Tag: travel

Senior College, Senior College Class

WALDO COUNTY FRIENDLY CALLER PROGRAM­, HELPING SENIOR CITIZENS

wendyckasten


In the summer of 2006 Waldo County RCC (Regional Communication Center) adopted a Friendly Caller program to assist senior citizens to have a daily contact with some entity.  Director Owen Smith was approached by a representative of Waldo CAP who had recently received a grant to develop a database of seniors who could utilize such a program. That grant allowed them to seek out and compose a list of mostly seniors who might want to participate. The grant lasted a year.

Waldo CAP was looking for an agency to participate in such a program.  Director Smith was asked what WCRCC/911 (Waldo County Regional Communication Center) might be able to do to help out.  As the only 24 hour emergency call center it seemed we could be the perfect fit.  From that contact came the Waldo County Friendly Caller Program.

There are many people in our mostly rural County that live alone and do not have daily contact with anyone.  Many do not have relatives living in the area. The ability for them to have a safety contact, in a non- medical emergency, seemed to be another way that they could continue living in their homes.  Waldo CAP would reach out to these people and secure their names, phone numbers and addresses.  From this list dispatchers at the 911 Center developed the form we would need to make the program work.  Waldo County TRIAD started assisting the program in outreach, advertising and support. The program started with approximately 30 people who would call into the Center on a daily basis just to say good morning and ?I am fine.? Dispatchers record the call on a tracking sheet and often chat with a caller if time permits. Many times it is learned that maybe someone had been scammed or some other problem problems.

If callers do not make that phone call between 6 am and 10 A.M., then dispatch will call them. If the dispatcher does not reach that person or a designated contact a law enforcement officer is sent to check on the welfare of the person. All of law enforcement agencies in our county participate in the program.

Early in the program the worth of such a service was first proven when an elderly lady did not make the call on a Monday morning. Efforts to reach her were fruitless and a deputy was sent to her house. That deputy found the lady on the floor, not able to get up and had been there nearly 24 hours. She thought she had fallen shortly after talking to the dispatcher the day before. She was transported to the hospital and eventually did not return to her home. How long might she had lay there if not for the program. Several such situations such as this has happened over the years.

Today the program has 32 callers. Two of the originals. I think we could probably handle up to 50 ? 60 callers. Throughout time, friendships between the callers and the dispatchers have developed. The dispatchers have developed programs to get the callers together such as picnics and the annual fall dinner. Last year we were not able to have the dinner nor any events due to the threat of Covid. Several dispatchers have been collecting the food boxes recently distributed and get them to our callers.

The program designed for seniors who do not have daily contact is open to all residents of the county. A confidential application needs to be filled out and turned in to the center and callers must agree that they will call everyday between 6am and 10 am or let us know they will not be calling.

I believe that in some small way our program does help people stay in their home with a feeling of security or daily contact.  I would like to add that the program is self- funded through dispatcher dress down days (Saturday, Sundays, and Holidays) when they might make small donations. No tax payer money is used for the program.

Interested people may call 338- 2040 to discuss the program and obtain an application.

Senior College, Senior College Class

Maine Coastal Regional Re-Entry Garden Project

wendyckasten

Maine Coastal Regional Re-Entry Garden Project

by Jeff Trafton, Waldo County Sheriff
 
A person smiling at the camera AI-generated content may be incorrect.Eleven years ago, the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office embarked on a new method of providing corrections services.  We opened the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center.  The center is a
32-bed men’s facility where offenders who are serving the last months of their sentence can learn interpersonal skills, engage in community service, attend personal enrichment classes and learn to create a successful life after incarceration. 

Community service is a cornerstone of the Reentry experience.  Over the last decade the reentry center has donated over fifty thousand community service hours to vital community projects throughout Waldo County.  The flagship project created with the Reentry Center is the County Garden.  The garden began on a five acre parcel of farmland the County leased on Rt. 141 in Swanville, which in the first year of its infancy, yielded 20,600 pounds of produce.  It has since evolved into a 63 acre farm purchased by the A group of people working in a field AI-generated content may be incorrect.County with more than 18 acres planted each year.  Two large buildings have been erected to serve as equipment storage and cold storage for preserving vegetables for longer periods of time.  The yield of produce harvested has also grown from a few thousand pounds in the beginning to an incredible 170,000 pounds in the 2020 growing season.  The bounty of food is all given to more than 30 food pantries, churches and non-profit agencies serving Waldo County.  Also, the residents of the Reentry Center are fed from the food they have grown themselves which not only offsets the facility’s food costs, it also serves to teach our residents how to grow and prepare their own food.  Serving such a vital, active role in this project has also given many of them a great sense of pride and accomplishment. 

County Commissioner William Shorey of Searsport was a founder of the garden and continues to oversee the operation today.  His vast knowledge of farming and food production has contributed greatly to the increased production year after year.  Although we are always amazed and excited about the enormous yield that comes out of that garden, we also can’t help but recognize the great amount of personal growth that is occurring within the lives of our residents as they spend countless, life-enriching hours in our fields and with this great man.

A person using a lawnmower AI-generated content may be incorrect.We recognize that it takes as many partners as it does hands to make this enormous project a success year after year.  We are so fortunate to live in such an incredible community and to have so many partners that contribute to our success.  For instance, a few years ago we had a very small harvest because Maine’s bee populations had been decimated by a virus.  The “The Bee Lady” who lives nearby keeps eight or nine of her hives right in the garden.  If you walk anywhere close, you can hear the buzzing and see the constant activity of the worker bees coming and going.  We get the pollinators and she splits the honey with us.  We have another neighbor who cuts the hay in the uncultivated fields.  He keeps the hay and we get our fields mowed.

Waldo County has much to be proud of.  It is a great privilege and pleasure for the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office and our Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center to be a part of this wonderful community and to serve our citizens.
 

Senior College, Senior College Class

Money Matters$$.

wendyckasten

Wendy C. Kasten



Shop Around to Save Money
Sometimes, we get into a rut with shopping, visiting the same stores or online retailers. However, it could save money shopping around for items we need. Here are some suggestions:

  • Jot down prices of items you buy regularly, such as health and beauty products, vitamins, food, paper products, etc. Try a different store with your list and compare prices of things you normally buy. There may be some savings. Don’t assume that smaller stores are more expensive. Find out for yourself.
  • Many of us have to go to Bangor, Augusta, or even Portland. Check out stores in those places to compare prices. For example, I found several produce items I use regularly to be less expensive at a store in Bangor than in Belfast.
  • Bangor offers Sam’s Club and BJ’s. These retailers charge an annual membership fee, but you might save more than the amount of the fee in a single visit. Quantities are greater. For example, toilet paper comes in packages of 48. CeraVe lotion comes in a package of two. Other items such as, coffee, olive oil, and protein powder come in a single larger container. I saved more than $30 on my first visit on a health-related product I use daily that was sold in a package of three. Overall, the membership fee had paid for itself by the completion of my first visit. Be cautious of assuming that everything in these “clubs” is less expensive. Know how much you spend on regularly used items and compare the prices.
  • Do not assume all pharmacies charge the same amount for prescriptions. If there is more than one pharmacy that accepts your insurance, compare pricing on prescriptions or other items you need regularly.
  • The first Tuesday of the month is SENIOR DAY at all Walgreen’s stores. Plan your visits to obtain non-prescription needs such as, vitamins, aspirin, cough and cold remedies, nuts, greetings cards, etc. Anything currently on sale is not eligible for the 20% discount, however everything else is. The cashier will adjust your total upon checkout. I always ask how much I saved; it’s generally around $40.00!
  • Shop around for gasoline. An IPhone APP called Gas Buddy tells you all the gas prices in the area (if you have location services turned on in your settings). Certain gas stations in our area are consistently cheaper or more expensive. Irving stations and others offer discounts for having their rewards card. The card can be applied for in person or on their website. It is an alternate debit card attached to one of your bank accounts. At the pump or in their stores, if you pay with their card instead of your regular credit card, the prices are sometimes less. At Irving stations, fuel is 10 cents less per gallon. Purchases earn you reward points that can accumulate for benefits.