We’d like to let the public know that Maine Community Health Options is holding meetings statewide to help its members get the best value from their MCHO plans. Locally, these meetings are scheduled in Waldoboro, Belfast and Camden.
March 31: Waldoboro, Cooperative Extension, 377 Manktown Road, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
April 1: Belfast, Belfast Free Library, 106 High St., 5:30 to 7 p.m.
April 2, Camden, Camden Public Library Picker Room, 55 Main St., noon to 1:30 p.m.
Registration is required at the MCHO website, where the complete list of meetings can also be found.
Allen Insurance and Financial is an independent, employee-owned insurance and financial planning services agency with offices in Rockland, Camden, Belfast and Southwest Harbor. Online: AllenIF.com
From potential hackers peeking over your shoulder to suspicious emails with dangerous attachments, there are a lot of cybersecurity threats for unwary international travelers to be aware of.
From potential hackers peeking over your shoulder to suspicious emails with dangerous attachments, there are a lot of cybersecurity threats for unwary international travelers. Within minutes of accessing compromised Wireless hotspots or mistakenly downloading a virus from the Web, travelers could have their personal information stolen. Protect yourself and your electronics while you’re traveling abroad.
Here are a few tips to help keep your electronics and personal information safe during travels. For an extra level of peace of mind, consider purchasing security coverage to help cover potential losses. Beware unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots While traveling abroad, be very wary of what Wi-Fi networks you try to use. According to Secnap Network Security, Wi-Fi networks can be hosted by hackers trying to access your information. Once you connect to these wireless services, all of your personal information could be at another person’s fingertips. Secnap recommends avoiding public Wi-Fi as much as possible. If you need to access Wi-Fi services, ask the airport or hotel to confirm the name of its network. Much of the time, fake W-iFi networks will try and copy a reputable organization’s name, changing the original name only slightly. As a rule of thumb, don’t transmit any information over an unsecured connection that you wouldn’t want a third party seeing. Transmitted information is easy to intercept. Unsecured Bluetooth connections In the same way Wi-Fi can be unsecured and make it easy for others to access your personal information or hack your devices to download malicious software. To prevent this from happening, turn off Bluetooth whenever you don’t intend on using it. You can also manage your Bluetooth preferences to prevent wireless services from gaining access to your devices without authorization. Use public computers cautiously According to McAfee a device or digital service called keylogger can be used to track keystrokes and obtain personal information. Keylogger can sometimes be applied to public computers, giving cyberhackers access to any information you host from the system. To protect yourself, do your best to avoid public computers. At the very least, do not access any personal accounts or information from a public computer. Watch for wandering eyes One of the most common and basic methods of stealing personal information is simply looking over someone’s shoulder to see what they’re working on.
“People forget about the over-your-shoulder problem when traveling,” Sian John, UK security strategist at Symantec, told CNN. “Most people don’t have a privacy screen on their laptop still, so anyone sitting next to you can look over your shoulder and see what you’re doing.”
That means, if you’re typing in passwords, accessing your personal files or chatting with someone online, a third party could be spying on you to discover some of your personal information or even record you in an attempt to steal your data.
Privacy screens can be used to blur the the monitor for bystanders who are not looking at a screen straight on. These screens can be used for all sorts of different devices and they can help block others from viewing your work. On the other hand, being wary of who is around you spying when you’re accessing sensitive materials can save you a lot of trouble. Helpful recommendations There are many things you can do to protect your information from a cyberbreach, according to Secnap Network Security.
Remember to update your operating system and applications before traveling.
Make sure you’re running the most recent updates on anti-virus software.
Add passwords to your laptop and smartphone that automatically wipe personal information after a certain number of unlocking attempts.
Enable a firewall on your laptop to prevent others from accessing it remotely.
Link a cloud service to your smartphone and laptop to back up information and track your belongings in case they are stolen.
From potential hackers peeking over your shoulder to suspicious emails with dangerous attachments, there are a lot of cybersecurity threats for unwary international travelers to be aware of.
Source: AIG TravelGuard
Edwin Morong, executive director of Maine Employers for Safety & Health Excellence, stopped by our office in Camden Monday, March 9 to present us with a certificate of appreciation in recognition of Allen Insurance and Financial’s role as one of the first Maine businesses to support the founding of the organization. Mike Dufour, our executive vice president (at right), accepted the certificate. Online at meshementor.org
Edwin Morong, executive director of Maine Employers for Safety & Health Excellence, stopped by our office in Camden Monday to present us with a certificate of appreciation in recognition of Allen Insurance and Financial’s role as one of the first Maine businesses to support the founding of the organization. Mike Dufour, our executive vice president (at right), accepted the certificate.
In this month’s WorkBoat magazine, Gene McKeever writes about how no matter what the season and what kind of precipitation a storm brings, wind is wind, and boat and boat yard owners should be prepared for the kind of damage it can bring. Read the column now.
Allen Insurance and Financial is a partner in both business and the community with a number of its clients. Recently, Dan Bookham, business development director at Allen Insurance and Financial delivered a donation to WCAP in support of its mission “to create opportunities for people to improve their quality of life.” Accepting the donation from Bookham is (at right) Arlin Larson, board member and chairman of the development committee at WCAP.
The federal government announced Friday (Feb. 20) that it will implement a special enrollment period for people who learn, at the time they file their taxes, of the Affordable Care Act-mandated tax penalty for not having health insurance.
This special enrollment period will allow people to sign up from March 15 to April 30. Americans who did not have health insurance in 2014 may owe a fine of $95 or as much as 1 percent of their income. If they remain uncovered in 2015, the fine could rise to 2 percent of their income for the 2015 tax year.
The U.S. Treasury estimates that as many as 6 million people may owe the penalty for not having insurance in 2014.
Those eligible for the special enrollment period must:
Live in states with a federally-facilitated marketplace
Currently not be enrolled in coverage through the FFM for 2015
Attest that when they filed their 2014 tax return they paid the fee for not having health coverage in 2014
Attest that they first became aware of, or understood the implications of, the Shared Responsibility Payment after the end of open enrollment (February 15) in connection with preparing their 2014 taxes.
On the eve of our next snow storm, Allen Insurance and Financial delivered morning coffee and donuts to the public works departments that serve the communities that are home to our offices in Knox and Waldo counties. We’d like to encourage everyone to stay warm and safe and when possible, say thank you to public works and public safety personnel who are at work no matter what the weather brings.
In Belfast, business Insurance Specialist Sally Carlisle delivered donuts from Weaver’s Roadside. With her in this photo is Noah Willet of Belfast Public Works.
In Camden, marine insurance specialists Gene McKeever and Chris Richmond brought Dunkin’ Donuts and coffee to the public works garage, where they were met by an appreciative crew getting ready for the weekend storm. From left: Rick Seibel, director, Camden Department of Public Works; Carl Perkins, Clark Mason, Rodney Feltus, Gene McKeever, Allen Insurance and Financial; Jeff French, Keryn Laite and Chris Richmond, Allen Insurance and Financial.
In Rockland, personal insurance specialist Meesha Luce delivered Dunkin Donuts and Coffee. Greg Blackwell accepted on behalf of the busy crew at Rockland Public Works.
Gene McKeever and Chris Richmond, marine insurance specialists from Allen Insurance and Financial recently attended the 42nd annual Tall Ships America Annual Conference, where they each led a well-attended presentation on insurance and safety.
Richmond’s talk, “The Ethics of Marine Surveying,” allowed him to draw on both his experience as a former tall ship captain and now as a commercial marine insurance specialist. Richmond joined Allen Insurance and Financial in 2011 after 20 years in the marine industry.
Richmond discussed:
The difference between buyers’ surveys, insurance surveys, and material condition surveys in terms of
Chris Richmond
expectations, strengths, and potential pitfalls.
Finding the right surveyor for the kind of survey needed.
What a sail training board of directors should do to ensure they are getting the truth about the material condition of their ship, including any bad and expensive news.
Who has the legal and ethical burden for getting the right survey for the right purpose.
The responsibility to act on survey findings.
In a discussion session entitled, “Don’t Cast Off Without It,” McKeever discussed the Jones Act, providing important information about the intricacies of marine insurance for vessels, their owners and the people who work with them.
Gene McKeever
McKeever presented:
The history of the Jones Act and related laws.
The types of coverage available to those who work aboard tall ships.
The actions and activities triggering that coverage.
The cost of coverage and how it is determined.
Allen Insurance and Financial has worked with Tall Ships America as their exclusive endorsed agency world wide since 2007 to provide a comprehensive vessel insurance program for association members, who include many of the nation’s most historic tall ships.
Both presentations were designed to help ship owners learn about the proactive steps they can take to help maintain a viable insurance position while working with their insurance agent, said Richmond.
Participants at the 42nd Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships, held Feb. 4 through 6 in Philadelphia, discussed maritime issues, learned about new regulations in the industry, networked with tall ship masters from around the country and abroad left feeling inspired, motivated and eager to implement all they learned within their own organizations.
The conference ended with the Gala Sail Training Awards Dinner, sponsored by Allen Insurance and Financial, and the presentation of the 2014 Sail Training Awards which honor a select group of sail trainers and supporters who have been recognized by their peers and fellow tall ship masters for their outstanding contributions to the world of sail training.
Founded In 1973, Tall Ships America serves as the hub for tall ships activity, expertise, and information in North America, and is commended by Congress as the Sail Training Organization representing the United States in the international forum. In addition to organizing the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® series, Tall Ships America supports the people, ships and programs of sail training through grants, scholarships, conferences, education, publications, public events and advocacy. The mission of Tall Ships America is to encourage character building through experiential sailing, promote sail training to the North American public, and support education under sail. Online: sailtraining.org
A cubic foot of dry snow weighs about 6 to 8 pounds, while one cubic foot of packed snow could weigh up to 20 pounds. The same volume of ice can weigh three times this amount.
Calculating the snow load on your roof requires some complex calculations and an understanding of geometry.
Our message is very simple: If you can, you should clean your roof. This applies to homes, especially where you see icicles and businesses, whether your roofs are large or small, pitched or flat. If you feel like you can’t clear your roof of snow safely, there are contractors or roofing companies who can do it for you. Now is a good time, especially while we have a break in significant snowfall amounts.
Snow is heavy on your roof. It can be heavier on your wallet. The weight of the snow can be significant and if not cleared off, can lead to collapse and potential water back-up damage. Here is one example of a snow load calculator. You can find plenty of others on the Internet. Here is a link to a 30-second video about clearing snow from the roof of your home.
