Tag: ywca

Why This Homey Meal Is a Yearly Lifeline for Community Connection YWCA of MDI Cooks Community Thanksgiving Dinner
features, news

Why This Homey Meal Is a Yearly Lifeline for Community Connection

YWCA of MDI Cooks Community Thanksgiving Dinner Carrie Jones Nov 26, 2025 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Acadia Shops. BAR HARBOR—No one is quite sure how long the YWCA of MDI has been cooking a community Thanksgiving dinner. “It’s been years,” Jackie Davidson, executive director said in 2024 as the smells of turkey and gravy wafted through the entire brick building and out … Continue reading Why This Homey Meal Is a Yearly Lifeline for Community Connection

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Small Towns, Big-Hearted Communities Photos and videos of some holiday events throughout MDI this weekend
Events, history

Small Towns, Big-Hearted Communities

Photos and videos of some holiday events throughout MDI this weekend Carrie Jones Dec 16, 2024 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Swan Agency Real Estate. MANSET AND MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—There is magic in the air during the holiday season. A good part of that magic? It comes from story, from connection, of having someone take you under their wing and share a precious … Continue reading Small Towns, Big-Hearted Communities

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Planning Board Approves YWCA'S Hamilton Station 18 Studio Apartments On Their Way Carrie Jones Nov 29, 2024 The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Side Street Cafe’s New Year’s Eve Party. BAR HARBOR—It’s a go! The YWCA of MDI’s Hamilton Station project was unanimously considered complete the day before Thanksgiving. It was also considered compliant with the town’s standards. “I think it’s a wonderful project,” Planning Board Vice Chair Ruth Eveland said. “The YWCA has done a phenomenal job in pulling this together.” The approval was met with applause from those attending. Planning Board Chair Millard Dority recused himself because he is helping the YWCA of MDI with the project. The plan for the site off Route 3 calls for 18 one-bedroom (studio) apartments. It has access off Route 3 and calls for dividing a 26.8-acre parcel into two lots. In an email to YWCA supporters on Wednesday, Jackie Davidson, the YWCA’s executive director, said she was “very happy.” The work is meant to begin six months from all conditions of approval being met and be substantially complete 18 months after that. Extensions can be granted. The YWCA hopes to raise $250,000 from 10 donors with gifts of $25,000 each to support the project. According to a Mount Desert Islander article, three donors have come forth with that level donation. “It’s a great project with a lot of hard work from a lot of people to come to this point,” Greg Johnston of G.F. Johnston & Associates said. There was no public comment about the project, which had been inspired by a housing summit organized by the Musson Group, a YWCA representative said Wednesday. “We knew what we wanted to do,” Jackie Davidson, the YWCA’s executive director said at the planning board meeting. What they wanted to do was help increase housing on Mount Desert Island. The YWCA’s Hamilton Station steering committee worked with a team of professionals for months on formulating a plan to meet the overwhelming need for year-round rental housing on Mount Desert Island. “We want to do this right,” said Steering Committee Chair Allie Bodge last June. “One of the most important things to the YW is that an array of community members’ needs are met. Our dream is that the renters have a great sense of neighborhood with community gardens and walking trails that will also be open to the public.” The YWCA of MDI purchased the property in 2023 after looking for an opportunity to be a part of the solution to what many believe to be one of the biggest problems and challenges facing the island: finding homes. “We started thinking small,” said YWCA Board President Ann Worrick. “Originally, we were thinking of purchasing an existing two to three unit building and making it available to year-round people who did not qualify for subsidized housing but who did not earn enough to purchase a home in the escalating market. This group is referred to as the ‘missing middle’ in housing discussions. Suddenly, we had the opportunity to make a much larger and impactful statement with the purchase of Hamilton Station and the Board embraced it and all agreed it was time.” “I have been so impressed by how quickly and well this has come together,” said Planning Board member Teresa Wagner. Conditions of approval included merging a small lot into another lot and a fire marshal approval letter is received. It also requires that the plat shows the easement location for cemetery access and is found acceptable to the Department of Public Works; that a capacity letter from the Public Works Department has been received and all conditions, if any, are met; the Maine Historic Preservation Commission has cleared the project; that the central Subsurface Sewage Disposal design was approved from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services; and a Maine DEP stormwater permit and Maine Drinking Water Program was approved. According to the motion, the “planning board approves the request of modification of standards, allowing for one entrance instead of two as required in section 125-67G(2)(h) because ‘high traffic counts of Route 3 limit the number of allowed entrances onto Route 3 to minimize conflicts with traffic. Two entrances for this development would create unsafe vehicle patterns. For emergency access, a second access does exist on the westerly parcel,’ as it is necessary to address particular site characteristics and it does not have the effect of nullifying the purpose.” LINKS TO LEARN MORE To see the packet To watch From Crisis to Collaboration: From Crisis to Collaboration: Carrie Jones and Shaun Farrar · March 21, 2023 Read full story Getting Closer to Homes at Hamilton Station and JAX Expansion Will Create 95 Jobs Getting Closer to Homes at Hamilton Station and JAX Expansion Will Create 95 Jobs Carrie Jones · Aug 11 Read full story https://www.barharbormaine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/157/zoning_current 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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Planning Board Approves YWCA’S Hamilton Station

18 Studio Apartments On Their Way Carrie Jones Nov 29, 2024 Share The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Side Street Cafe’s New Year’s Eve Party. BAR HARBOR—It’s a go! The YWCA of MDI’s Hamilton Station project was unanimously considered complete the day before Thanksgiving. It was also considered compliant with the town’s standards. “I think it’s a wonderful project,” Planning Board Vice Chair Ruth … Continue reading Planning Board Approves YWCA’S Hamilton Station

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Events

PRESS RELEASES AND BRIEFS: COA Names Dr. Sylvia Torti Its Seventh President

Second Annual Housing Summit, YWCA and Jesup Social Justice Events CARRIE JONES APR 10, 2024 Share BAR HARBOR — The College of the Atlantic Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the unanimous selection of Dr. Sylvia Torti as the college’s seventh president.  Torti, an accomplished writer, ecologist, and innovative academic leader with 15 years of experience in higher education, will succeed president Darron Collins, … Continue reading PRESS RELEASES AND BRIEFS: COA Names Dr. Sylvia Torti Its Seventh President

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New Candidates, Ethics Talks, Town Manager Advertisement Begins, Stivers Appointed to Council Seat

Restaurants, Sidman Response, YW Buys Hamilton Station: it’s a round-up Carrie Jones BAR HARBOR—Lately, the town news never seems to stop, and neither does the interest in being involved in the government aspects of it. To that end Earl Brechlin and Michael Kiers have taken out papers to potentially run for town positions. They join a large field of candidates that have signaled an intent … Continue reading New Candidates, Ethics Talks, Town Manager Advertisement Begins, Stivers Appointed to Council Seat

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Events

Giving Joy One Rose At A Time

YWCA Celebrates International Women’s Day BAR HARBOR—Jackie Davidson’s days are devoted to promoting the MDI YWCA’s mission of “eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.” But some of the ways that she gets to do that are a little more joyous than others. The rose sale for International Women’s Day is one of those more joyous ways. “First, it … Continue reading Giving Joy One Rose At A Time

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EMPOWERING COMMUNITY – MDI YWCA – SO CAN I

Dozens of women gathered at Kebo Valley Golf Course to celebrate the MDI YWCA’s continued existence in the Mount Desert Island community and world, but also to honor three women of distinction who have also made a profound impact in the island’s community and beyond. Before the program, women and a few men, milled around, talking, hugging, making connections and renewing friendships. Each table was … Continue reading EMPOWERING COMMUNITY – MDI YWCA – SO CAN I

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