2 16 19 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51500/archive/files/21fbf42ed23fe5323ec8f1e39ef68358.png?Expires=1789603200&Signature=lM2cpAfq9bjcBbtzFdOPQ65C-FHA7s8FsCEJSp717SpuRJyS1XMhgBbnCLFJ9x%7EBKrxSLJVORFJSviyCCwhPqavs%7EL4tmCgu9dKb2coYDwIgR-5bHrRttEnb-PBaTSWyiKsSFX9svF-Vo6NjLO%7Ewoc0Ze9a9k1NJo7l2eN9KBJdsQVSkV7p6P-BORAwN9okEl%7ElV985XX1oMTeDpXCMvB7R98yA2jpmv6U%7EI%7EakCxX9DptqN0OmfCu8wLkFc3sGhh53kAzJSxbd%7Ecv%7E1-9CdomLORwJERoLr24Dia8qdaFgqgyHiAXD%7Ew13NuchNar0-ntrCK1bTOfb7D2OXA6XZnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 1d84f90e9c4ad8f77fecfc7b3169e485 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51500/archive/files/f94ef7500330337e6f965f1c62815d0c.png?Expires=1789603200&Signature=pB%7EyBLBJMIFkzghw-RcguAMFKECMkQit5C2-SrObsy%7EDuzugTkIvACfms5ftJ94UYh-ct3YOAxdTPcPmyvnb9F2BB0b2QlPNofYhzyER0HETxAL13L%7E-sYggOq14UTg5b4s1vQHQcQQJDxk5MbuFvr-M9dBIP-c8r61UinvDzch1opJxyGbR2EmbWqCI4h0q4ezH4oQL3vOmxJNTQC8SfHIz07b4E%7E65qFO6UnO8fuTXJrDPioaRCG%7EwECAnQP3ArC-C%7EGljxzkhDA9Q1YDQSNaow613pxmIJRIrphiW4sXG%7EJnJybw%7Ej%7EPeqFQ2xckXa6ewjXsDnGf18MYEL5JyuA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 6a48d788c2fbed78225aeeccf07f696e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Emergency Archive Description An account of the resource Writing, images, recordings, and other materials documenting life in Central Maine during the COVID-19 pandemic and other historic events that have impacted our communities. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 2021 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Penobscot County (Me.) Piscataquis County (Me.) Somerset County (Me.) Subject The topic of the resource Communities COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hartland Public Library (Hartland, Me.) Newport Cultural Center (Newport, Me.) Pittsfield Public Library (Pittsfield, Me.) Skowhegan Free Public Library (Skowhegan, Me.) Thompson Free Library (Dover-Foxcroft, Me.) Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Text of your story DOVER-FOXCROFT – Despite safety guidelines that have made listing and showing properties more challenging in recent months, the real estate market is doing well, according to Dorothea “Dolly” Perkins. In May, the Realty of Maine broker was recognized for the highest dollar volume for an individual agent, closing on nearly $1 million for the month. Perkins said that she loves dealing with farms, but another passion is, “helping people get their first home, or get a home after financial difficulty is really where my heart is. It’s absolutely life changing, not just for the buyer, but for their whole family. Many years ago, we experienced a devastating financial situation due to medical events. We even gave the home we lived in back to the bank, and lived in an apartment over the shop where we had a computer business. We did not even have enough money to go bankrupt. Eventually, with good advice and guidance from some people who knew more about this than me, we were able to recover, and I was able to take that experience and show people how to change their future. I did not know it at that time, but it seems that God allowed us to go through that and gave us the tools we needed to get through, and then be able to show others how to, as well. It’s truly a humbling thing, and it’s ultimately been a blessing, because there truly is hope and a way. It can be a long process, but so worth it!” Perkins was able to work though the mandated shutdown, but things have been different. “We closed our small Dover-Foxcroft office for about a month and I worked from home,” she said. “When it became clear that we would be able to reopen, I leased a larger space – three times the size – so we could have meetings and closings and still be able to socially distance.” The office is now located at 64 East Main St., Suite G (the former H&R Block office). Perkins and business partner Xiaorong Horton, and Perkins’ son, Lliam Perkins, also a licensed agent, have room to spread out, and take turns providing office coverage when others are out for showings or closings. “We keep sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, masks for anyone who wants or needs them, and we are able to now work in a larger, better space and still remain as safe as possible,” Perkins said. “We want our clients and customers to be comfortable.” Realtors were able to show houses, but with some restrictions. Going out to show numerous homes to clients at one time was not an option. “We had to send the clients all the photos and data, make sure they were fully qualified, and then we had to go and do a ‘video tour’ of the properties they were interested in. They could then choose only one to visit in person. If they wanted to see another, we would then have to video that property, and schedule that showing for another time.” Potential buyers were not allowed to bring friends, extended family, etc. Everyone had to wear a mask, gloves and shoe covers. “We had to provide them,” Perkins said. “I actually ended up buying over 1,750 pairs of shoe covers via my existing ULINE account. We were able to order when no one else was, because they were not accepting new accounts. We delivered many of them to our main office in Bangor, and they were able to help keep showings and marketing going for the area. Our staff in Bangor distributed shoe coverings to those who needed them, to help keep the local real estate market up and running.” Another change is that much of the paperwork is done electronically, with digital signatures, to provide zero-touch safety. Agents go over disclosure forms by telephone while both parties view the documents on their respective computer screens. Two benefits are that nobody ends up trying to decipher handwritten notes, and that clients can keep the documents on the computer for future reference rather than being handed a “big stack of paperwork” to file. “For the most part now, we are back to showing, with several restrictions still in place, but it is beginning to feel almost like the ‘old times.’ Perkins said she is not as familiar with the larger markets in southern Maine where the majority of real estate sales are located, “but in this area, people want to be in the country, and in small villages. They want that ‘Mayberry’ experience. We have so much to offer here – a safe place with low crime, reasonable home prices, an easy commute to Bangor and the services and shopping that they have, as well as job opportunities in ways that we never really imagined before. Working from home with the new fiber Internet has been life-changing and has allowed people to move to areas that they never would have been able to before.” Perkins said that today’s low interest rates are also very good for first-time home buyers. “So, for us, sales are up,” she said on June 24. “We closed 11 transaction sides in our office in the last two weeks, so that is pretty good!” The award-winning realtor credits good quality presentation, online marketing, and having PPE at the ready for her success. “We carry gloves, masks and sanitizer in our vehicles so that we are ready to show now that we can again,” Perkins said. “We do the best job we can by telling our sellers to leave all the lights on and interior doors open, so we don’t’ have to touch those surfaces. We do what we can to keep their homes as clean and safe as possible and to be respectful of their home.” Despite robust sales in May and June, there are still people waiting. “I am hoping that the travel restrictions are lifted soon, and we can safely get those families a place where they can grow and flourish,” said Perkins. “We need the jobs and stability that they can bring to our area, and they crave the lifestyle we have here. Fortunately, I am not seeing a lot of the typical ‘out-of-stater’ cliché with the ones coming in. The people who want to move here seem to want to embrace the lifestyle, and do not want to re-create the one they are leaving.” The biggest thing Perkins hopes people will understand about her business is that, “I am not here to ‘sell’ someone on the idea of buying or selling a home. By the time someone calls me to buy a place, or even sell, they have already decided that they want to do this. It’s a new chapter of life for them, and I am so honored when I get chosen to help!” Perkins may be reached at 279-0571 or <a href="mailto:dolly@dollyperkins.com">dolly@dollyperkins.com</a>. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper article Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Real Estate Market Survives COVID Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grant, Sheila D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-07-03 Subject The topic of the resource Real estate agents Perkins, Dorothea House buying House selling COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Newspapers Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Dover-Foxcroft (Me.) Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Gazette Inc. (Dexter, Me.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived The Eastern Gazette, Vol. 168, No. 27 Language A language of the resource Eng Description An account of the resource Despite safety guidelines that have made listing and showing properties more challenging in recent months, the real estate market is doing well, according to Dorothea “Dolly” Perkins. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creator retains copyright. Item may be used for noncommercial purposes under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. 2020 Business Masks PPE Safety Work https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51500/archive/files/8588bfc890e8c9e15e5ebd3ed0c98e01.png?Expires=1789603200&Signature=E2qcNinH4fRyncTnlhQ-RuzxLPpRRhYjKDEy-DyIwNgexGRQHcaZQ72Wr0fc4eHUcW0P0lloW-6jtOPemfV6wihjwDXzwZqAQEGjQlOwLsVxopVJssCXswDF1dzpXhn5jbEuLYAMDGBYgmW8pNwcGM5BJwaLzZZJzGrL8O3pxrfPAzynB3GaTzq05b4BGf6ton4sRw%7E6p2wd-wS-B4DmvLZYuk6gnt6MAjJPaycA4f4a-vSusvHL93PzIjBat8QkYlqXj3U5jQN7O88Lr0aEkzz0Sq96j1rvJOwmF8oDz05HYCX3P9kFBLGOHeZsrsXv9qt%7E2oBrNxRn-qIvNXjN%7Ew__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM e2e9125e46a6279fd84c54991d19f95e https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51500/archive/files/306abca9d5e36b05e2dec33c1b93d9cc.png?Expires=1789603200&Signature=u9jPmMnmU6yTlAXYOY3tOZFionN6VeXxP%7EMGWV3heivdPYnVpiE2I8kVTTKxu1k8XfMRMIqz-f4lv586pD2CekQxP2s4q9rlqaXyBcOvznQ0DZ9jfXM2kszBzN90c4DoMt3VD-8%7ELBfR1HUwyQ3YjThwM2GduNrnUaEwYcPsCYxHLjgSWKoqk8JDD7caLg7StiWXeUBKcOsp4vUOQsS1gcPUBmdyBLTFhL0anFxyc8RLEa7eKc3CNmh4VxG--xc0mXCZCyX3fXY8-uLM7f9VFLhrusg9FpkCfiXH4wF6GZirzscQamgeZV80IX3EmCsFRkbvjyw7kTIrx7oo5gY4Jg__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 6eefa00948b9c471d6f2512281381f9b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Emergency Archive Description An account of the resource Writing, images, recordings, and other materials documenting life in Central Maine during the COVID-19 pandemic and other historic events that have impacted our communities. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 2021 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Penobscot County (Me.) Piscataquis County (Me.) Somerset County (Me.) Subject The topic of the resource Communities COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hartland Public Library (Hartland, Me.) Newport Cultural Center (Newport, Me.) Pittsfield Public Library (Pittsfield, Me.) Skowhegan Free Public Library (Skowhegan, Me.) Thompson Free Library (Dover-Foxcroft, Me.) Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Text of your story So – have you formed a COVID bubble yet? No? Don’t be so sure. I had one long before I’d even heard of them! A COVID “social bubble,” according to guidelines issued recently by Alameda County, CA, is “a stable group of not more than 12 individuals, who may attend outdoor social or other events together. A social bubble may be comprised of a combination of households, but no household or individual may participate in more than one social bubble [with certain exceptions].” So when I have the occasional socially distanced visit with a friend who lives alone, outdoors, eight feet apart, we are in a social bubble. Who knew? Social bubbles have been forming nationwide, both organically and more intentionally. Another local example is that of Jesse Moriarity and her neighbors, who gather outside to enjoy carry-in meals on Friday evenings. “We have really great neighbors, and for some of us, we have only children,” said Moriarity. “This is torture for only children. Our son had no one to talk to but adults for three months. Zoom just isn’t his jam. So that’s how it started.” The social bubble includes several immediate neighbors. “We knew we needed some ground rules for this,” she said. “We are not going into anybody’s house. We bring our own food.” A scary experience early in the pandemic established trust in the neighborhood. One husband, just returned from the Bahamas, became “incredibly sick.” The wife “called all of us immediately because we had all been together the day before,” Moriarity said. “Because of that experience we all trust each other. They called us immediately. There was no judgement, just, ‘Is he okay? What can we do?’ We were all just together. We have a lot of trust among us that no one is going to hide [illness] or be embarrassed or worry about being judged.” Fortunately, the husband did not have COVID-19. When forming a social bubble, “You’re asking a group of people to really, really trust each other, and I think that experience made it easier,” she said. “These families all trust each other and I think we’ve all been honest with each other about our risk factors. It’s been nice that we can talk about those things.” The social bubble of four families includes one healthcare provider, and several people who work in offices, as well as one that has someone come into the home to provide childcare. Still, the participants feel that the rewards of socialization for both parents and children are worth the risk. “There are six children, spread out in age from 5 to 12, and they are so sweet to each other! They are so happy to be together after months of playing alone in their yards,” Moriarity said. The group has been meeting for about a month. “It’s been so nice,” she said. “I am definitely the extrovert in my family, and this is filling my cup back up. If we need to self-quarantine again in the fall, we certainly will, but for now I feel like my cup is filling up, which is wonderful. This is just what we needed, and summer in Maine is just lovely!” Moriarity acknowledges that the group is taking a risk. “We have one other neighbor who stayed in quarantine because he wants to visit his father, who is really ill. He needs to stay secluded, so we keep our distance and just wave at him. But mental health is also really important and I think we’ve got to figure out how to take care of both. There’s so much out there on how to reopen a business, but nobody is talking about here’s how to reopen your lives. How do you spend time with people? I’m glad we figured it out.” The health order issued by Alameda County in early June detailed formation of social bubbles, or childcare or youth activity units, allowing members of different households to socialize – carefully. Recommendations include: <ul><li>No person may be a member of more than one social bubble during any three week period, except that a child who resides in more than one dwelling unit as part of a shared custody arrangement may be part of the social bubble of each of the child’s parents or guardians.</li> <li>Members of a social bubble are strongly encouraged to comply with social distancing requirements and wear face coverings to the extent feasible (children 2 and under should not wear face coverings; under 12 should do so only with adult supervision).</li> <li>Members of a social bubble are not prohibited from engaging in essential travel, essential activities, outdoor activities or additional activities together.</li> </ul>And a recent healthline.com article also detailed what they deemed the “double bubble,” a concept being used in Canada and New Zealand, in which two households may interact, with safety restrictions. Households with a high-risk member should not consider such an arrangement, according to the experts cited. Choose people who add to your quality of life, and be careful not to get into a situation where you are choosing to socialize with one side of the family over the other. Social distancing and face covers should also be used among double bubble participants. All that said, however, the Maine CDC has not taken a position on social bubbles. “Physical distancing, use of face coverings in public, and good personal hygiene, including frequent handwashing, remain the best ways for people to limit potential exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19,” said Maine CDC spokesman Robert Long. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper article Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Keeping Safe and Social in the Time of COVID Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grant, Sheila D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-07-30 Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Social groups Friendship Neighbors Moriarity, Jesse Newspapers Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creator retains copyright. Item may be used for noncommercial purposes under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Gazette Inc. (Dexter, Me.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived The Eastern Gazette, Vol. 168, No. 27 Language A language of the resource Eng Description An account of the resource So – have you formed a COVID bubble yet? No? Don’t be so sure. I had one long before I’d even heard of them! A COVID “social bubble,” according to guidelines issued recently by Alameda County, CA, is “a stable group of not more than 12 individuals, who may attend outdoor social or other events together." 2020 Connection Friendship Neighbors Safety Trust https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51500/archive/files/f1e47b117761b2a2711c35d1bb59427d.PNG?Expires=1789603200&Signature=OfLvOdIZHQoB4u8AQCDpV8bT1Rv-K7CU%7ED8g9AOme5XTAcyn50RLFBPiYIUGs-jOWCGJvlkKFbgHdqUCtUKshIfJyZ4iBIV6H1F1%7EwbaX7zVY9T9MOeAGs2yBjDxJruf-rU3y4KPJwTiAASVhtce19EXPktDhALxMr94CjvkDwgOisDgHbQThD%7E8EQ4wJUrCelvXZAXltn9CUsePjLel5j09nRAvVarpsoS9r03QeqPwk3gEtD1t2Vc2ZAluvp49PxkCq7-Mw7hAQ60JuROhZEVkWi3-oUJV5Xhj5M1MeO7dVYl8-uezwTtwVxVGQMrtcooLWf7aMMnctahd0kHJzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 13227996284adf9228a6b9c817d45546 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51500/archive/files/b73f88f0e5772eec1f379f6db44f6bea.png?Expires=1789603200&Signature=D-ehiF6UREif91xyb-DZJSY0%7EdQVv3hVj4vMotQ3hRYHz%7ECGqDJGqDkmUon2zVuQCJXDBJuGfm26X8dBM0Hr9AeQm8kmPoMpocN5UhOdxohndUJNLc4sRgNgXDnUDgnUKKvZjwrJUVo7lYnJAwjCE3J3xrBh0ZjDwnx63N10xO2Xp-0k83HYvMt%7Em8vlBPHRWZ9rHt3%7E4%7EVMIxXuD3nmxcaAj50RryFMf0zFhjU7z%7EcRewh19uRoWkFBOQaaaTsaXw1pr07bICtn1cDNn4b-WT0RSCUBGJyFefdts9IjYbVsmFqzcMGj48VoKcmfZ3DhTkh%7E7w0lLfG%7EtzX1EwSj3g__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 797cebcd4606233fc6b6dda0d39ad01b https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/51500/archive/files/3054ad6fdf06eb6a218b3cb4a0f881f6.PNG?Expires=1789603200&Signature=Ly5MQH0oO83C47EFl%7EUqDvxT%7EvItOepz5VQ1-9KYVxgq4PA-O1kgq1pwh2x2PIxtK%7E6HBU5TkwKpuFMdIiQKtimJIPbcVR2rA9sWwDdhsIyTkv3YyFG4tlRX5Xu7FIRAoOuG5e61yv1XqKMhozsZwI%7EsCT4OeEFlCNEYn8CDUGrCaaXcoY8G1ZecoTwTG58FMkB0bVJjMp4SztZhtbUPKlMWFi-z27oxT7fyh2cEBKQsWLvz6E1oLxKGxshnogkeRUpUaaGE8s1S3cW4iM%7Eow846lToNMUlXQKmvP9%7EaImNqqJl7-QiVoukDaMch6kwDh%7EHjaRWYp4P222hpfJtS9A__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 652a37f80e9706afe833f0c3342ab4bb Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Emergency Archive Description An account of the resource Writing, images, recordings, and other materials documenting life in Central Maine during the COVID-19 pandemic and other historic events that have impacted our communities. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 2021 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Penobscot County (Me.) Piscataquis County (Me.) Somerset County (Me.) Subject The topic of the resource Communities COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hartland Public Library (Hartland, Me.) Newport Cultural Center (Newport, Me.) Pittsfield Public Library (Pittsfield, Me.) Skowhegan Free Public Library (Skowhegan, Me.) Thompson Free Library (Dover-Foxcroft, Me.) Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Text of your story DEXTER/DOVER-FOXCROFT – As much as COVID-19 has complicated everyone’s lives, it has boosted business for certain niche industries, including local farmers markets. “Sales have been up from last year and we’ve seen a bunch of new customers,” said Mary Hoskins, owner of Cedar Hill Farm, about the Dexter Farmers Market. “I’m pretty sure some of it is pandemic related because we have had comments from customers about enjoying shopping outside and helping local farmers. We moved to a more visible location this year so that has had an effect, also.” Gretchen Huettner, owner of Farm in the Woods, said that the Dover Cove Farmers Market is also doing well this spring. “We have been extremely surprised at the outpouring of support from our customers, and the number of new customers we have been seeing,” she said. The number of people coming through the market has increased significantly, and for many vendors, sales figures are also up this season. “We had one vendor who said their opening day sales were more than double a typical Memorial Day weekend, and many of our vendors don’t have much remaining product at the end of the day,” Huettner said. “We are optimistic that this will bode for a wonderful summer for customers and vendors alike. Many of our vendors are making plans to increase their production and product offerings, as well. For those that grow produce, the season is off to a complicated start, but we are optimistic that by early July things will be looking really good.” Farmers markets were deemed essential able to open as seemed prudent throughout the pandemic. The Dexter Farmers Market runs summers only and has seen no changes to its schedule. This year, the market moved to 445 Corinna Road, just past Brooks Tire. There are two regular vendors, “but several others attend as guests and we are always looking for more farmers to join us,” Hoskins said. The market runs from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturdays through mid-October. The Dover Cove Farmers Market runs from Memorial Day weekend through the last Saturday in October on South Street near the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The weekend before Thanksgiving, the market reopens in the basement of the Thompson Free Library every other Saturday through the end of April – usually. “We decided in March to close the winter market six weeks early,” Huettner said. “When we were faced with the unknown, it just seemed to make sense. Our market for March 14 was poorly attended, and we had four vendors for the winter, and every household had at-risk members.” Both markets are taking steps to keep vendors and customers safe. “Vendors wear masks and we provide plenty of hand sanitizer and alcohol sprays for wiping surfaces,” said Hoskins. “We want our customers to feel comfortable and welcome.” At Dover Cove, efforts to create more spacing were implemented. “Having traffic cones has helped us with distancing, and I feel like the parking lot is safer as a result, because cars seem to be slower pulling in and parking, so that is an added bonus,” said Huettner. Dover Cove customers may also preorder through individual vendors or the market’s Facebook page for minimal-contact shopping. “We discussed many different things, but decided that supplying hand sanitizer and ample spacing for everyone would be some of the wisest precautions we could take,” she said. “Many of the vendors wear masks when they deem it necessary when dealing with customers, but we have respected everyone’s personal situations. We heavily discussed many of the other suggested precautions and decided that we really needed to leave it up to vendors on how they wanted to deal with their product and money.” Their position, Huettner said, is that, “we are outside and most of us have tables in our booths that help us maintain distance between customers. According to the University of Maine and other sources COVID-19 has no links to or evidence of being spread through food so we felt comfortable with our choices for the market.” On June 13, Dover Cove offered free masks to customers, courtesy of a “friend of the market” who sewed and donated an entire box of face coverings. “We were so thankful and happy to see people utilizing the resource if they needed them,” Huettner said. “This is a community effort and we are thankful for all of the support we have seen this season. We all love the market and in deciding what to do this summer, we didn’t want to lose that precious sense of community.” Both the Dexter and Dover markets participate in the Maine Harvest Bucks program, which allows customers paying with EBT to collect matching “bucks” to spend on fruits and vegetables. Dover Cove has a few Frequent Buyer Cards left, which award shoppers $10 in Harvest Bucks after shopping at the market four times. Huettner said several vendors also accept WIC vouchers. There are five regular vendors at Dover Cove. “Our vendor numbers for the summer are actually up,” said Huettner. “We have several guest vendors that have participated because their normal marketing options are closed. We had My Three Leaves join us late last year, and Maison de Chevre is new this season. We are trying to figure out how we can safely accommodate more vendors if they would like to participate, which is a wonderful problem to have!” Dover Cove was given a break on fees this year due to the pandemic. “We have talked about moving because the $350 vendor’s fee from the town has been difficult to cover most years due to the fluctuations in vendor numbers and our other expenses,” said Huettner. “Our budget is pretty bare bones and many times vendors cover additional things because of that. This year we have been so grateful to the town for only charging us half of the normal fee, and we are hoping that if things can continue on the current trajectory it will mean that we are much more financially stable going into the future. It was a simple act of kindness on the town’s behalf, when we faced the unknown, that is making a huge difference for us this year.” Dover Cove is missing the 4H Passport Program, which has been put on hold this summer. “We are hopeful that families will still come,” Huettner said. The program offered Veggie Vouchers to kids, sponsored by the Piscataquis Regional Food Center, the Piscataquis County Cooperative Extension Executive Committee, and Farm in the Woods. Organizers are trying to figure out how to offer Veggie Vouchers as a Dover Cove program this year, “in hopes that it will help us maintain the participation of local families at market. We all love to see the kids and the thought that goes into their shopping,” she said. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper article Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Fresh-air Shopping Supports Local Producers Description An account of the resource As much as COVID-19 has complicated everyone’s lives, it has boosted business for certain niche industries, including local farmers markets. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grant, Sheila D. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-06-26 Subject The topic of the resource Farmers' markets Dexter Farmers Market (Dexter, Me.) Dover Cove Farmers Market (Dover-Foxcroft, Me.) Local foods COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Newspapers Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Dexter (Me.) Dover-Foxcroft (Me.) Penobscot County (Me.) Piscataquis County (Me.) Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Image Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Gazette Inc. (Dexter, Me.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived The Eastern Gazette, Vol. 168, No. 26 Language A language of the resource English Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Creator retains copyright. Item may be used for noncommercial purposes under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. 2020 Farming Food Masks Safety Summer