The public is invited to enjoy the award-winning music of the Houlton High School Percussion Ensemble “in what promises to be a very exciting concert,” wrote Marjory Russakoff on behalf of the Mount Desert Island Music Boosters.

The concert is 7 tonight at Mount Desert Island High School on Route 233.

Under the direction of Joe Fagnant, the ensemble will “perform both classical and Stomp-like pieces,” Russakoff wrote.

“They even perform their own version of ‘Walk Like An Egyptian.'”

The suggested donation is $3 for adults, but the concert is free for students.

Proceeds “will offset expenses of MDIHS hosting the group,” Russakoff explained.

Throughout the year, the Mount Desert Island Music Boosters “provide fund-raising opportunity for student musicians to offset their many expenses,” Russakoff wrote of music necessities such as instruments and lessons.

“Yearly, we also provide more than $8,000 in scholarships for our high school students to attend summer music programs” and, recently provided more than $6,000 “of the MDIHS Symphonic Band’s costs on their trip to New York City.”

For an evening of wonderful music, and to help continue the good works of the MDI Music Boosters, plan to attend tonight’s concert.

Although this house tour is out of our area, it might be of interest to those who enjoy such fund-raisers as well as those who actively support the Maine Parkinson Society.

The MPS “Homes for Hope” house tour is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 4, and features six houses in the Falmouth area.

According to a release, the feature house is the historic Whipple Farm on the campus of OceanView retirement community, which will have volunteers from the Falmouth Historical Society available to explain the property’s history.

OceanView staff will answer questions about future development of the property, and one of its residence cottages will be included on the tour.

Tour tickets, in the form of a booklet, will contain a picture of each house, description of the property and a map showing the location. Houses may be visited in any order.

Tickets are $15 and are available by calling the Parkinson Information Center, 781-1735; Coldwell Banker, 781-2216; OceanView, 781-4460, or any Parkinson support group member.

The tour press release points out that more than 7,000 Maine residents, among them friends and neighbors, suffer with Parkinson’s, a slowly progressive neurological disease.

Writing on behalf of Health Services Foundation, which is affiliated with Houlton Regional Hospital, Glynn Porter reports its latest fund-raiser is a raffle for “a retro, black, 2005 Ford Mustang GT,” for which only 999 tickets, at $100 each, will be sold.

The winning ticket will be drawn Sept. 10 during the 42nd annual Maine State Federation of Firefighters Convention in Houlton.

Porter added that HSF is celebrating its “Million Dollar Milestone” in health care grant-giving this year.

“Over the years, these dollars have helped play a significant role in assisting the hospital and other non-profit healthcare providers with their equipment and educational programs,” Porter wrote. “Everyone participating in our raffle will be a major player, and take a huge step in assisting the Foundation on the stairway to the next million dollar milestone.”

For more information about HSF, how to participant in the raffle or to purchase tickets, call the HSF office at 532-2900, ext. 403 or 147.

MasterCard and Visa will be accepted.

Last Thursday, we bid farewell to one of our community’s nicest people, Robert “Bob” McGary Sr., who died of cancer at age 73.

What I will remember most about Bob was his sincerity, and that special spark in his smile.

Whenever you met Bob, and he asked how you and your kids were doing, you knew his greeting wasn’t just polite. It was a sincere expression of concern, and he listened, attentively, to your response.

But what I will remember most was the special something behind Bob’s smile.

As busy and successful as he was, you knew there was always a little kid lurking inside, because his smile was really an impish grin that left you wondering just what he was up to.

Bob had a youthful zest for life, and a deep love for family and friends.

To his wife, Betty, his children, his family and those special friends he shared his life with, my deepest condolences.

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