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V O L . X X X N O. X X I V O C T O B E R 2 1 , 2 0 2 4 20 M I D C O A S T / D OW N E A S T storms also damaged nearby docks at Eaton's Boat Yard and Dennett's Wharf, a waterfront restaurant. e whole town came together, with dozens of people pitching in to get the businesses back up and running. "e community came together very quickly to assess the destruction and realized that we needed to rebuild this and build it better. ere was a huge amount of community financial outpouring, logistical sup- port and FEMA. It came together by mid-June and we were back up and running," Barrett says. Derik Goodine, town manager of Castine, who started in August, said the community's support for cleaning up and putting things back together was remarkable. "Castine almost had its summer tourism season stolen from it due to the destruction left in the wake of the storms this past winter, but the locals rolled up their sleeves and didn't allow that to happen and that makes me a very proud town manager," says Goodine. "It is a great show of community spirit, support, and fortitude," he says. "Perhaps to someone that has never been to Castine and visiting for the first time, nothing seemed amiss this summer, but a lot of work has been done and continues to be done to put things back together stronger and more resilient. I tip my hat to the town lead- ers, the harbor committee, the harbor master, Scott Vogell and his crew." As for the town dock, Goodine says the town is rebuilding or has completed rebuilding town docks with compos- ite decking that allows water to flow through the decking. e beams are now connected using steel plating bolted through the supporting pilings. is will mean that docks are stronger, and instead of heavy storm surge waves pounding the docks apart from underneath, the Titan X decking has openings in the decking, allowing water to pass through it rather than hammering into it. Once the town completes the paper- work and plans with FEMA, workers will replace a gazebo on the town dock that was destroyed this past winter. e town is expected to issue a request for proposals for a feasibil- ity and design study for the entire town dock area, parking lot and boat launch, funded through a Maine DOT Infrastructure Adaptation Fund grant. is will allow the town to hire a consultant to undertake an assessment and feasibility analysis for the town waterfront, or town dock area. It will define short-term needs and identify long-term planning goals that address sea rise, flooding issues and critical infrastructure protection. Maine Maritime Academy will build out a new $60 million pier for a new $320 million training vessel and improve its fixed-land dock area to address sea level rise. e project is expected to be completed in 2026. "e town will be addressing and eventually expanding our floating docks in the near future to address the impacts of the expansion of the new Maine Maritime dock expan- sion/extension for its new ship expected to arrive in the summer of 2025," says Goodine. 2021 2022 2023 22 LOCATIONS ACROSS MAINE & NEW HAMPSHIRE 1 - 8 0 0 - H A M M O N D W W W . H A M M O N D L U M B E R . C O M R E A D Y T O P I V O T W H E N E V E R Y O U R J O B D O E S . AUBURN • BANGOR • BAR HARBOR • BELFAST • BELGRADE • BLUE HILL • BOOTHBAY HARBOR • BRUNSWICK • BUCKSPORT • CALAIS • CAMDEN • CHERRYFIELD DAMARISCOTTA • ELLSWORTH • FAIRFIELD • FARMINGTON • GREENVILLE • MACHIAS • PORTLAND • ROCHESTER (NH) • ROCKLAND • SKOWHEGAN ROCHESTER ROCHESTER F O C U S Here's a roundup of what has been happening in the town: The Castine Inn, an 18-room hotel that dates to 1898, has been put on the market for $1.6 million. Castine Food Trucks has been a big win for the town, with Stone Fox Creamery, Papa's Smokehouse BBQ, Star Fire Pizza, Ca C'est Bon and Moody Dog all rotating through. Castine Touring Co. has expanded operations, adding a new touring vehicle, website, social media and reservation system. Castine Cruises, which operates the Lil' Toot tour boat, has expanded cruising tours by more times and has new tours to nearby Holbrook Island. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E

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