There was a time when the Center seemed to be losing ground as a viable village. Within just a few years all of its commercial activity disappeared: Dean and Eugley’s Garage had closed, and then was torn down  shortly after the town’s Bicentennial in 2002. The Center General Store closed some time after that. Before long both the telephone company and the fire department relocated. Even the Community Building was on the skids, as the Lynx Gymnasium at the new school made it obsolete. One woman said she could see seven abandoned or condemned properties by standing in the middle of Main Street in front of her house. One topic reoccurred every time we had dinner with friends: what, if anything, could be done to turn things around, to revitalize the Center?

          This past Saturday night might be seen as emblematic of what can be done. Thanks to the vision of one young woman along with a whole cadre of willing helpers, Lincolnville Center was The Place to Be for Halloween 2015. With the general store as the gathering place, hundreds of us, all ages – children, babies, parents, grandparents – came in costume to enjoy the night. Trick or treaters roamed Main Street safely, thanks to a very visible Sheriff Department cruiser parked along the way, visiting houses between the store and the Library/Boat Club. Further along, firemen at the fire department also welcomed the spooks, big and little.

          Comments on Facebook the next morning said it all:

          “A big THANK YOU to everyone in the Center who helped to make last night's festivities so wonderful and spooky!  It was such a pleasure to see all the families dressed up, walking up and down Main Street amongst the Jack-o-Lanterns!”

          “The General Store looked great!!  Thank you to EVERYONE who made it all possible.”

          Houses were decorated, lighted jack-o-lanterns, carved by children at the school last week, lined the road; residents gave out candy to nearly 140 trick or treaters. The woman behind the celebration is Briar Lyons, who with her husband Jon Fishman, owns the store. For the second year in a row Briar and a  cohort of other parents have made our once dull little village a vibrant and really fun place to celebrate Halloween.

          The old store, which has been wearing an overcoat of Tyvec for the past couple of years, has a new sign out front for Phi, the Rockport construction company. Lincolnville residents, as well as many from nearby towns, are anticipating the day the store will open its doors to customers once again. Meanwhile, a night like last Saturday, is a pretty good prelude . . .  Check out the store’s Facebook page for more of Michael O’Neil’s photos, taken for the costume contest. Scroll down; there’re lots of them!

Lincolnville Central School

          The LCS School Committee meets Monday, November 2 at 6 p.m. at the school. Included in the agenda, which is available on the school’s website will be a presentation of student projects by science teacher Nancy Stevick.

          Second graders surprised Marti Weaver, the school’s librarian, with a birthday party last week, complete with cupcakes, party hat and a card signed by everyone in grades K-2. They turned the tables on Mrs. Weaver who is known throughout the school for the annual Dr. Suess birthday party she organizes, complete with hat making, reading and birthday cake.

          Tuesday, November 3 is Election Day; the polls, the LCS gym, are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. New voters can register on the spot; bring identification along with something like a utility bill, etc. that shows their current address in Lincolnville. See the ballot here. Those who typically vote in the morning know that United Christian Church cooks put on a popular bake sale at the polls every Election Day. Those of us who vote later miss it, as it’s usually all sold out by noon or so. Proceeds from the sale go into the church’s heating oil account.

          Sisters Marcia Jamrog, Lincolnville, and Jan Munroe, Brunswick, will present “Twins Talk Trail,” a program about comfort, pleasure and safety on short and long-distance hikes, on Wednesday, November 4 at 7 p.m. at the Library. The twins have been hiking and backpacking for more than forty years and in 2008 covered 900 miles of the Appalachian Trail together. They’ll share stories and photos from their adventures on that hike and others and offer tips on footwear, sleeping gear, food, and safety, particularly from a woman’s perspective.

Artisan Craft Show

         The craft show that Lermond Family Charities has been sponsoring for decades will be held Saturday, November 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Tranquility Grange. Artisans will be offering quilting, jewelry, knitted goods, braided totes, Historical Society books, toys, dolls and food – all unique and affordable. Come and shop locally! A light lunch will be available, and at 2 p.m. our own Lincolnville Uke (Ukele) Group will perform with a singalong/strumalong.   The Lermond Charities has benefited the school, the Grange kitchen and upkeep for two historic cemeteries. Contact Nancy Heald, 763-4280, for more informati

Hunting

Once again it’s hunting season. The one hunter in our family (none of our sons ever took it up) came home with pocketsful of honey mushrooms Saturday, and tales of the kinglets he hadn’t seen in several years, little birds with a gold or a ruby spot on the top of their heads. He ran into a fellow hunter, but no deer. He’s a lucky man who can walk across the road into a 5,000 acre forest, and when he’s done, stroll back across and into the warmth of his own kitchen.