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V O L . X X I X N O. I I I F E B R UA R Y 6 , 2 0 2 3 10 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E Ellsworth businesses eligible for grants A round of $1,000 mini-grants will go to emerging entrepreneurs and small business owners in Ellsworth. Eleven mini-grants will be available for start-up or expansion projects to help entrepre- neurs and support economic opportuni- ties. A local nonprofit called Heart of Ellsworth partnered with six community banks – Bangor Federal Credit Union, First National Bank, Franklin Savings Bank, Machias Savings Bank, Camden National Bank and Bar Harbor Bank & Trust — to launch the third rendition of the Downtown Grants Program. Affordable housing the focus of midcoast effort Maine organizations are using a unique model to set aside affordable rural housing in the first use of the state's affordable housing tax credit. A col- laboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture has acquired 28 affordable homes, creating a long-sought-after model for Maine and other states to reduce the looming loss in rural areas of thousands of federally subsidized afford- able apartments. Led by Brunswick- based Genesis Community Loan Fund, the model preserves affordable rental housing by transferring USDA Rural Development properties from private to nonprofit ownership. e Genesis Fund made loans to VOA Northern New England to purchase and renovate the properties. In the first use of the model, Volunteers of America of Northern New England became the new owner of two properties on 3 and 9 Pine and 63 Water streets in omaston that contain more than two dozen apartments. $500K toward broadband for Passamaquoddy Tribe e Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point, in Washington County, will receive $500,000 in federal funding for a project to boost affordable broadband access for 243 tribal households and community institutions. e investment is being made through the National Telecommunications & Information Administration's Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, which was funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law. e tribal program offers grants to eligible Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian entities for high-speed internet deployment, digital inclusion, workforce development, tele- health and distance learning. Maine's Passamaquoddy Tribe plans to put the money to use to create a Broadband Use and Adoption project aimed at fostering digital inclusion, distance learning and telehealth and telework programs for tribal members. N O T E W O R T H Y M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T The Maine Community Foundation in Ellsworth awarded 23 Greater Portland nonprofits a total $133,055 in grants through its Rines Thompson Fund. The city of Ellsworth announced that it was awarded $1.8 million of Congressionally-Directed Spending to fund upgrades to the High Street Wastewater Pump Station. Broadband access to expand Projects to expand broadband access in 31 rural communities across Maine will receive $34 million in funding, the Maine Connectivity Authority announced. e 12 Connect the Ready grants are the single largest investment in Maine's broadband infrastructure to date and will provide high-speed wireless connectivity to more than 16,000 homes and businesses. One of the dozen projects approved for fund- ing, by the town of Skowhegan in collaboration with Consolidated Communications, will receive $8.8 million. e project also covers por- tions of Madison, Cornville and Canaan. A total of 29 grant applica- tions seeking more than $102 million in funding were evaluated for the latest funding round. e competi- tive grants program was set up to encourage proactive partnerships and collaborative efforts to design, fund and build broadband infra- structure projects in eligible areas. N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N Ferris BBQ opened at 79 Parsons St. in Presque Isle. Whether you're starting your first job or retiring from your last, we understand that every financial situation is different ... just like the people we serve. WE'RE A BANK FOR EVERYONE. www.KennebecSavings.Bank We invite you to experience the difference. M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N

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