The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce this year’s SCHOOL COUNTS Scholarship and Master’s Certificate Winners from the graduating classes of each of the eight high schools in Columbia and Montour Counties. Scholarship winners were awarded $100 and were randomly selected from seniors who successfully met the soft skills goals of the program. Additionally, students who successfully met the program goals each year of high schools were awarded a Master’s Certificate. 

Criteria for earning a School Counts! Certificate:

• Self Starter: Students must enroll at lunch or with a school counselor
• Work Ethic: Obtain a “C” or better in every class
• Dependability: Achieve at least a 95% attendance & punctuality rate (For a 180 day school year, that means no more than 9 absences and 5 tardies)
• Self Discipline and Positive Attitude: Demonstrate positive behavior with no out of school suspensions

If your company or organization employees or works with these students, you can have confidence in their mastery of these important soft skills.  In fact, they have the credentials to prove it!  If your organization would like to get involved with SCHOOL COUNTS, or any of The Foundation’s student workforce programs, please contact Jeff Emanuel, Director, at 570-784-2522 or email.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients:

Benton

• Matthew Farver (Scholarship)

Berwick

• Mariah Frankford (Scholarship)

Bloomsburg

• Rolin Bachert (Master)
• Iris Barrett (Master)
• Evan Long (Scholarship and Master’s Certificate)
• Chad Lyman (Master)

Central Columbia

• Jacob Berkey (Master)
• Elizabeth Deroba (Master)
• Sarah Esslinger (Master)
• Addison Gemberling (Master)
• Brendan Gregory (Scholarship & Master)
• Kaylee Hine (Master)
• Kaylen Martin (Master)
• Gracen Mott (Master)
• Justin Mungo (Master)
• Lauren Spicher (Master)
• Jadyn Uholik (Master)      
• Owen Yorty (Master)
• Emily Zimmerman (Master)

Columbia Montour Area Vo-Tech

• Bryce Bardo (Master)
• Hunter Baxter (Master)
• Haylea Bingaman (Master)
• Nicholas Campbell (Master)
• Natasha Farr (Scholarship & Master)
• Alexus Fetterman (Master)
• Haley Hendricks (Master)
• Branson Kester (Master)
• Maverick Kramer (Master)
• Aunide Lindner (Master)
• Dontay Payton (Master)
• Grace Six (Master)

Danville

• Kimberly Weller (Scholarship)

Millville

• Megan Boyles (Scholarship)

Southern Columbia

• Edward “Russell” Gleeson (Scholarship)

A large crowd of interested business leaders received an in-depth presentation on Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law at a breakfast seminar held on June 27 at the Greenly Center, sponsored by WorkPlace Health, and co-organized by the Chamber and PA CareerLink Columbia/Montour Counties. The event featured breakfast from T.K. Witch and coffee from Bason Coffee.

Attorney John Kutner, who handles employment law and workers’ compensation matters at Weber Gallagher, a law firm based in Philadelphia, gave a 75-minute presentation that covered the basics of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law, which was passed in 2016 and implemented beginning in 2017, explored federal policy on the matter and areas where the two conflict, and also reviewed case law from other states that have legalized medical and/or recreational marijuana.

Since there have yet to be many major cases in Pennsylvania related to employment matters and medical marijuana, there still remains a large unknown with the law’s implementation being just two years old. Still, based on court rulings in other states that have similar laws, there were still lessons to be learned and advice to be taken for business leaders when crafting and adjusting workplace policies.

The entire presentation (approx. 75 minutes) can be viewed below, or by visiting the Chamber’s YouTube channel.

From PA Chamber of Business & Industry

Last session, the PA Chamber joined a bipartisan mix of business and labor groups; criminal justice reform advocates and lawmakers in the enactment of “Clean Slate” legislation.  This first-of-its-kind in the nation initiative allowed individuals with low-level, non-violent criminal offenses to have their records sealed from public view; giving them a better chance at securing a better paying job and housing, allowing them to become productive members of society and lowering their chances of heading back to jail. 

Our organization embraced this issue as one part of a broad strategy in closing Pennsylvania’s jobs skills gap; and one that also included protections the PA Chamber sought for employers from civil liability under certain circumstances.  Since “Clean Slate” became law, we have also stood alongside elected officials from both sides of the aisle in favor of additional “win-win” reforms that will facilitate employment among reentrants, while also helping employers find qualified job applicants.

This session, we’re working to implement reforms that will bring uniformity to occupational licensure boards’ decisions on whether to deny an occupational license based on a criminal record, including providing that a license may only be denied if the record is directly related to the occupation.  There are a number of careers that require such licenses – everything from auctioneers to barbers – and while training programs toward these jobs currently exist in corrections facilities, the individual is at the mercy of the board to determine whether they can pursue such a path upon their release.  Additionally, the PA Chamber is supporting bills this session that would make a number of reforms to the state’s probation and parole systems, making it easier for those who get out of jail to stay out – including providing for early termination of parole if the person completes certain educational or job training programs.

The PA Chamber wants Pennsylvania to have a world class workforce that’s equipped to compete with other states and nations in the 21^st century global economy.  Through our Educational Foundation, we are continuing to grow our robust workforce development initiative, Start the Conversation Here, that is educating students and their families, educators and employers about the skills and training necessary to enter into in-demand jobs; and we’re in the third year of awarding Work Ethic Scholarship dollars to students with a passion for pursuing a career in the skilled trades through our ongoing efforts with the mikeroweWORKS Foundation. 

However, closing the jobs skills gap will require a multi-tiered approach that engages the private and public sector and includes legislation like the criminal justice reforms we’re endorsing this session.  By working together, we can help to ensure that the next generation of Pennsylvania workers has the skill set, work ethic and opportunities that will make our state’s economy stand out among the world’s best.

• The Children’s Museum will host Families with Special Needs Night this Friday, June 28, from 6-8 p.m. at the museum located at 2 West 7th St., Bloomsburg. This evening is specially for families with special needs individuals and features a reduced number of visitors, space and freedom to explore at your own pace, adapted exhibits, a quiet area, fun craft and sensory activities and an opportunity to network with other families. This quarterly event is free to all families with special needs members. 

• Elmcroft Senior Living will hold an Open House this Saturday, June 29 from 1-3 p.m. at its location at 2050 West Front St., Berwick. Attendees can meet Elmcroft’s welcoming staff, tour its model apartments and learn more about this senior living community. There is no cost to attend. RSVP by calling 570-759-3155, and see the event invitation for more information. 

• Geisinger last week announced the appointment of Jaewon Ryu, M.D., J.D., as president and chief executive officer. Dr. Ryu, who has served as interim president and CEO since November 2018 and executive vice president and chief medical officer since September 2016, becomes the seventh chief executive officer in Geisinger’s 104-year history. Prior to joining Geisinger, Dr. Ryu served as President of Integrated Care Delivery for Humana in Louisville, Kentucky, where he was responsible for Humana’s owned and joint ventured care delivery practices, as well as Transcend, a management services organization assisting affiliated practices to adopt population health under value-based reimbursement. Before this, he served as the chief medical officer at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System in Chicago. He has held various leadership roles at Kaiser-Permanente, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and as a White House Fellow at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is an emergency medicine physician with a license to practice in Pennsylvania and California, and serves as a diplomate on the American Board of Emergency Medicine. More about Dr. Ryu can be found here.

• The Berwick Health and Wellness Fund (BHWF) recently presented the 2019 recipient of the Innovation & Collaboration Grant, a vehicle to enable continued growth and strengthening of the BHWF service area on a broad scale.
  

  (L-R): Holly Morrison, D.Ed., CSCF president and CEO; Laura Knorr, Berwick Theater and Center for Community Arts executive director; Christine Orlando, CSCF senior program officer.

  Through this opportunity, BHWF provides one grant of $50,000 to fund a new project that provides an opportunity to transform an aspect of community health and wellness. This grant award supports implementation of emerging ideas, initiatives and/or new collaborations that can substantially impact or provide measurable progress toward solving a significant challenge related to health and wellness in our community. This year’s grant award was presented to the Berwick Theater and Center for Community Arts (BTCCA) during the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation’s Berwick Area luncheon on May 31, 2019. The Berwick Health and Wellness Fund is the original and largest fund of the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation. Its purpose is to improve the health and welfare of residents and communities of eastern Columbia and western Luzerne Counties. 

• Ken Pollock Enterprises is thrilled to welcome Gary Peters as Executive Vice President of the Automotive Sector where he will oversee all Ken Pollock Auto Group operations. Mr. Peters has been a member of the Pollock family since 2005, where he has advanced progressively through various managerial positions including his success as the General Manager of Ken Pollock Nissan, Wilkes-Barre. In 2009, Ken Pollock Nissan was one of two dealers to receive the prestigious Nissan Sales and Service Way Award and is consistently an acclaimed Award of Excellence and top performing store in the Nissan Region. As a King’s College alumni holding degrees in both Business and Architecture with over twenty years of automotive experience, Gary has played a key role in the expansion of Ken Pollock Auto Group and will be critical for its future development and growth.

• The Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit will host a Business & Education Summit on Wednesday, July 10, from 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Milton Area High School, 700 Mahoning St., Milton. This event will feature a presentation with Mark C. Perna on groundbreaking strategies that are changing the education and workforce development paradigm nationwide and more. There is no cost to attend. For more information, see the flyer, and register online. 

• The Bucknell University Small Business Development Center will hold its annual Celebration of Small Business breakfast on Friday, July 26 at 8 a.m. This annual event celebrates entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial leaders and also features awards. There is no cost to attend. Register online or call 570-577-1249. 

• The Regional Impact Fund of the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation recently announced its second competitive grantround of $50K for projects that address current areas of unmet needs throughout the CSCF’s service area, which includes Columbia and Montour Counties. This year’s grantround will consist of an exciting new application process and opportunity for the public to get involved. Interested nonprofits will first submit a Letter of Inquiry introducing their organization, needs, service area, and budgetary request. Those proposals selected by the CSCF Grants Committee will then be invited to submit a full application and participate in The Nonprofit Narrative on Monday, July 29, at 8:30 a.m. at the Danville Area High School auditorium. The Nonprofit Narrative is a platform for these groups to share their grant requests and stories of regional impact—the joys, challenges, dreams and requests each face as they serve our neighbors, communities, and region at large. For more information on the Regional Impact Fund, competitive grantround or The Nonprofit Narrative, visit csgiving.org/rif. 

• The Bucknell University Small Business Development Center invites interested business in need of website development to connect with Bucknell students in the “Markets, Innovation, and Design 300” class in the Freeman College of Management. Each semester, these students make websites free of charge for local small businesses. These projects provide a hands-on learning experience for the students while bringing new ideas to these organizations. In early September, the students will be introduced to this assignment and divided into teams. Then the teams will have the liberty to choose with which businesses and organizations they would like to work. By early October, each student team will meet with their client to learn about the specific needs and goals of the organization and the purpose that the site should serve. Over the course of the semester, the students will then design and build the website with an online website software program, incorporating text and photographs provided by the organization. If your business or organization is in need of a website, or if it would benefit from a redesigned site, then please fill out this online form by Aug. 15 to ensure your organization is considered. Additional information is available on this form. 

The Walmart Bloomsburg Supercenter debuted its new online grocery shopping service with free curbside pickup on Tuesday, June 25, and the Chamber stopped by to participate in a ribbon cutting to commemorate and celebrate the occasion. Several Walmart team members gathered for a brief recognition of the individuals who helped the team prepare for the rollout of this service, followed by the ribbon cutting and then the first customer pickup.

There are coupons available in the Chamber office for a discount on this service. Stop by anytime during regular business hours to pick up one.

More than 400 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and our region. Increased membership allows us to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities. The Chamber welcomes its newest member, Service All Company, to help us fulfill our mission.

Service All is a property maintenance and management company that provides a variety of property maintenance, cleaning and general care services for its clients, both commercial and residential. Its services include landscaping, grass mowing, cleaning, floor care, emergency response, post construction cleanup, plumbing, electrical and painting, and much more. Located at 19200 Cub Circle, Bloomsburg, Service All can be reached at 570-854-3053, by email, or visit its Facebook page or website.

The three state legislators representing Columbia and Montour Counties gave Chamber members an update on what is going on in Harrisburg with respect to both the state budget for 2019-20 as well as other proposed legislation of significance to the business community at the Chamber’s annual state legislative breakfast on June 13, held at the Pine Barn Inn.

Representatives David Millard and Kurt Masser, as well as Senator John Gordner all relayed optimism that the state budget would be done on time and delivered to Governor Tom Wolf’s desk by the constitutionally-mandated deadline of June 30. With an expected surplus in this year’s budget of nearly $800 million, negotiations have gone smoothly and both the state House, Senate and Governor’s office have all sounded positive tones about the process, and none anticipate the extended budget disagreements that were featured in Gov. Wolf’s first three years in office. Both sides would like to use some of that surplus to make a contribution to the state’s rainy day fund. Some of it will be used to help cover cost overruns in the current fiscal year, for which the governor has already made a supplemental request (Update: On June 24, an agreement was reached between the legislature and the governor on the framework for a $33.9 billion budget, coming in just shy of the governor’s original $34.1 million request).

The legislators along with PA Chamber of Business & Industry representative Alex Halper, also discussed the governor’s Restore PA proposal, which would impose a severance tax on the natural gas industry to fund various infrastructure, blight, environmental cleanup and other community projects around the Commonwealth. Although all can agree that many of these projects are necessary, particularly as it relates to flood protection in this local area, there is general consensus among the Republican majorities in both the Senate and House that a severance tax is not the best way to approach this issue (read more about the PA Chamber’s stance against a severance tax). Sen. Gordner noted that gas companies already pay an impact fee, which is essentially a tax and is unique to Pennsylvania, as well as a corporate income tax rate of nearly 10%, which is one of the highest in the country. Other states that have severance taxes, such as Texas, don’t have an impact fee and have no state income tax. So, gas companies are already paying an effective tax rate that is more than double what they would pay in a state such as Texas. The delegation expect this to be an issue that will continue to be negotiated into 2019-20 and will not be a part of the budget deal.

Minimum wage was also discussed, and although the legislature has indicated it may be open to a modest increase to somewhere in the $8-9/hour range in order to be more in line with surrounding states, the governor’s proposal of raising it to $12 this year with incremental raises in future years until it gets to $15 does not appear to have support in either legislative body. If such a deal is made in the future, there will likely be some exemptions put into place such as for restaurant and food service workers and others that rely on tips for their income. There was also talk of consideration for some type of student exemption for those working their first jobs while still in school. There likely will be ongoing discussions through the coming fiscal year about this issue (Update: the tentative deal announced on June 24 does not include a minimum wage increase).

The program concluded with a presentation from Keith Welks of the PA Treasury Department, who spoke about a new automatic IRA (Individual Retirement Account) program that would help millions of Pennsylvanians that don’t have access to workplace retirement account save for retirement. This proposal came out of a Retirement Security Task Force that met recently, and this proposal is now being circulated through the state legislature. The program, if passed, would be modeled similarly to the PA 529 College Savings Program, and would allow private employers not currently offering a retirement savings vehicle for employees, the opportunity to provide access to portable retirement savings options at no cost to the employer. More information on this program can be found on the PA Treasury’s website.

The Chamber was on hand on Thursday, June 20, to help McKinnon Financial Groupcut the ribbon at its new Berwick office location at 118B East Third Street. McKinnon Financial, an affiliate of Ameriprise Financial Services, provides financial advisory service to its clients. This is the second location for McKinnon Financial, which also operates an office in Nanticoke. 

From ChamberChoice

As you plan for summer picnics, hiking, camping and other outdoor activities, be prepared to encounter bugs. Here are some tips on how to recognize, treat and avoid common bug bites and stings.

Identifying Bites and Stings
Knowing what certain bugs’ bites and stings look like can help you treat them more effectively.

• Bees and wasps—The site of a bee or wasp sting will be red, swollen, and possibly painful or itchy. Wasps sting multiple times, while bees sting only once, leaving their stingers behind. If you are stung by a bee, remove the stinger carefully with a scraping motion to avoid injecting further venom, then disinfect the area. To reduce swelling, apply ice. Acetaminophen can be used to reduce the pain.

• Ants—Ant stings produce itchy lumps, followed by blisters within a few hours. Disinfect the area, and to avoid a bacterial infection, do not break the blister. Oral antihistamines or cortisone creams will reduce itching.

• Mosquitoes—Mosquito bites cause red, itchy bumps. To relieve the itching, apply calamine lotion. For severe swelling, take an oral antihistamine.

• Ticks—Ticks are often embedded in the skin. If a tick is no longer present, the area around the bite may be red. After spending time in wooded areas, thoroughly check yourself for ticks. To remove a tick, place tweezers at its head where it is attached to the skin and gently pull. Disinfect the area. In some regions, ticks may transmit Lyme disease. It is also important to check your pets for ticks after they have been outside. Save the tick in a jar for several weeks so that you can bring it to the doctor or vet if you or your pet become ill.

Seeking Medical Attention
If you exhibit any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• Swelling larger than two inches in diameter around the bite site
• Swelling of the face, tongue or throat
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain or heart palpitations
• Joint pain
• Muscle stiffness or spasms
• Rash or hives
• Fever, nausea or vomiting
• Severe headaches

Preventing Bites and Stings
The following tactics can be used to avoid bites and stings:

• Limit exposure to high-risk environments such as marshes, stagnant water and heavily wooded areas.
• Avoid outdoor activity during peak mosquito times (dawn, dusk or after a heavy rain).
• Wear light-colored protective clothing such as long pants, long-sleeve shirts, socks and shoes.
• Use caution when drinking from open beverage containers, and keep food covered to avoid ant, bee and wasp stings.
• Keep window screens in good repair.
• Use insect repellent. Be sure to follow directions carefully, especially for use on children.

From PA Chamber of Business & Industry

In a nearly unanimous vote last week, the state House passed a measure (H.B. 3) to create an authority that would operate a state-based health insurance exchange for individual market plans under the Affordable Care Act.

The legislation advanced with broad bipartisan support in light of President Trump’s Executive Order that provides greater flexibility and cooperation with states in implementing their own healthcare programs.  Since the EO was signed, the Center for Medicaid Services has issued new guidance for states seeking more flexibility through waivers – a move that has allowed for greater innovation in seeking solutions to reduce healthcare premium costs.  The PA Chamber supports H.B. 3 to help bring stability and lower costs in Pennsylvania’s health care sector.

Before the bill passed in a 198-1 vote, the PA Chamber sent a memo to the House expressing support and thanking elected officials for reaching consensus on this important issue. “The creation of a state based exchange coupled with a reinsurance program that is properly managed and remains solvent can benefit many individuals,” the memo stated. “We commend the Administration and legislative leadership for their commitment and swift legislative action.”

The bill now awaits consideration by the state Senate.