The tickets are free, reports Scott Burditt of the Bangor High School Music Department, but you must get them ahead of time if you want to enjoy hearing the United States Air Force Concert Band and the Singing Sergeants, “America’s International Musical Ambassadors.”

These groups, which have been performing for more than 60 years, Burditt wrote, will appear at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 30, in Peakes Auditorium at the high school on Broadway.

For tickets and information, Burditt explained, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Bangor High School Music Department, 885 Broadway, Bangor 04401.

Information is also available by calling 992-5569.

Mickey Sirota of the Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross in Bangor urges you to check to see whether any tickets remain for the annual Bangor Realtors’ Pot ‘O Gold Super Supper, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer.

The event benefits the PTC and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor.

Tickets for two are $150 and may be obtained by calling 989-1607.

Today we wish “Happy Birthday” to Phyllis Hand of Bangor who was born 100 years ago in Roxbury, Mass.

Her son, Bud Hand of Belfast, reports that family and friends will celebrate this joyous occasion in a special way when her four surviving sons dress up in tuxedoes and transport their mother to Jeff’s Catering in Brewer on Saturday afternoon.

There, this newest centenarian will enjoy visiting with those she knows and loves, and enjoy the music of a band that includes some of her family members.

“She plans to dance as long as she can,” her son said.

Phyllis Hand graduated from Dorchester (Mass.) High School in 1925 and worked as a secretary for a local firm. She first came to Maine around 1927 to visit her mother, who had remarried and moved to Carmel.

It was there, Bud said, that “the city girl met the country boy” who would later “write a little letter” to her, indicating that “he really liked her and, if she ever came back, that they should talk about it.”

She did, and in 1929 Phyllis married Reid Hand.

The couple had five sons and, at one time in the 1950s, the Hands had four sons serving in Korea.

Thankfully, Bud Hand told me those four sons “all came home.”

In Tuesday’s column I told you about the silent auction to benefit Glenburn recreation director Carey Besse, who is having treatment for breast cancer.

Today I have updated information, thanks to Linda Rice, about that event, which includes more than just the silent auction with bidding opening at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 22, at the Glenburn School.

In addition to the auction, Rice wrote, you will be able to make purchases at a bake sale featuring a variety of homemade goodies, take part in a cake walk, enjoy pizza, hot dogs and more at lunch time, watch a Championship Foul Shot Shootout at noon with participants from surrounding towns, and then start picking up your winning-bid items at 2:30 p.m.

Rice reports that the auction includes more than 120 items.

Among those items awaiting your bid will be family gift baskets including certificates for movies and pizza, a Holiday Inn stay valued at $300, a three-month $125 Gold’s Gym membership, 100 gallons of fuel from Pelkey Fuels, Harley-Davidson items, Boston Red Sox baseball, dog bed basket with treats, and $100 worth of gas from Webber Energy Fuels.

If you are unable to attend, but would like to make a donation to assist the family, write Shelly Shaw, 41 Richards Road, Glenburn 04401 or call her at 941-6765.

Mary Blackstone reports Master Gardener volunteer and Ellsworth Garden Club member Elaine Fernald “will be doing an illustrated talk on Planning an Herb Garden, Large or Small,” beginning at 7 p.m. Monday, March 24, at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension of Hancock County on Boggy Brook Road in Ellsworth.

The program is open to the public, and refreshments will be served.

It is one of two programs, Blackstone wrote, “intended to help people get a jump on their gardening.”

For information about this and other programs of the EGC, or about the club, call Jay Barnes at 667-8878.

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