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Friday, December 20, 2024

Lost and Found: 'Christmas Miracle’ answers Windham family’s prayers

By Ed Pierce

Christmas presents come in all shapes and sizes, yet for one Windham family this year, the enormity of the gift they have been given simply cannot be measured.

Kristina Atkinson and her son, Rylen, left, helped return
Noodle to his owners Sarah Walker and her daughter,
Eliza Symes last week. The cat had been missing
from his Windham home for more than three months
and his family had about given up hope that he would
ever be found. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE  
Sarah Walker of Windham and her daughter, Eliza Symes, 8, adopted Noodle, an orange kitten, from the Animal Refuge League three years ago and he rapidly became a beloved member of their family. He grew into a mischievous and friendly indoor cat with a huge personality and a large appetite who likes to perch at the top of the stairs in their home and observe his surroundings or to encourage hugs and attention from Eliza.

But on Saturday, Aug. 31 all of that changed. Sarah and Eliza couldn’t find Noodle anywhere in their home and believed he had somehow slipped out the door and become lost. They spent the remainder of Labor Day Weekend desperately searching for Noodle, walking up and down their street, searching under bushes and calling out his name. They posted on local community boards that he was lost and even notified the Maine Lost Cat Recovery Network praying and hoping someone would find Noodle and bring him home.

Days turned into weeks without knowing Noodle’s whereabouts and as the weeks turned into more than a month of the cat being lost, Sarah and Eliza’s optimism about finding him started to fade.

“I felt sad and didn’t think he’d come back,” Eliza said. “It was like losing my friend forever and I cried a lot.”

Sarah says she tried to remain hopeful for her daughter but that wasn’t easy as the weather began to turn colder at night in September and the calendar changed to October, and then on to November and eventually to December.

“After the first couple of weeks, I didn’t think he’d come home,” she said.

The mother and her daughter focused on recalling the good times with Noodle, who is known in their household as sort of a troublemaker.


“He’s very friendly but can get under your feet and trip you,” Sarah said. “I also think it was him who turned on the faucet and flooded our kitchen one time.”

Kristina Atkinson and her family live about a mile, or what amounts to a 10-minute walk, from Sarah Walker off Albion Road in Windham.

She said that on Nov. 8 she told her son, Rylen, 6, to use caution in letting their dog out in the backyard because she had briefly spotted what appeared to be an orange tail in her neighbor’s yard and thought it might be a fox.

Later that same day, Kristina noticed that some leftover chicken sitting on their grill was gone. She saw the orange tail again and observed that it didn’t belong to a fox, rather it was a large orange cat. She said she assumed the cat belonged to her neighbor.

A few days later her sister saw the male cat, sitting in the Atkinsons' driveway. And suddenly he was everywhere on their Ring cameras, showing up at 8 p.m., 11 p.m., 3 a.m. and at all hours of the day and night.

Despite her husband’s apprehension, Kristina started leaving some soft cat food outside her door for what she surmised was a homeless and lost orange cat. The cat would eat the food and leave, and it wouldn’t make eye contact with Kristina or Rylen.

But on Saturday evening, Dec. 7, Kristina opened the door when the cat was eating, and he appeared to be startled and walked about 20 feet away. But he suddenly turned and came back, sitting there still for about five minutes before approaching Kristina and letting her pet him. When she returned inside, he sat outside the door and cried to come inside.

Kristina and Rylen let the friendly cat in and found a warm space inside their garage for him and started to post on social media about finding him and looking for his owner. Her husband fell in love with the cat and thinks it may have found a warm spot in a nearby culvert to survive while lost.

“I had a woman from Raymond contact me and they thought he was their lost cat,” Kristina said. “They drove here and took the cat to their home and thought it was theirs.”

But as it turned out, it wasn’t their lost cat, who was much older and was polydactyl with multiple toes on its paws.

At 5 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, Kristina then read a Facebook post by Sarah looking for Noodle. She contacted Sarah and they agreed to meet later that day at the veterinarian’s office to see if the cat was Sarah’s. It seems Noodle had been microchipped when Sarah first got him, and the vet could determine if the cat found by Kristina was indeed the lost Noodle.

Kristina drove to Raymond and picked up the cat from the family who had originally thought it was theirs. She met Sarah at the veterinarian and within a few minutes, the microchip confirmed that the orange cat was the missing Noodle.

Before meeting Kristina at the vet though, Sarah had picked up Eliza from school.

“She did not know. I picked her up a little early and said I had a surprise, and that Noodle was in the car,” Sarah said. “Then we took him to the vet. I didn’t want to tell her we might have found him and then to have it not be him. She was happy and excited. I think she kind of didn’t believe it was him for a moment.”

Kristina and Rylen say they were pleased to have played a part in returning Noodle to his home after being lost for more than three months and one week.

“I keep telling people I lost my dad a year ago and he was a huge animal lover,” Kristina said. “I think he led Noodle to our house. My hope is this will inspire others to do this too.”

Noodle quickly adapted to being warm and back at his home.

“He had lost some weight but was a big cat to begin with,” Sarah said. “He’s been hungry ever since. I tell Eliza that Santa Paws helped him find Kristina and she knew how to get him back home.”

Sarah said she cannot begin to express her gratitude to Kristina for her kindness.

“We are very grateful for her going out of her way for us,” Sarah said. “It’s nice to know the community will help you if you need it.”

As for Eliza, she rarely takes her eyes off Noodle these days. 

“He hasn’t changed at all,” she said. “He’s my friend and if you ask me, it’s truly a Christmas miracle that he’s back home with the people who love him.” <   

Student ‘Clean Air Campaign’ continues effort to reduce airborne pollutants

By Ed Pierce

It’s a proven fact that our lungs can heal themselves when they're no longer exposed to pollutants and are a key component to everyone’s overall health and well-being. With that in mind, the “Clean Air Campaign” is part of a project launched to support the clean air policies within public buildings like schools, municipal offices, libraries and outdoor spaces like parks, conservation lands, and ordinances supporting a smoke-free environment.

The winning design for the Clean Air Campaign's
2025 Window Cling competition was created 
by sophomore Margaret 'Maggie' Soule of
Windham High School. SUBMITTED PHOTO 
This year-long initiative has been taken up by Windham and Raymond students in conjunction with the Be The Influence coalition with the intention to keep air indoors and outdoors clean throughout Lakes Region communities and improve everyone’s health and the environment. Since its launch more than 10 months ago, the “Clean Air Campaign” is on the way to achieving its desired results.

To further raise awareness about the “Clean Air Campaign,” an art design competition for students in the community using art and doodle designs that represents clean air spaces both indoor and outdoor for all was conducted and a winning window cling design was selected.

Patrice Leary-Forrey, Be The Influence Project Director for Windham/Raymond said that the winning design printed for a window cling was chosen by a jury of adults and students on Dec. 11 and will now be recreated into a window cling and distributed throughout the Windham and Raymond communities.

The first phase of the project was to present to members of the Windham Town Council a sign change for public spaces indicating that vaping is not allowed. Participating students attended the Windham Town Council meetings in November to propose the sign ordinance change and the measure was discussed by councilors and passed unanimously during a council meeting on Nov. 12.

“Here in Windham, the Be The Influence Club of Windham High School worked together in November with the Windham Town Council to change the sign ordinance for outdoor spaces to include smoke free from tobacco, vaping and cannabis. The Windham Town Council unanimously passed the sign change for outdoor spaces,” Leary-Forrey said. “With the use of vapes and the medical and recreational use of marijuana in Windham, students wanted to make sign changes to open spaces in the community and keep current the no-smoking message and prevention education for the town.”

To promote that message, the students wanted to extend the effort with an art contest for RSU 14 students to submit artwork for a “Clean Air Cling” allowing the community to take personal accountability in their cars, homes, boats, and small businesses stressing the importance of clean air for everyone.

The new clings will send a personal message that supports the health and wellness of friends, family and loved ones, said Leary-Forrey.

The winning art design for the new 2025 Clean Air Cling was created by Margaret “Maggie” Soule, a sophomore at Windham High School.

“As a community we can continue to ensure the health and wellness of all by supporting this community project,” Leary-Forrey said. “The 2025 Clean Air Window Cling will be available mid-January at the Public Safety Buildings, Town Office, Public Libraries of Windham and Raymond. Small businesses in the community are encouraged to showcase the youth-driven project by showcasing the cling in the windows and company cars.”

Leary-Forrey said that the third phase of the “Clean Air Campaign” is prevention education of the health impact of Tobacco/Vape/Marijuana on an individual and for public and personal spaces and that’s the underlying purpose of the window cling.

“The window clings will be distributed by students in the spring and summer for individuals and families to put on their boats, cars, business, homes and they support clean air and community health and wellness,” she said. “The idea is to raise awareness of the science behind smoke of all types and the individual health impact it can have over time. Students will help distribute the window clings, prevention materials and provide the Quit Link/QR codes to anyone who wants to improve their personal health and wellness.”

According to Leary-Forrey, BTI is supporting this youth-driven “Clean Air Campaign” project and is committed to supporting youth and keeping the community healthy and thriving.

“Keeping the community current with education and awareness so that everyone can have a positive healthy experience when visiting and accessing indoor and outdoor spaces in Windham and Raymond is the primary goal for this project,” she said.

If you or someone you know wants to quit tobacco, vape, or nicotine product, text the Quit Link for Maine: https://mainequitlink.com/ or 1-800-quitnow or for additional support/referrals call 211 Maine Information Line.

For further details about the “Clean Air Campaign,” call BTI at 207-804-6742 or send an email to btidirector@windhammaine.us <

Friday, December 13, 2024

WEDC report details TIF activity to Windham Town Council

By Ed Pierce

The Windham Economic Development Corporation has issued a report updating the Windham Town Council about the status of the town’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Program and estimated fund balances.

The Windham Town Council has received a
report from the Windham Economic 
Development Corporation updating the  
status of Tax Increment Financing fund
balances at the end of the last fiscal year
and municipal valuations for TIF districts.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE
By definition, TIFs are flexible finance tools that allow municipalities to use new property taxes to fund public and private projects within a defined geographic district. Any portion of the new taxes may be used to finance public or private projects for a specific period of time.

Both the total acreage and the amount of acreage in individual TIF’s are limited. A single TIF cannot exceed 2 percent of the town’s total municipal acreage, and the total of all acreage, with certain exclusions, cannot exceed 5 percent. Currently, 476.28 acres of the total of 35,572 acres or 1.34 percent of Windham are in TIF Districts. With 5 percent of the total municipal acreage of 1,779 acres, the town could place up to an additional 1,302.72 acres into TIF Districts, provided that, under state law, no more than 711.44 acres are in any one district.

Here are fund balances and valuations from the WEDC report which was issued to the town in November:

Windham’s 2000 Pipeline TIF District runs through June 30, 2030, and was extended in 2015. It is a development program for Route 302 roadway, intersection, sidewalk and sewer engineering and construction, GIS system, environmental study, and economic development administration. As of June 30, 2024, its Fund Balance was $718,344 based upon current municipal valuation of $10 million.

The 2006 Roosevelt Promenade TIF District expires in 2036 following Windham Town Council action and approval of a 15-year extension in March 2021. The district consists of 37.39 acres including the Home Depot and Lowe’s parcels in Windham. It is a development program funding costs for a local transportation study, growth study, public infrastructure study and WEDC staffing as well as infrastructure improvements including roadway and intersection improvements in the district, roadway and intersection improvements on Route 302, wastewater facilities’ engineering and construction in the district, and wastewater facilities engineering and construction on Route 302. As of June 30, 2024, its Fund Balance was $490,502.

The 2014 New Marblehead Manor Affordable Housing Development District expires in 2044. The district consists of 3.7 acres consisting of one phase of New Marblehead Manor. The Development Program consists of a Credit Enhancement Agreement with Avesta New Marblehead. Its unaudited Fund Balance was $0.00, and its Current Municipal Valuation is $2,157,900.

The 2015 Gateway North A TIF District runs through June 30, 2045 after an extension in 2023. The district consists of 99.77 acres of various parcels in the North Windham commercial district. The development program includes making roadway and intersection improvements in the district, roadway and intersection improvements on Route 302, wastewater facilities engineering and construction in the district, and utility services relocation either above or underground in the district. As of June 30, its Fund Balance was $265,666 with current valuation of $19,597,041.

The 2019 Gateway North B TIF District runs through June 30, 2048. The district consists of 42.81 acres of various parcels in the North Windham commercial district. Its development program includes roadway and intersection improvements in the district, roadway and intersection improvements on Route 302, wastewater facilities engineering and construction in the district and streetscape improvements in and/or adjacent to the district and on Route 302. Its Fund Balance as of June 30, 2024 was $359,284, and its current Municipal Valuation is $26,269,900.

Established in 2021, the Boody’s Corner TIF District runs through June 30, 2051. The district consists of 16.31 acres improved as the Cross Insurance/Bangor Savings Bank building and apartments on Dusty Rhoades Lane in Windham. The development program includes making roadway, intersection, and sidewalk improvements in the district, roadway, intersection, and sidewalk improvements in North Windham, wastewater facilities engineering and construction in and serving the district, streetscape improvements in and/or adjacent to the district and on Varney Mill Road, and transit improvements. As of June 30, 2024, its Fund Balance was $368,293 and its Current Municipal Valuation is $13,560,600.

2021’s SWFS Depot Street Apartments TIF District runs through June 30, 2051. The district consists of 0.35 acres so improved as a municipal fire station and 2.08 acres improved as the Depot Street Apartments in the South Windham Village for a total of 2.43 acres. The development Program includes roadway and intersection improvements in South Windham Village, roadway and intersection improvements on River Road, wastewater facilities engineering and construction in SW Village, and streetscape improvements in and/or adjacent to the SW Village and on River Road. As of June 30, 2024, its Fund Balance was $185,061 and its Current Municipal Valuation is $2,548,200.

The 2022 Enterprise Development A TIF District runs through June 30, 2052. The district consists of 67.13 acres improved as commercial buildings and parcels in the Quarry Ridge Business Park and adjacent to Route 302 in Windham. The Development Program includes roadway, intersection, and sidewalk improvements in the district, roadway, intersection, and sidewalk improvements in North Windham, wastewater facilities engineering and construction in and serving the district, streetscape improvements in and/or adjacent to the district and on Route 302 and transit improvements. As of June 30, 2024, its Fund Balance was $65,059 and its Current Municipal Valuation is $4,495,600.

2023 Boody’s Corner B TIF District runs through June 30, 2053. The district consists of 14.06 acres improved as the Badger Run Apartments (1.79 acres), 55 Tandberg Trail Apartments (0.3 acres), commercial land currently improved as a mobile home park on Robin Lane (9.49 acres), and a portion of 718 Roosevelt Trail improved as a municipal fire station (2.48 acres) in Windham. The development program includes roadway, intersection, and sidewalk improvements in the district, wastewater facilities engineering and construction in and serving the district, utility services relocation either above or underground in North Windham, and transit improvements. Its Fund Balance as of June 30, 2024 was $42,110 and its Current Municipal Valuation is $7,904,200.

2023’s South Windham Industrial Zone TIF District runs through June 30, 2053. The district consists of 62.99 acres improved as commercial buildings and parcels on or adjacent to Gambo Road in the South Windham Industrial Zone. The development program includes roadway, intersection, and sidewalk improvements in the district, roadway, intersection, and sidewalk improvements in South Windham, streetscape improvements in and/or adjacent to the district and in South Windham, transit improvements, Windham Economic Development Corporation administration and the design and development of economic development facilities including maker space, co-working space, and shared commercial kitchen space in Windham. As of June 30, 2024, its Fund Balance was $10,568 and Current Municipal Valuation is $2,076,200.

The 2024 Boody’s Corner C TIF District runs through June 30, 2054. The district consists of 72.60 acres of commercial property on Franklin Drive, Tandberg Trail, Turning Leaf Drive, and along Route 302 in Windham. The development program includes roadway, intersection, and sidewalk improvements in the district, roadway, intersection, and sidewalk improvements in North Windham, and wastewater facilities engineering and construction in and serving the district. As of June 30, 2024, its Fund Balance was not available. Its Current Municipal Valuation is $8,275,700.

2024’s Gateway South TIF District runs through June 30, 2054. The district consists of 40.85 acres of commercial property on First Light Drive, and along Route 302 in Windham. The development program includes roadway, intersection, and sidewalk improvements in the district, wastewater facilities engineering and construction connecting to the district, Commercial Façade improvement programming and transit improvements. As of June 30, 2024, its Fund Balance was not available. Its Current Municipal Valuation is $542,200.

For 2025, new TIF Districts in Windham will include 2025 Anglers Road Senior Affordable Housing Development and Tax Increment Financing District and the 2025 Andrew School South Windham TIF District. <

Friday, December 6, 2024

UMaine’s Fogler Legacy Award honors four generations of Windham family

By Lorraine Glowczak

Greg Morrison, a 2012 Windham High School graduate, had always dreamed of attending the University of Maine in Orono and he was waiting for a response after submitting his application. Despite being accepted by two other colleges, Greg’s heart was heavy since an acceptance letter had not yet arrived from UMaine.

Generations of the Morrison Family of Windham gather to
celebrate being honored as this year's recipient of the
Fogler Legacy Award presented by the University of
Maine Orono to families who have attended and
supported the school over the years. COURTESY PHOTO
“All I ever really wanted is to be a Black Bear,” Greg said at the dinner table one evening to his mother Candace and his father Mark, UMaine Class of 1986. A few days later, Greg was relieved to receive his acceptance letter from UMaine, fulfilling his lifelong dream and following in his family's footsteps. He graduated with a business degree in 2017. His sister, Kristen, a 2008 WHS graduate, also earned a business degree in 2012, marking the fourth generation of Black Bears.

This long-standing Morrison family tradition led the group to be recognized with a special award this past April at the UMaine campus in Orono where they received the Fogler Legacy Award.

Each year, this unique and special award is presented to a family with a strong tradition of attending UMaine, usually spanning at least three generations, where multiple members have demonstrated outstanding service to the university, alumni association, community, and/or their profession.

“I’m proud of my family. I am proud of my heritage.” said Alola Morrison of Windham, a 1959 UMaine graduate who is Greg and Kristen’s grandmother, as well as Mark’s mother. "Growing up in a military family meant we moved frequently for my father's job as a mechanical engineer in the Coast Guard, so I was constantly moving to different towns and attending different schools. I never felt like I had a home base."

But UMaine was the one constant for Alola.

“My father and mother were college sweethearts,” Alola said of her father Alvin Giffin and mother Viola Purinton, both 1931 UMaine graduates. “My parents were highly involved in campus activities during their college years, and they set that example. Mom was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority and Dad was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. They remained active in the alumni association for 50 years. We would often return to Maine to visit, and while here, we always stopped by the UMaine campus. I knew I would eventually go to college there, and with some luck and hard work, I did. UMaine was, and still is, my home.”

Much like her parents, Alola met her own sweetheart at UMaine. In 1961, she married Joseph Morrison, UMaine Class of 1959. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2017.

Although Mark Morrison and his siblings grew up close to the UMaine campus in nearby Orrington, they had the same experiences as their mother and father.

“Growing up, my parents and grandparents frequently took us to UMaine to watch many sporting events and attend homecoming weekend, which was always special,” Mark Morrison said. “Just like my mom, I knew UMaine was the school for me.”

He said that as a close-knit family, the bonds and relationships they developed with each other created heartfelt memories and stories and he reflected on two stories that mean the most to the extended Morrison family and those close to them.

“What really amazes me the most is the level of commitment to education my great grandparents had during turbulent times,” he said, speaking of his great grandfather, Dr. Watson Purinton and his wife Nellie Jenness Purinton, who were supporting their children’s education after the Stock Market Crash in October 1929.

“It was during the time of the “Roaring Twenties” which came to a collapse with the Stock Market crash of 1929, creating the Great Depression,” Mark Morrison said. “Watson and Nellie had two children still pursuing their education after the crash. My grandmother Viola was studying Home Economics at UMaine, while her brother William (Class of 1927) was in Medical School at Tufts. It was Watson and Nellie's unwavering commitment to educate their children through college, highly unusual at the time that created the legacy. This led to the culmination of having four generations of UMaine graduates.”

The Morrison/Giffin/Purington family’s dedication to college education continued when the Morrison family faced their own tough times.

“In the summer of 2009, my brother Ken tragically died in a swimming accident while on vacation in Prince Edward Island, leaving three children behind, ages 11, 9, and 5,” Mark said. “The whole family pulled together to support Ken’s three kids as they grew up close by in Biddeford with their mother. We all resolved to see that Ken's kids go on to college. In spite of this huge loss, all three children thrived in school and went on to earn college degrees. His two sons followed the Black Bear tradition, Connor (Class 2017) and Joe (Class 2023), earned engineering degrees while Olivia earned a business degree from St. Joseph's College.”

Although college education was and is important to the Morrison family, Alola recognizes the importance of different paths in life.

“I’m very proud of my family and education, but education isn’t just college,” she said. “Education is in the trades, too. This is just as important. We need each other for a successful society.”

Mark Morrison agreed with his mother saying that having a close relationship with family is one of the biggest factors for their success.

“It is true that we all have individual accomplishments, as we strive to do our best, and also try to do the right thing,” he said. “But we would be far less successful as individuals if it weren't for the love, support, and close relationships we have as a family.” <

Raymond Comprehensive Plan process nearing completion

By Kendra Raymond

With the final stages of the Raymond Comprehensive Plan draft complete, committee members will review feedback from residents as the plan progresses into the final stages of completion. A public hearing was conducted Wednesday, Dec. 4 at the regular Comprehensive Plan Committee meeting where residents had an opportunity to be heard, get caught up on the committee’s progress, and review feedback from the recent request for public feedback on the draft plan.

Suggestions from residents about growth,
transportation and conservation were
discussed during the formulation of
Raymond's Comprehensive Plan. Once 
all reviews are complete, the plan will go
to the Raymond Select Board for approval
to put it on the 2025 Town Warrant for
residents to vote on.
PHOTO BY KENDRA RAYMOND   
The public comment period has now closed and according to the CPC email updates Raymond town staff, the Comprehensive Plan Committee, and North Star Planning have been working together since May 2023 to update the town’s comprehensive plan. This draft plan includes Maine State requirements along with goals, policies, action items, and a Future Land Use Plan based on what we’ve heard from the Raymond community through online surveys, workshops, informal polls, and the committee.

The State of Maine Municipal Planning Assistance Program will review Raymond’s plan for completeness and compliance with the state’s Growth Management Act.

Once the public comment period has ended and state review is complete, Raymond staff, the Comprehensive Plan Committee, and North Star Planning will make edits and updates to finalize the plan. Then, the plan will go to the Select Board to vote on inclusion in the 2025 Town Warrant, where residents will be able to vote on its approval.

Kaela Gonzalez serves as co-chair of the Comprehensive Plan Committee and offered an update about the process.

“We have done some outreach, including handing out fliers at the election to let citizens know about the comment period and the upcoming CPC meeting which will allow the public to comment and share feedback on the draft plan,’ she said. “I would imagine after the meeting that we would have more to say as the next steps hinge on Wednesday's meeting.”

The Comprehensive Plan lists the following Raymond’s Priority Goals and Actions; Building a resilient Raymond; working with Maine DOT to complete an assessment of and work plan to improve town culverts and road infrastructure at risk from increased flooding (priority action), and adding staff capacity to seek and manage grant funding through additional staff, a consultant, or regional partnerships.

It also seeks to protect Raymond’s natural and water resources; develop a process to determine the appropriateness of sites in Raymond for solar development, and incorporate these criteria into Raymond’s Solar Ordinance (priority action); invest in road and traffic improvements; purchase or lease portable solar powered radar speed displays which collect data on excessive speed and traffic volume as well as act as traffic calming devices on Raymond’s roadways (priority action); create a Route 302 Master Plan in partnership with DOT, based on the vision for Route 302 in the Future Land Use Plan.

The plan also seeks to prioritize walking and biking around Raymond; building a trail or sidewalk that spans the length of Raymond Cape Road (priority action); strengthen Raymond’s sense of community; develop a master plan supported by public input to repurpose the Jordan-Small Middle School and determine the future use of other town-owned buildings, including the library and town office (priority action).

Potentially adding sidewalks or a breakdown lane on the Raymond Cape also created some discussion in a local social media group.

Raymond resident Laura Abbott posted, “Just a reminder to all - pedestrians have the right of way and it’s pretty easy (and lawful) to give them space on Cape Road. Especially this time of year when there is no other traffic. Passing close enough to touch is highly illegal. Cape Road improvement is on the Comprehensive Plan, thank goodness. A sidewalk or jogging path was listed as a priority! I’m hopeful there will be one someday.”

Another resident, Kelly Rocheleau responded, “Actually it is not easy to give space on the Cape Road. I understand what you are saying but just because the summer people and Frye Islanders are gone, the Cape Road has a number of new year-round homes and is quite active. I have encountered walkers, bike riders and once a roller blader with poles on the road. Not easy to go around on a curve in the road. I feel it’s a good idea for us to get the town to invest in the Cape Road and give us some breakdown lanes! It would be productive for us Capers to get our road safer! Something needs to be done about this road before another fatal accident happens. A sidewalk or path would be great! The road is too twisty and curvy. More of a police presence isn’t going to help when vehicles take the corners no matter how fast they are going over the line and sometimes in the middle of the road!”

Cape resident April Bisnette chimed in, “I’ve often thought that there should be a sidewalk on the Cape Road for all the runners and pedestrians both in summer mostly, but yearly too. I live at the beginning of the Cape, and it is only 25 mph, but get tailgated like I’m only doing 5mph,” she responded to the post.

Brian Raymond is a resident of Raymond Cape and works in the road construction industry.

“I think the Comprehensive Plan has brought forth a lot of great ideas. It’s good to see these all come together in one place,” he said. “I like the idea of improving traffic congestion on 302 and adding a walking path to Cape Road. But I hope that we don’t overspend on some of these potential improvements. Like many things, they are popular and seem attractive, however we need to remain fiscally responsible with tax dollars. I’m really excited to see what we can accomplish that brings value in a responsible way.”

Review the Comprehensive Plan draft here: https://compplan.raymondmaine.org/index.php/review-the-plan/ <

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

VFW Post 10643 honors Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy student winners

By Ed Pierce

There is no shortage of patriotism in Windham and especially on Veterans Day. During this year’s annual Veterans Day observance, three local students were honored as winners of VFW Post 10643’s Patriot’s Pen essay contest and the Voice of Democracy audio essay contest.

Winners of VHW Post 10643's Patriot's Pen and Voice of'
Democracy contests gather on Veterans Day at the Windham
Veterans Center. From left are Zoie Hougaz-McCormick,
Brenna Wheeler and Amber Sands.
PHOTO BY ANDREA HOUGAZ-MCCORMICK
 
The first-place winner of the Patriot’s Pen competition for area students in Grades 6 to 8 was Zoie Gabriel Hougaz-McCormick, a sixth grader at Windham Middle School who wrote her essay on the theme “My Voice in America’s Democracy.” Sixth grader Brenna Wheeler of Windham Christian School was second in the Patriot’s Pen contest writing about “My Voice in America’s Democracy.” Taking home first-place for students in Grades 9 to 12 was Windham Christan Academy junior Amber Sands for her audio-essay on the theme is "Is America Today Our Forefathers’ Vision?" Each of the three winners got to read their essays before an audience of more than 200 attending Veterans Day events at the Windham Veterans Center on Nov. 11.

As local winners from Windham, Hougaz-McCormick, Wheeler and Sands advance in the contest to compete at the VFW district level in Maine. The girls also were presented with checks by VFW Post Commander Willie Goodman for winning the local contest. Hougaz-McCormick received a first-place check for $200, while Wheeler took home a second-place check for $150. Sands received a first-place check for $250.

Goodman said that the Patriot's Pen essay competition is open to all middle school students from Windham and Raymond attending Windham Middle School, Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond, Windham Christian Academy, Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, and other public and private schools and home-schooled students, in grades 6 to 8. Middle school students were invited to write a 300- to 400-word essay about this year's theme and what it specifically means to them. The Voice of Democracy competition is open to all high school students from Windham and Raymond in grades 9 to 12, including those who are home-schooled. Students are asked to write and record a 3- to 5-minute essay (on an audio CD) on this year's theme and the meaning it holds for them.

Essay Contest

The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society.

District winners compete in the VFW’s annual state competition while trying to secure a berth in the national competition with a chance to win thousands of dollars in college scholarships. The first-place VFW state winner also receives a four-day trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national Patriot’s Pen contest.

Each year, nearly 25,000 students in grades 9 to 12 from across the country enter to win their share of more than $2 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the Voice of Democracy program. The first-place winner nationally receives $5,000 for the Patriot's Pen winning essay and the first-place winning essay nationally for the Voice of Democracy receives a $35,000 college scholarship.

Hougaz-McCormick said the best part of this year’s contest was being able to share her work with the community because she could show others her opinions and make a difference in the world.

“Making sure my opinions were strong enough that people would listen to them and consider what I had to say was the hardest part of the contest for me,” she said. “It took me about three weeks to write it and I worked on it after school for about 30 to 45 minutes a day. I thought about how much democracy means to me and I wrote down all my feelings and then put it together in an essay.”

She said that her family was excited and happy for her when she won the contest, but it was challenging to read her essay aloud before the audience.

“I was a little nervous at first, but I felt honored and excited to read my essay,” Hougaz-McCormick said. “I would recommend participating in this contest to other students because it gives others an opportunity to express their feelings about topics they feel strongly about. I learned that if you step outside your comfort zone it can have a positive consequence.”

According to Hougaz-McCormick, she would like to become a police officer when she grows up and specifically a D.A.R.E. officer.

Patriot’s Pen second-place winner Brenna Wheeler said the best part of the contest was typing out her essay and seeing the progression she was making.

“This helped me show how much my essay had grown since the rough draft,” Wheeler said. “The hardest part was keeping to the word count. My rough draft was over the word limit and I had to cut it down. And, for me, I would have typed more and more.”

It took her about three weeks to fully complete her essay.

“My teacher did a great job making sure we started early and had enough time to edit and make sure we were happy with our final draft,” she said. “My teacher suggested we start with a question and write an answer for that question. It helped so I could summarize what we could do for My Voice in America’s Democracy.”

Surprised by honor

Once she learned she was one of the local winners, Wheeler said her family was very surprised and excited.

“It was really encouraging for me as it showed you can accomplish something you work hard for,” she said. “I am proud of what I did and honored to be one of the winners. Reading my essay in front of the VGW members and their families was nerve racking. I was so nervous. But I soon realized that it would all be just fine and that I needed to have confidence. I was honored to be the first person to read their essay. I highly recommend other students participate in this contest. It is hard work to write an essay, but it is worth it. You get to see your progress and you may even get the chance to read it in front of veterans and their families. Do not be afraid to be a voice, and do not be afraid to speak in front of others. Both of these will help you in the future and show that hard work pays off. You should always try and maybe you’ll receive a reward.”

Wheeler said she wants to pursue a career in photography, science, or astronomy when she’s older.

For Amber Sands, the best part about being in the Voice of Democracy contest was the confidence it gave to her writing.

“I've been hoping to win this contest for years, and finally achieving that was a great boost for my creative self-esteem,” she said. “The hardest part was recording my essay. I tried to put as much feeling into it as I could, like I would if I was speaking directly to someone. It was difficult to manage without sounding like I was simply reciting a paper. I worked on this in my government class for a few days, so probably a total of an hour and a half. Being in a government class was great for writing my essay, because I was able to use terminology I hadn't known before. I'm also a fan of the musical Hamilton and enjoyed referencing that time period using my knowledge of the movie.”

She says her family members are proud of her achievement and excited that this could be a great step for her potential writing career.

“I'm generally fairly confident speaking in front of people, but I was definitely nervous at the Windham Veterans Center,” Sands said. “They were a great audience though, and many people came up to me afterward to congratulate me and compliment my essay. I would recommend this contest to other students because it really is a great platform, and it is totally worth it. I have taken away from this experience that you never know what will happen and how much people will like your work, but it's still good to try! You could end up touching a lot of people.”

Sands said she plans to go into creative writing for a future occupation.

“Writing is something I've always loved to do, and so this was a great step for me,” she said. <

Windham composer’s ‘Maine Christmas Song’ becomes illustrated children’s book

By Ed Pierce

When first approached several years ago about turning his beloved “Maine Christmas Song” into a children’s book, composer Con Fullam of Windham was open to the idea but wondered how it would turn out. His answer is a beautifully illustrated classic that just like the song, will stand the test of time.

The Maine Christmas Song book is based upon
Windham resident Con Fullam's popular tune.
Fullam will be signing copies of the book at
the 'An American Family Holiday' concerts
at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at 
Windham High School. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Fullam will be on hand at Windham High School for the Windham Chamber Singers “An American Family Holiday” concerts on Dec. 7 with copies of his book for purchase that he will autograph for the public. The “Maine Christmas Song” has been included in the “An American Family Holiday” concerts for decades.

Since Fullam composed the tune in 1986, the “Maine Christmas Song” has sold more than 100,000 copies and is the centerpiece of Christmas music set in the Pine Tree State. It’s been a holiday favorite of students and adults since it first hit the airwaves on WPOR as sung by Malinda Liberty and shows no signs of decreasing in popularity.

Publisher Stephanie Mulligan of Maine-based McSea Books first heard the “Maine Christmas Song” as a first grader growing up in Maine and always thought it would be great if it could be turned into a book.

“Like so many, I grew up with the song and always thought it could be a wonderful book with an important message, given the deep divide that we are experiencing today,” Mulligan said.

She sought out Fullam and pitched him the idea of using his song lyrics as a book filled with colorful illustrations. At the same time, Mulligan told an artist she knew in Otisfeld, Cynthia Baker, about the potential book and asked her to come up with some ideas for the book. As it turns out, Baker knew about the song because her husband had gone to college with Fullam.

Fullam grew up on a farm in Sidney and his father passed away when he was just 5, leaving behind his ukulele which his son learned how to play. Within a year of that, Fullam was playing guitar at church and school functions and by the time he was 10, he was performing on a Saturday night radio show in Waterville.

As an adult, Fullam’s love for performing, producing and songwriting lifted him to unprecedented heights in the music industry and five Emmy Award nominations. Along the way, he’s appeared on stage with such renowned artists as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, EmmyLou Harris, Joan Armatrading, John Sebastian, Asleep At The Wheel, Willie Nelson, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Earl Scruggs Review, Richie Havens, and Tammy Wynette. He is also responsible for creating The Wompkees, a popular animated television series for children on PBS.

In Maine, Fullam has a prominent place in music for his “Maine Christmas Song”.

“Reporter Bob Elliott of Channel 6 was working on a story about Christmas music in 1986 and I had just moved back to Maine from New York,” Fullam said. “He asked me to write a song about Christmas and I agreed. It sounded like fun. I figured I would work on it over the next year, but I was wrong. Bob told me he needed it now and that changed my original plans.”

Sitting down to create the song’s music, everything came together faster than Fullam expected.

“Sometimes things just magically happen in songwriting,” he said. “I didn’t have time to think about it. The melody and words came gushing out and in 20 minutes it was done.”

His inspiration for the song’s lyrics came from his recollections of his early life in Sidney and many Christmas seasons he spent there with his family growing up.

Maine actor Gary Merrill, the former husband of actress Bette Davis, recorded the opening narration for “The Maine Christmas Song” and Fullam then asked his friend, singer Malina Liberty, to record the tune in Portland. When it was first released in November 1987, the song became an instant sensation with proceeds from sales donated to Maine Credit Union League’s “End Hunger” initiative.

According to Mulligan, it took about 18 months from coming up with the book idea to its completion.

She said she was thrilled with the final product.

“It represents generations before us, but the message is timeless,” Mulligan said. “We’re trying to preserve the goodness and sharing with others.”

Fullam, who is included in the 2023 Marquis edition of “Who’s Who in America,” said he was delighted when he saw a proof of the “Maine Christmas Song” book.

“I really had no idea how it would turn out, but it was great,” he said. “The feedback I get about it is always wonderful. People all have stories about the song and what it’s meant to them and how it’s been a part of their lives.”

The “Maine Christmas Song” books are available in bookstores and gift shops throughout Maine, and online at McSeabooks.com and Amazon.com. <

Friday, November 22, 2024

Windham’s last surviving World War II veteran Carroll McDonald dies at 99

By Ed Pierce

And then there were none. Carroll McDonald, the last surviving World War II veteran living in Windham, died at the age of 99 on Nov. 14.

Carroll McDonald, the last surviving World War II veteran
in Windham, died at the age of 99 on Nov. 14. He trained
as a P-51 pilot during World War II and later served as a
postal carrier, seaplane pilot, Meals on Wheels driver and
was a former commander of American Legion Field-Allen
Post 148 in Windham. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE
Born on his parents’ dairy farm in South Windham on March 1, 1925, he was the first son of Edwin and Nellie McDonald and would soon be joined by a younger brother, Kenneth. From an early age he was fascinated by airplanes, and it was a passion he never lost sight of.

“When I was about 4 years old, I heard a biplane flying near a school,” McDonald said. “The sound of it going up and down and buzzing all around stirred my interest and it never left me when I was growing up. It was doing spins and barrel rolls overhead. At first, I was scared, but the longer I watched that old biplane, the more impressed I became, and I knew from that moment that I wanted to become a pilot someday. The sound of it going up and down and buzzing all around stirred my interest and it never left me when I was growing up.”

Both McDonald brothers were so infatuated by airplanes and aviation that in 1937 when Carroll was 12 and Kenneth was 9, they rode their bicycles from Grant’s Corner in South Windham for more than 12 miles to the airport in Portland one morning. Without their parents’ knowledge, the brothers paid for and boarded a flight to Boston where it landed, and then took off again for a return flight back to Portland. Both brothers then rode their bicycles back to their farm, and neither of their parents learned about their flight until years later.

Throughout his high school years, McDonald played trumpet in a dance band and then formed his own group called the Don Carroll Orchestra and also played for the Windham Town Band. He graduated from Windham High School in 1942 and started classes at Northeastern Business College in Portland that fall, but by the next summer he decided to accept a commission in the U.S. Army Air Corps to become a pilot before being drafted and assigned any job that was needed.

Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, he was sent to an Army flight school in Alabama and then for training as a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot at Page Field in Fort Myers, Florida. He received his flight wings in 1944 and spent the remainder of the war in Fort Myers flying P-51s, a long range, single-seat fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War.

“I joined because it was an opportunity to be well-trained and a chance to fly every single day,” McDonald said.

Upon his discharge from active duty in 1945, he attended business school using the GI Bill but in 1951 while fulfilling his military commitment in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant during the Korean War.

“Flying P-51s was the best experience I could have ever hoped for. It was a top-of-the-line aircraft and was really very fast,” he said. “Here I was just a teenager, and I was flying one of the fastest aircraft in the world and serving my country during wartime. It was simply an amazing time.”

Following his active-duty discharge in 1945, McDonald returned to Windham and attended business school using the GI Bill. He joined the U.S. Post Office as a rural postal delivery driver, a job he worked at for 32 years, delivering mail in South Windham and on River Road until retiring. He also continued to pilot aircraft while serving as a mailman and would finish his mail route by 2 p.m. in the summers and then drive to Naples where he would fly sightseeing trips for tourists around Sebago Lake.

About that time, McDonald joined American Legion’s Field-Allen Post 148 in 1951 and eventually served as Post Commander and performed many other duties for the veterans’ group through the years. He married Marjorie Steeves, and they raised a son, David, who graduated from Windham High in 1963, and a daughter, Karen.

“Carroll is surely near and dear to all of our hearts,” said Al LaRhette of South Weymouth, Massachusetts, during a 2023 reunion gathering for the Windham High School Class of 1963.

“I remember getting to play in the band with him when we performed at Fenway Park in Boston for the State of Maine Day in 1959.”

LaRhette said Carroll was known as a friend to all the class members and is beloved by everyone who knows him.

“He was just always there for us,” LaRhette said. “He had a way about him. It was like when you were with him, you were the most important person he got to speak to that day. He’s been a cherished friend to all of us throughout all these years since our graduation.”

Upon his retirement from the U.S. Post Office in 1980, McDonald volunteered for more than 20 years delivering Meals on Wheels to area seniors. He also became a member of the Presumpscot Lodge of Masons, Windham Hill Church, and Windham Historical Society.

While attending a vintage airshow in the Auburn area in 2014, he jumped at the chance to take a test flight in a restored P-51 Mustang aircraft.

“I couldn’t believe it after all these years,” he said. “I was thrilled to have that opportunity once more.”

Earlier this year he entered St. Andre’s Health Care Facility in Biddeford but insisted he would make it home in time for his 100th birthday on March 1, 2025 and a parade in his honor. His wife Marjorie died in 2007, followed his son, David in 2013, and his brother and sister-in-law Kenneth and Elizabeth McDonald in 2014. McDonald is survived by his partner Joan Esty of Windham, a daughter Karen Hopkins and her husband Blaine of Greenville, Maine, granddaughters Maureen Hopkins of Auburn, Maine and Brenda Lebo of Milford, New York, and a daughter-in-law Molly McDonald of Arcanum, Ohio.

Of everything he accomplished during his lifetime, McDonald said he would like to be remembered most as a pilot and for his military service in defense of America.

“I still think it was the right thing to do,” he said. “I am very positive about my time in the military. I enjoyed the structure, the discipline and was very pleased with the training I received. I’m lucky to have served and proud of what we accomplished.” <

Pumpkin design contest tests teamwork abilities of WMS students

By Ed Pierce

Believing that unity is strength and when there is teamwork that anything can be achieved, student groups at Windham Middle School recently collaborated as part of an exercise intended to build trust while creating, designing and decorating a winning pumpkin.

The 'Oscar the Grouch' pumpkin design 
created by a sixth-grade team advised by
teacher Matthew Zidle was the winner of
this year's Pumpkin Contest at Windham
Middle School. Team members proposed 
the design, painted the pumpkin and added
the finishing touches in an exercise intended
to build teamwork and collaboration among
the students. COURTESY PHOTO  
The winning pumpkin was one of about 30 different designs submitted by student teams and was unveiled during morning announcements on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The sixth-grade group advised by WMS teacher Matthew Zidle won this year’s contest for its “Oscar the Grouch” design.

The advisory groups at the school met, chose a pumpkin, suggested possible designs, voted on one design and then worked together on turning their pumpkin into the design they wanted. Following several weeks of work on the activity, the groups displayed their creations for their peers in the hallway outside the school gymnasium for a panel of judges including WMS Principal Greg Applestein and Assistant Principal AJ Ruth.

This popular annual student advisory group activity aims to forge strong connections among the students, foster creativity and to refine communications by drawing together students with diverse backgrounds and different personalities tasked to work on a common problem.

Zidle said the first task for the winning design group was to gather supplies needed for the pumpkin.

“Many of us were able to provide ‘trash’ items for the can,” he said. “Students painted the pumpkin and attached green ‘fur.’ We’d like to thank Ruth’s Reusables for helping us by donating supplies as well. They are an incredible resource for our communities by allowing us to work as a team and have a lot of fun in the process.”

He said it was a great opportunity for members of his advisory group to demonstrate leadership, think outside the box and develop a sense of solidarity, making them more invested in themselves and others.

Sixth grader Natalie Norcia was involved in painting the pumpkin to resemble “Oscar the Grouch” from Sesame Street.

“Besides painting, I helped with the googly eyes, the trash stuff and the fur,” Norcia said. “It took a few weeks to produce, but I thought it looked really good and that we all did a good job with it.”

Max Caron, a WMS sixth grader, said student creativity was on display in this activity.

“I liked how we could do whatever we wanted with the design,” Caron said.

He said some of the suggestions among their group for a design included the Earth, actor Mike Myers, and one based upon Friday the 13th films before the students settled on creating Oscar the Grouch.

He said this pumpkin decorating activity was challenging but was not so tough as to frustrate or overwhelm members of the student advisory group.

“Lots of friends got together in class, put our heads together and got to work on it,” Caron said.

As the project came together slowly, sixth grader Bradford Jorgensen thought that the group’s design might not get much attention from the judges.

“I thought we were going to get last place,” Jorgensen said. “In the end that wasn’t the case.”

When completed, Oscar the Grouch was seen emerging from a red trash can filled with crushed soda pop cans, candy wrappers and other trash. There is trash on top of his green hair, and he has thick black eyebrows over his large googly eyes. An empty plastic yogurt container is perched on top of his head and a sign on the trash can reads “Grouch says SCRAM.”



Members of Zile’s winning team included WMS sixth graders Chase Austin Lewis; Natalie Norica; Brittany Sharkey; Elena Vujanic; Elliot Condon; Liana Aguilar; Finnegan Niman; Bradford Jorgensen; Max Caron; Atticus Cunningham; James Riley; and Ian Dorie. <

Friday, November 15, 2024

Community shows gratitude for those who served at Veterans Day observance

By Lorraine Glowczak

Singer Bob Dylan once said that a hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his or her freedom. That truth was evident during the 2024 Veterans Day observance held on Monday at the Windham Veterans Center.

VFW Post 10643 Commander Willie Goodman presents
a plaque of appreciation to Ed Pierce, Managing Editor
of The Windham Eagle newspaper during the post's
annual Veterans Day observance on Monday, Nov. 11
at the Windham Veterans Center. Pierce, a U.S.
Air Force veteran, gave the keynote speech at the event.
PHOTO BY TOM THERIAULT   
Hosted by Windham VFW Post 10643, the annual gathering drew more than 200 people and celebrated the men and women of Windham who put their lives on the line when they wore the uniform of the United States of America protecting and ensuring the continued freedom of our nation.

VFW Post 10643 Commander Willie Goodman led the event and welcomed guests including Windham’s state delegation members State Senator Tim Nangle and outgoing State Representative Jane Pringle, and Windham Town Council members Mark Morrison and David Nadeau. It was part of the national celebration of Veterans Day, which was originally known as “Armistice Day.”

The commemoration of a special day to pay tribute to military veterans was originally created Nov. 11, 1919, one year after the end of World War I. At the time, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson declared “Armistice Day” to take place annually in America on the “11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour” to remember the end of what was known as “The Great War,” now called World War I. In 1975, U.S. President Gerald Ford designated Nov. 11 as the permanent Veterans Day holiday because of the historical significance of veterans to America.

During the Windham observance, Goodman recognized three local students as winners of this year’s Patriot’s Pen essay contest and Voice of Democracy audio essay competition.

Zoie Hougaz-McCormick of Windham Middle School was first overall, and Brenna Wheeler of Windham Christian School finished second in the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen contest for students in Grades 6 to 8 writing on this year’s theme of “My Voice in American Democracy.” Amber Sands of Windham Christian School won first place for her audio essay in the VFW’s Voice of Democracy contest for high school students on the theme of “Is America Today Our Forefather’s Vision?”

Ed Pierce, a U.S. Air Force veteran and the Managing Editor of The Windham Eagle newspaper served as the keynote speaker for the observance.

Pierce related three different stories, two about his own time in the military and one about a veteran he had met in New Hampshire during his time working for a newspaper there.

In his first story, Pierce described an incident he experienced as an E-1 Airman Basic on a seven-hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany from Gander, Newfoundland in 1977. During the flight, he inadvertently got brown gravy on the collar of the dress shirt of a U.S. Army Colonel sleeping next to him. While agonizing about what to do, the gravy dried and it turned out the colonel happened to be the chief aide to U.S. Army Four-Star General Alexander Haig, the Supreme Commander of NATO Forces in Europe at the time.

His second story involved meeting and interviewing future U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1975, and then seven years later having Reagan recognize him as an Air Force sergeant during an event at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Reagan mentioned that Pierce was his favorite writer and should be promoted and when the promotion list was posted two days later, he was indeed promoted. The following Monday, a large jar of jellybeans and a note bearing the presidential seal and offering congratulations appeared on Pierce’s desk when he arrived for work.

Pierce’s final story involved George Nichols, an 89-year-old resident of the New Hampshire Veteran’s Home in Tilton in 2014. He was covering the veteran’s home as part of his beat for the Laconia Citizen newspaper and was at the facility to report about a visit from then-New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan with the veterans for St. Patrick’s Day. Nichols, who was on oxygen and confined to a wheelchair, stopped Pierce and said he had a story for him to write about.

When Pierce went back the next day to speak to Nichols, he learned that the veteran had cancer and was a lifelong baseball fan. Nichols told him he had gone with his father to Fenway Park in Boston to watch his first Red Sox game in 1929. Nichols had wanted to pitch someday for the Red Sox but World War II intervened. He instead was drafted and trained as a medical corpsman and sent to Anzio Beach, Italy during the American landing there in 1944.

At the same time, Pierce’s father was drafted in 1943 and was shipped overseas as an infantryman serving first in Libya and Morocco and then was part of the U.S. invasion force trying to take Anzio from the Nazis. He was shot in the back by a German sniper and was rescued by a medical corpsman and taken for treatment.

During the Battle of Anzio, Nichols was asked to run onto the beach, pick up American soldiers who were injured but had a chance to survive, sling them over his shoulder and carry them to the medical station for treatment. On his 19th trip onto Anzio Beach to rescue wounded soldiers, a German mortar shell exploded nearby and sent shrapnel into Nichols’ left knee. Despite bleeding profusely, Nichols completed his mission, had his knee cleaned and bandaged and he went back and successfully completed six more trips. At the end of the day, he was informed that he would be put in for a Purple Heart medal for being wounded in combat.

But it never happened and years later when he turned 65, Nichols applied for his Purple Heart medal. He was denied the medal by the VA and over the next 19 years, Nichols applied every year and was denied each time. The reason for the denial was Nichols did not have his Army medical records to prove he had been wounded. Those paper records were stored in a facility in St. Louis, Missouri which burned to the ground in 1973 and lost forever, along with the records of 18 million other American military personnel.

The story about Nichols’ plight ran on the front page of the Laconia newspaper and was subsequently picked up and run by the Associated Press throughout the U.S. It so happened that the owner of the Boston Red Sox saw the article and invited Nichols and his family to be his guest and for him to throw out the first pitch at Fenway Park on Armed Forces Day in 2014, fulfilling Nichols’ lifelong dream of throwing a pitch for his favorite team. The following spring he died without ever receiving his Purple Heart.

According to Pierce, veterans like George Nichols and those from the Windham VFW Post 10643 and Windham American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 gave unselfishly of themselves to protect our freedom and deserve our respect and gratitude not only on Veterans Day but throughout the year

In addition to the keynote speaker at the observance, the Windham Chamber Singers, under the director of Dr. Richard Nickerson, performed the National Anthem and a medley of military branch songs for the veterans. Afterward, those in attendance were treated to a lunch provided and served by Chick-Fil-A of Westbrook. A donation of coleslaw was made to the gathering by Windham Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Windham Boy Scout Troop 805 presented the colors, passed out programs and helped seat visitors at the observance. <

Windham mourns loss of community icon Moody

By Matt Pascarella

Exactly one week after more than a thousand supporters gathered to dedicate basketball courts in Windham to him, longtime community champion Patrick “Pat” Moody passed away from pancreatic cancer on Sunday evening, Nov. 10.

Sherma Moody, left, and Pat Moody stand and cheer on their 
son AJ and the Windham boy's varsity basketball team during
the 2024 State Championship Game at Cross Insurance
Arena in Portland on March. Pat Moody died Sunday, Nov.
10 just a week after Windham's public basketball courts were
dedicated in his honor. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA   
Immediately upon hearing the news about Moody’s death, a flood of support, condolences and stories poured in. Many residents have shared the positive affect that Moody had on their lives and the lives of the many children he coached.

“Pat and I first met in 1993,” said Windham High School varsity assistant basketball coach Geoff Grigsby. “I had just moved back to Maine and was playing in the first basketball game of the season against Windham. Pat was the big shot point guard on his team, and I was for my team. We started out as rivals, and it was such a big rivalry that he was actually my “pet peeve” in my senior picture in the yearbook. I ended up going to Windham’s prom with a friend of Pat’s and she introduced me to him for the first time off the court, and he was just the friendliest guy, so I couldn’t hate him anymore. We’ve been friends ever since. When I moved to Raymond and became part of the Windham community 17 years ago, he started recruiting me for Windham Youth Basketball and other coaching roles. He pushed for me to join the Windham High coaching staff, and more than anything we’ve just been friends forever.”

Windham resident Kristin Osgood Drottar said this is a tremendous loss to Windham and Moody made an impact on everyone who knew him. During the basketball courts’ dedication, many people got shirts that asked, “What Would Pat Do?” and Drottar said she has been thinking a lot about this. She thinks Pat would hold the door for a stranger, he would smile at someone, even if he wasn’t in the mood, he’d take silly pictures with his kids and never miss an opportunity to tell the love of his life that she was his everything.

“He would want everyone to know they mattered; he’d be kind. In a divided and busy world, we should ask ourselves what Pat would do and ... do that,” she said.

Others expressed gratitude for having such a positive person in their lives.

“I am forever grateful to know you and be one of the countless people Pat Moody had an incredibly positive, profound and uplifting relationship with,” said New Gloucester resident Jordan Scanlon. “From a young-age hooper ... to a young adult faced with a mountain of fears and challenges, Moody never wavered in support or willingness to help, even if it was just a text to come hoop – it meant a lot to me. Moody’s God-given ability to make everyone he’d encounter feel appreciated, seen and valued is unmatched. I will never stop looking up to him as a hooper, a positive community leader, or most importantly a father. You’re truly one of the greatest examples of humanity I have ever known."

There are people with so many good things to say about Moody, and it could fill numerous articles.

“He has such a strong connection and bond with my children and so many children in this town, his infectious smile will be deeply missed,” said Windham resident Maureen Flaherty Janvrin. “I am so happy he was able to see Windham bring home the first basketball state championship, the Celtics win the NBA finals and have an outpouring of dedication courts, and he could be a part of all of that joy; he was the epitome of community.”

Around a year ago Windham resident Shane Bryant was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), a non-curable but manageable blood cancer. Bryant only shared this with family and a few very close friends. One of those close friends let Pat know because of his own cancer diagnosis. Pat had rung the bell on cancer, which was amazing. Pat immediately reached out to offer his support and to let Bryant know he was there anytime he wanted to talk. Moody told Bryant he needed a pair of “lucky sneakers.” Moody said the sneakers he purchased brought him tons of luck and Pat sent Bryant’s daughter, Nola, a gift card to Footlocker so she could buy him the lucky sneakers.

While this might seem like a small act of kindness, it meant so much more to Bryant and his family.

Windham resident and town councilor Jarrod Maxfield and Moody worked together on the community center committee. Maxfield says he remembers Moody being passionate and not one to shy away when obstacles arose. It meant a lot for Maxfield to get to know him, because Moody was always positive and set a great example to follow.

Ashley Fearon of Windham met Pat through her son.

“I have known Pat Moody since my son was in preschool, which he is now a senior in high school,” said Windham resident Fearon. “Braycen and AJ went to kindergarten together and have played sports their whole lives. I met Pat because I was waitressing at Pat’s Pizza, and he used to come in with Hayleigh and AJ. Pat has always been such a friendly, optimistic person. He never judged and never excluded anyone. He taught my son how to play basketball and how to drive. He was definitely always the dad with a carload of kids for every adventure. The best are the pictures; Pat was always doing group selfies or sending funny shots. There wasn’t anything that Pat wouldn’t have done for somebody else. From day one I think Pat became family and that’s just how he made you feel being around him.”

The Windham community’s thoughts and prayers are with the entire Moody family and are deeply saddened by the loss of Pat. <

Friday, November 8, 2024

Windham shows outpouring of support for local hero Moody during basketball court dedication

By Matt Pascarella

A night of mixed emotions spread around the basketball courts next to Windham’s Public Safety Building on Sunday, Nov. 3 for coach, father, husband and Windham’s most enthusiastic supporter, Pat Moody.

Windham basketball's biggest supporter Pat Moody smiles
while among his fans at the 'Pat Moody Basketball
Courts dedication event on Sunday, Nov. 3. Moody
has learned his cancer has returned and only has a 
few months to live. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA
He was surprised when the basketball courts he championed for were officially named the “Patrick Moody Basketball Courts,” while surrounded by members from Windham and nearby communities that Moody has had an impact on. Recently Moody received some difficult news that his cancer has returned, and he has been given just a few months to live.

People showed up at the event to show their love and support for Moody as the dedication to him was made through tears, applause and laughter.

“I love this town, and I love this sport,” said Moody. “I don’t know how many hundreds of people are here who I love also; it’s very special,” he said. “To come out here and have this dedication ... it basically just made my heart explode seeing everybody’s faces here and all the love. ‘Gratitude’ isn’t a strong enough word; It’s just super, super special. It’s too special for me to put into words.”

Moody’s goal was always to give back to Windham basketball and do whatever possible to better Windham so people could enjoy the greatness he enjoyed growing up.

“He’s had a huge impact across the community and the kids,” said Windham resident Nick Davis. “He’s inspired the next generation – just an awesome guy, awesome friend.”

Windham residents Tyler Graves and Windham High varsity boys’ basketball coach Chad Pulkkinen wanted to do something lasting to honor Moody. He was a big part of the blue basketball courts by the Public Safety Building being built. Moody had wanted lights on the blue courts and Pulkkinen and Graves, along with the help of various companies, organizations and donations, made that happen.

“He’s been one of the biggest advocates for spreading basketball positivity throughout Windham and means so much to this community,” said Windham graduate Josh Guite.

It was important Moody be surrounded with the love he’s given everybody else; it was also important that his family see the impact and for them to feel that love. The event brought everyone together to lift Moody’s spirits up and really showed the strength of the community.

“He’s done a lot for the basketball community,” said Windham resident Nicole Lewis. “We’ve known them for a long time, the Moodys are good people. As a community, everybody is here to support the Moodys as a whole – it’s not all about basketball.”

Pulkkinen said that Moody always believed in him at every stage of his basketball career, right through becoming the WHS varsity boys’ basketball coach.

Graves and Moody met in the first grade. Graves was best man at Moody’s wedding; Graves says he would do anything for Moody, just like Moody would do anything for anyone anybody else; and Moody is Graves’ hero.

“He’s been such a huge influence in my life and my daughter’s life, wouldn’t miss (this dedication) for the world,” said Windham resident Tina Sabine. “He’s been a coach to my daughter, he’s been a friend. Our kids went to school together, he has a huge impact on everyone he comes in contact with.”

It meant a great deal for Moody’s family to see the love and support of everyone from Windham for Pat Moody.

Rod Moody, Pat’s father, said it was tremendous to see how many people love and support him.

“The only thing I can say is Amor Fati, it means ‘love of one’s fate’ and it is a true testament of Pat’s kind heart and paying it forward,” said Pat Moody’s wife Sherma Moody. “Every one of these people he touched in one way or another and it was just overwhelming for the family to see what a great community to be a part of, but also giving him the love and support he needs during this time.”

According to son, AJ Moody, it means the world to him; Pat Moody really deserves this honor. His son said he’s the best person and AJ Moody is very proud of his dad’s journey that has become history.

“What this means to me is the community just loves and cares and every person in the community is so amazing,” said Pat Moody’s daughter, Hayleigh Moody. “All these people who came together and did this for my dad means the world to me. I can’t thank anyone enough for all the love and support you guys did and how you made this become an actual thing. Ever since I was young my dad has been trying to figure out where can kids go to play after school and these courts came along and now that they’re under his name ... thank you so much, every one of you.”

The Pat Moody Foundation was also created and raised more than $5,000 on the night of the dedication. This is a new non-profit that will continue to support youth sports and activities in Windham as well as give a scholarship to a graduating student athlete who has shown dedication to community service.

To donate to the new Pat Moody Foundation, you can do so through Venmo at moodyfoundation. <

Friday, November 1, 2024

Historical fiction author prepares to discuss novels at Windham Public Library event

By Ed Pierce

A great writer can take readers to faraway places they may never experience themselves or tell stories that inspire their imagination. Michael Meeske of Windham is one of those rare writers whose work is not only commercially successful, but also provides some great storytelling.

Author Michael Meeske of Windham, who
writes under the pen name VS Alexander,
will appear from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday,
Nov. 6 at the Windham Public Library to
discuss his novels The Taster and The
Novelist from Berlin.

SUBMITTED PHOTO
Meeske, the author of 11 novels, has sold nearly a half-million books in the past seven years and he will be on hand from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 at the Windham Public Library in a free event to meet the public and discuss his writing. Through the years, his novels have received critical acclaim from Publisher’s Weekly, the Library Journal, and other industry publications and he’s been a speaker at numerous writing conferences and events around the United States.

His novels for Kensington Publishing are under his pen name of V. S. Alexander and have been published in more than a dozen countries including Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Mexico, the United States and Lithuania. A novel of his called The Taster has been optioned for a film.

During his appearance at the library, Meeske will discuss The Taster, his novel about a food taster for Adolf Hitler, and The Novelist from Berlin, based on a true story of a writer during the late days of the Weimar Republic and the early days of the German Reich. He’ll be talking about both of these heroines and their different lives under Nazi rule.

Originally from Kansas, Meeske is a natural at writing.

“I was a storyteller from an early age, but I didn’t know it. I wrote a play – an extremely short one – plus a couple of short stories about astronauts and visitors from another planet. It was kid’s stuff. My last semester at the University of Kansas, I needed a class, any class, to fulfill my credits,” he said. “I enrolled in a fiction writing course taught by James E. Gunn, then President of the Science Fiction Writers of America. I didn’t know who he was, so I went in with no expectations. Also, I knew how hard it is to write good science fiction, having read it for many years in my youth. Most everyone in the class had enrolled because of Gunn’s reputation and stature in the writing world. I didn’t write science fiction, and I got A’s on my stories. He lit the fire.”

After taking Gunn’s class, Meeske said he had a burning desire to write, but his big break didn’t come until much later in life.

“I’d have to say, I enjoy the creative end of writing more than any other part of the business – creating characters, moving them around, keeping the story fresh and exciting for readers which is easier said than done,” he said. “But I realize how far-reaching the editing process is, and how a good working relationship with an editor is crucial. Editorial work is fine tuning and makes the book so much better. Beta readers are important as well. Find one you trust. I’ve had the same beta reader for all my books.”

He says the ideas for his novels are ones he comes up on his own.

“A magazine article, a news story, or a thought, triggers the process,” Meeske said. “If it digs its claws firmly into my head, I know I should do something with it. My editor also has pitched me ideas. He’ll say I want a book on the Magdalen Laundries, or the Irish Potato Famine and I’ve done both of them. When I first started writing, I was a total panster, just thinking that the creative juices would guide me wherever I needed to be in the book. I wrote myself into a corner a couple of times and shortly thereafter, I made bullet-point outlines. The Taster, for example, I developed from a grocery list. I had 15 or so points, and I wrote the book from them. At one point, the heroine grabbed the story, and I followed. It was an exhilarating experience, and her unscripted journey added immensely to the novel.”

When he’s able to write, Meeske enjoys writing in the afternoon or early evening after he’s completed his other tasks for the day. And, unlike some writers, he doesn’t write every day.

“There’s some kind of rule that says writers have to write every day, but I have to take a day off once in a while,” Meeske said. “I find that I’m very productive on weekends – that’s because I used to work full time. I gauge my writing time by word count. My goal is to write 1,000 to 1,200 words per session. That usually takes two or so hours. If you write a page a day, say 350 words, for a year, you’ll have a book. Breaking the process down into manageable tasks helps.”

He previously lived in New England for 20 years before moving to Florida.

“After 23 years there, I was ready to move back. I was tired of hurricanes, the congestion, and a quality of life that had changed since I left Boston in 2001,” he said. “New England has changed as well, and I’ve had some adjustment pains, but I love living in Windham. I grew up in small-town Kansas. The population here is much like my hometown when I was growing up.”

Enjoying an excellent relationship with his publisher, Meeske found a literary agent through a referral from a colleague who couldn’t do a book his editor wanted.

“So, I sold my first book on 75 pages, a 25-page synopsis and three chapters,” he said. “That became The Magdalen Girls in 2017. We’ve been working together for nearly a decade.”

Now firmly established in his career, it took some time for Meeske’s family and friends to approve of his decision to focus on writing.

“When I first told my parents that I wanted to be a writer, sometime after college, they asked, ‘Fine, but how are you going to make a living?’ Probably every kid going into the creative arts has heard that line,” he said. “Eventually, they got behind me. My friends have been supportive and sometimes amazed. It’s hard to make a living as a writer. Only about 15 percent of writers make a living from their craft, and many take on other jobs to pay the bills. You have to love it, and persevere, to succeed.”

Putting together his novels have not come without challenges and one has been the most difficult to overcome.

“I’d say my writing of The War Girls was the most difficult. I had the idea of two Jewish sisters separated by the start of World War II, one living with relatives in England and the other in Warsaw,” he said. “I had to research the Warsaw Ghetto, Special Operations Executive, and, most difficult of all, what a traditional Jewish home would be like in Warsaw before and after the invasion. Not being Jewish, I called upon friends, historical resources, and a sympathetic freelance editor to help me navigate a 5,000-year-old religion. It was a challenge, but the book has been well-received and I’m very proud of it.”

He’s just signed a contract to write his eighth historical novel for Kensington.

“It will be out sometime in 2026. I can’t talk about it at this point, but I’m excited and ready to get to work.” <