Bangor

NASA ambassador talks

Meet NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s 2008 Solar System Ambassador, Donald Aucoin, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, in the Lecture Hall, Bangor Public Library.

Aucoin will offer “Beyond Mars: the Search for Life.” Hear about Cassini’s Saturn discoveries, and consider whether we may have been looking for life in the wrong places.

Aucoin will present “Hubble’s Secrets Revealed and What’s Next” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov 7.

‘Organ Spectacular’

Members of the Bangor chapter of the American Guild of Organists will present a recital, “Organ Spectacular,” at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at All Souls Congregational Church, 10 Broadway.

Performers will play organ favorites and premiere two works composed specifically for guild-sponsored organ recitals.

The compositions are “Blithely Breezing Along,” composed by Stephen Paulus, who was named the guild’s Composer of the Year for 2008; and “Ornament of Grace,” the winning work of the guild’s recent organ composition competition, composed for organ and flute by Wayne Sanders.

Admission to the event is $10.

“Organ Spectacular” recitals will happen around the world on Oct. 19, making it the world’s largest organ recital.

The guild has designated 2008-09 as the International Year of the Organ to attract new audiences and lay the groundwork for future events, fundraising and membership.

International Year of the Organ events began with the guild’s national convention in Minneapolis in June, and will conclude with regional conventions in the summer of 2009.

The Bangor chapter has nearly 40 members from Waterville to Eastport and northern Maine.

Proceeds will help support the Bangor chapter’s organ scholarship fund. This year, scholarships were awarded to Grant Bacheldor and Abraham Ross, who study with Kevin Birch at the University of Maine. They take lessons on the historic E&GG Hook organ at St. John’s Catholic Church.

Watoto Concert of Hope

Watoto of the African nation of Uganda will present a Concert of Hope at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, at Glad Tidings Church, 1033 Broadway. The concert is free and open to the public.

The Watoto Children’s Choirs have toured internationally since 1994. The choirs bring a message of hope to many parts of the world – Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, Brazil, Israel, Germany and France.

The choir is made up of children who are a part of the Watoto program. Accompanied by adult leaders, Watoto performances are a soulful blend of African rhythm, contemporary gospel and ethnic dance.

Through their music, the choir members share stories and express new-found hope. The children’s energy and sincerity inspire audiences around the world. To learn more about Watoto, visit www.watoto.com.

Choral evensong

The Parish Choir of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Bangor, will offer a service of choral evensong, a combination of the medieval monastic offices of vespers and compline, at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5.

The form of evensong in use at St. John’s was created by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, 1489-1556, and contains the language of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Evensong is essentially a service of reflection; within a hallowed space a person may forget the ceaseless activity of daily life and be still.

St. John’s, 225 French St., is wheelchair-accessible. Child care will be provided. Admission is free and open to the public.

An offering will be received for Spruce Run, an organization that offers 24-hour hotline services, emergency shelter, transitional housing, support and education groups, and children’s services to those affected by domestic abuse.

Directed by Travis LaCombe, organist and choirmaster, St. John’s choir has a reputation for fine music-making in the Anglican choral tradition, and a repertoire spanning the 15th century to the present.

The mixed choir of adults and children, affiliated with the Royal School of Church Music, has made four tours abroad and sung at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Yom Kippur

Congregation Beth El, Bangor’s Reform synagogue, invites the public to attend its Yom Kippur services:

. Yom Kippur evening service-Kol Nidre, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8.

. Yom Kippur morning service, 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 9; Jonah discussion and meditation, 1:00 p.m.; Yom Kippur family service, 2 p.m.; afternoon service 3 p.m.; Yizkor service, 4 p.m.; Neilah service 5 p.m.; Break the Fast, 6 p.m.

All are welcome. No tickets required. The synagogue is handicapped-accessible.

A children’s program is offered with morning Yom Kippur services for infants through fourth grade.

Parents must register their children.

For more information, call Beth El at 945-4578 or e-mail bethel@me.acadia.net.

Literacy Volunteers tutors

Imagine living in a community where you do not understand the language and cannot read the written word. Now, imagine yourself as part of the solution to that dilemma.

Teaching a person to speak and read English doesn’t require that you know the other’s language. It means you have to have the patience and desire to teach the language, life skills and cultural differences.

Learn how to become a Literacy Volunteers of Bangor tutor. The agency offers a 20-hour training course introducing second language acquisition, culture, teaching strategies, approaches and drills.

Classes start at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, and continue for the next three weeks, Monday and Wednesday, at United Technologies Center, 200 Hogan Road. For information, visit www.lvbangor.org or call 947-8451.

Silent movie series

A silent movie series, “Anything But Silent,” begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at Bangor Public Library.

The library and River City Cinema announced that these classic films will feature pianist Harry Weiss, a 91-year-old who has been accompanying silent movies for 34 years.

Licensing restrictions don’t allow printing of the titles of the films that will be shown in the series, but there will be drama, comedy, scary pictures and a little romance.

Movies will be shown at 2 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 11, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, at the library. Call ahead at 947-8336 to find out what movie will be shown.

Home energy conservation

Penquis will hold a free home energy conservation workshop at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at Penquis, 262 Harlow St. Participants will learn what they can do to reduce energy costs this winter. Register in advance by calling 974-2407 or 800-215-4942, Ext. 407.

Spaghetti dinner, auction

A spaghetti dinner will be served 5-6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at St. Mary’s Parish Center, Ohio Street. There will be a silent auction for items including a Maine tourmaline stone and setting, tickets for brunch, massage and gift baskets.

A live auction of delicious pies will take place at 6 p.m.

Proceeds benefit Mary LeBlanc, who has breast cancer.

Suggested donation is $5, $3 children 5 to 12, and free to children under 5.

Fall plant sale

The Bangor Garden Club will hold a fall plant sale at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Gazebo at Paul Bunyan Park, Main Street. Club members are digging up some fine perennials, and there will be pumpkins and fall veggies, too. The sale is a fundraiser to support its civic plantings program.

Baked goods also will be for sale, and those proceeds will go toward the club’s University of Maine scholarship fund.

Ghostly New England

Maine writer Patricia Hughes, author of “Lost Loot: Ghostly New England Treasure Tales,” will talk about her book at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Bangor Public Library.

Just in time for Halloween, Hughes brings us her new book, “Lost Loot,” which features forgotten towns; ghostly, supernatural beings; missing treasures; pirates; mayhem; mystery and intrigue – what could be more perfect for this spooky time of year?

Hughes’ book will be available for purchase and signing.

Brewer

St. Joseph Hospital Fashion Show, Auction

The St. Joseph Hospital Auxiliary will hold its 33rd fashion show and auction Oct. 17 at Jeff’s Catering.

The annual Autumn Affair luncheon and fashion show will begin at noon. Attendees will enjoy an afternoon filled with samples of the latest fall clothing and accessory fashions provided by area businesses, including The Grasshopper Shop, Dream Dress for Less, The Mad Hatter, Talbot’s, The Pretty Woman, Bella Luna and Simply Jules. The commentator will be WABI TV-5 newspeople Jon Small and Catherine Pegram.

The dinner and auction event will kick off with social hour at 6 p.m., dinner and entertainment at 7 p.m. Attendees will enjoy a humorous fashion show of unique outfits depicting each month of the year before the Rev. Robert Carlson steps in as the evening’s auctioneer.

A variety of auction items will be up for bid – box tickets to a University of Maine hockey game donated by Webber Energy; a signed, numbered and framed Tom Hennessey print donated by the artist; one week of lodging at Sugarloaf USA donated by Ned and Jane Jennings; a garden statue from Granville Stone; a 5-foot-by-8-foot contemporary design rug woven in Spain of 100 percent wool and a 5-foot-by-8-foot oriental design polypropylene rug woven in the United States and donated by Salibas Rug Sales.

Reserved seating for the afternoon show and luncheon may be purchased in advance for $25. General admission at the door is $35.

Tickets for the evening dinner and auction may be purchased in advance for $35 – reserved seating only, there will be no sales at the door.

Tickets for afternoon and evening events may be purchased at Patrick’s Hallmark; at Helen’s, the St. Joseph Hospital gift shop; or by calling Marie Demaso at 945-5700.

Both shows are sponsored by Ed and Mary Clift.

Fashion show, potluck dinner

The public is invited to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Shoestring Thrift Shop at its new location, 10 Brimmer St., at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11.

A potluck supper is set for 5 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Brewer, with a fashion show afterward at 6 p.m.

Jerri White is in charge of organizing the event.

Stock in the shop has been changed to fall and winter clothing – lots of it.

Volunteers are needed to work in the shop 21/2 hours per month or more. To volunteer, call Marian at 989-3762.

Bucksport

Library open house

Buck Memorial Library is celebrating 121 years of service with an open house and book sale 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11. The sale will include hardcover books, paperbacks, videos, audio-books and books from the attic. Homemade giant cookies and muffins, and coffee will be for sale.

Donations of nearly new materials for the book sale will be accepted until Oct. 8. For information, call the library at 469-2650. Proceeds benefit the library restoration fund.

Hampden

Sewing class

The Bangor chapter of the American Sewing Guild will conduct a class on fabric embellishment 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Hampden Municipal Building, Western Avenue. The cost is $10 guild members, $15 others. The class will be of interest to those who quilt and those who sew garments. Call Kathy at 941-8815 to register.

Orono

‘The Book Within You’

Joan MacCracken, editor and publisher, will give a talk on “The Book Within You” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Keith Anderson Community House, 19 Bennoch Road. The event is sponsored by the Orono Public Library.

MacCracken recently published “Cracked Marbles: Life’s Lessons for a Maine Surgeon,” a collection of stories by Dr. Tom Palmer of Bangor. Find out how she brought the book to life. For more information, call the library at 866-5060.

University of Maine Planetarium shows

Visit the Maynard F. Jordan Planetarium in October to view three star shows in time for Halloween.

Relive the excitement of landing on the moon and experience the beauty of Earth’s closest celestial neighbor in “Moon Shadows” at 7 p.m. Fridays. Explore the influences of the moon on Earth and its inhabitants.

Travel back into time and wonder at the survival of life forms in the planetarium’s newest show, “Origins of Life,” at 7 p.m. Saturdays. The show has two parts: “In Search of New Worlds” to discover distant stars where other life-bearing Earths may exist and how life began on Earth. Then, using the Planetarium’s Omnidome, explorers dive deep into Earth’s oceans and probe the far reaches of the universe in search of life-friendly havens near and far.

For those wondering about intelligent visitors from the stars, “The X-tra Terrestrial Files,” explores the prospect of aliens and UFOs at 2 p.m. Sundays. Join two clever characters as they investigate strange lights in the sky and ask what bizarre life forms might be trying to make contact with us?

The cost of admission to the planetarium is $3. For more information or to make reservations, call the Jordan Planetarium at 581-1341 or visit www.galaxymaine.com.

Stuttering Association

The Orono-University of Maine chapter of the National Stuttering Association will meet 4:30-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, in the basement lounge of Dunn Hall, across from Alfond Arena at the University of Maine.

The goals of the chapter meetings are to provide support, education and a “stutter- friendly environment.” For information, call Marybeth Allen at 581-2401 or 866-2401, e-mail mbslp@midmaine.com, or visit www.WeStutter.org.