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Bangor

Wheelchair basketball event

The annual wheelchair basketball event will be sponsored by Husson College physical therapy students 2-6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, in Newman Gym on the Husson campus.

Teams will comprise Husson College physical therapy students, amateur wheelchair basketball players from the Bangor High Rollers, and community members from Eastern Maine Medical Center in a 10-team tournament.

Lots of good food, T-shirts and prizes donated by community businesses will be raffled to raise money for Alpha One, an organization dedicated to improving independent living for disabled persons.

There will be pregame and halftime competitions for everyone. The event is free.

For information, call 941-7101 or e-mail opts@husson.edu.

Broadway show tunes

“Show Tunes Off-Broadway,” a collection of Broadway music, will be presented in concert to benefit the Boy Scout Troop 10 spring trip to the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base. The camp offers sailing, sea kayaking, snorkeling, canoeing and deep-sea fishing.

The concert will feature voices from the local community theater family, along with several members of church choirs. Kevin Bate will direct the concert and John Haskell will accompany on piano.

The concert will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, at Peakes Auditorium, Bangor High School. Tickets at $10 each are available at Patrick’s Hallmark Store in the Broadway Shopping Center, Rebecca’s on Main Street or by calling Roger George at 942-3993.

Comedy night

The Bangor Region Leadership Institute, part of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce, will sponsor a comedy night at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Spectacular Event Center, Griffin Road.

Comedians Quinn Collins and Chuck Grover will perform until 10:30 p.m., then a DJ will provide music for two hours of dancing.

Proceeds will support scholarships and help keep fees down for the institute’s program. Tickets are $25, and tables of 10 can be reserved through Emily McIntosh at the Chamber of Commerce, 947-0307.

Exhibit by art societies

An exhibit by the Bangor Art Society and the Old Town Art Society is displayed during February in the Lecture Hall at Bangor Public Library on Harlow Street. The parent organization of the Bangor Art Society began exhibiting at the library in 1885.

The works of the late Craig Johnson of Holden are on display in the Stairwell Gallery. An exhibit by Owls Head photographer Michele Le Gris is on display in the Stairwell Gallery extension. The opening of the Johnson exhibit will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5.

Author of ‘Adrift’

Maine native Steven Callahan, author of the New York Times bestseller “Adrift,” will speak at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, in the Lecture Hall at Bangor Public Library.

Callahan’s sloop sank six days out from the Canary Islands. He spent 76 days in a life raft, clinging to life through his own ingenuity and tenacity.

Books will be available for purchase and autographs. For information, call 947-8336.

Low-income tax assistance

Free income tax assistance for low-income taxpayers will be offered 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Feb. 7, 14, 25 and 28, at Penquis CAP, 262 Harlow St.

Call 973-3576 to schedule an appointment. Taxpayers should bring federal and state form packets, W-2 forms from employers, Form 1099 if they received one, a copy of last year’s tax return if they filed last year, and a Social Security card or record of their Social Security number.

Fireman’s Valentine’s Ball

Bangor’s Hose 5 Fire Museum will hold its ninth annual Fireman’s Valentine’s Ball from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Bangor Banquet and Conference Center, Hogan Road. The cost is $60 per couple and includes dinner.

The event is open to the public. Proper attire is required. Firefighters are encouraged to wear dress uniforms.

To obtain more information or to purchase tickets, call 992-4700, or stop by Central Fire Station on Main Street.

Funding for the homeless

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced funding for the homeless.

Bangor will receive funding for Shelter Plus Care housing and services through the Maine State Housing Authority.

In addition, the city will receive $1,157,667 through the Continuum of Care program.

Brewer

Black Tie Dinner Dance

The public is invited to attend the first annual Black Tie Dinner Dance, sponsored by the Penobscot River Winterfest, 6 p.m.-midnight Friday, Feb. 18, at the Muddy Rudder Restaurant, 5 South Main St.

Tickets may be purchased at the restaurant’s front desk. Reserved seating is $50 per person, or $90 per couple and includes hors d’oeuvres, dinner buffet, dancing, tax and gratuity.

The evening’s schedule is 6-7 p.m., social hour; 7:30-9 p.m., dinner; and 9 p.m.-midnight, dancing.

Music will be provided by the Jump City Jazz Band.

Key Club speaker

The Brewer Kiwanis Club’s Jan. 26 meeting featured guests from the Dover-Foxcroft Club: Dick Dunham, Debbie Dunham, Tim Hague, Grace Hague, Harold Sherman, John Danforth, Bonnie Guyotte and Hoyt Fairbrother; and from the Orono-Old Town Club: Larry Wade, Deanne Wade, Fred Haley and Fred Otto.

Past President Jane Newberry introduced Carol Lackedy from Brewer Wal-Mart, who spoke about a fundraiser for the Penobscot River Winterfest, with proceeds going to Kiwanis Children’s Charities and the Children’s Miracle Network.

Secretary Herb Hopkins introduced the guest speaker, Melanie Moore, president of the 75-member Brewer High School Key Club. She gave a synopsis of all the Key Club activities this year.

President Bill Newberry announced that Brewer Kiwanis will hold a dance 6-9 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at Peaks Hill Lodge.

Tickets will be available for the annual Rifle Raffle soon and can be purchased at Van Raymond Outfitters, Sinclair’s store, and Awards, Signage & Trophies

The club is looking for new members – attend 6-7 p.m. any second or fourth Wednesday at the Muddy Rudder or call President Bill Newberry at 945-0746 for further Kiwanis information.

Bucksport

Winter showcase

WERU’s Winter Showcase, featuring Willy Kelly, Tree By Leaf, Jeezum Crowe, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, at The Alamo in downtown Bucksport.

The artists are donating their performances.

The cost is $10 for WERU members, $12 for others, and children under 10 free. Tickets are available at BookStacks on Main Street, at WERU on Route 1 and at the door. For information, call (888) 295-0123.

Proceeds will benefit Community Radio WERU 89.9, Blue Hill, and 102.9, Bangor, streaming online at www.weru.org.

Local sponsors are MacLeod’s Restaurant & Pub; the Orland House Bed & Breakfast; Fellows, Kee, Tymaczko & Pierson LLC; Stewart’s Pizza; and Bucksport Irving Mainway.

Developmental screening

Child Development Services of Penobscot County will sponsor a free developmental screening with the Glenburn School Department from 10:30 a.m. to noon Friday, Feb. 11, at Glenburn Elementary School.

The screening is for 3- and 4-year-olds, as well as 5-year-olds not yet eligible for kindergarten. To schedule an appointment, call 947-8493, Ext. 17 or 14.

Hampden

Bowl-a-thon

The Hampden Children’s Day committee is planning a bowl-a-thon at noon Saturday, March 12, at the Sports Arena, formerly known as Heritage Lanes, to raise funds for the 26th annual Children’s Day. The bowling lane is located on Outer Hammond Street in Hermon.

Teams collect four pledges and compete to win prizes. Lane and shoe rental are provided.

Minimum pledge is $25 per team member or $100 per team.

To obtain more information, call Amy Lorenzo, 862-5522, or Don Darling, 947-2866.

Adult education

Hampden Adult Education will offer several courses for crafters, including scrapbooking, knitting, rug braiding, and basket lamp and lampshade making.

Those who aspire to write may choose from The Art of Poetry or What’s Your Story, which focuses on memoir.

Courses in dance, French, and drawing and painting also are available.

Classes begin Feb. 9. To register or to learn more, call 862-6422.

Levant

Legislative appointment

State Rep. Chris Greeley has been appointed a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety of the Maine Legislature.

Speaker of the House John Richardson made the announcement.

Orono

Planetarium shows

The University of Maine’s Jordan Planetarium will offer two star shows this month.

Friday evenings at 7 p.m., “Hubble Vision 2” will take participants of all ages on a journey through the universe as seen through the eye of one of the world’s first space observatories, the Hubble Space Telescope.

Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m., young visitors will explore the movements of the sky in “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” The program explains the way slaves used to escape to the North in the 1800s, and visitors will learn one of the songs the slaves used to remember a safe route to freedom.

Admission is $3. For information, call 581-1341 or check umainesky.com.

Mission to help Africa

In October, the Grammy-winning Christian rock band Jars of Clay performed a concert in Orono.

Recently the members of Jars of Clay, based in Franklin, Tenn., traveled to Africa to do benefit concerts and meet adults and children who have AIDS.

Dan Haseltine, Charlie Lowell, Matt Odmark and Steve Mason found that 30 percent of all deaths in the area were caused by water-related illnesses. An orphaned baby who drinks formula made with unclean water will die.

But, the band members added, $1 in U.S. funds will provide clean water for one African for one year.

Jars of Clay has started a nonprofit organization to benefit Africans with HIV and AIDS. They hope that Blood: Water Mission will raise enough money to repair and build 1,000 clean water wells all over Africa.

Through March 27, band members are asking people to donate $1 to raise money for the 1,000 Wells Project.

Donations may be sent to Blood: Water Mission, P.O. Box 682545, Franklin, TN 37068-2545. For more information, visit bloodwatermission.com, call (615) 595-8238, or e-mail info@africanleadership.org.