We are almost embarrassed that it has been so long since our last post; but as we said at the time, issues on Mount Desert Island and elsewhere have been largely overshadowed by national economic events. That doesn’t mean there has been nothing going on around here. We have seen the occasional “dust up” over a few local regulations and other matters, but little has happened of island-wide import. Taking a longer term perspective however, there are some subtle shifts occurring in island life about which we all should be concerned.
In just a couple of weeks the time of year locally known as “the season” will begin. “The season” refers to that period between July 4th and Labor Day when most of our summer residents occupy their homes, and when the events calendar swells to overflowing. “The season” for many of these longtime residents has always remained a constant in their lives, and it has been eagerly anticipated as a welcome respite from day to day business and social interests, as a time for relaxation and enjoyment of nature’s beauty and bounty, and as a time for extended families and friends to gather in a quiet, relaxed setting – often for the only time each year.
Year-round families also enjoy and look forward to “the season”, but in a different way. Most of them work long hours during the summer months, although they still entertain family and friends and look for opportunities to savor these wonderful days that seem to pass all too quickly.
But in the words of Bob Dylan – “the times they are a-changin”! Increasingly, “the season” is not what it used to be.
For one thing, families from all economic strata don’t place the same value on just being together that they used to in years past. Various generations often see things very differently today. They have different priorities and sometimes vastly different lifestyles. The closeness that was so much a part of extended families 50 years ago, all too often no longer exists.
For another thing, society has changed. There used to be relatively little social competition among wealthy summer residents. They lived rather elegant lives to be sure, but they usually saw summers on Mount Desert as a time to “rusticate” and to be with their friends in a more low-key fashion than was possible in the cities where they spent most of the year. Today, there seems to be much greater competition to build the biggest, most extravagant house on the boldest, most dramatic ocean cliff; to be seen at a party with the most prominent national and international figures; to have the most well-known house guests; or to have at one’s disposal the largest private jet and the most expensive yacht.
Perhaps the main reason behind these changes is the fast, intense and highly competitive pace of life today compared to 30 or 40 years ago. No one seems to have the time to do everything they feel they need to do, and finding time to relax is something that frequently is neglected. Also, many people today do not respect tradition the way they used to. The current generation appears to be much more self absorbed, much more materialistic, much more interested in being first, and much less inclined to learn from their parents and grandparents.
Of course, exceptions certainly can be found; and it is possible that we unfairly exaggerate the potentially negative aspects of modern life. Still, there is little doubt that the idyllic, idealistic summer days of the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s are very much in the past. All of us are poorer as a result.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Friday, December 12, 2008
Uncertainty
The major issues with which residents of Mount Desert Island have been concerned for several years have not gone away. Resource conservation, maintenance of a viable year-round population, balancing the role of tourism in our local economy, reducing the duplication of municipal services, dealing with summer traffic congestion – all of these things and more remain on our plate. But it seems to us that discussion of them has moderated in a significant way over recent months, with such matters taking a back seat to other more immediate global concerns.
Without a doubt the United States, along with most other developed countries, is currently experiencing the greatest financial crisis of our time. And the worldwide economic meltdown has widespread negative implications for our national, state and local governments, for our businesses, for our charitable institutions, and for all of us as individuals. But just exactly what the effects will ultimately be is unknown, leading to much worry and uncertainty about the future.
How will our federal government handle trillion dollar annual budget deficits? How will Maine handle decreasing amounts of federal funds available to the states? How will our municipalities handle corresponding reductions in state financial support for localities? What will a poor economy do to our tourism industry? How can we protect critical funding for Acadia National Park? Will our residents be able to get or keep good jobs?
All of these questions cry out for answers, and the uncertainty surrounding them has, at least for the moment, drowned out discussion of more familiar island issues.
Without a doubt the United States, along with most other developed countries, is currently experiencing the greatest financial crisis of our time. And the worldwide economic meltdown has widespread negative implications for our national, state and local governments, for our businesses, for our charitable institutions, and for all of us as individuals. But just exactly what the effects will ultimately be is unknown, leading to much worry and uncertainty about the future.
How will our federal government handle trillion dollar annual budget deficits? How will Maine handle decreasing amounts of federal funds available to the states? How will our municipalities handle corresponding reductions in state financial support for localities? What will a poor economy do to our tourism industry? How can we protect critical funding for Acadia National Park? Will our residents be able to get or keep good jobs?
All of these questions cry out for answers, and the uncertainty surrounding them has, at least for the moment, drowned out discussion of more familiar island issues.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Ah, For the Good Old Days...
Now how, you might ask, does this topic specifically relate to issues facing Mount Desert Island?
Well, certainly it is a wistful lament that resonates with a growing number of people around the entire country today. (Anyone for $.25 gasoline?) But it also reflects a recollection of, a respect for, and a desire to preserve things from the past that have been and continue to be very central to the lives of most residents of our island.
Perhaps more than in a lot of other communities, people living on Mount Desert Island have always had a sense of their local history and traditions. That is definitely true of native families, though it might be slightly less a factor in the lives of many who have moved here "from away". Those who were born and grew up here are a part of local history, and they remember with great fondness the relative simplicity and beauty of life on a Maine island, especially during the summers. To be sure, there were hardships as well, but there also is a certain pride among those who dealt with and overcame those hardships, often using the strength found in local community values and institutions. Over the years, more than a few of the families who moved here did so at least in part because of their perception of MDI’s rich local history and its abiding sense of community.
So herein lies our issue. Mount Desert Island has been insulated to some degree from the changes that have affected life so dramatically in the rest the United States, particularly its urban areas. But change is overtaking us more and more rapidly. The fast pace of the Information Age is upon us; more new residents come to the island each year seeking a haven of one sort or another and having little prior knowledge of the community into which they are moving; and many of our village elders around the island are gradually passing away, depriving us both of their wisdom and their direct link to the past.
As a result, we are in serious danger of losing our sense of local history along with the local relationships that have been so important to the quality of life here over the years. We have already lost the local sewing circles, all but one of the community associations, most of the grange halls, most of our ladies’ aid societies, and many of our smaller churches. We find it increasingly difficult to recruit members for our volunteer fire departments and for our local town boards and committees. We live our lives on the Internet and on cable TV instead of interacting with our neighbors.
We cannot turn back the clock, nor would most of us really want to, but we do need to find a way to preserve the essence of the island institutions that have made MDI such a special place. As a start, we need to constantly encourage a broad-based understanding of our local history and traditions, so that everyone living here today can fully appreciate the value of those institutions.
Ah, for the good old days...
Well, certainly it is a wistful lament that resonates with a growing number of people around the entire country today. (Anyone for $.25 gasoline?) But it also reflects a recollection of, a respect for, and a desire to preserve things from the past that have been and continue to be very central to the lives of most residents of our island.
Perhaps more than in a lot of other communities, people living on Mount Desert Island have always had a sense of their local history and traditions. That is definitely true of native families, though it might be slightly less a factor in the lives of many who have moved here "from away". Those who were born and grew up here are a part of local history, and they remember with great fondness the relative simplicity and beauty of life on a Maine island, especially during the summers. To be sure, there were hardships as well, but there also is a certain pride among those who dealt with and overcame those hardships, often using the strength found in local community values and institutions. Over the years, more than a few of the families who moved here did so at least in part because of their perception of MDI’s rich local history and its abiding sense of community.
So herein lies our issue. Mount Desert Island has been insulated to some degree from the changes that have affected life so dramatically in the rest the United States, particularly its urban areas. But change is overtaking us more and more rapidly. The fast pace of the Information Age is upon us; more new residents come to the island each year seeking a haven of one sort or another and having little prior knowledge of the community into which they are moving; and many of our village elders around the island are gradually passing away, depriving us both of their wisdom and their direct link to the past.
As a result, we are in serious danger of losing our sense of local history along with the local relationships that have been so important to the quality of life here over the years. We have already lost the local sewing circles, all but one of the community associations, most of the grange halls, most of our ladies’ aid societies, and many of our smaller churches. We find it increasingly difficult to recruit members for our volunteer fire departments and for our local town boards and committees. We live our lives on the Internet and on cable TV instead of interacting with our neighbors.
We cannot turn back the clock, nor would most of us really want to, but we do need to find a way to preserve the essence of the island institutions that have made MDI such a special place. As a start, we need to constantly encourage a broad-based understanding of our local history and traditions, so that everyone living here today can fully appreciate the value of those institutions.
Ah, for the good old days...
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Retirees
Well, here we go into a subject that has the potential to offend someone, even if that result is unintended. The subject is both the positive and negative impact of an increasing number of retirees who have chosen and are choosing Mount Desert Island as a place to live during their "golden years".
In many ways, this trend has very positive implications for the island. Folks who retire here are generally well educated and often bring very interesting career experiences into the community. They build or purchase and maintain nice homes, they usually do not have children in the local school system thus requiring fewer municipal services, they tend to be financially secure, and they are a great source of enthusiastic volunteers for many local non-profit organizations. They actively support artistic and educational programs around the area.
But despite all of these positives, there are a few negatives that need to be recognized and addressed. Prosperous retirees from urban areas where home prices and incomes tend to be relatively high are able to bid more aggressively for increasingly scarce property on Mount Desert Island than most locals can afford. This drives up real estate prices here and forces children of local families off island or even out of state to find affordable housing.
Retirees usually place a high value on education and are willing to support local school budgets, even if they do not have children attending those schools. But there is an increasing risk that their support may fade as property taxes rise and as school budgets comprise a larger and larger portion of those taxes. Further, as increasing numbers of retirees replace young families in a community, there are fewer and fewer children attending local schools. This leads to vacant classroom space, inefficient allocation of human resources, and eventual calls for consolidation.
Also, retirees tend to travel frequently - particularly during our long winters. Some actually have second homes elsewhere in places like Florida where they will spend several months each year. This means that there are more empty houses and there is less activity on the island during the winter than might be the case in more economically and socially diverse communities. Coupled with an already large number of seasonal homes on MDI, there is the potential for entire villages to appear shut down for a considerable portion of the year.
And finally, retirees frequently do not know much of the social history or traditions of the island community into which they are relocating. The tendency, therefore, is to bring traditions and procedures from their former lives into the local organizations they join, sometimes causing island natives to feel inferior, pushed out or misunderstood.
So, what to do? How do we embrace the positives while minimizing the negatives? Here is your chance to comment and to offer suggestions...it’s easy, just log on and post!
In many ways, this trend has very positive implications for the island. Folks who retire here are generally well educated and often bring very interesting career experiences into the community. They build or purchase and maintain nice homes, they usually do not have children in the local school system thus requiring fewer municipal services, they tend to be financially secure, and they are a great source of enthusiastic volunteers for many local non-profit organizations. They actively support artistic and educational programs around the area.
But despite all of these positives, there are a few negatives that need to be recognized and addressed. Prosperous retirees from urban areas where home prices and incomes tend to be relatively high are able to bid more aggressively for increasingly scarce property on Mount Desert Island than most locals can afford. This drives up real estate prices here and forces children of local families off island or even out of state to find affordable housing.
Retirees usually place a high value on education and are willing to support local school budgets, even if they do not have children attending those schools. But there is an increasing risk that their support may fade as property taxes rise and as school budgets comprise a larger and larger portion of those taxes. Further, as increasing numbers of retirees replace young families in a community, there are fewer and fewer children attending local schools. This leads to vacant classroom space, inefficient allocation of human resources, and eventual calls for consolidation.
Also, retirees tend to travel frequently - particularly during our long winters. Some actually have second homes elsewhere in places like Florida where they will spend several months each year. This means that there are more empty houses and there is less activity on the island during the winter than might be the case in more economically and socially diverse communities. Coupled with an already large number of seasonal homes on MDI, there is the potential for entire villages to appear shut down for a considerable portion of the year.
And finally, retirees frequently do not know much of the social history or traditions of the island community into which they are relocating. The tendency, therefore, is to bring traditions and procedures from their former lives into the local organizations they join, sometimes causing island natives to feel inferior, pushed out or misunderstood.
So, what to do? How do we embrace the positives while minimizing the negatives? Here is your chance to comment and to offer suggestions...it’s easy, just log on and post!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Tourism
As we rapidly approach a new season, we are reminded that folks here on Mount Desert Island often seem to have a love/hate relationship with tourists. We can’t wait for them to leave in the fall, and we can’t wait for them to arrive again in the spring.
We hate being forced to drive slowly behind them during the summer; we hate not being able to find a parking spot in Bar Harbor; we hate the crowds on some trails, along Ocean Drive and in the grocery stores; we worry about the damage they might cause to our fragile ecology; we ridicule the t-shirt shops that also sell red, flocked lobsters on a string; we complain about late-night noise in our villages; and we wonder how to accommodate unexpected visits from long-lost friends and acquaintances.
But we love the boost tourists give to our economy; we love the summer employment opportunities for our high school and college students; we love the number and variety of great restaurants available to us during "the season"; we love the world class music programs and live theater; we love the opportunity to reunite with friends and family; we enjoy seeing some of the world’s most famous cruise ships anchored in Bar Harbor; we are excited to join a whale watch; and we thrive on all the activity of the summer months after a long, cold winter.
The fact is that tourism indeed can be a double edged sword. However, if properly managed and controlled, we can continue to enjoy all of its aspects that we love while minimizing those that we hate. Tourism has been a central part of MDI for the past 100 years and likely will be for the next 100 years. All of us who care about, live in and earn a living from this special place need to constantly work together in a spirit of cooperation and understanding to ensure that tourism is a positive force, not a negative one.
We hate being forced to drive slowly behind them during the summer; we hate not being able to find a parking spot in Bar Harbor; we hate the crowds on some trails, along Ocean Drive and in the grocery stores; we worry about the damage they might cause to our fragile ecology; we ridicule the t-shirt shops that also sell red, flocked lobsters on a string; we complain about late-night noise in our villages; and we wonder how to accommodate unexpected visits from long-lost friends and acquaintances.
But we love the boost tourists give to our economy; we love the summer employment opportunities for our high school and college students; we love the number and variety of great restaurants available to us during "the season"; we love the world class music programs and live theater; we love the opportunity to reunite with friends and family; we enjoy seeing some of the world’s most famous cruise ships anchored in Bar Harbor; we are excited to join a whale watch; and we thrive on all the activity of the summer months after a long, cold winter.
The fact is that tourism indeed can be a double edged sword. However, if properly managed and controlled, we can continue to enjoy all of its aspects that we love while minimizing those that we hate. Tourism has been a central part of MDI for the past 100 years and likely will be for the next 100 years. All of us who care about, live in and earn a living from this special place need to constantly work together in a spirit of cooperation and understanding to ensure that tourism is a positive force, not a negative one.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Sharing Services
At a recent League of Towns meeting, the Bar Harbor Town Manager initiated what turned out to be a brief discussion of the idea that island towns might possibly share tax assessing duties to save money. While there was mild interest from some towns, others showed no interest at all, so the idea was shelved with no further action planned.
This is not the first time that sharing certain services among island towns has been brought up, and it also is not the first time that such proposals have been quickly dismissed for lack of interest. That is most unfortunate, because there is great duplication of municipal services in this relatively small geographical area, and local taxpayers are footing the bill. At some point, cost pressures and financial reality will force more consolidation and more efficiency in providing such services to what, by almost anyone’s measure, is one contiguous island community having widespread common interests.
This is not the first time that sharing certain services among island towns has been brought up, and it also is not the first time that such proposals have been quickly dismissed for lack of interest. That is most unfortunate, because there is great duplication of municipal services in this relatively small geographical area, and local taxpayers are footing the bill. At some point, cost pressures and financial reality will force more consolidation and more efficiency in providing such services to what, by almost anyone’s measure, is one contiguous island community having widespread common interests.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Parkadia Intersection
In recent months there has been considerable controversy over plans by the Maine DOT to improve traffic flow at the head of the island by creating a new intersection on Route 3 past Parkadia toward Bar Harbor and changing traffic flow on and off Route 102.
This is one of those situations where everyone agrees there is a problem but few have been able to agree on a solution. The issue is complicated by the presence of a two-lane bridge and causeway over conservation land that limit the options for expansion of the existing intersection, as well as traffic flows that vary widely both by time of day and season of the year. In addition, there are two businesses at the existing intersection that are promoting their own self-interests.
Living on an island, even one connected to the mainland by a bridge, means that getting on and off inevitably will require both compromise and patience on the part of residents and visitors alike. Because any long term fix at this intersection will be of considerable magnitude, it is extremely important to get it right the first time, as was suggested by a thoughtful writer in this week’s Bar Harbor Times. We believe that all stakeholders - the Town of Bar Harbor, the MDI League of Towns, Acadia National Park, the Maine DOT, and the businesses - should work together to come up with a creative solution. There is time to do a proper job, but the clock is ticking as traffic on and off the island increases every year and as state funding may be diverted elsewhere.
This is one of those situations where everyone agrees there is a problem but few have been able to agree on a solution. The issue is complicated by the presence of a two-lane bridge and causeway over conservation land that limit the options for expansion of the existing intersection, as well as traffic flows that vary widely both by time of day and season of the year. In addition, there are two businesses at the existing intersection that are promoting their own self-interests.
Living on an island, even one connected to the mainland by a bridge, means that getting on and off inevitably will require both compromise and patience on the part of residents and visitors alike. Because any long term fix at this intersection will be of considerable magnitude, it is extremely important to get it right the first time, as was suggested by a thoughtful writer in this week’s Bar Harbor Times. We believe that all stakeholders - the Town of Bar Harbor, the MDI League of Towns, Acadia National Park, the Maine DOT, and the businesses - should work together to come up with a creative solution. There is time to do a proper job, but the clock is ticking as traffic on and off the island increases every year and as state funding may be diverted elsewhere.
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