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With the clock running out on 2023, a compilation of pictures that defined Maine this year conjures a fitting roller coaster of emotions about these past 12 months. It has been a year defined at least in part by tragedy, but also by kindness and resilience. These forces tend to go hand-in-hand, after all.
The group of pictures, compiled by Bangor Daily News digital editor Leela Stockley, captures these ups and downs well. The joy of family and friends playing after a January snow storm. The stifling dread of record summer heat and what it portends for our climate and our economy. The beauty of a monarch butterfly and a mural designed by a high school artist. The bitter cold of dangerous subzero temperatures in February and the damaging impact of surging rivers and gusting winds in the recent December storm. The excitement of a newly naturalized U.S. citizen and a recent college graduate. The anguish of families and a community who have lost loved ones to gun violence. The resolve to come together and support one another in the wake of tragedy.
It is one tragedy in particular, the Oct. 25 shooting in Lewiston that claimed 18 lives and injured 13 other people, that probably defines 2023 in Maine more than any other event. The year to come will surely be defined in part by how Maine continues to respond, as well.
Pictures from BDN photographers and others show the pain and crushing heartbreak of those initial moments following the shooting, along with the strength and togetherness that materialized in response. In one of the worst moments in Maine history, the best of Maine was also on display.
A picture from our BDN colleague Troy Bennett stands out for its focus. As high school football teams from Lewiston and Auburn squared off a week after the mass shooting, and in an important step in the search for some shred of normalcy, singer James Taylor quietly yet notably joined to sing the national anthem and be part of the healing process. Bennett’s photograph focuses not on the world-renowned musician performing in the foreground, but the high school athletes watching in the background. It appropriately frames the moment around a community reeling and working to heal together.
As we continue to reflect on 2023 and move ahead into 2024, it is worth remembering this focus. It is also worth remembering that despite the moments of tragedy and adversity — or, perhaps, because of them — the imperative to spread love and kindness remains of the utmost importance.
More of Bennett’s work, chronicling the loving message of Portland’s Valentine’s Day Bandit, is featured in the 2023 picture spread as well. Rather than stealing something away, this bandit, revealed as Kevin Fahrman of Falmouth after his death in April, gave a lasting gift of love that is worth emulating.
“Kevin’s simple yet powerful gesture brought joy and love to the community, reminding us all to cherish our loved ones and treasure the place we call home,” his obituary said.
Maine lost the Valentine’s Day Bandit this year, but we didn’t lose his message. The same is true about “a master of kindness,” Chris Greeley, the Holden Police Chief who died in March. Pictures from BDN photographer Linda Coan O’Kresik captured the emotions at Greeley’s funeral, along with scenes of the continued impact of his “25 Days of Kindness” initiative.
“I know how much this meant to him and how much he believed in it and he loved doing it,” his wife, Donna Greeley, said in early December as the yearly effort got underway again.
2023 in Maine has been a complicated mosaic of grief and of joy, of loss and of growth, of people to mourn and moments to celebrate, of memories to cherish and legacies to honor, and ultimately, of opportunities to be kind and do better next year.
