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State of North Carolina
Office of the Governor |
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| Michael F. Easley |
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| Governor |
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| Release: IMMEDIATE |
Contact: Jill Warren Lucas
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| Date: 5/12/2005 |
Phone: (919) 733-5612 |
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| GOV. EASLEY
ANNOUNCES LOANS ARE HELPING BUSINESSES RECOVER FROM HURRICANE
DAMAGE |
| Business Recovery
Assistance Program provides $3.1 million in aid |
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| Raleigh - The smell of
fresh-brewed coffee has replaced the stench of mud and mold in the Kismet
Café, which will reopen Friday in Asheville’s Biltmore Village thanks to a
small business loan provided by Gov. Mike Easley’s Business Recovery
Assistance Program., which is part of the $247 million Hurricane Recovery
Act of 2005.
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| “The goal of this program is to help
hardworking people whose businesses were damaged or destroyed by the
hurricanes get back on their feet,” said Easley. “More than $3 million in
loans have been provided already to cover uninsured losses and help
rebuild and reopen local businesses.”
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| The Business Recovery Assistance
Program is managed by the N.C. Department of Commerce. The program will
allocate a total of $10 million to support business recovery assistance in
the 50 disaster-declared counties. To date, the program has counseled more
than 120 applicants and approved 50 loans totaling $3.1 million. In
addition, 22 people who borrowed money from the U.S. Small Business
Administration will receive a total of $223,000 to offset a portion of the
interest they will pay for those disaster relief loans.
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| The program provided Bob and
Jennifer Rhea a loan to help reopen the Kismet Café, which has been closed
since Biltmore Village was flooded in September 2004.
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| “The loan made a world of difference
to us,” said Jennifer Rhea, whose business was destroyed by 30 inches of
standing water. “This has been a stressful process, but the people
involved have been so helpful. To us, this loan represents a safety net.
It lets us get back in business and where we need to be.”
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| Friday’s reopening allows the Kismet
Café to again serve local patrons, as well as enjoy the benefits of the
bustling tourist season. “The timing is perfect,” Rhea said. “We can
hardly wait to get rolling again.”
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Note to Media: Bob and
Jennifer Rhea are available for interview by calling the Kismet Café at
828-277-0098. Applications for Business Recovery Assistance Program loans
must be submitted by July 30. To apply for a loan or learn more about the
program, call 1-800-258-0862 or visit http://www.governor.state.nc.us/www.sbtdc.org/disaster.
For additional information about hurricane recovery assistance, call the
Governor’s Hurricane Recovery Bilingual Hotline at 1-888-835-9966 (TTY,
1-877-452-2514) or visit http://www.governor.state.nc.us/www.OperationBrighterDay.org.
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| Office of the Governor
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| 116 W. Jones Street,
Suite 202, Raleigh , NC 27603-8001 |
| Phone: (919)
733-5612 |
| Fax: (919)
733-5166 |
| An Equal
Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer |
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