Thirteen months after launching on WICK, an AM station in the Scranton market, "Bocci Alley" has not only moved to the larger station WILK, but is also on the air on WJPA in Pittsburgh, on WINR in Binghamton, New York, and on WPEN in Philadelphia, the sixth largest market in the nation. "Bocci Alley," a radio show hosted by Joe Ranieli, features Italian music and Italian customs. The one hour show includes a cast of characters such as Father Julio Serra, the lovable priest who sees a business opportunity in every blessing; Sister Mary Holy Card, the nun with the clicker in one hand and a ruler in the other; Don Vito, the godfather only too ready to dispense his wisdom, and assorted others. The show starts with five minutes of Frank Sinatra, and is interspersed with musical selections, each with an Italian connection, from Louis Preima and Sergio Franchi to Connie Francis and Bobby Rydell.

Carnright Design, Mehoopany, welcomes Kakeru Performance Group, Endless Mountain CyberSPACE, and LB Printery as strategic alliances in its graphic design business. Suzanne Aulisio, president and CEO of Kakeru Performance Group Inc., has more than 10 years of high profile technology experience, with an emphasis on instructional design and delivery. Her services include all aspects of instructional design and delivery, including multi-media training, writing, and communications. Howard Frisvold, CEO of Endless Mountain CyberSPACE, an Internet service provider (ISP) since 1995, offers a broad range of Internet services from e-mail to web site hosting including shared, dedicated, and co-location hosting services. His services cover local access from Laceyville to Pittston, Montrose to Mehoopany, Clarks Summit to Scranton, the local calling area for Towanda in Bradford County, and the local calling area for Mansfield and Wellsboro in Tioga County. Ken Patton, owner of LB Printery, offers a wide range of printing services to meet every business' needs from one-color to full process color printing solutions. His printing services are capable of handling everything from the small short run jobs to large printing initiatives-from business cards to brochures to paper bags. With its new partnerships, Carnright Design offers comprehensive on-line and traditional graphic design, marketing, and advertising expertise including e-commerce web sites, business identity packages, graphic design, and strategic marketing/planning. Carnright moved on-line in 1998, and has a broad spectrum of graphic design capabilities and applies the latest technological advancements in interactive electronic media.

Dr. Pepper/Seven-Up Inc. is in the process of finalizing an agreement with Canada Dry Bottling Company, Scranton, to handle the Seven-Up brand in the Wilkes-Barre area, beginning January 1. Dr. Pepper/Seven-Up said it expects to finalize the license agreement for its Seven-Up brand with Canada Dry Bottling Company within the next month.

The Greater Wilkes-Barre, Scranton and Hazleton chambers, in partnership with Fleet Bank, are seeking nominations for the "Great Valley Young Entrepreneur Award." The purpose of the award is to promote the development of future business owners and operators. All entrepreneurs ages 13 to 25 and residing in Luzerne or Lackawanna County are eligible for the "Great Valley Young Entrepreneur Award" providing they are full time high school or college students. Dorm students are eligible. The nominee may be a full time graduate student as well. The entrepreneur must have a for-profit business that currently operates in Luzerne or Lackawanna County. Ongoing seasonal businesses are eligible as well. The business must be in operation at least three months and the candidate must have a client/customer base of three or more. The nominee must provide three references. One from a client is required; two others may be from a parent/guardian, principal/dean, or friend. Nominees are judged on operating success, involvement in new economy activities, entrepreneurial innovation, business and community partnerships, and utilization of technology. One winner will be selected for each county. Winners-selected by a panel of judges made up of business professionals and entrepreneurs-will receive a monetary award of $750, a commemorative trophy/plaque and a range of business promotion opportunities. Nominations must be submitted by March 30. Fleet and the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce will present the "Young Entrepreneur Award" at the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner on May 15. Applications are available at www.wilkes-barre.org or www.hazletonchamber.org or by calling (570) 823-2101 or 570-455-1508.for additional information.

King's College concluded an agreement to provide students a new study abroad site in Rome, Italy. The King's program is now affiliated with the John Cabot University, located in the historic Trastevere section of Rome. King's students can choose a semester, a full year, or a summer program. The King's College/John Cabot University study abroad program in Rome includes a variety of features, including programs in the liberal arts, business and the social sciences; courses taught in English at an American university; King's College credits; an international student body representing nearly 40 countries; Italian language courses at all levels; apartment-style housing, and integration into the cultural and social life of Rome. King's College study abroad programs enable students to continue their education in institutions throughout the world-the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia-while enriching learning through exposure to foreign cultures and a broader view of the world and its peoples. Also, Henry Nardone, King's College professor of philosophy, departed for Thailand in early January to teach at Webster University's Ca-am campus located two hours southwest of Bangkok, Thailand. Nardone will teach business ethics and critical thinking to international and Thai students on the Ca-am campus for the institution's eight-week spring semester. This opportunity is made possible through an agreement between the King's College study abroad program and the study abroad program of Webster University, St. Louis. With every 10 King's students who study at a Webster campus abroad, a King's College faculty member is invited to lecture on one of Webster's foreign campuses. With the Webster/King's affiliation, not only do King's College students receive the advantages of an international education during their studies abroad, but King's faculty are able to share their expertise with a wide range of students and also benefit from the cultural and intellectual experience of teaching and living abroad.

David J. Kolessar, M.D., an associate in orthopedic surgery at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, was an invited faculty member to the Pennsylvania Orthopedic Society's 2002 fall meeting, held for three days in Philadelphia. Kolessar's presentation highlighted the expanding indications for elbow replacement surgery in the 21st century and was titled "Total Elbow Athroplasty (Replacement) for Traumatic Conditions." As a former fellow in adult reconstructive surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Kolessar worked directly with one of the world's experts and developers in elbow replacement surgery.

LA Mortgage Services Inc., has relocated from 421 Northern Boulevard, Chinchilla, to 251 East Grove St., Clarks Green. The newly remodeled 2,000-square-foot mortgage service offices will provide various types of mortgage products to the residents of northeastern Pennsylvania.

Marguerite's Antiques, Pottsville, launched its new Web site, www.margueritesantiques.com. The site features information of the downtown store as well as items on display including candles and vintage Victorian line products.

Dr. Anthony L. Liuzzo, professor of business administration and director of the business division and MBA program at Wilkes University, has recently co-authored the fifth edition of "Essentials of Business Law," a broad-based introduction to the field of business law for college students and high school students enrolled in advanced placement courses. The book is currently available through Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. Key features of the textbook include new case studies and chapters on ethics, contracts, sales, consumer protection, property, commercial paper and business and technology. A member of Wilkes University's faculty since 1990, Liuzzo teaches undergraduate courses in business law and entrepreneurship as well as graduate level courses in human resources law and finance.

Christopher T. Dunworth, president and chief executive officer of the Mountain Laurel Center for the Performing Arts, announced the awarding of contracts for the first phase of the $40 million project. Following a minimum three bid process the Mountain Laurel Center has accepted that the following contracts be awarded: concrete,Alvin H. Butz Inc., Allentown, $1,319,469; site work and utilities, Popple Construction Inc and Dobrinski Brothers Inc., Falls, $3,800,000; site demolition, Beatty Contractors and Wreckers Inc., Nazareth, $95,000; selective demolition, Beatty Contractors and Wreckers Inc., $27,500; concrete, Panzitta Enterprises Inc., Wilkes-Barre, $81,470; structural steel, Szoke Brothers Inc., Slatington, $62,000; structural steel, McGregor Industries Inc., Dunmore, $1, 337,000; metal fabrication, McGregor Industries Inc., $32,933; rough carpentry, Duggan and Marcon Inc., Bethlehem, $344,250; Acoustic Panel Ceilings, Bethlehem; ceramic tile, Duggan and Marcon Inc., $12,600; metal studs and drywall, Duggan and Marcon Inc., $449,354; roofing, Alan Kunsman Roofing and Siding, Freemansburg, $181,350; doors and hardware, General Supply Company, Phillipsburg, NJ, $23,320; entrances and windows, Hutt's Glass Company Inc., Gilbertsville, $31,360 and $40,740; floor coverings, Owen M. Bastian Inc., Allentown, $23,450; painting, Charles Dectis Painting Contractor, Allentown, $43,200; toilet partitions, Material Distributors Inc., Bala Cynwyd, $14,314; food service equipment, Singer Equipment Company, Reading, $267,796 and $98,465; plumbing and HVAC, J.L. Turner Co., Wilkes-Barre, $411,902; electrical, Orlando Diefenderfer Inc., Allentown, $308,000; precast concrete, Say Core Inc, Portage, $48,740; masonry, Roth and Ellis Inc., Emmaus, $477,000; roofing, damp-proofing, Alan Kuhnsman Roofing and Siding, $599,050; overhead doors, A&B Door Company Inc., Mountaintop, $17,936, and hanger doors, Wilson Doors, El Dorado Springs, Missouri, $111,797. Companies in Israel, Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan are seeking American providers of searchlights, bagged garlic, second-hand textile machines, medical endoscopes, and piping systems. For more information, contact the Northeast Pennsylvania Alliance at (570) 655-5581, or www.nepa-alliance.org.

DuPont Performance Coatings (DPC) will provide training and support materials for Pennsylvania College of Technology's collision repair program in its new home on the college's main campus. The program will be relocated to the former HON manufacturing facility, currently undergoing renovations for conversion to classroom and laboratory space. The college acquired the property through a gift-purchase arrangement in 2001. The renovations are expected to be completed by the start of the fall 2003 semester. DPC will provide annual product training for collision repair faculty as well as DPC training instructors for collision repair classes up to two times each year. Penn College faculty members will attend DuPont-sponsored training annually at the DPC Learning and Development Center in Lionville. Nearly 500 students have graduated from the Penn College collision repair program since it was initiated in 1964. The program covers the entire I-CAR (Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair) curriculum as well as all ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) requirements for collision repair.

Penn State's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) now offers free energy assessments as well as other assistance to help small businesses in its 19 county area reduce their energy costs. Penn State's SBDC houses one of six specialists located throughout the Commonwealth who provide free, confidential environmental services through the Environmental Management Assistance Program (EMAP). In addition to energy efficiency services, EMAP representatives offer confidential business assistance on environmental, health and safety regulatory compliance and environmental and energy technology development. During the last two years, Penn State's EMAP has assisted 22 businesses in its 19-county area to reduce energy consumption. The total savings accomplished by implementing the EMAP recommendations were more than $15,000 per year in energy costs. This represents a reduction of 190,170 KWH, which equals the elimination of 256,136 pounds of environmentally harmful gases. For more information on the Penn State SBDC energy efficiency program, call (814) 863-4293 or visit www.research.psu.edu/sbdc/.

Stitch-N-Design, Pine Grove launched its Web site, www.stichndesign.com. The company features unique custom embroidery and also works with custom logos and art for specialized business attire, school uniforms and special events.

The Quandel Group Inc., Scranton, was awarded a $4.6 million general construction contract to upgrade a wastewater treatment plant for the Waymart Area Authority. The treatment plant additions consist of a new office building, SBR and digester tanks, control and UV buildings, and renovations to the existing control building. The upgraded plant will increase its capacity to 0.715 mgd when completed. The project is expected to be completed in December.

Mark and Amy Fanelli, owner and secretary-treasurer respectively of the technology firm Schuyl Inc., Pottsville, were invited to attend the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce's annual business awards breakfast recently. Special 9/11 awards were presented to the media and various groups, as well as business awards.

A team of engineers from Software Engineering Associates, an affiliate of TR Associates, Archbald, was a featured speaker at the 2002 O'Reilly open source convention in San Diego, California. Over four days, teams exchanged ideas, shared techniques and explained how they push the technical boundaries to maximize the benefits of open source software. Software Engineering Associates discussed the release of plankton, an open source toolkit that provides the building blocks and underlying architecture for dynamic web applications.

Danny's Boulevard Drive-In Inc., located in Ashland, launched its newly redesigned web site, www.DannysDrivein.com. Schuyl Inc. of Pottsville developed the new design for Danny's. "When people visit our place of business, they get that nostalgic feel. We wanted to bring that same type of feeling to our Web site. We wanted to make it a fun site to visit, while also making it informative," said Danny's Drive In owner, Randall N. Snyder. Combining a splash of the past with today's technologies, Danny's new site isn't just your ordinary informational Web site. Visitors can experience various songs from the '50's and '60's, along with animated records serving as the site's navigational menu. The site features a history of Danny's; downloadable menus; and information about ordering T-shirts, gift certificates and the restaurant's noted hot sauce. For more information, visit www.DannysDrivein.com.

The new office of The Entrepreneur's Source in Mountaintop has one goal - to make business ownership easier to attain for local entrepreneurs. The northeast Pennsylvania office, owned by Robert Beebe, is part of a nationwide network of business ownership consultants who work with individuals or companies considering franchising as a career alternative or a method of expansion. "The mission of The Entrepreneur's Source is to help people and companies grow . . .," said Terry Powell, founder and CEO of The Entrepreneur's Source. "Franchising is one option. Each year more than $800 billion in goods and services are sold through franchises. (Franchises) are the most successful method of business expansion today." For more information, call Robert Beebe at (570) 474-1660 or visit www.FranchiseExperts.com.

A new report to assist older Pennsylvanians in choosing a Medicare managed care plan is now available. "Choosing a Medicare Managed Care Plan: A Guide for Medicare beneficiaries" lists plans by region, giving comparisons on monthly premiums and co-payments; how well each plan does on several quality measurements; descriptions of benefits offered; and the results of patient satisfaction surveys. The free report is available in a hard copy version upon request and can also be accessed at www.phc4.org and at www.state.pa.us, keyword "aging."

The Pennsylvania legislature has passes the first significant change to the state's notary public law in nearly 50 years. The new law requires mandatory education of notary applicants; enables residents of other states to apply for notarial commissions in Pennsylvania; and eliminates the requirement for the time-honored emblem of the notary public: an embossed, raised seal squeezed or pressed into a notarized document. The law also expands the powers pf the Secretary of the Commonwealth to sanction notaries, including civil penalties of up to $500. The new law takes effect on July 1 and contains stricter guidelines for identifying customers. A notary must know the customer personally, require a government-issued form of identification with a photo, signature or physical description, or take the sworn testimony of a credible witness who can attest to the identity of the customer.

The Environmental Protection Agency's Wetlands Division is sponsoring the 2nd annual wetland photography contest focusing on images that show the wildlife of wetlands.They are looking for striking images that capture the biodiversity, and beauty, of wetlands - specifically birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects in their natural habitat. The deadline for submission is March 1, 2003. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/photocontest2003.html