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Aviation education camp

BANGOR – Young people aspiring to careers in aviation will soar above the rest this summer. Aviation Career Education Camp will welcome youth entering grades nine to 12 for an in-depth, hands-on exploration of careers in aviation. Camp participants will visit airports, air traffic control facilities and a local Air National Guard unit.

Students will build and launch model rockets; experience flight simulators; plot navigation courses; learn about aviation history, the theory of flight and aircraft instrumentation; and fly in many single- or twin-engine aircraft.

Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor will provide overnight facilities and dining services during the camp program, which runs June 18-24.

ACE Camps are co-sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration and other area organizations. A brochure and registration packet are available at maineaved.org/students, or by calling Ann Delaney at 974-4871. Camp size is limited. Early application is encouraged.

Sponsors for Ace Camp are the Federal Aviation Administration, Bangor International Airport, Telford Aviation Services Inc., the Maineiacs – Maine Air National Guard, and Eastern Maine Community College.

Youth Adelantando

BANGOR – Youth Adelantando, a local youth activist group, plans to start the spring with a kick, holding a community night 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, May 5, at the Lunchbox Cafe in downtown Bangor.

The evening’s theme is “Contemporary Conflict: Finding Color in a Black and White World,” and will involve a silent auction of local artwork, live music and readings of poetry and prose.

Youth Adelantando, which means “youth going forward,” is an autonomous group of local high school students. After dissolving for a short while, the organization bounced back into the semester, taking part in a number of activities and campaigns.

Members are committed to working on sweatshop-free purchasing, providing alternatives to military recruitment, promoting fair trade and facilitating discussion on economic and social justice in their schools and in the broader community.

The group sought submissions from local community members of art, poetry and short prose with the theme “Contemporary Conflict: Finding Color in a Black and White World.”

Youth Adelantando sponsored a table at the HOPE Festival last Saturday at the University of Maine.

Those who would like to read prose or poetry, or play music the evening of May 5, e-mail youthadelantando@pica.ws.

4H Junior Leaders Club

BANGOR – The 4H Junior Leaders Club, a group of teens age 13 years and up, is learning leadership skills through meetings, community service, tasks and trips to places where members learn about leadership in action. In their meetings, they use Robert’s Rules of Order.

Members said that their trip to the Bangor City Council meeting helped them improve on their techniques.

The 4H motto is “Learn By Doing.” The youths have had the opportunity to be involved in continuing community service and fundraising for their trip to Washington, D.C. Whether helping in the community or fundraising for their trip, they are developing the skills to become effective leaders and responsible citizens.

The Junior Leaders are going to Washington in July.

“We have raised half of the money we need, so we decided to do a Rent-A-Teens fundraising event,” Jess Elliot said. “Those with a yard to clean, garden to plant, car, garage or cellar to clean, or any odd jobs should call us. We come supervised and ready to work.”

For information, call 941-8915 or 989-0899. The group also is collecting bottles and cans and can be called for pickup.

Members of the Junior Leaders 4H Club said they were grateful for community support.

Student exchange program

HERMON – Volunteers who bring the world to their community will be honored during National Volunteer Week, April 23-29. In particular, EF Foundation for Foreign Study thanks host families whose generosity of time and spirit allow the nation’s largest incoming high school student exchange program to thrive.

For the foreign exchange students who come to America each year through EF Foundation for Foreign Study, National Volunteer Week has a special significance. While many are unfamiliar with the concept of volunteering before they arrive in the United States, they embrace it wholeheartedly once they are here -mainly because of the example of their host families, who themselves are volunteers.

This year’s National Volunteer Week theme, “Inspire by Example,” is fitting for EF Foundation’s host families. Exchange students from nearly 40 countries learn the importance of getting involved in their communities while they are here, often volunteering at food banks over the holidays or offering to share their experiences with younger students. They take this spirit of service back home.

This year, EF Foundation has announced its acceptance as a certifying organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award – the most prestigious volunteer award associated with the White House. It is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation on behalf of the president to recognize the best in the American spirit. EF Foundation will award it to two exceptional families whose commitment to involving their host sons or daughters in volunteer activities throughout the exchange year embodies the spirit of inspiring by example.

National Volunteer Week, sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, began in 1974 when President Richard Nixon signed an executive order establishing the week as an annual celebration. Since then, every U.S. president has signed a proclamation promoting National Volunteer Week.

EF Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Since 1979, its team of dedicated volunteers, local coordinators, and staff has helped more than 90,000 students from more than 30 countries participate in international exchange programs. This year, more than 3,000 EF students will arrive in the U.S., with that number expected to grow in the coming years. Currently there are nine EF Foundation students in Maine.

To become student ambassadors for their home countries, EF students undergo an extensive application and interview process and are selected based on academic achievement, maturity and adaptability. EF Foundation students accepted are fully insured, speak English and bring their own spending money. To learn more about opening your home to an EF Foundation student, call (888) 447-4273, e-mail Foundation@ef.com, or visit www.effoundation.org.

Penobscot Christian School

BANGOR – The Penobscot Christian School will hold its annual spring auction at 6 p.m. Friday, May 5, at the school, 1423 Ohio St. Items to be auctioned include gift certificates from area businesses, baked goods and crafts.

Sixth-grade essay winners

BANGOR – The Maine Space Grant Consortium has announced the winners of its recent statewide sixth-grade Student Essay Contest. Recipients of a classroom mission at the Challenger Learning Center of Maine in Bangor are:

. Connor Doyle, Winthrop Middle School.

. Paige Cote, a home-schooled pupil from Orland.

. Hannah Wright, St. John’s School, Brunswick.

The grand prize winner, Connor Doyle, received an all-expenses-paid trip to Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala.

The contest, open to sixth-graders, had participants focus the content of an essay on one of nine space or science-related topics. They were encouraged to use both the Maine Space Grant Consortium Web site, www.msgc.org, and the NASA Web site, www.nasa.gov, as resources. Entries were judged on quality of topic, quality of research, creative thinking, organization of essay and style requirements.

Old Town High School

OLD TOWN – Several Old Town High School students, under the guidance of art teacher Christine Chadwick, displayed artwork during the annual art show sponsored by Art in the Heart of Maine in the Bangor Mall.

They were: seniors Kitty Campbell and Amber Sechrest; juniors Stephen Costello, Mercedes Nelson and Ben Richards; sophomore Samantha Kitchen; and freshmen Elise Jordan, Tara Nitardy and Shannon O’Connor.

Samantha Kitchen and Elise Jordan’s pieces were chosen to be part of the Vincent A. Hartgen Traveling Exhibition Program.

These seniors have received college acceptances:

. Michelle Goulette: University of New England, University of Southern Maine and University of Maine.

. Jeffrey Guerrette: Central Maine Community College and New England Institute of Technology.

. William Hamilton: University of Southern Maine and University of Maine.

. Gerald Herlihy: University of Maine.

. Amanda LaBelle: Beal College and Eastern Maine Community College.

. Nathan Lonko: University of Southern Maine, University of Maine at Presque Isle and University of Maine.

. Ashley McDonald: University of Maine at Farmington.

Chinese School

Classes at the nonprofit Bangor Chinese School at Husson College are:

. Calligraphy, painting, the history of Chinese language, 2-5 p.m. Saturday, April 29.

. Lecture on Chinese philosophy, religions, education, arts, 2-5 p.m. Saturday, May 6.

. Chinese food, tea, medicines, 3-6 p.m. Saturday, May 13.

. Talk by Quanzhen Shi on China’s past, present and future, 2-5 p.m. Saturday, May 20.

Reservations are required. Call 990-0710, or e-mail zhangjing2000@yahoo.com.

Old Town Junior ROTC

The Army Junior ROTC program at Old Town High School received its first annual formal inspection recently. The inspection was conducted by Col. Michael Anderson and Sgt. 1st Class Ronnie Pena from Area Command at Fort Dix, N.J.

Old Town was one of several Maine high schools to be evaluated during their visit, all hoping to achieve the same status – Honor Unit with Distinction, the highest unit award in the Army JROTC Program.

The inspection was the culmination of three and a half years of hard work by the cadets, in addition to several weeks working hard to ensure that all areas of administration and unit knowledge were at the highest levels.

The inspection started at 8 a.m. sharp with a full battalion formation in the OTHS gymnasium. The cadets were inspected one at a time and judged in three areas: attendance, appearance and curriculum knowledge. The cadets received a maximum score on this event.

After the formation was completed, the JROTC color guard and drill team performed for the inspectors. All cadets watched and supported their teams. The two teams performed almost flawlessly and achieved extremely high scores.

The cadet battalion commander, staff and company commanders proceeded to the JROTC classroom to give a formal Unit Status briefing that covered all the battalion’s operations and plans for the rest of the school year. The briefing included a video of the cadets in action over the last three years. It was extremely well-received by the inspection team and the cadets were given a very high score.

Next was the staff inspection. The inspectors spent time with each area – personnel, security, training and operations, logistics and public affairs. Every staff section did extremely well; four of the five staff areas received commendation from the inspection team. The final activity was a review with the cadets covering their knowledge of the JROTC curriculum.

The four possible outcomes of an inspection are: Unsatisfactory, Merit Unit, Honor Unit, and the highest award, which is Honor Unit with Distinction. Old Town High School achieved Honor Unit with Distinction – a great accomplishment for the cadets and school, as many schools do not achieve this standing after their first inspection.

Spirits were high in the Corps of Cadets, and members said they appreciated the support of faculty, staff, the parents of the cadets and members of the Old Town Community. The unit holds the Honor Unit with Distinction status until the next formal inspection three years from now.

Colleges

Beal College

BANGOR – The early childhood education students at Beal College recently participated in the Week of the Young Child, part of the National Association for the Education of the Young Child.

Area children were treated to stories, seed plantings, refreshments and games. Parents were given information about parenting ideas, a display from the library had books about parenting and safety issues, and gun locks were distributed free of charge. The event ended with a cake marking the week.

Travel and tourism students at the college recently returned from a weeklong tour of Ireland. As part of their field experience, the group planned a bus tour of Dublin, Killarney, and Shannon. They saw Blarney Castle, the Book of Kells at Trinity College, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Ring of Kerry and Bunratty Castle.

The Class of 2006 graduates at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 30, at Peakes Auditorium at Bangor High School.

Dr. Erik N. Steele, vice president and chief medical officer for Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, will be the keynote speaker. School President Allen Stehle will award diplomas and certificates to more than 90 students. The senior awards banquet will be at the Spectacular Event Center at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 28.

For more information, call Debbie Crockett, 947-4591, or e-mail dcrockett@bealcollege.edu.

Maine Maritime Academy

CASTINE – Joshua Coffin of Hampden was selected recently to serve as the Bravo Company cadet electrical engineer of the college’s training ship State of Maine for the 2006 summer training cruise.

As a ranking midshipman engineering officer, he is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness, organization and inventory of the electricians’ workshop, as well as the proper operation of the ship’s electrical systems. Coffin is majoring in marine engineering operations.

New England School of Communications

BANGOR – Jill McDonald, vice president of communications and market development for Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, will be the featured speaker at the 24th annual commencement exercises at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at the New England School of Communications, Newman Gymnasium, Husson College.

Sixty students are scheduled to receive degrees and certificates.

McDonald was a general assignment, health reporter and anchor at Cable News 12 in Southern Connecticut and later a WLBZ-TV, Bangor, and WCSH-TV, Portland.

At Eastern Maine Medical Center and its parent organization, Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, she has been a news media associate, community relations manager and director of community relations, and this year became vice president of communication and market development for EMMC.

McDonald graduated from Syracuse University in 1982 and received a master’s degree in communication at the University of Maine in 2000. In 2002 she became the first hospital public relations director in Maine to be accredited in public relations from the Public Relations Society of America.

McDonald has received awards for journalism from the Maine Association of Broadcasters and the Maine Associated Press, and has been recognized by the state with the Dorothea Dix Media Merit Award for responsible reporting on mental health issues. Her work also has been recognized by the Maine Chapter of the National Association for the Mentally Ill. She serves as a member of NESCom’s program advisory committee.

McDonald is the mother of two children.

University of Maine

ORONO – Brandon Libby of Brewer was recognized recently at an induction ceremony for the Delta Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Membership in the honor society is based on outstanding academic performance and is offered to a very small fraction of the graduating class in liberal arts and sciences. Libby will graduate from the university Honors College in May. He plans to attend medical school. He is the son of Robert and Wendy Libby of Brewer.

UMS chancellor

BANGOR – University of Maine System Chancellor Joseph W. Westphal recently announced that he will step down from his current position on June 30 and return to teaching full time.

“After many years of leading large and complex organizations, I want to use my energy in new ways to contribute to this university system and Maine,” Westphal said. “I want to fulfill some personal goals that rely on the many incredible experiences I have been fortunate to have had in my career, and returning to a full-time faculty position will enable me to pursue those objectives.”

Westphal, a former senior official in the Clinton and Bush administrations, will focus on his academic and professional expertise in areas such as environmental and education policy, national security and democratic institutions.

Westphal, who has been chancellor since April 2002, also serves as a tenured political science professor at the University of Maine.

Westphal will become a full-time faculty member and hold the title of University System Professor, beginning July 1. In that role, he will teach, conduct research, engage in public service outreach and advise students. His system professorship covers four years, including a sabbatical year.

Westphal holds a doctoral degree in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He taught for 12 years at Oklahoma State University, serving as chairman of the political science department for several years. He also taught as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

In 1998, Westphal took on a new challenge when he was confirmed by the United States Senate as assistant secretary of the Army. In that role, Westphal was the head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with 35,000 employees and an annual operating budget of more than $20 billion. He concluded his Army career in 2001 as acting secretary of the Army.