Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Monday, April 28, 2014
News from the Salty Dog Gallery
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Thursday, April 17, 2014
Changes to Acadia National Park’s Fee Program
April 15, 2014
Stuart West
(207) 288-8770
Changes to Acadia’s Fee Program
Beginning May 1, Acadia National Park will open the Sand Beach Entrance Station and other fee
collection stations and begin charging for park entrance fee for the 2014 summer season. There
will be two significant changes this year to the entrance fee program. The weekly park entrance
fee for vehicles will now cost $20 year-round; eliminating the shoulder season rate of $10. The
park will also begin requiring that entrance passes are displayed in vehicles at all times while in
the park.
The NPS estimates that increasing the entrance fee to $20.00 during the shoulder seasons will
provide an additional $225,000 annually for the operation of the Island Explorer bus system
and other alternative transportation projects. Island Explorer ridership has grown from 141,000
riders in 1999 to 424,000 in 2013, and service was extended into the fall season starting in
2003. Throughout the park and surrounding communities, Island Explorer has served nearly
five million passengers over the past 15 seasons. Funding from park entrance fees covers a
significant part of the Island Explorer’s annual operating budget, and the additional funds will
help ensure its sustainability into the future.
The NPS will also expand efforts to inform park visitors about the need to obtain and display
their entrance pass. Park rangers will be checking for valid entrance passes and educating
visitors about how the NPS uses the fees to improve visitor facilities and services. If a vehicle
is parked in Acadia and does not display an entrance pass or hangtag, park rangers will leave a
bright green informational card under the windshield wiper. As a reminder, the NPS will also be
installing new signs that read, “Park Entrance Pass Required,” at locations where visitors enter
the park by vehicle.
“The new requirement is in response to the average 68% entrance fee compliance rate,” said
Chief Ranger Stuart West. “Sequestration and the resulting late park opening last year really
opened people’s eyes about how close to the bottom line we were operating. When you’re
operating so close to the red, every penny counts. Not collecting all the fees due to the park
places limits on what the park can do and when we can swing open the gates. None of us wants
to see another late road opening, especially the business community whose livelihood depends
upon the park being open to vehicles. Increasing fee compliance is a natural outcome of making
the most of what you have to work with.”
Park visitors who have a National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, such as an
Interagency Senior, Access, Annual or an Acadia Annual card pass, are now asked to display
their pass on their dashboard or use a free vehicle hangtag issued to all passholders at Acadia
National Park fee collection stations. Although such methods are commonplace in other national
parks, it will be new to Acadia.
All entrance passes may be obtained seasonally at the following Acadia National Park fee
stations: Sand Beach Entrance Station, Hulls Cove Visitor Center, Bar Harbor Village Green,
Thompson Island Information Center, Blackwoods Campground, Seawall Campground, and park
headquarters. Acadia weekly entrance passes are also available at: Cadillac Mountain gift shop,
Jordan Pond House gift shop, and some area businesses (please call 207-288-3338 for a list of
these locations).
The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act enables Acadia National Park to retain 80% of
fees collected through the sales of passes and the collection of campground and entrance fees.
These fees pay for needed repairs and projects to improve visitor services and facilities. The
remaining 20% benefits all National Park Service sites.
Stuart West
(207) 288-8770
Changes to Acadia’s Fee Program
Beginning May 1, Acadia National Park will open the Sand Beach Entrance Station and other fee
collection stations and begin charging for park entrance fee for the 2014 summer season. There
will be two significant changes this year to the entrance fee program. The weekly park entrance
fee for vehicles will now cost $20 year-round; eliminating the shoulder season rate of $10. The
park will also begin requiring that entrance passes are displayed in vehicles at all times while in
the park.
The NPS estimates that increasing the entrance fee to $20.00 during the shoulder seasons will
provide an additional $225,000 annually for the operation of the Island Explorer bus system
and other alternative transportation projects. Island Explorer ridership has grown from 141,000
riders in 1999 to 424,000 in 2013, and service was extended into the fall season starting in
2003. Throughout the park and surrounding communities, Island Explorer has served nearly
five million passengers over the past 15 seasons. Funding from park entrance fees covers a
significant part of the Island Explorer’s annual operating budget, and the additional funds will
help ensure its sustainability into the future.
The NPS will also expand efforts to inform park visitors about the need to obtain and display
their entrance pass. Park rangers will be checking for valid entrance passes and educating
visitors about how the NPS uses the fees to improve visitor facilities and services. If a vehicle
is parked in Acadia and does not display an entrance pass or hangtag, park rangers will leave a
bright green informational card under the windshield wiper. As a reminder, the NPS will also be
installing new signs that read, “Park Entrance Pass Required,” at locations where visitors enter
the park by vehicle.
“The new requirement is in response to the average 68% entrance fee compliance rate,” said
Chief Ranger Stuart West. “Sequestration and the resulting late park opening last year really
opened people’s eyes about how close to the bottom line we were operating. When you’re
operating so close to the red, every penny counts. Not collecting all the fees due to the park
places limits on what the park can do and when we can swing open the gates. None of us wants
to see another late road opening, especially the business community whose livelihood depends
upon the park being open to vehicles. Increasing fee compliance is a natural outcome of making
the most of what you have to work with.”
Park visitors who have a National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, such as an
Interagency Senior, Access, Annual or an Acadia Annual card pass, are now asked to display
their pass on their dashboard or use a free vehicle hangtag issued to all passholders at Acadia
National Park fee collection stations. Although such methods are commonplace in other national
parks, it will be new to Acadia.
All entrance passes may be obtained seasonally at the following Acadia National Park fee
stations: Sand Beach Entrance Station, Hulls Cove Visitor Center, Bar Harbor Village Green,
Thompson Island Information Center, Blackwoods Campground, Seawall Campground, and park
headquarters. Acadia weekly entrance passes are also available at: Cadillac Mountain gift shop,
Jordan Pond House gift shop, and some area businesses (please call 207-288-3338 for a list of
these locations).
The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act enables Acadia National Park to retain 80% of
fees collected through the sales of passes and the collection of campground and entrance fees.
These fees pay for needed repairs and projects to improve visitor services and facilities. The
remaining 20% benefits all National Park Service sites.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
HANCOCK
COUNTY - National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is taking place on
Saturday, April 26, 2014 from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. The Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) offers the Drug Take-Back Day in
conjunction with local police departments and the Hancock County
Sheriff’s Office. Community members are encouraged to bring in any
unused, unwanted, or expired prescription drugs for this free,
anonymous service.
The
following police departments are hosting Drug Take-Back Days from
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday, April 26th:
- Bar Harbor
- Bucksport
- Ellsworth
- Gouldsboro
- Mt. Desert
- Southwest Harbor
- Winter Harbor
The
Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is hosting their Drug Take-Back Day
at the Hancock Woman’s Club, 1416 Route 1 in Hancock, from 8:00 AM
to 12:00 PM on April 26th.
“Many
people have unused or expired prescription medicines in their homes
because they don’t know how or where to safely dispose of them,”
stated Elizabeth Lyles of Healthy Acadia, who is working with the
police departments and Sheriff’s Office to provide community
outreach and education on safe disposal opportunities. “The Drug
Take-Back Day provides an excellent opportunity for Hancock County
residents to safely get rid of those prescription medicines.”
Properly
and safely disposing of excess medication helps to decrease the
potential for thievery, accidental poisoning or overdose, as well as
misuse and abuse of prescription drugs. Properly disposing of
medications also helps to protect the environment, particularly the
water supply and soils.
“Prescription
drug misuse and abuse can have devastating, lasting effects on
individuals, families, and the broader community,” stated Lyles.
“As a result, Healthy Acadia has made the prevention of
prescription drug misuse and abuse a priority in our efforts to build
healthier communities across Downeast Acadia.”
For
additional disposal opportunities, the Hancock County Sheriff’s
Office and the Bar Harbor, Bucksport, and Southwest Harbor Police
Departments all have prescription drug drop boxes located in their
lobbies. The drop boxes are accessible twenty-four hours a day, seven
days a week; please do not drop off needles or epinephrine pens. For
further disposal efforts, contact Elizabeth Lyles at 667-7171 or
elizabeth@healthyacadia.org.
Healthy
Acadia is excited to continue its collaboration with Hancock County
police departments and the Sheriff’s Office to prevent substance
abuse and ensure safe drug disposal. In the coming months, Healthy
Acadia and law enforcement will be partnering to further increase
access to secure, safe disposal sites, among other initiatives.
Healthy
Acadia is a community health coalition building vibrant communities
and making it easier for all people to lead healthy lives throughout
Hancock and Washington Counties. For more information about Healthy
Acadia’s substance abuse prevention efforts and other initiatives,
visit www.healthyacadia.org.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Acadia National Park News Release: HULLS COVE VISITOR CENTER TO OPEN
Release
Date: Immediate
Contact:
Wanda Moran, 207-288-8804, wanda_moran@nps.gov
HULLS
COVE VISITOR CENTER TO OPEN
Bar
Harbor, Maine - Hulls Cove Visitor Center in Acadia National Park is
scheduled to open on Tuesday, April 15, 2014. The visitor center will
be open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm daily. In addition to informational
services, the visitor center features an audiovisual orientation
program every half-hour in the auditorium. Educational material,
including books and maps, may be purchased at the Eastern National
sales area. For those who cannot walk the 52 steps to the visitor
center, there is an accessible entrance. When entering from Route 3,
this entrance is reached by going straight at the four way stop
instead of turning right into the visitor center parking lot.
At
this time, all hiking trails are open with the exception of two where
peregrine falcons are nesting. They are the Precipice Trail,
including the mountain section of the Orange & Black Path
(formerly the East Face Trail), and the Valley Cove Trail, north of
the Flying Mountain Trail. Caution is advised on the open trails, as
there is still ice and snow on most.
Because
of the extensive winter season, park personnel have been working to
get the ice and snow off Park Loop Road and are hoping to get the
entire road open by April 15. Bikers are encouraged to use caution
when biking Park Loop Road at this time. The carriage roads within
the park are still ice covered in many places and so haven’t closed
because of wet conditions as happens every year about this time. They
will probably close within the next couple of weeks and stay closed
until they dry out. Keep checking our website for current
information, or call 288-3338. The website is www.nps.gov/acad.
You can also follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AcadiaNPS or
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcadiaNPS
The
Sand Beach Entrance Station on Park Loop Road will open on May 1. All
passes will be available at that location. Between now and May 1,
passes may only be purchased at park headquarters on Route 233, every
day from 8 am to 4 pm.
About
the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service
employees care for America’s 401 national parks and work with
communities across the nation to help preserve local history and
create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at
www.nps.gov.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Harlem Ambassadors are coming to Mount Desert Island!
Don't miss the family fun with the hilarious
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vs
Island Talent
Brent Barker, Burt Barker, Jared Erskine, Whitney Granholm, Dan Granholm, Scott Hammond, Leeman Hodgdon, Matt Lahaye, Katy Lawson, Matt McEachern
Tony McKim, Ricky Miles, Shelley Miles, Jon Nicolson, Justin Norwood, Nick Palatore, Steve Parady, Andy Pooler, Wyman Tapley, Matt Umphrey
Saturday
April 5, 2014 at 6pm
MDI High School Doors open at 5:20pm
Ticket prices:
Senior/Student Advance $6 Game Day $8
General Public Advance $8 Game Day $10
Kids under 5 are FREE!
If you can't make it to Harbor House to buy your tickets you can purchase them here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/558161
Harlem-style comedy basketball featuring high-flying slam dunks, games with the kids, and hilarious comedy!
Complimentary autograph
session with the Harlem Ambassadors after the game.
ALL PROCEEDS GO TO SUPPORT
HARBOR HOUSE PROGRAMMING!
Call 207-244-3713 for more information.
This event is sponsored by The Bar Harbor Inn/ Witham Family Properties, Side Street Café & WSEmerson
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Wednesday, April 2, 2014
“Miles for Smiles” Road Race to support Dental Health Projects
“Miles for Smiles” Road Race to support Dental Health Projects
with Healthy Acadia hosted by Island Medical Center
What: “Miles for Smiles” Road Race - 5K Walk/Run and 1-Mile Fun Run
Where: Dental Associates, 325 Main Street, Ellsworth
When: Saturday, May 10; Registration at 9am and Race at 10am
Cost: $15 for 5K Walk/Run and $5 for 1-Mile Fun Run
Island Medical Center in Stonington is pleased to host a road race, “Miles for Smiles,” to support Dental Health Projects with Healthy Acadia. The race will take place on Saturday May 10 at Dental Associates, 325 Main Street in Ellsworth. Registration will open at 9am and the race will start at 10am.
Island Medical Center is working with other regional partners on a Downeast Dental Access Team, facilitated by Healthy Acadia. The group is dedicated to increasing access to dental health and providing oral health education across Hancock and Washington Counties. Proceeds from the “Miles for Smiles” Road Race will support the group’s dental health projects.
“We are excited to host this race to raise awareness about dental health and to support dental health access and education projects,” stated Dr. Wendy Alpaugh, dentist at Island Medical Center. “Preventing oral diseases like cavities and gum disease makes so much sense. Healthy teeth help us eat a healthy diet, speak clearly, and smile with comfort. And keeping teeth healthy is much less costly than having them repaired or having gum treatments.”
One of the group’s current projects is raising awareness about the importance of oral health for pregnant women and infants. “Pregnancy is a critical stage to stop the spread of germs that cause tooth decay,” stated Sandie Dubay of Healthy Acadia. “If a mother has a healthy mouth, her infant is more likely to have a healthy mouth. The decay-producing bacteria can spread from a parent to the baby. This can lead to early childhood cavities - a costly health problem which is often painful and embarrassing for the young child. It is important for parents to take good care of their own teeth as well as the teeth of their babies, and to see providers regularly. Finding dental health problems early makes treatment easier and less costly, and best of all is preventing problems before they start!”
For more information or to register for the “Miles for Smiles” road race, contact Amanda at Island Medical Center: 367-2631 orislanddentalctr@myfairpoint.
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