Play on teenage suicide to tour area schools

Applause, applause for everyone associated with Penobscot Theatre Company and The Acadia Hospital who is involved with “PALS,” by Falmouth playwright David Perkins.

The organizations are launching a tour this week of the award-winning one-act play, which tells the story of a teen contemplating suicide.

PTC producing artistic director Mark Torres and company will be bringing this most important educational production to students at John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, Mt. Abram High School in Salem, Foxcroft Academy in Dover-Foxcroft, Deer Isle-Stonington High School, the Caribou Performing Arts Center, Ellsworth High School, Stearns High School in Millinocket and Millinocket Middle School.

Also benefiting from this thoughtful production will be students at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Hampden Academy, Old Town High School, Searsport High School and Orono High School.

The professional performances will be followed by a discussion facilitated by school guidance counselors, Acadia Hospital clinicians and the actors.

This “Community Conversations” project is partially funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Eastern Maine Medical Center Auxiliary, Bangor Noontime Rotary and the Michael Irons Memorial Endowment.

Bookings and information are available by calling Katey Strout, 947-6618, or e-mailing katey@penobscottheatre.org.

After being asked “to find out about hair donation,” Leonard Middle School in Old Town health teacher Deborah Ziobron learned that insurance does not cover a “hair replacement system” for a child who is suffering hair loss, and that the cost of a wig for one child is $1,500.

To help teach students that “people are much more than what they look like,” Ziobron formed the Leonard Middle School Wigs for Kids Club, and volunteered to allow the pupil “raising the most towards its $1,500 goal” to “cut my hair completely off,” she wrote.

“I will then have my head shaved,” Ziobron added.

With the students already involved in raising funds for tsunami relief, “we got off to a very slow start with our club, due to scheduling,” Ziobron explained. “My hair was supposed to be cut after Thanksgiving; however, we are presently still short approximately $600.”

To help close that gap, the Wigs for Kids Club is hosting The Antique/Craft/Flea Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at Leonard Middle School, 156 Oak St. in Old Town.

At that time, Ziobron’s hair, which from mid-ear to the end is now 20 inches long, will be cut.

“I’m ready to follow through on what we began at the end of last year,” Ziobron promised.

On behalf of the St. John’s Women’s Council, President Nancy Taylor invites you to attend the comedy “Broomfield and Vinne” at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 30, in the church hall on York Street in Bangor.

The play stars the Rev. Richard McLaughlin, pastor of St. John’s, as Broomfield, and features Tom Mooney, Jon Harvey, Jan Cox, Alan Paradis, Rachel Ferguson and Claudette O’Connell.

Also appearing is media personality Ric Tyler, as well as members of the Y Players Pam Martin, Pat Brown and Marion Tozier.

Tickets are $8 each and can be purchased at the church rectory and Patrick’s Hallmark in the Broadway Shopping Center in Bangor.

The 25th anniversary of the Hilda C. Rosen Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Eastern Maine Medical Center is 2-4 p.m. Sunday, May 1, in EMMC’s Mason Auditorium on State Street in Bangor.

All NICU “graduates” from the past 25 years and their families are invited to attend the event, which will include food, games and live entertainment.

For more information about the celebration, call the EMMC NICU at 973-8781.

Dorothy Averill Hawkes of Bangor and her committee are planning for the Bangor High School Class of 1945 60th Reunion, which is 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at the Muddy Rudder Restaurant on the banks of the Penobscot River in Brewer.

They have been unable to locate 10 of their classmates, and hope our readers can help.

The BHS Class of ’45 is seeking information about Olive Ogilvie Bragg, Bettie Taylor Colson, Roland Foster, Ferne Carson Halverson, Polly Curtis Jacobs, Wayne L. Plummer, Margaret Mingo McFarland, Dorothy Gould Sibley, Ronald Smith and Lee Cahill Spain.

If you can help, you are asked to call Hawkes at 942-8348, write her at 296 Mt. Hope Ave., Bangor 04401, or e-mail Dorothyannhawkes@aol.com.

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