As a 115-year old business, history means a lot to New Tripoli Bank. We thought we should celebrate the history of our community by sitting down to interview members of our local historical societies and gather their perspective on history and its importance.

Their answers were varied, informative, and entertaining. We share them now with you as we prepare to celebrate the history of our nation on Thanksgiving. Hopefully this video conveys the importance of the work they do to preserve our history and celebrate it with future generations.

Many thanks to our participants!

• Albany Township Historical Society https://www.albanyths.org
• Emmaus Historical Society https://www.emmaushistoricalsociety.org
• Hivel Und Dahl Preservation Society https://www.hivelunddahl.org
• Lower Macungie Township Historical Society https://www.lmthistory.org
• Lynn-Heidelberg Historical Society https://www.lynnheidelberg.org
• Upper Milford Historical Society https://www.uppermilford.org
• Weisenberg/Lowhill Township Historical Society https://www.weisenberglowhill.org

Music used:

• "Country Blues Rock Ballad (Whiskey Moonlight)" Vlad Annenkov
• "Patriotic Medley March No. 2" Victor Military Band, Library of Congress National Jukebox
• "Ballin' the Jack" Victor Military Band, Library of Congress National Jukebox
• "Down Home Blues" Pennsylvanians, Library of Congress National Jukebox
• "A Day to Remember" Benjamin Tissot Bensound.com License code: Y8AQ5KRXWUUSFX5S

New Tripoli Bank has donated $10,000 to the Parkland School District Education Foundation to support approved educational needs in the District. These funds, which were supported by the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit program, will help the Foundation enhance educational opportunities for students across the Parkland School District through innovative programs, classroom resources, and unique learning experiences.

“Given the increased pressure on school districts and educators this year, it’s more important than ever to lend our support to important community organizations like the Foundation,” remarked John M. Hayes, New Tripoli Bank President and CEO. He presented the check for $10,000 alongside Michele M. Hunsicker, New Tripoli Bank Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, to Lisa Ervin, Foundation Executive Director, and Christina Tori Morgan, Foundation President.

New Tripoli Bank is proud to have funded the Parkland School District Education Foundation for many years, as part of its continuing mission to support the community. This donation will be used to support programs that might not otherwise receive the necessary resources, allowing Parkland School District to allocate its funds in a way that leads to the best learning outcomes for its students.

New Tripoli Bank has donated $100,000 to the Northwestern Lehigh Educational Foundation in order to support approved educational needs in the Northwestern Lehigh School District. These funds, which were supported by the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit program, will help the Foundation award grants for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math programs at schools throughout the Northwestern Lehigh School District. The Bank has been a proud supporter of NWLEF for over a decade, helping to fund modern teaching tools and classroom enhancements that empower Northwestern Lehigh students.

Regarding the donation, John M. Hayes, President and CEO of New Tripoli Bank, commented: “Our continued support is a testament to the lasting impact the Foundation has made on the outstanding learning outcomes of students at Northwestern Lehigh schools.” Hayes presented the check alongside Michele Hunsicker, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, to Matthew Koncz, NWLEF Treasurer and Board Member and Controller for New Tripoli Bank, and Amy Kinnon, NWLEF Development Director.

This donation will be used to support programs that might not otherwise receive funding, giving students in the Northwestern Lehigh School District the tools and skills they need to prepare for a career in a rapidly advancing world. New Tripoli Bank is a proud supporter of education, and this donation will ensure that our local school district remains at the forefront of technology enhancements that help prepare students for jobs upon graduation.

School's back in session! On Friday, October 17th, Michelle Vineburg, Compliance Officer, and David Malafarina, Social Media Marketing Specialist, returned to Lehigh Parkway Elementary School in Allentown to teach 3rd graders about banking, budgeting, and saving money. They handed out bags filled with activity books and bank-related posters and invited students to participate in mini games.

Many thanks to Brittney Dunleavy, 3rd Grade Teacher, Connor Hughes, Principal, Mary Powell, 3rd Grade Teacher, Paul Spence, Assistant Principal, and all the students in both 3rd grade classes who were excited to learn and participate in the presentations.

Northwestern Elementary held a Kickoff Pep Rally last Wednesday for their annual Boosterthon fundraising event, where they unveiled the winning t-shirt design, designed by student Sadie M. New Tripoli Bank has been a proud sponsor of this event for the past six years; with Patricia Metzger, New Tripoli Office Branch Manager, and Jenna Smith, Claussville Office Branch Manager, attending this year's pep rally.

Northwestern Elementary PIE always welcome donations; if you would like to contribute, you can do so at this link: https://give.mybooster.com/northwestern-lehigh-elementary-1

It was a beautiful Saturday this past weekend for the annual Pioneer Apple Festival at Ontelaunee Park in New Tripoli. The balmy weather meant attendees needed a way to cool down, which is why New Tripoli Bank employees were at the festival handing out free ice cream to guests (and their pets!). Even some of our employees' children joined in!

Big thanks to this year's volunteers: Andrea Harris, BSA & Security Officer; Matt Koncz, Controller; Rania Abdelfatah, Sr. Accounting Specialist; Lori Croneberger, Loan Support Specialist; Karen Hantz, Consumer Lender; David Malafarina, Social Media Marketing Specialist; Christine Pierce, Mortgage Lender; also thanks to Rania's husband, Dan, and Matt's son, Theodore, for their help!

Also thank you to one of our Community Bankers, Kelci, who stopped by our stand and let us pose with her son, Oliver!

The winning hex sign from this summer's Hex Sign design contest is finished! The sign will be on display all next week at New Tripoli Branch offices before we hand it off to the winning designer. If you'd like to see the sign for yourself, it will be at our branches on the following dates next week:

Buckeye Office: Monday & Tuesday, 9/22 - 9/23

Claussville Office: Wednesday & Thursday, 9/24 - 9/25

New Tripoli Office: Friday, Saturday & Monday, 9/26 - 9/29

We would like to highlight Eric Claypoole of Claypoole Hex Signs who turned the winning design into a reality. If you like his work, you can learn more and commission your own hex signs at https://claypoolehexsigns.com/

New Tripoli Bank will be replacing our current debit cards with new contactless “tap” cards. Active debit cards will automatically be reissued as a new contactless card.

To ensure you receive a replacement card, if you have not used your current card recently, please start using it. Any card not actively being used will be closed when the new cards are issued.

We have finally arrived at the end of our Hex Sign Design Contest! With 534 votes cast for the 24 entries to the contest, we are happy to announce that the grand prize winner is Mya Conti with 96 votes!

Our runners-up were Sharon Martucci in 2nd place with 78 votes and Lisa Pollock with 57 votes!

The winning design will be sent to Claypoole Hexsigns to be handcrafted into a real hex sign, which will be on display at our Bank branches for one week.

Thank you to everyone who submitted designs to the contest and thank you to everyone who voted for your favorite designs. Check back later this month when we will have the finished hex sign on display at our branch offices!

An Executive Order issued on March 25, 2025, mandates that the U.S. Treasury no longer issue paper checks for federal disbursements—including tax refunds, Social Security benefits and vendor payments—as of September 30, 2025. The federal government will transition to making electronic payments instead.

Who is impacted?

The three main groups impacted are:

1. Social Security and other federal benefit recipients: This includes anyone currently receiving Social Security or veterans benefits. The Social Security Administration estimates that 69 million Americans receive an average of $1,700 in monthly benefits.
2. Taxpayers receiving their refunds by check: Those who receive IRS tax refunds by check are estimated to be 2/3 of Americans, with an average amount of just over $3,000.
3. Government contractors: This includes businesses or individuals who are paid by the federal government for any contracts or grants.

The mandate is intended to prevent fraud and reduce cost. U.S. Treasury checks are 16 times more likely to be reported lost or stolen, returned deliverable or altered than electronic payments. Estimates show that discontinuing the use of paper checks could result in annual savings of $750 million.

While the Executive Order urges federal agencies to transition incoming payments to electronic methods, it does not establish a firm end date for accepting paper checks from businesses or individuals. Agencies are instructed to move inbound payments to digital ‘as soon as practicable’ under existing law.

What You Need to Do

Proactive transition to alternative payment methods can enhance efficiency, lower costs, and safeguard cash flow. More importantly, the transition to digital payments offers greater security through encryption and authentication, greatly reducing the risk of theft or alteration of paper checks.

Individuals receiving federal payments

• Sign up for direct deposit or other electronic payment method: If you receive payments by check, provide a bank account for direct deposit or enroll in an approved prepaid debit card program to access benefit payments without a bank account. You can do both online or call the Treasury Electronic Payment Solution Contact Center at 877-874-6347.

Businesses sending or receiving federal government payments

• Enroll in electronic funds transfer systems: If your business receives federal payments via paper check, enroll through U.S. Treasury systems like sam.gov or asap.gov. If you're already enrolled, ensure your account information is accurate in order to avoid delayed payments. If you make payments by check to the federal government, shift to electronic payment channels instead.
• Communicate with your finance teams: Alert your internal teams to the impending change so they can update systems and shift to reconciling payments electronically.

With an increased focus on mobile banking and commercial customer experience, New Tripoli Bank continues to expand its suite of digital cash management offerings that are designed to provide a convenient and secure commercial client experience. This includes electronic/digital payables and receivables solutions such as ACH, remote deposit capture, cards, and digital checks. In addition to offering fraud detection and protection tools, the Bank works closely with clients to help them optimize workflows, reduce payment costs, and mitigate risk during this transition.

Contact New Tripoli Bank or call Michael Koch, Business Development Manager, at (484) 224-3742 to learn more about our commercial digital banking options.

Beware of Potential Scams

As with any change affecting large groups of people, there is a potential for misinformation and scams. You should remain vigilant when you encounter any links to websites or receive emails from individuals offering to assist you with transitioning to electronic payment methods.

You should always contact your financial institution directly in order to set up direct deposit or other electronic payment methods. Financial institutions will never contact you directly asking for your account information.

In addition, avoid anyone who asks for money in exchange for helping you to set up direct deposit or electronic payments. Most financial institutions do not charge a fee to set up these services for their customers.

If you have been the victim of fraud or have been contacted by someone attempting to scam you, alert your financial institution and file a fraud report at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/