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Maine black history authors

Harriet H. Price and Gerald Talbot, authors of “Maine’s Visible Black History,” will talk about their book at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at the Bangor Public Library’s Lecture Hall.

The recent launch of “Maine’s Visible Black History” in Portland was so popular that a new venue had to be found to accommodate the more than 200 people who wanted to celebrate the publication of the book.

One of the book’s enthusiastic reviews comes from Dr. Randolph Stakeman of the Africana Studies Program at Bowdoin College.

He said, “‘Maine’s Visible Black History’ marks a new stage in the history of African American in Maine and the United States. It is a lavishly illustrated tapestry of personal reminiscences, local, state and national history that makes us reconsider what we thought we knew. It brings together professional and local historians, genealogists and storytellers, participants and narrators, in an accessible, fascinating and groundbreaking way.”

Price and Talbot played an integral part in researching and publishing the book. Together they founded Visible Black History, a resource and repository for educational material about the history of Blacks in Maine.

For more information, call the library at 947-8336.

Child care symposium

The Penquis CAP Resource Development Center and the Child Care Training Coalition will hold its annual child care symposium, “Something for You and ME,” 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at Eastern Maine Community College, Rangeley Hall. The theme is “Building Your Tool Kit.”

The morning workshops offer participants the opportunity to learn how to observe, document and plan, facilitate social-emotional development, use developmentally appropriate practice in the learning environment, positively guide children’s behavior, include children with disabilities, and understand math within the Early Childhood Learning Guidelines.

The afternoon workshops provide training in exploring nature’s playground, adapting curriculum for different age groups, helping infants and toddlers to develop strong and healthy bodies, building an assessment system to support successful early learners, reaching and teaching children with music, and Early Childhood Learning Guidelines and Classroom Learning Centers. The training session can be used to meet the licensing requirements for child care providers.

The symposium is funded in part by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. The conference fee is $30 by Aug. 31, and $35 thereafter. CEUs are available for an additional $3. The registration fee includes continental breakfast and lunch. There are no refunds. For more information, call the Penquis CAP Resource Development Center at 973-3533.

Friends of Shaw House

Shaw House is establishing the Friends of Shaw House, a group of concerned citizens who will provide community outreach in order to gather resources to assist the Shaw House staff in meeting its mission of meeting needs, improving lives and empowering youth. Interested citizens are invited to an organizational meeting 6-8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, at Shaw House, 136 Union St.

Shaw House began in 1991 in response to a study titled “No Place To Go,” commissioned by the city of Bangor. The findings of the study indicated that an increasing number of youth were exposed to exploitation and the dangers of street life as a result of homelessness.

Shaw House focuses on meeting the need for food, water, and shelter; for safety and security; for healthy relationships; and for personal, social, and educational development, enabling youth to gain a voice, influence and a productive place in society.

Last year Shaw House hosted more than 390 youth for a total of 5,285 bed nights and made more than 3,520 contacts on the streets.

Organizers of the group said the need is great and the need for help from the public is great.

Boot Camp for New Dads

The Penquis CAP Parents Are Teachers, Too program is offering Boot Camp for New Dads, a free workshop for first-time dads-to-be who are in the last trimester of pregnancy. The next workshop will be held 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, at Penquis CAP, 262 Harlow St. Pizza and drinks will be provided.

New babies don’t come with owner’s manuals. Lots of first-time fathers have questions such as how do I hold, feed, talk to or play with a baby? Boot Camp for New Dads offers first-time fathers-to-be a chance to talk with experienced dads who bring their own babies.

There is no cost to participate. To register or to obtain more information, call Wendy Pace at 973-3674 or (888) 389-3610.

The Penquis CAP Parents Are Teachers, Too program is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. The $1,327,236 grant covers 74 percent of program costs for a 34-month period.

Talk on Poland Spring

Poland Spring. These words bring to mind a familiar green and white bottle of water, but in the 1800s, those words conjured up visions of a magnificent Victorian summer hotel – a playground for the wealthy participants of what became known as the Gilded Age.

Author David Richards will talk about his book, “Poland Spring,” at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Bangor Public Library.

Richards, an assistant director of the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan, has penned a fascinating account of a 19th century family farm that has turned into a world-famous business, a veritable embodiment of American entrepreneurship. The Boston Globe described his book as an “anecdote-rich account of a vanished era at Poland Spring.”

Copies of “Poland Spring” will be available for purchase and signing.

Spruce Run volunteers

Spruce Run Association is seeking volunteers to answer hotline calls and work with children.

Spruce Run’s hotline is available 24 hours a day for those who want a safe, confidential place to talk about what’s going on in a relationship or about a friend or family member who may be abused.

Hotline volunteers provide support and validation, explore options and provide information about abuse and community resources. Volunteers need no previous experience or special skills except a desire to help. Most hotline volunteers work from their homes.

Training for hotline workers will be held on Monday and Thursday evenings beginning Sept. 25.

All children can benefit from a place to feel safe and comfortable to play, have fun and have positive interactions with caring adults. Spruce Run strives to give such experiences to children of parents using the agency’s services. Children’s Program volunteers participate in a weekly children’s group to provide a fun and safe environment. Children’s Program volunteer training will begin in early October.

For more information about volunteering at Spruce Run, call Margo Batsie at 945-5102, ext. 14.

Spruce Run’s 24-hour hotline, (800) 863-9909, is available to those affected by domestic abuse who want to talk about the situation and explore the options.

Family child care

The Penquis Community Action Program Resource Development Center is offering six hours of training in Getting Started in Family Child Care 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5 and 12, at Penquis CAP, 262 Harlow St., Bangor.

The Maine Roads to Quality training session introduces the aspects of opening a family child care business in the home and covers state certification procedures, health and safety practices, working with families, child development, community and professional resources, and business and professional development.

There is a $15 registration fee. Current child care providers may apply to the Resource Development Center’s Scholarship Fund for reimbursement of the fee. Call 973-3533 to register.

Hospice volunteer training

Hospice of Eastern Maine’s annual training course for volunteers will take place 5:30-9 p.m. Tuesdays, Oct. 10-Nov. 14, at the MOB Conference Room, Eastern Maine Healthcare Mall, Union Street. For an application packet or more information about hospice services, call Wayne Melanson, director or volunteer services, at 973-8269 or (800) 350-8269.

Hospice of Eastern Maine, a community-based program of the Bangor Area Visiting Nurses, trains and assigns volunteers to help terminally ill patients and their families when comfort, rather than cure, is the primary focus of care.

Canine good citizens

Penobscot Valley Kennel Club Inc. will sponsor Good Canine Citizenship classes at 5:30 p.m. Mondays, Sept. 4, and Sept. 11, on the waterfront, Railroad Street. Testing will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, at Paul Bunyan Park, Main Street. The cost for each class and test is $5. For more information, call 843-7018 or 843-5222.

Brewer

Class reunion

Brewer High School Class of 1956 held its 50th reunion Aug. 12 during a three-day and night event. Classmates traveled from as far away as California, Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Arizona and Texas. Seventy-eight people, classmates and spouses, attended the reunion.

Classmates gathered Friday night at the Colonial Circle recreation room. Saturday morning they toured Brewer High School and played a game of golf. A reunion dinner took place at the Muddy Rudder restaurant. A moment of silence was observed in memory of 16 classmates who have died. A Sunday breakfast was held at the Holiday Inn in Bangor.

Old Town

Family fundraiser

The Old Town Knights of Columbus and members of the Bradley Fire Department, extend thanks to the area’s businesses, friends, family and the anonymous donors who contributed to the support of Dillon Thibodeau and his family.

Dillon, who is recovering from a serious illness, returned home recently from Children’s Hospital in Boston.

“He is still very weak, but amazingly, is back to being the happy baby he was before his surgery. For precautionary reasons, he will be undergoing radiation treatment in Bangor,” said Kelly Thibodeau, Dillon’s mother.

A recent fundraiser brought in $4,528 for the Thibodeau family. Continued support for the family is needed.

Special thanks is extended to MacDonald’s of Old Town, Hannaford supermarket, Governor’s Restaurant and Labree’s Bakery.

Donations may be mailed to: Knights of Columbus, Father Druillette Council 2537, P.O. Box 458, Old Town, ME 04468.

Orono

Course in gardening

The Gardening Study School sponsored by the Gardening Club Federation of Maine Inc., and accredited by the National Garden Clubs Inc., will hold Course I, Series IX, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 15 and 16, at the Roger Clapp Greenhouse Classroom at the University of Maine.

Topics to be covered are:

?Basic Botany for Gardeners.

?Soils.

?Plant Propagation and Propagation Activity.

?Houseplant Basics.

?Trees – American chestnut.

Exams will be given over three of the subjects. The cost of the course is $50 for the two days, or $25 for those attending only one day.

The National Council will certify as gardening consultants those garden club members who successfully complete the series and exams. Nonmembers will receive a certificate of completion. The courses are open to all and are given twice a year. They may be taken in any order.

Preregistration and reading assignments are required. Books are available through state chairman Gloria Burrill.

For more information or to register, contact Gloria Burrill, 140 Greenbush Road, Corinna, ME 04928, at 278-5994, or e-mail goblin@tdstelme.net. Deadline for registration is Tuesday, Sept. 12.

Village festival

The Orono Village Festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 9. The day will begin with a traditional pancake breakfast at 7:30 a.m.

The Orono Bicentennial parade will begin at 10 a.m. Downtown Orono will be alive with craft and food vendors, music and children’s games from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first-ever bed race sponsored by the Orono firefighters will start at noon. To learn more about what the day holds, call the Orono Recreation Department at 866-5065.

Athena Consort

The University of Maine’s Athena Consort, choir for women who love to sing, will hold rehearsals 3:10-5 p.m. Thursdays, beginning Sept. 14, at Room 102, Class of 1944 Hall.

Openings are available for soprano I and II, and Alto I and II. Prior singing experience is helpful but not required. The choir is open to UMaine students, faculty, staff and the community.

Voice placement interviews will be held 3-5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, and Tuesday, Sept. 12, in Room 312.

For more information, call Dr. Kevin Birch at 581-1246, or e-mail kevin.birch@umit.maine.edu.

Areawide

Orchid society meeting

The Eastern Maine Orchid Society will resume its monthly meetings at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at Ellsworth City Hall.

Members and those interested in orchids are invited to join in a discussion of “What Works for You.” Attendees will talk about orchid-growing spaces, successes and failures, tips and helpful hints. Everyone will have an opportunity to participate.

Bring a blooming plant to show off, or one you have questions about. Chances are someone will be able to answer your questions. Participants always love to see what’s flowering in someone’s collection.

The orchid society is a diverse group of individuals with a common interest – orchids. They range in experience from professional growers to those with one or two plants.

Meetings are held at 11 a.m. the second Saturday of the month from September through May. Members are committed to educating the public about the many species and hybrids of orchids and the joy of growing them. Eastern Maine Orchid Society is an affiliate society of the American Orchid Society. For information, call Janelle at 567-3822.