Women's four-part a capella chorus set to launch in Windham

By Erin Rose

Harmony is coming to Windham. Standish resident Denise “D” Dyer is forming Harmony 207, a women’s four-part acapella chorus, and will be hosting the inaugural meeting of the group at the Windham Hill United Church of Christ from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5.

A  new four-part a capella women's chorus called 
Harmony 207 will have its inaugural meeting from
6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 5 at Windham Hill
United Church of Christ, 140 Windham Center
Road in Windham. SUBMITTED PHOTO

“The meeting will be an introduction to our parent organization, Harmony, Incorporated, and to the genre,” she said. “People can feel what it’s like to experience those harmonies.”

The chorus is the realization of a longtime goal for Dyer, as in the past, she has had to travel more than an hour north or south to participate in an affiliated chorus. She is a lifetime member of Harmony, Incorporated and has also served as the organization’s International President from 2010 to 2012.

“The feeling that you get when you lock and ring a chord is absolutely amazing,” she said. “You have people who each sing a different part; they go off and learn their part, and when they come together, it all locks, and it’s magic the way that it fits together. That’s the magic of the seventh chord, the barbershop chord. It is just absolutely amazing when it’s done well and done right.”

Harmony 207 has been accepted as a prospective member of Harmony, Incorporated, an organization of 2,000 women and more than 65 chapter choruses in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1959, the organization hosts area and international competitions and provides educational resources for its membership.

The dues for membership are less than $100 annually, Dyer said, explaining that it would be little higher for new members. However, no fees will need to be paid until April 2027, as the group’s charter will not be official until the organization’s new year, which begins in April.

The inaugural meeting will include the attendance of two Harmony, Incorporated-affiliated choruses, Maine-ly Harmony, based in Gardiner, and Sounds of the Seacoast, from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Dyer said that their attendance helps show the bond that forms between members of the choruses.

“The women I sang with in Gardiner and in Portsmouth are coming on May 5 because it’s more of a sisterhood than an organization,” she said. “They say, ‘Music brings us together, harmony unites us.’”

While the organization hosts competitions, that is not the immediate goal of Harmony 207, as Dyer is seeking to start by building a community of like-minded women.

“It’s not mandatory to compete or attend conventions,” Dyer said. “My short-term goal is to get a group of women together that like to sing four-part harmony.”

During the inaugural meeting, attendees will be given a welcome packet which will include music for two songs, “Happy Birthday” and “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” written in four-part harmony.

“Everyone knows the words and everyone knows the melody” for Happy Birthday, Dyer said, adding that ensuring everyone can sing along will help “gauge which parts they find most comfortable to sing.”

Dyer explained that the vocal ranges for the chorus will differ from the standard soprano, alto, tenor, and bass parts, to accommodate the female singers.

“It’s tenor, lead, which is mostly melody, the baritone that fills in the chords in the middle, and then the base, which is a low alto,” she said.

While many people think of classic barbershop music in association with older music, Dyer said that the chorus will look at songs from popular Broadway musicals, including “Wicked,” and movies like “The Greatest Showman” and “Pitch Perfect.”

“We have to overcome the idea that barbershop singing is hokey and old fashioned,” she said. “This isn’t the barbershop that people know. It’s the structure of the chords that make it a barbershop song, not the era its written in.”

To start, members of the chorus will be learning holiday music, as the familiarity helps newer singers as they learn to navigate singing in four parts.

“We’re going to try to aim for the holiday music, and make it as much Maine as we can,” she said. “People already know the words and recognize the melody, so it will be easier to memorize over the course of the summer.”

Dyer says that the chorus will perform at the Windham UCC Church during the holiday season, in exchange for the use of their space to rehearse the rest of the year.

A perfect selection for the group is “The Maine Christmas Song,” written by Con Fullam of Windham about Christmastime in Maine. The song was arranged in a four-part harmony at the request of Maine-ly Harmony, and Dyer worked to receive the songwriter’s blessing to use the piece as part of their repertoire.

“He’s thrilled that we would use his arrangement and that we asked permission,” she said.

The Harmony, Incorporated charter requires a minimum of 14 members, so Dyer is hoping to recruit at least that many members from the inaugural meeting. There is no maximum number of members, and Dyer noted that the largest groups are 60 members. In competition, there must be 12 members performing on stage.

“I have no idea what to expect” as far as turnout, she said, “but I have welcome packets prepared for 100 people.”

The group’s Facebook page, Harmony 207 Windham, Maine, is helping to reach interested women, and there are already other local members of Harmony, Incorporated looking to join the chorus.

The Windham Hill UCC Church is located at 140 Windham Center Road. More information about the group or meeting can be found via its Facebook page or by reaching out to Dyer at [email protected]. <

Raymond Comprehensive Plan process nearing completion

By Kendra Raymond

With the final stages of the Raymond Comprehensive Plan draft complete, committee members will review feedback from residents as the plan progresses into the final stages of completion. A public hearing was conducted Wednesday, Dec. 4 at the regular Comprehensive Plan Committee meeting where residents had an opportunity to be heard, get caught up on the committee’s progress, and review feedback from the recent request for public feedback on the draft plan.

Suggestions from residents about growth,
transportation and conservation were
discussed during the formulation of
Raymond's Comprehensive Plan. Once 
all reviews are complete, the plan will go
to the Raymond Select Board for approval
to put it on the 2025 Town Warrant for
residents to vote on.
PHOTO BY KENDRA RAYMOND   

The public comment period has now closed and according to the CPC email updates Raymond town staff, the Comprehensive Plan Committee, and North Star Planning have been working together since May 2023 to update the town’s comprehensive plan. This draft plan includes Maine State requirements along with goals, policies, action items, and a Future Land Use Plan based on what we’ve heard from the Raymond community through online surveys, workshops, informal polls, and the committee.

The State of Maine Municipal Planning Assistance Program will review Raymond’s plan for completeness and compliance with the state’s Growth Management Act.

Once the public comment period has ended and state review is complete, Raymond staff, the Comprehensive Plan Committee, and North Star Planning will make edits and updates to finalize the plan. Then, the plan will go to the Select Board to vote on inclusion in the 2025 Town Warrant, where residents will be able to vote on its approval.

Kaela Gonzalez serves as co-chair of the Comprehensive Plan Committee and offered an update about the process.

“We have done some outreach, including handing out fliers at the election to let citizens know about the comment period and the upcoming CPC meeting which will allow the public to comment and share feedback on the draft plan,’ she said. “I would imagine after the meeting that we would have more to say as the next steps hinge on Wednesday's meeting.”

The Comprehensive Plan lists the following Raymond’s Priority Goals and Actions; Building a resilient Raymond; working with Maine DOT to complete an assessment of and work plan to improve town culverts and road infrastructure at risk from increased flooding (priority action), and adding staff capacity to seek and manage grant funding through additional staff, a consultant, or regional partnerships.

It also seeks to protect Raymond’s natural and water resources; develop a process to determine the appropriateness of sites in Raymond for solar development, and incorporate these criteria into Raymond’s Solar Ordinance (priority action); invest in road and traffic improvements; purchase or lease portable solar powered radar speed displays which collect data on excessive speed and traffic volume as well as act as traffic calming devices on Raymond’s roadways (priority action); create a Route 302 Master Plan in partnership with DOT, based on the vision for Route 302 in the Future Land Use Plan.

The plan also seeks to prioritize walking and biking around Raymond; building a trail or sidewalk that spans the length of Raymond Cape Road (priority action); strengthen Raymond’s sense of community; develop a master plan supported by public input to repurpose the Jordan-Small Middle School and determine the future use of other town-owned buildings, including the library and town office (priority action).

Potentially adding sidewalks or a breakdown lane on the Raymond Cape also created some discussion in a local social media group.

Raymond resident Laura Abbott posted, “Just a reminder to all - pedestrians have the right of way and it’s pretty easy (and lawful) to give them space on Cape Road. Especially this time of year when there is no other traffic. Passing close enough to touch is highly illegal. Cape Road improvement is on the Comprehensive Plan, thank goodness. A sidewalk or jogging path was listed as a priority! I’m hopeful there will be one someday.”

Another resident, Kelly Rocheleau responded, “Actually it is not easy to give space on the Cape Road. I understand what you are saying but just because the summer people and Frye Islanders are gone, the Cape Road has a number of new year-round homes and is quite active. I have encountered walkers, bike riders and once a roller blader with poles on the road. Not easy to go around on a curve in the road. I feel it’s a good idea for us to get the town to invest in the Cape Road and give us some breakdown lanes! It would be productive for us Capers to get our road safer! Something needs to be done about this road before another fatal accident happens. A sidewalk or path would be great! The road is too twisty and curvy. More of a police presence isn’t going to help when vehicles take the corners no matter how fast they are going over the line and sometimes in the middle of the road!”

Cape resident April Bisnette chimed in, “I’ve often thought that there should be a sidewalk on the Cape Road for all the runners and pedestrians both in summer mostly, but yearly too. I live at the beginning of the Cape, and it is only 25 mph, but get tailgated like I’m only doing 5mph,” she responded to the post.

Brian Raymond is a resident of Raymond Cape and works in the road construction industry.

“I think the Comprehensive Plan has brought forth a lot of great ideas. It’s good to see these all come together in one place,” he said. “I like the idea of improving traffic congestion on 302 and adding a walking path to Cape Road. But I hope that we don’t overspend on some of these potential improvements. Like many things, they are popular and seem attractive, however we need to remain fiscally responsible with tax dollars. I’m really excited to see what we can accomplish that brings value in a responsible way.”

Review the Comprehensive Plan draft here: https://compplan.raymondmaine.org/index.php/review-the-plan/ <

Town of Raymond publishes draft of new Comprehensive Plan

By Kendra Raymond

The Raymond Comprehensive Plan committee is staying on schedule producing the preliminary draft of the document just in time for the fall 2024 projected deadline.

A poster displays notes and suggestions
for community services and facilities
developed during a workshop used
to formulate the Town of Raymond's
new Comprehensive Plan.
PHOT BY KENDRA RAYMOND

Residents on the email list received a copy of the draft and it is also available on the town website. The announcement says, “The Raymond Comprehensive Plan team is happy to share the first draft of the Comprehensive Plan for your review.”

The website explains, “Raymond staff, the Comprehensive Plan Committee, and North Star Planning have been working together since May 2023 to update Raymond’s comprehensive plan. This draft plan includes Maine State requirements along with goals, policies, action items, and a Future Land Use Plan based on what we’ve heard from the Raymond community through online surveys, workshops, informal polls, and the Committee.”

The CPC draft features several top Priority Goals and Actions that emerged through surveys and workshops held over the past year. These include “Build a resilient Raymond, protect Raymond’s natural and water resources, invest in road and traffic improvements, prioritize walking and biking around Raymond, and strengthen Raymond’s sense of community.”

CPC Co-chair Peter Leavitt took a minute to provide an update about the progress of this long-term and much anticipated project.

“The community feedback collected by the Comprehensive Plan Committee (CPC) over the past two years is reflected in the plan's Mission Statement (page 9) and Priority Actions listed at the very beginning of the draft plan,” he said.

Leavitt highlighted the priority actions at this junction as:

* Build a more resilient Raymond regarding extremes in weather and natural disasters

* Protect Raymond's natural and water resources

* Invest in road safety and traffic improvements

* Strengthen Raymond's sense of community

It is important to recognize that the priority actions are just a starting point. Leavitt explained, “While these are intentionally broad goals, the data and detail of the many initiatives necessary in achieving them are contained in the section of the draft entitled Goals, Policies and Action Items beginning on page 33. Each initiative is identified with a segment(s) of municipal government assigned to its implementation as well as an assigned timeframe for action, for example priority (As Soon As Possible), short term (one to three years), medium term (three to five years), and long term (five to 10 years).”

The document is comprised of three parts: the outlook for the future (including the vision, goals, and action items), data collection results (topics required by state law), and the appendices which include public engagement events and the Capital Improvement Plan for the town.

North Star Planning representatives Ben Smith, AICP, Kate Burch, and Sam Peikes lead the process with the assistance of Forrest Meader with Rhumbline Maps. The Comprehensive Plan Committee consists of a cross-section of Raymond residents including John Clark, Greg Foster, Kaela Gonzalez (co-chair), Peter Leavitt (co-chair), Frank McDermott, Shawn McKillop, Danelle Milone, John Rand, Jacqueline Sawyer, and Brad McCurtain.

The committee has been working together since August 2022 to guide the process, gather and synthesize data and feedback to create a vision for the future of Raymond.

The update reminds residents, “During this time, the State of Maine Municipal Planning Assistance Program will review Raymond’s plan for completeness and compliance with the state’s Growth Management Act.”

Once the public comment period has ended and state review is complete, Raymond staff, the Comprehensive Plan Committee, and North Star Planning will make edits and updates to finalize the plan. Then, the plan will go to the Select Board to vote on inclusion in the 2025 Town Warrant, where you will be able to vote on its approval.”

Following gaining approval to proceed, Leavitt said that the next step after the statutory public comment period and public hearing will be the submission of the draft plan to the State of Maine.

“The state approval can take up to three months. Once approved by the state the plan is presented to the town Select Board for placement on the Town Warrant for our June 2025 elections,” said Leavitt. “As with any major warrant article the plan will be the subject of a final town hearing prior to the community vote.”

Once approved, it will be time for the committee to “roll up their sleeves” once again.

“The real work is in the implementation of the priority actions, goals and policies identified by the community. It is the responsibility of the Select Board to create the Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee to this end,” said Leavitt.

He went on to sum up the journey perfectly.

“The process is completed once the citizens of Raymond vote to accept the Comprehensive Plan,” Leavitt said. “As I have learned with Municipal comprehensive planning this…’is not the end...this is not even the beginning of the end...but perhaps this is the end of the beginning!" (Winston Churchill).’”

The CPC is seeking public comments and feedback on the recently published draft as requested on their website, “Now, we want to hear from you. The public comment period runs through Dec. 4. Please submit your comments using the form or drop them off in person at the Raymond Town Office.”

A Public Hearing on the draft plan will be held by the Raymond Comprehensive Plan Committee at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 4. 

Follow this link to learn more about the comprehensive plan, review the draft, and submit your comments: https://compplan.raymondmaine.org/index.php/review-the-plan/ <