OTHER NEWS: Winners/losers in court victory for affordable housing in NEH; KKK in Maine in the Twenties; Strong showing at DOT meeting in SWH, will it matter?
The SWH Select Board has been trying to get information for many months. Recall that the DOT did reopen the road after the second storm in January. Then the March storm hit, the DOT said it was not going to reopen it anytime soon. We immediately sought a meeting with DOT which never came.
From our March 26, 2024, minutes:
"Manager Lowell added that she attended a meeting at Acadia National Park, she advised there was discussion related to the Southwest Harbor and Schoodic having some structural damage. Lowell also shared the ocean path in Bar Harbor had about 1,000 ft of damage. Lowell also noted that there was mention by DOT regarding abandoning the road at Seawall that connects to Bass Harbor. Members agreed that the town should be part of any discussions. Scott Alley added that he and his crew will sand and plow down to Ships Harbor. Since the damage to the road at Seawall, he and his crew members have had to go the long way around to plow and sand that small area. Manager Lowell will call Lisa at DOT to discuss this further and get more information."
At just about every meeting since, this has been a subject of discussion during the presentation of the Town Manager's report and items for the next agenda, which some writers don't always stick around for, so they might get the impression we haven't talked about it.
Alley was the source of the rumor that the park and DOT were bickering over the round rocks. You guys spent most of the time talking about the signage and stuff and not solving the real problem. You weren't the only ones. All Tremont board talked about was the town dock. And was there a state rep who said anything amid all the chaos? Shud have brought the same level of concern as you did the transfer station contract ...
Re: "wonderful breakdown lanes on both sides of the road . . . from the head of the island on Rt 3 into Bar Harbor."
The width of breakdown lanes along Rt 3 vary widely. Or narrowly as the case may be. From Pirates Cove to Hulls Cove the breakdown lanes are not safe for cyclists. This was exacerbated by relatively recent renovations which took space from the lanes to create a sidewalk and by the installation of sharp edged curbing stones. The diminished lanes are too narrow and the sidewalk is not suitable for cycling. (Including an obstacle course of poorly placed mail boxes which impacts both the lanes and sidewalk.) Previously the breakdown lanes segued into gravel and grass - an easy swerve when vehicles got too close. The sharp edge curbing now prevents such safety maneuvers.
"The protests in front of 46 South Shore Road, next to the Fleet yacht club, requires a full-time private, security force and more regular police presence than six families at Heel Way would ever need."
The peaceful protests, on the public street outside 46 South Shore Road, do not require any private security or police presence. At all. That Leonard Leo choses to invest his resources and waste public resources, to indulge his preoccupations and craft his false narrative of persecution, has nothing to do with what is required to insure his safety or maintain the law. In fact, one can reasonably argue that Leo's malign influence - in persuading MDI public officials to illegitimately threaten and punish protestors - is the only actual danger related to the protests.
The SWH Select Board has been trying to get information for many months. Recall that the DOT did reopen the road after the second storm in January. Then the March storm hit, the DOT said it was not going to reopen it anytime soon. We immediately sought a meeting with DOT which never came.
From our March 26, 2024, minutes:
"Manager Lowell added that she attended a meeting at Acadia National Park, she advised there was discussion related to the Southwest Harbor and Schoodic having some structural damage. Lowell also shared the ocean path in Bar Harbor had about 1,000 ft of damage. Lowell also noted that there was mention by DOT regarding abandoning the road at Seawall that connects to Bass Harbor. Members agreed that the town should be part of any discussions. Scott Alley added that he and his crew will sand and plow down to Ships Harbor. Since the damage to the road at Seawall, he and his crew members have had to go the long way around to plow and sand that small area. Manager Lowell will call Lisa at DOT to discuss this further and get more information."
At just about every meeting since, this has been a subject of discussion during the presentation of the Town Manager's report and items for the next agenda, which some writers don't always stick around for, so they might get the impression we haven't talked about it.
- Jim Vallette
Also the only MDI board which has had no discussion of the other crisis - housing. At least Tremont and Mount Desert tried ...
Alley was the source of the rumor that the park and DOT were bickering over the round rocks. You guys spent most of the time talking about the signage and stuff and not solving the real problem. You weren't the only ones. All Tremont board talked about was the town dock. And was there a state rep who said anything amid all the chaos? Shud have brought the same level of concern as you did the transfer station contract ...
Re: "wonderful breakdown lanes on both sides of the road . . . from the head of the island on Rt 3 into Bar Harbor."
The width of breakdown lanes along Rt 3 vary widely. Or narrowly as the case may be. From Pirates Cove to Hulls Cove the breakdown lanes are not safe for cyclists. This was exacerbated by relatively recent renovations which took space from the lanes to create a sidewalk and by the installation of sharp edged curbing stones. The diminished lanes are too narrow and the sidewalk is not suitable for cycling. (Including an obstacle course of poorly placed mail boxes which impacts both the lanes and sidewalk.) Previously the breakdown lanes segued into gravel and grass - an easy swerve when vehicles got too close. The sharp edge curbing now prevents such safety maneuvers.
The worst part is the storm drains. You have have to go over it you better hope it was installed with the slots perpendicular to the road
Never mind the time there was a dead turkey in the shoulder
"The protests in front of 46 South Shore Road, next to the Fleet yacht club, requires a full-time private, security force and more regular police presence than six families at Heel Way would ever need."
The peaceful protests, on the public street outside 46 South Shore Road, do not require any private security or police presence. At all. That Leonard Leo choses to invest his resources and waste public resources, to indulge his preoccupations and craft his false narrative of persecution, has nothing to do with what is required to insure his safety or maintain the law. In fact, one can reasonably argue that Leo's malign influence - in persuading MDI public officials to illegitimately threaten and punish protestors - is the only actual danger related to the protests.