BAR HARBOR, July 9, 2024 - Will the Town Council provide a willing back door for Bo Jennings, president of the Chamber of Commerce, to gain a seat on one of the town’s major boards?
"Will the Town Council provide a willing back door for Bo Jennings, president of the Chamber of Commerce, to gain a seat on one of the town’s major boards? He has failed twice trying to use the front door - election by citizens."
We *are* talking about the Bar Harbor Town Council. Ha. But ThankYou for asking and explicating the crucial questions.
I wish Bo good luck in his pursuits, he certainly doesn't give up easily. I do wish he was more honest about who he works for besides the Chamber of Commerce. His direct boss is partners with Salvatore in the electric Gem car business, the Gem business would love to see 5000 cruise ship folks every day no matter what the majority of voters want. I also take issue with his video presentation he did when running for town council, having a background of the beautiful town of Bar Harbor without any monsterous cruise ships blocking the views and spewing black smoke was disingenuous to say the least.
Yes: Bo is the Young’s lackey and is attempting to insert himself into town politics so they can keep their hands clean while he does the dirty work for them.
Planning boards are supposed to be made up of impartial citizens and watchdogs guarding the integrity of neighborhoods and the community at large. As facilitators for a privately owned monolith, that’s forgotten its roots and now views Bar Harbor and MDI solely as profit centers, this board is a disaster. Bo Jennings says he’s learned a lot in his few years here but the overwhelming fact that it’s the outdoor lifestyle and ANP that brings people here, by the millions each year, not passengers on a meal plan escapes him and is what fills the seats in the restaurant he manages. He is beholden to Ocean Properties (OPL) and will be a fox guarding our hen house that’s stripped bare half the year. Any councilor who votes to appoint him is forever branded as an OPL toady. Ruth Eveland’s development stance is tainted by her undying gratitude for OPL’s donation of 500K to Jesup. That’s not an unsubstantial amount and has lasting value but pales philosophically, not to mention dollar wise, by comparison to the crap shoot of the million dollars OPL threw at Ron DeSantis’ campaign that came up snake eyes. Like it or not, the decisions the Bar Harbor town council, its planning board and chamber make are crucial to the future well-being of MDI. All are derelict because they fail to embrace mother nature, and in concert with ANP, provide more outdoor amenities that are absolutely the only reason people flock here. Over tourism and wanton pollution comes with cruise ships. Ports around the world are protesting and we added our voice with a vote that’s twice stood judicial scrutiny and should be enforced, let the chips fall where they may. Bar Harbor’s citizens passed a $57 million bond for a new middle school an expression of optimism that demands this town and island take full advantage of our truly unique opportunity to enhance the wholesome visitation that pays the freight. This is said with deep gratitude, there’s nothing else to do here except be as gracious to mother nature as she is to us. Almost all of us who live here year round already know this. Our leadership just needs to open its eyes wider.
It's impossible to make sense to those that see Bar Harbor exclusively as a magnet to pull in more tourism dollars any which way possible. A planing board that bends over backwards tto facilitate developers i
Cara: I learned just this morning, from an old local in Hannaford's, that the director of the Water Co. lived above the offices on the first floor for years. I stand corrected--while primarily commercial, it seems the building has been mixed use going way back. It was a secondary point anyway. The main question is whether our LUO strictly allows (or ever intended) this and finally whether we, in a housing crisis we all feel, want any more Lodging in BH at the expense of year-round housing. What IS Bar Harbor? And Who is it for?
As this was my first year on the Appointments Committee and I'm now a bit more aware of the state of Bar Harbor's various boards and committees, I'd like to offer a perspective.
While everyone is entitled to their opinion - and free, in any way they choose, to express it! - I'd like to point out that commentary, expressed in the manner that it is in this comment section, may be more harmful to the community than it is beneficial.
We have, both historically and recently, had a very difficult time finding a sufficient number of volunteers to staff our boards and committees. Bar Harbor's Conservation Commission now lacks a sufficient number of members to even meet; the Task Force on the Climate Emergency is down two individuals, etc. These boards and committees are critical for our town - not just to increase the diversity of opinions and perspectives that can help guide policy, but also to help build a pipeline of future leadership by giving interested parties a way to learn more about how their municipality is run.
The causes of dwindling volunteerism are pretty varied, but one thing that will certainly further depress participation is the likelihood of becoming a target of slings and arrows online. This won't just prevent the candidates that you may not like from running, but may also be a huge barrier for those that with perspectives you do like from throwing their own hat in the ring. What we end up with, then, is similar to what we're observing this year: a lot of the same folks coming back, continuing their service, many of them doing it because, in their own words, "they know that no one else will".
So, again: everyone is entitled to their opinion and all are entitled to share it where they see fit. I only ask that we please remember that we're a pretty small town, more folks read these comments than you may realize, and the effects of our words can be more complicated/far-reaching than we may truly want.
Finally, as always, if you believe that things should be done better and you are able and willing, I wholly encourage everyone (and anyone) to volunteer and/or run for seats within our local government. Thanks you all.
Dear Kyle, Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful note. No reader of this blog has ever used the F-bomb in any of these public comments. You can't say the same thing about the council. I noted how silent you and the the council were when one of its members posted that publicly not once but twice. So the council tolerates the slings and arrows of the foulest kind by its own. If I ever saw that language used in these comments, I would be the first to delete it as the admin.
Firstly - fair point! I can't speak for the Council as a body, but I have personally spoken with Matt and I believe him when he says he'll refrain from such language in the future.
Second - I appreciate that approach to content moderation within the comments section. Thanks for sharing that.
Since you seem to be Matt’s handler, what’s your opinion on Matt running a Facebook page solely for the purpose of making fun of people? Is it a good look for him to me a counselor while making mocking people the blocking people who have anything negative to say about the page?
Whoever you are?? If you Had Worked with me, you would have written another letter and told the readers that I am an incredibly nice man who loves Science and the truth to be told and best practices to be followed and that these are the best things that I care about for our seaside community. You might have further told the public that I have been on the Warrant Committee and have helped correct years of poorly written Comp Plans and Land Use Regulations and that I totally dislikes the Yes-men and woman, who are beginning to destroy this amazing community which we ALL have inherited with the foolish and disastrous direction our Town Council is taking this community. You would have written that you understand that our Penobscot friends are laughing at your "entitled" concepts of "native" just like I am, at the misplaced ideas about what "native" is and how leadership is about caring about what VOTERS.... vote on…. and the will of the majority. How voters what to see a Marina Built as we all wanted years ago..... Your "entitlements" lead to Yes-Men-Bait and the Community is getting tired of watching this happen week in and week out. Being "respectful" and being a "Yes-Man" go hand in hand. The problem with this Town Council is that they have NO OVERSIGHT and we see that because "the train is off the rails" with entitled "natives" and their European Concepts of Exploitation...... Loser take Lawsuits out against their Own Community..... who just voted to limit Cruise Ship Dis-embarkments. Bo's level of commitment says "Yes-man" and just the perfect person for this Town Council, because god-forbid if anyone disagrees with them.,..... because of their entitled concept of being "native". I am totally "Respectful" and I totally disagree about the direction this Town Council and all their Yes-Man and woman are taking our community.... and as one Native to another..... and it appears the majority of Bar Harbor feels the same. When the Town Council destroyed the OVERSIGHT.... that's when things started to change for the worst for OUR island seaside community.... All waters flow into our food.... and we walk on Sacred Wabanaki land...... What I want is for that Respect to be reflected by the people on our Town Council and the committees that lead this community. Respect for what we VOTE for and Respect for the Will of the People. As a Special Education teacher, you probably understand that what Mr Millstein writes is the TRUTH.... and speaking out against bad policies and people are what he does best, and god forbid if anyone disagrees with the Town Council or a Special ed teacher....
I am sorry to Bo , but how many times do you have to be called a LOSER..... holy smokes man. You are relentlessly trying to undermined our community. Why do you even stay in this town?? I strongly suggest you try another town to destroy, cause this town is tired of you.... But wait.... you are the perfect person for this current Bar Harbor Town Council. They love Losers and bad policies. Your over inflated ego matches theirs .... your the perfect YES-boy. I am pretty sure your going to find a place with these despicable people.... They will do anything to get what they want.... at the expense of the Taxpayers and citizens of the community they work for.... One of these days we are going to have a council that works for the people of our community.... its coming... A few more udiotic and hurtful decisions and maybe the taxpayers will finally wake up. Hey, By the way... where is our Mairina?????
Mr. Good, I believe I worked with you over two decades ago, so it doesn't surprise me that you would lower yourself to this level, but I'm still disappointed that such a long-term resident would be so personally cruel. If you notice, this article simply uses Mr. Jennings as clickbait, as he is certainly not the main point. Further, have you ever had an actual conversation with him? While I don't agree with several of his ideas, he cares deeply for this community and is respectful even in disagreements. You just have to read his application to see his level of commitment. He's willing to volunteer his time in whatever capacity is needed...He's the only applicant that Mr. Millstein referenced who identified anything other than the Planning Board as an interest. I understand that Bar Harbor needs some serious change, I wouldn't dream of arguing that point, but rudeness is not the MDI way. Be a kind human, you'll make way more headway. Heck, just think of your fellow community members as your beloved birds and treat them accordingly! You have every right in the world to be frustrated with local politics and decisions that are being made. I would urge you to be a part of the solution, rather than adding to the negative rhetoric that does nothing to enact change. Mr. Millstein is in the business of vitriol and theatrics, he provides lovely entertainment, but is certainly not working for the betterment of the community. View it for what it is.
Also, I'm a Special Education teacher. Please let me know if you'd like support for your spelling and grammar deficits. I'd be happy to help or point you in the right direction, because supporting others is what Mainers do, regardless of whether or not they agree with each other.
Gosh, I don't have that kind of time, I'm sorry. But a super quick perusal of this particular story....
Grammar: "The citizens abhorrence at the Chamber action lingered to this day."
Facts: "In his haste to fill out nine applications..." (Volunteers fill out only one application.)
Tons of other issues in other articles, but who has that kind of time?! Again, it's lovely for what it is. We just need to be a conscious consumers of media...and kind humans, obviously.
Easy question for someone who can type up an essay in such little time. Please call out the QSJ next time they post something incorrect, nobody will ever take you seriously if you don't.
"Will the Town Council provide a willing back door for Bo Jennings, president of the Chamber of Commerce, to gain a seat on one of the town’s major boards? He has failed twice trying to use the front door - election by citizens."
We *are* talking about the Bar Harbor Town Council. Ha. But ThankYou for asking and explicating the crucial questions.
Cruise [ship] Shill?
Sorry, couldn't resist.
I wish Bo good luck in his pursuits, he certainly doesn't give up easily. I do wish he was more honest about who he works for besides the Chamber of Commerce. His direct boss is partners with Salvatore in the electric Gem car business, the Gem business would love to see 5000 cruise ship folks every day no matter what the majority of voters want. I also take issue with his video presentation he did when running for town council, having a background of the beautiful town of Bar Harbor without any monsterous cruise ships blocking the views and spewing black smoke was disingenuous to say the least.
Yes: Bo is the Young’s lackey and is attempting to insert himself into town politics so they can keep their hands clean while he does the dirty work for them.
Planning boards are supposed to be made up of impartial citizens and watchdogs guarding the integrity of neighborhoods and the community at large. As facilitators for a privately owned monolith, that’s forgotten its roots and now views Bar Harbor and MDI solely as profit centers, this board is a disaster. Bo Jennings says he’s learned a lot in his few years here but the overwhelming fact that it’s the outdoor lifestyle and ANP that brings people here, by the millions each year, not passengers on a meal plan escapes him and is what fills the seats in the restaurant he manages. He is beholden to Ocean Properties (OPL) and will be a fox guarding our hen house that’s stripped bare half the year. Any councilor who votes to appoint him is forever branded as an OPL toady. Ruth Eveland’s development stance is tainted by her undying gratitude for OPL’s donation of 500K to Jesup. That’s not an unsubstantial amount and has lasting value but pales philosophically, not to mention dollar wise, by comparison to the crap shoot of the million dollars OPL threw at Ron DeSantis’ campaign that came up snake eyes. Like it or not, the decisions the Bar Harbor town council, its planning board and chamber make are crucial to the future well-being of MDI. All are derelict because they fail to embrace mother nature, and in concert with ANP, provide more outdoor amenities that are absolutely the only reason people flock here. Over tourism and wanton pollution comes with cruise ships. Ports around the world are protesting and we added our voice with a vote that’s twice stood judicial scrutiny and should be enforced, let the chips fall where they may. Bar Harbor’s citizens passed a $57 million bond for a new middle school an expression of optimism that demands this town and island take full advantage of our truly unique opportunity to enhance the wholesome visitation that pays the freight. This is said with deep gratitude, there’s nothing else to do here except be as gracious to mother nature as she is to us. Almost all of us who live here year round already know this. Our leadership just needs to open its eyes wider.
It's impossible to make sense to those that see Bar Harbor exclusively as a magnet to pull in more tourism dollars any which way possible. A planing board that bends over backwards tto facilitate developers i
Cara: I learned just this morning, from an old local in Hannaford's, that the director of the Water Co. lived above the offices on the first floor for years. I stand corrected--while primarily commercial, it seems the building has been mixed use going way back. It was a secondary point anyway. The main question is whether our LUO strictly allows (or ever intended) this and finally whether we, in a housing crisis we all feel, want any more Lodging in BH at the expense of year-round housing. What IS Bar Harbor? And Who is it for?
Hello all,
As this was my first year on the Appointments Committee and I'm now a bit more aware of the state of Bar Harbor's various boards and committees, I'd like to offer a perspective.
While everyone is entitled to their opinion - and free, in any way they choose, to express it! - I'd like to point out that commentary, expressed in the manner that it is in this comment section, may be more harmful to the community than it is beneficial.
We have, both historically and recently, had a very difficult time finding a sufficient number of volunteers to staff our boards and committees. Bar Harbor's Conservation Commission now lacks a sufficient number of members to even meet; the Task Force on the Climate Emergency is down two individuals, etc. These boards and committees are critical for our town - not just to increase the diversity of opinions and perspectives that can help guide policy, but also to help build a pipeline of future leadership by giving interested parties a way to learn more about how their municipality is run.
The causes of dwindling volunteerism are pretty varied, but one thing that will certainly further depress participation is the likelihood of becoming a target of slings and arrows online. This won't just prevent the candidates that you may not like from running, but may also be a huge barrier for those that with perspectives you do like from throwing their own hat in the ring. What we end up with, then, is similar to what we're observing this year: a lot of the same folks coming back, continuing their service, many of them doing it because, in their own words, "they know that no one else will".
So, again: everyone is entitled to their opinion and all are entitled to share it where they see fit. I only ask that we please remember that we're a pretty small town, more folks read these comments than you may realize, and the effects of our words can be more complicated/far-reaching than we may truly want.
Finally, as always, if you believe that things should be done better and you are able and willing, I wholly encourage everyone (and anyone) to volunteer and/or run for seats within our local government. Thanks you all.
Dear Kyle, Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful note. No reader of this blog has ever used the F-bomb in any of these public comments. You can't say the same thing about the council. I noted how silent you and the the council were when one of its members posted that publicly not once but twice. So the council tolerates the slings and arrows of the foulest kind by its own. If I ever saw that language used in these comments, I would be the first to delete it as the admin.
Firstly - fair point! I can't speak for the Council as a body, but I have personally spoken with Matt and I believe him when he says he'll refrain from such language in the future.
Second - I appreciate that approach to content moderation within the comments section. Thanks for sharing that.
Since you seem to be Matt’s handler, what’s your opinion on Matt running a Facebook page solely for the purpose of making fun of people? Is it a good look for him to me a counselor while making mocking people the blocking people who have anything negative to say about the page?
Native Islander.....
Whoever you are?? If you Had Worked with me, you would have written another letter and told the readers that I am an incredibly nice man who loves Science and the truth to be told and best practices to be followed and that these are the best things that I care about for our seaside community. You might have further told the public that I have been on the Warrant Committee and have helped correct years of poorly written Comp Plans and Land Use Regulations and that I totally dislikes the Yes-men and woman, who are beginning to destroy this amazing community which we ALL have inherited with the foolish and disastrous direction our Town Council is taking this community. You would have written that you understand that our Penobscot friends are laughing at your "entitled" concepts of "native" just like I am, at the misplaced ideas about what "native" is and how leadership is about caring about what VOTERS.... vote on…. and the will of the majority. How voters what to see a Marina Built as we all wanted years ago..... Your "entitlements" lead to Yes-Men-Bait and the Community is getting tired of watching this happen week in and week out. Being "respectful" and being a "Yes-Man" go hand in hand. The problem with this Town Council is that they have NO OVERSIGHT and we see that because "the train is off the rails" with entitled "natives" and their European Concepts of Exploitation...... Loser take Lawsuits out against their Own Community..... who just voted to limit Cruise Ship Dis-embarkments. Bo's level of commitment says "Yes-man" and just the perfect person for this Town Council, because god-forbid if anyone disagrees with them.,..... because of their entitled concept of being "native". I am totally "Respectful" and I totally disagree about the direction this Town Council and all their Yes-Man and woman are taking our community.... and as one Native to another..... and it appears the majority of Bar Harbor feels the same. When the Town Council destroyed the OVERSIGHT.... that's when things started to change for the worst for OUR island seaside community.... All waters flow into our food.... and we walk on Sacred Wabanaki land...... What I want is for that Respect to be reflected by the people on our Town Council and the committees that lead this community. Respect for what we VOTE for and Respect for the Will of the People. As a Special Education teacher, you probably understand that what Mr Millstein writes is the TRUTH.... and speaking out against bad policies and people are what he does best, and god forbid if anyone disagrees with the Town Council or a Special ed teacher....
I am sorry to Bo , but how many times do you have to be called a LOSER..... holy smokes man. You are relentlessly trying to undermined our community. Why do you even stay in this town?? I strongly suggest you try another town to destroy, cause this town is tired of you.... But wait.... you are the perfect person for this current Bar Harbor Town Council. They love Losers and bad policies. Your over inflated ego matches theirs .... your the perfect YES-boy. I am pretty sure your going to find a place with these despicable people.... They will do anything to get what they want.... at the expense of the Taxpayers and citizens of the community they work for.... One of these days we are going to have a council that works for the people of our community.... its coming... A few more udiotic and hurtful decisions and maybe the taxpayers will finally wake up. Hey, By the way... where is our Mairina?????
Mr. Good, I believe I worked with you over two decades ago, so it doesn't surprise me that you would lower yourself to this level, but I'm still disappointed that such a long-term resident would be so personally cruel. If you notice, this article simply uses Mr. Jennings as clickbait, as he is certainly not the main point. Further, have you ever had an actual conversation with him? While I don't agree with several of his ideas, he cares deeply for this community and is respectful even in disagreements. You just have to read his application to see his level of commitment. He's willing to volunteer his time in whatever capacity is needed...He's the only applicant that Mr. Millstein referenced who identified anything other than the Planning Board as an interest. I understand that Bar Harbor needs some serious change, I wouldn't dream of arguing that point, but rudeness is not the MDI way. Be a kind human, you'll make way more headway. Heck, just think of your fellow community members as your beloved birds and treat them accordingly! You have every right in the world to be frustrated with local politics and decisions that are being made. I would urge you to be a part of the solution, rather than adding to the negative rhetoric that does nothing to enact change. Mr. Millstein is in the business of vitriol and theatrics, he provides lovely entertainment, but is certainly not working for the betterment of the community. View it for what it is.
Also, I'm a Special Education teacher. Please let me know if you'd like support for your spelling and grammar deficits. I'd be happy to help or point you in the right direction, because supporting others is what Mainers do, regardless of whether or not they agree with each other.
He’s happy to volunteer his time in any capacity in service to the Youngs bottom line
Please share any incorrect information the QSJ has been posting teach. Please.
Gosh, I don't have that kind of time, I'm sorry. But a super quick perusal of this particular story....
Grammar: "The citizens abhorrence at the Chamber action lingered to this day."
Facts: "In his haste to fill out nine applications..." (Volunteers fill out only one application.)
Tons of other issues in other articles, but who has that kind of time?! Again, it's lovely for what it is. We just need to be a conscious consumers of media...and kind humans, obviously.
One form. Nine applications.
Easy question for someone who can type up an essay in such little time. Please call out the QSJ next time they post something incorrect, nobody will ever take you seriously if you don't.
p.s. that's my comment: I didn't think my name would show as the poster, so I added it to the front of the comment.