Special Town Meeting

A special town meeting was held Tuesday, Feb. 5, to act upon two timely articles. The meeting room was filled with residents eager to voice their opinions and cast their votes. The purpose of the first article was to determine if the town would agree to appropriate a sum not to exceed $145,000 from the undesignated school fund balance for the purpose of improvements to the air quality system at the Jordan Small Middle School.

Higher than state recommended levels of CO2 have been found in many rooms of the school due to a poor heating and ventilation system installed decades ago. The inability to properly and evenly heat all the rooms has led to an inconsistent air exchange thus resulting in high CO2 levels and overall poor air quality.

School principal Randy Crockett gave an overview of the problem and head custodian Rick Dwinell offered a history of the actions taken to correct the problem thus far. Approximately 30 minutes of discussion and debate were had, and representatives from the community were obviously passionate about this problem. Parents of students who have suffered physical ailments due to the poor air quality were present as well as teachers who work in the school on a daily basis.

Questions were asked and answered and the vote easily passed. Requests for bids will go out immediately, and the work is expected to be completed within the next few months. Although not impacting this year’s heating system, this solution is long overdue and a special town meeting was justified. Our children’s health and capacity for learning are of an utmost importance and we are fortunate a solution has been found.

The purpose of the second article was to adopt a new chimney ordinance. This is a result of an unusually high number of chimney fires in town. Firefighters have found that many homeowners have installed single walled chimney liners, which are sub-par and dangerous.

The ordinance would require chimneys for solid fuel burning appliances to be of a fire-resistant masonry material. In addition, property owners would be required to cease use of their chimney after having a chimney fire until proof that a certified chimney inspection has been completed. There was little discussion over this, and the ordinance passed with a majority vote.

Play Ball

Despite the deep snow currently resting on our fields, the group of dedicated volunteers who run the Raymond baseball and softball program are busy making plans for the 2008 season. Registrations will be held in the Jordan Small Middle School cafeteria from 6 to 8 pm. Thursday, Feb. 28 and Thursday, March 6. This registration is for all levels of players from T-ball through senior league, ages 5-15. For more information, please contact Bonnie Flynn at 655-5339 or visit www.raymondbaseballsoftball.com

Blue and Gold Banquet

On Saturday evening, Pack 800 cub scouts and their families gathered together in celebration at the annual Blue and Gold banquet, an evening designed to honor and celebrate the scouts’ accomplishments. This family potluck event was filled with activities beyond the meal. This year’s theme was sports, and each den was required to make a centerpiece for their table that depicted the theme of sports. This decoration was a team effort the boys created during their regular den meetings, and the prize for best centerpiece was awarded to Den 1. Additionally, each Cub Scout was asked to make a cake for dessert. The cakes were also decorated with the sports theme involving Cub Scouting activities and showed plenty of creativity. There were prizes for the best three cakes and awards were given to Isaac Jordan for first place, Josh Mains for second and George Blaney for third.

Working on earning his Eagle Scout badge, Windham’s Mathew Butler joined the festivities. Beyond his dedication to scouting, Butler is one of the top 25 ski racers in Maine. He works with ski patrol at Shawnee Peak and is only 14 years old. He and his father, Brian, attended the banquet and demonstrated rescue techniques, first aid and patrol gear. Many of Raymond scouts participate in the ski and board program through the Raymond Recreation program, and it was very inspiring to see what their fellow scout is doing on the slopes at such a young age.

The banquet was a collaborative effort of many parents, den leaders and pack officials but a special thank you goes to Ivy Jordan who volunteered to coordinate the occasion.

Town Office Closed

In recognition of President’s Day, the town office will be closed on Saturday, Feb. 16. The office will reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 19 during regular hours.