Business News
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Blue Wing restaurant in Upper Lake has completed its COVID-19 reopening plan and is prepared to welcome customers back to a limited number of well-spaced tables in its sycamore-shaded garden.
As per county guidelines, service will be confined to the outdoor spaces for the time being.
At the outset, service will be limited to the hours of 1 to 7 p.m. Fridays through Mondays, with the first day of service being Friday, May 29.
The popular take-out service will continue during those hours with pickup at the front door of the restaurant.
“We’ve put a lot of thought into how we can reorient our procedures to provide the same quality of food and service in a relaxing atmosphere while protecting the health of customers and staff alike,” said Blue Wing owner Bernie Butcher. “We’re starting with just a few tables and we’ll be wearing masks and taking extra time to disinfect all surfaces. But all of us at the Blue Wing are excited to be taking this first step back into business.”
As an added incentive for people to venture out again, local musicians will be playing background music on the hotel veranda each night from 5 to 7 p.m.
First up on Friday, May 29, will be jazz standards from Paul Kemp and the Majide Trio. Pianist David Neft will entertain on Saturday, songstress Saran Tichava on Sunday and an acoustic blues trio headed by guitarist Jim Williams on Monday.
“Our local musicians are getting a bit rusty from all the inactivity,” said Butcher, “so it will be good to see them out again doing what they love to do.”
The revised layout of the Blue Wing garden can seat a maximum of 30 people, so it will be important to make advance reservations by calling 707-275-2233.
If the restaurant is not open, please leave a message and manager Allie Schell will get right back to confirm a time.
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- Written by: California Department of Insurance
The Department of Insurance will review all premium adjustments to ensure they are fair and adequate and reflect policyholders’ reduced risk.
The bulletin now includes the month of May, having already included the months of March and April, covering at least six different insurance lines: private passenger automobile, commercial automobile, workers’ compensation, commercial multi-peril, commercial liability, medical malpractice and any other insurance line where the risk of loss has fallen substantially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Commissioner’s Bulletin 2020-4 requires insurance companies to provide an adjustment to the premium in the form of a premium credit, reduction, return of premium, or other appropriate adjustment as soon as possible, and no later than Aug. 11, 2020.
For most if not all consumers, this will be a percentage of the premium — not 100 percent — and the Department of Insurance will validate each insurance company’s plan so that refunds are adequate and reflect the reduced risk.
“With the vast majority of Californians still under ‘stay at home’ orders, the risk of accident and loss remains low for many lines of insurance and their premiums should reflect that,” said Commissioner Lara. “While I appreciate companies that have already taken action to return premiums, the Department of Insurance will be checking that the reductions are adequate and consumers and businesses are not shortchanged.”
On March 18, Commissioner Lara issued a notice, calling on all admitted and non-admitted insurance companies to provide their policyholders with a 60-day grace period to pay their premiums.
With the deadline for this grace period fast approaching, Commissioner Lara on Friday issued a second notice requesting insurance companies to work with their policyholders who may be struggling financially to allow them an additional 60-days, effectively extending the grace period until July 14, 2020.
After July 14, 2020, insurers are encouraged to work with their individual policyholders who have been acutely impacted by COVID-19 and are still unable to timely pay their premiums.
“Consumers who have lost their jobs or businesses due to this crisis deserve flexibility in paying their premiums, just like any other,” said Commissioner Lara. “I am asking insurance companies to be mindful of the revenue stream Californians have consistently provided to insurers over the years, stand with their customers in this crisis and extend grace periods an additional 60 days.”
Commissioner Lara is also requesting that all insurance agents, brokers, and other licensees who accept premium payments on behalf of insurers take steps to ensure that customers have the ability to make prompt insurance payments, if and where possible.
This includes alternate methods of payment, such as online payments, to eliminate the need for in-person payment methods in order to protect the health and safety of both workers and customers.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
If you are preparing to reopen a business where there’s been little to no water use, Cal Water asks that you thoroughly flush water from the taps before using it.
Cal Water said this precaution is necessary because prolonged stagnation of water in building pipes can impair water quality.
To flush properly, start from the faucet closest to the water meter and move outward toward the farthest faucet.
If your faucet has both cold and hot water handles, run the cold water first, then the hot water.
For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/building-water-system.html or https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/covid-19.html .
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
While the recently-passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act created a program that provides immediate relief to small businesses with loans from the Small Business Administration, there was no such provision for those who have loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, or RMAP.
In a letter to Congress, the group is requesting that any new legislation to address the coronavirus pandemic include six months of principal, interest and fee payment relief for RMAP borrowers, similar to that already granted to businesses who borrow through SBA.
“We believe these small business borrowers should be treated equally,” said Johnathan Hladik, policy director with the Center for Rural Affairs. “The majority of these business owners are in the service industry, which has been severely damaged by the coronavirus pandemic. They should not be ignored just because they are rural.”
RMAP, which was first created as part of the 2008 farm bill, allows the USDA to coordinate with Microenterprise Development Organizations that provide training, assistance, and lending capital to rural entrepreneurs. To qualify for a loan, a business must be located in a rural area, unable to access loan capital from other sources, and have 10 or fewer employees.
Since 2008, RMAP has helped more than 2,100 small businesses expand operations, create new jobs, and tap into new markets. Loans have been made in nearly every state and in Puerto Rico.
In 2017, 18 nonprofit Microenterprise Development Organizations worked with the USDA to make 156 loans. Though the average amount was just under $28,000, this helped start 26 new businesses and create 286 new jobs. At least 60 of these loans were made to women and 153 to racial/ethnic minorities.
“This policy has the potential to change lives for more than 1,000 small business owners in rural America,” Hladik said. “We believe these individuals deserve the same opportunity as SBA borrowers, and should not be treated differently because their zip code is rural.”
Visit www.cfra.org/RMAPLetter to read the full letter.
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