Safety First

School season is upon us, and it’s time for motorists to be alert, drive offensively, respect crossing guards, speed limits in school zones, pay attention to those yellow buses, and above all watch for kids who are walking or biking.

Patriotism restored

It’s a nice feeling when a perfect stranger walks up to you, shakes your hand and says, “Thank you for your service.” It’s a lot different than the Vietnam era, when veterans were called baby killers, druggies or war mongers. Those days are behind us. Patriotism has been restored.

2016 Campaigns

All is quiet in Washington and Augusta, but there’s a lot of noise on the campaign trails — both here in Maine (Legislators) and also in Washington (Presidential) — Trump, Sanders, Bush, Clinton, and many, many others. Get ready for the long haul — 2016 is still a few months away.

Veterans Bills and More

The Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) has eliminated the veterans net worth when determining eligibility for health care benefits and co-payments for veterans in the lowest priority groups (7 and 8) are higher than those for any other group. Dropping net worth will make some veterans in these categories eligible for higher priority groups.

Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act (S681) and it’s House Companion Bill (HR969) are measures that would clarify a presumption for exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War for veterans who served off the coast of Vietnam. The so-called Blue Water Veterans (S681) will be marked up, approved and sent to the full Senate for consideration. Fellow veterans, call Senators King and Collins and urge their support for this legislation.

HR1735–S979 — “Veteran Status” — authorizes veteran status for members of the reserve component who served 20 years or more.

SBP/DIC Offset (S979) repeals the requirement that forces surviving spouses of military personnel to forfeit portions of their Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities to offset Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) they receive. S979 is the Senate Companion Bill to House (HR1594).

Congress must also ensure that studies of Gulf War illnesses be independent and free of any biases by DOD (Department of Defense) and V.A. (Veterans Administration).

About Veterans Service Centers

People have called and asked about our Veterans Service Centers. As a veteran who served in a war zone, you and your family have earned the benefits offered through the Department of Veterans Affairs Readjustment Counseling Services Vet Center Programs. Services include: readjustment counseling, military sexual trauma counseling, suicide prevention, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Note: Vet Center staff respect the privacy of all veterans, and holds in strictest confidence all information disclosed in counseling process.

Easter Seals Maine Inc.

Military and veteran services care coordination and emergency financial assistance for service members post 9/11 veterans and families. This program is free and confidential. F.M.I. Contact Stacy Leet, Care Coordinator at (207) 828- 0754 Ext. 1004.

Women Veterans

Despite progress, women veterans still use VA Health Care and other earned benefits at lower rates than their male counterparts. This situation urgently calls out for solutions. Today women make up 14% of our Armed Forces. According to the V.A., there are 1.2 million female veterans comprising approximately 4 percent of the veteran population. In an effort to be more responsive to women veterans, the V.A. has designed special services and programs to meet their unique health care needs. The mission of the V.A. Center For Women Veterans is to ensure that they receive the benefits and services provided in a discriminationfree atmosphere; moreover, the center ensures that the V.A. providers treat women veterans with respect and dignity. V.A. Togus has a center for women veterans. Questions — contact Mid- Coast Veterans Resource Center Director Read Rich or VSO Paul Loveless at (207) 406-4103.

A Casino for Southern Maine

What about LD1280, A Casino for Southern Maine. Last week we reported on what a casino will do for the Maine harness racing industry. Up-front funds from cascade will ensure the livelihood of many involved with the industry. This industry is a 150-year-old sport which has deep roots in the state of Maine and supports Maine’s agricultural interests. Maine’s harness racing industry can be found at commercial tracks in Maine or at 9 of the state’s agricultural fairs. A robust harness racing industry supports Maine’s agricultural industry and jobs across the entire state of Maine — from Aroostook to York County.

The harness racing industry impacts a lot of ordinary people in Maine who depend on this industry for their livelihoods. Please, once again, contact your legislators and ask them to support LD1280, A Casino in Southern Maine. This is a people’s bill. (More next week).

Coming events

The Windsor Fair Veterans Appreciation Day will start at noon,. Sept. 3

At 10 a.m. Sept. 27, there will be a gala Veterans Day celebration. Much more on this event next week. This is a big one for the veterans. Stay tuned.

Chapter 15 DAV meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 2 at Brunswick Elks.

Golf Tournament

The Mid-Coast Veterans Council Golf Tournament was a great success on Aug. 21. The winning team was John Valore, Jimmy Ouellette, Bill Moore, Mike Fish — congrats. The members of the MCVC would like to thank all participants and contributors for their support of this very worthy cause. You are making a lot of veterans very happy.

Coffee Crowd

Talking with Murph Yanks need another Jeter. Red Sox “wait till next year.” How about those Patriots? Dante: “Governor, get the people behind you and clean up the drug problems in Maine.”

Till next time.

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Chick Ciciotte is the legislative chairperson for the Mid-Coast Veterans Council. He lives in Topsham.