Dexter seeks age-friendly community status

Dexter seeks age-friendly community status |
DEXTER — The community may be able to utilize AARP resources as the council authorized Town Manager Shelley Watson to apply for membership with the AARP/World Health Organization Network of Age-Friendly Communities during a March 9 meeting.
Watsons said she recently met with AARP Maine Age-Friendly Consultant Patricia Oh and Piscataquis Thriving in Place Director Meg Callaway to discuss the initiative. Watson said should Dexter’s application be accepted, “The council would advertise for a committee that will look at our strengths and our weaknesses to become age-friendly,” with the assistance of AARP/World Health Organization Network of Age-Friendly Communities.
She said an eight-step process over several years would help the town improve with the benefits — potentially concerning sidewalks and green spaces — serving not just older residents but everyone.
“I’m just looking to apply and go from there,” Watson said. “There is some funding to help the issues that are identified,” she said about possible grant opportunities.
In other business, town councilors signed the warrant for a special referendum on Tuesday, April 11 concerning a bond for repairs to a Dexter Regional High School roof. Residents will be able to head to the polls on April 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the town hall, and citizens of the SAD 46 towns of Exeter, Garland and Ripley will be doing likewise.
SAD 46 officials will hold a public hearing on the referendum Tuesday, April 4 at 6 p.m. at the Ridge View Community School.
In her report, Watson said the application timeframe for the town manager position has closed with interviews to begin shortly to fill the position following Watson’s planned retirement in several months.
“I want to start by congratulating the girls basketball team for their (Northern) Maine Class C championship, so that’s a great job Lady Tigers,” Watson said.