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The Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Kish Travel to host the trip November 1-8, 2012. Click here for information about the trip. 

This eight day, six night experience includes sightseeing in Florence, Montecatini, Cinque Terre, Siena & San Gimignano and Rome. Sights include the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Accademia, Palazzo Vecchio, the Vatican, and St. Peter's Basilica. Sites now include the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.      

The $2,499 trip price includes bus transportation to JFK, round trip airfare to Italy (air taxes are included), hotel accommodations, a wine tasting, guided excursions, daily breakfasts, four dinners and admissions to the Accademia and the Vatican Museum. Among the three optional tours offered is the opportunity to partake in a three hour Tuscan Cooking Class where you will learn the basics of traditional Tuscan cooking as well as savour the foods you prepare.

The Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau has partnered with the Chamber to launch a new online interactive map. The map will be featured on the HCVB website as well as the Chamber website. Click here for a quick video introduction: http://mapsponsors.com/huntingdon/ 

Our online Map is designed to deliver more exposure for your business and drive more opportunities to your location. To generate value for our member sponsors, a number of marketing positions are available throughout the Chamber's Interactive Map.

I encourage you to take advantage of this exciting marketing program and demonstrate your commitment to our community. By increasing your presence on the Chamber's web site you will enhance our Search Engine Optimization capabilities. Individuals and companies alike visit our website every day in search of local information about our community. They are looking specifically for businesses like yours. Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity! Contact Hampton Publishing's representative Frank "Art" Carney, here at the Chamber office via phone (814) 643-1110 or via email - mail@huntingdonchamber.com

Senator John H. Eichelberger, Jr. (R-Blair) and Representative Steven Bloom (R-Cumberland) will host a live screening and discussion of the recently released mini-documentary, "The Four Alarms: Fireproofing Pennsylvania's Economy."  According to Eichelberger, the movie "sounds the alarm on a raging, structural fire that's threatening Pennsylvania's economic stability."  Adding, "Steve and I are taking this discussion to the people who are really the emergency bucket brigade. Without citizen involvement now, I don't think government will get the message."

The short film highlights a range of controversial public policy issues from welfare abuse to mounting state debt.  The free event is open to the public and members of the media.

 WHO:      Senator John H. Eichelberger, Jr.

                Representative Steven Bloom

 WHAT:    "The Four Alarms: Fireproofing Pennsylvania's Economy"

 WHEN:    Wednesday, April 11, 2012, 6:30-7:30 PM

 WHERE:  Geeseytown Fire Hall

                215 Mary Street

                Hollidaysburg, PA  16648

The Huntingdon County Local Emergency Planning Committee has planned a Hazardous Materials Planning and Training Summit for May 9 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Huntingdon County Conference Room at 233 Penn Street, Huntingdon. Click here for details.  

There are efforts underway to launch a Startup Pennsylvania region for the commonwealth. A Startup Pennsylvania region would help recognize the importance of startups, ramp-ups, speed-ups, and "higros" to our economy. This exciting effort looks to rally the entrepreneur community together to take a leadership role in defining our Startup PA ecosystem, to create synergy through opportunities for the entrepreneurs, and to celebrate their own entrepreneurship as a game changer in our economic competitiveness.

These firms have the potential to one day employ hundreds, if not thousands of workers. The Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development is working to identify these higro companies that represent this economic job-creating strategy. 

Companies less than five years old account for all of the net job growth in our country between 1980 and 2005. Startup Pennsylvania is looking to shine a spotlight on growing young companies that are helping Pennsylvania to compete and turn to them for leadership in this initiative. 

The 4 and More Cultural District committee has planned a Tapas Trek & Poetry Post Unveiling event for Saturday, April 14 from 2-4 p.m. in downtown Huntingdon to celebrate National Poetry Month. Founded by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is held every April to celebrate poetry and its place in American culture.

The 4 and More committee learned about a community initiative in Portland, Oregon to install poetry posts around the city. Residents mounted wooden display boxes on posts or poles in their yards, and put their favorite poems in the boxes for passers-by to enjoy. Many online sources list Jim Bodeen as the first person to put such a post in his yard in Yakima, Washington in 1995.

It was suggested the idea could be transplanted to Huntingdon County to add to the aesthetic beauty and cultural richness of the area. The four partner organizations agreed to be the first to install poetry posts at their respective locations on Fourth Street in downtown Huntingdon, with the hope that other residents and business owners around town will soon do the same. The committee is already considering the possibility of creating a walking tour map of the poetry post sites.

The event kicks off at 2 p.m. at the Natural Connection Community Wellness Center at 313 Fourth Street (corner of Fourth and Mifflin), the home of the Huntingdon Health & Wellness Association. The first round of refreshments includes a decoratively carved fruit platter centerpiece with a creamy poppy seed dip, along with an assortment of fresh vegetables and dips. HHWA representatives will share information about the activities at the Wellness Center before unveiling their poetry post.

The trek will continue to the Huntingdon County Arts Council's Art Space at 212 Fourth Street at 2:30 p.m. Here, guests can sample a variety of baguettes, colorful tortilla wraps filled with fresh deli meats and cheeses, and smoked salmon and cream cheese on wheat croutons. Attendees will get to see a Bike Art Show, featuring the photography of A.E. Landes of Washington, D.C., and recycled art created by Evan Gross of Huntingdon. The Arts Council's poetry post will also be presented.

The third leg of the trek will take guests across the street to the Huntingdon County Library, located at 330 Penn Street (corner of Fourth and Penn) at 3 p.m. In addition to seeing the library's new poetry post, there will be a collection of poetry books on display. This stop will also feature hot hors d'oeuvres, including miniature chicken breast skewers, marinated cherry tomatoes, Babe the Blue Beef baguettes, and Hot Pepper Shaker baguettes.

The group will move again at 3:30 p.m. to the final stop in the Exhibit Gallery of the Huntingdon County Historical Society at 100 Fourth Street (corner of Fourth and Allegheny). After being welcomed by representatives of the Historical Society, the final poetry post will be unveiled. Guests with a sweet tooth will particularly enjoy this stop, as the journey ends with a variety of delicious desserts. Feast on four decadent cupcake flavors, and cookie miniatures.

Tickets for this event cost just $25.00, with proceeds benefiting the four partner non-profit organizations. Beverages are included, and will be provided at each location. The food for this event is being prepared by The Daily Scoop of downtown Huntingdon. A limited number of tickets are available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. To purchase tickets, contact Julie Peoples at the Huntingdon County Library at 643-0200, or send an e-mail to julespeoples@gmail.com no later than April 10. Tickets are also available at Sweet Annie Herbs, 316 Washington Street in downtown Huntingdon. Checks should be made payable to HCAC.

4 and More is an initiative of the four partner organizations, as well as various businesses in historic Huntingdon, with a goal to promote the Fourth Street Cultural District as a destination for arts, entertainment, education, shopping, and dining. Visit facebook.com/4andMoreHuntingdon for more information.