Primary--US Senate; State Representative; County Commission

David Costello, Democrat for US Senate

Having grown up in a working-class family in Old Town and having worked for more than 25 years in senior level local, state, and federal government positions, including in Maine and abroad, I believe that I have the broadest and most fitting experience of all the candidates competing to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate. Maine Democrat. 

Republican imposed dysfunction in Washington abounds and to fix it we need to do more than simply change whom we elect every two to six years. We need to substantially reform our governing practices and institutions, and eliminate the excessive and corrupting influence that money, wealth, and disinformation have over our politics and government.  With respect to Senator King, while I appreciate his service and the fact that he caucuses with Democrats, I believe he’s been too reticent to pursue the kind of policies and reforms needed to fix what ails Washington and he’s unlikely to alter his overly cautious approach during what is likely to be his last term. 

I do not believe that Maine’s GOP candidate, Demi Kousounas, given her lack of governing experience and MAGA conspiracies dissemination, is a serious candidate.

Moreover, excepting Senator Bernie Sanders, I believe that independent candidates and candidacies have on balance undermined our Party’s efforts to grow and succeed. In large part, because they feed into and off the false narrative that both major political parties are responsible for the gridlock and dysfunction in Washington. 

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www.costelloforsenate.com   

US Senate election is decided by ranked choice voting

Norman Bamford, Democratic candidate for State Representative, District 12,  has been part of this community for many years, working tirelessly on the Sullivan Selectboard and Planning Board, the Hancock County Budget Advisory Committee, and the Sullivan-Sorrento Recreation Center Board to make this region a better place.  Norm is a Publicly-Funded Candidate, you may also contribute to Norm's campaign by visiting https://www.maine.gov/cleanelections

Samuel Di Bella, is Democratic Candidate for Hancock County Commissioner District 3. Sam currently serves as Town of Hancock Selectperson, and Hancock County Budget Advisory Committee Member. As former owner of a small home remodeling business ; Hancock Point Library maintenance volunteer; and Hancock Community Garden lead volunteer, Sam has worked to make this region a better place.  Contribute to Sam's campaign by Venmo to Sam-DiBella-0                                                         use Apple Pay ssamd@icloud.com                use PayPal.com                                                                  Contact Sam at 203-887-4229

Jonathan Goble, Democratic Candidate for State Senate District 6 (more info coming soon).

Hancock Election  

Vote Meredith Akerstein for Planning Board on May 13,   1-7 PM       My name is Meredith Akerstein. I retired in 2017 to live with and look after my mom until she passed in 2020. Not wanting to stay in California, I moved to Hancock, Maine year-round in 2021: 30 years after my first visit here for a friend’s wedding. I was smitten and returned many times after that initial trip. (My first Ruth & Wimpy lobster dinner was in 1992 and has been a favorite dining spot ever since.) My background has been varied. Graduated from the University of California, San Diego; I was a tour guide at the San Diego Zoo; legislative correspondent on Capitol Hill; waitress in Whitefish, Montana and retired as a paralegal in Los Angeles. I love this area and all it has to offer: the seasons; the small town; nature; community theatre; music; and caring people. As of late, I have felt helpless in the face of global crises. But making a difference in the community is an attainable goal. Hancock and the surrounding areas will continue to grow. I believe the growth can be managed both environmentally and economically to preserve what is best about this lovely place. The Planning Board, with input from residents and businesses, can help shape the vision of how Hancock grows. I would like the opportunity to serve the Town of Hancock and make a difference at the local level. 

Gouldsboro Conservation Committee needs members.  Reply to Town of Gouldsboro.

From school board and committee member Crystal Burke:

"There is a federal mandate; there needs to be access to free education for children who are unable to attend school for health safety reasons, but Hancock Grammar School is in violation of that mandate. Their environment is still unsafe for students with compromised immune systems.
Now that Covid has been declared no longer a health crisis, remote learning is not being provided and home schooling is very expensive for children below seventh grade. Something needs to happen as there are currently no options for high risk children (emergency legislation to lower the remote ed service age)." 

Hancock Planning Board faces a request from the Selectboard to draft zoning amendments to add outdoor recreational facilities like miniature golf courses, tennis courts, amusement and theme parks, water slides, zoos/animal parks, race tracks, speedways, motorcycle tracks, and riding stables to the commercial zone on Route 1 from Viking to the Ellsworth City Line.  These uses were voted down at the September 15, 2021 Special Town Meeting.

Why is "Paper Roads" controversial?   Regardless of the reason, Grundel was not hired to do the survey and final street grid layout.  This work was done by a local surveyor named Gilbert E Simpson.  Later sections of the development, including Doane’s Pt., are better quality surveys and are referenced on deeds as “The Simpson Plan.”   While the first Simpson Plan and the Grundel Plan for Bean Point are similar, Simpson's was the one used for most real estate transfers and is more detailed, although perhaps less artistic. 

 Grundel's plan shows his ideas for creating sweeping non-linear avenues.  His design concept for several streets radiating like spokes from the top of the hill -- above where the pool is today -- and down to the back bay, are particularly striking.  Perhaps like the Boston commissioners, Grundel's plan was found to be impractical, especially since he seems to have created a plan for pieces of land that Lewis had not yet purchased. 

The Quietside Journal (published in Mount Desert) posted a warning article

https://open.substack.com/pub/theqsjournal/p/state-peddling-coastal-towns-to-fish?r=iw8pe&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

listing these towns as desired fish farm locations by the state Economic Development department (due to deep water availability): 

Gouldsboro

Hancock

Sorrento