Wyoming Area Coach Displeased Because Of Playoff Confusion 
Just Moments Before Last Saturday's Nanticoke At Hanover Area Football Game, 
Wyoming Area Coach Paul Marranca Was Enjoying A Bowl Of Haluski.

Barney Stegura 
Dr. Barney A. Stegura, M.d., 92, Of South Hanover Street, Nanticoke, Passed 
Away Friday Morning At Riverstreet Manor, Wilkes-barre.

By STEVEN DU BOIS; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Tuesday, November 10, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





When you get off the phone with your mother, wait three seconds before
dialing your aunt. Otherwise, you might be charged 75 cents for a telephone
feature you don't even know you have. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Automatic three-way calling, a service that every Bell Atlantic customer
started receiving in October, allows users to talk to two people at once for a
75-cent fee. But those unfamiliar with its workings are accidentally
activating the service, and it's showing up on their phone bills. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I almost died when I got the bill," said Cheryl Cirello, 32, of
Larksville, who said she recently got a $260 bill even though she doesn't have
long-distance service. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Unlike call waiting, in which customers choose to pay a monthly fee,
three-way calling is available to all customers on a per-use basis. Cirello
had no idea, but her 12-year-old son did. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In fact, when Cirello saw two pages of "three-way, three-way, three-way"
calls, she worried that her son was calling sex lines. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But her son, Vincent, used the three-way calling feature as a little party
line, unaware that his talk, talk, talk was costing 75 cents a pop. Meanwhile,
the mother mistakenly activated the service by hanging up the phone and then
not waiting a sufficient amount of time before making another call. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Here's how three-way calling works, (and yes, your phone does have this
capability unless you specifically ask for a block): While you're on the phone
with the first person, quickly press the cradle button. Listen for three short
tones, followed by a dial tone. When you hear the tone, call the second
person. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 After the second person answers the phone, press the cradle button again.
Now all three of you can talk. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Joan Rasmussen, a Bell Atlantic spokeswoman in Arlington, Va., said the
feature is terrific for family members during the holidays and friends making
plans. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But here's the problem. If you're making a regular call to your mother,
hang up and immediately decide to call your aunt, the phone system thinks
you're trying to make the 75-cent three-way call. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "As soon as I get off the phone with my sister, I call my other friends,"
Cirello said. "A good portion of the ($260) bill could have been me, because
I'm quick on the phone." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The company warned its customers of this hazard in bill inserts and in its
October press release announcing the service, Rasmussen said. "I don't know
what else we can do," she said. "People have to read their bills." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 An official from the state Public Utilities Commission said it's "vaguely
familiar" with three-way calling, but did not know of many complaints. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bell Atlantic noticed the problem when the system was first tried in
Baltimore, Rasmussen said. To help customers realize they didn't hang up
properly, the company developed a warning. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There will be several short beeps if the customer failed to wait long
enough before making another call," she said. "You'll notice it when you
listen to the dial tone." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Rasmussen- who said the company will credit customers who inadvertently
activate the feature- said customers might be confused if three-party calling
is new to the area. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The company knocked $200 off Cheryl Cirello's $260 bill. While the customer
is satisfied with the break

3-way Calling Sounds Fishy To Bell Customer A Larksville Woman Questions How The Phone Service Instituted In October Rings Up Charges