Windham welcomes new animal control officer Trista Comtois - By Elizabeth Richards

Windham’s new animal control officer, Trista Comtois, is settling into her new role after coming on board full time in December. Prior to being offered the full time position, she had been working on a part-time trial basis since October. 
 

Comtois is originally from Vermont. She has been involved with animals from a very young age, and was raised to be very compassionate towards both people and animals, she said. Her mother raised six kids on her own and worked in the nursing field, but also found the time to help animals in the community. “If someone had an animal they couldn’t take care of, we would take it and find where it needed to go,” she said.

Comtois first came to Maine for college. She earned a degree in psychology at Saint Joseph’s College, then moved back to Vermont to get married and start a family. Last year, her husband’s job brought them back to Maine. 

After working in the mental health field for close to ten years, Comtois said she had a “life awakening” and realized she would prefer to work with animals as well as people, rather than continuing on the path she was on. “I knew that I could use a lot of my education and experience in the mental health field while working with animal welfare,” she said. She attended training academies through the National Animal Control Association in both Connecticut and Idaho. Then, she began pursuing opportunities in the field.

Comtois worked as the animal control officer in Buxton for close to a year before the Windham job became available. She applied for the job in Windham because it was both closer to her home in Standish, and a full time opportunity, rather than part time as she was working in Buxton.

Animal control is a developing field, and there’s more to the animal control program than catching stray dogs, said Comtois. “It’s evolved a lot,” she said, adding that Maine has particularly good animal rights laws as compared to many other states.

Her job as Windham’s animal control officer means that she must uphold all state laws pertaining to animal welfare, as well as any town ordinances. While she deals with typical dog at-large issues and barking dog complaints, she also conducts investigations into possible animal cruelty cases. When someone has a concern about the welfare of animals in their community, a call comes in and Comtois does an investigation the same way any law enforcement officer would. She has to follow all the same procedures in obtaining information to move forward to protect the animals.

Another facet of her job is to do community outreach and education programs. In Buxton, for instance, she did a presentation on animal safety for students in the summer recreation program. While she hasn’t been on the job long enough to start these programs in Windham, she is planning on offering the same type of outreach, with the goals of reducing dog bites and raising awareness about safety issues in the community.

Officer Comtois said it’s important to let people know that a dog bite doesn’t automatically mean the dog will be euthanized. Sometimes, she said, there is that misconception which leads to people not telling anyone if they get bitten. But that is not the first step in the process, and it’s important for people to let someone know if they have been bitten. This is partly so that it can be verified that the dog has had a rabies vaccination, and also to ensure that the family, and the dog, get support if needed. Additionally, if there is an ongoing issue with a dog, but no one has called to let animal control know, there isn’t much they can do. “If we don’t know, then we can’t help,” said Comtois. 

Another thing that is important for people in the community to know, especially at this time of year, is that it is not illegal to leave a dog outside. “As an animal lover, I would love for everyone to keep their dogs inside, but they don’t have to legally,” said Comtois. As long as state laws are being followed and the dog has proper shelter, tethering, water and food available, they can be outside. It’s still important for people with concerns to call, she added, so that she can check and be sure the dog is being properly cared for. 

Another thing to understand is that in most states, pets are property rather than being seen as living creatures with rights. So if someone sees a dog outside and takes it, thinking they are doing the right thing, that person can be charged with theft.

While she believes it is ideal for cats to be indoor pets, Comtois said there are no laws restricting the movement of cats. This means that if a cat is in your yard, there is nothing the animal control officer can do about that. It is up to the property owner to keep the cat off their property, and in a way that is safe for the animal. 

Feral cats can be an issue, and Comtois said if people know of feral cat populations, they should call for support from animal control. Though the cats won’t necessarily be removed, animal control can help ensure that these animals have rabies vaccinations, are neutered, and have shelters. It’s important for people to know that they should never touch a stray or feral cat, due to the risks of disease if they are bitten or scratched.

Comtois said that everyone in Windham has been very helpful in getting her acclimated to the position. She feels fortunate to be a part of the police department, and said that the officers are very supportive of the animal control work. In some towns, animal control is not affiliated with the police departments, which means less access to resources, training and equipment. 

Comtois lives in Standish with her husband, two children and two dogs. She said she loves being back in Maine. They are a family of skiers and snowboarders, and spend time at Shawnee Peak every weekend in the winter.

Local legislators meet to discuss budget and other issues - By Michelle Libby

The most important thing that came out of the legislative meeting held last Saturday with Senator Bill Diamond, and representatives Mark Bryant and Patrick Corey is nothing is set in stone when it comes to Governor Paul LePage’s budget. 

The informational meeting held at the town hall was supposed to focus on the budget, but became the chance for constituents to talk to their legislators face to face about many issues on their minds.

“We don’t feel it’s good to be partisan when we are doing things for the town,” said Diamond. “This is the most controversial budget in the years I’ve been up there.” 

Some of the big issues at this point are the loss of revenue sharing which will affect Windham and the town budget. Revenue sharing was created to provide property tax relief, said Windham town manager Tony Plante. In 2017, this would mean the loss of $.50 on the local tax rate. “That means a reduction of services or passed on directly to the taxpayers,” he added. 

The budget gets rid of the Homestead Exemption for those under 65 years old. The exemption is doubled to $20,000 for those 65 years old and over. 

“It depends on your personal situation as to what happens for you,” said Plante, when asked what these changes mean for the middle class. 

Other changes will be not eliminating the Maine income tax, but will reduce the rate from 7.95 percent to 5.75 percent by 2019. The sales tax would stay at the current rate of 5.5 percent and will increase to 6.5 percent in 2016. The service-provider tax would increase from 5 percent to 6 percent in 2016. The meals and lodging tax would be decoupled. The lodging tax would remain at 8 percent. Meals and liquor would decrease from 8 percent to 6.5 percent. 

There was some talk about the correctional issue taking place after Sheriff Kevin Joyce said that the Cumberland County jail will be out of money by the end of February. As far as the budget goes, it would fund seven new Maine Drug Enforcement Agency agent positions as well as four new assistant attorney generals and four new district court judge positions, all of which deal with drug related crimes. It would also fund 22 new assistant district attorney positions. 

Twenty-two forest ranger positions would be eliminated and nine new natural resource law enforcement officers will be brought on. 

Bonnie Titcomb-Lewis from Raymond spoke about substance abuse and detriment to cutting back on Methadone treatments.

Other topics discussed were the Center for Civic Education, which is fundraising for a national trip. They discussed the damage to Babb’s Bridge, which is the state’s responsibility to get the bridge serviceable. It is up to the towns to preserve the historic value. There was also talk about the creation of a fourth casino and racino in Southern Maine.

For more information on the budget, visit http://www.maine.gov/budget/budgetinfo/. To speak to the local legislators call, Diamond at 892-8941, Bryant at 892-6591 and Corey at 749-1336.

Babb's covered bridge repair set for spring - By Walter Lamb

After a meeting on Tuesday between DOT officials and members of Windham and Gorham’s legislative delegations, it was determined that Babb’s Bridge on Covered Bridge Road would not be fixed until spring at the earliest.
 

Babb’s covered bridge, closed to traffic recently due to damage caused by a hit and run driver as well as time and weather. The decision to wait until the snow was gone before attempting to repair the bridge made at a meeting in Augusta on Tuesday. The meeting was requested by Senator Bill Diamond and Representatives Mark Bryant and Patrick Corey after learning the State would not restore thru-traffic until spring. All said the delay was unacceptable. Representative Amy Volk from Gorham was also in attendance. “Having three people there from DOT, including their bridge maintenance guy, shows they’re doing their due diligence,” said Corey.

The fix will involve staging on the outside of the bridge and with the snow, repairing it now would be really hard, according to Corey. The repairs the DOT and the delegation spoke about at the meeting will not historically accurate. 

“What I really want is to get the bridge so it works,” said Diamond. Diamond added that getting the bridge safe to use is the first priority then there will be time to work with the town, DOT and the historical societies in both communities to do historical restoration. 

“I was pleased with their attitude,” said Diamond, who said the weather would be the determining factor when it comes to when the repairs begin. “It will be a couple of months.” 

Once repairs have started it should take between four and five weeks to complete the project.  

Close to 300 cars cross Babb’s Bridge every day, according to Diamond. Commuters in the area now have to detour to other points that cross the Presumpscot River. The damage, involving a support post on the Windham side, rendered the structure unsafe for vehicles but not in danger of collapse, according a state engineer. “It’s not a novelty bridge,” said Diamond.

Diamond said a related issue pertaining to the future of the historic span was also discussed. Local historians and other supporters of preserving historic construction practices have expressed concern over so-called “patchwork fixes” on the walls and roof of the bridge, fearing the approach might promote further deterioration and loss of its historic appearance. “There was no talk of taking it out of service,” said Diamond, after Tuesday’s meeting. 

The current bridge was built as a replica of the original span (ca. 1864) following its destruction by arson in 1973. Rep. Bryant said he has requested the legislative law library investigate the precise language of legislation, drafted after the fire that laid out the monitoring and cost obligations of all parties involved in the rebuilding. 

Windham Historical Society member Gary Plummer said “the covered bridge is an integral part of the histories of Windham and Gorham,” and remembers the dedication and hard work of people from both communities who committed to restoring the span as an exact replica, despite protests from the state that such an approach was too costly. Volunteers from both towns held fund raising events and helped in the planning and construction.

Plummer addressed the Windham Town Council on Tuesday. “It will cost $173,000 to bring it back to the 1976 level. The roof is the most pressing to keep the weather out. It would cost $55,000.” The costs to the bridge renovation ultimately fall to the state, said Plummer. 

Babb’s Bridge is only one of nine covered bridges left in Maine. New Hampshire and Vermont both have approximately 100 left.

Despite the snow, the show goes on for Annie Jr. - By Stephanie Coffin

After multiple cancellations and delays the Windham Middle School performance of Annie Jr. was a success! I was able to attend the last performance of the play and was quite taken by the energy on stage.

Several main characters including Annie were unable to perform the last play of the night due to uncontrollable circumstances. However, the kids stepped up and put on an unbelievable performance. 

Annie is the iconic story of an orphan who lives with in an orphanage under the rule of Miss Hannigan. She is chosen to spend time with millionaire Oliver Warbucks and his unique staff. They all grow fond of Annie and decide to keep her. Deep inside Annie hopes to be reunited with her birth parents, but there is an evil plan hatched by Miss Hannigan and her cohorts. 

The level of talent of the performers in Windham was wonderful to witness. The kids had great singing voices during the group performances and solo songs. Chloe Cyr a seventh grader stepped in to play the lead role of Annie at the last minute due to Denali Dieumegard coming down with the flu. Chloe took charge of the role and put on a wonderful performance with no flaws witnessed on my part. Eighth grader Makayla Malloy was wonderful as Miss Hannigan with her evil looks and sassy behavior. Eleven-year-old Austin Norcia as Rooster played the part great, right down to the greased slick back hair look of a con artist. Davin Farinella played Oliver Warbucks so true character he even went to the extent of shaving his head for the show.

Each middle school child on that stage did a wonderful job and should be proud to have put a smile on so many faces. The audience was entertained by the hard work and dedication to their part in the performance of Annie Jr.

I have never seen a Middle School play before Annie, but I will say I will be attending more in the future. The whole show was a wonderful experience to see. I encourage you to take a break from your everyday life the next time you see a sign at the rotary advertising a performance and to stop into the Windham Preforming Arts Center and watch the talent up on the stage.