Durham on hunt for new deputy treasurer/tax collector

The town of Durham is looking for a full-time deputy treasurer/deputy tax collector/deputy clerk to replace Pauline Paradis, who is retiring.

According to the job announcement, which is available on the town’s website at www.durhamme.com, the job entails administrative and fiscal work involving a combination of duties, which includes the handling of the town’s money, the collection of taxes and the organization of departmental operations.

The position also requires a variety of bookkeeping, data processing, cash management and clerical functions. It also requires the person in the position to have a great deal of contact with the public, and as a result, the successful candidate must be friendly and tactful, as well as maintain a professional appearance.

The town is currently accepting applications until Thursday, Feb. 14 at 4:30 p.m. Applicants should send resumes and cover letters, along with three professional and three personal references to: Deputy Search, town of Durham, 630 Hallowell Road, Durham, Maine, 04222.

More information on the position, along with a job description, can be found on the town’s website at www.durhamme.com.

Travel the globe; stay in Freeport

The Freeport Community Library begins an “Armchair Travel” series starting Feb. 6 that requires no packing and no passport.

According to library staff, several members and friends of the library have agreed to share their travels abroad with library patrons via photos and their own personal travelogue. Each presentation will take attendees to a beautiful and amazing destination with plenty of time to ask questions.

All presentations begin at 7 p.m. Here is the itinerary:

Monday, Feb. 4, Puglia, Italy with tour guide John Bowdren.

Wednesday, Feb. 20, barge through France with Ethel and John Wilkerson.

Wednesday, Feb. 27, sail to Newfoundland, St. Pierre and Miquelon with Burt Brewer and Chris Hastedt

For more information, see www.freeportlibrary.com.

Benefit comedy show in Freeport

It will be a night of comedy in Freeport on Saturday, Feb. 16, as Maine comedian George Hamm will host a benefit show at the Freeport Performing Arts Center, located at 30 Holbrook St., in Freeport.

Hamm, who is well known to Maine audiences, has also played across the country, including the Bellagio in Las Vegas, the Improv in Los Angeles, The Comedy Store and the Laugh Factory in Hollywood and the Laugh Factory in Hawaii. Hamm just returned to Maine from tours in China and Mexico.

The PG-13 standup show is a benefit for the Freeport Middle School Space Camp Team’s trip to Huntsville, Ala., home of the world famous U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

Tickets are $10 for general admission and the show begins at 8 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/312291.

Forum to focus on preventing violence

In the wake of last month’s tragic school shootings in Newtown, Conn., Freeport Community Services’ Tolerance and Respect Project and Maine state Rep. Sara Gideon will be holding a public forum on “promoting a culture of safety and tolerance in our community” on Thursday, Jan. 31 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Freeport Performing Arts Center.

The forum will feature a conversation with an expert panel, which will discuss what the community can do to prevent violence and foster understanding in the wake of the shootings in Newtown, Conn.

The free event is open to the public and free child care will also be available. For more information, email Dede Bennell at bennelld@rsu5.org.

Durham PTA looking for auction items

The Durham PTA is having its fourth annual auction on Saturday, March 30 and the organization is looking for items to include in the auction.

The PTA uses the money raised from the auction to provide field trips and enrichment programs and many teacher-requested educational tools for Durham’s students.

The PTA is seeking donations of products, services or anything creative. Organizers would be happy to provide you with any tax deduction information.

For more information, contact Nancy Decker at orc95@comcast.net.

Freeport chamber sets annual meeting

The Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce will launch what is calling an “ambitious and energetic new year” with the theme of “Connecting Community with Commerce” at its annual meeting, on Monday, Jan. 28, at 5:30 p.m., at the Hilton Garden Inn, 5 Park St., in Freeport. The cost is $38 per person.

The event’s keynote speaker is Wendy Caisse, who along with her husband, Alex, own three Buck’s Naked BBQ restaurants in Freeport, Windham and Portland. Caisse chairs the Freeport Planning Board, serves as vice president of the Freeport Economic Development Corp., and she actively participates in and supports local educational, fundraising and planning activities. Her presentation will focus on the value of local involvement to her business.

For tickets and more information, call Carolyn Krahn, Greater Freeport Commerce interim director at 847-5240, or email ck@freeportmainechamber.com.