Everybody Loves Ray

A guest at 10 Whippoorwill Hill Road on a recent Sunday afternoon would have seen 7-year-old Cole Ricciardi greet Ray Scholl with a hug, exclaiming, “Hi, Ray. We are so happy we are giving you a surprise birthday party! Even Lady [the resident cocker spaniel] is happy!” This photograph was taken upon the occasion of Ray Scholl’s 80th birthday, and friends and neighbors had gathered to help him celebrate this milestone. The kids were especially excited because all the children on the street seem to have adopted him as a special friend/uncle/grandfather. When Ray Scholl walks down the street or pulls up a chair in front of his house, kids appear just so they can “hang out with Ray.” As Chris Winter says, “He is just cool.” ––Photo Courtesy Mary Gaudet-Wilson