Briefs: Corey Bagley Pulls Papers to Run For Sheriff
Hiring Freeze at Acadia National Park, Peaceful Protest in Bar Harbor, Sugar Showdown is today and 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 usually 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.
BRIEF: COREY BAGLEY PULLS PAPERS FOR HANCOCK COUNTY SHERIFF’S POSITION
ELLSWORTH—Former Hancock County Chief Deputy Corey Bagley has filed papers that would allow him to run in the sheriff election in 2026. That position is currently held by Scott Kane. Both are registered Republicans.
The Bangor Daily News’ Bill Trotter broke the news on Kane’s birthday. Kane is Bagley’s former superior officer at the department before Bagley departed approximately 18 months ago. They’d also worked together in the sheriff’s department in the 1990s. Bagley worked for the Ellsworth Police Department after that time at the sheriff’s office. He currently works at the Ellsworth Police Department. He’s also been a Maine Drug Enforcement Agency supervisor.
BRIEF: ACADIA NATIONAL PARK HIRING FREEZE
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK—In the past week, both Bill Trotter of the Bangor Daily News and Faith DeAmbrose of the Mount Desert Islander last week reported on the hiring freeze at Acadia National Park.
“A federal hiring freeze put in place by the new administration of President Donald Trump could make it even harder for Acadia National Park to fill seasonal positions, officials said,” Trotter wrote in his January 27 article.
“Sen. Angus King’s office said Monday that the reports of job offers being withdrawn ‘are incredibly worrying.’ Acadia typically fills 120 seasonal positions each year to deal with the influx of tourists, it said, and summer is approaching quickly
“‘As visitation increases at our parks, Senator King is insistent that our parks must have the necessary funding to operate which includes, but is not limited to, both staffing and maintenance,’ King’s office said Monday. ‘Without this funding, the visitor experience is likely to be negatively impacted,’” Trotter continued.
On February 7, DeAmbrose reported, “All job listings have been removed from the Acadia National Park website and searchers will find this message instead: ‘No jobs open to the general public are available at this time.’”
“The park typically begins its seasonal hiring process this time of year and has most employees in place by May. Last February, the Islander reported about the park’s search for seasonal employees at this same time of the year. At that time the park was looking to hire public safety dispatchers, emergency services rangers, motor vehicle operators, maintenance workers and laborers,” DeAmbrose continued.
Acadia has approximately 4 million recorded visits annually.
BRIEF: PEACEFUL PROTEST IN BAR HARBOR AND NEXT STEPS GATHERING SCHEDULED
BAR HARBOR—Several island residents gathered on the Bar Harbor Village Green on Wednesday at noon. The gathering was to protest President Donald Trump’s administration’s recent actions. More than 40 attended the gathering amid freezing temperatures on snow-covered ground.
The event was an adjacent part of a national day of protest in state capitals. The gathering focused on billionaire Elon Musk’s actions.
“Like its counterparts around the country, the event was largely organized online and on social media with the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501 — short for 50 protests in 50 states on one day,” wrote Maine Public’s Kevin Miller.
“Attendees at the Augusta rally chanted slogans such as ‘stop the coup,’ ‘Musk must go’ and ‘change starts with us’ while holding aloft signs calling Trump a traitor and a threat to democracy. They protested President Donald Trump and Elon Musk and the slew of executive actions that have, among other things, sought to eliminate birthright citizenship, ended federal diversity programs, shuttered foreign aid offices and raised the specter of mass layoffs of federal civil servants,” Miller continued.
Local organizers have said that there will be an event today, February 8, at 2 p.m. at the MDI YWCA in Bar Harbor for those want to discuss political action and next steps.
MDI HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADERS HEAD TO STATES TODAY!
SUGAR SHOWDOWN IS TODAY!
NATURE OF RESILIENCE! TRAINING COMING UP!
BAROQUE ORCHESTRA OF MAINE CONCERT
BAR HARBOR—Members of Baroque Orchestra of Maine (BOOM) will perform a concert on period instruments on Saturday, February 22 at 4 p.m., at the Bar Harbor Congregational Church. Heidi Powell, baroque violin and Max Treitler, baroque cello, will present the famous classic piece 'Winter' from Vivaldi's 4 Seasons as well as Sonatas by Handel, Biber, Albinoni and Matteis. Tickets are available at the door for adults ($25) students are free. For more information visit BOOM's website at: https://www.baroqueorchestraofmaine.org/
Southwest Harbor Public Library Receives $50,000 Grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation for Solar Panel Installation
SOUTHWEST HARBOR—The Southwest Harbor Public Library is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a generous $50,000 grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation.
“We are deeply grateful to the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation for their support,” said Erich Reed, Library Director. “This grant not only helps us address our operational costs but also aligns with our commitment to environmental stewardship. By reducing our reliance on nonrenewable energy, we’re setting an example of sustainability for the entire community.”
In partnership with SolarLogix, the library will implement a solar panel system designed to harness clean, renewable energy. Once operational, the solar panels are expected to significantly lower the library’s energy costs, allowing more resources to be directed toward community programs and services.
The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation was established to strengthen and support Maine communities. The Foundation focuses on initiatives that advance education, literacy, arts, and social services, with an emphasis on projects that benefit underserved populations and promote sustainability. This grant underscores the Foundation’s commitment to enriching Maine communities like Southwest Harbor.
The project is expected to be completed this spring. To learn more about opportunities to support this project, please contact Erich Reed at (207) 244-7065 or email director@swharborlibrary.org.
BAR HARBOR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN VOTING TIMELINE
STATE RELEASES
Demographics explain overarching workforce trends in the 2000s
Changes in the age structure of the population have resulted in a rising share of the population not in the labor force
AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Labor’s Center for Workforce Research and Information(CWRI) has published a new report, “Demographic and workforce changes in Maine.”
The report documents population, jobs, and labor force participation trends in the 2000s, including:
The share of jobs held by people aged 55 and over increased from 16 to 28 percent, while the share held by those aged 35–54 decreased from 50 to 40 percent.
The population aged 35–54 decreased by 18 percent; the number of jobs held by this group decreased at a similar rate.
The population increased by 43 percent for the 55–64 age group and by 70 percent for those aged 65 and over.
Labor force participation rates have changed little for groups under 55 over the past two decades and are modestly higher today for groups aged 55 and above.
The report also identifies the reasons for, and characteristics of, people not in the labor force. The overwhelming majority are:
1) Retired (more than half)
2) Enrolled in school
3) Identify health or disability reasons
4) Identify home responsibilities reasons
The shifting age structure of the population explains overall trends in the workforce.
Read the full report here: https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/blogs/Demographic&WorkforceChanges.pdf
SCOPING FOR THE RECREATIONAL SECTOR SEPARATION AND DATA COLLECTION AMENDMENT
AUGUSTA—The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), along with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), have scheduled a series of scoping hearings to gather public input on issues and information to be considered in the Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and the Bluefish FMP. Hearings will be held February 24 – March 5. Written comments will be accepted through March 20, 2025.
Scoping is the first and best opportunity to provide input on the issues to be addressed during development of management options. The purpose of the proposed amendment is to consider modifications to the recreational management program for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. Specifically, options may consider managing for-hire recreational fisheries separately from other recreational fishing modes (referred to as sector separation), and options related to the collection and use of recreational data, such as private angler reporting and enhanced for-hire vessel trip reporting requirements. The Public Information/Scoping Document provides a broad overview of the issues identified for consideration in the amendment. Additional information and updates are available on the MAMFC action page or the ASMFC public input page.
HEARING SCHEDULE
Below is information on how to participate in each hearing. If you are unable to participate in your state’s scheduled hearing, you are welcome to participate in any of the hearings.
Date and Time of Hearing Type of State Contacts
Monday, February 24
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Webinar Hearing (Register here)
Wednesday, February 26
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Hybrid Hearing
In-Person Location: New York State Marine Resources Headquarters, 123 Kings Park Blvd., Kings Park, NY 11754
Thursday, February 27
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Hybrid Hearing
In-Person Location: University of Rhode Island Bay Campus, Corless Auditorium, 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI 02882
Tuesday, March 4
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Webinar Hearing (Register here)
Wednesday, March 5
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Webinar Hearing (Register here)
Additional webinar instructions are available HERE.
SUBMITTING COMMENT
All interested individuals are encouraged to provide comments at any of five public scoping hearings or by submitting written comments through one of the methods listed below. Comments must be received by 11:59 pm EST on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
ONLINE at https://mafmc.knack.com/public-comments#rec-sector-separation-data-collection/
EMAIL to kdancy@mafmc.org (subject: Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection)
MAIL to Dr. Christopher Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901 (Please write “Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection” on the envelope)
If you’d like to donate to help support us, you can, but no pressure! Just click here (about how you can give) or here (a direct link), which is the same as the button below.
If you’d like to sponsor the Bar Harbor Story, you can! Learn more here.
Hiring freeze...more brilliance from the goon squad.