Riding To The Top celebrates final Wine Tasting Event

By Erin Rose

The Riding To The Top Equine Therapeutic Riding Center (RTT) will be hosting its 15th annual and final Wine Tasting event at its facility on Lilac Drive in Windham from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Riding To The Top Equine Therapeutic
Riding Center on Lilac Drive in Windham
will host the 15th annual Wine Tasting
fundraising event from 4 to 7 p.m. on
Saturday, Sept. 19 with proceeds to
benefit RTT's equine therapy programs.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

“This is 15 and we’ve had so much fun,” said Pat Niboli, a longtime volunteer at the center who helps host the event after developing the idea with her nephew when he began working at Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. “He said ‘let’s have some fun, and let’s do a wine tasting party.’”

The first year was hosted at a neighbor’s house, and while attendance was small with only seven people, it quickly grew.

“We decided to do it again because we had so much fun, and moved it to RTT,” Niboli explained. “Over the 15 years, we have had over 1,000 people come in to that wine tasting party. It’s been huge.”

The event has raised more than $70,000 to support the center over the 15 years and has allowed people to tour the facility and meet the equine members of the staff.

“This event has long been a staple of RTT’s fundraising events,” said Kelly Johnson, Development Director for the center. “It’s always a pleasure to welcome those long who are familiar with the farm and our work here alongside newcomers who are being introduced to RTT for the first time. It is always special to get to watch members of the RTT community, particularly RTT’s stalwart volunteers who attend this event as guests, get the chance to introduce their friends and family to the farm. Our volunteers are such an integral part of what gets done on the farm and it means so much for them to get to share it with their loved ones.”

The wines will be selected from the most popular offerings at event sponsor The Good Life Market, located on Roosevelt Trail in Raymond, and will be paired with a selection of cheeses also provided by the local market.

“The event includes an educational component with Bob Scheele of Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits offering insights into the different wines and the regions they come from,” Johnson said. “The evening ends with a shared potluck dinner provided by various community members. It’s an event that allows people to come together to enjoy good wine and cheese pairings, curated by Walt Manchester of The Good Life Market, some time with friends and the chance to reset after the bustle of the summer.”

The center’s significant impact on the population it serves is witnessed by the volunteers who are well placed to watch the patients’ growth over their time at RTT.

“We see some of these clients grow from four years old to 15 years old and it’s just incredible the feeling you get when you watch a kid smile when he gets on a horse, or when he runs to his horse and puts his arms around him,” Niboli said. “It’s just a wonderful feeling.”

“It’s like an empowerment to that child,” she added. “The parents say that they look forward to that one day a week, and that’s really something.”

The impact is not limited to the patients who take part in equine therapy but also touches the 200 specially trained volunteers that devote their time to the center.

“The volunteers are tremendous,” Niboli said. “We know how much it means to those kids for us to be there, but it means so much for us because of what we get in return from both the horses and the kids and adults that ride. We get a lot out of being with the horses, almost as much as the clients we work with do.”

Johnson echoes the same, as she hears from volunteers who have benefited from their work at the center.

“Our volunteers also comment on the physical and social-emotional benefits that they receive from volunteering at RTT,” she said. “One volunteer recently commented, ‘As soon as I step out of my car on Monday mornings at RTT, I can feel myself decompressing. Probably the most special moments are that some of the horses seem to want to be there for you, coming and standing near you, sensing the emotional grief you are feeling that day.’” 

The center decided to end the event while it remains popular and are still working to find a new idea for future fundraisers.

“This event is a close partnership between Riding To The Top, The Good Life Market in Raymond, and Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits,” Johnson said. “After a joint discussion, it was decided that while we’re all open to collaborating in different ways in the future, 15 years felt like a good stopping point for this particular event.”

Tickets for the event are available to members of the public who are 21 years of age or older for $25 and must be purchased in advance through a link on the center’s website: https://www.ridingtothetop.org/wine-tasting

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 at 14 Lilac Drive in Windham.

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.

“For many individuals who struggle in traditional therapy, medical or classroom settings, time spent at the farm is frequently life-changing due to RTT’s natural, nurturing and non-medical environment,” Johnson said. “Teachers and family members, along with medical and mental health providers, tell us that RTT has a significant impact on the lives of children with disabilities and that the farm is a safe and trusted setting.”

RTT will also be hosting their 18th annual Triple B ~ Boots, Bands & BBQ at the facility on Saturday, Oct. 17.

“This is our largest fundraiser of the year and focuses on raising money for our rider scholarships and horse care funds,” Johnson said. “It’s an evening of dinner, dancing, a bucket raffle and a mission-based auction led by auctioneer, Elizabeth Ross.”

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

Details about the Good Life Market can be found at https://www.thegoodlifemarket.com/ <

Maine's public universities to award college credit for career-aligned high school microcredentials

AUGUSTA – As part of its efforts to promote postsecondary access, upward mobility, and the growth of the state's workforce, the University of Maine System (UMS) will award academic credit for microcredentials earned by high school students through Jobs for Maine's Graduates (JMG).

Through the agreement announced today, Maine's public universities will award up to eight college credits for microcredentials earned through JMG that demonstrate mastery of competencies and skills in high demand, including financial and digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and leadership development.

"This historic agreement between Maine's public universities and JMG will strengthen aspirations, access and degree attainment while reducing student debt and time to a door-opening college degree and meaningful, good-paying career," said UMS Chancellor Dannel Malloy. "JMG's microcredentials demonstrate a student's college-level learning and skill development in critical areas necessary to their future success and the growth of the state's workforce. Our System has rigorously evaluated them and is proud to accept them for credit as part of our ongoing efforts to create more college and career pathways that promote upward mobility and Maine's employers and economy."

To meet the workforce needs of the state, Maine has set a goal that by 2035, some 70 percent of working-age adults will hold postsecondary credentials that lead to good jobs. The state has made considerable progress over the past decade, thanks in large part to Maine's public universities expanding college access through early college, direct and guaranteed admissions, online offerings, adult degree completion initiatives, and region-leading affordability. Still, just 55.5 percent of Mainers hold a high-value credential, even as automation raises the premium employers place on durable human skills such as leadership, communication, and judgment.

Under the new program, JMG students can earn UMS credit for eight career-readiness credentials: Leadership Development, Personal Growth, Entrepreneurial Mindset, Multicultural Foundations, Pathway Navigation, Job and Career Readiness, Financial Literacy, and Digital Literacy. Students earn the credentials over multiple years of high school as portable digital badges, with the exact number of credits and course designation set by each UMS university.

Because most of JMG's more than 13,000 annual students do not enter the program planning to attend college, the agreement gives young people who may never have considered a degree the chance to leave high school with credit already in hand.

It is the first time faculty governance groups at Maine's public universities have agreed to accept microcredentials for college credit. The evaluation process used for the JMG short courses was consistent with that already used within the System to award credit for prior learning, such as work and military experience.

The partnership builds on JMG's three decades of programming across all 16 Maine counties and its long-standing partnerships with Maine's public universities, where JMG college success advisors are embedded. The approach is already drawing interest from other states through Generation US (GenUS), a national nonprofit launched by JMG. The same model is now being considered by education systems in Kansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

JMG partners with public education and private businesses to provide results-driven solutions to ensure all Maine students graduate, attain postsecondary credentials, and pursue meaningful careers, including right here in RSU 14. Serving more than 13,000 students statewide each year, JMG offers on ramps from sixth grade through age 24 to nearly 150 programs embedded in public schools, career and technical education centers, and on every campus in the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System.

"We've watched too many students walk into our classrooms who never once saw college as a realistic option for themselves," said JMG President and CEO Kimberley Acker Lipp. "Maine can't afford that anymore. We're the oldest state in the country, and we need more young people to stay and build careers here. Now a student can graduate from high school having already earned eight college credits. That changes the math for a 16-year-old who is considering whether college is within reach."

For more information, please visit gen-us.org and jmg.org. <

Cub Scouts a first step in child’s journey to become a responsible citizen

By Josh Smeltzer
Special to The Windham Eagle

For going on 39 years, Cub Scouts Pack 805 has served the Town of Windham and the Sebago Lakes Region with the aim of building character, citizenship, personal fitness, and leadership in children.

Members of Cub Scouts Pack 805 get ready to march in the
annual Windham Summerfest Parade in June. At 6:30 p.m.
on Monday, Sept. 14, Pack 805 will offer an Open House
and Registration event at St. Ann's Episcopal Church in
Windham for kids and families to learn more about
Cub Scouts programs in Windham. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO 
 

According to Pack 805 Cubmaster Mike Chickering, scouting teaches children positive character traits such as being courteous, helpful, and loyal, while fostering new friendships, learning about the outdoors, and serving the community.

At 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14, Cub Scouts Pack 805 will conduct its annual Open House/Registration Night at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, 40 Windham Center Road in Windham. There will be a cookout, games for kids, and a chance for parents and guardians to ask about the Cub Scouts program in Windham.

This summer, Pack 805 assisted the Windham Veterans Center with a U.S. flag retirement ceremony, hiked Knights Pond Preserve, did a night hike up Bradbury Mountain, held a food drive for the Windham Food Pantry, went camping, visited Aquaboggan and participated in many more activities.

For this coming school year, Cub Scouts will go hiking, camping, and ice fishing, collect food for donation and gather clothing and toys for those in need, present the colors at a Maine Mariners professional hockey game, go candlepin bowling, participate in the annual Pinewood Derby races and other events.

Past years have included scouting activities like air rifle and archery instruction at Camp Hinds in Raymond, bike rodeos, rock climbing, and hosted presentations like Mad Science and Mr. Drew and His Animals Too.

“The scout motto is ‘Do Your Best’ and that’s what the kids learn.” said former Pack 805 Cubmaster Casey Melanson. “Cub Scouts can do anything they put their minds to. We have gone winter camping, hiking, ice fishing, and built lean-tos in the woods. We also have our annual Pinewood Derby where kids design and build their own cars and then compete against one another. As a pack we have had beach outings, cookouts, movie nights, and EVO Rock Gym overnights.”

Joining the Cub Scouts is the first step in a journey to become a responsible citizen who cares about their neighbors and the community.

“We want our scouts to learn what it means to be part of something important, what it means to help their community, make new friends, build relationships, and to have fun,” Melanson said.

The Cub Scout uniforms consist of a shirt, a rank neckerchief, and a rank slide. Pants and rank hats are optional. Scouts are encouraged to have a belt (not necessarily a scout belt) to be able to display their beltloop achievements. Each scout is issued a handbook for each rank so they will be able to learn, perform, and complete each achievement and scout activities emphasize having fun and learning useful life skills.

Pack 805 Cub Scout activities and adventures are centered around earning merit badges that are specific to each school grade level. Each badge represents a rank and advancement and refers to the progress a Cub Scout makes toward their badge of rank.

Assistant Cubmaster Kayla Desmond said that Pack 805 Cub Scouts dues are highly affordable and go toward scout activities, awards, national and local Cub Scout registrations, and insurance.

Desmond said that Pack 805 conducts a variety of fundraising activities throughout the year to offset costs to keep expenses for parents at a minimum.

Windham parents should consider having their child join Cub Scout Pack 805 because it helps them to work on self-growth, and to not be afraid to try new things, Desmond said.

“We want our scouts to learn what it means to be part of something important, what it means to help their community, make new friends, build relationships, and to have fun,” she said.

For more information about Windham Cub Scout Pack 805, send an email to [email protected] or visit www.beascout.org. <

Free Touch A Truck event returning to Windham

By Ed Pierce

Kids will enjoy the opportunity to explore vehicles of all types while parents will appreciate that the event is free as once again the Windham Lions Club will host its popular Touch A Truck event in North Windham next month.

The 7th annual Windham Lions Touch A Truck event will be
held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 12 in the parking lot
behind Hannaford Supermarket in Windham. The event is
free but donations benefit causes that the Windham Lions
Club supports throughout the year. COURTESY PHOTO

The 7th annual Windham Lions Touch A Truck will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 12 in the parking lot behind Hannaford off Route 302 in North Windham. Although admission is free, donations will be greatly appreciated as proceeds benefit a variety of Windham Lions Club programs year-round in the Windham community.

During this year’s Touch A Truck event, children and families will be able to climb into the cab of a fire truck, see the inside of a police car, explore land excavators, dump trucks, snowplows, cement mixers, and much more. There will be many large vehicles on hand from throughout the community for kids to inspect, climb into the driver’s seat, and honk the horn.

Free water will be supplied by Poland Springs to Touch A Truck participants and snacks will be available.

“As with all events we hold, all profits are returned to our Windham community,” says Bob Simmons of the Windham Lions Club. “One of our local businesses started us off with a gift to raffle off and others joined in. This added feature will hopefully help us to raise more money. Our intentions have always been that our Touch A Truck adds enjoyment to the children and their families that come to our event. However, the raffle could help us raise more funds as we try to help as many families as possible through our Adopt-A-Family program during the holidays as well as other activities throughout the year.”

Simmons says that members of the Windham Lions Club are grateful for the participation of Windham agencies and local businesses that have helped make this event possible.

“The Touch A Truck event provides a hands-on educational community event to see and touch the trucks and machinery used in the community and to meet the men and women who operate these machines,” Simmons said. “Participating vehicles will be displayed in a safe, supervised environment and it’s the perfect venue for exploring the machinery while learning about the people who build, protect and serve Windham.”

Former Windham Lions Club President Evelyn Brissett is credited helping to launch the event.

“I had done some research online and it seemed like Touch A Truck would be a fun way to interact with kids and people in our community,” she said. “We also want our community to be aware that the Windham Lions Club does exist and with everyone’s help we can make life a lot brighter for those less fortunate.”

Brissette said that since the Windham Lions Club staged its first Touch A Truck, the event has exceeded all expectations in terms of participation and the Windham community’s willingness to help others.

According to Simmons, the Windham Lions Club works throughout the year to uplift the community, such as providing Christmas gifts for local students and families in need and contributing donations for worthwhile school activities such as Odyssey of the Mind, and scholarships for Windham High School students.

He said that when Windham residents take an interest in their own community, and work together for a cause, they can make a significant difference.

All proceeds from this year’s Touch A Truck event, coupled with the club’s annual Stuff-the-Bus event in November will go a long way to helping those in need in Windham, Simmons said.

Since its founding, the Windham Lions Club has played a significant charitable role in the community, supporting a variety of causes and issues affecting the lives of residents.

Some of those include purchasing and manning Windham’s first rescue van in 1968; significant donations to the Windham Public Library; helping with expenses related to eye exams and eyeglasses for participants when they meet the Lions Club criteria; assisting with expenses related to hearing tests and hearing aids when they meet the Lions Club criteria; conducting RSU 14 eye screening with more than 5,500 students screened to date; sponsoring the “Student of the Month” program in local schools; Breakfast with Santa; the annual Stuff-the-Bus program with more than 10,000 pounds of food collected for those in need; supporting the Windham Veteran’s Center; and collecting used eye glasses and hearing aids for those in need. <

SMAA receives $99,731 grant to expand dementia respite care

Southern Maine Agency on Aging has been awarded $99,731 from the Alzheimer’s Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI) to enhance the quality and availability of dementia-specific respite care for people living with dementia and their caregivers across York and Cumberland counties.

Southern Maine Agency on Aging is among 34 organizations nationwide selected to receive grant funding. The award will support the launch of Dementia Respite Without Walls, a community-based pilot designed to bring respite services directly to rural communities where families may face transportation challenges or have limited access to center-based programs.

The pilot will provide weekly, four-hour respite sessions in familiar community settings such as churches, grange halls, and community rooms. Two 12-week cohorts will serve approximately 12 to 24 people living with dementia while giving their caregivers dependable time for rest, appointments, errands, or other needs.

An open house will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at the Casco Community Center, 940 Meadow Road in Casco.

Interested participants need to be screened prior to attending the Open House. To be screened, they need to contact Adult Day Program manager Nicole Garrity at 207-396-6508 or send an email to [email protected].

“Caring for someone living with dementia can be demanding, especially for families in rural communities where respite services may be difficult to access,” said Megan Walton, President and CEO of Southern Maine Agency on Aging. “This grant will allow us to bring trusted, dementia-specific support closer to home while giving caregivers time to care for their own health and well-being.”

Dementia Respite Without Walls will bring trained staff, individualized care planning, and therapeutic activities into each community. Portable engagement kits will allow staff to provide meaningful activities adapted to each member’s interests and abilities. The initiative will also include caregiver support, volunteer training, community partnerships, and program evaluation, with the goal of developing a model that can be replicated in other rural communities.

In conjunction with the grant, Southern Maine Agency on Aging will receive online training and ongoing technical assistance from the CDRI to ensure respite services are dementia-capable and to support sustainability. The CDRI will also collect data and evaluate the impact of projects from all grant recipients to inform public policy.

“We congratulate Southern Maine Agency on Aging on this award and look forward to partnering with their team to expand access to dementia-specific respite care,” said Lauren Stratton, director, psychosocial research and program evaluation at the Alzheimer’s Association. “Each funded program contributes to a growing national network of innovative respite models, helping advance sustainable solutions that better support caregivers and people living with dementia in communities across the country.” 

The Alzheimer’s Association created the CDRI in 2024 after receiving a $25 million grant from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Through this initiative, the CDRI is distributing $25 million over five years to local respite providers and organizations to enhance the quality and availability of respite care nationwide. Visit alz.org/cdri to see the full list of this year’s grant recipients.

About Southern Maine Agency on Aging

Southern Maine Agency on Aging supports older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers throughout York and Cumberland counties. Through services including caregiver support, Adult Day Programs, Meals on Wheels, Medicare counseling, and information and resources, the organization helps people maintain their independence and quality of life. To learn more, visit www.smaaa.org.

Funding Disclosure

This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as part of a financial assistance award totaling $18,228,216, with 75 percent funded by ACL/HHS, and $4,941,389, with 25 percent funded by non-government sources. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACL/HHS or the U.S. Government. <

Through-Year Assessment Data shows continued student test score growth

AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Education (DOE) recently received the verified aggregate data from Maine’s Through Year Summative Assessment, and Maine students’ average Rasch Unit (RIT) percentile scores are at and above the most recent MAP Growth National Achievement Norms.

Maine's Through Year Summative Assessment and student
Rasch Unit percentile testing scores are at and above the
2025 national testing scores. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE  

The 2025 achievement norms were established using scores from approximately 13.8 million students nationwide over the course of two years.

Maine students’ average summative achievement scores on the Through-Year Assessment have also increased every year since 2023, marking a positive trend that contributes to a much broader picture of student success.

The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) state score estimates have received a great deal of media coverage over the past 18 months, with multiple new studies and reports continuing to recycle the same data from that testing event every few weeks.

Maine’s 2024 NAEP score estimates were disappointing and continued a slow decline that began in 2011.

Maine DOE officials say that while NAEP and the Through-Year Assessment both provide some information about student performance in Math and Reading, the two assessments are very different, and the data they offer are produced in very different ways.

NAEP uses a random sample of about 1,700 fourth and eighth grade students per test and creates what the National Center on Education Statistics (NCES) calls state “score estimates.” The score estimates are actually a statistical projection that assumes that all students in the state would perform at a level similar to the sampled students.

The Through-Year Assessment, on the other hand, is taken by more than 85,000 Maine students (every student in grades 3 to 8 and in grade 10). Unlike NAEP, the Through-Year Assessment provides student-level data and school-level scores that can be used by teachers to give parents a better understanding how their child is performing and by the state in determining levels of support through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Experts caution against using standardized test scores alone to evaluate the success of schools, policies, or programs, recognizing that these data provide just a glimpse into the much bigger picture. Local assessments, teacher observations, passed course rates, and graduation rates, for example, offer information that builds toward a more complete picture of academic performance.

In Maine’s statewide Measure What Matters outreach, Maine DOE has heard from business leaders, educators, parents, and community members that the people of Maine prioritize active, applied learning; project based and “real world” projects; creativity, adaptability, and other durable skills that will prepare students for success in a dynamic future landscape. <

Maine registered fishing guide offers presentation at Raymond-Casco Historical Society

By Sue Pride
Special to The Windham Eagle

At 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18, the Raymond-Casco Historical Society, located at the corner of Route 302 and 1 Shadow Lane in Casco, will host a free event featuring Registered Maine Guide Glen Gisel.

This evening program will be of interest to anyone who has experienced the joy of fishing, whether you are a weekend angler, a youngster hoping to catch your first fish, or an experienced sportsman.

Gisel has spent a lifetime enjoying Maine’s waters and says, “I have had a passion for fishing, boating, and being on the water since I was a young boy.,” It’s a passion he now enjoys as his vocation.

We all have valuable “good old fish memories, like the family time out in the boat with your dad, out with the guys, out with the girls, camp memories, the one that got away, and of course the one that was this big! Our daughter at age 5 was so excited catching her very first fish with a piece of ham from her lunch sandwich as bait.

Everyone has great fishing stories. Glen Gisel is no exception and his experience, and his fishing knowledge will make for an engaging evening for all who attend.

The Raymond-Casco Historical Society is excited to announce plans for a new exhibit on the vital resource of Sebago Lake to the Lakes Region for its environment, economy, recreation, and history. This exhibit is scheduled for completion by 2028, and will include the Landlocked Atlantic Salmon, Sebago Lake, Panther Pond, Casco and Raymond Hatcheries, fly fishing artifacts, and so much more.

The Society will be aided in this project by fishing historian Pete Leitner, who will assist in framing and preserving artifacts, photos, and historical documents for the exhibit. The display will explore the Paleo-Indian period, early settlers, the sporting industry, local Maine fishing guides, today’s anglers and fly fishermen.

Anyone who may have artifacts, photographs, fishing equipment, documents, or other items they would consider donating to this exhibit is encouraged to contact Raymond-Casco Historical Society, P.O. Box 1055, Raymond, ME 04071, call 207- 655-6389, or visit the RCHS campus on Saturday and Sundays from noon to 3 p.m. through September.

All events are free and we gladly accept any donations in order to keep bringing you these varied and interesting events.

Follow the Raymond-Casco Historical Society on Facebook and visit www.raymondcascohistoricalsociety.org for scheduled events, news, and photos. <