Crafters, Agricultural Producers and Companies Creating Maine Food Products are Invited to Participate in the GET REAL! GET MAINE! Product Showcase in Augusta!!

 

 

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry would like to invite you to participate in our new Get Real! Get Maine Product Showcase. The Showcase will take place on Tuesday, January 12th, from 9am-5pm at the 75th Annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show. This showcase is a special opportunity for Get Real. Get Maine! producers to showcase their products at one of the biggest agricultural events in the state.

Producers who are members of Get Real. Get Maine! may apply for a space in the showcase. A limited number of exhibit spaces are available; the fee for each 8’ x 10’ exhibit space is $75.00. This fee will include the cost of any electrical hookups, tables and chairs. Wireless internet access is available through the Augusta Civic Center.

To apply for exhibit space at the 2016 Maine Agricultural Trades Show, please visit, https://www.regonline.com/getrealmaine. Please fill out the online application as accurately and in as much detail as possible. In order to sample food & beverage at your booth, you must present a copy of your food & beverage license and/or certificate with your application.

Please register no later than Friday, December 11th, 2015. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Due to the increasing popularity of the show and demand for space, payment for booth space is due IN FULL with your completed application. Please make your payment online at the time of registration or send a check made out to: Treasurer, State of Maine. Space will be reserved on a first-come-first-served basis. We will notify you in writing if your application is accepted. Once space becomes full, we will put additional names on a waiting list. Once the floor is filled, if you are not chosen, payment will be immediately returned to you.

If you have questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Samantha Howard, Agricultural Promotions Coordinator, at (207) 287-7620 or by e-mail at Samantha.Howard@maine.gov. We look forward to seeing you in Augusta, January 12th-14th, 2016.

Sincerely,

Samantha Howard
Agricultural Promotions Coordinator
Agricultural Resources Development Division

Help your first responders by helping yourself

 

November 21, 2015

In a large, serious emergency, travel may be restricted, or businesses closed. If you have what you need, and know how to take care of yourself, you will be freeing up first responders to get where they are most needed, and helping your community weather the storm.

Daily Preparedness Tips from the Maine Emergency Management Agency.

Lunar Halo is Stunning tonight!!

 

DID YOU SEE IT??

There is an aura around the moon tonight.

Otherwise known as a "LUNAR HALO"

 

November 21, 2015

It’s not really a magically significant event so much as a scientific one. It’s actually a phenomenon known as a lunar halo, and it happens sometimes when moonlight is refracted through ice particles in the earth's atmosphere.
The folks at the Farmer’s Almanac have a great explanation of it, and say, “A lunar halo is caused by the refraction, reflection, and dispersion of light through ice particles suspended within thin, wispy, high altitude cirrus or cirrostratus clouds.

As light passes through these hexagon-shaped ice crystals, it is bent at a 22 degree angle, creating a halo 22 degrees in radius (or 44 degrees in diameter).”

It’s definitely beautiful to look at. From a folkloric standpoint, however, many traditions of weather magic indicate that a ring around the moon means bad weather, rain, snow or other foul atmospheric conditions are on the way.
In general, there is no Wiccan or other Neopagan magical correspondence related to the lunar halo.

Sorry that it's not the greatest photo!! Hopefully someone will have a better one to share!
BUT
You can know that as Deborah sat, staring upward in awe of the amazing weather phenomenon, I could think of nothing else but all of my facebook friends and how very much I've been missing our conversations. I was hoping the aura extended down and touched each one of your lives tonight with a little mystical magic and brightness!!!
Feeling the need to share with someone who could appreciate my "WEIRD" fixation with all things beautiful, I called Windy and, as I figured, she was unaware, but went right outside to view the moon with me. That's what great friends do, even if they're not interested. But Windy WAS and she took the time to explain to me the scientific process that it takes to create a Lunar Halo.
Very Beautiful indeed, very enchanting!!
I  hope you had the chance to see the abnormally large halo around the moon tonight and know that I'm thinking of all my Facebook friends and wishing you all simply the chance to see beautiful things.
~~Deborah

Thank You to "He Who Shall Not be Named".......

 

Deborah's been SOOO busy that despite her man's persistence,

she hasn't had the time to go Truck Shopping with him.

UNTIL TODAY

After being reported to Facebook by "He who shall not be named",

Deborah not ONLY went Truck Shopping,

but seems her guy's awfully happy driving around in his

Chevy Silverado Pick Up Truck

 this afternoon!!!

 

SO happy, in fact,

that after a homemade meal,

he's snoozing like a

BABY

in his New Recliner!!

 

There's ALWAYS something to be Thankful for!!!

 

 

YUP, we're SO miserable not being able to post on Facebook!!

Can't Keep a Good Woman Down. A day at the Isinglass River in Rochester.

November 20, 2015

Even though it's a bit more difficult, Deborah still has the ability to post on the blog page and then Sandy can share the blog and post it to Facebook.

So I'll go back to showing you what a LOVELY time my Gary and I had today over on the Gonic Trails on the Waste Management property in Rochester.

Deborah and Gary at Isinglass Falls in Rochester, NH.

 

The Isinglass Falls were beautiful today!!

A perfect day for walking!!

 

The Isinglass River was beautiful today!! Swift and Cold!

 

Everywhere we looked was Beauty!!

 

While there are roots and rocks underfoot, the trails are well kept and easy to walk.

 

We went off the trail a bit and climbed to the top of a ledge.

There in the woods, we found a simple little cemetery.

The name on the headstone read, RUCA.

We're assuming by the size of the grave RUCA may have been a dog.

 

We saw lots of squirrel stashes everywhere, but never did see any squirrels!

 

There were the remnants of an old foundation,

there were lots of old metal items within.

We find them pretty, do you??

 

Just another brick in the wall!!

The red brick was eyecatching next to the large stones!

 

Bittersweet vine was everywhere lending LOTS of fall color!

 

LOTS of moss and fungus!

 

The trails are well marked.

All you have to do is look for the metal markers on the trees.

 

The moon began rising in a crystal blue sky.

Time to head home and care for the animals.

 

 

 

 

Maine Unemployment Rate 4.3 Percent in October

State Labor Commissioner Jeanne Paquette released October workforce estimates for Maine. Seasonally Adjusted Statewide Data Household Survey Estimates – The preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.3 percent for October was little changed from 4.4 percent in September and down from 5.6 percent one year ago. The unemployment rate was the lowest since 2002. The number of unemployed declined 9,600 over the year to 29,100. The U.S. preliminary unemployment rate of 5.0 percent was little changed from 5.1 percent in September and down from 5.7 percent one year ago. The estimate of the employment to population ratio (age 16 and over) in Maine of 59.6 percent was the lowest in four years. In the years ahead, the share of employed population is likely to gradually trend lower as large numbers of baby boomers retire. The U.S. average was 59.3 percent. The New England unemployment rate averaged 4.6 percent. Rates for other states were 3.3 percent in New Hampshire, 3.7 percent in Vermont, 4.6 percent in Massachusetts, 5.3 percent in Rhode Island, and 5.1 percent in Connecticut. Labor force and unemployment data is available here. Payroll Survey Estimates – The preliminary nonfarm payroll jobs estimate of 611,300 for October was up 5,500 from one year ago. The gain was entirely in the private sector, primarily in the professional and business services, hospitality, and healthcare sectors. The estimate for government was unchanged from one year ago. Nonfarm payroll jobs data is available here. Not Seasonally Adjusted Substate Data The not seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate estimate of 3.6 percent in October was down from 4.9 percent one year ago. Not seasonally adjusted rates were down over the year in all 16 counties, with the largest decline in Franklin County (-1.8 points). Rates ranged from 2.8 percent in Sagadahoc County to 5.4 percent in Somerset County. The unemployment rate was below the statewide average in the Portland-South Portland metro (2.9 percent) and close to the average in Lewiston-Auburn (3.5 percent) and Bangor (3.5 percent). This release is available here. November workforce estimates will be released Friday, December 18 (Data Release Schedule). NOTES: 1. Preliminary labor force estimates, including unemployment and employment to population ratios for Maine, tend to move in a direction for several months and then reverse course. Those directional trends are largely driven by a smoothing procedure and may not indicate a change in underlying workforce conditions. Annual revisions (to be published in March 2016) will moderate or eliminate those directional patterns. In addition, the 90 percent confidence interval for statewide unemployment rates in 2015 has been 0.5 to 0.7 percentage points above or below the published estimate each month. 2. Nonfarm payroll jobs estimates tend to be volatile from month to month because there is variability in the sample of reporting employers and their representativeness for the universe of all employers. Additionally, seasonal adjustment is imperfect because weather, the beginning and ending of school semesters and holidays, and other events do not always occur with the same timing, which can exacerbate monthly volatility. Users should look to the trend over multiple months rather than the change from one specific month to another. Estimates for the period from October 2014 to September 2015 will be replaced with actual payroll data in March 2016. Those benchmark revisions are likely to show less volatility than preliminary estimates.

Department of Labor Offering Workplace Safety Classes in December

 

11/20/2015 11:14 AM EST

*Space is available for classes in Augusta*

AUGUSTA-The Maine Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Standards is hosting its no-charge safety courses for employers and employees throughout December. Visit the class registration page or call 1-877-SAFE 345 (1-877-723-3345) to register for any class.

"By August 2016, the federal government will significantly increase OSHA fines for the first time in 25 years, some by as much as 80 percent," said Governor Paul R. LePage. "Our consultants at SafetyWorks! can help businesses and workers identify and address hazards around the worksite. I encourage businesses to take advantage of all SafetyWorks! programs and consultations. The return-on-investment in workplace safety, in quality of life as well as financial, is well worth the effort."

Courses are held at no charge to employers and their employees in the SafetyWorks! Training Institute at the Maine Department of Labor, 45 Commerce Drive in Augusta.

10-Hour Construction Standards: December 2 to 3, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This one-and-a-half-day course gives basic information on several of the OSHA standards for construction (29 CFR 1926). Attendees who complete the course will receive an OSHA 10-hour course completion certificate. Class runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on day one and 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on day two.

Fire Extinguisher/Emergency Action Plan: December 10, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

In this class, you will learn about Emergency Action Plans as well as various types of fire extinguishers and how to maintain them. This is a hands-on class. Those attending this class should come prepared to discharge a fire extinguisher.

OSHA Recordkeeping: December 11, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

This class provides thorough and comprehensive six-hour training for both new and experienced safety and human resources personnel. You will learn the OSHA rule (29 CFR 1904) regarding recording and reporting work-related injuries and illnesses as it applies to your organization. This class includes several hands-on activities on how to correctly fill out the required injury reporting forms.This class will include updates to the OSHA Recordkeeping Standard (29 CFR 1904) which went into effect January 1, 2015.

30-Hour General Industry Standards: December 14 thru 18, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This five-day course introduces attendees new to safety and health to the OSHA standards for general industry (29 CFR 1910). Attendees who complete all five days will receive an OSHA 30-hour general industry course certificate. Class runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., day one through day five.

Interested employers can learn more about the courses and register at http://www.safetyworksmaine.com , click "More Classes" from the homepage. Space is limited so reservations are required.

SafetyWorks! is not OSHA and cannot issue fines or citations to private businesses. While SafetyWorks! helps businesses of any size, priority is given to small businesses. The program trains about 8,000 people and consults at nearly 1,000 worksites in Maine each year. Employers interested in learning more about the consulting and training services offered by SafetyWorks! should call

1-877-SAFE 345  ~~~ (1-877-723-3345)

or visit http://www.safetyworksmaine.com .

The Bureau of Labor Standards is Maine's regulatory agency overseeing labor and employment law and workplace safety; it provides both consultation and enforcement services. The division promotes and achieves compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of Maine's workforce.

The State of Maine is an equal opportunity provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available to individuals with disabilities upon request.