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BBACC Connects
May 28, 2020
www.bucksportbaychamber.com
Poll Results from May 14 BBACC Connects
Which type of business are you most excited to patron once the State reopens?

Restaurants - 50% Inns, Campgrounds, & Vacation spots - 16.7%
Retail Shops - 25% Salons & Spas - 8.3%
Bank Lobbies - 0% Medical & Dental Offices - 0%
Real Estate Agencies - 0%
Summer Service Opportunities Available in Hancock & Washington Counties
Healthy Acadia is partnering with Goodwill VISTA to recruit for AmeriCorps Summer Associates to help with food rescue efforts in its Downeast Gleaning Program this summer, with positions based in Machias and Ellsworth.

AmeriCorps Summer Associate applicants must be at least 18 years old and commit to full-time hours. This is a great way to add valuable work experience to your resume or to your college application. The deadline for applying for a late May start date is mid-April and for a late June start date, June 1. Due to the evolving nature of the COVID 19 pandemic, AmeriCorps program availability may change.

In Washington County, interested applicants may contact Regina Grabrovac at (207) 255-3741 or by email at regina@healthyacadia.org. In Hancock County, interested applicants can contact Katie Freedman at 667 7171 or by email at katie@healthyacadia.org.
Photo Courtesy of Larry Wahl
Main Street Bucksport Bucks' Bucks Gains Popularity
Due to the overwhelmingly positive support for the Bucks' Bucks program, beginning May 12, the Bucks are on sale every Tuesday and Thursday from 8am-7pm. This will allow our one part-time staff person to keep up with the administration of the program. Please honor the $50 per household per week limit.
If you'd like to sign up your business to participate, visit  mainstreetbucksport.org
We're so grateful. Thank you!
WILSON MUSEUM EVENTS
   Upcoming Programs  
Programs are held in the
HUTCHINS EDUCATION   CENTER
on the Wilson Museum campus 
unless otherwise noted.

Monday, June 1 (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
Wilson Museum opens for the season

Fridays, July 3 - August 28 (1 p.m. & 3 p.m.)
Escape Room - new theme, new clues, check it out!

Monday, August 3 (5 - 7 p.m.)
Collecting Castine - save the date!


As programs are scheduled and information becomes available, they will be added to
www.wilsonmuseum.org/calendar.html .

Support Bucksport Bay Area Businesses!
Me again! A few more (ok, more than a few!) words from your Town Manager....
The Town Council will be holding its next regular meeting virtually next Thursday, June 4 at 7 p.m. People can view the meeting on local cable channel 1303 or via the internet by logging on to  townhallstreams.com  and selecting Bucksport. People may participate by emailing comments or questions during the meeting to  slessard@bucksportmaine.gov  or by calling 469-7368. People may also send in questions or comments ahead of time that will be answered during the meeting. Thank you all for your patience as we continue to do our best to do business as efficiently as we can while meeting state guidelines.

Town Office -
We opened to public entry on May 18th - and last week went really well. I want to thank staff and our residents for their efforts during this time. To a person - all of our customers were patient and friendly and understanding of the safety guidelines that we have to follow. I never expected anything less - and I was not disappointed.

Waterfront -
Our Marina will be opening on June 1st this year, the Town Dock floats are already in, and the fishing pier floats will be in the second week of June. The Town Council will be considering the Story Walk on the waterfront at its meeting on May 28th. This great program operated by the Bucksport Library is looking to do another wonderful set of stories this summer for kids of all ages to enjoy. Our public bathrooms on the waterfront are open and are being cleaned three times a day by staff to provide as clean an environment as possible.

Main Street -
The Town Council approved acceptance of a matching grant for the replacement of some of the retaining walls on Main Street. This will start in 2021 and will be done on a worst-first basis.A shout out to all of our local business who are also in the process of re-opening with the guidelines in place. Please make sure to patronize these businesses... it has been a loooong road for them and there are still some potholes ahead. You will notice that the hanging flowers are blooming on Main Street once again and local businesses will be filling the planters again this year as well. With the nice weather we have been having - a stroll down Main Street is a pleasant and increasingly beautiful experience.

Public Works -
Benches are back out on Main Street for the convenience of bus riders or just those out for a stroll on Main Street. The Town Council also approved year one of the road project that was approved by voters in November of 2019. This year will be paving of nearly 25 miles of local roads. We will publish a schedule when we have one from the winning bidder but it should be starting in June!
Recreation - The Bucksport Y will be starting programs in June! Call 469-3518 to find out what will be happening.

Finally - THANK YOU - We are fortunate that the rate of positive COVID-19 cases has been low thus far in Hancock County and that is due in large measure to the efforts of all of you. As we move into nicer weather and more guests from other locations come to visit and more restrictions are lifted - it is important that we continue to operate with a healthy dose of common sense. We are a community that cares about each other and being respectful of others is a hallmark of Bucksport. Remember that the rules that businesses are following are ones that they have to in order to be able to be open. They are not making the rules - so no killing the messenger! Stay  #BUCKSPORTSTRONG ❤️

The following is the agenda for the Council Meeting on May 28th.
BUCKSPORT TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
7:00 P.M., THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020
TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBERS – BUCKSPORT TOWN OFFICE
1. Call Meeting To Order
2. Roll Call
3. Presentation of any Town Council Recognitions
4. Consider minutes of previous meetings
a. Town Council Minutes 05/14/2020
5. Receive and Review Correspondence
6. Ordinances to Consider/Introduce
a. Amendment to Appendix B, Council Rules to require posting to the Town website of emails between Town Councilors and the Town Manager on a weekly basis
7. Discussion Items (Manager Clarification and Direction, or Council Discussion and/or Input on Issues)
a. Wall at baseball field – repair options/field location discussion
8. Agenda Items
a. To approve Resolve 2020-53 to approve the 2020 StoryWalk on the waterfront walkway by the Bucksport Library
9. Resignations, Appointments, Assignments, and Elections
10. Approval of Quit Claims, Discharges, and Deeds
a. Tax Lien Discharge, Philip T. & Holly G. Lutz, Map 14, Lot 49
b. Tax Lien Discharge, Alice Ireland, Map 13, Lot 36-1
c. Tax Lien Discharge, Philip Drake, Map 18 Lot 79
11. Town Manager Report
12. Set Public Hearings, and/or Hold Public Hearings and Approval of any Licenses or Permits
a. Liquor License – Friar’s Brewhouse, LLC
b. Liquor License – Northeast Historic Film
c. Pole Location Permits – Winkumpaugh Construction
1. Bucksmills Road – Christopher Becker Property
2. Turkey Path – Lauren Stubbs Property
13. Discussion of Items Not on the Agenda for Council and Public
14. Upcoming Public Hearings, Designation of Topics for Committee Assignment, and Scheduling of Committee Meetings
15. Budget Review
a. Families First Community Center
b. Bucksport Community Concerns
c. Education
d. Recreation
e. Sewer
f. General Government
1. Administration
2. Planning & Code Enforcement
3. Assessing
4. Contingency
5. Insurances & Benefits
6. Public Access Channel
7. Economic Development
a. Main Street Bucksport
b. Friends of Fort Knox
c. Revenues
16. Adjournment   
Black Bears Are On The Move!
Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust would like you to know that although most visitors have never seen one, black bears are long-time residents of the Wildlands. Should you encounter one, having your dog leashed is very helpful.

Do you have photos of wildlife near you? Share them with GPMCT by using #greatpondwildlands!
To access information and the tips below, visit the BBB website!
Castine Historical Society Creating COVID Collection
1920 Castine Town Report showing effects of the 1918-1919 epidemic on local schools
The Castine Historical Society is creating the Castine COVID-19 Collection. We'd like to make this a community-wide project and encourage you to take time to record the impact of COVID-19 on your life and on the community. 
 
To make a donation or to ask further questions, please contact Curator Paige Lilly at curator@castinehistoricalsociety.org  or leave her a message at (207) 326-4118 ext. 11.
Senior Center Meals For Delivery
In an effort to promote the health and safety of our community the Senior Center is closed to outside visitors. All activities and programs have been postponed. We will not be serving lunch at the Center, but we will still be delivering meals to those in need. If you need to order a meal for delivery call the Center at 469-3632.

These delicious freshly prepared meals are available for the unbelievably low price of $6.00 dollars. The meals include an entree, sides and even a dessert.
Get Your Message on the Alamo Marquee
For $25 we'll put your positive, non-political, short and sweet message up for two days. (You won't share with more than three other messages.) Feel free to "donate" a message for your favorite take-out place, or even a business you can't wait to have re-open. Get creative.

We could have saved some electricity, wear and tear on the marquee and shut it down after the movies stopped but it is too important that we be a light in the downtown. (The Alamo stood through the 1918 flu epidemic too.) 

Let's fill the marquee and the downtown with positive and hopeful messages!
BRHC News
IRS News: Three New Credits Available
Employee Retention Credit:
The employee retention credit is designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The refundable tax credit is 50% of up to $10,000 in wages paid by an eligible employer whose business has been financially impacted by COVID-19.
The credit is available to all employers regardless of size, including tax-exempt organizations. There are only two exceptions: State and local governments and their instrumentalities and small businesses who take small business loans.

Qualifying employers must fall into one of two categories:
  1. The employer's business is fully or partially suspended by government order due to COVID-19 during the calendar quarter.
  2. The employer's gross receipts are below 50% of the comparable quarter in 2019. Once the employer's gross receipts go above 80% of a comparable quarter in 2019, they no longer qualify after the end of that quarter.
Employers will calculate these measures each calendar quarter.

Paid Sick Leave Credit and Family Leave Credit:
The paid sick leave credit is designed to allow business to get a credit for an employee who is unable to work (including telework) because of Coronavirus quarantine or self-quarantine or has Coronavirus symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis. Those employees are entitled to paid sick leave for up to 10 days (up to 80 hours) at the employee's regular rate of pay up to $511 per day and $5,110 in total.
The employer can also receive the credit for employees who are unable to work due to caring for someone with Coronavirus or caring for a child because the child's school or place of care is closed, or the paid childcare provider is unavailable due to the Coronavirus. Those employees are entitled to paid sick leave for up to two weeks (up to 80 hours) at 2/3 the employee's regular rate of pay or, up to $200 per day and $2,000 in total. 
Employees are also entitled to paid family and medical leave equal to 2/3 of the employee's regular pay, up to $200 per day and $10,000 in total. Up to 10 weeks of qualifying leave can be counted towards the family leave credit.
Employers can be immediately reimbursed for the credit by reducing their required deposits of payroll taxes that have been withheld from employees' wages by the amount of the credit.
Eligible employers are entitled to immediately receive a credit in the full amount of the required sick leave and family leave, plus related health plan expenses and the employer's share of Medicare tax on the leave, for the period of April 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020. The refundable credit is applied against certain employment taxes on wages paid to all employees.

How will employers receive the credit?
Employers can be immediately reimbursed for the credit by reducing their required deposits of payroll taxes that have been withheld from employees' wages by the amount of the credit.
Eligible employers will report their total qualified wages and the related health insurance costs for each quarter on their quarterly employment tax returns or Form 941 beginning with the second quarter. If the employer's employment tax deposits are not sufficient to cover the credit, the employer may receive an advance payment from the IRS by submitting  Form 7200, Advance Payment of Employer Credits Due to COVID-19 .

Eligible employers can also request an advance of the Employee Retention Credit by submitting  Form 7200 .

The IRS has also posted  Employee Retention Credit FAQs  and  Paid Family Leave and Sick Leave FAQs  that will help answer questions.

Updates on the implementation of the  Employee Retention Credit  and other information can be found on the  Coronavirus  page of IRS.gov.
Governor's Update: Maine Expands Contact Tracing

Governor Janet Mills announced today that the Maine DHHS is significantly expanding contact tracing by increasing the number of skilled staff and volunteers, harnessing innovative technology, and securing social services to help people with COVID-19 maintain self-isolation.

The State’s expanded contact tracing parallels its major increase in testing capacity. Contact tracing is the process of identifying, assessing, and protecting people who have been exposed to a disease to prevent their transmitting infection to others. Taken together, testing and contract tracing enable Maine to identify, investigate, and isolate individuals with COVID-19 to prevent its spread in the absence of effective treatment or a vaccine.

Maine’s contact tracing strategy has three components:
1. Increasing Personnel
The Maine CDC currently has a contact tracing and case investigation team of approximately 30 people. It expects to more than quadruple this team as needed through the following steps:
Immediately enlisting the help of 50 trained volunteers, who have offered their skills through  Maine Responds , a system to tap into health care, public health, and emergency volunteers to respond to emergency situations. These volunteers will assist for at least two months and will start training the week of June 1, 2020. Begin hiring up to 125 contracted staff over time for up to 12 months to supplement Maine CDC’s work. This hiring will be staggered based on COVID-19 trend data and will include those with proficiency in multiple languages.

2. Deploying Sara Alert System
Maine CDC has deployed a new tool called Sara Alert to support monitoring and reporting of COVID-19 in Maine. The Sara Alert system, which is also used by several other states, allows individuals who have been diagnosed or potentially exposed to COVID-19 to report daily symptoms through web, text, email, or calls. The tool provides real-time insights and increased reporting capability to support containment of the virus. It also enables hospitals and health systems to conduct contact tracing for their own employees. As it deploys the new system, Maine CDC is also working with partners to improve it, including implementing language translations for non-English speaking individuals. Maine CDC began using Sara Alert last week and already has logged 345 contacts in the system as of May 25.

3. Expanding Social Supports
Staying apart from people for a period of time to protect the public health is a challenge for all, let alone for those who may have low incomes or struggle with housing, food security, transportation, mental or substance use disorders, or access to affordable healthcare and childcare. To address these challenges, DHHS is expanding its social supports for people isolated or quarantined because of exposure to COVID-19 by contracting with Community Action Programs (CAPs). Once finalized, these arrangements will offer individuals in isolation or quarantine social supports such as delivered meals, prescriptions, and behavioral health counselling. DHHS will also contract with Wabanaki Public Health for support for Native Americans. It will engage Catholic Charities, which operates the State’s refugee program, to help with language translation for non-English speakers. Maine DHHS will also assign a point person to coordinate this work statewide.

The expansion of contact tracing parallels the Mills Administration’s expansion of COVID-19 testing for the State of Maine. The Administration has partnered with Maine-based IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. to more than triple the State’s testing capacity, allowing anyone in Maine suspected of having COVID-19 to receive a test. The Mills Administration continues its efforts to secure more testing as part of its ongoing commitment to Maine’s public health and continues to press the Federal government to ensure that health care providers have a reliable and adequate supply of materials, such as personal protective equipment and swabs to collect samples from patients for testing.
Quick Links
Bucksport Bay Area Chamber of Commerce

2020 Visitor's Guide

Bucksport Bay Area Small Business Resource Guide

Town of Bucksport

Bucksport Area Cultural Arts Society

Bucksport Bay Healthy Communities Coalition

Bucksport Heart and Soul

Bucksport Regional Health Center

RSU 25 Adult & Community Education

RSU 25

Fort Knox & Bridge Observatory 

Buck Memorial Library

Bucksport Garden Club

IRS Newsletter for small business

Maine Chamber IMPACT Newsletter

Main Street Bucksport
Smart Datamap Services Blog

Maine Career Center

Eastern Maine Development Corporation

Healthy Acadia 

Just GOOD News Maine

Maine DOL Newsletter

Retail Association of Maine

Bucksport Animal Shelter

WERU Schedule

Governor Janet T. Mills Office

Senator Collins' Office

Senator King's Office

Congresswoman Pingree's Office

Congressman Golden's Office

Private Home Care

Orland Community Center

DownEast & Acadia Regional Tourism
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