Three Local Veterans

In honor of Veterans Day, consulting editor Henry Garfield, sat down with three area veterans to find out what Veterans Day means to them. We'd like to introduce them and share some of their answers.
Photos by Shane Leonard

Charles McClead, Dedham

Do you think America is more or less patriotic today than it was during the time you served?

I think America today at least knows the truth of what's going on a little better. We're no longer blaming the military for things that go wrong. We know that the military is under command of the president and Congress. The right way to look at it is if you don't like it, your elected officials are the ones that are running it.

Was it hard to be back into the routine of everyday life when you returned home?

I came back with a bit of post traumatic stress disorder. I had a lot of anger because of the way the people who fought in Vietnam were treated when we got back. The news media made us look like we were baby-killers, bombing school buses, even though we were doing what we were assigned to do. It was ugly.


Russell Treadwell, Carmel

What does Veterans Day mean to you?

To me it is a day to show my respect and gratitude for all the sacrifices that veterans have made for our country.

What, in your opinion, are the best ways we can honor our veterans?

Don't be critical of them for doing what the civilian leadership directs them to do. Show your support in the community when you interact with members of the military.


Doug Kell, Ellsworth

Why did you join the military?

I was too young to go into the Second World War, and I felt like I hadn't done my duty. The Korean War came along, and I had a chance to be a man.

What would you like the average citizen to know about your military service?

I've reached a point in my life when I think that war is futile. We needed it 100 years ago, but it's no longer necessary. WE can be patriotic without going to war.

Hiking the Asticou Trail

By Melanie Brooks
Photos by Brian Brooks

On Sunday, Sidekick Shane and I headed down to MDI to meet up with my parents, Brian and Mary Ellen, for a fabulous fall hike. We headed onto the Park Loop Road and over to The Jordan Pond House to find the Asticou Trail. None of us had hiked it before, but my mom had found it in a book and wanted to try it.

Get your hike on...

By Melanie Brooks

It's been a busy few days...so busy in fact that I didn't get a chance to post the weekly What's Happening list of weekend events. Shame on me! Thursday I left work early to head down to Portland to have dinner with a friend who just had her second child. I was up bright and early on Friday and spent the day spreading the news about Real Maine Weddings to vendors in the Kennebunk and Kennebunkport area. I spent the day in Kittery on Saturday and on Sunday, Sidekick Shane and I headed to MDI to do a little hiking.

The Way We Work: Nicole Ouellette

By: Melanie Brooks

Each month in Maine Ahead magazine we feature a working Mainer. Nicole Ouellette, owner of Breaking Even Communications in Bar Harbor, is our featured Mainer for our August issue. Space constraints kept us from publishing all of her fabulous answers, so I'm going to publish them here. If you're interested in learning more about social media networking from a smart, young whippersnapper...read on. For more on social media networking, pick up a copy of our August issue.

A Sunset Sail on the Margaret Todd

By Melanie Brooks

When Sidekick Shane finished his master's thesis at UMaine this spring I bought him a present -- a sunset sail for two on the schooner Margaret Todd that sails out of Bar Harbor. I have to admit, I really wanted to take this trip. I've spent a lot of time in Bar Harbor and have longed to sail on this majestic ship -- taking Shane gave me a reason to finally do it.

Asticou Azalea Garden

By Melanie Brooks

If you're looking for a place with a little zen and a lot of photo opportunity, head to Northeast Harbor on MDI. There you'll find the Asticou Azalea Garden and nearby Thuya Garden.

I was down camping in Bar Harbor with my family over Memorial Day Weekend and we decided to take a picnic lunch. We picked up some sandwiches in town and headed over to Northeast Harbor and the Azalea Garden. Unfortunately we had to eat our lunch outside of the garden as no picnicking is allowed on the premises. And after one step through the gates tells you why: it's completely pristine.

Local Learning

By Melanie Brooks

On Wednesday night I attended a Hands On Technology Class given by Downeast Learning Workshops. Nicole Ouellette from Breaking Even Communications and Matthew Baya from Svaha LLC make up the dynamic duo that is Downeast Learning Workshops. These two local consultants gave a great presentation on Search Engine Optimization.

Hiking Around Bar Harbor

By: Melanie Brooks

Yesterday was gorgeous, so Sidekick Shane and I decided to head to Acadia National Park to spend the day in the wilderness before the tourists landed on the island for Memorial Day weekend. First stop: the Schooner Head Overlook. When the tide is out you can hike down into a cave and see some of the best tide pools in the area.

The Blue Hill Fair

By Melanie Brooks

The Blue Hill Fair is an end-of-summer rite of passage for many in the midcoast area. Since I hadn't been to this particular fair since junior high (I'm not even going to tell you how long ago that was) and it was a beautiful weekend, I convinced my parents to take a ride with me and my camera to Blue Hill. We had the pleasure of taking my 2-year-old niece, Ayda, along for the ride.

Ayda loves to look at animals but refuses to touch them. No big deal. We saw a lot of beautiful cows, friendly goats, and cute little pigs. I particularly liked the alpaca tent. These animals intrigue me with their odd shape and silky soft hair. I love their big, soft eyes.


The cows at the Blue Hill Fair were some of the cleanest and prettiest I've seen in years. These two little cows were happy to chomp away while posing for pictures.


Note: Wearing flip flops to an agricultural fair is never a good idea. I learned an important lesson. In Ayda's words, "Ewwwwwwww! Poopy on your foot!"

After we had our fill of animals we headed to the eats and rides part of the fair. We all shared a delicious bloomin' onion and begrudgingly shelled out $8.00 for two kiddie fair rides for Ayda. It's hard to say no to an adorable child but $8.00 was a lot to pay for a few minutes of fun on two merry-go-rounds. Luckily when you ask Ayda what her favorite part of the fair was she says "the ride with the little cars."

We strategically avoided the booth with Dora the Explorer balloons and headed back to take one more look at the farm animals before heading back home to Orono. Check out more photos of the fair on our Facebook page.

Summer in Stonington

By Melanie Brooks

This summer my family rented an old farmhouse in Stonington. The location is ideal -- right across the street from a rather private beach -- and close enough to town to make for a nice walk. The house has no television or Internet access. In fact, my cell phone didn't even work which provided a glint of stress at first but was kind of nice as the days wore on.

Today my father and brother-in-law went kayaking while my sister and I took naps on the beach. My mom used my watercolor pencils to capture the lupines that grow in the front yard while my 2-year-old niece took a much needed nap. We explored the island on foot and by car and ended up at Nervous Nellie's Jams and Jellies. If you're ever on Deer Isle you HAVE to stop in.

Here are some photos I took over the weekend: