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Areawide

Christmas cantata

A musical, “A Song was Born at Christmas,” celebrating the birth of the Messiah, will be presented by the North Brewer-Eddington United Methodist Church choir under the direction of Herbert Hopkins.

Ed Healy will be the narrator with participants Patrick Stevens, Molly Stevens, Roscoe Kent, Melva Kent, Bob Adams, Judy Adams, Cheryl Long, the Rev. Dr. Tracy Reeves, Donna Boyle, Kim Boyle, Gail DeBeck, Anne Kenniston, Roberta Domingo, Cheryl Russell, Lin Lufkin, Patti Brissette, Jessie Mellott, Coralie Giles, Patti Ronco, Lynn Yoder, Abbie Yoder, Marion Hat, Mike Strang, Don Pierce, Gail Gonzales and Merrill Boynton.

The cantata will be presented at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at Phillips Strickland Home in Bangor; at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, at Leach Home in Brewer; at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, at Woodlands of Brewer.

The final cantata presentation will be at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 24, at North Brewer-Eddington United Methodist Church. A nursery will be provided, and there will be refreshments after the service.

Blue Christmas services

Special services of comfort for those who find the holidays difficult due to illness, loss or separation will be held at local churches:

. 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, in the church sanctuary, Church of Universal Fellowship, 82 Main St. The Rev. Lorna Stewart will officiate. For more information, call the church office at 866-3655.

. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, Elm Street Congregational Church. The Rev. Linda Smith will officiate. For information, call 469-3333.

Bangor

Art at the library

In many cases, Brewer portrait photographer Lee Sirabella has captured the images of as many as three generations of area families.

In his exhibit “60 Years of Studio Images” in the Bangor Public Library’s Lecture Hall during December, Sirabella invites the public to walk down memory lane to see how many of the friends and neighbors viewers may recognize.

He has described the exhibit as a “claiming event.” Those who wish may put a sticker on the back of an image and claim it, free of charge.

In the library’s stairwell gallery, also during December, Bangor artist Lisa Raven presents “Landscapes and Collages.” Raven, who previously has exhibited at the library, will show vibrant watercolors, as well as works from a number of her students.

‘Alice in Wonderland’

Auditions for “Alice in Wonderland,” Bangor Ballet’s June 2007 production, will be held on Thursday, Dec. 7. Advanced beginners will try out 3:30-5 p.m., intermediate dancers, 5-6:30 p.m. and advanced dancers, 6:30-8 p.m.

Those who audition must be at least 8 years old with one year of ballet experience.

Auditions will be held at Thomas School of Dance, 14 State St., Bangor. Call 945-3457 for more information.

Family FunFest

Families can take a break from the busy holiday season and relax at the Junior League of Bangor’s Holiday Family FunFest 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at the Maine Discovery Museum. On that day only, admission to the museum will be free for adults, and admission for children 12 months and older will be $6. Admission includes museum exhibits and Junior League activities.

The Junior League activities are designed to let children have fun and parents recharge their holiday spirit. Children can make holiday crafts and gifts, participate in a coloring contest, and play a variety of games. Refreshments will be available for purchase and the day will include raffle items for children and adults.

The feature raffle item is a T.M.X. Elmo. Raffle items have been made possible through the support and donations from local businesses and individuals with proceeds benefiting the Junior League.

For more information about Junior League, call 990-2436 or visit www.jlbangor.com.

Cohen papers at the library

“Cohen, Congress and Controversy: Rediscovering Civics in the Archives” is a new exhibit from the archives of the Raymond H. Fogler Library at the University of Maine.

The Bangor Public Library will be the host for this traveling exhibit based on the William S. Cohen Papers through the end of January in the Reading Room.

The six-panel exhibit uses facsimiles of photographs, handwritten notes, speeches and campaign memorabilia from the former congressman’s political papers to bring the legislative branch into focus.

Topics include Cohen’s successful 1972 bid for Maine’s second congressional district seat; the powers of Congress granted by the Constitution; the busy life of a senator, using the senator’s book about his first year there; and the oversight role of Congress, illustrated with documents from the Watergate and Iran-Contra investigations.

Cohen donated his political papers, 1,500 boxes of documents and photographs, to the Fogler Library in 1996. He added a selection of Department of Defense material on 16 compact disks in 2001. The university also is home to the William S. Cohen Center for International Policy and Commerce.

Beds for homeless shelter

Dennis Marble, executive director of the Bangor Homeless Shelter, announced that Hollywood Slots and Penn National are in the process of replacing all 33 beds at the shelter.

The shelter opened on Christmas Eve in 1986. Since then demand for the shelter services has increased steadily, and it now provides nearly 10,000 “bed nights” of shelter per year. That’s a lot of wear and tear on the beds and mattresses, without a lot of dollars in the budget to replace them.

On Dec. 1 a truck loaded with the new beds, box springs and mattresses arrived at the shelter. The shelter’s volunteer committee organized help to get the old beds out of the building. Pine Tree Waste and Casella donated transportation and dumping fees for the old mattresses and box springs.

Hollywood Slots also donated 20 beds to Manna Ministries.

For more information about the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, call Marble at 947-0045.

Weihnachtsmarkt

Most German cities and towns offer a Weinachtsmarkt, or Christmas market, where visitors experience the festive excitement of the Christmas season in sights, sounds, smells and tastes.

The Bangor German Club will present some of the traditions Germany contributed to America’s holiday celebration noon-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at the Bangor Museum and Center for History, 25 Broad St.

Offered will be Christmas cookies, stollen, Christmas decorations and a cafe featuring coffee and cakes. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Bangor Museum.

Adoption information

The Bangor office of the Department of Health and Human Services will hold a public informational meeting about adoption and foster care 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13. To learn the location of the meeting, call A Family For ME at (877) 505-0545.

It’s about the family …

For the last 12 years Manna Ministries, 629 Main St., has celebrated Christmas by giving gifts to families and individuals throughout central Maine. Many charitable groups give to children, but parents, the elderly and teenagers often are left without a gift under the tree.

Manna has 425 people in need of Christmas gifts. Members of Greater Bangor are asked to adopt a family or individual for the holidays, stop by Manna, take a gift wish off its Christmas tree and buy that gift; send a donation earmarked for gifts for adults; or bring to Manna items that are needed, such as toiletries, adult-sized sweat suits and coats, gloves, socks, hats and blankets. For more information, call 990-2870.

Holiday party and auction

Eastern Maine Orchid Society will hold its annual holiday party and auction at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at The Whig and Courier, 18 Broad St.

Orchid-related items will be auctioned. RSVP to Mary Lou Hoskins, 848-5453, by Thursday, Dec. 7.

City news

On Nov. 13, Bangor city councilors elected Richard D. Greene to serve as mayor for the next year. Greene is a native of Bangor and a 1974 graduate of Bangor High School. After several years at the University of Maine, he became an apprentice to Jean Klyne, a professional photographer in Bangor. Green bought the Klyne studio in 1983. He has been a professional photographer for 32 years.

Green also has a background in broadcast journalism. He worked for Maine Broadcasting for 11 years as director and producer of the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news, and as evening supervisor. He has two children who attend Bangor public schools.

Also Nov. 13, City Clerk Patti Dubois swore in Bangor’s three newly elected city council members: Peter D’Errico, Geoffrey Gratwick and Patricia Blanchette, who also was re-elected as Bangor’s representative to the Maine State Legislature.

New employees for the city of Bangor are Darren Delano, parking control aide; Brian Dugas, city forester; Peggy Collins, appraisal technician, and Charles Bryer and Jennifer Sinclair, transit drivers.

Brewer

Christmas concert

The Brewer Hometown Band will present a Christmas concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at the Brewer Auditorium.

The band will be joined by singers from the area to provide a program of Christmas music. Guest soloist, 11-year-old Rose Upton, will sing “Ave Maria,” “O Holy Night” and other songs.

Door prizes will be awarded and refreshments will be available. Admission to the concert is free, but attendees are asked to bring donations of nonperishable food for the local food cupboard.

Bucksport

Riverbend Players Christmas Holiday Show

The Riverbend Players of Bucksport are preparing to put on their first ever Christmas Holiday Show.

The event will include a one-act play titled “Santa Goes On Strike” with a cast of adults and youngsters, many music numbers, a guest master of ceremonies and the usual fun and entertainment that the Riverbend Players have become known for in the past couple of years.

The show is family oriented, organizers said, and it promises to be full of the talented efforts of all of those involved.

The show will be presented at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at The Alamo Theatre on Main Street.

Admission is free, but there will be a donation basket for those who would like to contribute to The Riverbend Players coffers. For more information, contact Suzi Leeman at 469-5885 or suzi@riverbendplayers.com.

Carmel

Gospel music concert

The Campbells, New England’s “First Family of Gospel Music,” will present a concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Carmel Union Congregational Church.

The Campbells are a full-time gospel music ministry from Maine. Their music legacy spans more than 30 years. They travel extensively throughout the United States and Canada and have released numerous recordings. They have appeared on both local and national television, and on gospel singing cruises.

For more information, call John Ellison at 269-2120.

Hampden

Christmas party

The annual senior citizen Christmas party sponsored by the Whitcomb-Baker VFW Post 4633 and Auxiliary will be held at noon Sunday, Dec. 10, at the Post home on Canoe Club Road. Dinner will be served, followed by entertainment and gifts delivered by Santa.

Holden

Maine landscape

A collection of drawings by Orrington artist Mary Ann McKellar Schwarcz celebrating the Maine landscape is on display 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and 1-4 p.m. Sunday, through Dec. 30, at Fields Pond Audubon Center.

Schwarcz has graced the walls with two depictions of forested, rocky Downeast coastlines, a finely detailed view of Monhegan Island, a seven-part study of Wight’s Apple Orchard, a thickly wooded landscape and a view from Caterpillar Hill.

As visitors enter the nature center, the drawing of Mohegan Village will catch the eye. On the opposite wall, trees cluster and huddle together against the prevailing winds at the edge of the sea. The outside world is captured clearly in black lines against a white background, as if the coastal scenes are viewed through stark wintry windows.

The orchard-based works feature heavily textured strokes that befit the old appendages of apple trees. In the seven-part series, each drawing reveals a slightly different aspect of the orchard. One tree is heavily laden with fruit; two display a thick and tangled web of branches; another features windswept limbs and leafy mazes.

The view from Caterpillar Hill is a drawing that stretches out across a varied landscape, a quintessential tribute to Maine’s diverse beauty.

For more information, call Fields Pond Audubon Center at 989-2591 or e-mail fieldspond@juno.com.

Orono

Senior Art Exhibition

Twenty-four University of Maine studio art majors exhibiting dozens of works that culminate their fall semester’s efforts invite the public to view the “Senior Art Exhibition, FUSE,” Dec. 8 through Jan. 26, at Lord Hall Gallery.

Participation in the show is the required senior capstone project, which includes supplemental presentations, artists’ statements, essays and hands-on involvement in putting the show together. The artwork includes mixed media abstracts, portraits, landscapes and conceptual pieces.

The exhibit is free and open to the public 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays. An opening reception for the public is scheduled for 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8. All are welcome to enjoy art, food and live music.

While the artwork is an expression of creative thought and process, the show is an exercise in reality for the student artists. They planned and organized the exhibition, from the matting, framing and hanging of the works to its promotion and marketing.

Mariel Connor of Old Town wants to pursue a master’s degree in fine arts in painting after graduation in the spring so she can teach art at the college level while pursuing her own craft.

“It’s helpful to see all of the things we need to be prepared for if we’re going to be showing our work in a gallery somewhere,” she said. “I didn’t have any experience with it before.”

Olivia Cyr, from Fort Kent, said each piece chosen for the show reflects the creator’s strengths and interests, and is indicative of the body of work each artist has produced and will produce in the future.

The art students will gather from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Dec. 12 and 14, at the Lord Hall Gallery for “Artist Talks,” an evening when they’ll discuss their work with each other and the public.

Orrington

Bluegrass music series

The sound of banjos, guitars, mandolins, fiddles and dog house bass will echo off the Orrington hills.

Jim Leighton and Billy T. have lined up blue grass to perform from December to April at the Orrington Grange Hall, 446 Down Road. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. The schedule is:

. The Mueller Family of Oakland and the Adrians, Saturday, Dec. 9. $10, $8 seniors, under 12 free.

. Katahdin Valley Boys, Saturday, Jan. 13.

. Penobscot River Ramblers, Saturday, Feb. 10.

Shows also are planned for March 10 and April 14.

Proceeds from the shows will benefit a youth education fund for teaching children about bluegrass music.

Also, bluegrass jam sessions are held 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, through April, at Rocky Knoll Golf Course, Route 15.

For more information, call Jim Leighton at 944-3128 or 825-8839. Billy T. can be reached at 843-5994, or 949-1867.

Winterport

Woman’s Club

The Winterport Woman’s Club will celebrate the holiday season with a progressive dinner Wednesday, Dec. 13.

The schedule and locations are: appetizers at the home of Mary Ashton, 127 Main St., 5:30 p.m.; entree at the home of Julie Logan, 824 North Main St., 6:30 p.m.; and dessert at the home of Gerie Smith, 125 Marine St., 8:30 p.m.

The cost is $10. Carpooling is encouraged. To make reservations or obtain information, call Donna Nason, 223-4837.

Any woman in the Winterport area is welcome to become a member. Meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month, September through May.