"We had really strong public support of our application from a significant cross-section of our community," said Gina Bertucci, vice president of marketing at Fernwood, which is located in Bushkill.

State Rep. John Stiproth, D-189, Smithfield Twp.; Monroe County Commissioner Suzanne McCool; Middle Smithfield Twp. officials; and leaders from the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau and the Pocono Mountains Industrial Park Authority notified the state Gaming Control Board of their endorsement of the Bushkill Group's plan to install up to 600 slot machines and 50 table games. The hearing was held at the Country Club of the Poconos in Middle Smithfield Twp.

Other hearings will be held in November to determine whether Fernwood or one of three other applicants receives a license, which could be awarded by the end of the year.

"We have been at this process for four years now, and this is the last license we would be eligible for because of changes in the (gambling) legislation," Ms. Bertucci said.

Fernwood has a financing and operating agreement with Penn National Gaming Inc., the owner of casinos and racetracks and slot machine operations, including Penn National Race Course near Harrisburg. Fernwood would convert its 50,000-square-foot event center to house casino operations if its proposal is approved, Ms. Bertucci said.

Up to 360 casino jobs would be created if Fernwood wins approval, she said. Other applicants include: Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in western Pennsylvania; Eisenhower Hotel and Conference Center near Gettysburg; and Holiday Inn Harrisburg West on the Carlisle Pike in Hampden Twp.

Contact the writer: jhaggerty@timesshamrock.com

"We get better than a dozen people calling every day," Charles Jefferson, a partner in Scranton Connell LLP, the building's owner, said as he entered a demo apartment on the historic structure's fourth floor.

More than 60 of the building's 89 living spaces are leased, he said. The mix includes 13 studio units, 56 one-bedroom and 20 two-bedroom spaces. Renters will start moving in Nov. 1.

"Better than 50 percent of the people are relocating from outside Scranton," Mr. Jefferson said. "It speaks volumes about the health of the downtown."

The prospect of living at the restored downtown landmark excites tenants.

"It's a brand new building; that kind of brought me in," said Jonathan Resheske, 25, of Clarks Summit.

Mr. Resheske lived in downtown Madison, Wis., and said he was attracted by the idea of living in Central City.

Melissa Garcia thought she would not relocate from her Mulberry Street apartment until next year, but the Connell Building redevelopment changed her plans.

"The building just seemed so cool," said Miss Garcia, 23, a former New Jersey resident who earned a master's degree in business administration in May at the University of Scranton. "It was really affordable.

"You really don't find amenities like that in this area," she said, describing an adjoining parking garage, elevators and video security. The apartments include granite countertops, washers and dryers, kitchen appliances and central heating and air conditioning.

Around the corner from the Connell Building, Scranton developer Art Russo's nine-apartment development on the three upper floors at 326 Spruce St. was fully leased two months after he started renovating the building in January. Tenants moved into that building on Aug. 1.

"If I had 30 more apartments, they would have been rented," said Mr. Russo, whose ATR Properties LLC also owns an eight-apartment structure in the 300 block of Adams Avenue. "It's exciting to be part of the renaissance downtown."

Mr. Jefferson's Montgomery County-based real estate development company will spend $23 million to renovate the eight-story Connell Building at 129 N. Washington Ave. The 168,000-square-foot structure, which dates to 1886, was among the city's foremost office buildings for decades.

"We spent $1.6 million last month," Mr. Jefferson said, stepping aside as workers ascended a staircase on Thursday. More than 140 drywallers, finishers, plumbers, electricians, painters and sheet metal workers are doing the overhaul, which will include living space on the upper five floors and a retail-office mix on the three lower levels.

Mr. Jefferson expects the structure to house about 120 residential tenants and predicted the rental space will be filled by Jan. 1.

Contact the writer: jhaggerty@timesshamrock.com

SCRANTON - Diversified Information Technologies Inc., a Scranton-based provider of document and information life-cycle services, has acquired Commercial Data Processing, based in Fairfield, N.J. It is Diversified's third acquisition in the last 10 months, after the company acquired North Carolina-based Active Data Services in October and Bowman Enterprises in February.

"This will better position Diversified to facilitate health care providers' transition to electronic medical records and improve capabilities in work-flow solutions and enterprise content management," said Diversified CEO Scott Byers.

Wednesday's discussion was one of several stops by Mr. Kanjorski, D-11, Nanticoke, in recent weeks to talk about how health care reform will benefit seniors.

Nothing in the new law will cut Medicare's benefits or increase costs for services, Mr. Kanjorski said.

"Let me assure you: No benefits of Medicare are in any way cut under the new health care act," he said. "Anyone who is a senior citizen covered by Medicare will receive all the benefits that they would have received if the bill had never been passed."

The visit from the 13-term Democrat comes two months before the election when he will face off against Republican opponent Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta. His visit also comes in the wake of polls showing that senior citizens, the most consistent voting age group, are least pleased with the Obama administration, with one reason being confusion over health care reform.

Like other Democrats who voted for the legislation, Mr. Kanjorski said he wanted to dispel misconceptions about it. He promoted aspects of health care reform, such as a $250 rebate that will be offered to senior citizens who have Medicare Part D to pay for their prescriptions when Medicare temporarily stops paying. More than 1 million senior citizens have already received checks, he said.

Mr. Kanjorski also touted other aspects of the law, such as that it will allow children to stay on their parents' insurance up to age 26 and no one with pre-existing conditions will be excluded from receiving insurance coverage.

"That doesn't mean it's free. That means you will be able to get coverage," he said. "You may find it difficult because that coverage will be higher in price than normal health care coverage, but if you have a pre-existing condition like cancer, you won't be excluded from any coverage."

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

READING - UGI Penn Natural Gas announced no change in the commodity charge for natural gas for the period of Sept. 1 through Dec. 1.

The cost to customers for 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas will be unchanged at $7.08. The gas cost rate is a pass-through charge from which the utility does not profit.

Earlier this year, UGI officials said they anticipated a 5.7 percent decrease in gas costs rates in December.

ALLENTOWN - PPL Electric Utilities plans 10 new electric substations for 2010-11, including one soon to be completed in Jessup and new ones in Hawley, Pike County, and Chestnuthill Twp., Monroe County.

The substations are being added to meet increasing demand for electricity and to accommodate anticipated future growth and development. The new Jessup substation is near the Valley View Business Park. The Hawley substation is in Palmyra Twp.

The 10 new substations in 2010 and 2011 will cost $34 million. Others will be built in Landford and Beltzville, Carbon County. PPL operates about 400 electric substations serving 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania.

With shovels in hand, Sordoni and Habitat officials gathered Tuesday afternoon to break ground for the house at 72 West Brady St., West Wyoming. When complete, the 1,300-square-foot house with four bedrooms will be home to a family of five.

Geri Gibbons, a single mother, will move into the house with her four children, Nate, 19, Chris, 17, Zachary, 14, and Katie, 11. It's the first time Ms. Gibbons will be a homeowner. If it weren't for the partnership between Sordoni and Habitat, her family wouldn't have had the opportunity, she said.

The family now lives in half of a double-block in Wilkes-Barre, which has structural problems, and the landlord wants to sell it, Ms. Gibbons said. They got an application online and 18 months later, they learned they would be the homeowners.

"We're very grateful," Ms. Gibbons said. "We're very excited."

William E. Sordoni, president of Sordoni Construction Services and the fourth generation of family management, said it was a special day for his company as they broke ground for the unique project.

Recalling how his great-grandfather Andrew J. Sordoni started the construction company in 1910 digging cellars by hand, Mr. Sordoni said, "This really does bring us back to our roots."

Since Sordoni Construction Services' modest beginnings, it has grown into Northeast Pennsylvania's largest construction manager and general contractor, building projects for the health care, education, corporate and industrial sectors. Habitat relies on contributions from the community to fund the houses it builds. Executive director Karen Evans Kaufer said Sordoni's contribution allows the organization to provide the Gibbons family affordable housing.

The family will work in partnership with Habitat for 300 hours as part of their commitment to the home. Upon completion, they will begin to repay a 20-year no-interest mortgage of $55,000 through monthly mortgage payments, she said.

"These payments will then be used to continue to build other Habitat homes," Ms. Kaufer said. "The contribution to Habitat from Sordoni Construction Services will continue to benefit families well into the future."

Mike and Jill Holcomb own the lot where the home will be built. It was in the Holcomb family for 130 years. A coal mining house was formerly located on the lot, they said. After being for sale for years, Sordoni and Habitat chose the lot to build the home for the Gibbons family.

"It's so wonderful what they're doing for this family," said Eileen Cipriani, president of West Wyoming Borough Council, who joined several officials at the ground-breaking ceremony. "It's a great thing."

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

Workers will be discharged Sept. 10 because the plant is off schedule on one project and contract delays affect other work, said Robin Porter, spokeswoman for General Dynamics Land Systems, a Michigan-based unit of the defense giant.

"It's hard when we have to lay some people off because of timing with contracts," Ms. Porter said.

Employment at the 290,000-square-foot facility jumped about 73 percent, from about 180 in 2007 to 312 this year.

Machinists at the facility make parts for Abrams tanks, a variant of "Stryker" armored personnel transport vehicles, and amphibious transport units for the Marine Corps.

The layoff affects machinists, who were brought in during the jump in employment at the plant since 2008, plant manager Frank Fata said. He hopes the layoff may affect fewer than 35 workers.

"We're working real hard to reduce that number," he said.

General Dynamics is awaiting approval of $124 million in contract orders from the Army for hull improvements to dozens of Strykers, Ms. Porter said.

Some of that work will go to the Eynon plant, giving Mr. Fata hope that the layoff may be short-lived. "We're doing everything we can to make sure it's temporary," he said.

Contact the writer: jhaggerty@timesshamrock.com

As of Sept. 13, Friedman Electric will occupy about 33,700 square feet at 240-258 Armstrong Road. The new distribution center will service the 14 Friedman Electric customer branches five days a week throughout eastern Pennsylvania and New York.

The new facility will hold electrical, lighting and showroom-grade lighting products used in many regional commercial, industrial and residential applications. It will be accessible for other high-demand specialty electrical products that can be delivered on one of Friedman's 15 newly consolidated delivery trucks anywhere in the region to the customer's job site within 24 hours.

The facility will employ up to 25 new or relocated Friedman associates from the local area, according to a press release.

"We are thrilled that Friedman Electric has decided to make this major investment in CenterPoint," said Charlie Adonizio, president of the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce.

CenterPoint Commerce and Trade Park, which was developed by Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services, houses 24 companies that collectively employ approximately 2,500 people.

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com

Penn Harris Gaming, which includes Atlantic City attorneys among its investors, wants to transform a Holiday Inn on a busy commercial strip 10 miles west of Harrisburg into a $75 million resort casino featuring an "RV World."

The existing 239-room hotel falls short of a state requirement that a resort casino have at least 275 rooms. Penn Harris investors would fix that by renting out 36 recreational vehicles on the premises for overnight stays.

Penn Harris made its case Monday at the start of local hearings examining the four applications for Pennsylvania's remaining resort casino license. The hearings before the state Gaming Control Board move to the Eisenhower Hotel and Conference Center near Gettysburg today and Wednesday, Fernwood Hotel & Resort at Bushkill on Thursday and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in southwestern Pennsylvania on Sept. 8.

"Pennsylvania is very big on RVs," said attorney John Donnelly at the Penn Harris hearing in suburban Hampden Twp. "We hope to tap a completely different market than other casinos."

He described south-central Pennsylvania as a magnet for RV owners with easy highway access, numerous car shows in nearby Carlisle and Hershey and tourism attractions in Amish country and Gettysburg.

The 22-acre hotel premises would feature a large area where RVs would park and outdoor sports facilities for family entertainment.

Attorney Michael Sklar said the project would create 300 full-time jobs and bring $1.6 million in annual revenue to Hampden Twp. while avoiding the impact of a full-fledged casino with several thousand slot machines. Resort casinos can have up to 600 slot machines and 50 gaming tables.

Gaming board members heard plenty of counter-arguments to the proposal.

Local resident Robert Greenleaf questioned whether a lucrative RV market exists and said $1.6 million to the township is paltry compared to gambling revenues going to the state.

Penn Harris Gaming faces a challenge on another front, too.

Penn National Gaming, which owns Hollywood Casino east of Harrisburg, objects to the application on the grounds it doesn't meet the hotel room requirement and is too close to Hollywood casino. Penn National emerged as a partner in Fernwood's renewed license application.

A future hearing will be held to determine if Penn Harris Gaming can meet the room requirement with rented RVs, said gaming board spokesman Doug Harbach.

Contact the writer: rswift@timesshamrock.com

Store officials says they expect the appliance category to be strong and that lawn and garden category sales would be brisk because of increased demand for restoration as a result of damage from the excessive heat over the summer.

The Mooresville, N.C.-based company is the second-largest home improvement retailer behind the Home Depot Inc. Both retailers have suffered as shoppers put off big purchases during the economic slump. Early in the week, shares of both companies were hurt by news of lagging home sales. The National Association of Realtors said existing home sales plunged 27.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.8 million units in July.

Lowe's plans to cut costs by streamlining its corporate structure, trimming labor costs and becoming more efficient. The company now has 200 different geographic pricing zones, up from 90, which should increase margins. The stock has traded in a range of $19.15 to $28.54 in the past 52 weeks.

Lowe's operates stores in Wilkes-Barre Twp. and Scranton and has a distribution center outside of Pittston. The company's shares are traded under the symbol LOW.

Luzerne County is being considered as a potential site for a federal training facility that could bring 1,000 jobs to the region, U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski announced at a news conference Thursday at the Earth Conservancy building. The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. General Services Administration are considering a 2,300-acre site in Conygham Twp. for a facility to train about 10,000 diplomatic security personnel annually.

Table-game revenue released

Mount Airy Casino Resort in Paradise Twp. ranked third in the gaming board's table games revenue report for July, bringing in $2,028,827 in gross revenue from 72 table games, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Plains Twp. reported $1,260,653 in gross revenue from 62 table games in July, the lowest gross revenue from table games among the state's nine casinos for July, according to a report released Thursday by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The first month of table gaming generated $2.45 million worth of tax revenue for the state, the report said.

PPL reduces rate increase

A group of intervenors convinced PPL Electric Utilities to pull back on a proposal to hike its flat monthly customer charge by 82 percent, but the parties are still arguing over how a proposed increase would be distributed to customer classes. In an agreement announced Thursday, the group agreed to a customer service charge of $8.75, or a 3.7 percent increase.

The U.S. Department of Labor extended the deadline for its career videos for America's Job Seekers Challenge to allow submissions as late as Nov. 1.

The challenge invites the public to produce and submit one-to-three-minute videos focusing on the daily activities of 15 high-wage and in-demand occupations. The creator of the top video in each of the 15 categories will win a $1,000 cash prize. Visit www.dol.gov/dol/vidallenge.htm.

Service proposals being sought

Leadership Lackawanna is accepting proposals for community service projects.

Participants are required to work on community service projects. All projects must have an impact on the community and address a need. Contact Leadership Lackawanna administrator Nicole A. Barber, 342-7711 or nbarber@scrantonchamber.com, or visit www.leader shiplackawanna.com.

Mericle earns LEED certification

Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services recently obtained LEED for New Construction certification from the United States Green Building Council for the 744,080 square foot industrial facility it leases to Kimberly Clark on CenterPoint Boulevard in Jenkins Twp.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a national industry measurement tool created by the USGBC to define the industry's most environmentally conscious projects.

Blue Cross unveils obesity toolkit

Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania recently announced the Good Health Club Physician Toolkit, designed to foster better communication between pediatricians and families on childhood obesity and diabetes. The effort is being launched in collaboration with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and Blue companies nationwide. Visit www.bcbs.com/goodhealthclub.

Mercy honored for case management

Mercy Hospital's work in case management recently earned the hospital Platinum at the First Annual Case In Point Awards.

The Case In Point Platinum Awards was created by Dorland Health, publisher of Case In Point magazine, the official magazine of the Case Management Society of America. Mercy's case management efforts won in the Overall Case Management Program category, sharing the award with Hudson Health Plan, Jefferson Regional Medical Center, Missouri HealthNet and Network Health Inc.

Wednesday: Wyoming Valley Health Care System will host the panel discussion "Giving and Living: The Health Benefits of Volunteering" from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Thomas P. Saxton Medical Pavilion, 468 Northampton St., Edwardsville. The event will feature local and international volunteer organizations.

Saturday and Sept. 5: Railfest 2010, Passenger Rail - Past and Present. 10 a.m.

Sept. 8: "Passion for Loyalty" seminar, hosted by Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce, 8:30 a.m. to noon, second floor conference room, Mea's Restaurant, 8 W. Broad St., Hazleton. $89 per person and $79 per person with registration of group of five or more before Sept. 1 for chamber members. $199 per person for nonmembers. Reservations required. Contact Julie, 455-1509, jferry@hazletonchamber.org or register at www.hazleton chamber.org. n Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce September educational luncheon, the Fireplace Restaurant. Cost: free to chamber members, $10 for nonmembers. Reservations: 836-7755 or maureen@wyccc.com. n Greater Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, Health Care Reform Informational Workshop by Chamber Choice, 9 to 10:30 a.m. chamber building, 27 N. Main St., Carbondale. Cost: free. To register: 282-1690.

Sept. 9: Northeast Pennsylvania Claims Association monthly meeting, Cooper's Seafood House, Scranton, 6:30 p.m. Speaker: Deputy District Attorney Paul Ware, "Working Together with the Prosecuting Attorney." Includes buffet dinner. Cost: $25 for members, $30 for nonmembers. Reservations: William Ross, 868-6860.

Sept. 11: Penn State Cooperative Extension, "Shopping for an Electricity Supplier," 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Delaware Twp. Building, 116 Wilson Hill Road, Dingmans Ferry. Speaker: Dr. Dennis Buffington, professor in agricultural and biological engineering and extension energy specialist. Cost: free. Registration required by Sept. 8. Contact: Pike County Cooperative Extension, 296-3400 or pikeext@psu.edu.

Sept. 11 and 12: Wayne County Builders Association will hold its Home and Garden Festival Sept. 11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Ladore Lodge Camp Retreat & Conference Center, Waymart. Admission is $5 for advance tickets or $7 at the gate.

Sept. 13: Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, fifth annual Chamber Invitational Golf Classic, Glenmaura National Golf Club. 11:30 a.m., registration and luncheon, 12:30 p.m., tournament begins with a shotgun start, captain-and-crew format. Reservations: Marie Ferraro, 342-7711, ext. 132, or mferraro@scranton chamber.com.

Sept. 14: Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce and Wyoming County Commissioners, Northern Tier's career day/job fair, grand ballroom at Shadowbrook Inn and Resort, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information: contact Maureen Dispenza, 836-7755 or Maureen@wyccc.com; or Phil Smiley, 836-6840.

Sept. 15: MetroAction at the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Financing Forum, Scranton, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., chamber building, 222 Mulberry St., Scranton. No cost; limited seating. To register: call 341-0270.

Sept. 16.: The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, Health Walk, 4 p.m., CYC Pavilion, Business Showcase/Health Fair, Genetti's, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Cost: $10 per person, $5 per person for teams of 10 or more, free to all chamber members and guests. For more information: Jean Kile, 823-2101, ext. 113, or jeankile@wilkes-barre.org.

Sept. 16 through Nov. 8: Penn State Cooperative Extension Pike County presents Growing Stronger in Greentown, Mondays and Thursdays, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Registration deadline: Sept. 9. To register: 296-3400 or visit http://pike. extension.psu.edu to download the registration packet.

Sept. 18: Penn State Cooperative Extension, Safe Drinking Water program, 9 to 11 a.m., Pike County Conservation District office, 556 Route 402, Blooming Grove. Cost: $7 per person or couple. Registration, including payment, required by Sept. 14. Checks payable to: PSCE Program Account, mail to Pike County Cooperative Extension, 514 Broad St., Milford, PA 18337. More information: Peter Wulfhorst, 296-3400.

Sept. 22: Medical Explorers Open House, 5 to 7 p.m., Stroud and Brodhead Rooms, first floor, Pocono Medical Center, for ages 14 through 20.

Sept. 22: MetroAction with the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Financing Forum, chamber building, 222 Mulberry St., Scranton, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Cost: free. Limited seating.

Fernwood needs something. The owners think it's a casino and are in contention for the state's last remaining resort gaming license.

One of the Poconos' legacy resorts dating back 80 years, Fernwood was a pioneer of the "destination resort" model - where guests enjoy a full slate of activities and amenities without leaving the property.

As the Poconos changed, the resort model waned. Fernwood, while clean and festive, appears dated.

"People do not want to be on one property their entire stay - which is the destination resort model," said Gina Bertucci, Fernwood vice president of marketing. "Gaming would allow us another amenity to offer to our guests."

The owners are investing $1.7 million in an upgrade of some timeshares. Gaming would allow more capital improvement resort-wide while proving revenue for state coffers, a key consideration for regulators, who have final say in who gets the license.

Fernwood officials are convinced they are the best applicant. The resort already has at least 425,000 visitations annually, Ms. Bertucci said.

Fernwood has one million names in its database of customers, many of whom will return to Fernwood if gaming is available, Ms. Bertucci said. One of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board's goals is to entice out-of-staters to visit and spend money. With 84 percent of its existing clientele from out of state, Fernwood management feels it is best positioned to do that. The resort has one of the largest time share customer bases in the country, with 13,000.

"We fit all the criteria the board requires to a 'T,'" Ms. Bertucci said. "They want a licensee to bring people from out of state to spend money in the state, and we do that."

Fernwood's latest bid for a license faced a major setback when its funding source of the anticipated $25 to $30 million - the CIT Group - went bankrupt in 2007.

The setback may have helped strengthen their bid. Now, Fernwood has a funding and operating arrangement with Penn National Gaming Inc., owner of a dozen casinos and four racetrack/slots halls, including Penn National Race Course in Grantville.

The license would allow up to 600 slot machines and 50 table games. Unlike larger licenses, the resort casinos would open only to resort guests who spend a token amount of money there.

Bill and Tracy Shaw of Baltimore enjoyed their first visit to Fernwood with their daughter this week. They said gaming would be a nice addition.

"I don't see why not," Mrs. Shaw said. "They advertise the gaming venues here; why not offer it here? They need something new to add to the other stuff that has been here for a while."

Toni and Lori Vale of Youngstown, Ohio, said they aren't so sure. They aren't gamblers and believe gaming would change the character of the resort for the worse. "We like the family environment here, and that's why we come back," Mrs. Vale said. "Gaming would change that character. We've been to casinos, and people don't seem to have a good time. They look like zombies at the slot machines."

Ms. Bertucci says Fernwood's family friendly atmosphere will not change. The gaming floor will be tightly controlled and only open to resort customers.

"There will not be gaming spillover like you see at large a casino," she said. "Gaming will be another amenity, like golf, something guests can do if they would like to."

Fernwood began humbly in the 1920s as a restaurant that served chicken dinners to those traveling on the main road between Stroudsburg and Milford. The founding Ahnert family added lodging, expanded into a resort and started housing developments. Fernwood became known as a professional boxing venue, with bouts featured on ESPN and network television.

W. Peter Ahnert sold the resort and other properties to the U.K.-based entertainment company the Rank Group in 1988 for $51 million and assumption of $127 million in debt. Rank retained Mr. Ahnert to run the properties but the state-side managers and U.K. parent company were embroiled in lawsuits.

In the 2006, the management team now known as the Bushkill Group purchased the Fernwood, the Villas at Tree Tops and Fairway, and Minisink Financial Corp. for $32.5 million. Hotel and time share combined, Fernwood has more than 900 rooms.

Also competing for the gaming license are the Eisenhower Hotel, Conference Center and Resort in Cumberland Twp, Adams County; Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Wharton Twp., Fayette County, and the Holiday Inn Harrisburg West in Hampden Twp., Cumberland County. Public input hearings are scheduled for August 30 and 31, and September 2 and 8. More information, visit the board's website, www.pgcb.state.pa.us.

The state expects to make a decision on the resort gaming license by the end of the year, which could usher in a new era in Fernwood's long history.

Contact the writer:dfalchek@timesshamrock.com

Name: Amy Belcher

Job title: Artistic director of Arabesque Academy of Dancing in Moscow

Age: 33

Residence: Clarks Green

Family: Husband, Franklin "Butch"; son, Jacob

Education: Received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Marywood University in 1999 and also a 1995 graduate of Scranton Prep

When did you open the dance studio? In 2005

What kinds of classes do you offer? We offer ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, pointe and zumba. We also have an acting class this year.

Can you explain a little about the acting class? It's a new class this year that will expose the children to the basics of acting and they will learn little skits to put into the Christmas show and our year-end recital.

Do you only teach dance to certain ages? We start at age 3 and go all the way up through adult classes. We also have a Mommy and Me class for children between the ages 2 and 4.

How do you keep so many children under control when they're there young? We really stress having a small class size. The younger classes are limited to nine students or less. Each class will have an adult teacher and one or two student demonstrators.

Are there any other programs or packages that you offer? We offer a basics class, which is ballet and tap, and combo class, which is ballet, tap and jazz. They're a half hour of each dance form. The children come in once a week so it's more convenient for the parents and students only coming in once. It keeps the children interested only having half-hour classes, especially the young ones because they lose focus after that time.

KNOW SOMEONE who has an interesting career, or an interesting way to explain his or her career? To nominate someone for a Business Profile, call Lisa Zaccagnino 348-9130, or e-mail business@timesshamrock.com.

The state Department of Environmental Protection, which administers the federally funded rebate program, set energy requirements on qualified tank water heaters to the highest level rated the Energy Star, the federal energy consumption system. But those models are so new, they weren't widely available and carried a high price tag of $2,600 compared to conventional tank models, with prices as low as $600.

Pennsylvania had already set up one of the most restrictive rules in the nation before it doled out the federal money. Pennsylvania is one of four states that excluded common appliances as washers, dryers and refrigerators. When new models of tank water heaters were unveiled and moved the top efficiency from 0.62 to 0.67, the state lifted the bar to qualify for the rebate.

"The rebate program got ahead of production and distribution," said Jack Bellis, general manager of C.W. Schultz & Sons Inc. in Wilkes-Barre.

Tankless water heaters, however, do qualify. While they can cost upward $2,000, they have a longer life expectancy - 15 years. Some customers are willing to pay that much, Mr. Bellis said.

"We sold a lot of those because of the rebate," Mr. Bellis said. "For a furnace you are looking at getting back $1,000 from the state and a $1,500 federal tax credit, so it got people's interest."

In targeting the rebates, DEP spokesman John Repetz said the state wanted to stimulate the economy and help Pennsylvanians save the most energy and money possible. A new appliance may save owners $20 annually, but a new furnace or water heater would save much more, and benefit the economy because they require professional installation.

Contact the writer: dfalchek@timesshamrock.com