Dazzling displays: Holiday Decorating Contest shows Windham’s holiday spirit

It’s that magical time of the year when wishes do come true for children of all ages and a season of good cheer and wanting to express gratitude for family, friends and neighbors is upon us.

And this year in Windham, a new contest is expected to become a beloved tradition in celebrating the spirit of the community.

Decorate your home or business for a chance to win the First Annual Holiday Decorating Contest and be included on a 2020 Holiday Lights Map of Windham.

How do we enter? 

In order to enter your home or business, you must register online at www.windhamrecreation.com and submit a photo.

How will winners be chosen? 

Winning homes and businesses will be chosen by a “People’s Vote” on Facebook and at the Parks & Recreation office during the week of Dec. 14.

Will there be any recognition for entrants who do not win the “People’s Vote”? 

We will also hold a prize drawing for any home who enters the contest and is not a “People’s Vote” winner.

What is the Holiday Lights Map? 

Windham Parks & Recreation will publish a map that lists all of the homes and businesses in the decorating contest, so that local families may drive by and enjoy your decorations in person.

Help spread holiday cheer throughout Windham.

Entry Guidelines

1) Please submit a single still image that may be uploaded to social media for voting purposes. This photo should be uploaded when prompted to submit "Required Documents."

2) If you wish to submit additional photos and/or video, these may be emailed to Parks&Recreation@windhammaine.us.

3) All photos and videos that have been submitted may be posted by Windham Parks & Recreation on our Facebook page or other social media.

4) By participating in this contest, you agree that your home or business location will be recognized on the 2020 Holiday Lights Map.

5) As part of the entry process, you will be asked to provide a public name for your location to be identified on the map. Suggestions include using your family name as in "The Smith Home," or designating a theme such as "Winter Wonderland."

6) During the registration process, please choose to "Check Out Online" and no fee will be charged. This is required in order to complete your registration.

The Holiday Decorating Contest is co-sponsored by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, Windham Parks & Recreation, and the Windham Economic Development Corporation. <

Dream Come True: Korean War veteran receives medals 70 years later

U.S. Army veteran Edward 'Ed' Salmon of
Windham displays medals, ribbons and a
certificate he received during a special
ceremony on Veterans Day at the Windham
Veterans Center. Salmon, 91, never received
the medals for his military service during the
Korean War following his discharge and return
to civilian life in 1952. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE   

By Ed Pierce

Nearly 70 years ago, Edward “Ed” Salmon answered the call to be drafted into the U.S. Army and logged two years creating critical lines of communication for soldiers in combat zones on the Korean Peninsula during the Korean War. When his time in the Army was up, Salmon returned to the United States vowing to make a life for himself, but there was always something missing.

On Veterans Day, Salmon, 91, of Windham, who went on to earn a college degree in civil engineering and served for 20 years as the Director of Plant Facilities for the University of Maine at Orono, was brought full-circle to his military career when he was awarded five medals and two ribbons for his service in Korea.

Born in 1929 in Cornwells Heights, Pennsylvania, Salmon just missed being drafted for service in World War II because he was too young, but as he was approaching his 21^st birthday in December 1950, he was drafted and was among the first soldiers to train for eight weeks at the newly reopened Fort Meade in Maryland. From there Private First Class Salmon was sent to Fort Benning in Georgia for further training and then he swapped places with a fellow solder going home on a hardship discharge and was sent to Korea early in 1951.

“It was brutally hot in the summer there and 20 to 40 degrees below zero in the winter,” Salmon said. “And it rained all spring.”

Working in heavily fortified areas, he learned to climb telephone poles and crisscrossed much of the
Korean Peninsula building, installing and maintaining communications lines. It was tough and dangerous work, under constant watch by the enemy and sometimes being shot at.

Because of the nature of their mission, his unit didn’t receive much recognition by the Eighth Army based in Tokyo and to a man was overlooked for promotions in rank and unheralded for their work under some of the most trying conditions of the war.

“I didn’t particularly care for any of it,” Salmon said. “You were constantly on the move and I didn’t like Korean food.”

After spending almost 13 months in the combat zone, Salmon was discharged and back in the USA by February 1953, feeling lucky to have survived the experience.

He was accepted for admission to the University of Maine and earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He began his civilian career working as a structural design consultant for a Massachusetts firm and then returned to Maine to work for a construction company in Yarmouth.

Salmon married his first wife and they had four sons together. After his marriage fell apart, he met his current wife, Pat, in Portland and they have been married for 37 years, moving to Windham about 15 years ago.

“He didn’t talk about his time in the military,” Pat Salmon said. “About four or five years ago, we started going to the Togus VA Center for a  hearing problem he has and it was then he started thinking and talking about the medals he never received for his military service.”

She said that he knew he had been awarded some medals for his time in Korea but had never physically received them.

“It was something that had passed long ago,” Salmon said. “I did my job and came back. But I had a life to lead and went on with my life. Over the years I forgot all about them.”

Being around other veterans at the Togus VA Center rekindled his desire to obtain his medals, he said.

Pat Salmon helped him fill out paperwork to receive his medals, but a few issues stalled the process.

“His DD 214 discharge papers had his birthday wrong,” she said. “They had his birthday off by one day and getting that corrected took some time.”

The Salmons then met Lin and David Tanguay, who live in their neighborhood. Lin Tanguay told Pat Salmon that her husband David could help in Ed Salmon’s quest to receive his medals and suggested that they join the American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 in Windham.

In his role as Adjutant of the American Legion post, David Tanguay was able to obtain the medals for
Ed Salmon.

During a special ceremony at the Windham Veterans Center on Veterans Day, Salmon received not three medals as he had thought he had coming, but five medals and two ribbons.

He received the National Defense Service Medal Award retroactive to 1950; the Korean War Service Medal, the United Nations Korean War Service Medal; the Korean Commemorative Medal; the Korean Service Medal; the U.S. Army Presidential Citation Ribbon; and the Korean Presidential Citation ribbon.

“I was very pleased to get them and with two of my kids there to watch me receive them,” Salmon said.

The framed medals, ribbons and a commemorative certificate from the American Legion now occupy a prominent place in the family’s living room and are a source of great pride for them.   

According to Pat Salmon, the family is grateful to Tanguay and the American Legion for helping fulfill Ed Salmon’s dream of receiving the medals he earned in Korea and for the camaraderie of being around other veterans.

“He needed the social outlet,” Pat Salmon said. “It has allowed him to meet and talk with others who have shared his experience. We can’t thank David and his wife Lin enough for their efforts in introducing us to the group and helping make this such a memorable time for us.” <

Windham High’s Restorative Learning Program assists students in getting back on track

Windham High School's Restorative Learning
Program assists students who have been
suspended or expelled to remain engaged and
learning while also helping them take
steps to repair the damage of their actions.
COURTESY PHOTO

By Elizabeth Richards

Often, when high school students are suspended or expelled, they fall behind in their academics because of time spent out of school. The Restorative Learning Program at Windham High School is an innovative approach that keeps these students engaged and learning while helping them take steps to repair the damage of their actions.

WHS Assistant Principal Phil Rossetti said the program began as part of a grant program several years ago, with several area schools involved in similar work. Windham is the only high school that still has the program, he said, which demonstrates the district’s commitment to helping students succeed. 

“School is not a one-size-fits-all system. It fits most but there is a group of students that need alternate pathways,” Rossetti said.  “RSU 14 lives by the motto “Success for all”. This is exemplified in the many ways the district support’s our high school programing. The Restorative learning program is one of several that are designed to support students that are struggling to find success.” 

Jill Tank and Dr. Leisl Johnson staff the RLP at the high school in a typical year. This year, due to COVID 19, the program isn’t functioning normally, so the two are providing academic support for students and coverage for staff who need to quarantine.  

In a regular year, students can enter the RLP when they have made a mistake that leads to suspension or expulsion.  Typical suspension or expulsion doesn’t result in repairing the damage or help keep students engaged academically.

If students are home, Rossetti said, they may continue making the poor decisions that led to those consequences. 

Time may also be spent in unproductive ways, like playing video games, Tank said. 

“They don’t play games in my class,” she said.

Expulsion isn’t the “old school” idea that once you’ve been asked to leave, you’re gone forever,
Rossetti said. 

What it means, instead, is that a student is removed from their program and enrolled in RLP to help them discover what they need to get back on track, he said. Once that hard work is completed, they have an opportunity to return and continue working towards graduation. 

Students enrolled in the RLP are picked up at their homes by a staff person in a district van. The program operates from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday.

Once at school, students spend their day with RLP staff keeping up with schoolwork and finding ways to repair the damage of their actions, such as reflective work around what prompted their choices or restorative letters to others impacted by their behavior. RLP staff coordinates with the teachers to determine the work that needs to be completed for each individual student.

The RLP is a different way to connect with students, Tank said.

This approach helps keep students on track academically and allows students to build important relationships. Typically, one to four students are participating in the program at a time.

“The success of many students is based on the relationships they form,” Rossetti said.  “The [RLP] staff do a great job building these relationships with students. Knowing that they have a place that is safe where they can be themselves and seek out advice helps foster success.”

Tank said the relationships formed is evident in the number of students who leave the RLP but continue to return to connect with the staff.

“The RLP Program provides students an opportunity to not only remain engaged academically and not fall behind, but form relationships with staff who are there for them even after they leave the program,” she said.

Although the pandemic has put a temporary stop to the program due to the challenges of this school year and transportation difficulties it remains one of many ways in which students can reach graduation in RSU 14. 

“There are many ways for students to be successful in RSU 14 and Windham High School that include not just RLP, but the Katahdin Program, JMG and the APEX program as well. I think that’s what makes us special and unique,” Tank said. <

The Windham Eagle partners with Windham Community Board to assist local families during holidays

The Windham Eagle newspaper and the Windham Maine Community Board on Facebook are excited to come together again this holiday season to create a positive solution by helping some local families who are in need or have fallen on hard times.

If you or someone you know is in need this holiday season, please fill out this electronic form here: https://forms.gle/2qjX6haLaE4yzd9n8

As we cannot guarantee every family will be adopted, we will work diligently to bring cheer to as many Windham and Raymond families as possible. We will be accepting requests from residents of Windham and Raymond until Sunday, Nov. 30.

If you are able, we would love for you to join us in sharing some joy with our neighbors this season.

Let us know how you can help by filling out this form here:

https://forms.gle/yjEuo3p5WGmxTmqY8

We wish everyone a safe and wonderful season. <

 

Raymond firefighters continue Fire Prevention Month tradition adjusting for pandemic

Raymond Elementary School students visit with
Raymond firefighters on a visit to the school
during Fire Prevention Month. PHOTO BY
RAYMOND FIRE & RESCUE

For almost 100 years, firefighters across America have a week every fall to observe Fire Prevention Week, an initiative designed to show children, adults, and teachers how to stay safe in the event of a fire.

Raymond firefighters use the opportunity to provide lifesaving public education to try and help drastically reduce casualties caused by fires.

“For us, this has always been Fire Prevention Month, because we have a lot of activities each year that just don’t fit into one week” said Raymond Fire Chief Bruce Tupper.  “But because of the pandemic, we had to change some of the ways we had been doing things.  All our members wore masks, and we maintained social distancing with the children.”

Because of the pandemic, the Raymond Elementary School requested training videos be created to avoid having firefighters in the classrooms. 

With the help of Bill Blood, Raymond’s videographer, two videos were created:  one for the younger grades emphasized that ‘firefighters aren’t scary’ and told the children not to hide from firefighters during an emergency.  The other video, for grades 3 to 4, emphasized kitchen safety and how to escape from their bedroom at night.

School administrators reported that the videos, which were shown by the teachers in the classrooms, helped the children have sufficient time to digest the invaluable lifesaving information. 

Each class then went outside, and all the grades got to see some of the tools in ‘the big red truck.’  The
children were provided with Halloween trick-or-treat bags with fire safety information for their families.

The videos are available for families to view.  For Kindergarten to Grade 2 students, there is an under six-minute video showing a firefighter suiting up, and why he is “not scary.”  To see the video, go to   https://www.raymondmaine.org/content/suiting

For students in Grades 3 and 4, an under 12-minute video discusses kitchen safety, and how children should escape from their bedrooms at night if there is a fire.  See the video at https://www.raymondmaine.org/content/kitchen-safety

Fire Prevention Month efforts also included other activities.

Raymond Deputy Fire Chief Cathy Gosselin said that members of the fire department also visited several of our day cares, and the Raymond Village Library, in order to connect with younger children and their parents. 

“We have been doing that for many years and the children look forward to it,” Gosselin said. <

Diamond proposes bill to set standards for vanity plates

Senator Bill Diamond of Windham has
introduced a bill to strengthen the standards
used by the Maine Secretary of State's office
in issuing vanity license plates and to reject
applications for those that are vulgar,
contain hate speech or include language
that refer to drugs.
FILE PHOTO

Senator Bill Diamond of Windham has introduced a bill to strengthen the standards that Maine’s Secretary of State uses to issue vanity license plates.

Diamond’s bill will allow the Secretary of State to reject applications for plates that are vulgar, contain hate speech or that include language referring to drugs.

“As a former Maine Secretary of State, I know that these additional standards are badly needed,” Diamond said. “Some of the plates I see when I’m out on the road today provide strong evidence that the Legislature must create more thorough guidance.”

He served as Maine’s Secretary of State from 1989 to 1997, during which time Maine’s vanity plate program was first implemented. Maine law currently prohibits plates that encourage violence, may result in an act of violence or spur other unlawful activities.

In 2015, Maine repealed restrictions on license plates that could be considered obscene, contemptuous, profane or prejudicial, or which promoted abusive or unlawful activity.

“As the Secretary of State who began the vanity plate program, I never imagined that plates would be used to make such vulgar statements as the ones we’re seeing today,” Diamond said.  “Vanity plates are a fun part of driving in Maine, and have even become a tradition here, but we need to have some limitations when it comes to making public statements on state property (vanity plates) if for no other reason than to demonstrate to our youth that with life comes certain boundaries. Setting some clear standards will make sure everyone is on the same page about what is and is not appropriate for our roadways.”

The bill will now undergo further work in committee.

The 130^th Maine Legislature will be sworn in on Dec. 2. <

IIA’s Academic Elders act as patients so nursing students can learn real-life clinical assessment skills

The Academic Elder volunteers brought out the
life experiences, frailty and struggles of the
characters portrayed in the scenarios so
students could learn to see the person and
not just the illness or disease. As a result
of the volunteers, there was improvement
in students' verbal and non-verbal
communication, fostering a positive and
effective nurse-client relationship.
COURTESY PHOTO

By Lorraine Glowczak

Officially established a little over one year ago, the Institute for Integrative Aging (IIA) at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (SJCME) seeks to address loneliness and isolation experienced by many older adults by offering a variety of intergenerational activities. Programs such as Silver Sneakers®, online Coffee and Conversations, a hiking program, a book club and much more have been and continue to be successful. The recent launch of the Academic Elder Volunteer Program was implemented for the first time this fall with nursing students and also proved to be a success.

“We had four amazing Academic Elder volunteers who virtually joined Professor Nancy Bonard’s Nursing Fundamentals Course, acting as ‘standardized patients’ IIA Director Heather DiYenno said. “This opportunity allowed the nursing students to practice their clinical assessment skills along with general communication and interviewing techniques in a simulated environment.”

DiYenno and Bonard have been collaborating on several projects that support both the nursing program at SJCME and IIA. Due to the restrictions from the COVID pandemic, the Academic Elder Volunteer Program filled a gap in hands-on learning.    

“The nursing program’s clinical sites for long-term care have been part of the curriculum, working directly with patients at long-term care facilities,” Bonard said. “However, this semester, the nursing students were not able to visit the facilities due to the risk of coronavirus transmission.”

Learning how to communicate effectively with the patient and create a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship would not have been fulfilled if not for the help of the Academic Elders.

“While there are ample opportunities for practicing skills on mannequins [such as bathing and transferring clients], there was a need for students to be able to practice therapeutic communication skills,” Bonard said. “The discussions included many important themes for nursing care, such as caregiving, the unique needs of older adults, transitions of care, and holistic care of clients.”

“At the conclusion of the four-week period, both volunteers and faculty noted that there was improvement in students’ verbal and non-verbal therapeutic communication, fostering a positive and
effective nurse-client relationship,” DiYenno said.

Although the students were not available for an interview, they expressed to both DiYenno and Bonard that they were grateful to talk with a real person, being able to ask better questions that included feedback as a result. This included proper and effective ways of communication – knowing what to say and what not to say to a patient. They also said this portion of the experience was one of the favorite parts of their clinicals.

The Academic Elder volunteers, who had heard about this opportunity through email communications with IIA, share some of their own experiences. Lyman and Darnell Stuart were two of those volunteers.

“Meeting with Nancy and Heather was all that it took to see what a wonderful experience this would be for their students,” Lyman Stuart said. “I love helping anyone further their education in whatever they may be learning, and I found this to be unique.”

Darnell Stuart, who is very engaged in theater, was looking for ways to be involved now that theaters are closed. Having had many years of work experience in senior health care, Darnell believed she was able to contribute to the students’ learning. But she also learned something as a volunteer.

“I was reminded of the term, ‘youth is wasted on the young.’ This is not so true - it is not wasted. It is they who keep us young if we allow them to grow.”

A third volunteer, Donna Leitner decided to be an Academic Elder because she had many positive mentors throughout her educational and professional career and thought this would be an opportunity to “pay it forward."

“I’m hoping my involvement afforded students a ‘live elder’ (albeit by videoconference) to practice
communication and assessment skills,” Leitner said. “Most importantly, I feel I brought out the life experiences, frailty and struggles of the characters portrayed in the scenarios so students could learn to see the person and not just the illness or disease.” 

“Watching their growth caused me to ‘up my game’ in portraying the character as realistically as possible,” she said. “In some instances, I had to do research on the character’s illness or the formal medical assessment scales/tools that might be utilized in their questioning.”

There may be more opportunities for both older adults and students next semester.

“Nancy’s class will continue with a different curriculum and there is a possibility to work with them again this spring,” DiYenno said. “Due to limitations of clinical placement, these students would have otherwise lost a whole year of clinicals without the help of the volunteers.”

IIA is also having discussions with other departments at the college including Social Work and Communications about other Academic Elder opportunities. And it seems from the positive feedback from the first set of volunteers, IIA and the professors will not have to look far for more Academic Elders.

“Their enthusiasm is infectious,” Lyman Stuart said. “I am already looking forward to the spring
semester when we can do this again.”

For other older adults who may be thinking about volunteering their time as an Academic Elder, Darnell Stuart has this to say:

“I do hope more people get involved. The students deserve what each of us can give them and we deserve the joy of helping them grow.”

For more information on the Academic Elder Volunteer program, contact Heather DiYenno at the Institute of Integrative Aging by email at hdiyenno@sjcme.edu or by phone at 207-893-7641.<

Raymond Village Library makes annual appeal

By Briana Bizier

Sometimes it feels like the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything. As we adjust to working from home or working while wearing a face mask, helping our children with hybrid and distance learning, and the awkwardness of Zoom dinner parties, our community connections have become more important than ever.

The Raymond Village Library is not fully funded
by the town of Raymond and nearly half of
the library's budget comes from grants and
private donations collected during their fall
Annual Appeal, now under way.
FILE PHOTO

One of those community institutions is now asking for your help. Unlike many similar libraries, the Raymond Village Library is not fully funded by the town of Raymond. Nearly half of the library’s budget comes from grants and private donations. This means that the funds used to purchase new books, pay for subscriptions, and support their wonderful librarians come directly from generous community donations during their fall Annual Appeal. Raymond Village Library cannot function without the financial support of its patrons and donors.

This investment in our community is especially crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Raymond Village Library has played an essential role in helping Raymond residents navigate this strange and unprecedented time.

As soon as Maine’s COVID restrictions allowed, the Raymond Village Library began offering curbside pickup of books, movies, and children’s materials. The initial curbside pickup program was incredibly well received.

“Our pick-up was so popular we started running out of bags for the books,” said Allison Griffin, Director of the Raymond Village Library. This service is still available through phone, email, and the library’s website at www.raymondvillagelibrary.org.

As the entire world stayed at home and much of our lives moved online, the free internet connection offered by Raymond Village Library became more important than ever. Generous community donations this fall allowed the library to provide additional outdoor seating around picnic tables so that the wi-fi was easily accessible even if the library was closed. In addition to providing internet service, the library also has a professional Zoom account, so that library events, such as the monthly book club or community classes, can be held safely online.

Some of the most perennially popular activities at the Raymond Village Library are the weekly baby and toddler story time hours. When social distancing requirements made those gatherings impossible, Children’s Librarian Karen Perry got creative. The library now offers weekly Story Time At Home kits complete with crafts, books, and songs to help encourage a love of literacy in even the littlest library patrons. These kits, as well as teen and tween crafts, are available every week and are always free of charge.

In addition to the take-home Story Time kits, Perry also created two popular outdoor Story Walks. The first, Jack in the Beanstalk, wound its way around the Raymond Community Garden this summer while the second, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, follows the store window fronts in the Raymond Shopping Center.

All of these activities are only possible thanks to the generosity of Raymond Village Library patrons. Unfortunately, even as the pandemic has made so many library services invaluable, it also has disrupted many of the library’s traditional fundraising activities. The Raymond Village Library truly needs our help this year more than ever.

The library’s 2020 Annual Appeal aims to raise $40,000. This amount will allow the library to expand staff hours in addition to continuing regular (or, regular for the pandemic) services. Donations to the Raymond Village Library are accepted in person, through the mail, or at their website: www.raymondvillagelibrary.org. Contributions of any amount will allow the Raymond Village Library to continue providing books and activities to babies and toddlers, internet access to students completing their work online, new books to homebound seniors, and classes to all members of our community. Together, let’s make sure our library remains available for all our friends and neighbors during this difficult time. <

Windham Town Council elects new chairperson, makes committee appointments

David Nadeau has been elected
chairperson of the Windham
Town Council. FILE PHOTO

By Ed Pierce

In the aftermath of this month’s election with two members sworn in and taking seats on the Windham Town Council, councilors elected a new chairperson and sorted out committee appointments in a meeting via Zoom on Nov. 10.

Councilor David Nadeau was elected as the new council chair, succeeding Jarrod Maxfield, who was voted as the new council vice-chairperson. Councilor David Douglass was chosen as the council parliamentarian.

Nadeau is a retired electronics engineer who has served on the Windham Town Council for eight years and was a member of the town Planning Board for 10 years. In September he was presented with the 2020 Planner of the Year Award by the Maine Association of Planners.

The council also chose Nadeau to serve on the Finance Committee along with Councilors Mark Morrison and Nicholas Kalogerakis. Elected to serve on the Appointments Committee are Councilors Douglass, Kalogerakis and Maxfield.

Morrison, who was elected Nov. 3 as an at-large representative, will join Maxfield in serving as the council’s representatives to the Windham Economic Development Board.

Douglass and Kalogerakis will represent the council on the Marijuana License Fee Committee, while Maxfield and Nadeau will serve on the Public Dire Road Sub-Committee.

The council elected Maxfield to serve as a member of the Highland Lake Leadership Team and Nadeau to serve on the Long-Range Planning Committee.

Councilor Tim Nangle was elected to serve on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee, while
Douglass was chosen to serve on the Natural Resources Advisory Committee.

Councilor Brett Jones, who was elected to represent the East District on Nov. 3 will serve on the Public Easement Advisory Committee. Maxfield and Nadeau will serve on the Smith Cemetery Committee.

Councilors also appointed Elizabeth Hall, James Ross and Ken Dolby to serve on the Smith Cemetery Board.

Jacqueline Roux was appointed by the council to serve a three-year term on the town’s Board of Assessment Review. <

Service Dog Strong an admirable force for those experiencing RR-PTSD

By Lorraine Glowczak

Laynie Danforth, a RR_PTSD
survivor, trains her new service
dog, Doug, all due to the help
of Service Dog Strong located
in Windham. Danforth says
that Doug has given her the
confidence to start living her
life again. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Service Dog Strong’s mission is to provide trained service dogs free of charge to individuals who experience PTSD related anxiety due to sexual trauma, otherwise known as Rape Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (RR-PTSD). This includes military veterans who experience MST (military sexual trauma).

Service Dog Strong (SDS) officially became a non-profit in June 2019. Simone Emmons, along with co-founder Kristen Stacy, have been working for over a year on a volunteer basis to provide support to others who have experienced pain and suffering due to sexual assault. The Windham Eagle newspaper spoke with them in August 2019 and shared their story. (http://frontpage.thewindhameagle.com/2019/08/service-dog-strong-organization-to.html)

“I started this organization because I simply wanted to help other people who have been through what I have,” Emmons said during that August 2019 interview.

The Windham Eagle reached out recently to see how the non-profit has progressed.

“Since we spoke last, SDS celebrated our one-year anniversary, launched our website, gained many new followers and supporters and we were finally able to financially support our mission,” Emmons said, whose service dog Gunner has eased the angst of anxiety attacks she experiences as a result of personal MST.

“SDS was awarded a generous local Maine grant as well as donations from loving individuals to fulfill our mission,” Emmons said. “We are able to take our survivors who had been on our wait list for almost a year and start our first ever Service Dog training class.”

SDS adopts dogs from kill shelters with the right temperament and places them in a training class where the RR-PTSD survivor is taught to train the dog themselves. They work under the instruction of an expert Windham trainer and veteran police officer, Dominic Rizzo, known as “Detector Dog Northeast.”

Laynie Danforth is one of those individuals who is helped by this organization.

“I had heard about the benefits of having a service animal [with those experiencing RR-PTSD] so I set
out to find an organization that would help me,” Danforth said. “I searched many hours on the internet and all I found were very expensive programs or programs solely dedicated to veterans. Eventually, I came across SDS and there was finally hope for the future. Not only do they help veterans, but they also help survivors like me.”

Danforth and her new service dog, Doug, have been in training together since mid-August. Doug will officially be hers at the end of the 20-week course that ends in January 2021.

In this short timeframe with SDS and Doug, Danforth has experienced a positive and healthy approach to life.

“Before SDS and Doug, I found it very difficult to be around crowds,” Danforth said. “My PTSD was heightened in the dark and I would spend nearly every night suffering from nightmares or sleeping hardly at all. I was on a few medications that my doctors felt would help keep my panic and other symptoms more under control. Unfortunately, they offered little relief. Now, having Doug in my life he helps me in a number of ways- not only to feel more secure when I am alone or in a crowd but he helps me by doing pressure therapy when I am sleeping so that I don’t have as many nightmares. He also turns on the lights when I need him to, alerts me to the changes in my anxiety even before I notice so I can use alternative methods to calm down. I have been able to get off almost all medications. Doug has given me the confidence to get out and start to live again. It's like a world that I thought was gone forever has started to emerge again.”

SDS, a 100 percent volunteer run organization, works with a local shelter, The Green Ark. They hand
pick dogs to fulfil the mission of SDS, and at the same time giving the rescue dog - who would have been euthanized, not only life but a sense of purpose and calling.

“If readers would like to participate in our journey and support the SDS mission, we have two ways currently they can show their support and be strong with us,” Emmons said. “We encourage them to go to our website at www.sdsmaine.org and donate via PayPal or they are free to visit us on Facebook and donate from our page. The cost to put one survivor through our class is roughly $3500.”

Emmons would like to thank the local community and The Windham Eagle newspaper for their continued support and looks forward to more possible assistance.

“We hope our format catches on nationwide and we see changes in options in treating PTSD; having service dogs become a viable option for people looking for a sustainable, non-pharmaceutical tool to lessen the effects of PTSD,” Emmons said.

As for those who may be suffering from RR-PTSD but are hesitant about coming forward for help, Danforth offers this advice:

“You are not what happened to you,” she said. “There wasn’t anything you did to encourage it and I promise that it was not your fault. As scary as it might be to get help, living in fear or in shame is so much worse. Once you take that first step toward healing, you render your attacker powerless and life can begin again.”<

Donations help create outdoor dining area at Windham High School

Donations of materials and labor from Lowe's
and SOS Towing helped create a new outdoor
dining space for students and staff members at
Windham High School using available courtyards
at the school. Students wanted to use this
opportunity to thank those involved with
the project, which was complete earlier this fall.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

By Ed Pierce

Hard work, generous donations and a little bit of ingenuity has helped create a new outdoor dining area for students and staff members at Windham High School.

According to Phil Rosetti, Windham High assistant principal, administrators had been looking for ways to update their available outdoor courtyard space at the school so students could enjoy some fresh air at lunchtime.

“Lowe’s reached out seeking a benefit to the community via the Heroes Project,” Rosetti said. “I met with several members of Lowe’s and shared a couple of areas that we hoped to improve. The chief one being the courtyard and adding benches to the team locker room areas.”

The Lowe’s Heroes Project allocates funding to each U.S. and Canadian store for a project in their community that associates can complete together. In addition, the company provides “Give Back Time” by encouraging Lowe’s associates to take a day out of the year to volunteer with organizations and on projects that are important to them and their community.

In 2019, Lowe’s associates across America contributed 330,000 hours of community service through volunteering and work on Lowe’s Heroes Projects.

Rosetti said that Lowe’s donated three heavy duty picnic tables, two benches and completely renovated the access point by building a ramp easily accessible to everyone at Windham High School.

“Since completion this fall, the courtyards have been heavily used by students and staff,” Rosetti said.
“It’s a great opportunity to be outside and enjoy lunch.”

Freshman Dylan Sperry said he appreciates having the outdoor space and visits it every day he attends classes at the school.

“I like how I can sit outside and breathe the fresh air,” Sperry said.

Another freshman, Scott McDonald, said that the area is extremely popular among his classmates.

“I like sitting in the area because you get some sort of fresh air,” McDonald said.

After being cooped up in the classroom for hours, freshman Briggs Valliere said that the outdoor space is a great amenity for the school.

“I use it every day,” Valliere said. “I like it outside and I like being able to sit outside.”

 The actual project began a year ago prior to the pandemic and was completed earlier this fall.

“The process due to weather and COVID-19 hurdles took some time to complete,” Rosetti said. “The
primary work was completed by Gerald Woods from Lowe’s. He was assisted by a variety of crew members from Lowe’s. Mike Bryant of SOS Towing generously volunteered time and materials to install a welded handrail.”

The renovated outdoor space includes additional heavy duty and weather-resistant picnic tables and an updated access point featuring a concrete ramp with a steel-welded handrail. The school also received two benches to install outside of their locker rooms.

“The generous donation of resources, time and energy has allowed our students and staff the opportunity to enjoy the courtyards during a time when it is needed the most,” Rosetti said. “We cannot thank Lowe’s and SOS Towing enough for their efforts to support Windham High School.” <

Art classes provide creative outlet for elementary students during pandemic

RSU 14 Art Teacher Julie Clark gives an outdoor
art lesson about contrast to fourth-grade students
at Manchester School on Tuesday. School
administrators say art is an important subject
for students right now as it provides a type of
learning that may keep them more engaged during
the pandemic, PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

By Elizabeth Richards

For many young students, art classes are a safe space where they can create and explore. In this unusual school year, providing these opportunities remains a priority for the elementary schools in RSU14.

“The value of art in challenging times is especially important,” said Manchester School Principal Danielle Donnini. “When planning our return to school this September we never considered not providing access to the arts and physical education for our students. We quickly began to plan for how we could bring art to our students with all the CDC guidelines in place and focused on providing materials so each child could have the art supplies needed to reduce sharing.”

Other school administrators agree. 

“Art can be a passion and outlet for some of our learners,” said Windham Primary School Principal Dr. Kyle Rhoads. “We can’t always predict what kids are going to latch on to and have a passion for,” he said, so providing opportunities that allow that passion to grow is important. “Art is something they can be involved in their whole lives.”

With so many things happening that can cause a child to disengage from school right now, he said, it’s important to provide as many opportunities as possible for the types of learning that may keep them more engaged.

Kids are bringing a lot of anxiety and worry to school in these uncertain times said Raymond Elementary School Principal Elizabeth Peavey. Art classes are a calm, peaceful setting where students can set that aside and be creative, she said.

“Artistic exploration and creating offer a positive outlet for children, some of whom are experiencing
significant stressors since COVID disrupted schools, families and the economy last spring,” Donnini said. “Our art classes this fall have helped our students to feel connected to the school community as they collaborate on projects that support our whole-school culture and identity,” she added.

With the hybrid model and CDC guidelines, there have been some big changes and challenges for art teachers, which administrators say they are handling well.

Rhoads said teachers are doing a great job keeping things as normal as possible, while knowing they need to operate differently due to the guidelines.

One of the challenges, Peavey said, is teaching while staying physically distant.

Typically, the teacher would be close to students helping them through their challenges, but because they need to stay distant as much as possible, children need to use verbal communication a lot more, Peavey said.

Julie Clark teaches art at the Manchester School, as well as two classes at WPS. Space issues at Manchester do not allow for classes to be held in the art room. Instead, she takes an “art cart” to the student’s classrooms.

“This changes my curriculum quite a bit as many of our art projects in the art room encouraged collaboration between students, shared materials, as well as providing enough space to work on larger projects,” she said.

Another big change for all the elementary schools is that art classes are rotating in six-week blocks between two groups of students. Typically, students have art class once a week all year long, so this is a significant reduction in the time they have in class.

Both not having students in class for a full year and the inability to share materials due to COVID guidelines, are big challenges, Clark said.

“It greatly limits their experiences with a wide variety of art materials and the depth in which I can teach a project. I have less time to teach and they have less time to create.”

To address the diminished time that students have in class, teachers have also recorded video lessons that both remote only and hybrid students can access, Rhoads said.

Remote students also received art kits at the beginning of the year so they would have the materials
they needed at home to create, Clark said.

Rhoads said he is excited that they’ve been able to continue their annual Silver Graphics fundraiser, which puts student artwork on products like mugs, pillows, and this year even masks. The limited amount of art that children are currently producing at school created a challenge, he said, but the company sent directions for families to do it from home. WPS art teacher Jennifer Vasiliauskas also created a step-by-step video lesson of a project for students to complete and families can upload.

An electronic flyer will go out to families about this fundraiser, Rhoads said, and the store will open this week.

Even with all the challenges, Clark said, students have stepped up and adapted to the new expectations and changes.

“They are amazing, and I have been so impressed by their attitudes and efforts to make the best out of this situation,” she said.

Art classes continued even at the beginning of the pandemic last spring. Art teachers, like classroom teachers, had to quickly adapt to new technologies available to reach out to their students, Clark said.

“We created engaging projects that students could do at home with limited supplies and provided digital resources for them to explore more if they chose. This has been a learning curve, but I feel like it has prepared us for a variety of situations that might arise for learning and creating in the future,” she said. <