Tag: mount desert island local news

Island Happenings: Retirement Parties, Water Bill Extensions, Food Pantry Housewarmings Shore to Summit: News releases from around the MDI region
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Island Happenings: Retirement Parties, Water Bill Extensions, Food Pantry Housewarmings

Shore to Summit: News releases from around the MDI region Carrie Jones Aug 08, 2025 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Acadia Shops. 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. You may have to click through to read it all Our briefs article is mostly … Continue reading Island Happenings: Retirement Parties, Water Bill Extensions, Food Pantry Housewarmings

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Bar Harbor Planning Board Chair Worries Delay in Moratorium Presentation Takes Time Away from Board's Housing Work
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Bar Harbor Planning Board Chair Worries Delay in Moratorium Presentation Takes Time Away from Board’s Housing Work

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Thrive Juice Bar & Kitchen. BAR HARBOR—The Bar Harbor Planning Board Chair Millard Dority, August 6, expressed frustration that the board has not yet had a presentation about the town’s infrastructure capacity in relation to the ongoing lodging moratorium and worried that it’s delaying their ability to focus on ways to look for more housing opportunities for … Continue reading Bar Harbor Planning Board Chair Worries Delay in Moratorium Presentation Takes Time Away from Board’s Housing Work

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Bar Harbor Town Offices Closed After Network Breach
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Bar Harbor Town Office Continues Assessing Data Breach That Led to Town Office Shut Down

Town Manager Lauds “Swift and Coordinated Action to Secure Municipal Infrastructure.” Carrie Jones Aug 01, 2025 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Thrive Juice Bar & Kitchen. BAR HARBOR—Bar Harbor Town Manager James Smith has issued a press release Friday, August 1, about the town’s data breach this week. The release does not explicitly say if the town office will reopen August 4. “Following the cybersecurity … Continue reading Bar Harbor Town Office Continues Assessing Data Breach That Led to Town Office Shut Down

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A Town Woven Together: Mount Desert Clerk Wins Regional Award for Quilt-Inspired Poster Carrie Jones Jul 23, 2025 Claire Woolfolk with her winning poster of Mount Desert The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Swan Agency Real Estate. MOUNT DESERT—The Town of Mount Desert, led by Town Clerk Claire Woolfolk took top prize at NEMCI & A (New England Municipal Clerk Institute and Academy) regional competition. The prize wasn’t for best budget, beautiful views, or anything like that. It was for an interactive poster. This, however, wasn’t just any poster. It was art created by Woolfolk via knowledge and quilt squares and it represented not just the Town of Mount Desert, but the community and the places and people who have comprised its history and some who still are. ”The assignment was for year-one students to make a poster representing ourselves and our municipality,” Woolfolk explained Tuesday. “Since I'm a quilter, I chose nine locations/points of interest and used 16 people throughout the town's history as the cornerstones.” When she presented the quilt-poster to the selectboard during its meeting July 21, there were ohs, ahs, and sighs of appreciation. Some board members left their seats to peer more closely at the art. “Claire is a talented artist, as you see from the poster she created,” Town Manager Durlin Lunt said Wednesday. “She creates images in her mind before transposing them to a physical form for all to enjoy. Her preferred medium involves sewing and quilting, but she could create visual art using any materials of her choosing.” The poster is interactive. You unclip it to expose the entire piece. “The program is the NEMCI (New England Municipal Clerk Institute, a regional group of the six New England states of municipal clerks). The program is an intensive three-year training. Each year consists of 22 two-hour classes in six days,” Woolfolk said. Mount Desert won first place in the regional competition, placing first out of thirty students from six New England states. “NEMCI and other regional or national governmental professional organizations are an important component of municipal professional development. Town of Mount Desert Department Heads are always encouraged to be active in,” Lunt said. “We can learn so much from our peer groups and educate their members as well through sharing best practices. Claire enthusiastically avails herself of such opportunities.” It’s a lot of work, which Woolfolk is used to. She’s worked in the Mount Desert clerk’s office since 2010, beginning as an assistant clerk and by 2015, she was the head clerk for the town. A town clerk makes sure that town’s records are kept and that its elections are safe and secure. “I've been wanting to make a quilt for the town for years and decided to take this opportunity. It was a rewarding assignment and I learned a lot about the people who built this community and the accomplishments that make it such a special place,” Woolfolk said. Woolfolk made the entire poster herself. She’s quick to point out, however, “I had input from some of our residents, co-workers and the MDI Historical Society.” The quilt features figures like Dorothy Renault and Joseph Curtis, Karol Hagberg and Stephen Smith and iconic places such as Thuya Gardens, the Somesville Bridge, and the Fish House in Otter Creek. There is extensive narrative to go along with the deftly created images. She’ll complete the quilt for good in the future. She might change out a few blocks as well. Photos: Shaun Farrar/Bar Harbor Story ABOUT NEMCI&A The New England Municipal Clerks' Institute & Academy (NEMCI&A) is an intensive program of continuing professional education for those in attendance. The purpose is to assist Clerks in developing and maintaining the high level of administrative expertise needed for the successful operation of increasingly complex municipal governments. Population changes, increased municipal responsibilities and extensive social and legislative changes have increased both the difficulty and importance of the clerk's function. With increased responsibility comes a need for professional education to aid the municipal clerk in acquiring the necessary new skills and knowledge, while developing and strengthening those already in use. Over 500 cities and towns have sent clerks to the New England Municipal Clerks' Institute and Academy. The Following Two Images are Paid Content From The Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Thanking Its Sponsors and Partners for Independence Day MOUNT DESERT 365 CURRENT JOB POSTINGS: All postings can be accessed here. Director of Development for Camp Beech Cliff Director of Finance for Camp Beech Cliff Place-based Class Teacher: Grades 3-5 for The Community School Chief Financial Officer for Land & Garden Preserve Chief Operating Officer for Land & Garden Preserve Gardener - Thuya Garden for Land & Garden Preserve Groundskeeper - Thuya Garden for Land & Garden Preserve Head Grower for Land & Garden Preserve Public Works Office Coordinator for the Town of Mount Desert Town Manager for the Town of Mount Desert Registered Community Health Nurse for Mount Desert Nursing Association (Part Time) Caretaker for Seaside United Church of Christ CLERK JOBS THROUGHOUT NEW ENGLAND Principal Office Assistant - Finance/Town Clerk Yarmouth, MA View Ad Assistant Town Clerk Town of Branford, CT View Ad City Clerk/Clerk of the Council City of Newton View Ad Election Supervisor City of Newton View Ad 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 reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thanks for being here with us and being part of our community, too! 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. Leave a comment THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR COMMUNITY
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A Town Woven Together: Mount Desert Clerk Wins Regional Award for Quilt-Inspired Poster

Carrie Jones Jul 23, 2025 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Swan Agency Real Estate. MOUNT DESERT—The Town of Mount Desert, led by Town Clerk Claire Woolfolk took top prize at NEMCI & A (New England Municipal Clerk Institute and Academy) regional competition. The prize wasn’t for best budget, beautiful views, or anything like that. It was for an interactive poster. This, however, wasn’t just any … Continue reading A Town Woven Together: Mount Desert Clerk Wins Regional Award for Quilt-Inspired Poster

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Bar Harbor Council Doesn't Reappoint Appeals Board Vice Chair Council approves other appointments, housing licenses, and a sandwich board sign. Carrie Jones Jul 16, 2025 Bar Harbor Story file photo. The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The 1932 Criterion Theatre. BAR HARBOR—The Bar Harbor Town Council’s nomination process had a bit of a hitch, July 15. Cara Ryan, who had been the appeals board vice chair, was nominated to the appeals board, but the motion failed 3-4. Mike Siklosi was reappointed as an associate member. There was no discussion on Ryan’s nomination. Council Chair Valerie Peacock, Vice Chair Maya Caines, Steven Boucher, and Joe Minutolo voted against. Councilors Earl Brechlin, David Kief, and Randell Sprague voted in favor. In Bar Harbor, applicants for boards, task forces, and committees submit their application and are then interviewed by a three-member nominating committee comprised of town councilors. The committee then brings its nominees before the council. Current nominating committee members are Boucher, Kief, and Sprague. Past town councils have not appointed nominees before. Ryan was first appointed after a split vote over the nomination committee’s nominee. In 2022 Nathan Young was up for the board of appeals and had been approved 2-0 by the nominations committee. However, Peacock nominated Ryan during that 2022 meeting. The council voted 4-3 in favor of Ryan. There was no discussion at that meeting either. Appeals Board members per town website. “I was surprised and a little disappointed, but also relieved,” Ryan said after the decision. “I've been feeling I've become a target on this board because I've spoken out in the past on various important town issues that have found their way into appeals. That was never my reason for volunteering to serve on this particular board, but since it's become a distraction, I hesitated to re-apply. I asked the town clerk just before the deadline if anyone else had applied. Hearing no, and knowing we still had another vacancy, I left my application in.” Ryan said that during the nominations committee interview she was asked about two things and neither felt appropriate. One was about the town’s current moratorium on lodging, she said. “I wasn't sure whether I should answer that at all: aren't appeals board members supposed to be neutral? Yet here I was in the interview being asked my opinion. The second was details about the ethics complaint filed against me by Eben Salvatore and council discussion of which was accidentally broadcast via a hot mic in an executive session. I was asked details about that whole history and though again shocked by the question (since I've been told it's supposed to be confidential), I was as transparent as I could be,” Ryan said. “I tried really hard to be impartial in my work on this board. Apparently, it wasn't enough for some councilors.” There has been an ethics complaint in the town against Ryan about her participation in an appeals board case relating to cruise ship disembarkations. The cruise ship changes, approved twice by voters, though more narrowly the second time, have created multiple lawsuits, costing the town more than a million dollars. One of those suits specifically involves the town’s ethics commission and its handling of the complaint against Ryan. In March, the Bar Harbor Town Council had accidentally broadcast an executive session (which is meant to be private per Maine law) where members discussed that alleged ethics violation by Ryan and the complaint related to it. Ryan was not at the session. Her name was not meant to be public record nor was the person who made the complaint. Ryan had previously recused herself from a December appeals board discussion about the Golden Anchor LC because of that ethics complaint. The Golden Anchor runs the Harborside Hotel. The Harborside Hotel has been disputing the town’s new requirements that it have a disembarkation permit for cruise ship tenders. Ryan had participated in a November meeting concerning the Golden Anchor’s permitting dispute when the Golden Anchor’s attorney had missed a submission deadline. The original conflict of interest worry was because Ryan had been asked to be a witness in the case against the town and received a $100 witness fee. She did not, however, get called to testify and gave that $100 to Charles Sidman’s GoFundMe campaign. That GoFundMe campaign by the lead petitioner of the cruise ship changes was to help him with legal fees. Since March, the issuer of that ethics complaint, Eben Salvatore, has filed in Hancock County Superior Court against the town. That filing occurred in April and is now public record. All other nominations passed unanimously. Peter Scott was appointed to the board of assessment review. Rob Jordan and Davis Taylor snagged seats on the conservation commission. Micala Delapierre and Kaitlyn Mullen were reappointed to the harbor committee. Chris Petersen and Joanna Fogg were reappointed to the marine resources committee. Lydia Styles joined them. Ann Tikkanen was reappointed as the YMCA representative for the parks & recreation committee. Because Boucher disclosed that he is on the YMCA board, he recused himself and the council unanimously voted that he had a conflict of interest. Clark Stivers and John Seavitt were reappointed to the planning board. The town’s task force on the climate emergency gained Annabel Curry. HOUSING LICENSES The councilors renewed the license for employee living quarters on 119 Eden Street and a shared accommodations license for 278 Main Street. The first is for Witham Family employees. The second is associated with Project Social. Brechlin asked about parking requirements for the licenses. “I have a question. I talked to some of the residents down there on the street and they talk about parking and I didn’t know how much parking was provided on the lot where these folks live,” Brechlin asked. Code Enforcement Officer Michael Gurtler said the licensee meets all the requirements for the license. “This certainly, actually, kind of points out some of things we’re looking at with the moratorium with employee living quarters and adequate parking. Residents tell me of cars that don’t move for a week or more at a time down there,” Brechlin said. “There’s just a lot of cars, not a lot of churn.” The moratorium is a pause on multiple types of lodging uses, but not shared accommodations and employee living quarters, which are considered housing. During the moratorium process, the town is collecting data on current building uses, town infrastructure and services use, and traffic congestion. The types of lodgings that fall under the moratorium Kief said he had a conflict of interest because he was an abutter with the property at 278 Main Street. “It’s a parking conflict.” The council unanimously agreed Kief had a conflict of interest. Once recused, his concerns, he said, were mentioned by Brechlin. BLACK FRIAR INN GETS A SANDWICH BOARD SIGN The Black Friar Inn, which is behind the Pathmaker Hotel and abuts the town’s municipal building, asked for a small sandwich board sign on Cottage Street, pointing people to its business at 10 Summer Street. Deborah Vickers, one of the Black Friar Inn and Pub, said, “We’d just like the opportunity to support our business since we’ve been completely blocked off.” She said the sign wouldn’t impede foot traffic, visual line of sight, and could be removed every night. “We would love to be able to do this. It has an impact on us—not being seen directly from the road,” Vickers said. Vickers said they’d pay the town for the use and the approved council order authorizes the town manager, or designee, “to negotiate and execute a one-year lease agreement with the tenant, including but not limited to setting lease terms, rates, and conditions.” Minutolo worried that the sign would be too low for people to see. Vickers said that they’ve had a trial period, approved by the town, and the results were immediate. “We definitely see an impact. We don’t want a big sign. We don’t want to be obnoxious,” she said. Peacock said there wasn’t any perimeters or policy about how town land can be used. While it feels okay on a request by request basis, she worries that there are currently no ways for the town to think about it more comprehensively. She wants the town to figure that out. TOWN ACCEPTS STATE GRANT AND ENGAGES AUDITOR The council accepted a Maine Department of Public Safety grant for medical screenings for MDI first responders. The town also engaged James W. Wadman, CPA firm to perform the annual audit for Fiscal Year 2025. COUNCIL COMMENTS During councilor comments at the end of the meeting, Minutolo said he never sees anyone get tickets for speeding and would like enforcement stepped up. “It’s nothing against the police force,” Minutolo said and thought that everyone was doing a good job but that there needs to be more traffic calming efforts. Other councilors thanked the town for its efforts for the Fourth of July. The Fourth of July events were supported by the town’s police, fire, and ambulance departments as well as public works, but hosted by the Bar Harbor Chamber Commerce and Bar Harbor (MDI) Rotary, the MDI YMCA, and sponsored by local businesses and Rotary. Many of the events use the town property. LINKS TO LEARN MORE To watch the meeting Council packet JOBS IN BAR HARBOR TOWN GOVERNMENT Highway Division-Equipment Operator Posted April 7, 2024 4:30 AM | Open Until Filled GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY The primary responsibility of an Equipment Operator position is the operation and routine maintenance of heavy equipment: backhoes, loaders, graders... Full Description Maintenance Worker Posted April 7, 2024 4:31 PM | Open Until Filled GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY The primary responsibility of the position is to support all manners of operation and maintenance of the highway and parks and recreation facilities... Full Description Mechanic Posted April 2, 2025 | Open Until Filled OVERVIEW The Mechanic positions primarily serve the Highway, Parks and Recreation, and Transfer Station work areas of the Public Works Department, but also maintain the... Full Description Patrol Officer Posted February 20, 2024 9:00 PM | Open Until Filled Nature of Work: A Police Officer is responsible for the prevention and repression of crime, ensuring the safety of inhabitants and visitors, and maintaining the security of... Full Description Solid Waste Foreman Posted November 21, 2023 9:04 PM | Open Until Filled Job Posting: Solid Waste Foreman - Transfer Station Organization: Town of Bar Harbor Department of Public Works Primary Work Area: Solid Waste/Transfer Station Job... Full Description Water Superintendent Posted April 15, 2025 | Open Until Filled GENERAL PURPOSE The Water Superintendent is responsible for the overall operation, maintenance and construction activities of the Water Division while ensuring compliance... Full Description 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 reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thanks for being here with us and being part of our community, too! 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. Leave a comment THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR COMMUNITY
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Bar Harbor Council Doesn’t Reappoint Appeals Board Vice Chair

Council approves other appointments, housing licenses, and a sandwich board sign. Carrie Jones Jul 16, 2025 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The 1932 Criterion Theatre. BAR HARBOR—The Bar Harbor Town Council’s nomination process had a bit of a hitch, July 15. Cara Ryan, who had been the appeals board vice chair, was nominated to the appeals board, but the motion failed 3-4. … Continue reading Bar Harbor Council Doesn’t Reappoint Appeals Board Vice Chair

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The Bar Harbor Music Festival Wants You to Find Your "Elixir of Love" in Music
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The Bar Harbor Music Festival Wants You to Find Your “Elixir of Love” in Music

Shaun Farrar Jul 10, 2025 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Ironbound Restaurant – Inn – Gatherings. BAR HARBOR—It can have a powerful effect on your mood and emotions. It can communicate love, hate, or anything in between. It can make your body move in ways that, intentionally or not, can seem beautiful and peaceful, animalistic and primal, or all of those at … Continue reading The Bar Harbor Music Festival Wants You to Find Your “Elixir of Love” in Music

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From a Drug Store Shelf to More Than 130 Years of Stories: Southwest Harbor Officially Celebrates its Library Library Week Proclaimed for Southwest Harbor’s 130th
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From a Drug Store Shelf to More Than 130 Years of Stories: Southwest Harbor Officially Celebrates its Library

Library Week Proclaimed for Southwest Harbor’s 130th Carrie Jones Jul 10, 2025 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Links Pub. SOUTHWEST HARBOR—Sometimes a library begins with an idea and a woman with a passion for writing and reading and learning. And sometimes . . . sometimes it even begins in a drug store. That’s how it was with Southwest Harbor’s Public Library. … Continue reading From a Drug Store Shelf to More Than 130 Years of Stories: Southwest Harbor Officially Celebrates its Library

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She Plants Stories So Others Can Plant Trees: Florence Reed and the Power of “We” ‘Roots of Renewal’ Film Shares the How Small-Scale Farms Are Reshaping the Planet's Future
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She Plants Stories So Others Can Plant Trees: Florence Reed and the Power of “We”

‘Roots of Renewal’ Film Shares the How Small-Scale Farms Are Reshaping the Planet’s Future Carrie Jones Jun 05, 2025 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Thrive Juice Bar & Kitchen. BAR HARBOR—When Florence Reed was a little girl climbing trees in New Hampshire, breathing in the forest air, spying on the adults nearby and dreaming of things, she may not have explicitly realized … Continue reading She Plants Stories So Others Can Plant Trees: Florence Reed and the Power of “We”

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Fifty Warrant Articles in Fifty-One Minutes Tremont makes quick work of its annual town meeting and how you can get involved
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Fifty Warrant Articles in Fifty-One Minutes

Tremont makes quick work of its annual town meeting and how you can get involved Shaun Farrar May 14, 2025 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Paradis Ace Hardware. TREMONT—On Tuesday, May 13, the Town of Tremont held its annual town meeting, approving 50 warrant articles that included the school budget, municipal budget, and miscellaneous municipal articles including land use ordinance amendments with … Continue reading Fifty Warrant Articles in Fifty-One Minutes

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Steel Tariffs Could Impact New Bar Harbor School Construction Future of 40 Eden Street, adjacent properties, and lodging moratorium discussed
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Steel Tariffs Could Impact New Bar Harbor School Construction

Future of 40 Eden Street, adjacent properties, and lodging moratorium discussed Carrie Jones Feb 11, 2025 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Witham Family Hotels Charitable Fund. BAR HARBOR—Tariffs on Canadian steel could potentially increase the cost to the Conners Emerson School rebuild, a multi-million dollar project that voters approved a $58 million bond for in June 2023. On Tuesday, February 10, President … Continue reading Steel Tariffs Could Impact New Bar Harbor School Construction

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