DDATT fair shows easy ways to save energy

By Mike Lange Staff Writer
    DEXTER — How can a piece of bathroom tissue taped to a pencil help you save energy?

    “Simple,” said Carver Myers, a sixth-grader at Ridge View Community School in Dexter. “Tape one end of the tissue to the pencil, then cut the paper into small strips.” Carver then put the device outside of a cardboard house where a fan was blowing from the other side, simulating a breeze. The strips of tissue paper fluttered. “You can do the same thing in your house,” Myers said.
    The low-budget experiment was a common theme at Saturday’s energy expo at the Dexter town hall, hosted by the Dexter-Dover Area Towns in Transition (DDATT). “This has been a great turnout, although we’re a little cramped this year,” said DDATT president Sam Brown. “We emphasize informal presentations. Some exhibitors have a lot of experience; some have very little. But everything we’re doing today fits right in our wheelhouse: energy awareness.”
    Observer photo/Mike Lange
    RECYCLING SAVES — Dexter Regional High School junior Martin Ward, left, discusses recycling with Gerry Amelotte of Troy at Saturday’s energy expo hosted by Dexter-Dover Area Towns in Transition (DDATT).
    There were some established businesses at the expo including Insource Renewables of Pittsfield, as well as a display from the Dexter Regional High School Key Club and the Tri-Country Technical Center.
    Insource Renewables President Vaughn Woodruff left Maine for several years and came back to teach an alternate energy course at Kennebec Valley Community College before starting his own firm. “Solar energy is our specialty and it’s become very popular,” Woodruff said. He demonstrated how a solar hot water heater works with a cutout of the piping and solar cells. “A lot of people have stopped by to get information about alternate energy, and that’s very important. People need to understand that they now have options.”
    Sometimes, however, energy can be saved by changing habits. At the Dexter Key Club display manned by junior Martin Ward, there were dozens of containers and other items that people commonly throw away. “Last year we recycled 11,000 potato chip bags alone,” Ward said. “Our whole recycling program made $800 profit for the club.”
     Key Club Adviser Rick Whitney, a Dexter Regional High School teacher, is the driving force behind the recycling program, Ward said. “He takes a bin around the lunchroom every day to pick up everything he can from the tables,” he said. “Let’s face it: we’re a very wasteful country.”
    Observer photo/Mike Lange
    TCTC PRE-TECH — Tri-County Technical Center instructor Steven Hughes shows off an alternative energy display at Saturday’s energy expo. Hughes teaches pre-tech classes to eligible freshmen and sophomore.
    Getting young people involved in alternate energy and conservation is an important step, said Steve Hughes a pre-tech instructor at the Tri-County Technical Center. “We get youngsters involved early with hands-on training,” Hughes said.
    The pre-tech program is designed for freshmen and sophomores who normally aren’t eligible for the tech center’s skilled programs. “Some of these kids are high-risk and in danger of dropping out,” Hughes aid. “But we’ve got some exciting programs. They’re eager to learn and alternate energy is something that’s always evolving.”
   Observer photo/Mike Lange
    IT’S A BREEZE — Ridge View Community School 6th grader Carver Myers demonstrates how to use a piece of bathroom tissue, tape and a pencil to check for drafts in your home.
    For more information about DDATT including a schedule of their workshops and classes, visit www.ddatt.org.