NAMI Piscataquis County is happy to announce the presentation of “Mindfulness: Being Present for Your Life” at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4 at the Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church. Elaine Ecker from NAMI Maine in Augusta is the manager of The Peer Recovery Center in Waterville and co-author of “Inspiring Minds,” a skills-based, peer education course.

Greenville is about to hear from some powerful women. At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28 at the town office panelists Alexandra Conover Bennett, Jennifer Dumont, and Aislinn Sarnacki will discuss their outdoor experiences and what it’s like to embark on remote adventures, alone.

Upcoming events around the region

The Piscataquis County Republican Committee will host a debate of the Republican gubernatorial candidates on Friday, March 23 at the Center Theatre. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Maybe this part of Maine at this time of this particular year isn’t such a good time to be screening a film on the economic impacts of warming winters, but “Saving Snow”, a 53-minute documentary will be shown at the Center Theatre at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 25 -- appropriate for all age groups and for free.

The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) takes pride in offering in-demand programs. In recent years, the demand for forestry workshops has greatly increased and we have seen each program we offer fill to capacity. For our latest forestry workshop, we are partnering with the Penobscot County Soil and Water Conservation District to offer something special and very much in-demand, a “Chainsaw Safety for Women Workshop” on Friday, April 27 in Dover-Foxcroft.

Ice fishing can be one of the highlights of a Maine winter. If the fishing takes place in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) – it is more like an ice fishing adventure! Ice fishing traps, or tip-ups as they are often referred to, all use the same basic design -- when a fish pulls on the line, a flag goes up. When the flag goes up, someone usually yells flag, and everyone in the fishing party hustles over to the tip-up to see what is going on.

Drafty windows? High heating bills? Would you like to have a warmer home and save money? Now is the time to check out where you are losing heat (and money) while the snow is blowing and it is still cool.

United Maine Crafter/artist Sarah Robinson, owner and creator of My Wild Fern, focuses on nature and creating environmentally friendly products by recycling, upcycling and reusing waste into most aspects of the art work. Recycling post-consumer (newspaper, junk mail, paper bags, etc.) waste paper into handmade paper is just one of the ways My Wild Fern recycles. By upcycling old clothing, curtains and yarn and reusing metal or wood to create new and beautiful products is the artist’s purpose.

Third-graders around Piscataquis County will soon be peering into their cups watching for a sign of green while their parents watch the thermometer and the long-range forecasts. Those third-graders are part of a group of an estimated 700 elementary students who will complete an assortment of agricultural projects as part of the GrowMe collaboration between three local organizations, the Valley Grange, University of Maine Piscataquis County Extension and Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District.

This year’s General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC)/Miosac Club high school art contest will be held in the lobby of Center Theatre, beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 25. Students from Foxcroft Academy, Greenville High School, the Penquis Valley School and Piscataquis Community High Schools have all been invited to participate again this year.

Upcoming events around the region.

Cabin Fever Trivia Night is coming Wednesday, March 21 to the Abbott Memorial Library. Form a team now for this fun event.

Showtimes for the production in high school cafeteria are at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 22 and Friday, March 23 and 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 24.

About 20 local people brought their gardening, orcharding, and seed-saving skills to the Abbott Memorial Library on the morning of March 10 to learn and share more about the fundamental process of growing food and flowers reliably from year to year, as part of a workshop hosted by the library and Dexter Dover Area Towns in Transition

Adam Stetson of Brownville, the son of Brian and Susan Stetson of Brownville, has been selected as the Maine Principals Association Principal’s Award winner for Penquis Valley High School, Principal Dan Ross announced.

The Center Theatre, Slightly Off-Center Players, and members of the Barony of Endewearde are presenting a medieval dinner theater at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 31. The event will held at the Commons Event Center on the second floor of the newly renovated Central Hall

On March 3 the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) hosted Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association Orchard Specialist CJ Walke for a renovating old apple trees workshop.