Author: Debbie Roney Smith

JACKSON COUNTY BUSINESS SUPPORT GRANT PROGRAM

Debbie Roney Smith on
Opportunity Florida, on behalf of Jackson County, will be accepting grant applications from businesses that have been financially impacted by COVID-19. The funding for these grants has been awarded to the County through the CARES Act 2020 from the federal government via the State of Florida.
To qualify, your business must be:
1. A for-profit privately held business that was established on or before January 1, 2019
2. Must have a physical location in Jackson County, Florida
3. May be a business franchise that is locally owned (not a company-owned location facility).
4. Must have a demonstrated reduction in sales revenue of 5% or greater due to the loss of business income related to COVID-19
5. A small business as defined as employing 1-50 employees** may qualify for up to $20,000.
6. A regular business as defined as employing 50+ employees** may qualify for up to $10,000.
7. Can be a sole proprietorship-based business.
More details are included on the Business Grant Application, which may be obtained on the following websites: Jackson County (www.jacksoncountyfl.gov), Jackson County Chamber of Commerce (www.jacksoncounty.com), or Opportunity Florida (www.opportunityflorida.com) .
Applications may be submitted via email to info@opportunityflorida.com or in person at the Opportunity Florida office, 4636 Highway 90, Suite K, Marianna beginning last Monday, August 31, 2020 at 8 am CDT. Please note, all applications submitted in person must be in a sealed envelope.
Applications will be reviewed in the order that they are received, according to the completeness of the application submission package (the application will not be fully accepted until all necessary support items are included in the submission package). Applications will be accepted until the business category grant funds are exhausted or December 15, 2020, whichever comes first.
To learn more about the Jackson County CARES Act 2020 Business Support Grant, visit the websites or call Roy Baker at (850) 633-4119.
Opportunity Florida is a regional economic development organization that serves the ten counties that make up the Northwest Florida Rural Area of Opportunity (RAO). The counties include Holmes, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington.

September

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Where did August go? Here we are in the first month of fall already and we for sure do not have the cooler days happening yet. We are up to N for named hurricanes of the season, COVID is still going on and masks are the new normal. Now is the time to buy a house for sure! School has started for the new year and Marianna has opened the doors of the new K-8 school. Restaurants are opening up more, movie theaters are starting to open although the one in Marianna is still closed. Salad bars are making a come back. They have mostly been closed since March even if the restaurant has opened. The Ruby Tuesdays in Marianna has a sign hanging on the fence saying in door seating and salad bar now available. Long lines at Dunkin Donuts and gas stations show things are getting busier again. The election is 2 months away. If you haven’t changed your address or registered to vote do it now!

 

PLEASE if you are going to wear a mask do it correctly. Covering your nose and mouth and not taking it off to rub your face with your hand.

 

Sept 1st~virtual lighthouse climb

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If you’ve never participated in a Full Moon Climb at the Saint George Island Lighthouse and Museum, tonight is your chance. They are giving a full moon climb virtually on Facebook. Be sure to join them at 7:45 pm, tonight, September 1st. 

Virtual sunset/full moon climb – Tuesday, 9/1 from 7:45pm-8:15pm (weather permitting – if it’s not too cloudy or rainy) they’ll be going live from the top of the lighthouse for a virtual sunset/full moon climb. They hope you’ll join them on Facebook to view the Corn Moon. The September full moon in 2020 is called the Corn Moon because Native American tribes began harvesting their staple foods, such as corn, at this time. Full Moon names are attributable to native American tribes, most notably the Algonquin, who named the moons to mark the changing seasons.

Click this link to go to the FB page for them to watch it live! https://www.facebook.com/St.GeorgeIslandLighthouse

August 31, 2020 – International Overdose Awareness Day

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First observed in 2001 by Sally J. Finn in St. Kilda, Melbourne (Australian), International Overdose Awareness Day aims to reduce the stigma surrounding drug addiction. Did you know that over 770,000 Americans have died from drug overdose since 1999 (according to the National Center for Health Statistics, 2019)? Many who survive overdoses or have lost loved ones due to overdoses cite the lack of public awareness, mental health support, and public support programs as factors in their struggle. International Overdose Awareness Day is more than just a chance to raise awareness and reduce stigma, it is an opportunity for friends and family to process the grief and remember those they loved. To show support, wear a silver badge or purple wristband – these function as symbols of awareness as well as a tribute to the idea that every person’s life is valuable. Stigmatizing people who suffer from drug addiction needs to stop. For more information, please visit the following CDC website:https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm

Earth Overshoot Day

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Have you heard of Earth Overshoot Day? It is the point where scientists say humanity has used all the ecological resources the planet can regenerate in 12 months. It’s like trying to pay a bill before your paycheck has hit your bank account – not only does the bill not get paid but you end up with a fee from the bank, therefore losing out on some of your paycheck. This date changes year to year as humanity’s consumption rate does.

This year’s Earth Overshoot Day was predicted to be August 22nd by the Global Footprint Network (the group that calculates the annual Overshoot date) – however, the 22nd expected date has been pushed back! Some might think this is good news, but the reality of the situation is much bleaker. The pandemic has created situations that reduced the estimated consumption rate but at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives. Additionally, despite how COVID-19 has pushed back the Overshoot date three weeks, the Global Footprint Network still estimates that humanity has exceeded the Earth’s ability to provide by 56%.

For more in depth information, check out the following website https://www.overshootday.org/about-earth-overshoot-day/

August 29th – Individual Rights Day

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Individual Rights Day is celebrated annually on August 29th in honor of John Locke’s birthday; Locke was the first philosopher who prominently argued that a human being has basic, individual rights as a sovereign human being. This holiday was started by Dr. Tom Stevens of the Objectivist Party in order to encourage contemplation of humanity’s right to life. Given the current social and political events, this day is even more important to recognize and discuss this year. To celebrate Individual Rights Day, consider reading relevant texts about humanitarian work, think about your own individual vs. collective rights, discuss your country’s commitment to the protection of individual rights, and appreciate the value of individual rights and the freedom they grant you.

Martin’s Harvest Farm

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Looking for a great source of healthy, good for you, locally grown produce? Check out Martin’s Harvest Farm! Located in Marianna, this family farm is an up-and-coming gem of the community. They offer hydroponically grown, pesticide free produce. A neat service they offer is curbside pickup produce boxes offering year-round lettuce, arugula, micro greens, and more. Additionally, they participate in the weekly Marianna Farmers Market. To learn more about their varied and wallet-friendly services, check out their website at martinsharvest.com

August 27th – Just Because Day

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Just Because Day started out as a movable holiday called Because Day. Because Day was first celebrated on the third Wednesday in May in the late 1950s or 1960s by Joseph J. Goodwin of Los Gatos, California. He wanted to gift his wife a clock…just because! Since its inception, Just Because Day has grown into a wonderful movement that encourages random acts of kindness and happy spontaneity.

Wake up with the urge to have spaghetti for breakfast? Go for it!

Noticed your elderly neighbor has had a downed tree branch in their yard for a few weeks? Go ahead and pick it up!

Did you know Salvador Dali used to walk around Paris with an ant-eater on a leash? How unusual and amazing – just because!

August 26, 2020 – Women’s Equality Day

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Women’s Equality Day commemorates the 19th Amendment to the Constitution that gave white women the right to vote. Observed annually after its initiation in 1971, the date was chosen to reflect the passing of the 19th Amendment on August 26, 1920. Women’s Equality Day was created by a Joint Resolution of Congress encouraged by former New York U.S. Representative Bella Abzug. The day is meant to honor the culmination of effort put forth by decades of effort to win women the right to vote. However, the 19th Amendment was not an equal opportunity amendment. Asian Americans women couldn’t vote until 1952. Native American women were kept from voting in certain states until 1962. And Black women were kept from voting until 1965; that was only 55 years ago!

 

National Second Hand Wardrobe Day~ August 25th

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I bet you didn’t know today is National Second-Hand Wardrobe Day! Every August 25th is a chance to remind ourselves of the pleasures of shopping for second-hand clothes. Not only do you find interesting treasures and well-made vintage pieces, but you also save money and feel good about supporting earth by recycling/reusing. Know what you’re looking for — a wise suggestion for any kind of shopping and give yourself enough time to go through the clothing racks. Go back frequently and be willing to walk away with nothing.

Not all thrift stores are the same, so scout out the ones in your area to figure out which have the best clothes. Ask staff which days are the best to shop; these can change, depending on deliveries and stocking. For example, I know Tuesdays are the day for deals at my local shop because it’s closed on Mondays while staff are busy restocking shelves. Typically, the start of a new season is a good time to shop, when people are decluttering in preparation for the next.

Have you tried American Thrift in Dothan, Alabama? It is in the same parking lot as the mall. How about Innovative Charities in Marianna? They have fill a bag for $2.50! You can not beat that price. Plus they do so many other good things for locals. They have several locations.

Happy secondhand shopping!