WindowDressers program helps lower heating costs in Lakes Region

By Dina Mendros

Winter is coming and Mainers are concerned with keeping their homes warm. One low-cost way to do so is by participating in the WindowDressers program which provides insulated window inserts to help keep heat in for free or at a low cost.

Community residents are asked to sign up for free or low-cost
insulating window inserts intended to reduce home heating 
costs. The WindowDressers program is administered locally
by Age Friendly Windham and the deadline to enroll is
Dec. 10. PHOTO BY SOFIA REALI

“WindowDressers is a grassroots volunteer-driven nonprofit organization that trains, supplies, and supports teams of volunteers who host community builds to construct insulating window inserts for local residents,” according to program spokeswoman Sofia Reali. “WindowDressers brings community volunteers of all economic and social situations together to improve the warmth and comfort of interior spaces, lower heating costs, and reduce emissions by producing low-cost insulating window inserts that function as custom, interior-mounted storm windows.”

Those living in the Sebago Lake Region, which includes Windham, Raymond and Standish, can sign up now for inserts which will be built and distributed in January.

Insulated window inserts help prevent heat loss in homes, much of which occurs through windows.

“About 30 percent of an average home’s heat loss occurs through windows and doors,” Reali said. “In homes with older windows, the situation can be even worse, and Maine has the fifth oldest housing stock in the nation.”

“Our custom-built window inserts significantly reduce this heat loss by creating two additional sealed air spaces: one between the insert and window and another between the two plastic layers,” she said. “This effectively doubles window insulation, making homes more energy efficient and comfortable throughout the winter. Our research shows that, in a typical house, one medium sized insert (30 inches by 52 inches) can save an average of 8.5 gallons of heating oil every year.”

This is the first year that Age Friendly Windham (AFW) is heading up the WindowDressers community build for the town.

AFW is “participating to help homeowners and renters, as well as any interested business, keep their space warm and reduce heating cost while reducing the impact of traditional fuels on the environment,” said AFW Coordinator Erica Bell-Watkins. “It aligns with our action plan to help facilitate weatherization programs for the community. It also aligns with the town's energy plan 2023 to educate and assist residents with utilizing energy efficiency programs.”

The community build is a five to seven day “pop-up’ event” with a goal of building 200 to 300 inserts with 50 or more volunteers, Bell-Watkins said. Most households will receive about seven inserts.

“Together, our volunteers have built over 78,000 custom-made insulating window inserts since 2010, with between 25 to 35 percent given to low-income families for no or low cost,” Reali said. “After signing up for inserts, the first step is to schedule a measuring appointment with the local Build Team. At these measuring appointments, trained volunteers visit homes to measure windows and determine the number of inserts needed.”

The inserts are built of attractive pine frames and wrapped drum-tight with two layers of durable plastic film. These layers create an insulating air space while letting in all the light and views. Foam weather stripping around the outer edges stops drafts and ensures the insert’s snug fit.

All inserts are built at the community build event, where volunteers and customers come together to assemble them. Each insert is made in a few simple steps with the help of custom jigs, which guide every step of assembly so that anyone, regardless of experience, can easily and consistently build inserts.

“Customers install the window inserts themselves once they bring them home,” Reali said. “The inserts are lightweight and designed to slide easily into the inside of the window. Each insert has a small pull tab at the bottom to remove them at the end of the heating season.”

WindowDressers offers up to 10 inserts per year for no-cost or whatever you can afford. For middle- and high-income homes and businesses, the price is a fraction of the cost of similar commercial products. Pricing is based on the exact size of the insert. A medium-sized 30 inch by 52 inch insert in pine costs $50.98 plus tax.

The WindowDressers program is supported through a diverse range of funding sources, including individual donations and grants from foundations across New England.

The Sebago Lakes Region community build is partnering with Saint Joseph’s College to host the local event from Jan. 22 to Jan. 26.

The team is looking for community volunteers to help measure windows and participate at the community build event itself. Anyone interested in volunteering at the build can sign up at windowdressers.org/community-builds-maine/.

For anyone interested in signing up to receive inserts they can do so at windowdressers.org/insulating-inserts/ or call 207-596-3073. Locally, send an email to Erica Bell-Watkins at eabellwatkins@windhammaine.us. The deadline for having windows measured is Dec. 10. <

Becky Longacre: Why Diets Fail and Some Tips for Eating Better

By Becky Longacre

There is so much information out there about what is healthy and what is not! There are so many Gurus telling you to eat this and don’t eat that and eat at this time and not at that time. To eat carbs. Not to eat carbs. To eat vegan. To only eat carnivore. How do you make sense of all this information?

Becky Longacre

The short answer: You have to do what’s right for you.

How do you know what’s right for you? Here are some tips to help you get started on an eating pattern/ style/ plan that works for YOU, specifically. Let go of what your co-workers, your neighbors, your friends are doing and stick with what works for you.

Doing what others are doing even if it doesn’t work for you, specifically, is why diets fail. To help yourself move forward here are some tips.

Ask yourself these two questions:

1.)  Are you diabetic or insulin resistant? Your doctor may have told you “you need to watch your blood sugar” or you may have heard the term “pre-diabetic” spoken by your healthcare provider. If either of these are true (you have diabetes or are pre-diabetic- AKA insulin resistant), it is very helpful to increase your protein intake, your vegetable intake and lower your carb intake. Aim for less than 60 grams of total carbohydrates per day. Why? Because in order to get access to your fat storage (if you are trying to lose weight or even if you are trying to maintain your weight) you must FIRST burn through your blood sugar and then you must burn through your stored glycogen (more sugar stored in your muscles and liver in longer chains). Once you have burned through these fuel sources, then your body can access fat stores. When you have diabetes, the time it takes to burn through these sugar stores is longer. Therefore, limiting your carb intake will help you get there quicker. Exercise will help you as well. Just going for a 20-minute walk after lunch will help you burn through some of those sugar stores.

The other way to burn through sugar stores is to practice intermittent fasting. This is when you adhere to an eating window and a fasting window. You can practice 14, 18, or 20 hours of fasting and eat for the remainder of the 24-hour day: 10, 8, or 4 (for example). Doing this will give your stomach and intestines a chance to fully empty. Guess what happens after that? Their sensitivity to being full increases over time. So, if you practice intermittent fasting for several weeks, you will naturally start to feel full sooner. This will help in reducing your overall calories.

If there is one food stuff that I call “bad” it is high fructose corn syrup. This highly processed sugar spikes your blood sugar fast and causes a fast drop as well. This fast drop in blood sugar is part of why your brain is “cued” to eat. Minimizing or eliminating high fructose corn syrup from your diet will help tremendously with blood sugar maintenance and therefore less overeating.

2.) What makes you happy? Large meals or smaller meals throughout the day? Knowing this about yourself can help you decide to eat 2 larger meals throughout the day or 6 smaller meals during the day. Whether or not this will work for you will be dependent on if you are being realistic with serving sizes and whether or not you take a hypoglycemic agent (diabetes medication). If it makes you happy to eat 6 smaller meals during the day, go for it! Just really, really, really pay attention to what a serving size is. Do not go out to a restaurant to learn about serving sizes. Restaurants tend to serve 3-5 what the recommended serving is. Read food labels and look up nutrition information on MyPlate.gov | U.S. Department of Agriculture to get a sense for portion sizes. If you want to eat 2 larger sized meals, that’s fine too! Again, just be mindful about the total calories you are consuming. In the end, being mindful of calories will help you stay on track.

The point here is to think about what is sustainable for you. If you are a grazer, be more mindful about grazing on plants like fruits, veggies, and nuts to make you happy. If you like two bigger meals for the day, still eat plenty of plants and lean protein like chicken and fish. Go for 100 percent whole grain wheat pasta and bread. And, drink more water than you think you need to. Truly, most of us are walking around pretty dehydrated and drinking water will help your health on so many levels (from reducing brain fog and muscle soreness to increasing your ability to fight infections and heal wounds).

The common denominator of all of these tips in the end is: Mindfulness. Whatever you decide, however you choose to eat to get healthy, increasing your mindfulness will help you stay consistent. And consistency is what pays off in any health plan. Not intensity. Consistency.

Stay consistent, my friends. I will see you next time.

Becky Longacre is a Nurse Coach for Health Transformers LLC. Send her questions at becky@healthtransformersmaine.com or call her at 207-400-7897. Visit her website at www.healthtransformersmaine.com" <

Windham in the '60s: Back to the old hometown

By Max Millard
Special to The Windham Eagle

In September 2025, I returned from my adopted city of San Francisco to revisit my boyhood terrain of Windham Center.

The Bennett Family at their home in Windham in 1959.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

I grew up with the Hawkses, Quimbys, and Bennetts, all of whom had children about the same age as my family. It was a tight neighborhood, in which we attended school together and would drop into each other's homes without calling.

But in the last year and a half, two stalwarts of that era – Florence Hawkes and Jim Quimby – passed on, along with our more recent neighbor, Bill Diamond.

Florence, who died in March 2024 at age 99, liked to tell me how the town had changed since the early 1960s. She said that Windham kids no longer went trick-or-treating from house to house but instead would organize Halloween parties in their own homes. This saddened me, for I remembered the thrill of Halloween night, when a group of us in costume would prowl Windham Center Road and its tributaries, walking until we had hit every house within range.

One Halloween, Lloyd Bennett wanted to join us, but his mother Nellie had a stiff-necked belief that trick-or-treating was begging and forbid her children from indulging. Lloyd came with us anyway, but at the first house, the matron denied him a treat because he had no costume. So, he dashed home and returned with a nylon stocking stretched over his face. It mashed his nose and distorted his features enough so that this "costume" sufficed for the rest of the night.

A few families in the area maintained their privacy, maybe because they had no children of our generation. At the corner of Windham Center Road and Nash Road lived Phil Tubbs, the town plumber. He was a consummate professional, but otherwise a stranger to us. Although his house was the closest to us geographically, our only interaction with him was when he was lying on our kitchen floor, fixing a leaking pipe under the sink.

Mrs. Tubbs was an equal mystery. My only encounter with her was on Halloween night, when she held out a large bowl of wrapped half-penny candies, and when I tried to grab a handful, she gently slapped my hand and said, "Take only one."

Jim Quimby, who left us in June 2025, was a popular local figure who for decades co-owned and operated Thayer's Store on River Road with his wife Judy. His funeral in Windham drew hundreds of people.

The last time I saw Jim was about 10 years ago, when I stopped by his store during a visit to Maine to buy a couple of Italian sandwiches. Jim was behind the counter. He greeted me warmly, and we chatted while he prepared the Italians.

Almost the first words he spoke were a slightly discomfited apology for something he'd done 50 years before. It happened on a summer day when I'd just returned from camping in Canada with my family. I had brought back a paper bag filled with fireworks of every variety. They were illegal in Maine, and I probably bragged about them. Suddenly Jim pulled a matchbook out of his pocket, lit a match and dropped it into the bag. Within seconds, the contents were reduced to a smoldering ruin.

I had never forgotten the incident, but it surprised me to learn that it might have troubled him for all those years. He gave me the sandwiches for free and sheepishly admitted that he no longer drenched them with olive oil but had switched to cottonseed oil.

Just one more reminder that some things were better in the old days. <

Exposure risk from Browntail moth hair increases during fall outdoor activities

AUGUSTA – The Department of Health and Human Services’ Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Maine Forest Service (MFS), and 211 Maine remind residents and visitors to protect themselves from browntail moth hairs this fall.

Browntail moth hairs are toxic and can remain
in the environment for up to three years.
COURTESY PHOTO

Browntail moth caterpillars shed tiny, toxic hairs that can get stirred up during outdoor activities like raking, mowing, and other typical fall yard work. Those hairs can cause a skin rash that feels like poison ivy.

When some of the hairs become airborne they can be inhaled and cause breathing difficulty. The hairs can stay toxic in the environment for up to three years, especially in dry or sheltered areas.

Though browntail moth activity has decreased significantly in recent years, the Maine CDC recommends Maine people continue to take precautions when outside and engaging in activities that could stir up the hairs. DACF’s Maine Forest Service has found evidence of browntail moths in all Maine counties, with the majority in southern and central Maine.

Most people affected by the hairs develop a localized rash that lasts for a few hours up to several days. In more sensitive people, the rash can be severe and last for weeks. Hairs may also cause respiratory distress. Treatment for the rash or breathing problems focuses on relieving symptoms and eliminating further exposure.

To reduce exposure to browntail moth hairs

Stay informed about browntail moth hotspots by visiting the DACF MFS’ Interactive Browntail Moth Dashboard to see where MFS notes browntail moth activity. Then, be proactive, know the risks, take steps to protect yourself, and monitor your surroundings.

When performing outdoor activities that may stir up caterpillar hairs:

* Aim for damp days or spray vegetation with water. Moisture helps keep the hairs from becoming airborne.

* Cover your face and any exposed skin by wearing a long sleeve shirt, long pants, goggles, a respirator/dust mask, and a hat. You can also use a disposable coverall over clothing.

* Secure clothing around the neck, wrists, and ankles.

* Avoid using leaf blowers in areas known to have heavy infestations.

* Take cool showers and change clothes after outdoor activities in infested areas.

* Dry laundry inside to avoid getting hairs on clothing.

For more details

Contact 211 Maine for answers to frequently asked questions on browntail moths: Dial 211 or 1-866-811-5695 or text your zip code to 898-211.

Visit the Maine CDC’s Browntail Moth website: www.maine.gov/dhhs/browntailmoth. Visit the Maine Forest Service Browntail Moth website: www.maine.gov/dacf/knockoutbtm <

 

Bureau of Insurance announces 2026 Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums

AUGUSTA – The Maine Bureau of Insurance has announced the finalized 2026 health insurance rates for Maine’s individual and small group market to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.

Following a careful review of proposals from Maine’s insurers and after a public hearing, the bureau has approved an average rate increase of 23.9 percent for the individual market and 17.5 percent for the small employer market (those with 50 or fewer employees).

These average final rates are slightly lower than those initially requested by health insurers – which were 26 percent for individuals and 19 percent for small employers – and are consistent with increasing rates across the nation. A recent analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that, nationally, rates are increasing by an average of 20 percent.

The bureau is limited in what it can do to control proposed rate increases. Under Maine law, the Bureau of Insurance examines each insurer’s experience and projected costs and is charged with determining whether rates are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory. In this context, “excessive” is measured by the amount of premium needed to cover the expected cost.

Federal law requires insurers to spend at least 80 cents of every premium dollar on health care services to ensure that health insurer profits do not drive premium increases.

“These higher rates are being driven by the increasing cost of medical services, the growing cost of prescription drugs, and the instability of federal policies – especially the potential expiration of enhanced premium tax credits at the end of this year,” said Bob Carey, Superintendent of the Maine Bureau of Insurance. “While the premium tax credits will continue in 2026, they will be greatly reduced unless Congress and the president act soon.”

The individual market covers roughly 71,000 Maine residents who purchase health plans on their own, primarily through CoverME.Gov, the state’s online marketplace. At year-end 2024, the small group market covered over 45,000 people who obtain health insurance through a small employer.

A vast majority of Maine residents obtain health insurance coverage through their employer through the large group market. Rates in the large group market are not subject to review and approval by the Bureau of Insurance.

Health insurance premiums vary by health insurer and by health plan. Carey said that the Maine Bureau of Insurance urges consumers to shop for a policy that best meets their needs.

To learn more about individual and small group health insurance options in Maine, please visit https://www.maine.gov/pfr/insurance/consumers/life-health-disability, and to enroll in coverage visit https://www.CoverME.gov. <

Challenging 3rd annual Pleasant Mountain Race tests runners’ resilience

By Ed Pierce

Dozens of runners lined up on Sunday, Sept. 28 to tackle a challenging obstacle by competing in the 3rd annual Pleasant Mountain Race sponsored by the Loon Echo Land Trust.

A total of 60 runners gather at the starting line to 
compete in the 3rd annual Pleasant Mountain
Race sponsored by the Loon Echo Land Trust
on Sunday, Sept. 28 at Pleasant Mountain in
Bridgton. The race is a half-marathon which
stretches 21 kilometers long with more than
4,000 feet of elevation gain.
COURTESY PHOTO 

The event is not your typical road race as runners leave behind paved city streets for rugged mountain terrain. Despite its intense physicality, 60 athletes departed from the starting line in the race on the tallest mountain in southern Maine.

Funds raised from the Pleasant Mountain Race support the nonprofit Loon Echo Land Trust, which maintains the 10-plus miles of trails on the mountain.

The mountain racecourse itself is 21 kilometers long and has over 4,000 feet of elevation gain. Runners began the competition at the Pleasant Mountain Ski Area’s East Lodge, then headed up the Bald Peak Trail, and descended the mountain on the Firewarden’s Trail. They then ran from the Firewarden’s Trailhead to the Southwest Ridge Trailhead to then head back up the mountain to the summit, across the ridge to Sue’s Way Trail, and down the Bald Peak Trail and return to the East Lodge.

“The course is marked, although we encourage all our runners to study the course beforehand,” said Pleasant Mountain Race co-director Scott Eugley, who helped mark the course along with co-director Addie Casali. “We try to minimize interference with hikers, so we usually mark the course the day before and take things down the day after. Typically, I will mark the course, and Addie will take it down.”

Eugley said that it’s not uncommon to see runners cross the finish line and immediately sprawl out in the grass in exhaustion as the course is unforgiving and punishing, with thousands of feet of steep climbing and descent while navigating the technical single-track and traverse across Pleasant Mountain’s iconic ridge.

“It’s a testament not only to the difficulty of the course, but also the grit and effort the runners put into it,” he said. “The most common comment is probably, ‘That was hard.’ This course embodies the spirit of trail running in the Northeast. It was our goal to design the most challenging course possible on Pleasant Mountain, to bring the best out in our runners.”

At 2,006 feet in elevation, Pleasant Mountain is indeed the tallest mountain in southern Maine and remains one of the defining landmarks in the Sebago Lakes region. The mountain is a favorite destination for hikers, birdwatchers, snowmobilers, hunters, snowshoers and skiers. Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) owns 2,064 acres on the mountain and protects an additional 24 acres through a conservation easement.

The land trust oversees the management and stewardship of the hiking trail network on Pleasant Mountain and the majority of the land that the Ledges, Bald Peak and Southwest Ridge trails are on are owned and managed by LELT.

Classified as a half-marathon, this year’s race once again saw runners give it their all and pushing themselves physically to overcome some of the most difficult geographic race conditions that many of them will ever encounter.

“The feeling of accomplishing something really hard is priceless,” Eugley said. “We urge the public to get involved in their community, get outside, and test their limits.”

Crossing the finish line first among make runners in the race was Nate Manning in a time of 2:34:47. The winning female this year was Nichole Cort with a time of 3:15:53.

Local sponsors and partners for the 3rd annual Pleasant Mountain Race include:

* Loon Echo Land Trust

* Revision Energy

* Norway Brewing co.

* Maine Morning Micro Roasters

* Live music by Dylan Tanguay

* Scale Shack Food Truck

* Photography by Mike Stew

* Wilderness Rescue Team (Search and Rescue/Medical Team)

Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT), founded in 1987, is a nonprofit organization that protects land, ensures public access to the outdoors, and builds and maintains recreational trails in Raymond, Casco, Naples, Harrison, Sebago, Bridgton, and Denmark. For more information on LELT properties, upcoming events, or how to get involved, visit LELT.org or their Facebook page. <