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Who is Dennis Dechaine?

Several of us have known Dennis for over 20 years. It is hard to describe everything that makes up a person on a webpage, but here is some information about Dennis anyway.

Independent filmmakers Richard Searls and Molly O'Neill have produced a 17 minute tape of excerpts from an interview with Dennis in prison on 22 March 2004.  If all goes well, they plan to produce a quality, independent film.

The 36 Megabyte video clip can be viewed with Apple's Quicktime (which works on PCs or Macs) or other video viewing software.  The file is large, so this option is realistically only available for those with broadband Internet connections.  Click here for video. Quicktime can be downloaded here.

If you want to see the entire video and want to see the VHS version, contact Trial and Error about borrowing a copy.  If you would like just the audio from the clip, click here for the audio from the video clip. If you just want to see Dennis' words, click here for the transcript of the video.

QuickTime Pro - Export for Web - Dennis

In Dennis' Words
In wife Nancy's words
High School
Upward Bound
College
Marriage
Farming and Business
Character
Family Reunion 1988
Prison

Upward Bound

Upward Bound - at Bowdoin College, a Summer program for promising high school students. Summers of 1974 and 1975

From an instructor: "Mouse [his high school nickname] went on The Apprentice Shop trip, and worked fairly well although he also complained a fair amount. While working, though, he opened up and talked a lot about himself, his home, and school, and showed himself to be very bright and aware of himself and his situation." (HS p. 83)

From French teacher: "Dennis is able to produce good work, often after some slight encouragements. He has a nice and open personality, sensitive to the others, and often willing to help." HS. P. 83)

From Director of the Upward Program: "I, for one, saw an immense improvement in Dennis' general maturity. Over and over again, in a whole variety of situations, I saw Dennis' honesty and good judgment replacing the rather immature, self-centered, sometimes whining attitude that he seemed to have on occasion last summer." (HS, p. 83)

From the staff psychologist at Upward Bound: "Dennis presented himself as an affable, friendly young man who was generally quiet, but he definitely came across as a 'nice kid'. He worked consistently under the direction of the examiner and showed very logical problem solving skills in most of the tasks which he undertook. He obtained a full scale score which places him in the 80th percentile, the Bright Normal range of intelligence." (HS p. 83-84)

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