In Your Community
Washington County, Maine

• The 2007 Washington County Business Conference and Marketplace, co-sponsored by University of Maine Cooperative Extension, was attended by 250 individuals and supported by 50 businesses and organizations.
   

• More than 75 people attended three Small Business Workshops held in Washington County this winter.
   

• 4-H is the youth development program of University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

  • The 2nd Annual Washington County 4-H Lego Robotics Expo will be held on March 29 at the Elm Street School in East Machias.

  • Sixty-six youth attended the 4-H Chill Out with Food and Fitness Summer 2007 Day Camp in three different locations in Washington County: Cherryfield, Whitneyville and Dennysville. Campers spent three days engaging in hands-on food safety science activities facilitated by youth leaders.
     

• Alice White, 85-year-old Senior Companion from Baileyville, received the Outstanding National Senior Corps Volunteer award at the Governor’s Service Awards for Volunteerism ceremony in March 2007.

  • Alice has visited with over 200 different clients and volunteered more than 24,000 hours of time during the past 24 years as a Senior Companion.
     

• In 2007, 28 Washington County Senior Companions visited 185 homebound or isolated adults throughout Washington County. The Senior Companions volunteered more than 32,480 hours assisting their clients with grocery shopping, paying bills, visits to their health care providers and being friendly visitors.
   

• A “Matter of Balance” workshop was offered in Milbridge and Machias this past year. This course, designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults, was attended by 24 people.
   

• University of Maine Cooperative Extension Eat Well program staff provides nutrition education to limited income citizens, including food stamp recipients, throughout the state. Participants learn—in small groups, in schools, in their homes or through correspondence courses—strategies for expanding their food dollars and eating well on low budgets.

  • In 2007, two local Eat Well Nutrition Program Associates provided nutrition education to over 850 low income youth in over 60 groups at local libraries, summer camp programs, Head Starts, schools and after school programs. The children participating in the program showed significant improvement in their food safety and food practices preparation skills.