Skip to content

Member News – April 11, 2018

Member News

  • DRIVE recently announced that USG has received a $250,000 grant from PennDOT’s Rail Freight Assistance Program to improve its operations in the region. The funding will be used to add 2,000 feet of track to its facility in Washingtonville to accommodate longer trains and increase efficiency to unload railcars. This marked one of several improvement projects that were announced by Governor Tom Wolf recently as part of a broader effort to help strengthen the local economy and fuel business growth in the region. 

 

  • Penn College was recently awarded nearly $50,000 in a grant by the PA Department of Labor & Industry to support two registered apprenticeship programs, one each in mechatronics and computer numerical control. These two high-demand programs serve the needs of at least 40 apprentices from at least 14 companies, including fellow Chamber members Kawneer, SEKISUI SPI and Autoneum. Read the entire press release from Penn College for further information. 

 

  • North Branch Group/Thrivent Financial is seeking an office assistant to support the team at its Bloomsburg office located at 417 West Main St. Responsibilities includes handling incoming telephone calls,, routine administrative duties, and more. For more information, see the job description, or contact Kerry Maurer at 570-317-2111 or email

 

Saxophonist Melissa Aldana.

  • Jazz saxophonist Melissa Aldana will perform tonight, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Weis Center Atrium Lobby at the Weis Center For the Performing Arts. This performance is free and tickets are not required. Aldana is an acclaimed tenor saxophonist and native of Chile that NPR referred to as “one of the most compelling and prodigious saxophonists of her time. In 2013 she became the first female instrumentalist and the first South American ever to win the Thelonious Monk Competition. She is also a recipient of the Martin E. Segal Award from Jazz at Lincoln Center and a double recipient of the Altazor Award, Chile’s highly prestigious national arts prize.

 

  • North Branch Group/Thrivent Financial will host a tax reform workshop tomorrow, April 12, at 6 p.m. at the Bloomsburg Public Library. Find out how you and your family will fare under the new changes to the U.S. federal tax code, which was changed due to the new law passed in December. Learn about those tax law changes that could impact you, and get positive, professional guidance from the professionals from Thrivent. No products or services will be sold at this event. Light refreshments will be served and there is no cost to attend, however and RSVP is requested by calling Richard Keller at 570-317-2111 or email

 

  • French-Tunisian saxophonist Yacine Boulares

    World music from Tunisia will be featured in a performance titled “Suite for Abu Sadiya” on Wednesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Weis Center Atrium Lobby at the Weis Center For the Performing Arts. The performance is free and tickets are not required. In this musical take on a North African myth, Brooklyn-based, French-Tunisian saxophonist Yacine Boulares and French cellist Vincent Segal will present an original suite of variations re-imagining the Tunisian healing trance music — Stambeli — for their trio with American drummer Nasheet Waits.

 

  • First Columbia Bank & Trust will holds its 8th annual Teen Star musical competition on Sunday, May 20 as Haas Auditorium on the campus of Bloomsburg University. Audition registration is now open through Friday, April 20. Auditions will be held at Millville Area High School on Wednesday, April 25 and Saturday, April 28. This annual competition is open to any freshman, sophomore, junior or senior that attends high school in Columbia County or the Danville School District, or that permanently resides in Columbia County or within the Danville Area School District but attends a school outside the county or district. For more information and to register, visit the Teen Star website

 

  • The Bloomsburg Area YMCA will hold Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 21 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. There will be games, activities and more to get kids thinking about healthy lifestyles. Snacks will be available, along with information about youth development programs at the Y, such as its upcoming summer camp. To give children an adventurous, active and healthy summer, the Y will be waiving its $35 camp registration fee on this day. For more information, visit the Facebook event page

 

  • Ken Pollock Ford Lincoln will host a ribbon cutting and grand reopening of its new showroom at the Berwick dealership on Saturday, April 21, from 1-3 p.m. After the Chamber joins the Ken Pollock Auto Group staff for a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m., enjoy food, beverages, prizes and outstanding entertainment from local musicians, as well as a special guest star. There will also be a cornhole tournament. There is no cost to attend and registration is not required. However, to participate in the cornhole tournament, registration is requested. See the flyer for more information. 

 

Double bassist Xavier Foley

  • Double bassist Xavier Foley will give a classical performance on Sunday, April 22 at 2 p.m. in the Weis Center Atrium Lobby at the Weis Center For the Performing Arts. The performance is free and tickets are not required. The classical repertoire will include a world premiere work and a Weis Center commission by composer Daniel Temkin. As a winner of the 2016 Young Concert Artists (YCA) International Auditions along with four Performance Prizes, Foley gave his New York and Washington, D.C. debut recitals this season, which included two of his own compositions. Foley is only the second double bassist in the 57-year history of YCA to win and join its roster.

 

  • State Rep. David Millard will host a drug forum on Tuesday, April 24 at Benton High School, from 6-8 p.m. Adults and children are invited to attend these events, which are designed to share information about drug abuse, the opioid crisis and how to avoid drug addiction. Speakers include Jeremy Reese, Columbia County coroner, representatives from Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, and representatives from a local rehabilitation facility. These forums are free and open to the public, and registration is not required. Visit Rep. Millard’s website or call 570-759-8734 or 570-387-0246 for more information. 

 

  • The Bucknell Small Business Development Center will host a workshop on how to become an Amazon seller on Wednesday, April 25, from 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. at its location of 416 Market St., Lewisburg. Learn tips and best practices that will give you an edge rather than going it alone through trial and error. Amazon has surpassed Google as the starting point for online shoppers, making the Amazon Marketplace an appealing channel for sellers. A discount on the registration fee is available using the code “AMZN101LEWISBURG” when registering.

 

  • The local PA CareerLink centers have scheduled their 2018 job fairs. The local one in our area will be held on Wednesday, May 9, from 4-7 p.m. at Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School, located at 5050 Sweppenheiser Dr., Bloomsburg. There will also be job fairs during May just outside of the area at Shikellamy High School in Sunbury on May 2 and at the Selinsgrove VFW in May 30. Later in the year, there will be one at the Best Western in Lewisburg on Sept. 6. The registration links for employers are now open for the three May events. See the flyer for more information as well as registration links. 

 

  • The Weis Center for the Performing Arts, in collaboration with the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau and the Susquehanna River Arts initiative, is hosting a free art exhibit and installation featuring the work of 10 local artists from now through Friday, May 25 in the Weis Center’s upper Atrium Lobby. The exhibit is free and takes place on the upper level of the Atrium Lobby, which is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Participating artists will include: Annie Barnhart, Robert Brown, Pete Grimord, Joan Grimord, Gail Fox, Glen Klein, Abigail Kurecian, Sara Mika, Pam Thomas and William Whitmoyer. Each artist will have several samples of artwork on display. 

 

  • Geisinger Health Plan and the Columbia-Montour Aging Office, Inc. are teaming up to bring “A Matter of Balance,” an award-winning program, to the area for a series of presentations in April and May. This program for older adults and is designed to manage falls and increase activity levels. It is available to the public at no cost and will be held each Monday, through May 21, from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Maria Joseph Continuing Care Community, located at 1707 Montour Blvd. (Rt. 11), Danville. The program will also be held on Tuesday, May 29 due to Memorial Day, and this will be the last class. Attendees will learn to view falls as controllable, set goals for increasing activity, make changes to reduce fall risks at home and exercise to increase strength and balance. Registration is required, and to do so, call the GHP wellness team at 866-415-7138. 
Scroll To Top