Nonprofit Spotlight: The Windham Historical Society

The Windham Historical Society, founded in 1967, is a group of spirited volunteers whose mission is the fostering of history in our town by presenting relevant programs, providing educational opportunities and maintaining historical facilities where displays of the town’s past are available.

Over the years, people in Windham have gotten to know them at fundraisers such as bake sales, plant sales and craft sales; on history tours and by attending the group’s historical programs that are presented monthly March through September.

One of the biggest goals for the Society in 2020 will be to continue the work that has begun on their Village Green Living History Museum. The project began in 2010 when the Historical Society acquired property and buildings that abutted the Old Town House Museum on Windham Center Road. Funding for the purchase came from Society and community members who shared in the vision of using the additional space to create a late 1800s village where people could learn about Windham’s past.

There is one active building on the property now. The Village School provides a unique living history opportunity to area school children. The one-room building is typical of many such structures that once dotted Windham’s landscape in its earlier days. It is set up to look like a classroom in the 1890s, complete with antique desks, a pot-belly stove, a period flag and portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The schoolmarm or master and the students themselves dress in period attire for the living history classes and are given names of children who actually did attend school in old-time Windham. Once the school bell rings, the students take a step back in time to experience a school day in 1898 using slates and chalk for writing, McGuffey Readers for reading and elocution, and quill pens and ink to practice their penmanship.

Over the past couple of years, other buildings have been added to the Green.  Renovations are underway on the old South Windham Library that was moved from the Little Falls area of the town to the Society’s Village Green.  It will become a museum dedicated to the village of South Windham with an ell that will be a replica of South Windham’s railroad station that was once a vibrant part of that section of town.

Last year, a blacksmith shop and gazebo for entertaining were constructed on the property. In 2020, the Society hopes to move the Old Grocery at the corner of Windham Center Road and Route 202 onto its place on the Green as well. It will take $41,000 to make the move, and through the generous support of Society members, $37,500 has been raised so far. If anyone would like to make a donation to the cause, checks can be sent to the Windham Historical Society, PO Box 1475, Windham ME 04062.

The Society is also excited about an archiving project they have been working on in which five members of the group have been recording details and artifacts to be placed on the Society’s website. Over 10,000 items have been recorded to date with many, many more to come. This project will make researching easier and will help the Society respond more efficiently to inquiries they receive.

With the 200^th Anniversary of Maine’s statehood coming right up, the Society has put together a lovely 2020 Commemorative Bicentennial Calendar featuring illustrations by Jerry Black, a Society member. All funds coming from sales will be put towards Village Green efforts.

Windham’s Historical Society is not your grandmother’s Historical Society. Its members are forward-thinking as well as being interested in Windham’s past. They work together to continue moving the organization into the future while bringing Windham’s history to life.  Most of all, they show the community the joys you can experience while having fun with history.

Bioscience Day focuses on bringing students and science together

By Matt Pascarella

The Bioscience Association of Maine (BioME) held their fourth annual Bioscience Day on Thursday, November 21st. BioME is a non-profit organization that encourages the bioscience/biotech industry in Maine. During Bioscience Day, BioME recruited bioscience professionals from various companies across the state to speak to middle school classrooms about their careers and do a hands-on activity. 

Jaydn Kimball, Samantha Bell and Abi Coleman
look on as Renee Gallagher from Corning explains the pH process

Several scientists and engineers along with a veterinarian working in the pharmaceutical industry, spoke to eighth-grade students at Windham Middle School in Pam Mallard and Lisa Anderson’s classes.

In Pam Mallard’s class, a group of scientists and engineers conducted an experiment using phenol red, a pH indicator. The students added an acid or a base to the red and observed a color change; scientists use that color change to determine if cells are healthy or not. Students also learned about procedure and were taught what a safety data sheet is.

“BioMe wants to get kids interested in science,” remarked Corning Engineer Katie Hepburn. Corning Inc. is a technology company that specializes in materials science. Students learned that Corning makes Gorilla glass which is used in the iPhone and many other touchscreen phones.

“We want to expose them to what we do and how we got here,” stated Corning Engineer Amy Blakeley. “I never knew many job options were out there growing up and it is great to expose students to different science and engineering opportunities.”

There were many things students learned about bioscience – especially the types of substances used by Corning to make their products. “We learned about the materials that they make, how they work and how they use the materials that they make for cell testing,” student Jadyn Kimball stated after observing the Corning presentation. “It was really cool and interesting,”

In Anderson’s class, veterinarian and Project Leader for Dechra Pharmaceuticals, Roberto Garcia, gave a presentation about approaching science as ‘what can you do?’“It’s always important to know when you are in middle school what opportunities you have,” Garcia explained.

Part of Garcia’s job is supervising a team of individuals who might be making a drug for your dog or cat, or even your horse. Dechra Pharmaceuticals specializes in manufacturing veterinary medicines. During his presentation, he wanted to portray that the complex work done in drug development is not based on individuals, but by working in a team. He explained the time it might take to develop a new drug and how everyone on the team plays a part.

“I learned how many steps it takes for one vet to create a drug for animals,” student Jacob Earle said. “I thought it wouldn’t take that long and learned that sometimes it doesn’t work out.”

 “Today is an opportunity to give back to the community and it is important to try and help the students figure out what they want to do,” Garcia stated. “The key message is to be very open minded when your studying and to build on those experiences, because you don’t know what you’ll end up doing or enjoy doing.”

FAME assists students to plan next steps after high school

By Lanet Hane

Preparing for the next steps after high school, whether that be a four-year university, two-year college, or a shorter certification program, is overwhelming for many students and their families. Windham High School is consistently seeking to help families and students feel more confident about the process and ready for the future.

Jessica Whittier

This is where FAME comes into the picture. Finance Authority of Maine is an organization helping to create good paying jobs for Maine residents, and seeking to close the gap between the education level of the youngest working generation and the job openings in our state.

To help with this, Jessica Whittier attends several area high schools to speak directly with students about how to set themselves up for financial success. Ms. Whittier spoke to Senior Personal Finance classes as well as JMG students, providing valuable information on how to uncover the likely cost for various educational options, how to obtain financial aid, what to consider financially when choosing from options, and much more.

“Jess was an amazing presenter,” says Mr. Champion, Personal Finance teacher. “The seniors were engaged and left well informed about how to proceed with paying for college.”

Ms. Whittier’s visit is just one piece of Windham High School’s overall strategy to assist students in successfully transitioning from high school to their next step. Other supports include school-sponsored college and business visits, weekly workshops, the Senior Capstone project, a College and Career Specialist, and a Transitions Specialist.

The Lake Region Community Chorus presents “Sing We Noel”

The Lake Region Community Chorus is proud to present its seventh annual Holiday Concert which will take place in the Twitchell Chapel at the Bridgton Academy in North Bridgton. The concerts are scheduled for Friday, December 6 at 7p.m. and Sunday, December 8 at 3 p.m. This enthusiastic choral group is made up of fifty-five singers from fourteen surrounding towns including Windham and Raymond. They will present an exciting program that is made up of songs of many different styles and genres.

The concert will be a joyous celebration of pieces that express the promise and meaning of the season. Some singers will perform three songs from Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols” and the CUKES (Church Ukulele Strummers) will accompany the song, “Mele Kalikimaka” on their ukuleles. The “Hallelujah Chorus” will be sung with audience participation. The program will include accompaniments by Rusty Wiltjer, percussion, Mark Priola, electric bass, Ginny Halligan, flute, Pam Ward, guitar/recorder, and Glen Jukkola, violin.

The LRCC is directed by Jan Jukkola, Susan Stockwell and Dan Allen and accompanied by Carolyn Stanhope and Sara-Sue Schreiber. The chorus would like to thank the Bridgton Academy for all their help and support and our Corporate Donor, Norway Savings Bank for their generous donation. They would also like to thank their enthusiastic audiences and local sponsors. Donations to help cover music and operating costs will be graciously accepted. Come and let the Lake Region Community Chorus sing in the holiday season and fill your heart with joyful music and song.

WHS students learn from a panel of medical professionals

John Kooistra, Karry Joly, Tyler Barrows, and Gabriel Redmond
share their experiences with Windham High School students.

By Lanet Hane

“In high school, the healthcare field wasn’t even a thought in my mind,” shared John Kooistra, paramedic with Windham Fire and Rescue.

This statement was made as part of the story of how he prepared in high school for the medical field. Kooistra was one of four individuals asked this question during last week’s healthcare panel hosted at Windham High School (WHS), and each had a different answer to provide regarding how they got where they are in the field.

Tyler Barrows, a senior nursing student at Saint Joseph’s College, knew in high school he wanted to be in the medical field and used job shadowing opportunities to narrow his focus to nursing. “The job shadows were really big for me,” he shared. “I wasn’t sure at first where in patient care I wanted to be, so I went to a bunch of different places and found that was the best way for me to see a snapshot of the day-to-day in that career.”

And Gabriel Redmond, physical therapist, places a priority on having stable hours. He also acknowledged that sometimes the best preparation you can have for the healthcare field extends beyond the sciences, “I took a typing class in high school and that skill was invaluable for later in my career when we switched over to computers.”

Karry Joly, WHS school nurse, took a round-about approach. Joly spent a semester at college before taking a year off to be a CNA. It was after that role she decided to pursue an associate’s in nursing. Working as an RN, she was able to complete her bachelor’s with almost no student debt. “Figuring out what works for you and not worrying about what others think is important,” she advised students.

Hearing these different paths really resonated with students, who also asked questions about how they chose the schools they attended and how they each deal with the emotional toll the profession can have. The thoughtful responses these professionals provided will really help students decide on next steps and understand what they need to do to prepare.

In closing, panelists were asked to provide a few tokens of wisdom, and though they took different paths to their careers, they all agreed on the advice shared.

Redmond encouraged students to improve their grades as a way to reduce student debt, while Barrows focused on making use of the variety of resources available in high school.

Kooistra focused on having a learning mindset, saying the field “Is constantly evolving which means you are constantly learning. You are a perpetual student.”

Joly summed up the thoughts of the panelists when she shared, “Be prepared to work hard and be prepared to be rewarded like you never expected.”

D.A.R.E. to Adventure offers leadership development and opportunities to take safe risks

D.A.R.E students raise funds for their adventures
through their "Labor for Donations", doing yard work
services for the community on a donation basis

By Elizabeth Richards

The Dare to Adventure program at Windham Middle School (WMS) offers students several unique opportunities: to bond with students outside their regular social group; to learn leadership skills; to give back to the community; and to participate in exciting outdoor adventures.

The program, run by Community Service Officer Matt Cyr of the Windham Police Department, is made up of 20 carefully selected students in the seventh and eighth grades.

Every spring, Cyr said, he asks the sixth-grade teachers for nominations of kids who have either demonstrated leadership ability or in whom they have seen potential for leadership. “I want somebody from each social group,” Cyr added. 

Last spring, 75 students were nominated for just nine spots in the program. Of those nominated, 62 chose to participate in an interview for possible selection. After interviews are complete, they make the difficult selection decisions, Cyr said. The group needs to stay small because of the activities they undertake, including an end of year whitewater rafting trip.

Students have different reasons for accepting the invitation to join. Eighth grader Ezra Foster said “I thought it was a really great opportunity and something that is only going to happen once in my life, so I should take it. I knew it was a great program and we do a lot of fun stuff, and it also was something that can help keep you on the right track.”

Cole Heanssler, a seventh grader said he had heard good things about the program and wanted to join because it sounded like a lot of fun. Building leadership skills also appealed to him, he said.

Kathryn Favreau, also in the seventh grade, added “I wanted to get into DARE [to Adventure] because there’s a lot of community service and I love doing stuff like that, and I also love getting outdoors and being adventurous.” 

Having students from many different social groups helps them realize that they can enjoy spending time with other people and build social bridges. The students who participate in DARE to Adventure form a tight-knit community that can carry over into high school as well. 

“It’s a lot of team building stuff, so you get to get closer to everybody in the group and make a lot of new friends,” Foster said.  “I think it really gives you a close tight friend group to go through high school with,” he added.

Ryan Smith, an eighth grader, said “You are engaging with different people you’re not used to and it helps you realize and learn what they like to do.” This often leads to hanging out with them even outside of the program, he said.

The activities in the first few meetings help the students get to know who everyone is and what they like, Favreau said. “Eventually it becomes like your own community and you get to have a lot of people that you’re close to. Going into high school you’re going to have this group that you know you can trust, and it’s something that is valuable,” she said.

The bonds formed in the program are demonstrated by the fact that high school students who were in the program themselves continue to come and work with the group. The experience really does help smooth the transition, these students said. 

Ninth grader Josh Noyes said DARE to Adventure gave him information on what kinds of situations may come up in high school and provided a group of kids that he knew would continue to avoid those situations.  “You always have a friend group you can trust,” he said. 

Daphne Cyr said the transition to high school was easier due to her participation in the program.  “Going to the high school it was easier because we knew what to do in a certain situation, and we had other people we could turn to if something was off.” Both the friends and the knowledge gained from the program made that transition smoother, she said.

To fund the big end of year trip, the group has big fundraising goals.  Noyes said they do this in a number of ways, the biggest of which is Labor for Donations, where students go into the community and do yard work for donations. Other fundraising efforts have included a Christmas Tree Craft Fair and selling concessions at a school dance. 

Members of the group said they like the combined service/fundraising efforts. “It’s nice to raise funds for stuff we need, but also have other people enjoying what we did,” Heanssler said.

Favreau said, “I think it’s really cool to be able to help people and at the same time be raising money for our group for the end of year trip,” she said. 

Asher Knott agreed.  “It’s definitely good because we get to go out and help people, and most people here really like helping out.  You also get to meet new people and it also benefits Dare to Adventure,” he said.

One of the goals of the program, Cyr said, is to help the students influence their peers in positive ways, including avoiding smoking, vaping, and other risky behaviors. “Even if they’re not going to be able to necessarily be the type to tell others not to do that type of thing, if they can at least lead by example that silent leadership is a positive also,” he said.

Students in the program said there can be times when people are picked on because they participate. Favreau said she wants other students to know what the program is about, and to realize that if they get an opportunity to try it, they should give it some thought before saying no.

Heanssler agreed that some people do say things about their participation, but he added that he feels the students in the group are able to not let it bother them. And if other kids see that, he said, they may be able to do the same in other situations. 

Cyr said that the teasing about being part of the program shifts from year to year, but he works to build resiliency skills among the students. “The reality is that these kids have done nothing but say yes to an opportunity, and because they’ve said yes to that opportunity, they’ve had a lot of benefits that have come out of that.” They also have the opportunity to do things a lot of other students won’t have a chance to do, such as whitewater kayaking or whitewater rafting, rock climbing, and the ropes course. 

Twenty years of leading the program has allowed Cyr to form lifelong friendships. Some former students have gone on to become Maine Guides, law enforcement officers, and leaders in the military.  “It’s just been really cool to watch that progression and I would like to think that some of what they took from here did help them in their future lives,” he said.

Windham Area Clergy Association host third annual community Thanksgiving celebration

There will be a 50 to 50 person choir from various churches
performing at this year's community Thanksgiving

By Lorraine Glowczak

The Windham Area Clergy Association (WACA) invites the Windham, Raymond, Standish and greater Sebago Lakes communities to its third annual ecumenical community Thanksgiving service which will be hosted this year by St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, 40 Windham Center Road in Windham.

The observances will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 26 and will consist of music and prayer from each participating church with a 50-60-person choir finale performed by the combined all-church choir and directed by Dr. Richard Nickerson. This year will include a special guest; the Rev. Thomas James Brown who was recently elected in February and consecrated in June as the 10th Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Maine.

“The purpose of this yearly Thanksgiving service is to encourage the community to come together and give thanks to the Lord for the blessings we’ve received from God as a community,” explained Rev. Tim Higgins, Rector of St. Ann’s Episcopal Church and member of WACA.

It will be the first time that the ecumenical Thanksgiving service will be held at St Ann’s. “We are delighted to host this year’s community service for the first time in three years,” stated Higgins. “And we [WACA] are very excited that Bishop Brown has accepted our invitation and will be a part of this year’s Thanksgiving service.”

Higgins also explained the word, “ecumenical” and the purpose of WACA: “We are a group of interdenominational churches that cooperate on matters of mutual concern. We work together so that our communities will thrive in love, spirit, hope and trust through common worship, fellowship and outreach.”

The first ecumenical gathering of Thanksgiving hosted by WACA occurred in 2017 was held at North Windham United Church of Christ which was followed by the second annual service hosted by Windham’s Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints.

“We are honored to host this year’s community Thanksgiving gathering,” Higgins said. “We are especially excited to have Bishop Thomas Brown to be a part of this service, we are told that Bishop Brown will concentrate on the Gospel according to Matthew Ch.6:25-34.  We do not know what wisdom he will share with us, but we are all looking forward to hearing him preach for the first time in the Greater Windham community.”

For those who wish to do so, goodwill offerings such as paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, diapers, toothbrushes, and other non-perishable food items will be accepted as part of the community service.

“The goodwill offerings will go to the St. Ann’s Episcopal Church’s Essential Pantry,” stated Higgins. “The Essential Pantry, coordinated by deacon Wendy Rozene of St. Ann’s, accepts all donations that are not available for folks on their EBT cards. We have also begun to give out non-perishable food items. As these items are collected during the service, they will go toward St. Ann's Pantry and be distributed to members of the community the last Saturday of the month.”

Briefly, Bishop Brown received his Master of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, an Episcopal Church seminary in Berkeley, California. He has served as rector of St. Michael Episcopal Church in Brattleboro, Vermont, and as the director of alumni and church relations at CDSP. Bishop Brown has held many leadership positions in The Episcopal Church and in the Diocese of Massachusetts and is currently chair of the Church Pension Fund’s board of trustees.

In addition to St Ann’s Episcopal Church, the other churches providing choir numbers and contemplative services throughout the year include Windham Hill United Church of Christ, North Windham United Church of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) and Faith Lutheran Church.

As for WACA: “We began meeting as a group in the Spring of 2016,” said Higgins. “The idea is for area clergy to gather monthly and share our concerns and joys and to support one another in ministry. 

As an organization, we want to remain aware of the community’s needs so as to be able to react appropriately to any tragedies or difficulties the community may experience. This past spring we were able to respond with a clothing drive between the churches when 400 asylum seekers landed in Portland at the Expo.”

For more information regarding the ecumenical community Thanksgiving service, future community events or if you are a clergy from any denomination from the Windham and Raymond areas and would like to participate in WACA, contact Rev. Higgins at 632-4046 or revtimhiggins@gmail.com.

Institute for Integrative Aging fosters a sense of community among young and old alike

The Institute for Integrative Aging (IIA) at Saint Joseph’s College hosted its first potluck for community members belonging to the Silver Sneakers program on November 1st of this year.

The harvest-themed gathering was held in Xavier Hall, the nearly century-old

Tudar-style estate located on campus that overlooks Sebago Lake. The Silver Sneakers

program, a nationally recognized health and fitness program developed by Tivity Health,

is just one aspect of the IIA.

“Our Silver Sneakers program is like no other as we are not only focusing on fitness, we are creating an environment that fosters a sense of community. Friendships and camaraderie among participants contribute to the overall feel” stated Heather DiYenno, Director of the program. “Our aim is to create an age-friendly intergenerational learning environment with a variety of enriching social and educational activities. We strive to include meaning, growth, involvement and sustainability in our curriculum.”

“I feel that a community is forming, and I am very happy to be a part of it. It’s nice to

have special events like this to look forward to,” stated one of the participants, Sheila Donahue

One added benefit of IIA is that students on campus are better prepared to support the aging population. Through a combination of innovative and experiential learning modalities, interpersonal relationships are formed between students and older adults on campus. We saw this in motion when a young man entered Xavier Hall carrying bags of food and a casserole for a community member. 

Consistent with the mission of the College, attendees not only brought along stunning casseroles, crockpots, and desserts, they also provided nonperishable items which were then donated to

the Standish Food Pantry.

Blossoms of Windham, a known entity within the community, donated a beautiful

centerpiece that was raffled as a door prize; Stephanie Bubier was the lucky recipient!

Before the memory fades: Surrounded (literally) by schoolhouse history as one family looks back

By Walter Lunt

This is the second in a two-part series

One-room schoolhouses of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries were often named after prominent families living in the neighborhood. Typical of the practice, the Bodge School was one of the earliest stand-alone schoolhouses in Windham. It was located along the southwest stretch of present-day Highland Cliff Road near Alwebber Road.

Uncovering schoolhouse history

Town records indicate Bodge School was probably closed in 1927 but fail to reveal when it was built. In her 1999 book “Memories of Windham”, historian Kay Soldier wrote that by 1798 there were eight school districts serving the settled neighborhoods of Windham, and “By 1814 there were 14 districts (serving) a growing community and its continued concern about education.” From this, we can perhaps conclude that Bodge School (a.k.a. District #9 school) began in the very early 1800s.

One researcher, however, has recently placed the build as early as 1792.

In one way, according to Windham resident Gary Plummer and his sister Becky (Plummer) Delaware, Bodge School still exists (The Windham Eagle, November 1, 2019 – “The recycling of a Windham one-room schoolhouse”). As explained in part one of this series, Gary and Becky’s father, Bill Plummer, paid $100 for the abandoned schoolhouse in 1934. He disassembled it and used the materials to build a home for his family (wife Helen and children Duane, Gary and Becky) on route 202 near Newhall Road.

Furniture from the Bodge School was recently donated to the Windham Historical Society by another Windham family, and this sparked in Gary and Becky a renewed interest in the old Bodge schoolhouse. Both began researching.

From old maps, Plummer pinpointed the old school’s location: the intersection of Highland Cliff Road and the (old) Dole Road.

Explained Plummer, “The Dole Road (now discontinued) connected River Road and Highland Cliff Road (and ran) parallel to Alwebber Road. The school served the Bodge neighborhood which encompassed the area on Highland Cliff between Montgomery Road and Canada Hill.”

Plummer also learned that the many Bodge families in the early years were farmers, cabinet makers,

Items found at the schoolhouse site that include square cut nails
Indian head penny, hammer head and more.

and a minister. “Thomas Bodge, Jr. was a teacher and regarded as ‘a fine mathematician.’”

The first Bodge, John, came here in 1742 and married Rebecca Chute, daughter of Windham’s (New Marblehead) first settler, Thomas Chute. They had seven children. Many of the Bodge family members are buried in the Chase Cemetery on Highland Cliff Road.

From old town reports and other sources, Becky Delaware came up with information that gives us a more intimate look into the history of Bodge School:

From the town report (TR), 1887 – a school official reported, “school houses should become the property of the town…so schools are more equal. Truancy laws should be put in effect. $3.80 spent per pupil for 701 pupils in Windham.”

From TR, 1903 – “Bodge teacher Mildred Brown was paid $5.00 per week for spring term and $6.00 per week for winter and fall terms (length of service varied among terms). Three and a quarter cords of hard wood supplied at $4.96 a cord. Outhouses…are a disgrace.”

From TR, 1917, “Bodge School in good repair.”

From TR, 1924, “Bodge had interior paint, paper and whiting.”

From TR, 1925, “Miss Brown left Bodge School. Effie Goodick taught for a salary of $720.00. 

Enrollment (1923-24) = 17 – Average attendance = 8.7.”

From TR, 1926, the superintendent recorded “Bodge (and several other schools) need to be improved…to meet state standards…They are very old, low, small buildings, poorly lighted and poorly located with no playgrounds (and) too few pupils in each grade to provide competition that would create best work.”

By the 1950s, Windham operated only six schools. They were J.A. Andrew (which served the needs of the former Bodge neighborhood), Newhall School, Friends School, Field-Allen School, Arlington School and a high school.

A few of the old one-room schoolhouses are still around, reconstructed and renovated into homes. Or in the case of the Plummer family, a home recycled from an old schoolhouse.

Also, on the grounds of the Windham Historical Society’s Village Green at Windham Center sits a replica of a Windham one-room schoolhouse where present-day elementary school classes are invited  to dress like “the olden days” and experience a school day much like that of the 19^th century, including the use of quill pens, McGuffey Readers and good old-fashioned practice in ciphering (math skills).

All this, just so the memory doesn’t fade… too much.  

Fighting for lower property taxes

By Senator Bill Diamond

It’s something I hear all the time — at community events, football games, when I’m checking out at  
the grocery store — people want to know what I’m doing to lower their property taxes.

The truth is high property taxes hurt all of us: They stifle business growth and drive up rents. They make it harder for people to buy their first home and start building equity and credit. They are an additional burden on family budgets that are already stretched thin. Seniors on fixed incomes can find themselves in a position where they can’t afford to keep living in the home they’ve been in their whole lives.

It’s just not fair.

Of course, there has to be a balance. Towns and cities need revenue to provide services like police, fire departments, ambulance, road maintenance, schools and more, and by law they have very few options outside of property taxes for raising that revenue. But there are things the state can do to ease this burden on property taxpayers.

This year, in the Legislature, we took some steps to tackle high property taxes. Specifically, we passed a bipartisan budget, without raising income or sales taxes, that provides $130 million in new and expanded property tax relief programs.

Most homeowners are probably familiar with the Homestead Exemption program, which allows qualifying homeowners to reduce the assessed value of their home by $20,000 when they pay their property taxes, in order to lower their overall property tax bill. It’s available to anyone who has lived in the home they own for more than a year, and all you have to do to sign up is fill out a short application at your town office. This year, the Legislature increased the deduction amount from $20,000 to $25,000, which takes effect for property tax years starting on or after April 1, 2020. We also authorized a $100 refund from the state to be paid out to anyone who qualified for the Homestead Exemption on or before April 1, 2019. Those checks will be sent out in January and February.

The Property Tax Fairness Credit is another program from the state that provides relief to certain low-income property taxpayers. The program allows folks who qualify to receive a refundable income tax credit for the property taxes they paid in a given year, up to $750, or $1,200 for qualifying seniors over the age of 65. In the latest budget, we expanded the eligibility of this program to cover more people. That change takes effect in 2020, so you should check to see if you qualify when you file your income taxes for that year.

Finally, in the latest budget, the legislature also increased the amount of money paid directly to towns and cities through revenue sharing and school funding, to help them cover their costs and take some of that burden off property taxpayers.

These changes move us in the right direction, and I promise to keep fighting for lower property taxes in coming years.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my office with any questions, comments or concerns. You can call (207) 287-1515 or email me at diamondhollyd@aol.com. It’s a pleasure to serve as your state senator.

Local parent teacher organizations, associations and businesses work together for safety of school children

By Lorraine Glowczak

Children’s safety has become an issue in the Windham and Raymond communities as students wait at the end of their driveways and roadways to enter the buses that take them to school. In recent weeks, parents have recorded on their cell phones and shared on social media – the many drivers who have sped past a stopped school bus. The bus, with its blinking lights; stop sign extended is indicating the driver to stop so young students can cross the road safely and enter the bus. Unfortunately, many drivers have not stopped, as required by law – putting our children’s well-being at risk.  

RSU14 parent organizations, associations and businesses in both Windham and Raymond schools are gathering to create a solution. Together, they are raising funds to install “arms” extending the flashing stop sign on buses, so it makes it more apparent – and more difficult – for drivers to speed past a stopped bus.

“When it comes to the safety of kids it makes absolute sense to combine resources and join with other likeminded groups, organizations and businesses to ensure the greatest impact is made for not only the RSU14 system but in other communities as well,” stated Ernesta Kennedy, Windham PTA President.

As a result, the organizations have decided to collaborate, starting a fundraiser to put the extended stop arms on the buses. The Windham PTA and Odyssey Angels as well as the Raymond PTO, along with the RSU14 and the towns, are working together to help with this problem. 

According to their newly developed fundraising website, Operation: Stop Arm, it is stated: “For many parents and residents, our biggest concerns are that of the safety of our children, however the safety of them getting on and off the bus shouldn’t have to be one of those concerns.”

Kennedy explained that drivers not stopping for school buses is a major problem in Windham and have created a solution. “We are raising money to purchase 15 extended stop arms for the RSU14 buses. Donations of any size will help, and every dollar raised is one more bus closer to our goal!

As stated on the website, the cost per bus is $2,100 and the total PTA/PTO fundraising goal $32,250.

To get involved and provide funds to keep the RSU14 students safe, make a financial contribution to: www.windhammainepta.org or contact Ernesta Kennedy at operationstoparm@gmail.com

Manchester school students celebrate National Farm to School Movement

By Joe McNerney

Hands were washed and chef hats were on as fourth and fifth grade students entered the cafeteria. In the middle of many tables, freshly grown carrots were set and ready to be used. This is what the scene looked like on Monday, November 4 at Manchester School. In a recent press release, it was announced that the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry and the Maine Department of Education teamed up with the Manchester School to promote the growing farm-to-school movement in Maine.

“The students participated in a day of activities to celebrate growing, harvesting and eating local food. The event was designed to raise awareness about the importance of local food, school gardens and the relationship schools are developing with local farms to provide fresh, quality fruits, vegetables and produce to Maine schools,” stated the press release.

Stacey Sanborn, fourth grade teacher, explained how the food is grown by the students. “We tend to the hoop house all school year,” she said. “Students help maintain and pick vegetables and sometimes we are able to send the food home that has been produced by the student for students in need.”

Briefly, a hoop house is a form of greenhouse that consist of a series of large hoops or bows—made of metal, plastic pipe or wood covered by heavy plastic. It is heated by the sun and cooled by the wind. Although winter is coming, and some students may be less than thrilled to trudge through snow, they will none the less keep up on the hoop house. 

Ryan Roderick, head chef and nutrition coordinator for and Jeanne Reilly, director of school nutrition,
led the educational sessions with the students. During the class, students from fourth and fifth grades made fresh curried carrot soup and carrot muffins. 

Students had the opportunity to wash, peel, chop carrots and onions as well as sauté the vegetables. For the muffins, students grated carrots, measured and mixed the ingredients and portioned them into muffin cups. At the end of the class, students and teachers all were able to try the soup and muffins made with carrots from their school garden and fully experience what the farm-to-school experience is all about.

“It was refreshing to see young faces so excited about cooking,” stated Pam Lanz who had worked with the school for 21 years as a guidance counselor prior to taking up her post as garden leader. “Many of the students are hesitant to try most of the vegetables. However, when peers try, they are more likely to give it a chance.”

Once the ingredients were ready, some students prepared muffins while the others prepared the carrot curry soup. Which was garnished with Greek yogurt and chives.

Students all agreed and said with pride after eating the food they had prepared, “The food tasted better because we cooked it.”

Teaching kids at a young age that there is value to growing and making your own food is outstanding. It teaches the art of horticulture and self-sustainability. “Many of our students tale home what they learn,” Sanborn said. “They share it with parents and hopefully they in turn will start gardening more.”

Lanz quickly agreed, “We want to make backyard farmers out of them all.”

The Manchester School is one of the more than 400 Maine schools that participate in a farm-to-school program. The event was designed to raise awareness about the importance of local food, school gardens and the relationship schools are developing with local farms to provide fresh, quality fruits, vegetables and produce to Maine schools.

Congratulations to this year's "Trunk" winners

Windham Parks and Recreation Trunk or Treat event was a hair-raising hit. Congratulations to the follow "Trunk" winners:

Business Trunk Winner: Mainely Ticks with Michael Myers Trunk

Community Organization Winner: Boy Scouts Troop #805 w Haunted Campsite & Friends

Individual Winner: Heather Plati w Deadly Dinner Trunk

Before the memory fades: The recycling of a Windham one-room schoolhouse

By Walter Lunt

It’s not a rare occurrence for the Windham Historical Society (WHS) to receive donations of antiques. The society accepts and preserves scores of historic items from Windham’s rich and storied past – everything from old-time tools to Victorian-era furniture.

The old schoolhouse 

What is rare is when a donation comes in at the exact time it’s needed – for example, to complete a museum display.

The Millett family of Windham recently offered a school desk from the early one-room Bodge schoolhouse. Lineous Millett, brothers Tom and Everett and sister Nancy Fish said the two-student desk, well used but in good condition, has been stored in the family barn for 85 years.

It happens that, within the past year, WHS has reconstructed and opened a typical one-room schoolhouse on the grounds of its Village Green at Windham Center. Preferring to furnish the 19^th century themed schoolhouse only with desks, benches and materials original to Windham, the donation was a welcome and needed addition.

The ancient stand-alone desk has the appearance one would expect from decades of use and turn-of-the century construction – a wooden writing surface supported by an ornate cast-iron stanchion and adorned with the usual name engravings and graffiti.

The Plummer home with recycled building materials from t
he schoolhouse

What do we know about the Bodge School? Very little, it turns out. But one thing we do know, said Windham resident Gary Plummer, is that when the town closed down and sold Bodge School in 1934, his father bought it for the sum of $100,  disassembled the structure  and utilized the materials to build a house the Plummer family lived in for the next 80+ years.

Becky (Plummer) Delaware said the rebuild was done over a period of two years as time and funds permitted. “The floor downstairs was a beautiful fiddlehead maple from the schoolhouse.”

Gary’s father, Bill Plummer, had help with the tear-down from near-by resident Lineous Millett (grandfather of the aforementioned Milletts).

When Bill Plummer decided he didn’t want the contents of the school, Millett put the desk and some books in his barn where they remained until their use would come full circle and be returned to the WHS one-room schoolhouse this year.

L to R: Becky (Plummer) Delaware, Gary Plummer, Nancy Fish, School Marm Paula Sparks, Thomas Millett, Everett Millett, Lineous Millett, front Junior Historian Delia Tomkus with the Bodge School desk donated to the Windham Historical Society’s Village School

The schoolbooks, which were also donated to WHS, include an 1848 copy of “Weld’s English Grammar”, which points out in the preface “…prepared with special reference to the wants of the younger classes…” 

Page one explains how the teacher should direct the scholars to verbally sound consonant letters while writing them on slates. Another text, “The Beginner’s American History” – copyright 1902, opens with a chapter on Christopher Columbus and concludes with the assassination of President William McKinley.

The move renewed Gary Plummer’s interest in the history of the old Bodge school building. He has since been a frequent patron of the Windham Historical Society’s research library.

How did the school take its name? Where was it located? How many years was it in operation? And what do we know about its teachers and scholars? Details on Plummer’s research next time, before the memory fades.