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Bangor

National Folk Festival

National Folk Festival officials announced that former Bangor Mayor Michael Crowley, vice president for development at Eastern Maine Charities, has been named chairman of the popular three-day music and culture festival on the Bangor waterfront. He replaces another former mayor, John Rohman, who was festival chairman for 2002 and 2003.

The Washington-based National Council for the Traditional Arts produces the National Folk Festival for three years and then turns it over to the host city. In its 66th year in 2004, the event is one of the stars to which Bangor is hitching its dreams for spurring economic and cultural growth in the region.

“I recognize how important the festival is to the state of Maine and certainly to this region,” Crowley said. “It is a centerpiece of cultural entertainment and it has historical significance. But it also adds great credibility to the role of tourism in the state and our ability to compete nationally and internationally.”

Bangor history museum

The Bangor Museum and Center for History at 6 State St. will be open during the holiday period with its current exhibit, “From Away: Exploring Bangor’s Cultural Heritage,” remaining until March 31.

Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon-4 p.m. Saturday. The museum is closed on Sunday, Monday, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Golden Fleece Museum Shop also will be open the same hours.

The Thomas A. Hill House will be closed for the winter on Dec. 19. There will be no tours offered until spring.

Choral Evensong

The Parish Choir of St. John’s Episcopal Church, with organist and choirmaster Dr. Fred Jones, continues its annual series of Choral Evensong services at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, with “Music of Smith, Wood and Darke” at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 225 French St. The public is invited to experience the centuries-old tradition of musical worship.

Choral Evensong is a musical service given as an offering to the glory of God on behalf of those assembled. Choral Evensong has been sung in the St. John’s Parish for more than 100 years. The text of the music comes directly from the Bible and will be familiar to Christians of all faiths. The order of the service is taken from the 1662 Prayer Book of the Anglican Church, still commonly in use in most cathedrals in England.

Holiday Mission Project

St. Joseph Healthcare selected Crossroads Ministries of Old Town as the recipient of the organization’s Holiday Mission Project, organized by the St. Joseph Healthcare mission advisory committee.

St. Joseph Healthcare collaborated with Crossroads Ministries to aid families in outlying communities who do not have access to assistance agencies based in Bangor and Brewer.

Tags representing needed items were placed on a Christmas tree and employees took the tags, purchased the items and returned the items to the tree. More than 500 tags were on the tree.

Crossroads Ministries serves 900 families in need in 32 communities.

Brewer

Golden retriever assistance dog

The Wal-Mart Supercenter in Brewer has added a furry friend to its family.

A 4-month-old golden retriever named Wini will spend the next year in training and then be given to an individual or family that requires an assistance dog. Wal-Mart is subsidizing this puppy with a beginning donation of $500.

The money will go to Golden Moments Assistance Dogs, a nonprofit service that trains hearing dogs for people with hearing impairments and service dogs for individuals with disabilities other than vision and hearing.

“She’ll be trained to open up drawers and fetch meds,” said Golden Moments volunteer trainer Terry Sylvester. “She’ll also learn how to put trash in the trash can and retrieve stuff, turn on and off the lights, remove clothing and put clothes in the laundry and specific requirements of the client.”

The assistance dogs can be trained to pull a wheelchair or help people with prosthetics. They also can be used for balance and counterbalance and to alert others in an emergency.

Kiwanis Head Start party

The Brewer Kiwanis Club held its annual children’s Christmas party for Head Start pupils at the Brewer Auditorium recently. Approximately 30 children, plus siblings and parents, enjoyed a buffet provided by Kiwanis members Clay Hardy and Carlton King. Pizza Hut at the Bangor Mall donated pizza to the holiday feast.

Santa, in the person of Ed Callahan, arrived with gifts for the children. The Brewer Garden Club donated money to help with Santa’s gifts. Kim, Gail and Manley DeBeck purchased the presents and the Brewer Key Club wrapped them. Brewer Wal-Mart donated a gift card and gave discounts for the presents.

Paul Cook of the Cross Agency took pictures of each child sitting on Santa’s knee as a souvenir.

Those interested in joining Kiwanis should call President Jane Newberry at 945-0746.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin