In Bar Harbor, Task Force Seeks Balance Between Tourism and Year-Round Life

Carrie Jones Oct 10, 2025 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Havana. BAR HARBOR—Bar Harbor wants to make tourism more sustainable, but first it has to figure out exactly what that means. A town task force is working on a plan to balance local life, the environment, and an economy that is partially driven by more than 4 million annual visits to Acadia National … Continue reading In Bar Harbor, Task Force Seeks Balance Between Tourism and Year-Round Life

carriejonesbooksOctober 10, 2025October 10, 2025Leave a comment

All Buses Head to Bar Harbor . . . League of Towns Talks Island Explorer and Transportation

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Potential Government Shut-Down Worries Some Future Mount Desert Island Vacationers

Others remain hopeful Carrie Jones Sep 25, 2025 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Acadia Shops. BAR HARBOR—The email came in quietly to one short-term rental owner. “It seems the likelihood that the government will shut down Oct 1, is very high. This of course means that the National Parks are closed, and the main attraction for us to visit Bar Harbor is Acadia. … Continue reading Potential Government Shut-Down Worries Some Future Mount Desert Island Vacationers

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Tourism at a Crossroads:

Bar Harbor Task Force And Consultants Begins 16-Month Tourism Strategy Carrie Jones Aug 20, 2025 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Window Panes Home and Garden. BAR HARBOR—The Sustainable Tourism Task Force met the consultants who will lead them for the next 16 months or so as Bar Harbor tries to gather multiple thoughts, needs, and opinion to create a tourism strategy. Task force … Continue reading Tourism at a Crossroads:

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Bar Harbor Looks to Hire Sustainable Economic Development Coordinator

Carrie Jones and Shaun Farrar Jul 31, 2025 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by First National Wealth Management. BAR HARBOR—The Town of Bar Harbor is advertising for a newly created position in its planning department. The town posted a job listing for a sustainable economic development coordinator on its website, July 18. The new position replaces an unfilled position in the planning department. “The sustainable economic … Continue reading Bar Harbor Looks to Hire Sustainable Economic Development Coordinator

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Fewer Canadians Are Coming to Maine This Summer on the CAT

A “significant drop” in Canadians visiting the U.S. this summer has resulted in a drop in business of nearly 20 percent for the seasonal ferry that operates between Bar Harbor and Nova Scotia, according to the ferry operator. Continue reading Fewer Canadians Are Coming to Maine This Summer on the CAT

carriejonesbooksJuly 15, 2025Leave a comment

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Seeking Balance: Bar Harbor Task Force Begins to Tackle Sustainable Tourism

While asking, “What Is ‘Sustainable Tourism’?” Carrie Jones Jul 11, 2025 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The 1932 Criterion Theatre. BAR HARBOR—The first step of Bar Harbor’s Sustainable Tourism Task Force was to organize itself, and it did just that on July 10, electing Vicki Hall as chair and Enoch Albert as vice chair during its organizational meeting in Council Chambers in … Continue reading Seeking Balance: Bar Harbor Task Force Begins to Tackle Sustainable Tourism

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Gov. Mills Touts Cross-Border Ties in Bar Harbor Visit

“We Are Family,” Mills Says at Stop at Bar Harbor’s Cafe This Way Carrie Jones Jun 26, 2025 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Acadia Psychiatry. BAR HARBOR—Like many visitors to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Maine Governor Janet Mills headed back to the United States on the high-speed CAT Ferry and did a quick tour of Bar Harbor. The governor had visited with Nova … Continue reading Gov. Mills Touts Cross-Border Ties in Bar Harbor Visit

carriejonesbooksJune 26, 2025June 26, 2025Leave a comment

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Public Hearing Shows Divided State Opinions About Rep. Friedmann’s Local Options Lodging Tax

Augusta hearing held before Taxation Committee, Wednesday Carrie Jones Mar 13, 2025 Share AUGUSTA—The Maine Taxation Committee listened to public testimony for two closely related bills on local option taxes, March 12. The bills were presented by Rep. Gary Friedmann (D-Bar Harbor) and Rep. Charles Skold (D-Portland). Testimony was meant to encourage the committee to recommend or not recommend the bills’ passage. Both bills would … Continue reading Public Hearing Shows Divided State Opinions About Rep. Friedmann’s Local Options Lodging Tax

carriejonesbooksMarch 13, 2025Leave a comment

opinion

Letter from a reader

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY While we do not solicit them, we do 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. The beliefs, opinions, and viewpoints expressed by the writers of letters to the editor (letters from our readers) and included here do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, … Continue reading Letter from a reader

carriejonesbooksFebruary 2, 2025February 2, 20251 Comment

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Bar Harbor’s Climate Plan Is a Go, Tourism Task Force Being Revised

Water and Sewer Rates Likely to Go Up Carrie Jones Dec 19, 2024 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Witham Family Hotels Charitable Fund. BAR HARBOR—At its December 17 meeting, two documents that could impact the town’s future faced the Bar Harbor Town Council and both involved task forces. The councilors took no action on an outline that created a tourism task … Continue reading Bar Harbor’s Climate Plan Is a Go, Tourism Task Force Being Revised

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