to 3 and that is close to what she does now as an instructional interventionist.

For Greenlaw, she says that her most memorable moments at WPS are when a student understands a strategy that she is teaching them as well as when the students then use that strategy to become a successful reader.

“In my opinion, the best thing about my job is the Windham Primary School Community and all the smiles on the students' faces every day,” she said. <

Windham resident uses poems to give back to community

By Elle Curtis

Windham resident and poetry author Bob Clark, driven by a sense of giving back to society in a permanent manner, is preparing for the release of his newest book, “Sleigh Bells,” as a part of his annual poetry display at the Windham Public Library for National Poetry Month during April.

Bob Clark grew up in Windham and became
fascinated with writing after reading National
Geographic magazine. He is now a poet who
has written a new book and a new poem
about Babbs Bridge which is on display at
the Windham Public Library in April.
PHOTO BY ELLE CURTIS   

“Sleigh Bells will be his seventh published book of an impressive collection. The book will contain roughly 12 poems, including a poem by Clark focused on the restoration of Babbs Bridge, Windham’s historical covered bridge.

Growing up in Windham, Clark lived in a farm home, which included a horse barn from 1825. When he was young, Clark had growing interests in writing and reading, inspired by some 1930s National Geographic magazines that he kept in the attic of the horse barn.

“National Geographic really opened the world,” said Clark.

Through images found in both magazines and online, Clark found inspiration.

“Can you imagine? The opportunity I have to make another new book with a new cover,” he said. “That alone is interesting to me since I can find inspiration from photos online.”

Apart from photos found online and nature, Clark is also inspired by authors such as Longfellow and Robert Frost. In viewing other people’s work, Clark says he has found his niche.

What’s behind the image is the impulse of emotion. Emotion is the key to the product he’s laying out in words. His poems “Our Candle Vigil” and his newer poem, “Babb’s Bridge,” speak about a commonality between the towns of Lewiston and Windham that Clark believes should be continued. With his work and library display, Clark wants to reach the public.

“Our Candle Vigil,” which was presented to Lewiston city councilor following the tragic mass shooting there, conveys a message of support.

Through poetry, Clark sees his poems as a way of giving back to the community.

“The tragedy is the tragedy, but the humanity of it is that we somehow manage to get through it and pull together, and recognize each other, kind of lean on each other,” said Clark.

It is as he writes that he asks himself what influence his poems can have. He’ll rewrite a poem 40 to 50 times. Each poem is roughly 2 to 4 pages. They mean a lot to Clark. He strives to capture the image and word selection is an important part of that. Words can carry a little image, he says.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be thousands of words. It might only be six words and then boom, it grabs you and captures your imagination,” says Clark.

Poetry is one way Clark has reached the public and left a lasting mark. For years, he was unsure how to put his work out there until he thought of framing his work for displays.

“Nobody else was doing that,” he said. “Libraries didn’t have a local poet that would just come in and frame his work to be put up and displayed. They would have a book here and maybe a book there.”

Windham Public Library has been a place where Clark is able to display his poetry. His focus is on providing lyrical respites in a busy world.

“There’s time to become aware, and there’s this time to decide, well I like these things in life,” said Clark.

With that in mind he wrote his poem “Those We Never Knew.” Clark presented the poem to the Maine State Senate earlier this year as a part of delivering the opening invocation at the Maine State House in recognition of and gratitude to those who sacrificed for our nation.

His words prompt reflection on the origins of America’s independence and he learned the power of words by taking college courses at the University of Southern Maine in the late 1960’s.

More ambitious projects are in the works as Clark prepares for “The New Poetry Workshop’ with the Maine Coast Men group.

“I’m very excited. I’m not writing a new poem for it, but I’m explaining how to ‘cook the cookies,’ and how the work is done,” he said. The themed workshop will focus on ‘Lyrical Respites in a Busy World.”

Clark’s newest book “Sleigh Bells” will be on display along with some of his other works at the Windham Public Library throughout the month of April for National Poetry Month. Free copies of his “Babb’s Bridge” poem will be offered. <

Maine Audubon offers new way to be part of Annual Loon Count

Mainers might not be thinking about summer just yet, but Common Loons will start to appear on lakes and ponds shortly after the ice melts, so Maine Audubon is already getting set for its 42nd Annual Loon Count.

Maine Audubon is adding a new twist to its Annual Loon
Count for volunteers this year. Community scientists
who volunteer to survey specified lakes will have seven
days, from July 19 to July 26 to scout out, access, and
conduct a one-hour survey of their assigned lake.
COURTESY PHOTO 

The organization has added an exciting addition to the annual count this year and is looking for volunteers.

Come spring, Common Loons will start reclaiming their territories and engaging in courtship rituals with prospective breeding partners and filling the air with their distinctive and beloved calls.

Once the breeding season is underway, thousands of volunteers will be taking to the water on July 19 across the state to count all the adult loons and chicks that they see in a designated half hour period. This long-running dataset has tracked the changes and trends in the population for more than four decades.

The valuable count information allows Maine Audubon to assess the impacts of conservation efforts over time, and to flag any significant changes in the population to aid better loon management in the future.

Last year Maine Audubon had the greatest amount of participation ever in the annual count with 1,624 volunteers surveying and counting loons on 407 different lakes in the state.

Thanks to this tremendous effort by community scientists the organization was able to estimate a Common Loon population of 3,146 adults, south of the 45th parallel. Unfortunately, there are not enough lakes surveyed north of this line to estimate the population for the entire state.

“The data volunteers collect is used to track population trends over time,” says Maine Audubon Director of Conservation Sally Stockwell. “We expect some fluctuations year to year, but the numbers indicate a healthy loon population, with a slowly increasing adult population and relatively stable chick numbers.”

Overall, Maine has the largest population of loons in the eastern United States, which makes the breeding success of loons here critical to the regional population at large.

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

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

All these steps can help ensure that Maine lakes are clean and clear, which loons depend on to find and catch their prey. These efforts also help increase loon nesting success and survival.

This year, in a new effort to expand the reach, involve more people in the count, and gain a better understanding of where loons are and what they’re doing in the northern part of the state, Maine Audubon is introducing Extended Duration Surveys this summer.

This is a pilot program for selected remote lakes and many lakes which are often not surveyed.

Community scientists who volunteer to survey these lakes will have seven days, from July 19 to July 26, to scout out, access, and conduct a one-hour survey of their assigned lake. Many of these lakes lack boat launches or easy cartop access, and some range far from the beaten path.

These lakes will take a greater time and travel commitment than the standard loon count survey.

Volunteers may have to hike in and survey from shore, or carry a kayak or canoe in, and in some cases, it may be easiest to turn a survey into a camping trip. Many Maine lakes and ponds are only accessible through private land, so the volunteers may be asked to help in securing landowner permission to conduct a survey.

If traveling and hiking into remote lakes and ponds to find unrecorded loons sounds like an activity that you might be interested in, please contact Maine Audubon Community Science Manager Phil Keefe at pkeefe@maineaudubon.org and he can help you find a lake to survey that is of interest.

For more about the Maine Audubon Annual Loon Count, visit maineaudubon.org/looncount <

RSU 14 expands early childhood education services for preschool students

By Lorraine Glowczak

According to the Learning Policy Institute, students who attend preschool programs are more prepared for school and are less likely to be identified as having special needs or to be held back in elementary school than children who did not attend preschool.

Teacher Caitlyn Cashman gives a lesson to Pre-K students
during a class at Raymond Elementary School earlier
this week. PHOTO BY BETH PEAVEY

Studies also indicate clear positive effects on children’s early literacy and mathematics skills. To support early learning opportunities for children in Windham and Raymond, RSU 14 is expanding its early childhood education services to reach more young families.

This expansion includes increasing Pre-K offerings in elementary schools in Windham and Raymond and strengthening partnerships with community organizations.

At this time the district currently serves 66 Pre-K students, providing them with essential early learning opportunities. Yet as the school district continues to grow, school officials say that its early childhood programs must also grow to provide more families with access to high-quality preschool education, helping set a strong foundation for future academic success.

“The district currently provides Pre-K services at Raymond Elementary School and Tu Casa Childcare in Raymond, as well as A Child’s World Preschool Center in Windham,” said Christine Frost-Bertinet, RSU 14 Assistant Superintendent. “For the 2025-2026 school year, we are hoping to expand these services to accommodate 59 more children from Raymond and Windham with a funding gap of just $1,604 per student for the entire school year.”

She said that in total, RSU 14 would need to invest about $102,700 beyond what state funding provides, what she calls “a modest investment in our youngest learners' futures.”

To support this growth, the district will introduce new Pre-K spaces at Windham Primary School and partner with A Space to Thrive, a newly established childcare center that broke ground last month at 184 Pope Road in Windham.

By working with community partners such as A Space To Thrive, Tu Casa, and A Child’s World, this school and community mixed delivery system can better provide high-quality, affordable Pre-K options for local families.

“This system allows us to offer a variety of program models to meet the diverse needs of our youngest learners,” Frost-Bertinet said. “By partnering with local providers, we can strengthen the entire community’s focus on early childhood education.”

Frost-Bertinet says that this collaboration also creates opportunities for shared professional development among educators and enhances support for children’s academic and social-emotional growth.

The benefits of early childhood education extend far beyond preschool. Studies show that the first five years of life are critical for brain development, with one million neural connections forming every second.

These early experiences lay the foundation for brain development, influencing how neural connections form and function, and determining whether a child builds a strong or fragile foundation for learning, health, and behavior.

According to Frost-Bertinet, 90 percent of brain development occurs before the age of 5, making early education crucial in preparing children for success, not just in school, but also for life.

Emotional and physical well-being, social skills, and cognitive development in these formative years all serve as key indicators for future academics, the workplace, and the community.

Hannah Marshall, the Executive Director of A Space to Thrive, emphasized that the importance of reliable early childhood education during a recent interview with WGME 13 television.

“It’s crucial that parents have somewhere they can rely on and trust for their children,” Marshall said. “And we know that the more investment that goes into those early years, the better the outcomes, whether it’s academic success or social development.”

With RSU 14’s expansion of early childhood education services, more families in Windham and Raymond will soon have access to the resources needed to give their children the best possible start in life. <

RSU 14 Odyssey of the Mind teams prep for upcoming tournament

By Jolene Bailey

Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is an extracurricular opportunity typically designed for students ranging in elementary and middle school that allows them to use their creativity, ingenuity and energy to contribute to something bigger and outside of the classroom environment.

Students of all abilities become problem solvers while demonstrating their skills and perseverance they bring to the table throughout the season.

Odyssey of the Mind advisor Linda Berry oversees the Kindergarten through Grade 5 students participating in the RSU 14 district. This year, the program has 60 students, gaining seven more participants at Windham Middle School than last year.

Berry said that this program typically has between 50 and 80 student participants.

“Sometimes we have students who are reluctant at the beginning of the season to participate on a team with others they don't know yet,” Berry said. “That feeling typically fades quickly as students bond and develop relationships over a common goal. With OM, all students ‘shine’ and contribute towards something meaningful. As well, seeing the confidence that grows within a child throughout the season is rewarding.”

Odyssey of the Mind’s purpose is to educate all students how to use and develop their pure creativity to solve problems of any kind without fear or high confusion. When competing, the team’s goal is to fit all the required pieces into a performance skit. From making props to coming up with lines, teams do it all by themselves.

During practice, students learn and work on their teamwork and being quick thinkers. The strategy of being fast helps them in the long run with verbal and hands-on spontaneous problem solving.

RSU 14 students may sign up to participate in OM early in the school year.

OM tournaments challenge teams of students with a given problem and then they create a solution to present in a tournament open to all ages, Berry said. It is a family-driven program where adult family members typically serve as coaches.

“Once we know how many adults are interested in coaching, we begin to assign students to teams,” Berry said.

“Teams are composed of five to seven students and are grouped by grade divisions, K to 2, 3 to 5, and 6 to 8. Teams begin meeting weekly after school hours in December and January and continue until the tournament in early April,” said Berry.

At the tournament, the teams will choose from five different long term problems to solve out and include technical, classics, structure, and performance questions.

The teams then perform their solution in an eight-minute skit in front of a panel of judges. Students are also judged on a spontaneous problem, so practicing how to solve that type of issue is something that teams work on throughout the OM season.

“It is always a busy and exciting season. WPS and Manchester have been supporting OM teams for many years now and each year we try to make it the best experience for our students,” Berry said. “It's wonderful to see the relationships that flourish and grow through the program, children or adults. Some of our coaches are former OM student participants so it's nice to see them supporting the next generation in this program. The relational side of OM makes me appreciate being able to do my part with the organization of it all.”

RSU 14 teams have a proven track record of success in Odyssey of the Mind competition. In 2023, a team of seven members consisting of third graders from Windham Primary School and fourth and fifth graders from Manchester School ranging in age from 8 to 11 traveled to East Lansing, Michigan on the campus of Michigan State University for the world championship. Windham finished 23rd overall of the 67 teams vying for the title and posted the highest score in the spontaneous category among any of the 10 Maine schools represented in the championships.

This year the OM tournament will be held at Edward Little High School on Saturday, April 5. It is open to anyone if interested in seeing what it's about and watching students from across the state showcase their talent. <

Lakes Region resident helps raise $10K for fire victims’ food bank

Supermodels Unlimited Magazine celebrated its 25th anniversary in January in Hartford, Connecticut alongside artists, models, designers, photographers, and celebrities from across the United States.

The event honored SU’s dedication to empowering aspiring models and talent worldwide.

Misty Coolidge of New Gloucester was named
Supermodel Unlimited Magazine's 'Women of 
the Year' for 2024 in recognition of her
extraordinary efforts to combat hunger
locally, nationally and globally.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Among the distinguished guests was Misty Coolidge of New Gloucester, who was named SU’s Woman of the Year 2024 in recognition of her extraordinary efforts to combat hunger – locally, nationally, and globally.

"My hope was to bring the donation back to Mainers in need, but with all the horrific fires raging across Los Angeles, Supermodels Unlimited Magazine and I felt that donating to those families just makes much more of an impact right now – as they need it more than we do," said Coolidge.

As Mrs. USA Worldwide 2021, Coolidge set a personal mission to crush hunger across America. Over the past three years, she has volunteered at 32 of the 50 Feeding America food banks across the country while also traveling to 17 countries, working with FEBA and the Global Food Banking Network.

During her reign as Mrs. Worldwide, she authored her first children's book, We All Stir the Pot to End Hunger, and she visited Manchester School in Windham to lead a presentation about hunger to students and read her book to children there.

Rather than collecting royalties from her book, Coolidge committed 100 percent of the proceeds to Feeding America, furthering her impact upon the fight against food insecurity.

At her wedding venue, Coolidge Family Farm in Maine, Misty hosts two major charity events each year: Flowers that Feed, a floral runway show, and the Running of the Brides 5K for Hunger.

Proceeds from both events support her local Good Shepherd Food Bank, part of the Feeding America network. These initiatives are just a glimpse of Misty’s dedication to combating food insecurity in her community and beyond.

Coolidge was born in Waterville, grew up in Norridgewock and went to Skowhegan Area High School. After graduation, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-Law and was planning to attend law school after college but became a paralegal instead, working as an intellectual property paralegal at Preti Flaherty for seven years and then as a real estate paralegal for Dead River Company for 15 years.

In 2022, the Good Shepherd Food Bank created an Ambassadorship program and made Coolidge their very first Ambassador to speak to communities across Maine about food insecurity and hunger.

“I was so honored and touched that such a huge organization would recognize my efforts and hard work,” she said. “My life for the past five years since moving to New Gloucester has been spreading the good word and mission of the Good Shepherd Food Bank. After all, we share the same goal.”

Even before she was involved in pageantry, Coolidge’s passion for fighting hunger has been evident for more than two decades in every community that she’s lived in, from Bangor to Portland, and through her volunteer efforts on behalf of the Good Shepherd Food Bank.

Her mission is personal, having grown up in a household in Maine with a single mom who worked three jobs to put food on the table and relied upon food stamps and the WIC program to survive. She told students that food insecurity is greater now than when she grew up.

“So many families are feeling the results of losing jobs, the cost of gas and groceries, and struggling to pay their utility bills. The numbers I’ve seen across the country in my travels are astounding and heart breaking,” Coolidge said. “Having little ones at home myself, I cannot imagine not being able to give them the food they need. There are people visiting food banks now that have never needed to use their services before. People need to know that help is available and it's OK to get help."

It was only fitting, then, that the $10,000 raised from the Supermodel Unlimited Magazine Anniversary Gala was donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, also part of Feeding America. This generous contribution will have a profound impact on families who have lost everything.

Supermodels Unlimited Magazine

Supermodels Unlimited Magazine is a premier publication and the only magazine in the women's market dedicated to the modeling and beauty industry, with each issue filled with the latest fashion trends, celebrity features, emerging talent, and more! The magazine just celebrated 25 years in the industry and is now focused on spotlighting the industry’s most beautiful powerhouses, trailblazers, and philanthropists; along with those who have broken boundaries and made a positive impact in beauty, fashion and entertainment. <

WHS senior wins gold medal in SkillsUSA Maine Championships

By Masha Yurkevich

More than 1,000 students from Maine schools gathered in Bangor for the annual SkillsUSA Maine Competition on March 13 and March 14. Among them was a Windham High School student, Nik Yurkevich, who won a gold medal.

Nik Yurkevich, a senior at Windham High
School who also attends classes at Portland
Arts and Technology High School won a
Gold Medal in Automotive Refinishing
Technology in the SkillsUSA Maine 
Competition in Bangor on March 14.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

These students have been preparing for many months, even years, to compete in this annual event, representing their school and hoping to earn a gold medal for their category.

SkillsUSA Maine’s State Leadership and Skills Conference hosts more than 1,000 outstanding career and technical education students – all local contest winners – to compete in 92 trade, technical and leadership fields. The contests are run with the help of industry, trade associations and labor organizations, testing competencies that are set by industry.

The SkillsUSA Championships are created and judged by industry to ensure that students are learning the real-world skills employers demand from entry-level professionals. These competitions represent some of the most highly skilled, in-demand skilled trade areas in the nation.

Yurkevich is a senior at Windham High School who also attends classes at Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS) vocational school and his win in the SkillsUSA Maine Competition was the first-ever gold medal won by a PATHS student in Automotive Refinishing Technology.

He said that he has had a passion for automotive work ever since he was a chilsd.

“My dad is a phenomenal mechanic, and I have been working with him in the garage for as long as I can remember,” he said. “He taught me much of what I know today and continues to be my motivation and inspiration.”

Only one student per school could complete per category in SkillsUSA Maine and Yurkevich won his spot in the statewide contest after an assessment by instructors from PATHS Automotive Refinishing Technology.

Competitors opened the event by demonstrating the ability to perform skills based on the task list outlined by the National Institute for Automotive Excellence (ASE) and the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). They then had to complete four different Automotive Refinishing Technology tasks and were assessed on their skills in surface preparation, spray gun operation, paint mixing, matching and applying, solving paint applications problems, determining finish defects with an understanding of causes and cures, masking, and use of safety precautions.

Each student in the competition also had to complete a personal interview and an ASE written exam. The overall appearance of their finished products, speed, and proper safety practices were also judged.

“I worked in a group with two other people,” Yurkevich said. “There were nine other competitors for Automotive Refinishing Technology across the state of Maine. We had three groups of two competitors and one group of three, which was the group that I was a part of.”

Each group was given an automotive fender that they had to paint, a side of a car that they had to mask off, a side of a bumper that they had to prime, block and sand, and a different color that they had to tint and match it to.

They had an hour to complete each task, with the competition spanning four hours of time. After a break, competitors attended a ceremony with the top students in the 92 categories being awarded a bronze, silver, or gold medal.

“I put a great deal of work into this in hopes of getting gold,” said Yurkevich. “A lot of practice went into preparation for this competition. I have been at this vocational school for the last two years and have spent countless hours learning different techniques on how to ace my game.”

When his name was called to receive a gold medal, Yurkevich said that he was pleasantly shocked. He said that it felt very nice to get recognized for his hard work.

“PATHS has never gotten a gold medal in Automotive Refinishing Technology before,” says Yurkevich. “I was glad that I had this opportunity and was able to take it.”

Being a gold medalist for Maine Automotive Refinishing Technology, Yurkevich now has an opportunity to attend SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia in June, where he will be competing against gold medalists in Automotive Refinishing Technology from across the entire United States.

For his efforts in Bangor, Yurkevich received a trophy, some Snap-On tools, and a $5,000 scholarship to one of five selected technical institutes.

He said that he plans to go into Automotive Refinishing Technology in the future for a career.

“I enjoy it very much. I love working with my hands,” he said. “It is also a very needed trade in industry.” <

Windham High Project Graduation 2025 conducts Flower Sale fundraiser

By Kaysa Jalbert

This is a reminder that Mother’s Day is coming up in a few months, and a good gift is flowers. That’s why Windham High School’s Project Graduation for the Class of 2025 has got you covered with their Mother’s Day Flower Sale that is now open runs through April 12.

The flowers are sourced from a local farm in Yarmouth called Cozy Acres, a wholesale, family-owned nursery.

Options include a 12-inch Hanging Flower Basket that comes in a variety of colors from Blue Ridge to Summer Sparkler, a Daisy Tub that comes in a 10-inch Pantera pot of three Sassy Rose Pink or Beauty Yellow daisy plants that grow in a mounded shape, and a Thunbergia on a Trellis that comes as a two-gallon pot with an orange, yellow, or white thunbergia coupled with a bamboo trellis for the vines to climb.

It is a first-come first-serve event for pick-up in terms of how colors go, so show up early if the plant must match your Mum’s other décor. Flower pick-up will take place at Petals Farm and Garden in Windham from May 8 to May 10. The flower options are $35 each and 100 percent of the proceeds goes to WHS Project Graduation.

The flower sale will be the final of many fundraising events held this year for Project Graduation Class of 2025.

With a goal to raise $40,000 to go toward hosting a fun and safe graduation evening for roughly 260 graduating seniors, parents have been holding meetings, planning the evening, and organizing fundraising events since April 2024.

According to Robyn Campbell, President of the WHS Project Graduation Committee, they have just about reached their goal.

For those that are unfamiliar, Project Graduation is not affiliated with the high school but is a group of parents of graduating seniors who volunteer to form a non-profit and all earnings go toward hosting a fun and safe graduation evening. Over the school year, surveys are sent out to the graduating seniors to get a better idea of what they want to do, what activities they would take part in, and what type of prizes they would like to receive.

On the day of graduation, students and parents will meet at Windham High School at 6 p.m. About four buses will take the group out for an all-night long event with dancing, prizes and fun.

The graduates will receive a bag to bring a small handful of items such as their phone, sweatshirt and a water bottle. Everything else will be provided.

“The goal is to keep everyone together, have a fun time, hangout as a group for one last time, and make it a really special, safe night,” says Lyndsay Stretch, the Treasurer of 2025 WHS Project Graduation.

Most fundraising events are held in the fall. The project’s biggest fundraiser was the Golf Tournament held at Point Sebago that raised about $21,000. In addition, they also sell Mum flowers each year from Cozy Acres, sell raffles at football and basketball games, work at the Snack Shack at the Gambo soccer fields, conducted a bottle drive, and had a pie sale at the Windham Craft Fair in November.

Project Graduation meetings are about once a month during the spring and summer. Their busiest season is fall and that’s when they meet bi-weekly to make sure everyone is on board with the plans, volunteers are coordinated, events are put together and the checklist has been gone over.

The parents volunteer to chair a fundraiser event. If there’s no volunteers, it usually falls on a board member such as Stretch or Campbell.

“It’s a lot of work for parents,” says Stretch. “Like many things there’s only a handful of people that help out, but many parents who can’t offer time will give donations for prizes and the project and its great. It’s a lot of work, but it’s all worth it to make a safe night for our kids.”

Stretch says her oldest son is graduating this year, making this her first year working on Project Graduation. She also has a daughter in eighth grade, and her youngest son is in sixth grade.

Campbell says her oldest son graduated in the Class of 2022 and her youngest will be graduating this year. Stretch said that Campbell’s experience from working on Project Graduation in 2022 has made her the perfect leader for this year’s planning.

The mission of Project Graduation is to keep kids safe on the night of graduation.

There is a binder that gets passed down from each class onto the next. The next committee meeting that will be held on the first weekend of April will meet with the class of 2026 parents to start planning their own Project Graduation for the next year. <

In the public eye: WMS principal instrumental in creating learning environment for students

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

By Ed Pierce

A school principal plays a crucial role in fostering a positive and productive learning environment and Greg Applestein is certainly proof of that.

Greg Applestein has served as the principal
of Windham Middle School since July 2023
and is dedicated to finding ways to help
struggling students and celebrating the
successes of WMS students.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

Applestein has served as Windham Middle School principal since July 2023 and takes his leadership role seriously.

“Maintaining a good balance between the work I do with the students and the work I do with the staff is one of my biggest challenges,” Applestein said. “Anyone who works in education is always working in a world where there are multiple and competing priorities. And on any given day, all of them are just as important as any one of the others. So being able to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate said priorities such that I can act on them in a timely manner, which lead to satisfactory outcomes for all is definitely one of my biggest challenges.”

Among his duties as WMS principal, Applestein is tasked with ensuring the safety and security of all students and staff, to continually help WMS improve in our areas of need in all that they do with and for the students, and to be compassionate, responsible, and respectful with and to all students, staff, families, and community members in helping them to achieve their full potential.

Applestein enjoys his work and says interacting with the school’s students and staff on a daily basis is the best part of his job.

“Over the past 35 years, I’ve been in four other schools, in four other districts, in four other parts of Maine and I get to spend my days with the best students, staff, families, and community members in all of Maine,” he said.

According to Applestein, the greatest misconception that people may have about his job as WMS principal is that school administrators only meet with the students who are in trouble.

“For me, the more time I can put into developing and maintaining good working relationships with all students proactively, the more positive and upbeat my relationships with students will be,” he said. “I spend some time each week meeting with students to let them know how well they are doing and how proud we are of them.”

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Applestein’s father served in the U.S. Air Force, so his family moved around a lot when he was in elementary school. When his father retired from military service, the family moved back to Pennsylvania when he started sixth grade and Applestein lived there through college.

He attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in English Education in May 1990. He went on to obtain a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Southern Maine in May 2012.

Applestein taught English and Video Productions for 22 years at Belfast Area High School and then served for three years at Ellsworth High School as assistant principal and worked for five years as assistant principal at Scarborough High School. Prior to joining Windham Middle School, Applestein was the principal of Bonny Eagle High School for three years.

“I knew RSU 14 had a great reputation due to its students, staff, families, and community members and that was one of the many reasons I applied for this position,” he said. “Secondly, I had heard and read about all of the school renewal which was occurring in this district and the work resonated with me and my core values and beliefs. Thirdly, I have always wanted to work at the middle level as middle level students are energetic, honest, and experiencing rapid growth and development over these three years. I always thought I would like working with this age group, and I am humbled, blessed, and grateful to be serving in this role.”

His most memorable moments while working for WMS occur when students are recognized for upholding the school’s core values.

“We host a grade level Community Meeting at the end of each of the four marking periods in the year. In our Community Meetings, staff give ‘shout outs’ to students who did a variety of things well during the marking period,” Applestein said. “And the students are recognized for upholding our core values of Compassion, Integrity, Respect, and Responsibility. These have been very memorable moments because our students are recognized, honored, and valued by our staff and students and I’ve never met a student who couldn't benefit from all of that.”

He says the most important thing he’s learned while working for WMS is that there’s a very palpable feeling of community, collaboration, and a can-do spirit which all permeate the hallways, classrooms, offices, courts, and playing fields of WMS. <

Landry French Construction to serve as General Contractor for Windham Raymond Middle School

By Lorraine Glowczak

The RSU 14 Board of Directors unanimously voted on Wednesday, March 5 to enter into a contract with the Scarborough-based Landry French Construction as general contractor for the new Windham Raymond Middle School to be built at 61 Windham Center Road.

Landry French Construction will serve as the General
Contractor for the new Windham Raymond Middle School
at its location on Windham Center Road in Windham. The
site is currently being prepared and materials are being
delivered. Construction is expected to start soon and the
school to open by August 2027. PHOYO BY ED PIERCE  

Building construction is set to begin at the start of April, with the building scheduled for completion for Aug. 1, 2027, and ready to welcome fifth through eighth-grade students in the fall of that year. The project remains on schedule, and the community will soon see visible progress as construction begins.

Landry French has produced many well-known construction projects, such as buildings at the Casco Bay Ferry Lines, the Colby College campus, the Yarmouth Public Safety complex, and the new cancer center on Rock Row in Westbrook. They have excelled in creating first-rate educational facilities, as well, demonstrating their commitment to excellence in every project they undertake.

“Landry French Construction has an impressive portfolio of school and civic projects and is recognized for completing high-quality work on time and under budget,” said RSU 14 Superintendent of Schools Chris Howell. “The company is working to complete the new Skowhegan Elementary School and is currently working on a K-8 school in RSU 10 in Mexico, Maine.”

Also impressive is the fact that the construction is coming in under budget, which is important to lowering the expected budget increase.

“The first-year payments for the project will increase the 2026 school budget by 8 percent, with a little over 6 percent covered by an additional subsidy from the state of Maine,” Howell said. “While this represents a larger-than-usual budget increase due to school-related debt, the additional subsidy will help cover a majority of the new costs.”

The project remains on track and is currently running $11 million under the original projected budget. The building will include all the features previously discussed with the community. This means that nothing will be cut, including the much-anticipated 600-seat auditorium and indoor walking track.

As mentioned in a July 26, 2024, article written by Ed Pierce, once the school construction is completed, Windham Middle School and Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond will be combined into what will be known as Windham Raymond Middle School.

The original Windham Middle School was built in 1977 and was originally intended for a maximum capacity of 483 students. That number has grown in the last few years to exceed 650 students, with sixth graders being housed for some classes at the adjacent Field Allen School, originally constructed in 1949.

Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond was originally constructed as an elementary school in 1960 and currently has about 180 students.

The RSU 14 plan calls for students in Grades Five to Grade Eight in both Windham and Raymond to attend the new school.

Windham fifth graders currently attending Manchester School would attend the new school, as would Jordan-Small Middle School students from Raymond.

The maximum capacity for the new school is expected to be about 1,200 students and the building is expected to be viable for at least 50 years.

Howell points out that team teaching will be implemented, creating an atmosphere of a close-knit community.

“The teaming structure will give students the feel of being in a smaller school within the larger school,” he said. “Each team will have spaces that are dedicated to each of the core subject areas,” he said. “In addition, the building will be structured to allow for the integration of some of the applied arts within the team. The development of this team structure will serve to bring the best possible facilities to each team. In contrast, the original Windham Junior High School, now Windham Middle School, was built as a departmentalized Junior High School.”

With the contract now approved, Windham and Raymond residents can look forward to seeing progress on the new school, which promises to be a state-of-the-art facility for students and the community alike. <

Raymond Lions Club honors local president with award

By Ed Pierce

Great leaders inspire and empower individuals to reach their full potential and members of the Raymond Lions Club know that from personal experience.

Club members honored Raymond resident Laurie Wallace, who serves as the Raymond Lions Club president, with the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award at an event on Thursday, March 6.

The Melvin Jones Fellowship Award is associated with humanitarian qualities such as compassion, concern, and generosity. It is the highest form of recognition possible for a Lions Club member and embodies the humanitarian ideals consistent with the nature and purpose of the Lions Club.

Recipients of this award are so honored because of their exemplary service to their club and the community in which it serves. The award is named after Melvin Jones, who was the founder and secretary-treasurer of Lions Clubs International.

Raymond Lions Club members say that Wallace has shown her dedication to the club in numerous ways.

She has served as the club’s president for several years along with serving as the club’s secretary at the same time.

Wallace has been proactive in working with the Town of Raymond government, including the Raymond Village Library and the Recreation Department to name a few, the members said.

She has also helped at the Raymond Food Pantry in the past and interacts with members of the Windham Lions Club.

Last year, Wallace was at the heart of an effort to halt the installation of a solar farm in a Raymond neighborhood that is hilly, heavily wooded and filled with vernal pools, critical wetlands and streams that run downhill directly into Thomas Pond.

Citing environmental concerns and the danger of setting a precedent if allowed, Wallace’s persistence and attendance at meetings in Raymond eventually led to the solar farm owners to abandon the project after cutting down many trees at the site prior to installing solar panels there.

Wallace also has volunteered in the past at the Raymond Food Pantry and will serve as a member of the Raymond Town Committee determining what to do with the Jordan-Small Middle School property once construction is completed on the Windham Raymond Middle School and the building is vacated.

The club members say that her actions show the core values that Lions International members strive to achieve.

Lions Club International’s mission is to empower Lions clubs, volunteers, and partners to improve health and well-being, strengthen communities, and support those in need through humanitarian services and grants that impact lives locally and globally, and encourage peace and international understanding.

Members of the Lions Clubs across the world believe in changing lives by serving the needs of local communities. In all, more than 1.4 million Lions Club members internationally are responding to difficult local and global challenges with kindness and caring.

The Raymond Lions Club was formed in 1995 and is an active group of service minded men and women who want to make Raymond a better place to live by serving the community in a variety of ways. It is a part of the world's largest, and most active service club organization, Lions Club International.

Along with other Lions Club members worldwide, the Raymond Lions Club works with their fellow Lions in more than 170 countries and geographical areas to seek out and help the needy in their own communities, their country, and the world.

The club meets monthly in Raymond and is active in many worthwhile community service projects in the Raymond and Casco areas.

For more details about the Raymond Lions Club or to join the group, call 207-655-2222. <

WHS senior shares unique capstone project

By Jolene Bailey

As a graduation requirement, students must complete the Capstone Project at Windham High School.

Capstone Projects are an independent study in which students can delve deeper into topics of interest to them, including potential careers. The students are completely in charge of this work, including choosing their project’s topic.

WHS senior Phoebe Bowman is
actively working on a Capstone
Project involving the topic of
adrenaline. COURTESY PHOTO

WHS senior Phoebe Bowman is actively working on this project and is addressing a theme of adrenaline. After students design a theme, they are then asked to create a detailed and specific topic question they may ask their project mentors.

Bowman constructed the topic question of “What are the effects adrenaline can have on the body and mind and what are the lasting effects it composes?”

These Capstone Projects also require a minimum of 30 hours of research. Out of those 30 hours, a recommended four hours should be spent volunteering as putting in community service hours is a vital component to the Capstone initiative.

“For the majority of my volunteering hours, I did a lot of random work,” Bowman said. “I had helped out with working for the 50-50 raffle at a basketball game and babysitting some family friend’s kids.”

She said that adrenaline is a hormone that helps with quick reactions when faced upon an exciting, dangerous, or stressful situation. This hormone in everyone helps give one the power and energy to cope with sometimes what can be overwhelming feelings in preparation for readying your mind and body.

“A lot of people just think adrenaline is about your fight or flight response, but it is more complicated than that. Adrenaline itself has lasting effects on how you overcome a situation as there are good and bad ways to produce adrenaline,” said Bowman.

According to Bowman, an example of “good” adrenaline could be hitting a game-winning shot in a basketball game. Bowman says that she witnessed this first-hand during her research hours.

However, adrenaline can also strike from an intense surge due to a panic attack.

“I have learned a lot more than I started out with when I originally thought about adrenaline,” she said. “The experience and knowledge I’ve gained during this project will forever be in my memories.”.

Bowman's community contact is Joe Crocker who serves as the Town of Raymond’s Recreation Director.

“I think the most difficult part would be the whole starting part, figuring out if I wanted to do a slideshow or poster and how to correctly word things,” Bowman said. “Finding who could be my community contact was also a challenge.”

Bowman is preparing to present her project at the upcoming WHS Capstone Fair.

“I’m looking forward to teaching others everything I’ve learned,” she said.

The annual WHS Capstone Fair is a way for students to share their personal experiences and topic presentations with other students and staff members at the school. Student requirements for presenting at the Capstone Fair include having a visual which could be in the form of a 3D model, slideshow, poster, or other methods.

The projects stress the importance of making a connection with local mentors from the community and using learning experiences that occur outside of the walls of Windham High School.

Successful completion of the Senior Capstone Project became a WHS graduation requirement starting in 2018-2019 school year.

During the WHS Capstone Fair in the school gym on April 11, all students from every grade at the high school will be able to check out the 2025 WHS Capstone Projects and ask questions of the presenters.

To learn more about WHS capstone projects, visit https://sites.google.com/rsu14.org/eloandcapstoneprojects/senior-capstone-project <

RTP welcomes new executive director

By Masha Yurkevich

Regional Transportation Program (RTP) has a simple mission: to provide safe and efficient transportation for disabled, elderly, low-income individuals and the general public throughout Cumberland County.

Jack Deberadinis, left, Executive Director 
of the Regional Transportation Program
which operates the Lakes Region Explorer
and other local transportation initiatives,
is retiring and will be succeeded by
Don Libby, right. COURTESY PHOTO

Jack Deberadinis served as Executive Director of RTP for three decades. After announcing his retirement, RTP’s Board of Directors promoted Don Libby to become the organization’s new Executive Director.

In his previous position as Manager of Transit Operations, Libby has gained a deep understanding of RTP operations, making him the ideal candidate for Executive Director.

As Executive Director, Libby’s role consists of working with many different funding sources and long-range planning for the company.

“No day is ever the same,” says Libby. “A lot of my day is revolved around making sure that we have the appropriate funding and personnel coming in to make this place stay viable, which consists of many meetings and dealing with various state agencies to secure funding.”

Libby says he approaches his job with a hands-on mindset, wanting to be more involved with people to create a strong team and culture. Not only is Libby more than fit for the position but he says he also loves what he does.

“I love the people and the culture here,” he says. “One of the things about this job is that you come to work every day and feel good about what you are doing for the public and when you leave work, you know that you did a lot of good for people today.”

RTP transportation includes rides to medical appointments and essential medical services such as: dialysis, cardiac care, day-surgery, and cancer treatments. It also transports riders to programs for developmentally challenged people and pre-school children, along with getting people to work, food shopping, entertainment locations, visitations, and other life-enriching venues.

The organization also provides transportation on buses, vans, and with volunteer drivers who use their own vehicles.

Designated as a Regional Transportation Program, the agency is committed to offering scheduled weekday public transportation with its “Lakes Region Explorer” operating between the Town of Bridgton and the City of Portland.

“Our biggest challenge is making sure that we have enough funds to do what we need to do,” says Libby. “It is an ongoing issue for all non-profits, a new challenge is figuring out how to overcome our low-income funding, something that we have not had in the past. We need more funding for transit in general in this state.”

RTP does not belong to a city and because it is regional, it receives very little financial support from the local municipalities other than the Lakes Region Explorer towns — Bridgton, Casco, Naples and Windham while balancing the needs of the public with the funding is a constant challenge.

Established in 1976, RTP was formed by combining the transportation services provided by the Portland Chapter of the American Red Cross, York-Cumberland Senior Services and the Social Services of the Greater Portland Transit District. Today, RTP is an agency that provides low-cost transportation to the elderly, social service agency clients, the economically disadvantaged, and for people with disabilities throughout Cumberland County.

Last year, RTP started a micro-transit service in Windham called Quick Ride, which is a less expensive alternative to Uber or taxi. There has been a recent expansion into Gorham and Standish. Libby said other towns are inquiring about RTP expanding into more surrounding towns in the rural area around Windham.

One of Libby’s goals is to provide more service to the 302 corridor and said he is looking at Windham as the hub of it all, potentially as a bus stop or transfer station.

He said that he is weighing potentially adding a few more stops to Windham and putting up real bus shelters so that people will be under cover while waiting for the bus. Libby also would like to extend the Windham Quick Ride hours and potentially even weekends.

This would also increase ridership for the Lakes Region Explorer.

“There has always been a need for service in the rural area and with more funding, we are positioned to expand and grow our service,” says Libby. “What I am hearing from the people in Windham is that there is a need for public transportation and there is a need for expanding Quick Ride service. We are working on that and are trying to build that rural area to give people what they need.”

During the next 18 to 24 months, RTP will be receiving two new Lakes Region Explorer buses and are looking into electric vehicle infrastructure to see if they can use it for real time tracking of buses, adding the Dirigo bus pass to their Lakes Region Explorer line, and also looking at underserved areas to see where they can fit in to help.

RTP serves more than 2,500 people in Cumberland County each year, providing more than 600 rides a day to people who need to get to medical appointments, grocery shopping, work and other important places.

Headquartered in Westbrook, RTP operates routes across Cumberland County each day, doing door-to-door rider pickups and drop-offs, serving 27 towns in the county, some of which include Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth, Westbrook, Gorham, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Freeport, Windham, Standish, Casco, and Bridgton. <

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. <