Young people can choose between three sites if they wish to attend the Maine Writing Project’s Young Author Camp this summer, reports director Jean Plummer of East Machias.

The first camp is for students in grades three through 12, and will be offered Monday, July 12, through Friday, July 16, at the University of Maine in Orono.

The second camp is open to students in grades one through 12 and will be offered on the same dates at Benton Elementary School.

The third camp is for students in grades three through 12 and takes place Monday, Aug. 9, through Friday, Aug. 13, at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor.

Each session runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and the $100 fee includes workshops, materials and snacks.

Plummer wrote that “some of the state’s top writing teachers” will participate in the program, helping young writers to work on skills, explore different genres of writing, compose for creativity and to inform, experiment with electronic texts, and publish and share their writing.

Participating teachers have fulfilled the program’s requirements at the University of Maine, which is the state’s National Writing Project affiliate.

Plummer added that registration forms are still available for the Orono and Benton sessions, and registration is open until Sunday, Aug. 1, for the COA program in Bar Harbor.

For more information or to register, call the UM College of Education and Human Development, 581-2438, or e-mail bonny.harris@umit.maine.edu.

Executive director Mary Marin Lyon and everyone associated with Literacy Volunteers of Bangor, and the staff of radio station 92.9 WEZQ-FM hope you will participate in the group’s first-ever Listeners for Literacy Campaign today through Saturday, July 3.

You can do that in one of two ways: Either by making a donation at the WEZQ/LVB booth at Borders, 116 Bangor Mall Blvd., or by calling the WEZQ listener line at 991-9785 and making a pledge.

If you do stop by the booth at Borders – where you will meet WEZQ announcers, LVB staff and volunteers – you can also find out more about becoming a volunteer tutor, or more about how you can learn to read with help from volunteers.

LVB’s three programs are teaching adults to read, teaching English as a second language and working with children of Parkwoods, a transitional housing complex in Bangor where young people receive after-school help with homework, hot meals and extra attention in difficult subjects.

For more information, call the office at 947-8451.

As we approach the first major holiday of the summer, donor recruiters Lora McGeechan and John Ward of Maine Blood Center in Bangor encourage you to donate blood or platelets to help save a life.

MBC collects blood for Eastern Maine Medical Center’s blood bank, and all donations stay in Maine to help patients at EMMC in Bangor and other Maine hospitals.

A special Independence Day celebration is planned for 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m., today, at Maine Blood Center, 992 Union Street in Bangor, where donors will find some gifts and very nice prizes as well.

The center is open from noon to 5:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

For more information about donating blood or platelets, call the center at 262-8797.

Jeff Pierce, operations manager for Clear Channel in Bangor, has announced a change in location for Maine Clear Channel radio stations’ Fourth of July military appreciation party.

Rather than holding the event outside, it will now be held inside to prevent any possible interruption by Mother Nature.

The Fourth of July military appreciation party is from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 4, at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer.

The event is being planned in cooperation with the Maine Army National Guard and the Maine Air National Guard.

The party is open to all Maine service members and their families.

Attendees must have military ID or deployment papers to show proof of service.

The R & B group Custom Built, featuring Mitch Geel, will entertain; games and crafts will be available for the kids; and there will be lots of food thanks to the assistance of Shaw’s Supermarket, Gifford’s Ice Cream, Pepsi and Frito-Lay.

Everyone associated with the event hopes to make this special day of appreciation fun and relaxing for all who attend.

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