
Raymond town manager reflects on first weeks on the job
Crocker, who was officially appointed to the position on May 20, previously served as director of parks and recreation for five years. According to a Facebook post from the Parks and Recreation Department celebrating his appointment to the role of town manager, Crocker's tenure saw major new installations such as a snack bar and bathrooms at Tassel Top Park, as well as the construction of tennis and pickleball courts, and over 50 programs and events being "built from the ground up."
Crocker first took on the role of interim town manager after his predecessor, Sue Look, stepped down after a year in the position. Crocker told Lakes Region Now that Look accepted another job closer to her home in Pittsfield.
When asked about what the most important issue facing the community of Raymond was, Crocker said his main focus in the early days of his tenure has been the Jordan Small Middle School Visioning Committee. The committee is in the later stages of presenting possibilities for what could be done with the soon-to-be-vacant building. Noting that the committee was charged by the Select Board to gather information in a relatively short period of time, Crocker praised their efforts, particularly committee head Peter Lockwood.
The middle school is due to be shuttered in 2027, when Raymond and Windham plan to merge their middle schools into a single building, and the old building will be turned over to the town. The committee, which includes representatives from the Comprehensive Plan Committee, the library and a senior citizens group, among other stakeholders, was formed earlier this year to discuss potential uses for the school building. Possibilities include facilities for seniors, and a new home for the library or community center.
While Crocker did not directly indicate his preferred use to Lakes Region Now, at a Select Board meeting in late 2024, he mentioned how Westbrook had successfully converted a former school into a community center.
When asked what lessons he is carrying over from his previous role as parks and recreation director, Crocker said he was hoping to focus on community development. Parks and recreation, he said, was about community building, and providing services that are valuable to all community members, whether children, adults, or senior citizens. As town manager, he said, he wanted to make sure that he kept building on those services, and trying to adapt as those services are implemented.
Copy the Story Link
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hamilton Spectator
5 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Illegal dumping costs Perry taxpayers big bucks — but just $20 ends the problem
Nobody wants to see mattresses or other human-related debris in the woods, which is why Perry Township is asking people to stop illegally dumping on municipally owned land. According to a Facebook post on July 29, 2025, the township stated it provides parks and outdoor spaces for the public to enjoy but over the last two weeks, municipal staff have found mattresses, large-screen TVs and cat litter dumped illegally. One comment on the post said that Perry's dumping fees were too high and another said that lineups to get into the transfer station on Hazardous Waste Day were too long. According to the township's fees and charges bylaw , it's $20 to bring a mattress or other large furniture items to the Perry Transfer Station. For large appliances that contain freon, the fee is $35. On its website, the municipality advises that those who rent out their cottage are responsible for the garbage and recycling of those renting. To assist those renting out their cottages, Perry offers a 'vacation rental kit' which includes: Property owners can purchase these kits from the town office. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .


Hamilton Spectator
6 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
The Benchmaker of Selkirk: How one man carved out a life and a legacy in wood
It started with an injury. Robert Unik, a steelworker in Selkirk, Manitoba, was badly hurt on the job and found himself in need of a new career — and workers' comp willing to pay for the education. Most would've reached for something predictable and safe. Unik had a different vision shaped not by practicality, but by passion. 'I was already carving,' he told me over the phone, stepping away from his buzzing power tools to talk. 'So I told them, 'I want to be a master carver.' And they said, 'Okay. Go find a school, and we'll pay for it.'' That decision would send Unik on a long and unlikely journey, culminating in thousands of hand-carved benches — each with a story, each a monument, and each unapologetically his. His official carving journey began not in a Canadian college, but in St. Paul, Minneapolis, where he trained essentially through correspondence. Upon returning home, he bounced between cabinet shops, learning from old-school master carvers until the title of 'master carver' was quietly retired in Canada. 'I don't know how to build a cabinet,' Robert chuckled. 'I know how to carve.' He spent decades teaching middle-years woodworking in River East Transcona, becoming a fixture in the school system. Then, amid the COVID chaos, everything shifted. A new principal decided Unik didn't meet the paperwork requirements to stay on, despite having 17 years of independent teaching experience. 'They said, 'You're out of here.' And I told them where to go.' It could have been the end. Instead, it was a new beginning. Laid off, Unik turned back to carving. His workshop filled with sawdust and orders. At first, it was bears, then small signs, then benches. 'Benches became my thing,' he says. 'Now that's all I do.' But these aren't just places to sit. They're narratives in cedar and spruce — adorned with dinosaurs, monarch butterflies, gnomes, poppies, family crests, and Norse mythology. Each one tells a story. Each one takes seven to ten days of intense labour — though he could finish the actual carving in three, if not for the finishing, sanding, and painting. His tools are electric grinders and power carvers, not the old-school chisels. But don't mistake that for shortcuts. 'I'm still holding the tools,' he says. 'Still making every cut myself.' He's carved for schools, libraries, memorials — even celebrities. One of his pieces was nearly commissioned by Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top until Unik discovered the musician wanted it in red cedar, one of two woods he's allergic to. 'I would've ended up in the hospital,' he explains. 'So I passed the job to a buddy in California.' Unik has no storefront, no website, and no formal advertising. But he uses Facebook with surgical precision, posting in dozens of local and regional groups. 'It takes me two hours every time I post,' he said. 'But I've got over 30,000 followers now.' He's even turned down offers from major distributors who wanted to buy his benches at a discount and flip them at triple the price. But that's not why he makes them. Instead, he donates one or two benches a year. One of his proudest? A Ukrainian-themed bench raffled off for refugee aid, raising nearly $10,000. One bench landed in Grand Marais. His dinosaur bench is a permanent fixture in the Selkirk Library. 'They send me pictures of kids climbing on it. That's the best part.' Every bench tells a story. Hand carving is, in his words, a dying trade. 'Chainsaw carving is everywhere now. You can't make money off it anymore,' he says. 'And CNC machines have replaced most carvers in the shops.' But Robert still teaches the old ways. Students come from as far as Lorette to take lessons in his Selkirk garage. 'Last winter I didn't have time,' he said. 'This winter, maybe.' His advice for young artists? 'Don't expect to get rich. Be patient. I've been carving for 47 years. It only really took off in the last ten.' As we talked, I was struck by how little ego there is in the work. Yes, he's proud of his benches — and he should be. They're magnificent. But the real joy, the one that lights up his voice, is in seeing someone see them. 'When a kid points to the carving and says, 'Look at that!' — that's the moment.' He's carved for causes. For friends. For the memory of someone's mother. And once, for a stranger who drove 2,500 kilometres from Texas just to pick up a bench. In a world of mass production, Robert's benches stand as monuments to stubborn craftsmanship. To handwork. To choosing art over convenience. They are, in every sense, one of a kind. And in Selkirk, tucked into a backyard shop, one man keeps carving. — Steven Sukkau is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. Have thoughts on what's going on in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, or across the world? Send us a letter to the editor at . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .


USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Woman who died in Indiana plane crash was trying to fly solo around the world
Anh-Thu Nguyen, 44, wanted to be the first Vietnamese woman to complete a solo flight around the world. Her journey ended prematurely after her airplane crashed in Greenwood, Indiana, on July 30. The Johnson County coroner has identified Nguyen, a flight instructor and a Purdue University graduate, as the pilot killed in the small-plane crash. Nguyen was on the second leg of her journey. She left the Indy South Greenwood Airport at 10:45 a.m. and was en route to an airport in Pennsylvania, according to flight records from Flightaware. A few minutes after taking off from the Greenwood airport, Nguyen's 2005 Lancair IV-P was seen spiraling out of the air. The plane ultimately landed on a hill behind a Circle K gas station. Frank Williams, a witness to the crash, said the airplane was quiet as it fell from the sky. "There was no explosion, and there was no fire. I pulled right up, and I could smell fuel. As I got close to the plane, I could tell there wasn't a survivor," Williams said. It's unclear what led to the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. Who was Anh-Thu Nguyen? Nguyen, a 2015 Purdue graduate, wanted to inspire other Asian women to get in the cockpit. She started Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 2018 and became the chief flight instructor at Dragon Flight Training Academy in Georgia. Nguyen was born in Vietnam, moving to the United States when she was 12 years old. She received a bachelor' of science's in math and a master's in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Purdue University. She received a doctoral degree in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Georgia Institue of Technology. "As an Asian woman, I faced many obstacles and challenges to get to where I am today, especially adapting to a new culture, language, and life in the United States. I wanted to give back and inspire the next generation," she told Purdue University. Nguyen originally conceived the idea of becoming the first Vietnamese woman to complete a solo flight around the world in 2019, but due to a number of issues, her plans were pushed back. On July 27, 2025, Nguyen officially started the journey when she flew out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, toward Indiana. On July 30, before Nguyen left the Greenwood airport, she posted an update about her journey on social media. "I just completed the first leg of my solo flight around the world," she said. "This is more than just a flight. It's a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian female pilots and aerospace engineers and STEM professionals." Her death has come as a shock to many who were following the start of her journey on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. The comment sections of her videos were filled with "rest in peace" messages. Noe Padilla is a Public Safety reporter for IndyStar. Contact him at npadilla@ follow him on X @1NoerPadilla or on Bluesky @