Join local the local community and give a big welcome home to 2014 Winter Olympics Men’s Luge competitor and Berwick native, Jayson Terdiman.
A welcome home parade for Jayson is scheduled for 1:00 pm on March 1, 2014 in Berwick. Defender Fire Trucks will depart from Fuel Fitness, escorting Jayson and his family through town and up Front Street.
Line the sidewalks, wave the flag, and cheer him on as he travels to the Berwick High School Gymnasium where he will speak, answer questions, and be honored by the Borough and State.
The Chamber would also like to recognize our Program Director, Amy Shortlidge, and Chamber Board member, Team Terdiman sponsor, and owner of Fuel Fitness, Marc Nespoli, for devoting their time to help organize the pep-rally last week and for assisting with the welcome home parade.
Other Chamber members who sponsored the pep-rally: First Keystone Community Bank, Knorr Hauling and Nespoli Jewelers.
For more photos, information and event posts, visit the Team Terdiman Facebook Page. Congratulations to Jayson and all who showed their support!
The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce and Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau are moving forward with plans to combine the operations of the two organizations in order to increase the value of membership and improve service to the communities in the two counties.
While the Chamber and Visitors Bureau will continue to exist, a new organization will be created. The staffs, operational resources and memberships will be combined within this new organization. The partnership will represent approximately 600 area businesses and organizations with the hope of attracting additional members as well as other partner organizations with similar missions.
The two organizations have been examining ways to work together more effectively since February, 2011. An early outcome was the establishment of a Joint Governmental Affairs Committee (JGA); an advocacy-focused partnership. Via a model grassroots advocacy process the JGA seeks to influence decision-makers and prompt actions that contribute to the benefit of their collective membership and the communities they serve. Events the JGA has sponsored include candidate forums and an annual breakfast with Congressman Lou Barletta and the Commonwealth’s Revenue Secretary.
In the fall of 2012, members of each organization as well as Commissioners from Columbia and Montour counties were asked for their input on a potential partnership through a series of focus groups and surveys. “Our members made it very clear that they value the missions and individual brands of the Visitors Bureau and Chamber,” said David “Otto” Kurecian, Executive Director of the Visitors Bureau. “This partnership structure will ensure that our missions are not lost or diluted, while enhancing value to members and allowing us to more effectively serve the region.” The Visitors Bureau will retain control of the room tax revenue for the purposes of tourism enhancement while both boards will continue to meet to identify and oversee strategic priorities.
The partnership will maintain office locations in Berwick, Bloomsburg and Danville, with the possibility of adding customer service locations. The two main offices of the organizations will be consolidated into one facility to be identified. This new location will allow for operational efficiencies and provide space for future growth.
The formal proposal was unveiled to members in the Fall of 2013 with a series of Town Hall meetings held followed by a poll of both memberships to gather member feedback. The positive response to the poll exceeded 93 percent, according to Fred Gaffney, Chamber President. After reviewing the poll results, the boards of the Chamber and Visitors Bureau voted in January to move the process forward. A task force will be working with staff and sub-committees to formalize the operational details of the partnership with the hope that the final plan will be approved by members in mid-2014.
This process has been facilitated by Heather Feldhaus, Ph.D., with Bloomsburg University’s Center for Community Research and Consulting, and Chuck Laudermilch, retired Bloomsburg University professor.
“We have been following a very deliberate process to engage members and ensure that a partnership will meet our intended goals,” said Gaffney. “We thank all who have participated in this process thus far, and while we still have many details to work out over the coming months, it is very exciting that we are in the final stages of making the partnership a reality.”
The Task Force that has been working on this proposal is seeking the expertise of members to work on specific areas the partnership. Volunteer engagement is critical to finalizing the plan in a timely manner. Individuals are needed to help research and recommend a consolidated office location. Those with human resource experience are being asked to assist with combining the two staffs. And member input is being sought on how to best combine and execute the many programs, events and other benefits offered by the two organizations. Members interested in lending their skills to this process over the next few months should contact Fred Gaffney at the Chamber at 570-784-2522 or fgaffney@columbiamontourchamber.com, or Otto Kurecian at the Visitors Bureau at 570-784-8279 or kurecian@cmvb.com.
By Fred Gaffney, Chamber President
The following op-ed was published in the Friday, January 10th edition of Press Enterprise.
This winter has already seen a number of weather-related school closings, delays and early dismissals in the area. School superintendents have the difficult and unenviable responsibility of making these scheduling decisions. Attempting to reach the appropriate balance between the continuity of the school year and the physical safety of students is further complicated by the potential wrath of parents, including the ever-increasing threat of legal action against the districts. The backlash from the parents seems to have more influence than Mother Nature in taking a “better safe than sorry” approach.
The negative impacts of suspending the normal schedule go beyond disruption of the learning process and the inconvenience to parents and caregivers. Cancelling school for cold weather or even the threat of snow suggests to impressionable young people that it is acceptable, if not the norm, to put off one’s obligations for the sake of personal comfort and convenience. The manifestation of this cultural belief is as clear as it is disheartening and frustrating to job providers. As President of the Chamber of Commerce, I have the opportunity to speak with area employers of all sizes. A common challenge is a deteriorating work ethic, particularly in younger generations. Employees think nothing of calling off work or not even bothering to contact their employers ahead of time due to personal issues that should not warrant them missing work. This practice harms business productivity and employee relations and further deteriorates personal responsibility and accountability.
Further, the nature and tone of response from some parents when difficult decisions are made encourages a lack of respect for those in leadership positions. In the workforce, decisions and direction, while not always universally agreed upon, need to be carried out. Demonstrating to young people that it’s ok to yell, disrespect and even disregard a decision that requires a compromise on the part of the individual will hinder that person’s ability to be productive in group situations throughout their life including family and the workplace.
Developing personal ethics is most critical at young ages. The Chamber’s Foundation works with area schools to promote positive work habits in our youth. Taking personal responsibility and meeting obligations in order to be successful often requires individual sacrifices and discomfort. Parents and all adults should be sensitive to the importance of these traits in how we convey them to our youth.
Chamber member employees, friends and family members have access to a residential energy program to save money on home electric bills. Through the Chamber’s partnership with ChamberChoice and OnDemand Energy, a low, fixed rate on home electric generation is available. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to save money on your electric bill while also having a chance to win a year of free electric generation.
Through this special offer, you and your friends and family members can enroll with FirstEnergy Solutions to receive an exclusive price on your electric generation, which can lead to savings on your monthly electric bills. And anyone who enrolls in this offer between now and December 31, 2013, will be entered into a drawing to win free electric generation for a year.
Just like at your business, residents can choose their electricity supplier. PPL is still responsible for the distribution of electricity to homes and businesses including restoring power during an outage. The Chamber’s energy program with OnDemand was developed to help businesses and residents save money without a lot of hassle by finding the best rate among dozens of suppliers serving Pennsylvania.
Currently, the PPL price to compare is 8.37 cents per kilowatt hour. The price being offered through this promotion is 7.45 cents per kilowatt hour through June of 2016. It is easy to enroll online at www.fes.com/PAChamberChoice or by calling 1-866-699-9968 and asking for the ChamberChoice Friends and Family Program. The new rates will take effect in approximately 45 days.
The website also has a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the program. One of the most common questions is about cancellation fees. There are no fees if you move. However, if you choose to leave the program early for any other reason, there is a $25 cancellation fee. The average home will realize this amount in savings in a month or two.
Don’t miss out on this great rate and the chance to get a year of free electric generation. Sign up online today and share the information with your employees, family and friends.
Earlier this year the PA CareerLink of Columbia/Montour Counties relocated to 415 Central Road in Bloomsburg. With the move, the hours of the career resource center for jobseekers and UC recipients were reduced. Recently, some of those hours of access were restored. The CareerLink is open to the public Monday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Office staff are available daily from 8:30 to 4:30 to assist employers and the center is also available by appointment and for worker training programs.
Bloomsburg Hospital first opened its doors on September 11, 1905, answering a pressing need for health care in the Bloomsburg community. Dr. John W. Bruner, a Bloomsburg surgeon, was an early proponent of a hospital and sought the help of Joseph Ratti, the principal stockholder of the Bloomsburg Silk Mill. The hospital was originally located on the corner of Fifth and Spruce Streets until 1928 when a new hospital and nursing residence were built on the current site. Since then, the 72-bed facility has undergone three major renovations.
On July 1, 2012 Bloomsburg Hospital merged into Geisinger Health System, becoming Geisinger-Bloomsburg Hospital (G-BH). Since the merger, Geisinger has invested many resources in G-BH that include a major renovation of the Emergency Department; the addition of Geisinger Careworks, an urgent care walk-in clinic; implementation of EPIC, an electronic medical record; expansion of the hospitalist and midwifery programs; recruitment of specialty physicians; and investments in education and wellness initiatives for employees. In early 2014, neurology will join services already housed at G-BH including cardiology, orthopaedics, women’s services, psychiatry and general surgery. Geisinger has also invested in its nearly 400 employees at G-BH with enhanced educational opportunities and health and wellness benefits.
G-BH maintains its commitment in Bloomsburg, working with independent physicians, developing strong partnerships through a new community outreach program and continuing to foster relationships like those with Bloomsburg University and the United Way. The organization also strives to learn about the health challenges of community members and ways to develop programming to support them and give back through a Community Health Needs Assessment. And as part of their non-profit status, G-BH provided community benefit of more than $4.1 million in fiscal year 2012 alone.
Geisinger Bloomsburg is proud to be part of the Bloomsburg community and will continue to develop and enhance programs to provide our patients Geisinger care close to their homes.
The Affordable Care Act will likely continue to be a source of confusion and frustration for employers and individuals throughout implementation. While the employer penalties for the “pay or play” rules have been delayed until January 2015, many employers have already begun adjusting employee hours for the coming year to avoid the mandate. Make sure your business would fall within the large employer threshold before unnecessarily adjusting hours and impacting your employees.
The provision that employers must provide minimum levels of coverage to employees or pay a penalty only applies to those with 50 or more full-time equivalents. Employers that fall below the threshold are not required to provide health insurance. All employers are required to inform employees about the Health Insurance Marketplaces starting this fall.
The employee size calculator and other information and resources related to the Affordable Care Act are available on the Chamber’s website. Members with questions about Marketplaces or providing benefits to members can contact ChamberChoice at 1-800-377-3539.
Beginning January 1, 2014, individuals and employees of small businesses will have access to insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) health insurance exchanges, which are also known as Health Insurance Marketplaces. Open enrollment under the Marketplaces will begin on October 1, 2013. ACA requires all employers to provide all new hires and current employees with a written notice about ACA’s Marketplaces.
The Department of Labor (DOL) has prepared model Marketplace notices which are linked below to provide guidance for employers to use in satisfying the Exchange notice requirement.
Model Marketplace Notice for employers that offer a health plan.
Model Marketplace Notice for employers that do not offer a health plan
The DOL also set a compliance deadline for the Exchange notices. Employers must provide employees with a Marketplace notice by October 1, 2013.
More information on employer and individual mandates is available on the Health Care Reform Resources page.
U.S. Senator Pat Toomey discussed a number of issues which he feels is hindering economic recovery in the United States at a Town Hall meeting held Monday in Danville. During the one-hour event held at the Pine Barn Inn, the Senator outlined his two main areas of concern, excessive government spending, and federal regulation that has “run amok”. Members of the Governmental Affairs Committee were among the approximately 40 people in attendance.
Toomey feels that the Federal government should not only abide by the spending caps previously passed, but work to decrease spending overall, as annual debt service currently exceeds economic output. A compounding frustration for the Senator is that discussions about tax code reform are met with suggestions of tax increases by leading Democrats in Washington. He feels that the President “pulled the rug out” from the possibility of business tax reductions with recent comments about offsetting revenue losses with other tax increases.
Increasing Federal regulations and mandates are a burden to business and hindering growth, according to Toomey. New banking regulations passed in 2010 following the financial crisis have resulted in financial institutions spending significantly more resources on compliance issues. EPA regulations are causing coal-fired power plants to be shuttered and ethanol policy is increasing the cost of fuel and corn-based products, with no environment benefits, he says. Toomey says that he plans to offer at least several amendments to the energy bill when it is taken up by the Senate in several weeks. While he would prefer to see full repeal of the measure, there does not appear to be sufficient support to do so.
The most pressing government mandate impacting businesses is the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare”. Senator Toomey pointed out that businesses are already cutting back on the number of employees by those close to the 50 FTE threshold, and hours of part-time employees are being limited to under 30 per week to avoid the requirement that health insurance be provided. The employer penalty for businesses with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees has been delayed until 2014, and Senator Toomey he would vote to block funding for further implementation of the Act. The Chamber has scheduled a seminar with our benefits partner, ChamberChoice, to help members understand upcoming requirements of the Affordable Care Act. The seminar will be held on September 10th at the Pine Barn Inn in Danville. Click here for more information and to register.
CCN News 8 in Danville covered the Town Hall meeting and has video on their website. Members also have the opportunity to discuss these and other issues with Congressman Lou Barletta at a breakfast meeting next Friday, September 6th, at The Links at Hemlock Creek. Click here to register for that event.