Last week, members and non-members gathered at the Press Enterprise in Bloomsburg to network, catch up with business leaders, tour the building and printing presses, and enjoy refreshments from Ponduce Farms. Representatives were on hand to talk about the various services offered by Press Enterprise, beyond production of the daily paper. Attendees also had the opportunity to win free business card printing and other raffles.
Bring Your Dogs to Celebrate the Official Opening of the Bloomsburg Dog Park
It’s the dog days of summer! Bring your pups to celebrate the official opening of the Bloomsburg Dog Park. The location is between East 13th & Catherine Street on Saturday, June 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There will also be a plethora of local vendors at the park to make the day more enjoyable.
United Way of Columbia and Montour Counties is Hosting Summer Recovery Picnic
On Thursday, June 16th at 11:00 a.m., the United Way of Columbia and Montour Counties is sponsoring the Summer Recovery Picnic at the Briar Creek Lake in Berwick. The event’s main goal is to bring the community together to uplift and support those in recovery and celebrate the dedication of service providers and community members who make recovery in all its forms possible. In addition to free food, live music, and personal stories of recovery, community organizations will be present to share resources for individuals and families who may be experiencing substance use disorder. This event is FREE and open to the public.
Click here to reserve your spot.
LCP is a nine-month program designed to educate, involve, and motivate a select group of area residents for positions of leadership. The goals are to seek a diverse group or individuals with an interest in assuming effective leadership roles in their organizations and our communities. Participants in the program are chosen based on their commitment to the community and their demonstrated leadership potential. Click here to learn more and apply.
The No P3 Bridge Tolls Coalition held a rally on Wednesday, June 8 on the front steps of the State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg to call on the Wolf Administration and PennDOT to scrap the tolling proposal and work with organizations and stakeholders to find sustainable and equitable long-term solutions to funding Pennsylvania’s infrastructure needs. While a Commonwealth Court Judge has issued a temporary injunction on the process, PennDOT has appealed. The rally included remarks from state legislators, county officials, statewide business organizations, local chambers, and economic development entities who oppose Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s P3 Major Bridge Tolling Initiative.
The following individuals spoke at the rally:
Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr., Chair, Senate Transportation Committee
Sen. Scott Hutchinson, Chair, Senate Finance Committee
Sen. Devlin Robinson, Vice Chair, Senate Law & Justice Committee
Sen. Lisa Baker, Vice Chair, Senate Labor & Industry Committee
Rep. Donna Oberlander, House Majority Whip
Rep. Sheryl Delozier, Chair, House Children & Youth Committee
Rep. Doyle Heffley, House Transportation Committee
Cumberland County Commissioner Jean Foschi
Cumberland County Commissioner Vince DiFilippo
Rebecca Oyler, President & CEO, Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association
Greg Moreland, Pennsylvania State Director, National Federation of Independent Businesses
Katherine Hetherington Cunfer, Greater Reading Chamber Alliance
John Stroup, former Mayor of Clarion
John Zurgarek, White Haven Borough Council
Video from the event is available on Facebook. (link to: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3302906893319226 )
The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is a member of the No P3 Bridge Tolls Coalition and offered comments at a recent public hearing related to the Nescopeck Creek Bridges in lower Luzerne County.
Regulations passed in 2019 permit employers regardless of size to offer an individual coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) as an alternative to offering a traditional health insurance plan. The versatility of an ICHRA, employees can utilize pre-tax dollars to purchase health care coverage or pay for qualified medical expenses, such as out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and coinsurance.
Although an ICHRA is available for groups of any size, it’s up to each employer to determine if the ICHRA presents a strategy that will work for their particular circumstances and benefit objectives. Over the first two years of its existence, these programs have become increasingly popular as an alternative to the traditional, direct contribution model.
An employee who elects to participate in an ICHRA offered through their employer must enroll (along with any covered dependents) in either individual health care coverage (through the Marketplace or through a private plan) or in Medicare Parts A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Medical Insurance) or Part C (Medicare Advantage). Short term plans and limited benefit programs like dental or vision do not fulfill these coverage requirements.
It is necessary that coverage in one of the required programs start by the time the employee’s individual ICHRA begins. And if the employee and any dependents are already enrolled in individual health insurance coverage at the time their ICHRA becomes effective, there’s no need to change that coverage. Likewise, if someone is already enrolled in Medicare Part A, Part B or Part C, their enrollment will satisfy the ICHRA requirement.
The Columbia-Montour Chamber of Commerce offers its members access to My Benefit Advisor as a solution for employee benefits, including voluntary offerings. For more information about My Benefit Advisor, visit our website at cmcc.mybenefitadvisor.com or contact Stephen Lylo at (800) 377-3539.
More than 80 chamber of chamber professionals and business leaders from across the Commonwealth gathered in Harrisburg on Tuesday for the 2022 Chamber Day at the State Capitol. The annual event, co-hosted by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and the Pennsylvania Association of Chamber Professionals, included policy discussions with key public officials and provided an opportunity for chambers to advocate on behalf of the employer community to improve the Commonwealth’s business climate.
“Chamber Day provides an invaluable opportunity for our chamber community partners and local business leaders to come together and collectively advocate for a pro-growth agenda to improve Pennsylvania’s economic climate,” said PA Chamber President and CEO Gene Barr. “Chambers of commerce play a critical role representing employers in their respective regions and advocating for policies that will help businesses and communities across the Commonwealth thrive.”
The day opened with welcoming remarks from Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, and proceeded with a series of panel discussions focusing on a range of topics including transportation and infrastructure; workforce development and the 2022 elections. Attendees were also briefed on the status of state budget negotiations from House Appropriations Committee Democratic Chair Matt Bradford, D-Montgomery; and Republican Vice Chair Jesse Topper, R-Bedford; and were provided a state economic overview from PA Independent Fiscal Office Director Matthew Knittel.
“We value the opportunity to come together as a chamber community each year during the budget process to discuss issues of importance to employers,” said Fred Gaffney, President of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce and PACP Board Chair. “Thank you to the PA Chamber for their tremendous support and assistance with this annual event.”
Berwick Area YMCA Announces Community Phase of Capital Campaign
At a groundbreaking ceremony for a new gymnasium, The Berwick Area YMCA announced the start of the community phase of fundraising for their planned capital project. The new gymnasium is Phase 1 of the $5.5 million expansion. Phases 2 and 3 include new wellness facilities to better meet the needs of community health, expanded parking and a new STEM activity lab to better prepare youth with 21st century job skills. “We began planning for this moment almost immediately after our last capital expansion in 2010” said Berwick Y CEO Nick Pajovich. “We knew that to truly meet the needs in our community, we needed to continue to grow and develop more programs. To date we have raised $5.1 million dollars which equals 94% of our $5.5 million dollar project cost. This project is all about uniting our community and inviting the residents to join us in this exciting campaign that will ensure we can help even more people on their journey for a better life and give children the best start possible. .We need our community’s help to reach our goal so we can complete all three phases of the project. The opening of the new facilities will be a transformative moment for the community.”
Since the last capital expansion, YMCA membership has grown and the Y no longer has the space to accommodate the need for services and can no longer expand any new programs. The Berwick Y is now the largest provider of childcare services in the county, as well as one of the largest providers of anti-hunger programs. “We identify community needs and develop programs and solutions that meet those needs,” said Pajovich. “These new facilities will allow us to expand programs that prevent chronic disease, develop other healthy lifestyle initiatives that will impact the health of our community, ensure that kids and teens have a safe place with positive role models, expand our anti-hunger programs to reduce food insecurity among kids and families in the community and create opportunities for seniors to stay active and social. The improved parking will eliminate barriers to seniors and the disabled and allow more people access to our programs, and the new STEM lab will give youth and teens the opportunity to discover skills and talents that will serve them for a lifetime. The possibilities of what we can accomplish with these new facilities are truly endless.”
To help the cause, the Community Giving Foundation has provided a challenge grant to the project. In addition to the $250,000.00 they have already committed, the Foundation will match, dollar for dollar, the next $50,000.00 pledged to the campaign. To support the campaign, contact the YMCA. Donations are also being accepted through the Berwick Area YMCA webpage, www.berwicky.org.
Member News – June 29, 2022
BU Community Day Fair
The BU Community Day Fair provides an opportunity for new incoming students at BU to meet and begin to build relationships with the leaders and organizations that are part of the local community. The Community Day Fair will be held on Saturday, August 20th from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. at the Bloomsburg University Academic Quad.
Participants will have the ability to provide details of their goods and/or services as well as recruit BU students as potential employees or volunteers. Samples, printed materials, and any kind of activities and/or contests related to the participants’ missions are highly encouraged.
Any local business and non-profit organization are welcome! There is no charge for this event. A table and two chairs will be provided to anyone participating. Participants are welcome to bring pop-up tents for their tables. The registration deadline is July 22nd. Click here to register. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Rachel Shaffer at rshaffer@bloomu.edu or call 570-389-2520.
Click here to register.
Innovative Manufacturing Center (IMC) Hosting APPI Energy Vice President of Market Intelligence & Analytics, Dan Forgacs
Join IMC as they host APPI Energy Vice President of Market Intelligence & Analytics, Dan Forgacs, as he dives into a data-driven, comprehensive look at the current state of the energy markets, specifically electricity and natural gas prices and how to mitigate the rising costs. They’ll review the state of the energy markets, take a closer look at where pricing currently stands in Pennsylvania, as well as what to expect in the coming months.
Additionally, expect to learn more about a few key strategies and solutions to:
- Reduce your costs & minimize budgetary risk
- Reduce the demand portion of your energy bills
Areas of focus will include:
- Brokering more favorable power supply agreements to fit your needs and budgetary goals
- Market updates and what to expect in the coming months
- Energy strategies & solutions specific to manufacturers in PA
The event will take place on July 28th from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m.
Click here to register.
Bloomsburg Opens New Dog Park
The Town of Bloomsburg recently opened its new dog park, located along Catherine Street near the Town pool and bocce ball court. The park, which includes amenities for dogs and seating for owners, is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily.
Danville Heritage Festival Garden Tours Scheduled for July 2nd
Tour public and private gardens located around Danville as part of this year’s Heritage Festival. People are invited to celebrate the diversity that gardening has to offer – and hopefully appreciate the passion and vision that has gone into creating these unique gardens and take away ideas for their own backyards.
This year, the Danville Heritage Festival Garden Tour has expanded and will be held on Saturday, July 2nd with a rain date of July 3rd; the primary Danville Heritage Festival, however, will be held September 9th – 11th. The date was chosen since it will be closer to the peak flower season, and the gardeners can then enjoy the festivities in September. The garden tours are FREE! Come and enjoy the beauty of nature, enhanced by the hands and minds of the gardeners. Get away from it all and relax!
Click here for more information
United In Recovery: Summer Recovery Picnic Scheduled
This picnic brings the the community together to uplift and support those in recovery and celebrate the dedication of service providers and community members who make recovery in all its forms possible. There will be free food, live music, stories of recovery, and community organizations providing recovery resource material.
The event, which will be held rain or shine, will be held at Briar Creek Lake in Berwick on Thursday, June 16th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Click here to register and to learn more about the event.
The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce held its annual Golf Tournament on Thursday May 26th at the Rolling Pines Golf Course. Thirty foursomes participated in the event, sponsored by Williams. The comfortable, 70-degree day started with lunch sponsored by Heritage Financial Services. Beverages throughout the day were sponsored by Wagner’s Trophies and Engraveables. Dinner, provided by Craft Catering, was sponsored by First Keystone Community Bank.
The overall winning team was 3B Consultant Services Inc., with a prize of 4-$50 gift cards to the Inn, Farmhouse & Brewery at Turkey Hill. The foursome from Williams finished second in the first flight and received 4-$25 gift cards to the Pine Barn Inn. Both teams shot 59 and the winner determined by a match of cards.
The foursome from Towne Camera was the top team in the second flight and received 4-$25 gift cards to Marley’s Brewery and Grille and Knoebels. The group from Commercial Stainless finished second and was awarded 4-$25 gift cards to Quaker Steak & Lube. Those two teams also shot the same score of 66.
Jonathan Else from the McKonly & Asbury’s foursome hit the longest drive for the men, while Jodi Alley from First Keystone Community Bank was the lady’s big hitter. Both were awarded watches from J. Lylo Jewelers. From the Trivium Packaging foursome, Mike Dixon claimed closest to the pin, winning tickets to any upcoming show at the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble.
In two big raffles at the event, Mike Upton won the 58” TV, which was donated by Walmart. Commercial Stainless’ Brian Wawroski won the Pit Boss Table Top Griddle, which was provided by Cole’s Hardware.
The Chamber wishes to thank all of the participants, sponsors, volunteers, and staffs of Rolling Pines and Craft Catering for helping to make the 2022 Golf Tournament a success.