Indianola dock made whole

Published 7:00 am Saturday, July 29, 2006

INDIANOLA — February’s fierce windstorm may not have produced a sea monster from the depths of Puget Sound to wreak havoc on the Indianola Dock, but the effect was the same.

Busted stringers. Ripped up decking. General shambles.

This concept was portrayed last weekend at Indianola Days through a sand sculpture that depicted the creature clamping down and chewing on the wooden structure.

But due to timely repairs of the Indianola icon, residents and visitors were able to see the entire sand sculpture from above, from the very dock it portrayed.

With little official fanfare, the community has quietly celebrated having the dock reopened for about a month through the simple act of using it daily. Thousands of visitors and residents “walked its planks” during the Indianola Days weekend, giving little indication that it had been closed to the public for several months.

“There was a huge difference,” said Indianola resident Joanna Dwyer, who lives near the dock. “Not only using the dock, but the beach also. Not as many people came out here.”

“Personally, it’s outstanding that it’s fixed now because my daughter is getting married in August on the dock,” said Indianola resident Lorrie Moore. “It’s really one of the focal points in town. A lot of people come out to enjoy the scenery.”

With the dock open, teenagers especially are converging at the popular spot for both swimming and lounging.

“Kids always love the dock,” Moore said.

“It was nice when it was quiet, but I like to see (the dock) being used,” Dwyer said with a laugh.

After the storm, the Indianola Dock was inspected, and found to have cracked stringers, which support the structure. Also some of the decking and portions of the handrail had blown away. But the stringer damage created the most serious issue, making the dock unsafe.

“The storm damage was more serious,” Indianola Port Commissioner John Jacobsen said, comparing the two types of repairs that the dock underwent during June. “More routine was the replacement of the railings.”

He added that decking was replaced as well.

The total amount to repair the dock was $80,000, $45,000 of which was provided by the dock’s insurance, the rest was paid by the port fund.

“It’s wonderful now that it’s repaired,” Dwyer said.

The dock, though fixed from its windstorm-related (or sea monster-stricken) woes, still needs to be maintained on a regular basis.

“It depends on how well its taken care of,” Jacobsen said of how long the dock can go without being repaired again. “It’s an old dock that needs plenty of TLC. It’s a pedestrian dock that should be treated well.”

“(The dock) is just a very special memory and treasure of the town,” Moore said. “I wish I had more time to just go sit and relax there.”