The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce was excited to once again support the 2022 Regional STEM Competition for high school students. This year’s competition was held in collaboration with the Future Careers Expo & Parent Pathways Awareness Night, which was held April 13 at the Columbia-Montour Area Vo-Tech School.
Eight school districts in our region participated in the STEM Competition, which challenged students to create “virtual escape rooms”. The rooms were judged based on a rubric and the top three schools were awarded cash prizes to support their school’s STEM programs. First place ($5,000) was Midd-West School District, second place ($2,500) was Danville Area School District, and third place ($1,000) was Shamokin School District. Additional sponsors of the STEM Competition included Bloomsburg University and VZRscada.com.
The Future Careers Expo & Parent Pathways Awareness Night event is led by the Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Advance Central PA and Pennsylvania Career Link. This event features 40 businesses for students to explore future career and educational opportunities. This year’s event also featured mini-TED talks featuring topics on Careers in Aviation (led by Dr. Victor Vogel, Susquehanna STEM to the Skies), The World of AI (led by Dr. Laks Srinivasan, Return of AI Institute/Sr. Fellow Enterprise Systems Center, Lehigh University), and How Bitcoin Mining Works (led by Jack Gleim, Nautilus Cryptomine, LLC).
The Chamber recently testified at a regulatory hearing in support of a project that would expand the natural gas pipeline infrastructure in the Northeast. Williams’ Regional Energy Access project would provide greater access by the 2024 winter heating season. The project is designed to increase natural gas transportation capacity by up to 829,000 dekatherms per day. Unlike other greenfield pipeline proposals, Regional Energy Access maximizes the use of existing energy infrastructure.
Specific upgrades would include:
- A new electric motor-driven compressor facility in Gloucester County, NJ
- 22.3 mile, 30-inch pipe lateral in Luzerne County, PA
- 13.8 mile, 42-inch pipe loop in Monroe County, PA
- Modifications to existing compressor facilities
Williams projects that construction will generate 295 million dollars in labor compensation and $357 million in GPD contribution. Approximately 6,396 local union jobs will be supported. Regional Energy Access will inject an expected $17 million in state tax revenue and over $6.6 million in local tax revenue.
Additional information on the Regional Energy Access project is available at https://www.williams.com/expansion-project/regional-energy-access/.
Bloomsburg Children’s Museum Will Host 7th Annual Bloomsburg Mini Maker Faire on Saturday, April 23.
The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum will host the 7th Annual Bloomsburg Mini Maker Faire on Saturday, April 23, 2022, from 10 am-4 pm. Crafters, inventors, hobbyists, and artisans will be able to showcase their skills and talents in a family-friendly environment. As usual, it is free to attend.
The event will be held on the grounds of the Children’s Museum, 2 West 7th Street, in Bloomsburg. This event brings together amateur and professional artists, crafters, engineers and performers in a combination of large spectacles and communal interactive experiences. We like to call it the greatest show and tell on earth, where families will get to experience inventions, creativity, and resourcefulness.
The day features live entertainment, hands-on activities for children, over 60 vendors selling one-of-a-kind arts and crafts, and great food. The event will be sponsored by UGI, MAKE: Community, and PPL Foundation.
Jen Zarko, from Zarko Hill Craftery, will be demonstrating the process of soapmaking. She says she’s looking forward to doing a cold process soap-making demonstration, while looking at the science behind the suds. Zarko said, “Kids are naturally born artists and it’s so amazing to see their imaginations kick in when introduced to soap as a medium,”
Caeley Looney, the CEO of Reinvented Magazines, says Reinvented is excited to bring their “princess with power tools activity” to the Mini Maker Faire. Looney said, “Our princesses can’t wait to help students learn how to use their first power tool and show everyone that #brilliantisbeautiful!”
For more information about Mini Maker Faire visit the events website. https://bloomsburg.makerfaire.com/
Town of Bloomsburg Community Yard Sale Date is Set
The yard sale will be held on Saturday, August 13, and will be held rain or shine. Bloomsburg Police Department/Parking will not be enforcing residential permit parking that day.
Identify Opportunities for Collaborative Solutions with “Conflict to Collaboration” Webinar
McKonly & Asbury is teaming up with its partner, Dale Carnegie Mid-Atlantic, to host a webinar entitled, “Conflict to Collaboration.” Conflict situations are frequently complicated and difficult to resolve. By ourselves, we may have limited capacity for dealing with the many issues that might be involved. By collaborating with others within and outside of our organization, we can access the experience, expertise, creativity, and values of other professionals to bring the situation to a successful conclusion.
Collaborative solutions to conflict situations enable everyone involved to feel that everything was done to resolve the situation professionally. It takes the pressure off of us to have all the answers in these situations and brings many expert viewpoints to bear on a successful outcome.
This webinar will be led by David Osborne, Executive Organizational Development Consultant and F2F Trainer / Digital Team Facilitator & Producer with Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. In 2017, he won Digital Trainer of the Year as voted by Carnegie’s global clients. He has facilitated and produced over 10,000 hours of online training.
At the completion of this module, participants will be able to:
- Identify opportunities for collaborative solutions
- Enlist the skills and abilities of others to provide support and direction
- Collaborate with others to reduce conflict and create synergy
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Thursday, April 28 at 2 PM EST
“A Star is Born” Join Columbia Montour County United Way for this Award-Winning Film
In honor of Alcohol Awareness Month, join United in Recovery for “A Star is Born”, brought to you in partnership with the Berwick Theater & Center for Community Arts. This 2018 award-winning film is an American musical romantic drama that follows an alcoholic musician (Bradley Cooper) who discovers and falls in love with a young singer (Lady Gaga). Tickets are FREE and includes one free popcorn and a small drink. The showing will take place at the BTCCA, 110 E. Front Street in Berwick on April 24, 2022. There will be two showings with the first starting at 2 p.m., while the second one will begin at 7 p.m.
Individuals vying for State Representative for the 109th District will have the opportunity to share their views with the public during an upcoming candidate forum. All five registered candidates for the 109th District seat will be participating. The candidates are Edward Giannattasio, Janine Penman, Joseph Martin, Aaron Kline, and Robert Leadbeter. The event, being hosted by The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce, will be held tomorrow, May 4th from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Central Columbia Area School District’s High School auditorium.
The format will be a modified debate. Each candidate will be presented with the same questions in rotating order with two minutes for each response. Questions screened from the in-person audience will also be presented. Candidates will also be given time for closing remarks. Fred Gaffney, president of The Chamber of Commerce, will be the moderator.
The 109th House District is currently represented by David Millard, who is not seeking another term. At least four candidates have announced they will be running on the Republican ticket and one Democratic candidate has registered. As a result of redistricting, the 109th District will consist of all of Columbia County beginning in 2023.
The event is open to the public and will also be recorded and streamed live on The Chamber’s YouTube channel, which can be found here.
Section 132(a) of the IRS code allows employees to pay for their qualified commuting costs (up to specified limits) with pre-tax dollars. The program was created to encourage commuting in a way that reduces road congestion and improves air quality so qualified expenses include transit passes, vanpooling, bicycling expenses and work-related commuter parking, but excludes the cost of fuel to drive a personal car to work.
As a pre-tax benefit, the program provides employees with a savings on their federal payroll tax since the designated benefit amount is deducted from their gross income. If any employees reside in a state that recognizes pre-tax benefits, the savings will increase. Employers who provide this benefit save on payroll taxes since the employer does not include the designated benefit amount in the employee’s gross income.
Qualifications and restrictions of this program include:
- Transit benefits are for any public or privately-operated transit service. Transit passes, farecards, tokens, vouchers or passes are included.
- Vanpooling is a valid expense provided that 80% of the mileage is for the transport of employees to and from work, the van must have seating capacity for at least 6 workers plus the driver and at least half the seats must be used.
- Commuter parking is valid if parking is at or near the worksite and the employee commutes to work via transit, vanpool or carpool. Parking for residential purposes is excluded.
Please feel free to speak to an MBA Advisor for more information and instructions for setting up a Section 132(a) plan.
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 Brian McLaughlin at (800) 377-3539.
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry will sponsor a Nexstar Media, Inc. hosted prime-time debate for the Republican Candidates for Pennsylvania Governor on Wednesday, April 27 at 8:00pm.
The candidates who have agreed to attend so far: Lou Barletta, Doug Mastriano, Bill McSwain and Dave White, had to meet eligibility requirements in order to be invited to participate. WHTM abc27 News anchor and Capitol Bureau Reporter Dennis Owens and WPXI Anchor Lisa Sylvester will co-host the debate, engaging the candidates on issues like, the economy, foreign policy, infrastructure, and others.
The debate is slated to reach over 9 million viewers and will be aired on WBRE-TV (NBC) and WYOU-TV (CBS).
The Hand in Hand Family Resource Center Has a Handful of Free Upcoming Events
Adaptive Swimming: is starting Saturday, April 16th at the Berwick YMCA. Hand in Hand Family Resource Center is providing this program to kids 4 and up who have a disability and would benefit from extra attention in the water. This is a free program open to anyone in Columbia, Montour and Lower Luzerne Counties.
Let’s Get a Job: Our career exploration program is underway and the next meeting will be May 14th at 10:00am at the N4Cs in Benton. We are learning about Culinary Arts and Turkey Hill Brewing will be with us to work on ‘front of the house’ skills.
All Inclusive Sports Day: Event for kids and adults with disabilities and their families and peers to experience different sports such as: Football, Softball/Baseball, Basketball, Volleyball, Lacrosse, Golf, Swimming and Field Hockey. Hand in Hand is excited to be collaborating with the BU Athletic Department and students from the BU Teams.
I Am Safe: Safety program where they are currently learning about themselves and their boundaries, to make the very best decisions about our lives. We are learning safety in the home/community, Internet/Social Media, and within ourselves. They meet the first and third Tuesdays of the month at Trinity House in Bloomsburg.
Hosted by My Benefits Advisor, the webinar, Benefits & Insurance Compliance, is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 26. MBA experts will provide an in-depth review of the insurance market to its clients, including compliance regulations and strategies for long-term cost containment. The webinar will discuss the latest trends in the world of health care compliance and legislation.
Click here to register for this free webinar.
Businesses in an 11-county region have the opportunity to complete a COVID-19 impact survey whose results will help SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) further respond to the needs of businesses during this time. This survey checks in approximately one year after our first survey that assessed how businesses in our area were coping in the midst of the pandemic.
This survey has been developed to gauge the impact of the pandemic on overall business operations, as well as if and how businesses have successfully adjusted.
The survey questions include, but are not limited to, if the business and their staff have adequate internet access; adaptations they’ve made; types of services and assistance they need; and if they are interested in collaborating with other business owners.
It takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and businesses are asked to complete the survey by May 7.
Businesses should be located within the following counties: Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, and Union.
SEDA-COG is a Lewisburg-based agency that builds strong economies and communities by partnering with, investing in, and revitalizing local companies and communities.
Betsy Lockwood, SEDA-COG Director, Project Development/Grants, said this is a tool to provide further assistance to businesses.
“While we have helped hundreds of businesses since the start of COVID-19, we created this 2nd phase survey realizing that businesses may still be struggling, perhaps with different issues. It is essential to capture the type of help and level of assistance businesses in our region need to continue fostering our local economy. The results also will identify ongoing and future responses needed during these unprecedented times,” Lockwood said. “The pandemic has created large gaps of need, and one of SEDA-COG’s primary roles is to bridge those gaps and help businesses and communities to meet their needs and empower them to reach their goals.”
The survey can be taken at https://seda-cog.org/covid-19-business-impact-survey/
For more information about the survey, contact Betsy Lockwood at elockwood@seda-cog.org.
In partnership with Turkey Hill Brewing Company and T-Mobile, The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce presented a $400 donation to The Women’s Center, Inc. of Columbia and Montour County on Friday, April 8. As T-Mobile has expanded coverage and services in the area, the company sought locations to promote those services. In exchange for providing T-Mobile space in their parking lot, Turkey Hill Brewing Company suggested the donation to The Women’s Center. The Chamber of Commerce facilitated the collaboration.
The Women’s Center, Inc. in Bloomsburg is a non-profit organization that provides free support services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and incest. The Women’s Center serves the residents of Columbia and Montour counties.