CELLULAR PHONE SERVICE IS ON THE MOVE.(BUSINESS)

Byline: JULIE CARR SMYTH Business writer

NORTH GREENBUSH -- Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile, a joint cellular venture of the two Baby Bells, announced plans Tuesday to construct a $12 million regional operations center at Rensselaer Technology Park.

The company's 30-person regional staff will be consolidated by summer into the new 26,000-square-foot facility, which will also house a new digital switching facility.

Including the new building, BANM plans to invest a total of $50 million on local improvements to its digital network in 1997.

The cellular company, like its local competitors, has been scrambling in recent months to expand its network …

Spotlight on Southern California.

This month, BIC talks to three sales managers responsible for Southern California about business in the Golden State: Vern Aguirre, California region executive for Banco Popular; Per-Johan Berger, vice president of products and marketing for U.S. Bancorp Investments and Insurance; and Larry Stinson, a Wells Fargo Investments senior vice president and regional sales director based in Orange County.

BIC: How does the Southern California customer demographic affect your business?

Aguirre: The majority of our branches are located in lower income, community reinvestment act (CRA) markets, which have been largely ignored by banks. The customer base here tends toward middle market and entrepreneurs. About half our clients are Hispanic.

Berger: Southern …

Pope to elevate 23 new cardinals in ceremony

Pope Benedict XVI elevates 23 churchmen from around the world to the top ranks of the Catholic Church hierarchy Saturday, telling each prelate he must be willing to shed his blood to spread the Christian faith.

Benedict was scheduled to preside over the morning consistory _ his second since becoming pope _ a day after hosting the entire College of Cardinals and the new cardinal-designates at a meeting on the Catholic Church's relations with other Christians.

Benedict announced the names of the 23 new "princes" of the church last month. On Saturday he will give each a red skullcap known as a "biretta," and during Mass on Sunday he will …

John Ciardi: soaring high above cliche

John Ciardi was the first author about whom I said, here'ssomeone who writes without cliches. His writing had grace but,better, it had altitude, flying over trite language like an eagleclearing a summit of dead trees.

My discovery came in the late 1950s when I was an English majorin college. I had a required reading list as long as an arm and anappetite for the unrequired almost beyond control.

What to do? The writing of Ciardi, who was then an Englishprofessor in another school and in his first years as poetry editorof Saturday Review, suggested a method for cutting back. Read awriter's essay, poem, story or column until the first cliche. Atthat collision, …

Coconut Water size increase.(Zico)(Brief article)

Zico launched its Zico Pure Premium Coconut Water flavors in 1-liter containers. Also available in 11-ounce Tetra Paks, the new size is designed to offer consumers more options in a take-home size, the company says. The new 1-liter containers of Mango and Passion Fruit have the same nutrient profile as Zico Natural, which already is available in a 1-liter …

PIERCE TOSSES NO-NO.(SPORTS)

Byline: Staff reports

Chris Pierce pitched a complete game no-hitter, striking out 18 to lead St. Johnsville to a 5-0 baseball victory over Northville on Saturday. Pierce also had a home run and a triple in the win. Chad Lilly hit a single, a double and added an RBI for the Saints.

MORE BASEBALL

In Cobleskill, Andy Feuker's one-out single in the seventh inning turned what could have been a tough loss for Cobleskill (2-2, 1-2) into an 8-7 thrilling win over Colonial Council baseball rival Watervliet.

Cobleskill led 7-1 after two innings, but the Cannoneers tied the game with four runs in the sixth inning. Sam Shevet had a double, two …

Regulatory Report: Rule Aims to Eliminate Explosions.

The FAA has proposed a sweeping set of new regulations in 14CFR Parts 25, 91, 121, 125, and 129 to help eliminate the possibility of fuel-tank explosions by reducing flammability of large aircraft fuel tanks. The proposed rules are published in Notice No. 05-14, dated November 23, 2005.

After seven years of research, the FAA has concluded that unless the aviation industry tackles this problem, "nine more transport category airplanes will likely be destroyed by a fuel-tank explosion in the next 50 years." Since 1960, 17 airplanes were destroyed by fuel-tank explosions, four of which killed passengers. "Although we cannot forecast precisely when these accidents …