PORTLAND
Historical fashion exhibition open to the public
Maine Historical Society (MHS) will bring historic clothing and fashion to the modern audience through the its new two-part exhibition “Northern Threads: Two Centuries of Dress at Maine Historical Society,” on display beginning Wednesday at the MHS gallery on 489 Congress St.
Central to MHS’ 200th anniversary, the exhibit considers how the clothing Maine people wore during the late 18th to mid-20th centuries reveals the social, economic, and environmental history of our state. Over the course of the year, the exhibit will explore key themes such as fabric production and accessibility, societal expectations, the fur trade’s devastating impact on Maine’s wildlife and ecology, and women’s independence. It also will illuminate history though never-before-exhibited items in the MHS permanent collection, as well as highlight unprecedented online public access via the Maine Memory Network.
Part I of the exhibition, “Clothing circa 1780-1889,” open March 16 to July 30, offers vignettes including the 1830s gigot sleeve; Civil War-era fashions; mourning attire and practices; fabric’s adaptive re-use; the bustle deconstructed; and outerwear, as well as silhouettes in sequence.
Part II, “Clothing circa 1890-1980,” will run Aug. 12 to Dec. 31, with vignettes including Maine’s Gilded Age; 1920s-1930s fashions; women at work; chemistry and fashion; bridal and formal wear; swimwear; and outerwear, as well as silhouettes in sequence.
Virtual access, companion exhibits and public programs will be offered in conjunction with the exhibit, including a 3D virtual tour and detailed digital exhibit to increase public access 24/7 for those unable to visit the gallery in person; public and educational programming, including a March 22 talk on MHS’ historic clothing collection with textile/dress historian, and consulting curator Jacqueline Field; and an April 13 talk with Richard Thompson Ford on “Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History.”
For more details, go to mainehistory.org/exhibits.

Public invited to transportation forum
The first-ever Statewide Active Transportation Plan (SATP) for Maine is underway and help is needed to make it as strong as possible.
The MaineDOT is hosting a public forum from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. This is the first public forum to cover the “family of plans” — Active Transportation, Rail, Transit, and Aviation — which will all feed into the MaineDOT’s long-range plan. After an overview, attendees will be able to choose two breakout sessions to attend.
Pre-registration is recommended. On the registration form, please select “Active Transportation Plan.” Registration link is my.mainedotpima.com/public/comment/project-comment-dynamic?project_id=14992&pe_id=4047.

FREEPORT
Drama students debut play ahead of festival
Freeport High School drama students are preparing for the statewide One Act Festival this month and will perform two sneak peek previews of its 40-minute Agatha Christie play “The Patient” in advance of the competition.
Show will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday, both at the Freeport Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door with cash only or online, in advance with a credit card, at sites.google.com/rsu5.org/performingarts/home.

UNION
Heritage skills teacher hosts talk
Vose Library’s patrons and friends are invited to a Vose or Virtual Wednesday series talk with author and heritage skills teacher Elizabeth Miller at 7 p.m. Wednesday via Zoom.
Some 20 years ago, Miller moved from suburban New Jersey with her family and into a 200-year-old Federal period house and barn in rural Maine. She didn’t garden, didn’t keep chickens or bees, didn’t know how to preserve food, or how to make soap or hook rugs. But Miller embarked on a journey to learn these heritage skills that had been somewhat forgotten, and today she owns and operates Parris House Wool Works, a traditional rug-hooking company serving both crafters and end buyers. It is also a working village homestead and workshop where she practices and teaches heritage skills, including all aspects of gardening, beekeeping, rug hooking, preserving, and soap making. She teaches in-studio and at select teaching venues and her work has been featured in Making Magazine, Rug Hooking Magazine, and on the TV show “Maine Cabin Masters.”
Signed copies of Miller’s book “Heritage Skills for Contemporary Life: Seasons at the Parris House,” are at parrishousewoolworks.com/products/seasons-at-the-parris-house
or order a copy from booksellers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other independent book retailers.
Closed captioning will be available. For a Zoom link to join the talk, call 785-4733, email librarian@voselibrary.org or stop by Vose Library at 392 Common Road.

KENNEBUNKPORT
Put on your dancing shoes for the blues
Kennebunkport Historical Society will present two blues concerts. One at 7 p.m. Wednesday and the other at 1 p.m. Sunday, with both performances at the Historic Town House School, at 135 North St.
Bassist Dana Pearson and keyboardist Mark Gunter will be joined by guitarist Andy Oliver and drummer Ron Breton for the concerts. Artists to be covered include Junior Wells, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Howlin’ Wolf, Nina Simone, Robert Johnson, and Albert King. Dancing shoes are highly recommended.
Masks are mandatory. The evening shows are BYOB (21 and up only).
Tickets are $15 for members and $18 for all others and available online at eventbrite.com/e/mid-week-music-concert-the-blues-tickets-250247175037.

KENNEBUNK
Admiral to give naval operations presentation
The Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) will hold a public meeting at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Brick Store Museum’s Program Center, at 4 Dane St.
The speaker, Vice Admiral William Merz, has an extensive background in naval operations from being in command of the 7th Fleet to different warfare preparedness operations focusing on the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. He will address the “Strengths and Vulnerabilities of Islands off China’s Eastern Coast” and most likely recent concerns in the Ukraine.
The meeting is free and open to the public.

WELLS
Library updates weekly event offerings
Wells Public Library will host the following programs this week at 1434 Post Road:
• Wishful Reading, a monthly fiction book group for adults, will meet at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The next book discussion will be about “Little Comfort” by Edwin Hill. Reserve a copy by calling the library or using the online catalog today. No registration necessary.
• A St. Patrick’s Day Party for teens will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, including snacks, crafts, and activities. Wear green!
• The Conversational French Language Group
 will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday for an informal approach to practicing or re-learning French. This week, the program will be held at the library. For more details, contact Cindy Appleby at cappleby@wellstown.org.
• Lego Club for kids of all ages will meet at 3 p.m. Friday. Participants are invited to build master creations with Legos or solve Rubik’s cubes, with all materials provided by the library.
• Also on Friday, the Fiber Arts Group will meet at 10:30 a.m.
 to work on individual or group projects. Needleworkers of ages  and levels of ability are encouraged to join for ideas, inspiration and lively conversation. For more details, contact Stefanie Claydon at sclaydon@wellstown.org.
• Mother Goose Storytime will be offered at 10:30 a.m. Monday. Children ages 24 months and younger, with their caregivers, are invited to engage in lap activities, rhymes, songs, and fingerplays. This free event is sponsored by the Friends of the Wells Public Library.
For more details, call the library at 646-8181.

RUMFORD
Dinner, dance fundraiser helps veteran
The American Legion is holding a fundraiser Saturday night at the American Legion Post No. 24, at 184 Congress St.
The event will begin with a potluck at 6 p.m., provided by the Legion, followed by dancing to the music of The Salty Dogs Band from 7 to 10 p.m.
Admission is by $10 donation at the door. There will be raffle drawings for door prizes. Proceeds go to helping pay medical bills for a local veteran’s family.
Call Charlene for more details at 357-9494.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.
Learn how to make homes more senior-friendly
The Seacoast Village Project’s 2022 Lunch & Learn series for seniors continues online at noon Tuesday with “Adapting Your Home for Safety and Easier Living,” with Kris Rench.
The virtual program is geared toward seniors but open to all. The free presentation will be held via Zoom and requires advance registration.
Rench will discuss how home modifications can enhance safety and prevent falls. He’ll share tips and strategies for planning ahead and increasing the chances of growing older in your home. The presentation will cover common safety improvements ranging from simple and low-cost activities like removing clutter and installing additional handrails to more extensive remodels to widen doors, modify bathrooms or improve access.
For more details or to register, visit seacoastvillageproject.org.