Windham mother sets sights on winning Mrs. Maine Pageant

By Ed Pierce

Christina Erde will represent Windham in
the Mrs. Maine America competition to be
held in South Portland on April 3. She works
at Windham Primary School and also is a
waitress at Rose's Italian Restaurant.
PHOTO BY GARRICK HOFFMAN  

Christina Erde believes in herself and hopes that her message of resilience will help win the crown during the 2022 Mrs. Maine America Pageant in April in South Portland.

Married and the mother of two children, Erde, 37, became interested in competing for the Mrs. Maine title following a discussion with a former state pageant winner.

“I met former Mrs. Maine 2017, Cynthia Peters, and she encouraged me to enter the pageant,” Erde said. “I have never competed in a pageant before but when she shared her experience and how much she enjoyed it and gained from it, I thought ‘You know what? I’m just gonna go for it!’ Two weeks after meeting her, I sent in an application and was awarded the title of Mrs. Windham to compete in the 2022 Mrs. Maine America Pageant.”

During the Mrs. Maine Pageant participants are rated by a panel of judges with 50 percent of scoring based upon an interview (25 percent being interview and 25 beauty), 25 percent swimsuit, and 25 percent evening gown.

“I grew up in Windham and attended Windham Christian Academy from kindergarten through my high school graduation in 2002. My family moved to Otisfield when I was 10 years old, but we continued to commute to Windham for school,” she said. “I attended Central Maine Community College where I studied culinary arts and restaurant management.”

She’s been married to Sam Erde for 16 years and the couple has two two boys, Colin, 10, and Noah, 8.

“I am part of the support staff at the Windham Primary School where I supervise lunch and recess. I also work part time on the weekend waitressing at Roses Italian Restaurant,” Erde said. “I began volunteering four years ago at the primary school when my oldest son was in kindergarten. I then became part of the staff the next year when he was in first grade. I have absolutely loved getting to know the children and families in our town through working at the school. I have also met many local folks as well through working at the restaurant too.”

According to Erde, she usually prefers to work behind the scenes, but feels that competing in the Mrs. Maine Pageant will help her to become more confident and appreciate herself for who she is.

“I saw this as a great opportunity for personal growth as well as a unique platform to promote mental health awareness, a cause that is very near and dear to my heart,” Erde said. “Four years ago, I was hospitalized after suffering a severe mental breakdown. It took me a long time to feel comfortable talking openly with others about my diagnosis of bipolar disorder. I felt that if people knew I had a mental illness it would affect their view of who I am as a person. No one should ever have to feel this way. Just because you have a mental illness doesn’t mean you are less than. If anything, it means you are strong. You are capable. You can live a fulfilling and meaningful life.”

She said that experience has made her resilient and determined to assist others in similar situations.

“Don’t be afraid to get help. I am so glad I did, otherwise I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Erde said. “As I share my story with others, I hope to continue to break the stigma surrounding mental illness and give hope to those who may need it. I am an advocate for mental health and NAMI Maine. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Maine is dedicated to building better lives for the one in four Mainers who are affected by mental illness.”

She says that her family supports her desire to compete and win the state Mrs. Maine Pageant.

“I am so grateful to have my husband and boys by my side, cheering me on as well as my extended family and friends,” Erde said. “I am so humbled by the love and support I’ve received from the community as well.

The Mrs. Maine America pageant celebrates the achievements, poise, and personality of today’s married women. It is the official state preliminary for the National Mrs. America competition and will be held at the Double Tree Hotel in South Portland on April 3. If she wins the state title, she will compete in Las Vegas for the national title next summer.

“I am so thankful to have amazing sponsors who are supporting me financially or through their services. I wouldn’t be able to do this without their generosity and support,” Erde said. “I have loved getting to know the other contestants. It is so awesome to meet other women with such amazing stories. We come in all shapes and sizes with varying backgrounds. The comradery is great, and we are all rooting for each other. I have never once felt judged or mistreated. Our director, Deb Pronovost, is an incredible leader and wonderful coach. She is very professional and expects the best, yet she is also friendly and approachable.

As a girl growing up in Windham, Erde said that she used to watch the pageants on television but never thought she had what it takes to compete.

“I thought you had to be this Barbie doll with a perfect body and perfect hair,” she said. “There are so many pageants with different qualities and requirements. Some focus on beauty and fashion, others on personality and intelligence. I think over the years many pageants have become more balanced with their focus being more on the personality of who carries the crown than solely on looks and intelligence.” <

All in the family: Sense of service to community inspires five generations of Windham firefighters

For the five generations of men in the Nichols family, being a
firefighter was and is more than a job, it is a passion and a desire
to serve the community. Shown are three of those five generations,
from left are, Ernest, David and Timmy Nichols.
PHOTO BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK 

By Lorraine Glowczak

It began in 1913 when a South Windham undertaker, John C. Nichols, assisted with the founding of the South Windham Fire Department, as it was officially named at that time. What John didn’t know then is that his calling to serve the community as a volunteer firefighter from 1913 to the 1930s would influence and inspire the choices of his son, grandson, great-grandson, and great- great-grandson – all of whom followed in his footsteps.

“What people may not know now is that in my grandfather’s days, it was a badge of honor to volunteer for the fire department,” Ernest (Ernie) L. Nichols said of John. "There would be a long list of people waiting to be called in order to serve and my grandfather and father [Donald O. Nichols who served from the 1920s to 1945] were among them – and it seems us three remaining Nichols’ men all caught the bug, too.”

Ernie, a retired machinist from SD Warren who is now 85 years old, worked tirelessly as a volunteer firefighter beginning in the 1950s. He recalls memories growing up in a family of firefighters and shares the way volunteers knew where a fire was located, prior to the days of advanced communication technologies.

“There wasn’t the communications we have today to let firemen know where a fire was,” Ernie said. “Back then, an alarm would be sounded at the paper mill to alert the volunteers. There would be a specific code assigned to each area of town that would indicate where the fire was. For example, if an area was assigned the number 25, there would be two sounds from the alarm, and after a brief pause, five sounds would follow. And, from that, the volunteers knew where to go.”

Although his father retired in 1945, Ernie remembers his dad being called back to service two years later due to the Great Fires of 1947, a series of forest fires in Maine that destroyed a total area of 17,188 acres of wooded land from the Waterboro and Shapleigh areas to the ocean.

“My dad got a call from the then Fire Chief Harland Freeman,” Ernie said. “There simply were not enough firefighters to keep up with the devastation. My dad, as with all firefighters, did what they had to do to help and serve a great need.”

Ernie’s dad and others did, indeed, serve a great need. It has been written in several historical articles that, “with the exception of Shapleigh and Waterboro, most town centers were saved through the tireless work of firefighters.”

Ernie officially retired from firefighting in January 1982 as a Deputy Chief.

“The only reason why I became a Deputy Chief, is because my son [David Nichols], wanted me to when he was about 10 years old.”

In an article written by The Windham Eagle’s Staff Writer, Matt Pascarella in 2018, it was stated that Ernie’s son started in the family business in August of 1984 at the age of 15 as a junior member in South Windham Fire Company (as it is known today). By the age of 18, David had become a lieutenant. In 1993, he moved to North Windham and became a captain shortly after, beginning his role as Deputy Chief approximately 10 years later. He retired from the Windham Fire and Rescue Department in 2018.

David became a member of the Portland Fire Department in 1999 where he continues to work today.

David’s mother, Sue, shared the moment she knew Ernie’s and her son was going to continue in the family’s career of choice.

“Ernie was called to a house fire and when he left, David, who was about six years old at the time begged me to go,” Sue said. “After some hesitation and taking time to explain how firefighters need to focus on safety, I agreed to take him. So, we got in the car – it was a station wagon and there was this big hump in the center of the floor in the back that was common in cars back then. When we arrived, David stood on that hump and looked out the window with a look on his face as if we had given him the most expensive Christmas gift possible. With eyes as wide as saucers, he said to me, ‘Oh, mom. I love this!’.”

Fast forward to today and now David’s son, Timmy, who will be a senior at Windham High School in the fall, is following in the family tradition. He is now a junior member of the Windham Fire and Rescue Department. This past school year, Timmy took firefighting courses at the Westbrook Regional Vocational Center and will continue his studies this fall by taking emergency medical technician courses.

“I want to make a career out of this,” Timmy said. “I grew up surrounded by larger-than-life heroes who I looked up to. My earliest memories were going to the station with my dad and grandpa, and I knew it was what I wanted to do with my life. It is a unique environment to grow up in and I am part of a family in more ways than one. Being of service to my community is in my blood.”

Timmy’s dad agreed about being a part of a family. “Firefighters are all a close-knit group and sometimes we are required to spend more time with our family of service than our own individual families.”

Being a firefighter does come with some challenges and the three Nichols men shared some ways in which bravery and commitment is required.

“You set a high standard for yourself,” Timmy said. “And it is important to live up to that standard and not disappoint your family, friends and the community.”

Balancing family and work are also among some challenges, David said.

“You often miss out on sporting events, family meals, birthday parties, etc. Also, when you live in a small town, you know a lot of people and there are times when you are called to a tragedy, and you must help someone near and dear to you without bringing emotions into it – to remain calm and professional.”

Ernie said that when your children become teenagers and adults, you always wonder when you go to a call if they may be there – among those who are injured.

But as David pointed out, the good always outweighs the bad. “You get to save people and, like I stated previously, your coworkers are your family. Not just among the company you work with but on a national level. No matter where you go in the U.S., if you visit a fire station, you are welcomed as if you are one of their own. It’s a great experience to be a part of something bigger than yourself.”

For those who are contemplating a career in firefighting, the Nichols all agree that a level of commitment is needed. But most importantly, they stressed the following:

“It’s more than a job – it is a calling. It’s about service to your community. You’ll either like it or you won’t. There is no in-between.”

There certainly has been no ‘in-between’ in terms of passion with the five men in the Nichols family. Although it is too early to know, a sixth-generation firefighter may be inspired by their ancestors to serve with the same fervor as the five dedicated men before them. <