Swan's Island is located off the coast of Maine near Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island. It is a remote island, with ferry service originating in Bass Harbor. The six mile crossing from Bass Harbor takes about 30 minutes. The ferry, "Captain Henry Lee", holds 17 automobiles as well as walk-on passengers.

The island has almost none of the mainland amenities. There are no stores, no liquor sales, and no amusements, except those that people create for themselves. The year-round population is about 350 people, with over 1000 people in the summertime.

Swan's, a large island of some 7,000 acres, has a highly irregular shoreline that provides secure and interesting anchorages for visiting boaters. It is hilly, but not particularly high. There is a quarry for swimming as well as places to visit on foot or bicycle. The island has three little villages, Atlantic in Mackerel Cove on the north coast, Swan's Island, on the shores of Burnt Coat Harbor in the south and Minturn.

Lobstering is the main occupation on Swan's Island. The economy of the island is mostly dependent on the income derived from lobstering. Swan's Island has about 40 full-time lobstermen and women, and many part-timers, including school children who fish from small skiffs in the summer.
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING HELD

Nasty weather forecasted for Town Meeting Day, March 2, 2009 left many wondering if the meeting would take place.  "Old-timers" commented that Town Meeting is never cancelled, so despite a forecast of snow, ice, sleet, and rain, the  meeting took place as scheduled beginning at 9AM in the school gym.
Attendance at the start of the meeting seemed low, but slowly more residents filed into the school as the meeting progressed.  About 75 people participated in making decisions for this year's budget.

The selectmen, Sonny Sprague and Dexter Lee shown here, along with Nancy Carter, presented a very lean budget for the coming year taking into consideration the current economic situation facing taxpayers.  The final budget approved for the operation of the Town, excluding the school budget, resulted in a decrease of about 2% from the 2008 budget.  

A sign of the changing times on the island were this year's vote counters.  Jeanne Hoyle and Deb Schwabe, two recent additions to the year-round community were enlisted by Town Clerk Gwen May to count the votes cast for the various warrant articles.  

Other highlights of the meeting included the approval of $71,000 for law enforcement plus an additional $6,000 to be used to purchase a breathalyzer.  Despite a vote  prohibiting alcohol sales on the island just three days earlier, residents felt that  alcohol abuse is an ongoing problem and wanted to give the Swan's Island Police Department the necessary tools to fight drunk driving and other alcohol-related crimes.  Selectmen suggested raising the funds to purchase the breathalyzer through other means, but Josh Joyce made a motion to fund it through the law enforcement budget.  Mark Stanley seconded the motion and it was approved with no opposition. Most of the warrant articles passed without much discussion and the selectmen's  recommendation for funding were not questioned.  

The total expenditures approved at the Annual Town Meeting totaled $441,600, a decrease from the $450,750 approved in 2008.  The Town appropriation of the school budget, $892,346, will be approved or rejected at a special vote in June. 

Read Town Clerk's Report...
MESSAGE FROM THE LIBRARY BOARD

The Swan's Island Library Board is moving forward with plans to rebuild. While the building was insured, we will need additional funds to complete the library rebuilding project. If you would like to make a donation, click below.
Your donation will be deposited into a PayPal account which will be used to fund temporary library services on the island and towards our rebuilding project.

Checks made out to Swan's Island Library Fund can be sent to:
Swan's Island Library Fund
c/o The First
102 Main Street
Bar Harbor, ME 04609

Thank you for your support at this time of need.
~Swan's Island Library Board
...it is not for those who depend on a high | level of outside entertainment, for we have no theatre, no boutiques, no country club; in fact alcoholic beverages can not be purchased on the Island

...it is not for those who want instant, inexpensive travel facilities, for although we have reliable State Ferry Service, it takes some advance planning to be sure of being on it

...it is not for those with a low threshold of frustration for the inevitable delays and inconveniences that go with Island living

SWAN'S is the place for a very special kind of individual...

... it is ideal for those who are skilled at entertaining themselves in fog or sunshine and who prefer an hour beachcombing to an hour bowling, and a good book to a movie

....it is a joy to those who delight in spectacular scenery and appreciate the simple rhythm of days which are determined by the comings and goings of tide and ferry

....it is the place for those who are content with low-keyed social life, where an evening invitation usually calls only for a clean sweatshirt and dry sneakers

~ written by Peg Bailey
This website officially went live on March 2, 2005. It is very much a "work in progress" and will continue to grow over time.

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