Broadway to Barbershop

A concert featuring area talent will be held at the Raymond Village Community Church on Saturday, April 28, at 7 p.m. to benefit the church’s many activity programs. Entitled “From Broadway to Barbershop,” the show will feature tenor Norman Whiteside and alto Pamela Dawson from the greater Portland music scene doing Broadway favorites from some of Andrew L. Webber’s hit musicals. The quartet, “The Port City Sound,” has won nine division quartet championships, three northeast district gold medals, and numerous other awards. The Sound is composed of lead singer Walt Dowling of Ocean Park; tenor Fred Moore, a former director of the Downeaster’s Chorus; baritone Jim Curtis, a former director of the Manchester, CT, Silk City chorus which has competed in five international competitions; and bass Jim Simpson who has sung with a number of area quartets. Giving the show an intergenerational flavor will be student instrumentalists from Windham High School, each “All State” winners. For more information, please contact Frank Morrison at 627-3351 or marpo@maine.rr.com.

Recycling Update

It thrills me that Raymond has such an aggressive recycling program and with zero-sort recycling, most of our waste can now be recycled and all dumped into one bin. It couldn’t be easier and kudos goes to everyone for recycling more. Over the past couple of years, our town has increased the amount recycled and reduced the amount of trash we must process resulting in a savings to the town. Pine Tree Waste has asked us to remind residents, however, that Styrofoam and plastic wrap are not recyclable. Large pieces of Styrofoam should be taken to Lake Region Bulky Waste and small packing peanuts can be put in your regular household trash. Plastic wrap such as Saran should also be placed in your regular trash. With zero sort recycling, it truly is effortless and saves our town money while having a very positive impact on the environment.

Compost Bins

Speaking of reducing your global footprint, composting is an excellent way to reduce trash by recycling food scraps, yard trimmings and other organic matter. Once these scraps are decomposed, they can be used for potting soil or mulch and to help improve moisture absorption and drainage. To help you in your composting efforts, the town is once again selling compost bins. The deadline to place your order is April 29 with an expected shipment date of May 13. These 40-gallon bins have a 10-year warranty and are made of 100 percent recycled black plastic. Scrap pails, wing diggers and rain barrels are also being sold. Samples are on display at the town office. To place an order, contact Louise Lester, Town Clerk at 655-4742 or louise.lester@raymondmaine.org.

Beach to Beacon Slots Available

As a past event beneficiary, Camp Sunshine has been allotted 25 bibs for this year’s TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10k Road Race which will be held on Saturday, Aug. 4, on the beautiful and challenging course in Cape Elizabeth. Once again, this world-class event sold out in just minutes and thousands of runners will be participating. Did you miss out but still want to run? If so, you can do so by raising a minimum of $500 for Camp Sunshine in exchange for one of their 25 spots in this prestigious race. Why not go the distance for Camp Sunshine. These entries are going fast, so if interested please contact Michael Smith at 655-3800 immediately to reserve your spot on Team Sunshine.

I Will Try

Speaking of running, the Panther Track Club is about to kick off another season. Founded in 1989 and based out of Poland, the Panthers consist of children ages 5-14 from surrounding towns including Raymond. It is the goal of the club to give children the opportunity to participate in a healthy activity that encourages them to develop self esteem, a sense of team spirit and, at the same time, increase their athletic ability. Participants can compete in running events of various distances, javelin, shot put, discus, long jump, triple jump and high jump.

Practices are beginning this week. The Panthers practice on Monday and Wednesday evenings with meets held on Thursdays throughout the summer. Along with many volunteers, they are coached by Dan Roy whose motto is: “I Will Try,” and that is all that is expected. Coach Dan says “the focus of the team is to improve each athlete’s personal best performances. Some athletes are more skilled than others and will earn ribbons in the meets. Others will work hard to improve their own personal times and distances and will be recognized by the coaches for their own personal successes.”

The Panthers have won the Maine USA Track and Field State Championship title for the past four consecutive years. To register your child, please contact coachdan@roadrunner.com or visit panthertrackclub.com to download an application.

Kindergarten Registration Reminder

September may seem far away, but registration is now open for the upcoming school year. If you have a child who will be turning 5 years old on or before Oct. 15 and is a resident of Raymond, please register your child for the fall of 2012 by completing the online registration form which can be found at http://www.windham.k12.me.us/wsd_re/kindergarten_registration/index.cfm. Once you have submitted the online registration forms, the Raymond Elementary School will contact you to schedule an appointment. If you are unable to complete the registration online or have any questions regarding the online registration process, please call 655-8672. A parent orientation and kindergarten student screenings of all eligible children will be held on May 16. For further information, please contact Deborah Hutchinson, Assistant Principal/Guidance Counselor at Raymond Elementary School at 655-8672 ext. 400 or dhutchinson@windhamraymondschools.org.

Contact her with happenings at:cmeader1@yahoo.com

(207) 655-4434