Retail,especially these days with Amazon packages arriving with a few clicks at one’s doorstep, is tricky business for entrepreneurs who are in an actual physical store. For this reason, I do have some sympathy with the tourist based businesses who find the cruise ship customers viable.
However, their self congratulatory contempt for retired people, year round residents who are not buying tourist items , Town Hill citizens, and not eating every day at their touristy restaurants is really off putting. It makes me not want to even step inside their businesses because they obviously have all ready condemned me , and many of thefine people who live here. Apparently , we are only useful only for their vitriolic bullying.
That said, there are still great businesses, many year round, some more seasonal, where one is welcomed as kindly as a friend, and the products and service are delightful. and relevant to those who love this area…..bikes, outdoor gear and clothing, art , flowers , health food, toys, books, kithchenand cooking gear, gifts for special people in our lives, hair stylists, yoga and fitness, fine crafts, etc. I can only hope they all stay successfully in business, and I am sure it is a tough road to be onthese days.
I was deeply disappointed, if not surprised, that the Council voted to put the “amended” Cruise Ship limitation Ordinance on the November ballot. I have also been very disappointed that the Council has so readily acquiesced to the bullying of the cruise ship industry and its land-side beneficiaries.
Those of us who are privileged to live in this unique and beautiful place between the mountains and the sea are imbued with a sacred trust to preserve and protect its fragile environment for the benefit of those who will come after us. To sell it out to the highest bidder for the financial gain of a relatively few and at great long-term environmental and social cost to the many is an abrogation that duty and trust.
We are all entitled to make a living, as generations before us have done, but not at the expense of the integrity of this special place we all treasure. I can only hope that the voters will not be duped and will, as I suspect, vote again for greatly reduced cruise ship tourism.
An old Bar Harbor friend contacted me via Face Book Messenger a few days ago and wanted to know how I was doing. He added, "It's been years since I've seen you in Bar Harbor." I responded by saying, "I almost never go into downtown Bar Harbor these days, I moved to Maine 47 years ago to get away from the mess that downtown Bar Harbor has become." I never bought teeshirts in downtown Bar Harbor but I banked there, shopped for groceries there, bought my home and car insurance there, my auto parts, lawnmowers, paint, clothes, outdoor equipment, etc. Not anymore! I can't even imagine the true negative financialI impact that cruise ships have had on most local businesses. In fact if I were still a Bar Harbor businessman not selling tee shirts and knickknacks I would not rest until cruise ships were driven from town! As for CLIA being allowed to join in the Ocean Properties lawsuit I can't imagine them having anything to add that was not blatantly self serving other than pockets even deeper than Ocean Properties and thus more leverage to wear out Bar Harbor citizen's resistance. In fact I find myself wondering what worthwhile role the Federal judge imagines them playing in an already contentious and singularly self-serving lawsuit?
Thank you, Lincoln Millstein, thank you Gary Friedman, and thank you Charles Sidman for your varied and all important roles in supporting the majority of Bar Harbor citizens who want the passenger caps of 1,000 continued in the Land Use Ordinance , and clearly do not want much of the now exposed legal and enforcement weaknesses of the proposed Chapter 50. As anticipated ,the majority of Town Councilor sided with Big Cruise over the majority of citizens in their vote last night.
The voters ‘ only way to stop the ever growing chokehold that Big Cruise and OPI and APPLL,and now their new Friend of the Court ally, CLIA , is to vote NO in November. So many dedicated citizens inthe community of BH, including Charles Sidman, made it clear they might consider higher passenger caps , and tweaking the enforcement regulations as long as it remains in the LUO, so the voters have a legally protected direct right to amend the LUO themselves through a citizen’s petition, and a direct voice and vote at annual Town meeting on cruise ship regulation.
Otherwise, the voters, likeCharles Sidman pointed out, will have to find legal alternatives to achieve their objectives of reducing mega cruise ship congestion and pollution. Sadly, this might mean voting in a recall system for Town Councilors who fail effecting a lawful ordinance in a timely manner, and negotiate for the cruise industry’s interests, and not the citizens.
It’s too bad that island residents who dine live in BH don’t have a say in the matter. BH used to be ‘our’ town too- we shopped there, ate at restaurants, and enjoyed being there. Once there were more stores that weren’t tourist trap stores. There was even a Willeys on cottage street. Remember the lovely drug store on Main Street with a bar for food and sodas etc. Geddys and Jordan’s open year round. There was a newsagent selling and toys and gselling
I couldn't agree more. Despite being partitioned into several towns there is a very real sense of "Island Community" found among long time residents of Mount Desert Island. We are (as John Donne once pointed out many years ago in his"Ask not for whom the bell tolls it tolls for thee.") all in this together. The runaway development and "anything for a buck" attitude tearing apart the social fabric of Bar Harbor will ultimately affect every resident of this island. Surely if the judge gave Amicus status to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) he should extend the same to all residents of Mount Desert Island.
Retail,especially these days with Amazon packages arriving with a few clicks at one’s doorstep, is tricky business for entrepreneurs who are in an actual physical store. For this reason, I do have some sympathy with the tourist based businesses who find the cruise ship customers viable.
However, their self congratulatory contempt for retired people, year round residents who are not buying tourist items , Town Hill citizens, and not eating every day at their touristy restaurants is really off putting. It makes me not want to even step inside their businesses because they obviously have all ready condemned me , and many of thefine people who live here. Apparently , we are only useful only for their vitriolic bullying.
That said, there are still great businesses, many year round, some more seasonal, where one is welcomed as kindly as a friend, and the products and service are delightful. and relevant to those who love this area…..bikes, outdoor gear and clothing, art , flowers , health food, toys, books, kithchenand cooking gear, gifts for special people in our lives, hair stylists, yoga and fitness, fine crafts, etc. I can only hope they all stay successfully in business, and I am sure it is a tough road to be onthese days.
.
I was deeply disappointed, if not surprised, that the Council voted to put the “amended” Cruise Ship limitation Ordinance on the November ballot. I have also been very disappointed that the Council has so readily acquiesced to the bullying of the cruise ship industry and its land-side beneficiaries.
Those of us who are privileged to live in this unique and beautiful place between the mountains and the sea are imbued with a sacred trust to preserve and protect its fragile environment for the benefit of those who will come after us. To sell it out to the highest bidder for the financial gain of a relatively few and at great long-term environmental and social cost to the many is an abrogation that duty and trust.
We are all entitled to make a living, as generations before us have done, but not at the expense of the integrity of this special place we all treasure. I can only hope that the voters will not be duped and will, as I suspect, vote again for greatly reduced cruise ship tourism.
Now want a complete ban on cruise ships just to spite the AAPPL folks.
The town had its chance to make reasonable rules, we had to do it for them and now they are ignoring us.
How do we get a message to the Mediterranean orca team
I'm feeling it as well.
An old Bar Harbor friend contacted me via Face Book Messenger a few days ago and wanted to know how I was doing. He added, "It's been years since I've seen you in Bar Harbor." I responded by saying, "I almost never go into downtown Bar Harbor these days, I moved to Maine 47 years ago to get away from the mess that downtown Bar Harbor has become." I never bought teeshirts in downtown Bar Harbor but I banked there, shopped for groceries there, bought my home and car insurance there, my auto parts, lawnmowers, paint, clothes, outdoor equipment, etc. Not anymore! I can't even imagine the true negative financialI impact that cruise ships have had on most local businesses. In fact if I were still a Bar Harbor businessman not selling tee shirts and knickknacks I would not rest until cruise ships were driven from town! As for CLIA being allowed to join in the Ocean Properties lawsuit I can't imagine them having anything to add that was not blatantly self serving other than pockets even deeper than Ocean Properties and thus more leverage to wear out Bar Harbor citizen's resistance. In fact I find myself wondering what worthwhile role the Federal judge imagines them playing in an already contentious and singularly self-serving lawsuit?
Thank you, Lincoln Millstein, thank you Gary Friedman, and thank you Charles Sidman for your varied and all important roles in supporting the majority of Bar Harbor citizens who want the passenger caps of 1,000 continued in the Land Use Ordinance , and clearly do not want much of the now exposed legal and enforcement weaknesses of the proposed Chapter 50. As anticipated ,the majority of Town Councilor sided with Big Cruise over the majority of citizens in their vote last night.
The voters ‘ only way to stop the ever growing chokehold that Big Cruise and OPI and APPLL,and now their new Friend of the Court ally, CLIA , is to vote NO in November. So many dedicated citizens inthe community of BH, including Charles Sidman, made it clear they might consider higher passenger caps , and tweaking the enforcement regulations as long as it remains in the LUO, so the voters have a legally protected direct right to amend the LUO themselves through a citizen’s petition, and a direct voice and vote at annual Town meeting on cruise ship regulation.
Otherwise, the voters, likeCharles Sidman pointed out, will have to find legal alternatives to achieve their objectives of reducing mega cruise ship congestion and pollution. Sadly, this might mean voting in a recall system for Town Councilors who fail effecting a lawful ordinance in a timely manner, and negotiate for the cruise industry’s interests, and not the citizens.
Thank you all, very much.
It’s too bad that island residents who dine live in BH don’t have a say in the matter. BH used to be ‘our’ town too- we shopped there, ate at restaurants, and enjoyed being there. Once there were more stores that weren’t tourist trap stores. There was even a Willeys on cottage street. Remember the lovely drug store on Main Street with a bar for food and sodas etc. Geddys and Jordan’s open year round. There was a newsagent selling and toys and gselling
Selling toys and gifts on the corner of Cottage.
It’s very sad.
I couldn't agree more. Despite being partitioned into several towns there is a very real sense of "Island Community" found among long time residents of Mount Desert Island. We are (as John Donne once pointed out many years ago in his"Ask not for whom the bell tolls it tolls for thee.") all in this together. The runaway development and "anything for a buck" attitude tearing apart the social fabric of Bar Harbor will ultimately affect every resident of this island. Surely if the judge gave Amicus status to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) he should extend the same to all residents of Mount Desert Island.
Residents of Lamoine and Hancock who have to look at and smell the mess as well.