CHANCE TO VOTE ON MDI HIGH SCHOOL BUDGET THIS WEEK. PLUS, TOWN MEETINGS THIS WEEK & COOL THINGS TO DO
On The Agenda - Bar Harbor Town Meetings and Events
ON THE AGENDA
Every week we document Bar Harbor town government, school, and other similar meetings that we know of. Please let us know if we’ve missed something. Also, sometimes things are on the town calendars and are cancelled or rescheduled, so make sure to double check before you head over!
All the meetings take place at the Bar Harbor Municipal Building at 93 Cottage Street unless otherwise noted. And they usually have a time for public comments. This is not true about executive sessions, which are closed to the public.
So, go! Be informed! Be part of the process. You deserve to be.
To see the town meeting calendar by month, click here.
To see the school board calendar by month, click here
BAR HARBOR GOVERNMENT MEETINGS!
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
MONDAY, APRIL 1
Bar Harbor School Committee Meeting
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Conners-Emerson School Library
Parks and Recreation Committee Meeting
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Council Chambers
Warrant Committee
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Council Chambers
TUESDAY, APRIL 2
Town Council Workshop
The council’s notice for this workshop online is the one from last month’s. We will try to find the real one and update this article, but could not over the weekend while the town office was closed.
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Municipal Building Suite 321 (directly across from Council Chambers)
Town Council
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Council Chambers
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3
ANNUAL MDI High School Budget Meeting
There is no agenda posted online.
The annual high school budget meeting and approval takes place at the MDI High School Theater at 6 p.m. Voters from all island towns can vote on this budget at this time.
The $14.409 million budget as presented marks a 7.1% ($960,973) increase over last year with the overall budget increasing from $13,529,183 to $14,490,156. The assessment to towns’ portion of the budget climbed from $10,540,101 to $11,369,030 for an increase of 7.86% or $828,929.
Each town’s portion of the high school budget is based upon a formula that uses the town’s assessed value according to the state and the enrollment of students from each town. Based on 100%, the state assessment carries 67% of that weight and the student enrollment of each town carries 33% of that weight.
Though the budget was approved by the board in February, it’s up to voters on Wednesday to approve it officially. Here’s a link to an earlier article about the budget.
6 - 7 PM
MDI High School Theater
Planning Board Meeting
The agenda is not currently online. Please check before you head over to make sure it is meeting.
4:00 PM - 8:30 PM
@ Council Chambers, Bar Harbor Municipal Building, Cottage Street
TOWN GOVERNMENT MEETINGS
SOUTHWEST HARBOR
Regular meeting schedule (meetings held at the Town Office unless otherwise noted). Calendar is here.
Select Board: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of every month @6pm
Board of Appeals: 2nd Wednesday of every month (as needed) @6pm
Planning Board: 1st & 3rd Thursdays of every month @6pm at the Town Office & via Zoom
Conservation Commission: 1st Wednesday of every month @4:30pm via Zoom
Shellfish Committee: 2nd Monday of every month @5pm
Harbor Committee: 2nd Monday of every month @6pm
Historic Cemetery Committee: 3rd Wednesday of every month @2pm
Warrant Committee: as needed
MOUNT DESERT
April 1, 2024 - 6:30pm
Sustainability Committee Meeting
April 3, 2024 - 3:30pm
April 3, 2024 - 6:00pm
April 9, 2024 - 4:30pm
Economic Development Committee Meeting
April 10, 2024 - 4:00pm
TREMONT:
No town meetings on calendar this week.
TRENTON:
There is no calendar online.
Board of Appeals meets on an as needed basis, the second Thursday of the month.
Planning Board meets monthly on the second Wednesday.
School Committee
Harbor Committee meets on an as needed basis.
Solid Waste Committee meets on an as needed basis.
Broadband Committee meets every second Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Committee Meetings are currently held remotely via Zoom.
BAR HARBOR:
According to the town’s website, “Meetings that are broadcast live can be viewed at home by watching Cable Access Channel 7 or 1303 (Spectrum Cable only) and online at Town Hall Streams.”
SCHOOL MEETINGS (ALL TOWNS)
Bar Harbor - 4:30, April 1
Tremont - 5:30, April 2
Mt. Desert Elementary - 4, April 3
Cranberry Isles - 8 a.m., April 5
Things to Do In Bar Harbor
It’s our weekly round-up, and I may have missed some things so apologies!
To check out our news stories from the past week. Click on the archive section and you’ll see them in chronological order.
GET YOUR TUESDAY TALK ON!
Tuesday Talks at Birch Bay Village
Birch Bay Village welcomes Johannah Blackman and Beth Woolfolk of A Climate to Thrive. ACTT works towards energy independence for Mount Desert Island by 2030 through decentralized, local, renewable energy solutions including efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy generation. They seek solutions that build community ownership and equity and bring the community together around shared goals and priorities. They prioritize collaboration within and beyond the MDI community and actively work to build a network of community-driven, solutions-focused climate action throughout the state of Maine.
Johannah and Beth will present on community-driven energy solutions, current work on MDI, current challenges, and future priorities as well as discussion of possibilities for Birch Bay.
The talk will be April 2, 2024, at 1:00 p.m.
Johannah Blackman, Executive Director
A founding member of A Climate to Thrive, Johannah is honored to serve as ACTT’s Executive Director. Johannah brings together over a decade of experience in nonprofit management, over twelve years of experience in climate action, and a background in education, youth mentorship, and counseling psychology. Johannah’s particular passion is helping anyone and everyone discover their unique contribution to climate solutions and building community-driven climate action throughout Maine and beyond. She is an avid writer, explorer, and a mother.
Beth Woolfolk, Manager of Renewable Energy Planning and Policy
Beth grew up on Mount Desert Island and has her bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from the University of Maine Orono. Over the past several years, Beth has taken a deep dive into the field of solar in Maine. Particular focus areas include: grid flexibility in the renewable energy transition, interconnection of solar, financial modeling for solar ownership, community-driven and responsible solar siting, and increasing access to solar ownership benefits. Beth is an avid gardener and dog lover.
A Climate to Thrive is a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization and can be found at: aclimatetothrive.org
The talk is free and all are welcome!
GET YOUR CHOWDAH ON!
Get ready…Get set…It’s the Mount Desert Nursing Association’s Chowdah Fest and Silent Auction coming Monday, April 1 to the Neighborhood House!
GET YOUR HERO ON!
BAR HARBOR FIRE DEPARTMENT
To check if Bar Harbor Fire Department is currently hiring, please go to the town’s jobs page.
But even if it isn’t, you can become a call member
Becoming a call force firefighter requires extensive training, hard work, and dedication to the community. We rely on call force firefighters to respond quickly to emergencies, to perform firefighting duties, and to provide assistance and support to career firefighters. To be a fall force firefighter is to have a chance to aid and serve the community, which is an extremely rewarding experience.
READ TO FEED
Read to Feed Your Community
The Hancock County Food Drive invites you to sign up for the 2024 Read-a-Thon, a month-long reading challenge that raises funds for 17 local food pantries, soup kitchens, and school food assistance programs. Register online and recruit donations for every minute you spend reading in April!
The Hancock County Food Drive is an annual month-long food collection and fundraising event that directly supports food pantries, free meal programs, and school backpack programs across Hancock County. With the help of volunteers, these organizations work together every spring to provide critical assistance to Mainers during a time of year when food insecurity rates are at their highest. Learn more at www.hcfooddrive.org
GET YOUR LOCAL NEWS AND DEMOCRACY ON! (And come say hi)
The League of Women Voters-Downeast is hosting a panel discussion on the importance of local news outlets to a functioning democracy. The event will be held Saturday, April 6, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Moore Community Center in Ellsworth. Panelists will include Kate Cough of The Maine Monitor, Carrie Jones of The Bar Harbor Story, Faith DeAmbrose of the Mount Desert Islander and Dan MacLeod of the Bangor Daily News.
With three state and federal elections coming up in Maine this year, an informed electorate is more important than ever.
“As local newspapers across the country close up shop, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to feel a sense of community and to get vital, accurate information,” says Ann Luther of League of Women Voters –Downeast.
Please join us to learn more about this important issue. This hybrid event is free to the public and lunch will be offered to in-person attendees. There will be an opportunity for questions from the live audience, and there will be an opportunity for the Zoom audience to submit their own questions to be presented by the moderator.
To participate on Zoom, register at www.lwvme.org/Events. Questions may be submitted in advance by email to downeast@lwvme.org.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. We never support or oppose any political party or candidate.
HINTERLANDS!
Hinterlands to play at COA
BAR HARBOR —New York-based accordion and violin duo Hinterlands plays live in Turrets Great Hall at College of the Atlantic on Wednesday, April 10, at 7 p.m. The show is free and open to the public.
Hinterlands plays original music ranging from contemplative to howling. Ben Russell’s drone-heavy violin stylings call upon western classical, North Indian and Appalachian influences, and intermix with Matt Schreiber's virtuosic Balkan accordion bursts. Coupled with the raw intensity of shape-note singing in their original vocals the duo evokes wild mountainous and oceanic soundscapes in varied time signatures and bold improvisations. Hinterlands is known for how well they listen to each other, and how they conjure such focused listening out of their audiences. Both inviting and explosive, Hinterlands transports audiences through a prism of color, light, and sound.
Russell and Schreiber have been performing together for 15 years in an evolving conversation between musical worlds. Seamlessly weaving together threads of vernacular music, improvisation, and songcraft, the duo draws from disparate influences to create a musical fabric that is entirely their own. Sometimes fiery, sometimes melancholy, Hinterlands leaves listeners feeling that they have journeyed through landscapes of shapes and sound.
Outside of the duo, Russell has performed with Kronos Quartet, Max Richter, Björk, Sufjan Stevens, The National, and Johann Johannson. Schreiber has studied and performed Romani and Balkan music for almost two decades and is one of a handful of American accordionists helping the instrument move beyond a state of perpetual comeback. Learn more about Hinterlands at hinterlandsmusic.com.
GET YOUR ROADSIDE CLEANUP ON!
Earth Day Roadside Cleanup Registration Opens Soon!
Please join us on Saturday, April 27, for the 23rd annual island-wide Earth Day Roadside Cleanup. Local community members and visitors from around the state will gather to pick up a "winter's worth of trash" from the roadsides of Mount Desert Island and Trenton.
Registration for the 2024 Friends of Acadia Earth Day Roadside Cleanup opens on April 1 on our website.
Please click here for more information or contact Stewardship Coordinator Nikki Burtis at nikki@friendsofacadia.org or 207-288-3934.
GET YOUR EARTH DAY ON!
GET YOUR ABBE ON!
GET YOUR PRAYER SHAWL ON!
Welcoming all knitters and would be knitters…and crocheters! The Welcome and Care Team at the Bar Harbor Congregational Church UCC is hosting a weekly Prayer Shawl Mission Group every Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon at the Bar Harbor Congregational Church UCC. The intention of the group is to create a sense of community and a flow of Prayer Shawls for distribution to those in need of comfort due to illness, loneliness, or loss. Supplies and instruction will be provided to those with skills for knitting and/or crocheting and for those with a desire to learn.
There are no costs to the participants.
For more information contact Pat by calling (203) 770-0063 or email: pgdizazzo@yahoo.com.
GET YOUR OPEN MIC AND KARAOKE ON!
Open mic night is back at the Finback!! We are still working on kitchen projects until March, but we are going to open the door on Friday nights for music! We'll make a batch of chili or soup every Friday just in case you need something to warm up! Doors open at 7!
Karaoke is on Saturday nights!
GET YOUR NOR’EASTER ON!
GET YOUR VOLTA ON!
Volta, in Trenton, has a ton of things always going on. You can check that out here.
GET YOUR GREEN DRINKS ON!
GET YOUR BIO LAB EVENTS ON!
Upcoming Events
Please register for MDI Bio Lab events by clicking on the title to access the event page.
April 3, 2024 at 5 PM: MDIBL Moments: Reconnecting Alumni & Mentors
Calling all MDI Bio Lab alumni to join us for a special virtual get together.
April 8, 2024 at 5 PM: MDI Science Café Online - Climate Change & Pollution: A Double Threat to Kids' Health
From Maine to Sri Lanka, MDI Bio Lab Visiting Scientist Nishad Jayasundara, Ph.D., is connecting the dots between human-driven environmental change and emerging vectors of disease.
April 26-27, 2024: Maine Biological and Medical Sciences Symposium (MBMSS)
A statewide gathering of scientists and students eager to share research results, exchange ideas, collaborate and network with Maine scientists in various disciplines. Now in its 51st year!
Get Your Book (And Author) On!
VIRTUAL WRITE ON! WRITING GROUP
Want support for your craft? The Write On! writer’s group has been meeting at the Jesup since 2014, and remotely during the pandemic. Each meeting, members may bring in up to 1200 words to read for feedback, and in turn offer feedback to others. Although each member doesn’t get to read work every time, the group shares the time fairly. The group meets on Zoom, and hold in confidence what is shared. This group welcomes adults 18 and up writing in many genres. There’s no homework–the only commitment is two hours on Saturday mornings.
Date and Time
SATURDAYS
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Location
Zoom
How to Attend
Call the library, 207-288-4245, for more about us and how to join, or email info@jesuplibrary.org.
STORY TIMES AT THE JESUP!
Baby and Toddler Time
Join Abby for fingerplays, songs, and stories on Mondays! Older siblings are welcome to join in.
10:30 AM 11:15 AM
JESUP MEMORIAL LIBRARY34 MT. DESERT STREET
JESUP EVENTS
For a full list of Jesup Memorial Library events, click through to its calendar here.
ONGOING:
GET YOUR ART ON!
OPEN STUDIO – MEMBER MONDAYS
Members can reserve a table in our studio for an hour or the whole session and have access to our non-consumable tools or use some materials from our stock!$10 for reserved space – participant brings supplies. OR $25 for reserved space plus access to consumable materials; felting, glass, paint, printmaking.Participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Masking, vaccinated, and social distancing for staff and participant safety.
Date and Time
Mondays
2:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. EDT
Location
ArtWaves, 1345A State Highway 102, Bar Harbor
Fees/Admission
$42.00
Website
https://www.artwavesmdi.org/event
Contact Information
207-266-0010
Send Email
MONDAY & THURSDAY NIGHT FIGURE DRAWING
Please register, space is limited.
Artists will have a few quick warm-up poses then be able to spend time refining a long pose. Registration necessary- ArtWaves maintains distances for safety.The model is the star, no instruction, but plenty of easels, boards, horses, paper, charcoal and fellow friendly artists. Feel free to bring your paints and brushes as well!18 and over, under 18 allowed with parental attendance or prior signature.
Date and Time
Mondays and Thursdays
6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Mondays 6-9 single pose and Thursdays multi poses
Location
ArtWaves Fine Arts Studio
Fees/Admission
$15 for 3-hour session
Members: $25 month fee
Contact Information
office @artwavesmdi.otrg
Send Email
KIDS CRAFTERNOONS
ArtWaves is devoting afternoons of studio (under the big tent) sessions for children to create. Most workshops use unique materials like fiber, ink, stained glass and wax. Weekly themes. Open to kids between 7-11. No skills required.Masks, vax’d (over 5), and distancing for staff and participant safety.
To Register:
Date and Time
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Location
ArtWaves, 1345A State Highway 102, Bar Harbor
Fees/Admission
$30 materials included or bring some of your own! ($20 for members)
Student membership is $36 a year!
Contact Information office@artwavesmdi.org
Send Email
ARTWAVES CLASSES AND EVENTS
ArtWaves often has classes, a variety every week. For the updated selection, check out its website here
GET YOUR MOVIE ON!
REEL PIZZA
Reel Pizza is open! To check out what’s playing go here.
Tickets are on sale via its website.
Please note that for a while this winter, it will be closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
CRITERION THEATRE
The theater’s website is here, and click for the latest updates.
GET YOUR FITNESS, DANCE and WELLNESS ON!
THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE!
The Neighborhood House has a slew of classes to help you get your fitness on. Descriptions are at its website.
MDI YMCA!
The MDI YMCA’s program guide is here.
DOWNEAST COMMUNITY DANCE
Downeast Community Dance meets every Sunday from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Moore Community Center in Ellsworth (first and third) and ArtWaves in Town Hill (second, fourth and fifth).
These free form dance gatherings are not facilitated, with music provided by volunteer DJs. Move to rhythms in your own way and have fun.
Admission is by donation.
For more information, contact Susan at 288-8103 or cloudnine@gwi.net.
Location
Dance Studio at ArtWaves, 1345A State Highway 102, Bar Harbor
MDI YMCA CLASSSES
For a full listing, check out here.
GET YOUR MUSIC ON!
THE FINBACK ALEHOUSE
The Finback has entertainment most nights. The schedule is posted every Tuesday.
THE NOR’EASTER
The Nor’Easter has music every Saturday night from 8-10 in the summer and 7-9 in the winter.
ONE OFF PUB
The One Off Pub often has music and is often open until midnight. The location? 119 Main Street.
HAVANA
Every Saturday night its open, at 6:30 p.m, you can come hear the maestro Bob Lombardi. Maestro isn’t something we put out there for everyone. Havana is on lower Main Street.
GET YOUR FOOD ON!
The Somesville Union Meeting House will have second Sunday community suppers through April. The free event runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
OPEN TABLE MDI!
For more information, click here.
COOL THINGS IN OTHER TOWNS
GET YOUR CHAMBER CALENDAR ON!
The Bar Harbor Chamber has an event page and a calendar here. It doesn’t reflect all the things in our piece, but it’s a great start and has a bunch of events throughout the region.
“Things We Do in Bar Harbor” and “On the Agenda” is mostly curated by me looking for things happening in the upcoming week, which takes a lot of time and I truly do not know all that is going on.
If there’s something in Bar Harbor (or MDI) that you’d like me to mention, please let me know, because I’m definitely always missing some events every week.