With their seemingly endless cooking and cleaning chores, kitchens can seem more a source of angst than amusement.But that’s only because in most homes, the kitchen is an underutilized source of inexpensive, simple fun. Not what-I-did-on-my-summer-vacation fun, but potentially much better.Kitchens abound with opportunities for easy crafts and games that can pull children out of […]

DEAR ABBY: I am a 23-year-old woman who has always had a hard time letting people down or saying no. A few months ago, I met a man online who lived across the country, and within a week he was telling me he loved me. I’ll admit now that I have some emotional and relationship […]

Before you go to the optical store, the Vision Council of America suggests you consider these questions:– Do you want a frame that’s delicate or bold, retro or modern, conservative or “out there”?– Will you wear this frame all the time, mainly at work, or just when you go out on the town?– What colors […]

TOPSHAM – Just Write Books will present Poetry Reading and Slam by local poets from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, in the Border Trust Business Center, 2 Main St. This event is a part of “Longfellow Days, the Brunswick Legacy,” a celebration of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 200th birthday.Readings will be given by H.R.Coursen, […]

NORWAY – Norway Memorial Library will host a First Friday art opening reception of “Maine Scenes” from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2. Works displayed will be by current and former members of the Western Maine Art Group. The public is invited to meet some of the artists, view recent works by local artists […]

LEWISTON – Justine Pelletier, a young pianist from the University of Montreal, will perform in recital Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Franco-American Heritage Center. She will play works by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Ravel. She will also offer an educational presentation geared to young audiences Friday, Feb. 9.Since giving her first public concert at age […]

AUBURN – The Swampdonkeys, a local band that incorporates styles of old-time, bluegrass, Irish, and modern rock, will perform Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Auburn Public Library.Hailing from the Auburn and Poland areas, band members are Jonathan Dawson on bass; John Gunn, banjo; Michael Hayashida, guitar and viola; and Ted Tibbetts, mandolin and guitar.From “I’ll […]

100 Years Ago, 1907The first cotton mill in Maine was built in Brunswick in 1809, only 20 years after the first one in America was built. Russell W. Eaton, agent of the Cabot mills, writes the Brunswick Record that he is anxious to get information about that early mill – which was burned in 1825 […]

LIVERMORE FALLS -“The Art of Eating Well,” a multimedia art exhibit featuring 13 Maine artists, is on display through Feb. 23 in the gallery of Androscoggin Bank. Their art poster designs convey the message of a western Maine initiative supporting local farms and promoting greater access to fresh healthy foods.“The food we consume is first […]

More titles by big-name authors are headed our way. They hit bookstores Feb. 6:“Hide,” by Lisa Gardner (Bantam, $25): The reviews have been terrific for this thriller, which starts with six bodies being unearthed near a former mental hospital. From that point, the plot twists and the mysteries mount up.“Paper Trails,” by Pete Dexter (Ecco, […]