Bangor

Traditional Baked Bean Suppah (and brownies!)

The American Folk Festival, set for Aug. 22-24 in Bangor, is a celebration of multicultural traditional arts including music, dance, crafts and traditional foods.

How could folks at Hammond Street Congregational Church pass up the chance to meet and greet the thousands of visitors the festival brings to the area?

The church, which has been part of the Bangor community since 1833, has had lots of time to perfect its baked bean recipe. Organizers of the supper are so convinced that their beans are the best, they take their Traditional Baked Bean Suppah to the festival each year.

For the past four years, the Bean Team, led by Bean Boss Andy Wood, has cooked up more than 100 pounds of beans, along with hot dogs, coleslaw and desserts. More than 100 people, roughly half the church congregation, participate in one way or another from baking to serving to gathering supplies.

The supper has become the church’s biggest event of the year. Recently, organizers added an annual T-shirt contest to pick its uniform for the weekend. And a giant replica of the supper’s famous delicious brownie was added this year to help attract its many loyal customers as well as new folks.

Look for the bean supper under the giant brownie Friday through Sunday on the Bangor waterfront.

Amy Goodman talk and peace rally

“Democracy Now” host Amy Goodman will speak at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at Hammond Street Congregational Church, 23 High St., after the “End the War, Build the Peace and Rebuild Our Economy” rally to be held at 1 p.m. at Paul Bunyan Park on Main Street.

The rally will feature area folksingers and speakers talking about the costs of war and alternatives and a “peace walk” to the church for Amy Goodman’s talk.

WERU Radio is presenting Amy Goodman’s talk. The Peace and Justice Center and others are sponsoring the rally and walk. Both are celebrating 20th anniversaries this year with these and other events.

The rally sponsors are the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine, Veterans for Peace Chapter 003, Maine People’s Alliance and others. To co-sponsor the rally, volunteer to help or obtain more information, call 942-9343.

Child care curriculum

The Penquis Child Care Resource Development Center will offer Curriculum Night for child care providers 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 24, Oct. 29 and Nov. 19, at Penquis, 262 Harlow St.

Curriculum Night is all about curriculum. Participants will learn activities to help create fun for children, and the Penquis RDC Library will be open for browsing and borrowing. Sept. 24 deals with fire safety; Oct. 29, fun fall favorites; and Nov. 19, Are you prepared for an emergency?

There is a $5 nonrefundable fee for the class. To obtain more information or to register, call 973-3533 or 888-917-1100.

Digital TV information

Royce Sherlock, a representative of the Federal Communications Commission, will present a program and answer questions about the upcoming change to digital television at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, in the Lecture Hall at Bangor Public Library.

In February 2009, standard broadcast television signals in the United States will end, and TV sets that rely on an antenna will no longer receive signals. Those who subscribe to cable or satellite service, or have a television that already is DTV ready won’t need to do anything.

Another informational presentation will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at Bangor Public Library when WLBZ General Manager Judy Horan will present a program on the changeover to digital.

Literacy Volunteers

Literacy Volunteers of Bangor is seeking volunteers who are interested in helping an adult improve his or her reading. Adults with low literacy have limited job and earning prospects, have difficulty supporting their children in school, and don’t fully participate in community activities.

By tutoring an adult, a volunteer can make a significant difference in his or her life as well as in our community. Volunteering takes only a few hours each week.

Tutor Training is available this fall in both Old Town and Bangor. The training starts in mid-September.

While there is no cost for the class, Literacy Volunteers does ask for $25 to defray the costs of the book and materials. Scholarships are available.

For more information about the training’s evening dates and times, visit LV-Bangor’s Web site at www.lvbangor.org or call 947-8451. Registration ends Sept. 9.

Literacy Volunteers of Bangor served more than 150 adults last year.

Brewer

Labor Day Solidarity

A Labor Day Solidarity Bash will be held 4-8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 1, at the Solidarity Center, 20 Ivers St. The cost of admission is $5. The event will feature live rock ‘n’ roll and blues music provided by The Barncats, Steel Rail Express, D?j? Blue, Spare Time and The Working Chorus.

The event is an Eastern Maine Labor Council and Food AND Medicine production. For more information, call 989-5860.

Bucksport

Northeast Historic Film

Northeast Historic Film, a nonprofit archive devoted to preserving and making accessible northern New England’s film and video heritage, has received a $5,000 grant from the Hancock County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation.

The money will be used to fund a series of annual cultural and educational events to enrich the Bucksport area, a film archives spokesman said. Local community leaders will help develop a program of special events for each of the four seasons. The hope is that each will become self-supporting, involve multiple groups, become part of the region’s calendar and have a beneficial impact across the community.

Executive Director David Weiss said, “The town of Bucksport’s economic development plan concludes that NHF’s Alamo Theatre can play an important role in the new economic development of the business district by serving as a magnet for a wider group of people.”

NHF owns and operates the Alamo Theatre, a 1916 Main Street keystone that offers current popular movies, live theater and music, as well as archival screenings and educational symposia.

NHF hopes to build on existing activities such as The Bucksport Bay Festival and Fright Night at the Fort, which already attract thousands of people to the area.

An annual outdoor movie and a Halloween-themed set of programs offering something for all age groups are ideas that have been discussed. The hope is that the project will build ties among institutions in the community that result in economic growth and stability. Sustainable shows also would generate additional revenue to help support NHF’s preservation mission.

For information, e-mail David Weiss at david@oldfilm.org or call 469-0924.

Castine

Historical society meeting

The Castine Historical Society will hold its annual meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, in the Mitchell Room of the Abbott School, home of the society.

After a brief meeting to elect officers and conduct other business, tours of the former Nelson House will be available. Located next to the Abbott School on the town green, the Nelson House was purchased by the Castine Historical Society earlier in the year. Light refreshments will be served. All current and new members are invited to attend.

Hampden

Newsletter editor

Annie Gabbianelli O’Reilly has been named the new editor of Hampden Highlights, the town newsletter.

A 20-year resident of Hampden, Gabbianelli O’Reilly serves on the town communications committee and has been a proofreader for Hampden Highlights. She teaches journalism on the college level and has been active on the town’s cable channel, reporting on various town activities.

Maine heritage project

Hampden is one of eight towns chosen from 50 applicants to take part in the Maine Community Heritage Project, which promotes collaboration among schools, historical societies and public libraries to explore local history.

As a part of the Maine Memory Network, the project will offer digitized historical documents, photographs, artifacts and oral historical interviews at its Web site at www.maine

memory.net/mchp.

Hampden’s team for the project is composed of members from the Hampden Historical Society, the Town Council communications committee, the Edythe Dyer Community Library and Reeds Brook Middle School.

The team will receive a national leadership grant of $10,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support the project.

Hermon

Energy conservation

State Sen. Joe Perry will host an energy conservation workshop with area legislators in Hermon 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, at the Hermon High School Auditorium.

State Rep. David Richardson will serve as co-host. A panel of guests, including Energy Program Manager Jo-Ann Choate of the Maine State Housing Authority; Dick Bacon of Efficiency Maine, Hermon Fire Chief Larry Willis, Cathy Maher of Camden National Bank, and Danny Maher of Maher Heating will talk about a resources and tips area residents may be able to take advantage of to lower heating costs.

Theater camp performance

After five days at Morgan Hill Musical Theater Camps, 16 young performers age 5 to 13 performed selections from “Peter Pan” and “Annie Get Your Gun” under the direction of AJ Mooney and Morita Tapley at Morgan Hill Event Center.

A native to the Bangor area, Mooney also performs in Penobscot Theatre Company productions.

Elle Winchester of Etna and a dancer from Morita’s School of Dance assisted Mooney.

It was the 10th season of Morgan Hill Musical Theater Camps. Dancers age 3 through adults and musical theater enthusiasts may register for the 2008-2009 camp season 3-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, at Morita’s School of Dance, Morgan Hill Event Center, Route 2, Hermon. For more information, call 848-5083.

Orono

Gardening classes Sept. 18-19

Not sure what to do about clay soil? Puzzled about the composting trend that so many are talking about? Wondering what houseplants will do well in your home?

Gardening Study classes may be just what you’ve been looking for. Two days of gardening workshops will be held 8:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday, Sept. 18-19, at the University of Maine, covering the latest gardening trends and horticultural research.

Seasoned gardeners and novices will have the opportunity to learn from experts in the horticultural, landscape and nursery industry.

“Half the fun is spending time with other gardeners and being able to compare notes,” said director Lisa Colburn. “Everyone is so passionate about gardening. We walk out enthused and energized.”

The Gardening Study program begins with a 11/2-hour class on houseplant basics with Sonia Cianchette, owner of Through the Garden Gate in Newport. Houseplant selection, containers, potting soils and the basic culture of a variety of houseplants will be discussed.

Plant propagation class starts at 10:15 a.m. and continues into the early afternoon with Dr. Stephanie Burnett, assistant professor of horticulture at the University of Maine. Burnett says that participants will come away with a propagation dome and tray full of plants.

At 2 p.m., Gleason Gray, Extension educator with the University of Maine, will end the day with a two-hour in-depth discussion of soils. Gray will demystify soil science, soil testing, soil mixes and more.

The program continues at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19, with basic botany for gardeners, taught by Barbara Murphy, Extension educator. The class addresses plant structure and organization, reproduction and how plants survive. Terminology from horticultural publications, gardening catalogs and nurseries will be discussed in the plant science class.

At 12:45 p.m., Mark Hutchinson will teach a class on composting. Hutchinson, the director of the Maine Composting School, will address how to create the high-quality soil amendment that many call “Black Gold.”

Gardening Study classes, sponsored by National Garden Clubs Inc., educate the general public and garden club members about horticulture. The classes are very much like Master Gardener classes, but do not have a volunteer requirement.

“More people are planting gardens than ever before,” said Colburn. “As this summer’s gardening winds down, it is stimulating to spend time with others who share a passion for gardening, and we learn a few new tricks at the same time.”

The registration fee for the two-day program is $50. Registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 12. Class size is limited. Classes take place in the Memorial Union on the Orono campus. Lunches are available in the Marketplace Caf? in the same building. For information, call Lisa Colburn at 866-3861 or e-mail lisacolburn@yahoo.com.

Orrington

Mural restoration

Nancy Snyder of Orrington, art teacher at Center Drive School in Orrington, is restoring the 20-year-old Orrington bicentennial mural painted on the side of the Wiswell family’s 136-year-old barn on Route 15 in Orrington.

Barn owner Henry Wiswell continues to support the upkeep of the mural with volunteer help of the art department and some of its students at Center Drive School.

“I’m trying to exaggerate the colors and heighten the contrast and make it kid-friendly,” Snyder said of the work she is doing.

Areawide

Maine Theater Fund grants

The Maine Theater Fund of the Maine Community Foundation seeks grant proposals to support professional and community theaters in the production and presentation of live theater in Maine.

Proposals for funding will be accepted from local, regional, and statewide community and professional nonprofit theaters for programmatic, capacity building, operating and capital support.

The Maine Theater Fund distributes at least $50,000 each year. In 2007, the committee awarded 12 grants ranging in size from $2,800 to $7,000.

The application deadline is Monday, Sept. 15. Grant applications, guidelines and a list of last year’s grants may be found at www.mainecf.org. For more information, call Pam Cleghorn at 761-2440.