Knights of Columbus salute Windham public safety with special lunch

Windham's Knights of Columbus provided
Windham First Responders and Public Safety
personnel with a catered luncheon to thank
them for their caring efforts on behalf of the
community at the Public Safety Building on
Pope Road in Windham on Dec. 22. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

The Windham Knights of Columbus surprised Windham First Responders and Public Safety Staff and families with a catered luncheon at the Public Safety Building on Pope Road in Windham on Dec. 22.

The Knights provided sandwiches, snacks, cold drinks and desserts for more than 100 people in appreciation for the sacrifice and work performed by public safety staff members of Windham.

"It has been a rough year for our first responders and their families, and this is a small way of saying thank you," said Knights of Columbus Deputy Grand Knight Richard Drapeau. " Church, community, family and life are the four cornerstones of Columbianism and we are glad to celebrate community here today together."

Expressing their gratitude for the event, among the many public safety staff members in attendance were Windham Police Chief Kevin Schofield and Windham Fire Chief Brent Libby.

Drapeau also expressed appreciation to wives, family members and loved ones of all Windham public safety personnel for the sacrifices they make on behalf of the community.

Representing the Knights were Grand Knight Charlie Bourgie; Deputy
Grand Knight Richard Drapeau; Treasurer Mike Roy; and members Robert Carter; John O'Brien; and Robert Morin.

Among public safety personnel attending the event were Police Chief Kevin Schofield; Police Captain Bill Andrews; Captain Ray Williams; and Patrol Officer Ernest MacVaine; Fire Chief Brent Libby; Deputy Fire Chief John Kooistra; and Firefighter and EMT Dane Gomberg. <

Windham Public Safety Day deemed a success - By Stephen Signor

Last Saturday safety conscious residents flocked to the Windham Public Safety building to celebrate National Safety Day. With a combined effort from AARP, Windham Police Department, Windham Fire and Rescue Department, activities that promoted safety and education were set up around the property.
 

Among the activities was a K9 demonstration in which Windham Police Dog Vader was on hand to show off his prowess in locating unseen items for retrieval. Vader is a 3-year-old black shepherd that has been trained for numerous police responsibilities. Handler and Officer Steve Stubbs gave an entertaining and informative demonstration. Vader’s actions provided spectators a glimpse of how voice commands play an important role in catching law breakers and finding illegal items that may have been tossed out a vehicle for example. With the assistance of DARE Officer Matt Cyr, Vader also demonstrated the art of attacking and subduing criminals.

Appropriately, the Dalmatian Fire Mascot appeared as did Daren-the-Lion, the mascot for DARE.

The DARE program is taught in the fifth and seventh grades at RSU14. The program is run by Officer Matt Cyr. “Measuring prevention is one of the most difficult things that we do in law enforcement. If someone were to ask me if as a stand-alone [DARE] was the answer, I would look them straight in the eye and say absolutely not,” Cyr said. Has it been successful? “I’ve talked to law enforcement outside our state and they say wow! I can’t believe what you guys are doing. You are the model to follow.” He also expressed, “Windham is fortunate to have what we have. It is a great community. Support for programs such as this comes from all levels within the community. This is not just Windham, it includes Raymond.” 

The take-back prescription drug booth was available for accepting old or unused prescription drugs. A collection area was also in the lobby of the public safety building with high hopes to match last year’s success. 

“The drug take-back has been a very popular program. That collection yielded 12 to 15 boxes or roughly two tons,” explained Windham Detective Eugene Gallant. Collection is not limited to just these types of events. There is a box in the lobby of the public safety building available for drop off every day during business hours. 

“In such a gathering as this where large amounts are involved, it is moved into the evidence cage for security,” stated Gallant. Disposal is usually done by the DEA, however that can change. “The last time there was so much; Officer Cyr and I took the drugs to EcoMaine. They have a secure facility and we had to be present to witness the actual destruction after which we signed off on an official certificate,” said Gallant.

Safety has many faces and The Yellow Dot Program recognizes those of senior citizens. While this program is not specific to them, it is the largest group of users. Originating from Alabama it was developed to aid citizens and first responders in the event of an automobile accident or other medical emergency involving a participant’s vehicle. It was initiated by the Gorham-Windham-Westbrook Triad and with the help of sponsorships the word has gotten out. “It has been here locally for five years and is made up of local law enforcement agencies, businesses and seniors,” said Buffy Houp, who is involved with the program. “Yellow Dot is currently in 30 states and our goal is to get it state-wide here. Our mission is to minimize victimization of seniors in our community,” she continued.

Thanks to the donation by AARP, a Records Management Center truck was offering free document shredding adjacent to the public safety building. The driveway of the Family Resource Center/Food Pantry served as the dropping off point where boxes upon boxes were reduced to shreds protecting the citizens from identity theft. 

Further information on the participating programs, visit www.dare.com, www.rmcmaine.com, www.yellowdotme.org, and local.aarp.org/Portland-me.