Issue 2

Written By MIchelle Zagardo

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Welp, we’re back for another week and for some reason 52 of you are here so that’s pretty wild. As with last week, hit reply at any time and just shout “UNSUBSCRIBE”. More sophisticated communication options are coming soon.

Quote of the week:

“A president is not a king unless we bow.”

Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II at “Save the Civil Service Rally” on February 11, 2025 (Video: 2 mins 59 secs)

The Dark

(Here are a few hard truths this week – but remember, we’re in this together!)

The Light

(Yes, good things are happening -- here’s proof!)

  • A federal judge ordered that the administration unfreeze funds from the USDA that support food programs for Maine students.

  • Folks across Maine joined together to deliver a letter to Senator Collins, urging her to oppose tax cuts for billionaires and to protect funding for essential programs like Medicaid and Social Security. The letter collected over 1,300 signatures.

  • There are 137 new affordable apartments coming to different communities in Maine, including 18 new units in both Rangeley and Poland. 

  • The first openly transgender woman is competing for the title of Miss Maine.

  • The Spark Map continues to light up. Make a submission and then send the link to someone anywhere in the world! Alone we’re a flicker. Together, we’re a goddamn bonfire!

Your Maine Action Kit

Pick one. Then go walk in some grass.

  • Pick a protest in Maine to attend with friends this Saturday, April 19. Traveling for spring break? You can find them around the country.

  • Send Jared Golden and Susan Collins a quick note about the importance of the library in your community (free internet, for starters), and demand that congressionally appropriated funds to IMLS (i.e. our tax dollars) are released.

  • Contact your local representatives and let them know where you stand on transgender athletes in sports. Need some talking points? This oped by Jules Walkup is about why so few trans kiddos are in sports to start with. Also consider this short LTE.

  • Never contacted your elected officials before? You’re not alone! Start slow: get to know your Maine state and federal elected officials (representatives here, senators here). Grab a piece of paper (or pin a note on your notes app) and jot down the contact information for your Maine State Senator and your Maine State Representatives. Better yet? Add them to your contacts on your phone! (Blog post coming soon for real this time!)

For when it all feels like too much

  • Mail Jared Golden a postcard that says “NO, I WILL NOT CALM DOWN”, written in glitter gel pen.

  • Text a friend a wildly specific compliment for every minute you spend doom scrolling: “Your ability to parallel park in Portland is an inspiration.”

  • Grab some sidewalk chalk and write optimistic messages around town: “You’re made of stardust and stubbornness.”

Mark your calendar 

See a more extensive, and ever-evolving, list of events on The Kindling’s calendar here.

  • TONIGHT: Jared Golden is making a private appearance at Colby College after refusing to hold a town hall meeting. While this event is not open to the public, Indivisible Mid Maine is organizing a “Rapid Response: Greet Golden” event on the Colby College campus at 5pm and you can find details here. Know anyone in Mid Maine? Text them the details.

  • Friday April 18, 8am: Submit order for the Local Food Connection (we added some spicy sausage and Gemini bagels to our order last week!)

  • Saturday, April 19: HANDS OFF! Protest | Maine | Nationwide

  • Looking for a CSA? Local farmers want to feed you this summer!

Dive Deeper

Things that gave you hope last week:

  • Yoga

  • Signing up for a CSA

  • Joining the local-ish food co-op

  • Planning a garden

  • This newsletter

We're done! Is it silly to ask you again to share something hopeful?

A few things that made my week were a gathering at Valentine Farm with a few other parents and kiddos that ended in everyone covered with mud, a walk + talk around town with a friend, and a friend coming over and chatting at my kitchen table while my one year old threw food on the floor.

If you can’t muster some hope, just respond “grass”...because we can see it now!

Til next week,

Michelle

Logistical things: 

  • Have news you want highlighted?

  • Have an event you want included on our calendar?

  • Have a resource you want to share with the community?

  • Have ideas I should hear?

  • Want to write my subject lines?

  • Find typos you think I care about?

  • Want to become a regular contributor to The Kindling

  • Want to manage The Spark Map?

But seriously. If it's anything except typos, simply reply to this email or make a submission to the newsletter here.

MIchelle Zagardo
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