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Lake Erie Coast Guard Has Busy Thursday Morning With Rescues

May 30, 2013, 10:48 am
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CLEVELAND — Coast Guard crews from Lake Erie units rescued and assisted several boaters during three search-and-rescue cases Thursday morning.
The names and hometowns of the rescued are not being released, and there is no Coast Guard imagery available.
At 12:20 a.m. Thursday, a search-and-rescue controller at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo, N.Y., received a mayday call over VH-FM marine radio but did not receive any responses to calls for more information. The controller also received notification of two flares seen near Cleveland Harbor.  The SAR controller began issuing urgent marine information broadcasts over marine radio, asking all boaters in the area to keep a lookout for anyone in distress.
A rescue boatcrew launched from Coast Guard Cleveland Harbor, in Cleveland, aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium.  The SAR controller was contacted by a member of Cleveland Marine Towing, Inc., who stated they were en route to assist a disabled vessel with six people aboard in Cleveland Harbor. It was determined they were the same boaters who made the mayday call and launched the flares. The vessel was disabled but not in distress and was towed to safety by the Cleveland Marine Towing crew.
“The Coast Guard determined the boaters did not respond to their callbacks on marine radio channel 16, the international hailing and distress frequency, because the boaters were switching channels and making further distress calls,” said Capt. Andrew Sugimoto, 9th Coast Guard District chief of response. “It is important that mariners take advantage of boating safety training and learn how to use their equipment.”
At 12:30 a.m., Thursday morning, a search-and-rescue controller at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo received a report of an overdue vessel from the parents of a 15-year-old girl who was boating with a 56-year-old man in Lake Erie near Sheffield, Ohio. The girl’s parents reported that she called them and said the man was disoriented, did not know their location, and was under the influence of alcohol.
A rescue boatcrew launched from Coast Guard Station Lorain, Ohio, aboard a 25-foot Response Boat-Small. The RB-S crew located the vessel outside of Lorain Harbor and towed it to the Hot Waters Marina in Lorain, where the girl was turned over to her parents. The Coast Guard boarding officer issued the boater a citation for gross negligence and boating under the influence after he was administered a breath analysis test and had a blood alcohol content of .153. The legal limit for boating in Ohio waters is .08.
“The Coast Guard depends on boaters to report any potential threats to public safety or property,” said Sugimoto. “Anyone who witnesses any safety or security concerns should reach out to the Coast Guard or call 911.”
At 8 a.m., Thursday morning, a search-and-rescue controller at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo received a report of a man in the water in Cleveland Harbor. A rescue boatcrew launched from Station Cleveland Harbor, aboard a 25-foot Response Boat-Small and rescued the man. He reported he fell off of a ladder attached to a pier in the East 55th Street Marina in Cleveland Harbor. The man was taken by emergency medical services to Metro Hospital in Cleveland.
The Coast Guard reminds people to practice caution when recreating near the water, something else we stressed during National Safe Boating Week.


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Governor LePage, Education Commissioner Bowen and business leaders recognize Maine’s nationally competitive robotics teams

May 30, 2013, 10:52 am
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Augusta, Maine - Maine’s nationally recognized robotics teams and STEM student leaders were honored by Governor Paul R. LePage and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen this morning in a ceremony that reinforced the need for students to better develop the skills that will make them – and Maine – competitive in a global economy.

Representatives from businesses always eager to hire high-wage workers with skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – known as STEM – including Pratt & Whitney, Jackson Labs and Mid-State Machine Products, as well as the Manufacturers Association of Maine, joined the Governor and Commissioner for the celebration in the State House Hall of Flags.

Students on robotics teams at schools in Auburn, Brewer, Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, Mount Desert Island and Oakland showed the Governor how their robots could throw Frisbees and climb steep slopes before he presented them with his second-annual Governor’s Promising STEM Youth Awards.

“Today, it’s your education, but tomorrow, it’s your job,” Governor LePage told the students. “The future of our great state is in the young minds here in this room. My job is to make sure you stay here. Your job is to prosper. The STEM education you are experiencing today will open the doors to good paying jobs for you tomorrow and allow you to come up with great answers to the very difficult problems we face.”

Others receiving recognition from Governor LePage included Ryanne Daily (John Bapst Memorial High School) and Keylsey Burke (Dirigo High School), Maine’s two delegates to the 2013 National Youth Science Camp; Mary Butler (Bangor High School), Meagan Currie (Greely High School) and Harry Pershing (Greely High School), who competed at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair; and Nathan Dee (Bangor High School), who will be representing the state at the National Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition in Oregon next month.

Pratt & Whitney HR Manager Deborah Chipperfield said the North Berwick-based company sees its future building jet engines in Maine and supports STEM skill development efforts here to ensure they have the skilled workforce they need to continue growing.

In the next decade, it is estimated one in seven new Maine jobs will be STEM-related and the wages associated with the jobs in these areas are 58 percent higher than wages for other Maine, the Education Commissioner said.

“We have tremendous resources for STEM education in Maine and there are tremendous opportunities in STEM careers,” said Commissioner Bowen. “As the state works to develop a highly-skilled workforce and increase its competitiveness in a global economy, we have to better connect those by fostering the collaborations you see here today between PreK-12 schools, Career and Technology Education centers, higher education and industry. And the success of these students and their robots nationally and even internationally help us imagine what is possible if we are successful in that.”

One such partnership is Project Login, launched late in 2012 by Educate Maine with the UMaine System with the goal of doubling the number of Maine graduates in computer science, computer engineering, and information technology in the next four years. That project is supported by businesses like IDEXX Laboratories, WEX, Maine Medical Center, Unum and TD Bank, who need the skilled Maine workers this effort will cultivate.

Wednesday’s awards are yet another opportunity developed by Governor LePage, Commissioner Bowen and the Maine Department of Education to promote the STEM-related innovation of Maine’s students and the contributions they will one day make to the economy while raising public awareness about the importance of STEM skill development.

The state has also been a leader in the development of the Next Generation Science Standards, a rigorous, internationally benchmarked standard for science education that will ensure science content and concepts prepares critically thinking students for the colleges and careers of the 21st century.

For more information about STEM from the Maine Department of Education, visit www.maine.gov/education/maine_stem.htm.
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Sundays on the Boulevard

May 30, 2013, 11:11 am
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City opens section of Baxter Boulevard for fun recreational activities

What:  Starting this Sunday, Portland Recreation invites the public to come out and enjoy the closed section of Baxter Boulevard from Vannah Street to Cheverus High School. People can bike, roller blade, skateboard, unicycle, stroll, skip, walk on the road while Baxter Boulevard is closed for the summer for stormwater infrastructure construction. Portland Recreation will host three Sundays in June and offer fun family activities such as hula hooping, rope jumping, chalk art and more. The activities will be located along the section of the boulevard in front of Cheverus High School.

Sundays On the Boulevard is supported by the Recreation & Facilities Management Department, Public Services, Portland Trails, Healthy Portland, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and the Back Cove Neighborhood Association.

This section of Baxter Boulevard has been closed to allow for construction of the North Storage Conduits, which involves the installation of underground concrete box conduits able to store up to two million gallons of combined sewage and stormwater that can be sent to the East End Wastewater Treatment Facility instead of being discharged untreated into Back Cove. The boulevard is scheduled to reopen later this summer.

When:             Sundays June 2, 9, and 16
                        11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
            Where:            Baxter Boulevard, Portland
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NBC Journalist Jack Perkins

May 30, 2013, 11:14 am
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NBC Journalist Jack Perkins June 13

At the height of his career, Emmy Award-winner Jack Perkins and his wife Mary Jo moved from Los Angeles—population eight million—to a tidal island off the coast in Maine, population zero. Years earlier, in the shadow of Acadia National Park, they had built their solar-powered cabin, heated only by a wood stove. But now they were moving there for good, abandoning the smog of L.A. for the fog of Bar Harbor. Finding Moosewood, Finding God: What Happened When a TV Newsman Abandoned His Career for Life on an Island is Perkins’s gentle spiritual memoir and autobiography, published in March. Perkins will give an author’s talk about the book at the Camden Public Library on Thursday evening, June 13, at 7:00 pm. Sherman’s Books will have books on hand for signing.

The book is the story of the Perkins’s move to an island in Maine, which would turn out to be as spiritual as it was physical; the book intersperses the story of Perkins building and moving to the rustic cabin he dubbed “Moosewood,” with anecdotes from a successful career in journalism that began in Ohio with his coverage of the Sam Sheppard murder trial. In the quiet of the woods, surrounded by water and wildlife, Perkins became aware of God in a way that seemed impossible when he was covering the biggest news stories of our time.

Emmy Award-winner Jack Perkins worked for over forty years in television and radio, including stints as an NBC News correspondent, and most recognizably, as host of the acclaimed A&E series, Biography. Perkins has interviewed some of the most notable celebrities and politicians of our time, and covered some of the most dramatic events of the past century, including the Civil Rights struggle, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Kennedy Assassination. Once dubbed America’s “most literate correspondent” by the Associated Press, Perkins continues to be as active in his retirement as most people are at the height of their careers. His narration can be heard on videos for Acadia National Park, the Biltmore estate in North Carolina, and the Edison Museum in Ft. Myers, Florida. Jack lives today in Florida with Mary Jo, his wife of fifty-three years.

Perkins gives readers insights into his encounters with a wide range of newsmakers and celebrities, from actor James Cagney to a young Stephen King. He takes readers through not only his spiritual awakening, but also along his interesting career path, including how he landed a job with NBC, working directly under broadcaster David Brinkley and covering big stories like the Civil Rights movement, the Cuban Missile Crisis (Perkins recalls how he was playing cards at Press Secretary Pierre Salinger’s house the night before the nuclear standoff became public knowledge, with Salinger taking phone calls every five minutes), and the Kennedy Assassination, a grim assignment that found him gathering wire reports for David Brinkley to read aloud to a national audience still in shock.

Throughout these dramatic turns of history, Perkins recognizes pangs of something deeper that was stirring within, something that would eventually lead him to build his Maine hermitage and begin his search for God. It was an admittedly strange turnabout for a lifelong agnostic with little interest in the intangible. And yet there was a growing “awareness” of the spiritual that seemed to coincide with the building of Moosewood; “an awareness of some of the simplest realities of our daily lives,” Perkins writes; one that can get lost in the deadlines and telling of others’ tales, when perhaps what Perkins needed most was to discover his own story.



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Elinor Klivans

May 30, 2013, 11:26 am
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Elinor Klivans at Camden Public Library June 18

Noted cook and author Elinor Klivans will be at the Camden Public Library on Tuesday, June 18, at 7:00 pm  to talk about her newest book, Slice & Bake Cookies: Fast Recipes from your Refrigerator or Freezer. Klivans is an award-winning pastry chef trained in France and the United States. She is the author of several cookbooks, including Big Fat Cookies and Bake and Freeze Desserts, a Julia Child Cookbook Award nominee, and a coauthor of Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking. Based in Maine, Klivans is also a frequent guest on radio and television and has written for numerous national magazines. And she will bring some tasty treats to share at the book reading!

For those short on time but long on cookie love, Slice & Bake Cookies comes to the rescue! Elinor Klivans, the baking expert behind Big Fat Cookies and Cupcakes!, shares 50 recipes that are quick to mix up, stash in the refrigerator or freezer, and have at the ready to slice and bake whenever a sweet craving strikes. From classics such as old-fashioned oatmeal raisin cookies and Linzer hearts to modern takes on savory cookies and crackers, the recipes collected here fit the bill for any impromptu get-together. With a rundown of ingredients and baking equipment—plus tips on decorating, serving, storing, and even shipping—freshly baked, warm-from-the-oven cookies will always be on hand.


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Middle School Japanese Cultural Exchange

May 30, 2013, 11:34 am
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Middle School Japanese Cultural Exchange June 11

The State of Maine enjoys a sister-state relationship with Aomori Prefecture in Japan, to which ten middle school students traveled this past April vacation. To share their experiences, Camden Rockport Middle School eighth-grade students will give a slide talk for the community at the Camden Public Library on June 11 at 7:00 pm. For 15 years, the middle school has taken part in this vibrant exchange program in northern Japan through the generosity of many businesses and people here. “Please join us for the slides!” says Elphie Owen, one of the teachers who accompanied the students to Japan.


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The Maine Windjammer Project

May 30, 2013, 12:06 pm
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The Maine Windjammer Project was created to preserve a photographic record of the golden age of the Maine windjammer for the generations to come.

The golden age of sail is long gone, but, on the coast of Maine the golden age of the Maine windjammer is at its height. Imagine if you could know ahead of time the important moments of history and be there to photograph that moment. So many historic moments have gone by unrecognized by those present and only later realized the significance of that very moment.
There was a time when sail was king on the coast of Maine. The lime trade, granite & marble, lumber from virgin forests, ice and the fishing trades all employed sailing craft to move their products. The lime trade alone employed over 200 two masted schooners in Rockland and the surrounding coastal Maine towns.
Steam powered vessels were making some of the longer trans-Atlantic runs and the passenger trade up and down the coast. However, for coastal trade and the hundreds of islands located just off the coast of Maine sail is still king.
On any given day, the coastal waters would be filled with these two masted schooners delivering cargo to and from all the coastal towns. They are the lifeline for those living on the islands, delivering everything from lumber to butter and even your grandfather’s new Sunday suit.
Today only a handful of the sailing vessels remain. Many of them were simply used until they were worn out and replaced by a new one. During the Great Depression, thousands of these boats were just abandoned where they stood and left to rot.
There is, however a place where during the summer and fall you can still see these historic vessels sailing the clear blue waters the Atlantic much the way they have for the past 200 years. Penobscot Bay is located on the coast of Maine and on any given day in the summer you may be able to see as many as 15 or more of these proud sailing vessels, known as windjammers. Many of these boats have been sailing for over 100 years! They are truly living history.

The Maine Windjammer Project started in 2007. It is an ongoing project to document the modern history of the historic windjammers on the coast of Maine. Many of these boats are over 100 years old two are over 142 years, launched in 1871. This unique photographic history covers from 2007 to the present, sailing, haul out and the special events, such as The Great Schooner Race 2010 to present.

This extensive archive is available to maritime and American history museums and those doing research on these last surviving boats.

The Maine Windjammer Project: www.mainewindjammerproject.com


For additional information contact Doug Mills at: dougmills@shootmainestudios.com





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Warmer Weather Means High Ozone Days

May 30, 2013, 12:43 pm
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American Lung Association Warns of Increased Pollution as the Temperature Rises in the Northeast

Warmer weather means High Ozone Days are approaching.
(AUGUSTA, ME) – As the communities in the Northeast prepare for warmer temperatures this season, the American Lung Association urges residents here in Maine and across the Northeast to be aware of the increased risk of ground-level ozone and take health precautions when levels are high. One valuable resource is our free State of the Air® smartphone application, which monitors current levels of ozone and particle pollution and pushes out notifications when either pollutant reaches unhealthy levels in your area.
“Air pollution threatens the health of millions in the Northeast alone. With these increased temperatures comes the increased threat of hazardous levels of ozone pollution,” said Jeff Seyler, President & CEO of the American Lung Association of the Northeast. “We are happy to be able to provide this innovative tool so those with lung disease, and without, can effectively monitor their local air quality and take action to limit their exposure to dangerous levels of air pollution.”
Despite continued improvements in air quality, unhealthy levels of air pollution still exist in communities across the country.  According to the Lung Association’s State of the Air 2013 report, more than 8.6 million people in the Northeast live in counties with dangerous levels of ozone or particle pollution, the two most widespread air pollutants.
The State of the Air app enables users to enter their zip code or use the geo-locator function to get current air quality conditions and the next-day air quality forecast.  The app tracks levels of both ozone and particle pollution, and pushes out alerts if local air quality is code orange- unhealthy for sensitive groups - or worse.  Depending on the severity of the day’s air pollution, the app will provide vital health recommendations – advising that outdoor activities should be rescheduled or that people who work outdoors should limit extended or heavy exertion.
High levels of air pollution can make people sick and send people to the hospital,” said Marguerite Pennoyer, MD, a member of the American Lung Association in Maine’s Leadership Board.   “That’s why all of us, especially people with lung disease, should pay attention to ozone levels and follow the recommendations when air quality alerts are issued.  Being diligent and taking precautions can save a person a trip to the emergency room.”
“Vehicle emissions are a major source of air pollution in Maine and this year, EPA has an opportunity to set stricter standards on tailpipe emissions and to mandate cleaner burning gasoline,” said Ed Miller, Senior Vice President of Public Policy at the American Lung Association of the Northeast. “It is important for Mainers to let EPA know that these standards, which are equivalent to taking 33 million cars off the road, are vital to protecting public health. Introducing these new parameters would one cost about a penny per gallon.”
Besides being aware of air pollution levels there are steps that the public can take to protect that air we all share:
Support our Healthy Air Agenda by visiting www.fightingforair.org .Tell EPA we need cleaner gasoline and vehicle standards to fight life-threatening tailpipe pollution and tighter ozone and carbon pollution standards to clean up the air we breathe. Urge your members of Congress to protect the Clean Air Act, which has been in effect for more than 40 years and has saved lives and improved the quality of life for millions of Americans.
Take steps to clean up the air in your community and to protect your family: drive less; walk, bike, carpool or take transit. Don’t burn wood or trash. Make sure your local school system uses clean school buses. Use less electricity. Don’t’ exercise on high pollution days and never exercise near busy freeways.
Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LungNE and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LungNE for more information on lung health.
Heat and sunlight mixed with the pollution from tailpipes, smokestacks and other sources create ozone. Ozone is the most widespread air pollutant and can cause health problems like wheezing, coughing, asthma attacks and even premature death.  Exposure to ozone pollution has been likened to “a sunburn on the lungs.”
Whether the air is code green, “good,” or code red, “unhealthy,” the app allows users to share their local air quality via email, Facebook or Twitter.  The app also provides users with the opportunity to sign up to receive information from the American Lung Association on topics of particular interest to them. Users can also contact their members of Congress through the app’s “speak up” function and voice their support for the Clean Air Act.
The air quality information provided is based on data made available to the public by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The American Lung Association app is available for iPhone in the App Store and for Android in Google Play or at www.lung.org/stateoftheairapp.


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Low tide beach walk at the head of Camden Harbor

May 30, 2013, 12:57 pm
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Tide Walks Begin June 19

Low tide beach walk at the head of Camden Harbor

Ever wonder what marine life can be found at the head of Camden Harbor, where the Megunticook River flows into the ocean? Diann Henderson, a student in the Maine Master Naturalist Program, will help you explore this question with a brief talk in the Camden Public Library followed by an interactive walk at low tide (wear  shoes or boots suitable for mud!). The first Tide Walk is Wednesday, June 19, at 1:00 pm.

Ms. Henderson is a Camden native who, like many, left the state and has just returned as a retiree.  Her most recent job as a Middle School Math and Science teacher took her to international schools in Cambodia, China, Russia, and Ecuador. Three Beach walks are scheduled during low tide this summer: Wednesday, June 19, 1:00 to 2:30 pm; Monday, July 15, 10:00 to 11:30 am; and Tuesday, August  6, 4:00 to 5:30 pm.


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Paving Projects to Begin in Ellsworth

May 30, 2013, 1:02 pm
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Ellsworth, Maine - Two paving projects will begin on Monday, June 3rd in Ellsworth.

The first location will be .04 miles northerly of the intersection of Beechland Road, Buttermilk Road and High Street, extending southerly 0.66 miles to 1.89 miles northerly of the intersection of Route 3 and Jordan River Road in Trenton. This project involves pavement milling and repaving along with some drainage improvements. Two-way traffic will be maintained with anticipated completion at the end of July.

The second location will begin .06 miles northerly of Washington and High Streets, extending northerly 1.07 miles to .010 miles northerly of Myrick Street. Alternating one-way traffic with flaggers will assist motorists along this route. The project scope includes pavement milling and repaving along with some drainage improvements. It is anticipated this work will be completed at the end of July.

Lane Construction of Cheshire, Connecticut will perform this $886,000 work.
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Peter Jones Exploring and Photographing The Underground World

May 30, 2013, 1:14 pm
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New photos from under the Guadalupe Mountains by cave photographer Peter Jones, June 20

 Local potter and photographer Peter Jones has been exploring and photographing the underground world for 44 years. He spent two weeks in April photographing in eight different caves under the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico. He has an abundance of new and gorgeous images taken with new techniques. “Come explore that extraordinary world from the comfort of your own seat,” he says. Jones will present the slide talk at the Camden Public Library at 7:00 pm on Thursday, June 20.

Bear Skull Pink Panther Cave.
 He says, “Caving (no, it is not called spelunking by those of us who are serious about it!) has been a big part of my life since I went into my first wild cave in 1968 while at the University of Denver. I knew then it would be a lifelong pursuit, though I never would have guessed that it would be such a wonderful vocation for me as well. Although I am a potter by trade, I find my cave-related business is growing year by year. How incredibly fortunate I am to have found two things in my life that produce a living income for me and fulfill my creative desires as well.”

 In a message earlier this spring, Jones wrote, “I am currently sitting in Hut 8 at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, getting ready for the second day of the cave photography workshop I am teaching. Been here for about two weeks of cave photography in other caves in the High Guads. Many, many new photos to tease and tantalize with. Here are a few of the new ones. Looking forward to it!”





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Air Quality Alert for Ozone

May 30, 2013, 3:24 pm
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Maine - Ground-level ozone concentrations will be climbing in Maine beginning Friday and continuing through Sunday and are expected to reach unhealthy levels according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Ozone levels have been building in Southern New England and Mid-Atlantic states over the last few days. This pool of ozone will be transported to the Gulf of Maine and cause ozone values to reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range of the Air Quality Index along areas of the Coast.

Friday's highest levels of ozone are expected along the Mid-Coast and Downeast Coastal regions. On Saturday the highest levels of ozone are likely for the Southwest Coast and Mid-Coastal regions. Ozone levels will likely continue into Sunday but are expected to be washed out by the approaching Low pressure system before Monday. Additionally, particle pollution levels will also be rising and likely reach the Moderate range for the southern portion of the state during the weekend.

At high ozone levels, children, healthy adults who exert themselves, and individuals suffering from a respiratory disease such as asthma, bronchitis or COPD can experience reduced lung function and irritation. When this happens, individuals may notice a shortness of breath, coughing, throat irritation, and/or experience an uncomfortable sensation in their chest.

Some actions you can take to protect your health during periods of unhealthy air quality include:

- Adjusting your schedule to avoid strenuous outdoor activity during the afternoon.

- If you are indoors, close windows and circulate indoor air with a fan or air conditioner.

- Avoid using aerosol products such as cleaners, paints, and other lung irritants.

- The Maine CDC Asthma Prevention and Control Program has asthma action plan forms and other information available at their web site: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/mat/index.htm

- For more information on asthma control visit EPA's Web site www.epa.gov/asthma to find fact sheets, brochures, children's activity books, and educational videos with information about asthma triggers and lessons on asthma management.

There are several ways that Maine's citizens can follow the air quality forecast. In addition to those listed above, sports coaches, elder care workers, nurses and others who are responsible for the welfare of people impacted by poor air quality are urged to use one of the following tools to know when air quality is expected to be poor:

Air Quality Forecast page: http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/ozone/ which has links to:

- EnviroFlash, EPA's email and text alert system, http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/ozone/enviroflash.html

- Twitter, for sign up information go to: http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/ozone/twitter.html

- EPA's mobile app is available at: http://m.epa.gov/apps/airnow.html DEP's toll free air quality hotline is 1-800-223-1196

For more information call the contacts listed above or go to DEP's air quality web site http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/ozone/
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"First Night Onboard" The Maine Windjammer Project

May 31, 2013, 5:44 am
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Governor LePage & MITC to Lead Maine Companies to Mexico & Colombia for State of Maine Trade Mission

May 31, 2013, 5:44 am
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Augusta, Maine - Governor Paul R. LePage announced that he and the Maine International Trade Center will be leading a delegation of Maine businesses and schools to Mexico and Colombia this fall on for the annual State of Maine Trade Mission. This year’s mission, which will run from October 27-November 2, will again feature business matchmaking and other promotional events to help Maine companies enter and expand in these markets.

The mission will be the second for Governor LePage and the fifteenth for a Maine governor. The last state trade mission to Mexico was in 2001; the visit to Colombia will be the first. “Latin America presents numerous opportunities for our Maine businesses,” commented Governor LePage. “Both countries are growing and value U.S. quality products.”

Mexico’s GDP has recorded positive growth over the past several years, and the country ranks as the United States’ second-largest export market and third-largest trading partner. In addition, Mexico has been a growing source of foreign investment in the United States and most recently Maine, where Dalegip America Inc. recently announced a joint venture partnership with Searsport-based GAC Chemical. Major Mexican investments in the U.S. have been in the construction industry, industrial products, real estate and food processing sectors.

“We have established some great working partnerships with our Mexico/Colombian counterparts at US Department of Commerce and other in-country cooperators,” says Janine Bisaillon-Cary, president of MITC and State Director of International Trade. “Maine companies involved in precision machining and the supply chain for the automotive, oil and gas and mining industries will likely find both markets of interest, as well as medical products manufacturers. These markets are also excellent prospects for student attraction, both at the high school and higher ed levels.”

Tim Hussey, CEO of North Berwick-based Hussey Seating Company, says Mexico “has proven to be a good market” for his company. “They have a desire for American-designed products, and we are finding we can be competitive in a number of niche markets. Their economy is growing, and we are seeing our business grow there,” Hussey explained.

Political stability, a growing middle class, and improved security has created an economic boom in Colombia that, coupled with the conservative lending practices by Colombia’s financial institutions, lessened the impact of the global economic crisis, making it the third largest market for U.S. exports in Latin America.

Terry Ingram, the owner of Allagash International in South Portland, has been doing business in Colombia for the past nine years. He says that companies not currently doing business in Colombia are “missing by far the fastest growing per capita country in the region. The culture is warm and Colombians are always excited to partner with US companies.”

Mexico and Colombia rank among the top emerging markets for Maine exports, with Mexico positioned as one of the top 15 markets worldwide for the state and Colombia showing signs of solid growth following the advent of a new free trade agreement with the U.S. Maine exported $34.9 million in goods to Mexico and $8 million to Colombia in 2012. Top exports currently include paper, motor vehicle parts, vaccines, fruits and nuts, diagnostic materials, medical products and plastics.

The mission is open to all Maine companies and organizations, with the deadline for registration on September 7, 2013. More information is available on MITC’s website at www.mitc.com, or by contacting Wade Merritt (merritt@mitc.com) or Lucy Sommo (sommo@mitc.com).
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2013

May 31, 2013, 7:27 am
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
PUBLIC SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2013

SECRETARY JOHN KERRY
9:30 a.m. Secretary Kerry holds a bilateral meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Guido Westerwelle, at the Department of State.10:50 a.m. Secretary Kerry joins President Obama’s meeting with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, at the White House.

DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
10:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns accepts the credentials of Ambassador-designate of Iraq to the U.S. Lukman Abdul-Rahim Faily, at the Department of State.12:30 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
2:30 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with British Ambassador to the U.S. Sir Peter Westmacott, at the Department of State.3:45 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, at the Department of State.
4:45 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Tunisian Nahda Party Leader Rachid Ghannouchi, at the Department of State.

CHIEF OF PROTOCOL AMBASSADOR CAPRICIA PENAVIC MARSHALL
Ambassador Marshall assists with the working visit of the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, His Excellency Anders Fogh Rasmussen, at the White House.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION AFFAIRS ESTHER BRIMMER
1:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Brimmer meets with Spanish Ambassador to the U.S. Ramon Gil Casares, at the Department of State.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
Assistant Secretary Fernandez is on foreign travel from May 19 through 31 to Mexico City, Mexico; Ankara, Turkey; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Madrid, Spain.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
Assistant Secretary Jacobson accompanies Vice President Biden on foreign travel.

SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO MUSLIM COMMUNITIES FARAH PANDITH
Special Representative Pandith delivers remarks at The Fletcher School’s Twelfth Annual Talloires Symposium. in Talloires, France.


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AIR QUALITY ALERT: Knox, Lincoln and Coastal Waldo County 11AM to 11PM

May 31, 2013, 7:35 am
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AIR QUALITY ALERT IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT...
THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION HAS ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
LINCOLN... KNOX... COASTAL WALDO.
THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION'S BUREAU OF AIR QUALITY HAS ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ALERT . . . UNTIL 11 PM ON FRIDAY... FOR THE THE MID-COAST COASTAL REGIONS OF MAINE WHICH COVER THE COAST FROM BOOTHBAY HARBOR THROUGH THE PENOBSCOT BAY. POOR AIR QUALITY IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND FOR THE ENTIRE COASTLINE.
THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION RECOMMENDS THAT INDIVIDUALS CONSIDER LIMITING STRENUOUS OUTDOOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS.
PEOPLE WHO MAY BE ESPECIALLY SENSITIVE TO THE EFFECTS OF ELEVATED LEVELS OF POLLUTANTS INCLUDE THE VERY YOUNG, THE ELDERLY AND THOSE WITH PRE-EXISTING RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS SUCH AS ASTHMA AND OR HEART DISEASE. THOSE WITH SYMPTOMS SHOULD CONSIDER CONSULTING THEIR PERSONAL PHYSICIAN.
A TOLL FREE AIR QUALITY HOTLINE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED SO MAINE RESIDENTS CAN STAY INFORMED ON THE AIR QUALITY SITUATIONS. THE TOLL FREE NUMBER IS: 1-800-223-1196.


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Tanker and Bulk Carrier Collide Off Galveston

May 31, 2013, 7:52 am
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The Tank Vessel Profit after a collision with the Motor Vessel Imperial Spirit 30 miles off of the coast of Galveston May 30, 2013. The collision caused damage to both vessels, but no injury or pollution occurred during the incident. U.S Coast Guard Photo.
HOUSTON — The Coast Guard is responding to a collision between two deep draft ships approximately 30 miles off the coast of Galveston today.

There has been no report of injury or pollution from either vessel; however, both vessels are reporting damage but are in stable condition.

At approximately 5:50 a.m. watchstanders at Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Texas City received a report of a collision between the 900-foot Tank Vessel Profit loaded with approximately 19 million gallons of crude oil and the 625-foot Motor Vessel Imperial Spirit loaded with grain.

The Coast Guard launched an Air Station Houston helicopter with a pollution incident responder to conduct an initial damage assessment.

GALVESTON, Texas - The US Coast Guard Cutter Skipjack, a 110-foot cutter, sits at its berth in Coast Guard Sector Galveston August 7, 2012. The Skipjack is designed for law enforcement operations along the Texas coastline. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevin Metcalf.
Coast Guard Cutter Skipjack was also launched with a team of incident responders, marine inspectors, and marine casualty investigators to conduct a preliminary investigation and mitigate any possible further risk to the environment or the mariners aboard the two vessels.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.


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Stackpole to Discuss Local Shipbuilding and the Impact of the Civil War

May 31, 2013, 8:00 am
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Rockland, Maine - Historian Renny Stackpole will discuss the antebellum period of shipbuilding and the impact of the Civil War on this industry at the Thomaston Historical Society, Thursday, June 13, at 7 p.m. The presentation is part of the Georges River Land Trust’s 2013 Walks and Talks series exploring the environment and history of the St. George River.

Stackpole, a resident of Thomaston, former director of the Penobscot Marine Museum and trustee of the General Henry Knox Museum, will focus on letters of the Gilchrist family of Thomaston, a major source for information on the topic. Thomaston was a major shipbuilding center, and the talk will appropriately be held at the Historical Society, 80 Knox Street, adjacent to the current Lyman-Morse boatyard and the last original building of Montpelier, General Knox’s mansion, which has been recreated further north in Thomaston.

Shipbuilding was and continues to be a significant industry in the area, and the mission of the Land Trust includes conserving the traditional heritage of the Georges River watershed region.

The Land Trust’s annual Walks and Talks include hikes on the Georges Highland Path, paddles on the St. George River, the Garden Tour and lectures on flora, fauna and environment. The next event is a paddle and lunch on the middle St. George on Saturday, June 22, beginning at 10 am.

For additional activities and more information, visit GeorgesRiver.org or phone (207) 594-5166.
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Old Fort Western Announces 2013 Summer Apprentice Program

May 31, 2013, 8:05 am
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Augusta, Maine - Old Fort Western, the 1754 National Historic Landmark fort, store, and house museum on the Kennebec River in downtown Augusta, invites children interested in local history and stewardship, who are between the ages of eight and twelve to register for our annual Summer Apprentice Program.  The program runs in week-long sessions from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. beginning with the week of June 17, 2013.

This is an opportunity to experience what life was like in the 18th century by exploring storekeeping, blacksmithing, soldiering, every day life, and more.  Apprentices will also learn about the care and stewardship of the historic site by learning proper maintenance and interpretation of the site, objects and archaeological collections to ensure the continued enjoyment of the fort by future generations.  Once graduates of the apprentice program are 13 years old, they can go on to be Junior Interpreters -- volunteering at open visitations and special events.  Many junior interpreters have become historical interpreters here at Old Fort Western.

This program costs $62.50 per week.  If interested please fill out the registration form found on line at www.oldfortwestern.org or stop by the Old Fort Western Administrative Office in the Augusta City Center.  Payment in full must be received by 4:00 p.m. Friday the week prior to the registered program session.  A maximum of twelve participants may register for any given week, so space is limited.  Discounts for Augusta residents and multiple children are available and scholarship money will be awarded on a first come, first served basis.  Please call or e-mail for more information; Old Fort Western at 626-2385 or by e-mail at oldfort@oldfortwestern.org.
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Coast Guard responds to stranded boater on Catalina Island

May 31, 2013, 8:17 am
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LOS ANGELES – A Coast Guard helicopter crew recued a woman stranded on Catalina Island at 1:30pm, May 30, 2013.

Search and rescue watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, located in San Pedro, Calif., received a radio transmission at around 11:00am from a woman stating she needed help.  The Coast Guard watchstanders made radio call-outs to her, but she did not respond.

A 45-foot response boat medium crew from Station Los Angeles-Long Beach and a helicopter from Air Station Los Angeles were dispatched. Search and rescue watchstanders directed the rescue helicopter to the south side of Catalina Island, where she was found at Ben Weston Point, and hoisted into the helicopter.

“The surf was pretty rough and she was on the beach.  It quickly became apparent that hoisting her was the only option.  No one would be able to reach her from land or a surface boat," said Lt. j.g. Darin Coleman, a Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles pilot.

The woman reported the boat she was on became disabled, so she paddled to shore on a surfboard with a hand held radio in an attempt to get better reception to call for help. The remaining two individuals on the boat were able to affect repairs and made it safely back to a harbor on the island.


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