More than 500 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, Just a Drop Essential Oil, to help us fulfill our mission.
Just a Drop is the business name for the local independent wellness advocate, Bloomsburg native Diana Leighow, that is affiliated with dōTERRA, a company founded in 2008 that produces and distributes, either directly or through its more than three million wellness advocates, Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG) essential oils. CPTG essential oils are naturally occurring compounds found in seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers and other parts of plants. Diana can be reached through email or phone at 570-849-0019. Also, check out Just a Drop’s Facebook page.
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry is urging employers to contact House members in their area early this week to urge support for H.B. 18, important legislation related to prescription drug and opioid overuse and abuse among injured workers in Pennsylvania, which the House is scheduled to consider Tuesday, June 20.
House Bill 18 would implement a prescription drug formulary – which are standard in hospitals, regular healthcare, Medicare and other public insurance programs – to help ensure appropriate patient care and address over-use of prescription drugs. The bill is necessary because Pennsylvania is facing a prescription drug and opioid abuse epidemic, and seems to struggle particularly with respect to injured workers. As we reported last week in Sentinel, in a recent study of opioid prescriptions among injured workers in 25 states, Pennsylvania ranked third, with opioid use in the Commonwealth measuring 78 percent higher than the median study state. The flexible approach offered through H.B. 18 facilitates more efficient care for typical patients, allows exceptions for unique cases and addresses the outlier cases of over-prescribing.
Prior to a vote by the House Labor and Industry Committee last week, the PA Chamber and a coalition of business, medical, construction, energy and local government groups sent a memo to the committee urging support for the measure because it will help injured workers in Pennsylvania avoid problems too often associated with prescription drug use and get healthy and back to full function and employment as soon as possible.
Following a $20 million cut to child care line items in the 2016-17 state budget, the spending plan passed earlier this spring in the House would reduce funding another $28 million. The proposed cuts would dramatically increase the waiting list for services and force families to make tough decisions on child care and possibly staying at home to take care of children. As proper child care and early childhood development have been shown to provide a solid foundation for developing social skills and life-long learning, the Chamber is asking Senate and House members to not only sustain, but consider increasing funding for child care.
Funding for child care is important for many reasons, including:
- The proposed cuts to the Child Care Services and Child Care Assistance appropriations would eliminate services for more than 10,000 children and increase the waiting list for these services to 19,000 – the highest level in the state’s history.
- This funding supports child care subsidies for low-income working families, which allow parents to work while their children are in safe and stable child care. These cuts include:
- a $10 million reduction that would negate the proposed expanded enrollment of 1,800 children on the child care waiting list;
- the further reduction of $40.2 million in state funds that would mean the elimination of 6,885 children from the current program; and
- a $12.7 million cut to the Child Care Assistance line item that provides for child care subsidies for families receiving TANF and SNAP and will potentially impact 2,018 low-income children receiving subsidies through this line item.
The Governor’s budget proposal includes a $35 million increase for child care to begin to reverse this trend. Budget negotiations continue through June and both House and Senate leaders have said they will have a budget to the Governor by June 30.
On Tuesday, June 13, Chamber President Fred Gaffney issued comments in support of the Atlantic Sunrise Gas Pipeline Project at a hearing of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The hearing, held at the Bloomsburg High School, was specific to permits related to water obstruction and encroachment and erosion and sediment control. Pending approval of the permits, the project is expected to begin construction later this summer.
The Atlantic Sunrise Project, coordinated by Williams, will expand the Transco gas pipeline system with a new pipe approximately 185 miles long connecting the existing pipeline just north of Columbia County to southeast Pennsylvania. The project will allow more efficient transmission of Pennsylvania’s Marcellus natural gas. Construction will be divided into seven sections, and is expected to take one year. The economic impact for just Columbia County is estimated at $85.5 million.
The Chamber’s research indicates that modern pipeline technology provides among the safest methods of transporting natural gas. The Chamber Board previously passed a resolution supporting the expansion of Pennsylvania’s natural gas transportation and distribution pipeline infrastructure. Specific to this project, Williams has demonstrated its concern for property owners and the environment with the adoption of more than 400 route modifications affecting more than 60 percent of its original route.
More information on the DEP permit process is available on the agency’s website.
More information about the Atlantic Sunrise project is available here.
Chamber members enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the many and sometimes complex things that individuals need to do and remember when approaching the Medicare-eligible age of 65 at the Chamber’s bimonthly Learn at Lunch event, held at Wesley United Methodist Church on Tuesday, June 13 and presented by PPL Electric Utilities. Jacqueline Lucas, community relations representative at Geisinger Health Plan, gave a presentation that went over when and how to enroll in Medicare, coverage options, differences between Medicare Parts A, B, C and D, and the timing involved in collecting social security and how that can run concurrent with Medicare benefits.
If you weren’t able to make it to this presentation but would like some additional information, GHP representatives are available to do individualized home visits to people at or near the Medicare eligibility age. Contact Jacqueline by email for additional information or call GHP member services at 1-800-498-9731. The Medicare and You handbook, published annually by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is also a valuable resource for those interested in learning more about this important subject of healthcare for retirees.
The next Chamber Learn at Lunch is scheduled for Tuesday, August 8 at noon and will feature Mike Atchie from Williams, who will talk about the mobile app that is currently being developed by Williams for workers that come into our area from outside to work on the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline. The app will feature information and listings of local businesses in order to encourage the patronage of local businesses. He will also speak about the current state of the pipeline project. Location is TBD.
First Columbia Bank & Trust celebrated the opening of its new community banking office at 400 Walnut St. in Danville (Rt. 11) last Thursday morning, June 8, with a ribbon cutting. Several local dignitaries and members of the business community, including Columbia Montour Chamber President Fred Gaffney, were in attendance to cut the ribbon on First Columbia’s newest branch, its 14th location, and first in Montour County.
For additional information on the new branch, including photos from the ribbon cutting and grand opening, visit First Columbia’s Facebook page.
Member News
Grow Your Business with Email and Social Media Workshop
The Bucknell University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will hold a workshop titled “Grow Your Business with Email and Social Media” on Tuesday, June 20, at 1 p.m. at the DeWitt Building, third floor, 416 Market St., Lewisburg. This workshop will present tips and tricks for successful email marketing, including how to get your messages opened and read, shared and socially visible. Growing a healthy list, creating great content with a mobile-friendly format, effective subject lines and resulting tracking and reporting are among the topics that will also be covered. Cost is $35 and veterans are welcome at no charge. Register by calling Shelley Gadoury at 570-577-1249 or online.
Children’s Museum Hosts Special Needs Night
The Children’s Museum, 2 W. 7th St., Bloomsburg, will host Special Needs Night on Friday, June 23, from 6-8 p.m. Come to a fun night out for families with special needs. Enjoy a reduced number of visitors, space and freedome to explore at your own pace, adapted exhibits, a quiet area, fun craft and sensory activities and an opportunity to network with other families. Special Needs Night is a free event held quarterly.
The 2016-17 Leadership Central Penn class at its graduation last month.
Leadership Central Penn, a program of The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber, is currently seeking applications for spots in its 2017-18 class. LCP seeks to identify and educate citizens from Columbia and Montour counties that exhibit leadership potential. Classes meet on the third Thursday of each month for a full day (approx. 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) from September through May. Area businesses and organizations are encouraged to nominate and sponsor employees. Individuals may also apply. The application deadline is July 31.
The 2017-18 class will be the 19th since LCP’s inception in 1993. The 18th class held its graduation last month.
Application (.docx)
Program promotional brochure (.pdf)
Chamber members partook in some homemade hors d’oeuvres as well as local wine from fellow members Three Dogs Vino, Pickering Winery and Freas Farm Winery as they put a bow on the month of May at the second of two Business After Hours last month at Members Choice Financial Credit Union in Danville. Attendees were able to enjoy the outstanding food and drink while networking and meeting several members of the MCFCU team and learning about the credit union’s offerings. For more information about MCFCU, visit its website or call 800-834-0082.
Business After Hours provide regular opportunities to build business relationships while learning about the services offered by other Chamber members. Please join us at our next Business After Hours next Wednesday, June 21 at the Pump House Bed & Breakfast just outside Bloomsburg.