DOVER-FOXCROFT – Despite safety guidelines that have made listing and showing properties more challenging in recent months, the real estate market is doing well, according to Dorothea “Dolly” Perkins. In May, the Realty of Maine broker was recognized for the highest dollar volume for an individual agent, closing on nearly $1 million for the month.
Perkins said that she loves dealing with farms, but another passion is, “helping people get their first home, or get a home after financial difficulty is really where my heart is. It’s absolutely life changing, not just for the buyer, but for their whole family. Many years ago, we experienced a devastating financial situation due to medical events. We even gave the home we lived in back to the bank, and lived in an apartment over the shop where we had a computer business. We did not even have enough money to go bankrupt. Eventually, with good advice and guidance from some people who knew more about this than me, we were able to recover, and I was able to take that experience and show people how to change their future. I did not know it at that time, but it seems that God allowed us to go through that and gave us the tools we needed to get through, and then be able to show others how to, as well. It’s truly a humbling thing, and it’s ultimately been a blessing, because there truly is hope and a way. It can be a long process, but so worth it!”
Perkins was able to work though the mandated shutdown, but things have been different. “We closed our small Dover-Foxcroft office for about a month and I worked from home,” she said. “When it became clear that we would be able to reopen, I leased a larger space – three times the size – so we could have meetings and closings and still be able to socially distance.” The office is now located at 64 East Main St., Suite G (the former H&R Block office).
Perkins and business partner Xiaorong Horton, and Perkins’ son, Lliam Perkins, also a licensed agent, have room to spread out, and take turns providing office coverage when others are out for showings or closings. “We keep sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, masks for anyone who wants or needs them, and we are able to now work in a larger, better space and still remain as safe as possible,” Perkins said. “We want our clients and customers to be comfortable.”
Realtors were able to show houses, but with some restrictions. Going out to show numerous homes to clients at one time was not an option. “We had to send the clients all the photos and data, make sure they were fully qualified, and then we had to go and do a ‘video tour’ of the properties they were interested in. They could then choose only one to visit in person. If they wanted to see another, we would then have to video that property, and schedule that showing for another time.”
Potential buyers were not allowed to bring friends, extended family, etc. Everyone had to wear a mask, gloves and shoe covers. “We had to provide them,” Perkins said. “I actually ended up buying over 1,750 pairs of shoe covers via my existing ULINE account. We were able to order when no one else was, because they were not accepting new accounts. We delivered many of them to our main office in Bangor, and they were able to help keep showings and marketing going for the area. Our staff in Bangor distributed shoe coverings to those who needed them, to help keep the local real estate market up and running.”
Another change is that much of the paperwork is done electronically, with digital signatures, to provide zero-touch safety. Agents go over disclosure forms by telephone while both parties view the documents on their respective computer screens. Two benefits are that nobody ends up trying to decipher handwritten notes, and that clients can keep the documents on the computer for future reference rather than being handed a “big stack of paperwork” to file.
“For the most part now, we are back to showing, with several restrictions still in place, but it is beginning to feel almost like the ‘old times.’
Perkins said she is not as familiar with the larger markets in southern Maine where the majority of real estate sales are located, “but in this area, people want to be in the country, and in small villages. They want that ‘Mayberry’ experience. We have so much to offer here – a safe place with low crime, reasonable home prices, an easy commute to Bangor and the services and shopping that they have, as well as job opportunities in ways that we never really imagined before. Working from home with the new fiber Internet has been life-changing and has allowed people to move to areas that they never would have been able to before.”
Perkins said that today’s low interest rates are also very good for first-time home buyers. “So, for us, sales are up,” she said on June 24. “We closed 11 transaction sides in our office in the last two weeks, so that is pretty good!”
The award-winning realtor credits good quality presentation, online marketing, and having PPE at the ready for her success. “We carry gloves, masks and sanitizer in our vehicles so that we are ready to show now that we can again,” Perkins said. “We do the best job we can by telling our sellers to leave all the lights on and interior doors open, so we don’t’ have to touch those surfaces. We do what we can to keep their homes as clean and safe as possible and to be respectful of their home.”
Despite robust sales in May and June, there are still people waiting. “I am hoping that the travel restrictions are lifted soon, and we can safely get those families a place where they can grow and flourish,” said Perkins. “We need the jobs and stability that they can bring to our area, and they crave the lifestyle we have here. Fortunately, I am not seeing a lot of the typical ‘out-of-stater’ cliché with the ones coming in. The people who want to move here seem to want to embrace the lifestyle, and do not want to re-create the one they are leaving.”
The biggest thing Perkins hopes people will understand about her business is that, “I am not here to ‘sell’ someone on the idea of buying or selling a home. By the time someone calls me to buy a place, or even sell, they have already decided that they want to do this. It’s a new chapter of life for them, and I am so honored when I get chosen to help!”
Perkins may be reached at 279-0571 or dolly@dollyperkins.com.
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.
“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.”
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.
“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.”
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
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.
“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.”
President Trump took the stage to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” and the cheers of attendees.
“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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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!”
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.”
Keeping the discourse civil
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.
“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.”
And after the event, Young took to Facebook again to thank everyone for what turned out to be a relatively peaceful and positive day.
“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.
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.”
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.
“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!”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.
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].”
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.”
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 info@CentralHallCommons.org]
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
If readers need assistance with outside jobs now, or inside projects once safety guidelines allow, Lovejoy may be reached at 343-0412.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.
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.”
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.”
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.
“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.
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!”
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.
“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.”
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 17th, but I can’t make any predictions now,” said Myers.
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!”
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.
Safe on the farm
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.
“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.”
Teresa Myers, conservation specialist with the Maine State Museum, is working from home on projects, policies, guidelines and future exhibits.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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!”
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.
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.
“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.”
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.
“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.
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.”
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.
“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.”
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.
“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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
“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.”
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.
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.
“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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.’”
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.”
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.”
Kraft-Smith said anyone interested in possible future videos or massage can contact her at mainemassage@gmail.com.
AUGUSTA -- When one needs their job, speaking out about what it’s like to be an essential employee might be risky.
“So, I’m considered an essential worker, as we supply people with food and supplies for their pets,” explained the worker, who wished to remain anonymous. The store serves pet owners within a 50-mile radius of Maine’s capital and is considered a high-traffic location.
“The executives have done a great job being transparent about all the changes due to COVID-19,” she said. “We've been able to keep the same payroll hours, but our business hours have changed. We're required to keep track of the number of people in the store (no more than 15), which is difficult when 'Bob' and 'Mary' decide to take their family of five to go look at the 'pretty fish,' without gloves or masks, and with a few kids coughing and sneezing on everyone and everything in store.
“Because of this, and because we are trying to reduce the risk to everyone, we have an extensive cleaning schedule of all the carts, baskets, counters, pin pads, etc.” she said. “I've also learned that the best way to help protect my customers is to sanitize my gloves between each interaction. We are taking this seriously, but it has become painfully obvious not everyone is.”
This employee lives with, “my dad who has health issues already. Both my parents are taking care of their parents, whose health is already declining without the help of COVID-19. Because of this, every time I leave this house I'm wearing gloves, have hand sanitizer, and grab a mask from work if I'm there.
“The fact that I have coworkers and customers telling me that 'it is what it is' and 'if they get it, they get it' without wearing gloves or a mask or taking any precautions is appalling,” she said. “I'm putting not only myself, but my family, at risk by working, and people who go about their day like normal, without any precautions whatsoever are the reason we're in this mess.”
Recently, this employee came down with a head cold. “Mostly just a sore throat, but with everything going on, you never know,” she said. “Luckily, I had that day off, but everyone in my house treated me like the plague. If I touched a handle they'd sanitize it before using it. I drank so much Emergen-C!
“The next day I was scheduled to work,” she said. “As it was just a head cold, I was feeling a lot better but still not 100 percent. Everywhere you look, people are telling you to stay home if you feel sick, so that’s what I did. One more day to get it out of my system. When I called in however, I felt like the bad guy. The afternoon crew had also called in just moments before me, so now the managers were scrambling to figure things out, and I got the stress unload.”
Still, she is grateful to still have a job, “and so is my mom, who is now working from home. My brother works third shift and my dad is a disabled veteran. With a six-month-old puppy and two cats in the house, we are already crazy and annoyed with each other enough without the addition of COVID-19 closing opportunities to get away from each other.”
The April 9 blizzard didn’t help the stress level, since gardening is a pathway to relaxation. “My seedlings are eagerly waiting to be planted in the garden, and I need sun! I want to get my hands dirty digging out weeds and growing my own food again. Even before COVID, I was planning the garden, leaning about sourdough and canning and preserving foods, and summer will bring that. Like most people, I'm tired of winter and mud season at this point, and just want to sun bathe. But on the bright side, the birds are enjoying the feeder now. Some chickadees, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, and eastern phoebes have visited.”
All in all, though, she said, “I’m calm but scared. I don't know if I'm being cautious enough or am blissfully ignorant of how much danger I'm putting myself (and my family) in.”DOVER-FOXCROFT – The team at Northern Light Mayo Hospital is getting ready for COVID-19, and they could use our help and support.
“One of the things I do think is a blessing for us here is being in a rural area where the population density is so much lower than even in Portland or southern Maine,” said Marie Vienneau, president of North Lights Mayo Hospital. “It helps increase the chances of success with social distancing. I hope and pray that helps us here in this county. We support the guidelines and encourage everyone to follow them. They do help and they can work!”
Social distancing is “one of the only tools in the tool chest,” said Dr. McDermott, VP of Medical Affairs and Senior Physician Executive. “We don’t know who is shedding the virus until they are sick, four to 10 days after they’ve been exposed. Social distancing will work, and may be what makes Maine look different than other places. We might be in social distancing for six to eight weeks, maybe more. Social distancing is a difficult term, so let’s call it physical distancing, but without a breakdown in communication.”
For example, he said, many meetings now take place online via Zoom, and friends can have dinner together over Skype. “We are very fortunate to have those technologies and people are finding creative ways to use them.”
Proper hand washing is also imperative. Dr. McDermott said he loves the handwashing advice dispensed recently by Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah, which was: wash your hands as if you have just sliced a bag of jalapeno peppers and now need to take out your contact lenses.
“A lot of people are very concerned about hand sanitizer, but when I became a nurse, we didn’t even have hand sanitizer,” Vienneau reassured. “Soap and water are all you need, so you shouldn’t worry too much if you don’t have hand sanitizer or bleach wipes. You can get by if you just wash your hands well.”
And while it was somewhat contentious, the merger between Mayo Regional Hospital and Northern Light Health on March 1 couldn’t have come at a better time, Dr. McDermott said.
“One of the things I would say really helps me get though the day and worry less at night is knowing that we are part of a system. That brought to us a wealth of resources, planning, materials and ability to anticipate potential problems that would have been extremely difficult on our own. I feel blessed that we’re there,” he said.
Vienneau agreed. “All the supports are there, and financially, we would have been in very dire straits had we not merged at the time we did.” The hospital is losing revenue from cancelled elective procedures and routine appointments, while savings are being depleted due to stock market losses. “It would have been very difficult for us without this system to back us up,” she said.
Community caring makes a difference
“I would say the community has been extremely supportive of the workers, as well,” said Vienneau. “Spruce Mill [Farm & Kitchen] sent cookies and coffee one day. Gordon Contracting donated N95 masks, and helped us set up our areas. And various community members are making homemade masks.”
Mayo employees are finding the community efforts, “very supportive and heartwarming at a time when they are under more stress than they may have been in their careers,” she said.
“It’s unusual,” said Vienneau. “At a time when many of our family members are home and trying to stay home, we are actually working harder than we would normally work, because the demands of preparing for this are quite great.”
To offset that unsettled feeling, it’s important all essential workers try to, “get enough rest, eat healthy, get exercise every day – all of the things that keep you going during a challenging time,” she said.
“I think one of the things that I personally have experienced that has been helpful to me, and I know other members of the medical staff have felt this, too, is the tremendous amount of support from our friends and families,” Dr. McDermott said. “Not a day goes by that I haven’t gotten a text saying something like, ‘Hey, I know you’re on the front lines. I’m thinking of you.’ That sort of unsolicited support from family and friends, through social media, texts and phone calls all help a lot.”
McDermott said he also feels blessed to be in an area where most of us can open our door and get outside without violating social distancing guidelines. While people in urban areas are stacked high in multistory apartment buildings, “we have the ability to get out on the recreational trails, go for a walk, go down to the lake or up to Borestone,” he said. “We’ve got those opportunities here in our backyard, and I think people are taking advantage of that. My daughter, from San Francisco, came home because if she was going to work from home, she would rather do it in Maine than in a crowded urban area.”
Healing themselves while healing others
While anyone who can work from home is doing so, hospital workers are in the workplace “because that’s where the patients are,” Dr. McDermott said. “We ask each other, ‘How are you doing?’ and then “Okay, how are you really doing?’ We don’t have a lot of employee turnover. People here form friendships over 15 or 20 years. They know when someone is under stress, and looking out for them is a nice feeling.”
There are also a couple of people at the hospital who are doing reflective readings, and sharing them with coworkers each day by email to provide insight, a reprieve, and to take the mind to a different place. “And humor helps,” said Dr. McDermott. “This is not something that should be taken lightly, but we try to find some levity. There are things about the ways our society is responding to this that are humorous – and laughing helps.”
Additionally, Northern Lights Mayo Hospital tasked some staff with creating a wellness handbook for employees. “It was sent out today [March 30] and has multiple links to mindfulness programs, meditation, recovery resources, exercise – access to programs to keep ourselves and our minds fit and healthy,” said Vienneau. “We asked them to develop this based on the situation we are in at this time. As leaders of this organization, Dave and I and the rest of the leadership team are charged with the support of our employees and helping them through this, being there every day and helping them, communicating with them, doing nice things for them like free food on Fridays. It’s a prolonged period that this virus will be with us. It is very important to support our employees,” she said.
“Of course, we have individuals who, based on their own personal situations, are dealing with some anxiety,” Vienneau continued. “Perhaps it’s a caregiver who is pregnant or older and has chronic conditions, and they are asking questions about that. People are seeking help and support if they feel affected, but overall, our employee morale is quite strong.”
Finding the silver lining
“Another thing that is really helping us through this is that with adversity comes innovation,” said Dr. McDermott. “We are learning to do things we haven’t done before. We are using Zoom as a secure platform to begin reaching out to patients in their homes through telemedicine.”
A lot of healthcare can be done well through telemedicine, he said. For example, a patient under treatment for high blood pressure, with an accurate blood pressure cuff at home, could safely have a follow-up appointment with a physician via telemedicine.
“In many parts of the country, telemedicine is more advanced, but all of a sudden with COVID-19, we are putting in place platforms in all primary care areas that will serve us well for years to come. I’ve got two daughters living out-of-state in urban areas, and they routinely get things taken care of through telemedicine. They get the advice and guidance they need, and it saves them time and travel. We are learning new things, which helps keep people resilient. I think some of the skills we are learning now are skills which are going to serve us well in the future.”
“Our providers are open and excited to learning new telemedicine technology,” said Vienneau, adding that after the crisis, healthcare will probably never go back to how it was pre-telemedicine.
The other thing that Dr. McDermott said he is seeing is the office-based practitioners, who are not as busy now, are cross-training for roles that they may have done in the past, like working in the hospital or in the ER.
“It’s refreshing for them to push their minds in different ways,” he said. “They are not doing something they are not comfortable with, in terms of taking care of someone sicker than their anticipated needs, but they are working in a different environment, with a different team. It’s almost like taking a vacation while at work. We are doing that now, before the surge. When we get the surge, we’ll be ready. We’ll have staff cross-trained and people won’t be trying to figure out how a system works that they don’t’ know really well. We will be ready to roll up our sleeves.”
DOVER-FOXCROFT -- Life has changed dramatically for families in the Piscataquis region, and around the globe.
“I get to get out of the house by myself, and that’s about as much celebrating as I’m doing today,” said Christi Pingree on April 2, her birthday, while picking up pre-ordered groceries. The couple, who will be married two years in June, have two children, Jarad Pingree’s son, Kieran, 9, and Christi’s daughter, Jelena, 9.
Pingree, a behavioral health professional, took a leave of absence when the school closed, even though she worries about her clients while she’s away. “My workplace is pretty understanding, and in my opinion, family comes first. I don’t want my kids shuffled around, especially at a scary time, an uncertain time. I want them to have stability, a strong routine. We do a whole school day and try to keep it as normal as possible,” she said.
Jelena enjoys being home schooled, but Kieran doesn’t like it as much and misses his friends, Pingree said. Finding materials hasn’t been an issue, as the school sends homework, coloring sheets, links to word searches and other educational games. Art projects are also available online. School begins right after breakfast.
“We do things in the same order every day,” said Pingree. “We knock out the hard stuff first, then go on to the easier things. If we can’t do recess, we do what I call movement – we put ‘Just Dance’ on the Wii to get all their wiggles out.”
Pingree said she “never aspired to be a homeschool or stay-at-home mom, and I was right! This is not for me. I only work when they are at school. I take them to the library once a week, and I’m at every sports thing, but I like to get out and work, and I like having my free days here and there, too.”
Financial concerns and COVID fears
Pingree was a little apprehensive when she took her leave of absence. Then they found out Jared would also not be working. Jarad just finished work as a background investigator. His new job, forensic analyst at the Maine State Police crime lab, is on hold.
“This is a little scarier because we don’t know how long this is going to go on for,” she said. “I don’t know if this will be a month or three months. I had heard with mortgage companies, if you needed to miss a payment or three, they would put it on the back end of the loan.” But when she called, she was told that they could take months off, but would owe back payments in addition to regular payments once they resumed.
Fortunately, the couple’s income tax refund arrived recently. “That was a load off,” Pingree said. “I felt like the timing was pretty darn good. I think we’ll be okay. We’ll be fine.”
Typically, Pingree shops at Sam’s Club and Walmart, supplementing with trips to Shaw’s and Will’s Shop n Save. Now, “I don’t want to go in anywhere. I pull in [at Walmart] and call and tell them I’m there, and they bring it out to the car. I don’t touch anything or talk to anyone. I wash my hands when I get home and I scrub everything down with antiseptic wipes, then I wash my hands again,” she said. Postage stamps are ordered online, as are photographs. Arrivals from Amazon get wiped down, too.
Pingree is also uncertain how safe takeout food might be. “Everyone decides how much risk they want to take. Everyone has their ideas, but to me, it’s just not worth it. I am perfectly capable of preparing our food. To me, better safe than sorry. That’s just my personality.”
Mental health matters
Talking to the kids about what’s going on can be tricky, Pingree said. “I don’t want to lie to them that it’s all sunshine and rainbows, but I don’t want to scare them, either. We tell them that everything is going to be okay, that we are doing everything we can to protect ourselves, and just following [recommendations] to keep ourselves healthy.”
Pingree, who works part time, misses having a few hours to herself while the kids are in school. “I really, really miss having time to myself one or twice a week,” she said. Fortunately, her husband helps her carve out a couple of hours to watch TV by herself, and she helps him find time for a nap once in a while. Jarad Pingree, a veteran, is missing pain management treatments normally received through a VA hospital in Boston.
Pingree said she misses attending church in person rather than via Facebook Live. And she misses dinners with her in-laws, who live nearby. “It’s been kind of weird and hard not to be able to do that. Yesterday, my mother-in-law put some masks in the mailbox, and waved through the window,” she said.
“I try to keep things as normal as possible,” Pingree said. “Other than that, we are just kind of winging it and doing our best like everyone else and hoping this thing will pass.”