Category: Family Health & Hearing

Family Health and Hearing Committee and Information

Eclipse Day Update

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

As we reported last month, millions of Americans will have an opportunity to see a total solar eclipse when the Moon’s shadow will sweep across the nation on April 8. The last time the U.S. saw a total solar eclipse was in 2017. However, this time the path of the eclipse will travel right through the heart of Maine.

Towns from Jackman and Greenville to Millinocket and Houlton are preparing for heavy traffic and thousands of tourists who will travel north to see the first total solar eclipse in Maine since July 1963. This year’s eclipse, or “path of totality,” will begin its North American journey in Mazatlan, Mexico, at 9:51 a.m. MST.

The first Maine town to see the partial eclipse will be Jackman beginning at 2:18 p.m. EDT. It will leave the U.S. through Houlton at 4:41 p.m. EDT. The total eclipse begins roughly 70 minutes after the onset of the partial eclipse.

According to recent news reports, some of those towns are depending upon eclipse tourists to salvage what has otherwise been a dismal snowmobiling season. The expected event turnout has even led to changes in school schedules, as some districts will release students early to allow them to watch it and address traffic safety concerns.

Schools in towns like Houlton and Jackman will be closed entirely. Both are directly centered in this year’s path.

Aside from its path, the major difference this year compared with the eclipse in 2017 is the size of the path of totality and the duration of the eclipse itself. According to NASA, this year’s path will be much larger than in 2017, ranging 108 to 122 miles wide since the Moon is closer to Earth.

That means the duration will be longer at about 4.5 minutes at its peak. When the total eclipse rolls through Houlton, it should last 3 minutes, 21 seconds. Totality lasted only 60 seconds in 1963.

For more information about this year’s total solar eclipse, visit NASA’s website.

Do NOT look at the sun/eclipse without protective eyewear! Please remind children – several times – of this!

Community Service/FHH – March 2024

By Brenda Dyer, MSG Community Service/FHH Director
(207) 608-9193

March is when Spring officially starts. We are on Daylight Savings Time, and the days have more daylight. Many have started seedlings for themselves, neighbors, or a community plant sale. Craft fairs are starting to spring up. EVERYONE is Irish for one day. The opportunities for community service are endless.

There are many services that will overlap with other Grange committees. Please make sure to include these in your report ( ie. The CWA committee may make a quilt to be used for a community service event.) This should be reported in the Community Service report under the event and the CWA report. 

I am receiving some Coupons for the Coups for Troops. Keep sending them! Thank you Valley Grange and Lakeside Grange. 

Family Health and Hearing

March  Women’s History Month
             17th   ST. Patrick’s Day
             30th   National Doctor’s Day

April Grange Month

          Maine State Grange is 150 years old as well as several Subordinate Granges. 
          Have an open meeting and invite the community to learn about the Grange. CELEBRATE!
          Follow the National Grange Theme. Make sure to take pictures.

If you email me, please text me to let me know so it won’t go to spam and/or get deleted. Thank you. Happy Spring!

Slam the Scam Day

The Social Security Administration has declared March 7, 2024 (and every day, really) as “Slam the Scam Day.” You can download or print their free scam alert sheet.

Scammers seem to be on the increase–and not just regarding Social Security. Fake invoices and calls claiming to be coming from Medicare… spoofed emails that are not from who they claim to be… friend requests on social media… you name it!

Report a Suspected Social Security Scam

Don’t be embarrassed to report if you shared personal information or suffered a financial loss. It is important to report the scam as quickly as possible. 

Visit www.ssa.gov/scam for more information, and follow SSA OIG on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest scam tactics. Repost #SlamtheScam information on social media to keep your friends and family safe.

Lecturers: This might be a great program–there’s plenty of information available on the subject. It could also fall under Family Health and Hearing or Community Service.

Watch Your Eyes!

Portions courtesy of Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands

For about three minutes on Monday, April 8, 2024, the sun will be blotted out by our celestial neighbor, the moon. While this solar eclipse will be total in a band stretching diagonally across the state from the Rangeley Lakes Region to Caribou, other parts of the state will experience a partial eclipse.

Protect your eyes. Do not view the sun at any time without wearing solar glasses. Be prepared for unpredictable weather. It could be winter-like. Please recognize that early April in the total eclipse band area is essentially still winter with frozen lakes and rivers, potentially deep snow, cold temperatures, and many unplowed roads and parking areas. Gravel roads that are clear may be very soft and muddy. Have an emergency kit in your vehicle, and do not rely on GPS in rural locations.

There are a number of “tips and tricks” for viewing, but the protective glasses (sunglasses are NOT sufficient) are not cost-prohibitive–they can be found online for less than $2 per pair. In bulk packs of ten, the price is closer to $1 per pair. Do not wait until the last minute to order! Have them in hand so you can have them on your face on April 8th.

Please also have this conversation with children. They will likely be fascinated by this phenomenon. Aren’t we all? Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing. Make sure they understand the risks!

Family Health and Hearing Chairs–share this concern with your members!

Community Service Chairs–consider a “viewing event” if your hall is located in a good viewing area–refreshments and free glasses included!

Your Grange’s Position

by Walter Boomsma
Occasional Talking Head and Cage Rattler

The talking heads – and admittedly I am sometimes one of them – love buzzwords and catchphrases like “elevator speeches” and “value propositions.” Then we can ask “What’s your [fill in the blank]?”

As a talking head, I’d suggest that elevator speeches and value propositions create an internal focus. As a cage rattler, I have a different question.

Where does your community Grange fit into your community’s infrastructure?

“Infrastructure” is the set of facilities and systems that serve an area. Without digging too deep, hard infrastructure tends to be seen as physical-buildings, roads, etc. Soft infrastructure is all the institutions that maintain the economic, health, social, environmental, and cultural standards of an area.

Don’t get too overwhelmed.

We often talk about how important it is for a Grange to be relevant to its community. Maybe it’s time to think of our Granges as part of our community’s infrastructure. The Grange Hall falls under the category of hard infrastructure. The Grange is an institution that maintains the economic, health, social, environmental, and cultural standards of an area.

Or at least it used to.

How easy it is to take the infrastructure for granted…

What would happen if tomorrow you woke up and all the street signs in your area had disappeared? You lost some hard infrastructure. Or, suppose you decided to go to the library, and it was closed and boarded up? You lost some soft infrastructure–the building is still there, but the institution is gone. You might miss it for a while, particularly when you drive by the vacant building. Maybe your GPS will replace the need for street signs. The internet might substitute for the library.

Or maybe not.

Some years ago I talked with a school guidance counselor who expressed his frustration. His impression was that there were many resources available–the problem was finding them. He was happy to learn about what the Grange was doing and could do. But his question was “Why didn’t I know about this?!”

We attempted to develop a directory of community resources. It became part of the infrastructure describing the infrastructure!

If you’re a Granger (although that’s not a requirement) find a community leader and ask the question, “What’s missing in our community?”

Then figure out how to fill the void.

Voids create pain. You’ll get more members when you find people who share that pain and who feel the need to provide the missing infrastructure.

Here’s a not-too-creative example. Those monthly potluck suppers might be about fundraising, but we’re also starting to see monthly community suppers, sometimes free, provided by volunteers and donations. They are offered in part to address food insecurity but also to provide an opportunity for people to come together simply to be together, enjoy, and know each other. That’s pain relief, and it’s also infrastructure.

We have at least one Grange in Maine that has other organizations meeting in their hall nearly every night of the week. That’s infrastructure. That community has the hard and soft infrastructure that supports the efforts of non-profits like Alcoholics Anonymous, blood drives, birthday parties, and even celebrations of life.

What’s missing in your community? If you don’t know, start asking the question of your friends and neighbors. What’s one thing our community really needs! I’ll bet you get a lot of interest and dialog. Try it!

Maine on tap for a cosmic display

Reprinted with permission from an enewsletter published by Maine Senator Stacey Guerin.

On April 8, millions will have a front row seat when the Moon’s shadow will sweep across the nation in a total solar eclipse. The last time the U.S. saw a total solar eclipse was on Aug. 21, 2017. However, this time the path of the eclipse will travel right through the heart of Maine.

The path in 2017 began in Oregon in the Pacific Northwest and traveled across the country in a southeasterly course until it ended in Charleston, S.C. For this year’s eclipse, the shadow or “path of totality” will begin its North American journey in Mazatlan, Mexico, at 9:51 a.m. MST.

The first Maine town to see the partial eclipse will be Jackman beginning at 2:18 p.m. EDT; and it will leave the U.S. through Houlton at 4:41 p.m. EDT. The total eclipse begins roughly 70 minutes after the partial eclipse begins.

Ultimately, the solar eclipse will leave land at 6:47 p.m. ADT in St. Pierre and Miquelon near Newfoundland. Both the official beginning and end of the eclipse takes place in the waters of the South Pacific and North Atlantic oceans respectively.

Aside from its path, the major difference this year is the size of the path of totality and the duration of the eclipse itself. According to NASA, the path in 2017 ranged from 62 to 71 miles wide and lasted about 2.5 minutes since the Moon was farther away from Earth. This year’s path will be much larger, ranging 108 to 122 miles wide.

That means the duration will be longer at about 4.5 minutes at its peak. When the total eclipse rolls through Houlton, it should last 3 minutes, 21 seconds.

For more information about this year’s total solar eclipse, visit NASA’s website.

Communications Note: Please be sure to visit the safety section of the Nasa Website! Also, will your Grange sponsor some type of event in conjunction with the event? This could range from offering safety information (FHH) to hosting an Eclipse Event, particularly if your Grange is located along the path. If you have an astronomer in your area, a pre-eclipse information program might draw a crowd! Put your thinking caps on!

Community Service/FHH – February 2024

By Brenda Dyer, MSG Community Service/FHH Director
(207) 608-9193

Happy February! The daylight is increasing. Seedlings should be planted soon to be ready for community plant sales. Members have been making items for craft fairs, fair displays, and the Big E. Thank you for all your contributions and hard work for the community and Grange.

March is National Reading Month. Please contact Willie Grenier, Ag in the Classroom, to volunteer to Read to the classroom on March 2. Make sure to take pictures of volunteers reading. Before taking pictures of students, make sure it is permissible.

Please make sure you are keeping track of volunteer hours. Please use groups as stated in last month’s column. This is very important!

Family Health and Hearing

February is Black History Month and Heart Healthy Month

  • 20th is Love Your Pet Day
  • 23rd is Banana Bread Day
  • 29th is Leap Year-enjoy the extra day.

March is Women’s History Month, Brain Injury Awareness Month, and Nutrition Month.

  • 2nd is Read Across America Day
  • 6th is National Day of Unplugging
  • 13th is Earmuff Day – Chester Greenwood
  • 21st is National Agriculture Day
  • 30th is National Doctor’s Day

Reminder: Every Grange should be submitting a Community Service Report. This is separate from the notebook.

April is Grange month. Many opportunities for Community Service and celebrating the 150-year anniversary of the Maine State Grange.

Community Service/FHH – January 2024

By Brenda Dyer, MSG Community Service/FHH Director
(207) 608-9193

Happy New Year! As we start the 2024 year, brainstorm all the community service projects that are possible. There is not a project that is too small. Think about all the ways your community is supported by you and your Grange.

Please keep track of hours per project. The hours should be broken down by Grange members and non-Grange members in the following categories: Juniors, Youth, and Adult. These are reported to the National Grange. 

Also include any organizations and their involvement (hours, support, etc.)

Start thinking about nominating Granger, Firefighter, EMT, Police, Educator of the year.

Family Health and Hearing

  • January 9,  National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
  • January 28,  National Lego Day
  • February  3,  Feed the Birds Day
  • February  4,  Thank you, Mail Person Day
  • February  20, Love Your Pet Day

This is the celebration of MSG’s 150th anniversary. Start planning now to celebrate Grange during April, which is Grange Month. Open meetings, Grange history, Degree Day, Variety Show, and Remember When programs are a few suggestions but the opportunities are endless—also a great time to present membership certificates. 

Enjoy the season and remember Spring is coming.

Community Service/FHH – December 2023

By Brenda Dyer, MSG Community Service/FHH Director
(207) 608-9193

May the spirit of the season be with you. 

Community Service opportunities are endless during the Christmas season. Visiting a person who lives alone, shoveling a pathway or driveway for a neighbor or fellow Granger, inviting community members to a coffee/tea social and share time together, calling a friend on the phone, sending a note to a shut-in, volunteering at a local facility and talking to residents, and become Christmas Carolers for the community are a few suggestions.

Family, Health & Hearing 

December  A Grange Holiday Season – display what it is to be in Grange and not only during the holidays but all year round.

January  4 – National Buffet Day
January  9 – National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
January 28 – National Lego Day

These are suggestions, and your Grange may add to these. It is not too early to be thinking about submitting “Granger of the Year,”  Police, Firefighter/EMT of the Year.

Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy New Year!

LIAP Heating Assistance Program

blur close up coffee coffee cup
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Augusta, MAINE – The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO), Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Office of the Public Advocate (OPA), and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) are partnering to encourage eligible Maine residents to apply for financial assistance with their electricity bills this winter. Starting today, DHHS is sending letters to 67,000 Maine residents eligible for the Low-Income Assistance Program (LIAP) with information on how to receive financial assistance.  

The LIAP program, administered by the PUC, received a boost from $15 million to $22.5 million this year when lawmakers and the Governor provided one-time additional funding for the program from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund. The PUC also expanded income eligibility for the program, which together with increased funding will allow it to serve 46,000 additional Maine residents this season. 

The letters from DHHS are expected to arrive over the coming days. All recipients need to do is show the letter to their electric utility to automatically receive LIAP benefits. Contact information for Maine’s electric utilities is included in the letter. 

“OPA thanks DHHS for streamlining the application process by providing a letter to all eligible ratepayers that they can simply show to their utility to automatically qualify for a credit on their utility bill,” said Public Advocate William Harwood. 

“We encourage participants in the Department’s programs to keep an eye out for these letters,” said Ian Yaffe, Director of the DHHS Office for Family Independence. “Spending five minutes or less to present the letter  to your utility can mean spending much less on your electricity bill this winter.” 

DHHS encourages those who do not receive a letter and need assistance to fill out this online form to have their potential eligibility evaluated. The amount of financial support through the LIAP program is variable depending on household income, size, and other factors. Those who are enrolled in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) do not need to apply for LIAP as they will automatically be enrolled.  

Although Federal forecasts anticipate energy prices in the Northeast to be lower this winter compared to the prior two years, the region continues to be over-reliant on fossil fuels, in particular natural gas for electricity generation. Furthermore, Maine is the most home heating oil dependent state in the U.S. with over 56 percent of households relying on either heating oil or kerosene as their primary source of heating.  

The GEO recently released its 2023 Winter Heating Guide to help Mainers save money on home heating and stay warm this winter. The Guide includes key information, helpful tips, and links to online resources where consumers can find heating information, options, and assistance programs.