Until last summer, The Holmestead Civic Center in Calais was a senior citizens’ facility.

Owned by a trust, The Holmestead has since been deeded to the community as a gift and now operates as a nonprofit organization.

Event specialists Kyle and Elizabeth Keller invite members of the public to attend a grand opening of the authentic 19th century Victorian-style meetinghouse from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at The Holmestead, 527 Main St., in Calais. The facility, in its role as The St. Croix Valley Meeting House, is designed to meet all your event needs.

You are invited to tour a facility that, Kyle Keller said is filled with antiques, and those who take advantage of this opportunity will receive a voucher for 40 percent off their introductory meeting event at The Holmestead.

The building can accommodate weekly and monthly business meetings, club meetings, holiday parties, weddings, showers, birthday parties, banquets and graduations, among other events.

Proceeds help support this historic Washington County treasure.

To find out if this facility can meet your needs, call The Holmestead at 454-3061, write The Holme-stead Civic Center, 527 Main St., Calais 04619, or e-mail holmestead@midmaine.com.

The Holmestead is a smoke-free and alcohol-free facility.

Today is national Prematurity Awareness Day.

Sara Green of the March of Dimes reports nearly 1,300 babies were born prematurely in Maine in 2001.

Nationally, the March of Dimes reports 476,000 babies are born too soon, resulting in a national hospital bill for premature babies estimated at $11.9 billion a year.

As a result, the March of Dimes has launched a five-year, $75 million research, awareness and education campaign to help families have healthier babies.

As part of the campaign, the March of Dimes urges you to visit marchofdimes.com during November, as I did, and click on the “baby band” to indicate your support for this campaign. For each click, CIGNA, a Prematurity campaign sponsor, will donate $1, up to a contribution of $150,000.

Irving Oil’s “Fuel the Care” program will provide $50,000 to Maine families to assist them with the cost of commuting from their homes to a hospital when their child is receiving treatment.

Administered by Children’s Miracle Network of Eastern Maine Healthcare, the program is available on an as-needed basis through EMH-affiliated hospitals.

You can help support this program when you purchase gasoline at selected Irving locations on Wednesday, Nov. 19.

On that day, Irving will donate 5 cents to the program for every gallon of gas purchased.

Area high school students have an opportunity to earn scholarships offered by the National Garden Club through the Bangor Garden Club.

Students in grades nine through 12 can apply for the High School Distinguished Service Project, which is awarded for an outstanding civic project that makes a significant public improvement.

The national winner receives $1,000 and the second-place finisher $500.

The national winner of the high school essay contest, addressing the topic of “Preserving the Past,” will receive a $1,000 scholarship with $100 going to the second-place finisher.

The same scholarships are offered to those who finish first and second, respectively, in the Preserving the Past Speech Contest.

Children in preschool through sixth grade can enter a poster contest titled “Plant a Garden for the Future.”

This artwork may be used for the USDA Forest Service or the National Garden Club for educational materials and outreach programs.

The “Plant a Seed” and “Leave a Legacy” contest is available for those in kindergarten through ninth

grade, and those 6 to 18 who are mentally or physically challenged.

Application deadlines and more information can be obtained by calling Susan Poole, Bangor Garden Club youth chairwoman, 843-7013.

It was my great pleasure and honor to participate in the WABI TV-5 American Red Cross Pine Tree Chapter Real Heroes Breakfast last Thursday at the Bangor Civic Center, which featured a keynote address by Gov. John Baldacci.

As always, it was a touching event but perhaps even more so this year, when I observed some of those very real heroes wiping away tears as they learned of the heroic deeds performed by fellow honorees.

To the 2003 Real Heroes, Matt Thebarge, Paul Jackson, James Openshaw, Chris Vose, Merrill Wallace, Rosalie Owens, Tucker Bonnevie, Sierra Reed and Charlene Braley, I extend my sincerest congratulations for your well-deserved recognition.

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