Gray and Windham Schools benefit from Shaw's Supermarkets' "We Love Our Schools" partnership - By Tracy Scheckel

As part of Shaw’s Supermarkets’ 150 year commitment to community service, the company has launched the “We Love Our Schools” program. According to Greg Duball, the store manager in North Windham, “The staff and I looked at the communities that our store serves and selected one school in Gray and one in Windham to offer a partnership to.” He explained that the program offers various types of assistance to the schools ranging from volunteers for special or ongoing assignments to funds for special projects, initiatives and events. 

Russell Elementary in Gray and the Windham Primary School were the recipients of the program with Duball noting that it was a conscious decision to select elementary schools because staff saw more opportunity for volunteer activities.

To kick off the We Love Our Schools partnership, Duball and two store employees, Bakery Manager, Denise Biossonneault, and Assistant Deli Manage, Chelsea Spurling visited Russell on September 23 with two beautiful sheet cakes and a check for $400.

About 30 children representing kindergarten, first, and second grade, along with parents, teachers and staff gathered to greet and thank Shaw’s for the gifts. Russell School Principal Gloria Noyes said that staff and the students would put their heads together to find a good use for the money. She noted that there is much interest in STEM as well as health initiatives and in the schools’ “I Care” program. As for the cake? Students and staff were planning to dig in during lunch on Wednesday. 

Duball and his staff were headed to the Windham Primary School for a similar presentation on September 25.

 

Russell School students, parents and staff great the Shaw’s Team and thanks them for the donation of $400

Motorcycle ride this weekend to benefit IPF - By Michelle Libby

This Sunday, bikers can take a scenic ride around the Sebago region to raise awareness and hopefully money for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) research. Each year 40,000 people die from Pulmonary Fibrosis and Betty Jo Cash wants to find a way to stop this disease that directly affected her family when her father was diagnosed in 2013. 
 

“I don’t want other families to go through what my family is going through,” Betty Jo said. 

Betty Jo was approached by a woman who had organized a ride for IPF. She asked Cash to hold one in honor of Cash’s father, David Watts. Watts, a 68-year-old Windham resident, was okay with having the ride, but he wanted the money to go to research for a cure for the disease that was stealing his breath. September is pulmonary awareness month, so the perfect time to hold a fundraising ride. 

IPF is a “relentless scarring process of the lung that leaves the patient unable to breathe. PF remains untreatable and terminal.” By not breathing, the oxygen is not moved around the body, delivering needed nutrients to the heart, brain and other vital organs. 

Watts is on a breathing machine 24/7. He has a portable machine he calls “his girlfriend,” but that only gives him three hours of air before he has to return home to recharge it, which takes two hours, he said. “It’s frustrating. This thing (the tubing) is always hung up on something. It’s in the way.”

His symptoms were tiring easily and everything was slowing down. “The worst part was getting diagnosed. It took two and a half years to get diagnosed,” Watts said. “For seven years he went to the emergency room swearing he was having a heart attack, but that wasn’t the problem. “They thought I was a hypochondriac.”

Dr. Elizabeth North, finally figured it out, he said. “There is nothing they can do.”  

“Dad is very independent,” said Betty Jo. “Now he can’t raise his heart rate. This disease diminishes the quality of life.” 

Watts worked at the Brunswick Naval Air Station for 32 years, 20 of those using heavy equipment. He was also a plow driver for the Town of Windham. Now he is a part time worker with the Salvation Army. He likes to be busy and has a good sense of humor. 

The Ride IPF starts at 9 a.m. at the Windham Veteran’s Center. Watts will ride in a car, but as a motorcycle enthusiast, he will be happy to hear the rumble from his seat. He misses riding and going to planet fitness to work out. He still drives and is encouraged to keep working as part of his treatment.

Sunday, September 21, it will be kickstands up at 11 a.m. There will be speakers between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. and on the return there will be a barbeque lunch, music by deBreeze N’ Keys, a live auction and T-shirts for sale. The ride is free, but donations are greatly appreciated, Cash said. 

Bikers are known for riding for causes. Be it Toys for Tots or against childhood bullying, bikers do so much for so many,” said Cash’s husband, Norm. 

“When they’re out there rattling your windows, it’s for a reason,” Watts said.

The initial goal was to have 50 bikes signed up, but now on Facebook there are over 173 signed up.

“It’s important for me and for everyone to see him. He’s a national hero. This is our two time Vietnam Vet. See he’s a real person,” Betty Jo said. “We need a cure. People don’t realize this disease is as prevalent as it is.” 

“I asked my doctor if there was anything in the pipeline for this disease. She said the Chinese have a good start on something. It wouldn’t be in time for me,” Watts said. 

For more on the ride visit www.rideIPF.com or visit them on Facebook – Riding for Pulmonary Fibrosis. For more on IPF, visit www.CoalitionforPF.org. Not a motorcyclist? Donations can be made directly through either website. 

“We don’t care what you ride,” Betty Jo said. “You can even ride a Schwinn, if you can keep up.”

Nostalgic cars in abundance at the Windham Car Show - By Michelle Libby

The 21^st Annual Windham Car Show saw over 300 cars from antique autos build before 1949 to muscle cars and everything in between last Sunday behind the Windham Mall. Hundreds of people stopped by to catch a look at the cars from their youth and to salivate over restored beauties. 
 

“It’s nice to see the fantastic appreciation for all the cars we grew up with. It’s nice to see a true survivor just like us,” said Dean Martin of Westbrook, who likes the big block Chevys. Dan Burnell from Portland likes Chevys as well, but he really likes the old classic cars, he said. 

Car shows allow people to check out their favorite cars all in one place. 

“I have actually seen a few cars I’ve never seen before,” said Mark Herring. 

Frank Jimino, a local mechanic, has been coordinating judges for the event since his children were in school, now his grandchildren are in school. “There’s nice stuff, like always,” he said. “Hopefully the boosters made money.” Jimino also said he likes to watch the crowds and their reactions to the cars. This year he had 20 judges to judge four classes and an overall winner. 

Bill Webber from Gorham won the Best in Show prize with his 1966 Shelby GT 350 Mustang.

Arthur and Debbie Vaughan brought their Jeep to the event, but Debbie said she likes the ’55 and ’56 Chevys. 

 

“I’d go for a Camaro any day,” Arthur admitted. 

Robert Sanborn from Scarborough has been doing car shows and restoring his truck for 10 years. The first time he attended a show he said he was a Plain Jane. After adding ghost flames and lowering the body 2 and a half inches. “There’s not much I haven’t done to it,” Sanborn said. 

Sanborn likes the smaller shows because they are a lot of fun and the people are nice. It’s always nice to get a trophy, but mostly it’s about the organization the money benefits. 

The Windham-Raymond Athletic Boosters raised approximately $8,800 for items not budgeted for in the athletic budget at RSU14.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge hits close to home for Windham Christian Academy - By Michelle Libby

Last Friday, on a hot September day, the staff and students at Windham Christian Academy opened their hearts and wallets to raise money to support ALS, but for the WCA community, ALS has affected them directly with the passing of Jaclyn Taylor’s father, Keith Taylor, from ALS this past spring and the father of Matt Gregoire, John, who is still fighting the battle. 

“It was truly heartening to see the outpouring of love and joy at such an event,” said John Gregoire, the co-founder of The Hope-JG Foundation, which received more than $400 in donations from the event.

The money raised will go toward the building of a home in Maine for meeting the specific needs of those who suffer from ALS and Multiple Sclerosis.   

The need for a house is explained by John in an email, since he is speech impaired. “Gail Kennett had ALS and, as of June of last year, had been in the Maine Medical Center for over a year. The reason for that is, she was vented, as many ALS patients are, but unbelievably, there are no nursing homes/long term are facilities which will accept a patient on a ventilator. One of the things that makes ALS different from all other neuromuscular diseases is the mind stays intact and alert even though the body may be paralyzed (Stephen Hawking being the most notable example).”

John continues to talk about the Steve Saling ALS/MS Residence in Massachusetts. “We made arrangements with Steve for a tour and were blown away at the technology and quality of life of the residents, one of whom (Patrick O'Brien) is completely paralyzed and ventilator dependent. Patrick is finishing producing a movie about his ALS experience.” One way to see the ALS residence is to visit www.hope-jg.org/#!projects/c21kz.  

Students at WCA paid $5 to dump ice water on a teacher. It cost $10 to douse Principal Roy Mickelson. He purchased 40 pounds of ice for the challenge. 

Just before he was soaked, Mickelson told John Gregoire that he would pay for Matt and Jaclyn to dump a big tub of water on him. The two didn’t hesitate to get at the back of the line.  

The $400 is not enough to fully fund the residence which will give these people the independent living they need. John estimates that it will cost between $3 and 5 million. 

The options for someone with ALS or MS who is vented to breath is the hospital or hospice without a facility like this house, said Linda Gregoire, John’s wife. 

“(The Ice Bucket Challenge) has really kept him going,” Linda said. “It gives him a purpose. He’s got a heart to help people in the same situation.”