PORTSMOUTH Presenters at an economic forum Tuesday morning were bullish on businesses recovering from effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but said issues that predated the pandemic a need for workers and housing for those workers will persist.
Will Arvelo, New Hampshire’s economic development director, local restaurateur Jay McSharry, and New Hampshire Business Review editor Jeff Feingold shared the stage Arvelo and McSharry in person, Feingold remotely at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre for the forum put on by the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth.
The same trio shared the same stage just about a year ago in what ultimately became one of the chamber’s last large public gatherings before the spreading pandemic forced a lockdown that affected businesses all across the economic spectrum.
Seacoast new businesses hope NH bill will bring COVID relief funds
Holly Ramer
CONCORD New businesses that opened just in time to be slammed by the coronavirus pandemic would be eligible for more help under a bill before a Senate committee Tuesday.
The state distributed more than $400 million in federal funding through its Main Street Relief Fund for small businesses, but only those that were established before May 26, 2019, were eligible. This cut out a large segment of new small businesses which fill new needs in our communities and create the most new jobs at a time when they were really struggling, said Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, D-Portsmouth. Her bill would remove the cutoff date for future funding.
The state of New Hampshire is planning to open a mass vaccination site by appointment only for this weekend at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The goal: 10,000 people.Gov. Chris Sununu said in a news release on Tuesday that the state will reach out.
PORTSMOUTH Like many other people, Valerie Rochon said, the coronavirus pandemic has caused her to reevaluate her life’s priorities.
Yearning for more time with her family, especially her two growing grandsons, Rochon said, “Now is the perfect time for both me and the chamber.”
Rochon announced Tuesday she will retire in the late spring after leading the Greater Portsmouth Chamber Collaborative since 2016.
Rochon sits on the New Hampshire Travel Council as well as Discover New England, a marketing consortium of all six New England states. Before joining the Chamber in 2010 as a tourism manager, Rochon was the executive director of the Stowe (Vermont) Area Association.
When it comes to braving the winter chill, hardy New Englanders are up for the challenge. However, while outdoor dining at Seacoast restaurants had diners happily enjoying delicious drinks and dishes long into fall, there was a point at which it just became a bit too frosty for servers and diners alike.
The majority of Seacoast restaurants remain open this winter as the coronavirus pandemic drags on, whether it’s for indoor dining or takeout only. In early December, though, came a series of announcements from some restaurants they were closing until spring, “hibernating” until outdoor dining can open once again.