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 "Royal Windmill" Photo submitted by Julie Porter Chase on March 2nd who said, "Isaac Royal Farm in Dover-Foxcroft". |
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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  Closed for the season GUILFORD – April 2010 has been declared as "Grange Month," and Valley Grange is inviting community members to join the celebration. "For over 140 years, the Grange has worked to advance the interest of rural Americans by providing a legislative voice for their political concerns and by showing them how to strengthen their neighborhoods through community service," Valley Grange Master Jim Annis said. "During Grange Month, we want our community to know that the Grange is a living organization that has a lot to offer it." Program Leader Walter Boomsma notes that this year's program will break from tradition a bit. "For a number of years we've used this special April meeting to honor a local citizen who's made a substantial contribution to our communities and this year is no exception but it is a lot different! As we discussed candidates for this year's award, we found ourselves coming back to our relationship with Guilford Primary School, the school's contribution to the community, and the opportunities they've provided us to work with the kids. Then we realized the school is as much a 'citizen' as any individual so this year's recipient is Guilford Primary School—teachers, staff and students past and present and parents!" The celebration will take place on April 16, 2010 at the Valley Grange Hall in Guilford. Members of the community are invited to share in a traditional potluck supper starting at 6 PM with the actual celebration beginning at 7:30 PM. The public is invited and encouraged to come prepared with testimonials to the accomplishments and community services the school's teachers, staff, and kids make. "Funny stories are especially welcome!" Boomsma noted. Julie Orton, principal of the school is excited not only that the school is being honored. She notes this is yet another learning opportunity for students. "We do think of ourselves as a community within a community and this honor gives us a wonderful opportunity to teach students the importance of citizenship." The Grange not only provides fun-filled and educational programs and activities for its members, it also provides them with opportunities to strengthen the community with community service projects. While Valley Grange has a wide array of programs and projects, many members confess that working with the children brings extra special rewards. The Grange's involvement with Guilford Primary School started with the familiar "Words for Thirds Program' which provides every third grader with their own personal dictionary. Over the years the program has expanded to include "Bookworming" with Grangers visiting the school to listen to children read and the Newspapers in Education program which involves second and third graders using their creative and artistic skills to develop advertisements for the Grange. Several ads are selected and used by the Grange throughout the year. "Our involvement with the school has really developed into a partnership," noted Grange Community Service Chairperson Mary Annis. "As we've spent time with the school and the children we've discovered how much they give back to the community and to us. We really do have a win/win relationship and it's exciting to realize we have a wonderful opportunity to recognize it!" To find out more about our open house and award ceremony, please contact Walter Boomsma at 876-4131, Mary Annis at 564-0820 or visit the Valley Grange website at http://valleygrange.wordpress.com.
"Please plan ahead for any services you may need from State agencies during this and the other State government shutdown days," said Governor Baldacci. "When scheduling the days, every effort has been made to reduce the impact to Maine people, businesses and communities." The reference to the State closures is Public Law 2009, Chap. 213, Part SSS: http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_124th/chapters/PUBLIC213-PtCtoEnd.asp This is the third of 10 closure days between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010. The other dates that State agencies and offices will be closed are as follows:
DEXTER - The towns of Dexter, Exeter, Ripley, St. Albans, and Corinna are members and form the Mid-Maine Solid Waste Association (MMSWA). Other users of our facility include Guilford (since 2004) and Cambridge (since 1999). The Association is governed by a Board of Directors, which represents the interests of each of the participating members. The MMSWA facility provides for the disposal of solid waste at its Transfer Station and operates a Recycling Facility on the premises. The site also offers demolition debris disposal, composting, tire disposal, white goods (refrigerators, appliances, etc.), universal waste (televisions, monitors, etc.), and metal disposal. The end of 2009 marks MMSWA's eightenth year of operation. Since opening the MMSWA facility, avoided costs are upwards of $1,500,000 of taxpayer's money as a result of recycling products that can be re-sold and/or re-used. During 2009 the facility processed over 5,600 tons of municipal waste, 1600 tons of demo debris and more than 3,500 tons of recycled goods. As a result of our recycled goods sales and avoided costs for shipping waste to Penobscot Recovery Corporation (PERC), we achieved a savings of nearly $250,000. Our recycling rate for 2009 was 47%. We hope to continue the our recycling effort in the coming year so please take the time to check what recycled goods are accepted at our facility, as recycling will benefit us all. Thank you for helping us achieving our State's goal, and please continue the good work. Other important news includes the amount of Universal Waste (televisions, computer monitors, fluorescent lights, ballasts, mercury switches, thermometers, and thermostats) MMSWA has collected in 2009; greater than 65,000 pounds, including more than 1,750 televisions and monitors. These Universal Waste products are recyclable and our recycling efforts keep them out of our mainstream disposal system while helping to protect the environment from mercury and lead pollution. The disposal fees for these items are as follows: televisions (any size) - $5.00 each, computer monitors - $3.00 each, and all residential fluorescent bulbs, ballasts, mercury switches, thermometers and thermostats are accepted free of charge. For commercial businesses, please check with attendants for disposal rates on these items. Additionally, we kindly ask that you please do not break your fluorescent bulbs and mercury devices prior to disposal. We are adding computer printers and game consoles to our universal waste recycling in 2010 at no cost to the consumer. Please help MMSWA achieve its goals by separating your trash prior to arriving at the facility. This will help our staff in maintaining a clean, organized, and customer-friendly environment while increasing our recycling efforts. Remember, the more we recycle the less our waste disposal costs will increase. Another important reminder, please make a concerted effort to secure all incoming loads in order to prevent roadside debris. If you have any questions about the DEP's rules pertaining to municipal waste, universal waste, or demolition debris, please feel free to contact MMSWA or visit the Department of Environmental Protection website at www.maine.gov/dep. Rules for the use of the transfer station and recycling facility, as well as a schedule of fees, and vehicle permits are available in the town office. Please feel free to contact the facility if you have any questions at 924-3650. Current permits are required to use the MMSWA facility. Hours of operation are 8am to 5pm Monday-Thursday and Saturday. Facility is closed Fridays and Sundays. Respectfully Submitted, Superintendent Trampas King of Mid Maine Solid Waste Association
Weekly Column by Senator Susan Collins: The poet Emily Dickinson wrote, “There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away.” On March 2, we can all help our nation’s children set sail on a wonderful voyage of discovery, imagination, and possibilities by celebrating Read Across America Day. For 13 years, this particular date has been set aside because it is the birthday of one of the world’s favorite children’s book authors – Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Everyone has a favorite Dr. Seuss book, but the one that stands apart is, of course, The Cat in the Hat. The story behind this classic book is fascinating. In 1954, Life magazine published an alarming report on illiteracy among school children, which concluded that children were not reading simply because many of their books were boring. Geisel, already a successful author and cartoonist, was given a list of 250 words by his editor and the challenge of turning them into a “book children can’t put down.” Geisel cut the list down to 236 words and produced a captivating book that hasn’t been put down ever since. Despite much effort and some progress, early literacy remains a problem. The National Institutes of Health has estimated that about 20 million of America’s 53 million school-age children have difficulty reading, and intervention often occurs too late. For those children who reach the third grade without the ability to read, every assignment is a struggle and every day in the classroom can bring embarrassment. Children without basic reading skills are at a greater risk of losing their natural curiosity and excitement for learning. The key to success is to attack the problem right away. If a child’s reading difficulty is detected early and he or she receives help in kindergarten or first grade, that child has a 90 to 95 percent chance of becoming a good reader. By contrast, if that intervention does not occur, the “window of literacy” closes, and the chances of the child ever becoming a good reader plummet. Moreover, if a child with reading disabilities becomes part of the special education system, the chances of his leaving special education are less than five percent. While there are many ways that teachers and lawmakers are addressing this issue, nothing can replace the learning that takes place during interaction between parents and their children. Much of the learning and preparation that make reading possible occurs long before a child ever sets foot in a classroom. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, children whose parents read to them three or more times a week are almost twice as likely to be able to identify every letter of the alphabet by the time they enter kindergarten. They are also more likely to be able to count to 20 and write their own names. When a child enters kindergarten already recognizing letters and familiar with books, she or he is better prepared to learn and less likely to encounter difficulty in learning to read. One of my first jobs as a teenager was reading to children during “Story Hour” at the public library in my hometown of Caribou. I learned at that early age that encouraging children to read is an investment in our children's education and, ultimately, an investment in the future of our country. That is why I have made it a priority to support funding for reading programs and to visit as many schools as I can throughout our state to read to as many children as possible. To date, I have visited more than 170 schools throughout Maine and have had the wonderful opportunity to share some of my favorite books with thousands of children. I often read books by Maine authors, such as Antlers Forever by Frances Bloxam, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, and The Sea Chest by Toni Buzzeo. The words and illustrations in these books are wonderful, but reading books by Maine authors also helps show students that they too can grow up to write books. Taking the time to read to children is not only a worthwhile investment but also a rewarding experience. Read Across America Day will be celebrated with special events in schools, libraries, and community centers throughout the country. But capturing the spirit of this special day can be achieved through a much simpler act: spending 30 minutes of your time each day to enlarge a child’s world through a book. It is my hope that “Read Across America” will continue to encourage families to get into a daily practice of reading to their children and helping them enjoy the magic of books. I applaud schoolteachers, librarians, and most of all, parents, for their commitment to teaching children the joys of reading. I encourage all Mainers who have or spend time with young children to observe and enjoy Read Across America every day, and to help them begin this great adventure. Remember, as they say in Seussville, "You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.”  Check out the hundreds of photos and results from the fair! The website, www.MaineOpenGov.org, offers searchable databases of public information, including the payroll of all employees and retirees that draw paychecks from state or local government, from judges to elementary school teachers. The website also offers a searchable database of more than $1 billion in Maine vendor payments in 2006 and 2007. The website is unique because this information has never been available in a searchable format on the Internet. Tarren Bragdon, CEO of the Portland-based think tank, says the website's purpose is to make state and local government more transparent. "MaineOpenGov.org provides a new, clear look into how state and local tax dollars are spent, down to the agency, person, and penny," Bragdon said in a press release. Pull your can tabs and bring them to the Redemption Center or the High School and the Shriners use the tabs to purchase orthopedic beds, arts & craft supplies and dialysis time and many other items for their Children's Hospitals. Save tabs from:
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Copyright 1997-10 The Daily ME, All Rights Reserved * Owned & Operated by Judy Craig Consulting * Updated: yesterday, 08:24. |
Dexter Lakes Association
