December 24, 2024
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Community News

Got something for Community News? E-mail it to weekly@bangordailynews.net, or mail it to The Weekly, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or drop it off at the front desk of Buck Street entrance of the Bangor Daily News, 491 Main St. Bangor.

Bangor

Maine Tourism Award

John Rohman, chairman of the National Folk Festival in Bangor, was presented the Maine Tourism Award for Arts and Heritage during a ceremony at the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism at the Augusta Civic Center.

The award, sponsored by the Maine Office of Tourism and the Maine Tourism Commission, is presented to those whose service and dedication has contributed to Maine’s reputation as a vacation destination. Nominated by their peers in the tourism industry, the individuals and businesses honored were selected in a juried process.

Gov. John Baldacci and Maine Tourism Commission Chairman Bob Smith presented the handcrafted, Monson slate award to Rohman.

In nominating Rohman for the award, Abbe Levin of the Maine Arts Commission wrote, “John Rohman has been a quiet and dedicated leader, bringing arts and culture to the center of the economic development and tourism growth in the Bangor region. By weaving the arts into the daily life of Bangor, his efforts have nurtured attractions that thousands of visitors now enjoy.

“His deep understanding of local culture and his community-based grassroots efforts, along with his vision of what is possible, make him a great candidate for this award,” Levin added.

Eight awards were presented during the conference: accommodations, arts and heritage, attractions, food service, public service, recreation, transportation and the Governor’s Award for Tourism Excellence.

More than 300 attended the Governor’s Conference on Tourism, held to bring the industry together as a group. The conference is an opportunity for attendees to network with peers and attend workshops that cover topics relevant to today’s tourism industry.

Historic fashions on parade

The Bangor Museum and Center for History will present “Historic Fashions on Parade,” at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 2, at 6 State St.

Judy Bielecki, director of Washburn-Norlands Living History Center in Livermore, will demonstrate Civil War-era women’s clothing in a lively, interactive program, including audience participation. Designed to complement the museum’s current exhibit of historic costumes, “Ruffians, Ruffles, Parasols, and Patriots,” the program will be the final presentation in the series.

The museum will close Monday, March 3, to prepare for the next exhibit scheduled to open in June. The gift shop will remain open during working hours. Tours of the Thomas A. Hill House are available by appointment.

After the program entertainment will be provided by a string duet from S&G Studio in Bangor, featuring Michelle Dempsey on violin and Mackenzie Gass on viola.

Thanks to a grant from the Maine Humanities Council, the program is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and reservations may be made by calling 942-1900.

Rape response volunteers

Rape Response Services is offering a free training session in March in Bangor. After completing the training, volunteers take shifts on the 24-hour crisis hot line. To obtain more information or to request and application, call 941-2980 or e-mail rrscsc@raperesponseservices.com.

Earphones in church

Pastor Ron Morris of Glad Tidings Church on Broadway announced recently that headphones are available for those who have difficulty hearing what is said from the pulpit during the service. The earphones are on loan for use in the meetings and are to be returned at the end of each service. The supply is limited, but the church will adjust the supply to the demand. To learn more, call 947-0324, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

Meet the author

Bangor Public Library’s Meet the Author series begins in March at 2 p.m. Tuesdays.

. March 4: Trudy Scee, author of “The Inmates and the Asylum: The Bangor Children’s Home, 1835-2002,” will talk about the home for orphaned and destitute girls. Scee is a free-lance writer and historian.

. March 11: Margaret Cruikshank, author of “Learning to be Old: Gender, Culture and Aging,” will talk about what it means to grow old in America. Cruikshank is a lecturer in women’s studies and faculty associate of the Center on Aging at the University of Maine.

. March 18: Janet Chapman, author of “Charming the Highlander,” will discuss her Highlander Series set in the romantic mountains of Maine.

. March 25: Nicols Fox, author of “Against the Machine: The Hidden Luddite Tradition in Literature, Art and Individual Lives,” will talk about her study of 200 years of resistance to technology.

Brewer

Glowing ice sculptures

By nightfall Saturday, lighted ice sculptures glowed on the banks of the Penobscot River in Brewer. A ship’s wheel and a gleaming snowflake stood either side of a base topped by an anchor. The main piece was marked “Penobscot Landing Winter Fest ’03 Rediscovering Our Past and Future.”

The sculptures were crafted by ice specialists Steve Griffiths and Jeff Day near the Muddy Rudder Restaurant.

Up at Doyle Field, the art was in the hands of youngsters and families, who worked hard to build all manner of snow creations. Winners were:

First place: Austin Smith, Justine Smith, Scott Sherman; second: High Rollers, John King, Nick Moulton, Matt Sawyer, Angelia Levesque; third: Snow-blowers, Rebecca Breau, Jessica Whalen, Alex Tuck, Erica Hart, Danielle Brady, Sarah Breau, Ashley Bean, Liz Sutherland, Heather Hart, Alicia Duran; honorable mention: Deedra, Coralie, Ethan, Geoff and Shannon Dapice, and Sally Beal; honorable mention, Crystal Bennock, Amanda Jewell, Sarah Jewell. Khalan Bridges won the drawing for the Xbox.

Winter Fun Day

The Brewer PTU will hold Winter Fun Day 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, March 1, at Brewer Auditorium. Admission is $1, or free if you bring cookies for the bake sale.

Activities include children’s games, face and nail painting, a chili challenge and clowns. A door prize will be awarded every half-hour. Outdoor activities include dog sled rides, Brewer Fire Department’s new firetruck and sledding. For information call Heather Bosse at 989-5820.

Eddington

Scouting event

East Eddington Grange invites present and former Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts to attend a potluck supper at 6 p.m., and meeting at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 1, at Comins Hall in Eddington. The event will include awards for Cub Scout Pack 23, and a crossing-over ceremony for those moving from Pack 23 to Troop 23. The youngsters involved are from the Eddington-Clifton area.

Hampden

Adoption information

Maine Adoption Placement Service will hold an informational meeting 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at Reeds Brook Middle School. Presenters will provided an overview of the adoption process. A child available for adoption may come form one the MAPS domestic programs or from one of the international countries with which the organization partners. To obtain information, call 941-9500, or visit the Web at www.mapsadopt.org.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin


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