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Bangor

Volunteer driver of the year

Nelson “Sonny” Goodwin of Burlington was named the MTA Volunteer Driver of the Year 2004 on Sept. 16 during the annual meeting of the Maine Transit Association in Bar Harbor.

With more than five years as a volunteer driver with Penquis CAP’s The Lynx Transportation, his safe driving record, dedicated commitment to the mission of the organization, strong decision-making skills and exemplary service helped ensure him the reward.

Goodwin’s volunteerism reaches beyond the many hours he drives for the Lynx each week. He is active in the VFW Post 1605 and plays a major part in the yearly “Toys for Tots” campaign soliciting and collecting toys for distribution at Christmas.

Nelson has an associate degree in disabilities, and before volunteering for the Lynx he worked as a schoolteacher, program manager at the Occupational Training Center in Lewiston, and was a psychiatric assistant with the Pineland Training Center.

Twisting to the oldies

Put your dancing shoes on, climb aboard the time machine and be transported back to the bebopping days of poodle skirts and The Fonz.

If you liked the TV show “Happy Days” and the movie “Grease,” you’ll love this. Saturday night, Oct. 9, the Elks Club will be turned into a sock-hopping place with the band Flint Hill performing favorite oldies. Twist the night away with musical memories, including the sounds of Chuck Berry and Elvis. Be there or be square.

The dance is 8-11 p.m. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at Eastern Agency on Aging, 450 Essex St. The price is $10 for one ticket, $15 for two – so bring a friend. There also will be a cash bar. All proceeds benefit the Eastern Agency on Aging programs. For information, call 941-2865.

Child care vouchers

The Resource Development Center at Penquis Community Action Program is accepting applications for the voucher program to help income-eligible families who are working or going to school pay for child care expenses. The vouchers may be used in various child care settings, including family child care, child care centers and friend or relative child care, if the caregiver passes a state background check.

Families of two may earn up to $33,770, and a family of four may earn up to $49,661 to qualify for child care assistance. To obtain more information and an application, call 973-3507, or toll free at (888) 917-1100.

Fashion show

The St. Joseph Hospital Auxiliary will hold its 29th annual Fashion Show and Luncheon at noon Tuesday, Oct. 12, at the Bangor Civic Center.

Attendees will spend the afternoon viewing the latest fall fashions, some modeled by local celebrities. Silent auction items also will be available for bid.

Tickets may be purchased in advance for $25 at Patrick’s Hallmark shop in the Broadway Shopping Center, or by calling the St. Joseph Healthcare development office at 262-1720. Tickets purchased the day of the show will be $30.

Book talk

Neil Rolde will discuss his new book, “Unsettled Past, Unsettled Future: The Story of Maine Indians,” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5, at Bangor Public Library.

Rolde’s book, his 10th, published by Tilbury House Publishers in Gardiner, gives readers the context to better understand the controversial headlines concerning casinos, racinos and land claims settlements while telling the larger story of Maine’s Indians.

Moscow Ballet auditions

As many as 60 children per city will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dance in Moscow Ballet’s new “Great Russian Nutcracker” during its 80-city U.S. tour in November and December.

As part of Moscow Ballet’s commitment to arts education and cultural exchange, local children age 8 to early teens will be invited to audition for roles in Act I as party guests, mice, angels and little snowflakes; and in Act II as little pages and junior corps de ballet in Russian, Arabian, French, Chinese and Spanish divertissements.

Moscow Ballet dancer Inna Spiridonova will conduct auditions at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Maine Center for Integrated Rehabilitation, 12 Stillwater Ave. Children are asked to bring tights, leotards, ballet slippers and pointe shoes.

Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, at Bangor Civic Center. Tickets are available by calling 990-4444 or 775-3331.

Free luncheons

St. John’s Episcopal Church, 225 French St., will continue to hold free luncheons at noon the second Saturday of each month in the church undercroft basement. Luncheons are set for Oct. 9, Nov. 13 and Dec. 11.

The meal is supported by donations from church members. To learn more about the luncheons or to volunteer, call Fred Gunther at 942-4889.

Child care training

The Penquis Community Action Program Resource Development Center will offer Foundations in Center-based Care from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at Penquis CAP, 262 Harlow St. The cost of the training session is $10.

Topics will include the role and requirements of the early childhood educator, the needs of young children, the components of quality early childhood programming and options for pursuing additional training.

Child care providers may apply for reimbursement of the fee. To obtain more information or to register, call 973-3533.

Maine Audubon art auction

Artist James Linehan of Bangor will have work up for bid in the seventh annual Maine Artists at Maine Audubon Art Auction on Friday, Oct. 1, at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth.

A silent auction and reception will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Well-known Maine auctioneer Kaja Veilleux will conduct the live auction at 7:30 p.m. Artwork may be previewed 10 a.m.-4 p.m. through Friday, Oct. 1.

More than 75 Maine artists have contributed paintings, photography, ceramics and jewelry to the auction.

Tickets are $30, or two for $50, and include hors d’oeuvres, beverages and live music. To obtain more information, call 781-2330, or visit www.maineaudubon.

org.

Child care orientation

Penquis Community Action Program Resource Development Center will offer “Getting Started in Family Child Care: An Orientation” from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12, and Thursday, Oct. 14, at the Head Start-Child Care Center, 120 Cleveland St. Topics will include state certification procedures; health and safety practices; working with family, child development, community and professional resources; and business and professional development.

The fee for the class is $15. Child care providers may apply for reimbursement of the fee. To register for the class, call 973-3533.

Angel of adoption award

U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe nominated Shawn and Rita Yardley to receive a Congressional Angel of Adoption Award for their work on behalf of child welfare and adoption. The Yardleys, who have four biological children, opened their home to Kiana, 8, Kira, 6, and Tessa, 5, whom they adopted in January.

Inclusive child care training

Penquis Community Action Program Resource Development Center will offer “Inclusive Child Care” Oct. 16, 19 and 30, and Nov. 2, 13, 16 and 23, at UCP, 700 Mount Hope Ave., Suite 230. Classes will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Lunch is not included. Registration for the class is $15. To register, call Amy Ludwig at 973-3533.

Brewer

Baby-sitting instruction

The Abnaki Girl Scout Council has joined with the American Red Cross to provide a baby sitter’s training instructor class for individuals age 17 and over. The class will be held 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Oct. 4, 11 and 18, at the Abnaki Girl Scout Carriage House, 156 North Main St.

Class topics will include how to pick up and properly hold infants and toddlers, what to do if a child or infant is unconscious or bleeding and how to teach those skills to others.

The cost for the class is $65. Participants must successfully complete the session that contains American Red Cross Fundamentals of Instructor education, which will be conducted the first night of the course.

To obtain more information or to register, call 941-2903, or e-mail robertsh@pinetree.redcross.org.

Brewer Kiwanis Club

At a recent meeting of the Brewer Kiwanis, Lt. Gov.-designate Doug Hollingsworth installed new officers:

President, Bill Newberry; president-elect, Kathleen Harding-Heber; secretary, Herb Hopkins; treasurer, Andy McPhee; past president, Jane Newberry; and board of directors: Debbie Roy, Kim Hopkins, Patricia Largay, Art Monk, Bob Dion and Clay Hardy.

Also attending was an interclub from the Bangor Breakfast Club.

For information on the Brewer Kiwanis Club, contact president Bill Newberry at 945-0746.

Eddington

Bottle drive, food drive

Eddington-Clifton Cub Scout Pack 23 will conduct a bottle and food drive on Saturday, Oct. 9. The food drive will benefit a local food pantry. To obtain more information about the dual drives, call 843-0210.

Glenburn

Quilt artist

Quilt artist Elizabeth Busch of Glenburn is part of a special exhibition of the Boothbay Harbor Quilt Festival, held 10 a.m.-4 p.m. through Oct. 11 at the Opera House in Boothbay.

Busch, Mary Allen Chaisson and Patricia Wheeler have works on display in “New Directions in Maine Contemporary Quilts.”

Hampden

Oktoberfest

Craftsmen are needed to rent table space in an Oktoberfest fair planned for Oct. 23 at the Hampden VFW building on Canoe Club Road. The event will benefit Totes for Hope. To obtain more information, call Hope Lutheran Church at 990-5900.

Old Town

Congressional angel award

U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe nominated Betty Hoxie of Old Town to receive the 2004 Congressional Angel of Adoption award for her work on behalf of child welfare and adoption advocacy. Hoxie, who is president of Adoption and Foster Families of Maine, adopted eight children she had fostered.

Art display

Artwork by Joseph-Paul Howe is on display through Oct. 14 in the reference room at Old Town Public Library.

Howe’s interest in art took root in his purchase of his first comic book as a child.

“The comic book-graphic medium is so much more expressive to me,” he said. “Comic book artists are limited only by their own imaginations, and that is what always seemed of great importance to me: testing the limits of my imagination.”