The Columbia Montour Chamber’s board of directors recently approved the addition of a new Chamber membership category for individuals. This individual membership category will cost $130 for a year (half of the base rate of $260 for a business or other organization) and has the following restrictions:
– Elected officials, business owners or employees of businesses or other organizations are not eligible – those businesses, organizations, or municipalities must join instead at the base rate of $260 at a minimum
– This membership level will give those in it access to all Chamber events at member pricing (for those events that have a registration fee)
– They will not be listed in the Chamber Directory and are also not eligible to serve on the board
This new membership category will apply mainly to retirees that are looking to stay involved in the local community and with the Chamber, students and political candidates.
For any questions about membership and if this new category may apply to you, please contact Matt Beltz at 570-784-2522 or email.
Member News
- Community Options, Inc., one of the Chamber’s newest members and a provider of residential and employment support to people with disabilities, will host a lunch event at its office at 1117 Old Berwick Rd., Bloomsburg, tomorrow, May 31, at 12 p.m. for individuals interested in possibly serving on a new business advisory committee for Community Options’ Bloomsburg office. There is no cost to attend, and anyone is welcome. The committee’s main objective will be to promote the integration of persons with disabilities within the communities in which they reside, enabling them to become viable and contributing neighbors, employees and citizens of the community. No RSVP is required for this lunch, and anyone interested may just show up. For questions, contact associate executive director David McConaghy at 570-638-6007 or email.
- The high school student council at Central Columbia High School will host a spring carnival in the CCHS parking lot this Saturday, June 2, from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. There will be food vendors, a bounce house, car show, crafters, games, a rock wall provided by the National Guard, other independent vendors, live music and much more. All proceeds generated from this event will be donated to the Think Big Foundation, a local nonprofit founded by a Geisinger physician in 2014 that supports Geisinger pediatric cancer patients and their families.
- Art of Floating will hold a open house and day of celebration for its fifth anniversary on Saturday, June 9, from 12-4 p.m. There will be live music, food and beverages, special offers, additional vendors, children’s activities and more. Art of Floating will also be collecting donations for the Ronald McDonald House of Danville, and anyone that makes a donation will receive a 15% off coupon at Art of Floating. Visit the event page to see a full list of items that RMHD needs, as well as additional information about the vendors that will be attending, including fellow Chamber members Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble and Marley’s Brewery & Grille.
- The Bloomsburg Area YMCA will hold its 11th annual community yard sale on Saturday, June 9, from 6:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. to support youth development, healthy living and social responsibility in the community through programs at the Y. If you have stuff taking up space around your home that could become someone else’s treasure, look for the Steve Shannon truck in the Y parking lot to drop off your items and support a good cause. The Y will be accepting household items, bedding, games, toys, collectibles, small appliances in working condition, furniture, clean clothing, shoes and boots, dishes, holiday decorations, and more, but no TVs, printers, or computers. Any individuals or groups looking to volunteer for the yard sale or donate food for the bake sale can call the Y at 570-784-0188 or visit the front desk of the Y.
When the journey began, there were 21 strangers wondering what to expect. On May 17, 2018, this group of colleagues and friends gathered for last time as the Leadership Central Penn Class of 2018. The Pine Barn Inn was the location of the festivities of the final class day and graduation. The morning began much like the rest, greetings and a light breakfast. But soon, there were four presentations on the community impact a group of strangers can have, when motivated by a single goal of service. The four Leadership teams tackled projects for five worthy community organizations and made a real impact on those these nonprofits serve.
The community projects included backpack stuffing at AGAPE, organization of the donation warehouse, and hospital bed assembly at the Hope Center (Nescopeck), cleaning of the camp and stocking the med shed at Camp Victory, exterior clean up and maintenance at the Teen Center (Berwick), and painting, new light fixtures, bedding and all the comforts needed at The Women’s Center. Hundreds of lives were impacted by these efforts, including those of the LCP class. These projects inspired the class members so much that they went above and beyond the requirements of the class. Some got corporate sponsors and partners to assist, others organized teams of additional volunteers, and more went back for additional hours of community service, joined local nonprofits’ boards and kept giving.
After an emotional morning it was time for lunch with the graduates’ guests. The keynote speaker was Ed Edwards, former president and CEO of the Columbia Montour Chamber, and one of the founders of the LCP Program. Edwards spoke about his experiences with LCP and what it means to be a leader in today’s community. He also shared that community leadership does not need to be done in grand gestures, but large impact can be made by small efforts that inspire others to act, which is what LCP works to instill in its graduates.
Following Edwards’ keynote, the 2018 class nominated speaker, Eric McCabe, assistant to the athletic director at Bloomsburg University, gave a witty and thoughtful speech about his experiences with LCP. He shared insights from his classmates and stated, “each class taught us something new, gave us something different to take away. I must admit I was a skeptic before I participated in this program, but I now know I am much better for it. Leadership Central Penn has made more knowledge on topics that don’t just affect my place of business but affect our local communities as a whole. This program has made me more confident to communicate and work with what was a once a group of strangers.”
Following McCabe’s speech, Jeff Emanuel, Chamber Foundation director, and Fred Gaffney, Chamber president, presented the LCP certificates of completion to the class of 2018, which are:
Matt Beltz
Columbia Montour Chamber
Tamara Collae
PPL Electric Utilities
Stephanie Gryboski
Geisinger
Vanessa Hales
Geisinger
Sharon Haverlak
SEKISUI SPI
Brandi Hoffman
Service 1st Federal Credit Union
Jordan Ikeler
First Keystone Community Bank
Amanda Jarski
First Keystone Community Bank
Michael Maylath
Autoneum North America, Inc.
Eric McCabe
Bloomsburg University
Scott Near
Kawneer
Jalon Orzolek
Kawneer
Brandon Stauffer
Autoneum North America, Inc.
Teresa Peters
For the Cause
Brian Rakauskas
Girton Manufacturing
Adam Robinson
Geisinger
Candy Ryan
Bloomsburg University
Carol Walters
Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital
Rhonda Wieners
The Hope Center
McKayla Zimmerman
First Columbia Bank & Trust
Congratulations to the Leadership Central Penn Class of 2018. A special thank you goes out to 2017-18 program sponsors: SEKISUI SPI, Kawneer, USG and Bloomsburg University. Thanks to the nonprofits scholarship sponsor Central Susquehanna Community Foundation for sponsoring Teresa Peters and Rhonda Wieners’ participation in the program. Finally, a special thank you to Welch Performance Consulting for sponsoring breakfast and assisting Emanuel in his first year as the director of the LCP program.
This is the fourth and final post recognizing all of the valuable contributors that once again made the 2018 Chamber golf tournament a success in 2018. It is the continued support of these businesses and individuals that helps the Chamber fulfill its mission of offering programs and benefits to its members, giving its members a stronger voice in advocacy and being involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities.
Thanks to all of the individuals and teams that played in the golf outing. They represented the following organizations:
3B Cleaning & Floorcare
Atlantic Broadband
Barry Isett & Associates
Cintas
First Columbia Bank & Trust
First Keystone Community Bank
Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital
Hutchison Insurance
Kawneer
Law Offices of Lutz & Petty
M&T Bank
North Branch Group/Thrivent Financial
Pine Barn Inn
Safelite Auto Glass
SEKISUI SPI
Service 1st Federal Credit Union
Service Electric Cablevision
Stackhouse & Son Well Drilling
Towne Camera
USG
Wagner’s Trophies & Engraveables
Williams
Zartman Construction
Zimmer Insurance
This is the third in a series of posts recognizing all of the valuable contributors that once again made the Chamber golf tournament a success in 2018. It is the continued support of these businesses and individuals that helps the Chamber fulfill its mission of offering programs and benefits to its members, giving its members a stronger voice in advocacy and being involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities.
Thanks to all of the organizations that donated prizes for this year’s golf tournament. These businesses provided goods and/or services for the winning teams and individuals and for the door prize raffle. The golf tournament would not be successful without the generous donations from these businesses.
Art of Floating
Atlantic Broadband
Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble
Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital
GordnerCoombs Insurance
The Inn, Farmhouse & Brewery at Turkey Hill
Ken Pollock Ford Lincoln
M&T Bank
McBride Memorial Library
Mill Race Golf & Camping Resort
Penn State World Campus
Quaker Steak & Lube
Rita’s Ice (Bloomsburg)
Rock God Brewing
Williamsport Crosscutters
This is the second in a series of posts recognizing all of the valuable contributors that once again helped make the annual Chamber golf tournament a success in 2018. It is the continued support of these businesses and individuals that helps the Chamber fulfill its mission of offering programs and benefits to its members, giving its members a stronger voice in advocacy and being involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities.
Thanks to the 20 hole sponsors of this year’s golf tournament.
3B Cleaning & Floorcare
Berwick Elks 1138
Bloomsburg Carpet
Bodnar Sales & Service
Central Susquehanna Community Foundation
Commonwealth Health – Berwick Hospital Center
Dan Meuser
Danville Child Development Center
First Keystone Community Bank
GordnerCoombs Insurance
Ken Pollock Ford Lincoln
North Branch Group/Thrivent Financial
North Shore Railroad
PenTeleData
Pine Barn Inn
Press Enterprise
Service 1st Federal Credit Union
Steph’s Subs
Walker’s Jewelers
Zimmer Insurance
This is the first in a series of posts recognizing all of the valuable contributors that helped make the 2018 annual Chamber golf tournament a success once again. It is the continued support of these organizations and individuals that helps the Chamber fulfill its mission of offering programs and benefits to its members, giving its members a stronger voice in advocacy and being involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities.
Thanks to the major sponsors of this year’s golf tournament:
Event Sponsor
Williams
Dinner Sponsor
Atlantic Broadband
Beverage Sponsors
3B Cleaning & Floorcare
Snack Sponsors
Central Susquehanna Community Foundation
Hole-In-One Sponsor
Alexander Family Buick GMC Truck
From PPL Electric Utilities
Once in a blue moon, things that sound too good to be true actually are true.
Like this: You may be able to pay less for electricity, in return for a few minutes of your time and attention. There’s no trick involved and no sacrifice: You don’t have to go without A/C in the summer or heat in the winter to save.
What’s the not-so-secret tip? Shop for your electricity supply.
You can buy the electricity for your home or business from a number of state-licensed suppliers, who offer a variety of prices and terms. This could save you money.
Or, if you take no action, PPL Electric Utilities will buy power for you and pass it along at no markup. We do our best to get a good price for you, but many suppliers sell power more cheaply. No matter which option you choose, PPL will bring the electricity to you safely and reliably over our delivery network.
All you really need to do to shop is visit PAPowerSwitch.com, a website operated by the state Public Utility Commission. The site lists PPL’s current price to compare, along with all the other current offers from state-licensed suppliers serving your area (If you don’t have a computer, you can call the PUC, which will send you a printout of the list).
Additionally, Columbia Montour Chamber members can utilize one of the Chamber’s affinity programs through ChamberChoice, which works with OnDemand Energy Solutions, the largest energy broker in Pennsylvania, to get the cheapest electricity generation rates for its customers. If you don’t have time to shop yourself, OnDemand has energy brokers that can shop for you with your permission and without any obligation to buy. OnDemand also recently enhanced its already numerous offerings for commercial customers through its acquisition by Kinect Energy back in January. Members of the Chamber staff can help facilitate this process for individual members, or interested members can contact energy consultant Cheryl Hefft at 717-575-4807 or email, and reference the Columbia Montour Chamber.
You’ll need to take the time to carefully look at the offers from other suppliers. How long is the offer good for? Is the rate fixed, or is it variable – which means that it can change over the term of the contract? Is there a cancellation fee if you decide to end the contract before its term runs out?
If you find an offer that’s lower than PPL’s price to compare, and the terms of the offer suit you, you can start the process of switching suppliers right then and there. And that’s how you pay less for electricity.
At PPL Electric Utilities, we encourage customers to shop for their electricity supply. It can save you money. And shopping doesn’t hurt PPL financially, since the company doesn’t make any profit from the supply part of customers’ bills. In fact, many of our employees shop for their power. We’ll still be there to deliver the electricity, whenever you use it.
We also encourage you to consult PAPowerSwitch.com and know all your options before signing any electricity supply contract. If you’re contacted by a door-to-door solicitor, don’t be pressured into rushing into an agreement. Another company might have a better offer.
Finally, if you switched suppliers two or three years ago but haven’t looked at the market since, we encourage you to take a fresh look. There may be better deals available than the terms you are currently paying. For any and all questions about shopping, you can also visit our website at pplelectric.com/shopping.
About 45 percent of our customers shop for their electricity supply. As the season of air conditioning, pool pumps and high temperatures approaches, it’s worth giving some thought to joining them.
The Columbia Montour Chamber is pleased to announce a new partnership with one of its newest members, the Penn State World Campus, which will allow employees at all Chamber members, their spouses and legal dependents to receive a 5% off tuition through the Penn State World Campus, the online delivery unit of Penn State.
PSU World Campus works with PSU’s academic units and colleges to deliver more than 150 undergraduate and graduate degree and certification programs to online learners around the world. The PSU World Campus specializes in serving adult learners, corporate partners and the military, and offers services exclusively for active service members and veterans. PSU World also offers several convenient payment options designed to take into account the varying financial situations of those interested in taking classes online, whether individuals or corporate entities on behalf of employees.
“Of all of the issues that can challenge a business or organization, workforce development is the top issue that our members tell us about, no matter the size or type of organization,” said Columbia Montour Chamber president Fred Gaffney. “We are excited to add this additional option and benefit for those individuals or their employers that want and are able to invest in furthering their education, whether it’s for helping an employee gain some new knowledge to help them advance within their organization or helping out a son or daughter get some additional credits towards their degree, to everything in between.”
The Penn State World Campus joins Bloomsburg University, Luzerne County Community College and Penn College as members in the universities category. All of these institutions offer various educational and professional development programs for working professionals looking to further their careers. Visit the PSU World Campus partnership page for additional information about this new benefit for Chamber members.