0123 Raymond

Courtesy of Theresa Folsom

Caption – Raymond’s newest resident, 4-year-old Heena

Welcome Heena!

After two years of paperwork, legal hurdles and delays, Joe and Theresa Folsom have finally brought their new daughter home.

Leaving an orphanage and making the very long journey from India, four-year old Heena arrived in Raymond this week, delighting all those who have met her with her warm smile and big brown eyes. Her big brother, 9-year-old Ben, is taking extra special care of her, going out of his way to make sure she is comfortable and never alone as she familiarizes herself with her new family and home.

Heena’s future will be full of opportunities and wonderful experiences, and it warms my heart to know her life has changed so much for the better. I can think of no better place for her to live and grow than here in Raymond with the Folsom family. Congratulations and welcome!

Election time

As the towns of Raymond and Windham continue to move forward with the consolidation plan, the new school board is being formed. I personally wish to thank the five candidates who offered their time and services and are competing for Raymond’s three seats. They are all excellent candidates, and include Abigail Davis, Jeraldine Keane, Jennifer Mains, Catriona Sangster and Alizah Shriver. The election will be held Tuesday, Jan. 27 at the Jordan Small Middle School from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Please take time to come out and vote.

Ski-a-Thon for Camp Sunshine

Raymond is full of avid skiers and snowboarders, and Casco’s Camp Sunshine needs your help. It is time to hit the slopes for a great cause. Camp Sunshine has teamed up with Shawnee Peak for the 14th Annual Moonlight Charity Challenge Ski-a-thon presented by Downeast Energy on Friday, Feb. 6.

This is your opportunity to enjoy a fun-packed afternoon and evening of skiing and snowboarding while raising money for Camp Sunshine and the Shawnee Peak Adaptive Ski Program. All level of skiers and riders are invited to participate. Registration begins at 1 p.m. and the ski-a-thon will run from 2-7 p.m. Each participant will receive a mid-day ticket valid through 10 p.m., so you can stick around and ski under the lights after the event.

Simply raise a minimum of $100 in pledges then take as many runs as you can. Prizes will be awarded to age group winners for most runs skied and most money earned. Dinner, the awards ceremony, and a raffle will be held in Blizzards Pub from 6:30-8 p.m. that evening. Conditions on the mountain are excellent, so treat yourself to some fun while helping Camp Sunshine help others.

Kill A Watt? at the library

I have heard that one of the most requested and popular whodunits at public libraries around Maine this winter will likely be “Kill A Watt?” Don’t be misled; this is not the latest bestseller mystery novel. It is an electricity usage monitor and educational tool kit that will help people understand and manage power consumption in their homes and businesses.

Efficiency Maine has distributed more than 650 Kill A Watt electricity monitors to public libraries across the state, including the Raymond Village Library. The monitors, which may be checked out for a week, will help us all detect the “energy thieves” in our homes so we can be more responsible in reducing our energy bills.

Simply plug the monitor into any appliance and obtain a reading on how many kilowatt-hours the appliance is using. The educational tool kits include a home energy savings tips brochure and energy tips bookmark which patrons can keep. The average Maine residential customer consumes 6,817 kWh per year, and the Kill A Watt? will solve the mystery of which appliances and electrical devises use the most power and which ones contribute the most to pollution and climate change.

Stop by the library to borrow a monitor and get started on reducing your energy costs and environmental impact.

Called for casting

Congratulations are in order to four Raymond Elementary School students for auditioning and being casted in the upcoming production of “Jungle Book Kids” at Fiddleheads. Second graders Marissa Page and Tommy Gordon and fourth graders Hannah Brackett and Katie Gordon have begun rehearsals and are looking forward to the play.

Fiddlehead Center for the Arts in Gray received a grant from the Davis Foundation last summer to begin a community theatre group for children. This production provides the opportunity to showcase talented students in music, voice, arts, sciences and technology all on one stage. This is their first production. It will be held March 6, 7, 13 and 14. Tickets go on sale Feb. 9.

Fiddlehead’s has been offering cultural enrichment experiences to children from Raymond and our surrounding towns for seven years. For more information or for ticket reservations, please call Jeanne Adams at 657-2244.

Graffiti

Center Stage Performing Arts on Main Street has been the target of continuous acts of graffiti over the past month. The “artist” repeatedly strikes in the middle of the night and remains unknown. Because cleaning the graffiti is expensive and also uses very dangerous chemicals, the latest paint has not yet been removed from the sides of the building. Center Stage is offering a cash reward for any information leading to the arrest of the vandal.

Please contact Beth Gaudet at 807-7405 or centerstage@maine.rr.com if you have any information that can help put an end to this unsightly vandalism.