LePage to help dedicate Aroostook County trail to fallen Marine | Bangor Daily News

[I missed this story earlier in the week. Every kid I grew up with and I used to climb this trail every year or so. It won’t bring the young man back to his family, but they now have a place to honor his life and his duty to this country. – KM]

AUGUSTA, Maine — On Friday, Gov. Paul LePage will help dedicate a summit trail on Haystack Mountain in Castle Hill in honor of a Presque Isle native who was killed in Iraq five years ago.

The Dustin J. Libby Trail will be dedicated at 8:30 a.m. in memory of Marine Cpl. Libby of Castle Hill, who was 22 when he was killed in action on Dec. 6, 2006, while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned as a squad leader to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, based at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Libby was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq at the time of his death. He had served in the country previously in 2004. Between his two Iraq tours, he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

The trail was renamed through legislation sponsored by state Rep. Alexander Willette, R-Mapleton, and passed by the Legislature last March.

Click for the rest of the story in the Bangor Daily News.

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Mount Katahdin in the sky

Mount Katahdin can be seen in the distance. The photo was taken from Maine Route 163 near Haystack Mountain on the road between Ashland and Presque Isle, Maine. (According to Google Maps, the road is also known as the Presque Isle Road, Haystack Road, Main Street as it goes though Mapleton, Maine, and then the Mapleton Road as it nears Presque Isle.) Kelly McInnis, a classmate of mine from Ashland Community High School Class of (mumble, mumble), took the photo. It must have been an incredibly beautiful day when this photo was taken since Mount Katahdin, the tallest mountain in Maine and the official end of the Appalachian Trail, is more than 100 miles away as the crow flies. Photo by Kelly McInnis

[I found this story after I originally posted the photo.Frankly, I think these guys were nuts for going up Katahdin in those conditions. Crazy! There is video with the story, but the way. — KM]

Taking on Mount Katahdin in the winter | Bangor Daily News

Former Aroostook County resident returns to perform hit play inspired by life in northern Maine | Bangor Daily News

Former Aroostook County resident returns to perform hit play inspired by life in northern Maine | Bangor Daily News

Aroostook County keeps biathlon buzz alive: Organizers of World Cup tour event in Presque Isle, Fort Kent seek status as Olympic Training Center | Maine Sunday Telegram

Aroostook County keeps biathlon buzz alive: Organizers of World Cup tour event in Presque Isle, Fort Kent seek status as Olympic Training Center | Maine Sunday Telegram

 

Biathlon World Cup at Nordic Heritage Center

Added snow makes conditions tougher in Biathlon World Cup | Maine Sunday Telegram

Germany cruises in mixed relay at Cup biathlon; US team finishes 7^th | Bangor Daily News

Biathlon World Cup in Presque Isle

Sweden’s Ekholm, Germany’s Peiffer claim biathlon sprint races | Bangor Daily News

Students volunteer medical assistance at biathlon | Bangor Daily News

Biathlon World Cup opening day becomes a team effort: Late replacement on U.S. team drives from New York to compete in men’s 10K sprint | Portland Press Herald

Aroostook State Park endures dip in attendance | Bangor Daily News

Aroostook State Park endures dip in attendance | Bangor Daily News.

Aroostook County native boosts education for NMCC wind power students | Bangor Daily News

Aroostook County native boosts education for NMCC wind power students | Bangor Daily News.

Feds approve sale of parent company of Maine Public Service Co. | Bangor Daily News

Feds approve sale of parent company of Maine Public Service Co. | Bangor Daily News.

Northern Maine Community College students prepare for offshore wind emergencies | Bangor Daily News

Northern Maine Community College students prepare for offshore wind emergencies | Bangor Daily News.

Californian’s gift revitalizes Presque Isle library | Bangor Daily News

Californian’s gift revitalizes Presque Isle library | Bangor Daily News.

Wine tasting, silent auction to aid Aroostook County animal shelter | Bangor Daily News

Wine tasting, silent auction to aid Aroostook County animal shelter | Bangor Daily News.

Vocational students build home for longtime volunteer in Presque Isle | Bangor Daily News

Vocational students build home for longtime volunteer in Presque Isle | Bangor Daily News.

UMPI recognized for climate leadership excellence | Bangor Daily News

UMPI recognized for climate leadership excellence | Bangor Daily News.

Presque Isle fireman pleads guilty in case of warehouse arson | Bangor Daily News

Presque Isle fireman pleads guilty in case of warehouse arson | Bangor Daily News.

Presque Isle man receives France’s highest honor | Bangor Daily News

 PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — On June 20, 1944, just four days after his 19th birthday, Eugene E. Sawyer was embroiled in World War II, far away from birthday cake and a party with family and friends in Houlton.

Sawyer, a member of the U.S. Army’s 9th Infantry Division, 47th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, was in Normandy, participating in the Allied forces’ retaking of the Cotentin, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula. A machine gunner in H Company, Sawyer soon became involved in the infamous “hedgerow fighting” around St-Lo, France.

“It was the dead of night, around 3 a.m.,” the now 85-year-old Presque Isle resident recalled Sunday, sitting in his apartment surrounded by personal war memorabilia. “We couldn’t see a thing.”

Crowded into a foxhole with five other people, Sawyer said he and the other men decided to look around and find out where they were. It was, he acknowledged Monday, a big mistake.

“We were right on top of a tank,” he said. “It was so dark and the tank was camouflaged so well that we didn’t see it until it started firing. They shot us point-blank.”

Sawyer suffered shrapnel wounds in his left shoulder, an injury that led to his first medal, a Purple Heart. By the time his military career was over, he had accumulated 13 more medals.

Sawyer thought that the medal count was final — until Sunday evening.

Click for the rest of the story by Jen Lynds in the Bangor Daily News.

 

Fall in New England: Nature’s colorful mosaic

Fall in the North Woods of Maine turns the landscape into a colorful mosaic. Photo by Kelly McInnis

Thousands flock to New England this time of year to catch the changing colors at its peak. In the North Woods of Maine, the peak has already come.

Fortunately for me, a high school classmate, Kelly McInnis, shares her photography with her Facebook friends and then I often share them on “Letters From Away.”

I love the yellow leaves against the brilliant blue sky in the first photo. It’s wonderful.

This is Haystack Mountain in the fall. Photo by Kelly McInnis

The other three photos are a reminder of my youth. Haystack Mountain – not much of a climb, really – is located along the road from Ashland to Presque Isle. I lived in Portage, but went to middle and high school in Ashland. Presque Isle was the largest city in the area and the location of grocery stores, movie theaters, and other services, so we drove by Haystack Mountain a couple of times a month. And we usually climbed to the top every other year or so.

A high school teacher, Lynwood McHatten, told his students of a time when he was a teen and boys would go to the top of Haystack to set old tires on fire to give the impression that the long-dormant volcano was coming alive. It was good for a laugh.

Here's another view of Haystack Mountain along the road between Ashland and Presque Isle. Photo by Kelly McInnis

This is the view heading toward Ashland from Haystack Mountain. Haystack is a great place from which to view the fall colors. Photo by Kelly McInnis

Color of purple in Maine … and yellow and red and …

Changing of the foilage in Maine. Photo by Kelly McInnis

Changing colors of the foilage at Echo Lake in Aroostook State Park near Presque Isle, Maine. Photo by Kelly McInnis.

Here are a couple of photos shot by Kelly McInnis, who is a high school classmate of mine and an amateur photographer. I’m not sure where the top shot was taken, but the bottom one was shot at Echo Lake, which is in Aroostook State Park near Presque Isle, Maine. Click on either photo to get a slightly larger view.

Here’s a map and links for those interested in a last-minute trip to Maine for the peak of colors.

For foliage information, visit www.mainefoliage.com. For more about scenic byways and destinations mentioned here, visit www.byways.org/explore/states/ME/. For information on Maine State Parks and Public Lands, visit www.parksandlands.com.

Foilage map found on the state of Maine's foilage website.

Finding the quiet delight of Maine: Visitors from state, beyond continue to discover beauty of state parks | Maine Sunday Telegram

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – When Scott Thompson, the Aroostook State Park manager, was invited to a trade show in Boston this spring, he didn’t let an opportunity pass him by.

Thompson, the manager of Maine’s northern-most state park, looked at the convention center full of intrepid tourists and seized the chance to send them 10 hours north.

“I was told to just hand out brochures. But I just thought, ‘Here we go,’ ” said Thompson, a Presque Isle native.

The affable and amusing Thompson told as many people as he could about the beauty of Aroostook County in summertime, about the 15 miles of Nordic ski trails he grooms around the state park in winter, and about the booming winter carnival held there now, which increased in attendance from 100 to 700 in three years.

Thompson must have intrigued a few tourists because attendance at Aroostook State Park is up 30 percent this year, according to the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.

Click for the rest of the story by Deirdre Fleming in the Maine Sunday Telegram.

Interest in Presque Isle balloon festival on the rise | Bangor Daily News

Balloons at the Crown of Maine Balloon Festival held this weekend. Photo by Kelly McInnis

Here are photos and links to a Bangor Daily News story on the Crown of Maine Balloon Festival.

It was held this weekend, so plan for next year. While I would NEVER get into a balloon – I covered too many balloon mishaps in 23 years as a journalist – it does look like it was great fun. And there were other activities that went along with this year’s event.

I’ve also included a link to the festival’s website for those who are really interested.

And the photos come via Kelly McInnis, a high school classmate who still lives in The County. The photos are reprinted here with her permission.

Balloons at the Crown of Maine Balloon Festival held this weekend. Photo by Kelly McInnis

A balloon at the Crown of Maine Balloon Festival held this weekend. Photo by Kelly McInnis

Balloons at the Crown of Maine Balloon Festival held this weekend. Photo by Kelly McInnis

Interest in Presque Isle balloon festival on the rise | Bangor Daily News

For information go to the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest website at http://www.crownofmaineballoonfest.org/ or call the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce at (207) 764-6561.