State Representative Lynda Schlegel Culver and the Bucknell University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) announce the launch of the 2017 InnovateHER Business Challenge, a prize competition designed to unearth innovative products and services that help, impact and empower the lives of women and families. Through InnovateHER, the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) is seeking products or services that fill a need in the marketplace and have the potential for commercialization. As a regional host, the Bucknell SBDC will hold a local competition and nominate the winner to the SBA, who will then identify 10 finalists to vie for $70,000 in prize money. Prizes for Bucknell’s local competitors for 2017 will be announced using the hashtag #InnovateHER across @BucknellSBDC Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. This competition will spur national conversation, collaboration, and cooperation at all levels to support women and families. Local competitions will be hosted to select entrepreneurs to advance to the semi-final round. From the pool of semifinalists, SBA will select up to 10 finalists who will be invited to the National InnovateHER: Innovating for Women Business Challenge in mid-2017. Targeted applicants are entrepreneurs seeking consulting assistance from the SBDC or who have benefitted from the services of the center as they started and grew their businesses in central Pennsylvania. Entrepreneurs who have a product, service, or technology that has a positive impact on the lives of women and families should submit entries to the SBDC via email by May 11. More information is available at the Bucknell SBDC website. A series of public information sessions will be held in May to provide updates on the merger of the 911 centers between Columbia and Montour counties and readdressing in Montour County. Residents and commercial property owners in Montour County, Riverside Borough and Rush Township are encouraged to attend one of the following sessions.
- Wednesday, May 10 – Danville Middle School, 120 Northumberland Road
- Wednesday, May 24 – Anthony Township Municipal Building, 1295 White Hall Road
- Thursday, May 25 – First Baptist Church of Danville, 20 Brookside Drive
- Wednesday, May 31 – St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, 240 Sunbury Road, Riverside
The sessions are being hosted by the Montour County Commissioners and will begin at 7:00 p.m. Additional information on 911 readdressing is available on the Montour County website.
The Chamber supports the 911 consolidation to improve emergency response and to save costs in the long-term.
Chamber members and the public are invited to the Leadership Central Penn graduation luncheon for the Class of 2017.
Date: May 18, 2017
Place: Frosty Valley Country Club, Danville
Time: 11:15 am – 1:30 pm
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Holly Morrison, President & CEO of the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation. A full buffet lunch will be served. The cost is $25 per person. Checks can be made payable to The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce and mailed to the Chamber at 238 Market Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815, or by calling the Chamber office with a credit card at 570-784-2522. The deadline to sign up for the event is May 8. Payment must be received by May 18.
Below are members of the Leadership Central Penn Class of 2017.
Athena Aardweg
Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center
Phil Baney
Autoneum North America, Inc.
Jordan Barbour
Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital
Nikki Dietterick
First Keystone Community Bank
Gordy Evans
Geisinger Medical Center
Wren Fritsky
Bloomsburg University
Robert Geiger
Girton Manufacturing
Kevin Gordon
Autoneum North America, Inc.
Randy Hartranft
PPL Electric Utilities
Mark Hepler
Kawneer, an Arconic Company
Artur Jagielski
Kawneer, an Arconic Company
Megan Kiliti
Berwick Area Swimming Pool Association
Brian Klinefelter
First Keystone Community Bank
Shelly Tyson
Geisinger Medical Center
Aubry McConnell
Bloomsburg University
Christiana Paradis
The Women’s Center
Hannah Sick
First Columbia Bank & Trust
Cassie Weaver
Columbia Child Development Program
The Bloomsburg Police Department issued the following press release regarding parking regulations during the Renaissance Jamboree this Saturday, April 29.
The Bloomsburg Police Department would like to remind everyone of certain parking regulations enforced for The Annual Renaissance Jamboree taking place this Saturday, April 29, 2017.
The event will close Main Street/SR0011 from Iron Street to Railroad Street, and Market St. from W. Ridge Ave to W. Pine Ave. Uniformed officers, fire police and regulatory traffic control devices will detour traffic around Main Street using Railroad Street and 6th Street. The event starts at 10 a.m. and runs through 5 p.m. and is a family oriented event.
No Parking is in affect daily on Main Street and Market Square from 2–5 a.m. Parking will also be prohibited on Market Street from Main Street to Ridge Avenue and from Main Street to Pine Avenue. Additional No Parking will be enforced at 3rd & Market Street near the Wesley Church and on Main Street at Iron in front of Saint Paul’s Church. Cars parked in these areas on Saturday will be ticketed and towed 2–5 a.m..
Portable restrooms will be located on Iron Street @ E. Main Street, on Center Street @ Main Street, at the Courthouse on Main St., and on Oyer Ave. @ W. Main St.
Handicapped Parking is available at the rear of the Public Library along W. Pine Ave. Metered Parking is free on Saturday; however all other parking regulations will be enforced across the day. For more information call the Bloomsburg Police at 570-784-6779.
More than 550 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, Cerridwen’s Garden, to help us fulfill our mission.
Located at 980 Columbia Blvd. (Rt. 11) next to Giant in the Scott Town Center, Cerridwen’s Garden is a floral gift shop and garden center. It specializes in locally handmade wreaths and is open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Additional contact information is available on the Chamber’s Online Directory.
A reminder that anyone who recommends Chamber membership will receive a $25 gift certificate when that organization joins.
More than 550 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, Planet Fitness, to help us fulfill our mission.
Located at 225 Columbia Mall Blvd. inside the Columbia Mall in Buckhorn, Planet Fitness is open 24/7 and offers a plethora of cardio and strength equipment, high-end tanning, massage chairs, a 30-minute circuit and much more. Planet Fitness will host a ribbon cutting and grand opening event on Wednesday, May 3 beginning at 4 p.m.
Additional contact information is available on the Chamber’s Online Directory.
A reminder that anyone who recommends membership will receive a $25 gift certificate when that organization joins.
Chamber members learned about the services offered by WorkPlace Health last Wednesday evening at April’s Business After Hours. WorkPlace Health, a division of Phoenix Rehabilitation and Health Services, offers a full range of services for area employers including drug and alcohol screening, OSHA testing, physical and health exams, and rehabilitation for workplace injuries. For more information about their services, visit wphealth.org or call the staff at the Bloomsburg location at 570-317-2794.
Business After Hours provide regular opportunities to build business relationships while learning about the services offered by other Chamber members. Join us for the next Business After Hours on Wednesday, May 17 at Columbia County Christian School.
The Chamber’s annual Golf Outing, sponsored by Williams, is rapidly approaching. Scheduled for Thursday, May 25, at Knoebels Three Ponds Golf Club in Elysburg, this event features a full day of fun, food, drinks and golf. Cost is $85 per person or $340 per foursome and includes lunch, green fees, cart, a plated dinner, beverages on the course, prizes and a voucher for a free round of golf later in 2017. Registration for the four-person scramble begins at 9:30, lunch at 10 a.m. with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. To sign up, contact Eleanor at 570-784-2522 or fill out and return the registration form.
Several sponsorships are currently available. If interested in one of these opportunities, please contact Matt Beltz at 570-784-2522 or email. Thanks to the following members that have already committed to supporting this year’s event: Williams (event sponsor), MetroCast Communications (lunch sponsor), Generations Construction (beverage sponsor), First Columbia Bank & Trust (snack sponsor) and the Berwick Health & Wellness Fund (snack sponsor).
The Chamber is also seeking a few volunteers to staff various holes on the golf course. If you’re not interested in playing but wouldn’t mind spending a day out on the golf course with friends, food and drinks, please contact Matt Beltz.
Member News
Wesley United Methodist Church Hosts Free Handbell Concert
The Hershey Handbell Ensemble will perform a concert at Wesley United Methodist Church, located at Market and West 3rd Streets in Bloomsburg, on Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m. The concert is free, although the Ensemble gratefully accepts donations. This 16-member group plays seasonally in April and December and has been around since 2004. Based in south-central Pennsylvania, the ensemble performs on seven octaves of Malmark Handbells, Handchimes and assorted other instruments.
Planet Fitness Hosts Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening
Planet Fitness, the newest Columbia Montour Chamber member, will have a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by a grand opening event beginning at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3 at their new location in the Columbia Mall in Bloomsburg. The grand opening will run from 4-7 p.m. and is open to the community. There will be giveaways and raffle prizes. Danni Allen, 2013 winner of NBC’s The Biggest Loser, will also be on site to share her fitness journey, tips and lead group workouts.
The fitness center, which opened for business in mid-April, is open 24/7 and offers numerous cardio and strength equipment, high-end tanning, massage chairs, a 30-minute circuit program and much more.
All Are Invited to the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation’s Annual Meeting
The Central Susquehanna Community Foundation will hold its Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 4 from 12–1:30 p.m. at the Pine Barn Inn, Danville. If interested in attending, RSVP to Karri Harter by April 28 at 570-752-3930, ext. 6, or through email, and please indicate if you have a vegetarian preference for lunch.
Geisinger Hosts Women’s Wellness Event
Geisinger Health System will host “Caring for Every Woman,” a women’s wellness event on Thursday, May 4, from 5–8 p.m. at the Pine Barn Inn, Danville. This free event will feature women’s wellness education and professional networking as well as live music, appetizers, health screenings and a physician panel discussion. Learn about the health issues facing women of all ages from physicians in neuroscience, urology, cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopaedics and breast health. Seating is limited, so register at geisinger.org/events.
First Columbia Hosts Chris Herren
First Columbia Bank will host speaker Chris Herren at Bloomsburg University on Wednesday, May 17 at 7 p.m. at Gross Auditorium in Carver Hall. Doors open at 6 p.m. and this event is open to the public. The founder of the Herren Project, Herren is a former college basketball and NBA player who struggled with substance abuse for much of his basketball career and overdosed on heroin in June of 2008. With the help of friends and family, he has been clean since August 1, 2008 and has traveled the country telling his story to increase education and public awareness on the dangers of substance abuse and to ultimately help others one person at a time. He was also the subject of a 2011 ESPN 30 for 30 documentary titled Unguarded.
This event is open to the public. However, seating is limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information on this event, visit First Columbia’s website or Facebook page.
Geisinger Seeks Community Members for Hot Air Balloon Festival Planning Committee
Geisinger Health System will host the inaugural Dream Big Hot Air Balloon Festival, October 6-7 at Spyglass Ridge Winery in Sunbury. In order to encourage participation and feedback from the community and gain more ideas, Geisinger is currently seeking additional community members to serve on a planning committee for this event. If interested in participating, please contact Linda Vaji at 570-214-2581 or email.
Business Insurance
Most, if not all Chamber members carry some or multiple types of business insurance such as general liability, workers compensation, property, and others. The types, amount of coverage and costs vary greatly depending on numerous factors. For some, the costs can be significant. Why not get some of that paid back to you in cash?
As a Chamber member, you exclusively have access to dividend-paying business insurance from Penn National Insurance through the ChamberChoice portfolio of products. Dividends are based on the claims ratio each year, so the more policyholders and the fewer claims, the higher the dividend. Over 20 Columbia Montour Chamber members have received a total of over $135,000 in dividends paid back to their businesses in the first four years of the program. In total, all ChamberChoice members have earned over $3.3 million in dividends since the program’s inception.
This product is sold directly to interested members by licensed Penn National agents. If interested in a no-obligation quote, contact Chamber members Associated Insurance Management at 570-275-0100 or Hutchison Insurance Agency at 570-784-5550.
“Did You Know” is dedicated to reviewing a specific benefit of Chamber membership as a means of reminding our members of the ways the Chamber can help you increase revenue or decrease costs in your business or organization.