Bangor

Bangor Community Chorus

The Bangor Community Chorus, directed by Josh Schmersal, is seeking male and female voices for its mixed-voiced SATB choir.

The chorus has been an artistic presence for Greater Bangor for more than 35 years. Traditional concerts are presented each December and late spring, with other concerts scheduled as requested. The chorus offers a repertoire of masterworks, show tunes, popular songs and a few “old chestnuts.”

Rehearsals will be held 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays starting Aug. 28, at First United Methodist Church, 703 Essex St.

The Bangor Community Chorus always wants new members. Those who love to sing and have fun are welcome.

Walk for Hunger

The first Walk for Hunger to support the Hammond Street Ecumenical food cupboard will be held Saturday, Sept. 22.

The three-mile walk will begin and end at Grace United Methodist Church, 193 Union St. The route will pass churches in downtown Bangor that support the food pantry.

Registration is at 8:30 a.m. and the walk will conclude at 11:30 a.m. with the church’s monthly free community lunch.

Walkers are asked to collect money or non-perishable food items from family, friends and co-workers to bring to registration. Pledge sheets are available at Grace UMC and at:

. All Soul’s Congregational Church, 10 Broadway.

. First Baptist Church, 56 Center St.

. First United Methodist Church, 703 Essex St.

. St. John’s Catholic Church, 207 York St.

. St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 754 Ohio St.

. Unitarian Universalist Society, 120 Park St.

. Hammond Street Congregational Church, 28 High St.

. Word of Life Christian Center, 1606 Hammond St.

For information, call 942-8320.

Tommyknockers and More

The summer’s first edition of the Stephen King-inspired Tommyknockers and More Bus Tour took place on July 4. The tour, in its fifth season, attracted more than 50 local residents and visitors from five states and three countries. The Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau welcomed director Scott Levy of the Penobscot Theatre as tour guide.

“The tour is a great way to match fact with fiction,” said Jessica Donahue, marketing coordinator for the bureau and The Maine Highlands. “Seeing the sights that inspired many of Mr. King’s visions for his books and movies is amazing. These are places we Greater Bangor locals drive by every day. Many of us don’t even realize how lucky we are to be able to see where Ellie saw ‘skinny Santa’ in ‘Pet Sematary,’ while others around the world have to imagine these places.”

The Greater Bangor CVB has two more tour dates set:

. 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23.

. 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28.

The tours begin at the Bangor Waterfront in the Front Street parking lot next to the harbormaster’s office. Space is limited and reservations are required by calling 947-5205 or 800-91-MOOSE. The cost is $10.

Sister City yard sale

The Sister City marketing committee is planning a yard sale for mid-September, and it needs things to sell. Do you have items lying around that are of value, but perhaps no longer of value to you?

Those donating items can help Bangor’s sister city, Carasque, El Salvador, and do some housecleaning, too. The marketing committee’s sales of products from Carasque’s sewing and crochet co-ops are a major source of income and employment for the sister community. Every penny of sales revenue is sent there – nothing is taken out. Events such as the yard sale help cover Bangor’s expenses.

If you have items you’d like to donate to the yard sale, contact Francine Wickes at 945-0020 or fraw@juno.com. Clothing will not be accepted.

Ultimate Chef Competition

Join the Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau for the final battle of the 2007 Ultimate Chef Competition. Inspired by Food Network’s popular “Iron Chef” series, Bangor’s version pits local chefs against each other.

Competing for the title of Bangor’s Ultimate Chef will be first-round winner chef Roger Gelis of Opus in Bangor and second-round winner chef David Smith of Muddy Rudder in Brewer.

Gelis was given the secret ingredient of maple syrup in the first round and competed against chef Evan Cantwell from Perri House Restaurant in Bangor. For an entr?e, Gelis served diners duck prepared three ways: maple-ginger glazed breast, a leg confit and a seared foie gras on lambic-braised red cabbage and tempura parsnips.

“This was a great deal of fun,” said Gelis of his involvement in the competition.

Smith competed in the second round with chef David Mundy of the Lucerne Inn in Dedham and was given the secret ingredient of blueberries. Smith created an entr?e of stuffed venison tenderloin with blueberry demi glaze. “I knew this recipe for stuffed venison tenderloin would be great for this competition,” Smith said.

The final battle consists of a four-course gourmet meal – appetizer, soup or salad, entr?e and dessert. Each course features a secret Maine ingredient.

Diners who take part will rate the restaurants after each meal on originality, taste and presentation.

The Ultimate Chef Competition will take place at 6:30 p.m. Fridays, Sept. 10 and 24. Tickets are $90 a person for two nights out, two four-course gourmet meals – and you get to find out what the secret ingredient is.

To purchase tickets or to obtain information, call the Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau at 947-5205 or visit www.BangorCVB.org.

Music Together, Teddy Bear’s Picnic

Experience Music Together in the children’s department at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28, at Bangor Public Library.

Music builds and strengthens children’s brains, and Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music program that uses a developmentally appropriate music curriculum emphasizing adult involvement.

Surya Mitchell, area director of Music Together, will offer an introduction to the program for children from birth to age 5 and their parents and caregivers.

Sample a taste of the musical classroom environment and the spontaneous musical activity it facilitates in the home in this hour-long program.

At 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29, pack a picnic and a blanket and bring your favorite bear to the Teddy Bears Picnic at the library. The cuddly crowd will enjoy stories, games, songs and honey. Follow the paw prints and join in the fun.

Medieval music

The Bangor Public Library will end its Summer Music Series with a lively presentation by Leafy Greens and Mutton, an a cappella vocal group with a “mostly Medieval” repertoire.

The concert is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29.

Leafy Greens and Mutton is part of an international medieval recreational group known as the Society for Creative Anachronism. Information will be available at the concert.

The library staff thanks all the performers who gave so generously of their time and talents, bringing great pleasure to the music-loving members of our community. Programs were sponsored, in part, by the Bangor Savings Bank and Eaton Peabody Law Offices.

Down Home Day

Sunbury Village, 922 Ohio St., will hold an Old Fashioned Down Home Day 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25. Residents invite the public to come enjoy a day of down-home fun, free.

Step back in time with the Step in Time cloggers 11 a.m. to noon. Enjoy an old fashioned barbecue 12:30-1:30 p.m. Snack on popcorn and cotton candy throughout the day.

Entertainment will be provided 1:30-3 p.m. by the Special Delivery band playing music including country and oldies.

For information about the free event, call 262-9600.

Pastor-deaconess program

The public is invited to hear Pastor Jason Braaten of Concordia Theological Seminary speak about the pastor-deaconess program 3-6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5, at Hope Lutheran Church, 1520 Union St. For information, call 990-5900.

Folk festival ‘suppah’

During the winter months, Hammond Street Congregational Church holds its monthly Traditional Baked Bean Suppah. In the summer its famous bean suppah is available at the American Folk Festival, Friday through Sunday, Aug. 24-26.

The meal consists of the old-fashioned baked bean recipe the church is known for, plus hot dogs, homemade cole slaw and gourmet brownies with Gifford’s ice cream for dessert.

Hammond Street Congregational Church, established in 1833, has a long history of service – the first abolitionist sermon in Bangor, a school for former slaves, an 1896 training program for poor women in Bangor, an initiative to shelter the homeless, sponsorship of a Vietnamese refugee family, the Alternative Christian Voices, a medical mission to China, two recent medical missions to Honduras and modern-day ecumenical food cupboard. All demonstrate the church’s response to social needs in Bangor and the world.

The church is an open and affirming congregation. For information about the church, visit the Bean Suppah Booth at the folk festival or visit www.gobangor.com/wwwsites/hscc/.

Dessert with Elvis

The second annual Dessert with Elvis, sponsored by Grace United Methodist Church, will be served 6-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at Davis Road Community Center. The public is invited to an evening of entertainment, silent and live auctions, and dessert buffet prepared by members of Grace UMC.

Elvis impersonator Bruce Nye the Elvis Guy will provide entertainment – a musical trip to the 1950s and 1960s.

The auctions will feature jewelry, gifts and gift certificates from restaurants, stores, theaters, Penobscot Bingo, sports events and more.

Tickets are $10 in advance at Patrick’s Hallmark store, Broadway; the Grasshopper Shop, downtown; Rebecca’s, 43 Main St.; Grace United Methodist Church, 193 Union St.; and at the door. Proceeds benefit the church’s ministry and community outreach programs. For information, call 942-8320.

Castine

Art show and sale

The Castine Historical Society will sponsor an art show and sale beginning with a reception 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24, in the Mitchell Room on the lower level of the Abbott School on the town common.

The show and sale will continue 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, and 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26.

Now in its 10th year, the show will feature the work of local artists and craftsmen in an array of media – visual arts, jewelry, pottery, photography and fiber arts. Sales are encouraged and proceeds will benefit the Castine Historical Society and its mission.

New this year is work by Castine’s own watercolorist, Gregory Dunham, whose paintings are currently found only outside of town since the closure of his Main Street gallery.

Stefanie Scheer Young, organizer of the event, said “This show continues to astonish attendees by the magnitude of talent and diversity of work of those who live in or spend summers in this small town. It attracts serious collectors as well as casual browsers.”

Concurrent with the show and sale is the seasonal exhibit in the main exhibition hall, open through Labor Day. The event is free and open to the public. For information about the Castine Historical Society and its programs, visit www.castinehistoricalsociety.org or call 326-4118.

‘The Baron’s Heirs’

The Castine Historical Society will hold its annual meeting and final program of the season at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29, in the Mitchell Room of the Abbott School on the town common.

Todd Nelson, principal of Castine’s Adams School, will give a multimedia presentation on his recent visit to France, “The Baron’s Heirs: Historical Cousins in Castine and St. Castin.” In June, Nelson and his family visited Castine’s sister town, the ancestral home of Baron de St. Castin, a 17th century French settler of the area that now bears his name.

While in St. Castin, Nelson visited with local officials and townspeople, presenting official greetings from Gov. John Baldacci and a Maine flag, and participating in the dedication of a new building for the school.

Nelson has proposed a student exchange program between the schools in both towns, with the Adams School seventh- and eighth-grade class heading to France for two weeks in the spring of 2008 and the students from France coming to Maine in 2009.

The Aug. 29 program will begin with refreshments, then Nelson’s lecture and a short CHS business meeting. All are welcome. For information, contact the Castine Historical Society at 326-4118 or info@castinehistoricalsociety.org.

Hampden

Flag for VFW Auxiliary

At a recent meeting of the Whitcomb-Baker Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary 4633 in Hampden, Master Sgt. Stephen Rogerson of the Department of the Air Force presented president Elinor Canders with a United States flag flown over Afghanistan in reconnaissance aircraft on Nov. 11 and 22, and over Iraq in combat missions on Nov. 30 and Dec. 7, 2006.

The flag was flown in honor of auxiliary members and presented in memory of Rogerson’s grandmother, Florence Rogerson, a member of the auxiliary for many years. Citations signed by flight commanders verified the flights as being flown in the auxiliary’s name.

Quoting from a letter accompanying the flag, Rogerson said, “Gram was very patriotic and always stressed the importance of serving your country, respecting the flag and giving back to the community. Her influence and advice was one of the main reasons I decided to join the military after high school. I am extremely grateful for my 20 years in the Air Force and I have Gram to thank for it.”

Rogerson grew up in Hampden and resides in Georgia. With him at the presentation were his sister, Stacey Rogerson Grover, and cousin Dawn Grover. He has returned to Iraq for another tour of duty.

Orono

New blues album

Leah Tysse’s debut album, “Real Good Fire” released in July, is a fresh take on blues with plenty of funk, horns and wailing vocals.

From her opening title track “Real Good Fire” with horns reminiscent of Tower of Power and Lydia Pense and Coldblood to her sensual ballads and fresh take on traditional blues, listeners are left wondering what’s coming next.

In the 1980s and ’90s Tysse was always singing, but as a student at Orono Junior High and High School she also played soccer, was a state champion swimmer, ran track and was on the student council.

Ever since, “I feel like the blues is where my voice most naturally wants to go,” Tysse said. “I have also spent a lot of time learning from my idols like Aretha Franklin, Koko Taylor and Freddie King.”

In 1997 Leah landed her first professional gig in a Paris nightclub as the house blues and soul singer. Then she moved to San Francisco and joined the world-famous Glide Memorial Church Choir, where she became a featured soloist in the 100-person gospel choir.

In 1998 she formed The Leah Tysse Band, earning a reputation as both a powerful lead vocalist and bandleader. At the same time she began working with other bands as a lead, background and studio vocalist.

Despite her busy performance schedule, Tysse longed to record her own tunes, and now that dream has come true. Blues is how her CD would be categorized, yet her lyrics and style make her music youthful and fresh. Her songs are being played on radio stations nationwide. For information on her CD and tour dates, visit www.LeahTysse.com.

Book talk

The public is invited to hear author Margaret Killinger give a talk about her book, “The Good Life of Helen Nearing,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, at the Inn at Dirigo Pines Retirement Community. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Killinger is adjunct professor in the University of Maine Honors College.

The event is sponsored by the Orono Public Library. For information, call the library at 866-5060.