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 Fall in Dexter Photo by Judy Wilbur Craig, Little Lake Wassookeag
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PENQUIS - “It’s All About You!” will be held on February 21, 2015 from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. at the Charlotte White Center at 572 Bangor Road, Dover-Foxcroft, “It’s All About You!” is a free event open to all personal and professional caregivers, past and present. Attendees will have the opportunity to have a massage or manicure; and to try reiki, guided meditation, B.E.S.T., acupuncture, cranio-sacral therapy and essential oil therapy. A delicious lunch will also be served. More than 20% of Maine households are impacted by caregiving responsibilities. This translates to one in five Maine families coping with care for a disabled or chronically ill family member or friend. In the United States 90% of long-term care is provided by unpaid caregivers. Many caregivers report having difficulty finding time for one’s self, managing stress, and balancing work and family responsibilities. Pine Tree Hospice’s Caring for the Caregiver programs focus on addressing the needs of caregivers in our community. So often, these individuals devote their time and energy to caring selflessly for another, often sacrificing their own well-being. Caring for Caregivers events offer support and a little pampering for these individuals. So, caregivers, treat yourself to a little care. You deserve it! Please pre-register for this event by calling 564-4346 or emailing wecare@pinetreehospice.org.
PENQUIS - DDATTers: our First Friday film and discussion has been put back a week this month... Friday Feb 6, the Center Theatre in Dover Foxcroft will be showing "Growing Local", a new film sponsored by the Maine Farmland Trust at 7 PM. Featuring a “Farmers Information Market” with local producers. Co-hosted with Dover Cove Farmers Market. "The locavore movement is old news. Growing Local takes the conversation to the next level. While “buying local” is on the rise, these three poignant vignettes make clear that small farms and access to locally produced food is not a sure thing. In Growing Local, we meet father and son organic dairy farmers struggling with the realities of producing a commodity food product to keep their farm going and in the family, we follow an artisanal butcher who helps us understand how healthy, thoughtful meat production can be supported and sustained, and the series closes with the story of a young farm couple who, on risky sweat-equity, have revitalized a fertile piece of farmland into a thriving community food hub. These stories help us to better understand the interconnected fates of farmers and farmland, consumers and the local food movement." Friday Feb 13, DDATT will reshow the documentary "Root Hog or Die" at 6 PM at the Abbot Memorial Library in Dexter. "Root Hog or Die is a portrait of a living remnant of a once pervasive but rapidly vanishing way of life. Filmed in 1973 in hilltowns across Western Massachusetts and Southern Vermont, it follows the cycle of the farming year from spring to winter. In its course we visit with an array of elders, who reflect on farming's deep natural patterns, share their family histories and personal memories, and ponder the inevitable forces of technological and social change they have endured. The bittersweet nature of their challenges is manifest, as is the quiet pride they take in their lives as farmers." Not only is the subject of the film fascinating, the black and white visuals are beautiful in themselves. Please come join us for this hour long movie and discussion afterwards. Call 277-4221 for more info. 
 local collaboration to provide classroom activities Agriculture LogoWhile it might be difficult to think about gardening and farming in mid-January, a group of volunteers are doing just that as they are preparing a fourth year of the GrowME program. The program is offered to K-3 teachers and schools in Piscataquis County and the surrounding areas. The program is organized by a collaboration between Valley Grange of Guilford, PCSWCD (Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District) and UMaine Piscataquis County Extension. GrowME aims to utilize local volunteers who will work with teachers to schedule an agricultural activity in their classrooms during Maine Agriculture Week (March 24-28). Ana Bonstedt, Home Horticulture Coordinator for Piscataquis County UMaine Extension is particularly excited over the “hands on” aspect of the activities. “Thanks to our rural nature in Piscataquis County, we don’t have the ‘nature deficit’ that some more urban areas experience,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be offering our kids an opportunity to involve all their senses and get some hands on learning.” Walter Boomsma, program director for Valley Grange agrees. One of his specialties is visiting second graders at PCES to make butter. “We have fun and the kids almost don’t realize they are learning–some have even asked for instructions and then made butter at home as a family activity.” Volunteers also conduct seed planting activities, apple tasting and create animal graphs. “We also spend some time just talking with the kids—many have chickens and gardens and it’s fun to share experiences.” Boomsma notes that last year volunteers visited with over 60 classrooms and 800 kids “from Greenville to Dexter to Milo,” but says there should be no shortage of volunteers and resources thanks to the collaboration. “We’ve got master gardeners and farmers available through Extension Programs and PCSWCD includes partners and resources that are committed to good stewardship. Our continued goal is to keep this informal, local, and a true partnership between our schools, teachers, and volunteers. It’s not so much that we have a program to offer—it’s more about working together to make good use of our resources. Our volunteers will have the sort of agricultural experience and background to be especially relevant to students while providing insight into the importance of agriculture in our area.” The group focuses on kindergarten through third grade but is willing to consider requests from teachers of other grades. GrowME volunteers visit for about thirty minutes and work with students on a simple, grade appropriate activity. Teachers and administrators who are interested need only furnish contact information: teacher’s name-email address and grade. Interested teachers may email grangeatboomsmaonline.com or call Boomsma at 343-1842. An online sign-up form is also available at http://growmehelp.wordpress.com. MAINE - The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its flu Web site at www.maineflu.gov. Weekly updates on flu activity in Maine will resume this month. The Maine CDC reminds everyone to take everyday preventive measures against the flu, such as:
Starting this season, the U.S. CDC recommends use of the nasal spray vaccine in healthy children ages two to eight when it is immediately available and if the child has no contraindications or precautions to that vaccine. Recent studies suggest that the nasal spray flu vaccine may work better than the flu shot in younger children. However, if the nasal spray vaccine is not immediately available and the flu shot is, children age two to eight years should get the flu shot. Don't delay vaccination to find the nasal spray flu vaccine. It takes about two weeks after vaccination to develop full immunity. To find a vaccine in your area, call 211, search http://www.211maine.org/ or http://flushot.healthmap.org/, or contact your healthcare provider. For more information, go to http://www.maineflu.gov or http://www.cdc.gov/flu/.
Note: this is NOT the safest possible route to take, but it is a good service and much better than never running a virus check. To check your computer, go to housecall.antivirus.com Many people think that if they have a virus program on their system they are safe, BUT you are only as safe as your latest update. Yes, you do have to update your virus program frequently. (I do it every day!) Download a FREE virus program that works well at www.free.avg.com The Daily ME is on-line only, non-profit newspaper and a one-woman operation with the help of contributing writers and photographers. If you would like to contribute to The Daily Me, we welcome press releases, contributing editor's young and old. Send your Upcoming local events, news, Town reports, club news, school news or other items that you have in mind. If you have pictures you would like to share with friends and relatives far and near, please contact The Daily Me. We encourage feedback and suggestions from our readers. I hope that The Daily ME gives you information that keeps you in touch with home! 
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