The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
PPP loans briefly offered just for small businesses
Priority window open through March 10
MIDDLETOWN — Amazingly, the month of March begins this week in Middlesex County and throughout our great nation. It was one year ago this week that the term “COVID-19” and its potential impact began to truly take hold in Middlesex County.
It has been quite a year, but I could not be more proud of this community and the resilience it has shown. I continue to be very optimistic as we enter March, and the chamber continues to be on the move.
Since the beginning of this crisis, the chamber has done its best to be a resource for businesses as they have navigated the many relief programs available to them. The Biden Administration recently announced changes to the Paycheck Protection Program, which are designed to support small and micro businesses, entrepreneurs and sole proprietors.
We are currently in a two-week window where the Small Business Administration is only accepting applications for PPP loans from firms with fewer than 20 employees. There is still a lot of money available through PPP, so if businesses have not yet explored this option, or they are hesitant to do so because they are worried about the application process, please call the chamber and a member of our team will be happy to help.
On the chamber calendar front, this week features a variety of important meetings. The first major meeting of March takes place Monday with a virtual gathering of our Executive Committee, which features a variety of business and community leaders from a number of industry sectors. Monday’s meeting will be led by our Chairman, Tom Byrne, and along with important updates on chamber activities, will feature updates from the public health and banking sectors in Middlesex County.
This week also features important meetings of our Portland and East Hampton Division, Environment and Infrastructure Committee, Central Business Bureau, Real Estate Council, Golf Committee, Down County Division, and a virtual gathering of our Strategic Planning Committee, which has been very helpful as we have steered the chamber through this challenging time.
Looking ahead, a busy March includes a number of important large-scale virtual chamber events. We look forward to welcoming U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro March 8 for a virtual member luncheon sponsored by DATTCO. Congresswoman DeLauro was recently elected chairwoman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. While this post has always been an extremely important one in Washington D.C., it is now even more critical as the federal government leads the nation’s response to the pandemic.
We look forward to hearing an update from Rosa on the many important issues under consideration in Congress, and thank her very much for her time. I also want to thank DATTCO President and immediate past chamber chairman Don DeVivo for his support of this event and for his remarkable dedication to our chamber. We look forward to a great event.
We look forward to an exciting virtual member breakfast meeting March 15 featuring UConn Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Geno Auriemma. This important chamber event is sponsored by MiddleOak. Coach Auriemma and the Lady Huskies are looking to finish the season strong as they gear up for another NCAA Tournament run.
Coach always does a great
job with his remarks. He, of course, talks about his terrific team and their ongoing season, but he also touches on leadership strategy and other lessons that are very relevant to the business community, especially now. I again want to thank Geno for speaking to our membership, and MiddleOak for sponsoring. We can’t wait. Go Huskies!
I am afraid I must once again close this week’s chamber column on a sad note after the recent passing of two well-respected local gentlemen.
Carmelo “Carl” Marino passed away recently at the age of 77. Carl was president of S.G. Marino Crane, a local, family-run business that was started by Carl’s parents in the 1950s. He was a good man who had a special devotion to community,
and, most importantly, to family. He was a strong supporter of both Middletown Motorcycle Mania, and Cruise Night on Main for many years.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family, including his wife, Stacy, and his brother, Larry, who serves on the chamber’s Executive Committee. Carl Marino will be missed by many.
Finally, our thoughts and prayers are also with the friends and family of John A. “Johnny” Moore, who passed away recently at the far too young age of 61. Johnny was a fixture in Middletown and was known throughout this community as the owner of Fat City Cycles and the manager of the city owned Robert M. Keating Historical Enterprise Park on
Johnson Street.
He was always willing to lend a helping hand, and he was a true and reliable friend to many of us. Johnny was instrumental to the launch of Middletown Motorcycle Mania, and he supported many other community events and initiatives.
I will always be grateful for his support of our chamber, and his efforts to support businesses not only in the Keating facility, but throughout Middletown. Johnny will be sorely missed by many, but mostly by his beloved family. May they take comfort in the fact that he is now at peace, and that his memory will endure.