The Maine Bicentennial Commission (Maine200) recently awarded the first round of Bicentennial Community Grants. Out of 44 applications from organizations and municipalities across the state, the commission chose a total of 30 grant recipients: 21 large grants and nine small grants at varying amounts. Among those are a Bicentennial Birthday Bash in Rockland, theatrical productions in Portland and Dover-Foxcroft, as well as conferences, educational curriculum, art exhibits, lecture series and more, spanning several Maine counties.

Two poets and two musicians will come together to celebrate Maine’s natural world through poetry and music from 2:30-3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17 at the Dexter Universalist Church (next Bud’s Shop ‘n Save). This special poetry and strings program will feature poets Kristen Lindquist and Paul Corrigan reading their work, with musicians Susan Ramsey on violin and guitar and Ruth Fogg on cello. Admission is free with donations accepted.

The auction is now open and the book will be given to the highest bid placed by 5 p.m. on Nov. 30. You can place a bid by sending an email to brownvillehistorical@TRCMaine.org. Please be sure to include your name, mailing address and phone number along with your bid.

Bountiful is a November kind of word. And if we’re fortunate to have an abundance, be grateful. Better yet, share it. This month, the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft has a wealth of information and creativity (and books!) to share with you.

Jeremy Loguercio, program and marketing director at The Commons at Central Hall, recently announced the special schedule of events for November

Celebrate fall with the 10-cent book sale at the Thompson Free Library, 186 East Main Street. The sale will be from 3-7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9.

Our Lady of the Snows Parish has its annual Christmas craft fair for community charities from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Route 23, one mile from the intersection by Dunkin Donuts on Route 7.

On Friday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. the Center Theatre will be hosting its third annual Pumpkin Jam Battle of the Bands Fall Fundraiser. The event will bring the Doughty Hill Band back to defend the title against the ever-popular Josh Guthrie Experience.

The fall hours for the Abbott Museum, 12 Church Street, are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday -- closed Sundays, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. The museum offers seven exhibit rooms on local history in areas of business, industry, recreation and veterans.

On Sunday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. there will be a Wassabec Genealogy Society meeting at Mayo Regional Hospital in the conference room. The meetings are open to the public and the organization welcomes beginning genealogists to the most experienced.

A number of events are planned for the weekend and on the holiday as part of the annual Dover-Foxcroft Halloween BooNanza. A full schedule and more information is available at http://www.boonanza.info/.

The Center Theatre has announced that theatre officials are building a second movie screen and plan to have it open to the public in April of 2020. The new screen will seat 40 to 50 people and will be located in the space formerly occupied by the Center Coffee House.

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs/Miosac Club met at Thayer Parkway October 15 with 12 members attending. President Suzanne Raymond called the meeting to order and Dot Tonick led the Club Collect, American's Creed and Pledge of Allegiance.

On Thursday, October 10 at the first Tea Talk meeting, Shirley Grant won a beautiful fresh flower arrangement, contributed by the Spring Street Greenhouse, for correctly answering the most Dexter trivia questions.

Doors at the East Sangerville Grange open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, November 2 for its renowned annual Holiday Craft Fair.

On Monday, October 21 students in Piscataquis County and members of the community will have the opportunity to enjoy a performance of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra's Juniper String Quartet when the group visits Dover-Foxcroft. The talented musicians will be visiting with school children to both educate and perform before arriving at the Center Theatre for a 7 p.m. performance.

The public is invited to a meeting on genealogy at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22 at the Sangerville Town Hall meeting room, sponsored by the Sangerville Historical Society.

Mindy Sanborn recently became the new director at Guilford Memorial Library. Sanborn has a strong background in technology and business management. She hopes to maintain much of the home-like feeling of the library while giving patrons access to modern technologies.