THE CENTRE COUNTY
GAZETTE www.CentreCountyGazette.com
Stars in the making “Happy Valley’s Got Talent” to showcase abilities of area performers this weekend./Page 22
April 12-18, 2012
Volume 4, Issue 15
FREE COPY
CentrePeace aims to restore lives
Police: Bath salts a threat
By CHRIS MORELLI
at the end of the day. I know we’re damaging furniture.” CentrePeace used to be a piano showroom. Now, one can find pretty much anything in the building, which is packed from ceiling to floor with items for sale. “We need a larger showroom so that when you donate a sofa, it’s handled once more and that’s when it leaves,” Brewster said. “We probably need to double our showroom size.” The building at the current location is starting to show its age. Brewster has taken out tiles in his office because of a leaky roof. The wiring in the building is old. “We had it appraised about four years ago. They said the best use is probably just
STATE COLLEGE — Although they have disappeared from local store shelves, synthetic stimulants known as “bath salts” are still prevalent in Centre County – and officials say they remain vigilant about the dangerous drug’s use. While several stores in the county have stopped carrying bath salts, those using the chemicals for a quick high have found ways to get the product. “Unfortunately, it’s still available on the Internet,” said Ali Turley, the prevention coordinator at the Centre County Youth Service Bureau. “Because it is a chemical compound, it is very hard for the government to regulate.” In October of 2011, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration made illegal the possession and sale of the three chemicals commonly used to make bath salts — the synthetic stimulants mephedrone, MDPV and methylone. The ban is effective for at least a year. During that time, the DEA will decide if a permanent ban is warranted. State College Police Chief Tom King said he has seen the dangers of bath salts up close and personal. He believes a ban is warranted. “The bath salts and synthetic marijuana that are out there are very dangerous,” said King. “They’ve become popular with teenagers, and we’ve seen some very violent, even psychotic behaviors connected with the use of (the substances).”
Future, Page 6
Bath salts, Page 6
By CHRIS MORELLI editor@centrecountygazette.com
editor@centrecountygazette.com
BELLEFONTE — It’s a Monday morning around 9 a.m. and the doors have opened at CentrePeace, a nonprofit store that sells used furniture and household goods. Thom Brewster sits in his office along the Benner Pike, sips coffee and talks openly about the criminal justice system. “The system continues to fall dramatically short,” said Brewster, 55. “Too many of us have this ‘lock ’em up and throw away the key’ mentality. It’s because we don’t know any better.” Brewster is the executive director at CentrePeace, where inmates work unloading trucks, unpacking boxes and restoring used furniture. But that’s a small part of what’s done at CentrePeace. According to Brewster, the main mission of CentrePeace is restoring lives. “The most visible program we have is Project Restore. Every morning, I send a staff member over to the county jail to pick up a number of inmates, anywhere from one to 15. These are all men who have local county sentences, less than two years,” Brewster explained. Those inmates have been approved for work-release status. Therefore, they’re allowed to go outside the jail during the day. If they’re able, they can work at a paying job, like washing dishes at a restaurant. Or, they can pick CentrePeace. While some opt for washing dishes, a good number choose CentrePeace. And with good reason — there are some real incentives for inmates. “For every day that they spend at CentrePeace, inmates are eligible for a half-day off their sentence. If you spend a year here, you could conceivably get five or six months off your sentence, which is significant,” Brewster said. According to Brewster, it’s a win-win for the inmate and the commonwealth. “It’s good for them and it’s good for us taxpayers as well. It means we don’t have to pay for their housing for six months,” he said. In addition to getting time off their sentence, there’s another perk to working at CentrePeace: the food.
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Submitted photo
HELPING HAND: Greg Piper, showroom supervisor at CentrePeace, helps inmates unload a truck and move items into the showroom along the Benner Pike in Bellefonte.
Group looks to future By CHRIS MORELLI editor@centrecountygazette.com
BELLEFONTE — If you live in Centre County, chances are that you’ve driven by CentrePeace along the Benner Pike. You’ve probably seen the couches, the chairs, the desks and tables sitting in the grass near the side of the road. Perhaps you’ve even stopped to check things out. If you think that the furniture is out there for display purposes, you’d be partially right. The truth is that CentrePeace is bursting at the seams. “We need a bigger facility,” said CentrePeace executive director Thom Brewster. “We’re storing furniture. All the stuff that comes out during the day has to back
Community inspires new mural from arts collective By HARRY ZIMBLER For The Gazette
STATE COLLEGE — What color is music? If music were a painting, what kind of visual impact would it have on viewers? That’s the underlying premise in the Community Art Collective’s multimedia mural project that will place a new work on the wall near the intersection of Garner Street and College Avenue. The buzz of activity at one of the many community painting sessions was a clear indication of the excitement about the project. The temporary art studio was space donated by Ed Friedman, and the process of tracing and painting began March 15.
Located behind the Chipotle Restaurant, 116 Heister St., the art space is transformed nightly by energetic volunteers who join together to create sections of the mural. More than 200 members of the Happy Valley community have contributed time to the actual painting process. That number includes a wide range of people, from elementary school children to senior citizens. The unstoppable force behind this project is the effervescent Natalia Pilato, a Penn State graduate student working on her master’s degree in art education. She is currently serving as executive director of the Community Arts Collective, the organization that is Submitted photo
Mural, Page 6
WORK IN PROGRESS: Students paint pieces for the Community Art Collective’s mural project.
Police logs ......................... 3 Obituaries ......................... 5
Opinion ............................ 7 Education ..................... 8, 9
Health & Wellness .......... 10 Lifestyles ................... 12-15
Centre Spread ........... 16, 17 Sports ........................ 18-21
Give your business great exposure. Call The Center County Gazette at (814) 238-5051 for information about front page advertising.
Need cash sell scrap at Krentzmans (717) 543-3000.
St. John’s Episcopal Church spaghetti dinner will be April 14 from 4-7 p.m. (814) 355-0497.
Penn State Centre Stage presents “Gizmo” at the Playhouse Theatre April 10-21. Call (814) 863-0255.
Arts & Entertainment 22-24 What's Happening ......... 25 Ten-dollar haircuts available at Shear Science, 208 Mill Street, Milesburg. (814) 355-4519.
Business .................... 28, 29 Classifieds ....................... 31 Hunter’s Warehouse open noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. (814) 548-0088.