PVA, Pinecrest & WSH Newsletter

PVA, PINECREST & WSH NEWSLETTER

One of the shortest wills ever written: “Being of sound mind, I spent all the money.”

March 2022

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Maine Maple Sunday Maine Community Solar Maine Sales Tax Rebate Weston Inspections Save money on internet

Mark your calendars! An event that is always held on the fourth Sunday in March is sure to brighten the spirits as the end of winter nears – Maine Maple Sunday. Each March, regardless of how much snow is still on the ground, the maples are at it again – sending sweet sap surging up to feed the buds – but not before maple syrup producers can tap the trees to make delicious syrup and candies.

An annual celebration of the coming of spring, Maine Maple Sunday is the perfect activity for families. Syrup producers from across the state open their sugarhouses to the public to enjoy samples of freshly made maple syrup and other goodies.

Maple tree Facts Maple tree is a plant that belongs to the family Aceraceae.

There are 128 species and a couple of thousand varieties of maples that can be found mostly on the northern hemisphere.

Fossil evidences indicate that maples have existed on the planet at least 100 million years. Certain species of maples vanished during the ice age. These plants are cultivated because of their ornamental value, production of maple syrup and commercial application of the wood. Unfortunately, out of 128 species, 54 are faced with uncertain future due to habitat loss.

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Each of the nearly 100 participating sugarhouses offers different events and activities including tours of the sap lines and demonstrations of sap boiling; tastes of culinary delights of all things maple, from pancakes to maple syrup-topped ice cream; and hayrides and face painting. Many sugarhouses are open both Saturday and Sunday of the fourth weekend in March

“This local treat not only tastes delicious but has health benefits from promoting healthy pro and prebiotics to reducing inflammation.”

It’s no wonder Maine Maple Sunday is a favorite event in Maine. Real maple syrup not only tastes delicious but has health benefits from promoting healthy pro and prebiotics to reducing inflammation. What better way to stay healthy!

Did you know? Somerset County in Maine is the largest maple syrup producing county in the USA.

Maine Community Solar program If you are looking for more options beyond HEAP and Maine Sales Tax Rebate program to help reduce your electricity bill, Maine Community Solar program might be of interest for you. When you participate in the program you can save up to 15% on your electricity bill.

What happened?

In 2019 the Maine Legislature passed a law to encourage the development of solar and other renewable energy projects in the state, Maine PUBLIC Law, Chapter 478. You may have noticed solar energy farms popping up in many places, these are examples of what’s being created in Maine from the new law.

How it works You are purchasing a subscription (like with a news paper, or farm share) to a Maine solar farm energy producer. When you sign up, you will authorize them to review your historical use of electricity (the graph on your bills) to determine the size of your subscription. Every month you will pay your subscription. Then your subscription will be applied to the energy supplier part of your electricity bill along with a 5% to 15% discount.

For example, if you had an $85 solar subscription, and your electricity bill (supplier portion) was $100, you would pay nothing more.

York, Maine became the first chartered city in America in 1641. York was earlier called Agamenticus, and in 1642 it was renamed Gorgeana, and in 1652 it was reincorporated as York.

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$100 - $85 $15 - $15 $0

You would see this reduction on the energy supplier portion of your bill, not energy delivery CMP’s cost for delivery remains the same.

Where do I sign up?

There are now dozens of solar businesses in Maine offering solar subscriptions, you can learn more and sign up at: mainecommunitysolar.org or call: (207) 888-3670

What do lawyers wear to court?

Lawsuits.

CMP bill Solar subscription Sub total 15% of CMP bill Total supplier bill

The average resident could potentially save over $400 a year by utilizing three easy to apply for resources available to anyone. Maine Revenue Service – Sales Tax Fairness Credit, Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), Maine Community Solar.

Tax Fairness Credit HEAP (avg amount) Community Solar 15% savings on avg $1400 annual electric cost Potential annual savings

$125 $100 $210 $435

What do you call the wife of a hippie?

Mississippi.

The tax man takes, and gives What is the Maine Sales Tax Fairness Credit? You may qualify for a refundable Sales Tax Fairness Credit up to $235, depending on the number of qualifying dependents you have, most retired individuals about $125, if you meet all of the following qualifications: Taxpayers who meet all of the following requirements: 1. Were Maine residents during any part of the tax year; 2. Cannot be claimed as a dependent on another person's tax return; 3. Are not married filing separately; and 4. Meet certain income limitations during the tax year.

Yes, Maine Revenue Services will assist taxpayers with Form 1040ME and Schedule PTFC/STFC. For help, call 207-626-8475 weekdays 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

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7 steps to better health Using data from a Harvard study, two researchers showed in 2001 that we can control seven big investment decisions pretty directly: smoking, drinking, body weight, exercise, emotional resilience, education, and relationships.

1. Don’t smoke—or if you already smoke, quit now. You might not succeed on your first try, but the earlier you start the quitting process, the more smoke-free years you can invest in your happiness account.

2. Watch your drinking. Alcohol abuse is strongly correlated with smoking in the Harvard study, but plenty of other research shows that even by itself, it is one of the most powerful predictors of winding up sad-sick. If you have any indication of problem drinking in your life, get help now. If you have drinking problems in your family, do not take your chances: Keep that switch turned off. Although forgoing alcohol can be difficult, you’ll never be sorry you made this decision.

3. Maintain a healthy body weight. Eat a diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and moderate serving sizes, but avoid yo-yo diets or intense restrictions that you can’t maintain over the long run.

4. Prioritize movement in your life by scheduling time for it every day and sticking to it. Arguably the single best, time-tested way to do this is by walking daily.

5. Practice your coping mechanisms now. The earlier you can find healthy ways to deal with life’s inevitable distresses, the more prepared you’ll be if ill luck strikes in your 80s. This means working consciously—perhaps with assistance from spiritual practices or even therapy—to avoid excessive rumination, unhealthy emotional reactions, or avoidance behavior.

6. Keep learning. More education leads to a more active mind in old age, and that means a longer, happier life. That doesn’t mean that you need to go to Harvard; you simply need to engage in lifelong, purposive learning. For example, that can mean reading serious nonfiction as part of a routine to learn more about new subjects.

7. Do the work to cultivate stable, long-term relationships now. For most people, this includes a steady marriage, but other relationships with family, friends, and partners can fit in this category as well. The point is to find people with whom you can grow, whom you can count on, no matter what comes your way.

SAVE MONEY GETTING INTERNET SERVICE The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC program that helps connect families, seniors, and people with disabilities struggling to afford internet service.

The Affordable Connectivity Program provides:   

Up to $30/month discount for broadband internet service; Up to $75/month discount for households on qualifying Tribal lands; and A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider if the household contributes more than $10 but less than $50 toward the purchase price.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

Who is Eligible?

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A household is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program if the household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if a member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below: 

Participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance (like PVA, Pinecrest, Wilton Senior Housing), SSI, WIC, or Lifeline;



Participates in one of several Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal Head Start, Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations;

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Participates in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision;

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Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year; or Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating broadband provider’s existing low-income internet program.

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Call 877-384-2575 or find more information about the Affordable Connectivity Program at fcc.gov/ACP

• The first ship built by English colonists in Americas was launched on the Kennebec River in 1607.

• The first naval battle of the Revolutionary War was fought off Machias, Maine in 1775.

Maine has 3,478 miles of coastline - more than California (3,427), and over 5,000 miles of coast if you include all of the islands as well. Only Florida and Louisiana (mostly bayou) have more miles of coastline.

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In the spring, Maine is the USA's second coldest state, with only Alaska being colder. The lowest ever recorded temperate in the state was a chilling -50 F (-45 C) and it occurred on January 16, 2009.

Our Team Members Pleasant View Acres, Pinecrest, Wilton Senior Housing Tel: (207) 795-6871 Fax: (207) 689-9129 Jennifer Deschene – Regional Director / jdeschene@waboston.com Stephanie Estabrook – Regional Manager / sestabrook@waboston.com Sarah Gates - Property Manager / sgates@waboston.com Jessica Higgins - Administrative Assistant / jhiggins@waboston.com Dean Perkins – Maintenance / dperkins@waboston.com Don Sutter – Maintenance John Painter – Resident Service Coordinator / jpainter@waboston.com This easy weeknight dinner is packed with lycopene and vitamin C to boost vision health and add to senior nutrition. It’s similar enough to pizza that even picky eaters will try it — but it’s a total showstopper with fresh, colorful ingredients.

Ingredients 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon olive oil 2-3 large tomatoes (multiple colors make a beautiful tart, but red works just as well) 1 cup of your favorite cheese (such as blue cheese, mozzarella, feta, or Parmesan) 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, or chopped fresh herbs like basil and oregano Instructions Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick aluminum foil.

Stretch out the puff pastry on the lined baking sheet. With a fork, poke small holes along the bottom.

Add onions and olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Sauté, stirring frequently, until soft — about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle cooked onions over the pastry dough, then top with tomato slices so they don’t overlap. Sprinkle with cheese and half of your seasoning or herbs. Season with salt (or salt replacement, if you’re avoiding sodium) and pepper to your tastes.

Bake for 25 minutes, until the crust is golden. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs, cut into squares, and enjoy!

Are there several ways to abbreviate Maine?

Or is it just me?

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