Bangor

Auction, dinner social

Bangor Breakfast Kiwanis Club will hold its second annual live and silent auction and dinner social 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, at Bangor Banquet and Conference Center, Hogan Road. Proceeds benefit local Kiwanis children’s charities.

Twenty-five percent of the proceeds will be dedicated to supporting the Senior League World Series in August at Shawn T. Mansfield Stadium.

Tickets for the auction-social are $23 a person, including full buffet dinner. A cash bar will be available. To obtain information or to purchase tickets, call Doug Damon at 942-6310.

Award to city, public works

In recognition of performance excellence and administration of workplace safety and health programs, the Maine Department of Labor, in conjunction with Safety Works, presented the Safety and Health Award for Public Employees to employees and administrative staff of the Bangor Public Works Department on April 14 during a City Council meeting.

SHAPE recognizes excellence in safety and health in compliance with workplace safety standards of Maine’s Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Standards and the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Public works is the first city department to achieve the award. The city and public works join an elite group of safety-conscious municipalities in Maine.

Dana Wardwell, director of public works, and Jerry Hughes, assistant director, credit the successful safety and health record to supervisors, administrative staff and AFSCME Local 926 workforce.

Council Chairwoman Susan M. Hawes said, “The members of the department, working as a team and sharing the common objective of workplace safety, have made this recognition possible. We are proud of this recognition and of the work they do every day.”

Public works director Dana Wardwell said, “Our public works employees are challenged to work under a wide variety of conditions, including responding to the community’s needs in severe weather. Their ability to meet these challenges while making safety a top priority is an achievement that the entire city takes pride in and one that will ensure that the standards of the SHAPE Program will be met or exceeded in future years.”

Space movie night

The public is invited to the Challenger Learning Center for popcorn and space movies 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 24, for a fun and informative look at the science behind space movies.

Teens and adults will watch famous movie segments from “Armageddon” and “Apollo 13” with pauses for insights and reality checks from University of Maine astronomer David Batuski and former NASA mission controller Dick Cattelle.

Younger children will watch several movie cartoon clips and separate fact from fiction with the center’s education director, Robin Kennedy.

The event is free. Pre-registration is preferred by calling 990-2900.

Course in home buying

MaineStream Finance will offer a free 12-hour certified training course to help potential home buyers make prudent home purchasing decisions. Classes will be 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays, April 19 and 26, at Penquis, 262 Harlow St. Participants must attend both classes.

The course is conducted by a qualified trainer and includes the roles of professionals involved in the home buying process, such as attorneys, realtors, lenders, insurance agents and home inspectors. Components are budget and debt management and credit counseling.

There is no cost to participate, but registration is required by calling MaineStream Finance at 974-2424, 800-215-4942, ext. 424, or e-mail fperry@penquis.org.

Ladies Night Out

In time for Mother’s Day, Neighborhood Church invites women to Ladies Night Out 5:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3.

“We are pleased to offer Ladies Night Out again this year,” said senior pastor Brian Haggerty. “Any woman in need of a night out will enjoy this event. We provide a great meal and entertainment. Many women choose to dress up for the evening, but that is optional. We want you to come and join the fun.”

The cost is $25 and includes a full course meal, with vegetarian options available if reservations are received by April 28.

The event includes a humorous skit and presenter Sharon Anderson, a conference and retreat speaker who challenges her audiences with a deep sense of relevance, humor and conviction. Her topic is “Living In The Reality of God’s Love.”

Anderson is an associate pastor of outreach and evangelism at South Shore Community Church in Bridgewater, Mass. She is the author of “And The Two Became One Plus: An Upfront Look at Today’s Blended Family” and “Reminders for the Journey: Reflections for Mothers.”

Tickets are limited. For reservations, call the office, 945-9937.

Anderson and her husband, Karl, have six children and seven grandchildren. She will speak again at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 4, at Neighborhood Church, 263 Texas Ave. Her topic will be “Life-giving Friendships.”

Hampden

Quilters meeting

The Winterport Clippers quilting chapter will host the Area 6 meeting of area quilters at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, at St. Matthews Church, 70 Western Ave., in Hampden.

Guest speakers will be Sue Harvey, senior editor of Quilters World magazine, and Sandy Boobar, quilt designer for Quilters World. The women are partners in Pine Tree Country Quilts in Stillwater. Harvey and Boobar will demonstrate a new tool, designed by Patricia Pepe, that creates the X-block.

All area quilters are welcome. For information, call Sandy Horn at 525-4433 or Fay Cunningham at 548 2407.

Hermon

Fire department yard sale

The Hermon Fire Department Auxiliary will hold its third annual yard sale 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, May 31, at the fire station on Billings Road.

Organizers are in need of clean, salable items. To make arrangements for pick-up or delivery of items, call Ann Byers, 842 5067; Joanne Leonard, 848-5461; Mary Dibona, 848-5106; or Vickie Gonyea, 848-5614. Items should not be left at the fire station as there is no room to store them.

Southern Gospel Fest

Second Southern Gospel Fest with The Campbells, New Beginnings, High Meadow Quartet, The Ascensions, Journey Home and Alan Frink will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at Hermon Baptist Church, 2496 Route 2. For information, call Wes Linscott, 942-1551.

Holden

Earth Day potluck, program

A free program and potluck supper to celebrate Earth Day will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, at Fields Pond Audubon Center. Bring a favorite dish to share.

Mark Anderson, University of Maine School of Economics faculty member and coordinator of the ecology and environmental sciences program, will present “It’s Not Enough to Know Your Carbon Footprint.”

Anderson will address concerns about climate change and how to reduce carbon impact. He will demonstrate a tool for moving from “knowing” to “acting.”

For information, call Fields Pond at 989-2591.

Family walk in nature

Bring the family to explore nature 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 19, on the grounds of Fields Pond Audubon Center.

Parents and children will enjoy exercise and fresh air, as well as learn the science and poetry of nature. A creative indoor project will be offered.

The cost is $4 per child, parents walk free. No registration is necessary. For information, call 989-2591.

Indian Island

Reading, book signing

The Penobscot Nation Cultural and Historic Preservation Department will present a reading and book signing with Donna Loring, the Penobscot Nation representative to the Maine State Legislature, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, at the Nicholas Sapiel Building, Wabanaki Way.

Loring is the author of the newly published “In the Shadow of the Eagle: A Tribal Representative in Maine.” Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing, and light refreshments will be served. For information, call Maria Girouard at 817-7471.

Maine is the only state to have tribal representatives seated in its legislative body, a practice that began in the 1820s. The representatives don’t have voting power, but they serve on committees and may chair committees.

Loring’s first session was a difficult one, a personal struggle to have a “voice.” Issues included the changing of offensive names, teaching American Indian history in Maine schools, casinos and racinos, and the interpretation of sovereign rights for tribes.

Loring grew up on Indian Island and has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Maine. She is a Vietnam veteran who served in the communications center at Long Binh Army Base 30 miles from Saigon, processing casualty reports for Southeast Asia 1967-1968.

She was the first woman police academy graduate to become a police chief in Maine, serving in that position for the Penobscot Nation, 1984-1990. In 1992 she became the first woman director of security at Bowdoin College, a position she held until 1997.

Loring was an adviser to Gov. Angus King on women veterans’ affairs and in 1999 received the Mary Ann Hartman Award from the University of Maine’s Women in Curriculum and Women’s Studies Program. She served in the Maine State Legislature as tribal representative of the Penobscot Nation from 1998 to 2004, and 2005 to the present.

Old Town

5K Pet Run-Walk

Put on your running or walking shoes and leash up your pooch or pick up your kitty. The Animal Orphanage will hold its annual 5K Pet Run-Walk at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, April 27, rain or shine. The start-finish line is the Old Town YMCA on Stillwater Avenue.

Pets are welcome, but optional. They must be leashed and start at the back of the line unless the entrant is racing.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the fee is $12 for individual walkers and runners, $8 each for those in a family of walkers. The first 50 individuals to register and pay the entry fee receive a limited edition tee-shirt.

Along with the satisfaction of helping a very worthy cause and chasing away the winter doldrums, there will be prizes awarded to the top three in each age group and overall.

Age categories are 4 to 7; 8 to 12; 13 to 15; 16 to 19; 20 to 29; 30 to 39; 40 to 49, 50 to 59; 60 to 69; and 70 and older. There are special awards and categories for pets.

“This is always a great event and it’s wonderful to see the serious runners, the fun runners, and the runners and walkers who bring their animals,” said Roberta Fowler, president of the board of directors of the Animal Orphanage.

“Our main goal in this and all of our fundraising events is, of course, to raise money to help the homeless strays that come through our doors. These poor animals have been through so much already and many have had to scrounge just to stay alive. We do all we can to make their lives finally a little easier. And the public has always been so supportive.”

The Animal Orphanage is a no-kill shelter that takes in strays in Old Town and Orono. Those supporting the Animal Orphanage can help ensure that their care continues.

YMCA Carnival Night

The Old Town-Orono YMCA Carnival Night will be held 8-10 p.m. Friday, April 18, at the YMCA. The event is geared to children age 8-12. Parents must accompany their children to make sure that appropriate waivers are completed. Parents may also join in the fun.

Activities at the event will be swimming, climbing gym, skate park, wally ball, racquetball, carnival games, game room and foam pit. Snacks and prizes also will be available. The cost is $5 a child. For info, call Marlyse Waskiewicz at 827-6111.

Orono

Open house and safety day

The Orono Police and Fire departments have scheduled an open house and public safety day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 19.

There will be activities for everyone, including free food, contests and prizes.

Come meet the Orono firefighters and police officers and tour the stations. Visitors can check out the fire department’s new tower truck; meet Caliber, Orono’s narcotics detection dog; watch a car extrication demonstration with the Jaws of Life; learn about the Orono Citizens Police Academy; take a ride in an emergency vehicle and more.

There will be a prescription drug drop-off, a senior information booth and child fingerprinting and videotaping. Sparky the Fire Dog and Reddy Fox will be there to meet and greet children, and there will be a bike safety rodeo, a bounce house, a crash simulator and the fire department’s Hazard House, which illustrates the hidden dangers that can cause a fire in the home.

During the event, Goodridge Drive will be closed to traffic, and parking will be available at Merrill Merchants Bank and Bank of America parking lots.

To volunteer, to donate an item or to obtain information, call 866-4000.

‘Go Green’ gala auction

The Orono Public Library Foundation will conduct its third annual gala auction on Saturday, May 17.

The theme of this year’s gala is “Go Green” to celebrate the environmentally friendly plans for the new library. The Foundation plans to achieve Silver Level LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certification with the design of the new library and could possibly attain Gold Level. Orono’s new library will be one of a small, but growing, number of green buildings in the area.

The Go Green Auction will feature both silent and live auction items, hors d’ouevres, classical guitar music by Orono musician Rich Kenefic, and a multi-media presentation about the LEED features of the new library building.

More than 100 auction items will be up for bid, including vacation packages, dinners and many goods and services from local businesses.

Tickets are $25 a person and will go on sale Monday, April 14. To reserve tickets, contact Laurie Rose at the Orono Public Library, 866-5060, or e-mail lrose@orono.lib.me.us.

Orrington

Bottle drive for derby

The Ralph J. Pollard Masonic Lodge will hold a bottle drive 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 26, at the lodge hall. Proceeds, along with matching funds, will go toward the local Soap Box Derby. Donations of returnable bottles may be dropped off at the lodge hall.

Bangor, Orono

Award from Wildlife Society

The Orono Land Trust and Bangor Land Trust received the 2008 Award of Recognition from the Maine Chapter of the Wildlife Society on April 16.

Catherine Elliot, chairwoman of the awards committee, said, “The award is presented to groups, individuals, organizations or businesses that have consciously made significant contributions to wildlife management or conservation in Maine. The Orono and Bangor Land Trusts are being recognized for their visionary and effective collaboration that has resulted in the conservation of nearly 1,500 acres of green space that protects unique habitats and provides wildlife corridors and opportunities for recreation from Bangor to Hudson.”