Category: Resources for Granges and Grangers

Fraud Watch- Tech Support Scams

Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.

A new surge of tech support scams is threatening consumers. Criminals use scary warning pop-up messages, or cold calls pretending to be a major software company to gain access to your device.

Many modern tech support alerts closely resemble real system warnings, making them difficult to detect at first glance. Vulnerable targets include standalone home computers, tablets used for online banking, and personal laptops used in busy public Wi-Fi areas.

If your screen freezes or a strange alert pops up, pause before reacting. Reflect on what you might have heard (or read) about scams that start out like this. To clear the warnings, you may have to shut down your device to get rid of them.

To help stay safe, keep your operating system and antivirus software up to date. If you are concerned that your device may be compromised, get it checked out at a repair shop you trust.

More Topic Resources

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

AARP Fraud Watch Network

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Click the link to fill out the AARP online form or email me@aarp.org.

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Communication Shorts 08-2-2026

By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842

Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Please send us your ideas and thoughts!

The Maine State Grange Office is located at 36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330.
 mainestategrange@gmail.com. For website matters, email webmaster@mainestategrange.org.

August Bulletin

Don’t forget! August 14 is the deadline for the Bulletin! Recent issues of the Bulletin are available on the Program Books and Information Page in the communications section.

Monroe Grange Store–National Grange Statement

The National Grange decided not to renew its licensing Agreement with Monroe Classic, Inc. upon its expiration on August 26, 2026. Monroe Classic, Inc. has since requested that we “cancel our license agreement now and not after expiration” as we proposed. This request has been accepted. Therefore, effective immediately, Monroe Classic, Inc. cannot represent that it is a licensed or authorized vendor of Grange merchandise. As before, any Grange may work with any vendor of their choosing (including Monroe Classic, Inc.) to create merchandise with Grange trademarks, names, logos, or other protected marks. If your vendor requires a letter of authorization to use our trademark, please contact the Communications Department.

Deadlines

Roster information is due NOW- actually, it’s overdue. Resolutions are due August 15, 2026.

Words for Thirds – Book Exchange Boxes

Are you getting ready for this year’s distribution? Are your BEBs and Little Free Libraries stocked for fall? It may be the end of summer, but it’s the beginning of the school year and learning.

What’s Going On?

Don’t forget to submit your special events and programs for our event calendar! We want people to know the Grange is thriving! We’ll soon be adding more months to the online event calendar. You’re planning ahead, right?

To Ponder…

“The tans will fade but the memories will last forever.”

Anonymous

An Idea for Your Grange

If you follow the Grange Fiscal Year and practice, this is a good time to dedicate a meeting to reviewing your accomplishments and planning your future.

Subscribe!

Remember, we don’t share your email address with anyone, and you get a weekly summary of what’s been posted. Subscribe here! Share that link with your members and Grange friends!

Online Directories Available 24-7

Thanks to those who help us keep these directories current by letting us know of changes!

  • The Directory of Granges features all Granges in the state with a contact person. Please make sure your listing is correct! Visitors to the site frequently consult these directories.
  • The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies, along with their contact information. Updated January 16, 2026.

Fraud Watch- Jury Duty Scams

Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.

Scammers often use fear and intimidation to convince people of their scheme. In jury duty scams, criminals call or message posing as court officials, US marshals, or sheriff’s deputies. They falsely claim that you missed a jury summons and threaten you with immediate arrest unless you pay right away.

To heighten the panic, criminals often spoof caller ID screens to display a local courthouse or police department number. They aggressively demand that you stay on the phone while you purchase gift cards, send a wire transfer, or deposit money into a cryptocurrency account. In other instances, they may ask for your Social Security number under the guise of checking records.

Real courts will never contact you out of the blue to demand immediate payment or sensitive information over the phone, nor do they threaten jail time for a missed jury summons. Official court business regarding jury service is managed exclusively through the mail. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately and verify the claim by calling your local courthouse directly.

Learn how to spot and avoid scams with AARP Fraud Watch Network™. Suspect a scam? Call our free helpline at 877-908-3360 and talk to one of our fraud specialists about what to do next.

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Click the link to fill out our online form or send an email to me@aarp.org.

More Topic Resources

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

AARP Fraud Watch Network

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Click the link to fill out the AARP online form or email me@aarp.org.

Share this news!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

Pesticide Disposal

Registration Opens for Free Pesticide Disposal Events Set for November

Pre-registration required by Monday, October 5, 2026

  • Event Dates: One-day collections in November 2026 in Presque Isle, Bangor, Augusta, and Portland 
  • Registration Deadline: Monday, October 5, 2026 (pre-registration required; drop-ins not permitted) 
  • Who Can Participate: Maine resident homeowners and family-owned farms 
  • What’s Accepted: Obsolete or unwanted pesticides and spray adjuvants, including herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, and disinfectants 
  • How to Register: Visit www.thinkfirstspraylast.org to complete the inventory form and registration instructions 
  • Note: Registrations must be submitted by the person currently possessing the pesticides. Materials collected on behalf of others will not be accepted. 

Fraud Watch- QR Code Scams

Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.

QR codes have become a convenient part of our daily lives, from viewing restaurant menus to paying for parking meters. However, scammers are increasingly taking advantage of this technology to steal your personal information and money through a tactic known as “squishing.” By physically pasting fraudulent stickers over legitimate ones, or sending fake codes via email or text, criminals can redirect you to malicious websites meant to mimic trusted businesses.

 In public settings, you might unknowingly scan a tampered code on a flyer or parking meter, sending your payment directly into a scammer’s account.

Protecting yourself requires extra caution. When scanning a physical QR code, ensure it’s not a sticker layered over the original. When in doubt, avoid the QR code entirely, and use your phone’s web browser and type in the official web address yourself.  Additionally, keeping your devices’ operating systems updated and using antivirus protection can offer an important second line of defense.

More Topic Resources

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

AARP Fraud Watch Network

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Click the link to fill out the AARP online form or email me@aarp.org.

Share this news!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

Fraud Watch- Utility Scams

Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.

As rising summer temperatures cause energy demands to increase, criminals exploit fears of losing power and air conditioning by posing as local utility companies.

Scammers place threatening phone calls, phishing emails, or urgent text messages aimed at convincing consumers to supply personal data or to click on unverified links to resolve a past-due balance. Oftentimes these schemes are accompanied by a push to receive instant payment through unconventional payment methods like gift cards, or cryptocurrency.  

If you receive an unexpected threat to terminate your service, take an active pause and contact the utility company’s customer service department using the number from your physical bill or the company’s website (don’t search – go directly to the site) to check your account status. Chances are it’s a scam.

More Topic Resources

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

AARP Fraud Watch Network

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Click the link to fill out the AARP online form or email me@aarp.org.

Share this news!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

Communications Column – July 2026

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

AI-generated image

Creating Flyers that Communicate

Microsoft users have probably heard that the desktop program Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 13, 2026. Actually, it would be more accurate to state clearly that it will no longer work. Any files created with the program will no longer open. This creates serious challenges for many.

National Grange addressed this to some extent in the July 10 issue of Grange Today! If you have been using Microsoft Publisher, you may want to read Phil Vonada’s article.

There’s a strong consensus that Canva is a good replacement, and the free version may suffice. I have also found that with some additional learning, other programs in Microsoft Office such as Word and PowerPoint can be adapted.

But this also raises the larger question of how volunteers can easily produce event flyers at no cost. I’ve not vetted all of the options that follow, but they do seem worthy of exploration. Bear in mind, free options have limitations. The goal of offering them is to encourage users to upgrade to a paid version.

  • Canva: The free version is viable. I used it for a while, but found it necessary to upgrade. One downside is that its popularity means you’ll see similarities among flyers created by other organizations.
  • Venngage: Looks similar to Canva, but you’re limited to working online. The upside is that online-based apps can offer more features.
  • Flyerwiz is now Designwiz: Claims to offer the first mobile app for flyer creation.
  • Pktochart: Claims to offer “drag and drop” editing.
  • DesignCap: Emphasizes simplicity. Basic use doesn’t require creating an account.

Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds — it’s easy to get caught in the trap of trying to keep up. Years ago, it was estimated that most users used only about 20% of a program’s (now called an app, although there is a difference) capabilities. I would hazard a guess that number is even lower today. When “shopping” for an app, keep in mind that you may not need most of what’s offered, unless you’re going to become a digital creator.

A simple flyer containing all the relevant information beats a glitzy one that doesn’t. I’m always impressed by social media ads that omit the location of the store or restaurant.

For the non-digital crowd, one option is to find a digital creator to create a flyer in exchange for promotion. (A credit on the flyer with the creator’s contact information.) While it requires some advance event planning, another option is a contest for kids.

If you’ve found a good resource for creating flyers, let me know so we can share it with other Granges. We’re Grangers. We help each other!

For heavy users, the Microsoft Support Publisher Guide will help with preparing for its discontinuance.

Microsoft support Publisher Guide

FACT: During a recent seven-day period, the Manchester Grange News Post was the most viewed–over sixty times!

Coastal Cleanup Program Returns

Reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter published by Maine Senator Stacey Guerin.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) announced that the Maine Coastal Cleanup is returning for 2026 in conjunction with the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup effort.

According to DMR, the September event marks the largest volunteer effort in the state. In 2025, the multi-week event drew 1,287 volunteers who cleaned thousands of pounds of trash and debris from almost 95 miles of coastline.

This year’s campaign is scheduled Sept. 5-19; and volunteers are being sought from Surry to Portland. For more information about volunteering, or to register your own cleanup effort as a cleanup coordinator, visit DMR’s event website.

Coastal Cleanup Poster

Participation could be a great fall community service project for Grangers and Junior Grangers. Volunteers support this effort by adopting a location and soliciting others to join them in cleaning up the trash from their location of choice and help to keep our coast and ocean trash free!

Fraud Watch- Credit Card Skimming

Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.

With fuel pumps and ATM’s as frequent targets, a surge of skimming devices is threatening consumers. Criminals attach sophisticated skimmers directly over legitimate card slots or splice them into internal wiring to secretly record your financial data.

Many modern skimming devices closely resemble real hardware, making them difficult to detect at first glance. Vulnerable targets include standalone ATM’s, unattended retail checkout lines, and card terminals located in busy tourist areas.

The next time you fill your tank or use a card terminal, inspect the machine closely for loose, bent, crooked, or scratched components. Pull firmly on the card slot or wiggle the keypad before inserting your card. If anything feels loose or altered, do not use it and notify an employee immediately. To help stay safe, choose tap-to-pay options or digital wallets over physical insertion. Use credit cards for stronger fraud protections.

More Topic Resources

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

AARP Fraud Watch Network

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Click the link to fill out the AARP online form or email me@aarp.org.

Share this news!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

Manchester Grange News

There’s Lots to Choose From!

Manchester Grange recently unveiled a Little Free Library® as a result of what might be described as a family project. Member Paige Tobie is determined to make the Manchester Grange more visible and relevant to their community. She notes that the hall’s location is an ideal location, adjacent to the elementary school playground, a Fielder’s Choice ice cream stand, and on a busy highway. She credits her husband, Forrest, with being the brains behind the project, adapting some online plans to make it bigger than normal models to provide more books for the community since Manchester does not have a public library. Daughters Olive and Margo helped with the painting, though they were disappointed with the choice of a “boring” color.

Keeping the Grange identity meant using a photo of an old Grange sign inside the building and attaching it to the library. The library is officially registered with the Little Free Library organization (Charter #226621) with the location mapped on the LFL site.

In addition to its global location, a brand-new Manchester Grange Website offers a “venue and community space to bring people together.” The site is clean, efficient, and easy to navigate. Family memberships are available!

But wait! There are more reasons to find your way to the Manchester Grange Hall. Recently added picnic tables are readily available and, on the first and third Mondays of the month, a coffee  open house welcomes visitors from 8 am – 10 am. (Hint: bring books for the Little Free Library!) You can get summertime reading materials, coffee, and a warm welcome that will help you discover the value of community and the Grange.

Paige enjoys the “work.”
Forest, Designer and Chief Carpenter
Great place to sit and read
Stop by! Bring Books!
The color may be boring, but Olive and Margo aren’t!