Representative Bruce Bickford’s

ETNewsletter

January 29, 2010

State Issues:

 

College Goal Sunday Coming Soon

 

College Goal Sunday, a statewide volunteer program coordinated by the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), is scheduled for Sunday, January 31. At workshops throughout the state, free information and assistance to students and families who are applying for financial aid for post secondary education will be available. All families with students planning to attend college are welcome to participate. The event is especially helpful for those filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.

 

To find a workshop near you, or learn more about the program, please visit http://www.collegegoalsundaymaine.com. Interested individuals may also contact FAME toll-free at 1-800-228-3734 or by e-mail at education@famemaine.com.

 

Economic News

 

The Maine Department of Labor announced that the state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.3% in December, up from 8.0% in November.  This is lower than the national rate, which was 10.0% in December.

 

In December 2008 the state’s unemployment rate was 6.5%.  Over the past year approximately 16,000 non-farm jobs have been lost.  Over 80% of net job losses were in the manufacturing, construction, retail trade, and government sectors.

 

State Park Campground Reservations Available Soon

 

Officials with the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) announced that the reservation system for state park campgrounds will soon be active for the 2010 season.  Beginning Monday, February 1, reservations will be available for Sebago Lake State Park; and reservations will be available for the entire state park system beginning Monday, February 8. 

 

There are four ways to make reservations at Maine state campgrounds:

 

• Online at http://www.campwithme.com;
• By calling 1-800-332-1501 from within Maine or 207-624-9950 from out of state;
• By mailing reservations to: Bureau of Parks and Lands, ATTN: Reservations, 22 SHS, Augusta, ME 04333. Mailed reservations must not be postmarked before February 1, 2010; and
• By dropping off completed reservations at the Augusta office.

 

The 2010 camping season runs from May 24 through September 12. Some state parks are open for camping at other times, but no reservations are required. For more information on Maine state parks, beaches, and historic sites, visit the BPL website at http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/.

 

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