To my fellow Attleboro residents,
This is an open forum where I encourage you to discuss issues and concerns, share a neighborhood perspective, ask a question or simply share your point of view. This is your opportunity to weigh in on the issues. I will listen and act upon your interests.
Sincerely,
Rick Conti
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January 30, 2010 at 6:00 pm
I like to know who has gotten grant money to save their small business in the City of Attleboro? I think small business are being told by president Obama that there is grant money and money to save small business, but yet when you do all the steps to get the grant or a business loan the City Hall Director Mr. Ayrassian and Mr. Pina sends you a denied letter. jahada Botanicals small business will be closing shop due to no support from the city. Cherie Earnest call Mr. Pina to ask for a meeting in person, one week later no phone call no explanation. So again can you tell me who gets the grant? Mr. Pina said, we have the grant money but you need to go to a workshop to do a business plan…that was done. I am waiting for president Obama to respond to the letter that Mr. Pina sent to us. I think every City need to be held accountable for not assisting small business which will be letting more folks loss their jobs.
January 31, 2010 at 7:14 pm
PRESIDENT OBAMA STIMULUS MONEY, IS SMALL BUSINESS REALLY GETTING FINANICAL SUPPORT?
I would like for you to do a story on President Obama small business Stimulus grant money and business loan to support small business from going out of business. I like President Obama to know that small business isn’t getting the help. It all sounds good what he saying…but what good is it? What state has a small business owner that is struggling and that owner have actually received the support from their City? Because small businesses are going out of business even when they have applied for grant or a small business loan. The City has the money but is keeping it! You really should do a story on jahada Botanicals a small business owner that was denied a CDBG grant from the City of Attleboro, Mass. The owner was told by Mr. Salvador A. Pina, Community Development Director, “We have the grant money, you need to go to this small business workshop to learn how to write a grant.” The owner of jahadaBotanicals name Cherie Earnest went to the workshop wrote a business plan. She presented it to Attleboro City Hall and was denied, “Because her business loan application doesn’t show a sufficient income to debt ratio to warrant an investment of the amount of CDBG funds that she requested.” What does that mean? We called up Mr. Pina to ask him if we could meet with him and go over the denial letter. We called him on 1/22/10 to request a meeting. As of today he still hasn’t returned our call. We need you to do a story on this store that will be closing on July 1st if we don’t get some assistant. We have two part-time disable employees, with the grant money we would be able to employ up to 20-30 disable folks. We’re giving back to the community; please help us save this small business. Cherie’s vision for her store is; “When you buy from jahada Botanicals all natural body product, you are paving the way for employing folks with disabilities.”