Bits of Business

The Bar in Boalsburg keeps things simple

By Nick Malawskey

It is not often that a name of a business can perfectly sum up an experience — but in the case of The Bar in Boalsburg, it does just that.

In the words of the manager, Terry Rickards, if you’re looking for an appletini, don’t come here.

“A White Russian is about as fancy as we get,” he said.

But, if you are looking for a quick, inexpensive draft, some classic Nashville music and a fried cheese stick or two ... well then, this might be just the place.

The Bar, which recently opened next to Kelly’s Steak and Seafood is, as its motto states, “No Frills.”

It’s a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, a bar built by friends containing several tables with two beers on tap.

There’s a pool table in a side room and a microphone and public address system for local musicians — all you need to play is an instrument and some skill.

The Bar opens at 3 p.m. daily, and, during the week, stays open until at least midnight.

On weekends the door stays open until 1 or 2 a.m., depending on the crowd.

It’s a neighborhood spot, one for the locals — and that’s what Rickards wants.

“It’s fun, you get to know everybody by name,” Rickards said. “We try to make it a good, down-home kind of place.”

Weis, Sheetz strike oil

Finally, it seems, State College is starting to catch up to other major metropolitan areas in at least one regard — gas discounts.

Weis Markets recently announced they have inked an agreement with Sheetz that will allow grocery customers to save money on gas purchases in the State College, Bellefonte and Philipsburg areas.

Essentially, for every $50 spent at the register in Weis, a customer qualifies for 10 cents off per gallon of gas. The price of gas may be about half of what it was a year ago, but hey, any break is better than what consumers in the area had — which was nothing.

Hawbaker site set to open

After more than two years of planning and development, the Glenn O. Hawbaker recycling center will open its gate to the community on Monday.

Located at the site of the former State College landfill off North Atherton Street, the center will begin by accepting clean fill, asphalt, concrete and wood products. Those materials, which would normally be taken to a landfill as waste, will be processed on site to be sold back into the local economy as usable construction material.

Charlie Campbell, of Hawbaker, said the company worked closely with the Centre County Solid Waste Authority in the development of the site. And, although it is targeted toward recycling materials not accepted by the authority, there will be containers at the center to accept regular recycling materials on behalf of the authority.

The center will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

It may be contacted by phone at 272-0008, or e-mail at recycle@gob-inc.com.

New depression treatment

At first, the new NeuroStar treatment system at Sun- Pointe Health sounds like a device out of a science fiction story, penned by Isaac Asimov or Cordwainer Smith.

The device resembles a dentist’s chair — but instead of drilling teeth, a movable arm fires electromagnetic fields into a narrow portion of a patient’s brain, producing small electrical currents in the prefrontal cortex.

Those currents in turn activate cells within the brain, which stimulate neurotransmitters and reduce the symptoms of depression.

It’s a new system in Pennsylvania — after being approved by the FDA in October, SunPointe was one of the first to receive the new treatment equipment.

Dr. Tim Derstine, who treats patients with severe depression at SunPointe, said the new system expands the continuum of treatment within the psychology field.

In the past, patients who did not respond well to psychotherapy or antidepressants had few options, namely electroconvulsive therapy — an effective tool, but one with drawbacks.

Instead, the transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy does not display the systemic side effects of other treatments and, while very new, shows great promise, he said.

“It certainly is not the first treatment for a person’s first depression,” Derstine said. But, he said, for patients who have exhausted their other options, it could be a life saver.

Nick Malawskey can be reached at 235-3928 or nmalawsk@centredaily.com. He also writes a business blog at www.centredaily.com.