Windham's Odd Fellows/Rebekah Hall to be sold - By Walter Lunt

Windham’s Odd Fellows/Rebekah Lodge on Roosevelt Trail near Varney Mill Road may soon be sold to real estate developer Kaile Warren, who plans to convert the building into an upscale arts and community center. The former owner of the national Rent-A-Husband handyman chain has a pending agreement with Lake Pine Association, owners of the hall, which is currently operated as Pinea Rebekah Lodge. Warren says he will seek contract zone status for the property to accommodate plans that include community events and an approximately 1,200 square foot addition to the back of the building to be used as a theater venue.

 

Although a “work in progress,” Warren plans to name his venture FACE, an acronym for function, arts, culture and events, and foresees a high end premier location for theater productions, business seminars, a farmers’ market and a fundraising facility for local non-profits. A gazebo and garden would be added for weddings and similar celebrations. Culturally, Warren envisions opportunities for local artists and multi-cultural speakers to “broaden our understanding of each other.” He said fees would be assessed for each event depending on the type and size. 

Jonathon Miele, a member of the Windham Center Stage Board of Directors, said he sees advantages to the FACE venue over their present location in the Windham Town Hall gym, but hastens to point out that the full board has not yet addressed the issue.

The building, a large Quonset style structure in deteriorating condition, will undergo minimal changes in order to be “…sensitive to its history. It’s been an important part of the community and I want to maintain that tradition,” said Warren. He pointed to the three interlocking ovals over the front door (friendship – love – truth). “I’m going to keep that.” Along with some interior renovations, Warren plans an Odd Fellows/Rebekah history wall, or corner, that would display information and artifacts relating to the Order’s nearly 60 year history.

Janet Waterhouse, a Lake Pine Association trustee, said the all-male Odd Fellows terminated its meeting about 10 years ago due to the aging of its members. The women of Pinea Rebekah continue to function but, according to Waterhouse, the expenses and maintenance are now “…too much, given the age of most of our members,” which now numbers only eight to 10. The organization contributes to Windham charities through various fundraising activities. The last official charitable act (from the current building) will be the delivery of teddy bears to Windham Police for children involved in scary situations, such as car crashes. Waterhouse said the Rebekahs will continue to function in a rented hall or in private homes.

 Referring to the current building, “It’s hard to give it up.” Despite the move, she said, the members and trustees will likely be pleased with Warren’s plans to maintain it for community service. And she added that she is pleased the architectural integrity will remain largely unchanged, recalling that the original Odd Fellows, known as Lake Shore Lodge, were Windham farmers who planned the structure to look barn-like.

One significant change to the front of the building would be the elimination of the long handicap ramp that stretches across half the front of the hall and down the side. Warren is proposing an elevator accessible from the parking lot.

Warren feels the contract zone designation, which will be subject to town council and planning board approval, is critical to the success of FACE. He maintains the current residential/commercial zone is restrictive to the visitor/parking ratio and to the setback requirement for the planned addition. Planning Director Ben Smith agreed the FACE plan would “be a great use for that building,” and that a contract zone would allow the town to deal with only that property without affecting the rest of the area. Warren expects to submit a contract zone application to the council this week. If accepted, the proposal would go to the planning board which would conduct a public hearing. If approved, it would then require final approval from the town council. 

Warren anticipates the process would take at least 90 days and is hopeful that renovations and construction could begin over the winter.

A Night of Broadway returns - By Elizabeth Richards

The Music With A Mission (MWAM) series at the North Windham Union Church continues this weekend with a reunion of five great friends, and one special guest. “A Night of Broadway, The Reunion” brings local favorites Kelly Caufield, Bryan McLeod, Jennifer McLeod and Matthew Small with Daniel Strange, musical director and pianist, back to the stage. Strange’s wife, Ashley Liberty, will be a guest violinist for parts of the show. 
 

A Night of Broadway originated in 2001 as part of the Windham Hill UCC’s Music on the Hill concert series, and became a best selling show for nine consecutive years. What started as a one-night only performance grew into three sold-out shows over the course of a weekend each July. “It was something that people looked forward to every year,” said Strange. “It became this thing that was on the calendar. Somewhere in mid July the Night on Broadway crew was going to be doing their thing.”

Life took the members of the group in different directions, and six years ago they made the decision to end their Night of Broadway performances at Windham Hill. A couple years later, the Windham Hill UCC discontinued their music series. 

MWAM Committee chair Jim McBride said that the success of the series was part of the inspiration behind the MWAM series. “There was a strong community of people that loved music,” he said, and their larger facility and parking capacity made a series at North Windham Union Church a little more workable. Not wanting to step on any toes, they checked in with people at Windham Hill, and went forward with their blessing said McBride.

The community beneficiary from the MWAM series is always chosen by the performers, and the Night of Broadway reunion group chose to benefit the Windham Hill UCC. “The idea was that even though we wouldn’t be performing at Windham Hill we wanted to honor the Windham Hill congregation by having the mission proceeds from the concert go toward their capital fund,” said Small. 

The performers are excited to be coming together once again. “Ever since we decided to reunite, I have been anxiously awaiting this day,” said Caufield. “Matthew, Jennifer, Daniel, Bryan and I have been friends for a very long time and our lives have grown in so many different directions. But, when we get together to sing it's like we get to go back in time and relive our friendships over again.”

Small agreed. “This is our first time performing together as a group in six years. I’m really excited about the chance to spend quality time with my friends, and the happy by-product of that will be a concert that, hopefully, people will enjoy.” 

It was a group decision six years ago to end the show, said Strange, and it was a group decision to come together for a reunion. “If one had said no, we wouldn’t have done it,” he said. But when he sent out an email presenting the idea, within ten minutes everyone has said yes. “It just feels right now,” he said.

The group is very cohesive, and Strange said that while discussions can get intense when everyone has input and opinions on how the show should be presented, there are no egos involved. “That’s what keeps us really good friends. Nobody is trying to outdo anybody,” he said. The concert is more than just the songs performed, he added, and needs to feel like one continuous show rather than a collection of songs from twenty different shows. “This reunion show is more of a tribute to what we did for nine years,” said Strange. “People are going to hear some new songs but they’re going to hear a lot of things that they heard and fell in love with from these performers.” 

While there are certainly challenges in putting together a show while cast members are spread across several states, the group has a rhythm and rapport with each other that has been built through the years and can’t be replaced with other people, said Small. “There really is a special quality to this group. We’ve become more of a family - our Night on Broadway family,” he said. 

 

The group built a loyal following in their years of performing at Windham Hill UCC. “People know us from coming, and our audience feels like part of that Night of Broadway family too,” said Small.

Strange agreed, saying that the group is putting on the show for the community that gave them so many opportunities. “It’s my way of saying thank you for everything you did for us – for your applause, for your donations, for your time, for your attention to what we were doing, and being so vested.” 

Four of the cast are from Windham, and were in the Windham Chamber Singers when in school, and Caufield is from Gorham, and was in the Gorham Chamber Singers. Though they weren’t all in school at the same time, members of the group have also collaborated locally in their younger years in Windham Center Stage productions and at the Schoolhouse Center for the Arts. 

 Caufield said that putting together a concert has its share of challenges. “We've been so fortunate to have the support of Music With A Mission,” she said. “They have been invaluable in organizing, planning and publicizing, which is a huge part of making this concert happen.”

Dr. Richard Nickerson, director of music for the North Windham Union Church said this is a special performance. “I think it’s going to be a great thing for the community,” he said. He said he would encourage people to get tickets ahead of time to avoid being disappointed at the door. “We’ve already sold a third of the tickets. For a concert like this that’s pretty incredible,” he said. 

Tickets are $12/$10 for students and seniors at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at www.mwamconcerts.org.

New Windham Parks and Recreation director Linda Brooks - By Elizabeth Richards

Linda Brooks, the new Parks and Recreation Director for Windham, is no stranger to this work. For 21 years she was the Parks and Recreation Director in Standish. On June 15^th, she jumped into her new position in Windham at one of the busiest times of year.
 

Brooks has a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation from the University of Connecticut. She worked in that field for a time before taking on the job in Standish, which began as part-time out of her home and built to full time over the years. In that position, she worked with the parks and recreation committee closely to meet the needs of the residents in the community. Accomplishments include building a skate park, two playgrounds, and an outdoor skating rink.

 

Brooks said the Windham opportunity presented itself at the right time in life. Her five children are mostly grown, and the Windham position presents new challenges and different opportunities while still being close to her Standish home. 

Parks and Recreation is bustling in the summer months, and Brooks has jumped in with both feet. There are some projects already in motion that the department is looking at to determine the next best steps, including a forest management plan for the Lowell Preserve, which has had some controversy surrounding it, Brooks said. The skate park is also on the radar. Brooks used Windham’s skate park as a model when working on the one in Standish. The skate park has been a great resource to the community, she said, but is in need of some attention and enhancement. Other programs were up and running smoothly when she arrived, she said, such as the summer camp program and Dundee Park. Long term and returning staff in both programs made the transition very smooth for this time of year, said Brooks.

 Another project that was in progress when she arrived is the new playground at Donnabeth Lippman Park. “There are some great Eagle Scout projects already underway there, so that’s nice to see,” said Brooks.

Looking forward, Brooks can see many opportunities to build upon. Sports programs are mainly run by private entities, a model Brooks said she likes. “The recreation department has many things that they can be accomplishing. I always feel it’s good to collaborate with those youth sports organizations,” she said. “We need to look at what those sports organizations might need from us and how we can assist.”

Finding space to locate desired programming is an issue in any community, said Brooks. “I’m kind of thinking outside the box about where those programs might be able to be offered and how,” she said. There has already been an expressed desire for a community center, and that is something the town has considered. 

“It’s nice to think about where the department could go if that resource were available,” said Brooks. “The possibilities are endless when you have a place to bring people together.”

Because the town is so vast, Brooks finds herself venturing out to explore all the recreational opportunities the town has to offer. With people spread out on both ends of town, finding ways to bring them together is a passion of hers, she said. “I like finding that way that families and kids can recreate together and feel like they’re contributing.”

Brooks said they are also looking at re-establishing the recreation committee. There is already a Dundee Park advisory committee, but this would be a general recreation advisory committee. “I can see the value of that,” she said. “I think that much of what we were able to accomplish in Standish was with very valued volunteers. They are the heart of the community and can bring about so much more accomplishment when we are working together as a team. I look forward to getting that back in place,” she said.

Family is very important to Brooks. Her five children are nearing adulthood, she said and they all enjoy family time together, particularly in the outdoors. They also recently bought a house in the center of Bridgton, and much of their spare time will be spent doing renovations.

Annie Get Your Gun premiers on local stage - By Michelle Libby

Last weekend Schoolhouse Arts Center opened the curtain on Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun. The musical featured the tale of Annie Oakley as she became known as the “best shot around” by beating Frank Butler, the featured act in Colonel Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and taking over as the star in the show, hoping to increase the show’s bottom line. A romance between Annie and Frank blossoms, but Frank has a hard time when Annie shows him up with a gun. 

 

If you’re not familiar with the show, you still might recognize songs like “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly”, “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and “Anything You Can Do”. The show is a fun, musical experience in the cool comfort of the recently remodeled Schoolhouse theater. 

Under the direction of Rob Juergens, the show showcases the talent of local residents, especially Dorothy Stickney as Annie Oakley and Ryan Lane as Frank Butler. 

 

“Some people have this idea that the director is a type of dictator that bends the actors and crew to his will, ultimately reproducing his exact image upon the stage. Right…Everyone has his or her input,” said Juergens. 

Stickney played the uneducated and unsocialized Annie with an unapologetic innocence that I only can imagine took some time to perfect. Her song “You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun” had the audience laughing at the fun play on words like “pistol packing mamas”. She made Annie Oakley come alive on the stage so much that my husband went home to look up the Oakley story when we arrived home. 

Lane was terrific as Frank Butler. He conquered his large portion of the songs like a professional with a strong voice. His attitude when he was beat by Annie rang true for the time period. This was his first time performing at the Schoolhouse. 

Other great performances were given by Clare McKelway at Dolly Take, who was in love with Frank Butler and did not like Annie. Chief Sitting Bull played by Michael Wozich provided color and humor. Annie’s siblings were great, often switching out to play other roles, were John Malcolm Lowell Ulmer, Corinne Sophia Ulmer, Phoebe Johnston and Meghan Elizabeth Reidy. Danny Gay also had numerous roles, which he portrayed well.  

All in all I would not hesitate to recommend this show to anyone looking for a night out with great live entertainment. The show will run through August 2 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and on Sundays at 5 p.m. Adult tickets are $18. Seniors and students are $16. Visit www.schoolhousearts.org for more detailed information or contact the Schoolhouse Arts Center at schoolhousearts@gmail.com. Schoolhouse Arts Center is located at 16 Richville Road (Route 114) in Standish.