Windham couple got their kicks, and more, on Route 66 - By Walter Lunt

Since 1926, driving down Route 66 has been the experience of a lifetime for travelers, adventurers, desperados and dreamers.

                                                                                                   www.historic66.com

Stan and Cheryl Page spent most of April and May driving their dream. It was the entire 2,249 mile length of historic Route 66, through eight states from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. Often referred to as the Main Street of America, or the Mother Road, Route 66 was created in 1926 to accommodate the growing number of motorized vehicles, mostly going west. Route 66 was officially removed from the U.S. highway system in 1985, replaced by a patchwork of interstate roadways. The old route, however, is clearly marked and supported by various historic and business organizations.

 

Today, travelers on the iconic road, particularly baby boomers, know their tour embodies the nostalgia and pop culture of the mid-20th century. Stan said the road has strong ties with old cars and the old days, so this trip wouldn’t be authentic unless he and Cheryl made the trip in their vintage car, a meticulously restored and smartly modified 1969 blue and white Camaro. Familiar to many around Windham, the Camaro has earned an astonishing 300-plus plaques and trophies in car shows from North Carolina to Toronto. To date, the car has logged over 320,000 miles. Stan has done all the mechanical work. He credits Ray Philpot, owner of J & R Garage in Windham, for much of the body and paint work.

 

So how does one prepare a high mileage classic car for a trek across America? Page said the process began four years ago. He installed a new wiring harness, replaced rear end gears, the shocks and springs, and upgraded to a 5-speed transmission, with overdrive, for long term highway driving. He also added air conditioning.

Despite the extensive preparation, acquaintances winced when learning the Pages would embark on an 8,000 mile trip in a 45-year-old vehicle. Skeptical friends and patrons at Cheryl’s work place, Mr. Mike’s (formerly Puff & Stop) in North Windham, went the distance and gifted the Pages a Triple-A gold insurance plan – good for towing and lodging, “just in case.”

Although equipped with GPS, the Page’s relied almost exclusively on a thick travel booklet published by the National Historic Route 66 Federation. It features maps, information on attractions, games, history, and even roadway scavenger hunts. Cheryl kept a diary of the couple’s travels, recording weather conditions (“we went through tornado alley during tornado season” but luckily encountered no storms), attractions, motel and lodging stays and personal details.

Nearly all roadside businesses and attractions capitalize on the glory day’s theme of Route 66, from restored gas stations to murals depicting old advertising signs, autos and life styles of the road’s early days. Their favorite sites: Cheryl, who is considering retirement, was taken by the World’s Largest Rocking Chair, standing 42 feet tall. Stan, on the other hand, never got to visit his, which would have been The Big Texan tavern, a steakhouse that advertises a 72 oz. steak – “consume the meal within one hour and eat free.” Friends and high school classmates of Stan know him to be the biggest fan of steak on the planet. But the tavern was too far off their route. 

Both said they were captivated by the Town of Oatman, Arizona, populated almost exclusively by burros walking free and wild. The town, located in the Black Mountains, became a mining mecca in 1863 with the discovery of gold. When the last prospectors left around 1915, their pack animals were set free. Now managed and protected, Oatman is a tourist destination, complete with wondering burros and gift shops.

Another trip highlight was the 800-car May Run, an antique car cruise extending 158 miles along an uninterrupted stretch of the original Route 66. The Pages were delighted to be able to join the nostalgic caravan for the first day of its run.

Among the historic sites, celebrations, sagebrush and tumbleweeds, tourist shops, motels and lodgings (all depicting early day themes), Cheryl said she was dumbfounded by the number of wrecked, abandoned and rusting antique cars. “They were everywhere, all makes, along the entire route. A field day for old car lovers.”

And yes, they heard that unmistakable Nelson Riddle instrumental that was the theme music of the early sixties television series Route 66. It played in various establishments, along with pictures or murals of the two young adventurers (Martin Milner and George Maharis) driving a Corvette on Route 66, exploring the social problems of a changing America.

There were side trips and a different route home. The Pages visited Yellowstone National Park, Hoover Dam, rode a horse within 200 feet of the famed Hollywood sign, drove a race car in Las Vegas and saw a Wild West show at Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede. Both agreed the most unforgettable experience was seeing the presidents on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

And did they experience the predicted mechanical problems? “Yeah,” admitted Stan. With raised eyebrows, he added, “Twice.” Once in Texas where they lost two days to a smoking rear axle, and the second time on their way home; “We drove from New York to Windham on seven cylinders.” Presently, the Camaro sits in Stan’s garage with no motor and “parts everywhere,” waiting for the installation of a new “383 Stroker,” which arrived last week. Thinking back on the four years of mechanical prep work, Stan grinned and added, “I guess I should’ve changed engines too.”

Asked to reflect on their adventure with a single thought that best expresses their month-long journey, Cheryl responded, “I love America – beautiful, beautiful America. And I’m so thankful to have seen a good percentage of it.” Stan summed up the experience from a different perspective. “Well, I got to cross it off my bucket list, and I completed the trip in a 45-year-old car.”

As for advice to others contemplating Route 66: “Don’t just say you want to do the trip – get up and do it. Don’t wait.”

Windham junior wins state Lions Club International Speak-Out Contest - By Michelle Libby

Windham High School junior Madison Mauro recently won the state competition in the Lions Club International Speak-Out Contest with her speech about freedom of expression on physical and digital planes. From freedom of speech and freedom of expression, she argued and defended her position on the local level, regional level and finally to the state level. Her faculty advisor at WHS was Tom Noonan.

“Clearly they have a voice and opinions. This takes them outside their comfort zones,” Noonan said. 

 

Noonan, who teaches AP English, uses this contest as a way to prepare the students for one of the essays on the AP exam. The students study language, rhetoric and persuasion. “This is an authentic, true life experience,” he said. 

Camille Swander has been coordinating with WHS for eight years as the Lions Club representative. The students pick a topic of local, state, national or international interest and prepare a five minute speech. They then research the topic until they know it and are comfortable with it. Points are taken off if the student uses notecards during the presentation. The students were judged in 10 areas, including voice, enunciation, pace, appearance, construction, interest, replies and manner of response. 

“They are scored on how well they respond and the depth of knowledge,” said Swander. 

The students use a minimum of eight sources and at Windham are helped by the librarian at the high school. They created a central argument and take a perspective on the topic. It’s an opinion piece with facts to back up their position, Noonan said. 

“I’m like a proud papa. They are young budding experts. To hear a teenager say [his opinion] is really powerful,” he added. 

The students in the class do the paper for class and present it for the 10 extra bonus points toward their grades. “The students don’t realize they take it to the next level,” Noonan said. After two months of research, like a typical college assignment, they are invested in their topic and it’s more than the points.

Mauro competed against 12 others at the local level, which took place in the classroom. Then she went against five other winners from the region at a competition held in Gray. Finally, she went to the state competition in Auburn at the Maine Lions District Convention, where she competed against five others. 

“You’re always nervous about giving a speech to people. The questions were hard,” Mauro said. She was asked questions about cyberbulling, if American’s are too sensitive when it comes to certain topics and the difference between editorializing and freedom of expression. 

“It’s subjective, the questions. Some get easier questions than others,” said Noonan. 

 Mauro was awarded prize money at each level earning over $700 for her efforts. Her plans are to put the money in the bank for her first semester books for college. 

“I didn’t realize how much I like speaking in front of people. The higher I got, the more I liked it. It is something I want to pursue.” Mauro was interested in marine biology, but now sees a future in political science and government too. She is looking at the University of Tampa and Georgetown University for after high school. 

Some of the other topics were sleep deprived teens, eating disorders, and celebrities impacting fans with their bad behavior. 

“We are so thankful our faculty staff member, Tom Noonan,” said Swander.  

Windham hopes to trade up to a new South Windham fire station - By Michelle Libby

The South Windham Fire Station has been at 8 Main Street since it was built in 1966 and before that the location has housed a fire station since 1934. However with today’s equipment and needs the existing space isn’t working. 
 

“The biggest challenge is location,” said Fire Chief Brent Libby. “We currently have 3,500 square feet of space.” The need to keep a station in South Windham trumps any other needs, according to Libby.

The current location has been added on to and can’t grow any further due to its location right on the Presumpscot River. Problems begin with the settling of the building, parking is an issue, when trucks pull in or out of the station, and they have to stop traffic to get the truck into the road or to back into the bay, and end with a lack of space for what they need. 

The station is a cooperative one with Gorham and in addition to monetarily sharing a ladder truck, they go on calls together and have since 1934. This past year 391 calls were responded to from that station. North Windham had 827 calls for service and Central Windham has 707. 

The South Windham station also houses Gorham’s engine 1, and unit 8, a response pick up truck, as well as a Hazmat truck. Both towns use the trucks as necessary, according to Libby.

The owner of record of the property at 33 Main Street, MCL Realty LLC, approached the town to see if it wanted to purchase the land and buildings at that location for a new fire station. 

“It wasn’t a priority,” said Libby. Two years ago the town did a building study and last year it did a feasibility study, but Libby said he didn’t see anything happening for a while. 

The space at 33 Main Street has 12,000 square feet in a metal building attached to a small log home. The existing production space is a good fit for making truck bays and other things the firefighters need. The feasibility study said that the existing building can be used as a fire station with some upgrades. There is public water and sewer that the building can connect to and a sprinkler system is already in place. 

Other changes to the building include adding bay doors, and reinforcing the metal because the building is considered critical infrastructure. They will also add showers, a kitchen and bunks. 

The space is better because it is off Route 302 using a shared driveway with other businesses as part of an industrial condominium complex.  There is plenty of space for the ladder truck to get in and out of the building, Libby said. A drive through door system will be added to assist with that. There is also access from the property onto Depot Street. 

“This gives us the flexibility and options if we need more space,” Libby said. Windham also houses three live in college students from the SMCC fire science program, who provide coverage and response. The building wouldn’t be ready for a year. “I think it’s a good opportunity the owner has offered to the town. We can keep the fire station in that neighborhood. It’s the best option to come up with,” Libby said.

The town will need to “authorize the issuance of up to $1,668,000 in general obligation bonds or notes.” This includes the land, building upgrades and improvements. If the town was to build a new fire station in South Windham, if it could even find the land to do this, it would cost at least $2 million. “There’s not a lot of real estate in that village,” Libby said.  

“The cost to acquire the buildings and an interest in the land at 33 Main Street is $700,000. The cost of the renovations, including design/engineering, and contingency, is estimated at $968,000, for a total project cost of $1,668,000,” said Town Manager Tony Plante. The contact for the town has been former town councilor and marketing strategist Peter Anania. The future of the project is in the hands of the voters. “This will meet the needs now and in the future,” said Libby. 

The project will be voted on at a special town meeting immediately following the regular annual town meeting on Saturday, June 13, 2015. The annual town meeting begins at 9:45 a.m. with the election of a moderator and consideration of the annual budget begins at 10 a.m.

Insight - A final in kidness - By Michelle Libby

Last week Windham High School was rocked by the death of a sophomore. The family’s roots run deep in Windham and the outpouring of support and love was palpable at the boy’s funeral on Tuesday. Practices were canceled and games were postponed. Death is never easy and even more difficult is trying to explain it to young children.
 

Looking for ways to cope with the loss is a normal way to deal with the feelings kids and adults have. Some got together with friends, others wrote poems and some turned to religion. 

This week is also finals for graduating seniors at WHS. This is a time for celebration, parties and excitement. Last Friday, on the last day of senior classes is typically the day the senior class pulls a class prank. We’ve all heard the stories of a principal’s car being relocated to the roof of a school, or shrink wrapping all of the classroom furniture in the middle of the room. This year the class of 2015, in honor of their friend and brother of the class of 2015 president, the class chose to “prank” the school with kindness. Little sticky notes were left all over lockers, windows, on desks and in the halls. Each one with a message, “you matter,” “stay strong,” and other positive messages from the class. Even over the weekend, the messages were still hanging in the halls and around the cafeteria. 

I’m not sure whose idea it was to do this, but bravo. Turning what usually is a day that makes adults grit their teeth, into something positive that shows the community and the school that what they preach, what they discuss and what the school strives for is sinking in. It’s teaching our children and students that kindness matters. Future classes have seen your messages and hopefully will find a way to top the “kindness prank” next year, and the year after and the year after. 

Class of 2015, you have made your mark on Windham High School and looking back 20 years from now, I think you’ll like what you see. Congratulations on your graduation, and again, we at The Windham Eagle are sorry for your loss.