DIXFIELD – Yes or no: A government’s obligation to economic development ought to be valued above a government’s obligation to protecting the environment.

That was the quagmire that Sara Ray of Dixfield had to navigate – both pro and con – to win the Maine National Forensic League’s District Tournament at Lewiston High School.

“When I won, it was a huge honor to get to go to nationals again,” Ray said Friday afternoon before attending a Debate Club party with her former teammates and coach at Dirigo High School.

The senior at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone also won the Maine title in 2002 as a sophomore at Dirigo High School.

She represented the state at that year’s national tournament in Charlotte, N.C., as one of the youngest high school students to compete.

Ray, now 17, didn’t win the event, but she did gain valuable experience that she expects will help her in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate at the 2004 National Forensic League speech tournament June 13-18 in Utah.

“Last time, I remember really being scared, because everyone was so good. Now, I’m going into it with an objective view,” Ray said. “And everyone is at my skill level, so I’ll have a lot more confidence.”

Ray decided to attend the Limestone school during her junior and senior years for the challenging curriculum. But disappointment set in when she learned that the school wasn’t behind her debate endeavors.

“They didn’t provide any support,” said Ray’s mom, Elizabeth.

She said her daughter missed classes on Fridays, took a bus to Bangor where she met her mother, then stayed in a motel over the weekend while competing in debates.

“It was 12 hours from Limestone to Bangor and back, 16 hours of driving for me. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. It was invaluable mother and daughter time,” Elizabeth Ray said.

Last year was an off year for Sara Ray.

“My cases weren’t bad last year, but I didn’t have anyone to practice with. I underestimated the value of a team,” she said.

She didn’t have a team this year either, but she had invaluable help from her former Dirigo High School coach, Brad Conant, and her mother.

Sara – a self-described convoluted thinker and fast talker – said Conant recognized that she was having speech delivery problems.

“I debate from a really weird angle, because I have an awkward thought process, so he helped me work on speaking better,” she said.

It worked, according to one comment she received from a judge at the national qualifier.

“The judge said I presented a very convoluted, but damn effective case.’ That was the best comment I’ve ever got in my life,” she said.

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