Those of us year round residents of MDI who are NOT connected with the tourist industry put up with a lot. Crowded roads everywhere, inability to park when doing errands,, not being able to get dinner reservations but have stand in line in the sidewalk, town packed with people many of whom wander all over the road, having to pay to park, so if you’re doing errands at several places you may well have pay ,ore than once, driving to and from Ellsworth can take a long time in bumper to bumper traffic, grocery stores over with some empty shelves, etc etc etc. Obviously we have to put up with some of this as we have a national park, and a beautiful island. But what do we get in return? If we’re not in the tourist trade- big fat nothing. Nearly everything closes as soon as the tourists depart. Heaven help you if you have an anniversary, birthday, or other cause for celebration in February. The two labs are growing, COA is growing, we want to encourage year round young people. There’s nothing at all to attract them to live here. Two seasons - jam packed with people and cars and dead as the dodo.
FYI The original Gilman High School was built in 1887 and torn down in 1951, then it was in another building for a bit until Mount Desert High School was erected in 1950 to house grades 7-12. Mount Desert ISLAND high School was the consolidated school for all MDI towns opened in 1968. The former Mount Desert High School is now the elementary school for the town.
In a time when American values of justice and equality are under constant assault, when big money, and big business literally gets to buy power, influence, and whatever legislation they wish to fast track it was like breathing pure oxygen to read Judge Walker's recent statements regarding the cruise ship fiasco and the shameful role played by those benefitting from it. Although separated from them by century’s I could clearly hear the applause of America's founding fathers! The elites may have gotten away with stacking our supposedly "Supreme" Court but it appears that there are Federal Judges left who have actually read the Constitution and who remain convinced that American citizens deserve to have their opinions and wishes respected.
I was very sorry to learn of Paul Jewett's passing. I first met Paul way back in the early 1980s when he operated the printing press at the Bar Harbor Times. I'd just founded a tiny sea kayaking company in Bar Harbor and needed to have some window posters printed up. Many business people I approached seemed singularly unimpressed by my teeny company but Paul treated me with respect and in so doing gave me a much needed bit of encouragement. Over the next 30 years we would run into each other from time to time and I never came away from a conversation with Paul without feeling more positive and hopeful about life in these troubled and troubling times. He always had a smile on his face and a visible enthusiasm for life. He will, I am certain, be missed by many, and certainly missed by me. My condolences to his wife and family.
Those of us year round residents of MDI who are NOT connected with the tourist industry put up with a lot. Crowded roads everywhere, inability to park when doing errands,, not being able to get dinner reservations but have stand in line in the sidewalk, town packed with people many of whom wander all over the road, having to pay to park, so if you’re doing errands at several places you may well have pay ,ore than once, driving to and from Ellsworth can take a long time in bumper to bumper traffic, grocery stores over with some empty shelves, etc etc etc. Obviously we have to put up with some of this as we have a national park, and a beautiful island. But what do we get in return? If we’re not in the tourist trade- big fat nothing. Nearly everything closes as soon as the tourists depart. Heaven help you if you have an anniversary, birthday, or other cause for celebration in February. The two labs are growing, COA is growing, we want to encourage year round young people. There’s nothing at all to attract them to live here. Two seasons - jam packed with people and cars and dead as the dodo.
Forgot to mention - absolutely no affordable housing - they’re all AirBnBs. I know a man who owns SIX.
FYI The original Gilman High School was built in 1887 and torn down in 1951, then it was in another building for a bit until Mount Desert High School was erected in 1950 to house grades 7-12. Mount Desert ISLAND high School was the consolidated school for all MDI towns opened in 1968. The former Mount Desert High School is now the elementary school for the town.
In a time when American values of justice and equality are under constant assault, when big money, and big business literally gets to buy power, influence, and whatever legislation they wish to fast track it was like breathing pure oxygen to read Judge Walker's recent statements regarding the cruise ship fiasco and the shameful role played by those benefitting from it. Although separated from them by century’s I could clearly hear the applause of America's founding fathers! The elites may have gotten away with stacking our supposedly "Supreme" Court but it appears that there are Federal Judges left who have actually read the Constitution and who remain convinced that American citizens deserve to have their opinions and wishes respected.
I was very sorry to learn of Paul Jewett's passing. I first met Paul way back in the early 1980s when he operated the printing press at the Bar Harbor Times. I'd just founded a tiny sea kayaking company in Bar Harbor and needed to have some window posters printed up. Many business people I approached seemed singularly unimpressed by my teeny company but Paul treated me with respect and in so doing gave me a much needed bit of encouragement. Over the next 30 years we would run into each other from time to time and I never came away from a conversation with Paul without feeling more positive and hopeful about life in these troubled and troubling times. He always had a smile on his face and a visible enthusiasm for life. He will, I am certain, be missed by many, and certainly missed by me. My condolences to his wife and family.