BAR HARBOR – Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, a subsidiary of Bar Harbor Bankshares, has announced the opening of a new full-service branch in the community of Somesville. The new branch will open in January 2006, subject to customary regulatory approvals. The branch will be located on Route 102 next to the Mount Desert Post Office, in an already established banking facility.

In his announcement, President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph M. Murphy said, “Year-round and seasonal residents of Mount Desert Island have long been able to do their banking and postal business at that location in one stop, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue providing them with that convenience.”

As a full-service community banking location, the Somesville branch will provide a wide array of retail and business deposit services, safety deposit boxes, and an on-site lender for consumer loans and residential mortgages. The new branch will also feature a drive-up banking window and a Maine Cash Access ATM.

Union Trust will be vacating the branch site for a new location in Town Hill.