Christina Heiniger, Annlinn Kruger, Mike Reynolds.

Mar 29, 2026

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

We always welcome letter submissions to The Bar Harbor Story.

For details on our policy, please visit our about page and scroll down or just visit here.

As with all newspapers, the beliefs, opinions, and viewpoints expressed by the writers of letters to the editor and included here do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, opinions, and viewpoints or official policies of The Bar Harbor Story.

Similarly, we do not fact check those beliefs, opinions, or viewpoints that are espoused in letters to the editor.

We do not have an exclusive submission policy. That means if your letter is published here, it is fine by us if it’s also published in other places and vice versa.

All the past letters to the editor can be found on the Substack site here.

---

SUPPORT A TEMPORARY LIMITATION ON CERTAIN AI DATA CENTERS

I have been tracking and supporting LD 307, “An Act to Establish the Maine Data Center Coordination Council and Place a Temporary Limitation on Certain Data Centers.”

This bill calls for a two-year moratorium on building new data centers in Maine. It especially relates to AI data centers, which are rapidly becoming a huge environmental concern.

AI data centers require millions of gallons of water and huge amounts of electricity each year to cool the facility and run efficiently. This can cause stress in areas experiencing water scarcity and water quality concerns. Additionally, the water used in data centers is often treated with chemicals to prevent corrosion and bacterial growth, rendering it unsuitable for human consumption or agricultural use. This means that not only are data centers consuming large quantities of drinking water, but they are also effectively removing it from the water cycle. They are also voracious consumers of electricity, adding to stress on our resource bases.

I have attached a graphic which shows actual and projected numbers around the vast amounts of resources AI data centers use.

Taking the time to analyze the impacts of building data centers in Maine and setting up safeguards in place to protect people and the environment is the right path forward.

Defend Our Health, which worked with us here in Trenton on PFAS testing, supports this moratorium.

It is likely that this bill will be up for a vote this week. I ask you to consider contacting your legislators to ask them to support LD 307.

Warmly,

Christina Heiniger

Trenton

---

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

Recently the Washington Post editorial board weighed in against the Finnish Supreme Court conviction of MP Päivi Räsänen over hate speech. The judgment stated that assertions in a pamphlet distributed by Räsänen—describing homosexuality as a disorder in psychosexual development and rejecting the view that it forms a natural variation of human sexuality—were incorrect and placed homosexual people in an unequal position compared with heterosexual people. The ruling noted that Räsänen, acting as a member of parliament and as a trained doctor when presenting her views, increased the potential harmful impact of the statements.

Notably, the court said the case did not center on religious confession, finding that the disputed passages reflected prejudicial social and unfounded medical claims rather than expressions of religious doctrine. Adding for good measure, that freedom of religion did not protect statements unrelated to religion when assessing criminal liability. The court stated that the decision did not conflict with constitutional protections of speech or religion. The losing argument was presented by the U. S. based Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF.) Evidently, they’ve taken their show world wide.

Given our Supreme Court majority’s bent for overriding the constitutional separation of church and state, the Finnish justices’ decision is refreshing and heartening. Of specific interest to us here on MDI, is the role of the ADF in promoting harmful discrimination against homosexuals, based on highly questionable free speech and biblical arguments. ADF has significant funding and ideological ties with our neighbor Leonard Leo—who is at the center of a network funneling massive amounts of money to innumerable antidemocratic causes. A common tactic is using the courts to privilege personal religious belief over shared civil rights, in order to overturn the foundational principle of equality before the law.

The Robert’s Court often asserts novel interpretations of both the Constitution and the Bible—which violate their shared emphasis on justice as fairness. And specifically targets civil rights protections for racial minorities, women, and LGBTQ+ persons— both in cases heard and decisions handed down. These attacks on our most vulnerable neighbors have wide ranging consequences for all of us.

As an American, I am painfully aware of the harm inflicted by our country abandoning its allegiance to democracy—its founding principles and historic alliances. And wonder whether it is correct for me to offer an opinion on a Finnish Supreme Court decision. I offer it with admiration for how that court upheld the law and its principles, with the example of how the U. S. perversion of an independent judiciary is spreading consequential harm, and with the hope that our American resistance to our Republican majority government’s descent into autocracy, unreason, and violence will prove successful. One way, or another, we are in this together.

Annlinn Kruger

Bar Harbor

---

TREMONT SELECT BOARD CANDIDATE SHARES HIS BELIEFS

Hi, I’m back.

In my last letter, (MDI, 2/18/26), in which I announced my candidacy for Select Board in Tremont, I promised to describe a bit about my political beliefs. After some thought and a few discussions with friends and neighbors though, I found that explaining the extent to which I’m Progressive or Conservative, or going on about my dedicated long-time party affiliation, (those who’ve read my letters regarding the recent actions of the Federal Government have probably already made their choice on that one), won’t really matter to anyone. They aren’t relevant to the job I’m applying to you for.

On the Select Board, I’d be working with the town manager and other board members to forge smart decisions about such things as improving the ways we educate our children, the decision on allowing deer hunting, preserving river herring, the town budget, and overall responsible use of our buildings, employees, contractors, land and resources to make life here in Tremont pleasant, safe, affordable and efficient – things close to our daily lives as Mainers and Tremont residents.

In this, I have some experience and a strong desire to help. As water commissioner in Meriden, CT, I led a commission to preserve the quality of our water and make sure it was distributed to citizens fairly. As a member of the Connecticut Commission for the Social Studies, I worked to design middle and high school civics programs that are being taught now. As a Board of Education member, I succeeded in providing our students an environment conducive to the best quality learning opportunities in the state.

In my work in local government, I have always been guided by the values of fairness, equity, and shared purpose. I wish to bring these values to the Select Board.

More later. Thanks for your consideration.

Mike Reynolds

Tremont