Survey reveals overall satisfaction in Raymond - By Walter Lunt

Raymond residents rate their quality of life and town services favorably, according to a community survey administered and analyzed by the research and consulting firm Pan Atlantic SMS Group of Portland. The survey was commissioned by the Raymond Selectboard in 2013 to determine the level of satisfaction with the town and to evaluate its future needs.
 

Utilizing a 4-page survey mailed to 2,871 registered voters and property owners (re-duped to ensure one survey per household), the firm sought to determine residents’ opinions on town departments such as public safety, public works, and town management, codes and ordinances. Further explored were the needs and priorities for Raymond over the next 10 years and the level of satisfaction with RSU 14 consolidation with Windham.

Pan Atlantic reported a response rate of 20 percent, considered “very high for a project of this nature,” yielding a +/- 3.8 percent margin of error.

Quality of life

Perceptions of Raymond, that is, as a place to live, raise children or retire rated an overall “good”, or 4.0 on a five point scale (where 1 is low and 5 is high). Respondents judged opportunities to participate in community matters and overall confidence in Raymond’s elected officials to be “average to good.” On members of various town boards and opportunities for adult education and enrichment, results came in as “average.”

Public Safety

Across the board ratings of public safety tested very strong with scores between 4.0 – 4.5; 41 percent favored keeping policing services provided by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, 9 percent preferring enhanced services with the sheriff’s office, 5 percent opting for the town to organize its own police force, and the rest saying they did not have enough information to respond.

The overall quality and professionalism of Raymond Fire and Rescue personnel, including response times, rated extremely high, including a 4.98 score in one sub-category.

Public works and town maintenance

Residents expressed a high degree of satisfaction with curbside trash and recycling collection, which rated close to 4.4. The quality of public recreation areas scored favorably at just over 4.1.

Responsiveness of public works to address problems, the overall condition and quality of state and town maintained roads scored comparatively lower with ratings from 3.6 to just over 3.7, averaging out to a 57 percent level of satisfaction.

Town management and town codes and ordinances

Good to strong scores were garnered for town management and town codes and ordinances, including the town manager’s office, customer service at the town office, satisfaction with department heads and enforcement of town codes. Ratings in these areas ranged from 3.8 – 4.47.

Communications

Residents also gave favorable ratings to the town’s website (www.raymondmaine.org) and streaming video of various town and board meetings.

Taxes and enhanced services

Over one third of respondents indicated they “would not find any tax increase tolerable.” An additional 9 percent did not favor pursuing any additional services, facilities, infrastructure or other projects. Of the approximately 54 percent who agreed some level of tax increase would be tolerable, 16 percent would cap the hike at one percent.

 

Possible service enhancements that were identified in the survey included support for conservation (open space, milfoil eradication, etc.), Raymond Village Library and economic development.

School consolidation

The towns of Raymond and Windham formed Regional School Unit14 in 2009 to consolidate educational costs. The marriage has had a rocky start with many residents of Raymond calling for a divorce. Others contend the problems are growing pains and that the partnership should be given the chance to work, citing “economy of scale,” and the advantages of sharing resources. 

The survey showed satisfaction with the RSU to be low, with only 18 percent of respondents saying they are somewhat or very satisfied with the union. About a third indicated some level of dissatisfaction. Among those with children in the household, dissatisfaction was even higher.

Concern was expressed last fall with a proposal to build a new school in Windham that would likely have a high cost to Raymond residents. A vote by residents of both towns that would reduce Raymond’s share of the consolidation cost is scheduled for March 18.  The proposal for the new cost sharing formula was advanced after the Raymond community survey was conducted.

How do the Raymond survey results compare with other Maine towns of comparable size? The Pan Atlantic researchers noted that “it can be difficult to make direct comparisons because of differences in population, income levels, range of services provided by the town….and geographic location.”

Town officials have said the survey will be valuable in determining future policies in Raymond and in the formation of a new comprehensive plan.

Students prepare for Regional One Act Festival - By Elizabeth Richards

A dedicated group of students is gearing up to perform at the Regional One Act Festival in Falmouth on March 6^th and 7^th. 
 

Schools are categorized as either A or B, and perform in regional competitions. This year, WHS students will perform the show The Chronicles of Jane, Book 7. A panel of three judges will give each group a 20 minute critique and then pick the top two shows to move on to the state competition. 

The show must run less than 40 minutes or the group will be disqualified. “Usually you’re very alert to timing, and you have a couple of timekeepers. If you are heading towards 39 minutes and 58 seconds you tell your actors to just get off the stage,” said Director Rob Juergens. “That’s going to hurt your score, but it’s better than being disqualified.”  

The Chronicles of Jane, Book 7 is about a high school girl who has put off writing a term paper until the very last night before it is due. It details the obstacles that come her way in trying to complete the paper, with characters like procrastination, time, the computer and the nymphs of slumber. 

A unique feature about this show is that the student actors become most of the set, said Juergens. They create desks and chairs, computers, plugs and walls with their bodies. “They do the whole set,” he said. “The only real big set piece is the book that holds the Chronicles of Jane and all her nefarious stories.”

The show is as much student driven as possible, Juergens added. There is a student assistant director, a student rhythm director who also oversees the pit band, students who have composed music and done the choreography and blocking. The group works together to brainstorm ideas and solve problems. “It’s a huge group involvement,” said Juergens.

Another interesting element of this particular cast, said Juergens, is that many students who are normally “techies” working behind the scenes on productions are in the onstage cast. “We made a concerted effort to get them into the show and do something onstage for once, which they thought was pretty cool,” he said. 

While not part of the official One Act festival, in Windham the students hold a preview weekend that is open to the public. This serves a few purposes, according to Juergens. It allows the cast a chance to do the show in front of an audience. They also invite guest judges to come and give critiques like they will receive at the festival. Finally, the preview weekend serves to raise a little money, since extracurricular theater activities are not funded by the school beyond paying Juergens’ salary. “We actually have to raise money if we want to do anything,” said Juergens. 

The preview weekend will take place at the Windham High School Auditorium on the weekend of February 27^th and March 1^st. Friday and Saturday will feature 7 p.m. shows, with a 4 p.m. show on Sunday, March 1. On Friday, the group from Gorham High School will also perform their play, giving audience members two shows for the price of one. Tickets to all performances are $5 per person. 

“We’d love for people to come to the preview weekend and support us,” said Juergens. It’s not a large investment of time, he added, since the show is only 40 minutes long. And the students love to see a big audience when they perform. “They want to be seen. They want to share what they are doing with people,” he said.

Despite arctic temperatures, annual Shaw's Polar Dip participants rally to raise $25,000 for Maine Cancer - By Elizabeth Richards

The 15th annual Sebago Lake Rotary Club ice fishing derby was cut short by cold temperatures and blizzard warnings. But Saturday’s Shaw’s Polar Dip to benefit the Maine Children’s Cancer Program went on as scheduled, and there was still an opportunity for anglers to land a winning fish on Saturday.
 

The event got started on Saturday, February 14th, with an icy cold dip in the water for many hearty souls. Ten teams and a few individuals leapt in waves of two to eight people at a time into the frigid water at the 13th annual Shaw’s Polar Dip. 

A small crowd gathered to watch the jumping, with many spectators commenting on how cold they were just to be outside. The jumpers, often in bikinis or shorts, looked cold but exhilarated as they acclimated to the outside temperature and took the plunge. While an occasional jumper had to be coaxed into the water, most leapt enthusiastically and came out smiling.

The Auburn Lewiston Boys and Girls Club Basketball Team was on hand to jump. Youth Resource Coordinator and team coach Lee Klarman said two teams raised $1,100 for the cause. As part of the basketball program, the youth participate in community service as well as fundraising for money to pay for jerseys and referees. The team members were enthusiastic about their participation in the Polar Dip. Player Amgad Mohamed said, “It felt good because we did it for a good cause, for the kids.” 

According to Tara Studley at the Maine Children's Cancer Program, participants in the Polar Dip raised $25,000 for the program. An additional $35,000 was raised by Shaw's Supermarkets through sales of polar bear icons at their registers, bringing the grand total to $60,000.

Many of the planned activities and vendors for the derby were cancelled due to the temperatures and blizzard warning issued. Deb McPhail, president of the Rotary Club, said that registrations were lower than last year, and on Saturday morning said they were watching the weather closely to determine what would happen for Sunday.

 

Aiyanna Maciel, Emily Algeo, and Davis MacDonald were on hand from the Interact Club, the high school group sponsored by the Rotary Club, to help out. “We do it every year. It’s a fun way to experience winter,” said Maciel. “Without having to do the polar dip,” she added with a laugh.

The group was holding up a sign encouraging people to head to the food booth run by the Rotary Club. “It’s really cold but we’re doing what we can,” said Algeo.

One vendor that did not cancel their participation was Shaker Hill Outdoors. They were present with outdoor items for sale, and an enticing fire pit. Russ Estes said this was their second year at the derby. He said they participate in order to promote ice fishing and their business. “We are ice fishermen and snowmobilers, so we enjoy events like this,” he said. He added that they always bring some small things that can bail people out in a pinch, like snowmobile hitches and hats that can make the day much more enjoyable for someone who forgot to bring one. 

 

Spectators Cherie Thomas and Matthew Vackiel said there were a lot less people in attendance than in prior years. Part of that was the weather, and part of it was the cancellation of the snowmobile trials, they said. Thomas said they came to the event to see what the biggest fish was, and to see the polar dip.

On Saturday afternoon, on the recommendation of the Warden Service, the club made the decision to cancel fishing on Sunday and postpone the awards ceremony until February 21st. It wasn’t a popular decision with some participants. Comments on the derby Facebook page showed displeasure and frustration from some who didn’t agree with the decision to cancel Sunday’s event, especially after the snowfall was far less than anticipated. 

At the same time, there were several comments in support of the decision the club made. McPhail said it was disappointing after months of work on the part of the 25 member club, but they had no control over Mother Nature. “The warden service informed us that holding the derby Sunday would be a safety issue for the public and first responders. We were very sad to have to shut down early, but felt that we had no choice,” she said.

The event is entirely run by volunteers, and proceeds support local charities. “We run this event because we love the community and want to help others,” said McPhail. She added that the club hopes everyone will join them for the awards ceremony at 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 21, at the Windham Veterans Center.

Windham Radio Shack will remain open for business - By Elizabeth Richards

Despite the news that Radio Shack Corporation has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will be closing approximately 2,000 stores nationwide, it will be business as usual at the Windham store. Co-owner Michael Esposito Jr. said his store, which is an independently owned and operated franchise, will not be affected by the filing, except that it may cause people to think they will be closing. 
 

Esposito’s father purchased the store in Windham 40 years ago, and operated it along with several other locations. Esposito and his brother, Neil, now own and operate the Windham store. 

According to Esposito, the Chapter 11 filing will affect the retail side of the business, but Radio Shack will continue to distribute products for sale. While he says the news of the corporation’s filing could hurt them, in that a lot of people will think all Radio Shack stores are shutting down, he adds that there may be a benefit as well since products will be shipping to fewer stores. “I can only see that helping me, having them have products on hand,” he said.

As a franchisee, the Espositos have always had some flexibility in how they operate. “I always felt like we had an advantage being a franchise store,” Esposito said. If there was a product that Radio Shack didn’t carry, but they felt was important to stock, they could order from another vendor, said Esposito. At the same time, they have been loyal to the Radio Shack brand over the years, he added, stocking 

approximately 75 percent Radio Shack products. They have also had the freedom to do things their own way, including adding an extensive record department in the back of the store, with a stock of over sixty thousand albums. 

Many corporately owned Radio Shack stores will be closing, including several in Maine, according to a list put out by the company. The store at the Maine Mall, for instance, is slated for closure. Esposito is hoping that some of the customers from those stores will find their way to his door. 

He said they don’t anticipate any changes in what they are able to offer. “We will still have access to all the products I’m carrying now,” he said. He anticipates the store operating just as it always has, and wants customers to know that they will be there offering support and products for all of the customers’ needs.