Bangor

Benefit auction

An auction to benefit the Bangor Museum and Center for History will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, April 23, at Norumbega Hall’s Chateau Ballroom. Businesses and individuals have donated services, antiques, art, outdoor adventures, furnishings and much more for auction. Antiques expert Robert Croul will be the auctioneer.

A special review is available for ticket holders from 3 to 5 p.m. the day of the auction. Tickets are $25 in advance or at the door. Auction sponsors are Merrill Bank, Bangor Daily News, Town and Country Realtors, Sea Dog Banquet Center and Bagel Central.

Call 942-1900 for information.

Mother’s Day dance

The Bangor Parks and Recreation Department invites mothers and their sons ages 5 to 10 to a Mother’s Day dance 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, May 7, at the Bangor Civic Center. Tickets go on sale 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 20, at the department, 647 Main St. The cost is $14 per couple for Bangor residents, $20 for others. An extra $2 will be charged for each additional son.

For more information, call 947-1018.

Literacy Volunteers training

Literacy Volunteers of Bangor will offer Basic Literacy Tutor Training 9:30 a.m-3 p.m. Saturday, April 17 and 24, at Bangor Public Library. Those interested in helping others improve their reading must call Literacy Volunteers of Bangor at 947-8451 to register by Wednesday April 14. There is no cost for the training session and lunch is provided.

Literacy Volunteers of Bangor links volunteers tutors with adults who want to improve their reading or are learning English as a second language.

Kennel club awards

The Penobscot Valley Kennel Club gave out more than 30 year-end awards at its annual banquet April 4 at Geaghan’s Pub in Bangor.

Randy Clendenning, banquet co-chairman with Dottie DeBeck, served as master of ceremonies. The awards recognized both members’ and their dogs’ accomplishments in the show and obedience rings.

The club’s top American show dog was CH Soper’s Surry at Suncliffe, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi owned and shown by Nancy Cunliffe of Holden.

The award for top Canadian show dog went to American/Canadian CH Ledge’s Orient Express, a pug owned by Joan Brown, Hermon.

Mary Thompson, Brewer, won top obedience handler, and her golden retriever, American/Canadian CH OTCH Tashel Playing with Fire UDX, JH, CAN UD was top obedience dog in the United States, as well as winning a Canadian obedience award. The initials before and after a show dog’s name represent credentials achieved. Just

Plain Oh Hyacinth, a yellow Labrador owned by Steve, Karen and Jennifer Sullivan of Bradley, also won a Canadian Obedience award.

Nancy Cunliffe won the 2003 Good Sportsmanship Award as well as recognition for 30 years of service.

Jeanne Gifford, Bucksport, and Lynn Ross, Bangor, also celebrated 30 years with PVKC.

Nola Scott, Orrington, was recognized for 36 years’ service.

Junior Sparkplug was was awarded to Bonnie Raymond of Holden. Her son Leslie, age 15, was awarded Outstanding Service for a young member. Christina Chase, 11, of Holden also won a junior member award.

Kenduskeag’s Denise Wood was awarded Senior Sparkplug. Nancy Daniels, Carmel, and Mary Jane Platt, Eddington, shared the senior member Outstanding Service award.

For further information about the club, call Nola Soper, 469-3852.

Penquis CAP heating aid

Penquis Community Action Program has extended the deadline for applications for the Home Energy Assistance Program to May 31.

The program assists income-eligible households in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties with home heating costs.

Homes may be heated with oil, kerosene, coal, wood, LP gas or electricity. Those who have not yet applied this past heating season should call the nearest Penquis CAP office to schedule an appointment. In Bangor, the number is 973-3630.

Charleston

Apple pruning

The Penobscot and Piscataquis offices of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension will sponsor an apple pruning demonstration from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 24, at the Olmstead Orchard, Route 15, Charleston. The orchard is located about six miles north of Corinth.

Participants will learn how to prune apple trees of various ages. The program also will include a short session on apple pests and how to control them.

The demonstration is free and no preregistration is required. For information or directions to the orchard, call 942-7346, or (800) 287-1485.

Eddington

Grange variety show

East Eddington Grange is celebrating its 115th anniversary by sponsoring a variety show at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 16, in historic Comins Hall, 1387 Main Road.

All performers live in the Eddington, Clifton, and Holden area. There will be dancers, singers, bands and comedy routines. Admission is $1. Refreshments will also be sold.

Old Town

City manager retiring

John Lord has announced plans to retire from his position as city manager on June 30.

Lord has been city manager of Old Town for three years. Prior to that he had been assistant city manager following several years as Bangor’s planning officer.

City councilors have initiated the search process for a new city manager.

Orono

Stenciling workshop

The University of Maine Art Department and the Page Farm and Home Museum invites the public to an early American decoration stenciling workshop 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 17, at the museum.

The workshop includes an introduction to the craft and a study of the original stencil collections of Ellen Jacobson Loring and Emilie Underhill. The collections were donated to the museum for the purpose of preserving the designs and to continue and increase knowledge of the craft. Attendees will use designs from the collections to stencil their own pieces.

The cost of the workshop is $5. To register, call the museum at 581-4100.

Orrington

Meet the author

Maine children’s book author Lynn Plourde of Winthrop will visit Center Drive School on Tuesday, April 27.

During an opening assembly, Plourde will present an interactive reading of her picture books “Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud,” “Wild Child,” “School Picture Day” and “Moose, Of Course!”

She will lead students in a dramatization of her books.

Parents are welcome to attend the sessions with Plourde.

Call the school at 825-3310 for more information.

Veazie

Spring cleanup

Increasing disposal costs of certain items and changes in state and federal regulations have required the town to revise its annual spring cleanup program.

Many items that people dispose of on a daily basis such as computer chips, circuit boards and cathode ray tubes contain heavy metals. Other items, including roofing tar and paint thinner contain petrochemicals. Regulations mandating shipping manifests and documentation of waste origination have increased disposal costs significantly.

The town still intends to do curbside pickup of brush – limited to 1 cubic yard – and bagged leaves containing no sand or dirt. Residents can drop off ballasts and fluorescent light bulbs at Public Works.

Residents also are encouraged to take advantage of disposal programs through retailers such as appliance dealers and tire dealerships.