Quote of the week

Insight: Getting to know a veteran again for the first time by Lorraine Glowczak

Saturday, November 11 is Veterans Day and I have been trying to think of a way I could personally honor someone special who has served their country.

First and foremost, I publicly thank all veterans and encourage those who can, to attend the Veterans Day event at the Windham Veterans Center this Saturday.

What’s that one small but meaningful step I can take? I’ve been scratching my head for a while now. “Something personal and real”, I tell myself.

I thought of my own father who served in World War II and was stationed in England.

He had some stories he shared with me when I was too young to appreciate his experiences. I wish he was still alive so I could hear more about that part of his life. I suspect I would be more attentive with my now adult and understanding ears, taking in his experiences with more depth.

This brought me to my oldest brother who was drafted during the Vietnam War. “Luckily”, he was stationed in both Germany and Korea during the conflict. But, this is all I know.

And, thus, my answer to do something authentic and personal came to me - call my brother.
There are 15 years between the two of us and he was drafted into the Army (Was it the Army? I don’t even know which branch he enlisted in.) when I was only three years old. At that time, I only knew about this older sibling because my Mom would talk about him with concern and cry every time she received his letters.

The first time I “saw” him was when he came home to visit. I had chickenpox and could not go to the airport with my parents and other brothers to greet the young soldier in our family.

When my parents returned with my clean-shaven brother in tow, a cousin who stayed with me said, “Your brother is here. Do you want to see him?”

She pulled up a chair to the kitchen window, so I could watch him walk up the sidewalk towards the house. “Oh! So that’s what he looks like,” was my first thought upon seeing him.

Today, forty-seven years later, I feel like that child again. It’s true that I now know what my oldest brother looks like and we talk, but never about his experiences, fears, etc. regarding his draft into the war. Lucky for me he is still alive to ask him, to talk with him and thank him - which I have never done.

So, on Saturday I will call my brother who lives in Kansas - to know him and to see him again for the very first time.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I hope that everyone is warm, safe and recovering from the aftermath of the terrible windstorm we had recently. 

I want to extend my deepest thanks to the line workers who operated tirelessly around the clock to ensure that our power came back on and that the downed lines were cleared, making our roads safe.

I also want to thank the town of Windham for opening up Windham High School as a place to shower, charge your phone and get warm. I am so thankful to live in such a caring community.

If you are still in need of assistance, do not hesitate to contact me. Please feel free to send me a letter at 166 Albion Road in Windham, call me at 892-6591 or email anytime at mark.bryant@legislature.maine.gov.

Sincerely,

Mark Bryant

State Representative

Quote of the week

Insight: What losing electricity has taught me by Lorraine Glowczak

It’s Wednesday morning – publication day for The Windham Eagle. The 10 candles and the propane fireplace provide the light I need to type this week’s Insight. The “hurricane with no name” that blew through a majority of the state early Monday morning has, as it has been reported, left 470,000 homes and business without power – including The Windham Eagle newspaper office – and yours truly.
 

As an editor of a small-town newspaper, this electrical outage puts a slight kink in publication and I wonder how we will pull off printing a newspaper without electricity and internet service. I try not to panic under the circumstances. 

But then I realize. This is really a small inconvenience in the plight of many possible real-life problems one can and does experience – and the anxiety subsides. Of all the snags that tumble into life, this really is nothing of great concern. It’s only electricity, it will come back on and I’m not the editor of The New York Times. (And even then, in the larger scheme of things, that would also be no big deal.)

What are the big deals? The hospitals, homes belonging to the elderly, homes with young children and those whose medical issues rely upon electricity - to name a few. Those situations are substantial and should come first. But then there are other things to help me with my perspective, such as childhood cancer, homelessness and Puerto Rico. When I think of those things, it eases up my demands on the CMP Linesmen who don’t make it fast enough to my door.

I admit that not having easy access to my emails, taking a shower in strange places, crossing my fingers that my cell phone doesn’t die before I find an electrical outlet and not being able to write all my articles for the paper in time for publication is a bit discombobulating but, in the end, I have no real worries. Losing electricity teaches me this.

I’ll end for now since my laptop has only 20 percent battery life left. But I will add just one more thing: No matter how long you’ve been without power, please be nice to the CMP Linesmen (and women) when they do arrive. Speaking as a sister of a former Kansas Linesmen, when they arrive – they will be hungry, sleep deprived and missing their own families. I know the inconvenience of not having electricity has placed on you, and me both, but still – when they arrive – please be kind. Maybe even offer them a sandwich. They’ll need it.

(FYI – Internet connection occurred at 9:30 a.m. on publication day. Whew! Close call.)

Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

Election Day is Tuesday, November 7.

Residents of Windham, old and new - here are three votes we urge you to consider.

David Nadeau and Brett Jones for Town Council and Yes for the Windham/RSU14 Shared Vehicle Maintenance Facility.

David is a current Councilor since 2011. He is a reasoned, informed and progressive voice. He has lived in town since 1986 and knows just about everything one can know about Windham. His knowledge and passion are unmatched. David recently proposed and helped pass a Windham Seniors Tax Rebate Plan that helps Windham’s legacy residents; all the while fighting for the issues supported by Windham’s newest residents. David has been on the losing side of the right fight but has never given up. He is an asset to Windham and deserves another term to continue the fight.

Brett Jones is a current Councilor but was not elected. He submitted an application for a seat that was left vacant last year when no one ran. Multiple candidates were interviewed and it was Brett who was selected by the Council. It was unanimous. He has proven to be thoughtful, a good listener and fair. 

Brett recently supported a private roads ordinance that could create additional costs for him personally, but after careful consideration he stated it was best for the Town and the majority of residents. That is the type of leader Windham residents deserve; honorable and honest. Brett was selected by the Town Council and he should be chosen by you as well, he has earned our votes.

Both candidates know that saying no to smart investment in Windham’s future is not respecting the taxpayer’s dollar, it’s squandering it while delaying progress and pride in Windham.

The current vehicle maintenance facility is a dangerous eyesore, lacking efficiency and the ability to meet the basic needs that should be afforded to the Windham / RSU staff and equipment that keep Windham safe. This initiative was on the ballot two years ago and lost by 113 votes. Two years later, after fair and exhaustive efforts to examine the project and cost, the need still exists; it has not disappeared. Now the cost is $2,000,000 higher than two years ago, not because of extravagant add-ons, but because as things always do - prices go up. Defeat two years ago cost Windham $2,000,000 and delayed progress. Those who argued against it extolled they are protecting the taxpayer when in reality the taxpayer was harmed.

Windham is our home and our responsibility and if we smartly invest in it as such we will be rewarded. Councilor David Nadeau has said many times, “It is time for Windham to start investing in Windham.” If we don’t do it, who will?

The next few years’ Council decisions will impact Windham’s growth and success or lack thereof for the next 20 years. Vote to continue the momentum of moving Windham forward. 

Vote Nadeau, Jones and Yes on the Windham/RSU14 Shared Vehicle Maintenance Facility.

Signed: Windham Residents: Jarrod Maxfield, Timothy Nangle, Scott Mclean, Joanne Mattiace, and David Douglass

Dear Editor,

To Elected Officials Everywhere:

Given the civil discourse in our communities, states and country, I would ask that you accept a small gift as a token of my hopes and dreams for our futures:  It is simply a quote from President John F. Kennedy, and it reads:

“So, let us begin anew – remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear but let us never fear to negotiate. Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.”

Let us begin anew today!

Jeff Pierce, Windham