THE CENTRE COUNTY
GAZETTE www.CentreCountyGazette.com
On with the show ... State College Area High School stages the musical ‘The Drowsy Chaperon.’/Page 22
March 29-April 4, 2012
Volume 4, Issue 13
FREE COPY
O’Brien reaches out at charity dance By CHRIS MORELLI editor@centrecountygazette.com
FARA LIPPINCOTT/For The Gazette
GETTING TO KNOW YOU: Patrick Moore shakes hands with Penn State football first-year coach Bill O’Brien on Friday night.
BELLEFONTE — When Sarah Brownson made a phone call to invite a few Penn State football players to the Centre County Down Syndrome Society’s dance party, she didn’t know what answer to expect. Turned out she got a whole lot more than she could have imagined. “We contacted Penn State just to see if we could get some football players,” Brownson said. “(Coach) Bill O’Brien contacted us and asked if he could come along. We were just so thrilled to have him. We know he’s really busy, so to have him come out and support our group is really special. We’re really excited.” O’Brien brought several Nittany Lions with him to Bellefonte High School on Friday. They included linebacker Mike Mauti, running back Silas Redd, center Matt Stankiewitch, defensive end Pete Massaro and lineman Angelo Mangiro. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson was also there.
While he signed footballs, shirts and caps, O’Brien talked about what the cause means to him. “It’s very special. It’s a cause that’s near and dear to my heart. I have a son who is handicapped,” O’Brien said. “Anytime that I can come out and meet the kids and meet their parents, it’s a very special time for me.” O’Brien’s older son, Jack, has lissencephaly, a rare brain malformation. “He’s my oldest. He’s 9. Anytime I can do something like this, I just love to do it,” O’Brien said. While O’Brien was clearly the most popular man in the room, the players were a close second. They chatted with the children, signed autographs, tossed footballs and danced. “Anytime we can come out and give back to our community, especially for a cause like this, it really makes you take a moment and realize how blessed you are,” said Mauti, a senior. “What these people are doing here is just awesome.”
Charity, Page 6
AccuWeather’s Reeves remembered for passion Late Monday afternoon, Evan Myers was still in shock. It had been less than 24 hours since he found out that his co-worker and friend, Ken Reeves, died after falling off the roof of his home around 5 p.m. Sunday. According to State College police, Reeves was taking Christmas lights down when he fell from the roof at 1119 Jonathan St. in Lemont. “First and foremost, Ken was a very good friend of mine,” said Myers, senior vice president and chief operating officer at AccuWeather Inc. “I’ ve known Ken for 29 years. He was an energetic and enthusiastic person. He had a passion for life and was
very young at heart.” Reeves was a senior meteorologist, vice president and general manager at State College-based AccuWeather. Reeves was pronounced dead at Mount Nittany Medical Center around 6 p.m. Sunday. He was 50. “Ken was younger than me, and he never let me forget that,” Myers said with a laugh. “He was just a great person, very involved in the community.” While Reeves was close with just about everyone at AccuWeather, one of his best friends was co-worker Bernie Rayno, AccuWeather’s executive producer of video broadcasting and expert senior meteorologist. The loss of Reeves was still sinking in on Tuesday. “People like Ken Reeves don’ t come around very
Police logs ......................... 3 Opinion ............................ 7
Education ......................... 8 Lifestyles ................... 10-15
By CHRIS MORELLI editor@centrecountygazette.com
CHRIS MORELLI/The Gazette
SETTING SALE: Elise Watson and Lori Martin, both of State College, sift through items in preparation for the annual Big Brothers Big Sisters Spring Fling rummage sale March 24.
KEN REEVES 1961-2012 often in life. As a friend, there was no one better than Ken,” Rayno said. “He had this amazing ability to make you want to be the best person you could possibly be. It’s often said that leaders aren’ t made, they’ re born. That was truly the case with Ken.”
Reeves, Page 6 Centre Spread ........... 16-17 Health ............................. 18
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Spring Fling benefits agency By CHRIS MORELLI editor@centrecountygazette.com
UNIVERSITY PARK — If you were looking for a bargain, the Big Brothers Big Sisters 15th annual Spring Fling rummage sale was the place to be. On March 24, bargain Sports ........................ 19-21 Arts & Entertainment 22-24
hunters from all over Centre County descended on Penn State’s Ag Arena, looking for treasures in boxes, on tables and stacked on bleachers. According to Centre County Youth Service Bureau CEO Andrea Boyles, the event was a success What’s Happening ......... 25 Group Meetings ............. 26
once again. “It was a good day. We had lots of volunteers, lots of positive energy,” Boyles said. “We had people lined up at the beginning of the day. It’s definitely something special for the
Spring Fling, Page 6 Business .................... 28-29 Classifieds ....................... 30