01/21/2021  AUGUSTA – Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) Commissioner Amanda Beal announced at the virtual Agricultural Trades Show this week that the Commissioner’s Distinguished Service Award recipient for 2021 is Penelope (Penny) Jordan, a fourth-generation farmer in Cape Elizabeth, and local community organizer. Over three decades, Jordan has emerged as a leading voice in Maine Agriculture. She was instrumental in starting the Cape Farm Alliance and is a past president and 12-year member of the Maine Farm Bureau. Penny has served on the Cumberland County Farm Bureau board, is currently on the Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society board, and is a member of the New England Farmers Union. Besides her agricultural organization involvement, she serves on the Cape […]

By Ramona du Houx January 16, 2021 Russell Gauvin, the chief of the police force that provides security at the Maine State House apologized on January 15, 2021 for social media posts dating to last summer in which he criticized the Black Lives Matter movement and questioned the results of the November presidential election. Following the reports of concerning social media posts made by Capitol Police Chief Russell Gauvin, Senate President Troy Jackson of Allagash and House Speaker Ryan Fecteau of Biddeford released the following statement: “Like most Mainers, we have high expectations for the people in our communities who keep us safe and serve the public. We all want to know that we are being protected, no matter what […]

January 14, 2021 By Ramona du Houx The domestic terrorist attack of January 6, 2021 on the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. during the official ceremonial process of tallying the votes from the 2020 Presidential Election has heighten security across the nation at State Capitols. The counting of the states electoral votes had already become a mockery by Sen. Ted Cruz and other Senate and House Republicans who disrupted the proceedings insisting on an investigation into voter fraud in an attempt to invalidate the election, even though over 60 courts and numerous officials have declared the election for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Although the process was delayed by the riot, a brave Congress reconvened the same day to […]

Projects Will Help Achieve Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard Goals January 15, 2021 By Ramona du Houx The Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC)) issued a Request for Proposals on January 15, 2021 for the Sale of Energy or Renewable Energy Credits from Qualifying Renewable Resources. A bidder may also offer to sell capacity as part of its proposal. “The solicitation released today stems from bipartisan clean energy legislation I signed in 2019, which puts Maine on a trajectory to meet its nation-leading targets for curbing harmful greenhouse gas emissions, while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and developing affordable, renewable energy resources right here in our state,” said Governor Mills. “As called for by Maine’s four-year Climate Action Plan, Maine Won’t Wait, I am committed to creating […]

In conjunction with DHHS & Maine CDC, Governor Mills focuses limited vaccine supply on older Mainers and those with high-risk medical conditions who are more likely to become seriously ill or die from COVID-19 Augusta, MAINE – Governor Janet Mills today announced updates to Maine’s strategy for distributing its limited allocation of COVID-19 vaccines targeted toward preventing serious illness and saving the lives of Maine people. The Governor, in consultation with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), is dedicating the limited vaccine supply to older Maine residents, beginning with those 70 and older; additional emergency service personnel such as police and firefighters; and people who support infrastructure critical to […]

01/13/2021 AUGUSTA, Maine – In response to growing interest in solar development in Maine, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) recently issued new technical guidance with additional online solar siting and energy efficiency resources to encourage solar development in ways that avoid or minimize impacts to agricultural and forested lands, as well as other ecologically sensitive natural lands. DACF’s Technical Guidance For Utility-Scale Solar Installation and Development on Agricultural, Forested, and Natural Lands provides practical information for landowners to utilize when considering solar development. The document also provides technical guidance for solar developers when designing, installing, and removing solar projects. “The Department fully supports the State’s goals for reducing reliance on fossil fuels and pursuing renewable energy generation. We […]

On Friday, January 22, at 1:00 pm, the Camden Public Library will host local poet Kristen Lindquist for a 90-minute Haiku Writing Workshop. This free online program is part of the library’s Jumpstart January series aimed at inspiring people to try something new in 2021. Email jpierce@librarycamden.org to request a Zoom link to participate. Originating in Japan over 500 years ago, the haiku is now the world’s most popular poetic form, written in many languages and shared internationally in journals, books, and online forums. “Anyone can learn to write this deceptively simple poem,” says Lindquist. “It’s just three short, unrhymed lines—but it can take a lifetime to master.” In this introductory workshop participants will learn a brief history of this intriguing form, as […]

“The Trump administration is kicking off the new year and its remaining weeks by finalizing its illegal bird-killer policy,” said Sarah Greenberger, senior vice president for conservation policy, National Audubon Society. “This brazen effort will most certainly be in vain as the administration already found out in court that it can’t unilaterally gut the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and its obligation to protect and conserve birds. On January 5, 2020, the Department of the Interior released its Record of Decision (ROD) in the last step to strip away critical protections in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). The effort has received widespread and bipartisan opposition including from members of Congress, more than 25 states, numerous tribal governments, scientists, sportsmen, birdwatchers, and 250,000 […]

January 4, 2020 Dr. Clare E. Mundell filed a civil rights lawsuit against Acadia Hospital and Northern Light Health for unequal pay, sex discrimination, and unlawful retaliation for her opposition to her unequal pay. She filed her complaint in the Bangor federal district court. After nearly two years of working as a psychologist for Northern Light Acadia Hospital, Dr. Mundell discovered that she had been paid an hourly rate a little over half as much as her male counterparts. Dr. Mundell earned $50 per hour, and the men in her department made $90 and $95 per hour, respectively. When Dr. Mundell reported this glaring pay disparity to management, instead of apologizing and taking immediate corrective action, they refused to admit that this […]

January 4, 2021 By Ramona du Houx Shenna Bellows was sworn in January 4, with a formal acceptance ceremony in the House Chamber of the Maine State House. Secretary Bellows is the Maine’s first female Secretary of State and the 50th person elected to the office. The Secretary of State is one of Maines three constitutional officers, along with the State Treasurer and Attorney General. All three, as well as the statutory office of State Auditor, are elected by the Legislature. There is a movement gaining momentum to let all the people in Maine vote on their constitutional officers. Secretary Bellows previously served two terms in the Maine Senate from 2016-2020, representing 11 towns in southern Kennebec County. In the […]

Bipartisan Group of Senators Including Collins, King: Voters Have Spoken, Congress Must Fulfill Responsibility On January 3, 2021 U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) joined Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) to issue the following statement on the upcoming Congressional certification of the 2020 Presidential election results:   “The 2020 election is over. All challenges through recounts and appeals have been exhausted. At this point, further attempts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 Presidential election are contrary to the clearly expressed will of the American people and only serve to undermine Americans’ confidence in the already determined election […]

By Ramona du Houx Isle au Haut has received $211,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to install a solar power array, enabling the island to receive 100 percent of electricity from clean, renewable solar power.  This funding was awarded through the USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). “Located seven miles off Stonington, Isle au Haut is a small, remote island in the Gulf of Maine,” said Senators Collins and King.  “This funding will provide this rural island community with clean, renewable, locally generated power.  In doing so, the island will be able to lower its electricity rates for years to come.” Once installed, it would provide 100 percent of electricity needs on the island for […]