Fate intervenes in kidney donation for best friends in Windham

Windham Walmart employees Jean Bennett, left,
and Michelle Davis await a flight at the Portland
Jetport on Monday. Davis, who is Bennett's
best friend, received a donated kidney from
Bennett during transplant surgery in 
Jacksonville, Florida on Thursday.
COURTESY PHOTO 

By Ed Pierce

It’s often the moment of decision in which our fates are determined and for two Windham Walmart employees, being placed together in the same department six years ago may have saved the life of one of them.

Jean Bennett, a team leader at Walmart, first struck up a friendship instantly with Michelle Davis when they were both assigned to work together at the Windham store in 2016. They became best friends and Bennett, a divorced mother of two, anguished as Davis, a married mother of four children, experienced kidney failure and then was told she needed a kidney transplant to survive.

“Michelle’s been suffering from kidney disease for the past four and a half years,” Bennett said. “It was really hard to watch my best friend go through that and suffer so much.”

The process of waiting for a kidney donation hasn’t been easy for Davis and her family.

“It’s been emotionally and financially draining and very difficult not knowing if I would find a match or not,” Davis said. “But then a miracle happened.”

And that miracle came from a very unexpected and fateful source.

Last year Bennett herself got tested and as unbelievable as it sounds, turned out to be a potential match for Davis. Bennett then underwent immune system testing and blood work last October and that was followed up by a battery of intense and rigorous kidney donation testing in February of this year. 

The Mayo Clinic reports that currently there are about 90,000 Americans in kidney failure on the waiting list for a possible match for a donor kidney and the average length of time that a recipient may spend on the waiting list is about three to five years. Many would-be kidney recipients die before ever finding a match nationally, making this particular donation even more improbable.

Eventually, Bennett’s donation to Davis was approved and both friends flew to Florida on Monday for the kidney transplant surgery, which was performed Thursday at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.

“She’s my best friend and she truly helped me through a tough time a few years ago,” Bennett said. “I couldn’t just sit by and let her die, I knew I needed to step up and do something. I told her I would do anything for my best friend and if I can prolong your life, I’m willing to do it.”

Davis said that she’s grateful for meeting someone as wonderful as Bennett.

“I think it was a higher power that put us together working in the same department at Walmart,” Davis said. “I believe in fate and there’s a reason we met. Having her to do this for me is a godsend.”

During the complicated four-hour surgical operation, Bennett’s left kidney was removed and then transplanted into Davis, who was in surgery for about seven hours.

Bennett says that her teen daughters are highly supportive of her donating her kidney to Davis and proud of what she’s done.

“They understand, and they get it,” she said. “I’ll be in Florida for around 10 days and then I get to come home. I’ve been told not to do any heavy lifting for around six to eight weeks. But I should be back to full speed about mid-July.”

Doctors say that during the coming months Bennett’s remaining kidney will enlarge, doing the work of two healthy kidneys.

Davis was accompanied to Florida by her daughter, Samantha, who will stay with her during her recovery period which is estimated to be between four to eight weeks in Jacksonville. She will no longer require dialysis and should resume a normal life because of the transplant.

Both Bennett and Davis say they have been transformed by this entire experience.

“We got pushed together at work and found we had a lot in common,” Davis said. “Now we will have even more in common.”

Bennett said she would encourage everyone to become organ donors and through everything related to the donation and transplant, she’s discovered something new about herself.

“I am a much stronger person than I thought I was,” Bennett said. “Because of this I am committed to becoming an organ donor. I never expected to save anyone’s life, but it’s certainly changed mine for the better.” <

Student’s Capstone Project focuses on self-sufficiency that benefits others

Windham High School senior Dillon Foley
who has Emery Derifuss Limb-Girdle
Type-4 muscular dystrophy, demonstrates
his mechanical hand-controlled prototype
for those who drive vehicles with disabilities
at WHS' Capstone Project Fair on April 27.
PHOTO BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK  

By Lorraine Glowczak

A mechanical hand-controlled prototype for those who drive vehicles with disabilities is considered an impressive feat for almost anyone, but even more so for a high school senior who designs a model for his Capstone Project. As a result, students and staff at Windham High School were impressed with senior Dillon Foley’s hand-controlled model at the WHS’ Capstone Fair held last Thursday morning in the school gymnasium.

Briefly, Capstone Projects are self-directed assignments that “caps” a student’s academic and intellectual experiences, usually during their final year of high school and/or college. The Capstone Project is designed to encourage students to think critically, solve challenging problems and develop everyday life skills that one will use as an adult. This includes connecting their projects to community issues or challenges by serving a specific need through volunteerism or providing a service.

“This project is important to me because I have a form of muscular dystrophy, and if there was an affordable form of hand controls readily available, I wouldn't have to constantly worry if it's going to be safe for me to drive,” Foley said. “My goal is to make the hand controls extremely affordable and to donate this invention so others like me can drive safely too.”

Foley was diagnosed with Emery Dreifuss, Limb-Girdle Type-4 muscular dystrophy (MD) when he was in the seventh grade at the age of 14, although he began noticing changes in his body after playing sports when he was in the sixth grade. He states that MD affects his muscles in various ways and with different levels of severity.

“Each day is different. I could either just have a limp and walk funny, have a hard time with stairs, have bad balance, struggle with getting up and down, or my legs just may not work at all.”

Foley explained that the leading cause of his flare-ups is from sitting too long. As a result, it concerns him when he travels for long periods of time.

“I am constantly worrying about how my legs will be and if they will get bad enough while I'm driving, causing it to be unsafe,” he said. “If I travel to visit family who live a couple of hours away, the whole time I'm worried about my legs. Then once I get to my destination, I continue to worry because I don’t know if my legs will get worse before I have to drive home and then be stuck wherever I am. If hand controls were affordable and readily available, I would be free of all this worrying.”

These concerns motivated Foley to solve a personal challenge by choosing a hand-controlled prototype as his Capstone Project. As soon as his proposal was approved this past fall, Foley quickly began his research.

“I watched a couple of videos of existing mechanical hand controls on YouTube, and that helped me develop a basic design,” he said. “After I came up with my basic design, I started taking measurements of my truck and making more in-depth blueprints.”

Foley said that he is very grateful to the organization, MobilityWorks located in Gray, for their help and guidance when he met specific challenges with his design.

Although his prototype is still in the early design phases that continuously require changes and improvements, he will not stop until he finds success. Foley plans to continue production on this prototype while attending the University of Maine - Orono this fall as he works toward his degree in mechanical engineering.

“I plan on bringing this design with me to college, and after four years, I hope the knowledge and experience I gain there will help me build something a little more complicated,” he said. “For my senior year of college, I have to do a capstone project, and I plan on creating another form of hand control that can be used in manuals, whether it be a vehicle or a tractor. I plan on creating an electronic shifting mechanism with a paddle switch to shift like in sports cars - it will be the same basic model that I have now – only improved.”

Foley hopes to patent his design to protect the product he has created, but his desire for a patent has even greater meaning.

“My end goal is to be able to donate the hand controls I create to the Veteran Association (VA), AgrAbility (USDA-funded program that assists and supports farmers and ranchers with disabilities), and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).”

As with all students and their Capstone Projects, Foley has learned more than he anticipated due to his experience and research.

“Since doing this project, I have learned of many different forms of adaptive technology and how different types focus on different effects of disabilities,” he said. “Learning this has helped me adapt my plan for the hand controls in certain ways to try and fit everyone's needs. I hope to provide self-sufficiency to those who have disabilities so they can drive themselves and not have to rely on others to help them constantly.” <

Maine DOT work to ramp up in Windham over summer and into 2023

The $1.5 million replacement of Varney's Bridge over the
Pleasant River on William Knight Road in Windham has
been scheduled by the Maine Department of Transportation
to be performed in 2023, instead of this summer, as it was
originally proposed. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

By Ed Pierce

Unlike last year when bridge work on Route 115 created a significant impact upon motorists and traffic in Windham, the summer months of 2022 are going to see fewer Maine DOT projects in the community, but that will change again heading into 2023.

Only two Maine DOT projects planned for this summer in Windham according to Maine DOT’s Three-Year Work Plan, but both should affect commutes into the town.

The first project that Maine DOT is undertaking this summer in Windham is the installation of adaptive traffic lights in North Windham stretching from the Route 115 intersection north along Route 302 to Trails End Road. The cost of this project is $1.45 million and the new upgraded traffic lights are expected to alleviate congestion along the Route 302 corridor by adjusting the timing of red, yellow and green lights to accommodate changing traffic patterns and equitably distributing moving vehicles through the area.

The second project affecting Windham motorists will be the preliminary design engineering work for the construction of a bike and pedestrian trail/path on the Mountain Division Line from Bridge Street in Route 202 crossing in Windham. This is a $450,000 project. 

Projects in Windham by Maine DOT will increase substantially in 2023 and 2024.

Some of those projects include:

** Installation of backplates with yellow reflective safety strips and supplemental signal heads along Route 302 from Portland to Windham at a cost of $395,000. 

** Highway construction and rehabilitation for Route 302 starting 0.45 of a mile west of Outpost Drive extending west 0.14 of a mile and including the Route 202 roundabout. The cost of this initiative is $585,000.

** Repaving Route 302 starting at the Route 202 roundabout and extending north 2.85 miles.

** Replacement of Varney’s Bridge over the Pleasant River on William Knight Road at a cost of $1.5 million.    

** Bridge deck replacement for Loveitt Bridge over the Pleasant River some 0.13 of a mile north of Laskey Road at a cost of $1 million.

** Construction of a new pedestrian sidewalk on the west side of Route 302 in North Windham running from Shaw’s Access Drive about 0.48 of a mile north to Amato Drive at a cost of $3.1 million.

** Highway and safety improvements at a cost of $156,000 to be made at the intersection of Route 302 and Albion Road.

In updating the state’s Three-Year Work Plan earlier this year, Maine DOT Commissioner Bruce A. Van Note said the value of these types of projects helps ensure the safety, economic opportunity, and quality of life for residents.

“In 2021, Gov. Janet Mills proposed, and the Maine Legislature approved, two General Fund initiatives that provided nearly $106 million to Maine DOT,” Van Note said. “This unprecedented level of General Fund support saved Maine DOT’s capital transportation program by offsetting a state Highway Fund revenue hole caused by the reductions in fuel tax revenue from the pandemic and high construction cost inflation.” 

He said that during last year’s statewide election, more than 70 percent of voters approved a $100 million transportation bond, providing much-needed state match for federal and other funds to support Maine DOT’s capital programs.

According to Van Note, maintenance and operation of Maine’s extensive highway and bridge system accounts for a large portion of Maine DOT’s overall work activities.

“This work is essential to the movement of people and goods and to the health of the Maine economy. It is also an essential and cost-effective means of protecting the state highway and bridge system,” Van Note said. “From year to year, and within CY2022, actual expenditures for this work will depend on the constantly changing condition of the transportation system and, importantly, on weather. For those reasons, overall expenditures for routine maintenance and operation of the highway and bridge system are shown in the Three-Year Work Plan as approximate, annual budget figures.”

He said that highway and bridge maintenance and operations work accounts for $535 million in this 2022-2024 Work Plan, while three-year annual averages for major maintenance and operations work statewide include:

** $10.3 million in bridge and structural maintenance.

** $5.2 million in bridge and other infrastructure inspections and inventory.

** $15.5 million in custodial maintenance.

** $22.4 million in drainage maintenance.

** $6.6 million in operational and safety maintenance.

** $9.9 million in surface and base maintenance.

** $46.4 million in winter maintenance. <

Raymond Waterways Protective Association prepares for busy summer season

A Raymond Waterways Protective Association diver hands
up a 'bug bag,' a hand-held net bag used for milfoil mitigation
in areas of local lakes where conditions are not suitable for
using a suction hose for removal. SUBMITTED PHOTO

By Andrew Wing

It goes without saying how important clean water is. Our cherished way of life depends on clean water as healthy ecosystems provide wildlife habitat, and places to fish, paddle, surf and swim. Not only does our cherished way of life depend on clean water, but our economy depends on it as well. From manufacturing, farming, tourism, recreation, energy production, to other economic sectors, we need clean water to function and flourish and when it comes to the community of Raymond, the Raymond Waterways Protective Association has kept our water clean for about 50 years.

The Raymond Waterways Protective Association started in the early 1970s by Ernest Bickford and Ernest Knight, to monitor and preserve the lake water quality of all Raymond lakes. Since the beginning of RWPA’s testing, all of Raymond’s lakes have been placed in the above average quality in the entire state of Maine.

Those bodies of water include Crescent Lake, Notched Pond, Panther Pond, Raymond Pond, Sebago Lake and Thomas Pond.

The waterways association has continued to grow slowly, and with the specter of invasive species looming over our lakes, it has expanded their obligations even further by including voluntary boat inspections and plant surveys. 

But no matter what exactly they’re doing, association members say that they’re always focused on their mission, and that is to protect and improve the water quality of Raymond’s lakes, ponds, rivers and streams and to foster watershed stewardship.

At the end of the day, everyone benefits from keeping our waters inviting to residents and visitors alike, and this summer, Peggy Jensen, President of the RWPA, plans to continue doing that even better.

“We at RWPA will continue to be working all our usual programs from Courtesy Boat Inspections, Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting (DASH), and continuing to support the individual lake associations with quality monitoring and educational programming,” said Jensen. “Since our DASH crew has nearly cleaned out all of the invasive variable milfoil, this summer will reassess this program and possibly move to a different approach in the future.”

One of the main things RWPA combats on a yearly basis is milfoil. Raymond waters specifically are home to a variety of milfoil and there’s no denying that they’re a huge threat to our waters.

They have no natural controls here, they grow rampantly, and the invasive plants crowd out the native plants that support healthy waters. However, Peggy Jensen and her RWPA team have a multi-step attack on invasive aquatic species as invasive milfoil is not the only threat.

“All the smaller lakes and ponds have volunteers who are trained to identify the 11, soon to be 12, invasive aquatic plants that threaten our waters,” said Jensen. “We have spent about 14 years finding and removing invasive variable milfoil in Raymond’s waters, with most of it being done by a dive crew as all our divers are trained and certified for SCUBA work and for the specialized work of removing invasive plants.”

Another problem they face annually in the warmer months deals with the inspection of boats. The RWPA do not do safety checks on boats, but rather they employ Courtesy Boat Inspectors who inspect boats entering and leaving the launch ramps in Raymond, and these CBIs do two very important tasks.

“They educate boaters about the dangers of invasive species including organisms we can’t always see, and they remove all plant material that they find on a boat, a trailer, and all fishing gear,” said Jensen. “There is a large group of highly trained volunteers who provide emergency survey services to any lake that has a new infestation or a suspected one. Raymond is lucky to have some of these super surveyors right here in town.”

The RWPA noticed a huge increase in boating activity last summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet at the end of 2021, they found they had a very successful season and they are up to the task of repeating their success this summer.

“At the end of the 2021 season, the final survey showed that we had ‘cleaned’ numerous waterways,” said Jensen. “However, so long as there is any invasive variable milfoil in the Sebago Lakes, we will have to remain vigilant and continue surveying.” <

Lasagna Love spreads kindness throughout community

Amanda Wertanen of Windham makes a lasagna from scratch
for donation to a local family. Wertanen is one of a handful of
volunteer chefs making meals for the Lasagna Love
organization, a group dedicated to spreading love and
kindness in the community. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

By Andrew Wing

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to so many terrible things from loss of life to worldwide lockdowns, to global disruption, and it's been hard on everybody. Despite that, some good things have come out of it, and one of those things is Lasagna Love. 

A global nonprofit organization, Lasagna Love was born out of the pandemic and aims to positively impact communities by connecting neighbors with neighbors through homemade meal deliveries. It seeks to eliminate the stigma associated with asking for help when it’s needed most and their mission is a simple one -- to feed families, spread kindness, and strengthen communities.

Lasagna Love was started by a mother from California as she connected home cooks who wanted to make dinner with others who needed a little help during the trying times. Now just two years later, Lasagna Love is serving three countries, providing about 3,500 meals a week to those in need thanks to over 20,000 volunteers, and it’s even making an impact in our communities in Windham and Raymond.

A big reason why Lasagna Love has been able to make an impact in this community is Jennifer Merrill. She has been a Windham resident all her life and she started volunteering for Lasagna Love some 18 months ago.

“I heard about the opportunity during the pandemic, and it sounded like a good way to provide a much needed service while still staying safe because there was little to no face to face contact with recipients,” said Merrill. “I enjoy cooking and it sounded like an easy way to make a difference in the local area, and since I have been on the receiving end of a meal delivery before, I know how helpful it truly is for many reasons.”

Several months before becoming the regional leader for southern Maine, Merrill was cooking a lasagna every week or so. She was chosen as regional leader because she has lived here her whole life and she knew the area well, and as regional leader, she’s grown the base of the organization by adding both more volunteers and recipients. 

The Town of Windham currently has seven chefs that are making lasagnas for the organization, and they’re always eager to add more to the list as there are typically about thirty deliveries each week for the southern Maine region, with one to four of those deliveries being in Windham. While this organization was created to help mainly those in need, Merrill views it as being mutually beneficial.

“Lasagna Love helps both chefs and recipients,” said Merrill. “Chefs are blessed to be able to give, and recipients are blessed with a home cooked lasagna made and delivered with kindness, from the heart.”

Also, Merrill encourages anyone who’s interested in cooking to sign up to cook monthly, bi-weekly, weekly, or even just once to try it out. Similarly, she encourages anyone who could use a hand to request a lasagna.

“Everyone needs a break some time,” said Merrill. “Please don’t feel like someone else needs it more than you, everyone is worthy of this act of kindness. Requests come in for just about any reason, and there is no judgment.”

One person that took Merrill’s advice and joined was Kelly Grant Smith of Windham. Smith joined last fall after seeing a segment about Lasagna Love on the Today Show on television. And while she doesn’t consider herself a “chef,” Smith has been very happy with her decision to join and help those in need.

“I’ve loved to cook my whole life, and while I don’t have a recipe for lasagna, I just make it like my mom did,” said Smith. “During the pandemic, like so many others, I experimented more. I dug out my bread machine, perfected my bagels, and made a lot more comfort food, so you could say Lasagna Love came at a perfect time.”

There’s no denying that Lasagna Love has touched many lives since its inception, but in the past month, it has significantly touched someone in our community, and that was Cathy Dodge of Windham. A friend of Cathy’s suggested Lasagna Love to her after her mom passed away, and although it was hard for her to accept help, she did and was able to have a night of not having to stress over the mundane task of making dinner.

“My mother told me long ago that you are being a blessing to someone else by letting them bless you with help, and that stuck with me,” said Dodge. “I love that Lasagna Love is there for anyone. You do not need to be in sickness, distress, or financial difficulties, anyone for any reason can request a meal once a month.”

To request a meal or for more information about becoming a Lasagna Love chef, visit www.lasagnalove.org/ <

Windham’s Odyssey of the Mind team wins first place in State Tournament

Windham's Odyssey of the Mind team won first place in the
Maine State Tournament at Noble High School in North
Berwick earlier this month. Team members include Alex
Fuller, Fiona Knott, Rylee Prescott, Tori Leavitt, and Liam
Yates.  PHOTO BY DAN KNOTT

By Masha Yurkevich

There isn’t much that can be hidden in small and inclusive communities like Windham and Raymond. From our sports teams to the best pizza place in town, information travels quickly. Yet what many people in the community may not know about is Windham High School’s first place victory in Odyssey of the Mind (OM) competition.

On March 26, OM students Alex Fuller (Junior), Tori Leavitt (Junior), Rylee Prescott (Junior), Liam Yates (Junior) and Fiona Knott from Windham, (Junior who attends a private school) went to Noble High School in North Berwick to participate in the OM Problem and Division at the state tournament. Many of the students have been participating in the OM program for eight or nine years since they attended Windham Primary School.

“Odyssey of the Mind is a competition in which teams from schools all over the state prepare a project based off of given prompts, and present it to judges,” said Prescott “This year, the Windham team chose ‘classics,’ in which we created a play based off of a lesser-known historical figure.”

The problem they selected this year required them to choose a lesser-known historical figure to be featured in an original musical production. They chose Peter Francisco, a Portuguese-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. The team needed to compose and integrate three original songs to go with the storytelling of Peter Francisco's life. Along with original prop design, theatrical effects and choreography, all work was created and constructed by the five team members without adult assistance. 

Though the students are amazing, they would not have been able to get where they are today if it wouldn’t have been for their team coach, Dan Knott.

“This is my ninth year as a coach for my daughter, Fiona,” Knott said. “The students on this current team have joined at various points over the course of those nine years.” 

Over the years, he’s watched these team members create and problem-solve, and every year he’s been proud of what they've accomplished. This year, these talented kids have outdone themselves and earned some well-deserved recognition from the judges at the state tournament.

Since the ideas and solutions come from their imagination, Knott’s role has always been to help them find their way to make it a realized product.

“Now, the team brings a level of focus and maturity where I can take a step back and watch them bring about the reality they seek,” said Knott. “These kids will do amazing things.” 

Prescott said the camaraderie of the group appeals to her.

“I am part of Odyssey of the Mind because the idea of working with friends to solve problems sounded fun,” she said. “So far, I am very glad that I joined, as the team building, problems and friendships have been so worth it.”

After winning the state tournament, the team’s next step will be to compete in the OM Worlds competition next month in Iowa.

“In Odyssey of the Mind Worlds, you compete not only against other winners from your own state, but with people from all over the world, hence the name,” said Prescott. “Worlds will provide a ton of experience with other people and is a great opportunity to take.”

If Windham’s OM raises enough money to compete in the world finals, they will be traveling to Ames, Iowa where Iowa State University is hosting the 2022 Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. They will depart on Tuesday, May 24 to attend the event from May 25 through May 28.  

“Our team has to pay for the airfare, shuttles and prop shipping as well as the room and board on campus,” said Knott. “All told, our target cost for the team and chaperones will be close to $10,000.”

The Windham High School OM team will be doing a number of fundraisers such as bottle drives to raise money to fund the trip. Donations will gladly be accepted.

To donate, Windham High School has set up an account to accept donations for the team. Send check or money to: Windham High School, Attention Odyssey of the Mind, 406 Gray Rd, Windham, ME 04062. There is also a GoFundMe at the following link http://gofund.me/5e5114fd.

For more information about Windham’s OM program, contact Coach Dan Knott at [email protected]. <