Chamber program guarantees savings on electricity
"Blair County: It's Our Business" to tape Wednesday
December Breakfast Club to address climate change
Leadership Youth class to undertake service projects
Legislative Action Committee to rally state leaders
LBC Adult session to focus on human services
Membership Directory ads now on sale
Reservations continue for Home & Garden Show
Congratulations . . .

Chamber program guarantees savings on electricity
The Chamber’s Energy Program, operated through OnDemand Energy and ChamberChoice, has negotiated significant rates on electricity and many Blair County Chamber Members already have signed-on to receive those savings. Is it too late for other members to sign-on?  Fortunately not. If you are interested and would like to learn more, The Chamber is holding two presentations with OnDemand Energy on Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Devorris Center. The meetings will last no more than one hour. There is no cost to attend. Call The Chamber at 943-8151 to register or just show-up.  

"Blair County: It's Our Business" to tape Wednesday  
Retail and hospitality play important roles in the Blair County economy. But what is the true health of those key industries and what changes can we expect as The Chamber undertakes more initiatives to assist in their ongoing growth and development? Those will be among the questions that will be posed to local businesspeople as The Chamber tapes two 45-minute "Blair County: It’s Our Business" programs this Wednesday at the Altoona Public Access Studio. Carolyn Donaldson of WTAJ Your News Leader will moderate the programs. Details on the panelists, sponsors and program times will be published in next week’s Business Bulletin. 

December Breakfast Club to address climate change The Chamber’s next Breakfast Club, scheduled for Dec. 9 beginning at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park, will address a topic that should interest not just the local business community but also the community in general. Dr. Raymond Najjar, associate professor of Oceanography with the Departments of Meteorology and Geosciences at Penn State University, will present "Blair County, Alabama: Life in Central Pennsylvania With Greenhouse Warming." Dr. Najjar will present evidence for recent global climate change in Pennsylvania and the potentially profound evidence for how that will affect business.  Come and hear this informational presentation. The cost to attend is $16 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.  

Leadership Youth class to undertake service projects 
The current class of The Chamber’s Leadership Blair County Youth program will have its next session on Thursday. The session will originate at the Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center and then class members will go to several different sites to do community service projects. The class will conclude the session by developing grant applications that non-profit agencies may utilize to access a grant that LBC Youth will award in 2011. For more information on LBC Youth, contact Judy Juda at 943-8151 or visit The Chamber website.  

Legislative Action Committee to rally state leaders 
The recent mid-term elections have created some opportunities for organizations like The Chamber to have greater dialogue with leaders of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The Legislative Action Committee is exploring how and when that dialogue will take place.  "At our suggestion, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry will assist us in scheduling meetings with leaders in both houses of the General Assembly," explained Chamber President Joe Hurd. "We want them to be aware of our legislative priorities. We hope to then help create similar meetings in other parts of the state so that these leaders understand that our chambers are willing to step-up and help make positive things happen for business." The Legislative Action Committee will discuss this concept at Thursday’s meeting that begins at 8 a.m. at the Devorris Center .    

LBC Adult session to focus on human services
Human services and what they mean to Blair County' s present and future will be the key topic at Friday's session of The Chamber's Leadership Blair County Adult program, to be held at the Hampton Inn Altoona. Among the participants will be Dr. Zane Gates. For more information, contact Judy Juda at 943-8151.

Membership Directory ads now on sale
Advertising sales are under way for the 2011 Blair County Chamber Membership Directory, County Profile & Buyers Guide, to be published early next year. The book has been a popular way for businesses to market themselves through a publication that reaches not only the Chamber Membership but the Blair County community as well. If you are interested in discussing or purchasing an ad, contact Frank Carney at 943-8151. 

Reservations continue for Home & Garden Show
If you plan to display your business in the 2011 Blair County Home & Garden Show, it's not too early to get a prime booth location before all spots are taken. The show isn't until March but reservations are well ahead of last year. Don’t miss out! Contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151 or go the website to download an application.   

Congratulations . . .
. . . to Wix Pix Productions of Vinco, PA, which produced a website for the Conemaugh Health System's Maternity Department that was recently conferred the Standard of Excellence WebAward from the Web Marketing Association. The WebAward Competition is the premier award recognition program for Web developers and marketers worldwide.

. . . to Home Nursing Agency which was named to the HomeCare Elite List for the fourth consecutive year. That list recognizes the top 25 percent of agencies nationwide in quality of care, quality improvement and performance. 

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