This Week in Lincolnville: January Thaw

Sun, 01/11/2026 - 6:45pm

Ed O’Brien

Looking into the Hollow after a morning snowfall. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

That special time of year. The period in the middle of January where the temperature is suddenly above freezing for several days. Puddles appear on frozen driveways, the birds swarm the feeders, the squirrels become more active. My cats are excited while staring out the windows. The sun stays up noticeably longer, you can forgo the jacket if going out to check the mail or let the dogs out. Thoughts turn to spring gardens.

It is, of course, a false hope. Winter is not done, the driveway will freeze again, more snow will be on its way. Isn’t it a great feeling in the moment though?

When I remember childhood winters in Lincolnville, the January thaw is a feature. When 40 degrees felt like summer. The knowledge that thawing snow will refreeze to make for the best sledding in a few days.

It is definitely true that we don’t generally get the kind of snow as we did in my childhood, and climate records demonstrate that our winter’s aren’t quite as cold. For me, the only indication I need of our warmer winters is the existence of my most hated creature, the danged ticks. They weren’t here in my youth, they couldn’t survive the winters. Now the little monsters never seem to go away.

As my wife and I have been preparing food for this afternoon’s football games — platters of raw vegetables, chicken wings, a pot of chili — I think about what this time of year must have been like for the early Lincolnville settlers, those who dwelled in the houses which still dot our community.

Relying mostly on what they managed to preserve from the year before, the jars of preserved fruit and vegetables, the withering but still edible root vegetables in the earthen cellars. Salt pork and dry beans. Even the hens stop laying. How sick of it they must have been as the winter dragged on.

That all said, there is something amazing about a roaring fire while snow falls outside, the sea-smoke rising off the bay. Cross country skiing, snowmobiling, pond hockey or ice fishing. Watching he critters go about their business from our windows or trail cams. All the things our snowbirds miss in their warmer environs. I don’t blame them, but I doubt this is in my future. Harsh though it can be, I’m not sure I would appreciate summer if I didn’t live through the winter.

Bus Safety

If you want to get an honest assessment of our behavior on the roads, just ask a schoolbus driver. They see everything, focused as their job requires for any potential risks to their young charges. If you text and drive, they see you, perched above the average driver. They take note of your speed, your impatience, any and all poor behavior.

My bus driving buddy recently related some recent incidents of drivers running through the bus red lights. There is absolutely no excuse for this. School buses put on their amber lights 100 feet before a stop, this is not the time to try to power past, it is when you slow down and prepare to stop with the bus, leaving plenty of space.

Passing a bus with red lights is a $250 minimum fine and a mandatory 30 day license suspension for the first offense. I would argue that this is possibly too lenient, but it would still put a heck of a inconvenience to your morning commute.

Little kids don’t always behave predictably, something schoolbus drivers are extremely aware of. Help them out by slowing down, and paying attention. Also, drivers notice when you wave. They love that.

Sympathy

For Judy (Young) Rolerson. I remember back in my catering days being sent to Judy’s house on Youngtown Road often to pick up crabmeat for some fancy wedding appetizer — I remember grilling a lot of crab quesadillas. Judy was there at her kitchen table, patiently picking through crates of boiled crabs, a skill which doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves.

For my neighbor Betty Johnson, who I got to know well after being written into the Lincolnville Budget Committee which she chaired years ago. I often think of her now that I find myself chairing the committee. Betty most recently served on the Waldo County Budget Committee and lived a life dedicated to civic engagement.

Okay Lincolnville, enjoy the reprieve from the chill of January, prepare for the cold and snow still on the way. Enjoy what you preserved from your summer gardens, thankful that Hannaford and Wentworth, not to mention Owen’s, Drake Corner, and the Beach Store, are just a short jaunt away. Be kind, be helpful, and reach out at ceobrien246@gmail.com.

Municipal Calendar

Monday, January 12

Select Board, 6 p.m. Town Office

Recreation Commission, 6 p.m, Town Office

Tuesday, January 13

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

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

Wednesday, January 14

Planning Board, 6 p.m. Town Office

Thursday, January 15

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

Friday, January 16