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Women go big CHOOSE TO
Meet six 30-something women in Erie who chose to stay here, work here and make this a better community
AND STAY HERE
By Sarah Grabski • sarah.grabski@timesnews.com || Pam Parker • pam.parker@timesnews.com
When others chose to leave, they stayed. When female friends, colleagues and acquaintances continued to move to cities like Pittsburgh, Denver and Nashville to develop their careers and start families, these women chose Erie for their futures. They chose Erie to plant their roots, to make their marks, to take their risks. And perhaps they did it against the odds, according to Erie Vital Signs, a project undertaken by Erie Community Foundation, United Way of Erie County, the Nonprofit Partnership and the Erie Regional Chamber & Growth. In 2010, Erie Vital Signs indicated there was a “brain drain” — or loss of young people — in the city. It reported the Erie area had more brain drain than the national average, a phenomenon that had been occurring for about a decade. But brain gain is taking its place. The median age of full-time workers in Erie County was 35.4 for women and 35.6 for men in 2016, according to the United States Census Bureau
American Community Survey. Take a quick look at most company directories in Erie County, and you’ll find the names of young 30-something females next to titles like chief executive, director and manager. Why do they choose to stay in Erie? Why do they continue to choose Erie time again even though lucrative job offers may come in from bigger companies or other cities? To kick off Women’s History month, the Erie Times-News asked women between the ages of 33 and 40 what made them choose Erie as home and what they hope for the future.
Over the next month, staff members and contributing writers will introduce readers to women who make a difference in Erie in honor of Women's History Month. Stories will appear on Sundays in the Living pages and on Thursdays in Showcase.
and Ed Palattella
ed.palattella@timesnews.com
The unions had a charitable goal in mind, but they were also struggling to get any work done because of frequent visits from groups and organizations that would come calling in search of donations. The community service
Arming teachers isn’t the way to stop school shootings, Fairview schools Superintendent Erik Kincade told students last week. He said “the only person I want in the school with a gun is” the student resource officer, and he said Fairview High School teachers who attended a meeting Thursday on gun violence “went to school to study math or Spanish, not to be a security guard.” Kincade was invited to address the Fairview High School’s Students for Change group after classes Thursday. The group was organized to consider possible solutions to gun violence after the Oct. 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas. Its membership has grown since 17 students and faculty were killed Feb. 14 by a 19-year-old gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Since the Florida shooting, President Donald Trump has
See CHARITY, A10
See SAFETY, A9
Employee-controlled fund charts new course
Rob Celeski counts himself as lucky.
Volume 18 Number 153 © 2018, GateHouse Media Questions? Call 870-1600
Views mixed on arming teachers
valerie.myers@timesnews.com
TIMES-NEWS]
jim.martin@timesnews.com
SENECA, VILLA WIN D-10 HOOPS TITLES
By Valerie Myers
[CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE
By Jim Martin
New job, new city — no matter the circumstances, how do you find new friends when you have to start over?
Millcreek district exploring options; Erie, Fairview districts opposed
Erie businesswomen talk about making the choice to remain in Erie. Back row, from left, are: LeAnna Nieratko, 33, general manager of the Whole Foods Co-op; Abby Skinner, 37, grant writer for the City of Erie; Wei-Shin Lai, 40, CEO of AcousticSheep. Front row, from left: Ashley Matson, director of the Mother Baby Unit at MageeWomens, UPMC Hamot; Chanel Cook, 39, outreach services manager for the Erie County Public Library; and Kristi Bailey, 33, director of business development services for the Erie Federal Credit Union.
The General Electric Employees Community Service Fund is changing how they donate
MAKING CONNECTIONS
SPORTS | C1
About this series
See WOMEN, A8
HER TIMES | E1
Fresh out of high school nearly 30 years ago, he went to work at GE Transportation, where he works to this day as a welder. As much as Celeski enjoys the work, he’s even happier during the time company payshimtospendworkingon the sixth floor of GE Transportation’s Building 42.
Obituaries ............... B3-5 Lotteries ................... C8 Puzzles ......................D5
During the hours he spends there, it’s his job to help give away millions of dollars he’s helped to collect as chairman of the General Electric Employees Community Service Fund. It’s a job that’s evolved a great deal since the company’s unions formed the organization in 1949.
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Sunday, March 4, 2018
WOMEN
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From Page A1
LeAnna Nieratko
Chanel Cook
When LeAnna Nieratko encounters a challenge, she finds herself thinking of her grandmother. “She was the general manager at the Yacht Club and that was a long time ago, before that was really a thing that a woman would be in such a position,” Nieratko said. “She had to be extra tough because she had to retrofit herself to a men’s style of leadership in a men’s club.” Nieratko, 33, is the general manager of the Whole Foods Co-Op, 1341 W. 26th St., a position she’s held since 2016. She was born and raised in Erie, graduated from Gannon University and then lived in Nashville; Bowling Green, Kentucky; Youngstown, Ohio; and Grove City. “At the time I decided to come here, I got a job offer simultaneously with a company in Columbus, Ohio,” she said. Nieratko was employed at the time with Bath and Body Works and was invited to open a “flagship” store with the company, meaning she would be managing one of the company’s largest, most visible stores in Columbus. “I was faced with the choice to further my corporate career or move back here (to Erie) where I was from and where my boyfriend at the time was,” she said. It wasn’t too difficult a choice for her. “Once I got here, I decided if this is the community I’m going to raise my family in, I want to be engaged and I can’t do that from a corporate position,” she said. “That’s why the co-op fits me so well. It’s community-owned. I have deep roots in Erie and I knew it was the
Chanel Cook has always considered herself the underdog. “Erie is the home of the underdog and I consider myself to be the underdog rather than a statistic,” said Cook, 39, the outreach services manager for the Erie County Public Library. “For me, it’s about the people and the mindset.” As a female, minority and single mom, Cook continues to find her niche in the city where she was born and raised and earned degrees from Gannon and Mercyhurst universities. She moved to Cleveland after college but returned here to raise her newborn daughter with family support. She began working for U.S. Rep. Phil English, then joined the staff of U.S. Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, who is now Erie County executive. Dahlkemper recruited her when she became county executive. “I ended up working for the county executive, the director of administration, and the solicitor, so I was really busy,” she said. She learned how to lobby for change. “My job was ultimately restructured, with pay grade and title changes. I’d been advocating for myself for some time,” she said. “Although it didn’t impact me, it benefited my successor, also a woman.” She also recommended the county designate a diversity officer, a position that was ultimately denied by Erie County Council. “Although it was denied by council, it did help the county executive, her directors, and our HR department think and
LeAnna Nieratko, 33, is the Whole Foods Co-Op general manager.. [GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
best place to take my skill set and a place I could be impactful.” What truly drew her back to the city was the opportunity to rebuild it. “Erie has everything or at least has the potential for everything and we’re in this interesting stage where we get to be builders,” she said. “A lot of people that have left, they go somewhere that already has an infrastructure and they kick back and relax. I want to be a part of rebuilding this community and seeing it change.” She got married and has started her family here. She is a stepmother to Lilly, 9, and mother to Lyle, 3, and Rosie, 20 months. “It’s also such a cool environment to raise kids, especially young girls,” she said. “I can show them they can do anything they want to do.”
Abby Skinner Abby Skinner has always thought of Erie as her “destination city.” Skinner, 37, is the city of Erie’s grant writer, a position created by new Erie Mayor Joe Schember’s administration in January. She grew up in Warren County and recalls taking trips to Erie for vacations and shopping with her family. After college and graduate work, she took up an interest in grant writing and served as a grant writer for the Warren County Historical Society, for the Regional Center for Workforce Excellence and for the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership. “Either in a volunteer capacity or actually being employed by an organization, it’s something I’ve really been passionate about and have been consistently doing over my entire career,” she said. After three years in Erie, Skinner said she learned a lot about leadership and how her involvement with nonprofits has allowed her to grow personally and professionally. “I’ve been involved in a lot of wonderful leadership with the nonprofits I’ve worked with and here at the administration in City Hall,” she said. She was impressed by her involvement with the Northwest Pennsylvania
Abby Skinner, grant writer for the City of Erie. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]
Area Health Education Center and working with Patty Stubber. “They partner with everyone — medical professionals, local universities, health care ... it was a wonderful experience,” she said. Skinner is also making a big commitment to her “destination city” this year. “I’m very excited to buy a house downtown. I started looking once the weather got nicer, and I’m looking forward to moving close to the office,” she said.
Ashley Matson One of the youngest nursing directors at UPMC Hamot at age 34, Matson is the director of the Mother Baby Unit at Magee-Womens. Born and raised in Erie, she thought she wanted to be “a college fashion design major and go to New York City.” Instead, she looked for a career that could bring her back home. “I love Erie. I love everything it has to offer,” she said. She got into nursing when there was a big need for nurses and the women’s hospital was about to open at Hamot. “It was perfect timing,” she said. Matson had good role models. “I was brought up by two strong women,” she said. “My grandmother was the widowed mother of six, and my mother was a single mom for the first eight years of my life. It’s all about the way you want to look at your future.” The married mom of three, ages 7, 4 and 2, Matson and her husband Dan believe “there’s a resurgence here,” she said. Her husband is a member of Local 449 Steamfitters union and has a hands-on job in an
Ashley Matson, director of the Mother Baby Unit at UPMC Hamot Magee Womens. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]
industry experiencing many retirements. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re in it for the long haul and we live right next door to my mother,” she said.
Chanel Cook, outreach services manager for the Erie County Public Library. [CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
operate differently. That was a proud moment for me,” she said. Knowing her experience and skill set, Erie County Public Library’s Executive Director Erin Wincek offered her a position with the library. “My daughter will soon attend college and I needed to prioritize time with her,” Cook said. “The promotion was a good move for us.” What she’s been most proud of her during her professional career in Erie is her ability to create diversity where it wasn’t before. “Showing people that differences are OK, whether it’s differences in thought, skin color, religion, perspective,” she said. “At the core, we’re all humans so we need to remember that a little bit of humanity and a little bit of humility go a long way.”
Wei-Shin Lai Wei-Shin Lai, M.D., 40, joked that she didn’t fit in with the rest of these 30-somethings. But Lai started AcousticSheep, headphones that are comfortable enough to sleep in, while still in her 20s in 2007. She came to Erie because her husband was born and raised in the area, and they had a goal of bringing technology jobs to Erie. “We started the company and brought a lot of young blood, technology and interesting, good jobs to the area,” she said. “We really have a West Coast type of management,” she said. Lai felt there was a job gap between older baby boomers and millennials, and she and her husband wanted to bridge that gap. Staying in Erie has been easy because her family loves the snow, the seasons and the lake. She said her son is also getting a very good education at Erie Day School. “I like to think that our company is helping to set an example of what’s achievable in Erie. With the talent here, we can grow and recruit more people. It might take five to 10 more years, but the city is making a comeback,” she said.
Wei-Shin Lai, CEO of AcousticSheep LLC. [FILE PHOTO/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
Lai came to Erie as a physician and thought that she would benefit the world as a doctor, but instead, she is helping people all over the world sleep better. “It doesn’t matter what I’m doing. My role is to help people, and this is the definition of feeling fulfilled, having happiness and success. It all has to do with how you’re contributing,” she said
Kristi Bailey Kristi Bailey cherishes her daily commute from McKean to Erie. The drive might take upwards of an hour in some cities, but she completes it twice daily in around 25 minutes. “There’s never traffic and it’s just a place to decompress after a long day on the ride home or to get ready for my day coming up on the way in,” said Bailey, director of business development and services at Erie Federal Credit Union and president of the Young Erie Professionals. “I can live outside of the city and still feel a part of the city.” Bailey, 33, realizes how lucky she is to do this. In fact, it qualifies as one of the reasons she planted roots in Erie to establish her family and her career. She has two children — Noah, 5, and Quinn, 16 months. The Erie native and her husband John are planted in the region. After graduating from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with a degree in communications, she decided to search for a job in Erie. “I’ve never had the want or the desire to go elsewhere,” she said. “I was fortunate enough to land a job early on in my career here and have chosen to remain here since.” But there were offers. Her husband received a job offer in South Carolina he was seriously considering. “You obviously think of those opportunities, but what I always
Sarah Grabski can be reached at 870-1776 or by email. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ETNgrabski. Pam Parker can be reached at 870-1821 or by email. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HerTimesErie.
Kristi Bailey, director of business development and services for the Erie Federal Credit Union. [FILE PHOTO/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
come back to is that what else would I be looking for?” she said. “So many people bash Erie and people my age move away. There is so much to do in Erie and I always ask, ‘What is it exactly that you’re looking for that this city doesn’t have to offer?’” She is invested in the development of young professionals in Erie. In 2017, she decided to get involved with Young Erie Professionals after seeing the organization decline over the past few years. “So many young people in Erie want to be involved, but they just don’t know how,” she said. “I felt like I could step up and organize this and make it happen.”
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BE HEARD
DEAR ABBY
MUSIC & BOOKS
It’s likely that any woman today can recount at least one time that her health concerns felt ignored or misdiagnosed
Couple in condo complex contemplates how to handle newcomer spreading nasty rumors about residents
Find out which 1980s female trio is reuniting for a tour and see lists of best-selling books
E1
HER TIMES Unusual baby shower is hope for the future
“Friends, be they casual work compadres or lifelong confidants, are the glue that hold many a woman together.”
Here’s what one woman did to plan for her future family — with or without a partner.
Pam Parker
L
ast night, Stephanie Montgomery planned to hold a baby shower for herself. Well, sort of. It was called Steph’s Eggstravagant Event — kind of an egg shower/ fundraiser. That’s right, egg — not baby. But it was all for a good cause. She’s trying to raise the $10,000 to $15,000 to freeze her eggs. Why? The single 36-year-old is a successful career woman— a full-time vocational specialist at Stairways, a Realtor with Agresti Real Estate, a skincare sales specialist with Rodan and Fields, a spin instructor at LECOM and a certified school psychologist who does contract work — but she worries about her ability to become a parent if and when she’s ready. “My mom used to tease me that I should freeze my eggs 10 years ago,” she said with a laugh. Montgomery explained that she hoped to someday meet her soulmate and start a traditional family. She’s still hoping to find that life partner and do everything the old-fashioned way, but as the biological clock ticks, she’s worried that if she wants to have children, she might have to take her mother’s joke more seriously. Time and statistics might not be on her side. Or are they? A New York Times article, in January, said that 86 percent of women ages 40 to 44 are mothers, according to census data from Pew Research Center. And 55 percent of never-married women ages 40 to 44 have at least one child. The problem is timing. The older you get, the lower your fertility and the greater the chance of risk. Acting now, while “my fertility level is great,” is important to success, Montgomery said. “I’d like to take the chance now. It reduces the pressure.” See EGGS, E3
[SHUTTERSTOCK.COM]
Finding new
friends
A job change or move can remove us from our circle of friends. When you have to start over, what do you do? By Heather Cass Contributing writer
It’s easy to make and keep friends when we’re young and free, bonding over shared secrets and long heartto-heart conversations at sleepovers. But once partners, professions and parenthood enter the equation, our girlfriends are often the first to go. It’s understandable. Life is full and overwhelming, and the last thing many of us have time for is a fourhour dinner with a friend.
Yet, it is the thing we probably need most. Girlfriends fill our reserves back up— they make us laugh, they inspire us, they give us practical advice, they boost our confidence, they let us know we are not alone and assure us that we are not screwing everything up. They know the good, bad and ugly about us and like us anyway. But what’s a woman to do if, after the parenting years, she looks up and realizes she’s lost her tribe? Or if mid-life, she leaves a long-term job
Ohio woman who was sold young finds family in Ireland By Graig Graziosi The (Youngstown) Vindicator
peace in the familiar sights of her home. So she said goodbye and left for London, disappearing into the streets of “The Old Smoke” in 1956. Atthesametimeonthe other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Mary’s daughter, Kathleen, was settling into her new home in Youngstown, Ohio. Kathleen was sold for $10,000 to a family
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Mary Sullivan said goodbye to her family for the last time on a bridge in Bennekerry, Ireland. She had to leave; her newborn daughter was taken from her by the Catholic Church and sold to a family in the United States. Heartbroken, she found no See ADOPTION, E3
and finds herself trying to make friends as a thirtyor forty-something? Jennifer Kelly, of Harborcreek, has spent most of her life at Harbor Creek High School. First as a student, then a secretary and, later, as a business/computer teacher. Last year, at 44, she decided to leave education and enter the corporate world, taking a position as an executive assistant at Great Lakes Insurance Service Group in Erie. She left behind coworkers, including many who
were decades-long friends who had become like family. “It was hard to leave friends that I saw on a daily basis, hung out with and attended school functions with,” Kelly said. “The career change was definitely a little intimidating. Not only was I new to this office, but I was taking on a completely new role.” Kelly fell back on her training. “As a teacher, being able to adapt is a necessity,” she said. “I think See FRIENDS, E4
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Sunday, March 4, 2018
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HER TIMES
Take control of your health The tests say you're fine, but you know better. Stand up for yourself - it's your health.
HEALTH TIPS Jot notes about your health in a notebook or online calendar. It can be difficult to remember what happened when or which symptoms appeared first, but if you make a habit of keeping track, you’ll have an easy reference. Did you know that HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which safeguards the privacy of medical records) gives you the right to obtain copies of all of your medical records? You also have the right to view, usually at the provider’s office, your original medical records. (Providers are allowed to withhold certain types of medical records, including psychotherapy notes.)
By Heather Cass Contributing writer
In the 19th century, women’s health problems were frequently labeled hysteria. This was especially true if the symptoms were vague, infrequent or included any form of psychological stress. Once diagnosed as hysterical, women were often committed to an asylum for the rest of their lives. We’ve come a long way since then. And, yet, if you talk to any adult woman today, it’s likely that she can recount at least one time that she felt her health concerns were ignored, dismissed or misdiagnosed. Pam Farrell, 44, of Edinboro, experienced menorrhagia, abnormally heavy periods, for more than 10 years. “It was so bad that I had to call off work because I couldn’t leave the house,” she said. “All the tests the doctor did came back normal and he suggested a partial hysterectomy. My insurance wouldn’t cover it, though, so I just learned to live with it.” Farrell lived with it for five more years until she saw a new doctor who scheduled an internal sonogram and found a large polyp in her uterus. Two weeks later, she had minor surgery to remove it and her problem was solved — after 15 years. How to be heard Unfortunately, Farrell’s story is not an anomaly. Women are far more likely to live with long-term health issues, suffer from chronic pain and wait longer for a proper diagnosis. The reasons for this are numerous and complicated. Some studies have shown that a gender bias may exist in treating women’s pain, but deeper, cultural issues come into play, too. “Many women are strong champions for their kids, their partner, their parents, their pets, but not themselves,” said Debbie DeAngelo, R.N.C., B.S.N., an Erie holistic health coach. “They don’t make their needs a priority, and this can delay them from seeking early treatment and prohibit thorough communication with clinicians.” And when it comes to successful treatment, it all boils down to effective communication with health-care providers.
[SHUTTERSTOCK.COM]
Women must be advocates for their own health. “You cannot take care of someone else or a whole family unless you’re well in terms of mind, body and spirit,” said Danielle Hansen, D.O., geriatrician at LECOM Institute for Successful Aging. Here are some tips for effective appointments with health-care providers Don’t delay treatment. “I often hear women say they have allowed an issue to persist for weeks or months before coming to my office,” said Dr. Lydia Travnik, a family physician at Allegheny Health Network Health + Wellness Pavilion: West Side in Erie. It’s understandable. Women have so many time constraints, especially during the middle ages of life. But, Travnik says, “unaddressed issues often compound with time, causing further complications. It’s important for women to be proactive.” Understand how appointments work. “The way
appointments are organized fall into several categories, including preventative (physicals), acute (problem-based concerns) or follow-up visits,” Travnik said. “Don’t expect to cover preventive topics and problems in one visit, as it makes it difficult to thoroughly address all aspects of preventative medicine.” As a guideline, Travnik said you can expect to address about three issues during one visit. Ask for the time you need.
“When you call your doctor to schedule an appointment, let the office staff know if you have more than one concern or if you have significant medical decisions or options to be
discussed, so they can allot more time,” DeAngelo said. Bring an extra set of ears.
If you’re anxious, overwhelmed, or have difficulty communicating in a healthcare setting, bring a friend or family member with you. Even if you have no trouble talking with your doctor, it can be helpful to have another person there who can help you remember or understand what your provider said. Organize your thoughts.
Communicating succinctly requires some pre-appointment work. “Write down pertinent information like specific symptoms, when they began and what aggravates or improves them,” DeAngelo said. “Bring an updated medication and allergy list as well as the names and contact info for other healthcare providers who are treating you.” Streamline and prioritize questions. “Show your
written list of questions to your doctor at the beginning of the appointment, so he or she understands the nature of your concerns and knows how to address them,” DeAngelo said. Be prepared to write down the answers and ask for educational handouts you can review when you get home. Be honest. Share all your symptoms and answer your physician’s questions honestly. “Don’t hide anything, even if you think it doesn’t matter, may not be related, or it makes you uncomfortable to discuss,” Hansen said. Doctors need to know all the details to make an accurate diagnosis. Summarize. “At the end of your appointment, summarize what you think your doctor has told you by saying something like, ‘Ok, let me see if I’ve understood you correctly,’” DeAngelo said.
Use the tools they offer you.
Nearly every health care provider or facility has a patient portal where patients can access test results, refill medication, and email physicians or office staff. Get a second opinion. It’s your right and, in many cases, advisable to get a second opinion on any procedures or treatments, especially if you’re uncertain about whether it’s the best course of action. Be persistent. If your provider hasn’t gotten back to you, don’t wait. Call, fax or email. It’s your health and your life. Take control. Trust your gut Health care providers may be the experts in their fields, but patients are the experts about their individual bodies, Hansen said. Women often know when something is not right, even if they don’t know what exactly it is. “I believe we all have an intuitive sense that can guide us,” DeAngelo said. “It’s just that we often let our brain override our gut, and we ignore it.” DeAngelo’s intuition saved her life, propelling her to seek help for a seemingly benign health issue. “Ultimately, this led to a very early stage ovarian cancer diagnosis, despite test results and medical opinions to the contrary,” she said. “I’m so grateful I followed my gut and overrode my nurse-brain that was telling me it was probably nothing.” The moral of DeAngelo’s story: Trust your gut and don’t stop until it’s satisfied. Do you need an advocate? The healthcare system can be complex, confusing and intimidating. This
has given rise to the role of a health advocate. “Health advocates can be as informal as an appointed friend or relative who attends appointments and coordinates your medical care or as formal as a paid independent professional to manage your care,” DeAngelo said. “From accompanying you to medical appointments and documenting questions and answers to locating a specialist to disputing bills, they act on your behalf.” Health advocates are typically individuals with a nursing or other health background, and prices vary according to their role and responsibilities. “Look for someone who is trustworthy, detailoriented, and has a calm demeanor and diplomatic communication skills,” DeAngelo said. Today, many hospitals employ patient advocates or representatives to enhance the patient care experience and quality. These advocates often handle complaints and intervene to bridge the gap between patient and hospital staff. Their services are free to patients. Should you break up with your doctor? Switching providers is always an option, but is it the best one? DeAngelo suggests that you first identify the source of your dissatisfaction. “Many patients cite the lack of time with their doctor during an appointment as their biggest complaint,” she said. “This is usually the result of overscheduling, which may not be very different elsewhere. Another challenge is computers in the exam room, which can lead to a lack of eye contact that makes patients feel they’re not being listened to.” Before changing doctors, consider voicing your concerns about what is bothering you. If you don’t feel comfortable doing it directly to the doctor, write him or her a letter, or ask to speak with the office manager. “Also, keep in mind that you aren’t the only one who may feel frustrated by the time constraints surrounding your appointment,” DeAngelo said. “Often, clinicians wish they could spend more time with their patients, too.” Heather Cass is a freelance writer and publications manager at Penn State Behrend in Erie.
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HER TIMES maternal consent before a child can be put up for adoption. In his book “Banished Babies,” journalist Mike Milotte estimated approximately 4,000 “banished babies” are believed to havebeenillegallyadopted from Ireland, including those from mother and baby homes. Mary first entered the home after becoming pregnant outside of marriage in 1953; she gave birth to Kathleen in 1954. For Kathleen, escaping the mother and baby home meant escaping a life of societal shaming, isolation and forced labor. Unfortunately for her, while the material elements of her life improved significantly in America, she was still a victim of isolation. Kathleen Sullivan — who now lives on the West Side — still remembers the day she found out she was adopted. “When I was very young, my brother said to me ‘That woman in the other room? She isn’t your mother.’ And I was so distraught I ran to her and told her what he’d said. She said ‘I’ve been telling you since you were a baby that you were adopted,” Kathleen said. “From that point on I had a hole in my heart. I questioned my identity.” Kathleen grew up believing that her birth mother had abandoned
her, and felt unwelcome and unwanted by her new family in Youngstown. She longed for a home she didn’t know and a family she assumed didn’t exist and, being painfully shy, rarely left the family’s home in Brownlee Woods. In public, her father would introduce her as his “adopted daughter” — a demoralizing experience for her each time it happened — and before the end of his life he confirmed one of her long-held suspicions. In the final year of his life, Kathleen asked her adopted father, bound to his bed where he would eventually die, whether or not he ever really wanted her. “No, I didn’t,” he said. Though her life was filled with hurdles, Kathleen eventually graduated from Cardinal Mooney High School, married, and had two children, Dennis and Kevin McKenney. Starting a family of her own was the beginning of a long process of learning how to feel loved again. But it also resulted in Kathleen getting to the bottom of some of the questions that had haunted her throughout her life. Kathleen’s oldest son, Dennis, became aware of his mother’s painful upbringing early in his life, and as he grew the
countless people start GoFundMe accounts to save for vacations and other fun events. She From Page E1 said she has supported dozens of friends’ weddings, showers, stags In the past four years, and baby showers. Montgomery has been a Before she embarked on doting aunt. She began this unusual fundraiser, to look at her future as she asked the opinion a mother more seriof good friends and got ously. “I asked my OB/ their support. “From GYN about egg freezing there, I just started and found out what it planning,” she said. costs,” she said. There As the day of the is no insurance coverparty neared, she said age, and she started to she hoped to have at seriously research the least 200 people, payprocess. She is not alone. ing $15 each, attend her On her Facebook page, event. She also has a Montgomery refers to GoFundme site at www. a National Public Radio gofundme.com/stephsand Society for Assisted eggstravagant-benefit. Reproductive TechThe initial egg harnology study that says vesting is just the beginfreezing eggs has gained ning. The eggs have to quickly in popularity. be stored, and in vitro Only about 500 women fertilization would be froze their eggs in 2009, required to implant but fertility clinic Eggthe eggs at a future Banxx predicts 76,000 date. All of those have women will have frozen added costs, and there their eggs by 2018. is no guarantee that Making the deciit will be a success. sion to throw herself a A 2016 Fertility and party took some guts, Sterility study that but she said she’d seen found 137 women who
decided to use eggs they had frozen at age 36 had “a 30 percent likelihood of achieving a live birth.” In contrast, Human Reproduction stated that women should have a 60 percent success rate, but predictions and real numbers often differ — substantially. Montgomery believes it’s all worth it. “There are risks on both sides, and I weighed these out before making this decision. ... Waiting for the right person to come along could ultimately result in a lost opportunity because my biological clock could stop ticking before that occurs. For me, I would rather risk having the hope and chance of having a family on my terms, minus the pressure,” she said.
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in Ohio who wanted to adopt an Irish child from a Catholic family. She arrived in New York City on an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin with 10 other children, all intended for “adoption” by American parents. Though life in the U.S. would prove hard and, for many years, loveless, Kathleen’s theft was a cruel mercy compared with the fate she escaped in Ireland. Kathleen was born in St. Patrick’s Mother and Baby Home in Dublin, Ireland. Mother and baby homes were built by the Catholic Church to house unwed mothers and their children. Once the women gave birth to their children, the nuns who ran the home would separate the mother and child, and enter the women into a year of unpaid labor as payment for the nuns’ midwife services. The children were often given up for adoption without the mother’s consent, or, in the case of Kathleen, sold to another country. In 1952 the Irish government passed the Adoption Act, which set rules for the legal adoption of children, including the need for
EGGS
Pam Parker is the editor of Her Times, Lake Erie LifeStyle and House to Home. She can be reached at 870-1821. Send email to pam. parker@timesnews.com. Follow her on twitter.
reality of what his mother endured inspired him to begin searching for clues to her true heritage. McKenney spent time gathering documents and researching the mother and baby homes, and eventually learned of the services of Clodagh Malone. Malone volunteers as a search angel — an individual who helps adopted children locate their birth families and vice versa — and is based in Ireland. Like Kathleen’s mother, Malone was a survivor of the St. Patrick mother and baby home, and when McKenney informed her of Kathleen’s case, she agreed to help. Malone began her search in Mary’s
hometown of Carlow, Ireland — a little more than an hour southwest of Dublin — and asked around about Kathleen’s family, which her birth certificate listed as the “O’Sullivans.” By happenstance, Malone had recently met a Magdalene Laundry survivor named Maureen Sullivan, who also happened to be from Carlow, and who would have been alive when Kathleen’s mother lived in the city. “I called Maureen and asked her if they’d ever heard of any O’Sullivans in town. She said there weren’t any, there was only her family, the Sullivans,” Malone said. “So Dennis sent Maureen a photo of his mother and
Maureen sent us a photo of herself, and we were shocked by how similar they looked. We thought they were sisters.” Though not sisters, DNA testing confirmed that the women were first cousins. Kathleen’s last name was changed by the nuns to make finding her through official records more difficult. Maureen also revealed that she had memories of Kathleen’s mother. Speaking on the phone, she told Kathleen she wasn’t abandoned after all but was taken from her mother and sold. “It’s been wonderful to get to know Kathleen and Dennis,” Maureen said. “It’s really a dream come true.”
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Sunday, March 4, 2018
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HER TIMES
FRIENDS
like hanging out with the people you spend all day with, but you will see a different side of people outside of the work environment. When you make time for purely social activities, such as the occasional happy hour, you can form deeper connections.
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Rekindle relationships.
Are there old friends you regret losing touch with over the years? Reach out to them on social media or through mutual friends. You already have history with them, which gives you common ground to start as you get reacquainted.
Join an exercise class or workout group. This is
a win-win because you can make friends and get fit, too. Workout friends not only keep you accountable and make exercise more fun, but they make you want to want to work out. “I’ve made my best friends, both male and female, through Team Adrenaline, an outdoor workout group led by chiropractor Steve Krauza,” Kelly said. “We do things with our T.A. friends all the time, and I’m in the best shape of my adult life.”
Make friends a priority.
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(Visit www.krauzachiro.com/team-adrenaline for more info.) Diversify. Don’t limit yourself to friends your age. It’s great to have friends who are at the same life stage as you are, but there is true value in having friends older than you who have the wisdom, experience and perspective to guide and help you. They’ve just been where you are and can help you through it. It’s also energizing and fulfilling to have younger friends that you can mentor and draw energy from. Meet up with some groups. Browse www.
meetup.com for groups in the Erie area that may share your interests. There is an outdoor adventure group, a book lovers group, an herbal study group, an Erie “Momterourage” group and many more that post activities and opportunities to, well, meet up. Don’t see any groups you’re interested in? Start one. Check out the Welcome Club of Erie. With nearly
200 paying members ($20 a year), monthly luncheon meetings, and more than a dozen subgroups (knitting, bridge, gardening, horseback riding and others.), the Welcome Club of Erie offers something for every woman. “Honestly, I could be busy every single night of the week with all the activities the club has going on,” said Leslee Burns, the club’ membership coordinator. Burns moved to Erie five years ago when her husband took a new position at Erie Insurance. “I’ve lived in a
lot of places over the years, but I’ve never met a group like this,” she said. “It’s really wonderful.” The club is not all newcomers: “Many of our members are women who are just looking for friends to golf or do things with.” (Visit https://thewelcomecluboferie.weebly. com for more info.) Listen and follow up. If you’re unsure how to strike up a conversation with a potential friend, try this: “What are you up to this weekend?” This question not only gives you information about what that person enjoys and how they spend their time, but it also gives you an opening for a follow-up conversation the next time you see them. People like people who take an interest in their lives. Start walking/running. Invite a coworker,
neighbor or casual friend to walk with you at lunchtime, after work, or in the evenings after the kids go to bed. You’ll end up forging friendship over shared miles. If you’ve ever wanted to run, try the Her Times Women’s 5K training program, a weekly training group for runners/walkers of any ability. The group meets weekly at Presque Isle, usually beginning in July, to train for the HT5K in October. Many of the women who have attended have remained friends for years. Get involved. Join any club or sports league that interests you— the Erie Runners Club, a book club, Friends of the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, a bocce league, or the church
down the street. “Now that our kids are grown, my husband and I have been able to find friends who share our interests and it has created better relationships,” Kelly said. “We’ve made friends with people through motorcycle riding, cycling, working out, hunting and more. Commonalities are the key to creating meaningful friendships.” Friend acquaintances on social media. You may
be reluctant to friend people you don’t know well, but social media can give you valuable insight. Kelly cited Instagram and Facebook for helping her find common ground with her new coworkers: “Connecting with them
on social media allowed me to see mutual friends or interests we share, which helped spark conversation.”
Attend after-hours work events. You may not feel
“As an adult, I’ve come to appreciate friendships more than I did when I was younger,” Kelly said. “My husband is my best friend, but you really need girlfriends to share things with — joys, sorrow, excitement, accomplishments, failure. They are the ones who can talk you off the cliff, make big problems seems smaller, or just be there to listen to you when there’s nothing they can do to remedy the situation.” Heather Cass is a freelance writer and publications manager at Penn State Behrend in Erie.
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that really helped me in transitioning.” She sought out ways to connect with her new coworkers. “I eat lunch every day with a group of people from my office and we have great conversations, the majority of which aren’t workrelated. We laugh a lot. We’ve had a girl’s night happy hour and there have been opportunities to do things socially outside work hours.” Friends, be they casual work compadres or lifelong confidants, are the glue that hold many a woman together. If you’re in need of more laughter and support in your life (what woman isn’t?) here are some tips on finding and making friends as an adult. Spoiler: They all require putting yourself out there, risking rejection or awkwardness, but it’s OK, it’s all fodder for hilarious conversation when you find the one(s) you want to spend time with. Volunteer. There is no shortage of organizations in the Erie area that can use your help and it’s a great way to connect with other people who are passionate about the same things that you are. Love animals? Put in a few hours a week at a shelter or join an animal rescue group and help with fundraising.
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LIVING
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Sunday, March 11, 2018
Pat Bywater Managing Editor 870-1722 pbywater@timesnews.com
Anticipation is high for all-new ‘Roseanne’
Lindsey Poisson
B
ack in the day, I couldn’t wait to get home after school to catch reruns of my favorites TV shows. But of the many— “Home Improvement,” “Family Matters,” “The Simpsons,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and even “Saved By the Bell” (don’t judge)— one always managed to stand out: “Roseanne.” Not because the nineseason sitcom was a ground-breaking portrayal of a blue-collar family dealing with everyday problems. And back then, I didn’t really appreciate the raw and emotional storylines that covered topics of poverty, abuse, sexuality, drugs and family bonds. For me, it was all about that strange and wonderful woman whose gleeful cackle resounded through every episode. Roseanne Conner could simultaneously charm and mock with a single look or snide comeback. She wasn’t afraid to stand up against naysayers and jerks, or tell her big lug of a husband who’s really the boss. And even though this overworked, underappreciated mom loved her kids, she wasn’t shy about letting them know when they ticked her off. So I’m curious to see how the character fares in the new “Roseanne” revival series premiering March 27, 8 p.m., on ABC. Sure, the story has changed and so has part of the cast. The show picks up in the present, where Dan (John Goodman) and Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) continue to work long past retirement age to support a household full of their grown children— Becky (Lecy Goranson), Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and DJ (Michael Fishman)— as well as a few grandchildren (Emma Kenney, Jayden Rey and Ames McNamara). And then, of course, there’s loveable and kooky Aunt Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), wearing a pink pussy hat and a “nasty woman” shirt in one of the first episodes. Several other cast members and characters are set to make an appearance, too, throughout the new nine-episode season. Whether it lives up to the original is anyone’s guess. But the fact that fans will get the chance to return to the Conner household in Lanford, Illinois, is enough for now. Pretty soon, we’ll see See POISSON, E7
Sister of Mercy Rita Brocke, 91, left; Sister of St. Joseph Mary Claire Kennedy, 89, center; and Erie Benedictine Sister Marlene Bertke, 86, will be honored at a special event Sunday for their years of dedicated social activism in the Erie region. They are shown in the chapel at Mount St. Benedict Monastery, where the 2 p.m. public program will be held. [CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE PHOTOS/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
Sisters’ social activism honored Erie nuns’ legacy has helped in changing the world. By Dana Massing dana.massing@timesnews.com
Sisters Marlene Bertke, Rita Brocke and Mary Claire Kennedy have gone to dozens of Erie homicide sites to pray for the victims, their families, their killers. Bertke is a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, who started the Take Back the Site vigils here in 1999 to reclaim the sites for nonviolence. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, including Kennedy, and the Sisters of Mercy in Erie, including Brocke, soon got involved. They held their 100th vigil in 2017. “There were many more murders than we expected,” Bertke said as Brocke and Kennedy nodded in agreement.
These three women, and others like them in their respective religious communities, have spent decades doing work related to violence, health care, human trafficking and a host of other social justice issues. This afternoon, the three — Bertke, Brocke and Kennedy — will be honored for their social activism in a special 2 p.m. program at Mount St. Benedict Monastery, 6101 East Lake Road. The public is welcome at the “Women Who Are Called” event that is part of a local celebration of National Catholic Sisters Week. Brocke, Kennedy and Bertke said they appreciate the recognition but it isn’t all about them. “We’re being honored for all the sisters,” Bertke said. The Erie trio and similar sisters here, across the country and around the world are to be admired for having devoted their lives to making other See SISTERS, E4
Erie Benedictine Sister Marlene Bertke.
Erie Sister of Mercy Rita Brocke.
If you go What: “Women Who Are Called” program honoring Sisters Marlene Bertke, Rita Brocke and Mary Claire Kennedy When: Sunday, 2 p.m. Where: Mount St. Benedict Monastery, 6101 East Lake Road Info: 460-5522, bfp@ mtstbenedict.org More during National Catholic Sisters Week: A panel discussion on religious life, with members of the Erie Benedictines, Sisters of Mercy and Sisters of St. Joseph, will take place Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at Mercy Hilltop Center, 444 E. Grandview Blvd. Call 824-2214 or send email to onthehillamy@gmail.com for more information.
Online extra See the three nuns speak about social justice: GoErie.com/ Videos.
Sister of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania Mary Claire Kennedy.
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RED CARPET
PAY PARITY
DEAR ABBY
Fashion review from the Academy Awards: bold reds and classic whites, warrior-worthy golds and playful pops of pink and purple
5 things to know about the gender pay gap
Guilt weighs on 70-yearold daughter of 92-year-old mother who lives alone
GO FURTHER WITH FOOD Registered dietitian Jennifer Potthoff shares tips on how to help your food last longer
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Sunday, March 11, 2018
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HER TIMES
5 things to know about the gender pay gap By Valerie Myers valerie.myers@timesnews.com
It’s the 21st century, and women still earn less money than men. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that women working full time in 2016 earned 82 cents for every $1 earned by men. Black and Hispanic women earned less, 63 cents and 54 cents, respectively. And progress in closing that pay gap has all but stopped, according to labor statistics. Women’s wages have hovered at 80 to 83 percent of men’s since 2004. “The rate at which we’re closing the pay gap has languished and is moving at a glacial pace at this point. Our calculation is that women will not reach pay equity with men until around 2119. We’re a long way off from parity,” said Anne Hedgepeth, interim vice president of public policy and government relations for the Washington, D.C.-based American Association of University Women. Hedgepeth shares insights on the gender pay gap and what women can do to close it: 1. It’s not just a women’s issue. Women were 44 percent of the nation’s full-time workforce in 2016, and when women earn less than men, they and their families have less money to spend on basic goods and services and are more
AAUW Erie Branch, with Zeta Phi Beta, Rho Sigma Zeta Chapter Sorority, will sponsor a public forum, “How Far Have We Really Come: Women in Today's Workforce,” April 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Jefferson Educational Society in Erie. The forum will be led by YahMoorah Shakoor-Hooker and will focus on pay disparity for minority women. The program will be open to the public.
likely to live in poverty. “Closing the gender gap in pay is not just fair and is not just the right thing to do, it’s good for women, good for families and good for the economy,” Hedgepeth said. “The gender pay gap follows women through their lives, and we all lose because of it.” 2. It’s not just about choice. Women still dominate many of the lowest-paying jobs, including housekeeping and food preparation and serving. And they’re still minorities in most top-paying jobs, such as chief executives, judges and judicial workers, lawyers and physicians or surgeons, according to labor statistics. Women need to be educated about jobs that pay more, Hedgepeth said. But women also earn less than men who do the same work, even in high-paying
jobs, according to research by Harvard University economist Claudia Goldin. And much of the work that women traditionally have done, such as child care, is undervalued, Hedgepeth said. “We have to unpack the idea of choice in this conversation,” she said. “There are a number of careers that pay less when women enter them, and we discount the value of caregiving work in our economy.” 3. Stand up for yourself. Research has shown that women are less likely to ask for raises or to negotiate a higher salary when they’re hired. Other research suggests that women may be more attuned to understanding when negotiations just won’t help. “You can’t negotiate your way around discrimination, but learning how to discuss your pay can be critical and can help you chip away at the gaps,” Hedgepeth said. “There are skills you can learn and tools you can use.” AAUW “Work Smart” workshops help women learn to identify their personal value, conduct market research on salaries and benefits, and successfully negotiate for a job or wages. 4. Find help. Women do have some legal protection. There are existing laws that prohibit pay discrimination, Hedgepeth said,
including the Equal Pay Act of 1963 requiring equal pay for equal work within a workplace. “What women need to do is record discriminatory practices, keep records and talk to their employer if the company has an equal opportunity officer or someone else to help employees,” Hedgepeth said. “Beyond that, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission can help you decide whether you want to go forward with a complaint or other action.” The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces federal laws that prohibit discrimination against job applicants or employees due to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or disability. 5. Call your legislator. New and better laws will be necessary to close the gender pay gap, Hedgepeth said. “Ultimately, because we see that a pay gap exists in every state and across industries, it’s also obvious that systemic changes are necessary through passing new laws or improving existing laws. We need to close loopholes and improve and strengthen current laws,” she said. “New laws, such as banning the use of salary history to determine future pay, are also needed.” Pennsylvania has been leading the way in banning the use of salary history, with proposals in the
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legislature and local laws in place for Pittsburgh and Philadelphia employees, Hedgepeth said. “That can make a difference in closing the pay gap,” she said. Valerie Myers can be reached at 878-1913 or by email. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNmyers.
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Sunday, March 11, 2018
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people’s better and working toward unity, said Carol Coburn. She is a professor of religious studies and women’s and gender studies at Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri. Coburn has researched and written about Catholic sisters, including a piece on Catholic nuns and social justice for the Global Sisters Report. “They’re leaving a huge legacy,” she said. Coburn cited three reasons for Catholic sisters appearing at the forefront of social justice work. First, she said, many Catholic sisters in the early to mid-20th century were highly educated, acquiring graduate degrees so they could teach at Catholic women’s colleges. They often earned those degrees at secular colleges in fields that would help them prepare teachers, nurses and social workers. Second, the sisters, especially after World War II, were “really the boots on the ground for the Catholic Church” when it came to working with the underprivileged and seeing what was happening with the poor, with minorities. Third, in the 1960s, amid social justice movements, Vatican II occurred. The Second Vatican Council, which closed in 1965, ushered in major reforms in the Roman Catholic Church, including changes in religious life for the women. Coburn called it a perfect storm of welleducated women working directly with the people and getting out and living their faith. “They were on fire,” she said. Name your “ism” and Catholic sisters became involved in it, Coburn said. They worked for civil rights and women’s rights, prison reform and corporate responsibility and more. Members of the three main congregations of women religious in the Catholic Diocese of Erie have been collaborating for decades on projects like the Take Back the Site vigils and Erie Dwellings & Advocacy for
Sister Marlene Bertke, left; Sister Rita Brocke, center; and Sister Mary Claire Kennedy attend a Take Back the Site vigil in Erie on Aug. 26, 2014. The three nuns continue to attend the events when they can. [GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
Women in Need, which provides transitional housing for homeless women and children. “I see that our social justice work is primarily giving a voice to the voiceless in various issues, whether it’s in advocacy or education to others and it’s a very vital form of fulfilling the Gospel of Jesus,” Kennedy said. She, Bertke and Brocke entered their religious communities in the pre-Vatican II era when Catholic nuns were still mostly seen as teachers and nurses, not social activists. Brocke, the oldest of the three at 91 and a Pittsburgh native, entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1946. Bertke, 86, originally from Covington, Kentucky, entered the Benedictines there in 1949 but didn’t transfer to the Erie sisters until 1974. Kennedy, 89, an Erie native, entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1951. Each spent some time working in traditional education settings. Bertke said it was while preparing to teach current events at a high school in the mid-1950s that she first began questioning what was going on in her country. By
1973, she was headed to Erie to be part of the Pax Center for peace and justice. She went on to co-found Benedictines for Peace and served as the Erie director for 23 years. “All my life I’ve done a lot of charity work and then all of a sudden it hit me that ... we need charity, we need soup kitchens, but we also need to find out why we need soup kitchens,” Bertke said. “So when I started working with justice is when I really felt fulfilled.” Brocke traces her social activism back to her childhood in Pittsburgh. She remembers walking with her father as a child of 6 or 7 and seeing what she called the “dinky” and “gray rickety” houses and poor living conditions of black people in the community. “From early on, I became aware of the African-American situation,” Brocke said. She came to Erie to attend Mercyhurst College. Trained as a nurse practitioner, she ministered at the Martin Luther King Center in Erie from 1975 to 1988 and then in Michigan at a center in Detroit and a wellness institute in Highland Park. She came back to
Erie in 2002 to start the first House of Mercy in the United States to provide activities and advocacy that engage adults and children in positive experiences for them and their neighborhood. “I’ve seen the vocation of a Sister of Mercy as being very active in social justice and ... to put it simply ... I think it’s just living the Gospel,” Brocke said. “I think that we’re all responsible for it and many of us who are Christian people don’t understand that this is part of the vocation too, a very vital part of the vocation of being a Christian.” Kennedy, who worked in science education and research, was social justice coordinator for the local Sisters of St. Joseph from 2000 to 2017. She helped form the Northwest Pennsylvania Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition and, for several years, led the SSJ Thanksgiving dinner that fed thousands of people. She drew inspiration from her mother, whom she described as “a very just woman,” and other Catholic sisters coming together “to make systemic change.” Kennedy sees Vatican II as a driving
force in the movement of nuns toward social activism. She said it really brought sisters into the world to be in contact with its needs. The three women still speak up about those needs and even attend Take Back the Site vigils when they can. Bertke said she had wanted to be in Washington, D.C., in late February with others from Erie Benedictines for Peace who were arrested at a rally calling for immigration reform. Instead of standing in the nation’s capital singing and praying in support of young immigrants, she was home at Mount St. Benedict in a wheelchair recovering from a leg injury. Bertke said Benedictines for Peace started off by working for nuclear disarmament, and she has seen progress in that as well as in some women’s issues. “As soon as the Catholic Church ordains women, I’ll know we made it,” she said. Recalling failed healthcare reform from the Truman era, Kennedy said that now “health care is a bit better. It’s (still) not what we want.” Despite little or no movement in some
areas, the nuns persist. “I think it’s part of the Christian call to stay behind the plow, keep doing what we do,” Kennedy said. Kennedy, Brocke and Bertke were part of a nun boom, entering their congregations at a time when membership was flourishing. But these days, sisters are aging and years can go by without new faces joining congregations. While religious life continues to evolve, Kennedy believes there will be others coming up to carry on the social justice work of the sisters. “There’s a new way to bring about the change,” she said. Christian lay women and men are stepping up to share the nature, spirit and work of the sisters. Kennedy said the local SSJs have more than 200 such people, referred to as “associates.” Benedictines call them “oblates.” Kennedy thinks maybe it’s time to let them start to take over. “My belief is this is the era of the laity,” she said. Dana Massing can be reached at 870-1729 or by email. Follow her on Twitter at twitter. com/ETNmassing.
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LIVING
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Sunday, March 18, 2018
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Pat Bywater Managing Editor 870-1722 pbywater@timesnews.com
HER TIMES | E2
BIG ADVICE Directors at all levels offer words of wisdom for the next generation of women looking to step behind the camera
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MUSIC & BOOKS Find suggestions for what’s worth listening to and reading
A DV I C E | E 6
DEAR ABBY A middleaged wife with a disability struggles over what to do about her husband’s mess at home
Carrie Sachse, of Erie, is an avid gardener and canner who will be starting an urban farm at East 22nd and French streets this spring. [JACK HANRAHAN/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
Seeding change in Erie Woman launches eastside urban farm By Lisa Thompson lisa.thompson@ timesnews.com
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HEALING YOUR HEAD Public health educator Amanda Harkness explains that traumatic brain injuries require more recovery time
arrie Sachse, 35, a McDowell High School graduate, returned to Erie in 2014 after earning a degree in political economy and labor studies in Seattle and working around the country for a public sector union. She bought a house in Erie’s west bayfront neighborhood and is now poised to launch French Street Farms on vacant lots at French and East 22nd streets that she is purchasing from the Erie Redevelopment Authority. Sachse, an Erie County government worker by day, recently won a $5,000 start-up grant from the Idea Fund for her pioneering work on urban farming in Erie. Here is a conversation with her, edited for length. •••
How did you get interested in gardening?
It really all stems from my interest in food. I have always been interested in food and the politics of food, where it comes from, and cooking. After living in an apartment forever in Seattle, gardening was never an option. Once I bought my house, it was just very natural. The first thing I am doing is clearing my yard so I can have a big garden.
What took you to Seattle?
Growing up here, I just felt like this was a place that did not have a lot of opportunity. In the 1980s and 1990s, I felt like the Rust Belt vibe was strong and I always wanted to move to a bigger city that I felt had more opportunity. I put myself through college slowly and I was a manager at a little city market, a bodega. They had everything in a very diverse neighborhood. I studied political economy as my major and labor studies as my minor. A lot of that was driven by trying to understand the economy of a place like Erie versus a place like Seattle— which is thriving — why See FARM, E4
Carrie Sachse has started growing seedlings for her urban farm. [JACK HANRAHAN/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
A passion for the profession ENTERTAINMENT | E7
LOSING APPEAL It was an awful showing in the ratings for the Oscars and Grammys this year, leading some to wonder whether awards shows in general are in trouble for networks
Kevin Flowers
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ur conversation about the passions, perceptions, responsibilities, challenges and rewards that accompany the profession we share wasn’t two minutes old when Sharon Barang’a broke down why journalism has such a secure hold on her. “Ever since I was young, I always wanted to be that voice to the voiceless,” said Barang’a, 27,
who has already carved out an impressive career as a television journalist in Nairobi, Kenya. “It’s a passion that has been deep inside me since I was a very young girl,” Barang’a continued. “And when I got an opportunity to study (journalism) in university, I went for it. And I’m so glad.” Barang’a was in Erie a few weeks ago to speak at the Jefferson Educational Society about sex trafficking in east Africa and her coverage of that subject. It’s an issue that the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Crime Victim Center of Erie County and other local organizations have been working to bring increased
attention to in recent years. Barang’a works for Nation Media Group’s NTV Kenya, one of Africa’s largest private television stations. She agreed to stop by the Erie Times-News offices before leaving town to sit down with me for an informal chat— two reporters comparing methodologies and perspectives about the work we love. With nearly three decades in this business, I also enjoy hearing young reporters talk about our craft. In this case, I also had the opportunity to chat with a journalist who does her thing halfway around the world, where seeking truth, details and context while
chasing stories can lead to entanglements like quick government intervention. Barang’a and the rest of Kenya saw that firsthand in February. Three major Kenyan television channels, including NTV Kenya, went dark after the Kenyan government ordered the privately-owned channels to be switched off. Why? They planned to extensively cover the swearing-in of an opposition government leader. The issue spawned cries of media censorship throughout Africa and the world. Predictably, Barang’a See FLOWERS, E7
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HER TIMES Tips from female directors
Behind the camera
Los Angeles Times
Things are getting better for female directors, who weigh in on how there’s more to be done and Hollywood’s role in it all
In Hollywood, the television industry is seeing far more women calling the shots than in film. But no matter the size of the screen, the job is still big— so here’s some advice, both practical and principled, from directors at all levels for the next generation of women looking to step behind the camera. Beth McCarthy Miller “30 Rock,” “Veep”
“Do internships, create relationships, try to learn whatever you can. Keep an open mind about everything. There’s been many times over the years where I’ve done something where it’s terrible money and it’s not a very good shoot, but someone called and asked me to do it, and I did it and I got the relationship with somebody, and three years later, they called me with an amazing opportunity. Every opportunity is an open door. You have to choose to go through those doors sometimes.”
Julie Anne Robinson “The Good Place,” “Weeds”
“Always know what every character has been doing or is going to do. It’s harder than it seems because you shoot everything out of order, but when the actor says, ‘Cue, where have I just been?’ You should know that answer to that question.” Lesli Linka Glatter “Homeland,” “Ray Donovan”
“Do not pretend you know something you don’t ... because you will get caught. Ask!” Lisa DeMaine “Lucifer” (upcoming), “Hot Break”
“If you want to be a director, don’t be an assistant director. It’s not a path to directing.” Gina Rodriguez “Jane the Virgin”
“Trust everyone around you. Trust that they’re doing their jobs. Trust that they too want to be the best. Don’t micromanage.” Kerry Washington Scandal”
“Be early. Really know the material. Know the crew. Have fun.”
Kerry Washington
By Meredith Blake and Yvonne Villarreal Los Angeles Times
Melissa Rosenberg had a modest goal: For the second season of her Netflix series “Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” which premiered last week, at least 50 percent of the directors would be female. But in conversations with Allie Goss, vice president of original series at Netflix, they established a new mandate: All 13 directors would be women. “I’ve been on 25 years of shows, and nine times out of 10, those directing staffs are all white men,” said the showrunner, whose long list of credits dates to “Party of Five.” “So why not all women?” Had she simply turned to the usual industry gatekeepers— typically agents with a tried-and-true Rolodex of names— the task might have seemed daunting: “You’re always handed a list with all the white guys,” Rosenberg said. Instead, she reached out to fellow showrunners, did a lot of Googling and quickly discovered that “it was really not at all difficult to find 13 terrific female directors. “ The Netflix drama, which puts a feminist spin on the typically male-dominated superhero genre, is the latest television series to make the hiring of female directors a priority. For two seasons now, Ava DuVernay’s “Queen Sugar” (OWN) has been directed entirely by women, while on shows as disparate as “The Deuce” (HBO), “Feud” (FX), “Jane the Virgin” (CW), “Transparent” (Amazon) and “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu), at least half of all episodes have been directed by women. While a recent study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that women directed only 7.3 percent of the top
100 movies in 2017, 21 percent of all episodes in the 2016-17 television season were directed by women, according to the Directors Guild of America, up from 17 percent the year before. TV may still be far from achieving gender parity, but it is trending that way; women also accounted for 32 percent of firsttime episodic directors in 2016-17, an 8 percent increase from the year before. These gains coincide with a rising awareness of systemic discrimination and abuse within the business, and a growing willingness to speak out against Hollywood’s power imbalance. (See Frances McDormand’s push for an inclusion rider onstage at last week’s Oscars.) But they are also the result of changes within television specifically. Individual A-list producers like Rosenberg, DuVernay, Shonda Rhimes, Jill Soloway and Ryan Murphy increasingly recruit women and people of color. Meanwhile, in response to media scrutiny, guild pressure and, perhaps more important, the success of the folks listed above, networks and studios are realizing the value of inclusive storytelling and investing in initiatives and mentorship programs. And of course, the sheer number of shows being produced in the age of “Peak TV” has led to greater demand for talent. “I feel like the times are definitely changing,” said Gail Mancuso, a two-time Emmy winner for her work on “Modern Family.” “It took a while, but we’re seeing this normalization that it’s not only OK to hire a female, it’s necessary.” Small-screen leads If awards are any indication, TV has long had the edge on film. Twenty-five years before Kathryn Bigelow became the first— and
Krysten Ritter stars in “Marvel’s Jessica Jones.” All of the episodes of the second season of the Netflix show were directed by women. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/NETFLIX]
only— woman to win a directing Oscar, Karen Arthur picked up an Emmy for directing “Cagney & Lacey.” Numerous women have since repeated the feat, including Reed Morano for her work last year on “The Handmaid’s Tale.” But for many years, women who wanted to direct were dependent on powerful producers and stars willing to buck tradition and give them a shot. Mancuso came up through the ranks as a script supervisor, eventually becoming an assistant director on “Roseanne,” learning the ropes from male mentors: “I say male because they were all male at the time,” she said. When a directing slot became available during the fourth season, however, Mancuso approached the show’s star, Roseanne Barr. “I
said, ‘Hey, look, he’s leaving and I’d like to direct that spot.’ And she said, ‘Well, go ahead.’ After I directed that episode, she whispered in my ear at curtain call: ‘I’m going to give you the whole next season.’” Jamie Babbit had similar support from a big female star; she was hired as a director in the fifth season of “Alias” after star Jennifer Garner voiced frustration that only six out of 105 episodes were directed by women. “The producer I met with was like, ‘Hey, I decided to meet with you because Jennifer Garner keeps complaining that we’re not hiring any women,’” Babbit recalled. “And I thought, ‘Good for her. Good for her for ‘complaining.’ Her being persistent is the reason I got hired.” Following escalating complaints about
Hollywood’s diversity problem and bolstered by reports detailing the consistently grim statistics, more recent progress has come thanks in part to the concerted efforts of influential showrunners like Rosenberg, an Emmy-nominated producer who wrote all five blockbuster “Twilight” movies. Two years ago, Ryan Murphy launched the Half Initiative with the goal of providing more opportunities for women and people of color behind the camera. DuVernay, an Oscar nominee and forceful advocate for industry change, has turned “Queen Sugar” into a launching pad for untapped talent. DeMane Davis had made two independent features before DuVernay hired her as a director on the second season of the family See CAMERA, E3
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HER TIMES
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drama. The success of shows like “Queen Sugar,” she said, has not only altered the course of her career, it’s also forced the industry to break out of old habits. “If you usually get a salad for lunch, the people around you are going to assume you want a salad for lunch,” said Davis. “You have to say, ‘I want quinoa.’ Suddenly the whole world has opened up and the person next to you is like, ‘What’s that?’ Now everyone’s eating quinoa.” Getting star showrunners and executive producers on board is one thing. But in a fastpaced business with short turnover time and millions of dollars at stake, network and studio executives also have approval power. And they can often turn a string of “yeses”— particularly for newcomers— into a dead end. Bethany Rooney is a veteran TV director (“NCIS”) who got her first break on “St. Elsewhere” from producer Bruce Paltrow. As co-chair of the Directors Guild of America’s Diversity Task Force, she’s spent years meeting with studios and networks to encourage them to do better. While Rooney said they once “had a big chip on their shoulder,” she has witnessed “a huge attitudinal shift.” “Now they really are responsive. They’re
saying, ‘Give us lists of directors that you know. Give us lists of people who’ve been through the program and we will hire them,’” she said. In 2014, the guild secured an industry first: an agreement that all the major TV studios would establish or maintain training programs for diverse directors. (Despite DGA efforts, the studios have not agreed to implement inclusion efforts on the film side.) NBC, for example, recently launched Female Forward to increase the pool of female directors in episodic television. Spearheaded by the network’s thenPresident Jennifer Salke and Emmy-nominated director Lesli Linka Glatter (“Mad Men,” “Homeland”), the initiative allows 10 female directors to shadow a director on an NBC series and then direct at least one episode on her own. More than 1,000 women applied for its inaugural class. “We’re not trying to put men out of work, we’re just trying to make an extreme statement to turbocharge change,” said Salke, who recently became head of Amazon Studios. Two years ago, a Variety report spotlighting the lack of diversity among TV directors found that only 5 percent of episodes at FX were directed by women, making FX dead last among top-tier cable, streaming and broadcast networks. Sobered by the statistics, Chief Executive John Landgraf wrote a letter to all the network’s showrunners asking for
help. “It’s not as if this is like the law of gravity and cannot be controlled,” he told The Times. “This must clearly be a matter of will.” By the end of 2017, women directed 37 percent of episodes. “We have built a better meritocracy by doing this, and any of our competitors who want to compete with us better get their butts in gear,” said Landgraf. “We’re going to find, promote, hire and enjoy the benefits of a deeper, broader and better talent pool.” The sheer volume of television programming— 4,500 episodes were produced in the 2016-17 season, according to the DGA— has certainly created an unprecedented opportunity, and women directed 955 of those episodes, 253 more than in the previous season. The statistics also show “how many qualified women there are who are ready and willing to step into that leadership position,” said Karyn Kusama, who began directing TV after frustrating experiences on studio films. “It’s the question of giving them the chair to sit in and the set to command, and television just has more opportunities for that.” The rise of female-driven narratives is also a factor, she said, citing her experience on the AMC tech drama, “Halt and Catch Fire,” which focused on two pioneering women in the ‘80s personal computing boom. “My sense of closeness to them was part of why I kept going back and getting asked back,” she said.
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do some places thrive and other places decline?
What was your takeaway from that?
I did that degree and then I took a job where I traveled full-time for about three and one-half years. My takeaway from that was that Erie was as good a place as any. I realized that more places are like Erie than not, and that we do have a lot of natural assets and unique assets that we just have to capitalize on. We just need to change our perspective a little bit. Where did the idea for urban farming come from?
To me, it just seemed natural to say, well, we have all this land in the city that no one is doing anything with and everyone is talking about a lack of fresh food in the city.
What were your first steps?
My best friend owns a food truck in Pittsburgh and I also knew I wanted to work for myself eventually. So we were kind of bouncing business ideas off each other and we both separately had the idea to do a city farm on individual lots versus trying to accumulate a lot of land to have a bigger farm. It was right after we started having that conversation that Scott Henry (former Erie Redevelopment Authority director) rolled out his adopt-a-lot program and that kind of felt like kismet. The first thing I did was show up at the Redevelopment Authority and sit down with Scott Henry. I had no idea what I was doing, but I just told him all the reasons I thought it was a great idea and he was on board right away. His thing was I would have to buy the lots — not just rent them or adopt them— for a commercial operation. I was fine with that because I have to invest so much in the infrastructure, it would not make sense to invest in land I did not own. But first city zoning had to change. That took about two years, correct?
So that was the biggest thing — almost all the vacant land in the city is residential. Scott Henry was able to talk to (former City Councilman) Dave Brennan and Dave Brennan sponsored the urban farming resolution at City Council. No one really knew what it was going to end up looking like. We just knew we needed some kind of a framework for urban farming in Erie because there was really just a void. City Council referred it to the Planning Commission and there was a little bit of back and forth. I went to the Planning Commission meetings and got to know them.
Did you ever have a moment where you thought, "I should just forget this?"
I really have not. It was an interesting process to go through. I am still relatively new back to town, so I enjoyed getting involved in local politics and seeing the inner workings. I was really pleasantly surprised. I found everyone to be really receptive to the idea. They say decisions are made by the people who show up, and just by showing up, people were really receptive to what I had to say. If I had not gone to the meetings, I think it would have been easy to say, "Yeah, we don't want that."
Did you have lots in mind that you wanted to develop?
When I went to see Scott Henry, I got a list of all the lots he had. I started on the
Carrie Sachse hopes to plant herbs, peppers and tomatoes on four vacant lots at East 22nd and French Streets. [FILE PHOTO CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
lower west side and I drove around to see almost all of the vacant lots in the city. A lot of them are just small overgrown lots in between houses that did not look very promising. But when I saw the lots I am buying, I immediately, I just stopped. I was just like, "Oh! I found them." They were perfect. I signed the sales agreement. I will be buying five lots this year.
people better options. The redevelopment component is real for me. I think it is a fun project. It is an interesting project. There is also some vibrancy here that I think Erie needs, in terms of the neighborhood and putting the land back into use on the tax rolls and giving the neighborhood something cool. That part of town has been struggling for a long time. I think there are so many ways (the farm) contributes to the general momentum that Erie has right now to kind of turn the corner.
What is the total price?
The first three, it is $750 for all three. The other two are $200 each and the fees are just nominal.
What is your longrange vision?
What are you going to sell and where are you going to sell it?
The more I read, the more I realized for it to be a sustainable operation in the long run, I do need to have a diverse cross-section of crops, so that I can rotate them and the land is not getting depleted. And also, for seasonality purposes, if I only wanted to grow peppers and tomatoes, I would not have anything to sell until August. So I do need to grow some spring stuff and early summer stuff. It will be around 20 different types of vegetables. I grow a lot of heirloom and specialty varieties. Are you confident about that part of your skill set, actually producing the food?
That is probably the part I am most confident in because of the fact I have been gardening in my yard and I am a strong gardener. The business side of it is more new to me. I did a master gardening training program. There is also a larger trend in agriculture. The farmers we have are getting older and most American farmers are around retirement age and there is a big problem with them not being replaced. One of the biggest demographics of people moving into farming right now are college-educated women. I am kind of an anomaly, but not totally.
This is the logo for Carrie Sachse’s French Street Farms. The logo was created by Flesh & Bone Design. [CONTRIBUTED IMAGE] When will you start planting?
I am starting seeds right now. There are also plenty of cold-starting crops, like kale and lettuce, that I can plant pretty early, hopefully by mid-April. Are flowers in the mix at all?
I am going to do some sunflowers because I think they are great and I think they will do well at the farm stand. I also planted some bulbs as kind of a hedge in case we have a crappy spring, then the tulips and daffodils can round out my stand. When you say "stand," what are you picturing?
I am just going to do folding tables and a tent that I set up in different locations. So social media (www. facebook.com/frenchstreetfarms) is going to be really important for getting the word out to people and the regular website, too. I want to hit different areas of the city, so I can find good spots and find where people are especially interested in what I am doing. You said at the Idea Fund competition that some restaurants are already reaching out?
Yes, which is amazing. If anything I am more concerned about keeping up this year. Judging by the response so far, if anything, I am not going to have enough to sell. So you are getting good reactions?
People seem to be really excited about it, especially people my age and younger. They are interested in food in a way that I think older generations aren't necessarily. And they are interested in where it comes from and how it is grown and they understand the importance of having it grown locally. They are excited at having a new option for that because we have been pretty limited in Erie. And that was part of the Idea Fund competition — impacting Erie? How will the farm impact Erie?
I think this project works on a lot of levels. First, it is about producing more fresh food for people in Erie to eat and for people who have limited access — by being in the city and coming to them. It is also about giving people who have access, access. I have a car and I can drive to the grocery store, but this gives
I hope it is a successful venture. I think there is a lot of potential in a lot of different directions. We know there is a lot of vacant land in Erie and there is going to be more if the comprehensive plan is implemented. There are a lot of blighted houses and things are going to be changing if we continue to implement the comprehensive plan. I don't know, but theoretically, there is a lot of room for expansion. It depends on how receptive people are and how successful business is. You talked about feeling that "Rust Belt vibe" growing up. How does it feel being part of something that might help the city turn a page?
It is really exciting. I really did come around to the idea that Erie is just as good as anywhere else and maybe even better. There is a lot of opportunity here and maybe people who have been here forever and don't have the broader perspective might not see it. But land is really cheap. Buildings are really cheap. I think Erie has a lot more potential and a lot more opportunity than people give it credit for. Lisa Thompson can be reached at 870-1802. Send email to lisa.thompson@ timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twit ter.com/ETNthompson.
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Pat Bywater Managing Editor 870-1722 pbywater@timesnews.com
Skill set needs work for Family 2.0
Joan Benson-Cacchione
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f any of you once knew the 30-something me, would you give me a call? I might have lost my touch with the pint-sized set. By pint-sized I mean the quick-thinking, fastmoving toddler and preschooler types who have reappeared in my life now as grandchildren. Funny, I thought hanging out with them would be easy, having once survived the small-child phase of family life myself. I endured the sleepless nights, diaper rash (theirs), flung food and 2-minute meals that go with the territory, all while chipping away at a laundry pile of footie jammies and hopelessly mismatched socks. Yet I’m floored by how much I’ve forgotten. For instance, how fast a 20-month-old can scale high-top kitchen furniture in search of a Binky. How passionate a 5-year-old can be about his wardrobe choices. How quickly juice spurts from an abandoned sippy cup. And how semi-permanently yogurt congeals on a coffee table if you don’t wipe it up right away. I don’t provide the lion’s share of childcare for our son and daughter-in-law (major props to the other set of grandparents who do). But I do stop by to help out with our two grandchildren a few mornings a week. I arrive just after their mom leaves for the office and as their dad is about to head to work, too. My goal is to help tend to the toddler until reinforcements arrive, and see that the preschooler gets dressed, fed and off to school. That hour or so of morning activity has me laughing one moment and dashing across the room to avert calamity the next. I’m often left wondering: Just what is the ongoing appeal of the self-propelled vacuum cleaner? Whose idea was it to print the days of the See FAMILY, E4
Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper dances with supporters at her campaign headquarters in Millcreek Township in November after winning a second term. [FILE PHOTO CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
Political parity gap Women are vastly under-represented in elected office By Valerie Myers valerie.myers@timesnews.com
It’s been called the Pink Wave. A growing number of women are running for state and federal office in the United States, including a record number of women running for Congress and state governors in 2018. But in PennsylMulvey vania, it’s not so much a wave as a ripple. One woman, Pittsburgh lawyer Laura Ellsworth, a Republican, is running for governor in the May 15 municipal primary. Brooks Six women, evenly split by party, are running for
By Madeleine O’Neill madeleine.o’neill@ timesnews.com
Erie County President Judge John Trucilla, at left, administers the oath of office to magisterial District Judge Denise Buell, at the Erie County Courthouse on Jan. 2. [FILE PHOTO CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
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BEYOND CRUNCHES
DEAR ABBY Woman proud of her Native American heritage is rocked by DNA test results
SNAPSHOT | E3 HER TIMES | E2
CAREER ADVICE Feel stuck in your business? Look forward, not back
See POLITICAL, E4
Women join bench in unprecedented numbers
H E A LT H | E 5
Strength and conditioning specialist Lisa Oberacker shares strategies for strengthening your core
lieutenant governor. There are no women challenging U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. Pennsylvania is among a minority of states that has never had a female governor or U.S. senator. The state ranks next to last in women’s representation in elected office, according to the women’s political advocacy organization Representation 20⁄20. Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation is all male. A number of women are running for congressional seats statewide in 2018, but there have only been a handful of Pennsylvania congresswomen, ever. “It still dumbfounds me that I was only the seventh woman ever to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. House and that there hasn’t been a woman elected since me,” Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper said. In her second term as county executive, Dahlkemper previously served a term in Congress in 2009 and 2010.
There won’t be a woman in the 3rd U.S. Congressional District, which will become the redrawn 16th Congressional District, anytime soon. Incumbent Mike Kelly, of Butler County, defeated Dahlkemper in 2010 and will be unopposed for the Republican nomination for re-election in May. Three men, including Erie lawyer Ron DiNicola, will seek the Democratic nomination. Women also are lacking as contenders for six Erie region seats up for election in the state House of Representatives. Five men — three Democrats and two Republicans — are candidates for nominations for 2nd District state representative to replace the soon-to-retire Democrat Flo Fabrizio, of Erie. There are no ballot candidates, male or female, to challenge five incumbent state representatives: Pat Harkins, of Erie, (D-1st Dist.); Ryan Bizzarro, of Millcreek Township, (D-3rd Dist.); Curt Sonney, of Harborcreek Township, (R-4th Dist.); Brad Roae,
LIFE LESSONS Students in a family and consumer sciences class at Erie’s Wilson Middle School learn skills for their daily lives, including cooking and how to balance a checkbook
November’s general election brought Erie County the closest it’s ever been to gender equality in the minor judiciary. With the election of three new female district judges, women are heading six of Erie County’s 13 district courts — an all-time high. The number puts Erie County’s gender balance well above that of
Pennsylvania as a whole. About 26 percent of district judges statewide are female, according to numbers provided by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, while about 74 percent of district judges in Pennsylvania are male. “I am excited because there are more women on the bench,” said Greene Township District Judge Susan Strohmeyer, who won a fourth term in See BENCH, E4
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HER TIMES GETTING TO CLARITY
Are you looking through the windshield or the rearview mirror? By Debbie Peterson Contributing writer
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ave you been in a place where you feel stuck in your business or career? You feel like you’re doing everything you are supposed to, but it’s just not working out? You don’t feel focused and you’re certainly not experiencing any momentum? That’s when I ask, “Are you’re looking through the windshield or back through the rearview mirror?” This is what I mean. Do you know what the next level is in your business or career? It’s
important to always have something in front of you that you are moving toward; a goal, target or benchmark. But it’s important to first spend the time to understand what exactly it is and how you will get there. Do you know the target amount of clients you would like to have? Are you clear on your revenue targets? Do you know what marketing strategies are the most effective for your business? Are you looking at your targets every day? If it’s your career, do you know what you want to learn next? Do you know what
positions you’d like to explore? Do you know the people you want to connect with that might help you get clarity? Only when you have this information and its part of every moment of the day, are you being strategic and moving forward looking through the windshield. What can happen is that you keep focusing on what you don’t want or what you want to avoid in your business or career. You are hyper-aware of what’s not working, but that’s looking in the rearview mirror, and that’s no way to drive results in
[SHUTTERSTOCK.COM]
your career or business. Spend some time getting clear on where you are realistically and, where you want to go. If looking at the year is too big of a chunk, then think about this quarter. You trade
your time for something each and every day. Are you trading it by taking action that will get you what you want? If not, why not? When your clarity is hit or miss, so are your results.
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.
New museum gives update to design DNA By Colleen Barry Associated Press
MILAN — For anyone wanting to unlock the DNA of Milan readyto-wear, a new museum exhibition surveying three decades of Italian fashion offers some keys. Echoes of styles and trends on display in the “Italiana” exhibit at Milan's Palazzo Reale were apparent in big and small ways on the runways during Milan Fashion Week, with previews of mostly womenswear for next fall and winter. Here are some highlights: Versace explores clans and aristocracy Donatella Versace is seeking new kinships in her latest collection that brings together classic Versace motifs with a new set of codes. Colors were loud and prints clashed in a metaphor for clans coming together as Versace combined punk references, contemporary youth culture and Versace trademarks to create a new aristocracy. “Aristocracy is not something you are born to, but comes from carrying yourself in a certain way,” Versace said before the show. “It is in being above it all, and in being an example to other women.” Bustiers defined the silhouette: overtop wild print dresses with high-heeled booties, or over a Versace T-shirt worn with, say, a tartan mini and argyle socks, or better yet, a full, long skirt decorated with beaded fringe. The designer appealed to youth subcultures with the branded T-shirts, fringed
athletic scarves, hooded mini-dresses with beaded fringe and fashion house's new Chain Reaction sneakers. Slinky black and red evening dresses that bared shoulders and legs had incorporated scarves to cover the heads. And for Versace, long dresses aren't just for evening. She pairs hers with sunglasses, which she said was the sign of a true aristocrat. Sensual, glamorous cavalli Paul Surridge's second womenswear collection for Roberto Cavalli takes the fashion house's tried-and-true battle horses — slinky dresses, glam rock vibes and animal prints — and reinvents them for the next Cavalli generation. Surridge said he started the collection with two adjectives: glamour and sensuality. “This is a woman who wants to be visible, also respecting social codes,” he said. The looks offered lots of skin and also the promise of more. Tailored jackets and coats were sliced to be revealing. Long clingy dresses with cutouts showed off curves, including an offshoulder ruched purple dress belted at the side to show skin, and worn punk-like over a pair of black leggings. On the more romantic side, long pleated, ruffled or fringe chiffon offered a softer, billowing drama. Surridge dipped into the Cavalli archive for animal prints, including lynx, lizard and crocodile, and also included an array of smoky, purple prints that evoke sunsets or deep seas.
Etro’s new cosmic prairie Etro is celebrating its 50th year with a womenswear collection for the armchair traveler. Veronica Etro created colorful looks celebrating the American prairie, what a modern-day Laura Ingalls Wilder might wear. Geometric prints complement the brand's trademark paisleys interpreted as vintage bandanas on contemporary prairie dresses and blouses to wear with leather chaps. The looks also feature colorful jacquard knitwear in prairie colors of burned orange, tobacco and mustard, which created enveloping capes and ponchos. Etro says she doesn't have to visit a place to get the inspiration. “I travel also in my mind very often,” Etro said. “You travel in books, you travel in your memories, you travel in your dreams sometimes, so it is really a mix.” The fashion house will conclude its anniversary celebration with a show opening in September at the MUDEC museum. ‘Italiana’: tracing Italy's fashion dna Back at the “Italiana” exhibit, creations that together made Milan a fashion capital are on display: Antonio Marras' big tulle skirt, Moschino's smiley face on yellow leather, Roberto Cavalli's animal prints and Prada's black vinyl.
For all the talk of exploring gender roles in recent seasons, the exhibit shows with side-by-side suits by Gucci, Versace and Armani from decades past that confirm that this exploration is far from new, even if it has gained new currency. “We think that Italian designers were the first to solve some identity issues, to give an answer to identity, to changes that were happening in society and to new identities that were emerging,” Stefano Tonchi,
A model wears a creation as part of the Versace women’s Fall/Winter 2018-19 collection. [ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS]
curator of exhibit and director of W Magazine, said during a preview
of the exhibit. That includes, critically, the role of women in society.
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LIVING
POLITICAL From Page E1
of Crawford County, (R-6th Dist.); and Parke Wentling, of Mercer County, (R-17th Dist.) The political gender gap isn’t expected to close anytime soon, locally or nationally. According to a new study, it will take more than a century for American women to reach political parity with men. “We have a lot of work to do,” Dahlkemper said. “We need to do a better job recruiting women to run for office, locally and in the state. I don’t think we do a good enough job of that on either side of the aisle.” One exception to the local gender disparity is the race for 50th District state senator. Two women will face off this fall, incumbent Michele Brooks, a Mercer County Republican, and Democrat Sue Mulvey, also of Mercer County. Each is unopposed for her party’s nomination this spring. “I think it’s fabulous,” Mulvey said of the two-woman race. “Two strong, intelligent women are running. It’s great.” The district includes portions of Erie and Warren counties and all of Crawford and Mercer counties. Mulvey, of Sharon, is a nurse at Meadville’s First and Second District elementary schools and a founder
and president of the WiNS Project, a nonprofit organization that provides weekend meals for children in the Crawford Central School District. Women bring a different worldview and voice to the table, Mulvey said. “How many of us are wives and mothers and work full time, yet we figure out how to get it all done,” she said. “Women have a different view of the world. It’s utterly important that we have a voice at the table.” Mulvey credits her strength and activism to her mother and two aunts who raised her after her father died when Mulvey was 7. “My mom was the strongest woman I ever knew. By the time she was 45, she had lost both parents, her husband and two children but raised three of us still at home,” Mulvey said. One aunt, born in 1905, earned a master’s degree from Columbia University, Mulvey said. “No matter how many times people told her no, she continued to persist,” she said. “The blood of those women runs through me.” Brooks has a political history, as a Mercer County commissioner and 17th District state representative. Elected to the state senate in 2014, she is the first woman ever to represent the 50th District. She also was the first woman to represent the 17th
District in the House. Women are effective legislators, Brooks’ chief of staff, Diane McNaughton said. Brooks last fall was one of the inaugural “50 Over Fifty” honorees. The award by City & State Pennsylvania online magazine recognized accomplishments in government, business, culture and social services. Brooks’ recent accomplishments, McNaughton said, include leading the charge to keep the Pennsylvania Department of Aging a standalone agency after Gov. Tom Wolfe proposed consolidating it with others. Brooks chairs the Senate’s Aging and Youth Committee and is vice chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. “The women here in Harrisburg are so effective. They are a minority, but they definitely are mighty,” McNaughton said. Dahlkemper is passionate about encouraging more women to run for elected office in a region with strong female political role models, also including former Erie Mayor Joyce Savocchio and former longtime Erie County Executive Judy Lynch. “We have a history of women in government. The first woman in the state to be elected county commissioner was from Erie County, only a decade or so after women got the right to vote,” Dahlkemper said. But there’s been a lack of female candidates
for higher political offices for some time, Dahlkemper said. Also alarming, she said, is that three incumbent Erie County women lost re-election as township supervisors in November: Sandra Anderson in Girard, Lisa Vallimont in Greene and Nancy Agostine in Summit. “I was shocked when I learned they’d lost. They did great work on some really important issues,” Dahlkemper said. Better news is that, with the election of Liz Allen and Kathleen Schaaf in November, there now are three women on the seven-member Erie City Council. Such women are vital in making government work, Dahlkemper said. “Women have a different set of life experiences and different ways of working on problems,” Dahlkemper said. “Government is a more diverse process with women at the table; it comes up with better solutions.” Studies have shown that women in Congress are more collaborative than men, are more co-signers on bills and are able to move things in different ways, Dahlkemper said. “Back in 2012-13 with the big government shutdown, it was the women of the Senate, Republicans and Democrats, who got together for pizza and salad and a little wine and came up with the compromise that basically was the plan that got government back up
and running,” she said. So why don’t more women run? Studies also have shown that women feel that they are not educated or experienced enough for political office, despite having similar education and experiences as male candidates. “Another thing, I think, is that political races have gotten so ugly with all of the things that go on in social media and other negativity,” Dahlkemper said. “A lot of women don’t want to get into the really rough and tumble world of politics. It turns a lot of men away, too, but maybe more women.” Also, Dahlkemper said, women often don’t run until an issue ignites them. A host of Democratic women campaigning this year have said that they are running because they oppose the policies and practices of President Donald Trump. “For me, it was our entrance into the Iraq war,” Dahlkemper said. She advises wouldbe female candidates on what to expect in running for office. “I’m always willing to give advice to women who want to run, in either party,” she said. “I tell them what I know and steer them to resources. It’s just important that they run.” Valerie Myers can be reached at 878-1913 or by email. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNmyers.
BENCH From Page E1
2017 in an uncontested general election after defeating an opponent in the primary. “We do add a different perspective,” she said. “I think most women have to juggle their household, their families ... their kids’ schedules, and I just think we take a different look at people’s overall family life while we’re on the bench.” Corry District Judge Denise Buell, who won her first term in the 2017 election, said the improved gender diversity on the bench is a sign of progress for women. “I think we are starting to assert ourselves more and go for those jobs that are predominantly male-oriented jobs,” Buell said. There were plenty of other factors in play during this past election season— all three women who won district judgeships are lawyers and defeated opponents who did not have law degrees. Buell, who defeated two-term incumbent
District Judge Sue Strohmeyer [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]
Shown at a swearing-in ceremony at the Erie County Courthouse on Jan. 2 are Erie County magisterial district judges, from left: Tom Carney, Tim Beveridge, Denise Buell, Lisa Ferrick, Laurie Mikielski and Scott Hammer. [CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
Brenda Nichols, has said previously that she thought her legal education helped her in the election. Erie 1st Ward District Judge Sue Mack, who is in her third term in office, said voters look primarily at the background of the individual running for office. “The people who are elected are reflective of that district and the needs of that
district,” she said. There remain stereotypes that can challenge female candidates for office— questions about toughness, for example— said Millcreek Township District Judge Laurie Mikielski, who won her first term in November. But Mikielski said she rarely encountered those stereotypes on the campaign trail. “I think as females
we’ve come very, very far, but we still have a ways to go,” Mikielski said. Harborcreek Township District Judge Lisa Ferrick was also elected to her first term in November. McKean District Judge Denise Stuck-Lewis ran unopposed for her fourth term. Mikielski and Buell both said the support of all of their colleagues on the bench has been a major asset to them in their first months in office. “I’m just extremely
honored and proud that I’m part of the whole entire bench of Erie County magisterial district judges, whether male or female,” Mikielski said. Strohmeyer said that she has seen attitudes shift since she was first elected in 1999. “I feel it’s a much more equal playing field and feel as respected as anybody else,” she said. “I didn’t feel that when I first came in. I felt I had to work twice as hard, where now I feel it’s a more level playing field.” Madeleine O’Neill can be reached at 870-1728 or by email. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNoneill.
FAMILY From Page E1
week on little kids underwear, so that you are searching for the Monday undies that have been requested, while someone drags out the bag of Play-Doh minutes prior to departure for school? When did the little one start hauling the kiddie chair over to access the kitchen counter? (“S’coos me,” she says, if you are in her way.) Why do I never anticipate the enduring, earlymorning appeal of old Halloween costumes, such as Super Why and the Willy Wonka wig? How can I answer questions about the universe, current events and complex storybook plotlines when I haven’t yet had my morning coffee? Not long ago, I drew a blank when the 5-year-old asked, “Why do you like snow?” That morning, having driven through a blizzard, I wasn’t sure I did anymore. Recently I was barely inside the door when he ran toward me saying, “Curious George called 911 and the police came and he went to jail!” Another time, he greeted me dressed in kid-sized “surgical scrubs.” Printed across the chest was “Dr. Makewell.” Before he agreed to eat the waffles I’d brought, I was asked to sit for a “checkup” plus a shot with a toy syringe. Just at that moment, though, I spotted the toddler merrily dispatching the contents of her cup into a lake that was oozing out over the coffee table. “Wait! I feel better!” I barked, jumping up to clean the mess. So, weeks ago, my son casually asked me a question. “You’re still good for this Friday, right?” “What’s that?” I asked. “You’re going to spend the night, remember? We have that overnight trip out of town. You said you’d stay here with the kids.” Did I say that? Oh, yeah. I said that. All I could think, at that moment, was this: Oh, I’m in trouble.
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DEAR ABBY
ART APPRECIATION
CANCER CONCERN
Customer resents request for personal information at store register
The Jay and Mona Kang Art Show & Sale will be held at the Barber National Institute on April 13-16
Michelle Joint is part of an increasing number of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer before age 50
HER TIMES Women’s History Month impresses us all
Pam Parker
F
or quite a few years, we’ve had the pleasure of introducing readers to some incredible women in honor of Women’s History Month. Every year we do this, we tell some interesting stories of women who become friends in the process of our interviews. In case you missed it, here’s what we shared this year: In Showcase, Sarah Grabski and I were honored to meet some local women in the Erie Philharmonic, Erie Chamber Orchestra and other groups who gathered for an impromptu concert with no practice and played George Frideric Handel’s “La Rejouissance” at the Warner Theatre. No warmup. They just did it. Christina Dolanc, Jennifer Dearden, Bethany Dressler, Anna Rose Welch and Hilary Philipp played beautifully. Grabski and I also were pleased to share the stories of six 30-something women who discussed why they chose to stay in Erie to establish and grow careers and families. LeAnna Nieratko, 33, the general manager of the Whole Foods Co-Op, 1341 W. 26th St., said this about Erie: “It’s also such a cool environment to raise kids, especially young girls. I can show them they can do anything they want to do.” Chanel Cook, 39, found her niche in government positions, was recruited by Kathy Dahlkemper, and she has stayed in government jobs. She is currently the outreach services coordinator at the Erie County Public Library. Abby Skinner, the 37-year-old City of Erie’s grant writer, grew up in Warren County and grant writing opened a lot of doors for her. Adopting Erie as home, she’s planning on buying a See PARKER, E4
In the footsteps of Mary Magdalene Modern-day female evangelists continue to proclaim Christ’s Resurrection By Dana Massing dana.massing@timesnews.com
“I have seen the Lord!” It is Mary Magdalene who says those words to disciples in the biblical book of John, chapter 20, verse 18, after Jesus has been crucified and buried and disappeared from his tomb. The biblical book of Mark says that it was Mary to whom Jesus first appeared after his death. Matthew and Luke also identify Mary, along with other women, as the first to learn and attempt to spread the news that Christ had risen. In Matthew 28:6, an angel tells them: “Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead.” However, as Luke 24:11 reveals, the apostles “did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” Since the beginning, women have been proclaiming Christ’s Resurrection, which Western Christian churches are celebrating this weekend on Easter Sunday. Present-day female evangelists say the role they share with Mary Magdalene isn’t always easy, but it’s rewarding and she even offers inspiration when people tell women they don’t belong in the position of pastor. “I take heart from the Easter morning story of Jesus telling Mary, ‘Go and tell.’ She was the first
evangelist of the Resurrection,” said the Rev. Allie Leitzel, pastor of Abiding Hope Lutheran Church in Millcreek Township. Erie Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister agrees that Mary Magdalene, and other women, deserve credit. “I always say, ‘No Mary Magdalene, no Jesus,’” Chittister said. She and the Rev. Canon Kathleen Ziegenhine, pastoral assistant at Erie’s Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul, both said that Mary Magdalene and other women were supporting Jesus using their own resources. “All the guys who followed Jesus are hiding someplace,” Chittister said. “They’re not coming out as great benefactors. It’s the women who recognize that this is world-changing, this is life-changing, this is another way to be.” It was the women then who were opening up small house churches and it’s women today who continue that legacy of sharing the faith, said Chittister, 81, the author of more than 50 books. “One of the strongest spiritual things going on in the country are women’s reading groups,” she said. “They’re taking good books, ... ones they know are treating the questions that are most important in this time and See FOOTSTEPS, E2
Panic button provides sense of security By Victoria Ann Roehm
How it works
“Everyone deserves to feel safe.” This is the message you will find on Revolar’s website. Revolar makes a small, wearable personal safety device that you can clip on your belt or carry on your key ring. The button pairs with your smartphone and if you have an emergency you can push this button to alert your emergency contacts that you might be in trouble. It also has a few other handy features.
In order to use the Revolar device, you must have a Bluetoothcapable phone and download Revolar’s free app, which is available for both Apple and Droid devices. The app will walk you through a simple setup and will instruct you to enter up to five emergency contacts of your choosing. These contacts will receive a confirmation text or email letting See PANIC, E5
The Rev. Allie Leitzel is pastor of Abiding Hope Lutheran Church in Millcreek Township, where her Easter sermon will include Mary Magdalene. [JACK HANRAHAN/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
Erie Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister speaks during a 2015 lecture in Erie. Chittister says that without Mary Magdalene, there would have been no Jesus Christ. [FILE PHOTO/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
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HER TIMES
Evangelist Carol Troop founded and runs the Odessa’s Place ministry in Erie. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]
Robin Cuneo, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Harborcreek, offers a blessing to occupants of a vehicle during drive-thru ashes on Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season that leads to Easter. [GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
FOOTSTEPS From Page E1
they’re discussing them together ... and discussing them through the filter of the Scriptures and they’re getting stronger all the time. ... I think that’s the Mary Magdalene posture.” Ziegenhine, 64, a pastor for 15 years, said, “I have a great sense of gratitude for (Mary Magdalene’s) moxie to go and tell her story in her patriarchal culture. She was, continues to be, a sign of God’s inclusive love for all people. Her witness is emboldening and validating for me, even in our enlightened time.” Eighteen-year-old Allyn Jones said she believes Mary Magdalene shows that Christ accepts and redeems all if you’re open to having a relationship with him. “It shows no matter what your past is, you’re still able to spread the good news of Jesus Christ,” she said.
Jones is a youth teacher and youth worship leader at Erie’s Shiloh Baptist Church. The McDowell High School senior has been teaching youth since she was a freshman and recently began working with adults as well. Accepted at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago to study music and communications, she said she’d love to work in a large church with the young people because their minds are so open and absorbent and they ask the best questions. Throughout her own childhood, she said, she had male pastors but also multiple female associate pastors who were passionate about what they did. “It really is great just to have role models like that,” she said. Evangelist Carol
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Troop, who founded and runs the Odessa’s Place ministry in Erie, says that to be an evangelist, someone has to have “a heart for what’s going on the world.” “It’s a role you have to be real about,” she said. Other Erie-area female ministers said that carrying on Mary’s tradition is something they take very seriously, even if she did have a bad reputation and they don’t necessarily think of themselves as evangelists. “There’s no biblical evidence that she was a ‘fallen woman,’” Pastor Robin Cuneo said. Cuneo, 66, who took Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) lay training about 20 years ago
and has been serving at First Presbyterian Church of Harborcreek since January 2017, thinks of herself more as someone trying to care for the flock than trying to add to it. She said it’s both awesome and intimidating to share a role with Mary, whose bum rap dates back centuries to when Magdalene was lumped in with other New Testament Marys. “The Vatican withdrew that error in the 1960s,” Cuneo said. In Mark 16:9, Jesus is described as appearing to Mary Magdalene, “out of whom he had driven seven demons.” Ziegenhine said Luke 8:2 also says Jesus cast seven
Allyn Jones, 18, of Millcreek Township, is a youth teacher and youth worship leader at Erie’s Shiloh Baptist Church. [DANA MASSING/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
demons from Mary. “Everybody makes a big deal about the demons,” said the Rev. Katie White, 65, co-pastor of Crossroads Community Baptist Church in Millcreek Township. She believes it shows that Mary was willing to struggle with her impediments to her spiritual growth. In White’s mind, that makes Mary Magdalene someone ready to recognize Jesus. Troop asked who could have been better to spread the word of salvation than a woman who had herself been forgiven. “She’s a living witness of what God will do,” Troop said.
Ziegenhine said nothing in Scripture supports that Mary Magdalene was a “loose woman” but “what she did do was to upset the status quo by stepping outside the prescribed role of women in her time and having the temerity to go and tell her story, that she has seen the Risen Christ to the (male) disciples. The first apostle, the evangelist to the apostles.” The Erie priest said she doesn’t consider herself an evangelist in the strict sense. “My primary ministries are pastoral care with the homebound, hospital ministry with cathedral members and See FOOTSTEPS, E3
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SHOWCASE GoErie.com
MUSIC I N P E R S O N : F E M A L E I N S T R U M E N TA L I S T S N O T E M U S I C A L C H A N G E S
Finding harmony in Erie
By Pam Parker and Sarah Grabski Staff writers
Women adapt. They improvise for careers, family and everyday events. That was obvious when Showcase gathered women who played the violin, trumpet, saxophone and oboe together for an impromptu concert with no practice. The mix was not a traditional quintet, but the musicians nonetheless came together, passed out music for George Frideric Handel’s “La Rejouissance” and let the music rise. Each woman has a different path to a career in music, and they each adapted in order to continue composing, teaching and performing music in the Erie area. ••• Christina Dolanc often thinks of famous composer Gustav Mahler’s wife, Alma, when she is composing music. “She was a brilliant composer before they got married. He (Gustav) didn’t want that,” Dolanc said. “She lived like this for him and was unhappy. Rumors
In honor of Women's History Month this March, meet women who make a difference in Erie. Explore more stories at GoErie.com.
ONLINE EXTRAS See video of five Erie Philharmonic female musicians performing together: GoErie. com/Videos. Also hear from Erie Philharmonic first-chair violinist Maura Pelinsky in the Erie Times-News' "And Sometimes How" podcast: http:// bit.ly/2orrgus.
are that she wrote in secret, but she eventually left him to fulfill her passion and started writing again.” Dolanc, 41, is a musician, a vocalist, a composer and the personnel manager with the Erie Philharmonic. A violinist with the Erie Chamber Orchestra and the Erie Philharmonic, she said composing is still a traditionally male-dominated field. Based on a study of professional and semi-professional orchestras from 2014, only 4 percent of all composers were female.
Local female musicans are shown during a special photo session at the Warner Theater. From left are violinist Christina Dolanc, saxophonist Bethany Dressler, oboist Hilary Philipp, trumpeter Jennifer Dearden and violinist Anna Rose Welch. [CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
But conditions are improving. “The importance and the respect that women get in the professional world, and not just in the music world, is changing rapidly,” she said. She herself was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in December 2016 and has won numerous national awards for her work. Dolanc and her husband Chris Dolanc recently moved from southern California to Erie with their daughters, 5 and 13. “I want to set the example for them,” she said. “I’ve been open with my 13-year-old not to discourage her about any struggle. I try to emphasize where we’ve come from and show her where we’re headed and to teach her to continue to improve and never settle for less.”
Dolanc teaches violin and viola at Allegheny College in Meadville and had an original piece she composed commissioned by the Erie Chamber Orchestra, which will become a part of the Erie Philharmonic at the end of the current season. “Erie is a special place for musicians. It has everything,” she said. “The arts and culture scene is just fabulous. We specifically picked this area to come here and do what we’re doing.” ••• Jennifer Dearden agrees with Dolanc that women are making a mark, but this trumpet player said there still aren’t many women in the brass sections of orchestras. She was the only female in
Pittsburgh for five years, and she added mostly men had the principal positions in orchestras. She recalled that neckties and flowers for lapels were often gifts for orchestra members. “But I don’t have a lapel,” she said. The 39-year-old is an assistant professor and the director of the Allegheny College Civic Symphony. She plays with a variety of orchestras and bands and teaches music classes, lessons and more. So far, she sees improvements in female representation in orchestras. “It’s still more men than women, but we’re seeing a fairly good representation among high schools,” she said. Although Dearden See MUSIC, 15
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played piano, too, at a young age, she gravitated toward the trumpet and started lessons. “I was 7 or 8, and my father was a trumpet player — it was a hobby for him, but he asked if I wanted to take music lessons, and that’s how I started.” ••• The saxophone isn’t the instrument most fourth grade girls choose to play, but Bethany Dressler, who grew up in Irwin, learned to play the recorder as a third grader and, the next year, took on the saxophone. Female saxophone players are pretty rare, she said, but that never stopped her. “I just made it my aim to be the best musician possible,” she said. Dressler took private lessons most of her life. Now the 31-year-old, who also works at HubbardBert Inc., plays in the Presque Isle Saxophone Quartet, The Misery Bay Big Band, Presque Isle Jazz Orchestra and fills in with The Groove. “I like playing jazz — it’s the spontaneity of the music and the emotion behind it.” ••• Anna Rose Welch plays the violin, but the 29-year-old will also publish her first book of poetry in April. She weaves the two together when she describes her favorite piece, “Much Ado About Nothing Suite” by Eric Wolfgang Korngold. She said the suite gives her a picture of a woman in a bridal suite
prior to her wedding. “I love it. Something about the first movement in particular, something so innocent and sultry all at the same time,” she said, also describing the music it as wistful, romantic and passionate. “There’s something very innocent and tangible about it.” Born and raised in Erie, Welch started playing the violin at age 5 with the Suzuki Strings. Her parents Tom, a dentist, and Judy, a watercolorist, often listened to classical music in their home. She took private lessons throughout her schooling and is now an assistant editor of pharmaceutical publications and plays for the Erie Chamber Orchestra and Erie Philharmonic along with the Dolanc String Quartet, started by Christina and Chris Dolanc, and other ensembles. How does someone start playing the violin at age 5? It was all in the family. Welch said her mother wanted her to play, and she had female relatives who had played for the Erie Philharmonic, too. “We have a really nice connection to the arts, especially with the music in Erie,” she said. “ There are so many musical outlets and smaller groups.” ••• Hilary Philipp, 35, looks back on what made her choose the oboe at age 8 and laughs when she remembers a version of Faerie Tale Theatre’s “Three Little Pigs,” in which Billy Crystal’s pig character played the oboe. “I just really wanted something different,” she said. “About threequarters of oboe players are probably women.”
But teachers for the instrument are not easily found, and Philipp traveled to Cleveland for lessons when her family moved to Erie from upstate New York when she was in middle school. After her formal education, Philipp served a few years in AmeriCorps and then returned to Erie in 2008. She gives oboe lessons at Mercyhurst University, Allegheny College and Grove City College, where other students can learn the challenging instrument. “The reed makes a huge difference in how we sound and how easy it is to play,” she said. The reed is made of bamboo and purchased from internet companies. “When you find a good reed, it’s hard to part with it.” Philipp also plays with the Erie Chamber Orchestra, the Butler County Symphony and a group called Reed ‘em and Weep. While the oboe lends itself to classical music, it can be found in some recognizable arrangements as well. Her favorite song is one people ask to hear: “Gabriel’s Oboe” theme from the 1986 movie “The Mission.”
COMING UP IN CONCERT Hear these female musicians and others during a few upcoming concerts around the Erie region:
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Erie Chamber Orchestra concert: Solo violinist Dennis Kim will be featured in a program with works by Samuel Barber, Jukka Tiensuu and Antonin Dvorak this Saturday, 7:30 p.m., at the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, 250 W. Seventh St. Pre-concert talk starts at 6:30 p.m. Free admission. For more details, visit http://bit.ly/2e8ekqG.
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Music faculty recital: Singers and instrumentalists will perform in solo and chamber works by a range of composers, as well as traditional folk tunes this Sunday, 3:15 p.m., at Allegheny College’s Ford Memorial Chapel, 516 N. Main St., Meadville. Admission is free. For more details, call 814-332-3356.
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“The Brilliance of Beethoven”: Guest pianist Alec Chien performs with the Erie Philharmonic on March 10, 8 p.m., at the Warner Theatre, 811 State St. Tickets are $10-$52. For more details, visit www.eriephil.org.
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Reed’m and Weep Trio recital: Clarinetist Rebecca Wunch, oboist Hilary Philipp and bassoonist Carolyn Borland perform selections by Gordon Jacob, Charles Huguenin, Jacques Ibert, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and more on March 14, 8 p.m., at Mercyhurst University’s Walker Recital Hall. Admission is free. For more details, call 824-2394.
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“Greatest Fantasy Hits”: Experience the iconic music from fantasy-themed films, TV shows, video games and more when Daniel Meyer conducts the Erie Philharmonic pops concert on March 24, 8 p.m., at the Warner Theatre, 811 State St. Tickets are $10-$56. For more details, visit www.eriephil.org.
••• Recently, Dolanc, Dearden, Welch and Philipp learned the Erie Chamber Orchestra they play for will be absorbed into the Erie Philharmonic as the Bruce Morton Wright Chamber Series. It will feature smaller groups rather than orchestral performances starting in the 2018-19 season. But these musical women said they will adapt. “Change is hard, but change can be good,” Dolanc said, “and it keeps the music alive.”
The Erie Chamber Orchestra performs a free concert Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. [JAKOB RICHARDSON/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]
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Thursday, March 8, 2018
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SHOWCASE GoErie.com
SHOWCASE GoErie.com
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Thursday, March 8, 2018 13
VISUAL ARTS RO U N D U P : F I RST GA L L E RY N I G H T O F 2 0 1 8
I N P E R S O N : PA I N T E R J A N I N E L AY- U T E G G
Get in an artsy frame of mind I
By Lindsey Poisson | Showcase staff writer
f Erie’s relentless winter is getting you down, here’s something that’s sure to put a spring in your step. Erie’s first Gallery Night of the year will pop up at 16 venues around town this Friday, 7 to 10 p.m., and feature refreshments, artist meet and greets, demos and more free festivities for art lovers and curious passers-by. And although this week’s Gallery Night, organized by the Erie Art Museum, doesn’t feature as many participants as past events — the previous Gallery Night on Dec. 1 still holds the record with 22 venues — there are a few new additions to the roster, including Erie Art Gallery, which opened in January; Erie Spine & Wellness, which will feature an exhibit curated by previous participant Artlore Studio; and Preservation Erie’s cultural storefront display on State Street. “We are excited to welcome new venues to this Gallery Night,” wrote Susan Barnett, curator at the Erie Art Museum, via email. “We also appreciate the continuing support of businesses, galleries and other nonprofit organizations who have participated for many years. It is fun to visit as many galleries as possible and revel in the changing vibe from place to place.” Here’s a closer look at what’s happening around town during this Friday’s Gallery Night: •Erie Art Museum, 20 E. Fifth St.: See several of the museum’s latest exhibits — Sharon Kerry-Harlan’s “Urban Chatter,” Gary Spinosa’s “Divine Instinct,” James McMurray’s “Face and Places,” the annual “Kids as Curators” exhibit and Daniel Burke’s continuing “Callings” retrospective — and even meet artists Spinosa and McMurray in person. Also features hands-on painting and drawing activities, demos, refreshments and a cash bar. •419 Artifacts, 419 State St.: Explore fabric artist Deborah Sementelli’s new “Threads,” as well as a curated collection of textiles — including rugs, tapestries, linens and vintage clothing — that date as far back as 1850. •Attic Rehab, 1501 State St.: Check out Jackie Quigley’s recent watercolors and textiles in her “Paint & Pattern” display. •PACA, 1505 State St.: Head to the second-floor gallery to see Lake City painter Janine Lay-Utegg’s “For the Love of Farm Animals.” Then take a quick trip up to the third floor to tour Erie ClaySpace Studio, see demos or try your own hand at the pottery wheel. •Blasco Library, 160 E. Front St.: Enter “Chateau de la Surrealism,” an Erie Regional Library Foundation-sponsored display of surrealist art by nearly a dozen local artists, including Kris Risto, Jessica Stadtmueller, Eric Fargiorgio and Mckenzie Lee Sprague. •Ember + Forge, 401 State St.: Painter Corey Thompson will be on hand to feature his new series “Primary Winter,” depicting the emotions of the winter season. Also features samples from McGreevey Cake Co. and vinyl spun by Steve Maynard. •Erie Art Gallery, 24 W. Eighth St.: Explore “Erie Works,” a collection of multi-media pieces by local artists, in the
Gary Spinosa’s “Columbaria” is on display during the artist’s “Divine Instinct” exhibit in the Erie Art Museum’s McCain Gallery. Spinosa will appear in person at the museum for Friday’s Gallery Night. [SUSAN BARNETT/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]
A crowd gathers during the Jan. 27 opening of the Erie Art Gallery, 24 W. Eighth St. The gallery will feature an “Erie Works” display during Friday’s Gallery Night. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]
recently-opened gallery space. •Schuster Gallery, Gannon University, 700 Peach St.: Take a look at the provocative, modernistic work of the late Eugene N. Rutkowski, who used metal, clay, stained glass and other materials to create sculptures and paintings interpreting ancient scripture. •Glass Growers Gallery, 10 E. Fifth St.: Encounter dreamlike photographs by Laura Gooley and whimsical driftwood sculptures by Brian Pardini during the gallery’s new “Stimulus of Perception” show. Artists will also be on hand during the evening. •Lake Life, 3739 West Lake Road: Heather Michel displays
a variety of coastal art featuring driftwood, beach glass and more. Also features artist meet and greet. •Erie Spine & Wellness, 2220 W. Eighth St.: Artlore Studio curates an exhibit featuring Tom Ferraro, Adele Larsen, Linda Stonestreet, Lena Logvina and more at the recently-opened office of Drs. James Loeslein and Jack Jamison. Also features live music by Tony Grey. •Pointe Foure Vintage Boutique, 2508 Peach St.: The shop presents a fashionable and empowering new exhibit, “The D.O.L.L. Experience (Dare to Own a Life You Love),” by Roxann Hudock. Also features artist meet and greet, local beer and tapas. •Preservation Erie storefront display, 416 State St.: See everyday items, clothing, art and treasured objects from Erie’s Iraqi and Bosnian residents on display in “Meet Erie’s New Americans: A Storefront Exhibition,” a collaboration between Preservation Erie and Erie Art Museum. Meet volunteers and sample traditional Iraqi and Bosnian delicacies, 7 to 8 p.m.
•Traditions Unlimited, 1608 W. Eighth St.: Just in time for Easter, artist Patty Merski displays her intricate Ukrainian wax eggs, as well as a collection of unique rosaries and jewelry, during “Pysanky & Pray.” Also features artist meet and greet and a live Pysanky demo. •U Frame It, 731 W. Eighth St.: Gallery owner Matt Lebowitz’s continuing “The Year in a Life: What I Saw and What I Thought” features a series of snapshots and captions, organized in panels by month. Guest artists Tom Ferraro and Bryan Toy will present their own snapshots and captions for February, and Three B Saloon food and local beer will be available. After-party continues until 11 p.m. •V Gallery, 3330 W. 26th St.: David Moog’s “Artists Seen: Photographs of Artists in the 21st Century,” on loan from Buffalo’s Burchfield Penney Art Center, displays black-and-white portraits of western New York artists in various art forms and media. Also features artist meet and greet.
Farm to gallery By Lindsey Poisson Showcase staff writer
It’s difficult for Janine Lay-Utegg to resist cuddling with every cute critter she comes across— whether it’s one of her dogs, a pink pig or a friendly llama. That might explain where she found the main inspiration for her first solo show, “For the Love of Farm Animals,” on display during Friday’s Gallery Night on the second floor of PACA, 1505 State St. “There’s just something about a connection I have with them,” said Lay-Utegg, 53, of Lake City. “When I paint them, they’re always elegant looking, but there’s something that’s adorable and endearing.” The 75-piece show features a variety of barnyard subjects — from a flock of chickens to haymunching cows— as well as landscapes, still life, abstracts and portraiture in oil, acrylic and watercolor. And in the spirit of the menagerie on display, Lay-Utegg will also donate a portion of the show’s proceeds to Fairview’s Blended Spirits Ranch, which offers equine-assisted learning and psychotherapy for children and adults. “It means a lot to me,” said Lay-Utegg, who volunteers at the ranch along with her husband, Michael Utegg. “My goal is (to have) a complete sellout.” For nearly 30 years, Lay-Utegg worked as a registered nurse doing “every different kind of nursing you can think of” around the country before retiring from full-time work in 2010. But in that time, she also began honing her artistic skills, and ultimately spent
Janine Lay-Utegg presents her first solo show, “For the Love of Farm Animals,” at PACA during Friday’s Gallery Night. [LINDSEY POISSON/ETN]
more and more time with a paintbrush after moving back to the Erie region in 2005. Now, in addition to occasional working as a nurse and registered cosmetologist, Lay-Utegg takes weekly classes taught by renowned local artist Joyce Perowicz. While years of nursing has helped her to be detail-oriented and exact in her artwork, LayUtegg said, there’s also lightness and whimsy in her brushstrokes of landscapes and animals that resonates with people on an emotional level. “I’ve been told that I paint love into my paintings ..., that it’s a different feeling that they portray,” said Lay-Utegg, whose work has appeared in various group shows and shops around the region. “People see my paintings and they just light up.”
In honor of Women’s History Month this March, meet women who make a difference around the Erie area. For more coverage, visit http://bit.ly/2HcSwDU.
SEE IT “For the Love of Farm Animals,” featuring 75 works by Janine Lay-Utegg, is on display Friday, 7 to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., in the second-floor gallery at PACA, 1505 State St. Exhibit will also be available to view during performances of “Art,” taking the stage March 15-17 and 22-24, or by appointment. For more details, call 528-2848 or visit www.janineutegg.com.
SHOWCASE GoErie.com
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Thursday, March 15, 2018
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EVENT P R E V I E W : W O M E N O F W O R D AT E D I N B O R O
Power of poetry
By Marissa Orbanek Contributing writer
When she was a child,Erie’s Thasia Anne Lunger and her siblings listened to her mother read short stories by Rudyard Kipling and were inspired. “She would read these so poetically and descriptively. She was a beautiful reader, and we would hang onto these stories because of her voice,” she said. “Because of this, when I wrote my first poem in seventh grade, I was pretty familiar with what poetry entailed.” That first poem, “War,” made it into a school district-wide sampling of student writing, and the words kept flowing for the aspiring poet until shortly after graduating from high school. Then it all but stopped. It wasn't until later, after surviving 17 years of domestic violence, that she found her way back to writing. “I didn’t really write during the time of marriage. If I wrote, I would quickly burn it in (the) wood stove," she said. "When I started back up after my marriage, I was still so insecure that I put them in a box under my bed." When she showed her oldest son those hidden pages, however, he encouraged her to continue. Now decades later, the Erie poet— who writes and performs under
the abbreviated name Thasia Anne — shares her works about domestic violence in order to help give strength to victims of abuse. “I feel empowered that I took my own power back for myself and am able to share and push it forward to help other women.” It's also part of the driving force behind Women of Word, the annual poetry performance Lunger created in 2010 that explores topics of addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and loss. This year's free event, taking place Wednesday at Edinboro University's Diebold Center for the Performing Arts, will feature Lunger, Marge Wonner, Luchetta "Cookie" Manus, Kat Wolper, Darryl M. Brown and Matt Borczon as they tackle challenging subjects through short poetic vignettes, guided by a narrator who sets the scene and tone. The event also includes performances by Jack Wonner and dancers Sukanya Burhman and Brett Fallon. The idea for Women of Word started with connections she made with other poets throughout the years. “I was at an open mic when a woman came up and read a poem she wrote about domestic violence, one that spoke to a poem I had written, as if it was a two-way conversation,” said Lunger, 62, who works as a case
manager for Erie D.A.W.N. Shortly after losing one of her sons in a car accident, she also encountered another woman reading a poem that mourned an infant baby. “That’s what planted the seed for Women of Word, all these women who have these conversations through their poetry about all these women subjects.” But Women of Word isn't just for female poets. By 2013, the group expanded and started using a slightly tweaked title for its annual performance: Women of Word, featuring a few Man Made Words. “We have these really great men, these strong male poets, who add to what we are doing,” Lunger said. And between all of the performers, she added, they use their work to show their diverse struggles. Following Wednesday's event, there is a meet and greet where attendees can carry on conversations with the performers. Almost always, Lunger said, someone singles her out afterward regarding her poems on domestic violence. “They understand it because they survived or understand because they are in that situation,” she said. “I’m proud that I’ve not only found my voice, but I have been able to give someone else a voice, too.”
“I feel empowered that I took my own power back for myself and am able to share and push it forward to help other women.” Thasia Anne Lunger, founder of Women of Word
From left: Women of Word founder Thasia Anne Lunger poses with fellow poets Matt Borczon, Kat Wolper, Darryl M. Brown (seated), Beat Lunger and Brett Fallon. The eighth annual performance of Women of Word, featuring a few Man Made Words, takes place Wednesday at Edinboro University. [GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]
From left: Poet Luchetta “Cookie” Manus jokes around with Brett Fallon and Women of Word founder Thasia Anne Lunger.
In honor of Women’s History Month this March, meet women who make a difference around the Erie area. For more coverage, visit http://bit.ly/2HcSwDU.
HEAR IT Women of Word, featuring a few Man Made Words, takes place Wednesday, 6 p.m., at the Diebold Performing Arts Center, 219 Meadville St., Edinboro University. Performance followed by meetand-greet and light refreshments. Free admission.
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Thursday, March 22, 2018
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SHOWCASE GoErie.com
DINING I N P E R S O N : C H E F A S H L E Y S AY R E D E R I VA S
Fluent in food
By JoLayne Green Contributing writer
Ashley Sayre de Rivas went to college with the idea of studying foreign languages, only to discover that food is what really spoke to her. The North Carolina native, who was raised in Erie, intended to study Spanish, Japanese and Russian at what was then Mercyhurst College, but ultimately found her future career during a work-study job with the school’s dining services. “That was the first time I ever worked in a kitchen,” she said, “and I really enjoyed the environment.” Now Sayre de Rivas, 31, is the chef at Bourbon Barrel, 1213 State St., where she’s been whipping up fresh fare and innovating new items, including the restaurant’s new winter menu, Oak, since she was hired back in May. But Sayre de Rivas, one of the few female chefs working in the area, didn’t take the most traditional path to becoming one. “I did not go to culinary school,” she said. “I learned the hard way.” During her junior year at Mercyhurst, she started working for theWhole Foods Co-op, where she explored the basics of cooking before heading to The Singing Bowl, a vegetarian restaurant that closed in 2010. Then, about seven years ago, she ended up under the wing of Chef
In honor of Women's History Month this March, meet women who make a difference around the Erie area. For more coverage, visit http:// bit.ly/2HcSwDU.
Dan Kern at 1201 Kitchen. “That’s where I really fell in love with fine dining,” she said of the latter restaurant, which operates on the same block as Bourbon Barrel. While working with Kern, who infuses his 1201 Kitchen menu with Asian and Latin influences,Sayre de Rivas learned to make sushi and play with different and new flavors. She also came to appreciate the hospitality side of the business, and creating a unique, detailed dining experience. “I really enjoyed working with someone who put their own spin on things,” she said of Kern. “It was just really the experience of how to combine flavors together without following rules.” Sayre de Rivas decided to take her passion for food a step further in 2012, when she moved to New York City and worked with Chef Daniel Boulud at Épicerie Boulud to develop a “much higher level of cooking.” But while she relished being a sous chef there, Sayre de Rivas said working 70 hours a week began to wear thin. When she made her way back to Erie at the end of 2014, Sayre de Rivas ran the
kitchen at Kings Rook Club, at a pop-up restaurant and worked two days a week back at 1201 Kitchen before she accepted a full-time position at Bourbon Barrel. And although the new job offered a lot more flexibility as far as work hours and culinary innovation,Sayre de Rivas said she struggled with which direction she wanted the kitchen to take— especially at a place that’s generally considered to be a country bar. “I like things that are simple but put a lot of thought into them,” she said. Then Sayre de Rivas ultimately began experimenting with recipes she said “that some people can find familiarity with” but offer a different ingredient or style of preparation that surprises. Avoiding the term “fusion,” which she considers overused, Sayre de Rivas instead describes her style as a “thoughtful hodgepodge” and employs crossing techniques or flavors from one culture to another. “I really love Latin and Asian cultures, especially the home food culture where it is kind of like a craft or a recipe passed down,” she said. “There is a focus on doing one thing and doing it well. “It’s not just food. It’s a piece of art.” Her goal with Bourbon Barrel’s Oak menu is to draw from cultural influences reflecting the melting pot of America. Two
Bourbon Barrel Chef Ashley Sayre de Rivas, 31, shows her coconut shells entree, featuring sauvignon blanc-steamed mussels with cocunut milk and Korean pepper. [CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMESNEWS]
of her favorite offerings are coconut shells— an entree featuring sauvignon blanc-steamed mussels with coconut milk and Korean pepper, a citrusherb salad and toasted baguette— and the seared skirt steak with chimichurri herb sauce and lime. “I like to push boundaries and like to push expectations,” she said. “I kind of feel like Erie is really moving up in the amount of cultures being appreciated here. That’s one of
the things I wanted to do when I got back, was to expose people to more cultures that they might not otherwise experience.” And for Sayre de Rivas, who dreams of one day opening her own Japanese bar, it’s been an interesting journey so far. “I did not think this was what I’d be doing 10 years ago. I thought I’d be at a desk translating or living out of the country,” she said. “I stuck with it and did my thing. I love it.”
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Thursday, March 29, 2018
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SHOWCASE GoErie.com
FILM I N P E R S O N : E R I E F I L M M A K E R B R I T TA N Y H I L L S
From Hollywood to Erie
By Jennie Geisler Staff writer
Folks know her as Brittany Hills, born and raised in Erie and a McDowell High School graduate. But as soon as she threw her mortarboard in the air, she hit the road for Los Angeles to take up acting (which her younger brother, Cole Hills, had already done) and sought a spot on the silver screen. She got a two-year associate’s degree from New York Film Hills Academy in Los Angeles, and got on the Hollywood treadmill: Have photos made, find an agent, audition for everything and hope to connect with a studio. Do a few commercials, some work as an extra, maybe a bit part on a TV show. After three years, though, reality hit. “It got to the point, where you reach adulthood, you have to pay the bills,” said Brittany Hills, now 27. “It was discouraging, and you get more worried about the money than art.” At age 21, she moved back to Erie to regroup, met a guy and got married. Technically her name is BrittanyKowalczyk now, but, she said, “that (name) would never work for auditions, so Hills it is.” Since her return, she has been driving by Sally’s
In honor of Women's History Month this March, meet women who make a difference around the Erie area. For more coverage, visit http:// bit.ly/2HcSwDU.
Diner, which sits on the lot near Sara’s Restaurant on Peninsula Drive at the base of Presque Isle State Park. “I thought it would be awesome to film something there,” she said. “For the most part, it sits empty and I’ve always thought it’s just a cool place. I wondered if they would be open to letting someone film something there.” Her 16-year-old brother Cole, still out in L.A., started making his own films, and that inspired her. “I realized how big a support group there is in Erie for filmmakers,” said Hills, who appeared in John C. Lyons’ locally-filmed “There Are No Goodbyes” in 2013. “And people in Erie are excited to be involved, to have films shot here. In L.A., people are like ‘This is how much I’m going to charge you.’” In “The Diner,” a 27-minute film set to premiere on April 26 at Erie’s Bourbon Barrel, Hills’ script follows an older man struggling after the loss of his wife. When he walks into a diner, well, there’s time travel involved. “I actually wrote it as a Christmas present for my
“The Diner” star Glenn Rolph, 70, appears in a scene filmed at Sally’s Diner, located on the lot of Sara’s Restaurant near the entrance to Presque Isle State Park. Rolph is expected to attend the film’s premiere in Erie on April 26. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]
SEE IT “The Diner” will premiere April 26, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.), at the Bourbon Barrel, 1213 State St. Lead actress/writer/ director Brittany Hills and co-star Glenn Rolph will also be in attendance. Tickets, $10, include a screening of the 27-minute film and appetizers. For more details, visit http://bit.ly/2F5qaPn.
brother, Cole, not doing it for myself,” Hills said. “But then I said, ‘Wait a second, I’m attached to this. I’d love to have you involved, but ....’ “So I took it back,” and she recruited her brother to help her make it, Hills said. They set a budget of $1,500 and launched a promotion on Kickstarter, then started filming in September. The Hills also brought on board actor Glenn Rolph, who they found through an online database of willing actors. The 70-year-old had spent his life wanting to be an actor, but was sidetracked by the draft in the
1960s and supporting a family after that. A few years ago, he started working as an extra and volunteering for student films at New York University. “I’ve always wanted to act and I just saw it on the Internet that they were taking auditions and I sent my photo and resume and that was that,” said Rolph, of Delaware. “They asked me to come for an audition, saw the tape I sent and I was in.” He said he loved Brittany Hills’ script from the beginning. “It’s a beautiful film,” Rolph said. And for Hills, Rolph
was the perfect choice for the film’s lead. “Glenn makes the film,” she said. “He’s an incredibly talented actor. Within five minutes, he surpassed our expectations.” And in a small way, perhaps “The Diner” will, too. Hills said being a female filmmaker has helped give the story a different feel. “There’s more of a nurturing aspect in my directing and in my writing that wouldn’t be there through a man’s perspective,” she said. And, hopefully, it will be one of many more examples to come, Hill said. “I feel like it’s an industry where there need to be more women in leadership positions,” she said. “Even for myself being able to take those steps, to realize I don’t have to wait for anybody on this, I can do this on my own, it’s an entirely different perspective than Hollywood gives out.”
SHOWCASE GoErie.com
FILM
PREVIEW: FILM & HER SHOWCASE
Women in focus !#"#"$ By Lindsey Poisson Showcase staff writer
It’s not easy making a career in film. Especially for women, noted local filmmaker Britty Lea, 24. That’s why she decided to put the focus on women working behind the camera with an annual Film & Her Showcase, screening on April 5 at the Bourbon Barrel. The returning film event, which Lea created in 2016 in Savannah, Georgia, and brought to Erie in 2017, aims to highlight the work of female directors, producers, writers and artists from across the East Coast. And although this year’s film lineup doesn’t include submissions from Erie— “there’s a limited amount of female filmmakers in Erie,” and many are in the middle of projects, Lea said— viewers will discover 16 short films, ranging from 46 seconds to more than 13 minutes, in a variety of styles and genres. “They’re some fun, uplifting ones. (There are) some serious ones. There are some horror short films,” said Lea,
SEE IT
The Film & Her Showcase, featuring 16 short films by female directors, producers, writers and artists, takes place on April 5, 7 p.m., at the Bourbon Barrel, 1213 State St. Tickets, $10, are available at https://bit.ly/2GaAsOw. For more details, including a film schedule, visit www. filmandher.com.
who is a local filmmaker herself. “They all have great potential as artists, and that’s the goal of the showcase — to highlight the work of emerging female filmmakers without turning it into a competition.” She also aims to take the showcase on tour this year, with more screenings to be announced at a later date. And for those inspired by what they see during the screening event, there’s some good news: submissions for next year’s Film & Her Showcase will be accepted through Dec. 31 (late deadline is Jan. 31, 2019). More details will be announced during the April 5 screening event and are available on the showcase website, www.filmandher.com.
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Thursday, March 29, 2018
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