Nine home gardeners prepare to host visitors - By Walter Lunt

Dianne Larrivee’s home in Raymond is surrounded by greenery, colorful perennials, shrubs and a water garden continuously recharged by two waterfalls. Her oasis is one stop on this year’s Raymond Garden Tour. 
 

“My all-time favorites are peonies and lady slippers,” she said. Larrivee cultivates several varieties of peony, including white, pink, yellow and red; and another, her most revered, a 100-year-old French variety from her grandmother’s garden. “It’s mostly sentimental,” she explained, “My grandmother grew these. It has a high degree of smell. When I put together a bouquet, I slip one of these in to give it a perfumed scent.”

Nearby are eight varieties of rhododendron, bridal wreath spirea, and a yak plant which transforms from pink to white over two weeks in spring. Run a finger along the underside of its pointed leaf and it feels like a soft felt blanket.

Asked about the planning and design of her numerous gardens, Larrivee maintains it is somewhat of an art form, a talent learned from her mother, trial and error and magazines. A garden scheme is the product of arrangement and organization. For example, she advises prospective gardeners not to ignore the height and layering of plants. First, consider that green leaves are prominent all season long, while the flowers bloom for only short periods; so vary the types, sizes and textures of the leafs. Secondly, the taller plants need to be placed in the back, even if their heights vary when first planted. 

Larrivee also combined day lilies and daffodils that have back-to-back blooming times in order to extend the spring color.

 

Larrivee believes her main attraction will be the water garden that she designed, planted and even dug herself. The pond, or “water feature” in garden lingo, contains pond lilies, lotus and reeds. Lining the water are Cyprus, a multi-colored Japanese maple, clematis, yellow and pink lady slippers, jack-in-the-pulpit and purple trillium. Spanning the pond between the heavy flow waterfalls is a humped wooden bridge.

The Raymond tour will be held on Saturday, June 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Patrons will start at Raymond Village Library and receive a “ticket brochure” which will provide directions and describe the nine gardens. Each garden will have volunteer guides. The tour is self-guided and the gardens can be visited in any order. One stop, at King’s Grant, will offer refreshments and a visual tour of Raymond’s history. The tour winds up at the Hawthorne House at 3:30 p.m. with a strawberry festival and program featuring two speakers from the McLaughlin Garden.

Tour committee member Elissa Gifford said, “Each garden is a visual representation of the owner’s personal interpretation, not only of what gardening means to them, but of their own work in developing its meaning.”

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 on tour day, and can be purchased at the library. All proceeds will benefit Raymond Village Library, a 501©3 (non-profit).

Donnabeth Lippman Park installs new playground - By Michelle Libby

Windham Parks and Recreation Department is continuing to improve Donnabeth Lippman Park, just off Route 302 in Windham, with the addition of a new playground play scape this week.
 

The playground is still roped off waiting for 91-yards of engineered mulch to be delivered and spread.

“We are anxiously awaiting it,” said project coordinator Lynn Bucknell. It should arrive within the next two weeks, she said. 

The project was put together last week by CMJ Construction out of Bangor, who was contracted by Game Time, the maker of the playground. 

“[CMJ Construction] said to me, ‘This is my favorite set so far.’ So it looks like we picked out a good one,” Bucknell said. 

The unit was listed for $82,000. The money for the playground was in the budget for this upcoming year capped at $130,000. Bucknell however, found the application for a grant and after doing the paperwork, she was notified within half an hour that the town was awarded the grant for 50 percent matching funds. The play structure cost the town a little less than $40,000, according to Bucknell. There were a few stipulations that the equipment had to be delivered by December 31 and the money had to be paid at the time of purchase, but she was able to make all of the details work. 

“I saved the town $90,000 this year,” said Bucknell. “Working in parks and rec money is always a factor. Not to take such a hard hit, it felt pretty good.” 

 

The buzz around the playground has been huge on Facebook, she said. “People are excited and can’t wait. We need stuff for the kids.” 

In the near future, the town is hoping to add swing sets, and a pavilion is being constructed by Boy Scout Chad Witherow this spring.

Raymond removes its town hall dumpsters due to misuse - By Michelle Libby

As of June 22, 2015, the dumpsters located at the Raymond Town Hall will no longer be there. The dumpsters that were put there as a convenience for the staff at the town hall, but recently there has an abundance of abuse from people outside the town dropping more than just trash off, according to town manager Don Willard. 
 

The two dumpsters started as one for trash and one for recycling, but the recycling bin began being used for trash as well and the town took it out and replaced it with another trash dumpster. “Two dumpsters are more than for the town hall. It’s a kind of courtesy for the residents,” said Mike Reynolds, chair of the Board of Selectman in Raymond. 

“At the end of last summer it started to be more than we could handle. We were noticing more commercial type stuff,” Reynolds said. He said that most of the trash became items that people have to pay to dispose of like TVs and microwaves. With these items the town then had to pay to dispose of at a different location. 

This spring the problem came to a head. The dumpsters went from being emptied once a week to twice a week to everyday. Costing the town extra money to the tune of $8,000 since the beginning of the year. Some of the items dropped into the dumpsters had mail with out of town addresses on them, making Reynolds and others in the town to believe that the problem is coming from non-residents. 

Raymond residents have a curbside pick up service every week where they can put out two big barrels of trash and unlimited single sort recycling each week. Above the two trash cans, residents can purchase a sticker for another trash can or large bag. The service has been protected for those who have summer homes in Raymond. 

“We have decent weekly trash for our citizens,” said Reynolds. “It’s one of the things we want to protect.” 

 

Recently, someone tossed a huge TV into the bin without opening the lid breaking the door. “They’re not being used respectfully,” he added.  

Another concern is that Raymond Public Works is spending one hour four days a week cleaning up after the trash left at and around the dumpsters, instead of working on projects around the town.

The only place to manage the trash is with the curbside pick up and those from out of state with property in Raymond are encouraged to talk to their neighbors about helping with their trash if needed. 

“I feel bad for those who used it the way they were supposed to be used,” he said. 

A sign has been posted at the site and notices have gone out in the paper and online alerting the community to the removal of the dumpsters.

Low voter turnout as expected - By Michelle Libby

Low voter turnout as expected; Bruno wins; Raymond stays with RSU14; budget passes

June elections have historically low voter turnout and Tuesday was no different. In Raymond, Joe Bruno was challenged by Louise Lester for the seat of selectman, and retained his seat by only 30 votes. Debra Duchaine, Robert Gosselin and Willard O’Brien Richards all earned spots on the budget-finance committee. Diana Froisland will continue as an RSU14 board member.

 

Despite the question about the RSU14 withdrawal process, which had garnered a lot of buzz in the last few months only 528 citizens voted. The count was 376 voted to no continue with the withdrawal process and 136 said yes, to continue with the process. 

“As a district we can move forward without the staff and everyone having this hanging over their heads,” said RSU14 School Board chair Marge Govoni.  “It’s definitely is the best interest of everybody.”

Town clerk Sue Look from Raymond described the night as “a moderate turnout but higher than expected.” 

In Windham and Raymond voters also approved the budget validation. In Raymond 391 voted yes and 133 voted no. In Windham, with only 273 voters casting ballots, 165 said yes and 108 said no. 

“The budget is high because we are educating over 3,000 students. That’s not an inexpensive process. There is a cost that comes with keeping up with technology and STEM. We want to help these students after they graduate to be competitive,” Govoni said. The no votes didn’t concern Govoni because people who are opposed to things make sure they are heard, where as those who are happy with the status quo, don’t feel they need to vote. 

In the last June election Windham saw 277 voters.

Windham couple got their kicks, and more, on Route 66 - By Walter Lunt

Since 1926, driving down Route 66 has been the experience of a lifetime for travelers, adventurers, desperados and dreamers.

                                                                                                   www.historic66.com

Stan and Cheryl Page spent most of April and May driving their dream. It was the entire 2,249 mile length of historic Route 66, through eight states from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. Often referred to as the Main Street of America, or the Mother Road, Route 66 was created in 1926 to accommodate the growing number of motorized vehicles, mostly going west. Route 66 was officially removed from the U.S. highway system in 1985, replaced by a patchwork of interstate roadways. The old route, however, is clearly marked and supported by various historic and business organizations.

 

Today, travelers on the iconic road, particularly baby boomers, know their tour embodies the nostalgia and pop culture of the mid-20th century. Stan said the road has strong ties with old cars and the old days, so this trip wouldn’t be authentic unless he and Cheryl made the trip in their vintage car, a meticulously restored and smartly modified 1969 blue and white Camaro. Familiar to many around Windham, the Camaro has earned an astonishing 300-plus plaques and trophies in car shows from North Carolina to Toronto. To date, the car has logged over 320,000 miles. Stan has done all the mechanical work. He credits Ray Philpot, owner of J & R Garage in Windham, for much of the body and paint work.

 

So how does one prepare a high mileage classic car for a trek across America? Page said the process began four years ago. He installed a new wiring harness, replaced rear end gears, the shocks and springs, and upgraded to a 5-speed transmission, with overdrive, for long term highway driving. He also added air conditioning.

Despite the extensive preparation, acquaintances winced when learning the Pages would embark on an 8,000 mile trip in a 45-year-old vehicle. Skeptical friends and patrons at Cheryl’s work place, Mr. Mike’s (formerly Puff & Stop) in North Windham, went the distance and gifted the Pages a Triple-A gold insurance plan – good for towing and lodging, “just in case.”

Although equipped with GPS, the Page’s relied almost exclusively on a thick travel booklet published by the National Historic Route 66 Federation. It features maps, information on attractions, games, history, and even roadway scavenger hunts. Cheryl kept a diary of the couple’s travels, recording weather conditions (“we went through tornado alley during tornado season” but luckily encountered no storms), attractions, motel and lodging stays and personal details.

Nearly all roadside businesses and attractions capitalize on the glory day’s theme of Route 66, from restored gas stations to murals depicting old advertising signs, autos and life styles of the road’s early days. Their favorite sites: Cheryl, who is considering retirement, was taken by the World’s Largest Rocking Chair, standing 42 feet tall. Stan, on the other hand, never got to visit his, which would have been The Big Texan tavern, a steakhouse that advertises a 72 oz. steak – “consume the meal within one hour and eat free.” Friends and high school classmates of Stan know him to be the biggest fan of steak on the planet. But the tavern was too far off their route. 

Both said they were captivated by the Town of Oatman, Arizona, populated almost exclusively by burros walking free and wild. The town, located in the Black Mountains, became a mining mecca in 1863 with the discovery of gold. When the last prospectors left around 1915, their pack animals were set free. Now managed and protected, Oatman is a tourist destination, complete with wondering burros and gift shops.

Another trip highlight was the 800-car May Run, an antique car cruise extending 158 miles along an uninterrupted stretch of the original Route 66. The Pages were delighted to be able to join the nostalgic caravan for the first day of its run.

Among the historic sites, celebrations, sagebrush and tumbleweeds, tourist shops, motels and lodgings (all depicting early day themes), Cheryl said she was dumbfounded by the number of wrecked, abandoned and rusting antique cars. “They were everywhere, all makes, along the entire route. A field day for old car lovers.”

And yes, they heard that unmistakable Nelson Riddle instrumental that was the theme music of the early sixties television series Route 66. It played in various establishments, along with pictures or murals of the two young adventurers (Martin Milner and George Maharis) driving a Corvette on Route 66, exploring the social problems of a changing America.

There were side trips and a different route home. The Pages visited Yellowstone National Park, Hoover Dam, rode a horse within 200 feet of the famed Hollywood sign, drove a race car in Las Vegas and saw a Wild West show at Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede. Both agreed the most unforgettable experience was seeing the presidents on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

And did they experience the predicted mechanical problems? “Yeah,” admitted Stan. With raised eyebrows, he added, “Twice.” Once in Texas where they lost two days to a smoking rear axle, and the second time on their way home; “We drove from New York to Windham on seven cylinders.” Presently, the Camaro sits in Stan’s garage with no motor and “parts everywhere,” waiting for the installation of a new “383 Stroker,” which arrived last week. Thinking back on the four years of mechanical prep work, Stan grinned and added, “I guess I should’ve changed engines too.”

Asked to reflect on their adventure with a single thought that best expresses their month-long journey, Cheryl responded, “I love America – beautiful, beautiful America. And I’m so thankful to have seen a good percentage of it.” Stan summed up the experience from a different perspective. “Well, I got to cross it off my bucket list, and I completed the trip in a 45-year-old car.”

As for advice to others contemplating Route 66: “Don’t just say you want to do the trip – get up and do it. Don’t wait.”