« January 2022

Welcome to the newsletter for January 2022. Many thanks to Mona Ervin, Crystal Ward, Rosita Friel, and Gina Fuller for sending in materials.

This newsletter is packed with information. Keep the link handy by adding a bookmark!

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From the President - Rosita Friel

NEXT MEETING - 

March 9, 2022 Meeting of AREA

AREA will meet on March 9, 2022 at 10:30 at the Green Ladle in Lewiston.  The meeting will start at 10:30 followed by our speaker, Japheth Els, AARP Maine Outreach Director. A very engaging and passionate speaker, he will talk about various AARP programs designed to assist our 50+ community along with ways that AREA members can become involved in the local community. He is planning to bring handouts for those in attendance. 

The room rental fee of $100, will be covered by our dues. The meal will cost members $ 15.50. This fee includes tax and gratuity. The meal will be Chef’s choice.

Please fill out the form below and mail it to our March hostess by March 1, 2022

Crystal Ward
171 Montello Street
Lewiston, ME 04240

If you need to ask a question please call:
Gina Fuller: (cell) 818-438-8663 (home) 207-783-9091
Crystal Ward: (home) 207-7867084

(Select this and print- then mail it to Crystal)

March 9, 2022 - Reservations

Name:

Those attending the meeting:

Total Money enclosed for the meal(s):

OR - Click this link, download the form, and print!  March 9, 2022 - Lunch Reservation

Please take the time to call a fellow educator and invite them to join AREA and attend this meeting. The room is large. We will be able to spread out and do hope that we have a large group attending.

NEXT NEXT Meeting

April 13, 2022 - 10:30 - Highland Grille in Turner, ME

So you can plan ahead, we are planning on our April meeting being held at Highland Grille in Turner, ME.  The rental fee and meal costs will be about the same as our March meeting. We are hoping that our members will enjoy a change in location and maybe some fresh air. We have not firmed up our guest speaker. If you know of a topic that would be valuable to us or a speaker that might really interest us, please let us know as soon as possible. We will be further discussing this at our March 9 meeting.

Any comments or ideas should be sent directly to Rosita Friel at rkfriel@gmail.com

Want to join Androscoggin Retired Educators?  Send an email to Gina Fuller - gfuller1130@gmail.com - and include your name, address, city, zip.  Dues are $10.00 a year.  You can bring dues to the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Here is some information from the CDC.  We hope that this will clarify the most recent CDC guidelines concerning isolating, quarantining and the length of time suggested for doing either. 

Definitions of isolation and quarantine:

Isolation and quarantine help protect the public by preventing exposure to people who have or may have a contagious disease.

• Isolation - separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.
• Quarantine - separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.

What is the difference between isolation and quarantine for COVID-19?

Isolation is a strategy to prevent transmission of COVID-19 by separating people with COVID-19 from those who are not infected.

You quarantine when you have been exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 and are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.

The following is attributable to CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky:

“The Omicron variant is spreading quickly and has the potential to impact all facets of our society. CDC’s updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses. These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives. Prevention is our best option: get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial and high community transmission, and take a test before you gather.”

If You Test Positive for COVID-19 (Isolate)

Everyone, regardless of vaccination status.

• Stay home for 5 days.
• If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave your house.
• Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.

If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves

If You Were Exposed to Someone with COVID-19 (Quarantine)

If you:

Have been boosted
OR 
Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last 6 months 
OR 
Completed the primary series of J&J vaccine within the last 2 months 

• Wear a mask around others for 10 days.
• Test on day 5, if possible.

If you develop symptoms, get a test and stay home.

If you: 

Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine over 6 months ago and are not boosted
OR 
Completed the primary series of J&J over 2 months ago and are not boosted 
OR 
Are unvaccinated 

• Stay home for 5 days. After that continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
• If you can’t quarantine you must wear a mask for 10 days.
• Test on day 5 if possible.

If you develop symptoms, get a test and stay home

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

from

Crystal Ward

To view this email as a web page, go here.

Dear MEA-Retired Member: Gas prices are up. Energy prices are up. Food prices are up. Everywhere you look, costs are increasing, yet our pensions are not keeping up. We know many current retired educators (and state employees!) are scraping by trying to make ends meet. Last year, retired teachers and state employees received a maximum cost of living increase of 3%, but in the previous year, inflation has increased by 5.4% - meaning we are going backwards. Our state has more resources than ever before, and while many legislators have plans to spend or save this money, not enough of them are talking about making sure our retired teachers and state employees are able to keep pace. We need to change that. The MEA believes the state should fund the full 5.4% cost-of-living for all current retirees. And the full 5.4% COLA should be cumulative and should lift the base amount for the COLA in future years. This proposal is not cheap – in fact, providing the full 5.4% cost of living for all retired teachers, qualified ed techs, state employees, and other public servants will cost the state $148 million. But we know the state has over $800 million in excess revenue, and let’s not forget the deep and devastating cuts to our pensions enacted under the previous Governor. In 2011, the budget proposed by Governor LePage and passed by the Legislature made huge cuts to our pensions that will be felt by current and future retirees for generations. The least our elected officials can do is make sure we are at least keeping pace with inflation by adding the 2.4% we deserve to our pension earnings. But if we are going to have any chance of being successful we need YOU to take action. Elected officials, including Governor Mills, need to hear from you. They need to hear your stories and we need to demand their attention and win their support. Here are two things you can do right away: Contact Governor Mills and your local Representative & Senator. Ask Governor Mills to include the additional 2.4% cost of living increase in her supplemental budget proposal. Please remind the Governor of the deep cuts to our pensions in 2011 enacted by Governor LePage and the Legislature. And please tell your personal story about how hard it is to keep up on a public pension: https://secure.ngpvan.com/5U7iH4iA4UKyMEDiea7Kdw2 Contact the Legislature's Appropriations & Financial Affairs Committee. Once the Governor has proposed her supplemental budget, it would go to the Legislature's Appropriations & Financial Affairs Committee for review, debate, and initial votes. Ask the members of the AFA Committee to support the full 2.4% increase on our pensions so we can keep pace with inflation: https://secure.ngpvan.com/Y8RPuXAiAUKFODaW6K9D-g2 There is a template message included, but be sure to personalize your message and explain what this means to you in your situation.  We expect the Legislature will spend the next three months debating the supplemental budget. Please act now and stay tuned for more updates. Please reach out anytime you have questions, or if you hear back from your legislators.   Sincerely,   John Kosinski Government Relations Director Maine Education Association Email:  jkosinski@maineea.org Office:  207-622-4418 x 2217

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Washington Update

Down in Washington D.C. the failure of the Build Back Better Legislature to pass with all Republicans and two Democrats voting against moving it forward hurt Medicare, Medicaid , Lowering the cost of Prescription drugs and Social Security which all had help in the bill.

The QUIZ

from Mona Ervin

January Quiz - Seasons and States!

1. Which month typically is the snowiest month in Maine?
2. Which month is typically the coldest month in Maine?
3. Which season is the rainiest season in Maine?
4. Which month is the hottest month in Maine?
5. Which Maine city typically receives the most snow?
6. Which state is considered the coldest state in the nation?
7. What is the hottest place in the world?
8. What state is considered the snowiest state in the nation?
9. What state is considered the flattest in the nation?
10. Which state has the most hills, but not the highest peaks?
11. What state does everyone forget when listing all fifty?
12. What is the least visited state?
13. What has been called the ugliest state?
14. What state claims to ne flatter than a pancake?
15. Besides Florida, what state has the fewest mountains over 1,000 feet?

Answers: 

1. January
2. January
3. Spring
4. July
5. Alaska
6. Caribou
7. Furnace Creek, Death Valley, California
8. Vermont
9. Florida
10. West Virgnia
11. Missouri
12. Alaska
13. Nevada
14. Kansas
15. Louisiana

Treasurer's Report

by Gina Fuller

This is our latest update for our treasury.   Since Nov there has only been a few dollars of interest and $55 for the purchase of stamps was moved back into our treasury from the Ritter grant.

Grandma's Brownie Chocolate Cake

https://sweetandsavory.co/grandma-brownie-chocolate-cake/

This recipe is simple. I like simple. And it's good.  I like good.

Use the link for pictures and directions, but it's really this easy.

• 1 box of chocolate cake mix
• 1 box of fudge brownie mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups of water
• 1 cup of oil

Mix it all up, put it in a pan, and bake till done. 

For an extra something special, substitute some Kahlua for some of the water - maybe a half cup.

Really, it's that easy.  Use the link for more detailed instructions and pictures