The National Park Foundation Contributes $2 Million to Help Build Workforce Housing for Acadia National Park
Briefs: Beehive rescue, Cruise ship injunction denied, Leonard Leo protests, real estate transfers, court cases
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by First National Bank.
Each week (sometimes twice), we compile briefs and public service announcements and share them in one large article.
The National Park Foundation Contributes $2 Million to Help Build Workforce Housing for Acadia National Park
via Friends of Acadia/Acadia National Park
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK—Friends of Acadia announced today that the National Park Foundation is making a $2 million contribution to help build seasonal workforce housing in Acadia National Park.
Constructing new housing units at Acadia is imperative for a meaningful and sustainable long-term solution for seasonal workforce housing. But constructing buildings within a national park requires careful consideration to preserve park values and experiences. The National Park Service (NPS) and Friends of Acadia have identified two suitable sites that could provide housing for 60-plus seasonal employees: the Harden Farm property in Bar Harbor and the Dane Farm property in Seal Harbor.
This $2 million contribution from the National Park Foundation will help support the construction of additional housing units at Acadia’s Harden Farm property in Bar Harbor. Harden Farm is already home to eight existing housing units.
“Acadia National Park wouldn't be what it is without our dedicated seasonal workforce,” said Superintendent Kevin Schneider. “The National Park Foundation's excitement around the Harden Farm project, in addition to Friends of Acadia's philanthropic support, is going to help ensure Acadia National Park staff will have a place to call home during their tenure with the park. It's humbling to see so many people rally behind our workforce and support such a critical issue for Acadia National Park."
Earlier this month, Friends of Acadia publicly launched it’s $10 million Raise the Roof campaign to support construction at both Dane Farm and Harden Farm, while stressing the importance of public and private partnership to tackle the housing challenge.
“Our long-term success in tackling this immense challenge is dependent on both public and private funding,” said Friends of Acadia President and CEO Eric Stiles. “We’re thrilled that our $10 million Raise the Roof campaign helped leverage federal support. And we’re incredibly grateful to the National Park Foundation, and the Maine Congressional Delegation—U.S. Senators King and Collins, and U.S. Representatives Pingree and Golden, for their support for funding the National Park Service.”
This isn’t just an issue for Acadia, addressing workforce housing issues is a priority for the National Park Service and national parks throughout the country.
“This investment is a step to ensure that the employees of Acadia National Park have a place to call home,” said Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “We rely on skilled, dedicated professionals at the National Park Service to protect our parks and make our visitors’ experiences great, and we have a shared responsibility to take care of them in return.”
CRUISE SHIP INJUNCTION DENIED
BOSTON—In just two sentences, the United States Court of Appeals denied a request for a pause on new cruise ship disembarkation rules in Bar Harbor while the court heard and made a decision on the case.
The request for an injunction had been made by the Association to Preserve and Protect Local Livelihoods, B.H. Piers LLC, Golden Anchor, LC, BHWW LLC, Delray Explorer Hull LLC, Delray Explorer Hull 493 LLC, Acadia Explorer 492, and the Penobscot Bay and River Pilots Association.
The July 31 order reads, “The renewed joint motion for injunction pending appeal is denied for failure to meet the standard for issuance of such relief. See Bos. Parent Coal for Acad. Excellence Corp v. Sch. Comm. of City of Bos., 996 F.3d,37, 44 (1st Cir. 2021).”
The town is currently in the process of potentially repealing and replacing the ordinance that the court case focuses on and limiting cruise ship visitation through another mechanism. That would require an amendment, which is expected to be in front of voters this November. This Wednesday, August 7, the Bar Harbor Planning Board holds a public hearing on that potential warrant article.
APPLL and others have appealed the U.S. District Court Feb. 29 ruling which upheld the town’s cruise ship disembarkation rules, and amended the town’s land use ordinance to do so. Those rules were voted in during the November 2022 election.
The plaintiffs quickly appealed a month later. An injunction was filed after the appeal, denied by the appeals court. The plaintiffs went to the district court, which is where the higher court said they needed to begin the process. The injunction was denied at that level by the same justice who made the initial ruling on the case. The plaintiffs then refiled it at the appeals court.
Bar Harbor Town Manager James Smith said on Thursday, “The town is pleased with the result of the First Circuit Court of Appeals decision as this further validates the town's right to home rule authority It also allows us to continue to move forward with the voter approved land use ordinance for the regulation of cruise ship passenger disembarkation in the Town of Bar Harbor.”
BEEHIVE RESCUE
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK—According to Public Affairs Officer for Acadia National Par and Saint Croix Island International Historic Site Amanda Pollock, Rangers responded to reports of a 46-year-old woman who fell approximately eight feet on Beehive Trail on Sunday, July 28.
“Rangers carried the patient off the trail with support from Bar Harbor Fire Department, MDI SAR, and Friends of Acadia Summit Stewards,” Pollock said. “The patient was transported to MDI Hospital for further medical attention.”
Leonard Leo Protests Make Rolling Stone’s Guide to Summer
NORTHEAST HARBOR—A protest about Leonard Leo hit the pages of Rolling Stone as well as the pavement this past month.
Protestors have continued to gather on many Sunday afternoons to protest the conservative activist and Federalist Society co-chairman who has worked toward making the country’s judicial system system and Supreme Court more conservative.
In May, Bar Harbor’s Eli Durand-McDonnell’s lawsuit against police from Mount Desert and Bar Harbor was settled for $62,500. The suit stemmed from an arrest that occurred while Durand-McDonnell was protesting outside Leo’s residence in Northeast Harbor in July 2022. The protest was about Leo’s influence in the U.S. Supreme Court. Much of those protests have been about the overturning of Roe vs Wade.
More recently, Leo issued a statement in reaction to President Biden’s desire to overhaul the Supreme Court. Those changes include term limits for the justices and also a code of ethics.
“It’s about Democrats destroying a court they don’t agree with,” Leo said in a statement.
The New York Times’ Katie Rogers wrote on July 29, “Recent polls show that the Supreme Court’s approval rating is at a historic low and that a majority of Americans believe that the court’s decisions are driven by ideology.”
BAKING FOR BOOKS, PLUS!
BAR HARBOR—The Bar Harbor Congregational Church UCC Connections group is hosting the Jesup Library Bake Sale on Saturday, August 17th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. coinciding with the Jesup Memorial Library’s Annual Book Sale (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Come and help support our community’s library!
In the event of rain, the bake sale will be held inside the church building. Contact: Cas Dowden at (207) 812-6240 or casruell@gmail.com if you would like to contribute something to the bake sale. If you would like information about the book sale contact Ruth Eveland at ruth.eveland@gmail.com
AGING IN PLACE CONFIDENTLY AND SAFELY
Exploring the Solutionary Way
via COA
BAR HARBOR—Zoe Weil, president of the Institute for Humane Education, speaks with environmental journalist Andrew Revkin about her new book, The Solutionary Way: Transform Your Life, Your Community, and the World for the Better (New Society Publishers, 2024), at College of the Atlantic’s Coffee & Conversation series Aug. 6.
“The Solutionary Way” begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Davis Center for Human Ecology room 102 and will also be livestreamed. Registration is required for both options and can be accessed at coa.edu/coffeeandconversation.
Weil is the cofounder and president of the Institute for Humane Education, where she created the first graduate programs in comprehensive humane education linking human rights, environmental sustainability, and animal protection, offered online through an affiliation with Antioch University. She is a frequent keynote speaker at education and other conferences and has given six TEDx talks including the acclaimed, “The World Becomes What You Teach.” She is the author of seven books, including, The World Becomes What We Teach: Educating a Generation of Solutionaries (Lantern Publishing & Media, 2021), Most Good, Least Harm: A Simple Principle for a Better World and Meaningful Life (Beyond Words, 2009), and Above All, Be Kind: Raising a Humane Child in Challenging Times (New Society Publishers, 2003).
Weil is the 2023 recipient of the Spirit of America award, which honors people who follow their conscience and act against current thinking in order to stand up for equity, freedom, and the American spirit of justice. She was named one of Maine Magazine’s “50 Mainers,” a list of independent leaders transforming their communities and the state, and is the recipient of the Unity College Women in Environmental Leadership award. She was also a subject of the Americans Who Tell the Truth portrait series. She holds master’s degrees from Harvard Divinity School and the University of Pennsylvania and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Valparaiso University.
Andrew Revkin has spent 40 years reporting on environmental challenges and choices, mostly for The New York Times. He began covering global warming in 1988 and never stopped, filing award-winning stories from the North Pole, Amazon rainforest, the White House, and beyond. A 2006 Guggenheim Fellowship helped him launch his pioneering and award-winning “Dot Earth” blog at The New York Times.
Revkin has written five books, including The Burning Season: The Murder of Chico Mendes and the Fight for the Amazon Rain Forest (Island Press, 2004), which was the basis for the 1994 HBO film of the same name. He helped build programs or courses fostering communication impact at the National Academy of Sciences, Columbia and Pace universities, and the National Geographic Society, where he is now on the Committee for Research and Exploration. Revkin runs a webcast, “Sustain What,” that has reached several million viewers through more than 450 episodes. He lives on the downeast Maine coast with his wife and sometimes co-author Lisa Mechaley.
Coffee & Conversation is held every Tuesday morning in July and August on the COA campus, with options to participate virtually. Sessions are one-hour long and include a Q&A. Coffee and pastries are served prior to each session. Coffee & Conversation events are free and open to the public, but registration is required for both in-person and online participation.
Public Hearings Aug. 6 on Special Amusement Permits
Via the Town of Bar Harbor
BAR HARBOR—The Bar Harbor Town Council will hold public hearings, Tuesday, August 6, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building Council Chambers to consider the following special amusement permit applications:
Project Social, 278 Main Street, request for renewal of a Class 2ao, two musicians with outdoor mechanical amplification as submitted by Cody Gordon.
West Street Hotel, 50 West Street, request for renewal of a Class 3a, three or more musicians with mechanical amplification as submitted by Richard Ade.
Stewman’s Lobster Pound Downtown, 35 West Street, request for renewal of a Class 3a, three or more musicians with mechanical amplification as submitted by Richard Ade.
Atlantic Oceanside, 119 Eden Street, request for renewal of a Class 3ad, three or more musicians with mechanical amplification and dancing as submitted by David C. Witham.
Ivy Manor Inn, 194 Main Street, request for renewal of a Class 2ao, two musicians with outdoor mechanical amplification as submitted by Elizabeth Bunker.
The Dog and Pony Tavern, 4 Rodick Place, request for renewal of a Class 4, any other type of entertainment as submitted by Amanda Gallant.
The 1932 Criterion Theatre, 35 Cottage Street, request for renewal of a Class 4, any other type of entertainment as submitted by Taylor Valarik.
Testa’s, 53 Main Street, request for new Class 3ao, three or more musicians with outdoor mechanical amplification as submitted by Danielle Zyvoloski.
For more information about Special Amusement Permits and the controlling town ordinance, visit barharbormaine.gov, Town Hall > Town Clerk > Special Amusement Permit or contact the Clerk’s office at 207-288-4098.
Ordinance Amendment Adopted
via Town of Bar Harbor
BAR HARBOR—On Tuesday, July 16, 2024, the Bar Harbor Town Council adopted an amendment to the Vehicles and Traffic Ordinance to adjust the overtime citation fee. The ordinance takes effect August 15, 2024. A copy has been filed with the Town Clerk.
Call the Town Clerk at 207-288-4098 for more information.
Ellsworth Library and Healthy Acadia to Host Public Health Event
via Healthy Acadia
ELLSWORTH—Healthy Acadia and Ellsworth Public Library are teaming up to offer a Public Health Afternoon to connect community members with information and resources regarding CDC-recommended vaccinations, MaineCare enrollment guidelines, and other health-related concerns. The event will take place on Saturday, August 24, 2024, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Ellsworth Public Library, 20 State St., Ellsworth. This event is free and open to the public.
Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with Healthy Acadia Community Health Coordinator Audra Stewart-Gordon, who will address questions about vaccinations, MaineCare and the Unwinding process, and other health topics. Information from both local and national resources will be available to help answer attendees' questions.
Handouts on various public health concerns and a list of local resources will be provided for attendees to take home.
For more information, contact Audra Stewart-Gordon at audra.stewart-gordon@healthyacadia.org or (207) 291-0937.
The Ellsworth Public Library, located on the banks of the Union River in downtown Ellsworth, is housed in the historic Federalist-style Tisdale House. Built in 1817 for Colonel Meltiah Jordan, the building has been a public library since 1897, following its donation by George Nixon Black. For more information, visitwww.ellsworth.lib.me.us.
Healthy Acadia is a nonprofit community health organization working to build vibrant communities and promote healthy living throughout Maine’s Washington and Hancock counties. For more information about Healthy Acadia’s initiatives, visit www.healthyacadia.org.
The Jackson Laboratory offers guided summer tours available now!
via the Jackson Laboratory
BAR HARBOR—Come and explore The Jackson Laboratory campus in the heart of Bar Harbor, where our scientists work daily to advance personalized treatments for human diseases. Learn more about the Laboratory's mission, history and areas of research. JAX is pursuing gene-based solutions for cancer, Alzheimer's disease, rare diseases and other urgent health challenges.
Pre-registration is required and space is limited, so reserve your spot now! Accommodations available for visitors with impaired or limited mobility.
Tour Dates & Times
Tuesday, August 13
10:30-11:30 a.m. | 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 15
10:30-11:30 a.m. | 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 27
10:30-11:30 a.m. | 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 29
10:30-11:30 a.m. | 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Questions? Reach out to AG Barry, Assistant Director of Stewardship and Alumni Engagement
HANCOCK COUNTY COURT
Official Hancock County court records pertaining to local cases follow:
Steven J. Rowley, 50, Ellsworth. Burglary at Bar Harbor, April 17, 2023. Dismissed. Theft by unauthorized taking or transfer at Bar Harbor, April 17, 2023. Dismissed.
Sarah R. Olkkola, 30, Bar Harbor. Aggravated assault at Bar Harbor, Dec. 21, 2023. Dismissed.
Rebecca Louise Irwin, 28, Winter Harbor. OUI (alcohol) at Bar Harbor, Oct. 25, 2019. Dismissed. Driving to endanger at Bar Harbor, Oct. 25, 2019. $575. License suspended 30 days.
Alexander L. Berry, 24, Randolph. Operating while license suspended or revoked at Bar Harbor, July 16, 2020. $500. Violating condition of release at Bar Harbor, July 16, 2020. $500, suspended.
Alexander L. Berry, 24, Winslow. Operating while license suspended or revoked at Mount Desert, June 11, 2020. $500. Violating condition of release at Mount Desert, June 11, 2020. $250, suspended.
Earl A. Libby Jr., 67, Fairfield. Possessing sexually explicit material of minor under 12 at Bar Harbor, Aug 27, 2019. Dismissed.
Ryan Hanley, 33, Stonington. Eluding an officer at Bar Harbor, Aug. 26, 2019. Dismissed. Falsifying physical evidence at Bar Harbor, Aug. 26, 2019. Jail 30 days. Possessing motor vehicle with altered vehicle ID at Bar Harbor, Aug. 26, 2019. Jail 30 days. Operating vehicle without license at Bar Harbor, Aug. 26, 2019. Jail 30 days. Driving to endanger at Bar Harbor, Aug. 26, 2019. $575. Jail 30 days. License suspended 30 days. Failing to stop for an officer at Bar Harbor, Aug. 26, 2019. Jail 30 days.
Alexander J. Smith, 22, Ellsworth. Driving to endanger at Bar Harbor, Aug. 28, 2021. Dismissed. Reckless conduct at Bar Harbor, Aug. 28, 2021. $500.
Michael A. Moats Carpenter, 30, Wells. Domestic violence assault at Bar Harbor, Oct. 20, 2021. Dismissed. Criminal mischief at Bar Harbor, Oct. 20, 2021. $200.
Shelby J. Parsons, 31, Bar Harbor. Operating while license suspended or revoked at Bar Harbor, May 13, 2022. Dismissed.
John M. Lanpher III, 39, Southwest Harbor. Kidnapping at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed. Kidnapping at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed. Domestic violence aggravated assault at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed. Domestic violence aggravated assault at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed. Reckless conduct at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed. Domestic violence assault at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed. Illegal possession of firearm at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed. Domestic violence criminal threatening at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed. Domestic violence assault at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed. Domestic violence terrorizing at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed. Obstructing report of crime at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed. Driving to endanger at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed. Violating condition of release at Southwest Harbor, July 24, 2022. Dismissed.
REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS
BAR HARBOR
Laurence Jaghab Easa Revocable Trust, Sarasota, Fla., to 9 Center LLC, Bar Harbor, land with buildings and improvements.
Susan K. Fellner, Pittsboro, N.C., to Susan K. Fellner Revocable Trust, Pittsboro, N.C., land with buildings.
Jacqueline S. Bowden, Bar Harbor to David E. Bowden, Salisbury and Juliette M. Hall, Trenton and Elizabeth A. Murray, Phoenixville, Pa., land with improvements.
MOUNT DESERT
Estate of James Logan Clunan, Virginia Beach, Va., to John S. Clunan, Virginia Beach, Va., and Anne L. Clunan, Capitola, Calif., land with improvements.
James R. Robinson a/k/a James Robert Robinson, Northeast Harbor to Jason Pickering and Lindsay Eysnogle, Islesford, as joint tenants, land with improvements.
Barbara A. Goldman, Scarborough to Bryan Cook and Kristen Ward, Dallas, Texas, as joint tenants.
SOUTHWEST HARBOR
Pettegrow Family Trust, Trenton to Heather French and Hans Miller, Denver, Colo., as joint tenants, land with improvements.
David S. Lloyd and Vickie R. Lloyd, Southwest Harbor to Legendary Lemonade and Lodgings, LLC, Southwest Harbor, land with buildings and improvements.
Robert M. Putman III and Janet L. Meyers, Southwest Harbor to Michael H. Coffin and Natasha Carlitz, Menlo Park, Calif., as joint tenants, land with buildings and improvements.
Grant B. Castle, Southwest Harbor and Steamboat Springs, Colo., to Grant Castle 2013 Personal Residence Trust, Steamboat Springs, Colo., one-half undivided interest in land improvements.
TRENTON
Robert B. Van Allen and Colby E. Van Elen, Malvern, Pa. to Thomas B. Speare and Reinette Fournier Speare, Bar Harbor, as joint tenants, land.
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ThankYou Carrie. ThankYou Rolling Stone.
The soundtrack for the latest protest.
"The Cover of The Rolling Stone"
(Not for the faint hearted;)
https://youtu.be/vs3O7sPcfvc?si=j1s4up729mjdSjvG