A variety of businesses have seen such a hit to revenues amid the global CVID-19 pandemic they have had to lay off employees, whether full-time, part-time or contract workers. But the Paycheck Protection Program, part of the $2.3-trillion rescue bill passed by Congress, aims to ensure those workers keep their jbs.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, played a significant role in setting aside $359 billion for the program. “Knowing quarantines and closedowns in the U.S. deeply impacted small businesses, this has developed in a way that the plan had to get much bigger,” Rubio said..

At a recent webinar, he stressed the program would cover all employers, so long as an employer could verify they were an existing part of a business’ payroll. And since business owners will wrk through the Small Business Administration, they should be able to verify that though their own lender at a community bank in most instances.

The Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County and other business organizations have been promoting the program, noting it will be powered through 100% federally guaranteed loans.

“If employers maintain their payroll, the loans would be forgiven, which would help workers remain employed, as well as help affected small businesses and our economy snap-back quicker after the crisis,” reads the EDC website.

“PPP has a host of attractive features, such as forgiveness of up to 8 weeks of payroll based on employee retention and salary levels, no SBA fees, and at least six months of deferral with maximum deferrals of up to a year. Small businesses and other eligible entities will be able to apply if they were harmed by COVID-19.”

The program will be available retroactively to companies that can verify the impact back to Feb. 15, and for any who become affected before June 30. It will be available to companies and most nonprofits with 500 employees or less per physical location. 

Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County FAQs

Asolo Repertory Theatre and the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training proudly announced their 2020-21 seasons this past Friday in a virtual event broadcast via Facebook and YouTube Live.

Asolo Rep's season kicks off in November with a brilliant new production of the four-time Olivier Award- and ten-time Tony Award®-winning music and dance masterpiece BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL (November 18 - January 2), directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes (Broadway: Bright Star, It Shoulda Been You, First Date, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella). Rhodes returns to Asolo Rep where he previously directed and choreographed the theatre's productions of The Sound of Music in 2019, Evita in 2017 and Guys and Dolls in 2016. This triumphant, dance-filled sensation follows a young boy as he trades in his boxing gloves for dance shoes amidst the turmoil of the 1984 coal miners’ strike in England. Set to an explosive score by Sir Elton John, BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL is a joyous celebration of one boy’s journey that will inspire the dreamer in everyone.

The winter repertory season opens with KEN LUDWIG’S THE THREE MUSKETEERS (January 13 - March 13), adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas and directed by beloved Asolo Rep associate artist Peter Amster. Young d’Artagnan and his sister Sabine head for Paris in search of fame, fortune and adventure. When they team up with the famous Musketeers of the Guard, hilarious shilly-shallying abounds as this boisterous bunch fences, drinks and romances their way across the countryside while proving that heroism, courage and honor rule the day.

The rep season continues with a new comedy, straight from a smash-hit run on Broadway, GRAND HORIZONS (January 20 - March 25), penned by one of the most exciting voices currently writing for the stage, Bess Wohl, and directed by Giovanna Sardelli. Just as Bill and Nancy settle into their new retirement home in Grand Horizons, Nancy announces that she wants out. As their two adult sons struggle to cope with the news, they’re forced to question everything they assumed about the people they thought they knew best. Sophisticated, funny and delightfully honest, this new Broadway hit-comedy takes an intimate look at the unpredictable and enduring nature of love.

The culminating event of the rep season is the artistic and philosophical center of everything the theatre hopes to give to its community in these challenging times, Thornton Wilder’s timeless masterpiece OUR TOWN (February 10 - March 27), directed by Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director, Michael Donald Edwards. Perhaps no other play rings truer today. OUR TOWN  is, at its heart, about us. All of us. Swept up by time and subject to inescapable change. Long after it won the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, OUR TOWN  remains one of the most enduring American plays of all time, reminding audiences to always celebrate love, family, community, and the beauty in the ordinary.

In March, Asolo Rep will also present a new play that takes an inside look at what seems to be a closed-off world: Lindsay Joelle’s TRAYF (March 24 - April 18). Directed by Asolo Rep Associate Artistic Director Celine Rosenthal, TRAYF will be presented in the Cook Theatre. Manhattan. Summer. 1991. Clothes are baggy and mixtapes are still mix tapes. Ready to conquer any obstacle, best friends and loyal members of the Chasidic community, Zalmy and Shmuel set out in their freshly tricked-out Mitzvah Tank, determined to take on the world. This budding bromance is a funny and heartwarming ode to the turbulence of youth, the universal suspicion that we don’t quite fit in and the faith and friends that see us through.

The theatre continues its season with two productions originally scheduled in its 2019-20 season, that were canceled due to the unique circumstances presented by the coronavirus.

HOOD (April 9 – May 1), featuring music and lyrics by Lewis Flinn (Lysistrata Jones), a book by five-time Tony-nominated playwright Douglas Carter Beane (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, Lysistrata Jones, Sister Act, Xanadu) and helmed by Mark Brokaw (Heisenberg, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, After Miss Julie). Everything old is new again as we follow the exciting escapades of Robin Hood and his Merry Band as he fights to restore justice for the people of Sherwood, win the heart of the beautiful Maid Marian, who definitely does not need saving, and rid the land from the Sheriff of Nottingham once and for all. 

In May, Asolo Rep proudly presents the world premiere of KNOXVILLE (May 14 – June 5). This moving and innovative musical will feature lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, music by Stephen Flaherty (songwriting team behind Anastasia, Once on this Island) and will be adapted and directed by Frank Galati, reuniting the dynamic Tony Award®-winning creative team behind Ragtime, one of the most beloved musicals of all time. KNOXVILLE is based on James Agee's Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiographical novel A Death in the Family and based, in part, on the play All The Way Home by Tad Mosel. When an unexpected turn of events leaves Rufus’ family spinning, he and his mother, Mary, embark on a journey through the mysteries of life and death, faith and doubt, in order to come to terms with what they have lost and what they have found. An enduring illumination of the forces that shape us into who we are, KNOXVILLE is a quintessentially American coming-of-age story about family, faith and love, and the boy who will grow up to write it. The world premiere of KNOXVILLE is made possible by a generous grant from The Roy Cockrum Foundation. 

To finish the season, Asolo Rep continues its commitment to present world class family-friendly productions each June. This production (June 15 – 27) will be announced very soon.

"The overarching theme for our 2020-21 season is that of family, humanity, and community," said Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. "It seems to us at Asolo Rep, that what we need now in these dark days is a light at the end of the tunnel. A galvanizing call to action to see our community through this incredibly difficult trial. That is what we hope to bring you with this season: human stories that inspire hope for a bright future, and healing in the times to come.” 

For more.

The Sarasota Farmers Market Board of Directors has voted to cease all operations until further notice. Operations includes the office, all social media, and assisting other non-profits. The Board mentioned acquiring additional funds for staff and other expenses will be needed to resume operations. Two employees of the farmers market have been laid off. They are instructed to seek unemployment benefits until more funding is created. “I'm sure the Board is up against some tough decisions, but I wish they had given me a little more time as I have our accountant working on a number of stimulus packages and other funding that will be coming in," said Executive Director, Phil Pagano. “I mostly feel bad about our longtime employee, Heather Empsall, that has worked so hard for seven years for the market. She's put together out social media that by far is one of the most popular in town that helps both the vendors and the community. I hope I can raise some more funding, especially for her.”

In accordance with the Stay-at-Home Order issued by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab will be closed to the general public until the order is lifted. Please note, our COVID-19 Face Mask and Shield Project is underway and will not be impacted by the order. Over 120 dedicated volunteers (and counting!) have rallied behind this community project of which all aspects–including prototyping, production and distribution to healthcare facilities in need–can be completed remotely. Additional project developments will be shared on suncoastscience.org/covid-19 and our social media channels. Be sure to follow both so you don't miss a beat. 

Interested in volunteering to support the face mask and shield project?

As we start the week, the Manatee Chamber of Commerce wants to share several links to updated resources that may provide guidance for you and your business.

Checklists and Guides for Business/Non-Profit Assistance Programs
Updated Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Guide
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) Guide
Employee Retention Tax Credit Guide

Webinar with Your Chamber on Assistance Programs
We hosted a webinar on Wednesday with the US Chamber to cover PPP, EIDL, Families First Act and other topics. You can access the 1-hour webinar using this link.

Essential Business Information
Governor DeSantis Executive Order 20-91 Essential Services List
Florida Division of Emergency Management Essential Services and Essential Activities Inquiry Form (Online) 

Access the Chamber COVID-19 Business Resource Page

After one short week, the Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab (SSC) COVID-19 face mask and shield effort has developed into a robust community project. With over 5,000 mask and shield requests submitted by assisted living facilities and other non primary healthcare facilities, the project has only just begun.

Longtime Suncoast Science Center donor, the Floyd C Johnson and Flo Singer Johnson Foundation, has generously provided a $15,000 gift to support the project and inspire more philanthropists to step forward during this unprecedented time of need.

“We weren’t surprised when we heard about the innovative manner in which the Suncoast Science Center was engaging the community to tackle this critical need,” shared Johnson Singer Foundation President Diane Barth. “Our board of directors voted unanimously to join the effort and we highly encourage others to do the same.”

Local mask and shield requests are growing and material costs are rising. As more requests filter in, donations are needed to protect as many healthcare workers as possible. No gift is too small to make a difference for our community’s healthcare heroes. To make a contribution to support the production of face masks and shields, visit https://suncoastscience.org/covid-19.

For those unable to donate monetarily, SSC welcomes gifts of time or talent. Over 120 volunteers have rallied to support the project to date. Those interested in sewing masks, assisting with face shield assembly, delivering supplies or even helping spread the word are encouraged to sign up at http://bit.ly/fabcovidvol. Fabric (100% cotton), 1/8-1/2” sewing elastic and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic sheets are in high demand. Supply donations can be dropped off in the donation bin outside the SSC at 4452 S Beneva Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233. 

Updates on the project.