Meet the Candidates

The Raymond Vitalizations Committee presents  Meet the Candidates Night on Tuesday, May 29 from 7 -9 p.m. held in the Raymond Public Safety Building at 1443 Roosevelt Trail, Raymond. State Legislature, Selectman, Budget-Finance and Regional School Unit #14 Board of Director candidates have been invited to participate. The candidates will present a two-minute statement and will then participate in an open question and answer session.

Raymond community has a few important choices to make regarding the town seat and school board seats. Raymond has one seat open on the Select Board, and the Budget/Finance Committee Chairman Marshall Bullock is running unopposed. Currently, Joe Bruno holds that board seat and he has decided not to run for reelection.

Three, three-year seats on the Raymond Budget/Finance Committee will also be voted on. Shelia Bourque, member Robert Gosselin and Kevin Oliver have turned in papers.  There is also an additional two-year seat on the committee for which Crystal Rogers is the only candidate on the ballot. Raymond has one seat open on the Regional School Unit 14 School Board. Katie Leveille and Jacob Stoddard both are running for the seat currently held by School Board Chairwoman Diana Froisland.

Elections will be held at Jordan Small Middle School gymnasium,  434 Webbs Mills Road, on Tuesday, June 12 from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

Running program

Children in grades K-4 at Raymond Elementary School are invited to join a fun and positive running program that will let each child challenge him/herself through short and long distance running, relay races, games and stretching. Kindergarten and first graders must be accompanied by a parent. The program will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:15-4:15 p.m. from May 1-June 7, weather dependent.

Runners will meet in the Raymond Elementary School gym, 434 Webbs Mills Road, Raymond, and will run on the athletic fields and wood trails both at Raymond Elementary School and Jordan Small Middle School. Parents are expected to pick up their children at the Raymond Elementary School field promptly at 4:15 p.m.

Adult volunteers are needed for this program, provided by the Raymond Recreation Association. The class has a fee of $15 per child. For more information, please contact Melissa Dlugos, at [email protected], or 724-986-3076.

Aging in place

Raymond Age-Friendly Community Connections are hosting a Webinar entitled “Aging in Place: Helping People Stay at Home One Rake or Snow Shovel at a Time.” This webinar was developed by the Tri-State Collaborative on Aging and shares the experiences of other communities. This event will be held on  May 11 at 2:00 p.m. at the Raymond Public Safety Building on Route 302.

Lisa Hall will also be joining the event to provide an overview of the Raymond Waterways Protective Association and available volunteer opportunities. The mission of the Raymond Waterways Protective Association is to protect and improve the water quality of Raymond’s lakes, ponds, rivers and streams and to foster watershed stewardship. For more information on this event, call Laurie at 655-2222

Magic and comedy

The Raymond Arts Alliance presents an evening of Magic and Comedy on Saturday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m.(doors will open at 6:30 p.m.) at Raymond Village Community Church at 27 Main Street, Raymond. The evening will highlight Randy Judkins, a nationally known comedian, juggler, magician and entertainer. Mr. Judkins has been a teacher at the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus and the Juilliard School of Drama. In addition to Mr. Judkins, John Ulmer, a local magician extraordinaire will also be a part of this special event. Suggested donation for the event is $10. Light refreshments will be served.

Vibrant health

Join your community on Saturdays through May 19 from 8-9 a.m. at the Raymond Village Community Church, 27 Main Street, Raymond to learn Qigong (Chee CONG). Qigong is an ancient, Chinese practice of mindful movement that gathers and cultivates energy for healthful longevity. Qigong has been shown to reduce stress, calm the mind, condition the body and increase immunity. It is currently taught in multiple cancer, chronic pain and health centers around the world.

Participants of all levels of physical ability are welcome to the Saturday classes and are sure to experience benefits from this quiet practice. Attendees should wear comfortable clothes and supportive footwear. The moments of Qigong are practiced slowly and within one’s own comfortable range of motion. The class fee is $5 per class and drop-ins are always welcome. Karen Rendall will be the class instructor. Karen is from the Maine Center of Taijiquan & Qigong. This event is proudly sponsored by the Raymond Arts Alliance (formerly the Raymond Hill Community Center) in partnership with the Raymond Village Library & the Raymond Village Community Church.

Student art show

Windham/Raymond Students K-12 will be holding an art show at the Windham High School, 406 Gray Road, May 7-11, 2018. Opening night will be Monday, May 7 from  5:30-7:30 p.m. The students will display multiple pieces and various types of artistic creations.

Walk and weed

The Raymond Beautification Committee needs new volunteers in the areas of Public Relations, Fundraising, Garden Maintenance, and Seasonal Decorating. On April 27, Raymond beautification committee members and volunteers began the annual Friday Walk and Weed program. This program is a weekly program that maintains and enhances the sense of community pride and visual appearance of the Town of Raymond through the use of gardens, landscaping and seasonal decorations. These volunteers are looking for more individuals willing and able to help them maintain the 70 plus plantings on the Route 302 corridor. Learn about the project, make new friends, get exercise, and attend whenever it is convenient for your schedule. For more information, please contact Raymond town office at 207-655-4742 or join the members any Friday morning on the Route 302 corridor.

Veterans’ fishing event

A Veterans’ fishing event is planned for May 9 at the Sebago Lake State Park. The Sebago Lake Anglers’ Association plans to take 30 veterans fishing on Sebago Lake in SLAA-member boats, which include one pontoon boat from Moose Landing for wheelchair-bound veterans. The Veterans will meet at 8 a.m. for coffee and donuts, get a safety brief, and be paired with a boat captain. They will fish until noon and return to the park for a cookout.

In 2017 the Sebago Lake Anglers’ Association hosted 16 vets from Portland and Windham veteran centers. The Portland Veteran Center Director, Andrea Tolbert, caught the biggest fish and won a trophy!

This year they will host five vets from a New Hampshire veterans organization that coordinates veterans in three states under their Warrior 45 program.

Hawthorne Events

Hawthorne House will be starting up evening yoga class on Monday, May 7 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Plan to arrive a bit early for set-up, stretching, etc.  Joan Grady will lead the group again and the cost will be $12 each week.   Please wear comfortable clothes and bring a mat and water. This class will be for all levels, from first-timers to experienced yogis. The Hawthorne House is at 40 Hawthorne Road, on the corner of Hawthorne and Cape Road.

Painting Class

Have you ever wanted to try painting with acrylics, but did not know where to start? Raymond Village Library is hosting a Painting class for beginners  on Saturday, May 19, 4 -6 p.m. This one-session beginner painting course will help you find your style. Whether you prefer realism or abstraction, you’ll learn the skills to achieve the result you desire. Contact the library to register for this class at 207-655-4283. A $20.00 materials fee is payable by cash, check or credit card in advance or on the first day of class. Library hours for contact are Monday, 9 a.m.- 7 p.m., Wednesday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Dinner is back

Raymond Village Community Church will begin serving their Pot Roast dinners the third Saturday of the Month beginning May 19th through September. The dinner features pot roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans, drinks, roll and dessert all for $11.   The dinner is served from 5-6 p.m. at 27 Main Street, Raymond. Mark your calendars so you won’t miss out on this food and fellowship.