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 "The Touch" Photo taken by Susan Vafiades of Dexter who said, "This picture is of our grandson Cameron trying to touch butterflies and was taken at camp in Dexter, July 31, 2008". |
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By Diana Bowley of the BDN Staff - DEXTER, Maine For years, the school libraries in SAD 46 have operated out of available space, including at one time a cramped space under a stage. In addition, the supervision of these libraries, which have outdated and incomplete collections, falls to secretaries in the small outlying schools or to an educational technician at the middle school. Now, thanks to a $335,021 federal Improving Literacy through School Libraries grant, the libraries will advance into the 21st Century. "It's exciting, it's really a shot in the arm and it's money that we desperately need to upgrade our library services," SAD 46 Superintendent Kevin Jordan said Friday. Jordan and David Fournier, the district's technology coordinator, co-wrote the one-year grant that must be used by Aug. 31, 2009. There were about 500 applications submitted for the funds and only 80 were funded, he said. The funds will be used to support kindergarten-through-grade-eight libraries and will focus on kindergarten-through-grade-three literacy, according to Jordan. "Essentially, what we're trying to do is: number 1, bring our libraries up to current standards, up to current needs, as we blend all of these small libraries into our new school library," Jordan said. The district is constructing a new elementary/middle school on the Fern Road and when that school is completed which is anticipated by fall 2010, the Garland, Exeter and Dexter Primary Schools and the Dexter Middle School will be closed. In addition to the library upgrade, Jordan said part of the grant will be used to improve literacy among kindergarten-through-third-grade pupils. The grant also will allow the district to hire a library media specialist who will oversee the district's libraries and to purchase books, computers, digital books, online databases, interactive instructional and leisure time materials. PENQUIS - Experienced caretakers and eldercare professionals know that a crisis is the hardest time to learn about the complex world of eldercare. Yet most people put off thinking about these difficult issues until they're forced to face them. For that reason, Pine Tree Hospice, along with representatives from area agencies, will be offering a Caregiver Conference on Thursday, September 25th from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the Mayo Regional Hospital Resource Center in Dover-Foxcroft. This program has been developed to support individuals and community organizations as they learn about and access eldercare information and will provide various resources that will contribute to the lives of caregivers and those they serve. Those in attendance will receive The Caregiver's Handbook: A Companion Resource to Caring for Your Parents. To make sure we have enough copies on hand, please call the PTH office and let us know you plan to attend. Highlights from the film, Caring for Your Parents, recently shown on PBS will be reviewed and a panel made up of area professionals will also be available to address your questions and concerns. If you plan to attend, would consider being on the panel or have any questions, please call the PTH office at 564-4346. PENQUIS - On Saturday, September 13, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Womancare will host a scrapbooking event at the Penquis Higher Education Center in Dover-Foxcroft. The day's festivities will include door prizes, games, contests and a great raffle! Fun project workshops will be offered throughout the day. A light lunch of finger rolls, veggies, chips, dessert and beverage will be provided free of charge for scrappers who register for the whole day, with a lasagna dinner be offered for an additional $5. The cost is $40 for the whole day and $25 for a half day. Our first annual CROP event was a sell out, so register early! Gather all your scrapbooking friends and get a head start on your Christmas cards and gifts, or scrap all of your super summer photos! Support a great cause while scrapping the day away! For more information or to register, please call Womancare at 564-8165 or visit www.wmncare.org .
Written by Stacey Redmond: DEXTER - One of Dexter's oldest residents Mary Flynn turned 101 on August 15. The days leading up to her birthday held a couple of hospital stays and admission to Dexter Health Care to help her regain her strength to return home. The first week in August residents at Dexter Health Care were informed that on Friday as part of Dexter's Wild West Weekend there was going to be a ride in of horses,. Everyone was excited, no one more so than Mary, but as luck would have it she became ill and required a hospital stay. On Friday the skies opened up and rained yet again, one has to wonder has global warming turned our area into a rain forest. Residents at Dexter Health Care and Staff scurried around after breakfast making sure all that wanted to see the horses could go out under the overhang in front of the building and enjoy them. Due to the inclement weather only one horse arrived by trailer with her owners, Misty Eclipse, a miniature horse, owned by Ryan Chabot. Excitement grew on the faces of all to see this little horse and to be able to pat and talk to her made all that were there day. Meanwhile, Mary missed this activity and had talked before her illness about seeing the horses, so upon her return to Dexter Health Care her therapists asked her what she wanted for her birthday. The answer given without a hesitation "a horse", the therapists promptly replied "well if that is what you want, then that is what you will get". That weekend one therapist thought about the request and discussed it with a co-worker that Mary should get what she wanted after all not everyone makes it to a 101 years old. Monday morning dawned and the therapists went to the activity director of the facility and relayed Mary's birthday request, by Wednesday Mary's wish had been granted for Friday. Friday dawned a beautiful day and in Mary's small room friends from long ago and now stopped in with good wishes. As the 4 o'clock hour approached, Mary and over 35 friends and residents of Dexter Health Care all gathered under the over hang in front of the building awaiting Mary's gift. At last along came Misty Eclipse lead by Diane Chabot, Mary's eyes grew wide with happiness and as she reached out to pat Misty Eclipse the air was filled with Mary's joy. After Misty Eclipse made her rounds to the excited crowd she was lead back over to the truck and hitched to her little cart for Mary to have a ride, and what a ride Mary had. As they made 2 loops around the parking lot when they got back to the beginning Mary said that she wanted to go back around one more time for 102 in case Misty Eclipse was not here and she was. Mary also shared her gift with another resident 100 year old lady who will be turning a 101 in October and one more gentleman who celebrated his birthday the day before. As the day grew to a close Mary was very pleased with her gift of Misty Eclipse. Mary and Dexter Health Care wishes to thank the Chabot family for making Mary's wish come true. So be careful what you wish for. Happy Birthday Mary Flynn."This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the SVWeekly.com and is used here with permission."
Written by John R. Clark - GREENVILLE - The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation awarded $23,000 to the Tri-County Librarians to implement Koha open-source library software in eight member libraries. Interest in Koha, which was developed by the Horohenua Library Trust, a small library system in New Zealand, stemmed from Hartland Public Library's successful adoption in 2007. It is currently being used by more than 300 libraries around the world. Koha, a Linux-based software, offers many of the options large, expensive circulation and cataloging software packages do, but as open-source is freely available to anyone skilled in its use. The grant will purchase a server to run the shared catalogues, training for member library participants, new barcodes, support for the institution maintaining the server and funds to cover expenses of Tri-County Library members involved in the setup and loading of the eight library catalogs. Grant funding covers a three-year period beginning in late summer 2008 and concluding in mid-2011. The grant, jointly written by Liz Breault director of the Abbott Memorial Library in Dexter, John Clark Hartland librarian and Helen Fogler director of the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft will be administered for the Tri-County Librarians by the Shaw Public Library in Greenville. The King grant funds will allow implementation of Koha in the following libraries: Penquis Valley High School in Milo, Canaan Public Library, Foxcroft Academy in Dover-Foxcroft, Abbott Memorial Library in Dexter, Newport Public Library, Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft, Shaw Public Library in Greenville, Stewart Free Library in Corinna and Simpson Memorial Library in Carmel. Once a member library is up and running, patrons will be able to see library holdings from home as well as renew, place reserves and see recently checked-out items. The Tri-County Librarians, a group of public and school libraries in Penobscot, Piscataquis and Somerset Counties plans to share expertise gained during the grant process with other Maine libraries following completion. For more information about the grant and Koha, contact Karen Chandler, Shaw Library Director at 695-3579
Weekly Column of U.S. Senator Susan M. Collins August is here, traditionally a month of summertime fun, family vacations and back-to-school preparations. This year, however, for far too many families and businesses throughout our nation and our state, August is a month of anxiety as a winter of record-high energy prices approaches. August also is the traditional time for Congress to take a month-long recess. I am profoundly disappointed that Congress will take this break without acting on the comprehensive energy legislation that helps those struggling with high costs and puts us on the road to energy independence. I voted against adjourning for recess until we passed legislation to spur the energy production, conservation, and innovation that will combat high energy prices and reduce our reliance on foreign oil. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives approved an adjournment resolution by just one vote. I am committed to the passage of legislation based on the principle that America's long-term energy security requires us to produce more, use less, and develop alternative, renewable sources of energy. At the same time, I am keenly aware of the need to address the immediate crisis. As I visit communities throughout Maine, I hear time and again that the high cost of energy is imposing a crushing burden for many of our citizens. Rapidly increasing prices for home heating oil, gasoline and diesel fuel are a huge burden for many families, truckers, farmers, fishermen, and small businesses. High oil prices affect virtually every corner of the economy, in Maine and throughout the country, and are a significant cause of the current economic downturn. In a difficult economy, investments in energy conservation and alternative energy improvements are simply too costly for many families and small businesses, especially those that are still reeling from last winter's high energy costs. For that reason, on July 30th, I introduced the Energy Assistance Act of 2008 to make available additional funding to low-income families for weatherization programs, grant dollars for low-income families who do not qualify for energy efficiency tax credits, low interest loans for middle-income consumers, and an extension of tax incentives for the production of renewable energy, like wind. My legislation also includes a provision from a bill I introduced previously to provide a $500 tax credit to help consumers purchase clean-burning wood or wood pellet stoves. As the law now stands, taxpayers who install energy efficient windows, for example, receive a 10 percent tax credit, up to $200, and taxpayers who install solar water heating systems receive a credit of 30 percent, up to a total of $2000. In both instances, the investment that must be made by the taxpayer far exceeds the credit amount. With oil prices as high as they are, most families and small businesses are already struggling to make ends meet, and they do not have the money to finance the gap between the tax credit now offered and the cost of the investment. Ironically, the higher oil prices climb, the harder it will be for taxpayers to bridge this gap. My legislation would help to close that gap by expanding loan authority in current federal programs that help families and small businesses finance energy efficiency improvements. It also would provide much-needed grants for low-income individuals who cannot benefit from either tax credits or low-interest loans. These individuals were especially hard-hit by last winter's high energy prices, and it is critically important that they receive assistance before cold weather sets in again. To help those who are most in need, my bill would provide an additional $500 million in funding this year for grants for energy efficiency, weatherization, and renewable energy technology, and would double funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program. These grants would finance investments that would decrease energy prices for these citizens for years to come and would be a wise investment. It is important that we provide grants to low-income individuals who do not have the income to benefit from tax credits, or who cannot afford to finance energy improvements even with low-interest loans. This bill also includes several proposals I have long advocated so that it addresses overall energy challenges that our nation faces. For example, it extends important tax incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency that have expired, or are about to expire, such as the renewable energy production tax credit, Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, tax benefits for energy-efficient buildings, products and power plants, the tax credit for plug-in hybrid vehicles, the exemption from the heavy vehicles excise tax for idling reduction units, and energy efficiency tax credits for homes. In addition, I recently signed on as a co-sponsor of the WARM Act (Weatherization, Assistance, and Relief for Middle-Income Households) offered by Senators Judd Gregg and John Sununu of New Hampshire, which takes a three-pronged approach to help low and middle-income households deal with the skyrocketing price of energy. This legislation would double funding for the LIHEAP program (Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program), and it would make available an additional $523 million for the Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program. In addition, the bill would establish a Middle Income Home Heating Oil Tax Credit of as much as $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for married couples for home heating oil purchases this winter. When Congress reconvenes in September, I will continue to advocate for legislation to secure America's energy future. At the same time, it is imperative that we address the immediate crisis faced by businesses and individuals throughout our nation as another winter nears.
PENQUIS - Collaborating with Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative, Womancare will offer its fall 2008 advocate training beginning September 16th and concluding December 16th. The class is 36 hours of classroom time, followed by on the job training as needed. The class will meet Tuesdays from 5 to 8 p.m. at Sedomocha in Dover-Foxcroft. Upon successful completion of the class participants will be eligible to receive 3.5 CEU's from the University of Maine. Please consider this great opportunity to become a trained helpline worker! All it will take is a caring heart, a willingness to listen and just a little of your time! Just think you, too, could be added to our existing pool of compassionate, generous, awesome volunteers! What does a helpline advocate do? Advocates provide emotional support, information and referrals to callers from the Womancare office during the regular work day and after hours, weekends and holidays they carry a pager and respond to calls from their home phones. You will make a difference! Who calls our helpline? Anyone struggling with issues of abuse. This may include a variety of forms of abuse such as emotional, verbal, physical or sexual abuse. What are the training topics? They include dynamics of domestic abuse, effects of family violence on children, relevant legal & social issues, safety planning and crisis intervention. Why volunteer? To be part of a caring community, to enrich your own life, to test the field for a future career, to build a resume, to build skills important to an employer. Womancare needs you. Please call Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative at 564-6526 or Womancare at 564-8165 to register.
 Each year North Country Riding Club is offering a scholarship in memory of Irene Cochran to a High School senior or a continuing adult student who has made a meaningful contribution to the animal or agricultural world and plans to pursue it in further education.
North Country Riding Club established the scholarship fund in memory of member Irene Cochrane of Dexter for all her community contributions throughout the years. A donation to the NCRC Irene Cochrane Memorial Scholarship Fund benefits a Maine High School senior or to one seeking higher education in a Horse Related Field. Send your Tax Deductible donation to North Country Riding Club, PO Box 23, Corinna, ME 04928 c/o Treasurer Bonnie Shorey. NCRC will send a card to your recipient if you give as a gift. The NCRC scholarship will be awarded on completion of the 1st semester with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Applications must be post marked by April 13th, 2007 (for this 2007 graduating class) Mail to: North Country Riding Club ScholarshipClick here for the application...... For more information email DexterRidingClub.com or call 207.924.3067 or are available at DRHS guidance office. You do not need to be an NCRC member to apply. DEXTER - Do you have an unused chest freezer you aren't using and willing to donate? We are looking for freezers and freezer space for a 501(C)(3) non-profit Food Bank (Saving Virtues) who is in need of cold storage for food shipped in to supply local food banks. Moving and transportation will be provided. For more information, call Judy at 924.3067. DEXTER The Town of Dexter website (www.DexterMaine.org) has a listing of Dexter Businesses and we are in the process of making it more accurate and current. As you know, many businesses may not have to register with the Town Office, so we may not have the information to include you in that listing. OR, you may have change email address; have a new website, phone number, etc. from your original listing. Check out www.DexterMaine.org and click on Dexter Businesses and see if you are included and that your information is correct. If not, please use the submit form at the top of the page and make changes. For more information contact webmaster Judy Craig Consulting at judy@DexterMaine.com or 924.3067 This Free listing is for family, organization, church, non-profit type listings. Email editor@TheDailyME.com for your Free Listing  Have a Club, Church, Town and/or other Event??? Add your UPCOMING EVENT free of charge - Email Editor@TheDailyME.com 
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Dexter Lakes Association
