Sun, 08/24/2025 - 8:20pm

Ed O’Brien

New York skyline from Brooklyn Heights. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

The neighborhood in East Flatbush. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

A Haitian street festival outside the Brooklyn Museum. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

New York skyline from Brooklyn Heights. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

The neighborhood in East Flatbush. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

A Haitian street festival outside the Brooklyn Museum. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

For a guy who rarely leaves the Rockland to Belfast circle of the Midcoast, I have traveled a fair bit this year. This weekend finds me in Brooklyn, N.Y., for a family wedding. As the aunt of the groom, and the eldest member of that side of the family, it was important that my mom be there. My wife and I joined Ma and Don for a trip to the Big City.

I realize it has been over 20 years since I set foot in New York City, never a town I knew very well. The little time I have spent in the place was always restricted to Manhattan, so Brooklyn is a complete mystery.

We are staying in a newly renovated basement apartment in a wonderful working class neighborhood. A neighborhood of immigrants, as all New York neighborhoods were at one time. This one has been host to many waves of New Americans, with the most recent largely hailing from the Caribbean Islands, as evidenced by the availability of Latin American brands and tropical fruits and vegetables in even the smallest corner stores.

A member of our party had a brief moment of panic when they thought they had forgotten to pack clean underwear for the trip, wondering where they might find replacements in an unfamiliar locale. They need not have worried, there are probably a half dozen places within a half mile where a fresh pack of jockey shorts could be purchased, and this is an extremely residential neighborhood.

One of my revelations about this city is the sheer volume of small, independent shops everywhere.

On our far-too-long trip down here, we stopped in Portsmouth, N.H., for lunch. Portsmouth is another place I have inexcusably never spent any time in. Lovely town. But driving through its picturesque, Old New England streets, I noticed how many of the shops were chains of some sort. Some which also have outposts in Camden.

Not so Brooklyn. Serving as navigator for my carsick-prone life-partner — who proved that she has the city driving skills of a native — I found myself actually looking for chain stores. “Look, a Pizza Hut” — its corporate logo standing out amongst the Halal markets and hardware stores, the barbershops and restaurants of every imaginable ethnic cuisines, the independent clothing shops selling affordable clothes and cheap packets of underwear.

Pretty cool.

There is an amazing community here. Taking an early morning walk with my Walking Book on my AirPods, there were the people; walking their dogs, chatting in front of the corner store, tending their gardens. Waving and greeting me and each other.

Later, after guiding my family on a completely uninformed tour of Brooklyn (amazing what the internet can teach you), we returned so certain among us could take a nap before the Rehearsal Dinner Saturday evening. I walked the neighborhood again, and discovered that the street parallel had been blocked off, a massive, booming, and wonderful sound system had been set up in the street, a bounce house was full of children, and the sidewalk was lined with grills — the smell of slowly roasting meat intermingling with chest shaking dubstep.

Apparently block parties are an actual thing, more revelations for my provincial self.

I have extremely mixed feelings on the subject of Airbnb style accommodations, and the damage they may cause communities, but an apartment in a part of a city most visitors would never see, in a building owned and lived in by the host, seems alright. Though maybe that is just self-serving justification.

I eagerly await the upcoming nuptials, and reconnecting with cousins, as well as cousins and uncles in-law (is that a thing?) at the rehearsal dinner was amazing. I look forward to returning to the old farmhouse at Sleepy Hollow, though, where my dogs and chickens and kids hold down the fort. I will say, if I were 25 years younger, Brooklyn would be a cool place to settle.

I hear so much these days about cities, and what awful places they are. It sometimes seems that my fellow Americans are frightened of the parts of our nation where the chain stores are barely existent, where the food is unfamiliar, where the language being spoken is not always English.

We are a nation of immigrants- the descendants of Native Americans and enslaved peoples excepted- and to pretend otherwise seems silly to me. Immigrants often first arrive in the cities, and then they disperse into the country as a whole, raising their kids in both their native culture and the cultures of this nation. Making America great.

Some of us in Lincolnville are descendants of those who immigrated here generations ago; many are more recent transplants, perhaps seeking a quieter place, to retire or raise children. I believe we could all stand to be a bit more welcoming, and to be kind.

Municipal Involvement

In the last year or so, there seems to be a resurgence of interest in the mechanisms of town government. In my role as a duly elected member of the Lincolnville Budget Committee, I love this. As I have said many times before, our municipal government in Lincolnville offers a rare chance to take an active role, where your vote really does matter.

That said, I have noticed that social media is often being used as the platform to discuss issues. The amount of misinformation is a little concerning to me. It is actually pretty easy to get accurate information. Every meeting, with the rare exception of executive sessions to discuss personal issues, are fully open to the public. Municipal and School Board meetings are recorded and put on YouTube if you are unable to attend in person, with Municipal meetings located on the town website and the Union 69 website for School Committee meetings.

The town administrator and Select Committee are available for questions about the municipal budget; and the Superintendent and School Committee members are accessible for questions about the LCS budget.

If you can only attend a few meetings, I strongly suggest the three budget workshops in the Spring- two for the town, and one for the school. It is here that they prioritize the wants from the needs. Remember the town and school cannot spend any money without the permission of the voters, which takes place in June every year.

Please, attend meetings, make your voice heard. The Select Board and School Committee members are incredibly hard working community members, who also pay taxes here. They want to know your concerns, so attend the budget workshops if you are able and want to understand the where and why’s of how your tax dollars are spent.

Library Happenings

The needlework group will meet Tuesday at 3 p.m. On Thursday, from 3 to 4:30, join “Cribbage for Everyone.” Finally, on Saturday from 9-12, bring your little ones for “Billions of Bubbles!” Make your own huge bubbles and listen to stories too.

Okay, miss you Lincolnville, but I’ll be home soon. One final week before the children return to school, though for those of us with kids playing sports, things may have already gotten started.

Take care of those in your community, engage with each other respectfully and with as much understanding as you can muster. Reach out at ceobrein246@gmail.com.

Municipal Calendar

Monday, August 25

Historical Society Museum Open, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., 33 Beach Road

Select Board, 6 p.m. Town Office

Tuesday, August 26

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

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

Lakes and Ponds Committee, 7 p.m. Town Office

Wednesday, August 27

Library Open, 2-5 p.m., 208 Main Street

Historical Society Museum Open, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., 33 Beach Road

Bayshore Baptist Church, Wednesday Night Bible Study, 6 p.m