From Our Blog

Crime teeming during COVID-19

Unemployment claims statewide reached 15.1% in April. Loan volume for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in Washington alone has climbed to $12.1 billion so far. With an olive branch extended, fraudsters are on the prowl. During May, both the Employment Security Department (ESD) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) alerted the public to potential scammers who are targeting resources intended to provide financial relief in response to COVID-19. With identity theft rampant, it is imperative to be aware of how Read more

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Face Masks Required for All Employees as of June 8

As of June 8, a cloth facial covering is required for all employees. A few exceptions are allowed according to “Safe Start Washington: Phased Reopening County-by-County” including when: Working alone in an office, vehicle, or at a job site Employees with hearing issues or when communicating with others that need facial cues or mouth movements as a part of communication Employees with a medical condition or disability that need accommodation with medical documentation from a healthcare provider When the job Read more

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Recreate Responsibly

Recreation abounds with daycation options Memorial Day typically marks the beginning of a whirlwind summer season, packed with activities around the Olympic Peninsula. This year is admittedly different. Social distancing rules have forced closures and cancellations of events and locations alike. People are living in limbo waiting to find out when its okay to visit their favorite people and places again. For now, we are expected to stay close to home which makes a destination vacation impossible and a staycation Read more

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Mason County Approved for Phase Two Reopening

Mason County is pleased to announce that the county has been approved to move from Phase One to Phase Two under Governor Inslee’s Phased Recovery Approach. Business sectors listed in Phase Two may reopen only AFTER the state publishes its guidelines for the specific sector and an individual business can implement those guidelines. Those guidelines can be found here. Phase Two Business Activity Guidelines (as of 22 May 2020) Additional Guidance on Voluntary Contact Information – issued May 15 Dine-in restaurants and taverns – issued May 11 Read more

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Recovery, Reopening, Readiness Webinar

Host contact information: Heidi McCutcheon, Shelton-Mason County Chamber(360) 490-3741 (direct) Pam Volz, North Mason Chamber(360) 710-0689 Guest speaker contact information: Drew MacEwen, State Representative for District 35(360) 898-1199 Sharon Trask, Mason County Commissioner Dist #3(360) 427-9670 x419 Mark Johnson, Washington Retail Association(360) 943-0667 Julia Gorton, Washington Hospitality Association(360) 956-7279 Shared Resources:  Official Washington statewide COVID-19 guidelines, by industry The Washington state guide to reopening your restaurant, by Washington Hospitality Association Restaurant Re-opening Guidelines webinar, recorded by WA Liquor and Cannabis Read more

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Preparing for the New Normal

Emphasize your efforts on three key areas Mason County is now considered eligible to file for a variance to move toward Stage Two per Governor Inslee’s May 19 press conference. Most states have begun reopening their economies, at least in part. That is the good news. Reopening means its time to plan for a new mode of operation—the sooner, the better. Despite uncertainty, the next step to moving forward is to reopen responsibly. So, what do you need to do that? Read more

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#MasonHealthWeek – why local healthcare matters

We are now in the seventh week of a statewide Stay Home, Stay Healthy order enacted in response to COVID-19. Almost immediately, the pandemic created a health crisis and cast hospitals into the spotlight, raising questions about facilities capacity, supply inventories and the ability to care for patients. This became another reminder of the critical need for healthcare access. Oftentimes, that access is a livability criteria and economic indicator of an area. Mason General Hospital (MGH) is that pillar for Read more

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Back-to-Business Toolkit

This year of COVID-19 is anything but business as usual and is truly uncharted territory for you, your employees, and your customers. To champion your efforts to reopen and begin recovery, the Chamber has compiled a Back-to-Business Toolkit to help guide you through the process. Reopening must balance careful planning and diligent follow through to protect those that depend on you for employment and those that rely on your goods and services. Since 1922, the Chamber has been providing resources to benefit Read more

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#SmallBusinessWeek

Small Business Week (SBW) traditionally occurs each year across the United States during the first week of May. During SBW, events take place across the country and online celebrating small business owners. It’s a way of recognizing their outstanding service, innovation and success. This annual celebration hosted by the Small Business Administration has been postponed this year as a result of COVID-19. Even so, the Chamber is choosing to carry on and champion small businesses in our community this week Read more

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When to Pull the Plug on Events

Large-scale event cancellations across the United States are mounting due to COVID-19 concerns—from conferences and concerts to trade shows and sporting events. Many local events have been put on the back burner too. Weighing the potential health risk of an event with its economic consequence isn’t clear cut. It’s even less obvious if the event will be well attended.  So, is the best course of action to postpone, reschedule, or cancel? After scouring dozens of articles written by event industry experts, the Chamber Read more

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