Bangor

Pumpkins in the Park

The Bangor Auditorium will be filled with fun and excitement for United Cerebral Palsy’s sixth community Halloween party 3:30-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25.

The event has become a tradition for eastern Maine children, organizers said. Attractions will include hundreds of carved jack-o-lanterns carved by area youth groups and businesses, horse and wagon hayrides, bounce houses, clowns, face painting, games and trick-or-treating.

The fundraising event is sponsored by UCP to help support children and adults living with disabilities.

Harvest auction

The Salvation Army will hold its annual harvest auction 1-5 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at a new location, in the warehouse at 585 Broadway.

A presale of smaller items will be held before the auction, and preview for the auction is at at 11 a.m.

Area businesses have donated an array of items for auction, including gift certificates, decorating items, furniture, flooring and much more.

Light refreshments will be available throughout the day.

To donate an item or for information, call 941-2990. Admission is free.

Sprucing up shelter

The shelter room at MAPS Shelter Services in Bangor will get a room makeover Saturday, Oct. 25, from members of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Old Town.

A small room on the second floor of the shelter will be made over into a quiet room for residents. The goal is to provide a place away from the hassles of daily life.

Church volunteers also will assist on other projects at the shelter, including painting a new blackboard in the children’s playroom, sorting toy and book donations, setting up toy and book shelves, sweeping the garage and front walkway, weeding the gardens and raking leaves.

After the chores are done, a cookout will be held for residents and volunteers.

MAPS Shelter Service is a short-term housing facility for pregnant and-or parenting women. At the shelter, residents learn life skills and are given resources to live independently and, eventually, without government assistance. A former client is featured in the 2008 United Way of Eastern Maine video.

According to Paula Baines of the St. James Episcopal Church outreach team and Michelle Hamlin, shelter services coordinator, there are opportunities available for the community to support the shelter. The shelter needs an infant baby swing, two standing lamps and quiet music CDs. Those who wish may make a financial donation.

“This is an exciting opportunity for the church members, as we will see first-hand what the shelter provided to its residents and the difference we can make in making the shelter into a home for the short period the residents are living there,” said Baines.

Making a connection, making a difference and celebrating community is the focus of the outreach day, Baines said. The church has been planning the project day with Hamlin for the last three months.

Ghost Lamp tour

The Bangor Museum and History Center will offer its Ghost Lamp tour of downtown Bangor at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28. Participants will learn about Bangor’s past on the entertaining and educational walk. The cost is $5, free to museum members and children under 12. Meet at the Waterfront parking lot next to the Sea Dog. Call 942-1900 for more information.

Provocative comedy

“The Black Jew Dialogues,” the internationally acclaimed comedy that explores the history and absurdity of prejudice, hate and racism, will be performed for the Bangor community at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at John Bapst Memorial High School auditorium.

The writer-performers have agreed to waive their standard fees and perform a “$10 or pay-as-you-can” show in an effort to bring out the public.

The creation of Boston performer Larry Jay Tish and Emmy-winning actor Ron Jones, “The Black Jew Dialogues” is a multimedia, audience-interactive, socio-ethnic romp that takes the audience on a hysterical and poignant ride while leading them to confront their own ideas of bias.

A key to the show’s success has been “The Dialogue” the performers engage the audience in at the end of the show, organizers said. Their objective is to foster a new conversation about race and culture in the United States.

For more information, visit www.theblackjewdialogues.com.

Harvest festival

New Hope Church will host a Harvest Festival 5-8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at 1423 Ohio St., the shared location of the church and Penobscot Christian School. The family event will include two bounce houses, crafts, a photo booth and more.

Admission is one bag of candy per family. In addition to activities, a concession stand will have food available. Proceeds benefit the Penobscot Christian School Heating Fund. For more information, call Sara at 947-5653.

PICA benefit auction

The public is invited to attend the 22nd Peace through Interamerican Community Action benefit auction, 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at the University College of Bangor College Center, 210 Texas Ave.

There will be both silent and live auctions.

Enjoy the creativity and generosity of our region and support great work for social and economic justice in Maine and El Salvador, organizers said. Items up for bid include weekend getaways, jewelry, pottery and much more.

The live auction will include a painting by Maine artist Michael Lewis.

Free food and music by Brian Dyer-Stewart will be part of the shopping experience.

Preview some of the auction items up for bid by visiting www.pica.ws.

Program on digital TV

Learn about the coming transition to digital television, and find the answers to your questions and concerns.

WLBZ General Manager Judy Horan will present a program on the changeover to digital television at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, 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.

If you subscribe to cable or satellite service, or your television is already DTV ready, you won’t need to do anything.

Photographic works

The work of Lisa Burton, award-winning photographic artist based in Castine, will be featured through Friday, Nov. 14, at Husson University’s Robert E. White Art Gallery in Peabody Hall.

Working exclusively with digital technology, Burton often uses local scenes of Maine. Her work is featured at shops including Castine Historical Handworks and the Maine Maritime Academy bookstore. Previous exhibits include “Our World” at Trinitarian Congregational Parish in 2004, “Through My Eyes” at Trinity Church and TCP in 2006, and “Monhegan Memories” at TCP in 2007. Burton’s latest exhibit, “Sanibel Shells and Shorebirds,” was shown at TCP in July and August. She also has participated in the Castine Arts Association annual exhibits.

Burton has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine at Farmington. She is a member of the children’s committee of the Castine Arts Association and the Maine Professional Photographers Association. She owns and operates a graphic design and desktop publishing business, Mainely Solutions, from her home in Castine.

Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free.

Pet President election

The election for the Pet President is part of Green Acres Kennel Shop’s effort to raise funds for Eastern Area Agency on Aging Furry Friends Food Bank.

Every vote for the Dog Party or the Cat Party represents a $1 donation that will be used to purchase food that will be donated to the Furry Friends Food Bank for distribution to area seniors, helping those on a limited, fixed income keep their pets.

Participants are encouraged to vote early and often. The voting will continue until a new president of the United States is announced.

For those who prefer to donate pet food directly, Green Acres is serving as a collection point.

Pet President election results as of Oct. 12 are Cat Party, 169; Dog Party, 231.

Course on parenting

Neighborhood Church, 263 Texas Ave., will offer a parenting course beginning at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5.

“It can be difficult for us as parents to ask for help,” said Senior Pastor Brian Haggerty. “Sometimes encouragement, along with some tried and true parenting techniques, is what we need to build a strong relationship with our children. As a father of four grown children, I wish the video series that we’ll be viewing and discussing had been available 25 years ago.”

The video series was created through a partnership with Bluefish TV and doctors Les and Leslie Parrott. They are best-selling authors who have been featured on “Christianity Today,” “Good Morning America,” “Focus on the Family,” “Oprah” and in The New York Times.

The series looks at what it’s like for married, single and blended families, and goes deeper than any technique of just getting kids to eat their broccoli and clean their room. Cameras film 20 families and capture real-life parenting moments, from funny to completely honest.

“Parents are welcome whether or not they attend Neighborhood Church,” said Haggerty. “We are looking forward to providing a relaxed atmosphere where parents can share as little or as much as they feel comfortable.”

Childcare will be provided for in a nearby room equipped with toys and games. The cost is $10 to cover course materials and supplies. RSVP by Monday, Oct. 27, to ensure an adequate stock of materials is available.

For information on Neighborhood Church or the parenting series, visit www.neighborhoodcma.org or call 945-9937.

Carmel

Halloween costume party

A Halloween costume party for 3- to 6-year-olds will be held 4-5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at Simpson Memorial Library, 8 Plymouth Road, Carmel.

The Texas Roadhouse entertainer, Andy the Armadillo, will join the fun for an outside story hour and line dancing. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held at the Golden Harvest Grange on Route 2. Call 848-7145 to register.

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 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 tradition of serving the community as a gathering place.

Admission to 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 handicapped-accessibility and update the bathrooms in the 129-year-old Comins Hall.

Haunted house

The Eddington Fire Department and the Holden Fire Department will be hosts for the fourth Haunted House 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Eddington Fire Department, Route 9. Organizers said it would be a family-friendly haunted house taking place rain or shine.

Those who attend may participate in cookie decorating and face painting. Candy, spooks, thrills and chills also will be part of the haunting good time.

Admission is free, but donations will be appreciated.

Glenburn

Church Harvest Fair

Glenburn Evangelical Covenant Church will hold a Harvest Fair, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the church, 911 Hudson Road. The fair will feature:

. Grandma’s Kitchen, with homemade breads, pies, cookies, whoopee pies, fudge, peanut brittle and other goodies.

. Grandma’s Pantry, with homemade jams, jellies, relishes, salsa and “gifts in a jar.”

. Grandma’s Attic, an indoor yard sale with every item priced at $1.

. The Book Nook, with used hardcover, paperback and children’s books at bargain prices.

. Ye Olde Craft Shoppe, with handmade craft items.

. Raffle drawing at 3 p.m. for 50 gallons of home heating oil, $100 Citgo gas card, $100 Hannaford gift card donated by C.A. Pelkey Fuel Company and Village Variety, Checkout Convenience Store and other Glenburn merchants.

. Silent auction, handmade crocheted Irish squares afghan and teddy bear quilt.

. Covenant Caf? luncheon, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Fish chowder or chili with homemade biscuit or cornbread.

Hermon

Trick-or-treating for food

Neighbors Supporting Neighbors Community Food Pantry in Hermon will trick-or-treat for food 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, around the towns of Hermon and Carmel.

The agency is seeking volunteers to walk door-to-door collecting food and volunteers to follow the walkers with vehicles to put the collected food in. Streets and maps will be provided to each volunteer.

Food pantry yard sale

Neighbors Supporting Neighbors Community Food Pantry will hold a yard sale Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Hermon High School gym. The agency has been filling an 18-wheeler with items.

Quality items such as furniture, dishes, sporting goods, games, toys, books and movies are needed for the sale. To donate items and arrange for pickup, call Carol Lackedy at 299-5186 or e-mail shawnandcarol2001@yahoo.com.

Orono

Harvest Dessert Night

St. Mary’s Catholic Church parishioners invite the residents of Orono to a Harvest Dessert Night at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24.

The church is slated to be closed by the end of the year. The last Mass at the church will be Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

Until the church closes, parishioners are holding a gathering each month to celebrate church and community.

Harvest Dessert Night will feature Tom Jones performing spiritual and jazz music, with a singalong afterward. A silent auction also will be conducted.

Admission is $5. Call Barbara Nichols at 866-5732 or Barbara Murphy at 866-4043 to make reservations.

Orrington

Halloween at homestead

Lots of new things have been brewing at the Curran Homestead Living History Farm and Museum at Fields Pond.

A Halloween celebration is scheduled for the public 1-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31. The festivities are organized primarily for pre-schoolers, but all ages are invited.

Featured will be hand-pressed cider and homemade doughnuts, a costume competition, a sort-of-scary scavenger hunt, a maze, antique auto and tractor-drawn rides, story time, a guitar-banjo singalong and more.

An emphasis on preschool programming is planned for months to come, centered on a weekly daytime story hour. Also in the development stage are several adult night classes planned for this winter, including book binding, quilting and caning. Details about these will be available soon.

A new director of education, Robert Schmick, has been named to assist in the Curran Homestead’s programming.

After completing a doctorate in education at New York University and a professional certificate in museum studies and administration at Tufts University, Schmick comes to the Curran Homestead with much enthusiasm for contributing to fulfilling its potential as a place for community gatherings and learning at all levels.

In addition to being a teacher, he will rely on the experiences of his family’s dairy farm in upstate New York as preparation for developing of this local living history farm and museum. Sharing such experiences, and the know-how of rural living, are a valuable contribution to younger generations that are becoming increasingly distanced from hands-on approaches to the challenges they meet.

“It was on the family farm that the real preparation for the development of this institution was developed,” said Schmick. “Its mission for public benefit is to both re-create and sustain the rewards of self-sufficiency, thrift and ingenuity that have characterized rural life in Maine and elsewhere in both the past and present.”

With the harsh realities of rising living costs and economic instability, those involved with the Curran Homestead envision its increasing role in educating the public through both example and instruction that focuses on turn of the 20th century know-how.

University of Maine

Applefest

An Applefest will be held 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Oct. 25, at Page Farm and Home Museum on the University of Maine campus in Orono. Activities include cider making, talks about backyard apple trees, apple tasting and a recipe contest. Bring your favorite dish using apples, along with a printed copy of the recipe.

Visitors to the museum will sample the food and vote for the best. Last year’s contest winner was 12-year-old Katelyn Keresey of Alton, who made applesauce and prevailed over the apple cake created by a professional baker from Bar Harbor.

Book signing

Author Karen Tolstrup will sign copies of her book, “If Maine Had a Queen,” the biography with recipes of the late Brownie Schrumpf, 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Page Farm and Home Museum, University of Maine. Schrumpf was for many years the Bangor Daily News food columnist.

Tolstrup conducted research with the assistance of Schrumpf’s family and the extensive collection of personal and professional papers Schrumpf and her husband left to Fogler Library at UMaine.

The program’s co-sponsor is the Orono Historical Society. For information, call 581-4100.

Rural heritage forum

Kathryn Olmstead, editor of Echoes magazine, will share the quarterly journal’s celebration of Maine’s rural heritage in a public forum 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, at Page Farm and Home Museum, University of Maine. An informal reception with refreshments and conversation will be held afterward.

Veazie

Ecological restoration

Join Cheryl Daigle of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust and Holly Twining of Maine Audubon in a workshop exploring ecological restoration 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Veazie Salmon Club.

Enjoy a walk and ramble along the Penobscot River while considering what river restoration will mean to fish, wildlife and human communities through writing exercises and field observations.

Daigle is the community liaison and outreach coordinator for the Penobscot River Restoration Trust. Her writing appears in Orion magazine and other conservation-related publications in New England.

Twining, a naturalist and freelance writer and photographer, will guide the walk.

The cost to attend the workshop is $15 for Audubon members, $18 others. Proceeds benefit Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden. Children may attend without charge. Register for the class by calling 989-2591.

Winterport

Spaghetti sauce contest

The Winterport Fire and Rescue and Winterport Woman’s Club will hold two events to raise funds for the Winterport heating assistance program.

A spaghetti sauce contest for Winterport residents will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Victoria Grant Civic Center off Park Drive.

Contest judges will be Todd Simcox, WABI-TV 5 News; Russell Flewelling, chef and culinary arts teacher, United Technologies and Eastern Maine Community College; Phil Pitula, Winterport town manager; Dale Williams, Wagner School principal, and Carla Leatham, Smith School principal.

For more information and rules of the contest, call Kathy White at 223-5746 or e-mail dawklw@aol.com; or call Tom Skratt at 223-5326 or e-mail treefire@aol.com.

There is no fee to enter the spaghetti sauce contest.

The winning sauce recipe will be used for a spaghetti supper to be held 4:30-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at Wagner Middle School, Mountain View Drive. Admission is $5; those under age 8 eat free. The supper menu is spaghetti, tossed salad, bread, dessert and beverages. The supper is open to all.