Hancock County moves closer to ‘losing a ton’

When I returned from vacation, I was pleased to find another update from Iris Simon regarding Lose and Win, the 10-week Hancock County program that helps people lose weight and develop a healthful lifestyle.

Although we have some real catching up to do for the most recent results, Simon proudly reported that through Feb. 1, participants had “accumulated a loss of 1,040 pounds” and were “well on their way to losing a ton” in this program based on the book, “The Town that Lost a Ton.”

Executive Director Ida Page invites the public to attend the annual meeting of Robert and Mary’s Place at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, in the Meadowview Phase II Dining Room on Meadowview Lane in Ellsworth.

Robert and Mary’s Place is the only adult day program for people with memory loss living in Hancock County.

For information about this meeting, or the services of Robert and Mary’s Place, call Page at 667-5449.

Jackie Frisk reports the Bangor High School Music Department is hosting its first Jazz Invitational Festival, concluding with an evening concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, in Peakes Auditorium at Bangor High School on Broadway.

The concert will also feature the Queen City Big Band, and is free and open to the public.

Frisk wrote that jazz band members representing Dexter High School, Bangor High School and Bangor’s Doughty Middle School and Cohen Middle School will spend the afternoon “working with professional jazz educators,” and “improving and refining their performance skills before demonstrating what they have learned” in the concert.

Carol McElwee reminds you to get your “arrest warrants” for the Caribou Kiwanis Club Keystone Kops fundraiser, which is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at the American Legion Hall, 67 Sweden St.

The “arrest warrants” are $10 each, and are available before that date at Caribou One-Stop, Caribou Food Trend, the Caribou Chamber of Commerce, from Caribou Kiwanis Club members or by calling the American Legion Hall at 498-2844.

This event is held in conjunction with the Caribou Winter Carnival, and proceeds benefit Caribou Kiwanis Club charities.

An all-you-can-eat spaghetti feast is being held to benefit Tim Pottle of Jonesport.

Pottle and his three children lost their home, and all its contents, to fire the end of January.

Ina Beal e-mailed that the benefit is planned from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at Community of Christ Church, which is located across from the Jonesport IGA.

The donation is $6 for adults and $3 for children.

If you cannot attend the fundraiser, but would like to help the family, you can call Beal for more information at 255-3192 or 271-0718.

Registration is open, and while some classes may already be full, Madeleine Freemen, curriculum chair of Penobscot Valley Senior College, encourages seniors to register for its 13 spring courses at either 10 a.m. or 1:10 p.m. on six Fridays from Feb. 29 to April 14, at the University of Maine in Orono and University College of Bangor.

Tuition is $30 per course, and senior college membership is required to take courses.

For more information about this program, call the senior college message phone at 262-7927; e-mail seniorcollege@mainecenteronaging.org or visit www.mainecenteronaging.org.

Now is the time to make plans to participate in the annual Ice Fishing Derby and Raffle to benefit Pine Tree Camp in Rome.

The derby is Saturday, Feb. 16, and the weigh-in is from 3 to 5 p.m., that day, at Sweet Dreams Store in Smithfield.

Tickets are just $2, or three for $5, and the grand-prize winner takes home a new ice shack.

Tickets are available at Linwood & Son Garage on Route 2 in Norridgewock; D&L Store, Smithfield Road, and Sweet Dreams in Smithfield; Christy’s in Mercer; in Belgrade at Christy’s, Spillars Live Bait, Wintertime Bait Shop, North Belgrade General Store and Day’s Store; at Nickie’s Tackle and Fire House Tavern in North Belgrade; Kings Live Bait in Fairfield; Wild Thing in Oakland; Harvest Time Bait in Winslow; Bait, Bolts & Bullets, Solon and Boubier’s Bait Shop in Winthrop.

PTS reports all proceeds benefit the camp that was established in 1945 to offer “Maine children and adults, with disabilities, an extraordinary summer camp experience.”

For more information, call PTC’s director of facilities Harvey Chesley at 314-0637 or e-mail hchesley@pinetreesociety.org.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; javerill@bangordailynews.net; 990-8288.