Bloomsburg Children’s Museum Announces Pennsylvania’s State Junior Academy of Science State Winners
The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum hosts a science fair for local students every January. This past January, 35 students from 8 schools competed in the fair which was held at the Bloomsburg Fire Company. From that, 17 students were sent to the regional Pennsylvania Academy of Science (PJAS) fair at Susquehanna University on February 26. At the regional fair, students from 10 counties compete for a chance to move on to states. Seven of the 17 students the Museum sponsored at this fair moved on to the PJAS state science fair.
This past Monday, May 16th, these 7 students joined over 1200 other students from across the state at Penn State University to showcase their work and compete for prizes.
Philip Polstra Jr. (Bloomsburg Christian School) captured a First Award in Junior High School Chemistry for his project “Acid Erosion.” Kathryn Polstra (Bloomsburg Christian School) was awarded a Second Award in Highschool Biochemistry for her project “The Digestibility of Gum.” Brooke Rhoads (Bloomsburg Christian School) was awarded a Second Award in Highschool Chemistry for “Freezing Point Depression.” Josiah Stoffer (Bloomsburg Christian School) won a Second Award in Highschool Biology for his project “How Well Brine Shrimp Hatch in Different Salinities.” Kaitlyn Westover (Benton Area High School) was awarded a Second Award in Biology for her presentation on “What Fruit Produces More DNA?” Brooke Woll (Danville High School) took home a Second Award in Highschool Behavioral Science for her project “Does highlighting text help or hinder memorability.” Gwendolyn Greene won a Third Award in Highschool Biology for her project “Beet This.”
“We want to congratulate each of these amazing students. They worked for months on their projects and rose to the top level of competition,” Dr. Ginny Weibel, the Director of the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum said. “I also want to recognize the contributions of the students’ parents and teachers who worked with the students and supported them through this.”
Sekisui/Kydex, the PPL Foundation, and The Friends of the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum helped to sponsor these students as they advanced through all levels of the science fairs.
The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit overseen by a board of directors. This organization strives to offer unique, sustainable, and dynamic learning opportunities for youth through year-round interactive exhibits, programming, and community outreach. For more information, please visit https://the-childrens-museum.org/
Bloomsburg YMCA Announces EITC Accreditation
The Bloomsburg Area YMCA (BAY) has announced its approval as an accredited Educational Improvement Tax Credit Organization for its Summer Day Camp and Afterschool programs. The YMCA now is approved as both an Educational Improvement Organization and a Pre-k Scholarship Organization.
The approval will allow BAY to continue its commitment to youth and families throughout Columbia County by partnering with local businesses that can help ensure quality programs while earning valuable tax credits.
“The Bloomsburg Area YMCA offers an array of innovative educational and socialization programs that address the needs of youth of all ages in Columbia County,” said CEO Wayne Stump. “The EITC accreditation will help us grow and enhance our school age childcare program that are vital to so many families in our area.”
The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, administered by the PA Department of Community and Economic Development, allows the business community to get more involved in children’s education by redirecting their tax dollars to support local non-profit scholarship organizations.
By contributing to an authorized non-profit organization like the Bloomsburg Area YMCA, EITC will provide companies with a 75% tax credit for a one-year commitment, or 90% for a two-year commitment. Credits are awarded on a first-come-first-served basis, with the maximum tax credit companies could earn of $750,000.
“EITC scholarships have provided thousands of opportunities to families throughout the state, and we are proud to offer this incentive in our own community,” Stump said. “This funding is a chance to reaffirm BAY’s commitment to young people today and in the years to come. We’re excited to welcome delegates from the community to join us in this journey.”
“This accreditation is just one example of how BAY is deepening its commitment to the development of our youth, and how it enables the business community to help young people achieve their goals every single day,” Stump said. “We have seen first-hand how the local business community has overwhelming supported our programs, and we are hopeful this new funding opportunity will continue that support.”
Leadership Central Penn (LCP) celebrated the graduation of the class of 2022 last Thursday at the Pine Barn Inn. This year’s class was the largest in history with 25 graduates and marked the 23rd cohort. The program included a Keynote address from Holly Morrison, President and CEO of the Community Giving Foundation. Holly shared that she has seen first hand the benefits of LCP on individuals as a donor, employer and mother. She hopes that everyone in the program grew in their capacity as community leaders as she has seen with so many graduates in the past. This program allows you to develop the 76% of leadership that is learned according to statistics Holly has seen. It is up to all of us to work on understanding ourselves, our capacities and our areas for improvement. The class is the start of that journey, and it should continue.
This year’s class presenter was Brian Houser, PPL. The first focus of his speech was about the Leadership component of the program. He shared the program was never just a lecture or death by Power Point but was an engaging experience in a safe and trusted environment. This was created by Jeff Emanuel, Director and Rick Flynn, Leadership Facilitator. Brian shared that the theories taught in the program were immediately useful back in the work setting. The second focus was on the community portion of the program. The class introduced the class to many organizations that help our community move and thrive. Brian shared his appreciation for the challenges facing the people of our communities and all the organizations like nonprofits, the judicial system, education, economic development and more that work together to help. Brian shared this experience made him realize “it turns out there is a lot more to leadership than just commanding a group. It isn’t about forcing others to listen, but about listening to others.” After going through this program, he understands why there are over 60,000 books for sale on leadership and he appreciates having more insight and knowledge thanks to LCP.
Before the certificates were awarded, there was a third component of the celebration. Recognizing the community impact projects of this year’s class. The first was group that assisted AGAPE with their move to their new location. They loaded food, clothing, pet food, household items and more onto pallet, into trucks and relocated and organized it all to help AGAPE continue its mission from their new home. The second group shared with involvement with the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum’s Hak4Kids program. This kid-friendly hacking event is the only one of its kind in PA. The event was free and included 28 workshops and activities for kids ages 7-17. Finally, the third project was in partnership with the United Way of Berwick and their Day of Caring. This project included alumni from previous LCP cohorts who work at First Keystone Community Bank. The team assisted with clean-up of the Berwick YMCA to assist with preparing the facility for construction project improvements in the coming weeks. All of the projects were demanding, but fulfilling to the LCP members, nonprofit partners and community members served by these organizations.
The event concluded with honoring the LCP Graduating Class of 2022:
Kevin Ball – Geisinger
Scott Bellum – SEKISUI KYDEX
Tiffany Bienkowski – First Keystone Community Bank
Lisa Brelsford – Columbia Child Development Head Start
Audra Briggs – Bloomsburg Carpet
LuCinda Craig – Rural Business Innovation Corp.
Taryn Crayton – Press Enterprise
Daniel Diehl – First Columbia Bank & Trust
Benjamin Gonzalez – Geisinger
John Harahus – Geisinger
Brian Houser – PPL Electric
Trygve Jensen – Geisinger
Hamid Khan – Autoneum
Holly Madden – Hope Enterprises, Inc.
Christopher Matthews – First Keystone Community Bank
Alyssa Meyers-Sanonu – Berwick YMCA
Dawn Orzehowski – Maria Joseph CCC
Jessica Pastuszek – Geisinger
James Pensyl – Girton Manufacturing
Angela Prajzner – Autoneum
Kristy Strain – Geisinger
Melisa Thomas – Service 1st FCU
Danielle Velkoff – United Way CMC
Rebecca White – Columbia Child Development Head Start
Phillip Yoder – Columbia County EMA
The Chamber’s Board of Directors unanimously supports legislation that would reduce Pennsylvania’s Corporate Net Income tax rate from the second highest in the nation. Senate Bill 771, co-sponsored by Senator John Gordner, would begin to reduce the current rate of 9.99% as of January 1, 2023, to 6.99% in 2025, and even as low in 5.99% by 2026 should revenue exceed projections for 2025 at the 9.99% rate.
The bill is currently under consideration in the Senate and has bipartisan support. Governor Wolf called for an immediate reduction in the CNI to as low as 4.99% in his 2022-23 budget plan.
On Wednesday, May 18th, a Commonwealth Court Judge issued a preliminary injunction on PennDOT’s plan to implement tolling on nine interstate bridges, including the Nescopeck Creek bridges in lower Luzerne County. The order prevents PennDOT from executing any other agreements or contracts, conducting hearings or meetings, or moving forward with design or construction of tolling structures identified in the Major Bridge P3 Initiative. A lawsuit challenging PennDOT’s process and authority was filed in March by Cumberland County and seven municipalities.
Click here for more from the Associated Press.
PennDOT can appeal the decision to the State Supreme Court. The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce will be participating in a rally in Harrisburg on June 8th with other members of the No P3 Bridge Tolling Coalition from across the state to urge PennDOT to abandon this plan altogether.
The newest member of The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is the Columbia County Farm Bureau. Located in Nescopeck on 612 Hetlerville Road, the Farm Bureau is an organization representing farm families engaged in all types of agriculture – from farms of every size and commodity to craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, and cideries to farm-to-table restaurants and agritourism experiences.
Its mission statement includes growing communities, many voices, united vision. Farm Bureau members are leading together from the grassroots up. The direction of the organization and its stances on issues are shaped by the men and women of Pennsylvania agriculture.
“People united around food, environment, and community.” Reads the mission statement from the Columbia County Farm Bureau. You can find out more information at www.pfb.com/columbia.
The Columbia County Farm Bureau joins over 420 members of The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce to receive benefits and support the Chamber’s efforts to enhance the region.
The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce would officially like to thank all of our sponsors for making this year’s Chamber Golf Tournament possible. The 2022 Chamber Golf Tournament will be held at Rolling Pines on Thursday, May 26th. In one of our longest-tenured events, golfers take this opportunity to spend time with clients and business peers in the golfing atmosphere and then enjoy a dinner that will be provided by Craft Catering. Business matters and better business makes a better community. This year’s Chamber Golf Tournament features 28 foursomes and two big prizes:
- 58” Hisense TV, donated by Walmart
- Pit Boss Table Top Griddle, donated by Cole’s
Without further ado, let’s introduce all of our sponsors for this year’s golf outing.
Event Sponsor: Williams
Dinner Sponsor: First Keystone Community Bank
Lunch Sponsor: Heritage Financial Services – LPL Brokerage
Beverage Sponsor: Wagner’s Trophies & Engraveables
Hole Sponsor: 3B Consultant Services, Inc.
Hole Sponsor: Bird Printing Co.
Hole Sponsor: Bodnar Sales and Service
Hole Sponsor: Chevrolet of Bloomsburg
Hole Sponsor: Commercial Stainless
Hole Sponsor: Community Giving Foundation: Berwick
Hole Sponsor: Community Giving Foundation: Bloomsburg
Hole Sponsor: Community Giving Foundation: Danville
Hole Sponsor: First Columbia Bank & Trust
Hole Sponsor: Fulton Bank
Hole Sponsor: Jim and Vera’s Hoagies
Hole Sponsor: Marc Nespoli, eXp Realty
Hole Sponsor: McKonly & Asbury
Hole Sponsor: Peters Consultants
Hole Sponsor: Pine Barn Inn
Hole Sponsor: Press Enterprise, Inc.
Hole Sponsor: Service Electric Cablevision, Inc.
Hole Sponsor: Service 1st Federal Credit Union
Hole Sponsor: SERVPRO of Columbia, Montour, and Sullivan Counties
Hole Sponsor: Steph’s Subs
Hole Sponsor: T-Ross Brothers Construction
Hole Sponsor: Trivium Packaging
Hole Sponsor: Walker’s Jewelers
Hole Sponsor: Zimmer Insurance Agency
SEDA-COG’s Housing Development Corporation Receives Historic Award
SEDA-COG’s Housing Development Corporation (HDC) was awarded the Housing Pioneer Award during the Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) Commonwealth Housing Forum – the first ever organization to receive the award.
The goal has always been the same for SEDA-COG’s HDC: provide and maintain quality, safe, and affordable housing options for our region’s elderly population. This award is a reflection of the leadership and dedication shown by the HDC for over 20 years.
High Street Manor in Selinsgrove was the first project completed by SEDA-COG’s HDC in 1998. Since then, the HDC has completed nine additional housing facilities in Dalmatia, Danville, Flemington, Lewistown, Montoursville, and Williamsport. The HDC coordinates projects to buy land, secures financing, and oversees construction of rental housing for the area’s elderly population, especially those on fixed incomes. They also manage the rental complexes. Once completed, the apartments allow senior citizens to safely downsize while maintaining their independence.
“We do everything we can to help them, from troubleshooting cell phones to setting up remote classes on health and wellbeing. At the end of the day, we are doing everything we can to help the 62 and older populations live their best life at an affordable price,” says Leslie Osgood, Chief of Rental Operations.
PHFA’s biennial Housing Forum provides professional development opportunities for people working in the housing field. Attendees participate in a variety of focused educational sessions and hear from nationally recognized speakers. The 2022 program of events included 21 educational sessions, two keynote presentations, an Abraham Lincoln presenter who spoke on the topic of leadership, a tour of PHFA’s Passive House and LEED Platinum office addition, and a popular networking event. The conference ran May 11-12 and drew more than 450 attendees. This year, PHFA celebrated 25 years of producing its housing forums.
In addition to SEDA-COG, two others were also bestowed the Pioneer Award:
- Jane Downing, senior program officer, economic and community development, The Pittsburgh Foundation, Pittsburgh
- Ira Goldstein, president of policy solutions, Reinvestment Fund, Philadelphia.
“Our Housing Pioneer Awards are not bestowed often, which makes them a special and distinct honor,” said PHFA’s Executive Director and CEO Robin Wiessmann. “The two people and one organization being honored today have distinguished themselves over decades as champions for affordable housing. This recognition is intended to honor and thank them, and hopefully inspire others to follow in their footsteps.”
Osgood reflected on the historic nature of receiving this award as an organization.
“This work would not be possible if not for the tireless dedication of Ben Gair and Vanessa Hartman, Rental Housing Managers, our on-site building managers, and our maintenance staff. Typically, this award goes to an individual in our field. I am so proud that the PHFA is recognizing the village that it takes to provide seniors a safe and reliable place to live.”
Kim Wheeler, Executive Director of SEDA-COG, said, “The SEDA-COG HDC has been an invaluable resource to our area’s seniors since day one. We are beyond honored to be the first organization receiving this recognition from our peers, and we look forward to continuing to provide affordable housing options for the seniors in our region for many years to come.”
SEDA-COG is a community and economic development agency in Lewisburg and is one of seven Local Development Districts in Pennsylvania. SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in the 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives.
United Way of Columbia and Montour Counties to Hold May’s Community Conversation: How to Talk to Your Children about Differences and Diversity
Every third Wednesday at 7:00 PM, United Way holds monthly Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion conversations geared towards the needs of our community. Our hope is these workshops would be interactive conversations, and we invite you to participate.
Guest speakers Tasha Snowden and Lisa Herrald-Doerschler will host this month’s Community Conversation. They will discuss how to talk with young children about differences and diversity. This event is appropriate for parents, caregivers, and community members who are interested in learning developmentally appropriate ways to address these subjects with toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary students. Children’s literature, plus additional tools and resources will also be shared
This presentation will take place via Zoom and there is a capacity limit of 100 attendees. Registration in advance is required.
Click here to register
From McKonly and Asbury, the five questions you should ask are:
- Is this going to be an asset purchase or stock deal?
A buyer should know what the seller is expecting so there are no misconceptions or miscommunications. In a stock deal, you are buying all the stock of a company which includes all of its assets and liabilities. The company continues to operate but with new ownership. In an asset deal, the purchaser is buying “selected assets” and is not necessarily assuming the liabilities of the selling Company. An asset sale is typically preferred by the purchaser because there are often tax benefits related to the amortization of new intangible assets (goodwill and others) resulting from the purchase.
- Are the add-backs of expenses made by the consultant reasonable?
Expenses incurred by a business that are discretionary or non-recurring in nature can be “added back” to arrive at the expected cash flow that the business can transfer to a new owner. I also asked, “Are there more discretionary expenses than what was shown by the consultant?” I noticed a few categories where expenses fluctuated and suggested reviewing the underlying reasons for the fluctuation and that they may need to investigate or seek further clarification. “Due Diligence” is the process of investigation and verification of a potential acquisition to confirm all relevant facts and financial information. In an acquisition, the performance of due diligence is critical for the purchaser.
- Did the owners perform any services for the company that would need to be replaced by a salaried employee?
The tax returns showed “guaranteed payments” that were made to the owners. These payments were included in the consultants add-backs, indicating that they would not be required going forward. If the owners performed any services that would need to be incurred or paid for in the future, then the fair value of those services should not be added back to net income but instead included as an ongoing expense of the business.
- What do you expect revenue to be going forward? The pandemic has caused significant decline in revenue and the baseline revenue expectation may have changed.
Upon closer examination, the financial information showed a revenue stream that was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, revenue dropped 57% from the previous year as the business was partially shut down. In 2021, revenue grew 54% from the 2020 revenue total but was still only 66% of 2019 revenue. Cash flow is the lifeblood of any company. The decline in revenue, if deemed permanent, could change the cash flow, the outlook for the company, and its value.
- What are the terms of the loan to finance the purchase?
Once you have done your due diligence and arrived at what you think a business is worth, the process isn’t done. If you can’t pay for the business, or more importantly, if the terms of the financing are such that cash flow of the business is not sufficient to handle the debt service, you don’t have a workable deal! You could try to negotiate a new price, or just walk away. Knowing the terms of the financing available (length, interest rate, and amount financed) will allow you to model the businesses cash flow and debt service to ensure it works according to your projections.
The questions that were highlighted were focused on arriving at the estimated cash flow that would be available to the owner. Remember Cash is King! Cash flow is a primary factor that determines the value of the business. The due diligence process is a critical step in the purchase of a business and involves finding answers to questions like those highlighted above. The decision to purchase a business is not one that should be entered into lightly. A great deal of work and investigation needs to be done before a final decision can be reached
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry announced regulatory changes to a decades-old law governing Pennsylvania’s minimum wage rules. The change is updating how employers pay tipped workers and ensuring that salaried employees with fluctuating schedules are appropriately compensated for overtime.
The final-form regulation covers five primary areas for tipped workers, including:
- An update to the definition of “tipped employee,” adjusted for inflation since 1977, that increases the amount in tips an employee must receive monthly from $30 to $135 before an employer can reduce an employee’s hourly wage from $7.25 per hour to as low as $2.83 per hour.
- Alignment with new federal regulations codifying long-standing policies that govern employer tip credits to allow employers to take a tip credit under certain conditions, including that the employee spends at least 80 percent of their time on duties that directly generate tips, commonly known as the 80/20 rule.
- Alignment with updated federal regulations that allow for tip pooling among employees but in most cases excluding managers, supervisors, and business owners.
- A prohibition on employers deducting credit card and other non-cash payment processing transaction fees from an employee’s tip included with a credit card payment or other non-cash method of payment.
- A requirement for employers to clarify that automatic service charges are not gratuities for tipped employees.
The regulations also update the definition of “regular rate” for salaried employees whose hours vary from week-to-week to note that overtime is to be calculated based on a 40-hour workweek.
The Department of Labor and Industry will host webinars to educate business owners and affiliated parties on the new regulations and allow them to ask questions. These webinars are scheduled to take place at 10 am on Tuesday, July 12, and at 10 am on Tuesday, July 19. Information on these webinars and how to register will be posted on the Department of Labor and Industry’s website:
You can click here to find out more information on how to register for one of the webinars.
Chamber president Fred Gaffney expressed the Chamber’s opposition to PennDOT’s plan to implement tolling on the Interstate 80 bridge over Nescopeck Creek at a public hearing last week. As part of the growing statewide No P3 Bridge Tolling coalition, the Chamber is working to prevent excessive burdens on businesses and communities by stopping the plan to begin tolling on nine interstate bridges across Pennsylvania starting next year. The hearing, hosted by PennDOT and the Federal Highway Administration, was held Thursday, May 12th at the Nescopeck Township Social Hall.
While the hearing was specifically to receive comments on the environmental assessment, coalition members oppose the plan generally due to the belief that the Public-Private Partnership (P3) Board exceeded its authority by failing comply with statutory mandates when it approved the initiative prior to identifying specific projects, and that PennDOT and its Secretary lack the authority to identify, evaluate, and approve those projects.
Additionally, as of May 6th, PennDOT executed a pre-development agreement with Bridging Pennsylvania Partners LLC. Coalition members believe it is inappropriate to enter into any such agreements before the public hearing process is completed, and prior to the appropriate Federal authorizations, which could significantly change the scope of projects.
Spot tolling will increase costs for individuals and businesses that must use these bridges, at a time of high inflation and dramatically increasing fuel costs. The Chamber has heard concerns from a number of members about the current challenges with transportation costs.
The route PennDOT has identified for motorists to avoid the toll will increase traffic volume in several municipalities including Nescopeck and Berwick boroughs. The environmental assessment does not address the impacts on air quality, noise, safety, roadways, and businesses in these communities.
The Chamber is urging PennDOT to abandon this spot-tolling plan, and work with the legislature to identify sustainable funding sources that do not cause undue negative impacts to businesses, residents, and communities in and around project areas. “Pennsylvania just realized its most tax revenue in a single month in April at $6.5 billion dollars, $1.8 billion over projections,” said Gaffney. “Additionally, the Commonwealth has significant American Rescue Plan funds and new federal infrastructure funding to more than adequately address these nine most urgent projects. Moving forward with the Major Bridge P3 program is not only inappropriate, but unnecessary based on these facts.”
The environment assessment and other project details are available at www.penndot.pa.gov/i80Nescopeck. Written comments may be submitted through May 27th by mail to: PennDOT District 4, Attn: I-80 Nescopeck Creek Bridges Project, 55 Keystone Industrial Park, Dunmore, PA 18512, email to i80Nescopeck@pa.gov, or online at www.penndot.pa.gov/i80Nescopeck.