On Sept 24, 2024, Jenna Jandreau spoke about freelance writer, photographer, journalist, and past editor of Bar Harbor Times, LaRue Spiker. Prominent among the Who’s Who of Mount Desert Island, those who remember LaRue describe her as no-nonsense and intelligent; not only did she receive frequent kudos in the Letters to the Editor, but also many criticisms for the opinions she expressed in her editorials and articles. 

Having moved to the area “from away,” Spiker brought a fresh lens to the island, capturing not only its natural beauty in her photographs but also numerous people from many different walks of life. She seemed to have an insatiable curiosity about everything MDI, writing about sea urchins, ladyslippers, and ferns, along with feature articles on fishing villages, local artists and writers, and political issues such as nuclear disarmament and the consolidation of MDI high schools.

Jenna Jandreau is a freelance writer and photographer who lives in northern Maine’s Saint John Valley with her husband and Yorkshire Terrier. She is the founder and co-chair of Rivertown Community Arts Center in Fort Kent, Maine. She was the Collections Manager at MDI Historical Society in 2018 and the Communications Coordinator in 2022-2023. Her writing and photography have appeared in The Maine Townsman, Off the Coast, Strut & Axle, Chebacco, and other publications.