Clifton supper to benefit wounded storekeeper

Throughout Clifton and communities served by the Clifton United Baptist Church, favorite recipes are being pulled out and stores set aside for a benefit supper for shooting victim James “Jim” Hodgins.

The Clifton store owner was shot six times the evening of March 20 during an apparent robbery attempt. He remains in fair condition at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

Clifton residents Tina Ferrill and Peggy Merritt are among those organizing the Jim Hodgins Benefit Supper with three sittings planned for Saturday, April 19, at the Clifton United Baptist Church.

“We have two weeks to get this together,” Ferrill said. “And we’re trying to get the word out with advance ticket sales so we will know if we need to plan a fourth sitting.”

At the present time, sittings are scheduled for 4:30 p.m., 5:15 p.m., and 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the Clifton Country Store on Route 9. They are $5 for adults and $2.50 for children.

“When people buy their tickets, they’ll buy them for a particular sitting,” Ferrill said. “That way we’ll know if we need to add another.”

Ferrill said the money raised will be used to help with Hodgins’ medical expenses. “We don’t really know all the details,” she said, “but we believe he has no medical insurance.”

Also at the Clifton Country Store will be a sign-up sheet “for anyone would would like to contribute pies for the supper,” Ferrill said.

The Clifton United Baptist Church is quite well-known for its baked bean suppers, for which all items on the menu are homemade.

“The church has been doing these suppers for quite a while,” Ferrill said of its specialty fund-raiser. “Everything is homemade, from the beans and ham to the brown bread, yeast rolls, coleslaw, chop suey, potato salad and pies. Of course, this time, we’re getting a lot of extra help from community members and friends of Jim.”

But this is also “the biggest one we’ve ever done,” she said, “and we’re hoping the advance sale of tickets will help us.”

Hodgins is a special person to all associated with the church.

“One of the reasons we really want to help is that, years ago, when Jim’s business was bigger than it is now, he always helped our Sunday school. He would always put out a jar in his store whenever we asked, for whatever we needed. He was always more than willing to help, and we like to do for others as they do for us.”

If you would like to help but are unable to attend the benefit, donations may be sent to the Jim Hodgins Fund, Clifton United Baptist Church, 742 Airline Road, Clifton 04428. For more information, call Ferrill at 843-7067.

Partnerships for Healthy Communities President Kathryn Hunt and project director Sean Faircloth hope for a positive show of support at the Eastern Maine Children’s Museum Community Forum at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Rangeley Hall on the Bangor campus of Eastern Maine Technical College.

Faircloth hopes that in addition to civic and business leaders who have made commitments to the project, members of the public, “with ideas or skills that relate to issues such as fund raising, site selection, design and marketing” will attend.

If you need an extra incentive to get there, consider your choice of the international pastries that Mark Janicki, department chairman of the EMTC food technology program, his staff and students are preparing for you.

Forum refreshments include a raspberry and hazelnut Linzer torte; Opera Torte, a chocolate cake with mocha butter cream and chocolate glaze; Almond Tuiles, which are lacy nut and meringue cookies; assorted styles of cheesecake; and chocolate-dipped biscotti, which is a crunchy nut and citrus-flavored dessert with white chocolate coating.

To let planners know you will attend, call 973-7090. For more information, call Faircloth at 947-5596.

The Gold Wing Road Riders Association, Chapter D, Bangor, was honored in March when Salvation Army representative Mary McKay presented the motorcycle club with a plaque in appreciation for its success in raising funds for the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree, which provides gifts for needy children at Christmas.

GWRRA publicity director Doris Ring reports Chapter D members have been generous Angel Tree donors in the past, but this year, the group tried a new approach that proved to be extremely successful.

Circulating pledge sheets for the Angel Tree, members raised more than $1,400 that was used to purchase holiday gifts for needy children. The approach was so well accepted that the group voted to follow the same format next year.

“So don’t hesitate to make a donation if approached by a GWRRA member,” Ring requests. “It’s for a good cause!”

The Standpipe, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.