Windham Public Safety Day deemed a success - By Stephen Signor

Last Saturday safety conscious residents flocked to the Windham Public Safety building to celebrate National Safety Day. With a combined effort from AARP, Windham Police Department, Windham Fire and Rescue Department, activities that promoted safety and education were set up around the property.
 

Among the activities was a K9 demonstration in which Windham Police Dog Vader was on hand to show off his prowess in locating unseen items for retrieval. Vader is a 3-year-old black shepherd that has been trained for numerous police responsibilities. Handler and Officer Steve Stubbs gave an entertaining and informative demonstration. Vader’s actions provided spectators a glimpse of how voice commands play an important role in catching law breakers and finding illegal items that may have been tossed out a vehicle for example. With the assistance of DARE Officer Matt Cyr, Vader also demonstrated the art of attacking and subduing criminals.

Appropriately, the Dalmatian Fire Mascot appeared as did Daren-the-Lion, the mascot for DARE.

The DARE program is taught in the fifth and seventh grades at RSU14. The program is run by Officer Matt Cyr. “Measuring prevention is one of the most difficult things that we do in law enforcement. If someone were to ask me if as a stand-alone [DARE] was the answer, I would look them straight in the eye and say absolutely not,” Cyr said. Has it been successful? “I’ve talked to law enforcement outside our state and they say wow! I can’t believe what you guys are doing. You are the model to follow.” He also expressed, “Windham is fortunate to have what we have. It is a great community. Support for programs such as this comes from all levels within the community. This is not just Windham, it includes Raymond.” 

The take-back prescription drug booth was available for accepting old or unused prescription drugs. A collection area was also in the lobby of the public safety building with high hopes to match last year’s success. 

“The drug take-back has been a very popular program. That collection yielded 12 to 15 boxes or roughly two tons,” explained Windham Detective Eugene Gallant. Collection is not limited to just these types of events. There is a box in the lobby of the public safety building available for drop off every day during business hours. 

“In such a gathering as this where large amounts are involved, it is moved into the evidence cage for security,” stated Gallant. Disposal is usually done by the DEA, however that can change. “The last time there was so much; Officer Cyr and I took the drugs to EcoMaine. They have a secure facility and we had to be present to witness the actual destruction after which we signed off on an official certificate,” said Gallant.

Safety has many faces and The Yellow Dot Program recognizes those of senior citizens. While this program is not specific to them, it is the largest group of users. Originating from Alabama it was developed to aid citizens and first responders in the event of an automobile accident or other medical emergency involving a participant’s vehicle. It was initiated by the Gorham-Windham-Westbrook Triad and with the help of sponsorships the word has gotten out. “It has been here locally for five years and is made up of local law enforcement agencies, businesses and seniors,” said Buffy Houp, who is involved with the program. “Yellow Dot is currently in 30 states and our goal is to get it state-wide here. Our mission is to minimize victimization of seniors in our community,” she continued.

Thanks to the donation by AARP, a Records Management Center truck was offering free document shredding adjacent to the public safety building. The driveway of the Family Resource Center/Food Pantry served as the dropping off point where boxes upon boxes were reduced to shreds protecting the citizens from identity theft. 

Further information on the participating programs, visit www.dare.com, www.rmcmaine.com, www.yellowdotme.org, and local.aarp.org/Portland-me.

Confronting the opiate epidemic head on at WPD - By Michelle Libby

Windham Police Department, headed by Chief Kevin Schofield, has been busy collaborating with
other departments, applying for grants and putting new programs in place that will help save lives in the crucial seconds before medical personnel can arrive on scene. From enforcement teams in the summer, to a grant that will provide money to train officers in a variety of mental health situations, Windham Police Department is treating the opiate epidemic as a serious issue that must be addressed now.

Enforcement

For two summers, the Windham Police Department has teamed up with Gorham Police Department to work with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) to focus attention on Windham and Gorham. 

“Drug trafficking is what we’re trying to uncover,” said Schofield. “Drugs are, particularly opiates, the biggest issue our society is facing. It affects so many different facets of the community.” 

The officers handed out possession charges and warrants for furnishing and trafficking in drugs. From mid-June to now officers made 22 cases, confiscating Suboxone, Fentanyl and other drugs. Nine cases were in Gorham and 13 were Windham cases. Many of the cases included Fentanyl brought here by people from the northeast region of Massachusetts, according to Schofield. In one case, nine fingers of Fentanyl was seized with the potential street value of $10,000.  The additional officers came from the school resource officers (SRO) that aren’t needed in the schools during the summer. 

“That’s one of the areas both communities and police departments sees as a need. We collaborate 

because an officer should not be out there on his own,” said Schofield. None of the cases were high level dealers. The goal wasn’t to generate cases, but to stop the flow of drugs into the two towns. The smaller cases are also how larger investigations are spawned, said the chief. 

“I speculate that the issue around drug use and opiate addiction disorders, struggles and issues are

very real in this area,” he added. 

Towns in the area all have similar numbers and programs when it comes to drug cases. Westbrook has a new Community Approach to Stopping Heroin (CASH) program dedicated to stopping the heroin and drug epidemic gripping that city. 

“We are always looking at if we are using our resources as effectively as we can. It’s been effective the last two summers,” Schofield said.

Narcan

In the last six months there have been five drug overdose deaths in Windham, according to Schofield. There has been an increase in pharmacy robberies, bank robberies, car thefts and burglaries and it can all trickle back into the drug problem in society. Schofield calls this significant. 

“There is a medical cost to the opiate abuse disorder. This opiate crisis is the biggest issue I’ve dealt with in my career,” he added. 

Part of the opiate and street drug problem stems from that street drugs are cheaper to get than Oxy drugs. Pharmacology made a change to the Oxy pills and at $1 per milligram, it’s more expensive than Heroine. 

Heroine is a “one and done” drug, meaning that try it once and a person will be addicted. The first experience with Heroine is usually snorting, not injecting, said Schofield. They can achieve a high, but the more they use, the more they look for a quicker high and transition into injecting it as their drug use progresses. 

“It’s risky,” Schofield said. “There’s no quality control with illicit drugs.” Since there is such a problem with drugs the police officers have begun carrying 4 mg doses of nasal spray Narcan, which is “a prescription medicine that blocks the effects of opioids and reverses an overdose. It cannot be used to get a person high. If given to a person who has not taken opioids, it will not have any effect on him or her, since there is no opioid overdose to reverse.” (stopoverdoseil.org)

Schofield describes that Narcan has an immediate reaction time. Within seconds someone who was not breathing or had no heartbeat become responsive. They can become combative because they immediately begin going through withdrawal symptoms, eliminating the euphoric effect.

The State of Maine’s Attorney General offered law enforcement the opportunity to receive free Narcan to use in emergency settings where seconds matter and EMS has not arrived. 

“We were asked one year ago. I said ‘yes’ even though we have trained EMTs and rescue. They do have Narcan, but our officers can be in the right place at the right time,” Schofield said. “In an opiate OD, time is of the essence.”

All officers were trained on the use of the Narcan. In the six weeks they have been carrying it two officers have used it in the field and saved two lives, said Schofield. All officers who carry Narcan have to do a report every time it is used for tracking purposes.

In other communities Narcan has been used five or six times on the same person. One save was the person’s eighth save over his lifetime. It’s a false safety net, according to Schofield. 

“We are strictly saving a life,” Schofield said. Not everyone is a repeat offender. He knows of people who were saved by Narcan and now work in recovery, helping others battle their addiction. 

“This is a human life. If someone is allergic to a bee sting, what are you going to do? Give him an EpiPen,” said Schofield. 

Windham Fire and Rescue also carry Narcan. They purchase 2 mg of Narcan for $56.99 per dose. “We can give more or less as need,” said Chief Brent Libby. “It’s one of those things like an AED or EpiPen. If we know what it is and we know that it works, it’s worth the cost. It’s life saving when we need it.”  

Grant

Windham Police Department as well as Westbrook, Gorham, Buxton and the Sherriff’s office have been awarded a grant through the State of Maine to help in carrying out projects designed to reduce substance use, substance use-related crimes and recidivism. Westbrook Police Chief Janine Roberts approached Schofield about the grant, which they were awarded earlier in the month. 

The plan is to hire a recovery liaison position to help identify persons and families of persons with opiate abuse disorder. They will check on how people are doing coming out of jail, help with treatment and employment opportunities. 

“The liaison will find resources for them to get the level of treatment they need to connect all the dots,” said Schofield. 

The grant will also pay for officers to become recovery coaches, giving them family crisis, Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and mental health training. It also informs them about what types of resources are available for people they are helping. Recovery coaches refer and help the liaison meet with employment resources and opportunities. “The training gives us in law enforcement the options in the recovery field,” Schofield said. “There is a balance on how to deal with this. Back 20 years, the profession was forced into doing more and more and being responsible for mental health.” 

The goal is for officers to develop partnerships with groups that can help with programs and trainings, according to Schofield. “We have to come at this problem from a different perspective. It will decrease the police enforcement side. It’s much more problem solving than strictly enforcement,” he said. 

The Windham Police Department is in the process of hiring one officer this year to help with their efforts.

The Amazing Chase an amazing success - By Michelle Libby

Saturday, thirteen teams and many more volunteers spent the morning racing around the Sebago Lakes region in the first annual Amazing Chase sponsored by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce. 

The event was a spin off from The Amazing Race on CBS, where challengers in teams of two complete tasks to get to the checkpoint first. In The Amazing Chase, teams of four, compete in activities from singing songs and dancing to climbing a rock wall or fishing for an object at the bottom of the lake in Naples. Teams traveled from Gray to Naples and Limington to Windham to answer trivia and compete in challenges. 

“This was a fundraiser for the chamber. The money raised helps us so we can do the great works we do branding the region and putting the spotlight on the beautiful region we have here,” said Aimee Senator, executive director of the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce. 

“It was a huge logistical challenge. It was the first of its kind and had never been done before,” she said. SmartHunts, the company that ran the technology part of the race usually works with corporations and team building events. This was the first time they had run a race with the general public. 

The winning team, Sloth Ninjas, made up of Sarah Romac, Sandy Woznicki, Russ Boynton and Brooks Campana, won a stay and play package worth over $2,500 including tickets to the Maine Brew Fest, overnight accommodations at the Windham Microtel, kayaking for four from Sebago Trails Paddling Company, four 1-hour massages from Freedom Massage & Wellness and dinner for four at Franco’s Bistro. 

Second place went to Headlight AV, who was one of the major sponsors for the event. They won a movie under the starts with all the audio visual equipment donated by Headlight Audio Visual. They donated the prize back to the chamber to be raffled off at another time. 

Third place went to the Raymond Rockabillies who each won a leather messenger bag from Land Rover, another large sponsor, and Beats headphones donated by Headlight Audio Visual.

Other major sponsors were Sabre Yachats and Clark Insurance. 

One team was chauffeured around the region in a new Land Rover. They were one of the first teams to register and were entered into a drawing.  

“We literally ran so much,” said Sandy Woznicki, who had had just closed on a house and was moving out of her old place the same weekend as the race. “We’re going back to move more stuff tonight.” 

Another challenge for the event was to crowd fund for the chamber’s non-profit Feed the Need, which raises money to help the 13 food banks in the region. Any team who raised more than $200 earned an additional 500 points.

“The events attract more people and do better with a charitable component to it,” said Senatore. Nine of the thirteen teams raised $200 or more.  Clark Insurance’s team was the top fundraiser at $710. Gorham Savings Bank raised $400. Approximately $2,000 was raised for Feed the Need. The chamber brought in $7,000 to be used for its programs. “It was our goal to make sure the businesses get value in addition to the region as a whole,” Senatore said. 

Teams have already started planning their strategies for next year and plan to bring more competition.

“It was fun for people. We achieved our mission and people learned a lot of things about our region. It was an incredible and memorable day that we can't wait to take to the next level in 2017!” said Senatore.

Third place - Raymond Rockabillies

Second place team - Headlight AV

Team Clark

For more information on the race or to reserve your spot for next year, visit Amazing Chase Sebago Lakes Region on Facebook.

Maine Lab Rescue of Windham's mission is finding forever homes - By Lorraine Glowczak

It’s 10:30 Friday night and a dedicated lover of animals is working diligently to prepare for successful dog and cat adoptions the next morning at the Tractor Supply Co. store, 469 Roosevelt Trail in Windham the following day. The devoted individual is Erlene LeBorgne, founder and owner of Maine Lab Rescue in Windham.

As part of their monthly visit to the Tractor Supply Co. store as well as Saturday visits to other businesses in the greater Windham area; Maine Lab Rescue volunteers and foster families donate three hours of their Saturday afternoons to help find homes for dogs and cats who are rescued and transported here from Georgia. This Saturday’s event was a true success with a total of 15 out of the 24 animals that were brought in were adopted in the three-hour timeframe. (14 dogs and 1 cat.)

Like a piece of a massive puzzle, true adoption victory occurs in multiple and meandering ways. 

Saturday’s event at the Tractor Supply Co. store was no different.

First, there is the adoption success story of Prissy, an 8-month old female pup, thought to be a retriever mix. Prissy hadn’t arrived at the store yet and her future adoptees, Kathy and David Garrold were anxiously waiting to “meet and greet” the golden four-legged sweetheart. As they waited, they shared their story, “this whole process has been a dream come true. We found Miss Prissy on Maine Lab Rescue’s Facebook page Tuesday this past week. We both fell in love with her picture and information. She was exactly what we were looking for.” 

After filling out the adoption application and Garrolds’ references were checked and passed with flying colors, the Garrolds were accepted for adoption and made the two-hour trip from Monroe to  meet Prissy. 

“It was love at first sight,” Kathy Garrold stated, regarding the moment she saw Prissy walking in with her foster family, Angela Littlefield and her daughter, Neve.

After meeting Prissy and learning about her easy personality traits and simple needs from Littlefield, the Garrold’s signed the necessary papers and left with Prissy by their side.

Success and smiles continued on Saturday when foster parents, Michelle Diment and her daughter Samantha got to meet Zarah, a puppy they fostered a month ago, who now has a permanent and loving home in Windham. When asked if she had advice for future animal adopters, Michelle stated, “It’s important to educate and remind people that a puppy is a real commitment. People have a hard time believing or forget that those cute little 20-week old puppy faces will chew up your favorite shoes, go to the bathroom on the floor, or jump on the nice furniture.” However, Diment continued to say that with gentle commitment and training, the puppies grow out of this phase and become the dog people expect. 

“The same goes for some older dogs. Although they have passed the puppy stages, commitment and patience is still required to teach them manners,” she added. Diment explained that they may have just come off the streets or they have spent a majority of their life in kennels. But with persistence, they too can become an easy loving family companion.

The real success on Saturday, however, was the organization itself. LeBorgne explained that Maine Lab Rescue (MLR) is a result of a kitten she adopted from Georgia nearly 5 years ago. “I became aware of the challenges faced in the South and wanted to become part of the solution.” As a result, LeBorgne established MLR in 2012, which is headquartered here in Windham. Macon, Georgia serves as the center of operations in the south.

When asked why there is a pet overpopulation in southern states, LeBorgne explained that there are both cultural and financial reasons. “There is often a different perspective regarding spaying and neutering in the southern areas that we assume and take for granted in New England.” Financial barriers also play a large role. LeBorgne went on to say that there are many committed rescue volunteers in George that MLR works with on a daily basis. 

“They are just as caring, passionate, and determined to find a good home for the dogs that come into their care as we are.” Without them, she said, her job would be very difficult. In fact, Georgia foster parents are available around the clock to give a dog/cat a temporary home until they are transported to Maine on a weekly basis.

The adoption process includes an application with references followed by a public meet and greet. Adoption fees for cats are $185.00 and $425.00 for dogs. The adoption fees pay for medical care, spay/neuter, transportation, as well as the day to day expenses associated with operation of the rescue. LeBorgne stated, “We are very grateful that most veterinarians will provide services at a discounted rate.” However, the costs remain substantial. 

LeBorgne added that there is a constant need for foster parents. For those who are interested, please email foster@mainelabrescue.com. To see the latest adoptable pets, check on the Maine Lab Rescue Facebook page, the website at www.mainelabrescue.com or to view a full photo album, visit www.mlradoptables.com. 

As for Prissy and her new parents, Kathy Garrold wrote, “I cannot say enough good about Maine Lab Rescue and the whole process. We feel very lucky to be a part of their family now and to have Miss Prissy in our lives.”

Maine Lab Rescue will have another adoption event at the Blue Seal Feeds, 43 Main St, Windham, this Saturday, September 24th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Windham resident joins Red Cross in massive Louisiana flood relief efforts - By Elizabeth Richards

It’s difficult to drop everything and help when natural disaster strikes, but that is exactly what Windham resident Ruth Lathrop did in late August, when she deployed as a volunteer with the American Red Cross to help flood victims in Louisiana.

“They called me on a Thursday at 4:30 in the afternoon and asked if I could go to Louisiana at 10:30 the next morning,” Lathrop said. She agreed without hesitation. “I didn’t even think about it.” Lathrop had volunteered with the Red Cross locally during the ice storm in 1998, and after some time off had been helping locally again over the past year. The trip to Louisiana was her first deployment. 

Though Lathrop is retired, she has a part time job cleaning at Birchwood Day School a couple of hours per night during the week. When she told them she had to leave for two weeks, they offered their full support. “They were great about it. They all pitched in down there and covered for me while I was gone,” she said.

Lathrop is from South Carolina, and has experienced severe flooding herself. “I had water in my house. I had a boat in my front yard,” she said. Witnessing many natural disasters played a role in her motivation to become a Disaster Red Cross Response volunteer. 

The trip to Louisiana took three days, and when they arrived Lathrop stayed in a shelter with approximately 200 other volunteers. They left the shelter early in the morning to pick up food and water, which they then delivered to heavily affected neighborhoods. Her team went to the same neighborhood daily, so they really got to know the people there, Lathrop said. 

When she first arrived, they were serving hot meals to 400 people at both lunch and dinnertime. By the time she left last week, Lathrop said, the need had decreased somewhat, and they were serving about 400 meals at lunch and dinner combined. 

Lathrop returned with many stories to tell about the destruction she witnessed, and the spirit of the people she had gone to help. “It was just an unbelievable experience to see firsthand everything people owned out on the sidewalk and their houses gutted down to the studs,” she said. “It was so sad to see the baby cribs and the stuffed animals and those kinds of things laying beside the road.” 

People affected by the flooding were living in shelters, with other family members, and some were even staying right at their damaged homes. One woman had three dogs, and couldn’t find anywhere to go with them. Refusing to leave the dogs, she pitched a tent in her yard.

Lathrop was touched by how grateful the people were for the assistance they received. “They would see us, and they would be crying,” she said. “It was the most heart wrenching thing.” 

Even when there wasn’t much to give, people were grateful for any help they received. The first day, Lathrop said, they had run out of hot meals and were preparing to leave. She saw a woman, and had to tell her there was no food left. “She looked up at me and a tear ran down the corner of her eye and she said ‘but I’m hungry.’ It just broke my heart,” Lathrop said. The driver told Lathrop to give the woman whatever she could find, which turned out to be some cookies and crackers and some bottled water. She assured the woman they would be back the next day at noon. 

What struck her most is the appreciation she received for even those meager offerings. “That’s what I found with all the people down there. They were so appreciative and thankful. Anything you could do for them was greatly appreciated,” she said. 

Hearing the stories and seeing the destruction up close was overwhelming, Lathrop said. “There is no way you can comprehend when you see it on TV from when you see it in person. You cannot believe the difference,” she said. 

Meeting the people impacted by the flooding was the most amazing part of the journey for Lathrop. “They were all strong people,” she said. The overall attitude was gratitude to be alive and strength as they talked of rebuilding. 

After two weeks, Lathrop was ready to come home and rest. Working in excruciating heat was exhausting, she said, and took a toll on her. But even though she needed to take a break, Lathrop said she told the Red Cross that after a week of rest, she would return if necessary.

According to a press release, several volunteers from Maine have been a part of the flood relief efforts. For information on how you can help, visit www.maineredcross.org.