BAR HARBOR STORY
The Bar Harbor Story is an alternative news and features site that focuses on the people, places, and events of Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, and Mount Desert Island. Sometimes we even venture to the rest of Hancock County, Maine.
Bar Harbor Story is currently a mostly self-supported publication. That just means that we take a financial loss every time we write an article. You’ll notice we post almost daily and sometimes twice a day.
So, why do we do that? Why don’t we charge subscribers?
We don’t charge because we want every person in the community who wants it to be able to have free access to their local news. That’s because we think information and knowledge is important to taking care of a community and to helping each other. And, apparently, we have a bit of a martyr complex when it comes to making money.
To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber and receive unbelievably comprehensive coverage of town meetings, heart-warming features, and probing news stories and some really lovely photos.
It’s just us here, Carrie Jones and Shaun Farrar, and we’re doing this to make sure local people have free access to information, and we are far from perfect and far from everywhere, but if you have a story idea or event you’d like us to cover, let us know!
And if you’re worried about credentials, Carrie has reported for the Bar Harbor Times and Ellsworth American and edited the Ellsworth Weekly, winning numerous Maine Press Awards for reporting (features, spot news, arts, sports, columns) and photography. She’s also been published in many national magazines and on the fiction side is a writing coach, NYT and internationally bestselling novelist, and fiction editor. Shaun has been in law enforcement in Bar Harbor, is currently on the warrant committee, and has worked in the caretaking and restaurant businesses. Plus, he makes a really good Nashville hot chicken.
So, come hang out! And let me know if there’s something you’d like us to cover! And thanks for being here with us and caring about our community, too.
IF YOU AREN’T A SUBSCRIBER . . .
The stories according to date (newest to oldest) are on the archive page. Usually, the most recent stories will be pinned to the top.
Why subscribe?
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and website and never miss an update.
Stay up-to-date
You won’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition of The Bar Harbor Story goes directly to your inbox.
You can also support us without subscribing or be extra supportive here, but truly no pressure at all.
For the price of a coffee a month, paying members join our community, support the growth journalism by people who actually live here and work here.
How can you help The Bar Harbor Story
Join us: We are funded by subscription revenue from readers. The more subscribers, the more quickly we can be sustainable. :)
Advertise: If your company or organisation would like to partner with us and receive over 130,000 views each month, email Shaun at sfarrar86@gmail.com. You can check out our advertising page here.
Share: If you like what we’re doing, tell your friends. Forward our stories. Share them on social media, like them when you see them. It helps a lot and gives us a mental boost that helps us know we’re doing something good for our community.
Join the crew
As a subscriber to the Bar Harbor Story, you’re a part of a community of people who share your interests. Outdoors lovers. Positive people. Hikers. Kayakers. Nature lovers. People who love Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island, Maine. People who want to know more about what’s going on in Bar Harbor and have the resources to learn even more off this site.
Our big goal is to make sure that people who can’t afford to pay for local news still have access to local news. If you want to support that (and you can), please become a paid subscriber. This takes a lot of our time where we really should be doing something that pays so that we can support our own family. :) But no pressure!
And if you have an opinion piece or letter you’d like to submit? A story you’d like to pitch? Please let me know. We’re currently in the process of figuring out how to expand to those things. We’d really like all voices to be heard.
OTHER INFO
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
CORRECTIONS
The Bar Harbor Story strives to correct factual errors. We are just two people, though, and we aren’t earning a living here, so we are highly likely to miss things that might need to be fixed.
If you’ve seen an error, let us know at carriejonesbooks@gmail.com or sfarrar86@gmail.com. We’ll look at the potential mistake, verify that mistake has happened. Then, if there is an error, we’ll try to fix it quickly and obviously. We’ll fix the factual error and make note of it in the bottom of the article. We won’t make a note of it if it’s something grammatical (a hyphen for a semicolon or a simple misspelling). We will, however, if it’s the misspelling of a name.
REPORT ON COMMENTS
We believe in kindness. Sometimes kindness isn’t reflected in the comments of our stories.
We also believe in freedom of speech.
Sometimes those two things don’t go very well together and there’s a tension.
We are still developing a policy to deal with that tension, but as of August 16, 2024, if a comment mentions your name and you worry that it could harm you or incite others to harm you, please report that comment or send us an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com. We will take it down at the request of the person who is mentioned.
On Facebook, a comment does not have to mention by name but if that name is obviously about someone specific, that person can ask for it to be taken down.
The Bar Harbor Story is not about and never will be about personal attacks. You can do that elsewhere. The Bar Harbor Story is about getting news to the community. And building community, not tearing it down. And as of today, March 29, 2025, we're going to close comments on social media posts that devolve into profanity, vulgarity, and/or personal attacks.
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE BAR HARBOR STORY
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 viewpoints or official policies of The Bar Harbor Story.
The Bar Harbor Story welcomes commentary from our readers. When we receive letters, we will publish them under one post/article, which will be clearly titled LETTERS FROM OUR READERS.
Letters should be no more than 300 words. The letter may be edited or rejected for clarity, libel, and space.
If we publish your letter, any other submissions by the same writer will not be considered for 30 days.
The Bar Harbor Story encourages a diversity of voices and views in our letters.
To be considered for publication, letters should:
Preferably be 150 to 200 words, but can be up to 300.
Include the writer’s city or town and phone number. This information will not be published. It is to help us verify you are who you say you are.
Not contain attachments.
You can submit a letter by messaging us below:
