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Bangor

Walkathon to help children with dyslexia

The 32nd Degree Masonic Learning Centers for Children Inc. will be the host for the Richard H. Winship Jr. Memorial Walk-A-Thon to Help Children with Dyslexia at Bangor City Forest.

Proceeds from the walk will help dyslexic children learn to read and write. Walkers will meet Sunday, Oct. 8, at the Bangor City Forest. Registration is at 12:30 p.m. and the walk begins at 1 p.m., rain or shine.

Pledges received will be collected the day of the walk. Participants may choose a 3.1-mile walk or a 1-mile walk. Bangor City Forest is off Stillwater Avenue, 1.6 miles from the intersection of Stillwater Avenue and Hogan Road, on Tripp Drive.

Pledge sheets are available at the Children’s Learning Center, 84 Harlow St.

The learning program is offered free for children with dyslexia, so fundraising is required. For information, call Pete Forrest at 989-6090.

Mothers & More open house

The Greater Bangor Chapter of Mothers & More will host an open house at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, at Eastern Maine Medical Center, Conference Room 2D.

The annual open house allows Mothers & More to introduce its array of support to women of Greater Bangor and beyond. The organization provides opportunities for mothers to connect in ways that assist them in developing unique identities and help them move confidently through the transitions that affect family, work and life. This year’s theme is “Work in Progress: Rediscover, Re-envision, Revitalize.”

“Mothers & More is about getting together with women just like you and not feeling like you have to play a particular role,” said Connie McVey, leader of Mothers & More. “We get together as a group to pursue topics and interests that affect us and appeal to us as women, citizens and parents. It’s an opportunity to fully explore your identity – as a mother and a woman.”

Members are discovering new interests, finding their passions, pursuing dreams, and putting plans in action.

“And while we may be following unique paths and we each are at different stages in our efforts, together we are on a journey to define who we are and who we want to become as women and as mothers,” McVey said.

The Greater Bangor Chapter offers two meetings a month with topical discussions and-or guest speakers in addition to moms’ nights out, children’s activities and more. Recent topics include “Organic Foods on a Budget,” “Trials and Tribulations of Potty Training,” and childhood development.

The open house will be held without children to allow mothers to focus on themselves. Light snacks and drinks will be provided. There is no obligation to join. Serving more than 7,000 members nationwide, Mothers & More is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of mothers through support, education and advocacy.

For information, call Connie at 947-4038 or visit www.bangormothersandmore.org.

Annual harvest supper

The first Peace and Justice Center harvest supper 17 years ago featured Helen Nearing speaking about the need to live simply.

This year’s supper will be held 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. l4, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 120 Park St., and will feature mostly organic vegetarian food, songs from Voices for Peace, and a talk by Bob St. Peter, steward of the Good Life Center at the Nearing homestead in Harborside.

He will speak about the Nearing legacy and how it is being carried forward. St. Peter is a volunteer organizer for the Independent Food Project, a grass-roots community group he founded in 2005 to increase production and consumption of local foods and to raise awareness about the harm caused by the industrial food system.

His experience includes working as the development director for Sustainable Harvest International, which assists farmers in rural Central America. As a grass-roots educator he has organized teach-ins on food justice issues, including benefit dinners for the South Central Farmers of Los Angeles, food sovereignty workshops, and an event to be held Oct. 27 in Blue Hill on the corporate takeover of the organic foods industry.

The theme of the harvest supper is “Sowing Peace and Harvesting Hope.” The Unsung Peacemaker Award will be given to honor a center member for quiet dedication, hard work behind the scenes, and persistence in upholding the mission of the Peace and Justice Center.

The potluck supper is a benefit for the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine. Suggested donation is $10, $3 children, or $15 family. For more information, call 942-9343.

American Baptist Churches’ annual meeting

The American Baptist Churches of Maine will celebrate 202 years of ministry and mission Oct. 19-21 at Columbia Street Baptist Church.

The theme of the annual meeting is “Come and See.” The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey A. Johnson will be the keynote speaker.

Johnson is the national director of evangelism and national coordinator for NET, the National Evangelism Team of the American Baptist Churches USA. Dr. Bill Clemmer and Ann Clemmer, missionaries to the Democratic Republic of Congo, also will address the assembly.

Maine Baptists have affected and continue to affect the state, nation and world with their Christian faith, organizers said.

To register for the event or to make meal reservations, call the ABC of Maine office at 622-6291. Meal reservations must be made before Oct. 10.

Political polling, its effects

The Penobscot Valley Branch of the American Association of University Women will sponsor a discussion on political polling and its effect on voters lead by Dr. Amy Fried, University of Maine associate professor of political science.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, at the Husson College Dyke Center for Family Business. What can polls really tell us? Can they possibly be accurate? Are they often biased? Fried will discuss the pitfalls and proper uses of public opinion polls and their validity. Fried is an expert on the media and public opinion and has published two books and many academic articles on those subjects. The lecture is open to the public.

The American Association of University Women – with more than 100,000 members, 1,300 branches, and 550 college and university partners nationwide – advocates education and equity for women and girls. Since 1881, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day – educational, social, economic and political.

For information about AAUW or the Oct. 11 lecture, call 866-4785.

At Penquis CAP

Penquis Community Action Program Resource Development Center is offering a 30-hour Inclusive Child Care training class Oct. 10, 14, 17, 19, 28 and 30, and Nov. 7 and 9 at UCP, 700 Mount Hope Ave. Weekday classes will take place 6-9 p.m. and Saturday classes will run 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The registration fee is $15 and includes lunch. To register, call Amy Ludwig at 973-3533.

Penquis CAP Resource Development Center is offering the training session “Starting Your Core Knowledge Portfolio” for child care professionals, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, at Penquis CAP, 262 Harlow St.

The Maine Roads to Quality training introduces the Core Knowledge Training Program, its uses in professional development and how the portfolio can transform training into college credit. Basic information includes procedures for documenting learning, orientation to the Maine Roads Professional Registry, and tracking hours of training.

The fee is $15. Call 973-3533 to register.

Kiwanis basket bingo

Bangor Noon Kiwanis will be the host for a Longaberger basket bingo at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Parks and Recreation Building, 647 Main St. Doors will open at noon. The event also will offer a raffle and a 50-50 drawing. Refreshments will be available.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Bangor Police Athletic League’s PAL Center at Essex Woods. The PAL Center provides a safe place for youths from the area to participate in activities including sports and after-school programs.

To purchase tickets or to sponsor a basket, call 299-8276 or 843-6263.

Rising Tide Awards

The Maine People’s Alliance Penobscot Valley Chapter will hold its Rising Tide Awards dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, at the Union Street Brick Church, 126 Union St. Keynote speaker will be Diane Wilson Shrimper, environmentalist and activist. The cost to attend the dinner is $10. For information, call Adam, 990-0672.

Outreach program grant

U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a $100,000 grant to the Shaw House to help fund its street outreach program.

Dog shows

The Penobscot Valley Kennel Club Inc. will sponsor two dog shows 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 14-15, at the Bangor Auditorium. Dogs from throughout the Northeast will compete for titles in breed confirmation and obedience.

A practice run for the shows will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13. There is no admission charge for either event. For more information, call 469-7217.

Bradley

Living History Days

Living History Days at Leonard’s Mills are set for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7 and 8.

Visitors to the living history museum will learn about Maine’s lumbering history by visiting a water-powered up-and-down sawmill and sampling the lumberman’s staple for three meals a day – bean-hole beans and biscuits.

Visit the sawyer’s house and meet the newest demonstrators who will show how to hook rugs. On Saturday, soon-to-be Eagle Scout Jacob Wood will be firing up his Eagle project – a smokehouse authentic to the period.

Take a ride on a river driver’s bateau or in a horse-drawn wagon. Visit with members of the 20th Maine Civil War Regiment in the mid-1800s section of the living history museum.

Admission is $7, $2 for children age 12 or younger.

Leonard’s Mills is located off Route 178 between Milford and Brewer. For information, call 581-2871.

Brewer

Whatever sale

The second annual whatever sale to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network will be held 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Brewer Auditorium. Vendors who wish to participate in the sale may acquire table space for a donation of $25. Tables will be provided if needed.

Suggested items for sale include antiques, crafts, yard sale items, artwork, baked goods, Avon and scrapbooking materials. Vendors will be asked to donate an item for the Children’s Miracle Network auction.

A $1 donation will be charged at the door to the public.

Those who wish to participate as vendors should call Carol Lackedy at 848-7317 or 299-5186.

Castine

Exhibit of hooked rugs

The Castine Art Association will sponsor an exhibit of hooked rugs created by the Bagaduce Rug Hookers at the Trinity Episcopal Church gallery on Perkins Street through November. An artists’ reception will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, and will include a demonstration of rug hooking.

The Bagaduce Rug Hookers have been hooking together for the past four years. Members are Karen Stanley, Judy Wylie, Kathy Eaton, Sue Macdonald, Joan Bragdon, Carol Clouse and Lynda MacArthur. The group meets 10 a.m.-2 p.m. the second and fourth Mondays of the month at the Trinity Episcopal Church. New members are welcome to join the group and may obtain additional information from Karen Stanley by calling 326-9361.

The origin of rug hooking is not without controversy. Some suggest it began as early as the third century in Egypt, while others credit its origins to China or Europe.

It is clear, however, that it came into the U.S. Colonies and the Maritime provinces in the early 1800s out of a necessity to warm homes. Early rugs were hooked on coffee or grain bags with recycled clothing. Seamen passed the time away from home hooking simple designs depicting nautical and geometric images. The early hooked rugs can be considered primitive art with their simple designs and creative artistry.

Today interest in rug hooking has been revived and the originality of design along with the art of hooking are reaching new creative heights.

The Castine Arts Association is a nonprofit, community-based volunteer group organized to promote awareness and appreciation of visual, literary and performing arts through sponsorship of public programs and events.

The Trinity Episcopal Church gallery is open 9-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and after the service Sundays.

Hampden

Benefit dinner

Friends and co-workers will sponsor a spaghetti dinner and raffle 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Hampden Kiwanis Civic Center. The event will benefit the Young family, which is dealing with illness. Royce Young is undergoing treatment in Bangor and at the Dana-Farber Institute in Boston. Admission is by donation.

Raffle items include gift certificates to local restaurants and skybox seats to a University of Maine basketball game. There will be a 50-50 raffle at the dinner.

To make a donation directly to the Youngs, send a check to: Maine Savings, Benefit of Royce Young 1001663, P.O. Box 347, Hampden 04444. To donate an item to the raffle, call Lisa Ashford, 862-7006, or Robin Spaulding, 862-2256.

Orland

Conservation trust on Web

Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust announced the debut of its new Web site at www.greatpondtrust.org.

Visitors to the site can download a map and guidelines for the 4,200-acre Great Pond Mountain Wildlands preserve in East Orland, join or learn more about the land trust or even order a T-shirt. With nearly $450,000 left to raise by June 2007 to ensure protection of the wildlands, the trust is accepting secure online donations to the wildlands campaign.

Information also is available about other forms of giving, including making pledges over the life of the campaign, how to give securities, and including the wildlands stewardship endowment in estate planning. Those interested in volunteering or attending trust events will find that information, too. For more information, e-mail greatpond@midmaine.com or call 469-7190.