Key employee reinstated to run WOWL

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Correction: We have updated this article to reflect the correct spelling of Madawaska Elementary Principal Ginette Albert's name. We regret any confusion this may have caused.

MADAWASKA- In the wake of the WOWL station shut-down on Dec. 21, school committee members met at a regular scheduled meeting on Jan. 14 and discussed exactly what happened to cause the student-run public access station to go off the air. It was a misunderstanding, according to Superintendent Terry Wood, and the committee unanimously voted on Monday evening to rehire Deanna Levesque, the employee responsible for airing Channel 16.

A LOT TO CONSIDER - Superintendent Wood and Chair Yves Dube listen to Principal Wayne Anderson as he explains how he plans to organize a fundraising telethon campaign to pay for Channel 16. To start airing Channel 16 again, the school committee needed to reinstate Deanne Levesque, a part-time employee who essentially ran the station. They unanimously voted to reinstate her position until the end of the school year, with the expectation that fundraising efforts would reduce the need to provide school funding for the station. - Jenna Beaulieu image

Wood informed the committee that she had been speaking with Colin Jandreau, Deanna Levesque and MMHS Principal Wayne Anderson about how to get Channel 16 back on the air. The WOWL station shut down on Dec. 21 because the committee had previously voted to terminate Deanna Levesque's position and Dec. 21 was her last day of employment.

"I was never informed that the station was closing on the 21st," said Wood.

The committee had voted to terminate Levesque's position in an effort to reduce the budget as the town mandated in a November special town meeting. According to Wood, they were unaware of just how important Levesque's position was to the function of Channel 16.

"I was never informed the station would shut down if Deanna was eliminated," said Wood.

Wood said that, prior to recommending to the committee that they terminate that position, she had asked Jandreau for a verbal description of Levesque's job duties. According to Wood, he said she was responsible for editing.

Turns out, explained Wood, Levesque "runs the station" and is responsible for the majority of its operation. Levesque works part time at WOWL and is scheduled for three hours during school days.

Wood strongly advised the committee to reinstate Levesque's position so that the Channel 16 station may reopen.

Principal Anderson defended her recommendation and said, "Colin Jandreau, [student] Jamie Cyr and I have had discussions about fundraising."

Anderson told the committee about a potential fundraising campaign involving a telethon, much like the annual PBS member telethon. He hoped to conduct such a campaign in March 2013 to offset the cost of reinstating Levesque's position until the end of the year and to also run the campaign every following year around October to support the operation of Channel 16 and reduce its reliance on school funding.

Wood advised the school committee to reinstate Levesque's position until the end of the year. Regarding next year, Wood said she would continue to meet with Anderson, Jandreau and Cyr about additional funding options.

Chair Yves Dube expressed misgivings about reinstating the position, as Governor LePage's recent curtailment order has created a $40,000 shortfall in the 2012-2013 budget that the Superintendent or department has yet to rectify.

Wood and Anderson assured Dube that fundraising efforts would pay for the station, essentially eliminating the need for school funding.

Anderson said, "I think this fundraising event will be very successful."

In regards to her recommendation for reinstating the position, Wood said to the committee, "I'm asking you to trust me."

Towards the end of the committee's discussion, committee member Walter Desrosier switched the direction of the conversation and said, "Knowing that the students are putting forward ideas for fundraising efforts...I love the shift in attitude."

Madawaska Elementary School Principal Ginette Albert also offered to help, telling committee she would donate all "Dollars for Education" funds received from Shop 'n Save kiosks.

The committee unanimously voted to reinstate Levesque's position until the end of the school year and to revisit the discussion after the telethon fundraiser in March.