LEWISTON – All veterans and military personnel are invited to attend a conference with Robin Shepard of the Vets Center at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7, at the Multi-Purpose Center, Birch Street.

Information will be given concerning benefits and those attending can fill out an application for benefit and receive medication from Togus.

The event is co-sponsored by the L-A Veterans Council. Commander Jerry Dewitt of the Franco American War Veterans Post 31 of Lewiston is chairman. For information, call Dewitt at 926-3240.

Rabbi to speak

LEWISTON – The International Students Organization of Lewiston/Auburn and the Religious Studies Concentration (Arts and Humanities) of the University of Southern Maine at Lewiston/Auburn is sponsoring a discussion with Rabbi Hillel Katzir, “One Perspective on Israel-Palestine.” Katzir is spiritual leader of Temple Shalom in Auburn.

The 11:30 a.m. event on Wednesday, April 6, is open to all who are interested. It will be a “brown bag” lunch with shared cookies and cider. USM-Lewiston/Auburn is at 51 Westminster St.

For more information, contact professor Barry Rodrigue at 753-6574 or e-mail rodrigue@usm.maine.edu.

Sodality meeting

LEWISTON – The Queen’s Guild Sodality of St. Joseph’s Church will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 7, when recitation of the Rosary will be held in the church hall followed by the meeting.

Anita Wiles of SeniorsPlus will speak on “Medicare.” Refreshments will be served by Doris Albert, Evelyn Tuttle, Carol Hodsdon and Jean Smart. The next meeting will be held on May 5.

Family program

BRUNSWICK – A 10-week program, “Families in Transition,” for separating, separated, divorced or divorcing parents interested in sharing their experiences, will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays starting April 6 in the Brunswick High School library.

Representatives from various community resources will offer discussion, questions and answers. Group discussions will follow. Topics will include understanding the court system, what is best for the child, children caught in the middle, managing conflict, alcohol or drug abuse as it relates to families and divorce, breaking the cycle of conflict and moving forward.

To register, send the $25 registration fee to Caught in the Middle, P.O. Box 263, Brunswick, ME 04011. Call 837-4893 for more information.

Identity theft

GRAY – Identity theft is the number one fraud-related complaint received by the Federal Trade Commission. Hundreds of Mainers have been notified that their personal information was stolen from ChoicePoint of Georgia. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service reports that 10 million persons were victims of ID theft last year.

The Gray Region Citizen Corps will offer a free seminar on the problem and measures available to prevent, prepare for and respond to identity theft at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 8, at Stimson Hall, Gray Village. The seminar will be taught by Justin Page, founder of Identity Cops of Westbrook.

The nonprofit corps volunteers provide safety and emergency preparedness seminars on the second Friday of the month to residents from Yarmouth to Casco. Future seminars are scheduled on family preparedness and helping in a Red Cross shelter. More information about the federal citizen corps program may be found at www.citizencorps.gov. The local group publishes a periodic electronic newsletter. Messages for the GRCC may be left with Gray Public Safety at 657-3931.

Registration

LITCHFIELD – Libby Tozier School will hold kindergarten registration on Thursday, April 28. Parents should call the school at 268-4137 for more information or to make an appointment.

Faith course

LISBON – A 12-week practical introduction to the Christian faith called the Alpha Course will be held at 6 p.m. starting Thursday, April 14, at St. Matthew’s Church, 496 Lisbon St. For more information, call 353-8453. Dinner will be provided.

Artist outings

NEW GLOUCESTER – Fiddlehead Center for the Arts is partnering with local artist Brad Betts. Monthly outings will begin on Sunday, April 17, from 8 a.m. to noon. The group will meet at the Fiddlehead Center for the Arts on the Pineland Campus and disperse from there. For more information on dates and painting locations, visit www.downeastgallery.com, www.fiddleheadcenter.org or call 207-926-4364.

Class on death

BRUNSWICK – The Brunswick Shambhala Meditation Center will offer an open house at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, at 19 Mason St., followed by a class, “Making Friends with Death,” which will meet the next six Tuesday evenings.

The open house will include meditation instruction, discussion and refreshments.

Meditation, study and discussion in the class will be based on the book, “Making Friends with Death” (Shambhala, 2001) by Judith Lief. Lief is an acharya, or senior teacher, in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition and a student of the late Chgyam Trungpa, Rinpoche.

The class will include meditation, guided contemplations, discussion of various readings and a video on the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The cost of the series is $30 plus the book. For more information and to register for the class, contact Chip Carpenter at yurthhollow@juno.com or 643-2746.

Bridge play

LEWISTON – The Lewiston-Auburn Duplicate Bridge Club met on March 29 at the Multi-Purpose Center. Flight A winners were: first, David Lock and Patricia Garcia; second, Martine Begert and Rosemarie Goodwin; third, Leslie Buzzell and Nancy Lindgren; fourth, Eleanor Abraham and Claire Lyons. Flight B winners were: first, Eleanor Abraham and Claire Lyons; second, Marta Clements and Nancy Farmer, who were also first in Flight C.

Another game will be played at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 5. A partner is guaranteed.

The club also met on March 30 at Schooner Estates in Auburn. Flight A winners were: first, Jeanine Kivus and Rosemarie Goodwin; second, Sherry Hinckley and Lucille Theriault; third, David Lock and Martine Begert; fourth, Ray Sirois and John Hackett. Flight B winners were: first, Larry Fortier and Terry Gendron; second, Doug and Betty Sise.

Another game will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, at Schooner Estates. For more information and/or a partner, call Rosemarie Goodwin at 783-1734.