1. Mount Shasta Area Newspapers 11/18/2015
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The opening of Serge Mar-
got’s Bistro 107 earlier this
month in downtown Mount
Shasta is due in part to the city’s
Community Development Block
Grant program.
“It’s great that the city is as-
sisting business owners who are
trying to make Mount Shasta a
better place,” Margot said.
Bistro 107, located in the old
Billy Goat Tavern building at 107
Chestnut St., was made possible
when Margot qualified for a mi-
croenterprise loan through Mount
Shasta’s CDBG program, accord-
ing to a press release from Great
Northern Services.
GNS, through its contract with
the city, served as underwriter for
the loan, doing “all the legwork,”
according to GNS Business De-
velopment Manager Seata Madi-
son.
She explained that the CDBG
funding for businesses is pro-
vided by the federal government
but administered by the state;
each of its programs has strict
guidelines and requirements for
each of its programs, and GNS
makes sure all are met.
“Income certification is a big
one. Great Northern gets all the
third party documents, including
credit reports and applicable bank
records, and secures collateral for
the loan. We present all the docu-
mentation to the Mount Shasta
Loan Committee and, if they ap-
prove the loan, we prepare the
agreement, promissory note, deed
of trust, and set up a payment pro-
gram,” Madison states in the re-
lease.
Because loan funds are not
distributed all at once, GNS says
it continues its work with the re-
cipient over time, compiling in-
voices to submit for
reimbursement, and vetting re-
quests for ongoing working capi-
tal to cover allowable expenses
under the terms of the loan.
Once the city’s loan commit-
tee has approved a project, Mount
Shasta Finance Director Muriel
Terrell works with Great North-
ern throughout the life of the
loan, handling all approvals for
reimbursements and working
capital, and distributing the funds,
according to the release.
“We’re thrilled that Serge was
able to get this loan and open his
new restaurant here,” Terrell
states in the release. “Making this
program available to as many
businesses as we can is a great
way for Mount Shasta to leverage
the CDBG funds.”
“Providing economic incen-
tives to businesses like the Bistro
fits the City Councils strategic
goals of both assisting businesses
and enhancing the economic vi-
tality of our downtown,” states
Mount Shasta City Manager Paul
Eckert.
Terrell explained that both fi-
nancial and technical assistance
are part of the program’s guide-
lines. The city contracts with
GNS to handle the financial work
and with Jefferson Economic De-
velopment Institute to provide
technical assistance for busi-
nesses utilizing the program.
Margot expressed thanks for
the work Great Northern is per-
forming on his behalf and said he
is also “very thankful to JEDI for
helping me articulate my vision
in the business plan.”
He said it took him “months to
crunch the numbers” once he de-
termined which of four possible
business opportunities he would
pursue.
“I had to make sure what I was
considering would work out. Get-
ting the money is just the begin-
ning – you have to pay it back.
Having a sound business pro-
posal that also serves the commu-
nity is critical,” Margot states in
the release.
The microenterprise low inter-
est loan program is just one of the
components of the CDBG pro-
gram offered by Mount Shasta
City to its business community,
according to Terrell. “Among the
possibilities for business owners
or prospective owners are low in-
terest loans for business expan-
sion and small grants to fund ‘soft
business costs’ such as website
development and marketing, as
well as the microenterprise pro-
gram for start-ups,” she ex-
plained.
Other services offered through
the CDBG program and run by
Great Northern benefit the Mount
Shasta community at large, she
said, including snow removal for
seniors, fresh food availability,
and help with security deposits.
Call Great Northern Business
Development Manager Seata
Madison at 530-938-4115, exten-
sion 113, for more information
about opportunities available for
Mount Shasta businesses through
the City’s CDBG program.
News Mount Shasta Area Newspapers
November 18, 2015
NOTICE OF VACANCY
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Seata Madison and Bistro 107 owner Serge Margot, right, shown in his new restaurant with Great Northern Services business development
manager Seata Madison. SUBMITTED
‘Let’s Put W
Map’ work
“Let’s Put Weed on the M
help small businesses grow th
Scheduled for Thursday,
Northern Services in Weed, it
business on Google Maps to
The workshop is being put
velopment Institute of Mount
Business Online” program.
It’s part of an effort to bring
ers, and civic leaders togethe
the web, according to a JEDI
Businesses that effectively
to Google, are two times more
to grow 40 percent faster than
“When the Women’s Busi
by Google, we saw this as a p
tality into our communities,”
Barber in the release. “And I s
ness Center should be spearh
“Four out of five consume
formation nearby, yet only 37
their listing on a search eng
Google’s head of Small Busi
are the engine of local econom
munities do as well.”
“Let’s Put Our Cities on th
power communities to suppor
them to get on the map.
Visit www.gybo.com to le
To register for the “Let’s P
tact JEDI at 888-926-6670, e
Visit e-jedi.org or call 888
‘Bistro’ opens with Microenterprise loan help
‘It’s great that the city is assisting
business owners who are trying to make
Mount Shasta a better place’
– Bistro 107 owner Serge Margot
By Lauren Steinheimer
Mercy Hospice Mount Shas
of the documentary film, “OLD
Sisson Museum.
This documentary film on a
70 people ranging in age from
Filmmaker and former Sisk
be there to answer questions fo
Roselli, a former volunteer
excited to share her film in the
press release states.
“Embracing the aging proc
of-life wishes with our loved
Mercy Hospice Mount Shasta
“OLD?!” is Winner of the
International Film Festival in
rytellingAward at the 2015 Jef
Tickets cost $10 and are av
Former re
on aging t