Year in Review: Part Two

By Ed Pierce 

2025: A year of new opportunities and moving forward

Bill Diamond of Windham, a longtime legislator, educator,
business owner and child welfare advocate, died Aug. 31 at
the age of 80. He co-founded Windham Neighbors Helping
Neighbors to provide heat assistance to those in need and
the Walk A Mile In Their Shoes Foundation to end 
child homicide in Maine.  FILE PHOTO  

JULY

July 4’s top story was about Raymond’s new Code Enforcement Officer Jason Williamson, who had been serving as the town’s assistant Code Enforcement Officer, but was promoted to his new position after Chris Hanson was selected to the Raymond Select Board in June. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a background in carpentry and building, Williamson says he finds his code enforcement job to be both challenging and rewarding. “The biggest challenges, I would say are when you’re dealing with some issues that crop up with neighbors,” he said. “It seems like you’re taking sides … but you’re really trying to be fair and not infringe on anybody’s rights.” Getting people to see the other side’s point of view “can be extremely difficult,” he said. An important part of the job, Williamson says, has to do with enforcing shoreline zoning and protecting the waterways, as much of the building that takes place in Raymond is along or near lakes. “Protecting the water quality, making sure and informing homeowners when they are doing projects in and around the lakes and showing them how to do it in a manner that’s going to be respectful to the lake,” is one of his biggest responsibilities. Williamson said, “Everybody wants to do what they want with their property, but most people understand that there’s a responsibility of being down by the water. When you get people who understand is the most rewarding, I would say.”

The top story for July 11 reported on the Town of Raymond’s intention to apply for a grant later this summer to help the town prepare for climate change. The Raymond Select Board conducted a workshop where residents and Select Board members discussed priorities of how the grant, if approved, could be best be put to use. During the workshop, which was led by Lucy Perkins of Siler Climate Consulting, community members were invited to share their thoughts about how the town could use grant funding to make the town more resilient in planning for climate change. Funds can be used to support projects that reduce energy use and costs and make communities more resilient to climate change effects, such as flooding, extreme weather, drought, and public health impacts. The town of Raymond has contracted with Siler Climate Consulting, together with North Star Planning, for assistance in enrolling in the Community Resilience Partnership, a program under the Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future and applying for a Community Action Grant that would range between $50,000 and $75,000. The grants are funded through a mix of federal and state sources. According to Perkins, so far 263 Maine municipalities have enrolled in the program, which encompasses about two-thirds of the state’s population; and a large percentage of those communities have received funding.

July 18’s top story was about Windham High School graduate Brady Afthim, who has dreamed of playing Major League Baseball since he was a child competing in Windham Little League. His dream took a step closer when the Cincinnati Reds selected him in the 13th round of the 2025 MLB Draft with the 384th pick this week. A right-handed pitcher who dominated opponents while playing for Windham High School, Afthim, 22, was the closer for the University of Connecticut Huskies after graduating from WHS in 2021. At Windham, he was honored as Maine Gatorade Player of the Year, was USA Today Player of the Year in Maine, and was recognized as First Team All-Southern Maine Athletic Association as both a pitcher and a catcher. He also won the John Winkin Award designating him as the top senior high school baseball player in Maine in 2021 and he was named as the recipient of the 2021 Mr. Baseball in Maine Award. This year as a senior, Afthim closed out his college career as second in UConn history with 92 appearances. He was tied for 8th place overall in team history with 17 career saves and he posted the lowest opponent batting average in Huskies’ history at just .211. Afthim also had a career-low 2.45 ERA, earned nine saves and had two wins as the team’s closer. In 22 appearances, he racked up 53 strikeouts. Afthim signed with Cincinnati and played for its Rookie League team in Goodyear, Arizona and was promoted to its Single-A affiliate at Daytona Beach in the Florida State League by the end of the season.

The top story for July 25 was about Mason Hall, 11, a skilled artist who has been honored as the first-ever winner of the Finance Authority of Maine’s (FAME) “Design Your Dream Money Contest.” The contest was created this spring and intended to help raise awareness of the importance of teaching financial skills to younger students in partnership with the Alfond Scholarship Foundation. Students in first grade through sixth grade were invited to create their own $500 bill using a template created by FAME. Hall was a student in Lynne Latham’s fifth-grade classroom at Jordan-Small Middle School this past spring and he joined his classmates in learning about basic financial education, capped off by the students entering FAME’s “Design Your Dream Money Contest.” During a school assembly before classes let out for the summer in June, Jordan-Small Middle School students cheered when Hall was announced as this year’s “Design Your Dream Money” contest winner. For his winning design, Hall received an Amazon gift card and a box of prizes including a T-shirt with his $500 bill design printed on it. “I was really surprised by winning,” he said. “I truly felt like I accomplished something.”

AUGUST

Aug. 1’s top article told the story of Brysen Sheridan of Raymond, 10, whose dream of building his own boat and taking it out on the water came true. He spent more than 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.” He first had to figure out how to pay for the building materials he needed to construct the boat and then saved 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. Working steadily in his family’s garage and outside in his yard from his initial design, the boat project began to take shape. 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. 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. “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.”

The top story for Aug. 8 reported how a Windham family had their faith tested and strengthened their resolve when their 22-year-old son, who was working as an electrician and was installing solar panels on a roof in Kingfield, suddenly fell 20 feet to the ground and sustained multiple breaks in his T-11 vertebrae which smashed and put pressure on his spinal cord. It left him 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.” Parishioners at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Windham rallied to help and support Brian and Kathleeen March and so did American Legion Post 148 in Windham. The couple’s son, Ethan, is doing better now and in a motorized wheelchair and aiming to become a pilot.

Aug. 15’s top story was about Greta Paulding, a 2023 Windham High School graduate, who has found swing dance to be her way of not only coping with stress, but also noticed improvements physically, mentally, and socially. 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 students, current high school students, and recent graduates. “We started off very small withia 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.” 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.

The top story for Aug. 22 was about a Windham attorney, Katie Winchenbach, who won the National United States Mrs. 2025 Pageant. After winning the title of United States of America’s Mrs. Maine for 2024, Winchenbach was crowned National United States Mrs. 2025 at the National United States Pageant, held in Hershey, Pennsylvania from July 28 to Aug. 1. “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. “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.”

Aug. 29’s top story reported about the new Roosevelt Trail Maine History Tour featuring eight important local historical sites which will be open to the public with free admission. The self-guided auto or bike tour includes open houses and some guided tours and stretches all the way from Westbrook to Harrison along the historic Roosevelt Trail. Brochures are available throughout the area and include a list of participating historical sites and museums, a trail map, and museum profiles and missions. Margaret Myatt is the publicity coordinator for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boyhood Home and the Hawthorne Community Association in Raymond and says that she is looking forward to the tour and hopes to spread the word to the community. “It should be a fun event if we can get people out there. I hope it is a well-received event,” she said. “It is sort of an open-house road show of history sites, informal, but easy. I think Windham Recreation caught wind of it and may do a van or bus.” Myatt also said that they plan to distribute brochures at adult recreation and assisted living facilities in the area. She said that the tour is perfect for all age groups from youngsters and teens to families and seniors.

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 5’s top story covered the death of former Windham State Senator and State Representative Bill Diamond, who died Aug. 31 at the age of 80 following a hard-fought battle with cancer. He spent more than 40 years in politics and Diamond also served as Maine’s Secretary of State from 1989 to 1997. He left behind a legacy few will equal. Diamond grew up on his grandfather’s farm in West Gardiner and came to Southern Maine to study to become a teacher at Gorham State Teacher’s College, earning a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education. He married his wife Jane in 1968, and the couple raised two daughters, Kristin and Karyn, in Windham and now have eight grandchildren. He taught from 1968 to 1986 in Windham schools and was the first principal of Windham’s Manchester School. He went on to lead Field-Allen Junior High School and Windham Middle School as principal and was Superintendent of Schools for Raymond. As the cost of heating homes rose in the early 2000s, Diamond co-founded and served as president of Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors in 2007, an all-volunteer effort which raised money to provide emergency heating oil to community residents in need. He also served as a board member for the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals in Windham and Hospice of Southern Maine. In 2023, Diamond launched the “Walk A Mile In Their Shoes Foundation,” a non-profit dedicated to preventing child homicides and the abuse of children who are under the supervision or direct care of the State of Maine or who are or have been associated with the state’s Child Protective System.

The top story for Sept. 12 reported on significant progress made on the construction of the new Windham Raymond Middle School on Windham Center Road, including moving the horse barn on the property for future use as an outdoor classroom. Christopher Howell, RSU 14 Superintendent of Schools, says that construction costs for the school have remained constant and the project continues to be on schedule for a planned opening of September 2027. The new school will be a free-standing multi-story building with more than 260,000 gross square feet of new construction for learning space, an auditorium, gymnasium, and dining facilities. Howell says that the new school will use a team-teaching concept where students will be divided into 12 teams to provide personal connection and then broken up into smaller instructional teams. It will incorporate Integrative Project Based Learning through team teaching, a method of instruction where a group of teachers work together to plan, conduct, and evaluate learning activities for the same group of students and the school’s design takes all of that into account with the team areas of the building allowing for a science teacher, math teacher, social studies teacher, and an English teacher to be in the same teaming area. “It’s just been an amazing process to watch and see the large precision of this process,” Howell said. “We are $16 million under the original budget and expect things to remain that way.”

Sept. 19’s top story was about Tia’s Prom Project, an initiative to memorialize the late Tatiana “Tia” Morrell of Windham, who tragically died at age 28 in a moped accident. She was a real estate agent and business professional who loved proms. Her friends and family say that they wanted to find a way to remember Tia in a meaningful and lasting way because of the type of person she was. Tia’s Prom Project will provide dresses to high school and middle school students in Cumberland County for prom, homecoming, or any other formal or semi-formal school events at no cost to the student. The inspiration for remembering Tia through Tia’s Prom Project stems from an event that took place when she was just in eighth grade. A new girl started school in Windham and Tia, her mother said, wanted to help the girl by buying her a dress to attend a semi-formal dance cruise that eighth grade students were attending at the end of the school year. Tia enlisted the assistance of her mother and together they bought a dress and on the day of the dance cruise, Worthing helped the new student with her hair and makeup. Her mother said that story helped inspire this new initiative.

The top story for Sept. 26 detailed the opening of the Space to Thrive non-profit childcare organization’s new facility, located on Pope Road in Windham. The 6,000-square-foot facility welcomed families, community members, and local and state leaders for a music-filled event to celebrate the grand opening. Colorful chalk decorated the sidewalks, as families enjoyed music, snacks and an opportunity to explore the new building. The building’s five classrooms are welcoming spaces, with activity-specific areas dotted around each, and doors leading directly to a new playground. Each teacher assembled and arranged their classrooms to fit their students’ needs, ensuring that children will find enrichment wherever they turn. The event was attended by Maine Gov. Janet Mills and State Senator Tim Nangle. “Parents across the state need consistent, affordable care for their children, not only so they can go to work, but so their children can have a great place to learn and grow,” she said, while touting her administration’s accomplishments in helping to expand childcare access in Maine. As someone who raised five daughters and as someone who is now a grandmother to five, I deeply appreciate the work that childcare providers do every day, and I know it isn’t easy,” Mills said.

OCTOBER

Oct. 3’s top story was about the resignation of Joseph Crocker as Raymond Town Manager. Crocker, 37, had formerly served the town as Parks and Recreation Director, and was appointed to the Town Manager position in May succeeding Sue Look, who resigned in March. The Raymond Select Board had then tapped Crocker to serve as the interim Town Manager until a permanent replacement could be hired. Look had served as Raymond Town Clerk before succeeding longtime Town Manager Don Willard in January 2024 upon his retirement. Crocker was hired for the town manager position after a competitive recruiting and hiring process conducted by HR Maine Consulting, LLC. All told, there were 46 applicants for the town manager position. Nine of those candidates participated in a rigorous essay and pre-screening process, with four candidates moving forward in the panel interview process, consisting of the Raymond Select Board Chair, Vice-Chair, a community member, town department heads, a Town Manager from another community, and Betsy Oulton from HR Maine Consulting. His contract was for three years at an annual salary of $100,000. “When you provide services to a small town for so long, they become your friends,” Crocker said. “All I can say is I have given my best effort to make the Town of Raymond better, and all I ask is that our elected officials act in good faith to do the same.” <

The top story for Oct. 10 reported on the return of the Presumpscot River Revival Race after an absence of three decades. The race is sponsored by the Friends of the Presumpscot River at Dundee Park for a day of friendly paddle competition and celebration. The 2.5-mile race and festivities at the river will span several hours to include paddling, food trucks, leaf-peeping, and more. The goal of the event is to “bring awareness and community to the river,” says Leah Zwain of FOPR. The organization has been increasing its outreach efforts to help build connection with the river and to each other. It provides that opportunity to connect through Community Paddle and Grill events and Evening Paddles on the Presumpscot and hosts conversations and presentations at local libraries or yacht clubs, partnering with other nonprofits such as Friends of Casco Bay. Some of the proceeds from the races will help with the FOPR school outreach program which is designed to get students in Gorham, Westbrook, Windham, Portland, and Falmouth out on the water, and the program introduces children to the river. Students are taught paddling techniques and learn about the Wabanaki and industrial history of the waterway, while also discussing the river’s future.

For Oct. 17, the top story unveiled plans for the final segment to extend the Mountain Division Trail from Windham to be added to Maine Department of Transportation’s Three-Year Plan. During a meeting of the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System’s Advisory Committee, PACTS members voted to recommend the project to be included on MaineDOT’s Three-Year Plan spanning 2026-2027-2028. Aubrey Miller, Senior Transportation Program Manager for the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG), said that following the Draft Plan’s adoption by the committee, the GPCOG Policy Board will review and consider adopting the Regional Trail Plan on Oct. 23. The $16.2 million project will extend the Mountain Division Trail from its current end at Main Street (Route 202), in Windham, and extend the trail about 5 miles south to Bridge Street in Westbrook. Doing this will create a continuous, nearly 10-mile off-road bicycle and pedestrian transportation link running from Standish to Westbrook. Once funded by MaineDOT, project work will include new pavement, gravel, curbing, drainage, signing and striping, retaining walls, fencing, and rectangular rapid flashing beacons located at the trail crossings on Bridge Street in Westbrook, Depot Street in Windham, and Main Street (Route 202) in Windham.

Oct. 24’s top story covered the induction of Windham High School boys’ basketball coach Chad Pulkkinen into the Saint Joesph’s College Athletics Hall of Fame. He has led Windham High School to consecutive state boys’ basketball championships and competed for Saint Joesph’s as a player in the 1990s. In his freshman year at Saint Joseph’s College, Pulkkinen tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament. Less than a year later, he tore his ACL again in what he described as “extremely dark moments” for his first two years playing college ball. Being injured was a life lesson for him. It took away everything he loved. He said he thought it was the best thing for him because he looked at the game differently; he appreciated it differently, especially after the second injury. He overcame that adversity and finished his college career strong and eventually went on to play professionally in England for the Northampton Neptunes in the European Basketball League. “I want Windham alumni to be proud and hopefully my experiences including failures and successes can help my current players,” said Pulkkinen.

The top story for Oct. 31 was about the Windham Town Council choosing Anthony Blasi to succeed longtime Windham Town Clerk Linda Morrell, who is retiring. Blasi will be sworn in Nov. 4 and understands that he has big shoes to fill. “Linda is a tough act to follow. I can only hope to command the love, respect, and trust that the people of Windham have bestowed upon her,” Blasi said. “Linda is so helpful. You see the way she interacts with people, and she is always willing to help. If she cannot do something or is not sure, she always finds out the answer. I learned more about resourcefulness from her and hope to be as resourceful as she is.” Blasi is originally from Auburn and graduated in 2015 from Edward Little High School. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Maine Farmington in 2019. Before coming to work in Windham, Blasi served as the Town Clerk of Woolwich for about a year and a half, and he applied for the Windham job because it posed more of a challenge. He is a Certified Municipal Clerk by the Maine Town and City Clerks Association and is a Notary Public.

NOVEMBER

Nov. 7’s top story reported on the Nov. 4 municipal election in Windham as three new Windham Town Councilors and two members of the RSU 14 Board of Directors will be sworn in following the election. In Windham’s North District, Margaret “Maggie” Terry defeated Deborah Devou, while in the South District, Doug Fortier beat Michael Russin for the council seat. In a race for an At-Large council seat, Katie Cook defeated Clayton Haskell and Joseph Campbell, and a recount challenge confirmed her victory. In a five-candidate race with the top two vote tallies earning seats for three-year terms on the RSU 14 Board of Directors, incumbent Christina Small and first-time candidate Matthew Irving received the most votes and won seats on the school board, over candidates Adam Zajac, Megan Potter and Destiny Johnson. Voters in Windham and Raymond were among state residents casting ballots in Tuesday’s election to decide the fate of two statewide referendum questions. Question 1 about requiring voter identification and eliminating two days of absentee voting failed statewide, while Question 2 prohibiting individuals posing potential harm to others from having dangerous weapons was approved statewide.

For Nov. 14, the top story covered the 2025 Veterans Day observance hosted by VFW Post 10643 at the Windham Veterans Center on Veterans Day. Featuring guest speaker Elizabeth Cormier of Honor Flight Maine, VFW Post 10643’s new commander Jeffrey Cook served the master of ceremonies and local essay winners for the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen for grades 6 to 8 and Voice of Democracy audio essay contest for grades 9 to 12 were announced. The Patriot’s Pen winner was Windham Christian Academy eighth grader Elsa Pearson with second place awarded to Annaelle Kawaya. The Voices of Democracy winner was Windham sophomore Shea Carey. Pearson spoke of the importance of volunteering and how when she was in fifth and sixth grade, she volunteered at the local food pantry setting up Thanksgiving baskets. She said helping our community is one step closer to making our country better. She and her class have also traveled across southern Maine to perform juggling acts for nursing homes and spread the gospel, while visiting with the residents of these homes. Carey’s essay was about the many ways to display patriotism. Her version of patriotism involves the simplest acts of kindness and integrity. She values being a kind person and hopes those who heard her essay take those words and strive to make a difference where they can.

Nov. 21’s top story was about a Windham parent who enlisted teens and members of the community for a food drive that raised more than $500 to purchase food items for the Windham Food Pantry, along with collecting additional food donations from Windham residents. Angela Libby spent a little under two weeks collecting funds and donations, ending up with more than four shopping carts full of food for the food pantry. She assembled a group of teens from Windham High School to help with both collecting donations and with a shopping trip to Market Basket in Westbrook. “I wanted to help, and I wanted my youngest daughter to be involved and see that there are people who are less fortunate than us” in the community, she said. “Having the kids hear about how many are in need, how many people come [to the Food Pantry], and what is available was really eye opening for them, which is exactly what I was looking for.” Libby said that hearing from a food pantry volunteer that there are 38 families from the Windham Primary School seeking help from the community organization really hit home for the kids. Upon hearing about recent cuts to SNAP benefits, the mother of three daughters used a group chat from a group of teens who attended Homecoming together to reach out to parents and their kids to see if any would be interested in participating. “Everybody of course said yes,” she said. “Some kids came over with boxes of food they had collected, and others collected money.”

For Nov. 28, the top story reported on a Windham veteran who was surprised by every aspect of her Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. earlier this year and describes it “as an experience of a lifetime.” Alola Giffin Morrison, 88, grew up as the daughter of a U.S. Coast Guard captain, and lived in eight different cities ranging from New Orleans to throughout the Northeastern U.S. and as far north as Agentia, Newfoundland in Canada growing up. After earning dual Bachelor of Science degrees in nutrition and home economics in 1959 from the University of Maine, she completed a one-year dietetic internship at Beth Israel Hospital in Massachusetts, qualifying her to become a registered dietitian in 1960. Later that same year, she became a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) in Boston and was sworn in by her father as a Lieutenant Junior Grade. She married her University of Maine classmate and sweetheart Joe Morrison in November 1961 at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts and resigned from the Public Health Service in June 1962 to move to Orono, Maine to start her family in August 1962. Resuming her military career by re-enlisting in the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps (USARMC) as a captain in 1974, she was assigned to the 1125th Medical Unit out of Auburn, Maine and Section 1 in Bangor for 12 years as a registered dietitian. She retired from the USARMC in 1986 having obtained the rank of Major. The Honor Flight experience was very humbling and Morrison said going to the Women’s Military Memorial was her favorite. Her military story was officially entered into the Women's Military Memorial. She was one of 77 veterans from Maine and was the only female veteran on this trip.

DECEMBER

For Dec. 5, the top story was about the Maine Dance Company and the Maine Dance Center’s upcoming new holiday dance production, Christmas at the Castle, premiering Dec. 20 at the Donald M. Gay Performing Arts Center located at Edward Little High School in Auburn. Dancers of all ages from the Maine Dance Company and the Maine Dance Center, located on Roosevelt Trail in Raymond, will take the stage to help the Sugar Plum Fairy retrieve her lost wand to ensure Christmas magic will carry Santa Claus across the globe. “If Sugarplum Fairy doesn’t have her wand, Christmas is in jeopardy,” said Adrienne Pelletier, one of the two authors of the show’s storyline, when detailing the adventures the cast will face. Pelletier, along with her sister and co-author, Rhiannon Pelletier-Guerrette, worked to develop the show for almost two years, after a performance at Windham’s Summerfest in 2023. Once the duo founded the company in 2024, they realized they had talented dancers to fill the roles and develop a full performance. They began writing in January of that year and spent almost two years finishing a script and patching the music together. Both Pelletier and Pelletier-Guerrette are each principal dancers with the Maine State Ballet. Family support will be essential as the Maine Dance Center expands in a new location in the North Windham Shopping Center behind Windham Jewelers in February 2026.

Dec. 12’s top story was Raymond residents voicing both support and criticism of their town’s Select Board chair, and vice chair during a packed public hearing on a recall election that could remove them from office. Former Raymond Select Board member Teresa Sadak initiated the recall petition against Chair Denis Morse and Vice Chair Kaela Gonzalez. The election is scheduled for Dec. 30. In her petition, Sadak listed four reasons for the recall including failing to put Raymond’s interests first, creating division, micromanaging, and denigrating employees during public meetings. Sadak detailed actions she said supported her claims, many tied to the board’s treatment of former Town Manager Joseph Crocker. Crocker, who resigned earlier this fall, had served as director of Parks and Recreation before becoming interim town manager in March and the permanent town manager in May. He continues part-time work on a special project for the town. Glenn Michalowski, formerly Lisbon’s town manager, was appointed interim town manager on Nov. 18. During the public hearing, Sadak accused Morse and Gonzalez of violating board protocols, citing emails obtained through a Freedom of Information request and accounts from staff. She said the two Select Board members berated Crocker over a septic issue at a church leased for town programs, their voices loud enough to be heard by staff and residents. She also criticized Morse and Gonzalez for contacting staff, attorneys, and other town managers without board authorization. Raymond Select Board members Chris Hanson and Derek Ray acknowledged some of those actions occurred. Crocker himself wrote a letter that constant questioning of his decisions from certain board members contributed to his resignation. Despite the support for the recall, many Raymond residents defended Morse and Gonzalez during the public hearing, praising their efforts to address longstanding town issues and urging that Morse and Gonzalez to not face a recall vote.

For Dec. 19, the top story was about Amanda Lessard being designated to serve as interim assistant town manager for the Town of Windham until a permanent candidate can be hired by the Windham Town Council. Windham Town Manager Robert Burns appointed Lessard to the role last week. Lessard had been serving as Senior Planner/Project Manager for the town. Burns became the first person to hold the position of Assistant Town Manager for Windham with his appointment to the role in December 2021 and was named Windham Town Manager by town councilors when Barry Tibbetts stepped down from that position June 30. Lessard had served as Windham’s Planning Director from 2019 to 2024 when she joined Royal River Conservation Trust in Yarmouth as Conservation Director. She subsequently was rehired by the town and will now assist Burns in his duties on an interim basis until councilors appoint a permanent assistant town manager. As a town planner, Lessard was involved in everything from the creation of Windham’s Comprehensive Plan, handling zoning issues, reviewing subdivision and commercial building plans to the development of the town’s Open Space Master Plan. As Planning Director, Lessard led Windham to partner with Presumpscot Regional Land Trust to purchase and conserve 661 acres near Little Duck Pond in East Windham. Called the East Windham Conservation Area, the project acquired the forested acreage for recreational opportunities in Windham while also adding 1,545 feet of undeveloped water frontage on Little Duck Pond, the 150-acre Deer Wintering Area for hunting, and Atherton Hill. She helped Windham obtain a $1 million grant from the Land for Maine’s Future initiative for the project. <

Year in Review: Part One

By Ed Pierce

2025: A year of new opportunities and moving forward

Reviewing what happened over the past year is always a significant opportunity for all of us to assess and reflect on what has been achieved in the Windham and Raymond communities and to determine the direction of where our towns may be heading in 2026.

Windham High School won a second consecutive Gold Ball
by defeating South Portland, 55-52, and winning the 
2024-2025 Class AA State Boy's Basketball Championship
on Saturday, March 1 at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

For residents of the Lakes Region of Maine, there were plenty of milestones and newsworthy accomplishments in 2025 to celebrate but much more could be attained in the new year ahead as changes and potential adjustments await our communities. Windham and Raymond have sworn in new elected leaders and representatives following November’s election and changes will soon be visible in the towns with a new middle school under construction, roads and bridges repaired and replaced, Maine’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave Program starting for employees and how the race for governor shapes the state in the months ahead.

Following a thorough review of all issues of The Windham Eagle from 2025, we’ve chosen to highlight the top story for each edition as featured in the newspaper and we wish everyone a healthy, safe, and prosperous year ahead in 2026.

JANUARY

Jan. 3’s top story was about preparations under way for the Dr. Richard Nickerson Annual Scholarship Concert on Jan. 4 at the Windham High School Performing Arts Center. Back in the spring of 1997, Dr. Nickerson and his choral students called the Windham Chamber Singers went to Vienna to participate in a music festival and won the most prestigious award of the festival. They were very thankful for all the work that Dr. Nickerson did to bring the group to that place and to show their gratitude and give back, they decided to start a scholarship specifically for choral music. Daniel Griffin is a Windham High School alumnus and was a Windham Chamber Singer back in the day. His daughter, who also attended RSU 14, was fortunate enough to also be a Windham Chamber Singer, making it a full circle. Now, Griffin is a part of the Scholarship Committee setting up the annual fundraising concert. “We have a small committee that meets throughout the year and plans the one fundraising event, the scholarship concert, which happens on the first Saturday of every January,” says Griffin. “We have been doing this for 28 years and we have all musical alumni from Windham High School come back for this. It is a great type of family event that we are trying to keep on going.” A $1,000 scholarship is awarded each year to a high school senior that is planning to make choral music a part of their college experience. “This gives them an opportunity to find their people in the college or university that they are going to and start making friends,” Griffin said. “Choral music or being part of some sort of music program is very similar to sports teams; everybody comes together for one particular purpose to improve and work together and harmonize to produce something wonderful.”

The top story for Jan. 10 was a visit by a new Maine organization which trains service dogs, therapy dogs, and facility dogs for those with disabilities as it made a stop in Windham, showcasing its work for veterans and their families at the Windham Veterans Center. Based in Oxford at a 10-building facility on a 12-acre site, Mission Working Dogs was founded by Christy Gardner as a non-profit to help Mainers in need. Gardner was serving in the U.S. Army overseas when she was attacked and sustained a serious a brain injury, facial fractures, internal injuries, a spinal cord injury, and the amputation of both of her legs in the line of duty. Her initial diagnosis was that she would be 100 percent disabled and never lead a normal life. Spending more than a year and a half in the hospital, doctors at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. paired her with a service dog named Moxie to help her recover. That act boosted Gardner’s confidence, and it eventually led her to return home to Maine, to reestablish her life, and to become a member of the United States National Sled Hockey team, and an alternate for Team USA in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. She had been involved in training puppies in Maine for about 10 years before founding Mission Working Dogs in July 2020. “My own service dog, Moxie, made me want to start Mission Working Dogs,” Gardner said. “She was incredible and allowed me so much more independence than was imaginable after I was injured in the Army. I had volunteered at a Labrador breeder and helped other organizations temperament test puppies for possible service work and eventually became a puppy raiser.” Gardener said Mission Working Dogs has partnered with the Maine Department of the American Legion for a year-long project to support service dogs for Maine veterans and she traveled with several of her dogs to Windham to promote the effort.

Jan. 17’s top story reported that repair work on Babb’s Bridge has started in Windham, and sooner than expected. The historic crossing over the Presumpscot River has been closed to traffic since the previous summer after sustaining damage in an accident and typically carries more than 360 vehicles per day over the wooden Queenspost truss structure. At about 12:45 p.m. Aug. 23, 2024, police say a Ford F750 truck loaded with 36,000 pounds of crushed gravel attempted to cross Babbs Bridge from Gorham east into Windham on Hurricane Road. The truck’s excessive weight caused planks on the wooden bridge floor to collapse and sent the truck crashing into the Presumpscot River below. The posted weight limit for traveling across the Babbs Bridge span is 3 tons, or 6,000 pounds, and police said the truck weighed roughly six times the legal limit for crossing the bridge. The truck was owned by The Driveway Guys Company of Biddeford and was driven by Joshua Polewarzyk of Limington, 37, who was able to free himself from the truck in the water and sustained minor injuries in the crash. He was cited for excessive truck weight in crossing the bridge and was fined $2,500. Maine Department of Transportation engineers were tasked with evaluating the structural status of the bridge for public safety and come up with a plan for repairs and restoration of the structure. A note posted on social media by the Windham Town Manager’s Office on Jan. 10 said the MDOT has launched repairs to Babb’s Bridge about four months ahead of schedule. MDOT estimates it will take about six weeks to complete repairs on the bridge at a cost of $110,000 before it can be reopened to the public.

The top story for Jan. 24 was about the debut on YouTube of the “Early Bird Show,” an interview program sponsored by the Raymond-Casco Historical Society. It is the brainchild of Raymond-Casco Historical Society member Greg Plummer and features a different town celebrity on each episode. During the show, Pummer chats with guests in his makeshift studio, complete with a host’s desk and chairs. The “set” is decorated with local historical pieces, and the place appears quite cozy. “The Early Bird Show is designed to have the appearance of a low-budget late-night talk show parody. The host is yours truly and each month I will interview a featured guest, a senior member of our community and someone with a story to tell,” Plummer said. “My vision is to document and share as much history and local lore as I can from the people who have lived in this area for decades. Plus, I like talking with old people. Old people rule.” Plummer aptly kicked off a conversation by telling his guest, Wayne Whitney, “This will be perfect. It’s just you and I, it’s all it is. That’s what we’re gonna’ do.” That seemed to summarize the tone of the entertaining and witty conversation. Known primarily as a poultry farmer, Whitney explained how his family got into farming and highlighted some memories from his childhood on Raymond Cape Road. The next episode of the Early Bird Show will feature the one-and-only iconic Raymond resident Trudy Files. The show is sure to include many laughs and witty stories. “Trudy is a hoot,” said Plummer. “She is a dear friend and will be the featured guest on Episode 2 of The Early Bird Show. Born and raised in Raymond, Maine, Trudy has quite a collection of interesting stories and anecdotes to share. It’s hard to choose just one, and I won't give away all the details, but let's just say that she may have been involved in a high-speed chase pursuing Elvis Presley.”

The top story for Jan. 31 was about a Windham resident searching for a kidney transplant donor. Katie St. Pierre was diagnosed with IGA nephropathy last April. It is a chronic kidney disease characterized by deposits of immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies in one of her kidneys, leading to inflammation and damage to the glomeruli, tiny filters that remove waste products from the blood. “I was first diagnosed with IGA in April 2024,” St. Pierre said. “My case is considered hereditary, and I've probably had it my whole life, although I do not have any close family members with a similar condition.” The biggest issues St Pierre has been experiencing are the extreme exhaustion that comes with IGA neuropathy and the buildup of fluids it causes. “Imagine jumping in a pool fully clothed then walking around the rest of the day like that,” St. Pierre said. “I wake up every morning feeling like my limbs are made of lead.” St. Pierre is a familiar face to many in the area, having worked in the bakery department at the North Windham Hannaford store since 2019. Born in South Portland, she is married and has lived in Windham since she was 5. Upon receiving her IGA diagnosis last year and immediately starting on dialysis, doctors have advised St. Pierre that a kidney transplant is her best option for survival and to improve her quality of life. “I was told I needed a transplant on the same day I got my diagnosis. I ended up being hospitalized for a little over a week after some blood work came back,” she said. “During that time, I had many tests done but for a definitive answer they had to do a kidney biopsy, basically taking a small sliver of your kidney and putting it under a microscope to see what's wrong.” According to St. Pierre, she chose to undergo home dialysis treatment, called peritoneal dialysis or PD for short. “At first I was doing five days a week but now I am doing a treatment every day,” she said. ““If you or someone you know is willing to consider being a living kidney donor, I would be deeply grateful,” she said. “A living donation is a life-saving gift, and you could make all the difference in my journey or even someone else's. This experience has shown me the difficulties that so many are going through right now. All potential donors will be fully evaluated by medical professionals to ensure safety for both the donor and the recipient.”

FEBRUARY

Feb. 7’s top story detailed a last-minute Board of Selectmen meeting in Raymond conducted on ZOOM for select board members to vote on making a warrant available for easements requested by Sebago WIFI LLC during a Special Town Meeting. An oversight regarding a Sebago WiFi project was discovered by the Town of Raymond’s attorney, and it came to light last week. However, Raymond Select Board members were able to pull together an emergency meeting and voted to approve a Special Town Meeting Warrant authorizing a Special Town Meeting. Raymond Town Manager Sue Look explained the oversight details prompting the meeting. “In talking to our attorney about the Broadband Contract, I found that the Select Board does not have the authority to grant the easement needed to allow Sebago Fiber to build the proposed building on the Public Safety property for the broadband project, only (a) Town Meeting can do that,” she said. The Special Town Meeting Warrant was approved with the required votes of at least three Raymond Select Board members. There was no opposition. Look said this will allow for the Special Town Meeting to be called so it can be voted on by residents. The town is hoping to move forward with the project, so the broadband installation doesn’t get held up. The Special Town Meeting Warrant stipulates a town vote to authorize the Select Board to grant to Sebago Fiber & WIFI LLC a perpetual easement over and under a portion of town-owned property identified as Tax Assessor’s Map 04 Lot 106A support the installation of a fiber optic network ring connecting all municipal buildings and public safety radio towers and for the purpose of erecting, installing and maintaining a structure of about 400 square feet to be used as a central office, two new utility poles and underground conduit, and solar panels.

The top story for Feb. 14 reported on the efforts of a Windham hairstylist who was vying for the title of “United States of America Mrs. Maine” and seeking to raise awareness about infertility issues affecting women during the upcoming statewide pageant. Nichole Burke, 41, and her husband moved to Windham in November 2023, and in March 2024, they became the parents of a son. “Something many people may not know about me is that after four years of struggle, I became a first-time mom at 40, welcoming a beautiful son just 10 months ago,” Burke said. “My husband and I had a whirlwind year – we got married in June 2023, bought our first home five months later, and then, just four months after that, became parents.” She was asked by the director a few months ago to join the pageant. “I have some friends who have done pageants, so I talked with them and got a lot of encouragement,” Burke said. “I decided that this experience would be something just for me, where I could step out of my comfort zone and grow personally. A motivation to get back into self-care and regular exercise, something that I miss. Also, an opportunity to get more acquainted with our new community and be of service. Doing service work has been very fulfilling for me, and I am looking forward to it again. Another important part of my journey is that I have been in recovery for almost 16 years, a path that has shaped me into the resilient and compassionate person I am today.” If honored as the pageant winner, Burke hopes to use this platform to amplify the conversation around infertility, breaking the stigma and fostering a community of support for women facing similar struggles.

Feb. 21’s top story was regarding the Windham Police Department as a new K9 officer has joined its ranks. K9 Zeus is a 16-month-old Belgian Malinois who is partnered with his handler, Windham Officer Sam Pattee, a four year-veteran of the department. They are currently involved in training for Zeus to become a fully certified patrol dog, meaning he'll be certified in tracking, article searches, apprehension work and narcotics certification. “I grew an interest in being a K9 handler almost as soon as I got started on the road with Windham PD,” Pattee said. K9 Zeus came from Boston Police Department’s training barracks and was selected by him with the help of K9 trainers from both the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Scarbrough PD. “I was looking for a dual purpose K9, meaning a K9 fully capable of patrol work and narcotics detection,” Pattee said. “I viewed multiple possible K9s. but when I met Zeus, I quickly knew he was the one. He was full of energy, fearless and I felt a bond with him from the start.” According to Pattee, K9 training is not an easy task. “It takes a lot of time, dedication and patience. It takes a level of commitment that you can’t truly understand until you’ve done it yourself. I train with the group called Law Enforcement Dogs of Maine (LEDME) and it requires at least 480 hours of training with a certified trainer before a K9 team can be certified in patrol work,” he said. “In training we work on tracking, article searching, which is locating items that someone may have dropped or thrown, and suspect apprehension. We also conduct scenario-based training which puts both the K9 and the handler through real world situations and helps us be better prepared to make the right decisions on real deployments. The group has a great team of trainers with years of combined K9 experience to learn from and I appreciate everything they’ve taught me.” The Windham Police Department last had a K9 team about four years ago.

The top story for Feb. 28 was about the Town of Windham restricting public access to the three electric vehicle charging stations at the Windham Town Hall. During a scheduled meeting for Windham town councilors, Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts discussed posting signs and installing locks on the EV chargers after town employees could not charge their municipal EVs because the public was using them. Tibbetts said that the town obtained grants in 2015 to install two charging stations at Windham Town Hall and added a third one several years later. Through the years the town has been working to increase its fleet of municipal electric vehicles and decrease its dependence upon gas-powered vehicles, Tibbetts told the council. He said that as more residents purchase EVs, finding places to charge them has led them to use the charging stations at Windham Town Hall. “I thought it was important to bring this before the council,” Tibbetts said. “When municipal vehicles are unable to be charged because all three stations are in use by the public, we need to do something. It’s like in essence that they’re getting a free tank of gas.” A high-speed charger typically can add 200 to 250 miles of range per hour to an electric-powered vehicle. Tibbetts said without the council objection, he will order restricting use of the three EV charging stations at the town hall, posting signage that they are for municipal vehicle use only and securing them with locks.

MARCH

March 7’s top story was about Windham High School’s boys’ basketball team defeating South Portland at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on Saturday, March 1 to win its second straight Class AA state basketball championship, 55-52. South Portland had led most of the game but late in the fourth quarter Windham turned things around before a foul shot by Creighty Dickson tied the game at 47-47. As the clock ticked away, and the game tied at 52-52, Windham’s Tyrie James sank two crucial free throws to give Windham an edge and the victory. “At the Edward Little game I missed four free throws,” James said. “In practice I started taking them more seriously, working on my breath; I had the coaches help me with that. Last year we started off strong and then Gorham came back. This year I felt like we were behind and kept moving the ball ... we just kept going. The only difference (between last year’s team and this year’s) is people are stepping into different roles. The week leading up we each had to focus, and I feel like we did that. I feel like in the second half, we boxed out more and got more rebounds ... we started to understand where they were getting their points, and we started to stop that from happening.” Windham Coach Chad Pulkkinen said he was super happy for his players. “As a longtime resident of Windham, I’m just really proud of the young men ... we get to coach every day. South Portland ... didn’t want to go away ... we knew they weren’t just going to lay down for us – we wanted it the hard way, the guys enjoy those challenges and was just a testament to what this group is capable of. These guys had to answer the bell every night ... and that’s really hard to do as a teenager and really hard to do when the target is on your back. It was a collective effort, and we take a lot of pride in that.”

The top story for March 14 reported on the Town of Raymond establishing a selection process to choose a new town manager following the resignation of Raymond Town Manager Susan Look. She had been serving in that role since January 2024 but quit, citing more than an hour’s commute from her home in Richmond. Look had been working as the Raymond Town Clerk when she was appointed by the Raymond Select Board to replace Don Willard as interim town manager in July 2023. Willard officially retired in January 2024 after being out on Paid Medical Leave and Look took over as permanent town manager at that time. Look had worked as Raymond Town Clerk for more than a decade prior to her serving in the town manager’s position. The Town Manager job is a full-time position and appointed by the Raymond Select Board. The town manager is responsible for administering policies as established by the Select Board and the Town Charter. The Town Manager serves as the chief administrative officer and head of the administrative branch of the town’s government. To fill in until a new permanent town manager can be hired, the Raymond Select Board has appointed Raymond Parks and Recreation Director Joe Crocker as Raymond’s interim town manager.

March 21’s top story was about RSU 14 expanding its early childhood education services to reach more young families and support early learning opportunities for children in Windham and Raymond. This expansion includes increasing Pre-K offerings in elementary schools in Windham and Raymond and strengthening partnerships with community organizations. The district currently serves 66 Pre-K students, providing them with essential early learning opportunities. Yet as the school district continues to grow, school officials say that its early childhood programs must also grow to provide more families with access to high-quality preschool education, helping set a strong foundation for future academic success. “The district currently provides Pre-K services at Raymond Elementary School and Tu Casa Childcare in Raymond, as well as A Child’s World Preschool Center in Windham,” said Christine Frost-Bertinet, RSU 14 Assistant Superintendent. “For the 2025-2026 school year, we are hoping to expand these services to accommodate 59 more children from Raymond and Windham with a funding gap of just $1,604 per student for the entire school year.” She said that in total, RSU 14 would need to invest about $102,700 beyond what state funding provides, what she calls “a modest investment in our youngest learners' futures.” To support this growth, the district will introduce new Pre-K spaces at Windham Primary School and partner with A Space to Thrive, a newly established childcare center that broke ground last month at 184 Pope Road in Windham. By working with community partners such as A Space To Thrive, Tu Casa, and A Child’s World, this school and community mixed delivery system can better provide high-quality, affordable Pre-K options for local families, Frost-Bertinet said.

The top story for March 28 was about Windham Middle School’s alternative pathway program called Altitude using maple syrup collection to teach students. Altitude focuses on service, experiential learning, and community building, aiming to create more hands-on learning opportunities for students who may find the traditional school setting challenging. As maple syrup season drew closer, Altitude teachers Lisa Anderson, Autumn Carlsen Cook and Allison Muir decided to use this opportunity to teach their seventh grade Altitude students a variety of lessons, some of which include science, math, history, and the natural world. Prior to going outside, students learned about the sugaring process and had guest speaker Scott Dunn from Dunn Family Farm speak to them about the task of collecting and boiling maple syrup. They learned about how to identify healthy maple trees, understanding the timing of sap flow, proper tapping techniques, and basic sap handling and boiling procedures to ensure a good quality syrup. Then, the students walked around campus, marking off and tapping 15 maple trees and plotting their locations on a map. Mathematics was used as students collected data from the amount of sap they got from each tree and learned about how many taps a tree can have depending on its diameter and size. While outside, Altitude students set up a “kitchen” of four propane heaters to boil the sap for it to become maple syrup.

APRIL

April 4’s top story reported how Windham High Windham senior Tayla Pelletier has set nine indoor track and field school records, competed in four Pentathlons since her sophomore year and navigated five championship meets in a row to finish third nationally in the Adidas Track Nationals at Virgina Beach, Virgina. She exceeded her goal and scored 3,241 points in the pentathlon; an event which consists of hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and an 800-meter run. Pelletier is the first Windham High School athlete to qualify for a Nationals Pentathlon competition. “I was definitely nervous,” said Pelletier, about competing in the Adidas Track Nationals. “I wanted to keep a positive mindset because if you think positive, you can do good and you got to believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, you’re not going to do good. I wanted to do the best I could do on the given day; I knew I could reach 3,000 points, which was my goal.” Pelletier’s Pentathlon score from the 2025 New Year’s Invitational at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham in January earned her entry to compete in the Pentathlon at the 2025 Adidas Track Nationals. “Tayla’s accomplishments and her medals truly represent what no one ever sees behind the scenes,” said Windham High indoor track and field coach Jeff Riddle. “That’s where the magic happens. The symbol of the medal, the place in the podium and the state championships is a validation of all of her hard work put in, her work on her mindset to build that capacity. It was an honor to watch her perform it.”

The top story for April 11 was about the television series “Hearts of New England” to debut a third season on Amazon Prime later in the year. The series is a drama based in Maine and filmed using Windham locations with an all-New England cast. “Hearts of New England” is created, written, and directed by Justin Fortin and he also stars as a soldier who returns to his Maine home after serving in a war, only to become embroiled in a war at home as he learns that his father is deeply connected to the mob. He’s also caught in a love triangle between characters played by Caitlynn McCauley and Kris Salvi, and it seems like his quest for peace in his life turns out to be a never-ending war. When not filming “Hearts of New England,” Fortin works as the Assistant Director for Shaw’s Supermarket in Windham and formerly worked for the Windham Walmart as a manager. “We film in Windham all the time. Local businesses here in Windham have been very good to us,” Fortin said. “Filming here honestly feels like returning home. I have lots of friends here between the Walmart in Windham that I previously worked for, and the Windham Shaw’s I currently work for.” According to Fortin, the “Hearts of New England” series has been very popular with Maine viewers since its inception, originally airing on Great Falls TV on YouTube, and now has found a nationwide audience when it was selected to air on Amazon Prime in 2023.

For April 18, the top story detailed how a Windham Lions Club member was awarded the highest form of recognition possible for a Lions Club member. Evelyn Brissette was presented with the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award during its April meeting for her humanitarian qualities such as compassion, concern, and generosity to the Windham community. The award is named after the original founder, secretary and treasurer of Lions International who established the organization to improve health and well-being, strengthen communities and support those in need through humanitarian services and grants that impact lives locally and globally, and encourage peace and international understanding. Brissette served as president of the Windham Lions Club for several years and created the club’s Adopt-A-Family program that provides Christmas gifts to families in need in the Windham Community. She also has participated in community meals and the RSU 14 Backpack Program and volunteers for the Windham Parks and Recreation Department and at senior citizen luncheons. She’s active in the Lions Club’s eyeglass screening, Touch-A-Truck, the Windham Lions Annual Craft Fair, Stuff the Bus, and many other community activities. “I have always enjoyed doing whatever I can to make life as good as possible for others,” Brissette said. “The Windham Lions Club has given me the opportunities that I needed to get out there and do even more.”

April 25’s top story reported on Windham’s Pearl Grant being presented with the Boston Post Cane by Windham Town Clerk Linda Morrell as the oldest town resident. Grant turned 100 in June and remains an active churchgoer and hosts a bible study group at her home every week. She graduated from Windham High School in 1943 and says that her family and God are key elements of her life as she’s about to reach the centenarian milestone that only 0.027 percent of Americans live to. “Now that I’ve lived this long, I honestly can’t see a big difference from being 99 and being 100,” Grant said. “It’s about the same to me. God has certainly blessed me to live this long.” During her visit with Grant, Morrell read a citation recognizing Grant’s longevity and Pearl recalled that she was present when Morrell gave the cane to her mother Ethel in 2001. Ethel Verrill had the cane as Windham’s oldest resident until she passed away in 2007. Windham’s first Boston Post Cane recipient was Elijah Cook in 1909, and now that distinction belongs to Grant, who succeeds the late Hazel Gilman as the cane recipient. Gilman died last October at the age of 106.

MAY

May 2’s top story was about Windham High School graduate Robyn Hurder, who stars in the new hit Broadway musical “Smash” that opened at the Imperial Theatre in New York City on April 10. It’s a role that secures her place in Broadway history after years of performing in the cast of 22 Broadway shows and receiving a Tony Award nomination in 2020 for her part in “Moulin Rouge.” She graduated in 2000 from Windham High School and is a former member of the Windham Chamber Singers and studied dance at the Maine State Ballet. Her mother enrolled Robyn at age 7 in a dance studio in Scarborough. She says that she liked the tap and ballet lessons there but by age 8, she wanted out to spend time playing with her friends from school. When the dance studio added jazz dance that spring, her interest in choreography intensified. Dr. Richard Nickerson, the director of the Windham Chamber Singers, said Hurder was a special talent. “There are some students that, from the moment you meet them, you know they are destined for greatness,” Nickerson said. “Robyn was one of those students I knew that she could do whatever she set her mind to. She is as genuine a person as you will ever meet. She has a positive energy about her that lights up a room. She always worked incredibly hard yet never complained. She is the kind of person that everyone wants to be around because she always makes you feel like a better person. I remember her singing voice, but what really sticks out in my memory is her laugh. She truly loves life.”

For May 9, the top story was The Pat Moody Foundation offering a $2,500 scholarship to a graduating Windham student-athlete. It will be given to someone who knows and displays the meaning of community, volunteerism, school pride, work ethic, sportsmanship and is a positive influence on those around them – just like the late Pat Moody was. This scholarship is currently targeted towards student-athletes, although athletic achievement is only one of the criteria, and not the primary factor in decision making. They are looking for the most community-minded athlete who is a great role model, not necessarily the most successful athlete. While they do focus on Moody’s love of basketball, the foundation wants to support as many students in as many ways as possible. “He would be thrilled to see this opportunity provided to someone that he probably watched grow up (at least these first few years),” said Moody’s older sister Tracey Lydon, president of The Pat Moody Foundation. “He would love the fact that the community has supported this foundation in such a huge way that is allowing for these opportunities, but he was always one to do things quietly without fanfare. He would be very much supporting this from the fact that it is helping to bring about positive impacts and change in the community he loved. Imagine the community we can continue to build upon if our first thoughts were about others and how we could support them; this scholarship aims to be a catalyst for change not just to its recipients, but those that choose to apply knowing the expectations asked of them to be eligible.”

May 16’s top story was about a dramatic successful search to find a lost dog named Pearl, who is owned by Dawn Elwell of Raymond. Pearl had escaped from a groomer in Raymond and had disappeared on April 30 and after four days of searching for Pearl and running out of hope, Elwell hired Rob Russell’s 2A TAC Air Ops Drone Services of Barrington, New Hampshire to see if he could do something to help. Russell is a former police officer and U.S. Army infantryman who was wounded in combat in Afghanistan. He now owns a drone equipped with thermal technology that can be used in searches for missing people and pets. Russell contacted Carmen Brothers of Professional Pet Trackers of Virgina to assist in the search for Pearl, and she brought along her almost 2-year-old black lab named K9 Finley whom Brothers had trained and has been working on cases with her since December. Russell said during their extensive search they had to figure out where Pearl was bedding down and hiding and Pearl was ultimately recovered roughly 18 hours after they finished the tracking activities, and the drone landed. On Sunday, May 4, she received a phone call informing her that Pearl had been found. “That feeling was something I had dreamt about for the longest five days of my life,” she said. “I do not believe I could have done this without this team of experts.”

For May 23, the top story covered plans by the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals in Windham for a new $1.5 million fundraising campaign to assist the organization in building a new intake barn for abused and neglected horses to heal and recover. Kathy Woodbrey, MSSPA’s Executive Director, said that plans for the “Safe Place to Land” intake barn have been carefully weighed and discussed for the past two years, and the fundraising campaign has already reached more than halfway toward its $1.5 million goal. MSSPA Advancement Director Peg Keyser said that in the last five years, the number of horses arriving at MSSPA has surged with many coming from cases of severe neglect, abuse, or with significant medical challenges. As the complexity of these cases grows, so does the urgency for a dedicated space where incoming horses can receive the care they desperately need. The “Safe Place to Land” campaign has already a matching gift of $500,000 from the McCulloch Family of Southern Maine who will be extended the opportunity to name the new barn. The site for the new intake barn sits on 7 acres of MSSPA’s 124-acre property on River Road in Windham. Plans call for the intake barn to be open-air with eight wooden stalls. The contractor for the intake barn project will be Jim Brown and sitework will be completed by Shaw Brothers Construction.

May 30’s top story reported on the announcement by Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts that he will step down from the position effective June 30 and the Windham Town Council appointing Assistant Town Manager Robert Burns to succeed Tibbetts as Town Manager. Tibbetts has served as Windham’s Town Manager since November 2019, first on an interim basis and then was made the permanent town manager in March 2020. He came to Windham with extensive municipal experience and experience in local government, administrative operations, budgeting, regulatory functions, and community relations and had served as the Kennebunk Town Manager through 2017. Burns joined Windham as the town’s first Assistant Town Manager in December 2021. He graduated from Yarmouth High School before obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Engineering from the University of Maine at Orono. Following college, Burns worked both in Maryland in Public Works and in Florida as a consulting environmental engineer. After that, he returned to Maine and served as the Public Works Director and Town Engineer in Gorham for 18 years.

JUNE

For June 6, the top story was about Afomiya Timerga, who personifies the definition of overcoming personal challenges to achieve joy and happiness among Windham High School’s Class of 2025 graduates. She moved to the United States at the age of 5 from her birthplace of Ethiopia, speaking very little English but embracing the endless possibilities of freedom and living in a nation free of war, poverty, disease, and a daily struggle to survive. It wasn’t easy at first to fit in, but she did her best to adapt to her new life with her mother in Portland. “The hardest part was adjusting to a new country,” Timerga said. “When you’re younger it is easier to pick up on things. I tried to make friends and learn the language.” Having attended elementary school in Portland, another huge transition took place in Timerga’s life when her mother, Abebanesh Abdela, purchased a home in Windham and her family, including Afomiya, her brother Musea Timo, and her sister Minaida Timon, relocated here when she was halfway through seventh grade. “It was like I was starting over again,” she said. “At my school in Portland I knew everyone, but here I didn’t know anybody in Windham and felt isolated and alone. But eventually I made friends at Windham Middle School and things gradually improved.” In 2015, she joined her mother in becoming a U.S. citizen during a ceremony in Portland. During her time at Windham High School, she tried to avoid the spotlight to some extent but worked to consistently make a positive impact at the school. “Whether it was through my involvement in the Black Student Union, where I worked to create a more inclusive and supportive environment, or simply by encouraging others and staying true to who I am, I’ve always aimed to lead by example,” Timerga said.

June 13’s top story was the passage by a margin of 200 votes of the RSU 14 annual budget by voters in Windham and Raymond during an election. In Windham, voters rejected the proposed $67.8 million budget, with 651 votes in favor and 676 voting no. But 408 voters in Raymond cast ballots approving the budget and 183 voted no. The combined totals resulted in 1,059 votes to approve the budget with 859 opposed. The budget represents a 12.75 percent increase over last year’s $60,185,403 budget, with a 6.4 percent increase stemming from the construction of the new Windham Raymond Middle School. To offset that, the school district will receive an additional state subsidy to cover almost half of the increase, resulting in an impact to taxpayers of 6.5 percent. Included in the RSU 14 budget are regular operating expense increases and a Pre-K expansion program. In Raymond, two new members of the town’s Board of Selectmen were elected for three-year terms. Christopher Hanson received 350 votes, and Kaela Gonzalez tallied 328 votes to earn seats on the Select Board. Hanson is the code enforcement officer for Raymond and graduated from the University of Maine Orono. He also serves as a member of Raymond’s Budget-Finance Committee. Gonzalez is a program coordinator with the city of Portland and has a degree in Health Science. She has served on various town committees including the town’s most recent Comprehensive Plan Committee and she formerly worked for the Town of Raymond.

For June 20, the top story was about Windham’s $8.9 million municipal budget passing through a series of unexpected developments during a marathon 4 ½ hour Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, June 14. Voters questioned nearly each of the 30 town warrant articles, wanting explanations for increases in spending and sharing their opinions about budgeting proposals put forward by the Windham Town Council. Voters rejected Article 7 asking for approval of a municipal budget of $39.9 million, and that meant votes were required for each of the next 11 articles. Among those, only Article 8, asking for an increase of 11.39 percent and $8.9 million funding general government operations for fiscal year 2025-2026 was defeated by voters as determined by the moderator. Article 8 included funding for Windham Town Hall offices and services and some contractual expenses, such as benefits for town police officers. Article 22, a proposal to construct a new North Windham Public Safety Building behind Hannaford Supermarket off Route 302, involved a lengthy discussion and many questions raised by voters about acquiring the site property, housing a Cumberland County Sheriff’s Patrol Office in the building, and the need to replace the current North Windham Fire Station on Route 302, a structure built in 1960. Approving the article would add 5 cents to the town’s millage rate yet voters approved it, agreeing to its $10 million cost through a combination of $4 million in Tax Increment Financing, using $2.4 million from the town’s General Fund, using impact fees of $1.1 million and obtaining a general obligation bond of $2.5 million. After the 30 articles had been discussed and voted upon, the implications of the rejection of Article 8 would mean, including the difficulty of rescheduling and legally posting another town meeting, shutting down Windham Town Hall on July 1, potentially laying off employees and not having necessary revenue to meet contractual bills and defaulting on town obligations was reviewed. Following a discussion about amending the budget, a vote to amend the $8.9 million was voted down and then Article 8 as originally proposed was then passed by those remaining in attendance.

June 27’s top story was a celebration for Windham High School’s varsity girls’ lacrosse and softball teams, which both made program history on Saturday, June 21 by winning state championships. The second-ranked WHS girls’ lacrosse team won the program’s first-ever Class A State Title in defeating top-ranked Kennebunk 12-9 at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. The second-ranked WHS softball team won its second-ever Class A State Championship in three years when it shut out seventh-ranked Edward Little 7-0 at Saint Joseph’s College. Both Windham teams had amazing seasons with lacrosse winning 17 games consecutively with only one loss during the entire season, and softball finished its season with a record of 18-2. WHS girls’ lacrosse members include seniors Sophie Allen, Grace Joly, Lauren Jordan; juniors Abby Trainor, Neve Ledbetter, Demetria Nicholas, Elizabeth Baker, Mady Donnelly, Brianna Duarte, Alyssa Cooper, Olivia McPherson; sophomores Morgan McLain, Grayson Cornish, Gracie McPherson, Charlie Scanlon, Libby Hartwell, Avery Adams, manager Allegresse Kawaya; freshmen Brooklyn Roy, Anna Bowie, Morgan Clark, Maria Rose, Madison Buzulchuck. and Lauren Valle. WHS softball team members include seniors Stella Jarvais, Kyla Harvie, Lydia Marden, Chloe Edwards, Kennedy Kimball; juniors Oakley McLeod, Jezabelle Pinto, Nola Bryant, Lacie Higgins, Addison Caiazzo, Chloe Delewski; sophomores Kaylee Napolitano, Evelyn Anderson, Kiley Card, Sarah Smyth, Abhilasha Jain and freshmen Evelyn Robinson and Yani Kostopoulos.