Leadership Blair County Youth Retreat Begins Today
Wind Farm Tour Convenes Tomorrow in Cresson
Legislative Action Committee to Welcome 79th District Candidates
Impact of Non-Profits is Focus of Next Breakfast Club
ACE Award Nominations Now Being Accepted
Survey Will Help to Assess Blair County's Health Needs
GRYP "Summer Bash" to be Held at Barneywood
Changed Your Buying Habits Yet?  Let Us Know!
Privilege Pages Provide Great Value at a Low Price
Chamber Seeking Fall Intern
Chamber Energy Program: Great Savings on Commercial Electric Rates
Congratulations...
Blue Card Discounts 

Leadership Blair County Youth Retreat Begins Today
The ninth class of The Chamber’s Leadership Blair County Youth program will begin the yearlong educational experience with a two-day retreat at Laurel Lodge in Duncansville today and tomorrow.  The retreat will be facilitated by RAP Consultants which specializes in leadership programming for youth. Members of the 2013 Class are: Maxx Devorris, Dante DiAndrea, Sarah Steele and Olivia Walter from Altoona Area High School; Rachel Harris and Alyssa Wombacher from Bellwood-Antis; Ryan Evanko, Ashton Truby and Alexa Wharton from Bishop Guilfoyle; Braeden Appleman and Kathy Kephart from Central High School; Ali Feather, Lucas Nunamaker and Allison Ritchey from Claysburg-Kimmel; Alyssa Wertman from Great Commission; Josh DeLange, Logan Fox, Jesip Gresham, Amarisa Miles and David Wertz from Hollidaysburg Area; Cameron Bakhsheshe from Tyrone; and Jessica Clark and Madison Detwiler from Williamsburg.

Wind Farm Tour Convenes Tomorrow in Cresson
The Chamber’s Coalition on Sustainability will hold a tour of the Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm tomorrow, July 31st beginning at 9:00 a.m. Michael Barton, a consulting forester and Director of ERI Tech & Education Center will guide the tour. Those interested in taking the tour should meet at the upper parking lot of Saint Aloysius Church, located on old Rte. 22 in Cresson. There is no cost for the tour and non-Chamber members can take part as well. For additional information, contact Katrina Pope at 942-7472.

Legislative Action Committee to Welcome 79th District Candidates
On October 18th, The Chamber’s Legislative Action Committee will host a political debate between Democrat Richard Flarend and Republican John McGinnis who are candidates for the House of Representatives in the 79th District. However, this Thursday the committee will have the opportunity to meet both candidates at its regular meeting beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the Devorris Center. “We wanted to have them sit down with us individually to get a sense of who they are and what they stand for,” explained Legislative Action Committee Chair Matt Stuckey. “The debate will be more competitive. This meeting will be less formal.” Flarend will address the committee from 8:15 to 8:35; McGinnis from 8:40 to 9:00. The meeting is limited to committee members only. For further information, contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151 or email him.

Impact of Non-Profits is Focus of Next Breakfast Club
Attorney Jack Owen of the Pittsburgh law firm of Rhoades & Wodarczyk, a former board member of the Pennsylvania Association of Non-Profit Organizations (PANO) and past president of Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council, will be the keynote speaker at the August 9th Chamber Breakfast Club. The Breakfast Club will focus on the impact that local non-profits have on the Blair County economy. Attorney Owen has considerable experience in working with non-profits. The Breakfast Club will begin at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The cost to attend is $16 for members and $30 for non-members. To register, contact The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. Sponsor for the August Breakfast Club is The Village at Morrison’s Cove.

ACE Award Nominations Now Being Accepted
The Blair County Chamber of Commerce's Farm-City Committee is pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the ACE (Agricultural Community Excellence) Award.  Nominations will be accepted until Friday, August 17, 2012.  Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Stacy Hoover at The Chamber, 814-943-8151.  To access a Nomination Form, click here.

Survey Will Help to Assess Blair County's Health Needs
The Healthy Blair County Coalition is conducting a survey to find better ways to utilize assets that impact community health needs. Local employers are being asked to complete the Business Asset Survey which will help the Coalition to develop an intervention plan, an important component of the Affordable Care Act. The survey takes only a few minutes to complete. Individual responses will be kept confidential and the information generated will not be used to solicit your business or to encourage you to participate in projects or programs undertaken by any of the participating organizations. To access the survey, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6L5H37K. For more information, contact Coleen Heim at 944-0884, ext. 305.

GRYP "Summer Bash" to be Held at Barneywood
The 2012 GRYP Summer Bash will be held on Friday, August 17th from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Barneywood facility of NPC, located at 327 Tee Box Road in Duncansville. Any young professional looking to make meaningful connections in a fun, relaxed atmosphere should already have this evening marked on their calendar. The event will feature delicious food, free beverages, awesome door prizes, volleyball, horseshoes, golf, and much, much more. Live entertainment will be provided by Conner Gilbert. The cost to attend is just $10 for GRYP members and $15 for non-members.  To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. Prior to this event, there will be a 9-hole golf tourney starting at 4pm. Please contact Jessica Meck for more details and to sign-up. This event is sponsored by S&T Bank, with additional sponsorship by Furrer Beverage Company.

Changed Your Buying Habits Yet?  Let Us Know!
Too often, recognition bypasses people who deserve it most. The Chamber is attempting to change that through its “Buy Here. Live Here.” program. “We’re encouraging people to change their buying habits,” remarked Randy Green of McCartney’s, who chairs the BHLH Steering Committee. “When they do, we want to point that out to others. And we want to thank the people who are showing consideration for the future of their community.” If you are one of those people or your business has taken steps toward local buying, call Joe Hurd at The Chamber today (943-8151) or email him.

Privilege Pages Provide Great Value at a Low Price
If you were able to send an 8 ½ by 11 inch marketing piece about your business or organization to more than 1,100 business people for only $125, would you? Well several smart Chamber Members have been using “Privilege Pages” for quite some time. These marketing pieces are inserted in the monthly issues of the Blair Business Mirror that are direct mailed to The Chamber’s membership list. They are an effective way to hit a target audience that is often hard to reach. If you want your business to gain a competitive edge, call Jessica Meck at The Chamber today at 943-8151 and reserve your Privilege Page.

Chamber Seeking Fall Intern
The Blair County Chamber of Commerce is seeking an intern for the Fall Semester. The intern should be majoring in Business Management, Marketing or Communications. The internship can be either for credit or personal enrichment. Interested students should contact Linda Stotler at 943-8151. 

Chamber Energy Program: Great Savings on Commercial Electric Rates
If your business is a member of the Blair County Chamber and you haven’t enrolled in a discount program for electricity, you’re already losing money. To remedy that situation, check out The Chamber’s commercial energy program through OnDemand Energy. The rates are great and the service is outstanding. Simply visit the website at http://www.ondemandenergy.com/ and see what you’ve been missing!

Congratulations...
. . . to Ron McConnell, Chief Operating Officer of Altoona Regional Health System, who recently became a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s premier professional society for health care leaders.
. . . to Donna Fisher and Jim Eckenrode of the Blair County Conservation District who received special recognition for their roles in the purchase of the Sandy Run wetlands, located in Antis Township.  Donna and Jim aided the Fish & Boat Commission in overseeing administrative details such as the environmental assessment that will help provide the highest level of protection to these valuable wetlands.

Blue Card Discounts
Here are a few of the discounts you can receive with your Chamber Blue Card. Click here to see the full list of Blue Card Discounts. To have an offer listed contact Stacy Hoover at The Chamber at 943-8151.    

Peterman's Flower Shop	Present your Blue Card to save 10% on any products or service...including weddings!
Press Box Printing	Present your Blue Card to get a FREE set of Business Cards with purchases over $200.00. (Offer is good for one time only.)
Quantum Health & Wellness	Present your Blue Card for 10% off any corporate wellness program or tool, includes screening, educational programs, electronic medical records, health management coaching. Offer also applies to individual clients.
Ramada Altoona Conference Center	Present your Blue Card to receive 20 percent off in any of the Ramada's restaurants - The Cosmopolitan, The Renaissance or the Tropical Courtyard OR receive 10 percent off of sleeping rooms (based on availability) or 10 percent off on any banquet room or meeting room
Reliance Bank	Open a checking account with new money to Reliance Bank and receive a FREE Grocery Tote!