Individuals or groups who have a talent or an act are being sought for a most worthy cause.

Anne Crowley, president of the Carmel Firemen’s Auxiliary, wrote that organization is sponsoring a talent show to raise money to help support the work of the Carmel Fire Department.

And, if you need to work on your act, you have plenty of time.

The Carmel Firemen’s Auxiliary Talent Show is 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, at Carmel Elementary School.

Admission is by donation, and refreshments will be on sale before the show and during intermission.

Crowley also wants readers to know that this fund-raiser is an alcohol-free event.

The talent show categories are comedy, music, dancing, magic and others.

Each individual, or act, is asked to contribute a $5 entry fee, and a request to register can be made by calling Crowley at 848-3877.

Leslie Poake of Project Atrium in Bangor wrote to inform readers that its Mardi Gras Charity Ball is 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at Spectacular Event Center, 396 Griffin Road in Bangor.

And, considering this week’s weather, you are certain to like the theme: A Hawaiian Beach Party.

Poake reports that costumes are encouraged, and that means you can choose to wear anything from a grass skirt to a loud Hawaiian shirt.

The entertainment will include a disc jockey, and you will be able to participate in limbo, dance and costume contests. Tickets are $50 per person, and part of that amount is tax-deductible.

You are encouraged to call Project Atrium at 941-2825 for tickets and information.

Project Atrium is northern and eastern Maine’s only residential treatment program for adolescents struggling with both substance abuse and mental health issues.

Its purpose is to assist those individuals in their journey to adulthood so that they are increasingly able to live a more successful and healthy life.

Parents, children, teenagers, and speech-language pathologists are invited to Fluency Workshop Day from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Memorial Union on the University of Maine campus in Orono.

The workshop is jointly sponsored by UMaine and its Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the National Stuttering Association and the UMaine Chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association.

The event features a series of discussions led by experts in the field exploring new therapy strategies and the most recent scientific explanations for the causes of stuttering. Young people who stutter will be encouraged to share their experiences.

The cost of the workshop is $10 for families and $20 for speech-language pathologists.

Nancy Hall, chairwoman of the UMaine department of communication sciences and disorders, reports the workshop goal “is to provide education and support for parents, speech language pathologists and people who stutter, and also to create an environment where children and teens, who stutter, can meet other people who stutter.”

Information can be obtained by calling Hall at 581-2404, Marybeth Allen, 581-2403, or visiting www.umaine.edu/comscidis.

Priscilla Clark, chairwoman for the recent Third Annual Lowell-Enfield Boy Scout Troop 64 Ice Fishing Derby, wrote that the event “was a huge success this year,” thanks to the help of area individuals, businesses and organizations.

“The community involvement in this project is overwhelming and is an example of how important the success of our youth is to all of us,” Clark wrote.

She thanks business owners who sold tickets, and those who bought them, because that effort raised funds “that will help Scouts to learn life skills, advance through the ranks, and participate in a number of outdoor activities.”

Not only has Ammadamast Grange in Enfield opened its facility for weekly Scout meetings, she wrote, but the facility also served as the Derby weigh station.

“We can’t thank them enough for their kindness,” Clark wrote, while reminding area residents that “the Grange building is also available for rent for those special occasions when you need extra room.

“The benefit of renting this space is well worth the reasonable cost of the rent,” she added.

Clark praised the continued support the Scouting program receives from The Lincoln News, and thanked “committee members, Scouts and parents who worked, tirelessly, on this event.”

And, to “all those anglers who tried to capture the Big One,” she wrote, “you are the heart of what makes the Derby a success.”

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