- Siren testing at Bloomsburg University
Campus sirens that are part of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania’s emergency notification system will be tested on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 9:20 a.m. The sirens, installed on Elwell Hall, McCormick Center for Human Services and Nelson Field House, will alert the campus community when vital emergency information is available via email and text message. For information, see www.bloomu.edu/bualert. - Central Susquehanna Community Foundation Welcomes New Board Members
The Central Susquehanna Community Foundation (CSCF) recently welcomed two new board members to the CSCF Board of Directors.
Julie Eriksson is a graduate of Middleburg High School and York College of Pennsylvania. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management with a concentration in Human Resource Management, and she is a graduate of the Dale Carnegie and Leadership Susquehanna Valley program. Julie is part-owner of Kreamer Feed, Inc., where she has served as the corporate secretary/treasurer since 2003. Her past career experiences include work in human resources, sales, and marketing positions.
Along with her work for Kreamer Feed, Julie enjoys giving back to the community. She has served on many local boards, including the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, Agricultural, Athena, and Ambassador committees, the Penn State Cooperative Extension, Snyder County Red Cross, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church council, Leadership Susquehanna Valley, and the Selinsgrove Area Community Foundation. She has recently joined the Board of Directors for the Snyder County Libraries and was elected to serve on the MiddWest School Board beginning in December 2019. Julie lives with her husband, Daniel, and son, Kristian, in Kreamer.
Michael Goresh is a graduate of Mount Aloysius College and the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. He was awarded his diploma in Mortuary Sciences in 1986, passed the National Board Exam of Funeral Directors, and received his State Board license in 1988. Prior to his move to Berwick in 1994, when he became the president and supervisor of the Berwick branch of Mayo Funeral Home, Inc., Michael was employed at several funeral homes in the Richland, PA and Pittsburgh, PA areas.
Aside from serving the Berwick community as a funeral director, local organizations also hold Michael’s interests. He currently participates in Kiwanis as President, maintains a seat on the advisory committee for the Berwick Health and Wellness Fund of CSCF, and regular membership with the Pennsylvania Funeral Director’s Association, the National Funeral Director’s Association, Central PA FDA, Train Collectors of America, Lionel Collectors Club of America, and “R” Club, the Maria Assunta Society, Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce, and the Berwick Golf Club. Michael lives in Berwick with his wife, Rosemary. They have two daughters.
The CSCF Board of Directors is a diverse group of individuals that broadly reflects the geographic footprint of the Foundation’s service area, which includes Columbia, Lower-Luzerne, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union Counties. In addition to the two new board members, the board is represented by: Timothy Apple, chair; Nancy Marr, vice-chair; John Thompson, treasurer; Jeff Cerminaro, secretary; Robert Albertson, O.D.; Richard Cashman; Peggy Fullmer; Jeff Hollenbach; John Kurelja, Ed.D.; Greg Martz; Connie Tressler; and Wendy Tripoli.
The Central Susquehanna Community Foundation manages more than 280 charitable funds and makes grant investments throughout the region to improve the quality of life in the Central Susquehanna area. For more information, visit csgiving.org or call the Foundation at 1-866-4546692 - Weis Center Music Events
World Music from West Africa Comes to Weis Center in Free Performance
West African singer, guitarist, percussionist, and dancer Okaidja Afroso will perform as a Trio on Thursday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Weis Center Atrium. This is a free performance and tickets are not required.Okaidja will be joined by Boinor Titus Nartey and Manavihare Fiaindratovo on percussion and vocals.
Born into a family of musicians and storytellers in the village of Kokrobite on the west coast of Ghana, Okaidja Afroso is a singer, guitarist, percussionist, and dancer deeply connected to the musical traditions of the African Diaspora and devoted to bringing together diverse modes of expression in pursuit of global harmony.
His four albums, most recently The Palm Wine Sea, chart a journey from his past as a vocalist, percussionist and dancer with the Ghana Dance Ensemble and Obo Addy through to the present, as a confident and mature songwriter and collaborator. His songs call back to the sounds of his youth, illuminating them with the experiences and wonder of a curious traveler, never resting and always seeking.
Okaidja says, “My music preserves my West African roots while embracing diverse cross-cultural influences and styles. I strive to create a rhythmic fusion of old and new that presents a fresh sound that preserves the authenticity of the traditional while embracing the rich complexity of the integrated world we inhabit today. In my workshops and performances I explore how my ancestor’s traditions have persevered and been reshaped in a contemporary version of the African oral tradition. The complex compositions, soulful vocals, and spirited dancing combine to create an unforgettable and unique experience.”
LA Dance Review says, “One of the undeniable highlights of the evening was the live music performed by Okaidja Afroso. His voice, guitar, and percussion instruments blended into a landscape that was transcendent.”
For more information about this free performance contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or by e-mail at lisa.leighton@bucknell.edu.
For more information about the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, go to www.bucknell.edu/WeisCenter or search for the Weis Center on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
Free Family-Friendly President’s Day Concert at Weis Center
Eric Ian Farmer and his band will perform folk and roots music on Monday, February 17 at 2 p.m. in the Weis Center Atrium. This is a free family-friendly President’s Day performance and tickets are not required.Patrons are encouraged to come early. The Exchange’s Art Cart will be on-site from 1-2 p.m. with special all-ages activities related to this performance.
All attendees are asked to bring a canned food item, which will be distributed to local families in need through Union County Children and Youth Services.
The performance is sponsored, in part, by Martha and Alan Barrick and Coldwell Banker Penn One Real Estate.
Bucknell University acknowledges, with gratitude, generous funding from the family of Janet C. Weis, which makes this performance possible.
Born in State College, Pa. and raised in North Carolina, Eric Ian Farmer has returned to his birthplace sharing his songs about relationships, social awareness and finding one’s path in life while keeping alive classics by artists like Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding and Bob Marley.
Eric learned how to become one with a song from Bonnie Carter and David Williams, singers in the church of his childhood just across the North Carolina state line in Danville, Va.
Eric also draws inspiration as a singer from popular artists like Bobby McFerrin, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. His guitar playing is inspired by the percussive stylings of rock legend Bo Diddley.
As an educator and a 2016 graduate of Penn State’s educational leadership program, Eric also uses music with high school students to facilitate both songwriting and conversation related to identity and social issues.
For more information about this free performance contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or by e-mail at lisa.leighton@bucknell.edu.
For more information about the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, go to www.bucknell.edu/WeisCenter or search for the Weis Center on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
Local employers are invited to meet with communication studies students at Bloomsburg University to discuss potential internship and job opportunities. The National Communication Association Student Club (NCASC) at Bloomsburg University’s biggest annual event is Communication Day, a day-long conference that focuses on professional development for students. This year, the group is hosting a networking session where students can meet and talk with organizational representatives about internships and other professional development tips in an informal setting. The goal is to help students understand some on-the-job expectations, either in internships or full-time careers, and meet with potential interns.
Some careers pursued by communication studies majors after graduation include event planning, employee training, sales, management, public information, development, personnel recruiting, campaign direction, lobbying and negotiations.
This event is scheduled from 4:15-5:30 pm on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in the Kehr Union Ballrooms on Bloomsburg University’s campus. Refreshments and parking arrangements will be provided. This is scheduled to be a come-and-go-as-you-please event. Email phopeck@bloomu.edu if you are interested in participating.
More than 420 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 Pediatric Specialty Care Medical Day at Danville to help us fulfill our mission.
Pediatric Specialty Care Medical Day at Danville will be opening in Spring 2020. They are a trained and specialized daycare provider for children with complex medical needs. Pediatric Specialty Care Medical Day at Danville combines the amenities of a more traditional day care center with high-quality health care management, state-of-the-art medical equipment and qualified caregivers. For more information, visit their website.
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO Gene Barr issued the following statement in regard to Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2020-21 budget address:
“We applaud and support the governor’s continued focus on addressing Pennsylvania’s workforce issues and closing an existing jobs skills gap. This is an issue that impacts businesses of all sizes across all industry sectors – in fact for the second year in a row, employers ranked it as their top of mind issue in the PA Chamber’s Annual Economic Survey. And it’s one that’s preventing the Commonwealth from moving forward. The past year – including the enactment of a first-of-its-kind ‘Clean Slate’ Act — has demonstrated the powerful impact of lawmakers working in a bipartisan fashion, and we look forward to continuing this momentum in the year ahead. We’re pleased to continue our work with the Governor’s Keystone Economic Development and Workforce Command Center and legislative leadership to raise awareness of the concerns and needs of the business community in the state’s evolving jobs market and identify innovative solutions to addressing the jobs skills gap and removing barriers to work.
“We agree that the state’s Corporate Net Income Tax rate – which has the second highest effective rate in the nation – is too high and needs to be reduced. We encourage lawmakers to move forward with substantial state tax reform – starting with a reduction to the CNI rate – that is based on the principles of competitiveness, fairness, predictability and simplicity.
“We remain concerned, however, about the administration’s aggressive proposal to more than double the state’s minimum wage to $15, which will increase labor costs and could lead to significant job loss. A recent report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that a $15 minimum wage could lead to as many as 3.7 million lost jobs. It’s also important to note that while the government mandated wage hasn’t increased, a report by the state’s Independent Fiscal Office shows that entry level workers in the Commonwealth are not likely to remain at the starting wage level, instead seeing wage gains shortly after entering the workforce. Rather than punitive government mandates that will hurt job creation and decrease the number of entry-level positions in the Commonwealth, lawmakers should pursue policies that target support to low-income families without risking jobs.”
Are you in need of a website for your business or group? Or do you have an existing website that was designed years ago and needs updating? Bloomsburg University mass communication students taking web design classes are making websites for local organizations, non-profits, churches, small businesses, clubs, and other agencies. The students provide design services free of charge, and by the end of the semester, they will provide a functioning website or updates to an existing website.
Clients will first meet with students on the BU campus on March 16, 18, or 20, at 1 p.m. or some other pre-arranged time. Design services are provided free of charge. However, there may be some costs in setting up the website. Custom domain names typically cost $15-20 per year, and students may recommend other upgrades depending on your needs. BU does not profit from this project.
If you’d like to know more about the project, or you aren’t sure if this is right for your business or organization, contact faculty member Dennis Frohlich at dfrohlic@bloomu.edu or call him at 701-541-3608 by Friday, March 6.
Berwick, PA—In celebration of another year of community philanthropy, partnerships with generous donors and organizations, and many moving stories of impact, the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation will host its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. The event will be held at The Barn at Frosty Valley in Danville beginning at 8:30 AM.
Join the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation for an inspiring time of reflection as they listen and share stories of community giving from 2019. The free event and breakfast are open to all, though reservations are required. To reserve your spot, contact Katie Simpson at 570-752-3930 ext. 7 or ksimpson@csgiving.org by February 19th.
The Central Susquehanna Community Foundation is grateful to everyone who has partnered with them and contributed to their story in 2019, and is looking forward to growing their impact in 2020!
The Central Susquehanna Community Foundation manages more than 280 charitable funds and makes grant investments throughout the region to improve the quality of life in the Central Susquehanna area. The Foundation partners with regional affiliates including the Berwick Health and Wellness Fund, Bloomsburg Area Community Foundation, Danville Area Community Foundation, Selinsgrove Area Community Foundation, and Sunbury Area Community Foundation. For more information, visit csgiving.org or call the Foundation at 1-866-454-6692.
More than 420 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 Stuart Tank Memorial Association to help us fulfill our mission.
The Stuart Tank Memorial Association is an organization that was established to acquire and maintain Berwick-built Stuart Tanks, and return them to Berwick as a memorial. They strive to educate people on the historical significance of these tanks. For more information, visit their website.
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
Ahead of his 2020-21 state budget address, Gov. Tom Wolf reiterated his support for policies the PA Chamber has consistently opposed, due to their negative impact on economic growth and job creation.
At a morning press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 28, the governor announced he is again pushing to more than double the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour; along with the approval of an overtime eligibility expansion rule that aims to dramatically expand – both in the near-term and automatically going forward – the scope of employees eligible for overtime pay, or time-and-a-half for any hours worked over 40 in a week. This proposal would be unaffordable for many employers who would be forced to convert salaried employees into hourly positions so that hours can be closely monitored and overtime avoided.
The governor voiced renewed support for these measures following the House’s inaction on S.B. 79, compromise legislation that passed the Senate in a 42-7 vote and would have rescinded the overtime rule in exchange for a more gradual and modest increase in the state’s minimum wage, to $9.50 an hour. While the PA Chamber has historically opposed minimum wage increases, the organization believes this legislation had merit and was the only viable option for stopping the overtime proposal, the economic impact of which could be even worse for the employer community.
On Friday, Jan. 31, the state’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission voted to move forward with the overtime proposal; after which PA Chamber President Gene Barr issued a statement expressing the organization’s disappointment with approval of a policy that so many employers statewide had voiced multiple concerns with.
“In 2018, during the initial phase of the review process, hundreds of opposition comments were submitted from a wide range of stakeholders – including nonprofits, higher education, local governments, small businesses among many others,” Barr said. “Many of these concerns were echoed by IRRC, which directed the Department to re-engage with stakeholders and submit a revised proposal for consideration.
“Unfortunately, the proposal approved today is only minimally different from the Department’s initial proposal and largely disregards the concerns raised by stakeholders. We urge the General Assembly to consider the true impact of this proposal and for each legislative chamber to issue disapproval resolutions rejecting the change.”
From the PA Chamber of Business & Industry
In May 2016, the Pennsylvania Chamber Educational Foundation teamed up with the mikeroweWORKS Foundation to increase public awareness around the growing demand for workers in the skilled trades, and to help award scholarships specifically to Pennsylvania students through the Work Ethic Scholarship Program.
In the past three years, thanks to generous donations from the Pennsylvania business community, the PA Chamber Educational Foundation has helped provide nearly $195,000 in work ethic scholarships for approximately 94 Pennsylvania students who are entering into the skilled trades in the Commonwealth. And now the 2020 Scholarship is open and available for students who are pursuing an education in the skilled trades to apply.
The PA Chamber hopes to have a record year in scholarships given to PA students interested in learning a skilled trade. You can learn more about the partnership here.
From the PA Chamber of Business & Industry
Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Chamber Educational Foundation is proud to launch “Your Career Starts HERE” – an online career calculator aimed at helping Pennsylvania students make informed post-secondary education decisions. As the next phase of the PA Chamber’s wide-ranging workforce initiative aimed at addressing the jobs skills gap, Start the Conversation HERE, the calculator pulls key Pennsylvania specific information – including starting salary, educational costs and potential loan payments upon graduation. This new website tool is designed to help Pennsylvania students determine the most productive career path.
“For many people, post-secondary education is the first substantive investment they make as an adult,” said PA Chamber President and CEO Gene Barr. “Unfortunately, we’re finding that many students are graduating with degrees that don’t match up with the in-demand careers that are currently available in the state. This disconnect results in people without jobs, but also jobs without the people to fill them. We’re excited to launch this innovative, user-friendly tool to help Pennsylvanians make educated decisions regarding the realistic costs and return on investment of their educational choices post-graduation. This is the next step in our initiative to ensure Pennsylvania’s workforce is trained and prepared to meet the needs of the Commonwealth’s evolving jobs market.”
The career calculator is an interactive tool that allows users to input key information to calculate the ROI on their educational investment and selected career field. Based on data pulled from the state and federal government, users can determine the job prospects in a particular field, the average starting salary, the training or educational requirements; as well as the educational costs and potential loan payments upon graduation. Users can also compare the costs of obtaining the degree/training for a specific career at different schools across the Commonwealth.
“The initial career and educational choices a person makes can either set them on a path toward long-term debt or career readiness,” said PA Chamber Workforce Development Executive Allen Norton. “There’s a large segment of the population that is not unemployed, but rather underemployed – meaning that they are working in a career that they didn’t need the degree they went to school for. We’re hoping to stop that cycle and also stop the state’s population decline by showing all the career and educational opportunities that exist in Pennsylvania.”
More information on the PA Chamber’s far-reaching workforce initiative is available online.