Enjoy this holiday weekend. But don’t forget to remember.
“Having fun honors them. They died so we could.”
Walter Boomsma, Memorials, Monuments, and Memories
Memorial Day, 2026
Tag: Grange Advocacy
A Strange Coincidence!
This is just too weird not to share. I have been working diligently on a book titled “Memorials, Monuments, and Memories” to release it in time for Memorial Day this year.
My cover illustrator is located in another country. It was interesting trying to describe to her what the cover image should look like. About the time she finished the front cover illustration, Jill Sampson of Mill Stream Grange submitted photos of their members placing flags on veterans’ graves in Vienna, Maine (in this country).
The similarities are a little uncanny. Maybe I should have waited and used the Mill Stream Photo!
There is a bit of a Grange connection. A huge thanks to Larry Bailey of Ocean View Grange for his generous permission to use his artwork on the back cover. It’s great to “bump into” good Grangers on “Main Street America!”
Memorials, Monuments, and Memories is a collection of personal essays and reflections spanning more than a decade of Memorial Days, Veterans Days, and moments of quiet civic remembrance. Drawing on childhood memories of small-town parades, a father’s honor guard, and the family cemetery plot, author Walter Boomsma weaves together the personal and the universal — exploring what it truly means to honor the fallen, keep faith with the past, and celebrate our shared humanity. From the red poppies of Flanders Fields to a weathered “Baby” gravestone in rural Maine, these pages remind us that remembrance is not about loss — it is about love, legacy, and the living obligation we carry forward.
The book is on sale! Ordering information is available here.
New England Fairs Memo
The Maine State Veterinarian’s office is sharing an important memo about animal health rules for the 2026 New England fair and show season. Please review the New England Fairs Memo (PDF).
This memo explains new guidance related to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and how it may affect animal exhibitions this year.
Key points include:
- Some poultry and waterfowl shows may be delayed, limited, or canceled.
- Cattle from states with HPAI cases should not attend New England fairs.
- Strong biosecurity practices are expected for all animals.
- Rules for Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (OCVIs) for the 2026 season.
For more information about animal health at fairs and events, visit the Animal Health program’s Fair Information webpage.
Highland Lake Grange Places Flags
Submitted by Dave Gowen
On May 16, 2026, eight members of Highland Lake Grange placed American flags on veterans’ graves at Highland Lake Cemetery for Memorial Day. The Grange has been placing flags for over ten years. Grange markers (made by the members) were placed next to the graves of past members of the Grange.
Communications Column – May 2026
By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director
Website Update
“The only way to escape hardship is to keep moving forward.” Some will recognize this as a “family-friendly” paraphrasing of a quote attributed to Winston Churchill. Over the last month or so, I’ve found it necessary to keep reminding myself, “This too shall pass.”
We’re not quite out of the woods, but the clearing is in sight! (I seem to be full of metaphors and pithy sayings this morning.) There are probably some important lessons to be learned from the entire experience.
After nearly two decades of using the same host server, it became clear that things weren’t working. Well, it became clear to me. The host server folks didn’t see it that way!
I could probably make your eyes glaze over if I told the whole story and shared the many frustrations and roadblocks. The site is now fully migrated to a new server. Yay!
We can breathe easier, but we need to keep moving. It appears the major remaining difficulty is that a number of images disappeared during the move. Fortunately, I’m a bit of a packrat, so all is not lost. I will continue to replace them as I find them. If you experience any difficulties with the site, please let me know!
Forward momentum also demands that we continue to develop the site with news and resources. Thanks to the Granges who share news of events and accomplishments. Our future largely depends on what we do, not on what we say. If you can stand another pithy saying, society would tell us, “What you’re doing shouts so loudly we can’t hear what you’re saying.” Tell us what you’re doing! If local Granges don’t share their news, it’s the same as announcing that you’re not doing anything.
One thing I really like about the new server is that it is focused on WordPress, the platform we use to develop and maintain the site. This promises some great future developments and efficiency.
As a bit of an aside, I confess that A.I. (artificial intelligence) caused some frustration during the migration. But it was also profoundly helpful at times. So much of life is about stewardship and making good use of the tools we have available and the opportunities they create. Is there really such a thing as a “bad” tool?
The website itself is a tool. One way to use the site efficiently is to subscribe so you receive a weekly summary of posts. While site visits declined during the critical period of outages, the number of subscribers did not. In fact, our subscriber count continues to increase. Slow and steady wins the race. (Are you counting the pithy sayings?)
To so many, thanks for your support and patience! If you have ideas or needs, communicate them. Together we can do great things!
FACT: It didn’t take long to receive an email from the new server that we’d passed 500 site visits!
Rapid Program Resource
Submitted by Diane Pinkham
The Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention (MCEAP) has a Speakers Bureau with presenters who are available to give a 60-minute presentation on elder abuse. To raise awareness of the serious problem of elder abuse and the many valuable resources that are available in Maine to help those who are affected by it, the Council developed an Elder Abuse: A Community Problem with Community Solutions presentation.
MCEAP’s goal for this presentation is to provide an overview of the issue of elder abuse including statistics, general information about the different types of elder abuse, and where to go for help. This presentation does not provide profession-specific content, and it does not include information about legal reporting mandates.
For more information or to request a speaker for your event, please contact:
Jill Randall
Co-Chair, Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention
jrandall@mainelse.org
207-620-3114
Absentee Voting, June 9 Primary
With Sunday, May 10, having marked 30 days until the primary election on June 9 and absentee voting now underway statewide as of Monday, May 11, the Office of the Secretary of State provided an update about Maine’s election processes for this stage of the election cycle.
Key Dates to Know
- Registering in person: Close of the polls on Election Day.
- Registering by mail or third person: Received by the voter’s town or city by close of business 21 days before Election Day. (For June 2026 primary — May 19, 2026)
- Registering online: 5 p.m. on the 21st day before Election Day. (For June 2026 primary — May 19, 2026)
- Registration through Automatic Voter Registration at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles: Midnight on the seventh day before Election Day. (For June 2026 primary — June 2, 2026)
- UOCAVA voters in Title 21-A, §777-A by mail or electronically: By noon the day before Election Day (For June 2026 primary — June 8, 2026)
- Deadline to request absentee ballots from a municipal clerk: Request must be received by the voter’s town or city three business days before Election Day (For June 2026 primary — by close of business in a voter’s town or city on Thursday, June 4) unless special circumstances exist.
- In-person absentee voting: For June 2026 primary — began Monday, May 11, until close of business on Thursday, June 4, subject to office hours by town or city.
For additional details with respect to voter registration, absentee voting, voters with disabilities, absentee ballot processing, ranked choice voting, photography or filming in/near polling places, and media interviews in/near polling places, please click here.
Mill Stream Grange Honors Vets
This is the sort of community service that brings Grangers together and demonstrates purpose. Congratulations and thanks to Mill Stream Grange #574!
Fraternal Concern – Gladys Chapman
Submitted by MSG Secretary Sharon Morton
It is my sad duty to inform you that Sister Gladys Chapman, Past Chaplain of the Maine State Grange, wife of Chief Deputy Maynard Chapman, passed away on May 9, 2026.
All services will be held at the Auburn United Methodist Church on Park Avenue, Auburn. Visiting hours will be held on Friday, May 22, 2026, from 2-4 and 6-8. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 2 pm.
Cards may be sent to Maynard Chapman at 84 Lisbon Street, Apartment 6, Lewiston, Maine 04240.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Danville Jct. Grange, 48 Pond Road, Raymond, ME 04071, United Methodist Church, 439 Park Avenue, Auburn, ME 04210, or The Hospice House, 236 Stetson Road, Auburn, ME 04210.
Happy Mothers Day!
“A mother’s love is the heartbeat of every family.”