Camp Sunshine receives paddleboat donation by Leah Hoenen

Families seeking respite and relaxation at Camp Sunshine in Casco have a new way to enjoy Seb
ago Lake this summer. Longtime volunteer Ron Eby and The NASCAR Foundation have teamed up to donate a new paddle boat to the organization.

The boat was launched Friday, May 10, just ahead of the tenth annual NASCAR Day.

Years of volunteering, giving and fundraising for Camp Sunshine earned Eby widespread acclaim as one of four national finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award last year. Because Eby was a finalist, the foundation gave Camp Sunshine a $25,000 gift. This year, The NASCAR Foundation offered another gift to the charity when it helped Eby purchase the boat.

Camp Sunshine Executive Director Matt Hoidal said NASCAR’s recognition of Eby’s contributions has brought more attention to Camp Sunshine and its work. “It invigorates our current community of volunteers and draws in new interest,” he said.

NASCAR is holding 10 days of giving this May in honor of the anniversary of NASCAR Day, said Lorene King, Executive Director of The NASCAR Foundation. In celebration, the foundation is making additional donations to organizations it has already worked with, she said.

Hoidal said, “We are among several organizations that are the focus of Days of Giving.” The racing organization wanted to give a gift that would make a difference, and asked for a wish list, he said.

“They liked the idea of providing a vehicle. It’s not a car, it’s not a racecar, but it’s a vehicle for families to get out and paddle on the lake and have some fun in,” said Hoidal.

Hoidal said Camp Sunshine exists through individuals like Eby who give of themselves, and organizations like The NASCAR Foundation which give financial support.

Eight years ago, Eby began raising money for Camp Sunshine as part of his work to organize Summerfest. He estimates he has raised $250,000 for the organization since.

“Camp Sunshine is a year-round retreat for children and families with life-threatening illnesses in Casco on Sebago Lake,” said Eby. “It’s important to support children with life-threatening illness, but to support the whole family as well.”

The importance of the support of places like Camp Sunshine hit home for Eby years ago when his own daughter became severely ill during a trip from Maine to California. “It reminds me how important it is to have that support when you have a child with a life-threatening illness,” he said.

With a small staff supported by 2,000 volunteers, Eby said the camp hopes to host 800 families this year at no cost to the visitors.

King said, “Ron Eby is a very special individual. He has the true heart of a volunteer.” She said he displays and epitomizes the values the foundation looks for in volunteers who are working to improve children’s lives and give them the opportunity to live, learn and play.

NASCAR Day is a way for The NASCAR Foundation to highlight the work it does in support of children’s charities and to encourage and inspire people to take part in those efforts, said Eby.

He said he wants to encourage others to nominate outstanding volunteers for the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award.

“With the humanitarian of the year nomination, that was a pretty big honor. Given the scope of the process and seeing this year how people are nominated, it is very clear to me how difficult it was and how special it was to get to that level,” said Eby.

Hoidal said it’s been amazing to see Eby’s contributions to the organization blossom. “Here’s somebody who came to us looking to sponsor a few families and to see his level of support grow year after year, it’s amazing,” said Hoidal.

For more information, find Camp Sunshine online at www.campsunshine.org or call 655-3800. Follow The NASCAR Foundation online at www.nascar.com/foundation, on Facebook or Twitter.

Saint Joseph's Graduates 516 by Michelle Libby

On May 11, Saint Joseph’s College honored the achievements of 179 on-campus students
and 337 students from the online division. The College conferred 12 associate, 297 baccalaureate and 208 graduate degrees. The graduates come from 43 states, the Philippines, Canada and South Korea.

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, the president and CEP of Goodwill Industries of Northern New England and the granddaughter of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and was the honored speaker at the Saturday’s event.

In a press release from the college, Roosevelt said, echoing the voice of her grandfather, “My charge to you this morning is the same charge my grandfather put forth when he addressed the Class of 1932 at Oglethorpe University, in the grip of The Great Depression: ‘We need enthusiasm, imagination and the ability to face facts, even unpleasant ones, bravely…We need the courage of the young. Yours is not the task of making your way in the world, but the task of remaking the world, which you will find before you. May every one of us be grated the courage, the faith and the vision to give the best that is in us to that remaking.’”

Two others were given honorary Doctorates of Public Service, Jim Killoran, a 1980 history and sociology graduate of St. Joe’s and is the current director for Habitat for Humanity of Westchester in New York, and Kevin McCarthy, the president and CEO of Unum and chief operating officer of Unum Group.   

Chipman Farm to open new stand in Raymond By Leah Hoenen

One of Maine’s longest-established farming families is set to open a new stand in Raymond, selling local produce, baked goods and preserved products.

Chipman Farm’s new building, on Route 302 just over the Raymond line, is expected to open by Memorial Day, said Elaine Chipman.

She said the 1,500 square-foot building in Raymond was designed by her husband, Doug, and includes a courtyard for hanging baskets and perennials and a bakery.

“Years ago, we had a bakery. So this is new for us again,” said Chipman. “We’ve hired a baker who bakes from scratch and will use a lot of our fruit and vegetables in the products,” she said. Baked goods will include pies, cookies, whoopie pies and strawberry shortcakes; the stand will also offer baked beans on the weekends and soups in the fall, she said.

Shoppers can expect to find a full line of fruit and vegetable crops through the fall, as well as a variety of Maine products, including wine, beer, cheese, milk and other local items.

The farm already has stands in Poland Spring and Gray and has had a presence in Raymond before the construction of the new stand, said Chipman.

“We’ve been in the area before. (It’s) a really busy route and we’ve been looking for a while to build something on 302,” said Chipman. David Greep allowed the Chipmans to take a long-term lease on the property, where they have erected the building, she said. “We plan on being over there for many years to come,” she said.

Chipman Farm is a family affair. The Chipmans’ daughters Tomi and Alana are the eighth generation to work the family’s farm, established in 1781, said Chipman.

“Both of them have decided to come back to the farm,” she said, noting that it is one of Maine’s oldest working farms.

“We work very hard, but we work as a family and feel like at the end of the day we’ve accomplished something,” said Chipman.

As the growing season progresses, Chipman said, the farm will employ a picking crew of 20 and a staff of 12 for the stands. “It’s nice to be able to buy fresh produce that people know was picked on our farm that morning. I can tell you the time it was picked and who picked it,” said Chipman.

Keep up with Chipman Farm on Facebook and online at www.chipmanfarm.net.

RTP to launch Portland-to-Naples Bus Service by Elizabeth Richards

Public Transportation will soon be available from Naples to Portland.  In July, Regional Transportation Program (RTP) plans to launch a new passenger bus service between the two communities, with stops in Raymond and Windham. 

This isn’t the first time there has been service along this route, but the past service, in the 1980s, did not have the ridership required to keep it going, says Daniel Goodman, customer and community relations coordinator for RTP.  Although that service failed, there have been studies conducted for at least the past decade on the need for service to the Lakes Region, Goodman said.  Some of these studies have been used to develop proposed stops and schedules.  RTP also wants to also have community feedback on these issues to find the best stops, said Goodman.  

In order to assess the needs of the community, a survey is being conducted to solicit feedback from area residents.  Zoe Miller, coalition director for the Lakes Region HMP, a program of the Opportunity Alliance, has been working with RTP, as well as Cumberland County government, to collect information.  “We are trying to figure out how can we get as much citizen input as possible so that RTP can go into it hearing from the community,” she said. 

Miller said the goal is to have the service be as accessible as possible from the beginning.  The survey could also show who is most likely to use the service, which will assist in promoting the bus, Miller said.  For instance, if it shows that people will use it to attempt to save money on gas, they can reach out more to employers and commuter networks.

State Representative Jane Pringle from Windham took the survey, and is encouraging as many Windham residents as possible to also do so.  “The good thing about the survey is it gives people an opportunity to share if there is something outside what they see in that option.”

The survey also offers a little insight into the tentative plans, she said, including the times of runs, which look as though they could be convenient for commuters.  “If I were a commuter and I didn’t want to have to drive and park, and I had pretty regular work hours, it looks as though it would be a great way to take some of the traffic off 302,” she said. 

Goodman said the goal of the service is to meet the needs of all residents of the Lakes Region, from those who don’t have cars to multiple car families, who want improved access to all of the towns on 302.  “Our hope is we’ll get people who choose to ride.”  The bus will have space for bicycles and luggage, as well as wireless internet access. 

Miller adds, “There’s an opportunity here for helping the local economy and boosting tourism.”  This includes reaching out to folks from the Portland end who might grab their bike and head to Sebago Lake State Park, she said. 

Miller is excited because she thinks that transportation options are important, and play a big role in cutting down on pollution and encouraging people to get more active, thus improving community health.  “A lot of people think rural living means relying on their car,” she said.  However, she adds, there are many examples around the country where public transit is really working, both helping people to save money and be healthier.

The new service is different from other services that RTP offers.  It will operate on a regular schedule, and is open to the general public. The operations side is federally funded through funds from the FTA. There are no income guidelines in order to use the service.  “It’s important for people to know that it’s open for everyone,” said Goodman.  The service will begin early in the morning and have late evening runs as well.  Goodman adds that the stops will be at private locations, and “This wouldn’t be happening without the support of a lot of local businesses.”

The details of the scheduling, stops and fares are not yet finalized, but RTP’s goal is to launch the service on July 1, said Goodman.  The survey is available online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/302BUS .  Anyone who responds can opt to be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Hannaford Supermarkets. The survey closes Sunday, May 12 at midnight. 

Local woman takes an eye-opening trip to Haiti by Michelle Libby

The Reverend Wendy Rozene, Deacon at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Windham, and her husband Dick went to Port-au-Prince, Haiti at the beginning of April for a conference for all of the priests in the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti and many from the US and Canada. Their plan was to discuss the church’s connection with Haitian churches. They were accompanied by John Arison, the chair of the partnership program for the Diocese of Maine and Sarah Danser, the chair of the Haiti commission. There were 265 partners and approximately 90 Haitian priests in attendance, according to Rozene. It was their first trip to the island nation, but it won’t be their last.

“You realize that our poorest in the US is nothing compared to the people of Haiti,” she said. They took group tours through the cities devastated by an earthquake in 2010. The cities have not finished rebuilding from the disaster.

“I was pleased to see all of the rubble has been cleared away,” said Rozene. She said they are still knocking down unsafe buildings and clearing that debris away. Many men from the area take the cement blocks from the demolition and bring it back to their homes to rebuild those.

“It was very hot, 96 degrees and 100 percent humidity all the time,” she said. “The poorest of the poor are still living in tent cities.” The tent cities, however, have been moved out of the major areas, some people were paid to move their tents into the mountains out of view of the public, said Rozene. Fifty-thousand people still live in tent cities.
Those who have houses live with walls cinderblocks high with no roof. The fortunate ones have a tarp over the top of the structure, she said.
“It’s been two and a half years and there are still electrical wires hanging down. A lot of people have lights and electricity, but it comes and goes,” Rozene said. There is no running water, no mail and everyone uses cellphones to communicate.

“It was the poorest country in the western hemisphere before this happened,” she said.

St. Ann’s along with other Episcopal Churches in Maine donate time and money to raise funds for their sister parishes in Haiti. St. Ann’s is partnered with St. Barnabas in Treille, Haiti. The village sits in the northern mountains and has 8,000 people, roughly the size of Cumberland, said Rozene.

The keynote speaker at the conference was the minister of foreign affairs in Haiti. He spoke about what the Episcopal Church of Haiti is doing to drill wells and start up businesses in Haiti. They are also rebuilding schools and houses. The donations from churches in America have been immensely helpful to the Haitian government, said Rozene.

Without running water, the people use watering stations and cisterns that are used to collect rain water. On the city tour, Rozene saw a man in his twenties or thirties stripped down to his “tighty-whities” taking a sponge bath.

Treille has a new well that encapsulates a spring head and has a cistern that collects the water. The villagers are now in the process of running PVC pipe down to the church where they will have their first watering station. This mountain village is only accessible by a footpath, a two mile hike up the mountain. Before the well, the women were carrying five gallon buckets on their heads up the mountain.

There is also no electricity in the village. “When you look at Google Earth, you don’t see many buildings at all,” said Rozene. The houses that are there are hidden under trees to protect the people from the sun.
Schools are now being reopened after having been leveled to rubble during the earthquake. The school buildings today consist of a sheet of plywood two feet off the ground and with four feet on top open for air circulation, and they might have a corrugated roof. Public schools are free, but Catholic and Episcopal schools cost $100 per child to attend the one in the mountain village and between $800 and $1,000 per year at Holy Trinity School in Port-au-Prince.

Despite the adversities, the people of Haiti are of wonderful spirit, very hopeful, faithful people, said Rozene. “They are more thrilled that we pray for them and they pray for us,” she said.

“The poor here in the US have so much more than the people of Haiti, yet so little faith,” said Rozene.
The place that touched Rozene the most was a visit to St. Vincent’s School for the Handicapped. Children. The children are deaf, blind or without limbs, through birth or the earthquake. She was able to use American Sign Language to communicate with some of the children.

Pere Jonas, the priest in St. Barnabas, is in charge of eight congregations, four schools and three clinics. It is unlike what we have in Maine, where one priest has one parish. Children in St. Barnabas can go to school up to fifth grade. If they want to attend the high school they have to make the two hour climb down the mountain, then take a two hour drive into town. Students who do this find residential placements.
Rozene and her husband hope to return to Haiti next February when it will be a little cooler to hike into the mountains to visit St. Barnabas.

Konbit Sante will host its 4th Annual Maine Walks with Haiti and 4-Mile Run on May 11 starting at 9:30 a.m. The run cost $20 to register on that day.  The walk is $15.  Proceeds from the event go to support programs in Cap-Haitien.  Gather at Back Cove Park on Preble Street across from Hannaford. Kids under twelve are free, 13- to 21-year-olds are $10, and adults are $15.

Children collect book donations for Rwanda library by Elizabeth Richards

Children in the church school classes at the Windham Hill United Church of Christ are learning about the wider world through a mission project that has them asking for book donations to send to a library in Rwanda.  The library was started by Windham High School graduate Nathan Petersen, who is teaching English for the Peace Corps in a small village in Rwanda. 

The Christian education committee at the church got the ball rolling on the project, said Nathan’s grandmother, Paula Smithson.  She and her husband, along with Nathan’s mother, are members of the Windham Hill church. 

Petersen graduated from WHS in 2004 and the University of Maine at Farmington in 2008.  Smithson said that after seeing the movie Hotel Rwanda, Nathan become fascinated with Africa, and Rwanda in particular.  He applied for the Peace Corps and left in September of 2011.   The Peace Corps asks their members to reach out to the community they live in with a project of some kind, so he decided on a library.  Initially, he met with some resistance Smithson said.  However, once it was approved there was a big celebration in April, and the project has become very successful.

One challenge that Petersen has encountered, according to Smithson, is that the idea of a library, or even having books, was unfamiliar in the village.  “He had to teach them about borrowing books, and getting interested in reading them,” Smithson said.  Recently, she said, he has noticed people in common places in the village looking at the books, but he has to go and retrieve them because they don’t understand the concept of returning books to the library.  Petersen will return to the US in November of 2013.

“Every year we try to do a project with the church school children that reaches them beyond the immediate church group,” said Carolyn Clark, the church school coordinator.   Having books and learning to read were familiar concepts for the children in the church. “We chose this book project because it’s something the children can relate to,” said Clark. 

The children asked the congregation for donations of new and gently used paperback books, as well as setting up an Amazon wish list to help with the project.  Church member Laurel Parker, who is the children’s librarian at the Windham Public Library, offered her personal expertise to help select appropriate books for the wish list.  That wish list can be found by searching for Parker’s name on Amazon, and selecting her public list WHUCC for Nate in Rwanda.  Clark said they are focusing on books for early readers and readers new to English, up to a third grade reading level.     

Because they knew that shipping would be expensive, Clark said, they asked for paperback books only.  The children held a pancake breakfast on Palm Sunday, and the proceeds of that breakfast, along with some donations from the congregation, will be used to ship the books.

Each age group in the church school program has had a different job to complete, said Clark.  The younger children decorated the box used for collecting the books.  The middle group is designing stickers to put inside the donated books, and the oldest class is responsible for publicity.  Publicity has included a bulletin board, and tallying results to report progress to the congregation. 

Book donations will be accepted until May 19, and then they will be dedicated at a church service.  Following the dedication, the group will work on shipping the books.  While they don’t know exactly what it will cost, they know they will need a substantial amount of money to ship all the books collected.  Clark said they may need to break the shipment into a couple of loads, and may also need to do some more fundraising.  Although the children didn’t have a specific goal ahead of time, the book drive has been well received. As of Sunday, May 5, the children had collected 292 books.

Bring the world home as a host family with CCI Greenheart by Michelle Libby

There are a lot of reasons not to be a host family, but Windham resident Kathy Hansen can counteract every one of those and place a foreign exchange student in a home, and make it a rewarding experience for everyone involved.

“Anyone can host,” said Hansen, who has been working with CCI Greenheart for 27 years. “It’s been a wonderful journey,” she said. The mother of five children and grandmother to 13 between the ages of 16 to 3 weeks old, Hansen began working with exchange students when she allowed her son Jon the experience of being an exchange student through AFS.

“When Jon was a junior in high school I had no money. There was no way I could take the kids to travel, so I brought the world to my kids,” she said.

Jon has since travelled all over the world and married a woman from Lithuania. “We’re very worldly,” Hansen said.

There are a lot of rules to having an exchange student live with a family, most of which are governed by the Department of State. Each student needs their own bed, not their own bedroom though. “They can’t sleep on the couch in the living room,” said Hansen.

Each family, after a lengthy application, is vetted, has a background check and a home visit, before the family can even see the files of the exchange students.

Families who host can’t be on any government welfare, can’t have a felon living in the house, must have a clean home, (“My standard isn’t really high,” said Hansen.) and everyone in the family must be in agreement that this is what they want to do. The only cost to the family is to feed the student.

CCI Greenheart also has liability insurance if something should happen. If a placement turns out to be the wrong fit, Hansen said, the student could be moved.

All of the students coming to the US have high grades and speak English well. The students are selected out of 45,000 applicants for a grant given by the US Department of State. The exchange students are required to live up to a code of conduct. No smoking, no sex, no drinking or they’ll be on the next plane home, said Hansen. “They represent CCI Greenheart, their country and their family,” said Hansen. It’s embarrassing to get sent home. The students bring their own spending money, she added.

They come from all over the globe, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Germany and Spain, to name a few. There is a Palestinian boy at Bonny Eagle this year, who gives talks about a 16-year-old’s perspective on the conflicts in the Middle East.

“We have no sides, we’re neutral,” Hansen said. The advantage to CCI Greenheart is that they’re environmentally conscious. “They come over here and we do volunteer projects,” Hansen said.
The students and families are monitored and visited four times a year, but Hansen touches base with them often.

There is an orientation with the students where all of the expectations are laid out. “We instill pride in them for their country and instill pride for them being here,” she said.

Hansen is the regional director and local coordinator for New England. There are six exchange students in Windham, 50 in Maine and 31 of those are in Southern Maine.

Windham has openings for exchange students for the upcoming year. Seven families are going through the application process at this time. But there is room for more.

“We don’t want to burden families,” Hansen said. The local coordinator acts as a mediator on any tricky subjects. “I’m really good at this. I advocate for my host family.” Students can go on vacation with host families or stay with friends. “You treat the student like your own kids,” she said. 

The statistics are that only seven percent go home, some because of homesickness, others death in the family. No one stays who wants to leave.

“We want everyone to have a good experience,” Hansen concluded.

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Sebago Trails Paddling offers kayak rentals by Leah Hoenen

Bill Allen has been exploring paddling destinations around the Windham-Raymond area a lot lately. He’s identified more than 30 places where people can launch kayaks and explore the lakes region and will offer kayak rentals to locals and visitors alike at Sebago Trails Paddling Company starting May 9.

“Windham is the gateway to the lakes region – the largest recreational region in the state, in terms of population at least. There are several lakes, ponds and waterways to paddle in,” said Allen, who has lived in Windham since 2007.

When his grandfather rented cottages and rowboats, Allen learned to row before he graduated into canoes, then kayaks. “People say if you have something you love, you never actually go to work,” said Allen, noting that despite his love of kayaking, the business is still a business.

Allen had pondered the idea of a kayak-rental business for a while. His daughter, Katelyn Allen, also an experienced paddler, worked for a rental company. Father and daughter thought they should combine his business experience with their love for paddling. Things fell right into place when he met Virginia Arsenault, with whom he and Katelyn Allen have incorporated Sebago Trails Paddling Company.

The company’s 37 Perception kayaks have arrived and are a mix of standard single kayaks, double kayaks and sit-on-top styles. Some boats are smaller for smaller paddlers and Allen will offer shorter paddles and a variety of sizes of life jackets.

Allen said the company aims for a soft opening in early May with a grand opening Memorial Day weekend.

“We have a trailer and we will do deliveries,” said Allen. Deliveries within a certain radius and to some public launches will be free, while other fees are yet to be determined. The daily rental fee of $40 includes a kayak, life jacket and paddles. Kayaks will also be available for $200 per week.

Someone who wants to rent, but doesn’t want a delivery can pick up a kayak and accessories and transport their own with Styrofoam rooftop kits available in the store, Allen said.

Renters will be able to pick up other key accessories, such as bug spray, sunscreen and waterproof, floatable containers, in the store.

“These people are going to be renting, so I’m thinking, ‘What are they going to need for today that they forgot or didn’t know they needed,’” he said.

“I’m trying to encourage people who haven’t been before, but would like to go,” said Allen. Sebago Trails Paddling Company will supply kayaks to groups and will teach a class with Windham-Raymond Adult Education this spring. That includes classroom instruction and two sessions of on-site instruction before a group outing.


“Anybody who is afraid it’s a difficult thing or a dangerous thing should give it a try. It’s really easy,” said Allen. “I’ve given lessons to friends who were nervous and concerned about safety. About ten strokes out and they’re saying, ‘This is fun. I want to get my own kayak,’” he said.

Sebago Trails Paddling Company has a website and an active Facebook page, which the company will use to announce weekly specials, including paddling flash mobs, which Allen expects to hold at various launch sites around the area. The website and Facebook link to Allen’s GoogleMaps page, showing launch sites around Windham and Raymond. So far, there are 35 sites shown, each with a short description of the launch and surrounding area.

Allen said there are plenty of places to go where paddlers can avoid motorized boat traffic and many locations that are safe and friendly for novice paddlers. “Sebago Lake is so big it has lots of motorized traffic, but it also has lots of little places that are quieter that motorboats can’t reach,” he said.

“Some charge a fee, but most are free. Some are very rustic and some have limited parking, but there are access points. Some make you think of northern Maine,” said Allen. His experience paddling the area shows as he describes the scenery of various locations, down to the types of turtles he sees and birds he hears. 

Allen grew up in Monmouth and was an owner of HomeVision video rentals. “I spent a lot of time here. Windham was always one of my favorite communities. It’s nice to live and work here,” he said.

“The rental of kayaks is the foundations of an organization I hope to grow,” said Allen, referring to many walking and biking opportunities throughout the greater Windham area, including the Mountain Division Trail and Sebago to the Sea trails. “We want to be the leading paddle outfitter, and cycling is possible in the future.”

Keep up with Sebago Trails Paddling Company on Facebook, or find it online at www.sebagotrails.com. Call 894-4696 for more information.

Dancemakers teacher purchases studio by Elizabeth Richards

Dancemakers will soon have a new, but familiar, face at the helm. Nicole Getchell will close on the purchase of the studio in late June of 2013. 
 
Getchell, who lives in Standish, has been a teacher at the studio for two years, along with teaching at Portland Ballet. She has been performing with Portland Ballet since 1992 and teaching there since 1999. When she becomes the owner of Dancemakers, Getchell will leave her position at Portland Ballet to focus all of her energy on the Windham studio.  After 21 years, Getchell says leaving will be extremely hard. However, after years of family encouragement to open a studio of her own, she’s ready to take that step. “I look forward to a change, a challenge and a new phase in my life,” Getchell said. 

Getchell has a lot of excitement about her new endeavor. She is quick to say that she doesn’t plan to change Dancemakers from what it is. The studio offers a variety of dance styles, and will continue to do so. “I’m not going to make it a ballet studio,” she said. She does, however, want to offer better training in ballet to the students at Dancemakers, because she feels that ballet is the foundation for every form of dance. “I want to make them well-rounded dancers. We already have some extremely talented dancers,” she said.

While Getchell would like to expand at some point, she doesn’t expect that to happen in the first year. The studio, located in an old barn, is already an expansion over the original one-room dance studio that was located behind the post office. There are some challenges – such as wooden posts for dancers to navigate around - but there is a comfortable, homey feel to the space. It is the only dance studio in Windham, and Getchell said, “I will do whatever I can to stay in Windham.” She said if she moved the studio, the kids she’s come to love might not follow.

Dancemakers currently has approximately 130-150 students, and has focused primarily on classes for young people. She hopes to expand offerings for adults, such as having adult ballet, clogging and jazz, if there is sufficient interest in the community. Dancemakers has a very active competition team, Adrenaline, whose members work hard both on training and on fundraising in order to be able to attend competitions, which have taken them as far as Providence, RI this year. Dimitra Corsetti, who has been managing the studio, will remain on the teaching staff and closely involved with Adrenaline.

Getchell’s goals for the studio are heartfelt. She wants to be around the children more, and she wants the studio to feel like a family.  “I am very excited about the opportunity to have a new place I can call home, make new memories, and enjoy teaching the students an appreciation for what they are learning, all the while having a positive and fun experience,” she said.

Windham students featured in Sprout Film Festival by Michelle Libby

Tuesday night, six Windham students performed in a 17 minute play titled “Showtime” at One Longfellow Square in Portland. The most unique part of this play was that the lead actress, 14-year-old Windham resident Joanne Haibon, has Autism. 

Spurwink presented the Sprout Film Festival 2013. The festival showcased a number of films and forms of entertainment related to autism, Asperger’s syndrome and intellectual disabilities. 

“Spurwink is a leader in caring for friends and neighbors in our community with developmental or behavioral disabilities. We are excited to be partnering with Sprout, a New York non-profit, to present the 2013 Sprout Touring Film Festival,” Spurwink said in a press release. 

The film that featured Windham High School students was written, produced and directed by Spurwink staff and was shown for the first time Tuesday. “Showtime,” starring Haibon and a 23-year-old woman with Asperger’s Syndrome, “is the story of Abigail, a young girl with a history of making things up at school. She is drawn into a surprising adventure while on a class field trip. Ultimately, Abigail must choose between telling the truth and honoring a secret.”

Haibon and her friends had to audition for their roles. Haibon has experience on the stage, often acting in Windham Center Stage Theater performances and most recently with Schoolhouse Arts Center in the play Willy Wonka. She has never had a starting role, according to Laurie Shepard who directed Willy Wonka. Shepard’s son, Andrew, was also in the film. 

“He thinks it’s a wonderful cause,” Shepard said. “Joanne doesn’t get cast as leads in plays because of her disability,” said Shepard, but stated that she was amazing in “Showtime”. Most of the filming took place at the State Theater in Portland on one Saturday. Haibon had to film for three days, said Shepard. 
“Showtime” was the longest film presented. The other local entry was “Thriller”, a reimagining of Michael Jackson’s 1984 Thriller video.

Other screenings were held in Augusta and Lewiston.

Keeping teens safe and healthy by Michelle Libby

Tuesday a panel of experts was assembled because they know what’s going on with teens in the community better than anyone else. DARE officer Matt Cyr, who had been doing community policing in the town for 18 years, School Resource Officer Jeff Smith, Liz Blackwell-Moore from the Opportunity Alliance Communities Promoting Health Coalition, Douglas Daigle RSU 14 clinical social worker, assistant principal Kelly Deveaux and Windham Middle School health teacher Eliza Adams, spend most days watching what happens with students in the schools of RSU 14.

Cyr said that this year the presentation would be led by Blackwell-Moore and instead of talking about where they are hiding the drugs, they would focus on what parents can do to combat the issue of drinking and drugs in the community.

“It takes a lot of people to make (prevention) happen. Not just school or just parents,” said Blackwell-Moore.

Media messages, cultural messages, adult messages and stars that have influence over teens send the idea that drinking, drugs and having sex are okay. “It’s an expected thing,” said Blackwell-Moore.
In 2011, 30 percent of Windham High School students reported drinking in the last 30 days. That’s 8 students in a class of 25. Almost half of middle school students and 70 percent of high school students said it would be easy to get alcohol. Most get it from their own homes, said Cyr.

Students pour alcohol into a soda bottle and bring it to school concealing it that way, said Deveaux.
The statistics are staggering. Teens who abuse drugs and alcohol are much more likely to be victims of crime, to have addictions later in life and have lower IQs.

Marijuana use has just crossed the point where students in Maine think it’s bad to smoke cigarettes and okay to smoke marijuana. In 2011, half of WHS believed there was no harm in smoking marijuana regularly compared with one-third of students who thought the same thing in 2009, according to the surveys taken in those years.

“Statistically, they’re going to get offered drugs some time in their lives, by friends, kids, cousins,” said Cyr.

“I’m told, ‘It’s not a drug. It’s medicine,’” said Deveaux. “If it’s good for someone who is sick, imagine what it can do for someone who’s healthy,” someone else told the assistant principal.
At the middle school one child asked Adams, “Doesn’t that cure cancer?”

“Marijuana is the most difficult thing I have to deal with as a DARE officer,” said Cyr. He no longer mentions it to fifth-graders unless they bring the topic up. The other issue with today’s marijuana is that it is 500 percent more potent now than it was 30 years ago.

“The perception of risk is directly related to use,” said Blackwell-Moore. Many students with mental health issues are using the drug to self-medicate for anxiety and depression.

“We can’t know which kid is susceptible (to addiction). You can’t really see it until it happens,” said Blackwell-Moore.       

Marijuana users are more likely to have suicidal thoughts, double the risk of depression later in life and have an increase chance of having schizophrenia, according to studies.

Another problem is prescription drugs that are taken without a prescription, most obtained from homes. Eighteen percent of WHS students said they have taken medication without a prescription.

“Our job tonight is to arm parents first, before the kids get here. If they’re already here – we’re already behind,” Deveaux said.

“We’ve done a tremendous job with cigarettes. Kids are really onboard with that,” said Adams. Now getting students to focus on other substances is next.

“It isn’t everybody,” said Cyr. “Seventy-five percent of kids don’t (use).” When a teen says, “everyone is doing it” it’s not true, he said.

Brain development was another topic discussed. Reasoning and judgment centers in the brain are not developed until 25 and even then some of the wiring can be faulty when put in heightened social or emotional situations.

“Develop thrill seeking in a safe way,” said Adams. “It’s best for kids who were engaged over break, not the ones sitting home gaming.”

Windham High School has a tip line (892-1810 x555) to report risky behavior or to squash a party before it even happens. The line is anonymous. The key word is prevent, said Blackwell-Moore.
“We’ve been very successful at stopping parties,” said Smith.

“In trouble is a lot better than hurt or dead,” said Cyr. 

Blackwell-Moore gave parents six tips.

1.Talk to your teen. They can use parents as scapegoats. “Man, my dad would kill me if I…”

2.Limit access. Keep track of alcohol and lock up or dispose of medications.

3.Have clear consistent rules. Have consequences.

4.Check in often. Electronic devices are a wealth of information. Have them plug in downstairs or by their parents’ bed at night.

5.Talk to the parents of your teen’s friends. Keep communication wide open. Back each other up. Check out www.backeachotherup.org.

6.Be up and be ready when they come home.

“The best thing you can do as a parent is team up. You’ve got to have these conversations,” said Cyr.

“The best place to have a conversation with a teen is in a car where they can’t jump out,” said Deveaux.

Despite the offer of prizes, only 18 people attended the workshop.

Gem and Minerals shine at St. Joe's by Michelle Libby

The Maine Mineralogical and Geological Society held their annual mineral and gem show at
Saint Joseph’s College last weekend. The goal was to increase membership and visibility for the vendors and rock-hounds in attendance. The event is their largest fundraiser.

The Maine Mineralogical and Geological Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to all education and cultural aspects of geology, mineralogy, lapidary arts and related subjects.
“For about $30 you can get into (panning for gold),” said Martin. Every time he goes out to look for gold he finds some, he said. “There’s no better way to spend a 90 degree day than sitting in a swift moving stream looking for gold,” he added.

At this event, vendors sold finished, polished minerals and gems. Some sold grab bags of rocks and bundles of stones, others sold rare stones found around the world. Touching was not always encouraged. 

The society meets once a month in Portland and in the summer months they take field trips to areas rich in, well, riches. Some of the areas are only accessible to society members because they have insurance, said Coral Hume who has been into gem hunting for five years and encouraged her husband, Rob, to get involved as well.

The Hume’s had two stations set up, one was a wheel of fortune game. When the wheel stopped whatever color it was on determined the prize. There were crystals, earrings and bundles of specimens up for grabs. Rob Hume had two “digs” set up in plastic swimming pools, where children could sift though the sand to find polished stones.

“We’re here for the kids. It’s our yearly fundraiser,” said Coral.   

A family membership costs $17 for a couple and their children under age 18. FMI, visit mainemineralclub.org.

Moses Greenleaf settling and creating Maine by Michelle Libby

To a packed room at the Windham Historical Society, over 40 attendees gathered to hear Holly Hurd, an American & New England Studies graduate student at The University of Southern Maine, present a talk on the life of Moses Greenleaf, who is best known for surveying and settling parts of Maine as well as being the State of Maine’s first mapmaker. The presentation was one of the monthly programs sponsored by the Windham Historical Society.

Hurd works as education coordinator at The Osher Map Library (OML) and Smith Center for Cartographic Education in Portland. To aid in her talk, she showed pictures and text from a book she wrote called “The Moses Greenleaf Primer” released in 2010. Her daughter Lena Champlin illustrated the book.
“Greenleaf was a state-maker of Maine,” said Hurd. 

Moses Greenleaf was born on October 17, 1777. There are no pictures of him, but there is one of his brother, and there is a silhouette of him. He was born in Newburyport, MA. He was good at math and drafting. His father, Captain Moses, knew George Washington and moved the family to the New Gloucester in the District of Maine when Moses, Jr. was 13 years old.  

Moses tried running a store, but once he accumulated $10,000 in debt, which was considerable for the time period, he got rid of the store and became a resident land agent for William Dodd and moved his family to Williamsburg above Bangor, near what is now Milo. 

His job was to settle the area and get people to move there. He built a house and then moved much of the house and his family to the other side of the township to a place called Greenleaf Hill. That house still stands today and Moses and his family are buried in the backyard though no one knows exactly where. 

Greenleaf was a member of the Masons and was the first Master Mason in the Piscataquis Lodge #44, which still exists in Milo.

Greenleaf had a tough job selling Maine when in 1816, there was a foot of snow in June. It was called “The year without a summer” and “eighteen hundred and froze to death.” He began looking for natural resources that could become an industry. He founded Katahdin Iron Works, which provided 50 years of jobs in that region. He also found slate in that area and many homes had/have slate sinks and slate roofs.

The whole time he was exploring and expanding his community, he was investigating, doing extensive correspondence and using existing maps to create his own maps. His first map was published in 1815. 

Maps at that time were made by etching in copper and then rolled with ink and printed. If there was a mistake or a correction to make, the copper was pounded out and re-etched. The first published map of the State of Maine was in 1820 and was a colored map that people bought to hang on their wall. It had nine counties. 

In 1820, Williamsburg became a town and Maine became a state. In 1829, a new version of a state map was released called the “Survey of the State of Maine.” 

Greenleaf was instrumental in getting the mail to Williamsburg, a stage coach to come to town(although it took eight days to get from Wiliamsburg to Boston) and constructing the road from Bangor to Katahdin Iron Works, the current Route 221. 

“He never wanted any of his own fame or reward,” said Hurd at the presentation.  

Greenleaf died of typhoid fever in 1834 at the age of 56.

Hurd discussed a few maps showing Windham. Each map showed a few different roads through the town. 

Greenleaf was a visionary, although that vision didn’t always jive with reality. He thought that by 1870 Maine would have 933,000 residents, but that took until 1970. He also thought that the State of Maine would be completely settled, but it has never been. Much of Maine belongs to timber companies who use it for the lumber. 

Greenleaf’s maps and guides can be found at OML and some information on maps can be found at www.usm.maine.edu/maps.

DARE to Adventure has lifelong effects by Michelle Libby

DARE to Adventure is an experiential leadership experience for seventh and eighth graders at Windham Middle School. Led by DARE and Windham Police Officer Matt Cyr and skate park manager Lynn Bucknell, the group learns lifelong outdoor and leadership skills through adventures such as kayaking, rock climbing and white water rafting. 

Each year seventh graders are nominated by their teachers for the program. There is an interview, then an oral board made up of former DARE participates and current eighth graders. There are a total of 22 students in the program including some high school leaders who have recently graduated from the program.  

“It’s not just DARE,” said Cyr. Every fifth and seventh grader participates in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, however this is different, he said. “It’s important because of the mentoring and leadership,” he added. 

Dana King spent four years in the program and still talks to Cyr even though he is at Assumption College. “It gave me confidence to be a leader. I was a shy kid,” he said. “I know now I can do what I want to do and get people to follow me if I should choose to do so.”

When Cyr does interviews he attempts to choose kids from each social group. “We look for leaders, fence walkers and at risk kids,” said Cyr. “We bring in the kids that have the potential for leadership.” 

Aaron Murray came into the program at a time when he was going through some tough family issues. “Aaron benefitted the most. DARE came at a time when I was diagnosed with cancer,” said Aaron’s mother Kim Murray, whose daughter also went through the program. “He was able to stay at the skate park when he was old enough to stay there without an adult and they kept an eye on him,” she said. Cyr brought Aaron back as a leader and he was able to help another child that was dealing with cancer in his family. 

“It’s a mix of everybody, athletes like me, music and chorus kids,” said King. “He does really well to get a mixture of kids and have them come together. By the end they all have similarities and all work together to go on that year end trip.”
Sergeant Peter Fulton began the program in 1997. Back then they did a lot of winter camping, white water rafting, horseback riding and canoe trips, said Cyr.
“It didn’t make any sense to me to sleep outside in a tent in the winter,” Cyr said with a chuckle, so he tweaked the program some. 

One of the first participants in the program was Pat Hanson. “They put students in a group together to overcome differences to work together with share experiences,” said Hanson, who is now a first lieutenant in the Air Force. For Hanson, it was the leadership skills that he walked away with that were the most important. “It had a really big impact on my life. At a young age to have a leadership role and fine tune those skills. I went into a leadership role after college,” he said. He also said it gave him more of an interest in alternative sports. 

The ultimate goal is to teach the participants what some of the alternatives are, rather than getting involved with drugs and alcohol. 

“It shows the kids there’s another way to get that rush that other kids are getting from drugs and alcohol,” said King. 

“We are teaching lifelong sports that are a good alternative,” said Cyr. “I hope they go on and make good decisions.” 

“Aaron has earned a lot of respect in the community,” said Kim Murray. “I wish there were more Matt Cyrs in the world and more programs like this,” she said. 

One of the highlights of the program is rolling white water kayaks at Saint Joseph’s College. The kayaks were purchased through a Carol M. White PEP Grant along with the DARE trailer to carry the gear. 

Now the participants learn swift water rescue, rock climbing, use the ropes course and take a white water rafting trip in June. 

Doug Loftis’ son Nick was in the program for two years and has come back as a high school mentor this year. “He had a very good time. It gave him some confidence. He really enjoyed working with Matt,” said Loftis. Nick’s favorite part by far was the end of the year white water trip, said Loftis. 

“He enjoys being an example to the kids by enjoying what he’s doing for the kids in the program,” Loftis said. 

“Every kid is one dumb mistake from being at risk,” Cyr said. His job is to make sure they have a clear head to make good decisions. 

Cyr’s success rate with the kids is undocumented, but he keeps in touch with most of them, he said. Aaron Murray is studying criminal justice at Plymouth State University, most likely because of the guidance and support from Cyr and the program, said Kim Murray. 

“They became who they are because of Matt and our parenting and the people who supported us in the community,” said Kim Murray. “I call (Aaron) the DARE to Adventure kid.”

Sure Fire Music by Michelle Libby

Windham, Maine isn’t the first place people think of when they hear Grammy nominee, but Sterling Brunsvold and Jerry Edwards are making their presence in the music industry known as a part of Sure Fire Music Group, and their studio is in Windham. 

“Most don’t know we are here as a resource,” said Brunsvold, at his studio. “Most think Maine is a dead place. We prove they don’t have to run away to New York to find success,” he said. 

The studio is in a non-descript house in a small room. However, one can sit in the studio and forget that this is Maine. There is a sound booth, computer screens, good sized speakers, a keyboard and a microphone locker as well as a couch and a few chairs. Mr. Butters, the studio cat, saunters through and into the booth where he will often times sit while a session is happening, according to Brunsvold. 

Sure Fire Music, which started in 2003 outside of Boston, is best known for its urban music and its big sound. Creating musicians from soup to nuts is what Brunsvold likes to do. “We try to help local artists. Helping people develop a career in the industry – develop personality,” he said. They get much of their business from referrals, or if an artist happens to find the company on the Internet. 

The mentor and guidance offered by Edwards and Brunsvold is something unique with studios. Some just want the artist to pay their hourly rate for studio time and that’s it. Although there’s nothing wrong with that, Brunsvold has a different vision. “I want to build connections with people and not be a revolving door. Come in and shut the door,” he said. 

Brunsvold majored in physics at Montana State University, but his father was a professional musician. “Music was always in my home,” he said. “I had a come-to-Jesus-moment and realized my undergrad was as far as I can go. I wanted to try to do the music thing.” He tried to be an artist, but he realized that with the crowds and the lack of original music, he liked the part where he was able to create his own music. 

“It’s a young person’s game,” Brunsvold said. He decided to become a producer because it didn’t matter how old he was, he could still do it. 

“It’s about relationships. That matters more to me,” said Edwards, who has loved music since he was little and won an award in seventh-grade for music. He was a rapper in high school and realized he had a natural ear for music. “I was told my flow of creativity was brilliant,” he said. Despite that, Edwards majored in Africana studies at Bowdoin, where he found his voice as a writer, he said.

Through a lot of trial and error as well as reading, watching video tutorials and listening, he has developed his mix engineering skills. Edwards, from Scarborough, does a lot of his mixing at home on his Apple computer using speakers and a keyboard. He called it his pre-production studio. 

“I do it because I love to do it,” said Brunsvold. “I’m doing something I love – touching people’s lives,” he added. 

“They can’t teach you how to be creative,” said Brunsvold. “Just do it, don’t sit in a classroom. Do it, live it and be a part of it. It’s a culture,” he added.
“We are scholars of this,” said Edwards. “We have been developing our own style. Big, with hard hitting drums,” is how Edwards described their sound. 

Sure Fire Music Group has a large studio in Lowell, Massachusetts, and is in its seventh year of business at that location. The other parent company owners are Jared Hancock, Brendan Brady and Stephen Saxon. According to Brunsvold, it was Hancock’s cousin that brought the whole group together. It grew quickly and in 2005 they incorporated and found a commercial space that was designed specifically for the needs of artists. 

“The artists like coming to get away from the city. There’s safety in the community where the space exists,” Brunsvold said. 

Sure Fire Music Group has earned accolades from Dove, BET and Soul Train as well as being nominated for a Grammy Award. They also did the mixes on a project that ended up winning a Grammy.  “It’s a good success for all of us,” Brunsvold said. 

Brunsvold has worked on albums for Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, where Sure Fire produced nine of the 14 songs on her posthumous album. He worked on an album for Brooke Hogan from “Brooke Knows Best,” and a hip hop album for DBlock. Sire Fire did a year’s worth of commercials for Under Armor and the theme song from Yu-Gi-Oh! The list of artists goes on from tracks for Missy Elliot and NEO to Freeway and Bobby Valentino. They also did the sound design for Red Dead Redemption, a Grand Theft Auto in the Old West, according to Brunsvold. 

“We have an incredible team of people and are one of the best resources in the New England area,” he said. 

Brunsvold and Edwards are interested in working with local artists from Maine and New Hampshire to help shape careers. They sell music, lyrics, tracks and the time to work with them in the studio. “We’re not a record label,” said Edwards. The musician still does most of the promotion for a song. 

Sure Fire has also started doing video production. One of their most recent projects is with Makio, a Kenyan artist who was on “Making the Band 4” from MTV. The song “Digital Love,” can be found on iTunes, YouTube and on Sure Fire’s website.  

Brunsvold is looking for late high school to college students to be interns at the Windham studio. If they are interested in entertainment, being exposed to this environment and have time to donate, they should contact us, Brunsvold said.
For more information on Sure Fire Music Group visit 

www.surefiremusicgroup.com or email sessions@surefiremusicgroup.com.

Spring cleaning does include your meds by Michelle Libby

Spring cleaning shouldn’t only apply to closets and cabinets, it should also include expired prescription medications, according to DARE and Windham Police Officer Matt Cyr. On Saturday, April 27, there will be an opportunity to dispose of unused, expired medication in a proper way at the Windham Police Department from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Really, medicines are just like our food, they all have expiration dates. The medicine could change into something else once it expires,” said Cyr.

Windham participates every time there is a national drug take back day, once in the spring and once in the fall. “It’s a multi-direction diversion, taking (the drugs) off the streets and out of houses and safely disposing of them,” said Cyr. The old way of disposing of the drugs was to flush them down the toilet, but now the medications are getting into the ground water supply and showing up in fish, said Cyr. That was definitely the old way to dispose of them.

“Don’t keep pain meds or antidepressants in the house,” he said, noting that break-ins occur because thieves are looking for drugs. 

Drugs collected on April 27 will be shipped to DEA headquarters and incinerated out-of-state. 

Last spring the Windham Police Department collected just over 100 pounds of pills. 

“It’s a great program. Just drop and run,” Cyr said. The only things they won’t accept are hypodermic needles or other sharps. 

Cyr is hoping to be able to collect pills all year long in a locked container in the police lobby, but he is waiting on a decision from the administration and a funding source, he said. 

For a list of locations that are participating in the drug take back day visit, www.dea.gov.

Hold on Molly! by Elizabeth Richards

Photo by Francine Morrissette

The Schoolhouse Arts Center in Standish comes full circle this weekend, opening its 25th season with “Hold On, Molly”.  The show, written by Schoolhouse founder Hank Beebe and based on true Maine historical events, was the very first production at the theater when it first opened in 1988.

Beebe had a successful 26 year career in New York theater before relocating with his wife, Nancy, to Maine.  While they were ready to give up the fast track, Beebe said, they did not want to give up musical theater.  The Beebes brought musical theater to a variety of stages, including churches, the City Theater in Biddeford, the State Theatre and even in their home.  In 1988, they discovered the Johnson School in Standish, which had once been the high school.  The location worked well, Beebe said, because it not only had a space for the theater in the gymnasium as well as classroom space, but also a huge unused baseball field.  This solved a common problem for community theaters – that of where patrons will park.

Photo by Francine Morrissette

The theater has gone through ups and downs over the years, but Board President Kristen Watson says they are on stable ground now. When she discovered the Schoolhouse Arts Center in 2010, she gravitated toward the board, which is the group that makes sure all the work gets done.  “I fell in love with the place and haven’t left,” she said.  One of her responsibilities as president is to keep things running smoothly and in a forward direction.  Watson said she hopes to accomplish this by generating excitement for volunteering, in whatever capacity people wish.  “I don’t want anybody to do anything that they’re not going to be happy doing,” she said.

Terri Plummer, general manager of the Schoolhouse Arts Center, said the theater is moving in a good direction.  However, she said, she knows that could change in a heartbeat with a few poorly attended shows or an unexpected major repair.  “We are in an old building, anything can happen.  When we have those major repairs that are five or ten thousand dollars, that’s what could really put us under.” There are some big capital expenses on the horizon, including painting the building, paving the parking lot and some interior repairs.  The theater has a fundraising committee that is looking at ways to fund these projects, including seeking out grants, corporate sponsors and special events.
Watson wants to get the surrounding communities excited about the theater, and its location in Standish.  “This is the community’s building,” she said.  “We’re here for them, they’re here for us, and we all win.”  Participants are welcome from all surrounding communities, and no experience is necessary to get involved.  “It’s a really great place to bring kids, it’s a family place.  We have a lot of families who are in shows together,” Watson said.

Plummer originally became involved nine years ago, when her children were auditioning for a show.  She auditioned as well and has been there ever since, serving as education director for several years before becoming the general manager.  “It’s a community, and it’s just a wonderful thing to be involved in,” she said.

“Hold On, Molly” director Harlan Baker has been involved in local theater for many years, but this is the first show he has directed for Schoolhouse Arts Center.  Through a lot of hard work, the show is shaping up nicely.  “There’s a lot of people who are very enthusiastic about doing the show,” he said.  “It’s a very fun show.  You can’t dislike this show.  It’s impossible,” he added.

Both Watson and Plummer are excited about being part of the 25th anniversary season.   Plummer said she’s seen volunteers come and go, but currently there is an enthusiastic, hard working group on the board.  “That makes all the difference,” said Plummer.  “It’s nice to have the new energy and new enthusiasm from a bigger board.”

Beebe said it’s wonderful to see the Schoolhouse Arts Center still in operation after all these years.  “These people have gotten the bug, they love the theater and they have kept things going and built upon what we started.”  The theater has grown substantially, and offers a lot more opportunities for children, he said.  “One of the things I love is when I go up there, children show me around,” he said.  “The children feel like they own it, it’s their place.”

“Hold On, Molly” opens on April 12 and runs for two weekends, with Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday Matinee at 2 p.m.  Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for students and seniors.  For reservations, call 642-3743 or visit www.schoolhousearts.org.

Local businesses help support Fit4Summer by Michelle Libby

Jumping off the proverbial fitness bridge can be a scary endeavor, but the rewards according to the owners of Balanced Ground, 21st Century Family Fitness, PFN and Planet Fitness can be limitless. People who register for the challenge get discounts at four area fitness locations, special classes and workshops, and can even win cash by being the person who loses the biggest percentage of weight loss.

“Discounts are great, even if they don’t win, as long as they come together as a community, especially if they find out they like one of (the classes), they become part of your life, they become a process,” said co-owner of Balanced Ground Sarah Charles.

Each gym and center sponsoring the fit4summer challenge, offers something special for the beginner athlete to the seasoned athlete. Balanced Ground is offering 50 percent off a $100 punch card, good for 10 classes, either yoga or mixed-martial arts/kickboxing. Each member of the fit4summer gets a one on one session with Sarah, who teaches yoga, or Nate Charles, who does the MMA/kickboxing classes.

“If they’re trying to get in shape, the challenge would only benefit them,” said mother of four Sarah. She uses yoga as stress reduction instead of going to the gym all the time. “I need something that’s about lengthening, stretching and focusing on breath in a calm, soothing way,” she said. “It helps to bring a sense of balance in the chaotic life we have right now."

Balanced Ground has classes every night including classes for children in yoga and kids MMA.

 “Sometimes they need to drive by the gym and it’s that little extra thing that gets them in the door,” said John Booth, owner of 21st Century Family Fitness. Family Fitness is offering a special $49 rate for 12 weeks plus a free one-time workout and customized plan lead by a certified trainer. They also offer classes, babysitting, a basketball hoop and a separate free weight section. “We offer as much as we can,” said Booth.

“Anything that can promote health and wellness is always a good thing,” said Booth. “It’s easy to make excuses. You’ve got to sit down and write down your schedule. Treat it like a part-time job,” said Booth. “I know people who are my age, who look like my father. I can find the time (to hit the gym.),” he added.
At Planet Fitness, working out is a community affair, according to owner Eric Giguere. “It helps both the physical and mental aspects,” he said. Clients at Planet Fitness range in age from 13 to 103. For the fit4summer challenge, they are offering $10 down and $10 a month including unlimited free training with their trainers. They can help design a custom program for each member.

“We offer a welcoming gym, judgment free, no intimidation,” Giguere said. “The challenge is great for the community to come out and experience the gym. We try to pull those reasons (why they can’t workout) right out of them.”

PNF, which has been in business for a year and a half does personal one-on-one training and classes all by appointment only. At their studio, members can buy a punch card for $50 and attend 10 classes. This week they just added spinning classes to their repertoire. “Accountability is a huge thing,” said Whitney Sullivan, who co-owns the gym with Mark York. They train everyone from University of Southern Maine athletes to high school athletes and people who are homebound and need help with their activities of daily living.

“(The challenge) brings the community together and it’s about the fitness. It’s not about the competition between the facilities, but helping people to reach their goals,” Sullivan said.

Registering is easy. Sign up at any of the four sponsoring gyms, Balanced Ground, 21st Century Family Fitness, Planet Fitness and PNF, or The Windham Eagle office, then use whatever means necessary to get in shape. One does not have to use one of these deals to be a part of the challenge, said Kelly Mank, organizer of the challenge. But, a $50 membership card is necessary to win the prizes.

WMS students give books to Bush Children's Hospital by Michelle Libby

Photo by Michelle Libby

The Windham Middle School cafeteria was packed with second-graders, seventh-graders and grandparents on Tuesday morning as Pam Mallard and Lisa Hodge’s seventh grade class celebrated their collaboration to collect books for the library at The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital with students in Gail Small and Elaine Hawthorne’s classes.

Abby Snyder, a teacher for children in the children’s hospital, attended the celebration and received 148 books. “I can’t stress how important it is to have good books for the kids to read. It’s great to get lost in a great story. There’s nothing I like more than looking through a story with a kid and letting them get lost in their story.”

Snyder then told the students about a girl who was in a skiing accident a few weeks ago and is still unresponsive, except when someone reads her a book.
“You should be really, really proud of your hard work,” Snyder told the students.
In addition to the presentation of the books collected in the year-long project, and seventh-grader Annie Denbow, sang “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera a cappella, the students interviewed the grandparents in the crowd asking them questions like “When you were in second grade, what kinds of books did you read? What happened when you were naughty? Did you have TVs in your home?”  Finally, a large group of students co-read a poem to honor the grandparents.

In past years, the middle school students have collected cans for the Windham Food Pantry and sent Christmas cards to the troops overseas. This year they followed the journey of a pre-schooler who was waiting for a heart transplant and the students decided to collect books for the hospital library. The project was spearheaded by Darren Emerson and Skylyn Vokey, according to Mallard. 

Third grade chorus sings at State Legislature by Elizabeth Richards

Photo by Angela White

Windham Primary School third grade chorus members from JanWillem Musters’ and Lila Cancelarich’s classes sang the Star Spangled Banner at the opening of the State Legislature on Tuesday. “The singers did a fabulous job,” said chorus director Nancy Cash-Cobb. The students were met by State Senator Gary Plummer and State Representative Jane Pringle, both of whom live in Windham. They explained about state government and the legislative chamber.  The students visited the Maine State Museum and attended sessions on relief rubbings, wool carding and life under a log.