Discover hidden treasures at museum auction

Hidden treasures everywhere. Which one do you like?

The Maine Discovery Museum Hidden Treasures Dinner Auction begins with a preview at 5 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the live auction at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at Spectacular Event Center in Bangor.

Tickets are $40 and are available at the museum or by calling 262-7200.

“This is our third year of presenting for auction items of furniture that have been painted by Maine artists,” my friend Susan Carlisle wrote.

The list of creative participants includes many of “local renown” as well as those from all corners of Maine, she added of artists “from Kennebunk to Eastport, Caribou to Skowhegan” who graciously agreed to participate in this fundraiser.

Approximately 75 boxes are up for bid.

Some of the boxes “have gorgeous Maine scenes; some are funky and some are strictly for kids,” she added.

If you want to see some of them in storefront windows while enjoying a stroll through downtown Bangor, you can obtain a walking tour map at MDM, 74 Main St., or you can check them out online at www.mainediscoverymuseum.org.

“The auction promises to be a good one,” Carlisle continued, “with a great menu and guest auctioneers Matt Friedman and Donna Gormely from WLBZ-TV, but if you absolutely can’t be present, it’s possible to place absentee bids online on the MDM Web site.”

Hundreds of services and new items will be available at the Limestone Rotary Club 55th annual auction and dinner at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at Limestone Community School.

The event gets under way with a silent auction from 5 to 6:30 p.m. with dinner served beginning at 5 p.m. in the LCS cafeteria.

The live auction, with Fred Dobbs wielding the gavel, is at 6:30 p.m., in the LCS Auditorium.

Tickets are $8 per person, and can be obtained by calling Dottie Martin, 472-4191, or Adam Kohler, 325-4620.

Everett Parker reports the Shirley Community Church annual coffee to raise funds to purchase Christmas gifts for residents of Charles A. Dean Nursing Home in Greenville is 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, in the fellowship room of the church.

Admission is by donation for this benefit that also features muffins, doughnuts, sweet breads, coffeecake and other goodies.

Admission is $6 to attend the Sangerville Fire Ladies Auxiliary Adults Only Halloween Dance for which doors open at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Sangerville town hall.

Steve Pratt, The Music Maker, will get you on your dancing feet at 9 p.m. This Halloween fire department fundraiser will include a 50-50 contest, door prizes, and costume contests. Those who plan to attend are asked to bring their own beverages.

The Maine Women’s Studies Consortium Conference, “Women’s Works,” begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at University College of Bangor. The keynote speaker is feminist performance artist, writer and oral historian Judith Sloan.

Early registration is $30 and $10 for students but, after Friday, Oct. 21, the fees are $35 and $15. Those unable to pay the full fee may pay what they can. For more information, call conference chair Kay Retzlaff, 262-7760, or e-mail kay.retzlaff@maine.edu.

You can learn more at http://student140.ucb.sephone.us/program.html.

Founder Bill Rae and staff and volunteers of Manna Ministries, who now call the former Beal College on Main Street in Bangor their home, are always seeking ways to serve the needs of people who visit their soup kitchen for a healthful meal.

At its former location on Center Street in Bangor, those who used Manna services could ride the city bus and reach that site easily, but that is not as true now.

Manna staff recently announced donations have made it possible for the nonprofit organization to purchase a small bus, which is painted bright blue, that will bring guests to Manna’s new location Monday through Friday.

From 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., every half-hour on those days, the bus will make a circle throughout the city, and pick up those who need the transportation.

The bus will stop at the following Bangor locations: the former Manna facility at 180 Center St.; Pickering Square; Brooks Pharmacy at the corner of Union and Fourteenth streets; Fairmount Market on Hammond Street; Leadbetter’s Convenience Store at the corner of Hammond and Ohio streets; and the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter on the corner of Cedar and Main streets.

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