Members of the Greater Bangor Breastfeeding Coalition are focusing their attention around Mother’s Day by writing to local businesses, especially restaurants, encouraging them “to welcome breast-feeding mothers,” said member Jenny Spang.
For her part, Spang wrote, “Being a mother, today, is a harder job than ever.
“We are constantly juggling work, school, family, etc., and we have very high expectations that we should be able to do it all!
“Doctors recommend breastfeeding for the first year of life for the children’s best health and development,” Spang continued. “It is really important that women have support from their families, employers and communities to be able to provide that for their children.”
She wonders whether it is “too much to expect” that mothers can do all this without support.
“It does take a village to raise a child,” Spang reminds us, adding she is “glad to see Bangor working to become a breastfeeding-friendly community.”
Local business owners are encouraged to display decals with the international symbol for “Breast-feeding Welcome Here.”
In their letter, GBBC reminds business owners that “it is not always easy to find a comfortable place to breast-feed when shopping, dining out or keeping appointments.”
“Maine law states that women have the right to breastfeed their babies anywhere that they are otherwise allowed to be” but that “all too often, however, women have been asked to go somewhere else (restrooms for example) to feed their babies.”
For more information, call Pam Houston, R.N., 973-8673 or e-mail phouston@emh.org.
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Here’s a reminder from Ginger Graham that Friends of the Bangor Public Library Book Sale is from 9 a.m. to noon today, in the third-floor lecture hall of the library at 145 Harlow St.
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Family and friends of Deanne Merrill, R.N., invite you to her “semi-retirement” party, 1-5 p.m. today, at Sebec Four-Corners Event Center.
The event, with music and refreshments, honors Merrill’s 34 years of service at Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft.
Darcy Merrill wrote, “If anyone has special ‘Deanne Moments and Memories’ they would care to share, there will be an opportunity to do so, so please come prepared.”
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Bangor Museum & History Center curator Dana Lippitt invites you to hear architectural historian-author Earle Shettleworth Jr., director of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, discuss “Development of Bangor’s Domestic Architecture” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow St.
This free presentation is the last of the BMHC 2009 Winter Series, “Renovation and Restoration of Historic Homes,” co-sponsored by BPL and the Bangor Daily News.
For information, visit www.bangormuseum.org or call Lippitt, 942-1900.
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Jill Lang of Pen Bay Healthcare reports that representatives of its Primary Stroke Center will participate in several educational events during May, which is Stroke Awareness Month.
Among those is a presentation by the center’s stroke program coordinator, Eileen Hawkins, “Current Concepts in Stroke,” from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at Rockport Public Library.
A free public stroke risk assessment and blood pressure screening will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, near the cafeteria of PBMC in Rockport.
“Stroke is Not an Accident! What is a stroke? How do you get it? What can we do about it?” will be discussed by Dr. Judd Jensen, 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, at Camden Public Library.
For information, visit www.pbmc.org/stroke.
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Garelick Farms invites Maine residents to enter its “Lighten Up Maine Over the Moon Recipe Contest.” The winner receives $1,000 cash and a yearlong membership to Curves and Curves Complete.
According to a press release, the contest “encourages the home chef to rethink favorite family recipes,” Garelick marketing manager Amy Godin said of the contest promoting healthful, lighter-cooking and low-fat recipes.
To enter, visit www.garelickfarms.com/contest.
Samples of Garelick’s Over the Moon milks and Curves bars and cereals are being offered throughout May at Curves in Waterville, Bangor, Columbia Falls, Lincoln, Hampden, Calais, Skowhegan, Gardiner and Blue Hill.
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Mary-Anne Saxl of the Warren Center for Communication & Learning reports contributions are being accepted for its May 30 yard sale.
The center seeks donations of household items, toys and other resale items, in good condition, and requests that no clothing be included.
Monetary donations to benefit the work of the center are appreciated as well.
Donations may be dropped off between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Warren Center, 175 Union St. in Bangor.
Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; javerill@bangordailynews.net; 990-8288.