Bangor

Silent auction on baskets

More than 100 gift baskets donated by local businesses, friends and Senior Center members are up for bid in a silent auction Dec. 10-14 at the Hammond Street Senior Center, 2 Hammond St. Baskets appeal to artists, outdoorsmen and women, chefs, Red Sox and Patriots fans, writers, travelers, gardeners, coffee and tea drinkers, animal lovers, brides-to-be, lobster lovers, golfers, birders, and candy lovers of all ages.

Stop by and bid on one or more baskets from 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, through 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14. A reception will be 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13.

Proceeds benefit programs of Hammond Street Senior Center. For info, call 262-5532.

Talk by UM astronomer

A free public lecture and book signing will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at the Challenger Learning Center, 30 Venture Way. Dr. Neil Comins, one of the world’s foremost astronomers, will discuss his new book, “The Hazard of Space Travel: A Tourist’s Guide.”

Comins is an astrophysicist, astronomer, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Maine and author of several books on astronomy and space. He has appeared on radio shows worldwide and several TV shows.

Comins’ new book is written to give everyone, potential space traveler or not, an awareness of the dangers that people face in space. He hopes it will help make people “informed consumers” as space travel becomes more available.

For information, call 990-2900.

Vacation activities at Discovery Museum

T’was the day after Christmas, and all through the house

All my creatures were stirring, the kids, not a mouse.

The day before, brought lots of presents and cheer.

But where was my nap? I’d been parent of the year!

When what to my weary eyes should appear,

but Winter Day Camp. What a brilliant idea!

Now Bobby, now Lily, now Sara and Tim

On Morgan, on Michael, on Sierra and Kim.

To Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor on Main Street.

Fun days for children and parents, a true holiday treat!

Parents can plan to drop off children age 5 and up for all-day fun 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 26-28, at the museum. Early drop-off and late pickup times are available. The cost is $32 per child per day for museum members and $38 per child per day for others.

Supervised playtime plus special science and craft activities are planned around the themes for each day:

. Wednesday, Dec. 26, H20-C02. Discover the two main ingredients of all life on Earth. Put on your safety goggles and explore dry ice, bubbly gas formations and “sticky” water. Conduct amazing experiments. The day is geared for budding chemists and physicists who want to explore liquids, solids and matter in-between.

. Thursday, Dec. 27, Sugar Bakers and Candy Makers. Science and sweets come together as participants make sugar crystals, pull taffy, build sugar cube castles and watch honeycomb caramel crackle up. Where does the expression “sweet tooth” come from, and what does sugar really do to our teeth?

. Friday, Dec. 28, Fossil Hunters. Follow the fossilized footsteps of dinosaurs to a time when giants ruled the Earth and “monsters” patrolled the seas. Watch living fossils in action, make casts, charts and fossil jewelry. Get a close-up view of the “king” of the ferocious meat-eating dinosaurs.

Call the museum at 262-7200 to preregister. Space is limited.

Stained glass and sculpture

The Bangor Museum & History Center will offer an artists’ exhibit, “Winter Garden,” featuring the works of stained-glass artist Ralph Parks and metal sculptor Adam Williams.

The opening will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, at Minerva’s Museum Store, 115 Main St. Light refreshments will be served. For information, call Willow at 942-1910.

Christmas sale

The annual Christmas sale of handmade goods from Carasque, Bangor’s sister city in El Salvador, will be held 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Peace and Justice Center, 170 Park St.

Kwanzaa cancellation

The Greater Bangor Area NAACP Kwanzaa Celebration scheduled for Dec. 9 at the Unitarian Universalist Society has been canceled. For information, call 947-4625 or 548-2081.

Live Nativity

Neighborhood Church, 263 Texas Ave., invites the public to its first Live Nativity event at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14. Snow date is 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15. The event is free.

The Live Nativity presentation will be complete with Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, angels, shepherds, wise men and live animals.

“We’re very excited to offer this Live Nativity,” said Brian Haggerty, senior pastor of Neighborhood Church. “Members of the church have volunteered many hours of time and talent to create props, costumes and transportation for the animals. We’ll go back in time more than 2,000 years and be reminded of why we celebrate Christmas.”

Located in the heart of Bangor at the old Dow Chapel on the University College campus, the church has plenty of parking and will provide hot chocolate, coffee and snacks.

The presentation will last under one hour, but be sure to dress warmly. Warm up and have fellowship in the meeting hall immediately afterward.

Neighborhood Church is part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, a worldwide interdenominational missionary society. The church offers adult and children’s Sunday School, a new believer’s class, Alpha course and marriage course. For information, call Roberta Grover, secretary, or Brian Haggerty, senior pastor, at 945-9937, 8 a.m.-noon weekdays.

Theater volunteers, interns

Penobscot Theatre is seeking volunteers to assist with costumes, sets, technical work and administrative tasks throughout the 2007-2008 season.

“Commitments on a regular, as-needed or one-time basis are welcomed and appreciated,” said Joye-Cook Levy, PTC director of education. “Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn behind-the-scenes aspects of a Penobscot Theatre production.”

PTC also offers a high school and college student internship program. Interns work hands-on with staff on scenery, lighting, costumes, stage management and administration.

Applicants must be in high school or college, maintain a C average or better and have a good working attitude. Internships last one year and are broken into two sessions.

For information on becoming a volunteer or intern with PTC, call Joye Cook-Levy at 947-6618 or e-mail education@penobscot

theatre.org.

Benefiting homeless pets

Pets of all types may make their way to the PETCO store to have their photo taken with Santa, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8. Participating customers receive a commemorative photo and frame for $6.95 while supplies last. Five dollars from each photo will benefit a local animal welfare organization. The event is sponsored by Pet Promise.

In addition, PETCO’s annual Tree of Hope fundraiser is under way to raise funds for animal welfare organizations nationwide. For information, visit www.PETCO.com.

Pots for PICA

Susan Dickson-Smith of Proper Clay Stoneware will hold her annual holiday pottery sale to benefit PICA 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at Friars Bakehouse on Central Street.

Come choose from a variety of hand-thrown tableware, vases, wood-fired and salt-glazed pottery, plus a large selection of seconds and discontinued styles. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to PICA. Support a local artist and shop for a better world, organizers said. For information, call 963-2040 or e-mail potter@properclay.com.

Brewer

Hometown holiday concert

The Brewer Hometown Band will present a holiday concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, in the Brewer Auditorium. The theme is “The Polar Express.” The program includes delightful new melodies from the movie and lots of favorite carols everyone knows and loves.

A raffle will be conducted by a couple of train conductors from the Express. Colorful and tasty goodies will be available.

“Hot Chocolate,” both the beverage and the song, will be on the program. And for very good boys and girls, Santa may do a lively step or two while passing out holiday treats.

The band is asking the public to bring nonperishable items or money to help the Brewer Community Council fill Christmas baskets for the less fortunate among us.

Juried art selection

Jennifer Anderson, a Brewer resident, has won acceptance into the prestigious American Juried Art Salon’s 2007 Fall-Winter show.

The work, “Atlantic,” was accepted into the Water Media division. The art can be viewed at www.artjury.com. Click on “AJAS Online Galleries.”

The twice-a-year competition attracts entries from throughout Europe and North America. Jurists are well-known college and university art professors in the United States and Canada.

Kiwanis news

President Jessica Tilton opened the recent meeting of Brewer Kiwanis, introducing an interclub from Bangor-Breakfast Kiwanis made up of Frank Carr, George Dandaneau, Carissa Marsh and Larry Smith.

Plans were completed for bell ringing for the Salvation Army, Children’s Christmas Party and a donation to the Brewer Community Food Service for Thanksgiving baskets. As a new project, the club will participate in the MPBN televised fundraiser as one of its service projects for the year.

The children’s Christmas party will be held on Dec. 12. New Mayor Manley DeBeck is chairman of the event.

Tilton will attend the fall New England District Kiwanis Convention in New Hampshire. Committee assignments and a club assessment form were handed out.

Program chairman and club secretary Herb Hopkins introduced guest speaker Roxanne Moore Saucier, who writes Family Ties for the Bangor Daily News and edits The Weekly. She gave an interesting talk on genealogy and passed out handouts showing the members how to get started with their own families.

The next meeting was scheduled for Nov. 28 at the Muddy Rudder with guest speaker Mel McKay, head of school for John Bapst Memorial High School.

Bucksport

Holiday concert

The Bucksport Area Cultural Arts Society will sponsor a holiday concert featuring the University of Maine’s Athena Consort and Black Bear Men’s Chorus at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Bucksport Performing Arts Center on Miles Lane.

The Athena Consort, a women’s choral group, is under the direction of Heidi Corliss, while Dan Williams is the director of the Black Bear Men’s Chorus. Come and capture the spirit of the holidays by listening to this wonderful music.

The suggested donation of $5 at the door will help defray the cost of the men’s chorus’s trip to Washington in the spring, as well as support women’s group’s grand piano capital campaign.

Hampden

Raffle winners

Raffle winners for the Senior Citizens craft fair were: Adelma Harriman of Bangor, the painting; Lillian Jellison of Hampden, quilt made by Adelma Harriman; Marjorie Bowman of Hampden, afghan; Dot Anderson of Newburgh, food basket; and Ally Tardif of Hampden, children’s basket.

Indian Island

Penobscot Nation museum

The Penobscot Nation Historical Museum, operated by the tribe, displays hundreds of historical and cultural objects of the Penobscot Tribe from the early Stone Age to the present.

Videos are shown daily. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, all year round. For information, call 827-4153.

Levant

An honorary major

As a member of the Maine Legislature, and after going through an application and background check, Chris Greeley of Levant was made an honorary major in the United States Air Force Civil Air Patrol.

“As a former member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, I’m looking forward to contributing some time to this wonderful organization,” Greeley said.

Greeley represents House District 22.

Old Town

Communities That Care

The Herb Sargent Foundation of the Maine Community Foundation recently awarded $5,000 to Greater Old Town Communities That Care, a local youth drug and alcohol prevention group.

These funds will assist the organization with its operating and program expenses, such as one-on-one or one-on-two tutoring for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders in Old Town and Milford.

Calista Hannigan, daughter of the late Herb Sargent, said, “This is the type of thing that Dad really appreciated about Old Town – everyone working together for the common good. Greater Old Town CTC really embodies this concept.”

Herb Sargent was well known for his great interest in and support of children’s well-being and education, and GOT CTC is about kids.

For information about Greater Old Town Communities That Care and its programs, contact Diane Vatne, GOT CTC community coordinator, at 827-1544, ext. 129, or e-mail dvatne@otds.org.

Orono

Benefit for children

Members of the University of Maine Circle K will hold a “30-Hour Famine” to benefit Children of Peace International from 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at Asa Adams School.

Checks to support the charity may be sent to UMaine Circle K, 5748 Memorial Union, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, by Dec. 8.

Indian basket sale, show

The University of Maine’s Hudson Museum will hold its annual Maine Indian

Basketmakers Alliance sale and demonstration 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center on Hilltop Road. The event will offer the public a rare opportunity to learn firsthand about Maine Indian culture, traditions and art forms.

The event is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Early bird shopping is available 9-10 a.m. for a $10 fee. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

The event is one of three annual shows where Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot artists from Maine showcase and sell their work. It also is one of the largest American Indian gatherings of its type in Maine. Consumers and basket collectors come from throughout New England and across the country for the sale.