Orrington church marks pipe organ’s 150 years

Reading from a 1962 Bangor Daily News clipping celebrating its centennial, First United Methodist Church of Orrington member Sharon Gray explained where that church’s historic pipe organ came from.

“The Holbrook pipe organ is a tracker instrument originally installed about 1860 in the Methodist church in Saco,” Gray said. “In 1942, it was moved to Orrington by men of the church, who purchased it for $99, dismantled it and reassembled it here. It is a two-manual instrument with 17 stops.”

This year, church members are celebrating the 150th anniversary of their marvelous, historic organ and, Gray said, part of that celebration is establishing an organ restoration fund.

“The organ is need of work and restoring, and we will be working on raising funds to improve it, and to keep it maintained,” she said.

To kick off that effort, the church invites members of the public to enjoy a “Mid-Winter Music Montage” at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 2, at the church, 14 Center Drive, Orrington.

The event, which includes refreshments, will feature church organist Gwen Archambault on the Hook organ and the piano.

There is no admission for the concert, but a freewill offering will be taken to help establish the restoration fund.

Anyone who cannot attend, but who would like to help ensure that this historic musical instrument is playable for some time to come, can send a donation in care of Sharon Gray to FUMC, 14 Center Drive, Orrington 04474.

If you are sending a check, please write “organ restoration” on the memo line.

Today’s column happens to contain a lot of news from Orono, where everyone appears to be quite busy!

For example, members of Riverside Grange 273 in Eddington invite you to join them in wishing a Happy Centennial Birthday to their oldest member, Vaun Phillips, who, I understand, is also recognized as the oldest resident of Orono.

She will celebrate her 100th birthday Sunday, March 2; cards and letters can be sent to her at 5 Gilbert St., Orono 04473.

Tickets for the Church of Universal Fellowship’s annual Turkey Supper at 6 p.m. Monday, March 3, at the church in Orono, are $7.50 for adults and $3.50 for children. Tickets can be obtained by calling the church office at 866-3655 or Anne Hathaway at 866-2881.

Supper chairwoman Jean Carville and committee member Mary Ryan invite guests also to get a first view of the church’s new building that connects the old Parish House with the sanctuary, and which will be formally dedicated Sunday, May 4.

Finally, Orono Public Library director Kathy Marks-Molloy has announced that the third of its “Cures for Cabin Fever” lecture series is 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at the library on Goodridge Drive.

Dan Sandweiss, University of Maine associate professor of anthropology and associate director of Quaternary and climate studies, will present “The Archaeology of Tucume, Peru’s Premier Pyramid Center.”

In 1995, with legendary explorer the late Thor Heyerdahl, Sandweiss published “The Pyramids of Tucume: The Quest for Peru’s Forgotten City.”

Shirley Bassett, parade chairwoman for the Eastport 4th of July Committee, invites you to participate in its Grand Independence Day Parade beginning at 2 p.m. Friday, July 4, in Eastport.

That city’s annual Independence Day and Old Home Week Celebration, July 1-4, attracts up to 10,000 people who line the parade route, and enjoy free public entertainment and fireworks at dusk.

If you would like to be part of this parade, call 853-4168 or 853-9577, or write Bassett at 12 Adams St., Eastport 04631.

Young artists in kindergarten through grade 12 are reminded that their entries for the eighth annual Maine competition of the Junior Duck Stamp contest must be postmarked by Saturday, March 15.

Entries, featuring ducks, geese or swans in their natural habitats, are judged in four categories.

The Best of Show from Maine will be entered in the national competition.

The winning national design is used to create the Federal Junior Duck Stamp.

Proceeds from the sale of those stamps, which cost $5 each, support conservation education efforts.

For more information about entering the Junior Duck Stamp contest, call the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge at 646-9226.

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