A police department in southern Maine is seeing an “uptick” in the number of driver’s licenses issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) to individuals using the social security number “999-99-9999”.

“We’ve seen an uptick in [BMV] using 999-99-9999 for social security numbers,” wrote Darcie L. Valido, the Assistant Director of Operations for Sanford Regional Communications, in a May 23 email to various police departments in southern Maine.

In the email, which was obtained via a Freedom of Access Act request, and a phone interview, Valido said she sent the email because the bogus social security number can cause issues with the in-house police database.

That “heads up” email was received by law enforcement agencies throughout York County.

Valido was not aware of how or why the proxy number was linked to several bonafide Maine driver’s licenses.

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D), who is responsible for overseeing the BMV, did not respond to a request for comment about the “uptick” in proxy social security numbers that the Sanford PD has experienced.

Deputy Secretary of State Catherine Curtis, the director BMV, did not respond to a request for comment about the phony social security numbers.

[ York County Jail Hiring Sanford’s ‘New Arrivals’…]

It’s unclear exactly how individuals without valid social security numbers are obtaining Maine driver’s licenses — or whether they are being registered to vote.

In order to obtain a driver’s license in Maine, individuals are required by law to prove that they are a Maine resident, present in the U.S. lawfully, and provide two forms of identification.

“If your social security number is not on file with the Secretary of State, you must provide your social security number,” the BMV website states.

One potential explanation is that the Sanford PD just happens to be encountering an uptick in nonimmigrant visa-holders who have obtained driver’s licenses by providing an I-94 document, also known as the Arrival/Departure Record.

[ Homeland Secretary: Illegal Aliens Trying to “game” Asylum Rules…]

Jessica Vaughan, the director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, said that the licenses linked to 999-99-9999 social security numbers could possibly have been provided to such non-citizen visa-holders admitted to the U.S. legally.

“They are lawfully admitted and would not need a SSN in most cases,” Vaughan said.

However, the lack of an official explanation from Bellows or the BMV has some Republicans concerned Maine is aiding illegal immigration and potentially allowing non-citizens to vote in Maine’s elections.

Maine Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage told the Maine Wire that Attorney General Aaron Frey (D) should launch an investigation into whether illegal aliens are obtaining Maine driver’s licenses and registering to vote.

[ Chinese Citizen Charged With Felony Drug Trafficking in Maine Invokes “Asylum” Claim to Avoid Deportation…]

“This revelation is deeply disturbing. It suggests Maine’s Secretary of State is aiding people who are not legally present to obtain documents, including ID and driver’s licenses,” Savage said in a statement.

“With a wide open southern border and waves of illegal immigrants coming to Maine, this is a recipe for disaster,” said Savage.

“Maine’s Attorney General must investigate this issue immediately and provide full transparency,” he said. “Shenna Bellows needs to be replaced with a Secretary of State that respects the rule of law and U.S. Constitution by the next Maine Legislature.”

[ Maine House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross Pushes Legislation to Allow Illegal Aliens to Obtain Driver’s Licenses…]

Although Maine law currently prohibits the BMV from giving driver’s licenses or IDs to illegal aliens, several other states — including Massachusetts, New York, and California — will provide licenses regardless of immigration status.

In January, Maine’s Speaker of the House, far left Democrat Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, introduced a bill (LD 1138) that would have removed the legal requirement that Maine driver’s licenses only be given to those present in the U.S. legally.

Later in the session, however, the bill was pulled at Talbot Ross’s request.

“The allegations raised here give me serious concerns about what is happening behind the scenes and in the dark at the Secretary of State’s office,” said Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor), the top Republican in the House of Representatives.

“I’m alarmed that once again Democrat-appointed Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is seemingly creating new laws out of thin air,” said Faulkingham.

Although Democrats and progressive groups have long maintained that non-citizens are not voting in U.S. elections, a study conducted by the nonprofit Just Facts estimated that as many as 2-5 million non-citizens were registered to vote as of 2022.

YORK, Maine — The students behind a recently approved town-wide single-use plastics ban are celebrating their victory, but they and others believe there is still work to do to combat plastic pollution.

The ban passed at the York town referendum May 18 by a vote of 2,192 in favor and 1,556 against. The York High School Eco Club took two attempts in the last year to get an ordinance banning plastics in town, the first of its kind for a town in Maine.

The Eco Club’s first proposal was not forwarded to the ballot as the Selectboard asked the students to rework the ordinance to make it more palatable for businesses. The students returned this year with another proposal that removed cups and lids from the ban, and the Selectboard voted unanimously to forward the proposal to the May referendum.

“Pleased with its passage,” Selectboard Chair Todd Frederick said. “I’ve heard from many voters who supported it.”

Maxine Adelson, one of the York High School students behind the ordinance, hopes that York can serve as a model for the rest of the state as it was in past years. The town approved bans on plastic bags and polystyrene, which later led to bans at the state level.

“This is definitely going to be a big shift,” Adelson said of the newly approved ban. “It’s feasible. It will change a lot of the habits of our community and tourists by changing our throwaway.”

More: York moves closer to razing ‘dangerous’ Pizza by Paras building

York business owners prepare for change

The new ordinance will take effect in 2025. It will prohibit plastic straws, stir sticks, and utensils at stores, restaurants, coffee/tea shops, cafeterias, caterers, food delivery services, or town-sponsored events.

The ordinance will be enforced by the code enforcement officer with a $100 fine for the first violation. A second offense would result in a $200 fine, and a third offense $500. Exceptions include healthcare facilities as suggested last year by Frederick.

Some business owners said they are supportive of the ordinance. Restaurants like York Harbor Inn had already done away with plastic, while Caitlynn Ramsey of the Sun and Surf Restaurant worked with the Eco Club students to craft the final draft of the ordinance.

Some, however, are concerned about the cost that new non-plastic products will inevitably cause.

Patti Krukoff-Bernier, who runs both Nick’s Beachside Grille and Molly O’s at Short Sands Beach, said a quick search of inventory for sale online shows alternatives to plastic forks run as high as 25 cents an item. Plasticware costs pennies in comparison, she said.

She also said she is concerned about the quality of alternative straws that can melt or bend more easily than a plastic one.

“If it’s going to be altogether more expensive, and the alternative is going to cost the consumer,” Krukoff-Bernier said.

Election results: York voters reject short-term rental ordinance regulating Airbnbs

Students and activists say more bans on the horizon for plastics

Students involved in the project said they understand the cost for businesses will be higher when buying non-plastic items. Aidan Ring, one of those students, believes it is still worth it. He said the hope is that their plastics ban inspires other communities or the state Legislature to follow York’s lead.

“I think people understand it’s a cost,” Ring said. “Honestly, at some point, the whole state will be in this together, you know? And also, plastic pollution is a cost that all of society has to share.”

Victoria Simon, chair of the town recycling committee and a community advisor to the Eco Group, believes the town will eventually benefit from a ban on plastic cups and lids in the future. Simon said the victory at the polls in May was a big step for York but that a change in culture toward individual use of reusable cups at takeout restaurants will take the town even further in its quest to eliminate plastic pollution.

“I’m not saying it’s going to happen in six months,” Simon said, “But I think in the future, we will work on cups.”

A Little Auk: York Beach secret restaurant at the ViewPoint Hotel now open to all

I’ll be honest, back in California, I assumed all blueberries were the same when it came to making my protein (peanut butter counts as protein) smoothies. Once again, Maine has educated me and made me a wiser and more informed human. It makes sense this education would occur here considering over 95% of wild blueberries in the U.S. are produced in Maine. 

Maine Wild Blueberries VS. The Imitator Blueberries

That’s right, there’s a significant difference between wild blueberries and cultivated blueberries. According to wildblueberries.com, and yes, they may be a little bias considering their website address, but it also doesn’t mean that they are wrong, wild blueberries are filled with far more nutrients and most importantly, flavor.

Wild blueberries have 72% more fiber than regular blueberries, and that is just one little W for the wild.

For generations, Maine families have nurtured these wild berries that boast an intense blueberry taste. Ranging from tangy tartness to succulent sweetness, wild blueberries are frozen fresh and loaded with 33% more brain-healthy anthocyanins than ordinary blueberries. Their smaller size means twice the berries—and twice the antioxidants—in every bite. – wildblueberries.com

Bigger Isn’t Better Against Wild Maine Blueberries

The blueberry on the left is a “natural” cultivated blueberry, while the smaller blueberry on the right is wild from Milbridge, ME and produced from Mainers who began selling Wyman’s Wild Blueberries in 1874.

I can Google facts all day, but what do my tastebuds say? It was quickly revealed that wild blueberries from Maine destroys any competition. I had no idea the significant difference in flavor until I compared the two.

It’s safe to say that I will be spending the extra money and only purchasing the smaller, yet more succulent wild Maine blueberries going forward. As for the claims of more antioxidants and nutrients? If I live to 100, I will give all credit to Maine and her blueberries.

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