The Columbia County Board of Commissioners, working with SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG), have engaged Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) to develop the Fishing Creek Flood Mitigation Study.  The goal of the study is to:

• Identify flooding problem areas within the County’s 18 municipalities,
• Mitigation options for the problems identified and implementable projects offered as a solution to those problems.

The study kicked off with a public meeting in July 2021 and a follow up public meeting held at the end of November 2021.

The County is holding a final public meeting to present the findings and recommendations of the study to the public, municipal officials, and its residents. The meeting will be held Thursday, March 31st starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Large Meeting Room, 702 Sawmill Road, Bloomsburg, PA 17815. Entrance for the meeting room is at the rear of the building.

For individuals who are unable to attend this event in-person, a pre-recorded presentation will become available on Monday, April 4th at: https://seda-cog.org/departments/flood-resiliency/columbia-county-flood-mitigation-studies/, under the “Other Resources” section.

A final report will be issued following this meeting.

HRG will start its presentation with an overview of their final report study findings and then break out into an open house session with smaller, more specialized areas presenting findings by sub-watershed study area for a personalized experience. The large Fishing Creek Study area has been broken down into four sub-watershed study areas:

• Upper Fishing Creek
• Middle Fishing Creek
• Little Fishing Creek
• Hemlock Creek/Lower Fishing Creek

Reservations can be accepted online at https://seda-cog.org/events/event/fishing-creek-flood-mitigation-study-3/ or by calling Geralee Zeigler, SEDA-COG’s Flood Resiliency Program Analyst, at 570-522-7218.  SEDA-COG is assisting Columbia County in the grant administration of the studies. The study has been financed by grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Financing Authority and the Department of Community and Economic Development.

Solo Pianist Performs for Free at Weis Center, Pieces Will Evoke Images of Landscapes or Dream States

Pianist Qing Jiang will perform on Sunday, April 3 at 2 p.m. at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts. The performance is free and tickets are not required.

The performance is sponsored, in part, by Geisinger. 

Praised by The New York Times as a “fiery musician” whose playing is “vigorous and passionate,” Chinese-born pianist Qing Jiang has performed to acclaim across the United States and abroad, including at Alice Tully Hall, Weill Hall as well as the U.K.’s Snape Maltings Hall and China’s Shenzhen Poly Theater. Jiang is an assistant professor of music at Bucknell University and piano faculty at the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival in Maine. 

Passionate about the chamber and contemporary music, Jiang has performed alongside Itzhak Perlman, Gil Kalish as well as with members of the Emerson, Juilliard, Shanghai, Kronos, Jasper and Parker string quartets. 

While at the Weis Center, she will present works from a solo album recorded in the fall of 2021. All of the works evoke images of landscapes or dream states. The repertoire includes Maurice Ravel’s Sonatine “Jeux d’eau,” Leoš Janáček’s “In the Mists,” Isaac Albéniz’s “Iberia Book I,” Thomas Adès’ “Mazurkas” and Daniel Temkin’s “Dreamed Landscapes.”

Seating for the spring 2022 season is socially distanced and general admission; specific seats cannot be reserved. Masks are required.

While on campus, patrons must abide by all Bucknell University health and safety guidelines, including maintaining social distancing and wearing appropriate face coverings, if still being implemented.

These protocols may be subject to change at any time. Please continue to visit our website for the most up-to-date information at Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter.

For more information about this event, 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 Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter or search for the Weis Center on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

The Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) has unanimously approved a Department of Labor & Industry regulation to raise pay for those who receive a “tipped minimum wage.” Under the updated regulation, the amount in tips a worker must receive monthly would increase from $30 to $135 before the employer can pay that employee the tipped wage of $2.83/hour.

Additional changes under the updated regulations are as follows:

• Aligns the 80/20 rule for employer tip credits with recently-updated federal regulations
• Allows for tip pooling with certain restrictions for manager and business owners
• Prohibits employers from deducting processing fees from employee tips
• Requires businesses to clarify that service charges are not gratuities for tipped employees

Upon approval by the Office of Attorney General, the updates will go into effect in 90 days.

Click here for more details.

In an effort to better quantify and understand the workforce challenges facing employers locally and across the nation, The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other chambers of commerce to conduct a quick survey about labor force conditions across the country.

Please complete this brief survey by clicking here. It should take less than 3 minutes to complete. We ask that you please complete the survey by Monday, March 28, 2022.

Thank you in advance for your input and participation.

The No P3 Bridge Tolling Coalition has formed to oppose PennDOT’s proposal to toll nine interstate bridges across Pennsylvania. This statewide coalition is comprised of local chambers, economic development entities, statewide business organizations, businesses, affected communities, and citizens. The Board of The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce recently voted to join this growing coalition.

In 2021, PennDOT held public information sessions to provide details on the nine projects identified, which includes the Nescopeck Creek Bridge on Interstate 80 in lower-Luzerne County. Initially, the plan included tolling in both directions, but was later modified to toll each project area in only one direction. With the anticipation that some volume of traffic will divert around tolled areas, PennDOT identified diversion routes. For the Nescopeck Creek project, the diversion route is Exit 256 onto Route 93 through Nescopeck and Berwick boroughs.

While PennDOT is seeking to address infrastructure funding shortfalls, the costs to install and manage these tolls are likely to outpace revenue collected. The cost per bridge toll will be $1-$2/car and $8-$12/truck and other large wheelbase vehicles including RVs. According to the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, the cost to operate a truck in PA will increase by over $6,000 annually. These costs will be passed on to consumers, exacerbating an already inflated market. PennDOT recently announced the intention to award the contract to build and manage these tolls to an Australian company, even while affected communities and business groups are challenging PennDOT’s process.

The members of the No P3 Bridge Tolling Coalition agree that PennDOT should have sustainable sources for infrastructure funding, but the proposed tolling will cause disruptions to local communities and increase costs for businesses and consumers. Once PennDOT begins this spot-tolling, the practice is likely to be replicated in other areas across the state. Coalition members believe that PennDOT and the Wolf Administration should work with the legislature to remove non-infrastructure related costs from the Motor License Fund and find solutions that will not disrupt local communities and unfairly burden businesses.

Follow the efforts of the No P3 Bridge Tolling Coalition at facebook.com/NoP3BridgeTolls.

On Tuesday, March 15, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced an additional deferment of principal and interest payments for existing COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) borrowers for a total of 30 months from loan inception.

Key information regarding deferment:

• This deferment extension is effective for all COVID-EIDL Loans approved in calendar years 2020, 2021, and 2022. Loans now have a total deferment of 30 months from the date of the Note. Interest will continue to accrue on the loans during the deferment.
• Borrowers may make partial or full payments during the deferment period but are not required to. The SBA recommends using www.pay.gov.
• The SBA will not send monthly SBA Form 1201 payment notices; however, the SBA will send regular payment reminders via email.
• Existing COVID EIDL borrowers can find account balances and payment due dates in the SBA Capital Access Financial System (CAFS) and learn how to set up an account in the CAFS system by logging in at Capital Access Financial System (sba.gov). 
• Deferments may result in balloon payments. The deferment will not stop any established Preauthorized Debit (PAD) or recurring payments on the loan. COVID-EIDL borrowers with an SBA established PAD must contact their SBA servicing center to stop recurring payments during the extended deferment period. COVID-EIDL borrowers who have established a PAD through Pay.Gov or any other bill pay service are responsible for terminating recurring payments during the extended deferment period.
• After the deferment period ends, COVID-EIDL borrowers will be required to make regular principal and interest payments beginning 30 months from the date of the Note.

Borrowers with questions can call SBA’s COVID EIDL Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-833-853-5638 (borrowers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability can dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services) or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov for additional assistance. The center is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Multilingual representatives are available. Small business owners may also contact SBA’s Resource Partners by visiting www.sba.gov/local-assistance. For additional information on COVID EIDL, visit www.sba.gov/relief.

A reminder that organizations that received an EIDL advance do not have to repay those funds.

6th Annual High School Art Show Now on Display: Winners Announced

The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum held its 6th Annual High School Art Show on Friday, March 4th. The show featured 54 pieces from local high school students. The event was sponsored by the Exchange in Bloomsburg. Prizes were sponsored by Blick Art Materials and Cheap Joe’s Art Supplies. Cabot Cheese provided refreshments. The show will be on exhibit until April 22, 2022.

The exhibits ranged from watercolors to woodburning and acrylics to photography. They were produced by students from Bloomsburg Christian School, Danville Area High School, Hazleton Area Arts & Humanities Academy, Benton Area High School, Bloomsburg High School, and homeschooled students.

Oren Helbok, the Executive Director of the Exchange in Bloomsburg, felt grateful to participate as a judge in the event.

“As an organization dedicated to bringing the arts to all communities throughout our region, The Exchange commends and celebrates the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum for its energetic support of high-school artists, and we feel grateful to have the Museum as a partner. We look forward to these young people bringing their artwork for Exchange Gallery shows as well,” he said. 

• 1st Place Overall: Brooke Woll, “Bee,” Danville Area high school, grade 10
  
  
• 2nd Place Overall: Felicia C., “Me, Myself & I” Hazleton Area Arts & Humanities Academy, Grade 12
  
  
• 3rd Place Overall: Sam S., “Vroom Vroom,” Bloomsburg High School, Grade 11
  
  
• Honorable Mention Overall: Kaitlyn Gabel, “If I Could Fly,” Danville High School, Grade 11
  
  
• 1st Place Best Collection: Riley S., Hazleton Area Arts & Humanities Academy, Grade 11 with “Bear,” “Chickadee,” and “Nefertiti.”
  
  
• Honorable Mention Best Collection: Anna Maffei, Danville Area High School, Grade 11 with “Her Ambience,” “Chloe’s Mind,” and “Mother Nature’s Outcry”
  
  
• Best Acrylic: Lydia S., “Feathered Fiasco” Acrylic Paint, Hazleton Area Arts & Humanities Academy, Grade 10
  
  
• Best Charcoal: Helenne B., “Father” Charcoal, Hazleton Area Arts & Humanities Academy, Grade 12
  
  
• Best Digital Art: Felicia C., “Dark Academia” Digital, Hazleton Area Arts & Humanities Academy, Grade 12
  
  
• Best Mixed Media: Ryan-Elizabeth Fluke, “Venus in Mixed Media,” Bloomsburg Christian School
  
  
• Curator’s Choice: Malakai S., “Elk” and “Safari” Pyrography, homeschool, Grade 10

Pictures can be found here. 

Arc of Pennsylvania is a 72-year-old non-profit organization that provides advocacy and resources for citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Arc is the largest advocacy organization in the United States for citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. In conjunction with its local chapters and the national organization, The Arc of Pennsylvania works every day to carry out its mission – to work to include all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in every community.

The Arc of Pennsylvania focuses on systems advocacy and governmental affairs, demonstrating leadership and guidance among all disability organizations in Pennsylvania.

The Arc of Pennsylvania joins over 425 members of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce to receive benefits and support the Chamber’s efforts to enhance the region.

Some of the most impactful decisions a person makes during the course of a year regards those pertaining to personal healthcare for themselves and any affected family members.  For those who are employed, company benefit programs can provide a safety net that offers significant financial protection against any financial obligations arising from such medical situations. 

For employers this presents a challenge, especially in today’s work-from-home environment.  The process of communicating benefit options and boosting employee engagement can be complex and time-consuming as human resource staff must consider the mixed demographics, capabilities and diverse needs of the workforce. Complicating matters, there’s no one-size-fits all communication method to reach all employees. 

But the importance of designing an effective communication strategy cannot be overstated.  The value placed on a company benefit program is a key component in the employer’s ability to attract and retain quality talent.  And employees who understand and utilize a well-designed benefit program are typically more engaged, resulting in a workforce that is typically more productive…resulting in a win for both employer and employees.

The Columbia-Montour Chamber of Commerce offers its members access to My Benefit Advisor as a solution for employee benefits, including voluntary offerings. For more information about My Benefit Advisor, visit our website at cmcc.mybenefitadvisor.com or contact Glynis Roberts at (800) 377-3539.

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it may contain confidential and/or privileged material. This e-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient or have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to the sender. After notifying the sender of the error, you should immediately delete this e-mail from your system. Please be aware that any unauthorized disclosure, dissemination, distribution, duplication or use of the e-mail contents or any attachments therein is strictly prohibited.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job openings at the end of January were 11.3 million. Openings remain significantly higher than historical norms and makes clear we still have a severe worker shortage.

The 11.3 million openings in January were the second highest all time. The record was in December when we had 11.5 million openings. There are now more than 4.75 million more job openings than unemployed workers. Put another way, for every 100 job openings there are only 58 people who are unemployed and looking for work.

More than 4.25 million people quit their jobs in January – below the all-time high in November of 4.5 million. The quits rate was 2.8% in January. That is just under the all-time high of 3% which we hit in November and December. Job openings decreased in several industries, with the largest decreases in accommodation and food services (-288,000); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-132,000); and federal government (-60,000). Job openings increased in other services (+136,000) and in durable goods manufacturing (+85,000).

The ongoing worker shortage is hindering the economy’s recovery by worsening supply chain issues and increasing inflationary pressure. That is why the U.S. Chamber of Commerce continues to work to solve this problem through our America Works Initiative