Maine college invests in once-struggling mill town, hoping rising tide will lift both

Bringing trees back to Main Street is not a novel idea, but the ongoing revitalization of this former mill city goes far beyond plantings and sidewalk beautification. It's one small, aesthetic piece of a broad and ambitious plan, driven largely by Colby, to restore vitality and good jobs to a small city that had lost much of both over the decades. And for the private college, which often seemed further removed than the two miles to downtown, it's a chance to give back to the city for the benefit of both, Greene said.