Sun, 09/22/2024 - 9:41pm

Ed O’Brien

Backyard in Early Autumn (Photo by Tracee O’Brien)

Backyard in Early Autumn (Photo by Tracee O’Brien)

It was Common Ground Fair weekend. The Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA) has been holding this event on the third weekend after Labor Day since 1977. First in Litchfield, then on the Windsor fairgrounds, and since 1996, on the 200 acres purchased by MOFGA in Unity. I have been to the vast majority of the fairs held.

As a kid, the Common Ground Fair was of course a pale second to the other fair we attended yearly. The Union Fair had the rides, the bright lights of the midway. The Common Ground had whole wheat fried dough and no rides. But as I aged, I came to appreciate the Common Ground more.

Also, thanks to the proliferation of global sustainability efforts, you can now buy coffee on the fairgrounds. For years, the late, great Doug Hufnagle would peddle his caffeinated delights just outside the grounds, as it took a while before Fair Trade coffee was accepted by the fair’s strict food guidelines.

Those guidelines have led to possibly the most eclectic fair food anywhere, representing a remarkably diverse selection of cultural cuisines. My wife, middle boy and I enjoyed a street taco, Jamaican jerk chicken, and a good old American cheeseburger, with grass raised beef, local cheddar, and a homemade bun. And of course, french fries, with that weird but delicious Common Ground ketchup and vinegar.

The Common Ground is decidedly left leaning. Should you peruse the Social and Political Action tents, you will get your fill of lefty politics. I love this part of the fair, but it is a relatively small section, and can be avoided, if you are easily triggered.

But what I find especially cool about the Common Ground Fair is the way it actually manages to bridge the political divide, in spite of the pervasiveness of patchouli and tie dyes.

As my wife observed, there is a place where the right and left meet. Sustainable living, clean food, and responsible animal husbandry is not necessarily political. Several years ago, we dragged my relatively right-leaning father-in-law to the fair. Barely through the gate, he was engaged with a company selling small scale saw mills. A few years later, he and his daughter were turning trees he harvested into lumber for a new chicken house.

I continue to think about the ways our national political divide impacts a small town in an election year.

Last week, USA Today published an article by political reporter Karissa Waddick about our neighboring town of Hope. Ms Waddick did a fantastic job of exploring the character and characters of a small town in the Midcoast, and how, in spite of political divisions, we get by.

I hope her article gets traction, I feel like the rest of America could learn from how we live in our small towns on the coast.

Election Day Cometh

Town Administrator David Kinney reached out to ask me to remind our fellow Lincolnville residents to make sure they are registered to vote. Should you be a recent arrival, or had a name or address change you can contact to town office at any time to register. Of course you can register the day of, but I am sure Dave and his crew at the town office would appreciate if you were already in the system ahead of time. Tuesday, November 5 will be extremely busy, and any way to streamline the process would be appreciated.

And if you are a big democracy nerd like me, have a spare 90 minutes, and want a peek behind the scenes of our nation’s biggest day, check out No Time to Fail. This documentary was filmed in Rhode Island during the Covid-complicated 2020 elections, and looks at the process that ensures that your vote counts. Dave tells me it gives him flashbacks.

Tom Jamrog at the Lincolnville Community Library

On Wednesday, September 25 at 7 p.m., Lincolnville Resident Tom Jamrog will discuss hiking the Maine 100 Mile Wilderness at 74 with”Fostering Aging and Endurance through Long Walks on Ancient Paths”. The talk should prove to be inspirational for all of us who are getting a little older, but still want/need to get into the woods, and engage our bodies and minds.

Heart and Soul

Saturday, September 29, from 2-4 p.m. the Lincolnville Heart and Soul team will hold their Fall Summit at Lincolnville Central School. Over the last two years, Heart and Soul has been gathering ideas from the residents of Lincolnville about their hopes for the future of our town. After collecting 400 idea for action, the team has whittled these down to 70, which the town will have the opportunity to vote on which ideas are the most important, and discuss ways to implement these ideas.

Refreshments will be served, should you need any other reason to attend!

Halloween in the Center

It may still be a month out, but the spookiest day of the year is being planned.

The Lincolnville Volunteer Fire Department will be hosting a spooktacular event from 4-8 p.m. at the Center Station, with games, a costume contest, and a haunted maze, plus treats and a couple tricks, along with fire and Halloween safety tips. And if you are polite, you might get the opportunity to hug a fire guy or gal.

And from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on the 31st the Lincolnville Central School will be hosting its annual Trunk or Treat in the school parking lot. Reserve your spot by emailing lincolnvilletrunkortreat@gmail.com. I will be there, in costume and with camera phone ready to snap as many pictures as the Pilot will allow me to post.

And that is it for today. My wife is cooking Sunday breakfast, which may suggest that it is finally time to stack that big pile of wood that has been haunting me for the last couple months. Darn. Popovers with strings attached.

Be well, be good, and reach out at ceobrien246@gmail.com.

CALENDAR

Monday, September 23

Lincolnville Historical Society Museum open, 1-4 p.m., 33 Beach Road

Land Use Committee, 4 p.m. Town Office

Select Board, 6 p.m. Town Office

Tuesday, September 24

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, September 25

Lincolnville Historical Society Museum open, 1-4 p.m., 33 Beach Road