« AREA 2020 November Newsletter

Welcome to AREA -

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

NOTE - this is the final newsletter for this year.  No newsletter is published in December or January.  Enjoy the holidays.  Here's wishing to a great 2021!!

Newsletter Notes!

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

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

MEA Retired - Facebook

If you want up-to-date information on the pandemic and its impact, consult this link -

Washington Post Update

or directly at -

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/national/coronavirus-us-cases-death s/?itid=h p_hp-top-table-main_web-gfx-death-tracker%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans

This is the best resource for daily updates on both the national and international situation. If you follow the links, you can even get a state by state analysis.

Stay isolated to stay well.  This is a tough and tedious assignment - we can do it!

AND REMEMBER - THE ENHANCED FLU VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE.  GET VACCINATED EARLY!!

Medicaid Services

We are providing you the following consumer information from the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are the agencies that run the prescription drug program. The following is information about how to protect yourself and your personal information as you make important choices about your health care coverage.

It is illegal for you to be contacted in the following unsolicited ways by Medicare prescription drug plan providers:

• telemarketing calls, including voice mail messages
• emails or texts
• door to door solicitations, including leaflets or fliers at your home or car
• approaching you in common areas, like parking lots, hallways, lobbies, and sidewalks

If your are contacted in the any of the above ways do not talk with anyone and do no divulge any personal information. Medicare Part D plan representatives may enroll you on the phone ONLY if YOU call them. You may be on the safe side by calling Medicare first (1-800-633-4227) to verify the legitimacy of any provider you may be tempted to call. The Medicare phone line runs 24 hours a day. Medicare does not recommend any particular prescription drug plan, it simply verifies that a provider is legitimate.

Providers may come to your house ONLY if YOU invite them to do so. Providers may ask you how you want to pay your premiums, but they may not ask you for payment on the phone or through the internet. You may set up a direct payment plan if you desire, but the provider has to first mail you the information to do so. You should never be charged a fee to enroll in a plan.

Food Safety Tips –

As Covid-19 continues to run rampant nationwide we would like to share with you some simple, safe ways to protect your food. These tips come from the United States Department of Agricultur

• Wash your hands with clean running soap and water before handling food
• Sanitize surfaces that food comes in contact with Clean sweep refrigerated foods once a week and discard foods that are old (leftovers
  
• should be discarded after 4 days; raw poultry and ground meats 1-2 days)
• Keep food appliances clean – pay particular attention to buttons, handles and small spaces
  
• Rinse produce under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking. Even if you
  peel the product wash it
• Separate foods when shopping – seafood, meat, and poultry should be in a separate part
  of the grocery cart and bagged separately from other food. Store them below
  ready to eat foods in the refrigerator
• Always use separate cutting boards for different foods or thoroughly sanitize the cutting
  board between uses
• Use a food thermometer when cooking
• Cook foods to safe internal temperatures – cook raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal
  to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Cool all poultry to an internal
  temperature of 165 degrees F. Let food rest for at least 3 minutes before carving
  and eating
• Prior to cooking keep cold foods at 40 degrees F or below. Keep cooked foods at 140
  degrees F or above. Foods are no longer safe to eat when they are in the danger
  zone between 40 – 140 degrees F for more than 2 hours. I hour if the
  temperature is above 90 degrees F.
  
  

LEGISLATIVE  UPDATE

from

Crystal Ward

Election 2020 is over for most races, a few are going to recounts, using the rules of the State Election laws.  No wide spread voting fraud was been found and the Federal governments stated that it was the most secure election in US History. No law suits concerning fraud were filed in Maine. There were no issues with any Voting machines used in Maine. Absentee voting in Maine worked very well.  Thank you for participating in our great democracy by voting!

Maine Law states: "Within 20 days after an election, the Secretary of State shall tabulate the election returns and submit a certified copy of the tabulation to the Governor." This year it is November 23, 2020.

In Maine the Senate and House have majority democrats. In Washington the US House is a democrat majority and the US Senate is unknown, because two US Senate seats are in a run-off election in Georgia in January to determine.  In Washington work continues on the Heroes Act  to determine a new coronavirus aid bill, hopefully there will be aid to States or the Maine State Budget will have a giant monetary hole.  The US Supreme Court has heard a suit to remove the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which would impact over 120,000 Mainers HealthCare Insurance.  No more bills to report because there will be a new (130^th) Maine Legislature in December and in Washington in January.  Major concerns will be protecting MEPERS pension, Health Insurance, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security Offset and education.

Please wear a mask and/or shield, wash hands and distance to help control the Covid19.  Get a flu shot, they are free with Medicare, it could be a difficult fall and winter.  Stay Safe and ask for help if needed.

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas.

Crystal Ward, Legislative Chairperson

Treasurer's Report

Gina Fuller sends along the Treasurer's Report as a downloadable PDF.  Remember that you can send your dues for this year by sending a check to -

Gina Fuller

36 Elliott Ave.

Lewiston, ME  04240

To date - Sixty-five people have paid their dues for this year.  If you want to pay the dues, send a check as indicated above.  If you want your membership card before we meet again, send an email to gfuller1130@gmail.com.

Treasurer's Report

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

Well, this is a unique web site for recipes.

Let's all eat cake!

I've long thought that a cake mix could be used for multiple recipes.  Here goes!  These recipes use a simple box cake for a range of cakes and breads.   There's a whole lot to explore here - and well, you deserve a break on the cooking front!ß

Cake Mix Recipes

These have all the ingredients for greatness - easy, simple, inexpensive.  YAHOOO!

Here's a sample!!!

Be well. Stay well. VOTE!!!