Thinking About Opening Up a New Business?

A great chance to live your dream of owning your own business...then check out the Small Business Grants available here in Sullivan County. Want too know more, then make sure to attend two informational meetings on Thursday, January 12 at 6:00 p.m. in the County Government Center in Monticello and on Wednesday, January 18, 2012, at 6:00 p.m. in the Callicoon Town Hall.

SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS

For ‘Main Street’ and ‘Agri-Business’ Enterprises in Sullivan

MONTICELLO – A new Sullivan County grant program will provide funds for small businesses that are connected to agriculture or are located in downtown areas of villages or hamlets. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 3.

The Microenterprise Assistance Program (MAP) is made possible with an $185,000 grant from the NYS Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. It is being administered by the Sullivan County Division of Planning and Environmental Management.

“The program will provide grants between $5,000 and $35,000 for business start-ups or existing enterprises with five or fewer employees. It targets two types of small businesses: ‘Main Street’ goods and services located within downtown areas of village or hamlet business districts, and ‘Agri-Business’ enterprises are farms, agriculture-support businesses, and businesses that process local farm-based products,” said County Manager David Fanslau.

Additional funding is available through the county’s Main Street Revolving Loan Fund and Agri-Business Revolving Loan Fund. “The goal is to help bridge the gap for small businesses looking to get started and to take advantage of other funding and support programs that are available,” said Planning Commissioner Luiz Aragon.

The MAP is a collaboration among the Division of Planning, the Sullivan County Center for Workforce Development, Sullivan Renaissance, Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce and Liberty Community Development Corporation.

Conditions of the grant include requiring participating businesses to contribute at least 10% of the cost of the project. Also, businesses must create at least one new job that can be offered to or made available to persons from low or moderate-income households. New positions created must start by September 2013.

To receive the grant businesses must also participate in an Entrepreneurial Training Program. Chamber President and CEO Terri Ward said, “The partners have worked hard to assemble a roster of trainers and presentations meant to benefit small businesses in every stage of their development. The classes explore topics from developing a business plan to marketing your product, financing your plans, and finding, hiring and managing employees.”

The deadline for grant applications is Friday, February 3, 2012. Sullivan County Planning will hold public information sessions about the program on Thursday, January 12 at 6:00 p.m. in the County Government Center in Monticello and on Wednesday, January 18, 2012, at 6:00 p.m. in the Callicoon Town Hall.

For more information or to request an application, contact the Sullivan County Division of Planning at 845-807-0541 or planning@co.sullivan.ny.us.

Get Ready For Monticello's HUGE Halloween Parade on BROADWAY

Monticello will be hosting a Halloween Parade on the newly completed Broadway, and everyone is invited to build floats, get in costume, and compete for some REALLY COOL PRIZES. Wondering if any Mountaindale citizens are interested in participating in this fun event...maybe even designing a float to enter in the parade...something simple, say built on a wagon...hmmm, we have wagons, we have Girl Scouts, we have small kids. Might be a LOT OF FUN, and we have a month to be ready, and the event is close.

Not up to getting in costume, but want to be a part of the fun...the sponsors are looking for people to hand out candy from the trunk of their cars or the back of their trucks in what they are calling "Trunk or Treat".

HALLOWEEN PARADE!

Sunday October 30, 2011

The Village of Monticello, working in cooperation with the local business community and youth groups, is organizing a HALLOWEEN PARADE on Sunday October 30^th!

Families, individuals, community groups, youth groups, businesses and civic organizations are invited to march in the parade and participate in the festivities. Now that the construction is completed, the parade will be back on Broadway! Groups are encouraged to decorate floats and enter them in the parade to make the event as festive as possible! Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes and floats!

Line-up for the parade will start at 2PM at the parking lot on the corner of St. John Street and Broadway (across from the courthouse). The parade will step off at 3PM and will travel down Broadway, ending at the Ted Stroebele Center (Neighborhood Facility) on Jefferson Street.

Click here to download full details, rules and application!

Young people will be able to enjoy food, live entertainment, a haunted house, games and other Halloween-related festivities at the Neighborhood Facility that will be organized by the Monticello Parks & Recreation Department in cooperation with local youth groups such as the YMCA, Community Progressive Response (CPR), Dream Tank, and others. Families and community organizations are also invited to participate in a “trunk or treat” in the parking lot by decorating their car trunk and handing out candy.

To participate, please fill out the form below and FAX it to (845) 794-2327 or mail it to: Monticello Village Hall, 2 Pleasant Street, Monticello, NY 12701. For more info call John LiGreci at (845) 794-6130 x 306.