Bits of Business

Hospital receives $1.5 million gift

By Nick Malawskey

The Foundation for the Mount Nittany Medical Center received a major gift this past week when State College residents Lloyd and Dottie Huck pledged $1.5 million to support the center’s expansion and rural cancer outreach program.

The gift is the largest in the center’s history.

Kim Neely, the director of the foundation, said the Hucks have provided not only leadership, but inspiration to the foundation.

“Private giving is a significant stimulus,” Neely said, “impacting our ability to meet our commitment to

expanding necessary services, innovating the way we provide care and responding to community needs.”

The Mount Nittany

expansion project includes the three-floor, 42,000-square-foot build-up of the existing east wing. The project is expected to be completed in 2010, and will include an intensive care floor with single-patient rooms and an increased intensive care capacity.

Store moves into mall

After weathering a number of closures over the last year, the Nittany Mall recently had a new tenant move into its concourse.

Bolton’s opened its doors in the mall last week, offering a selection of wares for the working woman.

Susan Leventhal, the store’s director of marketing, said the new location was part of a broad move by the store’s parent company into Pennsylvania.

Bolton’s, owned by A&E Stores, is based in New Jersey. After 50 years and 20 stores in the New York market, the group decided to push west and, said Leventhal, the State College market was an attractive opening.

“It seems to be an area that could use a chain that provides clothing not only for juniors ... but also the working woman,” she said.

The store bills itself as providing fashion at an affordable price, she said.

“And you can literally walk into the department stores and find the same merchandise in our stores for quite a bit less,” she said.

The Nittany Mall store’s number is 867-7151.

Do-it-yourself

The do-it-yourself movement has picked up a lot of converts with the recession, as people look to cut costs in their everyday lives.

There’s do-it-yourself brewers, home builders, automotive repairs — all sorts of home-grown industries — but what about the end of life?

Later this week on Wednesday, the group Last Rights will be hosting a seminar on ... do-it-yourself funerals.

“For some people, it’s more meaningful personally, and encourages the healing process,” said Laurie Mulvey, president of the organization.

Mulvey will be talking about the topic, along with a “how-to” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Schlow Centre Region Library, in the community room.

The group, Last Rights, is an advocacy organization dedicated to helping people learn about their rights as consumers when it comes to funerals.

“It’s really fascinating stuff,” Mulvey said.

More information about the organization, and Wednesday’s meeting, may be found on its Web site, www.lastrights.org. Nick Malawskey can be reached at 235- 3928 or nmalawsk@centredaily.com. He also writes a business blog at www.centredaily.com.