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Down East January 2012

January 2012

The table of contents from the January 2012 issue of Down East.

Features

The New Bootleggers

Distilling liquor is a hot hobby for these Mainers, and not just because it’s trendy – it’s also illegal.

By Al Diamon

The Last Word

Do you want to find a job in Maine? Here’s a handy guide to help you on your way.

By Will Bleakley

My Island Office

When Kate Shaffer arrived on Isle au Haut, she expected an offbeat existence. But she never imagined that her success would come in the form of chocolate.

Big Farm Small Farm

Raising crops has always been a difficult way to make a living, but twenty-first century Maine farmers are facing challenges their forebears never could have predicted.

By Michaela Cavallaro

Photography byJennifer Smith-Mayo

Composing A Dream House

When some of Maine’s best design talents converge on a Portland home, creativity flows, sparks fly, and classical music lovers benefit.

By Sara Donnelly

Maine’s Dirtiest Jobs

Inspired by the Discovery Channel’s program Dirty Jobs, intrepid writer Elizabeth Peavey tagged along with five Mainers, all of whom have decidedly gritty occupations.

By Elizabeth Peavey

Photography by Melonie Bennett

Departments

In the Raw

Chef extraordinaire Masa Miyake serves haute and homey Japanese cuisine at his two Portland restaurants.

By Kathy Gunst

Making Maine Home

A new collaborative book chronicles the experience of the thousands of Somali refugees who moved to Lewiston and Portland over the last decade.

By Agnes Bushell

Where in Maine?

Smelt fishing isn’t really about the fishing. No one is going to mount a six-inch smelt. It’s an excuse to get out of the house, drink with friends, and spend time away from the couch on days like this when the air is crisp and the sun glows on the bare patches of ice. Located just up from the Brooklyn Bridge (a bit smaller than its New York counterpart) on a tidal river in a midcoast town, these famous camps are available for rent at fifteen dollars a person. All twenty-four well-made huts come complete with bait, lines, and woodstove.

Photography by Alan Lavallee

Letters to the Editor

Read what our readers have to say about Maine.

Where The Jobs Are

Finding a job in Maine in the coming years may be a matter of picking the right industry.

By Sara Donnelly

Local Loot

Photograph by Foreside Photography/Kevin Fahrman

Six Rooms, Ocean View

Trolling real estate listings is a habit one part-time Mainer can’t kick.

Photography by Jennifer Baum

Editor’s Note

Like many young Mainers, I left the state to go to college, not sure if I would ever return. I wanted to explore the world, but I also worried that my career choices would be limited if I stayed. Even after I had returned to Maine for good, I continued to fret that I was giving up financial opportunities for the privilege of living in a naturally beautiful state populated by fantastic people — and that some day I would regret my choice.

By Paul Doiron

North by East

A Falmouth clinic offers a folksy solution to the healthcare crisis, meet the future editor of Down East, age eleven, plus more.