• Ken Riehl, CEO, [email protected]

• Peter Webber, Sr. VP, [email protected]

• Olivia Perez-O’Dess, Member Services Director, [email protected]

• 5 PM Today is the Deadline to Apply for Cape Ann Community Foundation (CACF) Grants. Eligible applicants include religious, educational, scientific and cultural institutions and poverty relief agencies based in or providing services to the Cape Ann community. Cape Ann’s local governments and their subdivisions, including schools, are also eligible to apply. The CACF Board has narrowed the focus of the Foundation’s grant funding this year to support non-profits’ efforts to ensure the well-being of our Cape Ann community as we all move through the Coronavirus pandemic. For further information please visit www.lovecapeann.com, and to apply online please click here. Grants are funded from the proceeds of sales and renewals of the Cape Ann license plate.

• Deadline Today to Apply for Paycheck Protection Program Funds. Time is running out to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to help your small business through the COVID-19 crisis. There is nearly $120 billion still available and the June 30 deadline to apply is fast approaching. For more information and to apply please click here.

• New EIDL Loan and Grant Applications Still Being Accepted. The SBA earlier this month re-launched the Economic Injury Disaster Loan and EIDL Advance Program. EIDL is now available to all small businesses that did not apply by the previous April 15 cut-off date. In addition, small businesses and non-profits may request, as part of their loan application, an EIDL advance grant of up to $10,000. For more information and to apply, please click here. Overall funds are limited, so it is important to apply as soon as possible.

• Dashboard for June 29: The state’s most recent Dashboard of Public Health Indicators continues to trend favorably in Massachusetts. The positive test rate has remained at or below 2% since June 18, with the 7-day weighted average standing at 1.9% on June 28, a change of -93% since April 15. The 3-day weighted average of patients currently hospitalized has also fallen significantly – down 79% since April 15 – including a further drop to 762 as of June 29.

• Summer Job Opportunities. The Chamber continues to work with the city and local non-profits including Action Inc. and Wellspring to connect Cape Ann area students to summer jobs opportunities – please see the link here to a work-in-process Google spreadsheet showing the latest summer job openings. 

• 2020 Cape Ann Guide is Here! The latest issue of the Chamber’s beautifully illustrated and informative Cape Ann Guide & Directory is now available. This publication is now firmly established as the most comprehensive and sought-after visitor guide and directory representing all of Cape Ann. The Guide features the Cape Ann region and its four communities of Essex, Gloucester, Rockport and Manchester-by-the-Sea. This full color magazine-style publication is a must-have for visitors to the area as well as Cape Ann residents. The 2020 edition contains informational pieces - including attractions and activities on land and sea - and feature articles highlighting Cape Ann’s villages, neighborhoods and cultural heritage, including the fifth annual Cape Ann Plein Air (CAPA). The 2020 Guide also shares the stories of multi-generational Cape Ann musicians, artists, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs. There is also a new feature highlighting the attractiveness of Cape Ann as a year-round destination. Copies are now being distributed throughout Cape Ann and beyond, and will also be delivered to Cape Ann households in partnership with the Gloucester Daily Times.

• Cape Ann Saves Energy (CASE) Update. Due to the pandemic National Grid has agreed to pay up to 100% for qualifying energy efficiency projects for all small businesses in Massachusetts. The Chamber has partnered with National Grid and Energy Source to help bring these benefits to Cape Ann businesses. For further information please contact Crystal Hamlin, Energy Efficiency Consultant at [email protected].

• Reopening Cape Ann. As we approach Phase III, more and more Cape Ann businesses have reopened and expanded operations in accordance with state and local guidelines. We encourage members to update your business hours and operations in your online account so that our Business Directory on www.capeannvacations.com has your most current information. To learn more or for assistance logging into your member account, please contact Member Services Director Olivia Perez-O’Dess ([email protected]).

• Job Postings Welcome. We encourage Chamber members to use us as a resource to post job openings. All CACC members have an online account where they can post a job listing. View current job listings here including a recent posting by Smith Ace Hardware for a Lumber Yard Delivery Driver. For assistance in posting job openings for your business, please contact Olivia Perez-O’Dess at [email protected].
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• Schooner Adventure Sailing Season Update. Citing health and safety considerations Adventure’s Board of Directors announced the cancellation of the 2020 sailing season: “Adventure will sail again. As she has done so many times in the past, she will persevere and overcome. Thanks to our extraordinary community of support, this vessel lives on to serve as a symbol of resiliency, strength, and the triumph of common purpose.” All new memberships and renewals will enjoy an extra 18 months of full benefits so that when Adventure sails again, her members may use their sail tickets and more. “Thanking the Front Line” has been extended: for all memberships made by July 30, Adventure will give a free 2021 Family Membership to an employee of the Beth Israel Lahey Health Hospital in Beverly or Gloucester.

• Community Through Adventure. The Board of Directors of Schooner Adventure invites the community to a special Video Fundraiser Broadcast on Thursday, July 9 at 6:30 pm. For more information and to view the broadcast please visit here.

• CATA Seeking Public Input for Ridership Survey. The Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA) is working to continue to provide a vital service to our area by meeting the transportation needs of Cape Ann and the surrounding communities. Regular CATA services have been adjusted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and their dedication to providing safe and reliable transit service continues. This is a critical time for transportation agencies, and CATA is taking this time to plan for the future as they update their Comprehensive Regional Transit Plan. For this 5-year plan, CATA is seeking feedback from the public regarding current services and how these services meet the needs of riders and neighbors. Please take a few minutes to complete this online survey and let CATA know how they can continue to improve. You can access the survey by using this link.

• This 4^th of July weekend, we encourage visitors and residents of Cape Ann to stay local. With 4^th of July events cancelled, what better way to show community support than to visit local businesses? For a list of Main Street businesses in Gloucester that will be open, please click this link. Many businesses in all Cape Ann communities will be open so don’t forget to visit and support Rockport, Essex, and Manchester-by-the-Sea. From our Chamber Team to you and your family, we wish you a wonderful 4th of July!

• Shop Our Members. We encourage all Chamber members who have submitted their information for this Members Helping Members section to post a “Shop Our Members Deal” through your online account or submitting Member News. For more information and assistance in taking advantage of these and all member benefits, please email [email protected]. 

• Post and Share Your Events. Please use your online account to post your upcoming events, including virtual events, on our online community calendars. These are valuable resources for Cape Ann residents and visitors alike, and another way to promote your business and the reopening of Cape Ann. If you need assistance in logging in to your online account, please email [email protected].  

• COVID-19 Command Center Update: Read MEMA’s June 29 Command Center report here.

• Department of Public Health: Safer-at-Home Advisory

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For the latest COVID-19 news and information for Massachusetts, including public health advisories, business resources and government services, please visit here.

• Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante: Most recent update

• Centers for Disease Control

• Symptoms and Self-Checker

• What You Need to Know

• Congressman Seth Moulton: Updates and Resources

• OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19

• Essex: www.essexma.org

• Gloucester: www.gloucester-ma.gov

• Manchester-by-the-Sea: www.manchester.ma.us

• Rockport: www.rockportma.gov