It wasn’t a very warm – or even dry – Fourth of July, but nothing was going to stop the celebrations. As darkness fell, and the misty rain that plagued our picnic finally stopped, fireworks were exploding all up and down the Bay. I assume the inland ponds saw their share, as well. We were confidently vaccinated (89% of us in our 04849 zip code – check it out here) and therefore maskless. We’ve survived COVID, and we’re ready to party. Or at least, to resume our normal lives.

Zoom and live streaming is behind us, as both Lincolnville churches, Bayshore Baptist and United Christian, are meeting indoors now. Town committees no longer meet remotely, but in the Town Office where they belong. Soup Café, the weekly Thursday noon meal served at the Community Building is up and running.

And this coming Saturday, July 10 UCC’s Strawberry Festival (renamed for this year as the Strawberry Social) returns! Come to the Community Building, 18 Searsmont Road, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., rain or shine, for strawberry shortcake, hot dogs and popcorn, bake goods, strawberry ice cream sandwiches and pies. Eat inside or bring a chair if you want to sit outside. Reconnect with old friends and neighbors; there’ll even be music.

And on the second Saturday in August, the Blueberry Wingding will be held at the Lobster Pound Restaurant. Meanwhile, the Lincolnville Improvement Association (LIA) will hold it’s usual monthly potlucks at the Beach Schoolhouse  at 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month through October. Longtime officers of the LIA, Bob Plausse and Brian Cronin, have turned over their duties to Dan Leary and Peter Hartell. The always delicious potluck is followed by a speaker or a program. I’ll be speaking at the July 16 meeting.

The Lincolnville Historical Society (LHS) opens its Schoolhouse Museum to visitors for the first time in over a year on the second floor of their building at 33 Beach Road on Mondays-Wednesdays-Fridays, 1-4 p.m. If you live in Lincolnville or are a member of the LHS or own property in Lincolnville or even if you just visited the Museum, you received a mailing in the past week announcing the start of the LHS’ Capital Campaign. Some sixteen of us gathered on a couple of mornings to assemble this mailing, putting together a brochure, letter and return envelope into individually addressed envelopes to 1600 folks.

The year-long effort to see if we could summon the will to save yet another historic building in town culminated in this mailing. Named the Beach Schoolhouse Restoration Project, we bought the building from the town for a dollar, assembled a steering committee to oversee the necessary repairs and got to work. The winter’s take-out meals and membership drive brought in over $40,000. It’s a great start and we’re grateful for the support folks showed us through the long pandemic months.

Now, facing some significant repairs – new roof, second floor structural work, west wall reconstruction, electrical upgrades, ADA bathroom, new exterior doors and ramps, a complete paint job, technological improvements, rehabbed kitchen, climate-controlled storeroom – we’ve set a goal of $325,000, half of what the town estimated it would cost to bring the building into the 21st century.

The Lincolnville Community Library is open four days a week now: Tuesday 2-5, Wednesday 3-6, Friday and Saturday, 9-noon. The Needlework group, Watercolor Journaling, and Book Group are all back in place.

It’s also good to see activity at the Lincolnville Boat Club this summer.

Kids can sign up for a week of day camp, learning to sail, row on Norton Pond, at the beach, on the ocean. There are half-day sessions for kids interested in sailing and learning specific sailing skills. The full-day sessions are open to all children (no sailing ability requirement), who will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of lessons, activities, and games.

Another opportunity for kids is the summer program at Lincolnville Central School, every morning until noon. This is a combination day camp/summer school with a chance of some catch-up after last year’s  pandemic-fractured school year.

And our restaurants opened their doors in the past month or two: Lobster Pound, Lobster Shack, Whales Tooth Pub, and Youngtown Inn. All have indoor dining and the Pub and Lobster Shack have some outdoor seating as well. Add in Dot’s, the General Store, Dolce Vita Farm, M & L Seafood, Drake’s and there are several choices. I for one will be perfectly happy if I never have to eat another meal sitting in my car or out of a paper bag! 

Down the coast Rockland’s art galleries are up and running, where you can see work by our Lincolnville artists. Caldbeck Gallery, located at 12 Elm Street across from the Farnsworth, is showing Jack Silverio’s watercolors as well as paintings by Nancy Glassman. My favorite gallery, Harbor Square on Main Street, has a new installation by sculptor Antje Roitzsch, a three piece mobile hanging high up in the gallery space. Please let me know of any other exhibits this summer featuring Lincolnville artists.

Now, let’s have some fun – take a walk, swim at Ducktrap, fish off the pier, hunt for mushrooms, tend your garden – but best of all, get together with friends and family and enjoy each other.