Flavor City Oils Celebrating 1 Year Anniversary This Saturday

Flavor City Oils is celebrating its 1 year anniversary in downtown Danville this Saturday, August 28th, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The shop is being reconfigured to offer new products. They will have giveaways throughout the day and will also be raising money for Dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. Owners Deb and Greg are so thankful to Danville and the surrounding communities for their first year. Help them show how strong our communities are and donate to fight against Dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. 

B.I.D.A. Awards 2021 Vocational Scholarships

Berwick Industrial Development Association (B.I.D.A.), has made a commitment to support the region through their post-secondary vocational education scholarship program. Their goal is to assist the businesses and industries in the greater Berwick area by supporting local youth who are interested in continuing their education in the industrial arts and vocational trades. To help with recruitment, B.I.D.A. encourages the local youth to consider using their anticipated skills and degrees to help grow our region and seek employment opportunities in their own backyard. Students today have the opportunity to turn those skills into long-term careers.

B.I.D.A. presented scholarships to two students from the participating schools, Berwick Area High School and Columbia Montour Area Vocational Technical School. Columbia Montour Area Vocational Technical grad, Liam Ruddy, plans to attend Johnson Technical Institute in the fall where he anticipates obtaining his associate’s degree in electrical construction and maintenance technology while securing an internship at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Liam hopes to broaden his skills and become more of an asset to his future employers.

Berwick High School grad, Logan Noroski will attend West Virginia University this fall where he plans to major in industrial engineering with a minor in business. Logan plans to use his problem-solving skills and work for an established engineering firm where he plans to gain the necessary experience to one day start his own engineering firm and become a job creator.

B.I.D.A. created this distinctive scholarship program to bring awareness to vocational training and education. B.I.D.A. wants to increase public awareness and the importance of vocational training to our economy. Our region is rich in manufacturing, industrial development and logistics. Our communities need to know the opportunities and careers that are here, offer sustainable wages, and provide future job growth.

For more information on the B.I.D.A. Vocational Education Scholarship email info@bida.com or call 570- 752-3612.

Service 1st Announces Going Gold Kick-Off Event This Sunday

September 2021 will mark the 7th year local organizations and communities have joined forces to help fight pediatric cancer and raise funds to benefit the ThinkBIG® Pediatric Cancer Fund.

The Going Gold initiative, which began in 2015, continues to expand. To date, this initiative has raised over $60,000.

Going Gold 2021 will begin with a special Kick-Off event on Sunday, August 29 at Hess Field in Danville, PA. The event will feature a variety of food trucks, live music, family activities, and beer vendors.

Bring a lawn chair or blankets for a great lineup of live entertainment:

Noon – 12:45 pm: Woody Wolfe
1:00 – 1:45 pm: Mark Cresswell
2:00 – 2:45 pm: Uptown Music Collective
3:00 – 3:45 pm: Antonio Andrade
4:00 – 4:45 pm: Frank Wicher
5:00 – 5:45 pm: AC Soul Medicine

The Kick-Off will also feature a number of food vendors including Bason Coffee Roasting, and Marley’s Brewery & Grille will be among several brewers in the brew tent. 

Geisinger Hosts Walk with a Doc Event to Promote Heath and Nature

As part of a movement to promote health, nature, and local parks and trails, a month-long campaign is encouraging communities and health professionals to get active together during “Walk with a Doc” programs across Pennsylvania. The statewide initiative will run throughout PA Trails Month in September. Geisinger hosted a kick-off event at Hess Recreation Area in Danville on August 24th.

The effort is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the Pennsylvania Medical Society, Geisinger and the Walk with a Doc organization. The initiative provides communities the opportunity to take an active role in their health while exploring their local outdoor recreational areas with the medical professionals who care for them.

“The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of time in natural places to our well-being, which is why we are excited to launch this effort that introduces people to new trails to try and makes the connection between health and the outdoors,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “This has been a great collaboration and we thank all of our partners helping us to advance wellness in nature and meet a goal of our statewide outdoor recreation plan.”

Throughout the month, communities and health organizations are encouraged to get active and host their own Walk with a Doc event. The Aug. 24 event in Danville hosted by Geisinger was led by Dr. Michael Suk, chief physician officer and chair of Geisinger’s Musculoskeletal Institute and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. 

“Walk with a Doc” is created to encourage the members of our community to get active. Walking is not a high-intensity workout and yet it comes with many health benefits. Walking is great for heart health, boosting your mood, maintaining healthy weight, and improving circulation. It is also great for keeping your muscles and joints strong and healthy,” said Michael Suk, M.D., chair of Geisinger’s Musculoskeletal Institute. “This campaign not only encourages walking but also helps the community create a bond with their healthcare providers.”

Walk with a Doc is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire communities through movement and conversation. During the event, participants will enjoy a light walk with physicians and other local healthcare professionals who will provide support to participants and answer questions during the walk.

Those interested in hosting a Walk with a Doc event in their community can visit dcnr.pa.gov/Recreation/WalkWithDoc . As new Walk with a Doc events in September are scheduled around the commonwealth they’ll be added to the DCNR Calendar of Events.

Bloomsburg Children’s Museum Announces September Programs

Among the programs that will be held at the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum in September is All Abilities Night, Friday September 17th from 3 to 7 p.m. Visitors will enjoy a reduced number of visitors, space, and freedom to explore at your own pace, adapted exhibits, a quiet area, and an opportunity to network with other families. All Abilities Night is a FREE event held regularly.

A full program schedule is available on the Children’s Museum’s website. 

New Scholarship Fund at Community Giving Foundation Accepting Applications for BU Students

The Community Giving Foundation: Bloomsburg is pleased to announce a new scholarship fund available for students at Bloomsburg University. The fund was established by the Bloomsburg Greek Alumni Association and is now accepting applications for its 2021 award.

With more than 10,000 Greek alumni of Bloomsburg University living across the country, the association was formed to maintain a strong connection between alumni, support the recruitment and retention of new members of Bloomsburg Greek organizations, and advance professional development and career pathways for all members of the Bloomsburg Greek system. The group created the Bloomsburg Greek Alumni Scholarship Fund to leave a positive impact on student life, the Greek system, and the greater community in Bloomsburg.

Visit the Community Giving Foundation’s website for additional details.

As employee recruiting continues to be a challenge across the region, employers are especially concerned about making sure their wages and benefits are competitive. While the Pennsylvania Center for Workforce Information and Analysis provides wage data specific to counties on a full range of occupations, there is some lag in the data and other important information including health benefits and sign-on bonuses are not tracked.

To provide members with the most current data, the Chamber has created a wage survey for those positions most commonly requested. The survey is now available online and will be open through Friday, September 3rd. Data will be anonymous as no identifiable information is being collected.

From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Businesses leaders and childcare advocacy experts shared their experiences in tackling childcare at the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s latest Talent Forward event.

Why it matters: Many working parents have not yet returned to work due to current or shifting guidelines affecting their childcare arrangements. These long-term decisions based on short-term circumstances will continue to have a lasting effect on the workforce. Chamber Foundation research found there has been more than $3 billion in foregone wages due to working parents declining new opportunities because of childcare needs.

TOOTRiS Founder and CEO Alessandra Lezama said small- and medium-sized employers should consider offering benefits around childcare as a competitive advantage when trying to hire in the marketplace.

More takeaways:

• Lilia Vergara, director of human resources at Dr. Bronner’s, said the first step for employers in providing any kind of childcare solutions for employees is to “find out exactly what employees need.”
• To remove barriers in the workforce like childcare, states have an opportunity to build programs that create a pipeline of qualified childcare providers, says Laura Kaloi of Stride Policy Solutions.
• “We need to target support and resources for childcare to those families that truly need it,” says Abby McCloskey, founder and principal of McCloskey Policy.

Click here to view the entire program.

From McKonly & Asbury CPAs & Business Advisors

Ahh the Research and Development Tax Credit…one of the most overlooked tax credits for contractors! The R&D tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction of a company’s tax liability, and it was made permanent in 2015 with the PATH Act.

To qualify for the credit, you must have “qualified” research and development expenses. This is what usually holds most people back, thinking they don’t qualify for the credit because they aren’t doing anything deemed “innovative” enough. However, if the work being done requires design and development of new structures and building components, or you’re taking on design and engineering responsibilities, it may very well qualify for the credit and is worth taking a closer look at. Expenses that go into the calculation include salaries and wages, supply costs, and contractor costs. Many design-build contractors see significant savings with the R&D tax credit.

So, if you’re reading this and thinking your company might qualify, the first step is getting a feasibility study done to give you an idea of possible R&D tax credits. If significant savings are found ─ good news ─ tax returns can be amended for the previous three years to take advantage of the credits.

Another piece that is often overlooked is state R&D tax credits. Many states, including Pennsylvania, offer state level R&D credits. After the analysis at the federal level is done, another analysis is done to determine state level expenses eligible for R&D. PA requires businesses to then apply for the credits and a certain amount is then awarded to each business.

Contractors ─ it’s worth it to at least have the conversation to see if R&D credits can be beneficial to you. Don’t leave these tax savings on the table! For more information on these services and more, be sure to visit our construction services page and don’t hesitate to reach out to Dan Sturm, Partner and Leader of our Construction Industry practice at dsturm@macpas.com.

From the PA Chamber of Business & Industry

As reported in USA Today last week, President Biden does not plan to extend the federally-funded $300 unemployment compensation benefit enhancement, which is scheduled to expire Sept. 6.

The article quotes a letter to lawmakers cowritten by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh stating “The temporary $300 boost in benefits will expire on September 6th, as planned. As President Biden has said, the boost was always intended to be temporary and it is appropriate for that benefit boost to expire.”

Click here for the full article.

The Exchange Hosting ArtFest this Saturday in Downtown Bloomsburg

After a year off due to the COVID crisis, ArtFest will take place on Saturday, August 21st, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. surrounding the fountain on the Square and up Market Street in downtown Bloomsburg, with more than thirty art and craft vendors, fine food vendors, and live music by local performers all day.

​For the complete line-up of vendors, non-profit partners, and music, click here.

The event provides a lively, comfortable atmosphere for the general public to see art, meet and talk with artists about their studio practices, and purchase fine artworks. Attendance has grown by 100% since the move to the Square in 2017; in 2019, approximately 3,000 people attended.

Service 1st Honors Duck Derby Tradition by Supporting Local Organizations Despite River Levels

Due to high river levels resulting in safety concerns for their dedicated staff and volunteers, Service 1st Federal Credit Union did not hold their Annual Charity Duck Derby event along the Susquehanna River in Danville this year. In honor of this special tradition, the Service 1st Duck Derby Committee wanted to show their support for the community.

“Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not cooperate this year and due to safety concerns for our staff and volunteers, we were forced to resort to our Plan B,” said Brett Johnson, Duck Derby Committee Co-Chair and Vice President Lending, Service 1st. “At Service 1st, we strongly believe in supporting the communities we serve, and we’re happy to carry on this tradition and make donations to each of these eight great charities. We’re looking forward to being back on the river in 2022.”

If the Derby was held on the water, eight volunteers representing local charities who also participated in the Service 1st Community Savings Challenge held earlier this year, would have raced to the finish line aboard a duck shaped float. Due to the change in the event, Crissie, the Service 1st mascot, along with representatives from the credit union held a random drawing to award donations to these charities.

The following charities received donations this year: Keystone Mission, Wilkes-Barre ($1,000); Animal Resource Center, Bloomsburg ($500); Caring for Kids Backpack Program, Sunbury ($100); DIG Furniture Bank, Lewisburg ($100); Elysburg Food Pantry, Elysburg ($100); National Alliance on Mental Health, Williamsport ($100); The Gate House, Danville ($100); and West End Library, Laurelton ($100).

In 2020, Service 1st made the tough decision to cancel the Derby due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are looking forward to hosting the event again in 2022.

Bold Gold Media Group Employees Recognized

In the August issue of RadioInk, Michael G Stanton, General Manager of Bold Gold Media Group, was named as one of the Best Managers in Radio for 2021, out of all radio station managers in the USA. Stanton has spent over 30 years in the radio industry, with over half of those years as a manager of Bold Gold Media Group.

In July, Lisa Percevault, Senior Marketing Consultant with Bold Gold Media Group, was one of 20 women in the USA to be selected for the Radio Advertising Bureau’s “Rising Through the Ranks” program, which is held in conjunction with Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI) and Mentoring & Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW).

New Fund at Community Giving Foundation Supports Dementia Education and Advocacy in Region

The Community Giving Foundation is pleased to announce the creation of a new community impact fund in partnership with Dementia Friendly Susquehanna Valley (DFSV), a group whose mission is to bring awareness to the region about dementia through education, advocacy, and volunteer engagement in order to better support those living with dementia and their caregivers.

Marianne Kreisher and Marissa Marshall of Kreisher Marshall & Associates are the only certified elder law attorneys in Columbia and Montour Counties. They continue to dedicate themselves to the elder law profession, but always felt a desire to offer more to their clients and community. After becoming a Life Care Planning Law Firm, they were able to bring in social workers as elder care coordinators to better assist clients with care planning. They also partnered with Embodied Labs, a virtual reality platform that gives community members the ability to experience life in someone else’s shoes. Through all these progressions and experiences with clients and caregivers, Kreisher and Marshall recognized a need for community-wide education.

In early 2020, the staff of Kreisher Marshall & Associates became Dementia Champions through Dementia Friends Pennsylvania and spearheaded the Dementia Friendly Susquehanna Valley initiative in our region alongside a group of community leaders.

“Education and awareness are the foundation to making our region more dementia friendly. It’s our hope that by establishing this fund for DFSV, we will be able to provide dementia awareness and specialized programs to youth, first responders, financial institutions, and service industries,” explains Marshall.

DFSV’s vision is to make the Susquehanna Valley region a place where those living with dementia and their loved ones feel supported, understood, and included as valued members of our community. This new non-endowed fund will support projects and activities that promote this vision across Columbia, Lower-Luzerne, Montour, and Northumberland Counties.

The program developed in collaboration with Bloomsburg University to help people build basic management and team leadership skills is offering in-person and virtual options this Fall. In-person sessions are scheduled to begin September 21st and virtual sessions October 12th. This five-module Management and Leadership Certificate Program is appropriate for existing leaders, managers, and supervisors; or those who are new or emerging in any business sector.

Participants will receive a certificate from Bloomsburg University upon completion and will have identified personal development goals to provide to their employers.

The five, three-hour modules are:
-Supervisor Effectiveness
-Effective Communication for Managers
-Conflict Management
-Navigating a Multi-generational Workforce 
-Being a Great Mentor or Coach

 Full program is available here or by calling 570-784-2522.

The program qualifies for WEDnet funding. For eligibility information, visit wednetpa.com or contact Jennifer Williams at 570-389-4004.

Bloomsburg University is currently looking for organizations and nonprofits to create new, off campus work study opportunities for students.

Employers will work with the Bloomsburg University Financial Aid Office to create job descriptions, choose the eligible student(s) they wish to hire while deciding if they will continue to be employed each semester, monitor hours of work and ensure all duties are performed properly. BU pays the work study student directly through the program.

Employers interested in learning more or participating should contact Tim Pelton, Civic Engagement Coordinator, at 570-389-5437 or tpelton@bloomu.edu. 

Increasingly, individuals comprising today’s workforce are straddled with significant levels of student loan debt. At the same time, these workers are often conflicted as to whether they should focus on paying off their debt or set aside funds to pay for retirement. As an employer, adding a student loan repayment program to your employee benefit portfolio not only helps them address this dilemma, but also represents a tremendous opportunity to help attract and retain key talent.

To further benefit employers, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES ACT), passed in March of 2020, added a little-known provision regarding student loans. The provision allows an employer to make up to $5,250 in student loan payments for an employee within a year. Regardless of whether the payments go directly to the employee or to the student loan servicing entity, the money is considered tax-free to the employee and the employer is excluded from paying payroll taxes on the funds. As of this writing, the provision, originally set to expire at the end of 2020 has been extended through December, 2025.

By structuring the program as a part of your voluntary benefits package, you have the ability to customize the program according to your workplace demographics and budgetary capabilities.

Employers can utilize a variety of methods, including fixed contributions, matching contributions, consolidating loans or refinancing the loan. With these programs, the employer first decides how much, if any, they are willing to contribute into the program.

By creating a differentiated, unique benefit package that addresses a specific employee need, employers benefit by boosting employee engagement, increasing productivity levels, and improving employee retention rates.

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 Tanya Ruiz at (800) 377-3536.

While Pennsylvania’s face covering order was lifted on June 28th, the PA Department of Health continues to urge individuals to follow CDC guidance for wearing a mask where required by law, rule, and regulations, including healthcare, individual businesses, and workplaces. The CDC requires individuals to wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States, and in U.S. transportation hubs, such as airports and stations. Most recently, the CDC has added the recommendation that masks be worn, regardless of vaccination status, while indoors in areas of substantial or high transmission. As of August 16th, Columbia County is at a high transmission rate and Montour is at substantial rate. This latest guidance from the CDC is again causing confusion for employers.

The CDC guidance regarding masking indoors is not a legal requirement or OSHA regulation at this point. However, OSHA’s Wilkes Barre office has advised the Chamber that an employer could be cited for creating an unsafe working environment if a claim were filed by an employee. Businesses could also face litigation from customers as liability protections have not been provided by the state or federal governments.