Suprising Scranton & Wilkes-Barre PA

[donybrx]

Drumroll, please. Tomorrow (wednesday) I am told will be the topping out for the cineplex/retail/residential loft project now known as 'Northampton at Main'......below is a fresh link to the construction cam for what (at least in Wilkes-Barre) is a sizeable project).
Note: when you look at the project that it includes no only all the new steel, but also the older brick-clad buidlings on the far end, which will incorporate the residential lofts, a facedectomy in the works. In effect, the project covers the entire end of the block from Washington St. to So. Main St. fronting primarily on W. Northampton St. I saw it in person last week on my visit to W-B and was happy..to see the scale and the progress. Now for a 40 story tower........hahahhahha I love to laugh.....

Linky, linky, reveal all......and tomorrow's topping off tree manana...
http://www.sordoni.biz/netcam2/cam2.htm

[donybrx]

^^^ I think I see an evergreen tree in the construction cam shot, this AM, Wednesday, but it could be a puff of black smoke? there..at the rear of the new steelwork.......aha...wait, I see now. it's the tree being dropped by the crame as the timed 3 minute shots evolve......

http://www.sordoni.biz/netcam2/cam2.htm

[donybrx]

I'm laughing already...lol...a comedy club in DT Wilkes-Barre !

I can hear it now...."Didja hear the one about the Tortilla Factory?........ hahahahahaha...

Joking aside.....I hope it suceeds and delivers folks downtown

10/07/2005
Comedy club owners believe in downtown Wilkes-Barre
By:Tom Long

At the top of the short staircase, beyond the sign asking patrons to turn off their cell phones and wait to be seated, you can almost imagine a comedian onstage, cracking up the audience.

Thursday afternoon, a microphone hung from its stand on the small stage at the new 175-seat Wise Crackers comedy club at 15 S. Pennsylvania Blvd. Instead of an audience, though, boxes of screws and tools sat on the tables.
Tonight at 9, a comedian will climb the club's stage for the first time. With those first jokes, owners Scott and Anne Bruce hope to begin a new era of entertainment in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
"I saw what Wilkes-Barre is attempting to do, and I wanted to be part of it," Scott Bruce said, mentioning the theater project on Northhampton and Mayor Tom Leighton's "I believe..." campaign.
"This is going to be the hub of entertainment," his wife, Anne, said. "I feel like I'm getting in on the ground floor," Scott Bruce said.
Closer to the club, Scott Bruce hopes a night out at Wise Crackers along with a renovated restaurant at Genetti's Hotel and Convention Center will draw people downtown.
He hopes to have a "symbiotic relationship" with the hotel next door. There will be free parking for shows and "we'll be able to put together dinner and show packages."
The Bruces run several Wise Crackers clubs in the area, in hotels and restaurants. They are closing the club that had been held in The Brass Rail Restaurant and Saloon.
There will be one show on Friday nights and two on Saturdays. Bruce eventually hopes to open Thursday nights for a show that will include open mic nights for local comedians.
Though the first show is tonight, Wise Crackers will hold a grand opening Oct. 14 and 15. Tickets are $12. Oct. 28 and 29, the club will hold a benefit for victims of Hurricane Katrina. That weekend, half of ticket proceeds will go to the Red Cross.

©The Citizens Voice 2005

[Evergrey]

We have something called the "Wise Crackers Comedy Club" at a Ramada Inn here in State College... wonder if it's related.

[donybrx]

cousins, twice removed? ^^^^

I wouldn't have any idea....I can only speculate that it's a catchy name and there could be "Wise Crackers" worldwide.....'course, being the Anthracite region & all .......Coal Crackers?.......Wise Coal Crackers?.....ugh...somebody stop me.....

State College seems built for success for such as this, I'd assume, given a large student population to support it, all needing a good laugh at times. So does the WB/Scranton area, but to a lesser extent, but the idea might be to get patrons downtown as ever, from the Mall-Arena- 'racino 'district of Wilkes-Barre. We'll see......

[donybrx]

There seems to be more interest in Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton and the region in terms of in-migration, investment, speculation from the NY metro than I would have presumed at this juncture...from what I've been reading, there's more and more evidence of it.......
here are links to two articles: One about hispanic movement into Scranton, the other about Wilkes-Barre's price appeal.......

http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFri...ewsid=15370676

http://www.timesleader.com/mld/times...printstory.jsp

[donybrx]

Scranton's historic Lackwanna Station (now Radisson Hotel) has been sold to a California developer....the guy, a San Diegan, is even gonna live in Scranton for the six month period of renovation!

http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFri...ewsid=15378194

here's a link to the front page of the TT with a GREAT picture that might only be availble for today's edtion.....

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.asp?brd=2185

[James Bond Agent 007]

This looks a lot more interesting than the tortilla factory.

http://www.wyou.com/news/default.asp...ownews&id=5166

New Life in Vacant Plant Brings 200 Jobs to Scranton
Thursday, October 13, 2005

WYOU News has learned that 200 new jobs are coming to Scranton’s Keyser Valley.

And it also brings new life to a plant that closed some time ago. Compression Polymers is spending $40 million dollars to develop the old Anemostat Plant on South Keyser Avenue in Scranton.

We are told the company will make a wood substitute that can be used in construction.

Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty will meet with company officials tomorrow morning to official spell out the details but remember, you heard the announcement of 200 new jobs first right here on WYOU News.

[donybrx]

James Bond: Good find. And there's more...also better than a tortilla factory..........Sallie Mae in Hanover Township Indus. Complex...... adjacent Wilkes-Barre...150 new jobs...$35K to $80K range. More rain today...glub, glub......

10/12/2005
Sallie Mae hiring 150
BY TIM GULLA Staff Writer

HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Student loan giant Sallie Mae will add 150 high-paying jobs at its Hanover Township loan processing center before the end of next year, bringing employment at the growing facility to 850 people, the company said Tuesday.

As many as 30 to 40 of the new information technology positions, which will come with an average salary of $70,000 to $80,000, will be filled almost immediately, said Tom Joyce, a Sallie Mae spokesman.

Some entry-level jobs will start at $35,000; others will pay much more.

To help land the new jobs, the state kicked in $700,000 in grants for training and equipment and $450,000 in job creation tax credits over the next three years.

Primarily a provider of federally guaranteed student loans and loan services, Sallie Mae currently manages more than $116 billion in student loans for 8 million borrowers, according to company statements.

Its Luzerne County operations, originally located in a former shoe factory, were moved to the Hanover Industrial Park in 1987.

Sallie Mae’s employment growth has been fast-paced in the past five years, rising from 3,000 employees nationwide to about 12,000 today.

Should Reston, Va.-based Sallie Mae gain a stronger foothold in Pennsylvania’s student loan business, officials say more local jobs are not out of the question.

The move comes as Sallie Mae still is angling to get a bigger piece of the student loan pie in Pennsylvania, which is dominated by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. Its offer to buy out the agency was rebuffed earlier this year.

Now, several local legislators are supporting legislation to “level the playing field” for all student loan providers — a move that would help Sallie Mae.

State Rep. Kevin Blaum, D-Wilkes-Barre, said a measure he is sponsoring would give other lending agencies access to the agency’s computerized records, allow for competition from companies like Sallie Mae, and create a new authority to oversee state education grants.

PHEAA currently administers grants and the majority of student loans in the state, so it would be stripped of one of its tasks if the legislation is approved.

“PHEAA stays in business but it allows the private sector to compete for business,” Mr. Blaum said. “Everyone will be able to get into it. The spin off from that, I believe, is that Sallie Mae will be able to compete well with PHEAA and thereby create more jobs in the Wilkes-Barre area.”

The 150 new jobs will put an additional $11 million per year in salaries into the community. The new workers will perform programming, data processing, quality assurance and related roles.

Landing the positions was a competitive process, said Dennis Yablonsky, secretary of the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

Officials at the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry have been researching the area’s ability to supply information technology job candidates since July, when a then unknown company sent out a request for proposals. They only learned two weeks ago that the company was Sallie Mae, said Larry Newman, a vice president of community and economic development at the business chamber.

Mr. Newman said the Hanover Township facility most likely was competing for the jobs with Sallie Mae’s Indiana facility.

“These are very exciting times,” said Tim Fitzpatrick, Sallie Mae’s chief executive officer. “Stay tuned Pennsylvania.”

Jobs postings will be available on Salliemae.com.

Contact the writer: tgulla@citizensvoice.com
©The Times-Tribune 2005

[donybrx]

The Gov. came to NEPA bearing gifts of money and both actual/ potential jobs.......no point in turning all that away.......as many as 1600 are in the hopper with the current mix of new opps:

1600 News Jobs Coming to Northeast PA
Friday, October 14, 2005

From WYOU News:
"....If you`re in the market for a new job Lackawanna, Luzerne and Schuylkill Counties are the place to be.
That`s because employers in each area will soon be hanging "help wanted" signs.
Azek Trimboards is bringing 200 new jobs to the old Anemostat building on North Keyser Avenue in Scranton.
“The average worker will make 35,000 a year… It’s also a great investment in the community, this plant will see an investment of 40 million over several years," said Mayor Chris Doherty.
Those jobs are just a part of the good news. That`s because a total of 930 new jobs are coming to Lackawanna County.
The rest are slated for TMG health. Right now the medical billing company is in Scranton but look at the center its going to expand into.
In Dunmore, Managers are getting ready to move into the old Haddon Craftsman building.
“It’s the fastest growing company in NEPA. TMG Health has customers all over the 50 states and Puerto Rico. We`re a national company, but all our employees are in PA," said Jim Brown with TMG Health.
In Schuylkill County state money for the old Majestic Theater in Pottsville could mean a lot more jobs.
In luzerne county hundreds of new jobs are coming to the Humbolt Industrial Park in West Hazleton.
54 new jobs are also coming to Trion Industries in Plains Township.
The plastic and wiring company will expand its product line.
Those jobs are part of 739 new jobs coming to Luzerne County.
Other communities seeing work are Jenkins Township and Kingston.
“Since January of 2003, we`ve added almost 3500 new jobs and our unemployment rate has dropped almost a full point down to 5.7," said Governor Ed Rendell.

From WNEP news
Rendell Delivers Money, Jobs

Friday, October 14, 5:57 p.m.
By Brandie Meng

Governor Ed Rendell made five stops across northeastern Pennsylvania Friday handing out money and announcing the arrival of new jobs.

He began in Pottsville where he delivered $1.6 million for community projects, like renovating the old Majestic Theater. Then on to Wilkes-Barre where he handed over nearly $4 million for a business part and two company expansions that could create hundreds of new jobs.

The governor said his plan is simple. Create ready-made areas for business and the jobs will follow.

In Jenkins Township (Pittston) the governor presented $12.3 million in funding for a new commerce and trade park. The money is part of the $20 million needed to create roads, sidewalks, sewers and water lines in the 200-plus acres of abandoned mine area.

"We are going to accomplish two things. One, an environment scar. Look at the landscape, the acid mine land. We will change this, but more important, we will turn this into an industrial office park," Rendell said.

The Hazleton area got nearly $4 million for three projects that promise to keep or create more than 300 jobs.

The governor's last stop meant big news for Lackawanna County. More than 700 jobs are coming to the Scranton area.

TMG Health already has an office in downtown Scranton and is taking over the former Haddon Craftsman building in Dunmore. The company deals with health insurance, specifically Medicare.

"We selected this as a site because of cost structure, availability of work force, the technical infrastructure and we service all our business right here all over the country," said Jack Tighe of TMG Health.

The company is getting almost $4 million in state funding.

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[donybrx]

Another project gearing up in DT WIlkes-Barre...they've been fiddling with this site for a long time..at one time it was home to a few dozen old railroad cars, cabooses and all (interesting collection, really), on the prospect of turning the whole mess into a novelty hotel, with the Joe Palooka Diner nearby and the beautiful Victorian Rail Staion into an upscale restaurant..... Better luck this time, folks....


10/14/2005
Railroad plan clears 2nd hurdle
By:James Conmy

A massive redevelopment project in downtown Wilkes-Barre overcame another regulatory obstacle Thursday.

The Luzerne County Planning Commission designated six of the Market Street Square Complex's 7 acres as "blighted." The designation is a requirement of the federal Office of Housing and Urban Development's Section 108 loan program.
County officials hope to borrow at least $5.6 million from the federal agency by April 2006. The funds will be used to acquire the six blighted acres from businessman Thom Greco.
The county's renovation plans include a visitors' center, public parking and possibly a passenger train station.
"Obviously, we wanted to save the building," said Adrian Merolli, director of planning. "It has historic value."
The designation also requires county agencies to remove debris and address any possible structural concerns with the old train station, Merolli said.
Once funding is secured and the parcel is acquired, the county plans to make half of the site available for private development, said Commissioner Todd Vonderheid.
Ownership of Market Street Square also is critical for the plan to provide passenger rail service between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, said Commissioner Stephen Urban.
The Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority has given a refundable $200,000 to Greco as a down payment.

jconmy@citizensvoice.com
©The Citizens Voice 2005

[wrightchr]

^ that's great. passenger service between WB and Scranton...in the form of the proposed commuter rail to NYC? or a new LRT line? it's great that planning commission is looking into the future and planning ahead with rail. i wish i could say all of PA's major metro's were doing the same.

[donybrx]

^^^I agree completely...it might be a better investment than the extraordinary cost of expanding I-81 to 6 lanes (for now) along the mountainous stretch ....36 miles...from south of WB to North of Scranton to accommodate the increasing traffic, but that's another story and complex subject.

I believe that any notion of passenger service from Wilkes-Barre to NYC is piggybacked on the plan to revive service from Scranton to NYC. At one time, there were direct rail connections from W-B to New York but the thinking now seems to be that prohibitive costs of re-upping the old route instead dictates routing trains from WB thru Scranton to NYC, with a possible connection to Binghampton and north....that'd be cool!
I personally don't have the highest hopes for all of this unless the attitude by the traveling public and the politicians with the money change sunstantially...But, never say never.....

WHO will be the 5,000 hit of this thread??? I started this on a whim and as some little tribute to Scranton & Wilkes-Barre..without suspecting that there's be this much to present about the area..admittedly some of it dull as tortilla factories..... Cheers and best wishes....

[donybrx]

General updates:

...... 1. on the Market St. Square Project (Train station/poss. link to NYC):

http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFri...ewsid=15427212

AND..2. the Sterling Hotel. Happily, although they are still planning to destroy the handsome 1920's Sterling Towers (one of the best aspects of Wilkes-Barre's waterfront skyline), they are now thinking about replacing it with another tower for mixed use
hotel/office, but only 8 (ugh) to 14 stories. My concern is that with Philly's Cope/Linder as architects, it would be a generic design, giving W-B a squat, boxy earthbound structure where the graceful Tower now stands...........

Posted on Fri, Oct. 21, 2005
Sterling might rise again as hotel
Developers are considering a new structure, in the second phase, that might include some hotel space.

By JON FOX jfox@leader.net

WILKES-BARRE – In its second life, the Hotel Sterling might just be a hotel again.

At a meeting for public comment – a required step to use federal funding to rehabilitate the historic former hotel – developers planning the rebirth of the century-old building said paying guests might be in its future.

“We think that with the activity going on in downtown Wilkes-Barre we are a good candidate for additional hotel space,” said Alex Rogers, executive director of CityVest, the nonprofit organization that owns and is developing the Sterling.

The original building, the square structure at the corner of River and Market streets will likely be transformed into a mixture of commercial and residential space, but a second phase of development might include an adjacent eight- to 14-floor tower with hotel space.

“It’s going to be market-driven,” said James Stevenson, vice president of Lincoln Property Company, the firm advising CityVest on the development.

Stevenson said there has been a growth within the local hotel industry and with anticipated increased traffic in Wilkes-Barre and the two local colleges there might be room for more hotel space downtown.

“We’re optimistic about the potential for a hotel,” he said, adding that perhaps between three and seven stories of the planned tower may be hotel space.

The remaining space in the tower, a second phase of redevelopment, could house offices or condominiums, Stevenson said.

CityVest was seeking public comment before submitting architectural plans for the renovated Hotel Sterling complex to the state historic commission. The majority of the site is listed as part of the River Street Historic District and was listed on the national historic registry in 1984.

But only the original hotel structure, built 1897, will become part of a rehabilitated site. CityVest officials hope to demolish a smaller three-story structure and the larger tower capped with the Sterling sign as renovations move forward.

Both structures, officials said, are not economically feasible for redevelopment.

Representatives of CityVest said it was unclear when exactly a complete proposal will be submitted to the historic commission but said they did not anticipate any objection to their plans.

The first phase of the project is budgeted at between $22 million and $24 million, of which $9 million in public financing has been secured, Rogers said. He hopes to seek private financing to close budget gap once the plan has been approved.

The second phase, including the tower, will be based on the success of the first phase, Rogers said.

Once CityVest has secured approval from the historic commission, work will begin on environmental abatement work and demolition, both of which will take between two and three months.

Check out interior pictures of the still-ramshackle Hotel Sterling. Go to www.timesleader.com.

[donybrx]

Bringing forward the construction cam website for the cineplex/retail/ res. project. Roof is on and it's enclossure proceeds. Project includes the old tan brick buildings at the far left in the cam view.

http://www.sordoni.biz/netcam2/cam2.htm

[donybrx]

Stegmaier (Beer) Mansion re-use.......a bit of WB History and a bit of hope for the future...all good....
--------------
Posted on Mon, Oct. 24, 2005
OPINION
Stegmaier house encouraging sign OPINION MICHAEL MACDOWELL

AS MOST know, not all of the historic “big money” in our valley was made by just the mine owners. Other innovators in the last part of the 19th and through the mid-20th century also created a great deal of wealth for the community while doing well for themselves. One family who did well was the Stegmaiers. George I. Stegmaier’s brewery became one of the largest companies in the area. And now, because of the efforts of five smart women, the beautiful Stegmaier family house will become the home for a revenue generating arts center. How did this come about?

After Mrs. Mary Stegmaier died in 1942, her three children donated their beautiful home at 156 S. Franklin St. to the Red Cross in 1943. By donating the home in the dark days of World War II, the family members commemorated Mrs. Stegmaier’s affection for the American Red Cross and its significant role in the war effort. The home, constructed in 1905, is a wonderful example of Georgian Colonial architecture. Despite its commercial use for over 50 years by the Red Cross, the home has been remarkably well maintained. It is a beautiful representation of the grand homes that dotted Franklin Street, River Street and other streets in downtown Wilkes-Barre, some of which are now being restored.

Very recently, the Stegmaier house has come to represent even more. When the Red Cross decided to move to a suitable location, five women, who call themselves “The “Quinary Group,” purchased the Stegmaier home. Their intention was to bring the home back to its original beauty. “Arts Youniverse” will be the building’s first tenant. Here the work of local artists will be created and sold. Arts Youniverse will help retain this beautiful structure while supporting a tax-paying new business to our city.

Janet Flack, Mary Louise Faber, Pat Finan-Castellano, Maureen Straub and Kathleen Godwin have big plans for the Stegmaier home, but they are not alone. These five women are joining a growing cadre of individuals and institutions who believe that downtown Wilkes-Barre can again become an exciting place to live and work. For instance:

The Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, working hand-in-glove with the new Wilkes-Barre city administration, has taken significant steps in corralling public funds and other resources for projects such as a downtown movie theater.

Many organizations, such as CityVest, have been successful in leveraging public and private funds to purchase housing, renovate it, and make it available for the public.

The Joint Urban Studies Center, supported by contributions from volunteers, business people, Wilkes University, King’s College, LCCC and College Misericordia, has been involved in a variety of studies and activities designed to inform the thoughtful development of downtown.

According to Congressman Paul Kanjorski, $100 million, mostly public money, will be, or has been, poured into downtown Wilkes-Barre in an effort to try to reinstate its ambiance of a vibrant downtown, improve living conditions and set the stage for economic growth.

The difference these five women are making at the Stegmaier home and in downtown Wilkes-Barre is substantial. They have invested their own funds, not waiting for the public support to do so. This is, indeed, a brave and important step.

Perhaps it suggests that the pendulum is swinging so that the private sector investment, rather than the public sector, will be assuming a greater responsibility for downtown. Since the flood recovery of 1972, Wilkes-Barre has relied on public dollars to do what in most regions the private sector does. Let us hope these five women represent a new and exciting trend for our region. It is the private sector, through thoughtful and astute individuals like these five women, who will benefit most, financially and otherwise, from a vibrant downtown. That is as it should be.

Of course, the commitment of Flack, Straub, Faber, Finan-Castellano, and Godwin goes far beyond the pecuniary return. One need only listen to their excitement as they talk about finding the original stain glass window for the Stegmaier dining room, dusty, yet in perfect condition, in storage in the basement of the home. The home’s dining room will, once again, look like it did in 1905.

It is this excitement and entrepreneurial spirit that will save downtown, not just the state and federal funds upon which so many wait. Let us wish these five astute businesswomen luck with their new project and thank them for being on the cutting edge of personal involvement and investment in our community.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael A. MacDowell is president of College Misericordia in Dallas Township.

[donybrx]

Nota bene: Some Sallie Mae jobs are a 'step up"......hopefull there will be more to follow....
10/23/2005
High-tech jobs spark interest
By Tim Gulla , Staff Writer

Wilkes University senior Jami Shuleski made a common assumption about her future career in information technology.

"I assumed I'd have to travel (to find a job)," she concedes.

New developments, namely student loan giant Sallie Mae's recent decision to locate 150 good-paying computer jobs here, have the Wyoming resident rethinking that belief.

Maybe, she said, Northeastern Pennsylvania will present opportunities.

"Most people say you have to travel to find a job, especially a tech one," she said. "When this came out the other day, I was really surprised."

Days after the announcement, Sallie Mae was flooded with inquiries and resumes, said spokesman Tom Joyce.

A senior-level position posted immediately after Sallie Mae's announcement was removed after just three days. More than 100 resumes for that job poured in. "Among them are some very good candidates," Joyce said.

"One can say Wilkes-Barre may not be Silicon Valley, but we're certainly very happy with the level of applicants we've received so far."

Local economic development officials have been saying Northeastern Pennsylvania shouldn't be left out of the running when it comes to high-tech jobs. That's why Sallie Mae's decision to bring some high-tech to its bustling center in Hanover Township has been greeted with enthusiasm.

Northeastern Pennsylvania has a good infrastructure and many training facilities, said Chris Haran of the Great Valley Technology Alliance.

"The ability (for companies) to link with the academic environment is here," he said.

When Sallie Mae put out a blind request for proposals from communities competing for its information technology jobs, the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry began compiling data to show the region could fill them.
Not only did the data show strong interest, but a fairly deep labor pool, said workforce development director Jane Ashton.

Luzerne and Lackawanna County colleges had roughly 400 graduates in computer science and information technology degrees for 2003-2004, an increase of 50 graduates from the prior year. A regional job search Web site recorded 26,000 searches for information technology jobs since March 2004.

"It showed people were looking for those types of opportunities in the area," Ashton said.

Other local companies helped too, said John Augustine, senior director of economic and entrepreneurial development at the chamber.

"We will go out in many cases and find similar companies in the region and get their human resources people on the phone to talk to the company (that's looking to locate here)," he said. "That testimony goes father than anything else you can see on paper."

Without knowing who he was talking to, one local human resources director told Sallie Mae's site selection brokers about his own experiences in finding candidates and hiring information technology professionals, where he recruited from and his experiences with turnover, Augustine said.

Rather than look at it as competition for IT job candidates, Augustine said the local business community saw the recruitment of more IT jobs to the area as a drawing card for even more high-tech workers.

"It put us in a national spotlight," Augustine said of Sallie Mae's decision while pointing to the newest copy of Expansion Magazine, a trade publication for site selection professionals. The publication had a story about Sallie Mae's decision to bring the jobs here.

"That's what's important for our business," Augustine said. "That brokers and site selectors say we can be a player in the game. We have been a player in the manufacturing game. (Sallie Mae's decision) goes to show we can be a player in the IT world as well."

Kristopher Jones, president of a growing Internet and e-commerce consulting firm he founded in Wilkes-Barre, wasn't surprised by Sallie Mae's decision. Pepperjamsearch has grown from four employees to 16 in about a year and is looking for more workers.

"You're going to have more and more opportunities for educated information technology and computer science students to find jobs," he said.

Rattling off a list of other computer-related companies that have been growing here, Jones thinks Northeastern Pennsylvania is on the right track.

"This is becoming a burgeoning epicenter for technology," he said.

There's still work to be done though, some say.

Babyage, an Internet retailer of baby products, moved to Luzerne County from New Jersey and its president, Jack Kiefer, says he's very happy doing business here. Still, it's not always easy finding job candidates with the right skill sets, a problem Keifer did not have when he was close to Manhattan.

His need for a programmer with experience in the latest computer language forced him to recruit nationally.

Everything is taking the right step forward, though. The chamber and local colleges are seeking his opinions, as well as those of other high-tech companies, so the schools have a better understanding of shifting business needs.

"It goes to this whole chicken and egg concept," Augustine said.

While Wilkes-Barre may not have job candidates with all of the diverse skill sets that computer companies may require, Augustine said he hopes that this can be a good thing.

"My hope is we can draw from the metro areas to draw back our residents to fill these positions. Those that went to Manhattan to work in these types of companies can come back home, because those types of companies are now here."

Sallie Mae could have put its jobs in other states, an in regions where there were more candidates for these types of jobs, Joyce conceded. But he's confident the company made the right choice.

"We reached out to schools and colleges across the state with IT programs to see if they would be a natural source (for candidates). It gave us comfort we could fill not only entry level, but senior positions as well," he said.

[donybrx]

Week ending headlines for Wilkes-Barre:

-------from AIR HOOTERS inaugural flight:
("......Security worry mars Hooters’ debut....")

http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFri...ewsid=15471085

-------- to the truly HOLY over in ROME...............

( "....Hospital sale: Approvals delaying deal for Geisinger to buy Mercy....The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and the Vatican must give OK......")

http://www.timesleader.com/mld/times...printstory.jsp

[wrightchr]

^ why is Geisinger buying up another hospital in WB?

[James Bond Agent 007]

^
Maybe he thinks there's gonna be a lot of sick people there soon?