Year of the snake on MDI: Park firings, fear of down tourism, cruise ships in flux
Protests against Trump cutbacks across Maine planned for weekend
BAR HARBOR, Feb. 28, 2025 - Demonstrations will be held at 10 locations in Maine this weekend in support of Gov. Janet Mills’s resistance to the Trump administration's “recent actions harming Mainers from farmers to federal workers,” according to organizers.
That was just one in a tsunami of messages flooding my inbox over the last week.
Not all of them were related. (More on the demonstrations later.)
The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that, “Rising costs for leisure travel are weighing on a growing share of would-be vacationers to delay spring and summer bookings. Consumer sentiment has started to slide, weighed down by tariff threats, persistent inflation and layoffs in the public and private sectors.”
Even without that, Bar Harbor was doing a pretty good job manufacturing self-inflicted existential angst.
Town Manager James Smith was taking every opportunity to remind folks publicly that revenues will be down significantly from cruise ship fees because of the anticipated decline in allowed passengers to disembark onshore this year. (Of course, expenses should also decline. Recent cruise ships fees of about $1 million annually are highly restricted as how they may be used. This year the town is budgeting $362,142. But it’s also budgeting $4,066,900 in parking revenue, more than twice what it took in two years ago.)
Smith is only reflecting the gamesmanship in Bar Harbor, which one nearby town manager told me “is in the middle of a civil war.”
No wonder a radio station in Portland yesterday was drawing attention to the news that Bar Harbor was named the “most unwelcoming small town in America.”
WCYY published on its website that “According to MSN, while Bar Harbor's views and charm may forever be appealing to travelers, the people that live and work in the small coastal town may not feel warm and fuzzy inside when the height of tourist season kicks in.”
“Bar Harbor is a classic New England tourist town, but that doesn’t mean visitors are always welcomed with open arms, according to WCYY. During peak season, the town is packed with out-of-towners, and many locals aren’t shy about expressing their frustration. From eye-rolls at coffee shops to snippy service at restaurants, it’s clear that tourists aren’t always appreciated. Some residents even display bumper stickers and signs that discourage visitors from sticking around too long.
“If you visit in the off-season, you might find a different kind of unwelcoming atmosphere. Many businesses close down, leaving visitors with limited options for dining and lodging. Without the summer crowds, the town can feel eerily quiet, and some locals are even less interested in chatting with strangers. It’s beautiful, no doubt, but don’t expect a warm welcome.”
The local Chamber of Commerce is already sharply critical of the report, but who will it blame? Two years ago, the chamber was stripped of $60,000 in town funding after it joined the local businesses suing the town over its cap of cruise ship passengers. (The Town Council has since restored that money.)
The Chamber of Commerce is the single most divisive institution in town.
How about putting away the legal chain saws and inspire a community spirit?
Speaking of divisiveness, Maine is bracing for the retribution which is certain to come after Janet Mills stood up to Donald Trump in a meeting captured on video.
Jeri Bowers, communications director of the MDI Bio Lab, is helping to organize the statewide demonstration Saturday and Sunday.
Here is the published schedule:
Bangor: Saturday, March 1, 12 noon, Federal Building, 202 Harlow Street
Organized by Indivisible Bangor. Contact: indivisiblebangor@gmail.com
Belfast: Saturday, March 1, 2 PM, Post Office Square, 1 Franklin Street
Organized by: Peace & Justice Waldo County, Alliance of Intervening Citizens, Indivisible Waldo County Contact: gabeburford@gmail.com
Bucksport: Saturday, March 1, 12:30-1:30PM, Verona Island Bridge
Organized by Solidarity Bucksport Contact: solidaritybucksport@gmail.com
Calais: Saturday, March 1, 1-2 PM, 405 Main Street (near Crumbs Cafe)
Organized by Democracy Calais. Contact: democracycalais@gmail.com
Ellsworth: Saturday, March 1, 12 noon, City Hall, 1 City Hall Plaza
Organized by Acadia Action. Contact: acadiaaction@gmail.com
Rockland: Saturday, March 1, 10 AM - 1 PM, First Universalist Church, then march to courthouse. Organized by The Audacity. Contact: contact@audacity.com
Skowhegan: Saturday, March 1, 1:30 - 4 PM, Margaret Chase Smith Bridge, then March to Baker’s Table. Organized by Somerset Stands Up!
Portland: 1PM-2PM **Note time change!** Monument Square, End the Madness - Uphold the Rule of Law, Organized by EVERY SATURDAY 11AM MONUMENT SQUARE Contact: angus-ferguson@every-saturday-11am-monument-square.org
Bridgeton: 11:30 AM, Shorey Park, organized by Lakes Region Indivisible lakesregionindivisible@gmail.com 207-653-5465
Waterville: March 2 (not March 1), 1 - 2 PM, Kennedy Memorial Drive at Messalonskee Bridge.
Yesterday, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled the Trump administration's firing of thousands of probationary employees is illegal and should be stopped.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup said the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must rescind directives sent to some agencies ordering them to fire their probationary employees — typically those in their first or second year in a job.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a park ranger has built a data base of all the workers at the National Park Service who lost their jobs, including eight at Acadia National Park.
The shedding of old skin to effect renewal is a important characteristic of the Year of the Snake. But no snake has ever done it with a chain saw.
As Maine goes, so goes the nation.
Way to go , Lincoln ,and other protesters bravely raising their voices to save our democracy and our country!
I am not wildly enthusiastic about 3 1/2 million or so visitors to MDI but they bring lots and lots of money and it's needed. Clogging up single lane highways is difficult to say the least. BUT I have no problems trying to help tourists who try to respect the local way of life we have. When their attitude towards me is one of servitude and what can you do for me I do kinda get my back up. ALSO, I can't tell you how uneasy my wife and I and so many others in this country are with President orange head and vice president Elon Musk are!! I am concerned about just about everything he is doing but what is close to home is Acadia National Park and Jackson Lab and how all the cuttings will affect my neighbors and workers. I am a SWH native. I am long retired and financially doing well but I worry about my children and my grandchildren and what is happening to the rule of law and the constitution in MY country. Trump scares the hell out of me and what's worse is the "all hands on deck" that the Republicans in the House and Senate buy into. Hopefully there are many MAGA folks that are getting a dose of the reality of King Donald and a private citizen who has seemingly been given the keys to the kingdom. It's no conincidence that several agencies who have been looking at Musk's business practices have lost their leaderships. Musk has made billions from us US taxpayers. Guess it's not enough? He has a Canadian passport and there is a huge move afoot to take it away from him.