A longtime Carbon County commissioner and a lifelong Palmerton resident were among those honored Friday night at the 2022 Carbon County Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Gala at Blue Mountain Ski Resort in Palmerton.

Wayne Nothstein, who has been a commissioner for 23 years, received the William H. Bayer Lifetime Achievement Award.

Joseph Federanich of Palmerton received the Volunteer of the Year award.

Nothstein and Federanich were joined by five businesses that received awards.

Nothstein learned about volunteering early. He is an Eagle Scout, and in turn attends as many Eagle Scout Court of Honors as he can. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War.

Nothstein said a friend gave him a quote that stated, “The ultimate exercise in democracy, you vote in elections once a year. But when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you live in.”

Nothstein is co-chair of the Carbon County Collaborative Board, and a member of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania and their committees, the American Legion Post 314, the Vietnam Last Man’s Club in Lehighton, the Mahoning Valley Volunteer Fire Co., Lehighton Lodge 621 F & AM, and the Beaver Run Rod and Gun Club.

Federanich has given to his community for most of his life. He is a lifetime member of Palmerton Ambulance and Palmerton Fire Co. #1.

He has served on the board of directors for the Lehighton Chamber and the CCEDC. He co-chairs the Palmerton Area Chamber of Commerce.

Federanich also is a member of the Exchange Club of Palmerton, and the Palmerton Lighting Committee. He spearheaded the fundraising for the snowflake lighting display in town, and organized the annual Christmas tree lighting in the park.

“Thank you to the Chamber for honoring me for what I love to do,” Federanich said.

New on the scene

Within Harmony won the Rookie Business of the Year award.

The company launched in 2020 as an online business, but by 2022, owners Aileen and David Miller found a brick-and-mortar location on South First Street, Lehighton.

Within Harmony offers holistic wellness therapies. David Miller is a life coach and Reiki master. Some of the therapies offered are crystal healing therapy, sound therapy and more. Products available at the store include crystals, fossils, minerals, home décor, books and more.

Dr. Leeann Koch, of Thoreya Audiology in Lehighton, was honored as the Young Professional of the Year.

Koch has a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate in audiology from Bloomsburg University. She opened her office in Lehighton in 2021, and has made giving back to her community an integral part of her life. She is the recipient of the Maroon and Gold Excellence Award from Bloomsburg University for humanitarian work.

She volunteers as an event coordinator for the Bowmanstown Fire Co., helps with CCEDC events, and organized the Spellbinding Saturday festival and the Wine on the River and Rocktoberfest. Koch also offered a no-cost hearing test clinic for veterans at the American Legion.

“This came as a shock to me, because honestly, I do not volunteer for recognition,” Koch said. She said she was raised to recognize the importance of volunteerism. “We beat by the drum of leaving the world a better place than we found it.”

Economic development

Lehigh Valley Hospital-Carbon in Lehighton won an award for the Economic Development Project of the Year. Christine Biege, president of the LVH-Carbon, accepted the award on behalf of the health network.

The 100,578-square-foot hospital was built in 15 months along Blakeslee Boulevard at a cost of $78 million. It is a full-service hospital, and offers 24/7 emergency care, surgical care, and a range of primary and specialty care services including obstetrics and gynecology, rehabilitation, orthopedic and sports medicine, and the Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute for cardiology.

“We are so excited to partner with you for all of your health care needs,” Biege said. “We have 240 employees that are hired, so we have provided a ton of jobs for the community.”

Biege said LVH-Carbon plans to expand the cardiac rehabilitation, intensive care unit, breast health center, pulmonary function and lab.

Jim Thorpe Trolley Co. was named the Tourism and Entertainment Business of the Year.

With the goal of teaching people about the history of the area and introducing them to area businesses, Ed and Lynn Humphries started their trolley business in 2021 with the purchase of two trolleys. Three months later, they were giving tours of Jim Thorpe and the area.

On the tours, they tell visitors about Lenape people who called the area home, the discovery of anthracite coal by Josiah White and Erskine Hazard, and the contributions of Asa Packer. The tours take them to see the Jim Thorpe Memorial, Mauch Chunk Lake and the Old Jail Museum.

“We wanted to bring people into the great areas of the county,” Lynn Humphries said. “We are so thrilled to be here tonight and be recognized for our work so far.”

The 2022 Business of the Year is the Times News Media Group.

Established in 1883 by Zander Snyder, the newspaper was originally called the Mauch Chunk Daily Times. More than 140 years later, the Times News Media Group serves the counties of Carbon, Lehigh, Schuylkill, Monroe and Northampton.

Times News Editor Marta Gouger accepted the award on behalf of the company with heads of the newspaper’s various departments standing with her on stage. Gouger thanked the Carbon Chamber for selecting the Times News and recognizing its dedication to the community.

“Our business is serving the community. We capture the wins and the losses, the triumphs and the defeat, the good tasks and yes, the bad,” Gouger said. “We pride ourselves on being a watchdog and a cheerleader. We rely on the involvement of our local businesses, students, organizations and the community for our success. You make us what we are. Thank you for allowing us to tell your stories.”

Nothstein started the evening with the invocation, followed by a message from Tony Iannelli, the president and CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Alice Wanamaker, executive director of the CCEDC, and Marianne Rustad, the manager of membership and events for CCEDC, thanked the evening’s sponsors. Wanamaker served as a master of ceremony introducing the award presenters.