RSU 14 proposes hybrid plan for school reopening

By Ed Pierce

In the wake of COVID-19 restrictions, RSU 14 Schools Superintendent Christopher Howell has recommended that the school district adopt a hybrid model for the start of the school year for students in Windham and Raymond.

To comply with Maine CDC social distancing requirements
during the pandemic, only 26 RSU 14 students can be transported
to school on board a district school bus. That and the number
of students allowed inside a classroom at any given time are
factors that has led RSU 14 Schools Superintendent Christopher
Howell to recommend starting school under a hybrid plan
next month. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

In a Zoom presentation made to the RSU 14 Board of Directors on Wednesday evening, Howell proposed starting in-person instruction for students in Grades 1 to 9 on Sept. 1, with students in Grade 10 through 12 starting in-person classes on Sept. 2.

Using the hybrid model, students would be grouped alphabetically with last names from A to K having in-person classes in school on Mondays and Wednesdays and those with last names from L to Z attending in-person classes in school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On the days when students are not in school, they will be following up online with their teachers to the best extent possible,

Howell told the board that making the decision about proposing a hybrid model was not easy and took into account that Maine Center for Disease Control health restrictions limiting the number students on school buses to 26 and no more than 50 students in a group factored in this decision. Typically, about 60 students are transported aboard each bus for the trip to school.

“When the state announced its model for reopening schools, it was released prior to health considerations issued by the Maine CDC,” Howell said.   

On July 31, Maine’s Department of Education recommended that all school districts in the state could reopen for in-person instruction if health and safety guidelines were adhered to.  

The RSU 14 board is expected to vote on Howell’s proposal at its Aug. 19 meeting.

Besides proposing how and when to bring back students to school, Howell said many other issues had to be examined, including how exactly to transition students back into in-person instruction after spending the spring receiving instruction from teachers online using Zoom.

“Our challenges mean every student and every staff member has to wear a mask,” he said. “We’ve also had to undertake the challenge of managing and ensuring that the district has a sufficient supply of personal protective equipment ready and available.”

He said right now RSU 14 has obtained 600 gallons of hand sanitizer and thousands of masks.        

“Like everyone else this summer, we’ve been thinking about what school will be like this fall and will students be safe,” Howell said.

Students attending classes in-person will start at school each day with hand sanitizer, but temperature checks and self-health assessments will be performed at home by families. 

During his presentation, Howell shared results with the board of a survey of RSU 14 parents about how to best instruction this fall.

“Over 80 percent of parents said that they want their children back in school,” Howell said. “They also said they will accept other models if necessary.”

According to Howell, RSU 14 also is planning to offer students a remote-only learning option if families do not feel comfortable with the proposed hybrid plan for the start of fall classes.

He said that the foundation of the reopening proposal is to ensure the safety, equity and accessibility for all Windham and Raymond students.

Because of additional cleaning requirements for schools as a result of COVID-19, some additional daytime custodians will be deployed to help cleanse hard common surfaces. The district also is exploring different scenarios for student lunches, ranging from eating in the classroom to finding larger spaces in the schools for lunchrooms to accommodate social distancing mandates. For some schools, RSU 14 has purchased additional picnic tables for students to eat lunch outdoors.

School administrators also are looking at giving students multiple mask breaks during the school day and how to best do that.

“We recognize kids can’t spend all day in the classroom,” Howell said. “We’ve also looked carefully at classroom space to keep students 3 to 6 feet apart and only 10 students in a classroom.”

Howell said many of those social distancing mandates will be met by adopting the hybrid model until such a time when COVID-19 restrictions are eased to allow for all students to resume normal in-person instruction at some point in the future.

At the RSU 14 main office building, plexiglass barriers have been installed to limit COVID-19 transmission.

Howell said he’s aware of the uncertainty regarding the virus and that like countless others across the country, RSU 14 staff is doing it all it can to keep everyone as safe as possible during the pandemic.

“We’re all feeling the strain of distancing requirements and we’re all trying to return students to school safely,” he said. “It will definitely be a different school setting than what we’ve come to expect.” < 

Windham student receives UCU scholarship

Each year, University Credit Union (UCU) awards scholarships to students from each University of Maine System institution and Maine Maritime Academy to support students’ pursuit of their higher education goals.

Samuel Medina

"We continue to be inspired by students as they pursue their education, especially overcoming the challenges of 2020,” said Renee Ouellette, president and CEO of UCU. “Congratulations and good luck to the recipients.”

For 2020, the following students received a $1,000 scholarship from University Credit Union:

• Samuel Medina, of Windham, will attend the University of Maine at Machias to study Secondary Education.
• Christopher Ireland, of Lincoln, will attend Maine Maritime Academy to study Marine Engineering Operations.
• Sergei Bing, of Hinckley, will attend the University of Southern Maine to study Cybersecurity.
• Samantha Seder, of Houlton, will attend the University of Maine at Presque Isle to study Exercise Science.
• Loren Plourde, of Madawaska, will attend the University of Maine at Fort Kent to study Nursing.
• Portia Hardy, of Winthrop, will attend the University of Maine at Farmington to study Earth and Environmental Science.
• Adriana Richard, of Franklin, will attend the University of Maine at Augusta to study Public Administration.
• Maija Overturf, of Corinth, will attend the University of Maine to study Elementary Education.

For more information about the UCU Scholarship, visit www.ucu.maine.edu/scholarship/.

Established on the University of Maine campus in 1967, University Credit Union is an innovative, full-service financial institution with a mission to actively advance the financial well-being of our members in every stage of their lives. UCU is the sixth largest credit union in Maine in terms of total assets and total members. UCU has eight retail locations across the state located in Orono, Bangor, Farmington, Gorham, Portland, and Presque Isle. For more information visit ucu.maine.edu. <

 

2020 fall prep sports season: What we know so far

Voluntary conditioning for Windham High athletes
and coaches starts Aug. 24 with athletes socially
distancing in groups of no more than 10.
Tryouts for the fall prep season will begin
Sept. 8. Above, Morgan Proulx competes in
a prep volleyball match last fall.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

By Matt Pascarella

With summer winding down, people might be asking: “will there be a fall sports season and what will that look like?”

While the entire state was classified green by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Maine Center for Disease Control (CDC) on July 31, meaning it is safe to reopen schools, a lot remains up in the air. This classification does not eliminate health and safety requirements and change can occur at any point.

Windham athletics will begin voluntary conditioning with players and coaches face-to-face on Aug. 24. Athletes will practice socially distant in pods of no more than 10. Tryouts for the fall season will begin on Sept. 8. The regular fall season will begin on Sept. 18.

Prior to Sept. 8, the Maine Principal’s Association (MPA) will release further guidance for the 2020 fall season. Coaches are currently being prepped as to what socially distant conditioning will look like.

Coaches and players must wear masks. The only times a player does not need to wear a mask is during high intensity aerobic activity, like being on the field or track. Masks will be available to athletes on athletic sites.

Governor Mills has increased the masked outdoor number of spectators to 100. The indoor amount is 50. RSU14 will follow CDC guidelines as well as recommendations made by the governor, but at this point RSU14 athletic director Rich Drummond said he’s not 100  percent sure that fans will be able to attend games.

RSU14 Schools Superintendent Chris Howell said they are looking at a streaming service, that initially would have two cameras at Windham High School. One would be on the athletic field and one would be in the gym. A link would be provided where spectators could watch the games in real time. Nothing is definite as of yet.

Drummond is looking at reduced game schedules, and though nothing is finalized, he’s looking at the possibility of regionalized scheduling. This means RSU14 could play teams in proximity to the district with less time spent on buses (that now allow only 26 students at a time).

“We have to follow the guidelines and directions that’s going to put us in a place where we’re healthy enough to get kids out there,” said Drummond. “Nothing’s better in my opinion than an athletic contest, but we have to get there.”

Drummond said it was positive that York County and Cumberland County school superintendents gave the go-ahead for optional conditioning on Aug. 24 and that the MPA said it’s okay to start tryouts on Sept. 8.

Windham High field hockey coach Cory DiDonato has been meeting with her girls on Zoom and doing workouts together.

“I know the athletic department is prepping for athletics to start on Sept. 8 and we are hoping for the best,” said DiDonato. “We all know COVID-19 has created so many unknowns and concerns. Kids need extracurricular activities and we all know the benefits and are praying sports can happen this fall. But being patient with the process is very important.” 

The key words for the school year and athletic season are flexibility and ability to be nimble, said Howell.

They will receive updates from the Maine DOE, CDC and the MPA every two weeks assessing the state level of virus transmission, so things could change quickly depending on results.

“We’re doing all we can to make the school year the best it can possibly be for our students; everyone’s goal is to get us all back safely,” said Howell.

Please stay tuned. We’ll do our best to keep you as updated as possible with as much information as we can. <

'Operation Summer Snacks' establishes new record for Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish

"Operation Summer Snacks,” an initiative of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Windham, annually collects food for children in need who receive bags of food from the “Backpackers” program during the school year but, in many cases, do not have the snacks during the summer.

After collecting more than 2,500 snack items last year, organizers of “Operation Summer Snacks” didn’t know what to expect this year with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting communities across the state and country.

Volunteers for Our Lady of Perpetual
 Help's 'Operation Summer Snacks'
gather items in the Walmart parking
lot to be donated to the Windham Food
Pantry. The program set a new record
this year in the number of food items
donated by area residents.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

“In this time of uncertainty, we didn’t know whether this program would work out of our house instead of being based in the parish,” said Jill Russell-Morey, a parish catechetical leader who helped create the initiative in 2016.

Gratefully, it has.

“We have collected and donated 3,853 snack items which surpassed our donation number last year by over 1,000. This is incredible,” Russell-Morey said. “All of those tiny bags of pretzels, crackers, fruit snacks, juice pouches, granola bars, and fruit cups turned into an amazing offering to the food pantry.”

“Operation Summer Snacks” works with Windham Food Pantry to deliver the donations to those in need. Through the program, each child receives various individual-sized snacks like raisins, crackers, fruit cups, granola bars, and other items.

One big change this year is that the food pantry requested that the donations not be bagged by the volunteers, which enabled the operation to be conducted by Russell-Morey, her family, and friends out of her house.

“They want all original packages which allows for less handling of the packages and easier storage,” she said.

In addition, the generosity of the community shone through with checks, cash, and Venmo donations. One parishioner even had a large box of snacks sent directly to Jill’s house from Sam’s Club.

“Our young friends in this community have reaped the benefits of this generosity and we are so thankful for the people who responded to this call for what they have to provide people with what they need,” Russell-Morey said.

“Operation Summer Snacks” has entered its final week for 2020 and anyone wishing to still contribute money or snacks toward this initiative should email Russell-Morey directly at jill.russell-morey@portlanddiocese.org.

The last day for the initiative will be Monday, Aug. 10. <

 

Music with a Mission features Kelly Caufield in concert Saturday, Aug. 1

Kelly Caufield will perform
Judy Garland classics virtually
on Saturday, Aug. 1. The live
stream will be available
for 48 hours. SUBMITTED
PHOTO

Singer Kelly Caufield along with pianist Camille Saucier will perform a Judy Garland tribute show at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1 as part of the North Windham Union Church’s Music with a Mission series. 

Best known for her seven previous summer appearances with Broadway and Beyond, Kelly Caufield is a seasoned Maine singer and voice teacher. Thrilled to be back solo this year, she brings you a night of Judy Garland classics from the stage and screen! It will be a free concert (donations encouraged), delivered directly to your living room. 

The concert will be broadcast on YouTube and will be available one-time only on Saturday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m.  A link to the concert will be posted to our website Mwamconcerts.com and the church’s FaceBook page.  If you can’t join them Saturday night, the stream will be free for 48 hours.

The Music of Judy Garland is a selection of songs from Kelly’s one-woman cabaret that she performed many years ago at dozens of venues while on tour in Maine and New Hampshire. Kelly and her pianist, Camille, will engage the audience with their renditions of the songs that Judy made famous. There will be selections from the movies, the musicals and all the mayhem in between. Sprinkled with anecdotes about the famous performer, Kelly’s passion for this music will shine through and take you on a journey back in time.

The Music with a Mission concert series is sponsored by the North Windham Union Church, which donates a portion of the proceeds to area non-profits.  Now in its eighth season, Music with a Mission has provided more than $69,000 for mission support to the church and other community organizations.  Kelly Caufield will once again support Special Olympics Maine with the community proceeds from this concert.

The concert is free, but donations are gladly accepted with a suggested minimum contribution of $10 per person. Donations may be made before, during or after the concert either on-line at mwamconcerts.com or by mailing a check to Music with a Mission c/o NWUC 723 Roosevelt Trail, Windham, ME 04062.

For more information please call 892-6142 or email MWAMconcerts@gmail.com.

Windham Library’s ‘Calm as a Critter’ Program promotes relaxation, self-awareness in children

Windham Library Children's Room Coordinator
Diana Currier leads a session of 'Calm as a
Critter' for a You Tube segment on July 25.
The program promotes relaxation and self-awareness
for children. COURTESY PHOTO,
WINDHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY

By Elizabeth Richards

The Windham Public Library’s Saturday morning Calm as a Critter Program may seem perfect for helping children deal with life during a global pandemic, but it began long before the days of COVID-19.

Children’s Room Coordinator Diana Currier said the program has been offered in the summer every year since 2017. 

The program was designed to give children things to do with their body, hands, mind and breathing to relax and feel good about themselves, she said.

Over time, the audience began to get younger, Currier said, so she modified activities appropriately.  Adults who came with their children were invited to participate, and did so, even asking if there was a similar program for adults.

The program was going to be phased out this summer, Currier said, but had a tie-in that reflected the need people had to be able to handle themselves. 

“Calm is the key word here, of course,” she said.

Though Children’s Librarian Samantha Cote “stepped right up to the plate to do virtual story time,” Currier said she wasn’t entirely comfortable with the platform.

But before summer began, she offered “Good Old-Fashioned Fun with Miss Diana” online on Saturdays at 9 a.m., and they carried that time slot over to Calm as a Critter. Although that’s when videos are posted, since they are pre-recorded, people aren’t limited to watching on Saturday mornings.

Currier puts a lot of effort into the information she presents, using books and other resources to design the program each week.  Each episode offers a craft so children can do something with their hands, a breathing activity, and a challenge or “homework.”

In the Fresh Air episode, for instance, she challenged children to try going for an extended period of time without talking, and to watch either a sunrise or a sunset.

She tries to keep episodes to about 15 minutes to hold the attention span of her young audience.  She also plans the order intentionally, such as putting the craft first to keep their hands busy so they can focus better when she is talking. Feedback is appreciated, she said, so she can please the audience.

There was a demand for this type of activity even before the pandemic, Currier said.

Parents often come to the library asking for books to help their children deal with nervousness and anxiety. And the suggestions she offers are things she enjoys, Currier said, adding that she tries the suggestions first to see what works for her before suggesting them to others. 

“I really want to make the world a better place,” Currier said. “I’m trying to do it through these videos somehow, and if people can walk away with a good thing or two, hopefully it’ll pay it forward somehow, someday.”

The Calm as a Critter program will run on Saturday mornings through Aug. 22. 

Past episodes are available and are posted in the Calm as a Critter Playlist on the Windham Library’s Facebook page. <

New town marijuana ordinance is in full swing as deadline for business applications has closed

Shaw Dwight is the owner of Paul's Boutique
in Windham and says he believes the town's
new marijuana ordinance will make it an
extremely competitive licensing process for
the adult use market in Windham.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

By Lorraine Glowczak

The approved town ordinance on the sale of Recreational Adult-Use and Medical Marijuana Storefront facilities as well as business and personal marijuana outdoor cultivation that was voted on, approved, and adopted by the Windham Town Council on May 26 officially took effect on Friday, June 26.

The deadline, however, for business applications occurred July 27 and will be forwarded in a month to the Windham Town Council for consideration. A special Windham Town Council meeting will be called on the first or second week of September to review and address the applications.

A four- to five-year process in the making, the Town of Windham has considered this new business and perhaps controversial model for a while. All the while, the town itself has seen retail marijuana storefronts increase to the present number of nine businesses. Some see this as economic development while others view this as a moral or youth-based use issue. Whatever the case may be, the Windham Town Council has diligently considered both perspectives in the past four years.

“Marijuana vendors began to build their businesses in 2016-2017,” said current Town Council Chair, Jarrod Maxfield. “Council members at that time – along with the Windham delegation, toured the facilities that were established. The vendors built their businesses immediately following the vote to approve medical marijuana at a time when there were no state regulations. The 2016-2017 Council chose not to ‘opt out’ of having marijuana business in Windham. As a result, it fell to the current 2020 Council to take a highly unregulated industry and put regulations on it.”

In the past couple of years, former and current Town Council meetings have had the sell of medical marijuana as a business on their agenda with public comment on both sides of the perspective.

After much consideration and public comment, the current Council considered as many angles on this issue as possible and finally reached the current ordinance which includes the following:

1)      One must be licensed to own a business.

2)      Two recreational, adult-use storefronts are allowed in the town.

3)      Four medical marijuana storefronts are allowed in the town.

4)      No marijuana plant can be grown outdoors. This includes both vendor and personal plant growth.

5)      For businesses, fees to apply for vendor license will be required. The fees are as follows:

Adult Use Marijuana Store - $2,500

Marijuana Cultivation Facility - $1,000

Marijuana Manufacturing Facility - $1,000

Medical Marijuana Registered Caregiver - Cultivation conducted on site - $300 Medical Marijuana Registered Caregiver (Home Occupation) - Cultivation not conducted on site - $150

Medical Marijuana Caregiver Retail Store - $2,500

Marijuana Testing Facility - $1,000

“The fees will go toward substance use education and prevention, but the parameters and specifics have yet to be determined,” said Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts. “The town council will discuss and consider these factors in the near future.”

Town Council Chair Maxfield said that the intention of the ordinance is to limit storefronts to a total of two adult-use and four medical storefronts.

“Currently, there are nine storefronts,” said Maxfield. “These storefronts are grandfathered in.  When a marijuana business decides to close, it will not be replaced. At this point – there will only be a total of six marijuana businesses in Windham – limited to two recreational adult use and four medical marijuana storefronts.”

Two business owners offered their thoughts on the new ordinance put in place.

“As a member of the appointment committee, I helped draft the Town of Windham Marijuana Business Licensing Ordinance,” said Shaw Dwight, the owner of Paul’s Boutique. “I recognize and am grateful for the time and commitment put forth by council members on this subject. Paul's Boutique has been doing business in Windham since 2016, and this ordinance could allow us to expand our offerings at our store on Route 302 into the adult use market. The Town's cap on adult use marijuana stores, however, will make this an extremely competitive licensing process. I agree that the Town should be able to know and control who operates in the Town but do feel there may be a tendency for municipalities to over-regulate cannabis.”

Charles Hawkins, owner of Maine Alternative Caring, shared his thoughts in terms of a Windham resident rather than a property owner.

“I have two major concerns as property owning resident of the town,” Hawkins said. “The impact of this ordinance on Windham residents in terms of personal outdoor marijuana growth is a huge injustice. Whether one is growing for recreational or medical use, an individual is halfway through this season’s harvest as this ordinance is implemented. That is a lot of money invested in plant growth. Not only that, the implementation of this ordinance is a burden on the taxpayer in terms of police and code enforcement. My second major concern is the limitation of marijuana business growth to Enterprise Drive in North Windham. I find that this may be a violation on property owners’ rights as well as possible income for vacant farmland owners. What about other property owners who have the land to offer cultivation, providing a rental income on their property? Why should this be limited to Enterprise Drive?”

Although it is true that both sides of the perspective may not be happy, Maxfield believes the Town Council did their best trying to meet all sides.

“Neither side, for or against, is happy with the ordinance outcome,” Maxfield said. “But for me, this is a positive thing. That indicates to me the Council found a middle of the road answer while regulating and putting some control on the expansion of the marijuana industry in our town while at the same time addressing the concerns of Windham residents who believe we have too many marijuana businesses in a such a small town.” 

For more details about the current ordinance, visit www.windhammaine.us/677/Marijuana-Business-License <

Heating assistance program counting on donations to offset loss of annual fundraising gala

Three of the founders of the Windham
Neighbors Helping Neighbors initiative
presented the Helpful Neighbor Award
to Dennis Dyer of K & D Countertop
last fall for their outstanding support of
the Windham Neighbors' mission. From
left are Mark Bryant, Dennis Dyer, Gary
Plummer and Bill Diamond.
COURTESY PHOTO, WINDHAM
NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS 

By Ed Pierce

Since its inception, the Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors Program has made a significant difference in the lives of local residents and intends to keep on doing so despite the loss of its only major fundraising event this year.

The program provides one-time emergency heating fuel assistance to Windham residents and helps to direct individuals in need to find appropriate resources and to promote a culture of neighbors helping neighbors in the community. But COVID-19 restrictions have forced the non-profit organization to forego plans for its annual gala fundraiser held each summer at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish.    

“This is an organization that came out of nowhere,” said co-founder Senator Bill Diamond. “We’ve been very successful through the years but are very concerned about the gala being canceled.”

The Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors group was founded in October 2007 by Diamond, Representative Mark Bryant and former Representative Gary Plummer. 

It is a 501c3 non-profit and is made up of Windham volunteers who have come together to provide one-time emergency assistance to those Windham residents who require immediate heating fuel.

Diamond said Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors has no overhead costs whatsoever and that all of its funding goes directly to helping those in desperate need.

“Every penny goes for heating fuel,” Diamond said. “100 percent of what is donated to Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors is used for the purchase of fuel for those who are in dire need.”

He said the organization focuses its resources toward those who may have fallen through the cracks and either don’t qualify or are in a bureaucratic process waiting for assistance from other agencies.

Last winter, heating a house with oil cost an average of $1,700, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Diamond said that the heating assistance can be a lifeline for those struggling to stay warm in winter.

“In many cases, Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors help people heat their homes safely without needing to choose between basic needs like heat, rent, medications and food,” Diamond said.

Recipients who have been helped receive 100 gallons of fuel and their need can be attributed to many different circumstances. Some are elderly and living on fixed incomes, some have lost a job and trying to reestablish their life, and others may just have a temporary situation that requires an immediate solution.  

The program is confidential and harkens back to a time when neighbors banded together to pitch in and help their neighbors when it was needed the most.

The Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors organization will line up deliveries to recipients, and connect    

Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors assists with one-time delivery of fuel. In addition to providing heating oil, assistance also can be given for those with KI and propane systems or through Bio-Bricks for homes uing wood-burning heat.

Diamond said that during the first year of operation for Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a total of 17 families were helped. By 2014, that number grew to 101 families and has since stabilized at about 75 families each winter.

The organization continues to serve the community because of countless donations of labor, hours, ideas and funding through contributions of money and goods from concerned individuals and businesses.

Not conducting the annual summer fundraiser is significant, but Diamond believes that the foundation of Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors lies in the generous spirit of the community.

“We have no administrative costs because those are administered by a fund that was established with a gift of $1,000 that was made to us by the Windham High School Class of 2010,” Diamond said. “And every donation that is made to Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors stays right here in our community to help those who truly need help the most.” 

Diamond said he’s confident that like in years past, the community will rise to the occasion and help the organization fund its worthwhile mission.

“We gratefully accept all donations and are accepting unsolicited donations,” he said. “Everything we collect will go to keeping Windham families stay warm during the coldest months of the year.”

For more information about the Windham Neighbors Helping neighbors Program, to volunteer to help or to make a financial donation, call 207-892-8941 or visit https://windhamneighbors.com/  <

Reuse, recycle: Vintage church windows to adorn Parson Smith House wedding barn

A workman removes an old window from
Windham Hill Chruch which will now be
used for a new wedding barn on the grounds
of the Parson Smith House in Windham.
A total of five of the six windows being
replaced at the church will be reused at the
new wedding barn.
PHOTO BY LINDA GRIFFIN

By Ed Pierce

Nothing lasts forever, but everybody benefits when an attempt is made to see the lasting beauty of older items. That’s the premise behind an effort to reuse some old windows being replaced by Windham Hill Church in a contemporary setting.

Last week the church members announced that they were replacing six large old wooden windows with new metal ones with screens. Upon hearing that news, Broker Linda Griffin of Pleasant Hill Properties in Windham launched an initiative to try and salvage the windows.

Griffin said Holly Dickinson and Leith Smith of Windham responded and said they could use them in the wedding barn they are building on the grounds of the Parson Smith House on the River Road in South Windham.

“How exciting and how appropriate as Parson Smith was our second settled minister in Windham,” Griffin said. “He preached at two churches that were started inside the fort in front of his house, so he could walk to work.”

According to Griffin, the Rev. Don and Elaine Dickinson bought the circa-1764 Parson Smith House with a lot of the original acres years ago.  

She said that the third church built locally was called the corner church and was built nearby the Parson Smith House and then the fourth church, the Windham Hill Church, was built about 1839 on the Windham Center Road and is now the oldest existing church in Windham.

“When the state held the archeological dig a few years ago at the top of the hill under the River Road, the head archeologist Leith Smith met the Dickinson’s daughter Holly and the rest is history,” Griffin said.

Two years ago, a Windham home and barn on Route 302 near Highland Lake owned by the grandparents of Windham Historical Society member Linda Lunt was being demolished and Dickinson and Smith hired Ed Sommers, a barn wright from Bridgton, to take the barn down and moved the pieces to a neighbor’s barn on the River Road so they could work on repairs.

The barn is now being moved to the fields beside the Parson Smith House on the River Road. 

Years ago there had been two large cattle barns in that spot and the old well with the granite well cap stone is still in place and there is still water in the well, Griffin said.

“Holly and Leith want to create a wedding venue there in this newly rebuilt barn,” she said. “Ed Sommers spent two years repairing and restoring the timbers and work in the new location has begun recently on the sills and flooring. Holly and Leith were pleased to have five of the old windows with the original wavy glass for their wedding barn.”

Smith believes that the six windows from the Windham Hill Church are original as the muntins, or the windows’ glaze bars, have a similar profile to windows in 1839 when that church was built. There is a lot of the original wavy glass still in place.

“Many local people had already spoken for the windows as they wanted the windows for woodworking projects using the wavy glass but when they heard the windows were going to the Parson Smith property they let Holly and Leith have five of them.”

The large old windows also come with large storm windows, Griffin said.

“I did call Marc Bagala who has a business in Westbrook restoring old windows and his office person said he would buy the old wavy glass but had no calls for such large old windows.”

Windham Hill Church now has new metal windows that will not need painting and they also have window screens.

“A huge thank you to Rolf Dries and his crew of Jim Hanscom and Allen Greenacer who helped remove the old windows,” Griffin said. <

Summer recreation program for children still popular in Windham

A total of 115 children are participating in
the Summer Kids' Club recreation program
at three different locations this summer in Windham.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

By Elizabeth Richards

Windham Parks and Recreation has continued to offer summer programming even in the face of the coronavirus pandemic through their Summer Kids’ Club and Summer Track programs.

Sarah Davenport, Recreation Coordinator for Windham Parks and Recreation, said the Summer Kids’ Club has a significantly different structure than the summer day camp program of prior years.

In late June, the program opened to students entering first grade through eighth grade.

There are three programs running concurrently, each with a maximum of 40 children.  A total of 115 kids are participating in the Summer Kids’ Club this summer in Windham.

Two of the three programs are housed in separate wings of Windham Middle School, with the third at Windham High School. 

Davenport said the school district has been very helpful in facilitating appropriate spaces, as well as new sanitizing and disinfecting procedures.

“It’s been really great to work with them on that,” she said.

Within each program, kids are assigned to a group of 8 to 10 children with two or three counselors that they rotate through activities with and remain with for the entire summer.

“What’s great about that is the relationships that the kids get to build with each other and the counselors are maybe a little bit deeper and more meaningful than if you’re in a group of 50 kids and you’re changing activities all the time,” Davenport said.

Programming includes many traditional camp activities, such as arts and crafts, board games, and plenty of outdoor time. Though summer camp has always included a lot of outside time, Davenport said they’re being even more intentional about that now, incorporating more nature based and outdoors activities.

“Our oldest kids have really enjoyed being in the woods down near the high school cross country trails,” she said. “I’ve heard them talking about building forts, or trying to identify plants, and going on nature hikes and playing nature games in the woods, which is pretty great.”

In previous years, field trips happened twice a week to places like Funtown, the Maine Wildlife Park, and Seacoast Adventure Center.  This summer, field trips were not an option, because many places weren’t open initially, and because of transportation challenges.

The students going into middle school have begun participating in an outreach program with the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, going to the Black Brook Preserve to do both community service and educational programs.  This is the second summer that they’ve worked with the Land Trust, Davenport said.

“It’s great to continue that partnership even if it looks a little bit different than it has in the past,” she said.

Though certain aspects of the summer programs cost more this year, such as staffing and providing individual activity bags to children, not having the cost of field trips has balanced things out.

At the beginning of the program, kids were provided with age appropriate activity bags that included playdough and art supplies that are frequently touched and non-consumable. Consumable supplies that are only used once, like plastic lacing for bracelets or paint, are still shared. Once these supplies are removed from the common stock, they are not returned after use.

Davenport said they haven’t experienced major challenges, but they’ve had to become accustomed to the culture shift of what it looks like to provide a fun day for children while following social distancing, masking and other health protocols.  Children are not required to wear face coverings if they maintain six feet of space between themselves and others. She said those who find face coverings a challenge have become good at communicating around maintaining that distance.

Success depends on helping kids and staff understand the importance of why it’s necessary and that “we’re all taking care of each other,” Davenport said.

The program was provided clear guidance written specifically for day camps and summer recreation programs to help them set up the program, she said.  In addition to social distancing, masking, sanitizing and hygiene practices, drop off and pick up are curbside and all children and staff have temperature checks in the morning and are asked some basic screening questions.

“Parents have been really good about understanding if kids need to stay home because they’re showing some symptoms. They’ve been good about doing that and notifying us,” Davenport said.

The Summer Track program is a five-week, skills-based program this summer, which looks quite a bit different than it has in previous years.  There is no inter-team competition or travel involved this year.

“Kids are having the opportunity to try lots of track and some field events to develop their skills and compete against themselves,” Davenport said.

The program received such positive response that they ended up with two sessions to stay under the 50-person group maximum.

“We feel really fortunate and pleased that we were able to do this. I know that there are communities who, due to various restrictions in the facilities they were using, just weren’t able to offer any kind of a summer rec program,” Davenport said.  “I don’t think we really could have done it without the district being so open and willing to partner with us and without the staff. We have some really great counselors and some really great administrative and leadership staff who are committed to making this happen in a way that’s safe, and healthy, and fun.”

Windham Parks and Recreation is not accepting new registrations for summer programming at this point in the summer. <