Posted inThe Weekly
Community News for March 6-12, 2014
by Opinion Contributor March 3, 2014
ORONO — More than 60 summer camps from throughout Maine are expected to participate in the University of Maine's third annual Summer Camp Fair for Kids, 4-7 p.m., March 12 in the New Balance Student Recreation Center on campus.
Camp representatives will be available to provide informational materials and answer questions about the variety of programming available for youngsters and teens.
Hosted by the United Way of Eastern Maine and associated with the Camp Bangor Program, the event typically has a turnout of more than 500. Parents and children interested in local and regional summer camps are encouraged to attend.
The fair is free. All attendees will receive a free day pass to UMaine's New Balance Student Recreation Center.
For more information, contact Lisa Carter at 581-1710 or lisa.carter@umit.maine.edu.
4-H Science Saturday
ORONO — "Kitchen Chemistry" is the focus of a 4-H Science Saturday workshop from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., March 8 at the University of Maine's Foster Center for Student Innovation.
Students in grades 6-8 will be challenged to identify a problem or opportunity for innovation and invent a product. Once a product is created, a commercial will be made to raise consumer awareness and interest. Lunch will be followed by a presentation of the Mainely Physics Road Show from 1:15-2:30 p.m. in Bennett Hall.
The $15 registration includes lunch. Maximum enrollment is 25. Registration is available online at umaine.edu/4h/home/science-saturday. For more information, contact Jessica Brainerd at 581-3877.
OLD TOWN — Vernal pools are temporary bodies of water filled annually by rain, snowmelt, and rising groundwater, and often dry up as the year progresses. They are home to many species of invertebrates and represent important breeding grounds for wood frogs, spotted salamanders, and blue spotted salamanders.
Volunteers will be trained to identify the different egg masses of local species that utilize vernal pools for nesting. Commitments will include training from 9 a.m.- noon, one Saturday, and two field sessions lasting from 1½ to two hours.
Observations will start around the first week of May. If interested, call 944-9259 or log onto hirundomaine.org.
Penobscot Theatre Company Dramatic Academy Spring Session
BANGOR — Registration is now open for the Penobscot Theatre Company's Spring Session of Dramatic Academy classes, workshops, and vacation camps for children, teens, and adults. Opportunities for students of all ages will be offered March-May at the Bangor Opera House. For information or to register, visit www.PenobscotTheatre.org and click on "Education." For questions please contact Director of Education and Outreach Jasmine A. Ireland at jasmine@penobscottheatre.org.
Job fair at Bangor Public Library
The Bangor Public Library and Eastern Maine Development Corp. are sponsoring a presentation to help people learn to do an effective job search. The presentation will be 2-4 p.m., March 10, in the library's Lecture Hall.
"The library is an integral part of many people's job search," said Library Director Barbara McDade. "The library has high-speed Internet access, public computers, international resources and staff that can answer basic questions. EMDC's presentation will explore what employers are looking for."
The presentation will focus on helping individuals improve job-search skills. Topics covered will include resume techniques, interview do's and don'ts, assistance with employment applications, how to utilize social media in a job search, and how to present a professional persona.
This presentation is free. Learn more at www.bangorpubliclibrary.org or by calling 947-8336.
Army band concert
ORONO — The U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers' Chorus will perform at 7 p.m. Monday, March 31 at the Collins Center for the Arts. The University of Maine School of Performing Arts and the Bangor Daily News are sponsoring the show, which will include 16 UMaine students as guest performers and Christopher White, UMaine Symphonic Band director, as a guest conductor for one piece.
Tickets for the event are free, but are limited to four tickets per request. Tickets can be obtained by mailing a request in a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
ATTN: U.S. Army Field Band Tickets
University of Maine School of Performing Arts
5788 Class of 1944 Hall
For more information, call 581-4703.
Child-friendly folk tale
ORONO — University of Maine School of Performing Arts students will perform "Baba Yaga and the Black Sunflower" at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at Al Cyrus Pavilion Theatre on campus.
Carol Korty, Professor Emerita at Emerson College and a guest artist at UMaine, wrote and directs the folktale for children 8 and older. It contains themes about getting along with others, intuition, imagination and courage.
Two main characters are Baba Yaga, a wise, feared witch, and Maryushka, a young girl who feels like she doesn't fit in. Baba Yaga is a Russian folktale character. She brews magic potions, is rumored to eat misbehaving children and lives in a five-sided talking hut that walks on giant chicken legs. She flies through the deep forest in a giant mortar that she steers with a pestle. Maryushka, who loves nature and is scared of it, has gotten into trouble and is determined to find a way out.
During UMaine's spring break, the cast and crew of will stage free performances at area schools, including in Bangor, Ellsworth, Hermon, Lincoln and Presque Isle. Tickets are available at the door for the March 22 performance at UMaine. Cost is $5 per person, or free with a student MaineCard.
Artists sought
BELFAST — Senior College at Belfast invites amateur and professional Maine artists, age 50 and older, to participate in this year's Festival of Art event, to be held at UMaine's Hutchinson Center in Belfast May 15-18.
For 11 years, this four-day exhibit has included work from new artists, well-known artists, artists striving to build their reputations, and artists who only wish to share their work with an appreciative audience. At times, there have been up to 170 artists participating in this event, and over 1,000 visitors. Artists also will have an opportunity to sell their work.
Art forms have included paintings, sculptures, woodcarvings, jewelry, fabric arts, pottery, and photography.
Registration is from March 1-31. Request information from seniorcollegefestivalofart@gmail.com or by calling Juliane Dow at (857) 719-6733.
Previous School News for March 6-12, 2014
Next Tuesday, March 4, 2014: Bill of Rights, climate change, early childhood education