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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
<p>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.</p>
<p>“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.”</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“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.”</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“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.”</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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!”</p>
<p>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.” </p>
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
-
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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
<p>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].”</p>
<p>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?</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“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.”</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.” </p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“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.</p>
<p>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!”</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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:</p>
<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><p>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. </p>
<p>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.</p>
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
-
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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
<p>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.</p>
<p>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!”</p>
<p>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).</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“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.’</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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!”</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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!”</p>
<p>Perkins may be reached at 279-0571 or <a href="mailto:dolly@dollyperkins.com">dolly@dollyperkins.com</a>.</p>
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
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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
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The Gazette Inc. (Dexter, Me.)
Source
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The Eastern Gazette, Vol. 168, No. 27
Language
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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
-
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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
<p>DOVER-FOXCROFT – The COVID-19 pandemic and associated safety guidelines have been hard on most businesses, to say nothing of new business owners. Mike and Elizabeth Loomis dreamed of someday owning a bed and breakfast during his years working in higher education and hers running their household and raising their three children. Last spring, the couple, full of high hopes and big plans, purchased the Freedom House Bed & Breakfast.</p>
<p>“We closed at the end of March and basically opened in April of last year,” said Mike Loomis. “It’s been just over a year. We’ve done a lot of redecorating, painted every room, and now we’re working on painting the exterior.” Taking on a property this size includes a lot of deferred maintenance, he said.</p>
<p>Because the business showed a loss in its first year, when COVID struck, the couple did not qualify for the Payment Protection Program. “A great lady at the bank advocated for us twice, and we were turned down twice,” Loomis said. “That didn’t help. And apparently, we don’t qualify for unemployment. We’ve never been able to get through to them, but the lady at the Guilford Bed & Breakfast did and they told her no.”</p>
<p>The couple tried for several weeks, calling the Maine Department of Labor each day at 8 a.m. to discover “the queue was already full for the day,” Loomis said. “We would hear from the state that they were adding more people to help out, but it didn’t matter.”</p>
<p>At first, business was as expected according to occupancy numbers provided by the previous owners. The business lost some income over Christmas because the couple travels to see her family over the holidays every other year.</p>
<p>“In late fall and early winter, people were calling to make reservations for this time of year,” Loomis recalled. “We thought, ‘Man, this is great! We are going to have a great summer!’ In January, they started calling to cancel. In March, the Governor shut things down. Under her plan, we could still take in essential workers, and we do get a number of nurses.”</p>
<p>The bed and breakfast was also allowed to take people in on an emergency basis, which came in handy after that destructive snowstorm in April downed trees and left one local couple with no electricity. “They stayed with us for about a week,” Loomis said.</p>
<p>That was about all the business the couple saw until the weekend of June 5, when President Donald J. Trump visited the region. “We were full this weekend,” Loomis said on June 8. Guests were mostly Mainers, but there were a couple of “Boston Globe” essential workers in the mix.</p>
<p>Freedom House, which features a mix of guest rooms and small apartments, also served as a refuge for the couple’s daughter for eight weeks. “She was here from Chicago,” Loomis said. “She got out just before they shut it down.” She has now returned to the Windy City to resume her wedding flower business.</p>
<p>Running a hospitality business doesn’t feel very hospitable these days, Loomis said. “It feels so weird to sit on the porch to welcome guests, and they put on their mask and I put on my mask. We’re not shaking hands, and we keep our distance. People understand and have been great about that.”</p>
<p>Unable to serve breakfast at this point in the shutdown, the business basically offers “just a room,” but it’s a very clean room, Loomis said, adding that guests always complimented the couple on the cleanliness of the rooms, but that has been stepped up even more during the pandemic, Loomis said.</p>
<p>Governor Mills’ announcement last week that folks from New Hampshire and Vermont are welcome, and that those from other areas may visit Maine with either a 14-day quarantine or a recent negative COVID test, may help a little…maybe. Loomis doubts that COVID-19 tests will be readily available to those without symptoms in other states, as they have not been available here.</p>
<p>“At this point, I don’t think we have any other reservations for the rest of this month,” Loomis said. “Maybe if things open up, the phone will start ringing, but we’re pretty much counting this year as a loss. We will have to live on our savings, and we’re looking for part-time jobs.”</p>
<p>Elizabeth is partway through the process to become a U.S. Census taker, he said. “And I’m open. I used to work in higher education, so that’s another crazy business right now, but I’ve also worked in retail. Right now, I’m just busy painting the house and that keeps me out of trouble. It’s not small! My son is here from college helping me.</p>
<p>“We know it’s going to be a terrible year,” he continued, recalling a recent trip to Bar Harbor. “Acadia just opened up, and some of the businesses, but some of them, you could tell they’re just done. They’ve decided they can’t make it.”</p>
<p>But Loomis said they understand why Governor Mills is moving slowly, and that she is basing reopening on “the facts, the science. We have to be careful and do the best we can, but I think a lot of people are going out of business because of this.”</p>
For now, Loomis said, they are “putzing along, trying to stay busy doing projects for the business. Until there’s a vaccine and people have more confidence that this thing is under control, I just don’t think they will be doing travel as much,” he said. “I have this nagging feeling that 2020, as a year to make money, is gone. It’s just not going to happen for hospitality. We are looking forward to 2021.”
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
Trying to Keep Dreams Afloat 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
2020-06-19
Subject
The topic of the resource
Freedom House (Dover-Foxcroft, Me.)
Hospitality industry
Bed and breakfast accommodations
Loomis, Micheal
Loomis, Elizabeth
Small business
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
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. 25, Pg. 1
Language
A language of the resource
Eng
Description
An account of the resource
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated safety guidelines have been hard on most businesses, to say nothing of new business owners. Mike and Elizabeth Loomis dreamed of someday owning a bed and breakfast during his years working in higher education and hers running their household and raising their three children. Last spring, the couple, full of high hopes and big plans, purchased the Freedom House Bed & Breakfast.
2020
Business
-
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74ee9cf0f85ddf41f835384c9658b643
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
<p>This year’s high school seniors missed out on their last spring sports season, their prom, precious time with friends, and much more. Educators and loved ones everywhere are stepping up to make sure that these young people, who finished their high school studies under extraordinary circumstances, don’t miss out on graduation celebrations – even if those celebrations look different than in years past.</p>
<p><strong>Central High School</strong>, in Corinth, is holding a drive-through graduation at 2 p.m. on June 13.</p>
<p>“We’ve put a lot of thought into this and tried to develop a plan that would, one, try to restore as much of the tradition of graduation as we could, and two, provide a memorable experience for the kids,” said Principal Brett Hoogterp. “We have 50 graduates. Each is allotted two cars to go through. When they come to the school we will place them in alphabetical order.”</p>
<p>The parking lot will be chalked off for social distancing. Cars will approach the stage in twos. The graduate will leave the vehicle, and Hoogterp will read out scholarships and accolades. Then the graduate will cross the stage, pick up their diploma and pause for livestreaming and a professional photograph before getting back into their vehicle and heading to the back of the line. That will be followed by a procession from the high school down to the elementary school. Those unable to attend graduation should check <a href="https://rsu64schools.org/">https://rsu64schools.org/</a> for details about the livestream.</p>
<p>“We’re very proud of our seniors,” Hoogterp said. “It’s unfortunate they had to go through this particular scenario, but they now have a story that they can tell for the rest of their lives!” </p>
<p><strong>Dexter Regional High School</strong> Principal Stephen Bell told parents in a letter on May 18 that, “A school shutdown and transition to online/remote learning is an unprecedented event. While some decisions have come easily, one of the most challenging things we are facing is the planning of a graduation event for the Class of 2020 that is within all the current guidelines and restrictions. We have two goals in mind. The first is to provide a meaningful and memorable graduation ceremony, while the second goal is to keep everyone safe.”</p>
<p>Graduation will be a drive-in event held on the DRHS football field at 1 p.m. on June 7 (rain dates are June 13 or 14). The stage will be set up in the end zone by the scoreboard, Bell said.</p>
<p>Students will gather in two socially distanced meetings in the school gymnasium on June 4 to receive Grad Bags including their cap and gown, medical records, Senior Assembly awards, a face mask in school colors to wear to graduation, ceremony programs and other event details. Students receive two car passes. The field pass is for the car containing the graduate – families are encouraged to decorate this vehicle. A second pass allows additional guests to park on the track around the football snack shack. Seniors are also getting graduate lawn signs that will be used during the ceremony and can then be displayed at home.</p>
<p>Graduation will include the traditional speaking parts, as well as a trip to the stage for each graduate to receive their diploma and other awards, including scholarships and items normally handed out during senior assembly. There will be a senior slide show on two large screens at either side of the stage. Following graduation, there will be a Class of 2020 Graduation Parade through town led by local fire and law enforcement vehicles. And the Class of 2020 is invited to attend the 2021 Prom next spring, since their own had to be cancelled.</p>
<p> “Someone once said ‘Plan for tomorrow, but enjoy today, the here and now.’The class of 2020 is living that reality,” Bell said. “Their senior year was cruising along at a normal pace when out of nowhere a pandemic hits and leads to a complete shutdown of normal schooling. No prom, no spring sports, no spring concerts, no musical, etcetera. Teaching and learning has continued, but only in a remote or online experience. There is a historical significance to what is taking place and the Class of 2020 is part of that story.</p>
<p>“The good news is that this shutdown has not stopped the planning for tomorrow,” he continued. “All of the graduates in the Class of 2020 have a post-secondary plan and have a future beyond the hallways of Dexter Regional High School (college, military or work). As for the here and now, on June 7th at 1 p.m. on the DRHS football field, we will collectively stop and celebrate with friends and family as the Class of 2020 graduates in a first-ever Drive In Graduation Event, followed by a Graduate Parade. </p>
<p>“Congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2020,” Bell concluded. “Look for the positives that have taken place over the last few months. History always judges favorably on generations that persevere. Something tells me that we will be talking about the year and the Class of 2020 for a long time.”</p>
<p><strong>Foxcroft Academy</strong>, in Dover-Foxcroft, “is trying to have a regular graduation, and I think in these current times, that’s special,” said Head of School, Arnold Shorey. The date has been pushed back to June 27. “We hope the rules will allow an outdoor graduation. If not, we will have a drive-up graduation in the Piscataquis County Ice Arena parking lot.”</p>
<p>Either way, graduation will feature all the usual speakers and graduates will pick up diplomas from a table on the stage. Graduates get a gift each year – this year seniors will receive masks with the FA Pony mascot on them.</p>
<p>“We will have protocols that will be in place,” said Shorey. These include graduates and family members remaining in vehicles for much of the time (if a drive-thru graduation is required), masks worn any time someone is outside, and maintaining six feet of physical distance.</p>
<p>“If we do a drive-up graduation, there will be a parade through town with graduates and their families lined up in alphabetical order. I know a lot of people are empathetic with what the seniors have gone through and would love to show their appreciation and support.”</p>
<p>FA will coordinate with local law enforcement as to how the parade can be safely conducted, he said.</p>
<p>The Class of 2020 has “shown amazing resiliency through this and all of the life changes,” said Shorey. “They have adapted quite well to the remote learning and I haven’t heard complaints. I’ve just observed them to quickly adapt and still being very productive. It makes me have hope for the future, that we have future leaders who are able to do this.” </p>
<p><strong>Greenville High School</strong> traditionally has some of the smallest graduating classes in the region, and thus some of the most personalized graduation ceremonies.</p>
<p>“The Greenville High School Class of 2020 has 24 seniors scheduled to graduate on the campus grounds on the original date, Sunday, June 7, at 1 p.m.,” said 2020 Class Advisor, Melanie Breton. “This will be the first ceremony of its kind at GHS! Baccalaureate services will be held the Sunday prior, May 31, in the Holy Family Catholic Church parking lot. Due to the regulations concerning group events, both ceremonies are by invitation only, and using modified drive-up models.” Graduation will be broadcast on WZLO 103.1 for those unable to attend in person.</p>
<p>Additionally, every day since May 1, the Greenville Sports Boosters and Greenville Consolidated School have been honoring one senior per day on their Facebook pages. “The spotlight includes photos and acknowledges academic, athletic and community achievements, as well as future endeavors,” said Breton. “Administration, staff, parents and school groups have other surprises planned through graduation and into the summer when the students can get together as a class at least one more time.” A summer prom/dance and barbeque are being discussed, she said.</p>
<p>“The Class of 2020 is truly a special class - full of high achievers, leaders, and community minded individuals,” said Lee Pearsall, principal of Greenville Consolidated School. “There is a positive synergy within this class - they seem to bring out the best in each other - in the classroom, on athletic fields and courts, and in the hallways and lunchroom. In addition to academics and athletics, this class is highly involved in volunteer efforts that have impacted our local community, as well as the world. Through Key Club, they have helped to provide holiday meals and gifts for our locals and fully funded two wells for Eswatini, formerly Swaziland. Compared to other schools, the Class of 2020 may be small in number; however, they have made a huge impact on our school, local community, and the world. We wish them all the best as they navigate their way through life.”</p>
<p><strong>Nokomis Regional High</strong>, in Newport, plans to hold both Class Night and graduation on their original dates, June 11 and 12. “Yes, this year’s ceremonies will look a bit different but it will still be as special as ever and certainly one of a kind,” Principal Mary Nadeau told graduates and their families in a letter issued on May 13. The principal said she had spent recent weeks conferring with other school’s administrators, as well as Nokomis class advisers, class officers and the superintendent, to gather ideas.</p>
<p>“While a drive-in type ceremony would allow for a larger group in cars, it would mean people sitting in their cars for several hours with a limited view,” Nadeau wrote. Instead, Nokomis will use a walkthrough format with students being allowed four family members to accompany them into the school to receive their diploma and to pose for a professional photograph. Nokomis Broadcasting will livestream the event for others to watch at home, or a later recorded version.</p>
<p>“In addition to this diploma presentation ceremony, Class Night will be replicated virtually with all of the typical awards and scholarships announced,” wrote Nadeau. “The other normal components of our graduation ceremony will be pre-recorded and aired immediately after the presentation of diplomas. The entire package of ceremonies for graduation week will be edited and shared online for any and all to view.”</p>
<p>Nadeau said that graduation is her favorite day of the year, even this year.</p>
<p>“What I would say about this group of seniors is that they’ve been amazing and have down great leadership. We needed them to step up when we made our move into the new building and they did! Since we’ve moved to remote learning, they have continued to show their perseverance and resilience by engaging with their teachers and completing their graduation requirements. The past few months have been challenging but you couldn’t ask for a better group of students to battle through this time with…true Warriors!”</p>
<p><strong>Penquis Valley High School</strong>, in Milo, plans a “two-phase” graduation this year. Graduation is scheduled for Saturday, June 13 (rain date June 14). One week prior to that, phase one rolls out with Graduation in a Box. PVHS Principal Mike Rollins plans to deliver festively giftwrapped boxes containing “all things graduation” to each senior. Boxes will contain things such as caps and gowns, honor cards, NHS sashes that students may keep, yearbooks, senior “to-do” activities, ceremony instructions, a diploma prop, commencement programs, social distancing reminder, copies of commencement speeches, “fake” boutonnieres, a graduation vehicle admission ticket, and more. Seniors will also find letters from staff, college swag, a list of scholarship recipients, any awards earned, and gift items in boxes.</p>
<p>Phase two will be a Graduation Drive-Thru. Each senior and family members will have a “ticket” for one car to be entered into the ceremony. Seniors will drive through “Senior Lane,” stopping at various stations along the way, including a Selfie Station, Grab Bag Station, Sidewalk Signing Station, Diploma Presentation Station, Family Picture Station, Green Screen Photo Station and a Food Station.</p>
<p>“During this time, we are working on potentially having an FM transmitter playing pre-recorded speeches, music, etcetera,” said Rollins.</p>
<p>While all the cars are lined up, the class president will get out of the car and direct all seniors to do the same (at a safe distance), and then direct them in turning of their tassels. The ceremony will conclude with a parade, complete with police and fire department vehicles, through town to JSI, then turning around and making one “final loop” around the PVHS driveway.</p>
<p>“Our Class of 2020 may be small in number, but large in character,” Rollins said. “I, and Penquis Valley, are so proud of all the accomplishments earned and diligence by these seniors throughout their school careers. These students deserve the very best and we are going to work hard to give them just that in these difficult times. Congratulations, Class of 2020! Penquis loves you!”</p>
<p><strong>Piscataquis Community High School</strong>, in Guilford, will be hosting a two-night graduation program on June 4 and 5 from 7 to 9 p.m., a plan formulated with student input, according to PCHS Principal John Keane. “What they wanted most of all was to be together,” he said. “They wanted one night to be celebration and one to be more formal, and third, they wanted it some place in this district. With all that in mind, we designed a drive-in experience for both nights.”</p>
<p>The first night will feature a Pirate Flotilla and other celebratory components. The Flotilla envisions students’ cars as pirate ships, with each family safely aboard their own vessel. Students and immediate family will park at PCHS to view a show projected onto an outdoor screen that will include best wishes from the president of the junior class, a series of teacher tributes, a showing of the senior class gifts, reading of the class will, a senior slide show and “a couple more things,” Keane said. “We know that half their senior year was robbed away from them. We are trying to find other ways to make that Flotilla night special for the kids. We are trying to do the best we can to make it memorable.”</p>
<p>On Friday night, student vehicles will again park at the school. A flatbed stage will be the site of commencement presentations by the class valedictorian, salutatorian and one student-at-large guest speaker, as well as presentation of diplomas and scholarships. Students also got to vote for one adult who had made a difference in their lives to be honored, “and they unanimously chose Mrs. Wilson,” Keane said.</p>
<p>Graduation will be projected onto a screen to ensure that everyone in the parked cars can see, and it will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. To view, visit <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MSAD4/">https://www.facebook.com/MSAD4/</a>.</p>
“Our senior class has shown amazing resiliency throughout their time at PCHS,” Keane said. “It does not surprise me that they have met this pandemic head on and made the best of it. While I am sad that the end of their senior year was much less than what they hoped for, they all worked hard with remote learning and many of them found full-time jobs during the school closure. I have no doubt that the PCHS Class of 2020 will always find the silver linings.”
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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
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COVID Strong: Celebrating the Class of 2020
Creator
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Grant, Sheila D.
Date
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2020-06-12
Subject
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High school graduates
Central High School
Dexter Regional High School
Foxcroft Academy
Greenville High School
Nokomis Regional High School
Penquis Valley High School
Piscataquis Community High School
Class of 2020
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
Penobscot County (Me.)
Piscataquis County (Me.)
Corinth (Me.)
Dexter (Me.)
Dover-Foxroft (Me.)
Greenville (Me.)
Newport (Me.)
Milo (Me.)
Guilford (Me.)
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Text
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The Gazette Inc. (Dexter, Me.)
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The Eastern Gazette, Vol. 168, No. 24
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English
Description
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This year’s high school seniors missed out on their last spring sports season, their prom, precious time with friends, and much more. Educators and loved ones everywhere are stepping up to make sure that these young people, who finished their high school studies under extraordinary circumstances, don’t miss out on graduation celebrations – even if those celebrations look different than in years past.
2020
Class of 2020
Graduation
High School
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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
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Emergency Archive
Description
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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.)
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<p>GUILFORD – Not much happens in a small, rural Maine town that makes the history books. That changed on June 5, when United States President Donald J. Trump came to town to thank Hardwood Products/Puritan Medical Products employees who have been working 10 hour days, seven days a week to provide the nation with COVID-19 testing swabs.</p>
<p>“The employees and the company were honored to have the president come and recognize the work our people have been doing,” said CFO Scott Wellman. “Everyone has been working extremely hard and taking on extra projects to help the country, and to have the president thank them for the work they’re doing was an amazing experience.”</p>
<p>Wellman also set the record straight Monday morning regarding rumors of wasted swabs. “This was essentially a day off for our employees. Those people came in because they wanted to be part of the demonstration on the floor,” he said. “It was planned. We knew we were not going to keep the items that were there, but it wasn’t because the president was not wearing a mask. There were a huge number of people in the room – mostly media – who did not have on hair nets, booties and smocks, because of the time requirements. That’s why we needed to dispose of a very small amount of product. We knew the tour was going to be 15 minutes; you’re not making a lot in 15 minutes.</p>
<p>“We wanted our employees to be able to experience this, the time with the president talking with them,” Wellman continued. “It was a great moment that’s never going to get reported and will never get seen that really meant a lot to the employees in the room.”</p>
<p>About 2,000 Trump supporters poured into Guilford on Friday morning, and about 80 protesters, according to Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office estimates. Many Piscataquis residents were surprised and more than a little thrilled when the presidential motorcade rolled through the region around noon on their way to the staging area at the Piscataquis Community High School. </p>
<p>President Trump arrived at BIA aboard Air Force One around 1:55 p.m., pausing for a round table discussion with representatives from Maine’s seafood industry, and signing a proclamation reopening the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument to commercial fishing. He then boarded Marine One for his flight to the PCHS athletic fields, accompanied by three Osprey helicopters.</p>
<p>The president traveled by motorcade from PCHS, waving and giving a thumbs up to people lining the streets. After the 15-minute production tour at Hardwood, President Trump was escorted to the warehouse, which had been staged as an impromptu event venue with space for about 150 employees, chosen by lottery. </p>
<p>“I want to be the first person to thank every one of you, and also all of our employees that couldn’t be here in this room with us today, for the hard work that you guys have been doing during this emergency,” said Wellman, before introducing President Trump. “We’re on the front lines, fighting COVID-19 and you guys are working extra hours and putting in amazing effort and you’re certainly making a huge difference for the United States. Every one of you has made sacrifices to make sure that we’re producing the high-quality products the country needs so desperately. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for everything that you’ve been doing.”</p>
<p>The company, already a leader in producing highly sensitive DNA swabs in a clean environment, quickly switched gears in March at the request of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Puritan employees have produced 20 million COVID-19 swabs per month -- but more are needed. In April, President Trump used the Defense Production Act to provide $75.5 million to Puritan, allowing the company to hire more workers, and build a second plant in Pittsfield. About 200 new employees have already been hired; another 150 are anticipated at the Pittsfield location.</p>
<p>“The administration has been supporting us and our company and all of you as the people in ways we never could have imagined before,” Wellman said. “It has been an amazing partnership. They’ve made it possible for us to quickly build a new factory. By July 1 we’ll have it open. They’re allowing us to build it in that timeframe with custom equipment in it and have it ready so we can make more swabs that are needed. We really want to also thank the administration for what they’ve done for us, for our great company here in Guilford, Maine.”</p>
<p>President Trump took the stage to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” and the cheers of attendees.</p>
<p>“I just want to thank you all,” said the president. “You’re very special people and this is a great plant and it’s doing a phenomenal job. Thank you very much.”</p>
<p>The president said he came to Maine to “say hello to the hard working men and women of Puritan Medical Products. Great company. The incredible workers of this company have carried on the noble tradition of American manufacturing excellence for more than 100 years. Now our nation has turned to you as we massively increase our unrivaled testing capacity.”</p>
<p>He thanked the company and its employees on behalf of the nation. “Thanks to the testing capacity that you’re making possible, our country is reopening and our economy is recovering like nobody would have thought possible,” said President Trump. “Earlier today it was announced that the U.S. economy added 2.5 million jobs in May. It was supposed to lose nine million, you know, during this period of transition. I call it transition to greatness, but it’s coming a little earlier than I thought, and that’s okay.”</p>
<p>President Trump said that, “every person here today is playing a vital role in the greatest national, industrial mobilization since WWII. We’ve marshalled the full power of the U.S. government and U.S. industry to defeat the invisible enemy.” He said that ultimately, Puritan will be able to produce 60 million swabs per month. “To accomplish this tremendous increase, you partnered with another legendary Maine institution -- you’ve never heard of this, I’m sure – Bath Iron Works -- builder of some of the most powerful war ships in the United States Navy for over 135 years. They do a great job. Under the Defense Production Act, Bath Iron Works is now producing the complex machinery you need to manufacture tens of millions more swabs.”</p>
<p>President Trump also said he wanted to, “take a moment just to recognize a few of the hardworking patriots – and that’s what they are – of Maine, who were instrumental in this colossal effort that you’ve done at Puritan.”</p>
<p>Angelita Buschur, an operator in Puritan’s laboratory kit manufacturing area, was invited to the podium, where she said that “since the coronavirus hit, we have spent every day making millions of swabs that help save lives, and help people save the world. I am so grateful to this company and for the chance to serve our country, that the best way we can pay back is to work harder.” Buschur also thanked President Trump for his leadership.</p>
<p>Next up was Tracy Porter, lead tipping and packaging technician, who said “More often than not when we see news about a crisis in the world, we lament that few of us have any chance of changing the outcome. Today, we find ourselves blessed with this opportunity to make a difference.”</p>
<p>Porter said that even prior to the pandemic he and his coworkers were wishing for more machines to fill orders faster and keep customer costs down. “Well, it looks like we’re going to have enough equipment now,” he said. “We look forward to working with two great Maine companies like Cianbro Construction and Bath Iron Works and I want to thank you, Mr. President, for making it all come together.”</p>
<p>And finally, President Trump introduced Derek McKenney, the senior manufacturing engineer at Puritan, and a project manager for the new manufacturing plant. When McKenney said his mother had been with the company for 35 years, President Trump motioned for “Mom” Wendy McKenney to join her son on the stage. The younger McKenney said, “I’ve been presented with many amazing opportunities to make a difference in the world with Puritan’s critical products. But nothing compared to that day on March 12 when we got the call from the White House Task Force. From that day forward, I’ve been part of a team who’ve chosen to rise up and serve their country and the American people.”</p>
<p>McKenney said that the new plant in Pittsfield would normally have taken 18 months to build, rather than the eight weeks made possible through the support of the federal government, “and the dedication of the phenomenal workforce here in the great state of Maine. This company, and all these people, are what make the United States of America the greatest country in the world. God bless you all!”</p>
<p>In conclusion, President Trump again thanked the company and the employees. “You and your families are making momentous contributions to the vitality of our country, helping us reopen, rebuild, and most importantly, saving lives. We will vanquish the virus, we will get our nation back to work, and we shall build our glorious future with American hands, American grit, and American pride.”</p>
<p><strong>Keeping the discourse civil</strong></p>
<p>A presidential visit in the midst of a pandemic and nationwide civil rights protest is not without controversy. While most in the region were excited about President Donald J. Trump’s visit to Guilford, and even those who were lukewarm about the current president acknowledged that a presidential visit is a huge honor and exciting thing for this area, there were some concerned about the spread of the coronavirus, the number of people being drawn into the region, and potential clashes between Trump supporters and protesters.</p>
<p>“In ordinary times, a presidential visit to Guilford, Maine would be a great thing, regardless of who the president is,” said Piscataquis County Sheriff Robert Young in a statement issued on Facebook earlier in the week. “Sadly, at this time, our nation is so full of strife and rancor, that the good nature of his coming is overshadowed by the politics of our time. It would be good if folks let the employees of Hardwood Products / Puritan Medical Products have their moment of recognition, as the president, on behalf of the nation, expresses our collective thanks. They have, after all, stepped up in a huge way to provide much needed testing supplies to help battle the pandemic.”</p>
<p>And after the event, Young took to Facebook again to thank everyone for what turned out to be a relatively peaceful and positive day.</p>
<p>“The president’s visit has come and gone. It was a good day for Guilford and one surely to be long remembered,” Young wrote. “While crowd size is difficult to measure, we’re estimating at least 2000 people lined the main drag. It was a good day for the president’s supporters and protestors. While loud at times as they cheered and jeered back and forth, they allowed each other space and things were peaceful. No arrests, no damage, only minor issues. Wish the rest of the country could catch this same spirit. Disagree passionately while allowing others the space to think differently.” Young said later that there were an estimated 80 protesters present, as well.</p>
<p>The sheriff said he was grateful for the “tremendous and capable assistance we received from other law enforcement agencies: sixty sheriffs and deputies from around the state; an equal number of Maine state troopers; a strong contingent of US Border Patrol officers; Maine game wardens; the FBI; and the very impressive Secret Service. Like a well-crafted puzzle, law enforcement worked in unity and accord. When the president comes to town, there is no stone left unturned and no detail left to chance. My thanks to the many officers who spent a hot day under a burning sun to make this a day of celebration for the folks of Puritan Medical/Hardwood Products.”</p>
<p>Young said he is proud to be the sheriff in a county where people cheer as a cruiser rolls down the street, where people shake hands with officers and thank them for their service.</p>
“I know life is different in rural settings,” he said. “Issues change and while people are people, there’s a different way of looking at life. Rural life doesn’t work for everyone. For those who’ve come to appreciate the slower pace, the meaning of ‘neighbor’ and the simpler things, it works. It was a good day for Guilford and for Piscataquis County. The president came to town. Yahoo!”
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
Big Day for Guilford, and Puritan Medical Products
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
2020-06-12
Subject
The topic of the resource
Trump, Donald, 1946-
Presidents
Puritan Medical Products (Guilford, Me.)
Medical supplies industry
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
Guilford (Me.)
Piscataquis County (Me.)
Type
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Text
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Creator retains copyright. Item may be used for noncommercial purposes under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.
Publisher
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The Gazette Inc. (Dexter, Me.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
The Eastern Gazette, Vol. 168, No. 24
Language
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Eng
Description
An account of the resource
Not much happens in a small, rural Maine town that makes the history books. That changed on June 5, when United States President Donald J. Trump came to town to thank Hardwood Products/Puritan Medical Products employees who have been working 10 hour days, seven days a week to provide the nation with COVID-19 testing swabs.
2020
Business
Guilford
Puritan
Testing
Trump
Work
-
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813a3e8265fd19b55f22e91ffb268183
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
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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.)
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<p>DOVER-FOXCROFT – Childcare needs shifted rapidly in March as first, schools, and then many businesses, shut down due to COVID-19. Parents had to help more with children’s school work while also working from home themselves or putting in long hours at essential workplaces each day. Childcare centers faced shifting guidelines, as well as uncertain client numbers and income. As Maine businesses slowly reopen, guidelines, numbers of clients and amount of income remain in flux.</p>
<p>“I work as an administrative assistant for a company that runs the medical departments of five different county jails,” said Kelly Chabot, a single mother of four from Dover-Foxcroft. Xander, 10, lives with his father, who has underlying medical conditions, “so I am trying to minimize his exposure to keep his father safe,” she said. “I don’t even get to see my son.”</p>
<p>That leaves Xavier, 11; Kaliyah, 6; and Malachai, 1, still in need of childcare on work days, and help with schoolwork for the two oldest. “Life since COVID-19 has been crazy,” Chabot said. “The school shut down first, and then Xavier and Kaliyah’s daycare. I had to scramble to find somewhere for them to go, since I am an essential worker due to the fact that I process payroll and am considered support staff for our healthcare providers. I got lucky and Malachai’s daycare was able to take them on.”</p>
<p>The biggest challenge has been fitting distance learning into an already packed day. “By the time we get home, it’s supper and then baths and bed for the younger two,” said Chabot. “If I don’t stick to our normal schedule, mornings are a train wreck, especially with Kaliyah. Xavier, for the most part, can do his work on his own with little to no help from me. But I am finding it harder and harder to make time to help the kids.”</p>
<p>The saving grace has been her daycare. “I send school work in with Kaliyah and they help her with a couple of pages a day,” Chabot said.</p>
<p>The other way family life has changed is with safety concerns. “I don’t allow the kids into any stores, or honestly, out in public right now,” she said. “We get up, drop off at daycare, I come to work, get off work, pick them up from daycare, and then go back home. If I need anything from the store, I try to make it work before I pick them up, but with all the new rules regarding stores, it’s hard. I have a pickup time that I have to follow [at the daycare] or I am charged a late fee. It’s stressful and exhausting and scary.”</p>
<p>Jaime Lovejoy’s Daycare has been providing childcare in Dover-Foxcroft for 15 years, but none of them has been like 2020. Lovejoy typically tends to six to eight children ages 3 months to 10 or 11 years.</p>
<p>“When this first started and they closed the schools, I had to think about our daily routine. I knew that was going to change because there would be school work to do and that was going to have to be incorporated,” said Lovejoy, who immediately encouraged parents to send packets of school work into the daycare with their kids.</p>
<p>The number of children also shifted. There were more kiddos needing daycare with schools closed and businesses open so that parents had work – and then less in need of childcare when businesses closed and parents could be at home. Lovejoy has had two to four children most days during the shutdown. With businesses slowly starting to reopen, she expects that number will go back up soon.</p>
<p>Always a stickler for cleanliness, she said sanitization routines did not change much at the daycare to comply with state safety guidelines. “We always do handwashing, but we had to make sure the younger ones were taking the full 20 seconds and doing it property, so I found myself helping them more to make sure. And I’ve always made sure, when the kids put something in their mouths, that it gets washed right away.”</p>
<p>Most of Lovejoy’s essential worker families are in the healthcare field, so she trusts them to be aware of and practicing virus safety measures. Still, there have been concessions for safety in her household. Lovejoy’s husband has done all the shopping outside the home to minimize her exposure, and thus that of the children in her care. And recently, when an online order of new toys arrived, “I left it on the porch and got disposable wipes and wiped down the box and what was inside before I brought it into the house,” she said.</p>
<p>Adding school work to the daily routine hasn’t been “too bad,” said Lovejoy. “They do get distracted. You’re not going to sit there for three or four hours with them doing it, because you’ve got littler ones you’ve got to keep occupied while you help the older ones. I carve it out, two or three hours a day. We do some first thing in the morning. Then, if it’s a nice day we go outside for a little while, or if it’s rainy, I let them have free play for a little while. When I’m cooking lunch, I have them go back to the school work, and during naptime while the younger ones are sleeping. So we are not doing it all at once.”</p>
<p>With ages ranging from 1 to 8 these days, keeping everyone entertained can be a challenge, too – thus the online order of toys and games. Lovejoy went over options with the children and let them help pick which items to order.</p>
<p>As more parents return to work and more children arrive at the daycare, “I can definitely tell the kids missed each other,” said Lovejoy. “Watching them come through the door and interact with each other, you can tell they are all happy to see each other and play again. I think that’s been the hardest thing on most of the kids. When you have your routine and it gets changed and you don’t understand why it’s changed, that’s hard.”</p>
<p>Recently, out on a walk with her husband, Lovejoy saw a former daycare kiddo riding her bike. “We were on one sidewalk and she was on the other side and we talked. You could tell it was hard on her, too.”</p>
<p>And Lovejoy, who has stayed home throughout the bulk of the shutdown, has enjoyed starting to go out a bit more, as well. “I’ve been out here and there, for my own sanity,” she said, laughing.</p>
For information about Jaime Lovejoy’s Daycare, call 564-2831.
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Newspaper article
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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/.
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COVID Increases Childcare Challenges
Creator
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Grant, Sheila D.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2020-05-22
Subject
The topic of the resource
Child care
Day care centers
Families
Chabot, Kelly
Lovejoy, Jaime
Jaime Lovejoy's Daycare (Dover-Foxcroft, Me.)
Distance education
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
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. 21, Pg. 4
Language
A language of the resource
Eng
Description
An account of the resource
Childcare needs shifted rapidly in March as first, schools, and then many businesses, shut down due to COVID-19. Parents had to help more with children’s school work while also working from home themselves or putting in long hours at essential workplaces each day. Childcare centers faced shifting guidelines, as well as uncertain client numbers and income. As Maine businesses slowly reopen, guidelines, numbers of clients and amount of income remain in flux.
2020
Childcare
Essential Workers
Families
Remote Learning
Students
-
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fde9f8778b1b32ba74fb469de776d9f1
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
<p>DOVER-FOXCROFT – Steven Lovejoy does home repairs and maintenance, roofing, painting, snow removal, mowing and pretty much everything else except actually building structures. “I leave that to other people,” he said.</p>
<p>The majority of Lovejoy’s clients are elderly folks who can no longer complete these types of tasks. They rely on his help, and his companionship. Recently, an elderly client wanted to visit with Lovejoy, as she often had in the past. “She wasn’t worried, but I was,” he said. “I have people I do work for in the wintertime that want me to come in to have coffee and talk. They really didn’t like the fact that we couldn’t chit chat, because they don’t see a lot of people. When I shovel for them, I check on them. It’s frustrating for them [now].”</p>
<p>An older lady who lives next door often visits with Lovejoy. “She’s a very sweet lady and I’ve done a lot of work for her,” he said. “She stopped by one day and said, ‘I haven’t had the chance to talk to you all winter and it’s bothering me. How are you and how is your wife (who runs a daycare experiencing its own impacts from virus-related shutdowns)?’ I talked to her outside for about 20 minutes and that made her feel a lot better.”</p>
<p>Lovejoy stays in touch with many customers by phone and has been checking their welfare and sharing information about a volunteer group willing to go pick up groceries for elders and at-risk people, as well as those self-quarantining after returning to Maine from away. [343-3018 or email <a href="mailto:info@CentralHallCommons.org">info@CentralHallCommons.org</a>]</p>
<p>In addition to keeping clients safe, Lovejoy has to think about coworkers. Most projects are done with help from Roger Baird. “I work with somebody most of the time, and he’s right there all the time so we’ve got to make sure we’re wearing some type of mask,” Lovejoy said. “That makes it hard to communicate sometimes, through the mask, so you back up six feet, talk, and then go back to what you’re doing.”</p>
<p>Contractors are already thinking constantly of safety measures on the job, Lovejoy said. “You’re using ladders or equipment such as saws. And now we’ve got to practice the health side of it. When I go talk to a customer, I’ve got to stop and make sure I do the protocols, social distancing. It weighs on your mind all the time,” he said. </p>
<p>At first, Lovejoy’s business took a “big financial hit,” as clients cancelled interior work slated for late winter and spring. “The second this COVID-19 came out, all my inside work stopped. It hurt, it really did,” he said. “The COVID did not help at all. Even my mother- and father-in-law; I was supposed to do work for them and that got stopped.” His mother-in-law works in healthcare, so the decision was made not to do anything in their home “until this calms down.”</p>
<p>As other businesses closed due to the virus, their snow removal and interior projects were also put on hold. And of course, for people out of work due to virus-related closures, the budget called for more DIY projects rather than hiring a contractor.</p>
<p>For a time, it was a waiting game, Lovejoy said, to see if exterior jobs would come his way or if he should start seeking projects. “My phone has rung,” he said. “I have plenty of work to do outside and I’m very thankful for that. There are small roofs, and getting set up for painting, repairing decks from winter. There is a lot of work out there. We’ve just got to take it one step at a time, and make sure we accommodate everyone’s needs, from picking up supplies at the store to talking with customers over the phone or by text, until we get by this.”</p>
<p>The uncertainty is difficult, as well. “The biggest thing for Roger and I is the unknown of what’s going on how, how long this is going to be, and how everyone is going to feel about it all, how long people will have to stay out of work, and what we can and can’t do,” he said. “It’s been a challenge all the way around. Some of it’s okay; some was very stressful until I knew how I was supposed to approach it and make sure everything is safe – it’s understanding to take your time and not rush in certain things. If you rush too fast, that’s how somebody gets hurt.”</p>
<p>Patience is key, he said. “If people can be patient with all of this, we will get by it. I’d rather be safe than sorry. This too shall pass.”</p>
If readers need assistance with outside jobs now, or inside projects once safety guidelines allow, Lovejoy may be reached at 343-0412.
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
COVID Complicates Contracting – and Communicating
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
2020-05-15
Subject
The topic of the resource
Contractors
Lovejoy, Steven
Small business
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
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. 20, Pg. 6
Language
A language of the resource
Eng
Description
An account of the resource
Steven Lovejoy does home repairs and maintenance, roofing, painting, snow removal, mowing and pretty much everything else. Lovejoy describes the impact of COVID-19 on his contracting business.
2020
Caring
Physical Distance
Safety
Work
-
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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
<p>PARKMAN – Everyone is adjusting and learning new ways to move forward during these unusual times. Checkerberry Farm owners Jason and Barbara Kafka are no different. Checkerberry, purchased by the couple in 1981, has added a production greenhouse and several high tunnels to extend this region’s short growing season. Organic produce was sold retail for many years, but grew into a wholesale market over time.</p>
<p>But this month, on-site sales of seedlings is taking place Thursday – Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to replace income normally generated selling to Fedco for their annual spring sale, which was cancelled due to COVID-19.</p>
<p>“Instead of planting one of my big tunnels in May, I have to wait until June to plant because we’ve been setting it up for retail space,” Jason Kafka said.</p>
<p>The virus is not something they take lightly, Kafka said. He sat through Zoom meetings with the Department of Agriculture, representatives from the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and other producers to learn best safety practices for his family, his employees, and now, his retail customers.</p>
<p>“We need to keep healthy and be responsible,” he said. “None of us have ever lived through anything like this before. We want to be safe and we are following protocols. We are considered essential, so we can’t take that lightly, either. I went to Etna and got hand sanitizer from Mossy Ledge [Spirits]. I’m now in the process of setting up for retail, and I have to make some signs to remind people about social distancing. Our creativity is being put to the test – that’s the silver lining anyway – learning how to cope with it.”</p>
<p>Some of the farm’s wholesale outlets are seeing “quite a bit more demand,” Kafka said. “I’m not trying to grow more than I have, but I do know outfits that are.” Some of Checkerberry’s employees also work for other outlets, and that extra demand is keeping them away from the farm later into the season than usual. “We’re all feeling that there’s this demand and how do we dance through this,” he said.</p>
<p>One employee was up in Aroostook still, packing potatoes, for an extra week. “We had one prospective employee come by, and he had actually been working at Hannaford down in Belfast. He was done there now, but self-quarantined because one of those hot spots is down there, so there are all these little ripples emanating around. I’d like to have these workers come as soon as possible, but we just have to do it one step at a time to do things properly, so they will be a little delay here. I’ve learned over the years that the ground will only warm up so fast. There’s some stuff I’d like to get done, but if it’s a week later, that’s okay and the ground will just be a little bit warmer.”</p>
<p>To everything there is a season, and now it’s time to plant and help produce grow. Kafka is confident that his markets will be ready when the harvest comes. “We’ve been established with these outlets for a good long time,” he said.</p>
<p>Asked by Barbara what he wanted for his birthday on May 20, Kafka replied, “I’d like to have my onions in the ground. That’s kind of my target date. But things are still up in the air so much, I’m just trying to work smart.”</p>
<p>Social distancing with employees out in the fields is not difficult, but, “working in our production greenhouse, it is harder,” said Kafka. “We are learning new habits. Here in Piscataquis County, away from the hubbub of it all, we’ve had a bit more time to just mentally get a grasp of what we need to do and make those new habits.”</p>
<p>While Kafka said maybe it’s been overstated, “we are all in this together. One of our customers that came up on Saturday from Freeport commented on a farm down the road where she has always gotten her milk, but she hadn’t realized she could get cuts of meat and eggs there. So there’s a silver lining to all of this, and hopefully, people realize the importance of buying things locally. We’re all benefitting. The smaller the circle of our money exchanges, paying a local somebody for products or services, that money stays in the community. So utilize our local farms and stores – and local newspapers, too!”</p>
For more information about Checkerberry Farm, call 277-3114 or email <a href="mailto:jebkafka@somtel.com">jebkafka@somtel.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
Farming Requires Adjustments in the Season 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
2020-05-15
Subject
The topic of the resource
Checkerberry Farm (Parkman, Me.)
Agriculture
Organic farming
Local foods
Kafka, Barbara
Kafka, Jason
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
Parkman (Me.)
Piscataquis County (Me.)
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. 20
Language
A language of the resource
Eng
Description
An account of the resource
Everyone is adjusting and learning new ways to move forward during these unusual times. Checkerberry Farm owners Jason and Barbara Kafka are no different.
2020
Change
Essential Workers
Farming
Food
Safety
Spring
-
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cc9cf69099bb4549af33a6716ae09846
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
<p>DOVER-FOXCROFT/MAINE – Kathy Richards, a classroom specialist with the Jobs for Maine Graduates program at Foxcroft Academy, wants to help students find paths to rewarding, well-paying jobs. Richards said she took the “long and winding road” to her own college education, which was attained several years after graduating from Dexter Regional High School at age 16. She worked in special education in the Guilford school district for 17 years before becoming support staff for the Study Strategies program, and eventually helping to launch SAD 4’s Learning for Life program.</p>
<p>In January, 2016, Richards joined the JMG program at FA. JMG partners with public education and private businesses to offer results-driven solutions to ensure that all Maine students graduate, attain post-secondary credentials and pursue meaningful careers, she said.</p>
<p>“We do not want our students stuck in low-paying jobs that they don’t have a personal connection with,” Richards said. “For some people, they love being outdoors and that’s their passion, so I would not try to get that kid into an office job. I would try to help them find a pathway to a job that allows them to work where they feel the best. If you have a job where you get up in the morning and actually want to go in to work, that’s what we want for our kids. And we want them earning a living wage.”</p>
<p>Students learn communication and reasoning skills, conflict resolution, and financial literacy in addition to career exploration. “With the upper classmen, we go into more depth, so we actually find a career path from where they are now to the career they might be interested in in the future,” Richards said. Students learn what sort of credentials would be required, what internships are available, how to write resumes, and more.</p>
<p>Much of the learning is game-based or project-based, and students also do a classroom presentation, “so it’s very interactive,” said Richards. “At the start of this whole thing, when we thought we were looking at a two-week shutdown, we thought, ‘sure, we can shift things around, get the research and that sort of thing out of the way.’ Normally, students would be showing their slide shows to the class so that everyone would get the information. It’s an exposure thing. I haven’t figured out how to let everyone see everything yet, so I’m working on that. Now that we are transitioning for the long haul, I’m mapping out how to still cover the information and help them learn those skills. Without as much interaction, it’s a struggle.”</p>
<p>Google Classroom and Google Hangouts are helpful, Richards said. She communicates with her students mainly through email, and with phone calls if students don’t reply to emails.</p>
<p>“Every student at FA has an iPad issued to them, and FA has put hot spots around the region. If students drive to those hot spots in Monson, Harmony, Dover-Foxcroft, Charleston and possibly Sebec, the iPad automatically connects so they don’t even have to log in. </p>
<p>“I just want my students to stay in touch, and I think every teacher feels that way.,” she said. “When I don’t hear back from a student by email or Google Classroom, it’s kind of like being an air traffic controller, watching those blips out there, and when one disappears, it probably isn’t good.”</p>
<p><strong>Going beyond academics</strong></p>
<p>With schools shut down somewhat abruptly, JMG providers were concerned about more than the logistics of distance learning.</p>
<p>“We have 143 programs across all 16 counties and we serve a large, large number of students every year – 11,000 this year,” said Matt St. John, statewide director of operations at JMG. “We are really fortunate to have great specialists who are very student centered. This is not only about helping students academically, but with emotional and social support.</p>
<p>“When this crisis first hit, our first response was, ‘What are some things we can do to help our students right now?’ Of the students we serve, one of the populations we target are those who are economically disadvantaged, so we knew food insecurity was going to be a major barrier for a lot of our students and their families,” he said.</p>
<p>Fortunately, JMG has spent 25 years building partnerships. “Unum was the first to donate and help us with the cause of getting as many local supermarket gift cards as we could to provide some food insecurity relief,” St. John said. Soon, other partners joined the effort. “We raised $150,000 and the Harold Alfond Foundation matched that, so we had a total of $300,000 that we were able to disperse really quickly to get those Hannaford gift cards out.”</p>
<p>Each school-based JMG program was given 20 grocery gift cards. “Our specialists worked with our schools to identify the students and families most in need,” St. John said, adding that this would not have been possible without private-sector partners stepping up.</p>
“As this crises progresses, so much is unknown and there is uncertainty about the impacts it is going to have,” said St. John. “We are going to continue to hopefully speak to some of our partners and figure out other alternative ways to help our students. If there are other ways to support our kids throughout this crisis, we are going to find those ways to help them.”
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
JMG Program Supports Students in a Variety of Ways
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
2020-05-08
Subject
The topic of the resource
JMG (Augusta, Me.)
Richards, Kathy
Foxcroft Academy
High school students
COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-
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.)
Piscataquis County (Me.)
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
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Creator retains copyright. Item may be used for noncommercial purposes under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.
Publisher
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The Gazette Inc. (Dexter, Me.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
The Eastern Gazette, Vol. 168, No. 19
Language
A language of the resource
English
Description
An account of the resource
Kathy Richards, a classroom specialist with the Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG) program at Foxcroft Academy, wants to help students find paths to rewarding, well-paying jobs. With schools shut down due to the pandemic, JMG providers are finding new ways to connect with students and support them through this crisis.
2020
Change
High School
Learning
Students
-
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30795f8528e38e90c1036c2b07d135ec
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
<p>DOVER-FOXCROFT/SORRENTO – When the edge of one of my back molars broke shortly after our world had gone on lockdown, I had visions of more breakage, enormous pain and maybe even a serious infection. I wasn’t sure help was available. Luckily, recommendations from Facebook friends pointed me toward Steinke and Caruso Dental Care, which has offices in Dover-Foxcroft and Sorrento that are open for emergency care during this time. But…did I want to risk exposure to the virus?</p>
<p>I was nervous, but I knew the tooth could become a serious issue. I left a message on their voice mail around 7:45 a.m. that Monday. Dr. Steinke called me back within five minutes, had me on the phone with his office staff by 8:15, and they got me in for care by 8:30. Safety precautions were everywhere. I needed to wait in my car until someone came out to get me – only one patient in the building at a time. My temperature was taken. I was then directed to a hand washing station. After signing some paperwork (and more hand sanitizer) I was escorted by an already masked, gloved, gowned dental professional into the exam room, where my tooth was sealed with a bonding agent. Color me impressed!</p>
<p>“The good news is that we in the dental field have been practicing universal precautions to make both our patients and ourselves safe since the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s,” Hillary Caruso, DMD, recently posted on the father/daughter dental practice’s Facebook page. “It was then we changed dramatically our protocols for infection control, safety and personal protection. Our profession has been a leader in making the medical environment safe for decades.”</p>
<p>Before AIDS, it was standard practice for dentists not to wear gloves and to simply wash their hands, and their instruments, with soap and water between patients. Needles were reused. “That is crazy to think about now,” Dr. Caruso said on April 23.</p>
<p>With the COVID-19 pandemic and state mandate to postpone non-emergent procedures, Steinke and Caruso (and other dental practices) remain open only for emergencies.</p>
<p>“We are staying open to help keep people out of emergency rooms and primary care offices during this time, allowing those practitioners to focus their resources on treating the truly sick,” Dr. Caruso said. “We are limiting treatment to root canals, extractions and sealing broken teeth that are causing pain.” Once the Maine CDC decides it is safe to resume non-emergent procedures, the practice will quickly return to full service dentistry.</p>
<p>There hasn’t been any specific guidance yet from the American Dental Association or the CDC as to what guidelines will need to be in place going forward, Dr. Caruso said.</p>
<p>“All I do is spend time researching best practices,” she said. Because COVID-19 is airborne rather than blood borne, procedures that cause aerosols are not performed at this time. Dental professionals wear surgical hair caps, and masks, preferably the N95 model when available, and a face shield goes over the mask. Because N95s are in high demand for medical professionals in direct contact with COVID patients, regular procedural masks can be used and covered with the face shield, as well. </p>
<p>“What we decided for our office, which has not been mandated yet, was to purchase air purifiers that had been on the market prior to this,” said Dr. Caruso. The machines use UV light and hepa filters to purify the air and kill potential viruses. “We have one for every dental treatment room and also for the reception room. They change out the air up to six times an hour.”</p>
<p>Another purchase was a “dry shield” which guards the tongue and cuts down on the amount of aerosols sprayed during certain dental procedures. These things, as well as all of the safety precautions I experienced, will stay in place when the practice reopens for routine procedures. And patients will be asked to rinse their mouths with hydrogen peroxide, a new protocol added since my visit.</p>
<p>“We all know that there is light at the end of this uncertain tunnel,” Dr. Caruso wrote on Facebook. “We are at work now making sure, when we can get back to treating our patients, it is with the highest standards for health and safety in this COVID-19 world.”</p>
<p>For more information about Steinke and Caruso Dental Care, visit centralmainesmiles.com or call 564-3455 in Dover-Foxcroft or 422-3770 in Sorrento. </p>
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
Dental Profession Well Equipped for COVID-19 Safety
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
2020-05-01
Subject
The topic of the resource
Steinke and Caruso Dental Care
Dentistry
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.)
Sorrento (Me.)
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
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Creator retains copyright. Item may be used for noncommercial purposes under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.
Publisher
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The Gazette Inc. (Dexter, Me.)
Source
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The Eastern Gazette, Vol. 168, No. 18, Pg. 6
Language
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Eng
Description
An account of the resource
With the COVID-19 pandemic and state mandate to postpone non-emergent procedures, dental practices remain open only for emergencies. Sheila Grant writes about a visit to Steinke and Caruso Dental Care in Dover-Foxcroft, and the safety precautions dental professionals are taking.
2020
Dover-Foxcroft
Masks
PPE
Safety
Well-being
-
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51e5d8bf47f43847a199b30c39949d16
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
<p>PISCATAQUIS – Getting a new program started can be challenging enough without running into a pandemic during early days. Libby Kain was hired as Recovery Coach Site Coordinator for Piscataquis County in December, working through Mayo Regional Hospital (now Northern Light Mayo Hospital). Healthy Acadia received funding to expand existing recovery services for substance abuse disorder from Washington and Hancock counties into Piscataquis, Somerset and Waldo counties, “so I am working through the hospital, but I am subcontracted,” Kain explained. </p>
<p>“The Recovery Coach program is a free, peer-based service for people in recovery or contemplating recovery or affected others – those who have friends or loved ones who struggle with substance abuse disorder,” Kain said. The program uses recovery-positive messaging, provides support and tries to assist individuals in recovery by “helping to remove obstacles and barriers to recovery, by motivating and mentoring, encouraging them, by educating the community, and advocating for [those in or seeking recovery].”</p>
<p>A meet-and-greet community dinner had been scheduled for potential recovery coaches in March, but that had to be cancelled at the last minute due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. “Another training was supposed to me in May, a four-day Recovery Coach Academy, but that also had to be canceled,” Kain said.</p>
<p>So for now, Kain is wearing both the coaching and site coordinator hats herself. “As coordinator my job is to oversee the coaches and coordinate in the community. I work with community partners and different organizations to let them know the program is available. A lot of the work I was doing was letting people know about this new program and trying to get volunteers on board so they can be coaches.”</p>
<p>With no volunteers yet trained, Kain, now working from home, continues her community outreach while also working directly as a coach with persons in recovery.</p>
<p>“We did have to make changes, obviously, with the physical distancing and stay-at-home, which eliminated in-person meetings,” said Kain. “I am not in my office. I’m working from home. However, I am still fully operational, still scheduling meetings, using Zoom to video chat or talking over the phone. And I am still able to take new referrals.”</p>
<p>It’s been a challenge, with a program “so new a lot of people don’t know about it,” she said. “Not only that we provide addition support for people in Piscataquis County, but that we want the community to get involved, we want to reduce the stigma and let people know that recovery is possible when people are given supports and are ready to use them. There is so much stigma. People think it’s not possible for them to recover, or that they aren’t worth it. I’m trying to create a recovery-ready community that knows people can and do recover, and I think that’s really important for our community to start thinking about.”</p>
<p>Once it is deemed safe, new in-person recovery coach trainings will be scheduled. For now, Kain is trying to put together virtual training opportunities.</p>
<p>“Safety is the most important thing, but we are safely continuing to provide services,” she said. “Word of mouth can do a lot. A lot of people don’t know what they can do to help, or are not aware of what programs and supports are available close to home, especially during these times. Isolation is really difficult for some people, especially people in recovery. They can call me.”</p>
Kain will respond to voice mail left at 564-1280 or <a href="mailto:lkain@mayohospital.com">lkain@mayohospital.com</a>. For more about the Healthy Acadia Recovery Coach Program, visit <a href="https://healthyacadia.org/">healthyacadia.org</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
Recovery Services Continue During 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
2020-05-01
Subject
The topic of the resource
Kain, Libby
Northern Light Mayo Hospital (Dover-Foxcroft, Me.)
Healthy Acadia Recovery Coach Program
Community health services
Substance abuse
COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Piscataquis County (Me.)
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. 18
Language
A language of the resource
Eng
Description
An account of the resource
Getting a new program started can be challenging enough without running into a pandemic during early days. Libby Kain was hired as Recovery Coach Site Coordinator for Piscataquis County in December, working through Mayo Regional Hospital (now Northern Light Mayo Hospital).
The program uses recovery-positive messaging, provides support and tries to assist individuals in recovery by “helping to remove obstacles and barriers to recovery, by motivating and mentoring, encouraging them, by educating the community, and advocating for [those in or seeking recovery].”
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
2020
Community Health
Isolation
Mayo Hospital
Recovery
Well-being
-
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e64878efc9bb5dede19c5e6c5dd8e39e
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
<p>DOVER-FOXCROFT/SEBEC – Like most of us during the stay-safe-at-home closures, Patrick Myers is balancing needs at home with those of his workplace. And in Myers’ case, as executive director of the Center Theatre, that workplace is well known to anyone who enjoys taking in a movie, live music, plays or standup comedy close to home.</p>
<p>The theater stayed open for a time, doing extra disinfection between shows, “but it quickly became obvious we had an obligation to our staff and the public to close even before we absolutely had to by state mandate,” Myers said. “I think it was certainly the right decision, given the situation. I don’t think there’s any reason the Center Theatre should have stayed open at the risk of spreading a virus through the community. For better or worse, while the theater is vital to our wellbeing, it is not essential to our day-to-day lives.”</p>
<p>The first week after closing was spent scrambling to get everyone set up with the technology and a process to work from home. With those issues resolved, “we began to look outward again, at how we could contribute to the community, and what we could realistically do.”</p>
<p>The Center Theatre launched its Keep in Touch campaign to help folks feel more connected while also providing some revenue for the nonprofit during this downtime.</p>
<p>“The first thing we did was make our marquee available,” Myers said. “Folks make a donation and get a message up on the marquee for a day. We’ve had a fairly good response to that.” When sponsored messages don’t appear, the marquee displays humorous reminders to practice social distancing, or shares other community information. “We also are using our ad space in The Eastern Gazette so that folks will know where to get information or additional resources in the community,” he said.</p>
<p>And Keep in Touch Online is a service to create and deliver short video messages. “So folks, for a small donation, tell the theater who they want a video to go to and what they want the video to say, and we’ll connect with some of our talented actors and volunteers to record a short message that will be sent to the recipient,” Myers explained. “It’s just a fun surprise, a way to spread a little bit of joy with a birthday message, an anniversary message or just something silly to make somebody smile. It will be interesting to see what people come up with!”</p>
<p>The theater’s weekly e-blasts have evolved, now including free resources for online entertainment and other items of interest to help everyone beat the extended cabin fever season this spring.</p>
<p>“And while we’re closed, we are also making available for one week at a time videos of past performances at Center Theatre,” Myers said. “We don’t want folks to forget the great work that has gone on and will go on in the future. It’s a nice way for people to look back and see some old shows that they probably haven’t seen in quite a while.”</p>
<p>Work on the second screen in the former Center Coffee space has come to a halt as closures elsewhere have slowed down equipment installation and the arrival of funding. “It was supposed to be finished on Friday, April 10 with a grand opening on the 17<sup>th</sup>, but I can’t make any predictions now,” said Myers. </p>
<p>And what of the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival, for which the theatre is a presenting organization? “As of right now we are still hoping the festival can go on as scheduled, on June 27, but in the event it does have to be postponed, we will have a new date set shortly,” Myers said. “We definitely don’t want to cancel. It will happen one way or another!”</p>
<p>Myers said that to make a donation or for more information, visit centertheatre.org, call 564-8943 or mail to 20 East Main Street, Dover-Foxcroft, 04426.</p>
<p><strong>Safe on the farm</strong></p>
<p>Having businesses and schools closed has meant big transitions at the Myers homestead, as well. “We have two kids now doing school work from home, and both adults working from home,” Myers said. “None of us had ever had anything like this in our lives, where we now have to juggle not only family chores, but also checking in the morning to see who needs bandwidth for a conference call or school work.</p>
<p>“Out in the sticks there is not always great bandwidth, so we are just figuring out a new schedule and a new rhythm for every day,” he said. “We are trying to give each other space and the benefit of the doubt, knowing that it’s a new experience for everyone and it affects everyone a little bit differently.”</p>
<p>Teresa Myers, conservation specialist with the Maine State Museum, is working from home on projects, policies, guidelines and future exhibits. </p>
<p>Their daughter, Alice, 13, “is adjusting very well, keeping busy with school work, and thrives on being self-motivated,” said Myers. “She’s very good about keeping her own schedule, and is frankly enjoying having more free time to herself these days.”</p>
<p>The household gained a new member when Patrick’s cousin, Sami Bitat, 17, moved from Algeria to “sort of have the quintessential American high school experience – which has changed somewhat,” Myers said. “He really adjusted to school in the states very well, and then, like everyone else, had the rug pulled out from under him. He’s been through multiple transitions over the last eight months.”</p>
<p>Fortunately, there isn’t much livestock on the farm to care for these days, other than chickens cranking out so many eggs that Myers joked the family had a quota to eat four apiece each day. He used to sell eggs, but found it “more trouble than it was worth.” Now, excess eggs are donated to the food cupboard.</p>
<p>With spring in the air, there are culverts to shovel out to avoid flooding, and gardens to prepare. “There’s plenty of that work going around,” he said.</p>
<p>To relax, the family plays games and “tries to sit down for meals every once in a while together, but mainly just get outside to do some work or get out in the woods to just get away and have a change of scenery,” Myers said.</p>
<p>And finally, on the home front, he quipped, “the dog loves that we’re here all the time but I think the cat’s getting a little pissed off that we aren’t giving him half the day to be on his own in the quiet!”</p>
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
Local Theater Aims to Keep in Touch
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
2020-04-24
Subject
The topic of the resource
Center Theatre (Dover-Foxcroft, Me.)
Myers, Patrick
Myers Family
Theaters
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.)
Sebec (Me.)
Piscataquis County (Me.)
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. 17
Language
A language of the resource
English
Description
An account of the resource
Like most of us during the stay-safe-at-home closures, Patrick Myers is balancing needs at home with those of his workplace. And in Myers’ case, as executive director of the Center Theatre, that workplace is well known to anyone who enjoys taking in a movie, live music, plays or standup comedy close to home.
2020
Center Theatre
Connection
Families
Sebec
Stay-at-Home
Work
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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
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Text
Text of your story
<p>DEXTER – Being a senior in high school, a grocery store employee or a firefighter is a tough job anytime, to say nothing of during the time of COVID-19. Eric Bennett, 18, of Dexter is all three.</p>
<p>Responses to the pandemic escalated quickly at Dexter Regional High School, Bennett said, with reminders about hand washing and cough etiquette and encouragement to track symptoms in the early days, followed closely with complete school closure.</p>
<p>“They were sending us all home with packets of stuff to do,” he said on April 14. “The hardest part is the culture shock of going from a classroom setting to studying at home. The work they gave us is not necessarily hard, but I found it more difficult to stay focused, compared to in the classroom with a teacher you can ask. I used to go to Mr. Murray’s room after lunch to ask about English. Now I write emails. I got my report card the other day and I am passing all my classes.”</p>
<p>Things have changed at Hannaford Supermarket, as well. “I noticed the parking lot was absolutely packed one day, and it was pretty much a mad house in there,” Bennett recalled. “I asked one of my coworkers if they had also noticed things picking up around March 11. That’s when I heard about the first case in Maine. About a week and a half after that, they were putting Plexiglas at the registers. We also have six feet markers for the checkout line. Today we are putting in signs on some of the aisles for one-way.</p>
<p>“The six-foot policy has been interesting to follow,” he continued. “It kind of affects everybody’s performance a little bit because you can’t just sneak by a person. You have to wait for the aisle to clear before you can start stocking. Out front, they are cleaning the carts after every use, and you can’t have more than 45 people in the store at one time. We have two employees out front: one who counts, and one who cleans carts.” Employees were being offered the option to wear masks, as well.</p>
<p>Bennett said he picked up extra hours at the grocery store because he wanted to earn money while not in school, but that “it always felt like kind of a moral obligation, if you will, to work now because of how many people need groceries. It’s nice to have extra money in my pocket, and I might as well work and try to get that extra experience, but I am also a lot younger than a lot of the workers down there. I’d rather me catch it than somebody who might not be able to bounce back.”</p>
<p>Bennett was a junior firefighter for a couple of years before turning 18, and has been a full-fledged firefighter with the Dexter Fire Department since last August. In addition to putting out fires, firefighters answer calls that may put them in contact with COVID patients.</p>
<p>“We do get paged out for lift assists and car accidents and some other medical calls,” he said. “We’re all more mindful of [COVID], and social distancing. And it’s always an option whether or not to go to a call anyways. I found a couple of calls that I opted not to go on because of certain characteristics of that call.”</p>
<p>Bennett has reason to be cautious. His family has already had its first brush with COVID-19. His sister, 16, who has preexisting health concerns, had been babysitting down in the Portland area. Her employer developed symptoms associated with COVID and was advised to treat it as such, but could not get tested.</p>
<p>“So I get a call from my mother that my sister has been exposed,” said Bennett. Since he had not been near his sister, Bennett went to stay with his grandparents in Guilford for two weeks rather than be quarantined at home with her. “I was stuck between a rock and a hard place,” he said. “If I had stayed home, I could not have worked. And it turned out to just be pneumonia.”</p>
<p>On the day we spoke, Bennett said graduation was the only thing that had not yet been officially cancelled, “but the writing is on the wall for it. In the fall, I thought, ‘I don’t care if I march’ but now that it’s actually out of the question, that kind of hurts a little bit. But, it’s one of those things where we have to roll with the punches, I guess.”</p>
<p>He was also disappointed that prom was cancelled because she “never really had a very good prom and I told her she would this year, but that’s kind of the way the cards fall,” he said. She occasionally visits him at lunch at an outdoor picnic table. “I’m hoping this will be over by summer, at least. It’s bad in this regard, because we are both going to colleges and are going to be halfway across the country from each other.”</p>
<p>To destress, Bennett buys project materials online, plays a lot more video games than in the past, and, “I’ve also found myself taking a lot more walks and runs, now that I think about it, which is very relaxing. And if my beeper [for fire calls] goes off, I am out the door! I go stir crazy pretty easy,” he said, laughing.</p>
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
School, Work, Duty, Family All Affected by 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
2020-04-24
Subject
The topic of the resource
Bennett, Eric
Dexter Regional High School
High school students
Supermarkets
Fire fighters
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.)
Penobscot County (Me.)
Type
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Text
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Creator retains copyright. Item may be used for noncommercial purposes under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.
Publisher
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The Gazette Inc. (Dexter, Me.)
Source
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The Eastern Gazette, Vol. 168, No. 17
Language
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Eng
Description
An account of the resource
Being a senior in high school, a grocery store employee or a firefighter is a tough job anytime, to say nothing of during the time of COVID-19. Eric Bennett, 18, of Dexter is all three.
2020
Families
First Responders
High School
Students
Work
-
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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
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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
<p>DOVER-FOXCROFT -- Students travel to the U.S.A. from around the globe to experience high school in America and to prepare to attend our colleges. Now, because of COVID-19 and its associated safety guidelines, many students are unable to return to their homes and families while also missing out on that American high school experience.</p>
<p>Dayita Durachman, a junior at Foxcroft Academy, said she is one of the lucky ones because she has been attending the school since her freshman year. Students only here for one year have missed out on the end of winter sports, all of spring sports, prom, and may not get to experience graduation.</p>
<p>“I was born in Indonesia, but we moved to Singapore when I was really young,” said Durachman. “I came to FA mostly because I want to go to college here. I thought coming here through high school would make it easier to apply to colleges, to understand the curriculum and how the system works.”</p>
<p>FA was specifically chosen because of the good student/teacher ratio and the small town setting, she said. “There are no distractions to studying, like there would be in a big city. The teachers are very focused on us, which is very helpful to me because English is not my first language.”</p>
<p>Another thing that made Dover-Foxcroft a good pick was the Center Theatre. Durachman, who plans to study theater in college, has been performing in local productions for the past three years.</p>
<p>“I was going to be in ‘Oliver.’ I already auditioned and I got a really good part, but they had to cancel. It’s really sad,” she said. Durachman has had roles in Center Theatre productions of “Little Women,” “Seussical II” and “Lion King.” “The school is doing a really good job with productions, too. I was a main character in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ last fall.”</p>
<p>Durachman said she will likely attend a college in New England because, “I call this home, and I don’t want to be far from home.”</p>
<p>Still, it is hard to be away from family during a worldwide crisis. “My parents live in an apartment, and apparently someone in that apartment block has it,” said Durachman. “But they’ve been doing work at home. My baby sister is only five months old now, so I’m really worried about her – but I think they are fine. They are just staying home.” </p>
<p>Many of FA’s foreign students went home as the pandemic spread. That wasn’t an option in her case. “I was going to go home, but that Monday it hit. Singapore closed its borders, so I can’t go home. And I would have to go through Germany because it takes two days to go home and Germany is in a really bad situation…so I just couldn’t get home. I don’t know when I’m going home. It’s a day-by-day situation,” she said.</p>
<p>Having her in a small, rural community is some comfort to her family, Durachman said. “But they are still worried. There’s going to be a risk anywhere.”</p>
<p>There are other challenges. Some classes, like music and chorus, cannot be offered online or students may lack the instruments to participate from home, she said. “Or like chemistry. I’m kind of sad we can’t do the labs anymore. Labs are very helpful because you actually see a reaction and how it works.”</p>
<p>Some teachers are better at teaching online and responding promptly to email than others, said Durachman. And preparing for the SATs has also become a challenge. “I paid for it already and got the books, but the tests got cancelled and it is harder for us to study in the summer.”</p>
<p>FA is trying to make the best of the experience for students still living in the dorms. “The school is trying to keep us physically active,” Durachman said. “They open the gym for us, and we can walk on the track when the weather is nice.</p>
<p>“It’s mostly the social interaction that I miss,” she continued. Dorms are not allowed any visitors. Residents, because they are already cohabitating, do not have to social distance, but students have all been given their own room. Activities are organized to try to keep them entertained and cheerful. “We do painting, indoor soccer, and we had an Easter egg hunt around the dorms – I got M&Ms.”</p>
<p>The school is keeping the dorms open and providing meals. “The school is doing a good job,” said Durachman. “I’m glad I’m stuck here, compared to all the kids stuck in their own homes, especially an only child. I’ve been living with these people for a whole year. We are all safe. Here, I have friends and some social interaction.”</p>
<p>Durachman does a lot of reading, online entertainment, and “I’m trying to get some new hobbies. I’m trying to learn to knit, but I’m very impatient,” she said with a laugh.</p>
<p>Her parents call her daily. “I am a little sad I haven’t seen my parents for eight months now, but I kind of want to spend one of my summers here because everyone says Maine is the best in the summer. This might be my chance to do so,” Durachman said. “But the world is sick and everyone is struggling and it’s just really sad.”</p>
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
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Not the American Experience She Hoped For
Creator
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Grant, Sheila D.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2020-04-24
Subject
The topic of the resource
Durachman, Dayita
Foxcroft Academy
High school students
Foreign students
COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-
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
Rights
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Creator retains copyright. Item may be used for noncommercial purposes under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.
Publisher
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The Gazette Inc. (Dexter, Me.)
Source
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The Eastern Gazette, Vol. 168, No. 17, Pg. 2
Language
A language of the resource
Eng
Description
An account of the resource
Students travel to the U.S.A. from around the globe to experience high school in America and to prepare to attend our colleges. Now, because of COVID-19 and its associated safety guidelines, many students are unable to return to their homes and families while also missing out on that American high school experience.
Writer Sheila Grant profiles Dayita Durachman, a junior at Foxcroft Academy.
2020
Families
Foxcroft Academy
High School
Students
-
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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
<p>DEXTER -- Donna Kraft-Smith was one of many Mainers taken by surprise at the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus was making its way across the nation, Kraft-Smith was busy operating her Therapeutic Body Work Learning Center in Brewer, her own massage therapy practice in Dexter, and planning a road trip with her husband, Henry.</p>
<p>“It didn’t seem like it got real for us in Maine until March,” she said. “Up until then the President was even saying it was a hoax or whatever.” It was not until President Donald J. Trump addressed the nation on March 11, and Maine had its first presumptive case of COVID-19 on March 12, that many Mainers took a more somber look at the pandemic. To Kraft-Smith, it felt like things just “blew up.”</p>
<p>At first, she continued to try to run her therapeutic massage practice, stepping up already stringent cleaning standards. “I am always trying to keep everything as clean as possible, not just with COVID-19, but there are other things that people might transfer to one another,” she said. Then, because she planned to go on vacation, Kraft-Smith stopped seeing clients.</p>
<p>Kraft-Smith has 12 students this year at the Therapeutic Body Work Learning Center. The 500-hour course runs for 14 months during two intensive weekends per month. Fortunately, she decided to cancel the late March session even before Governor Janet Mills ordered the closure of nonessential businesses, effective March 25.</p>
<p>“We could have made that last class, but I really felt it wasn’t a good idea,” said Kraft-Smith. “There were too many of us in a room, coming from all different places.”</p>
<p>Even at home, there was confusion about how to proceed. “We were planning a road trip to Florida,” she said. “My husband and I went back and forth on it, and decided we weren’t going to go because we would pass through so many states and would be stopping at rest areas, gas stations. We decided if things got worse, we would be with people we didn’t know and we would not have a doctor, so it just didn’t make sense to leave -- and within a couple of days, things blew up.”</p>
<p>With her practice and school closed as non-essential businesses, Kraft-Smith continues trying to work with students, who are about halfway through their training. “I am doing some online training, but not everyone can use Zoom, and now they are saying Zoom has some issues. Because some people live remotely, it’s challenging. I’m trying to do some by Facebook and email. But they can only do the academic work; they can’t do the hands-on. We have to wait until a time that becomes safe.”</p>
<p>No students have registered for the new session beginning in September. “In the meantime, I’m expected to pay rent,” she continued. “My space out of Dr. Reddy’s building in Dexter, they said I didn’t have to pay rent until I started again, but the Brewer space, which is more expensive…I could defer rent, but he is still expecting me to pay that [back] rent later.”</p>
<p>Kraft-Smith is hoping that if she doesn’t qualify for Maine’s unemployment program, she might qualify under the new federal program. “I believe I may be eligible for up to $600 a week for up to four months, but the state does not have this site up yet,” she said on April 3.</p>
<p>Henry is retired and draws Social Security, so the couple does have some income. He is also experiencing health issues for which surgery may be required, but “doctors don’t’ really want to have you come in now,” she said. “They are doing a lot over the phone to postpone that. I’m sure a lot of other people are struggling with this now, too.”</p>
<p>Even if Kraft-Smith could work now, she wouldn’t. “I’m not scared to death that I’m going to die from [COVID-19], but I’d rather not get it,” she said. “I have no choice. I have to keep up. If I just go down, it’s not going to work. I am the only one who can go back and forth to town, can walk the dog, can really help him.”</p>
<p>To keep her spirits up, Kraft-Smith is connecting with students and friends on Facebook. “I have that to look forward to, and like everyone else, I’m trying to accomplish things that I don’t usually have time to do because of work. And I allow myself some time to be sad and to be afraid – but then I dust myself off and just keep going.”</p>
<p>Kraft-Smith has also been a yoga instructor, and is certified in Reike. “I practice my deep breathing all the time,” she said. “I’m aligning my body, and doing some stretches – probably not as much as I could, but I have a lot of other things I need to be doing. It’s not just yoga on a mat. Yoga is a lifestyle, so the things I’ve learned to keep myself calm are helping a lot.”</p>
<p>Kaft-Smith said that massage clients unable to see their pracrtitioners should be stretching “always!” and may benefit from online yoga, meditation and exercise classes. But, she cautioned, “When talking about people with a lot of chronic pain and stiffness, sometimes the videos out there are too much. You always have to be mindful of where that place is that your body says ‘that’s enough.’”</p>
<p>She’s also giving some thought to the future. “Eventually this is going to end. It may change my career. I’m thinking about other things I could do. Everyone isn’t going to want to just jump back in and have a massage until they feel safe again.”</p>
<p>There’s also the issue of job loss, and that folks may not be able to afford a massage – or the online classes Kraft-Smith is thinking about offering. “I could teach mediation and yoga online. Self-massage is something I’ve been thinking of offering.”</p>
<p>Kraft-Smith said anyone interested in possible future videos or massage can contact her at <a href="mailto:mainemassage@gmail.com">mainemassage@gmail.com</a>.</p>
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
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Confusion, Disappointment and Change Are Part of the COVID Journey
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
2020-04-17
Subject
The topic of the resource
Kraft-Smith, Donna
Massage therapy
Therapeutic Bodywork Learning Center (Brewer, Me.)
Holistic medicine
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.)
Brewer (Me.)
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Rights
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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. 16
Language
A language of the resource
Eng
Description
An account of the resource
Massage therapist Donna Kraft-Smith was one of many Mainers taken by surprise at the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic. With her practice and school closed as non-essential businesses, Kraft-Smith continues trying to work with students and keep her spirits up by connecting with students and friends online.
2020
Change
Job Loss
Well-being
Work