Mitigation orders except masking were lifted on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31st.
This change means that restaurants, bars, stores, salons, gyms, theaters, event venues, nightclubs, and other businesses can open at 100% capacity, and crowd-size limits are lifted on all indoor and outdoor gatherings.
The Department of Health recommends that Pennsylvanians refer to CDC guidance and recommendations regarding ongoing COVID-19 safety measures and procedures.
These updates will not prevent municipalities and school districts from continuing and implementing stricter mitigation efforts.
The governor’s Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic remains in place.
The two registered candidates for Bloomsburg Mayor shared their views on supporting business in the Town, flood protection, the relationship with Bloomsburg University, and other issues at a public forum held April 28th at Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble. Incumbent Mayor Bill Kreisher and Council member Justin Hummel are both registered on the Democratic ticket for the May 18th primary election. The forum was co-sponsored by The Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Bloomsburg Inc (DBI).
Both candidates identified the need to generate additional revenue for Town operations. Kreisher cited flood protection as important to preserving property values and encouraging more people to live in the Town, while Hummel indicated that flood protection for the West end is not cost-effective. Instead, the Town should work to attract more events which would generate revenue from the amusement tax. He also noted that 68% of the property tax payers in Town pay less than $1,000 a year to Bloomsburg.
When asked about the priority issues for Bloomsburg, Kreisher cited a number of priorities outlined in the Blueprint for Bloomsburg comprehensive plan adopted in 2009 including updating zoning to encourage business growth, improving relations with the University, and being more visitor friendly. Hummel called for a new comprehensive vision that includes welcoming and encouraging more events and activities.
To encourage transparency and stakeholder engagement as well as municipalities up to date related to ordinances, zoning, and infrastructure, the Chamber and DBI developed a candidate pledge (link to attached) for all Council candidates. Kreisher has signed the pledge. While Hummel stated that while he supports the items within the pledge and feels the Town is already doing them he’s “not into signing arbitrary agreements.”
The audio recording of the forum is available at columbiamontourchamber.com/audio-video/.
The American Rescue Plan Act established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to provide funding to help restaurants and other eligible businesses keep their doors open. Applications opened TODAY, May 3rd at noon. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023.
The Small Business Administration had released technical guidance and a sample application (see Supplemental Documents) for the RRF.
More than 430 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 Miller-Keystone Blood Center.
Founded in 1971, Miller-Keystone Blood Center’s mission is to save lives by partnering with communities to provide a continuous supply of blood products and services. The center serves as the sole blood provider for 29 hospitals in eastern PA and western NJ.
Miller-Keystone Blood Center is a member of America’s Blood Centers, a national network of independent, non-profit community blood centers that provide approximately 60% of the blood products transfused in the United States. It is not affiliated with the American Red Cross.
For more information on the Miller-Keystone Blood Center visit its website, Facebook page or call 800-B-A-DONOR (223-6667).
Montour Solar One Announces Commitments for $1 Million Community Benefits Program
The Montour Solar One team of Pattern Energy and Talen Energy announced the initial partners for the first phase of its Community Benefits Program, which will contribute $1 million to local organizations over the life of the project. This first phase includes a one-time donation to the Montour Area Recreation Commission (MARC) towards the Montour Preserve.
“As we look to become long-term neighbors within Montour County, we are aiming to make strong, long-lasting positive impacts on the community by supporting vital local organizations, especially those focused on veterans and agricultural interests,” said Joey Shannon, senior manager, renewable energy & battery storage development for Talen Energy and member of the Montour Solar One team. “Following extensive communications with community stakeholders, these three recipients stood out as especially important to the greater Montour County community and we are honored to partner with them.”
For the first five years, Montour Solar One has committed to the following annual contributions which will commence at the start of commercial operation of the solar project:
-Columbia Montour Area Vocational Technical School- $12,000 annually for 5 years
Focused on its agricultural program and building critical greenhouses
-Montour Veterans Emergency Fund $12,000 annually for 5 years
Supporting Montour’s Veterans in need
-Northern Montour Recreation Association $6,000 annually for 5 years
Contributing to the Anthony Township neighborhood pool and recreational offerings
-Montour Area Recreation Commission $30,000 one time
For the Montour Preserve, donated at the start of construction
Following Montour Solar One’s first five years of operation, the facility manager for the solar project will
coordinate future local giving based on community need and priorities at that time.
“We greatly appreciate what Montour Solar One and the Pattern and Talen teams are doing to support
young people in Montour and Columbia County,” said Ken Kryder of Columbia Montour Area
Vocational Technical School. “This much-needed funding will be critical to our agricultural program and
help build new greenhouses that will greatly improve the learning experience of our Agricultural Plant
Systems & Technology Program.”
Lisa Hartman, President of the Northern Montour Recreation Association added, “It is especially wonderful that Montour Solar One is helping an Anthony Township nonprofit and one that impacts so many families in our area. We are very appreciative of this partnership.”
“The support of Montour Solar One is invaluable as the Preserve continues our mission to provide free family-oriented outdoor activities,” said Bob Stoudt, Director of MARC. “The Montour Preserve is a jewel for the community and their support will go a long way to helping us continue our operations and serving the residents of Montour County and the region.”
Montour Solar One’s $30,000 a year contributions will equate to more than $1,000,000 during the life of
the project.
Montour Solar will also bring an economic boost to the area and create up 125-175 construction jobs over
the one-year construction period. More information regarding the Montour Solar One project can be
found at https://montoursolar.com/.
Service 1st Announced Newly Appointed Board Members and Celebrated Employee/Volunteer Achievements During 2020 Annual Meeting
Service 1st Federal Credit Union held their 2020 Annual Meeting virtually on Wednesday, April 21, 2021. This was the second consecutive year Service 1st elected to host the meeting using a virtual format in an effort to lessen the spread of COVID-19. Members had the opportunity to register to attend the virtual meeting live. The credit union also provided a full recording of the meeting on the Service 1st website.
Service 1st President/CEO Bill Lavage thanked the Credit Union’s members, volunteers and employees for working together throughout the past year.
“There are three main reasons for our continued success,” stated Bill Lavage, President/CEO, Service 1st. “Our Board of Directors and volunteers are one of the reasons. They selflessly volunteer their time to set our course, provide leadership and support. Another key component in our success is our employees. They have been resilient throughout the pandemic. We had to change our business model quickly, we closed our lobbies two times in 2020 and they remained reliant and resilient all while dealing with COVID-19 at work and home. The third key component for our success is the non-wavering support of our members. You continued to support us during the most challenging time in the history of Service 1st.”
Lavage added, that Service 1st will continue to manage any challenges due to the pandemic, while focusing on the safety of their team, their members, and the community.
Newly elected board members were announced and a number of volunteers and employees were honored for their years of service during the online event.
David Cutright, Treasurer; Deborah Petretich Templeton, R. Ph., MHA, Secretary; and Kathy Linn, Director were re-elected; each to 3-year terms on the Service 1st Board of Directors. Other members of the Service 1st Board of Directors include: Steven Endress, Chairperson; Tracy Shirk, Vice Chairperson; Eric Polczynski, Director; Lori Wilson, Director; Barbara Criswell, Director; and Greg Burke, MD, FACP, Director.
Service awards representing a combined 330 years of experience and dedication, were presented to volunteers and employees. Volunteers honored included Jonathan Fellin, Supervisory Committee, 5 years; Mike Fleming, Supervisory Committee, 5 years; Tom Culver, Nominating Committee, 15 years; Dave Macko, Nominating Committee and Annual Meeting Committee, 20 years; Barbara Criswell, Board Member, 35 years; and Randi Spayd, Annual Meeting Committee, 45 years.
Employees honored for 5 years of service included: Jennifer Daddario, Regional Vice President; Rachael Herb, Assistant Market Manager, Corporate Center; Brandi Hoffman, Financial Service Specialist II, Corporate Center; Mary Klock, Member Service Representative II, Shamokin Dam Office; Seth Loff, Business Relationship Specialist; Mandi Stallman, Training & Audit/Compliance Specialist; and Missy Thomas, Assistant Market Manager, Bloomsburg.
Employees honored for 10 years of service included: April Campbell, Financial Service Specialist II, Shamokin Dam Office; Tom Rambo, Vice President Danville Market; Paulette Renner, Financial Service Specialist II, Mifflinburg Office; and Heather Shannon, Member Engagement Specialist, Contact Center.
Employees honored for 15 years of service included: Eileen Cizewski, Financial Service Specialist II, Bloomsburg Office; Wayne Hawley, Information Systems Specialist; and Brett Johnson, Vice President Lending.
Employees honored for 20 years of service included: Donna Bennick, Member Engagement Supervisor, Contact Center; Elisabeth Taylor, Vice President Audit & Compliance; and Barbara Zlotorzynski, Operations Support Supervisor.
Seleca Solomon, Operations Specialist, was also honored for 25 years of service.
For more information, call our Contact Center at 800.562.6049 or visit www.service1.org.
Susquehanna Nuclear Donates Command Trailer to Columbia-Montour SWAT Team
Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC (Susquehanna), a division of Talen Energy, recently donated a command trailer to the Columbia-Montour SWAT Team for use in partnership with communities and agencies throughout the region. The SWAT Team will use the command trailer in a variety of ways including: as an incident command center for law enforcement training activities; as a general command post in the event of a large-scale incident; in activities coordinated by local Emergency Management Agencies (EMAs) in Columbia, Montour and Northumberland counties; and as a resource to fire companies in the region.
Columbia-Montour SWAT Commander Chief Allen L. Breach (second from right), 20+ members of the Columbia-Montour SWAT Team, Columbia County EMA Director Jennifer Long (third from left) , Montour County EMA Director Ed Burkland, and Northumberland County EMA Director Stephen Jeffrey, as well as the Columbia County Sheriff Tim Chamberlain gathered at Susquehanna Steam Electric Station to witness Commander Chief Breach formally receive a command trailer donated by Talen Energy’s Susquehanna Nuclear division. Representatives from Susquehanna Nuclear, including Chief Nuclear Officer Berryman and Talen’s Corporate Security Superintendent Mike Palmer were on hand to officially present the command trailer to the SWAT Team.
“Our senior leadership team discussed who could best use the trailer and immediately, our local SWAT organization and EMAs rose to the top of the list,” said Susquehanna Chief Nuclear Officer Brad Berryman. “They have supported Susquehanna, and our Montour generating facility in Washingtonville, for years and it seemed fitting that we provide them with this trailer to support the community in the best ways possible.”
“We borrowed the trailer recently and used it as an incident command center during an active shooter exercise we conducted in Danville,” said SWAT Commander Chief Allen L. Breach. “Our intention is to use it on a region-wide basis. The closest units like it are in Schuylkill County and in Williamsport, so having our own trailer will allow us to respond more efficiently. It honestly provides us so much flexibility – we’re really pleased to have received it from Talen,” Breach continued.
Susquehanna Nuclear LLC is one of Talen Energy’s generating affiliates. Talen Energy Corp. is one of the largest competitive energy and power generation infrastructure companies in North America. The Company owns or controls approximately 13,000 megawatts of generating capacity in well-developed, structured wholesale power markets, principally in the Mid-Atlantic, Texas and Montana. Talen is developing a large-scale portfolio of renewable energy, battery storage, and digital infrastructure assets across its expansive footprint. For more information visit www.talenenergy.com.
Bloomsburg Children’s Museum Announces May Programming
The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum, 2 West Seventh Street, Bloomsburg is pleased to announce its May programming.
The Children’s Museum follows the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s guidelines for COVID mitigation. Masks are required for entry for anyone over the age of 2. The Museum has enacted a strict sanitation schedule to maintain a safe and healthy environment for our guests. You can learn more about our efforts at: https://the-childrens-museum.org/.
The Children’s Museum is open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
For a complete listing of all programs, visit https://the-childrens-museum.org/
In order to maintain a safe public space for our guests and comply with our community standards, masks are required for entrance to the Museum. The Children’s Museum has increased sanitation of all touchable surfaces, removed many loose exhibit pieces to reduce touchable surfaces, instituted “Discovery Bags” to still allow hands-on participation for individual learners, and increased air exchange in the Museum.
Montour Solar One is a proposed solar energy facility that would be located in portions of Montour County and Columbia County. The 100-megawatt (MW) project is a partnership between Talen Energy, owner of the Montour Steam Electric Station, and Pattern Energy. The facility would be located on private land in Anthony, Derry, and Madison townships, near the Montour Station.
The team behind Montour Solar One LLC has been engaging with citizens, government officials, and the business community, over the past year. They have made themselves available to the community by hosting town halls, attending public meetings, and participating in conversations with residents.
As the Montour County government and area townships work to update the County Zoning Ordinance to include solar energy facilities, The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce has encouraged zoning that allows for these facilities while reasonably protecting the environment and neighboring residents and businesses. We know that the committee working on this has examined zoning language from other municipalities. The Montour Solar One project would provide an economic boost to the area with temporary construction jobs and diversify the sources of power generation in Pennsylvania.
Knowing that Montour Solar One is not the only project proposed for our area, it is our hope that updates to the zoning ordinance would provide a reasonable framework to accommodate smart, responsible development of solar energy facilities. The zoning ordinance should allow for efficient use of the land proposed for development, while protecting the health, safety, and economic interests of the surrounding area. Recognizing that technology is ever-changing, the ordinance should provide flexibility to allow for advancements, using established best industry practices and other solar development projects in Pennsylvania and across the United States as a guide.
We are encouraged by Montour Solar One’s recent announcement of support for a number of community organizations. These good-neighbor contributions provide valuable funding for agricultural education, veterans in need, and outdoor recreation.
The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce applauds the efforts of Montour County to allow for this development to take place in a responsible manner and looks forward to the Montour Solar One project and the benefits it will provide to our area.
The Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission is seeking to recognize and celebrate Pennsylvania businesses that are investing in their working families and childcare through innovative and much-needed practices and policies.
The Commission is seeking nominations of businesses that demonstrate strong examples of the criteria listed below:
Offer a variety of childcare assistance, such as:
• Childcare resource and referral services
• Financial credits/assistance/subsidized/reimbursed childcare
• Back up childcare
• Onsite or easily accessible care
• Flexible work and scheduling: job-sharing, telecommuting, predictable scheduling
• Paid leave: parental, family, sick, medical
• Accommodations and support: lactation support services, pregnant worker accommodations
Positively impact the childcare community through efforts such as:
• Participation in local early learning initiatives
• Financial support: Pre-K EITC contributions, contracted childcare slots
• In-kind or shared services support
• Leadership and visibility in early learning and childcare as a business leader
And, are innovative
• Innovative approaches to supporting children, caregivers, and/or the early care and learning community
Nominations may be for businesses implementing one or several of the above criteria, but the Commission is seeking stories of businesses who recognize these strategies as an important piece of their workforce infrastructure.
Our three recognition categories will include: Innovation, Excellence, and Small Business.
Nominations should be submitted by Wednesday, May 5th.
A local program for hospitality businesses remains open as the Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) grant portal has reopened and additional details about the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RFF) grant program have been provided.
The COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP) provides grants from $5,000 to $50,000 to eligible hospitality industry businesses including hotels, restaurants, bars, and taverns. Funds are still available for businesses in Columbia and Montour counties. Businesses can apply at the Community Giving Foundation’s website at www.csgiving.org until the funds are exhausted or June 15, 2021.
The SVO grant program provides assistance to live venues that were harmed by COVID-19 restrictions. The SVO grant program will distribute $16 billion in funds to live venue operators, including eligible movie theaters, concert spaces, museums and performing arts organizations. SVO grants are being administered directly by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The application portal has been reopened.
The RFF will provide $28.6 billion in grants targeting hard-hit restaurants and bars. Affected entities will be able to apply for grants based on lost gross revenue between 2019 and 2020, with maximum grant sizes totaling $5 million for restaurants and $10 million for restaurant groups.
Similar to the SVO grants, RRF grants will be administered directly by the SBA. Technical guidance and a sample application (see Supplemental Documents) are now available. The SBA expects to open the application portal on May 3rd at noon.
The Small Business Development Center network is partnering with the SBA to offer a free informational session about the RFF program this Thursday, April 29th, at 9:00 a.m. Register online here.
Businesses and tax-exempt organizations with fewer than 500 employees can receive a tax credit for providing paid time off for employees receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and for any time needed to recover from the vaccine. Self-employed individuals are eligible for similar tax credits.
The tax credits are available to eligible employers that pay sick and family leave for leave from April 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2021.
The paid leave credits under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 are tax credits against the employer’s share of the Medicare tax. The tax credits are refundable, which means that the employer is entitled to payment of the full amount of the credits if it exceeds the employer’s share of the Medicare tax.
Following the recent announcement by President Biden, U.S. Chamber Small Business Policy vice president Tom Sullivan released the following statement:
“We know that the sooner more Americans are vaccinated, the sooner we can fully reopen our economy and the Main Streets across America. Providing this additional aid and resources for small businesses is necessary given all the hurdles these job creators have faced throughout the pandemic.
Employers of all sizes play an important role in making it easy for employees and those in their communities to get vaccinated. Helping employers get more people vaccinated, especially through worksite clinics, is a path forward for our country’s public health and economic strength.”
Additional information, including how to claim the credit, is available from the IRS.