Simply the Best
You deserve kudos for your January issue, the "Best of Maine," as its sincerity and honesty indeed captured what I consider to be the spirit of Maine. The issue may be the "best" Down East magazine ever.
The interesting juxtaposition of Harold Alfond's philanthropy ("Best School Spirit") to that of the people of Stockton Springs and their support of their library (North by East, "Bottles and Books") hark back to that of the parishioners of Lewiston and their beloved Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
While I'm not a native Mainer, I've spent a few summer vacations on Long Lake in Harrison, as well as Moosehead Lake and Greenville. Side trips included Oxford Plains Speedway, and your "Personal Best" article had me cracking up as it perfectly captured the atmosphere of both the track and the drivers' attitudes. And when visiting the Black Frog restaurant ("Best Menu") in Greenville last October, our friend teased the waitress, claiming he couldn't pay the bill. She calmly replied, "Well, see you naked at the dock." He'd met his match and quickly ponied up with the cash. Finally Acadia National Park ("Best Must-visit Location"), blueberries ("Best Place to Be Blue"), General Chamberlain ("Best Dead Mainer"), and the pearl of the oyster, the diaries of Ralph Richards ("Best Diary")! Please keep up the good work.


It was with a real sense of memories that I read the first paragraph of Scott Sutherland's "Personal Best" essay in your January issue about entering the world of Marden's. When we needed wall-to-wall carpet for our yoga studio, we found a plush green one that no one else wanted and matched the green of the oh-so-abundant-nature in Aroostook. When we needed to upgrade our mattresses in our small bed-and-breakfast-type yoga retreat, it was to Marden's we went and progressively upgraded with fabulously priced and comfortable mattresses. When we were upgrading my mother's beloved sixty-year-old camp that she left us in her will, we thought wood flooring to replace the linoleum on the second floor was too expensive, but found it at - yep, Mardens! The way that paragraph was written about clearing the mind and relaxing, I almost thought I was in a yoga class. Relax and allow!


After reading the January issue of Down East, I feel compelled to write to say "good work." Since the time this magazine helped us reach a decision to settle in Maine in 1972 we have been garnering information from articles to learn of new places to hike, paddle, cross-country ski, backpack, picnic, dine, shop, camp, and explore. I find the writing on the "Best of Maine" articles to be among the best of your issues, and the quality has been improving markedly in recent years.

Star Sobriety
I just received my January issue of Down East and was pleased to read the mention about Stephen King's recovery from alcoholism in the "What's in a Picture?" piece. I thank King for his openness about his alcoholism and recovery, and appreciated the magazine's reflections about his and Drew Barrymore's successful sobriety. It is so important that people with addictive illnesses speak publicly when they recover, since it demonstrates that this disease can affect any one of us but also that recovery restores lives.

Where in Maine?
Your January mystery photograph is Mark Island in Winter Harbor. My family and I take frequent trips over to the scenic Schoodic Peninsula and always stop to take in this beautiful view towards Cadillac Mountain. Most times there are lobstermen working between us and the island, making the scenery even more spectacular. We then continue on to the point where we get out and rock hop for a time and then finish off our adventure with a fluffy fish burger at Chase's in Winter Harbor. It's the best haddock sandwich found in Maine! We always wonder what it would be like to live on that island.