Greater Franklin Economic and Community Development

10/12/2026

10/12/2026

Great community event, and fantastic job on the website Franklin County Co-Working!

Eight doors. Eight artists. One free guided evening, and 100% of auction proceeds for shelter animals.

10/11/2026

10/09/2026

Great big thanks to everyone who braved a chilly October evening to join the conversation at our Outdoor Rec Marketing Meetup at Titcomb Mountain on Monday, and to Freedom's Kitchen & Bar food truck for serving up hot c***r and delicious chili and sandwiches.

Before the gathering we biked the gorgeous, rugged trails and didn’t see a soul out there. During the meetup an avid biker said she had never been on the Maine Huts & Trails network. It’s clear that we have amazing, underused outdoor rec assets here in Franklin County. We need to do a better job helping people discover what's already here, including people who live here! Fantastic discussion around getting our communities outdoors, access to gear, how to attract visitors in the off-season, how outdoor recreation brings people to our region but it’s the community that gets people to stay.

Lessons learned:

1. Host roundtable discussions indoors no matter how beautiful an October sunset over Maine’s Friendliest Mountain may be.

2. Don’t drive around with a canoe on your car when the winds are whipping. Jeff McCabe, we’re looking at you.

3. Maine Huts & Trails' most popular photo of the summer featured an invasion of lakeside crocs.

4. Rafting companies should promote May - June trips to Europeans who don’t know about bug season.

5. Snacks are the most important part of outdoor recreation, but the term “Adventure Grazers” is not about eating.

6. Community banks really want to support their communities. Representatives from Franklin Savings Bank, Skowhegan Savings Bank, and TD North showed up.

7. When UMF professors net $634,000 to study snowpack and collaborate with our neighboring states, they show us that marketing aka storytelling sparks the research that feeds the data we all depend on to develop our outdoor recreation assets.

Most importantly, good marketing starts with a conversation… while jumping up and down to keep your feet warm.

10/09/2026

Get to know Maine's business community through Mainebiz! Their storytelling should win global awards if it hasn't already. A phenomenal publication that is also very Maine.

🎉 Subscriber Appreciation Week continues!

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Every current Mainebiz subscriber is automatically entered to win today’s prize.

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10/09/2026

In memory of our former co-owner, Rob Miller (Sparky), we donate and match a portion of the sales price for each pound we sell of Sparky's Blend. We choose organizations that honor Sparky's Memory by benefitting children, or helping people get outside. Learn more about Sparky's Blend: https://shop.carrabassettcoffee.com/products/sparkys-blend

10/08/2026

Thank you to the Maine Connectivity Authority for this well-deserved recognition for Tyler Smith-Provencher Greater Franklin!

"His work continues to evolve and expand: from developing formal partnerships that establish Greater Franklin & RSU 73 Spruce Mountain Adult and Community Education as a go-to provider, to connecting and supporting people in active recovery with reliable devices to navigate online job boards, bringing critical conversations about safe social media usage and identifying scams to SeniorsPlus, and digital well-being into local school districts -- his outreach has been nothing short of impressive."

Our next Digital Opportunity Star is Tyler Provencher! Thank you for all that you do for people in Maine, Tyler.

"Tyler has transformed digital literacy from a stand-alone service embedded in our adult education services into a trusted community resource reaching people all across greater Franklin County. Over the past three years, he has built strong partnerships with schools and community organizations to bring digital skills training, one-to-one technology support, device access, and healthy discussions around hot-button topics directly to the people who need and want it most. His work continues to evolve and expand: from developing formal partnerships that establish Greater Franklin/Spruce Mountain as a go-to digital literacy provider, to connecting and supporting people in active recovery with reliable devices to navigate online job boards, bringing critical conversations about safe social media usage and identifying scams to SeniorsPlus, and digital well-being into local school districts -- his outreach has been nothing short of impressive. What makes Tyler exceptional is his ability to recognize a barrier and then build practical, sustainable solutions around it, often times tapping into county-wide partners who are excited to problem-solve with him for the benefit of greater Franklin County residents who are better served with access and know-how around technology. Tyler is not simply teaching people how to connect to the internet; he is building confidence in adult learners and establishing meaningful relationships that incorporate responsible digital citizenship in rural Maine."

10/07/2026

This webinar will feature three organizations supporting downtown business development in the Northern Forest. They’ll discuss different models for business support and share examples of how their work has helped businesses and communities grow.