PORTLAND

Reading support group

A free support group for parents of children struggling with reading and dyslexia will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Portland Public Library

The purpose of the group is to share current science-based information to support their children’s reading development.

The meetings will be moderated by certified reading teachers and members of the Dyslexia Association.

The brown bag lunch meeting is for adults. Children ages 8 and older can browse through the children’s reading room during the meeting.

Women’s health event

Mercy Hospital’s Auxiliary will host a free event that focuses on women’s health from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress St.

For more information, call 879-3486.

Kindergarten readiness

The Portland Public Schools will hold a kindergarten readiness night at 6:30 Thursday at Longfellow Elementary School, 432 Stevens Ave.

Portland parents whose children are turning 5 years old on or before Oct. 15, 2012, are invited to attend the free program.

A panel of staff members from across the district will answer kindergarten-related questions. For more information, call 874-8165.

eReader workshop at library

Portland Public Library’s Riverton Branch will host an eReader workshop from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Participants will learn how to search for and check out books from the library catalog to use on their eReader.

Participants are encouraged to bring their eReader or laptop.

The workshop is free and open to the public.

Master Gardener Auction

The annual Cumberland County Master Gardener Plant Auction will be held on Sunday at the Portland Flower Show, 58 Fore St.

The event includes a silent auction from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in building 11 and a live auction at 5:30 p.m. in building 3.

The live auction will include hardscape, perennials, shrubs and trees from the show’s displays. The silent auction will include items and services donated by local garden centers and professional landscapers.

For more information, call 781-6099.

SOUTH PORTLAND

Teens get job assistance

The South Portland Parks and Recreation Department is offering a workshop tonight to help local teens find a summer job.

The workshop, held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the community center, will teach teens how to search for a job, fill out an application and prepare for an interview.

The free workshop is for students ages 14 to 18 years old. Pre-registration is required.

For more information, call 767-7650.

Pet adoption event

The Maine Mall is hosting a pet adoption event, “Rescues on the Runway,” featuring more than 50 adoptable dogs and cats of all ages and breeds.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday with a fashion show from 2 to 4 p.m.

For more information, go to www.mainemall.com/events.

Online auction starts Wednesday

The Cancer Community Center is holding its 9th annual online auction featuring hundreds of items ranging from Red Sox tickets to restaurant gift cards and vacation condos.

The auction, which starts Wednesday and continues through March 29, will feature Boston Celtics tickets, jewelry, toys, and work from local artists. There will be an art preview party from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Regency Hotel, 20 Milk St.

The artwork will not be available for online bidding until Friday.

For more information, go to www.cancercommunitycenter.org or call 774-2200.

SCARBOROUGH

Historical society meeting

The Scarborough Historical Society will hold its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at 647 Route One.

Peter Solvinsky, a Maine State Geologist and Coastal Management Fellow, will give a presentation about changes that could occur along the Scarborough coast over the next 30 years.

CAPE ELIZABETH

Prison ministry training

My Sister’s Keeper, a prison ministry for women, will hold a training session for people interested in volunteering from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church, Route 77.

The group provides mentors for women transitioning from incarceration to the community. Mentors strive to empower women to make positive choices for their spiritual, physical, emotional and mental health needs.

To register or for more information, call 712-5962 or go to www.mysisterskeeper@ceumc.org

WINDHAM

Grief support meeting

VNA Home Health & Hospice will hold its monthly grief support meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at North Windham Union Church, 723 Roosevelt Trail.

The meeting is open to anyone grieving the death of a loved one.

For more information, call 400-8714.

YARMOUTH

Photography seminar

Tony Sweet, an award-winning nature and fine arts photographer, will conduct a seminar on March 18 titled “Digital Imagery in the 21st Century.”

The seminar will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at South Portland High School, 637 Highland Ave.

The workshop, which is open to the public, is being sponsored by the Portland Camera Club.

The cost of the program is $99 until March 11, and $125 after.

For more information, go to www.portlandcameraclub.org.

SCARBOROUGH

Kindergarten info night

There will be a kindergarten information night for Scarborough primary schools at 6:30 Tuesday at Scarborough High School.

The meeting is open to parents who have children turning 5 years old on or before Oct. 15. This presentation is for parents only.

For more information, call 730-5200.

GORHAM

Woman’s Club meeting

The Gorham Woman’s Club will hold a meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday at the First Parish Church on Church Street.

The featured speaker will be Phil Gagnon, who will give a talk about Gorham Founders Day.
Refreshments will be served at 12:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.

For more information, call 839-6375.

SCARBOROUGH/PORTLAND/CAPE ELIZABETH

SAT prep class

Maine Prep’s SAT prep classes for Scarborough area high school students will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday beginning March 8 through May 3 at St. Maximilian Church, 150 Black Point Rd.
Maine Prep’s SAT prep classes for Cape Elizabeth area high school students will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday beginning March 6 through May 1 at Cape Elizabeth High School, 345 Ocean House Rd. To register, call 799-2868.

Maine Prep’s SAT prep classes for Portland area high school students will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday beginning March 8 through May 3 at Deering High School, 370 Stevens Ave. Portland.

The eight session courses are designed to teach students strategies to use in the math, writing and reading sections of the SAT.

For more information and to register, call 798-5690 or go to www.maineprep.com.

WELLS

Project Graduation fundraiser

Wells High School seniors will hold their annual theme gift basket raffle and silent auction at 6 p.m. on Friday at Ronco Gymnasium. Raffle tickets are 10 for $5 or 25 tickets for $10. Winners must be present to receive a basket.  Refreshments including pizza, gourmet deserts and coffee will be available for purchase. Proceeds will benefit Project Graduation. Snowdate is March 16. For more details, email Kim McDonough kmcrunna@yahoo.com or Jen Ingalls jingalls1@yahoo.com.

UNION

Historical society talk

Union Historical Society will host a free talk by Rockport Historian David Sulin at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Robbins House at 343 Common Road, on Union Common.  Sulin will give a historic talk on Rockland famous son, the sailor, soldier and politician “Del” Ames. After the meeting refreshments will be served by hosts Liz Stanley and Ike Johnson.  All meetings of Union Historical Society are free and open to the public. For more details, call 785-5444.

CAMDEN

Maine heritage discussion

Preserve Maine Traditions, a citizens group committed to preserving Maine’s cultural heritage and land use traditions, will present a panel discussion opposing a park proposal for northern Maine put forth by RESTORE and Roxanne Quimby. The discussion will be led by David Trahan executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, Bob Meyers executive director of the Maine Snowmobile Association and Jim Robbins CEO of Robbins Lumber. For more details, call Andy Young at 323-1334.

BRUNSWICK

Vegetable gardening workshop

The Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust the fourth of six workshops on vegetable gardening from 2 to 3 p.m. on Sunday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, at 27 Pleasant St. Master Gardener Bonnie Studdiford and facilitator Judy Reynolds will teach about companion planting and starting seedlings indoors. The workshop is free and open to the public. For more details, call Linton Studdiford at 798-5899.

OLD ORCHARD BEACH

Benefit basketball game

The Old Orchard Beach Alumni Basketball Classic will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at the Old Orchard Beach High School Gymnasium at E. Emerson Cummings Blvd. Proceeds from the event will benefit the OOB Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.

CAMDEN

Sustainability lecture

Center for Ecological Living and Learning Co-founder David Oakes, of Hope, will head the talk “Our Sustainable Future: Reasons for Hope” at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Camden Public Library, 55 Main St. The talk is part of the “Angles on the Environment” series. For more details, call Ken Gross at 236-3440.

WARREN

Spring plant sale

Pre-orders are being taken for the Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservations District’s Annual Spring Plant Sale, set for May 5 and 6 with order pick-ups at the Union Fairgrounds. The plant selection includes a variety of bareroot fruit trees and berries; conifers; native and native-friendly trees and shrubs as well as Maine-grown native perennials and herbs from Rebel Hill Farm. Asparagus, grapes, rhubarb and native ground covers and vines for sun and shade also are available. Order forms are available on online at www.knox-lincoln.org or call 273 2005 ext. 101.

SANFORD

Social Security disability benefits talk

The Cancer Care Center of York County will host a talk about Social Security disability benefits pertaining to a cancer diagnosis from 6 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Refreshments will be served. Pre-registration is required by calling 459-1606.

ROCKLAND

Boat building talk

The Apprenticeshop will host a talk by Boatbuilder J.B. Turner at 7 p.m. on Thursday at 643 Main St. in Rockland. Turner, who is president and co-owner of Front Street Shipyard in Belfast, will talk about his 20-year career in the boatyard industry. A tour of the school’s current boatbuilding projects will be offered following the lecture. For more details call 594-1800.

BRUNSWICK

Adult ballet class

A four-week, adult ballet class will be offered from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. beginning Wednesday at People Plus, 35 Union St. Additional sessions will be held March 14, 21 and 28. Cost is $40 for all sessions. Registration deadline is today by calling 729-0757.

AUBURN

Coyote program

Conservation Biologist Geri Vistein will present the PowerPoint program “Coyote: America’s Songdog,” from 6 to 8 p.m. today   at the Auburn Public Library, 49 Spring St. Sponsored by the Stanton Bird Club, Vistein’s talk will detail finding ways for humans to co-exist with carnivores, specifically coyotes. For more details, go to

www.stantonbirdclub.org

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