TOWN MEETINGS THIS WEEK & COOL THINGS TO DO
On The Agenda - MDI & Trenton Town Meetings and Events
ON THE AGENDA
Every week we document Bar Harbor, MDI, and Trenton 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!
According to Bar Harbor’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.”
All meetings are open to the public. If there is an executive session, that part of the meeting is not open.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Planning Board
Time:
4:00 PM
Location:
Bar Harbor Municipal Building, Council Chambers, 93 Cottage Street
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Task Force on the Climate Emergency (rescheduled from April 22)
Agenda not posted
Time:
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location:
Council Chambers, Municipal Building
Address:
93 Cottage
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
MOUNT DESERT, SOUTHWEST HARBOR, TREMONT, AND TRENTON 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
TREMONT:
SPECIAL SELECT BOARD MEETING
Date: Apr 29, 2024
Time: 4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Duration: 30 Minutes
Detail: BOS Agenda 4-29-24
LOBSTER BOAT RACE COMMITTEE
Date: May 1, 2024
Time: 05:00 pm
RESILIENT TREMONT - COMMUNITY SUPPER
Date: May 1, 2024
Time: 6:00 p.m.
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.
SCHOOL MEETINGS (ALL TOWNS)
Wednesday, May 1
Mt. Desert Elementary School Committee Meeting
When: Wed, May 1, 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Mt. Desert Elementary 05/01/24 Agenda
Cranberry Isles School Committee Meeting
When: Friday, May 3, 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Cranberry Isles 05/03/24 Agenda
Things to Do In Bar Harbor and MDI
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 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.
GET YOUR HISTORY HAPPY HOUR ON ON!
Are you a master of historical trivia, a fan of fantastic island stories, or a novice island know-it-all? Join us at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, April 30 at Atlantic Brewing Midtown for the MDI Historical Society’s History Happy Hour. Flex your human ecological muscles with special guests from College of the Atlantic's Thorndike Library as you are challenged to five rounds of ten questions. Prizes will be awarded to the winners!
Gather over good eats and good times while putting your knowledge to the test at this free event. All welcome! Food and drink will be available for purchase.
To register, go to: https://forms.gle/MTuDJDf3J6TY3Gge9
GET YOUR THEATER ON!
GET YOUR DERBY ON!
Derby Day Celebration at The Ivy Garden Bar
COOL EVENTS AT MDI HIGH SCHOOL!
GET YOUR GOLF ON!
MDI Lion's Club Hosts Golf Tournament to Support Community and Vision-Related Needs
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND—The MDI Lion's Club is thrilled to announce the MDI Lions Annual Golf Tournament is back and set to take place on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at the Kebo Valley Golf Club. With a 12 P.M. start, this exciting event promises a day of camaraderie, competition, and most importantly, community support.
The MDI Lion's Club has long been a pillar of charitable work in the Mount Desert Island community, dedicated to serving those in need, particularly in the realm of vision-related issues. They aim to raise crucial funds to further their mission and support local community needs.
"Golf has always been a sport that brings people together, and we couldn't think of a better way to unite our community in support of a worthy cause," said Peter Gott, King Lion for the MDI Lion's Club. "This tournament is not only about enjoying a day on the green but about making a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it most."
The tournament will feature a scramble format. Participants can look forward to exciting on-course contests, and a post-tournament awards ceremony. Additionally, sponsors will have the opportunity to showcase their support for the community through various sponsorship packages.
All proceeds from the tournament will directly benefit the community as the MDI Lion's Club continues its support of community needs, necessary programs, and their scholarship fund which awards 4 new and 4 returning students in the trades. Every dollar raised will make a meaningful impact on the lives of this community.
"We are incredibly grateful for the support of our sponsors, participants, and volunteers who are helping to make this event possible," added Gott. "Together, we can make a difference and continue to uphold the Lion's Club motto of 'We Serve.'"
Sponsorship packages and player registration for the MDI Lion's Annual Golf Tournament is now open. For more information on registration, sponsorship opportunities, or to get involved, please contact Heather Jones at Heather@Jones-Business.com or 207-266-0114.
GET YOUR FESTIVAL ON!
The Cultural Fusion Fest will take place on Thursday, May 2, 2024, from 3:30-7 p.m. at the YWCA, located at 36 Mt. Desert St., Bar Harbor. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend! The event is designed to be a cultural exchange, primarily focusing on Caribbean and New England cultures in this first year. It will feature live music from Stream Reggae, a Maine-based Reggae band composed of members from Dominica and Jamaica, and the Big Moose Contra Dance Band, who will lead attendees in a traditional New England contradance. The event will also feature information tables with area nonprofits and businesses offering resources of use to seasonal workers who are new to the community. These resources will help connect workers with transportation, food access, health resources, and more.
Island Take Out, a Jamaican-owned business in Bar Harbor, will prepare traditional Jamaican foods for the event. The event will also feature traditional New England foods to extend the sense of cultural exchange. All food will be free for attendees.
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 SUPPORT ON!
Families with Unique Needs is a new group in Bar Harbor, and are meeting monthly.
Families with Unique Needs is building support for individuals with developmental disabilities, neurodiversity and autism, on MDI. We aim to increase social activities, build community and increase communication and resources for parents and guardians. Monthly activities and website will be happening soon.
ACADIA SENIOR COLLEGE ART SHOW SET FOR MAY
NORTHEAST HARBOR—An opening reception will be held on Thursday, May 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Northeast Harbor Library.
ASC members and their guests are invited. The show always includes a variety of artistic media and the reception is a chance to meet the artists. I recognize how busy you must be, but we would be so pleased if you could drop in. The show will remain on view in the Melon Room through May.
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 YARD AND TRUNK SALES FOR GOOD ON!
SUPER BAR HARBOR BARTER AND SWAP YARD SALE OF AWESOME
Bar Harbor Barter and Swap is hosting a community event at the Atlantic Oceanside event center on May 5 from 10-2. They are “selling “ tables through BHB&S.
All of the table fees are donated to the Tremont School PTO. In addition, Katia Brophy, founder of the site, has donated tables to the MDI High School students raising money for their trip to Rome next year, MDI Hospital Auxiliary, and a couple of other nonprofits.
In addition, and to emphasize the community participation, Brophy invited the Mount Desert and Bar Harbor Police Departments to come to the event and have the community cookout that the departments had to cancel earlier.
“I was delighted that they accepted,” Brophy said. “I’m a firm believer in ‘community policing’ and having a positive experience with the human beings who do the job. So, I am in love with the vision of our beloved community coming together in this way!”
GET YOUR HEALTHY KIDS DAY ON!
GET YOUR ANNUAL BIRTHDAY PARTY ON!
To get tickets, click here.
GET YOUR TALKS ON!
QUESTIONS OF DEMOCRACY
The 2024 College of the Atlantic Summer Institute will examine democracy in the United States during one of the most consequential years of our times.
Struggles for democracy traverse our lives and society, from ballot boxes to inboxes, from the corridors of congress to the halls of schools, from kitchen tables to city streets. Questions of democracy confront us in our debates over freedom of the press, voting rights, and artistic freedom, in struggles of authoritarianism, and in conversations about how to effectively engage with disagreement and conflict across a range of topics.
Join us from July 29 - August 2 as elected officials, authors, analysts, and community organizers discuss what democracy means to them, the threats it faces, and how our individual and collective efforts can fortify democracy now and for future generations.
We will announce speakers over the next weeks. Please check the Summer Institute page for more details as they are announced. Registration is free, and opens May 1 for Champlain Society members, June 1 for the general public.
Get Your Knowledge On!
ASC Racial Justice Book Group
Are you interested in joining us? We are open to new members who want to share in the reading and the hard work that ensues as we examine the underpinnings of systemic racism and its effects on society and on each of us individually, in the ultimate hope that our studies can work toward change.
We have been meeting once a month on the second Tuesday of the month from 10:30- 12:15.
We started with the basic readings of How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi and The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee. We then spent many months delving deeply into The 1619 Project edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones.
Since then, we’ve read some James Baldwin, Colon Whitehead, Zora Neale Hurston, Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., Clint Smith and many others. We look forward in the next few months to reading some James McBride and Bryan Stevenson. We also share articles of interest that deal with the issues we’re facing.
If the truly hard, but most meaningful, work we are doing to examine our society, culture and ourselves sounds like something that interests you, please contact me at rjbg2021@gmail.com or 207-664-9954.
Read more about the book group
Beyond the Cortex: Causative Factors of Brain Deterioration
Our brains carry memory, identity and our understanding of the world around us. As the average human lifespan continues to increase, our awareness and concern about neurodegenerative disease is growing with it.
JAX’s “Scientifically Speaking” virtual discussion on May 7, 2024 features two postdoctoral associates pursuing neurodegenerative disease research. Join us to meet them and learn more about their work:
• Ashley Munie Gardner, Ph.D., studies the role of microglia (cells in the brain that help protect and support nerve cells) on the nervous system function to better understand neurodegenerative diseases.
• Michael Maclean, Ph.D., is working to better understand how common stressors, such as obesity and diabetes, influence the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy and Alzheimer’s disease.
They will be joined by Anna Lisa Lucido, Ph.D., senior director of research strategy and director of research program development, who will moderate the event.
When:
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET
Where:
Zoom
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!
Jennifer Booher, The Beachcombing Series.
April 1 - May 31.
Bar Harbor Savings & Loan Association, 103 Main Street, Bar Harbor
ARTWAVES CLASSES AND EVENTS
ArtWaves often has classes, a variety every week. For the updated selection, check out its website here
PEOPLE-NATURE-ART WITH JENNIFER MOXLEY
Poet & essayist Jennifer Moxley joins the Gilley online for April’s People-Nature-Art presentation. In-Person or online & free; registration is required.
A California native, Jennifer has taught at the University of Maine-Orono since 2000 where she has served as Director of Creative Writing, co-advisor to The Open Field, and Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies. She is an award-winning poet and author of seven books of poetry, a book of essays, and a memoir. Her work has been included in two Norton Anthologies and in The Best American Poetry 2002. In 2005 she was granted the Lynda Hull Poetry Award from Denver Quarterly, and in 2015 her book The Open Secret was awarded the Poetry Society of America’s William Carlos Williams award and was a finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. For this PNA, she will be discussing her book For the Good of All, Do Not Destroy the Birds, a blend of literary criticism and memoir that recounts a life spent in the company of birds and poems, intimately attuned to the mysteries of singing. This will be an in-person event, but can also be attended online. We will send a Zoom link to those who choose the online option when reserving space. There will be an artist reception at 6pm. People-Nature-Art is a monthly series that brings artists, writers, carvers, and creative types of all kinds to the Gilley to explore how nature and art interact in their work, and how their art impacts their own approach to nature. This is a free event. Registration is required.
April 30 at 7:00 P.M. - 8:30 P.M.
Wendell Gilley Museum, 4 Herrick Road, Southwest Harbor
Hook 'n I Rug Hooking Group at Southwest Harbor Public Library
Mount Desert Island’s rug hooking group members meets weekly on Thursdays from September into May creating original designs while also working from traditional and modern hooking patterns. The Hook ‘n I group was formed more than 15 years ago. Rug hooking is a traditional Maine craft. Years ago, rugs were hooked by local women both to produce needed articles for their homes and to sell for pin money. The Hook ‘n I members enjoy carrying on this tradition, creating beautiful rugs, pillows, purses, and other articles. “We’d love to add new people to our group,” says Nancy Weingarten, coordinator of the group. “Whether you have been hooking for a while, would like to learn, or are interested in fiber crafts in general, we’d love to have you join us. Just come on a Thursday afternoon!” For questions or for more information email programs@swhplibrary.org or call the library at 244-7065.
May 2 at 1:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.
Southwest Harbor Public Library
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
Free form dance, conscious or ecstatic, not facilitated. Come drop into your own joyful movement.
This is now held the first, third, and fifth Sunday of the month at 10 a.m. at ArtWaves Dance StudioFor 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.
IVY MANOR INN
Every day out on the lawn, weather permitting, the music begins at 2!
GET YOUR FOOD ON!
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. Events at both ArtWaves and the Wendall Gilley Museum are well represented and detailed there.
April:
May:
“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 or Trenton or Ellsworth or even Bangor) that you’d like me to mention, please let me know, because I’m definitely always missing some events every week.