The 2020 Chamber Golf Tournament, sponsored by Williams, will be held on Thursday, September 17th at Knoebels Three Ponds Golf Club. The golf tournament will be the same traditional four-person scramble that most participants have become accustomed to and will have a 12 pm shotgun start, with registration and lunch beginning at 11 am. 

Registration and sponsorship forms will be going out in July’s ChamberPack, which members should receive in their mailboxes the week of July 6. This information is also available on the tournament page, and registrations and sponsorships can also be purchased online. 

Governor Tom Wolf recently announced a new, $225 million state grant program for Pennsylvania small businesses impacted by COVID-19. The COVID-19 Relief Pennsylvania Statewide Small Business Assistance program will provide grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. The application window for the first round of funding will open at 9:00 a.m. on June 30th and remain open for 10 business days.

To be eligible to apply, a business must:
• Be physically located, certified to do business, and generate at least 51% of their revenues in Pennsylvania;
• Have annual revenue of $1 million or less prior to the impact of COVID-19; and
• Have 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees prior to February 15, 2020.

The program will prioritize small businesses that are:
• Owned and operated by low and moderate-income people; or
• Located in areas of need including areas with a population having incomes significantly below the median income level, high levels of poverty, higher than average unemployment rates, or significant population loss.
• Types of businesses that were most impacted by the economic shutdown and experienced the greatest revenue losses.

In addition, the program will give additional consideration to the following factors: women-owned businesses, communities targeted for business
investment by state government programs like Main Street and Elm Street, and rural communities.

This is not a first-come, first-served program. There will be multiple rounds of application windows. Additional rounds will be announced soon.

Click here for additional details about the program.

The grants will be processed by 17 Pennsylvania Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). For more information, links to participating CDFIs, and a sign-up to receive information, visit: www.pabusinessgrants.com.

Camp Victory Needs Your Help to Meet Blood Need

There is an urgent need for blood donors and Camp Victory is doing its part to help.

Due to the recent resumption of elective surgeries by our regional hospitals, our community blood supply has reached critical levels, and there is an urgent need of blood donations.

Camp Victory is hosting a blood drive on June 29 from 2 to 7 pm at Mill-Green Church in Millville.

To schedule your lifesaving donation, please call 800-B-A-DONOR or visit GIVEaPINT.org with code 8589 to participate. Appointments are required.

McKonly & Asbury Hosting Webinar for Nonprofits 

McKonly & Asbury‘s June webinar entitled, “Nonprofit Organizations – The Impact of COVID-19 on Financial Reporting and Your Organization” will take place on Thursday, June 25, 2020. The webinar will be hosted by Gary Dubas, Partner and Director of Nonprofit Services, Janice Snyder, Partner and Director of Assurance Services, and Jim Shellenberger, Principal and leader in our nonprofit practice.

This webinar will cover the common reporting considerations nonprofit organizations need to consider in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes transactions and disclosures related to PPP and EIDL loans, as well as the other provisions of the CARES Act, and the unprecedented economic situations all nonprofit organizations are experiencing. The presenters will also cover reporting changes with the IRS, State of Pennsylvania, and Federal Awarding Agencies, as well as a review of recently issued (and delayed) accounting standards and taxation rules impacting nonprofit organizations.

During this webinar attendees will:
– Gain an understanding of the upcoming changes to nonprofit financial statements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Learn information related to changes to regulatory deadlines and submission requirements.
– Be provided a review of accounting standards changes on nonprofit organizations.

One “A&A” CPE credit is available for this webinar. The level for this CPE is basic and there are no prerequisites for attending. This program is a live webinar which offers you the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the presenters.

Register here for the webinar.

Commissioner Hikes across Columbia County to Pay Off New Bookmobile

Columbia County Commissioner Chris Young is hiking about 50 miles from the top to bottom of the county from June 22-26 to raise $100,000 needed to pay off the new bookmobile for the Columbia County Traveling Library, which serves rural residents who don’t have access to a traditional library in their communities.

-The Columbia County Traveling Library has been bringing the library on wheels to Benton, Millville, Mifflinville, Catawissa, Numidia, and other rural communities for nearly 80 years.

-Commissioner Young has served on the board of the library for 20 years.

-Area residents can learn how to sponsor him at www.travelinglibrary.org, and they are invited to ‘crowdfund’ by asking their friends and family to donate also.

Commissioner Young is hiking daily from 10am to 4pm every day starting on June 22. He hopes to finish on Friday, June 26. He says, “It will be fun to walk through the communities I have served as Commissioner for more than 20 years. I hope people will sponsor me to help pay off our great new bookmobile. The Traveling Library is a fantastic community resource because it serves everyone in the community. Helping the Traveling Library helps our neighbors in Columbia County.”

Commissioner Young is also an author of one of the books in the library, Hiker and the Stranger, by C.E. Young. He is available for interviews before and during his hike. Monday June 22 at 9am was the kick-off in the Benton area. Photos and videos will be posted throughout the week on the library’s Facebook page. A photo gallery of life on the bookmobile is posted here.

People can donate online or send a check. Checks may be made out to ‘Friends of the CCTL’ and mailed to 702 Sawmill Rd., Ste. 101, Bloomsburg, PA 17815.

Major sponsors of the bookmobile are: The Columbia County District Attorney ($50,000 grant from reclaimed drug money); PPL Foundation ($20,000 grant); and First Columbia Bank ($10,000) along with many other businesses and organizations. About 125 community members have contributed $25,000 so far.

Bason Coffee Hosting 9th Birthday Celebration this Saturday

Bason Coffee in Danville is celebrating it’s 9th birthday the entire month of June and is wrapping things up with an event in their parking lot on Saturday, June 27th. Food and ice cream trucks and other fun will be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Pennsylvania businesses have the ability to directly support programs that help area school students learn about employability skills and explore career opportunities. Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program has been popular among employers for many years and expanded to provide more funding for educational programs. Businesses interested in participating should be prepared to apply on Wednesday, July 1st, 2020.

Businesses MUST file on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 if they…
– are entering the EITC program for the first time
– are past participants but have been dropped from the program
– are currently participating, but want to apply for additional tax credits above your current allocated amount

Those businesses that support Educational Improvement Organizations (EIOs) like The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce know that the program has been oversubscribed for many years. Tax credits are typically exhausted on May 15th, the first eligible day current participants can apply. However, businesses are still encouraged apply because businesses drop out of the program every year and there may be credits available. Additionally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn, there is a greater possibility that credits will be available, so applications should be submitted on July 1! There is no penalty or obligation for applying.

Businesses may not file before July 1, but may fill out the application ahead of time, save it, and then submit it any time between 12:01 am – 11:59 pm on July 1st. It’s important to file on this exact day due to the popularity of the program.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE TAX CREDITS?
All businesses authorized to operate in Pennsylvania who are subject to one or more of the following taxes:
• Personal Income Tax
• Capital Stock/Foreign Franchise Tax
• Corporate Net Income Tax
• Bank Shares Tax
• Title Insurance & Trust Company Shares Tax
• Insurance Premium Tax (excluding surplus lines, unauthorized, domestic/foreign marine)
• Mutual Thrift Tax
• Malt Beverage Tax
• Retaliatory Fees under section 212 of the Insurance Company Law of 1921

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
Businesses that contribute to an approved EIO, SO, or Pre-K organization will receive a credit on their Pennsylvania tax liability in the current fiscal year. For businesses that participate for one year, the tax credit is 75 percent of your contribution up to a maximum of $750,000 per taxable year. If a business makes a two-year commitment, the tax credit increases to 90 percent of the contribution, again up to $750,000 per year. For contributions to Pre-Kindergarten Scholarship Organizations, a business may receive a tax credit equal to 100 percent of the first $10,000 contributed, and up to 90 percent of the remaining amount contributed up to a maximum credit of $200,000 annually.

WHAT PROGRAMS ARE BEING OFFERED?
Currently, The Foundation has the following programs approved as an EIO:

• Classroom in the Hospital
• Classroom on Main Street
• What’s So Cool About Manufacturing
• STEM Magnet Program in partnership with Bloomsburg University
• Annual STEM Competition
• Tech Theatre in partnership with Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble
• Educator in the Workplace
• Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week (PFEW)
• PFEW’s Stock Market Game
• EVERFI Financial Literacy

Additional programs being developed include a youth leadership program and additional Classroom in the Workplace programs including Classroom in the Courtroom.

For more information on the EITC program, click here.

For the complete application guidelines, click here.

For additional information about Foundation programs or to discuss how your organization can be involved, contact Jeff Emanuel, Director of The Foundation, at 570-784-2522 or foundation@columbiamontourchamber.com.

More than 435 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 Millville Heating Plumbing Solar.

Millville Heating Plumbing Solar (MHPS) is locally owned and operated, serving businesses and homeowners for all their plumbing see here to know more, heating, and solar power needs.  Located in Millville, their priority is lowering heating bills and implementing renewable energy sources that will save the consumer money and reduce their carbon footprint.  Services that are offered include HVAC, Heating, Plumbing, Solar Hot Water & Heating, Solar PV, and more.  Visit their website and Facebook page to learn more.

The Columbia Montour Chamber’s Visionary Member Spotlight highlights SEKISUI KYDEX.  Founded in 1987, with their headquarters located in Bloomsburg, SEKISUI KYDEX is a global thermoplastics manufacturer.  The customers SEKISUI KYDEX serves are located in 34 countries across a variety of major industries including aviation, transportation, agriculture and heavy equipment, and industrial equipment housings.

Beyond their line of work, SEKISUI KYDEX has given much to our community. The company supports Chamber events as well as activities the community enjoys from the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing? program, to the Chamber’s Annual Meeting, and many other civic and non-profit causes. Leadership at the Bloomsburg facility is also engaged in a number of initiatives to strengthen the workforce and enhance the communities in our region. 

The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is proud to call SEKISUI KYDEX a member for many years. We look forward to serving them for many years to come.

Governor Tom Wolf has reminded Pennsylvanians that mask-wearing is required when entering any business in all counties in the state in both yellow and green phases of reopening. Masks are considered critical in stopping the spread of COVID, now and in preparation for a possible resurgence of the virus in the fall.

The mask requirement is part of Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel’s Levine’s order, “Directing Public Health Safety Measures for Businesses Permitted to Maintain In-person Operations,” which pertains to all counties regardless of the phase of reopening.

A recent study from Cambridge and Greenwich universities in the United Kingdom found that cloth masks, “even homemade masks with limited effectiveness can dramatically reduce transmission rates if worn by enough people, regardless of whether they show symptoms.”

The state’s business guidance outlines mask-wearing requirements and additional safety parameters for both employees and customers.

As businesses are allowed to reopen, many business owners have expressed concerns about the risk of frivolous lawsuits seeking damages from COVID-19 infection as such lawsuits have been reported around the state. The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce joined a coalition of 80 chambers of commerce throughout the Commonwealth in sending a letter to Pennsylvania’s federal and state lawmakers urging support for safe harbor protections for employers related to COVID-19. Gene Barr, PA Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO, issued the following statement.

“Pennsylvania employers have faced unimaginable challenges during this pandemic, the mandatory business shutdown and resulting economic fallout. Many now face the threat of unwarranted, opportunistic lawsuits, including hospitals and many healthcare professionals bravely treating patients, companies who have been working to keep our critical supply chains intact, manufacturers producing personal protective equipment and others on the front lines. Businesses that have stayed open to serve communities, as well as those who were forced to shut down but have managed to survive, should feel confident that if they take the necessary steps to comply with public health and safety guidelines, they are protected from unscrupulous plaintiffs’ attorneys seeking to profit from this disaster.”

“Pennsylvania employers have the talent, ingenuity and grit to rebound and rebuild, but they need smart policies out of Harrisburg and Washington D.C. to help remove obstacles to economic recovery. We urge Pennsylvania’s lawmakers to recognize this particular significant obstacle, as well as the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania employers depending on them to act.”

“Pennsylvania’s chambers of commerce are effective and passionate advocates for the businesses in their communities. Employers should be proud and lawmakers should take heed that so many chambers from throughout the Commonwealth have come together to support a most critical issue at this most critical time.”

Bason Coffee Roasting Celebrating 9th Anniversary

Bason Coffee Roasting is celebrating their 9th birthday all month long! Stop in and see the store, all decorated for the occasion, and join them in celebrating!

All month long for every $10 spent each customer will receive one raffle ticket to enter into a basket raffle to be drawn at the end of June. Raffle baskets are posted on Facebook and Instagram.

Each Saturday for the rest of the month they will feature a different special.  On June 27th,  Bason Coffee Roasting invites you to join them in their parking lot from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. along with a variety of food vendors, to celebrate. Raffle basket winners will also be drawn on this day. 

“May the Force Be With You Day” at the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum

On Saturday, July 18th, at the Children’s Museum, 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’s event. $1 off admission if you wear Star Wars t-shirt or costume! Learn more here or by calling the Children’s Museum at 570-389-9206.

Due to Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines, tickets will be sold in advance. There will only be a limited number of tickets sold. TICKETS ARE REQUIRED FOR ENTRY, EVEN FOR MUSEUM MEMBERS. A portion of the Museum will be closed to maintain social distancing. Indoor restrooms and additional facilities outside will be available for ticketed guests.