Community News

loading...

Bangor

Honor for Lebowitz, Saxl

Kay Lebowitz and Jane Saxl will be recognized by Gov. John Baldacci and other special guests 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, at Spectacular Event Center. The public is invited to attend and to bring photos, stories, letters and other memorabilia to be set into books that Saxl and Lebowitz will bring home with them that evening.

Both women have a long history serving Greater Bangor and the state as a whole, organizers said. Both served on the Bangor City Council and in the Maine State Legislature, and were key players in numerous organizations over several decades.

Lebowitz is past president of the Bangor Historical Society, the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and the Bangor Community Theater. She served as a volunteer for dozens of other organizations, and continues to show up and contribute to local efforts on a daily basis.

Earlier accomplishments include reorganizing the local branch of the Maine Department of Motor Vehicles, organizing help for migrant workers to apply for grants and get medical assistance, and planting the seeds for getting legislators to tour Maine for a better understanding of its industrial base.

Saxl is known for putting Bangor on the map as the first city in Maine to have curbside recycling. She is past president of the Bangor-Brewer and Maine chapters of the League of Women Voters.

She spent eight years in the Legislature, designated a route for the East-West Highway, secured a new dock and fueling station in Bangor, and opened the Consumer Office of the Bureau of Insurance.

The evening is a program of Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility, Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce, the city of Bangor and Keep Bangor Beautiful. For more information or reservations, contact MEBSR at 338-8908 or info@mebsr.org. The invitation can be found at www.mebsr.org.

Information on annulment

Monsignor Paul Stefanko, director of the office that deals with marriage annulments in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, will hold an informational meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at St. Mary’s Parish Center, 768 Ohio St.

The annulment process in the Roman Catholic Church is misunderstood, church officials said. At this meeting, Stefanko will answer questions and address concerns.

Those encouraged to attend include not only individuals with questions about annulment, but pastors, deacons, parish staff, parish council members, religious education coordinators, teachers and core team members of Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

Hearing education award

Warren Center for Communication and Learning speech-language pathologist Amy Bragg of Holden recently was granted an award for continuing education by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s continuing education board.

Bragg joins a group of professionals who have committed themselves to lifelong learning and maintaining knowledge and skills. The hearing association grants awards to those who have made a concerted effort to continue professional learning beyond an academic degree.

Bragg also serves on the executive council of the Maine Speech-Language-Hearing Association as vice president of external affairs. She is the speech-language pathologist in the Voices to be Heard program which, with the assistance of hearing amplification devices, teaches the deaf and hard of hearing how to listen and speak.

The Warren Center for Communication and Learning is a professional, not-for-profit speech and hearing center. The Warren Center is located at 175 Union St. in Bangor.

Commercial driving

On Oct. 27, the nonprofit organization Women Unlimited will hold its eight-week Commercial Driver’s License program at the United Technologies Center in Bangor.

The program includes two weeks of classroom time and six weeks of road and range practice. The classroom portion will be held 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oct. 27-31 and Nov. 3-7 at UTC, 200 Hogan Road. The road and range segment starts Nov. 8 at the Maine Department of Transportation’s Maintenance Facility at 219 Hogan Road.

The CDL Class B course includes 42 hours of classroom time, 30 hours of road and range practice, job readiness and work-site safety training. Potential employers will visit the classroom.

Scholarships and payment plans are available. Those interested may contact WU training coordinator Sher Jenkins at (800) 281-5259 or by e-mail at sher@womenunlimited.org.

Leaf collection in Bangor

Bangor Public Works crews will commence the annual collection of leaves from areas of the city on Monday, Nov. 3, based on existing conditions and areas that have drainage problems related to leaf accumulations.

During November there will be an area set aside at the Public Works compound at 530 Maine Ave. for depositing loose leaves and emptying bagged leaves.

City parks will not be used as leaf pickup points.

Residents bagging leaves are encouraged to drop them off from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday at Public Works.

There will be no charge for leaves dropped at Public Works. All leaves collected will be composted for use in city parks, plantings and projects.

The use of biodegradable bags is encouraged. Biodegradable bags are translucent bags readily available through local retail stores. The bags are less expensive than paper leaf bags and are competitively priced with plastic trash bags – without the disadvantages of the plastic trash bags.

All leaves that are not bagged should be placed curbside. No debris such as limbs, brush, sand, trash or stones are to be raked out or mixed in with the leaves. Residents are urged to rake or deposit leaves on the edge of the roadway and not on the esplanades or sidewalks.

Bagged leaves should be placed at least 10 feet from residential trash bags.

Residents are encouraged to compost leaves and garden waste. Composting details may be obtained from the Public Works office, 530 Maine Ave., Bangor, ME 04401; by calling 942-0220; through Keep Bangor Beautiful, P.O. Box 1548, Bangor, ME 04402-1548; or by calling 990-1201.

Orono

South Africa-bound

MaineBound is offering a trip to the tiny mountain kingdom of Lesotho. A free slide show will be given at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, at the MaineBound Adventure Center at the University of Maine campus.

Located in the middle of South Africa, Lesotho is a small nation that organizers said offers huge rewards to the international traveler. Friendly people and stunning mountain scenery are highlights of the expedition. Ten days will be spent backpacking through the rugged and wild Maluti Mountains.

The trip also includes a visit to an African game preserve, and instruction in cultural history, customs and language. UMaine academic credit is available.

To learn more, call MaineBound at 581-1794.