CALAIS, Vt. (WCAX) - A dam in Calais getting a makeover after last summer’s flooding.The couple hundred Vermonters who call Calais home spent years working to flood-proof their dam, only to watch that progress wash down the drain last summer.A year later, they’re ready to put a cork in the damage once and for all. During their 30 years in Calais, Bev and Don Heise have seen Curtis Pond dam slip further and further into disrepair.“When we moved here the stones were upright, vertical. And then they started to move out and out and out,” said Bev.With their home near the dam and their son living downstream, the couple worried about a washout.“It’s not doing well and it’s in danger,” said Bev.Those dangers were realized last summer when the catastrophic flood pummeled the over-a-century-old dam. The streets of Calais flooded, a sinkhole appeared, and the dam took a major beating.Jamie Moorby with the Curtis Pond Association says locals who spent years advocating for dam repairs sprang to action.“I think it really ramped up the energy, the fundraising, and the general community feel that we really do have to make it happen, we have to make it happen this year,” said Moorby.That dream is about to become reality. The town secured $1.2 million needed for a dam makeover - a mix of a town bond, private donations, ARPA funds, and a $200,000 private loan.Construction kicks off in July with a crew creating a massive concrete dam to contain the pond. The original stone dam will stay as a historical landmark retired from duty.“To see it actually come together and be built feels really good. It feels like we’ve made a genuine stride forward toward preserving this wonderful resource for generations to come,” said Moorby.For Calais residents living dam-side, the reconstruction is a massive relief come the next big storm.“We’re doing this for future generations. 150 years from now, we’d like to know people are still using this place and the kids are enjoying it. Learning how to swim, skating, cross-country skiing, fishing, all those things we need to get the kids out doing,” said Don Heise.Calais officials say construction should wrap up this fall. Their next task is fundraising to pay off the $200,000 loan.