Bernard ceremony set to honor victims of sea

BERNARD – The Centennial Club of the Tremont Historical Society will gather by the shore Sunday to honor the 141 local people who have died at sea during the past two centuries.

Although a small community, Tremont’s history is intimately connected to fishing and sailing, so the number of people lost at sea is strikingly high, said Irving Silverman, a club member who is coordinating the event.

“We’re one of nine major fishing communities in the state of Maine. It’s long past due for this to happen,” he said.

A memorial of pink granite at the town dock will be dedicated, and the names of all honorees will be read aloud.

Historians John MacDuffie and Ralph Stanley will speak about Tremont’s relationship with the ocean. Three local residents who have lost family members to the sea in recent years will also offer remembrances.

The Coast Guard has offered its color guard and 47-foot rescue boat as a backdrop for the memorial, and for a symbolic blessing of the fleet, which will follow.

The ceremony will be held at the town dock in Bernard, beginning at 2 p.m. Parking will be available along the right side of Bernard Road. The Island Explorer bus will also be making a special run for the ceremony, picking up people at the Village Green in Bar Harbor at 1:15 p.m. and at Southwest Harbor at 1:30 p.m., then reversing the route once the ceremony is complete.

For information, contact Silverman at 244-5192.