Last year’s response to one Brewer Youth Theatre production “was so great,” said Brewer Middle School coordinator and theater director Rich Kimball, “we decided to do it again.”

“A Night of 1940s Radio” begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, at the middle school, 5 Somerset St.

“It’s listening to radio just like it was 65 years ago, with a live studio audience,” Kimball said of the live drama that will be narrated by BMS teacher Tom Burby and feature a cast of 20 BMS and Brewer High School students dressed in period costumes.

The drama is “Escape,” written by Adam Kuykendall of Winterport and New York, who is well-known to Penobscot Theatre Company patrons.

“We’ll also have lots of music from the ’40s presented by Brewer students along with musical director Clayton Smith and guest accordionist Nancy Lamarre,” Kimball said.

“We’ll even have commercials from the ’40s and a look back at the biggest sports stories with our guest George Hale of WABI radio and television and WVOM radio.”

Tickets will be sold at the door. They are $3 for adults and $2 for students “and anyone old enough to remember the 1940s,” Kimball said. “It should be a great family event with lots of good music and fun.”

Proceeds benefit Brewer Youth Theatre.

Maine Adoption Placement Service is offering an informational meeting on international adoption.

The group works with 11 partner countries including Russia and China and invites those interested in international adoption to attend this presentation by MAPS international program specialist Stacy Dudley from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the MAPS office, 181 State St. in Bangor.

To ensure adequate space and materials, please call 941-9500 to reserve your spot.

For information, visit www.mapsadopt.org.

The Oriental Jade, local merchants and members of the media have joined forces to raise funds for Hurricane Katrina survivors.

During three seatings from 5 to 8:30 p.m. today; Wednesday, Nov. 9; and Thursday, Nov. 10, Oriental Jade co-owner Lillian Lo and owners of ERA Dawson-Bradford Real Estate, Curves and Van Syckle Lincoln-Mercury, invite you to enjoy a buffet dinner, visit with members of the local media and help raise funds for those affected by recent hurricanes along the Gulf Coast.

My BDN colleague Meg Haskell will present “From Bangor to Baton Rouge: A Maine Journalist’s Perspective on the Louisiana Gulf Coast after Katrina” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, in the Penobscot Media Room at Dirigo Pines Inn in Orono.

The event is sponsored by Friends of the Orono Public Library, and the public is invited. Information can be obtained by calling the library at 866-5060.

Brewer Christian Food Cupboard president Jan Ashton reports that now through Saturday, Nov. 19, a food collection is being conducted with the Brewer Community Service Council to prepare Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets for local families in need.

Collection boxes for nonperishable foods are available in Brewer at Brewer Federal Credit Union, Irving on North Main Street, Hannaford, Save-A-Lot, Regal Press, Dollar Tree and Maine Savings Federal Credit Union.

Donations of frozen turkeys and chickens are also being accepted, and you can contact Ashton at 989-3893 for information.

Ashton thanks those who helped the organization raise nearly $2,000 during its recent dance and silent auction because “all of that money directly benefits the community,” she wrote.

In September, I published a request by retirees Dwight and Meredith Whalen of Bangor for donations of fabric for their favorite leisure project: making teddy bears for Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and the Penobscot Country Sheriff’s Department.

The bears, now numbering more than 2,000, are used to help comfort children in crisis.

The response was so overwhelming, Meredith Whalen said, “that we’ve got enough fabric to last the winter.”

Material has been brought to them “just about every day” since their request appeared, Whalen said, and they “just couldn’t believe the response. It was tremendous.”

The couple thanks those who brought fabric and wants them to know that if a piece is unusable for the bears, the pair will see to it “that somebody does use it” by delivering it to senior citizens and others for a variety of projects.

“We use every scrap that is brought to us,” Whalen said.

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