Alton

Fall clean-up day

The Alton fall cleanup will be held on Saturday, Oct. 18. Have acceptable material at curbside by 7 a.m. Pile metals separately from bulky waste piles; mixed debris will not be taken.

Unacceptable metals are gas containers, propane cylinders and any metal that contains a liquid. Other unacceptable items are auto related parts such as tire rims, TVs, computer monitors, microwave ovens, mercury vapor tubes and wood waste.

Carpet must be cut into 4-foot sections, rolled and tied. Couches, mattresses and small amounts of sheet rock in bags will be accepted. Before pick-up day, Freon must be removed from refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners. For more information, call Maine Waste Systems at 379-2031 or the town of Alton at 394-2601.

The town will have electronic waste drop-off 8-11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Municipal Building. For more information, call the town office.

Bangor

Museum’s gala dinner auction

The Maine Discovery Museum will hold its sixth annual gala dinner-auction on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Spectacular Event Center, 395 Griffin Road. The event begins at 5 p.m. with a preview, cash bar and silent auction, with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and a live auction at 8 p.m.

Featured at the auction will be 75 one-of-a-kind chairs, including children’s rockers, children’s Adirondacks and “artist’s choice” chairs in all sizes, created by many of Maine’s finest artists from all across the state – Portland to Millinocket, Farmington to Machias.

From the elegant to the wild, the stately to the whimsical, there are chairs for every taste, every age and every room of the house or cottage.

Admission is $45 per person. For ticket and absentee bidding information, call the museum at 262-7200 or visit www.mainediscoverymuseum.org.

Proceeds will support the museum’s mission to provide a fun place where art, science and nature come alive for Maine children and their families.

Through this most important event in the museum’s fundraising year, admission and programs are kept affordable and accessible to children and families of all abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Celebrity dessert and auction

Pathfinders: Support for Grieving Children and Hospice of Eastern Maine, both programs of Bangor Area Visiting Nurses, will hold the third annual Celebrity Dessert and Auction on Friday, Oct. 24, at Rangeley Hall, Eastern Maine Community College.

Doors open at 5:45 p.m. for dessert. The program and auction begin at 6:30 p.m. and be finished by 8:30 p.m.

Local celebrities WABI TV 5’s Amy Erickson and Todd Simcox will serve as hosts and auctioneers.

Scrumptious desserts will be provided by local restaurants and chefs including the Lucerne Inn, Sea Dog, Frank’s Bakery, Dirigo Pines Inn and the Muddy Rudder. Desserts will be available for auction as well.

Community volunteers have been working hard creating a variety of theme packages, including coastal and inland getaways; a University of Maine package with UMaine hockey tickets and a Maine Center for the Arts performance; artwork by Perry Jordan and Julie Miller; children’s packages and more.

New this year is a silent auction featuring Maine-made jewelry and uniquely crafted pens. There will be something for everyone and just in time for the holidays.

Packages are listed at www.pathfindersmaine.org.

“Community members will be amazed by what our volunteers have put together, including a one-week stay in Southwest Harbor next July,” said Deb Jacques, director of community relations. “Todd and Amy have so much fun! They really help make the evening relaxing and entertaining for everyone.”

Proceeds benefit the care of terminally ill patients and grieving children and adults in the community.

Tickets are $15 a person and may be purchased by calling Peg Elmer at 973-6550, or e-mail Deb Jacques at djacques@emh.org.

Choreography competition

Bangor Ballet will hold an original choreography competition at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at Thomas School of Dance, 14 State St.

The winning choreography will be showcased at Bangor Ballet’s “Evening at the Arts” event on Saturday, Jan. 10. The choreography piece does not need to be polished by Oct. 19, but the concept needs to be clear.

Judges for the choreography competition are Andrea Stark, executive director of the Discovery Museum and former artistic director of Ram Island Dance Company; Christine Worthen, attorney at Eaton Peabody and former member of Festival Ballet of Rhode Island; and Terry Lacy, choreographer and dance instructor at the University of Maine and former dancer with the New York City Opera Ballet.

For more information, call 945-3457.

‘Organ Spectacular’

Members of the Bangor Chapter of the American Guild of Organists will present a recital, “Organ Spectacular,” at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at All Souls Church, 10 Broadway.

Performers will play organ favorites and premiere two organ works composed specifically for guild-sponsored organ recitals on Oct. 19.

The compositions are “Blithely Breezing Along,” composed by Stephen Paulus, who was named the guild’s Composer of the Year for 2008; and “Ornament of Grace,” the winning work of the guild’s recent organ composition competition, composed for organ and flute by Wayne Sanders.

Admission to the event is $10.

“Organ Spectacular” recitals will happen across the United States and around the world on Oct. 19, making it the world’s largest organ recital.

The guild has designated 2008-2009 as the International Year of the Organ, designed to attract new audiences to the organ and lay the groundwork for future events, fundraising and guild membership.

International Year of the Organ events began with the guild’s national convention in Minneapolis in June, and will conclude with regional conventions in the summer of 2009.

The Bangor chapter of the organ guild consists of nearly 40 members from Waterville to Eastport and northern Maine.

Proceeds from the recital will help support the Bangor chapter’s organ scholarship fund.

This year scholarships were awarded to Grant Bacheldor and Abraham Ross, who study with Kevin Birch at the University of Maine. They take lessons on the historic E&GG Hook organ at St. John’s Catholic Church in Bangor.

Yard sale for trail project

A yard sale fundraiser will be held noon to dusk Friday, Oct. 17; and 8 a.m.-dusk Saturday, Oct. 18, at 82 Court St.

The event will benefit the Historic Aroostook Expeditionary Trail Project. The sale is sponsored by The 1837 Foundation of Northern Maine, a mutual benefit educational, historical, genealogical nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history of settlers and citizen militia of Maine who defended and protected the Northeastern boundary of Maine and the United States through the signing of the Treaty of Washington in 1842.

The yard sale will benefit February 2009 activities highlighting overnight accommodations used by Capt. John Ford’s Kennebec volunteers, from the Hallowell area, at Charlie Bailey’s Hotel in Milford and Jacob Fish’s Tavern in Lincoln.

To donate items for the yard sale, call Roxanne Munksgaard, in the Bangor area, at 735-8360, or Roberta Williams in the LaGrange-Howland area at 943-5850.

Young hunters’ breakfast

A 10th annual Clarence Brown Young Hunters’ Breakfast will be held 4-8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Elks Club, 108 Odlin Road.

The event is free. A door prize of a rifle will be awarded to a hunter age 17 or under. Donations for Maine Youth Fish and Game Association will be accepted.

‘Considering Democracy’ film

The film “Considering Democracy: 8 Things to Ask Your Representative” will be shown at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at 170 Park St., as part of the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine film series.

The free showing of the documentary will include a discussion of issues raised in the film and how they relate to the upcoming election.

The film, winner of the 2008 Big Muddy Film Festival, was shot in 10 countries by filmmaker Keya Lea Horiuchi.

“While many of us think of the United States as the world’s leading democracy, the film explores what the rest of the world thinks of our domestic and foreign policy, and how we compare,” said organizers. “It invites dialogue around a wide variety of topics at the heart of democracy.”

For more information, call 942-9343.

Community grant to BPL

To mark the Maine Community Foundation’s 25th anniversary, the community building grant committee has made a special $2,500 grant to the Bangor Public Library in honor of its work to strengthen community.

The committee recommended Bangor Public Library because of its role as a cultural and community center in the Bangor area and for its work in supporting other libraries throughout the state.

“The library is a significant resource not just for the people of Bangor, but for the statewide library community as well,” said foundation President and CEO Henry Schmelzer.

The committee also recognized five other nonprofits for their work in Penobscot County. They are:

. The Bangor Area Homeless Shelter.

. The American Folk Festival.

. Eastern Agency on Aging.

. Maine Crafts Association.

. Manna Inc.

A nonprofit in each of Maine’s 16 counties has received a 25th Anniversary Community Building Award, thanks to a grant from the Sandy River Charitable Foundation, which has supported the foundation’s Community Building Grant Program for the past 10 years.

All 16 nonprofits will be considered for this year’s Noyce Award for Nonprofit Excellence, which will be presented at the foundation’s “Inspiring Philanthropy” evening on Nov. 10 in Portland.

For more information, visit www.mainecf.org or call 877-700-6800.

Bangor Ballet auditions

Bangor Ballet will hold auditions for its spring production of “Hansel and Gretel” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream” on Sunday, Oct. 19, at Thomas School of Dance, State Street.

Auditions for “Hansel and Gretel” for dancers ages 8 to 12 will be held 2-3 p.m.

Auditions for intermediate to advanced level dancers for both “Hansel and Gretel” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be held 3:30-5 p.m.

Auditions are being held now so that costuming can begin. Rehearsals will not begin until mid- to late January. Performances will be in late May and early June.

Call 945-3457 for more information.

Singer from Croatia

Tajci, pronounced Ta-chee, an international artist who is inspiring a nation to believe again, is coming to Maine for several performances.

Tajci was born in communist Croatia, where she grew to be a teenage pop star before coming to America and fostering her faith through music. She and her accompanist, Denny Bouchard of Old Town, will share an emotional portrayal of Christ and Tajci’s spiritual journey, and a musical portrayal of the life of the Blessed Mother.

All performances are free for an audience of 300 or more and are scheduled for:

. 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, Holy Rosary Church, Caribou.

. 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, Christ the Divine Mercy Parish, St. Peter’s Church, East Millinocket.

. 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, Corpus Christi Parish, Notre Dame Catholic Church, Waterville.

. 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Bangor.

. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, St. Michael’s Parish, St. Augustine Church, Augusta.

Bangor Land Trust

The Bangor Land Trust will hold its seventh annual meeting 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, at the Dyke Center for Family Business at Husson University.

Jim Gooch of The Trust for Public Land will talk about the progress of the Penobscot Valley Community Greenprint. Sally Jacobs of the Caribou Bog Penjajawoc Project will give an update on the latest developments in the local conservation endeavor.

For more information about the Bangor Land Trust, call Lyndsey Monroe Marston or Todd Miller at 942-1010.

Bangor Land Trust lists its mission as to protect in perpetuity for public benefit significant lands and waters and their natural, agricultural, scenic, and traditional values and characteristics; promote general and scientific understanding of the region’s natural resources and the need for their preservation; and collaborate with organizations having related missions.

Happy haunting

A Halloween party will be held 5-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at Bangor Parks and Recreation, 647 Main St. Enjoy family fun and a scary night of games, activities, prizes and a haunted house. The event is free and geared toward children in kindergarten through grade five.

Dog show handling

Penobscot Valley Kennel Club members will conduct a dog show handling class 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, at Pet Quarters, Stillwater Avenue. The cost is $7 per class.

Learn what it takes to get dog and handler ready for the show ring. The class is open to all dog breeds. Dogs must be well-mannered, on a leash and up to date on all shots.

Maine Women’s Fund

The public is invited to join the Maine Women’s Fund and inspiring women from the Bangor area at an open house 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Maine Discovery Museum.

The open house includes opportunities to celebrate and honor women and girls who are making positive change happen in their communities and Maine, to hear the stories of grantee and 2008 award recipients and learn the history of the Maine Women’s Fund.

The event is part of the Maine Women’s Fund yearlong celebration of its 20th anniversary. Additional celebrations include site visits to some of the fund’s grantees, monthly profiles of bold and visionary Maine women who are making change happen, and a weekend of celebratory events May 1-3 in Portland, including its annual signature event.

To obtain information or to RSVP, call 774-5513 or e-mail thewomen@mainewomensfund.org.

Eddington

Haunted Hall

A Haunted Hall will let the ghoul times roll 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24-25, at Comins Hall, 1387 Main Road.

This is the first time Comins Hall has held a “Haunting” in 10 years. Many members of the community have said wistfully, “Boy, the haunted house we used to do was fun. We should do it again.”

The event is made possible with the help of the Wyman family of Clifton, who have eight years of experience in staging a truly spooky adventure for those who dare tread the haunted maze. Also involved in making the event happen are volunteers from the Eddington-Clifton Civic Center board of directors and general membership.

The “Haunting” is the sort of community event that the board seeks to bring to the area, such as the annual Variety Show, Sunday country jam sessions, special performances, dances and other events. These events continue the more than 100-year-old tradition of serving the community and the area as a gathering place.

Admission to the Haunted Hall is $3. Parents are advised that the event may not be appropriate for all children.

Hot beverages and sweets will be available for purchase.

Proceeds benefit the civic center’s continuing capital drive to improve handicap-accessibility and update the bathrooms in the 129-year-old Comins Hall.

Hampden

50 years of Kiwanis service

The Hampden Kiwanis Club celebrated 50 years of service to the community and children of Hampden on Sept. 18. The club was chartered Sept. 18, 1958, with 25 members. One charter member, Frank Jewell, remained active until his death on Dec. 18, 2007. He held the position of club president in 1967 and lieutenant governor of the then-Division 25 in 1980.

Kiwanis members honored Jewell by dedicating the meeting room at the Hampden Kiwanis Civic Center in his memory, and placing his “Red Jacket” and memorabilia in a shadow box on the wall of the meeting room.

The Hampden Kiwanis Club previously donated $1000 to the Hap Gerrish Pediatric Trauma Registry in Jewell’s name and the “Red Jacket” was given to him at that time. His wife Barbara returned the jacket to the club, expecting that another deserving individual would receive it.

At the celebration, New England District Gov. John Maihos spoke on the history of Kiwanis International.

Incoming officers and directors were installed by incoming Lt. Gov. Nikki Nixon of the Mount Desert Island Kiwanis Club.

Hampden Kiwanis Club officers for 2008-2009 are James Allmon, president; Gary Jordan, president-elect; John Torrance, secretary; Al Ritchie, treasurer; Joseph Dowling, immediate past president.

Holden

‘Backyard Biology’

Jerry Longcore, a wildlife biologist from Orono, will conduct a “tour” of the backyards where he has lived in his presentation “Backyard Biology” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, at Fields Pond Audubon Center. Admission is $5 Maine Audubon members, $6 others. Proceeds benefit the nature center.

Longcore will offer information about the diversity of birds, butterflies and bugs waiting to be noticed. With words and pictures, he will illustrate how the biological world is interrelated and fascinating.

Orono

Tree and Plant Tour

Nichole Mercier of the University of Maine will lead an identification walk through Orono with a focus on urban trees. Discussion will include natural history, abundance, silviculture and ecology. Plant enthusiasts of all levels are invited to go on the walk. Bring binoculars or hand lenses if you have them.

The Tree and Plant Tour will be offered 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at a cost of $5 to members of Maine Audubon, $6 others. Participants will meet at the town parking lot behind Pat’s Pizza. Dress appropriately, only heavy rain would cancel the tour.

University of Maine

Celebrating the Penobscot

Imagining Rivers: Celebrating the Penobscot, the Works-in-Progress series with singers, poets, and writers David Attean, Carol Bachofner, Esther Bear, Cheryl Daigle, Kathleen Ellis, Maria Girouard, Catherine Schmitt and University of Maine students, will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, in the Special Collections Room on the third floor of Fogler Library at the University of Maine.

Refreshments will be served. For information, contact Gretchen Gfeller at 581-1696.