WHEREAS, falls are a serious and growing public health concern and are the leading cause of injury-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths among older adults; and

WHEREAS, falls often result in serious injuries such as hip fractures and head trauma and cause a loss of independence, significantly impacting the quality of life for older adults and their families; and

WHEREAS 1,566 Americans are still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, as well as 7,399 from the Korean War, 126 from the Cold War, and 71,853 from World War II, though thousands from World War II are assessed as unrecoverable deep-sea losses; and

WHEREAS, the families and friends of unaccounted for Vietnam War Veterans, as well as countless fellow Veterans and other Americans, still await recovery and identification of their remains or clarity regarding their fates; and

WHEREAS, domestic abuse and violence is a serious injustice and public health crisis that affects people and families of all races, ages, genders, sexual orientations and income levels; and

WHEREAS, each year nearly half of all homicides in Maine are related to domestic abuse and violence; and

WHEREAS, support and help are available 24/7/365 to anyone affected by domestic abuse, through the programs of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence and the statewide domestic violence helpline; and

WHEREAS, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the rights of free expression, including the freedom to read, write, speak, publish, and access information without government interference or censorship; and

WHEREAS, libraries – as trusted public institutions – embody these constitutional principles by ensuring that people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs have open access to a broad range of ideas and perspectives; and

WHEREAS, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federal grant program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education and careers; and

WHEREAS, GEAR UP Maine was founded in 1998, and since then has helped prepare over 29,000 students to pursue education and career pathways they otherwise may not have been able to; and

WHEREAS, manufacturing is essential to the economic vitality of Maine, supporting nearly 1,900 businesses, employing over 56,000 people, and contributing billions of dollars annually to the state's economy; and

WHEREAS, Maine manufacturers create a diverse array of products, from precision aerospace components, advanced composites, and marine vessels to food, beverages, and forest products, strengthening both our local communities and our national economy; and

WHEREAS, Farm and Sea to School programs enrich the connection communities have with their local food producers by bringing fresh, locally produced and harvested food into schools throughout Maine; and

WHEREAS, Farm and Sea to School programs benefit both our students and food producers by increasing fresh, whole food consumption and improving health outcomes while also increasing revenue and customer base for Maine food producers; and

Career and Technical Education programs, or CTEs, equip young people with skills and hands-on experience to make sure they can get good-paying jobs and have rewarding, life-long careers.

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

Despite the important role that CTEs play in the lives of young people and in building a skilled workforce to strengthen our economy, for decades, Maine just didn't modernize or expand these workforce training programs or even provide them with modern, appropriate equipment.

Maine needs more plumbers, more electricians, more truck drivers -- more people overall in the trades -- and that's why I've worked so hard to make historic investments in career and technical education centers throughout my career. In fact, back when I was attorney general, I settled a case with Bath Fitter Company and used the funds from that settlement to begin new plumbing programs at four different Maine high schools. And when I became governor, I continued to make investments in our CTE system so it can serve more students with better equipment.

Through my Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, we've invested $20 million -- federal funds -- to expand career and technical education centers -- the first meaningful investment in decades. That included $4.5 million distributed to 23 different CTE programs to purchase and upgrade equipment so that Maine students are ready for careers in today's highly skilled industries.

Sanford Regional Technical Center used their grant of nearly $117,000 to purchase equipment for their Engineering Architectural Design and Machine Tool programs, among other things. The Sanford School Department was also awarded $321,000 Pre-K expansion grant through My Jobs Plan that funded the construction of three new Pre-K classrooms at Sanford schools and funded the expansion of the Pre-K program at the Sanford CTE from half-day to full-day.

Well, this past week, I visited the Sanford CTE to see how students are doing using the equipment that our investments helped make happen. I had snacks prepared by the culinary arts students as we toured the pre-K learning and early childhood education classrooms. I practiced driving a police car with law enforcement students on a new driving simulator that was paid for by the job plan funds. A really remarkable instrument.

And I visited with students who were learning the building trades like plumbing and electrical, and carpentry, as they worked building a house. I visited the business program, and the video production program, and learned how many kids at the CTE there are earning credits towards college in these programs. I ended the tour by speaking with students in STEM classes, studying things like advanced technology.

I'm so excited to watch as the students I met this week graduate from Sanford Regional Tech and put their new skills to use in good-paying jobs that will make rewarding careers for them and that will benefit our economy overall.

I'm very proud of those students in Sanford and from the area schools, and I'm proud of the nearly 11,000 students at the CTEs--a record high. That's up from 8,000 seven years ago.

My administration will keep doing everything we can to support students of any age to earn the credits and credentials, and certifications, or college degrees they need to succeed in our state and make Maine the best state to live, work, and raise a family.

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

WHEREAS, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s historic exhibition hall, the Maine Building, was constructed in 1925 on the Avenue of States at the Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds, home of The Big E, in West Springfield, Massachusetts, to showcase the best of Maine to fairgoers from across the Northeast and beyond; and

WHEREAS, the Maine Needham was first introduced in 1872 by John Seavey, owner of the confectionary Seavey’s Sweets, which is rumored to have been located in either Auburn or Portland at the time; and

WHEREAS, named after a popular preacher of that era, George C. Needham, the Needham candy consists of a mashed potato center surrounded by coconut and chocolate; and