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By Diana Bowley, Of the NEWS Staff - GREENVILLE — The return of shaggy-looking moose from the deep forests to their haunts in clearcuts, lakes and bogs is celebrated annually in the Moosehead Lake region as a harbinger of spring. From May to June of each year, the Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce greets the start of the spring tourist season with MooseMainea, an event that focuses on the four-legged animal. This year was no different and Saturday's MooseMainea finale was as successful as previous events. "We're really happy how it turned out today," Sara Holman, executive director of the Chamber, said Saturday, as she watched children jump in a bounce house and their parents browse the many displays selling everything from moose pellet paper to old photographs of Maine communities. Chamber officials originally organized the event to entice visitors to come and stay in the region at a rather "untraditional" vacation time — a time of mud, black flies and rain. The event has become popular and now draws people from throughout the state, New England, and Canada, which helps local businesses survive at this lean time of year. Looking skyward at the sun Saturday, Holman said the finale couldn't have been any better. Most of the 25 crafters, who were selling their wares, were happy with the attendance. Beverly Walker, who coordinates the five craft fairs in the region each year, said fliers with registration forms are mailed out in the spring to Maine crafters. "Local crafters get a chance to show their wares even if they don't have shops," she said. Many of the crafters stay overnight in the region for the event which also helps the economy, she noted. George Mattel and Todd Mattel, father and son from Unity, were on a "maiden voyage" to sell their moose pellet converted paper that displayed a drawing of a moose by a Maine artist. Mattel is the distributor for a thin parchmentlike paper made from moose droppings. He said the process to covert the moose droppings into paper was invented in Sweden where the paper is manufactured. The end product is environment friendly since no trees are cut, he explained. Mattel said artists like the texture of the paper, which is off-white in color and has little odor. For Walter Lougee of Milo, who began selling American-made flags about four years ago, the event is a chance to show his colors. "This is my hobby," he said. He said ever since he was a child, he was fascinated by flags. He operates his business, World of Flags USA, in Milo. Horace P. Landry, 82, who summers in Pittsfield and winters in Florida, was marketing his most recent Maine mystery, "Death on the Rocks" Saturday. A native of Dexter, Laundry was the first editor of the former Moosehead Gazette, now called the Moosehead Messenger. Laundry said he enjoys returning to the scenic Moosehead Lake region for MooseMainea. And it is that scenic beauty chamber official Holman hopes will continue to draw visitors to the region on a four-season basis. "We encourage people to come, stay and spend the night and see the beautiful area and have fun doing it," she said. |