Local woman appears on Jeopardy - By Elizabeth Richards

In September, Windham resident Jennifer Robinson crossed an item off her bucket list when she flew to California to appear on an episode of Jeopardy. 

Robinson had auditioned for the show three times over the past several years. When the most recent opportunity to take the online test arose, she tried again, and made it to regional auditions once more. She was never called to appear the previous two times, but this time she didn’t have long to wait. Robinson attended the regional audition in Boston in June, and in August the call came in telling her she’d been selected as a contestant. 

“I was stunned,” she said. She was on vacation at the time, in a hotel room in Presque Isle with her two sons. Seeing that the call originated in Culver City, CA, she knew it was the studio calling. Mindful of other hotel guests, she tried to keep her excitement in check, but after getting the details she said, “I got off the phone and started jumping up and down – I’m not too old to be doing that.”   

In September, Robinson flew to California for the taping. She said she was more nervous about flying than anything else initially. She didn’t get nervous about the game until the actual taping began. “My knees started shaking and they really didn’t stop shaking until about halfway through double Jeopardy,” she said. Despite her nerves, she is pleased with her performance. 

“It was a very great competitive game,” she said, with just a couple thousand dollars separating the contestants. 

During her contestant interview, host Alex Trebek chose to ask her about her interest in the Civil War. Coincidentally, when the final Jeopardy category appeared, it was The Civil War. 

“My first thought was I better get this right,” said Robinson who was in second place going into Final Jeopardy. She did, in fact, answer the question correctly. The other two contestants also came up with the correct answer, leaving Robinson in the second place position at the end of the game. 

Robinson’s episode was scheduled to air on October 22, 2015. A viewing party was scheduled at Easy Day in South Portland, where Robinson bowls with group from Texas Instruments where she works. Four days before the party, Robinson’s mother passed away, and the event was cancelled.

Due to a glitch somewhere, the episode actually aired on Wednesday, October 21^st. The family was at dinner when Robinson’s husband got an alert on his phone that the episode was on. Robinson said that since then, she’s learned that friends and family who happened upon the show tried to alert others. “There were some who missed it, and were very disappointed about missing it, unfortunately,” she said. 

Robinson said the experience was amazing. Everyone connected to the show was friendly, helpful and genuinely interested in how the contestants did, she said. She’s glad she had the opportunity to step outside her comfort zone and appear on national television. “It was all the way around a fantastic experience,” she said.

Windham WW II Vets take part in Honor Flight Maine - By Walter Lunt

Bob Miele, 92, and Don Rogers, 90, are World War II veterans and long-time residents of Windham. Neither had seen the memorial that commemorates and honors those who served the country selflessly and courageously during America’s involvement in the Second World War (1941 – 1945). Enter Honor Flight Maine.
 

Honor Flight is a national non-profit organization that connects America’s war veterans with their memorial in Washington D.C. Honor Flight Maine board member Paul Roy said that 69 veterans made the trip to the nation’s capital in recent weeks. Miele was included in a group of 27 in late August. Rogers traveled with a group of 42 Veterans last weekend.

Roy said some parts of the nearly two day whirlwind tour are pretty emotional. Groups leave Portland Jetport on Southwest Airlines (a supporter of the honor flight program) and land in Baltimore where the vets are greeted by throngs of well-wishers. Miele said this was the highlight of his trip as he and fellow veterans received hundreds of salutes, handshakes and warm, very genuine welcoming words, mostly “Thank you for your service.” The greeters included service people in full dress military uniforms, honor guards, VFW and American Legion representatives, Shriners and even cheerleaders. Most moving, said Miele, was the band of 15 to 20 bagpipes who played and provided escort to a waiting motor coach. Here the bagpipers gave way to the official escorts for the bus – Vietnam veterans on motorcycles. The caravan proceeded into Washington, much like a presidential motorcade.

Miele and Rogers, both ambulatory, were never-the-less provided with wheelchairs for the lengthy journey through several memorial parks, assisted by their volunteer guardians – daughter Tina Miele-Pomerleau accompanied Miele, son Scott was with Rogers.

Roy said the group is treated like royalty throughout the trip. They strolled the World War II, Korean, Vietnam and Iwo Jima memorials.  At Arlington National Cemetery, three veterans from the Maine group participated in the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The return flight to Maine featured mail call. Each veteran received several cards and letters from admirers around the country, adults and children, who wanted to thank and connect with Veterans. Rogers commented, “It’s a heck of a thing when you can’t even read a letter,” a reference to the tears that had momentarily blurred his vision while perusing his mail.

 

The two Windham veterans said the return trip was filled with the same pomp and ceremony as the send-off. Portland Jetport erupted in cheers, handshakes and hugs from the throngs of adults and children that came to greet their arrival.

More Maine honor flights are planned for the near and distant future. Nationally over 16,000 World War II veterans are on a waiting list. Thousands more are expected to apply in 2016. Roy said funding for the trips comes primarily from donations made by individuals and fraternal organizations. “The program is run by volunteers,” he said, “and every cent goes to Veterans to see their memorials.”

Roy explained that Veterans are flown on a first-come, first-serve basis. The top priority is given to World War II veterans and all other veterans with a terminal illness. Second priority goes to Korean War veterans, and then Vietnam War veterans, “…who are very important to us considering how underappreciated their service was.”

Miele and Rogers spoke with the Eagle wearing their trip tees and caps, mementos of appreciation from Honor Flight Maine. The back of their T-shirts said, “If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a Veteran.”

Rogers, who felt "duty bound" left high school to join the US Army Air Corp and trained to be a fighter pilot. He finished his studies in the service. Miele became a radar operator and served in the European theater.

Windham History: Can you dig it? - By Walter Lunt

Utilizing shovels and smart phones, state archeologists uncover 250 year old artifacts from the site of Windham’s old province fort

Archeologist Amy Mitchell gave the sifter a stiff shake; centuries old dirt dropped through the quarter-inch screen mesh, leaving behind curious dark colored objects, mostly soil chunks and small pebbles. But then, “Hey, a button!” exclaimed Mitchell, picking up a small, round object. Fellow archeologist Megan Theriault, who had just filled the sifter, put aside her shovel and examined the tiny silver thing. She wiped away dirt which revealed a crown over two hearts in raised relief. The find drew the attention of three other archeologists working the first day of a three week dig at the Parson Smith House atop Anderson Hill on River Road in Windham. 

Later, over lunch, Theriault consulted the Internet on her smart phone. The button, it turned out, was a cuff link, English in origin, possibly dating from the mid-1600s to the mid-1700s.

 

Because the Windham site may be historic, the Maine Historic Preservation Commission is conducting an archeological study, before road construction begins on an area near the road bed. The purpose of the investigation is to learn, once and for all, the exact location of the ancient fort, which protected early settlers during the late years of the French and Indian Wars. The fort location’s possible designation as a historic site could influence how the Department of Transportation proceeds with work on widening and improving River Road.

Leith Smith, historic archeologist and project manager, said that if soil and artifact discoveries lead to well preserved fort remains, the commission will recommend that DOT further expand the survey to uncover all that can be learned about fort construction, cultural resources and its relationship with surrounding homes like the nearby Parson Smith and Anderson-Lord houses.

He said earlier digs at the site, in 1979 and again in 1981, revealed the probability, but no clear evidence, of the precise location of the fort and that one goal of the current investigation is to learn whether DOT work might negatively impact a historic site. If the current survey uncovers clear evidence of the fort’s existence within the construction area, the state would either have to re-engineer River Road around the site (an unlikely scenario) or designate the commission to closely monitor road construction. The DOT plans to lower the hill by about four feet in the area where the fort may have been situated.

In addition to the cuff link, other first day finds from the one-foot square by 20-inch deep test pits included:

 A dark colored piece of flint, probably from England and likely part of the gun flint used on flint lock rifles in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries.

Ceramic bits, known as Rockingham stock, possibly originating from New Hampshire or Vermont.

Rose head, or L-shaped nails, possibly hand-forged in the 1700s.

Archaeologists Theriault and Mitchell also identified small pieces of brick, and clay pipe stems, both from the 1800s, and both very common finds at various archaeological sites across the state. Theriault smilingly referred to the pipe stems as “cigarette butts of the age.”

Smith maintains the first-day finds at the Windham site do not necessarily confirm human activity associated with the fort. He said science cannot rule out that the artifacts were associated with mid-18^th century homes in the area.

He said a significant discovery for the 5-person team would be disturbances in the soil that indicate a line of palisade fencing, believed to have surrounded the fort. He explained that during their time at the site the small test pits will be enlarged into what he called block excavations, measuring several yards square.

Written history, especially primary source materials, can also aid archaeological digs. Smith said Parson Smith’s personal journal, a copy of which is kept by Parson Smith House owners, Donald and Elaine Dickinson, might reveal clues on the location, layout and make-up of the fort.

The Windham Eagle will continue to report on progress at the test site.

Raymond makes public properties Drug Free Safe Zones as part of the Be The Influence initiative - By Michelle Libby

Last week the Raymond Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to make nine areas in town drug free zones, which will carry harsher penalties for people selling, using or buying drugs in one of those area.

These areas were chosen as areas that are frequented by minors and will fall under the Title 30-A §3253 and Title 17-A §1101(23).

“This was part of the Be The Influence coalition. We identified town owned and town involved land to designate,” said town manager Don Willard. “We were looking for places where young people gather.”

The law about safe zones went into effect almost 10 years ago. “Schools were covered, but where else do kids hangout?” asked Sheriff Kevin Joyce from Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. “This allows us to catch anyone in possession or selling them and charge them. In addition, it ups the ante. Don’t do it in any of these places.” If people are caught by police, whatever they would be charge with normally is elevated one level, according to Windham officer Matt Cyr, who helped Raymond with the plans to designate areas. 

Although Raymond isn’t considered to be a large area for drugs, “We’ve seen residual paraphernalia and various debris of drug use,” said Willard. 

The areas in Raymond that are now designated drug free safe zones are Crescent Beach on Webbs Mills Road, Raymond Beach and Tassel Top Park both of which are owned by the State of Maine, Sheri Gagnon Memorial Park on Mill Street, both the Raymond Elementary School and the Jordan-Small Middle School, Morgan Meadows on Egypt Road and North Raymond Road, Patricia Avenue and Farwell Drive. 

“It’s a pretty concise list,” said Joyce. “Hopefully it discourages those who violate this law from showing up and doing business. The town is trying to be preemptive. It gives us the teeth to say this is a drug free zone. They will fix the problem before it gets out of control.”  

Windham has had drug free zones and safe zones at the schools for 10 years. “It’s a deterrent absolutely,” said Cyr. “It sends a message that our community is not going to stand for that kind of thing.” 

 

Officer Cyr gave an example of what happens in a drug free safe zone. If the police catch someone dealing drugs within 1,000 feet of a school or safe zone, it’s a class D crime, but the designated safe zone will bump the crime up to a class C crime. Not only is it an arrestable offence, but the consequences are more severe. 

“We hope it will be a deterrent and be a positive influence,” Willard said. 

The signs labeling the sites as drug free zones will go up in the next few weeks.