Briefs: ABBE MUSEUM UNVEILS NEW STRATEGIC PLAN

HIGH SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES FY25/26 PROPOSED BUDGET

Feb 03, 2025

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Witham Family Hotels Charitable Fund.

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 share from the agencies, businesses, and organizations that send them in.

If things are not a press release, they are labelled “BRIEF” in their headlines. The press releases will not have that label.

ABBE MUSEUM UNVEILS NEW STRATEGIC PLAN

BAR HARBOR—As the Abbe Museum advances toward its centennial in 2028, the Board of Trustees, Wabanaki Council, and museum staff have announced a three-year strategic plan. Included in the plan is a new mission, vision, and values.

"I'm excited that our new three-year strategic plan not only reaffirms our educational mission, but also focuses us on activating our audiences to be better and more informed allies to Wabanaki Nations in the years to come," states Betsy Richards, the Abbe’s executive director & senior partner with Wabanaki Nations.

The museum’s plan creates goals for expanded reach and sustainability, well- stewarded facilities, and highlights the Abbe’s values of community, respect, responsibility, and creativity.

“We are invigorated by this new plan and the path it creates to step boldly towards our centennial. We have added to our leadership team, and we are strengthening and expanding our collaborations as we work together towards our goals,” emphasized Newell Lewey, (Passamaquoddy) board co-chair for the Abbe.

Co-chair Carolyn Rapkievian echoed Lewey’s enthusiasm."It's an exciting time to be a part of the Abbe Museum. We have an amazing staff, a strong board and council, a new mission—‘to illuminate and advance greater understanding of and support for Wabanaki Nations’ heritage, living cultures, and homelands’—and now we have a strategic plan that will guide us in our collaboration with Wabanaki nations to accomplish the important work ahead of us."

More information about the Abbe Museum’s new strategic plan can be found at https://www.abbemuseum.org/strategic-plan

About the Abbe: The Abbe is a museum of Wabanaki art, history, and culture, with the mission to illuminate and advance greater understanding of and support for Wabanaki Nations’ heritage, living cultures, and homelands. The Abbe works directly with Wabanaki Tribal Nations to share authority for the interpretation of their living cultures and history, and privilege Native perspective/voice. These practices can be seen throughout our exhibits, public programs, educational workshops, tours, research, collections management, and museum shop. In 2013, we became the only Smithsonian affiliate in Maine. The Abbe Museum contributes to global conversations through our work with the International Coalition for the Sites of Conscience, all while being an involved community anchor in Mount Desert Island, Maine.

Brief: HIGH SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES FY25/26 PROPOSED BUDGET

BAR HARBOR—The Mount Desert island High School Board of Trustees approved the trustees’ proposed budget on Monday night, January 27. The trustees budget is part of the overall high school budget which will be voted on April 2, at 6 p.m., in the high school’s theater.

The proposed budget of $839,781 for FY25/26 is a 5% increase, or $39,990, over last year’s budget of $799,791.

The high school board is tasked with the maintenance of the school buildings and grounds.

According to the special act that created the MDIRSS in 1963, “All of the affairs of the district relating to the acquisition of property for school and related athletic and recreational purposes, to the construction of school buildings, additions thereto and improvements thereof, to the furnishing of such buildings and additions to capital outlay purposes as defined in the Revised Statutes of 1954, chapter 41, section 237-H, to improvement of such property and facilities and to the borrowing of money, shall be governed by a board of trustees.”

In the last few years, the trustee’s budget has increased by 3-3.5%. Some of the money that is put into the trustee’s budget is for known projects that are occurring in the very near future or the fiscal year that the budget is set for. However, a large portion of the budget is for improvement projects that are sometimes years away but are already known to the board.

Given recent rates of inflation in all matters, particularly construction related projects, the board thought it prudent to raise the rate of increase a bit to try and keep up for the future projects.

Mdihs An Act To Create And Amendments

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Experiment with wet-on-wet watercolor at the Gilley

SOUTHWEST HARBOR— Learn and experiment with wet-on-wet watercolor technique to create unique paintings in this fun two-part class that takes place over two consecutive Saturdays at the Wendell Gilley Museum from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with instructor Erika Elizabeth, Feb. 1 and Feb. 7.

This class will be focused on landscape, color, and discovery. Class size is limited and registration is required. Class fee is $58 for members and $72 for non-members and covers both classes. Sign up at www.wendellgilleymuseum.com/calendar.

NATURE OF RESILIENCE

COMMUNITY CAFE: NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE MEAL!

PARENTING WORKSHOP!

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID FOR CAREGIVERS!

TOWN OF BAR HARBOR NEWS FLASHES

BAR HARBOR—On January 21, the Town Council adopted ordinance amendments to adopt the FY2025 Water and Sewer budgets.

A fire hydrant on the Crooked Road will be replaced on Tuesday. One lane will be open to traffic. https://www.barharbormaine.gov//CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1547

Applications open for Sustainable Tourism Management Task Force

The Town Council is establishing a Sustainable Tourism Management Task Force. Anyone interested in applying to serve on the Task Force is asked to submit an application to the Town Clerk's office. Appointments will follow the procedure in the Council's Appointments Policy. An application deadline and timeline for appointments have not yet been established.

COA embarks on 24-Hour Challenge

BAR HARBOR—College of the Atlantic’s 13th-annual day of giving will feature a round-the-clock campfire, ice skating, food, friends, and more on Tuesday, Feb. 11.

College officials seek to raise $100,000 from 550 donors during the 2025 COA 24-Hour Challenge. Reaching those goals will trigger $150,000 in challenge funds, thanks to six close friends of the college.

“COA relies on contributions from our community to provide our unique and impactful educational experience to students. The 24-Hour Challenge is the best day of the year to give because every gift helps us meet our challenge goals, leveraging even more funds for the college,” says COA Dean of Institutional Advancement Shawn Keeley ’00. “If you value the role COA plays in our community and in the world of higher ed, the 24-Hour Challenge is the perfect day to support our work.”

All contributions to the 24-Hour Challenge benefit the College of the Atlantic Annual Fund, which supports scholarships, financial aid, field-based coursework, and upgrades to campus facilities. More than 80 percent of COA students receive some form of financial aid, which the 24-Hour Challenge helps make possible. The school offers merit scholarships as well as need-based aid, with the goal of making COA affordable for all students, regardless of income. COA is consistently ranked among the top schools in the nation for financial aid.

Beginning at 12 a.m. Feb. 11, there will be a campfire on the COA front lawn for 24 hours. During the day, the ice skating rink will be open and there will be hot cocoa and hot cider available. COA President Sylvia Torti will be at the campfire frequently throughout the day to spend time with members of the community.

Alumni and community friends are encouraged to stop by from 4:30–6:30 p.m. to visit with Torti, staff, faculty, students and others in celebration of COA. During that time, a wood-fired sauna and plunge pool will be available, and there will be chili, cornbread, s’mores, and more to share.

“Our hope is that the wider community sees COA campus as a resource and a place where they are always welcome,” Keeley said. “We would love to share in the joy with as many as possible on Feb. 11.”

Learn more about COA’s annual day of giving at coa.edu/24hourchallenge.

College of the Atlantic is the first college in the US to focus on the relationship between humans and the environment. The intentionally small school of 350 students and 35 faculty members offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in human ecology—the study of how humans interact with our natural, social, and built environments. Each student develops their own course of study, collaborating and innovating across multiple disciplines. COA is Princeton Review’s #1 Green College 2016-2024.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Recognized by Newsweek as One of “America’s Best Regional Banks and Credit Unions” for Second Consecutive Year

BAR HARBOR—Bar Harbor Bankshares (NYSE American: BHB), the parent company of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, is pleased to announce the Bank has been recognized by Newsweek as one of “America’s Best Regional Banks and Credit Unions” for the second consecutive year. The Bank was selected from among approximately 9,170 financial institutions for the honor based on a combination of indicators of financial health, operational performance, long-term stability metrics, and customer reviews.

“We are honored to once again be recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s best regional banks,” said Curtis C. Simard, President and CEO of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. “This award is especially meaningful as it recognizes the success, resiliency, and efficiency of the Bank as a business as well as the value we bring to our customers through outstanding service and first-class products. Our customers and the communities we serve are our first priority, but we can only serve them if we have a strong foundation as a business. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our employees, we are fortunate to deliver on both promises.”

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust has been serving the financial needs of Northern New England residents and businesses since it was founded in 1887. The Bank balances the delivery of innovative digital products and services that customers need, such as mobile banking and mobile deposit, with a personal, relationship-oriented approach to banking that customers want, including more than 50 full-service branches across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The Bank employs hundreds of experienced banking professionals who provide personalized services to customers including financial guidance and planning, home financing, business lending, merchant services, and wealth management.

In addition to the back-to-back “America’s Best Regional Banks and Credit Union” recognition by Newsweek, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust has been recognized by Forbes as one of the “World’s Best Banks” for two years in a row starting in 2023. Other awards the Bank has won in recent years include Forbes “Best-in-State Banks” in 2022, 2023, and 2024; Newsweek’s“America’s Best Banks” in 2022; and Mastercard’s Doing Well by Doing Good Award in 2022.

Newsweek collaborated with Plant-A Insights Group, a market data research group, to identify the financial institutions named to the “America’s Best Regional Banks and Credit Unions 2025” list. All regional banks and credit unions across the United States were examined and selected based on indicators of financial health, operational performance, and metrics indicating long-term stability. Only institutions operating in fewer than 30 states and that had positive profitability, creditworthiness, and healthy lending capacity were included in the analysis.

The results of the financial analysis were combined with additional data points including an independent customer survey of more than 71,000 United States residents; more than 845,000 reviews; and more than 1.9 million social media reviews and 129 million app store reviews from Apple and Google Play. Only banks and credit unions that ranked in the top 50^th percentile of scorers within their respective headquartered states were included in the list of ranked institutions.

Visit Newsweek’s website to learn more about the recognition and the selection process.

Bar Harbor Bankshares (NYSE American: BHB) is the parent company of its wholly owned subsidiary, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. Operating over 50 locations across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is headquartered in Bar Harbor, Maine and has more than $4 billion in assets. As a leading Northern New England community bank, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust offers a full range of personal and business banking services, as well as wealth management services through its subsidiary Bar Harbor Wealth Management. For more information about Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, visit www.barharbor.bank or call 888-853-7100. Member FDIC.

All-ages printmaking class offered at the Gilley

SOUTHWEST HARBOR— Feel the love in this fun printmaking class with Juliana Ramirez, just in time for Valentine’s Day, on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. Students will make single-color prints using EZ carve, a printmaking material that is softer and easier to use than linoleum blocks. Materials will be provided – just bring an idea for a simple image you'd like to turn into a woodblock-style print, or get inspiration from the images we have on hand. This is a great family activity. Space is limited and participants must be at least 8 years old. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Reservations required. The fee is $31 per person for museum members and $39 per person for non-members. Sign up at www.wendellgilleymuseum.com/calendar.

Bar Harbor Garden Club Seeks Candidates for Two $1,000 Scholarships

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—The Bar Harbor Garden Club is pleased to announce applications for two scholarships are now available. $1,000 will be awarded to the recipient of the Peter H. Dolliver Legacy Scholarship and to the Inge C. B. Weber Scholarship recipient. The deadline to apply for both scholarships is May 1, 2025. A brief description of each scholarship follows.

PETER H. DOLLIVER LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP

The purpose of the scholarship is to offer financial aid to applicants who have a strong interest in plant science, horticulture or closely allied fields with an emphasis on sustainable practices. The scholarship helps to support the applicant’s goals of study, research and innovative work practice. The scholarship is open to applicants from all backgrounds who are graduates of a either a Maine high school or a Home School program with a preference for MDI High School graduates or residents of Mount Desert Island.

INGE C.B. WEBER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

The mission of this scholarship is to encourage and financially aid students and graduates who are engaged in the allied plant sciences. This scholarship is unique in that it not only supports academic studies, but also can be used for expenses related to field studies, travel, and conferences. Candidates for the scholarship can be in either a non-college pathway of study in plant sciences; an accredited college or university pathway majoring in the allied plant sciences including such studies as horticulture, floriculture, landscape design or other related areas; and, College of the Atlantic (COA) students studying the allied plant sciences and having successfully completed their second year as a COA student.

Interested applicants for either of the above scholarships can find more details about the scholarships including the required essay and application form on the Bar Harbor Garden Club website, barharborgardenclub.org. Questions can be directed to Tom McIntyre, BHGC Scholarship Chairperson, at tjmc1944@gmail.com or scholarship@barharborgardenclub.org. or by phone at 207-288-4378

Introducing the Draft Bar Harbor 2035 Comprehensive Plan

On November 20, 2024, the Planning Department introduced the future vision of Bar Harbor, also known as the Bar Harbor 2035 Comprehensive Plan. The staff explained the Plan's structure, provided ways to navigate through the Plan, and summarized the key sections. Staff also answered questions from the public. The event was live streamed and recorded.

Meeting recording: https://townhallstreams.com/stream.php?location_id=37&id=62664

Presentation slides: /DocumentCenter/View/7875/Bar-Harbor-2035-Presentation-slides-112124

Draft Bar Harbor 2035 Comprehensive Plan and Accompanying Documents: https://www.barharbormaine.gov/501/Comprehensive-Plan

Contact Information:

If you have comments or questions on the Bar Harbor 2035 Comprehensive Plan, call the Planning Office at 288-3329 or email planner@barharbormaine.gov.

Approval Timeline:

1) Final comments on the Bar Harbor 2035 Comprehensive Plan (plan) are due on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 at 5:00 PM. (Send to planner@barharbormaine.gov or call 288-3329)
2) Complete the final round of edits in January 2025.
3) The Comprehensive Planning Committee conducts their final review of the Plan on Monday, February 3 and vote to move the plan forward for town council acceptance.
4) The plan is presented to the town council for acceptance on Tuesday, February 4. Subsequently, the town council asks for the planning board to consider the Plan at a public hearing. The town council considers scheduling a public hearing.
5) The plan is presented to the planning board on Wednesday, February 5 and the board considers holding a public hearing on March 10, 2025.
6) The planning board holds a public hearing on the plan and recommends to adopt or not adopt.
7) The council holds a public hearing on Tuesday, March 18 and makes a recommendation to adopt or not adopt.
8) The community decides whether or not to adopt the Plan during the June election.

Book Discussion: The Anxious Generation at Northeast Harbor Library – Wednesday, March 5 at 5:00 p.m. in person and online

MOUNT DESERT—The Northeast Harbor Library will host a discussion of the book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illnessby Jonathan Haidt on Wednesday, March 5 at 5 p.m. The discussion will take place in person at the library, with a virtual participation option.

The mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on most measures. In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Johnathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that has hit many countries at the same time. He investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults.

This discussion will be facilitated by Northeast Harbor Library director Amy Wisehart, and is open to all. Copies of the book are available to request through the library. For more information or to register, visit the library’s website at www.nehlibrary.org/events.

Know Your Rights: Immigration Law in Maine
Thursday, February 13 at 6:30 pm

BAR HARBOR—What does it mean to be a sanctuary community in Maine? What constitutional rights apply to everyone in the U.S., regardless of immigration status? Join us at the Jesup Memorial Library as Bangor immigration attorney Angela Okafor addresses these issues and more to help our community navigate through recent policy changes.

Angela Okafor is an attorney, businesswoman, and former Bangor City Council member. While she specializes in immigration law, Angela is also an entrepreneur and organizer who focuses on building community. A Nigerian immigrant, she has lived in Bangor with her family since 2008.

This event kicks off the MDI Racial Equity Working Group Winter Speaker Series. The MDI REWG is a group of Mount Desert Island residents who aim to deepen our understanding of power and privilege and to foster racial justice, equity, and inclusion on MDI and beyond, always recognizing our shared humanity.

Author Talk with Southwest Harbor Writer Winter Fox

SOUTHWEST HARBOR—On Tuesday, February 11th from 5:30-6:30 p.m., join us at the Southwest Harbor Public Library to hear about the latest adventures of Southwest Harbor’s fictional character Grace Coffin. Local author Winter Fox will also speak to his writing process and his Flight of the Wren Series. The program will take place at the library with online viewing available. Registration encouraged.

The Grace Coffin series by Winter Fox is a dual coming of age story. Grace is a teen from Machias trying to make a fresh start when she and her mom move to Southwest Harbor. They move into the house of a recently deceased couple, and Grace quickly begins to suspect that the property is haunted. Meanwhile, Cormac Boisverde and his wife were killed in a late night auto accident, and he can’t rest in peace knowing that the accident was caused by his careless neighbor. He returns to Earth as a revenant so he can tie up his loose ends, but he finds that there is much more to learn about being undead than he imagined.

Can Grace stop tripping over the baggage of her childhood long enough to enjoy the company of the sweet boy next door? Can Cormac somehow mitigate the body odor issues of living in his own corpse?

Throughout the series, both of them learn to overcome the hurdles presented by life (and death) with compassion, rock and roll, and a sense of humor.

In book 4, “Grace Coffin and the Burbank Bloodbank”, Grace and her Goth band head off to LA to play at the premiere of a new film, while Cormac stays home to work on a new book. She is tempted by a new live interest even as her boyfriend proposes, while Cormac will be kept busy investigating the disappearance of her bandmates, and dealing with escaped prisoners who prowl the neighborhood.

Winter Fox has eight books and audiobooks in his catalog. He is currently working on book 5 of his Viking Age saga, Flight of the Wren in his Southwest Harbor writing studio. www.winterfoxbooks.com.

Register for in-person or online attendance athttps://tinyurl.com/mt3b2thf. For more information visit www.swhplibrary.org, call 207-244-7065, or email programs@swhplibrary.org.

FEBRUARY 28 - February Food for Thought

“Art of Penobscot Bay Book Talk”

Carl Little

Friday, February 28^,11:30 a.m.

Birch Bay Village, and on Zoom

BAR HARBOR—Carl Little returns to ASC to share some images from Art of Penobscot Bay, his and brother David’s fourth collaboration. In addition to providing a tour of the bay, Little will address a few questions. How did this compilation come together? What were some of the challenges? Why Penobscot Bay?

Little is the author of numerous art books and writes on a regular basis for several publications, including The Working Waterfront, Ornament, Hyperallergic, and Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors. The year he retired from the Maine Community Foundation, 2021, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his art writing from the Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation. He lives in Somesville.

The in-person lunch and presentation will take place together at Birch Bay Village in Hulls Cove, starting at 11:30 a.m. The cost for attending both is $17 There are no in-person seats available for the presentation only.

The Zoom-only presentation is free and begins at noon. If you register for the online talk you will receive the link the day before the event.

Click for more information and to register

ACADIA YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS

MASON ROSE GATHERS 100 WINS

SIP, SNACK AND SOCIALIZE

12 Nonprofit Leaders Awarded MaineCF Grants

PORTLAND & ELLSWORTH—Twelve nonprofit leaders from across the state have been awarded grants from the Maine Community Foundation’s (MaineCF) Investing in Leaders of Color program.

The program supports nonprofit leaders at organizations serving communities of color and promoting racial equity in Maine. It provides one-on-one coaching, a stipend for professional development and operating costs and networking opportunities. Since its launch in 2019, 54 leaders representing 33 organizations have completed the program.

2024 grantees:

Khadija Ahmed, Food for All Services
Athena Bryce, Juneteenth Downeast
Karen Castillo, Presente! Maine
Alice Kabor, Hope Acts
Bruce King, Maine Boys to Men
Alda Lubota, Her Safety Net
Alivia Moore, Niweskok
Claudette Ndayinahaze, In Her Presence
Adele Ngoy, Women United Around the World
Rilwan Osman, Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services
Archana Palaniappan, Nature Based Education Consortium
Abdikhdar Shire, AK Health and Social Services

For more information about Investing in Leaders of Color, visit www.mainecf.org/iloc.

The Maine Community Foundation brings people and resources together to build a better Maine through strategic giving, community leadership, personalized service, local expertise and strong investments. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.mainecf.org.

TROUT UNLIMITED TALKS BAY OF FUNDY

ELLSWORTH—Downeast Trout Unlimited discusses Bay of Fundy Aquatic Connectivity with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Biologist Steven Poulos. He will describe a restoration effort focused on connectivity and improving water quality in Downeast watersheds that flow into the Gulf of Maine.

Downeast Trout Unlimited is chapter 305 of Trout Unlimited, a national non-profit organization with over 300,000 members and supporters dedicated to the preservation and conservation of North American cold water fish species. DETU is dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring Maine's cold water fisheries and their watersheds. New memberships are half price! Use this link to join: www.tu.org/join305Downeast For information contact Tammy Packie tpackie@gmail.com or visit https://www.downeasttu.org/

Highlighted Upcoming Events AT ARTWAVES

Valentine’s Day Card Making

Sunday, Feb. 9, 10 AM - 12 PM

Family-friendly card-making workshop! All supplies are provided to craft, cut, design, paint, and embellish unique cards for your loved ones.

More info at: https://www.artwavesmdi.org/event-5973800

Young Artist’s Intensive

Feb. 17 - 21, 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Join us for five days of immersive artistic exploration, perfect for focused and creative young artists in grades 4 - 8 and up!

Beginner Stained Glass

Saturday, Feb. 22, 9 AM - 4 PM

Join Dave and Lisa Roy to learn all the techniques used in making a small, copper foiled hanging stained glass ornament.

Inner Field Trip: Collage

Sunday, Feb. 23, 9 AM - 12 PM

Lelania Avila and Jeanne Seronde Perkins will lead you through this three-hour session where you will be guided through an experience of art, meditation and movement, with an emphasis on collage

Cyanotype of Paper & Fabric

Katama Murray returns on Friday, Feb. 28 from 3 - 6 PM for this workshop on the basics of cyanotype. Participants will capture shadows through cyanotype printing, utilizing seasonally foraged plants of the region and everyday objects that hold memory or visual intrigue to print with on coated cotton fabric and watercolor paper. For more info and to register, visit the event page.

Intermediate Stained Glass

We’re excited to announce a new Intermediate Stained Glass Series with Dave and Lisa Roy. In this course participants will learn techniques to make a full sized, stained glass panel. The class will run every Saturday from 1 - 4 PM, from March 8 - April 5. For more info and to register, visit the event page.

Nominations for the Wilmot (Wiggie) Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award!

MAINE—Registered Maine Guides are experienced and passionate outdoors people and each year Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife recognizes a member of the guiding community with the Wilmot (Wiggie) Robinson Legendary Guide Award.

Criteria for this prestigious award is as follows:

Must meet 20 year anniversary as a Registered Maine Guide. Active guide for 10 years
Passes a criminal background check. Law abiding citizen with no arrests for committing a crime related to: Human injury, gun laws or major hunting or fishing violations for 20 years.
Volunteer community service. Providing education about safety and survival in the Maine woods. Introducing and educating youth about the importance of the ecosystem found in the State of Maine.
Active on boards or committees that enhances and promotes the importance of Maine's outdoor resources, ie: youth programs, scout leader, conservation education, safety instructor, search and rescue volunteer, active in Fish and Game club(s), guide license examiner, etc.

This award will be presented to the recipient at the annual Maine Professional Guides Association banquet in the spring of 2025.

If you know a deserving Registered Maine Guide, please complete and submit a nomination by February 17, 2025. You can download the nomination packet or submit a nomination online.

SAFETY CLASSES VIA MAINE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Workplace safety and labor law requirements can seem complex - join the Maine Department of Labor for no-cost upcoming trainings!

Upcoming classes:

Mine Safety & Health Administration: Refresher
February 3, 2025 l 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requires all surface mining (i.e., stone crushing, gravel pit, etc.) employees to receive an eight-hour annual training. This one-day course will cover generic MSHA training. However, site-specific training will also need to be conducted once you return to your respective job sites.

Respiratory Protection -
February 4, 2025 l 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
Where workers are required to wear respirators to do their jobs, employers need a respiratory protection program. This course helps you determine your respiratory protection needs and covers all the elements of a written respiratory protection program.

Monitoring & Evaluating for Air and Noise Hazards –
February 6, 2025 l 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
Employers are required to identify and evaluate air and noise hazards in the workplace. This course provides the terminology, screening and monitoring equipment and techniques, and compares data to standards to determine appropriate control measures.

Mine Safety & Health Administration: Refresher
February 10, 2025 l 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive,
Augusta
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requires all surface mining (i.e., stone crushing, gravel pit, etc.) employees to receive an eight-hour annual training. This one-day course will cover generic MSHA training. However, site-specific training will also need to be conducted once you return to your respective job sites.

NFPA Program Training Operations in Small Fire Departments -
February 11 & 12, 2025 l 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (both days) SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
This 2-day course is designed to provide students with some basic tools and skills to coordinate training in a small fire/emergency medical services organization. A training function in a smaller department typically may include conducting training drills and coordinating training with a nearby larger city or state training function.

10-Hr. General Industry Standards –
February 20 & 21, 2025 l 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.(Day 1), 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.(Day 2) SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
This one-and-a-half-day course teaches hazard identification and controls on a variety of general industry safety and health topics (29 CFR 1910). This is an entry-level course and attendees who complete this course will receive an OSHA 10-hour course completion certificate.

Public Sector Compliance –
February 26 & 27, 2025 l 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. VIRTUAL
This course reviews the regulatory standards for public sector compliance, the programs, training, and inspection requirements, as well as common hazards identified in public sector workplaces. Also included is an outline of the resources provided by SafetyWorks and the SHAPE program which exempts public sector workplaces from programmed enforcement inspections. February virtual class will be split over two nights.

Register and browse more SafetyWorks! classes: https://www.safetyworksmaine.gov/training/scheduled_classes/register.shtml

If you have questions about safety or upcoming classes, reach out to SafetyWorks! at 1-877-SAFE-345 or general.bls-safetyworks@maine.gov.

If you have questions about Wage and Hour compliance, please reach out to the Wage and Hour Division at 207-623-7900 or bls.mdol@maine.gov, or visit www.maine.gov/labor/bls.

Concept Draft Language for Returnable Beverage Container Program Rules.

AUGUSTA—The Maine DEP is sharing concept draft language for the returnable beverage container program rules for review and input. Please submit questions and comments to BottleBill.DEP@maine.gov no later than Friday, February 21, 2025, to ensure their full consideration.

Go to this link to see the concept draft language: https://www.maine.gov/dep/ftp/temp/bottlebill/Concept%20Draft%20Language%20for%20Returnable%20Beverage%20Container%20Rule.pdf

The Employment Situation in Maine – December 2024

Nonfarm jobs and unemployment were little changed in the month.

These estimates are derived from two monthly surveys. The Current Population Survey collects information from households on labor force status, including labor force participation, employment, and unemployment. The Current Employment Statistics survey collects information from nonfarm employers by industry on the number of wage and salary jobs, hours worked, and wages paid to individuals on their payrolls. Both surveys are administered by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Preliminary estimates from the two surveys sometimes diverge in direction or magnitude of change. Over extended periods they tend to be more aligned.

Seasonally Adjusted Statewide Labor Force Estimates
The 3.2 percent preliminary unemployment rate was little changed from 3.1 percent in November. Preliminary seasonally adjusted rates in 2024 followed a pattern similar to each of the prior two years, trending lower through spring, stabilizing at annual lows in summer, and moving higher thereafter. A consistent pattern of lows in summer and highs in winter is expected for rates that are not adjusted for seasonality. Though this pattern has occurred with data that is seasonally adjusted each of the last three years, it is not a usual pattern that should be expected to persist. As described in the following Note on Preliminary Unemployment Estimates, annual revisions smooth these patterns. Seasonally and not seasonally adjusted estimates are published here.

Unemployment has been below four percent for 37 months – the second longest such period – and below the U.S. average for all but two months for 17 years. The rate continued to be below the long-term average of 5.4 percent for the state since January 1976, when the current methodology was adopted.

Unemployment averaged 3.6 percent for New England and 4.1 percent for the U.S. in December.

Note on Preliminary Unemployment Estimates: They should be considered in the context of whether they are below, near, or above historical or U.S. averages, rather than if they are up or down a few tenths of a point from some other month. The household survey sample they are derived from is large enough for direct estimates for the nation. For states it is much smaller and statistical modeling is used to prevent large single-month changes that may overstate the magnitude or the direction of changes in labor market conditions.

One result of this is that preliminary unemployment rates for Maine tend to follow an undulating pattern, moving in one direction for several months and then the other through the course of a year. Revisions, published annually in March, have consistently smoothed these patterns. Upward or downward changes in preliminary unemployment or labor force participation rates often are not as indicative of improvement or deterioration in conditions as may appear. Though rates for many months will change when revised, unemployment rates for the early and latter parts of 2024 certainly will remain well below the long-term average.

Seasonally Adjusted Statewide Nonfarm Jobs Estimates
Nonfarm wage and salary jobs were little changed in the month; they increased 2,000 over the last year, an average of 200 per month. Most of those gains occurred last winter. Exceptions to this were the healthcare and social assistance and the leisure and hospitality sectors, which had gains later in the year. Those were partially offset by small decreases in retail trade and in professional and business services, primarily since spring.

Note on Preliminary Nonfarm Jobs Estimates: Preliminary estimates of nonfarm jobs from the payroll survey of employers tend to provide a better indication of the magnitude and direction of change than labor force and unemployment estimates from the household survey. The payroll survey is much larger and revisions to jobs estimates tend to be smaller.

Not Seasonally Adjusted County and Metro Area Labor Force Estimates
On a not seasonally adjusted basis the statewide unemployment rate was 3.6 percent. Rates were at least 0.3 percentage points higher than that in nine counties, at least 0.3 points lower than that in four, and close to the average in three. The lowest rates were in southern and central areas and the highest were in the north.

Among the three metro areas of the state, unemployment was below the statewide average in Portland-S. Portland and close to the average in Bangor and Lewiston-Auburn.

(Labor force estimates for substate areas, including unemployment rates, are not seasonally adjusted. Because of this, estimates for a certain month should be compared to the same month in other years and should not be compared to other months in the same or other years.)

Not Seasonally Adjusted Statewide and Metro Area Hours and Earnings Estimates
The private sector workweek averaged 33.5 hours and earnings averaged $32.34 per hour in December. Average hours were little changed and hourly earnings increased 3.8 percent from a year ago. The workweek was longest in construction and shortest in leisure and hospitality. Earnings were highest in professional and business services and lowest in leisure and hospitality.
Hourly earnings were higher than the statewide average in the Portland-S. Portland metro and slightly lower in the Bangor and Lewiston-Auburn metros.

This news release is available in a more accessible format here

Due to annual data revisions, release of January 2025 workforce estimates will be delayed until Monday, March 17 at 10 a.m. Revised statewide data for prior years, including 2024 annual averages, will be published Wednesday, March 5. The data release schedule is here

Unemployment and labor force data is available here.

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