New England Electricity Demand Expected to Reach Near Record Highs this Week

Electric Grid Operator ISO-NE Asks States to Conserve Electricity During Peak Hours

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AUGUSTA – Consistent with a regional effort and due to the extremely hot and humid weather forecasted all week, the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) is asking all Maine residents and businesses to conserve electricity, especially between the hours of noon and 8:00pm.

ISO-New England, the regional electric system operator, announced today that the continued hot and humid weather may increase electricity demand to record high levels, region-wide. Electricity use is expected to peak Thursday, July 18^th, at 27,800 megawatts (MW). The previous all- time record for New England is 28,130 MW, set back in August of 2006. According to ISO-New England, voluntary conservation will help maintain the system’s reliability during this time of extremely high demand.

Voluntary measures, used without compromising health and safety, include the following:

• Raising air conditioning thermostats a few degrees (to between 74°F and 78°F)
• Turning off unneeded lights and appliances
• Turning off unnecessary office equipment
• Shutting off air conditioners when leaving home for extended periods
• Doing laundry and running dishwashers in the early morning, or after 8pm

Energy Office Director Patrick Woodcock urges Mainers to engage in voluntary conservation. “Maine can assist the regional effort to reduce peak demand this week, by performing a few simple conservation measures. By simply turning off unneeded appliances and devices, and delaying certain household activities to later or earlier in the day, we can avoid more expensive solutions to ensure the reliability of our electrical grid and keep real-time electrical prices as competitive as possible for our employers."

The annual Battle for Breast Cancer tournament is taking place at Thomas College in Waterville on Friday, July 19, from 3:30–9 p.m. Here, field hockey players from Skowhegan and Mt. Blue high schools tour the Martha B. Webber Breast Care Center in Farmington on July 16. The players are learning about mammograms and breast cancer through videos and discussions with breast cancer survivors and staff of the breast care center, which is the tournament's beneficiary.

Governor LePage to Participate in the 150^th Commemoration of the Battle of Gettysburg 

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage will visit Pennsylvania Wednesday to participate in the 150^th commemoration of the Battle of Gettysburg, a decisive victory for the North that marked a turning point in the American Civil War. The ceremony will take place tomorrow evening on Little Round Top, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

“I am proud to participate in the ceremony at Gettysburg that honors the sacrifice and gallantry of Maine soldiers, who played a crucial role over the three-day battle,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “Maine men were in the thick of the fighting each day. They fought and died in all the critical battles of Gettysburg, and their valiant efforts helped turn back a Confederate invasion of the North.”

The heroic action of the 20^th Maine Volunteers during the battle for Little Round Top is one of Gettysburg’s most celebrated victories. Commanded by Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, the 20^th Maine fought back repeated assaults by Alabama regiments determined to break through Union defenses.

Exhausted and almost out of ammunition, the 20^th Maine fixed bayonets and charged at the Confederate soldiers, who then surrendered. Had they broken through the Union line, it is possible the Southern army could have marched on Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

“The soldiers from Maine were told to hold the line at all costs, and they did,” said Governor LePage.

The Governor will join the Maine National Guard in a joint tour of the battlefield with the Alabama National Guard. He will deliver brief remarks as the Alabama

New Smart Phone App Helps Prevent Fall Injuries and Death

Use it whenever working on a ladder to ensure safe set-up FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 15, 2013 Contact: Julie Rabinowitz, 207-621-5009 AUGUSTAundefined Maine employees have a new tool in the toolboxundefinedor app on the phoneundefinedto keep them safer on a ladder. The app aids users in proper use of ladders, and assists with ladder selection, inspection, positioning, accessorizing and safe use. The new app is useful for workers in addition to those who are using ladders in the yard or around the home. Falls are most common in the construction industry, but can occur in any industry from healthcare to retail industries. “Sadly, these falls happen too often,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “But falling off a ladder can be prevented by taking a few simple steps. People using ladders at home or work can now double-check their safety with this app. We want to make sure that all Mainers stay safe when they are using ladders.” The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) created the Ladder Safety Tool to provide safety information on mobile devices. Fall-related injuries present serious risk to workers in all industry settings. According to the National Safety Council, falls are the leading cause of death in the workplace and the second-leading cause of death in homes and communities. Fall injuries can create an enormous financial burden to workers. The National Safety Council reports that approximately $70 billion in workers’ compensation and medical costs are associated with occupational fall incidents annually in the United Sates. In Maine, there were 114 workers’ compensation claims in 2012 due to falls from ladders that prevented the injured worker from returning to work for at least a whole day. This number has been on the rise since 2009, and does not include hundreds of other falls from ladders in residences or workplace falls where the employee returned to work the next day. “Use common sense when on ladders and don’t rush,” reminded Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette. “It’s important for employees to be properly trained in equipment use and safety techniques to avoid serious injury.  SafetyWorks! consultants can help employers identify ways to improve their safety procedures, like using this new app, and provide training at no cost to the business. This, in turn, saves money spent on workers’ comp and lost productivity, not to mention preventing injuries and deaths.” The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends that workers and employers plan the job ahead, provide the right equipment and train everyone how to use equipment. Additional information about fall prevention is available at https://www.osha.gov/stopfalls/index.html . The NIOSH Ladder Safety app is available for iPhone/ iPad and Android phones here: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/falls . Businesses can contact SafetyWorks! at 1-877-SAFE 345 (1-877-723-3345) or www.safetyworksmaine.com . SafetyWorks! provides a trained consultant with industry-specific expertise who will review the facility by appointment. The consultation may include such elements as recognizing safety hazards, sampling for air and noise exposures, recommending ways to reduce or to eliminate hazards, developing or improving a safety program, complying with federal OSHA regulations and identifying training needs. SafetyWorks! is not OSHA and cannot issue fines or citations to private businesses. While SafetyWorks! helps businesses of any size, priority is given to small businesses. The program trains about 8,000 people and consults at nearly 1,000 worksites in Maine each year.

Free Course on Labor Laws Related to Agricultural Workplaces

August course will be held at the Presque Isle CareerCenter FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 15, 2013 Contact: Julie Rabinowitz, 207-621-5009 AUGUSTAundefinedThe Maine Department of Labor is offering a free course that focuses on state unemployment law and federal wage and hour laws that regulate agricultural operations. The Labor Laws Related to Agricultural Workplaces class is taught by staff of the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation and includes Wage and Hour staff of the U.S. Department of Labor. The course will be held on Tuesday, August 20, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Presque Isle Career Center. Although the course is free, registration is required because seating is limited. “Modern agriculture is a complex and challenging business,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “This free course can remove some of that complexity and will give farmers and managers an opportunity to get answers to their employment questions.” This seminar covers agricultural applications of wage and hour laws, including minimum wage, overtime, youth employment, severance pay, equal pay, leave requirements (family medical leave, family sick leave, and domestic violence) and break requirements. It also addresses commonly asked labor-related questions. Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette said, “The department wants to help Maine employers by giving them the answers before we give them the test. This course is specially designed for farmers and agricultural businesses and their human resource or benefits professionals, accountants, owners, managers or payroll supervisors.” To register for this class, call the Department of Labor’s Customer Service Unit at 207-623-7900 or sign up online at http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Safetyworks_Classes&v=ListAll . The Department of Labor is Maine’s regulatory agency overseeing employment law; it provides both consultation and enforcement services. It promotes and achieves compliance with labor standards and unemployment law to protect and enhance the welfare of Maine’s businesses and workforce.

State Launches New Online Reporting System for Businesses

Employers must report newly hired, rehired or recalled employees FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 11, 2013 CONTACT: John Martins, DHHS, 207-287-5012; Julie Rabinowitz, Department of Labor, 207-621-5009 AUGUSTAundefined The Maine Department of Labor and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announce a new service that will help employers meet new reporting requirements that help children and prevent improper unemployment insurance payments. Maine recently launched an online reporting system that feeds required information to the National Database of New Hires. DHHS uses this data to capture child support through wage garnishment from non-custodial parents who are earning wages. “This online system will make it easier for businesses to submit information and will assist DHHS in holding parents accountable for the payment of child support,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “Information on new hires will now go directly to the DHHS Division of Support Enforcement and Recovery and will make the process much more efficient for all concerned.” There have been recent changes in the reporting requirements for new hires. Employers should report newly hired or rehired employees or employees returning to work after a layoff to the state within seven days of the date of hire. This includes any individual who receives a W-2 form and any independent contractor when reimbursement for such services is anticipated to equal or exceed $2,500 in a year. For employers, reporting new hires and rehires can be a benefit because it helps lower their experience rating by preventing unemployment fraud and improper unemployment benefit payments. The Department of Labor uses the new hire information to ensure people filing for unemployment are not employed in Maine or in other states. The labor department runs a crosscheck of the database, which lists individuals whom businesses have reported as hired, against the list of individuals currently collecting unemployment benefits. This allows the department to identify people who continue to file for benefits after they have returned to work. Reporting new hires and rehires is simple, and employers can use the option that is most convenient for their business: ·         Online: Go to the New Hire Report website at https://portal.maine.gov/newhire  (Note: Internet Explorer is the preferred browser for this system). ·         Complete the request forms received by standard mail. For questions about the new hire reporting requirements or using the website, businesses should email Maine.Newhire@maine.gov or call (207) 624-4100. Businesses with questions about the unemployment system should contact Employer Services of the Department of Labor at (207) 621-5120 or division.uctax@Maine.gov.

Governor LePage Urges Voters to Elect a Senator in District 19 Who Will Work for Mainers

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage released a statement today about the special election to fill the vacant seat in State Senate District 19, which will be held on Tuesday, August 27, 2013.

“I urge voters in Senate District 19 to go to the polls on August 27 and choose a Senator who will work for the best interests of Mainers,” said Governor LePage. “This is an excellent opportunity to elect a Senator who will work to decrease the tax burden on Mainers, reduce the cost of electricity, improve opportunities for job creation and halt the growth of government.”

Governor LePage has issued a proclamation declaring the vacancy in State Senate District 19 and ordering political committees to meet so they can nominate candidates.

The Sagadahoc and Lincoln County Democratic, Green Independent and Republican committees have until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 to file a Certificate of Nomination with the Secretary of State to place the name of a candidate on the Special Election ballot.

A caucus of the county committee members in Senate District 19 will be held to nominate a candidate.

Voters in Senate District 19 may now request an absentee ballot from their municipal clerk. Absentee ballots will be available once the candidates are reported to the Secretary of State.

The special election is being held to fill the vacancy by State Senator Seth Goodall, who submitted his letter of resignation to Governor LePage on July 10, 2013. State Senate District 19 is comprised of Arrowsic, Bath, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Dresden, Georgetown, Phippsburg, Richmond, Topsham, West Bath, Woolwich and the unorganized township of Perkins.

Text of the Proclamation:

To the Members of the Democratic, Green Independent and Republican Committees of Lincoln and Sagadahoc Counties residing in Senate District 19.

WHEREAS, by the July 10, 2013 resignation of Seth A. Goodall of Richmond, a member of the State Senate in the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Legislature representing District 19, a vacancy has been created; and

WHEREAS, Article IV, Part Second, Section 5 of the Maine Constitution provides that a vacancy in the State Senate arising from a resignation shall be filled by an immediate election in the unrepresented district, and that the Governor shall issue a proclamation fixing the time of such election; and

WHEREAS, Title 21-A of the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated, Section 381 provides that when there is a vacancy in the office of State Senator, the Governor shall issue a proclamation declaring the vacancy and ordering a special election; and, further, that he shall order the appropriate political committees to meet and shall set the deadline for choosing nominees; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, PAUL R. LePAGE, Governor of the State of Maine, do hereby order the appropriate members of the Democratic, Green Independent and Republican Committees addressed above to meet to nominate their candidates for State Senator in District 19, to be voted on at the Special Election to be held on Tuesday, August 27, 2013.

The Certificate of Nomination of the candidates for District 19, required pursuant to Title 21-A of the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated, Section 363, shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State on or before 5 p.m., on Tuesday, July 30, 2013. The Declaration of Write-in Candidacy of any write-in candidate for District 19 shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State on or before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 6, 2013.

The members of the above named political committees are hereby directed to comply fully in the conduct of the meeting and the making of the certificate with all of the provisions of law relating to the proposal of candidates for election as provided in Title 21-A of the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated.

 

 Country Music every Sunday Noon- 6 p.m. thru Labor Day, rain or shine at Larry Bisbee's Countryfolk Music Theater, US Route 2, East Dixfield. FMI: Call 645-4411. New musicians are welcome. Always free and families are welcome.

Androscoggin Land Trust Continues Androscoggin River Outreach to Youth

ALT brings together Maine IF&W and Lewiston-based Tree Street Youth Center to host Youth Fishing Day at Little Andy Park Tuesday morning

 

Auburn, ME – As a continuation of efforts to reconnect communities of the Androscoggin River to the recreational potential of this major Maine river, the Androscoggin Land Trust (ALT), and will again be hosting Youth Fishing Days in downtown Lewiston-Auburn during the summer of 2013, with the first planned for Tuesday, July 16^th.

 

Recognizing the strengths of various state and local partners, ALT has engaged with the very successful Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs program of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to bring their programming and resources to the community.  "The Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs (HOFNOD) program is the flagship youth education program of the Future Fisherman Foundation and is sponsored in Maine by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.  HOFNOD uses angling skill development as a gateway to teach youth about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and how to deal with the challenges facing them in their young lives," shares Emily McCabe, Activities Coordinator for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in describing the program 

 

Riverside trails and parks have emerged in Lewiston and Auburn over the last 15 years, but interest is now growing for more water-based activities including kayaking, canoeing and fishing.  With a growing number of worn paths emerging along the banks, as local residents seek fishing spots, ALT has moved to include riverbank fishing into its community engagement efforts.  

 

“We are excited to be playing this coordinating role in the community of Lewiston-Auburn,” says Jonathan LaBonte, executive director of ALT.  “Both cities have made significant investments in improvement to the riverfront areas, local groups like Tree Street Youth Center are seeking to engage young people and empower them to set high expectations for themselves, and Maine IFW has built a great program to connect youth to Maine’s great heritage of outdoor sports.  If we can help connect these dots, we are happy to do it.”

 

EVENT DETAILS:

DATE: Tuesday, July 16, 2012

TIME: 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

LOCATION: Little Andy Park, 2^nd Street, behind Rolly’s Diner

UMaine Cooperative Extension Offering Canning Workshops

 

Farmington, MEundefinedUniversity of Maine Cooperative Extension has announced that 2 Canning / Freezing Workshops will be held on Wednesday July 17^th at the UMaine Cooperative Extension Office in Franklin County, 138 Pleasant Street, Suite 1, Farmington, 04938. The first workshop will begin at 12:00pm and end at 3:00pm and the second workshop will begin at 5:30pm and end at 8:30pm.Registration is $15 and must be paid in advance.

The minimum number needed to hold the class is 8 and the maximum per class is 15. 

In this course you will learn the basics behind home food preservation and food safety. The course will consist of insight into how canning and freezing function as preservation methods. This is a hands-on workshop where attendees will be canning mixed berry jam.  Please bring a pot holder with you to the workshop.

 

For more information, to register, or to request special accommodations, contact Carol Ross by email:carol.ross@maine.edu or by phone at 1-207-778-4650.

 Registration fees must be paid in full prior to the class.

 UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goals. To provide adequate time to respond to your request please provide as much notice as possible.

 

Thank You,
Carol
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Carol Ross, Administrative Specialist 2
carol.ross@maine.edu  <carol.ross@maine.edu>
UMaine Cooperative Extension
Franklin County Office
138 Pleasant Street, Suite 1
Farmington , ME 04938 -5828

207.778.4650 (local number)
Fax: 207-778-3982

Visit our webpage at: http://www.extension.umaine.edu/franklin/