Bangor

Twins and More

The Twins and More Support Group will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at a different location than usual – in the conference room on the pediatrics floor, Grant 8, Eastern Maine Medical Center. Afterward, members will gather at Uno’s Pizza by the Bangor Mall.

Canine Good Citizen

The Penobscot Valley Kennel Club will hold Canine Good Citizen classes at 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10, on the waterfront. The cost is $5 per dog.

The Canine Good Citizen test will take place 5-6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 17, also on the waterfront. The cost of testing is $10 per dog. The test date will coincide with Responsible Dog Ownership Day and Meet the Breeds informational night.

Honoring working women

The Uptown Business and Professional Women group is seeking nominations of working women to be honored during National Business Women’s Week in October. A Standing Ovation luncheon will be held Wednesday, Oct. 17.

Send nominations to: Up town BPW, P.O. Box 1825, Bangor, ME 04401, ATTN: Standing Ovation.

The deadline for nominations is Thursday, Sept. 20. Information is available at www.bpwuptownbangor.org, click the NBWW button.

Leaf peeping tour

The Bangor Garden Club will sponsor a Leaf Peeping Tour and Luncheon Wednesday, Oct. 10. The bus will leave at 8:30 a.m. from the Broadway Shopping Center. Pickup also will be available in Newport.

The scenic trip will take participants to Bethel, with lunch at the Bethel Inn Tavern.

The cost is $60, including lunch. Reservation deadline is Saturday, Sept. 22. Call 942-0066 for information or reservations.

Proceeds benefit Bangor Garden Club projects such as the Pediatric Garden Therapy program at Eastern Maine Medical Center, the University of Maine Scholarship Fund, and plantings at the Levinson Center, Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center, Hose 5 Museum and the Bangor Public Library.

Boot camp for new dads

BANGOR – The Penquis CAP Parents Are Teachers, Too program will offer Boot Camp for New Dads, a free workshop for first-time dads-to-be whose partners are in the last trimester of pregnancy. The workshop will be held 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, 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 like: 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. The goal is for participants to leave the workshop more confident in their ability to be great dads.

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

Closed for cleaning

The Maine Discovery Museum will be closed for cleaning through Monday, Sept. 10. It will reopen at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11. For information, call the museum at 262-7200.

Dessert with Elvis

The Dessert with Elvis venue has been changed. The second annual Dessert with Elvis will be held 6-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at the Spectacular Event Center, Griffin Road, Bangor. The evening will feature entertainment by Bruce Nye the Elvis Guy, silent and live auctions and a dessert buffet.

Elvis will take attendees on a musical trip through the 1950s and 1960s. Auctions will feature jewelry, gifts and gift certificates from restaurants, stores, theaters, Penobscot Bingo, sports events and more.

Grace United Methodist Church, 193 Union St., Bangor, is the sponsor of the event. For information, call 942-8320. Tickets are $10 at Patrick’s Hallmark, the Grasshopper Shop, and Rebecca’s, at the church and at the door. Proceeds benefit the ministry and community outreach program.

Magic show

Ring 362 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians will hold its first Chung Ling Soo Stage Magic Competition at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at All Souls Congregational Church. A suggested donation of $5 will benefit the All Souls Youth Program.

The contest honors the memory of Chung Ling Soo, 1861-1918, one of the most influential magicians in history. Chung Ling Soo never spoke during a performance and to honor his memory, contestants are required to perform without speaking. Contestants are:

. The Mysterious Baxter. For nearly three decades, Baxter had studied the masters, observed his peers and honed his magical skills to a high degree.

. Danny Adrian Baker. He has performed his own brand of zany comedy and magic for 34 years, studying theater and mime in Europe and the United States.

. Professor Miller. He lives in the Blue Hill area and is a partner in Miller and Wilson’s Theater of Marvels, a fixture on Mount Desert Island in the summer months.

Contestants will be judged by a panel of experts with backgrounds in theater and film.

Members of the All Souls community will provide musical entertainment.

Time to move and dance

The School of Robinson Ballet, a nonprofit organization, has announced its 2007-2008 schedule of classes for ages 3 to adult.

Classes include Creative Movement, Intro to Dance, Ballet and Tap, Dancercise for children and adults, and ballet for all levels.

Instructors are Keith and Maureen Robinson and Dale Robertson, well-known Bangor area dance instructors and founding members of Robinson Ballet.

The School of Robinson Ballet is located at 107 Union St.

For a class schedule, call 989-7226 or visit www.robinsonballet.org

Bradley

At Leonard’s Mills

These events are scheduled for Leonard’s Mills living history museum off Route 178:

. Blacksmiths’ Round-up, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8. Join professional blacksmiths for a day of forging lessons. During the morning watch and learn, in the afternoon try your hand at this age-old craft. Admission is $5, $2 for children age 2 to 12. Museum members admitted free.

. Living History Days, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 6 and 7. It’s a perfect time to view beautiful fall foliage in an early lumbering settlement. Wagon and bateau rides, freshly pressed cider, bean-hole beans and traditional demonstrations will be featured. Admission is $7, $2 children age 2 to 12. Museum members are admitted free.

For information, call 581-2871.

Brewer

Antiques appraisal fair

The Oncology Support Foundation will be the host for an antiques appraisal fair with the Thomaston Place Auction Galleries Mobile Appraisal Coach 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, at Jeff’s Catering, East-West Industrial Park.

The event will provide instant, onsite appraisals given by Thomaston Place’s Kaja Veilleux and John Boterro for antique or collectible items.

The suggested donation is $5 per item or $25 for six items. Proceeds benefit the Oncology Support Foundation.

Mart Lapin, board chairman, said, “I am very excited that this internationally known auction and appraisal company is coming to our town and donating their services to help us raise needed funds.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for people to find out what their family heirlooms and household treasures are worth, while supporting the Oncology Support Foundation at the same time,” he said.

If items are too large to be transported to the coach, detailed photographs may be used to determine the item’s approximate value. Appraisals will be conducted on a first come, first served basis.

Proceeds will support cancer patients by providing gas cards, helping with the cost of lodging while undergoing treatment, paying for meals for patients and their families, and other related costs.

For information, call Mart Lapin at 866-0200.

Bucksport area

Christian education

Churches of the Pine Tree United Methodist Ministries invite families to enroll children in Christian education opportunities on Sunday mornings beginning Sept. 9:

. Franklin Street UMC, Bucksport, year-round round program of children’s church, pre-kindergarten to sixth grade, during worship at 9 a.m., One Room School House program. 469-3622.

. The North Bucksport UMC, program for elementary age children, at 10:15 a.m. after worship, in the basement of the church on Route 15 across from the Arey Community Center. Helen Bennett, 469-2333.

. East Bucksport UMC, Church Road off Route 46, One Room School House program during worship at 10:30 a.m. Michelle Murchie, 735-4393.

. Penobscot UMC, program for elementary pupils, after 9 a.m. worship. Kickoff service at church on Sept. 9. Also, after-school program for students interested in creative arts, drama and music. Pastor Susan Yaruta Young, 374-3536.

In addition, there will be a Junior High-Senior High Program for youth of the Bucksport, Orland and Penobscot area starting at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at Franklin Street UMC in Bucksport. The program will feature video lessons and discussions, movies, activities, missions and the opportunity to participate in the 6:30 p.m. contemporary service.

Teen musicians who would like to participate in the band will practice at 5 p.m.

Parents who would be interested in a parenting support group during the youth group sessions are encouraged to contact the pastoral team.

The Orland United Methodist Church will offer a monthly family social night at 6 p.m. the second Saturday of the month. Each event begins with a potluck dinner. Sept. 8 will be a game night. Bring your favorite card or board game. Other themes include bowling, musicals, ’70s night and Forrest Gump Night Costume Party. For information, contact Cathy Ames at 469-2195.

Contact the pastoral team by calling Pastor Peter Remick at 469-3622 or 469-3589, Pastor Jan Rhenow at 469-3714 or 469-7896, or Pastor Susan Yaruta Young at 374-3536.

Hermon

Hydrangea wreath class

Create a wreath from freshly gathered hydrangea blossoms. Choose from one of two class sessions conducted 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at Ecotat Gardens, Route 2 and Annis Road. The cost is $20 with all materials supplied. To register, call 848-2603 or 848-5946. Parking is in the lot on Annis Road.

Holden

Snapping turtles

Jean Adamson, the “Turtle Lady” Susan Kynast, who was awarded a Conservation Award from Maine Audubon for her work in conservation of snapping turtles, and Judy Kellogg Markowsky, director of Fields Pond Audubon Center, will present “Secrets of Snapping Turtles,” with live snapping turtles, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6, at Fields Pond Audubon Center.

The cost to attend is $5 members, $6 others.

Markowsky will talk about the natural history of snapping turtles, where they lay their eggs, when and how they hatch. Adamson will show her live snapping turtles, and Kynast will answer questions about snapping turtle conservation. Attendees may share their snapping turtle experiences, stories, fear, admiration and questions about the species.

The program is aimed at adults, but older children are welcome. For information, call 989-2591 or e-mail jmarkowsky@maineaudubon.org.

Program on nature art

Kris Sader, a printer and environmental site-specific artist, will give a presentation at the Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden. She will discuss her process, her resource materials and her field research at the center, in Costa Rica and the High Sierras. Sader also will show slides of her outdoor art.

Two years ago, her art included a curtain woven with pine needles, a portal created with cedar branches and a stick waterfall. These pieces were left in the woods surrounding the nature center for a year. Her art changed with time, as all of nature does.

Her work this year is an installation of prints in response to time and place this summer. Sader’s process speaks to all of the creative arts.

“The journey to my artwork was grand, it leading me as much as me leading it,” she said.

The Site-Specific Nature Art program will be offered at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at Fields Pond Audubon Center. The program is free and open to the public. No preregistration is necessary. For information, call 989-2591.

Church school

Holden Congregational Church school begins at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, on Church Road. During morning worship, 11 a.m.-noon, Bibles will be presented to third-graders Tyler Hafford and Bryant Kiley.

The church school offers classes for ages 2 to adult.

Children in sixth grade and younger are taught from the “Witness” curriculum series. Seventh- and eighth-graders study the “Our Confirmation” series. A class for those in high school is taught by Amy Tapley.

The church also offers a youth choir. New students may join classes any time during the school year. For information about the church and its programs, call Donna at 989-3078.

Orono

Women of the World

Women of the World will resume its meetings at noon Monday, Sept. 10, at the Church of Universal Fellowship, Main Street, and celebrate Brazil. The hostess, a native of Brazil, will prepare traditional recipes including feijoada, a pork dish, and moqueca, a fish dish. She will serve flan, tapioca and passion fruit mousse for dessert. Books and various objects from Brazil will be on display.

Volunteers are needed to help set up at 11:15 a.m. and for clean up after the meal.

WOW is a group of international women, including Americans, who gather once a month around an ethnic lunch; a cultural program featuring the country or theme represented usually follows. WOW is a great place to meet women from around the world and to learn about new cultures and discover new cuisine. Lunch fees are $4, $2 children 6-10, free to children under 6 who attend with their mothers.

For information on WOW, call Mireille Le Gal at 581-3423. WOW is sponsored by the Office of International Programs and National Student Exchange at the University of Maine.

Community theater casting

Calling all ‘bots and ‘trons: Orono Community Theatre is casting its fall production, Karel Capek’s “R.U.R.: Rossum’s Universal Robots,” directed by Travis Baker.

Karel Capek gave the world the term “robot”- he coined it from the Czech word robota, which means “work.” In “R.U.R.: Rossum’s Universal Robots,” the robots are originally created to perform the world’s work, to free human beings for higher pursuits -although the scientists’ predictions go terribly awry.

At its premiere, audiences enjoyed the play’s elements of melodrama and visual excitement, but they also were touched by the fear and foreboding of confrontation with an increasingly industrial world.

Capek wrote the play in 1919, just following the close of the First World War. The play premiered in Prague in 1921 and hit New York in 1922 – it ran for 184 performances on Broadway, a long and successful run by any standards.

Travis Baker, an award-winning playwright whose scenic work has appeared on Broadway as well as on the Orono Community Theatre stage, said that R.U.R. continues to be relevant and entertaining to today’s audiences.

Baker sees the play “almost like a classic movie, with elements of love, greed, compassion, vengeance, ultimate sacrifice – and robots!”

He is looking for a cast of 13 to 17 actors, male and female, who are “willing to step into a brave new world.”

Auditions will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, and 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at the Keith Anderson Community House, 19 Bennoch Road. Scripts will be provided. For information, call 866-5065.

Winterport

Theater auditions

Winterport Open Stage will hold auditions for its upcoming production of “Mrs. California,” by Doris Baizley, 7-9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 11 and 12, at Wagner School, Mountainview Drive.

Roles are available for five women and two men, plus several cameo roles. To obtain information, visit www.winterportopenstage.com or call the director, Jenny Hart, at 433-7529.