With the recent report in the Bangor Daily News about the significant decline in individual and corporate donations to American Red Cross chapters in Maine, the ARC Pine Tree Chapter Red Cross Antiques Appraisal Day will be a very important fund-raiser for this chapter.

Red Cross Antiques Appraisal Day is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 16, at the Black Bear Inn in Orono.

Noted Maine auctioneer, appraiser and antiques dealer James D. Julia and members of his staff will provide individual appraisals for items you bring to the event, which is sponsored by Dirigo Pines Retirement Community in Orono.

Joyce Henckler, CEO of the local chapter, wrote that last year more than 300 people attended the appraisal day.

With the reported 50 percent decline in individual donations to ARC chapters in the NEWS circulation area, it would be wonderful if that attendance figure is matched or surpassed this year. The cost for verbal appraisals is $5 per item.

Written appraisals will be available for $10 per item, Henckler wrote.

Appraisals will be provided first come, first served, and if you cannot bring your family heirloom or treasure with you, “good, quality photographs may be substituted,” Henckler added.

I probably can’t emphasize enough how important such fund-raisers are right now for the ARC, but Henckler’s comments add emphasis to the need for support and participation.

“Although we were challenged by the cold weather,” she wrote of the chapter’s most recent fund-raiser, an art auction, “we were able to raise some funds to assist us with disaster services.”

However, she added, “our extraordinarily cold and snowy winter continues to challenge the available resources of our chapter.”

When disaster strikes, the American Red Cross is just expected to be there, but with a 65 percent to 70 percent decline in corporate donations to the PTC and just a few months remaining in its fiscal year, its response might be adversely affected if more funds are not forthcoming.

If you cannot attend the appraisal day event, Henckler wants you to know that Julia “is also available to schedule in-home appraisals on an hourly basis.”

For more information about Red Cross Antiques Appraisal Day or in-home appraisals, call the PTC at 941-2903 or visit www.juliaauctions.com.

And if you don’t have an item you want appraised, perhaps you could send a donation to the American Red Cross Pine Tree Chapter, 33 Mildred Ave., Bangor 04401.

Despite terrible driving conditions last Thursday, Ensign Gabe Somma of the U.S. Coast Guard Group Southwest Harbor was able to make the rounds and deliver a dozen computers to Pemetic Elementary School in Southwest Harbor, Mount Desert Island Elementary School in Northeast Harbor and Tremont Elementary School.

I spoke with Somma on Friday afternoon, just as he was heading out to do some tutoring with those computer recipients, and he confirmed that the computers had been delivered, despite the weather.

The Pentium III workstations and laptop computers formerly used by the Coast Guard operational units are valued at more than $18,000 and were distributed as part of its re-capitalization program.

With the Coast Guard workstations recently upgraded with newer, faster computers, all sensitive government software was removed to make them available to local schools.

Every penny counts when it comes to saving your school, which is why the families of Joseph Babin and Carlton Faloon are sponsoring a benefit dinner from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at the Enfield Station School cafeteria.

With the recent decision by the State Board of Education “not to provide finding to build a new, $9.6 million school” to replace Penobscot Valley High School in Howland, Susan Faloon wrote, “the community is working to raise $4 million to renovate the existing facility, which is currently unsafe.”

“Otherwise,” she added, “the school could be consolidated with either Lincoln or Milo.”

Babin and Carlton Faloon “were very active in the school system and the community,” she explained.

A 20-year school employee, Babin was head of the custodial department.

Faloon was a teacher and principal of Hichborn Middle School in Howland.

All proceeds from the dinner, which features baked spiral ham, garlic-mashed potatoes and vegetables, will benefit the Penobscot Valley High School Save Our School fund.

Donations of food would be greatly appreciated.

For more information, call Susan Faloon at 947-5231 or Jane Babin at 732-5348.

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