August Town&Gown 2015

Town&Gown AUGUST 2015

townandgown.com

On

the

Hunt

The search for wild mushrooms is becoming a growing popular passion for many

Inside: “Creative Expressions” from State College students • Special section: “Nonprofits of Centre County”

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With xDrive, BMW’s intelligent all-wheel-drive system, no road condition is too daunting. Because xDrive instantly responds to the slightest wheel slip with increased torque for uninterrupted all-wheel traction and handling in rain, snow and ice. And now that xDrive is available on more models than ever before, you’ve got almost nothing to stop you from getting out on the open road. Take advantage of special offers from BMW Financial Services today.

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Special lease and finance offers available through BMW Financial Services. 2014 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

Family Medicine Penn State Hershey Family Medicine is now offered at four State College locations. To learn more about Penn State Hershey providers in State College call 814-235-2480 or visit PennStateHershey.org/statecollege.

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Visit our newest Family Medicine practice at 303 Benner Pike, Suite 1 4 - T&G August 2015

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features 28 / 50 Years of Town&Gown: Education Options on where, how, and what to learn have expanded for everyone, from schoolchildren to adult learners • by Tracey M. Dooms

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36 / Creative Expressions

For the fifth consecutive year, the State College Area School District held its Creative Expressions contest asking students to express “How Has a Teacher Opened Your World?”

42 / Of Farms, Ice Cream … and Curing Cancer

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Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has come a long way since its roots in the university’s land-grant mission. With a vast body of research, the college is making significant impact in Centre County and beyond • by Lori Wilson

72 / On the Hunt

The search for wild mushrooms is becoming a growing popular passion for many • by Savita Iyer-Ahrestani

Special Advertising Section 49 / Nonprofits of Centre County A look at some of the special organizations that can be found in Happy Valley: Reach Out. Donate. Help. Volunteer

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On the cover: Photo by Darren Andrew Weimert. Local mushroom expert Bill Russell has seen a growing number of people becoming more passionate and interested in mushroom hunting.

Town&Gown is published monthly by Barash Publications, 403 South Allen Street, State College, PA 16801. Advertising is subject to approval of the publisher. COPYRIGHT 2015 by Barash Media. All rights reserved.

Send address changes to Town&Gown, 403 S. Allen St., State College, PA 16801. No part of this magazine may be reproduced by any process except with written authorization from Town&Gown or its publisher.

Phone: 800-326-9584, 814-238-5051. FAX: 814-238-3415. Printed by Gazette Printers, Indiana, PA. 20,000 copies published this month, available FREE in retail stores, restaurants, hotels and motels & travel depots. SUBSCRIPTIONS and SINGLE COPIES: $45/1yr; current issue by 1st‑class mail, $10; back copy, $15 mailed, $12 picked up at the T&G office. townandgown.com

2015 August T&G - 5

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departments

Town&Gown July

A State College & Penn State tradition since 1966.

Publisher Rob Schmidt Founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith Editorial Director David Pencek

86 8 Letter From The Editor 10 Starting Off: The List, People in the Community, Q&A 18 Living Well: Finding your center in the midst of stress 20 Health: Proper hydration key to preventing heat-related illnesses 22 Events: Nittany Stage Race looks to promote cycling in Centre County and help local foundation 24 On Center: Mavis Staples and Joan Osborne unite for national tour coming to Eisenhower 26 Penn State Diary: School’s historic structures offer “sense of place” to those who have spent time at Dear Old State 70 This Month on WPSU 73 What’s Happening: 4th Fest, Arts Festival, People’s Choice Festival, WingFest, Summer Jazz Celebration, and more highlight July’s events 82 From the Vine: Central Italian areas of Le Marche and Umbria are trying to change their reputations of producing less-than- stellar wines 86 Taste of the Month/Dining Out: Food for Thought food truck brings quality and diverse meals to various locations 96 Lunch with Mimi: Schlow Library director leads downtown State College’s “living room” through challenging times 106 State College Photo Club’s Winning Photos 108 Snapshot: Berkey Creamery manager helps popular ice cream shop celebrate sesquicentennial 6 - T&G July 2015

Creative Director Tiara Snare Operations Manager/Assistant Editor Vilma Shu Danz Art Director/Photographer Darren Weimert Graphic Designer Cody Peachey Account Executives Kathy George, Debbie Markel Business Manager Aimee Aiello Administrative Assistant Kristin Blades Interns Russ Bartley (graphic designer), Kendal Higdon (editorial) Distribution Handy Delivery, Tom Neff

To contact us: Mail: 403 S. Allen St., State College, PA 16801 Phone: (814) 238-5051, (800) 326-9584 Fax: (814) 238-3415 dpenc@barashmedia.com (Editorial) rschmidt@barashmedia.com (Advertising) We welcome letters to the editor that include a phone number for verification.

Back issues of Town&Gown are available on microfilm at Penn State’s Pattee Library.

townandgown.com Facebook.com/townandgownsc @TownGownSC

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letter from the editor

Excellence in Education Schools in Centre County help provide students — and everyone — prospects of a bright future School budgets. School choice. Charter schools. New school buildings. Common core.

Some of the most passionate debates people in our county have — and people all over the country have — concerns education. And actually, that’s probably a good thing because we are, after all, talking about our children and what they’re learning and in what kind of environment they’re receiving their education.

We all want what’s best for our children. We want them to have the opportunity to achieve their goals, be well prepared for whatever they decide to do in the future, and become good citizens, among other things. And we put a great deal of trust in our educators to help make those things possible for our kids.

Of course, what we think is best for our children may not be what’s best for other children, which is why we have many debates on education. As a parent of one son who will be a first-grader this year and another who is still a couple of years away from beginning his grade-school career, I know there may be times in the future when I don’t agree with what or how they’re being taught in their classrooms.

Maybe the one thing those of us who live in Centre County can agree on is that despite those disagreements we have from time to time, our kids have opportunities to receive a great education here.

They have the opportunity to achieve their goals, be ready for their future careers, and be good citizens. Between the public and private schools and charter schools, we are fortunate to live in a part of the country that has a great deal of passion for and takes tremendous pride in the education our children receive.

8 - T&G August 2015

Some of that quality of education is on display in this month’s issue with the winning entries from this year’s Creative Expressions contest that was held in the State College Area School District. For the fifth consecutive year, students in the district were asked “How Has a Teacher Opened Your World?” The entries were impressive not only for the students’ creativity and for what they wrote but also for the fact that they showed that teachers — quality teachers — can make a huge difference in a child’s life. And we’re fortunate to have many quality teachers in Happy Valley.

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I do occasionally fear for the future when I see or read stories about young people across the country — stories about what they’re involved in and their apathetic and, at times, selfish nature.

But when I read about or see some of the amazing work students in Centre County are doing — whether it’s academic accomplishments or showing their generosity by collecting food for the local food bank, for example — and when I’ve had a chance to interact with some of them, I don’t fear about the future as much. Thanks to the education they’re receiving in our schools — and at home — the future seems a little brighter.

David Pencek Editorial Director dpenc@barashmedia.com

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starting off

The List Highlights from Town&Gown’s first 49 years of publication

1996-2000 January 1996 — Town&Gown celebrates its 30th anniversary issue.

Publisher Mimi Coppersmith writes, “In a very real way, our readers have played a bigger role in the development of T&G’s personality than any of us. We aim to keep it that way.”

June 1996 — Centre County Lion County Convention & Visitors Bureau executive director Betsey Howell has “Lunch with Mimi” and discusses how more visitors are coming to the Centre Region. One of the goals, Howell says, is to have a visitors’ center built.

August 1996 — As the State College Borough celebrates its centennial, Town&Gown publishes a special “State College Centennial Issue.”

December 1996 — Town&Gown looks back at the first year of the Bryce Jordan Center, which opened in January.

One of the highlights was a concert by The Eagles. The BJC was one of only six stops on the band’s special reunion tour.

January 1997 — The issue is dedicated to “A New Millennium on the Horizon: Envisioning the future of town & gown.”

May 1997 — Town&Gown publishes its first Guide to Neighborhoods as an insert in the May issue.

October 1997 — “Retail on the Rise” highlights why the Centre Region has become a destination for major retail chains such as Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, and Lowe’s. Since 1991, the region has seen the opening of Hills Plaza South, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club, Office Depot, Barnes & Noble, and Pier I Imports.

January 1998 — “A Gift to Penn State — and the World” looks at how the $30 million pledge from William and Joan Schreyer will impact the honors college.

February 1998 — The merger between Penn State and Geisinger Health Systems is looked at in “Prescription 10 - T&G August 2015

for Growth.” The university describes the merger as “the most comprehensive undertaking in Penn State’s history.”

September 1998 — Town&Gown helps celebrate Eisenhower Auditorium’s 25th anniversary with its story, “Sterling-Silver Memories.”

December 1998 — In “It’s A Wonderful Life, Joe Paterno,” Town&Gown looks at what Happy Valley might have been like had Paterno not come to Penn State. It includes the speculation that Penn State would hire Bobby Knight from Army to become the men’s basketball head coach.

September 1999 — As the Penn State Blue Band celebrates its 100th anniversary, Town&Gown runs an excerpt from the book, The Penn State Blue Band: A Century of Pride and Precision.

October 1999 — “An Attractive Proposal” looks at how State College won the bid to host the National Governors’ Association’s annual meeting in 2000. A the end of the 1999 meeting, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge invited his fellow governors to State College by giving each a cup of Peachy Paterno ice cream.

December 1999 — The issue is devoted to “Portrait of a Century: 1900-1999.” It includes the “103 Great Moments in 20th-Century Happy Valley.”

June 2000 — Town&Gown publishes a commemorative issue for the 2000 National Governor’s Association meeting, which is scheduled for July 8-11. The governors include Texas Governor George W. Bush.

December 2000 — Town&Gown awards its first Citizens of the Year. The honorees include Lydia Abdullah, Helen Caffrey, Betsey Howell, Bob Ricketts, and Jerry Stein. T&G

People in the Community Arts Festival Winners

A few artists from Centre County earned awards during the 2015 edition of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College.

For the Sidewalk Sale Awards, jewelry artists Wes Glebe and Christine Bailey of State College won an Award of Merit.

For the winners in the Images 2015, the festival’s annual indoor exhibition of fine art, Mary Lou Pepe of Boalsburg won an Award of Merit for her piece, “Chamber Pot,” while Karen Deutsch of State College also won an Award of Merit for her piece, “Madame Mallory.”

Matt Hardy

Mount Nittany Health announced Matt Hardy as director of the Foundation of Mount Nittany Medical Center. He took over the position June 8.

12 - T&G August 2015

Hardy of State College is a Penn State alum and had worked at Lock Haven University since 2009, serving as director of major gifts and planned giving. During his tenure, more than 100 new named scholarship funds were created at the school. He also has worked on fundraising projects for a new $40 million science center and a 688bed suite-style residence hall.

As director of the Foundation for Mount Nittany Medical Center, he is responsible for a department that manages nearly $4 million in private, philanthropic support each year. The foundation is “dedicated to improving residents’ quality of life by supporting the advancement of health care at Mount Nittany Health.”

“Two years ago, my wife had a heart transplant,” Hardy said in a press release. “The impact health care has had on our family is amazing, and that is the reason I’m so passionate about the work I am doing for Mount Nittany Health.”

William “Bud” Meredith

After nearly 50 years of working in Penn State athletics, William “Bud” Meredith announced his retirement as of June 30. He had been the Nittany Lions’ director of ticketing operations and had spent 48 years in the athletic-ticket operation.

“It’s been a labor of love,” he said in a press release. “The people have been great; fun to work with. The fans, the athletes, and now former players who still stop by or call … I have a lot of great memories.”

Since 1967, Meredith helped implement the tremendous growth of tickets sales for numerous Penn State sports, most notably, the seven expansions of Beaver Stadium into the nation’s second-largest facility, with crowds reaching 107,000.

Meredith graduated from State College Area High School and was a member of the US Navy from 1957 to 1960. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in business in 1964 and began working at Penn State in 1965 as a member of the university’s auditing staff. T&G

Q&A with Mike Martin, owner/director of State College Brew Expo

By Sarah Harteis

Martin (right) with wife, Malissa, and daughter, Katrina

For the 17th year, the State College Brew Expo brings the community together to enjoy an evening of “Good Beer, Good Music, Great Cause!” Held at the Tussey Mountain Resort on August 15, the expo takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. and benefits

Coaches vs. Cancer of Penn State.

Former Barash Media employee Mike Martin, along with his wife, Malissa, has been the owner/director of the brew expo since 2010, though the Martins had been involved with the event for several years. Since the Martins took over the expo, they have used the event to raise money for Coaches vs. Cancer of Penn State, and the event has raised more than $40,000 for the charity.

Martin shared his thoughts on the upcoming expo, including some new aspects to it.

T&G: What makes this event such a success each year?

Martin: We think it is due to the fact it was one of the original festivals on the East Coast. There are festivals all over the place now, but ours is one of the originals and has become a staple of the summer here in Happy Valley.

T&G: What kind of trends have you been seeing in craft beer?

Martin: Craft beer is huge! More and more small craft breweries are opening up every day. We are seeing our festival’s focus shifting from the larger “big guys” to more of smaller Pennsylvania breweries.

T&G: What is the State College scene becoming like?

Martin: State College has a great scene with new bars,

814-237-3039

www.moonbrotherslandscaping.com 14 - T&G August 2015

groups, and clubs. There are also new breweries coming into our market via local distributors that really makes the scene better. Education is key!

Events like ours, beer dinners, tap takeovers, samplings, etc., really help educate the public.

T&G: What are some new things people can look forward to at the expo this year?

Martin: This year you will see some changes, like food trucks and new vendors. We are excited to “step it up” a bit when it comes to the food. We are also super excited to have Anthony D’Amato as our headliner. His music is fantastic!

T&G: What do you personally enjoy most about this event?

Martin: I like it at about 10 p.m. after the event is over and I can finally have a beer! Just kidding! It is pretty amazing to stand up on the mountain and just watch people have a great time. The thing we enjoy the most is the fact that people have a great time while raising some money for a cause that means so much to us — the fight against cancer. T&G

For tickets and more information on the State College Brew Expo, visit statecollegebrewexpo.com.

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2015 August T&G - 15

This Monthtownandgown.com On

• In 5 Questions, Shirley Heidrich, chair for the entertainment department of the Centre County Grange Fair, discusses some of her favorite memories of past performances at the fair.

• A recent Penn State graduate recounts stories from the university’s Archaeological Field School, which is working to unearth lost aspects of Central Pennsylvania’s history.

• A special recipe for linguini with white clam sauce from Blonde Bistro owner Ciara Semack.

• Order your copy of Town&Gown’s 2015 Penn State Football Annual.

Shirley Heidrich

Visit our Facebook site for the latest happenings and opportunities to win free tickets to concerts and events!

Follow us on Twitter @TownGownSC.

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living well

The Launch Facing the empty nest

By Meghan Fritz

Parents can have a tough time letting go and sending their child off to college.

In the next few weeks, many proud parents will pack their cars full of hand sanitizer, closet organizers, and new laptops to launch their young adults into the collegiate world. While this is an exciting time full of promise and new adventure for your child, the process of letting go can be a surprisingly difficult period that leads to sleepless nights and a heavy heart.

Giving yourself a pass to grieve the end of one era and the beginning of a new one is key to getting through this transitional time.

I remember my launch from the nest like it was yesterday. We borrowed a friend’s minivan, packed the car with my new pretty floral bedding, and headed south 10 hours away to my new school. As we pulled down the driveway, I can still remember the lump in my throat. While I was excited for the new journey, a part of me was terrified at being 10 hours away from family, friends, and the only home I had ever known. And while we often focus on preparing to launch our young adults into the next passage of life, we often fail to acknowledge and recognize the heart-wrenching experience and process parents go through as they send their children off.

Those first few weeks at school, I called home twice a day.

I would often begin the conversation about my new crush or 18 - T&G August 2015

annoying suitemates, and my mother would be silent on the other end.

“Mom?? Hellllooooo? Are you there?”

More silence. This was unspoken code for tears. She would just abruptly stop talking. Then, of course, I would start to cry, and there we were sharing a silent, brutally ugly cry on the phone, trying to get used to the distance between us.

In order to make my childhood bedroom look more lived in, my mom would walk across the carpet just to see footprints in the room. This ritual, she later shared with me, made her somehow feel better about my absences.

My father took to what we have affectionately named “The Wailing Bench.” This is a tiny bench in the backyard surrounded by trees.

Anytime my parents dropped my siblings and I off at college, my father would retreat to the Wailing Bench to have a good cry.

The point is this: Launching your child off to college can be an extremely painful, heartbreaking experience. Change, even good change, is a process, and for any new phase or passage in life we experience, we need to grieve the old. Acknowledging your feelings doesn’t mean you will fall down a deep, dark hole of depression — rather, acknowledgment honors the parenting experience and gives your feelings a chance to be processed.

Talk to your family and friends about your feelings and accept that you may feel a roller coaster of emotions on any given day. Don’t beat yourself up if you feel out of sorts.

This may be an excellent time to get away for a few days or take some time off of work to allow the dust to settle.

Don’t make the mistake of trying to dive back into the routine of your life.

Tune in to how you feel and be honest with yourself about what you need.

Many parents feel a huge loss of identity when facing the empty nest. We all know parenting is a 24/7 job, and when the house becomes quiet, the terror of what comes next can be paralyzing.

It’s okay to feel scared and slightly lost. However, when you stay in this place of fear, you close the door to the next passage of your life.

What dreams have you put off because you were dedicated to raising your children? This is a great time to sign up for the cooking class, take a dance lesson, travel, or reconnect to the adult relationships in your life.

Doing something new that requires growth, focus, and attention can help you realize that parenting is one of the many hats you wear, but not the only hat.

I see many couples who seek couples counseling when the nest is empty. They have become so consumed by raising their children that they feel like awkward strangers. The relationship has been a low priority, and they often feel lost about how to reconnect.

Take time to get to know your partner again and don’t put pressure on yourself to be in a place that you are not. Take up an activity together that requires you to learn and have fun. It’s okay if the

spark doesn’t come back right away, go easy on each other and be honest about where you are at.

Facing an empty nest is a loss and challenge for all parents. Allow yourself the space, time, and tears you need to move through the transition.

Don’t beat yourself up if you cry on the phone with your newly launched child. One of the best things you can teach your young adult is the importance of being vulnerable with your feelings.

This vulnerability and raw honesty is what connects our spirits to one another and takes our relationships to the next level.

Parenting is by far the most difficult, challenging, hardest, most wonderful, fulfilling job on the planet.

As you enter the next phase of life for you and your family, take some time to reflect on what an amazing parent you are. Remember all of the unconditional love and support you have given your young adult.

Behind every successful child is a present parent.

Take time to celebrate your contribution to the world as you explore the endless possibilities and opportunities that are set before you! T&G Meghan Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing in State College.

Struggling in School?

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Dr. Tracy Sepich and her team of experienced professionals are trained to evaluate Convergence Insufficiency and treat it with Vision Therapy.

100 Oakwood Ave., State College, PA 16803 (814) 272-0262 • www.sepicheyecare.com 2015 August T&G - 19

about town

Home Office with a Heart

Connie Curilla

State College residence becomes US headquarters for ministry to help Haiti

By Nadine Kofman Hammering home a point, I’ve said for years that the State College area is — for the most part — composed of roving gangs of do-gooders.

This place is replete with causes. One of the least known is the Haitian American Friendship Foundation (HAFF). Its stateside voice emanates from a family home on East South Hills Avenue near South Allen Street.

After 25 years as a missionary in the Central Plateau of Haiti, Connie Curilla, 55, came home to State College in 2011 for a visit. Her health kept her here. Since she, the foundation administrator, is in State College, US headquarters is moving here from Fort Myers, Florida, where it has been since relocating from California, the founder’s home state.

“We’re such a small organization,” Curilla says. “It’s where we have the warm bodies that matter.”

Curilla grew up in the State College Presbyterian Church, where her dad, Joseph Jr., also sang in the choir.

“We were faithful churchgoers but not particularly religious,” she says.

At age 12, when her dad moved the family to Fayetteville, New York, she became friends with so-called “Jesus freaks” — “who got me involved.” Three years later, she says, “They got me to go to Tapawingo Christian Girls Camp [in Speculator, New York], where I accepted an invitation to give my heart to Christ.”

Mission work came after her graduating from Cornell University in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in animal science (for veterinarian plans), and several jobs, including testing milk in New York’s Hudson Valley for the Dairy Herd Improvement Corporation and “obese rat” study caretaker at Vassar College.

Seeds for her calling had been planted during college, at the 1979 Intervarsity Christian Fellowship conference on missions.

She arrived in Haiti on January 28, 1986, joining HAFF founder Lila Clark, five Americans, four Haitian teachers, and the man who took care of the goats and a donkey. (In 1944, Clark and her husband, who has since passed away, became the first missionaries in Haiti’s Central Plateau. In the 1970s, “After Jean Claude Duvalier came to power, his government invited our founder to open a secondary school in mid-Haiti.” This mission resulted.)

Purchased piecemeal since 1970, mission land now covers about 40 acres at rural Bohoc village. Of its 1986 structures, four classroom and two shop buildings needed roofs. Basically a school, grades seven through 10 were taught.

In addition to bookkeeping, Curilla says, “I was supposed to manage the goat program and teach animal science, but they needed English 20 - T&G August 2015

and science teachers, so I started doing that.”

Gradually, she learned what her pupils spoke: mid-Haitian Creole.

On one of her visits home, she says, the State College Presbyterian Church’s senior pastor, the Reverend Dean Lindsey from Louisiana, had her read an 1800 Louisiana book in Creole. “I didn’t have a lot of trouble,” she says.

Between 1987 and 1993, she and the founder were the only Americans on staff, so Curilla taught more and did more office work.

“When you go from six to two, there’s a lot of slack to be taken up,” she says.

More recently, there have been more Americans plus a steadily growing Haitian staff.

Today, there are more than 60, mostly Haitians. More buildings have gone up. Services include basic clinics — medical with a dispensary, dental, and eyeglass (once run by Curilla). Among its several programs, eating two high-protein and droughtresistant greens is encouraged, both grafted fruit trees and seeds for improved crops are provided.

At school, languages are taught from preschool through grade 13 (the French system) — grades 10 through 13 have English, French,

Darren Andrew Weimert

T& G

and Spanish. Some graduates go on to college or trade schools.

Following the 2010 earthquake, “We were pretty involved in feeding [and clothing] the refugees coming back,” Curilla says.

For the 2011 cholera threat, water filters and information were distributed.

Curilla says, “I’m one of the missionaries that raises their own money — to allow me to do my job.”

The missionary’s office is now the one-story house that has seen Curillas and Kurillas since Connie was nine-months old. A couple of great-aunts, she says, introduced the alternative to the original “Kurilla.”

They wanted their name to look more English than Slavic. “C,” they thought, did that.

Curilla’s close family members were known around town. Grandfather Joseph Kurilla was one of the operators of a neighborhood meat market, Highland Market at 116 East Nittany Avenue, from 1964 to 1976. Her father, a Penn State master’s degree graduate in education administration, was executive director of Associated Builders and Contractors and, briefly in the 1960s, taught junior high biology

here; in 1969, he was managing director of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.

Molly Curilla, Connie’s mother, was a clerk in Continuing Education at Penn State and often at Highland Market. Uncle Richard Curilla, a 1960s Penn State graduate in film, rode off to Texas to work on and be near his beloved westerns; he became an authority on the Alamo and the set for John Wayne’s The Alamo. Aunt Joan Kurilla was, as many of us know, a Centre Daily Times reporter; she also was the 1974 Arts Festival board president.

Recovered from one malady, Connie Curilla must wait for needed surgery. How long she must wait is uncertain. What are certain are that State College will continue as the US headquarters for HAFF and that Curilla will travel regularly to Haiti.

She’s open to group requests for talks about missionary work or about Haiti. As her life attests, “I’m available,” she says. T&G Nadine Kofman is a native Centre Countian and historian.

Centre Region Parks and Recreation is Your Recreation Destination! An agency of the Centre Region Council of Governments, CRPR provides amazing opportunities for local residents and visitors of all ages.

CRPR is proud to host 915 acres of parklands at 54 sites including: •Recreation and fitness programs, summer day camps, youth and adult sports, senior programs, and special events ranging from Earth Day Birthday to the Annual Halloween Costume Parade to Aqua Dog Day, and so much more!

•Parks in the Borough of State College and College, Ferguson, Harris, and Patton Townships •William Welch and Park Forest Community Swimming Pools •Millbrook Marsh Nature Center •Centre Region Senior Center •John Hess Softball Field Complex

2015 CRPR Fall Active Guides are Available

Sunday, August 9

www.crpr.org • 814-231-3071 2015 August T&G - 21

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events

Neighborhood Party LION Bash promotes community by bringing residents and students together

Through a partnership with the Borough of State College and Penn State Student Affairs, the Community Engagement Office will host the inaugural Living In One Neighborhood — LION Bash event. The mission of this partnership is to foster a sense of community and facilitate activities that promote safe, attractive, and diverse neighborhoods.

Led by Centrice Mulfinger, Community Engagement director, LION Bash looks to unite student and long-term residents of the borough and encourage them to discover and enjoy some of what State College has to offer, promote community engagement, and increase awareness on citizen responsibility. More than 20 campus and community organizations are supporting the event.

The LION Bash is Thursday, August 27, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on the 200 block of South Allen Street in State College. The event is free for all State College residents. The event includes live music by Pure Can Sugar, a photo booth, a dunk tank, games, art activities, Kona Ice Truck, community storytelling, and many other engaging activities and giveaways from participating local businesses.

Mulfinger introduces LION Bash as an event that will bring together residents for positive interactions and experiences with local government, police, and neighbors.

“LION Bash is an event for residents and community members to come and meet their neighbors, celebrate our great community, and make a connection,” she says. “The State College Borough and Penn State University 22 - T&G August 2015

formed this innovative partnership to launch the Community Engagement Office in 2014.”

State College Borough manager Tom Fountaine says, “The Community Engagement Office is a culmination of efforts the borough has undertaken to increase communication and collaboration between the community and university. The office and Living In One Neighborhood programs are key to meeting the borough’s goal of maintaining safe, stable, and attractive neighborhoods.”

The Highlands Civic Association also is excited to be part of this unique event. Mark Huncik, a LION Bash steering committee member notes, “As a PSU alumnus and now a full-time resident of the borough, I see many challenges involving permanent and temporary residents. However, the Lion Bash will provide a unique opportunity for all residents to engage in a very relaxed and social atmosphere with a common goal: to enhance our relationships and build mutual respect. Our Highlands neighborhood supports a very diverse group of residents and housing. I believe we should celebrate this diversity, and the LION Bash is an event that can help bring shared opportunities into focus.”

Residents are encouraged to bring their friends and family with them to the event. At the LION Bash, residents also will be encouraged to participate in conversations that empower community members to embrace citizenship responsibility, engage in fun activities, and build long-lasting relationships with neighbors. T&G The Living In One Neighborhood — LION Bash event is August 27 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on the 200 block of South Allen Street in State College. For more information, visit lionbash.com

T& G

on center

Season Sampler Jersey Boys, Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn, and The Sleeping Beauty among highlights

By John Mark Rafacz The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State’s 2015-16 season — on sale August 4 — features eight performances of the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Jersey Boys, the story of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons, plus 31 other presentations.

The roster of music, theater, and dance artists from across America and around the world also includes the musicals Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Chicago; Ragamala Dance Company’s Song of the Jasmine; banjo duo Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn; Australia’s Circa with France’s Debussy String Quartet in Opus; genre-bending string quintet Sybarite5; globalFest on the Road in Creole Carnival; the Russian National Orchestra with violinist Stefan Jackiw; singer-songwriters Patty Griffin, Sara Watkins, and Anaïs Mitchell; and Moscow Festival Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty.

Jersey Boys features the hits “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Oh What a Night,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat reimagines the Biblical story of Joseph, his 11 brothers, and the coat of many colors. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast overflows with unforgettable characters, lavish sets, incredible costumes, and dazzling production numbers. Chicago — a tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz — brims with show-stopping songs and astonishing dancing.

“You don’t generally go to a performance of Bharatanatyam, the classical South Indian dance style, expecting to want to get up and dance. …,” writes a New York Times reviewer. “But …

Ragamala Dance, a Bharatanatyam company from Minneapolis, upended that expectation with the New York premiere of Song of the Jasmine, a soulful, imaginative, and rhythmically contagious collaboration with the superb jazz composer and alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa.”

Winner of 15 Grammys, Fleck possesses the jazz-to-classical ingenuity of an iconic instrumentalist and composer with bluegrass roots. Washburn has the earthy sophistication of a postmodern, old-time singer-songwriter. On stage and in their marriage, they’re a one-of-a-kind pairing.

Acrobats and chamber musicians celebrate the music of Dmitri Shostakovich in Opus. Three of his quartets form the dramatic spine for a fusion of extreme acrobatics, lyrical movement, and 24 - T&G August 2015

Creole Carnival (top) and Ragamala Dance Company are part of the Center , for the Performing Arts at Penn State s 2015-16 season.

group choreography.

Creole Carnival begins with African music, adds sounds from the Americas, and wraps it in the pre-Lenten festival celebrated globally as an excuse to party.

Griffin, Watkins, and Mitchell come together in a celebration of American songwriting and performance. The concert finds the artists sharing songs and accompanying each other for the entire evening.

The Sleeping Beauty, a crowning jewel in the career of choreographer Marius Petipa, is often called the finest achievement of classical ballet. The dance moves to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. T&G

For season details and event tickets, visit cpa.psu.edu or phone (814) 863-0255.

John Mark Rafacz is the editorial manager of the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.

Penn State University Archinves (3)

T& G

penn state diary

Land Deals Geology and geography help shape history of school and county

By Lee Stout

The geology and geography of Centre County plays a critical role in our history. I’ve been noting this for almost 20 years as I have made presentations on Centre County history. It accounts for the patterns of settlement and transportation in the nineteenth century. It defines the municipal boundaries in the county and plays a role in controversial political issues. It dictated the nature of our early economy, and the county’s natural resources are still of great significance in that economy.

The landscape or topography that we see every day strongly affects our sense of place and how we view the world around us.

Yet, for most of us, the nature of the ground under our feet, the hills and valleys we travel through on a daily basis, are easy to ignore, unless we deal with it because of our work or interests. We may only notice it if we are confronted with the region’s most dramatic geological event — the opening of a sinkhole. I watched that happen in my next-door neighbor’s front yard years ago, and, believe me, “dramatic” is not too strong a word for it.

For those who may be a little confused by the differences between the two terms, we might say that geology concerns the Earth, its history, composition, and the processes by which it changes, while geography looks at the nature of the land’s surface, how climate and biology affect it, and especially how people interact with it. While these are simplistic definitions, it’s where science and the liberal arts meet in studying the Earth.

The county is bisected by two of America’s major geological regions — the ridge and valley region, and the Allegheny Plateau.

The boundary between the two is the Allegheny Front, which rises up and forms the western side of Bald Eagle Valley. The geology, topography, climate, soils, and biological differences of these two regions have had a great impact on the history of Centre County.

The predominance of limestones, shales, and sandstones in our sedimentary layers testifies to ocean, wetlands, and beaches being the “landscape” of Centre County at various times in our geological past. The massive folding of these sediments is evidence of mountain-building periods caused by the collisions of tectonic plates that formed the continents.

The power of erosion over millions of years formed our ridges and valleys, exposing beds of limestone at the bases of our ridges 26 - T&G August 2015

From top, a coal miner at a bituminous mine on the Allegheny Plateau, circa 1930s; Harbison Walker Company manufactured refractory brick in this plant in Monument from clays found in northern Centre, Clinton, and Clearfield counties; Warner Company lime plant in Bellefonte in 1960.

and hard sandstones, more impervious to erosion, remaining as the tops of the ridges. The eroded rock of three successive Appalachian Mountain chains spread westward to cover western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. These sediments, when uplifted, became the Allegheny Plateau. As one travels up the Allegheny Front on

US Route 322 toward Philipsburg, the sediments gradually flatten, and the iron content of the rocks colors them in rusty shades of red.

The valleys of the southeastern half of the county were settled first, and until the 1920s, the large majority of the population lived there.

The iron ore and limestone found there and the streams that flowed through the valleys created the iron industry that generated much of the county’s economic wealth. Farming in these valleys was more productive than in the northwestern half where the soils were of a poorer quality. When coal mining and timbering finally developed on the Allegheny Plateau, its population surpassed 10 percent of the county’s total by the 1870s and was almost 30 percent by 1920.

The geography of the valleys favored the transportation routes that moved people and goods along them. Centre County became linked to the state’s canal system by the extension of the West Branch Canal from Lock Haven to Bellefonte in the 1840s. The first railroad construction in the county followed Bald Eagle Creek, linking Lock Haven and Tyrone.

Soon thereafter, a railroad extension used switchbacks to reach Snow Shoe, in order to bring coal down from the plateau’s rich bituminous deposits. Later, lines extended into the valleys to connect the major towns. Roads and turnpikes followed old Indian paths through the ridges and valleys, as well. Today, modern highways and air travel have lessened the impact of topography in traveling to and around in the county.

Why was Centre County chosen as the site for Penn State, “equally inaccessible from all parts of Pennsylvania,” as President Sparks famously put it? The isolated central location actually was one reason, but the county’s geology and geography also played an important role. The wealth derived from the iron industry and the productivity of the limestone-based soils and farmlands were key factors in situating the college here.

Today, Penn State is an economic engine that brings workers from all over Central Pennsylvania.

The story of Centre County cannot be told or understood without an appreciation of the impact geology and geography have had on its history. T&G Lee Stout is librarian emeritus, special collections for Penn State.

Get to know...

Danae Taylor: Supporting Student Residents As a freshman, Danae Taylor was “very introverted,” and her Stuart Hall resident assistant played a big role in helping her adjust to college. “I had a very great RA who went out of her way to make sure that I was OK, that I was having a good time,” Taylor says. “She made it a point to get to know me.” Last year, Taylor became an RA herself, one of about 280 resident assistants who help build community and support academic studies among students who live in University Park residence halls.

Taylor was assigned to sixth-floor Stuart — the same floor she had lived on. “At first I wasn’t sure if I could handle the freshmen, but I really like them. I enjoy connecting with my residents and seeing their growth.” Her biggest challenge is getting residents to understand why they should follow house rules such as keeping noise under control, and she tries to keep lines of communication open at all times.

A senior majoring in public relations, Taylor also works with digital signage and social media at the Penn State Bookstore, and this fall will be a peer career assistant for Career Services …and she’ll be back in Stuart, helping residents realize that they’re in charge of their Penn State experience. “We want to see them succeed and make good choices.”

The Penn State Bookstore thanks Danae Taylor and all faculty and staff who carry out the university’s mission every day.

www.psu.bncollege.com 814-863-0205 2015 August T&G - 27

Years of Town&Gown: Education Options on where, how, and what to learn have expanded for everyone, from schoolchildren to adult learners

By Tracey M. Dooms Fifty years ago, most State College children walked to school, girls wore dresses every day, and pregnant teachers went on leave as soon as their baby bumps showed. Principals could paddle misbehaving students, schools had just eliminated Bible readings from morning exercises, and the school district bought its first computer, a huge mainframe used to process report cards and teach Fortran.

Today, the dress code is relaxed, even kindergarteners work on computers and iPads, surveillance cameras and security are prominent, and pregnant teachers and students can attend class. Families can choose among public, charter, private, and online schools, as well as home schooling. After high school graduation, most local young adults continue on to college or trade or business school. The college of choice for many local students is Penn State, which has doubled its enrollment and expanded both its physical campus and degree programs over the past half century.

50 years of State College schools

The State College Area School District was born in 1964. The Pennsylvania Reorganization

28 - T&G August 2015

Act of 1963 had required that school districts consolidate so each would have more students and the state’s 2,189 districts would be reduced to about 500. Locally, the five individual township school boards plus the borough board became one after a year “fraught with innumerable roadblocks,” according to the county’s superintendent of schools at the time, T. Elwood Sones. “Provincialism was rampant, friendships were broken, neighbors were no longer neighborly, and families were divided in opinion.”

Meanwhile, the end of the post-World War II baby boom was still causing record enrollments, the aging Frazier Street School had closed, and new students often were assigned to whichever school had room, even if it was on the other side of town. Corl Street, Easterly Parkway, Houserville, Matternville, and Panorama elementary schools plus the high school’s North building had all opened in the 1950s.

Construction continued in the 1960s with Radio Park and Park Forest elementaries, along with the high school’s South building.

New technology began arriving in the schools, starting with loaner calculators when those were expensive purchases. In the 1970s, school

Opposite page, State College high school students take class in the North building in 1957.

Above, one of the many activities students at State High can participate in is performing in the marching band.

librarians became instructional media specialists whose resources included microfilm, cassettes, record albums, filmstrips, and videotapes. Cable TV was installed in all State College schools in 1978. By 1981, the district had developed an overall instructional computing plan for all grade levels.

In 1974, the district developed the Alternative Program (now the Delta Program) as a flexible alternative for secondary students who wanted more responsibility for their own learning. In 1976, due to growing numbers of non-Englishspeaking students, the district began its English as a Second Language program. Countless new initiatives became operational over the years, from learning-enrichment classes to adult-education opportunities to the high school’s LifeLink specialeducation program.

District enrollment peaked at more than 7,300 students in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Through 2022, the district expects total enrollment to remain about 6,900 students, so building plans focus on renovation and replacement rather than new capacity.

Construction has begun on the long-awaited high school project, which will concentrate academic

classes and a new career and technical center in the South building. Use of the North building’s natatorium and gymnasium will continue, with a new wing built to house the Delta Program.

Part of the North building will be demolished to improve stormwater management and add athletic fields.

Growth on campus

For more than 150 years, Penn State has been a major educational influence in Centre County, and its local presence has grown tremendously over the years. In 1965, about 20,800 students were enrolled at the local campus; today, that number has more than doubled to 46,606.

Fifty years ago, the university already had received widespread recognition for excellent programs in a variety of fields. Still, the 1960s were a decade of growth and evolution in Penn State fields of study. For example, traditional liberal arts programs such as foreign languages, history, and philosophy were joined by new programs in fields such as linguistics, American studies, and interdisciplinary studies of nonWestern civilizations. Other new programs included astronomy, computer science, medical 2015 August T&G - 29

Students participate in a class at St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy, which opened in 2011.

technology, and business statistics. In the early 1960s, the College of Mineral Industries became the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences to more obviously encompass such growing departments as meteorology and geography.

One major change was the formation in 1966 of the College of Human Development, based on the old College of Home Economics plus a broad mandate for human-services programs. The college’s new fields of study included nursing, law enforcement and corrections, and health planning and administration.

In 1965, the university’s outreach across the state broadened when WPSX-TV went on the air. In 1969, the College of Health and Physical Education became the College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation as the popularity of its recreation and parks curricula grew. (Two decades later, Human Development merged with Health, Physical Education, and Recreation to form the College of Health and Human Development.)

As more young Americans attended college in the 1960s and 1970s, construction boomed on campuses across the country, including Penn State. New buildings at University Park included those for the physical sciences (Davey Laboratory), Earth sciences (Deike), life sciences (Althouse Laboratory), animal 30 - T&G August 2015

industries (Henning), graduate school (Kern), and psychology (Moore). Other new buildings included McCoy Natatorium, Eisenhower Auditorium, East Halls, and the Museum of Art. Construction continued to move farther from central campus as enrollment grew and new programs were added. In 1997, Penn State merged with Dickinson Law School, and Penn State Law at University Park gained a permanent home in 2008 when the Lewis Katz Building opened north of Park Avenue. In 1998, the university established the School of Information Sciences and Technology to extend education beyond classic computer science and prepare students to meet challenges in the use of computers and networked systems for applications from medicine to homeland security to business. The state-ofthe-art IST building, spanning North Atherton Street, opened in 2004, and two years later the school became a college.

In 1998, Penn State became one of the first major accredited universities to offer online education when it launched its World Campus.

The university’s online degree and certificate programs have attracted students from all 50 states, more than 60 countries, and all seven continents, and the programs continue to grow.

Last year, World Campus enrollment hit 10,800

Cosmetology is one of the programs offered at Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science & Technology, which opened in 1969 as the Centre County Vocational-Technical School. It changed its name in 1998.

students. This year alone, the World Campus has begun offering new degree programs in accounting, special education, and data analytics, and the first online master’s degrees in nursing were awarded.

Additional options

Attorney Paul Mazza founded South Hills School of Business in 1970 at the suggestion of his assistant, Eva Burke, who told him State College needed a secretarial school as an alternative opportunity for high school graduates who didn’t want to go to college. Under the direction of Burke, the school held its first classes in 1971 at the South Hills Office Centre on South Allen Street. Eleven students enrolled in the stenographic-secretarial program.

From the beginning, Mazza’s wife, Maralyn, handled responsibilities from admissions to student aid to public relations. She became

director in 1980 and continues as the school’s president today. The Mazzas’ son, Paul Mazza III, is vice president.

To accommodate growing enrollment, South Hills moved to the newly vacant Boalsburg Elementary School in 1982 and then to its current building on Waupelani Drive in 1989. The number of degree programs also grew and evolved over more than four decades to meet the needs of area employers. Today, South Hills School of Business & Technology offers 11 associate-degree programs in business, technology, graphic design, health care, and criminal justice, with an average enrollment of about 500 students at campuses in State College, Altoona, and Lewistown.

The Centre County Vocational-Technical School (CCVTS) opened in 1969 to teach vocational skills to high school students from State College, Bald Eagle, Bellefonte, and Penns Valley school districts. Students could choose 2015 August T&G - 31

among 22 programs, from auto mechanics to cosmetology to welding.

Although State College withdrew from the vo-tech school in 1991 and developed its own Career & Technical Center, CCVTS continued to grow, and in 1998 it became the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science & Technology (CPI), with the new name reflecting technical advances in many occupations. Today, CPI offers more than 18 high school programs and 60 in-house adult and continuing programs as well as more than 350 online courses. CPI opened its 35,000-square-foot transportationtraining center in 2013 and is planning a health-sciences building that will facilitate the development of new health-care technician programs. Phase III of the campus expansion involves a training building for hospitality and tourism and an environmental-sciences building for a planned program in emerging energy and infrastructure.

Catholic education has been present in Centre County since 1890 through St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Bellefonte.

In State College, Our Lady of Victory Catholic

32 - T&G August 2015

Church opened its elementary school in 1963 and expanded to include middle school in the mid-1990s. After several years of campaigning by local parents, St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy opened for ninth- and 10th-graders in 2011 in the former Boalsburg Elementary building. The school added 11th grade in 2012 and 12th in 2013, graduating its first senior class in 2014.

Last year, 118 students attended St. Joseph’s, and the high school opened its new gymnasium, the Robert and Alice Thomas Student Life Center.

The State College Friends School opened in fall 1980, with 12 students in kindergarten through third grade attending class in the basement of the Friends Meetinghouse. In 1988, the growing school leased four additional classrooms at University Baptist and Brethren Church. Ten years later, the Friends School moved into its new facility on University Drive.

Programs now include about 120 students in kindergarten through eighth grade at the main school plus prekindergarten at the Friends Meetinghouse annex.

— continues on page 34

Bricks & Mortar A majority of the current State College Area School District buildings opened in 1950s and 1960s. The most recent major renovation (or closing date) for each school is listed in parentheses. Also in operation are Ferguson Elementary, built in 1931 and renovated/ expanded in 2011; Lemont Elementary, built in 1939 and renovated in 1966; and Fairmount Avenue, built in 1914 and expanded several times through 1942. Fairmount will continue to house the Delta Program until the new high school project is completed.

1959 Houserville Elementary (1968)

1952 Corl Street Elementary (1996)

1971 Park Forest Middle School (1998)

1953 Matternville Elementary (closed in 1983)

1996 Mount Nittany Middle School

1955 Easterly Parkway Elementary (2002)

2002 Gray’s Woods Elementary

1957 High School North Building (1999)

2011 Mount Nittany Elementary

1959 Panorama Village Elementary (closed in 2011) 1963 High School South Building (1999) 1963 Radio Park Elementary 1967 Park Forest Elementary (2005)

2015 August T&G - 33

— continued from page 32

Bob and Dannah Gresh founded Grace Prep High School in 2004 as a faith-based school with a culture of creativity, critical thinking, leadership, and problem-solving. The school currently has 65 students in grades 9 through 12. Another faith-based private school in State College is Nittany Christian School for kindergarten through eighth grade.

In 1997, when Pennsylvania passed legislation authorizing charter schools, State College parents and educators immediately jumped at the opportunity to offer independent, nonprofit public schools with funding partially provided through school districts. The private Nittany Valley Academy applied to become the Nittany Valley Charter School, and its charter was approved in 1998, based on a mission of individualized instruction in kindergarten through eighth grade. At the same time, the new Centre Learning Community Charter School was approved for grades 5 through 8.

In 1999, Wonderland became the next local charter school when Wonderland Preschool &

34 - T&G August 2015

Daycare received a charter for kindergarten.

The school now serves children through fifth grade. In 2005, Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania became the fourth State College charter school, focusing on foreign languages and global cultures.

By the 2013-14 school year, more than 128,000 Pennsylvania students were enrolled in charter schools, including more than 500 in State College’s four brick-and-mortar schools. In addition, about 30 State College Area School District students were enrolled in Pennsylvania cyber charter schools, which conduct classes online for pupils across the state.

From charter schools to online education to expansion on Penn State’s campus, educational options continue to grow across Centre County — for elementary school children, for secondary and college students, and for lifelong learning. T&G Tracey M. Dooms is a freelance writer in State College and a special-projects editor for Town&Gown.

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Creative

Expressions

F

How Has A Teacher Opened Your World?

or the fifth consecutive year, the State College Area School District held its Creative Expressions contest asking students to express “How Has a Teacher Opened Your World?” The contest was open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Entries came in various forms, including essays, poems, posters, and illustrations.

The four winners were selected in June. They were: K-2: Isabel Olson, second-grade student at Gray’s Woods Elementary. She recognized her teacher, Audrey Montemayor.

3-5: Emma Reinhard and Avigail Mazer, fourth-grade students at Gray’s Woods

Elementary. They recognized their teacher, Cathy Klein.

Middle School: Sarah Devan, sixthgrade student at Mount Nittany Middle School. She recognized her enrichment teacher, Monica Wagner.

High School: Lacey Schroeder, 10thgrade student at State High. She recognized her teacher, James Shaper.

“I thought it was really great to be appreciated,” Shaper says. “It is amazing to me that I get paid to do a job that I absolutely love! I have been told many times by students that they didn’t like math prior to taking my class, and that makes me feel great.”

On being recognized by one of her students,

Montemayor says, “It was wonderful to hear that Isabel had written an essay about the time she spent in my class. It is an honor to have a student think so highly of me, and I am especially proud to be recognized in a way that showcases Isabel’s talent and enthusiasm for writing. As a new teacher, it is extremely rewarding to have already made an impact on a student’s life. Seeing your students get recognized for their hard work and passion for learning is an inspiration for me to be the best teacher that I can be. I am very proud of her!”

Klein says she was really touched that Reinhard and Mazer chose her.

“Teaching fourth grade is a very fulfilling experience because the students academically can delve into topics so deeply as they develop their understandings and skills to participate as members of our class and larger communities on our Earth,” she says. “It’s an exciting journey.”

Honorable mentions for each age group were: K-2: Neva Winters, first-grade student at Gray’s Woods Elementary, honoring Colleen Sheehan; Stella Roop, kindergarten student at Gray’s Woods Elementary, honoring Shari Dillon.

3-5: Lauren Hildebrand, fifth-grade student at Gray’s Wood Elementary, honoring her fourth-grade teacher Cynthia Vella; Ashlyn Edgar, fourth-grade student at Gray’s Woods Elementary, honoring her instrumental music teacher, Roy Schaeffer.

2015 August T&G - 37

Middle School: Lilly Hasan, sixth-grade student at Mount Nittany Middle School, honoring her elementary-school teacher, Gretchen Fetterolf; Gabriella Quinones, sixth-grade student at Mount Nittany Middle School, honoring her fourth-grade teacher, Jodi Kamin.

High School: Anshu Choudary, 12th-grade student at State High, honoring Daniel Fravel.

Here are the winning entries for each group:

Emma Reinhard (left) and Avigail Mazer (right) with their teacher, Cathy Klein.

it’s All about Your Attitude • by Emma Reinhard and Avigail Mazer

Isabel Olson (right) and her teacher, Audrey Montemayor.

How A Teacher Opened My World • by Isabel Olson

The teacher that opened my world is Miss Montemayor. My teacher moved to another state in January. I was scared because I didn’t know who would be my teacher for the rest of the year.

Miss Montemayor became my teacher in February. Miss Montemayor asked my class how she could make it easier for us and what she could do to help us adjust to these changes. She did a great job.

She taught me three-digit subtraction by carrying numbers. She taught me the finger strategy. It helps me to find good fit books to read. Miss Montemayor taught me about writing biographies. That helped me learn about somebody in my classroom.

I learned many new things from Miss Montemayor, and now I feel ready for third grade.

The biggest thing I learned is there will always be change, but it doesn’t have to be scary.

38 - T&G August 2015

“I heard Mrs. Klein is strict. I hope I don’t get her for my fourth-grade teacher.”

You might hear some students saying this, but we disagree.

Mrs. Klein has opened our world by teaching us to try out best, whether the year is easy or hard, whether or not you have a really nice teacher or a teacher who’s a little more strict. It doesn’t matter because you control what kind of year you have — it all depends on your attitude.

For example, if you think you’re going to have a bad year and you’re not willing to change your attitude, chances are you’re going to have a bad year.

But if on the first day of school you go in with an open mind, you will learn just as much and have just as great or an even better year than you would’ve in any other class.

We’ve learned so much being in Mrs. Klein’s class, and she’s an amazing teacher, and the truth is, we’ve never had a teacher at Gray’s Woods who hasn’t been amazing.

(Even if you have a teacher you weren’t hoping to get, just give them a chance and they might surprise you.)

Mrs. Wagner Pushed me to my limit Not just in skill Or the length Of my work But in creativity To think.

Outside the Box \__________/ / And inside too/ Left

And right

With hidden meaning ...

Sarah Devan (right) with her teacher, Monica Wagner.

How Mrs. Wagner Opened My World • by Sarah Devan Essay Far from impressive A line of words That say what I was told to say Like little soldiers Marching endlessly I am their commander But a rubric is my general Instead of telling them To do what I think is best A rubric is telling me What to tell them.

Poem An idea Twisted and bended Into a specific and limited shape Like origami Where the paper is nothing Until I fold it carefully Into a different shape But that shape Is always given to me Instead of me Giving it its shape.

AND EMPHASIS! But Never In A Straight Line Like This.

She taught me That while Being challenged Is great Challenging yourself Can be even more Rewarding That knowledge Is powerful But even more so When you find it Yourself.

Enrichment A brief escape From the busy work A flight of freedom.

2015 August T&G - 39

Lacey Schroeder (left) with her teacher, James Schaper.

how A Teacher Opened My World • by Lacey Schroeder

Mr. James Schaper is the one of the most brilliant, kindhearted, inspiring men I have been lucky enough to meet. As a student of his Advanced Algebra II class, I have not only been

taught algebraic essentials but also vital life skills and lessons.

For almost every student of Schaper’s, math is undoubtedly their favorite subject of the day. My Algebra II class is always lighthearted, amusing, and extremely productive. Jokes are constantly being exchanged, and witty comments are practically the only form of communication.

Schaper’s ability to have a focused and engaged class while still keeping the overall atmosphere humorous is one of his most valued traits.

Prior to my entry of Algebra II, I never seriously considered pursuing math as a career.

Oftentimes, I was discouraged to learn the frightening new theorems and equations that seemed unapproachable and impossible to learn.

However, Schaper has done an exemplary job of making the material accessible and simple to learn for everyone. I am amazed by his devotion to support and assist his students in their paths to excellence. I owe Mr. Schaper an enormous amount of gratitude — he certainly helped me discover my passion for math. Because of him, I will certainly pursue a math major in college, and my current career plan is to double major in music

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performance and mathematics.

Although modest and unpretentious, Schaper is extremely well accomplished. Throughout the year, he shared glimpses of his life with my algebra class, though always in a mild manner. I was astonished upon hearing that the worksheets and packets we worked from in class were selected excerpts from a textbook he had written years ago. After constant coaxing, my class managed to persuade Schaper to share with us details and motives for writing his own book. Humbly, he pulled out his original Algebra II textbook, along with a trigonometry book he also had written.

Simply stated, he mentioned being unsatisfied with the books provided and decided to write his own.

I still remain inspired by his inability to accept average and his dedication to provide the best form of education to his students.

He is remarkably willing to help struggling students grasp and fully understand the covered material. Unlike other teachers, however, he encourages independence and self-sufficiency as well as personal excellence. He is eager to adapt his instructions to all levels, allowing everyone to feel challenged and reach their full potential, including

students above and below average.

Aside from providing math consultations, he also is keen to provide advice and friendly support to all members of the State High populous. He recognizes the difficulties of high school students and is a great friend to teachers of all departments.

Extremely understanding and kindhearted, he frequently creates laughs and smiles as well as moments of genuine inspiration. Over the previous grueling winter, a teacher of State High was in a car accident, severely damaging her car. Schaper rearranged his schedule to buy flowers for her, indirectly showcasing generous acts of kindness to his students.

As the school year draws to a close, I am very melancholy to be leaving Schaper’s class.

However, I can confidently claim that I am more than adequately prepared to handle future math courses as well as other personal and scholastic endeavors. I owe him the utmost gratitude for the wonderful memories, instructions, and advice he has given me over the year, and I could not have asked for a better teacher. I am evermore inspired

by Mr. James Schaper, and I am extremely proud to be a student of his. T&G

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2015 August T&G - 41

Of Farms, Ice Cream … and Curing Cancer Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has come a long way since its roots in the university’s land-grant mission.

With a vast body of research, the college is making a significant impact in Centre County and beyond

42 - T&G August 2015

By Lori Wilson

2015 August T&G - 43

Penn State (3)

A

s one of the first colleges established at Penn State to support the university’s landgrant mission, the College of Agricultural Sciences awarded its first baccalaureate degrees in 1861. At that time, the college’s primary focus was to apply scientific principles to farming.

Today, the college features nine academic departments, 17 undergraduate majors, graduate programs in 18 areas of study, and a research portfolio that extends well beyond its once narrow focus in agriculture. From water-quality management to food systems to health and biomedical science, the scope of research topics under the college’s umbrella is vast.

Richard Roush, who came on as the college’s dean in October 2014, was drawn to Penn State just by the sheer breadth of research being done within agricultural sciences.

“When I first started to look into Penn State, I was really impressed by how strong the college was in the academic and research projects being undertaken,” says Roush, who had served as dean of the Melbourne School of Land and Environment at the University of Melbourne in Australia for almost eight years prior to his coming to Penn State.

The College of Agricultural Sciences also is home to Penn State Extension, an educational network funded by the US Department of Agriculture and state and county governments that gives individuals, families, businesses, and communities from across Pennsylvania access to university resources and expertise related to agriculture. With Penn State researchers in all of the state’s 67 counties, Roush says that extension programs are where most people in the state engage with the college.

“Just the fact that we have an infrastructure of people that are out there all the time, we can be prepared to tackle the challenges facing agriculture today,” he says.

In terms of the college’s body of research, there 44 - T&G August 2015

Roush took over as dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences in 2014.

are a myriad of examples where basic science is being used to produce very impactful results.

For instance, a team within the college’s Center for Integrated Multi-scale Nutrient Pollution Solutions is tackling the issue of agricultural runoff that has led to water-quality issues, particularly in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which is fed by rivers and streams in Central Pennsylvania, including the Susquehanna River.

“People generally don’t think of agriculture as a source for water pollution,” says James Shortle, Distinguished Professor of Agricultural and Environmental Economics and director of the Penn State Environment and Natural Resources Institute, “but in the United States, depending on where you are, it is anymore the leading cause of water-quality problems.”

The Chesapeake Bay watershed has been an important area of focus for researchers and conservationists for many years, and in Shortle’s case, since he’s been at Penn State.

The center, which is a partnership between Penn State, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service, finds solutions to reduce nutrient pollution by understanding the sources of those pollutants, either through the landscape of farmlands where the runoff is occurring or through the tactics used by individual farms and their facilities.

management choices must happen at the local level,” he says. “Thus the Conewago Initiative is a model on how a community-based watershed partnership can successfully implement positive change to meet these goals.”

Dairy delights

The Food Science Department is another area of the college where the research has implications in the everyday lives of the general public. The department is involved in nearly every step of the process in getting products such as a carton of ice cream or a block of cheddar from cow to consumer.

“Food science is where most consumers will interact with the college,” says Bob Roberts, professor and head of the Food Science Department.

Darren Andrew Weimert (3)

“Because the problems affecting watersheds are very localized, we need more localized knowledge in order to develop plans to help target specific areas of need,” explains Shortle. “At the center, we work actively with stakeholders in our study of watersheds to figure out what information they need to solve their own problems and how we can deliver them most effectively.”

One of those watershed communities is Conewago Creek, which is located east of Harrisburg. The community is made up of more than 30 organizations called the Conewago Creek Initiative. Members of the initiative have been working cooperatively with the community to increase watershed engagement while working with farmers and landowners to adopt landmanagement practices to improve water quality.

The group also works with residents in the area to create awareness of the issues impacting their region through workshops and events.

According to the center, the watershed is beginning to yield exciting results for improved water quality, and it has become a model for Chesapeake Bay restoration.

“Through the hard work of Conewago partners, farmers, and other landowners, an incredible amount has been accomplished in the last five years,” says Matt Royer, director of the Penn State Agricultural and Environment Center and point person for the Conewago Creek Initiative. “Over 1,000 residents participated in workshops and events.

Nearly every farm now has a conservation plan. The rate of implementation of several priority conservation practices increased, some dramatically, and improved results in fish and aquatic insect sampling are early signals that the stream is improving.”

According to Royer, the project demonstrates how farmers and community members can rally around the importance of watershed health and, when given the resources and opportunities, are willing to make changes to land-management practices so that viable, thriving agriculture and a healthy watershed can coexist.

“In order to meet the cleanup mandates of the Chesapeake Bay, these decision and

Shortle is looking at concerns of water pollution when it comes to agriculture.

2015 August T&G - 45

Roberts is head of Penn State’s Food Science Department and also is director of the Ice Cream Short Course.

Roberts, who has been with Penn State since 1991 and head of the department since 2013, considers himself a dairy guy. His research is based primarily in dairy microbiology with a focus on fermented dairy products such as yogurt, cottage cheese, and sour cream and controlling bacteria in manufacturing these products. He also is director of the Penn State Ice Cream Short Course, which is offered annually in January. The course draws a variety of participants, from those looking to get into the ice cream industry to those who have doctoral degrees and attend for research development. The companies represented by participants run the gamut in terms of experience and scale. Employees from larger operations such as Baskin-Robbins, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, and Nestle have attended as well as mom-and-pop shops and those looking to get their companies off the ground.

“Almost everybody who has a major ice cream operation sends people to the Ice Cream Short Course,” says Roberts. “Employees go back with a lot more knowledge, and they’re connected with others in their industry because we have so many experts who come in to teach. It’s not something

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The course lasts a week and includes lectures covering all aspects of ice cream, lab tours, and a tour of Penn State’s Berkey Creamery. Participants also get hands-on training through activities such as sensory-analysis experiments, where they will taste test a variety of ice cream samples with different attributes, such as high fat, low sugar or low fat, high sugar, to understand what happens when varying processes are applied to ice cream mixes.

In addition to the Ice Cream Short Course, food-science faculty are involved in courses focused on other dairy products.

Kerry Kaylegian is a dairy-foods research and extension associate within the Food Science Department. In addition to her research, which looks at the functional and nutritional aspects of milk fat, she has provided support to a number of dairy-processing companies, from larger operations to mid-size, family-run farms.

Vale Wood Farms in Loretto, which is both a milk producer and a milk processor, is one of those farms.

“We milk our own herd of cows and then process their milk plus that from neighboring

farms into a full line of dairy products, which we deliver locally,” says Carissa Itle Westrick, who works for Vale Wood Farms.

She explains the variety of resources provided by the college and Penn State Extension that the farm regularly uses — resources such as calculating income over feed costs and utilizing an app that compares their herd benchmarks to others across the state, as well as numerous webinars.

Itle Westrick explains that Kaylegian’s guidance has been particularly helpful on the processing side of business.

“We compete in the marketplace for business alongside large regional dairies,” she says. “These larger companies have a budgetary advantage, particularly in product development. Dr. Kaylegian recognized the need to provide the same kind of support and information that the state’s dairy producers have to the state’s dairy processors.”

And given the increased demand among consumers for locally produced food, Kaylegian’s guidance was particularly timely for business.

“There are many smaller dairies who can benefit from her efforts to provide technical

2015 August T&G - 47

Kaylegian helps the college offer the Science and Art of Cheese Making.

and supplier assistance,” says Itle Westrick.

“Producers and processors in our state need each other in order to get milk from Pennsylvania farms to Pennsylvania consumers.”

Although Kaylegian has worked with producers and processors on a number of dairy

products, her real passion is cheese. She has served as a judge in the US Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisconsin, and also helped to develop the inaugural cheese competition at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

“I had judged cheese competitively,” she says, “but never sat on the other side of the competition.”

She saw a lot of excitement surrounding the farm show event and is observing a growing trend of artisanal cheese makers in Pennsylvania.

“We saw some really good promotion through that competition as well as new markets that are becoming available,” she says. “Getting knowledge about cheese out there helps the cheese makers, which helps the dairy farmers because of the milk supply, so there’s a really nice trickle-down effect that’s taking place.”

With this growth comes a demand for cheesemaking training and education. Similar to the Ice Cream Short Course, which Kaylegian also assists with, the college offers the Science and Art of Cheese Making, a course geared toward artisanal cheese makers who are either established in the business or are just getting started.

She says the course really introduces participants

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to the scope of cheesemaking and its complexities.

“Lots of people can go to the Internet, find a recipe, and make cheese,” she says, “but it’s understanding the science behind what’s going on — why you do this step, why that step is important, and how to troubleshoot variables like shifts in humidity in the room where the cheese is being made. The science helps to make the process consistent.”

Beating cancer

The Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences has seen a lot of buzz surrounding one of its research findings. Sandeep Prabhu, professor of immunology and molecular toxicology, and Robert Paulson, professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, have successfully targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, in mice using a compound produced from fish oil.

“When I talk to colleagues from elsewhere and tell them I’m part of the Veterinary and Medical Sciences Department, they don’t quite know what to make of that because they’re probably in a biochemistry department or something like that,” says Paulson. “But really, we have a very wide range of expertise, from very basic molecular biology all the way to people working with farmers and their livestock. I think that’s our real strength.”

Paulson and Prabhu met through an informal faculty luncheon, a meeting held regularly amongst the immunology group within the college.

“My lab had some really nice results on leukemia stem cells,” recalls Paulson, “and we came across a paper that suggested some of the molecules that I knew, Sandeep had been working on — these prostaglandins may actually be effective. So I came to Sandeep and said, ‘You have these molecules. I have these cells. We should do an experiment.’ ” Leukemia is cancer of the bone marrow and blood that involves uncontrolled production of white blood cells. In order to stop that production, the researchers focused on targeting the cancer-causing stem cells. Essentially, they wanted to program the cell’s own death.

“What was very essential was to figure out a target molecule and mechanisms to show the compound would not kill normal cells and only be selective toward the stem cells that cause cancer,” says Prabhu.

After successfully killing the cancer-causing

stem cells in mice, the researchers started working with groups at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Rochester Medical School to acquire human-patient samples for further experimentation. The researchers found that the drug worked quite well in those samples.

“It was at that point that I personally started getting more excited about it,” says Paulson.

“We actually had results in human cells.”

Although the researchers were ready to begin shopping the patent for the drug out to pharmaceutical companies, many told them that more data was needed before they would invest in further trials. David Schubert, an alumnus of the Penn State Smeal College of Business MBA Program and COO of the venture capitalist group Accelerator Corporation, then approached the researchers. He had read about their research in the college’s alumni magazine and followed up to express interest in funding a startup company to get their drug on the market.

With the funding, the researchers are now equipped to not only make the drug but also have the oversight to ensure they are doing it in

2015 August T&G - 49

Research done by Paulson, along with Sandeep Prabhu, has led to a possible cure for leukemia.

a way that employs good manufacturing processes and that the facility they are making it in is FDA certified. Although they’re still working with human-patient samples to ensure there is no toxicity in the molecule comprising the compound, they are confident that they will be able to begin testing the drug in human subjects.

Cohesion amongst their department and methods for information sharing are among the qualities of the college that the researchers credit for bringing their bodies of research together in a way that could have major impact in the lives of many.

“It’s always better to have a lot of people thinking about a project instead of just you,” says Paulson.

“Once you start to see a few places for interaction, you start to see more and more, and you get a much more cohesive group. And we’re not the only example of this in the department or the college.”

Roush echoes this sentiment.

“I’ve worked at eight agriculturally focused institutions in Australia, and I have to say I’ve never been to a place where the staff, alumni, friends of the college, and beyond have been so enthusiastic and optimistic about the future of agriculture and the potential of things that could be done,” he says. “You talk to someone about their research project, and people are just so enthusiastic and supportive. That kind of feedback just builds 50 - T&G August 2015

on itself. It’s been very positive.”

Since October, Roush has gone on the road to meet with interest and commodity groups within various agricultural industries in the state to see what the college might be able to do through research and its extension program in the next three to five years to generate improved productivity and profitability within their respective areas. Common themes emerged, such as tackling issues of agricultural runoff and regulations surrounding water quality in the state, foodborne illnesses, farm labor, and farm succession, among others.

“We’re trying to come to grips with big challenges, says Roush, “and they change over time.”

Despite these challenges, he believes that Penn State has the capacity to achieve great results.

“Because of the size, diversity, and breadth of the college, there were things I wanted to do within this arena that I hadn’t been able to do in Melbourne because our group was relatively small,” he says. “Penn State offers a fabulous opportunity to accomplish those things.” T&G Lori Wilson is a freelance writer and works for the Penn State Smeal College of Business.

Nonprofits of

Centre County A look at some of the special organizations that can be found in Happy Valley Reach Out. Donate.

Help. Volunteer

Special Advertising Section 2015 August T&G - 51

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help

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Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help

53 - Special Section

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania For 47 years, the Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania has been the region’s community art center, serving students, Reachartists, Outand the art-loving public of all ages. We invite you to create, share, and celebrate art through some of our popular programs: Donate

Help •

Studio classes in watercolor, acrylic, or oil painting; drawing; stained glass; digital photography, and more

•

Open studio sessions with live models

•

Art experiences for children, including summer art camps and afterschool and in-service programs

•

Eight exhibitions each year in our Art Center

•

Outreach exhibitions in businesses, retirement communities, libraries, and theaters

•

Two hour “pop-up” classes that are geared to people with no experience or those who want to try out a new medium. All materials are provided.

Come to our Open House at Schlow Library on Tuesday, August 18 from 6:00-7:30pm to learn about our Fall adult class offerings.

818 Pike St., Lemont (813) 234-2740 www.artalliancepa.org

54 - Special Section

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help Bellefonte Art Museum Announcing a new book: Landscapes of Central Pennsylvania The book, Landscapes of Central Pennsylvania, is a collection of twenty-eight landscape paintings by fifteen artists organized by the Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County. This is the first book to be published by the museum. The book brings together artists who aim to capture the essence and spirit of Central Pennsylvania.

Artists featured in the book include:

Sean Bodley Brienne Brown Kathleen Chovit Holly Fritchman Marianne Fyda Elody Gyekis Alice Kelsey Anne Kenyon Karl Eric Leitzel Jeff Mathison Jeanne McKinney Barb Pennypacker Jennifer Shuey Lena Thynell Milt Trask The book has been published and underwritten by Timeless Art Productions as a fundraiser for the Bellefonte Art Museum. The full color book with hard cover binding is offered at $25.00 per copy and can be purchased at the museum or on the museum’s website with a charge for shipping. The first 400 books sold will include a DVD of conversations with the artists.

Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County 133 N. Allegheny St., P.O. Box 125 Bellefonte 16823 (814) 355-4280

Learn more about the museum at www.bellefontemuseum.org Special Section - 55

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help Bob Perks Fund

Our MISSION is to help ease the financial burden of individuals and families in our community who are battling cancer, by providing funding for basic necessities so their focus is on treatment and recovery.

Since our inception in 2006, we have raised and allocated over

$1,000,000

to local cancer patients facing financial hardship in Blair, Centre, Clearfield, and Huntingdon Counties.

“If it were not for the Bob Perks Fund, I don’t know what we would have done.

We are so thankful for the generosity they have shown to us. We feel truly blessed to live in this community.”

-36 year old husband and father of four

Visit our website to learn more about our mission and how you can help bobperksfund.org 56 - Special Section

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help Centre County Women’s Resource Center Domestic violence is real.

Sexual Assault is real.

Domestic violence happens in Centre County.

Sexual Assault happens in Centre County.

The Centre County Women’s Resource Center (CCWRC) provides services for women, men, and children who have experienced dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking.

Inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations.

• 24-hour hotline • Individual counseling/safety planning • Support groups for adults and children • Emergency shelter • Advocacy/court accompaniment • Legal representation in family law and immigration remedies • Protection from Abuse Order (PFA) • Protection from Sexual Violence Order (PSVO) • School programs • Community education programs

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Special Section - 57

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help

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Special Section - 59

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help Abba’s House - After Care Program

The Abba’s House After Care Program offers school age children, Grades K-6, a safe, fun and educational environment to interact with their peers when parents need child-care from 3:00-6:00 pm. We provide snacks, free play, group games and licensed teachers that can assist your child with homework.

Available to kids grades K-6 • PA Certified Teachers • Hours: 3-6pm Monday through Friday Open for In-Service, Snow Days, and Some Holidays • Subsidies Welcome (CCIS) • Snacks • FUN! Serving Bellefonte and Houserville Area Abba’s House gym/facility is available to rent for birthday parties, sporting events or banquets.

Visit www.abbashousedaycare.com for a Virtual Tour

Need Full-Time or Part-Time Daycare? Abba’s House is committed to creating a nurturing and loving “second home” experience where your child can grow and become a healthy, responsible and active member of his or her community! Diverse teachers and staff with abundant love for children and a wealth of experience in early childhood care. Call 814-237-6263 for more information.

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Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help

Special Section - 61

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help

62 - Special Section

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help

Special Section - 63

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help The Mount Nittany Medical Center Golf Classic The Mount Nittany Medical Center Golf Classic will mark two important milestones this year, celebrating its 25th year and topping the $2 million dollar mark in monies donated to the Foundation for Mount Nittany Medical Center.

The 25th Annual Mount Nittany Medical Center Golf Classic will be held on Saturday, August 15 at the Penn State Golf Courses. Since the Golf Classic’s inception more than $1,960,256 has been raised to help advance healthcare in the region. Last year’s tournament raised $146,000 for the Healing Garden at Mount Nittany Medical Center.

Proceeds from this year’s Golf Classic will benefit the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Mount Nittany Medical Center, which has seen steady growth since it first opened in April 2000. Since then, the Cath Lab has performed more than 4,280 diagnostic catheterizations and 2,000 cardiac interventions, including 423 on patients experiencing a life-threatening event requiring immediate treatment. A muchneeded renovation to the lab will include a new cath table with imaging system and an advanced patient monitoring system, improving the patient experience.

A unique feature of Mount Nittany Medical Center’s Golf Classic is the random drawing of one registered golfer for a grand prize of $10,000 or a new Chevrolet or Subaru. Last year, John Cook from Huntingdon was the grand prize winner and chose the cash prize.

The Golf Classic serves as one of The Foundation for Mount Nittany Medical Center’s two premier fundraisers, along with the Charity Ball, held each February. The Foundation for Mount Nittany Medical Center provides philanthropic support to Mount Nittany Medical Center and its subsidiaries.

For more information or to register, please call The Foundation for Mount Nittany Medical Center at 814.234.6777

or go to

foundation.mountnittany.org/events/golf-classic.

Event Founders: Gene Stocker & Jack Purnell 64 - Special Section

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help

Special Section - 65

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help Sight-Loss Support Group of Central PA The number of individuals with sight loss is projected to rise as much as 72 percent by 2030, when the last of the baby boomers turn 65, according to a 2012 report by the National Institutes of Health. The most common conditions causing vision loss are macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataract, and hereditary diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa.

The Sight-Loss Support Group of Central Pennsylvania offers hope and support to individuals as they adjust to the physical and emotional challenges of vision loss and develop strategies to regain independence. The organization provides a gateway to information and a strong community of people who help each other answer the question, “What do I do now?” Among the Sight-Loss Support Group’s programs and services are: • One-on-one peer counseling and support • Educational programs for community organizations • Expediting of referrals to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (the state rehabilitation agency) and North Central Sight Services (a Pennsylvania Association for the Blind agency) • Information on many topics of concern to individuals with sight loss and their families • Audio description via headphones for local theatrical performances and exhibits • Trained Festival Eyes guides for local arts festivals • Centre County Seeing Eye 4-H Puppy Raisers Program

Healthy Vision: Make It Last a Lifetime Taking care of your eyes should be a priority, just like eating healthful food and exercising. Healthy vision can be yours well into your golden years. To keep your eyes healthy, get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. An eye care professional will use drops to widen your pupils to check for common vision problems and eye diseases. It’s the best way to find out if you need glasses or contacts, or are in the early stages of an eye-related disease.

If you haven’t had an eye exam recently, schedule one now!

Festival Eyes at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Children’s Day

Sight-Loss Support Group of Central Pennsylvania PO Box 782, Lemont, PA 16851 (814) 238-0132 · www.slsg.org

Sponsored by Lions Gate Apartments Stephen Barkin & Helen Bannon 66 - Special Section

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help Skills of Central Pennsylvania Skills provides services to over 1,000 individuals throughout Central Pennsylvania – many of whom are economically and socially disadvantaged.

Through our Skills Foundation we are able to provide basic needs that generally would go unmet such as customized wheelchairs, dental care, and assistive communication devices. We would not have these funds without our fundraising volunteers and donors.

As a nonprofit 501(c)(3), Skills has a long history of providing outstanding support to those with intellectual disabilities and those with mental illness. At this time of year, we reflect upon our many community members, donors, volunteers, families, and staff that have helped us be successful in our mission. We take this opportunity to extend our gratitude for their ongoing support and service.

“To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world" -Anonymous

If you have an interest in supporting us towards our mission please consider volunteering your time or making a donation today! www.skillsofcentralpa.org Corporate Phone: 814-238-3245 Corporate office: 341 Science Park Road, State College, PA 16803 facebook.com/skillsofcentralpa Twitter: @SkillsPA Special Section - 67

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help

68 - Special Section

Nonprofit Organizations Reach Out . Donate . Help State College Community Land Trust The nonprofit State College Community Land Trust (SCCLT) has been providing affordable home-ownership opportunities in State College Borough since 1996, Serving over 50 first-time homebuyers and their families!

How SCCLT helps: Because the SCCLT holds the land permanently in trust, income-qualified buyers apply for mortgages based only on the cost of the house, reducing the price of a first-home purchase by as much as 30%. The SCCLT program benefits the community by attracting families and individuals to live in the State College Borough and creating affordable housing for future generations of homeowners.

Upcoming “Green” Projects:

The SCCLT, in partnership with the State College Borough and Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture, Hamer Center for Community Design/Energy Efficient Housing Research Group, is designing and planning to build a moderately-priced, owner-occupied duplex on University Drive, utilizing advanced and cost-effective “green” technology. GreenBuild will not only serve two more first-time homebuyers but is also an effort to develop a prototype for building affordable homes which are extremely energy efficient. Through this shared learning experience, SCCLT, Penn State, other Centre County housing programs, and the community at large, will benefit. The partners plan to break ground Spring of 2016.

Interested in gett ing involved? Contact the SCCLT.

S t at e C o l le g e C o mmu n i t y L a n d T r u s t 1315 S. Allen St. #306 State College – (814) 867-0656 – www.scclandtrust.org

Sponsored by Peg and Don Hambrick Special Section - 69

On the Hunt

The search for wild mushrooms is becoming a growing popular passion for many

By Savita Iyer-Ahrestani • Photos by Darren Andrew Weimert 72 - T&G August 2015

2015 August T&G - 73

To the untrained eye, the blackish object on the table at Webster’s Bookstore Cafe in downtown State College looks like a nondescript piece of tree bark or a clump of coal cinder. But to the members of the Central Pennsylvania Mushroom Club who have gathered for their weekly meeting, it is something special — a wild mushroom they call chaga that’s long been used in Russian and Eastern European folk medicine, and that albeit common to this part of Pennsylvania, has thus far eluded most of the members present.

In fact, this is the first time that Bill Russell has seen a chaga mushroom. Russell, a former physicist and author of Field Guide to the Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic, is Centre County’s leading mushroom expert.

Wild mushrooms are his passion, and he has been foraging for them since the age of 10. He knows everything there is to know about wild mushrooms (edible and nonedible)

74 - T&G August 2015

in Central Pennsylvania and beyond, and he estimates that in this area there are thousands of fungi, many of which are mushrooms.

Among those, he says, hundreds are edible.

The trick, though, is being able to identify them because there are as many nonedible, highly toxic mushrooms as there are flavorful, edible ones. And Russell, who has shared his expertise with many in Centre County and continues to lead regular mushroom walks for both experts and novices, cautions that there is no simple way to tell an edible mushroom from one that is poisonous.

“There are a few guidelines, but to pick mushrooms by guidelines is very risky,” he says.

Even those who know their wild mushrooms well proceed with caution, says Allan Sutley, president of the Central Pennsylvania Mushroom Club. They know that even if some edible

From left, a chanterelle mushroom, three russula mushrooms, and a waxy cap.

Opposite page, top left, Marc Kauffman examines a russula mushroom; top right, cinnibar mushrooms.

Above, left, Alan Sultey holds artist conk fungus that he etched drawings onto; right, lobster mushrooms.

mushrooms do present certain characteristics that make them easier to identify, there are others out there that have nonedible twins — twins that could be highly toxic. Common parasol mushrooms, for example, which grow on lawns, have poisonous look-alikes, Sutley says, and novices could easily mistake the popular chanterelle mushroom for a toxic jack-o-lantern mushroom, “which can make you very sick for three or four days.” And then there are other mushrooms such as the morel, which abounds in the region, that can make people sick if they’re eaten raw.

In his years mushrooming, though, Sutley hasn’t personally encountered a really poisonous mushroom, but he has discovered around 10 or 12 edible mushrooms that he really enjoys.

“I know what they look like, when they grow, how they grow, and how to find them,” he says.

As for Russell, he hasn’t come across any “real bad mushrooms” either, but he, too, has discovered and sampled many kinds of edible mushrooms that few people outside the wild-mushroom coterie would have heard of, including turkey tail mushrooms, cauliflower mushrooms, varnish caps, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, and black trumpets, a wild mushroom venerated by gourmet chefs the world over.

Black trumpets are incredibly

subtle and lend immense flavor to a dish, says Paul Bartell, associate professor of avian biology at Penn State and a keen mushroom hunter. The good thing about wild mushrooms, though, is that they are seasonal, so there’s no real overlap between the different kinds, he says. This allows the enthusiasts to really focus on and enjoy individual varieties when they are in season.

Medicinal/Environmental Benefits The chaga mushroom — one of the mushroom club members came upon it quite by chance — which only grows on birch trees, is loaded with valuable medicinal properties, Russell says, and it’s known for its ability to help cure

Hedgehog mushrooms 2015 August T&G - 75

cancers, breast tumors in particular. Indeed, many wild mushrooms have major medical potency, and Russell firmly believes that their regular consumption of mushrooms played a large part in curing both himself and his wife of cancer some years ago.

Across the US, wild mushrooms are increasingly being studied for their potential to help cure serious illnesses such as cancers and AIDS. Ecologically, too, mushrooms play an important role. They are vital to breaking down both plant and animal material, and their symbiotic relationship with other organisms is important for the environment. Many mushrooms provide nutrients to plants, and others kill parasites that threaten plant life.

These medicinal and ecological properties have increased people’s interest in wild mushrooms, Bartell says. However, most people are drawn to wild mushrooms for their incredible taste and flavor. There is nothing quite like a wild mushroom, Bartell swears, and “once you’ve tasted wild mushrooms, there’s no turning back — you just want to go on learning about the different species, how they interact with their environment, when and where to find them.”

Morel Mania Ask a novice or a pro hunter what their favorite wild mushroom is and they’re bound to say it’s the morel. These mushrooms — in season when the apple trees are in bloom — are plentiful in Central Pennsylvania. They’re a favorite of chefs, including Bernd Brandstatter of Herwig’s Bistro in downtown State College, as they lend themselves beautifully to a number of different recipes.

“When we get morels in the restaurant, I like to clean them, freshly

bread and flash fry them, and serve them with a homemade herb aioli,” Brandstatter says. “I also make a morel béchamel and stuffed puff pastry.”

Russell’s wife has spent the past 50 years experimenting with morels, he says, and has honed a number of different recipes to bring out their flavor.

“One of our favorite ways to eat morels is to heat some oil in a frying pan, dust them lightly with flour, and quickly crisp them,” he says.

But Russell, Brandstatter, and other wildmushroom hunters are finding it harder and harder to get morels these days. The mushroom has become so popular, Brandstatter says, that when morels are in season, there’s intense competition to find them.

“Five or six years ago, not that many people were going out foraging for mushrooms, so it was easy to find morels. But now, mushroom hunters jealously guard their spots, and no one is going to tell you where you can find them,” he says.

During morel season, the competition for the mushrooms is so fierce “that all friendships are dissolved,” Russell jokes. “There’s such a culture around morels and such competition for the different species that even blood-brother relationships are put on hold.”

Marc Kauffman, art director for The Penn Stater magazine, says, “Basically, I tell my kids ‘five bucks for the first morel.’ ” Kauffman, who moved to the region from the Lehigh Valley (where he regularly foraged for chanterelle mushrooms), has taught his children how to look for morels. Now, the youngsters are such skilled hunters and enjoy morels so much (“they know how to fry them up themselves in butter,” Kauffman says), that they won’t tell their father where they find the them.

Morel mania is so intense that long before morel season even begins, many avid hunters

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are hard at work figuring out the best possible strategy so that they can be the first to get their hands on the coveted mushrooms.

Darren Weimert, graphic designer and photographer for Town&Gown, for instance, has taken to going outside in the winter when the trees are bare and when it’s easier to spot the ashes and elms, because in season, the low-lying areas by those trees will have yellow and gray morels.

“It’s a lot of work to find mushrooms,” says Weimert, who took the photographs for this article.

But for the enthusiasts, putting in the extra mile is definitely worth it.

Slow-Growing Popularity Morels aside (and perhaps chanterelles, which also are very popular when they are in season), wild mushrooms, in general, are still not as popular in the US as they are in other parts of the world.

“In places like China and Japan and in Europe, mushroom hunting is almost a national sport, but ours isn’t really a mushroom country,” Russell says.

Many Americans haven’t even tried the regular

The elusive morel

ce Experiexnury the Lu erve! you Des

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mushrooms available in supermarkets, Bartell says, and there are many others who, even if they do like mushrooms, are reluctant to venture farther afield into wild-mushroom territory.

That’s because mushrooms are still shrouded in a great deal of mystery, he says, and so much feared for their toxicity that many people are afraid to even touch a wild mushroom.

However, there is a growing movement to better educate people about wild mushrooms, their importance to the environment, and their culinary qualities, Bartell says. Also, more Americans today — including a growing number in Central Pennsylvania — care a lot more about where their food comes from and are keen to eat as close to the source as possible, he says. This locavore movement is helping a great deal to spread the word on wild mushrooms.

For Sutley and members of the Central Pennsylvania Mushroom Club, there’s still a lot of work to be done in terms of identifying, understanding, and cataloging the many mushroom species in the area. Club members are interested in learning about both edible and

nonedible wild mushrooms, he says, and even if it’s the desire to eat wild mushrooms that brought them to the club in the first place, many quickly end up wanting to know much more about wild mushrooms in general.

“Growing up in Austria, we’d always be out looking for porcini or chanterelle mushrooms, and when we moved here, my dad had a scooter and we’d go around the neighborhood picking up the wild version of button mushrooms on people’s lawns,” Brandstatter says. “Back then, no one else was doing that. But I have seen a change, and more and more people now know about wild mushrooms.” T&G Savita Iyer-Ahrestani is a freelance journalist in State College who has worked as a full-time business journalist in New York and, as a freelancer, has reported from both Europe and Asia. Her features on a variety of topics have appeared in many publications, including Business Week, Vogue (Mumbai, India edition), and on CNN.com.

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This Month

on

Sherlock, Series II

Sundays, August 16, 23, 30, at 9 p.m.

For additional program information visit wpsu.org

Little League World Series Challenger Game Saturday, August 29, at 10:30 a.m.

Sherlock is back! In three thrilling new episodes, consulting detective Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) teams up with former army doctor and beleaguered friend John Watson (Martin Freeman) to solve a dizzying array of crimes with his signature deductive reasoning and stunning lack of social grace.

The Mystery of Matter: Search for the Elements Wednesday, August 19, at 8, 9, and 10 p.m.

State College, PA, vs.

First Colony of Sugar Land, TX Catch the live broadcast from Volunteer Stadium on the Little League International Complex in South Williamsport, PA. The Little League Challenger Division provides the opportunity for physically and intellectually challenged boys and girls to play baseball and softball.

Big Blue Live

Monday, August 31, at 8 and 11 p.m.

View this exciting PBS series in three, hourlong parts, about science’s great adventures surrounding the long (and continuing) quest to understand what the world is made of — to identify, understand, and organize the basic building blocks of matter.

Frank Sinatra, the Voice of our Time Friday, August 21, at 8 p.m.

Watch a chronicle of the career of the legendary singer, focusing on his rise to fame in the music world, his acting career, and his involvement in politics and fundraising.

AUGUST U.Ed. OUT 16-005/16-PSPB-TV-0001

Enjoy the launch of a three-night LIVE television and multimedia event from the BBC and PBS, showcasing marine life along America’s West Coast. Scientists, filmmakers and photographers, and other experts come together to document the extraordinary rejuvenation of the once endangered and now thriving ecosystem of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California. A second live show airs at 11 p.m.

wpsu.org

Photos: Sherlock, courtesy of Hartswood Films for MASTERPIECE, humpback whale courtesy of

This Month at Schlow: Saturday Stories Alive Saturdays, all month, 11:00 a.m.

Geek Speak: World of Dance Thursday, August 6, 6:30 p.m.

Lego Club Saturday, August 15, 2:00 p.m.

Additional Listings at

schlowlibrary.org “The library has become our favorite place in town.” ~Melinda Ohlson, Library Patron A homeschooling mother of four, Melinda Ohlson finds herself using Schlow Library on a weekly basis. From special events to summer reading, Schlow serves as the goto source for books and cultural experiences, as well as lessons in responsibility and sharing. Melinda says the library offers a wealth of opportunities for enrichment, explaining, “We have used Schlow as a resource in location, experience, cultural expansion, social and personal growth, and other significant life-learning arenas.”

For her children, ages 1 to 9, Schlow Library is a preferred destination. “My oldest,” adds Melinda, “currently aspires to be a librarian herself!”

Celebrating our building’s 10th birthday in 2015.

211 S. Allen Street • 814.237.6236 • schlowlibrary.org Advertisement donated by the Schlow Library Foundation (formerly Friends of Schlow)

Coming to Bryce Jordan Center/ Medlar Field at Lubrano Park

August 1-2 Spikes vs. Lowell Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 7:05 p.m. Sat.; 6:05 p.m. Sun. 9-11 Spikes vs. Mahoning Valley Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 6:05 p.m. Sun.; 7:05 p.m. Mon.-Tues.

15 Penn State Summer Commencement Bryce Jordan Center 10:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.

15-16 Spikes vs. West Virginia Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 7:05 p.m. Sat.; 6:05 p.m. Sun. 19-20 Spikes vs. Williamsport Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 7:05 p.m.

22 President’s New Student Convocation Bryce Jordan Center 7:30 p.m.

27-29 Spikes vs. Auburn Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 7:05 p.m.

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T& G

what's happening

August

1-2

14-15

The first Nittany Stage Race comes to State College and Penn State.

The Bellefonte Arts & Craft Fair takes over Talleyrand Park.

21

The Penn State athletic season kicks off with the women’s soccer team hosting Hofstra in the Penn State Tournament at Jeffrey Field.

1-15 Nittany Theatre at the Barn continues its run of the new musical comedy Betty Crocker, Kinsey, and Rock n’ Roll at the Boal Barn Playhouse.

15

21-29

Try some of the best beers around at the State College Brew Expo at Tussey Mountain.

The event raises money for Coaches vs. Cancer.

The 141st edition of the Centre County Grange Fair takes place.

27 The WingFest champion will be crowned at the final competition at Tussey Mountain.

5 Steve Earle and the Dukes return to the State Theatre.

18-20

7-8 As part of Local Foods Week, the fourth annual FarmFest offers educational opportunities, local foods, live entertainment, and interactive family activities at the Grange Fairgrounds.

Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition, runs at Rock Springs

28 The two-time defending national champion Penn State women’s volleyball team opens its 2015 season hosting Buffalo in the Penn State Classic at Rec Hall.

To have an event listed in “What’s Happening," e-mail dpenc@barashmedia.com.

2015 August T&G - 83

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Children & Families

Club Events

1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – Saturday Stories Alive, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 11 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.

1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27 – Music Together free trial class for children 0-5, Oakwood Presbyterian Church, SC, 9:30 a.m., 466-3414.

4 – Magical Adventures for Talented Heroines and Heroes, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 1:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

4 – Legos in Action, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 10 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.

4, 11 – Discovery Days, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 11 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.

6 – Preschool Pizza Party, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 1 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

13 – School-Age Pizza Party, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 1:30 or 3 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

15 – Kids Day III: Dress Up & Discover, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 10 a.m., pamilmuseum.org.

1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – Chess Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – Go Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 1:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

3, 17 – Knitting Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 5:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

4, 11, 18, 25 – State College Rotary Club, Nittany Lion Inn, SC, 5:30 p.m., statecollegerotary.org.

5, 12, 19, 26 – State College Sunrise Rotary Club, Hotel State College, SC, 7:15 a.m., kfragola@psualum.com.

5, 19 – Outreach Toastmasters, The 329 Building, Room 413, PSU, noon, kbs131@psu.edu.

6, 13, 20, 27 – State College Downtown Rotary, Ramada Inn & Conference Center, SC, noon, centrecounty.org/rotary/club/.

6, 13, 20, 27 – Comics Club (teens), Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 3:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

8 – Boardgaming Meetup, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 10 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.

11 – Women’s Midday Connection Luncheon, Mountain View Country Club, Boalsburg, 11:45 a.m., 404-3704.

12 – Women’s Welcome Club of State College, Oakwood Presbyterian Church (not church affiliated), SC, 7 p.m., womenswelcomeclub.org.

12 – 148th PA Volunteer Infantry Civil War Reenactment Group, Hoss’s Steak and Sea House, SC, 7:30 p.m., 861-0770.

13, 27 – Embroidery Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 5:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

15 – Lego Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

17 – Parrot Owner’s Group, Perkins, SC, 7 p.m., 237-2722.

18 – Women’s Welcome Club of State College Coffee/Tea, Oakwood Presbyterian Church (not church affiliated), SC, 9:30 a.m., womenswelcomeclub.org.

18 – Evening Book Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

26 – Applique Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 6 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

26 – Afternoon Book Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 6:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

Classes & Lectures 4 – Central PA Civil War Round Table Series: “Military Ballooning and the American Civil War,” PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 7 p.m., pamilmuseum.org.

4, 18 – “A Joint Venture,” information session on hip or knee replacement, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 11 a.m.

Aug. 4, 7 p.m. Aug. 18, 278-4810.

5 – Friends’ Richard Koontz Memorial Lecture Series: “General Stilwell’s Burma Campaign” by Dr. Jon Diamond, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 7:30 p.m., pamilmuseum.org.

7 – Gallery Talk: “Summer Is for Learning: Focus on the Collection” Karly Etz, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., palmermuseum.psu.edu.

11 – Financial and Legal Documents that Everyone Needs – Adult Children of Aging Parents (ACAP), Country Inn and Suites, SC, 5:30 p.m., acapcommunity.org.

28-30 – 24-hour Basic Mediation Training, Center for Alternatives in Community Justice, SC, 8:30 a.m., cacj.us.

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Community Associations & Development 18 – Spring Creek Watershed Association, Patton Township Municipal Building, SC, 7:30 a.m., springcreekwatershed.org.

26 – Patton Township Business Association, Patton Township Municipal Building, SC, noon, 237-2822.

Exhibits Ongoing-4 – Celebration, Fraser Street Gallery, SC, 6:30 p.m., fraserstgallery@gmail.com.

Ongoing-9 – Recent Acquisitions, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., palmermuseum.psu.edu.

Ongoing-16 – Flora and Fauna, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., palmermuseum.psu.edu.

Ongoing-16 – Luminous Allure: Studio Glass from the Collection of Audrey and Norbert Gaelen, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., palmermuseum.psu.edu.

Ongoing-November 15 – Everyday Iron: Iron Objects of the 18th and 19th Centuries, Centre Furnace Mansion, SC, 1-4 p.m. Sun., Wed., Fri., centrehistory.org.

1-September 27 – So You Like Photography, Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, Bellefonte, 1-4:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun., bellefontemuseum.org.

3-28 – The Teachers of the Art Alliance of Central PA, Betsy Rodgers Allen Gallery, SC, schlowlibrary.org.

25-December 13 – Mining the Store II: American Drawings and Watercolors from the Permanent Collection, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., palmermuseum.psu.edu.

Health Care For schedule of blood drives visit redcross.org or givelife.org.

3 – Breast Cancer Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 5:30 p.m., 231-6870.

6 – Children and Families with Type 1 Diabetes Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 6:30 p.m., 777-4664.

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7, 11 – Juniper Village at Brookline’s Alzheimer’s/Dementia Support Group, Mount Nittany Dining Room at The Inn, SC, 1 p.m., Fri., 6:30 p.m., Tues., 231-3141.

11 – Brain Injury Support, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 7 p.m., 359-3421.

12 – Senior Center Diabetes Support Group, Centre Region Senior Center, SC, 10:15 a.m., 231-3076.

12 – Fertility Issues and Loss Support Group, Choices (2214 N. Atherton St.), SC, 6:30 p.m., heartofcpa.org.

13 – Diabetes Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 6 p.m., 231-7095.

17 – Cancer Survivor Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 11:30 a.m., cancersurvive.org.

19 – Alzheimer’s Support Group, Elmcroft Senior Living, SC, 6:30 p.m., 235-7675.

20 – Better Breathers Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 2 p.m., 359-3421.

20 – Parents-to-be Orientation, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 6:30 p.m., 231-3132.

23 – Neuropathy Support Group of Central PA, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 2 p.m., 531-1024.

24 – Heart Failure Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 4 p.m., 359-3421.

24 – Cancer Caregiver Support Group, Bellefonte Library, Bellefonte, 6:30 p.m., cancersurvive.org.

25 – Multiple Sclerosis Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 6 p.m., 359-3421.

Music 2 – South Hills School Music Picnic Series: The Little German Band, South Hills School of Business & Technology, SC, 5 p.m., southhills.edu.

2 – Summer Sounds: Rick Hirsch Quartet, Talleyrand Park, Bellefonte, 7 p.m., bellefontearts.org.

5 – Steve Earle and The Dukes, State Theatre, SC, 8 p.m., thestatetheatre.org.

BuyHereLiveHere.com 86 - T&G August 2015

6 – Penn State School of Music: BM Senior Student Recital: Matt Breslof, double bass, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 2 p.m., music.psu.edu.

7 – Friday Concerts on the Lemont Village Green: Tussey Mountain Moonshiners, Lemont Village Green, Lemont, 7:30 p.m., lemontvillage.org.

9 – South Hills School Music Picnic Series: Bellefonte Community Band, South Hills School of Business & Technology, SC, 5 p.m., southhills.edu.

9 – Summer Sounds: Skip Wareham’s Big Corona Band, Talleyrand Park, Bellefonte, 7 p.m., bellefontearts.org.

11 – Penn State School of Music: A Façade and a Fable: Chamber Music by William Walton and Dan Welcher, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 6 p.m., music.psu.edu.

14 – Friday Concerts on the Lemont Village Green: The Project, Lemont Village Green, Lemont, 7:30 p.m., lemontvillage.org.

16 – South Hills School Music Picnic Series: Keystone Society of Swing, South Hills School of Business & Technology, SC, 5 p.m., southhills.edu.

16 – Summer Sounds: Spirit Rock Band Showcase, Talleyrand Park, Bellefonte, 7 p.m., bellefontearts.org.

21 – Friday Concerts on the Lemont Village Green: Hops and Vines, Lemont Village Green, Lemont, 7:30 p.m., lemontvillage.org.

23 – South Hills School Music Picnic Series: Tommy Wareham & The Intrigues, South Hills School of Business & Technology, SC, 5 p.m., southhills.edu.

27 – Jazz at the Palmer: Dan Yoder, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 7:30 p.m., palmermuseu.psu.edu.

27 – Penn State School of Music: Voice Faculty: “Fall Faculty Favorites,” Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

28 – Friday Concerts on the Lemont Village Green: Ridge and Valley String Band, Lemont Village Green, Lemont, 7:30 p.m., lemontvillage.org.

30 – Central Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association Annual Family Concert featuring Angelin Chang, Emily Chu, and Kristin Stephenson, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 3 p.m.

2015 August T&G - 87

The State College Spikes have 11 home games in August.

30 – South Hills School Music Picnic Series: Zeropoint Big Band, South Hills School of Business & Technology, SC, 5 p.m., southhills.edu.

31 – Penn State School of Music: Pennsylvania Quintet with Guest Artist Ensemble presents “Reeds Amis,” Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

Special Events 1 – High Performance Housing Tour, 10 a.m., envinity.com/tour2015.

1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – Bellefonte Farmers’ Market, Dunlop and W. Lamb St., Bellefonte, 8 a.m., bellefontefarmers@yahoo.com.

1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – Millheim Farmers’ Market, Old Gregg Mills Farmers’ Market, Spring Mills, 10 a.m., centralpafarmers.com.

1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – North Atherton Farmers’ Market, Home Depot Parking Lot, SC, 10 a.m., nathertonmarket.com.

2-8 – Local Foods Week, pasafarming.org.

4, 11, 18, 25 – Tuesday Farmers’ Market, Locust Lane, SC, 11:30 a.m., statecollegefarmers.com.

4, 11, 18, 25 – Boalsburg Farmers’ Market, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 2 p.m., boalsburgfarmersmarket.com.

5, 12, 19, 26 – Lemont Farmers’ Market, 133 Mount Nittany Road, Lemont, 3 p.m., lemontvillage.org.

6, 13, 20, 27 – WingFest, Tussey Mountain Resort, Boalsburg, 5:30 p.m., tusseymountain.com.

7 – Bricks & Sticks Golf Classic, Penn State Golf Courses, PSU, centralpabuilders.com.

7 – First Friday, Downtown State College, 5 p.m., FirstFridayStateCollege.com.

88 - T&G August 2015

7-8 – FarmFest, Grange Fairgrounds, Centre Hall, farmfest.paorganic.org.

7, 14, 21, 28 – Downtown Farmers Market, Locust Lane, SC, 11:30 a.m., statecollegefarmers.com.

8 – Centre County Farm Tour, pasafarming.org.

8 – Coquese’s Drive for Women’s Resource Center, Penn State Blue Course, PSU, ccwc.org.

14-15 – Bellefonte Arts & Crafts Fair, Talleyrand Park, Bellefonte, bellefontefair.org.

15 – Mount Nittany Medical Center Golf Classic, Penn State Golf Courses, PSU, 11 a.m., foundation.mountnittany.org/events/ golf-classic.

15 – State College Brew Expo, Tussey Mountain Resort, Boalsburg, 5 p.m., statecollegebrewexpo.com.

18-20 – Ag Progress Days, Rock Springs, agsci.psu.edu.

21-29 – Centre County Grange Fair, Grange Fairgrounds, Centre Hall, grangefair.net.

24-29 – Maker Week, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, goschlow.org/maker-week 27 – Living In One Neighborhoods - LION Bash, 200 block S. Allen St., SC, 6 p.m., statecollegepa.us.

28-29 – Vets-Fest at Tussey, Tussey Mountain Resort, Boalsburg, vets-festattussey.com.

Sports For tickets to Penn State sporting events, call (814) 865-5555 or visit gopsusports.com.

For tickets to the State College Spikes, call (814) 272-1711 or visit statecollegespikes.com.

1-2 – Nittany Stage Race, State College and Penn State, racestatecollege.com.

1-2 – Spikes/Lowell, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, PSU, 7:05 p.m. Sat., 6:05 p.m. Sun. 9-11 – Spikes/Mahoning Valley, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, PSU, 6:05 p.m. Sun., 7:05 p.m. Mon.-Tues.

15 – PSU/Army West Point (exhibition), women’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, TBA. 15-16 – Spikes/West Virginia, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, PSU, 7:05 p.m. Sat., 6:05 p.m.

Sun. 17 – PSU/St. Joseph’s (exhibition), men’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 3 p.m.

19-20 – Spikes/Williamsport, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, PSU, 7:05 p.m.

21 – PSU/Hofstra, women’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 7:30 p.m.

22 – PSU/St. John’s (exhibition), men’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 1 p.m.

23 – PSU/Loyola Marymount, women’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, noon.

27-29 – Spikes/Auburn, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, PSU, 7:05 p.m.

28 – PSU/San Francisco, men’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 5:30 p.m.

28 – PSU/Buffalo, women’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

28 – PSU/Duke, women’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 8 p.m.

29 – PSU/Stony Brook, women’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 1 p.m.

29 – PSU/Villanova, women’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

30 – PSU/Navy, men’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 3 p.m.

30 – PSU/Arkansas, women’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 6 p.m.

Theater Ongoing-August 15 – Nittany Theatre at the Barn presents Betty Crocker, Kinsey, and Rock n’ Roll, Boal Barn Playhouse, Boalsburg, 7:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun.

State College Community Theatre presents Gypsy August 20-23 at the State Theatre.

5 – Read It, Watch It Movie: Fly Away Home, State Theatre, SC, noon, thestatetheatre.org.

6-9, 13-16 – The Next Stage Theatre Company presents Everyman, State Theatre, SC, 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 3 p.m. Sun. thestatetheatre.org.

12 – Read It, Watch It Movie: The Secret Garden, State Theatre, SC, noon, thestatetheatre.org.

19 – Read It, Watch It Movie: Jumanji, State Theatre, SC, noon, thestatetheatre.org.

20-23 – State College Community Theatre presents Gypsy, State Theatre, SC, 8 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., 2 & 8 p.m. Sat., 3 p.m.

Sun., scctonline.org. T&G

Bellefone Arts & CrAfts fAir When:

August 14th from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and August 15th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Talleyrand Park, Bellefonte, PA

Features: Come enjoy arts, crafts and more

from talented artists and crafters from near and far! This event includes fun activities and games, along with countless delectable delights from the area’s finest concessionaires. There will be a separate, special, Hometown Bellefonte Area (HTBA) for Bellefonte merchants and organizations to display.

www.bellefontechamber.org

2015 August T&G - 89

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on tap

The Defining Difference Getting to know your yeasts — and how ales and lagers came to be

By Sam Komlenic

The amazing and seemingly endless diversity of beer styles we’re exposed to these days can be divided fairly succinctly into two very basic camps: ales and lagers. These are really the only two recognized subcategories of the very definition of “beer.” So what’s the difference? In a word, yeast.

Yeast was unknown as an ingredient for the greater part of the history of brewing. From the ancients to the colonials, it was understood that when grains were mashed into a liquid and left exposed to the air, a magical transformation would take place. The problem was that the end result was unpredictable — palatable and mildly intoxicating at best, and close to vinegar at worst. Unpredictable would actually be an understatement. What the heck was going on?

Yeast is everywhere. It is a natural companion to most fruits and grains and literally floats in the air around us. The vaunted Reinheitsgebot purity law that regulated German brewing from the early 1500s on allows only for the use of water, malted barley, and hops. There was no mention of the mysterious element that made sweet liquid into alcohol.

92 - T&G August 2015

Early on, having no idea what this magical substance really was, the British started referring to it as “Godisgood.” By the early 1800s, people began to understand that yeast was responsible for this conversion, and they started to haltingly cultivate more reliable strains without realizing that they were dealing with a living organism.

Until this time, all yeasts were “top-fermenting,” those that fermented beer in a highertemperature environment, had a higher tolerance to alcohol, produced more pronounced flavors and aromas in the finished products, and made their way to the top of fermenting tanks during their most active phase. In earlier times, these stronger characteristics also masked imperfections in the resulting beverages and made beer easier to embrace.

Soon, however, another basic strain had been discovered and put to use by brewers in Bavaria. This type required cooler temperatures to flourish, took longer to complete its work in fermenters, and worked its way toward the bottom of vats during the process. “Bottomfermenting” yeast provided a beverage that was cleaner, both in taste and appearance, had the potential to produce less alcohol, and was much more palatable to the tastes of the time. The difference proved to be a sea change in the history of brewing.

Consumers began clamoring for the new “lager” beer, named for the German word lagern, “to store,” due to its longer fermenting time. But it took another innovation in modern technology to bring it to American shores. As with any living thing, yeasts have a shelf life. In the early 1800s, that life was substantially shorter than it is now, and the journey to the New World by sea

took longer than yeasts could survive. It took the development of faster clipper ships in the 1830s to shorten the trip.

In 1840, a Bavarian brewmaster named John Wagner risked the punishment of the Bavarian government and smuggled a cake of this precious substance with him on a voyage to Philadelphia.

Upon his arrival, he set up a “home brewery,” “on St. John Street near Poplar,” close to where a historical marker has since been erected by the Pennsylvania Historical Commission to recognize his achievement, and brewed the first lager beer in this country. American brewing would never be the same.

It wasn’t until the mid-1800s and the efforts of Louis Pasteur that yeast was recognized as a living creature and began to be fully understood for its role in the production of beverage alcohol.

Since that time, brewers have cultivated a veritable catalog of substrains within each category, each strain able to impart its own signature to the beer in your hand.

It took mere decades for the ales humans had relied on since ancient times to be toppled in the rush to the easier-to-drink lager beers, which still command the lion’s share of the world’s beer market. But ales weren’t quite finished yet, and it took the craft-beer revolution to bring them back from the boneyard.

Don’t get me wrong, the simple division between ales and lagers doesn’t mean that there aren’t many choices in either category. Ales have become renowned for their big flavors, estery aromas, and tongue-clinging textures, and include stouts, wheat ales, porters, IPAs, and brown ales, while lagers generally have less alcohol and cleaner flavors and mouthfeel, and range from pilsners to bocks and dunkels to rauchbiers (smoked lagers).

There also are recognized hybrids, too.

You didn’t really think the creativity of the brewing community could be stifled simply by genre, did you? “Steam” beer, a term owned by Anchor Brewing of San Francisco and known as California Common within the wider brewing community, uses lager yeast, but is fermented at warmer temperatures, resulting in a more complex lager.

Baltic porter, known here as Pennsylvania porter due to its ongoing production by Yuengling and Stegmaier, is actually a bottom94 - T&G August 2015

Thanks to “bottom-fermenting” yeast, lager beers still “command the lion’s share of the world’s beer market.”

fermented beverage that kept the porter style alive long after it had been abandoned in the British Isles and colonies, where it had been popularized initially as a top-fermented ale.

Yet in this technologically advanced age, there is still room for the oldest ways of brewing to continue and thrive. In the Pajottenland of Belgium, a region rich in productive wild-yeast strains, brewers still expose their fermenting lambic beers to the open air in the topmost floors of their breweries and allow the free passage of air through slatted cupolas, some of which are never cleaned for fear that any disturbance of the dust and cobwebs will negatively affect a centuries-old tradition and product. Known as “spontaneous fermentation,” this process tends to produce a drier, slightly sour, even cidery beer that is embraced by enthusiasts for its authenticity and quirky charms.

What about you — lagers or ales? Regardless of which way you lean, the next time you enjoy your favorite, think for a moment about the hard-working, single-celled organisms that gave their all for your drinking enjoyment and a good part of the variety of flavor you enjoy. You may never look at a glass of beer in quite the same way again. T&G Sam Komlenic, whose dad worked for a Pennsylvania brewery for 35 years, grew up immersed in the brewing business. He has toured scores of breweries, large and small, from coast to coast.

2015 August T&G - 95

Taste of the Month

Blonde Ambition Bellefonte bistro serves up fun dĂŠcor and variety of dishes 96 - T&G August 2015

By Vilma Shu Danz Photos by Darren Andrew Weimert

Sausage rustica end of the meal, they are so pleasant and happy, so they were just hangry!”

Located in the heart of Bellefonte, at 135 South Allegheny Street, the Blonde Bistro serves up an eclectic menu that has something for everyone.

“The menu isn’t just Italian, it’s a variety of dishes that I have put my twist on that customers have really enjoyed,” explains Semack. “I do have lasagna on the menu, and we have specialty artisan pizzas, stromboli, calzones, but we also have made-to-order egg salad, chicken salad, and club sandwiches as well as made-to-order soups like our spicy sausage and potato, clam chowder, spicy shrimp, and loaded baked potato.”

Some popular lunch items include the chicken cobb salad, BBQ chicken pizza, and Florentina pizza with

W

alking into the Blonde Bistro, the colorful décor and fun signage on the walls immediately capture your attention. The blonde Bellefonte native behind the restaurant is owner Ciara Semack, whose passion for

Spicy shrimp soup

cooking and serving food that she loves inspired her to open the business in March.

“The décor is fun and the signs are conversation pieces,” she explains. “One particular sign reads, ‘Hangry,’ and I came up with that one myself because sometimes people come in and they are a little grumpy at first, but at the

Owner Ciara Semack 2015 August T&G - 97

Seafood crostini bowl sauce, and bleu cheese; and the Buxom Blonde is a cheddar, bacon-laced doubledecker burger.

On Friday and Saturday evenings, the Blonde Bistro has an exclusive contract with Big Spring Spirits in Bellefonte to serve food to the guests at the distillery.

The signature dish is the Big Spring Penne that incorporates Big Spring Vodka in the vodka sauce.

As a Penn State approved caterer, the Blonde Bistro is happy to customize a menu for off-site luncheons, office meetings, and weddings as well as private parties at the restaurant. T&G For a special recipe for Semack’s linguini with white clam sauce, visit townandgown.com.

For more information, visit ciarasblondebistro.com. broccoli, spinach, tomato, cheddar, garlic, pesto, and mozzarella.

In addition, there are hearty appetizers called “nibblers” on the menu, such as the homemade deep-fried potato gnocchi, served with made-from-scratch tomato gravy, and the fresh-cut fries with garlic aioli.

Popular dinner entrées include the roasted red chicken, portabella risotto, 98 - T&G August 2015

and the seafood crostini bowl. The menu also will feature seasonal additions for the fall and winter months.

The Blonde Bistro recently added burgers to the menu, and some of the ones to try are the Devilish Blonde made with ranch, grilled red onions, banana peppers, and homemade wing sauce on a dressed homemade roll; the Bleu Blonde has marinated mushrooms, bacon, BBQ

Special offer: Mention Town&Gown, and get 10 percent off your bill. Expires August 31, 2015.

T& G

dining out

All restaurants are in State College or on the Penn State campus, and in the 814 area code unless noted.

Full Course Dining Allen Street Grill, 100 West College Avenue, 231-4745, hotelstatecollege.com. Directly above the Corner Room at the intersection of College Avenue and Allen Street, the “Grill” promotes a casual gourmet dining experience, superb contemporary cuisine, specialty cocktails, entertainment, and one of the best Town and Gown views in State College. Priced reasonably and offering upscale cuisine is always a challenge but Bert and Becky Burger, the husband and wife French-trained executive chef and general manager, seem to pull it off with ease. From the moment you walk in the door and approach your seat overlooking the bustling sidewalk you become an integral part of this historic corner.

Perfect for a business lunch or romantic dinner. Free downtown parking validation in Fraser, Pugh & Beaver Garages based on purchases. Bring garage parking stub and ask server for details. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. bar bleu, 114. S Garner St., 237-0374, bar-bleu.com.

Socializing and sports viewing awaits at bar bleu. Don’t miss a minute of the action on 22 true 1080i HDMI high-definition flat-screen monitors displaying the night’s college and pro matchups. The bar serves up 16 draft beers in addition to crafted cocktails, including the “Fishbowl,” concocted in its own 43-ounce tank! Pub fare featuring authentic Kansas City-style barbecue is smoked daily on-site. AE, D, DC, ID+, MC, V. Full bar.

Barrel 21 Distillery & Dining, 2255 N. Atherton St., 308-9522, barrel21distillery.com. A new dining experience brought to you by Otto’s Pub & Brewery, Barrel 21 presents a tapas menu featuring fusion cuisine highlighting our local resources. Menu inspirations will celebrate new culture and cuisine brought to Central PA from around the world.

Distillery and tasting room will open in the fall after we have produced our own craft spirits. AE, D, MC, V. Full bar.

Bill Pickle’s Tap Room, 106 Souh Allen Street, 272-1172, hotelstatecollege.com. Not for Saints…Not For Sinners. Located in the heart of downtown State College, Bill Pickle’s is a great place for lunch, dinner, or

100 - T&G August 2015

a late-night snack. Features include plenty of TVs and occasional live entertainment, along with a wide selection of craft beers and signature drinks! Free downtown parking validation in Fraser, Pugh & Beaver Garages based on purchases. Bring garage parking stub and ask server for details. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. Carnegie House, corner of Cricklewood Dr. and Toftrees Ave., 234-2424. An exquisite boutique hotel offering fine dining in a relaxed yet gracious atmosphere. Serving lunch and dinner. Prix Fixe menu and à la carte menu selections now available. AAA Four Diamond Award recipient for lodging and fine dining.

Reservations suggested. AE, MC, D, V. Full bar.

The Corner Room, 100 West College Avenue, 237-3051, hotelstatecollege.com. A Penn State Tradition, the Corner Room started out as Jack’s Road House in 1885, renamed The Corner Room in 1926.

Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner through a mix of American classics and contemporary cuisine, all at affordable prices. Daily Specials. Free downtown parking validation in Fraser, Pugh & Beaver Garages based on purchases. Bring garage parking stub and ask server for details. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. Cozy Thai Bistro, 232 S. Allen St., 237-0139. A true authentic Thai restaurant offering casual and yet “cozy” family-friendly dining experience. Menu features wide selections of exotic Thai cuisine, both lunch and dinner (take-out available). BYO (wines and beer) is welcome after 5 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. The Deli Restaurant, 113 Hiester St., 237-5710, The DeliRestaurant.com. Since 1973, The Deli has served up New York-style deli favorites on an American menu offering everything from comfort food to pub favorites, all made from scratch. Soups, breads, sauces, and award-winning desserts are homemade here early

Key AE............................................................American Express CB ...................................................................Carte Blanche D ................................................................. Discover/Novus DC.........................................................................Diners Club ID+ ................................................ PSU ID+ card discounts LC............................................................................. LionCash MAC........................................................................debit card MC........................................................................MasterCard V.......................................................................................... Visa ............................................... Handicapped-accessible

To advertise, call Town&Gown account executives Kathy George or Debbie Markel at (814) 238-5051.

in the morning folks. Look for its rotating menu of foodthemed festivals throughout the year. AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar.

Northeastern Thai-style cuisine. Vegetarian menu selection available. BYO (wines and beer) is welcome after 5 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V.

The Dining Room at the Nittany Lion Inn, 200 W. Park Ave., 865-8590. Fine continental cuisine in a relaxed, gracious atmosphere. Casual attire accept- able. Private dining rooms available. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar.

The Gardens Restaurant at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, 215 Innovation Blvd., Innovation Park, 863-5090. Dining is a treat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in The Gardens Restaurant, where sumptuous buffets and à la carte dining are our specialties. AE, CB, D, DC, MC, V. Full bar, beer.

Duffy’s Boalsburg Tavern, On the Diamond, Boals- burg, 466-6241. The Boalsburg Tavern offers a fine, intimate setting reminiscent of Colonial times.

Dining for all occasions with formal and casual menus, daily dinner features, specials, and plenty of free parking. AE, MC, V. Full bar.

Faccia Luna Pizzeria, 1229 S. Atherton St., 2379000, faccialuna.com. A true neighborhood hang- out, famous for authentic New York-style wood-fired pizzas and fresh, homemade Italian cuisine. Seafood specialties, sumptuous salads, divine desserts, great service, and full bar. Outside seating available. Sorry, reservations not accepted. Dine-in, Take out. MC/V. Galanga, 454 E. College Ave., 237-1718. Another great addition to Cozy Thai Bistro. Galanga by Cozy Thai offers a unique authentic Thai food featuring

Gigi’s, West College Ave. on the Corner of Cato Ave., 861-3463, gigisdining.com. Conveniently located 5 minutes from downtown State College, Gigi’s is a farm-to-table dining experience inspired by the hottest southern trends. Outdoor Patio. Lunch & Dinner. Full Bar. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. The Greek, 102 E. Clinton Ave., 308-8822, thegreekrestaurant.net. Located behind The Original Waffle Shop on North Atherton Street. Visit our Greek tavern and enjoy authentic Greek cuisine. From fresh and abundant vegetables to the most succulent kebabs, each dish has been perfected to showcase genuine Greek flavors. When we say “authentic,” we mean it.

Full service, BYOB. D, MC, V.

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Herwig’s Austrian Bistro, “Where Bacon Is An Herb,” 132 W. College Ave., 272-0738. Located next to the State Theatre. Serving authentic Austrian home cooking in Central PA. Ranked #1 Ethnic Restaurant in State College for 7 years in a row. Eat-in, Take-Out, Catering. Gluten-free options available. Bacon-based dessert. Homemade breads, BYO beer or wine all day.

Sense of humor required. D, MAC, MC, V. Hi-Way Pizza, 1688 N. Atherton St., 237-0375, HiWayPizza.com. The State College tradition for nearly 50 years, nobody does it better than Hi-Way! Offering more than 29 varieties of hand-spun pizzas made from scratch offer an endless combination of toppings. Its vodka “flaky” crust and red stuffed pizzas are simply a must have. Hi-Way’s menu rounds out with pasta dishes, calzones, grinders, salads, and other Italian specialties. Eat-in, Take-out, or Hi-Way delivery. AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar.

India Pavilion, 222 E. Calder Way, 237-3400. Large selection of vegetarian and nonvegetarian dishes from northern India. Lunch buffet offered daily. We offer catering for groups and private parties. AE, D, MC, V. Inferno Brick Oven & Bar, 340 E. College Ave., 237-5718, InfernoBrickOvenBar.com. With a casual yet sophisticated atmosphere, Inferno is a place to see and

102 - T&G August 2015

be seen. A full-service bar boasts a unique specialty wine, beer, and cocktail menu. Foodies — Inferno offers a contemporary Neapolitan brick-oven experience featuring a focused menu of artisan pizzas and other modern-Italian plates. Lunch and dinner service transi- tions into night as a boutique nightclub with dance- floor lighting, club sound system, and the area’s most talented resident DJs. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. Full bar.

Legends Pub at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, 215 Innovation Blvd., Innovation Park, 863-5080. Unwind with beverages and a casual lounge menu. AE, D, MC, V. Full bar.

Mario’s Italian Restaurant, 1272 N. Atherton St., 234-4273, MariosItalianStateCollege.com. Fresh specialty dishes, pasta, sauces, hand-tossed pizzas, and rotisserie wood-grilled chicken all made from scratch are just a few reasons why Mario’s is authentically Italian! At the heart of it all is a specialty wood-fired pizza oven and rotisserie that imparts rustic flavors that can’t be beat! Mario’s loves wine and is honored with six consecutive Wine Spectator awards and a wine list of more than 550 Italian selections. Mario’s even pours 12 rotating specialty bottles on its WineStation® state-of- the-art preservation system. Reservations and Walk-Ins welcome. AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar.

Otto’s Pub & Brewery, 2235 N. Atherton St., 867-6886, ottospubandbrewery.com. State College’s most awarded craft-beer pub and brewery featuring more than a dozen fresh, house-brewed ales and lagers on tap as well as fine, affordably priced, local American food with vegan and vegetarian offerings, a kids’ menu, weekly features, and seasonal menu. Open for lunch and dinner in a family-friendly, casual atmosphere. AE, D, MC, V. Full bar.

Philipsburg Elks Lodge & Country Club, 1 Country Club Lane, Philipsburg, 342-0379, philipsburgelks.com. Restaurant open to the public!

Monday-Saturday 11-9, Sunday 9-3. Member-only bar.

New golf-member special, visit our Web site for summer golf special. AE MC, V. Full Bar (members only).

The Tavern Restaurant, 220 E. College Ave., 238-6116. A unique gallery-in-a-restaurant preserving PA’s and Penn State’s past. Dinner at The Tavern is a Penn State tradition. Major credit cards accepted.

Full bar.

Whiskers at the Nittany Lion Inn, 200 W. Park Ave., 865-8580. Casual dining featuring soups, salads, sandwiches and University Creamery ice cream. Major credit cards accepted. Full bar.

Zeno’s Pub, 100 West College Avenue, 8237-4350 hotelstatecollege.com. Located directly above the center of the earth, Zeno’s may be considered a “dive bar” by 2015 August T&G - 103

some, but it is still one of the best places downtown to drink a cold one! Craft beers, Happy Hours, live music, top-notch booze, and hearty food. Also check out Zeno’s 2 Go, nestled between Chumley’s and Indigo Nightclub, featuring a collection of yellow fizzies for mass consumption along with “the real good unique stuff.” Free downtown parking validation in Fraser, Pugh & Beaver Garages based on purchases. Bring garage parking stub and ask server for details. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. Zola Kitchen & Wine Bar, 324 W. College Ave., 237-8474. Zola Kitchen & Wine Bar features ingredient-driven, seasonal, new American cuisine paired with an extensive wine list, certified wine professional, and exceptional service. Zola’s also features a new climatecontrolled wine room, premium by-the-glass wine pours, fine liquor, and craft beer at its full-service bar.

Serving lunch and dinner seven days a week. Reservations recommended. Catering. Free parking after 5:30 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar.

Good Food Fast Baby’s Burgers & Shakes, 131 South Garner St., 234-4776, babysburgers.com. Love poodle skirts, a jukebox playing the oldies, and delicious food cooked to order? Then Baby’s Burgers & Shakes is your kind of

Wood fired Southern Comfort Food!

1405 South Atherton St. State College 814-238-2333 •www.clemsbarandgrill.com

Tailgate Party Packs to go!

Call 814.238.2333

Award Winning BBQ! Sun - Thurs till 10pm Fri & Sat till 11pm Chef/Owner Greg Mussi and the Artisan Griller Clem Pantalone

Duffy’s Tavern Est. 1819

Don’t let summer pass without having dinner on Duffy’s patio!

For Reservations 466-6241 www.duffystavern.com 104 - T&G August 2015

Located “On the Diamond” 113 East Main Street

got milk?

Get yours at

Meyer Dairy Milk • Ice Cream • Eggs Cheese • Juices Candy • Pop's Mexi-Hots Baked Goods • Sandwiches Ice Cream Cakes & More!

Open Daily 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.

2390 S. Atherton St. - (814) 237-1849

restaurant! Bring the entire family and enjoy a “Whimpy” burger, a Cherry Coke, or delicious chocolate shake, and top it off with a “Teeny Weeny Sundae,” in our authentic 1947 Silk City Diner. Check out Baby’s Web site for full menu and daily specials! D, MC, V, MAC, Lion’s Cash.

Fiddlehead, 134 W. College Ave., 237-0595, fiddleheadstatecollege.com. Fiddlehead is a soup-andsalad café offering soups made from scratch daily. Create your own salad from more than 40 fresh ingredients.

HUB Dining, HUB-Robeson Center on campus, 865-7623. A Penn State tradition open to all! Enjoy 13 different eateries in the HUB-Robeson Center on campus. Jamba Juice, McAlister’s Deli, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Burger King, Higher Grounds, Sbarro, Soup & Gar-den, Diversions, Blue Burrito, Mixed Greens, Panda Express, and Sushi by Panda Express.

V, MC, LC. Irving’s, 110 E. College Ave., 231-0604, irvingsstatecollege.com. Irving’s is State College’s finest bakery café serving award-winning bagels, espresso, sandwiches, salads, and smoothies.

Meyer Dairy, 2390 S. Atherton St., 237-1849. A State College Classic! Meyer Dairy is the perfect choice for a quick, homemade lunch with fresh soups and sandwiches or treat yourself to your favorite flavor of

2015 August T&G - 105

ice cream or sundae at our ice cream parlor. Fresh milk from our own dairy cows (we do not inject our cows with BST), eggs, cheese, ice cream cakes, baked goods, and more! Plus, Meyer Dairy is the best place to pick up your Town&Gown magazine each month!

Night Life Indigo, 112 West College Avenue, 234-1031, hotelstatecollege.com. Tradition meets innovation.

College party bar meets city nightclub. There’s a reason Indigo has been voted one of the top college bars in the nation. Featuring talented DJs from Mint DJ Events, a huge sound and lighting system, and the craziest happy hour in Happy Valley. When you visit Indigo you’re guaranteed to end up on the dance floor with your hands in the air. Thursday-Saturday 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Chumley’s, 108 W. College Avenue, 238-4446, hotelstatecollege.com. A quaint bar where you’re not judged because of your gender or sexual orientation.

Chumley’s is a gay bar and grill where you’re encouraged to be one thing, and that’s yourself. Known as one of the friendliest bars in Happy Valley — and proud of it! Serving food and full bar service, including specialty cocktails. Free downtown parking validation in Fraser, Pugh & Beaver Garages based on purchases. Bring garage parking stub and ask server for details. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. T&G

TASTE of the

MONTH Town&Gown’s monthly focus on food

INGREDIENT DRIVEN • SEASONAL • NEW AMERICAN CUISINE EXTENSIVE WINE LIST • BY THE BOTTLE & GLASS

814 . 237. 8474

ZOL A KI TCHEN .COM

MON. - THUR. 11: 30 -9PM • FRI. - SAT. 11: 30 -10 PM • SUN. 11: 30 - 8PM

106 - T&G August 2015

Each month Town&Gown highlights a local place to eat and offers a glimpse into the great dining of our community.

Fearless While all eyes are on Christian Hackenberg, his are on bringing the Nittany Lions’ offense back after last season’s struggles

Focus

Penn State football is getting ready to kick off the 2015 season, and you can get ready for it by ordering your copy of Town&Gown's 2015 Penn State Football Annual!

Once again, the Annual has features, analysis, and predictions from some of the best sportswriters in the state.

It's one of the best summer reads you can find!

ORDER ONLINE AT TOWNANDGOWN.COM

T& G

lunch with mimi

Calming Influence

Darren Andrew Weimert

State College superintendent helps district get back on track following turbulent times

Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith (right) talks with State College Area School District superintendent Bob O’Donnell at Duffy’s Tavern in Boalsburg.

When Bob O’Donnell became superintendent of the State College Area School District in 2011, it was a challenging time for the district. The previous superintendent, Richard Mextorf, had resigned after just two years, residents in the district were divided on what to do about the high school, and there was much debate over the 2011-12 budget.

O’Donnell, who had spent the previous seven years as assistant superintendent for the Hempfield School District, still saw the positives about the district — the quality educators and a community that cares about having quality schools. During his first four years, he has helped guide the school district through challenging times, including the overwhelming passage of a referendum that has led to construction of a new State High.

Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith recently sat down with O’Donnell at Duffy’s Tavern in Boalsburg and talked about the challenges he and the school district and educators continue to face.

Mimi: Well I should have interviewed you at least four years ago. You’ve completed four years as superintendent of State College Area School District. What has been your high point in those years?

Bob: What I’m most proud about is what is happening between teachers and kids. If anybody is concerned about 108 - T&G August 2015

the future of our country, they really need to spend some time with kids and look at what they are doing because they are very engaged and important.

They are learning and they have wonderful ideas. Another high point is the strong pride and many traditions in our district, and I think it starts with impressive people in our schools and homes.

Mimi: Without naming names, could you give me some examples?

Bob: When I see students coming up with ideas and applying that learning in a manner that creates something or takes their learning to a place outside of their schools, that is a sign for me that we are evolving in the direction that we should be. Obtaining information isn’t a challenge. The challenge is obtaining information we need and making sure it is credible, and using that information to do something important.

Mimi: Give me an example.

Bob: During a visit to our high school’s Career and Technical Center’s building-construction program, I observed students applying what they learned around electricity. They were installing an electrical system within the frame of a building structure. So not only did they learn about how to best develop and design this system, they then installed it to make sure it worked.

Mimi: In a lot of conversations in the community, I’ve heard discussions that our school district is fabulous for the very brightest and for the very neediest, the people who need more attention and support, but this vast group in the middle doesn’t seem to get the added attention. Is that a fair assessment or how are administrators like you addressing that?

Bob: I think the focus in the district around what’s happening with students every day in our classrooms really comes down to relationships with students first, because if you know a student as a person and as a learner — some of their interests and where they

fall in relation to their academic background — not only are you going to be able to challenge them appropriately you will be able to inspire them because you know them. There is no doubt that a student who knows a teacher cares about her or him first gets a chance to be inspired. My wife and I have children who fall in the middle, too. In our house, we have three kids that are all in State College schools, so I’m seeing life in the school district from a couple different lenses. When I listen to them talk about their assignments and teachers, I’m getting a feel for both of their all-around experiences.

I really believe that the most important things we strive to provide students to help them are quality teachers and high-quality curriculum.

What we are going to ask them to learn about must be important. At this time, the work that our teachers have been doing around our kindergarten through 12th grade language-arts curriculum update is probably one of the most important steps we are taking now. Literacy and communication are such foundational components for an educated person.

Mimi: Let me shift to something that I presume as a problem but we don’t talk about

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too much. Tell me about the drug and alcohol issue as it relates to the school system. We have tragically lost some lives along the way, so it is a broader community issue going forward.

Bob: It is for every community. This is a challenge that continues to need our community’s commitment to help kids make good decisions. Although we are fortunate to have much support from community organizations such as the Youth Service Bureau and our three police departments, we have work to do. Our schools have support teams that work with at-risk students and their families, and we do bring in outside help to give school-based support to students. … I don’t think there’s an easy solution to the problem. If there were, we would have it in place. I regularly meet with our two curriculum directors, so our K through 12 work in the area of health curriculum includes this issue. The reality of the parenting side is that parents who have relationships with their kids — trusting relationships — I think have a better opportunity to arm their children to make good choices, because every kid is going to have them along the way whether with us or beyond our district.

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Mimi: Let’s shift to another complicated topic. There are now all sorts of alternative choices in charter schools, and the cost of the students comes out of your pocket. Explain that to our readers.

Bob: The state requirements regarding charter schools relates to our tuition rates — our perpupil expenditure — so for any resident student who attends a charter school, that amount of money transfers from the public school district budgets to that individual.

Mimi: That means that taxpayers are paying for the charter schools. I’m not sure that the world understands that.

Bob: Correct. I do see some communications about free schooling. Well, we all know that education isn’t free, and a little over $5 million this past year supported our four local charter schools from our budget.

Mimi: Out of your budget. And your total budget is?

Bob: Our total budget this past year was just over $126 million, and our board and I are cognizant of the community’s sacrifice to support our district. Although the past four budgets have included four of the five lowest tax increases for

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our operational budget, we will continue working to become a more efficient district.

Mimi: That’s a big budget.

Bob: It sure is. We do have a responsibility to visit the charters and perform a review before our board considers to renew a charter.

Mimi: Are they all established as nonprofit organizations?

Bob: Yes. I really believe that before parents make a decision about where they want their children to be educated, they need to go visit and see it in action and watch the people, both the adults and children involved, to get a sense of what people are doing and what they are all about, and then make informed decisions.

Mimi: Is there any way that you have to help you judge your performance? Is there any part that helps you have information that might be useful in defining how you can make the education better?

Bob: The most important assessment information that our teachers obtain is the feedback and the thinking they get from students on a daily basis. The reason for that is they can then make changes. They can either speed up and move on because the kid has mastered that

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concept, or they can redo it in another manner because the student is really struggling with it, or maybe they just need to support a couple aspects to strengthen the learning for the student.

The standardized test such as the state test, we don’t get results back for months. It really isn’t timely for the teacher. We do look at it from a system’s lens to see if there are any parts that we are seeing that are patterns or weaknesses. It can elicit questions for our teachers to have when we look at our programs, and it might elicit questions from teachers or parents about individual students.

However, I don’t think it would lead you to the full picture of an individual student because it’s not an authentic assessment. It’s not a test that really takes you deep into the mind of a student and how they are doing with real concepts. With that said, it does play a role, and I don’t want to diminish what a standard assessment does when you look at the big picture of a system. And I do believe that the most important testing that happens in our school is the daily check-in that a teacher has with an individual student to see how they’re doing.

When I was a math teacher and I would check in with students and have them try their hand at some problems or a project with coding in computer science, the most important feedback I got was from meandering around the classroom.

The students weren’t put on the spot in front of a group. They were simply tackling problems in small groups or as individuals.

Mimi: Clearly, you can’t have all top-notch teachers. How do you assess or evaluate or isolate where you need to help a teacher? Is there a program in place?

Bob: The whole concept of supervision evaluation with employees exists and should continue to exist because it’s about improvement.

The dialogue should always focus on the practice of reflection to improve practice. So what you are reflecting on is critical. In Pennsylvania, there are two parts to the teacher supervision-evaluation program: first, the top-down part, and the second part includes professional practices centered on four keys that I have told our teachers, “This is where you need to hang your hat and focus your daily work.” Be well prepared before you walk into that classroom so you understand what you are trying to accomplish with your kids. Make sure you attend to the classroom environment so that learning is able to happen. What are the practices you are going to put in place so 112 - T&G August 2015

when students engage in learning it’s going to work? The professional practice of reflecting is part of the fourth piece, and these are the four keys we want teachers to focus on. The fact that standardized-test scores come into a calculation for their evaluation — first of all, we will not have to worry because our kids will always do pretty well on any type of standardized test, and I don’t want teachers to worry about that.

There’s a growth component in there that I’m not sure should be a part of it because to say you’re going to use a bar set and say growth is a part of measuring youth, well what if a kid already jumped over that bar backward with his or her eyes closed? How are you going to show growth when they were already ahead of that bar when they walked into your classroom? So I want teachers to focus on those four aspects of the process, as well as what our community said is most important — trust, responsive teaching, high expectations, and safe schools.

Mimi: Do the students do teacher evaluations?

Bob: Not for individual teachers. We do ask students in grades 3 to 12, as part of our annual strategic-planning work with help from Penn State’s Center for Evaluation and Educational Policy Analysis, for feedback on many aspects of their experiences. Additionally, we administer a survey in grades 5, 8, and 11 regarding drug and alcohol abuse and around bullying and other social and emotional issues. The most important work relates to how our teachers and principals utilize this information to help us get a little bit better.

Mimi: The more you talk, the more I realize how complex your job is.

Bob: We want to know what students think because they are why we are here.

Mimi: They are our future.

Bob: Yes, we exist in our district because of those kids, so we want to hear from them. We also ask our teachers and administrators to share thinking with our district, and then we are able to break it down for every building, as well.

This summer, I’ll spend a few days with all of our principals working through that feedback.

We’ve gotten some help from a fellow at the university, Ed Fuller. He heads up the Penn State Center for Evaluation. He’s very talented, and he’s really helped us to take a look at thinking around the four instructional pillars that came through strategic planning, one of

them trust. If you don’t have a classroom where there is trust, how are you going to ask kids to take a risk? All the people who went through our strategic-planning process said we need to have high expectations and responsive teaching for all kids. And the fourth one relates to safety.

So we asked for feedback around those four pillars that create this framework for decisionmaking. What we are hoping to do within this three-year period is to use the feedback to help our school district improve.

Mimi: On behalf of the entire community, I want to thank you for how seriously you take the responsibility for every one of these kids to get the best shot they can.

What can we the public do to help?

Bob: We work on telling our story because we want the community to understand what we are working on, what we are struggling with. The involvement of the community staying engaged with us is invaluable, whether it’s coming into the schools or lending their expertise and time to help us steer the district.

We have a sizable number of community members who serve on advisory committees — we really do get a lot of support from a lot of people who don’t even have kids in the schools. I can tell you that this high school project, although it’s been a big part of my efforts since I’ve arrived, isn’t the most important part. During the next three years, my primary commitment will be to the kids in the high school, to ensure that they’re going to have a wonderful experience. We have a construction project that’s going to happen on our high school campus — it’s not a high school campus that is on a construction site; that’s not how we’re viewing it. Consequently, we’ve restructured priorities so that Scott DeShong, our high school principal, and his team have extra support to manage all the changes that are going to happen. We want our principal and the teachers to be in classrooms and hallways between classes. We don’t want them to be tied up with the construction-management team of that project while school is in session. The teachers need to be focused on their kids, so that’s a challenge. Our community resources have really helped us. Our community experts on facilities that serve on our advisory committee for facilities and grounds have really helped us with this high school project. My expertise is not in mechanical systems, so we have some physical-plant experts from the university, men and women who are looking under the hood, monitoring the design

of our entire project. I’ve seen that it has taken a whole community to support the district’s growth and success, and I really appreciate that.

Mimi: Do you have any closing remarks?

Bob: The past four years have really flown by. When my wife and I made the decision to move here, we had hoped that it would be a rich experience with our kids, and it has been.

Our kids are really having a wonderful time in the schools and in the community, and it really revolves around people. It’s very rewarding.

There’s no question I’ve had a few ups and downs on this journey, but we’re really enjoying the ride.

I am very thankful to our board for bringing my family and me to State College, and I’m excited for our school district community’s future.

Mimi: Thank you for your candor, and I wish you only good things as you have all sorts of construction going on around the place, but we’ll get through it and be better for having done it.

Bob: Thank you for being here with me and thanks for all of your active involvement in our community because you make a difference. You’re welcome any time to come talk to our students and share your leadership experiences and insight.

Mimi: Thank you! T&G

2015 August T&G - 113

State College Photo Club’s

Winning Photos

The State College Photo Club provides photo enthusiasts with the opportunity to share their passion for photography with others and an environment for learning and developing new skills. The club welcomes individuals from amateurs to professionals. One of the club’s activities is to hold a monthly competition. Town&Gown is pleased to present the winning images from the club’s competition.

Shown this month are the first- and second-place winners from the annual meeting competition held in May. Each month, eight photos win in judged competition: four place in the theme category and four place in the open category. All photos from June through March were presented to the annual-meeting judge, Ann Kuskowski, who shared her thoughts on each of the photos and chose the “best of the best.”

“Dogbane Leaf Beetle” by Patti Worden

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Annual Meeting First Place

“This iridescent beetle posed just right for this shot. Taken at Pine Creek in late July 2014 with a Sony a6000, 100mm macro lens, and ring flash. ”

“Sam” by Linda Hale Annual Meeting Second Place

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“Portrait taken of my neighbor out of doors but with a flash on the left side of his face. It caught his eyes at just the right angle, while illuminating his full beard. ”

A copy of many photos taken by the State College Photo Club may be obtained with a $75 contribution to the Salvation Army of Centre County. Contact Captain Charles Niedermeyer at (814) 861-1785 and let him know which image you would like. You can select any size up to 11 inches wide.

The State College Photo Club meets on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Foxdale Village Auditorium. Guests and new members are always welcome.

Visit statecollegephotoclub.org for more information about how to join.

114 - T&G August 2015

Darren Andrew Weimert

T& G

snapshot

Music to Her Ears Children’s choir director finds strength and inspiration from the youthful voices she leads

By Kendal Higdon In February, Nittany Valley Children’s Choir founder and director Lou Ann Shafer suffered a stroke and was in recovery for two months. While her strength and mobility became very different than what she had been used to, she remained inspired and motivated to keep directing the choir because of how much she loves working with the children.

“I never tire of hearing their voices. Working with the children was part of my therapy,” she says.

A week after her stroke, the choir went to Salt Lake City to perform, but she was not able to attend. However, right before the choir performed, Shafer’s daughter, Sarah, who had filled in for her at the last minute, created a moment that Shafer will always remember.

“My daughter ‘facetimed’ me, and it was amazing to see the choir ready to go,” she says. “They then carried on and had an amazing performance.”

Shafer earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from Oberlin College. She says music and singing have always been a big part of her life.

“I am a lifelong singer. I was not a voice major, but I love singing. I always sang in choirs. It is a natural part of me.” she says.

In 1997, she and her husband, Dr. Timothy Shafer, founded Nittany Valley Children’s Choir. She says she felt that there was no place for her children to be able to sing in a choir with good technique, so she and her husband decided to create a community children’s choir.

As director, she has many different duties, including choosing music, coordinating rehearsals, and finding places for the choir to perform. The choir serves all of Centre County and is split into three levels — White Choir, which is for ages 5 to 7; Blue Choir, ages 8 to 18; and Concordia Singers, an auditioned ensemble for ages 8 to 18. As the founder and director, Shafer oversees all three levels.

While there have been many highlights since the choir began, three stand out the most to Shafer.

“First, being able to expand and divide the children into different choirs. Second, being selected to sing at special events. And third, seeing a child start singing at age 4 and guiding their musical growth through elementary, 116 - T&G August 2015

Lou Ann Shafer

middle school, and high school is a great privilege,” she says. “Seeing their development is really amazing.”

Other highlights include the Concordia Singers singing at the American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Chicago, the choir performing with the Nittany Valley Symphony, and taking the choir to sing the world premiere of Mass of the Divine Shepherd by Julian Revie at Carnegie Hall in June. The great accomplishments make Shafer proud to be the choir’s director.

“I am proud of the excellence we have been able to achieve. I hold them to a high standard because I know they can be held to that standard,” she says. “Also, our particular sound is a very healthy sound for children — beautiful, pure, blended — accomplished through vocal training and attention to detail.”

And hearing all the children’s unique sounds come together is the best part of Shafer’s job.

“They are like a field of wild flowers,” she says. “Each child brings their own personality and sound, and when I hear how they come together into one sound, it is wonderful!” T&G For more information about the Nittany Valley Children’s Choir, visit nittanyvalleychildrenschoir.org.

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