A Magazine of Acadia National Park and Surrounding Communities · A Magazine of Acadia National...

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Fall 2004 Volume 9 No. 2 A Magazine of Acadia National Park and Surrounding Communities

Transcript of A Magazine of Acadia National Park and Surrounding Communities · A Magazine of Acadia National...

Page 1: A Magazine of Acadia National Park and Surrounding Communities · A Magazine of Acadia National Park and Surrounding Communities FEATURE ARTICLES 6 Mount Desert: Like Nowhere Else

Fall 2004

Volume 9 No. 2

A Magazine of Acadia National Park and Surrounding Communities

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THE GIFT OF MEMBERSHIP

Do you have friends or family who would appreciate a membership in Friends of Acadia?

Membership begins at $35, but with a $45 gift membership your friend or family member will receive an extra gift — a Friends of Acadia baseball cap or Rusticator's Journal (a book of essays and photographs of MDI and Acadia).

Please include the following with your check:

• Name and address of the person to receive gift membership,

• What you’d like written on the gift card,

• Your choice of optional extra gift (hat or book), for the $45 gift membership.

Use the reply envelope in this magazine, or call Terry or Kelly at 207-288-3340 with your credit card information.

Thank you!

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PROTECTING LAND

Superintendent Sheridan Steele hasan important vision. He wants to “fillin the holes” by purchasing or put-

ting under easement the 157 privateparcels inside Acadia’s boundary.

Congress authorized the acquisitions.“Dedicated” moneys exist from offshoreoil royalties (not from taxes). But Congresssent the restricted funds elsewhere, mostlikely to offset the federal deficit. The parkis forced to reject willing sellers who stepforward every year.

Maine’s pro-Acadia Congressional del-egation, Friends of Acadia, Maine CoastHeritage Trust, and others are working to reverse the situation. This is crucial if,as Steele hopes, the park’s interior is to bemade whole by 2016, the 100th anniver-sary of Acadia’s founding and the estab-lishment of the National Park Service.

OFF-ISLAND TRANSPORTATION HUB

In January, Friends of Acadia bought athree-year option to purchase 369 acres

at Crippens Creek in Trenton (see page14). In June, the Maine Department ofTransportation chose Crippens as the sitefor the future Acadia National Park trans-portation center and intermodal hub.Friends has raised nearly $1.2 million toengage in transit planning over severalyears (and to protect endowments). Wewill not mount a capital fund drive to buythe land until due diligence is completedand partnerships are syndicated.

We envision a passenger reception com-plex, parking facilities, Island Explorerbus maintenance and dispatch buildings,nonprofit services, and some park-com-patible businesses that produce positivetax consequences for Trenton. The cen-ter will allow day visitors and commuters

to park their cars free and take the IslandExplorer to MDI.

We thank everyone whose ProjectTranquility contributions allow Friendsto continue its leadership role in reduc-ing traffic congestion and pollution.

CONGRESSIONAL UNDERFUNDING

Despite annual increases in Acadia’sbudget, the amounts fail to meet operat-ing needs. Twenty to thirty jobs are beingeliminated, meaning restrooms will be less

clean, ranger-guided walks cut, and otherservices curtailed. The outlook for 2005is more cuts.

The Friends Alliance, a federation ofchief executives from U.S. park philan-thropies, has expressed its philosophy thatdonations from nonprofits are meant toadd value to parks, not offset losses inCongressional appropriations. Charitieslike Friends of Acadia exist to provide amargin of excellence for national parks,not a margin of survival for governmentoperations. Your contributions to Friendsare protected because when we grantfunds to the park, we restrict them to special projects and programs.

Meanwhile, it is disappointing to hearclaims that these federal assets are receiv-ing ample base funding. They are not.

RUNNING IN THE BLACK

Another way Friends of Acadia safe-guards your gifts is to balance its ownbudget. Each year since 1995, we haveproduced a modest surplus and investedit. This means we are handling yourmoney prudently and that any fundingrequests are based on need, not on poorcash management. Friends enjoys a five-year average fundraising cost of under sixcents per dollar of revenue, which showsfurther respect for your donations.

Last year was brutal for many non-profits, but Friends remained financiallyhealthy. Our members renewed at robustrates and many gave additional gifts.Thank you for responding positively toour solicitations. The board and staffpledge to make your 2004 donationswork hard to protect a magnificent placethat you and we love.

If you’re not part of Friends of Acadia,please join. We’ll welcome you heartily.

— W. Kent Olson, President

FOUR COMMENTARIES

“Charities like

Friends of Acadia exist to

provide a margin of

excellence for national parks,

not a margin of survival for

government operations.”

The President’s Column

Pete

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BOARD OF DIRECTORSDianna Emory, Chair

Edward L. Samek, TreasurerJeannine Ross, Secretary

Gail CookJohn Fassak

Samuel FeltonNathaniel Fenton

Sheldon F. Goldthwait, Jr.H. Lee Judd

Linda W. LewisH. Stanley MacDonald

Elizabeth MartinezJulia Merck

Heather MitchellJoseph MurphyW. Kent OlsonAnn R. RobertsMichael Siklosi

Howard SolomonSherry Streeter

Eleanor SullivanCharles R. Tyson, Jr.

Ann Waldron

HONORARY TRUSTEESEleanor Ames

Robert and Anne BassEdward McCormick BlairCurtis and Patricia Blake Robert and Sylvia Blake

Fredric A. Bourke, Jr.Tristram and Ruth Colket

Shelby and Gale DavisFrances Fitzgearald

Neva GoodwinEileen and Paul Growald

Polly and John GuthPaul Haertel

Burnham LitchfieldGerrish and Phoebe Milliken

George J. MitchellJanneke Neilson

Nancy NimickJack Perkins

Nancy PierrepontNancy Pyne

Louis RabineauNathaniel P. ReedDavid Rockefeller

Patricia ScullErwin Soule

Diana Davis SpencerDon and Beth Straus

HONORARY TRUSTEES IN MEMORIAMArthur Gilkes

Fitzgerald HudsonDenholm M. Jacobs

Gladys O’NeilKate Quesada

Peggy RockefellerTheodore Roosevelt, III

Robert SuminsbyBarbara and Charles R. Tyson

FRIENDS OF ACADIA STAFFTheresa Begley, Development Associate

Stephanie Clement, Conservation DirectorKelly S. Dickson, Director of Development

Marla Major, Stewardship DirectorDiana R. McDowell, Director of Operations

W. Kent Olson, PresidentMike Staggs, Administrative Assistant

Fall 2004

Volume 9 No.2

A Magazine of Acadia National Park and Surrounding Communities

FEATURE ARTICLES

6 Mount Desert: Like Nowhere Else On Earth Jim Sterba

5th in the guest seriesMusings on familiar seasonal residents.

10 Acadia Trails Forever Progress Marla Major

One-of-a-kind trails endowment at work.

14 State Consultants Recommend Crippens Creek Stephanie Clement

Off-island transit site is favored.

ACTIVITIES/HIGHLIGHTS

9 Memorials

12 Friends of Acadia Poetry Prize

16 Save the Date: 15th Annual Benefit Gala

18 Updates

21 Book Reviews

23 Generosity and Foresight

DEPARTMENTS

1 President’s Column Four Commentaries W. Kent Olson

3 The Superintendent’s View What in the World? Sheridan Steele

5 Letter from the Chair The Critical Nature of Green Space Dianna Emory

17 Special People Sam and Tim Francis of Atlantic Landscape Theresa Begley

13 Poem Dragon of Light in the Water Annaliese Jakimides

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“What in the world is AcadiaNational Park going to dowith a navy base?” It is a

good question, and we have been spend-ing a great deal of time on it. We viewthe former base at Schoodic as both a greatopportunity and a huge challenge.

The National Park Service (NPS) hascompleted a draft general managementplan for Schoodic based on extensivepublic input. The Service’s preferred alter-native for reusing the base is to create theSchoodic Education and Research Center(SERC), which would promote collabo-rative research and education amongmultiple partners. SERC is one of 13 suchcenters within the park system. Each isdifferent, but ours has attracted interestthroughout NPS as an ambitious andintriguing new model.

SERC will be located on Schoodic landtransferred to the park in July 2002 by anAct of Congress. The small communitythat was the navy base contains 36 build-ings including housing, office and meet-ing spaces, recreational facilities, grocerystore, firehouse, medical clinic, socialclub, municipal services such as watertreatment, and an impressive stone struc-ture known as the Rockefeller Building,

patterned on the architecture of the park’scarriage road gatehouses.

But at a combined 206,000 square feet,the Schoodic facilities are much largerthan most education and research pro-grams nationally. That’s an enormous newresponsibility and, as committed as NPSis to its success, we can’t do it alone.Developing research and education part-ners will be essential. Until we get usersin these buildings, they will deteriorate inMaine’s wet environment, costing moreto maintain.

Under the preferred alternative, we willbe charting new territory in programs thatwill be the heart and soul of the center.We would work with numerous organi-zations to pioneer a new programapproach to undertake research, practice,formal and informal education, and pub-lic outreach in a forum that increasesknowledge and improves the way weuse natural and cultural resources

of Acadia National Park, the national parksystem, our region, and our world.

There’s more: the management of thecenter would entail a novel partnershipbetween Acadia and a new nonprofit thatwould join forces to give this entrepre-neurial start-up venture the focus andflexibility it needs to become the nation-al model we envision. The nonprofitwould recruit other partners and partici-pants and support the efforts of all

involved. The NPS is currently hiring aResearch and Education Coordinator todevelop programs and activities that willspecifically benefit the park under any ofthe management plan alternatives.

As Superintendent, one of my privi-leges and responsibilities is to developpriorities for the Park. I must carefullyconsider the mission of the NPS atAcadia, the long-term health of nationalpark resources, and ways to ensure aquality visitor experience for those com-ing to Acadia. There are many legitimateand urgent needs, but land protectionand SERC’s success are my top two priorities. Our Congressional delegation,the National Park Service, and State ofMaine have all made SERC a priority, too,by providing start-up money that wouldlaunch the program and fund the mosturgently needed building renovations.Design for renovations on several keybuildings has begun and we expect tocomplete construction next year.

This summer, we begin the grandadventure with a limited number of meet-ings and projects that grow out of ourplanning activities and test the site’spotential. In the coming months, NPSwill submit the draft management planfor final public comment and completean environmental impact statement.Planning will give way to implementation.

Looking to the future, we expect to findthe resources to transform the site into abeautiful campus-like setting, convertother buildings to useful purposes, andbegin new research and education pro-grams. With the right partners, partici-pants, and supporters, potential willbecome success.

— Sheridan Steele, Superintendent

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

Pete

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“There are many

legitimate and urgent needs,

but land protection and

SERC’s success are my top

two priorities.”

The Superintendent’s View

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Poetic ReturnFrom the author of “The Phoebes,”

Friends of Acadia Poetry Prize poem print-ed in the Spring 2003 issue of the Journal.

Editor

. . . The phoebes have returned thisyear, to the exact same window ledge,and rebuilt their nest within an inch ofwhere the previous one was. And thisdespite the fact that I had taken downthe old one and a beaver had clearedthe riverbank of trees so that the wholearea looked much different than it hadthe year before. Whatever the origin ofmiracles — two small birds traveling4,000 miles round trip to find a win-dow ledge in a great big woods provesmiracles do happen.

Alan SteinbergPotsdam, New York

Acadian SerenityWe will be visiting again this October,

for the 18th year, and have never tired ofAcadia’s beauty or serenity. It is a time ofrenewal for us, away from every day tasksand duties. This will be our first year ofthe last 13 without Bunker, our sweetBoston terrier. We know his spirit willalways be with us as we hike Acadia’sbeautiful trails, and surely when wewatch one of her spectacular sunsets. Youand your colleagues are truly blessed tobe able to see all of her beauty displayed during every season.

John & Catherine SalvatoMagnolia, Delaware

With Thanks

I just returned from my two-week vaca-tion on Mt. Desert. This is the fifth yearthat we have rented a seaside cottage inTremont. Much of our vacation is spentwalking the wonderful trails of Acadia. Asmany others before us, we have developeda deep fondness for Acadia and would liketo say “thank you” for all the great work.

William P. RyanAshfield, Massachusetts

We just completed our first vacation toAcadia National Park and fell head overheels in awe over the park (and I haveseen most parks in the West). We wantto join to help support your efforts. Wethink you are doing a great service. . . .PS. It has been a while since a park hasgrabbed hold of us. What a special place.We saw a sunset one evening that wasamazing.

The Brais Family Liverpool, New York

A Magazine about Acadia National Park

and Surrounding Communities

Friends of Acadia is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the outstanding natural beauty,

ecological vitality, and cultural distinctivenessof Acadia National Park and the surroundingcommunities, and thereby ensuring a high

quality experience for visitors and residents.

The Journal is published three times a year.Submissions are welcome.

Opinions expressed are the authors’.

You may write us at43 Cottage Street / PO Box 45

Bar Harbor, Maine 04609or contact us at207 288-3340

1 800 625-0321www.friendsofacadia.org

email: [email protected]

EDITORMarla Major

POETRY EDITORPhilip Dane Levin

DESIGNPackard Judd Kaye

PRINTINGPenmor Lithographers

PUBLISHERW. Kent Olson

Old Mill Brook FallsCover photos

by Tom Blagden

This Journal is printed on chlorine-process free, recycled,and recyclable stock using soy-based ink

Fall 2004

Volume 9 No.2

Notes from Friends

Rushes, Bubble Pond

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One year ago, perched on afavorite rocky outcropping, Icontemplated the sweeping view

and considered how to cope with life’slatest challenge. My 34-year-old daugh-ter, Melissa, was in the sixth month oftreatment for a very aggressive form of breast cancer. Surgery was behind;another year of chemo, radiation, and anexperimental treatment lay ahead.Melissa’s active, happy life had beenambushed and there seemed to be nopromises for the future. My worst night-mares as a parent had become reality.

The love, support, and prayers that somany of you have offered have been enor-mously helpful. Thank you. Melissa hassuccessfully completed her treatment andis happily and healthily plunging for-ward, continuing to give to others whilealso nurturing herself.

Throughout this ordeal, I have frequently turned to Acadia for support.During the worst of it, the park has welcomed and nurtured me, providingendless opportunities for quiet reflection.Without the runs around the lake, climbsup the West Face, bike rides, and manyhours of hiking and cross-country skiing,I would have been missing the glue thathas held me together. Many of you havejoined me on these expeditions and thathas made each one more meaningful.

Most of us have at some point faced a crisis that has demanded that we gath-er up all of our resources in order to forgeahead. Green space allows us the oppor-tunity for venting and caring for our bodies through physical activity, timeaway from the crowds, unobstructedviews, and access to beautiful places. Withothers or alone, we can renew and reen-

ergize ourselves in a way that is oftenimpossible in the confines of a buildingor structural intrusions. Time away fromthe reminders of life’s pressures — as wellas from the visual and auditory pollutionthat seems to be ever-present in our soci-ety — is critical to our emotional andphysical health. During times of stress,these escapes are even more important.

Acadia National Park blesses us withthe opportunity for spiritual, physical, andemotional renewal. This column is dedi-

cated to all of you who have found solace in its resources during difficulttimes and to those who have faced debilitating mental or physical illness.Sometimes even the memories of ourtimes in the park help us to move forwardmore comfortably.

With love and thanks to you all forhelping to protect this extraordinary place.

— Dianna Emory, Board Chair

THE CRITICAL NATURE OF GREEN SPACE

Chairman’s Letter

“Green space allows us the

opportunity for venting and

caring for our bodies

through physical activity,

time away from the crowds,

unobstructed views, and

access to beautiful places.”

Dianna Emory on the Penobscot Trail with Ed Samek, Sheldon Goldthwait, Stan MacDonald, Gary Stellpflug, Mike Staggs, and Chris Barter.

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It’s time to pay tribute to the unsungheroes of Mount Desert — the stal-wart denizens that work tirelessly year

after year to keep this island special. Irefer to the much-maligned black fly andmosquito.

Don’t get me wrong. I like the moss,too. I like the pine needle carpets, the bal-sam-scented air, and the endless shadesof green. I like the pink granite, the viewsfrom the Pemetic summit, and the CedarSwamp Mountain trail. I love Homarusamericanus, moules, and steamed peri-winkles in a tarragon vinaigrette.

And if I had to choose just one thingthat makes Mount Desert most special forme, it would probably be the cold water.Depending on the tide, the water inSomes Sound up our way hovers ataround 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Jumpinginto that water every morning clears awaycranial cobwebs with an efficiency no cold

shower can match. I live with a writer,and that morning kerplop kick-starts ourwriting days all summer long.

But just imagine for a moment whatMount Desert might be like without itshardy insect populations. Too often, fog,rain, and cold get credit for holding theline on the haute hordes that long agooverran the Hamptons, Cape Cod, andMartha’s Vineyard. Nothing wrong withthat. These elements deserve credit. Weall know stories of visitors who fall forMount Desert on one of those perfectweekends in August local real estate agentspray for. Seduced by the warmth, the sun,and the sales pitch, the stories go, thesevisitors plunk down enormous pots ofgold for a piece of an island they foolish-ly imagine is bathed in warmth and sunmuch of the year. When Mount Desert’sweather realities hit them, they either“adjust” or move back to Palm Beach.

I see black flies and mosquitoes asdeterrents. I wonder how many 10-storycondominiums would be lining SomesSound these days had the black fly andmosquito not been on patrol. I wonderhow many real estate deals have been sab-otaged by a timely bite of a female blackfly in need of a little blood? (I say femalebecause the male isn’t bloodthirsty at all.He’s a wimp. His nutrition comes fromsap or plant nectar. He helps pollinate theblueberry crop! You can look it up.)

Trouble is, black flies take the summeroff. Maine has about 40 different species(in the genus Simulium) and they gener-ally become active in the spring whenthe temperature climbs to 50 degrees F.They usually flourish from mid-May tomid-June and are more or less gone byearly July.

Some summers, when we arrive in earlyJuly and find Acadia Park’s parking lotsoverflowing and the island overrun withtourists, I begin to think that our blackflies are letting us down. I blame Skin-So-Soft for doing its job too well. I imaginethat once Maine’s black flies joined theInternet Age and got their own website— as they did a few years back (see:www.mainenature.org/ black fly.html) —they went soft. Then my wife, who shouldtake baths in Skin-So-Soft, gets bitten,swells up and (while feeling sorry for her)my confidence in the Mount Desert blackfly is restored.

One secret here that is best not dis-closed to people from away: black flies aremuch worse elsewhere in Maine. Theycan drive deer and moose out of the deepwoods in the spring. Native Americans,

Jim Sterba

Guest Series

MOUNT DESERT5th in series, Like Nowhere Else on Earth

In this series of guest articles, year-round and seasonal Mount Desert Island luminaries reflect

on what Acadia National Park and MDI, of all places, mean to them.

Acadia Sunrise, Bass Harbor Marsh

Dor

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in the old days, migrated in spring frominland forests to Mount Desert’s shores toget away from black flies (and eat clams).

But make no mistake. Mount Desert’sblack flies are vigilant enough to haveacquired a formidable reputation — oneI have done my best to spread amongfair-weather rusticators in wimpier climes.I have done the same for the noble MountDesert mosquito, which takes up the slackwhen the black fly goes on vacation inearly July. I talk up our mosquitoes as fly-ing hypodermics who regard visitors toour house in the woods as liquid refresh-ment delivery vehicles.

But, hey, who am I to talk. I’m a new-comer, relatively speaking. I didn’t makemy first appearance on Mount Desert until

1983. That makes me an FNG — anacronym from the Vietnam war that I amnot at liberty to spell out in a family mag-azine. But you can read all about it in mybook, Frankie’s Place.

JIM STERBA is author

of Frankie’s Place: A LoveStory, set on Mount Desert.

Raised in rural Michigan, he

reported the Vietnam War for

The New York Times, and

has written about Asia and

America for more than three

decades, first for the Times, and now for The WallStreet Journal.

Owner: Jeff Butterfieldauthor of Acadia: A Climber’s Guide24 Cottage Street, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609

207-288-2521www.acadiaclimbing.com

“Acadia is in our blood”PO Box 52

Bar Harbor, Maine 04609

Looking South from Acadia Mountain

Joan

Bin

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WAYS OF GIVING

The future of Friends of Acadia depends to a large degree on the foresight and

generosity of today’s visionaries — our members — who are willing to consider new ways to

make gifts. Here are a few suggested methods of making a difference for Friends of Acadia:

Gift of Cash or Marketable Securities Gifts may be restricted to a designated program or applied to FOA’s general

operating purposes.

Gift of Life InsuranceName FOA as policy owner and beneficiary, and receive immediate tax deductions

on your premium payments.

Gift of PropertyGifts of real estate, boats, or artwork provide FOA with marketable assets and may

enable you to avoid capital gains taxes.

Named Endowment FundThe principal of a fund established in your name — or for someone you wish to

honor or memorialize — is managed for growth, while the income from the fund supports programs.

Charitable RemainderTrust /Charitable LeadTrustProvide FOA or yourself with a steady income stream and, with a remainder trust,

leave a significant future gift to FOA. Both arrangements entitle you to considerable tax savings.

BequestsName FOA as a beneficiary in your will and make a lasting contribution

to the organization.

For more information about any of these suggested methods of giving to Friends of Acadia, please contact us at 207-288-3340.

BRUCE JOHN RIDDELLLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

27 PINE STREETBAR HARBOR, MAINE 04609

207.288.9668

Creative & Innovative Landscape Architecturefor Residential & Estate Gardens

Hunter’s Beach

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BARBARA KURTZ TYSON ANDCHARLES R. TYSON

1914 - 2004 , 1914 - 1999As their parents and grandparents had,

Barbara Kurtz and Charlie Tyson sum-mered on Mount Desert Island fromchildhood. Charlie, influenced by friend,sailing companion and philanthropistBob Blum, became involved in islandphilanthropy himself. He was a Trusteeof College of the Atlantic, the AstiKimCorporation, and the Somesville LandingCorporation. He and Barbara wereHonorary Trustees of Friends of Acadia.Barbara served on the board of theWendell Gilley Museum. Both supportedhundreds of Island institutions includingthe MDI Hospital, Jackson Laboratory,libraries, churches, camps, and schools.Their son, Charles R. Tyson Jr., is a long-time member of the Friends of Acadiaboard of directors. Their dedication, wisecounsel, good humor, and unfailing generosity will be missed.

DENHOLM H. JACOBS 1922 - 2004

Denny Jacobs was an energetic pro-tector of Mount Desert Island and a mas-ter fundraiser. Roses and gardening werehis special passions. He led the IslandFoundation’s merger of Thuya andAsticou Azalea gardens. As a board mem-ber of Friends of Acadia, Denny broughtwise counsel, a cheerful manner, andthoughtful analysis. He had friends galoreand good words about all of them. On

festive occasions — there were many —he sported his signature bow tie and toldlively stories. A Francophile, he and hisfamily spent part of each year inProvence. Denny’s wife, Peggy, and sev-eral children and grandchildren survivehim. And he leaves an eclectic band offriends grateful for having known a mostwonderful and passionate human being.

We gratefully acknowledge gifts received in the memory of:

Robert AbelsonJacob Barter

Emily Morison BeckArthur N. Berry

Matthew Steven BertolacciniRoberta Hatch Bonney

David A. BoydWilmer BradburyClarence Bridges

Sean BuckleyPeggy Byrne

Gregory CahillJane CaldwellDawn L. Case

Benjamin CogenDavid & Kitzi CrofootMichael Jon Curlutu

Jack CutterEd Dawson

Stuart C. DuntonBrent Buddah Edwards

Jean ElsemoreJoseph Freeman

Patty GuytonFrank J. Hague, III

Brenton S. Halsey, Jr. Barbara "Babs" Henry

Donald HigginsGeorge E. HillDick Hudson

William F. HufnagelDavid J. KriegerRuth M. Leonard

Evelyn "Lynn" McNultyBetty Meiklejohn

Jeanette Farrar MelcherThe Rev. and Mrs. Harry Meserve

Bobby MickschutzCarl G. NowackNicene Pascal

Mearl L. PenningtonRoger Pierce, Jr. Kate Quesada

Lawrence & Eleanor ReeveAlfred J.K. Ridge

Daniel RobertMarcia Savage

Caroline SimmonsHenry H. SmithMary TrimbleBarbara TysonSohier WelchNancy Young

And beloved furry friends:Brandy

Sunny and Bunker

IN NOMINEWe gratefully acknowledge gifts

received in the name of:

Gale & Shelby DavisDianna Emory

Linda Hamor & Rick SavageArlene Hibschweiler

Leah Panuccio & Andrew GutherzGeorge PeabodyNancy N. Smith

Leelee StegePat Stanley

Robert Taylor

IN MEMORIAM

Memorials

“In the open space of democracy, we are listening — ears alert — weare watching — eyes open — registering the patterns and possibilities for

engagement. Some acts are private; some are public. Our oscillationsbetween local, national, and global gestures map the full range of our

movement. Our strength lies in our imagination, and paying attention towhat sustains life, rather than what destroys it.”

– Terry Tempest Williams, “Engagement,” Orion Magazine, July/August 2004

Heart of the Matter

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This summer marks the fifth seasonfor Acadia Trails Forever. The $13-million partnership between

Friends and the park aims to restore andmaintain the 130-mile trails complex.Acadia is the first national park with anendowed trail system. These photos illus-trate just a few projects accomplished andunderway. We thank the 1,110 AcadiaTrails Forever donors, whose $9 millionin gifts leveraged $4 million in park entryfees for this historic partnership.

1. This new bridge on the Jordan CliffsTrail guides hikers over a treacher-ous, narrow pass on the east side ofSargent Mountain. The trail’s northsection has been closed for severalyears due to severe erosion.Reconstruction began in 2003 andwill be completed this fall.

2. Each summer, Friends hires fourridge runners to work with parkstaff, walking Acadia’s trails, edu-cating hikers in “Leave No Trace”

principles, performing light trailmaintenance, and carrying out trailcensuses and other park research.

3. The Jordan Pond Trail invitedresource damage because it passedover exposed roots and boggy sec-tions. Acadia Trails Forever recon-struction included quarrying forrock sidewalls, layering base rocksinto the trail bed, and hauling andspreading tons of gravel for surfac-ing. Here the park crew works ona wheelchair accessible section onthe pond’s west side.

4. Reconstructed, the same section ofthe Jordan Pond Trail now providesa stable, relatively level 3.2-mileloop around the pond. Much of thetrail is surfaced with gravel, somesections are wheelchair accessible,some cross wet areas with cedarbog walks or bridges, and part ofthe trail is a pleasant scrambleacross granite boulders.

ACADIA TRAILS FOREVERPROGRESS

Acadia Trails Forever

Marla Major

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5. Acadia staff worked with the NPSOlmsted Center for LandscapePreservation documenting con-structed features to develop treat-ment and maintenance guidelines,such as this diagram for stone steps.Their research ensures that Acadia’strails retain their historic characterwhile meeting high natural resourceprotection standards.

6. The Acadia Youth ConservationCorp works eight weeks every sum-mer based out of Acadia’s trail shop.Thanks to an Acadia Trails Foreverendowment, Friends pays AYCCand leader salaries, provides schol-arships for corps members, andpurchases boots, shirts and main-tenance supplies. The park pro-vides training and leadership. Thesecorps members work with trailcrew on a high line, moving rockto the Jordan Pond Trail.

7. The Great Meadow Loop in BarHarbor was one of the first of fiveplanned village connector trailsconstructed through Acadia TrailsForever. These paths physically linkMDI communities to the park. HereMaine Conservation Corps meberserect a footbridge whose design fol-lows the Civilian Conservation

Corps (CCC) model and comesfrom a 1930s photograph of a GreatMeadow bridge.

8. The Great Meadow Loop and itsnew CCC-style bridge provide aneasy two- to three-mile stroll (orski) from Bar Harbor into the park.Some hikers think the views aremost spectacular in winter.

9. Acadia Trails Forever goals includerestoring 10 to 12 miles of aban-doned — unmarked and unmain-tained — trails. The Homans Pathwas taken off trail maps and main-tenance plans in the 1940s.Homans was reopened in 2003after park crews and FOA volun-teers painstakingly restored andstabilized this granite-stepped path.

10.Ruth and Tris Colket’s remarkable$5-million gift to Acadia TrailsForever was the largest cash con-tribution to a Maine conservationorganization. The Colkets wantedto give something back for themany years of profoundly mean-ingful experiences the family hasshared in the park.

MARLA MAJOR is stewardship

director at Friends of Acadia.

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FIRST PRIZE ($350)

Annaliese JakimidesBangor, MaineDragon of Light in the Water

SECOND PRIZE ($200)

Robin PelzmanBrookline, MassachusettsLunar Eclipse, Obscured by Snow

THIRD PRIZE ($100)

Sharon CarterSilverdale, WashingtonIn Late September

Ten poets received honorable mention.For a complete list, visit our website atwww.friendsofacadia.org.

The competition was judged by BaronWormser, poet laureate of Maine. He isthe author of six books of poetry and co-author of two books about teachingpoetry. He teaches at the Stonecoast MFAprogram and co-directs the Conferenceon Poetry and Teaching at the Frost Placein Franconia, NH. He has received fel-lowships from the National Endowmentof the Arts and the John SimonGuggenheim Foundation.

Baron Wormser lives with his wife inHallowell, Maine.

Congratulations to the winners, andour thanks to all who participated.

Poetry Contest

FRIENDS OF ACADIA POETRY AWARDS

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2004 Friends of Acadia Poetry Prize:

Dor

othy

Ker

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Mon

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DRAGON OF LIGHTIN THE WATERDrink up, I tell you. It’s only my Mum.

A cup of real woman. Dead six years,

cremated at McHoul’s on Center Street —

most of her, they tell me, filtered out

through the stack, sucked into the clouds,

blown high over goldenrod-stained fields,

drizzled into the West Branch of the Penobscot.

I might have scooped her into my palms this morning,

my tongue scrolling the water from Fish Hatchery Brook.

She tastes whole, robust, not fleshly weak

like she seemed at the kitchen table rifling romance

from the page. She flows from the tap or the sky

or a cold pocket of winter. Perhaps she’s pooled

in a cracked skull in Rwanda. My Mum, the adventuress.

For sure, not the woman of polyester pantsuits and sneakers,

fearful of the sound of her own thoughts.

Sometimes I hold this mother-as-water in my mouth,

bumping against my mercury-filled teeth

before I squirt her out between the overbite

that was hers before the false teeth, and is mine still.

I watch her fly up into the light, prismed droplets,

and laugh at her grace, her tricks.

She’s a wild one now, this mother.

My Mum is ocean and wave, hurricane and mist,

road slush and the tar-crusted rivulet

creeping down my living room wall.

She weeps into the weather. Bleeds living roots.

She heals, drowns, baptizes. She slakes and quenches.

She boogies with Cher and Martin Luther and Jackie O.

My Mum is a dragon of light in the water.

— Annaliese Jakimides

ANNALIESE JAKIMIDES has work published or forthcoming

in Hip Mama, Rescue, Mothering Animus, and Beloit Poetry Journal, among

others. Her essays are broadcast on public radio and available at

www.downtownbangor.com.

Poem

1 Main StreetBar Harbor, Maine

288-5292

A restaurant of distinction dedicated to fine food and excellent service

FRIEND OF ACADIA POETRY AWARD1ST PRIZE

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In 2001, the Maine Department ofTransportation (MDOT) hired SYSTRA Consulting, Inc. to study

alternatives to automobile travel alongRoutes 3 and 1A from Bangor to Trenton,including possible re-use of the CalaisBranch Railway, a state-owned line fromBrewer to Calais via Ellsworth. Due to costand length of travel, commuter rail serv-ice and ferries from Bangor to Bar Harborvia the Penobscot River were eliminatedin the study’s first phase. The secondphase considered light rail (trains that canoperate as single cars and on rail beds oron tracks in the road), bus rapid transit(a bus system that uses elements of trainsand can operate on roadways or dedicat-

ed bus lanes), and bus service using exist-ing roads. MDOT determined that thecapital and operating costs of all travelalternatives were too great at this time, butdid not preclude using them in the future.

SYSTRA also examined locations for anintermodal transportation facility inTrenton that would connect the IslandExplorer with the proposed trains or busesfrom Bangor, as well as provide parkingfor visitors to Acadia and commuters.SYSTRA weighed the merits of sites basedon criteria that included local zoning, par-cel size, environmental considerations,distance to Rte. 3, visibility and a “senseof arrival” to Acadia, and acquisition costs.Five finalist sites were ranked, and

STATE CONSULTANTS RECOMMEND CRIPPENS CREEK FOR

ACADIA TRANSPORTATION CENTER

Transit Center

Stephanie Clement

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“We purchased this option

to secure a good location for

the intermodal transportation

center, which has long been

planned as part of the Island

Explorer bus system.” Ken Olson

President of Friends of Acadia

➔Optioned land

(scale and configuration approximate)

Dotted lines mark site of proposed Acadia National Park transportation center at Crippens Creek.

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ACADIAby the numbers

Acadia Trails Forever AccomplishmentsSampler (to 2003)

3.2Miles of Jordan Pond Trail reconstructed

2,640Feet of trail added in

Jordan Pond House area

3,450 Feet of Ship Harbor Trail reconstructed

4,000 Feet of trail reconstructed to

wheelchair-accessible standards

14Positions added to the trail crew

76Acadia Youth Conservation Corps

members trained

1,500Feet of Acadia Mt. Trail tread repaired

15Trail bridges rebuilt or added

3,500 Feet of bogwalk rebuilt

at Jordan Pond and on Isle au Haut

2 Village connector trails built

1,100Cairns rebuilt by ridge runners

9,100Visitors introduced to Leave No Trace

principles by ridge runners

Crippens Creek, a 369-acre parcel ofundeveloped land on the west side of Rte. 3, was deemed the best location.

In January 2004, Friends of Acadiaacquired an option on the Crippens par-cel, located two miles north of the BarHarbor/Hancock County Airport ent-rance. The option is renewable for threeyears, and a decision to purchase the prop-erty must be made by October 15, 2006.

“We purchased this option to secure agood location for the intermodal trans-portation center, which has long beenplanned as part of the Island Explorer bussystem,” said Ken Olson, president ofFriends of Acadia. “Acadia National Parkcannot buy land outside the 1986 legis-lated park boundaries, so Friends movedto hold the property so state and federalpartners could study the alternatives. IfCrippens Creek had not been selected, wewere willing to forfeit our option.”

Site design of the center has not begun,but will include Acadia National Park andarea tourism information services, park-ing areas, an Island Explorer bus stop andwaiting area, park-compatible commer-cial operations, an Island Explorer main-tenance and dispatch facility, and visitoramenities, such as phones, restrooms andtrails. Trenton municipal facilities are beingconsidered. Planning partners will mostlikely include the National Park Service,the Maine Department of Transportation,the Federal Transit Administration,

Friends of Acadia, Downeast Trans-portation, Hancock County PlanningCommission, local chambers of com-merce, and possibly the Town of Trenton,and commercial retailers. Approvals atmany government levels will be requiredto move the project forward.

Friends of Acadia will not raise purchasefunds for the site until due diligence iscompleted and partnerships are assem-bled. The Acadia transportation center isa key component of Friends’ ProjectTranquility, an effort to reduce traffic con-gestion on Mt. Desert Island. Friends isencouraging Acadia National Park toexperiment with fee structures that willprovide incentives for visitors to leave theircars at the transportation center and ridethe Island Explorer buses.

Friends has met with more than 25local organizations and businesses regard-ing the transportation center concept andthe Crippens Creek option. As the sitedesign process begins, additional publicmeetings will be held to solicit ideas aboutthe property.

“We have enjoyed helping develop andfund the propane Island Explorer bus sys-tem,” Olson said. “We look forward to thisnew exciting phase of public transporta-tion, which will further reduce traffic andpollution.”

STEPHANIE CLEMENT is

conservation director for Friends of Acadia

In January 2004, Friends of Acadia acquired a three-year option on the 369-acre parcel.

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Our 15th Annual Benefit Gala isnearly here, under the big tentat the Asticou Inn in Northeast

Harbor, 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August14. The auction items will be terrificagain this year, but don’t take our wordfor it — selected items are posted on ourwebsite at www.friendsofacadia.org.Click on “Benefit Gala” in the sidebar.

But it’s more than just an auction. Thefood, music, and decorations will do jus-tice to a stunning August evening on theMaine coast.

It’s clear that from the humble begin-nings of our Gala — held at theNeighborhood House with kids passingpeanuts and members generously host-ing post-auction dinner parties — thecommon denominator of the past 15years of successful events has been the incredible support and generosityof our volunteer Benefit Gala Committee,our members, and, of course, the area’sbusiness community that has donatedfinancial support and top-of-the-lineitems to the auction. Our partners in thisfifteen-year tradition help protect some-thing near and dear to all of us — AcadiaNational Park.

Sound stewardship of Acadia is accom-plished through many projects, andeveryday management. Donationsreceived through the Benefit Gala fundnot only administrative costs of theorganization — typically the most diffi-cult to raise — but programs like thetrails and carriage road volunteers, RidgeRunners, Acadia Youth Conservation

Corps, Peregrine Falcon and HawkWatch program, traffic reduction onMount Desert Island, and more. Theseprograms enhance the way we all expe-rience Acadia, and help protect the parkfor those who will follow us.

So as we gear up for our 15th BenefitGala, we thank those who have madethis event successful year after year. Eachperson’s contribution has made a signif-icant difference.

If you would like to attend the BenefitGala or get involved as a volunteer,please call the Friends of Acadia office at207-288-3340. Not only are you sup-porting a great cause, but you’ll also havefun doing it.

MORE THAN AN AUCTION

Two of the Tyson prints to be auctioned August 14. To view more items visit our website at

www.friendsofacadia.org

Save the Date

Food, music, and decorations make for a stunning August evening on the Maine coast.

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For Sam and Tim Francis of AtlanticLandscape Construction, turningtheir passion for all things Maine

into a successful and satisfying businessbegan when they were two college stu-dents “from away” who met at theUniversity of Maine at Machias. Theirmutual commitment to family and theirlove of Maine and its native beauty, com-bined with their work ethic, has enabledthem to have not only a wonderful fami-ly life but also a thriving business in Maineover the past 30 years.

Tim and Sam Francis started AtlanticLandscape 30 years ago in WashingtonCounty. They were the only two employ-ees and their first projects included smallresidential work, mainly lawn and treeinstallations. The company has nowexpanded into a landscape constructionfirm employing more than thirty people.This has given them the ability to special-ize in large plant material installation andnaturalized landscapes. Tim makes a con-scious effort to incorporate native materi-als like shrubs, groundcovers, and natu-ral stone into every project.

The purchase of Merrill Orchardallowed Tim and Sam to move closer toand better serve their clients. Chances areif you live on Mount Desert Island or inthe surrounding area you have seen theimpact of Atlantic Landscape — not tomention the recent proliferation of appletrees being planted and beautifying thelandscapes of many area homes. Tim takestime with each of these majestic appletrees, ensuring special care in transport-ing and planting.

Friends of Acadia is grateful for Atlantic

Landscape’s association and partnershipin our projects. In addition to providingtrees at cost, as well as donating trees tothe Benefit Gala, Atlantic Landscape playsa very active role in our “Growing aGreener Mount Desert Island” campaign.Each year Friends of Acadia asks its mem-bers to purchase a tree to be plantedalong Mount Desert Island’s VillageConnector Trails and at appropriate loca-tions in Acadia National Park. These treesprovide shelter for wildlife, aid in erosioncontrol, and beautify the park and thesurrounding communities for years to

come. Tim and his crew undertake atremendous volunteer effort each year.After careful selection, 75 trees or moreare transported to decorate the BenefitGala tents. The trees create an amazingambiance and beauty. The morning afterthe event Tim’s crew picks up the trees,and delivers and plants them at desig-nated sites on the island. The work loadis tremendous for this volunteer effortand extremely time consuming, yet yearafter year Atlantic Landscape managesour tree planting efforts.

Tim and Sam have many fond memo-ries of spending time with their two children, Heather and Chad, in Acadia—hiking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing—as well as skiing atSugarloaf and boating and fishing onthe many area lakes. Heather now livesin New Hampshire with her husband,

Chris. But Chad and his wife, Michele,will become the second generation in thefamily business. Chad is currently work-ing towards a horticultural degree fromthe University of Maine and works withthe Atlantic crew learning his trade.Michelle works in the administrative endof the business. Chad’s experience andeducation will be the foundation for continuing the outstanding customerservice (and volunteer efforts) and land-scaping know-how that Atlantic pridesitself on.

Thank you, Tim, Sam, and AtlanticLandscape crew. We are proud to countyou among our friends.

— Theresa Begley

SAM AND TIM FRANCIS OF ATLANTIC LANDSCAPE

Special People

“Tim and his crew undertake

a tremendous volunteer

effort each year.”

Francis Family, from left: Chad, Michele, Sam, and Tim, with their dogs, Willie and Boomer.

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WEBBER ENERGY FUELS DONATES TRUCK

This spring, Webber Energy Fuels ofBangor donated a 3,000-gallon watertruck to Friends of Acadia, which in turnpassed title to Acadia National Park foruse on the carriage roads.

The 1986 International S-1954 truckoriginally hauled fuel. Webber cleanedthe tanker thoroughly, converting it to awater carrier. The park will use this non-potable water to stabilize carriage roadsurfaces during rehabilitation.

“Webber Energy is thrilled to haveworked with the park and Friends ofAcadia to give the vehicle to an impor-tant cause, the ongoing upkeep of 44miles of crushed stone roads,” saidMarshall Smith, the company’s fleetadministrator. “The tanker will be usefulfor many years ahead.”

Friends encourages this kind of corporate gift because it offers doublebenefits — the park gets needed equip-ment, and the donor may earn favorabletreatment under the tax code.

EXCEPTIONAL ENERGYThe Propane Education and Research

Council (PERC) recently awarded theIsland Explorer the 2004 PROPANE

Exceptional Energy® Fleet Award. Thebus system was one of five fleets recog-nized by PERC for achievements in usingpropane as an alternative fuel source.Paul Murphy, Downeast Transportation’sgeneral manager accepted the award onbehalf of all the Island Explorer part-ners—Acadia National Park, MaineDepartment of Transportation, Friendsof Acadia, L.L. Bean, the MDI League of

Updates

GRAVE’S SUPERMARKETS86 Cottage Street

Bar Harbor

Where Shopping is a Pleasure.

ATM Major Credit Cards

From left: Donated Truck, Ken Olson, Friends president; Diana McDowell, Friends director of operations;Merle Cousins, Acadia carriage road foreman; Marshal E. Smith, Webber fleet administrator;

and Phil Finley, Webber general manager.

FROM HIGHWAYS TO DRIVEWAYSCommercial • Industrial • Municipal • Residential

HAROLD MacQUINNI N C O R P O R A T E D

Ellsworth, Maine207 667-4653

for gifts

and other fine things

Northeast Harbor 276-33001-800-673-3754

Award winners (L-R): John Quebe (clean cities coor-dinator, Alamo Area Council of Governments, accept-ing on behalf of VIA Metropolitan Transit); SteveMorando (assistant director, Fleet and FiscalOperations, Purchasing & General ServicesDepartment, City of San Antonio); Darwin Burkhart(chairman, Chicago Area Clean Cities, accepting onbehalf of El Milagro); Roy Willis (president, PropaneEducation & Research Council); Jim Maedel (direc-tor of fleet services, Jacksonville Electric Authority);Curtis Donaldson (president, CleanFUEL USA); PaulMurphy (operations manager, Downeast Transpor-tation, accepting on behalf of Island Explorer).

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Towns, and Maine Clean Communities—at the May 3rd U.S. Department of EnergyTenth National Clean Cities Conferenceand Expo. Other award winners includ-ed the City of San Antonio, Texas; theVIA Metropolitan Transit system of SanAntonio; Jacksonville Electric Authority;and El Milagro, a small business locatedin Chicago. The PERC trophy is on dis-play at the Acadia National Park/IslandExplorer Visitor Center at the Bar HarborVillage Green. The Island Explorer began2004 service on June 23rd and will runthrough Labor Day with limited servicecontinuing through Columbus Day.

ACADIA’S NEW HORSE PATROL PROGRAM

This July Acadia National Park initiat-ed a formal mounted horse patrol pro-gram. Friends of Acadia provided a grant of $4,300 to fund equipment, trainingsupplies, basic horse care, and feed forthe 2004 season.

Max the horse was brought to Acadiathis spring. He formerly served with thePhiladelphia Police Department, andeven worked crowd control at a Phishconcert in Limestone, Maine. Neal Labriewas recently hired as Acadia’s backcoun-try supervisor, and his duties includeoverseeing the new horse patrol program.Seasonal ranger Ezra Schwalm serves asMax’s handler. Before coming to Acadia,Ezra worked several seasons as a back-country horse patrol ranger at GlacierNational Park in Montana.

“Visitor response to the horse patrol hasbeen fantastic,” says Labrie. “When Ezraand Max are out on the carriage roads,people approach them nonstop to makecomments or ask questions.”

You’re most likely to see Max and Ezrain the vicinity of Wildwood Stables andJordan Pond, but Max will occasionallybe trailered to other areas of the park.

Chief Ranger David Buccello believesthe program holds tremendous potentialfor increasing the presence of rangers

on the carriage roads and high use areas,patrolling in a fashion that is historical-ly appropriate for Acadia, and making theranger staff more accessible in a tradi-tional setting.

Members of the MDI chapter of theEquine Affairs Association worked withpark staff this spring to help prepare Maxfor life as a patrol horse. Labrie wants tointegrate local volunteers in the horsepatrol program on a regular basis.Volunteers can help with feeding, exer-cising, and care of Max. In the futurethere is the possibility of serving on thepatrol with rangers.

If you’re interested in volunteering,have questions about the program, orwould like to meet Max and Ezra, callNeal Labrie at 207-288-8772. And ifyou’re interested in supporting the horsepatrol program with a contribution,please contact Kelly Dickson at Friendsof Acadia, 207-288-3340.

UpdatesRepresenting distinctive and

unique properties for buyers and sellers

4A Tracy Road, Northeast Harbor, Maine207-276-3840

A BOOKLOVER’S HAVENOpen year-round

Monday-Saturday 9:30-5:30; Sunday 12:00-6:00Website: www.portinastormbookstore.com

Main St. Rt 102 in Somesville,Mount Desert, ME 04660

207 244-4114 • Toll Free: 800 694-4114Email [email protected]

Pete

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Marsh USA, Inc.Private Client Services

Yacht Practice

Southwest Harbor207 244-7251

FormerlyHinckley Marine insurance

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WATER HAZARD

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Club in hand, golfer (above, in baseball cap) surveys the Somes Sound fairway fromladies’ tee, aboard the good ship Four Wishes, July 17, 2004.

Caddy on jet-ski uses long-handled net to retrieve floating golf balls—recycling at its best, but hard to sink a putt.

Before heading to 19th hole for a well-deserved libation, two caddies bring peace and quiet to Valley Cove in the rough between Flying and St. Sauveur mountains.

ROSECLIFF COTTAGES

Shore Acres RoadBar Harbor, Maine 04609

207-288-9223www.rosecliffcottages.com

Oceanfront cottages with a pebble beachand wonder sunsets.

“Where the roses come to watch the sea”

WINE & CHEESE244-3317

353 Main Street, Southwest Harbor, Maine 04679

Cel

ie M

auro

n ph

otos

Main Street, Northeast harbor276-4006

Neighborhood Road, Northeast Harbor276-4005

MICHAEL L. ROSSAttorney at Law

953-1 Bar Harbor RoadTrenton, Maine 04605

Telephone 207-667-1373Fax 207-667-3427

1 Summit RoadNortheast Harbor

By appointment only

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Book Reviews

A Summer Romance

The Summer of Cecily, byNan Lincoln. Bunker

Hill Publishing,Boston, MA 02129.

136 pp., $18.95,hardbound.

Nan Lincoln’s extraordinary memoirabout raising an abandoned seal pupexplains the allure of selkie legend, inwhich seals come ashore, shed their skins,and assume human shape. One magicsummer in Maine, a seal pup named Cecilycame ashore and assumed human pro-portions in the hearts of at least one fam-ily on Mount Desert Island. Steve Katona’sforeword tells the story about the statusof seal colonies and habitat in 1976, prac-tices for rescuing abandoned seal pupsthen and now, and the likely scenario fora female seal over the intervening years.But thirty years ago before rescue practiceswere well established, Cecily had theunusual good fortune to find the right res-cuer to help her learn to be a seal andbecome a modern-day MDI legend.

— M.S. O’Byrne

A Big Guide in a Small Package

Moon Handbooks Acadia National Park, by

Kathleen M. Brandes.Avalon Travel

Publishing,www.moon.com.

216 pp. $14.95, softbound.

This exceptional guide packs in a bit ofeverything about Acadia, Mount DesertIsland, and the surrounding villages. TheMoon Handbook provides maps of theAcadia region, the park loop road and car-

riage roads, Schoodic, Isle au Haut, andDeer Isle. What you want to know willlikely be found in this guide, including:easy hikes and more strenuous routes;entertainment, food, tours, and accom-modations in local villages; winter activ-ities; tips for being a sensitive, low-impactvisitor; hazards, and precautions to makeyour trip more enjoyable. The travelstrategies section provides a primer onthe area history, flora and fauna, and localenvironmental issues. Small and light, thisis a big guide in a handy size.

— L. Phillips

When PostcardsTold a Story

Bygone CoastalMaine:

A Postcard Tourfrom Kittery to Camden, by

Earl Brechlin, Downeast Books, 2004.Unpaginated. $12.95, softbound.

Bygone Coastal Maine joins Brechlin’sBygone Bar Harbor and Bygone Boston asmust-haves if you love the craft of the oldNew England postcard. Its paint-like tintsand hues seem somehow braver, moresubtly interpretive and intoxicating thanthe precise true-color photo genre thatextinguished it. The 115 high-qualityreproductions, pithy texts, and handy sizemake this book a terrific gift for anyonewho loves the villages, lighthouses, beach-es, railroads, natural scenes, and othericons that bespoke “Coast.”

A real contribution to Maine’s culturalhistory, a joy to pore through. Brechlin,my good man, bring us more Bygones!

—Madison Adams Col

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ACADIA FOREVER

Your Will Can Shape the Future

Preserving and protecting those things that we all hold dear — our quality oflife, a distinctive heritage, and the integrity of Mount Desert Island’s natural wonders — is a wise investment. You can help us protect Acadia Forever.

It’s simple. You need add only one sentence to your will, or a codicil:

1. I hereby give _____% of my residuary estate to Friends of Acadia, Inc.,a Maine charitable corporation, P.O. Box 45, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, forits charitable purposes.

2. I hereby bequeath $_____ to Friends of Acadia, Inc., a Maine charitable corporation, P.O. Box 45, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, for its charitable purposes.

3. I hereby devise the following property to Friends of Acadia, Inc., a Mainecharitable corporation, P.O. Box 45, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, for its charitable purposes: [description of property].

Your concern and appreciation for Acadia and Mount Desert Island willextend far beyond your own lifetime. It will be a lasting legacy, enrichingthe lives of millions now and in the future.

Please call us at 207-288-3340 for more information.

Our thanks to the following individuals and businesses for

their donations:

Volunteer Crew Leadersleading work groups in Acadia

Bucky & Maureen BrooksBetsy Champlin

Rod FoxMike Hays

Stephen and Yvonne JohnsonAlan King

Vesta KowalskiBob Sanderson Julia Schloss

Dee & Howard SolomonAl and Marilyn Wiberley

—-

Other Volunteers

Noreen HoganSuzanne MorseAngela PaganMolly Sosa

—-

In-Kind Donations

Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parkeraccounting services

Tom Blagdenphotography

George DeWolfephotography

Nathaniel Fentonlegal services

K.A. McDonald Picture Framingframing services

Dorothy Kerper Monnellyphotography

Joseph Paganprinter maintenance

Philip Wordenlegal services

In Gratitude

Indian Point

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Thomas and Elizabeth Fox ofWashington, DC have been members of Friends of Acadia for

about 15 years. Tom served as assistantadministrator of the U.S. Agency forInternational Development underClinton and is now semi-retired.Elizabeth is senior advisor to theNational Experience Corps. Friendslearned this year that we’ve been nameda $50,000 beneficiary of their CharitableRemainder Unitrust.

The couple established the trust withIBM and Merck stock. Selling the secu-rities would have meant huge capitalgains, while converting them to aCharitable Remainder Unitrust meant atax break, income of 6.5 percent of thetrust’s net fair market value each year,and the satisfaction of knowing that aftertheir death the trust will help protect a place they treasure.

“I’ve been coming to Mount DesertIsland since I was in diapers,” said Tom.“My grandparents built a house inSouthwest Harbor in 1937 and I noshare it with my brothers and their fam-ilies. We’re all here right now. This com-

munity, and the beautiful trails andmountains of Acadia National Park, arethe glue that holds us together.”

Tom points out that the trust was not difficult to set up. He and Elizabethworked with a lawyer familiar with estateplanning and nonprofit law. Their bankwill serve as the trustee.

The couple discussed the unitrust withtheir children before establishing it.“They share our values on this and sup-port our decision. I like to think that 100years from now, members of the Foxfamily will still be able to enjoy Acadiaas I have,” said Tom.

Friends of Acadia is most grateful fortheir generosity.

* * * * * * * *We recently received another gener-

ous gift — a check for $20,000 from theestate of Roger Pierce Jr., who passedaway in August 2003. Roger graduatedfrom Harvard in 1939, drove an ambu-lance in Africa in 1942, served in theU.S. Army during World War II, andworked for State Street Bank in Bostonfrom 1954 until his retirement in 1981.

We are grateful for Roger’s confidencein Friends of Acadia’s ability to safeguardthe park for the enjoyment of future gen-erations. Notably, his largest gift to

Friends prior to the bequest was $50. His brother Dan Pierce, who summers

on MDI with his wife Polly, said Rogerspent every summer at the “Coffeepot”in Northeast Harbor. The cottage wasbought in 1912 with proceeds from thesale of a silver coffeepot that is now in amuseum. Like most of the Pierces, Rogerloved MDI and Acadia more than anyother place.

“He liked the simplicity of NortheastHarbor in the old days and liked thingsto stay the same, overall,” Dan said ofhis older brother. “I think that’s why heleft the gift — he wanted to be sureAcadia stayed the way he rememberedit. He loved hiking and climbing.” Rogermay have inherited his desire to protectthe park from his great grandfatherCharles Eliot, who helped establishAcadia.

Roger’s generous investment in Acadiagreatly furthers our mission to protectthe beauty, ecology, and culture of AcadiaNational Park and the surrounding communities.

If you’re interested in naming Friendsof Acadia as a beneficiary in your willor of a charitable remainder trust, pleasecontact Kelly Dickson at 207-288-3340.

— Kelly Dickson

Giving

Planned gifts from our members help protect Acadia in perpetuity

GENEROSITY AND FORESIGHT

Thomas and Elizabeth Fox with their children

Brian Fox, Adair Fox, and

grandson Owen Fox-Whelpton

Roger Pierce Jr. often enjoyed sailing.

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OPERATING PHILOSOPHYTo accomplish our mission,

1. We advocate. We advance park interests before Congress and the Maine Legislature, within the National Park Service andother federal, state or local bodies, and among the general public.

2. We make grants. We raise private funds for select capital projects in Acadia and for its enlightened stewardship, creatingsustainable revenues through endowments where appropriate. We strive to supplement federal funds and services, notreplace them.

3. We nullify threats. We mobilize people and forge nonprofit alliances to neutralize threats to park and community resources.4. We promote excellent management.We speak for responsible users in the continual betterment of park operations. 5. We operate independently. We function as a free-standing nonprofit, supportive of the park but independent from it. We

reserve the right to differ respectfully.6. We seek a broad membership. We seek to maximize the number of park defenders, stewards and donors. We encourage

every visitor to join Friends of Acadia as a means of giving something back to the park for the privilege of experiencing it.7. We enhance communities. We promote conservation in border communities through programs and grants that enhance

their natural character and complement park values.8. We support volunteerism. We supply a corps of motivated volunteers to meet designated park needs, including the upkeep

of foot paths and carriage roads.9. We produce tangible results. We achieve measurable results from programs and funds expended.

10. We leverage donated funds. We operate on a sound financial basis, leveraging member dues and other gifts to bring thehighest conservation return per donated dollar.

VISION Friends of Acadia seeks an Acadia National Park that is the best funded, best managed, and best maintained national park

for its size and volume of use. Mt. Desert Island is distinguished by its intact natural character and the quality of village life.The air is clean, the water pure. Low-emissions public transit, funded primarily by park entry fees, contributes to conservingAcadia’s special qualities. Park visitation conforms to sensible carrying capacities. People feel a powerful reverence for theirgreat national park and its host island. They want to keep this place beautiful for all generations. They help protect its out-standing natural, cultural and economic attributes by supporting Friends of Acadia.

OPERATING PHILOSOPHYAND VISION

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For volunteers, the rewards are many.

Mark your calendars for Take Pride in Acadia DaySaturday, November 6, 8:30 – Noon

Join us to rake leaves from the carriage road drainages to reduce spring erosion.Free hot lunch for all volunteers.

Register by contacting Friends of Acadia at 207-288-3340, or [email protected], before October 29.

Purchase Your Park Pass!

Whether walking, bicycling, driving, or riding the fare-free Island Explorer through the park, all must pay the entrance fee.

The Acadia National Park $20 weekly pass ($10 in the shoulder seasons) and $40 annual pass are available at the following locations in Maine:

Acadia National Park Headquarters (on the Eagle Lake Road/Rte. 233 in Bar Harbor)

Hulls Cove Visitor Center (off Rte. 3 in Hulls Cove) • Sand Beach Entrance Station (on the Park Loop Road)

Island Explorer/Acadia National Park information center (next to the Bar Harbor Village Green and Island Explorer transfer location)

Seawall Campground (off Rte. 102A in Southwest Harbor) • Blackwoods Campground (off Rte. 3 in Otter Creek)

Park pass fees make possible vital maintenance projects in Acadia.

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PRST STD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

LEWISTON, MAINE

PERMIT #82

Friends of Acadia

Mission

The mission of Friends of Acadia is to preserve and protect the

outstanding natural beauty, ecological vitality, and cultural distinctiveness

of Acadia National Park and the surrounding communities, and thereby

to ensure a high quality experience for visitors and residents.

Friends of Acadia 43 Cottage Street PO Box 45 Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 207 288-3340 1 800 625-0321

Pebble Bridge