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Senate Youth Program

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced that the United States Senate Youth Program has begun its statewide selection process. Two outstanding Maine high school students will be selected to join 102 delegates observing the federal government in action March 1-8 in Washington, D.C.

“I have the honor and privilege of being the first delegate to the United States Senate Youth Program elected to the U.S. Senate,” said Collins. “My commitment to public service was reinforced as a senior in high school when I was chosen as a delegate and traveled to Washington and met Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman in history to serve in both the House and the Senate.

“I encourage all interested high school students to apply to participate in this worthwhile program,” she said.

Since the program was established in 1962, more than 4,500 students have participated. The program is fully funded by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. No government funds are utilized.

Student delegates receive a $5,000 undergraduate college scholarship and all-expenses paid trip to the nation’s capital. Delegates are junior or senior elected student officers for the 2008 academic year and reside in the state where they attend school. Delegates are announced in December.

Those interested should contact their high school principal or Dr. Edwin Naum Kastuck, School Approval Services, Maine Department of Education, 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0023; telephone 624-6776, or edwin.kastuck@maine.gov. The deadline is Friday, Oct. 26.

For program brochure, visit www.ussenateyouth.org.

Jobs for Maine Graduates

Jobs for Maine Graduates is adding three high school programs and one middle school program for a total to 55 JMG programs statewide serving some 2,600 students. The new high schools are Brewer High School, Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham and Oak Hill High School serving Litchfield, Sabattus and Wales.

The new Project Reach program will involve middle school pupils from Mount Desert Island.

Jennifer Cole has been hired as the specialist for the JMG program at Brewer High. She has been working at Brewer with the Maine Educational Talent Search Program.

The JMG vision is to be a champion for Maine students who face barriers in education and to guide each one to a successful path toward continued education, a meaningful career and productive adulthood. For information, call Maureen Duggan at 620-7180, Ext. 216 or e-mail mduggan@jmg.org.

Children’s drawing class

A drawing class for children age 4 to 10 will be offered monthly at Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden.

Bring favorite art supplies such as pencils, colored pencils, crayons and markers. Carolyn Wallace-Zani of Main Street Studio will teach the class.

Children will be introduced to nature drawing by recognizing basic shapes as the building blocks to creating artistic forms found in nature.

The class will be fun and informative. Children will learn techniques to help them draw and enjoy the natural world the grounds of Fields Pond offer. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to participate with their child to further enhance creative expression.

The class will be held 9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 13. The cost for one child and an assisting caregiver is $10 members, $12 others.

The class also be held 9:30-10:30 a.m. Nov. 10 and Dec. 8. Preregister by calling 989-2591.

Pre-school cheering

BANGOR – The Bangor Parks and Recreation Department is offering mini-cheering, a new class for pre-schoolers, age 3 to 5. Participants will learn the fundamentals of cheering 10-10:45 a.m. Fridays, beginning Oct. 5, at the Parks and Recreation Center, 647 Main St. The class runs for five weeks.

The fee is $40 residents and $50 others. The fee includes a uniform package. Preregistration is urged so that a uniform package will be available. A uniform sizing chart will be available at registration.

Call Parks and Recreation for information at 992-4490.

Garden club poster contest

HOLDEN – The Bangor Garden Club invites children in grades one through five to enter the Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl Garden Club Poster Contest 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, and 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Nov. 3, at the Fields Pond Audubon Center.

Susan Poole of the Bangor Garden Club will be on hand with art supplies and the appropriate paper for making posters. There is no cost.

Children also have the option to make the poster at home and drop it off at the nature center. Poster rules are available at www.symbols.gov/postercontest/2005/index.shtml.

Journey Into Writing

Maine high school juniors are invited to submit entries for A Journey Into Writing, the Maine Community College System’s statewide writing contest, through Dec. 1.

Again this year, the contest will be judged by Maine writers Richard Russo, Linda Greenlaw and Wesley McNair.

A Journey Into Writing was created in 2004 to encourage creativity among Maine high school students and inspire young writers to develop their craft. High school juniors are encouraged to submit an original poem, short story or essay of up to 1,500 words. Three finalists will be chosen from up to 15 semi-finalists. Each of the three finalists will receive a $2,500 cash award.

To enter, students must submit their entries electronically to the MCCS Web site. Rules and entry form are available at www.mccs.me.edu, click on A Journey Into Writing.

The finalists and semi-finalists will be honored at an awards ceremony in May.

Colleges

Mercyhurst College

ERIE, Pa. – Sophomore Erin Gray was named to the dean’s list for academic achievement at Mercyhurst College, where she is pursuing a degree in history and journalism. A graduate of Bangor High School, she is the daughter of Vance and Margaret Gray of Bangor.

Schonberger Lecture

ORONO – The history of the slave ship as a floating dungeon is the topic of this year’s Howard B. Schonberger Peace and Social Justice Lecture at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, Room 100, Donald P. Corbett Building, University of Maine.

The lecture is held in memory of Howard Schonberger, a UM professor of history from 1971 until his death in 1991.

Speaker Marcus Rediker, a University of Pittsburgh history professor and early American scholar, also is a poet, author and social activist in Pennsylvania. He is a published authority on colonial America, Atlantic history, the global history of piracy, and theory and method in social and cultural history.

His evening talk is “The Floating Dungeon: A History of the Slave Ship.”

Rediker also will speak at the Socialist and Marxist Studies Luncheon Series at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union. The title of his midday lecture is “Written in Blood and Fire: Primitive Accumulation and the History of Capitalism.”

Both lectures are free and open to the public.

Rediker is the author of many articles, papers and several books, including “The Slave Ship: A Human History,” “The Many-Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, Commoners and the Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic” and “Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age.”

He will be available to sign books following his lectures.

Schonberger was active in the Peace and Justice Center and the Maine Peace Action Committee on campus. He was a founder of the Bangor Area Central America Solidarity Committee, now known as PICA, Peace through Interamerican Community Action.

For details, call Liam Riordan, 581-1913, or Ann Schonberger, 581-1229.