RSU 14 to choose new middle school name on Nov. 4

By Ed Pierce

When the RSU 14 Board of Directors meets on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Windham High School, further discussion and the name of the new middle school currently under construction will be voted upon.

As construction continues for the new middle school at 71
Windham Center Road, RSU 14 Board of Directors members
will determine what to name the school on Nov. 4, including
a proposal to name the building after the late Windham
and Raymond educator and legislator Bill Diamond.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

During a board meeting on Oct. 21 at Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond, two possible names were brought up, including Windham Raymond Middle School and William Diamond Middle School after the late Lakes Region state representative and state senator, former Maine Secretary of State and champion for children across the state.

Diamond, a longtime legislator, educator, local business owner and child welfare advocate, died Aug. 31, 2025, at the age of 80. He also co-founded Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors to provide heat assistance to those in need in Windham and Raymond, and the Walk A Mile In Their Shoes Foundation to end child homicide in the state of Maine.

While some RSU 14 board members expressed support for naming the school after Diamond, others disagreed, saying they wanted the school’s name to reflect both the communities of Windham and Raymond and recognizing each town.

During public comments, speakers including State Rep. Mark Cooper and Maine State Senate District 26 Republican candidate Kenny Cianchette supported naming the school after Diamond because of his advocacy for children in the state.

One board member then inaccurately said that Diamond had no connection with Raymond schools, and she wasn’t in favor of naming the new middle school after him.

However, Raymond Schools’ first school superintendent, Frank McDermott, who lives in Raymond, confirmed that when he left the Raymond district to join Bonny Eagle Schools in 1976, Bill Diamond succeeded him as superintendent and as the principal of Jordan-Small School. 

Diamond grew up on his grandfather’s farm in West Gardiner and originally came to the Lakes Region after earning a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education at Gorham State Teacher’s College. Starting in 1968, he taught in Windham schools and went on to serve as the first principal of Windham’s Manchester School, and he also led Field-Allen Junior High School and Windham Middle School as principal before joining Raymond Schools as superintendent and the principal of Jordan-Small School.

He first ran for the Maine House of Representatives in 1976 as a write-in candidate in Windham, winning re-election in 1978 and 1980. In 1982, he won a seat in the Maine State Senate seat, representing Windham and Raymond and won re-election to the Maine Senate in 1984.

In 1989, Diamond was sworn in as Maine’s 45th Secretary of State and campaigned to become governor in 1986 and then campaigned for the 1st Congressional District position in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994.

He founded the Windham Independent newspaper and publicized achievements of both Windham and Raymond students for more than a decade before deciding in 2004 to re-enter politics and winning the Maine Senate District 12 seat representing Windham and Raymond. He won re-election in 2006, 2008 and 2010 before being term limited. Four years later in 2014, Diamond won the Maine Senate District 26 seat, representing Windham and Raymond, and subsequently won re-election to that position in 2016, 2018, and 2020.

Before leaving political office in 2022, Diamond was known statewide as a staunch advocate for children and led Maine Senate investigations into prominent deaths of abused children whose families were relegated to the state’s child welfare system. In 2014, Diamond wrote a book about the subject called “The Evil and the Innocent.” 

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.

During the RSU 14 meeting on Oct. 21, a board member suggested that it would be unusual for the school district to name a school after an individual, yet the school district’s Manchester School, Field-Allen School and even Jordan-Small Middle School where the board meeting was held were all named after individuals. Another board member said she admired Bill Diamond's accomplishments, but she supported naming the new middle school Windham Raymond Middle School to make the Raymond students and the Raymond community feel that they are an equal part of the school.

Karyn Diamond, Bill Diamond’s daughter, attended the Oct. 21 meeting and prior to that had posted on Facebook that the Diamond family was humbled by the idea of possibly naming the new school after him.

“Naming the school after my dad, a man who dedicated his life to educating and protecting children and who poured out his heart into his hometown of Windham, would be the highest honor this community could do for him,” she said.

John Cressey of Windham believes the school should be named after Diamond.

“Having the new school named for one of the most influential people in Windham and Raymond, who rose up to become Maine Secretary of State, all while still maintaining close ties to the community would be inspirational,” Cressey said. “He deeply cared about the community and for children and was at every sporting event until he passed away. He sponsored a softball team every season for 30 years in Windham Little League even after his daughters were out of school.”

RSU 14 Board Chair Christina Small said the Oct. 21 board discussion was preliminary, and she personally does not believe that not having "Raymond" in the name of the new school would marginalize Raymond students.

She said there is not a high school in Raymond so Raymond students attending Windham High School have the option to attend other high schools, such as Gray New Gloucester High School and that is why it isn’t named "Windham Raymond High School."

Small said that middle school students in Raymond will have to attend the new school and that is why a name to reflect both communities is under consideration by the board.

Public comments about the school’s name will be included during the RSU 14 Board of Directors meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4 at the Windham High School Performing Arts Center. <

Winning candidates to be sworn into office following municipal election

By Ed Pierce

The voters have spoken and three new Windham Town Councilors and two members of the RSU 14 Board of Directors representing Windham will be sworn in prior to the next meeting for both entities this month.

Winning candidates in Tuesday's election are from left top
row, Maggie Terry (Windham Town Council North District),
Doug Fortier (Windham Town Council South District),
Katie Cook (Windham Town Council At-Large), bottom
row from left are Christina Small (RSU 14 Board of
Directors) and Matthew Irving (RSU 14 Board of
Directors).  COURTESY PHOTOS
  

For the Windham Town Council, three incumbent councilors, including Jarrod Maxfield (North District), Nick Kalogerakis (South District) and John Henry (At-Large) chose not to seek re-election to those positions.

Voters elected three new councilors to serve three-year non-partisan terms on the town council during Tuesday’s municipal election.

In the North District, Margaret “Maggie” Terry will succeed Maxfield, picking up 3,221 votes to defeat Deborah Devou, who had 2,621 votes.

Terry is the business owner of Legal Label Inc. and Seahorse Alley LLC. During her campaign, she said she was seeking a town council position to address Windham’s increasing property tax burden and the challenges posed by rapid growth.

“I am particularly concerned about the impact of new state housing mandates on our infrastructure and community character,” Terry said. “My goal is to promote responsible development, preserve Windham’s heritage, and pursue alternative revenue strategies that reduce reliance on property taxes while maintaining essential services.”

For the South District, Doug Fortier received 3,736 votes to defeat Michael Russin, who had 1,826 votes.

Fortier owns a Christmas tree farm and had served for 20 years as Public Works Director for the Town of Windham before retiring in 2023. He says he grew up and has lived in Windham since 1970.

“I feel working for the town has given me insight of how the town works and what its needs are and help move it forward,” he said.

In the race for the At-Large council seat, Cook’s 2,273 votes earned the position, topping former town councilor Clayton Haskell’s 2,234 votes and Joseph Campbell’s 1,575 votes.

Cook is an Information Technology and Litigation Support Manager. She said she was running for town council because she believes Windham deserves leadership that listens, plans wisely, and protects taxpayers.

“I’m not here to play politics, I’m here to serve,” she said. “I want to make sure every decision made at Town Hall reflects the values and priorities of the people who live here. That means clear communication, smart budgeting, and a commitment to keeping Windham a place we’re proud to call home.”

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 will be sworn in later this month.

Currently serving as RSU 14 Board Chair, Small picked up 2,888 votes, while Irving received 2,483 votes. Adam Zajac was third with 2,327 votes, while Megan Potter had 1,644 votes and Destiny Johnson received 1,629 votes.

Small has served on the RSU 14 Board of Directors for five years. She is a stay-at-home mother who says she sought re-election because she cares deeply about this community and public education.

“My goal has only ever been to support the staff and students of RSU 14,” Small said.

Irving is a former classroom counselor and community mental health worker who is now a stay-at-home father. He said he was running because he wants the best future possible for area children.

“I am a graduate of public schools and a first-generation public university graduate, so I can vouch for the value of public education,” he said. “Our kids need relevant skills and confidence in their ability to think critically in a tumultuous world. Our board needs people who engage respectfully with our community and contribute with well-researched ideas, which I will do.”

Voters in Windham and Raymond were among state residents casting ballots in Tuesday’s election to decide the fate of two statewide referendum questions.

Referendum Question 1 asked voters “Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?”

The question failed statewide, with 256,326 no votes to 144,925 yes votes, or a margin of 63.9 percent to 36.1 percent. In Windham, 4,321 no votes were cast, on Question 1, while 2,558 voted yes. In Raymond, 1,185 no votes were received to 800 yes votes on Question 1.

Referendum Question 2 asked “Do you want to allow courts to temporarily prohibit a person from having dangerous weapons if law enforcement, family, or household members show that the person poses a significant danger of causing physical injury to themselves or others?”

The question was approved statewide, with 252,687 yes votes to 147,022 no votes, or a margin of 63.2 percent to 36.8 percent. In Windham, 4,403 yes votes were tallied for Question 2 to 2,465 no votes. In Raymond, 1,189 yes votes were recorded, while 793 voted no. <