Sebago Lakes Region Chamber welcomes new board chair and recognizes award recipients

By Kaysa Jalbert

The Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce celebrated 60 years with the theme “Honoring the Past, Treasuring the Present & Shaping the Future” at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner held on Thursday, Jan. 18 at Camp Sunshine in Casco.

From left, Vickie Bartlett, Jane Bartlett, President/CEO Robin
Mullins and Board Chair Jonathan Priest gather during the
Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce's annual
meeting and awards ceremony on Jan. 18 at Camp Sunshine
in Casco. The Bartletts attended the ceremony representing
the Bartlett family as the late George Bartlett was honored
with the Frank Koenig Chamber Hall of Fame Award.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

“We shared a video on the Chamber’s incredible history and discussed how the organization continues to thrive and evolve as the region changes,” said Robin Mullins, President of the Sebago Lakes Region of Commerce. A table at the event highlighted the 60 years of the Chamber’s history, including regional guides and photo albums.

Two new Board Members were added to the chamber’s leadership team for 2024. Tricia Zwirner of the Nominating Committee introduced the new board members, Maureen LaSalle of Northern Lights Mechanical, and Maureen Mazur of Taro Health.

The Chamber Board also voted Jonathan Priest of J. Priest Insurance to succeed Jennifer Arsenault of Edward Jones as the new Board Chair. Arsenault was awarded a plaque to commemorate her term of service as Board Chair.

The Annual Meeting also included a social hour, a buffet dinner, a business meeting, and ended by recognizing the following award recipients:

Dave Pollard presented the Chamber’s Community Service Leadership Award to Lacy Antonson for her work in Gray, especially at the Gray Wild Blueberry Festival. Mullins said that the Community Service Leadership Award recognizes a civic-minded individual or group that has made a significant contribution to the quality of life in the Sebago Lakes Region. Nominees are passionate about a cause and work tirelessly for the greater good and to inspire others to become involved in their community.

The Chamber’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award is presented annually to a Chamber member operating in the Lakes Region whose innovation and creativity have succeeded in starting their own successful business while opening new economic opportunities for the Sebago Lakes Region. This member has donated their time and/or resources unselfishly for the good of their local community, Mullins said. This year, the Entrepreneur of the Year Award was presented to Shaw Dwight of Paul's Boutique in Windham. He thanked his team, his father, and his wife for helping him become successful.

Richie Vraux presented the Business of the Year Award to Kenny Cianchette and his team at Erik's Church in Windham. “This award is presented to a Chamber member operating in the region that has set an example in leadership, innovation, and quality, and has provided noteworthy economic opportunity to the people of the Sebago Lakes Region,” said Mullins. “This business should also have donated their time and/or resources unselfishly for the good of their local community.”

Mullins announced the winner of the Frank Koenig Chamber Hall of Fame Award. This specific award is presented to an individual whose commitment of time, resources and talent have made the Sebago Lakes Region a better place to pursue one’s livelihood and dreams.

“Frank Koenig was passionate about the chamber and worked tirelessly for the betterment of our region and his local Chamber of Commerce,” says Mullins. “Like Frank, the recipient should have a history of passionate and active contributions to the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce. This person should have made an impact on the chamber and the local community all while maintaining the highest of integrity. The award is presented posthumously to George Bartlett, who we sadly lost in July of 2023.”

The Frank Koenig Chamber Hall of Fame Award given to Bartlett was accepted by his wife, Jane, and his daughter, Vickie, who spoke on behalf of the family, expressing their gratitude for recognizing how much George meant to the community, and how much he would have loved this award.

Mullins said that the Chamber looks forward to another busy year of events in 2024 such as the monthly Business Breaks, the Polar Dip in February, Member Appreciation Week in May, the Scholarship Golf Open in June, the Golf Ball Drop at Summerfest, a Pancake Breakfast at the Gray Wild Blueberry Festival, community Trunk or Treats, the Sebago Spirits Festival, and other community holiday events including the Bid of Christmas.

The Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce was launched 60 years ago by a group of innovative business owners and was called the North Windham Business Association and is now made up of 14 Board Directors and seven officers whose mission is to foster economic growth and prosperity throughout the region. <

New director settles into leadership role for BTI

By Kaysa Jalbert

Windham’s Be The Influence Coalition has welcomed a new Director, Patrice Leary-Forrey, to the team as it enters year eight of a 10-year grant awarded by the Drug Free Communities to help prevent youth substance abuse in the towns of Windham and Raymond.

Patrice Leary-Forrey is the new director
of the Be The Influence Coalition. She
will lead BTI initiatives in Windham and
Raymond to help deter substance abuse
by youth in the community.
COURTESY PHOTO 

“It’s been amazing so far,” says Leary-Forrey. “The community has been so welcoming and responsive to the program over the years. We have a great leadership team, and I am excited to work with everyone.”

Leary-Forrey says she has been working with other members of the leadership program to carry out on-going initiatives by the coalition in efforts to raise more awareness about substance abuse to the community’s youth, however the new director has some ideas of her own to implement as well.

“I would like to hone-in on prevention of protecting kids from access to substances,” she said. “A new initiative would be to offer lock boxes for families during the Drug Take Back Days that the public safety hosts.”

Drug Take Back Day, according to the official DEA website, encourages the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction. It also acts as a reminder to keep medications out of reach of children and locked away.

The lock box initiative would allow parents, grandparents, and guardians to keep personal products and medications locked and secure out of the hands of toddlers and teenagers.

“I'm going to be working hopefully with poison control and Maine CDC to help support that initiative and bring that opportunity to families,” says Leary-Forrey.

Until then, Leary-Forrey plans to focus on executing projects that are already in the works alongside her leadership team. Along with Crystal Aldrich, the Project Coordinator for BTI, they are working together on a youth mattering initiative with the Maine Resiliency Building Network, a program that focuses on community involvement in promoting mental health and well-being amongst young people.

Another plan includes a sequel event to the Jammin’ for Mental Health through the Arts event that was held in May 2023. Be The Influence organizes this event annually with community partners Maine Behavioral Healthcare and RSU 14.

BTI and partners have been hosting a series of “Arts of Prevention” events for years using different forms of art such as painting, music, film, and theater to help the youth express themselves and find healthy coping outlets.

“We will be there hosting other not-for-profits and Maine Health and we will be providing information and support to the families who might need resources in the community,” said Leary-Forrey.

The new director is now in week four of her BTI leadership role and has been keeping busy handling grant requirements, meeting folks in the community, and attending meetings. This week’s mission is to attend club meetings such as Youth Leadership at Windham High School as a means to meet the students and explore ways to support them in their everyday activities at school and to provide prevention education regarding substance use and advice about how to make good choices for themselves.

Leary-Forrey said she hopes to soon meet with the health teachers at Windham High School to bring in some evidence-based programming education into the health classes.

“I am so excited to meet the kids and to work with them and support them in their initiatives,” she said.

Prior to this new role, Leary-Forrey worked as a director for a nonprofit in York County for prevention of child abuse and neglect. She explains it was similar work just with a different focus but also required supporting parents and kids in schools.

According to Leary-Forrey, Be The Influence community coalition meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. in the training room at the Windham Public Safety building. It is open to the public to hear updates from the community and what BTI is currently working on.

Leary-Forrey grew up in a small rural town in Southern New Hampshire in the Monadnock Region called Fitzwilliam.

“It was a great place to grow up and shares many similarities to Southern Maine,” she says.

She attended high school at Gould Academy and later pursued her undergraduate degree in Psychology and English at New England College. Afterward, Leary-Forrey moved to California to study at Pepperdine University before transferring to Argosy University in Chicago where she obtained a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.

Now, she is a mother of four daughters who are living in Charlotte, North Carolina; Montreal, Canada; and Paris, France. In her free time, Leary-Forrey says she enjoys lots of outdoor activities and sports, watercolor painting, vegetable gardening in the summer and listening to a variety of music and podcasts. <

Windham author publishes first detective thriller

By Kaysa Jalbert

Imagine if the well-known and beloved city of Portland, Maine was suddenly struck with a series of murders left for the local detective, his associates and an underaged bartender at Sully’s Tap to solve. Newly published author Philip C. Baker of Windham paints this macabre imagery in his first Maine-based thriller called “Hunger Hill.”

Windham resident Philip C. Baker has written
and published his first novel, a detective thriller
set in Maine called 'Hunger Hill." It is
available for purchase on Amazon and through
the Maine Authors Publishing Cooperative.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

The novel’s setting is Munjoy Hill, an east end area in Portland popular for walks and panoramic views for real-life Mainers, but it is no place for relaxing and unwinding if you are a character in Baker’s crime thriller novel.

“The idea for a book in my experience is a collection of a million ideas,” Baker said. “They don’t all come at once. They start to seep into the imagination; before you know it, they are the inspiration for a story or your novel.”

Baker is one of many individuals who have become writers by creating novels out of the inspiration of their hometowns or states. The dear state of Maine can be thanked for its abundance of hypnotic landscapes and panoramas that animates one’s imagination, including that of Stephen King.

“I start writing in the morning and on an inspired day, I forget about lunch and work until the sun blinds me through my west-facing window in my office,” said Baker. “I carry a notebook to harvest ideas and inspirations, as they come to me during my non-writing times, so in essence, I’m always working on the book.”

The novel took two-plus years to complete, as Baker was limited to writing on weekends and around his customary life consisting of his profession as a sales manager, traveling with family, and caring for their rescued dogs.

“Now that I have Hunger Hill to sell, I find myself at events and on Facebook spending less time writing and more time running the business of peddling the book, a necessary evil.”

The new author says he didn’t have many expectations for this book, just hopes and dreams.

“I dreamed I’d finish Hunger Hill in a publishable format and therefore be able to share my ideas with people,” he said. “I’ve hoped I would leave something behind, a legacy of sorts. The expectation that I did not have was that I’d make money doing this. It’s a hobby that I plan to continue.”

Bill Bushnell of “Bushnell on Books” in the Kennebec Journal and the Morning Sentinel said about Hunger Hill, "This is a well-crafted crime thriller with loads of action, police procedures, plot surprises and a dramatic conclusion."

Baker says his family and friends are all very supportive of his writing, but not as ardent as his wife, Cynthia, who he says, has read the book more than any one person should be expected to. In addition, he has received support and help navigating social media from other fellow authors.

“Not only that, but I have fans,” said Baker. “A bartender at a restaurant I frequent grabbed her phone when she saw me. She had taken a picture of a page she loved and read back to me things that I had written. It was pretty cool.”

The front cover of “Hunger Hill” is a painting of a white car turning down a lit-up city street, the details may be familiar to Portland residents. The illustration was done by the authors niece, Elisie Bolduc.

Hunger Hill is the start of a series consisting of four books that Baker is progressively bringing to life, maintaining the same characters in each but dragging them to new settings such as Western Maine, Down East and “The County.”

Baker says his method for writing is unconventional.

“I get many questions about how I prepare; Do I outline? Do I write linearly? I do neither. I jump around and might even write the ending before much of the rest,” he said. “In all this jumping around, I have to keep track by outlining as I write, not as a predecessor to the writing process. It’s more like a Table of Contents and I’ll highlight it with colors to track changes to a specific thread for example.”

Philip Baker grew up in Falmouth, as the youngest brother of two older sisters on 14 acres of woods and fields. The Baker family owned a sailboat and went on vacation leaving little room for dull moments.

By the age of 10, Philip would ride his bike to the Portland Country Club where he would caddy for the members or “swells” as his father would say.

As an author, Baker is also a busy reader from a Dennis LeHane mystery to an Elmore Leonard psychological thriller. If it came down to being stuck on an island with just one book, Baker says he would choose “Catch 22.”

His first novel “Hunger Hill” is now available on Amazon and through the Maine Authors Publishing Cooperative. <

 

WHS counselors create four-year plans for students to guide them to success

By Kaysa Jalbert

It’s hard enough being a three-sport-juggling, chess club-playing, my-mom-can’t-pick-me-up-so-I- need-a-ride teenager, so the last thing most high school students want to stress about is life after high school, and that’s why Windham High Schools counselors focus their efforts in working with students from before they enter high school, to create a plan that shapes their current goals and guides them to a future of success.

Members of the Windham High School
Counseling Department are, from left,
Steve Ginn, Kerry Kowalczyk, Christa
Haberstroh, Megan Fleming and 
Mollie Glaus. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

Building a path to a promising future starts in the eighth grade when students first meet with both their middle school and soon-to-be high school counselors where they start the process of registering for courses. Before this, students are given presentations and meetings to discuss the importance of high school, and the different courses offered for college and career paths they can explore.

Freshmen students begin meeting with their counselors discussing topics such as what they look forward to in high school, what they might want to accomplish as a student and what are their professional aspirations now.

“We preface everything to say that as a 14-year-old, changing your mind a million times is normal and expected and that’s part of what is the fun of being in high school is finding interests and passions and we want to encourage that,” says Meghan Fleming, the School Counseling Director at Windham High School.

In the meetings with first-year high school students, counselors aim at developing a four-year plan with students that is based on their current future aspirations. Fleming repeated that it is normal and encouraged for students to change their mind over the course of four years, but the plan helps maintain students on a track that will keep them interested in their courses and meet requirements to graduate.

The WHS Counseling Staff works with college and career specialists to develop programs for students throughout the school year. Students also have access to a variety of tools to explore their post-secondary options. A program called Naviance is one of these tools that helps align students’ strengths and interests with post-secondary goals. Students are first introduced to this tool as freshmen to start making informed choices about their futures.

In the spring, sophomores take part in college and career fairs and field trips to introduce themselves to different options available to them and their futures. They also view vocational presentations and take tours of the vocational centers in the winter.

During junior year the plan gets more in depth, said Fleming. Students and their families are invited to junior meetings that begin in January, where they discuss future goals, how to prepare for the college application process, building resumes, and other post-secondary goals.

“The goal at this time is to typically have a plan,” says Fleming. “We don’t want to pressure one way or another about college or career training or two-year or four-year schools, but rather just making sure each kid is working on a plan that works for them so we can support that plan however we can and need to.”

Building the plan to follow your dreams is just the first step, but the biggest concern for many of these students and their families is the financial aspects of executing their plans, that’s why Windham High School works with the Finance Authority of Maine to put their costly concerns at ease.

“Being cost conscience is always the goal,” said Fleming. “Since community colleges are now free, a lot of students are now seeing college as more of a possibility, or even post-secondary training is available at some of those schools. Our goal is just to make sure students and their families are aware of their options.”

During a student’s senior year, counselors and college and career specialists work closely with students on college applications, or meeting the requirements of military, apprenticeship, and training programs.

Tuesday, Oct. 3 was financial aid night at Windham High School where students and their families discussed the new financing guidelines and the steps that they will need to complete applications. The college-bound student uses net price calculators to help them figure out how much a school might cost them. Fleming says this can be helpful tool especially for lower income families to prepare for how much colleges might cost and explore their more affordable options.

Windham High School’s College and Career center grants students the opportunity to talk and work with college and career specialists that help guide them through the college search and application process, financial aid, military enlistment, career exploration, job shadows and apprenticeships, job search, application, and interview help. <

Windham resident's accident leads to children's book

By Kaysa Jalbert

Rosemary Ramsdell was driving on Route 302 on a sunny day in October 2016 on her way to North Conway to meet a friend and do some shopping in the area. Only one month into her retirement, Ramsdell said to herself on the drive, “It’s a gorgeous day and I am free.”

Rosemary Ramsdell of Windham survived a devastating 
accident and was helped by a therapy cat named Andy,
who became the subject of a children's book she wrote
called 'Andy The Kitten's Forever Home.'
COURTESY PHOTO  

As she approached the town line with Raymond, trucks took up half the road as workers in lifts cut down trees, meaning only one lane of traffic was able to pass at a time. The traffic flagger held up the slow sign as everyone began slowing down, including Ramsdell who was keeping her distance from the large van in front of her that had, what she described as, a large thick object like a rolled-up carpet, sticking out of the back. She recalls watching the van and thinking to herself, “It would be awful if I went right into that” and proceeded to stay several feet back.

It was only seconds later that she was struck from behind by a speeding driver, her car being pushed forcefully into the van in front of her. Her body had missed the large thick object she had worried so much about, but that doesn’t mean Rosemary’s life wasn’t about to change forever.

“I am not the person that I was before,” says Ramsdell who suffered a traumatic brain injury and PTSD when her head went back and forth so forcefully in the accident that it caused her brain to hit her skull, damaging her frontal lobe.

Seven years later, Rosemary Ramsdell, also known as Rosie, is the author of her first book "Andy The Kitten’s Forever Home," a story told by her ragdoll cat Andy who accompanied and comforted Ramsdell during her toughest times of recovery.

“I was very lonely, living a very lonely sad life and I couldn’t sleep at night. It was like climbing a mountain and walking around with a black cloud on top of your head,” Ramsdell said. “I never smiled. Andy brought my smile back. He was so funny, and he would cuddle with me, and I would talk to him. He always slept with me and even now when I can’t sleep, I just listen carefully to his purring, and it puts me right to sleep.”

It wasn’t until six days after the accident when Ramsdell realized that something was wrong. She was at her daughter’s house babysitting her three grandsons when a wave sickness took over. It was in that moment, she said, things started to go bad. 

The damage to her brain from the accident caused Ramsdell to lose much of her basic abilities taught in school as a child, such as reciting the alphabet, how to count, the ability to spell and do simple math. It also threw off her balance and peripheral vision, her speech, motor skills, and memory were all affected.

She spent the next 10 months in rehabilitation, working with a team of therapists when one day, as Ramsdell was at home with Andy, she picked up a pen and a note pad and started writing about her ragdoll's life.

“It just happened. I can’t tell you how it happened because it just happened,” said Ramsdell. “I didn’t even start on a computer because I didn’t know how to use one. I taught myself Word and it just started to flow because it was something very dear to my heart.”

It was in 2018 when Ramsdell adopted Andy and it wasn’t fate that had brought them together. She had a ragdoll for most of her life prior and felt it was exactly what she needed in her new life living with TBI. She had found Andy at Paws and Claws in Windham amongst his four sisters.

“My life was so small it was a miracle that I found him, and he has just become such a good part of my life,” says Ramsdell. “Being able to write has been a gift and Andy is my inspiration.”

The book "Andy The Kitten’s Forever Home" and Rosemary’s story has served as an inspiration for others who struggle with Traumatic Brain Injuries and PTSD. Ramsdell says many of the people who reach out to her have been veterans and she has since encouraged others to get pets to help them deal with PSTD and brain trauma.

She is now working on her second book that will feature her other furry friend, Cali, and talk about a pet’s life during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rosemary Ramsdell came to the United States when she was 23 from Scotland and has lived in Maine since. She is a mother and a grandmother and has been married to her husband Alan for 33 years who she says has been her rock throughout her recovery and she is so grateful for her family. <

Historical Society gearing up for Fall Harvest Festival

By Kaysa Jalbert

There’s no better way, or better backdrop, to celebrate the arrival of autumn than at an event in Windham Center sponsored by the Windham Historical Society

The Windham Historical Society's Fall Harvest Festival
is a free family event being held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 7 at the historical society's Village Green
in Windham Center. FILE PHOTO

Members of the Windham Historical Society are hosting the Fall Harvest Festival for a day packed with old-fashioned family fun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 at the historical society’s Village Green in Windham Center.

Participants can look forward to a craft fair, food booths, fun games for kids, several crafters in pop-up tents and an assortment of local vendors. There will be three performances in the Village Green Gazebo throughout the event, one being the Maine Fiddler, Erica Brown and the Bluegrass Connection. Brown has performed as the opening act for Grammy-Award winning country music superstar Dwight Yoakum, and another legendary Grammy winner, Ricky Skaggs, along with collaborating with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra,

For those who like competitions, the Fall Harvest Festival will include a pumpkin carving contest, a pie eating contest, and a relay race, all with prizes available for winners that will be announced at the end of the event.

The Fall Harvest Festival is a first-time offering that the Windham Historical Society is hosting this year, but it is the goal of historical society members to make it an annual event in Windham.

“We hope that we can do this every year,” says Linda Lunt, Treasurer of the Windham Historical Society. “Many people don’t know who we are, and they don’t know what the Village Green is, so this is to show who we are and what we do.”

All Village Green buildings will be open during the festival for tours, including the Old Grocery that used to sit on the corner of Windham Center Road and Route 202 but made an historic move to the Windham Historical Society’s Village Green Living History Village on Oct. 30, 2020, where it has now become a living history museum that replicates a grocery store of the late 19th century.

“It’s just our past and it shouldn’t be forgotten,” says Lunt. “There are people my age who will come through and say, “I remember that!” or little kids that come through and say “wow!” and they don’t realize that there weren’t grocery stores and things like that around. We had to do canning and make our own foods and iron with cast irons, and it was very different back then. It’s nice to see their faces and see that they are getting a glimpse of the past and it’s nice to carry that on to our kids.”

The Fall Harvest Festival is a sponsored event that will be free to all ages with donations accepted throughout the event.

The Windham Historical Society purchased the land that once belonged to the Reeves family in 2010, when it included a house, a barn, a workshop, and a shed plus two acres of fields that abutted the Historical Society grounds. At first, the house was rented out for income as buildings started being moved onto the land. The South Windham Library was the first to move from its original location of almost 100 years on the Windham/Gorham town line to the Village Green.

Some of the old Reeve’s family buildings have been transformed, such as the Reeve’s Gun Shop that is now a genuine replica of a schoolhouse of the late 1890s. Windham students in grades 3 and 5 are given the chance to dress up and have living history classes in the schoolhouse.

A blacksmith shop was built on the land with the help of volunteers in 2018. The gazebo was added then in 2019 with hopes to host concerts or perhaps a wedding in this charming setting.

Most recently, in 2020, the Society raised $41,000 to fund the removal and relocation of the Old Grocery store from the corner of Windham Center Road and Route 202 to the Village Green grounds.

The Windham Historical Society aims to promote interest in the history of the town by presenting relevant public programs, providing educational opportunities, and maintaining historical facilities where displays of the towns past are available. <

State approves funding to complete final segment of Rail Trail project

By Kaysa Jalbert

The final pieces of the puzzle are coming together in the creation of a recreational rail trail from Portland to Fryeburg including a five-mile section passing through Windham, Gorham and Standish that has been underway for the past year.

A completed five-mile section of the Mountain Division 
Trail in Windham is the most used trail west of Portland 
because it is accessible to everyone and features a gentle
grade, wide trail width and is paved. Maine has now 
approved funding to extend the trail to run all the way from
Portland to Fryeburg along old railroad tracks and work
on a new five-mile segment through Windham is
expected to start soon. COURTESY PHOTO  

According to Doug Smith of Windham, vice president of the Mountain Trail Alliance, once completed this section of rail trail will run from Route 202 in Windham to Westbrook and is part of several Active Transportation projects and legislation sponsored for rail trails in other parts of the state. In July, Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed into law a bill authorizing the Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner to construct a multi-use “Trail Until Rail” from Standish to Fryeburg.

Smith said that this is the first of many such pieces of legislation for rail trails forthcoming in the next Legislative session and beyond.

“I am a long-time resident of Windham who bikes and walks the Mountain Division Rail Trail several times a week,” he said. “I joined the Mountain Trail Alliance organization to advocate for building out the rail trail from Portland to Fryeburg. “

Leading up to the drafting of the bill was an extensive, seven-month review of potential rail and non-rail uses for the Mountain Division rail corridor from Standish to Fryeburg. The 12-member Mountain Division Rail Use Advisory Council (RUAC) voted 11 to 1 to recommend conversion of 31 miles of the existing railroad track to an interim paved bicycle and pedestrian trail some 10-feet wide. The committee further recommended snowmobiles remain an allowable use, under annual agreement with Maine DOT, within the corridor.

Advocates for the new rail trail say that it is the least expensive method to expand recreational opportunities in Maine and will provide the most direct and lasting economic and health benefits for residents along the rail corridor.

Smith said that The Mountain Division Trail will spur economic growth and connect Maine communities with a safe, car-free, multi-use trail. The previously completed Eastern Trail, is arguably Maine’s most popular rail trail, and has spurred millions of dollars of economic impact, according to recent studies.

The rail trail will attract tourists, bolster local businesses, and provide a boost to the overall economy. The project will also create job opportunities, stimulate construction-related industries, and drive local investment, further strengthening the region's prosperity.

The passage of the bill and approval by the governor creates a pivotal moment and opportunity for the residents and towns along the western section of the Mountain Division Rail Corridor, said Paul Schumacher, the President of Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission.

“The confluence of this opportunity with availability of grants and other funds brings the reality of accelerated economic development in the form of new businesses, real estate development, health benefits, and tourism within our reach,” Schumacher said.

Once work on the section running to Fryeburg is finished, this Mountain Division Trail section in western Maine will be a continuous 40-mile, paved trail, running from Route 202 in South Windham to Fryeburg. Over time it will connect with trails from Portland to North Conway, New Hampshire.

“This is the culmination of 30 years of work by many individuals, organizations, municipalities, and legislators in our quest to make the Mountain Division Trail a reality,” said Dave Kinsman, President of the Mountain Division Alliance.

The completed five-mile local section, created just over 15 years ago, runs about halfway through Gorham and halfway through Windham. This is the most used trail west of Portland because it is accessible to all, with a gentle grade, wide trail width and paved. This path allows walkers, runners, bicyclists, wheelchairs, and strollers.

“This was the original vision of the Mountain Division Alliance when it was founded in 1994,” says Kinsman, “The Mountain Division Trail will be the best use of a much-underutilized public asset that has sat dormant for 40 years. It will bring joy and economic benefits to the towns of Western Maine.”

The next five miles east from Route 202 in Windham to East Bridge Street in Westbrook is in the planning phase. Funding provided by the Maine Department of Transportation, the Town of Windham, and the City of Westbrook has provided a year-long planning and design study. The study estimates the cost to build the trail with an initial trail design. Once built, the trail with be 10 miles long, wide, flat, and accessible to thousands of people within walking distance of the trail.

“This will be a major project for the state of Maine, Windham, and Westbrook to invest in - and will involve federal active transportation funds. The design and engineering will need to be completed in the next year, and then the fundraising and building will take several years,” said Rachelle Curran Apse, Executive Director of the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust. “We plan for the trail to be complete in the next five to seven years.”

The Mountain Division Alliance is a Maine based non-profit organization formed in 1993. Its mission is to work with the nine communities along the Mountain Division Rail corridor, Maine Department of Transportation, and other organizations and stakeholders to create a safe, welcoming, contiguous trail to provide for active transportation and recreation opportunities from Fryeburg to Portland. Its Board is comprised of representatives from each of communities that the Mountain Division Rail corridor passes through. <

Animal Control officer explores solution to stray pet problem

By Kaysa Jalbert

From surrendered dogs to stray cats, a small skunk in the yard or a large cow needing a new home, the animal control officer of Windham, Jackie Frye, dedicates every day to serving and protecting pets and wildlife in the area.

Jackie Frye has served as the Animal Control Officer for
Windham for more than five years and says that this year she
is busier than ever rounding up stray pets and animals
and taking them to the Animal Refuge League of Greater
Portland in Westbrook. SUBMITTED PHOTO   

“Oftentimes I am the busiest on the force with all the calls I get to relocate or find new homes for animals every day,” says Frye.

Whether it’s small pets or larger farm animals, Frye saves countless species of animals from dissimilar situations as shelters across the nation are experiencing larger numbers of animal admissions and fewer adoptions.

She contracts with the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland out of Westbrook but has had to take matters into her own hands when it comes to giving many of these orphaned animals a new home due to lack of space in the shelters.

“People like Jackie really think outside of the box to try to find solutions and really work with people and see the good in people,” said John Florida from the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland.

Many of the factors that impact animal welfare are financial, from overall financial instability within the market, to reduced housing options as well as breed and pet restrictions by landlords.

The Covid-19 pandemic also plays a large role in the increased need for animal shelter and rescue as many families adopted at the start of the pandemic, not knowing how long they’d be isolated at home. Once the Covid restrictions were lifted and people returned to work, the animals had to adjust and cope with not having a human around all day.

“Some animals weren’t able to cope, some humans weren’t able to cope,” says Florida.

In 2022, 136 animals from Windham families were admitted to the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland. There have been 61 animal admissions from Windham families in 2023 thus far.

As for strays, in 2022 the Animal Refuge League had 84 from Windham, 35 were brought in by the Windham Police Department. So far in 2023, Windham Police have brought in 50 strays. These numbers only include small animals such as cats, dogs, mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and hamsters.

“People are unable to afford their animals when it comes down to taking care of the animal or giving food to themselves or their kids,” Frye said.

Cats and other domestic animals can be placed into new homes but what’s most difficult is finding a new home for larger farm animals. During the fall season many owners find it difficult to relocate these animals and feed them, resulting in unfortunate situations of animals being starved.

“Hence why I have a large animal sanctuary called Open Arms Animal Rescue and Sanctuary,” said Frye, “I started it seven years ago for that reason.”

Open Arms Animal Rescue and Sanctuary, located in Bridgton, is the direct result of Jackie recognizing an issue, and taking action.

“I can place cats and dogs, but it’s harder to try to find a place to hold a large animal. I have had quite a few animals come through: a cow named Lola, a donkey, a mini horse, three goats, five pigs, three dogs, three cats, a rabbit, some rescue chickens, and a couple roosters,” Frye said.

Those are all rescues that she took in from friends and people she knew who couldn’t take care of them anymore. Some of the animals were only supposed to stay in the sanctuary for a short period of time, but two years later, many are still there.

“People like Jackie, sanctuaries and rescues are really important to make sure everyone is getting help somewhere,” said Florida.

In addition, at home she cares for three dogs, three cats, a rabbit and “a pot belly pig that thinks she’s a dog and she goes in and out,” says Frye. “Her name is Babies.”

Frye has been the Animal Control Officer for Windham for five years as of June this year but has worked in the profession of Animal Control for a total of 10 years.

In the past, Frye covered seven towns at once, including Bridgton, Denmark, Sweden, Sebago, and Hiram. She says she is much busier in Windham than ever before.

“What I say to everyone struggling right now, just don’t give up hope. Keep hope,” says Frye.

She stressed the need for pet owners to be able to afford veterinarian care and the feed and that’s why its urgent to consider the long-term consequences for both you and your furry friend before adopting them into your home. <

Raymond family’s food pantry makes a difference in community

By Kaysa Jalbert

RAYMOND – Every Tuesday morning Sabrina Golabiewski of Raymond takes a drive to the stores that have contracts with The Vineyard of Mechanic Falls Church to pick up fresh-rescue food items. Golabiewski then brings the items home, boxes them up, sends out a mass text to the community, and opens up her home for families to pick up these items anytime from noon to 7 p.m. the same day.

Sabrina Golabiewski of Raymond and her
family pick up fresh-rescue food items at
stores in the Lakes Region and then bring
the items to their home every week for
anyone in need in the community.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Over the past five years, Sabrina Golabiewski has devoted her time and freezer space managing a food pantry from her own home as an extension of her church to make resources more widely available for families in her community.

“I started picking up fresh rescues for my church and because I have five kids, they said I could help myself to extras. When I got there, I was so overwhelmed by the amount of food that could potentially be thrown out,” said Golabiewski.

From what started as a small gesture of picking up extras for her friends and storing them in her single freezer space, the concept has expanded to providing items for between 11 to 26 families a week and they now have five freezers, some coming as donations from her community and church.

Most local food pantries have a small window of about two hours once to twice a month for families to pick up,” Golabiewski said. “I cater more to the working families so they can pick up after work.”

The most common items they collect from Golabiewski are baked goods, and lots of them. They also frequently receive produce, deli meats and some pre-made sandwiches, all not up to shopping standards to be sold, but too good to go to waste.

But she doesn’t do it all alone.

Her youngest son, Caden, 9, goes to the stores and helps pick up food with his mother. When they arrive home, the remaining four children, Cameryn, 10, Ethan, 14, Ashten, 16, Greyson, 18, all jump in to help haul the goods into the house.

There is one more team member that influenced Sabrina to have a giving heart, her mother, Connie, age 71.

“She just has a service heart,” says Golabiewski, “I definitely saw how much it meant for her to do things for others so even as a salty teenager I was happy to do these things.”

On Tuesday mornings, the family takes over the kitchen and dining room, and with food items spread out to be organized, Connie counts to make sure there’s enough boxes. Everything is then kept cool in an air-conditioned bedroom for people to come in and get their box.

To make sure nothing goes to waste, Sabrina also sends out a Facebook post so that those not in the mass texts can also have a chance at some support.

Sabrina hopes that her actions will influence her children to carry on helping their community as they grow up, just in the same way Sabrina’s mother influenced her.

“As a single mom, it’s important for my kids to see how fortunate and how blessed we are,” she said.

In addition, Golabiewski runs the 302 Nutrition shop in Raymond. This summer, a friend helps cover Sabrina’s shifts on Tuesdays while she manages the food pantry. In the fall and winter, they shut down the shop on those days to run the food pantry instead.

“Feeding the families is far more important than being open for a couple hours on a Tuesday,” said Golabiewski.

When she started at 302 Nutrition, she thought it would be a great way to give back to her community and to use the store as another way to do food drives.

In the five years that Golabiewski has been running this service for those in need, they have only missed about four to five days in total but otherwise are open every Tuesday.

“If it comes down to heating your home or eating, I don’t want to make people have to choose that,” she said. <