6 Comments
May 25, 2023Liked by Carrie Jones

Did I miss something? Why aren't the candidates identified?

And how will Bar Harbor residents be involved in the interviews?

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May 25, 2023Liked by Carrie Jones

Why did 3 withdraw their applications?

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author

This comment is from Jim O'Connell who sent it to me via Facebook. I'm putting it in verbatim.

He had a hard time posting it. If any of you ever have a hard time with a comment not going through, please let me know.

"The MMA

"Angus King was the 8th highest recipient of cruise ship lobby fees in the USA in 2016 when CLIA pushed hard for a berthing pier at the ferry terminal. In 2015 he gave a speech at Walsh’s Ocean Properties Bar Harbor Club lauding CLIA’s economic benefits to Maine claiming $100,000 was made for every ship visit. It turns out upon research that he was using Gabe and McConnon’s economic bamboozal which is a 99% exaggeration.

"His Chief of Staff, Cornell Knights wife Kay Rand, heavily lobbied the MMA for Angus for nearly 3 decades. When it came time for the meet and greet with the two finalist picked by the MMA, to take over after Dana Reed was run out of Bar Harbor in 2016, one of the two finalists suddenly dropped out the day before. Our choice ultimately was made for us by the MMA when only Cornell showed up for the meet and greet. Three months prior Cornell had moved to Washington DC supposedly, according to the newspaper to be closer to his wife, where Kay Rand was working with Angus King,

"However, after only 3 months he is starting work in Bar Harbor. It seems more likely he was being educated about cruise ships by Angus.

"The same thing happened with Sutherland except this time the Town hired Walsh’s 30 year personal attorney Andy Hamilton’s firm , Eaton Peabody, to search for a successor to Cornell who has now retired. I spent an hour last Spring talking with Kevin Sutherland who with straight face told me he was in agreement with the majority of the citizens who answered the cruise ship survey. Then he does a 360 and scares the TC repeating Andy Hamiltons threat of a law suit and begs the TC to support his efforts at negotiating his MOA management plan with CLIA that gave CLIA last say in any future changes.

"When he was caught on tape by a suspicious citizen who, when frustrated at not finding accurate meeting minutes or saved meeting videos taped the last cruise ship meeting when Kevin was scheduled to explain his dealings with CLIA. None of the members knew they were on zoom. Kevin was unknowingly videoed discussing how CLIA could win against the Town. He was given 2 days to clear out his desk after Councilors found out what he had been up to. It looks like “Your fired” to me.

"Kevin Sutherland, spent time working for a private business community development consultant one year exactly prior to taking over Knights position as BH Town Manager. This is the field of expertise that Andy Hamilton excels in at Eaton Peabody. Was Kevin groomed by Hamilton himself? When asked, Kevin did not give the name of the private community development consult he worked for.

"Here we are dealing with the MMA again and applicants are disappearing.

"We need to know everything about all these applicants and do most of the vetting ourselves.

"Why did 3 applicants suddenly drop out?

"Why doesn’t the town do their own search ?

"It seems like we are selling Bar Harbor to the highest bidder."

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