(Traveling vets are all over Northern California, especially in areas where there are personal and commercial cattle ranches and dairy farms. I hope she stays busy enough to stay in business. — KM)
Traveling vet to fill void in Aroostook County – Bangor Daily News.
Posted in Maine
Tagged Aroostook County, companion animals, small animals, traveling vet, veterinarian
Here is a link to more dispatches from and about Haiti.
Austin Webbert and a group of his college classmates were relaxing at a downtown restaurant in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
It was a Tuesday afternoon, the day a 7.0-magnitude earthquake turned most of the Carribbean capital into rubble, killing tens of thousands.
Webbert’s group was taking a break from the volunteer work they had undertaken in Cit Soleil, a slum on the outskirts of the Haitian capital.
“We had just left the building and gotten into our SUV when the earthquake happened,” Webbert said. “I was shocked to see the restaurant heave up and down off the ground before slumping over.”
The 22-year-old college student from Wayne was on his fourth trip to the nation of 9 million. He evacuated to the Dominican Republic late last week, then landed in Miami on Saturday.
Click here to read the rest of “‘Earth had turned to Jell-O’ during quake, Mainer recalls” by the Kennebec Journal’s Matthew Stone.
Tagged aid, Cit Soleil, earthquake, Haiti, Mainer, Port-au-Prince, volunteer
Even as initial responders to the Haitian earthquake struggle to get food, water and medical care to survivors, some Mainers are working to prepare long-term help for hundreds who were maimed in the disaster.
Adam Cote, a former congressional candidate, is heading to Haiti on Monday with a group from the company he works for, Global Relief Technologies, to gather data on amputees who need artificial limbs. He will use the technology the company designs to collect names, addresses and medical data, make measurements of damaged limbs, snap photos and generate wrist bands with bar codes that will help doctors and nurses identify the patients and access their records.
The information will be sent to New England Brace, a New Hampshire-based company with an office in Lewiston, which plans to lead an effort to provide prosthetics for the injured.
Cote, who lives in Portland, said the company is donating the time and equipment. He plans to be in Haiti for up to two weeks, working with Helping Hands for Haiti, a group that has been staffing hospitals and building schools in the impoverished country for about a decade. The organization’s hospitals were destroyed in the earthquake, but it has set up field hospitals in the capital, Port-au-Prince, which was devastated by the quake, Cote said.
“They are telling us there are probably 2,500 to 3,000 amputees” who will need help, Cote said.
Click here for the rest of “Mainers prepare to help Haiti amputees” by the Portland Press Herald’s Edward E. Murphy.
The first thought might be to rush in to volunteer when faced with such a tragic situation as the earthquake in Haiti. The images and stories coming out of that very poor country are terribly sad and rightfully are spurring incredible generosity to charities helping there.
But, as this Idealist.org blog entry by Erin Barnhart indicates, waiting may be the very best thing to do for those not trained to deal with such disasters. Follow the link to the bog.
Here are 10 things I hate. Not in a particular order.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged cheats, conservative, extremists, hate, liars, liberal
Posted in Disaster, Food and Drink, Maine
Tagged aid, B&G Foods, B&M Backed Beans, earthquake, Haiti, Portland, relief, Stop Hunger Now
Many lawmakers and observers said Thursday that Gov. John Baldacci’s final State of the State speech struck the right balance for uncertain times.
“I thought he hit the right tone,” said Rep. Patricia Sutherland, D-Chapman. “He was realistic, with some hope. I think Maine people are ‘cut-to-the-chase’ people, and would accept nothing less from the governor.”
Baldacci highlighted achievements of his seven years in office as well as plans for the future, particularly in the areas of renewable energy, government efficiency, education and forest conservation.
Click here to read the rest of “Baldacci strikes the ‘right tone’ for tough times, observers say” by the Kennebec Journal’s Ethan Wilensky-Lanford.
And click here to read the prepared text of Gov. John Baldacci’s final State of the State speech.
Posted in Economy, Environment, Maine
Tagged 2010 State of the State, government, John Baldacci, Maine
Here is a link to more “reporter’s notebook” items from the MaineToday Media crew writing from and about Haiti.
Posted in Disaster, Journalism, Maine, News and Newspapers, Newspapers
Tagged aid, eaqrthquake, Haiti, Mainers, relief, reporter's notebook
Normally when treasure hunter Greg Brooks embarks on his 220-foot ship Sea Hunter, he’s not 100 percent sure what he’s going to find.
Not so this time.
“I love the people of Haiti and I know that they’re suffering,” Brooks said Thursday. “Because of this tragedy, everybody’s willing to give to Haiti. I can transport the stuff they want to give.”
And then some.
Click here to get the rest of “This time Mainer’s not hunting treasure, he’s delivering it – to Haiti” by Portland Press Herald columnist Bill Nemitz.
Tagged aid, Bill Nemitz, earthquake, Greg Brooks, Haiti, Mainers, relief, Sea Hunter, treasure hunter
Just a reminder that Maine Public Broadcasting Network has a landing page including information on the Haiti earthquake and relief effort.
Click here to go to the page.
Time Warner Cable today announced that all calls placed by its digital phone customers to Haiti will be free through February.
The program will be retroactive to Jan. 12. Calls to both landline and cellular telephones are included in this program. Time Warner Cable has over 100,000 digital phone subscribers in Maine and New Hampshire.
Customers who are making calls to Haiti during the eligible period do not need to make any changes in order to take advantage of this program. The program will cover any Time Warner Cable digital phone subscriber.
Click here to read the rest of this story.
Posted in Maine
Tagged aid, callls, earthquake, Haiti, phone, relief, Time Warner Cable
UNITY – Opera singer Phillip Mentor and Grammy Award-winning Maine composer and pianist Paul Sullivan will perform a benefit concert for Haiti relief efforts at the Unity College Centre for the Performing Arts on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 per person with all proceeds to benefit Haiti relief efforts by the American Red Cross and Water Projects International. Tickets are available online at http://www.unitymaine.org/theater/, by calling 948-SHOW, or at http://www.unitymaine.org. The Unity College Centre for the Performing Arts is located at 42 Depot St. (off Route 202) in Unity.
Click here to read the rest of this story.
Here are links to purchase online tickets for the concert.
Konbit Sante Cap-Haitien Health Partnership is on track to raise more than $100,000 for its earthquake response fund by the end of the day.
By 2:45 p.m. (EST) the telethon sponsored by Portland city government and news station WGME had raised $25,000, which will be added to the $75,000 already raised for quake relief. The telethon continues to 6:30 p.m. Donors may call 482-5100 to make a pledge.
Click here to read the rest of this story.
Posted in Environment, Maine
Tagged Cap Haitien, earthquake, Konbit Sante, relief, WGME
Here’s another “reporter’s notebook” from the MaineToday Media covering the earthquake in Haiti.
Posted in Environment, Journalism, Maine, News and Newspapers, Newspapers
Tagged aid, earthquake, Haiti, MaineToday Media, Portland Press Herald, reporter's notebook
Letters From Away 