To honor and celebrate the life of the late Thomas Caldwell of Brewer, a Benefit Youth Hockey Tournament is planned for this weekend, reports Lance Cote of Glenburn, president of the Eastern Maine Board of Ice Hockey Officials.

The Squirt and PeeWee tournament begins with the first of three games at 4:40 p.m. today at Bouchard Arena in Brewer.

Saturday’s first game begins at 6:50 a.m., with the day’s final game set to begin at 6 p.m.

“Sunday afternoon we’ll wrap it up with our first skills competition, sort of like the NHL All-Stars do at the All-Star game,” Cote said of the event, which should be an attraction for youth hockey fans.

Cote said the program has youngsters who can make some interesting moves you’ll want to see.

There is no admission fee to attend the tournament, but raffle tickets for prizes donated by area merchants will be offered at $1 each.

All teams have paid an entry fee to participate in the tournament and some of the ice time has been donated to help with the fund-raising.

The entire weekend, however, is devoted to the celebration of the life of the 47-year-old father of three, who died of colon cancer on Dec. 31.

A Houlton native, Caldwell had spent a decade coaching and supporting the Brewer Youth Hockey Association, of which he was president at the time of his death.

Members of the local board “wanted to put on a tournament as a benefit for his family and his charities, as a way of recognizing all of what Tom as given the community through hockey,” Cote said. “We have teams coming from as far away as Auburn and Woodstock, New Brunswick, as well as many local teams.”

Cote said the event has generated “”tremendous support” from local business owners, “who have donated prizes for us to give to the kids, and we’d like to thank them for that support.”

If your business would like to contribute in any way, however, it is still not too late to do so. Organizers would be happy to accept any donation. Inquiries can be made by calling Cote at 990-3606.

“The bottom line is to be able to benefit the family,” Cote said.

And, he added, “to spend a weekend celebrating what Tom was to this community.”

Cindy Curran is co-chairing Bangor High School Project Graduation 2001.

She invites members of the public to participate in any or all of the following fund-raisers.

First, if you are 21 years old or older, and you wish to support BHS Project Graduation 2001, you can participate in its Test Drive Fund-raiser from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 3, at the Quirk Auto Park Chevrolet building on the Hogan Road in Bangor.

There you will be greeted by Project Graduation volunteers and given the opportunity to choose a vehicle to take on a test drive.

You will have a short form to fill out, and will be given a suggested test-drive map. There is no cost to participate in this BHS Project Graduation 2001 fund-raiser.

Also at the Test Drive, you will find raffle tickets for Project Graduation 2001.

Tickets are $10 each and the top prize is a $2,000 travel voucher that can be used for any type of travel services, with arrangements made by Bangor Travel Services.

Other prizes include 150 gallons of home heating oil from Webber Oil; an Otter kayak, paddle and personal flotation device from Old Town Canoe and a Sony PlayStation2.

Raffle tickets are limited to 1,500 and the drawing will be held at Showcase Night, which is Tuesday, March 27, at Bangor High School.

As supporters of BHS Project Graduation 2001 continue their efforts to provide a chemical-free celebration for members of this class, Curran expresses “sincere appreciation to the area businesses and professionals for their wonderful response” to the committee’s letter requesting contributions and assistance.

“Community support means a great deal to the success of Bangor High School Project Graduation, Curran wrote. “If you received a letter and have not had a chance to respond, it is not too late and your help will be greatly appreciated.”

If you have questions about BHS Project Graduation, call Curran at 945-5380.

The annual Universalist-Unitarian Church of Waterville St. Patrick’s Day Gourmet Dinner will offer sittings at 5 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 17, at the church on the corner of Elm and Silver streets in Waterville.

The dinner features Irish dishes, enhanced by live musical entertainment.

Tickets are $14 for adults and $8 for children under 12. Because seating is limited, early reservations are recommended. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 872-8526 or email jrich@actel.net.

Thanks to the good folks at Ellsworth Public Library who keep us informed of activities there, we urge you to join your children today in celebrating “Read Across America Day,” which coincides with the birthday of children’s author Dr. Seuss.

Youngsters in the Ellsworth area can celebrate this special day by visiting with readers at the EPL, who will be sharing stories from their favorite books.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288