ELLSWORTH - The Grand presents a solo performance from singer-songwriter James McMurtry on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

The son of acclaimed author Larry McMurtry (“Lonesome Dove,” “Terms of Endearment”), James grew up on a steady diet of Johnny Cash and Roy Acuff records. His first album, released in 1989, was produced by John Mellencamp and marked the beginning of a series of acclaimed projects for Columbia and Sugar Hill. 

ORRINGTON - On Saturday, Oct. 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors to The Curran Homestead Living History Farm and Museum at 372 Fields Pond Road in Orrington can take a step back in time to an era when their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were young, and observe or take part in many activities that would be very familiar to members of those generations.

Brightly-colored autumn leaves announce daily that Summer has departed, and warm days of Indian Summer now fade into the chilly evenings of fall. As the hours of sunlight grow shorter with each passing day, marching from the equinox inexorably toward the solstice, we are reminded of the looming prospect of another Maine winter.

BANGOR – Victory Media, the premier media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has named Husson University to the coveted Military Friendly Schools list. The 2013 Military Friendly Schools list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus.

“Inclusion on the 2013 list of Military Friendly Schools shows Husson University’s commitment to providing a supportive environment for military students,” said Sean Collins, director for G.I. Jobs and vice president at Victory Media. “As interest in education grows, we’re thrilled to provide the military community with transparent, world-class resources to assist in their search for schools.” Complete survey methodology is available at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/methodology.

WATERVILLE - Executive Directors Tom Davis and Frank Knott are pleased to announce the launch of Office Prodigy, a nonprofit company created by nonprofit experts that streamlines nonprofit back-office operations. Office Prodigy offers concierge-style coaching and tools to meet administrative, technical and compliance challenges, enabling smaller, mission-driven organizations to focus on doing more good in an era of diminishing resources. Unique to the nonprofit arena, Office Prodigy combines customized consulting with systems tools to help agencies understand their own challenges and create their own systems to address compliance, accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, IT, case management and a host of operational issues. More staff time can then be devoted to mission-focused work.

Conference to connect business leaders and educators

BANGOR - Building Bridges, a program of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce that works to foster connections between the education and business communities, will hold a conference to unite area educators and business leaders. The conference, entitled Bridge The Gap, will take place on Thursday, Oct. 4 from 3 to 7 p.m. at John Bapst Memorial High school.

BANGOR – Amy Cotton, APRN, has been selected for induction into the Fellowship of the American Academy of Nursing. The academy’s 1,800 fellows are the nation’s most accomplished leaders in education, practice and research within the nursing profession. These fellows are honored for their extraordinary accomplishments in nursing and are among the nation’s most highly educated nurses.

According to Lisa Harvey-McPherson, RN, vice president of EMHS Continuum of Care, “EMHS is proud and honored to have Amy leading our work to improve the quality of care and older adult population health outcomes across our service region. Fellowship status with the American Academy of Nursing highlights Amy’s role as a national leader in this important work.”

ORONO - Few entertainers today are as accomplished or versatile as Ben Vereen and his legendary performances are woven into the fabric of this country's artistic legacy. The Collins Center for the Arts Gala at the University of Maine, present “Steppin’ Out with Ben Vereen” on Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available by calling (207) 581-1755 or online at http://www.collinscenterforthearts.com. The Collins Center for the Arts is located on the University of Maine campus at 5746 Collins Center for the Arts, Orono.

Award-winning cellist to perform with pianist Yannick Rafalimanana

BANGOR – The Gracie Theatre’s Classical Series announces their first concert Sept. 30 with a performance by talented cellist Sebastian Baverstam. Accompanied by pianist Yannick Rafalimanana, the program features Beethoven’s Sonata No. 2 in G minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 5, No. 2 plus additional sonatas by Kodaly and Franck. The concert will be held at Husson University’s Gracie theatre at 3 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 30. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students and are available on the Gracie theatre website or by calling the box office at 941-7888.

OLD TOWN - Old Town High School and the RSU 34 Educational Foundation announced its inaugural Hall of Fame class recently. The Hall of Fame is dedicated to establishing and celebrating the schools rich sports history.

The 2012 class is headed by former New England Patriots and Syracuse University head football coach Dick MacPherson. Joining MacPherson is Bernard MacKenzie, Thomas “Skip” Chappelle, Donald Sturgeon and Robert Lahey.

ALTON/OLD TOWN - Become a polar explorer by joining Paul Markson for a paddle across the 45th parallel in the Hirundo Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. and learn why this parallel is important. Along the way, observe the great diversity of birds, mammals and forest and wetland plants and gain insight on the local conservation efforts. Canoes, paddles and lifejackets are available, or bring your own boat. Call to register by Friday, Sept. 21 at (207) 944-9259. Suggested donations are $4 for adults; school-aged children attend free.