People residing in the Corinth area have an opportunity to be part of something special: the state’s newest Kiwanis Club.

Sparked by the interest and leadership of Jeff Bean of Corinth, and with the guidance of Philip Dahlinger of Dexter, lieutenant governor of Division 2 for New England Kiwanis, the new organization will serve the communities of Bradford, Charleston, Corinth, Exeter, Hudson, Kenduskeag and Stetson.

A pre-organizational meeting for the club is planned for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, at the Pizza Shoppe on the Main Road in Corinth.

At the meeting, prospective new Kiwanians will begin the process of selecting officers and deciding on future projects that will benefit the communities the club will serve.

According to Dahlinger, the only qualification to become a member of Kiwanis International is that you are 18 years of age.

The organization is open to both men and women.

When you join Kiwanis, you become part of an international group that has clubs in more than 80 nations.

More specific to this area, Dahlinger said, is the service that local Kiwanians provide people living in their own communities.

“First of all, foremost in this area would be support of the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute, of which there is a site at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor,” Dahlinger said.

“Local clubs, such as this new one and others, also give college scholarships for high school seniors, and each of the clubs in this area sponsor[s] Family Safety Days, in which they give bicycle helmets to young children.”

On a worldwide basis, he added, “we support the elimination of iodine deficiency disorder, which is known as IDD and is the leading cause of mental retardation in children.”

Dahlinger explained that “we need 20 members to charter the club, and we’re halfway there now. We anticipate that, by May, the club will be officially organized.”

For his part, in considering what Kiwanis could do for this area, Bean learned that a Kiwanis Club was active in Corinth for approximately 15 years but disbanded a few years ago.

Bean discovered that group had performed “many community service projects,” and he “followed up on what they did.”

He also met “some of the folks in the Dexter and Orono-Old Town Kiwanis,” who were “extremely helpful in offering the help they could” to get the Corinth club organized.

“I think, out here in the community, it is something that is needed, and so far we are off to a fairly good start,” Bean said.

Anyone interested in learning how the new Kiwanis Club will benefit not only the communities it serves but also those who join is encouraged to call Bean at 285-7964, or attend next Wednesday’s meeting.

“We welcome any and all,” Dahlinger said.

And a new Kiwanis Club is certainly a welcome addition to our area.

Daffodil Days are being celebrated in Maine now through Saturday, March 31.

People who have ordered the “first flower of spring” and the American Cancer Society’s “flower of hope” are receiving them this week, but if you didn’t order, you can still obtain a bouquet at your local Shop ‘n Save store.

A bouquet of 10 daffodils costs $6, and proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.

Funds raised through the annual event help the ACS provide services for cancer patients and their families.

Connie Eye, volunteer coordinator for New Hope Hospice of Eddington, has announced that NHH is conducting a 24-hour Hospice volunteer training session from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Saturday beginning April 7 and running through April 28.

The training will be conducted at the NHH office on Route 9 in Eddington.

There is no fee to attend the training session, but an application and a screening interview are required prior to taking the course.

The training helps volunteers become sensitized caregivers for the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families facing a terminal illness.

Integral members of an interdisciplinary team providing primarily home care, hospice volunteers supplement the efforts of the medical, social and ministerial professionals who are assisting the patient and family.

To learn more about this special volunteer opportunity, call Eye at 843-7521.

Members of the Eastern Maine Camera Club invite the public to hear free-lance editorial photographer Michele Stapleton at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 5, at the Bangor Parks and Rec Building, 647 Main St., in Bangor.

She will discuss “Shooting in your Maine Back Yard.”

Stapleton, whose most current work includes the cover of the April 2001 issue of Down East magazine, was a staff photographer for the Bangor Daily News for 10 years.

Published in many magazines, Stapleton will discuss the interesting pieces of equipment and special tools and filters she carries in her camera bag.

If you would like more information about the EMCC, call President Andrea Burke at 942-1756.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.