Windham attorney wins National United States Mrs. 2025 Pageant

By Ed Pierce

It’s hard to stop Katie Winchenbach. After winning the title of United States of America’s Mrs. Maine for 2024, the Windham resident was crowned National United States Mrs. 2025 at the National United States Pageant, held in Hershey, Pennsylvania from July 28 to Aug. 1.

Windham resident Katie Winchenbach, a
corporate attorney, has won the National
United States Mrs. 2025 Pageant and was
honored with the pageant's 'Diamond Crowns
Making An Impact ™ Award' for
outstanding community service work. 

Winchenbach is corporate attorney for a Fortune 500 company, a fashion designer, an international speaker and hosts her own podcast. She is widely recognized for her mission to empower and inspire rising women leaders of all ages and through her work, she blends professional expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and heartfelt advocacy for women’s leadership and confidence-building.

“In 2024 I competed for the United States of America (USOA) pageant system. This time I competed in the National United States pageant,” Winchenbach said. “I chose to switch to National United States because the pageant has a significant community service focus through the ‘Crowns Making an Impact’ initiative and I felt that it was more closely aligned with my personal values and goals.”

Beside winning the national title, Winchenbach was honored at the pageant with the Diamond Crowns Making an Impact ™ Award for her dedication to volunteering and community service. She is passionate about advancing women’s leadership, breaking barriers, and inspiring confidence in women of all ages.

Winchenbach is the founder of Lead Fearlessly, a movement and podcast dedicated to elevating women’s voices, sharing stories of resilience, and providing actionable strategies for personal and professional growth. She is also the designer behind a new clothing line created to inspire confidence through bold, empowering designs.

Beyond her professional achievements, Winchenbach is deeply involved in numerous community organizations. She actively volunteers her time and expertise to initiatives that promote leadership development, mentorship, and education for women and girls. As National United States Mrs. 2025, she said that she looks forward to traveling nationwide to speak, mentor, and collaborate with organizations committed to empowering women.

“This title means more than a crown and sash. To me, it’s a platform to encourage women to embrace their full potential, trust their intuition, and step boldly into leadership,” Winchenbach said. “I’m honored to represent the National United States Pageant system and to connect with women across the country who are ready to lead fearlessly.”

She says that deciding to compete for the National United States Mrs. title gave her the opportunity to evaluate the impact I was making on my community and challenged her to find new ways to tap into my passion for supporting rising women leaders.

“As a result, I created a podcast titled Lead Fearlessly in which I invite women leaders from all over the world to share their stories, their struggles, and their tips,” Winchenbach said. “My goal is to give women all over the world the leadership support that I once needed. This podcast has opened so many doors for me including giving me the opportunity to present my first TEDx talk on leadership and confidence next year and partnering with Supermodels Unlimited for New York Fashion Week and Miami Swim Week events and a clothing line titled Fearless by Katie Winchenbach.”

Along with her husband Jared, she moved to Windham in 2021. She was born in Maine and grew up in the small town of Milford, near the University of Maine Orono. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Maine, a Juris Doctorate law degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hofstra University.

According to Winchenbach, she is humbled to have the support of her family, friends, and community and she loves to stay busy, so she doesn't have a lot of downtime.

“When I do get down time, I love being out on the water on my paddleboard,” she said. “My husband got me an inflatable one a couple of years ago and I love it. I try to get out on the Presumpscot River on the weekends, do paddle board yoga in Casco Bay, and every once and a while bring my rescue pup out for a ride. My family and friends have been incredibly supportive of my pageant journey.”

By competing in pageants such as the National United States Mrs. 2025, Winchenbach is following the footsteps of her late mother.

“My mom competed in a Mrs. pageant when she and my dad were just married,” she said. “She passed away from cancer in November 2022, so this is a really nice way for my family to be able to come together again. They cheered her on over 30 years ago and now they get to cheer me on.”

Her husband has been so incredibly supportive, not just of her pageant participation, but of all the things that have stemmed from that.

“He was front row in Miami when I launched my clothing line, he holds down the fort at home when I travel for appearances and events, and of course, he was right there in the audience when I won this national title,” she said. “I've poured a lot of time and effort into my podcast, my service work, and my pageant preparation. I wouldn't be able to do that without knowing he has my back.”

Winchenbach is optimistic about the future and where it will take her.

“This is a really difficult question because if you asked me even 5 years ago if I thought I would be a national titleholder I would've said no. I just wasn't thinking boldly enough,” she said. “I do know that I want to keep supporting inspiring women leaders. I was fortunate enough to be the keynote speaker for the Maine Department of Corrections Women's Summit and I'm looking forward to more speaking engagements and leading more workshops. I'm also excited to continue serving as President of Women Standing Together Maine and to grow our flagship event, the Leadership Intensive. My goal is to launch a second Leadership Intensive in the central Maine area and to expand the reach of Women Standing Together to all of New England and maybe even the whole United States. And I definitely plan to continue growing my podcast. I know there are so many inspirational women out there who want to share their story and even more women who will benefit from hearing those stories.”

As far as what she’s learned about herself by competing in pageants, Winchenbach says that she feels empowered.

“I didn't realize that I had put myself in a box. I think when you are in a male-dominated field like the legal profession it's easy to get caught up with trying to fit in and I definitely did that,” she said. “It wasn't until I started competing in pageants that I realized I wasn't being my full, authentic self. I have always loved fashion, modeling, and design. I actually went to undergrad with the goal of becoming a fashion writer. When I joined the legal profession, I felt like I had to leave that part of me behind, but pageantry made me see that wasn't the case. I finally found the confidence to show up as who I was meant to be. Now I'm proud to be a successful attorney and a podcast host, model, designer, and advocate for women.”

The National United States Mrs. Pageant celebrates women of all ages for their achievements, leadership, and contributions to their communities, providing a platform for personal growth and public service and Winchenbach said she admires the qualities that the pageant stands for.

​“I am honored to hold the title of National United States Mrs. 2025, using my platform to advocate for women leaders, raise awareness of my podcast, and share the knowledge I have learned throughout my career,” she said. “Every woman has the potential to achieve great things, and my mission is to help them unlock it.” <

Windham Primary School to start school year with popsicles

By Dina Mendros

It doesn’t get much better for kids on a summer day than enjoying an icy cold popsicle. To keep the summer fun going before heading back to school, Windham Primary School will once again be holding “Popsicles on the Playground with Principals” on Monday, Aug. 25. Two days after that on Aug. 27 is the official first day of school for first- through third-graders. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students start after Labor Day with half the students on Sept. 2 and the other half on Sept. 3.

Windham Primary School will once again be conductiing
the 'Popsicles on the Playground with Principals' event
to welcome students and their families back to school
from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 25.
COURTESY PHOTO  

According to WPS Principal Dr. Kyle Rhoads, a lot has taken place while students were having fun during summer vacation.

Some students didn’t have the whole summer off as a number were attending summer school. “Summer Academies, both online and in-person, were successful and well-received by families,” Rhoads said. “Like during the school year, our concerted efforts to support students make a difference. Impressive work indeed! Thanks to all the staff for their help this summer.”

There will be some new faces during the 2025-2026 school year. New WPS teachers include Pre-K teacher Tatum Ledue; Special Education teacher Ashley Dunham-Conway; Grade 1 teacher Kim Courtemanche; music teacher Sara Wolfe; part-time music teacher Marie Jacques; and part-time music teacher Eric Yim. Other new WPS staff members include Special Education Site Coordinator Kim Guptill; school psychologist Kaylee Jipson; and Special Education Ed Tech Amanda Day.

In addition to new faces some physical changes took place at the school over the summer. “The construction crews, tech department and custodial crews have been very busy getting our school ready on time,” Rhoads said. “Our school has been under construction with roof upgrades and a new gym floor. Many of our spaces have gotten a new paint job, too.”

WPS is one of the largest elementary schools in the state with about 780 registered students for school this fall. It serves students from Pre-K through third grade. The school's core values are teamwork, growth, creativity, and acceptance, with learners at the center.

Among the changes this year is the addition of a Pre-K classroom. “We are adding one Pre-K classroom because we had the chance to expand the overall RSU 14 Pre-K program,” Rhoads said. “In the future, we will expand Pre-K classes at Windham Primary School. Our program is just beginning, and it is exciting to welcome our first 4-year-olds.”

The school will be using the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) model for the second year.

“The model has been research-based for over 20 years and addresses the needs of students by strengthening teacher-student relationships and using real-time data to inform interventions,” Rhoads said. “However, successful implementation requires expert coaching and support. Teaching staff will have two full days of training with the organization this year.

Before the school year starts, students and their families will have a change to meet with Principal Rhoads and Assistant Principal Diana Jordan and other WPS staff at the “Popsicles on the Playground with Principals” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Aug. 25. The event will include school tours, directions for the Parent Square app, playing on the playground, and of course, popsicles.

Rhoads said he started the event when he first became principal of WPS in 2008. “I used this event as one of my first opportunities to get to know the families of students. The following summer staff and families shared that they hoped I would continue the event. I decided to continue it. When our new playgrounds were built, it also became an opportunity to celebrate and enjoy them, too.”

“Popsicles with the Principal highlights many important parts of our school community,” he said. “Most importantly, it provides a great chance for the students, staff and families to reconnect after summer and build new relationships while enjoying popsicles and our beautiful playgrounds! We are looking forward to this opportunity to meet with the students and their families. The event is an indicator that school is returning, and summer is winding down.”

Later in the fall the annual WPS Fall Festival free school community event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 25. Other family events for the year can be found at tinyurl.com/mw4a56x7.

Those wishing to volunteer at WPS for the first time should contact the office at 207-892-1840 or attend the Volunteer Orientation scheduled for Sept. 17 in the school library from noon to 6 p.m. <

WHS graduate brings high school swing dance back for second year

By Masha Yurkevich

While having a way of dealing with stress is important for everyone, it is especially important for the high school age. Greta Paulding, a 2023 Windham High School graduate, found swing dance to be her way of not only coping with stress, but also noticed improvements physically, mentally, and socially.

Members of the Windham Swing Dance Club perform a line
dance during a recent session at the Windham Town Hall Gym
The club is for high school students and recent graduates. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO

This is the second year that Paulding has served as president of the Windham Swing Dance Club, a group she founded. When she left for college in the fall of 2023, she decided to join a swing dance club for an extra-curricular activity and found that she not only enjoyed it, but also noticed improvements in her life mentally, physically, and socially. She decided to bring the idea back home when she came to Windham for summer break and started a high school swing dance club, open for incoming high students, current high school students, and recent graduates.

Paulding blocked off the Windham Town Hall gym on Wednesday evenings between 7 and 9 p.m. during the summer to hold her swing dance club.

“We started off very small with is group of around eight people,” says Paulding. “It was small, but the people who attended were loyal and would invite other people; we had a lot of fun. Coming back this year, we have grown to between 20 to 30 regulars and about 20 attendees each event.”

Swing dancing is known for its energetic and playful nature, use of triple steps (three steps in two counts of music), partnerships and social interaction, variations of turns and spins, arm flourishes and the potential for acrobatic moves like flips and dips.

Since the club’s inception, students from South Portland, Durham, and even students from New Hampshire have traveled to swing dance with the Windham Swing Dance Club.

“It was my anxiety that made me think about the friends that I had in high school and how many of them struggled with anxiety and depression,” says Paulding.

Through her high school swing dance club, Paulding has created an environment where high school students can stay physically active, meet new people within their age group, and get out of their comfort zone in a place where they feel comfortable.

“Even people who are more introverted come to just check it out, people who do not expect that they would be dancers and end up falling in love with it just like I did,” Paulding says.

After learning new dance moves each evening, there are also a few staples that show up, such as the line dance.

“We do certain dances to certain songs, and we do the line dance to the song ‘Stuck like Glue’ and everyone recognizes it from the first beat and they all line up to do the line dance. It is definitely a cardio workout, but it is so much fun,” says Paulding. “It is easy to pick up but gives you a feeling of belonging because now you know the big group dance, which adds to the feeling of community.”

Paulding also administers the club’s social media account that is currently updated with photos, videos, and information. Their social media can be found on Instagram @windhamswingdance.

“Windham swing dance has fostered an excellent community. The runners of this show are fantastic teachers and have created a safe space to learn a new skill and get out of the house during summer break,” said swing dance club member Devyn Doyle. “Swing dancing is not only fun and easy to learn, but it has also been a great opportunity to make new friends. I love Windham Swing Dance.”

Other club members agree.

“Swing Dancing was truly the highlight of my summer. I got to learn, laugh, and dance with friends, and I now have a lifelong skill,” says Iris Hubbard, also member of the swing dance club.

While Paulding is going back to college next week, she plans on returning home next summer in May and continuing to run the club.

“My goal is to have a team of volunteers by next summer that know the moves and dances and can keep the club going for summers to come,” says Paulding. “I see that it has made a positive impact, and I think that it would be worthwhile for it to continue.” <

Statewide alliance provides valuable guidance for private road residents

By Dina Mendros

Private roads are prevalent throughout Maine, especially in the Lakes Region. They are so commonplace in Windham and Raymond that both towns have resource pages on their town websites providing information about how to form a road association, references to state statutes regulating such roads as well as how to get in touch with the Maine Alliance for Road Associations.

Terrace Road at Thomas Pond is a privately
maintained road off Route 32 in Raymond 
and administered by a road association for
sharing costs of plowing, grading and
upkeep. PHOTO BY JIM BUNTIN 

The alliance, known as MARA, provides a wealth of information on road associations from how to form them to helping provide solutions for individuals and associations when problems arise.

MARA is a nonprofit corporation with a volunteer board of directors. It was formed in 1998 by Betsy Connor Bowen. “The alliance,” according to the MARA website, “is an online volunteer-sponsored community in response to the need to disseminate information to property owners who wish to form road associations for sharing maintenance costs of private ways under the continually evolving statute.”

MARA board member Andrew “Sandy” Allen says the organization helps members deal with “the challenges in common that face the people living along private roads in Maine, whether they belong to an informal road association, or a statutory road association, or a nonprofit corporate road association. Allen says they are concerned with road maintenance and sharing of expenses, understanding the laws that apply to road associations, and state laws.

He says they often have neighbor disagreements, and differences of opinion that we need to resolve to move forward with our maintenance in harmony and have a need for resources and answers to questions about the state laws that are now in existence.”

“MARA,” Allen said, “is formed to help answer questions that road association members might have and to provide perhaps some solutions to those problems that they might face.”

Maine’s road association statutes go way back stemming from archaic statutes having to do with private ways, MARA board member Roberta Manter said.

“Private ways were roads that were laid out at the request of an individual whose property was not yet connected to the public road system. Through changes in legislation and court cases it got to a point where the statutes didn’t apply to anything anymore,” she said. “Many people from lake associations and some other people went before the legislature and said, ‘look right now these statutes don’t apply to anything but it would be very useful if you just reworded it so they would apply to private roads rather than these private ways.’

“Although informal road associations may be successful for some owners, MARA favors the more formal ‘Statutory’ structure permitted by the Private Ways Statute,” according to the alliance website,” Manter said. “This statute offers road association governance through democratic processes, cost-sharing that is enforceable, and gravel road maintenance that is sustainable and environmentally friendly.”

Statute 23, sections 3101 through 3106, lays out how statutory road associations are formed and run. It also covers what happens when a private road property owner neglects to pay required fees for road maintenance, which can involve civil action; and it describes how a notice of claim at the county registry can be attached to the land for unpaid fees which must be paid upon the transfer of the land.

MARA is important because “many towns have more private roads than public roads,” Allen said.

In Windham, about 115 miles of roadways, roughly half, are private roads, according to Town Manager Robert Burns. He says that figure, which is from 2021, includes roads which are totally private as well as roads with public easements. Of the 108 private roads, 95 have public easements which allow the town to provide winter maintenance such as snow plowing.

According to Allen, private roads are very prevalent in Maine in part because of their expense, an expense that often municipalities don’t want to take on. When subdivisions are built, often the developer is responsible for building the road. Sometimes a town or city will accept a road as public and take on the expense for maintaining the roadway. However, even if a community had the will to do so, such roads would have to be built to the municipality’s standards, with shoulders, room for emergency vehicles, etc., and many private roads are not built to those standards.

To learn more about the Maine Alliance for Road Associations or become a member, go to the website maineroads.org. MARA’s website has resources regarding private road state laws, guidance on how to form a statutory road association, templates for road association bylaws, a discussion forum where members can post questions and other members can post answers and more.

In addition, to provide more information to its members the alliance holds an annual conference where attorneys, Maine Department of Environment Protection staff members and others hold workshops on specific topics like road maintenance and keeping roads environmentally friendly, liability insurance for road associations, conflict resolution, and more.

This year’s MARA conference will be held Oct. 4 at Maple Hill Farm Inn and Conference Center in Hallowell. To register or for more details, go to maineroads.org/ <

Triumph over Tragedy: Windham family copes with devastating adversity

By Ed Pierce

Faith can provide the foundation for resilience and hope and teach us lessons about life when the future seems impossible. That’s something that a Windham family discovered over the past year while undergoing a personal ordeal that tested their faith and strengthened their resolve.

Ethan March who grew up with his parents
Brian and Kathleen March in Windham,
became paralyzed from the waist down 
when he fell off a roof in a workplace
accident a year ago. He is learning to
cope with his injury and with the help
of his parents and others he is hoping
to become a pilot someday.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Brian and Kathleen March of Windham were going about their lives last summer when their son, Ethan, 22 at the time, was working as an electrician and was installing solar panels off grid on a roof in Kingfield on July 30, 2024 when he suddenly fell 20 feet to the ground. He sustained multiple breaks in his T-11 vertebrae which smashed and put pressure on his spinal cord.

Trying to understand the seriousness of what had happened devastated the family. Ethan, who was less than a year into starting his career, was left paralyzed and struggling to cope while his parents did their best to lift his spirits and motivate him to go on.

“One of the hardest things for me is not being able to make things better for him,” said his mother, Kathleen March. “I can't heal his broken heart. I can't promise or even tell him he will get better because it's an unknown of time and faith. It's been hard to see our son who was just beginning his life in his chosen career, enjoying it and doing well to lose it all, including the possibility to be able to return to that job as he did it.”

Brian March said that the most challenging aspect of the situation for him as a father was watching his son suffer.

“Not just the struggles with getting in and out of the car and our house but thinking he may never walk again therefore not experiencing the feeling of sand under his feet or the snow under his skis or even just standing up to give me a hug,” he said.

And for Ethan, he says coming to terms with his injury and its implications was tough.

“The mental anguish of recognizing I'm going to be like this in this condition for the rest of my life is difficult,” he said.

As parishioners at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Windham, Brian and Kathleeen March prayed and placed their faith in God to help their son overcome the trauma and give them strength and hope.

Just before Thanksgiving, Ethan moved into an extended stay hotel in Portland in a handicapped suite with a tiny kitchenette.

“It’s far from ideal and there are still challenges with the layout of this suite for functioning with his wheelchair,” his mother said. “It’s difficult such as not being able to roll under the counters or the stove, not being able to reach most of the cabinet shelves, and in general just tight quarters for movement. The staff at the hotel have been great at trying to work with him to accommodate his individual needs. They treat Ethan and us like family and with kindness and generosity.”

In late December, American Legion Post Adjutant Dave Tanguay attended a coffee social after church with Kathleen March, and she updated him about Ethan.

“We were shocked to hear that Ethan had fallen earlier from a roof while installing solar panels and sustained severe back injuries requiring multiple surgeries and months of rehab,” Tanguay said. “Kathleen mentioned that Ethan was now in a handicapped-accessible hotel in Portland and was still undergoing therapy. The Windham Field-Allen Legion Post 148 had a small collection of support items for veterans including a motorized wheelchair.”

Tanguay said the equipment is normally held to support a veteran in need, but in this case, it was a local veteran family who needed support for their son.

“I asked if she might be interested in a particular chair that had the ability not only for mobility but allowed the user to stand and remain mobile,” he said. “I checked with Post Commander Tom Theriault to see if the chair was still available and the March family made plans to pick the chair up on Jan. 2. By the end of the day, Ethan had the chair and was actively checking out its capabilities with his physical therapist.”

Kathleen March said that the donation of the motorized wheelchair was provided at the perfect time.

“It was early into Ethan's time being back in Maine and being the winter season, the motorized chair helped Ethan to get through some snowy weather,” she said. “Portland is full of hills, so trying to manually wheel himself up those hills was exhausting and difficult. “The motorized chair meant he could meet up with friends at the coffee shop on his own without needing to transfer to a car and back again or need to be pushed by someone else. The motorized chair provided more independence in some ways. This chair also allowed for Ethan to rise to a somewhat standing position, which could help him reach some things up high a little easier in the hotel.”

Eventually, Ethan’s physical therapists advocated for a non-moving standing apparatus for exercise and strength development and the family returned the motorized wheelchair to the American Legion to provide the opportunity to another veteran family in need.

“It was an incredibly generous gift of kindness. We are very grateful to have had the opportunity to have had such a valuable gift to be able to have the freedom of independence that it provided at a prominent point in Ethan's recovery,” Kathleen March said. “As an active 22-year-old that had only recently left his daily rehab facility to be able to feel more independent was simply amazing. There is nothing that would come close to reciprocating the value of what this gift was at the time that we received it. We are very grateful to the American Legion, and ‘Thank You’ doesn't seem big enough.”

Now a year after his accident, there has been no change regarding Ethan’s physical situation, but his spirits are unusually amazing. His parents say he does pretty good navigating the challenges of everyday life and tries not to let things get him down, although there are certainly moments that come and go.

“Spinal cord injuries affect so many aspects of how our bodies can function,” his mother said. “Unless you experience life in a wheelchair yourself or care for a person who is handicapped in this way, most people never really understand the magnitude of the situation day to day and how many obstacles there are to navigate out in public and how many limitations are set before you.”

Both Brian and Kathleen are doing OK and in a better place today.

“Life is full of ups and downs. Brian and I are people of strong faith and trust in God,” Kathleen March said. “In this difficult situation, God has already shown us his grace through our brothers and sisters in Christ and their prayers. We have seen the face of Jesus in neighbors as well as strangers through their kindness. There are still many challenges to work through both for us and especially for Ethan and we know that we are in God's hands. If we allow him, by continuing to trust in our relationship with him, God will make a way for the road to be less bumpy leading us to a beautiful place.”

She said the hardest part as parents is having patience as they navigate the critical aspects of what Ethan still needs like his adapted vehicle and their home revamped to meet all their needs as their son continues to visit with his siblings for all occasions.

“There are still so many other devices and things to navigate in his life including re-education to find a new life career and exploring his previous interests from a new perspective,” Brian March said.

Ethan says he’s grateful for everything his parents have done to help him, and that he is determined to forge a new life for himself.

“My new career plan is to do everything I can to become a commercial pilot," he said. <

RSU 14 music teachers attend four-day workshop at Carnegie Hall

By Ed Pierce

The distance between Windham and New York City is about 300 miles, but it was a trip worth taking this summer for some local music educators.

Four music teachers from RSU 14 recently attended the
Summer Music Education Workshop at the Weill Music
Institute of Carnegie Hall in New York City. From left
are Simon Roussel, Dr. Richard Nickerson, Mary Reed and 
Morgan Riley. They spent four days in New York City with
educators from around the world exploring the theme of
'Joy in the Music Classroom' through community, 
empowerment, innovation and process.
COURTESY PHOTO   

Four RSU 14 music teachers, Simon Roussel, Dr. Richard Nickerson, Mary Reed and Morgan Riley, joined educators from around the world participating in the Summer Music Educators Workshop at the Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall from June 28 to July 1. The theme for the event was “Joy in the Music Classroom” through community, empowerment, innovation, and process.

The four-day workshop was held at Carnegie Hall’s Resnick Education Wing and provided music teachers with the opportunity to expand the impact and breadth of their work with young musicians. Sessions for participants explored how can music educators create joyful learning environments that inspire and sustain a lifelong love of music among their students and how can expressions of joy in the classroom empower deeper learning and discovering what joy looks and sounds like in a music classroom.

RSU teachers joined Carnegie Hall faculty members and guest professional musicians in a series of musical and professional training activities while engaging in workshops with student ensembles, visiting faculty and attending Carnegie Hall concerts. The workshop’s purpose is to reinvigorate the individual artistry of teachers, strengthening their teaching practice and fostering connections with peers.

“This was my fourth time attending the Weill Institute at Carnegie Hall and each time I have found it to be inspiring and informative,” said Dr. Richard Nickerson, Windham High School’s Director of Choral Activities. “This year, I wrote a grant which enabled several other RSU 14 music staff members to attend. We spent four days networking and sharing ideas with other music educators from across the world. We also took classes and participated in music making activities with distinguished faculty members. To top it all off, we were in a space that is one of the most historically significant places in American musical history.”

Nickerson said each time he attends the Summer Music Educators Workshop at the Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall, he returns feeling energized and excited about starting a new school year.

Morgan Riley, Windham Middle School’s band and orchestra teacher, said that workshop sessions were well-organized and the presenters were all highly qualified music educators and included some Broadway performers.

“The workshop focused on how to improve students and teachers sense of joy in their instrument playing, singing, movement, composing and improvising,” Riley said. “One session was presented by Dr. Janet Kim, conductor of the University of Connecticut Symphonic Wind Ensemble geared toward rehearsal techniques to encourage student's music listening skills, guiding students to detect what needs improvement themselves instead of always being told by the conductor.”

She said that session brought to light the way teachers talk about music with students and how it could be less conductor-centered and more music-centered.

“We were encouraged to ask more questions like ‘What is the music asking for in this section’ and ‘Where are the dynamics leading us?’ All of these things encourage a ‘shift from control to curiosity.’ I learned many things in this session I will use in my rehearsals at Windham Middle School.

Riley said another excellent session she attended was led by Alysia Lee, director of the Sister Cities Girlchoir in Philadelphia, Camden, and Baltimore and it focused on movement and simple dance as a way for students to connect with one another and bring joy to the classroom.

“I attended a session led by Sbongiseni Duma and Tshidi Manye, two performers from the Zulu nation who have been performing as part of "The Lion King" Broadway cast for many years,” Riley said. “We learned a traditional Zulu song and were taught how to sing along in a traditional manner. The call and response type song in many cultures includes one singer demonstrating and the group singing back the exact same musical line. In the Zulu tradition, one singer demonstrates the melody, and all the responses are in harmony. That takes great listening skills, and it didn't take long before we were responding in beautiful harmonies together.”

Another fantastic session featured Brian Drye, an award-winning jazz trombonist, pianist and educator based in New York City. Riley said that his session required everyone to bring a musical instrument, and he took us through the very beginning of teaching improvisation.

“Many classically trained musicians like me are used to having to play exactly what's on the page and that improvisation is intimidating,” she said. “Brian showed us a step-by-step low-stress approach that had us all playing improvised solos with ease by the end of the session.”

According to Riley, all of the RSU 14 music educators took something positive away from attending the workshop.

“Every good teacher knows that they are never finished learning,” she said. “I was thrilled to learn a great amount and my students will have a better learning experience because I went to the Summer Music Educators Workshop. I hope to attend next year and beyond.” <

Young boat builder realizes dream of creating first vessel

By Ed Pierce

If dreams are the touchstone of our character, then Brysen Sheridan, 10, has a very bright future ahead of him and because of his persistence and determination, his dream of building a boat and taking it out on the water has come true.

Brysen Sheridan of Raymond, 10, right. takes his younger
brother Benny, 5, fishing on his boat 'the unsinkable' in a
small cove near Jordan Bay. He conceived the idea and built
his own boat after working shoveling snow and mowing
lawns to earn enough to buy materials to make the boat.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

Brysen just completed fourth grade at Raymond Elementary School and will be in fifth grade at Jordan-Small Middle School this fall. He has spent much of the past 10 months designing his own boat and working to pay for materials to build it.

The son of Rob and Chanelle Sheridan of Raymond, Brysen came up with the idea for a small boat last fall.

“I just had the idea and wanted to make it happen,” he said. “I thought of the idea before bed one night and I drew it out and started making it the next day.”

The first obstacle he had to overcome in his plan was figuring out how to pay for the building materials he needed to construct the boat and then saving up to purchase them.

Throughout the winter, Brysen shoveled snow from driveways and sidewalks for his neighbors and helped them with yard work. As the weather slowly warmed up this spring, he earned some additional money from mowing lawns and stacking firewood.

After school officially ended for the summer in June, Brysen discovered that he finally had saved enough money to purchase the materials he needed for the boat.

“We went to the store I bought them with my money,” he said.

Working steadily in his family’s garage and outside in his yard from his initial design, the boat project began to take shape.

“I needed some help with the circular saw, and then I had some leaks when I first put it in the water, but I used Flex Seal to fix that,” Brysen said.

The project was wrapped up on July 11 and resulted in a vessel measuring about 6 feet by 2 feet.

He named his new boat “the unsinkable” and tested it out with his family watching to ensure it was safe to be out on the water.

“I am very proud, and it was so worth it,” Brysen said. “I’d like to build a larger boat sometime or my mom wants me to build a console table for her.”

His mother, Chanelle Sheridan, says the entire family is amazed at what Brysen was able to accomplish with his design and a dream.

“We are so excited,” she said. “He was so determined and worked so hard to finish this.”

During the summer, Brysen has taken his younger brother Bennett (Benny), 5, out on the water for a fishing trip on “the unsinkable” on a small cove near Jordan Bay in Raymond.

He says that looking back at everything regarding his boat project, the hardest aspect of building the boat for him was all the work that he had to do and all of the hours that he put in around his neighborhood to earn the money for the parts and materials.

According to Brysen, his favorite subject in school is writing and he says he would eventually like to become a game warden when he grows up.

But having realized his dream of building a practical vessel, he says he now knows what needs to be done to see a project through from start to finish.

As far as something that he’s learned from building his first boat, Brysen says that’s simple to answer.

“You can do whatever you put your mind to,” he said. “I’d tell other kids wanting to build a boat to stick with it even if it’s hard.” <

Great Falls Bridge Project in Windham nears start date

By Ed Pierce

After appearing on Maine Department of Transportation’s annual Three-Year Plan list for the past few years, work on the Great Falls Bridge connecting Windham and Gorham will be starting in a few weeks.

Crews will start work on the Great Falls Bridge connecting
Windham and Gorham on Aug. 18. The project involves
350 feet of approach work, replacing guardrail transitions,
flare terminals and expansion joint modification. A light pole
will also be removed. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE    

The project was first unveiled on MDOT’s list of road and bridge projects in its annual Three-Year Plan in January 2023.

MDOT Commissioner Bruce A. Van Note says that the preliminary scope of work for this bridge project consists of replacing the wearing surfaces on both Great Falls Bridges. The east and west bridges span the Presumpscot River between North Gorham and Dundee Ponds.

Van Note says that replacing the wearing surfaces will preserve the longevity of the bridges’ existing decks and superstructure.

Bridge wearing surface replacement involves 350 feet of approach work, guardrail transitions and flare terminals, and expansion joint modification. Workers will also install concrete coring connect to bridge beams and remove a light pole that conflicts with a new guardrail.

The reason MDOT cites for the project is to improve the condition of the existing structure while preserving the existing deck and superstructure longevity of the bridges. The project intends to minimize impacts to the traveling public and minimize impacts to adjacent properties and utilities during the project and implement a cost-effective solution to fixing the bridge’s wearing problem.

An MDOT study reveals that the average daily traffic crossing the Great Falls Bridges between Windham and Gorham is 1,910 vehicles per day with about 8 percent of that traffic consisting of heavy trucks.

Maintenance of traffic during construction will be achieved either by using a closure and detour or by using staged construction. The closure and detour alternatives would require all traffic to detour around the site on by using an alternate route.

Van Note said that the staged construction alternative would have one-half of the bridge under construction at a time, while a single lane of alternating one-way traffic would use the other half of the bridge. But it is possible that North Gorham Road and Windham Center Road at the project site may be closed to all traffic for a maximum of 45 consecutive days.

This project shall be performed in accordance with erosion control measures conforming to the latest version of State of Maine Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges and the Department of Transportation’s Best Management Practices for Erosion and Sediment Control.

The Great Falls Bridges are located on Windham Center Road over the Presumpscot River and connect Windham to North Gorham.

Both bridges were constructed in 1970 and following recent MDOT inspections, they both show signs of cracking and rutting on deck and surfaces.

The bridge site is located near the Great Falls Dam, which was one of the first sources of hydroelectric power in the Lakes region of Maine. Use of hydroelectric power was implemented by early settler Zebulon Trickey, who constructed bridges and mills on both sides of the Presumpscot River in Great Falls.

When a fire swept through the Great Falls area in 1872, it destroyed the mills and a bridge built by Trickey, and settlement of the Great Falls site has declined since then.

The estimated funding for the Great Falls Bridges Wearing Replacement Project is $500,000.

Scott Construction Corporation of Portland will perform the bridge wearing replacement work and distribute bridge closure notifications when needed. Both the Gorham and Windham Public Works Departments will also post notifications on social media accounts regarding project updates and bridge closures.

Work on the Great Falls Bridges project will start on Monday, Aug. 18 with traffic control devices put in place by Aug. 19. Soon thereafter the bridge may be closed temporarily to allow workers to remove all the bridge guardrails for both the east and west Great Falls bridges.

The project is expected to be completed by Oct. 31 Van Note said. <