Playground project
The Parents Advisory Committee at Raymond Elementary School has been working diligently with Bill Hansen, director of facilities for Rregional School Unit 14, to address some safety and security issues on the school’s playground.
Last September during their scheduled meeting, the group identified some noteworthy deficiencies. The playground has a significant sloping hill that has created numerous problems during recess time, like falls and injuries. In addition, the playground has no fence to secure the area. Located adjacent to a wooded forest, it’s concerning to have children run after the balls into the woods out of clear sight, picking up ticks in the wooded area, and being in a location with unsafe terrain. Safety and security is the upmost concern, and securing the playground from these issues and unwanted visitors is essential. For a message from our kids and further explanation of the safety issues at Raymond’s playground please go to: https://rsu14.eduvision.tv/default.aspx. Search “Raymond Elementary School – Where’s Phil?”
In response to these concerns, and under the leadership of Project Manager Alissa Messer, the Parents Advisory Committee has successfully prepared and submitted an application with the military Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) group to address the significant deficiencies in the school’s playground area. You may have noted some of the tremendous work that the military IRT program has executed with the town of Raymond and the Boy Scouts camp, Camp Hinds. Both organizations have effectively utilized the skills and creativity of the military to better our community.
In the proposal, the playground will become not only a safer environment, but secure as well. The project calls for grading the soil appropriately, enlarging the play field, adding fencing around the entire area, and adding lighting to maximize security. This project will benefit our students and community by reducing falls and injury while at play on uneven ground, reducing exposure to ticks, adding security, and provide an enhanced learning situation when kids can use the recess time as an outlet and management for energy throughout the day. This play area is not only for school time use, but often community families can be found utilizing the space after hours throughout the year.
The application has successfully been received by the military IRT program and is awaiting their potential acceptance. The committee doesn’t have details as to when the project would start until they hear from the military, should the proposal be accepted. They are anticipating a project in summer 2017 as the work needs to be done when no students are on school grounds.
The committee has pressed forward with Messer and Hansen to do the proper site engineering scope and permitting with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in order to be prepared should the IRT accept the application. As part of the 2015-2016 budget, the RSU 14 Board of Directors recommended that a capital reserve be established for the IRT project. This capital reserve account was approved by the voters of RSU 14 and $150,000 has currently been dedicated for this project. Based on the current engineering estimates, the anticipated required project funding for material and supplies is $300,000 to $350,000.
Raymond Elementary staff, students and community have continued to raise additional local funding for the project. The work has involved successful fundraising throughout the holidays, in-kind gifts, and most recently R.E.S. was awarded a grant from Berlin City Auto Drive for Education program to help with the material costs for the project. Watch for upcoming athletic fundraising events and other opportunities to help support this great community need. An ongoing fundraiser that you can participate in is the Hannaford Cards program. This is a great opportunity to support this playground project without spending extra money. Cards can be purchased in denominations of $25, $50 or $100. How does it work? A portion of the card purchase comes back to the Playground Fundraising from Hannaford. For example, you buy $50 card and spend it buying $50 worth of groceries, Hannaford then gives R.E.S. a percentage of the money. If you would like to purchase a card, Alissa Messer is at R.E.S. daily for dropoff and pickup, or you can reach her at alissamesser@gmail.com.
Raymond Village Library News
• Lego Club
Students, ages 6 and up are invited to join us at the monthly Lego Club, on the first Wednesday of each month from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The library supplies the space and the Legos. Just bring friends, ideas and your imaginations.
• Make-and-Take Craft
Our make-and-take craft program continues on Wednesday, Jan. 20, after school. This is an easy-to-do craft for children to create and take home with them. It will be held on the third Wednesday of each month. For more information, call the library at 655-4283.
• Upcycle Journal Craft
On Thursday, Jan. 21, at 6:30 p.m., come to the library to upcycle a book into a unique January Journal. A cover of a recycled book and the blank pages will be available. The covers can be left as they are or recovered with decorator paper, stickers, rubber-stamped images, personal pictures; the list is as endless as your imagination, since this is your personal creation. The journals will be bound by a spiral cord, and then it will be ready to be scrawled, scapped, brushed and glued or they could be given as one-of-a-kind gift for someone special. Space is limited to eight participants; call 655-4283 or email sally.holt@raymondvillagelibrary.org to reserve a place. There is a $5 fee for materials. Light refreshments will be available.
• Book Group
The library reading group will meet on Thursday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. to discuss “A Tale for the Time Being,” by Ruth Ozeki.
The story begins in Tokyo where 16-year-old Nao has decided there’s only one escape from her loneliness and her classmates’ bullying. Before she ends it all, Nao plans to document the life of her great-grandmother, a Buddhist nun who’s lived for more than a century.
Nao writes a diary that will touch lives in ways she can hardly imagine. Across the Pacific, we meet Ruth, a novelist living on a remote island who discovers a collection of artifacts washed ashore in a Hello Kitty lunchbox – possibly debris from the devastating 2011 tsunami. As the mystery of its contents unfold, Ruth is pulled into the past, into Nao’s drama and her unknown fate, and forward into her own future. We invited all interested readers to join us for what should prove to be an interesting discussion of this unique tale. For more information, call the library at 655-4283.
Rabies vaccine clinic
The town of Raymond and Jordan Bay Animal Hospital will be having a rabies vaccine clinic on Saturday Jan. 16, from 12-2 p.m. It will be held at Dog-Gone Grooming in Raymond (Route 302). Nail trims will also be offered for $10. Cash or checks only for these services.
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