Bangor

Spring auction

A spring auction to benefit the Bangor Museum and Center for History has been scheduled for Friday, April 23, at Norumbega Hall’s Chateau Ballroom on Harlow Street.

A silent auction begins at 7 p.m. and the live auction at 8 p.m.

Businesses and individuals have donated antiques, art, outdoor adventures, furnishings and more.

A special preview for ticket holders is available from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person in advance or at the door. Call 942-1900 to get advance tickets.

Sponsors for the event are Merrill Bank, Bangor Daily News, Town & Country Realtors, Sea Dog Banquet Center and Bagel Central.

Robert Croul is donating his services as auctioneer.

Among the items to be auctioned:

. Fly fishing lessons with with Kelly Cotiaux.

. Ski lessons from David Hughes.

. Research and report on a historic home by Sara Martin, the museum’s deputy director.

. A three-hour ride-along and department tour with a Bangor police officer.

. Photographs by Rod Rodrigue, Ed Martin and Alan Stubbs.

Bangor Band season

The Bangor Band will begin its new season with a spring concert at 3 p.m. April 25, at Bucksport Middle School on Miles Lane.

The band, one of the country’s oldest continuous community bands, will present a variety of marches, popular and light classical music. The host for the event is Bucksport Area Cultural Arts Society.

The rest of the schedule is:

. Tuesday, June 22, Bangor Public Library, 7 p.m.

. Saturday, June 26, annual R.B. Hall Day, Brewer Auditorium, time to be announced.

. Tuesday, June 29, Bangor bandstand at Paul Bunyan Park, 7 p.m.

. Sunday, July 4, Bangor bandstand, 7 p.m.

. Tuesday, July 6, Fairmount Park, 7 p.m.

. Tuesday, July 13, Bangor bandstand, 7 p.m.

. Saturday, July 17, Fort Knox, time to be announced.

. Tuesday, July 20, Bangor bandstand, 7 p.m.

. Tuesday, July 27, Bangor bandstand, 7 p.m.

. Tuesday, Aug. 3, Chapin Park, 6:45 p.m.

. Tuesday, Aug. 10, Bangor bandstand, 7 p.m.

Bangor Museum

At its recent annual meeting, the membership of the Bangor Museum and Center for History elected the following slate of officers: Patricia Bixel, president; Jean Deighan, vice president; Ed Clift, treasurer; Mary Schultheis, secretary. Directors elected to the board were William DeVoe, Catherine Lebowitz, Sheila Pechinski and Warren Silver.

Bixel, a professor at Maine Maritime Academy, follows Beth Bohnet as president. Bohnet has been the organization’s president for the last two years, during which it went through a major strategic planning process, changing its name and opening a new museum at 6 State St. She was instrumental in guiding the membership through those changes and developing a long-range plan for growth.

‘Dead Certain’ discussion

Theater enthusiasts will meet to discuss Marcus Lloyd’s thriller “Dead Certain” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, at Bangor Public Library. The play will be presented by Penobscot Theatre Company from April 21-May 2.

The storyline runs like this: Michael, an out-of-work actor, could be described as charming and good-looking, but never more than a few steps from self-destruction. When Elizabeth, a former dancer, now wheelchair-bound, offers Michael a large fee to come to her isolated country house to read a play she has written, he leaps at the chance. Gradually Michael realizes the script, written by a woman he is meeting for the first time, strongly resembles his own life. The suspense becomes palpable as Michael feels himself losing his grip on reality.

Mark Torres, director of Penobscot Theatre’s production of “Dead Certain,” and cast members Rita Rehn and Matt Edwards will join the discussion.

Manna wish list

Manna has run out of specific food items and needs help replenishing its cupboards. The agency needs boxes of macaroni and cheese, canned soup, baked beans, ramen noodles, canned vegetables, pasta, tomato sauce and tuna.

The agency is supplying food to struggling families, food pantries, and also sending food to laid-off paper mill workers.

Food items may be dropped off at Manna, 180 Center St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

City Hall exhibit

Eleven text and photographic panels from the Bangor Museum and Center for History’s exhibit, “From Away: Exploring Bangor’s Cultural Heritage,” are on display on the second floor of City Hall. Relocating the panels is another step in the city’s commitment to support the cultural arts.

The panels trace the history of the ethnic groups that settled in Bangor. Featured is information on the Irish, Greek, African and Jewish communities. The exhibit may be viewed 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, until September.

The Bangor Museum and Center for History is currently installing its next exhibit, “Images of New England, Visions of Bangor: Photography and the Human Experience,” which will open May 15.

Bradley

Woodsmen’s Day

Woodsmen’s Day will be held 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 24, at the Maine Forest and Logging Museum, Leonard’s Mills, Route 178.

Timber Tina from the Great Maine Lumberjack Show in Trenton will be doing several activities and challenging visitors to try the same.

Other woodsmen will be hewing timbers, carving walking sticks and running the water-powered sawmill.

Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 and under.

For information, call the museum office at 581-2871.

Brewer

Free business course

The recent closing of Eastern Fine Paper in Brewer and the downsizing of other area employers have left many in Greater Bangor without jobs. Some of those people are contemplating starting their own businesses. To help meet that need, Penquis Community Action Program, in cooperation with the city of Brewer, will offer an Incubator Without Walls small business course 5:30-8 p.m. Tuesdays, May 4-June 22, at the Brewer Auditorium. An informational meeting is set for 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 27, at Brewer Auditorium.

The Incubator Without Walls Program helps individuals understand what it takes to start and manage a new business or to expand existing businesses that have five or fewer employees. The course stresses that good management, effective marketing and financial controls lead to increased profits, and that business planning leads to business growth, profits and personal satisfaction.

Tara Murphy, who will conduct the course, said that attendees will be given insight from professional trainers and seasoned business executives about what it takes to be successful. Classes are frequently augmented with guest speakers from the local business community, allowing participants to network with local accountants, Web designers, bankers, insurance agents and other experts.

“This course is a valuable resource to help those who have recently lost their jobs or who wish to start out on their own,” said Drew Sachs, director of economic and community planning for Brewer. “It is one small way that we can help those with entrepreneurial spirit pick up the pieces and make a difference in their lives.”

The course and the Business Training Manual are free. An application is required. Call 973-2618 for information and an application.

Kiwanis activities

Art Engdhal, investment chairman of the Kiwanis Foundation of New England, was the speaker at a recent meeting of Brewer Kiwanis.

The Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute was founded in 1980, and the next year the New England District of Kiwanis committed to give $250,000 a year for research and treatment for children in trauma situations. KPTI is an arm of the New England Medical Center.

Last year the Kiwanis Foundation of New England became affiliated with the New England Revolution Soccer Team as one way to raise money for the institute.

Brewer High School Key Club members also attended the Kiwanis meting and gave a report about the upcoming blood drive, to be held 8 a.m.-1 p.m. April 30 at the school.

Kiwanis is always looking for new members to help with fund-raising projects that support children. Those interested may call President Jane Newberry at 945-0746.

Eddington

Zoot Suit Revue

Back Door Dance Studio will present the Zoot Suit Revue, a dance extravaganza performed to jazz, swing and 1950s music, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 1, at the Eddington School.

Proceeds will benefit the Parent Teacher Friend Organization. Admission is $5 for adults, free for children.

For information, contact the Back Door Dance Studio at 843-5638, e-mail swingtime34@aol.com, or visit www.backdoordance.com.

Orono

Upward Bound auction

The Upward Bound Program will hold an Artists and Artisans Auction 5-8 p.m. Friday, April 30, at the Penobscot Valley Country Club. Admission is $15 per person.

The auction will provide stipend and scholarship money for students involved in Upward Bound, a year-round academic support and career development program that helps high-achieving, low-income students overcome economic, social, academic or class barriers to higher education and to break cycles of poverty.

Featured artists and artisans include Barry Dana, Jackie Stein, Hank Buffington, Harvey Ball, Ingrid Johnson, Lisa Raven, Mary Pierce and Bonnie Tucker. Visit www.ume.maine.edu/fub/ to see images of auction items.

Dr. Anne Pooler and Dr. Clifford Rosen will serve as auction hosts. Friends of Upward Bound are sponsoring the event.

Call (800) 581-2522 to obtain tickets to the auction or e-mail erin.wright@umit.maine.edu to obtain more information.

Orono Library Friends

ORONO – Steve Rich of WBRC Architects and Engineers will speak at the annual Orono Library Friends meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 29, at the library, Goodrich Drive. His topic will be “Practical Dreams and Applied Theory.” Rich will talk about elements of library design and how they will be applied to planning Orono’s new public library.

The ultimate design goal for the library is to create a flexible floor plan that will work well into the future. Other design objectives are to keep unusable space at a minimum while maximizing public space and the library’s potential as a public commons and keeping staffing and other operational costs as low as possible. Rich also will talk about the library as a possible “LEEDS accredited project,” working toward long-term program and building sustainability.

The public is invited to participate in the dialogue after the presentation.

Orono Library Friends will present its 2003 Friend of the Friends award and address agenda items, including proposed changes to the organization’s constitution, election of officers and funding requests for library programs.

Filmed in Maine movies

Deborah Blease, who has produced and directed 29 Broadway productions, has made three serial westerns on digital video. Two films, “Tough Hombre” and “Shootout in Goldtown,” will be show at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 29, at 100 Donald P. Corbett Hall on the University of Maine campus. The cost is $5, $3 for children under 10.

The films are comedic adventure films that entertain without extreme violence and shock value. Comedians Bob Marley, George Hamm, Steve Caouette and Quinn Collins star in the films, which were filmed in Maine at local locations including Leonard’s Mills in Bradley, Ayers Island in Orono, and on the Saco and Royal Rivers in southern Maine.

Currently, Blease is finishing a third western shoot and is preparing to shoot a film noir story slated to premier this fall.

Winterport Woman’s Club

The Winterport Woman’s Club and its parent organizations, the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and the GFWC-Maine Federation of Women’s Clubs, will participate in Federation Day activities the week of April 19-24.

Pink bows will be attached to club projects, club members’ homes, mailboxes and cars. Pink is the club’s color.

The club currently has 58 members and many will wear pink clothing throughout the week. Members will walk the village area to keep themselves in the “pink” of health and will do small acts of kindness to put some “pink” into someone’s else’s day.

The club welcomes new members. To learn more about the organization, call Khristine LaChance at 223-5424.