Hello Business Owners of the Deerfield Valley,
Governor Scott has said that as of June 1st, a plan will be in place to reopen all child care operations to allow more people to get back to work when their sector has reopened. He did make it clear that these institutions will NOT be required to reopen, but will be able to based on updated health and safety guidelines. He also mentioned the availability of upcoming funding to help families cover the costs of child care when it is available. We will keep an eye on this as more details are released.
Commissioner Pieciak spoke today of more positive trending in the amount of positive tests in the State. He reminded us that while these numbers are continuing to trend in the right direction, that our neighbors in NH, MA, ME, and NY are not seeing the same successes, which could lead to prolonged quarantine restrictions on out of state visitors.
We have received notification that Senator Leahy
has cosponsored bills that would allow a business 16 weeks of forgiveness and to use up to 50% of their PPP on rent.
While
no official bills
have hit the floor, it is a positive sign that the thoughts and needs of our local businesses are being met the way they were intended to be when the SBA funding was originally announced. Any updates on these changes will be shared as soon as they are available.
Some updates since last week...
In Order Below
Deerfield Valley Restaurant Resource Call Next Wednesday
BDCC Call for Business Today @ 2:15
Upcoming Sector Calls for Deerfield Valley Businesses
Video of Today's Retail Sector Call Available
Limited Reopen for Outdoor Recreation Businesses
Important! - Complete the Census Now
Show Us What You're Working On!
North Star Pizza is Open
Specials from Austrian Haus Lodge this Weekend
Previous Updates
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Deerfield Valley Restaurant Resource Call
Wednesday May 13th, 11AM
Deerfield Valley Restaurant Owner Call Series
Call #2: May 13 2020 at 11:00 am.
Whether or not selling food for customers to take out has ever been part of your business plan in the past, it is now a critical component that can help you increase sales volume through a summer of social distancing. The call will address this, as well as other pressing concerns brought up by YOU, our local restaurateurs.
The interactive call will address several main topics:
Renewing Guest Confidence
Procedure / Flow Plan
Menu/Packaging strategies
Staff Training and buy in of vision
Budget
PR
The call will be facilitated and led by Keith Arnold, owner of Duo Denver and until recently owner of Duo in Brattleboro, VT. Keith has owned and operated 4 full service restaurants in total over the past 17 years. He has served as a restaurant group consultant, and has been a panelist on the topic of the hospitality approach. As a cofounder of EATDENVER (a community 250 restaurants strong), he is steadfast in the belief that creating a restaurant community is imperative to regional success.
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BDCC Call for Business Today
Don't miss the
BDCC Zoom call
for business owners,
today at 2:15
. The call takes place each Friday.
Presenters today include:
- Shawn Barth: Industrial Hygienist, Project WorkSAFE
- Steve Monahan : VOSHA director
- Carla Wuthrich : VMEC Professional Manufacturing and Business Growth Advisor
This is a helpful source of information! If you miss the call it will be recorded and available at a later time. (for call-in information and prior meetings,
click here
).
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Upcoming Sector Calls for Deerfield Valley Businesses
These calls, sponsored by the Towns of
Dover
and
Wilmington
, will feature sector specific professional consultants to help all of you make a plan for what your business looks like as we reopen. Information for the Dining call can be seen above, while information for Lodging and Retail sector calls will be available next week.
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Video of Today's Retail Sector Call Available
Today, the DV Resilience Team hosted an informal initial zoom gathering for our Retail businesses in the Valley. We used this opportunity to hear from you all about what your thoughts and concerns are now and as we look at reopening. If you were not able to attend this meeting, you can
view the meeting HERE
and
view the chat log HERE
. We will also be expanding on this meeting moving forward as we line up speakers and consultants.
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Limited Reopen for Outdoor Recreation Businesses
Effective May 7, 2020, all businesses and non-profit and government entities that support or offer outdoor recreation and outdoor fitness activities that require low or no direct physical contact may begin operations. These include state and municipal parks, recreation associations, trail networks, golf courses, big game check stations, and guided expeditions.
Restart guidance from ACCD
provides additional details and the
mandatory steps
businesses must take before they can reopen. The Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation has also created guidance for Vermonters
participating in outdoor activities
while maintaining social distancing. Campgrounds, marinas and beaches are
not
yet allowed to open.
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Making Sure We're Counted - Take the Census Now!
The Decennial US Census has started; Response Lagging in our towns!
On March 12, the online portal and the telephone bank at US Census opened for response. To date, millions of households have already responded to this critical questionnaire, which will determine how 675 billion dollars each year is allocated to the states.
As of May 1st, response rates are as follows: National: 56% Vermont: 47% Wilmington: 9.6% and Dover: 8.4% .
As you can see, Vermonters are responding at lower rates than the nation. Residents should not wait to receive a form. In fact, you can respond from the comfort of your home without ever interacting with a census taker! You have two options: First, you can go online at
https://2020Census.gov
and complete your Census quickly and securely. If you prefer not to use the internet, you can call, toll-free, 844-330-2020, and speak with a live person who will take your information entirely over the phone. There are only nine questions on all census questionnaires, so this will take you no more than 10 minutes! Meals on Wheels, Medicare, school funding, transportation planning, and first responders all rely on the numbers that the Census produces. Make sure our area is counted, completely and accurately, by being proactive and responding TODAY!
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Show Us What You're Working On!
We want to know what you've been up to! Do you have a special project you've been working on while you've been closed? Have a new or unique product you'd like to share? Let us know! We want to make sure that we're still promoting your business and letting all of our visitors know that you're still here. Please feel free to share anything you'd like to share via email with the
Chamber
or
Wilmington Works
and we'll show your accomplishments! Also, if you've shared something on Facebook and would like it to be shared by our group, just let us know and we'll share it for you. We do our best to follow all of our local businesses, but if we missed something, just let us know!
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North Star Pizza is Open
Our good friends at North Star Pizza have reopened for curbside pick-up and delivery! Be sure to give them a call and place your order today (802) 464-5148
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This Week's Specials from the Austrian Haus Lodge
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Don't forget to reach out to us if you have questions or concerns at any time, we are here to help. Contact the
Chamber
,
Wilmington Works
,
or either of the Economic Departments of
Dover
or
Wilmington
for assistance.
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Stay healthy and stay awesome, Deerfield Valley
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