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Tickets available at the Chamber office . 401-245-0750 16 Cutler Street, Suite 102 Warren RI 02885  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paula Martel CENTURY 21 Topsail Realty 401-254-1900 pmartel@c21bristol.com CENTURY 21 Topsail Realty Agent Receives 2021 President’s Producer Award for Commitment to Quality Service and ProductivityBristol, RI (Grassroots Newswire) March 17, 2022 -- Paula Martel, broker of CENTURY 21 Topsail Realty is pleased to announce that in recognition of his outstanding sales production and commitment to quality service, Century 21 Real Estate LLC recently honored Ryan Fonseca, sales associate with CENTURY 21 Topsail Realty with the 2021 CENTURY 21® President’s Producer Award. The annual award is bestowed upon those CENTURY 21 System sales affiliates that earn the CENTURY 21 CENTURION® award and the CENTURY 21 Quality Service Pinnacle Producer award in the same calendar year. The CENTURION Producer award honors CENTURY 21 System sales affiliates that earn $288,000 in sales production or 65 closed transaction sides within the calendar year. To earn the CENTURY 21 Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award, a C21® sales affiliate must receive completed customer surveys for at least 80 percent of their transactions surveyed from January 1 - December 31, with an average survey score of at least 95 percentage or better for two consecutive years. "The power of the CENTURY 21 brand rests on the shoulders of the relentless sales professionals like Ryan Fonseca who always elevate and give 121% to their clients throughout the entire client relationship," said Michael Miedler, president and CEO, Century 21 Real Estate. "So as we celebrate their accomplishments we understand that delivering extraordinary experiences is what homebuyers, sellers and property investors deserve, and they should be demanding from their real estate company and agent of choice." About CENTURY 21 Topsail Realty CENTURY 21 Topsail Realty is an independently owned and operated franchise affiliate of CENTURY 21 Real Estate LLC (century21.com), franchisor of the iconic CENTURY 21® brand. Century 21 Real Estate LLC is comprised of approximately 14,250 independently owned and operated franchised broker offices in 86 countries and territories worldwide with about 153,000 independent sales professionals. Century 21 Real Estate has numerous websites to help answer specific consumer needs. They are www.c21topsail.com, century21.com, century21Global.com, commercial.century21.com, century21.com/finehomes, and century21espanol.com. ©2022 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. CENTURY 21®, the CENTURY 21 Logo and C21® are registered service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. Century 21 Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. ### Thursday, January 6, 2022 12:35 PM
Subject: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Final Rule Good afternoon, Today, Treasury adopted the final rule implementing the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program under the American Rescue Plan. The final rule is the result of extensive dialogue with our stakeholders, including Congressional offices and recipient governments, and will enhance the capacity of state, local, and Tribal governments to meet immediate pandemic response needs and promote longer-term recovery. The State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program provides governments across the country with the resources needed to:
Additional information and background on the final rule is provided below. Treasury invites House and Senate staff to attend an informational session on the final rule on Friday January 7th. You can register for the informational session using the following link. About the Final Rule: The final rule – which takes effect on April 1, 2022 – provides state, local, and Tribal governments with even broader flexibility to pursue a wider range of uses to respond to local public health and economic needs – as well as greater simplicity so they can focus on responding to the needs in their communities and maximizing the impact of their funds. Recipients may find the full text of the final rule on our website with available supporting materials. Prior to April 1, 2022, recipients may take actions and use funds in a manner consistent with the final rule, and Treasury will not take action to enforce the Interim final rule if a use of funds is consistent with the terms of the final rule, regardless of when the SLFRF funds were used. Please see the Statement Regarding Compliance with the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Interim Final Rule and Final Rule for more information. Additional Treasury Resources for Navigating the Final rule: Treasury is committed to working with recipients to help them digest the final rule and effectively maximize their use of funds. Recipients are encouraged to consult the Overview of the Final Rule, which is a user guide that boils the rule text down into an easy-to-understand summary. The Overview of the Final Rule includes a non-exhaustive list of projects that recipients can undertake with these funds without undergoing additional independent analysis. Treasury is hosting webinars with recipients and stakeholders to brief and answer questions about the Final Rule. We encourage Congressional offices to share these links with their local officials. Treasury will also provide a follow up briefing in the coming weeks for interested members of Congress. If Treasury reaches RSVP capacity and you cannot attend a webinar or prefer to be briefed at your convenience, Treasury will post a recording of the webinar hosted on January 7, 2022.
Treasury looks forward to working with recipients to navigate any remaining questions that they may have about the final rule so they can deploy these resources in their communities with confidence. Please email our inbox at slfrp@treasury.gov with your questions and Treasury will respond as soon as possible. Thank you. Jj-- J.J. Ricchetti Special Assistant, Office of Legislative Affairs U.S. Department of the Treasury BRISTOL, RI- On Thursday, November 25th, 2021, the Town of Bristol announced the launch of Propel East Bay RI.
Propel East Bay RI is a new online job board dedicated to promoting work opportunities in Bristol County, Rhode Island. This free-to-use platform is available to local businesses, residents, and students. Users have the ability to create online profiles to search, save, and apply to selected jobs. Businesses have access to a dashboard to manage job postings, create custom applications, and view job listing statistics. Propel East Bay RI was created in collaboration with the Bristol Town Administration, the Bristol-Warren Regional School District (BWRSD), and the East Bay Chamber of Commerce. The initiative also received support from the Town of Warren and the Town of Barrington. "As we continue to deal with impacts of COVID-19 on our local economy, businesses are having a difficult time finding talent to fill job openings," said Chris Vitale, Bristol's Economic Development Coordinator. "The goal of this platform is to help bridge the gap between our local businesses and job seekers and encourage workforce participation." Propel East Bay RI is sponsored in part by the Town of Bristol and BWRSD through a Pell Grant. The job board also offers paid Premium Listings, which give businesses a way to promote immediate openings while supporting the platform's maintenance costs. In addition to listing available full-time, part-time, and seasonal job opportunities, BWRSD is also working with local municipalities to develop an internship program. Students can explore their career interests more in-depth and access opportunities directly through the job board. "As a district, we want to expand access for each student to gain valuable on-the-job experience to develop their skills for whichever career they decide to pursue," said Dr. Nicole Lyons, College and Career Coordinator at Bristol-Warren Regional School District. "The job board will allow the community access to the untapped power of our students and connect students with our local economy." During the development of Propel East Bay RI, students at Mt. Hope High School played an integral role in designing the branding for the platform. "The MHHS Art Department appreciated the opportunity for our graphic design students to work with the Town of Bristol to create the logo for the new Propel East Bay RI job board," said Mt. Hope High School Teacher Lauren Enjeti. "Seniors Chelsea Goodman, Brandon Nelson, Kristiana Cabral, and Logan Justa contributed to the design, with Chelsea Goodman taking the lead on the finished logo." Businesses, residents, and students in the East Bay are encouraged to register for the online job board at propeleastbayri.com. For additional questions, please contact Chris Vitale, Economic Development Coordinator at cvitale@bristolri.gov, or by calling 401-253-7000 ext. 129. ### Release Date: November 19, 2021
Release Number: 21-110 SBA Announces Updated Guidance Regarding Applicant Deadlines for COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program Agency Strongly Encourages Submission of Supplemental Advance Applications by December 10; All Applications Due by December 31 WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced updated guidance for COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program applicants to better serve small business owners in need, while funding remains available. Since its inception, the COVID EIDL program, a federal disaster relief loan designed to better serve and support our small business communities still reeling from the pandemic, especially hard-hit sectors such as restaurants, gyms, and hotels, has approved nearly $300 billion in relief aid. Specifically, the following updated guidance is being provided:
“The COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance programs still have billions of dollars available to help small businesses hard hit by the pandemic. More than 3.8 million businesses employing more than 20 million people have found financial relief through SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans,” said Patrick Kelley, Associate Administrator for SBA’s Office of Capital Access. “Key enhancements have been made to the loan program that will help our nation’s businesses recover and get back on track.” In September, Administrator Guzman announced major enhancements to the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Key changes announced included:
How to apply Eligible small businesses, nonprofits, and agricultural businesses in all U.S. states and territories can apply. Visit www.sba.gov/eidl to learn more about eligibility and application requirements. The last day that applications may be received is December 31, 2021. Applications received by December 10 for Supplemental Advance will be processed in the order received and the SBA cannot guarantee processing of all applications by December 31. All applicants should file their applications as soon as possible to allow for processing. For additional information on COVID EIDL and other recovery programs, please visit www.sba.gov/relief. Small business owners may call SBA’s Customer Service Center 1-833-853-5638 (855-440-4960 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov for additional assistance. The center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST. Abbreviated hours will be observed during the Thanksgiving holiday (closed on Thanksgiving Day; open Friday, November 26 – Sunday, November 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST). Multilingual representatives are available. Small business owners may also contact SBA’s Resource Partners by visiting www.sba.gov/local-assistance. Application Process and Fraud Control Enhancements In addition to the policy enhancements, the SBA has invested in optimized processes and increased capacity to improve the customer service experience for applicants. Directed by Administrator Guzman to swiftly and drastically enhance COVID EIDL, the revamped management team implemented new processes and performance management such as prioritizing personnel for COVID EIDL and increasing the average number of application decisions made. The SBA accelerated daily processing of loan increases from close to 2,000 applications to more than 37,000 applications daily. Loan officer productivity also went from 1.86 applications per day to 15 applications per day. As a result of these increased loan review rates, the 600,000+ loan increase backlog has been cleared and new applications are processed immediately. At the same time, and to ensure taxpayer dollars are used to support businesses that need COVID EIDL funding most, the SBA increased fraud controls and is working in collaboration with the SBA Inspector General to closely monitor the program. All business owners that have received previous loans through the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), or Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) may still benefit from COVID EIDL. To learn more about the application process, visit www.sba.gov/eidl. About Economic Injury Disaster Loans In response to COVID-19, small business owners, including agricultural businesses, and nonprofit organizations in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories can apply for the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). The purpose of EIDL is to provide financial assistance for small businesses to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred ### About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. The Rhode Island Small Business Relief Grant Program is now accepting applications. This program provides grants of up to $5,000 for Rhode Island-based small businesses that have suffered financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis through 5 PM on Friday, April 30, 2021. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE For eligibility criteria and to help you prepare to apply, please find additional resources below. Should you have any questions, please email info@commerceri.com. Thank you. Update: Applicants who have received more than $25,000 in grants are now eligible to apply provided they meet all other criteria. Additional Resources: 👉 Prepare to Apply Checklist 👉 Frequently Asked Questions 👉 Information on Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)  Marshall Building & Remodeling is proud to announce that it has earned the home service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award (SSA). This award honors service professionals who have maintained exceptional service ratings and reviews on Angie’s List in 2020.
“Despite the enormous challenges facing our service pros throughout 2020, our Angie’s List Super Service Award winners continued to provide exceptional customer service,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “These outstanding businesses have helped homeowners not only maintain their homes, but also evolve them into safe and comfortable spaces that can handle all the mess of life, work, school and entertainment under one roof. Our homeowners’ consistent positive reviews make it clear: these are the best pros in our network.” Angie’s List Super Service Award 2020 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include maintaining an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade and review period grade. The SSA winners must be in good standing with Angie’s List and undergo additional screening. Service company ratings are updated continually on Angie’s List as new, verified consumer reviews are submitted. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in multiple fields ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality. Marshall Building & Remodeling p: 401.438.1499 a: 152 Forbes St a: Riverside, RI 02915 w: marshallbr.com SBA to Re-Open Paycheck Protection Program to Small Lenders on Friday, January 15 - All Lenders on Tuesday, January 19The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the U.S. Treasury Department, will re-open the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan portal to PPP-eligible lenders with $1 billion or less in assets for First and Second Draw applications on Friday, January 15, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. EST. The portal will fully open on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 to all participating PPP lenders to submit First and Second Draw loan applications to SBA. www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery Earlier in the week, SBA granted dedicated PPP access to Community Financial Institutions (CFIs) which include Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), Certified Development Companies (CDCs), and Microloan Intermediaries as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to reach underserved and minority small businesses. On Friday, SBA will continue its emphasis on reaching smaller lenders and businesses by opening to approximately 5,000 more lenders, including community banks, credit unions, and farm credit institutions. Moreover, the agency also plans to have dedicated service hours for these smaller lenders after the portal fully re-opens next week. First Draw PPP Loans are for those borrowers who have not received a PPP loan before August 8, 2020. The first round of the PPP, which ran from March to August 2020, was a historic success helping 5.2 million small businesses keep 51 million American workers employed. Second Draw PPP Loans are for eligible small businesses with 300 employees or less, that previously received a First Draw PPP Loan and will use or have used the full amount only for authorized uses, and that can demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020. The maximum amount of a Second Draw PPP loan is $2 million. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is dedicated to helping sustain our nation’s small businesses and to supporting their tens of millions of employees. During these unprecedented times brought on by the COVID-19 global pandemic, SBA has worked tirelessly and closely with Congress, with borrowers, and with lenders of all sizes – including regional and community banks, Farm Credit System lenders, credit unions, fintechs, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), and minority depository institutions (MDIs) – to maximize access to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP or Program). SBA is continuing to encourage and support these efforts that have benefitted the smallest businesses and underserved communities. The first round of the PPP supported the employment of 51 million American workers and over 80 percent of small business payroll across all 50 states and territories. More than 87 percent of loans have been for $150,000 or less, with an average loan size of $101,000 – demonstrating the accessibility of the PPP to even the smallest businesses. PPP loans have been broadly distributed across diverse areas of the economy, with 27 percent of the funds going to low- and moderate-income communities, which is in proportion to their percentage of the population. More than 70 percent of PPP loans have been made to businesses with fewer than 10 employees. Over $80 billion, or 15 percent of the total PPP loan amount, has been disbursed to small businesses in rural communities. Small businesses in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones) have received more than $130 billion in PPP funding, accounting for more than 25 percent of all PPP loan dollars. In addition, more than 430 CDFIs and MDIs across the country have made over 221,000 PPP loans for more than $16.4 billion. Building on the success of the first round of PPP, SBA is continuing to address potential barriers to access to capital for minority, underserved, veteran, and women-owned business concerns. In the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Non-Profits, and Venues Act (Economic Aid Act), our partners in Congress have set aside funds for new and smaller borrowers, for borrowers in low- and moderate-income communities, and for community and smaller lenders. These set asides include: • $15 billion across first and second draw PPP loans for lending by community financial institutions; • $15 billion across first and second draw PPP loans for lending by Insured Depository Institutions, Credit Unions, and Farm Credit System Institutions with consolidated assets of less than $10 billion; • $35 billion for new first draw PPP borrowers; and • $15 billion and $25 billion for first draw and second draw PPP loans, respectively, for borrowers with a maximum of 10 employees or for loans less than $250,000 to borrowers in low-or moderate-income neighborhoods. SBA has determined that at least 25 percent of each of those set-asides will go to each one of the groups: loans to borrowers with a maximum of 10 PAYCHECK PRemployees and loans less than $250,000 to borrowers in low-or moderate-income neighborhoods. To efficiently and effectively implement the Economic Aid Act and to ensure increased access to PPP for minority, underserved, veteran, and women-owned business concerns, SBA is undertaking the following steps: • Accept PPP loan applications only from community financial institutions for at least the first two days when the PPP loan portal re-opens; • Direct Lender Match borrower inquiries to small lenders who can aid traditionally underserved communities; • Match small businesses through Lender Match with Certified Development Companies (CDCs), Farm Credit System lenders, microloan intermediaries, and traditional smaller asset size lenders; • Continue setting aside dedicated hours to process and assist our smallest PPP lenders with their PPP loans; • Continue to strongly encourage CDFIs and minority-, women-, veteran-, and military-owned lenders to apply to become PPP lenders. SBA will give full and prompt consideration to these applications to become PPP lenders consistent with program guidelines, including in cases where the lender does not meet all of the requirements listed on the updated SBA Form 3507; • Continue to work with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on the PPP Liquidity Facility to enable PPP lenders, including nonbank lenders, to pledge PPP loans to the Federal Reserve as collateral for Federal Reserve borrowings to enhance lender liquidity and enable PPP lenders to expand their lending capacity; • Promote awareness of these policies and procedures via traditional media methods, SBA social media accounts and guidance to lenders before the formal opening of SBA’s loan systems; • Continue to work with our federal partners, including the Department of Agriculture, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Farm Credit Administration, and the National Credit Union Administration, to share this guidance with PPP lenders, borrowers, and the broader public; • Continue to use SBA’s 68 district offices and network of SBA Resource Partners to further create awareness among the public about these approaches. Minority, underserved, veteran, and women-owned businesses that encounter difficulties in obtaining a PPP Loan should contact their local SBA district office for assistance. A link on how to find an office near you can be found via www.sba.gov/local-assistance. SBA will continue to engage with all PPP lenders to maximize access to the PPP for all of America’s eligible small businesses. To accomplish this, SBA continues to call upon its lending partners and asks that they redouble their efforts to assist eligible borrowers in underserved and disadvantaged communities, allowing us to further expand economic opportunity. In particular, all PPP lenders are strongly encouraged to: • Continue to engage in community outreach and communication through organizations, trade associations, and individuals that represent and serve underserved communities and minority, veteran, and women-owned businesses. SBA will continue to lead by example on best practices for this type of engagement; and • Continue to fully comply with all applicable Federal, State, local, and other statutory requirements related to fair lending. In addition, SBA has added a demographic reporting section on the PPP borrower application. PPP lenders should encourage borrowers to report the optional information that has been added to better inform lenders and SBA on the success of our efforts to reach underserved, minority-owned, veteran owned, and women-owned businesses. While the PPP has been an incredible success, there are still many more opportunities to provide assistance to businesses who have yet to access these forgivable loans, especially as PPP re-opens for first and second draw loans. These are challenging times for our nation’s small business owners and entrepreneurs, but through our continued outreach and focused approach, we will continue to ensureaccess and opportunity for all those who need assistance. https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program |
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