Kiss Me Kate, lighthearted play within a play - By Michelle Libby

There’s only one week left to see the hilarious, touching story of Kiss Me Kate on stage at the Windham Performing Arts Center at Windham High School. The talented cast shows their range with this play within a play about a leading man who is reunited with his ex-wife. They are cast opposite one another in a play “The Taming of the Shrew.” The scenes bounce back and forth between on and off stage in the fun musical that takes place in Baltimore. “Throw a number of cases of mistaken identity, some gangsters, and additional romantic entanglements into the mix and you get Kiss Me Kate!” according to the playbill. 

With so many story lines going on, the play is rather long, but entertaining nonetheless with its toe tapping songs and cute romantic story.  

Ellie Joseph is outstanding as Lilli/Kate, the ex-wife/diva, who is not willing to settle for traditional wifely roles. She belts out songs like “I Hate Men” and “I Am Ashamed That Women Are So Simple.” 

Will Wheaton made the roll of Fred/Petruchio his own, staying in character even when he wasn’t in the spotlight. He made the audience root for him and we hoped that eventually he would win the girl in the end. (SPOILER: He does.) 

Other stand outs were Celine Baker in the role of Lois singing “Always True To You In My Fashion.” Hanna Griffin also did a great job leading the ensemble in “Too Darn Hot”. And the comedic timing of Hannah Brackett and Caleb MacDonald with their gangster accents was spot on, keeping the audience laughing though out the show. 

The hair, make up and costumes were perfect for the time period and the actors that had to change costumes between the Shakespearean play and the modern day did so effortlessly and in character. This was not a one costume per person performance. The costumer was Weslie Evans and the assistant was Pat Hutchinson. 

The show was directed by Rob Juergens with the music director Richard Nickerson and choreographer Vanessa Beyland. 

With three more shows this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., don’t miss a chance for a fun evening out. For reservations, call 207-893-1742 or email fallmusical@gmail.com. However, reservations are not required.

Pit Band 

Successful Family Literacy Fun Day inspires young readers - By Lorraine Glowczak

Exuberance filled the air at the 10th Annual Family Literacy Fun Day held last Saturday, November 5th at the Windham Primary School. Free and open to the public to promote literacy in a fun and engaging way, children of all ages anxiously waited to hear their favorite author and illustrator discuss the various aspects of writing and illustrating children’s books.

“I want kids to realize that books are written by people and they have stories to share beyond what’s written in the book,” Laurel T. Parker, Windham Public Library children’s librarian, stated, explaining one of the missions of the literacy day event. “Also, it is import to note that reading 15 minutes a day can make a great impact on the future lives of children.” Parker continued. “Even if you can read to your children while they are eating breakfast, it will benefit their future educational success.” To meet the mission and goal of family literacy, six authors and illustrators were available for the three-hour event and provided 15 minute presentations giving children the opportunity to ask questions. The authors were also available to sign copies of their books.

Author and illustrator Scott Nash was the first to make his presentation. Reading from the book, “Over the Moon”, Nash had children and adults laughing while he read the comedic rendition of the nursery rhyme. Nash also discussed his new non-profit art organization, Illustration Institute (II). The mission of II is to promote the work of illustrators as well as inspire the hidden artist in everyone. Workshops and lectures will be held at the Portland Public Library throughout the year, beginning with famed illustrator Ashley Bryan from Islesford on Little Cranberry Island. That program was also held on Saturday afternoon at the Portland Public Library and many families in the lakes region were excited to join that event as well. The next II event will be the Portland premiere of Floyd Norman, An Animated Life, a new film about the first African American animator to work at Disney and PIXAR will premier December 9th at 6:30 p.m. at the Portland Public Library.

 

The other author/illustrators read from their books as well, sharing the thoughts behind their writing. “I talk to students as writer to writer. I want them to know I am a colleague,” Jennifer Jacobson explained when she began her presentation. It is her goal to let students know that she has to make difficult revisions as she writes her books, much like a student does when they write for an assignment. 

Chris Van Dusen spoke to a crowded room overflowing with fans as he read from a book he wrote and illustrated, The Circus Ship. It was an article about an old ship wreck off the coast of Vinalhaven that was published in Downeast Magazine that inspired Dusen to write and illustrate the story about a ship filled with circus animals that beached off the coast of Maine.

Kevin Hawkes shared the personal story about growing up in a military family, always finding himself in a new neighborhood, a new school with a new teacher. “What remained the same was the library. Libraries became a place of comfort to me,” Hawkes explained. As a result, he writes books to be comfort food for his readers, reminding them that everything is going to be okay. Lynn Plourde made her fans very happy when she announced she had four books published this year including “Maxi’s Secret”. “Maxi’s Secret” is a funny and yet bittersweet story about a deaf dog who meets a blind neighbor, providing important lessons along the way.

Matt Tavares made the last presentation of the day by speaking briefly about his book, “Growing Up Pedro”. “When illustrating a book, I try to write the story with pictures,” Tavares said, explaining that through his images, the reader can comprehend most of the tale. “Having a real person pose in front of me makes my pictures look real” he stated before having one of his fans, Lucas, pose while he drew a picture of him in front of the audience.

The successful morning included not only children, but parents and grandparents as well. Many busy families such as Carrie Chojnowski and her two sons, Evan and Jack, who came to the event in between swim lessons and Saturday errands to see their favorite author, Chris Van Dusen, and to have their books signed by him.

Some families were able to stay for the whole event, participating in the day’s activities that included crafts, door prizes, book swaps, games and resources for families. Adam Miele and his two daughters were there to hear all the authors speak but came specifically to see Kevin Hawkes, who is not only their favorite author but a friend of the family. Young Evelyn Demar was there for all three hours, attending every presentation. “I have read a book by every author who is here today, with the exception of one,” she said. “And, ‘If I Built a House’ by Chris Van Dusen is my favorite book.”

Also present for every authors’ appearance was the young and budding author/illustrator, 3-year-old Anya Andre. When Tavares ended his presentation, giving his quickly and impressively drawn illustration to Lucas, the future author/illustrator made an offer Tavares couldn’t refuse, “How about you draw a picture for me and then I will draw one to give to you.”

The Family Literacy Fun Day, which obviously sparked imaginative learning and the love of reading, writing and illustrating among the young children present, was made possible by the collaborative efforts of The Friends of the Windham Public Library with the author visits courtesy of the Richard Clark Library Fund, Windham/Raymond Adult Education and some past and present teachers of the Windham Primary School. Special thanks to volunteers Pam Whynot and Joyce Greenacre, former kindergarten teachers and Dodie King, current kindergarten teacher at Windham Primary School.  RSU14s Melissa Boire also lent a hand.

Windham Chamber Singers rock with Queen Tribute band - By Stephen Signor

A clear October night, a full moon beckoned those with the urge to display their wild side. They showed up at Windham Performing Arts Center for a concert that featured Master Stroke, a Queen Tribute band, along with the Windham Chamber Singers lead by conductor Richard Nickerson. The show, billed as “A Night with the Choir,” was based on the success of Sean Slaughter’s Queen Tribute Shows at Port City Music Hall. Slaughter, a veteran of the Portland music, scene put together an all-star lineup that promised to rock the house. Master Stroke’s billing was a collaborative effort. “Rick got in touch with me after he saw us at another show and asked if we would be willing to put on this one,” Slaughter said. 

In a release prior to the show Slaughter shared, "We have heard so many fantastic things about the Windham Chamber Singers! We are honored and flattered that we have been invited to perform with them! Most importantly, we want to rock Windham!" 

Nickerson also commented beforehand, “We are thrilled that we have the opportunity to share the stage with Sean and his band, Master Stroke. We are excited to continue our tradition of bringing the highest quality performers to Windham. This will certainly be the Windham Chamber Singers as you have never heard them before.”

A capacity crowd of every age group packed the house, each with their own agenda. “I was in the choir last year and years prior,” said Derek Barnhouse, a recent graduate of WHS and a fan of Queen. “But I’m here for both. My favorite song by Queen is ‘Somebody to Love’,” he continued. 

Janet, another local resident was anxious to see a family member sing along with Stroke. “My grandson is in backup for the choir,” stated Janet. Like others this night she was getting the best of both worlds. “My favorite Queen song is ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’,” she shared.

When the lights faded the crowd responded as the Windham Chamber Singers made their way onto the stage. Master Stroke would soon follow. The ear plugs that were handed out at the door proved to be very useful, from the opening musical note until the very end, over two hours later.

During the first set the crowd was transported back in time to the tune of hits that included “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “Under Pressure”, “Bicycle Race”, “Killer Queen” and “Flat Bottom Girls.” The Windham Chamber Singers presence on the stage was electrifying. And when they were not singing they were moving to the beat. The combination seemed to feed off one another and the fans responded. During the break the hallway was buzzing. Donna, a postal worker was not surprised. “I just saw Stroke three weeks ago and they were amazing then, too,” she said.

After the break, Stroke opened up with “Another One Bites the Dust.” This is all the crowd would need to reignite their senses. Following up with top ten hits that included, “Somebody to Love” and “We Are The Champions”, the show would end with an encore performance of “We Will Rock You” and a very grateful thanks to the Windham Chamber Singers. Together they all lined up along the stage for their accolades. 

“The crowd was awesome! This venue is incredible. It’s the largest stage in Maine so it’s the largest I’ve played on. When I first came here I was blown away how beautiful this room is and how awesome the program is. The acoustics are amazing,” said Slaughter.

In regard to having the choir on stage Slaughter said “With Rick and everyone involved in the arts program you can tell they really know what they’re doing. He’s done a great job here.”

“It was such thrills to see months of hard work culminate last night on that stage. There was an amazing energy in the auditorium last night from both the performers and audience. I don't ever remember a concert that had audience members literally dancing in the aisles! It was thrilling to see all of the different age groups come together and bring this music to life. We are so thankful for the support that we receive from our community. Last night was another great night for the Town of Windham,” said Nickerson.

The choir was in total agreement. “I had a wonderful time combining two things that I love, choral singing and the music of Queen!” said junior Libby McBride. She wasn’t the only one. “Performing with the band was one of the coolest experiences ever! I had such a fun time,” said sophomore Anne Stevens.”

”I don’t have anything booked with band right now. This is only our third show,” said Slaughter. Explaining the short time to success, he added, “All the people that play in this band are top notch musicians.”

However Slaughter is playing locally with his other band. “The original band I was in, John Hughes Radio is having a Halloween themed concert at the Empire in Portland on October 28th. There will be a costume party with contest and will show local made horror short films during the 15 minute or so break in between the two other bands, Holy Smoke and Diabligato, that will be playing,” he shared. 

Meanwhile, the Windham Chamber Singers are also gearing up for another performance. The winter concert, “An American Family Holiday,” will be held Saturday December 3rd at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The concert will feature special guests Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Strange.

For more information on these events, visit www.facebook.com/johnhughesradio and www.windhamchambersingers.com.                      

Local Clark University student expands learning in Columbia - By Elizabeth Richards

In early June 2016, Sydney Tanguay took advantage of an educational opportunity that allowed her to visit another country, feed her love of gardening, and expand her views on entrepreneurial start-ups. The 21-year old senior at Clark University applied for funding through the University’s Liberal Education and Effective Practice (LEEP) program, and was awarded $2,000 towards the 10 day trip.

Tanguay, a Windham native and 2013 Windham High School graduate, is in an accelerated master’s program, working towards an MBA with a concentration in sustainability. Tanguay saw the trip advertised by her professor, John Dobson, who accompanied her and three other students to Bogotá, Colombia. Tanguay said she applied because she had never been out of the country. 

“Declaring my MBA this semester I was looking forward to experiencing cultural differences and a new view on entrepreneurial start-ups,” she said. The research project in urban agriculture also coincided with the love of gardening Tanguay developed as a young girl working in the family gardens with her mother. 

The students worked with Fundación Mujeres Empresarias Marie Poussepin, a nonprofit organization that works to train women head of households as entrepreneurs in urban agriculture and ecological art. 

The organization helps women establish backyard gardens where they can grow organic produce. The students from Clark also collaborated with students from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Bogotá.

Tanguay said some highlights of the trip included experiencing Columbian hospitality and seeing the passion the women had for improving their lives with known skills, community needs, and their love of gardening. “The food was absolutely to die for and the women never let us go hungry!” she added.

On their first day in Bogotá, the students took an eco-tour through the mountains to get a feel for how rich the volcanic soil was. Tanguay described the outing as “just like mudding in Maine, but the scenery was entirely different and just as beautiful!”

In the days that followed, the students toured gardens at the home of the women entrepreneurs, met with students from Javeriana, performed a market analysis, and formulated methods designed by their professor to help improve the women’s businesses by creating new markets and increasing profitability. Additionally, the students reconstructed a garden for one of the women, Señora Olmeira. “Today the garden is flourishing with wonderful fruits, vegetables, and flowers for both ornamental and medicinal usage,” said Tanguay. 

The Clark University students rounded out their trip by visiting Cartegna for two days, enjoying the beach and another aspect of Colombia’s culture, Tanguay said. 

Tanguay said the only challenge she experienced was a language barrier. She grew up learning French, but had no experience with Spanish. “I strived to be able to talk to everyone face to face rather than through other students who would translate for me,” Tanguay said. “Everyone was very patient with me and I greatly appreciated their acceptance of my lack of knowledge. I just wish I could have connected more with the women in that way.”

Tanguay said her role on the trip was “to learn and observe multicultural business development and

[act] as an advisor to their organization to expand their passions and establishment towards greater profitability.” She was pleased with the collaboration between all parties, and said, “I hope to visit within the next two years to continue work with them and the professor to gain more knowledge of urban agriculture and share advancements in my personal and professional life. I've come to make great friends and possible global business connections because of this opportunity and I am grateful for such an exciting adventure.”

When disaster strikes, AmeriCorps will be there to help - By Michelle Libby

Last Friday, AmeriCorps volunteers gathered at Camp William Hinds in Raymond to train for one of their ancillary responsibilities, running a volunteer reception center to manage the volunteers who step up when a disaster strikes. September was National Preparedness month.

The AmeriCorps volunteers were from two of Maine’s largest programs, the SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps Program and the Goodwill Multilingual Leadership Corps. 

The SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps program places teams of AmeriCorps volunteers in schools throughout the Windham/Raymond school district. Volunteers work to increase student academic achievement, as well as social and emotional learning, by implementing STEM-based and service-learning programming that allows students develop new skills and use them to create a positive impact in their communities.

Goodwill's Multilingual Leadership Corps places AmeriCorps volunteers in Maine schools, housing communities, and nonprofits to engage K-12 English Language Learners through mentoring, goal-setting, school skills support, and community engagement activities.

There are AmeriCorps volunteers in 14 of the 16 counties in Maine. 

“This event will train our community's AmeriCorps volunteers in organizing and facilitating an emergency-response volunteer reception center, through which a community manages its volunteers and coordinates their efforts in times of disaster,” said Fernando Hinojosa, outreach and development director for RSU 14 Katahdin Program. 

“AmeriCorps volunteers are trained to respond to a variety of emergencies within the communities they serve. Should an emergency (such as a natural disaster) arise in Windham, or elsewhere in the Greater Portland area, our AmeriCorps volunteers will be participating in the relief effort,” he added.

When a disaster strikes be it a flood, earthquake, or tornado, volunteers come out of the woodwork to help with clean up and other needs the victims might have. AmeriCorps volunteers spring into action to screen the influx of volunteers and match them up with a need in the area through the reception centers. This screening process allows the people in charge to know what skills the volunteers have and can also discourage those who wouldn’t be helpful. 

“I had no idea what spontaneous volunteering was. It is the overwhelming number of people who want to help,” said Haley McCracken. “Everyone is so flooded with volunteers.”

The trainings help to deal with “unaffiliated volunteers and unsolicited donations,” which sometimes are helpful and other times make the job more difficult, for example if they’re not insured or working through the Red Cross. 

AmeriCorp volunteers sign up to help with a variety of projects all over the country. Jessica Swartz was a stay-at-home mom who had a degree in marketing and advertising and did some substitute teaching at Windham Primary School before she signed up. Now she is the first AmeriCorps volunteer at WPS, coordinating projects like a garden club, STEM learning and animal care and compassion lessons. 

“I developed a love for children. AmeriCorps was a way to leave the world a better place by leaving better children,” she said. AmeriCorps provides a living stipend for some of the volunteers and after a term, they receive a Segal Education Award to be used to pay off student debt or to pay for any higher education that accepts financial aid, according to Michael Ashmore, program development and training officer from the Maine Commission for Community Service, the organization that funds the AmeriCorps grants in the state. 

 

Terms can be a full year or part time. Full time is 450 hours. The amount of the award is dependent on the term. A 1,700 hour member receives approximately $6,000. Parents or grandparents can give their award to their children or grandchildren, who then will have seven years to use it. 

The living stipend is just below the poverty level, according to Ashmore. “Part of the experience is to experience what people are living like while you’re serving,” he said. There are currently 400 volunteers serving in the state full and part time. Volunteers can be from 17 to 107. 

“I’ve been put through courses I never would have had the opportunity to take,” Swartz said. “This rounds out your full education.” From trauma training to triggers training, Swartz is proud of the broad scope of programs they participate in.  

Will Smith from Michigan has been with AmeriCorps for two years. Last year he worked with the FEMA Corps, where he did disaster training and worked a disaster in South Carolina. He served 10 to 12 hour days for two weeks, then 10 hour days for a month after the initial disaster. “When I was first deployed there, I had to learn the ropes. Serving with an organization, we had to do on the spot learning,” Smith said. “I felt like there was a lot of dependence on us.”

September 30 was AmeriCorps Stand Down Day, where programs all over the country look at their emergency plans, personal and professional,” said Ashmore. 

“They are on call for responding for natural disasters. They are able and prepared to do it,” Ashmore said. “Count on us. We’re there when you need us to be.” 

For more information on the program or to find out about having AmeriCorps volunteers at your not-for-profit, faith based or government agency, visit www.maineservicecommission.gov or www. NationalService.gov.