Fall means football A preview of the 2010-2011 NFL season By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com So the simmering summer is winding to a close. The nights are cooling down, the students are heading back to school and the leaves are on the verge of changing. And yes, the NFL is making its triumphant return to gridirons all over the country. Read more... The adventure continues Jumping and Rafting with Edge Adventure Gurus By Katy England edge staff writer kengland@themaineedge.com MILLINOCKET/THE FORKS - Maine is built for fun. Our backyard is the best backyard, hands down. There is always something to do, and unlike certain states where the season never changes, we have a love for our fleeting summer months that those folks from warmer climes who never hefted a snow shovel will never feel. We're lucky because less than two hours from Bangor you can enjoy some of the most adventurous activities that the state has to offer. I'm talking about white water rafting and sky diving. Read more... First responders in training Brewer Public Safety kicks off first Youth Academy By Katy England edge staff writer kengland@themaineedge.com BREWER - For 10 days, 19 young people, ages 12 to 14, had a unique chance to see what it was like to be a first responder. Officer Steve Boyd of the Brewer Police Department organized the first Brewer Youth Academy, where the kids were able to experience - much of it first hand - what it takes to be a police officer, fire fighter and emergency responder. Read more... The world comes to Bangor City set to host Senior League World Series for ninth time By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com BANGOR - Major League Baseball has been playing their World Series since 1903. However, that name has always been a misnomer, because the Series is played between American (and occasionally Canadian) teams. Read more... Putting Bangor on the (concert) map Perseverance helps bring top-notch acts to Maine By Michael Fern edge staff writer mfern@themaineedge.com BANGOR - With less than 24 hours left before their inaugural concert of the Hollywood Slots Waterfront Concert Series, promoters Alex Gray and Robbie Snow tended to the final details last Tuesday that could only arise the day before a major act would be rolling into town. The next morning, trucks carrying equipment for Celtic Woman would arrive, and the ensemble of fiddler Mairead Nesbitt and singers Lynn Hilary, Lisa Kelly and Chloe Agnew would pull in thereafter and take the stage to begin a series of concerts that will include four major performers in the months to come. Read more... Creating KahBang! The KahGang: (From left) Tim Lo, Dustin Levine, Pat Shaw, Matt Cassidy, Josh Whinery, Chris Michaud, Justin Bradbury and Josh Gass Core group is the engine driving festival forward By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com BANGOR - I'm sitting at a table watching a handful of Bangor's best and brightest hammer out the details for one of the biggest homegrown events this town has seen in years. It's a dynamic group in front of me, to be sure. KahBang is coming, from August 6th through the 14th, and the people in this room are the reason why. Read more... Survival You've got all your life to live, you've got all your love to give By Katy England edge staff writer kengland@themaineedge.com edge photos by Abbey Wardwell Humans have always had an interesting relationship with nature: respect and fear; beauty and terror. Part of what makes nature so awe-inspiring isn't just its sublime beauty - it's knowing that it is very dangerous. Read more... Get lost with style By Katy England edge staff writer kengland@themaineedge.com Sometimes it seems like the tourists always get the best of what our state has to offer. Don't get me wrong, I love the tourism industry and I respect what it does for our state. But when I'm waiting to take a left onto 1A into a crush of summer traffic, it's hard to be rational. Read more... Living it up with lawn games A few summertime favorites to enjoy in your very own backyard By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com The summer is officially in full swing, with the Fourth of July in our rearview mirror and a solid eight weeks before Labor Day. 50-plus days of fun in the sun ahead. Good times. However, there's only so much lounging one can do. There are only so many places to go for a swim. And sometimes, you're looking for something fun that doesn't involve taking a trip to the coast or to your favorite dipping spot. Read more... Taking the Edge Golf Challenge Playing three kinds of golf in a single day By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com Summertime is in full swing, and that means that the multitudes are hitting the links. There are few outdoor activities that span the generations like golf. Men, women, young and old - there's something for everyone on the golf course. Read more... Nateva Music & Camping Festival Furthur, The Flaming Lips and more! By Katy England edge staff writer kengland@themaineedge.com OXFORD - For those of us who live in Maine year-round, we know that the music scene this far north can be spotty. Bands will go to New York or Boston and stop. Music enthusiasts know what it's like to have to haul around for a good time. For the Nateva Music and Camping Festival, the driving time is shorter, but the names are bigger than ever. For the first time, people in Bangor have the same driving time as fans coming from Boston. Of course, if you live in Portland you only have a 45-minute jaunt. Read more... Coming together with Bangor Arts By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com BANGOR - As someone who has a deep and abiding affinity for the arts, I consider myself lucky to live in a place with such a rich and vibrant cultural scene. Bangor has a lot to offer in the way of arts and culture, with a multitude of organizations aimed at broadening and enriching the horizons of its citizens. Read more... The silver screen in summertime A preview of some of my most anticipated summer films By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com The time has come. The time of major movie stars, CGI-laden family fare, comedies (both buddy and romantic) and explosion-riddled action extravaganzas. Summer is here. Yes, yes. I know the summer blockbuster season "officially" kicks off around Memorial Day weekend, but we're now arriving at the true start of summer, when school is out and the big movies really start making the scene. Read more... West Market Festival Third year brings change By Katy England edge staff writer kengland@themaineedge.com BANGOR - Music, fashion and art will once again be featured at the West Market Festival in downtown Bangor on June 5th from 12 noon until 8 p.m. Rustic Overtones is returning to Bangor for the festival and features a fantastic array of musical and artistic talent that promises to make this a great kickoff to summer. Though the festival is returning, it's undergone some changes. BangPOP! has been given the reins to West Market Production's Festival. Read more... Flame on! It's barbecue season By Katy England edge staff writer kengland@themaineedge.com Maine is not known for its early springs, but we'll certainly take what we can get. As the temperature rises, folk everywhere are starting to play with fire and light up their grills. Because, baby, it's barbecue time! Read more... Homebrew that you do so well "Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew." - Charlie Papazian, The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Katy England edge staff writer kengland@themaineedge.com Without a doubt, there is little in this world that makes me happier than a good beer. Maine has a wealth of micro-brews or craft beers which put out a fine variety of wonderful beers. But there's a subset of artisans that know that the very best beer is the beer you make yourself - homebrew. Read more... Chuck Palahniuk tells all Photo care of Shawn Grant Thoughts on his newest book, the nature of celebrity and the power of names By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com There are few fiction authors dotting the literary landscape who bear the same combination of cultural cachet and social relevance that Chuck Palahniuk brings to the table. His eleventh novel, "Tell-All," hit shelves this Tuesday, bringing the powerful absurdity and cultural criticisms that have marked previous works such as "Fight Club," "Survivor" and "Choke," among many others. Read more... The sinister side of celebrity Chuck Palahniuk's newest explores the dark shadow cast by fame By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com I'll freely admit that I'm a big fan of Chuck Palahniuk. Huge. Everyone has authors that just click for them, and Mr. Palahniuk is one of mine. His body of work is vast and varied, and every book from his unbelievable debut with "Fight Club" on offers a chance for the reader to see something he or she has never seen before. Read more... The Man, The Myth, The Legend... The best of Todd Parker By Todd Parker edge staff legend askparker@themaineedge.com What's up, losers? As some of you may have heard, I recently ended some protracted and fairly ugly contract renegotiations with the folks here at The Maine Edge. As part of their lucrative, yet still not quite Parker-worthy settlement, we've agreed that the time is long overdue for a retrospective of some of my finest work. Read more... Some slightly belated NBA playoff predictions By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com After the 82 games of the regular season, the NBA playoffs are upon us. The top eight teams from each conference are preparing to battle their way through the next two months in an effort to crown the 2009-10 champion. All of the series are underway, but considering that the playoffs will extend into June, missing out on a game or two doesn't seem like a particularly big deal. Read more... Breakfast The most awesome meal of the day By Katy England edge staff writer kengland@themaineedge.com Despite the oft-touted phrase "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," many people treat it like the red-headed stepchild of our three squares. I'm no exception. I'm lucky if I get out of the house with a cup of coffee and a granola bar for later. Cold cereal has become the staple of most people, adult and children alike. And while I can't deny that a bowl of frosted wheat squares has its appeal – and even its place – it certainly doesn't inspire one to wake up at 4 a.m. and face the live-long day. Read more... Another shot at MLB prognostication glory Predicting baseball's regular season By Allen Adams edge staff writer aadams@themaineedge.com If there's one thing that writing these sorts of prediction pieces is that somehow, despite what I would consider a fairly significant sporting knowledge base, I manage to perform fairly poorly. I have to figure, though, that even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while. Maybe the 2010 season is my nut. Read more... The Zombie apocalypse hits Bangor Witness: 'It's so gross.' By Katy England edge staff zombie kengland@themaineedge.com BANGOR – The H1N1 virus has mutated and infected a growing number of people in the greater Bangor area, causing them to exhibit the signs of walking death. Symptoms include shambling, moaning, an intense desire for brains and eating the skin of your former friends and colleagues. The symptoms have been described as "super gross" and "icky" by area experts. Read more...