President’s Message: Dramatic Sips and Award Nominees

by Chris Berleth, President
The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce

Last Friday evening, I sat down to dinner with my wife and sons, eager to tell them a story about a conversation held earlier that morning.  As my carnivorous and fast-growing sons filled their mouths with the delicious meal, I recounted the story.

“We had a great conversation at the Awards Committee meeting this morning.  Harry Mathias and Tim Wagner were passionately discussing the Chamber’s mission.  They were talking about how important it is that the Chamber shine a spotlight on great businesses, praise strong leadership, and call attention to what these folks are doing to lift up the community.  It was really cool to hear volunteers discuss our Chamber’s culture and what we stand for.”  My six-year-old, Rutledge, looked up inquisitively and with a small mouthful said, “Daddy, what does the Chamber stand for?”, as if people somewhere were standing because I had told them to.

I said, “Buddy, when I say we stand for something, I’m saying that we’re telling the world, ‘This business or person is good, look at them!  They’re important.’  So, our job at the Chamber is to point out to the community the very good things that are happening in our business community that often get missed by the rest of our community.”

At this, I lifted my glass halfway to my lips, and said, “And the businesses nominated for awards are amazing businesses” before taking a sip.

No sooner had my lips touched my glass, than my nine-year-old (Remy), who up to this point had been quiet, jumped up from his seat, pointed straight at me and yelled, “DRAMATIC SIP!  DRAMATIC SIP!”

A giggling fit erupted around me, and my wife, loudest giggler and them all, laughed even louder at my quizzical look.  Matter-of-factly, Remy explained, “Daddy, anytime you make an important point, you raise your glass halfway, end your story with a serious sentence, and then take a sip.  We call it your “dramatic sips”.  Now, we’ve caught you in it.  Just wait ‘til you realize how much you do it!”

Cheeky bugger.

As it turns out, my family has been planning an intervention on this, going so far as to conspire with the rest of the Chamber staff to catch me red-handed on my flare for the dramatic in my storytelling.  Glutton for punishment, I’m telling you now, so that you can imagine that it’s about to happen again.

Thanks to a very positive response from the Chamber membership and our Awards Committee’s efforts to objectively review the nominations, I’m pleased to announce that the nominees for the Chamber’s annual awards are as follows:

Large Business of the Year:

Dillon Floral
First Keystone Community Bank
Knoebels Amusement Resort

Small Business of the Year:

Boulder Landscape
Lylo Jewelers
ServPRO of Columbia, Montour & Sullivan Counties
Sean Black Insurance- State Farm
Troop 47 Trading Co.

Nonprofit of the Year:

Berwick Area United Way
The Good Samaritan Mission

Community Progress Award:

Outta Boundz
Comfort Suites - Bloomsburg

Outstanding Citizen Award:

Rich Kisner, Community Strategies Group
Alyssa Meyers-Sanonu, Community Giving Foundation

These businesses, nonprofits, and individuals are to be commended for their efforts to make our amazing community a better place to live, work, and play.

To celebrate their accomplishments and commend them as the awardees are announced…

[Raises glass halfway to lips]

…join us at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony on February 26, 2025 at Frosty Valley in Danville.

[Sip]