Briefs: Bank & Trust Honors Frontline Hero Lori Bartlett
MOSAIC SALON IS CLOSING, PROBATE JUDGE SUSPENDED, CHRIS' POND, REAL ESTATE AND A LOT MORE
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, people, 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. We’ve also started to put singular local briefs up on our website in their own tab as well. This will happen ahead of this weekly collection article. You can find those and past briefs/press releases here if you want those briefs a bit more timely. It’s just that there are so many that we’d be bombarding your email constantly if we sent them out individually.
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Acadia Shops.
Lori Bartlett Wins Bar Harbor Bank & Trust's Honor a Frontline Hero Contest
BAR HARBOR—Bar Harbor Bank & Trust has selected Lori Bartlett of Bar Harbor, Maine, as the winner of the Bank’s Honor a Frontline Hero Contest, an online contest that gave community members the opportunity to nominate and celebrate a frontline hero who they feel deserves recognition for their impact in the community. Bartlett is a public safety dispatcher at Acadia National Park.
Bartlett, inspired by the desire to make a difference after the terrorist attacks on the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001, has dedicated her career to public service. She served as an agent for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for two years, working at the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport. During her tenure at TSA, Bartlett also worked part-time as a public safety dispatcher at the Bar Harbor Police Department (BHPD). When presented with the opportunity to work full time at BHPD, she left TSA and spent 16 years as a public safety dispatcher at BHPD. In 2024, she became a public safety dispatcher at Acadia National Park.
In her free time, Bartlett enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, and hiking. She is also an avid baker and has donated numerous cakes to support community events and raise funds for organizations including the Bar Harbor Historical Society, Maine Seacoast Mission, and Mount Desert Island YMCA. Bartlett and her husband have four children.
As the winner of the Bank’s Honor a Frontline Hero Contest, Bartlett received $1,000. The Bank also made a $1,000 donation to Ark Pope Memorial Animal Shelter, the nonprofit organization of Bartlett’s choice. She selected the shelter to honor her late dog, Beacon.
The Honor a Frontline Hero Contest is an opportunity for the Bank to acknowledge the frontline heroes who provide the services critical to the health, safety, and vitality of the community. To be eligible, nominees had to be currently employed in one of the following categories: teachers or professors; firefighters; federal/state or local law enforcement; medical providers; nurses, EMTs; and active or former military personnel. Nominees had to be residents of Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont.
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.
MOSAIC SALON IS CLOSING
BAR HARBOR—It’s the end of an era. Mosaic Salon will be closing its doors as of April 30, 2025.
But this isn’t goodbye — just a new chapter.
Bree and Alia will be moving on to Reighn Hair Salon in Trenton, and Rina will be staying local at ECHO Salon. If you’d like to keep in touch or book with them, here are their numbers:
Breanna Wilbur (Bree’s Styles) – (207) 460-3342
Alia Wheeler – (207) 812-8125
Rina Ilahi – (561) 876-6158
If you have an active gift certificate, you are eligible to use it towards any service or product up until 4/30/25.
The salon members said, “We’re so grateful for your love and support over the years. Though the salon is closing, our passion and dedication to YOU are not. We’re still here for all your beauty needs — just in new places. Thank you for being part of the Mosaic family.”
At the end of February, Denise Swan had announced that she was retiring from Mosaic Salon after twenty years.
“Mosaic Salon has been more than just a career—it has been my passion, my creative space, and most importantly, a place where I’ve had the privilege of building incredible relationships,” she wrote.
BRIEF—PROBATE JUDGE SUSPENDED
ELLSWORTH—The Bangor Daily News has reported that Maine Supreme Judicial Court suspended Hancock County’s elected probate judge William B. Blaisdell IV from his position where he presides over Hancock County probate cases.
The suspension occurred Wednesday, April 16.
“The latest suspension for Blaisdell comes after he has been found at fault by multiple judges for failing to live up to court-ordered obligations related to his 2019 divorce,” Bill Trotter wrote. “His second suspension from the bench — after having been suspended for four months last fall — comes nine days after his law license was suspended for a full year, following an investigation by the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar, which regulates the conduct of licensed lawyers in the state. In addition to working part-time as a probate judge, Blaisdell has maintained a private law practice.”
Southwest Harbor Expands Chris’ Pond Park Through Community Collaboration
Three-acre land donation enhances access and green space in downtown area.
SOUTHWEST HARBOR—Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) in partnership with the Town of Southwest Harbor, is proud to announce the expansion of Chris’ Pond, a treasured local park, with the official donation of nearly three additional acres of land. This milestone reflects years of collaboration, community input, and a shared vision to enhance public spaces and preserve natural beauty for generations to come.
On April 8, the Southwest Harbor Select Board voted unanimously to finalize the land donation and amend the existing conservation easement surrounding Chris’ Pond, marking the final approval in the process to expand the park. This project provides the opportunity to improve access, including a new parking area and additional open space for recreation, gathering, and appreciation of the scenic pond at the heart of downtown Southwest Harbor.
“Maine Coast Heritage Trust is focused on ensuring ecological wellbeing and fostering thriving communities. We aim to be a resource for towns, and to ensure lands benefit our communities and quality of life on Mount Desert Island in tangible ways,” said Misha Mytar, Associate Director of Land Protection at MCHT. “Chris’ Pond and places like it—centrally located, with open space for people to gather outdoors—hold tremendous value for communities. We are excited to play a role in this project and want to thank the many people who made it happen.”
“The Conservation Commission of Southwest Harbor is pleased to be a part of the land transfer from MCHT to the Town of Southwest Harbor to expand the Conservation Easement around Chris’ Pond and add additional acreage for improvements,” said Ann Ratcliff, Co-Chair of the Southwest Harbor Conservation Commission. “The pond has a rich history—it began as a man-made ice pond in the mid-1800s and, until the 1920s it actively produced ice for homes and businesses on this side of the island. Since then, it has served as a valued natural and recreational resource.”
Local Commitment to a Historic Resource
The vision to expand Chris’ Pond began years ago when local landowners, the Town of Southwest Harbor, Island Housing Trust, MCHT, and community members got together to explore how the space could evolve to meet the growing needs of Southwest Harbor residents.
Chris’ Pond has long been a symbol of community action. Originally donated to the town in 1957, it was protected in 1995 through the advocacy of local students from the Pemetic School who rallied to save the beloved skating pond from being turned into a parking lot. In 2024, the Conservation Commission created the Friends of Chris’ Pond, a subcommittee that organizes volunteer efforts at the pond and provides updates and recommendations to town officials.
“The additional land and the expanded conservation easement will ensure that generations of townspeople will be able to enjoy Chris’ Pond,” said Ratcliff. “The Conservation Commission and Friends of Chris’ Pond will begin working with town officials and the public to plan improved access, as well as small enhancements like a picnic table and informational kiosk.”
While a capital campaign is being developed to support these improvements, donations are currently being accepted through the Southwest Harbor Conservation Commission.
This land donation was made possible through the generosity of two landowners, contributions from approximately 25 donors, and ongoing support from MCHT and the Town’s Conservation Commission and Friends of Chris’ Pond. MCHT continues its stewardship by holding a conservation easement on the majority of both the original and newly donated parcels. One remaining third-acre lot will be offered to Island Housing Trust to support the development of year-round workforce housing.
About Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) advances the conservation of lands and waters in Maine to ensure ecological wellbeing and foster thriving communities. Since our founding in 1970 on Mount Desert Island, we have worked with partners to guide the conservation movement and support a network of more than 80 land trusts. Together we’ve protected nearly 6,000 acres on MDI, and nearly 200,000 across the coast, supporting the needs of people, plants, animals, and ecosystems. We’re dedicated to ensuring our natural areas can mitigate the effects of climate change and support all people and life for generations to come. Learn more about our work and get involved at www.mcht.org.
All photos Courtesy of Maine Coast Heritage Trust
TRENTON CANDIDATES’ NIGHT
Candidates for Trenton Select Board Gather May 3
TRENTON—Candidates for Trenton Select Board will meet the public in an informal reception on Saturday, May 3, beginning at 4:00 p.m. at the Trenton Town Office. Joining the forum are Select Board candidates Danielle Cole, Carol Perreault, Jarod Rollins, Susan Sargent, and Judith Sproule.
Residents are invited to attend the May 3 event to meet the candidates and learn how they will deal with the important issues facing Trenton. The format will be informal: each candidate will offer brief opening remarks and answer a prepared question; and then the candidates and voters will have a chance to interact conversationally.
The ballot does not name any School Committee candidates, and those seats will be determined by write-in votes. Write-in candidates are welcome to attend this event and interact informally with the voters.
A Zoom option will be available for those who wish to participate remotely. Email downeast@lwvme.org for the Zoom registration link.
Trenton voters will elect three members of the Select Board and two members of the School Committee in an election to be held at the Town Office from 2:00-6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 19. Absentee ballots are available now at the Town Office. The Town Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 20 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Trenton Elementary School.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League does not endorse any political party or candidate for elective office.
MDI Wheelers Needs Volunteers!
Meeting this Saturday!
NORTHEAST HARBOR—The MDI Wheelers will meet at the Northeast Harbor Library on Saturday, April 19, from 9:30 a.m. until noon.
The aim of the MDI Wheelers is to provide joyful experiences on the Carriage Roads in Acadia National Park for people unable to ride a bike by themselves. Our mission is to serve our community by increasing the accessibility of Acadia National Park Carriage Roads.
We offer safe and comfortable rides on special electric-assist trikes for people who would like a ride on the carriage roads but need assistance. All rides are free. The program we offer has received a Special Use Permit from Acadia National Park.
Most rides start at Eagle Lake and are group rides with at least three volunteers. Our volunteers serve as Pilots and Safeties. Pilots peddle the trike and Safeties ride in front and behind the E-trike.
The group needs more volunteers to ‘drive’ its tricycles and ride as ’safety riders’ on the Acadia Carriage roads where we offer free rides for non-ambulatory people.
To become a pilot or safety, a volunteer must:
Be at least twenty-one years of age;
Weigh no more than 225 pounds;
Complete a four-hour training session;
Satisfactorily perform all pilot-related skills; and
Commit to a minimum of two half-day shifts per month, June through September.
Training takes place in the late spring before the ride season, primarily during May and throughout the season if required. Training sessions focus on learning how to deliver a safe, comfortable, and fun experience for our riders. Sessions are four hours long. Volunteers learn the fundamentals of operating the trikes, our safety guidelines, and best practices for interacting with our Riders.
Being an MDI Wheeler Pilot or Safety is a significant commitment with great rewards. Our Riders look forward to seeing you. You will absolutely make their day, and we’re certain they’ll make yours!
If you are interested in volunteering as a Pilot or Safety, contact us, and we will get back to you about the next training opportunity.
For more information, head to its website.
3 RESTORATION PROJECTS IN MAINE: BALD EAGLES, THE PENOBSCOT RIVER, AND AMERICAN CHESTNUT
SOUTHWEST HARBOR—Ray “Bucky” Owen, former Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIFW ) and a longtime conservationist, teacher, and outdoorsman, will share insights on three successful conservation projects in Maine on Saturday, April 19, at the Wendell Gilley Museum in a program co-sponsored by Downeast Trout Unlimited.
“Three Restoration Projects in Maine: Bald Eagles, the Penobscot River, and American Chestnuts,” is a free program that will be offered both in person and online. Registration is required at www.wendellgilleymuseum.org.
COME DANCE WITH BIG MOOSE!
Come sparkle and twirl at our fun contra dance! Music by Big Moose. Saturday April 26: 7-10 p.m. Jesup Library, 34 Mt Desert St. Bar Harbor.
Caller Chris Ricciotti will teach all dances. Beginners, families, experienced dancers welcome. Refreshments.
$10 admission.
Questions: (207)288-4245
ARTIST RICK OSANN TO TEACH WATERCOLOR AT ARTWAVES THIS SPRING
BAR HARBOR—It’s about more than just learning the basics of watercolor when you work with painter Rick Osann; it’s about spending time with an accomplished scenic artist who has worked for stage, film, and TV in New York City.
From May 7 - June 18, Wednesdays, from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m., artists will have a chance to learn the basics, yes, but also spend time with Osann as he teaches about watercolor techniques, materials, and design principles, helping you to create your own landscape paintings.
According to ArtWaves, Osann has been happily focusing much of his painting in Bar Harbor, Maine, one of the beautiful places of our world, in his studio adjacent to Acadia National Park.
From his background as a theatrical set and lighting designer, Rick is most interested in exploring light, shadow and color in dramatic moments of nature through his painting. His work celebrates the beauty of the Maine landscape.
"Rick has been part of the ArtWaves community for quite some time. He is an extraordinary artist, exceedingly patient, and excited about giving back to the community." said ArtWaves Director Katie Hodgkins
Osann’s class is part of ArtWaves’ bigger goal said Assistant Director Will Erlandson.
“After getting to know the community members over the past months, our executive director has received feedback that members are interested in more foundational visual arts classes in traditional disciplines. We want to bring in skilled teaching artists who can work with all skill levels. You'll likely see more multi-session classes and offerings like this over the next year. We hope classes such as this exemplify Artwave's commitment to offering educational experiences within traditional artistic disciplines,” Erlandson said.
To register or find out more, head over to ArtWaves. The class is now full, but you can be added to a waitlist.
COMMUNITY COOKOUT!
MDI Hospital Auxiliary Sale
Home Composting Expert Shares Methods in Free Workshop
NORTHEAST HARBOR—On Wednesday, April 30 at 5:30 p.m. the Northeast Harbor Library will host a free home composting workshop led by organic gardener Susan Coan.
Participants will learn the basics of building and maintaining a healthy and productive home composting system. Coan will discuss the pros & cons of the various styles of back-yard composters, learn what you should and should not add to your pile, and review the tools and techniques to maintain a system that will create rich, organic material for your vegetable gardens and flower beds. Register at nehlibrary.org/events or by calling 207-276-3333.
Susan Coan is an avid organic gardener and has maintained a home compost pile for nearly 20 years. A native of New Jersey, she now lives full-time in West Tremont with her husband, George. She is an active member of the Bar Harbor Garden Club and volunteers with Friends of Acadia.
MaineCF scholarships available to students pursuing business degrees
PORTLAND & ELLSWORTH—Applications are currently being accepted for the Maine Community Foundation’s (MaineCF) Patriot Education Scholarship Fund.
This renewable scholarship supports graduates of Maine high schools who are enrolled part-time (minimum of nine credit hours) or full-time in pursuit of a business degree and entering their freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior year at a Maine college or university. Preference is given to applicants who have a demonstrated interest in personal and commercial insurance professions.
The application deadline is June 1. For more information or to apply, visit www.mainecf.org/scholarships.
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.
“Saving Walden’s World” to Screen at College of the Atlantic for Earth Week
BAR HARBOR—As part of Earth Week celebrations, the College of the Atlantic (COA) is set to host a special screening of “Saving Walden’s World” on April 23 at 6:00 p.m., at the Center for Human Ecology, room 202, at its campus in Bar Harbor, Maine. This Maine-made documentary sent film crews around the world to better understand if gender-equal societies leave a smaller ecological footprint and enhance life-quality. With 13 international film festival awards, the independently produced film is getting noticed.
An additional screening of Saving Walden’s World will take place at the Maine Film Center in Waterville on April 22 at 6:30 p.m., for Earth Day. The five top entries of the Earth Day Film Challenge will be screened at 8:30 PM after the Q&A.
See www.savingwaldensworld.org for details. See this link for ticketing information.
“I think global audiences on the receiving end of US colonialism and militarism relate to my change of heart” says Merkel. “Out of engineering school, I was recruited to a position as a military engineer and later an arms dealer. I’d believed in all that stuff until I was in it.” The film’s lens is uniquely focused on women's empowerment, land reform, poverty eradication and literacy, partially to make peace with his past, but also to find workable solutions for a world at the brink.
The film’s director, Jim Merkel, has formative ties to COA and Mount Desert Island. His parents started a campground on the “quiet side” in Tremont in the 70’s and his late brother Paul attended highschool in Bar Harbor. Later, as an author and professor Merkel states, “COA was a mythical place in the world of sustainability.” During his tenure as Dartmouth College’s Sustainability Coordinator, he made several visits to COA, but it was the students who left a strong imprint on him. “As an educator, time with engaged youth is about as good as it gets.”
As a multicultural journey, Merkel travels freely by bike, bus, train and tractor through Kerala, Cuba and Slovenia each time returning to Belfast, Maine. His camera finds the sounds, colors, aromas of a non-sensationalized daily life full of empowered women. The slapping of clothes being washed by a man, the netting of fish, the plucking of beans, all hint to social well-being and ecological balance contrasted against hyper-consumerism or authoritarian dystopias.
If cultures with a fraction of our wealth can offer women universal higher education, healthcare, maternity leave, childcare and reproductive freedom, it takes away many excuses for the sad state of women’s equality in the US. These broad encompassing slates of women’s rights have delivered lower child poverty, lower infant mortality, lower maternal mortality, longer lives and even lower abortion rates, while more fully respecting women.
Saving Walden's World is about solutions. But Merkel is quick to point out, “Our world is facing an incredibly unhinged force that is trying to quelch our humanity while giving a green light to our most destructive impulses. This is no time to take our eyes off the prize.” When asked what that prize is, Merkel says “Co creating a world that works for all.”
This film is a father-son meditation that leaves a lasting impression. But Saving Walden's World does something more than getting your attention—it inspires action at a time some might feel like crawling into a hole.
Recently, the impact team that is distributing the film into international markets recruited a new collaborator from the southern state of Kerala, India. Sharanya Sanil Kumar has deep skills in project management but also in reaching niche audiences aligned with the film’s message.
“As a young woman growing up in Kerala, I was surrounded by a culture where human connections were hardwired into society.” In her world, people supported one another in ways that went beyond mere transactions—helping a neighbor, sharing resources, and sustaining livelihoods. According to Kumar, “One could say we mirrored a barter-like economy. We were untouched by commercialization; instead, small shops and vendors thrived in every nook and corner of our localities, and our lives were led by well-knit communities.”
Kerala is the only state in India that can proudly claim a 96% literacy rate. Here education was always accessible—the question was not if one was privileged or not to study, but about one's own choice and will to be educated.
“Watching Saving Walden’s World made me realize the importance of being grateful for what we have in Kerala and what we risk losing. It was a wake-up call that pushes you towards the importance of balance between progress and sustainability,” Kumar shared.
Sustainability only begins when we stop looking elsewhere for solutions and start recognizing the wisdom in our own backyards.
Speaking of backyards, many community organizations have stepped forward to sponsor this event including: Alliance for Sears Island, College of the Atlantic, CREATS International, Girls with Books, Kerala Forum on United Nations Academic Impact, Mabel Wadsworth Center, Maine Film Association, Maine Media, Midcoast Earth Protectors, Peace and Justice Group of Waldo County, Sierra Club of Maine, The Friends of Harriet Hartley, Upstream Watch, WERU and World View Productions.
A Conversation on Sexual Violence and Advocacy
Thursday, May 1, 2025
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
BAR HARBOR—A Conversation on Sexual Violence and Advocacy covers the fundamentals of sexual assault services focused on defining sexual violence, methods of supporting survivors, and what support and services a sexual assault services advocate can provide. The conversation will be hosted by Stephen Nason, an SAS Rural Advocate with the Aroostook Mental Health Center.
This event is free and available to attend in-person or online. Register to attend here: https://www.jesuplibrary.org/events/amhc
The Camino Frances: 500 Miles with 12 COA Students
Thursday, April 24, 2025
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
BAR HARBOR—The Camino offered a chance for twelve students to be with themselves and others as they walked the roughly 500-miles from St. Jean Pied-du-Port, France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain along the medieval pilgrimage route of the Camino Frances.
For over forty days students walked 30,000+ steps a day, ate, rested, and were with their thoughts as they moved from town to town alongside people from around the world on a similar journey. Join professors and students as they talk about the course and their pilgrimage.
Jay Friedlander and Ursula Hanson were two of the COA faculty who designed and led The Camino Course. Jay Friedlander is the Sharpe-McNally Chair of Green and Socially Responsible Business at COA. Ursula Hanson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, with a private practice and offers mindfulness programming in schools and the community.
This event is free and available to attend in-person or online. Register to attend here: https://www.jesuplibrary.org/events/caminofrances
Raffle for "The Fin" Shark Quilt to Benefit Mount Desert Island YMCA Fundraising Event
BAR HARBOR—A special quilt raffle is being held featuring a one-of-a-kind handmade quilt titled “The Fin.” Created and generously donated by Cara Ryan, the quilt is a heartfelt tribute to the YMCA’s beloved swim team—the Sharks—and the community supporting them.
Stitched with care and inspired by the spirit of the Y, “The Fin” captures both the energy and warmth of the Y, a place so many call their home away from home.
Raffle tickets are available for $5 each or 3 for $10 and can be purchased at the Front Desk at the Mount Desert Island YMCA. All proceeds will directly support initiatives that help strengthen our programs and connect our members, old and new.
This is a wonderful opportunity to take home a meaningful piece while contributing to the legacy and future of the Mount Desert Island YMCA. “The Fin” will be on display in the Y’s lobby. The raffle drawing will take place at the second annual Fundraising Event, on July 17, at the Bar Harbor Club. For tickets to this event, please check out the Y’s website at mdiymca.org.
Downeast Trout Unlimited Elects Officers and Hosts Steve Heinz' Fishing Tarpon Town on the Yucatan
ELLSWORTH—DETU Annual Meeting with Officers and Directors Election April 23 5:30 p.m., followed by Steve Heinz Fishing Tarpon Town on the Yucatan and a Fundraising Raffle.. Moore Community Center Ellsworth and Zoom. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QP-9lnIeQCmTBf5zntS42w
If you are interested in becoming an officer or a board member contact President Rob Packie rbpackie@gmail.com. Current slate of candidates:
President
Vice President Al West
Secretary Karen Svenson
Treasurer Arthur Benson
New Board Members
David Klausmeyer
Vince Messer
Casey Shannon
Returning Board Members
Robert Packie
Tammy Packie
Dana Hunter
George Leinbaugh
George Marnik
Mark Whiting
Peter Colson
Presentation: “Fishing Tarpon Town on the Yucatan” - a great bonefish alternative. Steve Heinz recently returned from an expedition in Campeche, Mexico and will describe his experience of fishing for tarpon.
Campeche offers incredible fly fishing with access to coastal waters edged with mangroves that are rich with tarpon. A beautiful city and a UNESCO world heritage site, it is filled with Mayan culture and Spanish history.
Steve Heinz, a retired Navy commander, moved to Maine in 1988 and became active in Trout Unlimited about 20 years ago. He organized volunteer support for a Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) Level 2 Stream Survey of Martin Stream in Turner in 2005, served as Conservation Chair for Sebago TU where he spearheaded a number of efforts including fish passage impediment surveys and TU Embrace-A-Stream grant projects, highlighted by two dam removals. In 2013 he was awarded an MDIFW Commissioner’s Recognition Print for his efforts. In 2015, he worked with the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve to remove a third dam in Arundel. In 2016, working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and a number of other organizations, he helped raise nearly $500,000 in grants for five habitat restoration projects from sources that included TU Embrace-A-Stream, Maine Community Foundation, the Maine Water Bond, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The following year, his TU chapter received the Gold Trout award in recognition of their success in conservation projects. He serves Trout Unlimited on the Maine Council as FERC Action Coordinator, and was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from national TU for his work on FERC relicensing in 2022.
Downeast Trout Unlimited (DETU) is dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring Maine's cold water fisheries and their watersheds. New memberships are half price! For NEW memberships only go to www.tu.org/join305Downeast. Call 800-834-2419 to renew memberships. Donations may be mailed to Downeast Trout Unlimited, c/o Dana Hunter, Treasurer; 9 Lobster Pool Road Little Deer Isle ME 04650. For more information contact Tammy Packie tpackie@gmail.com or visit https://www.downeasttu.org/ or Downeast TU on Facebook.
ALONG THE TREE LINE
LAMOINE—Along The Tree Line: A Glimpse of the Future ... the updated dramatic adaptation by Fred Stocking and Gordon Donaldson will be performed at 2 p.m., April 26, at the Lamoine Grange Hall Theater, 7 Lamoine Beach Road.
Afterward will be a discussion about what people in the MDI area can do regarding the Changes they are experiencing. Rep. Gary Friedman will attend.
WE CAN’T SAVE YOU
A Tale of Politics, Murder, and Maine by Thomas E. Ricks
HANCOCK COUNTY—Thomas E. Ricks, author of five New York Times bestsellers, combines his deep knowledge of Maine with his years of experience covering U.S. military operations to craft a powerful tale of politics and mayhem in We Can’t Save You, a riveting new crime novel and the second in his acclaimed Ryan Tapia series.
When a group of young Native Americans launches a series of protests against climate change and its effects on the waters and woods of Maine, veteran FBI agent Ryan Tapia is assigned to monitor the movement. The protestors, who become determined to split away from American society, are led by “Peeled Paul” Soco, a Malpense hermit who played a key role in one of Tapia's previous investigations. When the marchers begin making camps on the lawns of luxurious summer mansions along the Maine coast, they win national media attention—and the wrath of a reactionary president.
Tapia soon finds himself torn. He wants to do right by Soco and the protestors, but his bosses at the Bureau are eager to please a president itching to crack down on them. Growing increasingly sympathetic to the protestors and their cause, he tells them about a possible refuge—a secret CIA base hidden away in the depths of the Maine woods on the Canadian border.
Enraged by the protestors’ actions, the White House sends a U.S. Army unit to track down the protestors on their stealth march through the evergreen forests. Meanwhile, Tapia’s bosses, vexed and embarrassed, fire him and threaten arrest. Undaunted, Tapia snowmobiles through the wilderness on a wintry night to warn the Indian protestors of the impending attack.
Building to a dizzying, wind-whipped climax, We Can’t Save You establishes Ryan Tapia as one of the most compelling and nuanced investigators in crime fiction.
About the Author: Thomas E. Ricks is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, including the #1 bestseller Fiasco, a history of the beginning of the Iraq War. As a reporter at the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, he was a member of two teams that won the Pulitzer Prize. He worked in the Maine woods in his youth and trapped lobsters when living on an island in Penobscot Bay. He now divides his time between Texas and Maine.
“Ryan looks into a bizarre murder case: a corpse has been dumped in the Gulf of Maine with a yellow wig nailed to its skull. As Ryan digs deeper into the murder, he grows increasingly sympathetic to the [climate] protestors’ cause, leading him to a crisis of conscience as the government tries to quash the movement. Ricks nimbly weaves together elements of political thriller, whodunit, and domestic drama.” ––Publishers Weekly
Emerald Ash Borer and Other Tree Health Concerns
DACF Update for Cities and Towns
Monday, May 5, 2025 10:30 a.m. - Noon
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry will provide updates for city and town tree and forest managers and public works staff on the known status of emerald ash borer in Maine. We will cover the perspectives of several parties with the recent detection of emerald ash borer on Mount Desert Island and review what your community can do. We hope to see you there!
Agenda
Brief Introduction – Jan Santerre, Maine Forest Service
Acadia National Park’s Preparations and Response to Emerald Ash Borer – Jesse Wheeler, Acadia National Park
Emerald Ash Borer from the Bangor Perspective – Sophia Cameron, University of Maine and Ben Arruda, City of Bangor
Emerald Ash Borer State Updates – Mike Parisio and Jan Santerre, Maine Forest Service
Wrap Up – Jan Santerre
Continuing education credits: Licensed pesticide applicator, Maine Licensed Professional Forester, pending.
Maine Department of Marine Resources Launches Program to Improve Research and Support Species Recovery of Atlantic and Shortnose Sturgeon
AUGUSTA—Atlantic sturgeon and shortnose sturgeon are two of Maine’s twelve species of sea-run fish that divide their time between fresh and salt water. Atlantic sturgeon, which can grow to more than 13-feet long and live up to 60 years old, can be seen leaping in Maine’s large rivers and coastline in the summer months.
But these charismatic fish are listed as threatened (Gulf of Maine Atlantic sturgeon) and endangered (Shortnose sturgeon) under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
While research suggests that conditions for recovery for both Atlantic and Shortnose sturgeon are improving because of dam removals in historic habitat and legislation such as the Clean Water Act, many threats still exist. They include vessel strikes, habitat degradation, and unintentional harvest of sturgeon by fishermen targeting other species, known as bycatch.
Researchers at the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) need more information to better understand how sturgeon populations are doing, so a path toward recovery can be charted.
To accomplish this, Maine DMR and partners at the University of Maine (UMaine) School of Marine Science and the United States Geologic Survey’s Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (CRU) are undertaking a multi-faceted research initiative.
Funded by a $444,248 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Species Recovery Grant Program, the initiative will identify research gaps, enhance data on nearshore threats such as vessel strikes, improve population abundance estimates, and engage the public in data gathering.
Currently biological and behavioral data on sturgeons are housed in separate databases managed by DMR, UMaine and CRU. Included are 15-years of data on over 200 sturgeons tagged by UMaine researchers and millions of detections of tagged sturgeons by acoustic receivers in the Penobscot River and Kennebec River watersheds.
The initiative will combine these datasets to enable a robust single platform for use by researchers and managers. “Integrating the data from acoustic monitors in our coastal rivers will support a better understanding of sturgeon populations, habitat use, and near shore movement,” said DMR Scientist Danielle Frechette, PhD, who is leading the project.
Future plans also call for collaboration among acoustic telemetry receiver operators in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) to coordinate data sharing among receiver operators including DMR, the US Geological Survey, the Navy, and other researchers.
In addition, researchers will capture and tag at least 20 individuals of each species per year for two years in the Kennebec and Penobscot Rivers. The tagged sturgeons will be detected by the existing array of receivers in Maine rivers and along the coast, building on the understanding of sturgeon movement in the GOM and coastal rivers.
The project will also include engagement of the public in conservation that includes citizen science and outreach to commercial and recreational fishermen to encourage reporting of sturgeon carcasses and bycatch.
The effort involved the 2024 launch by DMR of the Maine Sturgeon Sighting Reporter, a tool for community members to report sightings of both live and dead sturgeon. Outreach will also include a campaign to teach recreational anglers safe catch and release techniques.
DMR will also collaborate with the Penobscot Nation to develop an educational program aimed at tribal youth with the goal of reconnecting them with a species of historic importance to the tribe, and to encourage Penobscot youth to pursue a career in natural resources.
“This work will develop the research necessary to support recovery of Atlantic and Shortnose sturgeons and will provide an opportunity for community members to be part of that exciting process,” said Frechette.
A video of Atlantic Sturgeon in the Cobbosseeconttee Stream in Gardiner in 2023 can be viewed here.
REAL ESTATE
Recent property transfers are listed below.
BAR HARBOR
Anna C. Ryan Living Trust Nov. 16, 1999, Bar Harbor to Ashskypoint L3C, Seal Harbor, land with improvements.
Bonnie Ray, Bar Harbor to Christina Alisa Nye, Bar Harbor, land with buildings and improvements.
Makoto Taketo, Kyoto, Japan, to She’ll Get Her Done LLC, Bass Harbor, land with buildings and improvements.
S and B Holdings 2 LLC, Belgrade to S and B-Bar Harbor LLC, Belgrade, land with buildings and improvements.
MOUNT DESERT
Sailing Bartlett Narrows Nominee Trust, Salem, N.H., to Mary Allison Johnson, Boston, Mass., land with buildings and improvements.
James A. Nolan, Northeast Harbor to Joelle D. Nolan, Northeast Harbor, land with buildings and improvements.
James F. Marcogliese 2009 QPRT Article VI Trust UTA Aug. 21, 2009 to Marcogliese Maine Property LLC, Houston, Texas, land with buildings and improvements.
Judy Lee Lenz Marcogliese 2009 QPRT Article VI Trust UTA Aug. 21, 2009 to Marcogliese Maine Property LLC, Houston, Texas, land with buildings and improvements.
Judy Lee Lenz Marcogliese QPRT UTA Aug. 21, 2009 to Judy Lee Lenz Marcogliese 2009 QPRT Article VI Trust UTA Aug. 21, 2009, Houston, Texas, one-half interest, land with buildings and improvements.
The Sarah Fraley Trust Sept. 29, 2004, Ellsworth to Frederick Fraley III and Sara C. Fraley, Mount Desert, as joint tenants, land with improvements.
Ann R. Kinney, New York, N.Y., to Eleanor H. Kinney, Bremen and Sarah Kinney Contomichalos, New York, N.Y., land with buildings and improvements.
Estate of James Logan Clunan, Virginia Beach, Va., to John S. Clunan, Virginia Beach, Va., and Anne L. Clunan, Capitola, Calif., land with buildings.
SOUTHWEST HARBOR
Estate of Berten W. Willey, Surry to Diane M. Willey-Ward, Surry and Allen B. Willey, Southwest Harbor, land with buildings and improvements.
Estate of Berten W. Willey, Surry to Diane Marie Willey-Ward, Surry and Allen B. Willey, Southwest Harbor. Undivided 91.75% interest, land with buildings and improvements to Berten W. Willey. Undivided 4.125% interest, land with buildings and improvements to Diane Willey-Ward. Undivided 4.125% interest, land with buildings and improvements to Allen B. Willey.
Estate of Berten W. Willey, Surry to Diane Marie Willey-Ward, Surry and Allen B. Willey, Southwest Harbor, one-half undivided interest, land with buildings and improvements.
TRENTON
Melissa E. Leland, Trenton to David J. Leland, Trenton, land with improvements.
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