8 S P R I N G ISSUE MainelyAgriculture || Equi Ag & Livestock || Aqua Agriculture 2015

Central Maine

Breakwater rebuild costs to be higher

Team Penners Awards

7

than available money to construct

The city Port Authority opened four bids in January

for the rebuilding of the collapsed
breakwater, that were all higher
than available funding. Low bidder was CMP Constructors of
Freeport at $18.5 million followed
by Cianbro Corporation at $18.66
million, Reed & Reed Inc at
$22.72 million and Fundy Contractors Inc at $24.86 million. Engineers wanted bids to be around
$13.99 million. To mitigate the
high bids, the Port Authority proposes to temporarily drop the
sheet-pile wall from the new
breakwater on the southern dolphin which would result in a savings of $3.5 million yet, even that
action would leave the project a
million dollars short with some
hope that present funding of CDBG (Community Development
Block Grant) with state and new
federal monies might make up the
differences. The Port Authority
Board agreed with refocusing the
project in order to move it forward
on a time line that would have
work start in April, 2015 with a
contract that calls for completion
by May 15, 2017. Port Authority
Director Chris Gardner expressed
this interim fix (sheet-pile wall)
might allow for new additional
funding effort to complete the
same as engineers desire. The
Maine Department of Transportation, required to make a review of
all bids before recommending a

formal awarding to low bidder,

CPM Constructors will work with
Port Authority to petition federal
authorities to find more funding.
The reconstruction engineering
process for this project had already
been started before the collapse
December 4, which explains how
timely the bids were to come in at
this time and establish further need
for expanding dollars by the pressing emergency nature of the reconstruction, here.
Meanwhile, fishermen are dayby-day with wind and weather,
moving boats in and out in order
to fish the limited scallop and urc-

hin days open to them. Some are

tied to the fish pier by an attenuator
float with others on moorings at
Broad Cove or have moved to the
Edmunds boat ramp to allow pulling boats when parking on land
dictates from weather or available
mooring is a concern. Regarding
berthing at the finger piers of the
breakwater area, insurance provisions are requiring hold harmless clauses for boats over or
under 50 while the planned construction of a new float system at
Broad Cove will not happen until
spring and fishermen have responded as needed with their insurers.

Jeff Marstaller photo

WATERVILLE - Central Maine

Team Penning Association (CMPTA) held their annual Awards banquet January 17 following a buffet
and member meeting led by CMPTA President Scott Labbe. After Ranch Sorting Winners
the awards, entertainment and FF
1. Heather
dancing rounded off festivities: Labbe 2. Kylee Austin 3. Nikki Reyn1. Jen McTeam Penning Awards olds;
Carthy 2. Holly Lanpher 3. Bill
Those recognized were:
1. Pam
1. Nikki Reynolds 2. Edwards;
Heather Labbe 3. Diane Reynolds; Edwards 2. Katie Smith 3. Charlie
1. Kyle
1. Megan Edgar;
Wellman 2. Jen McCarthy 3. Bill Smith 2. Scott Labbe 3. Michelle
1.
Edward;
1. Meserve;
Pam Edwards 2. Bruce Staples 3. Beth Lambert 2. Vaughn Melanson;
1. Morgan
Katie Smith;
1. Michelle Meserve 2. Scott Labbe Lambert 2. Scott Baxter; Baxter;
3 Kyle Smith;
R Rookie Award: Baxter;
1. Beth Lambert 2. Brett Smith 3.
Diane Reynolds Baxter
S
Scott Taylor;
A
1. Mike Porter 2. Kimball Johnston pggSportsmanship:
Kyle Smith
3. Morgan Lambert;

The work
of a grant of $49,000 awarded in
2013 by USDA has been recognized nationally by the US Department of Agriculture for Cozy
Acres Greenhouses full conversion to renewable energy sources
with an additional state match of
$25,000 from Maines Future
program.
Jeff and Marianne
Marstaller have the only greenhouse operation in the northern
states that uses geothermal and solar energy for power and were noted by Secretary of Agriculture
Tom Vilsack for this distinction
and their zero carbon footprint, for
family agribusiness farming with a
February 11 national conference
call. While the overall costs for

unconventional heating take a few

years to fully pay for, it has already
and generates more power than it consumes
which is credited back into the grid
towards future invoice on the Central
Maine Power metering system.
Within the Vilsack news announcement, came a notation that Congress
has changed the granting process,
and informs farmers there are no
more deadlines for entering such
grants under the new farm bill and all
is open to farms, ranches and rural
businesses seeking to install renewable energy projects to make energy
efficiency improvements. For more
information about such grants contact USDAs office at 207-900-9161
or virginia.manuel@me.usda.gov.

Every day our make-overs roll out the original value of your transport need:

Lanes Collision Center

www.lanescollisioncenter.com like us on facebook
186 Exeter Road Rt 43

Bruce

Kevin Lane - Owner Open Mon,-Fri. 8-5, Sat. 8-12

Complete Auto Body & Collision Repairs

Over 18 Years Experience

Now offering: Light Auto Repair - Tires - Oil Changes & More

All Insurance Companies Honored

Spray on Bedliners

Kevin
Andy

Before:

After: