Care and Share Food Closets continues services in Farmington

The Care and Share Food Closet has put emergency procedures in place due to coronavirus pandemic and as of Monday they have worked well, Leiza Hiltz Scerbo, executive director, wrote in a newsletter.

The closet that serves the greater Farmington area will remain open for regular hours: noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday. It will also be opened from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays each week. The closet plans to stay open as long as they have volunteers to do so.

“We will hand out extra food to clients and nonclients. Usually fresh produce and extra breads and/or pastries ” Hiltz Scerbo wrote. “We will no longer allow clients to enter the food closet and have set up signs and barriers to let them know. We are asking all clients in need of service to stay in their cars and our volunteers will bring the food out to them.”

People are asked to remember for the protection of the volunteers that they understand why no close contact can be permitted. The volunteers will either load food into the client’s car/truck or leave it on the pavement for the person to load. The safety of volunteers and people seeking food is a top priority.

“We know that during the coming times of illness, loss of jobs, and shortages, community services like our food closet become even more important to our citizens,” Hiltz Scerbo wrote.The closet is at 508 Fairbanks Road, also known as Route 4, north of the downtown area. Anyone wishing to donate or volunteer to help can call 207-778-0508 or email to careandsharefoodcloset@gmail.com.

UMF testing center to be closed until April 5

The University of Maine at Farmington announced this week that its Testing Services Center will close through at least Sunday, April 5, in an effort to minimize social contact and to help safeguard the community and staff from the spread of COVID-19.

All tests scheduled until April 5 will be canceled. To reschedule a PRAXIS exam, please call 1-800-772-9476. For all other exams or if you have additional questions, please contact Janice Crandall, testing operations manager, at janice.crandall@maine.edu.

Franklin Health implements new policies to benefit workers

As COVID-19 continues to impact Maine, the health care team at Franklin Community Health Network is working to meet the health care needs of its communities. Since March 11, the Incident Command Team has been meeting twice a day to respond to the evolving situation and providing altered and contingency-based care.

To better support all of the care team members working on behalf of its patients and communities, the network along with MaineHealth, has issued new policies to support employees who are on the frontline of care to the communities.

New policies instituted include: supporting employees by providing a temporary financial benefit to help cover the cost of child care while children are staying home from school; implementing a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week Employee Health resource to answer any questions; providing flexibility in paid time-off policies; allowing certain employees in direct care roles to work from home. For more info on COVID-19, visit https://mainehealth.org/franklin-community-health-network.

Franklin County budget panel caucus postponed

Franklin County has postponed an April 6 caucus to elect Budget Advisory Committee members. Selectmen from the three commission districts caucus to be elected by peers to the open spots on the nine-member panel. It will be rescheduled a later date to be determined.

UMaine Extension creates 4-H online resources for learning at home

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H has created an online educational resource, Learn at Home, for parents, caregivers and students to utilize during the disruption in school schedules.

The collection includes activity books, videos, guides and links to additional resources — from science to financial literacy. The goal is to keep students of all ages engaged in learning. Activities to do at home will be featured each Friday with a short video and easy-to-follow instructions.

For more information, contact UMaine Extension 4-H at 207-581-3877 and at extension@maine.edu.

RSU 4 food distribution schedule released

The RSU 4 food distribution will take place Monday, March 23, and Wednesday, March 25, from 10 a.m. to noon at the following locations:

Wales: Town Office at 175 Centre Road; Presbyterian Church at 688 Pond Road/Route 132; Oak Hill High School.

Sabattus: Sabattus Primary School at 36 No Name Pond Road; Fire Station at 488 Crowley Road; Leon Hinkley Farm at 202 Williams Road; baseball field at Pleasant Hill Road.

Litchfield: Purgatory Station at 1372 Hallowell Road; Litchfield County Store at 1908 Hallowell Road; Central Station at 2407 Hallowell Road; Libby Tozier School at 466 Academy Road; Upper Pond Road/Richmond Road intersection

Lewiston provides COVID-19 information in multiple language formats

The city’s YouTube channel has several videos explaining general CDC information and specific state of Maine guidelines regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in the following languages:

English – https://youtu.be/s8hlelItNmw
Airs on Spectrum Cable TV Channel 1301 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily until May 18.

French – https://youtu.be/mUp-_8xTmHs
Airs on Spectrum Cable TV Channel 1301 at 10:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. daily until May 18.

Kirundi – https://youtu.be/VKf2NBZ0amA
Airs on Spectrum Cable TV Channel 1301 at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. daily until May 18.

Maay Maay – https://youtu.be/bk5GPk4-imA
Airs on Spectrum Cable TV Channel 1301 at 10:45 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. daily until May 18.

Portuguese – https://youtu.be/JMPf3K3FnMQ
Airs on Spectrum Cable TV Channel 1301 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily until May 18.

Somali – https://youtu.be/z1lsAjqGElA
Airs on Spectrum Cable TV Channel 1301 at 11:15 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. daily until May 18.

The city is working on providing additional languages.

FMH tightens visitor restrictions

FARMINGTON — Franklin Memorial Hospital has tightened up visitor restrictions for second time this week in an effort to help prevent further community spread of COVID-19 and to safeguard its colleagues.

Visitors are permitted only in the following circumstances:

• Pediatrics (one parent/guardian per day).

• Obstetrics (one spouse/coach per day allowed in labor and delivery area).

• Day Surgery (one person involved in care).

• End of Life (one person per day for patients likely to expire within 24 hours per the patient’s attending physician’s judgment).

• Extraordinary circumstances (one person at a time), if presence is necessary for communication with care team or patient support (e.g., patient with disabilities). The determination may be made only by attending physician or designee, and record in the medical record, if feasible.

One person over the age of 18 is allowed for the purpose of picking up a patient for discharge.

In outpatient departments (i.e. Emergency Department, Day Surgery) one person is allowed as an escort, only if the patient requires help with mobility, support or communication with care team, such necessity to be determined by triage or care providers. Escorts are encouraged to drop-off patients when possible.

All visitors are screened upon entrance to a facility. Permitted visitors will be required to both perform hand hygiene prior to entering and upon leaving the patient’s room, care area and to the extent possible asked to remain at least 6 feet from the patient at all times.

RSU 16 revises food distribution bus routes

RSU 16 officials released updated food distribution routes starting Monday, March 23, for students to receive a breakfast and/or lunch.

• Buses will not leave timed stops early. Times are approximate if they are running late.
• Buses will not stop on any roadway where they may present a hazard to smooth traffic flow.
• Students/families may wave to drivers along the route unless otherwise noted. Drivers will stop at the closest safe location to each person who waves.
• Students need to show up, with or without a parent/caregiver, to receive a breakfast and/or lunch. Students do not need to give their lunch ID.
• Any RSU 16 students can show up at any safe location along any route. You do not have to use a bus stop in your hometown.
• If a driver does not see you, go to the next timed bus stop, to Poland Regional High School, to Elm Street School in Mechanic Falls, or contact Ellen Dore at 754-2834, and a lunch will be dispatched as a one-time only courtesy.
• Do not chase the bus either on foot or in a vehicle.
• If anyone needs breakfast and/or lunch and is unable to get to a safe location along one of these routes, call your child’s school. We have offers to assist with transportation of breakfast and/or lunch and will see what we can do to bring it to you. For information contact Ellen Dore at 754-2834, or edore@rsu16.org

To see the routes, go to www.rsu16.org and click on the RSU 16 Update Center/Coronavirus information.

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On this date in Maine history: March 21