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Town of New Gloucester
385 Intervale Road, New Gloucester, ME 04260
(207) 926-4126 (phone) / (207) 926-4136 (fax)
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Town of Poland
1231 Maine Street, Poland, ME 04274
(207) 998-4601 (phone) / (207) 998-2002 (fax)
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130th Legislature
On December 2, newly-elected members of the Maine House of Representatives and Senate were sworn into office by Acting Chief Justice of the State's Supreme Judicial Court. Andrew Mead. It was an historic event, as ceremonies were held outside of the State House at the pandemic-adapted August Civic Center.
This will surely be a challenging session, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve the good people of District 65 once more.
Poland Spring Factories in Maine Achieve Highest Level of Water Stewardship Certification
Three of Poland Spring’s water bottling facilities – Hollis, Kingfield and Poland – have received the highest certification possible from the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) following a rigorous review and assessment process. AWS is a global collaboration of businesses, NGSs and public sector groups committed to conserving local water resources through a universal framework for the sustainable use of water. Over the years, Poland Spring team has worked toward these goals consistently and diligently with scientists and its various communities, and has earned the Platinum certification for its advanced-level water stewardship.
For more information, click here.
COVID-19 Rental Relief Program
The COVID-19 Rent Relief Program is for renters who cannot afford to pay their rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Program expands upon previous rent relief programs through MaineHousing. You can apply for this expanded Program even if you applied and received funds before. This Program now includes people who live in MaineHousing-financed properties and do not have a Section 8 voucher or receive other governmental rental assistance.
This Program is first-come, first-served and can help cover October, November, and December rent. You can apply for up to $1,000/month for each month, even if you received funds in other rounds of the Program.
Renters apply, and the benefit is paid directly to the landlord/property management company. Landlords/property managers agree to postpone the balance of the payment, not forgive it, when they agree to participate. The landlord/property manager also agrees not to evict for non-payment of rent for the month(s) for which the COVID-19 rent relief was applied.
Applications are processed by your local community action agency. They will contact you directly to confirm the information provided on the application. They will then contact your landlord/property manager. Once the landlord agrees to accept payment, to not evict you for that month, and fills out required paperwork, the community action agency will make a payment directly to them. It is especially important to remember that payments cannot be made until all required documentation has been submitted by the applicant and the landlord/property manager. If you have questions about the status of your application, you must contact your local community action agency.
CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION
Maine Formally Submits Request to Federal Government for First COVID-19 Vaccines
With no vaccine yet approved, Maine CDC prepares for first shipment
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced that the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) has placed orders for doses of COVID-19 vaccine for 12,675 people to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Operation Warp Speed. This order represents the first in a series of vaccine requests that the Maine CDC will file in the coming weeks and months, as specified by Operation Warp Speed, as part of Maine's accessible, flexible, and equitable distribution plan for the vaccine.
The Maine CDC's order reflects the maximum number of doses that the federal government recently informed Maine would be available in the first allocation. When fulfilled, the order will be enough to vaccinate approximately 12,675 people with the first of two required doses.
The Maine CDC expects the initial allocation to be composed of doses from Pfizer, which will require ultra-cold storage. After the initial allocation, which Operation Warp Speed leaders said could arrive as soon as mid-December, the Maine CDC has been told to expect two more weekly allocations of 12,675 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and approximately 24,200 doses for the first week and 10,700 doses for the second week of the vaccine created by Moderna, pending FDA authorization.
Per guidelines approved by the U.S. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the initial allocation will be administered to frontline healthcare professionals, as well as residents of skilled nursing and long-term care facilities. The first shipments of Pfizer vaccine will be sent to six locations with ultra-cold freezer capacity throughout Maine. The following locations will receive 975 doses each:
- Maine Medical Center, in Portland;
- Northern Light Mercy Hospital, in Portland;
- Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, in Bangor;
- Central Maine Medical Center, in Lewiston;
- Northern Light A. R. Gould Hospital, in Presque Isle; and
- the Maine CDC.
The remaining 6,825 doses will be administered to residents of long-term care facilities in Maine, through a collaborative agreement with elder care facilities and pharmacies.
The federal government originally estimated that Maine would receive 36,000 doses in the initial allotment, nearly three times more than the amount now expected. The Governor’s Administration was informed that Pfizer reduced the number of vaccines it expects to ship worldwide, including to Maine, due to supply chain challenges. The company also extended the schedule for shipping vaccine doses over a longer period.
Maine's planning for COVID-19 vaccine distribution began in spring 2020, building on the existing network of vaccine providers throughout the State. In October, the Maine CDC submitted the first version of its plan to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine. Maine will update the plan as more is learned about vaccine manufacturing, storage, efficacy in different groups, dosing schedules, as well as other factors that will affect the implementation of vaccination on a large scale. The vaccine distribution framework will also evolve with continued input from healthcare providers and various communities throughout Maine.
Governor Dedicates $10 Million to New Program to Assist Maine Food and Agriculture Businesses with COVID-19 Infrastructure Expenses
The Governor is committing $10 million in federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funding (CRF) to a newly-created Agriculture and Food Processing Infrastructure Reimbursement Program.
The Program, which was created in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry and is being administered by Coastal Enterprises, Inc (CEI), is offering up to $100,000 to reimburse Maine food and agriculture businesses for infrastructure purchases or projects they invested in to address supply chain disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Maine food and agriculture businesses include farms, food and beverage processors, value-added food and beverage producers, distributors, aggregators, and co-packers.
Businesses involved in the food supply chain, which is the process by which food from a farm ends up on our tables, include food processors, wholesalers, retailers and others that have been disrupted by the coronavirus.
This funding can be used to reimburse equipment purchases, capital projects/improvements, and other eligible costs incurred between March 1, 2020, and December 18, 2020.
The Program's application deadline is December 18, 2020, and funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants. Complete CARES Act Infrastructure Reimbursement Program (CFDA# 21.019) information is available on CEI's Maine Grant Programs Web page.
$2 Million Dedicated to Maine Food Banks and Pantries
$2 million in federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funding (CRF) will be directed to Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry’s (DACF) Food Security Network Reimbursement Program. Catholic Charities Maine on behalf of DACF offers up to $10,000 in reimbursements to food banks and pantries that have accrued unanticipated expenses while working to overcome food supply and distribution challenges caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funding will help Maine food security organizations address supply chain disruptions, food storage, distribution infrastructure limitations, and public health and safety challenges all in direct response to the pandemic.
CARES Act Food Security Network Reimbursement Program (CFDA# 21.019) information is available on the related Catholics Charities Maine Web page.
This funding can be used to reimburse equipment purchases, capital projects/improvements, and other eligible costs incurred between March 1, 2020, and December 18, 2020.
The application deadline is December 18, 2020, and funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants.
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