Alton

Rabies clinic

A rabies clinic will be held 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, at the Alton Municipal Building. The cost for cats and dogs is $8 each.

Animals must be at least four months old and not carrying a litter.

Dogs may be licensed at the clinic, also. There will be a late fee for dogs not licensed by Jan. 31.

For information, call 394-2601 or 394-3911.

Bangor

Samuel de Champlain

The Bangor City Council passed a resolution proclaiming the week of Dec. 27, 2004, as Samuel de Champlain Week in Bangor as a way to acknowledge both Champlain’s historic visit in 1604 and the area’s rich Acadian history and heritage that continues to enhance culture and quality of life.

Champlain and Sieur de Monts, along with 79 French settlers, founded the first European colony at St. Croix Island between Maine and New Brunswick.

The Pine Cone Chapter of the Knights of Columbus placed a commemorative stone and plaque to honor Champlain’s landing near what is now Norumbega Park.

A ceremony was held on the spot Dec. 29.

Literacy volunteers

After seven years of running The Learning Center at Park Woods transitional housing, Literacy Volunteers of Bangor is unable to continue operating the community-based program due to funding constraints.

Instead, the volunteer-driven organization will focus its resources on extending and expanding its adult programming for those who read at less than an eighth-grade level, or who are learning to speak English as a second language. Literacy Volunteers of Bangor also will relocate its operation in future months.

“As the only organization in the area that provides one-to-one or small-group tutoring to adults with the lowest literacy levels, we have a responsibility to ensure that the organization is financially strong enough to continue to serve this mission,” said LV-Bangor President Allison Cote. “At the same time, we are very proud of the hundreds of children and adults we have been able to serve through our collaboration with Park Woods.”

Members of LV-Bangor, which was started in 1969 as the first Literacy Volunteers of America affiliate in Maine, hope that another community organization or volunteer group may be able to continue to serve the Park Woods community.

New city employees

New employees with the city of Bangor are:

. Paulette Puorro, parking control aide at Bangor International Airport.

. Sean Miller, parking control aide at Bangor International Airport.

. Bruce Lambert, transit driver with BAT.

. Robin Machen, case worker with Health and Welfare.

. Andrea Gray, data entry clerk with Health and Welfare.

. George Avery, heavy equipment operator with Public Works.

. Ralph Pearl, heavy equipment operator with Public Works.

Newly retired are Wilbur Watson, Bangor International Airport; and Joann Lumino, finance department, City Hall.

Families and caregivers

The Penquis Community Action Program’s Resource Development Center will offer “Partners in Caring: Families and Caregivers” for child care professionals. The workshop will be held 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 5 and 19, at Penquis CAP, 262 Harlow St., Bangor. Lunch is not provided.

The 12-hour Maine Roads to Quality training sessions cover information about families today, roles, boundary setting and verbal and written communication to reduce potential areas of conflict between families and caregivers.

There is a $15 nonrefundable registration fee. Current child care providers may apply to the center’s scholarship fund for reimbursement of this fee. For information or registration, call 973-3533.

Basic legal training

The National Association of Legal Secretaries of Northeastern Maine will offer a basic legal training course 6-9 p.m. Mondays, Jan. 24-May 2, in Room 136 of Peabody Hall, Husson College.

Classes will be taught by attorneys, judges, certified professional legal secretaries and other people with expertise in a particular field. A certificate from NALS – the association for legal professionals – will be awarded to those who attend at least 80 percent of the classes and obtain a grade of 70 or better on the final exam.

For a registration form or information, see Lizz Marrs at the law office of M. Ray Bradford Jr., 50 Columbia St., Suite 73, Bangor, or call 947-0173. Early registration ends Jan. 7.

Diversity in child care

The Penquis Community Action Program’s Resource Development Center will offer “Weaving Diversity” training for child care professionals 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at Penquis CAP, 262 Harlow St., Bangor. Lunch is not provided.

The six-hour training promotes discussion about experiences growing up and about assumptions concerning those who are different. It will be facilitated by Hector Sapien, licensed clinical social worker. Bring a lunch and come prepared for self-reflection.

There is a $15 nonrefundable registration fee. Current child care providers may apply to the center’s scholarship fund for reimbursement of this fee. For information or registration, call 973-3533.

Christmas with Manna

One hundred and four volunteers for Manna Inc. served turkey dinners and passed out gifts to as many as 1,300 people Christmas Day at the Elks Lodge.

The gifts included toys for the children and clothing for the adults.

Host-to-Adopt Program

Maine Adoption Placement Service is actively recruiting families interested in participating in the Russia Summer Host-to-Adopt Program.

An informational meeting will be held 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, at the MAPS office, 181 State St.

The innovative program was designed to aid in the placement of waiting children ages 5 to 14. Each summer MAPS brings approximately 25 Russian orphans to the United States to stay with pre-adoptive families.

The participating children are those recommended by their orphanage directors as those who have the most potential to grow, develop and adjust in an American family.

During the meeting, those attending will have the opportunity to meet another family who has participated in the program.

RSVP to ensure adequate space and materials. Call Melissa Huston at 941-9500, or visit www.mapsadopt.org.

Brewer

Art class for children

The Brewer Parks and Recreation Department is now accepting registrations for the next art class program with instructor Bev Langley. Classes will meet from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. Wednesday afternoons at Brewer Auditorium. The first session was Jan. 5.

The class is open to students ages six to 13, and will run for seven weeks. Exciting and advanced art projects will be featured, but students of all ability levels are welcome to register. The project for this class is Painting II, featuring acrylic painting.

The cost for the seven weeks is $30 for Brewer residents and $35 for others. The project fee is $8 for new students. There is no project fee for those students who are continuing work in their Painting I project.

Space is limited, with registrations accepted on a first-entered basis. For information, call Brewer Parks and Recreation Department at 989-5199.

Hampden

Legislative appointment

State Sen. Debra Plowman of Hampden has been appointed to the Joint Standing Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs during the 122nd Maine Legislature. Plowman, who served eight years in the House in the 1990s, is beginning her first term in the Senate.

The Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee is responsible for handling all legislation concerning claims against the state, liquor and tobacco, lottery, gambling, games of chance, off-track betting, nonprofit corporations, elections, campaign financing, voter registration, governmental ethics, lobbyist registrations, landlord-tenant issues, veterans’ programs, Department of Defense and Veterans’ Services, National Guard, and the sale and furnishing of cigarettes to minors.

Orland

Health grant for WERU

ORLAND – WERU-FM radio station and a team of community organizers will launch a programming series next year focusing on health care issues. The project will be funded by a $42,500 grant from Sound Partners for Community Health.

This will be the second year that WERU has worked with Sound Partners to produce local programs dealing with health care, said station manager Matt Murphy.

Sound Partners is a project of the Benton Foundation, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The station’s volunteer staff will develop three- to five-minute news features on specific topics that will be broadcast during the morning news program for several weeks, leading up to a monthly panel and call-in program dealing with the same issue.

Part of the grant will provide a stipend to the station’s volunteer staff who will be involved in the project.

Discussion hosts will be James Fisher of the Hancock County Planning Commission and Ron Beard of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Other partners include Healthy Peninsula Project and Health Aid and Coastal Hancock Healthy Communities. They will provide additional support in developing the content of programs, along with Fisher, Beard and WERU reporter Meredith DeFrancesco.

The goal is to bring people from the WERU listening area into the dialogue on public health issues.

Orono

Resolution honoring Pilcher

The Orono Town Council on Dec. 13 passed a resolution recognizing Ann Pilcher for her many contributions to the town.

Pilcher has been instrumental in planting numerous trees in the community. She has promoted tree recognition by serving on the tree board since 1993 and as its chairman since 1994. She has also served as a member of the beautification committee.

Under her guidance, the board has received many grants, including the 2003 Project Canopy Grant to develop a master tree plan for Orono.

Pilcher and the board developed a Town-School Tree Nursery in 1995 and worked closely with fifth-grade pupils to plant more than 100 trees on school property. In 2002-03, she worked with high school students, community members and the board to plant trees on school property and the streets of Orono.

The board has developed the Sponsor-a-Tree program and two Orono Tree Walk brochures.

As a result of the efforts and leadership of Pilcher and the board, the town has been recognized as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Foundation for eight consecutive years.

Planning board vacancy

With the resignation of planning board member Eric Landis, the town has sought applicants for the board position.

The council accepted Landis’ resignation at a recent meeting and hopes to fill the position soon. Landis resigned because he is on sabbatical and out of the country, according to town office staff.

Applications were due Jan. 3.

The town also has seats available on the board of appeals, board of assessment review, beautification committee, personnel board of appeals, library board of trustees and tree board and for trustees of Orono High School District.

In addition, anyone interested in helping with the town’s bicentennial celebration to be held in 2006 should attend the bicentennial committee meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 24, at the town hall.

For information, call the town office at 866-2556.

Orrington

Annual meeting and dinner

The Curran Homestead will hold its annual meeting and recognition dinner at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, at the Oriental Jade Restaurant in Bangor. The dinner is sponsored by the Bangor Letter Shop. There is no charge to members. The cost to others is $15, $7 for children. A reservation is required before Monday, Jan. 10, and may be made by calling 989-2430 or 945-9311.

Stetson

Stetson Fire Department

The Stetson Fire Department put on a chicken barbecue and presented home fire exit drills during Stetson Day. Fire safety literature from the Shriners also was distributed. “Learn not to Burn” coloring books are still available.

The department has applied for a grant for a thermal imaging camera.

Joseph Everett has completed the basic emergency medical technician class. Everett was one of the town’s junior firefighters who enlisted in the Marine Corps and returned to Stetson after his tour of duty.

Charity events

Buda Belly’s Village Store and Bakery is holding monthly charity events.

The “charity pig” for September raised $48 toward a senior scholarship. In October, the store raised $44 for the Special Olympics. In November, a teddy bear was raffled to benefit the Stetson Fire Department.

Coming charity events will benefit Stetson Ladies Aid in December and Stetson Historical Society in January.

Donations are matched by the store, from a minimum of $25 to a maximum of $50 a month.

Veazie

Benefit supper

The Veazie Congregational Church will hold a special baked bean supper 4:45-6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, at the church at 1404 State St.

For every ticket sold, the church will donate $1 to the Smalley family of Drew Plantation, whose business was burned.