Tuesday, January 31, 2012

K’port forming RSU withdrawal committee

By MATT KIERNAN
Staff Writer

Published:

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 12:05 PM EST

http://www.journaltribune.com/articles/2012/01/31/news/doc4f280161869f1822164581.txt

KENNEBUNKPORT — The board of selectmen is seeking residents to volunteer for a committee that will research the feasibility of the town withdrawing from Regional School Unit 21.

The RSU 21 school board’s decision to reopen discussions on the district’s cost-sharing formula between Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel caused the selectmen Thursday to decide to form the seven-member committee, said Selectmen Chairman Stuart Barwise.

“What we’re doing arises from, and only from, the repeated frustrations with cost-sharing,” Barwise said at the selectmen’s meeting in the Village Fire Station.

The board will consist of five town residents, Town Manager Larry Mead and a selectman, yet to be appointed. Candidates will be appointed at the selectmen’s next meeting on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Village Fire Station.

Barwise said members will examine the educational, financial and management implications of leaving the district.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Board discusses possible Arundel withdrawal from RSU

By Mike Fillyaw

yccs@seacoastonline.com

January 26, 2012 2:00 AM

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20120126-NEWS-201260359

ARUNDEL — The RSU 21 Board of Directors held a public forum on Monday night at the Mildred L. Day Elementary School and heard from several community members about the possibility of Arundel leaving the district.

Town leaders in Arundel recently received a petition with more than 300 signatures from townspeople in support of leaving RSU 21. RSU Superintendent Andrew Dolloff said the next steps in the withdrawal process would include the Arundel selectmen approving the petition, holding a public hearing, and a vote by secret ballot in a public forum-style meeting. If that vote received a majority approval, Dolloff said, a withdrawal committee would be formed and that committee would work with the district to form a withdrawal plan. Once a plan was agreed upon it would go to the commissioner of education for approval and an approved plan would then need at least a two-thirds vote in an Arundel referendum ballot to be finalized. Dolloff said the earliest that referendum ballot could take place is November.

Arts center would be too costly for RSU 21

Published:

Saturday, January 28, 2012 6:07 AM EST

http://www.journaltribune.com/articles/2012/01/28/editorial/doc4f2350c3400d7456788978.txt

Are the towns of Regional School Unit 21 made of money? The facilities committee of the RSU 21 school board seems to think so.

Last Wednesday, what began as discussions for the repurposing of the former Garden Street Market building somehow grew into a plan to build an entirely new, freestanding arts center on the campus of Kennebunk High School.

Selectmen had originally gathered to consider the option of repurposing the former grocery store, which is in a key downtown location, as a performing arts center. Talks with the RSU were necessitated because a renovated auditorium at KHS is part of the district’s $51.4 million improvement plan, which is expected to go to voters in November.

The thought was that a renovated market building could take the place of a new auditorium at the high school and be more accessible for public use as well as school use. But the facilities committee likes to think big, so they presented their “dream” plan to the selectmen last week.

Friday, January 27, 2012

By Jennifer Feals

jfeals@seacoastonline.com

January 26, 2012 2:00 AM

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20120126-NEWS-1011222

KENNEBUNK — The town and RSU 21 presented different visions at a meeting held last week to determine whether the two could collaborate on a performing arts center.

Representatives of the Kennebunk Board of Selectmen and RSU 21 Board of Directors joined for the Performing Arts Center Subcommittee meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 18, in the midst of $43 million in proposed improvements to Kennebunk High School which could include an estimated 500-seat auditorium.

While the town has expressed interest in creating a performing arts center at the former Garden Street Market, school representatives discussed during the meeting the concept of a stand-alone performing arts center on the grounds of Kennebunk High School.

"You could characterize our interest at this point as reluctant," RSU 21 Director Tim Hussey told members of the subcommittee regarding the joint performing arts center. "This is not a deal for us in terms of having the proper auditorium that we think the high school needs."

Instead, a performing arts center on KHS property is being studied. The center could partner with community arts organizations and could be supported with financial contributions from those organizations as well as private funding, Hussey said. The facility could offer private courses and programming related to the school district during the day and events in the evening, he said.

Withdrawal requires careful consideration

Withdrawal requires careful consideration

Published:

Thursday, January 26, 2012 5:04 PM EST

http://www.journaltribune.com/articles/2012/01/26/editorial/doc4f216bb54ca53175496146.txt

Kennebunkport may have caught the withdrawal bug.

At a selectmen’s meeting there two weeks ago, Vice Chairwoman Sheila Matthews-Bull said the town will likely be looking into getting out of Regional School Unit 21, as Arundel is now considering.

A petition containing nearly 380 signatures was submitted to Arundel Town Hall earlier this month to get the withdrawal process rolling there.

While we can see the concerns on all sides of the issue, we caution Kennebunkport and Arundel to proceed with caution, as the marriages of school districts are often dysfunctional relationships.

Arundel has said the costs of the RSU are too much, and with proposed Kennebunk High School renovations, tax bills will be too high.

But townspeople should keep in mind that high schools in this state are aging and expensive to replace – no matter their locations. Currently, Biddeford High School is undergoing $34 million worth of renovations and the high schools in Wells and Sanford are in need of expensive renovations or replacement as well.

While Kennebunkport and Arundel may feel they are getting a raw deal, many other towns feel the same way.

Ogunquit has been trying to pull out of the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District for decades, and its most recent attempt – in the form of a bill before a Maine legislative committee – failed.

Ogunquit has less than 5 percent of the student population, but pays about 20 percent of the district budget. In his bid to get Ogunquit out of the district in December 2009, then state Sen. Peter Bowman, D-York, said, “The approximate cost per student to taxpayers in general is around $8,000 per student, and in Ogunquit, it’s closer to $80,000 per student.”

Taxpayers in Kennebunkport have made the same argument. At that recent selectmen’s meeting, Matthews-Bull said Kennebunkport pays $13,500 per KHS student, while Kennebunk pays $11,500 per student.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Legislators blast governor's school shutdown threat

Augusta — Local legislators sharply criticized Gov. Paul LePage's threat to close Maine's public schools on May 1 if the Legislature fails to approve his proposed cuts to the state's MaineCare program.

"The china shop bully act is really getting old," said Rep. Chuck Kruger, D-Thomaston. "This governor doesn’t seem to understand how our state government operates, and doesn’t seem to care. A governor can’t simply close schools without the Legislature and municipalities involved in the decision."

Kruger questioned why LePage decided on threatening to close schools and not other state services.

"This kind of idiotic statement will never lead us to a better Maine; it serves only to scare us, divide us, and destroy confidence in all of our leaders. I hope members of his own party will speak up against this shabby and destructive behavior, as well," Kruger said.

LePage made his statement Jan. 19 during a Capitol for the Day event in Lewiston.

"If we continue the way we are, I will close schools May 1 and use that money," LePage said. His comments were videotaped by the local website DirigoBlue and other broadcast media.

RSU 21 PUBLIC FORUM TONIGHT

Public Forum

When: Mon, January 23, 7pm – 8pm

Where: Mildred L. Day School Gym

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Time for the state to step up

January 19, 2012 2:00 AM

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120119/OPINION/201190358/-1/NEWSMAP

It may be time for an intervention.

For those of you not following the ongoing struggle to bring together three towns into one school district named RSU 21, let's just say things have gone from not-so-great to a lot worse in recent days.

In fact, all three of the towns that make up RSU 21 have, at some point in the last year, looked into the process for leaving it. In just the last two weeks, 378 Arundel voters signed and turned in a petition to the town showing their support for the town's withdrawal from the RSU. Town officials are now exploring the next steps necessary for moving the issue to a public vote.

Just days later, the Kennebunkport Board of Selectmen, seemingly frustrated both by the RSU Board of Directors' vote to reopen the cost-sharing discussion and by its decision to scale back on repairs at Consolidated School, voted to look into the process of withdrawal as well.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Kennebunkport mulling withdrawal from RSU 21

By MATT KIERNAN, Journal Tribune

Posted Jan. 17, 2012, at 7:33 p.m.

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — Discussion between the Board of Selectmen and area residents at Thursday’s Regional School Unit 21 cost-sharing forum switched gears from complaints of imbalance among the district’s three towns to a discussion of what a withdrawal process would entail.

Although the public forum had low attendance because of that day’s snowstorm, it didn’t stop those who participated from expressing their dissatisfaction with the RSU’s arrangement of cost distribution among Kennebunkport, Kennebunk and Arundel.

“Truthfully, we’re going to be looking into getting out of the system, too,” said selectmen Vice Chairwoman Sheila Matthews-Bull at the meeting in the Village Fire Station.

Matthews-Bull’s comment was in relation to Arundel residents submitting a petition last week, which contained 380 signatures, to withdraw their town from the district.

According to Matthews-Bull, the cost-sharing agreement isn’t fair because Kennebunkport has fewer teens at the more than 700-student Kennebunk High School than Kennebunk, but still has to pay more.

read more...

Maine unveils plan for education improvements

The Associated Press

AUGUSTA — A report unveiled by Maine's education commissioner says schools need more flexibility to try new methods and place more emphasis on real-life learning experiences.

Maine Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen.

Staff photo by Joe Phelan

Commissioner Stephen Bowen today presented a report listing shortcomings in Maine's public school system and ways to fix them. It stems from Bowen's statewide tour of nine school districts last year.

The report says Maine's high school graduation rate remains unacceptably low and test-based accountability efforts don't work.

read more...
or down load the report...

Measuring Up to the Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws

2011 has been a significant year for charter school policy across the country.

At long last, Maine enacted a charter school law, becoming the 42nd jurisdiction that allows this innovative public school option.

Ten states lifted their caps on charter school growth (either partially or entirely). Most notably, North Carolina eliminated its cap of 100 charter schools, Michigan phased out its cap on the number of charter schools that can be approved by public universities, and Indiana and Wisconsin removed their limits on virtual charter school enrollment.

Seven states strengthened their authorizing environments. Most significantly, four states created new statewide charter boards (Illinois, Indiana, Maine, and Nevada), while New Mexico and Rhode Island passed major quality control measures setting the stage for the future growth of high-quality public charter schools in these states.

Ten states improved their support for charter school funding and facilities. Of particular note, Indiana enacted legislation that creates a charter school facilities assistance program to make grants and loans to charter schools, appropriates $17 million to this program, and requires school districts to make vacant space available to public charter schools to lease for $1 a year or to buy for $1. Also, Texas enacted a law that allows state-authorized charter schools that have an investment grade rating and meet certain financial criteria to apply to have their bonds guaranteed by the Permanent School Fund.

As of this writing, there were bills with major charter school improvements pending in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In addition, we expect to see big pushes for strong legislation in several other states in 2012.

or down load the complete report.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Movers and Shakers: Arundel voters

ldolce@seacoastonline.com

January 12, 2012 2:00 AM

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20120112-NEWS-201120344

ARUNDEL — Going into May 24, 2011, many of the residents in the towns of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport — and, indeed, some in the town of Arundel — probably didn't spend a lot of time thinking about how Arundel residents would vote when it came to the RSU 21 warrant.

By the time the day ended, though, it seems like it's all anyone was talking about, as the Arundel voters took to the voting booths to show their displeasure with the district, voting down everything from the budget to the cost-sharing plan to a proposed buyout of the Thornton Academy Middle School contract.

It was the district's decision to try to buy out the TAMS contract, in fact, that appeared to wake a sleeping beast, turning a group of unhappy Arundel voters into a force to be reckoned with. The group created its own Facebook page, Concerned Arundel Citizens, had signs made urging people to vote down the proposal, and launched a public information campaign.

"I was struck by how many people were willing to step up and get involved in the last few weeks prior to the vote. It was truly a grassroots effort if there ever was one," said resident Donna Buttarazzi. "Townspeople who barely knew each other, from all different perspectives and demographics, pitched in and sorted mailers, stapled signs and made phone calls. The common thread seemed to be that everyone was tired of being pushed around and ignored. Every voice, every person and every vote mattered."

"It was a wonderful way to teach our kids that every person matters," agreed Fran Beaulieu.

Michele Gagnon Laverriere said the best part of the experience was that everyone rallied together and made a difference.

"It felt so good to have a voice and to be heard. We are a small community, with small town values and many of us were in fear that this would be taken away from us," she said.

Arundel Town Manager Todd Shea said he's not surprised by the passion people feel for their town.

Movers and Shakers: Todd Shea

ldolce@seacoastonline.com

January 12, 2012 2:00 AM

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20120112-NEWS-201120343

ARUNDEL — In his first six months on the job, Arundel's new Town Manager Todd Shea has already started making a name for himself in the community, listening to residents' concerns, acting as their advocate and navigating them through some difficult decisions.

But Shea's also reached beyond the town's borders to forge a working relationship with Kennebunkport Town Manager Larry Mead and Kennebunk Town Manager Barry Tibbetts. He's also taken on a high profile role as a new board member for the Kennebunk & Kennebunkport Chamber of Commerce.

"Todd's obviously a breath of fresh air," said Jim Fitzgerald, president and chief executive officer of the chamber. "The town management of Arundel has, I think, been awakened, I should say the town management of Arundel has been awakened with somebody that really knows how to run a town and also has his mind solidly into the future. We've already talked about several things that the town might be undertaking over the next few years, like creating a new town center and things like that."

Shea is quick to add that the way the town changes won't be his call.

Movers and Shakers: Dr. Kevin Crowley

ldolce@seacoastonline.com

January 12, 2012 2:00 AM

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120112/NEWS/201120353/-1/NEWSMAP

ARUNDEL — Some might argue that one of the best things to come from Arundel joining RSU 21 was the appointment of Dr. Kevin Crowley as principal of Mildred L. Day School in 2010.

Already a district superstar during his time at Sea Road School, where he was known not only for leading the school to its outstanding academic record but also for his deep connection with students, Crowley's move to MLD was seen by many as a visible sign of the RSU's commitment to Arundel.

For Crowley, though, the move just took him from one great school to another.

"It's a great place," Crowley said of the school. "I've been incredibly lucky in where I've worked, surrounded by people who genuinely care about kids, who work hard every day. When you have that, going to work is easy."

Or maybe Crowley just makes it look easy, colleagues say.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Arundel residents file petition calling for withdrawal from RSU 21

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120110/NEWS/120119975/-1/NEWSMAP

By Samantha Stephens

yccs@seacoastonline.com

January 10, 2012 3:20 PM

ARUNDEL, Maine — After a brief procedural selectmen’s meeting, a workshop regarding potential withdrawal from the RSU 21 was held on Monday, Jan. 9 in the Mildred L. Day School library.

Town Manager Todd Shea informed the audience of approximately 30 residents that the session was purely informative about the process that will occur after approximately 378 petition signatures in support of withdrawal are validated. The petition was submitted to the town clerk on Monday.

Shea said Arundel is the first community to receive a petition while other towns in Maine are “exploring” possibilities and an estimated half a dozen are awaiting petitions.

Shea also said, regardless of what occurs next in the process, that Arundel is going to be linked with the RSU 21 throughout Fiscal Year 2012-2013.

With regards to teachers and staff leaving the RSU to return to Arundel, Shea said they must honor any contracts and “they don’t have to stay with M.L. Day.” Salaries will also remain level with RSU.

Bentley’s seeks new camp sites

Bentley’s seeks new camp sites

http://blog.kennebunkpost.com/2011/12/22/bentleys-seeks-new-camp-sites.aspx

By Kristy Wagner

Staff Writer

The tough economy has been no match for Bentley’s Saloon and Campground in Arundel.

The seasonal spot’s owner, Bentley Warren III, recently approached the planning board about developing 90 to 95 new recreational vehicle sites and 35 to 40 tent sites to accommodate the campground’s growing clientele.

The new recreational vehicle sites would include full water, sewage and electrical services.

“We just want to expand what we need for our use,” Warren said in a phone interview.

Warren currently is out west traveling on his motorcycle.

“Our customer base is bigger since we got the zoning change and we could have the occupancy for what we needed originally,” he said. “Now we can have the demand for more campsites and tent sites and things like that.”

Warren obtained a zoning change from the planning board in July to increase the capacity of the saloon from 180 people to 423 on the condition that indoor capacity be limited to 212 and outdoor capacity be limited to the remaining 211 patrons. The planning board in November 2010 granted Warren’s request to classify his establishment as a tavern instead of as a restaurant.

“Reclassifying his restaurant as a tavern basically gave him quite a bit more space,” said Town Planner Tad Redway.

Redway said Warren’s most recent request to add lots to his campground isn’t something that can be granted right away.

“What he was proposing to do he couldn’t do,” Redway said.

He said a zoning change is necessary for Warren to install the new campsites and vehicle sites.

Redway said Warren would stretch his campground onto residential land, which is not zoned for business or camping. The land in need of a zoning change is owned by Warren.

Warren said he remains optimistic and hopes his expansion will not only help his business but also the business of the whole town.

“Since the town really seems to be for business now I figure it helps the tax base for the residents,” Warren said.

AlertNow Message from RSU 21: Elementary Building Committee Formed

At its January 9, 2012 business meeting, The RSU 21 Board of School Directors authorized the formation of the Joint Committee on Elementary School construction, to be comprised of the Consolidated School Building Committee and the M.L. Day Building Committee. These committees will work with the Board and school administration, and consult with Harriman Architects and Engineers, to make a final recommendation to the Board regarding the components of a locally-funded school construction plan. The individual building committees will consist of the following members:

Kennebunkport Consolidated School Building Committee
The Kennebunkport Consolidated School Building Committee will be comprised of nine members:
• one member of the Board of School Directors from Kennebunkport (1);
• one member of the Board of School Directors from either Kennebunk or Arundel (1);
• one member appointed by the Board of Selectmen from Kennebunkport (1);
• the Superintendent of Schools or his designee (1);
• the Consolidated School Principal (1);
• the School Facilities Director (1);
• one Consolidated School faculty member (1);
• two members at large from Kennebunkport (2);

Mildred L. Day School Building Committee
The Mildred L. Day School Building Committee will be comprised of nine members:
• one member of the Board of School Directors from Arundel (1);
• one member of the Board of School Directors from either Kennebunk or Kennebunkport (1);
• one member appointed by the Board of Selectmen from Arundel (1);
• the Superintendent of Schools or his designee (1);
• the Mildred L. Day School Principal (1);
• the School Facilities Director (1);
• one Mildred L. Day School faculty member (1);
• two members at large from Arundel (2);

Appointments to these committees will be made by the Board of School Directors at its business meeting on February 6, 2012. Interested individuals must contact the Superintendent of Schools office in writing by 4:00 P.M. on Wednesday, February 1, 2012. Written letters of interest may be emailed to dgillette@rsu21.net, or delivered to Superintendent of Schools, 87 Fletcher Street, Kennebunk, ME 04043.

Arundel man proposes building massive greenhouse complex in Windham

John der Kinderen is proposing to raise hydroponic vegetables and fish at a 37-acre greenhouse complex in the southern Maine town. http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineHeadlineNews/tabid/968/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3479/ItemId/19719/Default.aspx

WINDHAM, Maine (AP) _ An Arundel businessman has proposed building a 37-acre complex of greenhouses in Windham that would create about 170 jobs. John der Kinderen says the business would raise hydroponic vegetables and fish to sell to food distributors throughout the Northeast. He hopes to start construction this spring and begin operations by the end of the year. The Portland Press Herald reports that Der Kinderen has been working with Windham officials, and the board could hold extra meetings to expedite the permitting process. He told the planning board the 1.6 million square feet of greenhouses would be powered by natural gas engines, and waste would be processed by a bioreactor and turned into fertilizer.

Adult boutique opens in Arundel

By Kristy Wagner

Staff Writer

http://blog.kennebunkpost.com/2012/01/05/adult-boutique-opens-in-arundel.aspx

Last year, Marilyn Roy of Arundel found herself unemployed in a tight job market.

She wanted to do something fun and interesting for a living so she opened an adult boutique. My eSensuals is a retail store that sells adult toys, lingerie and erotic literature. Roy opened her Arundel store in November.

Roy, who was born in Connecticut and raised in southern Maine, worked as a credit manager before she became the proprietor of eSensuals. The 53-year-old quit her job three years ago to care for her mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease.

After her mother died last year, Roy said she needed a new profession. She decided to open the adult retail store geared toward women.

“It was purely a business decision,” Roy said. “I wanted it to be fun – I have to work here. I consider this my job. I wanted a nice environment.”

Roy said she wanted her store to be low key and did not want to make any waves within the community by opening an adult retail shop.

“I’ve had minimal people oppose the project,” Roy said.

She said she had a few concerned phone calls, but other than that she said no one has vehemently rejected the idea of her adult boutique.

She said “(Arundel) was wonderful,” but she did have to do some convincing when she pitched the idea to property owner, Bob Lindsey.

“I’ve got to give credit to my landlord,” Roy said of Lindsey.

Lindsey, owner of Bob’s Techcom, a computer repair shop in the same building as my eSensuals, said he asked other tenants in the Portland Road business plaza what they thought of Roy and her store.

“I did a lot of soul searching on this,” Lindsey said.

He said not one tenant had any issues with an adult boutique in the plaza.

“(Plaza tenants) were all very supportive in (Roy’s business),” Lindsey said.

Lindsey said he wanted to clarify that while he supported Roy in opening and sustaining her own business, he did not support the adult toy business itself. He said he provided support as a business colleague and did all he could to help her be successful.

“I needed the rent,” Lindsey said. “She’s even got top billing on the sign.”

Monday, January 9, 2012

1st RSU 21 Live Streaming Broadcasts

http://www.rsu21.net/livestream.shtml

Friday, January 6, 2012

Cost-sharing group meets with candidates

Kennebunk selectmen on Dec. 27 interviewed four potential at-large members for the two positions available on the Regional School Unit 21 Cost Sharing Committee.

Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport must each form a three-member committee to work together to renegotiate cost sharing for the district. Each committee must consist of one member from the RSU 21 Board of Directors and two at-large members from the town.

Candidates for Kennebunk cost sharing committee were Ed Karytko, John Sharood, Richard Smith and Jeff Cole. A selectmen vote determined Smith and Cole will be at-large members on the cost sharing committee.

Smith is a member of the Kennebunk Planning Board and Sharood was a member of Kennebunk’s past RSU 21 Cost Sharing Committee. Karytko frequently attends selectmen’s meetings and Cole is a Kennebunk resident.

The RSU 21 Board of Directors voted Dec. 5 to re-open the cost sharing discussions to allow Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel to revise the cost sharing formula that determines how much each municipality pays into the school district. Cost sharing has been an issue since 2009 with the formation of RSU 21 and the question of how much each town’s taxpayers pay for whatever the school district needs funded.

“This entire discussion is about money,” Albert Searles, chairman of the Kennebunk Board of Selectmen, said at a Dec. 13 meeting. “It’s not about the quality of education or what the school needs or what the school wants and I think we need new representation and I think the other towns should consider new representation too.”

Searles said he wants to see representatives on the new cost sharing committee who have never been involved with RSU 21 or any associated committees. He said he wants to avoid “rehashing” issues that “(RSU 21 municipality committees) have argued about already three times.”

In light of recent renovations to the Middle School of the Kennebunks and the school district’s plans to renovate Kennebunkport Consolidated School and Kennebunk High School, residents of Arundel complained to the Arundel Board of Selectmen and the RSU 21 Board of Directors that Arundel pays more than its fair share into the district.

Arundel residents said they feel their town and students will not benefit as much as residents and students of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport from future renovations of the high school. Most Arundel students attend Thornton Academy in Saco.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

RSU 21 Board Meetings Hit the Web

AlertNow Message from RSU 21

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 1:44 PM

Several months ago, the RSU 21 Board of School Directors made the move to hold 
its regular meetings at Kennebunk Elementary School in an attempt to provide 
residents with a consistent location for attending meetings.  One downside to 
this move was that the new location did not provide the opportunity for meetings 
to be viewed live from home, but that is all changing this week.  Thanks to the 
work of the district's technology department, all meetings held in the Board 
Room (Room A102) at KES will now be streamed live over the internet at 
http://www.rsu21.net/livestream.shtml ,so anyone with access to the internet 
will be able to tune in from anywhere in the world. 
 
During a test run held in late December, Superintendent Andrew Dolloff was 
pleased with the quality of the webcast.  "The picture is quite good - very 
similar to that seen on local access television - and the audio is crystal 
clear," Dolloff remarked.   "We are pleased to be providing this service.  
Whereas the cost to broadcast to television was very prohibitive, this solution 
is cheap.  In addition to viewing the live stream over the internet, citizens 
will still be able to watch recordings of our meetings on local access 
television, and the webcast will be available on-demand on our website." 
 
The first RSU 21 Board meeting to be streamed live will be on Monday, January 9 
at 7:00 p.m.

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