Welcome to the AREA NEWSLETTER - August 2021

Androscoggin Retired Educators Association - Many thanks to Crystal Ward, Mona Ervin and Gina Fuller for the contributions this month.

Newsletter Notes!

Please feel free to contribute to your newsletter.  You can send contributions to me by emailing them to - rfuller@mainenet.org

Please note - MEA Retired now has a Facebook page - You can follow us there. 

MEA Retired - Facebook

HEADLINES - READ THIS - HEADLINES

Eight members of Androscoggin AREA ’s Executive Committee met on Friday, August 20, 2021 for an organizational meeting to plan out our upcoming 2021-2023 term of office.  Bright ideas were flowing around the table and kitchen island.  All previous officers agreed to continue in their current roles on the Executive Committee.  Jo Dupal resigned as President due to health reasons for herself and her husband.  Alfreda Fournier stepped up from Vice President to President.  The Executive Committee voted on a new Vice President, Rosita Friel.  AREA’s first annual meeting will take place on the Wednesday, September 8th, 2021 at Marco’s Restaurant in Lewiston at 10:30am.  

Monthly meetings will continue on the second Wednesdays of October and November, at which point we will reassess the COVID situation and go from there.  Our affiliation does not meet December and January, nor during the summer.  It was good to finally get together and we look forward to our first meeting with our 60 affiliation members.

First Meeting - Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Location - Marco's Restaurant, Lewiston, ME. 04240

Time - 10:30 AM

Lunch - 

Dues for the year -  $10.00   (If you paid dues last year, you do not need to pay them this year.  Alternatively, you can make a contribution to the scholarship fund.)

Lunch Menu

_____Chicken Parmigiana
_____Pasta Primavera (Vegan)
_____Lasagna Caloroso with A Meatball
_____ Baked Stuffed Haddock
_____Shrimp Scampi
_____ Linguini or Penne with a Meatball
_____Sausage Cacciatore
_____Chicken Dolce Amara

Send a check for the meal and dues to

Gina L. Fuller

36 Elliott Ave

Lewiston, ME. 04240

If you have questions, you can call Gina at 818-438-8663 or 207-783-9091

With Ten You Get Vaccinated??

Information about Covid 19 changes daily. In order to keep up to date on the most recent information you can Google mainecdc or go directly to the following CDC web site:

www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/airborne/coronavirus/index.shtml.

BE ALERT – STAY INFORMED – STAY HEALTHY.

by

Mona Ervin

Scammers are always preying upon us. The latest scams involve the child care credits that the government began to provide in July to eligible families with young children. Although most of us do not have need for a child care credit we have adult children and grandchildren who may. Please take the time to alert them to the dangers of scammers preying on them.

Scammers will impersonate government officials who are offering to assist in the sign-up process to receive the child care credit. The contacts will be by phone calls, texts, e-mails, or social media platforms. The scammers will attempt to secure parents identity information or con them out of money. In order to expedite the payment of the child care credit scammers will as for a money transfer, the purchase of a special gift card or payment to an apt designed to “help” parents in the sign-up process.

Families who are eligible for the child care credit NEVER HAVE TO PAY TO APPLY FOR OR RECEIVE A TAX CREDIT. The IRS does not communicate by social media or text message or accept payment by non-traditional methods.

Families who are eligible for the child care credit will have their eligibility based on their last income tax return. Families who do not earn enough to file taxes can register with the IRS at: www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-2021.

While this information may not be applicable to most of us, our younger family members, neighbors, and friends may be affected. Please share this information with others.

Trivia Quiz

State Nickname Quiz – How well do you know the nicknames of the 50 states? We all know that Maine is the Pine Tree State, but what about the 49 other states?

1. Which state is known as “The Natural State?”

2. Which state is known as “ The Gem State?”

3. Which state is known as “The Prairie State?”

4. Which state is known as “The Hawkeye State?”

5. Which state is known as “The Sunflower State?”

6. Which state is known as “The Bluegrass State?”

7. Which state is known as “The Great Lakes State?”

8. Which state is known as “The Magnolia State?”

9. Which state is known as “The Granite State?”

10. Which state is known as “The Land of Enchantment?”

11. Which state is known as “The Sooner State?”

12. Which state is known as “The Evergreen State?”

13. Which state id known as “The Lone Star State?”

14. Which state is known as “The Mountain State?”

15. Which state is known as “The Equality State” and “The Cowboy State?”

BONUS

What area is known as DMV?

Answers

1. Arkansas, known for its natural beauty, clear lakes and streams and abundant wildlife.

2. Idaho, is called this due to its abundance of gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, garnet, jasper, opal, jade,

topaz, zircon and tourmaline.

3. Illinois, because of its once vast ecosystem of grassland with moderate temperatures, rainfall,

and few trees.

4. Iowa, named as a tribute to native American warrior Chief Black Hawk of the Sauk Tribe. Also,

possibly because a noted judge’s favorite characters were from The Last of the Mohicans by James

Fenimore Cooper.

5. Kansas because sunflowers grow wild over the plains throughout the state.

6. Kentucky, due to the large fields of blue/purple buds that are prevelant in the spring. The developing

grass grows in the rich limestone soil.

7. Michigan, which touches four of the five Great Lakes. There are over 11,000 inland lakes

throughout the state.

8. Mississippi because of the abundance of the magnolia flowers and trees throughout the state.

9. New Hampshire is called this due to its once large industry of granite quarrying.

10. New Mexico is known for it diversity of European, Mexican and Native American cultures.

Contributing to the enchantment are the scenic views, natural resources, hot springs, national

monuments and mountains.

11. Oklahoma. The term refers to 1889 when Indian lands were opened to settlers. Eager settlers

left earlier then the designated time and became known as “sooners.”

12. Washington due to its abundance of evergreen forests.

13. Texas is thus known. Two theories explain the name. The first expresses the sentiments going

back to 1821 representing the wish of Texans to have Texas join the Union. The second theory is

representative of Texas as an area desiring independence from Mexico. Basically the two theories

overlap.

14. West Virginia because the Appalachian Mountains extend through the eastern portion of the state.

15. Wyoming is known as the Equality State because women in Wyoming were the first in the country

to vote, serve on juries, and hold public office. It is the Cowboy State due to its western heritage.

BONUS: The area know as The DMV is the District – Maryland -Virginia.

Legislative Update

by

Crystal Ward

Annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)

On August 12, 2021, MainePERS Board of Trustees adopted the 2021 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) using the Consumer Price Index – Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rate compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics on June 30, 2021, as the basis for COLA for all pension plans to which it applies. Since the June 30, 2021 rate was 5.4%, all plans will receive the maximum COLA allowable by law. Remember one of the changes 2011 was our maximum is set in law at 3%

Eligible recipients will first see the COLA reflected in their September pension payment.

Eligible State, Teacher, Judicial, and Legislative retirement plan retirees will receive the 3% COLA on their benefit up to $22,947.11 (which is the 2021 base), or a maximum increase of $57.37/month. 

The 2021 COLA-base will increase by 3%, to $23,635.52.  The total amount that will be paid to the approximately 37,100 eligible benefit recipients in these plans during the next 12 months as a result of the 2021 COLA is expected to be approximately $18,300,000.

You can read more about eligibility requirements and how your plan implements this COLA here. You can also call our office at 800-451-9800 and speak with one of our service representatives

Treasurer's Report - From August

Treasurer's Report

We invite you to follow us on Facebook:
MEA Retired - Facebook

Announcing some changes - and opportunities

So, I've always had my own website/server, or access to one.  Over the past several months, I've been extending and expanding my hobby - of providing a site for publications. 

I think you all have a story to tell, or a story to share, or an insight or two.  You now have a chance to publish it on-line by submitting it to PithnGrit, my publication website for essays, fiction, micro-poetry, or longer poetry.

You can check it all out - it's still a work in progress - by going to - mainenet.org.

You can submit a work or works by reading the submission guidelines and sending the email to - submit@mainenet.org

Go ahead, it's perfectly fine to share that observation, insight, or creation.