Island Towns Slow Fuller Police Consolidation to Revisit Governance, Costs, and Liability
Carrie Jones Jan 06, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Witham Family Hotels Charitable Fund. BAR HARBOR AND MOUNT DESERT—A December 30 joint memo from the town managers of Bar Harbor and Mount Desert suggested pausing further consolidation of the two towns’ police forces for a bit. The departments have been sharing some services for more than a decade and work under … Continue reading Island Towns Slow Fuller Police Consolidation to Revisit Governance, Costs, and Liability
Hotelier’s Attorney Alleges Bar Harbor Misused Moratorium Process to Block Motel Reconstruction
Carrie Jones Jan 05, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Maine Seacoast Mission. BAR HARBOR—In a four-page December 29 letter to the Bar Harbor Town Council, an attorney for Holiday Associates of Naples alleges that the town is “unlawfully using the moratorium process as a pretext to stop Holiday Associates’ renovation project of the Park Entrance Motel property.” The letter came on … Continue reading Hotelier’s Attorney Alleges Bar Harbor Misused Moratorium Process to Block Motel Reconstruction
Chair Millard Dority Steps Down From Bar Harbor Planning Board After Years of Service
Carrie Jones Jan 05, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Window Panes Home and Garden. BAR HARBOR—Long-serving Bar Harbor Planning Board Chair Millard Dority resigned this Saturday in an email sent to the town’s manager and council. In his resignation, Dority expressed frustration about the focus of the planning board in the recent past as it waited for the town’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan’s … Continue reading Chair Millard Dority Steps Down From Bar Harbor Planning Board After Years of Service
THINGS TO DO IN THE MOUNT DESERT ISLAND REGION THIS WEEK
And in the near future. Carrie Jones Jan 05, 2026 QUICK NOTE: We’ve moved the list of organizations and links to the bottom of this article. If you are receiving this via email, you may have to click through to see it all. THINGS TO DO It’s our weekly round-up, and we may have missed some things, so apologies! If you have something you’d like in … Continue reading THINGS TO DO IN THE MOUNT DESERT ISLAND REGION THIS WEEK
ON THE AGENDA: Town & School Meetings This Week.
It’s our round up of upcoming government meetings. All are public. That means you can go and be involved. Carrie Jones Jan 05, 2026 Every week we document the Mount Desert Island region’s government and school meetings that we know of. Please let us know if we’ve missed something. Also, sometimes things on the town and school calendars are cancelled or rescheduled, so make sure … Continue reading ON THE AGENDA: Town & School Meetings This Week.
Debate Over Harbor Pilots Rekindled as CAT Ferry Hopes for Regulatory Change
Maine Commission May Hear Request to Exempt Bar Harbor Ferry From Pilotage Rules Carrie Jones Jan 04, 2026 BAR HARBOR—In a December 31 memo to the Maine Pilotage Commission, Bay Ferries Unlimited President Mark Wilson requested a discussion about LD 1477, which is “An Act to Provide an Exemption from Pilotage Requirements for Passenger Ferry Service Between Bar Harbor, Maine and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.” Bay Ferries Request … Continue reading Debate Over Harbor Pilots Rekindled as CAT Ferry Hopes for Regulatory Change
Letter From a Reader
Robert “Bobby” Papazian Carrie Jones Jan 04, 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 … Continue reading Letter From a Reader
People We’ve Lost
Helen A. Gardner. Joyce Elaine Poole. Jan 04, 2026 Note: “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 of $500 for people mourning. We’re free. … Continue reading People We’ve Lost
Flu Is Spreading Fast in Maine. Here’s What Health Officials Say to Watch For
Carrie Jones Jan 03, 2026 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Acadia Shops. MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—Earlier this week, the Mount Desert Island Hospital said it was “seeing an increase in Influenza A (flu) cases in our community over the past several weeks.” The hospital said a few precautions can help reduce people’s risk of illness and decrease the spread of the virus. “Be aware … Continue reading Flu Is Spreading Fast in Maine. Here’s What Health Officials Say to Watch For
Maine Will Start Tracking How Much Housing Is Being Built in the State
by Kathleen O’Brien/Bangor Daily News MAINE—Maine’s largest city approved more than 1,300 new units of housing in 2025 — but only 159 homes were actually built in the last year. That information is available on a housing dashboard operated by Portland’s Department of Planning and Urban Development. The webpage shows how many homes were approved and completed each year dating back to 2010. Next year, that same information … Continue reading Maine Will Start Tracking How Much Housing Is Being Built in the State