Windham responds to community regarding Lowell Preserve and clarifies misunderstandings

The Windham trail bridges that are
built either by town staff or in
conjunction with volunteer groups
are built to be safe for all trail users
(bikers, hikers, ATV users and horseback
riders) and are denoted on trail maps. 
The bridge shown was replaced
in 2019. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

By Lorraine Glowczak

The Town of Windham Parks and Recreation Department hopes to correct the misperceptions that were the result of a Facebook post written on Wednesday, Oct. 7. In that post, the department was looking for information about who built a bridge over a small stream at Lowell Preserve.

“If you were involved with constructing this bridge and/or attempting to create trails in Lowell Preserve, or if you have any information about those who were, please contact Windham Parks and Recreation,” is a portion of the post written.

The response from the community were many and often comprised of misapprehensions. They included a variety of concerns with more popular comments stating the department did not express gratitude for the person who built the bridge, or the supplies donated. But Linda Brooks, Director of Windham Parks and Recreation said they are always appreciative of any help they receive.

“We are most grateful for any assistance individuals or groups are willing to provide and will often provide supplies or materials for any larger projects that need to be accomplished,” Brooks said. “In the past few years, we have worked with several entities to assist us in maintaining or improving our trail network, including local scout groups, civic organizations, church groups, trail groups and trail enthusiasts. We are grateful to be working with Boy Scout Troop 51 on a Community Service project scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17.”

During this Community Service Project, the boy scouts will erect colored trail markers and signs on the trails since using paint to mark the trails fades over time. This brings up another topic of conversation determining which are the official Preserve trails and which are not.

“The Lowell Preserve has four major trails and have been color coded in either blue, red, green and yellow on early trail maps created in 2003,” Brooks said. “By 2010, the trail map had been updated with those four trails being named.”

These paths are named: the Libby Hill Loop, the Roscoe Loop, the Virginia Trail, the Deer Run/Moose Track Trail, with connector trails (designated as orange on the trail map). The bridge and trail in question is not a connector nor a part of the designated trail system and thus not on the map provided to hikers. This particular connecting trail was not created by the town.

“We have received several suggestions by trail users asking for more trail markings, and have also
received complaints by trail users who have gotten confused by trails or intersections that don’t seem to be designated on the trail map,” said Brooks. “These are the trails that we are trying to address, because when they have been created by others and have been blazed orange, our trail maintenance person has then needed to take efforts to close off those trails so as to minimize confusion. In the past few years, the department has been taking steps to improve the signage along the trails and establish distances between various sections of each trail so that trail users can make decisions as to which trail they wish to experience.”

Brooks also said the bridges that are built either by town staff or in conjunction with volunteer groups are built to be safe for all trail users (bikers, hikers, ATV users, and horseback riders) and are denoted on the trail maps. 

As for another concern mentioned by the community was that of staff members who are working the trails, there is only one position that maintains all the recreational property responsible by the town.

“I give much credit to our Parks Maintenance Foreman who not only manages the 308 acres at Lowell Preserve, but also manages an additional 191 acres at eight other parks and trails throughout the town for year-round use,” Brooks said. “Prior to 2020, we had a seasonal, part-time Park Ranger responsible for patrolling all of the parks and trails, inspecting trails and park areas for safety issues, damages or vandalism, and interacting with parks and trail users.”

The newly originated Windham Open Space Plan has opened discussion about creating a Windham Trails Committee to work on and be in the forefront of keeping all the trails and other open spaces in safe, full working order.

“This committee would be comprised of representatives from all of the stakeholder groups who have a vested interest in providing land stewardship guidance for existing open space lands and identifying opportunities to expand connectivity between open space assets, neighborhoods and trails,” said Brooks.

The Lowell Preserve offers a lot of wildlife to enjoy and contains a story walk for the young hikers in the family. Hunting is allowed on the Preserve, so it is highly recommended that all trail users wear orange. The start of the trailhead is found behind the East Windham Fire Station on Falmouth Road. <

 

Windham resident reaches 100-year birthday milestone

Dorothy Fiske celebrated her 100th
birthday on Oct. 3 surrounded by
friends and family at Ledgewood
Manor in Windham. She was born
Oct. 3, 1920 in Westbrook and
moved to Windham with her
family at the age of 2 in 1922 and 
has lived here ever since.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

By Ed Pierce

Longtime Windham resident Dorothy M. Fiske attributes her faith in God as the key to reaching a milestone very few attain as she celebrated her 100^th birthday earlier this month.

Born Oct. 3, 1920 in Westbrook, Dorothy’s family gathered at Ledgewood Manor in Windham on her birthday to reminisce and honor a remarkable woman who has lived through some of the most memorable events in American history. She was just 9-years-old when the stock market crashed in 1929, was 21 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor leading to America entering World War II, and was 48 when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the surface of the moon.  

For about 98 of her 100 years of life, Dorothy has called Windham home, moving here from Westbrook at the age of 2 as the only child of Harold A, and Velma M. Hooper. She revels in being called a “centurion” for living for more than a century but says the title that she prefers the most is “mom” or “grandma.”

After graduating from Windham High School in 1937, Dorothy attended the Maine School of Commerce in Portland and then performed secretarial duties for Beneficial Finance Company, the Rumford Falls Power Company and NT Fox Lumber Company.

While working for Beneficial Finance, she met fellow employee John H. Fiske, Sr. and that changed the direction of her life. In 1943, they married and were blessed with two children, Susan F. Attwood and John H. (Peter) Fiske, Jr. while setting up their home in Windham.

Over the years the couple’s daughter, Susan, and son Peter, both graduated from Windham High School and began raising families of their own. John, Sr. died in 2007 at the age of 87 but he and Dorothy’s family grew to eventually include five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Through the years, Dorothy has remained active and involved with Merchant’s Reporting Service of Maine, Inc., the family’s business. In fact, she still sits on that company’s board of directors.

Her son Peter said his mother is devoted to her family.

“My most vivid memory of mom is she was always there for me,” he said. “Mom is happiest hearing stories about the kids and grandkids Most friends and family are amazed to know a centurion.”

Peter Fiske said that his mother enjoyed spending time at a family cottage in Bristol, Maine and winters in Florida when she got older.

“She liked to interior decorate, work her flower beds, read, make the holidays festive and cooked a very yummy chocolate cake,” he said.

Dorothy said many of her cherished memories of growing up revolve around time spent with her

family.

“I remember the simpler life, the patriotism, the courage of the men who fought in the wars,” she said. “People seemed to take time to interact more and help each other out more.”

She said to her the most significant event in her 100 years of life was her marriage and the birth of her two children.

As far as the best invention introduced during her lifetime, Dorothy mentioned the many space launches she and her husband watched in Florida which she thinks were wonderful.

She also remembers riding in the first car her family purchased, pointing out though that the automobile was an invention that came about prior to her birth.

Fiercely independent, Dorothy lived in the family home on Route 302 in Windham near the Westbook town line right up until February when her health prompted her to move to Ledgewood Manor in Windham for their excellent care.

The Ledgewood staff also celebrated her milestone birthday with Dorothy throwing her a special luncheon and birthday party for which she said she was very grateful.

A longtime Congregationalist, she says the secret of her longevity is really God’s doing.

“I believe my faith in God got me to my 100th birthday,” Dorothy said. <

U.S. Postal Service announces price increases

WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Postal Service has filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes to take effect Jan. 24, 2021.

The proposed prices, approved by the Postal Service Board of Governors, would raise Mailing Services product prices about 1.8 percent for First-Class Mail and 1.5 percent for other categories. Although Mailing Services price increases are based on the consumer price index, competitive International Shipping Services prices are primarily adjusted according to market conditions. The governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue.

The price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp
 will remain at 55 cents, despite the U.S. Postal
Service filing notice of their intent to
raise prices for certain mailing services to
take effect Jan. 24, 2021. COURTESY PHOTO

If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the new prices will include no increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, which would remain at 55 cents. The single-piece letter additional ounce price would increase to 20 cents, the metered mail 1-ounce price would increase to 51 cents and the prices of postcard stamps would increase to 36 cents. Single-piece 1-ounce flat prices will remain unchanged at $1.

The Postal Service has some of the lowest letter-mail postage rates in the industrialized world and continues to offer a great value in shipping. Unlike some other shippers, the Postal Service does not add surcharges for fuel, residential delivery or regular Saturday delivery.

The PRC will review the prices before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filings with prices for all products can be found on the PRC site under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily. For the Mailing Services filing, see Docket No. R2021-1. For the International Shipping Services filing, see Docket No. CP2021-15. The price change tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

For U.S. Postal Service media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube channel, like us on Facebook and enjoy our Postal Posts blog. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com. <

School Age Child Care Program a valuable ally for families during pandemic

The Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care
staff gathers before the start of another day of
work. SACC is a high-quality, engaging safe
place for children, offering before- and after-school
programs as well as full-day programs during
remote learning days at Windham Primary School,
Manchester School and Raymond Elementary School.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

By Ed Pierce

For students and parents in a school year rather unlike anything ever seen before, a trusted partner that they have come to rely on is the nonprofit Windham/Raymond School Age Child Care Program.

In operation since 2002, SACC operates before- and after-school locations at Windham Primary School, Manchester School, and both a Kindergarten to Grade 4 program and a Café Teen for fifth- through eighth-grade students at Raymond Elementary School. SACC strives to provide a high quality, engaging and safe place for children to attend before- and after-school programs as well as its full day programs during remote learning days this year.

The educators at SACC love what they do and are engaged with providing activities that promote well-being and confidence. We are being rigorous in promoting health and safety and have been taking extra measures to sanitize and disinfect the spaces we use for our programs.

“It gives us great joy to have our previously enrolled and newly enrolled children attend our program,” said Amanda Pinkston, SACC program director. “Having them back after all these months and hearing their conversations and laughter makes us excited to come to work.”

Pinkston said that the educators at SACC love what they do and are engaged with providing activities that promote well-being and confidence.

"We are being rigorous in promoting health and safety and have been taking extra measures to sanitize
and disinfect the spaces we use for our programs,” she said. “Currently our most significant challenge is navigating and updating our policies due to COVID-19. Thankfully, we have exceptional employees who are amazing at adapting to our policies in order to provide a safe and healthy place for our children in our program to attend. Besides following Maine CDC guidelines, we also consult with our childcare licensing specialist as well as our health care consultant to make sure we are always updated on the latest policies.”

SACC can employ up to 20 employees depending upon enrollment, which ran between 120 to 140 last year, but is expected to rise this school year because of remote learning days for RSU 14 students because of the pandemic. The program is open for all full days, vacation weeks, workshop days, and storm days, weather permitting.

It offers homework time where nutritious snacks are provided, outside time, enrichment time, as well as
free choice. Operating locations on school campuses means that students have an opportunity to participate in after-school activities and sports. SACC’s goal is to never have to have a child go home alone and being located in the schools also helps many of the children in their daily transitions from place to place.

SACC President Donna Cobb has been associated with SACC since its inception in 1990 along with SACC Board Member Jeanette Lamb and says that childcare has always been a part of their lives.

“I ran my own home family childcare for over 50 years and Jeanette did also,” Cobb said. “We both feel childcare is so very much needed at the school age level. Being the president of the board, this very successful program gives me a great feeling of accomplishment.”

Being a nonprofit, fundraising activities help defray some of the program’s expenses, but the pandemic forced a lot of the nonprofit’s fundraisers to be scrubbed earlier this year.

“When the pandemic hit in March, we were in the registration process of enrolling for our annual childcare conference we hold at the high school every year, so that was cancelled. We also cancelled our annual shredding event we hold every May,” Cobb said. “Because we were not able to be open in the schools, we laid everyone off except the program director. In August we rehired everyone back and
proceeded with reopening for school. There have been no fundraisers yet. Our next fundraisers tentatively planned are the childcare conference in March and shredding on May 1.” 

SACC Business Manager Julia Trepanier said childcare is about as essential a service as it gets, and SACC is an invaluable resource for this community.

“I think SACC, as well as all of the childcare providers in Windham and Raymond, are important to the community,” Trepanier said. “SACC is very appreciative of RSU 14 for allowing is to operate in their facilities since 2002. I think many families appreciate that their children can walk from their classrooms after school right to their childcare program. Students not having to take a bus to their childcare facility is something parents have explained is a major bonus for them.”

She said that the most gratifying aspect of her work has been seeing all of the students, the students’ families and SACC team members enjoying the program.

“We are a nationally accredited program and that takes a great deal of work and maintenance,” Trepanier said. “We are so lucky to have such a dedicated, hard-working team to ensure we can offer a quality program.”

SACC Board Member Pam Whynot served as a kindergarten teacher in Windham for 40 years. After
her retirement, she worked for Learning Works in an after-school program at Reiche School.

“Donna Cobb, who I had known for a long time, contacted me to see if I would be willing to fill a board position that had become available. She thought my experience with Learning Works would be beneficial for the board,” Whynot said. “The most rewarding part was seeing what it takes to be an accredited childcare both state and national. It was impressive for me to see the benefit of those accreditations for the children and their parents.”   

Whynot said that a big challenge for SACC is providing full-day childcare currently as it has always been just before- and after-school care.

“Helping children with distance learning is challenging, as we serve many ages and grades. Finding space in the school is always a challenge as schools need many spaces for their needs also,” Whynot said. “Advertising is a must but at this time with limited income coming in, funds are tight. We need parents to know we are available for them.” 

Cobb said she’s sure that SACC has the right policies, staff and leadership to steer the nonprofit through the pandemic and they are grateful that the community and parents consider them to be a valuable ally at such a difficult and challenging time.

“We try very hard to be accommodating in all circumstances,” she said. “That includes being open if possible, having hours that are accommodating and costs that are affordable. Pass the word that we are open and there are openings at the program.” <

Windham adult-use marijuana shops will not be open for months

Although Friday, Oct. 9 is the first day that
adult-use retail stores can sell marijuana in
Maine, Windham's two adult-use retail shops,
Paul's Boutique and JAR Cannabis Company,
which were granted final approval for
Windham town licenses on Tuesday night,
will not be ready for sales for a number of 
months. COURTESY PHOTO

Jar Cannabis Co. to become second adult-use retail when town rescinds Windham RSL’s conditional license

By Ed Pierce                                                              

For those eagerly awaiting the first day in Maine that adult use retail marijuana can legally be sold on Friday, Oct. 9, expectations will need to be tempered. And right here in Windham, it may be months or up to a year before retail adult-use marijuana shops are open and operating.

On Tuesday evening the Windham Town Council gave its final approval for the award of two adult-use retail marijuana licenses, voting to rescind the license of a business that had been awarded a conditional license on Sept. 15, replacing it with another candidate and finalizing the other retail license awarded to Paul’s Boutique.

Windham RSL had been awarded a conditional adult-use marijuana license previously by the council, but information received by the town manager concerning the lease contained in its license application was called into question. During a public hearing Tuesday, Councilors Jarrod Maxfield, David Nadeau, Nicholas Kalogerakis and David Douglass voted 4-0 for a finding of fact that without the submission of a master lease or sublease in the application of Windham RSL, the original vote on Sept. 15 was rescinded and the next highest finisher in their adult-use marijuana retail license scoring system, JAR Cannabis Co., should be awarded the license instead.

The lengthy town and state application hurdles for adult-use retail marijuana and uncertainty about the
licenses though, has led to a significant delay in Windham for adult-use retail marijuana shops being ready to open for business right away.

“We will definitely not be ready by Oct. 9,” said Shaw Dwight, the owner of Paul’s Boutique. “We’ve been positioning to hope to be awarded a license for over a year and discussing this with the town for over a year. Our company has done its due diligence to be professional with the store. It’s now time for my company to start preparing to enter the adult-use market to be successful.”

Dwight said rampant uncertainty about state and municipal regulations, ordinances, applications, and licensing has led to a bottleneck in the wholesale marijuana market right now, resulting in exorbitant prices for a limited number of products available and a poor supply to meet the market demand right now.

According to Dwight, the entire process of growing, drying and trimming marijuana for retail sales also takes time.

He said his company wasn’t ready to invest in a retail cultivation facility to deal with logistical issues and finalize other plans until it knew it was going to have a license and now that it does, the business can move forward. 

“We need to prepare this company for the future, but it will take some time, at least a year,” he said. “We have a conditional license from the state, but now we can go back and get a true license from the state. You can’t put the horse before the cart. We’re just trying to set up a plan that will ensure success.”

Dwight said he feels that not being totally prepared for what lies ahead for the adult-use retail marijuana business in Maine is naïve.

“Being prepared means being able to control reasonable price points, the availability of extracts and
edibles and the consistency to offer a diversity of products,” he said. “We’re not there just yet, but within six months to a year we will be. Now our work truly begins.”

Joel Pepin, who owns JAR Cannabis Company, said he was grateful to have been awarded an adult-use retail license by the council, but like Paul’s Boutique, find themselves in a similar place.

“Now that we’ve gotten local authorization from the town, I think it will take about a month to obtain a license, the state office seems to be moving quickly.”

Pepin said this year many medical marijuana providers have struggled to keep their supplies up for the demand and he expects that to be the case with adult-use as well.

“I don’t know exactly when we will make the transition from medical marijuana to adult-use, but we have two facilities and that could only be a couple of weeks,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of patients who are visiting our existing storefront and we want to make it a smooth transition for them and not alienate our existing patient base.”

According to Pepin, his biggest challenge going forward will be the keep costs low enough for his existing patients.

“We want those patients to be able to shop with us, but they may find that the excise tax and sales tax costs could go up,” he said. “We want our patients to go out the door with products at similar prices.”

Because they are vertically integrated where the products they sell come from their own garden and extraction lab, Pepin said that Jar Cannabis Company may initially be behind a bit in selling edible products, but he expects that to all work out over time.

“We’re aiming to be up and make the transition to adult-use by the end of the year or within the first few months of the new year,” he said. <   

Parks and Recreation Departments encourage families to explore local trails in statewide ‘Take A Hike’ weekend

"Take A Hike' this next weekend and experience
this view of the fall foliage from the Mountain
Division Trail in Windham.
PHOTO BY RICHARD BICKNELL

By Lorraine Glowczak

According to the State of Maine’s website, the best time to enjoy the autumn foliage and experience a leaf peeping adventure in the Sebago Lakes Region is slated for next weekend. This particular weekend, from Friday, Oct. 16 to Sunday, Oct. 17 also happens to be the Maine Recreation and Parks Association’s (MRPA) ‘Take A Hike’ weekend, urging Mainers to enjoy the outdoors and experience the beauty of nature in their hometowns.

To encourage area families to take advantage of the local trails and preserves, Parks and Recreation Departments of both Raymond and Windham will be participating in the statewide initiative.

“The purpose of the ‘Take a Hike’ weekend is to promote healthy activities, explore nature and create awareness of the towns’ open spaces and hiking trails,” said Raymond Parks and Recreation Director, Joseph Crocker who is also a MRPA board member. “We want people to discover and enjoy the trails in their own backyard.”

One does not have to go far or be an avid hiker to enjoy all the parks, preserves and hiking paths available in both Raymond and Windham. Whether easy or challenging, short or long, there is a trail for everyone to appreciate nature and spend time with family while keeping in mind the socially distancing Maine CDC requirements.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve seen an increase all across the country in people using parks and trails, and this initiative is not only intended to educate people about the trails in their area but to provide information about how to use them responsibly,” said Sarah Davenport, Windham Parks and Recreation’s Youth and Family Programs Coordinator. “If people would rather run or ride bikes, that’s also a great way to participate in the weekend. We just want to encourage everyone to head outdoors and explore a trail near your home.”

Davenport also encouraged anyone to try Windham’s Geocache Adventure during the ‘Take a Hike’
weekend.

“Geocaching is basically a treasure hunt that requires a GPS-enabled device (such as your smart phone), where you use GPS coordinates to find hidden caches during your hike,” Davenport said. “We maintain four of these caches here in Windham, and this fall we are challenging folks to find all four before the end of November. Each cache has a unique wooden nickel, and anyone who brings all four nickels into our office can earn a prize.”

For those who might feel overwhelmed by the variety of trails available, Crocker will soon be organizing Raymond hikes in terms of age-appropriateness and level of ease, posting the list on the Raymond Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

“Pismire Mountain, which is a part of the Raymond Community Forest, will definitely be considered the most challenging hike on our list,” Crocker said. “On the other hand, the flat terrain and small one-mile loop trail at Tassel Top is quite easy and perfect for the youngest hiker in the family.”

Since some hiking locations in the area allow hunting, Davenport and Crocker both suggest wearing hunter orange vests and/or hats while hiking trails during hunting season.

The most popular hikes in the area are as follows:

Raymond

Raymond Community Forest, 47-309 Conesca Road

Morgan Meadows Preserve, 224 Egypt Road

Tassel Top Park, off Route 302, across from the Raymond Shopping Center (look wooden Tassel Top
Sign)

Windham

Donnabeth Lippman Park, 18 Chaffin Pond Road

Lowell Nature Preserve, 45 Falmouth Road

Mountain Division Trail, off Gambo Road on Soccer Drive

Black Brook Preserve, 274-279 Windham Center Road

For a full list of trails in Raymond and Windham, check out their Facebook pages and websites at www.raymondmaine.org/community-resources and www.windhamrecreation.com.

Whether you choose to hike, bike or run, everyone is also invited to participate in a statewide photo contest with the MRPA. All that is required is to post your family’s photo to Facebook or Instagram with the tag #takeahikewithMRPA to enter.

With the fall foliage peak season expected for the weekend of October 16, the trails will most likely be busy, so it is requested to maintain social distancing. However, Davenport highlights the best part of “Take a Hike” weekend,

“How fun will it be to join families all across the state of Maine in exploring a new trail or trying a new outdoor activity?” <