LINCOLNVILLE — In past few weeks, residents and regular passersby saw first stakes and then ground fill appear on the property that was the former mill just west of the entrance to Breezemere Park and the town’s public boat launch at the north end of Norton Pond. Days later, a new and very large Honor Roll left Cecil Dennison’s workshop, was delivered to the spot on Route 52 and hefted up and into the cement footings that had been freshly poured that morning. Next, it was time to bring the old, weather-worn temporary Honor Roll to the site and give it a proper installation as well.

Earlier this spring, Diane O’Brien wrote in her weekly column that on March 4 “A crew of eight — Sandy Delano, Cecil Dennison, Rosey Gerry, Ralph Jones, Dwight Patten, Ima Thomas, Tom Thomas and Jody Williams — (some with strong young backs, others, not so much!) drove up with a trailer, and in 20 minutes, dislodged the 60-year-old wooden monument, loaded it up and took it away. But don't worry, it's in good hands and will be back, better than ever.”

According to Delano, the original Honor Roll was removed from Tom Sadowski’s front yard, private property upon which the monument had sat for decades.

According to O’Brien, the original Honor Roll was built soon after the war ended, by George Hardy, on his front porch at 236 Camden Road on the corner of Fernalds Neck Road.

“Ken [Hardy], who was about 13 that year, remembers his father working on the structure out on the front porch. 112 names were painted on small strips of wood, which were then mounted on the memorial. Ken says his father drew the names with pencil, free hand, then, along with Ken and his mother, painted them black. He remembers trying hard to stay within the lines. His father painted the wooden flags,” wrote O’Brien in her This Week in Lincolnville: Disappearing Honor Roll column published March 7.

She continued, “Ken thinks George drew the design for the Honor Roll himself; there was no plan that he ever saw. Most likely, he says, several of the men in town came up with the idea, perhaps sitting around Cranston Dean and Bert Eugley's garage, even as they did in my day. Perhaps several of them chipped in for the materials. It took him only a couple of weeks to build it, during lulls between snowstorms. Ken guesses that his father would be surprised at how long his wooden handiwork would survive.

“Now the familiar memorial, painted white with red, white and blue furled flags flanking the names of Lincolnville's World War II veterans, has seen better days. A close look reveals the peeling paint, and the nearly illegible and faded gold letters of the three men — Aubrey Connors, Maynard Thurlow, and Samuel Ripley — who didn't come back. What wasn't visible from the road were several steel fence posts propping it upright, and the rotten sill boards. The time had come to either restore it or let it crumble,” she wrote.

Letting it crumble was not what veterans and residents of Lincolnville wanted. So in the summer of 2015 they created a committee, began appointing members, started with a small budget, and began taking donations of cash and materials and any offer of free labor that came their way.

With a starting fund of $2,000, money that was raised by the late John Pottle and kept in an account for the past 20 or so years for the express purpose of maintaining the Memorial — work on the wooden structure itself was done by Dennison, with Walt Simmons doing the painting and lettering.

“Eventually, the committee will get to work on deciding whose name from the temporary Honor Roll will be included on the new Honor Roll,” said Gerry, chairman of the Lincolnville Veteran’s Memorial Committee.

It’s likely that discussion will be contentious, as there will be some in the community who feel anyone who served at any time while living in Lincolnville should be able to have their name included on the Honor Roll, and others who feel that only hometown Lincolnville veterans should be named. But Gerry and the others vowed their committee will work to find a solution that everyone can agree with, after some give and take by all with a vested interest.

In addition to Gerry, who is the select board’s liaison on the committee, and Dennison, who represents the town’s Cemetery Committee, the Veteran’s Memorial Committee includes Cynthia Dunham-library representative, Gary Neville-Boat Club representative, Everett Fizer, Sandy Delano-Legion representative, Will Brown, Sandy Lyle-Lakes and Pond Committee and Jay Foster-a veteran. Others on the committee but not yet appointed by the town, according to Gerry, are Lesley Devoe of the Parks and Recreation Committee, Diane O’Brien of the Historical Society, Mark Thurlow of the Snowmobile Club, Barbara Biscone-landscape design representative, architect Matt Silverio and Richard Glock of the Conservation Commission.

Lincolnville’s Memorial Day Parade begins at 1:30 p.m. this year. It departs from Lincolnville Central School (gather in the Lincolnville Central School parking lot by 1 p.m. to be included in the line-up) and marches to the community library and the new Honor Roll just beyond the library for the ceremony.

At 2 p.m. there is a parade (gather in the Lincolnville Beach parking lot at 1:45 p.m.) to Frohock Bridge for the service to honor veterans lost at sea with a color guard, a prayer, taps and a ceremonial wreath placement.

In lieu of rain, arrangements have been made to have a memorial service to be held inside the Lincolnville Central School at 1:30 p.m. with the Camden Hills Regional High School and Lincolnville bands.

Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com and 207-706-6655.