In the public eye: Retirement bittersweet for WMS secretary

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

By Ed Pierce

After more than two decades of service to RSU 14, Debbie Hall will walk out of the doors of Windham Middle School on the final day of school this week and stroll into retirement.

Debbie Hall, who has worked at the Front Desk and been the
Attendance Secretary at Windham Middle School since 1999,
is retiring at the end of the school year. She is the only person
to ever hold that position at WMS. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

Hall, who grew up in Gray and graduated from Gray New Gloucester High School, has worked at the Front Desk and been the Attendance Secretary at WMS since 1999 and is the most prominent staff member for anyone visiting the school.

“I do all attendance details, manage all the doors of both the main building and Field Allen schools,” Hall said. “I sign in and out all visitors, help students, staff and administrators with any needs they might have. I answer the phones, manage the surveillance cameras and help parents and venders who come to the middle school with questions or concerns they have. You have to be a good multi-tasker, because at any time phones can be ringing, doorbells buzzing, and students are at the window waiting to be signed in. You have to be able to do it all at once and keep a smile on your face while doing it.”

Before landing the job, Hall was a substitute teacher in Windham and worked quite a lot at WMS. The principal at the time, Hal Shortsleeve, told her they were creating a new receptionist position in the middle school office, and he thought Hall would be a good fit.

“He asked me if I would be interested in applying,” she said. “The rest is history.”

According to Hall, meeting the students every year, watching them grow over the three years they are there and then seeing them come back for Senior Walk through the school the week before they graduate is very moving.

“It is so amazing and emotional,” Hall said.

The most difficult aspect of her work is not getting emotionally attached to students who are struggling.

“It's very hard to not get involved or keep from voicing my opinions,” she said. “Society has changed so much in 26 years and a lot of it has not been for the good. Schools are not just a place to learn and grow anymore. Sometimes school is the only safe place a student has. Responsibility is a thing of the past, bullying is rampant, cell phones and social media have really had a negative effect on our younger generation. Teachers and administrators’ hands are tied in so many situations. It's been hard to watch.”

Before working for RSU 14, Hall went to Southern Maine Community College for Food Service and Nutrition.

“I was a cook at Ledgewood Manor until I had my third child. Then I opened my own in-home daycare,” she said. “Some of the children that were at my daycare have students in the middle school now. I have also owned my own business ‘Cakes by Debbie’ and I have made many cakes for staff and students over the years. Every year a new student comes in and says ‘Ms. Hall, my mom and dad said you made their wedding cake.’ It is a great ice breaker for new kids.”

Many people have gotten to know Hall through her Christmas Angels program at the school which collects gifts for students and families who are in need over the holidays. She plans to continue with that initiative, retired or not.

“Our community is so amazingly generous. The Christmas Angels program I started up here at WMS has been so rewarding,” Hall said. “Last Christmas, we helped 42 Windham kids have a great Christmas. We help parents who need a helping hand with birthday gifts, gas cards and even have helped with heat and car repairs in the past. If you are interested in joining the program, let me know at deb1130@msn.com.”

In retirement, Hall plans to travel, spend time with her family, garden and relax.

“I want to thank all the parents and students over the years who have touched my heart and made me feel like I have made a difference in their lives,” she said. “Being stopped outside of school and having someone tell me I have been an influence upon them is so amazing. I had a mom thank me last week for being her lifeline to WMS for the past 12 years while her four children went through the school. That made me day, and it is why I have dedicated my heart and soul to this job over the last 26 years. The thought of leaving is very bittersweet for me, I am the only person to hold this position at WMS, and I wish the next person good luck. <

Former Windham state rep leaves legacy of public service

By Ed Pierce

Former State Rep. David Tobin of Windham will be remembered for his unwavering support for the community and years of dedication to delivering the mail here.

Former Windham State Representative
David Tobin has died at the age of 93.
Tobin also served as a member of the
Windham Town Council and was a
longtime letter carrier in Windham
for the U.S. Postal Service.
COURTESY PHOTO 

Tobin, 93, died May 22 in the home he had built for his wife and family in South Windham.

He worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 39 years and through his work on the 14-mile route he made many lasting connections in the community leading to representing Windham on the town council and as a state representative.

Tobin spent 10 years as a town councilor from 1997 to 2007 and then filled the position briefly in 2009 replacing a councilor that had resigned. From 1998 to 2004, he served as a Republican State Representative in the 119th, 120th, and 121st Maine Legislatures representing Windham.

A graduate of Gorham High School, Tobin served in the U.S. Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller during the Korean War and was stationed in England. After his discharge from the military, he returned to Maine and attended Maine Vocational Technical Institute and worked as a service manager for both Pontiac and Ford automobile dealerships, then was a manager at Northeast Cold Storage before joining the U.S. Postal Service.

While living in Windham, Tobin joined American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 and was elected as Post Commander. He also logged time as a member of many Windham town committees, including three Comprehensive Planning Committees, the Public Safety Building Committee, and the Windham Ordinance Review Committee.

His dedication to public service was felt statewide when he served in the Maine Legislature. He was instrumental in creating bills aimed at assisting veterans and leading efforts to pass significant environmental legislation protecting the natural resources of Maine for generations to come. His bill, LD 1813, created a system to provide incentives for auto scrappers to get rid of older polluting automobiles statewide and was signed into law by then Gov. Angus King.

A strong supporter of public education, Tobin supported programs and initiatives that helped provide Maine students with access to laptop computers, and he helped sponsor student dances along with being a leader in Windham Boy Scout Troop 802. He was nominated twice for the Jefferson Award for Public Service and served on the Board of Directors for New Marblehead Manor and was involved in other public efforts affecting residents of the town of Windham.

In 2022, Tobin was honored as the Windham Summerfest Parade’s Grand Marshal. He was a captivating storyteller and historian of Windham, Little Falls, and the Presumpscot River watershed.

Surviving him are his wife of 68 years, Joan (Hawkes) Tobin, their three children, Colleen Tobin (Leo), Bridget Gallagher (David), and James Tobin (Xavier), eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

To honor the memory of David Tobin, his family is asking that donations may be made to Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors, P.O. Box 1956, Windham, ME 04062, or to the Windham Veteran's Center, 35 Veteran's Memorial Drive, Windham, ME 04062.

A private graveside burial service for Tobin will be held sometime this summer. <

WMS band, orchestra dazzle judges at Trills & Thrills Music Festival

By Ed Pierce

Two Windham Middle School musical ensembles for band and orchestra have a lot to be thankful for as each earned a superior rating from judges during the Trills & Thrills Music Festival on June 5 in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Windham Middle School's Band and Orchestra members 
gather after earning Superior ratings from Trills & Thrills
Music festival judges in Nashua, New Hampshire on
June 5. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

A superior rating is the highest honor and one reserved for music making at its finest that festival judges can award. It is based not just upon student musicians performing the right notes and rhythms or playing a difficult piece of music, instead it is reserved exclusively for the most outstanding performance by a band or orchestra.

Morgan Riley, WMS Orchestra and Band Teacher, said that musical ensembles at the festival are rated on Tone Quality, Intonation, Interpretation, Technique, and Balance.

“Both the WMS Seventh and Eighth Grade Orchestra and Band earned the highest rating of Superior, Riley said. “Students were able to listen to other ensembles who attend the festival from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and beyond.”

During the festival two judges, who are typically college music professors, listen to two pieces of music from each ensemble. The judges then provide written and audio-recorded feedback.

According to Riley, WMS students took way several things from this trip such as constructive criticism to help them improve, received positive feedback about their strengths, and a sense of accomplishment when they received their rating from the judges. The feedback from judges included techniques for improvement as ensembles and listening to other musicians.

“We have participated in festivals similar to this annually as a school for many, many years,” said Morgan Riley, WMS band and orchestra teacher. “The oldest plaque we have is from the 1990s.”

Riley said students started rehearsing festival pieces in January.

“We have been working on the basics, notes, rhythms and articulations, and are now getting to the details of dynamics and the other parts,” she said. “These students are incredibly hard-working and show perseverance in every class.”

According to Riley, the festival creates an environment where students feel comfortable and free to express themselves. Participating in festivals like this one can help make performers work harder when engaging and pushing to create the best of their performances, she said.

In all about 50 WMS students, including all the orchestra and band members, were able to participate in the festival trip.

Riley has taught in Windham and Raymond schools for 18 years. She has been an instructor for band, orchestra, chorus, and guitar to students at Jordan-Small Middle School, at Windham Middle School, and for Manchester School in her career with RSU 14.

“We would like to thank our supporters who purchased items at last fall's Mattress Fundraiser. Without those funds, we couldn't have attended the festival,” Riley said. <

Lack of federal funding threatens Meals on Wheels’ future for elderly residents

By Ed Pierce

If adopted, the federal government’s drastic proposal to slash social programs could radically affect some of the most vulnerable residents of Windham and Raymond.

Federal funding for the Meals on Wheels program
nationwide could be eliminated if Congress
passes the 'Big Beautiful Bill' as currently
proposed. The Meals on Wheels program is a
lifeline for many aging, elderly and homebound
residents of Windham and Raymond.
FILE PHOTO 

Currently under consideration in the U.S. Senate, the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” would severely cut federal spending for successful programs in Maine such as Meals on Wheels, the Through These Doors Domestic Violence Resource Center, and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland's Critical Home Repair Program, through the elimination of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.

Ashley Perrone, Community Impact Director for the Southern Maine Agency of Aging which administers Meals on Wheels for Cumberland and York counties, said the program is a lifeline for elderly and homebound residents.

Perrone said that Meals on Wheels has been operating in Maine since 1965 and currently provides 1,000 meals to aging and elderly Mainers every day at an annual cost of $2 million. SMAA has administered the program since 1973 and uses volunteers to deliver meals.

“We speak about how beneficial Meals on Wheels is from a nutritional basis, but social isolation is just as deadly as smoking a half pack of cigarettes a day,” Perrone said. “Besides food, Meals on Wheels is a social connection for adults and caregivers here in Maine.”

Established under the auspices of the Older Mainers Act by the Maine Legislature, the intent of Meals on Wheels has always been key to combating senior adult food insecurity and social isolation since its launch six decades ago.

During the past year, SMAA’s Meals on Wheels program delivered 114,663 meals to 888 clients at their homes in FY 2024, plus an additional 6,114 meals to 936 clients at congregate meal sites.

Along with funding from the federal government, Perrone said about 50 percent of Meals on Wheel funding comes from the state of Maine. SMAA is one of six agencies overseeing community Meals on Wheels programs in the state.

The Through These Doors (TTD) Domestic Violence Resource Center in Maine offers free and confidential advocacy and support services to about 3,000 domestic violence victims in Maine each year through phone calls, face-to-face meetings, or through court proceedings. Each year, the center answers 8,000-plus helpline calls, meets with people face-to-face more than 5,000-plus times, supports more than 1,000 individuals through court proceedings, and shelters nearly 135 people every day, including more than 45 children.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland's Critical Home Repair Program works with homeowners to make needed health and safety repairs to their homes at an affordable cost such as roof replacement, accessibility modifications, structural repairs and repairs to unsafe mechanical systems. The organization has completed about 11 projects this fiscal year and expects to finish another 32 projects in the next 12 to 18 months.

Meals on Wheels, Through These Doors Domestic Violence Resource Center, and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland's Critical Home Repair Program are recipients of funding from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.

In the last two decades alone, CDBG funds in Maine have created or retained nearly 5,800 jobs for Mainers, assisted more than 10,000 low-income households in the state, helped more than 71,000 Mainers through public improvement projects, and assisted about 1.5 million people across the state through public services.

In Windham, the Windham Town Council used CDBG funds to revitalize South Windham by installing new sidewalks on Gray Road and the expansion of a public parking lot for residents doing recreational activities and visiting local businesses in the area.

Windham Town Council Chair Jarrod Maxfield says losing Meals on Wheels and CDBG funding will be tough. 

"Both of these programs are extremely important for the wellbeing of many of our seniors in town. The loss of these programs could be devastating for some who rely on them for basic needs and services and finding replacements for them is not an easy option," Maxfield said. "Losing these programs should never be an option."

The federal government’s “Big Beautiful Bill” mandates the complete elimination of FY2026 funding for CDBG programs and suggests these programs should instead be funded by state and local governments.

Vicki Watson, executive director of the National Community Development Association, said without CDBG-funded programs, local communities will be overwhelmed and will find it difficult to fund such critical services.

“Thriving local economies and strong communities lay the foundation for a brighter, more prosperous future for everyone. For more than five decades, CDBG funding has been a lifeline for U.S. communities as it has created jobs, improved public infrastructure, and expanded affordable housing,” Watson said. “Asking cities, counties, and municipalities to shoulder the burden of funding these important programs, projects, and initiatives would ignore the scale of the need and the federal government’s responsibility to invest in equitable growth. Eliminating CDBG from the fiscal year 2026 budget could devastate local economies, including Maine's and would also erase hard-won progress, especially in the nation's rural and underserved areas.” <

Raymond Select Board chair won’t seek reelection, will remain serving in State House

By Dina Mendros

As a young man, Rolf Olsen, now 69, moved to Maine to attend college, but he never left. After attending the University of Maine, Orono, Olsen took a job in the Lakes Region and fell in love with the area. Originally from New York state, Olsen made Raymond his home 46 years ago and for 38 of those years he has provided service to the town which welcomed him and where he raised his family.

Rolf Olsen has served nine years on the Raymond Board of
Selectmen including three years as chair, and 29 years on
the town's Budget-Finance Committee, with 15 years as 
committee chair. He will not seek reelection to the
Select Board but will continue serving in the Maine
House of Representatives and plans to run for reelection.
COURTESY PHOTO 

After serving nine years on the Board of Selectmen, three years as chair, and 29 years on the Budget-Finance Committee, 15 as chair, Olsen said he is winding down his political career with the town. He will not seek election in June as his term on the Select Board comes to an end. However, Olsen will continue serving his first term in the State House of Representatives. He says he plans to run for reelection next year.

Olsen, who was married for 40 years, became a widower in November; he is the father of two sons. He is a licensed insurance agent specializing in health for individuals and small groups and seniors. In addition to the Select Board and Budget-Finance Committee, Olsen has served on numerous other town committees including Raymond Middle School Study Committee, RSU Withdrawal Committee, Economic Development Task Force, Compensation Committee, Road Improvement Committee, Recycle Committee, COLAB (Fiber optic), RSU 14 Middle School Building Committee, and the Boy Scouts Pack 800 Committee – as the chair for eight years. He was also the Raymond Village Community Church moderator for 12 years, and a church elder for two years.

Olsen, a Republican, said he is not seeking reelection to the Board of Selectmen because he wants to devote more time to his work in the Legislature.

“The time at the Legislature turned out to be more than I had anticipated,” Olsen said. “To give the best representation to the people that elected me to both positions I needed to make a decision on one or the other. In the 38 years combined between the Select Board and the Budget-Finance Committee, I had only missed three meetings, unfortunately two of those were since I started in the Legislature. I feel I can help the people of Raymond in my position in the Legislature so want to be able to devote the time to do this properly.”

Over the years, Olsen said he’s seen a number of changes in town, especially in town government.

“When I started off, we were just a Select Board run town and there was only three Select Board members. Then we moved to a town manager type system and increased the Select Board from three to five members.”

In addition to the style of the town government changing, he said the budget has grown substantially.

“The very first budget I did with the town was about $1.5 million. That was the municipal plus the county,” he said. “We are now about $9 million between municipal and county. That was a big change.”

The other big changes have been on the public safety side, Olsen said.

“When I started the Fire Department was all volunteer,” he said. “Now you’ve got a number of full-time positions plus some volunteers, but the number of volunteers has gone down dramatically. Some of that is just because of the demographic changes but an awful lot is based on state and federal mandates on what the firefighters have to do. So it makes it harder to have a volunteer fire department.”

The number of volunteers to provide service in a variety of areas of town life has been decreasing, he said, because like Maine in general, Raymond has an aging population.

One area that Olsen said he’s proud of the work he and the rest of the Select Board have done is keeping the budget, and property taxes, as low as they can despite the growth in the budget. A testament to the fiscal responsibility of the Select Board, he said, is that Raymond is one of the few towns in Maine with a Triple A bond rating.

“We worked hard over the years to maintain a reasonable budget so that we were not kicking people out of their houses, which is the last thing you wanted to do,” he said.

Road improvement is another area Olsen said he feels he’s had a helping hand in.

“We went through a period where there was very low maintenance being done on it for a number of different reasons. Roads tended to be the scapegoat if they had to cut money,” Olsen said. “So, when I was on the Road Improvement Committee, we came out with a plan to bring those back up to snuff and to maintain those going forward.”

Olsen said that the town began handling services like plowing in-house rather than subcontracting that work, and that has saved the town money in the long run.

“The other big improvement is on the rec side,” he said. Parks and Recreation used to be a volunteer department, but since hiring a director, new programs have been added, and other positive changes have taken place.”

Olsen said he chose to help his constituents by focusing on state rather than local politics because he thinks that’s the area in which he can do the best. Again, he is mostly focused on fiscal responsibility as the best way to help residents.

“The biggest issue we have at the state right now is the budget,” he said. “The budget is out-of-whack so we know it has to be looked at seriously to bring that back in line with what the people can afford.”

He said a more reasonable budget, including less wasteful spending in state government will filter back to the towns in the mil rate.

While Olsen is focused politically on fiscal responsibility and other practical matters, he says that’s not all that’s important in creating a healthy community. For Raymond, one thing that is very important is the “small town feel.”

“It doesn’t look like it on paper,” Olsen said, “but it still is a small-town feel. There is still an awful lot of pride in the town as far as what it is, who they are and what they can do. It’s getting harder and harder because of schedules and things like that to have people do a lot of volunteering that was done in the past but when you get people together, you’ll get things done. That really needs to stay a focus because people still want that small-town feel. Even though we have that large growth in the summer of people, year-round residents still want that small-town feel.” <

RSU 14 budget and Raymond races on ballot Tuesday

By Ed Pierce

Town clerks in Windham and Raymond will be busy on Tuesday, June 10 counting ballots as residents will have their say about several races and determine the fate of RSU 14’s annual budget proposal.

Windham and Raymond voters will cast ballots on Tuesday,
June 10 regarding the RSU 14 annual budget, several
referendum items in both towns and Select Board and 
School Board candidates in Raymond. FILE PHOTO 

Voters in Raymond will choose between candidates Susan Accardi and Diana Froisland for a three-year term on the RSU 14 Board of Directors.

Accardi is a retired registered nurse and served as a school nurse with RSU 14. She has been a member of the Raymond Budget-Finance Committee for two terms, been a member of various short-term town committees, has served as a town ballot clerk and sits on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Raymond Village Library. Froisland attended Gordon College and graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a double major in Economics and Business Administration. Along with her husband, she co-owns Northeast Property Management. She’s been a volunteer for the Raymond Parks and Recreation Department as a ski instructor, a regular town election worker, and previously served two terms on the RSU 14 Board of Directors from 2012 to 2018.

Raymond voters will elect two new members of the Board of Selectmen for the three-year terms. Candidates include Mark Meister, Christopher Hanson, Kaela Gonzalez and Frederick Miller.

Meister is a consulting executive at IBM Consulting and graduated with a degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University. He has also served on nonprofit and community boards. Hanson is the code enforcement officer for Raymond and graduated from the University of Maine Orono. He also serves as a member of Raymond’s Budget-Finance Committee.

Gonzalez is a program coordinator with the city of Portland and has a degree in Health Science. She has served on various town committees including the town’s most recent Comprehensive Plan Committee. Miller is the owner of Miller Flooring LLC and went to trade school after high school. He serves on the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

Also on the ballot in Raymond is a referendum question asking voters to approve $67,500 in funding for a partnership with the Regional Transportation Program to establish a QuickRide program in the town. Riders using QuickRide would be able to schedule a micro-van that would pick them up at their home and take them where they want to go within the Raymond community if approved.

Also on the ballot, both in Raymond and Windham, is the RSU 14 annual budget for 2025-2026 of $67,861,394. The budget represents a 12.75 percent increase over last year’s $60,185,403 budget, with a 6.4 percent increase stemming from the construction of the new Windham Raymond Middle School. The 

school district will receive an additional state subsidy to cover almost half of the increase, resulting in an impact to taxpayers of 6.5 percent. Included in the RSU 14 budget regular operating expense increases and a Pre-K expansion program.  

Windham voters will gather at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 14 at the Annual Town Meeting to approve the municipal services budget for fiscal year 2025–2026.

The Windham budget proposal of $50,402,149 is a 6.39 percent increase from last year’s $46,991,715 budget and includes funding for several significant capital improvement projects.

If the budget passes, Windham will construct a new North Windham Public Safety Building housing firefighters behind Hannaford Supermarket on Route 302, design and construct new playing fields at Gambo Fields, build a new public ice rink and playground in North Windham, and continue funding for the North Windham Moves and sewer projects.

For Raymond residents, in-person voting will be from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 10 in the Jordan-Small Middle School gymnasium at 423 Webbs Mill Road in Raymond.

In Windham, RSU 14 budget voting will run from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 10 at Windham High School. The Annual Town Meeting to vote on the municipal budget starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 14 at Windham Town Hall on School Road in Windham.

Absentee ballots are available at the town offices for Raymond’s election and the RSU 14 budget voting. <

Beloved Manchester School music teacher preparing for retirement

By Ashlynn Cuthbert

At the conclusion of this school year, one of Windham’s most beloved and dedicated music teachers, Charles Oehrtmann (Mr. O to his students), is retiring after 45 years of teaching music.

Manchester School music teacher Charles
Oehrtmann is retiring at the end of the
school year and after decades of inspiring 
Windham students to love all kinds of music.
He has spent 45 years teaching music in 
his career. SUBMITTED PHOTO

As he enters a new chapter in his life, he would like to offer a few last words of wisdom to his students. He encourages them to “find the silver lining in even the darkest cloud. Laugh a lot and be friends to many people. Reach out to others if they need help, even if you don't get any thanks – it makes a difference.”

Even though this part of Mr. Oerhtmann’s life is coming to a close, it all began when a young Mr. O fell in love with music, listening to primarily classical records with a smattering of Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, and Lena Horne. This adoration of music expanded to the love of creating it when he joined a school band as a trombone player.

While it was difficult at first, Mr. O credited his parents with supporting him through times when he lacked motivation. From this foundation at home, Mr. O became the diligent and persistent person he is today. This support system at home was very much needed because Mr. O’s high school didn’t have an orchestra, only a small band and chorus.

This saddened and inspired him to major in music at Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), in hopes of building great music programs as an educator. When he graduated, Mr. O began teaching music in New Jersey. He said that he tried to create a “top-notch” music program but soon realized that this dream was not serving his students as well as it should have.

After a switch to teaching general music, Mr. O learned a lesson that he would take forward with him for the rest of his career. He described this lesson as being able to “have high expectations, but those expectations have to be tempered with a kind heart.”

In 1997, after seven years of teaching in New Jersey as a band and orchestra teacher, his loving wife Deirdre Clark, who sadly passed away in 2024, urged Mr. O to move to Maine, so he did.

When he first arrived in Maine, Mr. O taught in Waterville, Old Orchard Beach, and at Deering High School before he settled in Windham. In Windham, Mr. O served as an orchestra teacher at Windham High School, a choir teacher at Windham Middle School, and a general music teacher for grades K to 5.

Throughout his time in Windham, Mr. O has held a passion for teaching his students the beauty of string instruments as well as for the co-workers at his side. He said that one of the things he will miss the most when he retires is his fellow music educators, his second family, as they “share ideas, share some laughs, share some tears, and rely on each other when the going gets tough.”

Mr. O’s involvement with the local music community doesn’t stop with teaching. He has performed with the Plainfield, New Jersey Symphony, the Bangor Symphony, The Bates College Orchestra, the Maine Music Society, the North Shore Philharmonic in Danvers, Mass, the Maine State Ballet, the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra in Topsham and the Southern Maine Symphony at USM in Gorham.

In these ensembles, he has sung and played cello and double bass. Mr. O has also been on the administration side of different musical organizations. He has “served on the Executive Board of the Maine Music Educators' Association as manager of the All-State orchestra for six consecutive years and he was manager for the District 2 Elementary Orchestra sponsored by Maine Music Educators Association, the state affiliate of the National Association for Music Education.”

After his retirement from teaching at Manchester School, Mr. O intends on continuing with his participation in local orchestras as a double bassist. If you would like to see him perform, he will be with the Midcoast Symphony, the Bates College Orchestra, and the Southern Maine Symphony. He also intends to fill his time by gardening, traveling across the U.S. and doing whatever strikes his fancy. <

Governor’s Awards for Service and Volunteerism pay tribute to RTT volunteers

Riding To The Top (RTT) in Windham is proud to announce that three youth volunteers and seven adult volunteers were recently honored at the Governor’s Awards for Service and Volunteerism for the hours they contributed to RTT in 2024.

From left, Riding To The Top youth volunteer Orley Garett
joins RTT Executive Director Sarah Bronson and
volunteer Jennifer Robinson during the Governor's
Awards for Service and Volunteerism ceremony.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

The awards ceremony was launched in 1987 as a way to recognize the dedication and impact volunteers have on the state of Maine.

RTT’s youth volunteers honored at this year’s ceremony, Orley Garett, Hannah Mitschele, and Archer Akers, each contributed more than 50 hours to the farm in 2024. Adult RTT volunteers Trina Bellavance, Janis Childs, Stacie Hamilton-Waldron, Ginna Jones, Susan Layton, Jennifer Robinson, and Clayton Peters were honored for volunteering over 500 hours each over the course of the year.

“Simply put, RTT wouldn’t exist without the countless hours that volunteers contribute each year. It’s wonderful to have youth volunteering here at the farm and being mentored by so many caring adults who give so generously of their time. Volunteering at Riding To The Top, not only benefits our clients and the organization, but our volunteers benefit as well, saying time and time again, how much they get out of their volunteer time here,” said Sarah Bronson, RTT Executive Director. “I’ve always loved the quote: ‘You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give.’ We were grateful to have these volunteers from RTT recognized by the Governor’s Awards for Service and Volunteerism, and it was impressive to see all of the volunteers from all over Maine honored at this year’s ceremony.”

Volunteers are the heart of RTT. They contribute over 11,000 hours each year to improve the lives of our clients and horses. While volunteers serve in many capacities, the majority assist in lessons. They can also help with barn chores, facility and trail maintenance, administrative tasks, events and special projects.

The RTT organization was founded in 1993 and its mission is enhancing health and wellness in the community through offering equine assisted services.

Riding To The Top welcomes new volunteers throughout the year.

To learn more about becoming an RTT volunteer, visit https://www.ridingtothetop.org/volunteer. <