Over 80 beautiful parrots will celebrate the holidays at a free open house on Saturday, Dec. 29 from noon to 4 p.m. at Siesta Sanctuary, 104 Brown Road. There is no snow date.

Last week’s announcement of the first Maine Basketball Hall of Fame Classic at the Class B, C and D North tournament site, the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, is interesting, timely, beneficial, and exciting

Upcoming events around the region.

Early on the morning of Dec. 15, Dexter Regional High School student government and Key Club members, along with several Dexter Sunrise Kiwanis members, gathered at P&L Country Market to assemble and wrap 52 Christmas food boxes to be given to area families.

The Foxcroft Academy wrestling team hosted its home opener Thursday, Dec. 13. Three teams from the Penobscot Valley Conference competed with the Ponies, Bucksport, Ellsworth, and Calais. This turned out to be a special night as Foxcroft senior Dustin Simmons reached a great personal milestone with his 100th career victory.

Three Rivers Kiwanis will be serving Christmas dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 25 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Kiwanis Headquarters building, 15 Harris Pond Road, off Park Street. The Penquis Valley High School Key Club will be helping serve along with many volunteers from the community.

When Jamie Russell informed his players on the Central of Corinth girls’ basketball team that they would be playing a game at the Cross Insurance Center during the upcoming holiday break, the Red Devils reacted like they had just opened an extra Christmas present.

A month after Lance Walker was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be a federal judge, he was assigned the case that could end up being the most important of his career. At the very least, it will be a long time before Walker presides over a case that draws the media attention U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin’s challenge to the constitutionality of ranked-choice voting in Maine did.

On Dec. 2 a dozen locals braved icy conditions to attend an informational meeting about the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Organizer Laurie Sproul explained the group’s mission to “put a price on carbon.” She described her most recent lobbying trip to Washington, D.C., and announced that a bipartisan bill has been sponsored in the House of Representatives.

About two dozen area residents (including Bangor and Ellsworth) gathered this past Saturday morning. Dec. 15 at the Abbott Memorial Library to hear Brownville’s Felix Blinn discuss “Being Prepared.” how to take practical steps to anticipate likely disruptive events in a hopeful instead of fearful manner.