After Decades of Sunday Calls and Small Miracles, a Superhero Vet Retires
Carrie Jones May 01, 2026 BAR HARBOR—On an island where winter winds can sound like grief and summer traffic can test a saint’s patience, there has long been a quiet certainty on Federal Street: if your dog swallowed a lobster buoy or something equally ridiculous, if your old cat stopped eating, if there was a horrifying accident on a Sunday afternoon, you called Dr. Marc … Continue reading After Decades of Sunday Calls and Small Miracles, a Superhero Vet Retires
New Fees, New Kiosks: Southwest Harbor Sets Waterfront Parking Plan.
A New Parking Era Begins as Board Member Carolyn Ball Says Goodbye. Carrie Jones May 01, 2026 SOUTHWEST HARBOR—It’s only in a few places—all related to the town’s working waterfront—but paid parking in Southwest Harbor is still taking up a lot of energy and work for the the town’s volunteer boards and staff. After some worries from members of the public, at the Select Board’s … Continue reading New Fees, New Kiosks: Southwest Harbor Sets Waterfront Parking Plan.
How Many Cruise Ships Are Actually Heading to Bar Harbor This Year?
Shaun Farrar Apr 30, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Maine Seacoast Mission. BAR HARBOR—How many cruise ships will visit Bar Harbor this year is a somewhat moving target. According to the Town of Bar Harbor, the total number of cruise ship passengers visiting Bar Harbor for the 2026 season lies just beneath 50,000. That number would only be reached if none of … Continue reading How Many Cruise Ships Are Actually Heading to Bar Harbor This Year?
Southwest Harbor Extends Its Tobacco Moratorium
Second Mount Desert Island town to have ongoing moratorium; plus, briefs and press releases. Carrie Jones Apr 30, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Bar Harbor Music Festival. SOUTHWEST HARBOR—The Southwest Harbor Select Board quickly extended its ban on tobacco specialty stores, April 29. The November 4, 2025, retroactive ban began due to concerns about a lack of land use regulations in … Continue reading Southwest Harbor Extends Its Tobacco Moratorium
Bar Harbor Town Council Candidates Answer Our Questions.
Carrie Jones Apr 29, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by First National Bank. BAR HARBOR—There are seven contenders for three seats on the Bar Harbor Town Council. Vice Chair Maya Caines and Councilor David Kief are running for reelection. They’re challenged by Bryce Lambert, Paul Saltysiak, Charles Sidman, Deborah Vickers, and Nathan Young. On April 15, Tammy Richards announced that she would not … Continue reading Bar Harbor Town Council Candidates Answer Our Questions.
The People on the Flats Weren’t Clamming — They Were Counting What’s Still There.
Carrie Jones and Shaun Farrar Apr 29, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Coastal Kayaking Tours and Acadia Bike. BAR HARBOR—The group of people out in Clark’s Cove near low tide Monday afternoon weren’t clammers. They were College of the Atlantic students and Bar Harbor Marine Resources Committee members. And they weren’t clamming. But what they were doing in the rocky flats had everything to … Continue reading The People on the Flats Weren’t Clamming — They Were Counting What’s Still There.
Why the YMCA Just Bought a House in Bar Harbor.
YMCA Buys Six-Bedroom Home in Bar Harbor Carrie Jones Apr 29, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Edward Jones Financial Advisor: Elise N. Frank. BAR HARBOR—The Mount Desert Island YMCA has purchased a home at 2 Rockwood Avenue in Bar Harbor to help house its employees. The single-family home, purchased from Tim and Susan Buell for $650,000, via Erica Brooks of Swan Agency … Continue reading Why the YMCA Just Bought a House in Bar Harbor.
The Cheese House Traffic Light Is Fixed — And Other Updates From Town Leaders at League of Towns Meeting.
Spring Means Budgets, Ballots, and Busy Calendars for Local Governments Carrie Jones Apr 28, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Window Panes Home and Garden. TREMONT—A zoom-only League of Towns meeting, April 28 led to quick updates and action items and snippets into the administrative lives of the staff who lead area towns during a busy town meeting season. There was a bit … Continue reading The Cheese House Traffic Light Is Fixed — And Other Updates From Town Leaders at League of Towns Meeting.
Officer Struck in Last Week’s Pursuit Involved in Another Short Pursuit that Ends With Suspect Crashing Their Car.
Police updates for Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor, Tremont, State Police, and Hancock County Sheriff’s Department. Shaun Farrar Apr 28, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Witham Family Hotels Charitable Fund. BAR HARBOR—On April 26, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Officer Nathan Formby, the Bar Harbor officer whose vehicle was struck last week by a fleeing suspect, attempted to stop a vehicle … Continue reading Officer Struck in Last Week’s Pursuit Involved in Another Short Pursuit that Ends With Suspect Crashing Their Car.
Bar Harbor Is Rewriting Some of Its Land Rules. Here’s What Could Change Next.
Plus, recent press releases. Shaun Farrar Apr 28, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Paradis Ace Hardware. BAR HARBOR—During an April 22 workshop, attending members of the Bar Harbor Planning Board learned what direction the Town Council wanted the town to head when it comes to proposed Land Use Ordinance (LUO) amendments. The members also learned the prioritization of those potential changes. At … Continue reading Bar Harbor Is Rewriting Some of Its Land Rules. Here’s What Could Change Next.