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Bangor

Camp Bangor city cleanup

The seventh annual Camp Bangor Citywide Cleanup will take place on Saturday, May 6. The event is open to all. Camp Bangor children and their families are encouraged to take part to meet the program’s community service requirement.

Cleanup participants should show up at 9:30 a.m. at any of these locations, where team leaders will be waiting with garbage bags, gloves and directions: Fairmount Park, Hayford Park, Doughty School yard, Bass Park and the skateboard park, Mary Snow School yard, Fruit Street School parking lot, Chapin Park, Broadway Park, Little City Park, Stillwater Park, Essex Woods, Downeast School yard, Capehart, Prentiss Woods and Brown Woods.

A barbecue for all volunteers will take place at noon at Stillwater Park on Howard Street in Bangor. There will be free food and activities for the children.

Sara Yasner, administrator of the Camp Bangor program at United Way of Eastern Maine, said, “The cleanup will engage hundreds of volunteers at parks and schools all around the city of Bangor.” The Camp Bangor Program offers $1,000 summer camp scholarships to Bangor public school children enrolled in grades three-six. In order to receive the scholarship, each child must complete some form of volunteer work.

The cleanup is sponsored by United Way of Eastern Maine, the city of Bangor and Keep Bangor Beautiful. It is supported by area businesses including Pepsi Bottling Co. in Hampden, Sam’s Club, Chartwells, W.A. Bean, Lincoln Rental and Job Corps.

The event is one of five cleanup weekends in the spring. Call Kathy Guerin, Keep Bangor Beautiful, at 990-1201 for more information.

Library book sale

The Friends of the Bangor Public Library are gearing up for their annual book sale 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 13, in the Lecture Hall at the library.

Donations of good quality used hardcover, soft-cover and children’s books are being accepted for the sale. Reader’s Digest condensed books, magazines and textbooks will not be accepted. Those who wish may call the library at 947-8336, Ext. 128, to arrange pickup for donated books.

A members-only preview book sale will be held 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 12. Membership forms may be obtained at the front desk of the library and also will be available on preview night.

Those who wish to help the Friends of the Library organize the book sale should leave names and contact information at the library’s front desk.

Spring concert

Under the direction of Conductor Joshua Schmersal, and accompanied by pianist Naomi Hall, the Bangor Community Chorus will present its annual Spring Concert at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 7, at the First United Methodist Church, 703 Essex St.

A special feature of the concert will be the singing of inspirational music in remembrance of the Holocaust victims of World War II. The chorus also will sing folk tunes, spirituals, 1920s-style music by Irving Berlin, and solos and duets.

Admission is free, but donations are accepted.

Evening for arts education

Gov. John Baldacci and First Lady Karen Baldacci and the Maine Alliance for Arts Education will be the hosts for the second annual Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Extravaganza 5-7 p.m. Sunday, May 7, at Baldacci’s Restaurant.

The event is a fundraiser for the alliance, a statewide nonprofit organization that works to strengthen education in visual art, music, dance, drama and creative writing in Maine.

The Baldaccis will join guests in tasting the wares of Maine’s best wine, cheese and chocolate producers. Student musicians will perform and student artwork will be shown.

The event is open to all. Tickets may be reserved by calling 725-9175 or by e-mailing MAAEmidcoast@suscom-maine.net. The suggested donation is $25 a person.

Bartlett Estate Winery, Blacksmiths Winery and Winterport Winery will provide wine; Hahn’s End Cheese, Sunset Acres and Seal Cove will supply cheese; and Monica’s Chocolates, Dean’s Sweets and B. Potter Wine Chocolates will bring chocolate to sample.

Proceeds will support the work of the alliance, a network of classroom teachers, arts specialists, school administrators, parents, artists, community supporters and arts organizations working locally to ensure quality arts education experiences for all children. The Maine Alliance for Arts Education is a member of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network. For more information, call 725-9175, e-mail artseveryday@adelphia.net, or visit www.maineallforartsed.org.

‘Music Off Broadway’

Bangor Rotary Club will present “Music Off Broadway,” a celebration of community talent, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at Peakes Auditorium, Bangor High School. The event is a fundraiser to support youth programs in the community.

“Music Off Broadway” will feature the talents of many familiar faces for a lively evening of singing and entertainment.

Rotarian Roger George will produce the event with music director Josh Schmersal. The evening will celebrate upbeat music of the ’50s and ’60s, and feature many popular show tunes sung by a 30-member chorus. Soloists include several members of the Rotary Club.

Familiar faces will include Heather Astbury, John Grover, Clif Eames, Jody Chasse, Darlene Mogul, Susan Hunt, Roland Dubay, Neil Ashton, Bruce Malonee and Paul Morrow. Show-stopping solo numbers will be sung by Sharon Pelletier, Nancy Dymond and Steve Gormley and others.

Funds raised will support after-school programming at the Bangor Y, the Camp Bangor scholarship program and programs for middle school children at Bangor Public Library.

Tickets to “Music Off Broadway” are $15, $10 for youth under 18, with a $40 family maximum. Advance tickets may be purchased at the Grasshopper Shop and BookMarc’s in downtown Bangor, Patrick’s Hallmark Shop on Broadway, and Mr. Paperback, Airport Mall, Union Street.

Stories from the Mexican border

Jim Harney spent three weeks last fall on the border between Mexico and Arizona, gathering the stories of poor Mexicans and Central Americans making the dangerous journey north to the United States in search of work.

The nationally known activist and photojournalist will share those stories with an audience in his hometown of Bangor at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 7, Redeemer Lutheran Church, 540 Essex St.

His presentation, “Globalization and the Undocumented,” is being sponsored by PICA, Peace through Interamerican Community Action, a Bangor-based group working for human rights and economic justice.

“These stories from the impoverished, those who have been made poor by institutions, point to dysfunctional ‘democracies,'” Harney said. “They cover up economic decisions that push the impoverished further to the edge of the planet. These decisions made by a few and imposed on the many force those unable to feed their families to make life-threatening decisions – to journey to al norte, to the U.S., to find work.

“Poverty creation uproots and forces human beings into dangerous migratory flows to the U.S. and the numbers won’t diminish anytime soon,” Harney said. “The journey, for those daring to take it, poses threats: robbery, rape and death. The journey implies a globalization process that has intensified human misery.”

Harney, a former priest, has spent most of the past two decades documenting the effects of violence and poverty on people in El Salvador, Iraq, Colombia and poor communities in the U.S. He has gained national recognition for his photographs that show the faces of hope and suffering among the poor.

Appreciation for child care

Child care organizations nationwide have joined together to declare Friday, May 12, as Provider Appreciation Day.

Locally, the Penquis CAP Resource Development Center will mark the day by sending each licensed child care center and family child care program a small zippered bag with a logo stating Good Beginnings Last a Lifetime. The gift is a token of appreciation for the dedication child care and early education professionals offer to the families of Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.

National efforts are under way to ask child care organizations, public officials and parents to honor child care providers with luncheons, parades or other celebrations.

Parents with children in child care are encouraged to use the day to show child care providers that they are appreciated.

Boot Camp for New Dads

The Penquis CAP Parents Are Teachers, Too program will offer Boot Camp for New Dads, a free workshop designed for first-time dads-to-be whose partners are in the last trimester of pregnancy.

The next workshop will be held 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, at Penquis CAP, 262 Harlow St., Bangor. Pizza and drinks will be provided.

New babies don’t come with owner’s manuals. Lots of first-time fathers have questions. Boot Camp for New Dads offers first-time fathers-to-be a chance to talk with experienced dads who bring their own babies.

The workshop is free. To register or to obtain information, call Wendy Pace at 973-3674 or (888) 389-3610.

Benefit concert

Clear Channel Radio and KISS 94.5 will sponsor “Mom-a-Palooza” at noon Saturday, May 6, at the Bangor Opera House.

Mom-a-Palooza features local moms Sara Murray, Shawna Wheeler and Sara Williams, backed by the local rock band Spilled Milk. They will perform classic children’s songs with a modern rock twist.

The band, the moms and a kids’ chorus will sing “Ring Around the Rosie,” “Rubber Duckie,” “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” and more. The event will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems. Tickets are $20, $10 children under 12, or $50 for two adult seats and a CD. To reserve tickets or to order a CD, call (877) EMH-KIDS, or visit www.givetolife.org.

Community aid concert

A concert to benefit Community Care and efforts to raise awareness about breast cancer will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Union Street Brick Church.

Earthtone, a progressive folk music group, will open the program before the appearance of Mona Rae, with Kevin Bate, who play acoustic folk rock tunes. Tickets are $10. To learn more about the event, call 990-4569, or e-mail Monarae@peoplepc.com.

Home buying training

MaineStream Finance will offer a free course in home buying 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, May 20 and 27, at Penquis CAP, 262 Harlow St., Bangor.

The course will be conducted by a qualified trainer and will cover the roles of professionals involved in the home-buying process, such as attorneys, real estate agents, lenders, insurance agents and home inspectors. Budget and debt management counseling and credit counseling are covered. Registration is required. Call 973-3557, or (800) 215-4952 to obtain more information.

Brewer

Indoor yard sale

Vendors are needed for the first annual Whatever sale set for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at the Brewer Auditorium. The table rental fee is $25 for an 8-foot table. Tables will be supplied. The event will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network.

Suggested items to sell at the event include, antiques, crafts, yard sale items, food, baked goods, artwork, plants, cosmetics and scrap-booking supplies.

The vendor must provide a tablecloth and skirt for the table. Set up time is 8 a.m. and break down time is no earlier than 4:15 p.m. Call Carol Lackedy at 989-5068 for information.

Bucksport

Annual children’s fair

The Bucksport Bay Early Childhood Network will hold its fifth annual Children’s Fair 9-11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Jewett Community Center, Bridge Street.

Parents, guardians, grandparents, aunts, uncles or special friends are encouraged to bring their babies, toddlers or preschoolers for a fun-filled morning of creative play. Activities will include music, blocks, sandbox, art, special baby play area, play dough, bubbles and prizes. Adults will learn about the resources and services available locally and regionally for young children.

Members of the Bucksport Bay Early Childhood Network prepared a Report Card on health, early care and education indicators that will be featured at the fair. The Report Card is based on Maine’s Recommendations for Core Indicators of School Readiness. These indicators will be used to track progress in improving rates of lead poisoning screenings, oral health screenings, immunizations, literacy standards, reading proficiency rates, and other health, early care and education factors.

Statistics are included in the Report Card that describe the economic and social health of Bucksport Bay families.

Member organizations of the Bucksport Bay Early Childhood Network include the G.H. Jewett and Miles Lane School, Bucksport Adult and Community Education Program, Bucksport Area Child Care Center, Child and Family Opportunities, Downeast Health Services’ Parents are Teachers Too Program, Young Explorers Preschool, Community Health and Counseling Services and the Bucksport Bay Healthy Communities Coalition. For more information, call 469-6682.

Corinth

Arts Festival evening

Central High School, comprising students from Bradford, Corinth, Kenduskeag, Hudson and Stetson, will hold its fourth annual spring Arts Festival and Band Concert 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, at the high school cafeteria and gymnasium.

The theme is “Hollywood Stars,” with student art displayed in a glitzy Hollywood opening-night motif. Members of the drama club will serve dessert and punch. Attendees will be invited to vote for their favorite piece of student art. A panel of judges will select winners in poetry, sculpture, photography, wood, textiles, drawing and painting. The band will perform at 7 p.m. The event is free and all are welcome.

Frankfort

Community forum

The Waldo County Healthy Community Coalition will hold a free forum 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, at the Stockton Springs Town Hall to listen to the citizens of Frankfort, Prospect, Searsport and Stockton Springs express their opinions about issues affecting the community. Refreshments will be served and door prizes awarded. For more information, call Sarah at 338-6809, or e-mail hcc@waldocap.org.

Hampden

Benefit supper

A spaghetti supper will be held 5-7 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Hampden Kiwanis Civic Center. Tickets are $5, $3 children. The event will benefit Hampden Academy Special Olympians Cailynn Goss and Stephen Ritz-Perkins, who will compete in the National Games in Ames, Iowa, this summer. To purchase tickets in advance, call Carol Ryan at 843-6077.

Adoption information

The staff of Maine Adoption Placement Service will hold an adoption information meeting 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, at Reeds Brook Middle School. Topics will include family requirements, cost and current trends. RSVP by calling Melissa Huston at 941-9500, or visit www.mapsadopt.org.

Walk for health

Deb Scott of Hampden will join thousands of men and women at the Boston Breast Cancer 3-Day event Aug. 4-6 to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Philanthropic Trust. Participants will walk 60 miles over three days to raise breast cancer awareness and funds for research and community outreach programs.

Scott will walk the 60 miles with her close childhood friend, Samantha Morneault. They have dubbed themselves “The Breast Friends” team. Morneault participated in 2004 and has joined Scott in the Race for the Cure in the Bangor area for the last five years.

“I decided to participate in the Breast Cancer 3-day,” Scott said, “because my grandmother lost her life to breast cancer and I have many friends and colleagues who are survivors. I wanted to do something bold to help fight the disease – and what better way than to set a goal to accomplish something as challenging at the 3-Day.”

Scott will walk in honor of Vicki Smith, Becky Sequin, Pam Dunphy, Laura Walker and Trudy Clarke – all survivor friends – and in memory of her grandmother White.

Scott is a health care representative for Pfizer Corp. and the mother of two children.

Walkers will cover 20 miles a day, traveling at their own pace. They will be supported by hundreds of volunteers who will provide meals, water and snack stops, gear transport, hot showers, portable restrooms, safety on the streets and medical services.

Each walker must train for the event and commit to raising $2,200. Those who wish to help Scott reach her goal may send checks payable to The 3-Day to: Deb Scott, 46 Hughes Blvd., Hampden ME 04444; or visit www.The3Day.org/Boston06/debscott. For information, call Scott at 299-6922, or 862-5116.

Holden

Future of Moosehead

The Penobscot Valley Chapter of Maine Audubon will present a special forum, “The Future Of Moosehead Lake,” at 7:30 Friday, May 5, at Fields Pond Audubon Center, 216 Fields Pond Road.

Plum Creek representatives will present an overview of the company’s revised plans for development on its lands in the region that soon will be submitted for approval to Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission. The Natural Resources Council of Maine and the Moosehead Region futures committee will present alternative visions for the area. State Rep. Bob Duchesne of Hudson will moderate the forum. For more information, call 989-2591.

Orland

Great Pond Mountain

Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust has a few openings for local naturalists interested in participating in an ecological inventory of the Great Pond Mountain Wildlands. Talented birders, botanists and herpetologists are especially needed to help survey the flora and fauna of the new 4,200-acre preserve.

Volunteer orientation has been set for 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 5, or 9-11 a.m. Saturday, May 13, meeting at Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery. Volunteers may choose either orientation session, which will consist of background on the Great Pond Mountain Wildlands preserve and campaign; an overview of the Natural Resource Inventory being done by Dr. Alison C. Dibble of Stewards LLC, and ecologist Catherine Rees; and a look at ways volunteers can help, such as compiling a plant and-or bird list and monitoring vernal pools or invasive plant control.

Volunteers may choose from a dozen or so sampling stations to visit regularly over the season. Orientation will end with an optional trip to the wildlands. Friday’s orientation will include a dusk woodcock survey. Participants should dress for weather, walking and bugs and bring snacks.

The trust also is organizing Saturday morning bird counts June 3 and 10 in the wildlands. Teams or individuals are encouraged to sign up for one or more mornings, and contribute to the wildlands bird list.

To participate in the inventory or the bird count, call Cheri Domina, administrative director, at 469-2008, or e-mail cdomina@midmaine.com.

Orono

Blessing of animals

Rogation Sunday, a traditional rite of blessing animals and the earth, will be celebrated at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, May 7, during worship at the Church of Universal Fellowship, 82 Main St. Participants are invited to bring caged and-or leashed pets, a plant or symbolic container of garden soil to be blessed by the Rev. Lorna Stuart.

DAR state regent

L. Donna Hoffmann of Bucksport, state regent of the Maine Daughters of the American Revolution, will be the special guest at the meeting of Esther Eayres Chapter, DAR, of Orono, at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 6, at the home of Helen King, Sunbury Village, 922 Ohio St., Bangor.

Also attending will be members of Katahdin Valley-Lydia Putnam Chapter, DAR, of the Lincoln area.

Orrington

Annual spring fair

The Center Drive School Parent-Teacher Group’s annual spring fair will be held, rain or shine, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at the school. Admission is free.

This is the big spring fundraiser that helps fund the various PTG projects in the school. There will be fun activities for kids of all ages. The gymnasium will be filled with games, face painting and inflatable “rides.”

Outside, the Curran Homestead will give hay wagon rides.

In the cafeteria, the popular Chinese auction will have everything from bicycles to toys to outdoor packages to great gifts for Mom and Dad. Local crafters and vendors will offer a wide variety of gift items for Mother’s Day and other events.

Also in the cafeteria, there will be interesting exhibits from local businesses and service organizations.

Stop by the Penny Candy Shoppe and the bake sale.