Thru-hiker completes her journey - By Michelle Libby

Amanda “Button” Butler is home in Windham after her 2,168 mile journey from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine following the Appalachian Trail (AT).
 

The final step

“It’s been weird not walking everywhere,” she said after she’d been home a week. 

With a group of 11 new hiking friends she’d been with for two months, Butler finished the hike on September 15 on a blustery, but sunny day on Katahdin.

Beginning of the trek

“It wasn’t as emotional as I thought it would be. There were a lot of people on the summit. Every time I thought of it (during the hike) I got goosebumps,” Butler said. Butler’s father also joined her for the final summit. 

The hardest part of the hike for her was the end. “Just having to walk every day. I never wanted to quit. I still had fun,” she said. “(Not taking a break was) a little bit to get it over with, but then again no one wanted it to end.”

Sightseeing above the tree line was nice, she said. “You see so many sights.” At the top of Wildcat Mountain across from Mount Washington a family gave her a cookie and that became a favorite moment on the trail. 

When the group reached Gorham, New Hampshire, Butler’s parents brought the group home to rest for two days after the White Mountains and before the southern Maine journey, which was exhausting, Butler said. 

“I don’t know if I’ll ever do another long distance hike. There’s the Pacific Crest Trail or some hikes in Europe that could be great. I’m going to wait a little while,” Butler said. Hiking the AT again is not on her agenda. “I would have to have a reason,” she said. “I’d rather do other trails before I did the AT again.” 

Off the trail she was just happy for a bed and a shower. “I was sick of smelling bad,” she said. 

Hiking made Butler more outgoing and gave her more confidence, she said. She also learned to survive minimally by not needing as much as she thought she did. Skills she will now bring to the job market are determination and sticking to her goals as well as social skills by being able to interact with so many unique people.

Her favorite part of the hike was Maine and the Bigelow mountain range because there were so many lakes in Maine. “I thought, I shouldn’t think it’s my favorite part because I’m from Maine, but it definitely was,” Butler said.

The food got marginally better once she started hiking with the group. Hummus became her lunch staple and she shared tacos, chicken, beans, guacamole and pasta with the group…”it allows you to be more creative. I don’t miss the trail food,” Butler said. 

Now that she’s home, she’s going to start looking for a job in environmental economics. “I’m a little excited. I haven’t really had a real job, so far,” she said. “It’ll be nice to have an income. I had a lot of hospital bills,” she added.

Most that hike the AT can complete it for around $3,000 and others spend more like $5,000 to do it more comfortably, Butler said. 

She recommends the trek to anyone who wants to try it, but if there’s not a commitment, “you aren’t going to finish. It’s definitely not for everyone,” Butler said. 

She started the trail on March 16, 2013.

Honoring a hero - By Michelle Libby

Early this past rainy Monday morning, officers and K9 dogs gathered in front of the Windham Public Safety building to celebrate the life of Windham’s first K9, Max. A garden with perennials and seasonal flowers was planted in remembrance and honor for the dog who paved the way for the K9 program in Windham. 
 

Sergeant Bill Andrew of Windham Police Department was Max’s handler and partner. He was at the ceremony with his new K9, Grinko, who was partially trained by Max. He summed up the ceremony with three words, “moving, honor, support.” 

Max was born on May 12, 1999 in the Czech Republic. He was chosen out of a field of 12 dogs and purchased in June 2000. Andrew was told, I have one more (dog) for you to look at, “if you don’t care what he looks like,” said Andrew. With only six months at the department Max and Andrew found a 4-year-old runaway child who was a half mile away from his home in Standish.

“Max is a hero,” said chief of police Rick Lewsen. 

In spring of 2002, Max became a narcotics detection dog. He helped take more than $1 million worth of cocaine and crack off the streets, Lewsen said.

Max retired in 2008 and died May 9, 2013, three days before his 13^th birthday.

“He was smaller than most of our dogs, but he had a huge heart,” said Thomas Chard from Scarborough Police Department and head trainer for K9s in southern Maine. “He could take down a larger guy than him for his size because he had so much heart and drive.” 

Lewsen spoke about Max. “Max touched the lives of everyone here. He was our first canine and a member of the Windham Police Department,” he said.

The landscaping and building of the garden was completed by Dave Dixon from building maintenance. 

Last week, Andrew and Grinko had the chance to find a lost child. “I took Grinko out. He pulls me into the woods and there’s the kid. Thirty to 40 yards from where we were,” Andrew said. “It reminded me why I wanted to do this. We can get all the drugs in the world, as long as we find the child,” he added.

Andrew’s mother was in attendance. “Am I proud of him? Yes, I am,” she said with a tear in her eye. 

The rain, which had fallen earlier, held off during the ceremony, but Chard made sure to remember, “It always rains on dog training day.” 

K9 Grinko 

20th annual Windham Car Show big turnout - By Rob McClure

If you missed the 20th Annual Windham/Raymond Athletic Boosters Car Show on September 15, you missed an automotive treat. Every year the Athletic Boosters put on a car show that dazzles the public. And this year was no exception; a huge success with plenty of sunshine, endless raffles, good food and DJ music. 

The 2013 Windham/Raymond Athletic Boosters Car Show was held on the grounds behind the Windham Mall, where over 300 vehicles were on display with somewhere around 500 spectators in attendance. According to this year’s traffic director, Dave Gallagher, the turnout was, “twice as high as last year’s event.”

The car show did not just feature classic cars; there were plenty of vehicles representing a wide variety of styles and eras from Rolls Royce to classic muscle cars. And, muscle cars weren’t the only vehicles that amazed onlookers. The show was open for any and every type of transportation including motorcycles. 

Folks from all over Maine and New Hampshire came to show off their beloved vehicles. No matter where your eyes drifted, there was something to see. The combination of people and cars at the show made this event remarkable. It seemed every car had a story and every owner was willing to talk to anyone willing to lend an ear. You could hear total strangers swapping stories and information about each vehicle while walking around them with admiration. Everyone there, no matter what the age or background, was all brought together by a love for these marvelous machines. 

“Some of the older guys don’t appreciate the newer cars,” according to car show veteran Kevin Lehouillier of Saco. Kevin’s custom built turbo charged 400 horsepower 1995 Acura took second place in the compact sport division this year, down from first place the last two years. And what about those skeptics who don’t admire newer models? Kevin said it’s best to educate them by “pulling away from them.” Kevin and his Acura have won over 30 trophies in several states.

On the opposite side of the grounds was a bright red 1946 Dodge oil truck owned by 78-year-old Don Rich of Windham. Don took third place in the antique truck division with his freshly restored company truck. “It was restored for all the customers who supported us over the years,” said Don. It may have been Don’s first entry in the car show, but he’s no newcomer, he founded his company in 1959, when oil was just 11 cents per gallon and his story could fill a novel. 

Twenty-seven categories were recognized with awards at the show. Trophies and prizes were handed out by the Windham High School varsity cheerleaders. This year’s coveted “Frank Jimino/Lorraine Jordan Best of Show” award went to Sherrie and Tim Burr of Falmouth for their mint 1939 Chevrolet 2-door Town Coup. The Burr’s also won best in class, walking away with not one, but two trophies.

This year’s other winners were the athletes of RSU 14. Proceeds from the show go to providing the students with equipment and an endowment fund that there isn’t room for in the athletic budget.

“It takes lots of volunteers to pull this off,” said founding chair member Lorraine Jordan.

This year’s event was coordinated by Don McGowan and Debra Schkrioba.  

River Road project to begin in early 2014 - By Elizabeth Richards

After several years of planning and public meetings, the reconstruction of 5.9 miles of River Road from Route 202 to Route 302, which includes the addition of a roundabout at Windham Center Road, will go to bid by early next year. Ernie Martin, the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) project manager said, “We’re finally there. It has been a long process, longer than expected but for the most part we’re ready to go. I’m excited to get people out there working so people can see that it is going to happen.”  
 

There were skeptics early on – people who had seen the rebuilding of River Road discussed and dismissed in the past. But through a process that began with a project advisory committee, continued with public hearings, and will soon be advertised for contractor bids, the end result will be a safer commuter route from the Portland area to Windham.  “It’s always good to get something done that we promise – I’m looking forward to it because it has been long process, it has had a few bumps in the road but I think in the end it will be a good road,” said Martin.

Currently, the MDOT is finalizing the plans, and is in the middle of the right of way process, which entails contacting property owners and meeting with them to talk about the impacts on each property and working out details. 

At least one River Road resident isn’t happy with the effect the road project is going to have on his property. Bill Doughty’s house is currently shielded from the traffic on River Road by a nicely landscaped group of trees, which are projected to be removed to make way for drainage. “It is this place, those trees. It’s why I bought it. As you can see, it’s my buffer zone to the River Road,” said Doughty.  “[The design] will dump me right on the street. That’s not why I bought this place,” he added.

The project will leave Doughty’s house completely exposed to the road, as well as cutting a corner off edge of his lot, taking down a stone wall. Doughty pointed to the woods across the road from his lot, “You see what’s across the street?  Nothing!” he said. “They can keep the center of the road where it was depicted when it was horse and buggy, or why don’t you just move it over a little bit, put the center on that side. Take that and leave my trees,” he added. 

Doughty believes in the rebuilding of the road, and said he’s seen many accidents near his house in the winter. “I agree with what they want to do,” he said. He doesn’t agree with how they are doing it. When public meetings were being held, he said he couldn’t attend due to work commitments. He said he tried to call, but his phone messages were never returned. “Now that it’s beyond the changing point, then they answer my phone call,” he said.

 

Doughty, who has owned the property since 1993, and made many improvements to the house, including building decks and a garage, as well as additional landscaping, says he has a feeling of helplessness about the situation. “It just seems like this is out of my hands, and I’m going to lose a significant part of the worth of this house,” he said.  

When asked about right of way issues, Martin said “Obviously as we go to do a project of this magnitude, you’re going to run into things.”  Often, trees are a big problem, he said. With highways that haven’t been rebuilt for decades, if ever, you often have to look at roadway drainage, he said. And this sometimes means the ditch lines are in the trees. Sometimes, he added, the trees are in the state right of way, not on private property. Because of federal and state dollars being spent, and federal guidelines, they are sometimes limited as to what they can do, he said. “It does have its difficulties, but the intent of the department is to work with each individual property owner the best we can and hopefully we can meet their needs. Sometimes it’s difficult depending on the situation,” he said. 

The project will make the road safer, with better sight lines and a corrected profile to eliminate the runoff that happens with the current road in winter. The 5-foot shoulder will allow law enforcement a safe place to pull speeding vehicles over. The addition of the roundabout at Windham Center Road will also help keep speeds down. “That is going to become a traffic calmer. People have to slow down to navigate the roundabout. I think that’s one way to slow them down,” said Martin. 

Martin said the public advisory committee process they went through with the town of Windham was very beneficial, allowing people who live on the road, and key community leaders, an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns. “That was very key to me because they gave me what we then designed. I can’t speak more highly of the folks that were on that advisory committee,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better process or better people on the committee to help guide us to where we are today.”

Once the right of way process is complete, the project will be advertised for about three weeks. Upon submission of required documentation by the contractor, the project will be awarded, and then construction can begin. This process can take a few months, Martin said. When the project has been awarded, clearing or utility work could potentially happen quickly, if the winter is mild. Construction for the full project will have a two year timetable, and is projected to be complete in approximately November of 2015. “As we button up our design, we’ll look at it a little closer and finalize that date before we put the bid package out,” said Martin.

Martin is pleased to see the project finally coming to fruition. “We’re getting ready to finally get this thing to the finish line and get some dirt moving, so people can see that. I know they’ve been patiently waiting.”

Lisa DiBiase settles into her role as Mrs. Maine America - By Michelle Libby

Lisa DiBiase, Portland resident and contributor to The Windham Eagle, spent nine days in Arizona competing in the Mrs. Maine America competition at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. After signing up and winning Mrs. Maine in the span of one month, then traveling for the national Mrs. America pageant, the whole trip has been a whirlwind for DiBiase.

“It was amazing, so beyond expectations. It’s a cliché, but it was surreal. I met so many beautiful, sincere women,” she said. She couldn’t find enough adjectives to describe them all. “With 52 women in a room, we were all waiting and waiting, wondering when were the claws coming out?” They didn’t, was her answer. 

“I feel I have a friend in every single state. I could call any of them up and say, ‘I’m in Kansas, where should I go, want to meet up?’ and they would welcome me and my family,” DiBiase said. 

While in Arizona, DiBiase toured the area, had lunch with the mayor and practiced routines until her feet were exhausted. 

“After wearing heels for nine days, my hamstrings and back were so sore,” she said. “It was busy, exhausting busy. I was up at 5 a.m. every day and rehearsals went until 10 p.m. some nights,” she said. 

DiBiase is married to Matt DiBiase and they have a six-year-old son, Jordan, who is proud of his mother. DiBiase said that Jordan helped her with her catwalk and knows that Ne-yo’s song “Let’s go” is her pageant song.
Matt is “really, really proud. He has a better appreciation for women when they beautify themselves,” she said. 

For the next year she will give back to the Mrs. Maine organization though her volunteer efforts at ribbon cuttings, parades and anywhere else someone would like Mrs. Maine to be. “I will continue to do volunteering in the community,” she said. She also wants to work on her platform, which is with the Portland Recreation Department. 

“I’m bringing to them the value of eating healthy, being active and having fun along the way,” DiBiase said. She said she would love to be a spokesperson for the 5210 program encouraging people to exercise as a family and to have fun. 

While getting ready for the competitions, DiBiase and her family have participated in Crossfit Beacon in Portland, which was also one of her major sponsors. “I worked out every day and did sit ups every single workout,” she said. She also had personalized workouts with coach Kellie, many of which focused on squats. 

“It’s expensive to be in a pageant,” DiBiase said. She borrowed dresses from former contestants, her coaches and from Ashley Lauren Designs who let her borrow an evening gown and two cocktail dresses.

“It costs a lot of money. It’s like a third job and you don’t get paid for it,” she said. “It’s not something I’ve tried to do,” she said. She had never done a pageant before when she won Mrs. Maine. “Not many people can go out and go to a national competition (on their first try),” DiBiase said.
She also learned about time management. Between her job and family, she had to try to keep everyone happy. 

“I used all the resources of Mrs. Maine to pull it all together,” DiBiase said. She brought her hair and makeup artist, Jessica Candage, with her to Arizona to help with everything from extra eyelashes to foundation.
“I couldn’t have done it without her,” she said. 

Debra Pronovost, the director of Mrs. Maine America, was very good at knowing what DiBiase needed. She made lists that DiBiase could check off. “I’m a list girl. Her support and her tenderness all the time – always giving me complements was phenomenal.” 

Christie Cantara, Pronovost’s right hand, collected gifts for all 51 contestants, a gift for the mayor and a gift for the president of the hotel. There was a soup, chowder and cracker basket, Wendy Hazen Designs stationary gift bags and small gifts from a variety of local businesses like Mooseville Chapstick, Wild Blueberry Association of North America, L & L Pops and Land’s End Gift Shop. Ropes Maine sponsored DiBiase as well as Falmouth Dental Health whitened her teeth. Christine Blake Designs designed her snowstorm costume.
Once at the competition, she said that the owners of the pageant spoiled them with cute little gifts. 

DiBiase’s secret to success was hiring a coach and doing what they said. She hired Randi Preis of Confidence by Randi to help with her interviewing and walk. “She was my coach for Mrs. Maine and I won,” DiBiase said. “In life, go to someone who’s an expert, and consult with them. Also have a great hair and makeup artist,” she said. 

As far as a future in pageants, DiBiase is finished. “One and done,” she said. “I don’t want to change the experience I already had.”