RAYMOND – A new effort aimed at spurring economic development and town pride is under way in Raymond, just in time for the busy summer tourist season.

A local group has created a brochure to spotlight Raymond’s obvious and not-so-obvious attractions and businesses, giving tourists and residents an easy guide for what’s going on in town.

Titled “Welcome to Raymond, Maine,” the brochure was the brainchild of Brian Walker, a member of the Raymond Revitalization Committee. The six-panel, full-color, fold-out brochure is available at stores and businesses throughout town and is targeting those not familiar with all Raymond has to offer, which Walker said is just about everyone, even longtime residents.

“We had three different audiences,” Walker said. “First and foremost, the summer visitor to Raymond. Second, the summer resident or snow bird with a second home. And third, the year-round resident not aware of all the businesses and services offered locally.”

Walker said he hopes the brochure will become an annual publication. The inaugural edition was designed by Ellie Stengel, owner of Custom Designed Graphics in Windham, whom Walker credits with producing a “top-quality product.”

Walker said all Raymond businesses were mentioned free of charge, with those who chose to pay for an ad, getting a larger mention. The town’s clubs and organizations get a free mention, as well, as do places to visit, such as the Hawthorne House, Morgan Meadow, and the Raymond-Casco Historical Society.

The brochure was timed to coincide with Raymond’s busy summer tourist season, when the town swells from its usual 4,500 year-round residents to more than 12,000 summer residents and visitors.

Local business owner Mark Accousti, owner of Speedy Stop and the Raymond Shopping Center, said people are picking up the new brochure.

“I think it got a really good response from everybody, and I think it’s going to pay off,” Accousti said. “People coming into town are going to pick them up and they’re going to realize, hey, we’re cooking out tonight, there’s a meat market here, there are lobsters here, everything is right here in town.”

Walker said the goal of the Raymond Revitalization Committee is to promote local business in particular and Raymond in general.

“So, the idea was to create a single brochure that would allow a visitor to Raymond to see all the possibilities for how to enjoy their time in Raymond,” Walker said. “So they might conclude, hey, we don’t have to go into Portland today, we’re going to spend more time in Raymond.”

Also mentioned, complete with hours and phone numbers, are town-owned resources such as the town office, public safety building, the Raymond Village Library and Raymond Food Pantry. The four churches in town are listed, as well.

Making the brochure handy for users is a map with numbers marking the location for the 30 or so businesses and organizations that chose to advertise. The advertisements – priced between $110-220 each – helped cover the costs associated with creating the brochure, Walker said.

“We made sure it was a complete list of businesses, and offered to list their businesses free of charge. And if they wanted to, they could advertise in it for a marginal cost,” said Walker. The committee received many more advertisements than it expected, he said, and as result was able to print 17,000 brochures rather than the 10,000 it originally planned.

Wayne Holmquist and Sam Gifford, the two men who founded the Raymond Revitalization Committee last year, are pleased with the result, since it reinforces the committee’s “buy local” strategy.

“Back when we started the revitalization committee we had three ultimate goals,” Holmquist said. “One was to broaden the business tax base in town. The second was to create additional employment in town, and, thirdly, to build community pride and make Raymond a better place to live. I honesty believe this [brochure] does all three and will improve the revitalization effort.”

Holmquist, a member of the Raymond-Casco Historical Society that holds museum hours weekly, said the brochure is getting attention.

“I’ve already seen people coming in there talking about the brochure and they’re local people, and I’ve talked to several businesspeople that have gotten results from it,” he said. “They all said people chat about it when they come in, and they’re apparently disappearing fairly rapidly from the display stands.”

Gifford, who is also the newly elected chairman of the Raymond Board of Selectmen, said the brochure’s ultimate goal is “to push economic development.”

“Our feeling about economic development is that, of course, it’s going to lead to a number of things, one of which is broadening the tax base. And that’s a big deal for us,” he said.

Don Willard, Raymond’s town manager, also praised the effort.

“The new community brochure is a highly successful collaborative effort of all the involved parties that clearly demonstrates the potential of working together to help catalyze both short- and long-term economic activity through highlighting all we have to offer here in Raymond,” he said. “The brochure is an important first step as we highlight why Raymond is such a special place to live, recreate, work and do business.”

With cashier John Mountain behind the counter, a display of newly printed brochures highlighting businesses and organizations and things to do in Raymond takes a prominent position at the Speedy Stop gas station and convenience store in Raymond. Staff photo by John Balentine