Rep. Arata 3/21 Update
Potholes and Other Spring Driving Hazards
Well, the clocks have been set ahead and spring is nearly here. It’s easy to believe that risky winter driving conditions are nearly over and smooth sailing lies ahead. That’s only if you haven’t yet experienced the frost heaves and potholes plaguing our roads and highways. These hazards are caused when water gets into cracks in the roadways and then repeatedly freezes and thaws. The main source of that water, other than the rain, is the snow melt and run off. All of these underlying conditions pose unique road conditions and a necessity to adjust our driving skills accordingly.
Fog: A perfect recipe for fog is fluctuating temperatures, standing snowpack, and rainy weather. Be aware that fog can form quickly and vary in its density and coverage. The main thing to do is SLOW DOWN, because your visibility, and therefore reaction time, will be greatly diminished. It is often common to come upon slow moving or stranded vehicles in dense fog. Keep your headlights on low and use your four way flashers if necessary.
Standing Water: With the heavy rain and rising temperatures, storm drains can be either filled to capacity or clogged and cause water to pool and sometimes freeze on roadways. Please allow plenty of room between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you, as these hazards are often hard to see and become apparent with very little notice. Standing water can cause vehicles to quickly lose traction and hydroplane out of control, so maintain plenty of space. To prevent hydroplaning, make sure your tires have adequate tread depth, and while you are at it, make sure your wiper blades are in good working order. Water cannot only be thrown from the vehicle you are following, but it is often thrown with such force from oncoming traffic that it can momentarily blind your vision of the roadway.
Potholes: The best thing you can do to avoid potholes and similar unknown and unsuspected hazards is to SLOW DOWN and leave plenty of room between you and the vehicle in front of you. Watch the flow of traffic and expect vehicles to occasionally veer into your lane of travel. Make mental notes as to where the potholes are on your daily commute. Potholes are often fixed only to deteriorate and reform on the very same day. Use extra caution when approaching puddles, being mindful that a pothole could be underneath. The State and municipalities try to be very diligent about patching potholes and similar problems, but they can only do that if they know about them. A quick call to the appropriate town office or the nearest DOT facility about the location of a pothole could save another driver from suffering a lot of damage or possibly an injury.
For information about local road postings, please see the "Locally Posted Roads" tab found online here and contact the appropriate municipal office.
Maine Marks 199 Years as an Independent State
On March 15, Maine marked 199 years as one of the United States of America.
The federal notification of Maine’s “Act of Admission” into the union is part of the holdings at the Maine State Archives. Congress passed the Act on March 3, 1820, and President James Monroe signed it that same day.
The Act of Admission designates Maine as a “separate and independent state.” U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, who would later be elected president of the United States in 1824, sent the Act to the State of Maine.
Before becoming a state, Maine was a district of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Maine brought pressure to become independent from Massachusetts and sought admission to the United States as a “free” state that rejected slavery. Southern states objected, contending that admitting Maine would upset the political balance between free states and states that allowed slavery. Congress ultimately proposed admitting Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. Although many Maine politicians objected, Congress approved the Missouri Compromise.
The resulting Act of Admission affirms that, as of March 15, 1820, “the State of Maine is hereby declared to be one of the United States of America, and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states, in all respects whatever.”
Historical documents such as the Act of Admission are preserved at the Maine State Archives facility in Augusta.
AARP Tax Assistance
AARP provides confidential, free tax preparation, answers tax questions, and files electronic forms. Help is available for those who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, sites are operational through April 15, and arrangements can be made to assist homebound disabled persons.
Dial 2-1-1 Maine or visit AARP Tax-Aide Locator to find a tax preparation site nearest to your location. Consumers can search the Tax-Aide Locator by address, zip code, or county. The recommended search strategy is by zip code. The name of the site, address, phone number, site schedule, handicap access, information on making an appointment, and other pertinent information is included in the search results.
Personal Income Tax (1040) Refund Status Information
If you have already filed your State individual income tax return and are scheduled to receive a refund, you can check on its status here.
Poland’s Annual Town Meeting Information
Poland’s annual elections will be held on Friday, April 5, from 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. upstairs at thePoland Town Hall. Candidates night, which is where each person on the ballot will be able to introduce themselves and answer any questions, will be held on Thursday, March 28, at 7 p.m. in the Town Office Conference Room. All are welcome to attend, or you may watch live on channel 1301. The ballot for this election can be found online here.
Poland’s annual Town Meeting will be held on Saturday, April 6, at 9 a.m. at Poland Regional High School auditorium. Additional Town Meeting details can be found onlinehere.
Maine Maple Sunday
Maine Maple Sunday is a long standing tradition where Maine’s maple producers open their doors to their sweet operations for a day of educational demonstrations, sugarbush tours, fun family activities, and samplings of syrup and other great maple products. Maine Maple Sunday is always the fourth Sunday in March!
Mark your calendars for March 24, 2019!
Find Participating Maine Sugarhouses for Maple Sunday online here.
For more information, please contact Anne Trenholm at Anne.Trenholm@maine.gov or 287-7620. Additional details can be found on the Maine Maple Producers Association Web sitehere.