MDF’s Maine Downtown Center Announces Annual Awards for Standout Community Projects and Individuals 

Hallowell, MAINE — October 1, 2024 — The Maine Downtown Center (MDC), a program of Maine Development Foundation (MDF), is thrilled to announce awards recognizing projects and individuals that have made the biggest impacts in downtown communities in the past year.  

“These exemplary individuals and projects are shining examples of the power of collective action to preserve and revitalize our downtowns,” says Anne Ball, Senior Program Director for MDF’s Maine Downtown Center. “They model strategies and best practices that will ensure the communities they live and work in remain vibrant and sustainable for generations to come.” 

The MDC team gathered nominations for the awards during a competitive process, and proudly announce the following winners: 

William F. King, Jr., Downtown Champion Award: Luke Dyer, Town Manager, Van Buren Luke Dyer is leading Van Buren’s revitalization with resident involvement at the forefront. Dyer has doggedly pursued certifications and grants from state, federal, and foundations that have enabled Van Buren to pursue green space revival and redesign, community engagement events like “Christmas in July”, and a downtown business incubator and connectivity hub.  

Downtown Small Business Award: Rhona Beauty, Biddeford Owner Rhona Deah’s salon focuses on serving the region’s communities of color and New Mainer population. She embodies Maine’s entrepreneurial spirit and strives to offer a space that encourages “empowerment and self-love.” Ms. Deah is very active in community, including inviting groups to meet in her salon for networking, professional development, and peer support. She won a $5,000 Main Street America “Inclusive Backing” grant and used it to expand her space and offer booths to other entrepreneur-stylists.  

Downtown Project of the Year Award: The Uptown Apartment Complex, Bath The development firm, The Szanton Company, partnered with the City of Bath to revitalize two historic buildings and add a new addition in order to provide much needed affordable housing in downtown Bath. There are 60 apartments total: 18 are market-rate, 42 low-income, and all are reserved for residents aged 55+. It took just six weeks to fill up. There is also an activity room in a former gym, a communal roof deck overlooking the river and park, community rooms and on-site laundry. The Szanton Company worked with more than a dozen partners to secure stacked funding – including MaineHousing low-income tax credits and state and federal historic tax credits and nonprofit lenders like Genesis Community Loan Fund which provided low-interest loans.  

The MDC Annual Awards serve as inspiration statewide for communities and individuals working on downtown revitalization. They recognize outstanding efforts in communities which are part of MDF’s Maine Downtown Center program. 

“I am incredibly humbled and honored to receive the William F. King Jr Award while representing the Town of Van Buren,” says Luke Dyer, Town Manager, Van Buren. “It exemplifies the dedication and tenacity of many individuals who have entrusted in me the reinvention of their beloved downtown.”   

“Rhona Beauty strives to be an inclusive cornerstone of the Biddeford-Saco community and we are thrilled to be recognized for this work,” says Rhona Deah, Owner of Rhona Beauty salon. “We started with a goal of meeting the needs of the region’s underserved ethnic community. We’ve grown to become a multicultural hub for our clients but also for fellow entrepreneurs and community members as well.”   

“The Szanton Company is honored to be recognized with MDC’s 2024 Downtown Project of the Year Award,” says Amy Cullen, Vice President & Project Partner with The Szanton Company.  “We are proud to be part of easing the housing crisis in the Bath region and hope The Uptown serves as a model for making housing more affordable and accessible across Maine.” 

The awards will be presented during MDC’s upcoming Annual Conference and Awards Celebration November 6-7 in Biddeford and Saco. The theme this year is “Revitalization in Action.” For more information and the complete schedule of workshops, speakers, and networking sessions visit the conference section of MDF’s website.  

To learn more about Maine Downtown Center and how your community can get involved, visit the MDC section of this website. our website. 

MDF Presents Champion Awards for Exemplary Leadership in Helping Make Maine a Magnet for Young Workers and their Families 

Lewiston — September 24, 2024 — Maine Development Foundation (MDF), is thrilled to announce our 2024 Champion Award winners. These awards recognize exemplary leadership toward economic improvement and systemic change necessary for each Mainer to thrive and prosper. This year’s awards focused on individuals, businesses, and organizations helping make Maine a magnet for young workers and their families. 

“The winners of this year’s awards are shining examples of innovative, inspiring ways to build long-term relationships, trust, and a sense of community that young workers and their families crave,” says Yellow Light Breen, MDF’s President and CEO. “Each of our awardees is leading actionable and scalable efforts that help Maine be a magnet by creating pathways where young workers can progress in their careers so they and their families can thrive and prosper.” 

MDF proudly bestowed the following awards during Magnetize: MDF’s 46th Annual Meeting & Champion Awards Celebration, held recently at the Franco Center in Lewiston: 

2024 Champion of Education and Workforce Development to the FAME (Finance Authority of Maine) College Access and Financial Education (CAFE) Team for their steadfast, systematic approach to meeting each college-bound student and their families where they are and helping each navigate the financial aid application process during the last year, which was an extremely complicated and confusing year. As a result, the financial aid form completion rate for Maine high school seniors increased 9 full percentage points to 61%; 

2023 Champion of Rural Economic Development to Deb Rountree, Executive Director of Rural Development Initiatives with Eastern Maine Community College and U-Maine-Augusta for her decades-long work to support displaced rural workers, adult learners, and young families in the Katahdin Region so they can pursue certifications, degrees, good-paying jobs, and further their careers. An example is the childcare center at Katahdin Higher Education Center in East Millinocket that Deb helped establish which has provided quality, affordable early childhood development for thousands of children, removing a major barrier to success for their parents and families; 

2024 Dirigo Rising Young Professional Award to Samantha Burdick, Communications Director with Maine Education Association, for demonstrating exceptional leadership and dedication to strengthening the state’s economy and her community with efforts to attract and retain young people. Sam serves on numerous boards, including the Waterville Homeless Shelter, United Way of Kennebec Valley, the Waterville Planning Board, and is in her 5th year on the Steering Committee of KV Connect, one of seven regional chapters of MDF’s Realize Maine Network. 

This year’s event is a breakfast festivity and served as a kickoff to the 2024 Magnetize Maine conference, hosted by Uplift LA in conjunction with MDF’s Realize Maine Network. 

MDF’s Maine Downtown Center Names Ellsworth as an Accredited National Main Street Community

For immediate release: 

ELLSWORTH, MAINE – September 17, 2024,  MDF’s Maine Downtown Center (MDC) is thrilled to announce that Heart of Ellsworth is the newest nationally accredited addition to Maine’s Main Street program. Becoming an accredited Main Street Program is a mark of distinction. This designation recognizes a community’s long-term commitment to building a grassroots revitalization program, fostering strong public-private partnerships, nurturing economic opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and actively preserving historic places, spaces and cultural assets.     

“Heart of Ellsworth and the entire Ellsworth community is overjoyed and so proud to receive this accreditation,” says Cara Romano, Executive Director of Heart of Ellsworth. “We look forward to a whole new level of growth as we continue to work with the MDC team and Main Street America to further strengthen our economic infrastructure, attract more investment and new businesses into our community, and bring more visitors to our beautiful city.”   

Heart of Ellsworth joins ten other nationally accredited Main Street communities working with MDC in Maine. These organizations are accredited annually by MDC and meet rigorous standards for revitalization of their downtowns and commercial districts. The accreditation process helps communities identify their strengths and challenges and find resources to continue their progress. Main Streets gain access to and an extensive peer network within the state and nationally.   

“It has been wonderful to support Heart of Ellsworth on its journey to accreditation, “says Anne Ball, Senior Program Director, MDC. “Not only does Ellsworth have a walkable downtown with many locally owned businesses, historic buildings and sites such as the Old Hancock Jail, and a riverwalk under development, they also have a strong organization leading the revitalization effort. The Heart of Ellsworth should be recognized for their leadership and their broad-based community support and their commitment to downtown revitalization. We are so excited during our 25th anniversary year to bring on our 11th Main Street. We look forward to continuing to work with Heart of Ellsworth as they start their next chapter as an accredited Main Street.”  

MDC represents some of the strongest core downtown commercial districts in the State and in New  

England. The Center serves as the State Coordinator for Maine’s National Main Street Program, which is under the umbrella of the national Main Street America organization. For more than 40 years, the Main Street America movement has been committed to strengthening communities by revitalizing older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts through preservation-based economic development.  

In addition to the now 11 Nationally Accredited Main Street Communities, MDC works with 13 Maine Downtown Affiliate Communities, and 4 Municipal Communities. Some are in the early stages of downtown revitalization, and many are working toward achieving national “Main Street” accreditation. MDC offers access to training by state and national downtown development experts, best practices in the field, and a network of peers from around the state.  

Michelle Beal, an Ellsworth resident and City Council Member shared, “The Main Street designation is an invaluable asset in supporting the city’s continued growth and vibrancy, especially in its downtown area.  As the business and professional hub of Hancock County, this designation is a monumental step in ensuring the City become a model for work-life balance and amplifies the pride Ellsworth has in its historic walkable downtown and riverfront.” 

For more information about MDF’s Maine Downtown Center and our work in communities large and small across Maine, visit the MDC section of this website. 

Photo credit: Mike Perlman/mikeperlman.com

MDF Awarded $535,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending Funds to Boost Maine’s Rural & Forest Product Sector Workforce

Hallowell, Maine — July 18, 2024 — Maine Development Foundation (MDF) is pleased to announce an award of Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funds totaling $535,000 to offer critically needed training and online micro-credential courses for working-age Mainers who can then fill the hundreds of open jobs in Maine’s forest products industry.

“This CDS funding – first and foremost – will help address continuing needs for workers in the Jay region who were displaced by the sudden closure of the town’s paper mill in 2022,” says Yellow Light Breen, President & CEO of MDF. “The investment will also help the statewide forest industry by enabling employers to fill open jobs and build their workforce of the future at a time of innovation and growth. These employers pay family-supporting wages and offer robust benefits packages.”

The funds are made possible through advocacy by Maine’s two U.S. Senators, Susan Collins (R) and Angus King (I). MDF, a key partner in and staff to the FOR Maine (Forest Opportunity Roadmap) coalition, worked with the coalition’s established partnerships to identify which trainings/micro credentials are most needed to design the programs being funded:

  • Pathways to Prosperity for a Skilled Forest Workforce: MDFis partnering with Spruce Mountain Adult Education to train 50 students over the next two years in CDL (Commercial Driver License) Class A instruction. In-kind matches and support from Merrill’s Garage and Spruce Mountain Adult Education will aid the new training programs. Importantly, the CDL funds also cover up to $1000 stipends for students for things like transportation and childcare – necessities that often have proven too costly to would-be participants, barring them from taking such courses and therefore landing the jobs.
  • Forestry Product Sector Micro-Credential online course: MDF is partnering with the University of Maine to develop course which will use the digital platform Badgr to educate as many as 500 people about the wide range of job opportunities, benefits, and potential career advancement within the forest products sector.  The course will be free and available for navigators – those who work with students/workers of all ages to connect them to educational opportunities, job information, and life-supports that are critical to career success.

“This initiative – which includes pathways to high-wage, high-demand jobs – not only meets industry demand but also empowers our community with essential employment credentials for a prosperous future,” says Dr. Robyn Raymond, Director, Spruce Mountain Adult Education. “Spruce Mountain Adult Education is thrilled to partner with MDF in this work, and deeply grateful for Senators Collins and King for helping secure this funding.”

According to the Forest Opportunity Roadmap for Maine Workforce Development Strategy report, within the next ten years over 26% of the forest products workforce will have reached retirement age and are at high probability of exiting the labor force. Labor replacement demands for the entire forest products sector range from 4,770 to 5,200 over the next fifteen years. These courses will help bridge the gap to meet workforce needs.

“We are thrilled that these programs are coming to fruition as they will help us meet FOR/Maine’s long-term workforce goals: attracting young people to the industry; ensuring new, replacement, and existing workers have the skills they need; and preparing our workforce for emerging technologies,” says Ryan Bushey, Chair of the FOR/Maine Workforce Committee.

To learn more about FOR/Maine, visit formaine.org.

MDF Presents Leadership Awards to Standout Alumni of Legacy Leadership Programs

Hallowell, Maine — June 11, 2024 — Maine Development Foundation (MDF), is thrilled to announce the winners of our 2024 ICL (Institute for Civic Leadership) Distinguished Alum Award and Kenneth M. Curtis Leadership Award, which is presented to an alum of our Leadership Maine program. Both programs are celebrating their 30th anniversary. 

“These awards recognize the efforts of alumni who have given selflessly of themselves and demonstrated exceptional leadership in achieving extraordinary things for Maine while furthering systemic change toward equity and inclusion,” says Jan Kearce, Senior Team Leader for Workforce & Leadership with MDF. “Both of our awardees are leading actionable and scalable efforts to build a diverse Maine economy and to ensure Maine continues to be a great place to live and work for all.” 

MDF proudly bestowed the awards during the May 17th 30th Anniversary Leadership Alumni Celebration at Ferry Beach Conference Center in Saco to two standout alumni: 

2024 Kenneth M. Curtis Leadership Award to LuAnn Ballesteros, 2007 Leadership Maine Xi Class and Vice President of External & Government Affairs with The Jackson Laboratory. LuAnn is a longtime member of MDF’s Maine Economic Growth Council and serves on numerous advisory & policy groups including the Maine Innovation Economy Board, The State Chamber of Commerce Board, and Maine State Workforce Board. She is a tireless advocate for career opportunity and accessible education for all Mainers. LuAnn holds a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from Husson College and an associate’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Maine, Farmington. 

2024 ICL Distinguished Alum Award to Carolyn Nishon, 2012 ICL Tau Class and Executive Director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra since 2015. She is a compassionate, dedicated advocate for the power of live orchestral music, and for inclusivity, equity, and diversity in the arts – making them affordable and accessible to all. Prior to that role, she led the PSO’s artistic operations department from 2008-2015. In 2007 – 2008, she served as one of five League of American Orchestras Fellows, working alongside the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, and the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra and the Aspen (Colorado) Music Festival and School. While at the University of Michigan, she served as an intern with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. Carolyn holds a B.A. in English and Psychology from the University of Michigan. 

“Throughout the Leadership Maine program I was introduced to and able to engage with, many of the State’s most prominent and effective leaders,” says LuAnn Ballesteros, winner of the Kenneth M. Curtis Leadership Award and Vice President of External & Government Affairs with The Jackson Laboratory. “As an alum, I’ve been able to leverage both the lessons learned and the relationships developed, to hone my own leadership skills and to share what I’ve learned with others.  And I’ve watched with admiration as my Xi classmates did the same…. that’s the power and the legacy of Leadership Maine. 

“I am deeply honored to receive the ICL Distinguished Alum Award. At ICL, we explored the power of facilitative leadership and the importance of agreeing upon shared ground rules to connect, listen, and learn from each other,” says Carolyn Nishon, winner of the 2024 ICL Distinguished Alum Award and Executive Director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. “These principles guide me each day, in and out of the PSO, in hopes of creating an environment where everyone is heard, valued, and we can collectively make the strongest and most thoughtful decisions possible.” 

To find out more about MDF’s Leadership Development programs and the broad range of other economic & community development programs, coalitions, and initiatives MDF leads, go to mdf.org. 

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Measures of Growth Indicator in Action: Mental & Behavioral Health

Mental & Behavioral Health is one of the 31 key economic indicators featured in the annual Measures of Growth Report. Each month this blog features a story that connects the data to real-life experience.

Mental and behavioral health is key to an individual’s ability to thrive and prosper, and thus to Maine’s economy. As we mark Mental Health Awareness Month, there is reason to hope amidst the sobering reality of what many medical professionals call a “crisis” in mental health and the accompanying “epidemic of loneliness.” 

The most recent edition of Measures of Growth highlighted the stark data: In 2021, 36% of Maine high schoolers – more than 1 in 3 – reported feeling sad or hopeless every day for two weeks or more. Many older Mainers are also experiencing challenges. In July-August 2023, approximately 27% of Maine adults had symptoms of anxiety or depression. By comparison, about 33% of adults nationwide reported these symptoms—up from just 11% in 2019.  

Fortunately, Maine also has an abundance of one of the most powerful tools to address and overcome this challenge: access to nature and free outdoor endeavors.  

Among the many organizations working to engage Mainers in nature is Teens to Trails. They work with middle and high schools around the state to start and sustain Outdoor Clubs, which are student-led and faculty-facilitated. The Clubs introduce teenagers to a variety of experiences, such as hiking, biking, camping, rafting, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, campfires, and beach trips. The goal is to try new things, see new places, and make new connections.  

Teens to Trails also runs programs that are independent of schools and offer a way for teens to connect with others from across the state in outdoor adventures. As the group emphasizes on its website, “Watching trees sway in the wind, breathing fresh air, and listening to bird calls – positively activates our senses, elevates our moods, and calms our nervous systems. Research shows spending time outside improves individual mental health outcomes later in life.” 

17-year-old Eva Dodge, a student at the Ecology Learning Center in Unity, spoke at MDF’s 2023 Annual Meeting & Champion Awards Celebration of the life-changing experiences she had during a 3-week Teens to Trails kayak trip in the summer of 2023. It included solo time for reflection. During one such session while fogged in on an island off the coast, Eva worked with the writing prompt “Who Am I Here?” She wrote a poem that reads, in part: 

“I came out here to detach / Just for a moment to be me / Without my friends / Without my family, my pets, my clothes, my phone, my world / Without all that the one thing I have left is me! / I came out here to find her / To cherish her / To figure out who she is and how to take care of her / Out here I am me / I found me / And I quite like her” – excerpt from poem by Eva Dodge, participant in Teens to Trails programming.

It is the epitome of what psychologists, behavioralists, educators, community leaders, and employers seek to foster daily in their efforts to support the mental and behavioral health of individuals, students, and employees. “There are so many ways to change a life through outdoor experiences and to offer hope along with a sense of belonging. We don’t always know it is happening in the moment, but the impact can be lifelong,” says Alicia Heyburn, Executive Director, Teens to Trails. 

The Need for Continued Diligence 

Mental & Behavioral Health is just one of the indicators the Maine Economic Growth Council, the nonpartisan, independent group that oversees the Measures of Growth report, uses to track factors that make Maine communities desirable, healthy, and supportive places to live, work, and play. This annual report offers a snapshot of how these factors intersect with Maine’s economy, and why the Council recommends continued diligence on these fronts.  

 We hope you will dig into the data behind these Indicators and how they interconnect with other critical elements of Maine’s economy. Visit the Measures of Growth section of our website where you can see all 31 indicators we featured in 2023, as well as past issues of the report dating back to 2010.  

Watch Eva and Alicia’s full Table Talk from Sept. 23, 2023 – including Eva’s reading of her poem – by clicking the video button below. Their remarks start at 1:27 in the video.

Measures of Growth Indicator in Action: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Greenhouse Gas Emissions is one of the 31 key economic indicators featured in the annual Measures of Growth Report. Each month this blog features a story that connects the data to real-life experience.

Did you know that Maine was the first state to enact a statutory target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions? We did so in 2003 and exceeded the original target ahead of schedule in 2012 when emissions fell to 10% below 1990 levels. In 2019, further legislation set the goal of reducing emissions 45% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% by 2050. We continue to make steady progress toward these goals.

As Maine and the entire nation honor Earth Day, and in hopes that Mainers will continue to work toward addressing the climate crisis and its impact on Maine’s economy every day of every month, we are highlighting Greenhouse Gas Emissions as the current Indicator in Action by highlighting the story of Nyle Systems, one of many, many Maine businesses who are becoming “green economy” leaders in creating new jobs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  

In March 2023, Brewer-based Nyle Systems announced the creation of a second factory, this one in Bangor, to manufacture energy-efficient heat pumps, creating about 200 jobs over time. With this news, Nyle joined the growing list of Maine companies leading the nation’s transition to clean energy while creating opportunities for Maine people.  

Nyle Systems’ roots go back to the 1970s when it built dehumidification systems for drying lumber. It still sells these, but today it also manufactures food drying systems and heat-pump water heaters for customers nationwide. The heat pumps replace gas boilers and reduce demand for fossil fuels when electrified from a renewable source. They are also cheaper to operate and can save consumers thousands of dollars every year.  

CEO Ton Mathissen explained to WABI TV5 the impact of rising demand for clean, energy-efficient solutions and the company’s growth: “That is really what is driving this.” Both Maine and the federal government offer incentives for households to install heat pumps.  

“We plan to keep this growth going for the long term to have a meaningful impact in transitioning our world onto a sustainable path for the next generations. Speed matters!” – Ton Mathissen, CEO, Nyle Systems. 

Nyle System’s new factory will significantly increase the company’s workforce, which was about 120 people prior to the expansion. The company has doubled in size every three to four years since 2010 and intends to keep going.  

The Need for Continued Diligence 

Greenhouse gas emissions is just one of the indicators the Maine Economic Growth Council, the nonpartisan, independent group that oversees the Measures of Growth Report, uses to track Maine’s environmental health, how it intersects with Maine’s economy, and why the Council recommends continued diligence on these fronts. 

We hope you will dig into the data behind these Indicators and how they intersect with other critical elements of Maine’s economy. Visit the Measures of Growth section of our website where you can see all 31 indicators we featured in 2023, as well as past issues of the report dating back to 2010. 

Measures of Growth Indicator in Action: Racial Income Equity

Racial Income Equity is one of the 31 key economic indicators featured in the annual Measures of Growth Report. Each month this blog features a story that connects the data to real-life experience.

As Maine and the entire nation honor Black History Month, and in hopes that Mainers will continue to work toward a truly equitable and inclusive Maine economy every day of every month we are highlighting Racial Income Equity as the current Indicator in Action. 

Maine history is rich with the economic and cultural contributions of our Black brothers and sisters, among them Macon Bolling Allen, who was admitted to the Maine Bar in 1844 making him the first licensed Black lawyer in the entire United States. 

Allen was born a free man in Indiana in 1816. At the time, in the pre-Civil War era, the only avenue open to Black Americans who wanted to become lawyers was to teach themselves law and gain legal skills by serving as an apprentice and/or law clerk to practicing white lawyers. For Allen, that involved a move to Maine where he apprenticed with General Samuel Fessenden. 

In a 2021 presentation, Bob Greene, a historian with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at University of Southern Maine, shared the story of Allen’s experience in Maine. 

“[Allen] moved to Portland and studied law, working as an apprentice to Samuel Fessenden, a local abolitionist and attorney. The Portland District Court rejected Fessenden’s first motion to admit Allen to the bar in April 1844, concluding Allen did not meet the state’s citizenship requirement (being a resident of Massachusetts at the time). [Allen] tried again, pursuing admission by examination, a method that did not require citizenship. He faced a hostile examination committee, which Fessenden thought did not want Allen admitted. Nevertheless, Fessenden said, ‘his qualifications were not denied.’ Allen was granted his license to practice law in Maine on July 3, 1844, becoming the nation’s first African American lawyer.” – Bob Greene, Historian, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USM. 

Imagine what Macon Bolling Allen and fellow Black Mainers could have achieved and contributed if they had been able to thrive and prosper in a truly equitable and inclusive Maine culture and economy?  

Efforts to build and sustain such a culture and economy continue to this day, and require ongoing broad, deep, and long-term systemic change. The independent, non-partisan Maine Economic Growth Council, which MDF staffs and works with to produce the annual Measures of Growth Report, strongly believes that Maine will need the contributions of every resident to achieve a vibrant, sustainable economy. Increasing prosperity is not true progress unless it is equitably shared.  

For example, as highlighted in the 2023 Measures of Growth Report, in 2017-2021, the average incomes of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and Latino or Hispanic Mainers rose 3% but remained 31% below those of White Mainers, dramatically short of full equity.  

This stark racial/ethnic income disparity is similar to that found in New England and the United States. To counter it, Maine must improve access to training and education for residents of color, better support their communities and businesses, and address cultural biases and systemic disadvantages.  

To dig into the data and how it intersects with Maine’s economy as a whole, click here for our Measures of Growth Report, and here for Racial Income Equity specifically.

Old Town Joins Maine Downtown Center Affiliate Program 

OLD TOWN, Maine – February 12, 2024  MDF’s Maine Downtown Center (MDC) is pleased to announce that a new community is joining its Maine Downtown Center Affiliate Program. The Downtown Old Town Committee went through an extensive application process including an online application, a site visit, an interview with professional downtown revitalization experts, and a written commitment to the program. 

“The Downtown Old Town Committee is very excited,” says EJ Roach, Director of Economic & Community Development for the City of Old Town. “This partnership will help us strengthen our economic infrastructure, attract more investment and new businesses into our community, and bring more visitors to Downtown Old Town.”  

With the addition of Old Town, The Maine Downtown Center Affiliate Program currently supports 27 member communities throughout Maine – 10 Nationally Accredited Main Street Communities, 14 Maine Downtown Affiliate Communities, and 3 Municipal Communities. Some, like Old Town, are in the early stages of downtown revitalization, and many are working toward achieving national “Main Street” accreditation. MDC offers access to training by state and national downtown development experts, best practices in the field, and a network of peers from around the state. 

Old Town already has a long-standing relationship with both MDC and MDF, being one of 10 communities that were part of the FOR Maine Initiative (Forest Opportunity Roadmap) that MDF has led for many years. As part of this initiative, Old Town was one of the communities that opted-in for receiving technical assistance on their downtown initiative. In 2022, MDC supported Old Town’s participation in the Downtown Redevelopment Services’ Revitalization Roadmap process, producing a report of recommendations for their downtown. MDC has already begun working with Downtown Old Town Committee and municipal staff to prioritize work, develop a realistic work plan, and training on the Main Street Four Point Approach laid out by the National Main Street Center.  

“We are excited to have Old Town join the Maine Downtown Center family.  Old Town has amazing assets including the largest riverfront park in any of our communities and an historic downtown library.  “We are eager to work with them on their downtown revitalization journey,” said Anne Ball, Senior Program Director of the Maine Downtown Center.   

Pictured: Downtown Old Town Committee – Front Row (L- R) Jacob Dubay, Laurie Miller, EJ Roach, Angela Thompson, Crystal Schuurman, Scott Benner Second Row (L-R) Cassandra Pool, Catherine Solari, Lisa Gallant, Tim Folster Third Row Nicole Morgan 

Measures of Growth Indicator in Action: Internet Connectivity

Internet Connectivity is one of the 31 key economic indicators featured in the annual Measures of Growth Report. Each month this blog features a story that connects the data to real-life experience and the individuals, organizations, and communities who are helping Maine tackle longstanding issues and capitalize on opportunities.

When you visualize lightning-fast, reliable internet connectivity, you probably think of a hip, open-concept office space in a San Francisco skyscraper, right? Well picture this: as of June, 2023, the 830 internet customers in the rural Maine communities of Baileyville, Calais, Alexander, and Indian Township boast some of the fastest internet connections in the world.

By summer of 2024, 920 homes and businesses stand to join them from the tiny towns of Cooper and Princeton.

It’s a remarkable 21st Century accomplishment achieved with centuries old tried-and-true Maine ingenuity, innovation, and neighbors coming together in the form of the first municipality-owned broadband entity called Downeast Broadband Utility.

The Downeast Broadband Utility (DBU) emerged in 2018 in an effort to provide businesses who were interested in opening up shop in the towns with the necessary reliable fiber broadband, despite two established providers declining to extend their services to the communities.

The communities had an untapped fiber network in place as part of the state’s Three Ring Binder project, a 1,100-mile network of fiber laid throughout rural areas that was completed in 2012. In order to connect every household and enable providers to offer high-speed internet at no additional network expense, the two municipalities banded together and committed $2.5 million. Local service provider Pioneer Broadband joined the effort and construction began in Baileyville and Calais in 2018, and within 24 months every household had access to a fiber connection. In 2020, nearby Alexander voted to join the DBU, followed by Indian Township in 2021.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to make sure everyone in Maine who wants high-speed internet can have it, and forming a Broadband Utility District can give communities another choice in expanding internet access in a way that works best for them.”

Andrew Butcher, president of the Maine Connectivity Authority

By reconceiving internet as a public utility,  these municipalities are showing that innovation is as much about mentality as technology. Through creative collaboration, they have connected themselves to the internet, the world, and opportunity.

Municipalities across the state including Baring, Eastport, Pleasant Point, Perry, Charlotte, Meddybemps, Pembroke, Whiting and Lubec are exploring the model, as are some from as far away as Texas. Downeast Broadband Utility will provide the paperwork required to establish a similar municipal broadband utility for free.

You can watch Tim McAfee, CEO of Pinoeer Broadband, tell the story of how Downeast Broadband and it continued growth through community collaboration by clicking the video image to the right or clicking here.

To dig into the data and how it intersects with Maine’s economy as a whole, click here for our Measures of Growth Report, and here for Internet Connectivity specifically.