An ailing dog and a box of cough drops credited with the founding of landmark Patsy’s store By Walter Lunt

"Windham Then and Now” - The fifth in a series of historical topics about Windham’s unique history and heritage

Patsy’s, once a fixture in South Windham, was the consummate neighborhood corner store that offered tasty food and good fellowship for more than 50 years; a destination known for its zesty Italian sandwiches. 

Pasqualee Miele at work in Patsy's Store in the 1950's

Located on the corner of Depot and Main Streets, Patsy’s came to be in 1938. Pasquale and Josephine Miele moved their family from Needham, Massachusetts to Windham, Maine under the most unusual of circumstances. Their son, Bob, who took over proprietorship of Patsy’s from his father in 1958, remembers the story of its founding: a tale involving a sick dog and cough drops. More on that later.

Born in Elena, Italy in 1887, Pasquale Miele emigrated to the United States in 1902. Unschooled but afflicted with a strong entrepreneurial and  tenacious spirit, the young man of just 15 years, set out to do what most new citizens of Italian heritage did best: own and run a store featuring homeland cuisine. Pasquale arrived under the sponsorship of an uncle and soon taught himself to read and write. 

Later, settled with a home and business in Needham, Massachusetts, family members would remember Pasquale’s mantra: “Education is everything.” Copies of Country Gentleman and National Geographic were all around the house, along with numerous seed catalogs.

Ambitious and smart, Pasquale opened a spacious country store named Home Market in Needham. It was the thriving 1920s. Business grew and expansion included the acquisition of five covered Model-T delivery trucks.

Then, financial collapse. The stock market crash of ’29 brought severe hardship. The charitable Pasquale, who had extended credit to hundreds of his customers, found he could not survive the aftermath of Black Tuesday. Son Bob, then 10 years old, remembers riding in the old delivery truck with his dad, depositing bills in customers’ mail boxes. By 1932, under the crushing load of $22,000 credit debt, Home Market closed. Pasquale went to work managing a competing store for the next six years; which brings us to the dog and the cough drops.

 

In 1938, the Miele’s were in Raymond, Maine visiting relatives whose dog had fallen ill. At that time of year most local veterinarians were tending animals at county fairs, so Fido was taken to Cornish for treatment. On the return trip, Pasquale’s throat became sore and dry. He requested a stop at store in Standish for cough drops. It was there, to everyone’s surprise, he met his wife’s brother who he hadn’t seen in many years. Uncle Sully, it seems, owned stores in Standish and South Windham. The latter was for sale, and the rest, as they say, is history.

By later that same year, the Miele’s were the proud proprietors of South Windham Grocery Store. Pasquale had taken up where he’d left off six years earlier in Needham, Massachusetts.

The Miele’s rented the “Weeks House” on the corner of Webber (now Alweber) and Highland Cliff Roads in Windham for $4.00 a week (see: House for Sale, some disassembly required - The Windham Eagle, Oct. 9, 2015).

Pasquale and Josephine’s store prospered with the help of the family, brothers Ralph and Bob and daughter Jean. When Bob returned from the war in 1945 he suggested the name of the store be changed to Patsy’s, the Italian nick-name for Pasquale. His father rejected the idea but Bob persisted.

In the presence of his father, Bob quizzed store patrons, “What do you say when you’re coming to

this store? I’m going to South Windham Grocery Store?” 

“No,” they would all reply, “I just say I’m going’ to Patsy’s.”

Now: in honor of Patsy's

Soon, a new sign went up at the familiar corner store near the mills in South Windham: Patsy’s.

Also around this time, Pasquale and Josephine could realize their long held dream of home ownership. They would purchase a 1794 cape on River Road, near the store, that was once the home of Thomas Smith, son of Windham’s (Parson) Peter Thatcher Smith. It remains in the family to this day.

Upon Pasqualee’s retirement in 1958, Bob and wife Alys took over the reins of Patsy’s store. Old timers and baby boomers soon came to associate Patsy’s with Bob’s newest creation, the fresh and tasty Italian sandwich - many of the ingredients originating from the large garden at the River Road farm.

Jean still lives at the family homestead. She and Bob reminisced about the old neighborhood.

They and longtime resident Dave Tobin observed, “We never locked our doors.”

Neighborhood patrons and workers from the nearby mills and reformatory (correctional center) were like family.

“They were an unbelievably diverse group,” said Jean. “Russian, Czechoslovakian, several Jewish families, Italian, Irish and so many others. Country [of origin] never mattered - they were people - wonderful friends, and we supported each other. [I was just a kid and] It was the greatest upbringing you could have.”

By the mid-1970s the mills had closed. Much of the village fell into disrepair. Patsy’s closed in 1978. New owners operated the store into the early 1990s, when the building was converted into apartments. Declared unsafe and torn down around 2015, the deteriorating structure was replaced by a 4-unit apartment building, which opened to occupants last November. Builder Jim Cummings commemorated the historic spot with a new sign: Patsy’s Corner.

“It was a very good thing for him to do,” said Bob Miele, “I was very pleased. I went right down there and took a picture.” Sister Jean Phillips called the sign a heartwarming gesture.

Long before the demise of Patsy’s and other public places in South Windham, the economic engines that once ran on manufacturing had turned over to tourism. The gateway and the “new Main Street” would be North Windham.

Today, any reference to South Windham is usually couched in terms of revitalization. It’s no longer the mills, diverse businesses, patriotic parades, or Patsy’s.

The “Great War Governor” from Windham by Walter Lunt

“Windham Then and Now” - The fourth in a series of historical topics about Windham’s unique history and heritage

As the 200^th anniversary of his birth approaches, the legacy and influence of Windham’s “favorite son,” John Albion Andrew, extends into the 21^st century. Andrew was born and raised in South Windham. He attended Bowdoin College and became the 21^th governor of Massachusetts during the American Civil War, serving from 1861 to 1865.

In 2007, the newly elected 71^st governor of Massachusetts, Duval Patrick – following tradition – selected the portrait of a former chief executive to hang behind his desk in the governor’s office. He chose John Albion Andrew. “At a time of great divide in America, he demonstrated a willingness to change the status quo and encourage others to do the same,” said Patrick, “I am proud to display his portrait . . . and hope that I may govern with the same compassion and foresight that he demonstrated.” Patrick served until 2015.

THEN: Birthplace of Gov. Andrew

Andrew was born in a small single-story, wood frame house in the Little Falls section of Windham in May of 1818. In his lifetime, he would be immersed in some of the most significant issues of the 19^th century: temperance, civil war, emancipation, reconstruction and even divorce laws.

His parents, Jonathan and Nancy (Pierce) Andrew came to Windham from Salem, Massachusetts and purchased the house of Dr. James Paine (an early Windham physician) on Depot Road. Jonathan established a grocery business on the corner of Depot and Main (now River Road), which he later moved to a location near the bridge in South Windham. The two were highly regarded citizens of the community. Nancy had been a teacher (or preceptress) at Bridgton Academy, Jonathan a general trader and Deacon of the Congregational Church (“Windham, Then & Now,” March 24, 2017). 

Their oldest child, John Albion Andrew, would later be remembered by C.O. Stickney, writing in the Boston Sunday Globe around 1898 as, “One of the best and most popular of boys raised in (Windham) bright, likeable and full of fun.” Many remarked on his unusual ability of elocution. 

At age 14 he would deliver an inspiring talk on the evils of drink at a public temperance meeting. It was considered a remarkable performance for a young boy. A story often told by Albion, as he was known by all in Windham and Gorham, probably reveals the origin of his strong feelings on prohibition. It seems that his father sold “ardent spirits” at his store, the sale of which was highly “remunerable.” Through the thin walls of the house on Depot Street, Albion and his siblings would eavesdrop on frequent bedtime conversations between his mother and father. Mother was a fervent supporter of the early temperance movement, and would use this time to urge her husband to end the sale of alcohol in his store. This, according to Albion, went on for months when, finally one night, his father stopped his wife in mid-refrain to announce, “I stopped selling spirits several weeks ago.”

NOW: What Andrew's birthplace looks like today

Albion and his siblings were “home-schooled.” Jonathan built a tiny schoolhouse behind the home where he and Nancy tutored their children. Albion eventually attended Bridgton Academy where his mother had once taught. He entered Bowdoin College, class of 1837, where one of his classmates later observed “(His) college life was the flow of generous impulses and noble purposes, rather than the display of brilliant talents and extraordinary scholarship.” He was also known as a joker, a mimic and a general cut-up. A cousin, Nathan Church, said that the governor “Could not only pray and preach like old Parson Smith of his native town, but could also slay his audiences with impersonations of politicians and other well-known preachers.” Church also said, “He could have had success as a comedian.”

Following college, John Albion Andrew entered the bar in Massachusetts and opened a law practice in Boston. He was noted for his strong defense of poorer clients and for his wit and anecdotes. His firmly held beliefs on the issue of slavery and other reform movements, led him to politics, and by 1858 he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he opposed the Fugitive Slave Law and used his position to defend fugitive slaves and raise money for their legal fees and shelter. He became an early organizer of the new Republican Party and rallied for Abraham Lincoln at the Chicago Presidential Nominating Convention.  Their relationship while he was governor would become thorny due to the President’s handling of various war issues. Andrew, notorious for his lack of patience, criticized Lincoln for holding off delivering an emancipation declaration until late in the war, and for what he perceived as the president’s reluctance to accept blacks in the Union armies. 

As governor, he won high national praise for the early formation of militia regiments, even before the start of the war. As a result, Massachusetts would furnish the first volunteer regiment to reach Washington and the first to fight in the Civil War. 

Andrew traveled the countryside in his recruiting efforts, visiting Windham and other Maine towns in his appeal to organize volunteer regiments. The late Ernie Knight, author of several books and articles on local history, once told a gathering of local history enthusiasts in Windham that Northern townspeople, in general, did not want their husbands and sons to fight their Southern brethren, even though they had always been willing to take up arms when necessary. But because the recruiter was “our native son of renown,” Andrew succeeded in garnering enlistments.

Following Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Andrew succeeded in organizing a regiment of black soldiers – the famed 54^th Massachusetts Regiment which came to be known for its heroism and sacrifice.

In his Valedictorian Address in 1865, Andrew called for reconciliation with the South rather than punishment, “The halls of legislation are the arenas of debate, not of muscular prowess . . . we must secure the constitutional, civic liberties and franchises of all the people.”

Andrew returned to his private law practice after the war, focusing much of his time on reforming the archaic divorce practices of the day.

Former Gov. Patrick was inspired by Andrew

On October 30, 1867, the Great War Governor of Massachusetts died, age 49, following a “fit of apoplexy” (a stroke), after tea, at his home on Charles Street in Boston. He and his wife, Eliza Jane are buried in Hingham where they lived during most of their time in the Bay State. A marble statue of Andrew overlooks the site, as one biographer described it “. . . not tall in stature, but colossal in majesty of power and purpose.”

Interred in Windham’s Brown Cemetery near the corner of Depot Street and River Road are several members of the Andrew family, including the governor’s mother, Nancy, who died in 1832, and his grandfather, John Andrew, who passed away in the 1790’s. Mossy headstones identify their resting places. The burial ground, one of Windham’s oldest, is within sight of the old Andrew home, still standing today at the hilltop on Depot Street. The current owners, Paul and Sandy Penna, say it’s a “quaint old house,” a white wood-frame cottage that still retains much of its 18^th century charm.

According to Sandy, “The house itself is the original structure with many of the original wide pine flooring boards.” Built in 1792 by Windham’s second physician, Dr. James Paine, it was later purchased by Albion’s father, Jonathon Andrew, who greatly improved it. The house may have once faced toward the main (River) road. Early sketches show a classic portico front doorway flanked on either side by two windows with shutters, a center chimney, adjoining carriage shed, all fronted by an early version of a picket fence. Now in its 225^th year, the house is one reminder of Windham’s historic and revered son. Others include Albion Road and the John A. Andrew School, which stood near-by for nearly a century. At Windham High School in the early 1960s, many former students still recall the essay assignment in junior year English: The John A. Andrew essay contest on the topic “What it means to be an honest man.”

Fast forward to the 2000s and the name continues to reverberate as the significant source of guidance and inspiration for Massachusetts’ first African-American governor. 

James Mannette awarded top prize in VFW essay competition for a second time by Walter Lunt

James Mannette, 17, of Windham advanced his first-place win in a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) essay competition from the local to the district level. Mannette, a Windham High School senior, was honored recently at the annual Deering Memorial Post 6859 Awards Banquet in Portland for his winning entry in the Voices of Democracy Scholarship competition. The competition encourages students from grades 9 to 12, to express their views on democratic ideas and principals. His dissertation, titled “My Responsibility to America,” won first prize at the Windham VFW Post 10643 last November.

Mannette wrote that as Americans, “. . . we are privileged to live our lives freely, safely, and to follow our beliefs.” He acknowledged that part of the reason such privileges prevail is due to the U.S. Armed Forces.

“I view my responsibility to America as one serving in the Armed Forces.” He drew a parallel between his participation in sports and the military. “[Individual and team sports] helped me develop perseverance and determination which are traits servicemen and women need to work together to build a solid team. I consider the U.S. Armed Services the ultimate team.”

Windham Post Commander Willie Goodman said Mannette’s essay was impressive and inspirational, “. . . with his vision of America, his personal growth, and what he sees as his personal responsibility.”

District 10 encompasses eight Southern Maine towns. Mannette’s award included a check, a certificate naming him an outstanding spokesman for freedom, and a VFW medallion.

Reading his essay

During the Portland ceremony, Mannette read his essay aloud to the audience of uniformed veterans, family and friends, Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling and other guests. His presentation was greeted with a standing ovation. Mannette was reportedly stunned and speechless by the enthusiastic response. “For them to give me such respect is humbling - They deserve all the respect. I basically wrote about personal experiences I had during my trip to the Air Force Academy summer seminar and my junior ROTC group at Windham High School [and] varsity sports. The whole team works together to accomplish something better than one can do individually.”

Mannette was also recently named recipient of Windham High School’s Principal’s Award, in recognition of a senior’s academic excellence, outstanding school citizenship and leadership. An Honors Luncheon for Mannette and other award winners from around the state will be held in Bangor on Saturday, April 15.

Mannette’s future plans include the military. He says he has applied to the U.S. Air Force, Naval and Merchant Marine Academies. “My dream would be to fly”, he shares.

Then and now: The remarkable history of Windham’s first church by Walter Lunt

Then

This is the third installment of a series on the history and unique heritage of Windham, then and now.

Over its nearly 275 year history, Windham Congregational Church has occupied at least three separate locations, all on high points of land. Whether for protection, circumstance or perhaps a closer talk with thee, the church buildings were constructed on two separate hills (each named Anderson) and on Windham Hill. The denomination holds a distinctive place in the town’s rich history and proud heritage. 

Local historians record the full or partial construction of no fewer than five churches between 1743 and 1834. In addition to their pioneering spirit, Windham’s early settlers needed certain essentials to achieve their goal of carving a prosperous township out of a barren wilderness: Shelter, food, clothing and (yes, an essential) spiritual nourishment. 

Two of the original 63 land grants were set aside for religious purposes. Under conditions set by the governing body of Massachusetts in the mid-1730s, the Proprietors had to “. . . erect a convenient meeting-house (church) for the publick worship of God,” and provide a lot of land for a “. . . learned orthodox minister.”

Attempts to construct a church atop Anderson Hill, off present day River Road, were hindered by hostilities related to the French and Indian Wars. The partially framed edifice was torn down and the timbers used to help construct a fort to protect the early families. Under the pastoral guidance of Rev. John Wight, a 1729 graduate of Harvard College and the township’s first minister, the first services were conducted inside the fort.

Early records indicate Rev. Wight was highly respected and remembered for his dedication and loyalty to the needs of the infant settlement - a devotion that impaired his health. Wight died in the fort, leaving behind a congregation that grew from seven to 25 members during his tenure.

It would be nearly ten years before another minister would lead the parish. In the meantime, hostilities with the French and Indians had ended. Rev. Peter Thatcher Smith, also a Harvard alumnus, was ordained in September, 1762. He preached in the fort until his dismissal in 1790. During Smith’s pastor-ship, two attempts were made to construct “. . . a decent place for the worship of God.”  Both were taken down for unknown reasons. Finally in 1795, a meeting house described as, “. . . a very fine edifice for the times,” was built on what was then known as Peter Anderson’s Hill; near the present-day intersection of Webb and Chute Roads.

Now

The impressive structure was 50 feet long, 40 feet wide, and two stories high. Upon entering, the visitors’ attention would first be drawn to the elaborately decorated pulpit, perched high above floor level, replete with color and pageantry. The lofty lectern was draped with scarlet cloth, a velvet cushion to support a thick, tattered Bible, and tassels dangling from all four corners. Above the minister’s head, an elaborately carved panel was suspended from the ceiling. Known as a “sounding board,” it acted as an early amplifier, projecting the preacher’s words over the full extent of the sanctuary and beyond.

The front hallway featured a glass display case in which the town clerk posted the names of those planning to marry. Called a “publishment box,” it was said to have attracted much attention from the locals.

Like other churches of the period, no means of heating was allowed within its walls. At best, a slab of

soapstone, heated from home, or a so-called “foot stove” was the only means of warming comfort allowed, even in the depths of winter.

The building served Windham’s Congregational community for almost 40 years, until 1834 when construction began on a new church on Windham Hill. The abandoned building was then used for various public purposes until 1861 when it was partially de-constructed and moved over snowy roads by several teams of oxen to a location on the west side of River Road near the Westbrook line; and then converted into a large barn (pictured here some time before 1959). Many features of the old, formidable church remained, including portions of the original post and beam construction, a wide door and hardware formed by an early blacksmith. Several families used the old, renovated structure well into the 20^th century. In 1959 it was razed, the ancient timbers sold and the property cleared to make way for power lines.

The newest, and sometimes referred to as the 5^th Congregational Church building, was completed in 1835. It was described as “. . . a convenient, well-finished church, with steeple and bell, being the first bell on any church in Windham.” Current church historian Laurel Parker says the bell was cast in Boston by a former apprentice of Paul Revere. The new meeting house was of post and beam construction with Greek Revival, Federal and Gothic features. The steeple is Italianate. A new spire and a weathervane were added in 1885. Long admired for its unique architectural features, the iconic, early New England building earned the church an appearance in a 1935 edition of National Geographic Magazine. A carillon, played from the organ, was installed in 1964 with speakers in the belfry.

Instrumental in the construction of the new church was Rev. Jonathon Lee Hale (the 7^th settled minister), who did not live to see its completion. One of his successors, Rev. Luther Wiswall, is credited with attaining the church’s greatest prosperity to date. He served for 40 years in the mid-19^th century, leaving his home next door to the parish. It would become the parsonage of the First Congregational Church of Windham. The front hall closet once served as a Windham post office. 

Among the many artifacts of the church’s storied history is a pair of eyeglasses worn by Rev. Wiswall.

In 1972, the church was re-named Windham Hill United Church of Christ, Congregational. The church is currently ministered by Rev. Sally Colegrove and is supported by over 200 parishioners.

Church leaders honor the church’s history, acknowledging the past and recognizing long time members during Founders’ Day - celebrated yearly. Members of the Sunday School recently painted a time-line of church history in the Faith Education Hallway of Fellowship Hall, located behind the church.

Windham Hill U.C.C. raises funds and participates in numerous social and charitable causes, local and worldwide; including support for the Windham food pantry, the Root Cellar of Portland, which helps the homeless, Food & Fellowship for seniors and others, gift boxes for service members and local families, especially during holidays, E-waste collection and the international Heifer Project, which distributes live animals to third-world countries.

The original clerk’s book of Windham Congregational, begun in 1743, and now available online is a rich source of early church history. Visit: digitalmaine.com/windham_whucc_books/1/

“Break-a-leg” carries literal meaning for star in Windham Center Stage’s “Wizard of Oz” by Walter Lunt

No one expresses those classic theatrical words of encouragement, “break-a-leg” to Olivia Elder who plays the leading role of Dorothy Gale in Windham Center Stage’s “Wizard of Oz”. She already did.

Olivia, 13, had secured one of two cast roles of Dorothy and had learned her lines when she helped her brother clear snow from a high deck at their home. When they finished, both jumped off into the pile of snow.

“He landed okay, but I hit where the snow was soft and my leg broke in two places,” she stated.

It was just before the start of rehearsals for “The Wizard of Oz”, Young Performers Edition - when director Diane Hancock got the call from Olivia’s mom.

“Olivia was devastated and assumed she would have to give up the role”, said Hancock. But not so fast - If Olivia was willing, the production staff, the cast and the family would all pull together to “make it work.”

“I learned a lot about myself,” said Olivia, “I never had a leading role before (so) I had to push myself. Mostly, I was worried that I would let down my cast.”

As it turned out, she didn’t. The performance was reblocked (stage maneuvers) to support Olivia’s crutches. And the 39 other cast members, second through eighth graders, stepped forward to accommodate; giving special meaning to the phrase “supporting cast.”

“Oz, For Young Performers” is the adaptation of the classic 1939 musical drama about young Dorothy of Kansas who dreams of what’s over the rainbow.  Her adventures begin when a twister carries her and her dog, Toto, off to see the wizard via the yellow brick road. In her dream world, she meets: Scarecrow (If I only had a brain), the Tinman (If I only had a heart), the Cowardly Lion (If I only had the nerve) and, of course, the Wicked Witch.

“These kids sing beautifully,” says Hancock, “and it’s because of the music teachers in the school system and the directors of area music venues, who foster excitement and passion about m

Cast A

usic.”

“Oz” is performed by two separate casts (distinguished by cast A and cast B), each consisting of 40 young performers, ages 7 to 13. There are 12 performances on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from March 10 (Opening Night) to March 26.

“We had lots of new kids auditioning this year.” said Hancock, “Kids from Greely, Waynflete, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Gorham, as well as Windham and Raymond; and more boys than usual. I think that’s because this isn’t a ‘princess show’. It’s a classic from our childhood.”

Annika Mocciola, who plays Dorothy in cast A, said she let out a scream of joy upon learning she had landed the leading role.

“My friends called me out of a music lesson at school and we all danced (in celebration).”

The angelic voices of both Dorothy’s give a smooth and stirring rendition of the show’s famous, “Over the Rainbow”.

Cast A’s Wicked Witch is played by Lucy Hatch, 12. “I just finished playing a villain in another play - now I’m a villain again. They loved my cackle (during the audition).”

Gianna Stevens, the cast B Witch, joked, “I get to be not myself,” adding with a flourish of her arms, “obviously, I’m not wicked.” Stevens worries about her Witch’s laugh. “I practice it all the time and ask people if it sounds okay.”

Emma Chase, 12, describes her role as the Scarecrow in cast A, as “…floppy, clumsy, goofy and happy. A fun role from a movie we grew up with.”

Cast B Scarecrow, Hannah Perfetti, was more introspective, “I’ve been shy my whole life and this allowed me to step out more.”

Maddie Hancock, 12, said her part as the cast A, Lion “…was the one I wanted because it was a challenge. I worked with the staff on voice and delivery so I wasn’t just a middle schooler on stage.”

The Lion in cast B, is Kate Ramseyer, who feels hers is “One of the most fun roles. Lion is whiny, annoying (but) comedic, and I like making people laugh.”

The Tinman posed a challenge for the actors in both casts. Daphne Cyr, 12, in cast A, characterized the role as, “Amazing! It taught me so much about acting (especially) the ‘tin walk.’ I was nervous (because) it’s hard to stay in character all the time.”

 

Cast B

“I had to up my game,” said cast B Tinman, Alex Robbins, a fifth grader. “Before, I just had ensemble or bit parts. I was surprised (to get a leading part); lots a’ lines - kind a’ hard.”

Dorothy’s faithful dog, Toto, is played by Monica Farley (A) and Autumn Wood (B) – both fourth graders. The Toto’s are scrappy, fun and full of stage energy. While most cast members admitted that they hoped for the part of Dorothy (but settled happily for the role they got), Farley said she was going out for the part of Toto; “When they closed the door (at the audition), I dropped to my knees and acted like a dog.”

Wood said she loves playing Toto. “I’ve got two dogs at my house – I watched and studied them (to get into the role).”

“These kids make my job easy,” says Hancock, “they’re talented. They’re excited. We don’t have to push them. And one of the coolest dynamics of all our shows is the social environment. The younger children admire and emulate the older, more experienced kids. Then the younger ones become the mentors to a new generation of performers.”

Dorothy and her friends are complemented by: The Munchkins, Trees, Winkies, Flying Monkeys, Ozians and more. “Oz” is a youthful blend of music and comedy set amidst the classic conflict of good and evil.

“Oz” is directed by Diane Hancock with musical direction by Patrick Martin and choreography by Andrea Levinsky.

Why see it? Hancock says, “Because it’s a classic and the kids are awesome!”

And all the performances promise to “break-a-leg”.

For show times and more information visit: windhamtheater.org/Shows/wizardofoz.htm <

Raymond resident and Windham teacher writes children's story set on Thomas Pond by Walter Lunt

“The Boston Terrier Who Thought He Was a Loon” - A children’s book by Windham teacher Michelle Patch

By Walter Lunt

One year ago, the furthest thing from Michelle Patch’s mind was to become an author. It was the heartbreak of losing a beloved family pet, 15-year old Rollie, her Boston terrier that compelled Patch to write his story. It became therapy to overcome grief. 

Based on real events, “The Boston Terrier Who Thought He Was a Loon”, illustrated by Maine artist Thomas Block, and tells the warm and amusing tale of Rollie, who lives with his human family on Thomas Pond in Raymond. Rollie is curious and playful and discovers a new friend along the shore, where he spends most of his summer days. The newcomer, he discovers, is a lot like him: It’s black and white, swims, and sings a greeting. As the season progresses and wanes, Rollie dives after tennis balls, rides a paddle board and scans the waves in search of his new feathered friends - the loons. He watches them dive, feed on fish and interprets their call as a greeting, which he returns with a happy bark. One day, Rollie’s friends disappear. Block captures the beauty of the changing seasons on the pond. Rollie watches and waits.

Rollie’s story charms the reader with its subtle, yet powerful themes of friendship, sense-of-place and the delight and pleasure of family pets.

“I tried to capture the energy, fun and magic that was Rollie,” Patch told the Eagle in her office at Windham Primary School, where she is a counselor; “It’s amazing to me how it’s having the effect of joy on the kids. I haven’t yet had a negative review.”

The book is a hit with the K-3 classes at the school. “I liked the details,” said Mallory, a first grader; “Rollie swims with the kids and the loons eat the fish.” She pointed to a picture of Rollie jumping off a boat to greet a loon that quickly disappears under water. “I liked when he jumped,” she said, then added, “It was cool, but dangerous.”

“When Rollie died last year, I couldn’t stop thinking about him,” said Patch. “Then I made the connection - he was one of my three great passions: Thomas Pond, loons and Rollie. They meshed together into this story.”

Popular and successful children’s books exhibit characteristics of strong characters, a relatable story, wholesome messages and striking pictures. “The Boston Terrier Who Thought He Was a Loon”, has all of them and is recommended for kids of all ages.

Michelle Patch will be at Windham Public Library on March 6 to discuss her maiden journey as a writer and to sign copies of her book. Readers can also visit:  www.michellepatch.com.  <