Newsletter
SHS Alumni Association Parade Fundraiser
Raffle Ticket Suggested Donation is $5 each.
Prizes include:
(1) $500 Winner
(1) $300 Winner
(1) $200 Winner
(10) $50 Winners
Drawing will be held at the September 16, 2020 SHS Alumni Meeting.
To purchase tickets please call (603) 542-8987 or (603) 504-5702
Sullivan County Delegation's FY21 County Convention
The  Sullivan County Delegations’ FY21 County Convention  will take place on  Monday, June 29, 2020, 6:00 p.m . at the Sullivan County Administration Building, 14 Main Street - 3rd Floor Probate Courtroom, Newport, NH, 03773.

This meeting will also be held via Zoom. Limited seating is available (8-10 chairs) and we encourage the general public to join the Zoom webinar. You may access the conference using:

Zoom Phone: 1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 922 2142 0396
Password: 450681

The Tel# & Access code are also on the notice at the above link.

We will also be live streaming this through the Sullivan County New Hampshire Government Facebook page.

Click here for any meeting agenda and corresponding documents available.

Feel free to contact our office at 863-2560 or via email at  commissioners@sullivancountynh.gov  for help accessing any documents or joining the virtual meeting.
News from Vital Communities
Pick Your Own is Open!
Pick Your Own strawberry farms opened this past weekend. Get out there and pick the delish! There is nothing like ripe berries. So good. And Pick Your Own keeps the farms that feed us in business. If you are healthy, have cash flow, and are okay with the guidelines, you can impact local business success by picking berries and/or future PYO crops. A win-win.  Here  are the details on new guidelines for Pick Your Own in both states.
Handling Pandemic Stress and Conflict
One worrying aspect of living with the pandemic is interacting with people outside your "family pool," whether in public places or at work. How do you manage the stress and conflict that can arise when sharing space with people who might not share your sense of risk or caution? That's the topic for a free Vital Communities webinar, “Well-Being in the Workplace: Managing Stress & De-escalating Conflict,” on Wednesday, July 1, 2-3:30 pm.  The event features M. Chase Levesque,  Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine, and Jessica Geiben Lynn, Senior Organizational Effectiveness Consultant, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, exploring how stress impacts our work, what we can do about it, and what tools help us recognize and defuse tense situations. Get useful tips for all kinds of social interactions, at work or elsewhere. Find Zoom instructions  here . Share your pre-forum questions with  denise@vitalcommunities.org .
Pandemic Small Business Navigator
Do you or your business need help navigating these extraordinary times? Pandemic Small Business Navigator services have been added at Vital Communities and the Grafton Regional Development Corporation. Navigators are available to listen, discuss decisions and identify resources necessary to meet the challenges facing the current economy. This free service is available through the end of June and all small businesses in the greater Upper Valley area are eligible ( this includes Claremont! ).

At Vital Communities Denise Anderson brings 31 years of experience in business law and advising as well as expertise in assisting restaurants, childcare centers and non-profit organizations. At Grafton RDC services are provided in partnership with the Upper Valley Business Alliance. If you have questions or would like to set up a consultation, contact Denise Anderson at denise@vitalcommunities.org , 917-683-8823, or Tracy Hutchins at tracy@uppervalleybusinessalliance.com , 603-448-1203.  
Hero & Leader: Nicole Coleman
To make up for COVID-19-caused cancelation of our ninth annual "Heroes and Leaders" program, we're catching up with some past recipients. Nicole Coleman, Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Senior Community Health Partnership Coordinator, was a 2017 "Young Hero." This spring she served on the communications team for  Upper Valley Strong , a key player in the Upper Valley’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. She wrote: “It has been incredibly rewarding. Working with an amazing group of volunteers, we completely redid the uvstrong.org website and now have a library of resources and tools available to help support our communities during this challenging time. It’s been amazing to see so many people and organizations come together to support the Upper Valley.”
Virtual Town Hall on Racial Justice
Join Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility for a  Virtual Town Hall on Racial Justice  on Wednesday, July 1, 11 am to noon. Vermont Tabitha Pohl-Moore, President, Rutland Area NAACP; Xusana Davis, Executive Director of Racial Equity, State of Vermont (pictured); and Sherwood Smith, Ed. D., Senior Executive Director for Diversity & Engagement and Director of the Center for Cultural Pluralism, University of Vermont will share insights gained from working on equity and justice issues in Vermont. Moderated by VSBR board member Rae Carter, Founder of EmpowR. 
Resources!
Paying the rent:  New Hampshire households with reduced income or increased expenses may be eligible for rent assistance as part of the federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund. Information can be found  here  and applications obtained  here .

Share your experiences with ...
  • The Mascoma River Greenway mixed-use trail, to help trail partners better meet people's needs and preferences. Don’t use the trail? They still want to hear from you. Please take this survey. 
  • Changes to your commuting due to COVID-19, to help transportation providers, policy makers, and employers ensure a safe and reliable return to the work site or continuance of telecommuting. Please take this survey. 
The Local Crowd (TLC) 4WARD Launch
All local businesses are essential! Our small businesses make the Upper Valley unique, and many are struggling. TLC 4WARD is a local way to pay it forward and give them financial support so they can make it through this emergency. Visit the newly launched  TLC 4WARD  Upper Valley pages and give to the businesses and organizations you love with one easy and secure checkout. Businesses are joining every day, so bookmark  TLC 4WARD  and give what you can to keep your favorite businesses in business. Local businesses interested in joining can learn more  here .
Come On In Verizon is Open!
153 Washington St. Claremont, NH
(603) 542-9811
Monday – Saturday: 9:00am-7:00pm
Sunday: 10:00am-5:00pm
The Greater Sullivan County Community Relief Fund Continues to Accept Requests
The Funding Steering Committee is still accepting requests for non-profits to access community relief funds. As the current state continues to evolve, the Committee wants to ensure that any non-profit organization in need assistance due to COVID-19 is able to apply for these funds.

We are asking partners to begin to anticipate their needs during the recovery phase of COVID-19.  Click here  to access the request form if your agencies has unmet needs of any kind, current or anticipated. Please reach out to  GSCPHN@hitchcock.org  with questions. 

More about the Community Relief Fund 

Click here  for a list of agencies who have been funded.  

Our most recent press release can he found   here .
   
A huge thank you to Sullivan County government, Region 1 IDN and our new partner Sullivan County United Way for their work on this project! 
Sullivan County Transportation Survey
Sullivan County Transportation is conducting a survey on where you'd like to see bus stops in Lebanon, what times of day should runs take place and if you'd be more likely to depart from Newport or Claremont. Share your thoughts online here.
News from the U.S. Small Business Administration
SBA and Treasury Announce New EZ and Revised Full Forgiveness Applications for the Paycheck Protection Program
The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Department of the Treasury, posted a revised, borrower-friendly Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness application implementing the PPP Flexibility Act of 2020, signed into law by President Trump on June 5, 2020. In addition to revising the full forgiveness application, SBA also published a new EZ version of the forgiveness application that applies to borrowers that:
  • Are self-employed and have no employees; OR
  • Did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25%, and did not reduce the number or hours of their employees; OR
  • Experienced reductions in business activity as a result of health directives related to COVID-19, and did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25%.

Join us Wednesday Mornings at 9 for our Weekly Update
The SBA has programs and services that help small business owners start, grow, expand and recover.  Join us to get the latest updates and learn how to access these technical and financial resources that can assist you in all phases of business ownership. We will also highlight any training opportunities that will be coming up from our office and our resource partners.
Every Wednesday at 9am
To join the webinar:
+1 202-765-1264  United States, Washington DC (Toll)
Conference ID: 120 391 006#

July is Sizzling with Learning Opportunities!
SBA Reopens Disaster Loan Program to all Businesses
WASHINGTON – To further meet the needs of U.S. small businesses and non-profits, the U.S. Small Business Administration reopened the  Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance program portal  to all eligible applicants experiencing economic impacts due to COVID-19 today.

“The SBA is strongly committed to working around the clock, providing dedicated emergency assistance to the small businesses and non-profits that are facing economic disruption due to the COVID-19 impact. With the reopening of the EIDL assistance and EIDL Advance application portal to all new applicants, additional small businesses and non-profits will be able to receive these long-term, low interest loans and emergency grants – reducing the economic impacts for their businesses, employees and communities they support,” said SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. “Since EIDL assistance due to the pandemic first became available to small businesses located in every state and territory, SBA has worked to provide the greatest amount of emergency economic relief possible. To meet the unprecedented need, the SBA has made numerous improvements to the application and loan closing process, including deploying new technology and automated tools.”

 SBA’s EIDL program offers long-term, low interest assistance for a small business or non-profit. These loans can provide vital economic support to help alleviate temporary loss of revenue. EIDL assistance can be used to cover payroll and inventory, pay debt or fund other expenses. Additionally, the EIDL Advance will provide up to $10,000 ($1,000 per employee) of emergency economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing temporary difficulties, and these emergency grants do not have to be repaid.

SBA’s COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance
  • The SBA is offering low interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses and non-profit organizations that are suffering substantial economic injury as a result of COVID-19 in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories.
  • These loans may be used to pay debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact, and that are not already covered by a Paycheck Protection Program loan. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%.
  • To keep payments affordable for small businesses, SBA offers loans with long repayment terms, up to a maximum of 30 years. Plus, the first payment is deferred for one year.
  • In addition, small businesses and non-profits may request, as part of their loan application, an EIDL Advance of up to $10,000. The EIDL Advance is designed to provide emergency economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. This advance will not have to be repaid, and small businesses may receive an advance even if they are not approved for a loan.
  • SBA’s EIDL and EIDL Advance are just one piece of the expanded focus of the federal government’s coordinated response.
  • The SBA is also assisting small businesses and non-profits with access to the federal forgivable loan program, the Paycheck Protection Program, which is currently accepting applications until June 30, 2020.

For additional information, please visit the SBA disaster assistance website at  SBA.gov/Disaster . Local small businesses with questions about EIDL or any other SBA program should email  NewHampshire_DO@sba.gov

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