Maine Korean War Veteran Recognition Day - July 27

WHEREAS, on June 27, 1950, in response to the communist threat to South Koreans and their democracy, President Harry S. Truman committed the first United States forces to combat in South Korea, beginning the Korean War; and

WHEREAS, nearly 1.8 million members of the United States Armed Forces served alongside the forces of the Republic of Korea and 20 other Allied nations under the United Nations Command to defend freedom and democracy on the Korean Peninsula; and

Wild Blueberry Weekend - August 3-4

WHEREAS, wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) emerged on the rocky, acidic soils of the barrens of Maine following the retreat of the glaciers more than 10,000 years ago; and

WHEREAS, wild blueberries, which are not planted but grow naturally, were first managed and harvested by the Wabanaki and are now grown by 512 Maine farms on 46,370 acres, within Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Lincoln, Kennebec, Knox, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo, and Washington counties; and

Investing in Innovative Maine Businesses and Entrepreneurs

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening. I hope you’re having a great summer weekend here in Maine.

You know, two years ago, my administration created the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, which is our road map for investing nearly $1 billion sent to us by President Biden and the Congress to improve the lives of Maine people and families, to support businesses, help us recover from the pandemic, and to create good paying jobs. That measure gained approval by the legislature, and it’s given a great boost to our economy and to small businesses in particular, who are recovering still from the economic effects of the pandemic.

Well, this week, I was excited to announce the latest investments that we’re making through the Jobs Plan to support small businesses and entrepreneurs who are creating jobs and developing new products and technologies right here in Maine.

Two years ago, my administration worked with the Maine Technology Institute to establish the Pandemic Recovery for an Innovative Maine Economy – or PRIME – Fund to help businesses that did not receive some other pandemic relief funds. Since then, the PRIME Fund has distributed about $29 million in federal funding from my Jobs Plan to entities all across Maine.

The first round of $23.3 million in July of 2022 went to 174 different companies to help them recover from the pandemic, to invest in new products and business lines, to attract new customers, and to create long-term economic growth. Businesses, including custom footwear manufacturers, guitar makers, outdoor recreational industry members, all have benefited from these funds.

The second round of $5.6 million in July 2023 went to 16 organizations that help startup businesses as they expand. Those diverse organizations ranged from the Roux Institute to Maine Outdoor Brands, the Wild Blueberry Commission, and the Midcoast Redevelopment Authority.

Finally, earlier this week, I announced that an additional $7 million is available for the third and final round of PRIME grant funds. If your business is in biotechnology, or composites and advanced materials, or environmental technologies, forestry and agriculture, marine industries, or precision manufacturing, I encourage you to apply for a grant to support your long term economic growth.

Applications for these funds opened earlier this week and will stay open through August 30th, 2024. To apply for these monies or to learn more about the PRIME Fund, please visit Maine Technology Institute’s website: www.mainetechnology.org. That’s www.mainetechnology.org.

I am proud that our investments in innovative businesses have helped them create good paying jobs, and manufacture world class products, and become leaders in emerging technologies and industries worldwide. Maine businesses are powering record economic growth for our state, and they’re improving the lives of Maine people.

We will continue to do everything we can in this administration to support their long-term success and provide good paying jobs here in the Great State of Maine.

This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

Creating New Markets for Maine-Made Products

Hello. This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

You know, two years ago, my administration created the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, approved by the legislature, which is our roadmap for investing nearly $1 billion sent to us by President Biden and the Congress to improve the lives of many people and families, to support businesses, and to create good paying jobs.

One of the programs we created was a Domestic Trade Program to help local people sell their services and products in other states. The goal was to improve domestic trade across key industries like construction, the trades, manufacturing, agriculture and outdoor recreation. That will strengthen our economy and solidify Maine’s leadership of those industries nationwide.

The Department of Economic and Community Development began distributing Domestic Trade Program funding earlier this year. Other organizations like the Maine International Trade Center, Maine Technology Institute, the Maine APEX Accelerator, and Maine Made are also distributing this funding. Earlier this year, we awarded the first round of these grants to 40 Maine businesses who use the money to expand their sales of everything from blueberries and oysters to forest products and medical supplies.

Earlier this month, I announced the second round of Domestic Trade grants to another 46 Maine businesses. This second investment of nearly $3 million will help local producers of everything from soap to surfboards share their Maine-made story across the country and boost their sales.

Raye’s Mustard in Eastport, for instance, will use its grant to develop single-serve mustard packets. As co-owner Karen Raye said, “It’s something we had thought about doing for years and just never had the capital to do that. Now we’re ready to rock and roll.”

A business called Dooryard Development will use its grant funds to market the development of modular homes to address the lack of affordable housing here and elsewhere in the United States.

And Seafood producer Luke’s Lobster will use its grant to better understand where and what their customers want to eat and to better target their sales and to open new locations.

I’m very proud that we’re able to help businesses and good employers like Raye’s Mustard, Dooryard Development, and Luke’s Lobster tell their story to the rest of the country and showcase their entrepreneurial spirit – a spirit which clearly is at the heart of Maine.

Folks across America will learn what Maine people have known for years: that Maine-made products are the best in the world.

My Administration will continue to invest in programs like the Domestic Trade Program – with help from the Biden Administration and the Congress – programs that strengthen our businesses and support our state’s record economic growth.

This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

Wyeth Day - July 12

WHEREAS, Maine has provided inspiration for much of the body of work produced by the Wyeth family starting in 1930, when N.C. Wyeth purchased a summer home in Port Clyde and he built a small studio; and

WHEREAS, while N.C. Wyeth was best known for his illustrations, many of which were derived from his Maine-based knowledge of coastal and maritime life, he was also an acclaimed painter; and

Lakes Appreciation Month - July

WHEREAS, lakes and ponds and the uplands that surround and protect them provide recreational opportunities for Maine residents and visitors, including more than 380,000 licensed freshwater anglers and over 112,000 boaters, as well as drinking water valued at $334 million for more than half of all Mainers, and vital habitat for more than 70 percent of our wildlife species; and

Native American Veterans Day - June 21

WHEREAS, on June 21, 1775, soon after the Battle of Bunker Hill in the early stages of the American Revolution, Penobscot Chief Joseph Orono met with General George Washington at Watertown and agreed that his tribe’s warriors, as well as others in the Wabanaki Confederacy, would join forces with the Continental Army to fight a common enemy in the struggle for freedom; and

WHEREAS, members of 33 tribes served as code talkers in World War I and World War II; and

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