Speaking for the Windham Historical Society, I want to express our appreciation and thanks to the staff of the Windham Public Library for their patience and generosity on Saturday, Jan. 24 for the use of their public meeting room and parking lot. I’m afraid some library patrons may have been inconvenienced temporarily.

The program the Society presented that morning drew more than 150 people from all over the state. Unfortunately, because of space limitations, many had to be turned away. Meanwhile, cars filled the library parking lot and every available space up to and including town hall and on the Windham Center Road. The Society has never had such a crowd but is certainly delighted to have this many folks interested in the history of the town.

This particular program was on the Cumberland & Oxford Canal and it will be repeated for those who couldn’t make it this time. Date, time and place will be announced in this paper, and if people want to be notified via e-mail or phone, they may contact me.

Windham history lovers are reminded to review their Windham Adult Education booklet which was mailed recently and sign up for the May 2 history bus tour the Society will provide, visiting many of the historic sites around Windham. Also, consider joining the Society and receive the newsletter which announces activities (workshops, field trips) and programs.

Given the continuing climb of prices at the grocery store, I’ve been clipping coupons more furiously than ever. It’s just too bad I can’t make use of the dozens available for hair care products! I cannot believe the variety of types of shampoos, conditions, rinses and sprays! There are usually dozens of coupons for prepared food items I call snacks. Apparently there’s a whole generation or two out there who equate cooking to using a microwave or toaster oven. The heat-it-up generation will go broke before the recession is over if they don’t learn how to peel a potato.

This perusal of the coupon booklets from the Sunday paper is a prelude to the evening news, a part of my weekly routine. (The 25-year-old in me can’t believe I just wrote that!) Reviewing coupons to check for expiration dates and to make up the grocery list is done over several cups of morning coffee, while in the background, local radio personalities talk about politics and the state of the state. At this particular time, coupon offerings are more relevant than politics.

These are tough times, but Windham has survived tough times before. In 1929, the two banks in South Windham closed, and workers at the pulp mill had to wait for the mill owners to come down from Massachusetts to pay them in cash. At that time, South Windham was what North Windham is today – the center for business. By 1938, the town’s residents were in pretty good shape. The poor farm (where paupers lived) closed that year after 120 years of operation. Twenty years later, the first subdivision was built. We always bounce back.

See you in a couple of weeks.