Roadside stands ‘honor system’ prevalent in Raymond

By Kendra Raymond

For residents of many communities and small towns, the availability of small independent roadside stands is common. Though we may take these convenient “Mom and Pop” operations for granted, they provide quality products at fair prices.

Tomatoes up for sale to passing motorists and
neighbors are displayed at 'Tomato King' Dan
Pandora's roadside vegetable stand in Raymond.
PHOTO BY KENDRA RAYMOND

Who hasn’t bought a bundle of “camp wood” from a makeshift hut at the end of someone’s driveway? Or how about a handful of veggies from a homeowner’s over-productive garden? What about farm fresh eggs or even cut flowers?

These goods are often placed with great care, either on a small stand, lawn chair, or on a wooden crate. Some of these business owners even offer complimentary bags or boxes to transport your loot.

Dan Pandora, “The Tomato King” of Raymond, is well-known in his neighborhood for sharing various crops throughout the growing season. Starting with rhubarb in early summer, Pandora segways into tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, and rounds out the season with pumpkins.

“It’s funny, rhubarb is one of the best sellers,” said Pandora. “I just run the stand for entertainment. I price the produce to sell,” he said. With a large garden and plenty of spare vegetables, Pandora said it makes sense to share the produce.

Pandora has one caveat, however, “I’m trying to keep a low profile,” he said.Like most, Pandora’s stand runs on the honor system. That consists of a small receptacle for customers to deposit their cash.

“I find all kinds of interesting things in my Chock Full O’Nuts can,” said Pandora, referring to fun notes and little prizes left by customers. “I really don’t worry about theft. I keep it ‘ghetto’ on purpose,” he said. Pandora’s stand consists of a folding camping chair, a crate tipped up on its side filled with the produce, and an old coffee can used to collect the proceeds.

Similar stands can be found throughout area towns. In Casco and several locations in Raymond, and many locations along Route 302 in Windham, bundles of firewood are readily available. Fresh flower bouquets are often for sale on the Egypt Road in Raymond. Farm fresh egg stands are plentiful along the roadways along Route 302 in Casco and Windham and on Main Street in Raymond, to name a few.

A Raymond egg seller who has 18 laying hens and 22 babies said that she has one loyal customer who buys three to five dozen eggs a week, as well as other random buyers. Most of her sales are arranged through word of mouth or on social media. She likes to keep her business quaint, claiming that she is not really a farmer.

One Raymond resident who recently stopped to make a purchase from Pandora is a loyal supporter of roadside stands, more specifically those that sell fresh vegetables. He is always on the lookout for veggie stands and hopes to locate more through word of mouth.

He is skeptical of the younger generation, however, saying that a recent incident where all the vegetables and the contents of the money jar disappeared was shocking. He blames modern parenting and recalls a day when kids were brought up to be trustworthy and work hard and said that he would never steal vegetables.

All things considered, a visit to a roadside stand in the Lakes Region usually promises to be a positive experience. If you keep your expectations realistic and practice good consumerism, things should go swimmingly.

For those a little more ambitious, maybe you’d like to consider setting up a roadside stand of your own. The Team Flower Blog website offers some solid advice: Put up a sign ahead of your stand, provide bags, consider operating on donations, and plan for customers not having exact change. The website says, “What a blessing when you have put your heart into what you do to share with others! They appreciate it and want to make sure they are helping you continue offering beauty to your part of the world.”

The Team Flower website offers some great information if you’re interested in starting your own roadside stand. Despite the focus on selling flowers, much of the information applies to many products that can be sold. Learn more at: https://education.teamflower.org <

Raymond Community Garden cultivates enthusiasm for nature and food pantry donations

By Ed Pierce

If working in a garden teaches tolerance and preparedness, this year’s group of gardening enthusiasts working spaces at the Raymond Community Garden will be some of the most patient and watchful individuals around by the time that fall arrives.

Spaces are still available at the Raymond Community Garden
for anyone who wishes to grow flowers or vegetables for
personal use or to make donations to the Raymond
Food Pantry. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

The Raymond Community Garden is open to anyone interested in gardening and is located across the parking lot from the Raymond Village Library at 3 Meadow Road in Raymond. The garden is open from dawn to dark although most of its gardeners come in the morning or evenings when it is cooler during the summer.

Under the direction of Leigh Walker, participants meet her at the garden and choose a space and spaces are still available for the 2023 growing season.

“In the 12 years the garden has been in existence, we have had as few as eight gardeners and as many as 24 gardeners each year,” Walker said. “I have 10 returning gardeners this year.”

According to Walker, gardening enthusiasts with spaces at the Raymond Community Garden typically grow vegetables and flowers in the garden.

“Some examples are tomatoes, lettuce, kale, eggplant, cabbage, green beans, zucchini, cucumbers, and many more,” she said. “Some who have been gardening with us for years grow perennial plants like asparagus and put in garlic in the fall for harvest the next summer. We have a ton of sunflowers and people often put in marigolds and other insect-repelling flowers.”

Walker said that this year there will be three Master Gardeners working with participants at the Raymond Community Garden.

“We have three Master Gardeners from the Cumberland County Extension who work with us, Linda Pankewicz, Margie Thumm and Richard Adams,” she said. “We have other gardeners who are very knowledgeable and are happy to help when questions come up. We are a very welcoming community if a new gardener wants to learn. We can connect the gardeners with one of the Master Gardeners but often they will see Linda at the garden. We are so thankful for the expertise they all provide for our gardeners. We are so fortunate to have them working with us.”

Funding for the community garden comes from several sources.

“We have two funding sources,” Walkers said. “Our goal is to keep access to the garden as inexpensive as possible so anyone can participate. As a program of the Raymond Village Library, we ask for a $15 donation to the library for one plot sized about 8 x 15. We add another 2 x 15 row to each plot and ask that the gardener grows and maintains food for the food pantry in the second plot. They can grow whatever they want to, but we can make suggestions of things we know the food pantry needs. If someone has a challenge with that donation, they should still come talk to us. We will always try to find a space for someone to garden if they want to and we have space. Most of our gardeners use two plots. Typical donations to the food pantry are tomatoes, green beans, lettuce, corn, cabbage, broccoli, kale, carrots, beets, cucumbers, squash, garlic and onions.”

The other source of funding is from the Cumberland County Extension Seed Grant, Walker said.

“They have been so kind to give us a few hundred dollars in garden needs each year,” she said. “We apply for the grant in the fall and request certain items that we need. They purchase them and provide them to us. It has been hugely helpful to our gardeners. Some items help us extend the season and deter pests, like row covers. Other items help us do the work that needs to be done like garden carts and tools. We are extremely grateful to the Cumberland County Extension for all the supplies as well as the advice and counseling they have given us over the years. I am not sure our garden would still be here without their support at key times.”

Along with those funding sources, Walker said they have plenty of support from others as well.

“The Town of Raymond has been a great partner as has the Plummer Family who has provided space for us and has been another amazing partner,” Walker said. “And, of course, the library is a huge support as well. We would not exist without all these people and organizations.”

Water is abundantly available for gardeners and the community garden uses a water barrel and watering can system.

“There are many water barrels available, and we do ask the gardeners to help keep them full,” Walker said. “One could use a hose to water, but we have found the watering can system and using mulch helps reduce unnecessary water consumption.”

The community garden uses organic practices with products that provide beneficial nutrients to plants and animals that do not harm them or the soil they grow in.

“Examples are using manure and compost to give your plant nutrients and not using chemical fertilizers and pesticides,” Walker said. “At our garden, we make sure that only organic seeds and plants are used. No chemical fertilizers, pesticides or weed killers are used. If anyone has extra manure that they would be willing to bring to us at the garden, we would be thrilled to have it. If they email me, we can set up a time for them to bring it by. We don’t have a truck so getting manure to the garden is always a challenge for us.”

All skill levels in gardening are welcome from experts to basic beginners.

“We love to have new gardeners. We can help in all ways, from choosing what to grow and what they can do to minimize the work that needs to happen in a garden,” Walker said. “I will say, people who want a garden will have much more success if they are willing to be engaged in their garden throughout the summer and fall. Gardening is not a plant it and forget it activity. But we are here to help along the way. With the Master Gardeners and the strong sense of community that we have with our wonderful gardeners, all gardeners have as much support as they would like. All they have to do is ask.”

Many gardeners in Raymond are looking forward to a plant sale starting at 7 a.m. Saturday, June 3 at the Raymond Village Library and Raymond Community Garden. It is a fundraiser for the library which supports the community garden and will feature some beautiful plants this year.

For more details about obtaining a space at the Raymond Community Garden, send an email to Walker at Lwalker4@maine.rr.com.<

Inspiring teen overcomes disability to shine light on autism in Windham

Rosemary Haibon,, 18, a senior at Windham
High School, recently conducted a fundraiser
and solicited donations from area nurseries
to help autistic residents of group homes in
Windham to plant gardens. She is Miss
Maine Sweetheart and was diagnosed with
autism in sixth grade. She will graduate from
high school next month and plans to become
a physical therapist. COURTESY PHOTO

By Ed Pierce     

Rosemary Haibon is living proof that having a disability doesn’t limit your willingness to care about others in need or what you can accomplish in life.

Haibon, 18, will be graduating from Windham High School next month and was first diagnosed with autism as she was getting ready to go into sixth grade. Rather than dwell or despair about her diagnosis, she learned to adapt and excel, winning the title of Miss Maine Sweetheart and then raising money to help others coping with autism in Windham.

 

Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears in childhood and impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills and cognitive function.

“While in the beginning, I was embarrassed to have that label, now looking back, it truly helped me have the assistance in my education that I needed,” Rosemary Haibon said.

 

Once her high school education ends, she plans to attend the University of Southern Maine for Applied Exercise Sciences and then transfer to the University of New England to earn a Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy.

 

“I'm going into this field because of a wonderful therapist I saw for a very long time. I began seeing her when I was a little kid, and I loved going to visit her office,” she said. “I have something called Periodic Fever Syndrome, which is very similar to arthritis. My joints were in constant pain, and she helped me not be in pain anymore. I hope to do her proud and hope to be just like her when I go into my career.”  

Winning the Miss Maine Sweetheart crown almost happened to her by accident.

“I came to be a part of the Miss Maine Sweetheart program due to another program called the Miss Sensational program. The Miss Sensational program was to help girls with disabilities grow to be more confident. One of the girls who helped us was currently a Sweetheart and introduced me to her,” Rosemary Haibon said. “That was the moment I became a part of the Sweetheart family. The director insisted I compete for her, and when I was crowned, it was a moment I will never forget. I remember looking up and seeing my mom be excited and cheering for me and I was so excited that all my hard work paid off. It was a truly emotional moment for me.” 

 

Rosemary’s mother, Mary Haibon, has played a huge role in helping her reach for the stars and make her dreams for the future come true. An example of that unwavering commitment was her guidance regarding the Miss Maine Sweetheart Pageant.

 

“The pageant is organized and run well. The expectations of each contestant are very clear. We made a checklist of things she needed to have, like different dresses/outfits, things for talent and things she should be practicing such as her walk and answering questions from her resume,” Mary Haibon said. “I don’t have a lot of experience in the pageant world, so the best way I felt I could help Rosie was to support her emotionally. I gave many reminders that, although winning would be great, having the experience is a wonderful gift and to enjoy her time there. We were thrilled when she won. She worked so hard getting ready for the competition and it was wonderful to see her hard work pay off for her.”

 

Knowing some of the struggles those with autism deal with, Rosemary Haibon chose to champion fundraising activities for the autistic in Windham and to work with local nurseries in helping group home residents start their own gardens.

 

“Due to COVID, I couldn't exactly go out and meet with nurseries and people in person. Luckily social media helped me tremendously,” she said. “Through Facebook and Instagram, I was able to promote my cause and fundraising. In total, I raised $265 dollars and received eight item donations. I had my closest friends share my posts on social media as well, sharing it to their friends as well. It feels really good, it fills me with a warmth in my chest. Doing good deeds have always made me feel good, even just little things. Knowing that I can personally relate to my cause and who I'm doing it for, it makes me feel good knowing I'm doing something they will love, it makes me feel happy and smiley. I hope they enjoy putting them to use as much as I enjoyed putting this project together for them and doing something that I love.” 

 

Her mother said she’s proud of what her daughter has accomplished so far and how she’s brought awareness to autism to her classmates and the community. 

“I take comfort in knowing that the more people who understand individuals with autism, the more opportunities and acceptance will happen for those individuals. We have a number of family members, including Rosie and her sister on the autism spectrum and I think it’s important for others to understand that individuals with autism have so much to offer society,” Mary Haibon said. “I think there is a lot of talk publicly about autism without a lot of understanding what that really means. People with autism are a very diverse group of individuals with many talents, interests and abilities. In my experience, people who are not familiar with individuals with autism tend to think that all people with autism should speak or act a certain way and that’s just not true. Children with autism grow up to be adults with autism and need just as much understanding and support. They deserve to be accepted and given opportunities to show their unique abilities.”

Misty Niman, Director of Quality Assurance for Port Resources, which operates several group homes for those with autism in Windham, said Rosemary Haibon has been a blessing for the company and its work here.

“It’s very uplifting to see this young, motivated woman care about the work that we do here at Port Resources. In addition to our many programs throughout Southern Maine, our company has several homes in Windham, and we are always looking for creative ways to do so much with so little. Gardening is an unfunded activity but is so good for the soul,” Niman said. “She is a gem. She was so professional and really is a role model for others. She put her big heart and her motivation to work for a great cause – as we all should.”

Niman said that the autism sector of healthcare is often overlooked.

“Port Resources employs over 200 people and has become a second family to many of our employees and the people we serve. However, our industry is suffering the worst staffing shortage in my lifetime. Educating the community about who we are and what we do right here for Windham residents is so important,” she said. “We are very thankful for Rosie’s work and for the entire Haibon family. I personally am thankful to share this community with a family like theirs.”

Rosemary Haibon said that her parents are very proud of the work she’s done for the cause.

 

“They're always proud of the work I do, big or small, but having them know it's something that makes me happy and something I'm passionate about and connect with, it makes them happy and that in turn makes me feel even better about the work I am doing for my community,” she said. “Just because people have autism, it doesn't mean they should be treated any differently. I find that just because my brain functions differently from my other family members or my friends, it doesn't change the fact that I am still a human being with emotions and thoughts. I should not be treated differently from someone else because of a disability.” < 

Local volunteers continue a 32-year tradition beautifying the Windham rotary islands: Enough funds to last only two more years

Flowers on Smith Island of the Route 302 rotary.

By Lorraine Glowczak

There are many benefits to planting flowers – and enjoying their spectacular colors and beauty is among them. Due to a few community volunteers, local residents and visiting motorists, alike, have come upon a colorful display of scenery at the round-a-bout at the intersection of Routes 302 and 202 in Windham for the past 32 years. Who are the landscaping creatives and how did it all begin?

In his June 6, 2017 article, Reporter Walter Lunt shared the following: “The rotary gardens have their roots in Windham’s 250^th year celebration back in 1987. The town went all out with lectures, historical programs, open house events in old homes and churches, various entertainment venues, a parade, festival and gardens featuring red, white and blue plantings. (The color theme is retained in the current rotary gardens.) Gary Plummer, General Chair of the 1987 event, said the rotary flowers were well received by the public, so it became a spring tradition.”

But becoming a tradition almost didn’t happen. Plummer recently stated that the flowers were originally provided by June and Dick Hawkes, who once ran a greenhouse on Windham Center Road. “At the end of the 250^th celebration, our committee had several thousand dollars left in our account. We gave that to the Town of Windham and in return we asked that the town pay for the flowers for us to plant every year. The town did this for several years, but then cut this money from the budget.”

When this happened, Plummer polled members of the group and they all agreed that they preferred to remain gardeners, not fundraisers. “I went to the town council and apprised them of our decision and told them that we would work with them in closing down the gardens,” Plummer said. “When I got home that evening, I found two messages on my answering machine offering to help provide for the continuing of the gardens. Those calls were from Joe Gagne of Roosevelt Trail Garden Center and George Hall of Hall Implement Company.”

And thus, the tradition was able to continue.

Naming themselves the “Rotary Club”, members depend upon donations and on contributions of flowers and mulch. Plummer credits Joe Gagne of Roosevelt Trail Nurseries and Cooper’s Greenhouse with major contributions.

Plummer explained that there originally were four different groups that planted one island each. “Over the years, as people were no longer able to plant and maintain their island, we worked together as one group,” stated Plummer. “At this point, I am the only person that has been there since the beginning.”

Roosevelt Trail Garden Center donated the flowers for many years and Hall Implement Company still donates the mulch. After Roosevelt Trail Garden center stopped growing their annual flowers, they donated many perennial flowers to keep the gardens going.

“Gaylene Cooper of Coopers Greenhouse contacted one of our members and offered to work with us to add a little more color to our gardens,” Plummer said. “For the last few years, we have purchased flowers from Coopers at a discounted price.”

The current source of funding is a grant that was given to the Rotary Club by Lake Pine Association when they sold their building on Route 302. “There is still enough money left to keep us going for about two more years. If the project is to continue after that, we will need to seek donations.”

Many, many people have been involved over the years. The current active members of the Rotary Garden Club are Tom Tyler, Sandy Tyler, Beth Hall, James Minott, Barb Maurais, Jennifer Harmon, Betty and, of course, Gary Plummer who has been there from the beginning.

“Over the years, we have named each island. The island on Route 202, nearest Hall Implement is called the Hall Island,” Plummer stated. “The island on Route 302, nearest Seavey’s store is the Seavey Island. The island on Route 202, nearest the Smith Cemetery, is the Smith Island. The island on Route 302, nearest Hancock Lumber, is known as the Hancock Island.”

If anyone is interested in joining The Rotary Club or making a donation, please reach out to Gary Plummer at geplummer@aol.com

Raymond Garden Tour: Nestled in the verdant forests off Raymond Hill Road lies a true oasis

By Briana Bizier

           

April Fey’s garden, which has been a labor of love for the past thirty years, is an enchanting space filled with flowers, birds, unique artwork, and the sound of running water. On Saturday, June 22, for the first time ever, Fey will join the biennial Raymond Garden Tour and open her garden to the public to benefit the Raymond Village Library.

Her decision to join the Garden Tour all started with a simple Facebook post. “When we finished the

dry stream bed in my garden, I posted a picture of it on Facebook,” Fey explains. “Sharon Dodson saw it and asked if I’d like to join the Raymond Garden Tour!”

Her garden, Fey told me, is inspired by her family’s globe-spanning travels. Her husband Robert is a pilot, and their family loves to travel. Many features from the sites that they have enjoyed during their many excursions have found their way home to join her beautiful garden.

Fey built her stone stream bed, which leads from a dry well near her porch and is home to three cheerful salmon sculptures, after admiring similar features in gardens during a trip to Japan. The colorful glass balls grouped near her rose bushes were inspired by a Chihuly exhibition, and the tiki statue she decorated herself is an homage to her family’s love of the Hawaiian Islands.

Several other sculptures adorn Fey’s garden, including a cheerful metal silhouette of three children. “That sculpture was a Mother’s Day present,” Fey explains. “Our three children are grown now, but the sculpture is right next to the path they used to walk to school.”

Although Fey’s children are now adults, her yard is still home to a young gardener. Fey’s two-year-
old grandson visits frequently to play with the miniature barn and farm animals in her flower bed or to move Fey’s collection of ceramic mushrooms. During my visit, the mushrooms were clustered artistically behind an enormous fern in what must have been the perfect place for a two-year-old to practice his own garden design.

Fey’s magnificent garden, which now wraps around her house and contains hundreds of flowers, all began with a muddy bank. “The slope in front of our house was a mess,” Fey explains. “My husband and I took apart an old rock wall to build a terrace, and that was our first garden bed.”

That first terrace is now home to poppies, daylilies, columbines, and a hops vine inspired by an urban garden in Portland that Fey visited for her daughter’s wedding. It’s also home to a few surprise volunteers.

“I didn’t even plant these,” Fey tells me, gesturing to a thriving clump of purple columbine flowers. “That’s another gift from Mother Nature.”

Fey’s original terrace garden has now been joined by many more flowerbeds. In addition to her roses and a garden by the shed filled entirely with divides from her many perennials, Fey has a bed devoted
entirely to lavender, another bed for cutting flowers, and several high bush blueberries.

“We come out in the morning with a bowl of cereal and pick blueberries for it,” Fey told me.

Even the old swing set in Fey’s backyard is host to an unusual variety of forsythia with red flowers that came from the Botanical Gardens in Boothbay as well as a container overflowing with purple blossoms. “This spot just needed a bit of color,” Fey explained.

Fey’s garden also includes a whimsical bottle tree, which Fey calls, “the easiest plant I grow.” From what this journalist can tell, Fey’s entire garden looks like it grows beautifully, although she laughed at the compliment.

“I’m a big believer in mulch,” Fey tells me, with a smile. “I just plant what I like, and I don’t worry too much about it.”

If you’d like to see Fey’s garden as well as the other featured gardens, the Raymond Garden Tour will take place this Saturday, June 22, with a rain date of Sunday, June 23. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 on the day of the tour, and they can be purchased at Raymond Village Library. All proceeds will benefit the library.