New K9 team enhances capabilities of Windham Police Department

By Ed Pierce

A valuable new officer has joined the Windham Police Department and it’s a responsibility he can really sink his teeth into.

K9 Zeus, a 16-month old Belgian Malinois, has joined the 
Windham Police Department and is paired with his handler,
Officer Sam Pattee. They are currently training for Zeus to
become a fully certified patrol dog with expertise in
tracking, searches, apprehension and narcotics detection.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

K9 Zeus is a 16-month-old Belgian Malinois who is partnered with his handler, 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. “I assisted K9 handlers from Westbrook PD, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Portland PD on tracks in Windham for everything from locating elderly citizens who had wondered away to Domestic Violence suspects who had fled from the scene. I quickly realized that Windham needed to have a K9 asset and wanted to be the one to provide it. I was also excited by the idea of assisting officers on a variety of calls and improving the department’s capabilities.”

Pattee said that 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,” he 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.”

Becoming a K9 handler was almost second nature for Pattee.

“Growing up, my family always had dogs. There’s an obvious difference between them and K9 Zeus, those three were pets and farm dogs while K9 Zeus is a working dog, he said. “K9 Zeus is full of more energy than any one person could ever use in a day, but he is also incredibly smart and capable of solving his own problems without needing much of anything from me. K9 Zeus loves tracking and can go all day, being just as excited about it when he’s finished, as he was when he started.”

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, but since then has had assistance from other agencies when a K9 is needed or would be helpful.

“Time can play a big factor during certain calls and an available team may be too far away to be effective,” Pattee said. “With Windham gaining a K9 team again, we can improve are response times to situations as having the resource a K9 brings. For example, if an elderly citizen with dementia has wondered away from home and gotten lost in the woods, Windham now has a K9 nearby to pick up that person’s trail and locate them much quicker than waiting for a team from an outside agency.”

Pattee spent his early childhood in Westbrook and then moved to Windham, where he graduated from Windham High School. While still in high school, he joined the U.S. Army Reserves and he continues to serve in the reserves, where he’s been enlisted for 11 years with one mobilization overseas.

He says his girlfriend has been a huge supporter of his efforts to become a K9 handler, which is not easy.

“Being a K9 handler is what you make of it,” Pattee said. “It takes a lot of dedication, and you have to love what you’re doing to make the most of it. You have to be ready to continuously learn and improve your skills as well as being able to understand what your K9 partner is trying to tell you.”

The greatest misconception the public may have about K-9 police dogs is that although patrol certified K9 teams have the ability to apprehend a suspect with force, that is not the primary goal of a K9.

“K9s are a locating tool. This could be locating a suspect who has fled a scene or vehicle, to find a missing person, or helping officers identify where a suspect is hiding inside a building which improves safety for all involved,” Pattee said. “K9 Zeus is a very happy dog and full of excitement every day. He’s not just a tool but also my partner. We are both very excited for the opportunity to serve the Windham community and its citizens. When you see us around town, K9 Zeus may be barking but know he is there ready to help serve and protect the same as every officer from the Windham Police Department is.” <

Veteran celebrates 100th birthday with Windham family

By Ed Pierce

On Wednesday, the Rev. Robert “Bob” Canfield achieved a milestone that only 0.027 percent of people ever attain when he celebrated his 100th birthday at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough.

Debbie Hutchinson of Windham hugs her father,
the Rev. Robert 'Bob' Canfield, who celebrated
his 100th birthday on Wednesday at the Maine
Veterans Home in Scarborough with a party
attended by his grandchildren and great-
grandchildren. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE  

Canfield, a World War II veteran, celebrated his big day at a party hosted by his daughter, Debbie Hutchinson and her husband John of Windham. They feasted on cupcakes with relatives from around Maine and out of state, including two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Born in Beloit, Wisconsin on Feb. 12, 1925, Canfield was one of five children in his family growing up during the Great Depression. His father was a World War I veteran, and his mother stayed at home to care for the children.

During World War II, Canfield became what he calls “a dry land sailor,” assigned to a Navy ammunitions depot in Indiana where he worked with 5-inch Navy shells and black powder as a Fireman First Class.

Following his discharge at the end of the war, he completed studies at a junior college in Michigan before transferring to Greenville College in Illinois to obtain a four-year degree. One evening his college roommate told Canfield that the woman he was dating had a roommate who would go to a school dance with him. That evening, he walked to the girls’ dormitory on campus and met his blind date, a student named Helen Anderson who would become his wife a year later.

The couple embarked upon a life of service to others as Canfield entered the ministry as a Free Methodist clergyman and served at Light and Life Children’s Home in Kansas City, Kansas, then at three churches in New York state before moving to Maine and leading a church in Gardiner. They had two children, a daughter, Debbie, who has lived in Windham for more than 50 years, and her older brother, Daniel Canfield, who passed away two years ago. Helen died in 2018.

Always having been handy since he was a child, Canfield remains active at the veteran’s home and his room is filled with spare parts and mechanical gadgets for him to work on his hobbies.

“He paints, he makes box kites, and he works on building models of ships and a truck,” Hutchinson said.

When the weather is nice, sometimes Canfield is brought from the veteran’s home to visit his daughter and son-in-law at their home in Windham and he spends every Thanksgiving with them when he’s up to it.

Canfield has overcome more than a few health issues in reaching his 100th birthday.

He’s hard of hearing, he’s had a leg amputated, and is in a wheelchair, but his mind remains sharp, and his sense of humor is intact. He continues to read, watch television and carry on conversations with other veterans and staff members at the veteran’s home.

“I read the Bible every night until my eyes hurt,” Canfield said. “God is keeping me alive for some reason. Some of that may be to keep my daughter in line and to make sure she behaves.”

According to Canfield, he’s slowed adjusted to living at the Maine Veterans Home.

“They don’t give me what I want because I want everything,” he said. “I’m always working on crafts and projects in my spare time and I drive them crazy asking for everything I need for that.”

He attributes the secret to his longevity to his faith in God and living a clean life.

“I have never smoked, and I have never had any liquor,” Canfield said. “But I believe you never really know. Sometimes the righteous die young and some die old. It’s really all in the Lord’s hands.”

Now that Canfield has reached the milestone being 100 years old, he described what it feels like to be a centenarian.

“Honestly, being 100 years old is just like being 99,” he said. <

Local stylist aims for ‘USOA Mrs. Maine’ pageant crown

By Ed Pierce

A Windham hairstylist vying for the title of “United States of America Mrs. Maine” is seeking to raise awareness about infertility issues affecting women and step outside her comfort zone by entering the statewide pageant.

Nichole Burke will represent Windham in the
United States of America Mrs. Maine Pageant
in August this fall. If she wins the title, she
would like to use her platform to raise
awareness about infertility issues. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

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.”

Originally from Saco, she’s been a hairstylist for 16 years, and she also serves as an independent consultant with Arbonne.

According to Burke, she’s hoping that this new experience of competing in a pageant will help her obtain another level of personal growth, filling her spirit in a new way.

“The motto for the pageant is ‘Empower, Inspire, and Uplift’ and I am hoping to be and share those things,” Burke said, “Personal growth is important to me. This experience is an opportunity for me to build new connections in Windham and across Maine. I want to challenge myself personally, by stepping outside of my comfort zone, to embrace the confidence that comes with being part of the USOA Mrs. Maine Pageant.”

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.

“I want to advocate for greater access to fertility awareness, mental health resources, and community support,” she said. “By sharing my own experiences, I hope to encourage open conversations, provide comfort to those struggling, and work toward a future where no woman feels alone in her fight to become a mother. I would also like to help young girls and teens with self-esteem and empowerment.”

The 2026 USOA Mrs. Maine Pageant will be held from Oct. 10 to Oct. 12 at the Senator Inn & Spa and the Augusta Civic Center and judges will select the winner based upon an interview, swimsuit, and evening gown categories. The pageant is the Official State Preliminary to the National United States of America Pageant which will be held July 4, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Burke says that her friends and family are excited to see her enter the pageant, and she’s amazed at how supportive and encouraging everyone has been.

“My greatest strength in this pageant is my ability to connect with and uplift others. Through my years of service in the recovery community, speaking, organizing events, and offering support, I’ve developed strong leadership skills and a deep passion for helping people,” Burke said. “However, my biggest challenge will be stepping into a completely new environment and applying these skills in a different way. To overcome this, I plan to embrace the experience with an open heart, lean into my ability to inspire others, and stay true to my mission of spreading hope and resilience.”

Currently Burke is looking for sponsors and seeking ways to be of service to others in the Windham community.

“I would love to partner with local businesses in Windham and surrounding areas,” she said. “Businesses get promotion at the pageant and an ad in the program. Also, social media promotion and media articles are shared by contestants and current title holders. If interested in a sponsorship, or for any questions please contact me at allure.hair@live.com.” <

Council workshop examines growth and its continuing impact upon Windham

By Ed Pierce

Windham Town Council members conducted a three-hour workshop to have an in-depth discussion about the need and impacts of growth for items such as taxes, town services, school enrollments, traffic impacts and more subjects on Jan. 23 and examined how to best address growth in an orderly manner.

Members of the Windham Town Council conducted a 
three-hour workshop on Jan. 23 to examine town growth,
state regulations regarding growth ordinances, and how
to address impacts and issues associated with growth
such as housing, school enrollment and traffic.
PHOTO BY KEITH MANK

During the meeting, town attorney Mark Bower of Jensen Baird reviewed with councilors the town’s existing growth ordinance and how state regulations affect municipal growth.

“For starters, a municipal growth ordinance must be consistent with the town’s Comprehensive Plan,” Bower said. “Many towns don’t have any growth caps.”

According to Bower, Windham is only one of six communities in Southern Maine that has an ordinance on file addressing growth and there are 22 other communities in the area that do not have any limitations regarding growth.

He said state rules mandate that Windham’s growth ordinance can be recalculated every three years to review growth rate details and based upon that information, the town’s growth ordinance can be updated or amended accordingly.

Councilors also heard from RSU 14 Superintendent of schools Chris Howell, who shared with them that RSU 14 schools have experienced a flat rate of growth enrollment over the past decade.

“The greatest overcrowding we have is at Windham Middle School,” Howell said. “The new Windham Raymond Middle School will help and long term we will be able to accommodate needs for the next 10 to 15 years.”

Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts presented figures for Howell to discuss how recent housing projects in town impacted local school enrollment.

From 2019 to 2024, there were two condominium projects completed in Windham totaling 49 units. From those condos, RSU 14 gained 14 students, Howell said. From 2018 to 2024, there were six duplexes constructed in Windham totaling 142 units. From those duplexes, RSU 14 gained 68 students. From 2021 to 2023, there were three multi-unit complexes finished with a total of 85 units. From those multi-unit apartments, RSU 14 gained six students.

Howell said the RSU 14 is calculated each year to take growth in Windham into account.

Windham Assistant Town Manager Bob Burns shared with councilors the results of a traffic evaluation conducted by the Gorrill Palmer engineering firm and how future developments could further impact traffic congestion.

“Based on discussions with the town, there are five potential developments within the immediate vicinity of the Route 302 study area,” the survey report detailed. “Trip generation was calculated using ITE Trip Generation Manual or other methods based on discussions with the Town. Trip distribution was based on our knowledge of the area and traffic patterns as identified from traffic counts that were provided in the North Windham Moves study.”

The traffic evaluation examined potential traffic from each of the developments including a proposal to build 172 residential units near Manchester Drive; construction of 80 condos at the end of Turning Leaf Road; additions to be built to the Microtel Inn & Suites; a potential development behind Home Depot with a possible hotel and 300 residential units; and two possible new hotels and 400 units of multifamily housing behind the Ice Cream Dugout on Enterprise Drive.

The survey report indicates that the three highest percentages for increased traffic are located in the densest portion of the downtown area.

“As one moves out of the downtown area the growth rate decreases. The current average growth rate for Route 302 within the study area is approximately 2 percent,” the report says. “This indicates that Windham is currently experiencing a growth higher than what was forecast (0.5 percent) when the North Windham Moves Study was completed. It should be noted that the 0.5-percent yearly growth was consistent up to the design year 2040. If Windham should experience a plateau in growth or a negative growth between now and 2040, the average yearly growth from now to 2040 may decrease from 2 percent closer to the 0.5 percent, or more likely somewhere in between.”

Based upon their evaluation, Gorrill Palmer says that both regional background growth as well as local development growth in Windham appear to be higher than was forecast or assumed in the North Windham Moves Study.

“This means that Route 302 corridor traffic volumes would reach the 2040 design hourly volumes earlier than 2040 if the existing growth trends continue,” the report says. “Even though the traffic volumes are increasing quicker than originally forecast or assumed, the recommended East and West alternatives identified in the North Windham Moves Study are forecast to provide acceptable levels of service. Since the originally forecasted levels of service were relatively high, there appears to be some considerable allowance for increasing traffic volumes and still maintaining acceptable levels of service throughout the corridor. The one exception along the corridor may be Boody’s Corner. This intersection level of service was forecast to be low but acceptable in 2040 with the construction of the East and West Connectors. It should be noted that in addition to the connectors, there were safety recommendations proposed for this intersection which should also improve the operations of the intersection, and the benefits of those safety improvements are not represented in the levels of service results. Based on this evaluation, it is our opinion that even though overall traffic volumes for the corridor are increasing faster than forecast, the recommended connectors should maintain overall acceptable levels of service, and in fact make the recommended connectors even more critical to maintaining the mobility and safety of the corridor than originally envisioned.”

In looking at Windham Fire, Police and EMS totals from 2014 to 2024, Tibbetts said figures show first responder calls only rose 0.02 percent since construction of new developments during that time frame.

Windham Town Council Chair Jarrod Maxfield said the workshop was helpful and he believes reviewing all the presented information will be useful for councilors when looking at potential growth issues or updating the town’s current growth ordinance.

“I think we really need as council to gets the facts out there,” Maxfield said. “The misnomer is that growth is what’s causing your property taxes to go up when it’s the opposite.” <   

Windham resident searching for kidney transplant donor

By Ed Pierce

A young Windham woman is optimistic that a kidney transplant will return her life to normalcy and give her back an opportunity at having a future.

Windham resident Katie St. Pierre was diagnosed
with IGA nephropathy last April. Starting
kidney dialysis immediately thereafter, she
was informed that she required a kidney
transplant and is actively seeking a kidney
donor for transplant surgery at Maine Medical
Center in Portland. COURTESY PHOTO, 

Katie St. Pierre, who will be 34 next month, 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.”

She said at first, she kept telling myself that it wasn't that bad, and she wasn't going to need anything as extreme as a transplant.

“I thought with medication I would be fine and after the biopsy they released me from the hospital,” St. Pierre said. “I hadn't even made it home yet before I got a phone call with the results. My kidneys were over 70 percent scar tissue and at this point I had limited function. I was hovering between 9 and 12 percent functionality and in contrast, the average person is at about 90 percent. My numbers had been rapidly decreasing. This was devastating news. I had been so happy to go home, I felt like I was failing my family, and I was going to be a burden.”

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. “I do eight and a half hours of treatment every night. It can be isolating at times knowing that I have to plug myself into a machine every night just to function at a limited capacity and it is extremely depressing. But I'm also very grateful to live in a time where I have these opportunities and the ability to survive.”

Through it all, St. Pierre has been able to continue working with the help of dialysis and other medications but unfortunately that is not sustainable long term, leaving her with no other option than to find a kidney donor for a transplant.

“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.”

Prior to needing a kidney transplant, St. Pierre loved attending craft fairs, county fairs, and town fairs. She enjoyed taking my dogs for walks around the many beautiful paths and parks in Windham and going to the movies and restaurants.

“Now I spend the majority of my free time sleeping,’ she said. “When I'm not working, I normally have doctor appointments or blood tests to take. I would like to say I'm able to get out there and do things, but right now I rest up for the things that I have to do. I hope that one day I can do the things that I simply want to do. I'm lucky enough to have an extremely supportive husband as well as family and friends. I was reluctant to tell people at first, but I've come to be able to talk openly and honestly about my day-to-day struggles.”

If she’s able to find a donor, St. Pierre’s surgery would be performed at Maine Medical Center in Portland. Recovery time varies from person to person, but she believes the standard recovery time is about two to four weeks, but it can take up to six or more depending on the person.

“I feel it is important to note that the medical coverage for the donor’s surgery will be covered through the receiver's insurance, however it doesn't cover any time lost from work and it may not cover certain aspects,” St Pierre said. “Definitely something to look into beforehand and I encourage everyone to do so.”

Mentally St. Pierre has been trying to remain as positive as possible given her circumstances but realizes it’s not easy to do but is thankful for an amazing support system.

“The most important thing I'd like people to know is that I hate that I have to ask this, and if I didn't have to I wouldn't,” she said. “I'm a private person and this isn't something I ever thought I'd have to do but it's something I need to do to increase my chances at a longer healthy life. While this will increase my lifespan, it's not a cure. I will continue to have this disease throughout my life. Unfortunately, kidney donations only last so long and I very well may need another donation in the future.”

To donate a kidney to help St. Pierre or someone else on the kidney transplant list, potential donors can register at mmc.donorscreen.org.

“To donate you must have the person’s full legal name,” St. Pierre said. “Mine is Katelyn St. Pierre, though everyone calls me Katie. Or you can choose to donate without having a specific person in mind.” <

Maine author eager to discuss new novel in Windham

By Ed Pierce

For Maine author Shannon Parker, the process of writing her new novel Love & Lobsters was as she describes it a lot like falling in love, fevered and intoxicated, as the story poured onto the page in under three months followed by roughly a year of editing.

Author Shannon Parker will appear at
Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shop in
Windham from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday,
Feb. 8 to meet readers and discuss
her new novel 'Love & Lobsters.' It
is Parker's third book and copies will
be available at Sherman's during the
author's visit. COURTESY PHOTO

It is the third book that Parker has written and a unique take about love of community and friendship and the people and places that shape us here in Maine. She’ll be on hand to meet readers and promote the book from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop in Windham.

The concept for Love & Lobsters came about as Parker was oddly thinking about how lobsters are cannibalistic when trapped together. A friend and I were texting about my weird thought when she made me laugh out loud.

“And in that moment, I was so grateful for hilarious banter with friends,” Parker said. It was really that random, four-minute exchange that inspired the main character and her best friend and the truth about lobsters. If you think about it, Mainers are some of the few who know lobsters aren’t holding claws under the slate sea, forever linked in love. Because of the popularity of the TV show Friends, Phoebe Buffay has spawned an industry devoted to love and ‘you’re my lobster’ devotion. So, I thought about how two friends could expose the world to the truth about lobsters in a funny, uniquely Maine way. I wrote a blog post in the main character’s voice, and then she began to take shape in my head. Her relationship with her best friend became clearer and funnier. And soon the entire cast of characters were crystal clear, as if they’d always lived in my head.”

According to Parker, her goal with this new novel is simple.

“When a reader finishes Love & Lobsters, I want them to hold the book close to their chest for a beat and love it enough to immediately gift it to someone they love,” she said.

She’s previously written The Rattled Bones, published under S.M. Parker, which explores the erasure of Midcoast Maine’s Malaga Island.

“The inspiration for that story came to me nearly 15 years ago when I was listening to a Maine Public Radio segment called: Malaga Island, a story best left untold. I disagreed,” she said. “My debut, The Girl Who Fell, explored how intoxicating first love can too easily become toxic. The idea for this story came to me when I was working with young adults in Rockland and a brilliant teen told me she was going to pass on her college scholarship because her boyfriend was afraid college would make her ‘too smart.’ The book explores how even the most accomplished, driven, intelligent people can fall for the wrong person – and what it takes to recover from a debilitating relationship built on the foundation of gaslighting.”

The most interesting aspect of this new novel though is how the main character tries to make sense of human relationships through the lens of lobsters, but readers have overwhelmingly connected to the community and kindness in the book, Parker said.

“Down East magazine called Love & Lobsters a ‘love letter to Maine,’ and that feels spot-on. There’s rugged beauty. Independence buoyed by community,” she said. “Characters who feel like people you know, or people you want to know. The hardness of life balanced with hilarity. Each reader will connect with the book differently, of course, but I think it would be a mistake for anyone who loves Maine to dismiss this as ‘just a romance’; it’s a novel that explores all the ways Mainers uniquely show up for one another as we live among bounty and beauty, love and wonder – and I hope that feels like a gift to everyone who reads this story.”

A native New Englander, Parker lives in Damariscotta, and didn’t know how to pronounce the name of the town when serendipity dropped her into the little village.

“I saw an old, neglected Greek Revival with its sagging roof, scars of disrepair, and swinging ‘For Sale’ sign and bought it two days later. I think my husband still has whiplash,” she said. “When my mother completed some genealogy work a few years later, we discovered my maternal great-grandparents lived 10 miles from my home. I’ve traveled to 38 countries across five continents but had still managed to return home in a way.”

Canadian author Margaret Atwood is Parker’s favorite author, full stop.

“In my writer-fantasy-mind, we are best friends, and I call her ‘Maggie’ and we laugh a lot. Like, a lot. She was, in many ways, the formative voice of my youth,” Parker said. “I grew up quite poor, in a home without books, and I redeemed cans to purchase tattered paperbacks at tired yard sales. Margaret Atwood has this famous quote, ‘a word after a word after a word is power’ and that woke something in 12-year-old me. It was both a road map and permission to follow that path. One step, then the next. Then the next. And then, a story. A voice.”

Parker calls herself a morning writer, and says she tries to slip away from kids and chores and other work on the days she writes.

“In addition to being an author, I’m an English professor and grant writer. I’m also in my thesis semester of my third master’s degree,” she said. “It’s a full, busy work life, for sure. So, I try to schedule two to three mornings a week to keep momentum. When I’m at the computer, I typically write for three hours at a stretch. But Love & Lobsters was largely conceived while I was kayaking. I’d return to my truck post-paddle and dictate my ideas into my phone. Then, I’d email the notes to myself. When I’d return to my working manuscript, I’d have entire scenes developed. Paragraphs of dialogue. Cures for plot or character holes. It was an amazing experience – unlike any process I’d ever engaged before.”

Simon & Schuster published Love & Lobsters, and it’s something Parker is grateful for.

“I’ve had such a great experience working with publishers and editors and agents. Really, I’ve been so fortunate,” she said. “My first two books were classified as Young Adult and were released by Simon & Schuster. Love & Lobsters is my adult debut, and it didn’t fit into the tidy ‘romance’ category for publishers – which is fair; it is definitely not a traditional romance. Love & Lobsters is my Maine take on romance because I am 1,000 percent in love with Maine’s coast, its tenacity, and its people. So, I took all I’d learned from working within the industry and struck out on my own, betting on Maine for interest in the book. Within days of its release, I had a major studio interested in film rights, as well as a smaller production company. The book’s been a bestseller at Sherman’s since its release. Creating a unique path for this book to be in the world was the best decision I ever made.”

Her family has been supportive of the new novel.

“I live in a house full of boys and they don’t read. They might be allergic. Unless it’s a technical manual, printed words on a page hold exactly zero interest for them. But this book was different,” Parker said. “They rallied around this story. I think it’s because we all see ourselves in one of the characters, or a bit of ourselves in each of the characters. As a family, we have a habit of honoring Big Love and Big Nature, and both are themes in the book. I recently lost my 20-year-old son in a car accident and the sorrow has been unbearable. Deafening and suffocating all at once. Like you’re leagues underwater but somehow, miraculously, you can still breathe. My son came to me in a non-traditional way and our love was fierce. But we had hard shells when we met; we’d both been hurt. We had to trust in the process of trust and keep showing up for each other. And we did, and it was beautiful. It is beautiful. And if I had to do it all over again, I would take the same leap of trust with him. Even now. Even knowing the heartbreak that sits on the other side of loss. Because this is love. It is immeasurable. Expansive. Terrifying. It both makes and breaks us. And it is worth it. Every time.”

She’s excited to meet Windham readers and discuss Love & Lobsters at Sherman’s next month.

“Meeting people is one of the singular joys of living. I love exchanging smiles and stories and dreams,” she said. “And Sherman’s is great. I mean, it’s Sherman’s. And readers should only consider buying a copy of Love & Lobsters if they want to read about love in all its forms – the love for land and sea; the love between grandparents and grandchildren; love found later in life; the love shared by best friends; love for the way the past shapes our present…and future, and the love that we are all capable of. Because love begets love begets love begets love. And who couldn’t use more love?” <

‘Comeback Kid’ aims to defend New England boxing championship

By Ed Pierce

It took years for Casey Streeter to overcome excruciating physical pain from nearly losing a leg in a workplace accident and a disturbing childhood to win the New England Super Welterweight boxing championship and now as he prepares to defend his title for the third time, he’s resolute to remain a champion.

Boxer Casey Streeter, left, a Correctional Trade Instructor
at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, will defend
his New England Super Welterweight boxing title against
Joe Farina of Massachusetts in March. Streeter beat Farina
in November 2023 to win the title and has successfully
defended it twice since then.
PHOTO BY STEPHEN SHEA     

Streeter, 33, grew up in a troubled home in Raymond, and was recently promoted to the position of Correctional Trades Instructor at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham. He was a promising young boxer training under Bobby Russo at the Portland Boxing Club in August 2017 and when he learned that he had been hired to become a correctional officer in Windham. He was at work in North Yarmouth on his last day as an arborist when a devastating accident happened that left Streeter’s entire future seriously in doubt.

He was working for a tree removal company dragging logs with a log chain from a ditch. Streeter had wrapped one end of a chain around a tree trunk and was walking the other end of the chain up to the log truck’s grapple device from a ditch when a co-worker lost sight of him, and the grapple suddenly closed and clamped onto his right leg. At that instant his right femur and knee shattered, causing a compound fracture with a chunk of his leg also torn away by the grapple hook.

Blood poured from the wound and the grapple’s claw had just missed severing his femoral artery by a quarter inch. He stumbled into the ditch and thought of his wife Abby and his two children and wondered if he was going to die. His co-worker found him in the ditch and tried calling for help on his cell phone, but service wasn’t available there, so he ran to a nearby home and used their phone to summon help.

EMTs rushed Streeter to Maine Medical Center in Portland with his leg was so badly mangled that doctors didn’t know if they could save it. Fortunately, the orthopedic trauma surgeon on duty that day was a military veteran who had saved U.S. soldiers on the battlefield in Iraq. He assured Streeter that he could save his leg, and he led a team to carefully reconstruct it using more than 20 metal pins and rods.

Following surgery, Streeter developed a severe wound infection and then had to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder from the accident. He slowly began walking again with the aid of crutches and after months of challenging physical therapy, he finally felt that he had turned a corner. He was able to work at the Maine Correctional Center while believing that he might be able to box once again.

“I was left with scars, and lots of metal,” Streeter said. “The colder months are tough, but I am able to use my leg and don’t feel much of a difference in my lateral movement.”

He returned to training under Russo in 2019 and adopted the nickname of “The Comeback Kid.” Regaining his strength and prowess in the ring took time but Streeter was determined to fight again and on Nov. 11, 2023, he outlasted Joe Farina of Massachusetts in eight rounds at the Portland Expo to win the New England Super Welterweight title at 154 pounds.

Streeter successfully defended his championship twice in 2024, knocking out Jimmy Williams on June 15 at the Cross Insurance Arena just over 2 minutes into the first round. He then fought 8 tough rounds against Derrick Whitley on Nov. 9 at the Portland Expo in a back-and-forth thriller that ended in a draw with Streeter retaining his title.

His current record is 12-2-2 with 5 knockouts and he’s back in training getting ready to make a third title defense on March 22 at the Royale in Boston against a familiar opponent, Joe Farina. His first bout against Farina in Maine went the full eight rounds with Streeter’s strong combination punches attributed as the difference in the judge’s majority decision that night.

“He brings the pressure. He constantly comes forward. He’s a tough guy,” Streeter says of Farina. “He always comes ready, and this time he is coming for revenge. This time we will fight 10 rounds, instead of 8.”

From his home near the Raymond/Gray town line, Streeter has been training seven days a week and putting in up to two to three hours of a workout routine.

“I spar, do mitt work, work on strength and conditioning, and can run multiple miles in a week,” he said. “This is after I’ve already worked a shift at the Maine Corrections Center. I’m always consistently training, but when I’m in camp for a fight, I try to train every day.”

He said that his wife of 12 years, Abby, and his two children inspired him to recover from his injuries and to box again.

“My wife and kids are my biggest supporters,” Streeter said. “The kids have their own gloves. We do mitt work together and they love to come to the gym with me.” <

MDOT launches repair work on Babb’s Bridge

By Ed Pierce

Repair work on Babb’s Bridge is underway in Windham, and sooner than expected.

Crews have started working on repairing Babb's Bridge in
Windham after a truck exceeding the established weight 
limit crashed through the bridge floor into the Presumpscot
Rover last August. The repair project is expected to take
about six weeks to complete before the wooden bridge
can reopen. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE  

The historic crossing over the Presumpscot River has been closed to traffic since last 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 previous wooden covered bridge at the site stood for more than 100 years having reportedly been built by local farmers around 1840. The bridge is said to have been originally named for a family living on property nearby and before its destruction was said to be the oldest covered bridge in Maine.

The original Babbs Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in America but was burned by unidentified arsonists in 1973. Using donated lumber milled exclusively in Gorham and with work performed by community volunteers, the bridge span was rebuilt as an exact replica of the original Babbs Bridge and reopened to the public in conjunction with America’s Bicentennial celebration in 1976.

It is a single-span queenspost-style truss bridge, with a total structure length of 79 feet and a width of 13 feet, 9 inches. The bridge end portals have a posted height limit of 10 feet and the bridge is covered by a gabled roof, with its side and end walls finished in vertical board siding.

Vandals cut a hole in the bridge’s roof in 2014 which was subsequently repaired but damages that were caused by a snowplow truck in 2015 required the bridge to be closed again temporarily. In 2016, MDOT authorized a near-total $160,000 makeover of Babbs Bridge based upon its original design.

Work performed at that time included the installation of cement stone blocks for the bridge abutment. Other renovations in 2016 featured stripping off the bridge’s roof and replacing it with rough cut boards and plywood before topping it with cedar shingles. Work was also completed on the bridge’s sides and entrances at that time. In 2021, the Windham Town Council announced that the National Register of Historic Places had removed its designation for Babb’s Bridge because it is now a replica of the original historic 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. The department had originally said work could not start on the structure until later this spring to obtain necessary materials and favorable weather conditions for repairs but specially milled lumber from Gorham matching the existing bridge dimensions was now ready for installation.

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. <

‘Mission Working Dogs’ showcases service dog training in Windham

By Ed Pierce

A new Maine organization which trains service dogs, therapy dogs, and facility dogs for those with disabilities made a stop in Windham on Wednesday, showcasing its work for veterans and their families at the Windham Veterans Center.

Christy Gardner of Mission Working Dogs visits
with service dog Libby. Gardner, a double
amputee, trains service dogs in Maine for
veterans and others with disabilities and brought 
two dogs for a presentation in Windham
on Wednesday. COURTESY PHOTO   

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.”

She 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.

“The Legion, Legion Auxiliary, and Sons of the American Legion posts across the state are hoping to raise funds to sponsor the cabin where veterans will stay to learn how to use their new service dog and bond with the dog as well as earmark funds to help make the fully trained service dogs free to veterans in need,” Gardner said.

According to Gardner, it takes Mission Working Dogs about two years to train the dogs to their standard as they work toward international accreditation.

“Every dog gets a minimum of 120 hours of training in our owner-trained program and typically at least 2,000 hours for the fully trained dogs we provide,” she said. “Those dogs master at least 59 commands to help with mobility assistance and/or PTSD.”

Mission Working Dogs selects puppies with the best health possible to train as service dogs.

“We start them as puppies, so they have the right exposure to different stimuli at a young age and use early neurological stimulation to make more resilient dogs who have a drive to work and the temperament to be caring, balanced and tailored to the individual’s needs and interests,” Gardner said.

Gardner says that service dogs can assist those with physical disabilities to accomplish tasks normally taken for granted such as fetching dropped items, opening doors, and turning lights on and off. During her presentation, she said the trained dogs can assist people suffering from PTSD to recognize increases in anxiety, carry an individual’s medications, and provide deep-pressure therapy to calm or redirect the dog handler.

She said that some dogs who are working as facility dogs are often trained to recognize a patient’s affected side in the case of a stroke and to approach them on the side the patient pets the animal with or to throw a ball. Through this, Gardner said that patients can work on developing fine motor skill movements used in petting or caring for the dog.

Dogs are trained at the Mission Working Dogs facility Mission and typically takes about two years as the dogs undergo assessments of their physical health, temperament, and whether they can perform necessary tasks or skills to make sure they can properly support their handler.

Establishing Mission Working Dogs is something Gardner takes immense pride in.

“It’s changing lives,” she said. “It’s incredible to see how freeing a service dog can be for the handler but also the farther-reaching impacts that dog has on the family, friends, and sometimes even the whole community where they live.”

As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, Gardner said the public is able to support Mission Working Dogs through donations on its website at https://www.missionworkingdogs.org/ or by mailing them to Mission Working Dogs, 152 Moxie’s Place, Oxford, ME 04270. <

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

By Ed Pierce

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

Kristina Atkinson and her son, Rylen, left, helped return
Noodle to his owners Sarah Walker and her daughter,
Eliza Symes last week. The cat had been missing
from his Windham home for more than three months
and his family had about given up hope that he would
ever be found. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE  

Sarah Walker of Windham and her daughter, Eliza Symes, 8, adopted Noodle, an orange kitten, from the Animal Refuge League three years ago and he rapidly became a beloved member of their family. He grew into a mischievous and friendly indoor cat with a huge personality and a large appetite who likes to perch at the top of the stairs in their home and observe his surroundings or to encourage hugs and attention from Eliza.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Ed Pierce

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

The winning design for the Clean Air Campaign's
2025 Window Cling competition was created 
by sophomore Margaret 'Maggie' Soule of
Windham High School. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

This year-long initiative has been taken up by Windham and Raymond students in conjunction with the Be The Influence coalition with the intention to keep air indoors and outdoors clean throughout Lakes Region communities and improve everyone’s health and the environment. Since its launch more than 10 months ago, the “Clean Air Campaign” is on the way to achieving its desired results.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WEDC report details TIF activity to Windham Town Council

By Ed Pierce

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

The Windham Town Council has received a
report from the Windham Economic 
Development Corporation updating the  
status of Tax Increment Financing fund
balances at the end of the last fiscal year
and municipal valuations for TIF districts.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

By definition, TIFs are flexible finance tools that allow municipalities to use new property taxes to fund public and private projects within a defined geographic district. Any portion of the new taxes may be used to finance public or private projects for a specific period of time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Ed Pierce

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

Winners of VHW Post 10643's Patriot's Pen and Voice of'
Democracy contests gather on Veterans Day at the Windham
Veterans Center. From left are Zoie Hougaz-McCormick,
Brenna Wheeler and Amber Sands.
PHOTO BY ANDREA HOUGAZ-MCCORMICK
 

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

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

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

Essay Contest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Surprised by honor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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