Maine Secretary of State’s talk among Spectrum Generations events

Tue, 10/11/2016 - 9:30am

Spectrum Generations Coastal Community Center will host its Wednesday Lunch and Learn program on Oct. 19 at 11:15 a.m. at the Wavus Camp for Girls, Wavus Road in Jefferson, just off Route 213. Following the luncheon, guests and community members will have the opportunity to hear Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap clarify the wording of and discuss the pros and cons of the five citizens' initiative questions to appear on the Tuesday, Nov. 8, referendum ballot:

By learning about the issues and by voting, you are keeping Maine's democracy strong and continuing a long history of citizen participation in the governing of our state and nation.

Dunlap, Maine's 49th Secretary of State, is the first person to serve non-consecutive terms in that office since 1880. He previously served three terms as Maine's 47th Secretary of State. During his previous tenure, he served as President of the National Association of Secretaries of State and was named Maine's Public Administrator of the Year in 2008. In 2005, he was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta to serve on a national rule-making panel on driver license and identification card security, and has remained active in the national debate on privacy and national security.

He previously served four terms in the Maine House of Representatives representing part of Old Town and the Indian Island Voting District; he served three terms as House Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as well as House Chair of the Government Oversight Committee. A founder of the Maine Youth Fish and Game Association, he is an award-winning monthly columnist for The Northwoods Sporting Journal and is active in many civic endeavors, including board positions with The Windover Art Center, University of Maine "M" Club, Russian-American Rule of Law Consortium, and the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine. He was recently named a Commissioner for the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He was raised in Bar Harbor and holds degrees from the University of Maine.

He lives in Old Town with his wife, Michelle Dunphy, and their daughter Emily Charlotte Dunlap.

Advanced reservations are required for the luncheon. Please call 563-1363 by noon  on Monday, Oct. 17 to make your reservation to enjoy home-style pot roast and gravy dinner prepared by Chef Mary and the culinary team at Wavus; $5.00 per person for luncheon guests over 60 years of age. All others, $6.00. Can’t make it to lunch? Community members are always welcome to attend the Center’s Wednesday Learn portion of the day’s Lunch and Learn program, which will begin at approximately noon. Come to Dunlap’s presentation for insights into how Maine’s citizen’s initiatives work, how a quirky ritual of Maine democracy determines, through some kind of random drawing, the order of the citizen initiative referendum questions on November’s ballot and proposals that are brewing to change the referendum process in Maine.

Before, during and after lunch, visitors can also participate in and enjoy the following Wednesday programs:

TNT Whole Body Fitness: Wednesdays, 9 a.m. A fitness class taught by senior fitness professional Robin Maginn that offers a total body workout. Drop in fee $5.

Morning Yoga with Carol Krajnik: Wednesday at 9 a.m. For your whole being, gentle movements calm the mind and relax the body. Fee: $15/class.

On Balance: Getting Stronger-Living Longer, Wednesdays, 10:30 am. Gentle exercises for strength, flexibility and balance with Robin Maginn for those who are a little bit timid or who haven’t exercised in a while. $4 per class. Sign up and pay for lunch and the class is only $2.

SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) Drop In. Become a part of SAGE’s bi-monthly gatherings aimed at bringing together older adults living in the midcoast area. There will be light refreshments and the chance to help create a space and opportunity for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and their allies to come together at a time both rich and full of change. For more information, contact SAGE board member Mitzi Lichtman at mitzijoy23@gmail.com or at 207-338-5889. Donation $1. Unless otherwise noted SAGE meets at the Coastal Community Center on the first and third Wednesday of the month, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. SAGE gatherings are inter-generational discussions which are open to all community members.