Nearly 500 reservations had been received through Monday night for “A Salute To Families and Those Who Serve,” a free Christmas party for all Mainers who “have served, are serving or will serve in the war on terrorism,” and their families, said Joe Boulos.

The owner of Boulos Cos. in Portland is hosting the event 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, at 198 Main Mall Road in the former Service Merchandise building in the Maine Mall in South Portland.

“The program is absolutely free, and I want to make sure people from The County or Bangor, or anyplace,” know about it and attend, Boulos said.

“It’s not just a southern Maine event.”

To that end, Boulos has a Web site and telephone number you can call to make reservations and learn about free bus transportation and free hotel accommodations.

You need to call 650-2796 for more information, or visit www.holidaysalute.com.

“We’ll be running buses from Fort Kent” and many other locations, Boulos said.

All you need do is RSVP and tell planners where you are located and “they can make arrangements” for your travel and overnight accommodations, he added.

In addition to members of the military and their families, the guest list includes Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Gov. John Baldacci.

When I asked Boulos how long he had been working on this tremendous project, I was quite surprised when he said just one week.

But he hired a professional coordinator and everything is coming together in grand style.

“Citrine Events has transformed that building with 300 different-colored lights, bunting, two stages. It’s going to be very nice,” Boulos said. “We’ll have dinner and beverages for everyone, a military band, a country and western band, games, magicians and jugglers for the kids, a color guard and patriotic music. It’s all free. People just need to come.”

But you do need to make reservations to be part of the festivities.

Maine Sen. Kevin Raye of Perry has been helping Boulos by spreading the word to folks in Washington County, and he wanted to reiterate that those who want to attend must respond so they can take advantage of the free transportation and free hotel accommodations.

It should be a terrific celebration, and I hope all who can make the trip will.

A grief support group for parents who have lost children, of any age, includes Audrey Horne of Bangor.

That group usually meets 6-7:30 p.m. every third Wednesday of the month at Acadia Hospital on Stillwater Avenue in Bangor.

However, Horne said, this month the group is meeting 6-8 tonight at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer, which is providing a free dinner for all who attend.

If you are interested in joining this group, call Horne at 942-2670, or Georgette Davis, 866-7536.

Judi Perkins, executive director of Keep Bangor Beautiful, wants readers to know that several “brand-new” categories will be included it its 2005 Bangor Garden Show, which is April 8-10 at the Bangor Civic Center and Auditorium.

And it is now planting time for one of those categories, Perkins pointed out, so you should know this year’s show will include the first BGS Window Box and Container Gardening Competition.

Classes of competition include Amateur-Individual, Grower-Landscaper, Commercial, and Garden Club-Horticultural.

You can enter a 24-inch window box or an Anything Goes Floor Container, and entrants can place one exhibit in either or both classes.

Cash prizes will be awarded first through third. Entries will be judged on creativity and originality, color, design and signage.

Space is limited, so inquiries should be made as soon as possible to Bangor Garden Show, P.O. Box 1548, Bangor 04402-1548, or by visiting Bangor.beautiful@bgrme.org.

From the photos I’ve seen, New Land Florist of Ellsworth and Westside Florist of Southwest Harbor have done a magnificent job decorating Woodlawn Museum for the holidays.

Woodlawn executive director Joshua Campbell Torrance hopes you will take advantage of the final weekend of holiday tours to view the beautiful decorations in this historic facility.

The final tours are 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, and Sunday, Dec. 19, at the museum on West Street (Route 172) in Ellsworth.

Admission, including refreshments, is $10 for adults and $5 for children.

For information, call the museum, 667-8671.

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