NEWSLETTER ISSUE 3 March 2017 The Slate Belt Chamber of Commerce Scholarship applications are available in the 4 area high schools, Bangor, Pen Argyl, Faith Christian & Career Institute of Technology. Any Slate Belt resident that is a senior in one of these schools is eligible to apply. Application deadline is April 15th. Save the date of May 18th for this year’s Awards Dinner. Over $605,000 have been given to deserving students over the past 17 years through our scholarship program. This program is funded through our annual Scholarship Golf Tournament. Please help us continue helping our future business leaders by sponsoring or participating in this event to be held on July 17th, 2017 at Woodstone Country Club. Flyers will be emailed shortly! LAST CALL FOR UNPAID MEMBERS TO BE IN THIS YEARS MEMBERSHIP DIRECORY, COMMUNITY INFORMATION GUIDE, WEB SITE AND MORE…. Your 2017 Membership Renewals are due NOW. Please take a minute to complete and return your membership either by mailing or online at www.slatebeltchamber.org. The information you give us will be used on our web site and other periodicals. If we do not receive your renewals before March 15th, you will not be listed in this year’s directory. DCED Announces Neighborhood Partnership Program. Rural, Municipal Project is first of its kind. The Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV) announced the first multi-municipal Neighborhood Partnership program “Slate Belt Rising”. The boroughs of Portland, Bangor, Pen Argyl and Wind Gap will jointly plan and implement community revitalization initiatives through this six-year project. Slate Belt Rising Steering Committee Chair Mike Ortoski will chair this event and will be joined by Pen Argyl Borough Manager Robin Zmoda, Secretary Davin, senior executives of the corporation investing in the project, Northampton County Executive John Brown and CACLV Executive Director Alan Jennings. Corporate partners Merchants Bank of Bangor, Waste Management, ESSA Bank & Trust and Lafayette Ambassador Bank have pledged a total of $775,000 to this projects. In addition, the Northampton County Department of Community and Economic Development have committed $20,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funding and $50,000 in Community Investment Partnership Program funding in the first year of the project. The Neighborhood Partnership Program is a tax credit offered through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Slate Belt Rising is CACLV’s sixth Neighborhood Partnership Program following two in Allentown, two in Bethlehem and one in Easton. It is also the first multi-municipal Neighborhood Partnership Program in the Commonwealth and the first to focus on the revitalization of boroughs.

SBCC Upcoming Events 3/8: SBCC Brag Party this event will give everyone in attendance a chance to learn what your company does, 5-7 PM

4/6, 13, 20 & 27: Start and Grow Your Business Seminars, 6-8 PM at the Chamber office. Flyer to follow. 4/18: SBCC Business Luncheon at Chandler Estate, Wind Gap, 12 noon.

4/22: Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting for Johnsonville Farm &Garden newest acquisition, more details to follow. 5/6: Slate Belt & Nazareth Bathe Chamber Night at the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks. Tickets are $35 p.p and include a $10

food voucher and a Steelhawks t-shirt. See flyer for details. 5/18: Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner @ Tuscarora Inn, Mt. Bethel, 6 PM

7/17: Annual Bi Chamber Scholarship Golf Classis @ Woodstone Country Club 8/16: Annual Bi Chamber Clam Bake

10/18: 2017 Lehigh Valley Meet The Buyers, ArtQuest Steelstacks Bethlehem Much much more to come……

If you have any ideas or suggestions for an event, call Laura at the office, 610 588 1000.

MANUFACTURING COMPANIES CALL THE STRATEGIC EARLY WARNING NETWORK

SEWN Can Help SEWN provides FREE consulting services to small– to medium‐sized manufacturers. SEWN is funded through the PA Department of Labor and Industry, not by its clients. SEWN’s services save jobs, companies and communities. SEWN works with manufacturers and with companies that directly support area manufacturers. SEWN cannot work with retail, wholesale construction on or other service companies. SEWN helps companies experiencing financial problems. SEWN works with the company to resolve cash flow and working capital issues, bank and/or other creditor issues and declining profits. SEWN guides companies through ownership transitions. SEWN assists family members, employees and/or management to buy out an existing company, keeping the jobs in the community. SEWN analyzes operational challenges. SEWN engages workers and management to design appropriate solutions for companies struggling with productivity losses that are adversely affecting their ability to survive. SEWN explores new revenue streams. SEWN assists in discovering new customer, industry and product venues for mature companies straining to maintain financial stability in an ever‐changing marketplace. SEWN draws on the strengths of its partners. SEWN leverages its services with its network of public and private partnership resources throughout Pennsylvania with five regional offices—Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg, Bethlehem and Philadelphia. Gary A. Wickham, Regional Director, Northeastern PA SEWN Office, 1 West Broad Street, 11th Floor, Bethlehem, PA 18018, Phone: 610-849-2735, Email: sewnne@steelvalley.org, Saving Pennsylvania Jobs, One Company at a Time

Letters to Homefront Magazine: “A Love Affair Between a Community and its World War II Soldiers”

The project to publish a book about the Homefront Magazine began in October 2015. The co-authors; Marc Blau, Chip Turtzo, Karen Brewer and Deanna Ruzanski assembled volunteers to read and summarize the 4000 + letters that WW II soldiers sent home to their beloved Homefront Magazine. The letters were then categorized by topic, and placed into appropriate chapters. Some of the chapters are: The Fairest of the Month, Battlefield Stories, Soldier’s Artwork, Poems and Prayers, Heroes and more. The book highlights the letters and used the hand-written words of our Slate Belt fighting men and women to tell the story. Many of your fathers and grandfathers are mentioned in the book and while it was unfeasible to use all of the letters, those that were chosen was based on content. A book signing will be held at the Heritage Center’s Opening on April 23, 2017, however to unsure that copies are available for all who would like a copy, pre-orders are now being taken. Please send a check payable to the Slate Belt Heritage Center (att: Marc Blau) for $35.00 to reserve your copy. Those out of town desiring a copy must add $10.00 to cover cost for shipping/handling. For additional information contact: Karen Brewer @ 610-588-8615.

PRESS RELEASE Recovery Revolution, A Clean Slate, 100 South First St., Bangor is celebrating their 10th Annual Recovery Day, March 18th. Sessions begin at 1 pm. For details call 610-599-7700 or www.recoveryrevolution.org. Bangor High School proudly presents Beauty and The Beast, Friday 3/3, 7:30 pm, Saturday 3/4, 2 pm Saturday 3/4, 7:30 pm & Sunday 3/5, 2 pm. Box office dates and hours: 1/23 & 25, 4-6 pm, 27th 2-5 pm, 30th 4-6 pm; 2/1, 4-6 pm, 2/3, 2-5 pm, 2/6 & 8th 4-6 pm, 10th 2-5 pm, 2/21-23, 4-6 pm, 2/24 2-5 pm, 2/27-28th, 4-6 pm. 3/2-3; 4-6 pm. Call for questions, 610-599-7011 option 7 or bangortheaterboxoffice@gmail.com. Time and Ally Financial Honor Wind Gap Dealer, Bryan Gault wins national recognition for community service and industry accomplishment at NADA convention. Bryan was named one of four regional finalists for the 2017 TIME Dealer of the Year award. Congratulations Bryan. Humble Hearts for Home Inc. will hold a Designer Bag Bingo, March 19th at Plainfield Township Fire Hall. If you are interested in becoming a vendor or for tickets contact Brenda at 484.764.8198 or bdjeweler@gmail.com. Proceeds to benefit the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall coming to Plainfield Twp this June. The Slate Belt Heritage Center will present: “Slate Quarries, Past & Present” on Sunday, March 12th @ 2:00 PM. Speaker for the afternoon will be Portland Mayor Lance Prator. Mr. Prator is a local historian who’s specially is researching the history of the Slate Belt quarries which covers the area between the Delaware Water Gap and Wind Tap, Pa. The event is free and open to the public. The

Heritage Center is located at 30 North 1st Street, Bangor, PA. For additional information contact; Karen Brewer @ 610-588-8615.

Please note that our Viaduct Presentation, by photographer Ernie Dietz, which was cancelled on February 12th has been

rescheduled for Sunday, March 5th @ 2:00 PM.

Totts Gap Arts Soup Bowl Benefit, Sunday march 12, 2-5 pm at By The Dozen Family Inn & Restaurant. See flyer for details.

Ginder Greenhouse & Garden Center & Totts Gap Art Institute hosts “Celebrate Mother Earth Two-Part Workshop April 22nd & May 6th 10 am at Ginder Greenhouse. See flyer for details.

The Addict’s Mom is pleased to participate in this year’s 2nd Annual Black Balloon Overdose Awareness Day and to help spread the message across the US! This year on Monday March 6th hang a Black Balloon outside of your home or business to show awareness for all the ones we have lost to addiction. For more information: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/02/19black-balloon-day-drug-addiction-death/#.Vsuu5K0g299.facebook

SBCC Officers & Directors One Year Directors Rosemary Albert, Mary Marshall, Jewel Williamson-Burns, Nadine Moyer, Joann Ginder, Chuck Niclaus, Jeff Ott, Adolph Marth Two Year Directors Paul Donovan, Jr., Lucy Flinn, Fred Curcio, Kim Armitage, Steve Hurni, Bryan Gault, Mike Ortoski

DON’T’ FORGET TO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: SLATEBELTCHAM BER

Gift Certificates are available at the SBCC office year round for many of our area businesses!

SBCC Mission Statement: To promote and enhance positive business activity and growth in the Slate Belt region with special emphasis on community involvement. SBCC, 187 Blue Valley Dr., Bangor, PA 18013 610.588.1000 info@slatebeltchamber.org www.slatebeltchamber.org

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Jewel Williamson-Burns, CLU, FIC Financial Associate Jewel.williamson-burns@thrivent.com 610-746-0344

Lucy W. Flinn