Snowed-out PICA auction reset for Saturday

Remember the snows of December? Members of Peace through InterAmerican Community Action surely do, because they had to postpone their 17th annual Silent and Live Auction due to the first blizzard of the season back on Saturday, Dec. 6.

That 17th annual event has been rescheduled for 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, in the College Center at University College of Bangor, 210 Texas Ave., Bangor.

More than 20 PICA volunteers and staff have amassed hundreds of donated items and services for the auction, which will help raise funds for general PICA programs but particularly for the Bangor-Carasque, El Salvador Sister City Project.

Volunteer Margaret Baillie of Bangor, who had the good fortune to visit Carasque this year, reports that Tom Mikotowitz of Orono returns in his role of auctioneer.

Auction items include weekend getaways, Reiki healing sessions, Nepalese woolen jackets, baby-sitting services, jewelry, books, carpentry and much more.

You also will view an exhibit of PICA’s Arpillera Project, a Clean Clothes section of “sweat-free” items from local and national vendors, and enjoy a special silent auction of items collected by Youth Adelantando members.

It also should be pointed out that PICA auction planners are not about to let Mother Nature interrupt this special event a second time.

The PICA auction snow date is 5-8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, at the same location.

Questions about the auction or PICA can be directed to Lesley Lichko at 947-4203.

I hope every child in grades three through six in Bangor schools, and a parent or guardian, is making plans to attend the Fourth United Way of Eastern Maine Camp Fair 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4, at the Bangor Civic Center.

The event is free and open to the public, and offers each pupil a $1,000 scholarship to attend the Maine summer camp or camps of his or her choice.

The only qualification is meeting good citizenship guidelines and volunteering in the community.

The Libra Foundation summer camp scholarship program is administered by UWEM, and this year’s camp directory features information on more than 140 Maine camps that are available to these children.

Directories are being distributed in classrooms this week, and are available at the UWEM office on Sylvan Road in Bangor, in the children’s department of the Bangor Public Library on Harlow Street and at www.unitedwayem.org.

For more information, call UWEM at 941-2800 or visit the Web site.

According to Linda Frost Harnum of Holden, the Bangor High School Class of 1959 was the largest class to graduate from the old high school on Harlow Street, which is now known as The Schoolhouse.

That class, which included children of the military stationed at the former Dow Air Force Base, numbered 225 and, remarkably, as classmates prepare for their 45th reunion, they have been unable to locate only 36 of them.

The BHS Class of ’59 45th Reunion is 4-9 p.m. Saturday, July 24, at Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono.

A final notice, with full details and reservation forms, will be mailed to classmates next month.

Between now and then, if anyone knows the whereabouts of the 36 missing classmates, you are asked to call Mary Carlisle Schultheis, 942-1123, or Harnum, 843-6375.

BHS Class of ’59 is seeking information about the following: Linda Babcock Setser, Robert Baxter, George Calloway, Alberta Caler, Loretta Coleman, Richard Merlyn Cook, Kenneth Denbow and Carl Fagan.

Also, Margaret Farnham Bernstein, Kimberly Jordan Hill, Judith Howells Anderson, Oakman Hurd, John R. Iverson, Beverly Kendall Fleming, George “Dick” LeBlanc, Anna Martin, Robert Martin and Rosalie McDermott.

Others include Judith Mills, Deanna Morton Lawrence, Phyllis Murphy Maloon, Sandra Murphy Alpert, Richard Nutter, Dale E. Perkins, Richard A. Purvis, Arthur Edward Richard Jr., Judith Roberts Austin and Jean Russell Wheeler.

And last but certainly not least, Hayden L. Schultz, Geraldine Sloat Boyle, Katherine Smith Devery, Richard Smith, Phyllis Stackpole, Richard Stevens, Dennis Tenney and Earline Wilson Goodwin.

I apparently misunderstood the amount of money raised by country radio host Tom Dean and helpers of East Orland-based WERU-FM when I wrote about that “Christmas is for Kids” program recently.

The amount raised was actually $4,200 (not the $42,500 I have in my notes) but the lesser amount in no way decreases the importance of this contribution to that program, nor of the hard work by those who are responsible for raising what is a considerable amount of money.

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