By Ed Pierce
He may only be a sophomore at Windham High School, but Cole Robie of Windham is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in professional auto racing.
Racing cars in Legends, Late Model and Super Late Model divisions, despite his youth, Robie continues to rack up wins and experience as he ultimately aims for a career in the racing industry when he finishes school. His chances of doing that are excellent as racing is a family tradition with his grandfather, father and uncles all having raced professionally. Cole’s uncle, Derek Kneeland of Windham, is currently a spotter for NASCAR’s Richard Childress Racing and has been involved in the sport as a driver since he was young.
“I have always wanted to race,” Robie said. “My Dad had a lot of interest in getting me into racing and was the one that made it happen. We started in 2021, and racing is just in my blood.”
His exceptional driving skills and will to win at such a young age show that Windham remains at the forefront in state for developing championship auto racers, a fact not lost on Robie.
“There are a lot of race families born and raised in Windham and I just happen to be part of one,” he said. “Racing has just gone from generation to generation in those families which is pretty cool.”
Almost every weekend Robie can be found at the racetrack, and he travels to warmer states during the winter months when racing is not possible in New England.
According to Robie, he enjoys auto racing for several reasons.
“I like the adrenaline rush, and the speed factor,” he said. “I also like that it's an independent sport.”
And he’s been able to hold his own against older and more experienced drivers as his racing legacy grows.
Last year he captured his first Legend Car national title, winning the 2023 INEX Young Lions Road Course National Championship. In July, he topped an 11-car field during a Group B race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway and in May Robie led for every single lap while cruising to a NELCAR Legends win at the Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire.
“I think my family loves it, they have all been in the racing industry for many years and it's exciting for them to see me following my dreams,” he said. “They are all my biggest fans and supporters.”
Up next for Robie will be a Legends race at Dominion Motor Speedway in Woodland, Virginia on Saturday, Oct. 5 and then he will turn around and compete in a Super Late Model race on Sunday, Oct. 6 at Lee Motor Speedway in New Hampshire.
“The most challenging track I’ve ever raced on was at Hallett, Oklahoma in my Legend,” he said. “I didn't have a gear gauge and raced without knowing what gear I was in.”
As far as prestige races go, Robie says the biggest race he’s competed in thus far was in Las Vegas, Nevada for the Oval World Finals in his Legend car.
His racing journey has taken him all over the country this year including events at Anderson Motor Speedway in Williamston, South Carolina; Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina; New London- Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, Connecticut; Cordele Speedway in Cordele, Georgia; Claremont Motorsports Park in New Hampshire; Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tennessee; Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama, North Carolina; Lee USA Speedway in Lee, New Hampshire; Star Speedway in Epping, New Hampshire; Caffeine and Octane’s Lanier Raceway in Braselton, Georgia; and the Citrus County Speedway in Inverness, Florida.
In 2024 alone, he’s won four times, finished in the Top Five nine times and in the Top 10 a total of 20 times with several months of racing left this year.
He attributes his success to his family, his race team and his friends.
“Everyone in the town that I know has been very supportive of my racing,” Robie said. “Some of my friends have even come along to some of the races and helped me out as part of my pit crew. My whole family and all of my friends are my biggest fans and supporters. I couldn't do any of this without all of them behind me.” <
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Showing posts with label Windham High School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windham High School. Show all posts
Friday, September 27, 2024
Friday, August 30, 2024
WHS graduate supplies Team USA with belts for Olympics
By Masha Yurkevich
A small town like Windham and a small and rural state like Maine do not get recognized very often on a national level. However, when Windham High School graduate Michael Lyons and his manufacturing company, Rogue Industries, were asked by designer Ralph Lauren to produce 3,000 leather belts for Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, Maine was put on the map.
He grew up in Windham and graduated from Windham High School in 1977. Originally, Lyons was running a small publishing house and injured his back. His doctor told him that his back issues are because of him sitting on his bulky wallet, causing problems with his spine. Lyons set out to find a wallet that would comfortably fit in his front pocket but had no luck. So, he decided to design his own wallet, one that was curved and would comfortably fit in his front pocket.
“We kind of accidentally went into the design world of leather goods,” says Lyons. “Our original design was one wallet and one collar; now, we have more than 100 stock keeping units. We went into women’s tote bags, belts, crossbody clutches, coasters, and many more high-quality designs.”
The company’s designs drew the attention of the Ralph Lauren Corporation, who then called Rogue Industries. Lyons said he was certain that they had the wrong phone number. But Ralph Lauren officials had done their homework and knew exactly who they were speaking to.
“We were given almost two years ahead of time to source the material and do all the preparation which was necessary,” says Lyons. “Ralph Lauren was speaking to Sea Bags in Portland, asking them if they know of anyone who can make very high-quality products, and Sea Bags referred us.”
Lyons says that his first reaction to the order was one of disbelief.
“Did Ralph Lauren really want us to do something with such a huge amount of visibility,” said Lyons. “My second reaction was, we need to get to work. We did this for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, they hired us to do this as a private label effort on their behalf for the U.S. Olympic Team. Our customer here was the Ralph Lauren Corporation.”
Ralph Lauren partnered with many manufacturers across the United States to produce Team USA’s uniform, including Rogue Industries, which assembled and manufactured Ralph Lauren’s Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies Webb Belt.
“What they did is they went out and worked with only eight other companies across the United States such as Rancourt in Lewiston who made shoes for Team USA, so there were two of us from Maine,” says Lyons. “They would then go to different companies for the jackets, for the shirts, and for the pants.”
Every single component, and absolutely every single detail that was used in the making of these belts had to be sourced from the United States.
“The hard part was not so much the as actual production as much as it was finding the right suppliers,” says Lyons.
According to Lyons, the thread, the leather, the cotton webbing, and every single component had to be obtained from a company located in the United States.
“Finding companies that still make product in the United States is incredibly challenging,” says Lyons.
Once all the components were found and once the production of the belts was started, it took Rogue Industries about 120 days to complete the belts for Ralph Lauren Corporation.
If there is a lesson for us to take away from this, it is that hard work pays off, and Michael Lyons and Rogue Industries are proof of that. Their company’s motto is “Quality or Quantity” and that was evident for all to see during the Olympic Games earlier this month in France. <
A small town like Windham and a small and rural state like Maine do not get recognized very often on a national level. However, when Windham High School graduate Michael Lyons and his manufacturing company, Rogue Industries, were asked by designer Ralph Lauren to produce 3,000 leather belts for Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, Maine was put on the map.
He grew up in Windham and graduated from Windham High School in 1977. Originally, Lyons was running a small publishing house and injured his back. His doctor told him that his back issues are because of him sitting on his bulky wallet, causing problems with his spine. Lyons set out to find a wallet that would comfortably fit in his front pocket but had no luck. So, he decided to design his own wallet, one that was curved and would comfortably fit in his front pocket.
“We kind of accidentally went into the design world of leather goods,” says Lyons. “Our original design was one wallet and one collar; now, we have more than 100 stock keeping units. We went into women’s tote bags, belts, crossbody clutches, coasters, and many more high-quality designs.”
The company’s designs drew the attention of the Ralph Lauren Corporation, who then called Rogue Industries. Lyons said he was certain that they had the wrong phone number. But Ralph Lauren officials had done their homework and knew exactly who they were speaking to.
“We were given almost two years ahead of time to source the material and do all the preparation which was necessary,” says Lyons. “Ralph Lauren was speaking to Sea Bags in Portland, asking them if they know of anyone who can make very high-quality products, and Sea Bags referred us.”
Lyons says that his first reaction to the order was one of disbelief.
“Did Ralph Lauren really want us to do something with such a huge amount of visibility,” said Lyons. “My second reaction was, we need to get to work. We did this for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, they hired us to do this as a private label effort on their behalf for the U.S. Olympic Team. Our customer here was the Ralph Lauren Corporation.”
Ralph Lauren partnered with many manufacturers across the United States to produce Team USA’s uniform, including Rogue Industries, which assembled and manufactured Ralph Lauren’s Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies Webb Belt.
“What they did is they went out and worked with only eight other companies across the United States such as Rancourt in Lewiston who made shoes for Team USA, so there were two of us from Maine,” says Lyons. “They would then go to different companies for the jackets, for the shirts, and for the pants.”
Every single component, and absolutely every single detail that was used in the making of these belts had to be sourced from the United States.
“The hard part was not so much the as actual production as much as it was finding the right suppliers,” says Lyons.
According to Lyons, the thread, the leather, the cotton webbing, and every single component had to be obtained from a company located in the United States.
“Finding companies that still make product in the United States is incredibly challenging,” says Lyons.
Once all the components were found and once the production of the belts was started, it took Rogue Industries about 120 days to complete the belts for Ralph Lauren Corporation.
If there is a lesson for us to take away from this, it is that hard work pays off, and Michael Lyons and Rogue Industries are proof of that. Their company’s motto is “Quality or Quantity” and that was evident for all to see during the Olympic Games earlier this month in France. <
Friday, July 26, 2024
Split decision: WHS senior competes in USA Mullet Championships
By Masha Yurkevich
Was the mullet ever in style or did it never go out of style? No matter the answer, Windham High School senior Eliott Kullman, also known as “Big Redd,” rocks the look. In fact, he wears it so well that he decided to compete in the USA Mullet Championships.
This all started in 2021, when Kullman and his friends were joking around about mullets, and one of Kullman’s friends tried out the mullet hairstyle and said that Kullman should try to grow one out too.
“At first, my mom didn't want me to get a mullet,” says Kullman. “It took probably a week before my mom actually approved it and from there, I went through four different hair places to get the mullet I wanted.”
It was something very new for Kullman and a lot of people helped him to fully understand the look and how to take care of his mullet.
Later, when he heard about a national mullet competition called the USA Mullet Championships, he decided to give it a shot.
The USA Mullet Championships started in 2020 and is an annual competition with a goal to crown the very best mullets in the country. The competition awards cash prizes and bragging rights to winners in child, teen, and adult mullet categories.
It is the world's largest competition of its kind, with more than 1,000 competitors each year. The competition also raises money for charity and for this year, the USA Mullet Championships is partnering with Jared Allen's Homes for Wounded Warriors, a national charitable organization that helps build mortgage-free homes for wounded American veterans. All donations from the mullet competition will go to the Homes for Wounded Warriors charity.
To officially join the mullet competition, Kullman had to send in three photos – a front, a side, and a back – of his mullet, as well as write an essay about the story of his mullet. After a bit of waiting this spring, Kullman received the word that he was approved and was officially in the competition.
Since then, Kullman has been actively trying to raise money for donations and people to vote online for his mullet.
“The winner is determined by the number of votes and donation amounts that each competitor gets,” says Kullman.
As well as raising money for a good cause, winners of the USA Mullet Championships will also receive a Mullet Champ belt, a GoPro HERO12 Black Action Camera, and a cash prize.
In the preliminary round ending earlier this week, Kullman came in fourth place in the teen category, and qualified to compete in the USA Mullet Championships second round.
Voting in the second round is underway and ends July 30. If Kullman gathers enough votes and donations, he will compete in the final round from Aug. 14 to Aug. 21. USA Mullet Championship winners will be announced online on Aug. 28.
Kullman is asking the community to vote for him and his mullet, as well as make a donation of any size, if possible. You may place your vote and/or donations on the USA Mullet Championships website at www.mulletchamp.com.
Believe it or not, Kullman is still growing his amazing mullet.
“I'm glad I decided to get a mullet because it's rare to see a ginger with a mullet,” he says. “I get a lot of compliments and I love this hairstyle. Lots of people tell me it looks great on me.”
Over time, Kullman says that he has gotten used to his mullet and taking care of it and gets it cleaned up every four weeks.
“I thought I wouldn't be able to pull it off until a lot of people gave me confidence and I kept going,” he says. “So here I am in 2024 with an awesome mullet and hoping to win the USA Mullet Championship Competition. I love my mullet and I am going to keep it for a long time.” <
Was the mullet ever in style or did it never go out of style? No matter the answer, Windham High School senior Eliott Kullman, also known as “Big Redd,” rocks the look. In fact, he wears it so well that he decided to compete in the USA Mullet Championships.
Elliott Kullman, a senior at Windham High School, has advanced to the second round of competition in the teen category of the 2024 USA Mullet Championships. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
“At first, my mom didn't want me to get a mullet,” says Kullman. “It took probably a week before my mom actually approved it and from there, I went through four different hair places to get the mullet I wanted.”
It was something very new for Kullman and a lot of people helped him to fully understand the look and how to take care of his mullet.
Later, when he heard about a national mullet competition called the USA Mullet Championships, he decided to give it a shot.
The USA Mullet Championships started in 2020 and is an annual competition with a goal to crown the very best mullets in the country. The competition awards cash prizes and bragging rights to winners in child, teen, and adult mullet categories.
It is the world's largest competition of its kind, with more than 1,000 competitors each year. The competition also raises money for charity and for this year, the USA Mullet Championships is partnering with Jared Allen's Homes for Wounded Warriors, a national charitable organization that helps build mortgage-free homes for wounded American veterans. All donations from the mullet competition will go to the Homes for Wounded Warriors charity.
To officially join the mullet competition, Kullman had to send in three photos – a front, a side, and a back – of his mullet, as well as write an essay about the story of his mullet. After a bit of waiting this spring, Kullman received the word that he was approved and was officially in the competition.
Since then, Kullman has been actively trying to raise money for donations and people to vote online for his mullet.
“The winner is determined by the number of votes and donation amounts that each competitor gets,” says Kullman.
As well as raising money for a good cause, winners of the USA Mullet Championships will also receive a Mullet Champ belt, a GoPro HERO12 Black Action Camera, and a cash prize.
In the preliminary round ending earlier this week, Kullman came in fourth place in the teen category, and qualified to compete in the USA Mullet Championships second round.
Voting in the second round is underway and ends July 30. If Kullman gathers enough votes and donations, he will compete in the final round from Aug. 14 to Aug. 21. USA Mullet Championship winners will be announced online on Aug. 28.
Kullman is asking the community to vote for him and his mullet, as well as make a donation of any size, if possible. You may place your vote and/or donations on the USA Mullet Championships website at www.mulletchamp.com.
Believe it or not, Kullman is still growing his amazing mullet.
“I'm glad I decided to get a mullet because it's rare to see a ginger with a mullet,” he says. “I get a lot of compliments and I love this hairstyle. Lots of people tell me it looks great on me.”
Over time, Kullman says that he has gotten used to his mullet and taking care of it and gets it cleaned up every four weeks.
“I thought I wouldn't be able to pull it off until a lot of people gave me confidence and I kept going,” he says. “So here I am in 2024 with an awesome mullet and hoping to win the USA Mullet Championship Competition. I love my mullet and I am going to keep it for a long time.” <
Friday, July 19, 2024
Local musicians visit home following Nashville success
By Lorraine Glowczak
What began as three Windham High School friends jamming together for fun has grown into a thriving musical career. David Young (Class of 2017), his younger brother, Deven Young (Class of 2019), and their friend Seth Martin (Class of 2017) have turned their shared passion for music into a professional success story.
The folk/rock group are performing songs on the tour from their latest album recorded in Nashville entitled “Vintage American.” Upcoming tour dates will see the Interstate Kings play in cities throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, Upstate New York, Illinois, and Kentucky, including a stop in Kansas City, renowned for its blues legacy. However, the stop they are most looking forward to is their “homecoming performances.”
“We are pumped to be coming home to play for all of our friends and family again – all those who loved our music and believed in us,” said David Young, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist.
With concerts scheduled in Naples, Rumford, and on Channel 6’s 207 show, they are eager to perform their homecoming show at Lenny’s in Westbrook on July 31; the venue where the band perfected their performance skills.
Bill Umbel, the owner of Lenny’s, said he is looking forward to their return.
“It means a lot for everybody to have them back,” Umbel said. “The first time they performed for us was over five years ago, they were young high school kids. Our booking manager, Bucky Mitchell, booked them to play a gig for us and I wasn’t sure what to expect. When they began playing, I turned to Bucky and said, ‘Wow! These kids are pretty good.’ Not only were they talented, but they were professional musicians by interacting with the audience, which is paramount in the business of music. I knew these kids were going to go far.”
It was the Interstate King’s biggest fans, Charlie and Peggy Applin, who played a pivotal role in their early success by encouraging Umbel and Mitchell to book the musicians.
“Charlie and I followed David and The Interstate Kings whenever they played in the greater Portland area,” Peggy Applin said. “We often frequented Lenny’s to listen to the music and told Bill he should hire the band to play there. We promised he wouldn’t regret it. And here they are, over five years later and The Interstate Kings are coming home as professionals from Nashville to play at this popular venue again.”
Applin and many other Interstate Kings’ fans say they are looking forward to the band’s homecoming, including Dr. Richard Nickerson, the trio’s former music teacher at WHS.
“All three were in my music theory class,” Nickerson said. “Seth and the brothers had already started their band then, and I got to witness their professionalism and talent at an early age. I saw that they had good chemistry and respected one another. They knew how to have fun, but they also knew how to work hard. It’s very common for youth to start a band while in high school, but very rare to see the same lineup occurring professionally years later. I think their chemistry, hard work, and respect for one another may have something to do with that.”
Nickerson also spoke about their incredible talent.
“David also took my Guitar for Beginners class, but he was already at an advanced level,” Nickerson said. “I wasn’t sure what I could offer him, so we focused on the musical aspects of the guitar instead.”
Nickerson said that David Young’s advanced musical level comes with no ego. “As talented as he is, he is humble,” Nickerson said. “His creativity is genuine.”
Nickerson and other fans of the Interstate Kings agree that Deven Young and Seth Martin also have a creative depth that contributes to the band’s success. Deven’s contribution as a drummer is more about feeling than words.
“I approach our music by asking, ‘How is this song going to feel,’” Deven Young said. “There is a certain feeling the drum gives and I translate that feeling into rhythm.”
Seth Martin’s creativity doesn’t stop at the bass guitar. He is also the band’s marketing master.
“I design our advertisement, posters, etc. that convey our band’s sound,” Martin said. “It’s about visual branding, and since we write and perform old-school sounds of blues, rock, and folk, I work to capture that in vintage-looking posters and images.”
Martin said that music is their passion and dream, but to be successful, they also must be serious about music as a business.
Nickerson said that he is proud of his former students’ professionalism, hard work, and success.
“As a teacher, you always want your students to do well, and to watch these three work hard and flourish in the music industry is the best.”
Umbel echoed that sentiment.
“I look forward to seeing them perform again at Lenny’s.” he said. “And it is quite possible, the next time I see them, they will be bigwigs performing on the big stage.”
To learn more about David Young and the Interstate Kings on their Vintage American Tour, visit www.davidyoungtunes.com <
What began as three Windham High School friends jamming together for fun has grown into a thriving musical career. David Young (Class of 2017), his younger brother, Deven Young (Class of 2019), and their friend Seth Martin (Class of 2017) have turned their shared passion for music into a professional success story.
The folk/rock group are performing songs on the tour from their latest album recorded in Nashville entitled “Vintage American.” Upcoming tour dates will see the Interstate Kings play in cities throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, Upstate New York, Illinois, and Kentucky, including a stop in Kansas City, renowned for its blues legacy. However, the stop they are most looking forward to is their “homecoming performances.”
“We are pumped to be coming home to play for all of our friends and family again – all those who loved our music and believed in us,” said David Young, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist.
With concerts scheduled in Naples, Rumford, and on Channel 6’s 207 show, they are eager to perform their homecoming show at Lenny’s in Westbrook on July 31; the venue where the band perfected their performance skills.
“We are especially excited to do the show at Lenny’s,” Deven Young, the drummer, said. “We played there several times over the years, and it was there where we honed our sound as a band.”
Bill Umbel, the owner of Lenny’s, said he is looking forward to their return.
“It means a lot for everybody to have them back,” Umbel said. “The first time they performed for us was over five years ago, they were young high school kids. Our booking manager, Bucky Mitchell, booked them to play a gig for us and I wasn’t sure what to expect. When they began playing, I turned to Bucky and said, ‘Wow! These kids are pretty good.’ Not only were they talented, but they were professional musicians by interacting with the audience, which is paramount in the business of music. I knew these kids were going to go far.”
It was the Interstate King’s biggest fans, Charlie and Peggy Applin, who played a pivotal role in their early success by encouraging Umbel and Mitchell to book the musicians.
“Charlie and I followed David and The Interstate Kings whenever they played in the greater Portland area,” Peggy Applin said. “We often frequented Lenny’s to listen to the music and told Bill he should hire the band to play there. We promised he wouldn’t regret it. And here they are, over five years later and The Interstate Kings are coming home as professionals from Nashville to play at this popular venue again.”
Applin and many other Interstate Kings’ fans say they are looking forward to the band’s homecoming, including Dr. Richard Nickerson, the trio’s former music teacher at WHS.
“All three were in my music theory class,” Nickerson said. “Seth and the brothers had already started their band then, and I got to witness their professionalism and talent at an early age. I saw that they had good chemistry and respected one another. They knew how to have fun, but they also knew how to work hard. It’s very common for youth to start a band while in high school, but very rare to see the same lineup occurring professionally years later. I think their chemistry, hard work, and respect for one another may have something to do with that.”
Nickerson also spoke about their incredible talent.
“David also took my Guitar for Beginners class, but he was already at an advanced level,” Nickerson said. “I wasn’t sure what I could offer him, so we focused on the musical aspects of the guitar instead.”
Nickerson said that David Young’s advanced musical level comes with no ego. “As talented as he is, he is humble,” Nickerson said. “His creativity is genuine.”
Nickerson and other fans of the Interstate Kings agree that Deven Young and Seth Martin also have a creative depth that contributes to the band’s success. Deven’s contribution as a drummer is more about feeling than words.
“I approach our music by asking, ‘How is this song going to feel,’” Deven Young said. “There is a certain feeling the drum gives and I translate that feeling into rhythm.”
Seth Martin’s creativity doesn’t stop at the bass guitar. He is also the band’s marketing master.
“I design our advertisement, posters, etc. that convey our band’s sound,” Martin said. “It’s about visual branding, and since we write and perform old-school sounds of blues, rock, and folk, I work to capture that in vintage-looking posters and images.”
Martin said that music is their passion and dream, but to be successful, they also must be serious about music as a business.
Nickerson said that he is proud of his former students’ professionalism, hard work, and success.
“As a teacher, you always want your students to do well, and to watch these three work hard and flourish in the music industry is the best.”
Umbel echoed that sentiment.
“I look forward to seeing them perform again at Lenny’s.” he said. “And it is quite possible, the next time I see them, they will be bigwigs performing on the big stage.”
To learn more about David Young and the Interstate Kings on their Vintage American Tour, visit www.davidyoungtunes.com <
Friday, July 5, 2024
Windham athlete finishes seventh nationally in Triple Jump competition
By Kaysa Jalbert
Many are familiar with the term “adulting” to describe the mundane responsibilities that make up the daily life of an adult, but there’s not a term to describe the lives of teenagers whose days are packed with classes, homework, practices, and work, while maintaining a social life and preparing for their futures full of adulting. Some call this overachieving, but in the eyes of most teens today, it’s simply what it means to be a teen.
Earlier this spring, Pelletier won the Triple Jump event at the Maine State Championships at Thornton Academy on Saturday June 1 and went on to win the New England Championships at the University of New Hampshire on Saturday June 8 in the triple jump.
She then traveled out of state to compete in the Adidas Nationals at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina where she competed in the 100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles and the triple jump events.
“Competing in sports has definitely shown how hard I can be on myself,” Pelletier said. “I set very high expectations and always strive to do my best.”
When she’s not in school, or practicing her triple jump, she can be found at one of her two part-time jobs. Somedays she is serving scoops at the Ice Cream Dugout in Windham, and on other days she works at Beacon Pizza in Raymond.
Pelletier started working at the age of 15 during the summer of her sophomore year. She has held her job at the Ice Cream Dugout for three years and started working at two different jobs last year.
“I wanted to get my first job because I liked the idea of having my own money and being able to get the things I wanted by myself without parents help,” she said. “I wanted to be more independent and to rely less on my parents for everything especially with having five siblings.”
At this point, Pelletier says that she’s undecided in what she wants to do as a future career, but she is certain she wants to continue participating in track into college while studying.
Pelletier started competing in the triple jump during the spring season of her freshman year.
“What interests me most about track is the environment. The team supports one another, and even those you compete against are super friendly,” said Pelletier. “What I like most about being an athlete is the goals I am able to set for myself, and the team and coaches who push me to and support me with achieving these goals.”
Pelletier says that balancing two jobs, school and sports can be a lot at times, especially while taking anatomy and physiology, and honors classes, and there is a lot of work that comes with it.
“My weeks are busy, and nights can be long but it’s all worth it in the end,” she said. “Having a busy schedule can be exhausting, but you just have to find a way to manage it all. And when you get days off then you need to enjoy them and use them as a day off and one to relax.”
Ever since she got into track Tayla has started watching past Olympic competitions or world track and field meets. Through this, she said she gathers a sense of how she can improve on her form and gain inspiration to keep working and never stop giving it her all.
“I enjoy competing because it allows me to not only prove myself but it’s something I can control,” said Pelletier. “I enjoy the competition and have found a lot of joy in this sport and am always looking forward to meet days, especially when it comes to the competition. This fuels my energy and as long as I have the right mindset, I know I can perform.”
She says competing at the Adidas Nationals was a great experience, and she was happy with her times in both the 100-meter hurdle and 400-meter hurdle events, considering it was her first time running the 400-meter hurdles. As for her triple jump, she started the event seeded ninth and came out of finals placed seventh overall. Pelletier attended the Adidas Nationals in North Carolina accompanied by her mom and grandmother.
At home, Pelletier’s hard work makes her a role model for her two sisters and three brothers, all younger than she is.
“My siblings are extremely supportive and are always excited to know how I do,” she said. <
Many are familiar with the term “adulting” to describe the mundane responsibilities that make up the daily life of an adult, but there’s not a term to describe the lives of teenagers whose days are packed with classes, homework, practices, and work, while maintaining a social life and preparing for their futures full of adulting. Some call this overachieving, but in the eyes of most teens today, it’s simply what it means to be a teen.
Earlier this spring, Pelletier won the Triple Jump event at the Maine State Championships at Thornton Academy on Saturday June 1 and went on to win the New England Championships at the University of New Hampshire on Saturday June 8 in the triple jump.
She then traveled out of state to compete in the Adidas Nationals at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina where she competed in the 100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles and the triple jump events.
“Competing in sports has definitely shown how hard I can be on myself,” Pelletier said. “I set very high expectations and always strive to do my best.”
Leading up to competing for a title, Pelletier said she focuses her thoughts on trying her best and staying patient in the air and not getting upset with herself over a bad jump, but to instead focus on the next one.
When she’s not in school, or practicing her triple jump, she can be found at one of her two part-time jobs. Somedays she is serving scoops at the Ice Cream Dugout in Windham, and on other days she works at Beacon Pizza in Raymond.
Pelletier started working at the age of 15 during the summer of her sophomore year. She has held her job at the Ice Cream Dugout for three years and started working at two different jobs last year.
“I wanted to get my first job because I liked the idea of having my own money and being able to get the things I wanted by myself without parents help,” she said. “I wanted to be more independent and to rely less on my parents for everything especially with having five siblings.”
At this point, Pelletier says that she’s undecided in what she wants to do as a future career, but she is certain she wants to continue participating in track into college while studying.
Pelletier started competing in the triple jump during the spring season of her freshman year.
“What interests me most about track is the environment. The team supports one another, and even those you compete against are super friendly,” said Pelletier. “What I like most about being an athlete is the goals I am able to set for myself, and the team and coaches who push me to and support me with achieving these goals.”
Pelletier says that balancing two jobs, school and sports can be a lot at times, especially while taking anatomy and physiology, and honors classes, and there is a lot of work that comes with it.
“My weeks are busy, and nights can be long but it’s all worth it in the end,” she said. “Having a busy schedule can be exhausting, but you just have to find a way to manage it all. And when you get days off then you need to enjoy them and use them as a day off and one to relax.”
Ever since she got into track Tayla has started watching past Olympic competitions or world track and field meets. Through this, she said she gathers a sense of how she can improve on her form and gain inspiration to keep working and never stop giving it her all.
“I enjoy competing because it allows me to not only prove myself but it’s something I can control,” said Pelletier. “I enjoy the competition and have found a lot of joy in this sport and am always looking forward to meet days, especially when it comes to the competition. This fuels my energy and as long as I have the right mindset, I know I can perform.”
She says competing at the Adidas Nationals was a great experience, and she was happy with her times in both the 100-meter hurdle and 400-meter hurdle events, considering it was her first time running the 400-meter hurdles. As for her triple jump, she started the event seeded ninth and came out of finals placed seventh overall. Pelletier attended the Adidas Nationals in North Carolina accompanied by her mom and grandmother.
At home, Pelletier’s hard work makes her a role model for her two sisters and three brothers, all younger than she is.
“My siblings are extremely supportive and are always excited to know how I do,” she said. <
Friday, June 14, 2024
Windham Summerfest returns June 22 for 34th year
By Kaysa Jalbert
Summerfest makes its way back to Windham on Saturday, June 22 taking on the theme “Summerfest Turns Back Time.” New to this year’s Summerfest is an updated parade route designed to give participants the best views and the best parade experience from start to finish.
Parade floats will be based on this year’s theme. Float-makers can be as creative as they choose, but will be judged on specific criteria such as, best depiction of the 2024 theme, best depiction of Summerfest principle of “Bringing Unity to The Community,” most creative, most entertaining, and the judges’ choice.
The parade kicks off at noon on June 22 from Stadium Drive at Windham Center Road and will proceed up School Road to take a right onto Route 202. Staging areas will be at Public Works and Stadium Drive Parking lot. The parade finishes at 1 p.m. on the Windham High School grounds.
“We are excited about this new route and feel it will make it easier for our guests to enjoy every aspect of this exciting parade,” says Windham Summerfest committee co-chair Deb Matthews.
In addition to announcing the new parade route, Matthews said that this year’s Summerfest Grand Marshal will be Rich Drummond, the athletic director for RSU 14.
All the Summerfest booths will be open for the parade and continue into the evening. There will be community booths for local non-profits to share their good works, and the food booths operated by non-profits as a means of fundraising.
The Summerfest business expo is mostly local, and they provide fun activities for attendees while the crafter vendor area provides a wide variety of items for purchase.
“We have so many amazing sponsors that have provided us the ability to offer this event to our community for free,” said Matthews.
More fun and active features included will be a rock wall, two escape rooms, and an inflatable village.
For special guest entertainment, juggler Jason Tardy will perform and address topics such as what is bullying, the roles bystanders play in bullying, how to become an upstander and help fellow students, and what to do if you are bullied. He will also describe his own personal struggle with bullying and how he overcame it.
Other Summerfest performers will include a magician, balloon twisting, Mad Science, and tons of music. Musical performances include Jimmy Macisso playing on the Main Stage at 1 p.m., the Get on Up Band on the Main Stage from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. and Dave Debree performing on the George Hall Memorial Stage from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
An Amateur Radio Relay League will be appearing at this year’s Summerfest in which members from the Wireless Society of Southern Maine, WSSM, will be setting-up field day operations in the ballfields directly behind the main Summerfest event venue. Throughout the day and evening, anyone, young or old, is welcome to join the team of ham operators to learn more about Amateur Radio and participate in making radio contact with operators in other distant locations.
Summerfest 2024 will also host a 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament that starts at 2 p.m. and is open to anyone between the ages of 5 and 18. In addition, the Golf Ball drop sponsored by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce will start at 5 p.m. To end the evening, fireworks will be launched at 9:30 p.m. from the Main Stage.
“I feel all our events connect with our attendees. It is so important to the Summerfest Committee and me that we offer this to our community as a free family friendly event,” says Matthews. “I want your whole family to attend with you. I want you to spend the day, and if you cannot afford to spend any money pack a picnic lunch and relax. Watching the kids’ faces, seeing how happy the grandparents are to wave to grandchildren while they run and play, seeing Mom and Dad and the joy they get from these sweet moments.”
Every year presents a new challenge to the Summerfest Committee whether in booking all the acts or coordinating with the town, police, fire department and schools, or just hoping for good weather. According to Matthews, however, the biggest challenge remains in fundraising.
“We changed our sponsorship model last year and had great success,” she said. “We also keep an eye on the sky, fingers crossed and pray for sunshine.”
Matthews says the event will be full of vendors and booths and that annual public attendance for Summerfest runs between 2,500 to 4,000 people.
The Windham Summerfest Committee has been working on this year’s celebration since last June and its members include Deb Matthews, Tommy Matthews, Barb Maurais, Jacob Chouinard, Karen Rumo, and Camille Swander. <
Summerfest makes its way back to Windham on Saturday, June 22 taking on the theme “Summerfest Turns Back Time.” New to this year’s Summerfest is an updated parade route designed to give participants the best views and the best parade experience from start to finish.
Parade floats will be based on this year’s theme. Float-makers can be as creative as they choose, but will be judged on specific criteria such as, best depiction of the 2024 theme, best depiction of Summerfest principle of “Bringing Unity to The Community,” most creative, most entertaining, and the judges’ choice.
The parade kicks off at noon on June 22 from Stadium Drive at Windham Center Road and will proceed up School Road to take a right onto Route 202. Staging areas will be at Public Works and Stadium Drive Parking lot. The parade finishes at 1 p.m. on the Windham High School grounds.
“We are excited about this new route and feel it will make it easier for our guests to enjoy every aspect of this exciting parade,” says Windham Summerfest committee co-chair Deb Matthews.
In addition to announcing the new parade route, Matthews said that this year’s Summerfest Grand Marshal will be Rich Drummond, the athletic director for RSU 14.
All the Summerfest booths will be open for the parade and continue into the evening. There will be community booths for local non-profits to share their good works, and the food booths operated by non-profits as a means of fundraising.
The Summerfest business expo is mostly local, and they provide fun activities for attendees while the crafter vendor area provides a wide variety of items for purchase.
“We have so many amazing sponsors that have provided us the ability to offer this event to our community for free,” said Matthews.
More fun and active features included will be a rock wall, two escape rooms, and an inflatable village.
For special guest entertainment, juggler Jason Tardy will perform and address topics such as what is bullying, the roles bystanders play in bullying, how to become an upstander and help fellow students, and what to do if you are bullied. He will also describe his own personal struggle with bullying and how he overcame it.
Other Summerfest performers will include a magician, balloon twisting, Mad Science, and tons of music. Musical performances include Jimmy Macisso playing on the Main Stage at 1 p.m., the Get on Up Band on the Main Stage from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. and Dave Debree performing on the George Hall Memorial Stage from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
An Amateur Radio Relay League will be appearing at this year’s Summerfest in which members from the Wireless Society of Southern Maine, WSSM, will be setting-up field day operations in the ballfields directly behind the main Summerfest event venue. Throughout the day and evening, anyone, young or old, is welcome to join the team of ham operators to learn more about Amateur Radio and participate in making radio contact with operators in other distant locations.
Summerfest 2024 will also host a 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament that starts at 2 p.m. and is open to anyone between the ages of 5 and 18. In addition, the Golf Ball drop sponsored by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce will start at 5 p.m. To end the evening, fireworks will be launched at 9:30 p.m. from the Main Stage.
“I feel all our events connect with our attendees. It is so important to the Summerfest Committee and me that we offer this to our community as a free family friendly event,” says Matthews. “I want your whole family to attend with you. I want you to spend the day, and if you cannot afford to spend any money pack a picnic lunch and relax. Watching the kids’ faces, seeing how happy the grandparents are to wave to grandchildren while they run and play, seeing Mom and Dad and the joy they get from these sweet moments.”
Every year presents a new challenge to the Summerfest Committee whether in booking all the acts or coordinating with the town, police, fire department and schools, or just hoping for good weather. According to Matthews, however, the biggest challenge remains in fundraising.
“We changed our sponsorship model last year and had great success,” she said. “We also keep an eye on the sky, fingers crossed and pray for sunshine.”
Matthews says the event will be full of vendors and booths and that annual public attendance for Summerfest runs between 2,500 to 4,000 people.
The Windham Summerfest Committee has been working on this year’s celebration since last June and its members include Deb Matthews, Tommy Matthews, Barb Maurais, Jacob Chouinard, Karen Rumo, and Camille Swander. <
Friday, June 7, 2024
Love of flying ignites dream for 2024 WHS graduate
By Ed Pierce
It’s been said that great pilots are made and not born and that those who complete flight training reach their goal through constant practice and experience. Windham High School 2024 graduate Conner Vail may indeed be one of those individuals.
“My plan following high school is to continue my flight training and become a professional pilot alongside working in aviation,” Vail said. “I plan on taking online classes toward a bachelor’s degree once I am settled in a flying job.”
His passion for flight is nothing new. Vail said he recently looked at a note he wrote while in fourth grade about what he wanted to do when he grew up.
“I wrote that someday I wanted to pilot a Boeing 777 aircraft,” he said. “This is something I’ve really wanted to do for a while and flying professionally has been a longtime dream of mine.”
Conner’s family, including his mother Kathleen, his father Paul, and his older brother Hunter have come to terms with his desire to fly.
Wanting to be close to aviation played a part in Vail applying to work with MAC Air Group after school during his senior year of high school.
“I have a passion that is hard to come across nowadays and I do everything I can to be around it,” he said. “My goals in life are unlike others and it seems to make me stand out from the rest of my classmates. I gave up playing sports my senior year and that was hard, but I’m farther ahead now of reaching my goal. My job is fun for me so I have never really considered it a chore, but instead a break from the stress that life can bring while in school.”
As far as academics in high school go, Vail says he just tried to stay on track, focusing on his future dreams and giving his best effort always.
“My greatest strength as a student is my ability to think differently than what I may be taught and not be afraid to use it, especially in math,” he said. “Lots of the math and science classes require formulas and lots of steps to find an answer. If I couldn’t make sense of a formula or solve something, I tried to make something for myself.”
He credits his teachers, school guidance counselors and his parents for prioritizing what he needs to be successful in life.
“My mentors in school such as teachers and counselors have helped me get to the point that I'm at now,” Vail said. “They guided me as a student to succeed in what I want for myself. But above all, my parents’ support and dedication to my future has gotten me the farthest and it continues to outside the classroom.”
Vail’s favorite teachers at Windham High School are Alissa James, Peter Small and Jeffrey Neal.
“They all brought passion to the classroom, cared about what they taught and never treated anyone like a stranger,” he said. “Their kindness and enthusiasm are top notch. My favorite class was U.S. History with Mr. Neal. I have always been a fan of history and learning why certain things exist today. Learning about our history as a nation is rewarding and full of interesting stories. That and every class beginning with current events was always a class I looked forward to.”
Vail also credits his sixth-grade teacher at Windham Middle School, Sarah Hopkins, for helping him to reach one of his goals of completing high school.
“I was by no means a great student in sixth grade. She helped me become a better student and taught me how to focus on what I want as I go through high school and to work hard to accomplish it,” he said.
With his high school diploma in hand, Vail says his immediate plan is to continue his flight training and to eventually become a professional pilot working in aviation.
“I plan on taking online classes toward a bachelor’s degree once I am settled in a flying job and my career goal is to fly for Delta,” he said.
Now that his time as a high school student is finished, Vail says his most enduring memory will be passing in his final assignment.
“Years and years of school and thousands of assignments, and that personal finance assignment was the last one,” he said. “I will never forget that feeling. All the hard work and the long nights, early mornings and it was that last one that took all the stress away.” <
It’s been said that great pilots are made and not born and that those who complete flight training reach their goal through constant practice and experience. Windham High School 2024 graduate Conner Vail may indeed be one of those individuals.
“My plan following high school is to continue my flight training and become a professional pilot alongside working in aviation,” Vail said. “I plan on taking online classes toward a bachelor’s degree once I am settled in a flying job.”
His passion for flight is nothing new. Vail said he recently looked at a note he wrote while in fourth grade about what he wanted to do when he grew up.
“I wrote that someday I wanted to pilot a Boeing 777 aircraft,” he said. “This is something I’ve really wanted to do for a while and flying professionally has been a longtime dream of mine.”
Conner’s family, including his mother Kathleen, his father Paul, and his older brother Hunter have come to terms with his desire to fly.
“I think my mom was pretty scared at first, but she’s gotten better with it over time,” Vail said. “They all have accepted that flying is what I really want.”
Wanting to be close to aviation played a part in Vail applying to work with MAC Air Group after school during his senior year of high school.
“I have a passion that is hard to come across nowadays and I do everything I can to be around it,” he said. “My goals in life are unlike others and it seems to make me stand out from the rest of my classmates. I gave up playing sports my senior year and that was hard, but I’m farther ahead now of reaching my goal. My job is fun for me so I have never really considered it a chore, but instead a break from the stress that life can bring while in school.”
As far as academics in high school go, Vail says he just tried to stay on track, focusing on his future dreams and giving his best effort always.
“My greatest strength as a student is my ability to think differently than what I may be taught and not be afraid to use it, especially in math,” he said. “Lots of the math and science classes require formulas and lots of steps to find an answer. If I couldn’t make sense of a formula or solve something, I tried to make something for myself.”
He credits his teachers, school guidance counselors and his parents for prioritizing what he needs to be successful in life.
“My mentors in school such as teachers and counselors have helped me get to the point that I'm at now,” Vail said. “They guided me as a student to succeed in what I want for myself. But above all, my parents’ support and dedication to my future has gotten me the farthest and it continues to outside the classroom.”
Vail’s favorite teachers at Windham High School are Alissa James, Peter Small and Jeffrey Neal.
“They all brought passion to the classroom, cared about what they taught and never treated anyone like a stranger,” he said. “Their kindness and enthusiasm are top notch. My favorite class was U.S. History with Mr. Neal. I have always been a fan of history and learning why certain things exist today. Learning about our history as a nation is rewarding and full of interesting stories. That and every class beginning with current events was always a class I looked forward to.”
Vail also credits his sixth-grade teacher at Windham Middle School, Sarah Hopkins, for helping him to reach one of his goals of completing high school.
“I was by no means a great student in sixth grade. She helped me become a better student and taught me how to focus on what I want as I go through high school and to work hard to accomplish it,” he said.
With his high school diploma in hand, Vail says his immediate plan is to continue his flight training and to eventually become a professional pilot working in aviation.
“I plan on taking online classes toward a bachelor’s degree once I am settled in a flying job and my career goal is to fly for Delta,” he said.
Now that his time as a high school student is finished, Vail says his most enduring memory will be passing in his final assignment.
“Years and years of school and thousands of assignments, and that personal finance assignment was the last one,” he said. “I will never forget that feeling. All the hard work and the long nights, early mornings and it was that last one that took all the stress away.” <
Friday, May 24, 2024
Windham student's speech wins state Speak Out competition
By Ed Pierce
A Windham High School junior’s moving speech about firearm violence won the state Speak Out competition during the recent Maine Lions Convention in Bethel.
“My speech was about how stronger red flag laws could reduce firearm-related violence in the United States. I explored different regulations the government has explored and their effectiveness in lowering mass casualties,” Plati said. “Furthermore, I researched the different mass casualties that have happened across the United States, specifically in the last 10 years. I studied the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the Las Vegas, Nevada shooting, and finally, the Lewiston, Maine shooting on Oct. 25, 2023. I explored how mass casualties tragically affect the nation and how a reduction of these mass attacks can lead to a better country overall.”
During her speech, she said all of this cannot happen without public support for government research on assault weapons, as well as an increase in Red Flag laws.
“I presented this topic because of our research paper in my AP English class. The assignment was to choose a critical issue that we felt passionate about,” Plati said. “I chose this topic because gun violence is something that can affect every citizen in the United States. It has created unrest in students across the country, with an increase in school shootings each year. School is where we should feel safe, a place that is a second home, as some students spend more time in this building than at their own homes. With an increase in shootings done by assault weapons, student safety is jeopardized. All students deserve to feel safe at school, and I think increasing regulations and knowledge about gun control policies is how we can feel safe again.”
She said the most challenging part of creating this speech was delivering a persuasive speech about a sensitive and controversial topic.
“When preparing it, I did not know what kind of audience I was walking into and their various beliefs,” Plati said. “I tried to base my opinions on facts backed up by research, but delivering a speech on a controversial topic took a lot of work, as I could not predict how the audience would react. I was introduced to this project because we worked on a circle issue research paper in my AP English class. We worked on this project from late December to mid-February, resulting in participation in the Lions Club Level process. My teacher, Karyl Hazard had assigned weekly checks for our research progress. The method of researching, taking notes, annotating, and synthesizing into a final essay took around two months to complete.”
According to Plati, Hazard was very generous in mentoring me through this experience.
“She would not hesitate to allow me to practice in her room before, after, or during the school day,” Plati said. “She helped me refine my speech for every competition level and practice my public speaking skills standing on a podium rather than a stage. I practiced two to three times a week with Ms. Hazard and independently.”
Hazard says that Plati has clear strengths in English Language Arts as a reader, writer, and speaker.
“She has proven to be a conscientious, motivated, and dedicated student here at WHS,” Hazard said. “She is genuinely interested in learning, she is a doer, and she is a respected leader. These are all fabulous strengths that have and will continue to serve her well in life. The perfect complement to her academic, leadership, and performance strengths are her kindness and compassion for those around her.”
Gun control can be an emotional and heated topic to address publicly, especially for a teenager, but Hazard said researching this topic was important to Plati and her passion for it showed in the content and delivery of her speech.
“Molly’s love for and training in musical theater serves her well in public speaking,” Hazard said. “She applied her knowledge of rhetorical strategies from our class and her talent in performance to deliver a passionate and persuasive speech about the need for expanded gun control laws. Molly is quick-thinking and articulate, but she is also quite humble. Not only did she deliver her speech with passion and poise, but she also navigated the questions from the judging panel and engaged with members of the audience with maturity and ease.”
Camille Swander of the Windham Lions Club said everyone who has heard Plati’s speech has been impressed.
“We are extremely proud and impressed with Molly’s presentations at all levels of the contest. She demonstrated confidence, poise and was extremely knowledgeable about her topic,” Swander said. “She was approached by many in attendance at the state level, thanking her for her insight, her manner of delivery and her ability to really connect with her audience. We also want to thank all the students that participated at the local level of the competition. The topics were quite varied, and all students were wonderfully prepared to share their knowledge. Windham High School and community definitely should be proud as are we of these talented students we were lucky enough to meet and listen to their speeches through this program.”
Plati is the daughter of Josh and Heather Plati of Windham, and she received a $500 cash prize for winning the state Speak Out competition. She is a performing artist and actress and is also involved with the Windham High School Drama Club and One Act Play. She is an officer for the Windham Chamber Singers and a recreational dancer, taking classes at Atlantic Dance Arts in Gorham.
After completing high school, she plans to attend a four-year university to study communications, specializing in advertising and media studies and minoring in musical theater and public relations. <
A Windham High School junior’s moving speech about firearm violence won the state Speak Out competition during the recent Maine Lions Convention in Bethel.
“My speech was about how stronger red flag laws could reduce firearm-related violence in the United States. I explored different regulations the government has explored and their effectiveness in lowering mass casualties,” Plati said. “Furthermore, I researched the different mass casualties that have happened across the United States, specifically in the last 10 years. I studied the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the Las Vegas, Nevada shooting, and finally, the Lewiston, Maine shooting on Oct. 25, 2023. I explored how mass casualties tragically affect the nation and how a reduction of these mass attacks can lead to a better country overall.”
During her speech, she said all of this cannot happen without public support for government research on assault weapons, as well as an increase in Red Flag laws.
“I presented this topic because of our research paper in my AP English class. The assignment was to choose a critical issue that we felt passionate about,” Plati said. “I chose this topic because gun violence is something that can affect every citizen in the United States. It has created unrest in students across the country, with an increase in school shootings each year. School is where we should feel safe, a place that is a second home, as some students spend more time in this building than at their own homes. With an increase in shootings done by assault weapons, student safety is jeopardized. All students deserve to feel safe at school, and I think increasing regulations and knowledge about gun control policies is how we can feel safe again.”
She said the most challenging part of creating this speech was delivering a persuasive speech about a sensitive and controversial topic.
“When preparing it, I did not know what kind of audience I was walking into and their various beliefs,” Plati said. “I tried to base my opinions on facts backed up by research, but delivering a speech on a controversial topic took a lot of work, as I could not predict how the audience would react. I was introduced to this project because we worked on a circle issue research paper in my AP English class. We worked on this project from late December to mid-February, resulting in participation in the Lions Club Level process. My teacher, Karyl Hazard had assigned weekly checks for our research progress. The method of researching, taking notes, annotating, and synthesizing into a final essay took around two months to complete.”
According to Plati, Hazard was very generous in mentoring me through this experience.
“She would not hesitate to allow me to practice in her room before, after, or during the school day,” Plati said. “She helped me refine my speech for every competition level and practice my public speaking skills standing on a podium rather than a stage. I practiced two to three times a week with Ms. Hazard and independently.”
Hazard says that Plati has clear strengths in English Language Arts as a reader, writer, and speaker.
“She has proven to be a conscientious, motivated, and dedicated student here at WHS,” Hazard said. “She is genuinely interested in learning, she is a doer, and she is a respected leader. These are all fabulous strengths that have and will continue to serve her well in life. The perfect complement to her academic, leadership, and performance strengths are her kindness and compassion for those around her.”
Gun control can be an emotional and heated topic to address publicly, especially for a teenager, but Hazard said researching this topic was important to Plati and her passion for it showed in the content and delivery of her speech.
“Molly’s love for and training in musical theater serves her well in public speaking,” Hazard said. “She applied her knowledge of rhetorical strategies from our class and her talent in performance to deliver a passionate and persuasive speech about the need for expanded gun control laws. Molly is quick-thinking and articulate, but she is also quite humble. Not only did she deliver her speech with passion and poise, but she also navigated the questions from the judging panel and engaged with members of the audience with maturity and ease.”
Camille Swander of the Windham Lions Club said everyone who has heard Plati’s speech has been impressed.
“We are extremely proud and impressed with Molly’s presentations at all levels of the contest. She demonstrated confidence, poise and was extremely knowledgeable about her topic,” Swander said. “She was approached by many in attendance at the state level, thanking her for her insight, her manner of delivery and her ability to really connect with her audience. We also want to thank all the students that participated at the local level of the competition. The topics were quite varied, and all students were wonderfully prepared to share their knowledge. Windham High School and community definitely should be proud as are we of these talented students we were lucky enough to meet and listen to their speeches through this program.”
Plati is the daughter of Josh and Heather Plati of Windham, and she received a $500 cash prize for winning the state Speak Out competition. She is a performing artist and actress and is also involved with the Windham High School Drama Club and One Act Play. She is an officer for the Windham Chamber Singers and a recreational dancer, taking classes at Atlantic Dance Arts in Gorham.
After completing high school, she plans to attend a four-year university to study communications, specializing in advertising and media studies and minoring in musical theater and public relations. <
Friday, March 8, 2024
Windham varsity boys’ basketball team wins first AA state championship in program history
By Matt Pascarella
From the very start of the season, the Windham varsity boys’ basketball team showed they had what it took to go all the way. On Saturday, March 2 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland during the AA state championship against Gorham, Windham fought hard for 32 minutes – forced overtime – and came away with the first gold ball in the program’s history after a 62-58 win.
According to sophomore AJ Moody, being surrounded by the community is amazing; it brought them closer together as a team. Winning this state championship is the best feeling with his brothers and such great coaches.
HARD WORK
From the very start of the season, the Windham varsity boys’ basketball team showed they had what it took to go all the way. On Saturday, March 2 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland during the AA state championship against Gorham, Windham fought hard for 32 minutes – forced overtime – and came away with the first gold ball in the program’s history after a 62-58 win.
According to sophomore AJ Moody, being surrounded by the community is amazing; it brought them closer together as a team. Winning this state championship is the best feeling with his brothers and such great coaches.
“My mindset was that we were going to win,” said sophomore Tyrie James. “Every time we scored [toward the end of the game] the excitement was just there. Even if it was an open layup, everyone on the bench, the fans they would all get loud. It’s good to know people come to your games to watch your whole team play. Our defense was amazing, and our composure was good too; at the end of the game hitting free throws. There was just so much excitement [toward the end of overtime], we had to get psyched and celebrate.”
HARD WORK
Windham hit the court with tenacity; they knew what Gorham could do. Lindsay hit a three-pointer and soon Windham led 9-0.
“We knew that [Gorham] would go on runs, they’re a high-powered offensive team,” said senior Erik Bowen. “We just stayed together like we have all year. It's taken a lot of hard work, these seniors have battled together, been a tight-knight group for many years, friends on and off the court, there was no separation from grade to grade; it’s just one big family. Coach Pulkkinen always talks about be where your feet are and ... that’s how we got through this season - now we’re state champions, one day, one moment at a time.”
Moody hit a three-pointer and Lindsay scored again from the top of the key. After one quarter, Windham led 23-7.
“These guys are such a good group of young men,” said Windham assistant varsity coach George McCrillis. “Our loss to Gorham [in the regular season] we came out of that and said that might be a good thing ... it took us down a little bit ... those guys are going to be in our sights ... [Gorham] was the team we wanted to play in this game. I’ve been around this game for 55 years, I’ve been associated with some really good teams, but this is the greatest group of young men and coaches – Chad is so dedicated and puts in so much time; he coached these guys up for this game. And the support from the community has been unbelievable; it has a very big impact. We’re about a team.”
Gorham scored several three-pointers in the second quarter and made up the difference. Windham led 27-26 at the half.
As Windham took the court in the second half, they remained composed. They hustled, but not all shots were falling. This game was very close. Every time Windham scored the Cross Insurance Arena thundered with praise from supporters. The game was tied at 34, then Windham took the lead, then Gorham had the lead. Then the game was tied at 39.
Tensions were high as the clock wound down. Moody hit another three-pointer. With 53 seconds left, the game was tied at 49. Windham defense ran out the clock as they headed into overtime.
Senior Blake McPherson helped Windham pull away when he sunk a three-pointer. Lindsay sunk a foul shot. With two minutes left, Windham led by two.
Just 31 seconds remained and Windham led by three, then 27.5 seconds remained and Windham expanded that lead to five points and Gorham was unable to recover.
James finished with 17 points, 1 rebound, and was 11-13 at the foul line. Moody had 12 points, 2 rebounds, and was 4-4 at the foul line. Junior Creighty Dickson had 12 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and went 4-5 at the foul line. Lindsay had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and was 2-6 at the foul line. McPherson had 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block and went 3-3 in the field during the fourth quarter and overtime.
RESILIENT
“We knew that [Gorham] would go on runs, they’re a high-powered offensive team,” said senior Erik Bowen. “We just stayed together like we have all year. It's taken a lot of hard work, these seniors have battled together, been a tight-knight group for many years, friends on and off the court, there was no separation from grade to grade; it’s just one big family. Coach Pulkkinen always talks about be where your feet are and ... that’s how we got through this season - now we’re state champions, one day, one moment at a time.”
Moody hit a three-pointer and Lindsay scored again from the top of the key. After one quarter, Windham led 23-7.
“These guys are such a good group of young men,” said Windham assistant varsity coach George McCrillis. “Our loss to Gorham [in the regular season] we came out of that and said that might be a good thing ... it took us down a little bit ... those guys are going to be in our sights ... [Gorham] was the team we wanted to play in this game. I’ve been around this game for 55 years, I’ve been associated with some really good teams, but this is the greatest group of young men and coaches – Chad is so dedicated and puts in so much time; he coached these guys up for this game. And the support from the community has been unbelievable; it has a very big impact. We’re about a team.”
Gorham scored several three-pointers in the second quarter and made up the difference. Windham led 27-26 at the half.
As Windham took the court in the second half, they remained composed. They hustled, but not all shots were falling. This game was very close. Every time Windham scored the Cross Insurance Arena thundered with praise from supporters. The game was tied at 34, then Windham took the lead, then Gorham had the lead. Then the game was tied at 39.
Tensions were high as the clock wound down. Moody hit another three-pointer. With 53 seconds left, the game was tied at 49. Windham defense ran out the clock as they headed into overtime.
Senior Blake McPherson helped Windham pull away when he sunk a three-pointer. Lindsay sunk a foul shot. With two minutes left, Windham led by two.
Just 31 seconds remained and Windham led by three, then 27.5 seconds remained and Windham expanded that lead to five points and Gorham was unable to recover.
James finished with 17 points, 1 rebound, and was 11-13 at the foul line. Moody had 12 points, 2 rebounds, and was 4-4 at the foul line. Junior Creighty Dickson had 12 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and went 4-5 at the foul line. Lindsay had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and was 2-6 at the foul line. McPherson had 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block and went 3-3 in the field during the fourth quarter and overtime.
RESILIENT
“They’re always coming back,” said assistant Windham varsity coach Geoff Grigsby. “I wasn’t worried when we were down 12 to Portland in the semifinal, I wasn’t worried when we were down five at the end of the game just because I know how resilient we are. I knew we were going to be good. I thought we could do this this year because our senior group was super special, and we had super talented young guys. They’re the best leaders we’ve ever had.”
Grigsby had nothing but amazing things to say about each senior on the team – their skill, work ethic and character.
To Windham varsity assistant coach Noah Estey, this game meant everything; being a teacher and coach is all about giving kids opportunities to be successful. To create memories and develop confidence in themselves. This is a special group of guys and Estey was honored to be a small piece of the historic puzzle. Coaches Pulkkinen, McCrillis, Grisgsby, students at Windham High and the community were a perfect and emotional way to end one of the best experiences of Estey’s whole life.
“It means everything to me because these guys got to experience it,” said Windham head varsity coach Chad Pulkkinen. “That’s all I wanted; I just wanted these guys to feel what they’re feeling right now and all the hard work they put in. We had so many alumni that I’ve coached that were reaching out wishing us luck and ... this group is very special and have set a standard for groups to come of how to play unselfishly and stick together and be good kids and most important that’s what they are, a great group of kids, who happen to be really good at basketball.”
Windham was led by great seniors who showed the younger guys the way. Pulkkinen has never been more confident in a team throughout a season than this one. <
Grigsby had nothing but amazing things to say about each senior on the team – their skill, work ethic and character.
To Windham varsity assistant coach Noah Estey, this game meant everything; being a teacher and coach is all about giving kids opportunities to be successful. To create memories and develop confidence in themselves. This is a special group of guys and Estey was honored to be a small piece of the historic puzzle. Coaches Pulkkinen, McCrillis, Grisgsby, students at Windham High and the community were a perfect and emotional way to end one of the best experiences of Estey’s whole life.
“It means everything to me because these guys got to experience it,” said Windham head varsity coach Chad Pulkkinen. “That’s all I wanted; I just wanted these guys to feel what they’re feeling right now and all the hard work they put in. We had so many alumni that I’ve coached that were reaching out wishing us luck and ... this group is very special and have set a standard for groups to come of how to play unselfishly and stick together and be good kids and most important that’s what they are, a great group of kids, who happen to be really good at basketball.”
Windham was led by great seniors who showed the younger guys the way. Pulkkinen has never been more confident in a team throughout a season than this one. <
Friday, February 23, 2024
Maine Association of Basketball Coaches honors Pulkkinen as ‘Coach of the Year’
By Matt Pascarella
Windham boys’ varsity basketball coach Chad Pulkkinen has been honored as 2024 North AA Coach of the Year by the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches. He describes the award as a representation of his team and says he gratefully shares it with his players and assistant coaches George McCrillis, Geoff Grigsby, and Noah Estey.Pulkkinen graduated from Windham High School in 2002 and has been very successful on and off the court. He played professional basketball in England after playing for Saint Joseph’s College and majoring in business administration.
“All four years of high school, he’s always believed in me and seen the best in me,’ said Windham senior Matt Searway. “The countless hours and time he’s spent on our team and this program with our guys creating a relationship with every single one of us has brought us close together.”
It’s an honor for Pulkkinen to be recognized by his peers and he has mutual respect for all of them.
“He’s become part of my family, he’s just a really good guy,” said McCrillis. “He’s a great family man. It’s always been his dream to coach in his hometown. The reason I love the guy and love working with him so much is it’s not just about basketball. Basketball is the vehicle; we’re trying to help young men and teach them, through basketball ... the importance of school, community, being a good person. Chad makes me better; both as a person and certainly as a basketball coach because he has a vast knowledge. He will tell you it's not about him. He doesn't need to feed his ego by winning a lot of basketball games. He’s had [quite] a career. And it's not about that for him. It's way beyond that.”
Pulkkinen has become a positive influence for his players.
“The biggest thing I have learned from Coach Pulkkinen is to never give up,” said Windham senior Blake McPherson. “He always tells me and my teammates to be the best version of ourselves we can be. He never gets down on any of us. He’s always just keeps telling us to keep fighting. Coach Pulkkinen is the best coach we could’ve ever asked for our team. He leads us in the right direction on and off the court. Coach isn’t just a coach to our team, he’s part of our family.”
Continuous learner
Pulkkinen considers himself a continuous learner and observer. He’s been lucky to coach against some of the best coaches in the state and he tries to learn from his peers, asking as many questions as possible, especially starting out. Now, there are many coaches who consult him.
“Chad has done an incredible job building the culture over his career,” said Edward Little boys’ basketball coach Michael Adams. “It's one thing to be 'good' because you have good players. It's another to be consistently good because of the work that you and your athletes put in over the years. Chad leads his players and program in doing things the 'right way.' I've enjoyed, and respected, watching Windham play over Chad's coaching career as he has influenced and taught his players to play fundamental, team oriented, basketball.”
After graduation, Pulkkinen tries to stay in touch with players. He offers any help he can to outgoing seniors. Often past players come back to help out with the team in some way and those players know he cares about them beyond basketball.
“Coach is more than deserving of the Coach of the Year award ... although he would credit it to his players and assistant coaches,” said Windham senior Erik Bowen. “Coach puts in an unreal amount of time that is unseen. Coach has an incredible basketball mind and is really dedicated; he truly cares about his players and community.”
Mentoring younger athletes and establishing relationships early is very important to Pulkkinen and his coaching staff. They want eighth graders and even fifth and sixth graders to establish connections before they reach high school. Varsity players assist with basketball camps, referee youth games, or watch younger athletes play and basketball comes second to relationship building among individuals.
“It was intimidating yet you just want to be part of it,” said Windham eighth grader Carter Ammons. “There’s an energy meeting Coach Pulkkinen and the team only made me want to work harder to be at that level.”
Every year there are several players that inspire or amaze Pulkkinen for a variety of reasons over the season. He’s able to use these examples to inspire new players or to inspire or motivate past players. According to Pulkkinen, the impact the kids have on him is more powerful than the impact he has on them.
“Working with Chad has been one of the best experiences for me personally,” said Estey. “He allowed me to work with the guys as a brand-new high school coach and empowered me to share my knowledge and passion. He asked questions and made me feel I was a vital part to our success. Chad will give every ounce of passion and energy he has if it means having a positive impact on our guys. He preaches the lessons of life through the game, and ties everything to valuable life lessons. He is truly a maker of men as well as a basketball coach.”
Humbled by award
During his first season as WHS coach in the 2015-2016 season, the Eagles finished 7-11 but by the following year, WHS was 13-7 and Pulkkinen was honored as SMAA Coach of the Year. As a collegiate player at Saint Joseph’s College, he was team captain for three years and helped the Monks to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2003 and an ECAC championship in 2007.
Besides coaching prep basketball, Pulkkinen serves as Chief Executive Officer for Windham Millwork, a third-generation, family-owned custom woodworking business in Windham.
He said he would like to thank his wife Ramsey because without her support, coaching wouldn’t be possible. He also would also like to thank his family who have always supported him and the team, Windham Athletic Director Rich Drummond, and his assistant coaches, as well as Peter Brown who helped guide him starting out. They are some of his best friends and mentors. He also credits Pat Moody for pushing him to apply for varsity coach and for being an inspiration to the team and community.
“No one is more passionate or better prepared than Chad,” said Grigsby. “He’s always trying to better himself, find an edge for the team, and study anything he feels can help our program. He has developed a culture within the program that spreads to the larger community, of hard work and togetherness. He isn’t coach of the year this year because of what this team has done over the last three months, he’s ‘Coach of the Year’ because of what he’s developed for years with the basketball families of Windham.” <
Friday, January 5, 2024
Year in Review 2023 (Part One)
2023: A year of collaboration, connection, and community
Windham High players celebrate after defeating Oxford Hills, 3-1, on June 20 in Gorham to win the Class A State Softball championship. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA |
Following a thorough review of all issues of The Windham Eagle from 2023, we’ve chosen to highlight the top three stories for each month as featured in the newspaper and we wish everyone a healthy and prosperous year ahead in 2024.
JANUARY
Diamond forms foundation to help stop child homicides
Former State Senator Bill Diamond of Windham created a nonprofit foundation to protect children called “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes,” which is duly filed with the Maine Secretary of State and supported and guided by an advisory board consisting of experts in the field of child protection and child welfare.
According to Diamond, the new foundation will help prevent child homicides and the abuse of children who are under the supervision or direct care of the State of Maine or who are or have been associated with the state’s Child Protective System.
“Children associated with state care have been dying at record levels, in fact, as recently as 2021 a record number of children died, many were victims of child homicides,” Diamond said. “The chilling question is: How many more children must die before we make meaningful changes?”
Diamond said he was first made aware of the issues affecting child homicide in Maine and the state’s child protection system in 2001.
“The problem has continued to persist over the past 22 years under four different gubernatorial administrations, Independent, Republican, and Democrat,” he said. “The problems are not partisan based. They are the concern of all of us. This is the most important thing I’ve ever been able to do, nothing comes close.”
To learn more about the issue, Diamond said he’s attended many child-homicide trials and sentencings over the past years and each time he does, he’s made aware of the gruesome and sad details of an abused child dying needlessly. To create and launch this new initiative, Diamond has committed $25,000 of his own money to provide the support necessary to get the foundation functioning without delay.
He’s also assembled a distinguished advisory board for the foundation including former Maine Gov. John Baldacci; former Maine Assistant Attorney General Lou Ann Clifford; former Maine Attorney General Mike Carpenter; Dr. Amanda Brownell, a pediatric physician and Medical Director of the Spurwink Center for Safe and Healthy Families; former State Senator and State Representative Joyce Maker; and the former Commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and a national advisor on child safety, Michael Petit.
“It’s time we committed ourselves as citizens, government agencies, legislators, and media to ending these needless child deaths. Too many children keep dying and nothing seems to change,” Diamond said. <
Windham awards new contract to town manager
By virtue of a new contract, the Town of Windham will continue to tap into the experience, expertise, and leadership abilities of Barry Tibbetts as town manager. Tibbetts, who was appointed by the Windham Town Council as the interim town manager in November 2019, assumed duties as the fulltime town manager in March 2020.
In extending a new three-year contract to Tibbetts, councilors authorized him to perform the functions and duties of the town manager and to hold all offices as specified in the town's charter and to complete other duties and functions. Under terms of the contract, Windham will pay Tibbetts an annual base salary of $160,741.80, which Phyllis Moss, the town’s human resources director detailed in a memo for councilors as being in line with compensation for other town managers leading nearby communities.
Based upon the new agreement, Tibbetts would receive cost-of-living adjustments for town employees starting in July 2023 based upon results of his annual performance evaluation. He would also be eligible for a longevity increase should he stay through the third year of the contract in Fiscal Year 2025-2026.
“I truly believe if you had not come to Windham when you did, we would not be in the position that we are in,” Councilor Jarrod Maxfield told Tibbetts. “Windham is getting a lot more than we’re paying for.”
In August 2022, Tibbetts was honored with the Maine Town, City and County Management Association’s 2022 Leadership Award during the association’s annual convention at Sugarloaf. The award is presented to recognize a Public Administrator in the state for a particularly bold and innovative project or for solving an unusually difficult problem and then playing a key role in developing the project as well as in implementing it.
As town manager, Tibbetts has spearheaded efforts to acquire and conserve the East Windham Conservation Area, Windham’s new sewer and wastewater treatment project and to alleviate persistent traffic congestion in North Windham along Route 302 through creation of a system of new access roads and sophisticated high-tech traffic signals. <
Town hopes sidewalk improvements spur South Windham growth
The revitalization of South Windham moved another step closer when members of the Windham Town council have endorsed submission of an application for Community Development Block Grant funds to move forward with a concept planning study for sidewalk reconstruction in the area.
Town councilors approved the application during a meeting and the sidewalk funding application is expected to be completed and submitted by the end of January. The proposed concept planning study would review the most cost-effective way to reconstruct existing sidewalks and construct new sidewalks running from Depot Street in South Windham to the Mountain Division Trail.
Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts told councilors that the proposed sidewalk improvements are intended to improve safety for pedestrians in South Windham and boost economic growth along Main Street there.
According to Tibbetts, the project would rebuild some 1,250 feet of existing sidewalk along the east side of Main Street from the Blue Seal store near the Mountain Division Trail crossing to Depot Street in the center of South Windham Village.
He said other planned improvements would replace old and failing retaining walls along the 1,250-foot section of rebuilt sidewalk on the east side of Main Street and to install pedestrian lighting along that same 1,250-foot section of rebuilt sidewalk.
The project would also create 1,250 feet of new 5-foot-wide paved sidewalk with granite curbing along the west side of Main Street from the Mountain Division Trail crossing to Depot Street in the center of South Windham Village.
The new sidewalk coincides with a project that was completed last fall that repaved the parking lot at the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District at 35 Main St. in South Windham which shares a driveway with the town’s South Windham Fire Station. Reconfiguring the parking lot was a collaborative effort between Cumberland County, the Soil and Water Conservation District and the Town of Windham.
During the June 2022 Annual Town Meeting, Windham voters authorized a $275,000 bond for creation of a sidewalk from Blue Seal Feed on Gray Road to Depot Street in South Windham sometime in 2024 or 2025. <
FEBRUARY
Windham student wins state VFW 2023 ‘Voice of Democracy’ award
An audio essay by Hunter Edson, a Windham Christian Academy senior, was judged as the best in the state in the 2023 Voice of Democracy contest.
Edson had captured the Windham VFW Post 10643 Voice of Democracy title in November and then won the district competition to advance to the state contest, where he was awarded first place at a dinner at the Augusta Civic Center on Jan. 21. Winning the state award means that Edson’s audio essay qualified him for the national VFW Voice of Democracy contest.
The “Voice of Democracy” competition is open to all high school students, grades 9 to 12, including those who are home-schooled. For this year, students were asked to write and record a 3- to 5-minute essay on an audio CD about this year's theme "Why is the Veteran Important?"
In winning the Maine Voice of Democracy contest, Edson also qualifies for a four-day, all-expense paid trip to Washington for the national competition. The annual competition was established in 1947 and encourages students to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society and provides students with a unique opportunity to express their own thoughts about democracy and patriotism with a chance to win college scholarship money. The national first-place scholarship prize is $35,000, with second- and third-place national winners taking home $21,000 and $15,000 respectfully. Each year more than 25,000 students across America submit audio essays for the competition.
Windham VFW Post 10643 Commander Willie Goodman said that Edson’s presentation is worthy of the awards and attention it has received.
“I think Hunter Edson’s Voice of Democracy presentation is so powerful for two reasons,” Goodman said. “First, throughout his speech, Hunter posed questions directly related to the topic which engaged the listeners, and secondly, he provided specific examples and thoughtful, interesting answers to those questions. He gave factual answers about veterans but also went beyond those to give his personal reflections on what the term veteran means to him.” <
Woodbrey confident in leading Windham’s MSSPA
When the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals was looking for a new leader to replace longtime executive director Meris Bickford, it didn’t have to search very far. Kathy Woodbrey of Raymond, who has been part of the leadership team at MSSPA for the last 11 years, has assumed the leadership role for the nonprofit organization and is eager to put what she’s learned through the years to good use.
Woodbrey was born in Pennsylvania and her family moved to the mid-coast of Maine the summer before she entered sixth grade. She graduated from Lincoln Academy in Newcastle and went on to receive an Associate of Science degree in animal medical technology from the University of Maine at Orono. In 2004 and 2005, Woodbrey attended Andover College to study accounting and in 2021 she earned a Non-Profit Management certificate from the University of Southern Maine.
Based in Windham, the mission of the MSSPA is to provide refuge, rehabilitation, and placement of seized equines. MSSPA does not charge for its shelter services and seeks no reimbursement from any public source. Horses cared for by the MSSPA come from Maine law enforcement officials and most of them have been abused or neglected.
The MSSPA’s goal for each horse is rehabilitation and a new home, but if no suitable adoption is found, horses may live out their natural lives at the organization’s farm.
“I have to say that our local community is incredibly supportive of the MSSPA. Members of the local community volunteer at the farm and donate to fundraising campaigns,” she said. “Residents of the Southern Maine Re-entry Facility regularly volunteer and one resident at SMWRC is employed by MSSPA. Students from Windham High School and Windham Middle School volunteer every Friday during the school year. And the Windham Primary School second graders hold a fundraiser for the horses and then come for a field trip each spring. It's a wonderful community and we are glad to be a part of it.” <
Polar Dip participants plunge into Sebago Lake
It takes a special mentality to fully appreciate the benefits of diving into 33-degree water, but more than three dozen individuals tried it out when they plunged into chilly Sebago Lake as part of the annual Polar Dip off Raymond Beach on Feb. 18. Sponsored by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, the popular event is the largest fundraiser staged every year for “Feed the Need,” an initiative that donates to 12 different food pantries in the Lakes Region of Maine.
Some of the participants jumped into the lake while wearing costumes and others participated as part of teams representing clubs, organizations, or businesses. But everyone jumping into Sebago Lake for the Polar Dip agreed upon one thing – how cold the water was.
Staging the Polar Dip off Raymond Beach turned out to be a significant undertaking.
A hole was cut in the lake ice about 200 yards off Raymond Beach on the Wednesday prior to the fundraiser and Polar Dip officials expected shelf ice to expand as temperatures dropped to about 18 degrees the night before the event was scheduled to take place. The shelf ice at that location was between 3 and 4 inches when the hole was originally cut, but several days of warmer weather rising to almost 52 degrees later in the week prevented further ice formation and resulted in the loss of about an inch of ice before the fundraiser.
To assure everyone’s safety, the heating trailers for participants were kept on shore and only the teams jumping were led out on the ice and then brought back to the shoreline.
“Saturday was certainly eventful. Usually, we can all go out to the hole and watch the jumpers and the heated trailers are right there to change in,” said Robin Mullins, executive director of the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce. “Not this year. I had to walk each team out individually to keep the weight on the ice low. The ice did break up a bit, but it managed to stay together enough to get all 10 teams, or 35 jumpers, into the water.” <
MARCH
Windham third grader’s fundraiser makes big difference for community
Windham third-grader Eva Doughty really likes helping people. When the Windham Clothes Closet and Food Pantry visited her class, she became inspired. She wanted to help those in need have food and clothes during the cold winter. She decided to organize a fundraiser and created her own Polar Dip event at Sebago Lake on Tuesday, Jan. 24 where about 25 people attended.
At that event, Doughty and several other students from her neighborhood took the plunge into the icy lake waters.
Through determination and persistence, Doughty was able to raise more than $2,200 for the Windham Clothes Closet and Food Pantry at her Polar Dip.
On Tuesday, March 21 during a Windham Town Council meeting, she presented a check to Collette Gagnon, Windham Social Services Administrative Assistant and operator of the Windham Clothes Closet, and Windham’s General Assistance Manager Rene Daniel.
“I decided to do the Polar Dip because I was always curious what it would feel like to jump into the ice-cold water in the winter,” said Doughty. “I thought it was crazy enough that people would donate to me for doing it.”
When the donations first started coming in, Doughty said that she felt grateful that people were helping, and how was happy she was raising money for a good cause.
Eva’s parents, Chris and Sara Doughty, said it was really great to know that their community was so willing to help other families and support the efforts of their daughter to help those experiencing tough times.
Her parents say that they are very proud of Eva and that she took the initiative to come up with the concept and idea for the Polar Dip and followed through to make an impact in the community. They say she is a thoughtful and generous person with a very kind heart.
All the money she raised was donated directly to the Windham Clothes Closet and Food Pantry and will benefit Windham residents in need. <
Town of Raymond to assume milfoil harvesting duties from RWPA volunteers
Responsibility for the Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting Program (DASH) milfoil mitigation program will now be handled by the Town of Raymond instead of the Raymond Waterways Protective Association.
Members of Raymond’s Select Board have voted unanimously to take over this task from the RWPA following a letter sent to the town in December by Peggy Jensen, RWPA president.
“After careful consideration of all the imaginable ways to address the remaining small patches and the inevitable stray plants that may regenerate from even tiny pieces of stem or root, we have decided the best solution is to move the DASH program to the town,” Jensen wrote to Raymond Select Board members.
Jensen said that RWPA has pledged to guide town personnel in taking ownership of the boat and its necessary equipment so that it could be quickly put back into operation and in applying for possibly available grant funds.
“RWPA will continue to monitor and mitigate any invasive aquatic species found in the upper Jordan River, from the Route 302 highway to Mill Street, and Dingley Brook, from Cape Road to Sebago Lake,” Jensen wrote. “We will continue to operate the Courtesy Boat Inspection program at four launch sites in Raymond. We hope to have continuing support from the town for this program.”
The Raymond Waterways Protective Association was created in the early 1970s by Ernest Bickford and Ernest Knight with a mission established to monitor and preserve the water quality of all Raymond lakes.
Bodies of water being monitored by RWPA volunteers include Crescent Lake, Notched Pond, Panther Pond, Raymond Pond, Sebago Lake and Thomas Pond.
“All the smaller lakes and ponds have volunteers who are trained to identify the 11, soon to be 12, invasive aquatic plants that threaten our waters,” said Jensen. “We have spent years finding and removing invasive variable milfoil in Raymond’s waters, with most of it being done by a dive crew as all our divers are trained and certified for SCUBA work and for the specialized work of removing invasive plants.” <
New Windham High softball coach aims to bring fun to team
Darcey Gardiner was named coach of the Windham High varsity softball team and it’s a reunion of sorts. Gardiner, a 2006 Windham High graduate, brings a world of experience to the field as she was a three-sport athlete in high school and a two-sport athlete in college. She began coaching in 2007 in Windham with varsity and middle school softball and middle school basketball.
Gardiner has also coached youth basketball and junior varsity softball for South Portland. She was the assistant women’s softball coach at Bates College in Lewiston, and she’s been an assistant varsity girls’ basketball coach for Edward Little in Auburn. In 2020, she took over the Gray New Gloucester High School softball program, before deciding to come back to Windham.
The Gardiner family is a big baseball family. Gardiner’s grandfather and father were both baseball coaches and her father coached Gardiner through Little League.
Sports are a huge part of her life. Gardiner says she loves sports because of how creative they allow you to be while still giving you a competitive, family-like atmosphere.
“I always knew I wanted to coach sports in my hometown someday,” said Gardiner. “I grew up playing Windham Little League, going to varsity games on the old field and was lucky enough to be the first to play on the new field. Windham sports are home to me.”
Her parents drove Gardiner’s passion for sports. She played soccer, basketball and softball in high school and basketball and softball in college. To this day, she continues to play those sports.
“Between loving sports, my desire to be a positive female leader, and my passion for working with the youth has driven me to a love of coaching. Wanting to be back in Windham is a no-brainer for me,” said Gardiner. “To be able to gain the trust of your athletes and their families is something special that creates life-long bonds and that is something I really cherish when it comes to coaching.” <
APRIL
Windham’s ‘A Team’ surges to Quiz Bowl State Championship
Acquiring knowledge and putting it to good use should be the goal of every student and members of Windham High School’s “A Team” took that task to heart in winning the National Academic Quiz Team State Championship at Bates College in Lewiston. Team members say that extracurricular activities can be an uplifting experience for most students and are a way to discover passions and spend time doing something you enjoy. The Quiz Team is just one out of many extracurricular activities that Windham students can participate in, and this team has acquired a great deal of knowledge and experience since being created in 2018.
Meeting on Mondays and Fridays after school and in the mornings before classes, Quiz Team members spend a fair amount of time dedicated to learning trivia.
Senior Greta Paulding has been involved with the Quiz Team since her freshman year.
“When the original team graduated at the end of my sophomore year, I took over as team captain. Over the past two years, I have watched us grow from eight to more than 20,” Paulding said. “My teammates are dedicated to not only learning as much as they can, but also supporting each other through good times and bad. We are not only colleagues, we are friends.”
She said that with more students joining the Quiz Team, they were able to creatively pursue knowledge.
“A big takeaway from being part of the team is that to be successful every player needs to be strong,” said Kaitlyn Farrin, a Windham Quiz Team member. “Some teams try to rely on one ‘star player’ in games, but I have found that teams with a more balanced attack where everyone contributes, often do better.”
The National Academic Quiz Bowl’s format contains three bonus questions after each tossup question that only the correct answering team can respond to. During this segment of the competition, questions can feature an assortment of topics, which test the extensive knowledge of contributing teams. <
Windham Odyssey of the Mind team earns spot in world finals
Coming in first place in their division, Windham Primary School and Manchester’s combined Odyssey of the Mind team participated in the Nor’easter Tournament at Sanford High School, landing them invitations to the World Finals.
Odyssey of the Mind’s purpose is to educate all students how to use and develop their pure creativity to solve problems of any kind without fear or high confusion. When competing, the team’s goal is to fit all the required pieces into an eight-minute performance skit. From making props, to coming up with lines, teams do it all by themselves.
During practice, students learn and work on their teamwork and being a quick thinker. The strategy of being fast helps them in the long run with verbal and hands-on spontaneous problem solving.
Windham Primary School’s third graders and Manchester School’s fourth and fifth grades had formed a team of seven members to compete in the Odyssey of the Mind competition. The seven student members range in age from 8 to 11.
During these competitions, students can gain a sense of self confidence while grasping an emphasis on public speaking, teamwork, and time management, all of which are important skills, despite their age.
“They performed in the gym in front of a table of judges and audience. Once they completed their performance, we watched some other teams compete that had the same problem as them as well as some other problems. These kids always like seeing what other teams come up with,” said Windham coach Rebecca Miller, who runs this Odyssey of the Mind engaged team and guided their success in their division at the state competition.
According to Miller, the students had high hopes as they placed third last year and worked hard for a better finish.
“This year, they were really anxious,” Miller said. “When they called third place, then second place, our stomachs were definitely in knots. When they announced we got first place, I was definitely crying tears of pride - they earned it.” <
Windham author publishes new children’s book about lobsters
Mary-Ann Coppersmith of Windham knows a thing or two about lobsters from being part of a lobstering family. The crustaceans have fascinated her so much that she’s written a new children’s book, “The Three Little Lobsters,” drawn from the seafaring experiences of her husband of 46 years and the curiosity of her three grandchildren.
She says she was inspired to write the book after she experienced the fascination that rare crustaceans inspire around the world. Her husband, Capt. Bill Coppermith, sparked a media frenzy when he caught a rare bright orange lobster in 2015 and then discovered an equally rare cotton candy lobster in 2021 while lobstering in Casco Bay Inlet.
“My grandchildren are what finally motivated me to follow my dream of publishing this book,” Mary-Ann Coppersmith said. “I hope this story will be a favorite of many, young and old, as you follow Captain Bill’s adventures of finding this trio.”
The manuscript for the new book took her about a year to complete, from start to finish, and is published by Page Publishing.
“The hardest part of the book was describing the first rare lobsters’ namesake. The other two were named after my grandchildren,” she said.
Coppersmith, a 60-year resident of Windham, said that she did a lot of her best writing for the book early in the day.
“I found my inspiration for writing was best in the morning,” she said. “I kept a notebook with me and when an idea or memory surfaced about the rare crustaceans, I would write it down.”
While the new book was being finished, the lobstering family received some great news that will lead to a sequel soon.
“During the process of publishing the book, our family received exciting news about another grandchild which would be the inspiration for my second book,” Coppersmith said. “Our third grandchild, Liam, would be a big brother to baby Landen. The sequel to my book will be about ‘Liam The Lobster’ and how he guides his brother, baby lobster Landen, through the deep blue sea.” <
MAY
Windham High pitcher reaches 500-strikeout milestone
When Windham’s varsity softball team traveled to Thornton Academy in Saco it wasn’t just any game. In the top of the third inning, with the first Thornton Academy batter, junior Brooke Gerry reached the rare prep milestone of 500 strikeouts. Windham went on to beat Thornton Academy 10-1 that day.
When Gerry struck out her 500th batter, the game was stopped. The team and Windham varsity coach Darcey Gardiner rushed onto the field and hugged Gerry. The next day, at home, there was a small ceremony where Gerry was presented with the team ball and a plaque.
“To be honest I never really thought about [reaching 500 strikeouts],” said Gerry. “Not that it’s not a big deal, but you see more players hit 100 hits, not 500 strikeouts. I personally wasn’t expecting it to be as big as it was, but the closer I got, it seemed more real.”
According to Gerry, she gives herself 30 minutes post-game to reflect on her performance; after that she moves on. She learns every time she’s in the circle, whether the game is good or a struggle. Gerry concentrates on the pitch in front of her and tries to not get too high or low during a game.
Gerry started playing softball at 4 years old and began pitching at 6. She played for the 10-Under Flame at 8 but didn’t get to pitch much. She then moved to the Southern Maine River Rats travel team where Gerry pitched more, developed her skills, and she said that’s where her career took off.
“She puts the team first,” said Windham sophomore and catcher Stella Jarvais. “She isn’t selfish when it comes to throwing it for contact and letting the team field, but with her being so good it’s easy for her to strike people out.”
Gerry has committed to the University of Rhode Island to play Division 1 softball and major in prelaw with a concentration in family services. <
Windham EMT receives prestigious Red Cross honor
Rob Parritt of Windham shares an undeniable bond with Windham Fire Rescue Emergency Medical Technician Dustin Andrews and because of it, Parritt is alive today. For his heroism, Andrews received the Red Cross Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action for his lifesaving efforts presented by Steve Thomas, Executive Director of the Red Cross of Southern Maine at the May 23 Windham Town Council meeting.
On Jan. 24, 2023, Andrews was off duty and traveling home near the Windham and Gorham town line when he observed a vehicle ahead of him driving erratically. Suddenly a bystander appeared in the middle of the road and waved Andrews down, telling him that the erratic driver had accelerated, left the roadway, and crashed into a snowbank.
Parritt says that he was on his way to work that night and remembers very little of that entire day. But what happened to him was he suffered cardiac arrest and passed out, crashing his vehicle.
When Andrews realized what had happened, he radioed for assistance and when approaching the crash scene, he discovered that Parritt was turning different colors inside the vehicle. He realized that Parritt was not breathing and required immediate medical attention. With the help of the bystander, Andrews broke out a window in the vehicle and the two of them pulled Parritt out. Andrews initiated CPR and continued it for about eight to 10 minutes before paramedics arrived at the site to take over and transport Parritt to the hospital.
Because of his training, bravery, ability to perform CPR and quick thinking, Parritt survived the incident and was taken to the hospital, where he spent about a week recovering from the harrowing ordeal. Hospital doctors implanted a defibrillator to monitor his heart rate and put a pacemaker in his chest to stabilize his heartbeat to keep it from beating too slowly and going again into cardiac arrest.
“Thanks to his training and fortitude, Dustin was able to be the bystander we all hope comes to our aid, and the bystander we should all aspire to be,” Thomas said. <
Restored blacksmith shop brings history to life at Raymond-Casco Historical Museum
Steeped in history, the Watkins Blacksmith Shop is one of the oldest blacksmith shops still in existence in Maine, and now visitors to the Raymond-Casco Historical Society Museum will be able to watch blacksmiths take red-hot iron from the fires of the shop’s forge and hammer it into a variety of tools and hardware.
A year-long project to resurrect and preserve the shop and move it to the museum grounds in Casco was completed in May and it will become the centerpiece and star attraction to a revitalized museum of artifacts and antiquities unequaled anywhere in the Lakes Region of Maine. The blacksmith shop was first opened in the 1850s by William Watkins and was in use right up until the 1940s in Casco.
Footage of the blacksmith’s forge and shop was included in a 1922 silent movie called “Timothy’s Quest” and it once was part of a thriving rural community in Casco, but over the past eight decades, the building slowly became a crumbling relic of Maine’s past. That is, until an idea about moving the building was pitched to Frank McDermott, president of the Raymond-Casco Historical Society. He saw the potential of moving the blacksmith shop to the society’s museum on Watkins Farm in Casco, restoring it and using it for live demonstrations for the public and now that idea has become a reality.
Carefully disassembling every piece of the old shop, refurbishing them and reassembling that building, the blacksmith shop is now weather tight, and steps have been taken to preserve its interior, particularly the ox-lift. The split stone hearth has been moved and reassembled and the chimney has been reconstructed using period bricks.
A team of advisors assisted the historical society in moving the structure to the museum and that group included Dr. Robert Schmick, Museum Director of 19th Century Curran Village in Orrington, Ed Somers of Bridgton, a specialist in preservation and restoration of buildings of this era, and Kerry Tottle of Limington, who devised a plan for lifting sections of the building over an adjacent building at its original location. <
JUNE
Dignitaries hail groundbreaking for North Windham Wastewater Treatment Facility
Dedication of the new Wastewater Treatment site on the grounds of Manchester School on June 27 was something many Windham residents didn’t think was possible or could ever happen, but ground has been broken for the new state-of-the art facility and it was an event that drew everyone from U.S. senators to fourth graders.
After decades of proposals, studies, and rejections from voters at the ballot box, Windham residents resoundingly approved a proposed $40.4 million sewer and wastewater treatment project for North Windham in a special referendum. Partnering with the Portland Water District and RSU 14 to create the massive infrastructure project, the Windham Town Council set about to cover the initiative through a combination of grant funding, a $38.9 million award by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and North Windham TIF funding supported by North Windham businesses.
Once completed, a new wastewater treatment facility will be built on the grounds of Manchester School, which will address environmental issues in North Windham by removing 25,000 pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants each year being dumped by septic systems into the aquifer and watershed. The installation of sewers is expected to stimulate significant economic growth in Windham and lead to development in the area by industries and businesses not willing to locate here because of associated septic system issues and costs.
Speakers at the dedication included Windham Town Council Chair Mark Morrison, RSU Schools superintendent Christopher Howell, Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note, Portland Water District General Manager Seth Garrison, Windham Town Councilor Jarrod Maxfield, and Maine U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King.
“Windham is the gateway to Maine’s beautiful lakes region and is a major retail center for the surrounding communities,” said Senator Collins. “This advanced wastewater treatment facility will support continued job and residential growth in Windham while also protecting the environmental health of Sebago Lake, Little Sebago, and other local bodies of water.” <
Windham High softball captures first Class A State Title
For the first time since 1995 when the Lady Eagles’ softball team was Class B, Windham softball has captured the Class A State Championship. Ranked second in Class A South and facing Class A’s No. 1 ranked Oxford Hills, Windham took control of the game early and worked hard to churn out a 3-1 victory at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham on Tuesday, June 20.
“No words can even describe it,” said Windham senior Hannah Heanssler, who dove for an amazing catch early in the game. “It’s the exact way I’ve always wanted my season and my career as a softball player to end and playing for this team has been incredible and I cannot put it into words how amazing it is.”
Oxford Hills put one run on the scoreboard in the first inning to take an early lead, but Windham answered in the bottom of the first when junior Brooke Gerry reached on an error and sophomore Stella Jarvais and junior Jaydn Kimball then walked. Sophomore Kennedy Kimball’s flied out and Gerry scored on a wild pitch. Jarvais was at third base ready to bolt; and bolt she did, scoring her team’s second run. Windham led 2-1 after one inning.
“Our strategy was mental toughness,” said Jarvais. “Knowing the crowd was going to be big we had to dial in and trust each other and focus on pitch by pitch what we were going to do, and I think we did that very well.”
In the third inning, Gerry singled, and freshman Addison Caiazzo walked. Jaydn Kimball singled, scoring Gerry and Windham had a 3-1 lead.
“This is definitely surreal,” said Windham varsity softball coach Darcey Gardiner. “Our willpower earned this win. From Day One we have said one pitch at a time. The focus and the one pitch at a time motto is how we keep that composure to win. Making the adjustments when we’re up to the plate, making the adjustments when we’re on defense, every pitch you are doing something different ... I’m really proud of them for keeping their composure and pulling it out.” <
Raymond students place first in Maine 2023 National InvestWrite® Competition
Two Raymond students, Cadence O’Brion and Kaleb Fitch, were honored for their skill at developing financial portfolios.
O’Brion, a fifth grader, and Fitch, a sixth grader both attend Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond, and they understand how teamwork can translate into building a diversified portfolio geared for long-term financial success. Their exceptional approach led to an extraordinary achievement in the SIFMA Foundation’s Spring InvestWrite competition.
O’Brion competed among thousands of other students around the country to write the best essay about long-term investing and the capital markets in the elementary school division. Fitch competed among thousands of other students around the country to write the best essay about long-term investing and the capital markets in the middle school division. Along with their teacher, Jack Fitch, the students were honored by the SIFMA Foundation during a classroom presentation on June 6.
SIFMA Foundation’s InvestWrite national essay competition bridges classroom learning in math, social studies, and language arts with the practical research and knowledge required for saving, investing and long-term planning. It also serves as a culminating activity for The Stock Market Game™, a curriculum-based financial education program that challenges students to manage a hypothetical $100,000 online portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and cash over a semester or school year.
“I am delighted to congratulate Cadence, her teacher and their school,” said Melanie Mortimer, President of the SIFMA Foundation. “The research is clear that social and emotional learning is a critical component to students’ motivation, achievement and wellbeing. By participating in the Stock Market Game and InvestWrite, Cadence has learned how working with a team can offer insights and increase confidence to make informed financial life decisions and achieve better life outcomes.”
Kaleb Fitch said that he was confident about this year’s competition.
“Thanks to the SIFMA Foundation and the different programs they offer to students I have learned a lot about the stock market and how it operates,” he said. “This is my third time that I have participated in the InvestWrite competition, and I found this writing prompt to be an easy one to write about.” <
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