Apple picking season in Maine - by Becky Longacre

There’s nothing like picking apples to kick off the fall season in Maine. Apples make people think of crisp cool air, crunchy leaves under foot and everything yummy from warm apple cider to chilled apple cheesecake. Apple picking as an industry has been around since the 1600s. The most beloved apple varieties in New England are McIntosh, Macoun and Cortland. In the Windham-Raymond area there are plenty of orchards to choose from to pick your own from early September to mid-to-late October. And this year has been a great one for the apple crop. Each orchard has its own charm and riches. Here are five of them with their signature benefits.

1.) Meadow Brook Farm located conveniently on Route 85 in Raymond has 20 acres of land with a picnic area and a bakery. They also have fresh apple cider and are open on the weekends.

2.) Terison Apple Orchard on Whitney Road in Cumberland is open on weekends. It was originally opened in 1946 but closed for some years and is now reopened. Feel free to bring your dog to the orchard with a leash. They offer McIntosh and Cortland varieties and have a bakery.

3.) Thompson’s Orchard on Gloucester Hill Road in New Gloucester offers hay rides, has a bakery, fresh cider and a cute shop with handmade goods.

4.) Libby & Son U-Picks on Sawyer Mountain Road in Limerick offers not only the traditional apple favorites but crab apples as well. They are open daily and have a great, informative website at www.libbysonupicks.com.

5.) Randall Orchards on Randall Road in Standish is the largest orchard in southern Maine, hosting 100 acres of trees and offering 25 types of apple varieties. They make their cider in a turn-of-the-century wooden press. The manager, Scott Neal said, he believes the weather has been great for the apple crop. “I think the growing season has been optimum,” he said. “[The apples will be] picked today and delivered tomorrow”…. “I got 21 Hannaford stores” … “I think what we got going for us is we got something fresh.” They don’t spray their apples to make them appear ripe. “That press in there is a turn-of-the-century press.” The press is largely made of wood and Scott said that a press should help to infuse more flavor into the cider. “There should be a wood flavor to the cider,” he said. Cider will be on the shelf on Friday.
The weather this year has produced apples in abundance so get some and enjoy. 

For more information about the apple orchards in Maine, check out www.maineapples.org and www.pickyourown.org.

* * *
   
Put those apples to good use! Here are two apple recipes:
1.) Classic Apple Sauce
a. Peel and cut a ½ peck of apples and place in a large pot
b. Add 1/3 cup water
c. Add ½ cup sugar
d. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg
 
Directions: simmer covered, stirring occasionally for about 15-20 minutes and let cool before packing.
 
*This recipe can be altered for those wanting to reduce their carbs by omitting the sugar and increasing the cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.
 
2.) Apple Stuffed Chicken
    a.) 4 chicken breast, halved
    b.) 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    c.) 2 apples, peeled and cut into slivers
    d.) 1 cup apple cider mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and salt to taste.
   
Directions: pound chicken to1/8 inch thickness. Coat apples with cinnamon-sugar mixture and fold the chicken slices around the apple mixture, securing with a toothpick. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 20-30 minutes, turning once, until juices are clear. Meanwhile, slowly simmer the cider-cornstarch-salt mixture until it bubble and pour over stuffed chicken.



   

           

Celebrating 20 years with old talent and older cars - By Michelle Libby

 The Windham Raymond Athletic Booster Club is ready for its 20^th annual auto show, which will be held this Sunday behind Hannaford at the Windham Mall. There will be 29 categories of cars, trucks and special interest vehicles. It’s one of those don’t miss events.

This year cars will register on Sunday starting at 7 a.m. with a suggested cost of $5 per car. All proceeds will benefit the athletic teams in Windham and Raymond. Awards will be presented around 1:30 p.m. Spectators are invited between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 per adult, $3 for students and seniors and children 5 and under are free. The event will take place rain or shine. There will be plenty of fair food available to purchase. 

Being the 20^th year of the car show, coordinator Dan McGowan decided to bring back coordinators from past years to revamp the show to create the fundraiser it should be, he said. 

His fellow coordinator of the auto show is Debbie Schkrioba, who was in charge of the show in 2009.  “We want to go back to the original format and transfer knowledge to the new boosters, who didn’t have experience with a show. We’re bringing back old boosters to make this a viable fundraiser,” Schkrioba said. 

“The atmosphere is to see older cars all souped-up and refurbished. With vintage cars, they are remembering their childhood days,” said McGowan.

This fundraiser in the past has helped to provide each team at the high school and middle schools with a $500 stipend for equipment or things like refs, coaches and training. The money has to be approved through the athletic director Rich Drummond. Booster money has also helped with purchasing wrestling mats, sheds for the golf team and ski trips for the ski team. In past years, the boosters worked to get the baseball team new dugouts and the swim team purchased bleachers to have extra seating at meets. The boosters also provide four scholarships to senior athletes. “We try to be even,” said McGowan. 

“It supplements the athletic budget. It supplements things they couldn’t have,” said Schkrioba. 

At some schools each sport has its own booster organization, but in Windham Raymond, the boosters support all teams. Money earned at booster events go into a general fund, said McGowan. “It’s all for one, and one for all,” he added. 

The auto show has been helped by local auto mechanic Frank Jimino, who although he has no children in the school, he has been coordinating the judging since the beginning. 

“None of this would be possible without Frank Jiminio,” said Schkrioba. “By no means could any of the boosters have done it,” she added. 

This year in recognition for all of his efforts, the best in show trophy has been renamed to the Frank Jimino/Lorriane Jordan best in show. Lorraine Jordan was one of the first organizers of the auto show. 

The show has changed locations for the last few years. However, they have found a place that works for them behind the Windham Mall.   

The Windham Raymond Athletic Boosters Club is an all volunteer club.

“It’s all made possible by parents who volunteer hours,” said McGowan. “The car show is all run by parent volunteers and fall athletes all donating their time.”

Sponsors for the auto show are Napa, Windham Weaponry, Paul White Tile. From large to small business the support from the local community has been great, said McGowan. There will also be raffles and a 50/50 raffle.

Playground construction commences at Windham Primary School - By Elizabeth Richards

Construction has begun on one of the two planned playground pods for the new play area at the Windham Primary School. The new plan consolidates two current play areas into one larger one on the A House side of the Primary School property. When complete, the area will include not only the two steel play equipment pods, but also two swing sets, a basketball court, baseball field, grass play area and a walking path, according to Michelle Jordan, who is the playground coordinator for a parent group committed to fundraising for the project. 

Jordan said the playground will replace outdated equipment that was installed 23 years ago when the school was built. Additionally, she said, the equipment will eliminate the issues that come with a “one size fits all” playground. “The new play areas will be designed to accommodate kids of all sizes and needs in grades K to 3,” she said. This will include having equipment at varying heights and ADA accessible platforms. The new area will also be fenced in all around, addressing safety concerns caused by the current areas, which are open to parking lots, roads and the high school athletic fields, said Jordan.

The original goal was to have this first playground pod installed before school began, said Jordan, but Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) permit delays meant that the construction must happen while school is in session. “Thankfully, we’re able to fence off part of the play area so that the kids can be in school and use the space, but at the same time we can have construction happening alongside of it,” said Jordan. The hope is that the new equipment will be installed and ready to use by early October, she added.

The manufacturer selected, Miracle Recreation Equipment Company, will be doing the base installation of the first playground pod, to put in support posts, and then there will be a “community build,” Jordan said. They will be looking for members of the community to help put the play set together, in order to save money on the project. This will happen towards the end of September or early October. After that, the goal is to have the remainder of the project completed next summer. 

Fundraising efforts for this project began in March of 2013, and to date close to $30,000 has been raised. Even over the summer, fundraising efforts continued, bringing in over $3,000. Fundraising events have included a beach party with silent auction and basket raffle, restaurant fundraisers, an online auction, and a Pennies for Playground penny drive. The playground fund has also been a beneficiary of events held in the community, including 5K runs, and Music with a Mission at the North Windham Union Church. They received a donation through Walmart’s community giving program, and local companies have sponsored some pieces of the playground. All of these efforts allowed more than half of the $50,000 goal to be raised in just five months. 

The playground equipment will cost $125,000 total. “The school budget will pay for the overall project and our fundraising will help offset the costs,” said Jordan. “It will also allow us to put more into the area than if we had to rely on school funds alone.” 

The budget that was passed in June allocated funds for the other construction happening at the Primary School, including a bus loop, parent drop off loop, new parking area and road widening, as well as the first phase of the playground project, said Jordan. In order to complete the full play area next summer, additional funds from the school budget will be required. “By continuing to raise money, we will be able to help offset what is needed to help ensure the project is completed next year,” Jordan said. 

At this time, no specific fundraising events are scheduled. “At this point, what we’re really looking for are people who are interested in making a donation or sponsoring a piece of the playground. If somebody wanted to sponsor a swing, or a slide, we’re looking for anyone who might be interested in making donations in that regard,” said Jordan. The group is taking September to allow people to settle back into the school year routines before setting up other specific fundraising events. “It takes a while to get back into the routine of things,” said Jordan.

Information on the project is posted on the Windham Primary School Playground Facebook page, or can be obtained by emailing Jordan at wpsvolunteer@gmail.com.

Security upgrades change appearance of school entrances - By Elizabeth Richards

Security upgrades in the Windham schools have changed the way visitors can gain access to the buildings, increasing the level of security for these buildings. Bill Hansen, director of facilities and properties for RSU14, said that the school department is transitioning from having very open buildings, where visitors had to be trusted to check in at the office, to more secure buildings with controlled access when students are present.

The project is a result of a Community Oriented Policing Services grant that was awarded to RSU14 in September of 2011. The $165,450 grant paid for $150,000 of physical plant changes, as well as a risk assessment and staff crisis management training, said Hansen.

“Summer has been a mad dash to make the changes to the physical plant,” said Hansen. It was a large task, indeed. The high school, primary school and Manchester school now all have visitor vestibules that are connected to their offices. When visitors enter, they must speak through a “teller” window to staff before they are allowed access to the building. The middle school has an entry lobby in the front, and one in the back, and visitors communicate with the office via an Aiphone, which has both audio and video, in order to gain access. This is due to the placement of the middle school office in the interior of the building. 

Hansen said they looked at reconfiguring the middle school office at the same time as these security upgrades were occurring, but the $100,000 cost was prohibitive at this time. Field Allen School, which now houses sixth graders, does not have a visitor waiting area. Visitors must first check in at the middle school, and then communicate via the Aiphone at Field Allen, where staff will already be expecting them, Hansen said.

Although the physical changes are significant, one of the goals in the project, said Hansen, was to try and make the new entrances look as if they had always been that way. 

The doors at all the schools have been locked since the tragedy occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in December of 2012, Hansen said. This new process for visitor entry adds another layer of security to the buildings. Student doors will be unlocked at arrival and dismissal, and an automated system will lock the doors for the remainder of the school day, said Hansen. 

After hours, some doors will need to be unlocked to allow for community access, since the school, a public building, is used for many afterschool activities and events. The goal isn’t to discourage that kind of use, Hansen said, but to control who is entering the building when there are students present.

There is also a shift occurring from a key system to an electronic access system, where staff will use key cards to gain entry to the building. There will be a separate card reader for student IDs at the high school, so that juniors and seniors with privileges can leave campus during free periods and re-enter using their ID badge. Because there are also cameras at each entrance, students will not be able to use another student’s badge to gain entry.  

The extensive camera system installed throughout the school buildings allows building administration, as well as Hansen, to monitor activity everywhere in the buildings. Hansen can even do so from his desk at central office. Each entrance has a camera, as well as an Aiphone, so that the office can see anyone entering the buildings. Prior to this year, some schools didn’t have any video access, said Hansen. 

“Our focus is on access control and video coverage,” Hansen said. The project is in the start up phase, he said. Cameras are up and running, which was the first step. Next will be automating the doors, which is happening now, and then they will move to full card access. “It’s been going pretty well. There’s been a learning curve as I’m getting to learn the system, how it all works and getting the programming set up. We’re all working hard together to make it happen,” he said. 

Because they will transition to the automated system over time, he added, they can learn as they go and address any issues that arise. The goal is to have the system fully operational sometime in October, said Hansen.
Hansen said that many school systems are moving in the direction of more controlled access to their buildings.  

The initial risk assessment was conducted in spring of 2012, and suggestions from that included the physical changes as well as staff training. The school department is working with Scott Parker, a certified emergency manager based in Bethel, to conduct this training.

Parker said he didn’t have to do much in the way of initial security assessment due to the risk assessment that had already been completed. He conducted a hazard analysis, not only of the school, but of the surrounding area, then conducted training for administrators and leadership staff. At RSU14, the staff asked to be trained to a higher level than what is required for their positions, said Parker.

Currently Parker is working on developing a plan and protocols to follow. Then, he will train the School Emergency Team (SET) for each school. Teacher training will occur, culminating in a “tabletop” exercise, which is a facilitated discussion on a specific potential scenario.

Parker said another element is making sure that the 911 center in Windham has all of the critical information that they might need from the plan. In the fall, he said, he will conduct a drill at one of the schools.

The physical changes at the schools have added another level of defense, according to Parker, but that alone isn’t enough. “If you don’t know the protocols or what to do, it doesn’t make any difference if there’s a lock on the door,” said Parker.

Lakes Region Senior Center finds interim home at Sunset Ridge - By Elizabeth Richards

In September of 2011, a regional senior center opened in the former Little Falls School. Founder Glen Lynds spearheaded the effort to create a place for seniors after the closing of Tim Horton’s in Windham. The building they ended up with was ideal in meeting the needs of area seniors, members said. But just shy of their two year anniversary, a bond passed to renovate the building, and the Lake Regions Senior Center had to vacate.

After an extensive search for a new location, the group has landed at the Sunset Ridge Golf Links on River Road in Westbrook. The new space offers a lot of windows for natural light, a beautiful view, a large room for socializing, and use of the glassed in gazebo, where the card players gathered on opening day. There is a snack bar available with coffee, tea and a variety of choices. The group is also able to bring snacks into the space. For a fee, members can also play pickleball and golf. The group does not have to worry about set up or take down, they just need to leave the room as they found it, board president Blanche Alexander said. This was a big consideration in looking for a new space, she said, because it is difficult for the members to have to set things up daily.

The rent at the new location is $200 per month, said Alexander. While this is a very reasonable cost, the group had fallen under the department of recreation while in Gorham, and was not charged rent, so fundraising efforts will be increased.

The center has held bake sales, book sales and garage sales in the past, as well as a popular monthly luncheon that draws 30-40 people. These luncheons will continue in the new space, and the price will increase slightly to help with fundraising efforts, said Alexander. Each luncheon is potluck and has some kind of theme. For the first one in the new space, scheduled for Monday, September 16th, they are keeping it simple said Alexander, and will feature appetizers rather than main dishes. The public is welcome to attend the luncheon. Financial contributions to the senior center are welcome.

Although Alexander said that the location is very nice, and the owners of Sunset Ridge have been welcoming and kind to the group, the board still hopes that they might be able to move back into the Little Falls School when renovations are complete. The central location and accessibility of the building are top reasons why that space was a great home for the center, said Alexander. “We have been so grateful to the town of Gorham for what they have done for us,” said Alexander.

Gorham Town Manager David Cole said via an email message that the town council has not yet decided what the building will be used for. Alexander’s husband, David, who is also a member of the center, spoke before the town council on Tuesday night, to let them know they had found a temporary space, and to ask the council for consideration for a room in the Little Falls building when renovations are complete. The senior center board has discontinued looking for a permanent location until they hear what the Little Falls building will be used for, though they will keep their eyes and ears open, said Alexander.

 The center fills a need for many older community members, offering a place to call their own, to come and socialize instead of sitting home alone, said Alexander. “It’s a wonderful thing to have,” she said.
Member Ethel Blake said she enjoys having a place where there are people who enjoy the same things she does. “The first time I came in to the senior group they treated me just like a long lost sister,” she said.
Board member Cheryl Robbins agreed. “We’ve become one big family. It’s someplace to go and feel comfortable and see other people happy and enjoying the comfort. A stranger doesn’t stay a stranger very long with us,” she said.

Robbins said one challenge currently is just that they aren’t fully set up yet. Supplies like games and puzzles are still in trunks and cars. The group is thankful to John Smith of Little Falls Construction for storing their beloved piano, said Alexander.

Although they’ve only occupied the new space for two days, Alexander said, “We’re being positive and hopeful for our future.”  She said they had a great turnout on their first day in the new location, and everyone seemed to enjoy the new space. On their second day, a Wednesday morning, it was slower, as it usually is, according to Alexander. A weight loss support group meets at 10 a.m, and by 9:30 a.m, more members were coming through the door. The center is drop-in, which means people can just show up when they are able. Visitors are welcome.

The senior center is open to people aged 55 and above. Activities include cards, puzzles, speakers on a variety of topics, luncheons and dinners. Their scheduled activities include cards and crafts on Tuesdays, a weight loss support group on Wednesdays, and games on Fridays, among other things. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday-Wednesday. Winter hours will be voted on in an upcoming board meeting.

Connor Lajoie smashes American bench press record - By Michelle Libby

Connor Lajoie is entering his sophomore year at Windham High School, and already has earned himself an American record in bench press. On August 3 in his first contest, he broke the record for his age group and weight class in the bench press, lifting 280 pounds as a 165-pound teenager. The old record was 255 pounds. Connor still has another year in this age division. 

“My goal is to keep breaking my record over and over again.” 

Connor and his father both workout at the Dyna Maxx gym in Westbrook.
“It’s the most popular sport that people don’t know about,” said Chris Lajoie, Connor’s father, who also powerlifts. “Everybody trains those three lifts. Connor just takes it to the next level,” he said. 

“I’m not normal,” Connor joked. 

“You’ve got to be a little different to strive to keep getting stronger and stronger,” said Chris.

The three lifts Connor competes in are the bench press, squat and dead lift. Most athletes like football players all train using those lifts, but very few are like Connor and compete those, Chris said. 

Chris has been lifting since age 15 and he’s 49 now. “It’s just something about the sport,” he said. 

“I saw my brother and him going to the gym every single day. I went to check it out,” Connor said. 

Training is a full-time after school activity. Connor and his father hit the gym four days a week, three hours a day. “When he leaves the gym, he’s pretty worn out,” said Chris. 

Connor said he pushes himself and sometimes his family has to tell him to slow down. 

“I see that I have possibilities to lift this much. That’s what motivates me,” he said. 

“If I stop lifting for a week, I start to feel ill and sick because my body needs it,” Connor said. 

Competing in power lifting isn’t just going to the gym and lifting weights. There are three judges watching everything from feet positioning to making sure the athlete doesn’t lift his butt off the bench. For competition he is required to wear a singlet so the judges can watch his form. He also wears a belt and wrist straps to protect his body. A bench shirt, which is a tight shirt, protects his chest muscles. 

“The biggest pride I have in weightlifting is doing it drug-free,” said Connor.
Chris, who is also a 100 percent drug-free lifter, benched 675 pounds, breaking a record at that time. 

The people who do the performance enhancing drugs, “don’ stop to think about the young people. They don’t think they’re influencing the teenage kids. It’s sickening,” said Connor. 

When asked what Connor does for fun outside of school, his reply was, “This is it.” He wrestled for a few years, but “I thought, I want to powerlift. I kept thinking, how will this affect my lifting?” he said.   

At the gym his main goal for every workout is “to have nothing left in the tank,” Connor said. 

Training for three hours means that he has to train smart with good coaches and experienced powerlifters, said Chris. 

“They don’t treat me any different as anyone else. I’m a powerlifter just as they are,” he said. 

In October, Connor hopes to break the American record for the squat lift and dead lift. At his age, records don’t get broken very often, Chris said. 

Connor has no plans to stop powerlifting and looks to his father to know he can do this for a long time to come. 

“It can be a dangerous spot, pushing yourself to the limit without crossing that line,” said Chris who has had many surgeries and injuries. 

The final part of Connor’s workouts include eating right. Connor drinks Creatine to build muscle mass and eats a lot of protein, he said. 

“I acquired the love and the passion and I developed it. It gets in your blood,” said Connor.  

His next competition will be in Westbrook in October.

School is back in session!

Wednesday was back to business for the students of RSU14 in grades 1 through 9. Students boarded the buses and arrived at school to see the smiling faces of their teachers and administrators. Thursday was the first day for the rest of the students. 

There are a number of changes to the physical look of the schools and to the staff in each school. New security features have been added to Windham Middle School and Windham High School. 

Windham Primary School has increased the number of teachers it has by six. Fundraising for the new playground is still underway. 

Windham Middle School has six new teachers and has relocated the sixth grade class to Field Allen where the seventh-graders have been for years. They also are introducing iPads instead of the MacBooks. 

Windham High School has five new staff members. Another change this year was that school pictures were taken on Thursday so that students will have their identification cards early to be able to use with the new security system.

Bus Routes for RSU14

Social media leads family to adoption - By Elizabeth Richards

What began as a desire to help some women she’d been following on Twitter get to Ethiopia for a humanitarian trip ended in adoption for the Hatch family of Windham. Originally, Megin Hatch hadn’t even intended to go on the 2010 trip. Yet she did go, and two years later, she and husband Rob adopted Sitota, a young girl whom Megin met while there.

 “The purpose of the trip had nothing to do with adoption. We knew adoption might someday be part of our story, but I was not looking for a child,” said Megin. During the trip, she said, she fell in love with many children, but Sitota stuck with her. “When I started unpacking that trip emotionally, and what had happened, she was still there. That’s when we started inquiring to find out if she was even available for adoption,” Megin said.

When Megin returned from Africa, Rob said, she brought with her a passion for continuing to help orphans there. The Hatches three children, Aidan, Clay and Lucy, also wanted to be involved with the efforts. Clay, in particular, found a unique and interesting way to raise money. He had a great interest in origami, and he learned to make paper crane ornaments out of origami paper. With his mother’s help, he said, he launched a website to sell the cranes in order to raise money for orphans. When it became clear that his family would be adopting Sitota, his effort shifted from supporting all orphans to wanting to bring his sister home, said Rob. He ended up raising approximately $1,500, more than enough to buy the ticket to bring her home.

When word got out about Clay’s efforts to raise money, people responded immediately. Two people, including his oldest cousin, hired Clay to make favors for their weddings. At his cousins wedding, the cranes were displayed on a table with pictures of Sitota and Clay. “They had just a lovely tribute to Clay and to our story, and then they made a generous donation to buy the cranes from Clay,” said Megin.

Other people began to show interest in the cranes, hearing the story through Facebook and in the community. “I think they wanted one of Clay’s beautiful creations as well as they wanted kind of a piece of the story,” said Megin.

Megin said Clay’s efforts weren’t always easy. Origami dragons, which he learned to make at a camp, take about half an hour, he said, while the cranes take 10 minutes apiece to make. A large order was a serious investment of his time. “He was a normal 10-year-old boy with a lot of varied interests, but he buckled down and got it all done,” said Megin. “He met every time commitment, he met every promise that he made to people and fulfilled those. I think people really loved to get them. They’re all so different.”

Clay said a neighbor had given him charms and materials for the cranes, and he tried to tailor the origami to each person who ordered. “They’d tell me what they liked, and I would make it,” he said.

Sitota has been home with the Hatch family since November 2, 2012. While there have been adjustments and challenges typical of any expanding family, one of the hardest parts was the wait between the first court visit, where Sitota was declared by the Ethiopian government to be the Hatches daughter, and the US Embassy date, when they could bring her home. “We left not knowing when we would come back,” said Megin. “It probably was the longest almost three months that I’ve lived through in my entire life,” she added.

Maintaining balance was also tricky. Both Megin and Rob had to go on both trips, and needed a lot of support from family and friends to make sure life stayed as close to the same as possible for their other three children. “We never wanted to ask. Clay’s was the most deliberate ask that was made because when you decide, you feel like it’s your responsibility to do this,” Rob said. There came a point, however, when they realized that when people learned more about the story, they wanted to be a part of it. “They wanted to help out, and so we really had to find different ways to accept that help and say yes to that. Saying yes was amazing. It was a real blessing and a great process,” he said.

Sitota is a vibrant, energetic addition to the Hatch family. The connections the family has built with a community in Southern Maine and New Hampshire built around Ethiopian adoption have helped make the transition smoother. “I don’t know how I would have made it through the process without being able to connect with other people who knew exactly what I was going through,” said Megin.

Another connection they have made is with a mother in Texas who adopted a little boy who had grown up in the same orphanage as Sitota. Megin connected with the mother before their court date via email. They ended up in Ethiopia for court at the same time, and connected there. Incredibly, they also were back for their Embassy date at the same time, and once they got home, kept in contact via Skype, sharing pictures, videos and stories. Recently, the boy and his mother came to stay with the Hatches for a week. The Hatches are committed to visiting annually with the other family, said Megin, to keep the kids connected.

Maintaining a connection to Sitota’s country is also important to them, said Rob. “We’re dreaming about the day when we can visit again and take our whole family. We want our other children to be able to see where their sister was born and experience that, because it’s an amazing place,” he said.

The Hatches continue to tell their story after the fact, through blogging and social media, because people still want to hear it, said Rob. “What’s remarkable to me is that the whole story started with her [Megin] following some moms on twitter, and it continues with her sharing the story and garnering support and connection with people,” he said.

Summer job fulfills dream for Windham resident By Michelle Libby

Lexis Elston is entering her senior year at Windham High School with a new job and future career plans. While reading Seventeen Magazine, she saw an ad for a contest that Guess, the jean company, was having for models.

“I entered the Guess Girl Contest online. I thought it would be fun. Out of 30,000 people I made it to the top 25,” Elston said. The public voted on the top five and although she didn’t make it into the finals, she did catch the eye of Guess CEO Paul Marciano.

“He wanted me to win the prize because I was from a small town and he wanted someone from a small town to win, someone with no modeling experience,” she said.

Guess invited Elston to come to Los Angeles for a four day test shoot to be used for ecommerce, billboards and Facebook, but once she was there, Marciano wanted to meet her, so they extended her stay for another week.

“I guess now I’m a professional model. I just got very lucky. I live in Windham, Maine,” she said. She is not yet represented by a modeling agency, though she has been approached by Ford Modeling Agency, her dream agency, but she turned it down because to her it didn’t make sense to have to fly across the country once a month for casting calls, she said.

“It was amazing. The best experience I’ve ever had. It was the top everything for me. I changed my outlook for everything. I showed me what you can do when you go for your dreams,” Elston said.

When she worked with Marciano he gave her pointers and lessons on modeling. She was also escorted into the main Guess store on Rodeo Drive and told to pick out anything she wanted. She chose 20 pairs of heels, dresses and her favorite is a pair of white skinny jeans with a white inked sunflower because those are what she wore when she met Marciano.

For now she plans to continue to work with Guess, but she also has booked jobs in Atlanta with Ashley Lauren, a pageant designer.

Elston got her start in pageants last year when she won the Miss Teen Maine 2013 title. “That’s how everything really started.”

In two weeks she is heading back to LA to Guess and then she has another fashion shoot in Atlanta. She plans to collect her work ahead of time and do it on the plane rides.

“It’s so amazing out there. It definitely impacted me a lot,” she said. “I know it’s what I want to do.”

Second annual Community Coin Challenge By Jon Bolduc

2nd annual Coin Challenge
By Jon Bolduc

Last Wednesday, the second annual Community Coin Challenge held a kick-off party in the Windham Weaponry parking lot, beginning this year’s festivities to help food pantries in the area.
The kick-off party included live music from deBreeze N Keys, a cash bar, free food, and a chance to help fill mason jars to the brim with coins which will be donated to food pantries of ten local towns which are covered by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce.
Organized by chamber member Sheri Huff, this year’s coin challenge should be better than ever. The Challenge raised over $21,000 in donations last year, blowing the original goal of $5,000 out of the water. Due last year’s success, Huff aims to raise $40,000 this year.
The communities’ support has been overwhelming both this year and last year. “It’s been fabulous. Better than ever,” said Huff.
Thomas Bartell, the Windham Economic Development Director, agreed. “This idea is entirely out of Sheri’s mind,” he said. “It’s an incredible success,” he continued. Both Huff and Bartell have high hopes for the challenge this year.
“This year, it’s better than ever. It’s a great connection between local businesses,” he said. Last year more than 32 local businesses were involved in Octoberfest, and Windham Weaponry, the signature sponsor of the coin challenge, lent its building to the kick-off party on Wednesday.
According to Huff, the inspiration for the coin challenge dawned on her as she was on her elliptical one morning last year.
“The chamber wanted an event that included every town,” she said. “Every town had a food pantry.”
Next up for the challenge is the second annual Octoberfest, which will be held Saturday, October 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Buck’s Naked BBQ parking lot. Last year’s Octoberfest drew in over 3,000 people, and this year’s lineup has enough entertainment to occupy the entire family from start to finish. Activities include face painting, bouncy houses, a beer garden and helicopter rides. Everything offered at Octoberfest is free of charge. For more information, visit sebagolakeschamber.com.

KP Gagnon churns up Panther Pond and beyond - By Michelle Libby

Toosie roll, air raley, 540, off-axis 540 and double flips, they’re all in a day’s fun for KP Gagnon, a 20-year-old from Raymond.

Gagnon grew up on the water at Panther Pond, swimming, waterskiing and tubing. Three years ago, he picked up a wakeboard and two years ago he got serious, he said.

“It’s pretty complicated,” he said of the sport that requires its riders to flip through the air, spin and jump all while being dragged behind a boat. “You have to be very dedicated and understand the risks. Extreme sports can be very dangerous. The odds of getting into an accident or serious injuries are very good,” Gagnon said.

To combat injuries, Gagnon has a coach when he is in Florida attending college in Lakeland. His coach is in Orlando where he travels to five days a week. He also works out twice a day building muscle and core strength.

In his first competition, Gagnon took second place. “In Florida you can always find (a competition) around there,” he said. He still has some skills to work on, he added. “I need to work on staying calm. I got really nervous. Tricks I usually land, I crashed,” he said.

The air raley, where he flips his board up above his head, stretched out over the water, holding on to the rope, is the closest thing to flying (without a plane) he’s ever experienced, he said.

“I’ve had some pretty bad falls,” Gagnon said. In Maine, falls could get him injured, but in Florida falls can be complicated by alligators, water moccasins and amoebas that can kill once they enter the body, he said. 

He doesn’t consider wakeboarding his job and he doesn’t expect to make a lot of money doing it, however the best at the sport make over a million dollars a year. “Yes, you can make a living, but it’ll just be a hobby for me,” Gagnon said. He does make some money by giving lessons on Panther Pond to locals and out-of-staters. 

Gagnon rides behind a Malibu Wakesetter and uses a Ronix One Time Bomb 2013 wakeboard. He upgrades every year, he said. He uses a no stretch wakeboard Ronix rope and wears a pullover life vest that is light weight and sucks to his body.

His advice to his students and to new wakeboarders is “never give up. Keep trying and be persistent with it. You can do anything you want, just keep practicing.”

Gagnon plans to work with his father in commercial real estate after getting his degree in communications with a minor in business.

Gagnon has a Facebook page, KPGGNN and can be found on Instagram at KPGGNN.

Taking a party appetizer national - By Michelle Libby

Fate handed Shelly Afthim a boatload of troubles starting in 2006, but she didn’t make lemonade as the saying goes, she made meatballs in flavors like chicken cordon bleu, chicken parmesan and buffalo chicken gorgonzola. Each meatball was homemade white meat chicken, neither breaded nor fried. She decided that just sharing with her friends wasn’t enough. She sent a letter to QVC to have her meatballs featured there.

Once a year, the Afthim’s throw a party for their friends. The featured item and the food that went first every year were the meatballs. Creating from a modified recipe from her mother, she used chicken, cheese and spices. Each year she added a new flavor.

“Last year I made 1,500 meatballs for 120 people. They were the first things to go,” she said. Her children, going into fifth and seventh grades, are picky eaters, she said. “They gobble them up.” She said it’s the way they are presented that’s different. A few meatballs make a healthy snack.

In 2006, Shelly and her husband moved their family back to Maine, but within a few weeks, she was not feeling well. She drove herself to Mercy Hospital when she couldn’t catch her breath. The doctors told her she was in congestive heart failure at 35 years old. She had Lyme disease and it had affected her heart and her brain.

“I was borderline needing a heart transplant,” Afthim said. She had a defibrillator implanted and then when things were looking up, it was recalled. In 2008 she went on permanent disability.

For the last year, she has been working, with the encouragement of her husband, Phil, to bring her meatballs to market under her new business name Gourmet Passionista. 

A year ago, Afthim contacted QVC about becoming a vendor. She had no company and yet they asked for samples.

She sent them the week before Christmas and within two weeks she was on a conference call…they wanted her meatballs.

“That’s my personality. I’m not afraid of the word ‘no’. I went to the top and it worked out,” she said. Tenacity is the word she uses to describe herself. “I want to inspire people. They don’t have to be labeled disabled. They just need to find a way to figure out a different path in life,” Afthim said.

She will be in the Sprouts program for new businesses and her first order for QVC is $10,000. They plan to sell the product for $40 for a bag of 24 – 1 ounce balls.

Her biggest challenge was getting her labels past the USDA. It took one year to get the label approved. She also hired a manufacturer in Bangor so she will no longer have to make them at home, unless she wants to. She is continuing to sample new flavors and hopes her next meatball will be southern barbeque, bacon and cheddar.

Finding the meatballs right now might pose a challenge, but Afthim hopes to have a website up and running soon. She is also on www.kickstarter.com to raise money to produce her first order.

“When someone tries them for the first time, they pause to look down at their plate to see what they are eating. That’s fun,” Afthim said.

Volunteer keeps Lowell Farm Field pristine - By Elizabeth Richards

Windham Little League’s Lowell Farm Field is a real life “field of dreams,” due in large part to retiree Bill Ciccarone, who volunteers countless hours every week making sure the field measures up to his high standards.

From April until mid-August when the season ends, Ciccarone is at the field seven days a week doing regular maintenance tasks as well as larger projects. On game days he arrives around 2 p.m, and gets home around 8 p.m. On Saturdays, when there are four games, he is at the field from about 6:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Ciccarone began working on the field when his grandson played Little League. That grandson is now 21. “He left, I stayed,” said Ciccarone. “This gives me something to do. It keeps the mind going, it keeps the body going, and I take pride in it.”

That pride is evident in the appearance of the field and all the special touches he adds. Ciccarone greets teams as they arrive at the field, and goes the extra mile to make everyone feel welcome. Umpires are treated well. Coaches are not expected to do anything to the field so they can spend the time with the kids. He has a sign made up not only for the Windham teams, but for every team that plays on the field, which is placed above their dugout.   At the beginning of each game he plays the national anthem, and then announces the names of each kid in the batting order.

Every year, Ciccarone finds some kind of improvement to make at the field, which was nothing but a simple grass field when he began. Over the years, improvements have included putting in a batting cage with electric pitching machine, gates that lead right into the dugouts, drainage ditches in the outfield and infield, a warning track in the back, and a snack shack with real bathroom. And that’s just a few.

In the winter, said Ciccarone, he plans what he’s going to do at the field in the spring. “The reason this field stays looking so nice is the fact that it gets attention from April through November,” he said. Though the season just ended, he’s already beginning to think about what he’s going to do next year to make things better, he said. Maintaining the field is his hobby, and he said he dreads the day when he won’t be able to do it anymore.

“When [the field] is set up for a game, it rivals anything,” said Ciccarone. Parents tell him their children get very excited when they know they will be playing at Lowell Farm Field. “It’s making them feel like it is special to come here,” he said. He said they like to bring the Minors, who don’t normally play there, to the field for a couple of games a year so they know what they have to look forward to. “They feel like they’re going to Fenway compared to what they’re used to playing on,” he said.

Ciccarone’s dedication is appreciated by those who attend games at Lowell Field. A few years ago, he was presented with a sign that reads “Home of Bill Ciccarone,” which now hangs on the score booth. “What means the most to me is after a game, when I have a whole team walk over and say thank you. What more can you ask than that?” he said.