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Our mission is to be the catalyst that ignites Connecticut's Main Streets as the cornerstone of thriving communities.
#MainStMeansFamily
To us, Main Street is a family - whether that's seeing our friends and neighbors in our own downtowns; or the many Main Street member communities and colleagues who help us create dynamic places; or our wonderful sponsors, whose support enables us to provide the education, training and advocacy that benefits all of Connecticut's downtowns. This month we celebrate that family as we say goodbye to a friend, thank our sponsors, and toast our vibrant main streets at our 2017 Awards of Excellence Celebration. Like family, we're there for each other, and we're there for CT's downtowns.  
 
CMSC Mourns Passing of Board Member Naveed Sobhan  
It
is with tremendous sadness that we share the passing of CMSC Board member Naveed Sobhan. Naveed was Director of Mortgage Lending for the Hartford Community Loan Fund, and a thoughtful, active member of the CMSC board. More than this, he was quite simply a lovely, warm and generous person, and we're very glad of the time we were able to call him colleague and friend. Naveed is survived by his wife and adult son, and will be missed by all of us at CMSC.
CMSC Receives $30,000 Grant from UIL Holdings 
CMSC
is thrilled to announce we received a $30,000 grant from
UIL Holdings, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. The 2017 Economic Development grant will support CMSC's broad range of programs, including our expanded Come Home to Downtown initiative, focusing on providing catalytic change to a small district in select communities.
 
As a Growth Sponsor, UIL has a long history of supporting CMSC and Connecticut's downtowns, helping to enable economic growth that creates prosperous and dynamic communities. We are extremely grateful to UIL Holdings/AVANGRID  for their generous and ongoing support.
Main Street America Recognizes 3 CT Main Streets 

Main Street America announced three Connecticut Main Street programs received national accreditation, demonstrating an exemplary commitment to historic preservation and community revitalization through the Main Street Four Point Approach®. The CT Main Street programs earning accreditation for their 2016 performance are : Simsbury Main Street Partnership ,   Upper Albany Main Street (Hartford) , and   Main Street Waterbury.
Each of these well-established programs have histories of strong and dynamic leadership and have developed outstanding programs that increase the economic value of their districts while improving the quality of life for area residents.

CMSC 2017 Awards of Excellence Celebration 
 
There's still time to register for our 2017 CT Main Street Awards of Excellence on May 18th. This year's event takes place at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Governor Malloy will make opening remarks as we celebrate Connecticut's Vibrant Main Streets including Bridgeport, Farmington, Hartford, Meriden, New Britain, New Haven, and all the towns of the Northwest Hills Council of Governments.

Click here for more information and to register. 
Re-Mains of the Day
 
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Creative Communities Exchange (CCX 2017) Coming to New London in June 
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The New England Foundation for the Arts has opened registration for CCX 2017 - the Creative Communities Exchange. CCX is a biennial event that rotates among different New England communities, serving as bridge between the creative sector and community development.
This
 
year's conference takes place in June in New London and is hosted locally by the Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition. The Conference will feature creative economy sessions focused on long-range projects that foster economic development through the arts.  Register today. 
Spotlight on Community Foundations 
 
Community Foundations throughout Connecticut connect nonprofit organizations with resources they need to grow and thrive. Many of these community foundations have extensive nonprofit support programs, as well as free workshops, technical assistance grants, and much more.

CMSC encourages local community organizations to get to know their Community Foundation. 
  
This month we profile the Community Foundation of Eastern ConnecticutWith a service area of 42 towns, the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut is geographically the largest in the state. For 33 years the Community Foundation has awarded more than $38 million to local nonprofit agencies and student scholarship recipients. Charitable individuals, families and organizations have given more than $77 million and set up 457 individual funds. The Foundation's assets stand over the $67 million mark.
  
Connecticut Main Street Center
860-280-2337