Welcome - For the near future, we will host VIRTUAL Meetings-
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***The Forum is co-moderated by Karl Fink and John Hansen.
If you wish to be added to the Forum mailing list just send a request to RepHansen@aol.com. or KarlVFink@gmail.com -You will get meeting reminders, meeting notes and nothing else.- -Meeting Dates-*** The next virtual meeting of the Dexter Forum will be on Saturday, June 06, 18, 2020 at 8:30 AM ------------------------------------------------------------------ <<<<<<<<< The "Stump">> ---- Expect more Stump activity as we approach the elections. ---- ------------------------------------------------------------------ ***************************** "It is the year of the big election. There will possibly be three others before the big one, but the big one is coming. We will Listen and Learn." ************************************** |
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Who We Are- |
The Dexter Forum is supported by the Dexter Wellness Coalition as part of the 5 Healthy Towns initiative to "help connect with others in healthy ways". The purpose of the Forum is to create an opportunity for interested women and men to gather to discuss important issues facing our community. All are welcome on a drop-in basis. The group meets on the first and third Saturdays of the month.
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The Forum in action-
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"We make the agenda at the meeting so you never know what's on peoples' minds until you ask."
======================================= Dexter Forum Notes 5-16-2020 OK We Zoomed again but I really miss seeing you all in person. We still have information to share but it just isn't the same without the personal contact. We were updated on the ongoing negotiations between the Encore theater and the city on the deal that everyone wants to happen. Councilman Michels, in his first attempt at headline writing, summed it up when he said, "we are all working together but everyone has to learn their lines before the curtain can rise". The Dexter fire station issue will celebrate another birthday as the ballot proposition is being moved to 2021. The Webster station was waiting for construction bans to be lifted and can now move forward. The depth of experience of Forum attendees is amazing even if a little rusty. Ann Davis, in a previous life, was the infection control officer at Chelsea hospital back during the AIDS outbreak. She had high praise for Dr. Fauci and his scientific approach to our current crisis. Distance, wash, mask - repeat. Heidi Patel and Elise Bruderly announced the merger of the Education Foundation of Dexter and Excellence For Dexter Students. There were lots of smiles for this very sensible action. The shoes havn't dropped yet but the summer concerts in the park and Dexter Daze are clearly in doubt. The Dexter Guardian is on-line only for now according to reporter Aimee Osinski. We heard that the school district is seeking parent involvement as they study six alternative approaches to conducting classes in the fall. It's not just the elderly that are vulnerable to the virus. There are kids with immune system problems too. Like so many things now the answer comes down to the term - it depends. Can we slow the rate of infection and gradually resume daily activities - or not. It depends. May is one of those five Saturday months so our next meeting will be in three weeks on Saturday, June 6 at 8:30 AM. Our Zoom link required a password this morning. It was Dexter with a capital D. Some newer devices automatically capitalize the first letter but I had to go back and do that manually. =================================== Dexter Forum Notes 5-2-2020 The Dexter Forum met again via Zoom. We are getting used to the platform and remembering to mute our barking dogs and light our faces from the front. We learned that developing an agenda is hard when there is really only one item on everybody's mind so we just called on our elected officials - who were very well represented this morning - to bring us up to date on responses at their level to the COVID crisis. Senator Theis and Representative Lasinski both commented on the difficulty of balancing public health concerns with economic concerns. Neither was happy with the presence of protesters in the capitol building carrying semi-automatic rifles. Michigan is an open carry state by legislative choice and there is no ban on carrying weapons in the capitol building. Commissioner Sue Shink told of the county's efforts to serve those in most need particularly those with mental health challenges. The three school board members present, Julie Schumaker, Mara Greaterox and Jason Gold were all complimentary of the efforts made by staff to feed and teach our kids. And, as boards should, they were looking at the downstream budget impacts that will surely come from all of the lost revenue during the stay at home period. Councilman Cousins reported that the Hilltop housing project moved another step forward with council approval on first reading of the final site plan. Public events in the City are all either cancelled, postponed or on a wait and see status. The first concert in the park which features the Dexter Community Orchestra is cancelled. You can social distance the audience but not the 60 musicians on the small stage. The Dexter Community Theater group wants your returnables and they are going to hide them at Abby's house until they can be safely processed. Faith in Action appreciates your food and cash donations but wants you to hang on to your clothing contributions. There is no staff to process clothing donations and no where to store the amount of stuff that you are clearing out of your closets. Doug Marrin, senior reporter for the Sun Times News, reported that the News is currently homeless and therefore working from their own homes. The paper is no longer being mailed but can be picked up at local places like gas stations. Doug also called attention to a recent article he wrote about Tricia Paff, a Dexter woman who used Facebook to assemble an army of over 200 area folks to manufacture and distribute face masks to area hospitals. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead At the end we took a rigged survey about the future of the Forum by asking those already in attendance if they felt we should continue. Enough (freshly washed) hands went up so the next meeting of the Dexter Forum via Zoom will be on Saturday, May 16 at 8:30 AM. ****Watch for the reminder on May 14th with the new secret code (there is a new code for each meeting)****. ======================================================== ...About "The Dexter Forum" from other Sources: http://annarborobserver.com/articles/_we_can_help_dexter__full_article.html |
