Restored 1802 Windham map focus of historical presentation

By Ed Pierce

Famed American author Brené Brown once said that "Maps are the most important documents in human history as they are the history of human perception." That may be the case right here in Windham as a new presentation on Monday night will examine a 224-year-old map of the town.

During a presentation at the Little Meetinghouse in Windham
on Monday, April 27, participants will be able to see an 1802
map of North Windham drawn on fabric. The map was 
recently discovered by Raymond Philpot of Windham 
among a box of family artifacts. SUBMITTED PHOTO     

Windham Historical Society member Carol Manchester says that earlier this year, Raymond Philpot, a lifelong resident of Windham, discovered the map when he was given a box of historic Windham items by a family member and an 1802 drawing of the North Windham section of town was contained among the artifacts.

“He believes it was sketched on some sort of fabric,” Manchester said.

Because this document is important to the Windham Historical Society, but very delicate and expensive for them to restore, a decision was made to turn the map over to the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education at the University of Southern Maine for restoration and display with a commitment that the historical society would be given a representation or copy of the map.

The map was conserved by Green Dragon bindery of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts and features an 1802 drawing and manuscript map by Lothrop Snow of the plans of the last division of the town of Windham.

Libby Bischof, Executive Director of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education at USM has examined the map and will offer a free presentation open to the public and lead a discussion about the map starting at 7 p.m. Monday, April 27 at the Little Meetinghouse, 719 Roosevelt Trail in Windham. Bischof’s presentation is called “Mapping Windham Across Time.”

Bischof is a history professor and the inaugural University Historian at USM where she has taught courses in Maine History, History and Photography, Popular Culture, and Public History for the past 18 years. A visual and cultural historian of the 19th and 20th centuries, Bischof is interested in the way in which friendship informs cultural production, especially in relation to landscape and place. 

She believes deeply in site-based, hands-on education and the ways in which teaching local and regional history can lead to deeper civic engagement. In an earlier program for Windham Historical Society, Bischof gave a presentation regarding the history and manufacture of postcards.

Prior to being settled by Europeans, most of Southern Maine, including Windham, was land of the Abenaki tribe of Native Americans. Associated with the Algonquin Nation, the Abenaki lived from the Maritime Provinces of Canada through upstate New York and Ontario.

There were many seasonal Abenaki settlements between the White Mountains and Casco Bay with local lakes and rivers used for travel for thousands of years.

Historians say that the Windham area was first settled by Europeans in 1737. Massachusetts Bay colony granted land to a group of individuals and families primarily from Marblehead, Massachusetts. These settlers named the township New Marblehead, and the township was incorporated as the Town of Windham in 1762.

Windham’s early economy in Windham focused on agriculture and forestry, but the next phase of Windham’s growth centered on industrialization and manufacturing driven by power generated by the Presumpscot and Pleasant Rivers.

By 1940, Windham’s population of Windham was about 2,000 people and since then it has increased to more than 19,000.

Those attending Bischof’s presentation will be able to see the newly conserved map in person. Light refreshments will be served and although the event is free, a $5 donation is suggested at the door.

For more details about the Windham Historical Society, visit https://www.windhamhistorical.org/ <

Volunteers provide backbone for Riding To The Top equine therapy center

By Erin Rose

Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center (RTT) is celebrating Volunteer Appreciation Week, marked nationally from Saturday, April 19 to Saturday, April 25, by showcasing the significant contributions their dedicated volunteers give to the center and to the patients who receive equine therapy there.

Volunteers Fran Maxwell, Pat Niboli and Sara
Treat get Carrot cleaned up before a lesson on
a muddy day at the Riding To The Top equine
therapy facility in Windham.
COURTESY PHOTO

“The impact of these volunteers is visible every day,” said Kelly Johnson, Development Director for RTT. “A rider taking their first independent steps, a child gaining confidence in communication, or a veteran finding peace being in the presence of our horses – these moments are made possible because volunteers show up, week after week, ready to give their time without expecting anything in return.”

Last year, the center’s 200 specially trained volunteers donated over 14,000 hours of time to assist its more than 250 clients. The time was spent helping to lead horses while clients ride or in walking alongside the horse to ensure the client feels secure and confident. The volunteers also provide care for the center’s 17 horses, complete chores in the barn, or by helping with administrative support or with special events.

“Volunteer Appreciation Week is not just about saying ‘thank you,’ though gratitude is certainly deserved,” Johnson said. “It is also about recognizing that organizations like RTT simply could not operate at their current level without volunteer support.”

“Volunteers are not just helpful additions, they are the backbone of the organization, making it possible for RTT to fulfill its mission of improving the health and well-being of children and adults with disabilities through equine-assisted services,” she said.

The center’s programs include therapeutic riding, where patients are helped through horsemanship and riding activities. Therapeutic Carriage Driving provides the opportunity for patients who cannot ride to harness and drive a horse from a cart or carriage. RTT also offers Equine Assisted Learning, where interaction with the horse, both mounted and unmounted, helps in the development of life skills, and Hippotherapy, where the horse’s movement is used as a therapy tool.

“Volunteer Appreciation Week serves as a reminder that behind every success at RTT, there are volunteers helping to make it all possible,” Johnson said. “Each volunteer brings unique skills and heart to the program, forming a community rooted in kindness and purpose.”

The volunteers gift the center with a precious resource, and through their generosity, help enable RTT to provide high quality services for its patients. 

“In a world where time is often one of the most valuable resources, the volunteers of RTT demonstrate what it means to give selflessly,” Johnson said. “Their dedication ensures that RTT continues to be a place where challenges are met with encouragement, and where every rider has the opportunity to reach new heights.

“It reflects commitment, patience, and a shared belief in the transformative power of human-animal connection,” she said. “Each hour volunteered helps create a safe, supportive environment where participants can grow physically, emotionally, and socially.”

Founded in 1993, RTT is the only center in Maine accredited by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) solely dedicated to Equine Assisted Services. The center’s facility includes a heated indoor arena and an outdoor riding ring on 50 acres of land on Lilac Drive in Windham.

“Human-Animal Interactions are at the core of RTT’s work and are made possible because of our professional staff, dedicated volunteers and incredible horses,” said Sarah Bronson, RTT’s Executive Director. “We witness on a daily basis the health and wellness benefits of Human-Animal Interactions for our clients, their families, our volunteers and our staff.”

To learn more about RTT, its programs, make a donation, or to inquire about volunteering, visit www.ridingtothetop.org or call 207-892-2813. <

Local robotics team ‘brainstorms’ way to regional championships

By Erin Rose

A group of seven local high school students will be competing for the first time in FIRST Robotics’ New England District Championship in West Springfield, Massachusetts which started Wednesday, April 15 and runs through Saturday, April 18.

A team of area high school students, including some from
Raymond, are part of a new team led by Maine Community
Robotics competing this week for the first time in the
FIRST Robotics' New England District Championship
in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

Being selected to be one of the 100 teams competing at the district event in the team’s rookie year was a surprise for Stephen Goss, the Executive Director of Maine Community Robotics (MCR), a non-profit organization that was founded to support the FIRST Robotics program locally. He organizes and manages the team.

“I didn’t expect that we would get the invite this year to go to the district championship,” he said. “I was pleasantly surprised by that and excited, because it’s well deserved for their hard work.”

Members of the team, named Brainstorm after heavy debate by its members, are Eli Mattia, Cloe Wayne, Shaylee Wayne, Avery Sands, Ben Friedlander, Zach Friedlander, and Nathan Getchell. The team also has six adult mentors, including several who are alumni of the FIRST Robotics program, Erin Friedlander, Arin Friedlander, Beau Fairbrother, Isaac Friedlander, Steven Goss, and Frank Mattia. Their first competition was the Northeast District’s Pine Tree Competition Qualifying Event, which was held at Falmouth High School from March 6 to March 8.

The students, in grades 9 to 12 from Raymond, Standish, and Gray, receive a very basic kit of items from FIRST Robotics, a program that provides STEM education to students internationally from kindergarten to eighth grade. They must build a machine to complete specific tasks. Each year’s challenge differs, so the teams must create new mechanisms annually to achieve the goal. This year, the teams must create a machine that collects balls and then throws them into a large hopper to score points over several rounds. Points are also gained by adding the ability to climb the machines up a structure with three levels.

“There isn’t a manual or instructions from the kit to build it,” Goss said, explaining that the students created their own gears for their robot with the help of adult advisors, computer aided design software, and a 3D printer. “They designed these gears to be the right ratio needed for speed and strength.”

The team’s design depends on the ability for the motors to switch directions, allowing the robot to collect and then throw balls into the central hopper. 

“Their robot sucks orange dodgeball balls into a hopper and then they can reverse some of those motors and that allows them to shoot the balls into the target hopper,” Goss detailed. “They also added a hook onto the side of the robot, so they’re able to climb up the first rung of the ladder.”

In addition to designing and building their machine, the teens also must write the code that tells the robot what to do during the competition. They can add aesthetic details to their robots and team apparel, to show a unified theme. The team added an infinity mirror to their design to help pull the theme together. As a result of the addition, the students won the Imagery Award at the Pine Tree competition in March. The “award celebrates attractiveness in engineering and outstanding visual aesthetic integration of machine and team appearance; incorporated into all aspects of the team,” according to FIRST Robotics’ website.

Adding the mirror was part of the more than 200 hours that the students spent over the first 10 weeks of the year building their machine. Goss said that the students work three or four days per week after school to complete the robot build in such a short time. There’s also planning before the season begins to develop new ideas based on past designs. 

“There’s lots to be done to get a robot designed and built in 10 weeks,” he said.

The team is seeking both new members and new sponsors to help build the program. Teens interested don’t necessarily have to be interested in STEM or robotics. There are opportunities for teens to build business acumen, through helping to develop a business plan for the team’s year, opportunities to build marketing campaigns to help attract sponsors, and learning to write grants, where the team can receive from $1,000 to $5,000 in grant monies to help pay for the expenses required to compete.

“While the design and the driving piece are the ones that everyone focuses on, it’s not the only important piece” Goss said. “All of it together is what makes a successful team.”

Fundraising is especially important, as the team is entirely self-funded. Registration fees, parts and raw materials for fabrication, tools and equipment, and costs associated with traveling to the different weekend-long events are all paid for by the team. Sponsors are welcome to help the team offset those costs, along with donations from the community. 

“We are always looking for sponsors, since it’s not cheap,” he said, adding that a group of individuals could band together to help sponsor the team. “Being a nonprofit, registered by the IRS and Maine, allows us to accept donations easily.”

MCR will be hosting some open houses in North Windham over the summer which will feature some skills learning activities and computer assisted design (CAD), to allow interested students to check out the team before signing up.

“It’s not just for the nerd herd,” Goss said. “You don’t need to know how to code and you don’t need to know how to fabricate metal to join the team. We’ll teach you what you need to know, and we’ll help you find what you’re passionate about on the team and enable you to go do it.”

More details about Maine Community Robotics, including how to join, a link to donate, and sponsorship information can be found at https://mcrobotics.org. <

Lodge’s ‘Charity Dinner’ event to fund several college scholarships

By Ed Pierce

The underlying belief of Masons from Presumpscot Lodge 70 in Windham is to practice charity and to care, not only for their own but also for the community through charitable giving and volunteer efforts to become better men and to forge a better world. To that end, the lodge’s upcoming Charity Dinner promises laughs, great music and an awesome meal while raising money to fund two scholarships for Windham High School students

Masons from Presumpscot Lodge 70 in Windham are hosting
a Charity Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 at Erik's
Church, 824 Roosevelt Trail in Windham to fund 
scholarships for Windham High School students. The event
features appetizers, an Italian buffet and desserts, with
entertainment by comedians Nick Gordon and Mark 
Turcotte and music by the 43 Degrees North band.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE   

The Charity Dinner will take place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 at Erik’s Church, 824 Roosevelt Trail in Windham and features delicious appetizers, and Italian buffet and desserts, comedians Nick Gordon and Mark Turcotte, and music by the 43 Degrees North band. There will also be a silent auction, and tickets are priced at $65 per person.

According to Gaige Hamilton of Raymond, a member of the lodge, planning for the Charity Dinner began earlier this year and the event was created for the purpose of offering college scholarships to deserving students from the area.

“Everything we do revolves around charity and to benefit the community,” Hamilton said.

Besides comedy and music, guests at the Charity Dinner will be able to enjoy Hor D'oeuvres; Antipasto Skewers; Spanakopita; Chicken Marsala; Garlic Bread; Caesar Salad; Chicken Broccoli Alfredo; Bolognese; Buttered Pasta; and Dessert with cookies and pastries.

The 43 Degrees North band is donating their time to entertain at the Charity Dinner, Hamilton said. It was created by three members of the band “Wednesday Night Project.”

The goal of this acoustic group is to share their love of music and performance with others in the community. Before forming this group all three members had various levels of performance experience and amalgamated their talents to create a very fun and entertaining trio. The music is an eclectic mix of country and classic rock songs that lend themselves to the sound and harmonies of the three performers.

Nick Gordon is a writer, podcaster, and voice actor. He is a founding member of Great Falls Comedy Club and a regular at the Woolen Mill Comedy Club, McCue's Comedy Club, and Empire Comedy Club.

Mark Turcotte is the founder of Maine Event Comedy and the Bricks & Bridges Comedy Fest. He was a finalist in the Funniest Comic on the East Coast Contest and has performed for the Gotham All-Stars Show in New York City.

The Presumpscot Lodge at 964 River Road in Windham is the gathering place for Masons from Windham, Standish and Raymond.

Currently the lodge has 280 members and is proud of its long history and charitable works for the community.

Formed in 1864, the first lodge building was located at Windham Hill and took its name after the Presumpscot River which played a prominent part in the town’s early formation. In 1887, the original Masonic building was dismantled and reconstructed at a location near 725 Roosevelt Trail in North Windham. That lodge remained at that location until 1970 when the current lodge building at 964 River Road was built. 

The history of Masonry in Maine goes back even further. In 1762, the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Grand Lodge of England (now the United Grand Lodge of England) issued a charter to form a Lodge in Falmouth, which eventually became Portland, at the request of several Masons living in the area.

In 1819, the people of Maine voted to withdraw from Massachusetts and form a separate state. There were 31 Maine Lodges at the time, active and thriving, who then met in convention and voted to follow suit and form their own Grand Lodge of Maine when the separation took place.

Hamilton says that Windham’s Masonic Lodge is made up of men who share similar values for their own well-being, and for the overall health and welfare of the inhabitants of their community. He said that Masons contribute time and resources to charity and participate in many outreach programs designed to better their community.

He said the Charity Dinner is yet another demonstration of Presumpscot Lodge 70’s commitment to making the community a better place to live.

“We also changed the scholarship requirements to give more students an opportunity,” Hamilton said. “We lowered the GPA required to 2.7 overall. Many top students will receive multiple scholarships when awarded on Scholarship Night, but academics are only one component to student success. Our scholarships will be based on many factors, including community involvement, athletics and more. We’ve opened it up to make these two scholarships available to even more deserving students.”

The Presumpscot Lodge 70 scholarships will be presented for the first time on Scholarship Night at Windham High School in June and Hamilton said that the Masons expect to present two scholarships annually thereafter.

To obtain tickets for the Charity Dinner event, call 207-318-4056 or 207-245-0234. <

Windham pitcher earns bullpen spot for Florida State League’s Daytona Beach Tortugas

By Ed Pierce

Windham’s Brady Afthim is yet another step closer in his quest to play Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds.

Brady Afthim of Windham pitches for the Daytona
Beach Tortugas during a Florida State League game
against Jupiter on April 2. Afthim was drafted by the
Cincinnati Reds last summer and is in his first full
season of playing professional baseball.  
PHOTO BY NADIA ZOMORODIAN/
DAYTONA BEAVCH NEWS-JOURNAL

After a solid showing during the Reds’ spring training in Arizona, Afthim, 23, was assigned to the Reds’ minor league team, the Daytona Beach Tortugas in the Florida State League, and appeared in the Tortugas’ first game of the season last week against Jupiter. He faced five batters and struck out two as the Tortugas defeated the Jupiter Hammerheads, 4-2.

A right-handed pitcher, Afthim signed with the Reds last summer for a $150,000 bonus after Cincinnati selected him in the 13th round of the 2025 MLB Draft last July. He graduated from Windham High School in 2021 and went on to a stellar career serving as the closer for the University of Connecticut Huskies.

While playing for Windham High under then WHS coach Cody Dube, Afthim racked up honors as Maine Gatorade Player of the Year, USA Today Player of the Year in Maine, and First Team All-Southern Maine Athletic Association as both a pitcher and a catcher. He also won the John Winkin Award designating him as the top senior high school baseball player in Maine in 2021 and he was named as the recipient of the 2021 Mr. Baseball in Maine Award.

The son of Shelly and Phil Afthim, Brady started playing baseball in the Windham Little League and his older brother Bryce, also pitched for Windham High School and played in college for the University of Southern Maine.

Throwing a fastball between 93 to 95 mph and touching 97 mph at times, Afthim can mix in a changeup when needed and he also keeps batters guessing by throwing a slider effectively.

He says he’s found playing professional baseball is different from college.

“The biggest adjustment for me, being someone who came out of college, has been the approach to pitching in games,” Afthim said. “In college the goal is to win. And priority number one for pitchers is to throw strikes, try to walk as little batters as possible, and be efficient. All things that make sense when you’re trying to win games. In the minor leagues, especially at the lower levels, it’s all development based.”

Afthim said he’s found that in minor league baseball, results come second to player development.

“So, for me, an example would be throwing my slider above 87 mph,” he said. “In college if I was throwing my slider above 87 mph and it was all over the place and my fastball was getting hit off the wall, that wouldn’t be seen as good. Seems pretty obvious. Here my goal is to throw that slider above 87 mph and it’s hit all over the place that would be seen as a step in the right direction. The mindset is eventually I’ll learn to throw that 87 mph slider in good spots, and then I’ll have a really good pitch to go to. So just understanding the process of developing into a better pitcher is the top priority and not necessarily my Earned Run Average or winning games is definitely a change for me.” 

Becoming an even better pitcher is something Afthim started working on after hearing his name called by the Reds in the draft. He initially spent time at Cincinnati’s training complex in Goodyear, Arizona last summer before being assigned to Daytona Beach in late August. Afthim appeared in two games near the end of the 2025 season for Daytona Beach, pitching 3 innings, striking out two and posting an EAR of 3.00.

The 2026 season started for Afthim in February, joining the Reds for spring training in Arizona and he even appeared in a spring training game for Cincinnati against the Cleveland Guardians on March 22. During that game, he faced five batters, throwing 23 pitches, 13 of which were strikes, and only allowing one hit – a home run by Cleveland’s Kyle Manzardo on a 93.1 mph fastball.

Now into the regular season, he’s been working with Tortugas’ pitching coach Jason Immekus to come up with some solid goals for him for the year.

“Obviously my goal is to stay healthy and just enjoy this whole process,” Afthim said. “It can be pretty challenging, but it’s been a blast so far and hopefully that continues.” <

'SpongeBob Musical’ makes a splash with Raymond audiences

By Briana Bizier

Over the weekend, the gymnasium at Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond was transformed into a quiet corner of the ocean floor named Bikini Bottom as students performed the SpongeBob Musical. Returning director Tyler Costigan, along with choreographer Patricia Valley and music director Andrew Sawyer, had spent the past months leading the young cast and crew through blocking, dancing, singing, and the occasional forgotten line or cue.

Students at Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond had fun
presenting the 'SpongeBob Musical' last weekend at the 
school. The production was a humorous song-filled visit
to Bikini Bottom and both Friday and Saturday's  
performances ended with standing ovations from
the audience. PHOTO BY BRIANA BIZIER 

On Friday night, the excitement was palpable as the cast pulled on colorful costumes designed by Cloey Osborne of Clover’s Home Creations, complete with tights, wigs, and even a massive burger costume and an inflatable pufferfish outfit. “I feel like I’m wearing one big sock,” one actor said after struggling into his bright red tights.

Backstage, the young crew sorted through a vast array of props, from a remote-controlled snail to an Avalanche Maker 3000. Led by stage managers Rosa and Sabby Shamaoun and crew manager Stella Redmond, students Olivia Beal, Eli Dulude, Myra Hammond, Joel Mbayagu, Jordyn Morris, Molly Redmond, Cash Salazar, Eva Salazar, Elyse Silvia, Madison Smith, and Grayson Valente somehow managed to keep everything organized, even completing backstage costume repairs with a hot glue gun and tracking down an ice pack after a cast member suffered a minor injury. Tech director CJ Payne and a team of volunteers from Windham High School, including Erica Lin and JSMS alumni Ari Green and Lucy Payne, checked microphones and prepared to run the lights for the show.

When Costigan announced the audience was arriving on Friday night, several cast members screamed. “How many of you are nervous?” Costigan asked. Almost every hand went up. Costigan told them not to worry. “You have a fantastic show,” he said. “It’s very you. And it’s going to be the same show you did yesterday, and the day before. Maybe even a bit better.”

With a last-minute reminder to make sure they knew where their props and costumes were, not to peek through the curtains, and not to eat cupcakes while in costume, the directors and choreographer joined the audience, leaving the play in the hands of the young actors and stage crew.

As the curtain rose on a beautiful Bikini Bottom day, narrator Ian Bizier introduced the titular yellow sponge, played by an enthusiastic Alison Largay, his best friend Patrick Star, played by Rian Borella to great comedic effect, and SpongeBob’s gloomy, artistic coworker Squidward, played by a fantastically morose Allie Lebourdais. 

SpongeBob and Patrick greeted their friend Sandy Cheeks the squirrel, played by a cheerful Ashling Feeney with a very convincing Texas accent and her cowfish friends, played by Ariel Sampson, Grace Gillies, Olivia Gurney, Rylee Odom, and Ella Jacobson. After singing a catchy song about being BFFs with Patrick, SpongeBob headed to work at the Krusty Krab.

Played by a very convincing Marley Hebert wearing custom-made crab claws, the owner of the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs, told his adopted daughter Pearl, played with fantastic adolescent angst by Acadia Vingers, that she’ll be the manager of the Krusty Krab once she graduates. But Pearl announced through their powerful duet, “Daddy Knows Best,” that she has dreams of her own.

This Bikini Bottom day was suddenly interrupted by red lights and rumbling. Perch Perkins, a reporter fish played by a very dramatic Zoe Decker, announced that Mount Humongous the volcano is about to erupt. The end was nigh and the plot was set in motion.

Bikini Bottom’s mayor, played by a stately Mikel Gilbert, called an emergency town meeting and asked for ideas about how to prevent the catastrophe. Patrick suggested that everyone just close their eyes, winning him the admiration of a school of sardines, played by Araia Peterson, Ella Moreau, and several ensemble members doing quick costume changes.

On the other side of the stage, Plankton, the owner of the Krusty Krab’s rival restaurant Chum Bucket, played with a perfect evil laugh by Lauren Inman and his computer wife Karen, played by Alexa Largay with a lot of digital attitude, plotted to find a way to turn this threat to their advantage. After discrediting Sandy’s plan to use science to stop the volcano and turning the fish against her, especially Old Man Jenkins, played with an excellent hobble by Haylee Irish and a belligerent Larry the Lobster, played by Alice Thibodeau in a muscle shirt, Plankton announced his dastardly scheme in a catchy song and dance called “When the Going Gets Tough” that featured the entire cast and is probably still running through audience members’ heads.

With the villagers either filled with terror, including a screaming fish in a crabby patty costume played by a perfectly panicked Grayson Waisanen, or preparing for the upcoming fundraiser concert featuring the Electric Skates, SpongeBob decided it was up to him, Patrick, and Sandy to save Bikini Bottom, singing the song “Hero is my Middle Name,” although the adoring sardines pulled Patrick away by singing that he was their “Super Sea Star Savior.”

Meanwhile, the Electric Skates arrived in town to practice the “Bikini Bottom Boogie.” Played by Aiden Carroll, Arlo Keane, and Ben LeBel, these rock stars placed ridiculous demands on Squidward, smashed their instruments, and got some huge laughs from the audience. When one of the Skates told Squidward he can’t play on stage with them, Squidward chased the band away and then sang the hilarious and surprisingly moving “I’m Not a Loser.” 

On Mount Humongous, SpongeBob and Sandy sang “Chop to the Top” as crew members moved blocks for them to climb, creating authentic suspense. Plankton and Karen attempted to interrupt their progress by firing the Avalanche Maker 3000 from deep within the audience, but Patrick came to their rescue. SpongeBob dropped Sandy’s Eruption Interruptor into the volcano, the volcano erupted in bubbles instead of lava, and the entire ensemble gathered once more to sing “Best Day Ever” and perform a final rendition of “Bikini Bottom Day.”

Both Friday and Saturday’s performances ended with standing ovations and several surprised comments from fellow audience members about how professional the Jordan-Small students looked on stage. Backstage, as the curtains fell, the young actors ran into the cafeteria screaming and hugging. “We did it,” they shouted as their friends and family gathered in the hallway to congratulate them. “We actually did it!”

SpongeBob might even say it was the best day ever. <

Katahdin students present veterans’ interviews to Library of Congress

By Ed Pierce

Historian David McCullough believed that studying America’s military history and those involved in the service of our nation can be a guide to surviving perilous times and shows us who we are and why we are the way we are. It’s a valuable lesson that students in Windham High School’s Katahdin Program have taken to heart.

Students and teachers from Windham High School's Katahdin
Program met with U.S. Senator Angus King during a visit
to Washington, D.C. in March. The Katahdin students
interviewed local U.S. military veterans and presented
videos of those interviews to be included in the Veterans
History Project at the Library of Congress. From left are
Justin London, Brandon Feyler, Senator Angus King,
McKenzie Harris, Ava Blanchard and Katahdin teachers
Richard Meserve and Marie Reidman. COURTESY PHOTO   

Katahdin students McKenzie Harris, Justin London, Ava Blanchard, and Brandon Feyler traveled with several Katahdin staff members to Washington, D.C. to present several veteran’s history videos they worked on to the Library of Congress for permanent enshrinement in March. 

The students interviewed local veterans in February at Windham High School as part of the Veterans History Project, which collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans in the Library of Congress.

Along with stopping at the Library of Congress, the students met with U.S. Senator Angus King of Maine and toured some of the memorials and museums while in Washington.

The student’s work was part of an ongoing effort for the past 14 years by the Katahdin program to meet local veterans and record their stories for the Veterans History Project.

“I am not sure how I originally heard about the Veterans History Project, but it seemed such an obvious way to connect our students with members of the community that had experiences which included many of the things we are learning about in our humanities classes,” said Richard Meserve, who is the Katahdin Program’s head of school. “We also like to pair our students with adults who can share their knowledge whenever possible.”

He said this was the third time that videotaped Katahdin interviews with veterans have been delivered in person to the Library of Congress with the remainder having been mailed there in completed packets.

The Katahdin group drove from Windham to Washington on Monday, March 16 and walked to the Library of Congress the following day where they met with a representative from the Veterans History Project. 

“She showed us around their offices and shared information about the program's history,” Meserve said. “We handed in our completed forms and videos, and they checked to make sure everything was in order.”

According to Meserve, having Katahdin students participate in the project has been valuable for several reasons.

“It is important to preserve the stories of our veterans and what better way to do that than to share those stories with students from the community in which they live,” he said. “It is a win-win scenario for all.”

The Katahdin Program provides alternative education programming for students in grades 9 to 12 enrolled in the RSU 14 school district. It is a small, community-focused school dedicated to addressing the social, emotional and academic needs of all students.

Incorporating the Veterans History Project for Katahdin students has not been without challenges, Meserve said.

“The Katahdin Program is flexible in its ability to introduce, integrate, and execute an idea or unit. Teachers collaborate often to allow for new projects to occur,” he said. “The Veterans History Project was just a part of the trip to Washington. Students also created a budget for our four-day trip, raised money, made meal plans, shopped and packed food, developed our trip agenda and explored and navigated the different monuments and museums we visited.”

Meserve and teacher Marie Reidman accompanied the students on the trip and say the feedback they received from the group was positive.

“The students enjoyed the project for many reasons: meeting community members, facilitating the interview process, transcribing the interviews, and then delivering them to the Library of Congress,” Meserve said. “The students felt this project was authentic, important and should be continued.”

Senior McKenzie Harris said until interviewing area veterans and hearing their stories, she didn't realize how much the military does.

“I knew about the things that the military does in wars but did not know about the things they do in their everyday duties that impact the lives of ordinary people,” Harris said. “Hearing the veterans explain their experiences, stories and lives was very touching. It was nice that they could share that with us and show us what their lives were like. I learned a lot of great things. It made me more appreciative of veterans, and I was able to see a side of veterans that you don't see on the surface.”

She said the trip to Washington was a very positive experience. 

“I learned a great deal more about the world than I would have otherwise, both from the Veterans History Project as well as our trip to Washington. Seeing all the people working in government, and the city in general, really opened my eyes to all that is going on in the world. We sometimes don't see that living in Windham and Raymond. All these people are in the environment together walking, taking public transportation and interacting professionally. I was very grateful to have gone on the trip and to see and do all the things that we did.”

Meserve said these Katahdin students are aware that there are veterans all around us every day and deserve our appreciation in helping to preserve our freedom.

“These are regular people who serve their country in numerous ways and deserve to be recognized and remembered for all that they have done. <

Women's four-part a capella chorus set to launch in Windham

By Erin Rose

Harmony is coming to Windham. Standish resident Denise “D” Dyer is forming Harmony 207, a women’s four-part acapella chorus, and will be hosting the inaugural meeting of the group at the Windham Hill United Church of Christ from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5.

A  new four-part a capella women's chorus called 
Harmony 207 will have its inaugural meeting from
6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 5 at Windham Hill
United Church of Christ, 140 Windham Center
Road in Windham. SUBMITTED PHOTO

“The meeting will be an introduction to our parent organization, Harmony, Incorporated, and to the genre,” she said. “People can feel what it’s like to experience those harmonies.”

The chorus is the realization of a longtime goal for Dyer, as in the past, she has had to travel more than an hour north or south to participate in an affiliated chorus. She is a lifetime member of Harmony, Incorporated and has also served as the organization’s International President from 2010 to 2012.

“The feeling that you get when you lock and ring a chord is absolutely amazing,” she said. “You have people who each sing a different part; they go off and learn their part, and when they come together, it all locks, and it’s magic the way that it fits together. That’s the magic of the seventh chord, the barbershop chord. It is just absolutely amazing when it’s done well and done right.”

Harmony 207 has been accepted as a prospective member of Harmony, Incorporated, an organization of 2,000 women and more than 65 chapter choruses in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1959, the organization hosts area and international competitions and provides educational resources for its membership.

The dues for membership are less than $100 annually, Dyer said, explaining that it would be little higher for new members. However, no fees will need to be paid until April 2027, as the group’s charter will not be official until the organization’s new year, which begins in April.

The inaugural meeting will include the attendance of two Harmony, Incorporated-affiliated choruses, Maine-ly Harmony, based in Gardiner, and Sounds of the Seacoast, from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Dyer said that their attendance helps show the bond that forms between members of the choruses.

“The women I sang with in Gardiner and in Portsmouth are coming on May 5 because it’s more of a sisterhood than an organization,” she said. “They say, ‘Music brings us together, harmony unites us.’”

While the organization hosts competitions, that is not the immediate goal of Harmony 207, as Dyer is seeking to start by building a community of like-minded women.

“It’s not mandatory to compete or attend conventions,” Dyer said. “My short-term goal is to get a group of women together that like to sing four-part harmony.”

During the inaugural meeting, attendees will be given a welcome packet which will include music for two songs, “Happy Birthday” and “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” written in four-part harmony.

“Everyone knows the words and everyone knows the melody” for Happy Birthday, Dyer said, adding that ensuring everyone can sing along will help “gauge which parts they find most comfortable to sing.”

Dyer explained that the vocal ranges for the chorus will differ from the standard soprano, alto, tenor, and bass parts, to accommodate the female singers.

“It’s tenor, lead, which is mostly melody, the baritone that fills in the chords in the middle, and then the base, which is a low alto,” she said.

While many people think of classic barbershop music in association with older music, Dyer said that the chorus will look at songs from popular Broadway musicals, including “Wicked,” and movies like “The Greatest Showman” and “Pitch Perfect.”

“We have to overcome the idea that barbershop singing is hokey and old fashioned,” she said. “This isn’t the barbershop that people know. It’s the structure of the chords that make it a barbershop song, not the era its written in.”

To start, members of the chorus will be learning holiday music, as the familiarity helps newer singers as they learn to navigate singing in four parts.

“We’re going to try to aim for the holiday music, and make it as much Maine as we can,” she said. “People already know the words and recognize the melody, so it will be easier to memorize over the course of the summer.”

Dyer says that the chorus will perform at the Windham UCC Church during the holiday season, in exchange for the use of their space to rehearse the rest of the year.

A perfect selection for the group is “The Maine Christmas Song,” written by Con Fullam of Windham about Christmastime in Maine. The song was arranged in a four-part harmony at the request of Maine-ly Harmony, and Dyer worked to receive the songwriter’s blessing to use the piece as part of their repertoire.

“He’s thrilled that we would use his arrangement and that we asked permission,” she said.

The Harmony, Incorporated charter requires a minimum of 14 members, so Dyer is hoping to recruit at least that many members from the inaugural meeting. There is no maximum number of members, and Dyer noted that the largest groups are 60 members. In competition, there must be 12 members performing on stage.

“I have no idea what to expect” as far as turnout, she said, “but I have welcome packets prepared for 100 people.”

The group’s Facebook page, Harmony 207 Windham, Maine, is helping to reach interested women, and there are already other local members of Harmony, Incorporated looking to join the chorus.

The Windham Hill UCC Church is located at 140 Windham Center Road. More information about the group or meeting can be found via its Facebook page or by reaching out to Dyer at [email protected]. <

Youth author inspires other children with epilepsy

By Erin Rose

A Raymond youth is using his experience with juvenile epilepsy to help others as they learn to live with the condition.

Weston Quinn. 9, of Raymond has written and
illustrated a book called 'Juvenile Epilepsy
Warrior' describing his experience being
diagnosed with juvenile epilepsy at age 7 and
how he's learned to thrive despite the diagnosis.
He will be on hand to autograph copies of his 
book from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 4 at Play
Warriors, 840 Roosevelt Trail in Windham.
COURTESY PHOTO  

Weston Quinn, 9, is the author and illustrator of “Juvenile Epilepsy Warrior,” a book that details his experience being diagnosed with juvenile epilepsy at age 7 and how he’s learned to thrive despite the diagnosis.

“It’s scary to tell the stories,” Weston said, but says that he “loved the ability to talk through my epilepsy journey.”

His mom, Hannah, said that the book has helped Weston communicate with others about the struggles he’s faced.

“It’s been amazing watching Weston use his story to help others,” she said. “He doesn’t realize how powerful his words are yet. When it comes to even talking to his friends about his experience, it made such a huge impact.”

Weston also completed the illustrations in the book, creating images that represent different stages of his diagnosis. One image shows blood in a needle, which represented the first day he had a seizure, Weston said.

Another image shows Kimberly Leighton, the founder of Play Warriors in Windham, as the pair apply electrodes to a doll to help Weston understand how an Electroencephalogram (EEG) would work.

“The artwork helped work through his fears,” Hannah said.

Leighton explained that the book was a result of Weston’s journey through child life therapy, which takes a different approach to helping children through difficult times in their lives, including medical diagnoses, grief, and trauma by providing medical play and therapeutic interventions, coping strategies and relaxation techniques.

“When working with a kiddo, we catalog their time with session notes and some dialogue, images and projects,” she said, pointing out that once a child is nearing the end of their time with the center, they have a mass of accumulated work that can be used to build a book to help others.

“I ask now that we have all of this information, what would you want people to know about what happened to you and what that might feel like,” Leighton said. “For some kiddos like Weston, they want to go on and help other kids, so this is a great avenue for kids that want that sense of agency and get to a point where they can tell their story.”

“Part of telling their story, there is a lot of healing in that,” she said. “That’s why therapeutic expression, whether it’s through art or telling a story, it helps process what you’re going through.”

Weston is one of several young authors at Play Warriors, as this is the sixth book published by the program’s participants, with another four books in progress currently. Other topics covered include childhood cancer, grief and loss.

The books are published by Books That Heal, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting children facing medical or emotional battles to publish their stories. Leighton explained that the book’s proceeds are split between the nonprofit and a charity chosen by the child who penned the book.

“It’s going back to the charity forever and will continue to grow,” she said, explaining that Weston chose the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Foundation to receive the funds from his work. “It’s a great way to have the book be a final capstone to his success and his work that he went through.”

The Play Warriors program also helped Weston discover more self-confidence and work through his anxieties around his condition, including going to school and interacting with his peers and friends.

“He was afraid of having a seizure at school,” Hannah said, “His friends knew he was going through something, but they just didn’t realize quite how hard it was.”

Through his child life therapy, Weston has been able to process his anxieties and fears, enabling him to face school and sports with confidence and joy.

“He carries himself with more confidence and self-esteem,” Leighton said. “He’s not looking at his diagnosis as limiting. It’s about ‘what can I still do’.”

Hannah said that Weston’s new sureness is most evident when he is interacting with the world, especially when he is playing point guard on the basketball court or as a striker and forward on the soccer field.

“We get to see his joy when he is either on the basketball court, on the soccer field, spending time with his friends and his cousins and all of his family,” she said. “We get to see him shine when he goes to school and all of the things he’s doing at school, as he had a hard time going to school for a while. He is shy, but once you get to know him, he is an absolute joy to know.”

Weston is a part of Team Impact, which pairs children who are facing serious illnesses or disability with college sports teams. Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, located in Standish, participates in the program for their men’s baseball, soccer and lacrosse teams and their women’s volleyball, field hockey, and soccer teams.

Weston’s books may be purchased online from Amazon, and he will be signing copies of his book from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 4 at Play Warriors, the sole child life therapy provider in Maine, located at 840 Roosevelt Trail in Windham.

More details can be found at the Play Warriors website, www.playwarriorsinc.com, or on their Facebook page. <

Windham resident celebrates milestone 102nd birthday

By Ed Pierce

As a child growing up in the West End of Boston, Concetta “Connie” Parisi always thought her birthday was March 21. It was something that her mother told her but later in life she learned her birthday was really March 22 as she was born at home and her birth certificate wasn’t filed with the city clerk right away. Nevertheless, over the weekend of March 21-22 this year, Connie Parisi of Windham celebrated her 102nd birthday with more than 50 family members on hand to wish her well.

Concetta 'Connie' Parisi of Windham turned
102 last weekend and celebrated at a birthday
party attended by more than 50 members of
her family. She loves to crochet and sing
and playing the game Rummikub.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Born Concetta Mary Tricomi in 1924, she had six brothers and attended Girls High and Latin School in Boston. She was an average student in school and was a member of the Biology Club and led an exercise class during recess. But it was in Chorus class where she developed a love for music that continues to this day.

In the school chorus, students would sing songs written by Sibelius, Mozart, and Ravel and upon her graduation in 1942, she was asked to be a special student at the Conservatory of Music in Boston. There Connie spent an entire year singing opera and decided to go to a new school that offered contemporary music and she also sang at church.

A neighbor named Hayes Gordon was appearing in a show at the Shubert Theater on Broadway called “Finian’s Rainbow” and offered Connie a singing position in the show’s chorus in New York at $100 a week.

“He said ‘Just send me a postcard and I’ll meet you’ but I never did because I knew my mother and father would not approve and I didn’t want to be confined to the theater,” she said. “I was an outdoors person and liked to sail, swim and horseback ride. So, I never told my parents.”

Connie’s mother was an orphan who had come to America from Italy at the age of 9. Her father was also an Italian immigrant and eloped with her mother at 19. They settled in Brooklyn, New York but later moved to Boston, where they raised seven children, six boys and one girl, Connie.

With World War II raging, Connie did what she could to assist, knitting navy blue children’s sweaters for children in England. Her brother Joseph was exempt from the draft because he was married and had children. Her brother Benjamin went to Hawaii to build aircraft for the war. Her brother Salvatore joined the Merchant Marines and died when the oil tanker he was on was torpedoed by a German U-boat. Her brother Tony joined the Navy and served in the Philippines. Her brother John also joined the Navy and served in Europe. Her brother Vincent was too young for World War II but at 18 was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Korea.

During the war years, Connie sang in the choir at Saint Joseph’s Church in Boston and performed at Fort Devens, the Navy Marine Hospital, and for other smaller military units.

When she was 22 years old, Connie’s brother Ben took her by trolley to her uncle's wake. There she met Sarro, the father of concert pianist Mary Ramirez.

“He invited me to visit. She played songs that I liked to sing and songs that she could play. She also wrote music,” Connie said. “Every Sunday, Ben would take me to visit, and we would practice music together. We would gather and sing. It was the first time I met her, and she was always good to me.”

During a rehearsal, Mary introduced Connie to Michael Parisi, a student at the Boston University School of Law. The couple dated for three years before he proposed to her on Dec. 19, 1948 in front of her father and mother.

“At that time, I was singing at different places,” she said. “I sang at a hotel near Copley Square. It was a small hotel near Copley Plaza. I decided to have my wedding reception there. We got married on Sept. 5, 1949. The wedding ceremony was at Saint Joseph's Church in the West End.”

Michael and Connie were blessed with five children Paul, who is now deceased; Elizabeth; Mary; Carol; and Lillian. Michael had a long career as an attorney and they raised their family in Everett, Massachusetts and would vacation at Lake Winnepesaukee in New Hampshire.

She stayed at home to raise the children but eventually returned to work.

“After a while I went back to work as a key punch operator,” Connie said. “I took many Civil Service tests and worked my way up to a secretary. The last job I worked for was the Department of Education in Quincy, Massachusetts and retired at 66.”

In 2013, Connie moved to Brightview Senior Living in Danvers, Massachusetts where she entertained others with her repertoire of musical scores and performing six concerts there. Her husband Michael died in 2017.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Connie moved to Windham where she lives with her daughter Mary and her husband Roger by Little Sebago Lake. She reads, crochets and likes playing Rummikub.

For her birthday, Connie loved being close to her family on her special day which included a visit from her daughter-in-law Judy, her son Paul’s widow.

As she ate a piece of birthday cake, someone asked her what it felt like to be 102 years old.

“All I have to say is I made it,” she said. <     

JSMS students bring history, geography, art and STEM to life with hands-on map project

By Lorraine Glowczak

Rote memorization is quickly falling out of favor in education. Studies show that relying exclusively on repetitive recall limits the student’s ability to apply knowledge in a meaningful way and prevents long-term retention. More importantly, this approach often makes education dull and fails to spark the love of learning.

Nick Thacker and Drew Boulanger stand by a U.S. map that
the Jordan-Small Middle School eighth graders created. In
the project, students learned about teamwork, perseverance
and the power of hands-on, real-life experiences. The whole
map will be completed soon. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

What does seem to foster long term understanding is real world and hands-on experiences. When students engage with curriculum that encourages asking questions, finding resources, and applying the information, they are learning in an interactive way, the results include sustained retention with a greater academic impact.

Project Based Learning (PBL) is an educational approach that has become a staple in most schools across the U.S., including RSU 14. Recently, eighth-grade students at Jordan-Small Middle School (JSMS) participated in an interdisciplinary project that blended art, STEM, geography, and history while encouraging collaboration, real-world problem solving, and deeper learning in all four subjects.

JSMS STEM teacher Jennifer Beaulieu, who collaborates with Social Studies teacher Austin Carr, explained how the project works. “The students first meet with Mr. Carr to study the geography and history of each state with an emphasis on significant features and major historical facts,” Beaulieu said.

Carr said that the Social Studies perspective of this assignment comes from our year-long study of the geography of the United States. “Students have had to research both individual states and iconic locations all around the country. The hope is that assignments like this will help them understand the diverse country we live in and how much a person's home can influence them,” he said.

Once they learn about those details, they apply the knowledge they gain by first collecting facts that they determined to be significant for the state they chose.

“Then they created a design with at least 15 important features of the state they have decided to study,” Beaulieu said. “Once the designs are finished with images and facts, the students’ designs are engraved onto wood using the laser machine that the school’s Spirit Club purchased with funds they had saved last year. The students then used the scroll saws and sanders in the woodshop to cut out the shape of the state.”

Once completed, the wooden states will be assembled to scale to form a map of the U.S. About half of them are now hanging in the hallway known as “Sebago Lake Ave.” The remaining states are currently being processed and will be added to the map when they are completed.

As with most real-life experiences, JSMS students encountered some hurdles along the way.

"The most challenging part of this project was getting each state to be the right size," eighth grader Drew Boulanger said. “It is important to take your time and do it right the first time."

Classmate Nick Thacker agreed. "You shouldn't rush if you want it to be done right. It's not worth it."

Beaulieu explained that facing difficulty is a positive part of the educational experience. Both Boulanger and Thacker took the lead in ensuring that the states were all drawn to scale.

“Challenge is part of the learning process, and our students learned the ‘hard way’ that taking the time to problem-solve and persevere leads to deeper understanding and lasting skills,’” she said.

In addition to the challenges that were faced, humor and bantering between students and teachers played a role.

“The student who chose the state of Wisconsin jovially refused to put the Green Bay Packers on that state engraving because he knows I’m a Packers fan,” Beaulieu said. “But after a few jokes back and forth, he decided to go ahead and engrave the Green G emblem on Wisconsin. He is a Philadelphia Eagles fan. We had so much fun with this little banter.”

As an educator, creating a fun and engaging learning experience requires creativity, collaboration, and the sharing of ideas.

“I had the idea of creating the map of the United States, but I couldn’t envision the whole project,” Beaulieu explained. “So, I reached out to Mr. Carr and my husband, Alan, who like me retired from work at an expeditionary school. He was an instructional coach, and I thought the three of us could meet and discuss details.”

After that initial meeting the three of them developed this unique and active, hands-on project. “And the rest, well, is history,” Beaulieu said.

In the end, the students didn’t just learn about the history and geography of the U.S.

They also learned how to use the Canva platform, and the art and technology needed to create a puzzled map, but more importantly, they discovered the value of teamwork, perseverance, and the joy of learning by doing. <

Distinguished Korean War veteran leaves behind memorable legacy

By Ed Pierce

One of the most beloved members of Windham’s American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 has died at the age of 97. Jerome “Jerry” Black, a U.S. Navy veteran who served aboard the destroyer USS Johnston during the Korean War, passed away during the evening of Saturday, March 14.

U.S. Navy veteran Jerome 'Jerry' Black, a beloved member
of American Legion Field-Allen Post 148, has died at the
age of 97. Black served in the Navy on the USS Johnston
during the Korean War and taught at Falmouth High
School for 25 years. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE  

While attending Farmington High School, Black purchased and restored a 1918 Model T Fire Engine all by himself which is showcased at a museum in Owl’s Head, Maine. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy while in high school and received his diploma from Farmington High while serving as a throttle man on the USS Johnston in 1949.

“While I was going into the 11th grade, I bought a Model T Fire Engine for $45,” he said. “I then spent $45 more on tires that I bought from Montgomery Ward. I fixed it all up and believe it or not, that fire engine is still running today and is on loan to a museum. I have arranged it so that it becomes the museum’s permanently when I’m gone.”

During his four years of military service, Black rose in rank to Petty Officer Second Class and his military career foreshadowed his later success as a high school teacher.

“The USS Johnston spent a lot of time in the Mediterranean Sea,” Black said during a 2022 interview with The Windham Eagle. “The Russians tried to infiltrate ports in Greece, Turkey, Albania, Yugoslavia, and Northern Italy and our job was to block them from doing that and continuing World War II. They say we chased Russian submarines all day and they chased us all night.”

On the ship, Black was known for his knack at cutting sailor’s hair and willingness to pitch in and help solve diesel mechanical problems when challenges arose while at sea. He was also the ship’s master at arms and in charge of drainage control for the destroyer.

With the war over in 1953 and upon his discharge, Black returned to Maine to live with his parents in Farmington and briefly worked side by side with his father who operated a barber shop. He decided barbering wasn’t for him though and Black enrolled at Gorham State Teacher’s College to study industrial arts.

“In my first class, there were 20 students and 11 of us were veterans,” he said. “The toughest part of going to college was transitioning from the military way of life to trying to study for school.”

In 1955, Black met fellow Gorham State Teacher’s College student Mildred Hammond of South Paris, who was two years ahead of him in school. They fell in love and got married that same year. Two years later in 1957, Black graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Gorham State Teacher’s College and was hired as the industrial arts teacher at Falmouth High School.

His wife Mildred also started her own career as a history and social sciences teacher at Windham High School. When Jerry retired from teaching after a 25-year career in 1981, Mildred was still working at Windham High and finished a 26-year career as an educator there before retiring.

After retiring from his work as an educator, Jerry worked as a manager for senior housing in North Windham and both he and Mildred traveled to 36 different countries and across the United States, spending winters in San Diego, California. They were married for 62 years before her death at the age of 84 in 2017.

The couple had no children but in traveling the world, they did have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity while visiting England. Some friends had invited them to join them for a tea party in the courtyard of Windsor Castle for Boy Scouts and teachers hosted by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

“We met the queen and shook her hand as she stood in a reception line,” Black said. “That was an extraordinary experience.”

He had joined the American Legion in Windham in the 1950s and later the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10643 in Windham and served on a committee building the Windham Veterans Center in the 1990s.

According to Black, his proudest moment came in 2018 when he was honored to be chosen by Honor Flight Maine to receive an Honor Flight that year to fly to Washington, D.C. and he got to see the World War II Memorial and many other memorials there with a group of other Maine veterans.

“I also got to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and that was very moving and humbling,” he said.

Black also remained active in the Windham community well into his 90s, serving in roles as president and vice president of Windham’s Little Meetinghouse, a restored historical building available to rent for public functions and as a member of the Kiwanis Club. He also was honored as the Grand Marshal of the 2024 Windham Memorial Day Parade.

Black also helped five young men to attend college, the latest of those being James Mannette of Windham, who went on to graduate from the US. Air Force Academy.

Mannette says that Black was a great mentor who inspired him to take on bigger challenges in his life.

“Jerry has been an incredible role model to me in that he is like a second father,” said Mannette. “My father passed away when I was in high school, and Jerry helped me learn things that my father would have taught me if he was here.”

Mannette first met Black while attending Windham Middle School when he had a snow shoveling job at the Little Meetinghouse. After that they spent countless hours working alongside each other whether it be in landscaping, wood stacking or other odd jobs, and Mannette says that he is extremely grateful for the relationship they built.

A memorial service to remember Black is being planned for Sunday, June 7 at the Little Meetinghouse in Windham. <

Music and generosity unite for children’s hospital benefit

By Melissa Carter

For the fifth consecutive year, Erik’s Church hosted an evening of country music and community spirit to benefit the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital on Wednesday, March 4. Presented by Country 99.9 The Wolf and sponsored by Webster Tree Service, the annual concert once again packed the venue, delivering high-energy performances from opening act Chase Jobe and country music star Lauren Alaina.

Stella Axelsen, an 8-year-old from Westbrook, is
the 2026 Champion patient at MaineHealth
Barbara Bush Children's Hospital. A March 5
concert presented by Country 99.9 TheWolf
and sponsored by Webster Tree Service 
featured country singers Chase Jobe and Lauren
Alaina, who helped raise $22, 914 for the hospital.
COURTESY PHOTO

Tickets ranged from $80 to $100 with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting MHBBCH. Kenny Cianchette, owner of Erik’s Church, said this event holds a special place in his heart. “Being able to donate my space for this benefit is truly an honor and having a venue and a team that can bring big names in the country industry is a treasure.” Cianchette puts a lot of planning and behind the scenes work into this event to ensure everything goes off without a hitch and says it’s worth every minute. “The outpouring of generosity from this community continues to blow me away. Seeing the way people show up year after year for this cause is just incredible.”

Jobe opened the night with a dynamic set that blended his original music with beloved classics from artists such as Waylon Jennings and Charlie Daniels. An Ohio native who relocated to Maine to pursue his music career, Jobe has become a familiar face at Erik’s Church, where he frequently performs solo acoustic sets during the popular Sunday Brunch series. His powerful vocals and engaging stage presence earned him a standing ovation.

In between performances, MHBBCH representatives took to the stage to share the story of Stella, their 2026 Champion Patient, an 8-year-old girl who has been living with cystic fibrosis since birth. Thanks to regular visits to the MHBBCH Pediatric Specialty Care cystic fibrosis clinic, along with daily breathing treatments, a nebulizer, and medications, she is thriving and able to enjoy the same activities as other children her age. Her parents say the staff has been incredible over the years, helping them navigate the journey from day one with professionalism, compassion, and unwavering support.

A live auction added to the evening’s excitement, featuring an advertising package from The Wolf, Boston Celtics game tickets, and ticket-and-hotel packages for upcoming concerts including Parker McCollum, Ella Langley and more. Bidders eagerly raised their paddles, with several items selling well above face value. In addition, many attendees contributed monetary donations ranging from $50 to $1,000, simply out of generosity and a shared desire to make a difference.

Then Lauren Alaina, the 31-year-old country music sensation from Nashville, took the stage. She treated the audience to some of her most popular hits, including “Thicc as Thieves,” “Road Less Traveled,” and “What Ifs.”

Alaina, a new mom to an almost 9-month-old daughter, shared how motherhood has deepened her connection to causes like the one she was supporting that evening. “Now that I am a mom, doing benefit shows such as this definitely hits differently. No child should have to deal with illness. It’s just not fair. To be able to support the children and families is incredibly rewarding.”

She spoke candidly about her daughter recently experiencing her first cold and how helpless it made her feel, noting that her heart goes out to parents facing ongoing medical challenges. Alaina also reflected on her own childhood, sharing that a close cousin of hers battled a brain tumor for many years, giving her firsthand insight into how deeply illness affects an entire family.

One piece of advice she offered to families was, “Despite the hardship, it’s important to try and be brave for the kids and allow others to offer support. Don’t be afraid to ask for help – that does not make you a bad parent or weak.”

At MHBBCH, the network of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are committed to including parents and family members as part of the care team to ensure the children and families receive care that’s responsive to their unique needs. They take pride in their extensive suite of advanced specialty services and state-of-the-art technology in comfortable child-centered spaces to ensure every child receives the best possible care in a welcoming setting. MHBBCH contains 116 beds, including 31 Level III NICU Beds, 20 Level II continuing care nursery beds and 8 PICU beds, and as of last Friday 103 were full.

Meaghan McNamara, philanthropy specialist at MHBBCH, said that most of their fundraising is done a dollar at a time and that every event and fundraiser makes a difference.

Funds raised go to the areas of greatest need within MHBBCH and the hospital leadership team determines how donations are spent each year. Some of the recent examples include Pediatric critical care ambulance equipment such as upgraded stretchers and the purchase of a state-of-the art incubator (isolette) for transporting babies to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. They also recently updated the waiting room at the surgery center with more kid-friendly equipment and comfort supplies for patients with Autism to ensure children feel welcome and safe in all the spaces where they receive care.

McNamara also added that they have seen an increase in the number of patients with eating disorders. “The support from the community has allowed us to expand services and bring onboard a dietician who can see patients on an outpatient basis. Rather than waiting until patients with eating disorders are hospitalized, outpatient care offers effective and earlier treatment,” she said.

The final amount raised at Erik’s Church totaled $22,912 which is about $5,000 more than last year and makes the total raised over the past five years at these events at over $140,000.

“We are so grateful to Kenny and the awesome team at Erik’s Church for being our incredibly generous hosts for this fundraising concert once again,” said McNamara. “This was the fifth annual concert we’ve held together with Erik’s Church and 99.9 The Wolf, and it’s become such a fun tradition for us and for the community!”

MHBBCH will host their largest annual fundraiser, the “Radiothon” with the partnership of The Wolf and Frank FM radio March 20-21, 2026. If you would like to learn more, visit bbch.org/radio.

For more information about MCBBCH or to make a donation anytime go to their website: www.mainehealth.org/barbara-bush-childrens-hospital <

Local girls earn titles during Maine Women of Service Pageant

By Erin Rose

Raymond twins Alexa and Alison Largay and Windham student Peyton Dore are celebrating after taking home titles from the Maine Women of Service Pageant held in Freeport on Sunday, March 8.

Three girls from the Lakes Region brought home titles after
competing in the Maine Women of Service Pageant held
in Freeport on Sunday, March 8. From left are Alison 
Largay of Raymond, Alexa Largay of Raymond and Peyton
Dore of Windham. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Alexa took the crown as the winner of the Young Teen Division at the state-level competition, with Alison taking home the Ambassador title, meaning both will go on to compete at the national Women of Service pageant in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in July. Windham’s Peyton Dore also took first runner-up in the Little Princess Division and won the overall Most Photogenic and Best Casual category titles.

“This was my first time winning a really, really big title,” Alexa said. “It feels really good. I couldn’t stop crying.”

Both Alexa and Alison agree that the crowns and outfits are bonuses to participating in the pageant, in addition to the community service and other pageant-related activities, but Alison added that meeting new people throughout the course of the pageant is the best part of participating.

“In pageants, you meet the best people, especially the younger kids who look up to you,” she said.

Kristin Dore, Peyton’s mom, said that her daughter’s participation in pageants was inspired by her love of the stage.

“The minute she stepped on the stage, it was something else. She just shined,” she said. “It’s fun as a parent to see your kid shine. She’s got the personality and everything. I could never in a million years go up on a stage and do what she did.”

Instead of a traditional beauty pageant, the Women of Service pageant requires contestants to have community service platforms under which they work to execute projects to help others.

While Peyton is just establishing her platform, she has started building bags to distribute to homeless people in the community. The bags contain granola bars, hand sanitizer, pretzels, gloves, and other small items.

Alexa and Alison both dedicated their platforms to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital located in Portland. The two spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), making the cause personal for them.

Alexa operates “Pages for Premies,” and has donated books to the NICU at the hospital, ensuring that each child has a book when they go home.

“I reach out through social media, including Facebook and Instagram, and ask people to donate,” she explained. “They send me books and as soon as I hit 60 books, I go to the NICU and donate.”

Alison’s platform is “Toys for Tiny Miracles,” which raises funds to purchase toys and other items for the babies. She has donated more than $200 so far.

Alexa and Alison are both homeschooled, so the pageants provide them with an opportunity to be a part of a community and a chance to make friends.

“They’re making friends for life,” said Julie Largay, Alexa and Alison’s mother. “Once you make a friend there, it’s such a strong bond that they will stay together forever. “They are getting poise and elegance and stage presence, and they’re learning to talk to people. They’re learning charity work, what’s important and how to help people. Especially to a homeschool mom, they’re getting so much out of this. It brings so much more to who they are as a person.”

Dore also said that the pageant community is very supportive and helpful, especially for newcomers.

“It’s such a small community and they’re all really supportive of each other,” she said, explaining that the support of her own community of family and friends has helped ease the challenge of taking on pageants.

In addition to the pageant stage, the twins are actors and models who have featured in both local and worldwide campaigns. Alexa has shot three commercials, including an international campaign for CVS’s “Here for Her” program, promoting women’s health. Alison filmed a Jordan’s Furniture commercial for local audiences, where she “lived her best life…and got to jump on couches and jump on furniture,” Largay said.

The Maine Women of Service Pageant is part of the International and American Women of Service Pageant organization. It is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to empowering girls and women through a commitment to service, education and leadership development. The pageant has nine age divisions, ranging from girls as young as 5 in the Little Princess division to over 50 in the Classic division. <