Racehorses to trot

BANGOR – The Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of Maine has announced a day of fun and entertainment at Bangor Raceway, Bass Park. Horse lovers are invited to see several retired harness racehorses at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, July 15. Admission is free.

The public is invited to watch retired Standardbreds marshal the harness races for the post parades. In addition, there will be information available about adoption of the horses, plus post-race demonstrations on jumping, dressage and show and barrel racing. The Standardbreds may also, weather permitting, participate in their own race.

Standardbred owners will be on hand to answer questions and allow attendees to meet the horses in the show paddock area.

For more information, visit www.sphomaine.net/events or call Nonni Daly at 827-8386 or Elizabeth Tewksbury at 625-4616.

Legion convention

BANGOR – The state American Legion will hold the annual state convention at the Bangor Civic Center Friday through Sunday, June 15 to 17. Led by State Commander Donald Simoneau of Livermore Falls, nearly 2,000 legionnaires, auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion members will be in attendance.

The program will start at noon Friday, June 15, with a grand opening ceremony. The Madison Sea Cadets will begin the program with a ceremony honoring Prisoners Of War and veterans Missing In Action (POW/MIA).

There will be many awards and presentations for and from Maine Special Olympics, Maine Blind Camp and Beal’s House.

The program on Saturday will conclude with the election and installation of the new state officers.

Kids’ art program

GRAY – Fiddlehead Center for the Arts will host FiddleStarts sampler for ages 3 to 6 this summer.

The program focuses on the children’s interests in a learning environment. The sampler embraces the Reggio Emilia educational approach and emphasizes the arts and communication.

The program features music, movement, work with various art forms, storytelling and at times the introduction of the Spanish language.

The sampler is an abbreviated introduction to the philosophy that is offered during the regular school year as a preschool at Fiddlehead Center for the Arts.

For more information and registration, call Fiddlehead Center for the Arts at 657-2244 or register on-line at www.fiddleheadcenter.org.

Book camp

PORTLAND – Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance will hold a “Book Proposal Boot Camp” from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at the University of Southern Maine’s Glickman Library.

Registration is $75 Members and $100 for others. Registration materials are available at www.mainewriters.org.

It is a three-hour seminar that focuses on winning strategies that will help writers develop effective nonfiction book proposals.