Hackmatack Playhouse Turns 40

BERWICK, ME —
As they tie up the loose ends of their 2010 season, the Hackmatack Playhouse is beginning to plan for the summer of 2011: their 40th year!
It was 40 years ago this winter that Producer Michael Guptill and his father, along with many other volunteers, cleaned out the hay, cemented the floor, installed the seats and built the stage that would become the Hackmatack Playhouse.
The mission was to create a summer home for high caliber, live theater entertainment and education in a relaxed country setting. Then, as now, they did not rely on government and foundation monies, but rather on the generosity and support of patrons and local business.
And the Playhouse is in need. Their original lighting system consisted of tin can stage lights - some of which you can still see used above the audience seats - but they want to update to a more contemporary and efficient lighting system. Also on the to-do list are the installation of hot water in their bathrooms, and a thorough repainting of the chipping and peeling barn.
Many audience members who love the rustic and endearing charm of Hackmatack have asked them not to change a thing, but the proposed upgrades are clearly necessities as the Hackmatack Playhouse move forward into their big 4-0. Despite the changes, they promise never to change their style!
The Hackmatack Playhouse is accepting 40th Birthday donations in the suggested amounts of $40, $400, and $4,000, but any amount is greatly appreciated.
Donations can be made by check or online by visiting their secure donations page.
For more information, visit www.hackmatack.org.
Photo caption: Artwork by Dean Diggins, depicting the Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick, Maine. (Courtesy photo)

NH Experiences Spectacular Foliage, Beautiful Weather, and Leaf Peepers

NEW HAMPSHIRE —
New Hampshire saw a steady stream of leaf-peepers this Columbus Day Weekend, making it a great success for the tourism industry. Traffic through the tolls for Friday through Monday was up 2% over last year’s Columbus Day Weekend, with more than 1.4 million people on the road. Many of the people who visited New Hampshire for peak foliage were from out-of-state, including Canadians and other international visitors.
“Blue skies, great weather and spectacular foliage really made the holiday weekend a huge success,” said Tai Freligh, Communications Manager for the Division of Travel and Tourism Development. “We heard from a lot of properties around the state that business was up over last year and in some cases, record-breaking” he added.
Here’s what members of New Hampshire’s tourism industry had to say about the Columbus Day Weekend...
Valerie Rochon, Tourism Manager, Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce said, “The weather in Portsmouth and along the Seacoast was spectacular this weekend, which brought many locals and visitors out to enjoy the many activities and events and, of course, the fall scenery. Our Visitor Information Kiosk in Market Square saw a 14% jump in visitors over last year, with the highest increase on Monday. The Visitor Center saw a 6% jump as well. Our lodging properties were almost completely booked in advance for Saturday night, with very limited availability for Friday and Sunday nights as we headed into the weekend. All in all, a superb way to wrap up this terrific summer season!”
While Kirt Schuman, Executive Director, Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce said, “Columbus Day Weekend was amazing in Dover, as our foliage peeked at the right time. Residents and visitors descended on our historic downtown to enjoy our shops, restaurants and attractions during the seasonably great weather over the course of the 3-day weekend. Our city parks and open spaces, including our new Dover Community Trail were awash in the typical hues of autumn and experienced a significant increase in utilization over the weekend as well. Attractions like the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire and the Woodman Institute Museum reported high traffic as well.”
To see a calendar of harvest and holiday events, suggested things to do and other planning tools for your trip to New Hampshire, go to the www.visitnh.gov home page. You can look at Yankee Dollar-Stretchers for lodging, restaurants and attractions and also find links to Travel and Tourism on Facebook, Twitter and Flicker. (MetroCreative photo)

SBA Growth Capital Program Provides Record $1.59 Billion in Financing

WASHINGTON, DC —
At a time when capital was scarce for small business, financing from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s growth capital program increased 23 percent in fiscal year 2010, providing a record $1.59 billion to help small businesses grow and create jobs, according to SBA Administrator Karen Mills.
The fiscal year 2010 volume is the highest single-year volume in the 50-year history of SBA’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) debenture program. Increased volume in the program is in part a result of changes made by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Those changes contributed to an increased number of new SBIC licenses, decreased license processing times, and initial capital to new funds rose dramatically.
“At a time when access to capital was tight, including from the traditional sources for growth capital, SBA helped fill some of that gap with a record amount of financing through our SBIC program,” Mills said. “Across the country, there are small business owners and entrepreneurs who are well-positioned to take that next step, grow their business and create good-paying jobs. Our efforts to strengthen our program efficiency and increase funding available through the SBIC program has provided another critical tool to help these small businesses get the capital they need and drive economic growth.”
The SBIC program was created to stimulate the growth of America’s small businesses by supplementing the long-term debt and private-equity capital available to them. SBA’s SBIC fiscal year 2010 results included the following:
Record High Financing to Small Businesses: Total financings to the SBA SBIC debenture program grew to a 50-year record high of $1.59 billion in fiscal year 2010 – a 23 percent increase over an average $1.29 billion in the four previous years. Debenture program obligations grew to $1.17 billion from an average $750.6 million, another 50-year record high.
More Licensed SBICs and Faster Processing Times: Twenty-one (21) new SBIC licensees were issued in fiscal year 2010, a 130 percent increase over the four-year average of 10 per year. Additionally, SBIC license processing time improved to just 5.8 months in fiscal year 2010, a nearly 60 percent decrease from an average of 14.6 months in 2009.
Record High Capital Commitment to Support Small Businesses: SBA capital commitments to new funds broke yet another 50-year record increasing to $1.23 billion in fiscal year 2010, a 135 percent jump from an average of $524.3 million in the four previous years. Equally important, the programs attracted record levels of private capital commitments, increasing to $615 million in 2010 from $262.1 million in previous years - another 135 percent increase. Combined total initial capital to new funds increased to $1.845 billion in FY 2010 from an average $786.4 million.
Since the SBIC program’s formation in 1958 through April 2009, it has invested approximately $56 billion in more than 100,000 small businesses in the United States. For more information about the SBA’s Investment Division and SBIC program, go to www.sba.gov/INV or call 1-800-U ASK SBA.