What will be the top trends of 2009? Here’s what professional trendspotters forecast:THE TREND: The “Cuspers”Marian Salzman, trend spotter, chief marketing officer for Porter Novelli WorldwideThe “Cuspers” are Boomers born between 1955 and 1964, said Salzman.She predicts the Cuspers, sometimes called Generation Jones, will continue to rise to power. She ticks off a list that […]

A Frye Street householder in Lewiston heard a discussion in his back hall Wednesday night between the cook and a husky-voiced intruder. Going out, he found the latter to be a bleary chap with a bleeding cut over his eye. His hat was dented and his voice was sprung, and what’s worse he wouldn’t go […]

Recently, I wrote a column asking readers to help me choose a good Christmas flick for my annual grilled-cheese-and tomato-soup holiday movie night.I’ve learned several things in the weeks since that column was published – some not-so-surprising (people really love Christmas movies), and some sort of surprising (“Die Hard” is apparently considered by many to […]

PORTLAND – Born and raised in Maine, comedian Bob Marley has been cutting a path to the top of the stand-up comedy industry for more than 15 years. For the past eight weeks, he has been in Toronto filming “All Saints Day,” the sequel to “Boondock Saints.”This holiday season, Marley will be back in Maine […]

PORTLAND – In response to the recession, an anonymous gift has been made to the Portland Symphony Orchestra to help subsidize “Magic of Christmas” concerts the weekend before Christmas. About 4,000 seats across the eight remaining shows, originally ranging in price from $25 to $55, are now available for $25.“This generous donation allows us to […]

The Muppets fly, but they don’t soar in “A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa.”The NBC special, premiering at 8 p.m. EST Wednesday, represents mediocre Muppet mirth.Mediocre is better than nothing, but these show-business legends deserved better.The mundane script sends them on the last-minute errand of getting letters to Santa. The nadir is a trip through […]

The top 10 films of 2008, according to AP Movie Writer David Germain:1. “Happy-Go-Lucky” – As good as Mike Leigh’s films are, perhaps his greatest service to cinema is discovering wonderful performers, then workshopping stories tailored to their strengths. The result is the year’s finest performance, with Sally Hawkins a lively, merry, inspiring sweetheart, a […]

LEWISTON – The Auburn Community Band, under the direction of Milt Simon, will present its 27th annual holiday concert Wednesday, Dec. 17, at the Olin Arts Center, Bates College.The free, 75-minute performance will begin at 7 p.m.The 48-member band is made up of volunteer musicians, ranging in age from 15 to 83, from 16 central […]

LEWISTON – Christine Letcher of Leeds will be a featured soloist Thursday, Dec. 18, in a concert by St. Mary Schola, an early music ensemble of 14 singers and instrumentalists directed by Bruce Fithian.Letcher will sing an enchanting trio from Maine’s Sabbathday Lake Shaker community at the 7:30 p.m. performance at the Franco-American Heritage Center. […]

FARMINGTON – Laughter will fill the aisles of Mt. Blue High School’s auditorium when the Mt. Blue Curtain Raisers Improv Troupe returns to the stage Friday, Dec. 19.The group will stage its new show, “Small Parts Included,” at 7:30 p.m.The Mt. Blue Curtain Raisers perform a combination of improv games in the vein of “Whose […]