Bangor

Veterans Day tribute

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, more than 100 members of the 101st Air Refueling Wing assembled at Brewer Shopping Center to pay tribute to veterans. The airmen and their families were organized into four units and participated in the Bangor Veterans Day parade.

The lead unit behind Gov. John Baldacci, the honorary parade marshal, was the 101st ARW honor guard. Hanging from the top of the honor guard’s flags were banners from all wars, conflicts and operations the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard have supported.

Also in the parade were the 101st Security Forces Squadron and the 101st ARW Family Support Program float. Several airmen and their families walked beside the float and handed out small American flags to veterans and others watching the parade. When the airmen ran out of flags, they went to veterans and shook hands and thanked them for serving their country.

In addition to the marching airmen, the 101st ARW KC-135E Stratotanker flew over the parade at the 11th minute after the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to pay tribute to veterans.

The parade’s organizers gave special recognition to veterans who recently served in the global war on terrorism.

Bangor Community Chorus

The Bangor Community Chorus, under the direction of Joshua Schmersal and accompanied by Naomi Hall, will present its 36th holiday concert at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, at the First United Methodist Church, 703 Essex St., Bangor.

Schmersal joined the chorus as its director this fall. He is currently completing his degree in music performance as a vocalist at the University of Maine. He is assistant conductor of the Oratorio Society and is past president of the University Singers. He has been a player in many theatrical productions, including Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” His choral and theatrical experience has taken him around New England, New York and to Europe.

The chorus plans a varied program that will include carols, and traditional and popular Christmas songs. Chorus members will perform solos, duets, trios and ensembles.

The concert is free, but donations are accepted. To learn more about the chorus or the concert, e-mail mckinnon@maineguide.com, or visit www.maineguide

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Winter safety

The U.S. Postal Service has requested that residents keep walkways, driveways and outside mailboxes clear of snow and ice in order to insure that mail carriers can continue to provide timely and safe delivery of mail.

Curbside mailboxes should be shoveled and free of obstructions so that mail carriers can drive up to the mailbox, deliver mail and drive ahead. For those with mailboxes on buildings, snow an ice on steps and sidewalks should be removed to afford safe access.

Mother Angela Awards

St. Joseph Healthcare and the Felician Sisters celebrated Founder’s Day Nov. 18 and announced the recipients of this year’s Mother Angela Awards. They are: Nurse Jan Bruno of the cardiopulmonary care unit, Sue Martin of the surgery unit and Grace Nugent, a volunteer.

Bruno, of Hampden, has worked for 14 years at St. Joseph Hospital.

Martin, of Bradley, has worked at the surgical unit front desk for seven years.

Nugent has volunteered at the hospital for two years and helps out in several departments.

Health award nominations

The nomination and selection process for the 2005 Mabel Sine Wadsworth Women’s Health Achievement Award has begun. The award is given annually to a Maine person who has demonstrated a remarkable contribution to feminist principles in women’s health care. Previous recipients of the award are Mabel Wadsworth, Phil Worden, Nancy Foss, Sharon Barker, Parker Harris and Bonnie Bragg, Mary Herman, Peaches Bass, JoAnne Dauphinee, Darylen Cote and Pat Bond.

The nomination deadline is Dec. 15. To learn more about how to submit a nomination, call 947-5337, or e-mail ruth@mabelwadsworth.org.

Proclamation

The Bangor City Council recently issued a proclamation recognizing the Julius Lowy Co. in New York for its restoration of the portrait of Sarah Polasis, also know as Sally Molasses. She was the daughter of a tribal leader of the Penobscot Indians, Gov. Neptune.

The proclamation stated that the portrait, painted by Jeremiah Hardy of Hampden in 1835, hung in the Tarratine Club on High Street in Bangor “keeping watch over club events, from Hannibal Hamlin’s cribbage matches to society weddings and pig roasts.” The painting was done “in the glory days of Bangor … and bore silent witness to much of Bangor’s history.”

Tarratine Club members, who number only 12, were cited for their dedication to the maintenance of the club’s history and for sharing its artifacts, including the portrait, with the public.

Brad Shar of Julius Lowy Co. undertook the restoration of the painting in honor of his mother, a former New Yorker who now lives in Bangor.

House numbering project

For years, the Bangor Fire Department and other emergency responders have dealt with a perpetual problem of homes, apartments and businesses not displaying the number of their street addresses.

The city of Bangor building code requires all homes to be numbered, but some homeowners fail to do so or the numbers are too small or not visible. In an emergency, not having a number on a home may result in firefighters, paramedics and police officers being delayed.

“This has been a problem for all emergency providers,” said Jason Johnson, public education officer with the Bangor Fire Department. “Now, for the first time, we can do something about this by offering low-cost reflective signs with the home’s number.”

The 6-by-8-inch black and white signs with reflective backing are produced by the Penobscot County Jail’s inmate work program in conjunction with the Penobscot County Area Triad and the Bangor Police and Fire departments.

For $4, a homeowner will receive the heavy-duty aluminum sign, which can be mounted on the home or mailbox. Homeowners who live on a long driveway in a home not visible from the road may opt to purchase a single-sided sign with a post for $7.50, or a post with two mounted signs for $10.

To obtain more information about the project or to purchase a sign, call 992-4714, or 992-4716.

Wreath sale

The Penobscot County Soil and Water Conservation District is coordinating its annual holiday wreath sale. Proceeds from the sale will be used to promote conservation education in Maine.

The wreaths are handmade by Maine wreath artisans. Each wreath measures 22 inches in diameter and is decorated with Austrian pine cones, reindeer moss, red berries and a red velvet waterproof bow. The cost of $27 includes the packaging and UPS shipping in the continental United States. The wreaths are shipped direct from the factory.

Orders are due by Nov. 30 and will ship by Dec. 4. To obtain more information or an order form, call 990-3676, or visit www.penobscotswcd.org.

Food donations

Broadway Hardware, 720 Broadway, will accept nonperishable food donations on behalf of the less fortunate during the Thanksgiving season. To learn more about the project, call the store at 945-9917.

U.S. attorneys awards

The Department of Justice held its 21st annual Executive Office for United States Attorneys Director’s Awards ceremony recently in which 224 award recipients received recognition for excellence in law enforcement.

Carol Tracey of the Bangor office received a Director’s Award for Superior Performance in a Litigative Support Role in recognition of her outstanding performance for more than 14 years.

Elections

William Moirs, executive director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Maine and Penobscot County, reminds farmers, ranchers and other eligible voters to cast ballots in the local county committee elections before Dec. 6. To obtain more information, call 947-3555, ext. 2.

Book talk

When Peter Mars writes a crime novel, he doesn’t have to check with law enforcement professionals to get the details right. Mars served for 30 years as a career policeman in Boston and Brookline, Mass. He is still involved in the criminal justice system in Maine, where he now lives.

Mars will visit the Bangor Public Library at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27, to introduce his new book, “The Key.”

Brewer

Movie night

River City Cinema will show “The Weeping Camel” at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 26, at the Brewer Middle School, 5 Somerset St.

Set in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, the story follows the adventures of a family of herders who face a crisis when a mother camel rejects her newborn calf after a difficult delivery.

Admission is $5, $3 for those age 16 and under. Tickets may be purchased in advance at BookMarc’s bookstore on Harlow Street in Bangor and at Border’s at the Bangor Mall.

Castine

Winter concert

Maine Maritime Academy student musicians will present a winter concert at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, in Delano Auditorium, Leavitt Hall, on the college campus.

The concert will feature patriotic tunes, traditional marches and seasonal melodies played by the Maine Maritime Academy Concert Band and Brass Quintet.

The groups are led by regimental band master Steve Case, an MMA student from Bangor.

The concert also will feature the Pipe and Drum Corps led by Jesse Hensley, a student from Salem, Mass.

The concert is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

Orono

Wreath-making workshop

Women of the World will hold a wreath-making workshop at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, at the Page Farm Museum, University of Maine.

In the two-hour workshop, participants will learn how to make the traditional American wreath with fir tips from the Maine woods.

Space is limited and reservations are required. The cost of the workshop is $10 and covers the cost of supplies, which include fir tips, wire, ring, pine cones, berries, ribbons, bows and moss. Participants also may bring their own items to use as decorations on a wreath.

To learn more about the workshop or to make a reservation, call Mireille at 581-3423.

Orrington

Covers for Christmas

The Orrington Public Library, 15 School St., will feature Covers for Christmas during the holiday season. Those planning to give a gift of a book may bring it to the library during regular library hours where a free plastic protective cover will be put on the book.

Library hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Dec. 1-23.

During that time, the library also will conduct a “new and nearly new” book sale. All books will sell for $3 each. To further mark the holiday season, the library will serve refreshments from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, Dec. 2, 9 and 16. Fines will not be charged for overdue books during those hours. Call the library at 825-4938 to obtain more information.