From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Over the July 4th holiday weekend nearly 1,500 businesses were the victims of a ransomware attack. Impacted organizations had their data encrypted with a demand for payment in order to decrypt the files.
Christopher Roberti, Senior Vice President for Cyber, Intelligence, and Supply Chain Security Policy with the U.S. Chamber, issued this statement:
“This latest ransomware attack impacting hundreds of businesses is yet another reminder that the U.S. government must take the fight to these foreign cybercriminal syndicates. The government must use its full capabilities to investigate, disrupt, prosecute, and hold accountable these known criminal gangs.”
No one is immune: Businesses of every size and industry can be targets of a cyberattack. Here are some tips:
- Make sure your systems have strong authentication like multifactor authentication.
- Have a patching program to ensure your software is up-to-date.
- Have a workable backup that can be accessed easily.
The Global Cyber Alliance provides a toolkit for small business cybersecurity.
Anyone is welcome to attend the Columbia Montour Chamber’s Member Orientation, which will be held at LCBC Church, Thursday, July 29th from 8:30-9:30 a.m.. Whether you are a new or existing member, or interested in learning how the Chamber could support your organization, this orientation will help you discover the multitude of benefits and marketing opportunities offered through the Chamber, as well as its ongoing initiatives aimed at economic and community development. A light breakfast and beverages will be served, free of charge.
Register today online or by calling 570-784-2522.
Member Orientations are sponsored by USG, Kawneer, Bloomsburg University, First Columbia Bank & Trust Co., SEKISUI KYDEX, First Keystone Community Bank, PPL Electric Utilities, and Geisinger.
From rabbittransit
Are you interested in becoming a new rider or do you need help with an aging parent or family member? PennDOT, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, has launched a new Find My Ride Eligibility service. This service offers an online application process for several transportation assistance programs available for seniors, persons with disabilities, persons with mental health/intellectual and developmental disabilities and those willing to pay full fare who do not qualify for other funding sources.
Eligibility for additional transportation funding programs is determined based on answering the online application questions and uploading the required documents. After completing your online application, it will be automatically sent to rabbittransit for approval and any communication will be sent back to you via email. It’s that easy!
To review additional ways to apply, please visit https://www.rabbittransit.org/shared-ride/paratransit/apply-for-paratransit/
To learn more about rabbittransit’s shared ride service, call 1-800-632-9063 or visit rabbittransit.org.
More than 425 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and the region. Increased membership allows the Chamber to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives. The Chamber welcomes Fulton Bank- Danville.
Located at 630 Mill Street in Danville, Fulton Bank provides a full range of banking products and services to its family of banks that are located throughout Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. It has banks in 18 counties in Pennsylvania, including both Columbia and Montour, providing consumer and business customers with banking services and products, investment management, and trust services.
For more information on Fulton Bank- Danville visit its website, Facebook page or call 570-271-3430.
Covered Bridge & Arts Festival Relocated to Bloomsburg Fairgrounds
The annual Covered Bridge & Arts Festival, held at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg since 1982, will have a new home in 2021, and in future years as well. The fall festival, which traditionally draws approximately 150,000 people over four days in early October, will now be held at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds.
Festival organizers from the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau (CMVB) recently met with Knoebels management to discuss logistical challenges, exacerbated by the national labor shortage, of continuing the festival at the amusement resort. Faced with the prospect of cancelling the festival for a second consecutive year, the group made the decision to coordinate a new home for the event moving forward. For vendors, the Fairgrounds venue will be able to provide the same amenities that have been offered in prior years to ensure a successful event. Visitors will be able to look forward to increased parking opportunities as well as regular tram service to and from the parking lot.
“Looking back at the Covered Bridge Festival’s long history, we would be remiss if we did not thank the Knoebel family,” remarked Otto Kurecian, Executive Director of the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau. “Their foresight enabled the CMVB to literally keep our doors open. In the process, they nurtured a tiny festival and assisted us in creating one of the premier craft festivals in the United States. We will remain forever grateful for their efforts.”
Knoebels management also reflected on the long history of the event at the park and offered optimism for the future.
“The Covered Bridge Festival has been a wonderful partnership between the Visitors Bureau and Knoebels for nearly 40 years,” said Brian Knoebel, Knoebels co-owner. “We are honored to have been a part of the festival’s growth and are excited to see what the future holds, with the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds being the perfect location to provide an opportunity for continued growth.”
Ultimately, the CMVB festival committee made the decision to contact the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds as a potential alternative host location for the event. Fair board officials convened to discuss feasibility for the Covered Bridge & Arts Festival to be relocated to the Fairgrounds and unanimously decided in favor of hosting the event in 2021 and beyond.
“The entire Fair Board recognized the impact this festival has on the surrounding community and knew we needed to do whatever it took to ensure the Fairgrounds could serve as its new home,” said Randy Karschner, Bloomsburg Fair Board President. “The Bloomsburg Fair recognizes its role in serving as a key community partner, and we are looking forward to welcoming the Covered Bridge Festival to Bloomsburg.”
Each year, the Covered Bridge & Arts Festival provides a boost of approximately $14.2 million in overall economic benefit to the region. In recent years, the tourism industry as a whole generated $4.4 billion in state and local taxes – enough to reduce the tax liability of each household by about $850 each year. For the past five years, the festival has been named as one of the Top 50 Arts & Crafts Festivals in the United States by Sunshine Artist Magazine.
“Looking forward, we need to provide a big thank you to the Bloomsburg Fair for being a community partner in the truest sense,” said Kurecian. “We faced the real possibility of having to cancel the event. The Fair Board’s quick actions truly saved the Covered Bridge Festival.”
Additional details about the festival’s new layout at the Fairgrounds will be announced in coming months. For this year, the Covered Bridge & Arts Festival will remain in place for October 7 – 10 as planned. Festival hours will also remain the same. This year’s Bloomsburg Fair also remains scheduled as planned for September 24 – October 2. To learn more about this year’s Covered Bridge & Arts Festival, please click here.
Northeast Pennsylvania Business Center to Hold Job Fair
Join the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Center on August 28, 2021 – in person – for the 1st Annual NPBC Job Fair in the Industrial Building at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds. Over 30 employers will be present!The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum Announces its July Programs
The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum is open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
GENERAL PROGRAMMING:
Firework Extravaganza
Saturday, July 3, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Get ready for July 4th with firework extravaganza! Come learn about fireworks and create some crafts! Included with regular admission.
Saturday Sing-along with Miss Kerry
Saturday, July 3, 11:30 am-12:00 pm
Join Miss Kerry for this sing-along Saturday! Wiggling, singing, and laughing with your child is so much fun—it’s easy to forget how much learning is taking place. This event is included in Museum admission.
Dog Days of Summer
11:00 am-1:00 pm
July 7: Popsicles
July 21: Winter in July
Beat the heat and come to the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum! Enjoy a special summer-themed craft every other Wednesday with free adult admission!
Teddy Bear Picnic
Saturday, July 10, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Bring your favorite teddy bear and enjoy a picnic! Create your own teddy bear sized food and basket. Included with regular admission.
Two Dollar Tuesday
Tuesday, July 20, 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Third Tuesday of the month, $2 admission all day. The Ex-change will host hands-on Art Cart projects 10am-2pm.
May The Force Be With You Day
Saturday, July 17, 10:00 am-2:00 pm
Meet and take pictures with professional Star Wars characters, make your own lightsaber, enjoy new games, crafts, food vendors. Plus dunk-a-trooper, jedi obstacle course, blast-a-trooper and new activities for this year. Come dressed as your favorite Star Wars character! Purchase tickets at: http://bit.ly/bcm-maytheforce21
This Day in History: Amelia Earhart Birthday
Saturday, July 24, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
On July 24th, 1897 Amelia Earhart was born. Did you know she was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean? Celebrate her birthday with an airplane-themed craft. Included with regular admission.
Water Day
Saturday, July 24, 10:00 am-2:00 pm
We will have a variety of activities for kids to cool off while having fun. Play in our lazy river, take the water balloon challenge and enjoy our inflatable water slides! Caution you will have fun and get wet. Admission is $5. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Town Pool. Purchase tickets at: http://bit.ly/bcm-waterday21
Avocado Day
Saturday, July 31, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Did you know an avocado has more potassium than a banana? Learn more about these fruits (yes, avocado is a fruit) and take home some delicious recipes. Included with regular admission.
CLUBS AND CLASSES
Preschool Under the Sea Summer Camp
June 28-July 2, 8:30-9:30 & 10:00-11:00 am
Join the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum this summer and dive right into this summer camp. Preschool campers will dip their toes in the sea, explore the depths of the ocean, make friends with a squid and cuddle an octopus…without even getting wet or jumping into a submarine! Every day will be an exploration of a different part of our beautiful oceans and the creatures that live there!
Music Together® of Bloomsburg
Every Friday, 10:15-11:15 am
Music Together is an early childhood music curriculum that’s known around the world for its ability to engage children and adults in musical play together.
Enchanted Princess Mini Camp
July 7-9, 10:00 am-11:00 pm
Dreams will come true this summer at our mini-camp perfect for the princess in your life with all kinds of royal activities. Each day will focus on a different favorite princess as our campers enjoy a week of singing and dancing along with tea parties, arts & crafts, and making new friends. A fun and magical week will all lead up to a coronation ceremony. Your little one’s fairy tale summer camp is just around the corner!
Young Engineers
3:00-4:00 pm
Friday, July 16: Hydraulic Platforms
Friday, July 23: Fans
Friday, July 30: Mechanical Hand
Grab your lab coats and goggles for these science class! Students will learn about pneumatics, circuits, hydraulics, and more! Perfect for students ages 6+
Maker Camp – SOLD OUT
July 19-23, 10:00 am—1:00 pm
What do soldering, 3D printing, sculpture, electronics, painting, laser cutting, food, and hammers all have in common? MAKER CAMP! Makers will explore, experiment and play. They are inquisitive hands-on learners who like to try new things! Ages grouped by activity. Taught by Dr. Ginny Weibel and Dr. Kristene Baldwin.
American Girl Summer Camp – SOLD OUT
July 26-30, 10:00 am-1:00 pm
Campers and their dolls (any kind of doll or stuffed animal) will discover adventures a-plenty in this camp full of miniature projects and friendship. Ends with an American Girl Party.
Painting and Drawing Camp II – SOLD OUT
July 12-16, 10:00 am-1:00 pm
Young artists will scribble, splatter, and create! This camp is all about learning how to draw and paint. From using teeny tiny to larger than life, we will be exploring every surface using brushes, pencils, and the unexpected! Presented by Art Space member and artist, Sara Mika. Two dates, same great camp!
DIY Art for Kids!
3:00-4:00 pm
July 6: DIY Dinosaur
July 13: DIY Tore Bag
July 20: DIY Puzzle
July 27: DIY Flower Bowl
Join the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum to create a fun DIY Craft. Suggested for ages 6+ .
Spark Labs with the Crazy Science Lady: Geology
Saturday, July 31, 10:30-11:30 am
Invent, experiment, and explore at this lab that ignites curiosity about the world around us.
For a complete listing of all programs, visit https://the-childrens-museum.org/
Providence Engineering Hires Rebecca C. Thompson
Providence Engineering is pleased to welcome Rebecca C. Thompson to the firm. Becky has joined Providence’s Business Development team and will be responsible for developing new business opportunities throughout Pennsylvania.
With more than 15 years of experience in the AEC industry, Becky brings an informed and thoughtful approach to business development. She is extremely adept at collaborating with owners, builders and designers in order to drive value to projects from the outset. Becky’s commitment to the AEC industry, especially in Central PA, has garnered many longstanding relationships.
Becky holds a Bachelor and Master of Architectural Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.
“I’m very excited to welcome Becky to Providence,” says David Bernhardt, President. “Her professionalism and depth of experience make her a great fit for the Providence team. I look forward to working with her to continue making a positive impact on the built environment.”
Established in 1992, Providence Engineering is committed to providing constructible, affordable and timely structural engineering design services. We also provide many facets of construction compliance and delegated design services to the building industry. Our dependable, innovative solutions have earned the trust of architects, owners, contractors and those we are privileged to call our clients.
The Chamber helped celebrate the recent renovations at Exclusively You on Friday, June 25th, with a ribbon-cutting. The renovations at 53 W Main Street, Bloomsburg, showcased the Morilee brand of gowns. The business is a premier authorized retailer of the brand.
Located in Downtown Bloomsburg and serving the Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and Williamsport markets and beyond, Exclusively You carries a wide selection of wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, mothers’ gowns, flower girl dresses, tuxedos, and prom dresses. For more information visit its website, Facebook page, or call 570-784-6652.
From McKonly & Asbury
Pennsylvania offers a great way for businesses, and even individuals, to receive potential tax benefits for their charitable contributions through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program (OSTC).
The most popular program – the EITC – allows businesses to receive a credit against Pennsylvania taxes by contributing to one of three types of organizations: Educational Improvement Organizations, Scholarship Organizations, and Pre-K Scholarship Organizations. The OSTC is very similar to the EITC, but the donations may only go to scholarship organizations for students in underperforming schools.
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) runs these programs and provides a list of the organizations to which participants can donate here. If an organization is not on the list, but meets the criteria they simply need to apply to be considered. The types of businesses that qualify for the program include those authorized to do business in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which are subject to tax or whose owners are subject to tax. This includes pass-through entities and special purpose pass-through entities.
Applications open July 1st for new applicants and May 15th for returning applicants. The applications are accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis, so businesses should apply on their respective application dates for the best chance of being accepted into the program.
Watch a video here to learn more about the EITC and OSTC programs.
With the finalization of the 2021-22 State Budget, the Legislature is now on summer recess until mid-September. Bills that would support businesses are therefore on hold. The Chamber will continue to advocate for policy changes to encourage people to return to the workforce.
Legislation of interest to many employers would have ended the $300 per week federal Unemployment Compensation bonus prior to early September. Business leaders and a recent poll by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce cite this bonus as a significant factor in keeping individuals from returning to work. While bills introduced in both the House and Senate are now moot, the governor also has the ability to end the bonus payments early. The Chamber is joining other chambers of commerce from across the state and the PA Chamber of Business and Industry in calling on Governor Wolf to end the bonus payments as soon as possible.
The PA Department of Labor and Industry will reimplement the requirement that individuals receiving unemployment benefits demonstrate active work search the week of July 11. House Bill 406 would have resumed the requirement sooner. The bill passed the House 187-14 but stalled in the Senate.
With the end of the emergency declaration in early June, several special rules to support the restaurant industry ended. House Bill 1154 would make drinks to go permanent and extend expanded outdoor seating for licensed establishments until the end of 2022. The bill, sponsored by Representative Kurt Masser, passed the House 187-14 but was modified in the Senate. After Governor Wolf threatened to veto the Senate version, the House worked on compromise language but a final concurrence vote has not yet occurred in the Senate. Senator Scott Martin, R-Lancaster County, is asking Senate leadership to call senators into session to vote on the bill before a special rule allowing them to vote remotely expires on June 30th.
Pending finalization of that legislation, the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association is advising that establishments that applied for the temporary expanded premises outdoor seating last year can apply for a permanent extension at PLCB+. Log in, click on “Other License Changes/Amendments” and select “Extension of Premise” from the drop-down menu. There is a $220 fee and an inspection will be required to pursue this option. While the site says establishments cannot operate until you have an inspection, upon completion of your application, the PLCB will send a letter granting temporary operating authority until inspection from the PLCB is received.
Edited from the PA Chamber of Business & Industry
Ahead of the June 30 Constitutional deadline, the General Assembly and Wolf administration reached agreement on a $39.78 billion budget for the 2021-22 Fiscal Year. While a reduction in the Corporate Net Income tax rate is not included in the deal, the final budget does not impose any new or additional tax increases on employers. The looming expansion of overtime eligibility was also repealed as part of the agreement.
The final spending plan is a far cry from Gov. Tom Wolf’s original proposal which included a significant increase to the Personal Income Tax. Budget negotiations were aided by higher than anticipated revenue collections, as well as the influx of $7 billion in federal stimulus aid.
Representing a $7.7 billion, or 24 percent, spending increase over the previous fiscal year, lawmakers pointed to a growth in mandated spending – primarily under the Department of Human Services – as well as the use of one-time revenue sources in previous state budgets as the reason behind the significant increase. In an attempt to reign in additional spending growth under the DHS, the Fiscal Code contains language prohibiting the department from creating new programs without legislative authority.
The budget allocates $2.52 billion to the state’s Rainy Day Fund and sets aside $5 billion of federal stimulus funds to be utilized in future budgets. The budget also includes a $300 million increase in education funding and a $40 million increase to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit. Of the federal stimulus dollars, $50 million has been designated towards the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education system redesign and $282 million to help nursing homes and assisted living facilities with COVID related costs. An additional $372 million has been appropriated to the governor’s office to assist with COVID-19 response.
Among the numerous policies included in budget-related legislation was a one-sentence provision to repeal an administration proposal initiated in 2018 to dramatically and continually expand the range of employees eligible for overtime pay (i.e. the requirement to pay time-and-a-half for every hour over 40 worked in a given week).
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
Among the numerous policies included in budget-related legislation passed last week was a one-sentence provision that has significant implications for many Pennsylvania employers.
Part of the final budget deal between the Republican-majority legislature and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf was an agreement to repeal an administration proposal initiated in 2018 to dramatically and continually expand the range of employees eligible for overtime pay (i.e. the requirement to pay time-and-a-half for every hour over 40 worked in a given week).
The PA Chamber has led a diverse coalition opposing this rule, including the nonprofit community, higher education, healthcare institutions and the restaurant industry. Many employers reported they would be unable to afford these higher costs in the years ahead and would be forced to convert salaried employees to hourly workers so hours could be tracked and capped each week. Employees expressed concern at the prospect of losing their salary status and the associated flexibility and benefits.
As this rule progressed through the regulatory process the PA Chamber launched several grassroots advocacy campaigns and worked with the state legislature to pass a concurrent resolution to disapprove of the rule, which the Governor subsequently vetoed.
The repeal of this rule represents significant relief for Pennsylvania employers, many of whom continue to struggle recovering the pandemic, shutdown orders and economic fallout.