Raymond’s Hawthorne House to host Emerging Artists Show

By Kendra Raymond

It seems that full house, sold-out events are becoming a pattern at Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boyhood Home on the Raymond Cape. After a packed Strawberry Festival, the venue recently hosted a folk performer, filling the building to capacity.

Visitors view artwork from local artists during last year's
Emerging Artists Show at the Hawthorne House in Raymond.
This year's show kicks off with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m.
on Aug. 8 and the display continues through Sunday,
Aug. 10 at the Hawthorne House.  
PHOTO BY SYLVIA SULLIVAN

But just when you think that things can’t get any more exciting, another popular event is on tap to return for its second year. The Emerging Artists Show is returning to the Hawthorne House, hosted by the Hawthorne Community Association. The event will showcase emerging painters, photographers, sculptors, and more.

The art show will begin with a wine-and-cheese opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8 and offer participants a chance to meet the artists. The show will continue from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9 and Sunday, Aug. 10 with all art available for viewing and sale. The three-day event is free to attend, with donations for the continuing maintenance of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boyhood Home gratefully accepted.

Dave Carew is the volunteer publicist for the Hawthorne Community Association and said he hopes to spread the word to the community about this fantastic opportunity to take in some great local art, all in one place.

Event coordinator Sylvia Sullivan is a long-time member of the Hawthorne Community Association.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to open up the newly restored Hawthorne House and give local, emerging artists an opportunity to show and sell their work there,” she said. “We‘re especially pleased to be showcasing such a wide range of local artistic talent, including painters, photographers, sculptors, and more.”

A vast array of local artists will be showcasing their work at the event. Among the talent participating are: Kathleen Gerdes (nature watercolors); Kalee Charette (landscapes and creatures in pen and ink); Cole Phillips (wet plate photography); Bruce Small (landscape and wildlife photography); Trish Kohler (mixed media); Linda Kranich (pastels); Donna Kantor (watercolor); Ben Steeves (mixed media); Ruth Gorton (acrylics and pastels); Sam Sparling (oils and pastels); Bunny Wescott (photography); Lynn Ericson (acrylics) Marylyn Clegg (to be determined); and Monica White (alcohol inks and acrylics).

Sullivan explained that the exhibition is a great opportunity for local artists to share their work.

“Having known some talented artists in the area who, for various reasons, had never or rarely shown or sold their creations to the public, I thought it would be fun to give them that opportunity. Being a member of the Hawthorne Community Association, I felt Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boyhood Home here in Raymond would be the perfect venue,” she said.

This is the second year for the Emerging Artists Show, and it features both new and returning artists.

The participants will include artists working with oils, pastels, acrylics, watercolors, mixed media, as well as photography,” said Sullivan.

“Last year I approached artists I knew and asked other Hawthorne members and friends for recommendations,” she said. “I found many talented people who wanted to participate,” she said. “Some had never shown their work, while others had shown their work before, but were happy to be part of our first show. With the help of Tom Hall, a talented and successful artist, our 2024 show was a success for both the artists and art lovers who attended.”

A portion of some of the artists’ sales will be donated for the preservation of the boyhood home of the great American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Sullivan said because of the 2024 art show success, local artist and participant Kathleen Gerdes now teaches an art class at the Hawthorne House. Upcoming dates for her class are from 1 to 4 p.m. on Aug. 18, Sept. 15, and Oct. 13. The cost is $35 per session and includes all supplies. Preregister by emailing: gerkat214@gmail.com

Aside from an opportunity to view and purchase great art. Sullivan said that it’s a wonderful chance to meet and reconnect with old and new friends.

“Last year was a huge success and we are hoping for the same this year,” she said.

The Hawthorne House is located at 40 Hawthorne Road in Raymond.

For more information regarding the Emerging Artists Show, please contact Sullivan by email at: rsssm@maine.rr.com or call her at 207-239-6010. <

Windham author to sign book of seacoast-themed poems on Saturday

By Dina Mendros

After retirement from 40 years of teaching, Windham resident Bob Clark realized he had another calling, one that the teacher turned poet enjoys sharing with his community. He’ll be sharing his passion for poetry from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 19 when he will sign copies of one of his books of poems at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shops at 795 Roosevelt Trail in Windham.

Poet Bob Clark will meet the public and sign
copies of one of his poetry books during an
appearance at Sherman's Maine Coast Book
Shop in Windham from 1 to 3 p.m. on
Saturday, July 19. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

The seacoast-themed “Seaside,” which he published last year, is Clark’s fifth book of poems; so far, he has written six books and plans to write more. In addition to “Seaside,” his published books include “Canoe,” “Carriage Lane,” “Tourmaline,” “Spinnaker,” and his most recent book “Sleigh Bells,” which was published this year.

Clark started on his poetry path while he was teaching.

“As a language teacher (Clark taught Spanish), I caught onto that the English department used to have a poetry month … and that the curriculum would explore poetry as opposed to short stories” or another genre,” he said. “When I retired, I had some poems and I said ‘you know I’ll go to my library and see if they want me to do a display.’ So every year in April which is National Poetry Month, I do a framed poem display in the Windham Public Library.”

He later decided he could create books made up of his own poems and poems of other people, which he has done for six years. The books usually include 20 of his own poems and 10 from other poets. Each book of poetry focuses on a theme.

"Seaside’ has a theme of the shoreline,” Clark said, “like seagull poems and lighthouse poems.”

His inspiration for writing poetry started at a young age, Clark said, adding that being read to as a child helped him to love the written word. Then, when attending Windham High School as a teenager “we had some wonderful teachers … they said ‘you know we’re gonna do some poetry’ and then we’re going to have us investigate it. … What caught my attention was that you have a storyline in a poem and it could have more than one meaning. … I always enjoyed the fact that you could be a writer and have multiple meanings.

“Teachers always seemed enthusiastic while encouraging us to figure out what was being said and to think about how imagery could be created using efficient word patterns,” Clark said. “Set against a math sequence with a single designated outcome, words seemed to poetically be able to have multiple ones.”

He is also inspired to write poetry because “I want to give back to my community,” Clark said.

On a personal level, he chooses to gift framed poems to family and friends, he said. But he also wrote a poem about the mass shooting in Lewiston on Oct. 25, 2023, and presented a copy of the poem to the Lewiston City Council. He read a copy of one of his poems before the Maine Legislature for its convocation and earlier this year he delivered his “2025 New Poetry Workshop” for the Maine Coast Men organization meeting in Linconville.

“There’s a variety of ways to give back to the community,” Clark said. “It’s like giving somebody a hug, shaking their hand, saying ‘my God, thank you all the time you put in, let me give you some of that back.’”

He says that it’s inspirational that someone might read one of his books in the library and take a book out and he’ll never know it.

Those attending Clark’s event at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop in Windham on Saturday afternoon will be able to purchase a copy of “Seaside” and have it signed by Clark. Clark’s other books can be found at the Windham Public Library. For further details about Clark’s poetry, send an email to caribetime@gmail.com <

Raymond-Casco Historical Society presentation examines role of Canal Boats on Sebago Lake

By Kendra Raymond

With all the bustling high-octane activity on Sebago Lake including everything from boats and jet skis to tubing and windsurfing, it’s hard to imagine a more leisurely time when canal boats traveled across the great expanse of water delivering goods and passengers to the Lakes Region.

A Raymond-Casco Historical Society presentation on
Monday, July 14 will explore the role of canal boats on
Sebago Lake in the 19th century and their significance
in opening the Lakes Region to trade and commerce. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Ernest Knight’s publication, “A Guide to the Cumberland & Oxford Canal (1830-1870)” chronicles the intriguing development of the route and its history. “The route of a canal boat from Portland was via 20 miles of hand-dug canal to Sebago Lake. This provided a means of transport 50 miles inland from the ocean at a time when trade was severely handicapped by lack of inexpensive and safe transportation.”

A 2022 WBLM article said that the Cumberland and Oxford Canal went all the way from Portland to Harrison.

“The Canal was opened in 1832, and pretty much followed the Presumpscot River going through Standish, Windham, Gorham, and Westbrook. Its total distance was 38 miles, and the canal included 27 locks, with Songo Lock still being used today,” according to information in the article.

Walter Lunt’s 2021 article in The Windham Eagle said that following the canal closure, the canal boats remained on Sebago and Long Lakes, transporting cargo and passengers to the train station. The story discussed the remnants of canals throughout the region, with the most conspicuous on Route 35 in Standish past the Presumpscot. His story said that other signs can be seen at Babbs’s Covered Bridge and Gambo Powder Mills in South Windham.

The Raymond-Casco Historical Society will host a discussion presented by historian Mike Davis at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 14. Davis is the former Assistant Director of the Bridgton Historical Society and has given presentations for the RCHS in the past.

Frank McDermott is President of RCHS and welcomes this presentation by Davis.

“Mike is a historian. He talks about all kinds of historical things. Last year, he did an amazing presentation on rattlesnakes in Raymond,” he said. “He is going to be talking about canal boats traveling from Portland to Sebago and Long Lake. They would bring passengers from Portland on vacation.”

McDermott explained that aside from trolleying tourists, the main focus was transporting goods to the Lakes Region.

“The Fed Ex of their day,” McDermott says.

He said that the canal boats carried all kinds of goods. “Really, the boats would bring anything that needed to be shipped such as lumber, food, or goods,” he said. “It was the quickest and most convenient way to move things to the Lakes Region. This included getting things to places in the area that were not on the lake.”

McDermott says he is certain that the presentation will be an educational and entertaining evening.

"It’s a really interesting topic,” he said. “Canal boats have wide appeal and it is fun to learn more about the history of our waterways.”

The talk will be held at the RCHS grounds located at 1 Shadow Lane in Casco. The museum will be open early at 5 p.m. that day for guests to take advantage of all the facility has to offer free of charge.

“Guests should feel free to come early and tour the grounds,” said McDermott. “If anyone sees something they want to learn more about - they should plan a return trip. We have all kinds of things this summer and hope to attract lots of new people.”

To learn more, visit https://raymondcascohistoricalsociety.org/ or visit Raymond-Casco Historical Society on Facebook or call 207-655-6389.

The museum is open from noon to 3 p.m. May through October on Saturdays and Sundays. Typically there is a blacksmith working on site giving live demonstrations on most weekends. Group tours are available by request. <

Her Mainely Girl Adventures: Healing in Nature

By Staci Warren

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s thinking 2025 didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped. Last year, I spent a lot of time in the woods which helped me relax and escape, but this year, I faced a far more serious problem than I ever anticipated. In early February, I was diagnosed with aggressive malignant, triple negative breast cancer, but I had no idea what that actually meant.

Staci Warren is slowly
getting back out and 
into nature after
surgery and treatment
for cancer this spring.
COURTESY PHOTO

I had gone in for my annual mammogram that has always been followed by back-and-forth visits to follow up on possible suspicious findings. Year after year, nothing ever came of them so when I got my six-month call back, I almost didn’t go because I had a meeting for work but decided it would be too much of a pain to reschedule, so I went. That morning, the technician even said, “we’ll get you out of here in no time. You probably won’t need that ultrasound they’ve already scheduled.”

Nope, not lucky. My ultrasound was done, and I went home. That night my PCP called telling me I needed a biopsy, and they just happened to have an opening the following Tuesday. Following my biopsy, a week’s wait and not hearing from the surgeon, I thought “no news is good news,” but they hadn’t cancelled my appointment.

As I sat through my appointment, it was as if she were talking about someone else as she explained the gravity of the diagnosis. My mind raced day and night for the next three months. The waiting for what seemed like forever put me into a mental health crisis without me even realizing it, even though I was in complete denial.

There was no time to cry or be emotional, so I had to accept it and tackle each day as any other day. I had so many questions, so little answers and decisions that needed to be made.

I tried to get outside, but the weather was so unpredictable, the days were short, and it seemed as if spring would never arrive, so I took up quilting to keep my mind busy if I couldn’t be outside. The cold, wind, and rain all spring made it almost unbearable, but whenever the stars aligned, I would take in the outdoors whether to sit by the campfire in my back yard or just on the deck to breathe in the fresh air.

I could feel my body releasing the stress, the worry, and the “what ifs” and unknowns. My husband would drive me up to our favorite place, where we go to all summer just to get a break from the house. Just seeing and being where we have so many memories helped me deal with the diagnosis.

The day before my bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction surgery, we went fly fishing in the river, which was also the first nice day in many weeks. I caught the only fish, a beautiful 13-inch salmon. For one wonderful day, my mind was free to think of anything other than what I was facing. Fly fishing kept me focused on the task at hand and I was rewarded with feeling relaxed, happy, and worriless for the first time in a long time. I didn’t think I’d get another chance to fish this season, but it didn’t matter at that moment.

I wasn’t able to hunt turkey this spring due to my surgery so all I did all spring was watch strutting toms and hens in my field. I had two months of recovery, and now chemotherapy has begun.

We’ve planned our camping and fishing around the weather, which has coincidentally coincided around my chemo recovery weekends. We got a chance to fly fish from our boat last weekend. I caught and released six beautiful native brook trout while enjoying the sunset and calm waters on the pond. The immense joy that I get being in the outdoors has helped me heal more than I ever hoped.

I still have two more months of chemotherapy, and I will be done, with hopes of no reoccurrence. The timing will be perfect since I was drawn for a moose permit! I will have two months to recoup before my moose hunt in the Maine North Woods in late September. It’s given me something to look forward to as I see the end of chemotherapy, which has become more difficult the more I have.

I plan to go for my second grand slam. I will hunt bear in early September, moose and deer, but my biggest hurdle will be getting a fall turkey, which I’ve never done. Wish me luck! If you happen to be in Ashland, I’ll be the one wearing the orange hunting hat and no hair.

I am on the mend. My mind is good, and I can see the finish line. Not only am I almost through treatment, but also, my quilt is almost done, which is a good thing since I have lots of outdoor adventures planned. I can’t stress enough, how important the outdoors is for healing the mind, body and soul when you’re faced with a health crisis. Make it part of your healing journey, and please, get your mammograms. Mine saved my life.

–Staci Warren provides a unique woman’s perspective and column on the outdoors every month. She is a freelance writer whose blog, My Mainely Girl Adventures, is about a woman hunting, fishing, trapping, foraging and living in the Maine outdoors. She also loves camping, star gazing, wildlife watching, and hunting for fossils. She’s an active member and board member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association and is a monthly columnist and feature writer for The Maine Sportsman Magazine. In her free time, she enjoys mentoring women hunters and trappers. <