Drive-in supper

Are you tired of the everyday church supper and long for something more exciting than beans? The Raymond Village Community Church on Main Street invites you to join them for a new and fun evening as they celebrate summer. They are hosting a church supper “drive-in” style on Saturday, July 17, from 4:30-6 p.m. The menu will consist of burgers, hot dogs, brats, coleslaw, chips and drinks and will be priced per item. Feel free to eat in or take out, but I encourage you to join friends and neighbors under the picnic tent and enjoy the music and a good meal together.

Hawthorne House yard sale

We all love discovering those incredibly priced special treasures found only at a good yard sale and you will not want to miss the Hawthorne Community Association’s sale scheduled for Saturday, July 17, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Tables are also still available to rent for only $10 should you wish to do some selling as well as buying. Either way, you will be helping the Hawthorne House so mark the date. For more information, contact Nonie Irving at 655-2983 or rirving@fairpoint.net.

PTO scholarships

The Raymond PTO has always been a very active group of volunteers who dedicate many hours to enhance the educational and cultural experience offered to our students. The PTO finished the school year by awarding three scholarships to deserving high school seniors. For years, two scholarships have been awarded based on several criteria including grades, citizenship and merit. After the tragic passing of devoted PTO member Julie Orsini, a third scholarship was created to be awarded to a student who had overcome significant barriers in life and still sought to further his or her education.

This year, the recipients of the two original scholarships are Haley Desjardins, daughter of Dana and Paula Desjardins, and Emily Dodge, daughter of Gary and Cathy Dodge. Haley will be attending Quinnipiac University and Emily will be attending Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. The Julie Orsini Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Dean Darien, son of Dean and Anna Darien, who plans to attend the University of Maine at Orono. Congratulations to all three of these deserving students.

Cover artist

Erin Dodge, recent graduate of the School of Visual Arts, entered a contest to be the cover artist for the New York City magazine Chopsticks NYC. She just received the exciting news that she is in the top five, and her work will be on display in September at the Coo Gallery in New York City. She was asked to submit another piece this week to determine the contest winner. The subject of the new piece is the Japanese New Year. I am so excited for her and will report back once we hear the results.

Books for sale

The Raymond Village Library’s annual book sale kicks off on Sunday, July 11, at 9 a.m. and will continue throughout the summer. Readers can look forward to the wide variety of books in hardcover and paperback as well as audio tapes, videotapes and puzzles at this annual event. New items are added daily so be sure to stop by periodically to find your favorite books at incredibly low prices. The library is open Sunday, Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Organic gardening

The next seminar in a series of workshops presented by the Raymond Community Garden will be held on Wednesday, July 21, at 7 p.m. at the Raymond Village Community Church. Christine Plummer, co-owner and operator of the Raymond Echo Lodge and Maine Organic Gardeners and Farmers Association certified organic garden, will explain how organic gardening techniques can lead to a successful and bountiful harvest. This presentation is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Leigh Walker at lwalker4@maine.rr.com or 655-2135.

Retirement garden

After 13 years of serving the children and their families as principal of Raymond Elementary School, Norma Richard retired at the close of the school year. A celebration was held in her honor and a special garden was unveiled and dedicated to her at a school-wide assembly. The staff at the school wishes to thank Greg Tangen from Lowe’s for donations to the garden and would also like to thank Sam and Elise Gifford and Sharon Dodson for donating their time to plant the garden. Additional thanks go out to all of the friends and parents who made donations to make the garden a truly lovely place.

Kindergarten registration

If you live in Raymond, have a child turning 5 before Oct. 15, and your child has not yet been registered for kindergarten, please contact Mindy McKinney at the Raymond Elementary School at 655-8672 or mmckinney@windhamraymondschools.org to make an appointment to register your child. You will need to have a birth certificate, immunization record and proof of residency. All kindergarten registrations should be done immediately so the staff can plan accordingly.

Off to a good start

Emily Dodge, daughter of Cathy and Gary Dodge, will be attending the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences this fall. She has received the following merit awards: MCPHS Academic Achievement Award, Raymond PTO Scholarship, Town of Raymond Scholarship and Windham PTA Scholarship. Congratulations to Emily for these impressive achievements.

Making honors

The following North Yarmouth Academy students from Raymond attained honor roll status for the third trimester:

Highest Honors: Grade 9: Emma Laprise and Lillie Reder, Grade 7: Muriel Adams; High Honors: Grade 12: Katherine Lentine; and Honors: Grade 9: Aaron Guiseley and Grade 6: Hannah Chapman.

The following Hebron Academy students from Raymond attained honors for the spring trimester:

Highest Honors: Rosalyn Moisan; High Honors: Lindsey Hughes; and Honors: Calvin Moisan and Corrie Van Haasteren.