Bangor

“The Perils of Peroxide”

At River City Cinema, it’s almost time for its free Outdoor Film Fest, “The Perils of Peroxide”- six Friday nights of films featuring the naughtiest, bawdiest, gaudiest flaxen-haired gals classic cinema ever dished out. Here are the blonde dates, set for sundown, about 8:30 p.m., in Pickering Square:

. June 27, “She Done Him Wrong.” The National Legion of Decency was formed in October 1933, six months after this film was released. Mae West was allegedly the reason. “Warm, dark and handsome” Cary Grant co-stars.

. July 11, “The Scarlet Empress.” Marlene Dietrich radiates in Josef Von Sternberg’s incredibly beautiful and exquisitely bizarre biopic of the young Catherine II.

. July 18, “Double Indemnity.” Barbara Stanwyck convinces Fred MacMurray to do the unthinkable in an unreal blond wig. Billy Wilder wrote, along with Raymond Chandler, and directed this noir masterpiece, based on James Cain’s novella.

. July 25, “Peyton Place.” Lana Turner (and the Maine coast) star in the tawdry tale filmed in Camden, Rockport and Belfast. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards.

. Aug. 1, “Vertigo.” Jimmy Stewart falls head over heels for ethereal Kim Novak. Alfred Hitchcock’s story of one man’s obsession with the idea of the ideal blonde.

Aug. 8, “The Girl Can’t Help It.” Jayne Mansfield just wants to be a house moll, but her gangster-man has other plans in Frank Tashlin’s ode to the 1950s. Little Richard, Fats Domino, the Platters and other rock ‘n’ roll greats perform in this eye-popping camp classic.

For more details, visit www.rivercitycinema.com.

Brewer

Commedia dell’arte

I Sebastiani, popular commedia dell’arte troupe in Boston, will be presented at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at the Next Generation Theatre. Tickets are $5, $3 children. Reserve seats at 989-7100.

Members of the troupe will offer a youth workshop in commedia-style theatrics noon-1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 22, at the theater. The cost is $5, $3 children. Those who attend the Saturday performance receive a $1 discount.

Next Generation Theatre is in the Between Friends Art Center and Gift Shop at 39 Center St.

Bucksport

Circus Band Concert

The annual free and fun-filled Downeast Center Ring Circus Band Concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 11, at Bucksport Middle School, Miles Lane.

Those who have attended past performances report that the concert is a musical highlight of the year. Children dance with the clowns and audience members interact with the band or sing along.

The Circus Band Concert is a once-a-year, family friendly, fun-filled event that serves as a benefit to raise money for music scholarships awarded to students in Hancock, Penobscot and Washington counties.

The program has grown from two $100 scholarships 12 years ago to 23 scholarships last year.

Organized and produced by Don Blodgett of Orland since its inception in 1997, the project has awarded at least 96 scholarships to date. The concert is free, but donations toward scholarships are welcome. Suggested donation is $5.

Clowns, always a special feature of the event, entertain and dance with younger children during some of the features.

Special program support is provided by the town of Bucksport, the Bucksport Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, the Bangor Band and the Brewer Hometown Band.

Students interested in applying for 2009 scholarships should e-mail Martha Pedrick at mpedrick@mindspring.com or write Joni Wardell, 480 Castine Road, Orland, 04472, for application information. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of a student’s individual letter together with a letter of recommendation from the student’s music mentor.

Carmel

Young readers’ activities

The Simpson Memorial Library in Carmel has planned a summer of activities for young readers. Children are encouraged to sign up in June for the Summer Reading Program, “Catch the Reading Bug,” to be held 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesdays, June 24-Aug. 5.

Special events will feature Candis Veilleux and her fascinating menagerie of animals called The Pony Xpress at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 24. See a live gecko and an armadillo.

Beekeeper Carolee Tully explores the interesting world of bees at 11:30 a.m. July 8.

A special event for children ages 3 to 5 is the teddy bear picnic at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at the library. Jan Zimmermann returns with a delightful program of animal stories and music for children and parents to enjoy. Children should bring a blanket and a favorite stuffed toy to this fun event. Participants will enjoy a picnic lunch.

Eddington

To benefit Comins Hall

A yard sale and food sale will be held 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 28-29, at Comins Hall, 1387 Main Road. Donated items for the sale will be accepted 5-7 p.m. Friday, June 27, at Comins Hall. Clothing will not be accepted for sale.

Proceeds from the sale will benefit a fund that pays for the upkeep and renovations of Comins Hall. The 129-year-old building is a registered National Historic Place.

Frankfort

Summer reading program

Join the “Catch the Reading Bug” program this summer at the Waldo Peirce Reading Room to discover the amazing world of insects.

The 2008 Summer Reading Program is open to young people, preschool through young adult, with story time at 9:30 a.m. every Tuesday, weekly drawings and prizes as an incentive for reading.

In addition the reading room will join Stockton Springs Library on Tuesday, July 15, for bug stories and songs with Michael Parent; and Tuesday, Aug. 5, with Tony Sohns from the Maine Discovery Museum with his live Bug Zoo.

The program is free.

Registration starts Monday, June 23. Sign up during library hours: 6-8 p.m. Monday, 9-11 a.m. Tuesday, 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, 2-8 p.m. Thursday and 9-11 a.m. Saturday. For information, call the library at 223-4438.

Holden

Birding excursion

It’s a lovely time of the year to go outside in the early evening and listen to birds. Ron Joseph, wildlife biologist, avian enthusiast and expert, will lead parents and their children on a birding excursion 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, at Fields Pond Audubon Center.

Beginner birders are welcome and encouraged to join in the fun. Ron will have his iPod handy to call in some special birds to view. Fields Pond has a few extra pairs of binoculars for children. Parents are asked to bring their own binoculars.

At the end of the program, participants will head inside to look at some slides of birds they’ve seen outside. Bird songs also will be played.

Admission fee for parents, $5 each, will benefit the nature center. The event is free to children. Register in advance at 989-2591 or e-mail htwining@maineaudubon.org.

Honored author

The Joshua Chamberlain Civil War Round Table of Brunswick has announced the recipient of the 2008 Warren Randall Award for historical research and achievement.

At a recent banquet in Bath, the award was given to Diane Monroe Smith of Holden, author of “Fanny and Joshua: The Enigmatic Lives of Frances Caroline Adams and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain” and “Chamberlain at Petersburg: The Charge at Fort Hell.”

Smith, who works at Bangor Public Library, published her latest work, “Chamberlain at Petersburg,” in 2006. It is based on Joshua Chamberlain’s previously unpublished, first-person account of the Battle of Petersburg and his near-fatal wounding.

Smith’s extensive research and annotation, along with maps essential to the study of the battle, researched and prepared by the author’s husband, Ned Smith, have earned enthusiastic reviews from Civil War literary sources.

At Fields Pond Center

These events are scheduled at Fields Pond Audubon Center:

. Birdathon celebration dinner 6 p.m. Thursday, June 26. Leaders, Birdathon teams. Free. Sponsors and birders alike are welcome. Bring a dish to share, and tell and hear birding stories. Some of the teams will perform skits. Winning teams will be announced.

. Wild Movement, for adults and children and those who love to move, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, June 28. Leader, Holly Twining. $10 adults, $5 children. Register in advance at 989-2591 or e-mail htwining@maineaudubon.org.

Young and old are invited to join Holly, who has a dance and choreography background, as she leads participants through fun movement exercises. For part of the class, if the weather is right, creative moves will be conducted outside in the fields of the nature center.

Orono

Auction for the library

The third annual Orono Public Library Foundation Benefit Auction, held May 17 at the Buchanan Alumni House, brought in nearly $19,000.

Nearly 150 community members gathered for the occasion, enjoying hors d’ouvres, live music by guitarist Rich Kenefic and lively bidding on more than 100 auction items. The “Go Green” theme showcased the foundation’s plans to build a LEED-certified library and included item categories such as Green-i-licious, Green Thumb and Green With Envy.

John Cheney of Realty of Maine presided over the live auction festivities, encouraging bidders to remember that they were there to build a library.

Highlights of the event included the “Instant Wine Cellar,” a rack of 33 bottles of wine, won by Bucky Owen in the Heads or Tails game; and a raffle of 100 gallons of heating oil from Old Fox Fuel, won by John and Shelly Jemison.

The event brings funds raised to within $254,245 of the foundation’s $2.2 million goal. With groundbreaking planned for this summer, auction proceeds provided a great boost in the final phase of fundraising.

Auction co-chairmen Laurie Rose and Bob Bass extended their thanks to the many donors and patrons who made the auction a success.

They also thanked Kathy Hill of Buchanan Alumni House, past auction chairwoman Sarah Kenney, Cheney, Kenefic and John and Roberta Bradson of the Ampersand/The Store in Orono, which donated fine wines and other green-i-licious items for the auction. The Bradsons also provided overall support for the campaign.

Orrington

Family Summerfest

So you think you can dance, sing, rap, play a musical instrument? Prove it at the Family Summerfest 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at First United Methodist Church, 14 Center Drive. Best performers will receive gift cards.

Other activities at the event are face painting, chalk graffiti, games and a bounce house.

And those who like to dig in the dirt can take part in planting a garden, which will produce food for families in need.

Hot dogs, beverages and chips will be available for purchase. Admission is free.