Two local students receive prestigious Mitchell Scholarships

By Ed Pierce

Two 2023 graduates of Windham High School are recipients of $10,000 college scholarships awarded by the Mitchell Institute, a nonprofit scholarship and research organization.

Windham High's Annie Jackson, left, and Victoria Leavitt
have been named as Mitchell Scholars for 2023 and will
receive $10,000 Mitchell Scholarships to be used for
college studies and the honor includes personal, academic,
and professional support from the Portland-based
Mitchell Institute. COURTESY PHOTOS 

Windham High’s Annie Jackson and Victoria Leavitt are among 166 students from across Maine who have been named as Mitchell Scholars and will receive Mitchell Scholarships, which are split into four $2,500 installments and include personal, academic and professional support.

The Portland-based Mitchell Institute was founded by former U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell of Maine to improve college outcomes for students from every community in the state.

Mitchell Institute President and CEO Jared Cash said that The Mitchell Institute is honored to offer the scholars a $10,000 scholarship along with signature events and resources that are designed to meet scholars where they are and support them in college and well into their professional careers.

“Each Scholar represents the best of our great state and reflects Senator Mitchell’s vision of investing in young people so they, in turn, can strengthen their communities,” Cash said.

Class of 2023 Mitchell Scholars graduated in June from high schools across the state and will soon pursue their academic goals and career aspirations in higher education. They will do so with the support of the broader Mitchell Institute community, which includes more than 3,000 alumni who mentor Mitchell Scholars and hundreds of donors whose philanthropic investments continue to sustain the Institute’s ability to fund the scholars, Cash said.

Throughout college and the years following, the Mitchell Scholars will have opportunities to engage with Mitchell Institute programs and resources focusing on financial assistance, leadership training, and academic and career support, nonprofit officials say.

The new class of Mitchell Scholars will join 437 currently enrolled scholars who collectively will receive more than $5 million in awards from the Mitchell Institute during their college careers.

All the college-bound students in the 2023 scholar class, including Jackson and Leavitt, have distinguished themselves through academic excellence and community involvement. With financial and programmatic support from the Mitchell Institute, some 88 percent of Mitchell Scholars complete college and achieve a degree, compared with 58 percent nationally, and more than 90 percent earn all As and Bs in their college courses.

This year, the Mitchell Institute is awarding $10,000 scholarships to 20 additional Mitchell Scholars as part of an expansion plan to increase the number of scholarships the Mitchell Institute awards statewide over the next several years, Cash said.

“Because of the strength of the outcomes we measure that are a direct result of the scholarship and all of the wraparound supports we offer and to help meet the acute challenges facing our society and workforce, we recognized that now is the time to make this significantly increased investment in Maine’s young people,” Cash said. “Each Scholar represents the best of our great state and reflects Senator Mitchell’s vision of investing in young people so they, in turn, can strengthen their communities.”

This fall Jackson will attend Husson University to study occupational therapy and will play field hockey for the school. She was captain of the Windham High Alpine Ski Team and a member of the National Honors Society, French Honors Society, Yearbook Committee, Mental Health Advocacy Club, Key Club, and Unified Club.

“I would like to thank my teachers, Erica Stowell and Margaret Rickert, along with all my field hockey coaches, for motivating and pushing me to do my best. I would also like to thank my mom for all her support and encouragement,” Jackson said.

Leavitt will attend the University of Southern Maine and plans to major in psychology with a concentration in development and linguistics. While in high school she was the president of the school’s Latin Honors Society, a three-year leader of gaming club Geek's Templar, and a proactive member of the Genders and Sexualities Alliance. She also performed in WHS concert band and choir ensembles and the Windham Chamber Singers.

“While I would like to thank all my teachers for their continued support, I would like to extend my greatest appreciation to my Latin teacher and Latin Honor Society advisor, David Dyke. He has helped me realize my love for the Latin language and has been a positive influence throughout my four years at Windham High School.” <

Don Rogers Scholarship Dinner nearing in Windham

By Ed Pierce

Those who knew Don Rogers of Windham admired him greatly and although he’s no longer with us, his spirit of kindness and willingness to help others lives on in a special program that awards college scholarships to deserving students in the Lakes Region every spring.

The late World War II veteran Don Rogers was a member of
American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 for 62 years and
served as Post Commander on four separate occasions. A
college scholarship dinner in his honor will be held at the
Windham Veterans Center on Saturday, July 22.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Sponsored by Windham’s American Legion Field-Allen Post 148, this year’s Don Rogers Scholarship Dinner will be held on Saturday, July 22 with all proceeds from the meal to be used to help area students pursue their dreams of higher education. The popular dinner has become a favorite mid-summer tradition for many families in Windham, and organizers are hoping to raise at least $1,000 through this fundraiser for the scholarships.

Donald Farris Rogers was 94 when he passed away in May 2020. He was born Sept. 21, 1925, and lived most of his life in Windham Center, except for the winters that he and his wife, Norma, spent in St. Cloud, Florida and during his military service. He was a graduate of Windham High School in the Class of 1944.

Rogers served in the Army Air Corps and trained to be a fighter pilot before World War II ended in August 1945. He returned to Windham and worked for his father, M. L. Rogers, as a construction equipment operator in town. In 1954, he married Norma Kimball, and they raised two sons, Donald Scott Rogers, and Dale K. Rogers, in Windham.

He loved sports and athletics, and played baseball, basketball, track, swimming, and horseshoes. Through the years, Rogers formed a local basketball team and supplied the uniforms for the players. He also coached Little League baseball.

“Don believed in our youth. As the Post Commander, he presented students each year with the Legion School Leadership Award,” said David Tanguay, American Legion Post 148 adjutant. “I was a recipient in 1965 and continue to cherish that award. The scholarship is now coupled with the Legion award from this fundraiser and dinner, and I think he would be humbled by the honor that it is named after him.”

Tanguay said that Rogers was fun to be around. “He always had such a great smile,” Tanguay said. “Don could light up a room with his stories and one-liners. Don was a prankster and loved a good laugh. I have seen photos of him in costume on 4-foot stilts at the old Hawkes Grocery, now Corsetti’s, regaling a crowd.”

Being active in the community was something Rogers was known for. He belonged to the Presumpscot Lodge #70 of Masons - Scottish Rite, the WHS Alumni Association and the Windham Historical Society. Rogers joined American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 in 1947 and served as Post Commander on four different occasions.

“His father Maurice was one of the original Post 148 founders in 1938, and his brother, Wayne, was also a member,” Tanguay said. “Just doing the math, many, many veterans came to know the Rogers family and Don.”

He delighted in spending time with his family and neighbors and just about everyone that he met became a good friend.

“Commander Don Rogers was a well-loved member of the Windham Community, the Grand Marshal at the annual Memorial Day parade for many years, and a fixture later in life at the local variety, Corsetti’s, stopping for coffee and sharing his experiences to all who would spend some time with him.”

One Windham resident who came to know Rogers is Dana Reed, the chaplain of American Legion Post 148 and former pastor of the North Windham Union Church from 2000 to 2013.

“I grew up like a lot of folks in Windham and knew him as a veteran and a great person,” Reed said. “I'll be supremely surprised if his scholarship doesn't top much, much higher. I can't think of many, if not asked directly, who wouldn't put a $100 down for this man.”

In 2019, Post 148 members chose to honor Rogers by renaming their annual student scholarship program for him, something that made Rogers very proud, Tanguay said. This spring’s Don Rogers scholarship recipients were Al Potter and Delana Perkins, both 2023 graduates of Windham High School. Potter will attend Princeton University to study astrophysical science and Perkins will attend the Rochester Institute of Technology to study civil engineering.

The annual Don Rogers Scholarship Dinner starts at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 22 at the Windham Veterans Center, 35 Veterans Memorial Drive, North Windham. The meal is an old-fashioned bean supper, and the cost is $10 per person with children under 12 admitted free. Additional donations for the scholarships will be welcomed. There will also be a 50/50 raffle at the event with proceeds to go to the scholarships.

For those who wish to donate but will not be able to attend the dinner, contributions can be sent to the Don Rogers Scholarship at: Post 148-Scholarship, PO Box 1776, Windham, Maine 04062. <

Windham High softball captures first Class A State Title

By Matt Pascarella

For the first time since 1995 when softball 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.

Windham High junior Brooke Gerry, senior Hannah
Heanssler, and sophomore Kennedy Kimball hoist the 
2023 Maine Class A State Softball Championship
trophy after Windham won the title buy defeating
Oxford Hills. 3-1, at the University of Southern
Maine in Gorham on Tuesday, June 20.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“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.”

Heanssler said that going into her final prep game, she was going to use everything she had and was going to play all out and do anything for the team. She said playing with this group of girls she’s grown up with has made the season memorable.

According to Heanssler, everyone played their positions incredibly and their energy was amazing. She said everyone on the Windham team wanted to win and worked together to make it happen.

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.

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.”

Gardiner also said that this was the first time two females served as coaches during the Class A State Championship Game and it’s always a big deal when females coaches compete together.

After the third inning, the game went scoreless for over three innings, as both teams were evenly matched. Windham’s defense often left Oxford Hills runners stranded on base at the end of innings.

It all came down to the top of the seventh inning. Oxford Hills’ first two batters lined out and grounded out. On a 1-2 count, Oxford Hills hit the ball right to Gerry, who threw to first base for the out and secured Windham’s first-ever state Class A softball championship.

In the game, Gerry pitched 7 innings, gave up 4 hits, struck out 11, and only walked one Oxford Hills batter.

“It felt great, we really worked as a team this season,” said Gerry. “Staying focused and taking it one pitch at a time [led to the win]. We kind of got rattled a little bit in the first inning, but then we remembered one pitch at a time, ‘control the controllables’ and we came back in the bottom of the inning. Our communication went well, and in the dugout our energy was over the top.”

Windham had escaped a high-pressure situation point in the top of the sixth inning with two outs, with Oxford Hills runners on first base and third base. Gerry said that Windham had to breathe and remember they had each other’s back, trusting one another, and that’s exactly what they did. Those runners remained on base as the inning ended.

Gerry said nerves are a sign a good thing is coming, and the Windham team interpreted those nerves as a sign that they would succeed, but they were careful to not get too cocky about it.

Windham freshman Oakley McLeod said they played well together as a team and fed off each other’s energy. In hitting, fielding and all-around, she said that Windham shined.

“Our strategy was mental toughness,” said the Windham’s catcher, 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.”

Jarvais said with every pitch it’s a different spin, a different call, a different mindset of how Gerry’s going to execute it. Jarvais said what Gerry did was that she dialed her in and trusted her. Their passion showed, and this was definitely a team win. <

Windham Summerfest promises to be a day loaded with fun

By Masha Yurkevich

Starting with the opening parade at noon Saturday, June 24, Windham Summerfest will continue to be a day filled with fun activities, music, and food capped off by a spectacular fireworks show after dark.

Windham's popular Summerfest celebration returns Saturday,
June 24 with a full slate of free activities intended to bring
unity to the community at Windham High School. Events
include a parade starting at 10 a.m. and fireworks after dark.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

Deb Matthews has served as the chair of the Windham Summerfest Committee for the last four years and has been with Summerfest off and on since about 2007.

“Summerfest has always been a family-oriented event,” says Matthews. “Our goal is to bring multiple generations of families together to spend the day enjoying each other and our many activities.”

It has been a challenge to keep Summerfest running smoothly.

“I was involved in the beginning when the committee asked me to coordinate a craft fair for them. I was in charge of the Windham Athletic Boosters Craft Fair at that time, Matthews said. “My husband and I were involved for a few years. About 2013 it was running out of steam, volunteers were exhausted and they struggled to find committee members. They discussed cancelling Summerfest. The Windham Parks and Recreation Department and many others tried to revitalize Summerfest. They started us on the path we are on today.”

The general idea and motto of this year’s Summerfest is "Bringing Unity to the Community.”

According to Matthews, Windham Summerfest is a family friendly event, and all ages are encouraged to attend and enjoy a fun-filled day.

“Each year we try to bring in new activities, demonstrations, music and fun. I want to see our neighbors interacting with all our vendors,” she said. “We encourage each vendor to make their booth fun, attractive and enticing to draw people in.”

This year the crafter and vendor village is full of beautiful items to purchase, and it could be a perfect time to get some early Christmas shopping done.

“The best thing for me personally is that the entire event is free,” Matthews said. “Non–profits sell food to raise money for their individual organizations. I want you to come and spend the day. If you cannot afford to spend money at this time, that is okay, pack a lunch and come play.”

This year, Mrs. Maine will also be part of the Summerfest activities. Amanda Shute, Mrs. Maine America 2023, is an Auburn resident and says she’s excited to proudly pay homage to her husband's hometown of Windham at Summerfest. Shute was selected as the local title holder of Mrs. Auburn in May 2022 and was awarded the state title on April 3 during the annual Mrs. Maine America Pageant this year. She will compete at Nationals at the Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas in August.

“My year consisted of making community appearances to advocate and fundraise for several charities,” says Shute. “In June of 2022, I launched a non-profit called, ‘Get Cyber Fit,’ which is aimed to educate families on creating healthier online habits. I have proudly invested over $60,000 in services to the community within the past year, working with Educate Maine's Tech Night, ran several tables at Family Events, and built a social media page focused on online safety education.

Shute said that as Mrs. Maine, she has a wider reach to equip families with the knowledge to have safer online experiences.

Holding the title of Mrs. Maine America awards her the opportunity to carry out her dreams by paying her success forward and amplifying her community work, along with elevating the voice of other women and the causes they are passionate about in the Mrs. America Program.

Shute’s mission statement is "Pay your Success Forward" and she’s ready to participate in Windham Summerfest.

“I have used over a decade of experience to identify a need and use my knowledge to help drive change for such a critical and growing need,” she says. The Windham Summerfest Parade will help to celebrate Shute's community impact. “

You can follow Shute’s journey and show support on social media by finding her on Instagram @mrsmaineamerica2023. She is still working toward her fundraising goals and can be supported through Venmo @Amanda_Shute.

Keeping Kids Safe will also be a part of this year’s Windham Summerfest. Its founder, Michael O’Neal, served as a part-time Deputy Sheriff for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department for more than 17 years, and founded Keeping Kids Safe in 2008. The organization offers personal safety training and teaches the Grip, Dip, and Spin technique that could help save the lives of children from predators.

O’Neal also teaches various other child-friendly and educational programs like Anti-Bullying and Internet Safety Date escape.

“We teach our kids the Stop, Drop, and Roll method for fire safety, but we never teach our kids what to do if a stranger might grab them,” said O’Neal.

Keeping Kids Safe became part of the annual Summerfest activities in 2015 and has been helping to educate the community about simple methods to keeping themselves and their children safe.

Summerfest is entirely free to attend and kicks off with the opening parade down Route 202 to Windham High School and will be followed by many fun activities, bands, food, games and vendors behind the high school. <

WHS swimming star recipient of prestigious Doug Springer Scholarship

By Ed Pierce

Whether in the pool or in the classroom, Hannah Heanssler always gives it her best and that has resulted in her selection as the recipient of the 2023 Doug Springer Scholarship, a $5,000 award given to a graduating high school senior for demonstrating a strong commitment and service to her swim team, school, and community.

Windham High School graduate Hannah
Heanssler is the recipient of the $5,000
Doug Springer Scholarship for 2023
presented by the Maine Swimming and 
Diving Hall of Fame.
COURTESY PHOTO

Heanssler graduated ninth in her class at Windham High School on June 11 and will attend the University of North Carolina Wilmington in the fall. At WHS, she was a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and the Key Club and participated in swimming, field hockey, and softball throughout high school.

Lee Crocker lives in Windham and is the President of the Maine Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame, which presented the scholarship to Heanssler.

“Doug Springer was an outstanding coach at Old Town High School. He was inducted into the Maine Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame in 2021,” Crocker said. “To give back to Maine Swimming, Doug has established this scholarship in the amount of $5,000 for each of the next five years and possibly longer. His criteria is to recognize a high-school age senior, boy or girl, that is not necessarily the top swimmer on the team, but someone that has dedicated themselves through strong service to not only their swim team but also their school and their community. Doug has asked the Maine Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame Committee to establish an application process and review and select a winner each year.”

Crocker said that Heanssler was very humble and honored to receive this scholarship and recognition for her efforts academically and in athletics for Windham High School.

Heanssler’s swimming coach, Peter Small, said she is a deserving recipient of the scholarship.

“Hannah has a strong balance in many aspects within the swimming community. She has a very strong work ethic, has succeeded at a high level, is a team leader and motivator, is a wonderful role model and has volunteered time with younger swimmers,” Small said. “Her contributions to the swimming community in Windham are something that Doug Springer would be proud to see.”

According to Small, Heanssler is very humble about her accomplishments and talents to the point that she might downplay them at times. He said her ability to motivate through a “lead by example” style is one of the shining aspects of what she brought to the WHS program.

“Hannah approaches everything, from her academics to field hockey, softball and swimming the same way: preparation and embracing every opportunity. Hannah prepares herself for all opportunities and challenges herself with those opportunities. Hannah isn't afraid to try something and fall short. Some student-athletes at times are afraid of failing and it holds them back from succeeding,” Small said. “Hannah embraced opportunities. Every practice she challenged herself, whether it was in improving technique or handling a sprint set, she always looked forward to the challenge. I think being a multiple sport athlete is also a major benefit. When student-athletes participate in multiple sports, the carry-over from one sport to the other is so very noticeable. Hannah has greatly benefited from balancing participating in all three seasons.

Small said that Heanssler has opened doors for herself by taking advantage of opportunities that exist.

“She has always looked to grow, to challenge herself, and to be the best version of herself that she can be. She does this not for accolades, but by an internal drive and growth mindset,” he said. <

Valedictorian aims to make difference through interaction with community

By Ed Pierce

Al Potter is confident that everyone, no matter who they are, can change the world and that we all possess the power we need inside ourselves to make a difference. As Windham High School’s Class of 2023 Valedictorian, Potter says he knows that life is so much more than academics and has strived to fill his life with activities, interests and pursuits to keep him grounded and connected to the community.

Windham High School's Class of 2023 Valedictorian 
Al Potter will attend Princeton university this fall to study
Astrophysical Science. He plans to become an astrophysicist
but remains closely connected to the community though a
variety of volunteer activities and interests.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE    

At the beginning of his high school experience, Potter struggled with just being himself, but realized that following his own path and being his own person, is the only path to success for him. He finished first academically in his class and will be attending Princeton University in the fall studying Astrophysical Science.

“At Princeton, I plan to continue immersing myself in all of my passions I discovered and developed as a WHS student,” Potter said. “I hope to be an astrophysicist who performs groundbreaking research on the most fundamental questions about our universe. I hope my efforts will somehow change the world. I have heard from younger students who ask me how they can be like me to get into an Ivy League school. The first thing I tell them is they won’t go anywhere trying to be anyone but themself, be yourself and be proud of who you are.”

To get to this point, Potter has filled every waking moment with activity. He’s an Eagle Scout, Class of 2023 president, RSU 14 School Board representative from Windham High School, a member of the school's Quiz Team, and works at a Memory Care Assisted Living Facility in Portland called Fallbrook Woods.

“I do not live a life with free time, I like to fill my life with everything I can,” Potter said. “Many of my classmates probably don’t know the breadth of the activities I am involved in and how challenging it can be to manage my time while still succeeding academically. I think many of my classmates assume I spend my whole life studying, when actually I am involved in so many different things, I spend a lot less time studying than I should. My time management skills are one of my greatest strengths. I manage to fill my life with so many different activities and responsibilities while still having time to excel at an intense course load.”

WELL-ROUNDED

In being so well-rounded, Potter has tried to stand out as someone who is passionate and highly involved in numerous activities while also contributing to each one in a deeply impactful and intimate way.

“It is this broad interaction in so many areas that has given me such a deep appreciation for community, opportunity, and perspective. My directive to be so vastly involved has provided me with a nuanced perspective on life, which has changed how I interact with those around me,” he said. “At Windham High School, I have worked to apply these passions in every segment of the community, becoming not just a student, but a scientist, writer, speaker, leader, technician, and more. It is my vast passionate interactions coupled with my ‘good human’ nature that I think teachers and school administrators most value in me. I think we should all strive to be good humans.”

His mother, Jennifer Potter, teaches sixth grade at Jordan Small Middle School and his father, Troy Potter, is a Certified Public Accountant at Scott Associate CPAs in Portland. His sister, Sophey Potter, is a rising senior at Manhattanville College in New York studying Musical Theater and is a WHS Class of 2020 graduate.

GRATEFUL

Looking back at his early days as a student in Raymond, Potter said he is grateful for every teacher he had in elementary and middle school.

“Unlike many students, I find that I have connected personally with every teacher over the last 13 years. They have all had unique impacts on my life,” he said. “Ms. Wiley, my kindergarten and first grade teacher, showed me to channel ecstatic energy into my passions and schoolwork, rather than disrupting the class. Ms. Spencer taught me the value of hard work. Ms. Baseler enriched my creativity after learning to explore it with Mr. Newcomb.”

While attending Windham High School Potter says that his favorites classes were a tie between AP Physics with Mr. Rathbun and AP Chemistry with Dr. Bizier.

“I mention both of these classes because they were fundamental to my career choice of Astrophysics,” he said. “I love Chemistry, but I do not want to be a Chemist focusing solely on the microscopic. I love Physics, but I love Chemistry too much to be a physicist. Astrophysics allows me to continue both these passions, researching the microscopic world and seeing how it applies to the macroscopic, our universe, solar system, and our reality. I enjoyed these classes so much because they gave me a taste of complex fascinating science concepts that I had not experienced in lower-level classes. I got to learn about electron geometries and quantum mechanics which were so cool and fascinating. It is the fascination from these classes that made me love them so much, aside from all the science puns.”

In graduating as Class of 2023 President and Valedictorian, he’s accomplished two of his dreams.

“I wanted to be a Raymond student who not only succeeded academically but connected and interacted well with the student body and community as a whole,” Potter said. “To be Valedictorian is a great honor to me personally. At Jordan-Small Middle School, I attended Gifted and Talented classes from first grade to eighth grade with Mr. Newcomb, but I never actually academically qualified for these classes. I was the ‘“not so gifted’ gifted as Mr. Newcomb now puts it. To be Valedictorian, the highest high school academic honor, after never being quite ‘up to par’ as a middle and elementary student, shows that being Valedictorian is more than being smart and doing well on tests. I am not the smartest student at Windham High, because, if I have learned anything from the last 13 years, we are all uniquely gifted in our own ways. My GPA doesn’t define my intelligence, it defines my test scores, which clearly don’t define me holistically. When I look at those around me, those with higher scores and those with lower scores, I still see people who are just like me: passionate, kind, and hardworking, all in their own way. I hope that as Valedictorian I represent someone who students can look up to and see that, yes hard work pays off, but your GPA, SAT Score, or even failing one class won't define you. You don’t need to be a genius to change the world, you just need to be like Isaac Newton and sit under an apple tree while thinking about the world uniquely.” <

Windham High pitcher reaches 500-strikeout milestone

By Matt Pascarella

When Windham’s varsity softball team traveled to Thornton Academy in Saco on Wednesday, April 26 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.

Windham High junior Brooke Gerry holds
up a sign marking her 500th career strikeout
during a game against Thornton Acadermy
in Saco on Wednesday, April 26.
PHOTO BY RAQUEL GERRY 

When Gerry struck out her 500th batter, the game was stopped. The team and Windham varsity coach Darcey Gardiner rushed 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.”

It felt really good for her when Gerry reached 500 strikeouts. It was like all the hard work she’s put in over the years has paid off; it was great for her to have her team behind her.

Before Gerry steps into the circle each inning, she takes a deep breath and makes the switch from offense to defense. She clears the dirt and goes into her warmup pitches. She always remembers the game of softball is a 7-inning game, played one pitch at a time.

Gardiner said you hear a lot about 1,000-point basketball players or girls getting 100 career hits. Gardiner has never been a part of a pitching staff or had a pitcher throw 500 strikeouts; it’s something very rare. It really shows the work ethic and character that Brooke comes with.

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 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.”

Jarvais said it was awesome and made her feel good to see her team succeed when Gerry reached her 500th strikeout.

“More than anything it shows character,” said Gardiner. “Beyond being an example with what she brings to practice, and, in the games, it also reflects on those younger kids who want to grow up and be just like her,” said Gardiner. “She’s definitely a role model for not only our group at Windham High School but all the youth from [Windham] Middle School going all the way down to T-ball.”

Mental toughness plays a big role in being a pitcher and a catcher; it’s something Gardiner and her coaches talk about a lot. You have to be OK with taking the blame and the spotlight being on you. There is a mental aspect that comes with being a pitcher you can’t always practice in practice. The work that Gerry puts on preparing mentally outside of the game is just as important as the physical stuff.

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.

Gardiner said she handles that pressure like a pro. Gerry has experienced a lot of innings in the circle with highs and lows. You’d never know it because she rides that even keel, which is what you expect out of a pitcher.

“It’s not every day you see high school athletes who wake up every morning and strive to be better,” said Gardiner. “To better themselves and to better their teammates. When you see a junior reach 500 strikeouts, it really shows her character and her work ethic and what she brings to the people around her.”

Gerry has committed to the University of Rhode Island to play Division 1 softball and major in prelaw with a concentration in family services. <

WHS students undertake mock crime investigation with police

By Jolene Bailey

Windham High School offers a plethora of options for students to overcome struggles they might face outside of high school and into adulthood. For many, this includes attending college fairs and shadowing jobs; finding out their path that will unfold. One activity Windham High School does each year is a mock crime scene. Although the classes involved and scenario changes every year, the exercise focuses on English, math, and science.

Students at Windham High School work with investigators
from the Windham Police Department as part of an exercise
to solve a mock crime scene on schools grounds on May 3.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

On Wednesday, May 3, students and members of the Windham law enforcement community interacted during a unique Crime Scene Investigation exercise on the school campus.

“The crime that was alleged was a motor-vehicle involved murder in which two neighbors had a problem with each other and shortly after a verbal dispute, one of the neighbors ran the other one off the road causing that driver to be ejected from the vehicle and subsequently pass away from injuries,” said Jason Burke, a Windham Police Department officer who was involved in the actual crime scene.

During the exercise, every WHS student has a role to play in solving the supposed crime. English students were the “detectives,” while math and science students were the “evidence techs” whose duty was to calculate details and handle the evidence.

“The key aspect of all this work is that both sides of the investigation must work together to solve the crime. Both roles needed each other to understand the complete experience,” said WHS teacher Adrianne Shetenhelm.

The exercise not only gave students insight into what it is like to solve a crime, but it also taught participants academic skills that they will need in and outside of a classroom environment.

“I was so proud to see my students, even often quiet ones who may not respond to a lesson within the classroom, engage with police officers, members of the community, and ask hard questions and work with peers to solve the crime. Many demonstrated clever problem-solving and leadership skills,” said Shetenhelm.

The planning process for the exercise started all the way back in September with the officers tasked with setting up the mock crime scene working collaboratively with the educators at Windham High. Each year there is a different mock crime at the school, with different lessons and story plots, and different actors participating, and this was the fourth year that the mock crime scene exercise was staged at the school. Expectations are that students will understand how the different pieces of evidence collected come together to show what happened, which tests are reliable, and which ones have a high possibility of error.

“We teachers work with the police to write this original scenario, and we work hard to manufacture the evidence students find on the scene, but we have to trust that our students will connect all the dots,” Shetenhelm said. “It's like designing a play but in addition to setting the stage, writing the script, and creating the props, you then just have to prepare and then trust that the students are not a passive audience but active participants.”

Teachers normally see students in a classroom setting five out of seven days a week and within this given time, teachers and students are able to create relationships and bonds. But outside of a teacher’s point of view, police officers aren’t as interactive with the students’ daily academic life.

"This event is a lot of fun to participate in. Not only do we get to help with the background preparation and planning, but we also are given the opportunity to teach in the classroom. On the day of the event the scenario brings all of the parts and pieces together to give the students an example of how academic knowledge is put to use in the real world,” said Burke.

All around us are skills for us to pick up upon, Burke said, and the mock crime scene investigation presents just such an opportunity. <

WHS’ Kindness Crew strives to break down stigma

By Jolene Bailey

Extracurricular and afterschool clubs hold numerous involvement opportunities for students to put their best foot forward and engage in subjects in which they take interest.

Members of Windham High School's Mental
Health Advocacy Club gather at the school.
Commonly known as the 'Kindness Crew,'
the club's mission is to spread kindness 
among students while creating a safe and
welcoming environment for everyone.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
 

Windham High School’s Mental Health Advocacy Club is commonly known as the Kindness Crew. Their mission is to spread kindness among peers while creating a safe, welcoming environment for anyone to attend. Students acquire strategies to support mental health while breaking down stigmas associated with it.

Meetings take place on Thursday mornings during a PRIDE block in school, from 7:35 to 8:05 a.m. It is an open space for anyone to interact and start conversations with people in the club that they may never have met. Peers spend this time being introduced to new plans or ideas that the club could address.

Kindness Crew advisor Melissa Dubois, who has been working at Windham High School for 24 years, regularly provides students with an agenda, with an activity or a surprise. The point behind this strategy is to keep students engaged and to spread kindness.

“We have had guest speakers and have attended summits with Be The Influence. Some seniors have taken on a leadership role, such as Delana Perkins and Gwen Kim, with organizing events and PRIDE activities,” said Dubois.

Dubois has been running the Kindness Crew for two years. This school year there are about 30 to 40 members who are all active participants while learning about stigma.

Stigma prevents people from speaking up and getting support for issues they are dealing with. Statistics show, just in the farming industry, men represent 95.9 percent of suicide deaths, with a mean age of 57 at the time of death.

“The club was the idea of a former graduate, Hannah McFarland, who wanted to draw attention to mental health issues. I feel it has been successful as the club has doubled in size, not to mention the strategies shared and the opportunities to grow,” said Dubois.

Along with discussing mental health topics openly, students also engage in community service. This school year, Kindness Crew students have planned activities, while taking leadership in others. Some activities they worked on earlier in the school year include the annual Trunk or Treat, youth summits, and participating in last month’s Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce Polar Dip.

Delana Perkins is a Windham High School senior who has been a member of the Kindness Crew since her junior year. She joined instead of spending time with her friends in the morning to help others in the community.

“My favorite part about this club is the bond we have, between fellow high schoolers and the community. The club brings awareness about mental health, where everyone finds many people have their own struggles, making people realize they are not alone,” said Perkins.

Spring is a busy season for the Kindness Crew members. Upcoming events for the students include the Smashing Stigma Campaign, the Yellow Tulip Project and a variety of Windham Parks and Recreation experiences.

The hope for students participating in these events is to help people of all kinds to feel more comfortable and willing to talk openly about mental health, while spreading awareness and being kind.

The Kindness Crew is all about promoting resilience and mental stamina to help enhance communication within, Dubois said.

Those are one of many ways shown they can interact with the community to spread positivity, she said.

Mental health can have a large impact on a person’s daily life. Whether it’s giving someone a thank you letter or listening to a person who wants to be heard, kindness can go a long way. <

WHS robotics teams compete in statewide competition

By Masha Yurkevich

This past Saturday, the Windham High School robotics teams 1810S 1810T competed in the Maine State Championships in South Portland. They had spent months preparing and qualifying for this event, making adjustments to their robot in order for it to perform at its best on the big day.

WHS Team 1810S consists of Francesca Lomonte, Victoria Lin, Pyper Harris, and Rosario Lydon, and WHS Team 1810T consists of Emma Kennedy, Ava Kennedy, and Colby Prescott. The two Windham teams competed with 72 other teams, 48 of which were in the high school division.

 

Windham High teams 1810S and 1810T competed in the
Maine State Robotics Championships last weekend in
South Portland. Team 1810S members are Francesca 
Lomonte, Victoria Lin, Pyper Harris and Rosario Lydon.
Team 18100T members are Emma Kennedy, Ava Kennedy,
and Colby Prescott. The two Windham teams competed 
against 72 other teams, including 48 from the high school
division. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Michelle Lane is the coach for the WHS robotics teams. She started developing the team five years ago when she started teaching at Windham. She was the Robotics Team coach at the previous school where she taught and wanted to start a team in Windham.

The team was officially formed in the fall of 2019. Lane received a grant that would give the school a robotics kit if they purchased one. This would allow for two groups of students that could compete at the competitions, which was perfect for the five interested students.

All five students only had six weeks to work on one robot for the first competition that they attended in November of 2019, since the other kit did not arrive in time. There have been other students interested in joining, though the team has not been able to reach out due to limited transportation and the amount of robot kits that are available.

“The purpose of the Robotics Team is to have a place where students can apply what they learn in their academic classes and to practice critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork skills all while working on an engaging, hands-on robotics challenge” says Lane. “Team members learn a variety of skills that will help them be successful in life. The main one being able to follow the engineering design process, which can be applied to most issues the students may face in their life.”

The process allows students to understand the importance of researching, developing multiple solutions, analyzing those solutions to choose the best one, creating the solution, and then evaluating their solution. During this process students also learn organization, time management, dependability, adaptability, and communication skills.

The team names, 1810S and 1810T, have an interesting story behind them. When you register a team with VEX Robotics Competition, you need to pick numbers and a letter that will be used to distinguish the teams from one another. At Lane’s previous school, she just used the ending of the school phone number, so it would be easy to remember. She decided to do the same when she went to register the Windham High team, since the number was available.

Lane registered the first team as 1810W, W for Windham. The second kit did not arrive until later in the year, so she let that team choose their own letter, S for superior. When she registered the third team in 2021, she decided to just continue in the alphabet, T. Lane retired the W team, since it was all seniors last year and they helped start the team.

Francesca Lomonte is a sophomore at WHS and is part of the 1810S team. This is her fourth year in robotics. She did two years of robotics at the middle school level. She joined Lego League at the beginning of sixth grade and VRC the beginning of freshman year.

“In robotics, we work together to design, build, and program a robot that can compete in this year's VEX Robotics Competition game,” said Lomonte. “The game this year is called Spin Up, which is like disc golf but with more rules. Using only pieces that are put out by VEX Robotics, we have to find ways to play the game, decide on which one works best in relation to the amount of time we have and the materials we have access to, construct the robot, then program a controller to make the bot work, as well as two autonomous programs.”

Even though the two teams are separate, they work very well together and help each other when needed.

“If someone walked into the wood shop on a Tuesday afternoon, they would probably find seven teenagers laughing and working together to create something great with music playing in the background,” said Lomonte. “We're all able to be casual around each other and everyone on both teams from WHS works well together and you can tell that we really enjoy each other's company. We also have to put together an Engineering Design Notebook which marks all of our progress and work throughout the season and can help to win awards like the Judges Award.”

Though none of the teams ended up qualifying for the world robotics competition, Team 1810S ended up ranking seventh in skills and Team 1810T in 8th and team 1810S brought home the Inspire Award and team 1810T brought home the Judges Award. <

Raymond resident launches military career as U.S. Marine

By Ed Pierce

If boot camp is a strong indication of the direction that his military career may take, Austin Goslant of Raymond is off to a promising start.

Private First Class Austin Goslant of Raymond
was honored as one of five Honor Graduates
during the Jan. 134 graduation ceremony for
new recruits at the U.S. Marine Corps boot
camp at Parris Island, South Carolina.
COURTESY PHOTO 
 

Goslant, a 2022 graduate of Windham High School, said that he decided to become a United States Marine because it’s always been a childhood dream and he knew it wouldn’t be easy. Never one to back down from a challenge, Goslant left the Lakes Region on Oct. 22, determined to excel at the 13-week test of moral, mental and physical strength at the U.S. Marine Corps boot camp and recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina.

Awakened at 4 a.m. by the sound of a bugle called “Reveille,” Marine Corps recruits present themselves for accountability and following a regimen of personal hygiene and morning clean-up, they undergo rigorous physical training from Monday through Saturdays. After a morning meal, the recruits begin the day's scheduled training, which typically includes classes, drills, or martial arts. On Sundays, recruits are offered the morning to attend various religious services and take personal time for personal activities such as writing letters, working out, doing laundry, or preparing uniforms and equipment.

“Some training and activities I did were obstacle courses, shooting range, marching and drilling, push-ups, pull-ups, planks, a lot of running, learning how to use tourniquets, how to read a map and compass, combat maneuvers and formations, and Marine Corps knowledge and customs,” Goslant said. “What I enjoyed most about boot camp was the constant exercise and being surrounded by other Marines and recruits who have similar goals to me. The brother and sisterhood you form doesn’t compare to any friendship from high school and earlier.”

He said what he disliked the most about boot camp were recruits that didn’t want to improve themselves and not try as hard as everyone else.

“They would hold us back constantly. I also had a hard time being away from my family,” he said.

Embracing each new challenge that came his way at boot camp as an opportunity, Goslant turned out to be a standout Marine Corps recruit at Parris Island.

“I became the Guide and Honor Graduate for my platoon because the original dudes that were in charge didn’t cut it. The guide before me ran out of the gas chamber and cried like a baby,” Goslant said. ”I showed my Drill Instructors how much I wanted to be the leader of the platoon by how badly I wanted to earn the title United States Marine, by getting good test scores, shooting high expert at the range, and having high first class Physical Fitness and Combat Fitness test scores.”

He said that the platoon guide has to be the picture perfect recruit and Marine, always trying to do the

right thing and be a good example for the rest of the platoon to follow.

“I originally went to boot camp not wanting to be one of those guys that stands out from everyone else because everyone told me to keep my head down, but I noticed how important it was for me to step up and build my leadership skills so I could be a better leader in the future,” Goslant said. “Boot camp really made me reflect on my past, thinking about my entire outlook on life and how to interact with others changed. I can say I improved as a man because of what I went through on Parris Island.”

On Jan. 13, Goslant graduated from the U.S. Marine Corps boot camp, leading his platoon across the parade deck as one of five Honor Graduates out of a graduating class of 264 Marines.

It was a moment of great pride for him as his family and friends were able to travel to Parris Island to watch the graduation ceremony.

“I had a big group at graduation. My mom Tammy, my dad Albert, my brother Jake, grandmother, aunt, and uncle, and my second family, the Morteros, were there,” he said. “It was an emotional experience seeing my loved ones again.”

He’s a Private First Class, E-2, currently stationed with his recruiters in Scarborough, Auburn, and Brunswick until February when he will be attending the U.S. Marine Corps School of Infantry at Camp Geiger in North Carolina.

“ I have a five- year Infantry contract and I’m hoping to be a 0311 (Rifleman),” Goslant said. “Some

things I look forward to doing during my career are to become a better leader and person, travel the world, meet good people, go to college, and keep our country, community, and my loved ones safe.”

Now that boot camp is in his rear view mirror, Goslant says in his spare time he likes spending time with his family, working out, playing video games, listening to music, and playing guitar.

“Some advice I would give to anyone who wants to earn the title United States Marine or join any of the branches is to be comfortable being uncomfortable and strive to be better every day,” he said. “Everything in the Marine Corps is a competition so you should set goals to make yourself better than those around you. A strong mind leads to a strong body.” <

Windham restructures bonds to save town $45,000

By Ed Pierce

Acting upon advice from a bonding agent, members of the Windham Town Council have voted unanimously to restructure some existing bonds which will save the town $45,000 by the time the bonds are eventually paid off.

The Windham Town Council has voted to restructure a
general obligation bond from 2003 to realize savings of
$45,000 for the town. PHOTO BY KEITH MANK

During a Windham Town Council meeting on Jan. 10, councilors were briefed by Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts about the potential for significant savings under a proposed bond restructuring plan.

The original bond of $36,333 million was approved by town councilors in 2003 and was used to pay construction costs for a new addition and renovation project at Windham High School. That general obligation bond was refinanced by the town in 2011 for the purpose of realizing debt service savings to the town at that time.

“When we were going through our current bond approvals, our bonding agent looked at it and we have just two payments left on that bond,” Tibbetts said. “But in refinancing it now, the net effect to us is that we can save $45,000 on this bond.”

The refinanced bond amounts to a total of $3,025 million, according to Moors & Cabot, Inc., the town’s municipal advisor for the issuance of the bond, and an investor has been secured for the restructured bonds.

Municipal bonds are a type of debt security issued by local, county, and state governments. They are commonly offered to pay for capital expenditures such as highway construction or for bridges, or schools. The bonds act like loans, with bondholders becoming creditors of the municipality.

In exchange for the borrowed capital, bondholders and investors are promised interest on the principal balance by being repaid by the municipality by the time of the bond’s maturity date. The bonds are often exempt from most federal and state taxes, which makes them attractive as an investment to those in higher income tax brackets.

Types of municipal bonds include general government obligation and revenue bonds. In Windham’s

case, these specific general obligation bonds were issued by a governmental entity and were not backed by revenue from a specific project, such as from a toll road. Some of Windham’s general obligation bonds are backed by dedicated property taxes, while others are payable from the town’s general funds.

Typically, the interest rate of most municipal bonds is paid at a fixed rate and this rate doesn't change over the life of the bond. However, the underlying price of a particular bond will fluctuate in the secondary market due to market conditions and changes in interest rates and interest rate expectations are generally the primary factors involved in municipal bond secondary market prices.

When interest rates fall, newly issued bonds will pay a lower yield than existing issues, which makes the older bonds more attractive. Investors who want the higher yield may be willing to pay more to get it, and a town such as Windham may weigh refinancing a bond to yield savings, such as for this bond.

All bonds must be approved by the Windham Town Council, and some are voted upon by residents during Windham’s Annual Town Meeting every June.

Windham previously issued $19,045 million in advance refunding general obligations bonds on Dec. 15, 2011, as authorized by the Windham Town Council to refinance the debt owed on the 2003 bonds.

This is fantastic,” said Windham Town Council Chair Mark Morrison. “If we can save $45,000, it’s a no brainer.”

Following a brief discussion, Windham town councilors voted unanimously to approve restructuring the bonds as proposed by the bonding agent to realize the savings.

The restructured bond is expected to be paid in full by Nov. 1, 2033. <

Sponsorship award humbles Windham auto racer

By Ed Pierce

There are special moments in life we never forget and Saturday, Jan. 7 was one of those memorable occasions for auto racer Bobby Timmons of Windham. In a special ceremony during the 34th Northeast Motorsports Expo at the August Civic Center, Timmons was honored with the 2023 GNG’s Gift Award, a valuable sponsorship presented by the family of the late New England racing legend “Grand National Greg” Peters.

Auto racer Bobby Timmons of Windham is the recipient
of the 2023 GNG's Gift Award, a valuable sponsorship
presented by the family of the late New England racing
legend 'Grand National Greg' Peters.
PHOTO BY JEFF BROWN 

The award is given annually to a New England auto racer who best exemplifies the qualities of “Grand National Greg” Peters of Westbrook, who won many races over the years at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway and the Oxford Plains Speedway before passing away in July 2021. The sponsorship is $5,000.09, with the .09 symbolic of the number that Peters used on his racecar over years of competing as a driver and crew chief in Maine.

“It means the world to me to have won the 2023 GNG's gift sponsorship. Greg and his son John have been friends of mine for as long as I can remember,” Timmons said. “Racing cars was Greg's passion in life and for them to choose me as the one who embodies what he stood for is truly an honor. My girlfriend, Abby, and my sister, Nicole, were with me during the presentation as well as many other of my friends in the racing community. The room was standing room only for the presentation and that was a cool sight.”

Timmons says that he’ll use the sponsorship this season to continue his racing career.

“This year we plan to race around 25 to 30 times this upcoming season, anywhere from Maine to Michigan,” he said. “The funds from GNG's gift will go toward all the expenses we have in racing. Tires, fuel, parts for the car, traveling expenses, and more.”

A third-generation racer, Timmons, who turned 30 on Monday, launched his career while competing in go-karts at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough after watching his father, Bobby Timmons, Jr. and his grandfather, Bobby Timmons, race super modified automobiles at racetrack in both Maine and New Hampshire. His devotion to living up to their legacy has led to numerous racing victories.

He won four races this past season. two at Star Speedway in Epping, New Hampshire where he races weekly. He also won two races on the 350 SMAC touring series in 2022, including one at the Hudson Speedway in Hudson, New Hampshire.

“That one was cool because I am sponsored by Hudson Speedway. The second one on the tour was at Wiscasset Speedway in Wiscasset,” Timmons said. “That one was special to me in the sense that it was the first time I had won a race in the state of Maine since 2014.”

Star Speedway is a one quarter-mile banked track and races there are typically 35 to 60-laps in length.

The racecar that Timmons drives most often is a 350-super modified. It has a 350-cubic inch Chevrolet small block engine that produces a little over 400 horsepower and has 10-inch-wide tires. He’s also competed in the past in an ISMA (International Super Modified Association) super modified car with a 468-cubic inch Chevrolet big block that generates about 800 horsepower and considered to be the fastest short track racecars in America.

"The challenge of trying to make a car go faster than everyone else in the garage and on the track, the friends I've made along the way, and the shear aspect of driving a car that fast are the best things about the sport for me,” Timmons said. “At the last ISMA race I competed in, we were reaching speeds of 150 mph.”

A 2011 graduate of Windham High School, Timmons says that the worst part of auto racing for drivers is the amount of money it takes just to be there, let alone to be competitive, so he said the GNG’s sponsorship is a blessing.

“We are very fortunate to be able to build a lot of the things we need to race in-house, but the costs of everything that we can't build or the things that we have to have continue to go up in price every year,” he said. “We have a couple of small sponsors that help us out with the weekly costs of new tires or fuel, but my dad and I fund the majority of it out of our own pockets.”

He’s worked for his father since he was 12 and is a machinist and a welder at his father’s shop, Timmons Machine & Fabrication Inc. of Windham, when not racing super modified cars.

For the 2023 season, Timmons says he plans to continue racing at the Star Speedway in New Hampshire and on the 350 SMAC Tour with his small block super modified car.

“We have races in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York planned with that car,” Timmons said. “My dad and I built a brand-new big block super modified last season. We plan on racing part time in the New England Super Modified Series and the International Super Modified Association with that car in Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and a trip to Berlin, Michigan in July for a special two-day race event.” <

District 2 Music Festival honors Windham violinist

By Ed Pierce

The violin is one of most difficult musical instruments to learn and master and for the past 12 years, Emily Greene has strived to overcome its unique challenges and perform to the best of her ability. That hard work has paid dividends as Greene has been honored by Maine District 2 Music Festival as 1st violinist and concertmaster for an upcoming concert.

Violinist Emily Greene, 17, a senior at 
Windham High School, has been chosen
as 1st Violinist and Concertmaster for
the Maine District 2 Music Festival in
February. Greene has been playing the 
violin since she was 5.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

The daughter of Michael Greene and Debbie Bernier, Greene, 17, is a senior at Windham High School and auditioned in October at Lincoln Middle School in Portland to be chosen to play in the music festival. The audition required her to prepare a piece to perform and two scales as she has done in previous years, but this time, Greene achieved the results she was seeking, earning the highest score among the young musicians who auditioned.

“I was very excited but a little bit shocked as well,” Greene said. “I’ve auditioned for districts before and never been given the honor of serving as concertmaster.”

The concertmaster is the principal first violin player in an orchestra and after the conductor, is the second-most significant leader among the orchestra musicians.

Greene says that she first became interested in playing the violin at the age of 4 when her mother brought her to a concert that featured one.

“I heard it, and I told her that I wanted to play the violin,” she said.

At just 5 years old, Greene began to take violin lessons from Deirdre Oehrtmann of Windham, and it inspired a passion of music and a potential career in music for her. She also sings and plays the guitar and is teaching herself to play the piano.

With Oehrtmann’s guidance, Greene has studied the violin using the “Suzuki Method,” an educational system that teaches children how to play music with the same ease that they learn to speak their native language. Under this type of instruction, practitioners start early and develop rigorous habits through repeated practice and sequential introduction to classical compositions.

From 2011 to 2015, Greene was a member of the children’s orchestra for "The Magic of Christmas" at Merrill Auditorium and Greene has also performed in some concerts at the Portland Conservatory. She performed in an opera at age 10 and then wrote an opera of her own at the age of 11.

Along with the District 2 violin auditions this fall, Greene auditioned for District 2 vocals as a soprano and achieved that distinction too. She qualified as an All-State selection for both vocals and violin this year but had to choose only one and opted for All-State violin honors. Recently she placed in the top three in a classical voice competition sponsored by the Maine chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

According to Greene, the most difficult music she’s had to learn so far was the audition piece for this year’s All-State festival, Concerto 23 in G Major by Viotti. She lists her favorite music to perform as Gavotte in G Minor by Bach and says that she loves to play Christmas songs on all of her musical instruments.

To master the violin takes years and countless hours of practice and that’s something that Greene embraces. Her practice schedule depends upon the day, but usually she practices for a half-hour each weekday before school and longer every weekend in the morning.

“I like playing the violin because it’s a challenge to get everything right, but I can put my own expression into it,” Greene said. “It’s such a beautiful instrument to play and like a high-pitched extension of my voice.”

At Windham High School, she takes music classes taught by Dr. Richard Nickerson and Katherine Herrle and is hoping to study music in college when she graduates this coming June.

Despite performing since she was small, Greene says she still experiences some jitters before playing for a crowd.

“I get a tiny bit nervous but I’m never nervous on stage,” she said.

Greene credits her parents for their support and her violin teacher Oehrtmann, who she continues to study with, for helping her realize her dreams.

“It’s been very rewarding,” she said. “For me music is going to be a big part of my future.”

The Maine District 2 Music Festival will be held in February at Deering High School in Portland. <

Can We? Project engages students in dialogue with elected officials

By Lorraine Glowczak

About 20 Windham High School students recently participated in three separate day-long retreats called the "Can We? Project." Building up to the third retreat, students learned the skills of ‘listening to understand’ through a series of story exchanges. Then, using what they learned in the first retreat, students could practice their listening skills by discussing divisive topics at the second retreat where students chose political and social issues that they deemed essential.

Windham Town Councilor Dave Nadeau offers his thoughts
after one of the Can We? Project student group presentations
at Windham High School. PHOTO BY GARY HARRIMAN

On the last day of the Can We? Project retreat, Wednesday, Dec. 7, students practiced civic engagement skills by presenting their perspectives on their areas of concern to elected officials from the Windham Town Council and the RSU 14 School Board.

Students shared concerns from a global and local perspective ranging from various social, political, and environmental topics.

The students only had 1 ½ hours to choose from one of the issues established by the group to develop an argument. After their presentations, the elected officials were offered an opportunity to ask questions or give an opposing viewpoint to consider.

WHS English teacher, and Can We? Project liaison Chelsea Scott said four student groups and one teacher group presented to the officials in about an hour.

"The student’s level of courage was admirable,” Scott said. “They transformed feelings of anxiety into action and used the little time they had to prepare to create insightful presentations."

School board member and chair Kate Brix said that she was impressed with the students and the Can We? Project process, saying that it was a powerful example of the importance of student's voice.

“Student engagement is a core belief of RSU 14’s strategic plan, and the students of this project were extremely articulate and respectful as they presented their viewpoint on a topic important to them,” she said. “The students I met clearly illustrated that they care and think deeply about issues that impact all our lives. I can’t say enough about how impressed I was with them and know that the skills they learned will be put to good use beyond their high school years.”

Windham Town Council chair Mark Morrison said the project was timely and a valuable lesson in learning respectful dialogue between people with differing viewpoints.

“We saw the students apply and follow the program process with their presentations which stressed presenting respectfully, listening, and asking questions in a way that did not make the dialogue personal,” Morrison said. “I hope this program continues so the students learn the skills needed to effectively communicate so the focus is on the ideas where the pros and cons can be discussed and measured, not on the person. I hope I’m invited back to participate in another discussion.”

After the presentations, the students had an opportunity to reflect upon what they learned most.

“I realized I need to do more research about my subject,” said senior Teddy Becker.

Junior Mareena Batsungnern said participating in the Can We? Project helped develop her skills in leadership.

“It has also given me the courage and motivation to voice my beliefs to others,” she said.

Junior Griffin Moreau said the Can We? Project taught him something that many of us try to learn in an attempt at deep listening. “The thing I think that I learned the most is, ‘be comfortable with silence.’ It is something that I have struggled with all my life and have only started to realize the answer to and the Can We? project has helped with that.”

Scott said the Can We? Project was instrumental in empowering the students to truly listen to each other and discuss divisive topics with empathy and a desire to understand rather than to react.

“Participants have expressed that they feel supported, surprised, and inspired by this program and that they now have the tools and knowledge to participate in their own democracy,” she said.

The Can We? Project was developed collaboratively between the Third Thought Initiatives for Civic Engagement from Waynflete School and the Maine Policy Institute. The mission is to allow high school students the opportunity to engage in thoughtful dialogue across different perspectives.

All three retreats were held at WHS and guided by John Holdridge, the Director of the Third Thought Initiatives for Civic Engagement, and Jacob Posik, the Director of Communications from the Maine Policy Institute. The 20 students were self-selected to participate and represented a true cross-section of ages, academic foci, family experiences and interests.

Students will have the opportunity to expand their experiences with other high school students across the state who also participated in the project, taking their experiences and practice of civil conversation and dialogue to the next level. In addition, WHS teachers who participated in the retreats plan to incorporate the project as an initiative for the whole school.

A thank you goes to the following elected officials who gave the gift of listening and allowing students to practice skills of civic engagement and dialogue respectfully including Windham Town Council members Mark Morrison, Dave Nadeau, and Nick Kalogerakis, RSU 14 school board members Kate Brix, Kate Leveille, Char Jewell, and Jessica Bridges, and former State Representative Patrick Corey. <

WHS students attend youth summit to develop positive leadership skills

By Lorraine Glowczak

About 14 Windham High School students joined 60 other teens from Westbrook and South Portland High Schools in the Third Annual Collective Impact Youth Summit held on Friday, Nov. 18, at the Westbrook-Warren Congregational Church.

Be The Influence, the local drug-free coalition, co-hosted
the Third Annual Collective Impact Youth Summit that
provided teens the opportunity to network about substance
misuse and social/emotional well-being. Fourteen students
from Windham High School attended the event and some
are shown including top from left, Victoria Lin and
Francesca Lomonte. Second row, from left are Jolene Bailey,
Erica Lin, Gwen Kim and Bella Lorenzatti.
PHOTO BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK 

The local drug-free coalition, Be The Influence, which partnered with the Westbrook Partners in Prevention and So Po Unite coalitions, was instrumental in creating this all-day regional high school event. The purpose is to allow teens to network and share ideas with other students about what is happening in their school districts regarding substance misuse with a focus on social/emotional well-being.

During the event, WHS students also had the opportunity to build leadership skills concentrated on helping peers make healthy choices.

All participants had a choice of multiple breakout sessions that included topics such as Yoga and Mindfulness, Using Arts to Build Resilience, Leadership and Advocacy, and Life After High School. They also experienced team-building games and small group discussions.

Freshman Jolene Bailey, a member of the WHS Mental Health Advocacy Club, said that she really enjoyed the Leadership and Advocacy session because she felt she was able to create a bond with students from other schools while learning ways to develop new skills.

“The group consisted of an open conversation and was guided in such a way that I felt comfortable connecting with others,” she said. “I came away from that experience learning the ways of being an effective leader, and I hope to apply what I learned in my life and at school.”

Sophomore Francesca Lomonte, a former BTI member involved in many WHS extra-curricular activities, said that she enjoyed the Yoga and Mindfulness breakout session.

“I really liked the yoga and mindfulness session because it allowed me to chill and reset,” she said. “And it was a lot more fun than sitting in math class.”

The WHS students agreed that the summit was a fun and educational experience that provided a few personal takeaways.

“What I learned the most from attending this summit was the realization that there is a community of students out there other than what I know and experience at WHS,” Lomonte said. “This community of young people is much larger than I realized.”

Freshman Erica Lin attended the event with her older sister, Victoria, who is a senior. Lin shared her own realization regarding a peer-focused community.

“Other schools have a lot in common with us here at WHS in terms of facing the many challenges students meet today, and that makes me feel less alone knowing that.”

As far as developing leadership skills that make a positive impact among friends, the youth summit participants walked away with tools for success.

“In BTI, we create a presentation and talk with middle school students on why vaping is not a healthy choice,” Lomonte said. “Additionally, we can provide positive leadership examples with our peers by being involved in various activities. There are many choices that help people focus on a healthier lifestyle, such as getting involved with theater, robotics club, quiz show group - or any other club that helps you meet people and do something enjoyable with your life.”

BTI Director Laura Morris said that the summit was a huge success.

She said that the event was successful, partly, due to the support of WHS’ Physical Education/Health teacher, Melissa Dubois, and a financial contribution by the Sebago Lake Rotary Club that provided a portion of the summit’s lunch menu.

Morris reiterated the students’ sentiments, stating that she was delighted with the outcome and that students came away with actionable skills.

“Youth are hungry for connection and making a difference,” she said. “It was wonderful to see them embrace the topics and foster strong conversations, taking those experiences and applying them at their schools.”

Morris and Dubois both thanked the Director of Raymond Parks and Recreation, Joe Crocker, for transporting the WHS students to the event.

The BTI vision is to provide support and resources to students as well as communicate a consistent drug-free message, assuring students that they live in a community that cares about them.

The coalition is comprised of various members of the community that include: RSU 14 staff and teachers, local law enforcement, town council members, the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, prevention and counseling organizations, libraries as well as community and business organizations.

For more information about Be The Influence, visit its website at www.betheinfluencewrw.org, or send an email to Laura Morris at btidirector@windhammaine.us. You can also follow them on Facebook. <