The thing about the past, an Irish saying goes, is that it’s not even the past. Learning the history of the people, places, boats, cars, rocks and wildlife around us builds an informed understanding of the present and helps guide good decisions for the future. Local historian, storyteller and librarian Bob Pyle, who died on …
Any review of Governor Paul LePage is destined to be crowded with conflicting adjectives. He has been confrontational and combative. He’s also been strategic and, in terms of his agenda, effective. Even his supporters regret missed opportunities for achievement due to LePage’s disinclination to compromise with legislators — even those of his own party. But …
Former Maine Congressman Bruce Poliquin finally threw in the towel, abandoning his effort to reverse the outcome of the November election for Maine’s Second District. Having received no encouragement from the courts as he pressed his objections, he announced the end of his legal challenges last week. There is no doubt the congressman was sincere …
By Fred Benson “It is always dangerous for soldiers, sailors, or airmen to play at politics. They enter a sphere in which the values are quite different from those to which they have hitherto been accustomed.” — Winston Churchill, “The Gathering Storm,” 1948. Civilian control of the military is so thoroughly ingrained in our …
To the Editor: I am writing in support of the Single-Use Carryout Bag Ordinance and the Polystyrene Ordinance as amended as discussed at a recent meeting of the Bar Harbor Town Council. I will be at the public hearing on Jan. 15 to support them. I hope that they will be put to the voters …
To the Editor: This is not about immigration. Trump wants $5 billion in taxpayer money to begin border wall construction in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas — home to five fragile and essential wildlife sanctuaries. The fight over that money sent federal workers home for the holidays with no pay. This is not about …
To the Editor: Last year, A Climate to Thrive brought Shaw Center researcher Madelyn Woods to Southwest Harbor to present the results of their research on microplastics in Blue Hill Bay. I was sickened to learn that every sample they took off our beautiful shores, and every mussel they dissected, contained small pieces of plastic, …
To the Editor: What do the people of Bar Harbor want their future town to be? Will it continue becoming a modern-day Coney Island or Old Orchard Beach, or will the planning board decide, instead, to encourage the town to become a pleasing, livable village, filled with beauty, character and people who are committed to …
The large population of whitetail deer on Mount Desert Island, and the frequency of car-deer accidents, is again becoming a serious concern. Many residents enjoy seeing deer around and some consider the animals part of the island’s outdoorsy “brand” for visitors. But, as a resident at a Southwest Harbor selectmen’s meeting recently pointed out, if …
The road to getting Bar Harbor’s new electrical substation permitted, built and put into service has been long. Now that the final stages are underway, power company Emera Maine is pondering what to do with the historic Edgewood Street building that, soon, will no longer be needed. The saga of building permit appeals, lawsuits, a …
