Alton

Special town meeting

The town of Alton will hold a special town meeting at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, at the Municipal Building to vote on whether the town should sign a contract with Maine DOT to pave the Tannery Road, and whether to create a capital reserve account of $130,000 for that purpose.

Bangor

Fall Auction and Awards

Rape Response Services is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the annual Fall Auction and Awards Night at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, at Spectacular Event Center. The event will include a silent and live auction of many donated items, as well as awards honoring special volunteers.

“Our special anniversary auction will be an evening of great fun and will honor those who support the work of Rape Response Services. It will provide an opportunity to look to the future and our renewed focus on prevention and creating lasting social change,” said Kim Roberts-Fer, executive director of Rape Response Services.

Silent auction items will be set up in three areas – the Honeymoon Zone, the Kid Zone and the Retirement Zone.

The Honeymoon Zone will offer flowers, massages, rafting adventure, gift certificates for restaurants and handbags.

The Kid Zone includes gift items for children, such as a Cranium family game gift set, tickets to a Sea Dogs game, “Horton Hears a Who” gift set, Pop Star Package for the American Idol wanna-be, Dessert-of-the-Month, a special “snakes, snails and puppy dog tails” basket and more.

The Retirement Zone isn’t just about rocking on the porch, although some of the auction items are for that, too. Other items include a Torso Track workout machine, golf gift certificates, tickets to a comedy show, a gym membership, a “Relax” tea gift set, and a special “Take it easy” basket.

The live auction offers a miniature bronze sculpture, “Fox Trot,” by the well-known Maine sculptor, Forest Hart.

If you have ever wanted to do more than yell from the sidelines at a University of Maine basketball game, bid on a certificate to be a “Guest Coach.” Other items include tickets to UM hockey, golfing opportunities, handcrafted quilt by Zonta Club of Bangor, and sapphire, peridot and pearl necklaces donated by local jewelers.

Event sponsors include Bangor Daily News, Machias Savings Bank, P.A.T. Products, Mo and Kim Roberts-Fer, St. Joseph Hospital, Maine-ly Titles and Family Tree Landscaping.

Sue McKay returns as auctioneer. The Janet Badger Volunteer Award will be presented to a special volunteer and the Teal Ribbon Award will be presented to the Beta Eta Chapter of Beta Theta Pi at the University of Maine.

Tickets to the event are $20, two for $35, reserved table for 10 for $175. Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available.

Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling 973-3633 or e-mail krobertsfer@penquis.org. Visit www.rrsonline.org for an updated list of items and sponsors. Proceeds benefit the sexual assault center that provides a toll-free hotline at 800-310-0000 and other vital services in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.

Art at the library

Lamoine artists D. Crosby Brown and Jaquemot will show their work at the Bangor Public Library Lecture Hall in September.

“From Maine to Africa” features oils, acrylics, watercolors and pastels that reflect the artists’ love of local subjects, as well as the influences of a recent journey to Tanzania. The husband-and-wife artist team delight in showing viewers the different approaches artists can have to the same subject.

In the library’s Stairwell Gallery, Dedham artist Suzanne Anderson presents “The NOLA Project: Painting in the Lower 9th Ward.” Anderson’s pastels, oil pastels and acrylics were created on site in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward.

Sentimental Journey luncheon

The Christian Women’s Club invites women to attend its Sentimental Journey luncheon noon-2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, at Spectacular Event Center. Lisa Nickels will sing and Ken Wagstaff will be the speaker. The sentimental journey will be Cindy Charland’s talk about her trip to India.

The cost is $10 and includes complimentary child care. Call Alcinda at 989-5796 for reservations and information.

Bradley

Harvest at Leonard’s Mills

The crops are ripening, winter is coming. At Leonard’s Mills in Bradley, volunteers will preserve the harvest and prepare for winter with demonstrations 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30.

Drying and smoking foods, as well as cooking, churning, and pickling are methods of preparing foods for winter. Visitors are invited to stop by the log cabin, the smokehouse and Sawyer’s house to learn about sustaining life until the next growing season.

Pamela Dean will be one of the volunteers cooking and preparing foods for colder weather. Sausages from W.A. Bean’s will be smoking in the smokehouse, constructed as an Eagle Scout project by Jacob Wood.

Many local plant materials are gathered during the summer and fall to dye wool and fabric for clothing items. Hanne van Hauen-Lewis will dye items, and perhaps spin, in preparation for sewing and knitting new garments for winter. Visitors are encouraged to ask which plant materials are being used and what makes the dye permanent.

Ken Henderson of Henderson’s Redware will demonstrate pottery-making. He is known throughout the United States for his period-authentic pottery. One of his pieces will be used in the making of sauerkraut, and another in making butter.

Demonstrations will be on-going. Admission is $5, $2 children age 12 and younger. Maine Forest and Logging Museum members are admitted free.

Leonard’s Mills is located on the Government Road about 1 mile from Route 178.

For more information, call 581-28712 and leave a message.

Brewer

Ten Bucks Theatre auditions

Ten Bucks Theatre Company invites the public to audition for its October production of “An Evening of One Acts,” directed by Simon Ferland and Katie Toole, 4-6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, and 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at Between Friends Gift Shop and Art Center, 39 Center St. The one-act plays to be preformed are:

. “The Attempted Murder of Ms. Peggy Sweetwater” by John Ruston and Frank Semerano, directed by Simon Ferland.

. “The Duck Variations” by David Mamet, directed by Simon Ferland.

. “Here We Are” by Dorothy Parker, directed by Katie Toole.

Roles are available for 12 actors. Monologues are preferred, but not required. Some roles use British or Irish accents and some roles do not use accents.

The audition will be run ensemble style, so actors should plan on staying for the full two hours. It is not required to attend both audition sessions.

“An Evening of One Acts” will be performed at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17-18; Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 23-25; at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19 and 26.

For information, e-mail simonferland@umit.maine.edu.

Bicycle auction

As a part of the Brewer Days Celebration, the Brewer Police Department will hold a bicycle auction at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at Brewer Auditorium. A pre-auction preview of the bicycles takes place at 8:30 a.m.

One hundred bicycles will be up for auction. Some of the brands of bicycles being auctioned are Giant, Huffy, Mongoose, Murray, Pacific, Raleigh, Roadmaster, Saratoga and Schwinn.

These abandoned bicycles were recovered by the Brewer Police Department during the past four years. The owners of the bicycles have not come forward to claim them and the police department is allowed, under state law, to sell such abandoned property after holding it for a period of time.

Hampden

Friends of Dix Park

The town of Hampden and the Hampden Recreation Department are seeking volunteers to serve in the new group, Friends of Dorothea Dix Park. The group is charged with the revitalization of the park located on Main Road South.

The park has a potential for nature trails and picnic space. It also has historical significance and educational value.

For more information, call Kurt Mathies, recreation director, at 862-6451.

Mensa test date

Mensa, the organization for bright people, will administer the test for membership at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at Edythe Dyer Library, Main Road North.

Pre-registration is recommended, but not required. A $40 fee payable by check or money order to American Mensa Ltd. is required at the test.

A photo ID must be presented at the testing session. The test is open to anyone age 14 or older. Those under 18 must present proof of parental consent.

Those who score at the 98th percentile or above will be invited to join Mensa.

Those who have achieved scores at this level on previous individually administered IQ tests, the SAT or the GRE may join by presenting proof of the scores.

Further information about Mensa and the test may be obtained by e-mailing testing@nh.us.mensa.org or ME2percenters@aol.com.

Holden

Activities at Fields Pond

Fields Pond Audubon Center, 216 Fields Pond Road, is offering classes and activities:

. Children’s drawing class for children age 4-10 with teacher Carolyn Wallace-Zani, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6. $10 Audubon member, $12 others, includes one adult and one child. Bring favorite art supplies. Parents and caregivers encouraged to participate.

. Art lessons for adults with teacher Carolyn Wallace-Zani, 11 a.m.-noon and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6. $10 per lesson Audubon members, $12 others. Learn drawing techniques to capture the essence of the local fauna and flora species with pencil on paper. Bring a pencil, sketch pad, eraser.

. Family canoe trip on Fields Pond with Holly Twining and Bob Wheelan, 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6. $5 canoe rental, $10 family. Advance registration required by calling 989-2591.

. Fields Pond book discussion group with leader Joyce Rumery, “It’s a Jungle Up There: More Tales from the Treetops” by Margaret D. Lowman, James Burgess, Edward Burgess and Ghillean T. Prance, 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, Dirigo Pines, Orono. Free. Call 866-3400 for directions to Dirigo Pines.

For more information about these and other programs sponsored by Fields Pond Audubon Center call 989-2591.

Old Town

Penobscot River Restoration

Gov. John E. Baldacci joined members of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust and federal and local dignitaries on Aug. 22 to celebrate the organization’s exercising an option to purchase three dams in the Penobscot River. The dams are being purchased from PPL Corporation and will improve access for Atlantic salmon and 10 other species of sea-run fish.

“This vision to create a balance on the river between economic, recreational and Native American interests was both innovative and ambitious, and I have followed this project closely,” Baldacci said. “This is a remarkable model for how Maine can maintain important hydropower generation on our rivers while taking the steps needed to restore our native sea-run fisheries.”

The dams being purchased are the Veazie, Great Works and Howland dams. The trust plans to remove the two dams closest to the sea – Veazie and Great Works – and construct a bypass around Howland Dam.

To compensate for the loss of hydropower at the three decommissioned hydroelectric dams, six other dams owned by PPL Maine will see energy increases.

More information about the project can be found at www.penobscotriver.org.

Orono

Annual Dan Birt Award

The first annual Dan Birt Award was given on Aug. 19 to 18-year veteran University of Maine Cooperative Extension Master Gardener volunteer Dan Birt, for whom the honor is named.

Gleason Gray, Extension educator and director of the Master Gardener Program in Penobscot County, made the presentation.

The award will be given annually to an outstanding Penobscot County Master Gardener volunteer who has exhibited outstanding dedication to the project and its aims.

Birt was a member of the first Penobscot County Master Gardener class in 1990 and has been an active participant in the program ever since. Since 1993, he has worked tirelessly on the Penobscot County Demonstration Garden project.

In addition to his garden plot, Birt has constructed several unique items for use at the garden, including a bat house, storage boxes and an ingenious potting bench, which was raffled at an annual Garden Gathering event.

Over the past 18 years, Birt has traveled regularly, most often once a week, from his home in East Millinocket to the Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens at Rogers Farm, 914 Stillwater Ave.

For two years, during the early 1990s, when there were no facilities available for Master Gardener use at Rogers Farm, Birt regularly worked in the gardens in Waldo County.

In addition to his activities in the local gardens, Birt has been active in the Plant A Row For the Hungry project in Millinocket.

Orono Contradance

The high-energy AM String Band, based in Montana, will play for the Orono Contradance at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at the Keith Anderson Community House, with Phil Locke calling.

The trio is reviving social dancing with its boot-stomping interpretation of New England and Appalachian music on fiddles, viola, banjo, guitar and foot percussion. Admission is $7. For more information, visit myspace.com/amstringband or send an e-mail to amstringband@gmail.com.