Teams build competition robots and community at Gearbots district meet - By Anne Libby and Michelle Libby

Last Saturday Southern Maine Gearbots teams gathered at Saint Joseph’s College of the sixth annual competition. It was a day of excitement and constructive rivalry as teams competed in two divisions. The first was junior division for grades 1 through 3 and a senior division for grades four through eight.  

The junior division teams developed a creation that would help take care of trash and a poster to explain what their machine did. There were 16 junior teams.

The other part of the competition is the vehicle building for the senior division. Each LEGO machine was created to accomplish a task. The seniors were tested in competition to determine the fastest robot, steeplechase winner, best walker/bridge builder, strongest robot or table clearing mission, best slope climber or best ping pong shot put. There were 22 senior teams. 

Teams were from Windham, Raymond, Massabesic, Saco, Gray-New Gloucester and Portland.

“It’s pretty excited. There a lot of excitement and new faces. It’s a good experience for the kids to see everything and talk to professionals who use robots in the field,” said interim Gearbot president Pat Noonan. 

A group from Massabesic was working to perfect it’s robot that entered the strongest robot competition. “They discovered they need to redistribute the weight and add weight to give it traction so the wheels won’t slip,” said coach Karen Turgeon. 

The idea of the robotics clubs is to have the students make the robots with adult supervision. 

In the six years the Gearbots have been holding the competition, it has grown exponentially. With the addition of a display from New England LEGO users group (NELUG), this year featuring a circuit that moved small balls around tables set in a square using intricate working machines. 

“I love doing it,” said Thomas Atkinson, who showed off his project The Great Ball Contraption. He’d been making models for 11 years and knows that it teaches students mechanical principles and so much more. “It is an awesome learning tool.” 

The Portland Police Department bomb squad officers also showed off their professional remote control bomb disposal robots to demonstrate the practical use of robots in police work. Other organization brought in LEGOs for hands on building, including Sarah Sparks, a 4-H science professional from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Hands-on LEGOs from Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland. 

Robot Republic from Windham had been preparing for the Gearbots competition since January, when they started meeting at Manchester School. The team is comprised of two fifth graders (Rafael Roney and Riles Brown) and two third graders (Chayse Caron and Zachary Noonan). They were coached by Steve Brown and Allen Caron. The team placed in the top five in the speed competition.

“We’re super excited, not only to come and compete but also checking out other ideas. There’s a sense of community here,” said the Robot Republic team.

Winners for fastest robot were Team CYD and Dream Crushers. For strongest robot, Argh! came in first with Dream Crushers right behind, other pulling 60 pounds.  In the steeplechase, Tanx won, followed by Struedle Gatiale Unicorns. In table clearing Robot Republic removed five cans and Me Myself and I removed three cans. Raymond Gizmo Guys and Rage Bots both climbed a 65 degree wall. In delivery, Dream Crushers beat out The Dibbles. 

Parents, grandparents and other spectators watched the competitions closely, including the building speed challenge for the junior coaches, which was a hit with the junior competitors. Coach LaCasse walked away with the win despite some strong competitors. There were also raffle and concession items that were donated and greatly appreciated, said Noonan. 

Southern Maine Gearbots are looking for new board members. “We’ve been growing for the last couple of seasons and we’ll keep growing for a long time to come,” Noonan said.

Photo: Gearheads from all over southern Maine gather around The Great Ball Contraption from Thomas Atkinson from New England Lug (www.nelug.org) out of Londonderry, New Hampshire. Anne Libby Photo.

Maine Maple Weekend - By Michelle Libby

The warmer than usual weather brought out the buckets and plastic tubing hanging from trees earlier this spring than in recent memory. Syrup producers were ready for Maine Maple Weekend this year, their sugar houses boiling down sap to make the sweet treat. 
 

At Balsam Ridge in Raymond, they boiled on February 21^st, which was the earliest they have ever boiled. On Saturday and Sunday they had demonstrations of how the sap is boiled and poured off. They also had many treats to sample and purchase to take home. From fudge to cotton candy, hot dogs steamed in sap and maple baked beans, no one left hungry. 

Owners Sharon and Dewey Lloy have been participating in Maple Syrup Sunday for 16 years. The maple trees on their 50 acres provide enough sap to have syrup for tourists in the summer and even some for the holidays. They are always trying new ideas and new products. New last year was the sweet mustards and BBQ sauces. This year it was maple cream cones, said Sharon. They also ship syrup year round.

All of the trees at Balsam Ridge are tapped directly into tanks that are pumped into the sugar house 100 gallons at a time. 

“We’re a family run operation. We’re small and personable,” Sharon said. 

 

Dewey was boiling the sap on Saturday, but usually that is Sharon’s job, he said. Unlike some sugar houses, this one boils using oil instead of wood giving a consistent even heat. Dewey explained that knowing Sharon was going to make 70 percent of the syrup, she wanted it simplified so that she could pick kids up from school or practice. All she had to do was turn the oil off and the entire operation shut down. Sharon was also the reason for the sap running into storage containers instead of buckets on the trees. 

This year Maine Maple Sunday fell on Easter, prompting some sugar shacks to close on Sunday and only have visitors on Saturday. 

“Ideal? No. We’re going to be fine. I think it’s a wonderful thing for the state to do,” said Dewey of the marketing of Maine Maple Weekend. “With Saturday and Sunday, it gives them an option. Saturday is not quite as crazy. It’s more relaxed,” he added. 

Different sugar houses have different treats. “Everyone offers something different,” said Sharon. Balsam Ridge has horses Ginger and Rex adding a special treat for guest to pet and look at, while eating their complimentary vanilla ice cream topped with maple syrup. 

“The end result is the same. Going to different places you’ll see some different technology,” said Dewey.

Custom pieces of art were on exhibit from Steven Brooks Art and the artist was there to discuss his unique sculptures with visitors to the farm. 

Michelle Mulcahy of Gorham, was dressed up as a leaf at Balsam Ridge. “I volunteered,” she said. “They pay me in maple syrup.” 

The weather was perfect and many people were out to sample some of the best of Maine. Syrup is still available and being boiled for a little while longer. Call a local sugar shack to get some.

Gray secession committee discusses pros and cons of annexation to Raymond - By Walter Lunt

The Gray Secession Committee kicked off their petition drive this week at an informational meeting held at the Raymond Fire Barn, an early step in an estimated 2-year process aimed at several neighborhoods seceding from the Town of Gray and joining Raymond. The area includes the west shore of Little Sebago Lake and Little Sebago Lodges on the north to Northern Oaks on the southern boundary. Some residents refer satirically to the area as “Graymond.” A map showing the proposed new boundaries was presented at the meeting and is available on the committee’s Facebook page.
 

The topics were many and varied: Redrawing boundaries, town services, private roads and sense of place, were all discussed at an informational meeting sponsored by a group of Gray residents calling for what committee member described as a “divorce.”

The 5-member group cites geography as the main reason for a separation. Committee president Jennifer White says residents living in the secession area have to travel through Raymond to access Gray town services, such as the town hall, transfer station and schools, which for most is a 20 to 25 minute drive.

“We have an identity crisis,” according to White. She said residents from those neighborhoods access commercial services in Raymond and Windham, and “we’re in an area where Gray doesn’t have a great deal to do with us. I feel we’re a cash cow for the Town of Gray.”

Committee vice-president David Getchell said talk of secession has been raised several times over the years, but the last round in disagreement with the town over a section of Gore Road in Gray became the impetus for the current action. The town, he said, has long been reluctant to maintain a short stretch of Gore Road due to uncertainty over public easement and ownership issues. Frustration has mounted because the two sides have failed to reach any kind of agreement. Gray town officials say they are confident a settlement can be reached, but according to White, funds for the work are not included in the current budget.

Many who attended the meeting signed the petition to initiate the process of separation. Others who spoke disagreed with the effort, saying the committee lacks specific information on the on the advantages of joining Raymond. According to White and Getchell there is a probability of lower property taxes and a certainty that town and school services would be closer and more convenient. They said Raymond offers curb-side trach pick-up and recycling, although some private roads have pick-up at a centralized point. Gray residents take their trash to the town’s transfer station which also accepts large items, such as appliances for a fee. 

A possible disadvantage to switching towns would involve snow plowing. Raymond plows only public roads. The large number of private road neighborhoods in the proposed secession territory now serviced by the Town of Gray, would have to form associations, charge dues and hire private contractors, a move that would reduce the lower property tax advantage.

Gray town officials have indicated they hope to reach an agreement with the secession committee. White said the committee has conducted talks with Raymond officials who say they can make no guarantees, but that some issues would be on the table for discussion.

At stake for both communities according to research by the secession committee, is some $77 million in property valuations including 171 year-round residential properties, much of it shorefront.

Click Here to Apply

The secession process will be a long one, reported White and Getchell, taking a minimum of two years. If the group garners enough petition signatures (51 percent of the approximately 315 registered voters in the secession area) that are validated by the town, a public hearing will be held that would require the committee to submit detailed reports on the impact to both towns in the event of a switch. Also at the hearing, all residents of Gray would have the opportunity to weigh in on the plan. Following that, a bill would be drafted in the Maine Legislature that, if passed, would allow the secessionist movement to proceed. Meditation and referendum votes in both towns would follow. White said the process could end at any time if the proposal is defeated in the referendum or if the committee reaches an agreement with the Town of Gray.

Additional information on the petition drive and the committee’s efforts are available on the Gray Secession Committee Facebook page.

Windham Chamber Singers to perform at top venues in NYC - By Elizabeth Richards 
 Christine Hesler and Chris Howell awarded Educational Champion Award - By Michelle Libby

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Windham Chamber Singers to perform at top venues in New York City - By Elizabeth Richards

The Spring tour for the Windham Chamber Singers is always a big deal, but this year, it’s even bigger. On April 14^th, the group leaves for five days and two concerts in New York City. And these concerts aren’t just anywhere – one is at Carnegie Hall and the other at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
 

The Chamber Singers are part of a 5-day residency program joining with other choirs from across Maine to form the Maine Festival Chorus. The trip culminates in a concert at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, April 17^th. 

Windham Chamber Singers Director Dr. Richard Nickerson said he was invited to conduct this program a few years ago. The high fees involved means coordinating with other choirs to make it happen. He approached Rob Westerburg, the choral director at York High School, and together they created the program.  

Since the group would already be in New York City, Nickerson sent an audition tape to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to participate in their guest choir concert series. Their concert was approved, and on Friday, April 15^th, the Chamber Singers will perform a full hour of sacred acapella music.

This tour is different than most years, Nickerson said. “Typically we would go into different communities. We’d be somewhere different every night. This year, we’re going to New York City, we’re being dropped off and we’re staying in midtown Manhattan the whole time.” 

Staying in a city like Manhattan is extremely expensive, and more fundraising has been required this year than most. “This year, for the first time, we’ve actually reached out asking for help,” said Nickerson. “The response has been overwhelming. That may not be the case if we did that every year,” he said, adding that next year the tour will not require any fundraising beyond the usual concerts.

“I think we live in a community that’s very supportive and the chamber singers have a really good reputation. When we go out into the community and ask for help, I think a lot of people are very willing to give us help,” said chamber singers president Jacqueline Gleason-Boure.

One of the fundraising events is the Windham Chamber Singers Music with a Mission concert, which will be held this Saturday, March 26^th at the North Windham Union Church. This concert will preview their NYC tour, including several serious pieces from their St. Patrick’s concert. The evening will also include a silent auction and raffle to raise funds. 

“It’s not typical for us, but I think it’s really going to be an exciting night,” Nickerson said. “This concert offers the perfect chance to perform for our community as a kick-off before the tour.”  

 The minimum fundraising target for this tour was $10,000 and Nickerson said they are within $1,000 of hitting that goal. Going above their target means even more great experiences for the students, such as attending a show while in the city. Seeing a show won’t depend on the extra spending money a student may or may not have. “We’ve approached this as an all or nothing thing,” Nickerson said. “If we go see a show, the entire choir is going to go.”  

Gleason-Boure said that is one of the reasons she feels fortunate to be a part of the group. “Dr. Nick has an amazing way of really making us feel like we’re an ensemble. It’s not as though if we have more money we’ll be able to do more, but if we work hard enough we’ll be able to do more. It feels really great to know that we really value each other,” she said.

Preparing for the tour has taught the students a good lesson in hard work, Gleason-Boure added. Secretary Jaydie Allen agreed. “Every day we come in and we work really hard to find fundraisers and get sponsorships. It’s really rewarding to keep looking at the board and watch the thermometer get closer and closer to the top. We have a picture in our mind that we’re working for it. That’s the rewarding aspect.”

While the hard work for this tour isn’t quite done yet, the choir is also already looking forward to next Fall, planning a concert in conjunction with local musician Sean Slaughter and an 11-piece band to do an entire night of Queen. 

Tickets for the MWAM concert will be sold at the door, and are $12 for adults and $10 for students, children and seniors. Tickets are also available in advance on-line at www.mwamconcerts.com . The box office opens at 6 p.m.