October in Raymond
The month arrived perfectly by treating us to warm sunny days and colors bursting from the trees. October in Raymond; does it get any better? I love all seasons, but this time of year is definitely my favorite as it engages all my senses. I have been thoroughly enjoying the colorful foliage, smells of autumn, crisp evening air and especially the night sky filled with brilliant stars. The Raymond area offers many special places like Rattlesnake Mountain, the Tenny River, Nubble Pond, Hacker’s Hill, and several hilltops that offer spectacular views. I hope you will get out and walk, pedal, paddle and even drive to enjoy the beauty in all these places during this special season.
Cleaning up the air
Jake Conley, a sixth-grade student at Jordan-Small Middle School and son of Mark and Lisa Conley, had quite the interesting week last week. Jake is one of many people who suffers from asthma, and breathing clean air is something he not only wants, but needs. That is why he and his family spent a few days in Washington D.C. to fight for clean air. Apparently, the Clean Air Act is under attack by some of our governmental leaders who want to limit or halt various Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Therefore, a conference was held and Jake was invited by the American Lung Association of Maine to take part in the Clean Air Advocacy Day.
The Clean Air Act is made up of EPA regulations to make power plants stop polluting and spewing smog, soot and mercury into the air. In Maine, we get a lot of pollution which blows across the country from other states. We are called the tailpipe of the nation and have high incidences of asthma and breathing ?problems which are affected by the pollutants in the air. The Conley’s went to D.C. to advocate keeping the Clean Air Act in place as opposed to blocking it or stopping it entirely.
The Conleys enjoyed a whirlwind of activity as they toured the capitol and spent time with people like Chellie Pengrie, Susan Collins, and public health experts from the American Lung Association and Physicians for Social Responsibility. Jake’s father, Mark, said “his 11-year-old’s body was like a canary in a coal mine, able to tell early when air quality was suffering from pollution.” As the owner of a small heating and air conditioning company he called on politicians and businesses to realize that any short-term savings from blocking clean air regulations would be more than offset by the long-term costs to health. I am sure this was an excellent experience for Jake and I hope his efforts will result in cleaner air for all of us.
Special Olympians
The Southern Maine Special Olympics Soccer Tourney and Individual Skills Competition was held Saturday at Gorham High School and Team Raymond, consisting of Raymond Elementary School students AJ Mains and Connor Daigle and Jordan-Small Middle School students Charity Adams, Seth Richards, and Luke Korzeniowski, scored big in the competition. In the individual soccer skills events, which included dribbling, shooting and run and kicking, Charity and Connor won gold medals and Luke, AJ and Seth won silver medals.
After weeks of practices in the gym and on the field, they all displayed good sportsmanship and outstanding performances. Team Raymond enjoyed a celebration lunch at the local Burger King with Coach John Keller who wishes to express his appreciation to John Dionne, John Raymond, Anne Blake, Joni Merrill, and all of the parents for supporting their Special Olympian athletes.
A Village Halloween
Can it already be that time of year again? Soon the town’s most creative decorators will transform their homes into scary haunts and the streets will be flooded with trick-or-treaters. Halloween is right around the corner and kids will be making their way up and down the roads collecting their treats. The area in the village is the most popular haunting spot with houses decked out and children galore. Residents in the village receive up to 400 trick-or-treaters on Halloween, which is quite the sight to see. Each year, the Raymond Village Library collects candy from patrons and then delivers it to the residents of the village to help them feed all their visitors. This reverse trick-or-treating concept is another example of the strong community we have here in Raymond. If you would like to contribute candy to the residents in the village, please drop it off at the library. Your treats will help make this night fun and memorable.
Legend of ?Sleepy Hollow
Center Stage Performing Arts, owned by Beth Gaudet, offers dance lessons and more by some of the best trained teachers around and presents outstanding recitals each year. Now you can also witness some of this talent in the upcoming performance of the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” which will feature live music and beautiful dancing. Treat yourself to seeing CSPA teachers Morgan Sanborn and Kate Smedal on stage as well as two Center Stage students, Olivia Bartlett and Maia Tangen. This highly acclaimed ballet will be performed at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center on Oct. 15 at 2 and 8 p.m. For more information, please visit portlandballet.org or to purchase tickets, please call 843-0800.
Electronic recycling
Electronic recycling is back. This is your opportunity to get rid of all those old televisions, computers, telephones, VCRs and DVD players in a conscientious way. The Windham Hill United Church of Christ is hosting their annual electronics recycling day on Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Wndham Mall next to Friendly’s Restaurant. Simply bring your recyclables to this location and they will be recycled in an environmentally friendly way. For more information, call Judy at 653-5989.
Mark Conley, Jake Conley, Rhonda Vosmus (Asthma Educator at
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