VIA and Community Look Ahead to Glen Mary Repairs
Jun 12, 2025
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Edward Jones Financial Advisor: Elise N. Frank.
BAR HARBOR—A ceremony in Bar Harbor’s Grant Park celebrated the reopening of the much beloved Shore Path and the people who built, donated, and spread the word about the needs for the oceanside path’s reconstruction after destructive storms of January 2024 undermined the path.
“It’s a day of joy for residents,” Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Police Chief David Kerns said at the ceremony.
He also said the path creates lasting memories for tourists and a place of community for all. The path, he said, is an example of what the community can accomplish when it comes together for a shared task.
That task was truly shared by year-round residents, summer visitors, and tourists, said Julie Veilleux, Village Improvement Association board member.
Approximately 80 of those people gathered at the Grant Park celebration and ceremonial ribbon cutting.
“We never would have gotten this project completed without your donations. You’re the same people who always step up to the plate when there is a need in the community and we’re very grateful for your support,” said Dick Cough, the president of the Bar Harbor Village Improvement Society, a volunteer group that stewards the path.
The path itself runs along private residences and also crosses both business and town property. It’s a major tourist attraction for those who want to stroll along the rosa rugosa and above the rocky shoreline, but it’s also well used by local dog owners, runners, and strollers.
“Over the years few have been more generous than the Colkets when it comes to supporting the many nonprofits in Bar Harbor” said Cough. “Her gift of 30,000.00 was greatly appreciated and we cannot thank her enough.”
At the Thursday afternoon celebration Cough thanked everyone involved in the path’s rebirth, which occurred in stages since those January storms.
”We’d like to thank all of the Shore Path Property owners for your generosity, patience and cooperation. In particular, Janie Whitney, the Cumbers, and Willards,” Cough said.
Those families hosted large construction equipment on their lawns and also provided access to workers.
“This job would have taken much longer and would have been more costly if they didn’t allow us access through their properties to do the reconstruction. And believe me, it made quite a mess,” Cough said.
He also thanked local contractors—Paul MacQuinn, Chip Reeves, and L.E. Norwood— “for their great work under less than ideal conditions.”
The rebuild was an enormous task. Prior to anything being fixed, there was planning, legal work and negotiations with private landowners, and the figuring out of logistical challenges for work that would normally be done by machines too big to access the path.
Then it all had to be paid for. The VIA started a GoFundMe that has raised over $61,000 with an additional $330,000 donated directly to the VIA. The VIA also contributed $300,000 itself. Many local businesses like Window Panes, Witham Family Hotels, and First National Bank have held Shore Path specific fundraisers and/or donated money directly. It has been a community effort that involved not just local fans of the Shore Path but also those from away who fell in love with the path’s unique beauty.
Cough thanked the VIA board as well.
Vice President Andy Shea was the liaison with the 14 property owners and the contractors from beginning to end, which was almost 18 months.
Cough thanked David Witham for “the exceptional job he did and paid for on the longest section of the Shore Path in front of the Bar Harbor Inn. And a big thank you for giving us one of his best employees, Rachel Crater, who tended to the overwhelming amount of minutia and kept us on task.”
He also thanked Jon Nicholson for handling all the donations and deposits that came directly into the VIA.
He also thanked Julie Veilleux of Window Panes, a store in downtown Bar Harbor, who is also on the Association’s board.
“For the amazing job she did raising money by selling Shore Path glasses and accepting donations at Window Panes . . . Over $40,000 was raised because of you!!”
Finally, Cough thanked his wife, Heidi Wittwer, “for printing, addressing, and sending out all the thank you notes to everyone.”
It’s those little things that matter in a community: the moments of thanks, the appreciation of others work and the celebration of positive actions and goals in creating, rebuilding, and sustaining community spaces that everyone can enjoy.
All of that has been part of the VIA’s mission since it began.
And another aspect of that is looking to the future.
“Unfortunately, we know there will be more storms in our future and they’ll require more repairs. With that in mind, the VIA is establishing an endowment specifically for the Shore Path. It will be called ‘Friends of the Shore Path.’”
During the announcement, Cough unveiled a logo and sign. Shore Path memorabilia will be sold to help build the Shore Path endowment at multiple local stores including the Acadia Shops, Window Panes, Geddy’s, Cool as a Moose, The Bar Harbor Inn, and the Bar Harbor Historical Society.
‘Thank you for your support and making Bar Harbor the great community it is,” Cough said.
BEFORE AND AFTER OF THE SHORE PATH
GLEN MARY WADING POOL PROJECT
Glen Mary pool and woods. The Shore Path. Bar Harbor Village Green. All these properties that the public uses and enjoys depend on a small group of Bar Harbor volunteers, which comprise the Bar Harbor Village Improvement Association.
The first recognized meeting of the VIA was held on November 4, 1881.
“There was no public works department until probably the 1930s,” Cough said. So, the Association took that role.
The Village Improvement Association has been leasing the pool and surrounding woodland park to the town since 1995 and 2014 respectively.
Also during the Shore Path Reopening Celebration, Cough gave an update about the Glen Mary Wading Pool, which is at Glen Mary park and forest in downtown Bar Harbor. The wading pool closed due to needed repairs.
“As you probably know, the VIA, in collaboration with the town has an even larger project we’re just getting off the ground and that is the Glen Mary Wading Pool which has gone out to bid and could come in at around 2 million dollars. Our hope is the VIA, the town, and private donations will equally fund this project. This reconstruction of the pool for the children of Bar Harbor is long overdue,” Cough said.
The pool was last upgraded in 2009 and is no longer waterproof thanks to multiple broken PVC and black pipes beneath it and is in need of repairs. The park surrounding it, many said at the meeting, also needs a maintenance plan to help with the trees, many of which are coming close to the ends of their life spans.
“This is where all our kids swim in Bar Harbor,” Cough said. “It’ll be great for the kids to have that pool back.”
The wading pool at Glen Mary Park, located on 7.5 acres off Glen Mary Road and Waldron Road, has been closed for approximately three years.
Photos: Shaun Farrar/Bar Harbor Story
UPDATE! One of the donors who supported the Shore Path reconstruction was Ruth Colket. This article has been updated at 6:18 p.m. on the day of its publication to include a statement about her contributions, support and kindness.
The Bar Harbor Village Improvement Association would like to sincerely apologize for inadvertently leaving Ruth Colket’s name off the Shore Path Donor Recognition Board. Her name and one other will be included in the future.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Storm Smashes Into MDI
Second Storm Batters MDI
Another Storm Washes Into MDI
For 143 Years the VIA Has Taken Care of Bar Harbor Spaces
Bar Harbor’s Shore Path
Trying to Save a Bar Harbor Gem
Follow us on Facebook. And as a reminder, you can easily view all our past stories and press releases here.
Bar Harbor Story is a mostly self-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thank you for being here with us and caring about our community, too!
Thanks for reading Bar Harbor Story ! This post is public so feel free to share it.
If you’d like to donate to help support us, you can, but no pressure! Just click here (about how you can give) or here (a direct link), which is the same as the button below.
If you’d like to sponsor the Bar Harbor Story, you can! Learn more here.
You can help us keep the Bar Harbor Story going!
Make a monthly donation
Make a yearly donation
Choose an amount
Or enter a custom amount
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlyDiscover more from Bar Harbor Story
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
One thought on “Shore Path Officially Reopens with Celebration of Community Spirit and Generosity”