Category: Resources for Granges and Grangers

Communication Shorts 02-01-2024

By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842

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

February Bulletin Coming Soon!

The deadline for the February Bulletin is Valentine’s Day! Remember, the past few Bulletins are available for downloading and printing on the Program Books and Information Page. We also do occasionally accept “guest posts” on topics of interest to Grangers. See the guidelines!

National Grange Email Addresses

Please note there is no “general” email address for National Grange–you’ll need to decide who to address your concerns and questions to! There is a Directory of National Officers and a Directory of Paid Staff on the National Grange Website.

Don’t Forget This!

Do you have news to share about your Grange? A summary of a past event? Advertising of a future event? These are exciting and fun ways to attract new members. Submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing! This is not difficult, and you get lots of free publicity!

USDA Assistance for Severe Weather

If your farm suffers losses in this severe winter weather, you might qualify for USDA’s disaster assistance programs. Also, a reminder: if you have crop insurance, contact your agency within 72 hours if you suffer losses in this severe winter weather. (Compliments of UMaine Extension)

Online Directory of Granges

Yay! The online directory of Granges is updated! This round of updates was based on the most recent Roster. The contact person and information may be the master or the secretary. (It’s a long story.) Please check your Grange’s listing and email the webmaster if anything needs to be changed!

Ideas for Granges

Just because you’ve closed your hall for the winter, you don’t have to close your Grange! You can meet virtually, at someone’s home, or at a restaurant. It’s a great time of the year to “think spring” and plan some activities and events when the weather improves! Grange Month is two months away!

Thought for You…

The man who moves a mountain begins by moving small stones.

Confucius

Do You Love the Grange?

The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!

Online Directories Available 24-7

  • The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies with contact information.
  • The Directory of Granges features all Granges in the state with a contact person. Please make sure your listing is correct!

Do You Have FOMO?

“FOMO” is a Fear Of Missing Out. One strongly recommended treatment is to subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website. We’ll send you a daily summary whenever news and columns are posted, and we won’t share your email address with anyone!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

View from the Hill – January 2024

This monthly newsletter written by Burton Eller, National Grange Legislative Director, covers “what’s happening” in Washington on various topics of interest to Grangers.

View Updates

“207” to Stay for Now

Note: This might count as trivia, but it could be the basis of a Lecturer’s Program!

Reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter produced by Maine State Senatory Stacey Gurin, District 4

The announcement by the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in mid-October that Maine would be able to retain its only area code may be welcome news to many who think of “207” as more than just Maine’s area code. The PUC said the North American Numbering Plan Administrator extended the time before a new area code would be needed in Maine from 2029 to 2032.

The reason some may feel 207 is more than just an area code may reside in the fact that the entire State of Maine was one of the original 86 Numbering Plan Areas when AT&T implemented the continent-wide area code system in 1947. Through the former Bell System, a network of regional telecommunications operators, 77 area codes were assigned across the U.S. that year for automated toll calling while the Canadian provinces were given nine.

Maine was one of 40 states and provinces to have a single area code when the original plan was established. Today, Maine is one of only 11 that have been able to hold onto that distinction, joining Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. Idaho, which comes right after Maine with its 208 area code, was the last to lose that status when they added, or “overlaid,” area code 986 in 2017.

With its single area code, Maine residents have been able to keep using the standard seven-digit format. In states where additional area codes have been added, callers are required to use all 10 digits.

The fact that 207 has remained Maine’s only area code for 76 years is perhaps why it has become ubiquitous with the state. From appearing on t-shirts and hats to “207 Recipes,” the “Best of the 207” and even its own newscast brand, it has become synonymous with Maine’s identity and heritage.

That is, except for the small village of Estcourt Station in Big Twenty Township in Aroostook County, which is also the northernmost community in the U.S. east of the Great Lakes. They get their telephone service from Canada and are included in Quebec’s 418 area code.

It is estimated that North America will run out of area codes by 2051.

New Ventures Maine Free Courses

Reprinted from an e-newsletter published by Maine State Representative James White, District 30

The University of Maine at Augusta announced free online courses provided through the New Ventures Maine Program.

According to the University, Mainers looking to advance their economic mobility — from building a savings account to a new business — can access free classes and coaching through the University of Maine at Augusta’s New Ventures Program.

Upcoming free online classes include:

  • Improving Your Credit Score (Offered January 30 and March 13);
  • Making Career Choices (Offered January 10 and March 21);
  • Effective Résumé Writing (Offered February 6 and March 28);
  • Building Your Savings (Offered February 6 and March 20); and
  • Budgeting Basics (Offered January 23 and March 6).

For a complete list of New Ventures courses and to register, click here.

Maine’s Public Law Library

Reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter by Stacey Guerin, Maine State Senator, District 4.

The services and resources of the Maine State Law & Legislative Reference Library are free and available to all Maine citizens. Located on the second floor of the Maine State House in Augusta, the Law Library is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Services include public access to the Internet and other digital resources and limited word processing.

Walk-in patrons are welcome, but Mainers from Kittery to Madawaska can request information by phone, email or U.S. mail. You can also visit their web page here. While the library cannot interpret the law or provide legal advice, staff can help with legal and legislative reference assistance with its complete collection of current and historical Maine legislative materials dating all the way back to 1820. The library also has information about federal codes and statutes as well as all U.S. states.

Communication Shorts 01-15-2024

By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842

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

January Bulletin Available!

The January Bulletin is complete and available for downloading and printing on the Program Books and Information Page.

Trenton Grange has a great new website!

In case you missed it in the links, you may want to check out the Trenton Grange Website–it’s awesome!

Don’t Forget!

Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing! This is not difficult, and you get lots of free publicity!

National Grange Roster Available

The 2024 National Grange Roster is now available for download. It lists all National and State Grange Officers with contact information.

Ideas for Granges

Swap or trade programs are becoming increasingly popular. I’ve recently seen events for musicians, readers (books), cooks (recipes), and even spices! Bringing people together with a purpose sounds like a great cabin-fever reliever!

Thought for You…

“A year from now, you may wish you had started today.”

Karen Lamb

Do You Love the Grange?

The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!

Online Directories Available 24-7

  • The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies with contact information.
  • The Directory of Granges features all Granges in the state with a contact person. Please make sure your listing is correct!

Do You Have FOMO?

“FOMO” is, of course, a Fear Of Missing Out. One strongly recommended treatment is to subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website. We’ll send you a daily summary whenever news and columns are posted, and we won’t share your email address with anyone!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

Communications Column – January 2024

Looking forward… communicating forward

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

So here we are, several weeks into a new year. I’m always a bit overwhelmed by the changes required when that happens. But it’s also an opportunity to look forward and think about what the new year might bring. In terms of the Maine State Grange Website, this will be an informal “State of the Site” Report.

Have you noticed? All posts and pages now have an “estimated reading time” at the top. It’s a bit of an experiment with the goal of making the site more useful. The idea is to give users some idea of how long it might take to review the post or page. It’s based on “average” reading speeds, and your mileage may vary, but we’d love to know what you think of this feature.

What you aren’t seeing is some continuing “under the hood” changes. The emphasis of these changes is to increase security and improve the speed of the site. Hopefully, you’ll notice! For one thing, we are having very little “downtime” of the site–it remains available, active, and dependable.

We recently completed an audit of Pomona and Subordinate Grange Links. For those Granges who maintain their own websites or Facebook Pages, this is designed to drive traffic to you! However, we do not want to send people to a closed business–or one that has the appearance of being closed. If nothing has been posted or updated in the past year, the link is removed. As a result of the audit, we are losing at least two Facebook Pages. I do try to contact someone from the Grange involved before removing the links. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please let me know.

By the way, we recently added links to Trenton Grange’s Website and Facebook Page. Both are excellent examples of local promotion of an active, relevant Grange! Check them out!

In a similar vein, we’ve been updating the online directory of Granges with the latest Roster Information. This is an important aspect of the site–it’s how people with an interest in the Grange find someone to contact. Currently, one contact is listed with a phone number and email address (if we have them). Under consideration for this year is the possibility of adding a second contact for each Grange. It’s more to maintain, but it doubles the chance that people can reach a Grange when they are interested!

There’s lots more going on and under consideration. Thanks to those who consistently support the site by submitting events and news. As we continue to search for ways to make the site more attractive and useful, your ideas and feedback are critical! We have limited resources but literally thousands of potential reporters and contributors. Please submit information about what’s going on in your Grange! Consider writing a short article or post about something of interest to Grangers. (We’ll be saying more about this in the future.) Tell us why you love the Grange.

What have you got for us?

► FACT: It won’t be a surprise that in 2023, October was the site’s busiest month. It might be a surprise that August was second with over 2,000 views!

Subscribe to The Maine State Grange Website!

Clyde Russell Scholarship Fund Deadline Approaches

Reprinted with permission from a newsletter from Stacy Guerin, Maine State Senator, District 4.

The Clyde Russell Scholarship Fund (CRSF) offers financial awards to Maine graduating high school seniors to attend higher education institutions. The CRSF was created by the Maine Education Association through a trust established by the late Audrey Lewis, who served as president in 1958. The Fund was named after Clyde Russell, who served as Executive Director for over two decades.

There are two categories of awards as follows:

  • Awards of up to $2,000 for graduating high school seniors who will attend a Maine Community College;
  • Awards of up to $10,000 for graduating high school seniors who will attend a four-year college.

The applications will be available on CRSF’s website until Jan. 31, 2024; and the deadline to apply is Feb. 1, 2024. The entire application must be received by CRSF via their P.O. Box no later than Feb. 1, 2024. Please allow 5-7 days for mail delivery to meet the Feb. 1 deadline.

BEP Reopens Public Comment on Elective Vehicle Sales Mandate

AUGUSTA – The Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) has reopened Public Comment on the Chapter 127-A: Advanced Clean Cars II Program, also known as the “California Rule.” The public comment period extends until February 5, 2024.

In response to a citizen petition, this new rule was proposed to establish motor vehicle emission standards for new passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles by incorporating the requirements of the California Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, beginning the model year 2027.

A public hearing on the proposed Chapter 127-A was held on August 17, 2023, and the comment period closed on August 28, 2023. A final vote on the proposed rule was scheduled for the Board meeting on December 21, 2023. However, due to the state of emergency resulting from the December 18 storm, that meeting was canceled. This prevented a Board vote on whether to adopt the proposed rule and forced any potential adoption beyond the rule’s proposed effective date of January 1, 2024. This also prevents the rule from taking effect in time to apply to the 2027 model year. Therefore, the proposed rule has been amended to begin with model year 2028, and the Department is now requesting comments from the public concerning this substantive change. The Department has also proposed other non-substantive changes to the proposal.

Since the public hearing was already held in August, comments may be made by email. The deadline for commenting is now February 5, 2024.

Email a public comment on the rule

Communications Director’s Note: To the best of my knowledge, the Grange has not taken a position on the adoption of this rule. Since this is a very substantive change, I am providing this information for those who wish to share their personal thoughts and opinions. If you do so, please do not imply or claim you represent the Grange!

UPDATE: According to an article in the Portland Press Herald, the BEP will ask the Legislature to revise state law to authorize lawmakers, not state agencies, to adopt and enforce standards deemed as “major substantive” changes rather than have them handled by an agency. Most recently, however, there has been some discussion suggesting that the requested revision would NOT impact the existing potential rule change since it is already under consideration. The revision requested would only apply to future rule changes and adoptions.

Communication Shorts 12-30-2023

By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842

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

January Bulletin Reminder

Articles and columns for the January printed Bulletin are due before January 15th. Remember, you can always find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Welcome to the New Year!

Yes, we’ll have trouble remembering to write “2024” for a while. Technology may help, but we’ll still want to pay attention to our dates!

Don’t Forget!

Don’t forget to submit the details for a website post and event calendar listing! This is not difficult and you get lots of free publicity!

83rd Annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show Gears Up

Visit the show at the Augusta Civic Center. This year’s show is set to elevate learning, planning, and networking to unprecedented levels. Visit https://www.maine.gov/dacf/agtradesshow for show news, schedules, participant directory, and venue map. Doors open daily at 9 a.m., with no entry fee.

Ideas for Granges

Swap or trade programs are becoming increasingly popular. I’ve recently seen events for musicians, readers (books), cooks (recipes), and even spices! Bringing people together with a purpose sounds like a great cabin-fever reliever!

Thought for You…

“Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she became a butterfly.”

Unknown

Do You Love the Grange?

The world wants to hear about it! Fill out the simple I Love the Grange Form… it only takes a couple of minutes! Thanks to all who have shared so far!

Online Directories Available 24-7

  • The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies with contact information.
  • The Directory of Granges features all Granges in the state with a contact person. Please make sure your listing is correct!

Do You Have FOMO?

“FOMO” is, of course, a Fear Of Missing Out. One strongly recommended treatment is to subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website. We’ll send you a daily summary whenever news and columns are posted, and we won’t share your email address with anyone!

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website