Dr. Seuss Night

It’s that time of year again; the Raymond Village Library is hosting its annual Dr. Seuss Party on Friday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m. Each year, children of all ages and their parents gather to celebrate the great wordsmith’s birthday and because it has become so popular, the event will be held in the Raymond Elementary School gymnasium where there is more space. This party will feature games, crafts, storytelling, prizes and lots of fun for everyone, so you will not want to miss it.

Time for Gardening

Spring is in the air and many of us are dreaming about gardening. The Raymond Village Church and the Raymond Village Library are co-sponsoring a seminar called Seed Starting and Garden Planning which will feature a talk given by Cumberland County Master Gardener Norm Steele. The seminar will be held on Wednesday, March 17 at 6:30 at the Raymond Village Community Church on Main Street. Regardless of your gardening experience, you are sure to benefit and enjoy this event. Come learn everything you need to know about starting seeds and planning your garden for the upcoming season. For more information, please contact Leigh Walker at 655-2135.

Raymond Community Garden

And speaking of gardening, the Raymond Village Library is leading a partnership that is establishing Raymond’s first community garden. The library has partnered with the Town of Raymond, the Echo Lodge Organic Garden, the Raymond Village Community Church, and the Good Life Market to combine their time and talent to make this a success. The goal of this group is to provide a garden that allows people of all ages to learn about, participate in, and benefit from organic gardening while providing organic food to the Raymond Food Pantry.

The garden will be located in the field adjacent to the library parking lot and will soon be full of thriving tomatoes, green beans, snow peas, spinach, carrots, basil and other wonderful fresh organic vegetables and herbs, If you are interested in becoming involved in growing local food to benefit our bodies, the environment and feed the hungry, please contact Leigh Walker at 655-2135 or [email protected]. Plots are limited, so please call immediately.

Scholarships Available

College tuition has skyrocketed and while many high school seniors prepare for their post high school studies, the financial burden plays a huge role in their decision making. To help with these costs, there are several scholarships available in town. Nearly a dozen scholarships are awarded as memorials of legendary people in Raymond as well as from the Lions and PTO. To learn about the available scholarships, the amounts awarded and their criteria, please visit the town website at raymondmaine.org. Applications can also be obtained from the Jordan Small Middle School Guidance Department and must be completed by May 1.

Skiing a Success

For the past two months, more than 100 young skiers and snowboarders from Raymond have gathered every week on the slopes of Shawnee Peak where they were able to experience an activity that strengthens their bodies, self-confidence and social skills while enjoying time outside with their friends. The program provides a long term benefit to the kids and I was happy to be a part of it once again.

Raymond Recreation has been offering ski programs to kids in elementary, middle, and high school for years and these programs have always been a big success. It is wonderful to have so many kids involved but also to see more than 50 parents and community members volunteering their time to haul equipment, chaperone busses, and assist kids of all levels in the lodge and on the slopes while ensuring everyone is safe and having a great time.

On behalf of all the skiers, snowboarders and parents who have benefited from this program for years, I would like to thank the directors whose tireless efforts have provided hours of fun for hundreds of kids. Elementary school program director, Beth Clark, middle school director, Brenda Olsen and high school director Peter Walgreen have all dedicated years to these programs and their passion is admirable.

Road Posting

This winter will go down as one of the strangest in my memories. We had only a handful of snowstorms, lots of rain and unseasonably warm temperatures making it hardly seem like winter at all. The extreme temperature changes have wreaked havoc on our roads giving new meaning to frost heaves and pot holes. With that in mind, Nathan White, Public Works Director has closed 50 of our roads to vehicles weighing in excess of 23,000 pounds until May 1. Routes 85, 121, and 302 will be exempt from this closure because they are State maintained roads. If you have a big remodeling or construction project planned requiring heavy trucks, please check the town website at raymondmaine.org to see which roads are closed.

PHK Meeting

The next PHK meeting will be held on Thursday, March 11 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Public Safety Building. Attendees will be watching “Influenced,” a movie developed by Project Aware. “Influenced” was written, directed and acted primarily by young people and more than one hundred cast and crew made it possible. Creators Aleah Graham and Josephine Cooper, ages 13 and 15, worked with experienced community members to begin producing this direct-to-DVD video. Project AWARE then trained 15 youth attendees to crew the shoot with the creators and Maine production company Gum Spirits. This dramatic movie addresses issues such as eating disorders, neglect, substance abuse and how adult role modeling influenced the choices young people made.

This is a very powerful movie and has been shown to students at Jordan Small Middle School. Parents would benefit greatly from reviewing it and are invited to attend this meeting. For more information, please contact Kathleen Tolman at [email protected]

Summer Camp

Slovenski Camps on Panther Pond will be offering five-day sessions of classic American children’s games this summer. Bowdoin College track coach Peter Slovenski will direct the camp with a staff of college student counselors.

Activities will include games such as dodge ball, kick ball, ultimate Frisbee, tug-of-war, kick the can and capture the flag. Swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and beach volleyball will be offered at the waterfront and knitting, board games, limbo, and drama will also be options. Every evening will conclude with a campfire that features skits, contests, singing, dancing, awards, recognition, stories, and encouragement for good standards of outdoor living such as leaving places cleaner than we find them.

For more information, visit: www.slovenskicamps.com or contact Peter Slovenski at [email protected].