The Chamber ViewVincent J. Matteo, President/CEO

June is here and thesummer has begun totake hold. The primaryseason is, thankfully,over and the nomineesfor each party can takea little break before thecampaigns heat up aroundLabor Day. Slowing downin Harrisburg is not on themenu for the State Legis-lature and Governor Wolfhowever. They are undera Constitutional edict topass a State Budget byJune 30th and they havetheir work cut out forthem. I know during Gov-ernor Rendell’s two termsin ofÞce an “on time” bud-get was a rare occurrenceand no one was “punished”for it not getting done so Iam not sure the mandatemeans much. Anyway,with the divisions in Har-risburg being quite wide,I would be very surprisedif there is a budget passedby the Legislature thatGovernor Wolf would bewilling to sign by the endof the month. There doesnot appear to be muchwillingness to compro-mise on a number of keyparts of the Governor’sproposal and, for that, Iam glad. The Governor’sinsistence on putting theweight of the deÞcit on theback of the Natural GasIndustry is punitive atbest and, at worse, a nottoo subtle attempt to forcethe Natural Gas Industry

out of Pennsylvania – or atthe very least minimize itspresence here - so we canput even more eggs in thebroken basket of renew-able energy.

If the Þght over aseverance tax was the onlyissue dividing our stategovernment reaching anagreement on the budget,there might be some hopefor an early resolution,but that is far from thecase. The issue over anincrease in the state in-come tax and an increaseand expansion of the statesales tax as well as thebig 800 pound gorilla inthe room, pension reform,truly make this a verycomplicated year to passa budget on time or anytime soon.

Recently, the Housepassed a bill authoriz-ing increases in the stateincome and sales taxes aswell as an accompanyingreduction in school proper-ty taxes. There are sev-eral problems with whatGovernor Wolf proposedand the House passed, butthe biggest one is there isno mechanism includedthat would guaranteethat school property taxeswould not rise again asthey did after the casinogambling promises thatwere broken. Withoutsome type of guaranteeyou know, after a year ortwo, school property taxeswill begin to rise again.One more point on the taxissue – please note I amcareful to say school prop-

erty taxes. The Governor’sproposal and the Housepassed Legislation do notaddress municipal or coun-ty property taxes. Whendiscussing the budget,many people say “propertytax relief” instead of say-ing “school property taxrelief”. County and localproperty taxes are notimpacted even though ourentire system of local taxa-tion is in desperate need ofcomprehensive reform. Idoubt there is any appetitein Harrisburg to tacklethat issue!

I believe there is go-ing to be a long wait fora budget unless someonewiser than all of us candevise a plan to overcomethis seemingly insur-mountable hurdle. I saythat because this is morethan a disagreement oversimple policy decisions.This is an argument overphilosophy. On the onehand, many in the Legis-lature believe the best wayto move the state forwardis to allow a fairly but notoverly regulated businesscommunity to prosperand create jobs, and onthe other hand, you havethose in the Wolf Ad-ministration who believethat more regulation andtaxation is the only wayto move Pennsylvaniaforward. This is the sameargument that has beenwaged in Washington forthe past several yearswith a Republican con-trolled legislature vyingwith a Democratic Admin-

istration. While some ofthe issues are different,the philosophies behindthe policy choices are thesame. So, it should be aninteresting and, in manyways, a frustrating sum-mer. I assume that therewill, eventually, be abudget passed, I just don’tknow when and I have afeeling whatever is passedwill make very few peoplehappy. There is one thingI think is guaranteed –whatever is passed – youand I will pay more intaxes.

Many issues are facingus in Pennsylvania andwhile there is pretty muchunanimity that somethingneeds to be done to ad-dress them, there is littleagreement on what shouldbe done. As I mentionedabove, this is more thanthe usual “political” Þghtover issues and solutions;this is an ideological Þghtbeing waged with thosewho believe in the privatesector and less intrusivegovernment as the cata-

lyst for economic recoveryand change pitted againstthose who believe in biggergovernment as the solu-tion. Unfortunately, I alsosee this becoming a Þghtbetween rural and urbanPennsylvania. Our urbancenters require more andmore support and our ru-ral areas believe it is beingput on their backs. It isnot a good situation for usto be in and all the politi-cal posturing in the worldwill not solve the issues.Somehow we must Þgureout a way to work togetherto get the job done. It willnot be easy because thedivide is wide and if wedo not Þgure out a waythrough this together –there will be no winners.The “winner-take-all”philosophy that seems topermeate our governmentat all levels is not working– that is, to me, obvious.We can solve our problems– we just need to solvethem together.

And that’s the Cham-ber View.

Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce StaffPresident/CEO .....................................................................Dr. Vincent J. Matteo570-320-4201 - vmatteo@williamsport.orgEditor ..................................................................................................Sharon Jones570-320-4202 - sjones@williamsport.orgSTAFFExecutive Vice President, Economic Development &Executive Director, Lycoming County Visitors Bureau .....................Jason Fink570-320-4213 - jfink@williamsport.orgVice President & Chief Financial Officer ...........................Nancy Eischeid, CPA570-320-4206 - neischeid@williamsport.orgExecutive Secretary .........................................................................Cindy Robbins570-320-4201 - crobbins@williamsport.orgFinancial Assistant ......................................................................... Lori Knowlden570-320-4205 - lknowlden@williamsport.orgLeadership Lycoming/Special Events Coordinator ........................Sharon Jones570-320-4202 - sjones@williamsport.orgTourism Coordinator ................................................................... Regina Kennedy570-320-4208 - gkennedy@williamsport.orgMembership Relations Coordinator ..................................... Carroll Pawlikowski570-320-4209 - cpawlikowski@williamsport.orgOffice Manager .......................................................................................Ann Baker570-326-1971 - abaker@williamsport.org

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For a complete list of upcoming Chamber events, visit www.williamsport.org.

Blessings by DesignJoni Johnson

29 South Main StreetMuncy, PA 17756

570-220-5916www.blessingsbydesign.comFurniture Restoration and

Gift Shop

Central Oak HeightsDon Metzger

75 Heritage RoadWest Milton, PA 17886

877-770-5006www.centraloakheights.org

Lodging

Footprint OrthoticsJon Mitchell

659 East Third StreetWilliamsport, PA 17701

570-372-0707www.footprintinpa.com

Medical Devices

Welcome New Chamber Members!

Interested in joiningthe Chamber?

CallCarroll Pawlikowskiat (570) 326-1971 or

apply online at:www.williamsport.org

Call the Chamber of Commerce today at (570) 326-1971 orvisit www.williamsport.org to make your reservations.

Chamber Members, Join Us...

Seewald Laboratories, Inc.PM Exchange

Thursday, July 9, 20155:00-7:00pm

2829 Reach Road, WilliamsportSeewald Laboratories, Inc. will be opening our doors to Chamber members andguests giving them the opportunity to tour our state-of-the-art laboratory facilityand to interact and learn from our staff members about the testing services weprovide to a wide variety of our cusotmers.

Janney Montgomery ScottPM Exchange

Thursday, June 18, 20155:00-7:00pm

25 West Third Street, Suite 600, Williamsport

Come tour the brand new ofÞce location of the investment Þrm of Janney! We arenow located at 25 West Third Street on the Sixth Floor. Stop by and chat with ourexpert Þnancial advisors. Bring your appetite as light refreshments will be served!Janney Montgomery Scott LLC. Member: NYSE, FINRA, SIPC. www.JanneyWilliamsport.com

Juice Plus+Brian Day

1625 Elliott StreetWilliamsport, PA 17701

570-971-9775www.bday.juiceplus.com

Health & Wellness Products

Mountain View ChristianSchool

Rebecca Perrotto305 Fleming Street

S. Williamsport, PA 17702570-327-9238

www.mvchristianschool.comEducation

Rose Valley WoodProducts

Mike Raker4137 Rose Valley RoadTrout Run, PA 17771

570-998-8362www.rosevalleywoodproducts.comManufacturing-Architectural

Millwork

The Valley Trader/Oberdorf Publishing

Max Oberdorf1623 West Market Street

Lewisburg, PA 17837570-524-0962

www.thevalleytrader.comNewspapers/Magazines

Waterville TavernDebra Harakel

10783 North Route 44 HwyWaterville, PA 17776

570-753-5970www.watervilletavern.com

Restaurants/Cafes/Taverns

mbrbenpg3

Henry Dunn Insurance175 Pine Street, Suite 102

Williamsport, PAFriday, June 5, 2015

Ribbon Cutting - 5:00pmOpen House: 5:00-7:00pm

Mark Your CalendarUpcoming

Open Houses/Ribbon CuttingsIntrada Technologies31 Ashler Manor Drive

Muncy, PAThursday, June 25, 2015Ribbon Cutting - 2:00pm

Open House - 2:00-7:00pm

Artisan Hearing Technologies324 West Southern Ave., Suite A

S. Williamsport, PAWednesday, June 24, 2015Ribbon Cutting - 5:00pm

Open House - 4:00-6:00pm

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May Ribbon Cuttings/Open Houses/PM ExchangesBackyard Broadcasting Hosts

PM Exchange

Thank you to Backyard Broadcasting for hosting a greatoutdoor PM Exchange. Attendees were treated to music, toursof the studio and the opportunity to meet on-air personalities.Thank you to Debra Rozyckie, Membership Development andRetention Committee member, for presenting the CertiÞcateof Appreciation to Dan Farr.

Hillside Catering and The Bush HouseHost PM Exchange

Thank you to Hillside Catering and The Bush House for hosting a great PM Ex-change showcasing The Bush House and all its amenities and historic features.Attendees were treated to great food by Hillside Catering and tours of the historichomestead. Thank you to the Bush family for opening their house to Chamber attend-ees. Presenting a CertiÞcate of Appreciation is Sandy Spencer, Chair, MembershipDevelopment and Retention Committee, to Michael and Dave Miele, Hillside Cater-ing and Carmen and Michael Bush.

Ashton’s Angels Ribbon Cutting

Congratulations to Ashton’s Angels on their ribbon cutting. Cutting the ribbon is (l to r) Nick Lentz, LHU SmallBusiness Development Center, Betty Shoulder, Troy Ashton, Rick Mirabito, Mary Wettlaufer, (back) Bill Ashton,Cecil Best, Virginia Best, (back) Ray Wettlaufer, Colleen Donovan, Michelle Wettlaufer, Tina Ashton, (back) JimChamberlin, Susie Fladd, Rep. Jeff Wheeland, Nancy Eischeid, Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce,and Lycoming County Commissioner Jeff Rauff.

Get ConnectedWith YourChamber!

Check out our websitesfor all your events,relocation plans,

economic developmentnews, leadershipopportunities, and

membership information.

www.williamsport.orgwww.vacationpa.org

www.leadershiplycoming.org

Revolving LoanFund

To assist businesses withtheir Þnancial needs for

construction,renovations, equipmentpurchases and working

capital.Information and

applicationsavailable online:

www.williamsport.orgor call Nancy Eischeid at

570-326-1971.

Representative Jeff Wheeland Ribbon Cutting

Congratulations to Representative Jeff Wheeland on cutting the ribbon at his new ofÞce location on Pine Street inWilliamsport. Cutting the ribbon is (l to r) Vince Matteo, Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce Presi-dent/CEO, County Commissioners Jeff Rauff & Tony Mussare, Stephen Salvatori, Cindy Abbot, Kimberly Wilson,Representative Jeff Wheeland, Kristi Marshall, Jim Dunn, Ashley Williard, Marc Sortman, and Jim Bower, Jr.

PHOENIX Rehabilitation &HealthServices, Montoursville Ribbon Cutting

Congratulations to PHOENIX Rehabilitation on their recent ribbon cut-ting. Cutting the ribbon is (l to r) Kathleen Winter, Nick Catino, CarolCatino, Justin Catino, Giovanni Catino, Lucia Catino, andMontoursville Mayor John Dorin.

More May Ribbon CuttingsJersey Shore Chamber Awards

ScholarshipThe Jersey Shore Area Chamber of Commerce recently awarded Rebecca

Barrows with the 2015 FBLA Scholarship. Each year Future Business Leaders ofAmerica (FBLA) students are asked to compose an essay on the most importantpart of their high school career that will beneÞt them most for higher educationand future employment. This year’s recipient is Rebecca Barrows. She is thePresident of her FBLA chapter and a straight “A” student at Jersey Shore AreaHigh School. She graduates in June and will be attending Messiah College in thefall to pursue a degree in nursing. Congratulations Rebecca and best of luck inyour promising future.

The award was presented at our May 28, 2015 Jersey Shore Area Chamberof Commerce meeting by Mr. Craig Harris. Mr. Harris is a partner at Carpenter,Harris & Flayhart and Chair of the Jersey Shore Area Chamber of Commerce.

Accepting her FBLA Scholarship is Rebecca Barrows, a seniorfrom Jersey Shore Area High School, with Senator Gen Yawand Craig Harris, Jersey Shore Area Chamber of CommerceChair.

William

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BByy TTOORRYY IIRRWWIINNtirwin@sugnazette.com

North Central SightServices, 2121 ReachRoad, has been a valuablepart of the local commu-nity for nearly 60 years. The non-profit organi-

zation offers services tothe visually impaired, pro-vides education for sight-loss prevention and offersemployment opportunitiesto the blind and visuallyimpaired. North CentralSight Service helps thosein Lycoming, Tioga,Bradford, Sullivan,Clinton and Center coun-ties and is looking to opena satellite location inBellefonte. The business has hum-

ble beginnings followingits incorporation in 1957as the Lycoming CountyAssociation for the Blind, according to President andCEO Robert Garrett. The original building at 901 Memorial Ave. was

financed by donations from local Lyons clubs. From1957 to 1974, it was a small agency and had a smallindustry in which the business manufactured door-mats from automobile tires. At that time, the busi-ness employed between 8 and 10 workers.“It was kind of dangerous (due to equipment

used) but the mats were very well made,” Garrettsaid, so much so that the demand for the matsbecame less and less over the years as the mats last-ed so long. In 1974, social security money provided to the

business allowed them to expand and add more proj-ects, eventually getting out of the mat-making busi-ness. In 1988, the Lycoming County Association for the

Blind became North Central Sight Services, extend-ing its reach to Sullivan and Clinton counties and in1989 became affiliated with the National Industry forthe Blind, starting its successful label manufacturingbusiness a year later. Moving into the ‘90s and forward, the business

expanded, eventually moving to its current locationin 2001, focusing on its mission to help keep peopleliving independently by providing vision screenings,referring people to eye care professionals andemploying even more visually impaired workers inits industry program. Now the business works a lot with technology and

has done a lot in its industry capacity in creating USand Flash media for the government. They also pro-vide secure document management and shreddingand have over 500 customers in Lycoming, Tiogaand Bradford counties. A grant from the First Community Foundation

Partnership has helped North Central Sight Servicespurchase plastic granulating equipment to grind plas-tic donated from the Library of Congress to be sortedby workers at the company and sold. With all the growth, the company now has 62

employees, 28 of which are legally blind, Garrettsaid. “It’s a good place to work. People are happy with

the environment,” he said. With both its service and industry components,

North Central Sight Services is an interesting blend,but it works for the visually impaired in the area.

“You need both sides to make it work,” Garrettsaid, noting that the industry component revenuehelps in supplying service to those who need italongside grants and other funding. Fundraisers also help to finance provided service

including a Lions Appreciation Event to be held inOctober, which brought in $17,000 for North CentralSight Services last year. “Dining in the Dark” is anevent held in conjunction with the culinary programand Pennsylvania College of Technology that allowspeople to experience a meal blindfolded. Anotherfundraising opportunity will be the Golf for Sighttournament to be held next month, which has alreadysold out. Proceeds from the golf tournament will goto defraying costs of transportation for North CentralSight Service employees. As time goes on, the business is ready for any-

thing. “We embrace technology,” Garrett said. “We’re

certainly not afraid of change or innovation. We’ll dothe best for our future.” The agency is found online at www.ncsight.org or

reached by phone at 570-323-9401. TORY IRWIN/Sun-Gazette

North Central Sight Services, 2121 Reach Road. The non-profit assistsindividuals who are blind or visually impaired to maximize their qualityof life.

LEGACY MEMBERNorth Central Sight Services: A community leader

MON – FRI: 9AM-5PM

EVENINGS& SAT. BY APPT.

WILLIAMSPORT / LYCOMING CHAMBER

Presents:Great Italian Cities TourRome, Assisi, Florence, Pisa,

Bologna and VeniceApril 21-May 1, 2016

Hosted by: Vince & Sue Matteo$4600 per person, Double

Includes: Airfare, 9 nights Hotel, 9 breakfasts,

3 Dinners and all Sightseeing. Transportation from Williamsport to Philadelphia to be provided for

an additional cost.

INTERNATIONALWWW.WORLDTRAVELINC.ORG

AT THE AIRPORT570-368-1214

1-800-677-7871Julie Johnston McManus,

Manager

William

sport Sun-Gazette, June 20157WHY WE OPPOSE GOVERNOR WOLF’S PROPOSED SPECIAL

TAX ON THE NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY The Chamber opposes Governor Wolf’s unfair and onerous severance tax on the Natural Gas Industry for a number of reasons; however, perhaps the reasons for our opposition is best demonstrated by reciting the positive economic impact the industry has had on Lycoming County since locating here as shown in these studies conducted by impartial organizations, including the U.S. Department of Commerce.

NOTE: Williamsport/Lycoming County Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) – while the reports cited refer to Williamsport, the Þ ndings are all based upon our MSA which is all of Lycoming County except for the study dated 2015 by Nerdwallet.com which is just Williamsport.

The following are independent studies from well known, respected government and private institutions.

In 2015 – Nerdwallet.com in their study entitled “Where the middle class is rising” ranked the City of Williamsport 25th out of 1946 U.S. Cities.

In 2014 – Area Development Magazine ranked Williamsport as the 29th Leading Location among small cities (123/379 for all sizes)

In 2014 – Area Development Magazine ranked Williamsport as 10th on overall Economic Strength among small cities (42/379 all sizes)

In 2014 – Area Development Magazine ranked Williamsport 8th Best Recession Busting small city in America (15/379 all sizes)

In 2014 – The Milken Institute named Williamsport as the 6th Best Performing Small City among 179 Small Cities in the United States in their report sub – titled “Where America’s Jobs are created and sustained”.

In 2013 – Forbes Magazine ranked Williamsport as the 7th Best Small City for jobs in America.

In 2012 – The Martin Prosperity Institute of the University of Toronto ranked Williamsport as having the sixth biggest average annual increase in salaries and wages in the nation among all metropolitan statistical areas – regardless of size.

In 2011 – The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce ranked the Williamsport MSA as having the 7th fastest growing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - (by percentage increase) in the United States regardless of size of the MSA.

Members Over 20 Years Bayard Printing Group Cable Services Co., Inc. Muncy Township Supervisors Overhead Door Corporation Timeless Interiors, Inc. Members Over 10 Years Delta Development Group, Inc. Super 8 Motel Members Over 5 Years Bonner Sports and RV ESPN Radio 1050

Members 5 Years & Under Albright Studio Photography FASTSIGNS G&M Bandsaw GHX, dba McCarty Equipment Co. Heritage Springs Memory Care, Inc. Lowe’s McQuaide Blasko Motion Industries Muncy Area Pool Association Real IT Care LLC Seneca Resources Sunrise Real Estate & Management Services Susquehanna Community Health & Dental Clinic TownePlace Suites by Marriott

Thank you to our renewing members. We do appreciate your membership and in-

volvement in the Chamber!

Member RenewalsReceived between

April 27th and May 21st

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Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce

BByy JJEENNNNIIFFEERR CCOOOOPPEERRjcooper@sungazette.com

Kate Myers, manag-er of Old Corner Hotel,found the phrase “where

old friends meet” on theback of an old photohanging in the restaurantand realized it fits theatmosphere of the iconicWilliamsport establish-ment perfectly.

“That’s what makesOld Corner special.Friends have been meet-ing here for genera-tions,” she said. “Fatherssend their sons to thebar, who send their sonshere too.”Family is a big part of

the building’s past andpresent. It was built inthe late 1800s when itwas a hotel, and waspurchased by CristinoMorrone Dec. 6 1972.Morrone, who wasknown affectionately bythe staff as “Nonna,”passed away last yearand his son, Frank, is thecurrent owner.So just as word of the

Old Corner has beenpassed down throughgenerations, so has thebuilding itself.It once was a popular

hotel downtown and, asMyers puts it, has beenevery type of bar.The bar itself was

remodeled from astraight bar to a large cir-cular one in the 80s,amid controversy.“Everyone told them

not to do it. They said,‘Why would you build acircle bar? You’ll neverneed a bar that big,’”Myers said, adding.“They did it anyway, andit’s perfect. I think it’sone of the larger bars inWilliamsport.”Today, the establish-

ment that sits at the cor-ner of Court and W.Willow streets includesefficiency apartmentsand a full restaurant with

two bars and three din-ing areas - including thepatio.The restaurant hosts

on and off premisecatered events, is openfor lunch, dinner and ispopular with late nightcrowds.

Occasionally the barhosts live bands, themajority of which arelocal artists, and Myerssaid patrons can winddown their evening withlive music on the patiothis summer — new tothe restaurant this year.

“From 8 to 10, whilethe sun is setting, peoplecan sit on the patio andenjoy live bands,” shesaid.Summer also brings

menu specials from headchef Scott Johnson,

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Old Corner Hotel: Where old friends meet

See OLD, Page 9,

JENNIFER COOPER/Sun-GaztteOld Corner staff gathers behind the circle bar that once was quite con-

troversial. Critics told owner Cristino Morrone that a bar like that wouldbe too big and he should just stick with the straight bar everyone elsehad. Morrone went through with the remodel anyway and the staff agreesit was the right choice.

PHOTO PROVIDEDCristino “Nonno” Morrone, above, bought OldCorner Hotel, 328 Court St., Dec. 6 1972. Hisson, Frank, now owns the building that fea-tures efficiency apartments and a full restau-rant with two bars and three dining areas.

who’s been with OldCorner for over sixyears.“We go to local farms

and pick veggies to usefor specials in the sum-

mer so customers knowthat everything is verylocal and fresh,” Myerssaid.Supporting local

farms isn’t the only waythe restaurant contributes

to the community. “We work with a lot

of different charities likeToys For Tots andautism awareness, andwe donate to the UptownMusic Collective,” themanager said. “We helpsupport little things thatare going on in the com-munity, often throughdonations at the door.”Old Corner Hotel is

one of the longest stand-ing bars in the communi-ty, with its iconic neonsign and stained glasswindow. And it doesn’tseem to be going any-where, even in a com-munity that is constantly

changing.“The thing that keeps

us driven in this commu-nity is that we want togive locals and thosewho are just visiting anice safe place to hangout,” Myers said. “Thisis a place they can feelwelcome and know theyhave a friend here everytime they walk in.”

William

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(From Page 8)

FEATURE MEMBEROld Corner Hotel: Where old friends meet

PHOTO PROVIDEDPatrons of the Old Corner Hotel enjoy a drink standing at the original straight bar before the build-ing was remodeled in the 1980s, featuring a circle bar. The restaurant now serves from two fullbars, including one on the patio.

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Leadership Lycoming, the Environment & EnergyOn Thursday May 14th,

the current year’s Leader-ship Lycoming class partici-pated in their second to last program day, focusing on the Environment and En-ergy in Lycoming County. The day was sponsored by Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc. and Williamsport Moving Company. Sherry Paul-hamus, Class of ’13, and Bob Coppadge, Class of 08’, served as the hosts for the day.

Our day began at the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, in the River Valley Room, with an introduction of the day. Following this introduction, we jumped into our day by breaking into groups and discussing First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania grant propos-als. The previous month, our class was randomly divided into groups and assigned grant proposals to review. Each group had a speciÞ c focus; Health and Human Services, Educa-tion, Arts and Culture, Civic and Youth and Recre-ation. Within each group, each class member was assigned one or two speciÞ c grant proposals upon which they were to act as the Þ rst-

reader. In addition, each group had someone from the First Community Foun-dation to guide us through this process and facilitate discussion on how best to allocate the limited funds to such worthy causes. The people from the Founda-tion who assisted our class were Gary Peck, Chair of the Williamsport Lycoming Regional Advisory Board (WLRAB), Ron Cimini, Vice-Chair of the WLRAB, Nikki Crawford, Brenda Nichols, Adam Alexander, Bob Esposito, and Shelly Fuller. Without the assis-tance of these individuals, a challenging task would have been even more so. After completing our task with regards to the grant proposals, our class boarded a bus and headed to the southern end of Lycoming County for our tour of the County LandÞ ll and Recycling Facility. Our tour began by meeting our guide, Michael Hnatin of LandÞ ll Management. We started by touring the new single-stream recycling facility. We were taken through the facility and shown how the machinery sorts the various forms of recyclables. Metal drums

sorted paper and cardboard from heavier materials. Later, a magnet pulls the tin cans out of the assort-ment and glass is broken into pieces and sorted out. Plastics and aluminum were also sorted from each other before all the products are bailed and then sold to be reused. The technology is not yet perfect and oc-casionally a recyclable ends up in the wrong bail. Following our recycling facility tour, we were taken to the landÞ ll side of the facility. Michael explained to our class some of the nu-merous environmental chal-lenges that come about from operating a waste facility of this magnitude, includ-ing how they deal with the smells that are generated and how the contaminated wastewater, called leachate, is treated. We rode the bus all the way to where waste haulers deposit tons of trash every day. After our photo op, we boarded the bus and traveled to Halli-burton. Upon arrival, we were immediately exposed to culture of safety that is a hallmark of everything Halliburton does. Clay DuPree served as our host,

welcomed us to the facility, and explained some of Hal-liburton’s history and what exactly they do as an oil/gas Þ eld service company. We enjoyed a great lunch before being broken into two groups to tour the facil-ity in Montgomery and the nearby facility in Muncy. Clay guided the group through the Montgomery facility that served as the main maintenance yard for the Halliburton vehicles in the region. During our tour of the facility, Clay not only showed us the equipment on hand and how it was maintained at this facility, but he also explained much of what Halliburton does in the Þ eld as well. After the tour of the Þ rst facility was complete, our groups switched loca-tions and guides. During our tour of the Halliburton Muncy facility, our class was exposed to the process by which gas wells are cemented. Our guides ex-plained how they mixed the cement to the exact speciÞ -cations of the site on which it was to be used and then loaded on trucks dry, to be mixed with water on site and pumped into the given well. We also saw the lab where the cement was test-ed to ensure that it met the exact requirements of the site. Following the Muncy facility tour, we headed back to the Montgomery facility and wrapped up our very insightful visit with the local Halliburton facili-ties. Our next stop was just a short distance down the road; the under construc-tion Panda Patriot natural gas power generating sta-tion. Two months previous, we were scheduled to visit

the construction site but weather intervened and we were unable to do so. On that date, Larry Gill, the Site Manager came and spoke with us about the construction of the plant, being completed by Gemma Power Systems. Now, we were able to see what was explained to us previously. Our class was impressed by the size and scale of the construction site and how so many workers are all efÞ ciently organized and directed towards a common goal. Following our tour at Panda, we headed back to Williamsport, another excit-ing and educational Leader-ship day completed.

Submitted by: Nicole Bless-ing, Blessing Insurance Agency and Drew Mounsey, RDJ Enterprises

The Leadership Lycoming Class of 2015 stops for a group photo on top of one of the landÞ ll Þ elds during their Environment & Energy Day in May.

William

sport Sun-Gazette, June 201511Mark Your Calendar

The Leadership Lycoming Operating Committeeinvites you to attend a graduation honoring the

Leadership Lycoming Class of 2015Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Williamsport Country Club800 Country Club Lane

Registration -11:30 amLuncheon - Noon

Reservations are required by June 17, 2015570-326-1971 or www.williamsport.org

$25 per person

Class of 2015 GraduatesKristen Avery, Jersey Shore Steel Company

Nicole Blessing, The Blessing Insurance Agency, Inc.Liz DiLullo Brown, Little League International

Nicki Collins, County of LycomingBrian Fischer, Fischer Insurance Agency

Alison Gregory, Lycoming CollegeCarolyn Hawk, Lycoming County United Way

Terri Kio, North Central Sight ServicesBrian McClintock, Little League Baseball, Inc.

Davd Michaels, Williamsport Area School DistrictJason Moran, Lycoming CollegeDrew Mounsey, RDJ Enterprises

Emilie Pearson, McCormick Law FirmJennifer Ruelens, Fish Property Management

Garrett Sanner, M&T BankChristie Shimp, Lycoming County Sheriff’s Office

Stephanie Shover, Hope EnterprisesJennifer Thursby, CRS Advanced Technology

Valerie Trego, Susquehanna HealthBrad Webb, Pennsyvlania College of Technology

Bobbie Woolcock, Susquehanna Health

Nick Yost, Wells Fargo Advisors

golfoutingpg11

photocontestpg11

Missed a Chamber Connection newsletter this year?You can fi nd past issues on our website at

www.williamsport.org or

search for the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce on Facebook and look in our albums. There you will fi nd 2015 Chamber Connections.

Oh, and don’t forget to like us!

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BByy TTOORRYY IIRRWWIINNtirwin@sungazette.com

Julie McManus trav-els the world every dayand never leaves herdesk. The travel agent is

one of five on staff atWorld TravelInternational, a full serv-ice travel agency thatoperates out of theWilliamsport RegionalAirport. “We do all-inclusive

vacations, cruises, grouptrips, honeymoons, desti-nation weddings, Disneypackages, airline reserva-tions, train tickets andcar rentals anywhere inthe world,” McManussaid. The company, cele-

brating its 25th anniver-sary this year, has helpedintrepid travelers planunique trips, includingweddings at a jaguar pre-serve in Belize, a vol-cano in Costa Rica and acastle in Scotland. Insome cases, she’s set upprivate helicopters,yachts and body guardsfor clients with uniqueneeds.“I love what I do. I’ve

been doing this for 34years and every day it’ssomething different,”McManus said. The agents with

World Travel stay updat-ed on the industry bytaking classes and train-ing. Tara Smith, an agentwith World Travel, is acertified Disney expert

and McManus is a certi-fied Sandals Resort spe-cialist. With so much infor-

mation available on theinternet, many peoplemay try to plan trips ontheir own, but it’s a chal-lenging task that not justanyone can do. “There’s so much

information on theinternet it’s overwhelm-ing,” McManus said.“And anyone can makeanything look good onthe internet. It’s goodto talk to professionalswho have feedback.” Many clients look-

ing to plan complicatedtrips will find difficul-ties that are all handled

by professionals. “When there’s an

issue, you have someoneto help you,” McManussaid. She and her teamhave aided clientsdomestically and abroadwhen the unexpected hashappened during theirtrips.

McManus recalledone family who traveledabroad and on the finalday of their trip, themother was in a seriousfour wheeler accident inthe jungle and had to beflown by medical heli-copter to a nearby hospi-tal. The travel agency

was able to provideinsurance informationand ensure that the fami-ly was able to returnhome. In another instance, a

large group traveling toIreland was stuck in atraffic jam on their wayto JFK International

Airport caused by apower outage that madethem miss their flight.With McManus’s help,they were able to findlodging for the night andbook flights for the 30people on the trip in themorning. McManus wasalso able to communi-cate with their tour guidein Ireland to explain thedelay. “We’re here when

things don’t go asplanned, and you neverknow,” McManus said.“That’s the assuranceyou get. It’s peace ofmind.” And for those worried

about costliness,McManus said there’snothing to feat. “There’s no fee for

our services unless youjust purchase airline tick-ets,” she said. “Peoplehave nothing to lose bymaking a phone call orsending an email for aquote.” World Travel

International can bereached at 570-368-1214or 1-800-677-7871 orfound online atwww.worldtravelinc.org

SMALL BUSINESSWorld Travel helps clients see the world

JENNIFER COOPER/Sun-GazettteJulie McManus and the team at World Travel International provide full travel service to clients togive them the trip of their dreams. Based out of the Williamsport Airport, World Travel offers cruis-es, package tours, group trips, airline tickets, rail passes, car rentals, hotel reservations, honey-moons, destination weddings and condo rentals

!"#$%&#'((")#*)%+%,-%./0#*)%123,4

BByy JJEENNNNIIFFEERR CCOOOOPPEERRjcooper@sungazette.com

National SportingGoods has sat at the cornerof Allegheny and Oliverstreets since 1960, providingJersey Shore with productsand, more importantly,knowledge that stems fromyears of experience.In 2009 Adam Kourdes

bought the store that servescentral Pennsylvania’shunters and outdoor sports-men and has since quadru-pled the shop’s sales vol-ume.“I’d say we’re doing very

well,” Kourdes said. “We’reall gun guys, that’s why wework here. I mean you canget a job anywhere, doinganything, but this is a jobthat’s also a hobby foreverybody that works here.”Kourdes bought the

Jersey Shore store six yearsago because he alwayswanted to have something ofhis own. “The store’s got a long

history. I bought my firstgun here when I was ayoung fella. I knew the fam-ily that had it and it seemedlike a good opportunity,” hesaid. “They’re good peopleand this is a neat town.”National Sporting Goods,

located at 1241 AlleghenySt., employs six people, including Kourdes.Though it’s a small operation, it is a unique one.Apart from selling guns, ammo, optics and hunt-

ing accessories, the Jersey Shore shop holds an annu-al shooting expo free and open to the public.National Sporting Goods provides about 250

demo guns from 25 different manufacturers acrossthe country and allows potential buyers a uniqueexperience.“Potential gun buyers can’t get this experience

anywhere else. Our industry isn’t like the car indus-try where you get to test drive it first,” Kourdes said.“So this expo is something that’s totally unique forpotential customers.”The owner said it’s extra effort put into improving

customer service like that one-of-a-kind open rangeday that sets his store apart from larger suppliers.National Sporting Goods’ public shooting expo at

Sportsmen Club in Montoursville is merely one waythe store reaches out to the community.“We support just about every outdoor organization

that you can imagine,” Kourdes said. “From RockyMountain Elk Foundation to the National WildTurkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited and theKeystone Elk Country Alliance.”The store also takes part in all the local fire

department fund-raisers and is having a free flag daycelebration at Dunkled Acres for disabled veterans ofLycoming County.“We’re providing handicap accessible fishing

down to the stream,” Kourdes said. “We’ll havemusic and clay pigeon shooting and we’ll be provid-ing a meal for everybody involved.”Though community outreach is important, the

goal of any business is to bring in customers, andkeep them.“We have a very specific philosophy: We don’t

want anybody to ever have any reason to go any-where else,” the owner said. “We want to alwayshave the best prices, best selection, best customerservice and the most knowledgeable and friendlyemployees. All of those things are a very consciouseffort every day.”

William

sport Sun-Gazette, June 201513NEW MEMBER

National Sporting Goods provides products, knowledge

JENNIFER COOPER/Sun-GazetteAdam Kourdes, owner of National Sporting Goods at 1241 AlleghenySt., Jersey Shore, bought the store in 2009 because he always wantedsomething of his own and had a soft spot for the shop. NationalSporting Goods is where he bought his first gun. Since taking over sixyears ago, Kourdes has quadrupled the shopʼs sales volume.

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1514 Chamber recognizes high school

studentsThe Education Committee of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of

Commerce would like to recognize the following students for being chosen as the Student of the 3rd Quarter for their high school and for their hard work and achievements. Congratulations!

Nevan Schulte Montoursville High School

Carter AlexanderSouth Williamsport Area

High School

Leanna KolczynskiSt. John Neumann Regional Academy

Chloe BierlyJersey Shore Area High

School

Ian DinsmoreWilliamsport Area High

School

Josiah CovertLoyalsock Township High

School

Benjamin NesselrodtHughesville High School

Alivia ArtleyMuncy High School

Ellen HillMontgomery High School

Updating Member Records We are in the process of making sure our records are up to date. Business referrals are a valuable, business-in-creasing benefi t of Chamber membership. We would like to include you in this process as we refer to members only in responding to inquiries and want to give the most accurate information out. You will be contacted to verify your account infor-mation by our staff. Once you have completed the verifi ca-tion, you can email abaker@williamsport.org, fax to 570-321-1208 or mail to Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce - 100 West Third Street Williamsport, PA 17701. Thank you fory your cooperation!

William

sport Sun-Gazette, June 201515The Williamsport-Lycoming

Young ProfessionalsUpcoming Events

Member Social - The Sticky ElbowJune 2, 5:30-7:30pm

Join WLYP for a member social at The Sticky Elbow! Stop by after work for a drink or a bite to eat!

Community Service Opportunity/Event Paws for a Cause 1K and 5K Run/Walk

June 7 - 7:30am-10:30amJoin WLYP in this 5K to beneÞ t the Lycoming County

SPCA. Participate in the run/walk or join WLYP in volunteering from 7:30-10:30 AM.

Funds raised will help the SPCA continue to protect all types of domestic animals by providing temporary shelter,

emergency treatment, investigation and prosecution of cruelty or abuse complaints, adoption and counseling as

well as education programs.

Not a WLYP member? Stop by any event and meet some of our members and learn about upcoming WLYP events

and membership!To register for any of the above events, email board@wlyp.org.

Visit our Facebook page or website for the latest WLYP news and events: www.wlyp.org.

Follow us on Facebook amd TwitterEmail us at info@WLYP.org to join or for more

information!

dog to workpg15

EDPAC Update Well, the people (or some of the people – not many) have spoken and Primary 2015 is in the his-tory book; when the next primary rolls around we will be voting for the next President of the United States. Until then, there is a good deal of work to do in electing local leaders to serve us in Lycoming County as well as all of our local governments. It is the norm for more people to turn out during a Presi-dential election year than a so-called “off year” like this one. That is ironic since local governments often have more of an impact on our daily lives than does the federal government. In the Republican Primary for Mayor of Wil-liamsport, the incumbent, Gabe Campana, easily won his party’s nomination for a third term over chal-lenger and sitting President of City Council, Bill Hall. Mayor Campana will face off against Democratic chal-lenger Emily S. Gale in the November General Election. In the race for Lycom-ing County Commissioner, the hotly contested race for Lycoming County Commis-sioner between six candi-dates in the Republican Primary provided the most drama. Incumbent County Commissioner Tony Mus-sare, easily won nomina-tion to a second term while political newcomer and Wil-liamsport business owner Jack McKernan, eked out a victory over Commissioner Jeff Rauff who was seeking his Þ rst election as County Commissioner (he was ap-pointed to Þ ll the unexpired term of now State Repre-sentative Jeff Wheeland). The two Loyalsock residents

saw the race go down to the wire but Mr. McKernan got off to an early lead and kept it the entire evening. This primary, with six candi-dates, is what we should have in all primary or general elections – a choice for people to make. All-too-often - that is not the case. The Democratic nomi-nees for Lycoming County Commissioner will be, as expected since they ran un-opposed, current Lycoming County Planning Commis-sion member Jim Dunn and former State Representa-tive Rick Mirabito (who lost his seat in Harrisburg to then County Commissioner Jeff Wheeland this past November). The EDPAC Board determined that it will en-

dorse candidates in the race for Lycoming County Com-missioner in the fall. Since three of the four candidates will be elected, it is entirely possible they will choose to endorse three candidates even though you can only vote for two. However, that decision will not be made until the Board meets to review the question-naires that will be sent out later this summer. As will always be the case when EDPAC considers endorse-ments, if a candidate fails to return a completed ques-tionnaire, he/she will not be eligible for an endorsement. The Board’s intention is to make the endorsements public the Þ rst week of Sep-tember, so stay tuned.

EDPAC – is a pro-business, pro-economic development and pro-jobs Political Action Committee comprised of members of the local business community that supports candidates for elective ofÞ ces, including Lycoming County Commissioner, who:• Demonstrate that they are pro-business;• Support the tenets of free enterprise, and; Pledge to make Lycoming County and Pennsylvania more com-petitive for business.Stay Connected to WLYP!

Join us on Facebook!

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The 2014/2015 Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce Membership Directory was a great success, capturing the vibe of progress and growth in and around Lycoming County.

The 2015/2016 edition will prove to be equally as dynamic and will feature the successes and accomplishments of the past year and a look ahead to the future.

This is an important resource for Chamber members and a great place to get your business noticed.

Don’t miss your opportunity to market your business to other Chamber members and businesses.

Here are just a few reasons why you should advertise in the Membership Directory:

• It is economical - You advertising will work for a whole year• The directory is used by members over and over again so your

message can be seen over and over again. • It lets other businesses know that you support the Chamber

and their efforts to support the business community.

FEATURES/BENEFITS• Increased business exposure and name recognition• Circulation to 900+ Member Businesses• 2,500+ copies made• Placed in many area hotels• Used as a regular reference tool in companies, so there are many “views” per copy distributed• Displayed in many “waiting rooms” throughout the area.• Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in the county serving large and small businesses, and public and private organizations in all sectors of our local community.

Please Contact your Sun-Gazette Marketing Representative or John Leeser at 570-326-1551 or 1-800-339-0289