Community Events Calendar

High Profile Expert Panel to Discuss American Diplomacy in the Middle East and South Asia: Challenges and Possibilities in the Obama Era on March 10th at UMA. On Wednesday March 10 at 7:30 PM in the Randall Student Center, a panel of former high-ranking government officials will be participating in a discussion entitled American Diplomacy in the Middle East and South Asia: Challenges and Possibilities in the Obama Era. Free and open to the public, the panel discussion will feature Frank G. Wisner (shown above), a former American ambassador to Egypt, India, the Philippines, and Zambia. Ambassador Wisner is also a former Under Secretary of State for Policy and an Under Secretary of State for International Security Affairs. Also participating in the March 10th discussion is Harold Pachios, a former Associate White House Press Secretary and former Chair of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. Moderating the event is Mac Deford, a career foreign service officer, president of the Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations and former chair of the Camden Conference.

Lots of new and exciting activities. Visit the TREE HOUSE/NATURE CENTER - climb into this real tree house and learn about Maine animals and where they live and play. THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE - Learn the construction trade from conception to actual construction. Use real tools to design roads, buldings and bridges. PRETEND RESTAURANT -Create meals, learn which foods keep you healthy and learn good table manners. BIRTHDAY PARTY ROOM - Have your birthday party here - be "king or queen" for a day with your very own throne. You and your friends can do arts and crafts in a special area made specially for you. PRETEND GROCERY STORE - Work a real cash register, scanner and stock in the store shelves with real groceries. You'll learn about money, customer service and organizing things. RAIN Forest/Toddler Play Area- You're in the jungle surrouded by jungle animals. You hear the soft, tickling sounds of rain. Real tanks and acquariums complete with live animals! Perfect area for moms and young toddlers. MULTI CULTURAL MUSIC CENTER - Where's my oboe? It's not a body part, but it IS a musical instrument. Learn about music, other instruments, different cultures and their music. RIVER ROOM - Climb through a replica of a submarine. Climb up high on the bird's nest and pretend to be a pirate. Play on the dock and pretend you're a real fisherman. KIDS BANK - Have you ever been to the bank and wondered how it works? KSB's Kids bank will show you how to be a teller, count money and write and cash checks. You can use your money to buy groceries at the grocery store next door! BICYCLE AREA - Learn about the exciting world of bicycling through interactive displays. You'll learn the importance of bicycling and how it enhances our community, environment and economy. MAINE AUTHOR'S READING LOFT - You'll love this special hideaway where you can curl up in a bean bag chair and read some really great books written by people right here in Maine! THEATER -Let your imagination come to life on the stage of this theater. Use the stage lighting and sound equipment to create your own puppet show or put on the costumes to act our your own play.

Join this children's book discussion group (ages 3-8) to share books, recipes, food and fun! Each child and their adult partner will sign up to choose a food-related book and bring the food as a snack to share. This month we are reading "How to Make a Applie Pie & See the World" & "Goldilocks"

The Maine State Museum presents exhibits of Maine's natural environment, prehistory, social history, and manufacturing heritage. Accredited by the American Association of Museums. Yankee Magazine's TRAVEL GUIDE to New England says "It is one of the outstanding reasons to visit New England." Closed on all State Holidays. Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Friday 9-5; Saturday 10-4; sunday & Monday Closed. Closed on "state government closure days: August 7, and September 4. Admission: Adults $2.00; Children 6-18 $1.00; Under 6, Free; Seniors 62+ $1.00. For more information please call 207-287-2301,or visit the Maine State Museum website:www.mainestatemuseum.org Mailing address is: Maine State Museum, 83 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.

Popular Living History Interpreter of Wabanaki Culture to Speak at Maine State Museum in Augusta on March 10. The Maine State Museum kicks off its spring lecture series, In Depth at the Maine State Museum, on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. with a talk by Ken Hamilton. Hamilton s presentation is Kettles, Stroud Cloth, and Glass Wampum: A Closer Look at Some Wabanaki Fur Trade Staples. A resident of Corinth, Maine, veteran living history interpreter, and accomplished researcher, Hamilton has presented programs throughout the U.S. and Canada on all aspects of Wabanaki historical culture. His demonstrations of Native American clothing, as well as his reproductions of historical objects, have made him a dramatic and engaging presenter who draws appreciative and interested crowds wherever he appears. His understanding of Colonial-Indian relations brings to life Maine s complex history of the 1600s and 1700s. Hamilton s lecture is free of charge, as are all the talks given as part of the In Depth at the Maine State Museum series, which is co-sponsored by the museum and the Friends of the Maine State Museum.

From our beginnings through to today, women have been breaking barriers. Find out who these women are, what they did and how they made freedom possible. Free and open to the public.

The St. Mark's Whatever Week Arts Festival will be held on Saturday, June 26, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on campus of St.Mark's Episcopal Church. We are looking for quality artisans/craftspeople interested in renting either indoor or outdoor tables. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Table rental is $20.00 for the day. Advertising for this event will take place in all major newspapers in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. For more information, please contact Tina Mann at tmann@fairpoint.net or 207-441-2971.