Girl Scouts to

the Rescue

Girl Scout troops are required to do a service project, and this year, the girls of Troop 83 decided to collect new stuffed animals and blankets for Raymond Rescue. These items will be given to comfort the children who need emergency services. The girls collected donations from the community and then delivered the items to the fire station, where they received a tour of the facility and were able to sit in the firetrucks and ambulances. They also enjoyed trying on the firefighters’ turnout gear.

Troop 83 consists of Daisies and Brownies including Annie Street, Grace Peet, Lindsey MacDonald, Caitlyn Nassa, Hannah Gagne, Whitney Wilson and Meagan Vierra. The troop is led by Robyn Harris Vierra, with Shannon Nassa and Caj MacDonald as co-leaders.

Congratulations to the girls for an outstanding effort, and thanks to all those who donated items.

Tri-ing for Camp Sunshine

Did you happen to notice nearly 300 bicyclists racing down Route 302 this weekend? They were competing in the first annual Pirate Triathlon held at Point Sebago Resort. This themed course consisted of a 1/3-mile swim among pirate ships in Sebago Lake followed by a 14-mile ride on the hilly roads of Casco and finally a 3-mile run through graveyards. Throughout the race, many enthusiastic singing pirates were cheering on the racers as they made their way to the coveted hidden treasure, the finish line. This festive event was held to benefit Camp Sunshine and, with 275 participants, was a huge success.

Racers of all abilities stood at the water’s edge on Sunday morning getting ready to dive into the cold darkness and begin the race that would benefit others as well as themselves. Under sunny skies, I had the great pleasure of watching this event and being humbled by the strength, both physical and mental, of all the participants.

My husband, Tom, has been a triathlete for a few years and convinced two friends to give it a try (pun intended). Congratulations to Tom Dostie and Ed Gagne, who accepted the challenge and made impressive debuts into the triathlon world. With little to no training, the three of them swam, pedaled and ran their way to the finish line, personally raising hundreds of dollars for families of children with life-threatening diseases. You guys are the best!

Plants and memories

Don’t forget the Raymond Village Library’s annual plant sale this Saturday morning, June 13, from 7 until noon. The lawn will be covered with many plants of all types for sale at very inexpensive prices. This is always a popular event so be sure to go early for the best selections.

While you are there, take a moment to notice the stone bench under the pines near the planters full of flowers. This bench was donated in memory of Scott Libby, who was tragically killed last winter. Scott owned a local landscaping business and was a generous supporter of the library’s annual plant sale for several years. To honor him and keep his memory alive, the Friends of the Library donated this bench in his name.

Strawberry Festival

The Hawthorne Community Association is excited to announce its Annual Strawberry Festival, which will be held on Saturday, June 27, at the Hawthorne House on the Cape Road. John Manoush, former president and historian of the association, will give a talk at 6:30 p.m. on what everyday life was like during the early 1800s when Nathanial Hawthorne lived in Raymond. The social hour will follow from 7-9 p.m. and will feature beverages and what promises to be “the best strawberry shortcake around with real dairy whipped cream.” There is a suggested donation of $5 for adults and $3 for children under 8. With the support of the community, the Hawthorne Community Association will continue to make much needed repairs to preserve the house and its heritage. For further information or to make reservations, please contact Paul Tracy at [email protected] or 655-3828.

Creepy, crawly

School vacation may be here, but kids are encouraged to continue reading throughout the summer. A fun way to keep books in your child’s life is to participate in the Raymond Village Library’s summer reading program. This is fun program, and this year’s theme is “Creepy, Crawly, Entomology!”

Each week, young readers will pick up a packet that will include crafts, puzzles, games and insect information. There will also be many new books about insects, which were purchased with a grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, as well as the many old favorites out on display for kids to read. There will be a kick-off party on Wednesday, July 1, at 6:30 p.m. at the library featuring Jim Nutting, insect expert from Lisbon Falls. Nutting has collected insects from all over the world and will bring many samples from his collection. He will also bring live insects for a close-up and personal creepy, crawly interactive program.

This program runs for five weeks and is limited to 50 participants, so preregistration is required. Please stop by the library as soon as possible to reserve your spot.

Fall soccer

registration

Raymond Recreation offers an excellent fall soccer program for players in kindergarten through sixth grade. If you missed the registration nights that were held last week, it is not too late to have your child included. Volunteers are also still needed to make this program successful. You can help in many ways, including coaching, field day organization, lining the fields, etc. Please contact Stacey Richmond at 655-5097 or [email protected] for registration information or to find out how you can help.

Scratch that

flea-market itch

The Raymond Village Community Church’s Annual Yard Sale and Extravaganza will be held this Saturday, June 13 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot and vestry. This yearly event is a great place to pick up valuable treasures and plants, handmade crafts, and home-baked goodies while enjoying great company from friends and neighbors. You won’t want to miss it.

Girl Scout Troop 83 present Raymond Fire and Rescue with donations from their annual service project.Tom Meader, Ed Gagne and Tom Dostie feel triumphant after finishing the Pirate Triathlon, a race to benefit Camp Sunshine.