The hope of those organizing the Historic Downtown Bangor photo contest and exhibition was that the entries would evoke the past and celebrate the future.

Happily, reports Sally Burgess Bates of the sponsoring Bangor Center Corp., that is exactly what happened, and then some.

“It is fair to say, some of the work is very, very strong,” Burgess said of the open juried competition.

A public opening reception for the exhibit is planned for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, in the Lecture Hall of the Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow St.

Entries were required to be taken within the geographic area known as historic downtown Bangor, and photos of historic structures of the same period near the downtown were accepted.

Bates said this is the first time, of which she is aware, that a juried show required the entrants to adhere to a theme, and may be the first such show featuring historic downtown Bangor.

Bangor mayor John Rohman will participate in the opening reception, during which Bangor Center Corp. treasurer Linda Packard will announce the winners.

The jurors also will be on hand to talk about the show.

Additionally, each of the jurors will show new works at the library during the month of November.

Show jurors were Bob DeLong of the Bangor Daily News, Bill Kuykendall, director of the New Media Program, and cooperating professor of art Alan Stubbs, both of the University of Maine in Orono.

Bates was thrilled with the work of the jurors.

“I’ve never had volunteers as enthusiastic as these three jurors were,” she said. “I was very, very impressed with them. They really put their hearts and souls in this, and I’m hoping for a great turnout at the opening reception.”

Bates also hopes that, by attending the show, “people will become more interested in downtown,” and that, after viewing the work, “people may look at downtown in a slightly different way and, perhaps, more carefully in the future.”

The open juried show exhibit will hang throughout the month of November in the lecture hall of the Bangor Public Library.

The work of the jurors will hang, for the same period, in the Stairwell Gallery.

HELP!

That’s the plea of Bill Rae and representatives of Manna Ministries of Bangor.

Manna is trying to collect, or obtain donations to purchase, nearly 3,000 turkeys for Maine families this Thanksgiving.

And that day, my friends, is less than two weeks away!

Unfortunately, through Thursday, Manna had received only 140 turkeys.

Manna is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and, until Thanksgiving, also will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

You can deliver your turkey, or make a donation to Manna at 180 Center St., Bangor 04401.

On behalf of the Bangor Symphony Youth Orchestra and String and Wind Ensembles, president Kathy Bailey and board member Ed Barrett invite the public to attend its fall concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, in the auditorium of Hermon High School, located on Route 2 in Hermon.

There is no admission charge.

The String Ensemble is directed by Youth Orchestra graduate and University of Maine junior music education major Cassandra Haynes.

The Youth Orchestra is under the direction of Charles Kadyk, who is principal violist for the Colby Symphony. Arnold Poland directs the Wind Ensemble.

In addition to works by Bach and Mozart, concert attendees will hear music by Johnny Mercer, James Swearingen, John Phillip Souza, selections from Walt Disney’s “Aladdin” and English folk songs.

The Youth Orchestra and Ensembles are composed of more than 80 young people between the ages of 7 and 17 from northern, eastern and central Maine.

Many of them travel great distances for eight Sundays to rehearse and prepare for these concerts.

For more information about the Youth Orchestra and Ensemble, call Bailey at 989-2104 or Barrett at 942-6007.

Although the concert is free, any donation you can make to help support the efforts of these young musicians would be greatly appreciated.

Members of the People’s United Methodist Church of Union invite the public to attend special services to celebrate National Organ and Tissue Donor Sabbath at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, in Union.

The church is located behind the Union Post Office.

The principal speaker will be Ruth Farabee Clark, a two-time transplant recipient who has spoken extensively about diabetes throughout the United States and Canada.

Clark is a founder of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Maine Chapter, a former member of the National Kidney Foundation and the American Diabetes Association, and an outstanding athlete and multiple medal winner in the U.S. Transplant Games.

She will be a torchbearer for the Torch Replay prior to the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

A time of fellowship follows the service, during which you can talk with Clark and pick up donor cards and other pertinent information.

A nursery with a paid caregiver is open during the service.

For more information, call the church office at 785-4114.

The public is invited to a craft fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at the Maine Veterans Home at 44 Hogan Road in Bangor.

Numerous vendors will donate 10 percent of their proceeds to the MVH Residents Council to help purchase specialty items for residents, and to help sponsor the council’s ongoing community involvement.

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