He was born in Benton on Nov. 1, 1937, the son of Philippe and Elizabeth Poulin.

Raymond attended local schools including Lawrence High School. He then went on to serve his country in U.S. Army. He worked for Chinet Company for 37.5 years.

He loved to go to his camp on East Pond (that is now owned by his son).  He loved fishing, golf, the Red Sox, and the Patriots. He was the treasurer of the Men’s League at the Naples Golf & Country Club.

Raymond is survived by his beloved wife Margaret Gammon Poulin of Naples; son John Poulin of Raynham, Mass.; daughter Karen Wendzel of Ponte Vedra, Fla.; four grandchildren; stepchildren Susan and Peter Arenstam of Plymouth, Mass., and David Shaskan of Cape Elizabeth; two step-granddaughters; brothers Percy of Waterloo, Iowa, Ronnie of Fairfield and Chester of Benton; stepsisters Ann Boulette of Oakland, Ida Letourneau of Winslow and Beth Letterman of Worcester, Mass.; and several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his first wife and mother of his two children, Maureen Maillett Poulin; sisters Jaye Poirier and Irene Nadeau; and brothers Louis Poulin and Joseph Poulin.

Visitation was held on Sunday, Feb. 12 from 3 to 7 p.m.  at the Veilleaux Funeral Home, 8 Elm Street, Waterville. A memorial Mass was held on Monday, Feb 13 at 11 a.m. at Notre Dame Catholic Church, 112 Silver Street, Waterville. There will be a celebration of life in the summer at the Naples Golf & Country Club.

In lieu of flowers, Raymond would like donations to go to The Hospice House of Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, 236 Stetson Road, Auburn, ME 04210.

He was born on April 4, 1930, in South Portland, the son of Herman C. and Frances (Allen) Brackett. He attended Casco schools and served in the Navy from 1951 to 1954. After his discharge from the Navy, he attended the University of Maine at Orono and received a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1959.

He married Lida Viitala from Harrison on Aug. 25, 1956, and they celebrated 55 years together.
Weldon had a long career as an electrical engineer, working at General Electric in Syracuse, N.Y., Eastern Fine Paper in Lincoln, Microwave Techniques and Dielectric Communications, both in Raymond.

After retirement, Weldon enjoyed working on the family farm, building a retirement home, and spending time with his family.

He is survived by his wife, Lida; two daughters, Natasha Proctor and Zenya Brackett, both of Bridgton; two brothers, Allan of Kittery and Malcolm of Casco; and several nieces, nephews and their families.

At Weldon’s request, there will be no funeral services. A committal ceremony and celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Arrangements made by Hall Funeral Home, Casco. Online condolences may be left for the family at hallfuneralhomeinc.com

Sue was born in Lincoln and worked as a truck driver for various companies in southern Maine. She moved to Florida in 2002.

She was a skilled crafter and seamstress and made many jackets, sweaters, vests, dolls and many other things without a pattern. She was crafting right up to the day she was hospitalized before her death. She also loved to sing and play guitar, especially in the weekly jam sessions where she lived in Florida.

She was predeceased by a brother, Dale A. Worster.

She is survived by a daughter, Yvonne M. Lee of Chester, S.C.; her parents, Durward and Thelma Worster of Kingman; a brother, Durward Worster of Naples; a sister, Pamela Doyle of Buxton; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held in Springfield in July 2012.

He was born in Farmington on Oct. 18, 1943, to the late Helen L. (Clement) and Vinton H. Farrington. Barry attended the Jay schools.

Until his retirement, Barry was the owner of Farrington Logging, having worked side by side with his son Larry.

Barry knew hard work, but he also knew how to enjoy life. He loved being outside, whether it was hunting, fishing, attending the state fairs or taking his beloved dog, Ralph, to Winslow Park.

Barry was a member of the Harness Racing Association and owned many race horses. Barry always looked forward to family gatherings. He enjoyed having a garden and watching the birds. He also loved watching the Red Sox, old westerns on TV, along with listening to the music of George Jones and Elvis Presley.

Barry was predeceased by his parents; his brothers, Arnold and Keith; along with the apple of his eye, his daughter Laurie.

He is survived by his wife, Janet (Ottolini) Farrington; a son, Lawrence (Larry) Farrington of Sebago; two daughters, Lisa Michaud of Wells and Lyn Farrington of Acton; four grandchildren; step-children, Eric and Lauren Ferron; a step-granddaughter; a sister, Janice Rackliff of Jay; and a brother, Allen Farrington of Jay.

At Barry’s request there will be no service. Interment will be held in the spring at the Birchland Cemetery in North Jay. Assistance and guidance provided by Independent Death Care, 660 Brighton Avenue, in Portland. To offer words of condolence to the family, sign a guest book and share memories, go to the obituary page at www.independentdeathcare.com.

She was born in Saugus, Mass., the daughter of Frank Davey Sr. and Eva Cook. She attended local schools. She served in the U.S. Army during WWII. Over the years, she had been employed at Renys, IGA, Food City and the Colonial Restaurant. She retired at the age of 65.

She is survived by two brothers, Frank Davey Jr. and Edward Davey both of Massachusetts; three sisters, Sue Brown of Sun City, Ariz., Anne Warren of Glendale, Ariz. and Gail Curran of Peoria, Ariz.
Services will be held at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Maine Medical Center, in care of Barbara Bush Center, 22 Bramhall St., 04102.

Arrangements are made with Wood Funeral Home, Fryeburg. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.woodfuneralhome.org

He was born on Dec. 28, 1969, a son of Barbara Spaulding and Robert Black.

He enjoyed playing darts, watching NASCAR and spending time with his dart family and friends.

He is survived by his fiancée Julie Pratt of Lewiston; his brothers, Michael Black of Lewiston and Gary Forest; his stepson, Georgie; and several siblings, aunts and uncles.

Visitation was held at Independent Death Care of Maine on Saturday, Feb. 11.

A benefit to assist with funeral arrangements will be held at the Gray Eagles Club at noon on Saturday.

My earliest memories, dating back to when I was a toddler, took place outdoors, mostly in the woods, often next to a stream or river so crystal clear every rock and pebble were visible. I even remember drinking from these waters with my father’s blessing.

My whole family went camping quite frequently, at various campgrounds in the White Mountains, and one of my chores was to scrub the dishes clean, using no soap just sand and water. I had my own little “pup” tent and loved listening to my parents, and sometimes their friends, talking and laughing around the campfire, drinking a beer or two, while I gradually fell asleep.

During the day we’d visit waterfalls, look for rock caves, or simply walk in the woods. Always we took a picnic. I was never bored. Even at home my favorite thing to do was go “down back” to the brook where I’d go rock skipping or look for wildflowers, or venture into more unknown territory to explore. My parents never thought to worry that I’d get lost or hurt myself, probably because my father had taught me so well. I knew how to tell which rocks would be especially slippery, how to pay attention to where I was going and where I’d been so I’d know how to get back, and I wasn’t afraid of wild animals because, as Daddy said, “They’re more afraid of you than you are of them.”

So, these experiences kind of determined that when I grew up I’d not only continue to love the woods, but become an environmental activist. I didn’t chain myself to old growth or monkey-wrench bulldozers (though I wanted to once I learned about the clear-cutting in the Old Growth forests out West), but I did organize and spoke at conferences, wrote books, newsletters and articles, created and worked on various projects opposing the expansion of Hydro-Quebec and other mega, corporate projects, worked on fundraising for nonprofits, including my own, while raising three boys as a single mother. I did this for 20 plus years. And for most of that time, I felt I was having a positive impact. Finally, toward the end of that period, I realized that, as the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Despite my best efforts and despite how much any success I had may have fed my ego, an honest look around revealed that the Earth was worse off than when I started, that corporations had amassed way more money and power than anyone had dreamed possible, that fiddling with policies and regulations even with the best of intentions made no difference. Speaking truth to power didn’t seem to impact power one iota.

Around this time, so-called environmentalists decided that the most important thing we could do was to change our consumption. Not just to simplify, but to buy “green” because it was good for the planet and would help ensure “sustainability.” Now sustainability is a loaded word and its meaning varies depending on who you talk to. For me, sustainability has more to do with ecological realities. In other words, it’s important for lots of reasons that the diverse ecosystems of the planet, from the smallest tidal pool to the atmosphere and beyond, be treated and cared for in such a way that they can heal from our abuses and become more diverse, more alive than they are now (because they are so depleted and degraded thanks to our thoughtless human activities).

But for most people these days, including many environmentalists, it simply means fiddling with our buying habits without changing our lifestyle expectations. (We can save the planet and still have it all!) There used to be something about future generations in there but it must have gotten lost because climate change and the many forms of ecological devastation our industrial culture requires — green or not — are quickly depleting the planet. What future, you may ask?

So what is an environmentalist to do? We’ve been sold out, played out, backed into a corporate-controlled corner, led to believe that the best we can do is reduce, reuse, recycle and keep our fingers crossed. And/or pray depending on what you believe. I’ve always believed that love is the most powerful force in the universe. It’s what my grandmother taught me and it’s held the test of time in my life. What about you? What does love look like to you? To me, love is that clear stream I drank out of as a child; it’s the bear scratches in the stand of beech trees my father took me to; it’s my first visit to the Old Growth redwoods, and the truly ancient one that spoke to me; it’s my son getting married to the love of his life next to the ocean; it’s the smile on my little granddaughter’s face as she digs in the garden to find an earthworm; it’s the scream of delight as my grandson stands under a waterfall at Diana’s Bath. I want what I love to continue long after I’m gone, long after my grandchildren are gone. But that is not to be. That clear brook is no longer safe to drink, the beech grove is a housing development, the bears considered “nuisances.” “Sustainability” did not save them, nor did “buying green.”

How can we save and protect what we love when it appears that we don’t have the power to do so? Key word: “appears.” Because we do have the power, it’s just a matter of our willingness to take extreme risks. And they will have to be extreme, otherwise it won’t work. I’m not sure how that will translate in practice, but it’s time to sit together and begin the conversation, to support one another as we stretch our imaginations and our wings, to step up for what we love before it is too late.

A final thought: “Sometimes you jump off the cliff first, and build your wings on the way down,” — Annie Dillard.

The gist is that the buttons on this watch are dumb. Poorly organized, non-intuitive, really small, kind of spastic, and with short attention spans: and yes, I realize the similarity with kittens is irresistible, but that’s not really relevant right now, so I’m going to move on.

The worst button of them all is the one that turns on the little LED light so I can see what time it is in the wee hours of the night when my dear wife gives me the pointy elbow because she heard a noise and says, “I think there’s a wolverine in the silverware drawer, again.” The problem is that the light doesn’t stay on long enough after I’ve given the little button a quick jab. Just about the time I’ve reshaped my eyeballs enough to focus, the fuzzy green glow goes out. And then I have to fish around for the button again, in the pitchy dark now, because, of course, the light just went off on my watch. And so on, ad infinitum.

There are two instances (besides wolverine infestations) when this light-button-short-duration-thing is particularly annoying. The first is when it’s dark and I’m trying to set my alarm to some new time, say 4:30 a.m., which is a ridiculous hour under any circumstances, but is even more so because I have to go through about 17 light’s-on-nope-it’s-off-again gyrations in order to get all 137 button-pushing sequences done just to wake myself up fully two hours before it’s reasonable for any grown person to wake up, which often leads my wife to say something helpful, like, “Well, at least you don’t live in Des Moines, where 4:30 is 3:30.”

And the other instance is actually at 4:30 a.m., and I’m up now because the alarm on my new watch just went off, but I was too dim the evening before to set fresh socks out on the banister so I’m standing in the dark because I don’t want to disturb my sleeping wife and I’m feeling around in our communal unmentionables drawer for SmartWool^®. I keep pushing the dumb light button on the new watch that I hate, but the light doesn’t stay on long enough for me to see anything and I end up wearing chartreuse panty hose to work (which itches, fiercely).

Anyway, I was sitting having coffee with my friend the other day, whence she remarked, “Hey, you found your old watch!” which sent me into this whole diatribe about no, it’s a new watch, and yes, I hated the old one, but yes, I bought the same one again because at least I understand it, but gosh the light just doesn’t stay on long enough for me to find my underwear, and see, I’ll show you (imagine me holding the watch in front of someone’s face and angrily pushing the button)…pause…now isn’t that dumb (I say), and then my friend says, “Why don’t you just hold the button down? The light will stay on as long as you want.” One sentence and a perfectly bad day was spoiled.

Staff Writer

The Black Ghost, a floating café from which boaters and swimmers were served fast food last summer, sits on a trailer on the ice on Thursday. Owner Jeff Pomeroy enlisted the help of friends to remove the Ghost from the ice near the swimming area at Raymond Public Beach & Boat Launch. Last month, the town of Raymond had fined Pomeroy for violating shoreland zoning ordinances and given him until Feb. 28 to remove the structure. (De Busk photo)

RAYMOND — By high noon on Thursday — after three days of head scratching and brute force labor — a local businessman and a half-dozen of his loyal friends removed the Black Ghost from the grip of ice on Sebago Lake’s shoreline.

Already, it had been a feat to jack up and stabilize the four corners of the seasonal restaurant built on pontoons.

The tribulations did not end with the floating café safely on a trailer and headed to its destination a few hundred feet down Route 302, according to owner Jeff Pomeroy.

Instead, when the trailer was pulled up toward the parking lot of the Raymond Public Beach & Boat Launch, the heavy load shifted, and the trailer broke in half. Another three days were dedicated to leveling the Black Ghost and loading it onto a second trailer.

On Sunday night, the Ghost resided in the parking lot of Sunset Variety. A ‘For Sale’ sign hung in the window. Its for sale status is listed in Uncle Henry’s classified advertisements, and all the kitchen appliances for the fast food operation are included, Pomeroy said.

The business deal, in which the town had subleased beach property to Pomeroy, had come to an end.

Last year, the Raymond resident was awarded the bid to operate the food service business at the town’s beach. The arrangement provided a policing presence that elected officials here had hoped would deter littering and illegal partying.

The Town of Raymond Code Enforcement Officer had given Pomeroy until Feb. 28 to remove the Black Ghost and the floating docks from the public property. According to the official letter, the town would assume ownership of any structures still remaining after that date.

Pomeroy likened the situation to one business partner fining the other business partner $100 a day until a stack of boxes were removed from the office.

“You don’t fine your business partner,” he said.

According to Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) Assistant Danielle Loring, the fines stem from violations of the shoreland zoning ordinances — state and local environmental laws that apply to everyone, with no exceptions.

“We have to be consistent,” Loring said, “because the shoreland zone is such a touchy subject to begin. If we let Mr. Pomeroy keep the structure in the ice, then someone else on the lake would complain.”

“People cannot even have a tree house within the shoreland zone,” she said.

Although Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials were aware of the violation and had ruled that the Black Ghost was a structure rather than a boat, it became the town’s responsibility to issue the violation notice and follow through with making certain the situation was remedied, Loring said.

Therefore, the violation notice was issued by the town’s code enforcement officer, she said.

Pomeroy questioned why the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) had not stepped in since the water was under that agency’s jurisdiction. If IFW representatives were not worried, then why was Raymond’s CEO making such big waves, Pomeroy asked.

The town was pressuring him with an exact deadline as well as exorbitant fines that accrued daily, he said.

“We gave him a lot of leniency. We knew he was having issues with getting it out” of the ice, Loring said.

Dec. 1 was the original date for the Black Ghost to be removed; and that date was stated on the contract between Pomeroy and the town, she said. The Raymond Board of Selectmen extended that deadline by three weeks; and, the Code Enforcement Officer’s timeline provided Pomeroy with two months more than the selectmen’s deadline, Loring said.

According to Pomeroy, the Black Ghost is registered as a boat, and should have been allowed to be moored in Big Sebago Lake.

But, the code enforcement office doesn’t agree with Pomeroy’s assessment that the Black Ghost is a boat.

In fact, the DEP determined the Ghost was a structure, rather than a water-worthy vessel, according to Loring.

However, even if the floating café was defined as a boat, it could not be moored where it was, she said.

“Yes, it is a public access. But, no, he couldn’t moor it because he doesn‘t have rights to the beach frontage,” Loring said.

The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) granted to the town a 30-year lease of the easement to the beach. The MDOT and IFW lease the acreage to Raymond, and the town sublet it to Pomeroy from May through September.

Another major source of frustration for Pomeroy are the fines that will be difficult to pay, especially during the slowdown in the carpentry field in which he has worked.

Whether or not the fines are forgiven is something the selectmen will decide, Loring said.

“At this point, we are trying to regroup and decide what we are going to do with the public beach in the future. That’s a decision for the board of selectmen,” she said.

It is the future of Raymond’s public beach that still concerns Pomeroy. Without someone on site during the summer season, the closure of the beach might be imminent, he said.

“Last summer, the beach was closed for one day — because of the bacteria count,” said Pomeroy, recalling the months-long closures in 2010.