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A total of 25 communities or community-based groups will share a pot of $36,000 in grant money that aims to spurce up Lehigh Valley Main Streets. The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce's nonprofit Main Street Foundation is scheduled to announce the award recipients Wednesday evening during a reception at the Hotel Bethlehem for community officials and benefactors. Lorie Reinert, the Chamber Foundation's executive director, said the goal of the program is to beautify communities' main streets or nearby neighborhoods, with such projects as façade and sidewalk improvements. "A lot of it is the farmers markets — planting flowers, bike racks, lighting projects, benches, chairs, a gazebo," said Reinert. "We like to fund things that are very visible and longlasting." Communities that apply for grants must raise matching funds and complete projects before the Chamber releases money, Reinert said. Starting its 10th year, the Chamber Foundation has supported 214 projects totaling $7.1 million, leveraged with $360,000 in contributions from individuals and area businesses. To learn more and apply for a grant, visit lehighvalleychamber.org, and click on "community." The Main Street project originated as the Citizens Christmas Committee in Bethlehem in 1985, when the Bethlehem Area Chamber Foundation sold Christmas Seals to fund holiday decorations on Main Street, according to the chamber's website. When the Greater Lehigh Valley chamber merged with the Bethlehem Area chamber, it chose to expand the program's eligibility to all the communities it serves. The Chamber has about 5,000 members in Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties, and Warren County, N.J. The following is the list of grant recipients, with the projects: •Hamilton District Allentown: green space beautification •Palmerton: holiday lighting upgrades •Nazareth: parking lot landscaping project •Lehighton: self-watering flower planters •Lansford Alive: Lansford sign and banner project •Bangor: benches, planters, bike racks •Hellertown: kiosk for town center •Allentown: Rotary Centennial Fountain downtown •Community Action Allentown: café culture on Seventh Street •Carbon County: gateway to Jim Thorpe beautification •Bath Farmers Market: café tables and park benches •Northern Lehigh: Slatington trailhead seating •Emmaus Main Street Partners: parking indicator •Easton: Easton Heritage Day •Alburtis: borough sign •Downtown Bethlehem Association: flowers and greenery •Washington, N.J. Business Improvement District: pole banner replacement •Phillipsburg Heritage Trail: heritage trail signage •Walnutport Canal Association: gazebo in memorial garden •Bath: Monocracy Creek Park landscaping •Macungie: bump out plantings •Lower Saucon Township: community message board •West Easton: benches and bike racks •Blue Mountain Farmers Market, Slatington: signage •Emmaus Public Library: landscape update Read the original article here.