Micheline sells MAIN 26.86: Erika, 29, graduated from the Maine College of Art with a focus on furniture design.

Charles, 32, studied brewing in his father's home country. We found commonalities such as buildings in disrepair with absentee landlords, historic buildings in need of money for a facelift, complaints about parking and the like. Gardiner and Waterville are Main Street Maine communities and Norway is in the network. She adds that in 2016 the Main Street movement will start to measure and track economic development such as the total amount of physical structures that were improved and the net gain in jobs. That includes adding attractive street signs and holding events, like the Swine & Stein Oktoberfest in Gardiner, explains Lorain Francis, senior program director and state coordinator for the National Main Street Center.


Terese:
There are 10 Main Street Maine communities, each registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and with a paid officer like Olsen.

Nicki:
One of the more pervasive movements is the National Main Street Center, which started in 1980. Its organizing framework is used in more than 2,200 communities in 44 states.

Lydia:
It aims to attract retirees into towns, to keep young people from leaving and to bring people Mainers who moved away.

Shaun:
The revitalization movement runs across all economic classes and ages.

Lucy:
Olsen also has worked on redevelopment projects in Millinocket and Skowhegan.

Wei:
In Maine, it runs under the Maine Development Foundation.

Laticia:
In places like Norway, Gardiner and Waterville, many of those buildings are historic and could be tourist attractions.

Mellissa:
The trend is starting to reverse, buoyed by local, state and federal programs offering know-how and helping with private and public fund-raising to restore or repurpose empty or neglected buildings.

Florence:
Stores closed, empty buildings decayed and many downtowns became mere thoroughfares rather than destinations.

Whitney:
Figures from 2010 unless otherwise noted.

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