Parishioners to ‘make a difference’ at shelter

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The Make A Difference Day project for members of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Old Town will be a room makeover for MAPS Shelter Services, formerly My Choice Shelter, a Bangor facility that provides short-term shelter services for homeless, pregnant or parenting women.

On Saturday, church members will turn an upstairs room into a quiet room for the residents to provide them “a quiet place away from the hassles of daily life,” said Paula Baines of the St. James Outreach Team.

Volunteers will also paint a blackboard in the playroom; sort toy and book donations, then set up shelves for them; do some sweeping and weeding; and end the day with a cookout with the residents.

And while this is an event for church members, you can participate in this Make A Difference Day project by making a contribution to it.

To make the quiet room complete, a baby swing, two standing lamps, quiet-music CDs and a financial donation to MAPS Shelter Services would be appreciated.

Donations may be mailed to MAPS Shelter Services, 1296 Essex St., Bangor 04401.

For information, e-mail michelleh@

stepstones4youth.org.

Sue Dunham Shane invites you to a Haunted Hall, 6:30-9:30 p.m. today and Saturday, Oct. 25, at Comins Hall, East Eddington.

Admission is $3 for fun with “a collection of ghosts, goblins, creepy crawlies and truly demented creatures.”

Hot beverages and a variety of desserts will be available at this event returning to the Eddington-Clifton area after a 10-year hiatus.

Machias Historical Society president Katherine Cassidy invites the public and, especially, teachers, who can earn continuing education units, to attend an all-day symposium, “Shining a Light on Downeast History.”

The symposium is 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Holy Name Church parish hall on the corner of Broadway and Allen Avenue in Machias.

The event will feature several community speakers and experts discussing a variety of regional topics, ranging from lighthouses to Maine and the American Revolution.

Admission at the door, including lunch, is $12 for adults and $6 for students.

For more information, call symposium registrar Anna Cook at 255-6361. For a luncheon count, notice would be appreciated but is not required.

Mary Bird e-mailed with information about three events of interest to our readers.

First is the Old Fashioned Apple Fest from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 25, at Page Farm and Home Museum on the University of Maine campus in Orono.

Participants may bring their favorite ready-to-eat apple dish and recipe and compete for the Peoples Choice Award, to be presented at noon. The event also will feature cider pressing, apple tree care, and games and activities for children.

Next, celebrate the life and work of the late author-chef-columnist Brownie Schrumpf from 2 to 4 p.m. that day at the museum, with a presentation and book signing by Karen Tolstrup, who wrote Schrumpf’s biography, “If Maine Had A Queen.”

Finally, the Dr. Edith Marion Patch Center for Entomology and Environment and Education presents Kathryn Olmstead, editor of Echoes magazine, the quarterly journal of Maine’s rural heritage, from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, at the museum.

A reception follows this presentation that is one of a series of free public forums sponsored by the Patch Center.

For more information about any of these events, call the museum at 581-4100.

Leah Watson, executive coordinator of The Game Loft, invites you to attend a lasagna dinner to benefit its programs, 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Shrine Club on Northport Avenue in Belfast.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Volunteers are also needed to help with the event, and you can call 338-6447 for more information.

Additionally, The Game Loft is conducting a raffle for a windjammer cruise for two, 30 pounds of lobster and a $50 Maritime Energy gift certificate.

Raffle tickets are available at All About Games or The Game Loft, the downtown Belfast youth center that is open Monday through Saturday.

Diana Richardson says the University of Maine Alumni Association invites you to hear alumnus Dave Mallett at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Hauck Auditorium on the Orono campus.

Mallett is celebrating his 35th reunion. His opening act will be 20-year-alum Derek Aramburu.

Advance tickets are $22 or $25 at the door. They include a post-concert dessert social.

For tickets, call 800-MCA-TIXX or 581-1755.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; javerill@bangordailynews.net; 990-8288.