Great Maine Bike Swap

The Great Maine Bike Swap is coming to Orono. The event, which brings together people buying and selling used bicycles and gear, will take place 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at the University of Maine’s new Student Recreation and Fitness Center on campus.

Hundreds of bicycles of all types – from mountain bikes to road bikes, children’s bikes, hybrids and even tandems – will be for sale at the bike swap.

The public is invited to sell used bikes in good, working condition. A large test riding area will allow shoppers to try out bikes. Volunteer advisers and experts will be on hand to help with pricing and bike fit.

Sponsored by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, the UM Student Recreation and Fitness Center and the UM Cycling Club, the bike swap will feature exhibits by nonprofit groups, bike shops and other vendors. Miniworkshops will be held on topics such as flat tire repair and information will be available about upcoming biking events in Maine. A small commission on sales will support the coalition’s bike safety and education programs.

The bike swap has taken place in the Portland area for several years. Some 1,500 people participated last year. This year’s Portland swap was held Sunday, April 27, in the University of Southern Maine’s Sullivan gym.

For information about the event, visit www.BikeMaine.org or call 623-4511.

Grant to Bangor Y

BANGOR – The Bangor Y has received a $7,500 grant from the Robert N. Haskell and Gladys M. Stetson Fund of the Maine Community Foundation to support the JumpStart Diversion program.

The Bangor Y JumpStart Diversion Program is an eight-week, one-on-one mentoring program designed for 10- to 18-year-old nonviolent juvenile first-time offenders who are at risk of entering the juvenile justice system.

For information about the Bangor Y JumpStart Diversion Program, call Tracy Souza, youth and family director, at 941-2808.

Perry City Forest

BANGOR – The city of Bangor held the official naming ceremony for the Rolland F. Perry City Forest on April 28. During the ceremony, new signage recognizing the contributions of retired city forester Rolland F. Perry were unveiled. The ceremony took place on Arbor Day, a nationally celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care.

Perry served as city forester for 41 years, from 1964 to his retirement in 2006. During this period, he was instrumental in developing and maintaining the city forests and public trees.

His accomplishments included developing management plans for and trails in Brown, Prentiss and Essex Woods and in the City Forest. During his tenure, he was responsible for planting more than 800,000 trees and seedlings throughout the city parks, rights-of-way and public spaces.

One of Perry’s proudest achievements was the preservation and development of City Forest, more than 650 acres of largely forested land located near the Bangor Mall commercial area and largely within the watershed of the Penjajawoc Marsh.

Through many years of effort, he worked consistently to protect this property against potential development, manage it to improve its timber and habitat values, and to develop a multipurpose trail system to enable residents and visitors to enjoy this area.

For information, call Dana Wardwell, Public Works director, at 992-4501; or Jim Ring, director of infrastructure and development support, at 992-4250.

Litter Patrol

The seventh annual Baxter State Park Roadside Litter Patrol is planned 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 3. Volunteers will meet at park headquarters in Millinocket. Litter will be collected from the Millinocket entrance of the park to Togue Pond Gate.

After the cleanup participants will be treated to a barbecue lunch.

Volunteers may sign up for the patrol by calling Marcia Williamson at 723-8537 or e-mailing Marcia@maine.gov.