Downtown Dexter

Town Council Meeting

2008-11-13T15:36:00.000-05:00

The Town Council Meeting will be held tonight at the Council Chambers and will be streamed live over this site, www.downtownmaine.tv/dexter, the Town website, and TheDailyMe.com. Feel free to watch if you can't make it in person.

Taking the plunge

2008-11-08T11:39:00.008-05:00

I wanted everyone to know that I finally took the plunge and bought my own domain name in order to have complete control of my own website. I actually hope to turn it into a money maker with adds and a few other things. It will take a few days before it is up and running but when it is, the site is www.downtownmaine.tv/dexter. Be sure to check it out. I hope you will enjoy it.

The goal behind this new site is to provide a common place for businesses, churches, and other groups of interested parties to post information for others to easily find. If you would like to become a contributor please email me dgiles2@yahoo.com.

Elections are finally over

2008-11-04T22:39:00.013-05:00

First of all, let me congratulate the winners of the Dexter Town Council race, Roger Brawn and David Clukey, and also thank those who took the time to vote for me or the candidate of their choice. This being my first race for office, I can only use it as a learning experience that I can build upon in the future. For those who do not know the actual results, here they are.

Roger Brawn - 810 votes or 24%
David Clukey - 792 votes or 23%
David Giles - 649 votes or 19%
Peter Haskell - 634 votes or 19%
Ella Munday - 526 votes or 15%

Just in case anyone was wondering; yes I do plan on staying involved in the local community and hope to push for changes that will help Dexter and the local economy. I have said it many times before, and I will continue to say it; Dexter is a great place with many untapped resources. There is absolutely no reason why unemployment, welfare, and high school drop out rates should be as high as they are. But the only way those numbers will change is for the residents of Dexter to demand change. I do believe that the sheer amount of people running for office and the number of people who voted demonstrates that people are tired of the same old approach to local government and are demanding that those in office live up to their oath and obligations. Once again, congratulations to Roger and David.

For those who enjoy the live casting of different events, I hope to create a more "consistent" schedule. I am also thinking of using it as a way of having residents express their concern about local and state concerns. This would be similar to newspapers that ask people a particular question and put your picture and response in the the opinion page. Let me know what you think by writing a comment.

If you missed it.

2008-10-19T19:51:00.010-04:00

For those who missed the 'Meet the Candidates" forum at the Universalist church last Friday, you can still watch it. At the moment, I have the town council candidates portion of the video linked to the above video. Simply click the play button to watch it. If you want to watch the State Legislature candidates, Doug Thomas and Tammy Lockhart, simply click on the menu button (on the above video screen), and click on 'Go to Video Page'. After that you can choose which video to watch.

I want to dedicate some of this blog to the "controversy" that surrounds the boat launch. This is one of the areas I spoke about at the candidates forum and wanted to make sure those who watched the video understand why I support the boat launch being in it's present location (or one very close by).

For those who are not up to speed on the controversy, here is what I have been able to gather for information. The State has agreed to; completely restore the present picnic area, fix the erosion that has pretty much decimated the present boat launch, put in a new up-to-date boat launch, and then give the entire thing to the Town of Dexter. You might be asking yourself "What is the State going to charge Dexter?". The answer is NOTHING!!! The State is willing to pay the entire bill and then GIVE it to the Town. The next question you are probably asking yourself is "Well what's the problem?". Well, some members of the Utility District seems to think that a boat launch that close to the Town water supply intake (approximately 700 feet) presents a danger of water contamination and therefore have been fighting it for the past couple years. Here is where I have questions and after reading them you will quickly realize what side of the controversy I am on. The water intake is a couple hundred feet from the bridge. In the summer time, boats travel under the bridge and by that intake all day long and there has never been an issue with contamination. In fact, if you look at how boat owners have to use the small boat launch by the closed campground and then have to travel under the bridge directly by the water intake, the chances for water contamination is increased.

The sad part of it is that the Utility District has yet to explain any scientific evidence that shows the increased possibility of contamination that a new boat launch would present. On the contrary, the Maine Department of Conservation said during the mediation meeting, that having a new boat launch 700 feet away from the intake would present no increased chances of contamination. At the chance of alienating myself from members of the Utility District, I have to say this. I think the Department of Conservation is much more in tune as to what does and does not present a chance of contamination.

So what does this all mean to Dexter? Well, the Town is looking at a new location some 9000 feet away from the intake. The only problem with this, is that it is on the opposite side of the lake and nobody besides the residents of the lake will really know that it exists. In our present economic situation, I cannot see how this is encouraging people to come to Dexter and spend money. Also, it may end up costing the Town money depending on how much it costs to purchase the lot needed to put in the boat launch.

My personal view is that we should open the campground to some capacity, have the State put in a new boat launch in it's present location, and focus on getting people visit Dexter and spend money. There are many small businesses in that area that would prosper from this happening, PJ's bait shop. TJ's resteraunt, Nessi's, and Lakeshore Lunch are a few. A boat launch on the opposite side of the lake will serve little to no purpose in encouraging economic growth.

I would highly encourage each of you to contact the Utility District Trustees and express your concern. Each member's contact information can be found at www.dextermaine.org/committees.html. I would also encourage people to take a more active role in the local community. Many of the problems we have in Dexter is the lack of involvement from all but a few people when it comes to serving on committees and attending meetings. If there was a better selection of candidates for these committees, Dexter would be in a much better position. That is note a "slam" to everyone who serves on the committees. Some of them serve with Dexter's best interest at heart and they do a very good job. It is only a way of me expressing my frustration of too many people serving on committees that end up hurting the local economy and in the end hurting Dexter.

Live from Dexter!!! Up next? watch events that have already been streamed.

2008-10-09T16:28:00.021-04:00

WE DID!!!! The live cast stream of both the Career Exploratory and the Town Council meeting was a huge success. For those who did not know, the Town Council was streamed over this blog web site, the Town website, and TheDailyMe.com. Many thanks goes out to Judy Craig Wilbur for all the help and support in getting this project off the ground. The only draw back was problems with the sound. I think this problem has been resolved with a purchase of a wireless mic system that I can integrate with my laptop.

A comment was left on my last blog about viewers having the ability to visit a library of previously recorded events. I am working on a couple different options to help meet that request. IF we can pull it off, viewers will have two options for viewing previously recorded events. The first will be to watch them online. Simply click on the menu in the bottom right area that plays the video, then click on view show page. The second option will involve individuals visiting the Abbott Memorial Library and signing out a DVD of the event from the media section. I have not officially approached the library with this idea, but will see what I can do. Keep in mind that neither option is presently up and running at this time. The online options will most likely be available first, as it will be the easiest for me to implement.

Just a reminder that the "Meet the Candidates Night" will be at the Universalist church in Dexter, this Friday, October 17, at 6:30 PM. I encourage all of you to come and meet those who want to represent you at the local and State level. I am also looking for people who would like to help me run the cameras during some events. If you like working with video, sound, or pictures, and would like to learn how to help make this video streaming a bigger success, please contact me.

Live Streaming Dexter Events

2008-10-06T21:43:00.011-04:00

I mentioned in one of my previous posts, that one of the reasons why I want to run for Town Council is to help bring Dexter into the modern age when it comes to technology. I also said that I wanted to help make our local government more open and transparent. One such was is to use live streaming to broadcast events around town. In todays technology centered economy, this would be a great way of disseminating information to those, who because of time constraints or prior engagements, cannot make the meetings in person. For those who do not know what live streaming is, it is simply having live video being broadcast over the Internet.

I have decided to incorporate this form of media into my blog, and hope to stream different events from around Dexter. You can see the schedule of planned events that I hope to stream on the right side of the screen and the video itself is shown on the left. Simply push the play button at the time of the scheduled events and viola. the video will start streaming. It is the ultimate is reality TV.

At the moment, I am planning on streaming the Meet the Candidates night on October 16, and with any luck I will stream the Career Exploratory day at the Tech Center on October 9. I encourage you all to mark your calender and tune into these events. If these work out the way I think they will, I hope to have other local events streamed on a regular basis. For those of you who miss the live events, I hope to have a schedule where I can replay them at a later time. Either way, you the taxpayer, remain more informed and have something to base your opinion on when deciding on who to vote for.

If you have an event that you would like to see streamed, simply record it and drop me an email. I will not promise that all requests will be streamed, but I will do my best to work it into the schedule.

Tune in for future developments!!

Online Learning: Bringing Dexter Out Of The Dark Ages

2008-09-23T09:27:00.008-04:00

I found this story online the other day and wanted to pass it on for others to ponder over.

Florida starts virtual school mandate

A new state law will require public schools to offer fully online avenues for education.

BY LAURA GREEN

The Palm Beach Post

Starting next school year, the first generation of Florida students can earn a diploma from their public schools entirely online, without ever setting foot in a classroom from kindergarten through 12th grade.

A new state law requires districts to create their own full-time virtual schools, collaborate with other districts or contract with providers approved by the state.

The law is believed to be the most wide-ranging virtual mandate in the nation.

''The rest of the country will be watching to see how it goes,'' said Julie Young, president and chief executive officer of Florida Virtual School and a board member of the North American Council for Online Learning.

By August, school superintendents must settle everything from how to provide the needed technology to how to engage squirmy kindergartners who lack the attention span to sit at a computer for hours.

PRESENT OPTIONS

The state already funds two online schools catering to students in kindergarten through eighth grade as well as the Florida Virtual School, which offers middle and high school courses.

During the 2007-08 school year, more than 57,000 students took at least one Florida Virtual School course. But very few committed to an all-online experience.

The new law is expected to bring Web-based education to many more students and increase the number who take all of their classes in a virtual world.

But the law provides only a vague reference to providing computers and Internet access to students ''when appropriate.'' Each district can decide what that means, raising concerns that the program may not benefit students whose families cannot afford home computers and reliable Internet access.

DIFFICULT LOGISTICS

In Palm Beach County, district officials said it would be too expensive to provide computers to all virtual students to use at home. Administrators have proposed opening school computer labs.

Shemifhar Freytes is one of Palm Beach County's few full-time online students, finishing her senior year at Palm Beach Gardens High School without entering a brick-and-mortar classroom.

A night owl who does some of her best work at 2 a.m., she likes the flexibility of Florida Virtual School.

''You don't have to be stuck in one lesson that you perfectly understand because the rest of the class doesn't get it,'' Freytes said.

She also likes the variety of ways in which lessons can be taught online.

In her Advanced Placement government class, Freytes attended a Web seminar about constitutional amendments. Students logged on at a set time and viewed slides of photos and text that the teacher created on the right side of the screen and chatted via instant message on the left side.

`NEW WORLD'

''This is a new world, and children have different learning modalities,'' said Debra Johnson, principal of what will become Palm Beach County's virtual school. 'We need to be preparing ourselves for not only the future, but we need to be addressing students' needs now and providing different opportunities.''

This school year, the district is starting with 12 county students in kindergarten through eighth grade who are registered for online school through a state program.

Administrators will interview the students, their parents and teachers to learn what works and what doesn't as the county crafts its program.

FINANCIAL BOON?

At first blush, the law appears to be a boon for school districts that will get to pocket student funding without having to build schools to house them. But districts must still pay teachers, revamp their curriculum for the online world and buy new technology. They also can pay a private company to do that for them.

The law cites several companies approved by the state, which some view as a back-door invitation to for-profit companies to get a foothold in public schools.

''I can't see how [districts] would make money with it,'' said Bill Thomas, director of educational technology for the Southern Regional Education Board, which serves 16 states from Delaware to Texas. ``The only thing I've heard is the frustration from superintendents about the requirements to implement it.''

In Palm Beach County, Johnson said the district likely will buy online curriculum but oversee its own school, run with county teachers. Virtual students must meet state standards and take the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

Susan Patrick, president of the North American Council for Online Learning, said it would be a mistake for all 67 Florida counties to create virtual schools from scratch.

''There's a lot of planning money to reinvent the wheel that may not be necessary,'' Patrick said.

Angela Specketer, principal of the Minnesota Virtual Academy, knows what Florida districts are facing.

In 2002, her school district launched its full-time virtual program. It bought the curriculum from a proven virtual education vendor, but there still was a lot to learn. That included grappling with how different it is to teach a high school junior and a first-grader online.

LEARNING CURVE

''Whereas a high schooler can be very independent -- they can have a conversation or work on the computer or phone -- with an elementary student, you need to bridge that gap,'' she said.

Specketer sends plastic tubs full of books and teaching materials to the homes of elementary school students. Only 20 percent of the curriculum is taught online, and parents must commit to walking their children through the rest of their lessons.

''Not every parent wants to be engaged at that level,'' Specketer said.

For some, she said, virtual education can rekindle their love of learning.

''It has more to do with whether this is a good way for [each] student to learn. To me, I look at online learning not as something that's going to be the savior of education,'' she said. ``This is one alternative.''

Bringing Dexter out of the Dark Ages

2008-09-15T10:58:00.023-04:00

In my last blog, I advocated for the establishment of a permanent training center for displaced workers in order to be trained for today's high-tech economy, or simply those who wanted to upgrade their computer literacy skills for their own reasons. I wanted to be sure that those who read that post, understand what I am talking about when I say "permanent training center".

My idea of a training center is not necessarily a physical building with classrooms and teachers. What I am talking about is streamlining the resources that are already available, updating them to a modern acceptable level, and creating a coordinated effort between them to the point where they can respond to the need for technically trained workers in our society. Yes there is a need in this area for skilled workers. There simply aren't enough qualified workers to meet the need. To be even more specific, I would advocate for a direct line of communication between the Abbott Memorial Library, Adult Education, Career Center, and General Assistance at the Town Office to ensure that residents are aware of the training and have access to it. This training should include anything from videos that can be signed out at the library, to a direct link on the Town website, to periodic training seminars and resume writing workshops. Coordinated efforts can also be made between the High School for College and Job Fairs. For those who are reading this and would object simply to any cost it may involve, I would ask you this one question. How much is it costing us by not having it? I see more and more people who want to provide for their families and "carry their own weight" in society. They simply don't have the knowledge or access to the training.

One other major reason I would like to see a training center in Dexter is to help protect our residents from Internet scams and e-mail fraud. More and more of our residents are getting online and are extremely naive about opening and responding to emails and links to websites. Wouldn't it be nice if individuals, businesses, church's or other organizations had a resource that could help them better understand the values and dangers of using technology? I think that any cost associated with setting up this type of system, if any, would be well worth it. In fact, I would say that it is costing us financially by not having it.

What do you think? Are you a displaced worker or someone who would benefit from being able to obtain training virtually 24/7 either through classroom training, videos, or online training? If this training center did exist in Dexter, what type of training would you like to see offered? Maybe you don't even agree with me. Do you think that what we have now is more than adequate? What ever your position, drop a comment and tell me what you think. All comments are anonymous.

Running for Town Council / It's About the Economy!!

2008-09-08T16:57:00.018-04:00

If you haven't picked up on it from my previous two blogs, I am really big on trying to improve the economy in the Dexter area. I do believe that the Town is situated in a unique location and has resources available that could help the local economy prosper, even while the State and Nation faces an economic downturn.

Although I have nothing personal against those who have or are presently serving on the Town Council and other committees, I do believe that for the most part their way of thinking is out dated. We live in a high tech service sector society and thus need to be on the cutting edge if we plan on being a community that attracts businesses and families. For those interested, there is a fabulous website called O*net that allows people to research jobs and look at the demand for those jobs in the upcoming 10 years. My students use this site when researching possible career paths. If you look at the career fields that are most in demand, you will see that many of them deal with information technology, health care, and other service sectors. The question then arises, "How do we, as a community tap into those economic sectors?" Simply put, we must leave the old way of thinking behind and implement new technology, training, and resources that are available (sometimes for little to no charge). Our General Assistance must not only provide food, heat, and shelter; but also provide training and retraining as part of that assistance package. This same training should be provided to those still employed, but looking to change career paths, or simply want to learn something new.

I earnestly believe that the many displaced and disabled workers in Dexter would prefer receiving more than a monthly paycheck. They simply are not given the tools needed to get themselves on their feet in order to provide for themselves and their families. I think that a younger more aggressive Town Council would help bring the change needed to modernize our Town and provide it with the tools and resources needed to make our economy prosper once again.

Running for Town Council / Good Things Being Done

2008-09-06T17:51:00.020-04:00

I really don't want to send the idea that I disagree with every decision that the Town Council and others in Dexter have made, or that if elected I will simply spend my time complaining. Therefore, I would like to spend some time in this blog post expressing my praise concerning a few changes that have taken place over the past few years. The first is the new computer network that was installed at the Town office, and the second are the musical groups that have been featured at the Wayside Park every week during the summer months (yes there are more than two things, but for the sake of space in this post I will limit it to two). A big part of the praise for these changes have to go to Judy Doore, who recently resigned as Town Manager of Dexter.

Prior to Judy fighting for the new network, the Town employees worked on 10 year old computers with Windows 98 installed. The server was a 20 year old mainframe. For those who understand computers you already realize, without knowing anything about the hardware, that these systems were extremely limited in what they could do. Thanks to the major upgrade, the Town employees are networked on up-to-date computers, have a file server for housing and sharing files, can communicate more effectively, and at the end of the day provide a much better service to the Town. A nice "side dish" of having the network in place is the ability to provide wireless communication. This allows groups like the Career Center to work with displaced workers, and help provide training and resources to them. This would not be possible under the old network. I believe that most displaced and unemployed residents in Dexter actually want to work and provide for their families but can't seem to get the help that they need. This service helps them do just that. My hat goes off to Judy, the Career Center, and all others involved in this endeavor. If elected to serve on the Town Council, I would do everything in my power to ensure this service stays intact and possibly even expanded to provide ongoing training.

The second bit of praise I would like to give concerns the musical performances that have taken place at the Wayside Park every Tuesday evening over the summer months. For those who did not get the opportunity to attend, you missed one great performance after another. Once again, Judy Doore played a bit part in getting this program off the ground. It allows Dexter and the surrounding communities the chance to showcase the hidden talent that would go unnoticed otherwise. Every performance I attended had people from all ages and several surrounding communities. What a great way of getting people to visit Dexter, eat in our restaurants, buy fuel and other items at our stores, and see just how much there is to offer here. As a Town Council member I would do my best to keep this program going and possibly expand it. If anyone has pictures of the 2008 summer performances, or you are a local artist who performed and would like me to post pictures and links to your websites, feel free to forward them to me and I'll do my best to link it to my blog.

As far as my blog posting go, I hope to add one per week. If you are interested in getting the latest posting I would recommend "subscribing" to my blog. This is a simple procedure that notifies you when new content is available. If you are using Internet Explorer, simply look at the top for the RSS subcribe button (that looks like this picture) Click on it, and when the menu comes up, click on the "Subscribe to this blog". From that point you only need to visit your Favorites and look under the Feeds button and I'll be there under Downtown Dexter. If that completely confused you, let me know and I'll devote an entire blog posting on how to subscribe to different RSS feeds online.

Thanks again for all the feedback you have been giving me. Since deciding to run for Town Council I have had phone calls, emails, and have been stopped on the street by people who think it is time for Dexter to take a new direction. Feel free to use this blog to post your concerns and wishes and I will try to focus an entire posting on it. I hope to have a new blog up on Monday September 15 and every Monday thereafter. Finally, don't be bashful about sending this blog to those you know, especially if they live in and around Dexter. Simply look for the Email Post icon that directly below this. It is the picture of the envelope with the arrow on it. Click on that and follow the steps to email it to others.

Running for Town Council / Campground Closed

2008-09-05T20:07:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my blog 'Downtown Dexter'. I suppose it would be good to introduce myself and explain why I am writing this blog. My name is David Giles. I have been a resident of Dexter, Maine for most of my life. I presently teach the Computer Repair/Networking Program at the Tri-County Technical Center and am running for an open seat on the Town Council (more on my bio later). I am hoping to use this as one of the many avenues of communicating with the residents of Dexter in a hope of bringing about change and prosperity to this great Town.

In running for any elected office, one of the first questions people ask is "What do you plan on doing for the Town?" or "Why should I vote for you over the other person?". My initial response would be to say "because I am young, energetic, have a lot of good ideas, and have absolutely no hidden agenda besides trying to make the community better for the average family." Let's face it though. Those responses are vague and pretty empty in substance. Instead I hope to use this blog and other methods to explain how I would change Dexter if given the opportunity. One example of change I would fight for has to do with the closed campground on Wassookeag lake, which is one of the many untapped and underutilized resources in this Town.

If you are not familiar with the closed campground, I would encourage you to visit it. For those who do not even know where it is, drive to Lakeshore Lunch and it is located directly behind it. I have to say that prior to this year I have never really stopped and enjoyed the beautiful views from that part of the Lake. I feel obligated to share those views in this blog. At one time, campers came to Dexter, rented a camp lot, bought gas, propane, grilling supplies from our stores and viewed some of the beautiful sights that Dexter has to offer. Now, the campground sits empty and is actually a drain on the local economy. In asking why the campground is closed, the only answer I have been able to acquire is that the restrooms kept getting vandalized. So, instead of dealing with vandals by using security cameras or some other means, members of the Council have for years decided it better to simply close the doors. Fortunately, Judy Doore who has been our Town Manager for the past three years fought to at least get a camp caretaker to watch over campground which is better than what one council member wanted. I remember sitting in Town Meeting listening as one member of the Council explained that he thought it would be better to tear down the restrooms/showers to prevent the vandalism instead of trying different approaches to fix the problem. I could have fallen out of my seat. I can't imagine how the majority of the Council members can't see the campground as a way of improving the local economy and the Town image.

My solution would be as follows. At the moment we have a couple who act as caretakers for the campground. By the way, they are doing a phenomenal job and I have no problems with them at all. I do however think that we can return at least part of the campground to exactly that; a campground. My recommendation would be to rent out seasonal lots to a small number of campers. Even six to twelve campers located there all summer long would be better than nothing, which is what we have now. I am presently researching how much the average seasonal lot would rent for. I have an idea that 6-12 seasonal lots would generate thousands of dollars for the Town, not to mention the support it would provide for the stores, gas stations, and other small businesses in the area. (If anyone knows some of the other campgrounds rates feel free to pass them on to me).

As with any endeavor, There is bad with the good, and I am sure that there would be unintended consequences with my suggestion or anyone elses. However, to ignore the good because you don't want to deal with the bad is just plain wrong and that is what the Council has done for years now at the expense of the taxpayers. If elected, I look forward to working with Council members and the community to find solutions. If you see me around Dexter and have any ideas on how to improve the Town, including what you think should be done to the closed campground, feel free to express those ideas to me. I know that I am young and energetic, but I also know that it takes more than one person's ideas to make lasting positive change. If you happen to like my views, or at least think I would be a positive addition to the Town Council I would appreciate your vote in November.