Category: news

Danny Closson Was Alone on the Boat When It Sank. He Wasn’t Alone for Long. Tremont is Helping Him Rebuild. Danny Closson’s boat sank Saturday, taking his new motor, traps and 500 pounds of lobster with it.
news

Danny Closson Was Alone on the Boat When It Sank. He Wasn’t Alone for Long. Tremont is Helping Him Rebuild.

Danny Closson’s boat sank Saturday, taking his new motor, traps and 500 pounds of lobster with it. Carrie Jones and Shaun Farrar Aug 23, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Window Panes Home and Garden. BASS HARBOR—One of the many great things about the horrifying event that happened in Tremont, Saturday morning, was that Danny Closson’s boy wasn’t out there lobstering with him. He was … Continue reading Danny Closson Was Alone on the Boat When It Sank. He Wasn’t Alone for Long. Tremont is Helping Him Rebuild.

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Fences, Piers, Poles, Procedures, and Parking Lots: A Planning Board Roundup
news, opinion

What Do We Mean When We Say Workforce Housing?

A commentary from Island Housing Trust Director Sherry Billings/letters from our readers. Aug 23, 2026 What Do We Mean When We Say Workforce Housing? By Sherry Billings, executive director of Island Housing Trust When we talk about the housing crisis on Mount Desert Island, one phrase comes up again and again: workforce housing. But what does that mean? At its simplest, workforce housing is housing … Continue reading What Do We Mean When We Say Workforce Housing?

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People We've Lost Bernita Joyce Pelkey. William “Bill” C. Reiff. Gail Fairman Cook. Clement Edward McGillicuddy. Jeffrey L. Parsons.
news, obituaries

People We’ve Lost

Bernita Joyce Pelkey. William “Bill” C. Reiff. Gail Fairman Cook. Clement Edward McGillicuddy. Jeffrey L. Parsons. “People We’ve Lost” is a feature of the Bar Harbor Story where we share obituaries of people that the island lost in the previous 1-2 weeks. We’re doing this because we think everyone deserves to be remembered as widely as possible and not behind paywalls or at a cost … Continue reading People We’ve Lost

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Dry Wells, Low Streams, and Stressed Gardens: Maine Officials Want Your Help Tracking the Drought. After an exceptionally dry July, residents are seeing the effects in streams, gardens, and wells while forecasters warn that even a rainy weekend likely won’t end the drought.
news

Dry Wells, Low Streams, and Stressed Gardens: Maine Officials Want Your Help Tracking the Drought.

After an exceptionally dry July, residents are seeing the effects in streams, gardens, and wells while forecasters warn that even a rainy weekend likely won’t end the drought. Carrie Jones Aug 22, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Edward Jones Financial Advisor: Elise N. Frank. MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—The U.S. Drought Monitor is looking for citizen reports of drought indicators. That might be water … Continue reading Dry Wells, Low Streams, and Stressed Gardens: Maine Officials Want Your Help Tracking the Drought.

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Bar Harbor Gives Residents Two-Hours a Week of Free Downtown Parking. Nearly 200 Have Registered For It. The new policy began this summer.
news

Bar Harbor Gives Residents Two-Hours a Week of Free Downtown Parking. Nearly 200 Have Registered For It.

The new policy began this summer. Carrie Jones Aug 22, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Geddy’s. BAR HARBOR—Almost 200 Bar Harbor residents have signed up for the town’s parking coupon program, which allows them to have two-hours of free downtown parking in paid parking spots each week. That time does not accrue. Town Manager James Smith said during his report that staff … Continue reading Bar Harbor Gives Residents Two-Hours a Week of Free Downtown Parking. Nearly 200 Have Registered For It.

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Trenton Planning Board Holds Public Workshop on Short-Term Rentals Acadia region towns without short-term rental regulation prepare for upcoming state legislation enactment.
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Trenton Planning Board Holds Public Workshop on Short-Term Rentals

Acadia region towns without short-term rental regulation prepare for upcoming state legislation enactment. Shaun Farrar Aug 21, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Restaurant Barn. TRENTON—Approximately 7.3% of Trenton’s current housing stock are vacation rentals, people attending a standing-room-only meeting of the town’s planning board learned, August 12. After completing its regular business, the Trenton Planning Board held a discussion regarding short-term rentals … Continue reading Trenton Planning Board Holds Public Workshop on Short-Term Rentals

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Jackson Lab Denies Knowledge of Former Employee’s Sexual Harassment Claims
news

Jackson Lab Denies Knowledge of Former Employee’s Sexual Harassment Claims

Aug 21, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Coastal Kayaking Tours and Acadia Bike. By Sabrina Martin/BDN BAR HARBOR—The Jackson Laboratory has denied allegations from a former employee that a lab coworker sexually harassed her and that she reported the ongoing harassment to two supervisors. The denials come after the former employee filed a federal lawsuit in May claiming that the lab did not do … Continue reading Jackson Lab Denies Knowledge of Former Employee’s Sexual Harassment Claims

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Fences, Piers, Poles, Procedures, and Parking Lots: A Planning Board Roundup
news

Fences, Piers, Poles, Procedures, and Parking Lots: A Planning Board Roundup

Carrie Jones Aug 20, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by ArtWaves. MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—Throughout August, planning boards and design review boards have been working at their various towns on projects that vary from fences to signage to potential land use (or LUZO) ordinance changes. Because it’s been a busy summer for news, we’ve compiled a bit of a round-up here. BAR HARBOR DESIGN … Continue reading Fences, Piers, Poles, Procedures, and Parking Lots: A Planning Board Roundup

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Southwest Harbor Soil Rules Was Meant to Protect Residents. Now Officials Are Working to Clarify Those Rules. The ordinance was written in response to contamination concerns near a local landfill, but its broad language could require testing on more than 800 parcels.
news

Southwest Harbor Soil Rules Were Meant to Protect Residents. Now Officials Are Working to Clarify Those Rules.

The ordinance was written in response to contamination concerns near a local landfill, but its broad language could require testing on more than 800 parcels. Carrie Jones Aug 20, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Maine Seacoast Mission. SOUTHWEST HARBOR—The Musson Group’s Noel Musson sat at the long desk in the Southwest Harbor Meeting Room with the members of the town’s Land … Continue reading Southwest Harbor Soil Rules Were Meant to Protect Residents. Now Officials Are Working to Clarify Those Rules.

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A 55-Acre Parcel, Decades in Limbo, Is Getting Closer To Becoming a New Bar Harbor Neighborhood. Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park are working to turn a Town Hill property into workforce housing, potentially creating as many as 50 homes on the town’s portion.
news

A 55-Acre Parcel, Decades in Limbo, Is Getting Closer To Becoming a New Bar Harbor Neighborhood.

Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park are working to turn a Town Hill property into workforce housing, potentially creating as many as 50 homes on the town’s portion. Carrie Jones Aug 20, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Bar Harbor Music Festival. BAR HARBOR—Just how many homes could go into the town’s portion of a 55-acre site in Town Hill? That’s the question … Continue reading A 55-Acre Parcel, Decades in Limbo, Is Getting Closer To Becoming a New Bar Harbor Neighborhood.

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