This Week in Lincolnville

Sun, 09/13/2026 - 5:46pm

Ed O'Brien

(Photo by Ed O’Brien)

I remember my Mom telling me that she remembers exactly where she was when Kennedy was assassinated. A historical tragedy that happened long ago, that I had learned about in school, but my Mom was there, seeing the tears in Walter Cronkite’s eyes on TV first hand.

9/11 was 25 years ago. The day that shook my generation. I was in my cubicle at the Department of Human Services on Old County Road in Rockland. I was pursuing a case file when I heard one of our clerks, probably Pat Pendleton or Diane Moody, talk about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. Eh, accidents happen all the time.

There was another plane, though, and by that time someone had brought out a little television from somewhere and the office gathered around, watching the horror unfold in real time.

My buddy Kama, then still a shiny new social worker, unlike me, with over a full year of experience with Child Protective Services, had to go out on an investigation, and I volunteered to accompany her.

The weight of what was happening had not really settled, but as we drove and listened to the radio, it became clear, things would not be the same. Kama is a marine veteran, and had been previously deployed to Somalia, so not much rattled her. After our home visit, though, we took a detour to visit her parents. By that time the governor had ordered state offices closed, as the nation tried to make sense of that terrible morning.

As cliché as it sounds, we really were one nation after 9/11.

When I was thinking about the 25th anniversary of that day, it made me think about other times when we put aside the petty, when we are at our best. The Lewiston shootings, the recent fire at Robbins Lumber, when a diagnosis devastates a local family.

The world has moved on since that morning in September of 2001. Information flows far quicker, and no one needs to find a TV to let us know what is happening in the moment. It is right there on our phones. Sometimes more information than is good for us.

It is simply a historical event to my kids, something that happened before they were thought of. They never walked Manhattan and saw those impossibly high skyscrapers, nor noticed the hole in the skyline after they came down.

They only have the vaguest notion of the wars that followed, the lives lost or forever altered in an effort to prevent such a thing from happening again. I can’t see that this worked, and we seem unable to disentangle ourselves from war. In too many ways we seem more divided as a nation than ever.

We are best when we come together, when we support one another. If only it did not take a tragedy to get us there.

Remembering Tracey Herrick

Tracey Herrick was the grandfather of my youngest son’s Lincolnville Central School classmate. I was deeply saddened to hear of his passing this summer. Tracey was a great guy, a Navy veteran, and my buddy at the basketball and football games our boys were playing in. The former head custodian of Camden Hills Regional High School, Tracey told me lots of tales about the building of the school.

His family is facing some clean-up following his passing of the property on Route 52 just north of the Center. A community clean-up event is being organized for Saturday, September 19, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To volunteer or offer equipment or financial support, reach out at bayshorebaptist1835@gmail.com.

Thank you to the Tranquillity Grange, The Bayshore Baptist Church, and the Lincolnville UCC.

Flea Market

The Lincolnville Center Indoor Flea Market will once again be held this Saturday, September 19, at the Community Building, 18 Searsmont Road, from 8-12 p.m. Celebrating 14 years operation, expect local craftspeople, antiques, and baked goods. Proceeds support the Lincolnvillle UCC and its ministries.

LCS-PTO Clothing Swap

The Parent Teacher Organization of Lincolnville Central School continue its planning for the autumn clothing swap, on the 23-25 of October at the Tranquility Grange.

This is an amazing event, and such an incredible way to upcycle the clothes you or your kids have outgrown, and get some new stuff. Leave your clean donations at the box outside the LCS front doors, and volunteers will sort and organize them for the October sale. Thank you so much to the Tranquility Grange for offering the space.

Library Happenings

Join the needleworkers at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. MahJonng for everyone is Friday at noon, open play and lessons.

Have a great week Lincolnville. Try to be there for each other, even in the smallest ways. Reach out at ceobrien246@gmail.com.

Municipal Calendar

Monday, September 14

Select Board, 6 p.m., Town Office

Recreation Commission, 6 p.m., Town Office

School House Museum open, 1-4 p.m., 33 Beach Road

Tuesday, September 15

Library open 3-6 p.m. 208 Main Street

AA Meeting 12:15 p.m., Community Building, 18 Searsmont Road

Select Board with Northport Select Board, 6:30 p.m., location TBD