WHEREAS, Chester Greenwood was born on December 4, 1858 to Zina and Emily Greenwood, who raised their six children on a farm in Farmington, Maine; and

WHEREAS, Chester Greenwood was an avid ice-skater on local, frozen ponds, and struggled as a teenager to keep his ears warm in the winter; and

WHEREAS, that struggle inspired Greenwood to ask his grandmother to sew cloth pads onto a wire ring that he could wrap around his head, thereby inventing modern earmuffs and keeping countless ears warm throughout history; and

WHEREAS, born in Skowhegan on December 14, 1897, Margaret Chase Smith proudly served Maine and the nation as a distinguished leader until her death on May 29, 1995; and

WHEREAS, first elected to the House of Representatives in 1940, Margaret Chase Smith became the first woman in the history of our country to be elected to the United States Senate in her own right in 1948, an election that also marked the first time a woman was elected to both houses of Congress; and

WHEREAS, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) was founded on December 1, 1941 in order to mobilize the nation’s civilian aviation resources for national defense; and

WHEREAS, CAP is now the official civilian auxiliary and Total Force Partner of the United States Air Force; and

WHEREAS, CAP’s three primary missions of Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs and Emergency Services are accomplished by volunteers serving America’s communities, saving lives, and shaping futures; and

WHEREAS, started in 1988 and recognized annually on December 1st, World AIDS Day is a global event to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and to honor and support those living with and affected by HIV; and

WHEREAS, the theme for the 2023 observance, marking forty-two years since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began, is “Let Communities Lead,” which recognizes that organizations of communities living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV are the frontline of progress in the HIV response; and

Thanksgiving is a time for Maine people to gather with family and friends, loved ones and neighbors. A time to appreciate life’s blessings, a time to welcome others to our tables, to our homes, and into our hearts.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills.

Like many Maine people, this holiday season, I am looking forward to turkey, pumpkin pie, squash, maybe green bean casserole. I’m looking forward to sharing time with my daughters, my grandchildren, and pausing at the end of a very busy – and, at times, very hard – year to rest and reflect on things for which I am grateful.

This Thanksgiving, as we share love and laughter with our families and friends, let us also remember there are many who may be struggling this holiday season, especially in the wake of the tragedy in Lewiston. Families across Maine, including those who lost loved ones on October 25th, will be sitting down to a table with an empty chair, and they’ll be feeling immeasurable pain.

Let us, as a people and as a state, continue to extend our love to them and to all those who have been impacted during this incredibly hard time. If you’re interested in helping, please visit our website called “Healing Together.” It’s at Maine.gov/governor/mills. That’s Maine.gov/governor/mills.

On that website, you will find information about how you can support victims and families in Lewiston, and you’ll find organizations involved in the community and in the health care response, and there’s help there for anyone who might be struggling with mental health during this stressful time.

As I reflect on this past year, and particularly this past month, I am grateful that our state is blessed with people who do love and care for one another. People who extend a helping hand when neighbors need it most. You know, people in Maine are known for their independence, and we are certainly resilient, but we know we can rely on each other and ask for help in times of need.

In the seemingly darkest of times – from the pandemic to the tragedy in Lewiston – we have supported and loved one another. And this year, I am grateful for that – and for you, the people of Maine. 

So, as we begin the holiday season, may we hold each other close as family, as friends, grateful for the strength of the people of this state.

I wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday. With peace and gratitude, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.

In today’s world, access to affordable, high-speed internet is as fundamental as electricity, heat, and water. So, if we want a strong economy and thriving state, we’ve simply got to have it.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

Well, since I’ve taken office, we have worked very hard to expand affordable, high-speed broadband across Maine, especially in rural areas.

And in 2021, I signed landmark legislation to create the Maine Connectivity Authority. That’s a new organization—a new entity—focused on ensuring that every person in our state can access and afford a quality internet connection in order to work, to study, run a business, visit family, or get health care remotely.

In the two years since I signed that legislation, the Connectivity Authority has used state and federal funds to connect over 53,000 homes and businesses to the internet. I’m very proud of that progress and I have promised the Maine people that whoever who wants a high-speed, reliable internet connection will be able to access it by the end of next year.

We are making progress towards modernizing our internet infrastructure thanks to a $272 million grant Maine received under the Biden Administration’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, or BEAD, Program from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law supported by our Congressional Delegation. That’s the largest grant award Maine has ever received to build out our broadband internet network.

The Connectivity Authority is working hard to expand broadband access across Maine, but an important part of that effort is making sure Maine people can afford it as well. 

That’s why the Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP, is also very important.

Also created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and it made more than 230,000 households in Maine eligible to receive a discount on their broadband bill every month. 

So far, about 94,000 Maine families have enrolled. And that’s good news, but the funding for this important program could run out next April unless Congress acts. 

In short: the households in Maine that just gained access to affordable internet could lose it.

That’s why, earlier this week, I joined twenty-five of my fellow governors on both sides of the aisle to urge Congress to provide more funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. 

In our joint letter, we wrote that “Closing our nation’s digital divide transcends politics. Whether you live in a rural area, a suburb, or a city, every American needs access to high-speed internet. Preserving the ACP will allow us to build upon the progress we’ve made in expanding connectivity rather than falling behind in a mission we cannot afford to lose.”

So, I will keep pushing along with my fellow governors for more funding for the ACP, but in the meantime, every eligible Maine family should enroll to get a discount of up to $30 a month on their internet bill. Eligibility is based on income – for example, if you are a family of four and your household income is less than $80,000, you qualify for this discount.

You can find out more information about how to enroll in the Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP, at getacp.org/maine – that’s getacp.org/maine.

By connecting every corner of Maine to high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband, we’ll make our state one of the most competitive and desirable places in the world to live, work, and raise a family. We’re making progress toward reaching that goal, because of critical federal funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

I will continue to stand with my fellow governors in fighting for the federal funding we need to ensure that every American, including people across Maine, can access affordable internet. 

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

WHEREAS, Maine-grown Christmas trees stand as a timeless, naturally grown decoration, and the Maine Christmas Tree Association, which cultivates seasonal cheer for Christmas and Solstice by producing authentic Christmas trees and wreath products, stands as the foremost resource for all things related to Christmas trees in the beautiful State of Maine; and

WHEREAS, nurse practitioners (NPs) play a critical role as trusted providers of health care for patients in our state, working to expand health care access in underserved communities and promote health equity in care; and

WHEREAS, patients depend on the 3,147 licensed NPs in Maine to diagnose, manage, and treat their chronic and acute health care conditions; and

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

In last week’s radio address, I talked to you about my plan to create a fully independent commission to determine the facts surrounding the tragedy in Lewiston on October 25th, including the time that led up to that tragedy and the police response to it. This is so we can begin the long road to healing. 

Earlier this week, Attorney General Aaron Frey and I announced the formal creation of that Independent Commission and we named its membership, a group of experts who bring extensive legal, investigative, and mental health backgrounds that will help bring to light the facts behind this tragedy for all of us to know and to understand.

The seven experts on the Independent Commission are a former Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, a former Associate Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court; a former Chief Forensic Psychologist for the State; a former United States Attorney for the State of Maine, a former Assistant United States Attorney in private practice now; a former Maine District Court Judge who also served as District Attorney, and a physician with psychiatric expertise in responding to crises like mass shootings. 

Each of these individuals is each highly respected for their abilities, their expertise, their impartiality, their integrity, and fair mindedness – qualities that will be fundamental to the discharge of their duties. 

In our letter to the members of the Independent Commission, Attorney General Frey and I asked them to determine the full and complete scope of their work and request any resources and any additional investigative powers that they deem necessary to complete that work. 

Above all else, Attorney General Frey and I have asked the Independent Commission to follow the facts, wherever they may lead, and to do so in an independent and objective manner, biased by no one and guided only by the pursuit of truth. 

We also asked the Independent Commission to issue a formal public report detailing their findings upon the conclusion of their investigation. The families of the victims, and those who were injured, and the people of Maine and the nation deserve to know the complete facts and circumstances, including any failures or omissions, that led to the tragedy in Lewiston.

Knowing the full truth is not a quick and easy thing, but the formation of this Independent Commission is an important step as we begin the long process of healing. 

My Administration will continue to do everything we can to make sure that the families of the victims, and those who are recovering, and those struggling in Lewiston and throughout the state, are fully supported during this difficult time.

Starting on Monday, November 13^th, the Maine Resiliency Center at 184 Main Street in Lewiston will open to welcome anyone impacted by this tragedy. The Center will be open from noon to five p.m. each weekday and it will be staffed with knowledgeable and caring professionals who can help you find services to meet your needs.

Please remember if you need support, you can text or call 9-8-8 for free and confidential mental health advice and counseling, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  

This is Governor Janet Mills – please keep the faith, stay strong—and thank you for listening.