Raymond residents can get cooking at new club

A new Cookbook Club will be meeting at noon the second Friday of every month at the Raymond Village Library. Each month, participants in the club will select and prepare a recipe at home from the chosen cookbook of the month. They will then gather together as a club and share a potluck meal and discuss the recipes, ingredients and cooking tips. The first Cookbook Club meeting is Dec. 10. The December title is “Baking for the Holidays: 50+ Treats for a Festive Season” by Sarah Kieffer. Copies will be available for checkout at the library. Contact the library at 655-4283 to register for the class and reserve your copy of the cookbook. 

Annual school book fair

Be sure to make your way over to Bibliophile Bookshop and support the Raymond PTO and the annual book fair that is now occurring. This year, the fair is not happening in the schools; store owner Jessica Thompson-McCombs has generously offered her store space to support the local school fundraising event. The event runs through 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec 1. You can get gift wrapping on certain days and enjoy holiday music and family event day on Sunday, Nov. 28. For detailed information, look up Raymond Maine Schools, PTO on Facebook. 

Holiday cookie orders

Raymond Village Community Church is taking pre-orders for this year’s holiday cookie sale. Cookies available to order are snickerdoodles, gingerbread, holiday sugar cookies, pecan dreams, toffee nut squares, peanut butter blossoms, chocolate chip and coconut macaroons. For $6 (cash or check only, no credit cards) you will get 12 cookies of your choosing from the above list. Cookie orders will be ready for pickup from 11 a.m. to noon Dec. 19. To place an order please call the RVCC office at 655-7749 and leave a message with your name, phone number, cookie choices and time you will pick up. Or, if you prefer, you can send an email to office@rvccme.org with the information. Orders are due by Dec. 14. 

Student ski program

Raymond Parks & Recreation is pleased to provide the opportunity for the Raymond Ski Program to happen again this year. The bus will leave from Raymond Elementary School/Jordan Small Middle School at 3 p.m. and will return at 7:30 p.m. The program will run on Fridays from Jan. 7 to Feb. 18 for first- through eighth-grade students. The cost is $175, which includes the bus ride and lift ticket. (There are other pricing options available if equipment is needed.) This program relies on volunteer chaperones. Even if you do not know how to ski, there is a need for bus, den and ski volunteers. Contact joseph.crocker@raymondmaine.org for volunteering, and to register, go to raymond.recdesk.com.

Seasonal beauty abounds

Have you ever noticed the beautiful tulips in town along 302 in the springtime? Or have you noticed the lovely flowers at the veterans park in the summer? I bet you have noticed the beautiful wreaths and Christmas decor that line the streets of Raymond each year come the Christmas holiday season. Well, there are a dedicated bunch of Raymond residents that takes pride in the town’s gardens and appearance and volunteer their time to make it look so nice. At Thanksgiving time, it is a perfect time to pause, notice and say thank you to all those who help on the Beautification Committee, the Public Works partners and the Friday morning crew who faithfully meet and keep the town looking so welcoming.

If you are looking for an opportunity to volunteer, the beautification committee meets on Friday mornings throughout the growing season to plant, prune and tend to the 70 planted areas along Raymond’s 302 corridor and public areas. They also do seasonal decorating in planters throughout town and are always looking for new volunteers. Great thing is, there is no commitment required, just show up when you are available. If you have any questions or would like to help, contact Town Clerk Sue Look at 655-4742 ext. 121.

Alissa Messer can be contacted at alissamesser@gmail.com.

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