Community news

loading...

Bangor

Maine wilderness talk

Walter Macdougall, professor emeritus, University of Maine, has delivered an intriguing slice of late 18th- and early 19th-century Maine history to the public in his new book “Settling the Maine Wilderness: Moses Greenleaf, His Maps and His Household of Faith, 1777-1834.” Published by the University of Southern Maine and the Osher Map Library, Macdougall’s book is a recognition of Moses Greenleaf’s great achievements in mapping the Maine wilderness at the outset of its statehood in 1820.

But Macdougall also places Greenleaf’s life into the context of his town, Williamsburg, and his society, at the time of Maine’s early statehood. The book considers Greenleaf’s life as a teacher, a steward of Maine’s natural resources and his service to Maine as a judge.

Macdougall will talk about the book at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23, at the Bangor Public Library. His book will be available for purchase and signing.

Macdougall also is the author of “The Old Somerset Railroad.”

Holiday art auction

The Bangor Art Society will hold its fourth annual Holiday Art Auction 6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, at the Union Street Brick Church, corner of Union and Main streets.

Artists are invited to donate original artworks to be auctioned that night to benefit the programs of the society, with a percentage of the sale going back to the artist.

Interested artists should call JoAnne Houlsen at 947-0937 or 659-0063, joannechoulsen@hotmail.com, Kris Whitney at 942-3868 or kristborg@aol.com.

Penquis CAP Law Project

The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence held its annual Blaine House Tea in Augusta on Oct. 5 to honor volunteers and community leaders for their work in the prevention of domestic violence.

Tamar Mathieu, directing attorney for the Penquis CAP Law Project, was presented with an award for her dedication in assisting individuals whose lives have been affected by domestic violence.

Mathieu joined the Penquis CAP Law Project in 1998. Previous to her work at the Law Project, Tamar provided similar assistance to individuals in the region through Pine Tree Legal Assistance. Her dedication to the cause goes beyond her work, officials said. She is a trained hotline volunteer for both WomanCare, the domestic violence project in Piscataquis County, and Rape Response Services, which aids victims of sexual assault in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.

The Penquis CAP Law Project is a public interest family law practice that seeks to create access to civil legal services for low and moderate income individuals and families who would otherwise be without counsel or representation.

Priority is given to those individuals or families who have experienced or are experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Services are provided free. For more information, call 973-3671 or (800) 215-4942 and ask for the Law Project.

Bangor Chinese School

The Bangor Chinese School, a nonprofit organization, has scheduled several classes on Chinese culture 2-5 p.m. at Husson College:

Oct. 28: Calligraphy, painting, history of Chinese language and characters, Tai Qui.

Nov. 4: Lecture on philosophy, religions, education, arts and Tai Qui.

Nov. 11: Chinese food, tea, Chinese medicines, learning to cook Chinese food and Tai Qui.

Nov. 18: Exploring China with Dr. Quanzhen Shi, and Tai Qui.

Call Jing at 990-7710.

On genealogy

Members of the Penobscot County Genealogical Society will be on hand 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Bangor Mall, to talk with those interested in genealogy.

Brewer

Kiwanis news

President Kathleen Harding-Heber opened the most recent meeting of the Brewer Kiwanis Club with introductions. Visiting Kiwanians were Bangor-Noon Kiwanis President Chris Patten, Peter Golding and Don Winslow. Bangor-Breakfast Kiwanians visiting were Archie Verow and Carissa Marsh. Clay Hardy, honorary member of the Brewer Kiwanis, also visited.

Speaker chairman Herb Hopkins introduced Don Winslow, who spoke about the Bangor-Noon Club’s sponsorship of the Bangor Police Athletic League Center, which provides a safe and fun place for kids to participate in different activities.

The Brewer Kiwanis is raising money for the PAL Center by sponsoring the Buy A Brick Campaign. Donors will have their names engraved on individual bricks – or for larger donations, a series of bricks. Peter Golding explained that for $100, donors can help Bangor Kiwanis build a walkway at the PAL Center. By purchasing a brick, laser inscribed and personalized with your own message, you can have a brick with a permanent place on Watchmaker Street. For information, call Golding at 843-6263.

On behalf of the city of Brewer, Barney Thompson presented a Certificate of Commendation to the Brewer Kiwanis Club in appreciation of its support of Brewer’s 2006 Annual Stream Clean-up Program.

Brewer Kiwanis Club will hold the installation of new officers at its meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, at the Muddy Rudder Restaurant. Lt. Gov. Bud Bruns will be the installing officer.

Castine

Artist David Wheeler

The work of New York artist David Wheeler will be on display at Maine Maritime Academy’s Bath Iron Works Center for Advanced Technology Oct. 20-Dec. 20.

According to the artist, the exhibit, “Living Ink,” is dedicated to new applications of drawing to research, education and daily life. Designed as a support service for museums, parks and study centers, “Living Ink” is a culmination of probing, interpreting and teaching by the science illustrator afield.

The exhibit at MMA is presented free and is open to the public 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding college holidays and vacations.

David Wheeler, an artist and educator, holds a master’s degree from Tufts University in affiliation with the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts, and a bachelor’s degree from Pratt Institute. He also studied at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and at the Banff Centre School of Fine Arts.

Wheeler has been a teacher and practicing artist for 25 years, instructing at colleges in New York and Massachusetts. He currently teaches art and environmental studies at the State University of New York’s Empire State College and at Russell Sage College for Women in Troy, N.Y.

As an artist-in-the-schools, he has worked in 28 Eskimo, Athabaskan, Aleut, and Haida villages for Arts Alaska, the state’s arts council.

Wheeler’s lifelong interest in natural history is the inspiration for his work as an artist, science illustrator and museum model maker. He has made life-sized dinosaur reproductions for the American Museum of Natural History and the Osaka Museum of Natural History in Japan.

Wheeler presents workshops in marine science illustration at parks, museums, schools and centers, including the Acadia Institute of Oceanography in Seal Harbor and the Maine State Aquarium in Boothbay Harbor.

For further information about the exhibit, call professor Sue Loomis at 326-2345. For directions to Maine Maritime Academy and a campus map, visit www.mainemaritime.edu.

Old Town

‘Queen for Almost a Day’

A list of local celebrities will perform in “Queen for Almost a Day,” a spoof on an old television program called “Queen for a Day.”

The Friends of the River Coalition will sponsor the play at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at the Old Town High School cafetorium. Tickets are $10 each and proceeds benefit the River Coalition.

Gloria Thornton, well-known for her gracious hospitality at the Kalico Kitchen, will be the hostess and at intermission, a variety of desserts and coffee, tea and cider will be served.

The comedy will provide an entertaining evening as the contestants compete for votes to earn the “Queen for Almost a Day” title. Members of the cast are Mary Keane, John Keane, Corina Larson, Cindy Seger, Lynn Uhlman, Jeanna Tuell, Theda Honnell, Valerie Osborne, David Wight, Jim Lavoie, Dottie deBruyne and Lisa Morin. Micah Robbins, director of the River Coalition, will be the master of ceremonies.

For more information or tickets, call Doris Seger at 827-2829.

Orono

Visionary Orono women

Is it something in the water? The air? The Orono men? How is it that Orono consistently produces strong and visionary women? “What’s In the Archives?” the 10th in a yearlong series of bicentennial lectures, will give glimpses into the lives of women who have shaped both Orono and the wider world.

The panel discussion will feature University of Maine social historian Carol Toner, specialist in women’s labor history and recent Maine immigrant history; Mazie Hough, associate director of UM Women in the Curriculum and Women’s Studies Program; and Betsy Beattie, who researches Canadian migration to New England and serves as Canadian studies librarian at Fogler Library.

They will describe how primary historical resources can reveal the influential roles of our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers.

The lecture will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, in the Orono Municipal Building.

Orono’s Bicentennial Lecture Series is funded by a grant from the Maine Humanities Council and made possible with the assistance of the Orono Historical Society. For information, call Ginny Hackney at 866-2467.

Iran-born novelist

Marjane Satrapi, a contemporary graphic novelist and illustrator born in Iran, is the 2006 Anne Margaret Johnstone Memorial Lecturer and will speak at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, at 130 Little Hall, University of Maine, about her life and work.

“A Conversation with Marjane Satrapi,” will be hosted by reporter Alicia Anstead of the Bangor Daily News.

Satrapi also will speak at 7:30 p.m. in Room 100, DP Corbett Business Building. Her talk will be “Iran in the Revolution and After: Graphic Novelist Marjane Satrapi Reflects on Her Life and Work.”

Born in 1969, Satrapi lived in Tehran until she was sent to Switzerland at age 14. Her most famous work is “Persepolis,” an autobiographical account of a childhood and adolescence shaped by the Iranian Revolution.

The work was published in four volumes in France, where it was compared to Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” and won numerous prestigious comic book awards. Other books by Satrapi include “Embroideries” and “Chicken and Plums,” and several children’s books.

Satrapi lives in Paris, where her illustrations appear regularly in magazines and newspapers. She also writes occasionally for the New York Times.

The public is invited to the free events, which are sponsored by the Women in the Curriculum and Women’s Studies Program.

Information is available at 581-1228.

Holiday Walking Tour

A Holiday Walking Tour of eight homes and two churches in Orono’s historic district will be conducted from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16.

It is the first time these homes have been open to the public during the holiday season. Tours are self-guided and occur throughout the afternoon. Refreshments will be served. Tickets are $15, $25 for two. For ticket information, call Lianne Harris at 866-2456.

‘Teach-in’ on war in Iraq

A group of University of Maine history professors opposed to the war in Iraq will hold a “teach-in” Tuesday, Oct. 24, on the Orono campus to offer background and historical perspective on the subject.

The public is invited to the free forum at 7 p.m. in Room 101, Neville Hall. Speakers participating in “The Iraq War and The Elections: A Teach-In Sponsored by Historians against the War” include professors Alex Grab, Ngo-Vinh Long, Nathan Godfried, Beth McKillen and Michael Lang. Also, Brian Clement, UM history student and an Iraq war veteran, and Scott Ruffner, local political activist.

The event is part of a national educational initiative by historians who oppose the war.

The forum will last about two hours, the first half devoted to speakers and the second half to questions and answers.

Winterport

Planning live Nativity

A meeting to plan Winterport’s 39th annual live Nativity pageant will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Columbian Hall, next door to St. Gabriel’s Church. For more information, call Beth Thieme at 223-4088.