August 1997

The table of contents from the August 1997 issue of Down East.

Features

North by East

Opinions and advisories on a new kind of seashell, Portland’s plucky street guides, and the war on purple loosestrife.

Amazing Grace

So much good fortune has come to Belfast in recent years that now some observers are wondering if success will spoil the  little midcoast city. By Jeff Clark.

At Home in the Maine Woods

On a small island in Mooselookmeguntic Lake, Larry Hall and Heidi Sorensen have built a house, a family, and even a successful accounting business. By Ken Textor.

Grand Illusion

Just off the coast, the rugged island of Grand Manan is a special favorite among Mainers and Maine-lovers — even though  it belongs to Canada. By Andrew Vietze.

Catching the Wind

A selection of spellbinding Wyeth paintings at the Portland Museum of Art honors the master on his eightieth birthday.

No Day at the Beach

For the championship team of lifeguards at Ogunquit Beach, patrolling the Atlantic shore is no mere bay watch. By Powell Boyer.

Norlands Reborn

Even the seven famous Washburn brothers would have to agree that their recently restored 1867 Livermore estate has never looked better. By Winnie White.

Where in Maine?

This harbor is so quiet and picturesque it doesn’t seem possible it could be just off one of the busiest stretches of Route 1. Can you name it?

Our Secret Raspberry Patch

Berry picking is a rite of midsummer for some families, a delicious — and poignant — tradition for young and old. By Richard Grant.

Kennebunk’s Consummate Hostess

The lady who runs one of the most exclusive B&B’s in the state insists on catering to her guests with honest Maine hospitality. By Frank Andrews.

The Brownville Hot Shots

Maine’s top team of forest-fire fighters is made up mostly of teenagers, and they’re so good they’re frequently summoned to battle blazes out West. By Andrew Vietze.

Good-bye to Good Maine Cooking

“Where have all the flavors gone?” asks outspoken food writer John Thorne. The answer isn’t pretty. By Sarah Goodyear.

Miraculous Escape

A rare 1911 photograph from Portland shows the sort of derring-do the Great Houdini performed to win headlines — and paying audiences. By Ellen MacDonald Ward.

Departments

Room With A View

When I was a kid, summer gave me the chance to ascend to unscaled heights of dreamland. Suddenly I was no longer reading about campfires — I was sitting beside one. By Caskie Stinnett.

The TaIk of Upcountry Maine

Two Maines

The Maine Viewpoint

To Widen or Not

Inside Maine

Somesville Surprise

Dining Down East

The Newcastle Inn, Damariscotta

Down East Bookshelf

Boone Island, by Kenneth Roberts

Along the Waterfront

Cape Porpoise Pondboats

I Remember

The Bakemaster

Cover: The Captain Charles H. Wording House, one of many fine old homes that line the streets of Belfast, by Brian Vanden Brink. Built in 1852, this sophisticated example of American Greek Revival domestic architecture remained in one family for more than a century.