Alfred Brown sings for me -

Courtesy of the Obama field organizer for Washington County, Charlie Longo, one of his volunteers (Albert Brown of Machias) created and performed the "Cassidy Theme Song" on the spot the other day.

It's on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhSPvMS9SO0

It's hilarious.

A family that votes together ...

I like the Mom I encountered the other day. I mixed up my doors - so I knocked on the door of someone who wasn't registered to vote. But - it turned out to be the best conversation of the day.

The mother knew who I am and added, "Everyone's talking about you."

Then she said that she and her husband had been talking with their grown children about the election and various candidates. While none of them are registered at this point, they plan to all go together to the polls on Nov. 4, and all register -- and vote -- at the same time.

How wonderful is THAT!

Almost time for signs -

Tuesday, September 23, is the first day when campaign signs ("Katherine Cassidy, Representative") can go up on public roads. Already many people are displaying my signs in their yards, on private property.

Now comes the harder part, of assembling the signs on wires and getting them around District 32. Fortunately, I chose a new kind of sign -- a plastic, polybag approach that easily goes over the wire stands -- that is different from the usual cardboard kind.

These polybag signs are also wearable. I cut head and arm holes in them for both the Eastport Fourth of July parade and the Machias Blueberry Festival. Was certainly a conversation-starter both times.

My hospital op-ed is published -

The op-ed piece that I wrote in response to issues at Down East Community Hospital was published in the Bangor Daily News and the two local weekly papers this week (Sept 18 for the BDN). It's below:

-----
Proposing a meaningful response to hospital's woes
By Katherine Cassidy

In the 1981 movie "Absence of Malice" a frightened young woman whose
secret has been exposed by an aggressive reporter tiptoes up the
sidewalks of residential Miami in the early morning, gathering freshly
delivered newspapers from the doorsteps in a desperate effort to put
the stopper back in the bottle.

Eric Russell's Sept. 8 article on the Down East Community Hospital in
Machias reminded me of that scene.

DECH administrators are learning what other public figures already
know — once a pot is stirred, ignoring it will not stop the water from
boiling. A meaningful response is in order.

With about 250 employees and an $11 million annual payroll, DECH is
Washington County's largest employer. It is a "community" hospital and
its actions are in the spotlight. Now, we in the Sunrise County wait
for more sunlight to shine on this institution, sunlight that will
heal rather than scorch.

Regardless of why Reid Emery died in the snow last winter, regardless
of the reasons for the departure of several doctors and many staff,
the public desperately needs to regain confidence and trust in DECH as
a prominent health care facility.

Lacking public trust, the hospital will no longer attract quality
staff and medical professionals. The community will no longer be a
safe place to which retirees will relocate and where young families
will continue to reside.

I propose a new, collaborative approach to this problem. First,
hospital and community leaders should immediately form a hospital work
group of 12 people. Area town selectmen will choose seven volunteers.
The hospital board will designate five people. This group will convene
public meetings outside the hospital, accept public input and report
back to the DECH trustees with specific recommendations.

The work group would respect the privacy of individuals and the
confidentiality of employees' records and patient files protected
under state and federal law. The work group would look at policy and
public relations and not at pending lawsuits.

Second, form a permanent advisory group — other than the hospital's
incorporators that meet annually. Two other mainstays of Washington
County — the University of Maine at Machias and the Washington County
Sheriff's Department — both operate with advisory groups to keep them
connected with the communities they serve.

The university's Board of Visitors, which meets quarterly, has 18
members who bring different perspectives from their community roles.

They meet directly with the university president, review financial
figures and hear straight talk from her. All this takes a half-day,
four times a year. Of course, it's a surface overview of how things
are going, but it is a time for board members to ask questions. Does
the university president listen to suggestions and respond directly?
You bet she does.

Similarly, the Blue Ribbon Committee has been a mechanism for regular
public input to the sheriff's department since Donnie Smith took
office in January 2007. Working with a group of volunteer Washington
County residents has been a valuable change for the sheriff's office,
which had its own image and operational problems previously. The
public has been well-served by this advisory committee.

For DECH to take these actions would be a step in the right direction.
The public hue and cry will not go away by hospital administrators'
turning a blind eye to it. Bad publicity, once out, cannot simply be
lifted off the doorsteps and retracted into oblivion.

------------------------------

Katherine Cassidy of Machias is a candidate for the Maine House in
District 32, representing Cutler, Eastport, Lubec, Machias,
Machiasport, Roque Bluffs and Whiting.

Speaking with students -

On Friday, I had the honor of speaking with the Government class at Machias Memorial High School. She had invited my opponent and I, as well as the publisher of the Machias Valley News Observer. This has been a friendly, respectful campaign, and my opponent and I have turned up many places together since June.

Students had questions, and our answers weren't high-falutin', what's-wrong-with-state-government-today. Our answers were more about ways that young people (these are 16- and 17-year-olds) could relate to state government and local issues. We talked about the coming winter, and how even they could help their elderly neighbors - by helping install winterization kits, or even shoveling their driveways.

The local paper has invited the students to report on the two candidates coming to their classroom, so that should be in this week's paper.

"We don't vote."

Now, that's something I'm hearing at some doors -- and I just can't get my head around that one.

Sometimes I hear this when I knock on a house where my voting-list indicates that voters live. So I'm taken aback when I learn that someone may have registered 10 or 15 years ago, but hasn't voted in years. Other times, I'll stop at a house that isn't on my list, but I see that someone's home -- only to learn that they are not registered at all.

I try my best line, "This is a great year to vote," but that goes nowhere. I can't convince them to register or even take an interest in the election. Turns out that voting is just not part of many people's lives -- too many, I'm finding.

Now, 1,326 doors -

Just a few blog posts later after telling about my 1,000th door, I can report that I've now knocked on 1,326 doors across Washington County, Maine. These are rural homes, sometimes clustered on a road that gives me hope that the neighbors will look out for each other this winter.

Suddenly, conversation isn't about "next winter" and what we will do with the devastating price of heating oil, but "this winter." It all starts so soon -- just 30 days and we'll start to turn on our furnaces.

Fortunately, the new Washington County Food and Fuel Assistance Alliance meets again on Thursday. About 30 people from churches and agencies and other groups have been working to coordinate, rather than duplicate, services that will be provided to those most in need - probably starting as soon as next month.

Endorsement: Maine League of Conservation Voters -

"Because of your proven commitment to protect Maine's environment, we are pleased to inform you that the board of directors of the Maine League of Conservation Voters has voted to endorse your candidacy for the Maine Legislature."

That's how the letter reads that I received on Friday. I am honored. It further reads: "For over 20 years, the Maine League of Conservation Voters has been making Maine's environment a priority for voters, candidates and elected officials. We coordinate Maine's environmental community in establishing priorities for each legislative session, publish the annual Environmental Scorecard, and endorse strong environmental candidates. Our board includes members of both major political parties and we employ a full-time staff in our Augusta office."

"Voting makes me feel powerful" -

That's what one woman in Cutler commented on Friday when I followed her long driveway to the end.

Turns out many voters are registered, but not everyone actually goes to the polls and casts their ballots. Lately I've confirmed in person, "You and your husband vote regularly, right?" -- and do not always receive a strong response. Some shrug, some say, "We haven't voted in several years."

Yesterday's response -- "Of course. Voting makes me feel powerful" -- was so reassuring.

Salmon Fest sadness on Sunday -

The Eastport Salmon Festival has been called off for today, because of the overwhelming, overnight rain on Saturday.

Darn. The Salmon Festival is one of Eastport's finest moments. The University of Maine at Machias Ukulele Club was scheduled to play today, and I was heading up there to hang out under the big tent with them. Sounds like all the rain put an end to the tent and everything else.

Welcoming home a friend -

For a friend who has been recovering at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor for a month, isn't the best way to welcome him home to Lubec a surprise party?

We gave a Washington County welcome to Vern McKimmey, who is chairman of the Washington County Democratic Committee. His wife Carmen was in on the plans to surprise him with a big bash at Cohill's Inn, which is the best Irish pub on this side of the Atlantic.

There were 24 of us -- including three Maine House of Representatives candidates (me, Marie Emerson, Dennis Mahar), three current Representatives (Anne Perry, Janet Mills, Sean Faircloth), and one Maine Senate candidate (Karen Johnson). Plus the most honored guest of the evening, our buddy Vern.

Dog bites candidate -

Had to happen one of these days, with the number of dogs in driveways that I am approaching. They tell candidates to carry dog treats in our pockets -- mine were in the back seat of my car. This bite took place in Machias; fortunately the dog had all his shots, and so have I.

It's not a bad bite, but it is a scare. Lesson learned; it won't happen again. I appeared suddenly (the dog's perspective), and the dog was worried about his owner. Understandable. We got the bite washed off, and I was on my way again. And yes, the dog owner is going to vote for me. Must be a Democrat dog.

Knocking on the 1,000th door

How good it feels to have knocked on 1,000 doors in the district. Liga Landiminis of Lubec was the lucky one - and the 91-year-old Republican said she'd vote for me after we sat at her kitchen table and talked about issues in the election.

Moments, and a few doors later, another elderly woman in Lubec told me: "I've lived in this house for 45 years, and you are the first candidate who has knocked on my door."

But I'm far from finished: I have another 1,500 doors to go before November 4.