THE CENTRE COUNTY
GAZETTE www.StateCollege.com
Making progress Annual Ag Progress Days is on the horizon. The event gets bigger and better./Pages 16, 17
August 9-15, 2012
Volume 4, Issue 32
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Corman addresses Rotary Club
Brewing up a tradition
By HARRY ZIMBLER
editor@centrecountygazette.com
By CHRIS MORELLI
For The Gazette
STATE COLLEGE — Stating that Pennsylvania government should adopt the Rotary International motto, state Sen. Jake Corman believes it is time for Harrisburg to put “service ahead of ourselves.” The senator from the 34th District addressed the Rotary Club of Downtown State College on Aug. 2. He provided some insights about the way the state’s Legislature is going to move forward and offered a vision for real problem solving. “I became the appropriations chairman four years JAKE CORMAN ago,” Corman said. “With the recession it was like being named the captain of the Titanic.” The senator noted that, in real terms, Pennsylvania’s current state budget is $500 million less than it was four years ago. “Because of the recession, income and sales tax revenues have taken the biggest hit. And those are the taxes that run state government,” he said. That’s why the Legislature felt the right thing to do was prioritize. “But we still want to show that Pennsylvania is the place to be,” Corman said. “Creating jobs is the best way to raise revenues. We are in competition not only with other states, but with the whole world.” While the economy is still struggling, Corman says it is important for Pennsylvania to keep operating costs to a minimum. “Like businesses, we have to invest in ourselves,” he said. He suggested the following as strategic investments: transportation infrastructure and higher education. “We are allowing our transportation infrastructure to crumble around us. The costs of maintaining a system that is larger than most states is growing faster than we can keep up. It is our responsibility to fix this problem. We need to raise the revenue to address this.” He suggested that an increase on the gas tax, at the wholesale level, might be the answer. Citing the fact that his district saw the completion of several important road projects — including Interstate 99, Blue Course Drive and the Lewistown Narrows — Corman said that the district got a good return on its investments. “We have needs. We are not governing and doing our jobs if we allow the infrastructure to crumble.” Building roads will put people to work in the short term and deal with a problem that is not going to get any cheaper to fix in the long term, he said. Corman believes there is an important place for higher education in the state. “We need to provide access to higher education. Access is so important. We have great private institutions in Pennsylvania. But Penn State University is a system worth fighting for. Pennsylvania benefits significantly from money spent supporting Penn State,” he said. Corman said Penn State’s in-state tuition is fairly priced, compared with other institutions. Opinion ............................ 7 Health & Wellness ........ 8, 9 Send Story Ideas To editor@ centrecountygazette.com
SAMI HULINGS/For The Gazette
HOT SELLER: The Family Clothesline is selling numerous Penn State T-shirts for the upcoming 2012 football season. Many shirts reference first-year head coach Bill O’Brien.
Penn State apparel sends a message By SAMI HULINGS For The Gazette
STATE COLLEGE — In response to the events of the past nine months, several downtown State College clothing stores have created T-shirts supporting the Nittany Lions football team, new head coach Bill O’Brien and the university as a whole. When news of the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke, Family Clothesline almost immediately released a Tshirt with the words “Restore the Roar” written across the chest. Advertising manager Caroline Gummo said this shirt was created in response to public demand. “It was something a lot of our Facebook fans were asking for,” she said. Two additional shirts, “Billieve” and “O’Brien’s Lions,” were created
in support of O’Brien soon after he was hired as the new head football coach. With the release of the NCAA sanctions, both Family Clothesline and the Student Book Store believed it was again time to support the university through the creation of new T-shirts. The Student Book Store created a shirt donning the words “WE ARE” across the chest and “STILL PROUD” across the back with a blue ribbon in honor of abuse victims on the back. “We don’t have anything that’s out there or really pushing the envelope, so I think we are really trying to put something out that basically supports Penn State,” general manager John Lindo said. “We understand the predicament that every-
Apparel, Page 3
Fans still flocking to see ‘Dark Knight’
BOALSBURG — If you’re a fan of beer, well, it’s that time of year again. The 14th annual State College Brew Expo will take place at 5 p.m. on Aug. 11 at Tussey Mountain. Once again, proceeds from the event will benefit Coaches vs. Cancer. “It’s a great way to help a great cause,” said event coordinator Mike Martin. “The response has been great. We’re already sold out of VIP tickets. It’s gone really well.” Martin and his wife, Malissa, took over the event three years ago. In previous years, the expo was held at the Penn Stater Conference Center. According to Martin, he wanted to find an outdoor venue to host the event. “It’s August and people want to be outside. We moved it last year and it was a big hit. I think we’ve found a new home there. I think we’ll be at Tussey for many years to come,” Martin said. The expo will feature brewers from around the area and various states. Some of the confirmed brewers are Angry Orchard, Atwater, Avery, Boaks, Boulder, Brooklyn, Duquesne, Elk Creek Cafe, Founders, Gamble Mill, Goose Island, Great Lakes, Kona, Lancaster, Lavery, Long Trail, Magic Hat, Marzoni’s, North Coast Brewing, Old Forge, Otto’s, Penn, Samuel Adams, Sly Fox, Smuttynose, Southern Tier, Spring House, Straub, Strongbow, Troeg’s, Woodchuck, York Holo and Yuengling. In addition to the many brewers, there will be a BMX demonstration beginning at 4 p.m. The demo will feature X Games gold medalists Chad Kagy and Steve McCann. “We’re lucky to have Woodward (Camp) right in our backyard,” Martin said. The BMX demo will run until 5, when the expo officially begins. National touring singer/songwriter Ernie Halter will perform, as will local favorite Royal Benson. “It really will be a great time. It’s an opportunity to try some new brews all while help-
Brewing, Page 6
By SAMI HULINGS For The Gazette
STATE COLLEGE — After months of fan anticipation and media attention, “The Dark Knight Rises,” the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, was released on July 19 at midnight. A short time later, shots rang out in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater as a gunman opened fire on movie-goers, killing 12 and injuring another 58 people. Though the massacre may have deterred some from heading to theaters, many avid fans still made their way to watch the Caped Crusader on the silver screen. Despite the tragedy, Warner Bros. reMAUREEN LOCKARD/The Gazette ported that box office totals were more
RECORD PACE: “The Dark Knight Rises” is a big hit.
Education ....................... 10 Community ............... 11-15
Fans, Page 4
Centre Spread ........... 16, 17 Sports ........................ 18-22
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Arts & Entertainment 23, 24 What’s Happening ......... 24
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AIMEE AIELLO/For The Gazette
ON TAP: Yuengling Beer Co. will be one of many brewers providing samples of their beer at the 2012 State College Brew Expo, which will be held on Aug. 11 at Tussey Mountain.
Group Meetings ............. 25 Puzzles ............................ 27
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