PARIS – The public is invited to an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, at Market Square Health Care Center to tour the comfort suite, the center’s new room for hospice residents and their families.

Market Square staff members will give tours and answer questions about services.

The private hospice suite is equipped with a pull-out couch for families so they can stay in the room, a bathroom, a special patient bed, and a cabinet with supplies like candles, aromatherapy, Bibles and other religious material, and music. More information may be obtained by calling 743-7086.

Lenten luncheon

PARIS – A Lenten luncheon will be offered from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, at the Deering Memorial United Methodist Church, the stone church at the corner of Church and Main streets. The luncheon will include a 20-minute sermon by the Rev. Dan Johnson. Cost is $5. The Thursday luncheons, with the participation of local clergy for sermons, continue through March 17.

Histories of mills

NORWAY – The history of three local mills C.B. Cummings, Paris Manufacturing and Robinson Manufacturing, will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, at the Norway Memorial Library. This event is taking its theme from the book “Ernie’s Ark” by Maine author Monica Wood, which is the focus of the One Book One Community, Oxford Hills Reads Program. In this book, several characters are employees of a paper mill set in the fictional town of Abbott’s Falls, Maine. Stuart Cummings will present information about C.B. Cummings, Ben Conant will talk about Paris Manufacturing, and John Robinson will cover Robinson Manufacturing. There will be pictures and examples of the products made in these factories on display. The public is welcome. Refreshments will be served. More information on the One Book One Community reading program may be obtained on the Internet at www.oxfordhillsreads.org or by calling any local library.

Meeting postponed

PARIS – The Oxford Hills Technical School Board of Directors meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School has been rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 24.

Friday closing

SUMNER – The Sumner Town Office has announced it will be closed Friday, Feb. 18. Regular hours will resume Saturday, Feb. 19.

Library forum

NORWAY – The People’s History Club will offer a forum titled “Mississippi: Is This America?” at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Norway Memorial Library on Main Street. This is one of a series of presentations given in honor of African-American history month. A film will be included. Refreshments will be offered. More information may be obtained by calling Tom at 743-2183 or Michael at 539-9154.

Silent auction

OXFORD – A silent auction with more than 200 items will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, at the Boxberry School, 301 Webber Brook Road. Doors open at 5 p.m. Snow date is Saturday, Feb. 19, with doors open at 1 p.m. and auction at 2:30 p.m. Food will be available. Proceeds benefit the school.

Haiti talk set

NORWAY – Haitian lawyer Evel Fanfan will speak about human rights abuses in Haiti at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, at Fare Share Commons, Main Street. Fanfan is president of the human rights organization AUMOHD. Tom Luce of the April 16 Coalition of Vermont may also be part of this event. Luce and Fanfan met at the National Penitentiary in Port-Au-Prince in April 2004. Fanfan was trying to free a prisoner held arbitrarily. In July, Luce spent a week with the lawyer to free a young political prisoner. Since then, Luce’s group, the April6Vt Citizens Lobby, and AUMOHD have formed a partnership. Fanfan’s tour in Maine is sponsored by Maine Haiti Solidarity, 242 Ludlow St. Portland, and by the April6Vt Citizens Lobby, 30 Park St., Barre, Vt. 05641. More information may be obtained by calling 743-2183.

10th Mountain Division

BETHEL – Members of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division are expected to attend a presentation this weekend about the famed World War II division.

Author McKay Jenkins will present a slide show, discussion and book signing of his “The Last Ridge: The Epic Story of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division and the Assault on Hitler’s Europe.” The discussion will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, in Bingham Auditorium at Gould Academy.

The division consisted of some of the country’s most famous skiers, including many from the Bethel, Rumford, and Berlin, N.H., areas, said Frank Vogt, a member of the Mahoosuc Land Trust, which is presenting the Local Knowledge series event.

The project was made possible in part by a grant from the Maine Humanities Council. It is free and open to the public, and accessible to the handicapped.

Finnish School open

WEST PARIS – The Little Finnish School will be open from 1 to 2 p.m. every third Sunday of each month beginning Feb. 20, at the Heritage Center on Maple Street. Classes may include some basic language, songs, kantele lessons, stories, crafts and other topics related to Finnish culture. A small donation of $2 is requested per child. No preregistration is required.

Heritage Society

WEST PARIS – The Finnish American Heritage Society of Maine will meet at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, at the Heritage Center on Maple Street. Guest speaker will be Belinda Brumfeldt, a native of Michigan, and a Maine resident for many years. She is a member of the Kantele Consort and has played in many concerts. A coffee social will follow. Everyone is invited. In case of a severe storm, the meeting will be postponed to Sunday, Feb. 27.

Meeting postponed

PARIS – The Christian Women United meeting and luncheon that had been scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 15, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 22, at the First Congregational Church on East Main Street. The luncheon will be served at 11:30 a.m. The speaker will be Pastor Frank Jewett of the Oxford Advent Christian Church in Oxford. Pam and Kari Reed will provide the music. Those who have not been contacted, but would like a reservation, may Pearl Anderson at 743-5724.

Bird classes

WEST PARIS – The West Paris Library is inviting all children to learn about caring for feathered friends in “Let’s Feed the Birds at West Paris Library” from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, at the library on Main Street. Boys and girls will be invited to participate in a discussion of the common birds found in this area in the winter, their particular characteristics and their habits. Choice of feeders and food for the various species will be on the agenda and a hands-on project making a special peanut butter based treat for the birds will be included. There will also be another related craft for anyone allergic to peanut butter. Parents must come by with the child on that day to report any such allergy.

Coaches needed

PARIS – The town of Paris is soliciting baseball and softball coaches for the 2005 season. Applications are available at the town office. Deadline is Monday, Feb. 28.