Local Revolutionary War patriots subject of historical presentation

By Ed Pierce

As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday this weekend, contributions made by Raymond and Casco patriots to the cause of liberty are easily overlooked. But thanks to a new presentation being offered by the Raymond-Casco Historical Society, the bravery of Revolutionary War patriots living in Raymond and Casco will not be forgotten.

Sue Pride of Raymond will highlight the lives and
service of 28 Revolutionary Way patriots during a 
free program at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 6 at the
Raymond-Casco Historical Museum, 1 Shadow
Lane in Casco. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Sue Pride, the Collections Manager for the Raymond-Casco Historical Society Museum, will discuss and highlight the lives and service of 28 Revolutionary War patriots from the area during a free public program at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 6 at the museum, 1 Shadow Lane in Casco.

Her presentation includes a richly illustrated PowerPoint talk focusing on the remarkable stories of early local settlers who answered the call to defend America long before Maine became a state.

Pride was inspired to create the presentation while sorting through the historical society’s collections to organize them. It prompted her to research how Revolutionary War veterans ended their journeys in Raymond and Casco.

“This year is the 250th birthday of the United States, and I thought the museum should do something to bring Raymond and Casco into it. I thought we must have some veterans.”

In conducting research, Pride found that some patriots were living in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775, and responded immediately to the alarm of the Lexington and Concord opening of the American Revolution. Others were already living in the district that would become Maine, and they enlisted shortly afterward and marched to Cambridge to join American troops during the Siege of Boston.

When the Revolutionary War for American independence from Great Britain erupted, Raymondtown, now known as the towns of Raymond and Casco after the communities split in 1841, was part of the Cumberland County Militia territory, with its members serving under the command of early settler Captain Joseph Dingley of Raymondtown. Their membership roll was used as a recruitment tool for soldiers to join the Continental Army once it was founded and placed under the leadership of the Continental Army’s General George Washington in June 1775.

“Before the army, it was just the militias fighting,” Pride said. “Lexington and Concord were fought by the militia.”

The area’s sparse population at the time meant that not many men from Raymond enlisted and Pride’s research found four residents who had traveled south to fight. However, she has discovered at least 28 Revolutionary War veterans are buried around Raymond and Casco, which shows the influx of former soldiers locally after the war ended.

“Many of the 28 patriots later served under Capt. Richard Mayberry, taking part in the Saratoga Campaign, a turning point in the war, and enduring the harsh winter encamped at Valley Forge alongside General George Washington’s troops,” Pride said.

Her new program will also touch on the broader story of Maine during the Revolutionary War, including the Battle of Machias, which is often called the first naval battle of the war, and the devastating burning of what is now known as Portland in 1775.

“I found one veteran who only served three days and never served again, but he was at Lexington and Concord, so it was a pivotal three days,” Pride said. “I think there were four who were living in Massachusetts and marched to Lexington and Concord.”

She also found a story of one soldier who was captured by the British and then held in the notorious prison ships afloat in the harbor of New York City, which were decommissioned or damaged ships that were used to hold prisoners in overcrowded conditions, where many died due to illness or malnutrition. He survived to be discharged from the army six months after his service was meant to have ended. Pride also discovered two men buried locally that died while serving. One drowned after falling from a floating bridge and the other died of fever.

Both Dingley and his son Samuel volunteered for military service at the start of the Revolutionary War in the company of men from Raymond and Windham and returned to the fast-growing Raymondtown as Captains, a title that Joseph retained for the rest of his life, even though he later held the rank of Colonel in the militia.

The 28 patriots highlighted in Pride’s presentation came to reside locally and helped to build and shape the community’s legacy.

“As the nation marks its 250th birthday, the Raymond-Casco Historical Society emphasizes the importance of honoring their service and recognizing their influence on the region’s early growth,” Pride said.

To learn more about Raymond and Casco’s role in the Revolutionary War, visit www.raymondcascohistoricalsociety.org or find them on Facebook. <

Bridge replacement work starts in Windham

By Ed Pierce

After a lengthy delay, a 26-foot steel girder bridge on William Knight Road over the Pleasant River is being replaced.

Bridge replacement work has started on Varney's Bridge
on William Knight Road in Windham. The $2.2 million
project will create a new new bridge with $1.5 million
in funding from MaineDOT and the remainder on a 
bond authorized by Windham voters in 2023. The bridge
is expected to be completed by Oct. 12.
PHOTO BY  MELISSA CARTER 

While making repairs on Varney’s Bridge in 2015, engineers from the Maine Department of Transportation recommended that the town explore options for closing or replacing the bridge because of ongoing structural deterioration.

Size, complexity and increasing age were key factors in making the decision to replace the steel girder bridge. MaineDOT engineers reported that capacity issues and faster and heavier loads stressed this type of bridge past its original design parameters. Typically, steel girder bridges can be more expensive than other types of bridges because of the rising cost of materials and for construction and this type of bridge may not be suitable for very heavy loads and may not be able to support the weight of heavy vehicles.

Windham Town Engineer Mark Arienti said MaineDOT engineers found issues with the bridge’s concrete abutments and reduced the allowable load to three tons. That made it not possible for construction trucks, dump trucks, garbage trucks, and other large vehicles to cross the bridge because of the weight limitation.

“For example, when the town plows, it has to stop at the bridge, turn around, and then go the other way,” Arienti said.

Right now, there are concrete abutments that support the current bridge, which is a steel structure and scouring from the river has caused erosion where the concrete makes contact with the water. There has also been rusting on the steel supports which need to be replaced. The bridge has lasted quite a long time, but Arienti said it has aged because of erosion and corrosion of the concrete foundation and abutments and needed to be replaced.

Because Varney’s Bridge had been upgraded and repaired numerous times over the past three decades and its structural issues persisted and continued to worsen, members of the Windham Town Council in 2021 determined that replacing the existing bridge to be the most cost-effective method to ensure the safety of the community upon the recommendation of the town manager.

In June 2021, Windham residents approved spending $25,000 for a study at the Annual Town Meeting about how to best move forward to replace the aging structure. That study was completed in the summer of 2022, and the results were forwarded to the MaineDOT.

Using the MDOT Bridge Program Design Guide, a preliminary design report was created, and mandated that any other survey work needed to define right-of-way and bridge layout and alignment be performed and any geotechnical engineering evaluations required to design a new bridge support structure be initiated.

When the new MDOT Three-Year Plan for upcoming projects to be undertaken by the state was released in January 2023, some $1.5 million in funding from the MaineDOT was authorized for a $2.2 million project with the town picking up the remaining $700,000 for the project.

Under the direction of Arienti, Windham then developed preliminary and final design plans in accordance with standards in the latest editions of MaineDOT’s Bridge Design Guide and followed Standard Specifications and Standard Details requirements. Those design plans included a specific plan for the project, a bridge profile including cross-sections, and geometry for approach design.

The plan also featured design computations, load ratings, and evaluation information for the new structure meeting MaineDOT specifications. That included development of an engineering estimate of construction costs and creating a final plan for review by the state.

During Windham’s Annual Town Meeting on June 17, 2023, a warrant item was approved by voters to contribute $700,000 to complete the bridge replacement project. 

A public meeting was subsequently held to obtain community feedback about the project, and the town set about coordinating the project with utilities in the area. That was followed by MaineDOT and the town preparing a set of Design Plan Impacts listing all design features, topographical details and impacts associated with the project.

MaineDOT also conducted and documented quality control design checks and provided engineering support during the competitive bidding process and any other additional services as was requested by the town.

Windham Town Councilors put the project out to bidding in November 2025 and awarded the project to Wyman & Simpson, Inc. for the town’s portion of costs in general obligation bond funding for replacing Varney’s Bridge. Seven bids were submitted to replace the bridge, which was originally built in 1950.

Work started on the existing bridge demolition and replacement on June 15 and could take up to 120 days to complete.

The reconstruction work requires a full road closure on William Knight Road and local detours have been put in place for traffic and emergency vehicles for the duration of the bridge replacement. The project is expected to be completed by Oct. 13, 2026. <

Municipal budget passes during Windham Annual Town meeting

By Ed Pierce

In a 2 hour and 45-minute Windham Annual Town Meeting, just 102 registered voters determined the fate of the Municipal Town Budget proposal for 2026-2027 on Saturday, June 13 at Windham High School.

Windham Town Manager Robert  Burns, right, explains a
warrant article to voters which was part of the 2026-2027
Windham Municipal Budget proposal voted on at the
Windham Annual Town meeting at Windham High School 
on Saturday, June 13. Moderator Gary Plummer listens as
Burns gives an answer to a resident's question.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE   

A total of 59 registered voters were in favor of passing the $55,788,720 budget, with 43 voters opposed. That’s a 10.1 percent increase from last year’s budget, which expires at the end of this month. The total municipal budget for the Town of Windham for 2026-2027 will be $37,033,996. There are 14,135 registered voters in Windham.

During the meeting, Windham Town Manager Robert Burns explained that RSU 14’s proposed school budget increased by more than $4 million or $13.4 percent and was passed by voters during a referendum on June 9, while Cumberland County taxes will also rise by about 9 percent for 2026-2027.

Burns said that the Town of Windham’s budget only increased by 4.9 percent or about $82 on a $433,000 home. Overall, he said the tax increase on that same $433,000 home will be about $524.

In reviewing the first 21 warrant articles at the Annual Town Meeting, Burns said Windham’s only Town Capital Project for the 2026/2027 year is the MacIntosh Brook Culvert Replacement at a cost of $624,000 with $208,000 of that cost funded by a grant.

He said that the budget increase was not the result of new municipal programs, projects or capital spending, but the cumulative effect of costs largely beyond municipal control, with more than 60 percent of a typical local tax dollar in Windham now going toward education, a share that continues to grow as state funding formulas have shifted funding responsibility to municipalities.

Burns said the town’s municipal budget proposal was the culmination of a process that started in January involving all town departments and then formulated by the town’s Finance Committee. Upon receiving the budget proposal from the Finance Committee, the Windham Town Council made further cuts to arrive at the figure presented to voters at the Annual Town Meeting.

After a lengthy discussion regarding the impact of property taxes upon the community and questions about the town's growth, former Windham Town Councilor Liz Wisecup proposed a motion that was seconded to amend Warrant Article 7, Windham’s proposed municipal budget of $37,033,996 by a 2 percent reduction.

Burns explained that if that amendment passed, cuts would need to be made and a new budget  formalized and approved by voters under state law no later than Aug. 11. He said that an emergency town meeting would need to be called to prevent town departments from shuttering July 1 without an approved town budget for the new fiscal year and that included police and fire protection for Windham. Wisecup’s motion was voted down and a show of hands to vote on the proposed budget was deemed to be close by Moderator Gary Plummer, who then asked for an actual count to take place by Windham Town Clerk Anthony Blasi and his staff.

Funding requests including purchasing a new ambulance for Windham Fire-Rescue by creating a bond, new tasers for Windham Police, new servers, firewalls and software licensing for the Windham Police Department, the first year of a three-year Comprehensive Plan Update, Community Park Stormwater Treatment, creation of Forbes Lane Park, repaving of the Mountain Division Trail, and a Brine System and Calcium Tank for Public Works were all approved by voters. 

Under the new budget, new equipment to be purchased includes a Tilt Trailer, Mower, Dump Truck, Pickup Truck, Chipper, Asphalt Planer, and Used Bucket Truck. The town also plans various equipment rentals, supplies and materials, gravel road reconstruction, surveying, pavement assessment, paving and reconstruction work, roof repair for the Windham sand shed, Varney Mill Estates drainage, a wash bay upgrade for Public Works and continuing the Smith Cemetery expansion project.

Ongoing capital projects approved by voters during the Annual Town meeting include the North Windham Wastewater Treatment Plant and Conveyance System, the North Windham Wastewater Treatment System Service Connections, the MaineDOT North Windham Moves Project Design installing connector roads, adaptive tech signals, and bike/pedestrian lanes, preliminary engineering of the Windham Middle School reuse to a community center, and the Gambo Property road installation and Public Works Laydown Yard.

Voters also approved recreational, Tax Increment Finance district, and unassigned funding requests as requested by the town during the meeting.

Windham Town Council Chair Mark Morrison said that the low participation of voters at the town meeting shows why a charter amendment is needed to change the budget process to a public vote by secret ballot like the annual RSU 14 budget vote every spring to increase participation. Morrison said the council hopes to have the charter amendment on the ballot for voters in November. <

Windham prepares for Annual Town Meeting on Saturday

By Ed Pierce

The Annual Town Meeting in Windham represents a fundamental and important part of governance and has since the town adopted its current form of town council form of government in 1975.

Windham voters will gather at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 13 in
the Windham High School Auditorium for the Annual Town
Meeting for 2026. Decisions made by voters will determine
approval of the town's annual budget as put forward by the
Windham Town Council.  PHOTO BY KEIH MANK    

The meeting affords every registered voter in Windham an opportunity to express their opinion and vote on town warrant articles and the town’s annual budget for the coming year. This year’s Annual Town Meeting in Windham will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 13 in the Windham High School Auditorium at 406 Gray Road in Windham.

Last year a total of 130 Windham residents and members of the Windham Town Council attended the 4 ½ hour meeting and questioned nearly all the 30 proposed town warrant articles. 

The meeting was not without controversy as voters initially voted not to approve a warrant article regarding the town’s operating budget to fund General Government for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year. Many of those voters left the meeting after that, only to discover that the operating budget warrant article was brought back to the floor for consideration and subsequently passed.

This year, Windham Town Manager Robert Burns is presenting a total budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 of $55,788,720, up 10.1 percent from last year’s budget of $50,865,671. Of that 10.1 percent increase, voters attending the town meeting will be making decisions about 27 warrant articles comprising the municipal budget, which is a 4.9 percent increase. Voters have already approved the proposed RSU 14 budget during a referendum on Tuesday, and that budget included an increase of 13.4 percent from last year. 

Burns said Windham’s lone potential Town Capital Project for the 2026/2027 year is the MacIntosh Brook Culvert Replacement at a cost of $624,000 with $208,000 of that cost funded by a grant. He said that the budget increase was not the result of new municipal programs, projects or capital spending, but the cumulative effect of costs largely beyond municipal control, with more than 60 percent of a typical local tax dollar in Windham now going toward education, a share that continues to grow as state funding formulas have shifted funding responsibility to municipalities.

He said RSU 14’s proposed school budget increased by more than $4 million, while Cumberland County taxes will also rise by about 9 percent. For the owner of an average-priced Windham home valued at about $433,000, if the annual budget is approved by voters, the increase would be about $524 more in annual property taxes.

Funding requests include purchasing a new ambulance for Windham Fire-Rescue, new tasers for Windham Police, new servers, firewalls and software licensing for the Windham Police Department, the first year of a three-year Comprehensive Plan Update, Community Park Stormwater Treatment, creation of Forbes Lane Park, repaving of the Mountain Division Trail, and a Brine System and Calcium Tank for Public Works.

New equipment to be purchased if the budget is approved includes a Tilt Trailer, Mower, Dump Truck, Pickup Truck, Chipper, Asphalt Planer, and Used Bucket Truck. The town also plans various equipment rentals, supplies and materials, gravel road reconstruction, surveying, pavement assessment, paving and reconstruction work, roof repair for the Windham sand shed, Varney Mill Estates drainage, a wash bay upgrade for Public Works and continuing the Smith Cemetery expansion project.

Ongoing capital projects for Windham include the North Windham Wastewater Treatment Plant and Conveyance System, the North Windham Wastewater Treatment System Service Connections, the MaineDOT North Windham Moves Project Design installing connector roads, adaptive tech signals, and bike/pedestrian lanes, preliminary engineering of the Windham Middle School reuse to a community center, and the Gambo Property road installation and Public Works Laydown Yard. 

Voters will decide if $10,602,273 in miscellaneous non-tax revenues should be appropriated for the town budget including Local Road Assistance, Boat, Snowmobile, and ATV Registration Fees, Homestead Exemption Reimbursement, Tree Growth Reimbursement, General Assistance Reimbursement, Veteran’s Exemption Reimbursement, and any State or Federal grants or other funds as anticipated to be provided by the Maine State Legislature or Federal Government, toward the total Municipal Budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 as recommended by the Windham Town Council.

Should voters reject the proposed town budget, warrant articles for funding for each town department and services would then have to be considered.

The final five warrant articles for voters to decide upon involve expansion of public sewers, issuance of general obligation bonds for the town’s grant match portion of the MDOT North Windham Moves Project, including the costs of planning, design, permitting, construction, utilities, site work, paving, landscaping, or improvements necessary in connection with the construction of that project, and issuing bonds for town debt service. <

MSSPA dedicates new intake barn in Windham

By Ed Pierce

Abused and neglected horses now have a “Safe Place to Land” to heal and recover as the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals has officially opened and dedicated a new 2,400-square-foot intake and quarantine barn on its farm in Windham.

Guests tour the new 'McCulloch Family Barn' during a 
dedication for the new equine intake barn and facility at
the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals
in Windham on Sunday, May 31.
PHOTO BY RICHARD SAWYER

MSSPA Advancement Director Peg Keyser said as the number of horses arriving at MSSPA has surged in recent years with many coming from cases of severe neglect, abuse, or with significant medical challenges, the urgency for a dedicated space where incoming horses can receive care they desperately need continues to grow.

She said the new intake and quarantine barn is designed to offer every horse a safe and supportive beginning to their journey of healing.

“The horses coming into this new barn are in quarantine and as you can imagine, many horses come to us with challenging health concerns, and often with no medical records or medical history,” Keyser said. “Many have not had much,if any, vet care. All horses are quarantined for 28 days while they receive an intake exam, do necessary bloodwork, receive vaccines, and begin their journey to rehabilitation.”

A horse will not be integrated into MSSPA’s resident herd until staff there have a thorough understanding of its health challenges and have begun the process of re-feeding, caring for, and returning the horse to optimum health.

“Even after quarantining for 28 days, some horses will stay in the McCulloch Family Barn if they have medical challenges that keep them from joining the resident herd,” Keyser said. “Some need more time simply to get strong and gain weight.”

A $1.5 million fundraising campaign was created last spring to build the new intake barn and facility under the leadership of Kathy Woodbrey, MSSPA’s Executive Director and it immediately got a huge boost when MSSPA received a matching gift of $500,000 from the McCullouch Family of Southern Maine who were extended the opportunity to name the new barn as the “McCulloch Family Barn.”

Dave McCulloch and other members of his family were on hand Sunday, May 31 as the new barn and intake facility was dedicated. During that event, MSSPA staff, volunteers and community supporters got a chance to tour the barn and explore what it has to offer.

The barn and its paddocks and adjacent pastures sit on seven acres at the farm. It has eight stalls, with two stalls each opening into one of four corner paddocks. Each corner paddock also has two run-in enclosures – three sided, covered open enclosures, so that while horses are out in a paddock, they have a place to go into to get out of the elements, sun, rain, and snow.

“Many of the horses that come to us have lived outside 24/7, so unless they are critically compromised or ill, they do well outside with a run-in shed for protection around-the-clock,” Keyser said. “This barn gives us amazing flexibility to accommodate horses in all stages of health and to also receive larger groups of horses. Now we can do that safely and efficiently.”

She said that the fencing was designed and installed so there is no nose-to-nose contact between paddocks.

“We even re-did much of the pasture fencing so that those large pastures also feature no nose-to-nose contact,” Keyser said. “That entire corner of the farm gives us many options to receive small and large herds of horses in varying stages of health.”

According to Keyser, the MSSPA’s goal for each horse is rehabilitation and a new home, but if no suitable adoption is found, horses may live out their natural lives at the organization’s farm.

During the dedication ceremony, Keyser said MSSPA has teamed up with the Safe Voices Domestic Violence Program of Lewiston to create a “Safe Shelter” program to offer respite care to the horses of domestic violence survivors who need to house their horse somewhere while they flee an abusive situation.

“We are very proud of this program, and we have already welcomed one horse whose owner was able to leave her abusive situation and work to re-establish a new residency,” Keyser said. “That horse left the farm last week to re-join his mom. Those incoming Safe Shelter horses will also be housed at the McCulloch Family Barn.” 

Along with the Safe Voices program, MSSPA teamed with RedRover and Greater Good Charities for grants to secure funding and support of the “Safe Shelter” program.

For 154 years, the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals (MSSPA) has been a sanctuary for Maine’s most vulnerable horses including those rescued from abuse, neglect, and heartbreaking circumstances. Its mission is to provide refuge, rehabilitation, and placement of seized equines. MSSPA does not charge for its shelter services and seeks no reimbursement from any public source. Horses cared for by the MSSPA come from Maine law enforcement officials and most of them have been abused or neglected.

The new intake barn was funded thanks to 269 donations and gifts, Woodbrey said.

J.M. Brown was the contractor, sitework was done by Shaw Brothers Construction and fencing completed by Main Line Fence. The site plan was done by Andy Johnston at Atlantic Resource Consulting, and the Owners Representative was Blaine Buck at Cordjia Capital Investments. <

Monument honors McDonald’s legacy at Windham Veterans Center

By Ed Pierce

Carroll McDonald believed that the greatest legacy that one could pass on in life was not wealth or material things accumulated, but of character. McDonald certainly left that behind and on Memorial Day, his friends and family remembered him by unveiling a monument in his honor at the Windham Veterans Center.

A new monument at the Windham Veterans Center honors
the life of the late Carroll McDonald of Windham, the last
World War II veteran in town, who died in 2024 at the age 
of 99. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

McDonald was the last surviving World War II veteran living in Windham when he died at the age of 99 on Nov. 14, 2024. Born on his parents’ dairy farm in South Windham on March 1, 1925, from an early age he was fascinated by airplanes, and it was something he never lost sight of.

He graduated from Windham High School in 1942 and started classes at Northeastern Business College in Portland that fall, but by the next summer McDonald decided to accept a commission in the U.S. Army Air Corps to become a pilot before being drafted and assigned any job that was needed.

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

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

Though discharged from active duty in 1945, McDonald continued service and in 1951, while fulfilling his military commitment in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant during the Korean War.

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

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

During his time on active duty in the military, McDonald married his high school sweetheart, Marjorie Steeves and they raised a son, David, and a daughter, Karen.

Upon his retirement from the U.S. Post Office in 1980, McDonald volunteered for more than 20 years delivering Meals on Wheels to area seniors. He also became a member of the Presumpscot Lodge of Masons, Windham Hill Church, and Windham Historical Society. He also remained active in the Rural Letter Carriers Association and was elected to serve as State President for that for two years in the 1970s.

McDonald joined American Legion’s Field-Allen Post 148 in 1951 in Windham and eventually served as Post Commander and performed many other duties for the group through the years.

In an interview with The Windham Eagle in 2021, McDonald said he wouldn’t change a thing about his military service or his love for his fellow military veterans.

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

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

Carroll's granddaughter, Maureen Hopkins, and her mother and Carroll’s daughter, Karen Hopkins, were on hand when the monument was dedicated at the Windham Veterans Center. The monument features a drawing of P-51 Mustang airplane for McDonald. <

WHS sophomore to undertake grueling ‘Ultimate Murph Challenge’ to honor sacrifices of military veterans

By Ed Pierce

Lt. Michael Murphy was a U.S. Navy SEAL officer who tragically lost his life while taking intense Taliban fire to radio for help for his pinned-down squad after his team was compromised and surrounded by enemy forces near Asadabad, Afghanistan in 2005. His story has inspired Nate Plati, a Windham High School sophomore, to undertake The Ultimate "Murph" Challenge, an intense CrossFit workout and fundraising event conducted every year on Memorial Day.

Nate Plati, a Windham High School
sophomore, will undertake the 'Ultimate
Murph Challenge,' an intense CrossFit
workout to raise money for the Windham
Veterans Center on Memorial Day. The
event honors the late U.S. Navy SEAL
Lt. Michael Murphy, a Medal of Honor
recipient who lost his life protecting his
team in Afghanistan in 2005.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Plati plays varsity and club soccer, serves as a class officer and student council member, is a member of the WHS leadership team of Best Buddies, and assists with Unified athletics. He’s also a member of the National Honor Society with a 4.0 GPA, is a devout Catholic attending Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church and is passionate about fitness and ultra-endurance challenges.

His future plans are joining the U.S. Army Reserves, participating in ROTC throughout college, and serving America in the military following graduation.

“I first thought of the idea of creating the Ultimate Murph after hearing about the Original Murph Challenge, which is a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 pushups, 300 squats followed by one more one-mile run,” Plati said. “I then made the decision to create the Ultimate Murph as a challenge to push myself to my limits and promote the importance of doing hard things. With the Ultimate, I’ll be doing the Original Murph 10 times so a total of a 20-mile run, 1,000 pull-ups, 2,000 pushups and 3,000 squats.”

The Original Murph Challenge was designed to be a grueling test of both physical endurance and mental grit and is usually performed while wearing a 20-pound weight vest.

Jeff Cook of Windham, a retired US Navy, SEABEE and the Commander of VFW Post 10643, says that Plati reached out to him a few months ago and wanted to help veterans in Windham.

“He is committed to excellence and making Windham a better place. As a young man with aspirations of attending West Point, I feel we need to help Nate the best we can,” Cook said. “Very seldom do you find a young person with this kind of drive. He has already raised thousands of dollars on his own that he will be donating to the veterans’ organizations in Windham.

Cook says that Plati taking on the Ultimate Murph Challenge holds special significance to him.

“This hit home with me as I was attached to Navy S.O.COM and worked for the SEALS teams and was listening to the radio commands as Lt. Murphy’s mission took a bad turn and everyone died accept Marcus Luttrell only a few miles away from my Forward Operating Base,” he said.

According to Cook, having Plati perform the Ultimate Murph Challenge is something he created on his own and working with school athletics and WHS administration, to date he has raised just over $3,200 toward his $5,000 goal.

“I am a true believer that to succeed in life you must be able to do hard things and push yourself beyond your limits,” Plati said. “If you can overcome physical adversity, challenges you face later in your life become much more manageable. I believe no group accomplishes this better than the United States military and I am a huge supporter of the people who serve our country.”

Plati will break the challenge up into 11 parts. Each part will consist of a 1-mile run, 20 sets of 5 pull-ups, 10 pushups, and 15 squats, and each set has a minute of rest. After doing this part 10 different times, the final 11th part will consist of a 10-mile run.

He will be doing the event on the Windham High School Track on Memorial Day, Monday May 25 starting at 6 a.m. and running until about 4 p.m. with spectators and supporters welcome and greatly appreciated.

“I believe the hardest part will be after the first 10 parts,” Plati said. “Mentally it is going to be difficult knowing I have done 1,000 pull-ups, 2,000 pushups, 3,000 squats, and run for 10 miles, and still have another 10 miles to run. I am going to overcome this by remembering that I am doing this challenge for something greater than myself.”

Passionate about the U.S. Army and hoping to attend West Point after high school to become a combat engineer officer in the Army, Plati says that he would love to serve a full 20-year military career. 

“I enjoy the thought of an intense physical job with structure that will allow me to push myself, as well as open up many opportunities for me,” he said. “At the same time helping people and serving my country is a true passion of mine.”

He’s been training for this challenge six to seven days a week since the middle of January while still focusing on his high school studies.

“My favorite subjects are math and history,” Plati said. “I like problem solving in math and I love to learn about how the world works around me in history.”


As far as the Ultimate Murph Challenge goes, Plati says the key takeaway he wants people to remember is the importance in doing things greater than yourself especially to help those around you.

“Two quotes that have gotten me this far are ‘Do it for those who can’t, and to honor those who did’ and ‘1 Peter 4:1 Therefore since Christ died in the flesh for us, for you arm yourself with the same thought and purpose. For whoever has suffered in the flesh is through with sin,’ he said.

Plati believes the public should support and donate to his Ultimate Murph Challenge as a measure of respect for those Americans who have worn the uniform of the United States in the defense of freedom.

“This is about giving back to our veteran community who served our country and put their lives on the line so we may be free,” he said.

To learn more about Nate Plati and donate to his Ultimate Murph Challenge, visit https://givebutter.com/plati-murph-challenge. <

Veterinary student finds confidence through bodybuilding

By Ed Pierce

When Mikayla Baiguy first started lifting weights during the pandemic, she had no idea it would eventually lead to a bodybuilding title and winning her pro card in the sport.

Mikayla Baiguy, a 2019 Windham High School graduate,
placed first in figure novice and first in figure open, 
earning her a pro card, while competing in the OCB
Blaze of Glory bodybuilding competition in Bridgeport,
Connecticut in April. She will earn a Doctor of Veterinary
Medicine degree at Tufts University this month and hopes 
to become a veterinarian in New England.
SUBMITTED PHOTO     

Baiguy, Windham High School’s Class of 2019 Valedictorian, is wrapping up work this month to earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Tufts University and she also competed in two bodybuilding competitions this spring. In March, she placed second in figure debut and figure novice and was third in figure open at the OCB Shamrock Classic in Durham, New Hampshire, then followed that up by placing first in figure novice and first in figure open, which earned her a pro card, at the OCB Blaze of Glory in Bridgeport, Connecticut in April.

It’s an interesting hobby for Baiguy, who hopes to become a small animal general practice veterinarian in either Maine or New Hampshire upon graduation from Tufts.

“When I first started lifting, I never imagined that I would end up here or how much this sport would mean to me. I started lifting during COVID-19 as a way to get out of the house and stay active,” Baiguy said. “At first, I felt so out of place in the gym, but the longer I went, the more I started to enjoy it. I slowly started educating myself on the bodybuilding lifestyle, including both lifting and diet. The more I learned, the more invested I became, and started to fall in love with the process.”

Baiguy says that she never considered competing in a bodybuilding competition until about two years ago, mainly because she had not had enough time to develop her physique to a point that she was confident to step on stage.

“Once I did get to a point where I was thinking about it, I went to watch my cousin compete in her first show. I had so much fun watching her, and she had such an amazing experience; that was when I decided for sure that I wanted to go for it,” Baiguy said. “I started making plans, picked a show date, dialed in my diet and workouts, found a coach, and never looked back.”

In competing for the first time, she said she decided to enter the bodybuilding events this spring with no expectations.

“My only goals were to look like I belonged on stage and enjoy the process,” Baiguy said. “I never imagined that I would end up with my pro card at the end of it. As proud and excited as I am for the win, this prep has meant so much more to me than just that. I have had the opportunity to meet so many incredible people in the bodybuilding community, forming connections and lifelong friends through a shared passion for this sport. It has shown me how lucky I am to have so many friends and family in my corner cheering me on throughout the process.”

She said bodybuilding has taught her so much about herself and pushed her past limits, both mental and physical, that she never knew she had.

“I love this sport because it is proof that results are a direct reflection of the work that you put in, that as long as you keep showing up, you cannot fail,” Baiguy said. “This discipline is something that I have been able to translate to all other aspects of life as well. This sport has become a safe place for me, giving me consistency and structure when the rest of life feels overwhelming or out of control, and for that I am forever grateful. I am so thankful for everything this life has given me so far and cannot wait to see what the future holds.”

According to Baiguy, bodybuilding has never felt like a burden or something that interferes with her academic studies.

“If anything, it improves my academic performance by giving me an outlet to take a break from the stress of school and provide me with a better work-life balance. Some weeks are busier than others when it comes to academics, and I may have to flex my gym schedule a bit or skip a day here and there,” she said. “But at the end of the day, success in bodybuilding isn't about any single day, it's about the consistency and time put in over many years. I love this sport, so it's never been difficult to make it a top priority in my life in addition to academics. That being said, I don't have the same flexibility with my gym schedule during prep as I do in the off season. I purposely planned my prep for a time I knew that I would be slightly less busy with school so that it interfered with my academics as little as possible.”

She’s found that nutrition is essential to bodybuilding success.

“It doesn't matter how long you've been training for, if nutrition isn't dialed in you'll never be able to build muscle efficiently or get lean enough to step on stage,” Baiguy said. “When preparing for a competition, it is essential to keep protein high to maintain as much muscle mass as possible. Common protein sources include chicken breast, lean ground beef or ground turkey, egg whites, Greek yogurt, and protein powder, among other things. Carbs and fats will start off higher at the beginning of prep and slowly drop down as you get closer to the show. Common carb sources include rice, sweet potatoes, oats, and fruit. Healthy fat sources include eggs, avocados, and nut butter. Having lots of vegetables is also important and can help with satiety because you can eat a high volume for relatively low calories. As far as drinks during prep, I stick to water, black coffee, and other zero-calorie drinks. The diet during prep is so strict; there is no room for extra calories in drinks.”

To best prepare for the events that she planned to enter this spring, Baiguy worked with a bodybuilding coach, Kevin Richards, for about 6 months from November to April while preparing for the competitions. Prior to that, she was entirely self-taught and had never worked with a coach or trainer. During her preparations, she would spend about two hours a day or between 13 to 15 hours every week at the gym. 

“Personally, I find it best to stay busy during prep, which was not hard for me, given my crazy school schedule,” she said. “Keeping busy allows less time to overthink the little things, less stress about the day-to-day fluctuations, less time to dwell on the feelings of hunger or overall burnout that your body is experiencing. Having a coach also took a lot of mental strain from me as far as not having to worry about my weekly progress throughout prep. I trusted him to make the necessary changes to get me where I needed to be. All I had to do was sit back and follow the plan. Having him with me on show day was also a huge weight off my shoulders because he was able to guide me through everything. I didn't have to worry about all the little details and timing of everything, so I could just relax and enjoy the day.”

As far as her future in bodybuilding is concerned, Baiguy hopes to continue to improve herself and expand her knowledge of bodybuilding, including both training and diet.

“I hope to have my pro debut at some point in 2027. I would love to continue to compete as long as I am able to but I don't have any specific expectations aside from continuing to grow and get better one day at a time,” she said. “I am going to take the rest of this year to allow my body to recover from this prep that I just finished and allow time for growth before my next show.” <

Global Beauty Awards honor Windham fashion brand founder

By Ed Pierce

Katie Winchenbach of Windham believes she can change the world and is not letting anyone tell her otherwise.

Katie Winchenbach of Windham, founder of fashion'
brand 'Fearless by Katie Winchenbach' was honored
as the 'Best Rising entrepreneur' at the 2026
Global Beauty Awards in Seattle, Washington
on April 18, rec0ognikzing her growing impact
in the fashion and business world.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
 

Winchenbach, the founder of fashion brand “Fearless by Katie Winchenbach” was honored as the “Best Rising Entrepreneur” at the 2026 Global Beauty Awards on April 18 in Seattle, Washington, recognizing her growing impact in the fashion and business world less than a year after launching the brand.

Known for its high-quality, statement clothing designed for special events at more accessible pricing, the Fearless by Katie Winchenbach brand’s signature line of vibrant, colorful dresses, all under $300, reflects Winchenbach’s commitment to making confidence and standout style attainable for more women.

She said she is humbled by this recognition.

“This award means so much because it reflects the heart behind the brand,” said Winchenbach. “Fearless was created to give women that extra layer of confidence. Not just in how they look, but in how they show up in their lives.”

According to Winchenbach, she launched the Fearless by Katie Winchenbach fashion brand in 2025 with a clear mission of creating clothing that empowers women to feel confident, capable, and unapologetically bold. Her designs focus on flattering a variety of body types while helping women “own every room they walk into.”

Her journey to this point has been one of persistence and determination.

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

She became a corporate attorney while also working as a podcast host.​

“My mom always told me that I could be anything I wanted to be. I took that literally, becoming the first in my family to attend college and law school,” Winchenbach said. “Being a first-generation student challenged me, but it also inspired me to help pave the way for women like me who are chasing big dreams.​”

One of those dreams was realized when she entered and won the pageant title as USOA Mrs. Maine 2024, which gave her a platform to advocate for women’s empowerment, provide critical leadership opportunities, and to break down barriers to women’s success.

That led to her entering the National United States Mrs. 2025 Pageant representing Maine and she won that title too, cementing her idea of advancing women’s leadership, breaking barriers, and inspiring confidence in women of all ages.

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

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

During a recent television interview, Winchenbach said that as a 5-foot-1, size 12 woman, she wasn’t a “stereotypical pageant girl” so she had difficulty finding clothing that made her feel confident.

"That's what led me to start my own clothing line," she told the television interviewer.

In under a year, the Fearless by Katie Winchenbach fashion brand has drawn significant national and international attention, with runway showcases and partnering with Supermodels Unlimited at New York Fashion Week and Miami Swim Week, and her debut at Paris Fashion Week.

Now the Global Beauty Awards have paid tribute to Winchenbach and called further attention to what she is trying to accomplish. The Global Beauty Awards is an international awards program that celebrates excellence across the pageant, beauty, fashion, and business industries. It brings together professionals from around the world and recognizes individuals who demonstrate leadership, innovation, and impact in their fields.

Winners of Global Beauty Awards are selected through a formal nomination and voting process involving industry members and peers.

Through it all, Winchenbach’s husband has been so incredibly supportive, not just of her pageant participation, but of everything that has resulted from that, including this latest award for her fashion brand. 

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

Despite all the acclaim and recognition that she has received, Winchenbach remains committed to uplift, empower, and inspire rising women leaders and it is at the heart of everything she does.​

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

Restored 1802 Windham map focus of historical presentation

By Ed Pierce

Famed American author Brené Brown once said that "Maps are the most important documents in human history as they are the history of human perception." That may be the case right here in Windham as a new presentation on Monday night will examine a 224-year-old map of the town.

During a presentation at the Little Meetinghouse in Windham
on Monday, April 27, participants will be able to see an 1802
map of North Windham drawn on fabric. The map was 
recently discovered by Raymond Philpot of Windham 
among a box of family artifacts. SUBMITTED PHOTO     

Windham Historical Society member Carol Manchester says that earlier this year, Raymond Philpot, a lifelong resident of Windham, discovered the map when he was given a box of historic Windham items by a family member and an 1802 drawing of the North Windham section of town was contained among the artifacts.

“He believes it was sketched on some sort of fabric,” Manchester said.

Because this document is important to the Windham Historical Society, but very delicate and expensive for them to restore, a decision was made to turn the map over to the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education at the University of Southern Maine for restoration and display with a commitment that the historical society would be given a representation or copy of the map.

The map was conserved by Green Dragon bindery of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts and features an 1802 drawing and manuscript map by Lothrop Snow of the plans of the last division of the town of Windham.

Libby Bischof, Executive Director of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education at USM has examined the map and will offer a free presentation open to the public and lead a discussion about the map starting at 7 p.m. Monday, April 27 at the Little Meetinghouse, 719 Roosevelt Trail in Windham. Bischof’s presentation is called “Mapping Windham Across Time.”

Bischof is a history professor and the inaugural University Historian at USM where she has taught courses in Maine History, History and Photography, Popular Culture, and Public History for the past 18 years. A visual and cultural historian of the 19th and 20th centuries, Bischof is interested in the way in which friendship informs cultural production, especially in relation to landscape and place. 

She believes deeply in site-based, hands-on education and the ways in which teaching local and regional history can lead to deeper civic engagement. In an earlier program for Windham Historical Society, Bischof gave a presentation regarding the history and manufacture of postcards.

Prior to being settled by Europeans, most of Southern Maine, including Windham, was land of the Abenaki tribe of Native Americans. Associated with the Algonquin Nation, the Abenaki lived from the Maritime Provinces of Canada through upstate New York and Ontario.

There were many seasonal Abenaki settlements between the White Mountains and Casco Bay with local lakes and rivers used for travel for thousands of years.

Historians say that the Windham area was first settled by Europeans in 1737. Massachusetts Bay colony granted land to a group of individuals and families primarily from Marblehead, Massachusetts. These settlers named the township New Marblehead, and the township was incorporated as the Town of Windham in 1762.

Windham’s early economy in Windham focused on agriculture and forestry, but the next phase of Windham’s growth centered on industrialization and manufacturing driven by power generated by the Presumpscot and Pleasant Rivers.

By 1940, Windham’s population of Windham was about 2,000 people and since then it has increased to more than 19,000.

Those attending Bischof’s presentation will be able to see the newly conserved map in person. Light refreshments will be served and although the event is free, a $5 donation is suggested at the door.

For more details about the Windham Historical Society, visit https://www.windhamhistorical.org/ <

Lodge’s ‘Charity Dinner’ event to fund several college scholarships

By Ed Pierce

The underlying belief of Masons from Presumpscot Lodge 70 in Windham is to practice charity and to care, not only for their own but also for the community through charitable giving and volunteer efforts to become better men and to forge a better world. To that end, the lodge’s upcoming Charity Dinner promises laughs, great music and an awesome meal while raising money to fund two scholarships for Windham High School students

Masons from Presumpscot Lodge 70 in Windham are hosting
a Charity Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 at Erik's
Church, 824 Roosevelt Trail in Windham to fund 
scholarships for Windham High School students. The event
features appetizers, an Italian buffet and desserts, with
entertainment by comedians Nick Gordon and Mark 
Turcotte and music by the 43 Degrees North band.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE   

The Charity Dinner will take place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 at Erik’s Church, 824 Roosevelt Trail in Windham and features delicious appetizers, and Italian buffet and desserts, comedians Nick Gordon and Mark Turcotte, and music by the 43 Degrees North band. There will also be a silent auction, and tickets are priced at $65 per person.

According to Gaige Hamilton of Raymond, a member of the lodge, planning for the Charity Dinner began earlier this year and the event was created for the purpose of offering college scholarships to deserving students from the area.

“Everything we do revolves around charity and to benefit the community,” Hamilton said.

Besides comedy and music, guests at the Charity Dinner will be able to enjoy Hor D'oeuvres; Antipasto Skewers; Spanakopita; Chicken Marsala; Garlic Bread; Caesar Salad; Chicken Broccoli Alfredo; Bolognese; Buttered Pasta; and Dessert with cookies and pastries.

The 43 Degrees North band is donating their time to entertain at the Charity Dinner, Hamilton said. It was created by three members of the band “Wednesday Night Project.”

The goal of this acoustic group is to share their love of music and performance with others in the community. Before forming this group all three members had various levels of performance experience and amalgamated their talents to create a very fun and entertaining trio. The music is an eclectic mix of country and classic rock songs that lend themselves to the sound and harmonies of the three performers.

Nick Gordon is a writer, podcaster, and voice actor. He is a founding member of Great Falls Comedy Club and a regular at the Woolen Mill Comedy Club, McCue's Comedy Club, and Empire Comedy Club.

Mark Turcotte is the founder of Maine Event Comedy and the Bricks & Bridges Comedy Fest. He was a finalist in the Funniest Comic on the East Coast Contest and has performed for the Gotham All-Stars Show in New York City.

The Presumpscot Lodge at 964 River Road in Windham is the gathering place for Masons from Windham, Standish and Raymond.

Currently the lodge has 280 members and is proud of its long history and charitable works for the community.

Formed in 1864, the first lodge building was located at Windham Hill and took its name after the Presumpscot River which played a prominent part in the town’s early formation. In 1887, the original Masonic building was dismantled and reconstructed at a location near 725 Roosevelt Trail in North Windham. That lodge remained at that location until 1970 when the current lodge building at 964 River Road was built. 

The history of Masonry in Maine goes back even further. In 1762, the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Grand Lodge of England (now the United Grand Lodge of England) issued a charter to form a Lodge in Falmouth, which eventually became Portland, at the request of several Masons living in the area.

In 1819, the people of Maine voted to withdraw from Massachusetts and form a separate state. There were 31 Maine Lodges at the time, active and thriving, who then met in convention and voted to follow suit and form their own Grand Lodge of Maine when the separation took place.

Hamilton says that Windham’s Masonic Lodge is made up of men who share similar values for their own well-being, and for the overall health and welfare of the inhabitants of their community. He said that Masons contribute time and resources to charity and participate in many outreach programs designed to better their community.

He said the Charity Dinner is yet another demonstration of Presumpscot Lodge 70’s commitment to making the community a better place to live.

“We also changed the scholarship requirements to give more students an opportunity,” Hamilton said. “We lowered the GPA required to 2.7 overall. Many top students will receive multiple scholarships when awarded on Scholarship Night, but academics are only one component to student success. Our scholarships will be based on many factors, including community involvement, athletics and more. We’ve opened it up to make these two scholarships available to even more deserving students.”

The Presumpscot Lodge 70 scholarships will be presented for the first time on Scholarship Night at Windham High School in June and Hamilton said that the Masons expect to present two scholarships annually thereafter.

To obtain tickets for the Charity Dinner event, call 207-318-4056 or 207-245-0234. <

Windham pitcher earns bullpen spot for Florida State League’s Daytona Beach Tortugas

By Ed Pierce

Windham’s Brady Afthim is yet another step closer in his quest to play Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds.

Brady Afthim of Windham pitches for the Daytona
Beach Tortugas during a Florida State League game
against Jupiter on April 2. Afthim was drafted by the
Cincinnati Reds last summer and is in his first full
season of playing professional baseball.  
PHOTO BY NADIA ZOMORODIAN/
DAYTONA BEAVCH NEWS-JOURNAL

After a solid showing during the Reds’ spring training in Arizona, Afthim, 23, was assigned to the Reds’ minor league team, the Daytona Beach Tortugas in the Florida State League, and appeared in the Tortugas’ first game of the season last week against Jupiter. He faced five batters and struck out two as the Tortugas defeated the Jupiter Hammerheads, 4-2.

A right-handed pitcher, Afthim signed with the Reds last summer for a $150,000 bonus after Cincinnati selected him in the 13th round of the 2025 MLB Draft last July. He graduated from Windham High School in 2021 and went on to a stellar career serving as the closer for the University of Connecticut Huskies.

While playing for Windham High under then WHS coach Cody Dube, Afthim racked up honors as Maine Gatorade Player of the Year, USA Today Player of the Year in Maine, and 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.

The son of Shelly and Phil Afthim, Brady started playing baseball in the Windham Little League and his older brother Bryce, also pitched for Windham High School and played in college for the University of Southern Maine.

Throwing a fastball between 93 to 95 mph and touching 97 mph at times, Afthim can mix in a changeup when needed and he also keeps batters guessing by throwing a slider effectively.

He says he’s found playing professional baseball is different from college.

“The biggest adjustment for me, being someone who came out of college, has been the approach to pitching in games,” Afthim said. “In college the goal is to win. And priority number one for pitchers is to throw strikes, try to walk as little batters as possible, and be efficient. All things that make sense when you’re trying to win games. In the minor leagues, especially at the lower levels, it’s all development based.”

Afthim said he’s found that in minor league baseball, results come second to player development.

“So, for me, an example would be throwing my slider above 87 mph,” he said. “In college if I was throwing my slider above 87 mph and it was all over the place and my fastball was getting hit off the wall, that wouldn’t be seen as good. Seems pretty obvious. Here my goal is to throw that slider above 87 mph and it’s hit all over the place that would be seen as a step in the right direction. The mindset is eventually I’ll learn to throw that 87 mph slider in good spots, and then I’ll have a really good pitch to go to. So just understanding the process of developing into a better pitcher is the top priority and not necessarily my Earned Run Average or winning games is definitely a change for me.” 

Becoming an even better pitcher is something Afthim started working on after hearing his name called by the Reds in the draft. He initially spent time at Cincinnati’s training complex in Goodyear, Arizona last summer before being assigned to Daytona Beach in late August. Afthim appeared in two games near the end of the 2025 season for Daytona Beach, pitching 3 innings, striking out two and posting an EAR of 3.00.

The 2026 season started for Afthim in February, joining the Reds for spring training in Arizona and he even appeared in a spring training game for Cincinnati against the Cleveland Guardians on March 22. During that game, he faced five batters, throwing 23 pitches, 13 of which were strikes, and only allowing one hit – a home run by Cleveland’s Kyle Manzardo on a 93.1 mph fastball.

Now into the regular season, he’s been working with Tortugas’ pitching coach Jason Immekus to come up with some solid goals for him for the year.

“Obviously my goal is to stay healthy and just enjoy this whole process,” Afthim said. “It can be pretty challenging, but it’s been a blast so far and hopefully that continues.” <

Katahdin students present veterans’ interviews to Library of Congress

By Ed Pierce

Historian David McCullough believed that studying America’s military history and those involved in the service of our nation can be a guide to surviving perilous times and shows us who we are and why we are the way we are. It’s a valuable lesson that students in Windham High School’s Katahdin Program have taken to heart.

Students and teachers from Windham High School's Katahdin
Program met with U.S. Senator Angus King during a visit
to Washington, D.C. in March. The Katahdin students
interviewed local U.S. military veterans and presented
videos of those interviews to be included in the Veterans
History Project at the Library of Congress. From left are
Justin London, Brandon Feyler, Senator Angus King,
McKenzie Harris, Ava Blanchard and Katahdin teachers
Richard Meserve and Marie Reidman. COURTESY PHOTO   

Katahdin students McKenzie Harris, Justin London, Ava Blanchard, and Brandon Feyler traveled with several Katahdin staff members to Washington, D.C. to present several veteran’s history videos they worked on to the Library of Congress for permanent enshrinement in March. 

The students interviewed local veterans in February at Windham High School as part of the Veterans History Project, which collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans in the Library of Congress.

Along with stopping at the Library of Congress, the students met with U.S. Senator Angus King of Maine and toured some of the memorials and museums while in Washington.

The student’s work was part of an ongoing effort for the past 14 years by the Katahdin program to meet local veterans and record their stories for the Veterans History Project.

“I am not sure how I originally heard about the Veterans History Project, but it seemed such an obvious way to connect our students with members of the community that had experiences which included many of the things we are learning about in our humanities classes,” said Richard Meserve, who is the Katahdin Program’s head of school. “We also like to pair our students with adults who can share their knowledge whenever possible.”

He said this was the third time that videotaped Katahdin interviews with veterans have been delivered in person to the Library of Congress with the remainder having been mailed there in completed packets.

The Katahdin group drove from Windham to Washington on Monday, March 16 and walked to the Library of Congress the following day where they met with a representative from the Veterans History Project. 

“She showed us around their offices and shared information about the program's history,” Meserve said. “We handed in our completed forms and videos, and they checked to make sure everything was in order.”

According to Meserve, having Katahdin students participate in the project has been valuable for several reasons.

“It is important to preserve the stories of our veterans and what better way to do that than to share those stories with students from the community in which they live,” he said. “It is a win-win scenario for all.”

The Katahdin Program provides alternative education programming for students in grades 9 to 12 enrolled in the RSU 14 school district. It is a small, community-focused school dedicated to addressing the social, emotional and academic needs of all students.

Incorporating the Veterans History Project for Katahdin students has not been without challenges, Meserve said.

“The Katahdin Program is flexible in its ability to introduce, integrate, and execute an idea or unit. Teachers collaborate often to allow for new projects to occur,” he said. “The Veterans History Project was just a part of the trip to Washington. Students also created a budget for our four-day trip, raised money, made meal plans, shopped and packed food, developed our trip agenda and explored and navigated the different monuments and museums we visited.”

Meserve and teacher Marie Reidman accompanied the students on the trip and say the feedback they received from the group was positive.

“The students enjoyed the project for many reasons: meeting community members, facilitating the interview process, transcribing the interviews, and then delivering them to the Library of Congress,” Meserve said. “The students felt this project was authentic, important and should be continued.”

Senior McKenzie Harris said until interviewing area veterans and hearing their stories, she didn't realize how much the military does.

“I knew about the things that the military does in wars but did not know about the things they do in their everyday duties that impact the lives of ordinary people,” Harris said. “Hearing the veterans explain their experiences, stories and lives was very touching. It was nice that they could share that with us and show us what their lives were like. I learned a lot of great things. It made me more appreciative of veterans, and I was able to see a side of veterans that you don't see on the surface.”

She said the trip to Washington was a very positive experience. 

“I learned a great deal more about the world than I would have otherwise, both from the Veterans History Project as well as our trip to Washington. Seeing all the people working in government, and the city in general, really opened my eyes to all that is going on in the world. We sometimes don't see that living in Windham and Raymond. All these people are in the environment together walking, taking public transportation and interacting professionally. I was very grateful to have gone on the trip and to see and do all the things that we did.”

Meserve said these Katahdin students are aware that there are veterans all around us every day and deserve our appreciation in helping to preserve our freedom.

“These are regular people who serve their country in numerous ways and deserve to be recognized and remembered for all that they have done. <

Windham resident celebrates milestone 102nd birthday

By Ed Pierce

As a child growing up in the West End of Boston, Concetta “Connie” Parisi always thought her birthday was March 21. It was something that her mother told her but later in life she learned her birthday was really March 22 as she was born at home and her birth certificate wasn’t filed with the city clerk right away. Nevertheless, over the weekend of March 21-22 this year, Connie Parisi of Windham celebrated her 102nd birthday with more than 50 family members on hand to wish her well.

Concetta 'Connie' Parisi of Windham turned
102 last weekend and celebrated at a birthday
party attended by more than 50 members of
her family. She loves to crochet and sing
and playing the game Rummikub.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Born Concetta Mary Tricomi in 1924, she had six brothers and attended Girls High and Latin School in Boston. She was an average student in school and was a member of the Biology Club and led an exercise class during recess. But it was in Chorus class where she developed a love for music that continues to this day.

In the school chorus, students would sing songs written by Sibelius, Mozart, and Ravel and upon her graduation in 1942, she was asked to be a special student at the Conservatory of Music in Boston. There Connie spent an entire year singing opera and decided to go to a new school that offered contemporary music and she also sang at church.

A neighbor named Hayes Gordon was appearing in a show at the Shubert Theater on Broadway called “Finian’s Rainbow” and offered Connie a singing position in the show’s chorus in New York at $100 a week.

“He said ‘Just send me a postcard and I’ll meet you’ but I never did because I knew my mother and father would not approve and I didn’t want to be confined to the theater,” she said. “I was an outdoors person and liked to sail, swim and horseback ride. So, I never told my parents.”

Connie’s mother was an orphan who had come to America from Italy at the age of 9. Her father was also an Italian immigrant and eloped with her mother at 19. They settled in Brooklyn, New York but later moved to Boston, where they raised seven children, six boys and one girl, Connie.

With World War II raging, Connie did what she could to assist, knitting navy blue children’s sweaters for children in England. Her brother Joseph was exempt from the draft because he was married and had children. Her brother Benjamin went to Hawaii to build aircraft for the war. Her brother Salvatore joined the Merchant Marines and died when the oil tanker he was on was torpedoed by a German U-boat. Her brother Tony joined the Navy and served in the Philippines. Her brother John also joined the Navy and served in Europe. Her brother Vincent was too young for World War II but at 18 was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Korea.

During the war years, Connie sang in the choir at Saint Joseph’s Church in Boston and performed at Fort Devens, the Navy Marine Hospital, and for other smaller military units.

When she was 22 years old, Connie’s brother Ben took her by trolley to her uncle's wake. There she met Sarro, the father of concert pianist Mary Ramirez.

“He invited me to visit. She played songs that I liked to sing and songs that she could play. She also wrote music,” Connie said. “Every Sunday, Ben would take me to visit, and we would practice music together. We would gather and sing. It was the first time I met her, and she was always good to me.”

During a rehearsal, Mary introduced Connie to Michael Parisi, a student at the Boston University School of Law. The couple dated for three years before he proposed to her on Dec. 19, 1948 in front of her father and mother.

“At that time, I was singing at different places,” she said. “I sang at a hotel near Copley Square. It was a small hotel near Copley Plaza. I decided to have my wedding reception there. We got married on Sept. 5, 1949. The wedding ceremony was at Saint Joseph's Church in the West End.”

Michael and Connie were blessed with five children Paul, who is now deceased; Elizabeth; Mary; Carol; and Lillian. Michael had a long career as an attorney and they raised their family in Everett, Massachusetts and would vacation at Lake Winnepesaukee in New Hampshire.

She stayed at home to raise the children but eventually returned to work.

“After a while I went back to work as a key punch operator,” Connie said. “I took many Civil Service tests and worked my way up to a secretary. The last job I worked for was the Department of Education in Quincy, Massachusetts and retired at 66.”

In 2013, Connie moved to Brightview Senior Living in Danvers, Massachusetts where she entertained others with her repertoire of musical scores and performing six concerts there. Her husband Michael died in 2017.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Connie moved to Windham where she lives with her daughter Mary and her husband Roger by Little Sebago Lake. She reads, crochets and likes playing Rummikub.

For her birthday, Connie loved being close to her family on her special day which included a visit from her daughter-in-law Judy, her son Paul’s widow.

As she ate a piece of birthday cake, someone asked her what it felt like to be 102 years old.

“All I have to say is I made it,” she said. <