Invitation to the Washington County Extension Association Annual Meeting
2020 Annual Meeting
of the
Washington County Extension Association
Tuesday, June 16, 2020 at 5:30 p.m.
Agenda
Welcome
4-H Scholarship
• Azure Dillon and Jeremy Strater Scholarships
Mikaila Loughlin
Business Meeting
• Budget
• New Members
• Slate of Officers
Volunteer Awards
• University of Maine Pen Awards
Lee Downing, Richard East, and Wendy Harrington
• Norman W. Duzen Award
Ken and Joyce Getchell
Presentation
• 4-H Tech Changemakers
Door Prize Drawing
• $25 L.L.Bean Gift Card
July 14, 2020 - State Primary Election and Special Referendum Election
Questions appearing on the July 14, 2020 Special Referendum Election Ballot
Treasurer's Statement - PDF
Question 1: Bond Issue
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Infrastructure To Improve Transportation and Internet Connections “Do you favor a $15,000,000 bond issue to invest in high-speed Internet infrastructure for unserved and underserved areas, to be used to match up to $30,000,000 in federal, private, local, or other funds?”
Question 2: Bond Issue
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Infrastructure To Improve Transportation and Internet Connections “Do you favor a $105,000,000 bond issue for improvement of highways and bridges statewide and for multimodal facilities or equipment related to transit, freight and passenger railroads, aviation, ports, harbors, marine transportation, and active transportation projects, to be used to match an estimated $275,000,000 in federal and other funds?”
Public Law Chapter 673
Maine DHHS Launches "Keep It Maine" Campaign to Promote Public Health Measures That Limit the Spread of COVID-19
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recently announced that it is launching a new statewide campaign to emphasize the continued importance of public health measures that limit the spread of COVID-19, including physical distancing, wearing of cloth face coverings, and hand hygiene.
The "Keep It Maine" campaign (PDF) encourages Maine people to continue taking actions that have helped to keep the State's COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates low compared to other states. Adjusted for population size, as of June 1, Maine ranked 42nd highest in the nation in terms of positive cases; 40th in the nation in terms of deaths; 30th in terms of patients ever-hospitalized out of the 35 states reporting; and 15th in the percentage of people who have recovered out of the 41 states reporting.
The campaign includes social media and digital ads that began last week, followed in mid-June by television ads and a new Web site with shareable and printable educational materials for Maine people and businesses. The DHHS also plans to provide translated campaign materials to ensure its message reaches as broad an audience as possible.
Maine’s DHHS will work with partners in the healthcare, business, and other communities to amplify the campaign’s messages.
Maine people can protect their health and prevent the spread of COVID-19 by staying home whenever possible, practicing physical distancing, and wearing a face covering when not at home; practicing hand hygiene; and speaking with their healthcare provider if they experience symptoms consistent with COVID-19, such as shortness of breath, fever, and cough.
Anti-Vaping Campaign has Maine Teens Texting to Quit
A new anti-vaping campaign from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) helps young people understand the risks of vaping and offers texting to support youth who want to quit. The Maine CDC launched the campaign in response to the increase in e–cigarette use reported by State high school and middle school students. The trend mirrors a national increase in vaping by youth during recent years.
The campaign, which launched in April and will continue at least through the end of 2020, reaches teens in Maine through television, Hulu, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, and the Web site VapeFreeMaine.com. The Web site and digital campaign ads have a text-to-quit feature, allowing young people to send a free, anonymous text message to campaign partner Truth Initiative, a national nonprofit public health organization. From April to mid-May, 117 individuals had reached out for help from the program.
Truth Initiative texts back daily inspirational and educational messages based on the user's age, vaping frequency, and readiness to quit. Texters can also receive instant support through the text message service.
Many young people are still learning how using e-cigarettes, or "vaping," affects their health. Almost all these products contain nicotine. Kids try it a few times, often get addicted, and then have trouble stopping. This campaign tackles the issue from both ends, building awareness to prevent youth from starting vaping, and offering age appropriate support to those who want to quit.
The 2019 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey found that 28.7 percent of Maine high school students reported currently using e-cigarettes (at least one time in the past 30 days), an increase from 15.3 percent in 2017. Maine's high school results align with the most recent data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, which show that 27.5 percent of high school students throughout the United States reported having used e–cigarettes within the past 30 days.
The biennial Maine survey also showed an increase in high school students who reported ever having used an e-cigarette product, from 33.2 percent in 2017 to 45 percent in 2019. E–cigarette use was also up among Maine middle school students.
The new campaign follows the Governor signing into law in May 2019 a bill that bans use of e-cigarettes on school property and in the wake of her direction to the Maine CDC to work with the Maine Office of the Attorney General to pursue increased compliance checks on e-cigarette purchases at retailers throughout Maine to prevent sales to youth. Maine also bans all online sales of e-cigarette products and licenses tobacco product sellers to ensure oversight.
Additional Information
- Visit VapeFreeMaine.com
- Youth who want to quit: text "MAINE" to 88709
- Parents with questions about youth vaping
Insurance Superintendent Says Even Mainers Outside of Flood Zones Should Consider Flood Insurance
With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicting more named storms, more hurricanes, and more major hurricanes during the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Maine’s Insurance Superintendent strongly recommends that all Mainers consider purchasing flood insurance, even those who live outside of federally designated flood zones.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that in recent years hurricanes have caused above average flooding, with more than 40% of flood claims submitted from outside of high-risk flood areas between the years 2014 and 2018.
Mortgage lenders generally require homes in flood zones to have flood coverage, but it is usually an optional purchase for all others. Many people assume incorrectly that their basic homeowners or renters insurance policy will cover damage from flooding, but flood coverage must almost always be purchased separately.
A homeowners or renters policy may pay for water damage inside a house, such as damage from an ice dam or a burst pipe, but it will usually not pay for unusual or rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters, such as those caused by snowmelt or torrential, soaking rain.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs between June 1 and November 30 each year.
Recommended related resources include:
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Flood Insurance: Details are available from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) by calling 1-800-427-4661 or online at https://www.floodsmart.gov.
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Inventory Checklist: A checklist can help establish an insurance claim. Start one here and keep a hard copy in a secure location away from your home, with insurance policies, medical records, and other important documents.
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Emergency Preparedness: For information about preparing yourself and family for emergency situations, such as floods, storms, power outages, and home fires, visit https://www.ready.gov/. The Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) provides Maine specific information at https://www.maine.gov/mema/maine-prepares/.
Consumers with questions about insurance matters can obtain information and assistance from the Maine Bureau of Insurance by visiting maine.gov/insurance, calling 800-300-5000 (TTY 711), or e-mailing Insurance.PFR@maine.gov.
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