President Lori Wingo of our historic Bangor Band, one of the oldest community bands in the country, has announced that the band will hold its annual Christmas concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, at the Bangor Civic Center.

The free concert will feature “something for every member of the family,” Wingo wrote, including a carol singalong, “Leroy Anderson’s ‘Sleigh Ride’ and ‘Bugler’s Holiday,'” highlights from “The Sound of Music” and other audience favorites.

The concert will be directed by Fred Goldrich and is sponsored by Hollywood Slots. Wingo wrote that “on an additional note, Billy Miller has made special arrangements for a visit from Santa during the concert, so please bring your little ones to enjoy the sights and sounds of the season.”

As always, this is a free concert, she reminds you, but donations are gratefully accepted “to help keep the tradition of the Bangor Band alive and in service to the community.”

Kelly Cochrane of Cadillac Mountain Sports reminds readers that the Bar Harbor Merchants Association, with more than 20 participating businesses, will celebrate the season with open houses all day today.

Cochrane wrote that Santa Claus will be in Bar Harbor from noon to 3 p.m.; “carolers will be singing in the streets and in the shops”; and you can sign up for raffles and “enjoy the holiday cheer” at this Bar Harbor Holiday Open House.

Today is the day, for the 16th consecutive year, that Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, will oversee the placement of thousands of Maine balsam fir wreaths on the graves of members of our military who are buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

With the help of members of the Maine State Society of Washington, D.C., the wreath placement ceremony begins at 9 a.m.

At that time I and many others will be thinking of Morrill Worcester and how he made his dream of honoring veterans come true.

We thank him, and all who accompany and assist him with this project, for remembering, in this very special way, those who so proudly served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

Sandra Gordon of Waldo County Healthcare announced that because of the coming holidays, the regular monthly meeting of the Waldo County Family Caregiver Education and Support Group is meeting a week earlier than usual.

That group will meet from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18, in the Waldo County General Hospital’s Education Center at 118 Northport Ave., Belfast.

All caregivers, their family and friends “are welcome to attend and share experiences or concerns,” Gordon wrote of the group organized by Brenda Whitley of the Family Caregiver Support Program of Senior Spectrum, and Margie Spencer-Smith of Waldo County Home Health and Hospice.

You may bring your lunch, and drinks will be provided.

For more information about either the meeting or the group, call Whitley at 800-282-0764, ext. 127, or Spencer-Smith at 338-2268.

Norma Spurling wrote that members of Bar Harbor Congregational Church will present its Living Nativity from 6 to 7:20 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19, and Thursday, Dec. 20, “on the front steps on the church,” at 29 Mount Desert St.

Ro Le Gasse, director of Caring Connections for the Bangor Y, reminds readers of the statewide effort, through the Maine Cancer Foundation, to raise 2,000 orders for pink-ribbon breast cancer specialty license plates approved for production by the state.

For that to happen, plate reservations, or donations of $20, must be made by Monday, Dec. 31, for plates expected to be printed in October 2008.

If the effort does not succeed, the money will be refunded but, Le Gasse added, “you can also reserve a plate, receive the voucher and never pick up a pink plate: That’s a neat way to donate to this cause.”

The special-interest plate not only will recognize those whose lives have been affected by breast cancer, it also will be a vivid reminder that “early detection saves lives,” Le Gasse wrote.

Le Gasse explained that the foundation, the Maine Breast Cancer Coalition and the Maine Breast & Cervical Health Program “will receive a portion of the money” from each specialty plate order.

To learn more about these specialty plates, and to download reservation forms, visit www.mainecancer.org or call 800-627-2411 or 773-2533.

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