Member News – September 20, 2017

Member News

• Students enrolled in a web design class in the mass communication program at Bloomsburg University are offering to provide website design services free of charge during the current fall semester to businesses in need of a website or a redesign of their current website. Students will arrange a meeting with clients during the week of Oct. 23 to discuss the project and will then complete the website in about five weeks. Last year, this class redesigned or designed from scratch websites for the Coalition for Social Equity, McBride Library, Ponduce Farms, Zarm Farm and Nannycakes. If interested in the services being provided by this class, please email Professor Dennis Frohlich or call him at 701-541-3608. Please contact him by Sept. 25 if you are interested.

• The Montour County Historical Society will open its newly renovated Boyd House Museum this Sunday, Sept. 24, from 2-4 p.m. Two rooms – the Military Room and the Parlor – will be open for viewing. This event is open to the public and there is no cost to attend. The Boyd House Museum is located at 5 Bloom Rd. (Rt. 11), right next to the Montgomery House in downtown Danville. It was closed earlier this year for renovations. Both the Montgomery House and Boyd House Museums will be open on Sundays 2-4 p.m. throughout the month of October. 

• After the devastation and widespread power outages that came about throughout Florida as a result of Hurricane Irma, numerous power and utility companies from across the country have sent personnel to help Florida’s utility companies restore electricity to their customers.
  

  A PPL crew helps restore power in Fort Myers, Fla. recently (photo from PPL Electric Utilities Facebook page)

  PPL Electric Utilities was one of those companies that sent personnel and equipment to assist in the recovery. One of the PPL crews sent the photo at right from Fort Myers, Fla. PPL is proud to be supporting one of the largest storm recovery efforts in U.S. History while also providing strong service to its customers in Pennsylvania.

   

• Knoebels Amusement Resort is once again the recipient of some prestigious industry awards. Amusement Today recently announced the winners of its 2017 Golden Ticket Awards, which annually recognize the “best of the best” in the amusement industry and are calculated from an international poll. The results come from a survey that is sent to a database of experienced and well-traveled amusement park fans around the world asking the to rate the “bests” in 25 categories. The Grand Carousel again received the Golden Ticket for best carousel, a distinction it has received every year the award has been presented. The Phoenix also retained its ranking as the second-best wooden roller coaster in the world, missing first place by just 29 points. Knoebels also placed in several other categories, including: best food (#2), best Halloween event (#3), best dark ride (#3 – for the Haunted Mansion), best park (#4), friendliest park (#4), best indoor roller coaster (#4 – for the Black Diamond), and also had two additional rides ranked in the Top 50 wooden roller coasters (#35 and #44, respectively, for the Twister and Flying Turns). For more information on these awards, visit here.

• SEKISUI SPI hosted its annual ECO Week Aug. 13-19, which is a dedicated initiative to be more environmentally conscious above and beyond the company’s and individuals’ day-to-day commitments.
  

  SEKISUI SPI associates participate in the company’s ECO week last month (photo from SEKISUI SPI LinkedIn page)

  With 100% participation of more than 350 associates, activities took place both in the Bloomsburg area and in the area surrounding SEKISUI SPI’s plant in Holland Mich. Activities included a clean up of Kocher Park in Bloomsburg and of Ottawa Beach in Michigan, Adopt-a-Highway, tree planting, electronic recycling, shorter showers, turning off lights and electronics and many other activities. 

• Co., a social and professional networking group that is run by the United Way of Columbia and Montour County, will host a networking event on Thursday, Sept. 28 at Three Dogs Vino, located at 129 Hidlay Church Rd., Bloomsburg, from 5:30-7 p.m. Co. was founded to give area residents the opportunity to take advantage of all the great things this area has to offer. This group is for everyone, which means any age, ability, or area of residence. It holds multiple events each month. For more information about Co., including future events, visit its Facebook page. 

• First Keystone Bank is lending a hand to support the relief efforts in Texas and Florida due to the recent hurricanes. It is holding collections for the Texas and Miami diaper banks through next Friday, Sept. 29. The goal is to fill a truck with baby items, and the bank will cover costs for the delivery of the items to Texas and Florida. They are currently in need of diapers of all sizes including adult diapers, as well as blankets, bottles, toys, wipes, pull-ups, books and any other baby items. Donations can be made at any one of First Keystone’s 18 branch locations.

• The Bucknell Small Business Development Center will host a presentation from the Rural Business Innovation titled “Personal Credit Repair & Establishing Business Credit,” on Wednesday, Oct. 4, from 9-11 a.m. at the Bucknell SBDC in the DeWitt Bldg., 416 Market St., Lewisburg. This credit boot camp-type discussion will explore your personal credit, its effects on your business, establishing and keeping good business credit and what all these scores mean. The featured speaker will be John Yoder from the Hutchison Insurance Agency. Cost to attend is $10. Register for either event on the RBI website. 

• State Rep. David Millard will host a Senior Caregiver Support Forum on Thursday, Oct. 5, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation, 725 West Front St., Berwick. Intended for people that help care for aging loved ones, this forum will provide attendees with an opportunity to learn about important resources available to them. It will feature some brief informative sessions, along with a chance to get questions answered. Organizations scheduled to be on hand include the Columbia Montour Aging Office, Commonwealth Home Health and Hospice of Berwick, which is affiliated with Berwick Hospital Center, and an elder law attorney from the Law Office of Lutz & Petty. RSVP to Rep. Millard’s office at 570-759-8734 or on RepMillard.com. 

• Geisinger Health will hold its inaugural Dream Big Hot Air Balloon Festival on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Spyglass Ridge Winery, 400 Plum Creek Rd., Sunbury. Proceeds from this event will benefit Geisinger’s Comprehensive Breast care Program. Activities include balloon rides (weather-permitting), live bands and food trucks, children’s activities and family fun, professional and amateur photo competitions, performances by local dance groups, a fresh food farmers market and family photo sessions in front of the balloons. Admission is free. For more information, read this flyer.Event organizers are also seeking donations of small items (approx. $10-20 in value) from area businesses and individuals for an auction. If interested in making a donation, please contact Linda Vaji at 570-214-2581 or email. 

• PA CareerLink of Columbia/Montour Counties, along with the Innovative Manufacturers Center (IMC), will host a collaborative robot workshop on Monday, Oct. 30, from 9-11:30 a.m. at the Pine Barn Inn, Danville. There is no cost to attend and a light breakfast will be served. Around the world, thousands of robots work collaboratively alongside humans with no safety guards and no problems. Come and learn about universal robots, robot programming, end effector solutions, stands and protective covering, and participate in hands-on activities. Visit online to register or learn more about this event. 

• Innotek Computer Consulting will host its annual Technology and Security Expo on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at Sand Springs Country Club, 10 Clubhouse Dr., Drums. This annual event, billed as “Northeast Pennsylvania’s biggest technology and security expo,” brings together IT managers, executives and business owners to discuss the impact of technology and security on business. There is no cost to attend. For more information or to register, visit the event page on Innotek’s website, or the Facebook event page.

• Along with the Bloomsburg University Regional STEM Education Center, the Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber will co-sponsor the Future Careers Expo on Thursday, Nov. 9, from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Kehr Union Ballroom on the BU campus. The annual event allows attendees to explore career in science, technology, engineering and math and it open to all students in grades 7-12, as well as their parents. Participants can receive a BU application fee waiver just for attends, and there will also be door prizes for those that sign up. For more information and to register, visit here. For businesses that are interested in participating as vendors, please fill out this form and return it to the email address on the form by Oct. 20. For questions from businesses, please call the Chamber Foundation at 570-784-2522 or email.