« October 2022

Welcome to the AREA Newsletter for October 2022







President's Message


Androscoggin Retired Educators' Association


What a fun and profitable meeting in October. The auction went well. Ruben did a marvelous job entertaining us and promoting the articles members brought in to raise money for AREA’s scholarship fund with help from Hugh Keene and Penny Jaskalen . Which has me thinking that next year we need to start at ten instead of ten thirty as we did in the past, so we have more time for the auction.


And because of an unfortunate accident as members left the building, I recommend we take advantage of the handicapped access at the next meeting in November.


At our meeting on November 9, one day after voting day, we will have as guest speaker Susan Feiner who is a retired college professor who has been working to protect university teachers pension as we also support our public school teachers. She is our communications officer on the Maine board of retired teachers. She will speak to this and about her background.


Our meeting in November will again be at Sixth St. Congregational Church, and the meal will be prepared by their kitchen staff at the same price of $12.00.   We will do an ornament exchange for the holidays!  Please bring a Christmas tree ornament or decoration if you wish to participate!


Please join us for this last meeting in 2022. Next meeting will be in March, 2023.



The next meeting is on NOVEMBER 9, 2022


Download the reservation form - November Registration Form


Mail it to

Mr. David Wing

42 North Hatch Road

Greene, ME  04236

Treasurer's Report

from Gina Fuller


We did pretty well at the auction with a net profit of $788.00.  Thanks to you all and to Ruben, the auctioneer, and Hugh and Penny.


Download the Treasurer's Report -






Social Security Update

from Crystal Ward


Hello AREA, some of you get some Social Security, so here is the COLA raise.         

Remember the MainePERS  COLA is 3% due to the changes made in 2011 under the LePage, Poliquin administration!         


Remember to VOTE!!!!!  

Yes, Social Security's 2023 cost-of-living increase is the highest since 1981

From gas to groceries, many of us have felt the pain in our wallets due to rising inflation. We've received messages from some of you asking if there will be more money in your Social Security checks next year.

We can VERIFY that you will. Social Security's cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2023 is one of the highest in history. 

The Social Security Administration (SSA) adjusts benefit amounts every year to account for inflation through a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Yesterday, SSA announced that benefits will increase by 8.7%, or about $140 per month on average, beginning January 2023. 

A cost-of-living adjustment of 8.7% is rare, Mary Johnson, Social Security and Medicare policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League, said. The 2023 adjustment is the highest since 1981, when it was 11.2%, and the fourth highest in history. 

SSA will mail COLA notices throughout the month of December 2022, but people who want to know their benefit amount sooner can find it online through their my Social Security account. 

 

Hello AREA,  

from Crystal Ward


Election 2022 season is in high gear and the October push is in full force!  Absentee ballots have been sent out and can be mailed back or taken to YOUR town/city office to be put in a ballot box.  Do Not put in another town/city box !

 

Early voting has started in Maine---you can go to your town/city offices and vote in person, just check for times .

Remember to vote for FRIENDS –those that helped the retired.  All elections have consequences !  VOTE  

 

For those who do receive some  Social Security's the 2023 cost-of-living increase is the highest since 1981at 8.7%   ---- But our MainePERs  increase was only 3% on the first $24,184.25., because of changes made in 2011.  These changes were supported and pushed by LePage and Poliquin.

 

 Vote for people who supported you for Maine House of Representatives and Maine Senate.  If you want the current Maine representatives of senators voting records ----- contact John Kosinski at Jkosinski@maineea.org

Efficiency Maine announced it has launched a limited-time $100 “DIY” Winter Prep Rebate, which will reimburse Maine homeowners and tenants up to $100 toward the purchase of select weatherization and insulation products, including weather stripping, caulk, spray foam sealant, window insulation shrink kits, pipe and duct insulation, duct sealing, tank wrap, and foam board insulation. The promotion covers eligible purchases made from October 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022.   Complete promotion details, a list of eligible products, and a claim form can be found on the Efficiency Maine website at https://www.efficiencymaine.com/at-home/100-diy-winter-prep-rebate/.

Applications for heating assistance are now being accepted. For information on eligibility and how to apply, please visit MaineHousing’s website, call (207) 626-4600, or contact your local community action agency. Emergency heating assistance is available starting on November 1.

 

If  YOU  are a member of AREA and/or MEA retired or know someone that is  and they  NEED HELP paying for heating fuel . Please let us help!!!  Contact cward10@ roadrunner.com.


from Mona Ervin


Here is a scam that is happening.  


I received an e-mail telling me that my package was not deliverable and to contact the website that was provided in the e-mail.  I am waiting for 3 packages but I had just ordered them that day.  The e-mail was a scam.  If you order items on line always keep a record of what and when you ordered the product.  If you do receive an e-mail saying that your package was undeliverable contact the retailer directly.  Do not open the scam e-mail.


Automobile Recalls

There are a number of automobile recalls now occurring.  If you want to determine if your automobile is subject to a recall, see the instructions below.

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

To ensure you get the important information you are seeking, you can click on the appropriate vehicle maker below to go to its VIN search tool. You can also contact our Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for assistance.


Here are some of the recent recalls:


  1. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles. An intermittent electrical connection in the electric power steering (EPS) torque sensor can disable the power steering assist. Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.
  2. Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire. A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
  3. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front blower motor located behind the glove box may fail. Front blower motor failure can increase the risk of a vehicle interior fire.
  4. Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Impreza vehicles. The left and right side reflex reflector and left side low beam reflector may inadequately reflect light. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, “Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.” Reflectors that do not provide adequate illumination reduce the driver’s ability to see and increase the risk of a crash.
  5. Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016 Sedona and Sorento vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with faulty automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, preventing the shift lever from locking, which can allow the vehicle to rollaway. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash and injury.
  6. Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Optima vehicles. The right and left headliner plates may not be secured properly, which can result in the plates detaching in the event of a side curtain air bag deployment. A plate that detaches during a crash may strike an occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
  7. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 Golf Sportwagen, Golf R, Golf GTI, Golf A7, and E Golf vehicles. During air bag deployment, the front passenger air bag may explode or deploy improperly. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking occupants, resulting in serious injury or death. An improper air bag deployment may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.

The Quiz

from Mona Ervin


The Extremes – can you answer the following?  This is hard but interesting.


  1. What is the world’s largest mammal? Hint, it has a color in its name.
  2. What is the world’s smallest mammal?
  3. What is the longest snake?
  4. What is the smallest snake?
  5. What is the largest bird that cannot fly?
  6. What is the largest bird that can take flight?
  7. What is the largest fish?
  8. What is the smallest fish?
  9. What do scientists believe is the largest animal to ever live on the earth?
  10. What is the height of the tallest human to ever have lived?  A) 8ft 11 in  (B) 9ft 3 in  (C) 9 ft 8 in.
  11. Who is the shortest human to ever have lived?  A)  1 ft 11 in (B) 1 ft 9 ½ in  (C) 2 ft
  12. What is the largest desert in land area?
  13. Which city has the largest population?
  14. What is the smallest nation in land area?


Answers

  1. The Antarctic Blue Whale - weighing up to 400,000 pounds (approximately 33 elephants) and reaching up to 98 feet in length.
  2. The Bumblebee Bat - weighing in at just barely 2 grams and measuring 1 to 1.3 inches in length, about the size of a large bumblebee.
  3. The Reticulated Python - On average, this snake reaches approximately 6.25 meters, or 20.5 feet, in length. The longest recorded reticulated python was discovered in 1912 and measured 10 meters, or about 32.8 feet, long.
  4. Barbados Threadsnake -This snake is a tiny burrowing member of the snake family. Reaching a maximum adult length of only 10.4 cm (4.1 inches) and an average weight of 0.6 g (0.02 ounce), it is thought to be the world's smallest known snake.
  5. The Ostrich -ostriches can grow up to 9 feet tall and weigh more than 300 pounds. Their eggs, fittingly, are also the world's largest—about 5 inches in diameter and 3 pounds in weight.
  6. The Albatross -Albatrosses, though arguably the most famous is the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans), which is the largest flying bird in the world.
  7. The Whale Shark - the whale shark is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of 18.8 m.  Despite their tremendous size and intimidating appearance, whale sharks are commonly docile and approachable.
  8. The Dwarf Minnow of Southeast Asia.  Adults are a mere 8–12 mm in length.
  9. The Blue Whale - Far bigger than any dinosaur, the blue whale is the largest known animal to have ever lived. An adult blue whale can grow to a massive 30m long and weigh more than 180,000kg - that's about the same as 40 elephants, 30 Tyrannosaurus Rex or 2,670 average-sized men. It still lives today.
  10. Robert Wadlow - Robert Pershing Wadlow, born February, 22, 1918, was and still remains the World's Tallest Man at 8 ft. 11 in. Wadlow weighed 439 lbs. and also holds the title for the World's Largest Hands at 12.75 in., and the World's Largest Feet at 18.5 in.
  11. Chandra Bahadur Dangi (30 November 1939 – 3 September 2015) -  he was a Nepali man who was the shortest man in recorded history measuring 54.6 cm (1 ft 9+1⁄2 in).[2] Dangi was a primordial dwarf. He broke the record previously set by Gul Mohammed (1957–1997), whose height was 57 cm (1 ft 10 in).
  12. This one is interesting - A desert is a landscape or region that receives very little precipitation - less than 250 mm per year (about ten inches). Approximately 1/3 of Earth's land surface is a desert. There are four different types of deserts based upon their geographic situation: 1) polar deserts, 2) subtropical deserts, 3) cold winter deserts, and 4) cool coastal deserts. The Antarctic Polar Desert covers the continent of Antarctica and has a size of about 5.5 million square miles. The second-largest desert is the Arctic Polar Desert. It extends over parts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. It has a surface area of about 5.4 million square miles. The rest of Earth's deserts are outside of the polar areas. The largest is the Sahara Desert, a subtropical desert in northern Africa. It covers a surface area of about 3.5 million square miles.
  13. Tokyo (Population: 37,435,191)
  14. Vatican City - The three smallest countries in the world are Vatican City, an enclave within Rome, Italy. Monaco, a principality at the Mediterranean coast and an enclave within Southern France, and Nauru, an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

close up view of Snickers Brownies on a blue platter, with mini snickers bars in the foreground

Snickers Brownies -  From - All Recipes 

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/267899/snickers-brownies/?hid=f111fb0be5828adf3fce55c234c64f158b0a610a&did=574244-20201027&utm_campaign=alrcom-the-scoop_newsletter&utm_source=allrecipes.com&ut m_medium=email&utm_content=102720&cid=574244&mid=43571094021


Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups white sugar

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour

  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder

  • ¾ cup butter, melted

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 cups chocolate-coated caramel-peanut nougat candy (such as Snickers®), chopped, divided

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

  2. Mix sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl.

  3. Mix butter, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl; add butter mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture and stir batter until well mixed.

  4. Pour 1/2 the batter into the prepared baking pan. Top with 1/2 the candy bar pieces. Spread remaining batter on top, covering candy completely.

  5. Bake in the preheated oven until edges are brown and center is set, about 30 minutes.

  6. Remove brownies from the oven and spread remaining candy bar pieces on top, lightly pressing them in while the brownies are still hot. Let brownies cool completely before serving, about 30 minutes.

Roger's EZ-KWEEEZEEN Work About...  AH, this looks like a lot of work... Consider a box of brownie mix and some chppepd up Snickers. 







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