The Acadia Night Sky Festival will offer a free “Shuttle to the Stars” as public transportation to the Star Party on Cadillac Mountain, which will take place from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Saturday, September 27. The public is invited to drop in at any time during the program (the best star viewing will be after 9:00 p.m.) and visit with volunteer astronomers and park rangers who will describe constellations and other night sky features visible with the naked eye, binoculars, and telescopes. The road going up to Cadillac Mountain will be closed to all motor vehicles (except those that need parking for persons with disabilities) at 6:30 p.m. so visitors must use the shuttle to attend this event.
The shuttle will run continuously between Hulls Cove Visitor Center (located off Route 3 in Bar Harbor) and Cadillac Mountain from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm. The last shuttle will depart Hulls Cove Visitor Center at 9:30 pm, and the last shuttle will depart Cadillac Mountain at 10:30 pm. Using the shuttle will alleviate traffic congestion on Cadillac Mountain and help prevent headlights from disrupting the dark conditions needed to view stars and other celestial features. Oli’s Trolley, Acadia’s original trolley sightseeing tour, and Northeast Charter & Tour Company have generously donated a portion of their services to make the free shuttle possible.
Visitors are encouraged to dress warmly and minimize flashlight use to preserve night vision. If available, visitors should use a red night vision flashlight or cover a standard flashlight with red cellophane. Please note that dogs and other pets are not allowed. The Summit Center gift shop and restrooms will be open during the event. Please call 207-200-1536 to find out if this event has been cancelled due to weather.
The Star Party on Cadillac Mountain is a highlight of the 6th will take place in Acadia National Park and the surrounding communities on Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula from September 25 to 29. The Acadia Night Sky Festival is a community celebration to promote the protection and enjoyment of Downeast Maine’s stellar night sky as a valuable natural resource through education, science and the arts. The festival will feature nearly 40 programs, including hikes, workshops, lectures, crafts, films, art exhibits, and, of course, stargazing.
For a complete schedule and description of activities, please call 207-288-5103 or visit our website at www.acadianightskyfestival.org.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Community Leader Ed Kaelber spearheads Fund to support Seniors in Hancock County
Community leader and Birch Bay resident Ed Kaelber is spearheading the creation of a fund to support seniors in need throughout Hancock County.
The “Pay it Up Fund,” which is being managed by the Maine Community Foundation, will be used to provide mini-grants each year to seniors in need across Hancock County. Healthy Acadia and Birch Bay Village will coordinate the granting process, working with other partners in the region to establish a process for outreach, review and awarding of the small grants.
“My inspiration for this Fund comes from my desire to give back to our community, and to encourage others to support seniors in the community who have unmet needs,” stated Ed Kaelber. “My focus is on encouraging seniors to contribute to the fund as a way to support our peers who are struggling. But of course, I welcome support from all community members of any age!”
Kaelber has a rich history of serving the community. As founding president of both College of the Atlantic and the Maine Community Foundation, he has worked tirelessly to benefit local communities and enhance opportunities for all.
Ed reached out to Maine Community Foundation because of their track record of success in managing such funds. He connected with Healthy Acadia and Birch Bay Village to administer the fund because of their experience in coordinating small grant processes.
To support the fund, community members can write a check payable to Maine Community Foundation, with “Pay It Up Fund” in the memo line, and send it to the community foundation at 245 Main St., Ellsworth ME 04605.
“I’m thrilled to be working with Ed and our partners at Healthy Acadia and Maine Community Foundation on this much needed initiative,” stated Debra Chalmers, Executive Director of Birch Bay Village. “Ed is a powerhouse, and we are so grateful to have his leadership in our community.”
Birch Bay Village is a retirement community on Mount Desert Island. Their mission includes assisting elders to live safely and enjoyably wherever they reside. Their Straus Center Adult Day Program in Southwest Harbor serves seniors who are living at home or with their loved ones by providing a vibrant place to spend part of their day enjoying their peers along with a wonderful array of programs and services. Birch Bay also provides in-home support through their “life-line” program where seniors are able to seek assistance by pushing a button and receiving help whenever they are in need.
“Many seniors in our region are struggling to meet their basic needs and to stay healthy,” said Elsie Flemings, Executive Director of Healthy Acadia. “This is a critical initiative, and we at Healthy Acadia are honored to be a part of it, working with extraordinary community leaders – Ed Kaelber, Birch Bay Village, and Maine Community Foundation.”
Healthy Acadia is a community health coalition serving Hancock and Washington Counties. They are dedicated to building healthier communities by connecting individuals with health supports, building partnerships, coordinating education and prevention services, and improving policies and environments.
For more information about this initiative or to get involved in Healthy Aging issues in Hancock County, contact Elsie at Healthy Acadia, 288-5331 or Debra at Birch Bay Village, 288-8014.
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Elsie Flemings
Executive Director, Healthy Acadia
Elsie Flemings
Executive Director, Healthy Acadia
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Thursday, September 18, 2014
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
HANCOCK COUNTY - National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is taking place on Saturday, September 27, 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, September 27th:
• 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 Blue Hill Memorial Hospital in the lobby, 57 Water St. in Blue Hill, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM on September 27th.
“Community members, patients, and employees have expressed interest in Blue Hill Memorial Hospital providing safe prescription drug disposal,” stated Kelley Columber, Community Relations Manager at Blue Hill Memorial Hospital. “We are excited to partner with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and Healthy Acadia to address this important need in our communities.”
“People are often confused or do not know how or where to safely dispose of their prescription medications,” said Elizabeth Lyles of Healthy Acadia, who is working with the police departments, Sheriff’s Office, and local organizations to provide community outreach and education on safe disposal opportunities. “The Drug Take-Back Day provides an excellent opportunity for Hancock County residents to dispose of their unused or expired prescription medicines.”
Properly and safely disposing of excess medication helps to decrease the potential for thievery, accidental poisoning or overdose, as well as misuse of prescription drugs. Properly disposing of medications also helps to protect the environment, particularly the water supply and soils.
“Prescription drug misuse and addiction can have detrimental, lasting effects on individuals, families, and the community as a whole,” stated Lyles. “As a result, Healthy Acadia has made the prevention of prescription drug misuse 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, Ellsworth, Mount Desert, 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 for anonymous disposal of prescription medications; please no needles or epinephrine pens. For further disposal efforts contact Elizabeth Lyles at 667-7171 orelizabeth@healthyacadia.org.
Healthy Acadia is excited to continue its collaboration with Hancock County police departments and the Sheriff’s Office to prevent substance misuse and ensure safe drug disposal.
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 prevention efforts and other initiatives, visit www.healthyacadia.org.
Southwest Harbor Public Library Presents: Maine at Work
Are you wondering what the employment situation is like in your town? How about statewide? Most importantly, what do YOU think about the prospects for work in Maine? Maine at Work takes this hot topic and turns it into a wide-ranging performance based on historical documents and characters, humor, little-known facts, thought-provoking tales (tall and otherwise), and perspectives from real Mainers. When the performance is finished, actor David Greenham will lead the audience in a conversation about jobs and employment in their town. There is no attempt to change opinions or to reach consensus; the goal is simply to encourage the audience to reflect on and share their thoughts about what they have heard and seen.
All are invited to this thought provoking performance. For more information call the Library at 244-7065.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Christina Perkins and Bobbi-Jo Thornton Join Healthy Acadia’s Board of Directors
Healthy Acadia, a community health coalition serving Hancock and Washington Counties, is pleased to welcome Bobbi-Jo Thornton and Christina Perkins as the newest members of the organization’s Board of Directors. “We’re thrilled to have these dynamic community leaders join the team,” stated Ben Billings, Chair of Healthy Acadia’s Board of Directors. “Their experience, expertise, and passion will enhance our Board and the work we do in so many ways.”
Christina Perkins is an attorney in private practice at Fellows, Kee, Tymoczko & Pierson, LLC in Bucksport. She handles real estate, elder law, MaineCare, and estate planning matters. She lives on a small farm in Orland with a number of rescued farm animals and is the founder and president of Maine Farm Animal Advocates. Christina has a special interest in advocating for a healthy and active life style using plant based food choices.
“I am passionate about helping people to lead healthier lives, and serving on Healthy Acadia’s Board is a wonderful way to support our community members throughout the region,” stated Perkins. “I am particularly interested in supporting healthy aging for all; Healthy Acadia is doing exciting work around this issue and many others.”
Bobbi-Jo Thornton, Vice President of Business Banking at Machias Savings Bank, has twenty years of banking experience. She is a graduate of the Leadership Hancock County Program, and has been active in the community as a Maine Lioness member for over sixteen years, currently serving as Vice President of the Ellsworth club. A Maine native, Bobbi-Jo resides in the town of Hancock with her husband Chris and daughter Madison.
“I am excited to join the board of Healthy Acadia. It is a well-run, highly respected group of individuals serving the community in which my family lives, with a clear mission and vision that I support,” stated Thornton. “I have a personal interest in wellness and understand the importance it plays in our community. I look forward to being a part of this great organization and assisting them in any way that I can.”
Healthy Acadia is dedicated to building healthier communities across Hancock and Washington Counties by connecting individuals with health supports, building partnerships, coordinating education and prevention services, and improving policies and environments. Healthy Acadia is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and is the Healthy Maine Partnership for Hancock County.
Bobbi-Jo Thornton Christina Perkins
News from the Salty Dog!
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Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Harbor House Happenings - September 2014
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