Bangor

22nd PICA auction

The 22nd Peace through Interamerican Community Action auction will take place 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at the College Center, University College, 210 Texas Ave. The auction benefits PICA’s work, which uses personal connections to help build a world where people have power over their own lives, including in Bangor’s sister city of Carasque, El Salvador.

Free refreshments and live music will accompany the silent and live auction. Local artisans, businesses and community members have donated goods and services including handmade pottery and jewelry, meals at local restaurants, seacoast weekends, sailboat rides, music lessons and more.

An original painting by Orono artist Michael Lewis is once again a featured auction item. A growing list of items may be found at www.pica.ws.

When Carasque and Bangor first became sister cities in 1991, villagers had recently returned to rebuild their war-torn community. Since the end of the Salvadoran civil war, people in Carasque have worked together – building a community water system, fighting to obtain a school and teachers, electricity and a road.

The people in Carasque are struggling for free and fair national elections this winter and are working to create a local economy so that young people can stay in the community instead of being forced to make the dangerous journey to the United States to support themselves and their families.

Over the years, many area delegations have visited Carasque. They come away inspired by the resilience of a strong community and reminded of the importance of taking time to enjoy each other. In the spirit of fiesta in Carasque, gifts bought at the PICA auction give twice – both to the person opening the present and to the buyer, who is joining in a common and joyful struggle for justice.

Orono

Maine Heritage Project

The University of Maine College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is launching the Maine Heritage Project to showcase research and scholarship by faculty members in the culture, traditions and history of Maine.

The kickoff event is a lecture by James Acheson, professor of anthropology and marine sciences, at 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, in Buchanan Alumni House. This is the 20th anniversary of the publication of his “The Lobster Gangs of Maine,” which chronicles the unusual self-management practices of the lobster fishing industry. All are welcome.

The Maine Heritage Project will include activities to illuminate Maine research and scholarship, according to College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Jeff Hecker. The project will help people in the community understand how the University of Maine serves Maine in a variety of ways.

“We need to do a better job of letting the public know about the work that we do,” he said. “One of our goals is to raise the visibility of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.”

Annual lectures by UM researchers discussing their work and its significance, with a reception, will be the main pillar of the project. Symposiums discussing, for instance, what “sense of place” is in Maine and what “Maine culture” means are being considered as possible future events.

Participating in the organizational stages are the Canadian-American Center, departments of anthropology, English, history, modern languages and classics, Fogler Library’s Special Collections, Franco-American Studies, Maine Folklife Center, Maine Studies and Native American Studies.

Encouraging public attendance at the lectures and events will provide area residents a chance to enjoy relevant lectures about Maine and its culture and traditions.

Acheson’s inaugural lecture and reception is underwritten by TD Banknorth.