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Down East February 2011

February 2011

The table of contents from the February 2011 issue of Down East.

Features

Where’s the Fire?

Handicapped skiers end up the big winners when firefighters compete in one of Maine’s most hilarious winter contests.

  • By: Joshua F. Moore
  • Photography by: Herb Swanson
 

The World is Watching

This month, 120 million people are tuning their TVs to the Biathlon World Cup in Aroostook County.

  • By: Virginia Wright
  • Photography by: Dennis Welsh
 

Along the Sandy

A quiet river valley serves as the gateway to Saddleback and the Rangeley region. Most travelers pass through without stopping, but the historic villages along the Sandy River have their own unique stories worth hearing.

  • By: Michael Burke
  • Photography by: Dean Abramson
 

Chess on Ice

If you don’t think curling is a “real sport,” you should meet the die-hard skips and sweepers at Maine’s one and only Belfast Curling Club.

  • Photography by: Amy Wilton
 

Love at the ‘Loaf

You never know when — or where — you’ll meet your future spouse.

 

Wild Winter

A new book describes how Maine’s flora and fauna adapt to our changing seasons. Here’s the story of how three creatures — barred owls, red foxes, and snowshoe hares — weather the month of February.

 

Puppy Power

Skijoring is a thrill for skiers and spectators alike.

  • By: Joshua F. Moore
  • Photography by: Alan Lavallee
 

A Foodie’s Guide to Snow Country

These fifteen dishes will send you outdoors with a full belly and a big smile.

  • By: Kathleen Fleury
 

Departments

Where in Maine?

Can you identify this waterfront village?

 

Briefly Noted

Ashville native Glenna Johnson Smith shares a lifetime’s worth of poignant reflection in Old Maine Woman (Islandport Press, Yarmouth; paperback; 162 pages; $16.95). After graduating from the University of Maine in 1941, Smith moved to a potato farm in Easton, a small town in Aroostook County. These autobiographical essays provide a glimpse into rural Maine life, but their themes, from a son’s time in Vietnam to divorce, are universal.

 

Letters to the Editor

Read what our readers have to say about Maine.

 

Mud Wrestling

Why was Maine’s 2010 campaign the ugliest in living memory?

  • By: Colin Woodard
 

Frozen Firepower

A deep freeze captured this subchaser in Camden in 1918.

  • By: Joshua F. Moore
 

Old World Comfort

A Bethel B-and-B offers down-to-earth Italian food in a cozy setting.

  • By: Virginia Wright
 

Island Life and Luck

A young-adult novel portrays coming of age in Maine.

 

Editor’s Note

It always used to puzzle me that Ernest Hemingway was a cat person.

  • By: Paul Doiron
 

Spas for Every Season

Just being in Maine can be relaxing and rejuvenating. But here are twelve spas, one for each month, where you’re sure to find serenity no matter the season.

  • By: Kathleen Fleury
 

North by East

One Hampden woman has a voice heard around the world, the Wiscasset bypass, and more.

 

Cabin Noises

The sounds inside a house reflect the winter outside.

 

Maine Melodies

You always hear that Maine is a haven for artists, but one new album says it loud and clear. The Amazing Music of Mainers (mainevillepublishing.com; $19.99) is an aptly named compilation of hits from Maine-based musicians produced by Con Fullam of Port City Productions and Maineville Publishing.

  • Photography by: Jennifer Baum
 

Pies with a Purpose

Photograph by Ted Axelrod