SOUTH PORTLAND

Miracle Network comedy

A comedy show to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network will be 8 to 10 p.m. at Events on Broadway, 725 Broadway.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with a cash bar available, and will close at 11 p.m. Comedy is provided by Dennis Fogg & Friends.

Tickets are $15 a person and $25 a couple and can be purchased in advance at Rite Aid Millcreek, 51 Market St., or by calling 799-2261 ext. 5.

 

Cancer Community sessions

The Cancer Community Center from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturdays throughout April will offer free instructional knitting.

Starting Monday, there will be strength training offered from 9 to 10 a.m. Monday throughout the month. The class teaches strengthen techniques using TheraBands. For more information on either class, call 774-2200 or visit www.cancercommunitycenter.org.

SCARBOROUGH

Photos with Easter Bunny

A professional photographer will be at Pet Quarters between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday to take pictures of pets or children with the Easter bunny. The photos can be on disc or print packages. Proceeds will benefit the North East Rottweiler Rescue. For more information, visit www.rottrescue.org.

 

Better health program

Living Well for Better Health is a six-week program for adults living with ongoing health conditions, starting from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, and continuing on successive Fridays through May 7, at Southern Maine Agency on Aging, 136 Route 1.

During fun, interactive workshops learn and practice skills to take charge of your condition and enjoy a more active life. To register, or for more information, call Anne Murray at 1-800-427-7411 ext. 529.

CAPE ELIZABETH

Genealogy program

The Greater Portland Chapter of the Maine Genealogical Society will meet at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 29 Ocean Road.

Bob Greene, member of the society, beginning at 1 p.m. will share hidden facts in newspapers that are readily available and full of names, dates and places that are often ignored. For more information, call 490-5709.

PORTLAND

Lung disease programs

The Better Breathing Buddies group is meeting between 2 and 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bayview Heights Senior House, 158 North St.

The group is for anyone suffering with chronic lung disease, their caregivers, friends and loved ones. This month’s guest speakers are registered nurse Deborah Fischer, home care specialist with Gentiva Home Health, and Jim Zust on relaxation methods to help with panic attacks. For details, call 879-4373.

 

Planetarium presentations

The Southworth Planetarium is hosting a number of events this weekend.

On Friday, “Images 2010,” a revamped show about the Hubble Space Telescope and its latest discoveries, will start at 7 p.m. and “Black Holes,” a program about one of the most fascinating, exotic objects in the Universe, at 8:30 p.m.

On Saturday, a family-oriented show about dinosaurs will be screened at 3 p.m., “Images 2010” will be screened at 7 p.m., followed up by “Extreme Planets,” a program about the search and discovery of exo-planets around other star systems, at 8:30 p.m.

The planetarium will be closed Sunday in observance of Easter. For more information, call 780-4249 or visit www.usm.maine.edu/planet.

 

Classes on travel writing

Award-winning author Susan Conley will lead a series of travel writing workshops for adult writers from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. starting Thursday and continuing on successive Thursdays through May 13, at the Writing Center, 225 Commercial St., Suite 201.

The workshop is part of The Telling Room’s series of Master Classes. Participants will write in each session and work toward a finished piece of writing to make ready for publication. The course fee is $275, or $190 for Telling Room volunteers. To register, call 774-6064 or email writers@tellingroom.org.

 

Talk on nuclear weapons

Col. Richard Klass of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and Dr. Ira Helfand of Physicians for Social Responsibility will speak at 12:30 p.m. Monday in room 133 in the Wishcamper Center on the Portland campus of USM.

They will provide medical and military perspectives on what role, if any, nuclear weapons play in our national security. For more information go to www.psrmaine.org or call 841-5291.

 

Kids’ Art and family night

Hour Exchange Portland is hosting the Second Annual Kid’s Art Exhibit and Family Night at the TIME Gallery, 516 Congress St. The event will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday as part of Portland’s First Friday Art Walk.

The exhibit features the work of nearly 50 local children, including painting, photography and more. For more information, call 874-9868 or visit www.hourexchangeportland.org.

 

April Stools Day event

Fetch! is sponsoring its 18th annual April Stools Day from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday at Fort Sumner on North Street, the Eastern Promenade Trail and Hinckley Park in South Portland.

Participants should keep an eye out for the “golden turd,” redeemable for a $25 gift certificate to Fetch! on Commercial Street.

During the same time frame, meet the Friends of Eastern Promenade at the gazebo in Fort Allen Park to clean the park of litter accumulated throughout winter.

 

African Film Festival

The Second Maine African Film Festival kicks off Tuesday and runs through April 10. The festival features 15 films, an opening reception and a closing party. It starts with an opening night art reception and exhibit at May Street Arts with Nigerian artist and designer Lemi Ghariokwu. For times and details, visit http://tmaff.org.

BRUNSWICK

Fool’s Day at Gelato Fiasco

The Gelato Fiasco on Maine Street between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. Thursday will hold Fool’s Day Fiasco to benefit the Brunswick Teen Center. Any sales more than the seasonal daily average will be donated to the center.

Principals, teachers and coaches will volunteer as celebrity “scoopers.” Musicians will also perform during the afternoon and evening. Last year’s fundraiser donated $1,875 to the teen center.

FALMOUTH

Community planning event

Residents are invited to a second community event held by the town’s Community Facilities Planning Committee at 7 p.m. Monday at the Mason Gymnasium at Plummer-Motz School.

The event will present the committee’s draft recommendations for Plummer-Motz and Lunt Elementary schools, Falmouth Memorial Library, town offices and Pleasant Hill Fire Station. For additional information, call 781-5253.

NEW GLOUCESTER

History Barn open house

The next monthly open house of the New Gloucester History Barn will be from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. On display will be historic vehicles and a large display of photographs. Admission is free. For more information, call 926-3188.

 

Village Coffee House concert

Jimmy Jo & Jumbol’Ayuhs will perform at the Village Coffee House in New Gloucester Congregational Church at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $10 for adults or $5 for children and senior citizens. For more information, call 926-3260.