Author of historical fiction novel for teens eager to promote book in Windham

By Ed Pierce

The author of a new historical fiction novel set in Maine and containing a powerful message for teens will be in Windham on Saturday to meet the public and promote her book “Sophie’s Gifts.”

Author Shirley Ericson will be at Sherman's
Maine Coast Book Shop in Windham on
Saturday, Sept. m7 to promote her new
book 'Sophie's Gifts,' a powerful 
historical fiction story set in Maine
and intended for teen readers.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Shirley Ericson was born in Bangor, grew up in Eddington, graduated from Brewer High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Maine. She spent two and a half years researching and writing “Sophie’s Gifts,” located in rural Maine in 1933. In her novel, the 10-year-old Protestant protagonist is best friends with an Irish Catholic immigrant and that creates significant conflict.

In “Sophie’s Gifts,” trouble quickly settles in the Glidden home and the community once Sophie's parents discover that Sophie has a rosary. While searching for answers about why many adults in the fictional Kittington, Maine town are biased against Catholics, Sophie uncovers secrets about the church that she attends, and she finds a skeleton in the family closet.

Reviewers have called the novel “a powerful message with so much history and information about the time weaved in” and “a fast-paced story that takes us on an exciting ride through history, weaving together action and suspense.”

Although Ericson wrote this book for students, it is also an engaging adult read.

“All of the characters are fictitious. However, Mrs. Weymouth is a combination of three people from my life,” Ericson said. “They were all snoops and one in particular was not fond of children. I came up with the name Weymouth one day while driving through Saco. I saw a street sign with the name and decided it was the perfect New England name for a character in my book.”

During the time that she was creating the book there were periods when Ericson did not feel like writing.

“I put the manuscript in the drawer, worked on other things, and did not think about the book,” she said. “When I returned to it, my eyes were fresh, and my mind was clear, making it easier to be objective and catch what wasn’t working. Sometimes, I did not work on ‘Sophie’s Gifts’ for as long as a month, especially if I was stuck. Usually, though, I set it aside for a week or two.”

When she was writing, it was in the afternoon most of the time.

“But once in a while, I woke up at night, and ideas flowed, so I got up and wrote for as long as two to three hours some nights,” Ericson said. “My favorite season to write is winter, but I write year-round.”

The inspiration for her book came from an experience in her own life.

“Thirty-five years ago, my husband served the Second Christian Congregational, United Church of Christ in Kittery, Maine,” Ericson said. “During his pastorate there, I had an eye-opening conversation with a parishioner. Charlie was in his 80s at the time. He told me that when he was a boy, he sat up on Rogers Road and watched the KKK march by the parsonage and the church right down Government Street. I was surprised. Charlie explained to me there had been considerable discrimination against immigrants, especially Irish Catholic immigrants, when he was growing up. I did some research and was stunned by what I learned. I knew I wanted to write a book and weave the history of Klan activity in Maine into the story. While teaching, I didn’t have time to write or do all the research needed. Now, in my retirement, I have met my goal.”

According to Ericson, readers are captivated by the history they learn in the “Sophie’s Gifts” book.

“Only a few people, including Mainers, know the history that is revealed,” she said. “It is important to learn history. It cannot be swept under the carpet. If we learn something about our ancestors that we don’t like, we should not scratch their names off our family trees. Instead, we should celebrate the growth that has taken place over time between them and us. We should look for ways to advocate for justice today, as Sophie did in her time.”

Ericson said that when she was writing “Sophie’s Gifts” she was sensitive to the fact that there might be people sitting in the pews at Second Christian Church in Kittery who are descendants of Ku Klux Klan members.

“Therefore, I did not use the names of any parishioners or the church's name in my writing, and I invented Kittington, Maine as the community's name for the book’s setting,” she said. “The story does not take place in Kittery or any other community. I drew from several places and memories when I created scenes. The kinds of events that took place in Southern Maine with the KKK occurred throughout the state, all the way up through Aroostook County.”

She currently lives in Hershey, Pennsylvania with her husband and is now working on a new book which will also be set in Maine.

“My husband has constantly supported me from the first words I put on paper,” Ericson said. “Now, he goes with me to signings and other book events. All of his coffee buddies at the neighborhood café and the staff have bought and read ‘Sophie’s Gifts.’”

The “Sophie’s Gifts” book is published by the Newman Springs Publishing Company and expects to have an audiobook available by early winter 2025. Ericson is also writing a study guide for teachers who might want to incorporate “Sophie’s Gifts” for their class.

Ericson will be at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop in Windham from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 to meet the public and discuss “Sophie’s Gifts.” Copies of the book will be available for purchase. It is also available in paperback, hardcover, and eBooks through Apple iTunes, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. <

Windham student captures Maine Academic Scholarship Pageant crown

By Ed Pierce

A Windham student has been honored as the winner of the 2025 Maine Academic Scholarship Pageant and will compete in Orlando, Florida next July in the USA Ambassador National Pageant.

Rosie Haibon of Windham, 21, won the title during the Crossroads’ Maine Academic Scholarship Pageant in South Portland in July. During her reign, she will volunteer throughout New England to promote the Crossroads platform Crown CARES program, creating a respectful environment in schools and society.

Rosie Haibon of Windham has been
crowned as the winner of the 2025
Crossroads' Maine Academic
Scholarship Pageant and will
compete in the USA Ambassador
National Pageant in Orlando,
Florida next July. PHOTO BY
MARY MCQUEEN PHOTOGRAPHY  

The Crown CARES (Creating A Respectful Environment in Schools/Society) program was established in 2010. It is specifically designed for volunteers from pageant systems and peer ambassadors who wish to promote awareness as a platform on the epidemic of bullying in schools, social awareness, inclusiveness, and social bias, to cultivate a safe environment and most importantly teach skills to develop social responsibility in school-age children, youth, teens and adults.

Haibon is a junior attending the University of Southern Maine and is studying history education and minoring in dance. She also earned the Silver Presidential Award during this year’s competition, and shared the “Mom and Me” competition award with her mother. She previously held the MASP Teen title and the YAWOS International Teen title and has competed in pageants for 10 years.

Her platform involves Autism Education and Awareness, and she said that she believes mental health is an essential topic of conversation because of how strongly it affects our society and being transparent about her own struggles helps bring the community together.

“What I love most about our system, the Maine Academic Scholarship Pageant, is that we prioritize sisterhood and uplifting other women,” Haibon said. “So often in the media pageants are portrayed as shallow competitions designed to bring other women down, but our system is the opposite of that. I know I can always rely on my fellow sisters for support, no matter what. I like to think I’m so successful because of all the effort I put into myself, and the work put into prepping for my competitions. But I also work to carry a mindset of self-love and that I should be proud of myself no matter the results.”

She graduated from Windham High School in 2021 and was first diagnosed with autism at age 12 as she was getting ready to go into sixth grade. Rather than dwell or despair about her autism diagnosis, Haibon says that she learned to adapt and excel, competing in pageants helping raise money to assist others in the community coping with autism.

Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears in childhood and impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills and cognitive function.

“Knowing that I can personally relate to my cause and who I'm doing it for, it makes me feel good knowing I'm doing something they will love, and it makes me feel happy,” Haibon said.

She attributes her ability to overcome her diagnosis to her participation in pageants.

“I love competing because of the skills it has given me. I feel very lucky to have the skills I do and I wouldn’t be who I am without pageants,” Haibon said. “They’ve given me skills such as public speaking, self-confidence, and other many wonderful qualities I believe that every young adult should be equipped with before stepping into the adult world.”

It is her belief that that anyone can participate in pageants, no matter what your physical or mental state may be.

“Everyone can do well in pageants, and I think it should be something you do once in your life,” Haibon said. “It’s such a blast to do and it gives you a family of sisters like no other. I was crowned as someone with autism. If you had told me when I was little that I would be an international titleholder, I never would have believed you. But here I am today.”

Her advice to young people interested in pageants is simple.

“If anyone is interested in competing, you should do it,” Haibon said. “The biggest piece of advice I can give is to research the pageant systems. There are so many in our state, so finding one that really connects with your values is crucial to finding a system that works for you. The MASP system really aligns with what I want to represent, which is why I’ve stayed with it for so long.”

When she is not preparing for competition, Haibon says she enjoys her classes on the USM campus, dancing with her friends, reading, and spending time with her family. She is the daughter of Mary and Edward Haibon of Windham.

For more information about the Crossroads Youth Center, the local pageants, or other youth programming, visit www.CYCSaco.org <

WHS graduate supplies Team USA with belts for Olympics

By Masha Yurkevich

A small town like Windham and a small and rural state like Maine do not get recognized very often on a national level. However, when Windham High School graduate Michael Lyons and his manufacturing company, Rogue Industries, were asked by designer Ralph Lauren to produce 3,000 leather belts for Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, Maine was put on the map.

Rogue Industries, led by Michael Lyons of
Windham, was given almost two years of
time by designer Ralph Lauren Corporation
to source material and do all the preparation
necessary to produce 3,000 belts worn by
members of the U.S. Olympic Team during
the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in
Paris, France. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Lyons is the founder of Rogue Industries in Standish. The company focuses on manufacturing high-quality leather and wax canvas designs. While they are very well known for their patent and design of the front pocket wallet, they are also known for their attention to detail and the quality of the items they produce. Rogue Industries has a small team of nine people who are very dedicated to what they do under the direction of Lyons.

He grew up in Windham and graduated from Windham High School in 1977. Originally, Lyons was running a small publishing house and injured his back. His doctor told him that his back issues are because of him sitting on his bulky wallet, causing problems with his spine. Lyons set out to find a wallet that would comfortably fit in his front pocket but had no luck. So, he decided to design his own wallet, one that was curved and would comfortably fit in his front pocket.

“We kind of accidentally went into the design world of leather goods,” says Lyons. “Our original design was one wallet and one collar; now, we have more than 100 stock keeping units. We went into women’s tote bags, belts, crossbody clutches, coasters, and many more high-quality designs.”

The company’s designs drew the attention of the Ralph Lauren Corporation, who then called Rogue Industries. Lyons said he was certain that they had the wrong phone number. But Ralph Lauren officials had done their homework and knew exactly who they were speaking to.

“We were given almost two years ahead of time to source the material and do all the preparation which was necessary,” says Lyons. “Ralph Lauren was speaking to Sea Bags in Portland, asking them if they know of anyone who can make very high-quality products, and Sea Bags referred us.”

Lyons says that his first reaction to the order was one of disbelief.

“Did Ralph Lauren really want us to do something with such a huge amount of visibility,” said Lyons. “My second reaction was, we need to get to work. We did this for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, they hired us to do this as a private label effort on their behalf for the U.S. Olympic Team. Our customer here was the Ralph Lauren Corporation.”

Ralph Lauren partnered with many manufacturers across the United States to produce Team USA’s uniform, including Rogue Industries, which assembled and manufactured Ralph Lauren’s Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies Webb Belt.

“What they did is they went out and worked with only eight other companies across the United States such as Rancourt in Lewiston who made shoes for Team USA, so there were two of us from Maine,” says Lyons. “They would then go to different companies for the jackets, for the shirts, and for the pants.”

Every single component, and absolutely every single detail that was used in the making of these belts had to be sourced from the United States.

“The hard part was not so much the as actual production as much as it was finding the right suppliers,” says Lyons.

According to Lyons, the thread, the leather, the cotton webbing, and every single component had to be obtained from a company located in the United States.

“Finding companies that still make product in the United States is incredibly challenging,” says Lyons.

Once all the components were found and once the production of the belts was started, it took Rogue Industries about 120 days to complete the belts for Ralph Lauren Corporation.

If there is a lesson for us to take away from this, it is that hard work pays off, and Michael Lyons and Rogue Industries are proof of that. Their company’s motto is “Quality or Quantity” and that was evident for all to see during the Olympic Games earlier this month in France. <

Daughters of the American Revolution pay tribute to first WHS valedictorian

By Ed Pierce

Daughters of the American Revolution regents and members gathered at Smith Cemetery in Windham on Sunday to remember the life and accomplishments of Edith Pride Elliot, a lifelong resident who was valedictorian of the first graduating class at Windham High School in 1897.

Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution gather
at Smith Cemetery to honor the life and legacy of Windham's
Edith Pride Elliot on Sunday, Aug. 18. She was the
valedictorian of the first graduating class of Windham High
School and went on to found the DAR's Joshua Stevens
Chapter in St. Cloud, Florida, PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

Elliot, who died at the age of 100 in 1977, was honored with a special engraved DAR designation on her headstone at the cemetery, a bouquet of flowers and graveside remarks by the regent of a DAR chapter in St. Cloud, Florida that she helped to found. DAR members from Maine, Vermont, and Florida attended the remembrance event.

Regent Julia Smythe of the DAR’s Elizabeth Wadsworth Chapter in Portland introduced members from the other states and said that Elliot deserves the attention because her legacy is far reaching and relevant years after her death.

“We who continue the work of the National Society and carry the responsibilities have been inspired by the lives of those whose tasks are completed, especially Edith Pride Elliot,” Smythe said.

She also recognized DAR Maine State Regent Elizabeth Calhoun who attended the event and is originally from Windham.

“This is a very special day because it brings together two special things,” Calhoun said. “First, it honors a fellow DAR member and second, the person we are honoring today is from the same town where I grew up.”

Calhoun attended Windham High School and graduated in 1990 before leaving Windham. While doing genealogical research about her family in 2003, she connected with the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania DAR chapter and has been a member ever since.

She said that she didn’t know Elliot when she lived here but was impressed to learn her story. Joining her at the event honoring Elliot was Calhoun's aunt, Patricia Jillson, a 1963 WHS graduate, who now lives in South Paris.

Edith Gertrude Pride was born June 24, 1876, and as a child helped at Windham’s first library which was founded by her mother and grandmother. She attended WHS when it opened in the red brick building that is now the Windham Historical Society Museum on Windham Center Road. She completed her high school studies ranked first overall academically in her class and was among the first group of students to graduate from the school.

In 1899, she married Orin Elliot, yet he tragically died seven months later from tuberculosis and she never remarried. Six years later she earned a teaching certificate and taught for four years at a one-room schoolhouse near her home at Windham Center.

She was a longtime member of the Crossroads Garden Club, the Helping Hand Club, The Windham Library Association, The Windham Republican Club, the Evangeline Chapter-Order of the Eastern Star and was a founding member of the Windham Historical Society. She attended every graduation ceremony and alumni banquet for WHS students through the 1970s.

Every winter Elliot would accompany her father to Saint Cloud, Florida until he passed away at the age of 95. She would continue to travel to St. Cloud each winter until she was 88. While in St. Cloud, she helped to organize a DAR chapter there.

That chapter’s regent, Kim Tennison, flew to Maine to attend the special recognition ceremony for Elliot, and was the guest speaker for the occasion.

Tennison said that when she became regent of the DAR’s St. Cloud chapter last summer, she looked at the first scrapbook of the St. Cloud Joshua Stevens Chapter and found notes, telegrams, letters and journals describing the beginnings of the chapter. In fact, Joshua Stevens was the patriot ancestor of Edith Elliot, born in Falmouth County, Massachusetts and he served as a lieutenant during the Revolutionary War.

“I sat down and poured over them a few hours at a time for days,” Tennison said. “I was especially fascinated by Edith’s handwritten journal she made. I saw a dedicated Daughter of the American Revolution and as I read, she let me accompany her into a time capsule as a DAR member in the 1950s, into a time when women wore hats and gloves anytime when in public and listened to their Sunday church service on the radio. I got a feeling for her servant’s heart, and had we existed at the same time, I would have loved to have been her friend.”

Reading that information and learning about Elliot’s life through a newspaper article in The Windham Eagle posted online prompted Tennison to research where Elliot was buried and she discovered that she did not have a DAR insignia on her grave marker.

According to Tennison, she was also moved by the fact that back in 1976, on Edith Pride Elliott’s 100th birthday, June 24 was proclaimed “Edith Elliot Day” by then Windham Town Manager David Miller and the Windham Town Council. In 1977, a special dedication sponsored by then State Rep. Bill Diamond and the 108th Maine Legislature paid tribute to Elliot for a century of contributions to the educational, cultural, political and charitable life of Windham. And only a week before her death in May 1977, the town and several local garden clubs designated a plot of ground next to the Windham Public Library on Windham Center Road as Elliot Park.

“I found that made me want to place a marker at Mrs. Elliot’s grave,” Tennison said. “It touched my heart that Edith Pride Elliot would have been involved with placing these markers as she continued her visits to St. Cloud until she was 88 in 1964.”

She said Elliot valued the members of the Joshua Stevens Chapter and she worked alongside them on projects focusing on patriotism, historic preservation and education such as presenting Good Citizen Awards and National Defense Awards to students and residents of the St. Cloud area.

“Now we have come full circle as we have the privilege to honor her in this same way,” Tennison said. “I will be forever grateful for all her contributions and endeavor that Joshua Stevens Chapter will carry on her legacy now and in the future.” <

‘Lost River’ temporarily flows again in Windham after 100 years

By Abby Wilson

When a dam malfunction resulted in the emptying of Dundee Pond at the start of the summer, a lost river took its place.

Whitney Falls has reappeared in Windham as part of the 
'Lost River,' a portion of the Presumpscot River which was 
swallowed up when a dam was built creating Dundee Pond
more than 100 years ago. The 'Lost River' returned this
summer when a dam gate malfunction drained Dundee Pond.
PHOTO BY ABBY WILSON  

Located in Windham and flowing past Dundee Park, this “lost river” is part of the Presumpscot River.

Recently the Friends of the Presumpscot River, whose mission is to protect and restore the waterway, held a series of guided walks for the public along the river called “The River That Flows Below: A Presumpscot River Walk & Talk.”

On Sunday, Aug. 18, both Rob Sanford, a Professor Emeritus for the University of Southern Maine’s Environmental Science Department and Michael Shaughnessy, a founding member and the President of the Friends of the Presumpscot River, explored the lost river landscape with more than 50 community residents.

"The town didn't know this was going to happen," said Shaughnessy. “The disappearance of the pond came as a total shock to everyone, but the formation of this river and what was revealed below, even more so.

Sanford who is also the author of “Reading the Rural Landscape” and the editor of “River Voices: Perspectives on the Presumpscot River,” said that the stumps along the path of the river are 110 to 120 years old.

He is skilled in understanding the story and history of a landscape. Standing at Dundee Park and looking out over the lost river, it was difficult not to notice its dramatic features.

This area of the river was the site of an original canal project dating back to the late 1700s. During this time, many dams were being built along the Presumpscot River for hydroelectricity. The pond was not flooded until 1910, however, which means the last time this landscape featured a river was over 100 years ago.

The former pond’s stark delineation and water line is a very dramatic feature. But it’s the tree stumps and fissured soil that resembles a different planet, or perhaps our planet but in an apocalyptic time.

In the flat areas where the stumps were scarce, Sandford said that these would have been fields filled with grazing sheep. During the time before the area was flooded, sheep would have been valuable commodities.

“In the Civil War a lot of wool for uniforms came from New England,” said Sanford.

A “wolf tree” stump was spotted in a clearing on top of a knoll. Such a large tree would have been where farmers rested with their horses.

Much of the dry soil in the area is gray “Presumpscot Clay,” which was in demand many years ago when Gorham had eight different brickmakers.

In minutes, the features of the landscape can be recognized by the human eye, but Shaughnessy questions the environmental impacts created by the dam malfunction.

"A lot of environmental remediation is going to need to happen here," said Shaughnessy.

He pointed out that the freshwater mussels scattered underfoot were at one time living in the benthic zone of the pond, filtering and cleaning the water.

The color green is returning to the landscape, however, and life can be seen all around. Small flowers and grasses are pioneering their way into the bare landscape.

A Great Blue Heron was spotted in the distance. It triggers the memory of birds that once thrived among the shores of this river.

Presumpscot is the Wabanaki word for “many rough places” and prior to colonization, the river may have featured up to 18 waterfalls. Only three falls are now visible including Presumpscot Falls in Falmouth, Saccarappa Falls in Westbrook, and Wescot Falls near North Gorham Pond.

In the rapids of this 100-year-old river near Dundee Park, “Whitney’s Falls” have reappeared and are now the fourth set of modern-day waterfalls in the area.

This name dates back to a time when fish such as salmon, trout, eels and herring dominated the river. Bear, otters, eagles, and osprey flocked here to claim these fish as their meal.

“This is a unique and historic moment," said Shaughnessy. "The Presumpscot River at Dundee has been dammed for well over 100 years. For the first, and possibly last time, a wild river with vibrant rapids and falls is revealed. In addition, the historic lands, eerily barren, cracked and shorn, but so well preserved, are likewise momentarily seen again. What is revealed is indicative of what lays under many of this river's still waters."

The company that manages the dam that malfunctioned unveiling the “lost river,” Relevate Power Management, has estimated that dam repairs will be completed by the end of August and the impoundment will be refilled thereafter, thus reforming Dundee Pond.

Meanwhile, take a walk back in time through this small valley and visualize a landscape that’s more than a century old.

On Sunday, Aug. 25, Friends of the Presumpscot River will be hosting another informational walk along the "Lost River." Meet at Dundee Park at 3 p.m. and the public is welcome to attend.

To learn more, visit the Friends of the Presumpscot River website at www.presumpscotriver.org <

Windham Economic Development Corporation formulates plan for sustainable growth

By Kaysa Jalbert

Windham’s Economic Development Corporation, or WEDC, presented an updated strategic economic development plan crafted by Crane Associates at the July Windham Town Council meeting. The plan, presented by WEDC Executive Director Thomas Bartell, identifies four objectives and strategies to pave the way for sustainable growth and community enhancement in Windham.

Windham's strategic economic development plan identifies
four objectives and strategies to pave the way for
sustainable growth and community enhancement
including developing the town's manufacturing clusters,
 pursuing opportunities in amusement and recreation,
attracting professional and business services to North
Windham, and updating and maintaining its support
system for economic development.
PHOTO BY KEITH MANK        

The four objectives include, develop Windham’s niche in the region’s manufacturing clusters, pursue opportunities in amusement and recreation, attract professional and business services to North Windham, and update and maintain Windham’s support system for economic development

Strategies for developing Windham’s niche focus on bringing in small scale manufacturing, such as biomedical manufacturing, and possibly recreation equipment manufacturers. Another strategy is developing business incubator facilities for manufacturing, entrepreneur innovation co-working space and shared commercial kitchens. It’s the next step in taking one’s personal business out of the home garage.

According to Bartell, during a meeting with Crane Associates, they discussed creating the region’s best trail network as a strategy for pursuing amusement and recreation opportunities.

“We want to figure out how do we make Windham known for that,” he said. “The idea is that we promote the trail so people can use it and when their done, they can head up to North Windham and enjoy dinner or shopping, these sorts of things.”

Bartell said they also discussed the idea of attracting indoor recreation facilities to boost the year-round economy in town.

Objective three focuses at attracting professional and business service to North Windham by implementing the North Windham 21st Century Downtown Master Plan that aims to create a live, work, and play environment and building additional housing.

This also involves a new transportation plan called North Windham Moves, that aims to improve traffic flow through North Windham by providing local access routes. This way people, mostly residents, don’t have to rely on Route 302 to get around Windham.

One access route will come off Route 115 and connect to Franklin Drive. Another extends Manchester Drive to Whites Bridge Road. Route 302 will remain the main route to Raymond and Casco. The new routes will hopefully attract local shoppers and tourists to North Windham but reduce traffic for residents getting around. On both lateral access roads there will be pedestrian bike paths.

“Overall, we are hoping that will allow us as residents to be able to find our way around North Windham and not be afraid to go to North Windham during certain times of year,” said Bartell. “All of this will provide opportunities for businesses to come in and grow and hopefully employ residents of Windham.”

This is a state-led project that Windham received a $25 million grant in federal funding. The state is granting an additional $3 million and another $3 million came from the town, making it a roughly $30-million project.

Lastly, objective four aims to maintain the collaborative efforts of town officials, departments and WEDC, while working with regional agencies and local business groups on attraction initiatives and to expand outreach efforts to state and national business organizations. It also includes initiating appropriate development policy and identifying new and continuing funding opportunities for programming and infrastructure.

Bartell says the town is finally fulfilling objectives from the previous plan, such as the sewer road network improvements in Northern Windham that has also started. The goal is to have the sewer project operating by 2026 and have almost everyone in town who wished to be connected by the end of that year.

“I think it will benefit the community and the residents in a number of ways,” says Bartell. “There’s an environmental consequence of not having a sewer system. That will eliminate the septic system dispersal directly into the aquifer below North Windham and we've noticed over the years that the nitrate and phosphorus levels change. Those are numbers we want to see down, and this will allow that to happen.”

Bartell says the updated plan maintains the vision, mission and core values of the strategic plan when it was created 10 years ago. The vision is to create a business-friendly environment, and a welcoming atmosphere, while preserving rural characteristics and natural resources. The WEDC’s mission is to encourage economic growth and development to increase prosperity in Windham and improve the quality of life for its residents.

“We have to keep going getting the infrastructure in place and then we want to move forward with the economic development strategic plan and work toward these goals,” says Bartell. “I think patience and persistence are the key to economic development.”

The updated plan is expected to undergo more changes and improvements and could be integrated as soon as the end of August. <