Volume 2, Wednesday May 27, 2020
Welcome !
We hope our 2nd issue finds you healthy and that our newsletter provides helpful information for our community as we navigate through these uncertain times. It’s very exciting to begin to see some new, but familiar activity, surrounding downtown Sonora! Washington Street is now lined with tables for outdoor dining, footsteps are painted on the sidewalk to help with social distancing and many businesses are taking the time to begin to reopen thoughtfully and carefully which are all positive signs of good times ahead. 

We, as a downtown community, need to work together and help each other during these challenging times. We need to learn from each other what is working well, and what may not be. Let's share all our new and ideas and band together as “One Sonora” in order to prosper, and most importantly, find every opportunity be kind to one another.
Stay safe and be well,

Katie Dunn
Sonora Chamber President
Thank You to Our Gold Sponsors
We Need Your Help — Who What Where | Tuolumne County
Please add your FREE listing to a new online business directory of Tuolumne County businesses.

This can be a great tool to help jump start our local economy. All Tuolumne County businesses are encouraged and welcome to join in. Add your business information including location, hours, rules of operations, and more.

WhoWhatWhere.press
Innovation & Business Assistance
Cole Przybyla
Director
Innovation & Business Assistance  
Tuolumne County
1. Adventist Health Sonora has generously made available reusable cloth masks for the County of Tuolumne Innovation and Business Assistance Department to help disburse to Tuolumne County Businesses. Please fill out the request form  HERE  . Distribution will continue until stock is depleted.

Questions in regards to business attempts to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will not affect mask allocation and serves the purpose of County Emergency Services Planning.

Mask allocation to a business will be based on employment.

Businesses may choose to require masks for their employees and some state guidance requires masks, to find out your industry specific guidance click  HERE
Mask Specifics: Jersey Daily Face Cover - 52% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, 48% polyester, 4.2oz

The link to fill out the Business Mask Assistance Request can be found  HERE

2. Unemployment Insurance has become a topic of concern among Tuolumne County Businesses as the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance added $600 per month to individual payments until July 2020.

Based on the California Employment Development Department (EDD) website, if you ask an employee to return to work but the employee refuses, you can provide the EDD with this information and they will use the information in determining whether your employee can continue to receive UI benefits.

A COVID-19 related FAQ for Unemployment can be found  HERE

3. If your business needs financial assistance the Paycheck Protection Program continues to fund applications and local banks still have capacity to accept your loan needs. To find a list up-to-date as of May 21, 2020, please click  HERE
Adventist Health Sonora stands Ready to Care for Our Community
Yosemite National Park Draft Plan for Re-Opening
Yosemite National Park is working closely with federal, state, and local public health authorities, as well as the four surrounding counties (Tuolumne, Mariposa, Madera, and Mono), to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and develop a phased approach to increase recreational access and services.
 
Yosemite National Park officials have released this draft plan for re-opening the park.
Click here to view the draft plan:

 
Click here to hear the draft plan presentation from Monday, May 18th:

 
Some Important Key Takeaways:
  • The park re-opening when California enters Stage 3, anticipated in June
  • The park will open at approximately 50% of capacity with a mix of day-use and in-park overnight visitors
  • Due to limited daily entry, park visitors are strongly encouraged to pre-purchase a Private Vehicle Entrance permit online for their planned entry date(s)
  • Visitors entering the park on YARTS or in a commercial tour operator vehicle won't need to pre-purchase a permit
  • The Yosemite Shuttle System within the park will not operate

For questions regarding the draft plan, please call Yosemite Public Affairs Office: 209-372-0529.


Thank You to Our Bronze Sponsor
Gold Country Yoga , once a one woman yoga studio, launched both live and on-demand online yoga classes to serve the needs of the Sonora Community, in response to the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Ellen Cremer, owner and professionally trained modern dancer with 15 years of teaching experience, enlisted technical help from her husband Mark Holmes.
Gold Country Yoga , once a one woman yoga studio, launched both live and on-demand online yoga classes to serve the needs of the Sonora Community, in response to the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Ellen Cremer, owner and professionally trained modern dancer with 15 years of teaching experience, enlisted technical help from her husband Mark Holmes. 

This “dream team” began working together quickly to offer a variety of classes, donation based only, so that no one would be turned away, and to ensure anyone could benefit from her special blend of many styles of yoga, all promoting and inspiring natural healing, stress-reduction and relaxation at a time when it is desperately needed. The local support to Ellen and Mark has been overwhelmingly positive and is quite a large production for just two people! 

What makes this unique, caring and compassionate couple extraordinary during the COVID crisis, is that while they quietly struggle alongside all our small businesses, they still found a way to give back to our Community by providing 25 percent of all their profits to The Sonora Area Foundation.

Their generosity is inspiring.

Thank you Ellen and Mark!

Turu Talks
Turu VanderWiel
Chief of Police
More Linoberg Street Beautification
Installation by Laurie Lehmann, Bob Lehmann, Sarah Rogers-Nesper.

Planters and Plants: Star Jasmine, Lilac and trailing rosemary

HUGE thank you to:
Heather Farris; Sonora Lowes Manager
Michael Massa; Live Nursery Specialist

Amy's Volunteer Corner
Amy Falken
Sierra NonProfit Services
Did you know the American Red Cross is responsible for about 40% of the nation’s blood supply?

Each year 4.5 million lives are saved by blood transfusions; approximately every 2 seconds. The Red Cross works hard to strive for a safe and happy blood donation experience. While Covid-19 has pushed many of us back home, our blood centers remain open.  The need for blood doesn’t stop during pandemics.  However, we have had to change the way blood donations work in order to follow current CDC guidelines.

A new Blood Donor Screener position has been added to the process
 The Screener will take temperatures of potential donors to ascertain their current health status prior to moving them on to registration. The blood center in Sonora is in desperate need of volunteers with a  shift fill rate at 3%  for this month. Again, we are desperate.

This position would be perfect for students wanting to learn more about how the blood donation process works or who just want to help.

Benefits:
  • Meet new people
  • Make a difference in our community
  • Resume-building experience
  • Networking opportunities with community leaders
  • Service learning experience
  • Community service hours required for graduation
Expectations
  • Shifts tend to last 4-6 hours each and there is a minimum of one or two shifts per month
  • There is an application process where volunteers must pass a background check
  • Blood Donor Screener volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Location:
  • Sonora Blood Center, 850 Sanguinetti Rd.
Hours:
  • Mon 11AM - 7PM
  • Tue 11AM - 7PM
  • Fri 7AM - 3PM
  • Sat 7AM - 3PM
Thank You to Our Community Sponsors
Sonora Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 3084
Sonora, CA 95370
​209-694-4008