SBA has big plans to ease credit crunch Q:I have heard that the government is finally providing some funds to assist struggling small business owners. Can you provide any details?—Cynthia L., Hanover Answer: The government is determined to make a big dent in the small-business credit crunch, according to the Small Business Administration.

The USO hall just off Williamsburg Road was conveyed to Henrico County at the end of World War II with the understanding that it would house a recreation center for Sandston residents. A 50-cent assessment was tacked on to each Sandston resident’s water bill to purchase and maintain the center. Six decades later, the assessment is still in place, and the Sandston Memorial Recreation Center holds numerous community events on its shiny maple floors. But the recreational facilities outdoors leave much to be desired, leaving some Sandston residents feeling like second-class citizens.

As affluent as Henrico County is, eastern Henrico residents in Sandston get the short end of the stick.

Invisible Virginians. Columnist Mike Williams says with one of ten people in the state living below the poverty line, it’s high time for the governor to call for a task force.

On Feb. 18, the Small Business Administration released information on the effects of the stimulus bill on SBA programs. The bill provides $730 million to the SBA and changes many of its lending and investment programs. “There’s a lot to digest in the legislation,“ acting SBA Administrator Daryl K. Hairston said. “SBA has established teams to tackle a wide variety of policy decisions, system modifications, regulatory changes, legal requirements and new program launches authorized by the president and Congress.“

Tools for tracking your advertising dollars Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted. The trouble is I don’t know which half.“ That quote is attributed to John Wanamaker, a famous 19th-century retailer who opened the first department store in Philadelphia and went on to be appointed U.S. Postmaster General by President Benjamin Harrison.

Like the steady stream of water-toting brooms that could not be controlled by Mickey Mouse in Disney’s “Fantasia,“ bad economic news keeps multiplying. On the jobs, spending, home sales and corporate profit fronts, the news seems particularly bad. As with the apprentice in “Fantasia,“ the public seems overwhelmed and is looking for a sorcerer who can magically get everything back to normal.

Look for strings attached in hiring new employees Sadly, tough economic times have caused closures and layoffs by major Virginia employers. But these cuts mean talented people will be available for hiring by new employers. These employers should be aware that many prospective employees come with legal strings attached. Let’s examine possible strings:

Steve Green is a most unusual handyman. He doesn’t come to your house, he doesn’t build fences and he can’t do electrical work. Yet, he wants to be the first guy you call if you wantthose things done. Green owns Hocoa, a service network company in Henrico County that matches members with contractors. Members, who pay an $89 membership fee, call him when they have work to be done on their homes. He then matches the job with screened contractors.

Steve Green is a most unusual handyman. He doesn’t come to your house, he doesn’t build fences and he can’t do electrical work. Yet, he wants to be the first guy you call if you wantthose things done. Green owns Hocoa, a service network company in Henrico County that matches members with contractors. Members, who pay an $89 membership fee, call him when they have work to be done on their homes. He then matches the job with screened contractors.

If your business does not have a presence online, better get with it. Every business should have a Web presence, experts say. Increasingly that’s where shoppers, competitors and prospective business partners can be found.

After a year that saw the collapse of 25 banks and thrifts and the near-collapse of more than 100 others, the final tallies of bank causalities and taxpayer costs are looming uncertainties. The crisis is not without precedent, however.

This time a year ago, I embarked on a journey that, in retrospect, was as rewarding as any I’ve ever undertaken. Last December, I decided to visit one of Virginia’s then 34 state parks each month (there are 35 now) and report back on what I’d found. I solicited input from readers to help me choose my year’s worth of trips. I should have known then what I’d stumbled onto.

In a spot once occupied by a Winn-Dixie store, two area entrepreneurs are taking a stab at the grocery business. Mike Mazurski, who has a background in radio, and restaurateur Andres Moreria have opened Sav-More Supermarket at Beulah and Hopkins roads in Chesterfield County.

The holiday season started early this year, the day before Thanksgiving, when a yule log was delivered to my front porch from Ashley and Tyler Owen’s backyard in Hanover County. This was no ordinary log. Recent high winds toppled a small dead tree that showed years of wear and tear from visiting birds. Throughout North America, about 85 species excavate or use nesting holes in snag trees. Woodpeckers are the largest group of cavity users, but nesters range from ducks and large owls to bluebirds and tiny flycatchers and chickadees.