By Anne Scheck
MORE ‘CARES ACT’ MONEY TO LOCALS
About $100,000 in CARES Act money – the federal funds provided for pandemic relief – will be awarded by the city to local businesses in grants of $2,500 and $5,000, according to Shawn Irvine, economic development director for the city. The smaller grants will go to qualifying businesses with five employees or fewer; The larger ones to businesses with six or more employees, he announced at the Independence City Council meeting Tuesday night.
Unlike previous financial aid, there are no restrictions that preclude businesses from getting the money if they’ve already received federal funding, he said. In addition, more than a dozen city-backed business loans – which were made near the beginning of the pandemic – are now slated to be forgiven, Mr. Irvine said.
SCHOOL INTERNET
About 30 local families have benefited from a grant for MINET to help cover the costs of internet connections for children and youth who need it for school distance-learning programs, Independence City Manager Tom Pessemier announced at the Independence City Council meeting. Even so, the need for internet hasn’t been fully met: Other families still require it and those currently enrolled will need financial assistance after the grant runs out, Mr. Pessemier said. Efforts are being made to ensure the program continues till the school year ends, he said.
UTILITY ASSISTANCE
A city program to help Independence residents struggling to pay utility bills is about to be launched – with funding from CARES Act money, according to Mr. Pessemier. The program is being offered through Mano a Mano, a community outreach organization in Salem with a satellite office in Independence. The city has received about $280,000 in CARES Act money to date, Mr. Pessemier noted.
CITY’S VISION 2040 UNVEILED
Over the next 20 years, Independence priorities include building another street to directly connect Independence with Highway 99; Constructing a community recreation center; Finding ways to offer affordable housing and setting up a downtown parking-management plan, according to Libby Bakke, president of Barney & Worth, the consulting firm hired by Independence to conduct the 2040 Vision Plan with residents. The top of the list of community’s goals: keep the small-town feel.
EDITORIAL by Ramon Martinez
The news this week that the census can end Thursday night, Oct. 15 – the result of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that granted an emergency request by the Justice Department – now allows the national collection of information to shut down, even in a pandemic that has complicated the process. Ramon Martinez, the city’s community outreach liaison, has headed up the census here. He wrote the editorial below to encourage all to do their part before the deadline is reached.
The Census is immensely important, as it helps bring in adequate funding for schools, healthcare, infrastructure, and so much more for the next 10 years. It is estimated that each response brings in approximately $3,200 to the community each year. So each response will bring in $32,000 in a 10-year span. A household size of 4: $128,000. It is a big deal.
But growing up I did not understand this, nor did I know about such figures. I did not see the impact Census made to our community; I thought entities in our community such as schools, our fire department, community clinic, stop lights, etc. were “just there”. I did not understand the idea of a massive funding source at the federal level making these entities possible in our community. Maybe it was due to the fact that I grew up in a small town, in addition to growing up speaking Spanish, the outreach was not quite strong enough. But now I know. And I would like to encourage others to know how important the Census is.
It is important that everyone in each household gets counted. It does not matter if 1-day old or 100 years old. It is intended to count every living person in the country, regardless of age, immigration status, criminal convictions, or housing situation. The Census is also confidential. Under law and according to the Census Bureau website, “Under Title 13, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your business, even to law enforcement agencies.”
The Census is very important for our community to prosper for the next 10 years, and it only takes 5-10 minute to complete. It can be easily completed online and even with a smartphone. I kindly encourage you to complete the Census today if you have not done so. And if you already have, find a family member or friend who hasn’t, and help them fill it out. There is not much time, as we are faced with needing to complete it by October 15th until 11:59 p.m. Hawaii time.
Here is the website, where the Census can be completed in 13 languages: www.my2020census.gov
MORE ‘CARES ACT’ MONEY TO LOCALS
About $100,000 in CARES Act money – the federal funds provided for pandemic relief – will be awarded by the city to local businesses in grants of $2,500 and $5,000, according to Shawn Irvine, economic development director for the city. The smaller grants will go to qualifying businesses with five employees or fewer; The larger ones to businesses with six or more employees, he announced at the Independence City Council meeting Tuesday night.
Unlike previous financial aid, there are no restrictions that preclude businesses from getting the money if they’ve already received federal funding, he said. In addition, more than a dozen city-backed business loans – which were made near the beginning of the pandemic – are now slated to be forgiven, Mr. Irvine said.
SCHOOL INTERNET
About 30 local families have benefited from a grant for MINET to help cover the costs of internet connections for children and youth who need it for school distance-learning programs, Independence City Manager Tom Pessemier announced at the Independence City Council meeting. Even so, the need for internet hasn’t been fully met: Other families still require it and those currently enrolled will need financial assistance after the grant runs out, Mr. Pessemier said. Efforts are being made to ensure the program continues till the school year ends, he said.
UTILITY ASSISTANCE
A city program to help Independence residents struggling to pay utility bills is about to be launched – with funding from CARES Act money, according to Mr. Pessemier. The program is being offered through Mano a Mano, a community outreach organization in Salem with a satellite office in Independence. The city has received about $280,000 in CARES Act money to date, Mr. Pessemier noted.
CITY’S VISION 2040 UNVEILED
Over the next 20 years, Independence priorities include building another street to directly connect Independence with Highway 99; Constructing a community recreation center; Finding ways to offer affordable housing and setting up a downtown parking-management plan, according to Libby Bakke, president of Barney & Worth, the consulting firm hired by Independence to conduct the 2040 Vision Plan with residents. The top of the list of community’s goals: keep the small-town feel.
EDITORIAL by Ramon Martinez
The news this week that the census can end Thursday night, Oct. 15 – the result of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that granted an emergency request by the Justice Department – now allows the national collection of information to shut down, even in a pandemic that has complicated the process. Ramon Martinez, the city’s community outreach liaison, has headed up the census here. He wrote the editorial below to encourage all to do their part before the deadline is reached.
The Census is immensely important, as it helps bring in adequate funding for schools, healthcare, infrastructure, and so much more for the next 10 years. It is estimated that each response brings in approximately $3,200 to the community each year. So each response will bring in $32,000 in a 10-year span. A household size of 4: $128,000. It is a big deal.
But growing up I did not understand this, nor did I know about such figures. I did not see the impact Census made to our community; I thought entities in our community such as schools, our fire department, community clinic, stop lights, etc. were “just there”. I did not understand the idea of a massive funding source at the federal level making these entities possible in our community. Maybe it was due to the fact that I grew up in a small town, in addition to growing up speaking Spanish, the outreach was not quite strong enough. But now I know. And I would like to encourage others to know how important the Census is.
It is important that everyone in each household gets counted. It does not matter if 1-day old or 100 years old. It is intended to count every living person in the country, regardless of age, immigration status, criminal convictions, or housing situation. The Census is also confidential. Under law and according to the Census Bureau website, “Under Title 13, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your business, even to law enforcement agencies.”
The Census is very important for our community to prosper for the next 10 years, and it only takes 5-10 minute to complete. It can be easily completed online and even with a smartphone. I kindly encourage you to complete the Census today if you have not done so. And if you already have, find a family member or friend who hasn’t, and help them fill it out. There is not much time, as we are faced with needing to complete it by October 15th until 11:59 p.m. Hawaii time.
Here is the website, where the Census can be completed in 13 languages: www.my2020census.gov
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