BRIEFS & PRESS RELEASES:
Seaside Deli & Sweets Closing. Jeannie’s Moving Into 8 Cottage Street! Sidman Appeals Ethics Complaint. Mount Desert Island Marathon Gives $40K to local organizations
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Andy’s Home Improvement Inc.
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.
Normally, when we do our briefs article, it’s 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.
But, we’ve been covering a lot of meetings lately, and some of them don’t necessarily need a full, long article, so we’ve put them in here. Those are labelled “BRIEF” in their headlines. The press releases will not have that label.
Briefs: Seaside Deli & Sweets Closing Permanently!
NORTHEAST HARBOR—Seaside Deli & Sweets on 5 Sea Street in Northeast Harbor has announced that after six years, its permanently closing its doors. Community member after community member expressed accolades, well wishes, and sadness.
Briefs: Jeannie’s Moving Into 8 Cottage Street!
BAR HARBOR—Jeannie’s Great Maine Breakfast is heading across Cottage Street next season and will be at 8 Cottage Street, which was the building that housed Epi’s Pizza and then Merchant & Frye.
Susan and Bryon Saunders own the restaurant. The building is owned by Diwas Thapa, who purchased it this September. The Saunders live in Ellsworth.
Briefs: Charles Sidman Appealing Business and Law Court Decision
BAR HARBOR—Business and Law Court Judge Michael Duddy’s decision that Charles Sidman should not have intervenor status in the Golden Anchor’s suit against the town’s notice of violation is being appealed by Sidman.
The case involves the business, which tenders cruise ship passengers at its pier on West Street.
Sidman had been granted a defendant-intervenor role when the Association to Preserve and Protect Local Livelihoods (APPLL) and others sued the town over its cruise ship cap. That case is being appealed.
The Golden Anchor had also appealed the notice of violation to the town’s appeals board, which denied the appeal last week.
OPEN GYM WITH SOREN SUNDBERG AND BASIL MAHANEY
NORTHEAST HARBOR—Come hang out at an open gym session Sunday, December 29, at 4 p.m., at Mount Desert Elementary School gym, hosted by Sgt. Soren Sundberg of the Bar Harbor/Mount Desert Police Department. There will be a special guest appearance from Bar Harbor Fire Department Assistant Chief Basil Mahaney.
AUDITIONS FOR ACT’S HOLIDAY SHOW - Wizard of Oz
NORTHEAST HARBOR—Acadia Community Theater will be holding auditions for its musical, Wizard of Oz, on Monday, January 6 and Thursday, January 9 from 6-8 p.m. at the Northeast Harbor Library.
Auditions will be held on both nights from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., but it is suggested that those auditioning arrive early to register and warm up. Roles are available for all ages. Children must be 7 years or older before May 2025 to audition. Audition materials can be found in advance on ACT’s website at acadiacommunitytheater.net.
The show will be directed by Matt and Angel Hochman and produced by Kate Young. For more information contact acadiacommunitytheater@gmail.com. Rehearsals will start the week of January 13, and the show will be performed in the spring.
The Wizard of Oz is presented through special arrangement with Concord Theatrical Licensing. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by Concord Theatricals.
Mount Desert Island Marathon Gives $40K to local organizations
BAR HARBOR—The Mount Desert Island Marathon’s board of directors is pleased to announce $40,000 in charitable gifts to twenty-three local groups and organizations. Founded in 2002, it has always been the vision of the race to leave more than footprints in the communities where it runs, and to take the impact of the event ‘Beyond the Finish Line.’
The board of directors representing the Mount Desert Island Marathon are Gary Allen, David Goodrich, Marsha Hayes, Melissa Relyea, Mary Ropp, and Edward Swain.
“This year’s popular charity bib program set another record for funds raised,” explained Ropp, event planner for the race, and treasurer of the board.
Since 2010 the Run MDI Charity Bib program has sought to challenge participants to fulfill a nominal fundraising commitment, in exchange for the opportunity to run after general registration has reached capacity.
“We are extremely proud to support such a diverse group of important organizations that offer varying programs, which positively impact so many local residents,” continued Ropp.
This year’s beneficiaries include: Acadia Wildlife, Acadian Youth Sports, Bar Harbor Food Pantry, Bar Harbor/MDI Rotary, Cranberry Isles Ladies Aid Society, Downeast Feral Cat Connections, Ellsworth XC, Friends of Acadia, Harbor House Community Center, Island Connections, Island Housing Trust, Loaves & Fishes, MDI Hospital, MDI YMCA, MDIHS Boys Soccer, MDIHS Girls Soccer, MDIHS XC, Move Free Run Club, The Neighborhood House, SPCA of Hancock County, Southwest Harbor-Tremont Ambulance, Westside Food Pantry, YWCA MDI.
In addition to these gifts, the MDI Marathon will continue to fund two annual scholarships awarded to Mount Desert Island High School graduating seniors, as well as attracting thousands of visitors to experience the very best of our unified island communities. The Maine Sports Commission estimates that the event contributes more than $2M annually to the local economy.
Save the date: The 2025 Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay is scheduled for Sunday, October 19. For more information, please visit runmdi.org
ICE QUILTING DERBY
BRIEFS: HARBOR AND MARINE RESOURCES COMMITTEE LOOK TO WORKING WATERFRONTS IN BAR HARBOR
BAR HARBOR—Two of Bar Harbor’s less spoken about committees are quietly moving forward with work.
As it has in recent years, the marine resources committee is working toward revising its shellfish management plan for the state, thinking about how to incorporate education into each piece of the plan.
The committee members also spoke about the working waterfront and shore access in Bar Harbor. In doing so, committee members spoke about the ferry terminal plan for the Route 3 site that houses The Cat and is partially leased to Bay Ferries. The plan for that site has phases and includes a boat ramp and docks that can be used for those employed in marine trades.
Chair Chris Petersen said that he liked that the boat ramp was in phase one of that plan, for which town staff is currently looking for funding sources. He worried a bit that the CAT’s plans and lease isn’t necessarily a known quantity, with the town unsure of how long the high speed ferry will bring people to Nova Scotia.
“That’s why the ferry terminal plan has to be kind of such a flexible document,” Bar Harbor Harbor Committee Chair Michaela Delepierre said. She was sitting in on the meeting because there are so many issues that both groups are concerned with. “It is also a big funding issue with the new school being built. “
In an overarching discussion, the sewage pumping station beyond Hulls Cove was mentioned and how that area is closed for clamming because of the discharge.
“So putting a boat ramp there doesn’t help us so much for clamming,” Petersen said of the proposal at the ferry terminal, but he still thinks it’s a good thing.
“It takes off pressure from other places,” Delepierre said.
Natalie Springuel said that Maine Sea Grant has been having meetings across the state about working waterfront and community concerns after the highly damaging storms of 2024.
Some of the themes that they’ve heard a lot of, she said, is the lack of a communication network on the ground such as people trying to find out which direction the wind is coming from, slow responses for federal funding, and permitting speed.
“Insurance is another one that keeps coming up everywhere from municipalities to private waterfronts,” she said as people are discovering that they are not covered for as much as they thought.
“There was a couple and they were lovely and they were scared,” Springuel said.
There are many layers to the issues, she stressed.
The committee members also talked about a survey of shoreline sites and possible ways to improve town access point sustainability and how storm response and preparedness varies in a lot of different communities. There will be an upcoming meeting, January 27, 5-7 p.m. at the Neighborhood House.
There will be space in the meeting for people to share their own stories.
Misha Mytar also attended the meeting to discuss Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s role in owning and managing points of access to the waterfront, but also how the trust often works in the background behind towns and organizations about organizing grants and projects. She said MCHT is trying, with the Musson Group, to determine how it can be the most useful to help with communities shore access priorities. The Musson Group’s Susanne Paul is creating an inventory to create an island wide map and data base.
That project is mostly about public access not private working waterfront or informal access that comes from handshake agreements.
HARBOR COMMITTEE UPDATE
At the Bar Harbor Harbor Committee meeting, the group discussed potential changes to the harbor ordinance language to help determine whether or not unused moorings should be allocated to people on the mooring waitlist and if so, what process should be used and how to define “in use” when it comes to a mooring.
There are 5-10 inner harbor moorings that aren’t being used, Harbormaster Chris Wharff said.
Committee member Jon Carter said that part of the reason for the limited number of moorings “was because there was no place to park.”
Delepierre suggested including language about enforcement and wondered how Wharff will track the use of the moorings. Wharff said it could be defined as “substantial use” and there needs to be an easy mechanism to keep track of use.
“We have so few spaces in that inner harbor in particular,” Wharff said. “A mooring to somebody is like their first born child.”
He doesn’t want to take those moorings away, but he wants people who are waiting for one and who need one to be able to have one. He stressed, “I don’t know what the right answer is.”
The committee also listened to a presentation from Danie Robbins of Healthy Acadia, FEMA grant and community resilience initiative, StrengthenME. It’s a statewide program coordinated by Maine DHHS Office of Behavioral Health in partnership with the Maine CDC. And it’s a direct response to the January storms.
It’s funded by FEMA in partnership with SAMHSA and implemented by various service providers in coastal communities.
“Folks on the working waterfront are dealing with increased stressors,” she said. So, they are looking at people in “cultural heritage” professions and how to help with resiliency. Robbins brought goody bags which were resilience toolkits and passed them out to attendees.
“Severe weather impacts us in all these different ways,” Robbins said. “We’re really focusing on relationship building on this first leg of the grant.”
“Long-term stressors that leave communities with fewer options impact resilience, such as rural gentrification, which intensifies the housing crisis,” her slide read.
Projects include resource navigation at Ellsworth INSPIRE Recovery Center, using it as a warming/cooling center for “social vulnerable populations,” education campaigns about stress reduction and resilience, and a “Designing the Future” climate resilience project at DIS High School, youth engagement effort through Bucksport’s community resilience planning.
“We face such dynamic problems,” Delpierre said that the reactions need to be dynamic, too, and one of the most dynamic things is relationships.
“Working against isolation and working in silos is some of the deepest climate relationship work,” Robbins said.
POTENTIAL REDUCTION IN SEATS
“We’ve been having some difficulty meeting quorum every meeting,” DelPierre said, depending on the time of the year. There are currently two open seats. “These chairs have been open for a while—for quite a while now.”
Originally the committee had seven seats and then went up to 11 for the ferry terminal project.
“Even at seven, we even had trouble finding a quorum,” Carter said. He said he’s been around for 30 years and there’s often been issues with quorums.
“We’re not just dealing with the harbor, we’re dealing with the terminal. There’s a lot of people who have a lot of different thoughts on that,” Carter said, advocating for a larger board and more diversity in representation. “The whole town has a different idea on how that should be handled.”
It would require an ordinance change, committee member Andrew Keblinsky said. Would it be better to recruit more instead?
The question becomes how do they find those people to serve, Delpierre said.
ZACHERY ALLEN NEWEST MARINE PATROL OFFICER
AUGUSTA—Zachery Allen was sworn in as a Marine Patrol Officer (MPO) by DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher December 9, 2024 in Augusta.
MPO Allen has been assigned to the Milbridge patrol in Washington County. MPO Allen previously served as a Hancock County deputy sheriff, a position he held since 2017.
Zach grew up in Ellsworth. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Husson University and is currently working on his master’s degree. Zach is also a 2018 graduate of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s Basic Law Enforcement Training Program.
“Having been raised in Downeast Maine and having served there as a law enforcement officer will be a significant benefit to MPO Allen as he learns his new role,” said Marine Patrol Colonel Matt Talbot. “Understanding the importance of Maine’s marine resources to the Downeast community will help guide Zach as a Marine Patrol Officer.”
BAR HARBOR PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY AND TRANSFER STATION CLOSURES
BAR HARBOR—The Public Works Facility in Hulls Cove will be CLOSED at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 and all day Wednesday, January 1, 2025 in observance of the New Year.
The Transfer Station / Recycling Center on White Spruce Road will CLOSE at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, December 31 and will re-open on Thursday, January 2, 2025 in observance of the New Year.
BLOOD DRIVE AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
PFAS IN TREMONT
JOY EXISTS! SAILHOUSE DISPLAY BY REBECCA BRUGMAN
SOUTHWEST HARBOR—Visit the Southwest Harbor Public Library during the month of January to view a unique display documenting the creation of Rebecca Brugman’s Sailhouse, first conceived during the pandemic as quiet shelter in the woods made from the repurposed sail into what has become a mentored wellness experience. Through a series of photo books and video of the structure assembled with the wind breathing life into the sail, Rebecca brings the Sailhouse experience out of the woods and to our community. View original art pieces by local artists that accompany Rebecca’s Sailhouse fable. The Sailhouse will be exhibited in the library’s display case through Thursday, January 30th during library hours: 9-5, Mon, Tue, Thu, Fril 9-8 Wed; and Sat 9-1.
JOEL RAYMOND TRIBUTE PARTY!
NEED TAX HELP? YOU’VE GOT IT!
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—The Jesup Memorial (Bar Harbor), Northeast Harbor, and Southwest Harbor libraries are offering tax help starting in February through the Association of American Retired Persons (AARP) Foundation Tax-Aide program. You do not need to be a senior to participate. This service is free to taxpayers with low and moderate income and is offered in cooperation with the IRS. These trained volunteers help taxpayers receive all applicable tax credits and deductions. All tax help is confidential.
Jesup Memorial Library will offer by appointment only on Saturday, February 22 and March 15, and Thursday, March 20.
Northeast Harbor Library will offer by appointment only on Monday, February 24 and March 17.
Southwest Harbor Public Library will offer by appointment only on the following Mondays: February 3 & 10, March 3, 10, & 24, and April 7.
ACTT Book Club, Starting in January!
Starts Wednesday, January 22
Read more and register here
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—On January 23, 2025 A Climate to Thrive invites you to embark on a seven week journey through Joanna Macy’s book, “Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re In With Unexpected Resilience and Creative Power.” The group has capacity for ten members and will meet weekly to discuss and reflect upon the themes of the prior weeks’ reading. The group will dive into the important role that we each play as individuals in the collective surge toward ecological balance and justice.
Known for her scholarship in deep ecology, Buddhism, and Systems Thinking, Joanna Macy’s work celebrates peace, justice, and human equilibrium with the natural world. While her work has spanned decades, Macy’s message rings true now more than ever– internal peace and reconciliation lies at the foundation of strong communities who can sustain commitment to justice. The exact time and location of the group will be determined based on preferences of the group. ACTT has books to provide to anyone who needs a copy.
If you are interested in joining, please fill out the interest form listed HERE. More information is available at our website. Please reach out to ACTT via wilson@aclimatetothrive.org with any questions. We hope you will join us!
Wednesday, January 27 - Storm Response and Preparedness in Working Waterfront Communities and January 27, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Location TBD
Offered through Maine Sea Grant, in collaboration with ACTT, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Maine Coast Heritage Trust and Mount Desert Island Historical Society
Read more and register online today!
Unemployment Insurance Assistance Available In-Person at Maine CareerCenters Starting January 2, 2025
MAINE—The Maine Department of Labor is pleased to announce that starting January 2, 2025, in-person Unemployment Insurance (UI) assistance will be available at CareerCenters across the state every Thursday. This service is designed to provide direct support to individuals navigating unemployment claims and related concerns.
Details of In-Person Help:
Dates: Thursdays, starting January 2, 2025
Hours: Clinics will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except at the Wilton CareerCenter. Wilton will close at 12 p.m. due to limited operating hours.
Locations: All Maine CareerCenters except Machias
Find the CareerCenter closest to you by visiting https://www.mainecareercenter.gov/locations/
File online at any time: https://assist.reemployme.maine.gov/cp/landing
File by phone: 1-800-593-7660 Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.- 3 p.m.
CORRECTION MDI Island Quilters January Exhibit
SOUTHWEST HARBOR – From January 7 to 30, visit the Southwest Harbor Public Library to view an exhibition of quilts by the MDI Island Quilters. The group was formed in 1992 and is a chapter of the Maine Pine Tree Quilt Guild. Members make baby and oncology quilts which are given to the MDI Hospital; whenever a baby is born at the hospital, the family is given one of the baby quilts.
For the past four years, the Quilters have been doing a monthly “block swap”. Each month a member sends instructions for a block and, once made, are returned to the individual so they can put them together and make a quilt.”
The group currently meets at St. John Episcopal Church in Southwest Harbor on the second Wednesday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and on the fourth Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to share works-in-progress, learn different techniques, work on challenge and pro-bono projects, and plan other events and activities. For more information about MDI Island Quilters or if you are interested in joining us, contact co-chairs Michele Daley (664-4237) or Tom Lee (244-0087).
The exhibit is on view on both floors of the library during library hours: 9-5, Mon, Tue, Thu, Fril 9-8 Wed; and Sat 9-1. For questions or for more information call the Library at 207-244-7065, visit www.swhplibrary.org, or email exhibits@swhplibrary.org.
The Employment Situation in Maine – November 2024
Nonfarm jobs remained close to the year-to-date average; unemployment edged to 3.1 percent.
AUGUSTA—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 3.1 percent preliminary unemployment rate increased slightly from 2.9 percent in October. Preliminary seasonally adjusted rates in 2024 followed a similar pattern as 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 the 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 36 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 3.5 percent for New England and 4.2 percent for the U.S. in November.
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 part of 2024 certainly will remain well below the long-term average.
Seasonally Adjusted Statewide Nonfarm Jobs Estimates
The number of nonfarm wage and salary jobs decreased slightly from upwardly revised October estimates. Jobs increased by 4,700 over the last year, an average of 400 per month. Most of those gains occurred last winter and some this fall, after a period of little change during the summer. Private sector jobs increased primarily in healthcare and social assistance and in leisure and hospitality, continuing the recent pattern. (Though there was little change in jobs during the summer on a seasonally adjusted basis, data not adjusted for seasonality portrays robust summer hiring when many students work, and tourism, construction, and other demand is highest. Both seasonally and not seasonally adjusted jobs estimates for sectors can be compared here.)
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 seven counties, at least 0.3 points lower than that in three, and close to the average in six. 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 33.3 hours and earnings averaged $32.00 per hour in November. Average hours were little changed and hourly earnings increased 5.7 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
December workforce estimates will be published Tuesday, January 28 at 10 a.m. The data release schedule is here
Nonfarm jobs data is available here
Unemployment and labor force data is available here
GOVERNOR MILLS ESTABLISHES AI TASK FORCE
AUGUSTA—Governor Janet Mills today signed an Executive Order establishing a task force to examine the opportunities and implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for Maine's people, economy, and institutions.
The Governor's Executive Order comes in response to a rapid surge of technological advancements that are poised to revolutionize how people live and work. Nearly one-fifth of the U.S. workforce is classified as "highly exposed" to AI, making them particularly vulnerable to job transformations driven by advancements in artificial intelligence. At the same time, AI has the potential to create new jobs and businesses, improve productivity and efficiency, and reduce barriers to entry in some technical fields.
The Maine Artificial Intelligence Task Force will bring together business, education, labor, government, and community leaders to study the challenges and opportunities associated with the proliferation of AI. The Task Force is charged with preparing policy recommendations that will position Maine to harness the benefits of AI while minimizing risks for people and businesses.
"Emerging AI technologies offer the potential to improve lives, drive economic growth, and help solve complex challenges. But like all new technologies, AI, if not embraced in a prudent and responsible manner, can cause potentially harmful changes to the lives and livelihoods of Maine people," said Governor Janet Mills. "The Maine Artificial Intelligence Task Force will bring leaders together from across the state to ensure that Maine is embracing the opportunities presented by AI while mitigating threats to Maine people and businesses."
"Artificial intelligence presents incredible opportunities for Maine businesses to innovate and grow, but we must also take proactive steps to help ensure Maine's economy is prepared to adapt to the rapid pace of change," said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of Economic & Community Development.
"Artificial intelligence holds tremendous promise for Maine--from enhancing education and healthcare to improving government services, strengthening climate resilience, and addressing workforce challenges," said Hannah Pingree, Director of the Governor's Office on Policy Innovation & the Future. "The Maine Artificial Intelligence Task Force will work to help ensure these advancements benefit Maine people while minimizing disruptions to our communities sand economy."
The Governor's Executive Order directs the task force to study and offer recommendations in a report no later than October 31, 2025 that:
Prepare Maine's economy and workforce for the opportunities and risks likely to result from advances in AI;
Protect Maine residents from potentially harmful uses of AI technologies, such as safeguarding consumer data privacy, mitigating bias in datasets, and mandating disclosure around AI utilization; and
Explore the most promising use cases for state agencies, quasi-state agencies, and other public entities such as municipalities to deploy artificial intelligence technologies to address capacity gaps and improve service delivery.
Members of the 21-member task forc will include leaders from Maine state and municipal government, the University of Maine System, and the Maine Community College System, as well as members representing Maine workers, businesses, health care, civil rights advocacy, and a consumer protection organization. The Governor will announce members of the task force in the coming weeks.
The Governor's Executive Order also establishes a Technical Advisory Committee comprised of subject matter experts in technology, legal issues, energy, and workforce policy to advise the Task Force.
The task force is expected to begin meeting in January.
Maine is among at least 26 states that have or are establishing a task force, commission, or similar body to advise policy makers on emerging AI-related technologies. The Mills Administration has already taken steps through the Maine Office of Information Technology to analyze risk for state infrastructure and guide state agency usage of AI tools.
Read the Governor's Executive Order.
State Proposes Chapter 90: Products Containing Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
Ch 90 Fact Sheet :: Ch 90 Draft Rule :: LD1537 PL 630 Adopted April 2024 :: Comment on this Rule
AUGUSTA—The department is proposing a new rule, Chapter 90, to establish criteria for currently unavoidable uses of intentionally added PFAS in products and to implement the sales prohibitions and notification requirements for products containing intentionally added PFAS but determined to be a currently unavoidable use pursuant to the amended 38 M.R.S. 1614. For additional information on the PFAS in Products program see the program webpage.
Agency contact:
Kerri Malinowski Farris
17 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 215-1894
Public hearing: January 16, 2025, 9:00 a.m.
Deering Building, Room 101 90 Blossom Lane (Use Main Entrance, D1)
Augusta, Maine 04333
Public noticed: December 20, 2024
Comment deadline: January 28, 2025, 5:00 p.m.
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Rick Osann Art.
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