Presumpscot Regional Land Trust announces partnership with local libraries for Nature Story Times

By Ed Pierce

Combine the beauty of the outdoors with some fantastic children’s literature and you have the basis for some memorable times for kids. That’s the premise of an exciting new partnership between the Presumpscot Regional Land Trust and Baxter Memorial Library in Gorham, the Gray Public Library, Walker Memorial Library in Westbrook, and Windham Public Library.

Families and children will gather for a Nature Story Time
at Black Brook Preserve in Windham on April 10 as part
of a new partnership series between local libraries and
Presumpscot Regional Land Trust. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

According to a press release issued by the land trust, this new collaboration aims to bring the joy of reading and the wonders of nature together through a series of Nature Story Times on Presumpscot Regional Land Trust trails.

Presumpscot Regional Land Trust Community Engagement Manager Brenna Crothers says that the Nature Story Times are set to take place at local preserves within each town.

She said the free Nature Story Times events will incorporate themes such as streams, fish migration, fairies, gnomes, and more. Each event will be around an hour long, including one or two books read aloud, followed by a nature hike. These outings are geared toward families with kids ages 2 to 5, although older children will be welcome as well.

Families and nature enthusiasts alike can look forward to engaging storytelling sessions surrounded by the serene beauty of these preserved areas, Crothers said.

The Presumpscot Regional Land Trust believes that connecting children and families with the outdoors fosters a love for nature and a sense of environmental stewardship from an early age, she said, and the Nature Story Time Series offers engaging and interactive experiences for children and families to connect with the outdoors.

The first Nature Story Time was held at Pride Preserve in Westbrook in conjunction with Walker Memorial Library on Wednesday. Crothers said the theme revolved around fairies and gnomes, allowing participants to create their own fairy/gnome crown and explore the wooded terrain of Pride Preserve while searching for enchanting fairy houses along the trails.

The next event is what is being called a “Stream Explore Nature Story Time” at Black Brook Preserve in Windham with the Windham Public Library from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. April 10.

Crothers says Black Brook Preserve offers diverse habitats including meadows, woods, and wetlands where a variety of critters can be discovered along the trails, making it a perfect setting for children to explore and learn about nature.

“On May 15th, there will be another Nature Story Time event in anticipation of the annual Alewife Migration at Mill Brook Preserve in Westbrook with Walker Memorial Library from 10 to 11 a.m.,” Crothers said. “Participants can immerse themselves in this beautiful preserve, as they search for signs of fish making their way upstream every spring.”

She said Presumpscot Regional Land Trust staff members are enthusiastic about this new Nature Story Times project.

"We are thrilled to collaborate with our local libraries to combine the magic of storytelling with the natural wonders of our region,” Crothers said. “It's a fantastic opportunity for families to bond, learn, and create lasting memories in the great outdoors."

The Presumpscot Regional Land Trust is dedicated to preserving and protecting the natural landscapes in the Presumpscot River watershed. Through conservation efforts, educational programs, and community engagement, the land trust strives to ensure that these valuable natural resources are enjoyed by generations to come.

PRLT has 20 public access preserves and 3,000 acres of conserved lands with miles of public access trails and water access in the area and partnered with the Town of Windham Land to create the East Windham Conservation Area. That site opened in December and is 99 percent forested and includes 661 acres with 1,545 feet of undeveloped water frontage on Little Duck Pond, some 38 acres of wetlands and numerous headwater streams.

For more details about the land trust’s collaborative project with the libraries, call Crothers at 207-200-4067 or send an email to [email protected] <

Lewiston presentation reaffirms faith in human spirit for Windham poet

By Ed Pierce

A Windham resident who believes that written words can soothe emotional pain presented a framed copy of a 14-line poem he composed to Lewiston city councilors during their meeting on Jan. 23.

Windham poet Bob Clark was honored by members of the
Lewiston City Council during a meeting on Jan. 23 for a
poem he wrote last October recognizing the bravery shown
by Lewiston residents following a mass shooting there on
Oct. 25 which killed 18 people and injured 13 others.
COURTESY PHOTO     

Bob Clark composed the poem “Our Candle Vigil” in response to the Oct. 25 news of two separate shooting incidents in Lewiston in which 18 people died and 11 more were injured by a lone gunman.

“I wanted to communicate support for people victimized by the deaths and wounds,” Clark said. “I wanted to acknowledge the collective bravery being shown by citizens as they were directed to shelter in place. Peoples’ plans shifted, and a manhunt was on. I became fearful since Windham was within striking distance of the shooter’s escape. Eventually the danger ended, allowing recovery to begin.”

Clark grew up and spent a great deal of time only a few towns away from Lewiston and said that his aunt had graduated from Bates College there. He had worked for an adult education program in Lewiston after serving in the U.S. Peace Corps in El Salvador in 1980 and has many connections to the area.

“I felt unsettled learning of death and injury details. The ugly truth was on my mind, so I wrote and edited and placed feelings directly into poetry,” he said. “Once the lyrical stanzas were complete, I contacted the Lewiston Sun Journal in the hope that if it was published it might ease some of the shocking pain. In that way, I wanted to communicate with victims that they were not alone in their grief.”

His poem “Our Candle Vigil” was published in the Lewiston Sun Journal in its Nov. 4 editorial section.

At the end of December, Clark visited Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline and took him a copy of the poem. That led Sheline to invite Clark to present a framed copy of “Our Candle Vigil” to the Lewiston City Council at its next scheduled meeting.

According to Clark he is thankful to have found the will to compose the poem and feels it has had a positive effect upon a grieving community.

“It was not pleasant work to align tortuous words that questioned reality and at the same time reflect feelings of agony,” he said. “By contrast it was uplifting to convey the strength of community-wide solidarity. The poem includes both types. Many candlelight vigils have taken place. Those images became my visual connecting point. Above the poem’s title I presented to the council is pictured the glow of 18 candles. This assault is nothing I take lightly.”

Clark told Lewiston city councilors during his presentation that the community showed resolve and determination during the ordeal.

“So, these traits continue and no doubt in the same way that Bostonians showed strength in their battles of Breeds and Bunker Hill. These traits are helping heal and helping move forward, and to gain our footing again,” he said. “Learning about those October crimes caught me off guard and in disbelief. I was listening, watching, and fearful. Realizing the senseless harm, and injury, and death just plain hurts. Soon after, in open grief, gatherings started taking place, community prayers were raised, and candlelight vigils were held. As heartfelt as ideas are, no words erase scars or do away with pain but this short poem arrangement I hope will serve, alongside others, to honor victims of this gruesome assault.”

Since its publication, Clark says that responses to his poem and the Lewiston City Council presentation have furnished him with faith in the importance of humane connections.

“The composition of ‘Our Candle Vigil’ became positioned with an unexpected outcome. My usual writing themes relate nature to people and people to nature, I’ve never characterized crime or punishment,” Clark said. “The events had jarred my senses. I related with deeply seated sorrow. I was hopeful it could bring some comfort. The poem seems to carry that affect. Work with words is a labor of love, I feel rewarded to realize the use of poetical lyrics does benefit recovery.”

He said that the events before and during the Lewiston shootings had a dismal effect on him and for his home state of Maine.

“I never envisioned a type of support that would have me reading a poem at a televised, open city council meeting. But it has happened,” Clark said. “Words are surely not a medical remedy for the fatigue of emotional pain, though they are a way to communicate. They can relate a positive intent. They can show concern. They can calm nerves. I am gladdened that my words have found a positive place in all the stress and madness of these past crazed events. I am also being inspired to find that compassion remains at the ready, it continues to be reliable. I am glad to have joined in to help victims heal from the shooter’s mind-numbing cruelties.” 

Our Candle Vigil

What pain is there when too much has been ground

Into the heart as if a dagger speared

Would cause to suffer wild screaming sounds

’Til eyes are left to grieve alone in tears?

What prayer verse could have been keeping guard

Where people work and prosper next to each

Among their kin and friends from yard to yard

And ask to only practice what they preach?

These shocking deaths for whom we now do bear

A witness to when love is lost to hate

Does rob us all of playfulness and cheer

Until the burden heals its own weight.

Tonight our candle vigil air is filled

With light that reaches far into the hills.

 

Governor nominates Windham resident for new Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Authority board

Maine Gov. Janet Mills has nominated 11 individuals to serve on the board of the Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Authority and one of the individuals she nominated is from Windham.

Christopher K. Washburn
of Windham is the Manager
of Benefits and Leave
Administration at Retail
Business Services for
Delhaize America and
has  been nominated to 
serve on the board of the
Maine Paid Family and
Medical Leave Benefits
Authority.
COURTESY PHOTO
   

Created as part of the statewide paid family and medical leave program signed into law by the governor last July, the 15-member Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Authority is responsible for overseeing the implementation and administration of the new program that will make available 12 weeks of paid time off to eligible public and private sector workers.

"I am proud to nominate each of these qualified individuals to serve on the Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Authority,” Mills said. "I am confident that each will work hard to ensure that Maine's new Paid Family and Medical Leave Program serves its intended purpose of helping Maine people deal with life's unexpected challenges while accommodating potential hardships for Maine employers."

Among the governor's nominees is Christopher K. Washburn of Windham.

Washburn has served as Manager, Benefits and Leave Administration at Retail Business Services, Delhaize America since 2010. He previously supervised employee benefits at Hannaford Bros Co./Delhaize America from 2004 to 2010. He has extensive background in benefits and leave of absence administration design.

According to Mills, Washburn has been nominated to serve in the Authority seat reserved for a member with expertise in issues related to paid family leave benefits and paid medical leave benefits.

Each of the governor's appointments is subject to review by the Maine Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing and Confirmation by the Maine Senate and each appointment is for a three-year term.

In addition to the 11 Authority members appointed by the governor, four seats on the Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Authority are reserved for the Commissioner of Labor or a designee; the State Controller or a designee; the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation or a designee; and an employee of the Department of Health & Human Services with expertise in foster care and adoption.

The Maine Department of Labor has announced that Luke Monahan has been hired to serve as Director of the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program. Monahan, a Maine native, most recently served as the Associate Director for the Division of Disability Determination Services with the Department of Health and Human Services, an office that was tasked with making the medical determinations of the Social Security Disability Insurance program. He is a graduate of Bowdoin College and Northeastern University.

"As someone who has worked with people with disabilities and marginalized populations for my whole career, as a working parent, and as the son of small business owner, I understand the importance of building a streamlined, transparent, and effective program for the Maine people," Monahan said.

Maine Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman said she looks forward to working with the talented people nominated to the Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Authority and Monahan.

"There is much work to be done before the program is fully implemented in 2026, and I encourage everyone to engage in the process through the upcoming listening sessions," Fortman said.

Payroll contributions for the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program begin January 1, 2025. Benefits will be available beginning in 2026.

Beginning May 1, 2026, Maine’s new paid family leave law will allow Maine employees to take up to 12 weeks of family and medical leave benefits over a one-year period.

Its benefits will be financed by a mandatory “premium” based on employee wages of up to 1 percent, to be split evenly between employee and employer, with each bearing a maximum burden of 0.5 percent of weekly wages as a premium. Maine employers with fewer than 15 employees will not be subject to the payment of the employer’s portion of the premium, though they will still be obliged to collect and remit the employee portion. While coverage starts May 1, 2026, Maine employers and employees will initially begin paying the 1 percent premium beginning on Jan. 1, 2025.

The program will be administered by the Maine Department of Labor and will cover virtually all employees in Maine, including public employees except for employees of the federal government. Self-employed Mainers will have the option of voluntarily participating in the program,

Up-to-date information on the new Paid Family and Medical Leave Program, its rulemaking process, and upcoming listening sessions is available at /labor/pfml/. <

Sebago Lakes Region Chamber welcomes new board chair and recognizes award recipients

By Kaysa Jalbert

The Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce celebrated 60 years with the theme “Honoring the Past, Treasuring the Present & Shaping the Future” at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner held on Thursday, Jan. 18 at Camp Sunshine in Casco.

From left, Vickie Bartlett, Jane Bartlett, President/CEO Robin
Mullins and Board Chair Jonathan Priest gather during the
Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce's annual
meeting and awards ceremony on Jan. 18 at Camp Sunshine
in Casco. The Bartletts attended the ceremony representing
the Bartlett family as the late George Bartlett was honored
with the Frank Koenig Chamber Hall of Fame Award.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

“We shared a video on the Chamber’s incredible history and discussed how the organization continues to thrive and evolve as the region changes,” said Robin Mullins, President of the Sebago Lakes Region of Commerce. A table at the event highlighted the 60 years of the Chamber’s history, including regional guides and photo albums.

Two new Board Members were added to the chamber’s leadership team for 2024. Tricia Zwirner of the Nominating Committee introduced the new board members, Maureen LaSalle of Northern Lights Mechanical, and Maureen Mazur of Taro Health.

The Chamber Board also voted Jonathan Priest of J. Priest Insurance to succeed Jennifer Arsenault of Edward Jones as the new Board Chair. Arsenault was awarded a plaque to commemorate her term of service as Board Chair.

The Annual Meeting also included a social hour, a buffet dinner, a business meeting, and ended by recognizing the following award recipients:

Dave Pollard presented the Chamber’s Community Service Leadership Award to Lacy Antonson for her work in Gray, especially at the Gray Wild Blueberry Festival. Mullins said that the Community Service Leadership Award recognizes a civic-minded individual or group that has made a significant contribution to the quality of life in the Sebago Lakes Region. Nominees are passionate about a cause and work tirelessly for the greater good and to inspire others to become involved in their community.

The Chamber’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award is presented annually to a Chamber member operating in the Lakes Region whose innovation and creativity have succeeded in starting their own successful business while opening new economic opportunities for the Sebago Lakes Region. This member has donated their time and/or resources unselfishly for the good of their local community, Mullins said. This year, the Entrepreneur of the Year Award was presented to Shaw Dwight of Paul's Boutique in Windham. He thanked his team, his father, and his wife for helping him become successful.

Richie Vraux presented the Business of the Year Award to Kenny Cianchette and his team at Erik's Church in Windham. “This award is presented to a Chamber member operating in the region that has set an example in leadership, innovation, and quality, and has provided noteworthy economic opportunity to the people of the Sebago Lakes Region,” said Mullins. “This business should also have donated their time and/or resources unselfishly for the good of their local community.”

Mullins announced the winner of the Frank Koenig Chamber Hall of Fame Award. This specific award is presented to an individual whose commitment of time, resources and talent have made the Sebago Lakes Region a better place to pursue one’s livelihood and dreams.

“Frank Koenig was passionate about the chamber and worked tirelessly for the betterment of our region and his local Chamber of Commerce,” says Mullins. “Like Frank, the recipient should have a history of passionate and active contributions to the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce. This person should have made an impact on the chamber and the local community all while maintaining the highest of integrity. The award is presented posthumously to George Bartlett, who we sadly lost in July of 2023.”

The Frank Koenig Chamber Hall of Fame Award given to Bartlett was accepted by his wife, Jane, and his daughter, Vickie, who spoke on behalf of the family, expressing their gratitude for recognizing how much George meant to the community, and how much he would have loved this award.

Mullins said that the Chamber looks forward to another busy year of events in 2024 such as the monthly Business Breaks, the Polar Dip in February, Member Appreciation Week in May, the Scholarship Golf Open in June, the Golf Ball Drop at Summerfest, a Pancake Breakfast at the Gray Wild Blueberry Festival, community Trunk or Treats, the Sebago Spirits Festival, and other community holiday events including the Bid of Christmas.

The Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce was launched 60 years ago by a group of innovative business owners and was called the North Windham Business Association and is now made up of 14 Board Directors and seven officers whose mission is to foster economic growth and prosperity throughout the region. <

Raymond residents oppose solar farm installation in neighborhood

By Ed Pierce

Residents living in the Pulpit Rock Road and Twin Pines neighborhood near Thomas Pond off Route 302 in Raymond are hoping the Raymond Planning Board rejects a proposal when it meets in March to install a 996 kWac ground mounted solar power generation facility on a property near their homes.

The Wallace home at 30 Pulpit Rock Road is in sight of the 
fence line of a proposed solar farm project in Raymond.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Allen Solar, LLC submitted the proposal to the Raymond Planning Board in October and seeks to locate the Mainely Solar facility on Roosevelt Trail on a lot owned by Scott and Aimme Allen with access to the project area through a lot owned by Scott Allen using the existing Raymond Marine entrance to Roosevelt Trail. The project lots amount to 17,817 square feet and intend to occupy about 6.8 acres located within the town’s Rural Residential District and portions are within the Shoreland Zone, Limited Residential/Recreation District.

The project will also require approval from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers filling a small 325-square-foot wetland to support project access. The solar company says the property will be fenced and buffers and setbacks will be deployed to minimize visual impact.

Objections

Laurie Wallace, whose property abuts the proposed project, says that acreage for the proposed site is hilly, heavily wooded and filled with vernal pools, critical wetlands and streams that run downhill directly into Thomas Pond.

“It is the habitat of many birds, four-legged animals, and amphibians,” she said. “We support energy sources other than fossil fuels. But placing a commercial solar farm in this sensitive ecosystem can ultimately do more harm than good. Raymond is considering making commitments to an industry that could, if unchecked, harm the pristine environment in which we’ve chosen to live. If this specific project is allowed to move forward, it could set a dangerous precedent in Raymond and the Lakes Region.”

Wallace said the Thomas Pond watershed feeds directly into Sebago Lake, the source of drinking water for thousands in the Greater Portland region.

Dave Hall, another abutter to the proposed solar farm who lives at 32 Pulpit Rock Road, said this project doesn’t fit in that neighborhood.

“My family has lived in the neighborhood since the houses were built in 1983. What I object to about the proposed solar project is leasing the land for a commercial project does not seem like something that should happen in a residential neighborhood,” Hall said. “The planning board seems to have allowed solar projects in residential zones with no safeguards to protect the surrounding property owners. They did not create reasonable setbacks or other rules that would have kept this project from being planned to have seven acres of solar panels start 150 feet from a person’s house. The property is a watershed of Thomas Pond, just below the project is a stream running into Thomas Pond. We are concerned our property values will go down with an industrial business venture going on behind our houses. The town’s comprehensive plan states that proposals and projects should not impact way of life and property values. When asked at the public forum the planning board said," that is not the basis of decision making. " It seems like it should be. Our neighborhoods are in danger from plans like this. We keep saying this is the wrong property for a project like this.”

Jennifer Danzig also lives in a home which abuts the project. She and her husband have lived there since 1998 and raised three children and says she taught her children to be good stewards of the environment and the community and for those reasons she opposes the project.

“The proposed solar project is a private, for-profit, commercial solar farm which requires clearing 7-plus acres of forest land designated as rural residential located in between Route 302 and the shoreland zone of Thomas Pond. It is an environmentally sensitive area that just isn’t the right location for this project,” Danzig said. “This forested area is the home to many birds, four-legged animals, and amphibians that will be displaced which will impact the local ecosystem. In addition, the proposed site is hilly and full of vernal pools, wetlands, and streams that run downhill directly into Thomas Pond.”

Danzig says without the current acreage of forested canopy in this area providing protection against increasingly severe rain and windstorms that residents there could experience even more runoff and potential flooding.

“The Thomas Pond watershed feeds directly into the Sebago Lake watershed which provides drinking water to local residents, and to the City of Portland. So not only will this project severely impact the privacy and serenity of the Thomas Pond residents, but health and safety issues could arise, and property values could be adversely impacted,” she said. “Many other Maine towns have moratoriums on these projects until more research becomes available regarding all of the unintended consequences of such installations. Raymond Waterways Protective Association states all of the lakes, ponds, and brooks in Raymond are physically connected; consequently, many people in Raymond and neighboring towns beyond those on Thomas Pond could be affected by this proposed project. If allowed to move forward, it could set a dangerous precedent for this type of installation in other rural residential neighborhoods around the lakes in our community.”

Company response

Dave Fowler of Mainely Solar says that his company has more than 22 years of experience developing responsible renewable energy projects across Maine and that the proposed Allen Solar project is a 1MW solar facility that will help ensure that Maine reaches its goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2040.

“Landowner rights are among the most important aspects to consider when developing any project. The town has adopted a solar ordinance that allows the use in the Town of Raymond to ensure those rights don’t burden the neighbors,” Fowler said. “Our project meets all of the land use standards that Raymond has adopted. Given the feedback from the planning board process, we have voluntarily agreed to increase the setback from the abutting property line. While we will be clearing approximately 4.5 acres of land for the solar panels, equal to 2 to 3 house lots, the environmental and life safety impacts will be significantly less.”

Fowler said the field will be mowed no more than two times per year, compared to lawns, which are mowed as frequently as needed and that minimizes runoff.

“We will not be using any fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides frequently used by many of the homes in the Thomas Pond watershed,” he said. “Stormwater from the project’s impervious surface and the existing impervious and developed areas will be captured, treated, and discharged at the same peak flow rate as it does today. To further protect Thomas Pond's water quality, a site-specific erosion and sedimentation control plan has been developed for construction. The seed mix used will be pollinator-friendly and fire-resistant.”

According to Fowler, the project will include a fire suppression system consisting of a 10,000 cistern and a network of piping and fire standpipes and the fence surrounding the project will include multiple gates with knock boxes, allowing Raymond Fire and Rescue to respond to emergencies.

He refuted objections about lowered property values, saying numerous studies show that solar projects of this size do not impact property values.

“At the same time, you can undoubtedly find studies on the internet that have contradictory opinions. There is no study with conclusive findings of adverse impact,” Fowler said. “We understand that there are concerns regarding impacts to the environmental resource. All protected natural resources within the parcel have been identified by licensed professional scientists in accordance with Maine DEP and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers standards. The project has been designed to avoid and minimize impacts to these resources to the greatest extent, meeting all local, Maine DEP, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rules and standards. The local code enforcement officer, the local civil engineer, and the fire department have reviewed the project. Many abutting lot owners who have expressed concerns, enjoy using the Allen property without verbal or written permission. That is expected to continue except for the 4.5 acres that will be fenced.”

The Raymond Planning Board will meet on March 13 to discuss the proposal. <

Raymond Select Board appoints Look permanent town manager

By Ed Pierce

Pending working out specific details of a contract, the Town of Raymond has a new Town Manager after the Raymond Select Board offered Susan L. Look the position during a Select Board meeting on Jan. 9.

Members of the Raymond Select Board have
appointed Susan Look as the new Raymond
Town Manager. Look had been serving in
the role since July 2023 on an interim basis
after longtime Town Manager Don Willard
went on Paid Family Medical Leave and 
then officially retired Jan. 2. FILE PHOTO

Look, who also serves as Raymond’s Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters, has been filling the Town Manager position on an interim basis since July 2023. Coming out of an Executive Session during the meeting, members of the Select Board voted unanimously to offer Look the permanent job as Raymond Town Manager.

Don Willard had served as the Raymond Town Manager for more than 22 years when he left on Paid Family Medical Leave in July 2023, and he officially retired on Jan. 2. When Willard went out on leave last year, the Raymond Select Board then asked Look to stand in for Willard until his situation was resolved.

“From my perspective Sue, you have done a spectacular job in the last 6 ½ months,” said Joe Bruno, Raymond Select Board chair. “You’ve earned this. Well deserved. You’ve stepped up and it’s really appreciated.”

Prior to stepping in to act as the Interim Town Manager, Look’s service as Raymond Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters were not the only duties she had undertaken in her role with the town since she came to work there almost decade ago.

Through the years she has organized the Raymond Select Board’s monthly meetings, taken the Select Board meeting minutes, coordinated with all the people who want to be in the meeting and compiled requests for items to be placed on the agenda. In addition to organizing the town’s scheduled monthly Select Board meetings, and an occasional as-needed emergency meeting, Look has also prepared the warrant for Raymond’s Annual Town Meeting held on the first Tuesday in June every year.

As detailed in an August 2021 profile of her in The Windham Eagle, Look’s history of organizing and planning extends well beyond her time working in elections at the state level and although she was born in Maine, Look has lived all over the east coast and gained valuable experience along the way.

“My dad was in the woolen industry, and we followed the mill closings north,” Look said.

Altogether Look said in 2021 that she moved 40 times before settling into her current home. “I can pack out a kitchen quick,” she said. “And every time I moved, I would always make sure the beds were made before we finished for the day.”

The skills needed to pack up a household and keep calm while moving have helped Look obtain plenty of confidence needed to succeed in her new role as the Raymond Town Manager.

Look was born in Lewiston and has worked for the Town of Raymond since July 2014. She formerly served as the Town Clerk for the Town of West Bath and she was originally hired by Willard to replace longtime town clerk Louise Lester, who was retiring at the time.

Her father grew up in New Gloucester, and she has family connections in both Raymond and Windham. She is married and has two married daughters and two grandchildren, and lives in Richmond.

During her professional career, Look worked for L.L. Bean for 15 years and was promoted to manage the company’s customer name and address filing system. She was appointed as the Town Clerk in West Bath in 2004 and served in that role for five years before working for the Maine Division of Elections for another five years.

According to Bruno, the Raymond Select Board is currently formulating a transition plan to appoint a new Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters to succeed Look in those roles. <