Her Times sampling 2017

H E R

INTO HISTORY The fight for rights isn’t done. How to be positive in a time of change. P.8

TIMES

RELATIONSHIPS: Grandma can also be your best friend. P.6 WOMEN’S WORDS: Three authors do it by the book. P.12

S U N D A Y, M A R C H 5 , 2 0 1 7 • A M O N T H LY S U P P L E M E N T T O T H E E R I E T I M E S - N E W S

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Women’s History Month arrives

A

nytime is a good time to celebrate women, but right now is especially important. It’s Women’s History Month.

The Erie Times-News will run a story nearly each day throughout the month. We started on Feb. 26 on the front page, and the women pictured in this photo kicked off the month of stories we will run to salute #WomensWorkErie.

We started this endeavor in 2016, when we interviewed some amazing women for more than 20 articles. This year, we plan many more stories that cover job coaching ideas, creative careers, entrepreneurs, life hacks and Women celebrate careers in this photo with, more. #WomensWorkErie from left, Hannah Kirby, Fai Howard, Liz Allen, Tiffanie Page Collazo, Pam Parker, continues in March on TuesGisele Littrell, Joelyn Bush and Sarah Stemen. [GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS] days through Fridays on the business page and Sundays in our living section of the Erie Times-News.Plus, you’ll meet women in the arts on you can take a kernel of an idea and truly grow it Thursdays every week in Showcase. into something stupendous.

One common theme resonates through these stoIf you need some inspiration, join a group of ries: networking. Nearly all of the women we met women and learn more about how to network and work in groups to help and mentor other women. In improve your career. It’s a great month for it during an interview with Gisele Littrell, owner of French Women’s History Month.

Maids and Strongman Services, she said she networks to meet and help other entrepreneurs.

This issue of Her Times introduces you to some clever women who have taken the written word up a few levels to help other women, children and adults with some inspiring stories. The three women Pam Parker featured in a story by Karen Beardsley show us that editor

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H E R

INTO HISTORY The fight for rights isn’t done. How

to be positive in a time of change. P.8

TIMES

RELATIONSHIPS: Grandma can also be your best friend.

P.6 WOMEN’S WORDS: Three authors do it by the book. P.12

. ) 7 * 1 %5 8 1 0 , " & 5 - 2 / # $ 1 8 6 7 + " 9% . ) 4 4 9 ( 8 ( 7+ +6 +"( (0!( +!8(.37 ('.

ON THE COVER:

A group gathered in Erie on Jan. 21 to take part in the sister march to the Women’s March on Washington. Women talk about being positive in a new world.

Page 8

CONTACT US Her Times, c/o Erie Times-News, 205 W. 12th St., Erie, PA 16534 Niche Publications Editor, Brenda Martin, brenda.martin@timesnews.com 870-1771 Editor, Pam Parker, pam.parker@timesnews.com 870-1821 Advertising, Lynn Dietz, lynn.dietz@timesnews.com 870-2201 All content, including the design, art, photos and editorial content © 2017, Erie TimesNews. No portion of this magazine may be copied or reprinted without the express written permission of the publisher.

CAREER

The power of 3 Plan, plan, plan, and find out what itt can do for your career or business.

By Debbie Peterson Contributing writer

W

hen your day has no breathing room, and you’re feeling off-kilter because your routine has gone out the window, how do you regain focus?

Do you ever find yourself in that space of having “no control?” Too much to do and not enough time?

Are your thoughts supportive when you’re under pressure, or are you maybe feeling self-doubt?

Can I get it all done? Will I be able to meet my goals?

It’s definitelynot the space you want your head to be. With all that I know about creating focus and influence in business and career, this can still happen to me, but now I have a tool that helps me stay focused, and I want to share it with you.

THE POWER OF 3 The Power of 3 is concentrating your focus on three things at the beginning of each day. Now, I

know you’ll say there are more than three things that require your attention. You have careers, businesses, families, friendss and charities that require your our time and attention. But whatt I want you to do is pick thetop three ee thingsyou want to focus on at the start of each day when you’re feeling g overwhelmed and out of control.

If you’re a manager, you might have a project or goals you are working on. What are the top three things you want to do today that will move you closer to that goal?

Break it down to the point where you have actionable items to place in your calendar and schedule three at the beginning of each day. When you plan them ahead of time, you know exactly where to start your workday or where to go to when the day inevitably gets off track. When you’ve accomplished the first three, schedule the next three.

If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur, what are the top three things that you need to do to generate the kind of results you’re

looking for?

What is the primary focus of your business right now? Make the first three things of your day items that move the needle in that direction.

The reason its “3” is because three isn’t overwhelming. It’s doable. You can wrap your head around it. It gives you focus. The Power of 3 will give you a starting place, it will help you to re-establish your routines faster, and it will reduce your anxiety over the unknown.

HOW TO USE IT Do this at the end of each workday, so you know where to start the next morning. Do this on Friday, so you know what the focus is for Monday and eliminate the Sunday evening anxiety. Do this

Start every day with a list of three things to do. [THINKSTOCK]

before you go on vacation and have a clear plan of what you’ll dig into when you get back.

Thinking about and planning for the first three specificsteps takes the stress off of you, even if the plan changes. You’ll be giving yourself the gift of clarity on the days that you need it most.

Here’s wishing you the clarity you deserve. HT Debbie Peterson is the president of Getting to Clarity, LLC and is a mindset expert empowering the careers of professional women.

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FA S H I O N

Closet In the

Area becomes never-ending master closet

By Christine Eddy

W Contributing writer

hen Peter and Charlene Correa moved into their home on Schultz Road a few years ago, they were plenty excited about it. One of the projects that they looked most forward to was repurposing a cubby area under the eaves in the master bedroom. The couple, with the help of Brandy and Keith Weber, turned the 10-by-30-foot storage area into a never-ending closet.

As soon as the Correas got the key to their new home, their creativity started flowing, and they knew immediately that they had to resurrect this cubby space. The Correas shared their vision with the Webers, who gutted the area.

Charlene Correa’s closet welcomes her with party lights and space for stretching and strengthening . [CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS]

“I LIKE TO SEE WHERE THINGS ARE. THIS MAKES PUTTING THINGS BACK SO MUCH EASIER. I LIKE AN OPEN CANVAS.” —CHARLENE CORREA

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In addition to the closet being useful and functional, it’s also relaxing. Charlene’s background is in Pilates. So it is relevant that the opening to the closet is a space for strengthening and stretching. It’s lit with party lights and there is a “thankful” sign as you walk in. The Correas are thankful for their life in Erie. They have moved 27 times and happily call Erie home. Charlene said, “We love Erie and all it has to offer.”

If you look to the right, the closet is sectioned in four areas with steel rods. There are two mirrors on each end of the closet, which makes it seem like it continues for miles. Correa said, “An outfit is as only as good as it moves and that is easy to see with these mirrors.”

Correa has everything sectioned seasonally. In back of the four sectioned areas, there are rolling racks of items.

“I like to see where things are. This makes putting things back so much easier. I like an open canvas,” said Correa. She uses food carts to house her purses and uses crates on their sides for her shoes. Stackable bins hold her gloves and socks. A great space saving idea, Correas boots are hanging from skirt hangers. She also uses velvet hangers, which are much thinner than plastic ones.

The last section of Correa’s closet has racks of her favorite accessory — scarves.

She has about a hundred of them. Similar to a store display, Correa wraps her beautiful scarves around the steel bars. Her jewelry is housed in a master closet. Necklaces hang on hooks, and hair items are neatly organized in decorative boxes. Correa knows where everything is located and can find it in a heartbeat.

If you are short on closet space or need more organization in your life, consider repurposing a cubby area. HT

ABOVE: The storage space has cubbies for everything. LEFT: Charlene Correa’s closet includes this area for her.

Christine Eddy is director of development at the Erie Art Museum. In The Closet will appear in Her Times every month.

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R E L AT I O N S H I P S

Grandmas are best friends, too Spend the moments now that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll look back on and cherish

By Victoria Roehm victoria.roehm@timesnews.com

W

hat comes to mind when you think about your best friend?

Someone who makes you laugh, someone to share all of your secrets with, your favorite person to spend time with? When I think of my best friend, all of those things come to mind. My grandma comes to mind. She is by far my favorite person to spend time with. She is hilarious, kindhearted, genuine and downright fun, and I am proud to call her my best friend.

As far back as I can remember I have always shared my secrets (even embarrassing ones) with her. I have cried in her arms in times of loss and she was strong enough for the both of

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us. I have laughed with her until our sides hurt.

I have also spent many uneventful days with her, and those are just as memorable. When I was a kid, all the way through high school, I would spend every weekend at her place just because I wanted to hang out with her. We would watch our favorite movies, play checkers, drink tea, have breakfast together and do a whole lot of nothing really. She always says that those weekends meant so much to her.

When I was in college I didn't always have time to go over on weekends anymore but a lot of times I would go over between classes just to say hello and get a quick nap in before my next class. She would sit and rock in her chair and usually fall asleep, too. She told me that even though I was asleep she just enjoyed knowing I was there with her. I am thrilled that I have so

many wonderful memories with her to hold in my heart forever.

My relationship with my grandma has helped shape the person I am today. She has shown me unconditional love and taught me kindness and humility. She also taught me family recipes, how to sew a button on and how to make the perfect oatmeal cookies. I am so thankful to have her in my life and am even more thankful that I took advantage of that blessing to form a beautiful friendship with her.

I think of visiting my grandma as a luxury and a privilege that not everyone is so lucky to have.

I feel so fortunate to still have her and I treasure every moment with her. Perhaps losing a parent as a young adult has helped me learn this lesson the hard way, but it is important to value relationships with the people you love while you can. I believe it is the most tragic of regrets to look back and wish you had spent more time with someone.

I think we should all treat visiting our grandparents, or even our parents for that matter, like going to hang out with our best friends. Bring a movie you know they like, grab their favorite snack on the way over, or just sit and talk with them about school or work. I promise you they want to hear all about it. Some day those visits will become some of your favorite memories. HT Victoria Roehm is a contributing writer at the Erie Times-News.

Call her at 870-1701. Read about relationships, written from different perspectives, every month in Her Times.

Victoria Roehm says her grandmother, Virginia Roehm, is her best friend. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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WOMEN’S RIGHTS

The world has changed.

Women have fought for decades for rights to work, to vote, to get paid equally, to have access to health care. The landscape of forward movement has changed, but 3 women weigh in on how to continue on, positively.

By Pam Parker | pam.parker@timesnews.com

RABBI: WATCH YOUR VOICE

The fight continues.

Find more stories at GoErie.com/topics/womens-history-month, or follow #WomensWorkErie on Twitter and Facebook.

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Emily Ilana Losben, the first female rabbi of Temple Anshe Hesed in Erie, has some suggestions on how to keep from getting carried away in a sea of negativity.

She is active on social media and finds it can be helpful to reach out to others.

“It keeps us connected with people we would barely talk to at all about the good things going on in their lives,” she said. But she acknowledged that friends have told her they have voiced opinions, raised arguments and lost friends and alienated family members. Many have deleted social media accounts because of the toxic nature of arguments.

“I had to delete comments and posts myself,” she said.

“We all need to take the high road.”

Ilana Losben said that arguing without being face to face or voice to voice has opened the door to less politeness and kindness. “We need to find a way to work together,” she said. “What everybody wants is for the best, but the problem is what’s best for the goose might not be good for the gander.”

She also recalled the mantra many parents said to their children for generations: “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all.”

But in the grand scheme of arguments, she added that we all need to have open minds. “Don’t let hate cloud your view. Be open-minded enough to change your view and be open to learning,” she said.

She added that one thing she learned before responding to a question or getting into an argument is to take a sip of water before you answer. It gives you a chance to count to 10. It makes you stop for a moment and think.

As a religious leader, she also wants to be careful of how she comes across to others.

“We need to calm down, and remember our young people are seeing this behavior. Do we really want to post something the world can see?” she asked.

Once it’s out there, and people see it, she likened it to putting toothpaste back in the tube — an impossible task.

Rabbi Emily Losben-Ostrov, of Temple Anshe Hesed, and her husband Ruben Ostrov speak during an interfaith prayer service in 2016 at the Cathedral Preparatory School auditorium. The service titled “Unity in Faith: A Time for Hope, a Demonstration of Love” featured Christians, Muslims, Jews and others praying together for peace. [FILE PHOTO JACK HANRAHAN/ERIE TIMES NEWS]

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But she added that most of us are not going to change someone else’s mind. It’s the reason that dinner tables and business meetings are not the places to discuss politics and religion. “Remember a time and place for all of this,” she said. “That’s not a place that’s in the public view.”

Things you can do: ● If you need to discuss, vent and rant, gather with others of like minds and have conversations that don’t become arguments. Or journal privately — keep your feelings out of the public eye. Get like-minded people together in a social media group, chat or hangout, or schedule personal meetings like you would a book club.

Share, plan, work together to make a change. ● Meet some people you would never encounter. Take time to get to know them and their customs and beliefs. Ilana Losben practices what she preaches. She gathers with members of other religions on a regular basis for dinner and interaction.

“These are people I might never meet in my everyday activities, and our time together is very rewarding,” she said.

EXECUTIVE: LEARN MORE Linda Wilkinson, a retired health care development executive from UPMC Hamot who also has a background as a teacher and advertising executive, agrees with Ilana Losben: Gather with likeminded people who share your views, or get together with some folks you don’t know to learn more about them. Her church has set up regular monthly dinner club meetings that include refugees and church members. “It’s really enlightening,” she said. “You’ll forget some of your own problems.”

She added that the fight for

women’s rights is never over, and it’s a good time for women to remember how far they’ve come but how far is still left to go. “I grew up before there was title IX,” she said. “That’s just one example of how far we’ve come. I hope younger women recognize that it wasn’t always like this.”

Getting out of our comfort zones is often critical to appreciating what is happening. Wilkinson said she has worked with young people who work to help the homeless. “They are so full of hope. It’s just a good feeling to be with them,” she said.

Things you can do: ● Wilkinson noted that news is everywhere — on computers, phones, and even kiosks at the bank. It is literally unavoidable. If it angers you, it might be time to disconnect on occasion. “Take a media break and a social media break. Make a conscious effort to find something more positive to do.

It may sound too simple, but breathe, meditate, don’t let it get to you,” she said. ● Wilkinson said Montel Williams suggested you list three things you are grateful for every night before you go to bed. Get up and read it in the morning, and add to it. ● Participate in random acts of kindness. “You’ll be amazed at how good it can make you feel to make someone else happy,” she said.

BUSINESS OWNER: BE A ROLE MODEL Colleen Moore Mezler, owner of Moore Research Services and past president of Marketing Research Association, said this is a teaching moment for all of us — to leave behind a message for our friends, our kids and our families.

“It’s a slippery slope,” she said.

Part of that message should be tolerance and finding common ground. If you can’t find that with friends and

LEFT: Linda Wilkinson, retired health care development executive at UPMC Hamot, advises women to take a media break if news and social media are too much to bear. [FILE PHOTO] RIGHT: Colleen Moore Mezler advises women to be careful what they post on social media regarding politics. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/PAUL LOREI]

LEGAL MILESTONES FOR WOMEN 1963 The Equal Pay Act is passed by Congress, promising equitable wages for the same work, regardless of the race, color, religion, national origin or sex of the worker.

1964 Title VII of the Civil Rights Act passes including a prohibition against employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.

1971 The U.S. Supreme Court outlaws the practice of private employers refusing to hire women with preschool children.

1972 Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in all aspects of education programs that receive federal support.

1972 The Supreme Court rules that an unmarried woman has the right to use contraceptives.

1973 The U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S. 1974 Courts rule it is illegal to force pregnant women to take maternity leave on the assumption they are incapable of working in their physical condition.

1975 Women can’t be excluded from serving on juries.

1981 State laws overturned designating a husband “head and master” with unilateral control of property owned jointly with his wife.

1984 Sex discrimination in membership policies of organizations, such as the Jaycees, is forbidden by the Supreme Court, opening many previously all-male organizations (Jaycees, Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions) to women.

1984 The state of Mississippi belatedly ratifies the 19th Amendment, granting women the vote. The Amendment was ratified in 1920.

1994 The Violence Against Women Act funds services for victims of rape and domestic violence, and it also allows women to seek civil rights remedies for gender-related crimes.

2009 Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act allows victims, usually women, of pay discrimination to file a complaint with the government against their employer within 180 days of their last paycheck.

— National Women’s History Project

Women have come a long way in the business world.

[THINKSTOCK]

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family, then don’t go there.

She shared that her family, like many families, is divided on the current political climate. It is unrealistic to think you will change someone else’s mind. So don’t try. “But look for positive nuggets,” she said. “Look for things we can control.”

On social media, many women will not post political opinions because it can be detrimental to business, friendships and family relationships.

It doesn’t mean, she said, that you can’t voice your opinions, but do it in a safe place where you feel comfortable and not vulnerable to verbal or digital attacks.

Change your sphere of influence in order to avoid the negative. ● Try to back away from media messages and social media messages.

Things you can do:

Pam Parker is the editor of House to Home, Her Times and Lake Erie LifeStyle. She can be reached at 870-1821.

Send email to pam.parker@ timesnews.com. Follow her on twitter.com/HerTimesErie.

● Volunteer. Choose to make a difference in your community and maybe that will have a ripple effect in a larger forum. ● Don’t focus on the negative.

MORE ADVICE FROM NPR: Be informed. In a recent interview on “All Things Considered” on National Public Radio, Cass Sunstein advised people to be smart and read, watch or listen to intelligent news from people with opposing views to your own. It enables everyone to be educated on both sides of topics, rather than living in one-view echo chambers.

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CAREERS

Women’s

words

Writers share their stories and their lives with their readers

W

By Karen Beardsley | Contributing writer

hen it comes to reading, writing and reinventing yourself, three local women are at the top of their class.

The concept of turning your passion into your profession is not new to Her Times readers. These women, too, are inspirational and have transformed their beliefs into print to help others.

When Shawnta Pulliam was a young girl living in the projects surrounded by drug addiction and facing a school expulsion, she never imagined she’d be promoting a book she’s written about her journey of faith, healing and destiny. Once she confronted her past, practiced forgiveness and built a relationship with God, her life turned around, and she’s sharing that story with everyone.

Her message in the book, “Hell Bent Heaven Bound,” which is due out on March 14, is that the only limitations you have are the ones you place

upon yourself.

“Through my book and public speaking, I want to give people hope for whatever they’re going through,” Pulliam says. “I know that others are struggling with the same issues I had to overcome, but you can come out on the other side if you believe in yourself and know that God is real.”

That same message is the crux of Nurturing Hearts, a nonprofit organization for at-risk young girls that she founded in 2006 and in which she remains an active volunteer. It focuses on building self-esteem and self-development, and its mission is to provide supportive leadership and life skills that will prepare girls for a positive future.

For more than 10 years, Pulliam has been employed at GE Transportation, has received numerous community awards, including the 2013 Women Making History Award, and most recently founded Shawnta Pulliam Arise LLC, where she provides inspirational speaking and life coach assistance.

[THINKSTOCK.COM]

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Shawnta Pulliam, of Erie, is the author of “Hell Bent Heaven Bound, One Woman’s Journey from the Drug House to the King’s House.”

[CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

Mary Moodey, an author, and her son, Sam, an illustrator, have developed a successful career writing children’s books for their company MarMooWorks.

[CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

Marisa Moks-Unger is the 2016-17 Erie County Poet Laureate. [FILE PHOTO CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

Pulliam has clearly evolved into a visionary and an entrepreneur and now, as an author, she openly talks about her experiences in her new book. “I was broken but was healed by developing a personal relationship with God and by learning what others have overcome,” she says. She is hoping to do the same for others through her writing.

While Pulliam has a driving passion to give people optimism, Mary Moodey’s passion is promoting literacy. In her 30 years of teaching, she’s always done so by incorporating the arts.

“I love teaching,” she says. “I’ve taught students from third grade through college. The five books I’ve written include a musical element; the stories are rhythmic and have a musical quality to them.”

Moodey’s business, which she founded in 2012, MarMooWorks, evolved from her love for learning and language at an early age and interactive reading. She says that rhyme, rhythm and repetition is what sets her brand apart from others because these elements interweave language with music, and both are essential in brain and language development.

“Music works all parts of the brain and it’s vital for me,” says Moodey, who played the cello in college. “The Suzuki method in music is based on repetition, and I believe is should be no different when it comes to language.”

In November, MarMooWorks published its fifth book, “When The Camel Sneezed,” in which Moodey, and her son Sam, the illustrator, have managed to embrace language and make it fun, once again. She and her son have recently been commissioned to write a sixth book that will be out this year.

Moody is elated about working with her son in this capacity.

“I’ve heard from parents that my books are the first one their child wants at bedtime,” she says. “Even parents want to read books to their kids that are challenging and fun to read.”

She finds working with children directly very rewarding. When giving a reading at the Erie Martin Luther King Center in 2016, she played syllable games with the children. “It’s thrilling to see them learning so much without a worksheet in front of them. It gives me joy to see a child who doesn’t have all the advantages can grasp language by playing with it and having fun with it.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

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Moody says that she always told her students to spread their wings and soar. Her daughter told her that she needed to heed her own advice and take risks that she’d advised others to take. At 56, she started her business.

“It’s been a risk as it’s not a high-profit business,” she admits. “I’ve always been inspired by women who are willing to take risks even at an advanced age, and I do like being my own boss.”

RHYME AND REASON Erie County’s Poet Laureate Marisa Moks-Unger likes helping people respond to their own narrative in a positive way to enhance or change their own life stories. She does this in formal workshops and in casual conversations at coffee shops.

Moks-Unger is currently halfway into her one-year position as the poet laureate, a position she applied for because she saw how her students responded in very positive ways to poetry assignments. An English teacher for nearly 10 years, she sees poetry as a means of healing, nurturing and caring for ourselves and the world around us.

“Poetry is one of my favorite forms of writing,” she says. “It is a compressed form of communication. Look at the punch you can pack with a haiku or the lyrical elegance of a villanelle.”

One of several local poets who applied for the poet laureate designation, a portion of a grant awarded to her

is for a project to help bring poetry to the residents of Erie County. Her goal is to host reflective visual art-inspired poetry workshops, presented in both live and virtual formats, to explore the power of visual art to stimulate the creation of poems for people of all ages.

She is the author of a collection of chapter book-length poetry, her work appears in many literary publications, and she has read at various venues throughout the country. As the area representative for the International Women’s Writing Guild, she facilitates monthly meetings and organizes regional writing retreats. In addition, her company, We Write It Right, is a full-service writing and editing company that provides professional and personal writing services.

“I’m in the process of fine tuning my goals,” she explains.

“I’m interested in showcasing women’s and minorities’ strengths rather than weaknesses and fears. People yearn for a sense of stability and steadfastness, especially today. Also, I’m currently working on a book of prose poems and poems about life in Erie County called ‘Life Inside the Chimney.’”

She’s interested in learning more about narrative medicine. “We can treat people with writing, journaling and life-story editing just as we have with other alternative medicines. I’ve been reading a lot of work from the late Peter Elbow, Louise Hay and Wayne Dyer on how the steady use of affirmations and visualization change our lives.”

Pulliam, Moodey and Moks-Unger have, indeed, changed lives, and through their publications and outreach, are continuing to inspire many. HT

GET MORE INFORMATION Shawnta Pulliam www.ShawntaPulliamArise.com www.nurturing-hearts.org “Hell Bent Heaven Bound” Book signing: March 14, 6 — 8 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, Erie Mary Moodey www.marmooworks.com Erie County Poet Laureate — Marisa Moks-Unger www.eriecountypa.gov http://bit.ly/2lvinwv

Karen Beardsley is the media relations manager at UPMC.

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H E A LT H | E 8

ARTS | E7

RESTORE YOURSELF

GALLERY OFFERINGS

Bringing back your vim and vigor requires a dedicated effort that includes eating right

Plan your upcoming visits with our guide to who is showing what where

HER TIMES ‘Mamma Mia’ star battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Pam Parker

L

ast night, my husband and I watched the sensational “Mamma Mia” at the Erie Playhouse. Behind the scenes, every actor has a story, and I discovered some real courage when I interviewed Linda Wingerter.

She has been a star on the Erie Playhouse stage since 1986. She’d been a Spanish and French teacher at Iroquois High School since 2009, but in 2013, she started a three-year battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and the setbacks were many. Dozens of treatments failed, and at certain points— several points— she was near death. But she recovered, and last week made a triumphant return to the stage she loves as Donna in “Mamma Mia.”

Movement brings women’s voices out of the shadows The social media moment has shown us how many women have experienced sexual harassment, assault or gender bias

By Brenda Martin brenda.martin@timesnews.com

E

mily Roll Moore was a young Fairview woman who struggled with life. She had a family, went to school, was a gifted writer and was the fashionista of her family. She was a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife.

But she also had a past that haunted her, a series of events that she experienced in elementary school in upstate New York, that colored her days and nights.

She was sexually assaulted by a man connected to her grade school.

The assault changed her.

It affected her relationships.

It made her hurt herself.

Moore died several years ago at the age of 31 as a complication of anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder that Moore and her family believed was brought on by her childhood sexual abuse.

Her mother, Carolynn Roll, says #MeToo on behalf of her daughter, because her daughter can no longer say it herself.

How it started The signs were elusive.

She’d had swelling in her right leg and abdominal and groin pain, but she’d been working out and dismissed the pain as exercise-related. At the same time, she’d been working on her master’s degree and said exhaustion was something she attributed to being a mom with three kids, work and moving. She and her husband Dan had married before 2013, and they were busy combining households. “I was a busy girl,” she said.

But fatigue and weight gain rather than loss bothered her. The sign she needed to seek medical attention was a dramatic one. “I collapsed in school.

See PARKER, E4

[PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM]

Hot news flash: Herbal menopause beer is here

By Lisa Gutierrez The Kansas City Star

New Hampshire brewery owner Joanne Francis came up with a beer for women in menopause.

“The idea of simply putting herbs into a beer that would be favorable for a woman experiencing menopausal symptoms was simply just a no-brainer,” she told WCSH in Portland, Maine.

So she created “Libeeration,” a limited-edition craft beer that debuted on Thursday. Francis is co-owner of Portsmouth Brewery and has been in the brew business for more than 20 years. As

she got older, she told the Foster’s Daily Democrat in Dover, N.H., she “began to feel more and more marginalized and more of an outcast in the business that I worked in and I knew that a lot of girlfriends had a huge passion for beer, but nothing was really particularly being devoted to this age group, the over-50 woman.”

The ingredients are ones that herbalists have traditionally used to help women going through hormonal changes, including lemon balm, rose, chamomile, stinging nettle, motherwort and chickweed.

Gallagher used them instead of hops to add balance and bitter to the beer.

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“You have people who haven’t talked about it in 30 years, and they’re seeing it on the news, and people start to think they may have to talk about it because they have unresolved issues,” said Angie Devine, 45, the marketing and development coordinator for the Crime Victim Center of Erie County, which helps women, children and men who have been the victims of sexual assault.

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evine has her own #MeToo story of harassment that started when she was 22.

“I started my first professional job in customer service

working for a small company,” she said.

The owner of the company introduced her to many sales representatives and customers who visited the office as “his Girl Friday with a smirk that made my skin crawl every time,” she said.

“I endured many inappropriate comments such as, ‘And what are your job duties? Do you work nights, too?’” she said.

Devine said she approached the owner and told him the

comments made her uncomfortable. She said his response was that he only hired her because she was “cute and had a great set of legs.

She said the “last straw” was a Friday incident, a day when she was taking a halfday off work to meet her future husband at the courthouse to apply for their marriage license. She remembers what she was wearing that day because of the occasion: a flowing, white, knee-length dress.

Instead of a day of celebration, she said it was a day of harassment, beginning when the owner of the business had her place a sign on the business marquee along a busy Erie street. The sign that she was ordered to post said, “The leading cause of divorce is marriage.”

Then, she said, the owner told her to clean a storage room covered in dust. He picked up a binder, wiped it on the skirt of her white dress “and said I was a dirty girl,” before asking

why her fiancé would marry such a woman.

She said she soon found a new job and contacted a lawyer, who told her that she didn’t have a case for sexual harassment because the owner hadn’t pressured her to have sex.

“So my attorney sued for a hostile work environment,” she said.

The case was ultimately settled out-of-court.

••• See ME TOO, E3

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n Oct. 5, the New York Times published a story detailing allegations that powerful Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted women for decades, paid settlements to keep them silent, and was protected by his male-dominated movie company in a maledominated industry.

Since then dozens of women have come forward to paint a picture of Weinstein as a serial abuser who over 30 years raped and assaulted women, at worst, or derailed women’s careers when they wouldn’t agree to his sexual demands.

But outside of Hollywood, millions of other women joined a social media chorus using the hashtag #MeToo, detailing their own experiences of assault or harassment or gender bias.

For some, #MeToo is an acknowledgment of a nearly universal experience among women in which relationships in workplaces, neighborhoods, gyms and schools are colored by genderbased jokes and barbs.

For others, #MeToo brought stories of sexual advances rebuffed, or of experiences of gender bias that the women had not forgotten, but from which they had moved on. But for others, #MeToo has triggered memories of painful experiences of gender bias, harassment or assault.

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or Moore, any justice for the assault she experienced will happen after her death Roll, her mother, said that while her daughter was strong and had a powerful voice on behalf of others, especially her own child, she struggled to find her voice in advocacy for herself.

Roll said the damage her daughter’s abuser “did to her had her doubting everything in the decisions she made, feeling not worthy, always feeling that she needed to be punished, that it was always her fault.

“I thought that maybe having a child of her own, she’d be able to see it wasn’t her fault, that she was an innocent, that someone took advantage of her,” said Roll, 59. “She couldn’t let go of that guilt.

It paralyzed her.”

Moore’s abuse happened when she was in elementary school. Her abuser was a seminarian who was serving at her Catholic school.

After Moore’s death, her parents contacted the Roman Catholic diocese where the abuse took place, which referred her case to the district attorney.

While no charges have been brought in the case because of Moore’s death and because of the statute of limitations, Moore’s parents continue to be in conversation with the diocese.

Roll said that as a young adult, her daughter explained to her the cloud the abuse cast over her life.

“She said, ‘Mom, I don’t know what it is to be normal,’” Roll said. “It’s heartbreaking. I think it just prevented her from moving forward. She always felt so unworthy, that it was wrong, that she permitted it.”

Roll said she and her husband reached out to the diocese so they could be their daughter’s voice. She is now saying #MeToo on behalf of her daughter, so other women know they aren’t alone.

“There are a lot of other children out there who have been abused,” she said. “In any woman’s case, the earlier they get some

AT A GLANCE The National Sexual Violence Resource Center maintains statistics about sexual violence in the U.S.: • One in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives.

• 46.4 percent of lesbians, 74.9 percent of bisexual women and 43.3 percent of heterosexual women reported sexual violence other than rape during their lifetimes, while 40.2 percent of gay men, 47.4 percent of bisexual men and 20.8 percent of heterosexual men reported sexual violence other than rape during their lifetimes.

• 91 percent of the victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and 9 percent are male.

• Each rape costs approximately $151,423.

• Annually, rape costs the U.S. more than any other crime ($127 billion), followed by assault ($93 billion), murder ($71 billion), and drunk driving ($61 billion).

• 81 percent of women and 35 percent of men report significant short-term or long-term effects such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

• One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old.

• 96 percent of people who sexually abuse children are male, and 76.8 percent of people who sexually abuse children are adults.

• 325,000 children are at risk of becoming victims of commercial child sexual exploitation each year.

• One in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college.

• More than 90 percent of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault.

• Rape is the most under-reported crime; 63 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to police.

kind of help, the better.” he's pulled himself out of his pants and ••• is fondling himself.

“Now he's looking at nother Erie my face, hoping for a woman said reaction, I presume. I #MeToo inspired ring up his check, give her to share a story on him his change (into his social media that she non-busy hand), smile had never told anyone. and say, ‘Have a nice Sherry Rieder, 51, day!’” she wrote in her told of an incident that Facebook account of happened to her when the incident. “I think she was working as he was disappointed a server at a Howard because I didn't flinch.

Johnson’s Restaurant His wife and kids on upper Peach Street were waiting for him in the late 1980s. She in the car. Crazy.” said she never told a Rieder said after soul about the incithe incident, she just dent, and hesitated kept working because even now to share it. the “restaurant was Rieder, a former man- packed.” But she said aging editor at the Erie she’s proud now of how Times-News who now she was able to respond works at Mercyhurst as a 20-something.

University, said a customer approached the ••• cash register at the restaurant to pay his check, he Rev. Karen and handed her the Martin Kepner, a check and some cash. pastor who lives “He then looks down in Circleville, Ohio, at his crotch,” she south of Columbus, said. “I look where he's said she remembers looking and see that an incident when she

A

T

lived in Erie County and went into a store in Edinboro dressed in her clergy apparel.

“My most obnoxious encounter was when I was first ordained,” she said. “I was in a store buying a bag of dog food.

The manager asked me over and over to ‘hear his private confession.’

He then insisted I step back and turn around so he could look at me from all sides. Needless to say, I never went back to that store.”

Kepner, 58, said she never felt unsafe, but “completely at a loss.

He was clearly seeking something consensual and never did anything more than caress my hand, as though that would encourage me to accept his offer.

“Like a deer caught in the headlights, I froze, but remained ready to finally flee when I had the opportunity,” she said. “The store was empty but for the two of us. He may never have been so bold if other customers were present.”

Kepner says she knows the experiences of other women are “far worse,” but said any experiences of gender bias, harassment and assault are not acceptable.

hospital, make sure we’re there holding their hand, make sure their victims’ rights are being taken care of,” she said.

The center then provides crisis counseling and supportive counseling to victims.

“We help if there are injuries, or, heaven forbid, a death,” she said.

The center maintains contact with victims throughout any court proceedings, providing assistance with filing claims for victims’ compensation and also helping to file impact statements that judges use during sentencing procedures when restitution is often set for someone who has pleaded guilty to a crime or been found guilty during a trial.

She said the center tries to step in to make sure victims are believed and treated properly during the legal process, “because they’re not all the time. Those types of things still happen.”

Devine said the center also, during 2016, reached about 20,000 people with prevention education in schools and in the community.

The center focuses on internet safety, teaches about good secrets and bad secrets, and helps people understand ••• bystander behavior and how to safely step in evine, of the Crime to protect someone.

Victim Center, “This whole #MeToo said that while the is bringing about such a #MeToo campaign has huge awareness all over helped some women the country,” Devine find their voices, the said. “Bystander educanumber of people helped tion is something that by the agency shows needs to be taught. It how prevalent assault helps people recogis in Erie County. nize and know how In 2016, the center to handle situations. provided services to A bystander can keep almost 5,000 women, things from happening.” children and men. (Statistics have not been compiled for 2017.)

Nationally, one in four girls under the age of 18 are sexually assaulted, Devine said. For boys, the number is one in six before they’re 18.

Erie County’s Crime Victim Center began as the Rape Crisis Center, which had a 24-hour crisis hotline, which the Crime Victim Center continues to maintain.

“It’s a very busy hotline,” Devine said.

Devine said when someone is assaulted or raped, representatives of the agency accompany the victim to the hospital, stay with the victim during the forensic interview, hospital treatment and a police interview.

“We will go to the

D

That’s especially the case, Devine said, when you notice someone who may be intoxicated or who may have been drugged.

While the #MeToo movement has given some women a voice for the first time, it has also triggered others who may not know how to handle the emotions that have surfaced, Devine said.

“One of the things we talk to people about is self-care,” she said.

“When you’re triggered, we help with the techniques that you can use.

We teach folks how to take care of themselves.

Sometimes it’s disengaging, sometimes its redirecting. Those are things that we encourage people to do.”

She said those who haven’t talked about their experiences for many years are especially encouraged to use good “coping mechanisms.”

Abuse and assault, she said, can leave victims vulnerable to drinking, using drugs or otherwise self-harming. “That’s why we really encourage people to learn about self-care and handle their feelings” in the most constructive way possible, she said.

•••

R

oll said women speaking now, as she is on behalf of her daughter, may feel the pain of old wounds, but speaking out may also help with healing.

“It’s like any wound,” she said. “Give it some air and it will have pus ... but healing will come.”

Brenda Martin can be reached at 8701771 or by email.

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HER TIMES

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Diane Hardner, from left, Linda Wingerter and Liz Collado star in the Erie Playhouse’s production of “Mamma Mia.” [RICK

From Page E1

It was a severe pain in my abdomen, and my husband rushed me to the hospital,” she said.

The symptoms took her to the Cleveland Clinic.

In May 2013,the now 53-year-old mother of three was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and she had several forms of the disease. “I had so many tumors,” Wingerter recalled. “They were obstructing my bowel, one was along my aorta, another on my groin, more in my abdomen, but none were visible,” she said. Traditionally, swelling will occur in the neck, she added.

The diagnosis was Stage IIIE non-Hodgkin lymphoma. “It basically meant that it hadn’t gone into other organs, and even at Stage IV they can still help you,” she said. Multiple treatments followed with high percentage rates of success, yet she relapsed after each one in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

A stem cell transplant of her own cells and other protocols had all failed at the Cleveland Clinic.

It was recommended that she travel to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, but she wondered if her time was up. “I wasn’t the typical case, and I was a difficult case— that was hard information to hear,” she said.

Next, she made difficult decisions. “I made my peace with God and accepted my mortality,” she said. But while she was planning to get her life in order and figure out how to live her last days, her support system kicked into high gear. Her husband Dan, and sons Colt and Zach Troyer and daughter Rebekah Troyer wouldn’t let her give up. Her parents Sydney and Louise Smith, of Union City, and her mother-in-law Barbara Wingerter were all by her side along with her Playhouse family, church family, staff and students at Iroquois School District.

But that wasn’t all.

In an emotional recollection, Wingerter said Melanie Johnson, a friend who had been going through breast cancer treatments at the same time Wingerter battled her disease,

KLEIN/ CONTRIBUTED

Amy Bracken, left, donated stem cells to her sister Linda Wingerter, right. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

wouldn’t let her give up.

“I saw her at a Playhouse production, “All Shook Up,” and she told me I had to go to Texas,” Wingerter said.

Johnson, who appeared on the cover of the Erie Times-News in a story related to breast cancer in 2014, was also treated at MD Anderson.

Wingerter’s daughter Rebekah Troyer, now 27, encouraged her mother. “She told me they always come up with new things. I had to try,” Wingerter said.

Troyer quit her job in Pittsburgh as a nanny to take care of her mom in Texas. Wingerter worried that moving to Texas would be expensive, but she said family and friend connections were helpful in finding a place to stay.

In Texas, at MD Anderson, Wingerter said she had hope. A variety of treatments were planned, and more than 15 doctors studied her case. “They were the cream of the crop, and the facility is attached to the University of Texas. It’s a massive hospital,” Wingerter said. She participated in another stem cell transplant, and Wingerter’s siblings Amy Bracken and Barry Smith were both matches, but the medical team chose her sister’s stem cells because same-gender donors are more successful. But another relapse left Wingerter near death and delayed the transplant, which was part of a clinical trial. Finally Wingerter recovered enough for the transplant in June of 2016. She had to remain in Texas for months, and returned home in September of that year.

“I was the first person to receive that clinical trial,” she said.

Now, she returns every six months for blood

The Iroquois High School staff and students created the T-shirt as part of their support for teacher Linda Wingerter after her third relapse in her battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. They sold and wore the shirts as part of the fundraiser they named Lindapalooza.

[CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

work and says she’s “almost perfect.”

Wingerter knows how lucky she is to be alive. She is grateful for all her good fortune in spite of the disease. Her insurance covered some expenses and pharmaceutical companies covered the clinical trials. Fundraisers sponsored by Iroquois and the Playhouse raised more than $10,000 for other expenses.

The disease has mysterious origins and can be linked to genetics, as Wingerter had an uncle who had the disease in a different form. Hers was a latent form that became aggressive.

Her recovery is one of many positive outcomes for Wingerter’s family after she recovered.

Her daughter Rebekah did not return to her job in Pittsburgh. Instead, she is taking classes at John Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore to become a nurse.

While Wingerter has been away from performing for a while, she’s making up for lost time. “I live differently following my heart instead of my head. I planned to dedicate this year to living out my dream— music, theater and teaching voice lessons,” she said. She also performs as part of the acoustic duo Seawing with friend Steve Sears and is involved in other performances as well.

“Mamma Mia” is Wingerter’s first return to Playhouse stage, and colleagues at the Playhouse appreciate her bravery. “The grace and determination she has shown through her illness, and now to lead a show like ‘Mamma Mia’ is a testament to her strength and her faith,” said Kelly Craig, marketing and social media director at the Erie Playhouse.

“I am here for a while

now. You’re stuck with me,” Wingerter said.

And there’s more.

Wingerter has been involved in a stage friendly version of the children’s book “The Quiltmaker’s Gift,”

by Jeff Brumbeau. Her friend Cheryl Giles wrote the music and lyrics, and the show is being produced for the third year by Sovereign Ballet, with artistic director, Christina Maria Adelhardt. Performances are Dec. 1 and 2 at First Assembly of God. “I want to enjoy it all,” she said.

You still have a chance to see Wingerter on stage during “Mamma Mia.” The play runs through Nov. 19.

Pam Parker is the editor of House to Home, Her Times and Lake Erie LifeStyle. She can be reached at 870-1821.

Send email to pam. parker@timesnews.com.

Follow her on twitter. com/HerTimesErie.

PHOTO]

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REVIEW | E7

WHAT LIES BENEATH? New documentary ‘Lake of Betrayal’ examines the human toll of building Kinzua Dam and Reservoir

Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper dances with supporters at her campaign headquarters in Millcreek Township on Nov. 7.

Dahlkemper defeated Republican Art Oligeri for re-election. [CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

PEOPLE | E6

NIGHT TO REMEMBER The Hamot Health Foundation Seventh Annual Gala is set to honor the Erie Community Foundation

RUNNINGONPASSION

Meet seven women who ran for public office in Erie County this year

Pam Parker

H E A LT H | E 8

YOGURT EXPLAINED Yogurt can be glorified candy or a key part of a healthy diet.

Here’s help in sorting through the options

DEAR ABBY | E6

MAKING A DIFFERENCE Knitted prostheses charity delivers good news

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assion. Passion for ideas. Passion to make a difference.

Passion for Erie.

Women who ran for public office in 2017 in Erie County say passion was their motive. While they might have had different platforms, ideas and agendas, their passion to make a difference was a common theme that had them knocking on doors, raising money and talking about issues that were important to them and the community.

“What makes people run is you are passionate about some issue, something in the community or your neighborhood,” said Kathy Dahlkemper, who won a second term as Erie County executive.

Dahlkemper, an experienced candidate who also served one term from 2009 to 2011 in the U.S. House of Representatives,

was joined on the ballot by many other area women seeking public office.

Newcomers Liz Allen, Almi Clerkin and Kathy Fatica weren’t strangers to the political system in 2017. Each had plenty of connections in government, but none had run for office before.

Allen ran for Erie City Council and won. Clerkin ran for Erie mayor and lost in the spring primary. Fatica ran for Erie County Council and won the seat that had been held by her husband and that she had been appointed to fill after his death.

There were more seasoned candidates as well.

Rubye Jenkins Husband, a fixture on Erie City Council for 12 years and a dedicated community volunteer, also ran for Erie mayor and lost in the primary. Mary Jo Campbell, a Washington Township council member in her third term, ran for County Council and lost in the general election. Lisa Austin ran for County Council in 2013. She returned to politics in 2017 as a candidate for Erie mayor and lost in the primary.

Beyoncé is the highest paid female musician

By Frank Lovece Newsday

Beyoncé jumped from No. 5 last year to clinch the top spot in Forbes magazine’s annual list of the highest-paid female musicians.

Her critically lauded album “Lemonade,” the singer’s sixth No. 1 hit, and her subsequent Formation World Tour accounted for the bulk of the estimated $105 million that the 36-yearold earned between June 1, 2016, and June 1, 2017, said Forbes.

This is nearly twice her $54 million last year or her $54.5 million the year before that.

To compile the list, Forbes looked at pretax income from concerts, record sales, publishing, endorsements and other business ventures, using data from Nielsen SoundScan, Pollstar and RIAA, and information from industry sources.

1. Beyoncé ($105 million) 2. Adele ($69 million) 3. Taylor Swift ($44 million) 4. Celine Dion ($42 million) 5. Jennifer Lopez ($38 million) 6. Dolly Parton ($37 million) 7. Rihanna ($36 million) 8. Britney Spears ($34 million) 9. Katy Perry ($33 million) 10. Barbra Streisand ($30 million)

In January, Almi Clerkin, right, introduced herself to women recently named to serve as community schools directors.

From left, Tami Krzeszewski-Conway, who will serve at Edison Elementary School and Katrina Byrd at Emerson-Gridley Elementary School. [FILE PHOTO/GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

The candidates talked about what made them run and offered advice for other women who may have an interest in public office.

THE NOVICES Liz Allen The 66-year-old career journalist had knowledge of the workings of Erie City Council and other government bodies as a newspaper reporter, editor and editorial writer.

She retired from the Erie TimesLiz Allen News in 2015. She is immersed in

the community so much that for years she has often walked or biked throughout the city, stopping to talk to people from all walks of life.

Running for office came up when her book club read the Erie Refocused plan, and then community leaders suggested she run for office.

But the seed was planted even before that. “It all started when I attended the Women’s March,” Allen said of the January march in Washington, D.C., that drew millions of people.

Friends of hers were “fired up,” she said. She joined a political action committee that specifically See WOMEN, E2

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targeted seats on City Council, and she was the second highest vote-getter for four available seats in the general election.

Running was a tough decision for a woman who has been behind the scenes interviewing candidates for decades. Was she ready to change places? Allen asked for opinions from her five siblings and many friends.

One wondered if she had a “thick enough skin” to handle the criticism she might face.

Another turned that around and reminded her she “had skin in the game.” She had always been involved in city activities, had raised a family in Erie and had grandchildren.

“You want to make the community a better place,” Allen said.

To start though, Allen realized she had to do the simple things like ask people to sign a petition. A long-time reporter who had never been afraid to ask tough questions, Allen suddenly wondered if she could really ask people to support her personally with signatures and money for a campaign. “When I walked up to that first door, my heart was beating so fast,” Allen said.

Allen also thought she had to learn to “be a good sound byte.”

Her writing experience had led her to research and analyze questions in advance. “I’d been raised on print. I had to learn to get beyond a headline and develop a social media presence,” she said. Her strengths, she said, were in doing research before she formed an opinion, understanding surveys and knowing what the job was. “I’m a legislator serving my constituents,” she said.

“We have to deal with the issues we have and the budgets we have.”

She knew she couldn’t get involved in issues that aren’t City Council’s responsibility.

One of the more interesting things Allen said she learned from the experience was developing the ability to compete. Another former city council candidate Selena King, who ran in 2014, had suggested that women

What will make you run?

Caitlin Handerhan, a political consultant on Kathy Dahlkemper’s re-election campaign, said a variety of programs are available to help women prepare for political office. “Women are treated differently, and it takes a lot of bravery,” she said. Handerhan said potential candidates have to be able to handle pressure, social media, face-to-face conversations and knocking on doors. “That’s what wins races,” she said.

Here are just a few of the organizations that help women prepare to run.

Emerge Pa. www.emergepa.org: The Pennsylvania division of the national organization Emerge America trains Democratic women to get ready to run with a sevenmonth training program. The national organization has a presence in 17 states.

National Federation of Republican Women www.nfrw.org/ cms: The organization offers forums to empower women to serve in leadership roles in government and more. www.sheshouldrun.org: Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics offers a variety of programs to prepare women for government roles and jobs.

Center for American Women in Politics: The Chatham University Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics offers a variety of programs for women. For more information, contact PCWP@Chatham.edu, 412-365-1878.

Here are a few of the programs: Public Leader Education Network: This one is for college women who might consider a career in politics. They learn the legislative process in Washington, D.C., and seminars and internships are coordinated with universities. Scholarships are available, and applications are due Feb. 5. Contact pcwp@chatham.edu with questions.

Ready to Run Pennsylvania: According to the website, this organization “provides bi-partisan political training to encourage women to run for government leadership positions. The day-long program targets women considering or recently deciding to run for political office, providing training and mentoring by campaign professionals, political women, and officeholders.

Ready to Run Pennsylvania is part of the Ready to Run National Training Network of the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University (NJ).”

Ready to Run Pittsburgh takes place Jan. 27 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fee is $65. For more information, contact Annie Guadagnino, 412-365-1878, pcwp@chatham.edu.

NEW Leadership Pennsylvania: According to the website, The National Education for Women’s Leadership Pennsylvania “is an intensive, week-long, residential leadership and public policy institute designed to educate and empower young women for future political participation and leadership. The program addresses the under-representation of women in the political arena by focusing on the role of women in politics and policy making in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Each year approximately 35 students from colleges and universities across Pennsylvania are selected to attend.

NEW Leadership Pennsylvania is a part of a national network of NEW Leadership programs developed by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University.” Get information at www.chatham. edu/pcwp/education/newleadership.

For more information on how to run for office, contact any elected official and/or Caitlin M. Handerhan, of CMH Strategies, 814-812-1434, www.cmhstrategies.org.

need more advice on how to compete — “beating the competition,” Allen said. King believes men are often more experienced in competition, based on a study, “Girls Just Wanna Not Run. The Gender Gap in Young Americans’ Political Ambition,” by Jennifer Lawless of American University and Richard

L. Fox of Loyola Marymount University.

For her own information, Allen studied all the planning for the community and emailed Erie Refocused consultant Charles Buki to discuss the comprehensive Erie plan.

Her takeaway was to change the climate in Erie. “We need to stop complaining and create

Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper, center, talks with Laurie Mikielski, left, a candidate for district judge in Millcreek Township, and Mary Jo Campbell, right, a county council candidate from Washington Township during the Millcreek Democrats summer picnic Aug. 16 at Veteran’s Park in Millcreek Township. [JACK HANRAHAN/ ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

positivity,” she said.

Allen also encouraged women to get involved in governing at any level, including board appointments, leadership academies and seminars. She also encourages women to find a mentor. “I asked Tina Donikowski, retired vice president of GE Transportation, to mentor me, and that is really important for all women— have a mentor,” Allen said.

Almi Clerkin As the executive director of the Erie Playhouse since 2006, Clerkin believed she could Almitra bring Clerkin a passion and knowledge of management to Erie’s City Hall as the mayor. In her years at the Playhouse, she headed an effort to guide the organization into a more visible and financially successful theater. “It was an 11-year goal, and I knew it had an end at the 100th anniversary,” said the Erie native and Gannon University graduate.

Clerkin grew up in an arts-loving family and often attended performances with her parents. The passion of her youth carried her into 25 years of acting and management at the Playhouse. “I think we need to promote the hell out of Erie,” Clerkin said before the spring primary election. Clerkin lost in the primary.

Her calling to run, at age 53, came in the true form of a phone call from longtime Gannon faculty member David Kozak “in the summer of 2016, and asked if I would consider a run for an office,” she said.

The thought had not occurred to Clerkin, but she loved Erie and wanted to make it better. She felt there were similarities in running a nonprofit and running a city. Her family encouraged her, and her many connections with political experts and Gannon helped in the kickoff of her campaign.

Clerkin described the process as intense. “The amount of questionnaires was incredible,” she said. No one had the same kind of questionnaire, and it was important to fill them out properly. She credited Dahlkemper and former Erie City Council member Jessica Horan Kunco for insights.

Scheduling, budgeting for events and advertising were demanding and social media was a big part of the campaign.

She praised Dahlkemper for her guidance.

Advice she would give newcomers: “Go for it,” she said. “We have to do something to feel better and put the right leaders in place.”

Kathy Fatica Erie County Council members appointed Fatica to fill the council

seat for the 1st District when her husband Phil Fatica died in 2015. At 73, the retired publichealth nurse said she was determined to see through initiatives important to her late husband.

“I was hardly an expert, and prior to running for this I had only run for Kathy Fatica student body president at the Saint Vincent School of Nursing,” she said when asked about running for office. “I wanted to see Phil’s goals and passions fulfilled. That was it.”

Fatica’s career prepared her to run. She’d been a nurse and advocate for her clients and later worked for Erie County in public health.

She wanted to make a difference. “I made a decision to be a public servant,” she said. Her nursing career gave her expertise on two major topics important in the county. She thought the new public safety radio system was critical because former communications had been a safety hazard.

She also has an understanding of the region’s opioid epidemic and hopes to create solutions for helping solve addiction problems.

But campaigning wasn’t easy. The obligation of time and money were substantial, but she wanted to step forward and was grateful to all the people who had been “extremely generous with support and financial support.

That surprised me.”

Fatica won in the general election.

She credited former See WOMEN, E3

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HER TIMES

WOMEN From Page E2

Erie Mayor Joyce Savocchio, former Erie County Executive Judy Lynch and Dahlkemper with mentoring her political aspirations.

Fatica encourages other women to run. “You become energized, truly energized, and it takes a lot of dedication, but it has so many benefits,” she said.

THE VETERANS Kathy Dahlkemper Dahlkemper, 59, said it’s important to encourage women to run, but then you have to follow up. “No one can run on their own,” she said. “You need support and financial help. I always suggest that everyone — at least once in your life— work on getting someone elected. Find someone you can support, and jump in and help them. You’ll learn a lot about the political system and yourself.”

Dahlkemper was re-elected to a second term as Erie County executive in the General Election.

She said surrounding yourself with cheerleaders is critical, but it’s also important to be honest with yourself about what you’re getting into. Some of the best advice she received, she said, was to understand that no matter what you do or say, one-third of the people are not going to like you or vote for you. “That was hard to hear, but then you understand that twothirds of the people will support you,” she said.

Another overlooked part of running, she said, is that appearance matters in different ways to female candidates. “Get a really good haircut,” she said with a laugh. “Really, make it easy on yourself, and I never leave the house without makeup.”

She said anyone running for office has to be prepared and honest.

If there’s something in your past, be prepared for how you are going to deal with it, because someone can dig up anything. “When I ran for Congress, I had a professional dig into my background to see what they could find,” she said.

Campaigns can be vicious, she said, and mistakes can be made.

Dahlkemper said she coached Erie School Board candidate Darlene Feeney to a win despite a cross-filing mistake.

“She gathered all her friends around her and launched a write-in campaign to win the primary and get on the ballot,” Dahlkemper said. “It’s exciting.

You put yourself out there, and we should flank anyone who gets up and runs — Democrat or Republican.”

Mary Jo Campbell The 66-year-old Democrat knew it would be a tough battle to win a County Council seat in the general election because her Washington Township district had substantially more Republicans than Democrats in it. She lost in the general election.

“I still enjoyed it. I was Mary Jo asked to Campbell run, and I had experience as an office holder on the Washington Township Council. I wanted to expand my horizons and see what else I could do,” she said.

The retired professor of education at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is vice president of the Association of Pennsylvania College and University Retired Professors and is in her third term on the Washington Township Council. She said she probably won’t run again because she would be 71 by the time another election comes around, but she is a big advocate of getting women and men to run for office.

“I did a presentation at the Kiwanis Club to encourage people to run for office, and we took a look at all the empty spaces that have no candidates,” she said.

In her presentation, she had listed separate jobs by party and discussed how easy it is to run for some offices. She named judge of elections, auditors, council and township positions.

“I was impressed with so many empty spaces.

The judge of elections is a one-day shot and it’s paid,” she said. She added that training is also provided. Another post she suggested as an

opportunity to get into politics was as a committee member. “That’s how I started. You only need 10 signatures,” she said. “That’s how you get a foot in the door.”

Campbell suggested that people visit Erie County’s election office to see what’s open in their townships or communities. She said February is the time to pick up signatures. She said elected officials in federal and state government might have a harder time accomplishing things, but “local government works,” she said.

Rubye Jenkins-Husband This veteran public servant spent 12 years on Erie City Council and ran for Erie mayor at age 67 because she had plenty of experience to share. In 1997, she became Rubye the first Jenkinsblack Husband woman elected to City Council. She was elected council president three times and last served in 2009. Her accomplishments are many.

“I worked hard on getting jobs, community rehabilitation and helping to improve our city,” she said. Currently the program director for the sickle cell anemia project at the John F. Kennedy Center, JenkinsHusband has been involved in the sickle cell anemia project for 45 years — most of it as a volunteer. The softspoken woman who was born in Mississippi was involved in bringing in a Wal-Mart Store to east Erie in 2004.

She was a proponent of the runway extension at Erie International Airport, and she worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to upgrade railroad tracks on Greengarden Boulevard and Downing Avenue.

She notably helped Parade Street business owners upgrade their storefronts with government assistance.

She said you have to run when you see an opportunity to change things. “You need to explore that opportunity, make a difference,” she said. She encourages others to get involved. “I get really excited when I see other

women who want to get involved,” she said.

She believes women bring a sense of compassion to politics. And in her experience, she had worked with people and organizations that resulted in collaboration and success. She recalled working with citizen concerns — sometimes receiving 15 to 24 phone calls a day. “Those things are important,” she said.

She lost the Erie mayor’s race, but won’t rule out running for public office again. “Never say never,” she said.

Lisa Austin Austin, who teaches art at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, knew her bid for Erie mayor would be difficult because she wasn’t from Erie and had no family or power network in Erie. She lost in the spring primary. But what made her run?

Austin, 60, is known in a lot of circles as the woman trying to save historic buildings and landmarks like the former Villa Chapel and the McBride Lisa Austin Viaduct, but there’s much more to this savvy advocate who grew up in a military family and moved to Erie in 1996 with her husband, Stephen, for a job at Edinboro.

“As a kid, we moved all the time and to dozens of states. I never had a home base, and then I got this fantastic job at Edinboro

University,” she said.

The offer in 1996 gave Austin a taste of Erie in a temporary move — a rooming house on West Sixth Street. When her husband joined her, they moved into apartments in an old part of Erie. “We lived in the apartments in Landmark Square, and we ate at the neighborhood tavern Barilla’s (now Pineapple Eddie’s). We just fell in love with the city,” she said.

In 2004, the Austins bought a house in a nearby neighborhood and joined their neighborhood watch network. All the while, Austin connected with more people and became a greater advocate for events that

brought history and community together.

She also worked tirelessly to improve city neighborhoods.

Her efforts grew into other causes specifically devoted to preservation. And she struggled with the reality that politics often slowed the process. “We have a lot of great people doing things that are bad, but no one wants to call them out,” she said. At the same time, she saw potential and council members took notice of Austin’s ability to move projects forward.

Austin credits former council member Kunco for asking her to serve on the zoning board.

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Dan Dahlkemper, at left, and his wife and Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper are pictured at her campaign headquarters in Erie on Nov. 7. [CHRISTOPHER

From Page E3

There, she saw frustration but opportunity because the rules were out of date and communicating with residents had not kept up with the times. “It took years to get the meeting dates and minutes online, and there was no training for people serving on the zoning board,” she said.

Austin’s efforts moved economic development forward, and she was active in forming, founding and joining organizations that solved problems.

CIVITAS was founded in 2004 and it created urban planning groups that included Innovation Erie, Made in Erie Marketplace and Made in Erie Design Lab at Blasco Library. Austin wrote monthly essays called “Considering the City” for the Erie Times-News on issues of blight, transit, planning and economic development. Accomplishments were truly grassroots. “We did a lot of this over bottles of wine and cups of coffee,” she said.

MILLETTE/ERIE TIMESNEWS]

Al Richardson of the Lake Erie Group, Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sierra Club and former Erie City Councilwoman Rubye Jenkins-Husband speak during the dedication of the 1.3 miles of accessible hiking trails at McClelland Park in Erie. [FILE PHOTO/JACK HANRAHAN/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

She continued her work in the community and agreed to run for mayor when two women from different political parties approached her and asked her to run.

She studied how to run and how to win. Books she read included “How to Win a Local Election,” by Judge Lawrence Grey, and “The Campaign Manager,”

by Catherine Shaw.

She also participated in the entire Ready to Run Campaign Training for Women at Chatham University in the PA Center for Women and Politics.

Local events, she said, were important to attend, and she involved more young people and people from outside the community in politics when family members joined her to help knock on doors and get involved.

“We have amazing potential,” she said.

Will she run again?

Absolutely. “If something comes up where I feel I can make a difference, I will run,” she said. And she, like many other female candidates, encourages other women to run and make a difference.

Lisa Austin, a Democratic candidate for Erie mayor speaks during a forum for mayoral candidates organized by Our West Bayfront neighborhood organization on April 12 at Blasco Library’s Hirt Auditorium. [FILE PHOTO/JACK HANRAHAN/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

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Stop saying ‘no’ because it’s safe

By Debbie Peterson Contributing writer

So many people make a big deal out of learning to “just say no.” We frequently hear how crucial it is to learn to do this because we overextend ourselves and ignore our values. But today, I want to look at some of the reasons we sometimes say no too easily and why it may be holding us back.

Is no an excuse for you?

You don’t want to risk it.

Women have a fear of risk, and we need to get over it.

In a Hewlett Packard study on how to get more women into management, they discovered that avoiding risk was holding women back. The women in the study thought that they needed to be 100 percent

competent or qualified for a job before they would apply for it, whereas men only felt the need to be 60 percent competent before applying. Not being willing to take a risk and have faith in your abilities is holding you back. You miss ALL of the shots you never take. Find the people who will raise the bar for you and support you in your growth.

You have no goal in mind.

When I speak, I ask my audiences about their goals, and there is always a portion of the audience that has no formal goal in their career or business. If you don’t know the direction you want to go or haven't identified the consistent action you’ll need to take to get there on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, then you

don’t know what you’re doing. Desire without a plan is making decisions by chance, not by choice. Pick a lane, pick a direction but spend the time to write out (yes, hand write) a real goal.

Start with the SMART goal process if you don’t have a process of your own.

You believe it will be too hard. Are you telling your-

self how hard it will be? Are you saying to yourself that you’ve never done anything like this before? We tell ourselves stories so that we feel better about not taking action but what that does is keep us stuck. If you’ve ever vowed change and found yourself in the same place a year later, you know what I’m talking about. These stories are limiting beliefs, and they are just what the

Are you saying no to some ideas because it’s safe? It might be time to make a change. [SHUTTERSTOCK.COM]

name says, a belief that you have created that supports where you are comfortable staying. They are powerful because they run full-time and are truth to you and keep you in a limited mindset. Instead, ask yourself “what if I did?” and have a curiosity about the steps you can take to get you there. But here’s the kicker ... you have to take them.

If you recognize yourself in these words, congratulations. Awareness is always the first step to any change.

Keep in mind that disappointment hurts but life goes on, and so do you.

You can learn— there are coaches, books, courses and people who will help you if you are brave enough to ask.

Stop hiding behind an easy NO and try on an uncomfortable YES. Here’s wishing you the clarity you deserve.

Debbie Peterson is the president of Getting to Clarity, LLC and is a mindset expert empowering the careers of professional women.

CAREERS

Erie-area children’s authors get families involved in publishing

By Pam Parker pam.parker@timesnews.com

It’s never too late to start a new career. Or a writing career. Or an illustrating career. Two women in their 60s and their loved ones have been busy on books with help from family members.

“Milk and Cookies” is Nancy Petrick Tassick’s latest endeavor as a children’s author in Erie. Her husband Tim is the illustrator.

The book introduces readers to an aging mother and her special son, Henry, and their interaction with neighborhood families and children. The mom is 90-something, and the son is 70-something. She had a time-honored tradition of serving him milk and her homemade cookies on a daily basis. Their growing bond with the neighborhood children and some fantasy creatures is a heartwarming story with a wonderful life lesson on losing loved ones and gaining friends.

The author, in her 60s, is a retired teaching assistant and cafeteria aid, and her husband had a consulting business in Ohio. The pair met through an online dating service and carried on a long-distance relationship

Nancy Petrick Tassick wrote the book “Milk and Cookies,” and her husband Tim illustrated it. [PAM PARKER/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

for 10 years before marrying several years ago.

Their story appeared in Lake Erie LifeStyle in 2015.

Christian Faith Publishing, of Meadville, helped publish the book. It is available at local bookstores.

MarmooWorks still going strong In 2012, Mary Moodey, now in her 60s, received an InnovationErie award and launched MarmooWorks and released her first book “Christopher Counts the Constellations.” She also worked with vendors to create interactive apps and clothing that connect readers to her books. The InnovationErie award gave her space to launch her business in the Edinboro

Mary Moodey wrote “Sheldon and the Hot-Nosed Husky,” and son Sam Moodey illustrated it. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

University of Pennsylvania’s Startup incubator.

She continued to publish books regularly. “A Hero at Three,” illustrated by Cindy Vallone, came out in 2014, and she continued to find interactive ways to reach kids. Next was “A Hullabaloo of Hippos: A Lollapalooza of Language from A to Z,” and it was illustrated by her son, Sam Moodey, one of her four children.

In her book, “When The Camel Sneezed,” mother and son also collaborated. Moodey presents her works to audiences in lively presentations, and family members often hold the books and display them while she

Nancy Petrick Tassick wrote the book “Milk and Cookies,” and her husband Tim illustrated it. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

Children’s book author Mary Moodey has written a variety of children’s books. [FILE

moves about the room.

The latest book is called

connected her to Karen Rzepecki, founder and CEO of Mason Jars, to create reCAP Mason Jars Kids Explore kit that featured a bug jar, magnifier, glowin-the-dark cap with handle, and the chapter book, “Goin’ Explorin’,” designed to get kids outside.

“Sheldon and the Hot-Nosed Husky,” and it is available

at www.marmooworks. com. Brew Ha Ha in the Shops at the Colony on West Eighth Street in Erie is also selling the books.

The book was commissioned by Betsy Olson for Megan and Tim Terrella’s baby, Trevor. The Terrellas own Siberian Husky Kennel in Edinboro. Collaborations with local entrepreneurs are common for Moodey.

Her first book “Christopher Counts the Constellations”

PHOTO/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

Pam Parker is the editor of House to Home, Her Times and Lake Erie LifeStyle. She can be reached at 870-1821. Send email to pam.parker@timesnews. com. Follow her on twitter.com/HerTimesErie.

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Adventures full of gifts

By Lindsey Poisson lindsey.poisson@timesnews.com

A

long time ago, way back when I was on a middle-school trip to Washington, D.C., I was on a mission to find the perfect souvenir gift.

It was a nearly-weeklong, whirlwind trip filled with fun, friends and visits to monuments and museums— an exciting thing for a kid who rarely traveled outside her home state of Michigan. But amid all the excitement and fun, I started thinking about my family and how I wished they could experience some of it, too.

What better way than bringing a piece of Washington, D.C., back with me? Toward the end of the trip, I remember wandering around a gift shop for a long while, carefully looking things over and wondering who would like what.

It was taking a frustratingly long time, especially when it came to finding a gift for my dad. “What would he like?” I didn’t want to just get anything.

I finally settled on a gagtype gift— one of those “Washington D.C. was so expensive, all I could afford was a half of a mug” type deals. It was horribly tacky, but, to his credit, my father still displayed it proudly on a shelf in his home office for years (in fact, I think it’s still there, collecting dust).

And I think that’s how it all started.

Since then, especially in recent years, I’ve made a point to pick up gifts for family and friends when I visit curious

JOAN Continued from E1

store; afford to buy the book; and seeing eyes with which to read it? The serene acceptance? “Love this moment” and all that?

Nope. Not really.

So I wrote a polite email to the bookstore, saying I’d be “happily grateful” (not kidding) if they would help me out. Not knowing when I would be able

places. Museums, festivals, random shops out of town— I keep an eye out for awesome items wherever I happen to be.

Some gifts are hilariously cheesy, touristy things.

Some are fun but practical. Others are seemingly normal and thoughtful.

All of them, though, have a history or a fun story behind them, which is just as much part of the gift as the item itself.

Bags of authentic, madein-USA Marble King marbles, which I picked up from a West Virginia museum gift shop— not far from where the marbles were actually made. Pencils with the names and logos of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Niagara Falls and Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Handmade dream catchers from a local vendor at the Erie Pridefest. Slimm & Nunne sweet-and-hot mustard from the National Mustard Museum in Wisconsin. A “Want to pinch my pierogi?”

T-shirt from the Erie Polish Heritage Festival.

Each adventure adds more items to my “gift bin,” tucked away on a living room shelf until I can wrap them up and give them away. But since my visits back home to Michigan are few and further between, I’ve started saving up these gifts for birthdays and Christmas.

For a couple of recent birthday gifts, I included T-shirts from local events— Erie ComiCon, West Erie Plaza’s Gears & Grub and local festivals.

This Christmas, my father will get a couple jars

to get back up to the store, which is on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution in western New York, I said I would ship this book back if they would send one with text that was right-side up.

A few days later my cellphone rang.

“We want your shipping address so we can send you a new book,” said a friendly female voice.

“Great!” I said. “How can I get this upsidedown copy to you?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” she said.

A bunny Batman Lego mini figure, picked up during Erie ComiCon, and a pile of T-shirts from local festivals and events make for fun gifts for family and friends. [LINDSEY POISSON PHOTOS/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

Chuck, shown, and Vinny will get “cat wine,” picked up during a road trip through Wisconsin, and mouse toys, found during an Upper Peninsula excursion, for Christmas.

A vintage watercolor set, found during a summer day trip around western New York, will be one of several items in my mom’s Christmas present this year.

A colorful, handmade dream catcher, purchased from a local festival vendor over the summer, hangs on my niece’s bed post.

of gourmet, pickled cocktail garnishes I picked up at a road-side boutique in Wisconsin, while my mother will receive a big box of random gifts, including a bunny Batman Lego mini figure from Erie ComiCon and a vintage watercolor set I picked up from a seasonal antique shop near Mayville, New York.

And soon enough, my cats Vinny and Chuck will get a chance to try the Purrgundy

and Meowsling varieties of “cat wine” I came across on a recent road trip.

Although journeys eventually end and festivals inevitably pass, there’s always something new on the horizon. And hopefully, through these gifts, my loved ones will

feel like they’re always part of the adventure.

“But wouldn’t you want this one to return to the publisher or distributor for credit?” I asked.

“Nope,” came the reply. Then she laughed.

“Give it to someone who has a sense of humor.”

Wow. Really.

I hung up and felt a little wave of, well, something nice.

A few days later the new book arrived.

Opening it, the first thing I saw was that the pages were right-side up.

Then, in the Foreword,

I read this: “This is the gift— to hear and enjoy life’s music everywhere. To be more aware of what we have than what we don’t have. … there is something in every day … to celebrate with thanksgiving.”

And so I am celebrating, and I want to give this book away. The rightside-up version, I mean.

To enter the drawing, send your full name, address, city, ZIP and the keyword GRATEFUL on a postcard to Dana Massing, Erie Times-News,

P.O. Box 6215, Erie, PA 16512-6215 or in an email to dana.massing@ timesnews.com. The deadline to enter is Dec. 3. One entry per person please.

But I’m keeping the upside-down book.

Because I like to think I have a sense of humor.

And every time I open it, I’ll also be reminded there are many kind people in the world.

I’m thankful for that.

Lindsey Poisson is editor of Showcase at the Erie TimesNews. She can be reached at 870-1871. Send email to lindsey.poisson@timesnews. com or follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNPoisson.

Joan Benson-Cacchione is a freelance writer in Erie.