MAINE
IS SPECIAL —
Places, people and policies
make the state 'number one' in many ways
Gov. Baldacci and Seth
Wescott talk up Maine- photo by Ramona du Houx
Headlines—
Seth Wescott -
Gov. John Baldacci talks about the Take It Outside initiative
with Seth Wescott during the Maine Huts and Trails ground breaking at Poplar Stream Falls.
Please click on Outside for
the governor's initiative and Huts
for more about the trails.
When Gold Medalist Seth Wescott isn't competing somewhere around
the world, he can be found in Maine - training, writing, taking photos m managing his
restaurant, relaxing and reconnecting with the home he calls "Shangri-La." For
Wescott there really is no better place on earth - than Maine For the interview
please click on: Seth
Keeping Maine as a beautiful place to live in, recreate in and
raise a family tops the list of objectives for many Maine people, including Wescott and
Gov. John Baldacci leads the list. Read what people are doing in: GROWSMART.
Operation Keep ME Warm —
HOW TO HELP & HOW TO GET HELP
PHOTO: Gov. Baldacci with
Housing Director Dale McCormick witerize the home of an elderly resident in Maine with the
governor's Operation KeepME Warm program
Over 80% of homes in Maine are heated by oil.With
oil prices skyrocketing Mainers should be comforted knowing that Governor Baldacci
will not allow people to endanger their health due to lack of heat. Operation Keep
ME Warm, is his important initiative to help citizens prepare for the cold winter months
and get heating fuel assistance if they need it.
With Keep ME Warm, winterization kits are
provided to help Maine’s most vulnerable citizens insulate their homes. Volunteers
across the state since the programs inception have helped the elderly, disabled, and
citizens in need install the items in these kits. Call 2-1-1- to find the closest
community action program near you that could supply a kit.
The Keep ME Warm Fuel Fund is avalible to supplement
government heating assistance. Businesses, charities and individuals can donate money,
which is distributed to community agencies.
Iindividuals can send money directly to one of the state's 10
Community Action Program agencies, and earmark it for specific needs.
Or you can send needed funds directly to the central
address:
Keep ME Warm Fund P.O. Box 200 East Wilton, ME 04234
Emergency Energy Responce Team Ready
For Worst Case Senerio—
Ride The Bus For Free-
"For real lasting improvements, we must demand leadership
from Washington. For far too long, the federal
government has failed to deliver a national energy policy that reduces our country’s
dependence on foreign oil. States have been
left to lead the way on energy policy, and that’s what we have done in Maine. We have the opportunity in Maine to develop
renewable, clean energy right here in our state, which is good for our environment, our
pocket books, and our economy. My
Administration will continue to explore these opportunities,” said Governor Baldacci.
"But we face short-term difficulties that
need addressing now, and there are some practical things we can do. Joining with the Maine Oil Dealers Association,
financial institutions, and other organizations, we will work cooperatively to mitigate
high energy costs.”
The Governor outlined the following steps he is
taking immediately in additon to KeepME Warm:
- An Executive Order will activate a Response Team that will help the state
prepare for an energy emergency. This energy
task force will bring together the resources of State government in one place and will
make sure that we are ready with shelters, warm centers, emergency transportation and
other basic services if energy supplies or high prices create a crisis. If the situation
worsens and there is a shortage of energy resources, the Governor will declare an
“Energy Emergency” and take the steps necessary to protect the health, safety
and welfare of Maine citizens.
- Working with the Attorney General, the Governor’s Office will closely
monitor oil and gas prices to make sure that our citizens aren’t being victimized by
price gouging or illegal collusion.
- The Governor sent a letter to Maine’s Congressional Delegation urging
them to continue their efforts to increase funding for the Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program. “I appreciate the
hard work of the Maine Congressional Delegation in pushing for additional Low Income Home
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds,” said Governor Baldacci.
- The Governor will continue to work with the Coalition of Northeast
Governors to make sure the Northeast, which is heavily dependent on heating oil, gets the
support it needs.
- The Public Utilities Commission has committed an additional $400,000 to
provide weatherization and efficiency assistance for families and seniors served by fuel
assistance programs. In cooperation with
MaineHousing, this effort will expand the reach of the State’s KeepME Warm
weatherization efforts.
- Cutting down on driving, with Free Fare Friday. For six weeks, after Thanksgiving, anyone can ride
the bus for free on Friday. The idea is to
introduce people to using the bus, so they are exposed to a cheaper and easier way to get
around hopefully inspiring them to use mass transit the other six days of the week.
- The Governor has directed his cabinet to look at ways to adjust the
schedules of their workers to allow for telecommuting, and car and van pooling. The
Governor has talked to the President of Maine State Chamber of Commerce – and will
address their board of directors next week – on ways the Chamber can help the
business community make the same adjustment.
- The Governor has directed the Department of Environmental Protection to
expedite the availability of gasoline treated with ethanol into the Maine market. In the past, ethanol has made gasoline more
expensive. That’s not the case now, and the state will work with fuel suppliers to
bring the lower-cost alternative to Maine just as it is available in other New England
states.
“Costs are high right now, but the worst
of winter is still in front of us,” said Governor Baldacci. “The work we do today will put us in a better
position to respond in case of an emergency this winter.”
Resources to help citizens prepare for and deal
with high energy costs can go to www.maine.gov/governor/baldacci/contact/citizen_services/safeandwarm.html
Contributions can be made to The Keep ME Warm
Fund by going to www.mainecommunityaction.org
or by calling: 1-800-393-7175.
Or you can send needed funds directly
to the central address:
Keep ME Warm Fund P.O. Box 200 East Wilton, ME 04234
Festivals—
Every season in Maine there are special celebrations and
community gatherings. Please read about two Maine festivals that highlight Maine as one
community at Festivals
The Blue Angles came to Maine— For more photos please go to: www.ramonaduhouxphotos.com & click on the
events page
Over a weekend in August jets screamed
overhead as an estimated 220,000 people turned out for what may have been the final air
show at Brunswick Naval Air Station.
Some people spent three hours in traffic
waiting to get on the base. In Maine characteristic fashion nobody seemed to mind
realizing everyone was in the same boat. The Great State of Maine Air Show headliner was
the Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team, a squadron of six jets that puts on a
precision formation flying and maneuvers at speeds of up to 600 mph. or more. On Sunday
they broke the sound barrier. “Wooh, that knocked the guts out of me,” said Josh
Tucker, age 12, with a broad smile.
Attorney General Steve Rowe-
Attorney General Steve Rowe - confirms he
is planning to run for Governor of Maine in 2010 and talks about his priority issues. For
more go to: Rowe
interview
Steve Rowe at work photo by
Ramona du Houx
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