Mainebiz

V I E W P O I N T S W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 3 JA N UA R Y 2 2 , 2 0 2 4 From the Editor A mid the "Grinch" storm of Dec. 18, Central Maine Power said it had dispatched more cleanup crews than were in Maine after the infa- mous ice storm of 1998. By Dec. 20, floodwater levels on the Kennebec River in Skowhegan were deemed the worst since a historic flood in 1987. During the coastal storm of Jan. 13, the combina- tion of an astronomical high tide and storm surge created the highest tide-related water level since the epic blizzard of February 1978. is winter is already making itself known, and we still have at least two months to go. Mainers have seen docks and fishhouses ripped up along the working waterfront. We've seen roads and infrastructure ripped by flooding at ski resorts. We've seen waves breaking over sea walls in beach communities, wrecked lobster boats and even a crew of canoeists paddle past the flooded Harbor Fish Market on Custom House Pier in Portland. We've also seen a great deal of resilience, as Mainers chip in to help those affected. In Castine, which was reeling from a Jan. 10 coastal storm, business owners sent out a call for help in advance of the Jan. 13 storm. Volunteers poured into town to fill sandbags and help protect Eaton's Boatyard and other establishments. Around Maine, first responders blocked off dan- gerous roads and made rescues, while cleanup crews cut up fallen trees and restrung power lines. Groundhog Day is coming up quickly, but we know we're in for at least a couple more months of this. e winter of 2023-24 is already being remem- bered with epic storms in 1978, 1987 and 1998. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz Featured @ Mainebiz.biz For a daily digest of Maine's top business news, sign up for the Mainebiz Daily Report at mainebiz.biz/enews Get all the news every day on Mainebiz.biz or by subscribing to the Daily Report and Real Estate Insider newsletters. Here is the top content from Jan. 2–16: 1. Lewiston company turns ownership over to employees, joining dozens of ESOPs in Maine 2. Tote touchdown: Portland-based Sea Bags scores NFL licensing deal 3. Logging industry losses from 'Grinch' storm top $2.6M, as weather again pummels Maine 4. Bethel tops list of 'Maine's Hottest Towns of 2023' 5. In memoriam: We recall some of the Mainers who died in 2023 6. With eye on Maine's space industry, $5.5B global tech company opens Brunswick office 7. Tilson gets new CEO; Broder retains executive role 8. 'Buckle up, Maine': 2024 business predictions spans space to sports 9. With $100K boost, scone business will scale beyond the midcoast 10. Bar Harbor advances $40M phased proposal for ferry terminal redevelopment P ROV I D E D P H O T O / S E A B A G S 2 With at least two months to go, it's been a winter of wild weather. bernsteinshur.com Meet Meredith. A highly skilled and dedicated trusts and estates attorney with a passion for helping individuals and families secure their financial legacies. We're attorneys. But we're people first. Meredith M. Maller, Attorney and Shareholder Rain, snow, flooding all signs of epic winter

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