As the daughter of a woman who taught in the public schools in Maine for nearly thirty-seven years, and as someone who brought up five daughters who attended and graduated from public schools in Maine, I am very sensitive to the needs of families and faculty and staff in our schools in this extraordinary time.

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

For the sake of Maine children, and our families and our futures, and for the livelihoods of Maine families, a safe return to classroom instruction must be our goal. Like many parents and teachers, I worry in particular about the kids who are being left behind and the inequities that have been exacerbated during this pandemic.

But the goal of returning to classroom instruction cannot come at the expense of peoples’ health and safety either, regardless of what the President says.

I believe strongly that decisions about returning to the classrooms must be based on public health data and not on politics. That is why my Administration is providing public health guidance and financial support to help local officials as they determine what is best for their communities, students, and staff.

The Maine Department of Education, along with Maine CDC, has updated our “Framework for Returning to Classroom Instruction” to include health and safety precautions that have been developed by public health experts.

These science-based protocols, which follow national best practices, include the use of face coverings and physical distancing, and they’ll be supported by up to $165 million in Federal CARES Act funding to be distributed to school systems across Maine.

I recognize that more is needed, but this is just a start-up amount – funding to help them get going for planning for the fall - and I am certainly hopeful that Congress will support additional funding to support the safe-operations of our schools.

This week I also announced we will provide schools with public health guidance in the form of a three-tiered health advisory system, helping them make decisions about when, whether and how to bring students back to the classroom. 

This new tiered system will take into account public health metrics on a county by county basis and it will translate them into three color-based categories: red, yellow, and green. This is what several other states have also done.

A red category says that a county has a high risk of COVID-19 spread and that remote learning, rather than in-person learning, is preferred.

A yellow category indicates that a county has an elevated risk of COVID-19 spread and that hybrid learning models should be adopted, so some at home and some in classroom.

A green category indicates that a county has a relatively low risk of COVID-19 spread so in-person learning can fully be adopted.

This public health status of each county will be updated biweekly starting July 31 and will be available publicly.

Support for child care is also important along with school support. That is why we have also targeted another $8.4 million in federal CARES Act funding — on top of $11 million we previously announced — to child care providers, making sure that parents can go to work, and make sure they know their kids are safe. That funding will support our youngest children and their working parents, and the dedicated providers and their staff.

We know that in order for our economy to fully recover, Maine parents need to be able to return to work when they feel comfortable and knowing that their children are safe.

The actions we took this week are a big step in that direction.

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening and please stay safe.

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

First off I want to thank people all across the state. You all have turned to and taken the steps to protect the health and safety of all of us: by wearing face coverings; by keeping your distance; by adapting your businesses and safely serving customers and keeping staff and visitors safe; by encouraging friends and family to get tested or quarantine if come here from another state. All these actions have contributed to our low positivity rate and they’ve allowed our economy to reopen gradually, but safely so far and these actions will enable our schools to open safely in the coming weeks.

But we won’t stop. This deadly virus does not take time off and while we’re proud of our progress, we are not immune from the surges we’ve seen in other states.

We all want Maine people to be healthy. We want the economy to become strong and to expand.

It’s not easy –

The best thing we can do for economic health is to protect public health.

Many people in Maine are still experiencing significant financial hardship too as a result of COVID-19.

The last thing people need to worry about in the middle of a pandemic is losing their home.

So back in April, we established a rent relief program, with non-taxpayer dollars, to help keep people in their homes.

Under that program, each eligible household got up to $500 in rental assistance paid directly to their landlord, and in exchange, the landlord would agree not to bring eviction proceedings for that month. 

As of July 16^th, nearly 7,000 applications were approved and more than $3.3 million in direct relief was provided to Maine people.

I also signed an Executive Order back then that prevented the immediate eviction of tenants who were unable to pay their rent due to COVID-19 financial issues.

As the Maine Supreme Judicial Court is reopening the courts this coming week, and as the federal government appears poised to reduce unemployment benefits, I am now concerned that many Maine people may face a housing cliff.

So, I am dedicating $5 million in federal Covid Relief Funds to expand our rental assistance programs starting Monday, August 3^rd. MaineHousing then will double the rental assistance payment we have from $500 to $1,000 a month. 

Eligible households may receive up to $1,000 in rental assistance for up to three months and that assistance may also be used to pay arrearages. In accepting these payments, the landlord will agree not to evict the tenant for the month the payment was issued.

I have also signed a new Executive Order that expands the timeframes for notice to quit in eviction proceedings.

So when the Court system reopens, this Order will continue a certain measure of protection for “at will,” or month to month, renters. The Order requires a landlord to provide at least 45 days’ notice to a person with a tenancy “at will” or month to month, rather than 30 days under law. If the landlord is attempting to evict a residential tenant for nonpayment, the Order increases an eviction notice time from 7 days to 30 days.

This Order also maintains some strengthened penalties for landlords who might try to evict tenants by unlawful means, self-help you know, like turning off utilities - prohibited.

We hope this expanded rental relief program and continued protections in the Executive Order will help renters and landlords alike.

Finally, we’re also expanding education, prevention, and wraparound services that will reduce the disproportionate racial and ethnic COVID disparities in Maine. This funding will go directly to community-based organizations – those who have “boots on the ground” – who are protecting and assisting people now in their communities and encouraging testing and prevention measures.

More information about the COVID-19 Rental Relief Program, including frequently asked questions, are found at www.mainehousing.org/covidrent.

That’s http://www.mainehousing.org/covidrent

I urge anyone struggling to pay their rent to apply for these funds.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you so much for listening.

Stay safe.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, people have written hundreds of cards and letters and emails to me, all filled with hope and heartbreak in equal measure. 

Many come from small business owners and local nonprofits who have faced unprecedented challenges from this pandemic, from the heartbreak of temporarily closing to the herculean task of reopening to the public in a new and innovative way.

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

This pandemic has drastically changed the global business environment. It has disrupted supply chains, and reduced consumer spending and caused severe losses across all sectors. In Maine, the closure of the Canadian border, the stoppage of cruise ships, and the reluctance of people generally to travel have impacted our economy inevitably, from farms and fisheries to retail and recreation, service and hospitality sectors.

“We are stronger, we are smarter, and we do not cave in hard times,” one business owner wrote to me. “We are smarter than this virus and we are ready to do what we need in order to protect our family, and everyone else’s family."

I appreciate the great cooperation of Maine’s small businesses in protecting the people of Maine, often while often sacrificing substantial market share, and my Administration will do whatever we can to support them through these tough times.

Some small businesses and non-profits have not been able to access federal relief funds and have fallen through the cracks. Others have exhausted the funds they received and need something more to get through the coming months. 

This week we launched the “Maine Economic Recovery Grant Program” to support Maine businesses and nonprofits as they grapple with the economic hardship caused by COVID-19.  

This program is backed by $200 million of Federal Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) and it will provide financial relief for entities that incurred business disruptions caused by the pandemic.

The business or organization must have its base in Maine, meaning it is headquartered here or has at least half its employees and contract employees based here, and it must employ less than a total of 50 employees and contract employees. And it must demonstrate a need for financial relief due to the virus.

Grants may be used to cover expenses like payroll; rent or mortgage; utility; expenses in replenishing inventory or other re-opening costs; purchase of personal protective equipment, that kind of thing.

Small businesses and nonprofit organizations can apply for grants now through September 9, 2020, and the awards will be made in early October based on need, not on a first-come, first served basis.

The small amount of money available for these grants compared to the need can never replace or repair the extraordinary damage this pandemic has caused.

More support is desperately needed, and I really hope that Congress and the Administration in Washington will step up to the plate soon and provide meaningful relief to the small farms, the fishermen, the Mom & Pop stores, the diners, the B ‘N B’s, the motels, stores and local family businesses across this state and across this nation – those that are the backbone of our economy and the lifeblood of our communities.

To learn more, please visit the Department of Economic and Community Development website at maine.gov/decd. Small businesses can begin applying now.

If we continue to protect ourselves and one another by keeping our distance, washing our hands and wearing face coverings, remember we can keep our small businesses open, we can reopen our schools and we can limit the spread of this dangerous virus.

We will get through this.

It is up to all of us.

This is Governor Janet Mills.

Thank you for listening.

Cold weather heralds more than just autumn in Maine and the turning of leaves and beautiful scenery across our state. As we approach the flu season and cold season during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, it’s going to be more important than ever to take steps that are backed by science to protect our health, the health of our families, our communities and our loved ones. 

Things like getting your annual flu shot. 

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

The Maine CDC recommends that all people six months and older get a yearly flu vaccine before the end of October, when flu activity really increases.

While getting a flu shot helps reduce your risk of getting the flu and spreading it to others, this year it will also lessen the burden on Maine’s health care system during this pandemic, by reducing the number of people who are sick and seek medical care. It is also possible to have the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. Experts are studying this, but you know having the flu could reduce your body’s ability to respond to a COVID-19 infection if you are exposed.  

While we don’t know when a safe vaccine for COVID-19 may be widely available for Maine people and others, getting a flu vaccine today is one way to keep yourself, your loved ones and our state healthy this fall. 

It takes about two weeks after getting vaccinated for that flu shot to take full effect, but the flu is here now. So get a shot today. To find a flu clinic, search your zip code on flushot.healthmap.org or cdc.gov/flu or search the listings on 211maine.org.

Join me in getting a flu shot this fall. Stay healthy, stay safe.

This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

Small businesses across our state — the neighborhood corner store, the bed and breakfasts, the bookstore, the local hardware store — they have all faced unprecedented challenges during this pandemic, ranging from the heartbreak of temporarily closing their doors to the herculean task of reopening in new and very different ways.

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

To offer some small lifeline to try to keep afloat these small businesses that are at the core of our economy, we have created the Maine Economic Recovery Grant Program.

This program, backed by $200 million in Federal CARES Act money, provides some financial relief for businesses and non-profits that have incurred business disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

2,329 awards are going out this week. They include 2,072 to small businesses and 257 to non-profits. We’re putting out a total of $105 million dollars to these small businesses this week and the grants average just over $45,000 apiece going out to recipients all across the state. For obvious reasons, the hospitality sector, particularly lodging and accommodations, represent the largest percentage of recipients, drawing down 35 percent of these awards.

These grants all went to businesses with 50 or fewer employees.

So with this first round of awards going out as we speak, now Phase 2 of the Economic Recovery Grant Program can begin.

In Phase 2, businesses and non-profits that employ up to 250 people will be eligible for grants. Licensed childcare and behavioral health organizations will also be eligible, along with businesses that are less than one year old. The application portal for Phase Two of the Economic Recovery Grant Program is open now until October 29th.

Organizations interested in applying for this program can go to the Department of Economic and Community Development’s website at maine.gov/decd/economic-recovery-grants. The website also includes information and answers to frequently asked questions. 

Small businesses across Maine – like the corner store, the bookstore, the bed and breakfast and the hardware store – they’ve all faced these unprecedented challenges. Many have risen to the task, but with the global economy still reeling from this virus, and the virus still spreading in states on our doorstep, and with people still wary of how and where to eat and shop, it is crucial that we provide whatever help we can to get businesses through this period.

My Administration will do all we can to support Maine’s small businesses through these terribly difficult times.

We know grants cannot wholly replace or repair the economic damage the pandemic has caused, but our mission is to ensure that every dollar has at least a small, direct positive impact on these businesses and on Maine’s economy. 

I encourage all eligible businesses to apply for the second round of the Maine Economic Recovery Program while I and governors across this country continue to call on Congress to provide greater relief to the people of the State of Maine and of this country.

I encourage everybody listening to support our small businesses. Order groceries and pick them up curbside if you wish, call your local stores and order your goods and produce locally whenever you possibly can.

We need these small businesses to survive. It’s critical to the kind of place that Maine is and to the survival of our communities.

Stay safe, keep the faith, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.

Your vote is your voice. Make sure your voice is heard November 3^rd by voting.

Voting is at the foundation of our democracy and voting may determine the future of your community, our state and our nation.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills.

I usually vote in person on Election Day, I certainly like to see people at the polls, but of course this year, I voted absentee in person in the town clerk’s office. I wanted to minimize the number of people that I came into contact with on Election Day and minimize the number of people at the polls on November 3^rd to make sure that people stay safe and healthy. Voting absentee, either in-person or by mail, during this pandemic has minimized people’s exposure to COVID-19 and I believe will protect the health of poll workers, and other voters and the community at large.

Already more than half a million people in Maine have voted absentee. And now, this week, it’s more important than ever before to be cautious, to take all kinds of safety and health precautions. Even though we’re one of the best states in the country for addressing COVID-19, our numbers are higher than ever before, and we’ve got to minimize this. We’ve got to stay safe.  

So, if you have already requested an absentee ballot, you have committed to vote that ballot. The clerk won’t give you a second ballot unless you have somehow spoiled the ballot and you return it, or the ballot you requested does not arrive or has not arrived by now.

You can also track when your absentee ballot is sent out to you and when your clerk receives it by visiting Maine.gov/sos and clicking on the “Request/Track your absentee ballot” image.

Get your ballot back to your municipal clerk as soon as possible if you’ve got an absentee ballot, and no later than 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2020, in the signed, sealed envelope. That’s very important.

You can still vote absentee or have a family member go pick you up a ballot Monday or Tuesday if you have an excuse or if you feel ill or incapacitated or find you’re going to be absent from the area.

You know be sure again to SIGN the envelope with your absentee ballot before you return it. That’s how the clerk knows it’s the same ballot they sent to you. If you don’t sign the envelop, your ballot won’t be counted.

If you are returning your ballot in person, you can drop it off at your town office during regular business hours on Monday, but we also provided secure drop boxes to many many towns to facilitate safe voting. 

If your town has a ballot dropbox, you’ll find it at the city hall or town hall. Drop off your completed ballot - sealed in the signed envelope - at any hour up to 8 pm November 3rd, and of course ONLY in your own town or city’s ballot dropbox. You have to sign the envelope so the clerk knows it was you who requested the ballot; but neither the clerk nor anyone else will see who you voted for.

Polling places will be open on Election Day, but if you go to the polling place on Election Day, plan for extra time because of new health and safety procedures at the polls, social distancing (six foot distancing) and sanitization measures etc.

And please wear a face covering when you go to the polls to vote and avoid face coverings or other clothing or accessories that have some political message or the name of a candidate on them cause that would be illegal.

To learn more about elections, visit the Secretary of State’s website at Maine.gov/sos.

You know, there’s also been a little bit of talk also about potential harassment or intimidation of voters in other states. We don’t expect a problem with that here in Maine and we do have plenty of tools to address it if it does occur.

Just remember, you have a constitutional right to vote. No one can prevent you. It’s your civic right and your civic responsibility.

This is Governor Janet Mills, thank you for listening, don’t forget to vote, and please stay safe.

On one day alone this week, Maine recorded 183 new cases of COVID-19, the highest single-day increase since the beginning of the pandemic. Our positivity rate, while significantly lower than other states, has more than doubled in the last two weeks and hosptializations have increased.

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

The nation has surpassed more than nine and a half million total cases of COVID-19 — more than 100,000 new cases in a single day — and more than 230,000 deaths — about four times the number of American soldiers who lost their lives in the Vietnam war. 150 people in Maine have died. Not just numbers on a page, people like Tom Flacke, first selectman in the town of Morrill. People all over this state are getting sick and dying. People with loved ones. Respected members of the community. People who go to your church, your grange, your legion hall.

In a Washington Post interview recently, Dr. Fauci said "We're in for a whole lot of hurt. It's not a good situation. All the stars are aligned in the wrong place as you go into the fall and winter season, with people congregating at home indoors. You could not possibly be positioned more poorly."

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and our gradual reopening process, we have constantly monitored epidemiological data, like case trends and hospitalization rates, as well as health care system readiness and capacity, all of that has informed every one of our decisions on lifting restrictions and stimulating our economy.

Like sailors who used the night skies to navigate home, public health data has been our North Star, guiding us through this pandemic.

To combat the recent rise in cases of COVID-19 and to get us back on course, we made five changes this week.

First, we extended the "Keep Maine Healthy" program through December to promote prevention efforts at the local level; second, we returned to lower indoor gathering limits; third, we postponed bar and tasting room indoor openings for now; fourth, we removed New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut from exempt status under our travel advisory; and fifth, we required that Maine people wear face coverings in all public places, regardless of how far apart we are from other people.

These moves are very similar to moves made in other states this week in response to the tragic trajectory of this pandemic.

I take these actions with a great deal of hesitancy because I’m always mindful of how our actions might affect business, might affect our economy, but I’ve been told by so many people, we cannot have a healthy economy, a healthy community, without healthy people. So we must all do our part to control this virus.

To keep people safe, to keep businesses open, to keep our economy rolling, to keep schools open, we each have to avoid gatherings, stay six feet apart from others, use hand sanitizer, get a flu shot, wear a face covering indoors and outdoors, and wash our hands frequently.

We can stem the tide of this virus, but it will require a team effort on the part of all of us. We are all in this together. You know that this is a fundamental matter of social and personal responsibility - like not driving on the wrong side of the road, like putting your young child in a car seat, like wearing a coat in cold weather. For goodness sakes, it’s common sense and now a matter of social responsibility.

We all worked together so hard this spring, summer and fall to make sure that we could leave our homes safely and get back to something of what life used to be like, with some adjustments. But, winter is coming.

It's time to hunker down, bunker in and buckle up. If we don't, as Dr. Fauci says, we're in for "a whole lot of hurt!"

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening. Keep the faith and please stay safe.

Many of us read the appalling saga of our friend Dennis Bailey’s struggle to stay alive while fighting COVID-19 recently. For his sake and for the sake of all of us we’ve been praying for an effective vaccine that’ll let us all get back to work, back to school, and back to business.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills.

While we got news recently that one vaccine candidate is showing some promise in early trials, the fact is, even when a vaccine is approved, it’ll be many months before it is fully distributed and administered. In the meantime, this deadly virus remains among us and threatens our families, our communities, our health care system and our economy.

We can’t let down our guard now. There is no fairy tale ending to this nightmare yet — and we all have to do our part to stay safe.

The simplest thing we can do is the most effective tool we’ve had for months: wearing a face covering.

COVID-19 as you know is an airborne virus that spreads among people who are in close contact with one another, through respiratory droplets expelled when a person coughs, sneezes, sings, talks, or even breathes. 

Wearing a face covering is one of the most significant, effective, and easiest ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

In light of the significant increase in cases and in hospitalizations and positivity rates in our state, I signed an Executive Order last week requiring Maine people to wear a face covering in public settings, including indoor settings. 

Previously, we required face coverings when physical distancing was “difficult to maintain” – well, that was confusing. Now, we have a bright line that says if you are in a public setting, wear a face covering.

Of course, if you’re hiking alone on the Appalachian Trail or hunting in the woods, you don’t need to wear a face covering if there’s no one else around — that’s just common sense —  but, if you are asking yourself the question whether you should wear a face covering, the answer is likely yes. Go ahead and do it, what’s the harm.

We wear face coverings to protect ourselves. We wear them to protect people we don’t even know — the people we meet on the street; the folks who work in the corner restaurant, the store or the packing plant; the nurses, doctors and CNAs who care for the sick and put themselves at risk; the combat veteran who deserves to live the remainder of their heroic life with health and happiness, not to be left to die from a painful contagion alone and separated from family and friends. 

We can stem the tide of this virus, we can save lives, keep our economy moving, and keep schools and businesses open, but it takes a team effort.

All of us worked together last spring and summer and fall and ensured that we could leave our homes safely and get back to something of what life used to be like. This winter, let’s stay vigilant, let’s stay smart.  

Wear a face covering indoors and outdoors. Use hand sanitizer. Stay six feet apart. Wash your hands frequently. Stay home if you feel sick. Avoid travel.

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

Keep the faith and please stay safe.

With a deadly virus raging across our state and across our nation, we cannot also forget the effects of this pandemic on our economy and on the long-term health and safety of our communities. 

These effects include the need to expand our workforce and to pave the way for good paying jobs for young people in new industries.

We cannot forget the other major looming threat to our economy and to our health — climate change.  The impacts of which we see on ocean temperatures, air quality, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. 

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

Back in the fall of 1970, 11-year-old Suzanne Clune wrote a letter to her United States Senator.

She wrote about the Little Androscoggin River, a once pristine tributary where deer could see their reflection and where spring pine and chokeberry blossoms “filled the air with the sweetest smell on earth,” but that was before toxic chemicals polluted the waters.

“Now in any season,” Suzanne wrote to Senator Edmund Muskie, "you can smell the most sickening smell on earth, a stench that left frogs 'gasping for air.’ I am sick of the river like this,” she said. “Please do something about it.” And she signed her letter, “One who loves Maine.”

Suzanne’s letter helped motivate Senator Muskie during his career-long fight for clean air and clean water. Today, as a result of his actions, our rivers — the Androscoggin, Kennebec and the Penobscot Rivers, among others, are restored. We now fish, boat and swim there.

I am grateful that Suzanne did not wait to act.

Today the threat of climate change jeopardizes not only Maine’s natural resources but our state’s economy and social wellbeing as well.

With this crisis on our doorstep, like Suzanne Clune, we cannot afford to wait.

We must act now to honor the legacy of Maine’s environmental stewards who bequeathed this precious place to us; to preserve our state for our children and grandchildren to enjoy as we do; and build a thriving economy with opportunities for growth far into the future.

So earlier this week, the Maine Climate Council released its four year climate action plan called Maine Won’t Wait. It calls for decisive action on the climate crisis in our state.

Based on the findings of that report, I propose that we more than double the number of Maine’s clean energy and energy efficiency jobs by 2030. These 30,000 jobs or more will save money for Maine families, make us more efficient, and fight climate change while providing new opportunities to Maine working men and women and advancing long-term prosperity for our state.

I will seek partnerships with federal officials, state lawmakers, local leaders, businesses and nonprofits to reach the climate targets and the measurable outcomes described in this plan.

Eleven-year old Suzanne Clune’s letter to Senator Muskie fifty years ago was a call to action of that era. 

Let this plan be our call to action once again to protect the natural beauty of our state; to improve the lives of our families and the livelihoods of our people; and to ward off future natural disasters and economic crises. Because, like Suzanne, we too are "ones who love Maine” and we must do our best to preserve and protect it.

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

This past Thursday evening, Jewish families across the state of Maine and elsewhere lit the first candle on the menorah in celebration of the first night of Hanukkah. The candle a symbol of light and resilience.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening. 

During this challenging year, in the dark of a Maine winter and in the middle of a devastating pandemic, the lighting of each candle on the menorah I think provides more light in the world, even symbolically, and the hope and anticipation that tomorrow will be warmer and brighter than today. 

As the days grow colder and the nights longer, this symbol of light through darkness connects all of us through love, faith and family, reminding us that we are all in this together. 

I treasure the light of the moon and stars, of friends, and children and grandchildren, the beacons who guide me through the toughest times.  People who comfort rather than compete. Words that do not disparage. Nurses and doctors caring for the desperately ill. Front line workers and first responders working through the night to keep others safe at the risk of their own wellbeing. Neighbors helping other neighbors, unquestioningly. 

These are lights of their own making. A light that exists in the hearts of people.

While our celebrations may look different this holiday season 2020 – they may be smaller, virtual, even telephonic – long distance – these holidays remain as meaningful and spiritual as they did through other, darker times – through wars, depressions, storms and hardship. 

In fact, during this most difficult year, holidays may take on even more significance and meaning, allowing us to stay close and connected to loved ones in new and different ways in an otherwise isolating time.

And now, as in times past, we will keep the faith in our communities and in ourselves alive. We are Americans. We are Maine Strong. And we will get through this together.

No matter how or what you celebrate this year, I wish you a season filled with peace and joy, and a new year filled with love and light.

Please stay healthy and stay safe.

And may you enjoy the true light – the radiance – of friends, neighbors and family in your hearts for as long as you may live.

You have my love and appreciation today and every day.

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.