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Cruise Ship Ballot Question Recount Moves Forward Portia Judson Honored, Reward for Illegal Deer Death on MDI, Comprehensive Plan Event, and other briefs
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Briefs: Sidman Denied Intervenor Status in Golden Anchor L.C. Case Against Bar Harbor

Press releases: Alice McDermott Promoted, Lambing Workshop, Acadia Trad!, Tarot Card for the SPCA and much more Carrie Jones Jan 11, 2025 A Quick Note From Us: Each week, we compile briefs and press releases and event images and share them all in one (sometimes very long) story. Our briefs article is mostly just press releases that we don’t write, or claim to write, but just … Continue reading Briefs: Sidman Denied Intervenor Status in Golden Anchor L.C. Case Against Bar Harbor

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Town Hill Housing Project Inching Forward Two-thirds of Acadia's workforce can't afford to buy a home within hour of park
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Town Hill Housing Project Inching Forward

Two-thirds of Acadia’s workforce can’t afford to buy a home within hour of park Shaun Farrar Dec 18, 2024 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Window Panes Home and Garden. TOWN HILL—Within the last six months, Acadia National Park (ANP) conducted a survey that showed that two-thirds of its year-round workforce can’t afford to buy a home within an hour’s drive of the … Continue reading Town Hill Housing Project Inching Forward

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Half Price Park Passes May Be in Short Supply This Year Shaun Farrar Dec 06, 2024 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by First National Bank. ACADIA NATIONAL PARK—If you have been putting off purchasing your half price Acadia National Park annual pass this month, you may want to get it done. Soon. Acadia National Park holds the distinction of being the only national park to sell its annual pass at a lower price in December. This year, as in years past, the annual pass is sold at half price during the month of December. However, this year there are less annual passes available than normal. “Each year, the park orders a set number of annual entrance passes specific to Acadia National Park, which are valid for the calendar year. The number of annual entrance passes that we order is an estimate of what we are likely to sell. The annual entrance pass costs $70, except in December when it costs $35,” said Acadia National Park Management Assistant John Kelly. Last year, the park increased the price of an annual entrance pass from $55 to $70. Because of that price hike, according to Kelly, “we anticipated visitors would opt to purchase the America the Beautiful—The National Parks and Federal Lands Annual Pass since it costs $80 but provides access to more than 2,000 recreation areas managed by six federal agencies.” That rationale may not have taken into account the thousands of local residents in Hancock County and beyond who may not be planning to visit any national park other than Acadia National Park. AVAILABLE PASSES AND WHERE YOU CAN BUY THEM via NPS/Acadia National Park In 2023 the park had approximately 7,400 passes available for the month of December and the rest of 2024. The park sold approximately 600 of those passes and third party vendors sold approximately 4,100. However, the park ended up having 2,700 unsold by the end of the year. This year, the park has adjusted and reduced the number of annual passes available to a total of 3,200. Those 3,200 passes can be accounted for in the following manner as of the beginning of December. Acadia National Park has kept 1,200 for park sales. Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center received 800. Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce received 500. Harbor House, selling for the Southwest Harbor/Tremont Chamber of Commerce, received 100. Town of Gouldsboro (selling from town office) received 100. Town of Tremont (selling from town office) received 100. That leaves 400 passes remaining and only if all of the third party sellers for this year have been captured above. HOW THEY ARE SELLING As of approximately 4 p.m., December 5, the Harbor House had two passes left to sell and was awaiting more from the park. As of approximately 5 p.m., December 5, the Tremont Town Office had 38 passes left to sell but had not requested any more yet. As of approximately 9:30 a.m., December 6, the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center had approximately 550 passes left to sell. As of Approximately 4 p.m., December 5, both the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce and the Gouldsboro Town Office stated that their passes were selling well but didn’t have exact numbers. You can purchase a discounted annual park pass at the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center at the corner of Main Street and Cottage Street, in Bar Harbor, until 10 p.m. tonight, Friday, December 6, and during regular business hours. They will be there until the end of December or until there are no more cards available, whichever comes first. NEW THIRD-PARTY SELLER AGREEMENT The National Park Service instituted a new third-party seller agreement this year and a couple of towns that traditionally sell the passes in December were caught off guard. The new policy requires third-parties (such as a town or a chamber of commerce) to sell passes all year in order to participate in the discounted program that occurs in December. The towns of Mount Desert and Winter Harbor, both of whom have historically sold park passes during December, were not able to get the agreements signed in time to sell discounted passes this year due to communication snafus. Mount Desert expects to begin selling passes year round this coming year and have discounted passes available again next December. 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! Subscribed Thanks for reading Bar Harbor Story ! This post is public so feel free to share it. Share 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. To support The Story If you’d like to sponsor the Bar Harbor Story, you can! Learn more here.
acadia national park

Half Price Park Passes May Be in Short Supply This Year

Shaun Farrar Dec 06, 2024 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by First National Bank. ACADIA NATIONAL PARK—If you have been putting off purchasing your half price Acadia National Park annual pass this month, you may want to get it done. Soon. Acadia National Park holds the distinction of being the only national park to sell its annual pass at a lower price in … Continue reading Half Price Park Passes May Be in Short Supply This Year

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The Broad Vision for Bar Harbor's Future Comprehensive Plan Presented
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The Broad Vision for Bar Harbor’s Future

Comprehensive Plan Presented Carrie Jones Nov 24, 2024 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Side Street Cafe’s New Year’s Eve Party. BAR HARBOR—The Bar Harbor Comprehensive Plan is over 100 pages long and years in the making. If you include the data and the other reports that helped to create it? The page count tops over 700 pages. It’s been state approved, found … Continue reading The Broad Vision for Bar Harbor’s Future

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Hospital Hopes to Discontinue Stanwood Place Sanctuary community thoughts, potential changes to land use ordinance, and other Bar Harbor Town Council discussions Carrie Jones Nov 21, 2024 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Swan Agency Real Estate. BAR HARBOR—Mount Desert Island Hospital is asking that Stanwood Place, a small road in the hospital’s downtown campus be discontinued as a town road. The ask is part of the hospital’s expansion plans. The road extends from Main Street toward the building. Mount Desert Island Hospital hopes to expand and modernize its main Bar Harbor campus, including its emergency department, planning to begin work in 2025 on a 42,600-square-foot expansion. The plans would triple the emergency department’s current footprint to 10,524 square feet along with other improvements. That expansion would allow for 16 care spaces, numerous triage areas, better airflow (to reduce potential for infectious airborne disease spread), and more patient rooms. via Zillow via hospital application earlier this year On Tuesday, November 19, the Bar Harbor Town Council took the first step in that road discontinuance process, which will include a public hearing. How roads are discontinued is ruled by state statue, and, in this case, also town rules. A road in Trenton similarly just underwent the same process. When a town discontinues a road, it returns to the abutting property owners. For Stanwood Place, the only abutting property owner is the hospital, said Town Manager James Smith. Councilor Matthew Hochman asked about potential payment from the hospital for the swap, since the hospital is gaining land from the town. The town felt that the swap was in the greater interest of the site and the hospital agreed to close a curb cut on Main Street, which means that the town gained an additional parking space. This, Smith said, made it seem an even swap. The council voted 6-1 in favor of the process. Hochman voted against. GRANTS, STUDIES, AND APPOINTMENTS Smith said that the town has started a transfer station facility study, which will likely have findings back in December or January. The target signs on some buildings on Cottage Street are part of comprehensive detailed survey work and data collection. Those findings will be presented in spring. The Harbormaster is working toward a state grant for the ferry terminal project, which then might open federal funds for the demo work at the Route 3 site, which is a step toward a boat launch and potential marina. The town has applied for an EPA Brownfield grant for the YMCA property on Park Street, and should know in April if that has been approved. Kathy St. Germain was appointed to the planning board. Larry Sweet was appointed to the high school board of trustees to fill a vacancy. The councilors approved an order that memorializes the language that had been discussed and was funded in the last budget for police officers’ and dispatchers’ retirement plans. They also approved the reimbursement payout plans for health reimbursements, following the IRS guidelines on that benefit. SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DATA WORK Public Works Director Bethany Leavitt said the town is collecting data about the town’s carrying capacity, focusing on areas served by existing utility structure. “We’re really looking at the maximum capacity available” for future growth and capacity, Leavitt said. To do so, the town will look at capacity indicators to determine what that maximum capacity is, Leavitt said. When that is complete, they’ll also be able to look at the change over time. “It’s basically to define the carrying capacity so that we can assess the sustainability of growth and expansion,” in the town and then use that information to make data-driven decisions, Leavitt said. It will also help prioritize the infrastructure projects. Christian Gilbert, the water division’s office manager, has said it was about looking at the past and how to entertain changes in the future. Smith said the work is an outgrowth of prior council workshops and the recent League of Town meeting about the island’s carrying capacity and sustainability. “We’re trying to be proactive at this point to go and get this data to establish a baseline,” Smith said. PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT SANCTUARY CITIES During public comment, Anna Durand worried about the potential deportation of immigrants under the upcoming Trump presidency and how will Bar Harbor will react. “I hope you will think ahead to the coming executive orders that will try to ban sanctuary communities like ours,” Durand said. Durand addressed Smith about preparations for the town to mitigate the potential loss of funding for line items in its budget. She also addressed Police Chief David Kerns, saying, “You may well worry about morale on the force when your officers are required to participate in separating family members from each other and their homes and employment.” Her comments came as many immigration rights groups in Maine have publicly expressed concern for potential changes to immigration law and policy. Maine Public writes that President-Elect Donald Trump has said on social media that “he would declare a national emergency and seek to mobilize the military to carry out that plan.” In 2017, after a citizens’ petition, Mount Desert voters declared 101-59 that the town would be a “sanctuary community.” The non-binding resolution hoped to “protect the independence of our local law enforcement by refusing to require police or town employees to serve as enforcers of federal immigration law.” It was the first town in Maine to do so. That same year, Bar Harbor residents voted 351-62 to support declaring the town a sanctuary community. Also in public comment, Enoch Albert spoke positively about the map created for the town’s safety plan, Safe Streets for All. The map allows people to input worries and safety concerns on Bar Harbor’s streets. Though the online plan has closed for input, the map at the main level of the town’s municipal building on Cottage Street will be available for input through early or mid December, according to Hailey Bondy, staff planner, Wednesday night. FINANCIAL REPORT The town is four months into the town budget for the fiscal year and revenues are at 41%, which Finance Director Sarah Gilbert said was favorable. The Conners-Emerson permits and the harbor revenues were higher than expected. Parking is just under $3.3 million net of fees. “There are no anomalies at this point,” Gilbert said. For expenditures, the town is at 30%. Legal is trending higher, seasonal ground maintenance and cleaning services, YMCA and Jesup payments have all contributed. The town is currently at 103% of its budgeted town attorney fees. PLANNING DEPARTMENT Planning Director Michele Gagnon gave a quick summary of the six potential land use amendments that her department is working on. Those include striking the term “grandfathering” from the town’s land use ordinance and tweaking the Salisbury Cove setback along Route 3 from 150 feet to 75, to conform with a neighboring district. Other potential changes involve registry of deed notification, phasing approvals, adding language about capacity for projects, and language involving campgrounds, multi-family units as well as registration requirements for owner-occupied short-term rentals (VR-1). “The amendment would modify the definitions of campground and individual private campsite and add a definition of temporary camping vehicles,” Gagnon wrote in a November 14 memo to the council. “It would also add and/or amend the standards for the three uses. It would allow individual private campsites in the resource protection, shoreland limited residential, and stream protection districts, and would allow the new use, temporary camping vehicles, in 24 of the 40 districts.” The changes to short-term rentals were also explained in the memo. “The amendment would remove the transition clause that was needed when we placed a cap on VR-2s. It takes the ‘length of stay’ out of the definitions and gives it its own section. It redefines the definition of ‘primary residence.’ It places the ‘determination of residency’ in Chapter 174, short-term rental registrations,” Gagnon wrote. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilors Earl Brechlin, Hochman, and Joe Minutolo, as well as Chair Valerie Peacock thanked the election staff. Brechlin also thanked the planning staff for the work on the residency requirements for VR1s. Councilor Kyle Shank said that the way we speak to each others matters. In the past couple of months, he said, the way people speak to each other, doesn’t make people feel deeply positive about the community. Hochman mentioned the Conners Emerson Schools’ groundbreaking. He invited people to the production of Chicago! at the high school and Vice Chair Gary Friedmann thanked the people who voted for him to legislature. Friedmann will be sworn in on December 4 and he may have to zoom in to council meetings. Minutolo congratulated departing Code Enforcement Officer Angela Chamberlain on her new position in Tremont and said she’d be missed. Peacock said she went to the Conners Emerson tree planting. She thanked all the town staff for their continuous care and work. LINKS TO LEARN MORE Read the packet Watch the discussion A NOTE FROM US This is Carrie and Shaun, and as you’ve probably noticed, we’ve been working hard at the Bar Harbor Story, providing local news in a way that keeps you informed, but also embraces and promotes community and the good that is within it. We take so much time—just the two of us, with a special needs kid that has to be homeschooled—to cover our island community’s (plus, Trenton) local news in a way that’s timely, daily, and remembers that underneath the news . . . there are people who are our neighbors. We are working hard to get the news out there—for free—for everyone. But it’s taking its toll on our family financially and honestly, sometimes, emotionally, because frontline local news in a small community? It’s hard. Most media isn’t local (even when it claims it is). Most media has paywalls and advertisers. We don’t. That’s not a smart financial decision for us. It’s a moral one. And we’re going to try to do it for as long as we can because we’re local, we’re passionate, and we’re all about getting the news to everyone—no paywalls. Richard Stengel, writing in The Atlantic, said, "Paywalls create a two-tiered system: credible, fact-based information for people who are willing to pay for it, and murkier, less-reliable information for everyone else. Simply put, paywalls get in the way of informing the public, which is the mission of journalism.” As a paper that is owned and staffed by locals, we make every attempt to gather all of the facts for our readers, information that might not be part of the main story and/or information that may not be known even to our towns’ officials, but is still just as important, if not more important, to the story. We currently have over 3,000 subscribers, the vast majority of them free, with over 230,000 article reads every month. Every one of our stories is opened at least 2,000 times. Most are opened well over that amount. To continue to provide you with fact based, non-editorialized news, we really need your support! If you’d like to support us or subscribe? It would mean the world to us, and to the Bar Harbor Story! There are a few ways to do that: You can send us a one-time support via this link here. It will say “Carrie Jones Books” because that’s what our PayPal account is through. You can become a paid subscriber here or here. Your business or nonprofit can sponsor the Bar Harbor Story with a banner ad. More information on that is here. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR COMMITMENT TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY Bar Harbor Story is mostly a self-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thank you for being here with us and caring about our community, too! Subscribed Thanks for reading Bar Harbor Story ! This post is public so feel free to share it. Share If you’d like to donate to help support us, you can, but no pressure! Just click here. If you’d like to sponsor the Bar Harbor Story, you can! Learn more here.
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Hospital Hopes to Discontinue Stanwood Place

Sanctuary community thoughts, potential changes to land use ordinance, and other Bar Harbor Town Council discussions Carrie Jones Nov 21, 2024 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Swan Agency Real Estate. BAR HARBOR—Mount Desert Island Hospital is asking that Stanwood Place, a small road in the hospital’s downtown campus be discontinued as a town road. The ask is part of the hospital’s expansion plans. … Continue reading Hospital Hopes to Discontinue Stanwood Place

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More Visitations Than The Fourth? Acadia National Park Breaks Daily Visitation Record
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More Visitations Than The Fourth?

Acadia National Park Breaks Daily Visitation Record Carrie Jones Oct 30, 2024 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Gary Friedmann for State Representative. ACADIA NATIONAL PARK—The record-breaking number for visits at Acadia National Park on the October 12 holiday weekend are more than just numbers, according to the park’s Public Affairs Officer Amanda Pollock. They have nuance. They have impact. And they tell … Continue reading More Visitations Than The Fourth?

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Majestic Maine Mansion Hosts Community Day During Season's Last Hurrah Bar Harbor Historical Society Welcomes Community, Honors Volunteers
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Majestic Maine Mansion Hosts Community Day During Season’s Last Hurrah

Bar Harbor Historical Society Welcomes Community, Honors Volunteers Carrie Jones Oct 28, 2024 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Paradis Ace Hardware. MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—This year, the Bar Harbor Historical Society welcomed thousands to learn about the history of Bar Harbor or participate in an event. That season ended with a bang during the society’s Community Day on Saturday, where the society welcomed … Continue reading Majestic Maine Mansion Hosts Community Day During Season’s Last Hurrah

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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.
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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 Oct 28, 2024 Share Every week we document Bar Harbor, MDI, and Trenton government and school meetings that we know of. Please let us know if we’ve missed something. Also, sometimes things are on the town calendars and are cancelled or rescheduled, so make … Continue reading ON THE AGENDA: Town & School Meetings This Week

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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.
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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 Oct 21, 2024 Every week we document Bar Harbor, MDI, and Trenton government and school meetings that we know of. Please let us know if we’ve missed something. Also, sometimes things are on the town calendars and are cancelled or rescheduled, so make sure … Continue reading ON THE AGENDA: Town & School Meetings This Week

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CAT Hosted More Riders This Season
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CAT Hosted More Riders This Season

Oct 19, 2024 Share by Bill Trotter/Bangor Daily News BAR HARBOR—After facing a series of challenges over several years, the CAT ferry in Bar Harbor has wrapped up a third season of increased ridership and stability. The ferry service to Canada, which was once the only major marine operation in town before the cruise industry began to grow in the 1990s, saw its usage increase roughly … Continue reading CAT Hosted More Riders This Season

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