New recreation director approved by Dexter Town Council

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    DEXTER — Mark Turek, a Garland native and Dexter Regional High School graduate, is the town’s new recreation director, following a unanimous vote by the Dexter Town Council at its Oct. 10 meeting.
    All the applications for the vacancy were forwarded to the Recreation Committee, according to Town Clerk Shelley Watson, and their recommendation was sent to the town council. “He’s here tonight and already working,” Watson said.

    Turek is already employed by the municipality and has maintained the town’s cemeteries for the past two years, and said he is looking forward to the new position. “I’m very pleased. My family has roots in the community that go back quite a while,” he said. Turek’s mother and father operated the Friendly Spot Restaurant on Main Street in the 1970s. Eventually, the building was sold and became part of Tillson’s True Value Hardware.
    Former recreation director Jimmy Bell resigned last month and accepted a full-time job on the custodial staff at SeDoMoCha Middle School in Dover-Foxcroft.
    The Town Council also approved the purchase of a new police cruiser at Thursday’s session, signed the warrant for the Nov. 5 municipal elections, approved the liquor license renewal for the Watering Hole tavern, sold a piece of tax-acquired property and accepted a Department of Justice Grant of $2,226 for six bulletproof vests for the police department.
    The new police vehicle is a 2014 Ford Interceptor; and with a $23,000 trade-in allowance for the department’s pick-up truck, the net cost to the town will be $5,264. Police Chief Kevin Wintle said that the deal “came in under budget. This vehicle replaces the old Crown Victoria, but it’s an all-wheel drive.”
    The tax-acquired property at 116 Main St. went to Mill Street Properties for $4,501.
    There will be six candidates for three expired terms on the town council, but some offices won’t be filled on Election Day. Watson explained that state law requires that write-in candidates file their intentions by the same deadline as those who submit nomination petitions. “If you write a name on the ballot who is not a declared candidate, it doesn’t count,” Watson explained.
    Offices with no candidates are a one-year term on the School Administrative District 46 Board of Directors; a three-year term and a one-year term on the Dexter Utility District Board of Trustees; and a three-year term on the Hospital Administrative District 4 Board of Trustees.
    Candidates for three-year terms on the Town Council are Ronald Apel, Sharon Grant, Peter Haskell, David Palmer, Mark Robichaud and Alan Wintle. Haskell, the council chairman, and Wintle are incumbents; and one other current member, Andre Robichaud, is not seeking re-election. Mark and Andre Robichaud are not related.
    The November ballot will also include two questions related to the town charter. The first one asks voters whether they want to establish a commission to revise the charter; and if so, if they want to choose six charter commission members: Anita Colomy, Dana Cronin, Jill Jones, Tina Santos, Karen Slight and Linda Tisdale.
    Chuck Ellms of the town’s road committee also gave a brief report on a proposal to fund repairs for the town’s “five worst roads” with a 10-year bond. Ellms said that the committee’s estimate to upgrade Silvers Mills, Airport, Wing, Charleston and the Old Dover roads ranged from $500,000 to $1 million. “But we do have some money carried over from the previous budget year,” Ellms said.
    The town recently paid off a 10-year, $500,000 road bond and many councilors have voiced concerns at recent meetings about the town falling behind on road repairs. No decision was made on the bond issue, which would eventually have to be approved by voters.