Bangor

Manna soup kitchen

Manna Inc. moved its soup kitchen from Center Street to its new home at 629 Main St. – the former Beal College building – on July 20. If anyone wants to make a housewarming gift, the soup kitchen would welcome donations of polystyrene plates and coffee. For information, call 990-2870.

Scarlatti piano recital series

Professor Anthony di Bonaventura will perform the opening concert of the fifth annual Scarlatti Piano Recital Series at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 2, at Kominsky Auditorium on the Husson College campus. He will play music by composer Scarlatti, Beethoven and Schumann.

The series line-up also includes:

. Konstantinos Papadakis playing Scarlatti, Saint-Saens, Brahms and Bach, 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 16.

. Michael Gurt playing Scarlatti, Chopin and Lizst, 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30.

. Beatrice Long playing Scarlatti, Franck, Debussy, Chin and Lizst, 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13.

. Alessandra Ammara playing Scarlatti, Schumann and Chopin, 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 27.

. Fabio Parrini playing Scarlatti, Mozart, Debussy and Rachmaninoff, 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11.

Tickets are $15 for each concert. To obtain more information about the series, call Julie Green at 941-7129.

Adopting from China

The Maine Adoption Placement Service will hold an informational meeting about the international adoption process in China from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 16, at the MAPS office, 181 State St. MAPS China Program specialists and an adoptive family who traveled to China to adopt a child will be on hand. To obtain more information, call 941-9500, or e-mail melissah@mapsadopt.org.

Creative economy

John Rohman, chairman of the Maine Arts Commission, and Bryan Knicely, assistant director, were in Washington, D.C., recently to accept the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Innovation Award as the result of efforts to promote Maine’s creative economy.

Rohman is chief executive officer of WBRC Architects-Engineers of Bangor.

Fill the boot

To mark the 50th anniversary of the partnership between the International Association of Firefighters and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, members of IAFF 772 in Bangor will conduct a fill-the-boot fund-raiser Saturday and Sunday, July 30 and 31; Saturdays, Aug. 7 and 14; and Friday and Saturday, Sept. 3 and 4, at the Bangor Wal-Mart.

Proceeds will help support the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s services and research programs, including an outpatient clinic at Eastern Maine Medical Center.

Adoption information

Have you ever wondered what it takes to become an adoptive or foster parent? The Bangor office of the Department of Human Services will hold a public informational meeting about adoption and foster care at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13, in Bangor. Call toll free (877) 505-0545 to learn the location of the meeting.

Happy Birthday, Harry

A Harry Potter birthday party will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 31, at Borders Books and Music. There will be games, raffles, activities and birthday cake.

Building a shed

A group of University of Maine students spent Saturday building a shed by the head of the bogwalk in the Bangor City Forest.

Members of the Unitarian Universalist Church provided lunch from recipes they will use selling their wares at the National Folk Festival.

Parents are Teachers

WVII-TV is teaming up with Penquis Community Action Program to aid Penquis CAP’s Parents are Teachers program, which provides information, encouragement and support for first-time parents and teenage parents.

The program includes home visitors who bring information about child development, nutrition, safety and other topics. Often, the visitors bring toys or books, which have to be returned at the end of visits.

WVII-TV’s Treasure for Tots event will take place 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Friday, July 30, at the Brewer Wal-Mart. The idea is to collect items home visitors may leave with the families they visit. Some of the items needed are bound books, wooden puzzles, Play Doh, diapers, balls, construction paper, crayons, safety items such as gates, doorknob covers, and electric outlet covers, finger paints and stacking toys.

Job Corps students with materials donated by Home Depot are building a treasure chest in which to put the items.

To learn more about the Treasures for Terrific Tots program, call Penquis CAP at 973-3672.

Brewer

Kiwanis news

The Brewer Kiwanis Club met recently at the Muddy Rudder Restaurant in Brewer. Guests were Lt. Governor-elect Doug Hollingsworth of the Bangor Breakfast Kiwanis Club, and Lainie Beede-Harvey, a guest of member Debbie Roy.

Lt. Gov. Bill Newberry and President Jane Newberry reported on their recent trip to the Kiwanis International Convention in St. Louis.

On Saturday, Sept. 25, a club Leadership Seminar will be held at the Legion Hall in Southwest Harbor, and on Friday, Oct. 8, New England District Gov. Ron Forest will make an official visit to the region.

The 86th annual convention of the New England District Kiwanis International will be held Aug. 19-22 in Springfield, Mass.

The Brewer Kiwanis still has open enrollment for new members. Meetings are held at 6 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at the Muddy Rudder.

Corinth

Alumni picnic

The Class of 1954, East Corinth Academy, will hold its 50th year class reunion 4-6 p.m. Saturday, July 31, at the Methodist Church annex in Corinth. A supper will be served at 6 p.m.

A picnic for the Class of 1954 will be held at the home of Joanne Fontaine at 12:20 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1. Other alumni are invited at 2 p.m. to greet old classmates. Call 285-3282 to obtain more information.

Eddington

Town barbecue

A local resident who wants to promote fellowship among town residents will anonymously host a free Western-style barbecue on Aug. 22.

The event will include games for children, including baseball or softball, and will be held at the town municipal building.

The event will be catered, and to make things run smoothly, a head count is needed.

Eddington residents may stop by the municipal building to sign up or call 843-5233.

Old Town

Benefit softball tournament

Firefighters of the International Association of Firefighters Local 1655 in Old Town will hold their annual softball tournament Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7 and 8, to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Last year, fire departments in Maine raised more than $40,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Orono

Children’s theater

The Orono Public Library will feature the University of New Hampshire’s Little Red Wagon touring troupe at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4, at Webster Park for a performance of “The Dancing Spider.” In case of rain, the performance will be held in the Asa Adams Elementary School.

The Little Red Wagon is the longest-running nonprofit children’s theater tour in the United States. Each summer, The Little Red Wagon presents shows at more than 70 locations in New England.

Founded in 1971, The Little Red Wagon became a grassroots model program for the state of New Hampshire and was instrumental in introducing theater education into the public school system as a supportive tool for reading and learning.

“The Dancing Spider,” by Marilyn Osterman and Marilyn Kluge, is a musical that includes actors, sets, costumes, African folklore, drumming and puppets.

Ananse, a fictitious character, behaves as a human, has spider-like qualities and lives in a community of animals. The wise and witty hero-of-sorts dreams up ways to get others to do his work. Ananse finds himself in hilarious predicaments and is able to outwit the leopard and lion. Yet from his cunning tricks, foolery and greed, he learns valuable lessons about character and conduct.

The culture and traditions of Ghana, West Africa, preserved through the folk tale, reveal timeless wisdom that may be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. For additional information, call the library at 866-5060.

Used-book sale

The Friends of Orono Public Library will hold a mid-summer used-book sale 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 29 and 30, in the gymnasium at Orono Middle School on Goodridge Drive.

Defense appropriations bill

U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe announced recently that the defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2005 includes these projects at the University of Maine:

. $4.5 million for the U.S. Army research on advanced structures and composites in construction.

. $2.5 million for deployable composite structures for bunkers, underground storage facilities and bridges.

. $1 million for the structural reliability of fiber reinforced polymers, a research project being conducted by the university in partnership with Applied Thermal Sciences Inc. The project is aimed at developing polymers for use in ship construction.

Antarctic experience

Gordon Bromley, a graduate student at the University of Maine Climate Studies Institute, will talk about his trip to Antarctica. His slide presentation begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 29, in the Media Room, Dirigo Pines Inn, Dirigo Pines Retirement Community, 9 Alumni Drive. RSVP to Becky at 866-3400.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin