Please visit our COVID-19 Update Page

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Town of Maggie Valley is Now Hiring

Ten Best Places for Snow Skiing in NC Named

Blue Ridge Mountains Travel Guide, a new regional site from the founders of Green Global Travel (an award-winning Ecotourism website, which has been featured in National Geographic (6 times), BBC, The Guardian, Travel Channel, Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor and more has featured Maggie Valley as “The 10 Best Places for Snow Skiing in North Carolina.” They currently have over 250,000 monthly readers and about 130,000 social media followers.

Link to story: https://blueridgemountainstravelguide.com/best-places-for-snow-skiing-in-north-carolina/

AMERICAN PICKERS to Film in North Carolina

Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and their team are excited to return to North Carolina! They plan to film episodes of
the hit series American Pickers throughout your area in March 2021.

We understand that with the proliferation of COVID-19, we are all facing very uncertain times. We at American Pickers are taking the pandemic very seriously and will be following all guidelines and protocols for safe filming as outlined by the state and CDC. While we plan to be in North Carolina this March, we will continue to re-schedule if conditions change for the worse. Regardless, we are excited to continue to reach the many collectors in the area to discuss their years of picking! AMERICAN PICKERS is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking” on History. The hit show follows Mike and Frank, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them.

As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, Mike and Frank are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, the Pickers want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items. The pair hopes to give historically significant objects a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way.

Mike and Frank have seen a lot of rusty gold over the years and are always looking to discover something they’ve never seen before. They are ready to find extraordinary items and hear fascinating tales about them. AMERICAN PICKERS is looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through, send us your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to:americanpickers@cineflix.com or call 855-OLD-RUST. facebook: @GotAPick

Two Programs extended for COVID-19 Relief

PPP Enrollment Beginning Next Week

In consultation with the U.S. Treasury, the Small Business Association (SBA) announced  that the enrollment for the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) will reopen the week of January 11th for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers.

Attached are the new details regarding regulations and eligibility for PPP.

PPP Information

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The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced that the deadline to apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program for the COVID-19 Pandemic disaster declaration is extended to Dec. 31, 2021.  The deadline extension comes as a result of the recent bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress and enacted by President Trump on Dec. 27, 2020.

To date, the SBA has approved $197 billion in low-interest loans which provides working capital funds to small businesses, non-profits and agricultural businesses make it through this challenging time.

“Following the President’s declaration of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the SBA has approved over 3.6 million loans through our Economic Injury Disaster Loan program nationwide,” Administrator Jovita Carranza said. “The EIDL program has assisted millions of small businesses, including non-profit organizations, sole proprietors and independent contractors, from a wide array of industries and business sectors, to survive this very difficult economic environment.”

EIDL loan applications will continue to be accepted through December 2021, pending the availability of funds. Loans are offered at very affordable terms, with a 3.75% interest rate for small businesses and 2.75% interest rate for nonprofit organizations, a 30-year maturity, and an automatic deferment of one year before monthly payments begin. Every eligible small business and nonprofit are encouraged to apply to get the resources they need. www.sba.gov

The Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses,
Nonprofits, and Venues Act

This $325 billion title would provide additional assistance to the hardest-hit small businesses, nonprofits, and venues that are struggling to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The title would provide funding for a second round of forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses and nonprofits experiencing significant revenue losses, make programmatic improvements to PPP, fund grants to shuttered venues, and enact emergency enhancements to other SBA lending programs. This critical assistance will provide small business owners with the capital they need to survive the pandemic and includes critical resources for the smallest businesses.

Paycheck Protection Program Second Draw Loans:
 Creates a second round of PPP loans for eligible businesses.
 Defines eligibility for the PPP second draw as small businesses that have no more than 300 employees and demonstrate at least a 25 percent reduction in gross revenues between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020.
 Establishes a maximum loan size of 2.5X average monthly payroll costs, up to $2 million.
o Allows small businesses assigned to the industry NAICS code 72 (Accommodation and Food Services) to receive PPP second draw loans equal to 3.5X average monthly payroll costs in order to helps these businesses combat onerous State and local restrictions.
o Maintains existing expansions in eligibility for businesses assigned to the industry NAICS code 72 (Accommodation and Food Services).
 Borrowers receive full loan forgiveness if they spend at least 60 percent of their PPP second draw loan on payroll costs over a time period of their choosing between 8 weeks and 24 weeks.
 Affirms the eligibility of churches and religious organizations and prohibits a future administration from making them ineligible.
o Preserves the application of affiliation rules to nonprofits, which makes Planned Parenthood ineligible.
 Includes set-asides to support first-time PPP borrowers with 10 or fewer employees, second-time PPP borrowers with 10 or fewer employees, first-time PPP borrowers who have been made newly eligible, and second-time returning PPP borrowers. Additionally, provides for a set-aside for loans made by community lenders.
Paycheck Protection Program Improvements:
 Expands PPP allowable and forgivable expenses to include supplier costs on existing contracts and purchase orders, including the cost for perishable goods at any time, costs relating to worker protective equipment and adaptive costs, and technology operations expenditures.
 Provides needed assurances to PPP lenders that no enforcement action could be taken against a lender who originated the loan in good faith, complied with all regulations, and relied in good faith on a borrower’s certification and documentation.
 Enhances borrower flexibility by allowing borrowers to select their loan forgiveness covered period between 8 weeks and 24 weeks.
 Simplifies the forgiveness application process for smaller loans up to $150,000 while increasing SBA’s ability to audit and review forgiven loans.
 Allows PPP borrowers to include additional group insurance payments when calculating their PPP payroll costs. This would cover insurance plans such as vision, dental, disability and life insurance.
 Allows borrowers who returned all or part of their PPP loan to reapply for the maximum amount applicable. It also allows lenders to recalculate borrower’s loan amounts due to changes in regulations regardless of whether SBA Form 1502 has been submitted.
 Establishes the loan amount calculation for farmers and ranchers to better align with recent years’ income.
 Provides Farm Credit System Institutions with greater certainty and equity in PPP lending participation.
 Defines “seasonal employer.”
 Expands PPP eligibility for certain 501(c)(6) nonprofits and Destination Marketing Organizations with 300 or fewer employees that do not receive more than 15 percent of their revenue from lobbying.
 Expands PPP eligibility to local newspapers and T.V., and radio stations previously made ineligible by their affiliation with other stations.
The Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act
 Establishes a procedure in the bankruptcy process if the Administrator determines certain small business debtors in Chapter 11 are eligible for PPP loans.
 Eliminates the requirement that EIDL advances be subtracted from PPP forgiveness.
Emergency Enhancements to SBA’s Lending Programs
 Temporarily enhances the terms of the 7(a) loan program by increasing the loan guarantee to 90 percent and offering reduced or no fees for the borrower and the lender. Additionally, it would temporarily increase the 7(a) express loan limit and loan guarantee to provide access to needed working capital.
 Temporarily eliminates fees for the 504 loan program and favorable terms for refinancing loans.
 Increases the aggregate loan limit for microloan intermediaries in order to ensure intermediaries have increased capacity to make loans to underserved and underbanked borrowers.
 Extends the Small Business Debt Relief program, Section 1112 of the CARES Act, which would defer payments of principal and interest on new and existing SBA 7(a), 504, and Microloan programs for eligible entities.
Increased Transparency and Accountability in SBA Programs:
 Mitigates fraud by requiring new measures for the SBA to verify eligibility for EIDL Advance grants.
 Appropriates $20 million to the SBA Inspector General to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in the Targeted EIDL Advance grant program.
 Increases transparency of SBA’s PPP forgiveness audit and review process by requiring the SBA to submit a detailed forgiveness audit plan to Congress within 30 days of enactment. Appropriates $50 million to support SBA’s PPP audit authority.
 Requires the SBA Administrator and the Secretary of the Treasury to testify within 120 days of enactment and twice a year for two years to the Senate and House Small Business Committees.
 Requires the SBA to comply with GAO requests within 15 days unless the Administrator provides the Senate and House Small Business Committees with a detailed justification for the inability of the Administrator to comply.
 Codifies the list of ineligible businesses for PPP, which includes: publicly-traded businesses; entities listed in 13 C.F.R. 120.110 except for entities from that regulation which have otherwise been made eligible by statute or guidance; entities affiliated with entities in the People’s Republic of China; registrants under the Foreign Agents Registration Act; and entities that are receiving a grant under the live venues grant program.
 Prohibits PPP loan proceeds to be used for lobbying activities.
 Requires the President, Vice President, the head of an Executive department, or a Member of Congress as well as their spouse to disclose this status when receiving forgiveness on a Paycheck Protection Program initial loan. Prohibits these individuals from obtaining a future PPP loan.
Support for Venues:
 Establishes a $15 billion grant program to support shuttered live venues, theaters, museums, and zoos that have experienced significant revenue losses.
 Provides enhanced verification and requires increased transparency of SBA’s oversight plans to ensure funds are directly benefiting eligible entities.
Increased Appropriations: $325 billion
 $284.45 billion for Paycheck Protection Program Second Draw Loans.
o $25 million for Minority Business Development Centers under the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) to assist minority business enterprises with technical assistance, such as applying for PPP.
o $50 million to SBA for PPP auditing and fraud mitigation purposes.
 $15 billion for grants for shuttered live venues, theaters, museums, and zoos.
 $20 billion for the EIDL Advance program, of which $20 million is for the SBA Inspector General.
 $3.5 billion for continuing the Section 7(a) Debt Relief program.
 $2 billion to carry out SBA lending enhancements.
The Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act
o Of this amount, $57 million for the Microloan program for technical assistance and direct lending to underserved borrowers.
Rescission of Unobligated Funds: $146 billion
 Rescinds $137.5 billion in unobligated funds from PPP.
 Rescinds $9 billion in unobligated funds from Section 1112 of the CARES Act.

Membership Elects New Board Members

The counts are in! Congratulations to Patty Carter and Becky Ramey, who were re-elected to serve an additional three-year term on the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Also elected was Val Gene “Pops” Hamilton. The new terms will begin in January 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will not be a formal induction ceremony. Instead we will have a small ceremony at our regularly scheduled Board meeting in January.

We are looking  forward to 2021!

Cataloochee is Open!

Cataloochee Ski Area is now open for the 2020-2021 season and will remain open as temperatures stay low for snowmaking ability. Tony’s Tube World is also open, weather permitting.

Lift tickets range from $45 weekdays to $73 weekends.  Equipment can be rented with prices from $28 for juniors to $33 for adults. Outer gear rentals such as bibs and jackets, gloves, goggles, etc. are also available at the ski area or at their satellite shop Cataloochee Ski & Sports located on Soco Road. Reservations are suggested and can be made on line.

For more information and to view the daily snow report, visit www.cataloochee.com. The daily snow report can also be accessed from the Chamber’s website.

Maggie Lights Up for Winter

A small ceremony was held last week to light up the Town’s newest winter display. “Ski Town” is featured on the illuminate mountain vista with skiers and snowboarders. This display and several others are scattered throughout the town. Maggie Valley Chamber’s Winter Days Committee has also added more than 100 hand-painted skis and snowmen along Soco Road. Maggie Valley is proud to be the home of Cataloochee Ski Area. Here’s to a great winter season!

 Reboot, Recover, Rebuild

Good morning small business warriors! What you continue to overcome daily is incredible. We know that it has been difficult. We see how hard you are working to not only make your dream survive, but thrive! Remember, we are here to help you. We do our best to bring you the resources you need to sustain and advance your business throughout this pandemic.

The HCC SBC will continue to offer virtual programming through the end of the year. With webinars and virtual Summits scheduled from now through December, we hope that you’ll be able to take advantage of some or all of them. Keep an eye out for our Spring schedule. It is full of opportunities from Agribusiness to QuickBooks, and our much loved Professional Crafts Summit will be back!

If you haven’t had the opportunity to look into the R3 Program (Reboot, Recover, Rebuild) program, please stop and read this. In case you missed it, we have received federal funding earmarked for counseling, and this program was designed to address the issues you may be experiencing due to the impact of COVID-19. See the information below and if you are interested, submit an R3 Program Interest Form. We have funding to help you now! Remember the R3 Program ends December 30, 2020. So please hurry and sign up before this program is gone.The Grey Eagle to Host

ELEVATED MOUNTAIN  Distilling Company

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT!!

Check out their FaceBook page for more details.

Food Truck on site, serving beer, wine and cocktails

Chamber Website Statistics – December
Website Visits: 41,380
Top Pages: Attractions, Elk, Lodgin
Visitor Guide Viewed On Line: 1,965
Maggie Valley Festival Grounds website views: 14,314

Chamber Website Statistics – November
Website Visits: 62,282
Top Pages: Elk, Attractions, Cabins, Hotels
Visitor Guide Viewed On Line: 2,107
Maggie Valley Festival Grounds website views: 9,102

Chamber Website Statistics – October
Website Visits: 108,224
Top Pages: Attractions, Elk, Attractions, Cabins, Hotels
Visitor Guide Viewed On Line: 4,449
Maggie Valley Festival Grounds website views: 19,671

Chamber Website Statistics – September 
Website Visits: 104,967
Top Pages: Attractions, Elk, Cabins, Hotels
Visitor Guide Viewed On Line: 2,252
Maggie Valley Festival Grounds website views: 20,322

Chamber Website Statistics – August
Website Visits: 85,306
Top Pages: Attractions, Elk, Cabins, Camping
Visitor Guide Viewed On Line: 1,985
Maggie Valley Festival Grounds website views: 6,803

Chamber Website Statistics – July
Website Visits: 90,493
Top Pages Viewed: Attractions, COVID-19, Cataloochee Elk, Lodging, Visitor Guide, Campgrounds
Visitor Guide Viewed OnLine: 2,441

Chamber Website Statistics – June
MaggieValley.org
Website Visits: 84,228
Top  Pages Viewed: Attractions, COVID-19 page, Cataloochee Valley Elk, Visitor Guide, Vacation Rentals, Campgrounds, Scenic Drives, Hotels & Motels
Visitor Guide Viewed OnLine: 2,023

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!!