Bangor

Gravestone rubbing class

The Bangor Museum and Center for History will present a gravestone rubbing class once a month at Mount Hope Cemetery in Bangor.

The first class will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, May 27, and later classes are scheduled for the second Saturday of each month.

The fee is $10 for BMCH members, $15 for nonmembers, materials included. Meet at the Superintendent’s Lodge inside the State Street entrance. Class size is limited, so call 942-1910 to reserve your space.

Antiques appraisals

An open house and antique road show will be held to mark National Nursing Home Week 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. today at Westgate Manor, 750 Union St. May Andrews of Tiques and Tocks of Then will give a free appraisal of family heirlooms.

. Entertainment by Janna Whitney, 2:30 p.m.

. Entertainment by Joel Morneault, 6:30 p.m.

. Tours of the new resident kitchen on the Cascade Unit, the addition to the Acadia Unit, the respite suit on the Residential Care Unit, and the gazebo in the courtyard.

. Information on community resources at booths with the Maine Alzheimer’s Association, Eastern Agency on Aging, Genworth Financial, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network and Kindred Healthcare.

. Free blood pressure screenings.

Call Kristie Miner at 942-7336 for more information.

Discovery Museum social

The public is invited to attend a social with Fusion:Bangor 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at the Maine Discovery Museum. Attendees may visit the museum’s newest exhibit, Safari Treasures from the Smithsonian, and participate in a scavenger hunt.

UBS Financial Services is the sponsor. Refreshments will be served. For information, call Amanda at the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce, 947-0307, or visit www.fusionbangor.com.

Gallery talk with Izu

Kenro Izu will present a gallery talk 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 1, at the University of Maine Museum of Art, Harlow Street. His exhibition, “Kenro Izu: Sacred Places,” is at the museum through July 1.

The exhibition showcases an ensemble of 55 photographs of spiritual landmarks in Asia, the Pacific Islands, Egypt and Europe, many of which have never been shown. Many of the sites in the exhibit face destruction, either through neglect or overexposure to human contact. But Izu’s photography is not a staid documentation of endangered architecture.

“The important thing is the spirituality of these monuments,” he said. “It’s not just a photograph of a building.”

Tickets are $10 and must be purchased by June 1. A limited number of seats are available.

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a reception. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. The gallery talk is 6:30-7:30 p.m. Call the museum at 561-3350 for ticket information.

Child care professionals

The Penquis CAP Resource Development Center is offering “ABC, 123” for child care professionals 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at Penquis CAP, 262 Harlow St. The literacy-based workshop will focus on the power of books and activities to enhance a child’s learning. The activities will be aligned with Maine’s Early Learning guidelines.

There is a $15 nonrefundable registration fee for the class. Current child care providers may apply to the Penquis Resource Development Center’s Scholarship Fund for reimbursement. For information or registration, call 973-3533.

Rubber Duck Race

The ninth annual Greater Bangor Rubber Duck Race will bob through town 10 a.m. Saturday, May 20, downtown. The race will begin on the Central Street bridge and end at the footbridge behind the Pickering Square parking garage.

WLBZ’s sports reporter John Smist is the honorary chairman. Some 2,000 rubber ducks will be dumped into the stream and float to the finish line. Sponsors of winning ducks will win one of many prizes. Proceeds benefit Good Samaritan Agency’s programs and services.

Ducks may be purchased 8-10 a.m. in Pickering Square the day of the race. The cost is $5 per duck or six for $25.

Good Samaritan Agency volunteers will sell duck race souvenirs. Games and face painting for small children will be available. For more information, call 942-7211.

Bootcamp for Dads

Penquis CAP Parents Are Teachers, Too is offering Boot Camp for New Dads, a free workshop for first-time expectant fathers, 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, at Penquis CAP, 262 Harlow St. Pizza and beverages will be provided. To register or for more information, call Wendy Pace at 973-3674, or (888) 389-3610.

Maine-ly Harmony chorus

At a recent rehearsal of Maine-ly Harmony women’s a cappella chorus, the following new officers were installed: Lea Davis of Augusta, president; Sue Staples of Bangor, vice president; Gerry Dostie of Augusta, treasurer; Anne Danforth of Chelsea, secretary; Debbie Greim of Auburn and Betsy Easton of Buckfield, board members.

Chorus director Kathy Greason of Hallowell led the chorus in the organization’s theme song, “We’re Harmony, We’re Strong,” which begins, “A blend with friendship is our creed, in harmony we fill a need; come lift your voices loud and long to celebrate with us in song.”

Women and teenage girls from throughout Maine make up the chorus. New members are welcome to join rehearsals at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at the Gardiner Regional Middle School, Cobbossee Avenue, Gardiner. Call Lea Davis at 622-1273 for more information.

The chorus received the Rising Star award for placing eighth, a move up of five positions, in a recent weekend competition in Burlington, Vt. Choruses from throughout New England, New Jersey, Maryland, Montreal and Quebec participated in the event.

Bradley

Independence Day parade

The town of Bradley will hold its annual Independence Day parade and Community Fun Day on Saturday, July 1. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Broad Street and end at the Viola Rand School on Highland Avenue. Fun Day will begin right after the parade and end at 2 p.m. Events will take place on Main Street between Cram and Bullen streets.

Fun Day activities include bounce houses, a cake walk, face painting, tug of war, tip a troll, apple bobbing, a water downpour derby game, a bike decorating contest, clog dancers, bands, food, craft booths, Bradley history table, raffles, a K-9 and Trail Wagon training demonstration, and an antique car show.

The parade committee is seeking veterans to ride on a float in the parade. The committee also needs people to show off their talents at the Fun Day. The committee would like to have a jam and pickle tasting contest, a photo contest, quilters and a quilt exhibit, a flower exhibit, a Bradley memorabilia exhibit and a woodworking show.

Those interested in serving on the parade committee or volunteering in other ways may call Heidi Gifford at 827-1087. For information about the antique car show, call Jill Callela at 827-6480.

Brewer

Bowlathon

A bowlathon to benefit United Cerebral Palsy’s Camp CaPella program will be held 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 20, at Bangor-Brewer Bowling Lanes, 534 Wilson St. Bowl individually or as a team with as many as five team members. For those who don’t collect pledges, the cost of admission is $10. To obtain a pledge sheet, visit www.ucpofmaine.org. To register by phone, call Stephanie at 941-2952, ext. 206.

Bucksport

Steel drum concert

A steel drum concert and dance will be held 7-9 p.m. Friday, May 19, at the Miles Lane School gymnasium. Bucksport Middle School pan class, Bucksport Adult Education beginner pan class, Steel Appeal and Flash in the Pans will perform for listening and dancing.

Tickets sold at the door are $4, $3 for students and $10 for a family. Refreshments will be available. The concert will benefit the Bucksport Pan Program. For more information, call 469-6497.

Hampden

Quilt Program day

The Hampden Historical Society will hold a Quilt Program day 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the Kinsley House, 83 Main Road South. Quilted wall hangings stitched by Sally Field will be on display and quilted clothing by other artists will be shown. Other activities:

. Bunny Gibson and the Sidestep Cloggers.

. American Doll presentation given by Girl Scout Troop 007, 11 a.m.- 1p.m.

. Author Ardeana Hamlin signing copies of her book, “A Dream of Paris,” 10 a.m.-noon.

. Guided tours of the Kinsley House.

The cost of admission is $5. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 945-9321 or 862-2027.

Orono

Fiftieth annual plant sale

The fiftieth annual Green Thumb plant sale will be held 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 20, rain or shine, at the Church of Universal Fellowship, 82 Main St. A variety of hardy perennial bulbs and plants, bushes, shrubs and young trees will be available, as well as annuals, houseplants and seedlings.

The food sale will feature “Bean Supper in a Basket,” a generous meal for two, in addition to the usual home-baked goodies and preserves.

Proceeds benefit the Salvation Army and Church World Service.

Community inclusion

The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies has announced winners of its 2006 “Daring to Dream” awards, recognizing vision and leadership toward making inclusive communities a reality for individuals with disabilities and their families.

Initiated in 2002, the three award categories recognize people or organizations that have made a difference in social change, public policy change and scholarship. Honorees receive stained glass awards crafted by artisan Lisa Raven.

The 2006 honorees:

. Laura Antranigian of Portland, past president and active member of Speaking Up for Us, Maine’s self-advocacy network, for vision and leadership that promotes social change to advance the rights of people with disabilities.

. Anne B. Schink, program officer of the Maine Commission for Community Service in Augusta, for vision and leadership promoting public policy change to advance civil rights of people with disabilities.

. Carol J. Gill, an associate professor of the Department of Disabilities and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago, for vision and leadership in scholarship that influences disability studies policy and practice.

They will be recognized at the annual awards ceremony 1:30-3 p.m. today at Buchanan Alumni House on campus.

Information can be obtained by calling the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies at 581-1207.

Penobscot

Bagaduce Watershed

On May 24, the Bagaduce Watershed will host a meeting at which Marnie Reed Crowell and Ann Flewelling will present a multimedia show.

Reed Crowell is a poet, biologist and author of several books on natural history. Flewelling is a photographer and psychologist.

The women will explore the watershed region with verbal and visual images. Among the program’s highlights will be the annual appearance of horseshoe crabs, one of nature’s most fascinating phenomena.

In June, when the water temperature has warmed, the female horseshoe crabs come ashore along the Bagaduce River to lay their eggs at the full moon high tides.

Last year, Reed Crowell and Flewelling participated in the ongoing Bagaduce horseshoe crab census. They presented their work online at www.threehalfpress.com.

The program will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, at the Penobscot Town Hall. The program is free and the public is invited. Refreshments will be served. For information or directions, call Nonny Ferriday at 326-0580.

Areawide

Housing programs

USDA Rural Development has announced new income limits for the Direct and Guaranteed Single Family Housing programs.

For example, a family of four living in Hermon on an income of $43,500 may qualify for Rural Development assistance under the Section 502 Direct Single Family Housing Loan Program. The program assists people in buying, building, repairing or rehabilitating a home in a rural area for a permanent residence.

Under Rural Development’s Section 502 Guaranteed Single Family Housing Loan Program, a family of four in Hermon with household income of up to $68,550 may qualify for assistance to purchase a new or existing rural home. For eligibility in your area, visit http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do .

For more information on USDA Rural Development’s Housing Programs, call Dale D. Holmes, housing program director, at 990-9110; or visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/me/offices/office.htm for a list of area office locations.