Life As I Hear It

I am thrilled to invite you to a very exciting concert happening right here in Raymond. This is not just an ordinary summer concert. For those of you who have ever attended an “American Family Holiday Concert,” the Windham Chamber Singers’ annual holiday concert, you have had the privilege of being entertained by pianist Dan Strange and his wife, Ashley Liberty, an amazing violinist.

Together they will perform original music from Strange’s CD, “Life As I Hear It,” at the Raymond Village Community Church on Sunday, July 14, at 4 p.m. Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, and free for children under 5. This concert is expected to sell out, so I strongly encourage you to purchase your tickets in advance.

Strange is a jazz piano professor at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music in Miami, Fla., playing multiple genres of music. He has appeared with Broadway artists such as Norm Lewis, Sutton Foster, Jodi Benson and Noel Paul Stookey. Concert violinist Liberty teaches at the Carelton School in Florida and has played with artists including Gloria Estefan, Andrea Boccelli, and Bernadette Peters.

I have seen them perform several times and am always thoroughly pleased. This concert promises to be a highlight of your summer and you will not want to miss it. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Karen Strange at 939-7947 or kstrange228@gmail.com.

Books and More

Summer is the perfect time for reading and here’s an excellent opportunity to add to your personal library at very low costs. The Raymond Village Library’s annual book sale will kick off on Sunday, July 14, at 9 a.m. and will continue throughout the summer. Readers can look forward to the wide variety of books in hardcover and paperback including some light beach reading, recent fiction, great non-fiction and classics, as well as cookbooks, books on gardening, sewing, and carpentry. There are also children’s books, puzzles, audio books, music CDs and videos for sale at incredibly low prices. There is something for everyone and new items are added daily, so stop by periodically to find your favorite books. The library is open Sunday, Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Refresh and Recycle

I repeat this message every year and do so again because it is so important. With its warm air and longer days, summer also brings more good times with friends and family. Boating, picnicking and poolside barbecues are a daily occurrence and with the increase in fun, also comes enjoying more beverages. While visiting Raymond, please do not forget that we recycle our empty bottles and cans. The Raymond Lions Club offers two bins in which you can donate your empties. One of these bins is located at the town office on Webbs Mills Road, and the other is located across from the Raymond Shopping Center on Route 302. The Lions use the proceeds from these bottles to help fund the many programs they offer including scholarships and assistance for the vision and hearing impaired. Please be sure to drop off your cans in these bins. By doing so, you will not only keep Raymond clean, but will also help the Lions make a difference with their worthwhile programs.

Starry, Starry Night

Summer is a fabulous time to sit out under the stars and enjoy the many constellations. Are you looking for a better way to view the majestic night sky? Do not forget, the Raymond Village Library was the recipient of a high-quality Orion StarBlast 4.5-inch telescope donated by Cornerstones of Science in conjunction with the New Hampshire Astronomical Society. The telescope is available for loan to adult patrons and offers a great way to view the summer sky. Call the library at 655-4283 to reserve the telescope.

Maine Wildlife Park

Once again, the Raymond Village Library, with the help of its many friends, has purchased a community pass to the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray. This pass is to be used by individuals or families of seven people or less. By using this pass, each member of the group 4 years old and up will be charged $2.50 admission fee when they present the 2013 Community Pass at the gatehouse. This cuts down the original fee considerably. The park is a wonderful place for families to explore and picnic with summer visitors, including visiting grandchildren. If you would like to spend a day at the park at discounted prices, simply stop by the library and request the pass.

Maine Stock Market Game

School may be out for the summer but some kids finished up in style and deserve mentioning. Once again, a group of fifth and sixth graders participated in the Maine Stock Market Game and this year, several students were invited to the 2013 Awards Ceremony hosted by the Securities Industry and Financial Market Association and held at the University of Southern Maine in May. The ceremony included awards and a luncheon.

Jordan-Small Middle School earned a second-place finish in the Elementary School Year-Long Division. This contest was held from early September and concluding at the end of April. The winning team included fifth graders Hailey Applebee, Carlee Desrochers, Ben Folsom, Sam Nunn and Sophey Potter.

JSMS earned a first-place finish in the Middle School Year-Long Division with team members Dani Gaudin and Sarah Hall winning it all.

JSMS took two awards in the Middle School Spring Division held from February through April.

First-place winning team members included Cooper Gaudet, Avery Lind, and Stearns Wallingford. Earning second place were team members Dan Davis, Kurt Heywood, and Jake Jeffrey.

This is an incredible feat and all made possible by Jack Fitch who teaches these students and shares his enthusiasm in their stock market trading. You may recall sixth grader Sophie Sangster also won the Investwrite Award making Jordan-Small a good investment when it comes to learning.

Making Honors

Jordan-Small Middle School has released its honor roll for the third trimester. Congratulations to the following students for making the list:

Grade 5, Honors: Hailey Applebee, Savana Bradford, Liam Connor-Schaefer, Callie Fielding, Ivan Kaffel, James Louko, Lindsey MacDonald, Sophey Potter, Riley Silvia, Chelsea Welch and Leah Walker.

Grade 5 Honorable Effort: Alexis Bailey, Carlee Desrochers, Davis Kinney, Sam Nunn, Kylie Rhoades, Austin Steeves and Whitney Wilson.

Grade 6 High Honors: Hannah Bernier, Haley Froisland, Hannah Gagne and Sophie Sangster.

Grade 6 Honors: Blake Colby, Daniel Davis, Hayden Dearing, Colby Dionne, Elizabeth Donahue, Nicholas Doughty, Sophie Gardner, Danielle Gaudin, Ben Kisel, Alexis Peet, Alianah Timmons and Deven Young.

Grade 6 Honorable Effort: Maggi Bradford, Courtney Brown, Stratos Demarkis, Kaitlyn Gedick, Eliza Martin, Samantha Phinney, Richard Plummer, Carlee Richmond, Grace Schmader, Stearns Wallingford, Andrew Wing and Noah Worthing.

Grade 7 High Honors: Danielle Meader.

Grade 7 Honors: Walter Backman, Abby Davis, Hunter Dionne, Delaney Ennis, Corey Fowler, Kora Hunter, Christian Lessard, Jessica Meyer, Maggie Nunn, Holly Rose, Nicholas Rose, Hannah Stogsdill, Natalie Walker, Brooke Whitney and Alex Wilkins.

Grade 7 Honorable Effort: Tabitha Newquist, Jake Conley, Robert Murray, Carleigh Steele and Katelyn Troiano.

Grade 8 High Honors: Ellie Van Winkle.

Grade 8 Honors: Wyatt Barczak, Taylor Bernier, Jaycee Hovey, Cameron Peavey, Derrike Richards, Kayla Saunders, Dani Tardiff and David Young.

Grade 8 Honorable Effort: Ethan Barczak, Orion Beers, Hannah Brackett, Sophia Latham, Devon Plummer, Taylor Rickett, Madison Shimko and Kristina Wunderlich.

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