IN Harborcreek

snow much fun!

Winter 2013 icmags.com

Special Section: Health & Wellness Page 7

Township School District and News Page 19

Contents fall

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7 on the cover It’s the most wonderful time…to stay fit. Winter sports abound in western Pennsylvania, but if you prefer indoor workouts, we’ve provided several local fitness centers and classes in our Health & Wellness section so you can stay fit, motivated and warm this season.

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From the Publisher IN the Loop

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School News INCognito

Township News

features 7

Special Section: Health & Wellness How to live a healthier, happier, longer life.

16 Lucy’s First Step After losing their daughter, Lesley and Pete Mitchell now help others who have lost a child.

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Industry Insights 18 Senior Living : Brevillier Village Home Care Services

30 Your Finances : Widget Financial

IN Community is a publication dedicated to representing, encouraging and promoting the Harborcreek area and its comprising municipalities by focusing on the talents and gifts of the people who live and work here. Our goal is to provide readers with the most informative and professional regional publication in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

FROM THE

PUBLISHER PUBLISHER Wayne Dollard EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Julie Talerico j.talerico@icmags.com REGIONAL EDITORS Mark Berton [South, West and Erie] m.berton@icmags.com

At Seven Springs with my wife Lisa and our three sons.

Top-notch health care, education, banking and technology are what make northwest Pennsylvania known, but our communities are what make us home. Home – where you live, go to school, shop, work and play – is what IN Community Magazines is all about. Each quarter, we bring you the latest news and information about schools, businesses, nonprofits and the people who make them exceptional. We also bring you coverage of interesting events and articles about historical sites you may pass every day without even knowing. We like to surprise you with little-known facts about your community and profile intriguing people who’ve made their mark locally – and sometimes even globally.

One thing that makes our communities in western Pennsylvania special is the beautiful seasons. As autumn comes to an end and the snow begins to fall, we hope you take some time to enjoy the many winter activities our area has to offer and hit the slopes, sled ride, cross-country ski or ice skate at one of our many beautiful parks. Or simply build a snowman in the backyard!

The staff at IN Community Magazines wishes you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year!

Wayne Dollard Publisher

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We’d love to hear from you if you know someone in your community who is making a difference or has done something extraordinary. We’re also looking for interesting story ideas (little-known facts, history or other news) within your community.

As the largest magazine publisher in Western Pennsylvania, IN Community Magazines are direct mailed to more than 518,000 households, reaching 1.15 million readers. If you’d like to partner with us, please contact our general sales manager, Tamara Myers, at sales@icmags.com.

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Pamela Palongue [North and East] p.palongue@icmags.com OFFICE MANAGER Leo Vighetti l.vighetti@icmags.com ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Debbie Mountain d.mountain@icmags.com DESIGN DIRECTOR Michael Miller m.miller@icmags.com DESIGNERS Cassie Brkich Jim Paladino Melissa St. Giles Anna Buzzelli Tamara Tylenda Sharon Cobb Jan McEvoy Contributing Writers Jonathan Barnes Leigh Lyons Jennifer Brozak Joanne Naser Earl Bugaile Melanie Paulick Tracy Fedkoe Melissa Rayworth Brenda Haines-Cosola Marilyn Wempa Elvira Hoff Mandie Zoller Heather Holtschlag Contributing Photographers Ginni Klein Kathleen Rudolph Evan Sanders Jennifer Steenson Primetime Shots Gary Zak GENERAL SALES MANAGER Tamara Myers t.myers@icmags.com SALES MANAGER Brian McKee b.mckee@icmags.com ADVERTISING SALES Sophia Alfaras Connie McDaniel Matt Amoroso Gabriel Negri Pamela Arder Aimee Nicolia Jennifer Dahlem Vince Sabatini Julie Graff Mike Silvert Robin Guest RJ Vighetti ICM Printing Sales Manager Tom Poljak ©2013 by IN Community Magazines.

All rights reserved. Reproduction or reuse of any part of this publication is prohibited without the written permission of the publisher.

Direct all inquiries, letters to the editor and press releases to:

IN Community Magazines 603 East McMurray Road McMurray, PA 15317 724.942.0940; Fax: 724.942.0968 icmags.com Please recycle this magazine when you are through enjoying it.

Burton Wintergreen Funeral Home Serves Families of Every Faith The Burton Wintergreen Funeral Home is conveniently located across from Wintergreen Gorge Cemetery on Norcross Road. The experienced staff offers caring guidance in arranging funeral services and providing grief support counseling during your time of loss.

Burton’s staff also provides free, personalized preplanning assistance. Pre-planning alleviates worry for family members, eliminates overspending during a stressful time, and relieves your family of future financial responsibility.

The Burton Wintergreen location has a beautiful chapel available for use by people of every faith.

Moreover, Ericson Memorial Studios, which crafts monuments, headstones and markers, has an office on site.

The Burton Wintergreen Funeral Home sits amid Whispering Pines Cremation Garden, a beautifully landscaped woodland garden for the cremated remains of loved ones.

Get more information by calling 814.825.0458.

Visit Burton online at BurtonFuneralHomes.com.

Harry M. Weiner, Supervisor.

Harborcreek | Winter 2013 | icmags.com 3

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in the

Loop What’s news in Harborcreek

Harborcreek Dancers Set Sail With Latin Nights

It has become somewhat of the Grand Finale for the dancers at Keri’s Dance Studio.

For the last six years, the students in her Performance Class (along with their lucky families and friends) have had an opportunity to attend some fabulous trips that serve to enrich their overall dance experience.

This past July, Keri Alvear’s Performance Class travelled to Nassau in the Bahamas aboard the Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas. While on the cruise, they were treated to a back stage tour and were able to meet the ship’s performers. A highlight for the group was getting to see the professionally made costumes, special stage lighting and ask the performers about their lives aboard a cruise ship.

Prior to their cruise, the students of the Performance Class spent nearly nine months perfecting their own Latin Nights dance routine which included a combination of tap, hip hop, and a jazzy Latin style of dance. The routine included fun, upbeat music from the animated movie RIO. Throughout the summer, the students performed their routine at several festivals including the Hispanic Festival and the Rib Fest – as well as a their big show at Harbor Creek High School.

According to Alvear, the Performance Class is a non-competitive way for students of all levels and ages to be able to participate in shows and dance routines. “It gives students the opportunity to perform and learn more about dance without the stress and pressure of competing,” she says. “It makes for a great experience that is really a lot of fun!”

In 2012 the Performance Class also took a

cruise to the Bahamas, with a group of 36, which included students, family and friends.

On that trip, the students got to perform their “Hollywood Stars” dance routine in the cruise ship’s theater.

Alvear is currently in the planning stages for another cruise to Nassau with this year’s class. And they are already hard at work on what is sure to be a crowd-pleasing routine with a fun and retro Disco theme.

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Great Ways to Live a Healthier, Happier, Longer Life in Harborcreek

Harborcreek Health & Wellness Section

By Michele Thompson

Though finding the fountain of youth (or miracle product) is unlikely, you can embrace the following ways to feel and look younger. Gleaned from age-defying experts this list is a must-keep for your desk or refrigerator.

So turn the page — hack into the havoc that aging can wreak on your body! ››

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H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s / Harborcreek

Health & Fitness Exercise to live longer.

Harborcreek has many walking and biking trails to help you stay fit.

According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), regular exercise helps control blood pressure, body weight and cholesterol levels, and reduces the risks of hardening of the arteries, heart attack and stroke. Not to mention you will look and feel better!

Warm up and cool down. Regardless of the types of exercises you do, warming your muscles as well as cooling down with slow rhythmic stretches is key to avoiding injury, reducing soreness, and speeding up your recovery.

Commit to daily fitness. Getting out there and staying active translates into better health and well-being — both physically and mentally.

Focus on total fitness. ACE recommends aerobics and muscular conditioning along with exercises to stretch your body and promote good posture.

Year-round exercise. Don’t ditch your fitness routine because of inclement weather. Try new activities, such as snowshoeing, swimming at an indoor pool, or fitness classes at your local fitness or senior housing facility.

Join a health club. Be social and get fit. This one’s worth its weight in sheer motivation points.

Take supplements. Don’t mega-dose, just take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.

Get aerobic. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends getting moderate aerobic activity 30 minutes per day, five days per week or 20 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular activity, three days per week.

Break it up. Instead of 20 or 30 minutes of exercise, break up your cardio into 10-minute segments throughout the day.

Make working out fun. Getting out of the house and traveling to interesting places where you can walk around is one of the best ways to get exercise without even trying, and you get to enjoy the sightseeing, too.

Put a set of dumbbells by your television set — and use them!

Stop smoking. Nuff said.

Pump it up. Margaret Richardson, author of Body Electric, says one pound of fat burns three calories a day while one pound of muscle burns 30-plus.

Go green. Eat organic, use eco-friendly products and practice green living to protect your health as well as the environment.

Challenge yourself. To counteract age-related muscle loss, do exercises with progressively challenging resistance.

“The Harborcreek Community Park has trails that are ideal for winter hiking, running, snow shoeing or cross-country skiing -- all great outdoor activities that will keep you fit and help you get healthy going into the new year,” said Harborcreek Township Supervisor Tim May. Harborcreek | Winter 2013 | icmags.com 9

Posture Avoid sitting cross-legged.

Pain management specialists at New York Chiropractic warn that crossing your legs puts excessive stress on your knees, hips and lower back.

Sit up straight. When you slouch or strain to look at the screen, these patterns stick and posture learns these positions.

Listen to your body. See a chiropractor, physical therapist or postrehabilitation specialist for postural exercises to reduce pain and risk of injury.

Stretch. Stretching your neck and chest can prevent short and tightened muscles that can lead to injury. A simple stretch involves bending your head to your shoulder, holding it there and slowly bringing it back to the mid line and then switch sides.

Belly button to spine. Not only will this exercise help you stand taller, it will take five pounds off your waistline!

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Get Fit In harborcreek Here are just some of the fitness classes available: Zumba at Flippin Fitness 4646 Buffalo Road, Erie; 814.889.5867 Flippinfitness.com “Zumba is all about fun and an exciting Latin inspired dance fitness program. It’s an exhilarating, effective, step-by-step, calorie-burning dance fitness fun class that’s moving millions of people toward happiness and healthy lifestyle.” Visit the website or call for class schedule and other information.

Ice Center of Erie 3515 McClelland Ave., Erie; 814.899.0808 erieice.com Get fit and have fun together on an ice skating date at the Ice Center on most Friday and Saturday evenings! The cost is approximately $8 each per public skating session, which includes admission and skate rental. Call or check the website for available dates and times.

YogaErie, LLC 2560 West Eighth St., Colony Plaza, Erie; 814.520.6998 yogaerie.com Try hot, power flow yoga, basics yoga or deep flow yoga at YogaErie, LLC, voted Erie’s Best Yoga Studio in 2013! New students who live locally can take advantage of trying their first class for free or two weeks of unlimited yoga for $25. Call or visit the website for restrictions and more information.

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health &Wellness DIRECTORY Your Hometown Pharmacy 814.898.2085 Your Hometown Pharmacy is your local full service pharmacy. Offering free delivery to your home or office, fast friendly service, and low prescription prices — why wait in line somewhere else? Stop in and see the staff and see what everyone is talking about. Your Hometown Pharmacy accepts Medicare plans, PACE, all major insurance plans and is a preferred provider for the GE network!

Snap Fitness - Erie 814.314.8588 www.snapfitness.com/harborcreekpa Let us help you create a new you and achieve the goals that you set! No matter whether it’s losing weight, toning up or improving your cardiovascular endurance, we can help. Snap Fitness ErieHarborcreek offers all members the whole package including affordable personal training, group fitness classes, vitamin and nutrition profiling, diet planning, supplements and the accessibility to work out 24/7!

Peach Street Dental 814. 866.7500 • www.PeachStreetDental.com Now you don’t have to worry about having the time and money for quality dental and denture care – Peach Street Dental & Dentures in Erie makes it easy. As Erie’s hometown choice for dentures and general dentistry, we are committed to providing you with outstanding service and value, including free new-patient exams and X-rays, and flexible payment plans. Schedule an appointment at www.PeachStreetDental.com.

LECOM www.lecomtotalhealth.com The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) is part of a growing Academic Health Center. With Millcreek Community Hospital (MCH) and Medical Associates of Erie (MAE), the college is the core of a highly innovative medical education and health care system.

LECOM has endeavored to add to the quality of life of our neighbors by bringing total health care to the community.

Saint Vincent - East Harbor Primary Care 814.899.7000 Maggie Biebel, DO, is the primary physician at East Harbor Primary Care. Dr. Biebel is boardcertified in family medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Science from Edinboro University and her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from LECOM. A native to Erie, Dr. Biebel is happy to be serving patients in her hometown.

Dr. Biebel is now accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment, call 814.899.7000.

Tri-State Pain Institute 814.833.7246 • www.TriStatePain.com For advanced treatment and proven relief, turn to the Pain Institute. Our specialists work with you to avoid unnecessary surgery, prevent problems with addicting medications and help you return to the activities you enjoy. And if you need x-rays, MRI or fluoroscopy the Greater Erie Imaging Center offers convenient services adjacent to the Pain Institute. Schedule an appointment at www.

TriStatePain.com.

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Lucy’s First Step After losing their daughter, Lesley and Pete Mitchell now help others who have lost a child.

By Deborah McQuaid

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Lesley and Pete Mitchell cherish the framed photograph of a sonogram of their baby girl.

That’s all they got to see of her.

She was stillborn on Feb. 17, 2011. They like to say she was born an angel.

The couple had no idea there was anything wrong with their daughter until they went to a prenatal checkup where the doctor listened for a heartbeat and there was none.

“We were kind of in shock and didn’t understand what happened,” Lesley remembered.

She was in her 17th week of pregnancy and their oldest son had named the baby Lucy.

She went through 10 hours of labor and, when the baby was born, the Mitchells said they wanted to see her. But their midwife advised against it. “She thought she had been dead for awhile,” Lesley said.

“We have her little footprints and pictures of her legs and that was it,” Pete said.

“That was the worst day of my life,” Lesley said.

Pete and his father went to the funeral home to make the arrangements, and then to the cemetery. “You don’t prepare for that,” he said. “It was the most empty feeling I’ve ever had in my life. It’s a physical pain in your heart. I didn’t even get to know her. It hurt so bad.”

Lesley is a detective sergeant with the Millcreek Police Department and Pete is a patrolman with the Erie Police Department. Both took some time off work and found it difficult to be around other people.

“I didn’t leave the house or socialize for a very long time after that,” Lesley said, adding that she still thinks about it every day. “When people act like it never happened it can be hurtful.”

They went to a support group for people who had lost children. Lesley found it overwhelming.

“It was very scary–really, really sad and heartbreaking to hear all the stories,” she said.

“For Pete, it was helpful to be around other people who had such an experience.”

Lesley and Pete continued with private counseling and raising their two sons, Peter, then 6, and Andrew, then 4.

Pete wanted to try to have another baby. Lesley was reluctant but then agreed.

“I was very anxious the whole time. I was afraid something would happen,” she said.

“When something like [losing a child] happens, it’s a hard hurdle to get around.”

They call their son Michael their “Easter surprise” because he was born on Easter, 2012, three weeks early.

“We were overjoyed and he was perfect,” Lesley said.

During her pregnancy, Lesley thought about how profoundly Lucy’s death had impacted her life.

“I didn’t want to have her death be who I’ve become. She will always be part of me, but I didn’t want it to define me,” she said. “It’s choosing to heal yourself. It’s a choice. Trying to heal your heart after something like that…I didn’t know how you got started. I didn’t want

How to Help:

to be sad all the time for my family. It’s life changing. I love my husband and my children so much differently than before.”

Lucy’s First Step Fund Lesley and Pete, in July 2011, held a golf tournament and raised over $8,000, which they donated to an existing support PO Box 9372 group. And they began talking about starting a foundation of their own. They thought that what was missing was a group Erie, PA 16505 session where a counselor covers a specific topic. They also 814.969.1267 wanted to offer financial aid for private counseling and infant burials. lucysfirststep@gmail.com The Mitchells met with a financial advisor and got backing from a local medical institution. They called their foundation “Lucy’s First Step Fund” after their daughter, and run it from their home. Money comes from donations and fundraisers. It is available to any parent who has lost a child of any age.

The first group therapy session was in August, 2012, and nine people attended.

Counselors volunteer for the six-week program.

“We couldn’t do it without them. They are wonderful,” Lesley said of the volunteer counselors. Each week they cover topics like “What is grief,” or “When will I feel normal again.” Lesley says there is no other program like it in Erie County.

“I feel very fortunate that we’re able to help people…to heal, keep families together, deal with heartbreak and learn to keep on living,” she said. “The idea came to us and we were able to put it together. We like to make things happen.”

The foundation has also paid for several people to go through private counseling and for two infant burials.

Abby Lombardo and her husband, Thomas Wallace, also found out at a 17-week checkup in September, 2012, that their son, Isaiah, had no heartbeat.

“I had to make a decision how I was going to lay him to rest,” she said. A relative had learned of Lucy’s First Step through Facebook and contacted the Mitchells.

“They practically did everything for me,” Lombardo said. They contacted the funeral director and made all the arrangements. She added that the Mitchells also offered her counseling. “But at the time I didn’t want to be around anybody else. [Lesley] said, ‘If you need anything, I’m there,’” Lombardo recalled. “She was a big help.”

Louise Pier lost her 18-year-old son, Billy Welkner, in 2008 when he was walking his dog and was hit and killed by a train. Pier heard about the six-week counseling program through Lucy’s First Step and decided to give it a try. She said that since it had been several years since her son’s death, it was too much for her to tell the story again. But she said she believes it’s a good opportunity for people who are new to the grieving process.

“It’s a wonderful program. It helps to talk to people. Nobody’s getting the help they need. I would say you learn to live with it. I’ll probably grieve for the rest of my life. I learned to get through every day. You can go on [even though] you can’t change it,” Pier said.

Lesley Mitchell said running the foundation helps her heal.

“It helps me give a positive spin to what happened. I try not ever to think about why she died. That takes me to a really, really bad place,” she said. “With the foundation, the people who come up to me and say what we’re doing is a wonderful thing gives me more of an identity for me. I carried Lucy for 17 weeks. I feel this is who she was meant to be.” ■

ij

“I feel very fortunate that we’re able to help people heal, keep families together, deal with heartbreak and learn to keepij on living.”

Harborcreek | Winter 2013 | icmags.com 17

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Harborcreek Township & School News

Township of Harborcreek

Harbor Creek School District

20 Events/News • Harvest Day 2013 • HC Parks Update • Harborcreek Light Up Night • Harborcreek Township Development Update • Harborcreek Senior News – Tax Assistance Available • Phone Book Recycling • Another Great Take-Back Initiative Event

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2013 College and Career Fair

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Junior High News

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What’s Rolling at the Ridge?

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Klein West is “Paw-sitively” the Best!

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Pennsylvania School Performance Profile

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HC Day of Caring

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Athletic Hall of Fame

22

Harborcreek Township Fire Departments

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2013 Soccer Season

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Harborcreek Township Supervisor’s Statement

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Clark Elementary

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Harbor Creek’s AP Program

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playing as a young boy. Sincere thanks to the Whitford family for their kindness.

Six Mile Creek Park- Harborcreek Township is proud to announce the dedication of a park bench at the Six Mile Creek Park overlook in honor of Claudette Terrill. Claudette has been on the HC Parks and Recreation Board for 11 years and was Chair of the Six Mile Park Advisory Committee that helped Harborcreek Township acquire the park from Erie County. Thank you Claudette, for your dedication to the Harborcreek Parks System as well as the entire Harborcreek Community.

Harvest Day 2013 Horse drawn trolley rides, crafters, festival food, kid’s crafts, bounce houses, and pumpkins flying hundreds of yards in the air – it must have been Harborcreek Township’s Harvest Day on Saturday, October 5th. Harborcreek residents celebrated autumn on a beautiful afternoon at HC Community Park where kids decorated pumpkins and got their faces painted, enjoyed playing on the Giant Shark Slide, and Mom & Dad enjoyed strolling through crafters while sipping on apple cider and sharing a snack.

In addition to all that activity, local volunteer fire departments spent time teaching Harborcreek youngsters how to operate a real fire hose – families enjoyed horse drawn trolley rides and great live music – and even got to see the latest in robotics from the Harbor Creek High School Robotics club. Special thanks to all those organizations that helped make Harvest Day 2013 a great success – including the Harborcreek Chamber of Commerce, Six Mile Cellars, Old Station One, Fairfield, Brookside, and Harborcreek Volunteer Fire Departments, Harbor Creek Student Council, and The Ice Cream Shoppe.

TO WNS HI P O F HAR BOR C RE E K News

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HC Parks Update While the Harborcreek Parks system is slowly buttoned up waiting upon another cold winter, parks personnel are also busy completing some updates including re-roofing the Clark Road Concession stand at Harborcreek Community Park. In addition, the parks department has been busy rehabbing and reconstructing walking trails at both Highmeyer and Six Mile Creek Park. Future plans include trail expansion and mapping of the trails to make available to view online. Please check www. harborcreektownship.org for updates on mapping.

Whitford Park – The family of the late Thomas B. Whitford have generously donated a bench in his memory this past summer.

The bench was installed along Six-Mile Creek where Tom spent many summers

Chamber Banners Promoting Harborcreek Recently the Harborcreek Chamber of Commerce purchased roadside banners that have been installed along the major traffic corridors of the township. The signs welcoming all to the township will be removed during the inclement winter weather but will reappear in the spring of 2014.

Harborcreek Light Up Night Get your calendars out and mark down Friday, December 13th for Harborcreek’s Old Fashioned Christmas Light Up Night. The kickoff to the HC Holiday Season takes place at the municipal building from 6-9 PM. Santa is scheduled to arrive around 6:30 PM to light all the decorated trees and listen to the Christmas wishes of all the good girls and boys of Harborcreek. There will be horse drawn trolley rides, the Harbor Creek Vocal Ensemble singing great holiday songs, Christmas “cheer” from the Harbor Creek Cheerleaders, kids crafts, hot chocolate and apple cider, and of course, Christmas cookies. Also, back by popular and direct from the North Pole will be Donner and Blitzen for all to see.

Harborcreek Township 5601 Buffalo Road, Harborcreek, PA 16421 | 814-899-3171 www.harborcreektownship.org Normal business hours – 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday | Closed Weekends and Holidays

20 Harborcreek

When it comes to development in Harborcreek Township, 2013 is ending as it began – with a growing list of new and revitalizing projects throughout the area. The commercial corridors of the township are bustling with activity including the following: • Dollar General on East Lake Road – opened the end of July • Harborcreek Senior Housing – opened to residents in April at the former Harborcreek Mall property.

• Dusckas Funeral Home – ground breaking was held in MidOctober

Attending the Dusckas ground breaking (from left to right): Robert Taylor, Nancy Dusckas, HC Supervisors Dean Pepicello, Joe Peck, and Tim May

• Arby’s Restaurant –major interior and exterior renovation • Niagara Car Wash – constructed started with grand opening anticipated by the end of the year.

• Bob Evans Restaurant – interior renovation.

• Hair HQ – opened October 2013 • Panera / GameStop / Great Clips – construction started • Hudson Student Housing – construction of 57 unit student housing facility – anticipated opening in June 2014.

• Arneman Place – construction of 50 townhomes began in July at the old Lawrence Park Drive-In site.

• GetGo – grand opening was held on October 24th.

Harborcreek Senior News – Tax Assistance Available Income Tax preparation services will again be offered FREE OF CHARGE to the public in the Harborcreek Municipal Building lower level for persons with moderate to low income.

Volunteers will begin taking phone appointments on Monday, January 20, 2014 (Monday-Wednesday) from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. . To make an appointment, please call the AARP/Harborcreek Senior Center Office at (814) 899-3171. The first appointments will be scheduled for Monday, February 10, 2014.

IRS Certified Tax Preparers will be ready to serve individuals who have an appointment. Tax Services will include Federal, PA State, Berkheimer, and Tax & Rent applications. This offering is free of cost to all.

Our senior volunteers look forward to serving local citizens who need help with their income tax filing. Once again, those seniors interested in tax filling assistance may begin calling on Monday, January 20, 2014 to schedule an appointment.

Phone Book Recycling Thanks to the recycling efforts of Harborcreek Township residents, the township recently delivered phonebooks to ErieEnergy that ultimately result in $720.80 worth of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Another Great Take Back Initiative Event On Saturday, October 26th, Harborcreek Township once again hosted the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative. The event held in conjunction with the Erie County Sherriff’s Office and other locations throughout Erie County helped remove over 1,000 pounds of medication from circulation.

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TOW N SHI P OF HARB OR C RE E K N ews

Harborcreek Township Development Update

• Knowledge Park / Technology Drive – the Greater Erie Industrial Development Corporation will begin construction soon on an approximately 87,000 sq. ft. Advanced Manufacturing & Innovation Building.

In addition to those projects, the developers of the former Ponderosa Restaurant have recently announced Tim Horton’s will be occupying half of the existing building.

Additional development updates will be made as information is available. Please check our website at www.harborcreektownship.org for the most current information.

Harborcreek

Special thanks to the Harborcreek Chamber of Commerce, Harbor Creek Vocal Ensemble, Harbor Creek Cheerleaders, Harbor Creek National Honor Society, Harbor Creek Builders Club, Harbor Creek Key Club, Eastside Y, and the Harborcreek Wal-Mart for making this a great event.

Harborcreek Township Fire Departments

H

ave you ever thought or wondered what it would take to be a Volunteer Firefighter or EMT at your local volunteer fire department? Are you older than 14 years of age? Do you want to help your community by giving back as a volunteer? If so to any of these questions please consider joining one the fire departments in HC Township. All three departments (Brookside Fire Company, Fairfield Hose Company, Harborcreek Fire Department) are

currently looking for responsible able body people that want to help. Please stop down any Tuesday evening at 7pm at either Brookside Fire Company or Harborcreek Fire Department or any Wednesday evening at 7pm at Fairfield Hose Company.

Jim Hawryliw, Fire Chief Fairfield Hose Company

Fire Chiefs Corner

TO WNS HI P O F HAR BOR C RE E K News

arborcreek

Hello from the Fairfield Hose Company . This year has been one of the busiest years to date for the Fairfield Hose Company.

We have been dispatched on more emergency calls in 2013 than any other year in our 68 years of service to Harborcreek Township. We have a very proud roster of men and women of all ages. Each member has given countless hours on training and

answering calls to provide better service to the HC community.

We are always looking for members to help out with any or all tasks that we have. Please consider joining today!!

On October 6th we held our annual elections of officers for Fairfield. Currently here is a list of some of the Fire officers and Administration officers.

Administration Officers President – Ron Hawryliw Vice President – Joe Frazzini Treasure – Alan Paulhamus Secretary – Chris Morealli

Relief Association Officer President – Jeff Hawryliw Vice President – Chris Morealli Treasure – Mike Krahe Secretary – Caitlyn Krahe

Board Of Directors Jim Hawryliw Don Davalle Victoria Bell Jeff Hawryliw Katie Brown Dale Peters

Fire Line Officers Fire Chief – James Hawryliw 1st. Asst. Chief – Ron Hawryliw 2nd Asst. Chief – Jeff Hawryliw Fire Captain – Joe Frazzini 1st. Lieutenant – Steve Moore 2nd Lieutenant – Dale Peters Fire Police Chief – Doug Brogdan Asst. Fire Police Chief – Ken Brown

Fairfield Hose Company Active Members Ron Hawryliw Steve Moore Dana Randall Mike Krahe Richard Bell Chris Morealli Alan Paulhamus John Fox Donald Davalle Stephanie Konetsky Jim Hawryliw Ronald Cook Jeff Hawryliw Andrew Caldwallader Victoria Bell Caitlyn Krahe Jason Storicks Frank Riscili Joe Frazzini Rob Sanford Dale Peters Katie Brown

Tony Frazzini Nikki Work Doug Brogdon Ken Brown Clayton Lanich Macjenzie Light Becky Riley Jordan Rossman

We wish everybody a safe an wonderful holiday season!!

James Hawryliw, Fire Chief Fairfield Hose Company 22 Harborcreek

TOW N SHI P OF HARB OR C RE E K N ews

Harborcreek

Harborcreek Township Supervisor’s statement

Proposed Erie Rail Terminal project on Walbridge Road

“W

hile we are not opposed to any project that ultimately moves Erie County forward, we have considerable concerns about a project that, by the developers own estimations, will close Walbridge Road for many months for reconstruction to handle truck traffic, will close Walbridge Road every day for two, 20 minute periods while trains are unloaded, and will add anywhere between 200 trucks a day to a truck every 90 seconds on our roads.

Obviously this project will have massive negative impacts on our roads, traffic, growing commercial district and general quality of life.

We are pursuing 3 remedies from the Greater Erie Industrial Development Corporation to address these issues: an interior road of some sort to get the truck traffic off public roads and to the site, a bridge on Walbridge Road over the tracks, or a new north south public road with an at-grade crossing that would give traffic an alternative to alleviate the obvious traffic issues that will come with prolonged closures of Walbridge Road. We also believe questions about emergency response time must be addressed.

Again, we generally support what is good for Erie County and are willing to make certain sacrifices for the greater good, but any Harborcreek resident can tell you that up to a truck every 90 seconds and prolonged closures of Walbridge road, without alternative plans to address those problems will have incredible negative consequences for Erie County’s 3rd largest municipality.”

Harborcreek | Winter 2013 | icmags.com 23

2013 College and Career Fair

O

n October 23rd the 3rd Annual College and Career Fair was held at Harbor Creek High School. With the help of Iroquois and North East School Districts, this year’s event brought in over 85 representatives from nearby colleges, universities, technical & trade schools, as well as local employers. About 350 students and parents from six different area school districts were in attendance for the informative evening. Students were able to gather information pertaining to specific areas of interest towards postsecondary opportunities. Harbor Creek looks forward to hosting this successful event in 2014 as well.

arborcreek

HARBOR RBOR CCRE REEEKK SSCCH OL DI DIST STRI News HA HOOOL RI CCTT News

Junior High News

C

ongratulations to the Jr. High Football team for an undefeated season and the boys Cross Country team for taking 2nd place at Districts! We not only have a talented group of athletes but also an amazing group of students. Great job Huskies!

The Jr. High now has announcements! Everyday Mrs. Kelly’s 5th period study hall records daily announcements on the iPad using iMovie. The announcements are shown during 8th period Advisory. We also upload them to the Jr. High Facebook page daily so parents can also see them.

“Like” us on Facebook as we frequently post upcoming

24 Harborcreek

events and announcements. Search facebook.com/HCJH.Huskies to find us!

Attention parents, grandparents, neighbors and community members, we need your help! The Junior High collects Box Tops and Labels for Education. Send them in with your child/ grandchild or drop them off at your convenience to the Jr. High office. We are enrolled in Giant Eagle’s Apple for Students Programs. The Junior High earns points every time you shop there. All you have to do is call 1.800.474.4777 or gianteagle.com/ schools/apples-for-students. Enter your Giant Eagle Advantage Card number (which appears under the bar code. Enter school code 5681. It’s that simple. These are little ways that make a BIG difference.

We are always looking for ways to improve the climate, culture and academic rigor at the Junior High School. Please consider being part of our Academic Excellence Team. We are looking for parent, student and community members. Please contact Pam Chodubski, Junior High Principal at 763-2100 ext 1233 or pchodubski@hcsd.iu5.org if you are interested. We are always open to new ideas and a fresh perspective.

Harborcreek HARBOR OR CCRE REEEKK SC SCHOOL HOOL DI DISTRI STRICCTT News News HARB

What’s Rolling at the Ridge?

Rolling Ridge Welcomes Paul Orshoski Rolling Ridge is looking forward to a visiting author. Paul Orshoski is coming to spend some time with the students encouraging them to read and write in a comical way. Mr. Orshoski has written several books and poems.

Some of our favorites are… Robot Man, The Mouse in My House and My Sitter is a T’REX. This event was made possible due to the Box Tops for Education program.

Beads for Needs Project You and Project You Too is a group of students that stay after school to participate in character building activities. This program has provided many valuable opportunities for Rolling Ridge students. The first meeting was a huge success. Over 100 students worked in the cafeteria making Bead Bracelets that would be used to support the fundraising efforts of Shriners’s Hospital. We are looking forward to monthly meetings that will revolve around kindness. Kindness is contagious…

Pass it on!

Beads for Needs September 17, 2013

Harborcreek | Winter 2013 | icmags.com 25

Klein West is “Paw-sitively” the Best!

arborcreek

HA RBOR C RE E K S C HO OL DI ST RI C T News

T

he first quarter at Klein West has been nothing short of fantastic! The faculty, staff, parents, and most importantly, students have transitioned seamlessly.

Thanks to the entire Klein family for all you did to make the move to Klein West great.

Renovations at Klein are moving along. If you are interested in keeping up-to-date on the progress, head to the Klein School website and look for the “Renovation Update” hot button.

Updates are frequently added.

Klein West kicked off the 2013-2014 school year celebrating all the students who participated in our “Slow the Summer Slide” program. Students were encouraged to both read and practice their basic math facts over the summer. Over 155 students passed the basic fact challenge associated with the summer slide program and just as many participated in the reading portion of the program. The amount of time devoted to math and reading during the summer goes a long way in “slowing the slide.” Those students came back well prepared for the new school year.

Klein West has kicked off another year of “Klein Cares.” This program is our commitment to not only academics, but also our civic responsibilities as a school.

We have already done several activities.

First, our sixth graders started volunteering after school on Thursdays at Brevillier Village. Our students have enjoyed creating crafts, playing games, and even bowling 26 Harborcreek

with all the residents. Second, our fourth graders organized a “Custodian Appreciation Day” in October. All students decorated the school in celebration of our wonderful custodial staff. Thanks to Mr. Cass and Mrs. Steigmeyer for all you do to make Klein West “SPARKLE!” We have also started an afterschool Klein Cares club. The first project the club sponsored was a Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Faculty, staff, and students wore pink in support of the fight against Breast Cancer on October 30th. Pink ribbons adorned the hallways at Klein West.

Great job to all the Klein Care Club Members for all their hard work!

The entire Klein family is looking forward to the second semester of school and wishes everyone the best in the New Year!

What Does Pennsylvania School Performance Profile Mean for Harbor Creek School District?

A

s you may have heard recently in our local media the Pennsylvania Department of Education has made significant changes in how student achievement is being reported and calculated for schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Education recently released the Pennsylvania School Performance Profile (SPP).

This public website www.paschoolperformance.org provides academic performance scores for public schools throughout the state. This performance score is designed with several purposes in mind: • Provide a building level score for educators as part of the evaluation system • Provide parents with comparative measures for schools, neighboring schools, and schools across the state • Inform the public of school performance • Give schools a methodology to analyze their strengths and needs While public schools across the state have previously received designations under No Child Left Behind (e.g., Made Adequate Yearly Progress, Making Progress, Warning, School Improvement, Corrective Action), schools will now receive an academic performance score based upon many data points.

Test scores, progress in closing achievement gaps, and degree of student growth over time are factored into the scoring while other identifiers of high achieving schools are also considered: graduation, promotion, and attendance rates as well as evidence of offering rigorous courses factor into the calculation. Schools may also earn extra points beyond the 100 point scoring system for those students who have earned advanced scores on the state, industry, and Advanced Placement Exams.

Harbor Creek School District elementary schools earned “Reward” status. Klein Elementary School is rewarded high

progress, Clark Elementary School and Rolling Ridge Elementary School received High Achievement Designation. HCSD schools also performed in the top 5% of the Title I elementary schools in the commonwealth.

Harbor Creek schools received the following SPP scores: Klein Elementary – 94.9%

1st in Erie County

Clark Elementary – 93.1%

3rd in Erie County

Rolling Ridge Elementary – 92.6% 4th in Erie County Jr. High School – 81.7%

6th in Erie County

Sr. High School – 82.4%

4th in Erie County

As we move forward, Harbor Creek School District will continue to incorporate rigorous instruction in our classrooms. Our goal is to engage students in the learning process where learning takes place and the opportunity to excel is provided.

Please take the time to recognize the outstanding teachers in Harbor Creek School District as we continue to lead the way in Northwestern Pennsylvania!

—Superintendent Hawley

HC Day of Caring

H

arbor Creek School District will once again celebrate a Day of Caring on Dec. 13th. This is our 4th year celebrating the day of caring and we are very excited about this year. In the past, we have raised over $4000 supporting a variety of great charities including The Caring Place, Kanzius, and Sandy Relief. This year we will be supporting Grady’s Decision, a non-profit charity that provides support to families with children in neonatal. This is a district wide event with all five of our schools participating with different activities and events planned for each building.

Harborcreek | Winter 2013 | icmags.com 27

HARB OR C RE E K SC HOOL DI STRI C T News

Harborcreek

Pennsylvania School Performance Profile

Athletic Hall of Fame

T

he purpose of the Harbor Creek High School Athletic Hall of Fame is to recognize those individuals or teams who have brought distinction, honor, and excellence to Harbor Creek High School in the field of athletics. Athletes, teams, coaches, managers, or other individuals associated with athletics may be nominated for this recognition.

The second class of inductees met on a beautiful Friday evening in early September to be introduced, for the first time, to the home football crowd. The following evening the inductees, family, friends, and committee members gathered for an induction dinner at the high school. Attendees were treated to an outpouring of emotion as the inductees recounted how their high school careers had impacted them then and how it continues to impact them today.

The second class of inductees included; Norman Decker (Class of 1949) the QB of the undefeated 1948 football team. Kristen DePlachett (Class of 1999) who was a 2x All-ECL goalkeeper, All-State GK in 1997, and still holds the long jump record of 16’ 10”. Don Dougan (Class of 1963) who was 1st Team All-State in Basketball and was an Erie County Discus Champ.

Steve Moorhead (Class of 1958) was the State Champ in the mile in ’58 and was 2nd in the 880. Heather (Norder) Weismiller (Class of 1994) still holds records for Most Seasons Wins and lowest ERA in Softball. Lee Palloto (Class of 1950) excelled in 3 sports while a student and as the Basketball Coach he amassed over 300 career wins including the 1980 team that went 27-1 and reached the state semifinal game. David Uglow (Class of 1979) still holds the record for shot put at Harbor Creek. Missy (Watson) Grudi (Class of 1990) was 1st team All-County in Softball and Basketball and still retains 9 different basketball records.

arborcreek

HA RBOR C RE E K S C HO OL DI ST RI C T News

2013 Soccer Season

T

he 2013 Harbor Creek Huskies went into this season as champions, other than the tough loss for the state playoff to Bedford in the quarterfinals. With the return of star midfielder, Eric Campbell, and offensive powerhouse Koltin Hammer, the Huskies had a potent combination of speed and power. The Huskies were predicted to win the District 10 title, and the Huskies delivered the title to their loyal fans. After the victory battle against the Warren Dragons, the Harbor Creek Huskies earned a record of 20-0-0.

The Huskies were then playoff bound and were set to play the South Park Eagles in the first round of the state playoffs. The game took place at 5 pm on November 5, 2013. Harbor Creek was said to be the underdog for this game, which turned out to be untrue. Dan Kuhn scored the first goal, powering through South Park defenders. South Park struck back, with a nice shot before half. The Huskies remained undeterred, and continued on with Eric Campbell making the last goal of the game making the final 2-1 Huskies.

28 Harborcreek

With that game behind them, they moved on to face Bedford at North Allegheny High School, November 9th at 2 PM. This game was much more than any playoff game considering it was at the same place and in the same round last year. It was an all or nothing game and it ended tragically for the Huskies. They had finally fallen with a score of 0-1. Despite the tough loss, the Harbor Creek Huskies had an incredible season and continue to add to Huskie pride. Great job, boys!

Harborcreek HARB OR C RE E K SC HOOL DI STRI C T News

Clark Elementary Clark has been bustling with activity since the beginning of the school year. The kids are off to a great start and have been working hard.

Book Fair We had our best book fair yet. Over $1600 of books were put back into our classrooms through the profits of our fair. Because we did so well, the PTO voted to give back to the community by providing local preschools with many new books for their classrooms.

Goodies for Gals

What a fabulous turn-out we had for our fall event. Over 310 people showed up to enjoy a morning treat with their child. Parents in grades K-3 also learned about our new math manipulative homework program. 4-6 families had the opportunity to review Clark’s school performance profile and talk about what these numbers mean to us.

Principal’s Book Club

Students in grades 5 and 6 were invited to take part in Mrs. Rose’s principal’s book club. As a way to reinforce our focus on tolerance, the students are reading Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. Students will meet with Mrs. Rose once a week during lunch to enjoy some good book conversation.

Movie Night – Over 200 people showed up for Clark’s first Family Movie Night. Students and families enjoyed a night of popcorn and watched Monsters University. What a fun night had by all.

Harbor Creek’s AP Program

T

he Harbor Creek School District has been participating in the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) program for the past 11 years. The district will again be participating in the Advanced Placement program for the 20132014 school year. At this time, Harbor Creek students have the option of enrolling in any of the following 11 Advanced Placement courses currently being offered at the senior high school: AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP English Language, AP English Literature, AP United States History, AP Physics C, AP Psychology, AP Statistics, and AP United States Government and Politics. In the first 2 weeks of May, students can take an AP test and earn potential college credit at most colleges and universities. Scores of 3, 4 and 5 are considered passing grades for any Advanced Placement test.

For the past 5 years, the percentage of Harbor Creek Advanced Placement students with scores of 3 or better has been slightly better than that for all Pennsylvania students who took the test. The state average for the past 5 years is 67.6% whereas the Harbor Creek average is 68.8%. With regards to global statistics, Harbor Creek students have outperformed the

global average for all of the past 5 years. The global average for students with scores of 3 or more for the past 5 years is 60.6%.

Participation in the Advanced Placement program continues to grow at Harbor Creek. In 2004, there were 63 students enrolled in 5 different AP courses. This year, there are 266 students enrolled in 11 different AP courses. Each year the College Board recognizes the outstanding academic achievement of many of the students who elect to take an AP test. A student is recognized as an AP scholar if they receive scores of 3 or higher on 3 or more exams.

An AP Scholar with Honor has an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams, and scores of 3 or higher on 4 or more exams.

An AP Scholar with Distinction has an average score of least 3.5 on all AP exams and scores of 3 or higher on 5 or more exams.

This year, Harbor Creek had 4 AP Scholars, 2 AP Scholars with Honor, and 3 AP Scholars with distinction. Last year, there was a total of 16 AP students who were recognized as either AP scholars, AP Scholars with Honor, or AP Scholars with Distinction. Several years ago, Harbor Creek had a student who scored 5’s, the highest score possible, on all 11 AP exams.

Harborcreek | Winter 2013 | icmags.com 29

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Harborcreek | Winter 2013 | icmags.com 31

inCOGNITO

Did you know?

It’s a bad idea to walk across Lake Erie?

Did You Know? We are looking for little-known facts, history or other interesting stories about your community.

Please send your ideas to editors@icmags.com.

32 724.942.0940 to advertise | Harborcreek

L

iving on a lakefront presents unique circumstances to residents that their land-locked counterparts can’t even fathom. There’s lake-effect snow, in addition to maritime law and currents. There’s also the ill-conceived idea that walking across a frozen lake is a good use of time, especially when the other side of that lake is another country altogether.

History shows, time and again, that trying to walk across a frozen Lake Erie is a fool’s errand. Archived news reports detail many missing persons reports starting out with the person’s trail going cold at the water’s edge.

In 1977, Lake Erie froze over and two men, Brian Kinal and Bob Bliss of Findley Lake, N.Y., decided walking to Ontario was on their bucket list, despite warnings from the Coast Guard trying to discourage them from doing it.

So, at dawn on Saturday, February 12, with a CB radio in hand, and a lifeline connected to each other, the pair made their way out onto the ice. By nightfall they set up camp, not knowing how much progress they had made in their 24-mile itinerary. Bliss recalled in news reports that they were encountering slushy ice with several inches of water in some places, and really slick ice in others.

Fortunately for them, a helicopter dispatched from Millcreek flew out to warn them of bad weather heading their way. The helicopter was damaged by a pole the pair used for checking the integrity of the ice, so then-Millcreek supervisor Paul Martin stayed behind with them while another chopper was deployed to bring them all back.

For all their trouble, Kinal and Bliss only made it eight miles into their trek before having to be rescued, and both returned with the newfound insight that walking across the lake was not the best of ideas. ■

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