Books and butterflies

Each year during April vacation, school-aged children gather at the library for a fun afternoon of hands-on learning about nature. In the past, mysterious mammals, owls, bats, lobsters, and turtles have been studied, and this year’s program is going to feature monarch butterflies.

The kids will learn to identify monarch butterflies and the differences between monarch, viceroys and other monarch mimics. They will also learn about monarch habitat, metamorphosis, migration and monarch research. There will be a craft involving the monarch butterfly to complete the program.

The event will be presented by Jocelyn Hubbell, Cornerstones of Science executive director, and will be held Wednesday, April 23, at 2 p.m. at the Raymond Village Library. These annual programs are fun, interesting and very well attended, so be sure to sign up early when you are at the library or by calling 655-4283.

A day at the races

Once again, the Pine Tree Council of the Boy Scouts of America selected Raymond to host its annual Casco Bay District Pinewood Derby. Not only is this an honor, but it is also a profitable fundraiser for the Cub Scouts of Pack 800. Serving breakfast and lunch, as well as providing a concession stand, is a huge undertaking but provides a lot of funds to help support the scouting program. The parents of the boys in Pack 800 pitched in to help make this day worthwhile.

The district derby is where the five fastest racers from each pack gather together for a final championship race. The Casco Bay District consists of 36 towns, and 160 scouts and their families gathered here Saturday with their hand made cars ready to race. It was great fun for all who attended and Raymond’s top five performed very well, all finishing in the top half of all racers. Brady Sutherland came in fifth place, Dustin Fisher finished seventh, Evan Bergeron was 17th, immediately followed by Noah Larson at 18th, and George Blaney finished in 77th place. Congratulations to all the boys.

Live green, save green

The Raymond Village Library is now selling the popular SunriseGuide coupon books. Two boxes of these books were generously donated by Mike Reynolds. The books only cost $20 and contain coupons valued at over $5,000. All of the money received from the sale of the coupon books will go to support the library.

Part handbook, part coupon book, the SunriseGuide is a resource for learning about, supporting and living in a healthy and sustainable way in southern Maine. Subtitled “Your Guide to Living Green in Southern Maine, The Coupon Book for Healthy & Sustainable Living,” the book contains 172 colorful pages packed with tips, resources and more than 200 valuable coupons for healthy and eco-friendly products and services. You will find food and dining, outdoor living, home and garden, transportation, arts and culture and more. Please pick up a copy the next time you are at the library.

Get informed

There are currently two hot issues being discussed in our town and schools. Consolidation continues to progress and with that, the concept of school choice has been a point of focus and debate. People are clearly passionate about the subject of school choice. Additionally, the school board and budget and finance committees continue to work diligently preparing a budget to present at the town meeting.

The town was faced with less money and forced to make cuts of staff and services. There have been several meetings held which many people have attended to learn about and voice their opinions on these decisions. However, for those of you who were unable to attend any of these meetings, please take time to watch them on Time Warner Cable channels 2 and 3. A schedule can be found at www.raymondmaine.org/cable_tv.

DVDs of the meetings can also be borrowed and are available at the town office and library. Being informed is crucial before attending our annual town meeting May 28 and the subsequent vote June 10.

Earth Day

On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was held and was a remarkable occurrence in the history of democracy. After several years of recognizing the environmental destruction and the need for changes, Sen. Gaylord Nelson, D-Wisc., founded Earth Day.

At the time, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations had spread to college campuses across the nation and Nelson decided to organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment.

By tapping into the concerns of the general public and infusing the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, a demonstration was generated that forced this issue on to the political agenda. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air; and they did so with spectacular exuberance.

In the decades since that time, huge environmental efforts have been made. Earth Day continues to be celebrated with world-wide events scheduled and millions participating. Along with clean ups at local beaches, parks and roadside, my family will once again join several others from Raymond by participating in the annual Earth Day Hike sponsored by Loon Echo Land Trust.

This is a gentle hike up the beautiful Bald Pate Mountain in South Bridgton followed by a visit to Bray’s Brew Pub in Naples. Adults can enjoy the Bald Pate Celebration Ale, brewed by Rob Prindall of Bray’s, while a portion of the proceeds go to Loon Echo. The hike begins at 3 p.m. and more information can be found at http://loonecholandtrust.org.

However you choose to spend Earth Day, I encourage you take time to contribute in some way. Even with the smallest actions, we can all make a difference.