The hook: The University of Maine Cooperative Extension has food nutrition, safety and preservation experts available to help keep holiday feasts safe from food-borne pathogens and spoilage.

Extension educator and food preservation expert Kathy Savoie, at (207) 780-4205, in the Cumberland County office is available to discuss proper food safety, from preparation to preservation. Savoie is part of Extension’s Nutrition, Food Safety and Food Preservation Consumer Call Team.

Other Extension educators prepared to discuss the topic include:

Kate Yerxa, Orono, (207) 581-3109;
Jane Conroy, Piscataquis County office, (207) 564-3301;
Nadine Reimer, Knox-Lincoln counties, (207) 832- 0343;
Beth Calder, Orono, (207) 581-2791;
And Alan Majka, Kennebec County office, (207) 622-7546.

Yerxa, also an educator for nutrition and physical activity, can discuss ways to watch or walk off holiday meal calories.

Cooperative Extension also offers several free publications about food safety, food preservation and turkey-handling tips under “Food and Health” or “Publications” at http://www.extension.umaine.edu/.

The Hook: New LED (light-emitting diode) lights, however, can offer just as much twinkle and enjoyment at a fraction of the cost of older decorative lights. Donna Coffin, UMaine Cooperative Extension educator in the Piscataquis County office, says LED lights can reduce the cost of electricity for holiday decorations by as much as 98 percent.

Consider, she says, that the cost of using a 500-foot string of older C7-type holiday lights for six hours a day for 40 days (240 hours) is $134.  C7 lights are the old large light strings that get hot. People who have switched to mini-lights or twinkle lights, spend about $35 per season. Newer LED holiday lights, on the other hand, cost even less to run: less than $3 for the whole season — or 2 percent of the cost of the old C7 lights.

In addition, LED lights are virtually indestructible, last longer than standard holiday lights, reduce the risk of fire and stay lit if a single light goes out, Coffin says. With no filament or glass bulb in LED lights, they convert electricity directly to light without the heat.

Other cost-saving options for holiday lighting include fiber optic lighting, candelabra compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and “rope lights.”

Contact information: Coffin will be available Tuesday, Nov. 24 and can be reached at 207-564-3301 or by emailing dcoffin@extension.umaine.edu. For more ideas on home energy conservation, visit the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Energy Web site at http://www.umext.maine.edu/energy/default.htm.

The story:  The National Retail Federation says retailers nationwide are preparing for what’s expected to be a deeply disappointing holiday season by cutting prices to lure in belt-tightening shoppers. With consumers expected to rein in spending for the second consecutive year, retailers are discounting everything from lattes to DVDs to coach bags, in an effort to recoup what they can.

The hook: UMaine Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of economics Jim McConnon is available to discuss market conditions, trends and what consumers can expect as this year’s holiday shopping seasons gets under way earlier than ever.

McConnon says some retailers are cutting back on merchandise availability in an effort to avoid being overstocked and forced into fire sales to move everything from toys to electronics and appliances. That could force last-minute, bargain-hunting shoppers to gamble on the continued availability of merchandise if supplies become limited. Limited supplies also could serve to keep prices from dropping to last year’s levels for some popular items.

Contact information: McConnon can be reached at 581-3165 or by email at jimm@umext.maine.edu. Please contact George Manlove at 581-3756 for assistance reaching McConnon.

The story: The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to extend unemployment benefits for out-of-work Americans and the U.S. Senate may vote as soon as today  whether to extend benefits for up to 14 more weeks.

In Maine, emergency benefits already are exhausted for nearly 2,000 unemployed workers, and an average of 150 unemployed Mainers reach the end of their unemployment eligibility each week — a total loss of nearly $600,000 per week that otherwise could be pumped back into the economy. With weekly unemployment checks averaging $281 per person, the amount of spending that is not taking place because benefits have expired increases at a rate of $42,000 a week, according to the Maine Department of Labor.

The hook: UMaine Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of economics Jim McConnon is available to discuss the economic implications of Congressional approval of an extension of benefits for the unemployed, or conversely, the effects on the Maine economy if Congress fails to act.

Contact information: McConnon can be reached at 581-3165 or by email at jimm@umext.maine.edu. Please contact George Manlove at 581-3756 for assistance reaching McConnon.

The story: Heating fuel prices remain a large part of the budget for home and small business owners. As winter approaches, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has gathered and prepared several resources to help conserve energy and save on fuel costs.

The hook: University of Maine Cooperative Extension energy experts have put together the suggest the following energy saving tips to conserve heat and make homes more comfortable this winter:

1. Seal air leaks on doors and windows through caulking and weather stripping. Add foam outlet inserts and use baby proofing plugs in the outlet to reduce air leakage.

2. Install storm windows and use drapes or other window treatments at night to conserve heat. Lock all your windows to hold the sashes tight in their frame and reduce air leaks.

3. Install and use a programmable thermostat.

4. Turn water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and install faucet restrictors and low-flow showerheads to reduce hot water costs.

5. Increase insulation. This can qualify for 30 percent federal tax credit.

6. Replace old refrigerators with energy star appliance. This can qualify for up to $75 rebate from Efficiency Maine.

7. Close closet doors and doors to unused rooms.

In addition, Cooperative Extension offers a variety of helpful tools on their Web site for:

• Small businesses, including videos of energy saving tips for your business from Deb Neuman, Director of the Target Technology Incubator.
• Home owners, including energy conservation videos to help you around the house.
• Those looking for heating fuel alternatives comparing the cost and value of different types of fuel, available tax credits, and home heating safety.

Contact information:

UMaine Cooperative Extension energy experts Donna Coffin, (207) 564-3301 and Kathy Hopkins (207) 474-9622. For assistance in reaching Coffin or Hopkins, call Aimee Dolloff at (207) 581-3777.

The story:  Like schools and other institutions, small businesses, which play a large role in keeping local economies moving, also should plan ahead for the possibility of widespread employee absenteeism in the event of an H1N1 flu outbreak in the coming months.

The hook: UMaine Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of economics Jim McConnon, an authority on small businesses and their impact on the economy, is available to discuss some of the suggestions recommended by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the national Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Business managers should draft a plan outlining how to work around employee absenteeism and how they can maintain adequate inventory in the event of supply chain interruptions resulting from absenteeism among product distributors.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, small businesses are especially susceptible to the negative economic impacts of a flu pandemic. An estimated 25 percent of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster, the department says, citing research by the Institute for Business and Home Safety.

Planning from the outset can help offset business losses and protect businesses and employees if and when the flu hits. Benefits of planning include: minimizing disruption to business activities; protecting employees’ health and safety; and limiting the negative impact to the community, economy and society.

Additional details are available on the Homeland Security Web site here.

Contact information: McConnon can be reached at 581-3165 or by email here. Please contact George Manlove at 581-3756 for assistance if necessary.

The story: The U.S. Department of Education is recommending several steps public and private schools should be considering in advance of a possible flu pandemic that could  keep large numbers of students or teachers at home should an outbreak occur.

The hook: UMaine associate professor of education Ed Jadallah, Gail Garthwait, associate professor of instructional technology, and Tim Hart, instructional technologist, are available to discuss some of those steps and considerations — which should be reviewed well in advance of any emergency that could disrupt the continuity of learning.

In preparation of a severe H1N1 outbreak, school districts need to have specific online learning tools and processes in place, Jadallah says. This could be as basic as e-mail attachments, homework and materials available at a teacher’s website to video presentations and live Web conferences.

Many freely available tools exist to create a successful online learning environment. Schools should investigate the ones that will match both their technological infrastructure and curricular goals, adds Hart.

The extent of online learning would be dependent on a school district’s technology capabilities and the e-learning tools and programs already in place. The main issue with many of these online learning technologies is making sure that students’ have access to the technology being used and that both the teacher and students are familiar with the environment, Jadallah says.

Prior to an outbreak is the time to develop an e-learning plan and pilot the programs and technology that may be used. The U.S. Department of Education has released recommendations to help prepare school districts for the possibility of long-term closures. Collaborations or using applications developed by Google, Apple, Microsoft, Pearson, Scholastic, Curriki, INACOL, and others are recommended to support continuity of learning in case of school closures.

Contact information: Professor Jadallah can be reached at 581-2488 or by email: Edward.jadallah@umit.maine.edu. Garthwait and Hart can be contacted at 581-2487 and 581-2478, respectively. Please contact George Manlove at 581-3756 for assistance.

The story:

The flu season is upon us and this year includes threats of H1N1, commonly known as Swine flu. Although people are being encouraged to get the H1N1 vaccine in addition to their regular flu vaccine, the preventative measure is hard to come by in many places and some, in particular parents, are wondering what will happen if they can’t get the vaccine.

The hook:

University of Maine Professor Carol Kim of the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology conducts disease studies with zebrafish, and hopes to better understand the numerous immune factors that augment, extend, and prolong the immune response to infection.

Kim is available to discuss any of the following topics:

How do vaccines work?

How do viruses spread from animals to humans?

Why do we need to get flu shots and/or vaccines?

How and why do vaccine formulas keep changing?

More information about her research is available at www.umaine.edu/bmmb/faculty/index.php/profile/carol_kim

Contact information:

Professor Carol Kim can be reached at (207) 581-2803. For assistance in reaching Kim, please call Aimee Dolloff at (207) 581-3777.

Maine voters will make decisions at the polls this November on issues ranging from same-sex marriage to medical marijuana to taxes.  One of the effects of deciding on issues in this way is that  it negates the current system of government, which relies on representative democracy and a regular election process.

The hook:

One of the arguments against using referendums is that it can fail to take into account the deliberate process elected officials engage in when deciding complex issues.  UMaine political science professor Amy Fried says the U.S system of government is meant to enable careful consideration of policy matters by legislators and chief executives.

She uses California as an example where a number of citizen-enacted constitutional amendments have made it virtually impossible to gets bills passed and make necessary changes.

“One of the results of the referendum process is that California has gone from a state with an outstanding education system to one where school districts and institutions of higher education are struggling,” says Fried.

Citizen initiatives are not new to Maine. In 1917, the state legislature passed a women’s suffrage law by a wide margin, only to see it overturned at the polls.

Contact information:

Professor Amy Fried can be reached at 581-3583 or via e-mail at amy.fried@umit.maine.edu

With the U.S. Small Business Administration expected to announce the expansion of its ARC loan program, to provide interest-free loans to struggling small businesses, Jim McConnon, UMaine Extension specialist and professor of economics and an expert on small business, is available to explain how the SBA has been among the first responders to the ailing economy — at a time when critics of the government stimulus plan say the benefits are not widespread.

The hook:

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the SBA has made borrowing money easier, less costly and more accessible for struggling businesses without adequate collateral to qualify for traditional business loans, McConnon says. This access to new capital can keep struggling businesses afloat as they ride out the recession and it allows other businesses to expand and upgrade, both developments that can maintain jobs and create new ones.

McConnon says the success of the more than 42,000 small businesses with employees in Maine and the 114,000 sole proprietors is critical to Maine; they are the backbone of the state’s economy.

In addition to making low-interest loans available for qualified businesses, other government regulatory changes are being implemented by the Internal Revenue Service, to help business recover equipment-investment dollars faster, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, to help finance and develop essential community facilities for public use~in rural areas.

Such facilities include childcare centers, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public buildings and transportation, all listed under the USDA Community Facilities program. Funds are available to public bodies, non-profit organizations, and recognized Indian tribes.

Contact information:

McConnon can be reached by telephone at (207) 581-3165 or by email at jimm@umext.maine.edu. Please call George Manlove at 581-3756 for assistance in reaching McConnon.