Last week, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention published the following information:

They were notified of two cases of Powassan encephalitis. Both cases occurred in adults who reside in the Midcoast area. In the two cases, the individuals became ill in late April and were hospitalized. The cases were confirmed through testing at CDC Fort Collins. Both individuals were discharged from the hospital and are recovering. Powassan, also known as deer tick virus, has been around since 1958, when it was discovered in Powassan, Ontario. Cases are rare in the U.S., and Maine has identified nine cases since 2000, including these two.

News reports tell us that the Maine State Legislature recently voted to override Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill designating an annual litter cleanup day.

It’s spring! And with spring comes newness, changes, hope, and blessings. One of the major changes taking place at Hodgdon Green, the assisted-living home in Damariscotta, is a renovation of the kitchen, the heart of any home. New cabinets, updated appliances, replaced flooring – all will take place in the upcoming weeks.

Save the date for the next community supper on Wednesday, June 7 at 5 p.m. The menu will feature veggie lasagna, meatballs, chicken tortellini soup, salad, a beverage, and cake for dessert. Reservations for this meal must be made by noon on Monday, June 5 by calling 882-8230. All are welcome!

Robert E. Regut

The books
I’ve never been interrupted by a commercial while reading a book. There’s no volume control that has to be adjusted for being too loud or too soft. I can interrupt, stop, or restart the program any time I want. I just open or close the book.

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, as hard as it is to believe. It seems like yesterday that we were shoveling snow and now we are swatting at black flies, trying in vain to protect ourselves and pets from ticks and complaining about how the traffic has gotten bad already.

June is Adopt-A-Cat Month and Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month. Cats can make wonderful companions. Many studies have proven that companion animals have therapeutic benefits. In particular, a cat’s purr helps lower stress and blood pressure. Since taking care of a cat is an important responsibility, read on to help a cat live a long and happy life.

Enough

At one time we had enough nuclear weapons to destroy the human population of the world three times. Decreasing our amount of nuclear weapons was thought to be something, so we were told, that would place us in enormous danger.