UPDATE AND CORRECTION! Receptions Today for Jennifer Buchanan and Angela Chamberlain Farewell Celebrations
Briefs: No action on a campaign ethics complaint, artists in residence named, school policy changes, and more
UPDATE AND CORRECTION!
So many apologies, there was a typo that wasn’t caught in one of the paragraphs about the date of Jennifer Buchanan’s reception. It is TODAY, December 20 not December 30. We’ve also included the wording “resigned.”
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.
Also, all the holiday happenings are here. We’ve been updating and collating them as we go along, but don’t want to keep sending out an email to you each time that happens.
BRIEF: RECEPTIONS TODAY FOR JENNIFER BUCHANAN AND ANGELA CHAMBERLAIN FAREWELLS.
BAR HARBOR AND MOUNT DESERT—Two towns are hosting thank you celebrations and goodbyes today for two women who have worked for their respective towns for well over a decade.
The Mount Desert Town Office will close at 3, December 20 for Jennifer Buchanan’s farewell celebration. The office is closing to honor the 17+ years of service of Buchanan, who is Mount Desert’s deputy clerk, and has resigned.
“Please join us to share in the farewell celebration from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. at the Town Office meeting room,” reads a release from the town. “Light refreshments will be served. Everyone is invited!”
Everyone is also invited to Bar Harbor at the town’s municipal building on Cottage Street for Code Enforcement Officer Chamberlain’s send-off, today, December 20. After 25 years serving the town of Bar Harbor, Angela Chamberlain, Bar Harbor’s code enforcement officer, is heading to Tremont. Her last day in Bar Harbor will be January 1, 2025.
The open-house-style event for Chamberlain is from 3-5 p.m. People can stop in and chat. There will be some light refreshments.
BRIEF: ETHICS DECISION ON NO ON FOUR
BAR HARBOR—The Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics took no action on a claim that individuals and a group of people who often met on Sundays had broken the state’s ethics laws about campaigns and were not a coordinated campaign against the Bar Harbor Cruise Ship measure that narrowly failed in the past November 5 ballot. That measure would have repealed the town’s current ordinance.
“Paid communications (e.g., ads or signs) costing more than $500 expressly advocating for or against a referendum must include the name and the address of the person(s) who made or financed the expenditures for the communications. The Commission staff gathered preliminary information concerning the communications in Ms. Bond’s complaint and identified the spenders,” Ethics Commission Executive Director Jonathan Wayne wrote. “Two communications were paid for by a ‘loose’ group of individuals who met on Sundays. Two other communications were paid for by individuals acting independently. We recommend taking no further action because the communications costing more than $500 accurately identified the people who paid for the communications. It appears that none of the spenders met the $5,000 contribution/spending threshold to require registration with the Commission as a ballot question committee.”
Lincoln Millstein of the Quietside Journal broke the report of the commission’s decision. In the same piece, Millstein identifies the complainant in the ethics charge against Bar Harbor Appeals Board Vice Chair Cara Ryan, which caused Ryan to recuse herself at the last minute during the appeals board meeting concerning the Golden Anchor appeal of its notice of violation for cruise ship disembarkations. Ryan stated that she had just heard of the complaint right before that meeting.
“During the filing of a complaint, preliminary review, investigation and hearing, no allegation, complaint, report, or information supplied to, generated by or received from the Commission shall be disclosed to any third party by a complainant, accused, witness, designated party, employee, member or commissioner, except upon the written request of the accused or as needed by the town manager and clerk to administer the intent of this section,” the town’s ethics ordinance reads.
COMPREHENSIVE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND NAVIGATION GUIDE AVAILABLE
BAR HARBOR—On behalf of the Planning Department, we are pleased to announce that the Executive Summary and Navigation Guide are now available. These documents, which were mentioned at our November 20, 2024 information session, are meant to be companions to the Comprehensive Plan. The Navigation Guide provides information about how the plan will be implemented, outlines the sections of the plan, and provides guidance for reviewing the Plan. The Executive Summary provides an overview of the information included in the Plan.
Copies of the Executive Summary and Navigation Guide can be found on our website and are available to pick up in the lobby of the Municipal Building.
Link to access these documents and all others related to the Comprehensive Plan: https://www.barharbormaine.gov/501/Comprehensive-Plan
BRIEF: PARKING MONEY COLLECTED SURPASSES 4 MILLION
BAR HARBOR— Bill Trotter of the Bangor Daily News reported this week that Bar Harbor’s parking fee revenue “this year surpassed $4 million in parking fee revenue for the first time.”
In 2023, the town collected $3.4 million.
“Bar Harbor increased its hourly parking rates in July of 2023, and so collected more money this past May and June than it did for the same months last year. The fees went from $1.50 and $2 per hour, depending on where you parked downtown, to $2 and $4 per hour,” Trotter wrote. “Bar Harbor pulled in roughly $100,000 more in parking fees this May than it did in May of 2023, and around $430,000 more in the month of June than in the same month the prior year, according to town records. The Bangor Daily News obtained copies of Bar Harbor’s parking fee accounting records this week after submitting a Freedom of Access Act request to the town.”
MDI Adult and Community Education Welcomes New Director and Enrichment Coordinator
BAR HARBOR—Mount Desert Island Adult and Community Education (MDI ACE) is pleased to announce the addition of two new team members.
Lauren Koncinsky joined MDI ACE as its new director in late September. A passionate advocate for lifelong learning, she holds a Master’s degree in Adult Education from the University of Southern Maine. With extensive experience in both education and leadership, Lauren has previously worked with the MDI Regional School System and The Jackson Laboratory, where she honed her skills in team management and staff development. In addition to her role at MDI ACE, Lauren is actively involved in the community, serving on two local nonprofit boards.
Also joining MDI ACE as enrichment coordinator is Amber Howard who brings extensive experience in project management, social media development, and marketing. She has a proven track record of customer satisfaction, managing resources effectively, and fostering strong connections with community members. Amber will be responsible for coordinating a variety of programs, from workshops to extended learning opportunities, ensuring that MDI ACE continues to meet the diverse needs of our learners.
Michelle Brzezowski has been an instructor at MDI ACE for four years. She provides all tutoring necessary to earn a high school diploma at any age. With a deep passion for helping adults enhance their skills, advance their careers, and broaden their academic horizons, Michelle brings a wealth of experience to her teaching. Previously, she worked as a marine biologist and taught 7th and 8th-grade math and science, combining her scientific background with a commitment to education and lifelong learning.
“We are thrilled to have Lauren and Amber on board,” said Superintendent Michael Zboray. “Their enthusiasm and commitment to education and community-building will be invaluable as we continue to grow and evolve the programs we offer.”
The new hires reflect MDI Regional School System’s ongoing commitment to providing high-quality, personalized educational experiences to individuals of all ages and backgrounds.
MDI Adult and Community Education offers a wide range of programs in five major categories: HiSET (think GED) and High School Completion, College Transitions, Business and Skills Training, Literacy, and Personal Enrichment.
MDI ACE is dedicated to fostering lifelong learning opportunities and supporting the vibrant community of Mount Desert Island. For more information on upcoming programs and courses, please visit mdi.maineadulted.org or contact MDI ACE at 207-288-4703. Connect with us on Facebook MDIAdultEducation and Instagram @mdiadulted.
Play Reading of Reef Point about Beatrix Farrand’s Lost Garden by Carolyn Gage
SOUTHWEST HARBOR—Join us at the Southwest Harbor Public Library on Tuesday, January, 7 from 5:30-7:00 p.m., experience “Reef Point”, the debut play reading by local playwright Carolyn Gage. “Reef Point” is a new, one-act play about the Bar Harbor estate of the legendary landscape architect Beatrix Farrand and about her sudden decision in 1954 to dismantle her home and sell off the gardens. The reading will take place in the library with online viewing available.
It’s a play about facing massive changes late in life, about legacy, about surrendering a dream, about downscaling and recalibrating. “Reef Point” is a play about a lost garden, and a found one.
The cast for the reading includes local actors Phoebe Barnes, Mary Heffernon, Christopher Josephs, Katie Migdal, and Cindy Robbins. The play is by Southwest Harbor playwright Carolyn Gage.
Carolyn Gage is a playwright, director, and activist. She is the author of nine-collections of plays and eighty-eight plays, musicals, and one-woman shows. Her play St. Frances and the Fallen Angels was read at Southwest Harbor Public Library and at the Bass Harbor Library last year.
To register to attend in person or online, visit https://tinyurl.com/y4vb6ep5, call 207-244-7065, or email programs@swhplibrary.org. For more info about Carolyn Gage, visit
https://carolyngage.weebly.com
Holiday Refuse Collection Schedule and Holiday Hours - Updated!
Town of Mount Desert
Holiday Refuse Collection Schedule:
Christmas Week: – NO COLLECTION, ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2024. Monday and Tuesday will be on Monday; Wednesday will be on Tuesday. No change the rest of the week.
New Year’s Week: – NO COLLECTION, ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025. Monday and Tuesday will be on Monday; Wednesday will be on Tuesday. No change the rest of the week.
Christmas trees: - Please put trees curbside on Monday, January 6th, 2025, and they will be collected though out the week.
Town Office Hours for December, New Years and January:
Tuesday, December 24, 2024, closing at NOON
Wednesday, December 25, 2024, closed
Wednesday, January 1, 2025, closed
HULLS COVE PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY CLOSURES
BAR HARBOR—The Public Works Facility in Hulls Cove will be CLOSED at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, December 24 and will reopen on Thursday, December 26, 2024 in observance of the holiday.
BRIEF: SCHOOL POLICY CHANGES
BAR HARBOR—In the final minutes of its approximately 90-minute meeting at its December 9 meeting, the MDIRSS AOS91 School Board approved changes to multiple school policies including a second reading and approval of revisions to the BEDH - Public Comment at School Board Meetings and the second reading and adoption of Policies:
It also deleted the following policies and procedures:
KLGA - Relations with School Resource Officers and Law Enforcement Authorities
KLGA-R - Relations with School Resource Officers and Law Enforcement
There was no board discussion on any of the items that updated the agreement with law enforcement officers, tweaked the public comment procedures at school board meetings, and administrative procedures.
Acadia National Park Invites Five Artists-in-Residence for 2025
BAR HARBOR—Five artists have accepted invitations to participate in the Artist-in-Residence program at Acadia National Park in 2025. Each invited participant is asked to lead one outreach activity for park visitors and complete a finished work of art for display in park gallery spaces, as well as a permanent online catalog.
Invited participants include:
· Nathan Allard, Somerville, Maine, for visual art from Maine
· Samantha DeFlitch, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for poetry
· Abigail Donovan, Eugene, Oregon, for visual art from “Away”
· Shokoofeh Rajabzadeh, Chappaqua, New York, for writing
· Caitlin Smith, Farmington, Minnesota, for at-large artist in music
Learn more about their backgrounds and creative interests at Artists-in-Residence.
Founded in 1993, the program is dedicated to creating new and interesting ways for visitors to experience Acadia through the arts. Since 2023, the program's operational costs have been fully funded by donations from sales proceeds at America’s National Parks (Eastern National) stores throughout the park.
The next call for residency opportunities in 2026 will be open July 1 – September 30, 2025.
Photo composite caption: (from left, top) Nathan Allard, Samantha DeFlitch, (from left, bottom) Abigail Donovan, Shokoofeh Rajabzadeh, and Caitlin Smith.
Free Workshop Will Delve Into Mindfulness Tools for Enhanced Well-Being
HANCOCK COUNTY—Healthy Acadia invites community members to participate in a free virtual workshop, "A Taste of Mindfulness," on Thursday, January 2, 2025, from 5 to 6 p.m. via Zoom. The event will feature special guest Sonya Connelly and is part of Healthy Acadia’s Monthly Mindfulness series.
Experience the essence of mindfulness in this introductory session designed for beginners and those curious about cultivating a greater presence in daily life. Through guided meditation, gentle exercises, and practical tips, we'll explore how mindfulness can help reduce stress, enhance focus, and improve overall well-being.
This class provides a relaxed, judgment-free environment to:
Discover the basics of mindfulness practices.
Learn simple techniques to bring awareness into everyday moments.
Understand how mindfulness fosters emotional balance and clarity.
No prior experience is needed—just bring an open mind and a willingness to explore. You will leave with practical tools to support your mindfulness journey.
Sonya Connelly has served as the Communications and Community Outreach Coordinator at Healthy Acadia since 2020. She holds a master’s degree in counseling and has extensive experience in bereavement support and spiritual formation. With decades of experience in mindfulness, meditation, and contemplative practices, Sonya is passionate about simplicity and slow living.
Pre-registration is required for this free event. To register and receive the Zoom link, visit bit.ly/mindful-1225.
For more information about this event, future mindfulness events, or other programs promoting mindful living, contact Ursula Hanson at ursula@healthyacadia.org. To stay updated and register for free events, subscribe to Healthy Acadia’s e-newsletter or visit healthyacadia.org/hpm-mindfulness-for-health.
Healthy Acadia is a 501(c)(3) community health organization dedicated to building vibrant communities and making it easier for everyone to lead healthy lives. Serving Washington and Hancock counties, the organization provides community health support and leadership across Maine. For more information, visit healthyacadia.org.
MDI Island Quilters January Exhibit
SOUTHWEST HARBOR—From January 7 to 20, 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, Fri from 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.
Home and Community-Based Services Access Rule Town Hall Announcement
AUGUSTA—In April 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services Rule (Access Rule). This new rule is designed to make it easier for people to access home and community-based services (HCBS) and to improve the quality of these services. If you receive personal care, homemaker, home health services, or habilitation services such as home support, work support, or community support, this applies to you. The goal is to help people who receive Medicaid HCBS services have better lives and outcomes.
Here in the state of Maine, we are committed to the goals of the Access Rule. We are beginning to plan for how to meet these new requirements. Over the coming months, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will ask for your input on our plans.
At this time, DHHS would like to invite you to a town hall session to discuss the new CMS Access Rule and its requirements. We will explain the rule, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback on the rule. As part of our planning, it’s also important for us to hear from you around what is working well and where we can improve. This town hall is the first of several opportunities for you to give input that will help us create a plan to follow the new rule. Please note, the rule includes elements about other medical services that will be addressed separately by the Office of MaineCare Services (OMS). This session will focus specifically on HCBS programs offered by the Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS).
Please register using the link below that matches your relationship with Maine’s OADS programs. You will need to register to receive the town hall meeting link. If you cannot attend one of the town halls, you will be able to view recordings of the sessions on the DHHS website and provide written feedback via email.
Target Audience: Providers, Advocacy Organizations, Advisory Groups, etc. – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and/or Autism Population
When: Tuesday, January 7 from 12-1:30 p.m.
Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkd-GqrzwjHta_xzg0KJfzUE0FJmAA5bEy
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Target Audience: Providers, Advocacy Organizations, Advisory Groups, etc. – Older Adults and Adults with Physical Disabilities Population
When: Thursday, January 9 from 12-1:30 p.m.
Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEsf-CtqDgqEt2QywnRv8lD_rqWbUae5nIV
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Target Audience: Individuals and Families – Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and/or Autism
When: Monday, January 13 from 4-5:30 p.m.
Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAuf-irpjIiH9L-7YNwkCUxVJP721fI1sjy
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Target Audience: Individuals and Families – Older Adults and Adults with Physical Disabilities
When: Tuesday, January 14 from 4-5:30 p.m.
Registration Link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsc-iorT0oHdAlI9tyh-xkx-_5qLdNjL33
Job Outlook to 2032 – Moderate, Gradual Change Expected
AUGUSTA—The Maine Department of Labor’s Center for Workforce Research and Information (CWRI) recently released its Job Outlook for Maine. The series of slides highlights broad trends shaping the size and rate of change in jobs and the industry and occupational trends expected in the decade from 2022 to 2032.
Some highlights include:
Moderate, gradual change is expected to continue
An increased share of the population will be retired
Productivity improvements will allow an employment base that is little changed in size to meet demand from a larger population
Job growth has gradually slowed over many decades, primarily from sliding birth rates which yield smaller numbers of labor force entrants. Combined with thousands of retiring baby boomers, the number of jobs is not expected to change appreciably in the decade through 2032, even as the population gradually increases.
This situation has raised concern that there will not be enough workforce to support the population. Job Outlook shows a more complete view, recognizing that productivity gains are likely to exceed the differential in population and job growth. Output of the economy increased much faster than jobs throughout the 2000s. Expected continued improvements in the productivity of the workforce should both meet demand from a larger population and keep wages rising.
The rapid reallocation of jobs from some sectors of the economy to others that occurred in the decades leading up to 2010 has moderated since then. That moderation in change is likely to continue in the decade through 2032. Jobs are expected to gradually shift from certain functions, particularly those that can be automated, toward others. Jobs in healthcare, for example, are expected to rise in share, partly driven by increased demand from an aging population.
Detail on expected job openings for occupations and high-wage, in-demand jobs can be found here: maine.gov/labor/cwri/outlook.html.
STATE PROPOSES RULE CHANGE ABOUT PROPOSED ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY SERVICES
Repeal of 14-197 C.M.R. Chapter 3 Definition of Mental Retardation and Autism; Appeal Procedure and replace with 10-149 C.M.R. Chapter 5 § 2 Developmental Disability Services for Adults with an Intellectual Disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder.
PROPOSED RULE: 10-149 CMR Chapter 5 § 2 Developmental Disability Services for Adults with an Intellectual Disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder.
AUGUSTA—This memo gives notice of proposed rulemaking re: Developmental Disability Services for Adults with an Intellectual Disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder.
This proposed rule previously was the subject of a public hearing, held on August 14, 2024, and a public comment period that closed on August 24, 2024. Following and more than fourteen days after the close of public comments, the Department decided to substantively amend the proposed eligibility criteria for developmental disability services set forth in the proposed rule in §§ 2.04-3(A) (for persons with an intellectual disability) and 2.04-3(B) (for persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder). Because of these changes, the Department determined that it should elicit additional public comment on the proposed rulemaking.
As noted prior to the August 14, 2024, public hearing, the purpose of the rulemaking is to clarify the application of Developmental Disability Services available at OADS that are supported exclusively with state funds. The rule also shifts away from being a description of the client intake and eligibility determination processes, which are internal to the agency, and instead clearly explains the services available to applicants deemed eligible for Developmental Disability Services at OADS.
When the Department finds an individual eligible for Developmental Disability Services, there are certain noticing requirements which are clearly stated. The option to appeal the Department’s eligibility determination is brought into alignment with the Department’s standard fair hearing process, clarifying the Department’s role in the fair hearing process. Finally, this rule implements a clear timeliness standard for the fair hearing process and updates the requirements for confidentiality.
The regulations of the Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) are currently divided into two Chapters: 10-149 (formerly the Office of Elder Services) and 14-197 (formerly the Office of Adults with Cognitive and Physical Disability Services). OADS is in the process of combining these two former State agency policy manuals into one by eliminating use of 14-197 and creating a single comprehensive OADS Policy Manual under 10-149. This rulemaking repeals the current 14-197 Chapter 3 and replaces that with 10-149, Chapter 5, Section 2: Developmental Disability Services. The rule also contains many formatting corrections, ensures use of gender-neutral language, and includes many clarifying edits.
The Department is providing notice that the rule will be repealed and replaced to better reflect current terminology, the practices of the programs, and to bring the rule into compliance with 34-B M.R.S § 5467.
Rules and related rulemaking documents may be reviewed at, or printed from, the Department rulemaking website at https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/about/rulemaking or for a fee, interested parties may request a paper copy of rules by calling (207) 287-7055 or Maine Relay number 711.
A concise summary of the proposed rule is provided in the Notice of Agency Rulemaking Proposal, which can be found at http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/notices.html. This notice also provides information regarding the rulemaking process. Please address all comments to the agency contact person identified in the Notice of Agency Rulemaking Proposal.
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Rick Osann Art.
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