The Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation (CPWDC) is trying to help address the shortage of skilled workers that companies need to thrive in its nine-county Central PA region, which includes Columbia and Montour counties. As part of its strategy to find a solution, CPWDC convened career & technical education (CTE) directors and several business leaders to help define the need. It heard loud and clear that one problem is insufficient awareness of outstanding career opportunities and how programs offered at CTE organizations can help students access a pathway to a promising future, complete with community and family-sustaining wages, with area businesses. Another misperception is that a four-year degree is the only pathway to success. While some professions require a four-year degree, those in skilled trades that require less than a four-year degree can and do have happy, successful lives pursuing these careers. Finally, school administration and teachers need to be aware of the skills companies are demanding and then prepare students with the understanding the skilled trades are viable options for many students and that a four year degree is right for some students, but not all. CPWDC is working to improve the disconnect between students, parents, teachers, school administrators and businesses by marketing the skilled trades in a number of ways. One such way depends on partnerships with cutting edge business leaders. Through a competitive grant awarded to CPWDC and with additional funding from The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber, CPWDC is creating a series of short, engaging videos to significantly increase the awareness of locally available careers in the skilled trades. In doing so, CPWDC wants to showcase area businesses that are in need of career and technical talent. The professionally filmed and edited videos will highlight the career opportunities available now and in the future within various sectors. Interviews of both senior level management and thriving employees will show all three target audiences why the skilled trades should not be overlooked as a career choice. Connections will be made to show how CTE plays a critical role in preparing the workforce needed now and in the future. Content will be widely available to reach as many students, parents, and teachers as possible, including via an online career connections website, Path2Careers, which is scheduled to launch this fall. If you would be willing to be part of increasing awareness of the skilled trades by being part of this project, please a media release form and return to CPWDC by Aug. 17. The momentum of the project is building quickly and production is slated to begin at the end of August. For questions about the videos or the website, contact Erica Mulberger, CPWDC executive director, or Korrie Lucas, operations manager. 
More than 400 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and our region. Increased membership allows us to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities. The Chamber welcomes its newest member, Spherion, to help us fulfill our mission.
Spherion is a leading recruiting and staffing organization the serves the workforce needs of more than 3,000 businesses nationwide. Founded in 1946, Spherion now has more than 70 years or experience connecting job seekers to employers that prove a mutually successful match. Nationally, Spherion is located in 34 states and puts over 150,000 employees to work each year. It operates on the franchise model, meaning each staffing office is individually owned and operated. Locally, Spherion’s nearest office is in Williamsport at 459 River Rd., and is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and closed weekends. It can be reached at 570-320-9750, via email, or visit the Williamsport office’s website or Facebook page.
A Boy Scout from the Berwick area is building a tiny house for a homeless veteran for his Eagle Scout project. The house will be located on Monroe Street in Berwick, in the midst of a 24-unit housing project being undertaken by Community Strategies Group. Local and state officials celebrated the Scout’s project at a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, July 31.
Tim Maron, a member of a troop in Hobbie, connected with Community Strategies Group by chance at an event at Test Track Park. The organization had ownership of a number of properties in the Borough as part of the Blueprint Communities project to provide affordable housing, and identified the lot for Maron’s Eagle Scout project. Checks totaling $50,000 were presented at the ceremony which should cover the construction costs.
The recipient of the home will be selected by Veterans Affairs.
Anyone who would like to support the project should contact Community Strategies Group at 570-784-9373 ext. 121.
(L-R): Bonnie Crawford, Town of Bloomsburg council member; Kerry Maurer, Thrivent Financial; Richard Keller, Thrivent Financial; Dave Saul, Thrivent Financial; Fred Gaffney, Columbia Montour Chamber president; Lisa Makara, Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, Chamber ambassador; Denny Wolff, candidate for U.S. Congress 9th congressional district; Amanda Woolsey, Hampton Inn Danville, Chamber ambassador
The team at North Branch Group – Thrivent Financial opened up its newly renovated office building to fellow Chamber members on Thursday, Aug. 2 with a ribbon cutting and open house, as Chamber members were invited in to check out Thrivent’s new office building downtown Bloomsburg. Although the group has been in the building for over a year now, they just recently completed the renovation of what was formerly a bakery. It now has the look of a modern financial services office with a greeting area, conference room and office space for each of the three financial advisors. Following the ribbon cutting, attendees enjoyed some wine and light snacks and had an opportunity check out the office and talk with the Thrivent team.
In addition to traditional financial services products such as retirement and college planning, life insurance and more, Thrivent also offers several products and services for small businesses. Examples include succession and business continuity planning, all of which are intended to give small business owners peace of mind. Thrivent is also very community-minded and help coordinate several donation drives each year for various items for various nonprofits and also, through Thrivent’s action teams, are able to help coordinate and financially contribute to various community service projects.
The North Branch Group will hold a public open house on Thursday, Aug. 9 from 2-6 p.m., in which any member of the public is welcome to stop in, meet the team and see what Thrivent can do to help you.
The annual Bloomsburg Nationals car show will be held Aug. 10-12 at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds. The event actually gets started on Thursday, Aug. 9, with the event’s Gridlock on Main St. in downtown Bloomsburg, which will kick off the event and result in Main St. being closed from 6-8 p.m. to accommodate the event. Main St. will reopen at 8 p.m.
Gridlock is the parade of cars down Main St. in Bloomsburg. During Gridlock, there is also a Quaker Steak & Lube wing eating contest that is held at the front of the Columbia County Courthouse to raise money for charities. Two of the charities supported by Bloomsburg Nationals are also Chamber members: Camp Victory and the Women’s Center. Following Gridlock, the cars will cruise to Quaker Steak & Lube for a “welcome party.” The main event begins on Friday morning, Aug. 10 and runs through Sunday afternoon.
More information on Bloomsburg Nationals, including a complete schedule, is available on its website or Facebook page.
In mid-July, the PA Chamber participated in three public comment opportunities for key federal energy and environmental policy items: FERC’s review of its pipeline certification process; an EPA community information event regarding an emerging contaminant issue in Horsham; and the Department of Energy’s draft Liquefied Natural Gas exports study.
On July 24, the PA Chamber filed comments with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which sought comments from the public and stakeholders on changing what information the commission considers when reviewing permitting requests for interstate natural gas pipeline projects. The PA Chamber noted in its comments that the development of new natural gas pipeline projects have greatly benefitted the economy and environment, and that FERC’s current process is working well – the commission is by and large successfully defending nearly all of its decisions in court. The PA Chamber concurred with recommendations by UGI Energy Services and the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America regarding some changes to improve involvement by landowners in the permitting process.
On July 25, Brian Clark, partner with Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney and chair of the PA Chamber’s environmental executive committee, delivered testimony at a community information event held by the US EPA in Horsham, Pa. The community is dealing with the emerging contaminant issue of PFOA and PFAS, as are many other water supplies near military installations across the country. The PA Chamber expressed support for EPA’s interest in the matter and, as the agency decides what formal regulatory path to take, offered to take part in continued stakeholder discussions.
Finally, on July 26, the PA Chamber filed comments with the Department of Energy regarding the federal agency’s draft economic report on LNG exports. The Chamber noted in its comments that expanding market access for domestically produced natural gas will not result in significantly increased prices and is in fact necessary to sustaining production in the shale play of the state. The PA Chamber also pointed to the Forge the Future report that outlined the significant opportunities that can be achieved should the state leverage its energy assets. A sizable amount of the sustained economic activity included in the report relies on the export of natural gas to markets outside of Pennsylvania. The Chamber also expressed its concern over the impact of a trade war between the United States and other countries, which could have the effect of closing off markets for LNG exports.
Member News
- A special health, wellness and career event for veterans will be held tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 2, from 4-8 p.m. at the Berwick Christian Church, located at 701 East 5th St., Berwick. A light meal will be provided and there will be representatives from Columbia County Veterans Affairs, Geisinger Health Plan’s wellness team, Commonwealth Health – Berwick Hospital Center, other local employers, as well as an art display and sale by a local veteran. There will also be two speakers: Chris Coppola, MD, author of A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq, and Tom Neal, CEO of Berwick Hospital Center. Reserve your spot by calling 570-204-3930 or 570-752-5523.
- There are currently a few opportunities for local businesses to connect with students at Bucknell University through the Bucknell SBDC, and possibly receive free consulting services in a variety of areas.- Students in a Markets, Innovation and Design 300 class will make websites free of charge for local businesses and organizations. If interested, please submit this application by Aug. 29.
– Students in a 400-level computer science design course will work with local organizations to identify and specify a solution to a real-world, software-related problem in your business and deliver a working prototype by the end of the academic year, which will provide students with a realistic design experience where they can apply their software engineering knowledge. If interested, please submit an application by Aug. 15. Here are a few examples of previous projects.
– The Electrical and Computer Engineering department is looking for electrical and computer engineering projects that include an element of both hardware and software development, through which students will learn design practices and gain experience in engineering design and project management. Projects at various technical stages are welcome, including proof-of-concept, prototype and deployment ready. To propose a project, contact Prof. Stu Thompson via email by Aug. 27.
– Finally, the Freeman College of Management is seeking local businesses to work with management students and faculty on projects of mutual interest. Projects may range from extensive interaction with students throughout a 14-week project to as simple as providing data, or may develop into a collaboration with a faculty member with analysis expertise. Topics may involve operations management, supply chain, or data-driven projects in any area of your business such as pricing, human resources, finance and more. If interested in exploring a way to collaborate in this broad and open-ended area, contact Missy Gutkowski via email.
The Weis Center for the Performing Arts announced its 2018-19 season earlier this week, which includes nearly 40 professional performances, 10 of which are free, and includes world music from Egypt, Spain, Africa, China, Japan, Mexico, Mongolia, Denmark and Sweden, plus classical music, modern dance, and folk, jazz and family-friendly performances. The season begins three weeks from tomorrow on Thursday, Aug. 23 with a free outdoor concert on the Weis Center Plaza by Banda Magda at 6 p.m. A digital copy of the 32-page season brochure and ticket order form can be downloaded at the Weis Center’s website. Hard copies of the brochure are available at the Weis Center or can be mailed by request by contacting Lisa Leighton by email or at 570-577-3727. There is also a video (below) that highlights the new season.
- National Night Out will be hosted in Berwick, Bloomsburg and Danville on Tuesday, Aug. 7. This national event is an opportunity to community members to interact with law enforcement and first responders and learn about what they do and safety in the community. In Berwick, the event will be held from 5-8 p.m.at the Berwick Borough Building parking lot at 1800 North Market St. In Bloomsburg, the event will held at the Bloomsburg Municipal Airport, located at 301 Airport Rd., Bloomsburg, from 6-8 p.m. Danville’s event will be held from 5-7 p.m. at Washie’s Playground, located at 99 Faust St., Danville.
- Wild For Salmon will host its annual Fishtival on Saturday, Aug. 25 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at its retail location at 521 Montour Blvd. (Rt. 11), Bloomsburg. This annual celebration of the return of the fishermen after another successful fishing season will feature samplings as well as several other vendors, including Turkey Hill Brewing.
- The ninth annual AGAPE Palooza will take place in Bloomsburg Town Park, located at Catherine St. and Fort McLure Blvd., from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. also on Saturday, Aug. 25. This event, which is organized by AGAPE, Love From Above To Our Community will feature over 100 craft and small business vendors as well as nonprofits and lots of “fair food” vendors, free music and family activities, including pony rides, a petting zoo and face painting. There is free admission, free parking and a free shuttle from Bloomsburg High School, which will also shuttle attendees to and from ArtFest.
- Community Options, Inc., a provider of residential and employment support to people with disabilities, is seeking individuals interested in serving on a new business advisory committee for Community Options’ Bloomsburg office. Community Options’ mission is to promote the integration of persons with disabilities within the communities in which they reside, enabling them to become viable and contributing neighbors, employees and citizens of the community. The purpose of this committee is to discuss and implement ways to help the organization better integrate into the community and bridge the gap between the community and the individuals it serves. If you may be interested in serving on this committee, or for questions, contact associate executive director David McConaghy at 570-638-6007 or email. The next committee meeting is scheduled for Aug. 30 at noon at Community Options’ Bloomsburg office, located at 1117 Old Berwick Rd.
- In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Camp Victory will hold a special free family fun day for the community on Sunday, Sept. 9, from 12-3 p.m. Its swimming pool, climbing wall and zip line will be open and there will be hot dogs, ice cream, drinks, an arts and crafts project, a moon bounce, wagon rides and live music. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
- The Central Susquehanna Community Foundation will hold a luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 11, from 12-1:30 p.m. at Monty’s on the Bloomsburg University campus to celebrate the grants made to community organizations through the Bloomsburg Area Community Foundation. Local nonprofit organizations will be presented with the 2018 grant awards. There is no cost to attend, but an RSVP is requested. RSVP online or by emailing or calling Karri Harter at 570-752-3930 ext. 6.
Ten months into the construction schedule, the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline project is nearing mechanical completion. The project includes the installation of approximately 200 miles of pipeline, two compressor stations, and compressor station modifications in five states. Following final certification, full service of the new pipeline is anticipated to start in the second half of August. Final cleanup and right-of-way restoration work has begun and will continue for the remainder of this year and into 2019.
A full update on the Atlantic Sunrise project from Williams is available online.
More than 400 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and our region. Increased membership allows us to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities. The Chamber welcomes its newest member, the Carnegie Agency to help us fulfill our mission.
The Carnegie Agency is a full-service digital marketing agency that specifically serves small to medium-sized businesses. It assists with web, email, social media and content creation as well as the accompanying digital advertising. Its engagements focus on exceeding the business goal and objectives by improving the digital reach of the organization. The Carnegie Agency does not have a physical location, as both of its employees work remotely, including one that lives in the Columbia/Montour County area. It can be reached at 646-504-1204 or by email, or visit its website.
The PA Chamber issued a response last week to new guidelines unveiled by the Wolf administration regarding how opioids are prescribed in workers’ compensation cases. The guidelines were issued as part of an Executive Order the governor signed in lieu of a far more effective prescription drug formulary bill.
In a news release, Gov. Tom Wolf said the guidelines include methods to help promote “safe, quality health care; ensure patient pain relief,” and reduce addiction to opioids; adding that the guidelines were written to help “ensure that health care providers who treat patients with work-related injuries have the guidance they need.” However, the PA Chamber has pushed back on the notion that these guidelines are somehow a legitimate substitution for S.B. 936, legislation which would have established a prescription drug formulary for workers’ compensation. Formularies are standard across healthcare and states that have implemented them within their workers’ comp systems have seen reductions in prescription drug abuse and addiction among injured workers. Senate Bill 936 was a top priority for the PA Chamber, which organized a broad coalition of support, including more than 70 local chambers of commerce, health care and employer organizations to urge lawmakers to support the bill and help to mitigate the state’s prescription drug and opioid addiction crisis as it relates to injured workers. While the legislation passed the General Assembly, it was vetoed by the Governor. Treatment of addiction that happens at long island detox center has helped plenty people start afresh.
“The governor announced his intent to issue these guidelines the day before he vetoed Senate Bill 936 and at the time we expressed our concern that an executive order to issue guidelines is simply not an adequate substitution for legislation, as they are inherently temporary solutions that do not carry the full force of law and lack critical oversight and accountability,” PA Chamber President Gene Barr said in last week’s statement.
“Fighting the opioid epidemic has been a top priority for this administration, which clearly recognizes the magnitude of this crisis. Surely we can all agree that the stakes are too high for half-measures and symbolic gestures. We look forward to continuing to work with the Wolf administration and the Legislature on this issue.”