Downtown Bridgeport Awarded $5,000 CT Main Street Center Accelerator Grant

BRIDGEPORT, CT – AUGUST 12, 2025 – The Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District (DSSD) was recently awarded a $5,000 CT Main Street Accelerator Grant from CT Main Street Center (CMSC). The award was made at the conclusion of the Bridgeport DSSD’s participation in CMSC’s signature downtown leadership program. During the virtual, six-month Main Street Accelerator program, the Bridgeport DSSD collaborated with Groundwork Bridgeport, the City of Bridgeport’s Office of Planning & Economic Development, and the Bridgeport Arts + Cultural Council to apply the insights gained from the program to develop the concept for the Arcade Food Hall, an entrepreneurial ecosystem for food businesses housed in a beautifully restored historic structure located at the heart of the neighborhood. 

The Main Street Accelerator grant will help the Bridgeport DSSD and its partners to host a temporary food hall activation in the Arcade Mall, paired with a food entrepreneur resource event, with the goal of completing a market analysis and business plan to present to large-scale funders that can support the fit out the historic Arcade Mall’s ground floor for the purpose of a fresh produce market and food hall. This critical funding allows the Bridgeport DSSD to gain insights and demonstrate the viability of establishing a market and food hall that will serve Downtown Bridgeport’s growing residential population. 

“The Main Street Accelerator program is designed to inspire and empower collaborations that have high impact for downtowns, such as the plans being developed for the Arcade Mall,” said Michelle McCabe, CMSC’s Executive Director. “We applaud the Bridgeport DSSD and the team for taking their aspirations to the next level, first by undertaking the Accelerator program, and now by implementing their ideas into action. We look forward to seeing the Arcade Food Hall come to fruition and contributing to the downtown’s refreshed spirit.”

Bridgeport DSSD President + CEO Lauren Coakley Vincent said that “The Bridgeport DSSD is honored to be selected for the Main Street Accelerator grant. This funding will build on the skills we gained during the leadership development program component to continue our work adding vibrancy to our friendly, eclectic business and residential community. The Accelerator grant allows us to establish and grow a destination to taste and experience the creativity of local entrepreneurs, welcome visitors, and encourage people to explore the neighborhood we know and love.”

Downtown Bridgeport was one of four communities, including Bethel, East Hartford, and Enfield, that were chosen for the Main Street Accelerator program. The Main Street Accelerator program and grants are supported by Webster Bank.

ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG LAUNCHES OPERATION ROBOCALL ROUNDUP, ISSUES WARNING LETTERS TO 37 TELECOM COMPANIES

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today announced the launch of Operation Robocall Roundup, a multistate effort by the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force to crack down on robocalls across the country. Attorney General Tong and 50 bipartisan attorneys general are sending warning letters to 37 voice providers demanding that they act now to stop illegal robocalls being routed through their networks. 

“Robocalls aren’t just annoying, they are a primary pathway for scammers to steal information and inflict serious financial harm. We are cracking down on the country’s worst scam enablers with the full weight of 50 attorneys general across the nation. If you receive a call or a text from someone you do not recognize, do not answer, do not engage, and report it to us,” said Attorney General Tong.

Help bolster investigations in Connecticut by reporting your robocalls to www.ct.gov/agcomplaints. Connecticut’s website complaint intake is enabled to gather robocall-specific complaint data.

These providers haven’t complied with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules about responding to government traceback requests, haven’t registered in the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Databases, or haven’t filed a plan that describes how they will reduce illegal robocalls on their network. By disregarding these simple rules, these companies are allowing robocallers onto their phone networks and then passing their calls on to other downstream providers until they reach the phones of Connecticut residents.

The task force is also sending the letters to 99 downstream providers that accept call traffic from the 37 companies, so that they know they’re doing business with bad actors that are not willing to follow the rules that apply to everyone equally. 

The FCC is also taking a close look at several of these companies. It announced yesterday that it will be removing seven of these providers from the Robocall Mitigation Database, which means that other providers will no longer be allowed to accept and route any calls from their networks.  

The voice service providers receiving warning letters are:

1.           Advantage Investors LLC

2.           Alpha Stream

3.           Ananya Traders LLC

4.           Ariyan Khan

5.           BBT Voice Private Limited

6.           Belthrough

7.           BPO VoIP

8.           Collection 3 LLC

9.           Communications and Telephone Systems Co.

10.        Dial Vista Corp.

11.        DigitalOcean, LLC

12.        Dtel Network LLC

13.        End Zone Financial Services

14.        EON Telecom Inc.

15.        Family Communication Inc.

16.        Fiber Flux VOIP

17.        First Tele Communications Inc.

18.        Flow VOIP LLC

19.        Globe Tech Solutions

20.        Higher Response Marketing, Inc.

21.        HK KwaiFong Group Limited

22.        Infinity SIP LLC

23.        Lexico Telecom LTD / Lextel LTD

24.        Mexico IP Phones LLC

25.        Nexusphere VOIP LLC

26.        Pleedex LLC

27.        Quantum Link VOIP LLC

28.        Ringnition

29.        SK Teleco LLC

30.        SkyPulse VOIP

31.        Stacy Newsome LNCC LCC

32.        Telnextrix LLC

33.        Terra Voip

34.        TheVisionConnect

35.        Tiera Enterprises LLC

36.        Voip Torque

37.        Whisl Telecom, LLC / Telconus / Telcon US / Telcon Voice

In 2022, 51 attorneys general joined forces to create the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force, which is led by North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. The Task Force investigates and takes legal action against companies responsible for significant volumes of illegal and fraudulent robocall traffic routed into and across the United States.

GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCES CONNECTICUT’S 2025 SALES TAX-FREE WEEK RUNS FROM AUGUST 17 TO 23

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that Connecticut will hold its annual Sales Tax-Free Week from Sunday, August 17, through Saturday, August 23, 2025.

During this weeklong sales tax holiday, retail purchases of most clothing and footwear items priced under $100 are exempt from the Connecticut sales tax. The exemption applies to each eligible item costing under $100, even if those items are purchased in the same transaction.

“Our annual sales tax holiday gives Connecticut consumers some extra savings during the busy back-to-school retail season,” Governor Lamont said. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of these savings and, as always, support our many locally-owned small businesses.”

“As students are preparing to head back to the classroom, Sales Tax-Free Week is the perfect time for parents and families to stock up on necessary clothing and other essentials, while saving money,” Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said. “These savings offer a great reason to shop locally, where every dollar spent supports our neighborhoods and communities.”

“This is a great opportunity to stock up on all those items you’ll need for the back-to-school season,” Connecticut Department of Revenue Services Commissioner Mark Boughton said. “We encourage everyone to take advantage of these savings and shop local.”

For detailed information on Sales Tax-Free Week, including a list of individual items that are exempt or taxable, visit portal.ct.gov/drs/sales-tax/sales-tax-free-week.

Mayor Ganim and The City of Bridgeport Emergency Operations Activate Cooling Center Protocol from August 11th at 12:00PM to August 14th at 8:00pm

Bridgeport, CT – The Bridgeport EOC in conjunction with Mayor Ganim advises all residents to take caution and seek refuge in cooling centers during normal business hours. Residents may utilize any of the locations listed below to seek shelter during periods of heat and increased health risk for those who have asthma. Residents are encouraged to stay hydrated and avoid strenuous activity during the heat. Homeless communities may also visit shelters to seek refuge during the air quality advisory by calling 211.

The Director of the Bridgeport Health and Social Services Department, Dr. Elizabeth Rivera-Rodriguez, is providing tips on how to stay safe during the upcoming rise in temperatures. “We are encouraging our seniors and most vulnerable populations to take care of themselves during this period of extreme heat by following these tips:

  1. Try to stay indoors where there are air-conditioners as much as possible.  Keep shades and/or curtains closed.
  2. If your living space is hot, try to spend time in an air-conditioned building such as a cooling center, shopping mall, senior center, library, or friend’s home.
  3. Limit the use of the oven or cooking.
  4. Wear loose, lightweight, and light-colored clothing.
  5. Take cool showers or baths to cool down.
  6. Limit your time outdoors especially if you are doing strenuous activities, for example, gardening or cutting the lawn.
  7. Stay well hydrated and limit coffee intake.
  8. Family and friends should frequently check on the elderly and vulnerable during the extreme heat conditions.”

Cooling Centers:

Senior Centers (Open weekdays only)

  • Black Rock Senior Center – 2676 Fairfield Avenue, (8:00am- 3:00pm)
  • East Side Senior Center – 268 Putnam Street (8:00am- 3:00pm)
  • Eisenhower Senior Center – 307 Golden Hill Street, (8:00am-3:00pm)
  • Veterans Affairs Center – 20 Thorme Street, (9:00am- 4:30pm)

GBT Station

  • 710 Water Street, Mon- Fri (9:00am- 9:00pm)

Bridgeport Public Library Branches

  • Main Branch – 925 Broad Street, Mon & Tues (10:00am- 6:00pm), Wed & Thurs (12:00pm- 8:00pm), Fri & Sat (10:00am- 5:00pm). Sunday (Closed).
  • Black Rock Branch – 2705 Fairfield Avenue, Mon & Wed (10:00am- 6:00pm), Tues & Thurs (12:00pm- 8:00pm), Fri & Sat (10:00am- 5:00pm). Sunday (Closed).
  • Newfield Branch – 755 Central Avenue, Mon & Tues (10:00am- 6:00pm), Wed & Thurs (12:00pm- 8:00pm), Fri & Sat (10:00am- 5:00pm). Sunday (Closed).
  • North Branch – 3455 Madison Avenue, Mon & Wed (10:00am- 6:00pm), Tues & Thurs (12:00pm- 8:00pm), Fri & Sat (10:00am- 5:00pm) Sunday (Closed).
  • Beardsley Branch – 2534 East Main Street, Mon & Wed (10:00am- 6:00pm), Tues (12:00pm- 8:00pm), Thurs (10:00am- 8:00pm), Fri & Sat (10:00am- 5:00pm) Sunday (Closed).
  • East Side Branch – Temporarily closed for construction.
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