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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Dan Carey will have one less bill to pay this year.
				Carey was one of the small business owners in Wilkes-Barre notified this week the deadline to repay emergency loans provided by the city was extended to May 2022.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a blessing,&rdquo; Carey Friday said.
				Mayor George Brown sent out letters Wednesday notifying the loan recipients of the extension and thanked them for their commitment to the city.
				&ldquo;My administration and I are committed to Wilkes-Barre businesses and understand the continued challenges you are facing during this trying time,&rdquo; Brown wrote in the letter.
				Last spring the restrictions imposed to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus tightened their grip on the economy, forcing closings, layoffs and cutbacks. Carey&rsquo;s Avenue Barber Shop felt the squeeze and shut its doors.
				The city tapped into a dormant account with approximately $373,000 in funds after receiving permission from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to redirect the money to pandemic relief.
				The program was designed to get locally owned, non-franchised businesses and restaurants back on their feet. As they continue to struggle, they won&rsquo;t have to worry about repaying the loan in full in a few months.
				Carey didn&rsquo;t hesitate when given the opportunity in May 2020 to take out a $3,000 loan for 12 months interest-free and applied for a check issued through the city&rsquo;s Emergency Relief Loan Program.
				&ldquo;That actually helped me to the point where they said, &lsquo;Now you can open,&rsquo; &rdquo; Carey said.
				When Carey was allowed to reopen, it wasn&rsquo;t business as usual, however. He couldn&rsquo;t see as many customers and had to take extra steps to disinfect his shop.
				&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all cut back and only do 50% of what we did before,&rdquo; Carey said. &ldquo;Our expenses are up, but our income is down.&rdquo;
				With vaccinations for COVID-19 underway and the federal government ramping up relief efforts Carey expressed some optimism of things changing for the better.
				Without the loan, Carey said he wouldn&rsquo;t have gotten this far, adding, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s just good to see&rdquo; the city is continuing to look out for businesses.

Wilkes-Barre extends payment deadline for emergency relief loans