Town & Gown Feb 2013

Inside: Special “Business Forward” section • SCASD school board president has “Lunch with Mimi”

FEBRUARY 2013

FREE

townandgown.com

The

Most Amazing

Heart Thanks to an organ donor, Dana Hardy has a new heart and, with it, a new life

IF IT’S HAPPENING IN HAPPY VALLEY, IT’S IN TOWN&GOWN

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®

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Features 28 / The Most Amazing Heart Dana Hardy lived more than half of her life knowing she had a heart that was failing her. Finally, thanks to an organ donor, she received a new heart last fall and, with it, a new life • by David Pencek

36 / Office Romances Some husband-and-wife couples are not only enjoying their successful marriages but also successful careers together • by Amy King

80 / Populating the Talent Pool Businesses in Centre County strive to keep graduates from leaving the area by promoting the local opportunities and experiences that are open to them • by Aimee Morgan

88 / A Past to Protect, A Future to Plan Bellefonte’s strong connection to its history has been marred in recent years with fires destroying some of its most famous buildings.

Now, the town looks to continue to maintain a strong hold on its proud heritage while also creating exciting possibilities for tomorrow • by Rebekka Coakley

47 / Special Section: Business Forward Town&Gown’s annual look at some of the businesses and people who are shaping Centre County’s economy

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 2013 by Barash Media. All rights reserved.

Send address changes to Town&Gown, Box 77, State College, PA 16804. 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. www.townandgown.com

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Town&Gown February

A State College & Penn State tradition since 1966.

Publisher Rob Schmidt Founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith Editorial Director David Pencek Creative Director/Photographer John Hovenstine Operations Manager/Assistant Editor Vilma Shu Danz Graphic Designer/Photographer Darren Weimert Graphic Designer Amy Schmalz Account Executives Kathy George, Debbie Markel

Departments 8 10 20 22 24 44 94 97 103 104 107 119 123 124

Business Manager Aimee Aiello

Letter From The Editor Starting Off On Center: Hitler’s Daughter About Town: Memorial Field and park area enhance State College’s uniqueness Health & Wellness: Fight against the flu This Month on WPSU Penn State Diary: The library evolution What’s Happening Guide to Advertisers From the Vine: Sonoma Valley wines Taste of the Month/Dining Out: Bella Sicilia Lunch with Mimi: Penni Fishbaine State College Photo Club’s Photos of the Month Snapshot: Carlos Wiley

Cover Photo: Photo by John Hovenstine

Advertising Coordinator Bikem Oskin Administrative Assistant Gigi Rudella Distribution Handy Delivery, Tom Neff Senior Editorial Consultant Witt Yeagley Intern Sarah Olah (Editorial)

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.

www.townandgown.com 6 - Town&Gown February 2013

letter from the editor

A Day to Replay Dreams of a perfect 24 hours Admittedly, I had a difficult time figuring out what to write for this space this month.

There’s the ever-reliable Valentine’s Day, but been there, done that already. There’s Presidents’ Day, but we just got through such a divisive campaign to elect — or, in this case, reelect — one that I think we can all use a little break from politics.

I considered the Super Bowl, but since neither the Cowboys (my favorite team) nor the Eagles nor Steelers (likely one is your favorite team) are in the big game, why bother?

Then, a friend mentioned Groundhog Day. It wasn’t the big festival in Punxsutawney that I thought of but rather the classic movie starring Bill Murray. Perfect! I began to think — if I could come up with the perfect day, the one that I’d live over and over again, what would it be?

The day starts with my wife and son (and our other son or daughter who will be arriving in June) saying how wonderful I am and how I should just stay in bed longer while they cook a full breakfast for me — eggs, pancakes, bacon, coffee … the works!

Excellent!

After that hearty morning meal, the four of us pile into an RV and head to Beaver Stadium. It’s a beautiful fall afternoon — maybe a sweatshirt is needed, but nothing heavier than that. The parking usher says, “No sir, no need to give us money for parking.

And you can park right near the stadium. And when the game is over and you’re ready to leave, we’ll make sure you don’t have to wait in traffic.”

Outstanding!

I set up my mega-sized grill and throw on vari-

ous meat products — chicken, brats, burgers. All my family and friends are there having a good time talking, eating and drinking, maybe tossing a football around. Music by Jimmy Buffett or Kenny Chesney is playing, and a television outside the RV is showing another college football game. A good time is had by all.

We enter the stadium and the seat usher says, “No sir, your seats are now at the 50-yard line. And just let us know if you need any food or beverages — and you even have your own private bathroom.”

Wonderful!

We proceed to watch Penn State have an offensive explosion and beat the Urban Meyer-led Ohio State Buckeyes, 63-14 (a la 1994), to remain undefeated and keep its national title hopes alive (oh yeah, earlier in the day, Mark Emmert decides to apologize for overstepping his authority and lifts all sanctions against Penn State). After the game, Bill O’Brien announces that he’s sticking around for another year or two or three.

We head out to the parking lot to celebrate and tailgate some more before making our way home.

That evening, my wife and kids sit down with me on our couch and we watch Groundhog Day together. We fall asleep … and the day starts again.

So, to recap — friends, family, football, Happy Valley — what could be more perfect than that?

Of course, if I could have a second day I might want to be at the beach.

David Pencek Editorial Director dpenc@barashmedia.com

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starting off

Chris Morelli

What’s

New

Sue Paterno Kids gather at Holuba Hall for the free youth soccer clinic that Penn State’s soccer teams held in honor of Mack Brady.

Youth soccer clinic benefits scholarship fund Penn State’s soccer programs held a free youth soccer clinic in January that benefitted a scholarship fund honoring 8-year-old Mack Brady, who passed away on December 31 from a sudden bacterial infection.

Mack, the son of Christian and Elizabeth Brady, was an avid soccer fan and his dream was to play keeper for the Nittany Lions and US National team. Soon after their son’s passing, Christian, who is dean of the Schreyer Honors College, and Elizabeth, a lecturer in Penn State’s communication arts & sciences department, looked to establish a scholarship in honor of Mack for a member of Penn State’s men’s soccer team. Donations that were received at the soccer clinic went toward the scholarship fund.

The clinic raised $4,000, and, as of midJanuary, more than $60,000 had been raised toward the scholarship.

Christian Brady told the Centre County Gazette, “I have a feeling that we’ll be working with Penn State in the future to do more clinics.

This has been a humbling experience and we’re thankful that Mack’s name will live on.”

Contributions toward the scholarship may be made online at http://givenow.psu.edu or by sending a check, payable to Penn State with “In

memory of Mack Brady” in the memo line, to: Penn State University, One Old Main, University Park, PA 16802.

Spikes name new manager Former St. Louis Cardinals farmhand and second-year minor league manager Oliver Marmol was named the new manager of the State College Spikes. Marmol made his professional managerial debut in 2012 with the rookie-level Johnson City Cardinals. He led the team to the playoffs in the Appalachian League.

Cardinals farm director John Vuch said of Marmol, “In a very short period of time, he has displayed tremendous baseball knowledge and expertise, but equally important is the leadership that he exhibits.”

The Spikes begin their season June 17 when they host Williamsport. The team holds its annual Spikefest February 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Penn State’s Multi-Sport Facility.

Board elects new leadership At its meeting in mid-January, Penn State’s board of trustees elected Keith Masser, who ran unopposed, as its new chairman. He succeeds Karen Peetz. Masser is the chairman and CEO of Sterman Masser Inc., a family-owned and operated 5,000-acre potato growing, packing, and shipping company based in Central Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia-area lawyer Stephanie Deviney was elected vice chairwoman. She also ran unopposed.

Other business the board announced at its meeting included the 18 individuals who will make up the search committee for Penn State’s next president.

Also, the Intramural Building on Curtin Road will undergo a $26.1 million renovation and expansion starting in February. This project will be paid for primarily with University Park’s Student Facility Fee funds. The project will create an addition of 48,000 square feet. It is scheduled for completion in May 2014. T&G

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People in the

Community Tammy Gentzel

Centre County United Way executive director Tammy Gentzel was elected to serve on the board of the United Way of Pennsylvania.

Gentzel became the Centre County United Way director in 2010 when she replaced Ellie Beaver, who had retired earlier that year. Gentzel was raised in State College and graduated from Penn State in 1985.

United Way of Pennsylvania president Tony Ross said, “United Way of Pennsylvania is fortunate to have such a talented and distinguished individual as a member of our board. Tammy brings vast nonprofit experience that will benefit UWP and the United Way system.”

The United Way of Pennsylvania’s mission is to “assist and champion the efforts of local United Ways, provide statewide leadership on critical

issues, and cultivate partnerships beneficial to the United Way system in Pennsylvania.”

Rachelle Reynolds

Rachelle Reynolds, 24, of State College has won the Petite Miss Pennsylvania honor and will compete in the national pageant in May. The pageant is part of the Today’s American Woman pageant system, and the “petite” category is for women 5-feet-5 and under. Reynolds, who is 4-feet-9, told the Centre County Gazette that she was very excited to win.

“The fact that I get to represent Pennsylvania is very exciting,” she said.

Reynolds is a freelance photographer and enjoys volunteering for various community organizations, including PAWS.

Taylor Schram

Penn State Winter Sports Weekend rooms start as low as $46.00 per person, double occupancy, breakfast included!

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Taylor Schram, a junior on Penn State’s women’s soccer team, was named the Dapper Dan Sportswoman of the Year.

The award is presented to someone from the Pittsburgh area who has made the “most outstanding accomplishment in sports in the past year.”

Schram, who is from Canonsburg, helped the Nittany Lions reach the NCAA Championship match for the first time in program history. She scored five goals during the season and had an assist while splitting time between being a midfielder and forward.

She, along with Pittsburgh Pirate Andrew McCuthchen, who was named Sportsman of the Year, will be honored at the 77th Annual Dapper Dan Dinner on February 6.

Schram joins other Penn Staters who have received the Dapper Dan award, including Franco Harris (1977), Dick Hoak (1968), Suzie McConnell-Serio (1999), Kelly Mazzante (2003), Joe Paterno (1982 and 1998), and the women’s volleyball team (2009). T&G

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The new Accord is loaded with intelligent technology that’s intuitive and easy to use.

Stand Up To Breast Cancer

Check out the 7th annual Pink Zone on February 24 The Dix Honda Sales Team:

Bill Elder, Charlie Faris, Mike Shawley, Dave LeRoy, Rick Fisher

2796 W. College Avenue • State College, PA 16801 (814) 238-6711 www.dixhonda.com • Mon., Tues., Thurs. 8-8 • Wed., Fri. 8-5:30 • Sat. 9-3

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Q&A

Q&A with Katelyn Mullen, member of Penn State’s Student Alcohol Advisory Committee

By David Pencek Student drinking is always an issue in State College and Penn State, but it comes more to the forefront in February with students participating in State Patty’s Day — the student-created drinking “holiday.”

One group that has tried to curtail the high-risk student drinking that tends to occur that day is Penn State’s Student Alcohol Advisory Committee, which formed in 2010.

The committee provides advice and counsel on “university policies and practices relating to alcohol.”

Penn State junior Katelyn Mullen is in her second year of sitting on the committee. She is a representative for the University Park Undergraduate Association. The New Jersey native took some time to talk about the work the committee does and her opinions on State Patty’s Day. T&G: Why did you get involved with the advisory committee?

Mullen: I initially got involved in the committee because insuring safe alcohol use is something that is of the utmost importance, especially to the college-age population. From hearing about the

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committee through the Association of Residence Hall Students (ARHS), I took the initiative to sit on the committee to see how I can contribute to the group’s discussions.

T&G: What do you think is the attitude of Penn State students toward alcohol now compared to a few years ago?

Mullen: Compared to a couple of years ago, Penn State students are more cautious of the image of our institution. We, as a student body, are taking it upon ourselves to ensure that the world knows what it truly means to be a Penn Stater, which is far from the image that is often portrayed as a “party school.”

T&G: What’s your opinion of State Patty’s Day, and is the committee doing anything on that day?

Mullen: I take great pride in doing what is in the best interest of the Penn State students. With that being said, State Patty’s Day is not in the best interest of the students. It has proven to bring in outside parties who have damaged our community and has overshadowed the amazing assets of Penn State. We plan on continuing our efforts that we did last year to help combat State Patty’s. They include talking to downtown vendors and retailers, along with beer distributors. The students in the Student Alcohol Advisory Committee will be discouraging friends from visiting that weekend as well.

T&G: Is it difficult to be a college student and talk about alcohol awareness?

Mullen: It is not a difficult task to talk about alcohol awareness. Being a college student does not alter the gravity of the fact that alcohol abuse can have detrimental effects on everyone, no matter what your age. If anything, being a college student makes it easier because I can engage with other students about these issues and feel comfortable since they are my peers. T&G

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Looking Back Centre County history through the pages of Town&Gown February 1985 “Glory Days of the Hotel Markland” looked back on the Bellefonte establishment that was the “closest bar to the Pennsylvania State College.” The Markland Hotel’s Green Room was the first and only bar in Bellefonte when Prohibition ended. “Merv Griffin and the other talk-show hosts talk about their guests being in the Green Room backstage — heck, we had the Green Room before television,” said Mort Abelson, who took over as manager of the Markland in 1931.

1995 “Going Organic” featured some of the local farmers who had become leaders in the organic movement that was starting to gain momentum.

John Blaisure, an organic farmer at Seldom Seen Farm in Julian, said, “The real cost of chemical farm production is pollution and soil depletion. …

Plus, the food is days old by the time the consumer gets it. Some of the nutritional value is lost to time.

So in chemical farming, the consumer is not only getting chemical residues, they’re also getting fewer nutrients.”

2009 A candy that tastes great and is good for you. That’s what “The Power (and Benefits) of Chocolate” covered. In addition to spotlighting local chocolate makers, Town&Gown talked with medical professionals about how a little chocolate can do the body good. “It’s a pleasant way to get antioxidants into your body,” said Sheila West, associate professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State. “There are many sugar-free dark chocolates that would give you the antioxidants at a reduced calorie level.” T&G 16 - Town&Gown February 2013

The Chamber of Business & Industry Centre County and Kish Travel present:

Irish Splendor

October 29 - November 5,

Tour highlights:

• Round-trip motorcoach transportation from Central PA • Round-trip flights from Philadelphia • Airport transfers at the start and end of the tour • 8-day tour of Ireland: Dublin, Guiness Storehouse, Blarney Castle, Killarney, Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Moher, Ashford Castle, and more!

• 9 meals: 6 breakfasts, 3 dinners

2610 Green Tech Drive | State College | 814-861-6060 115 S. Main Street | Lewistown | 717-242-1465 9471 William Penn Highway | Huntingdon | 814-643-5240

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This Month On townandgown.com

Anthony Clarvoe Sara Moulton

•

In 5 Questions, renowned chef Sara Moulton talks about WPSU’s annual Connoisseur’s Dinner, where she will be the featured chef. Plus, Moulton’s recipe for sautéed beer batter shrimp with tartar sauce.

•

Blogs on sports, entertainment, and more.

•

A coupon offer from Bella Sicilia.

•

Order copies of Town&Gown’s Penn State sports annuals.

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

And follow us on Twitter at TownGown1.

214 E College Ave State College, PA 16801

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Ph: (814) 308-8404 www.p2p-pc.com

Captain Reception, Thursday, May 30 Individual tickets availalble

17th Annual Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Tournament Friday, May 31st at the Penn State Blue and White Golf Courses • One of the top golf events of the season in Pennsylvania • More than 350 golfers participate annually • Great participation gifts and competition prizes • All the food you can eat on and off the course • Penn State coaches, former stars, and celebrities from across the sports world • Morning and Afternoon tee times available • Signature event for Penn State Coaches vs. Cancer organization which has raised more than $1.9 million to fight cancer.

14th Annual CvC 5K Run/Walk Date: Saturday, March 16, 2013, 11:00 AM Address: Intramural Building (East Lawn), University Park, PA 16802 Registration: Online at www.cvcpsu.com Registration fee is $15 or $18(timed race) which includes: • Race entrance • Free t-shirt to first 200 participants • All-you-can-eat Spaghetti Dinner on March 16th • An extensive selection of refreshments following the race *100% of the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society

Visit cvcpsu.com to register

on center

Morality Play Australia’s Monkey Baa Theatre for Young People performs Hitler’s Daughter

By John Mark Rafacz

What would it be like to be the daughter of the most hated man in history?

A play for older children, coming to Penn State’s Eisenhower Auditorium March 17, poses powerful questions about a frightening period in history and compels audiences to examine moral issues in relation to society’s fears and prejudices.

Based on a novel by Jackie French and adapted /performed by Australia’s Monkey Baa Theatre for Young People, Hitler’s Daughter tells the tale of four children — Mark, Ben, Anna, and Tracey.

As the friends wait for the school bus on a stormy morning, Anna tells the imagined tale of Heidi, the disfigured daughter of Adolph Hitler, who is caught in the chaos of World War II and hidden, out of shame, by her infamous father.

The play, described as “emotive and gripping”

by Australian Jewish News, switches between Nazi Germany and contemporary Australia as Mark becomes engrossed in the story. As the play unfolds, he seeks answers from his friends, parents, and teacher. His search for truth helps him to begin to understand the ways of the world. Could Heidi have stopped the atrocities of war, genocide, and hate her father waged? Would Mark have acted differently in Heidi’s place?

The play reaches its climax with the bombing of Berlin, the fall of the Third Reich, and the loss of Heidi’s innocence.

The Australian media praises the production. “The journey was spellbinding,” writes a reviewer for The Gladstone Observer. “Evocative and entertaining … deft and poignant,” notes a critic for the Launceston Review. A writer for Low Down Magazine observes that Hitler’s Daughter features “wonderful performances. … It stayed with me for weeks.”

Based in Sydney, Monkey Baa (as in monkey bar pronounced by an Aussie) has achieved critical acclaim and enjoys an international reputation for producing quality programs for young audiences.

Three actors — Tim McGarry, Sandie El-

Australia’s Monkey Baa Theatre for Young People will present Hitler’s Daughter March 17 at Eisenhower Auditorium.

dridge, and Eva Di Cesare — created Monkey Baa in 1997. The company engages young people as audience members at touring productions and through workshop programs. Monkey Baa has produced and toured a dozen shows.

Hitler’s Daughter is the company’s most acclaimed production. At home in Australia it earned the Helpmann Award for best children’s presentation and the Drover Award for touring excellence.

Monkey Baa’s appearance at the Center for the Performing Arts is part of a 10-week tour of the United States. T&G Hitler’s Daughter is recommended for children age 10 and older. The McQuaide Blasko Endowment sponsors the performance. Artistic Viewpoints, not Kids Connections, will be offered one hour before the show and is free for ticket holders. For more information or 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.

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about town

Field of Distinction

Memorial Field and park area enhance State College’s uniqueness

Steve Tressler/Vista Professional Studios

By Nadine Kofman

Memorial Field is one of the more unique landmarks in State College.

It’s hard to believe, but there was a time when State College wasn’t known to everyone. Years ago, I went into a city store and, taking my purchase to the cash register, was asked pleasantly and practically where I was from. “State College,” I replied. “But which state college?,” came the rejoinder. A fine Pennsylvanian he was!

Those who live here or who’ve visited this municipality know it’s unusual. For one thing, new arrivals shouldn’t look for a historic statue or a town square, as found in most Pennsylvania towns. How is the town identified? For shutterbugs and painters, the historic Hotel State College with its Corner Room is the town’s Old Main. That’s a heavy weight to put on a hotel/restaurant.

Some who helped in 1996 to give the town its pig statues — for the centennial of the borough’s incorporation — thought that porcine family, installed near the Tavern Restaurant, might become a State College signature, just as the Nittany Lion statue is for Penn State. I remember concluding a Centre Daily Times column at the time: “And the lion and the ham shall lie down together.”

In this unusual burg, a big green space is close to the downtown, just a few blocks from the Allen Street/College Avenue heart. Unlike a Central Park, this green space — Memorial Field — is used primarily during football season.

The parklet on the hillside above it, today’s

Friedman Park, was a school playground in a previous life — when I was a kindergartener-throughfourth-grader at the Fraser or Frazier Street Elementary School (the old Grade School). The school, erected in 1897 and enlarged in 1905, was perched where the post office is now.

“State College is our town. That is why we are attached to it,” begins a nearly 90-year-old booklet produced in 1925 by the former State College Chamber of Commerce. On its title page, the Our Town booklet proclaimed, “State College — The ideal residence town and home of The Pennsylvania State College.” (Penn State wouldn’t become a university until 1953.)

Town and gown, it pointed out, “have grown up together” on their respective sides of a mud thoroughfare, then a paved one. They shared a postal identity. “The first post office address was ‘Farm School, Boalsburg.’ ” Unsurprisingly, the first post office, opened in 1860, was in Old Main.

Growth was rapid –— “from 425 (residents in 1900) to 3,500 in 25 years.”

In an unassailable projection, the chamber of commerce expected that “The TOWN, as well as the College, is going to keep on growing. Neither is content to stand still. We are confident that the next 20 years will witness even greater progress than the last 20 years.”

Fast growth has made it “very difficult to

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finance civic improvements,” read the booklet.

Therefore, “We would like to lay a broad foundation for the city that is to be.” Deficiencies in infrastructure were mentioned; a civic center was recommended. Guess where.

“The central school area” — three schools surrounded what became Memorial Field — “is the natural civic center of the town. It is centrally located and is unique, in that it has a natural amphitheater — ‘The Hollow.’ … It can and should be developed, eventually, into a stadium.”

For some time, the field had been used for play by all ages. The chamber saw The Hollow as primarily a school playground (adjacent was the 1924 Grammar School, which became the Nittany Avenue Elementary School and is now the school district’s central office). It also should be “an athletic field, with facilities for baseball, football, and track.”

(The Hollow, also referred to generally as “the sinkhole,” was, once upon a time, used by some as a garbage dump.)

In the sweeping chamber plan, “The proposed Community Building closes Foster Avenue. …”

This would be “desirable, as a matter of safety to the children, if for no other reason.”

The “about $100,000” Community Building would have brought together an array of activi-

ties, one of which isn’t as mainstream as it once was: “an auditorium seating 700, a library” — the town’s was then in the Grade School — “reading rooms, rooms for the meetings of such organizations as the Woman’s Club, Parent Teachers’ Association, American Legion, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A., together with gymnasium, pool room, and other recreational features. A swimming pool is an ultimate goal. …”

Of course, that was never built.

The playing field was dedicated as Memorial Field in 1946, honoring members and former members of State College Area High School who died during World Wars I and II. It was later extended to include fallen State High veterans of all wars.

Over the years, problems with The Hollow have popped up, as they have recently. Notwithstanding the occasional sinking of a section, plus the interest by some in having the high school football field elsewhere, Memorial Field is certainly one of the distinctive features of this area.

In how many small cities would you be able to point out that the high school stadium is close to the downtown? T&G Nadine Kofman is a native Centre Countian and historian.

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health & wellness

Fight Against the Flu This year’s influenza season has already hit some hard — and the worst may be yet to come

By Cara McShane

Achiness throughout the body. Weakness and fatigue. A sore throat and cough, and a burning fever. One or all of these are familiar to most of us, and we know that the dreadful part of winter — also known as flu season — is upon us. Although flu season got an unusually early start this past fall, that doesn’t mean it is too late to keep yourself from catching this viral villain.

You can still take precautions so that you don’t end up suffering from the infection, which requires much more stress and pain to battle once you get it than what can be done ahead of time to avoid it altogether.

“Typically, influenza activity in Pennsylvania picks up in mid-January and peaks in February,” Marlene Stetson RN, CIC, infection-control coordinator at Mount Nittany Medical Center, says, “but flu seasons are unpredictable, and this

year is a little different than most.”

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, influenza cases accelerated in midDecember and have yet to peak. According to Stetson, the number of influenza cases locally more than doubled between December 17 and 26. Most of the cases at the medical center have been for people under the age of 30, and about half of those are under 10 years old.

Because the worst is yet to come, we still have time to safeguard ourselves from catching the undesirable infection. Topping the list, according to Evan Bell, MD, infectious disease, Mount Nittany Physician Group, is getting a flu shot.

While it is important for everyone to take health precautions, it’s also important to be aware of who is at the greatest risk of catching the flu. Stetson says that young children, pregnant women, people 65 years and older, and those with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart or lung disease are all at greater risk for complications associated with the flu.

Stetson agrees with Bell, saying, “The first and most important strategy is to get a flu shot.

The Center for Disease Control recommends that everyone who qualifies should receive the flu vaccine each year.”

Although many adults assume that children are more susceptible to catching the flu, Stetson recommends that both children and adults receive the vaccine.

“This year’s vaccine has been tailored to fight the virus strains that are most likely to cause the most illness during the upcoming season,” she says.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the seasonal influenza vaccine contains antigens to three influenza viruses — two influenza A viruses, H3N2 and H1N1 (seasonal influenza), and one influenza B virus. Strains are chosen each year based on what viruses are predicted to cause illness. This means that each year’s seasonal flu vaccine caters to what is expected in the coming season.

24 - Town&Gown February 2013

“The CDC reports that this year’s vaccine is well-matched,” Stetson says.

While that is good news and indicates that the vaccine is a good preventive method, there also are other small lifestyle changes that can make a big difference at the end of the day.

“Simply put, clean your hands,” Stetson says.

“Washing with soap and water or using a hand rub helps prevent the spread of germs, including the flu, the common cold, and many other infections, too.”

Bell says that every time people touch objects that others have touched in a public place such as shopping carts at the grocery store they should wash their hands afterward.

Stetson stresses the importance of avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, especially if you have been exposed to illness.

“That’s how some germs enter your body,” she says. “It is also important to cover your mouth

and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

If you don’t have time to grab a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or upper arm, and not into your hands.”

While it may seem obvious, avoiding close contact with others when they are sick also is emphasized. And do the favor for your friends, family, and colleagues and avoid close contact with others when you are sick!

“Don’t go to work, and don’t go to school,” Bell says. “It’s a contagious disease.”

While the flu is a point of concern at this time of year, one also must be aware that other respiratory viruses, including the common cold, are circulating during the winter months. Bacterial infections such as strep throat also are common. By paying attention to small lifestyle habits, you can help keep yourself and your family and friends healthier during the winter season. T&G

25 - Town&Gown February 2013

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The Most Amazing Heart

Dana Hardy lived more than half of her life knowing she had a heart that was failing her. Finally, thanks to an organ donor, she received a new heart last fall and, with it, a new life

By David Pencek

28 - Town&Gown February 2013

The call Dana Hardy had waited more than 2-1/2 years for came at 2 a.m. October 16. The ringing phone quickly woke up her and her husband, Matt. Matt answered, and the person calling relayed the news — “They told me they were going to take a look at a heart that could be a match for Dana,” Matt Hardy says.

Contributed photos (5)

to be okay,” she says. “I wasn’t afraid. … It’s one of those things I didn’t want to think about too much. I didn’t have that kind of fear for my life.”

That’s not surprising given how Hardy has lived her whole life — for most of it she has known she had a heart condition that forced her, at a young age, to give up playing sports and running, things she loved to do. Through all the ordeals she’s had because of her enlarged heart, and additional problems she’s encountered because of a stroke she suffered seven years ago, she has maintained a Matt, admittedly still positive attitude and half-asleep, handed the outlook on life. phone to Dana and said, And that’s exactly “This is for you.” how she was in early It didn’t take long, January, sitting in her however, for Matt and kitchen, more than Dana to become fully two months after awake and get out of her successful heartbed. They woke their transplant surgery. two teenage children, “My body is still put their already-packed trying to adjust,” b a g s i n t h e c a r, a n d she says. “The hards t ar t e d t h e t r ip fr o m est part is the meditheir State College cine, especially the home to Philadelphia prednisone. … One and the University of of the medications Pennsylvania Hospital, makes me shake. I’ll where Dana needed to have that the rest of be at 6 a.m. for a possible my life. … I can deal heart-transplant surgery. with that.”

Yes, possible. Because She must deal even after receiving the with other things phone call, the Hardys too, such as traveling had been told that there to Philadelphia for was still a 50-50 chance that the heart for Dana, Dana after her heart-transplant surgery in October a biopsy every two who had been diagnosed when she received a new heart at the University of weeks. Right after the surgery, she had with a heart-muscle dis- Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. to have a biopsy evease 23 years before when she was 15 and put on a donor-waiting list in ery week, but those procedures have and will 2010, wouldn’t be a match. Also, there was the become less frequent as time passes and her possibility that Dana’s body would reject the body continues to show no signs of rejecting the heart and, of course, other issues can arise dur- heart. She also has had to wait a few months before doctors would allow her to drive again. ing a transplant surgery.

Of course, like the medications that make None of it, however, worried Dana Hardy.

“I didn’t think about it. I knew it was going her shake a little, those are minor things to deal

29 - Town&Gown February 2013

with now that she has a new life with a new heart.

Eventually, she hopes, she will be allowed to run again. It’s something she hasn’t been able to do since she collapsed during a practice as a member of the Penns Valley track team. After a series of tests and procedures, she was diagnosed with an enlarged hearth muscle and a resulting ventricular arrhythmia.

At first, doctors thought a virus had attacked her heart muscle and left it scarred and enlarged. A few years ago, Dana says, doctors told her it was more likely a genetic heart disease.

Regardless of the reasons, Dana had a heart that didn’t contract and expand properly, and left her at risk of sudden death due to cardiac arrest.

“The hardest part was it took away my sports and exercising,” she says. “But I was able to make peace with that. In college, I always had some issues, and was in and out of hospitals.”

Dana and Matt, who have known each other since high school, even though Matt attended school in Bellefonte, both went to Penn State and graduated in 1996. Dana graduated from Penn State’s nursing program. She most recently worked for Bayada pediatrics, where she provided

Dana enjoys time with her daughter, Addy, in July.

“I want to make sure there’s more donor awareness out there.

It took me all that time. If people would only give.” home health care. She hopes to be able to return to work in a year.

She and Matt married in 1996. Doctors had told her that she shouldn’t have children because of her heart condition. Still, she became pregnant in 1997.

“Having kids wasn’t planned. … But I’m not one of those people who think something bad is going to happen. That’s a good thing, I think.

My doctors might not say that,” she says laughing.

Doctors wouldn’t let Dana go into labor, and instead induced her, and she had her son, Carter. Then, two years later, she gave birth to her daughter, Addy.

“I wanted another child,” Dana says. “They’re my blessings.”

A few years after her children were born, it became clear medications alone weren’t going to help her. At age 27, she had the first of two

surgeries where doctors implanted a pacemaker/ defibrillator device.

She and her family eventually moved to Virginia thanks to a job offer Matt had received.

While she still had her heart condition, her life had settled down — she was a wife, a mother, and a part-time registered-nurse supervisor.

Then, in 2005, she went to a dentist to have a tooth pulled and during the procedure, the dentist ripped her carotid artery. About a week later, she continued to feel some pain.

“I was talking with my sister and all of a sudden I could not talk,” she says. “Everything was garbled.”

She was taken to the hospital. The next day she couldn’t talk or walk, and she was paralyzed on her right side. She had suffered a stroke and it took her more than a year to regain her abilities. She still has some lingering effects from it, including numbness on her right side.

30 - Town&Gown February 2013

While she doesn’t know for sure, she believes the stroke also worsened her heart condition, and, in 2007, she had her second surgery where another pacemaker/defibrillator device was implanted — she had worn out the first device.

Two years later, she and her family returned to the area, settling in State College. Shortly after, doctors told Dana that she would need a heart transplant to survive. She was placed on the waiting list in March 2010.

Despite all that was going on inside her body, she was, outwardly, a picture of health and optimism.

“Even the day before my surgery, I walked three miles. I felt really good,” she says. “I kept myself healthy. I would go to the hospital and they looked at my numbers, and they said, ‘I don’t know how you are walking.’ I don’t know if it was God or just positive energy.”

Matt says Dana’s energy helped everyone around her deal with her situation better. “She just takes everything in stride,” he says. “I’m more of a pessimist maybe. She’s always the positive one. She comes at things with a positive outlook. Her positive outlook just makes it easier for everybody.”

In fact, what proved to be one of the more difficult things for Dana to do was to turn to her family, friends, and the community and ask for help. But after spending thousands of dollars on therapy after her stroke, and with hospital bills, paying for medicine, and various expenses (gas, lodging, etc.) from her trips to the hospital in Philadelphia, Dana knew that she and her family needed some financial help.

While it was difficult for her and Matt to ask for assistance, it wasn’t difficult for people to respond. New York-based comedian Mike Vecchione, who attended Penn State and is a friend of Matt’s, gave a performance at the State Theatre in October 2011 that raised funds for the Hardy family. Happy Valley Mini-Golf held a fundraising mini-golf event. Addy Hardy’s gymnastics school, Centre Elite Gymnastics, did a Top, Matt and Dana 5K fundraising race. The at a fundraiser for daughter of one of Dana’s the Palmer Museum friends from high school put together a cookbook of Art in March 2012. Bottom, the and sold it to raise money.

“It was amazing how Hardy family visits wonderful the people are Ellis Island in here!” Dana says.

October 2011.

31 - Town&Gown February 2013

Addy (far left) enjoys some ice cream with (from left) Alyssa Kramer, Camryn Longenecker, Catelin Longenecker, and Morgan Taylor after the 5K run Centre Elite Gymnastics and Penn State Kinesiology Club held in March 2012 in support of the Hardy family.

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32 - Town&Gown February 2013

• • • The only thing Dana remembers from those first few days after she woke up from her surgery was giving the thumbs-up sign to her family. Matt says Dana would squeeze his hand and try to smile.

She was unable to talk.

“It took me three days to kind of be aware of what had happened,” she says. “Everybody kept asking me, ‘How do you feel?’ I didn’t know how to respond. How are you supposed to feel after you get a heart transplant?”

Matt says Dana’s doctor came to him and told him that Dana’s former heart was in bad shape and she probably wouldn’t have lasted much longer with it.

“She had been living with it for so long, I guess she compensated in ways to make it work for her,” Matt says.

Dana stayed in the hospital for two weeks — the stay was prolonged a little when doctors had noticed that some fluid had filled part of the area around her new heart and it had to be drained. On October 30, she was discharged and, a few hours later, back home.

Maria Molina, one of six heart-transplant nurse practitioners who sees Dana, says Dana’s functional ca-

pacity is back to “baseline preheart failure symptoms.”

Dana has no idea where the heart came from — that’s how it works with organ transplants. She is to write a “generic” letter thanking the person’s family for the heart she received. A social worker she works with will deliver the letter to the donor family’s social worker.

“It’s kind of sad,” she says. “You want to be able to say Thank you! … But you realize they lost somebody they loved.”

She has become an advocate for organ donation, and gives talks to classes and groups of people whenever she can, including doing a seminar about donor awareness in April.

“I’m so thankful — I want to give back,” she says. “I want to make sure there’s more donor awareness out there. It took me all that time. If people would only give. It’s just amazing that medicine can do this now!”

Another goal of hers — more on a personal level — is to hike Mount Nittany. When she and her family had moved back here, they went for a hike. While her husband and kids easily made it to the top, she had to stop every few steps because she had trouble breathing. “I want to do that now without any issues,” she says.

Centre HomeCare, InC. & Centre CrossIngs HospICe DInner gala with a Master Hypnotist Show featuring Michael Blaine.

Friday, March 22, 2013 at Celebration Hall, 2280 Commercial Blvd., State College Dinner 6:30 p.m. & Show 8 p.m.

Michael Blaine is a wonderfully dynamic Stage Hypnotist. He has hypnotized countless persons throughout the country. You will be amazed and delighted as you see volunteers allow themselves to go under his amazing control. His captivating shows will leave you begging for more as his subjects' minds are given a license to perform. Come and see for yourself the magic of the mind.

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For more information and sponsorship opportunities, contact Ellen Weaver at 814-237-7400 by February 18.

33 - Town&Gown February 2013

John Hovenstine

Dana enjoys being back at home with her family (from left, Addy, Matt, and Carter) and her new heart.

While many organ-transplant recipients battle some forms of depression due to a number of issues, including “survivor’s guilt” and the amount of medicines they now must take, Dana is looking at life with her new heart the same way she looked at life with her old one — with hope and optimism.

“I look at the glass as half full, not empty,”

she says. “There’s a lot of bad things going on with violence and people dying. I have a chance to live. How lucky am I! … Each time I think about it, I’m here because of somebody’s gift to me.” T&G For more information on organ donation, visit donatelife.net.

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John Hovenstine (3)

After their wedding and respective residencies, doctors Brian and Chastity McCleary decided to practice family medicine together. They opened State College Family Medicine in 2004.

36 - Town&Gown February 2013

office

romances Some husband-and-wife

couples successful

are not only enjoying

theirsuccessful marriages but also

careers together

By Amy King

It’s no secret that work relations can be complicated. Disagreements are bound to happen, even in the most optimal of environments. But what if your dispute happens with the one person who knows you best? If your business partner also is your partner in life?

Working with your spouse: the notion is sure to be regarded as a nontraditional approach by many, making it more complex to operate under what are usually considered customary work circumstances. But for others, it’s simply their life, their routine, their normal.

Several local couples represent a growing trend where they are not only together at home but also in the workforce. As they attest, it’s not always easy — but they wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Doctors Brian and Chastity McCleary met while in medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). After their wedding and respective residencies, both decided to practice family medicine. That outcome made the question of working together 37 - Town&Gown February 2013

feasible and much easier to answer.

“We entertained the idea of working for somebody else …” Brian begins, “… but then we decided to venture in a practice for ourselves,” Chastity finishes. They began pursuing that initiative in 2004, and they opened State College Family Medicine, located on West Aaron Drive, shortly thereafter.

Bruce and Kym Burke are co-owners of One on One, a fitness and personal-training facility,

Kym and Bruce Burke married a few years after Kym interned under Bruce. Together, they’ve made their personal-training business, One on One, a success.

in operation in State College since 1986 (at its current location on West Aaron Drive since 2004). One on One was in its initial stages showing great demand for cutting-edge fitness assessments, not to mention manpower, when Kym interned under Bruce. They were married

a few years later.

During the early development of the business, Bruce was confident that he had the potential to provide a service to people. Meeting Kym confirmed that belief. Her exercise-science background coupled with his innate strength of working with people, not to mention their combined work ethic and fortitude, has seen One on One prove itself as a great success, providing between 400 and 500 personal and group-training sessions and serving upward of 275 clients on a weekly basis.

Mike and Heather Benjamin are the owners of Benjamin’s Catering, which recently relocated

from Boalsburg to a larger facility with banquet capabilities in Pleasant Gap. They have been in business for six years, the inclination stemming from Heather’s brainstorm.

“Mike was working as the executive chef at the Centre Hills Country Club and I was at home, a little bored, on maternity leave,” Heather details. “The birth of our business was solely based around Mike’s talent. I wanted to introduce him to the community, and I thought we could be successful in doing so together.”

The idea was broached, and Mike, who had dreamed about owning a business in the food

38 - Town&Gown February 2013

Contributed photo

industry since before his culinary school days, was onboard.

Jeff Thompson and his wife, Rachelle, act, respectively, as the head coach and associate head coach of the Penn State women’s gymnastics team. Their personal relationship derived more than 20 years ago from their shared passion of the sport. When the timing was right, primarily based around family obligations, Rachelle joined Jeff full-time on the coaching front.

Through their own acknowledgement, their differing backgrounds — Rachelle brings her competitive prowess and know-how (as well as structure and organization) to the program while

Jeff and Rachelle Thompson are in their third season as head coach and associate head coach, respectively, of Penn State’s women’s gymnastics team.

Mike and Heather Benjamin started their own catering business six years ago, and recently moved to a larger facility in Pleasant Gap.

Jeff, with his biomechanics and engineering background, presents his knowledge in a more technical (and laid back) way — are what makes them a great team.

As these couples demonstrate on a daily basis, working with each other bolsters their relationships. Although their credentials greatly differ, one constant remains — they all love what they do and whom they’re working with as well.

• • • There are many rationales why working together is a great fit for these couples. One of the most prominent is how valuable it has been and continues to be for their families.

Heather Benjamin is quick to point out that familial benefits were a determining factor in her and Mike’s decision to open the catering business.

“I knew we would be putting in insane amounts of work, especially in the beginning, and I didn’t want to send my children to daycare.

When [firstborn] Kat [now 6] was born, she just went to work with us,” Heather says. “Having predictability and flexibility is wonderful. We’re able to do so many things because we’re there to help each other out when situations arise.”

For example, in addition to her other responsibilities, Heather volunteers once a week as a phlebotomist at Centre Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM). “I’m able to do that,” she says, “because I know Mike is home with the baby [Joey, 9 months].”

It was important to the Burkes to use their business environment as a learning tool for their children — Ryan, now 23, and Callie, 21. During their son’s and daughter’s formative years, Bruce and Kym wanted to teach them not only the ins and outs of running the business, but, more importantly, the everyday interactions

39 - Town&Gown February 2013

and communications with a variety of people.

“In the early days, we raised our family in with our work. It’s just what we did, without rhyme or reason. We eventually learned how to balance it all,” Bruce says. “It was a positive experience for all of us.”

This method worked nicely to their benefit — both Ryan and Callie are now part of the staff at One on One. While they were busy establishing their clientele, the McClearys both worked at the office full-time. But after the birth of their daughter Aubrey, now 6, they decided to rotate their schedules so someone could always be at home with their eldest. It’s a system that has seamlessly worked, seeing the addition of their second daughter, Aryana, 21 months.

“One advantage is that if our schedules get really tight, we can always help each other out,” Brian explains. “And we are able to get a fair amount of chartwork done at home, during naps or after the girls are in bed,” Chastity adds. “That’s an advantage of electronics.”

The Thompsons have been in coaching

for as long as their kids can remember — sons Parker and Griffin are now 17 and 15, respectively. They’ve had help in the form of sitters and nannies, but for the majority of the time, Rachelle and Jeff have appropriated their working relationship to ensure their presence in the home.

“ We developed our business together, so we enjoy our successes together. ” — Bruce Burke “ We a r e b l e s s e d w i t h r e a l l y g r e a t , independent kids,” Rachelle says. “They have grown up with us being coaches, and they’ve witnessed our partnership all the while.”

In addition to the family perks, there are other upsides these husband-and-wife duos express about working with each other.

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“There are many pros to working together,” Brian McCleary says, “but for me, it’s that Chastity understands the business that is involved with our profession. Medicine is allencompassing, so it’s nice to have someone who truly gets that.”

Chastity adds that it’s imperative to have someone with whom to collaborate. “It’s important to have someone to bounce ideas off of, especially since we talk almost constantly about work!”

A favorable characteristic that Bruce and Kym Burke point out is the ability to truly share with each other the accomplishments of their personal endeavors. “We developed our business together, so we enjoy our successes together,” Bruce says. “We have a common vision,” Kym adds. “The big picture is clear — we are continually striving for excellence.”

For Rachelle Thompson, she simply cherishes the time spent with her best friend.

“I love being with him every minute,” she says. “We know details about each other’s lives, each other’s days. In the time we get to

spend with each other, we’re working toward a common goal, and when we win that Big Ten championship, we’ll achieve together!” Jeff agrees that their relationship works in large part because of the simple enjoyment they find in being collaborators. “Our partnership is a neat ebb and flow,” he says.

Mike and Heather Benjamin agree with the Thompsons’ way of thinking. “Spending time together is definitely a pro,” says Mike.

Heather concurs, “It’s nice. It just doesn’t get old.”

Despite the copious amounts of benefits experienced by these couples in this type of work environment, complications are undoubtedly goin g to arise. Utilizin g differences in the workplace can sometimes be problematic, but when operating with a spouse, recognizing each other’s strong suits, acting as a team, and developing mutually agreed-upon roles is the only way to make it through — both at work and in the home.

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handling the food side of the business. He is quick to point out that, according to him, that’s the easier element. “Heather keeps it all together,” he says. “She does the hard parts — marketing, taxes, the books … all the office ends fall to her.”

When talking home life, Heather says that so much is shared — they don’t have definitive roles. “Everything is teamwork,” she says.

The two also remember to always find the joy in their work environment. That means laughing some every day — even if it’s at themselves. “We talk about how all we talk about is work,” Heather jokes.

Laughter is especially important during those times of stress, which are bound to happen no matter the profession, no matter the job. These couples have strategies, though, to help keep those problematic situations at bay.

“We don’t always see eye-to-eye on everything. During those demanding times, we remember to take deep breaths and that compromise is important.”

— Jeff Thompson “One of the keys to our success is mutual respect and tolerance,” Kym Burke says. “One on One is what it is because of the two of us.”

The key for the McClearys, according to Brian, is for him and Chastity to play into each other’s strengths. Because they don’t have a business manager, any and all office tasks — even the mundane ones — fall solely to the two of them.

“Chastity is a good fit for that role,” Brian says.

“She’s very detail-oriented and keeps us running.”

When disagreements do arise, couples look to figure out a solution together.

“We d o n ’t a lw a y s se e e y e -to-e y e on everything,” Jeff Thompson says. “During those demanding times, we remember to

take deep breaths and that compromise is important. We try very hard not to let disagreements at work make their way home.”

Of course, communication is a key component of any relationship, working or otherwise. These couples articulate how open and honest conversations are a vital part of keeping their efforts flowing smoothly.

“There’s no upside to being dishonest,” Bruce McCleary says. “Honesty is an important approach and business strategy.”

Kym Burke adds, “There’s no room for anything but.”

In addition, the Burkes, and the entire staff at One on One, strongly believe in the “Golden Rule” — do unto others as you would have them do unto you. “All of our policies and procedures are written with this principle in mind. It’s a nonnegotiable part of the job,” Kym says.

The other couples are in complete accordance with this approach and frame of mind.

“With our team, communication and honesty are 100 percent emphasized,” Brian McCleary says.

“It just comes naturally,” adds Chastity.

The Benjamins agree as well. “You have to have good, clear communication,” Mike says.

Heather takes it one step further. “At the end of the day, you’re both accountable for the decisions you make. Your decisions impact not only you but also your partner. Being honest is a must because your work is your shared experience, your shared responsibility.”

The Thompsons find that the longer they work together, the more instinctive and effortless their communication is. “It’s almost like it happens on its own,” Jeff explains.

Perhaps that’s what happens over time when your co-worker is also your confidante and best friend. Working with your spouse takes true dedication, and it’s certainly not for everyone. But these couples make it work — and make it work well.

Rachelle Thompson voices the crux of what they all feel, saying, “We’re so lucky to do what we do and to do it together.” T&G Amy King is a contributor to Town&Gown, and teaches preschool at Grace Lutheran Preschool & Kindergarten. She lives in State College with her husband and three children.

42 - Town&Gown February 2013

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238-2600 • 424 Waupelani Drive Open Mon.-Fri. 9-5, Sat. 10-3 • www.lionsgateapts.com lionsgateapts@lionsgateapts.com

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650 N Science Park Rd 43 - Town&Gown February 2013

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SARA MOULTON — CHEF, COOKBOOK AUTHOR, AND TV PERSONALITY

PENN STATE PUBLIC BROADCASTING

For additional program information visit wpsu.org

Central Pennsylvania’s favorite public television chef — Sara Moulton — will host WPSU’s Annual Connoisseur’s Dinner on Saturday, February 9, at The Nittany Lion Inn. For the fourth consecutive year, this annual fundraiser for WPSU has “sold out,” but Moulton fans will find new episodes of of Sara’s Weeknight Meals on WPSU-TV beginning Saturday, February 23, at 1 p.m. Season three will premiere with “Winter Comfort Food,” a salute to root vegetables and satisfying winter meals. The chef’s storied career stretches back more than 30 years.

A teacher at heart, Moulton’s mission has remained the same for decades: to help the home cook get dinner on the table.

Her most recent cookbook, Sara Moulton’s Everyday Family Dinners, provides 200 exciting new recipes for overscheduled home cooks who want to treat the family to something new without breaking the bank or spending hours in the kitchen.

MAKERS: WOMEN WHO MAKE AMERICA February 26 at 8 p.m.

Meryl Streep narrates this groundbreaking film that tells a comprehensive story of how women have transformed America over the last half-century. The film is built from first-person, intimate accounts of women who experienced this time of change, including movement leaders such as author and feminist activist Gloria Steinem and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton; opponents like conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly; celebrities including media leader Oprah Winfrey and journalist Katie Couric; political figures like former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; and many “ordinary” women who confronted the dramatic social upheaval in their own lives.

Makers_Postcard_Mech_02.pdf

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THEY TURNED WRONGS INTO RIGHTS

MASTERPIECE CLASSIC SWEEPSTAKES

Follow in the footsteps of great British drama! Enter the 2013 MASTERPIECE Classic Sweepstakes daily through April 30, 2013, for a chance to win a trip for two adults from the U.S. to Britain. The trip includes VIP tours of Highclere Castle (the setting of “Downton Abbey”), Kensington Palace, Selfridges & Co., and more! Travel to Britain must be from Sept. 21–26, 2013.

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46 - Town&Gown February 2013

businessforward Town&Gown’s annual look at some of the businesses and people who are shaping Centre County’s economy

2013

businessforward

Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County Your Partner for Success As a membership-based organization, the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County works with our members, for our members. Our strong membership enables us to continue our role as the leading economic development organization in Centre County, offering programs and services that support the business community and enhance the quality of life in Centre County.

In 2013, we will: • Be the leader in improving our local economy • Continue to seek innovative pathways to increasing member value • Operate in a manner that is worthy of our members’ investment Thank you to all our members for partnering with us in advancing economic growth and promoting a vibrant business community throughout Centre County.

“I believe that our membership in the CBICC was one of the major contributors to the rapid success and growth of Goodco Mechanical, Inc. The networking opportunities to share ideas and meet other successful business people gave us a great forum to promote our organization and learn from others. As a young, start-up business, I was very appreciative of all the support we received from the Chamber staff and all the businesses involved. Thanks CBICC!” -Scott Good, Goodco Mechanical, Inc.

“The Youth Service Bureau relies on the CBICC to create opportunities to connect our not-for-profit business to the for-profit business community here in Centre County. Together, we are making our community stronger for the next generation of business and industry leaders.”

-Andrea Boyles, Youth Service Bureau

WWW.CBICC.ORG · (814) 234-1829

2013

businessforward

Kissinger Bigatel & Brower REALTORS®

When we help you buy or sell real estate, our #1 market share* may not really matter to you. It’s knowing who we are that is the real benefit. We’re the locally owned, independent real estate company that’s been grounded in this community for 80 years. Our roots go deep — back to 1933, when Penn State alumnus Gordon Kissinger opened his real estate and insurance agency in a one-room office above the Corner Room. We’ve grown over all these years by always putting our clients FIRST. In fact, our only measure of success is YOUR success.

We’re grateful for this community and believe in giving back. We contribute and help with a wide range of local nonprofit organizations like Toys for Tots, Housing Transitions, Wigs for Kids, The State Theatre, United Way, THON and many more. We know this is a great place to live, work, learn and play and like you, we know we need to contribute to keep it this way.

So, when you come to one of our two offices, don’t be surprised if you see a familiar face.

To make your real estate transactions the best experience, we combine our decades of experience with the latest website and mobile technology to help you find your new home.

We invite you to visit www.1kbb.com...from your computer, your iPad or your smartphone!

We’re happy to be celebrating 80 years of putting YOU first and would love the opportunity to work for you.

www.1kbb.com

Search ALL MLS properties for sale on one website

1612 N. Atherton St. State College, PA

814-238-8080

* CCAR MLS Residential Centre County 1/1/12 - 12/31/12

2 - Town&Gown’s Business Forward 2012

2300 S. Atherton St. State College, PA

814-234-4000

2013

businessforward

2013

businessforward

Business Report

Local economy still making its way through national downturn, NCAA sanctions

By Tracey M. Dooms

Before the school that would become Penn State was founded in 1855, the “town” — later named State College — was just a farmhouse or two. Most of the businesses in Centre County revolved around the iron-making industry and farming, along with small centers of commerce in Bellefonte, Boalsburg, and other villages.

When James Irvin donated 200 acres to the institution chartered as The Farmers’ High School, everything changed. From livery companies that delivered students and their luggage to early boarding houses, to today’s taxis and apartment complexes, retail stores, fitness centers, and other businesses, an entire economy has grown thanks largely to a university that has a student body now numbering 44,679 on the University Park campus. With 14,085 nonstudent employees, the university is Centre County’s largest employer by far, and companies that spin off from university research add many more local jobs.

Penn State football home games give a huge boost to many local businesses each fall. According to a 2009 study commissioned by the university, Penn State football at that time contributed $90 million annually to Centre County’s economy, including $34 million spent by out-of-state visitors who flock to Happy Valley for football games. Visitors fill local hotels and restaurants, buy Penn State T-shirts, pay for the occasional medical service, and much more.

The university long has been a major reason for Centre County’s relatively stable economy.

“By every means, we should appreciate Penn State,” says Vern Squier, CEO of the Chamber

of Business & Industry of Centre County. “It is a very significant influence on our economy and always will be.”

This dependable constant seemed unlikely to change — until last year, when the Jerry Sandusky child-abuse scandal threatened to undermine the foundations of the university and its football program. Many feared a “death penalty” — the NCAA putting Penn State on total hiatus from football for one or more years. While the program didn’t receive the death penalty, it was hit with sanctions that included a $60 million fine, loss of scholarships and victories, and a four-year ban on postseason games.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” says Betsy Howell, executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“The people that love Penn State, I think they’re very loyal for the most part.” But would they still come to football games and spend money at local businesses?

“I think we’ve all stepped up to address positive and realistic messaging about our economy and quality of life here in Centre County.”

– CBICC CEO Vern Squier They came — just not quite as many of them.

Although the season’s average home football attendance of 96,730 was the fifth-highest in the NCAA (behind Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, and Texas), it was down 4.6 percent from 101,427 in 2011. The highest single-game attendance last fall was 107,818 fans during the White Out game against Ohio State.

“I got very mixed reports from our businesses in the downtown,” says George Arnold, executive director of the Downtown State College Improvement District. “Even though fans were coming back this fall for the football games, they may not have spent as much time downtown after the games.”

Steve Tressler/Vista Professional Studios

Penn State averaged 96,730 fans for its home games during the 2012 season.

The sanctions came at the same time the local economy was recovering from the 2008 national economic downturn. Centre County’s average annual unemployment rate peaked at 6.4 percent in 2010, and fell slightly to 5.5 percent in 2011 — an improvement, but a far cry from the 3.4 percent low of 2007.

“With the downturn of the economy in 2008, I don’t think we’ve fully recovered from that,” Arnold says.

Squier agrees that reports from member businesses are mixed, with some on track to recover quicker than others. He notes that recovery from the national recession depends to a large extent on factors over which local businesses have little control, including federal policies and interest rates.

As always, though, Centre County’s unemployment rate remained among the lowest for Pennsylvania counties, and compared favorably with the 2011 Pennsylvania average of 7.8 percent and US average of 8.9 percent.

“Our running joke is that we’re more affected by the Penn State football team and their success versus the greater economy as a whole,” says Chris McKee of Moyer Jewelers.

“Together We Are One”

One way area businesses are working together to improve the community’s image and economic picture post-NCAA sanctions is through the Together We Are One campaign. The program began last year when concerned citizens and business owners met to discuss the impact of the sanctions and scandal on the community and local economy, says David Nevins of Nevins Real Estate Management.

“It was a shock to the entire community of Penn State, and it really impacted the collective consciousness,” he says. “We felt it would be good to start an organization to help the community move forward. We wanted to let the world know — let the media know – that the Penn State community is defined by so much more than this particular instance.”

Eventually, the Together campaign became a CBICC committee. Supporters include local groups, individuals, and businesses, as well as faraway Penn State alumni, Squier says. As financing permits, he says, the committee will continue to spread positive messaging about the community through local and national media.

“I think we’ve all stepped up to address positive and realistic messaging about our economy and quality of life here in Centre County,” he notes.

So far, Nevins believes, the NCAA sanctions have had less of an impact on the local economy than anticipated. “People were very fearful of the potential repercussions before the season started,” he says. “When the season ended, while business might have been down to a certain extent, it wasn’t a disaster like some had feared.”

Although Penn State football fills Centre County’s hotel rooms on seven fall weekends each year, the CPCVB’s Howell notes that many tourists come here for reasons unrelated to Penn State. The bureau tracks conversions — people who send in magazine cards, for example, to request information about Centre County and who then follow through and visit. The No. 1 reason these visitors cite for traveling here is the scenery, Howell says. “People love the outdoor recreation, and they come here to go biking or fishing,” she says. “We have always tried to promote the area, and we didn’t stop promoting when all of this happened.” T&G

The CBICC now has a committee that handles the Together We Are One campaign.

Tracey M. Dooms is a freelance writer in State College and a contributor to Town&Gown.

Hamilton Square Shopping Center In 1959, University Park Plaza Corporation turned the former quarry at what is now West Hamilton and South Atherton into the area’s first neighborhood shopping center – University Park Plaza. Renamed Hamilton Square Shopping Center in the 80’s, this 60,000-square-foot complex has been and continues to be home to a variety of stores and services that attract both Penn State students and local residents.

Long-time tenants include the UPS Store, East Coast Health & Fitness, and the Wine & Spirits Shop. Beer Belly’s Beverage opened in 2010, and Wings Over Happy Valley became the newest tenant last year. The State College Area Food Bank and State Health Center also operate out of Hamilton Square, providing critical services to neighbors throughout the community. The center and its tenants are regular sponsors of numerous local charities including youth and adult sports teams.

Hamilton Square continues to look to the future as it is approved for a 15,000-square-foot expansion along Atherton Street for its next generation of tenants.

224 W. Hamilton Avenue • State College 814.237.4266 • www.uppc.biz

2013

businessforward Centre County United Way

Over 40 years ago, United Way organizations in State College, Bellefonte and Philipsburg joined together to form the Centre County United Way. Since then the United Way and its partner agencies have grown just as the county has. Times have changed, but the United Way mission remains the same – to improve lives in our community by focusing on health, education and financial stability.

As we wrap up the 2012 Centre County United Way Campaign, we celebrate the community volunteers who worked so hard to reach our $2,070,000 goal.

We thank all of our neighbors who have made a commitment to our campaign and to the valuable work being done in Centre County by our 37 partner agencies. With the support of United Way funding, these agencies are able to provide services to 1 in 3 people in our county.

We are all connected and interdependent.

We all win when a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable and when our neighbors are healthy.

Together we provide opportunities for a better life.

We are…ONE COMMUNITY UNITED.

2790 W. College Ave., Suite 7, State College (814) 238-8283 ccunitedway.org

9 - Town&Gown’s Business Forward 2013

Centre County Women’s Resource Center

In the wake of a tragedy, the strength of a community is seen in its ability to work together and collaborate around issues of common concern. The Centre Co. Women’s Resource Center (CCWRC) is proud to be a community partner working with local agencies in an effort to make the Centre Region and Centre County a safer place for all of us to live and work. CCWRC has partnered with the CBICC in the Together We Are One campaign and also with the Centre Co. Youth Service Bureau, the YMCA of Centre Co., the Centre Co. United Way and the Child Safety and Protection Collaborative, bringing Stewards of Children (www.d2l.org) to over 1,500 adults thus far, with a goal of 5,800 over the next three years. As CCWRC works together with these agencies, it becomes more and more apparent that together, we are indeed one.

Serving women, men, and children in Centre County for over 30 years.

24-hour hotline: 1(877) 234-5050

Continental Real Estate

www.continentalrealestate.net 300 S. Allen St., State College (814) 238-1598

Continental Real Estate was founded in 1986 with the management of just one townhouse.

Today, we manage 76 Condominium/ Homeowner Associations and 715 rental units.

Our steady expansion continues.

Continental’s clients know they can depend on us for professional property management around the clock. Our 11 office staff members and 14 full-time maintenance personnel have the knowledge and experience to handle everything from securing tenants to paying expenses to making emergency repairs in the middle of the night.

As the Centre Region’s leader in Condominium/Homeowner Association management, we provide comprehensive services to support association boards. Our services include collecting fees, paying expenses, bidding contracts, performing maintenance, and more.

We at Continental Real Estate look forward to continued growth in 2013 and beyond as we provide the highest quality management services to our clients throughout the Centre Region.

2013

businessforward

Together we are building a safer place!

At YSB, safety is our first priority. Through 14 distinct programs, YSB staff work literally around the clock to keep our community’s children safe from harm. Key elements of YSB programming designed to help make this the safest place to raise a child include: • Parent Education, where our staff go into families’ homes and help them learn to be better parents, keeping their own children safe from harm.

• Street outreach, where YSB staff go into neighborhoods, to community events like football games and all-night skates, and into the streets of downtown State College offering valuable information to teens.

• Burrowes Street Youth Haven Shelter, where we offer safe haven for kids who can show up any time and receive immediate crisis counseling, safe shelter, and assistance dealing with whatever led them to us.

• Investment in collaborative efforts like the Stewards of Children Program, where our staff join agencies like the YMCA, Women’s Resource Center, and United Way to educate our community about preventing child sexual abuse.

To learn more about YSB and how you can help us help kids be safe, contact Andrea Boyles at 237-5731 / aboyles@ccysb.com.

2 - Town&Gown’s Business Forward 2012

2013

businessforward

Retooling Economic Development

CBICC launches the Centre County Economic Development Partnership

By Tracey M. Dooms

If you build it, they will come.

Well, maybe not.

The Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County is shifting its economic-development approach from an emphasis on its office and industrial parks to a more proactive, three-pronged plan.

“We want to think more globally and into the future,” says Richard Barrickman of Nittany Bank, a member of the CBICC committee organizing this effort. “This is a whole new way of thinking to make a better atmosphere for us all. It’s a mindset.”

Until recently, the CBICC and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania were conducting economicdevelopment efforts “using the same tools they used in the 1980s,” says Dave Capperella of Capperella Furniture, CBICC past chairman. He was speaking to local business and government leaders at a recent event launching the chamber’s new Centre County Economic Development Partnership.

Using significant investment from Centre County businesses, municipalities, and other institutions, the new CCEDP is intended to retain and attract businesses and jobs through a comprehensive plan.

“It’s been very well received,” says CCEDP committee member Tom Kearney of West Penn Power. “The commitment and the interest have been tremendous.”

90-plus years of economic development

The CBICC’s economic development roots go back to 1920, when local business owners organized the State College Chamber of Commerce, and then 1956, when the Centre County Industrial Development Corporation was formed. In 1992, the

two organizations merged to become the CBICC. Meanwhile, in the early ’80s, construction began on what is today the CBICC’s Penn Eagle Industrial Park, with the goal of attracting businesses looking for places to base their operations. In 2010, the organization opened a second park, the 174-acre Benner Commerce Park, on land formerly part of Rockview State Correctional Institution.

At about the same time, the economic downturn was in full swing. “We had industry leaving, and we were losing jobs,” Capperella says. Lot sales dried up, and so did grant revenue that had helped support CBICC operations.

“We realized we’re not as immune to recessionary trends as we might think,” says Ted McDowell of AmeriServ, CCEDP committee member.

In summer 2010, longtime CBICC president and CEO John Coleman left the organization to become a member of the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission. The chamber decided to focus its search for a new CEO on prospects who could take the organization’s economic-development efforts in a new direction — not just selling land and helping companies get financing, but actively reaching out across the country to try and bring new employers to Centre County, says Capperella, who chaired the CEO search committee.

The nationwide search for a new CEO took more than a year. “During that process, we learned a lot about what was being done across the country,” Capperella says.

Finally, Vern Squier, formerly senior vice president of the Overland Park (Kansas) Chamber of Commerce, became the CBICC’s new CEO in September 2011.

The overall mindset of the chamber shifted. “It’s not a land-only economic-development focus anymore,” says Stephanie Schmidt of Poole Anderson Construction, CCEDP committee member.

A new approach

The new Centre County Economic Development Partnership has a three-part plan for supporting business locally. Efforts focus on: Business startups — Enhancing resources for new business startups, establishing financialsupport programs, and strengthening partnerships in key public, educational, and private sectors.

Retention — Conducting ongoing assessments of the local business environment, establishing a coordinated system of support services, and

encouraging cooperation and partnering with the public sector to improve processes.

Recruitment — Establishing the region as a destination for high-growth industries through a focused strategy, effective outbound marketing and networking programs, and strong public/private collaborations and communications. “ We need to switch from a land-based economicdevelopment model to a more universal approach,” Squier says, “incubating and growing our own, retaining and expanding what we have, and recruiting new jobs and investments.”

McDowell explains how all three parts of the strategy are equally important, rather than simply trying to attract new companies to Centre County.

“You can bring customers in the front door, but if you’ve got them going out the back door, you’re not going to be successful,” he says.

Actions planned by the CCEDP include: • Marketing Centre County to site selectors/ economic-development consultants.

• Pushing reform of economic-development

legislation in Harrisburg.

• Leading recruitment strategy/policy changes at the state level.

• Partnering with local government to approach opportunities for businesses and economic development.

• Serving as the local and regional leader in setting and executing economic-development policy.

• Collaborating with Penn State in researching/ identifying economic-development opportunities.

• Teaming with local developers and landowners.

• Conducting a balanced economic-development program focusing on entrepreneurship, retention/ expansion, and recruitment.

• Facilitating project responses.

To do all this, the chamber is asking members/ investors for $400,000 in working capital over a period from the last quarter of 2012, when the campaign kicked off, through the end of 2013. The organization began by targeting the financial, business, educational, and government sectors and approaching larger employers and other potentially major donors first.

As a descendent of a long line of dairy farmers, Congressman GT is a proud and active member of the House Agriculture Committee, where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, & Forestry. He also serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Education & the Workforce Committee.

House Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, & Forestry Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, & Foreign Agriculture House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources House Education & the Workforce Committee Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training Representative Thompson believes that small business is the economic engine that runs our great nation and will continue his dedicated work for small businesses in the 113th Congress.

Kearney notes that the chamber is asking members to be “cornerstone partners” in this endeavor. “This isn’t just, ‘Give us your money and go away,’ ” he says. “We want your money, your talent, your ideas.”

According to Squier, some other Pennsylvania chambers of commerce — including those in Blair and Cambria counties and Harrisburg — already use investor-based models. “We’ve never done that before,” he told CBICC members attending the kickoff event.

Prior to approaching members for financial commitments, the chamber had downsized staff to save on operating costs. “It was a difficult decision, but it had to be done,” Capperella says.

For more savings, the CBICC plans to refinance its Innovation Park properties, and to sell its remaining Benner Park properties by the end of 2015.

Initial Success

In addition to hiring Squier as CEO, the CBICC has taken these steps toward its long-term goals: • Authoring successful Pennsylvania legislation to create new competitive economic incentives for businesses to relocate to Pennsylvania and Centre County.

Frost & Conn, Inc.

1301 N. Atherton St., State College (814) 237-1492 · www.frostandconn.com

• Establishing a municipal managers committee to help smooth the way for new businesses and growth of existing companies.

• Partnering with the Ben Franklin Techcelerator Initiative to improve the chamber’s incubator program.

• Obtaining Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone status for Benner Commerce Park.

• Showcasing the Centre Region to three nationally recognized relocation firms.

Squier emphasizes the importance of being proactive in reaching out to prospective employers and to the experts who help them move into new areas. He says one consultant told him that, in his six years on the job, he had never been contacted to take a business into Pennsylvania, although he had been contacted several times to take businesses out of the state.

Through the CCEDP, the CBICC’s new emphasis is on becoming an investor-based model that keeps going year after year, Squier says.

“This isn’t a two-year initiative,” McDowell agrees.

“We need to sustain this kind of support for the future.” T&G

Frost & Conn,, Inc. has been serving the insurance needs of Centre County and Central Pennsylvania since 1925.

The firm’s origins go back to the John Taylor insurance agency, which Penn State alumnus P.A. “Jack” Frost bought and grew before selling it to his son-in-law, Ned Casey Cummings, in 1949. Cummings retired in 1984, passing on the agency to his own son-in-law, Rod Fletcher.

Meanwhile, Marine veteran and longtime insurance agent Burton G. Conn opened his own State College insurance agency in the mid-1960s. In 1994, the P.A. Frost agency, owned by Rod Fletcher, and Conn Insurance, owned by Burt Conn and Robert Medsger, joined to become Frost & Conn. Today, almost 90 years after signing its first customer, Frost & Conn continues to offer commercial insurance, personal insurance, and financial services with an emphasis on personal service with professional expertise.

2013

businessforward

Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. Building Centre County since 1952

Watch for GOH on the job as our community grows: • • • • •

Penn State South Halls renovation and expansion The Villas student housing in College Township The Grove at Toftrees The Retreat at State College Pegula Ice Arena, Penn State

We’re proud to support the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County in the economic development efforts that benefit all of us. Together we are one…dedicated to building a better future in Centre County. www.goh-inc.com (800) 221-1355

Penn State South Halls 2 - Town&Gown’s Business Forward 2012

HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehabilitation Hospital

Susan Hartman, Chief Executive Officer

For three decades, HealthSouth has been an integral part of our community’s post-hospital rehabilitative care, helping people get back to an active lifestyle after an illness, injury, or surgery.

HealthSouth has been awarded the Gold Seal of Approval and has achieved four disease-specific care certifications from The Joint Commission in stroke, brain injury, heart failure, and in 2012, Parkinson’s disease, programs.

HealthSouth offers advanced technologies and experienced rehabilitation teams, with consistently superior patient outcomes.

Our hospital ranks in the top 10 percent of the Uniform Data System (UDSMR), which recognizes superior delivery of patient-centered, rehabilitative care.

In 2012 we received HealthSouth’s President’s Circle award and The Department of Health’s “Above and Beyond Award for Excellence in Health Care Compliance.”

CEO Susan Hartman adds, “HealthSouth strives to be a continued leader in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, achieving high levels of patient satisfaction and quality patient outcomes for our community.”

550 W. College Ave., Pleasant Gap, PA 16823 · (814) 359-3421 www.nittanyvalleyrehab.com

Housing Transitions Specializing in local success stories since 1984 – Thanks to businesses and individuals like you! · Centre House homeless shelter · Centre County Housing Case Management & Adult Services Case Management · First-time Home Buyers Program · Foreclosure Prevention · Transitional Housing · Permanent Supportive Housing · Emergency Food Pantry

www.housingtransitions.com (814) 237-5508 (24-hour helpline) 217 E. Nittany Ave., State College (814) 237-4863 (office)

2 - Town&Gown’s Business Forward 2012

2013

businessforward

Four Under 40 Rising Stars in Centre County Business

By Tracey M. Dooms In the world of business, some take the slowand-steady route to success, and some are on a faster track. Following are the stories of four local businesspeople who are making their mark before age 40. We look forward to seeing their future achievements in our community.

Scott Cohagan, 39 General Manager Forever Broadcasting

Scott Cohagan has done just about every radio-station job there is, including wearing an oversized mascot costume and standing by the side of the road waving at passersby. He’s

Cohagan says the biggest change in his business is how the radio stations have embraced new technologies and recognized the need to find innovative ways to reach listeners.

moved up the ladder to general manager of Forever Broadcasting’s State College operations, but he remembers his mascot days and doesn’t ask any employee to do something he wouldn’t be willing to do himself. “Everyone in this company tries to lead by example,” he says.

Originally from Cleveland, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Kent State University and moved to Wilkes-Barre for a radiosales job. He joined Hollidaysburg-based Forever Broadcasting in 2001, and worked in different markets and positions before leaving for a couple of years to work in the Boston market. Then he and his wife, Tracy, had children (Tanner and Casidy, now 5 and 7, respectively) and decided they weren’t so enthused with big-city life.

“When the opportunity came to move back to State College, my wife and I thought it would be perfect for the family,” he says. “It’s a good place to live.”

In 2009, the Cohagans moved back, and Scott became general manager in State College, where Forever operates AM stations WRSC and WQWK and FM stations WBUS, WFGE, WMAJ, and WRSC. He’s now been at Forever Broadcasting a total of nine years, always in sales and management.

“The biggest change over the years is how we’ve embraced new technologies,” he says, harnessing the powers of the Internet, social media, and mobile media for advertisers. “The media landscape has changed so much that if you’re not looking for those innovative ways to reach your listeners, you’re not going to be around long. You have to incorporate these changes into your programming and your listeners’ lifestyle.”

He loves working with local business owners and nonprofit groups on events and promotions.

“We’re part of the community here,” he says.

“You pretty much get to have a handle on everything that’s going on in the Centre Region.”

With six stations and formats ranging from sports to country music, “every day is different” for the general manager. Personally, he’s a big fan of talk radio, but he’s constantly spinning the dial to monitor all six stations.

Outside of the office, he is an ambassador for the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County, helping to promote the chamber and

Miles’s Lawffice Space blog is considered one of the country’s top law blogs.

welcome new members. He also serves on the board of the Youth Service Bureau and enjoys golfing, “anything outdoors,” and “being a big kid with my own kids.”

Philip Miles, 36 Attorney McQuaide Blasko

Phil Miles didn’t intend to be a lawyer.

After earning a bachelor’s degree from Penn State’s Smeal College of Business in 1999, he settled into a career as a software developer and information-technology consultant in the Washington, DC, area. Eventually, he started taking law classes at night — just because he was interested in the law, not because he was planning to change careers. “Then I really liked the classes, but I had a full plate so I had to make a decision,” he recalls. He decided to become a full-time law student, and then a lawyer.

He graduated from George Mason University School of Law in 2008, and joined McQuaide Blasko right away, returning to the town where he was born and raised. He worked on a variety of cases and projects and eventually found his niche in labor-andemployment law.

With his computer background, it’s no surprise that he launched a blog, Lawffice Space (www.lawfficespace.com), an irreverent look at employment law that plays on the name of the movie Office Space. His blog has attracted national attention by discussing cases involving everything from flatulence in the workplace to a sandwich-shop worker fired for yelling at a customer who wanted to put ketchup on his cheesesteak.

“Almost everyone has had a job at some point, so they can relate to it, even if they don’t get all the legal technicalities,” Miles says. “Sometimes the fact patterns for these employment-law cases seem just too crazy to be true.”

In 2012, the ABA Journal named Lawffice Space to its Blawg 100, recognizing the country’s top law blogs. The flagship publication of the American Bar Association noted, “Phil Miles has a very entertaining employment law blog, where you can get

answers to such burning questions as: Why are lawyers so smart and ridiculously goodlooking? And whether calling an employee a jackass is worse than calling him a moron.

Even though his posts are frequently funny or odd (in a good way), he also has excellent ‘mainstream’ information as well.”

In 2011, Miles authored a chapter in the book Think Before You Click: Managing Social Media in the Workplace. He has been named a Top 25 Online Influencer by HR Examiner magazine, and Lawffice Space ranked as one of LexisNexis’ Top 25 Labor and Employment Law Blogs in 2011. The attorney’s Twitter account (@philipmiles) has more than 2,300 followers, with posts devoted primarily to employment law, plus the occasional Penn State football or Pittsburgh Steelers references.

“One thing that’s great about Twitter is it’s a lot more interactive than my blog,” he says, noting that he trades messages back and forth with other employment lawyers, discussing each other’s cases.

When he’s not blogging, Tweeting, or advising clients, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Sharon, and their 16-month-old daughter, Cosette.

Emily Peterson, 36

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Mount Nittany Physician Group

Dr. Emily Peterson is not a character on Nip/Tuck.

A daily challenge for the plastic surgeon is clarifying what she and others in her profession can do. “There’s a disconnect between the way it’s perceived in the media,” such as the TV drama about the bizarre cases and wild personal lives of two plastic surgeons, and the way professionals actually practice, she says.

“I really enjoy the interaction with the patients,” Peterson says. “I like to see them come back satisfied, with a positive, improved outlook on life.”

That holds true whether the patient has undergone a purely elective procedure, such as Botox injections, or something more related to medical needs, such as breast reconstruction after mastectomy.

At Drexel University College of Medicine, Peterson intended to focus on mental health and psychiatry. Then, during required rotations among different specialties, she “fell in love” with surgery. “It was the last thing I ever thought I would do,” she recalls, noting that she had been more interested in talk-based therapy. However, she found that with plastic surgery, “It’s really a combination of artistic ability, mathematics, and still that connection you have with the patient.”

Often, Peterson finds herself counseling patients who are worried that friends and colleagues will think they’re “vain” if they choose elective plastic surgery.

“I help patients get past that thinking

and understand that they’re doing this for improvement in their appearance and general mental well-being,” she says. “If it’s something that you think about on a daily basis and it’s affecting your perception of yourself, then serious consideration should be given to it.”

After graduating from high school in Wisconsin, Peterson earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and then her medical degree from Drexel. Her residencies included general surgery and plastic-and-reconstructive surgery at Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown. Her husband, Ben Steward, is a Pennsylvania native, so the couple decided to stay in the state, and Peterson joined Mount Nittany Physician Group in 2009.

“State College looked like a wonderful place to move and raise a family,” she says, noting that the couple’s now-2-year-old daughter was born at Mount Nittany Medical Center, where her husband is a physician assistant in the Hershey Medical Center hospitalist program.

Board-certified in plastic surgery, Peterson is the first plastic surgeon employed by Mount Nittany Physician Group and performs all types of reconstructive and cosmetic surgeries as well as nonsurgical procedures such as Sculptra Aesthetic.

She’s also a clinical assistant professor of plastic surgery at Penn State Hershey Medical School and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Each week, Peterson typically heads straight to the operating room around 6:45 a.m. one or two days a week. She’s in her Radnor Road office a few other days for patient consultations and follow-ups, as well as to do injectable treatments.

Thursday mornings she sees patients at the Mount Nittany Center for Wound Care. On top of all that, she takes calls for the medical center emergency room.

Robert J. Ricketts, 28 Peterson enjoys interacting with patients and helping them have a “positive, improved outlook on life."

Co-owner & Pasta Maker Fasta & Ravioli Co.

“I’ve always had that entrepreneurial spirit,” Bob Ricketts says, recalling his youthful days making

Ricketts opened his downtown State College shop in 2009, and last year he opened a second shop in Pleasant Gap.

and selling walking sticks at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts Children & Youth Day. After graduating from State High in 2002, he studied hotel, restaurant, and institutional management at Penn State. He always had his eye out for a business area that was underserved, toying with the idea of a taxi service before deciding fresh pasta was the way to go. “It struck me as something that would work,” he says.

For an English class, he wrote a business plan for his company-to-be. For a product design class, he worked on recipes. Then his advisor, Peter Bordi, let him set up a pasta-making machine in the Center for Food Innovation so he could further develop and test recipes.

He decided he needed some of the “soft skills” of the food business, particularly managerial ones, so he spent a year as a

supervisor at the Nittany Lion Inn, where he had been working since high school. At the same time, he set up his limited liability company and fine-tuned recipes. His parents helped with funding.

In October 2009, everything was ready for the opening of Fasta & Ravioli Co. on South Fraser Street, although the new pasta machine almost didn’t arrive in time.

Customers flocked in for the pound of free pasta on opening day — Fasta gave away 300 pounds of its freshly made pasta. Word-of-mouth marketing ran rampant.

In addition to the storefront business, Fasta sells its pasta at area farmers’ markets. Ricketts says that serves two purposes: selling pasta and making arrangements with farmers to get the freshest local ingredients.

With the downtown shop a success, he opened a second Fasta in Pleasant Gap last spring, gaining both another storefront and a larger production area. He’s constantly refining his operation to meet customer needs, and he has plenty of ideas for the future. He has used his farmers’ market connections to sell in his stores locally produced items such as Goot Essa cheeses, Sweet Heat gourmet sauces, Dante’s Vodka Sauce, and more.

“We kind of act as a clearinghouse for local products,” he says.

Ricketts, who turns 29 this month, has added California olive bars at both stores and began selling dried pastas and gift baskets this year. He catered a couple of events and is eager to expand that service now that he has more production space. He plans to start jarring Fasta sauces, and he hopes to get his products into area grocery stores.

“To best serve our customer base, we need to be in front of them, rather than a special stop they have to make,” he says. Customers also can order dishes made with Fasta pasta at area restaurants such as Otto’s.

“The past three years have just gone by in the blink of an eye,” Ricketts says. “It’s going well. There’s a lot of room to grow.” T&G

2013

businessforward

Koch Funeral Home

Family Owned Since 1913 One century ago, in 1913, Harry Newton Koch and his wife, Margaret Campbell Koch, opened Koch Funeral Home in their own home at South Burrowes Street and West College Avenue.

They began their business with the philosophy of neighbor helping neighbor, and their son and daughter, Hubert Campbell Koch and Esther Koch Shaw, extended that tradition of service throughout the Centre Region.

Since 1973, F. Glenn Fleming and his caring and professional staff have continued the family tradition, now celebrating Koch Funeral Home’s 100th anniversary. The full-service funeral home offers a complete range of options to meet the needs of individual families, including a crematory on the premises, as well as assistance and information regarding funeral planning, educational materials and programs, bereavement support groups, and pre-need planning. To all our neighbors, in time of need, Koch Funeral Home offers a tradition of caring, and a legacy of service.

“The experience to serve you better; the compassion to understand your needs”

F. Glenn Fleming, Funeral Director/Supervisor John H. “Jay” Herrington, Funeral Director www.kochfuneralhome.com 2401 S. Atherton St., State College (814) 237-2712

2013

businessforward

Headquarters features a plant-filled atrium

Restek Corporation

When Paul Silvis founded Restek in 1985, he envisioned not just a company that would make world-class chromatography columns and accessories, but also a company where employees would look forward to coming to work as much as to going home. We grew from one room in a business incubator to a state-of-the-art facility with more than 140,000 square feet of custom-designed space by continually pursuing new product design and rewarding innovative employees.

On December 31, 2008, Restek achieved the long-planned-for goal of 100% employee ownership under an ESOP structure. As part of the transition to employee ownership, we spun off our Performance Coatings “RPC” division into an independent company, led by Silvis. Further spinoffs or acquisitions can occur as we continue to invest in technology and people.

Restek has grown into a company of nearly 300 employee-owners. We continue to develop new chromatography products to meet the needs of end-users and agencies around the globe.

Our offices in Japan, Germany, France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom are only the beginning of our international expansion.

As we venture into new foreign markets, we remain dedicated to our hometown community.

We support local organizations, and we encourage our employee-owners to volunteer with such local efforts as Centre Volunteers in Medicine, Central PA 4th Fest, Relay for Life, and many more.

Our people and our products are always striving for even better performance and service to our customers and our community, both here and abroad.

110 Benner Circle, Bellefonte, PA 16823 www.restek.com 2 - Town&Gown’s Business Forward 2012

2013

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We are your hometown experts connecting local & global consumers. Worldwide knowledge & networks at work for you in Centre County!

★

Your destination for ALL Local Real Estate

www.StateCollegeHomeSales.com

1375 Martin Street State College, PA 16803 (814) 231-8200

2 - Town&Gown’s Business Forward 2012

2013

businessforward

State College Federal Credit Union

At State College Federal Credit Union, we always strive to provide our members with the best financial services available. We recently moved into a larger, more member friendly office at 724B South Atherton Street, behind Miller Kistler Campbell. We updated our computer systems last month to speed up home banking transfers and debit card updates. We also made our hours more convenient for our members: • Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Saturday 9 a.m. to noon Become a State College Federal Credit Union member and enjoy our wide range of products and services: • Savings • Checking • Debit cards • VISA credit cards • Home equity loans • Certificates of deposit • Personal loans • New/used auto loans • Processing of wires and credit card cash advances • Notary services • Credit report review options

Better rates. Better terms. Better deals

(814) 234-0252 www.statecollegefcu.com 2 - Town&Gown’s Business Forward 2012

2013

businessforward

The Greek Restaurant

John Dimakopoulos was 18 years old and didn’t speak a word of English when he left his native Greece in 1966 and moved to New York City to pursue the American dream. A few years later, he came to State College for a visit…and never left. He worked at the Dutch Pantry restaurant for $1.35 an hour before opening his first Waffle Shop in 1972 on College Avenue downtown. Three more of the popular Waffle Shops followed — on North Atherton Street, in Bellefonte, and on West College Avenue. In 2002, he sold the Bellefonte and downtown restaurants to concentrate on the two newly re-branded “Original Waffle Shops.”

Looking for more parking spaces at the North Atherton restaurant, John bought the land behind it, along with the apartment building that sat there. Not long after, he was on vacation in his native Volos, Greece, when his son Ryan called and suggested opening a little gyro shop in the vacant building with hours in the evening, when the Original Waffle Shop is closed.

And so, after almost 40 years of serving State College the perfect American breakfast, John Dimakopoulos returned to his roots and opened The Greek Restaurant in September 2011. The intention was a counterservice restaurant, but customers clamored for — and received – table service, saying the décor is too beautiful and the Greek specialties too delicious for a quick-serve place. Now the full-service restaurant offers patrons everything from calamari to moussaka to baklava, and diners are welcome to bring their own wine.

As with the Original Waffle Shops, The Greek remains locally owned and operated, with John’s sons, Ryan and Jason, granddaughter, Cathryn, and his wife, Lisa, all working there. Together with an excellent team of managers, servers, and cooks, they make The Greek a restaurant that brings customers back again and again.

www.thegreekrestaurant.net 102 E. Clinton Ave., State College (814) 308-8822 2 - Town&Gown’s Business Forward 2012

INVESTMENT • ADVISORS LLC 1276 N. Atherton St. State College, PA 16803 Ph: (814) 867-2050 FAX: (814) 867-2063 Seasoned investment advisor Rob Thomas founded Vantage Investment Advisors LLC in 2000 to provide a comprehensive approach to investment management for individuals, trusts and qualified plans.

Through objective investment advice, exhaustive due diligence and research, and professional portfolio management, Vantage provides a comprehensive approach to asset management for high net worth individuals, trusts, IRAs and qualified pension plans. Vantage utilizes individual stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and institutional money managers to create a personalized asset allocation and investment portfolio for each client, taking into consideration their specific investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon.

The firm currently manages approximately $725 million for business and retirement plans and for individuals and families.

Although Vantage advises clients across the country, the firm's staff is proud to be based in State College. Together, we are one community working toward a better future.

VANTAGE:

offers a comprehensive approach to investment management. emphasizes versatility and customization in the structure of client portfolios. has access to 9,000 mutual funds and 350 institutional money managers. allows clients continuous access to information on their accounts through its website, www.vantageadvisors.com.

CONTACT: Robert R. Thomas, CFA, CFPÂŽ (rob.thomas@vantageadvisors.com) or Jill W. Sutt (jill.sutt@vantageadvisors.com)

2013

businessforward

Town&Gown SEPTEMBER 2012

FREE

townandgown.com

We

Are...

Barash Media

Almost 50 years ago, Mimi Barash had an idea to start a magazine in State College. She and her husband, Sy Barash, began publishing Town&Gown in 1966.

Through those 47 years, Town&Gown and Barash Media have remained committed to State College and all of Centre County. Each month, Town&Gown has shined the light on all the wonderful people, places, and events that make this area a special place to visit and live.

Over the years, Barash Media also has worked with organizations such as Coaches Vs. Cancer, the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund, the Pink Zone, Easter Seals, THON, and many, many more to help with their amazing efforts.

Barash Media furthered its commitment to the community with the 2012 acquisition of the Centre County Gazette newspaper. The Gazette reaches more than 30,000 readers each week, providing balanced, comprehensive coverage of news, sports, and items of special interest throughout Centre County.

Through its various publications and other forms of media, Barash Media remains passionate about and committed to moving the community forward — Together!

403 S. Allen St., State College, PA, 16801 www.townandgown.com www.centrecountygazette.com (814) 238-5051

IF IT’S HAPPENING IN HAPPY VALLEY, IT’S IN TOWN&GOWN

Breast Cancer Battle: In the

PinkZone 2013

A Special Supplement to Town&Gown

TOWN&GOWN salutes all breast-cancer survivors and those who are leading the fight against breast cancer!

Be sure to check out Town&Gown’s annual special — Breast Cancer Battle: In the Pink Zone 2013.

And we’ll see you at the Lady Lions’ Pink Zone game February 24 against Michigan!

Breast Cancer Battle: In the

PinkZone 2013

A Special Supplement to Town&Gown

www.townandgown.com

Populating Talent Pool the

Businesses in Centre County strive to keep graduates from leaving the area by promoting the local opportunities and experiences that are open to them

By Aimee Morgan

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M

Many college towns have to deal with what’s termed “brain drain.” It’s when young people who have had their education and training in one area move somewhere else, usually a llarge, arge, metropolitan area — so the towns that, iin n part, helped them don’t see the benefits of that education and training.

Businesses in State College and Centre County have continually tried to sell students on remaining in the area for internships and, after their graduations, to be part of the local workforce.

Last year, Rita Griffth and Madhavi Kari of Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology, presented a program for the CBICC on “Keeping Penn State Interns in Centre County.”

“We mentioned that many students are not aware of the various opportunities in Centre County and that is why they pursue jobs outside of State College,” says Kari, director, career solutions for the College of Information Sciences and Technology. “One of the best and most beneficial ways to expose students to opportunities in this area is providing internship opportunities. Some students may develop relationships and networks that entice them to stay in the area.”

Griffith, career counselor for the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State, adds that there are many students who don’t want to leave the area after they graduate from Penn State.

“They want to stay a college student, and so they can kind of still be connected if they find the opportunity for a full-time position in Centre County,” she says. “Students need to know that there is something here for them — even if it isn’t one of the major companies that we’re used to seeing hire our students, there are opportunities in companies here if the students are exposed to them and they might be more apt to stay in Centre County.”

Every student within the college of IST has to do an internship before graduating, according to Zoe Meyer, associate director, career solutions for IST. Most of the college’s students do internships in their junior and/ or senior years. In order to receive credit for an internship it has to be 300 hours and be related to an IT major or security risk analysis.

“I think [the students] get flooded with the bigger companies too. They see them coming here and advertising, so the smaller companies aren’t in their face as much, so it’s

kind of our job to let them know that there are other opportunities out there,” she says.

Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, 21, says he first learned about the local software company Minitab in his Stat 200 class his sophomore year. He is now a senior in the College of Information Sciences and Technology and worked for Minitab last summer.

Minitab is a statistical computer-software company that was developed in 1972. Its world headquarters resides in State College while other offices are located in the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

“We used the software in class on multiple occasions,” says Obeng-Agyapong, who grew up in the Bronx, New York. “I didn’t actually know that the company had a headquarters in State College until I started talking to one of my academic advisors about internship opportunities in the local area.”

During his internship, he was responsible for leading a project within the marketing department. There he worked with multiple digital-asset management systems, which allowed him to properly organize files through the use of metadata fields and, in some instances, photo recognition.

Dave Costlow, marketing-communications manager for Minitab, worked closely with Obeng-Agyapong on several projects.

“He brought a lot of energy and fresh ideas to the projects he worked on and made several significant contributions to our team. Stephen had a lot of great skills when he started his internship and was able to take on his first project quickly, but was also able to improve upon aspects like his presentation skills over the course of his internship,” Costlow says.

Costlow is responsible for hiring all positions within the marketingcommunications department. He says at Minitab they’re always recruiting great people such as Obeng-Agyapong.

“We recruit from a variety of universities, but we certainly like to draw from the deep pool of students and recent graduates from Penn State for both internships and fulltime positions,” he says. “Minitab’s location and the Penn State connection also helps when we’re looking for more experienced professionals. It’s fairly common for us to find experienced professionals that are PSU alums looking to return to the State College area.”

81 - Town&Gown February 2013

Darren Weimert (3)

While he is still hoping for an opportunity to play professional football, Obeng-Agyapong says working at Minitab, where he interned last summer, is an option he would consider after graduation.

He adds that the State College area offers a high quality of life for young families, and he and his wife, Annie, are raising their kids here.

“My son’s almost 4 and my daughter is 18 months, so we feel very fortunate,” he says.

Obeng-Agyapong says the courses that he has taken in IST definitely prepared him for his internship at Minitab. A senior safety on last season’s Penn State football team, he is hoping for an opportunity to play professional football. But if that doesn’t work out, “Working at Minitab after graduation is definitely one of the options I am still considering,” he says.

Dan Leshner, another IST major, says that the School of IST has prepared him for his internship at New Leaf Initiative (NLI) in State College.

“New Leaf Initiative is a nonprofit outlet for people that want to make a positive change in the world,” says Leshner, who is from State College. “If a student has an idea for a project

to better the community or has an idea they want to explore, New Leaf Initiative will provide them with the first step to getting connected with the people in the local community necessary for their idea to turn into a reality.”

He says since his focus is on social media, he mainly overlooks the different projects that are happening. On top of making videos for the projects at New Leaf, he also makes videos for the co.space, which is an idea that sprung from New Leaf.

According to Leshner, the co.space is a global network of coliving spaces for “world-changers.”

The co.space in State College will mix 16 Penn State students who will be under one roof where they will work in collaboration with each other and experienced “change makers.”

“Being with people who are so welcoming of everyone and easy to work with makes me want to do the best job I can possibly do,” Leshner says.

He adds that New Leaf gave him the resources he

82 - Town&Gown February 2013

Thanks to his experience interning with New Leaf Initiative, Leshner is starting his own production company that will specialize in making promotional videos for anyone who “wants to share their ideas/skills with the world.�

83 - Town&Gown February 2013

Contributed photos (2)

Pigott interned at AccuWeather and is now in his sixth year working for the “world’s weather authority."

needed to “take my video-making skills to the next level.” He is starting his own production company for freelance work that isn’t directly related to NLI and the co.space, called Little Big Media Co. “We will specialize in making promotional videos for companies, organizations, students, or anyone that wants to share their ideas/skills with the world,” he says.

Meghan Evans also is sharing her skills with the world as a lead online journalist at AccuWeather. Evans, who grew up near Philadelphia, didn’t intern at AccuWeather but after talking with representatives from the company at a career fair, she became interested in working there and staying in State College.

She has been with AccuWeather for nearly six years now.

“I have definitely enjoyed staying in State College beyond my college years,” she says. “There are so many different things Centre County has to offer. Since college, I have discovered how many beautiful hiking areas are just around the corner.

This is also one of the best areas in the country for trout fishing, which is a new hobby I was able to pick up since college.”

Michael Pigott of Downingtown did intern at AccuWeather, and he turned that internship into a full-time position starting in 2007. He’s now the forecasting floor manager — his main duties include quality checking the national and international forecasts and managing the daily schedules of forecasters.

Like Evans, he has enjoyed living here beyond his college years.

“State College is a great place for active people,” he says. “There are football games in the fall. In the spring and summer, there are worldclass trout streams that are less than a 10-minute drive from downtown. In winter, there are a few great ski resorts that are only a couple hours away. And I am very excited to see PSU hockey in the Pegula Ice Arena next winter.”

Another local internship program called the Clinical Observations course has been going strong now for four years, and is attracting kids from State College. This senior level capstone course is for State College Area High School students with a strong interests in careers in medicine, nursing, dentistry, or other professional-level careers.

“Students will then observe in participating departments at Mount Nittany Medical Center and community practices, and are provided with introductory experiences and close staff supervision,” says Maryanne Neal,

After growing up near Philadelphia, Evans has enjoyed living in State College and working for AccuWeather since she graduated from Penn State.

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Graham, now a freshman at Penn State, feels more prepared moving forward in her career in medicine thanks to the experience she received in Mount Nittany Medical Center’s Clinical Observations course.

85 - Town&Gown February 2013

RN, BSN, health-professions teacher for the Clinical Observations course.

Director of education at Mount Nittany Medical Center, Susan Foster, who works closely with Neal and her team, says many of the students are getting to the stage where they want to do something in health care.

“They are in areas of specialties that they may not encounter in school. We are definitely engaged with them throughout the interview process and then throughout the internship experience,” Foster says.

Kylie Green, now a freshman in the College of Nursing at Penn State Altoona, started the Clinical Observations class in 2011. She says being able to spend her mornings in the environment she has always dreamed of working in motivated her to succeed in the health-related classes she was taking at the time.

“It also helped to fuel the desire I had to go to nursing school and put the time and effort in to my applications,” she says. “This experience provided me the behind-the-scenes look at health care that no one would be able to see unless they were actually employed.”

She says that in “rotations” at Mount Nittany Medical Center, the students and their advisors meet prior to dispersing through the floors to discuss what they were to expect, and see on the floor what they were assigned to for that week.

Every week, over the course of the school year, each student was on a new floor or department of the hospital, varying from risk management to the emergency department to central supply and culinary services. Green says the experience gave her a great appreciation for all aspects of the health-care team.

“From those who prepare the meals for the patients to those who greet the visitors at the front desk, to the nurses who provide care on the floors, so much more goes on in the hospital than the public knows,” she says.

“There are many more staff involved in the care of the patients and the smooth operations of the hospital than just the doctors and nurses that are the usual ‘face of medicine.’ ” Joshua Bram, 19, agrees that his experience with the Clinical Observation program was life changing. Bram, now a freshman in the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State, says there was no typical day as he and other students rotated through various areas of the

hospital, with a new area assigned each week.

“Overall, we got to experience almost every area of the hospital, except for the operating rooms, which was really a great opportunity,” he says. “At the hospital, we did everything from watching cesarean sections to shadowing nurses to experiencing sterile processing.”

Bram says the fact that he was able to get this experience as a high school senior contributed to his continued interest in becoming a physician as well. He says staying in Centre County allowed him to return to high school for the rest of the school day, which allowed him to take the classes that he needed and wanted to take.

“It was also important that I was able to experience health care in a local setting because this gave me a greater appreciation of my town and my own socioeconomic situation,” he says.

Meghan Graham, 18, now a freshman at Penn State, also believes Clinical Observations is one of the most enjoyable and influential programs State High has to offer.

“The health-professions program as a whole is very strong, but I feel that ‘Clin Obs’ in particular is able to prepare students for careers in medicine in a way no other course can,” she says.

She says her favorite part was her rotation through the labor and delivery unit at Mount Nittany Medical Center. “It was an amazing experience for me, especially since obstetrics is a field I have considered going into. I know moving forward into my career in medicine that I will continue to gain from the lessons I learned in Clinical Observations,” she says — and perhaps, after graduating from Penn State, use those lessons to benefit this community.

“It is really about utilizing fresh talent and integrating some of those ideas into our local businesses,” Kari says of the effort to keep Penn State students here. “As our area grows and becomes more competitive with where students are going — New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, DC — then we have more of a chance to keep them here.” T&G Aimee Morgan is a freelance writer in State College. She enjoys sharing the beauty of the town with friends, family, and her two dogs, Willy and Danny.

86 - Town&Gown February 2013

THE CENTRE COUNTY GAZETTE CENTRE COUNTY’S FULL-SERVICE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Centre County deserves a weekly newspaper that provides balanced, comprehensive coverage of news of importance to the readers of Centre County.

Now with increased distribution! throughout Centre County.

15,000 newspapers at more than 400 locations

Published on Thursdays! - Providing increased readership heading into the weekend.

The expanded Centre County Gazette will feature full coverage of News and Sports, while maintaining our strong commitment to the good news in the communities we serve.

THE CENTRE COUNTY GAZETTE 403 S. ALLEN ST. • STATE COLLEGE, PA 16801 (814) 238-5051 • FAX (814) 238-3415 WWW.CENTRECOUNTYGAZETTE.COM

David Silber (2)

88 - Town&Gown February 2013

A P ast to Protect, A Future to Plan Bellefonte’s strong connection to its history has been marred in recent years with fires destroying some of its most famous buildings.

Now, the town looks to continue to maintain a strong hold on its proud heritage while also creating exciting possibilities for tomorrow

By Rebekka Coakley

89 - Town&Gown February 2013

The Pennsylvania Match Company building was purchased by the American Philatelic Society in 2002 and is now home to “America’s Stamp Club.”

When True Fisher’s husband, Rob, accepted a position as an art professor at Penn State in 1974, a small town not far from State College intrigued the two. There was something about the borough 12 miles northeast of State College with about 6,000 residents that appealed to the Fishers.

Perhaps it was the historic Victorian architecture that called to the young artists, or the sound of the roaring natural spring, coupled with the appeal of the Spring Creek waterfront, that enticed them to move into their own Victorian home and raise their children there.

“Coming to Bellefonte felt like moving to a small hill town in Europe. It was the sense of history we felt in Bellefonte, and the art community that was building in the area that really drew us in,” says True, who helped found the Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association (BHCA) in 1976. “In the 1950s and 60s, when many towns were getting makeovers to modernize their looks, Bellefonte didn’t have the money to do so, and we’re lucky for it.”

According to the National Register of Historic Places, Bellefonte has numerous buildings deemed worthy of preservation: “A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.” Bellefonte has nine listed: the Bellefonte Armory, Brockerhoff Hotel, Centre County Courthouse, Gamble Mill, McAllister-Beaver House, Miles-Hume House, Pennsylvania Match Company (purchased by the American Philatelic Society in 2002), the South Ward School, and the William Thomas House.

“Over time people have had a greater appreciation of the historic nature of the buildings that represent Bellefonte and its unique

identity,” says Gay Dunne, a West Ward borough council member and chair of the Energy and Environmental Conservation Committee. “These buildings and all the Victorian architecture are a major asset to Bellefonte’s charm, but it’s expensive to preserve and it’s not simple to do.”

Bellefonte residents know better than those in many towns with historic buildings how difficult and expensive it is to preserve or restore these structures. In the past eight years, the town has seen fires destroy property in the borough, including four prominent historical buildings.

As some of its past has been destroyed, Bellefonte is now looking toward the future and what it can do to become an even more attractive place to visit and live.

“We love our town and think it’s wonderful,” says Brenda Confer, an owner of Confer’s Jewelers

The Gamble Mill was the first building in Bellefonte to be placed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is now home to the Gamble Mill Restaurant & Microbrewery.

on North Allegheny Street. “Showing off our history is important, but it’s also important to change with the times to attract new visitors.”

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Contributed photos (3)

The first of the four historic buildings in Bellefonte that was destroyed recently by fire was the Bellefonte Academy. Built in 1805, and rebuilt after a fire in 1904, the academy boasted of its impressive list of alumni among Pennsylvania politicians, including Governor Andrew Curtin.

A fire in 2006 destroyed the Bush House Hotel.

A fire destroyed the building on July 14, 2004.

The next building devastated by fire was the Bush House Hotel, built in 1868, and one of the first hotels in the United States to have electric lights. Famous guests of the Bush House included Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart, and Henry Ford.

It burned down on February 8, 2006.

In 1916, the Cadillac Building was erected as a Cadillac dealership, on Bishop and Allegheny streets. More recently, the lower level was used commercially while the upper had been converted into residential apartments. It is reported that Christmas lights were the cause of the fire there on December 22, 2009.

Toward the end of 2012, on September 9, Bellefonte experienced another catastrophic fire on High Street. The Garman Opera House and Garman House hotel (known recently as the DoDe Hotel), built in 1840, had hosted performances

by George Burns and Gracie Allen, and Harry Houdini. It also was used as a movie theater, first showing silent films and then “talkies.” An arsonist destroyed the two buildings.

While Bellefonte has seen more fires than listed here, residents hope that these four buildings can be saved and restored for historic preservation.

Where the Garman Theatre and the DoDe Hotel are concerned, property owners were recently sent a letter to stabilize or knock down the structures for safety concerns. Don Holderman, assistant borough manager of Bellefonte, says that Do-De owner John Donn recently reported to the borough that he has a potential buyer that will likely turn the space into work-force housing.

Holderman says as of December they had not yet received further information for the Garmen Theatre, whose owners had filed for bankruptcy prior to the fire. Like the Do-De Hotel, the borough has heard of expressed interest in the Cadillac Building for similar use. The Centre Daily Times reported in early January that officials believe sales agreements had been reached on both the Do-De Hotel and the Cadillac Building.

The Bellefonte Academy site is still in limbo, Holderman says.

“A private local developer purchased the property a few years back and began laying plans for condominiums, but that was prior to the market crashing — that’s been off the radar for a while now,” he says.

The borough has been putting a lot of work into the Bush House property and the entire waterfront area where it was, Holderman says. In 2008, he and Ralph Stewart, the borough manager, met with Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development officials to discuss grant options for assisting with redevelopment of the Bush House property. The borough received a grant contract for a $120,000 ($60,000 state grant with $60,000 match from the borough) project to complete a feasibility study under the Land Use

Workers complete the retaining wall in Talleyrand Park.

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In 2010, volunteers put in an edible landscape garden in Talleyrand Park.

Planning Technical Assistance Program. A committee of 16 community members was put together to oversee the feasibility project, and found that before any development could be done the floodplain issue needed to be addressed. The borough once again obtained a state grant with a match from the borough for $3 million to build a floodwall to allow continued development.

Holderman says the borough got involved in this project and applied for grants because the likelihood of a private developer taking on the wall development and a walkway from High Street to Lamb Street was slim, so they resolved to work on a public/private partnership of the waterfront area, where a developer can restore or replace the Bush House. However, three properties stand in the way of the floodwall, and the borough is working to purchase them so they can continue the plans.

While one of the three has already agreed to sell and is looking for relocation, Holderman says the borough is going through the process of eminent domain to purchase the other two.

“To be clear, eminent domain doesn’t mean the borough is trying to just take the property while the owners get nothing,” he says. “The owners will still get the appraised value of the property, so we’re working on that process, but hopeful we will be able to negotiate the matter entirely instead.”

In December, the borough was interviewing engineering firms to begin the entire process.

Holderman hopes that by mid-2013 a developer

will be on board and the building of the walkway and wall, which they hope will be a collaborative effort with whomever restores the hotel, will begin by spring of 2014.

In addition to restoration, Dunne says the borough council has put together a Fire Protection Task Force to measure the efforts that must be taken to prevent future fire devastation and to look at the resources Bellefonte has to make the necessary changes and enforce them. Technological advances may provide some lower-costing options for prevention and early detection.

While the plague of recent fires have spooked some in the community, businesses, organizations, and tourism in Bellefonte have not been affected by the losses.

Gary Hoover, executive director of the Bellefonte Intervalley Area Chamber of Commerce, says the chamber supports thousands of businesses and organizations located in Bellefonte and the Intervalley Area. While the downtown area has seen a lot of storefront changes, he says it’s not always a bad thing.

“An empty storefront represents an opportunity for a new business as well as a loss of the old,” he says. “Overall there are fewer businesses of some types in downtown Bellefonte and more of others, as business owners have responded over time to economic conditions and changes in demand.”

He adds that while the recession affected everyone, Centre County has been fortunate in maintaining a stronger local economy than many areas in the state and country.

Confer, who, with her husband, Monte, took over Confer’s Jewelers in 1977 and moved the business to its current location in Bellefonte in 1985, says she’d like to see more viable businesses in Bellefonte.

“Retail stores that would make Bellefonte a destination location,” she says. “Cute little shops where people can do their shopping collectively.

I think we can all work together to create an atmosphere where businesses want to move into Bellefonte.”

She adds that events such as Victorian Christmas offer great opportunities to showcase the town. She says the Bellefonte Garden Club does a great job planting beautiful greenery around the town and making Talleyrand Park even more attractive. Volunteer efforts such as that make Bellefonte a great town, she says.

She’d like to see Bellefonte somehow make opening and establishing retail businesses

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downtown more feasible, and she’d like the borough to develop more adequate parking.

When there’s a trial in the courthouse, she says, parking is very hard to find.

In the summer of 2012, some businesses in Bellefonte saw a boom in patronage, and others did not, when the small community became the site for one of the nation’s biggest trials last year with the prosecution and ultimate conviction of former Penn State football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Hundreds of news crews gathered in Bellefonte to cover the story.

“The media representatives generated a lot of business, but it was uneven in impact,” Hoover says. “In speaking with business owners, some said they did well while others did not feel they benefitted. Some of our merchants passed out discount coupons and menus to the media folks and got good results. Others provided free Wi-Fi

Confer’s Jewelers has enjoyed success since moving to Bellefonte in 1985. Shown are family members (from left) Mya, Monteca, Brenda, Monte, and Eliza.

to attract the media to their establishments. Some said the congestion caused by the media trucks kept regular customers away. My experience is that the perception that parking would be bad because of the congestion kept more people away.

Also, the borough of Bellefonte did very well applying the lessons learned from early in the process to the later trial events that brought the media to town. Long term, I think Bellefonte will benefit from a lot of very favorable national media exposure due to media presence.”

Donna Benner, executive chef and event coordinator at the Governor’s Pub on West High Street, says the trial really generated business for them because a lot of reporters took advantage of

their free Wi-Fi, and also fell in love with their Reuben sandwiches.

“I’m not from the area originally,” she says, “but I love it here. I think Talleyrand Park is my favorite part of it. For two years in a row we’ve had a mama duck lay her eggs just outside of our window — we were able to watch them hatch and even walk her and her ducklings across the street to make sure they got to the park okay.”

The national media in town for the trial also had a chance to experience a favorite annual tradition in Bellefonte that continued right on schedule despite the congestion caused by satellite trucks and other media vehicles. The historic Bellefonte Cruise, held June 15-17 — still attracted more than 10,000 visitors. Fisher credits the Bellefonte borough and police for being able to impress the importance of the event on the media, and clear them out in time for the cruise to begin.

According to Hoover, Bellefonte benefits from tourism. Events such as the cruise, Victorian Christmas and Victorian Christmas Arts and Crafts Show, Summer Sounds in the Gazebo (at Talleyrand Park), along with Bellefonte’s history and architecture draw people in, and they continue to return.

Jim Dunne, Gay’s husband, and a member and secretary of the BHCA, says that although some view Bellefonte as just a bedroom community for Penn State, he loves how different Bellefonte is from State College. Having lived in historical homes in Philadelphia before moving to the Centre Region to open a dermatology practice in State College with Gay, the two chose Bellefonte for its history, culture, and architecture that they did not feel in State College. He says that with organizations such as the BHCA putting on cultural events and annual attractions such as the cruise and Victorian Christmas, he’s not worried about the future preservation of Bellefonte.

Others also are optimistic and hopeful for what may be to come.

“I am proud to say we have also seen a lot of sprucing up and even a complete building restoration within the last couple of years,” Hoover says. “It takes money and commitment, but downtown Bellefonte has some shining examples of what is possible.” T&G Rebekka Coakley lives in Bellefonte, is a freelance writer, and works for Penn State.

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penn state diary

Progress of the Printed Word Before the Daily Collegian, student publications came in various forms

By Lee Stout Penn State University Archives

Back in my student days, our window on the world was our student newspaper, the Daily Collegian. The May 30, 1969, issue, for example, wrapped up my senior year by recounting stories of overcrowded dorms and rising costs, new rules for coeds visiting men’s apartments and fraternity rooms, a spirited Spring Week Carnival, and an undefeated football team that pulled out a lastminute win over Kansas in the Orange Bowl.

But there also was contention: protests against ROTC and military recruiting, silent vigils and vocal demonstrations for increasing minority enrollments and programs, protests over the banning of a student-produced underground newspaper, and an SDS-led Old Main sit-in against the Vietnam War, and a litany of other issues.

The wrap-up also listed an amazing variety of people who had come to town and campus, including Janis Joplin, General William Westmoreland, Governor Raymond Shaeffer and governor-to-be Milton Shapp, President and Mrs. Richard Nixon, in town for his uncle’s funeral, Reverend Ralph D. Abernathy, Dionne Warwick, Representative Adam Clayton Powell, Ralph Nader, conservative cartoonist Al Capp, and boxing legend Muhammad Ali. It was quite a year, and the Collegian reported it all.

That one issue encapsulated for me both the mundane rituals of student life and the extraordinary changes our society brought to the university. As an independent voice and source of information, the Collegian traces its roots to the Free Lance, which began publication in 1887. But the urge to write and report goes even further back.

Penn State emphasized technological and scientific education for much of its first century.

As a land-grant college, the students were typically from working or middle class origins, rather than the moneyed elite. However, in spite of their desire for a practical education, they adopted the same type of collegiate culture as students in more prestigious classically oriented institutions such as Harvard and Yale.

The chief exemplars of those days’ student

For 17 years, the Free Lance was the main student publication at Penn State. It came out monthly and featured news and “literary” pieces.

culture were the college’s two literary societies.

Together with the classes and their scraps, class banquets, songs, and colors, the literary societies were the progenitors of the student organizations that began to proliferate in the 1880s and 1890s.

Athletics, Greek life, secret societies, and honors groups all grew from their example.

The societies, however, also promoted debate, reading, and writing about the issues of the day, both on campus and in the larger world. Their custom of a student reading a submitted paper at weekly meetings stimulated the idea of a weekly publication about campus doings.

With almost no resources, the early newspapers were handwritten. The first we know of is the Washington Literary Society’s Anonymous, in the 1860s. A decade later they were printed pamphlets.

In 1887, the Cresson Literary Society began a printed weekly, the Students’ Miscellany, but it

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quickly failed. The two societies then teamed up to create the monthly Free Lance. Handwritten or printed, however, it remained a challenge to produce a paper on time that paid for itself.

The Free Lance provided a mix of news and “literary” pieces — either essays or pieces of short fiction or poetry. Gradually, it also began to include stories about Penn State sports and other events, and news of the Alumni Association (established in 1870 but without its own publication until 1910). After 17 years, the Free Lance ceased publication in 1904.

Its monthly schedule meant most stories were “old news,” and it gradually replaced “news” with literary pieces. Most students judged it a “dud” and bought fewer and fewer copies. As a result, it was increasingly in debt to the companies that printed it.

The Free Lance editors then began a new weekly newspaper, the State Collegian. They thought it should be based on “facts” and more in tune with a practical and technical college. Given that more than three-quarters of the student body were engineering majors at that time, it seemed a sensible idea.

The four-page weekly Collegian was independent of the college, although editors were sometimes scolded by the president for their stories.

Independence also meant the editors and business managers received 12 to 25 percent of the proceeds from the sale of papers and advertising. Its cramped offices were downtown in the Nittany Publishing Company’s building, which it shared with the predecessor of today’s Centre Daily Times.

Despite some hiccups, it continued to grow. In 1930, it moved onto campus into Old Main, the new student-union building, and, 10 years later, it became the Daily Collegian, publishing five days a week. The Collegian would eventually become a nonprofit corporation with an elected board of directors to manage the operation and free subscriptions paid from student-activity fees.

Today, the Daily Collegian is still printed, and distributed free on campus. But the digital era has revolutionized it, along with all our newspapers and magazines. Both the Daily Collegian and the collegian online provide an award-winning level of student journalism that has evolved in amazing ways from the days of the Anonymous and the Free Lance, well over a century ago. T&G Lee Stout is Librarian Emeritus, Special Collections for Penn State.

Get to know...

Christopher Staley: Penn State Laureate

Ceramicist Christopher Staley earned his B.F.A. from Wittenburg University in 1977 and then was rejected by every M.F.A. program he applied to. After attending the Kansas City Art Institute for a year as a special student, Alfred University’s graduate program finally accepted him. From that inauspicious beginning, Staley went on to an illustrious career and currently is finishing his year as Penn State’s laureate for 2012-13.

“Being named the Penn State laureate is a very special opportunity to be an advocate for the arts,” he says. “This position allows me to share poignant insights about the relationship between art and life.”

As laureate, Staley has spent half his time in his regular role as a distinguished professor of the ceramic arts and the other half bringing an enhanced level of social, artistic, cultural, and human perspective and awareness to a broad audience. Learn more about his take on art in a series of videos at laureate.psu.edu.

Staley came to Penn State in 1990 after teaching at Alfred University’s summer program, the Rhode Island School of Design, Wichita State University, and Montana’s Archie Bray Foundation. Under the leadership of Staley and his colleagues, Penn State’s ceramics graduate program has been ranked No. 10 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. His philosophy: “Art is really a creative response to the world we live in.”

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

www.psu.bncollege.com 814-863-0205

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COMING TO Bryce Jordan Center

February 4 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Purdue 7 p.m.

5 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Purdue 7 p.m.

8 Luke Bryan 7:30 p.m.

10 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Michigan State 2 p.m.

14 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Iowa 9 p.m.

15-17 THON 6 p.m.

20 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Illinois 7 p.m.

23 Bon Jovi 7:30 p.m.

24 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Michigan 1 p.m.

26 Tiesto 7 p.m.

27 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Michigan 6:30 p.m.

February

what’s happening

Deadline for submitting events for the April issue is February 28.

Kathy Mattea performs at Eisenhower Auditorium.

New Year’s Day.

2 State Theatre hosts Rock the ’80s for the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund.

8 Country star Luke Bryan visits the Bryce Jordan Center.

10

12

The State College Spikes host their annual Spikefest at PSU’s Multi-Sport Facility.

17 THON 2013 wraps up at the Bryce Jordan Center.

24 The Lady Lions host their annual Pink Zone game against Michigan.

14 Valentine’s Day

PSU Centre Stage opens its production of Love’s Labour Lost at the Pavilion Theatre.

The show runs through Feb. 23.

The Addams Family tour comes to Eisenhower Auditorium.

15 ClearWater Conservancy holds its For the Love of Art and Chocolate event at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

18

Presidents Day

27 PSU men’s basketball team hosts Michigan at the BJC.

Announcements of general interest to residents of the State College area may be mailed to Town&Gown, Box 77, State College, PA 16804-0077; faxed to (814) 238-3415; or e-mailed to dpenc@barashmedia.com. Photos are welcome.

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Compiled by Sarah Harteis

1

For more “What’s Happening,” check out townandgown.com.

Academics 17 – State College Area School Disctict, K-12, no school/snow makeup day.

Children & Families 2 – Tips for Young Writers Workshop, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 10 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

2 – Storytelling, Webster’s Bookstore & Café, S.C., 11 a.m., 2 – World Stories Alive: Arabic, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 11 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

3, 10, 17 – New Art Series! Creating Like the Masters, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 2 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

5, 12 – Toddler Learning Centre, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 9:15 & 10:30 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

5, 12 – Threes, Four, Fives – Stories Alive!, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 9:30 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

5, 12 – Everybody Storytime, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 10:30 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

6, 13 – Baby and Me Lapsit, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 9:30 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

6, 13 – Nursery Rhyme Toddler Time, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 10:30 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

9 – World Stories Alive: Farsi (Persian), Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 11 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

16 – World Stories Alive: Hindi, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 11 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

23 – World Stories Alive: Turkish, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 11 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

Classes & Lectures 5 – Penn State Speaker Series: “Art & Life: Where they Intersect” by Christopher Stanley, Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, PSU, 11:30 a.m., pennstateforum.psu.edu.

5 – Classical Music Project Lecture Series: “Beethoven in Hollywood,” Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 2:30 p.m., cmp.psu.edu.

5 – Sustainable Housing Series: “Systematically Improving the Efficiency and Value of Your Home,” Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 7 p.m., scotchambersrealestate@ gmail.com.

5, 19 – “A Joint Venture,” a free class on hip and knee replacements, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 11 a.m. Feb. 5, 7 p.m.

Feb. 19, 278-4810.

6, 12, 20, 27 – “Life with Diabetes,” a four day education series, 120 Radnor Road, S.C., 1 p.m., 231-7194.

8 – Gallery Talk: “Ashcan Artists in the James and Barbara Palmer Collection,” Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.

12 – Classical Music Project Lecture Series: “Mozart in the Ballroom,” Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 2:30 p.m., cmp.psu.edu.

12 – Darwin Day Discussion, Inherit the Wind, University Universalist Fellowship of Centre County, S.C., 7 p.m., www.uufcc.com.

15 – Gallery Talk: “A Dialogue on Human Agency: Seymour Lipton and Renee Stout,” Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.

19 – Classical Music Project Lecture Series: “Habits of the Viennese Ballroom,” Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 2:30 p.m., cmp.psu.edu.

21, 28 – Free Alzheimer’s Training, Country Inn & Suites, S.C., 6 p.m., 238-8820 (reserve a space by February 12).

24 – “Introduction to the Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning,” Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 2 p.m., fertility.appreciation@ gmail.com.

26 – Sustainable Housing Series: “Expanding the Value of Your Property by Improving the Exterior,” Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 7 p.m., scotchambersrealestate@gmail.com.

Club Events 6, 13, 20, 27 – S.C. Sunrise Rotary Club mtg., Hotel State College, S.C., 7:15 a.m., kfragola@psualum.com.

6, 13, 20, 27 – Centre Squares Dance Club, Pleasant Gap Elementary School, Pleasant Gap, 8 p.m., 238-8949.

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

7, 14, 21, 28 – S.C. Downtown Rotary mtg., Damon’s Grill & Sports Bar, S.C., noon, http://centrecounty.org/rotary/club/.

12 – Women’s Mid Day Connection Luncheon, Mountain View Country Club, Boalsburg, 11:30 a.m., 355-7615.

13 – Women’s Welcome Club of S.C., Oakwood Presbyterian Church, S.C., 7 p.m., www.womenswelcomeclub.org.

14, 28 – Embroidery Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 6:30 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

18 – Knitting Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 6:30 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

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Community Associations & Development 14 – Centre County TRIAD meeting: Ending Hunger for Seniors, Centre Region Senior Center, S.C., 10 a.m., 237-8932 or 237-3130.

19 – Spring Creek Watershed Association mtg., Patton Township Mun. Bldg., 7:30 a.m., www.springcreekwatershed.org.

Exhibits Ongoing-May 19 – Lit with Piercing Glances: Linocuts by James Mullen, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.

Ongoing-May 5 – Varied and Untried: Early Twentieth-Century American Paintings from the James and Barbara Palmer Collection, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.

Ongoing-April – Masquerade – Ceremonial and Traditional Masks from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas, Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, 1-4:30 p.m.

Fri-Sun., www.bellefontemuseum.org.

3-28 – Color in the Landscape by Anne Kenyon, Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, 1-4:30 p.m. Fri-Sun., www.bellefontemuseum.org.

22 – Art and the Stage, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.

26-May 5 – Drawn to Paint: The Art of Jerome Witkin, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.

18 – Cancer Survivor Support Group, Centre County United Way, S.C., 11:30 a.m., www.cancersurvive.org.

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

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

21 – The free “Parents-to-Be: The HEIR & Parents Hospital Tour for Expectant Parents,” Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 6:30 p.m., 231-3132.

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

26 – Stroke Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 4 p.m., 359-3421.

Music 1 – Kathy Mattea, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., 863-0255 or www.cpa.psu.edu.

1-2 – African American Music Festival, Esber Recital Hall (Fri.) and Pasquerilla Spiritual Center (Sat.), PSU, 6 p.m. Fri., 1 p.m. Sat., music.psu.edu.

2 – Rock the ’80s for the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund, State Theatre, S.C., 7 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org.

8 – Luke Bryan, BJC, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.bjc.psu.edu.

9 – Acoustic Brew Concert: Scott Ainslie, Center for Well Being, Lemont, 7:30 p.m., www.acousticbrew.org.

9 – Centre Dimensions Jazz present Mardi Gras, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

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

1 – Alzheimer’s/Dementia Support Group, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 1 p.m., 234-3141.

4 – Breast Cancer Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 5:30 p.m., 231-7005.

7 – Grief Support Group, Centre Crest, Bellefonte, 6 p.m., 548-1140 or amboal@co.centre.pa.us.

10 – Ostomy Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 2 p.m., 231-3132.

12 – Alzheimer’s/Dementia Support Group, Mount Nittany Dining Room at the Inn at Brookline, S.C., 6:30 p.m., 234-3141.

13 – The Fertility Issues and Loss Support Group, Choices (2214 N. Atherton St.), S.C., 6:30 p.m., www.heartofcpa.org.

14 – The Diabetes Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 6 p.m., 231-7095.

Violinist Nicholas DiEugenio performs with the Nittany Valley Symphony February 16.

10 – Clarinetist Smith Toulson and friends, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County, S.C., 3 p.m., 237-7605 or www.uufcc.com.

12 – Brass Chamber Music, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

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16 – Nittany Valley Symphony presents “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.nvs.org.

20 – Anthony Costa presents “Gems and Diversions for Clarinet, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.

20 – The Birdland Big Band, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., 863-0255 or www.cpa.psu.edu.

23 – Bon Jovi, BJC, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.bjc.psu.edu.

23 – Philharmonic Orchestra, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

26 – Tiesto, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m., www.bjc.psu.edu.

26 – Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

27 – Brentano String Quartet, Schwab Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., 863-0255 or www.cpa.psu.edu.

27 – Symphonic Band and Concert Band, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

28 – Inner and Outer Dimensions, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

Special Events

Sports For tickets to Penn State sporting events, visit www.gopsusports.com or call 865-5555. For area high school sporting events, call your local high school.

1 – PSU/Pfeiffer, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

1-2 – PSU/Mercyhurst, women’s ice hockey, Greenberg Ice Pavilion, PSU, 7 p.m. Fri., 2 p.m. Sun. 2 – Sykes & Sabock Challenge Cup, track & field, Penn State Multi-Sport Facility, PSU, all day.

2 – PSU/Penn, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 11 a.m.

2 – PSU/Towson, men’s and women’s swimming, McCoy Natatorium, PSU, 1 p.m.

2 – PSU/Lehigh, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 5 p.m.

2 – PSU/Mount Olive, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

2 – PSU/Ohio State, men’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

2 – PSU/Ohio State, women’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

2 – PSU/Johns Hopkins, men’s lacrosse, Penn State Lacrosse Field, PSU, 1 p.m.

4 – PSU/Purdue, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m.

5 – PSU/Purdue, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m.

8 – PSU/St. Francis, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

8-9 – PSU/Alabama Huntsville, men’s ice hockey, Greenberg Ice Pavilion, PSU, 7:30 p.m.

8-9 – PSU/Lindenwood, women’s ice hockey, Greenberg Ice Pavilion, PSU, 2 p.m.

Penn State Athletic Communications

2 – 65th Annual Mount Nittany Medical Center Charity Ball, Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, S.C., 234-6777.

4 – 2012 Centre County United Way Campaign Celebration, Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, S.C., 5:30 p.m., www.ccunitedway.org.

5, 12, 19, 26 – Boalsburg Farmers’ Market, Boalsburg Fire Hall, Boalsburg, 2 p.m., www.boalsburgfarmersmarket.com.

9 – Chocolate Fest, Downtown Philipsburg, noon, 342-2260.

9 – WPSU’s Connoisseurs Dinner: A New York Night, Nittany Lion Inn, PSU, 6 p.m., wpsu.org.

9-10 – Mount Nittany Vineyard & Winery’s Wine & Chocolate, Mount Nittany Vineyard & Winery, Centre Hall, noon, www.mtnittanwinery.com.

10 – Spikefest 2013, Penn State Multi-Sport Facility, PSU, 10 a.m., www.statecollegespikes.com.

10, 24 – A Jewish Film Festival, State Theatre, S.C., 3:30 & 7 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org.

15 – For the Love of Art and Chocolate, Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, S.C., 7 p.m., 237-0400.

15-17 – THON, BJC, PSU, 6 p.m., www.bjc.psu.edu.

16– Central Pennsylvania Ballroom Dancers Association Valentine Dinner Dance, Christ Community Church, S.C., 5:30 p.m., 237-3008.

22-23 – 2013 Home-Improvement Show, Nittany Mall, S.C., 10 a.m., 238-8038.

23 – Focus on Strong Families Conference, Mount Nittany Middle School, S.C., TBA, www.schlowlibrary.org.

23 – Good Humor Day, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 1 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

24 – Global Connections presents Biennial Gala Dinner, Ramada Inn, S.C., 5:30 p.m., globalconnections@ip.psu.edu.

24 – Read Across America/Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 2 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

Quentin Wright wrestles his final home match February 17 when Penn State hosts Rider.

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9 – PSU/Ohio State, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 8 p.m.

10 – PSU/Michigan State, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 2 p.m.

10 – PSU/Old Dominion, women’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 11 a.m.

14 – PSU/Iowa, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 9 p.m.

15-16 – PSU/Oklahoma ACHA, men’s ice hockey, Greenberg Ice Pavilion, PSU, 7:30 p.m.

Fri., 3:30 p.m. Sat. 16 – PSU/Penn, women’s lacrosse, Penn State Lacrosse Field, PSU, 1 p.m.

17 – PSU/Rider, wrestling, Rec Hall, PSU, 2 p.m.

20 – PSU/Illinois, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m.

20 – PSU/Bucknell, women’s lacrosse, Penn State Lacrosse Field, PSU, 7 p.m.

22 – PSU/George Mason, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

23 – PSU/West Virginia, women’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 11 a.m.

23 – PSU/Springfield College, men’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

23 – PSU/Princeton, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

23 – PSU/Michigan State, women’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

24 – PSU/Notre Dame, men’s lacrosse, Penn State Lacrosse Field, PSU, noon.

24 – PSU/VCU, women’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, noon.

24 – PSU/Michigan, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 1 p.m.

27 – PSU/Michigan, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 6:30 p.m.

A. J. Holmes (left) and Carly Hughes star in The Last Five Years, February 14-27 at the State Theatre.

14-27 – The Last Five Years, State Theatre, S.C., 8 p.m. (2 p.m. matinees Feb. 16 & 23, 3 p.m. matinees Feb. 17 & 24), www.thestatetheatre.org.

15-17 – Mount Nittany Middle School Drama Club presents Barnum, Mount Nittany Middle School Auditorium, S.C., 7:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., barnumtickets@gmail.com.

16 – The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD Presents: Verdi’s Rigoletto, State Theatre, S.C., 1 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org.

Theater 7 – Classical Music Project Film Series: Immortal Beloved, State Theatre, S.C., 2 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org.

7 – Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles presents It Gets Better, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., 863-0255 or www.cpa.psu.edu.

8-9 – Legally Blonde, The Musical, State Theatre, S.C., 8 p.m. Fri., 2 & 8 p.m. Sat., www.thestatetheatre.org.

7 – Greats at The State Film Series: Pulp Fiction, State Theatre, S.C., 10 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org.

12 – Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal presents Italian Evening, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., 863-0255 or www.cpa.psu.edu.

12-23 – Penn State Centre Stage presents Love’s Labour Lost, Pavilion Theatre, PSU, 7:30 p.m., 2 p.m. matinee Feb. 23, theatre.psu.edu.

14 – Casablanca, State Theatre, S.C., 7:30 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org.

14 – The Addams Family, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., 863-0255 or www.cpa.psu.edu.

Lord of the Dance visits Eisenhower Auditorium February 17.

17 – Lord of the Dance, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., 863-0255 or www.cpa.psu.edu.

24 – Omaha Theater Company presents How I Became a Pirate, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 2 p.m., 863-0255 or www.cpa.psu.edu. T&G

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Come Home to The State www.thestatetheatre.org • (814) 272-0606 130 W. College Ave. • Downtown State College LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL PRESENTED BY STATE COLLEGE COMMUNITY THEATRE Friday, February 8 at 8p Saturday, February 9 at 2p and 8p Sunday, February 10 at 2p

PRESENTED BY THE STATE COLLEGE CHAPTER OF HADASSAH

NICKY’S FAMILY Sunday, February 10 at 3:30pm JE T’AIME I LOVE YOU TERMINAL Sunday, February 10 at 7pm FOOTNOTE Sunday, February 24 at 3:30pm FROM THE BLACK YOU MAKE COLOR Sunday, February 24 at 7pm

THE LAST FIVE YEARS STARRING A.J. HOLMES & CARLY HUGHES

February 14-27, 2013 A very intimate telling of the unraveling of a marriage told by both husband and wife, in reverse order. He, from beginning to end and her, from end to beginning.

Please check www.thestatetheatre.org for specific times

guide to advertisers

ATTRACTIONS, EVENTS, ENTERTAINMENT Bob Perks Fund ..............................43 Center for the Performing Arts ................... Inside Front Cover Centre Home Care .........................33 Clearwater Conservancy ..............13 Coaches Vs. Cancer ......................19 Happy Valley Winery................... 105 Palmer Museum of Art ...................96 Penn State Centre Stage ..............23 State Theatre................................. 102 Toftrees Resort ................................32 AUTOMOTIVE Dix Honda .........................................13 Driscoll Automotive ...... Back Cover Joel Confer BMW .............................. 4 BANKS, FINANCIAL SERVICES Frost & Conn Insurance ................26 Penn State Federal Credit Union ........................................... 121 State College Federal Credit Union ..............................................34 BELLEFONTE SECTION Confer’s Jewelers ...........................21 Mid State Awning & Patio Company .......................................21 Penn State Federal Credit Union ..............................................21 BOALSBURG A Basket Full ....................................27 Boalsburg Apothecary ..................27 Duffy’s Tavern ..................................27 Mount Nittany Vineyard & Winery ............................................27 Nature’s Calling Lawn Care .........27 Nature’s Hue ....................................27 Tait Farm Foods...............................27

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY Blair County Chamber Of Commerce ....................................35 CBICC .................................................17 BUSINESS FORWARD SPECIAL SECTION Barash Media ...................................77 CBICC .................................................48 Central PA Institute of Science & Technology ...................................52 Centre County Community Foundation ....................................53 Centre County United Way ..........57 Centre County Women’s Resource Center.............................................58 Centre County Youth Service Bureau............................................59 Continental Real Estate Management ................................58 Friends of GT Thompson..............61 Frost & Conn Insurance ................62 Glenn O. Hawbaker ........................63 Hamilton Square Shopping Center.............................................56 HealthSouth/Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital ..........................................64 Housing Transitions .......................65 Kish Bank ..........................................66 Kissinger Bigatel & Brower ..........50 Koch Funeral Home .......................70 Mount Nittany Medical Center ....78 Nittany Hotel Management/Best Western ..........................................49 Northwest Savings Bank ..............51 Poole Anderson...............................76 RE/MAX Centre Realty ..................72 Restek Corporation ........................71 State College Federal Credit Union ..............................................73 The Greek .........................................74 Vantage Investment Advisors LLC ..................................................75

CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Builders Association of Central PA .....................................35 DINING Autoport ...........................................115 Bella Sicilia .....................................113 Cozy Thai Bistro ............................114 Damon’s Grill..................................117 Dantes ..............................................110 Faccia Luna ....................................113 Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering .......................................119 Herwig’s ...........................................117 Hotel State College ......................111 India Pavilion ..................................117 Luna 2 ..............................................113 Meyer Dairy Store & Ice Cream Parlor ............................................117 Otto’s Pub .......................................112 PSU Food Services (HUB Dining)...............................114 Tavern Restaurant............................. 1 Wegmans.........................................118 Westside Stadium .........................113 Whistle Stop Restaurant .............116 Zola New World Bistro.................116 EDUCATION The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School ............................................11 LODGING Hospitality Asset Management Company .....................................112 Penn State Hospitality ..................... 4 MEDICAL HealthSouth/Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital ..........................................16 Mount Nittany Medical Center ...... 3 Sepich Eye Care .......................... 105 The Circulatory Center .................... 9

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PRINTING, COPYING, MEDIA Penn State Public Broadcasting (WPSU)...........................................44 REAL ESTATE, HOUSING Berks Homes....................................16 Chambers, Scot-Keller Williams ....32 Kissinger Bigatel & Brower ..........14 Lions Gate Apartments .................43 Perry Wellington Realty............... Inside Back Cover RETIREMENT SERVICES Foxdale Village ................................15 Home Instead Senior Care ..........25 Presbyterian Senior Living ............. 8 Village at Penn State........................ 2 SERVICES Centre Elite Gymnastics, Inc ......... 4 Handy Delivery ................................41 Hoy Transfer .....................................34 McQuaide Blasko ............................. 7 P2P Computer Solutions ..............18 Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics .........................................45 Red Cross .........................................43 SHOPPING, RETAIL Aurum Jewelers & Goldsmiths ................................. 105 Collegiate Pride ...............................43 Degol Carpet ....................................15 Penn State Bookstore ...................95 Squire Brown’s ................................40 SPAS Esspa Kozmetika ............................46 Spa @ Kenlee .................................26 VISITOR INFORMATION Central PA Convention & Visitors Bureau............................................12

from the vine

Don’t Sleep on Sonoma Napa Valley may get the headlines, but, when it comes to California wine, Sonoma Valley has plenty to offer

By Lucy Rogers Sonoma County Vinters

When people think of California wine, it is not uncommon for them to think of Napa Valley. As the region that put California on the world wine map with its Cabernet Sauvignon, it is often the first area associated with quality American wine. But just to the west of Napa Valley, over the Mayacamas Mountains, is Sonoma Valley. Wine drinkers and enthusiasts would be remiss to overlook the wines of Sonoma as second-rate compared to those of Napa Valley.

At two times the square mileage of Napa, Sonoma has a wider range of geographic conditions that allow it to produce wines from a more diverse list of grapes, many of which simply thrive in Sonoma and don’t in Napa.

To truly understand what Sonoma has to offer, it is beneficial to understand the appellation system as it exists in the United States. Modeled on older systems used in Spain, France, and Italy, the appellation system is a means of defining and naming individual wine-producing regions. These regions are referred to as American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). In Europe, established appellations come with regulations that determine what grapes can be grown in a particular area, set limitations on yields, and control the oenological process. Just as an example, in most of Burgundy, France, the only red grape allowed to be grown is Pinot Noir, with the exception of Beaujolais, a subregion of Burgundy, where the Gamay grape can be grown. The only white grape that can be grown is Chardonnay. So if you ever pick up a bottle of white wine that says “Bourgogone” on the label, you’ll know the wine inside is Chardonnay.

In the United States, AVAs are somewhat less restrictive, and actually serve more of a control on labeling, and to an extent, quality. So, if a bottle of Chardonnay’s label identifies a state or county, say, “California” or “Sonoma,” federal law mandates that 75 percent of the grapes must be grown in the stated area — so in this case,

anywhere in California, or anywhere in Sonoma.

(The winery does not have to actually be located in that AVA). States can, if they so choose, make the requirements stricter if they so desire — in Oregon, it is required that 90 percent of the grapes must be from the area indicated on the label.

The smaller the area designated by the appellation, the more likely the grapes will have the same or very similar characteristics, due to microclimate and soil type. If a smaller AVA is identified on the label, i.e., “Russian River Valley” or “Dry Creek Valley,” 85 percent of the grapes must come from that named AVA. If a single vineyard is named, i.e., “Julia’s Vineyard,” 95 percent of the named varietal must come from that vineyard. This helps to maintain the AVAs integrity, but also prevents consumers from buying a wine whose label reads that it is one thing but is actually another. It also is useful to consumers who have begun to identify a region that produces a style of wine they like, as this information can be used as a guide when shopping for wine. This is why it is so important to make note of the information on the label of a bottle of wine you have enjoyed — that information can really help you become better at finding wines that suit your style as well as help prevent you from

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We, at Happy Valley Vineyard & Winery, invite you to our Grand Opening, February 14th-17th.

Come enjoy our award winning wines in our new timber frame tasting room.

Tasting Room Hours: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Wednesday - Sunday

www.thehappyvalleywinery.com

Dr. Tracy Sepich

Dr. Christine Zlupko

Caring and Experienced Doctors.

Friendly and Knowledgeable staff.

Expanded evening hours for your convenience.

100 Oakwood Ave., State College, PA 16803 (814) 272-0262 • www.sepicheyecare.com 105 - Town&Gown February 2013

wasting money. (Side note: if a wine is labeled as being “estate bottled,” both the winery and the vineyard must be located within the same AVA, and the winery also must own/control the vineyard.)

What has happened in Sonoma over the past 30 or so years is that certain AVAs have emerged as being increasingly identified with specific grape varietals. Due to an AVA’s particular microclimate and soil — its terroir — the wines manifest a geographic identity.

Sonoma, Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Chalk Hill all have become particularly known for one or two grapes, though they may grow several or many different grape varietals. Alexander Valley, with its relatively warmer climate and nutrient-dense

soils, is known for Chardonnay and Cabernet, with pockets suited to Merlot. The Russian River Valley — with its cooler, damper climate as a result of the cooling fog from the Pacific Ocean — produces terroir-driven Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that rival in quality any produced in America, if not the world. Dry Creek Valley, settled by Italian immigrants in the mid-to-late 1800s, is dominated by Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc because the area has cool mornings and intensely warm afternoons.

Because land is (slightly) cheaper in Sonoma than Napa, and because Sonoma is more of a multigenerational agricultural environment compared to the glitz and glamour of its neighboring valley to the east, excellent wines can be found for significantly less than their varietal counterpart from Napa Valley. In terms of availability here in the state of Pennsylvania, there is a decent selection of reputable Sonoma Valley producers on the

shelves, many of whom have multiple entries at varying price points and from multiple AVAs within Sonoma. Among the most available are Rodney Strong, Clos du Bois, Kenwood, Sonoma-Cutrer, Frei Brothers, and Simi, just to name a few. But I would encourage you to look through Chairmen’s selections and socalled “luxury” listings of the PLCB to find smaller producers with specific AVAs that will be more likely to represent that specific wine region’s terroir.

Our panel had the luxury of tasting some lovely wines from Sonoma, some of which are available in PA and some not. Producers such as Marimar Torres (of the Spanish Torres family, who have been making wine in Spain for centuries), Dutcher Crossing, and Rochioli made delicious, rich, elegant Chardonnays. A real surprise was an offering from Gallo, from its Signature Series Chardonnay from Russian River Valley (PLCB code 36748). At $25, its elegance and balance rivaled those that cost $10 to $15 more, even those within our tasting, which were superb.

For reds, the Moshin Pinot Noir Halo’s Hill was complex and interesting and really opened up after a little time in the glass (unfortunately, it is not available in the state store), but the Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Pinot Noir also was well made and is available at the state store (PLCB code 36542, $38).We also had some awesome Zinfandels from the newer Rockpile AVA (a subappellation of Dry Creek Valley), an area I will be keeping an eye out for in the future as the wines were so rich, layered with fruit and chocolate and tobacco and spice. While these wines were not inexpensive, I do believe that wines of their quality, had they hailed from Napa Valley, would have cost significantly more.

If you are interested in exploring California wines, look no further than Sonoma to find the varietal you want, and the quality of which is quite probably unmatched in the US. Enjoy the search! T&G Lucy Rogers teaches wine classes and offers private wine tastings through Wines by the Class.

She also is the event coordinator for Zola Catering.

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John Hovenstine (4)

of Taste the

Italian Cobb salad from Bella Sicilia.

Month 107 107 - Town&Gown - Town&Gown February February 20132013

Ciao Bella Centre Hall restaurant features tastes of Italy

By Vilma Shu Danz Only about a 20-minute drive from State College, Bella Sicilia, located at 2782 Earlystown Road in Centre Hall, serves traditional Italian and Sicilian dishes all prepared from scratch from family recipes.

Owners Michael and Katie Albegani opened their business in August 2009 as a togo and pick-up-only restaurant. But in July

Bella Sicilia owners Michael and Katie Albegani with son, Jackson.

2010, it expanded to include a dining room with seating for 56 in the back of the building.

“I came with my father, mother, and two sisters to this area in 1985 from Sicily,” says Michael. “Everyone in my family was in the restaurant business, so all our recipes are passed down from family members, and the first restaurant my father bought was in Bellefonte.”

Katie adds, “I went to Penn State for hotel/ restaurant management, met Michael here, and stayed.”

Bella Sicilia is a family-friendly restaurant with something on the menu for everyone.

Choose from classic Italian appetizers such as tomato bruschetta, healthy salads such as the grilled portabella, 11-inch cold and hot subs, Michael’s signature pasta creations, fresh outof-the-oven calzones, Strombolies, and pizza.

The secret to the restaurant’s success is everything is made-to-order — from the homemade sauces to the pizza dough and breads.

The most popular pasta dishes include the Linguine di Mare with fresh calamari, shrimp, clams, and mussels, and the Penne Carnivale served with a signature sausage made exclusively for the restaurant by Hog’s Galore.

A few of the must-try specialty pies on the menu include a 12-inch deep-dish Chicago pizza, a 12-inch stuffed pizza, a 14-inch-square thick-crust Sicilian pizza, the seafood pizza, the BBQ chicken pizza, and the chicken pesto pizza. All menu items are available for lunch, dinner, and for take out.

“On the weekends, we offer complimentary glasses of red or white wine with your meal, and the second Saturday of every month we have live local music from 5 to 9 p.m.,” says Katie. “Our Valentine’s Day special is a mussels appetizer, Pasta Palermo served with sautéed chicken and shrimp over pasta in a white

108 - Town&Gown February 2013

Shrimp scampi

wine sauce, topped with marinated tomatoes and onions, and a caramel crunch cake for dessert.�

To make reservations at Bella Sicilia or to inquire about catering, call (814) 364-2176.

For a special dining offer at Bella Sicilia, visit www.townandgown.com. T&G

Chicken pesto pizza

> Featured Selections < Bella Siciliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hours of Operations: Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sunday: Noon-9 p.m. $5 Lunch Specials: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Monday-Friday. Carry-out or dine-in.

Monday: Italian Special Sub, fries, and soda.

Tuesday: Cali cheesesteak, fries, soda.

Wednesday: Personal Italian Stromboli, soda.

Thursday: 10-inch one-topping pizza, soda.

Friday: Chef salad, roll, soda.

All Day Monday-Thursday Special: Large one-topping pizza, $7 (Pick-up only).

109 - Town&Gown & &Gown February 2013

Dining Out Full Course Dining Allen Street Grill, corner of Allen Street and College Avenue, 231-GRILL. The food sizzles. The service sparkles. The prices are deliciously frugal.

The menu is classic American grill mixed with popular influences from Mexico, Italy, and the Far East. AE, D, MC, V. The Autoport, 1405 S. Atherton St., 237-7666, www.theautoport.com. The all new Autoport offers exceptional dining featuring local produce and an extensive wine list. Tapas menu and special events every week. Catering and private events available.

Live music. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar. 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.

Bella Sicilia, 2782 Earlystown Road, Centre Hall, 364-2176. An Italian kitchen where food is prepared from scratch and with love! Featuring traditional recipes of pasta dishes, calzones, stromboli’s, subs, salads, and extraordinary pizza! Try Bella Sicilia’s stuffed, Sicilian, Chicago, or 16 varieties of thin-crust specialty pies, including seafood pizza with shrimp, clams, calamari, mussels, and margherita sauce!

Take-out or enjoy our beautiful dining room, located in the back of our building. Feel free to bring your own beer and wine. Lunch buffet Mon.-Fri. Check us out on Facebook. AE,MC,V,MAC,D. Bill Pickle’s Tap Room,106 S. Allen St., 272-1172.

Not for saints…not for sinners. AE, DIS, MAC, MC, V. Full bar.

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.

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.

111 -- Town&Gown February 2013

We love People, Beer & Local Foods!

Proudly Serving Our Dedicated, Loyal Customers For 10 Years

Bringing you craft beer and fresh food using local products in a family friendly, casual atmosphere.

Food & Beer TO GO!

Bottles • Cases • Kegs • Growlers

Chili’s Grill & Bar, 137 South Allen Street, 234-5922.

Chili’s is like “no place else” — Southwestern menu features sizzling fajitas, “the Best Burgers,” baby-back ribs, steaks, and Margarita Madness.

The Corner Room Restaurant, corner of Allen Street and College Avenue, 237-3051. Literally first in hospitality. Since 1855, The Corner Room has served generous breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to the community and its guests. AE, D, MC, V.

ring Now offe ade locally m dy, , can beer soap ! & mugs

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 & beer) is welcome after 5 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V.

2235 N. Atherton St. State College 814.867.6886

Damon’s Grill & Sports Bar, 1031 E. College Ave., 237-6300, damons.com. Just seconds from Beaver Stadium, locally owned and operated, Damon’s is the premiere place to watch sports and enjoy our extensive menu. Ribs, wings, burgers, steaks, apps, salads, and so much more. AE, D, MAC, MC, V, Full bar.

www.ottospubandbrewery.com

112 - Town&Gown February 2013

The Deli Restaurant, 113 Hiester St., 237-5710, TheDeliRestaurant.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 awardwinning desserts are homemade here early in the morning folks. Look for its rotating menu of food-themed festivals throughout the year. AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar.

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

State College’s newest hangout

Try our onsite Smoked Pork Sandwich!

1301 West College Ave. • 814-308-8959 www.westsidestadiumbarandgrill.com

Duffy’s Boalsburg Tavern, On the Diamond, Boalsburg, 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.

Make your reservations for

Valentine’s Day!

2782 Earlytown Road, Centre Hall • 364-2176 Dining Room in rear, open 7 days

A true neighborhood hangout highly regarded for its popular and authentic New York-style wood-fired pizza and commitment to quality. Award-winning pizza. and Italian cuisine homemade with only the best and freshest ingredients.

We offer wood-fired pizza, fresh homemade pasta, as well as wood-grilled items such as Baby Back BBQ Ribs, homemade meatloaf, various fish and seafood and our soon to be award winning burgers!

www.faccialuna.com

www.luna-2.com

1229 South Atherton St. • State College • 234-9000

2609 E. College Ave. • State College, PA • 234-9009

113 -- Town&Gown February 2013

Faccia Luna Pizzeria, 1229 S. Atherton St., 234-9000, www.faccialuna.com. A true neighborhood hangout, famous for authentic New York-style wood-fired pizzas and fresh, homemade It.alian 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 Northeastern Thai style cuisine. Vegetarian menu selection available. BYO (wines and beer) is welcome after 5 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Gamble Mill Restaurant & Microbrewery, 160 Dunlop St., Bellefonte; 355-7764. A true piece of Americana, dine and enjoy our in-house craft beers in a historic mill. Experience bold American flavors by exploring our casual pub menu or fine dining options. Six to seven beers of our craft beers on tap.

Brewers Club, Growlers, outdoor seating, large private functions, catering. Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Dinner 5-9/10 p.m. Mon.-Sat. “Chalk Board Sunday’s” 4-8 p.m. All credit cards accepted.

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.

Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering, 1221 E. College Ave. (within the Hilton Garden Inn), 237-4422, www.harrisonsmenu.com. Traditional seasonal favorites prepared extraordinarily. Fusion food, sharing plates, and fresh seafood. Extensive wines-by-the-glass, full bar, moderate prices. Lunch/ Dinner. Exquisite catering. MC, V. Herwig’s Austrian Bistro, where bacon is an herb, 132 W. College Ave., herwigsaus trianbistro.com, 272-0738. Located next to the State Theatre. Austrian Home Cooking. Ranked #1 Ethnic Restaurant 5 years in a row. Eat-in, Take-Out, Catering, Franchising. BYO after 5 p.m., D, MC, V.

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Hi-Way Pizza, 1688 North 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, (call ahead.)

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 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 transitions 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.

Luna 2 Woodgrill & Bar, 2609 E. College Ave., 234-9009, www.luna-2.com. Wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta, wood-grilled BBQ ribs, seafood, burgers, and don’t forget to try the homemade meatloaf! Sumptuous salads and desserts. Full bar service. Outside seating. Sorry, no reservations accepted. Dine-In, Take-out. MC/V.

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Inside: Special “Business Forward” section • SCASD school board president has “Lunch with Mimi”

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Mario’s Italian Restaurant, 1272 North Atherton St., 234-4273, MariosItalianStateCollege.com. Fresh specialty dishes, pasta, sauces, hand-tossed pizzas, and rotisserie woodgrilled 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, 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.

The Mt. Nittany Inn, 559 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Centre Hall, 364-9363, mtnittanyinn.com. Perched high above Happy Valley at 1,809 feet, the Mt. Nittany Inn offers homemade soups, steaks, seafood, and pasta. Bar and banquet areas available. AE, CB, D, MAC, MC, V. Full Bar. Otto’s Pub & Brewery, 2235 N. Atherton Street, 867-6886, www.ottospubandbrewery.com. Our new location provides plenty of parking, great ales and lagers, full service bar, signature dishes made with local products in a family-friendly, casual atmosphere. AE, D, DC, LC MC, V, Full bar.

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.

Whistle Stop Restaurant, Old Train Station Corner, Centre Hall on Rte. 144, 15 minutes east of State College. 364-2544. Traditional dining in an 1884 Victorian railroad station decorated with railroad memorabilia. Chef-created soups, desserts, and daily specials. Lunch and dinner served Wed.-Sun. D, MC, V. Zola New World Bistro, 324 W. College Ave., 237-8474. Zola combines comfortable, modern décor with exceptional service. Innovative, creative cuisine from seasonal menus served for lunch and dinner. Extensive award-winning wine list. Jazz and oysters in the bar on Fridays. Catering. AE, D, MC, V. Full bar.

Taste of the Month Town&Gown’s Monthly Focus on Food

If it’s happening in Happy Valley, it’s in Town&Gown!

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Good Food Fast HUB Dining, HUB-Robeson Center, on campus, 865-7623. A Penn State tradition open to all! Eleven restaurants stocked with extraordinary variety: Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Higher Grounds, HUB Subs, Mixed Greens, Burger King, Panda Express, Piccalilli’s, Sbarro, Sushi by Panda, Wild Cactus, and more! V, MC, LC. Meyer Dairy, 2390 S. Atherton Street, 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 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!

Westside Stadium Bar and Grill, 1301 W. College Ave., 308-8959, www.westsidestadiumbarandgrill.com. See what all the buzz is about at Westside Stadium. Opened in September 2010, State College’s newest hangout features mouthwatering onsite smoked pork and brisket sandwiches. Watch your favorite sports on 17 HDTVs. Happy Hour 5-7 p.m. Take-out and bottle shop. Outdoor seating available. D, V, MC. Full Bar. T&G

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117 -- Town&Gown February 2013

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lunch with mimi

Plans for the Future State College’s new school board president looks to navigate district through challenging times

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Rustic Italian See our February Feature Menu Online!

HarrisonsMenu.com • 1221 E. College Avenue • 814.237.4422 119 - Town&Gown February 2013

John Hovenstine

As the newly elected president of the State College Area school board, Penni Fishbaine has a tough road ahead. First elected as a board member in 2009, she is tasked in her new role to open dialogue with the community on the school district’s plans for the high school renovation project as well as continuing negotiations with the teachers’ union on a contract. (Editor’s note: In January, both the district and teachers’ union agreed to accept a series of recommendations from a state-appointed fact-finder.

The recommendations will become the basis of a new, four-year contract, retroactive to July 2011, for the teachers Mimi Barash Coppersmith (left) chats with new State College school board president Penni Fishbaine at Zola’s New World Bistro. in the district.

Born in Altoona, Fishbaine moved to Columbus, Ohio, with her family when she was Mimi: Increasingly the school board is 17. She graduated in 1982 from Miami Univermore dominated by women than men. I’ve sity in Oxford, Ohio, with a bachelor of arts debeen here 62 years, and, over time, it’s the gree in speech communications with an emphasis women who have become more visible in the on public relations. She moved to State College in leadership of the school board.

1985 after getting married. Her husband, Steve, Penni: Yes, I agree. has been practicing dentistry in the area for 28 Mimi: Now, here you are, the newest of years. that leadership. Your position is overseeing Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Copthe board and the business of the school dispersmith sat down with Fishbaine at Zola’s New trict. Recently, both on campus and in town, World Bistro to discuss what her priorities are as I get the feeling that governing boards are dopresident of the school board and what she hopes ing more than overseeing. Do you see that as to accomplish. a trend?

Penni: As president, one has to look ahead, plan meetings, know what’s coming up, be proactive, but I also see where we have board members doing a lot more research looking into other schools and how they do things.

Mimi: Six years ago, you were one of the more vocal activists in the back of the room when significant leadership of the school board was ousted. How is the current board different than that situation?

Penni: One thing is we’ve opened up all meetings to the public. They used to have the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings that were all private, and now we’ve opened them to the public.

Mimi: Do many in the public come?

Penni: We have some. Not very often.

When it’s an important issue like the high school or communications about the high school, we’ve had a person or two show up.

Mimi: What in your leadership plan is the direction you’d like to take this board when it comes to the high school project?

Penni: If it’s going to get voter support, we have to be very good at educating and communicating with the community to get feedback and devise a plan. We have an architect and we’re also working with BrainSpaces Inc. Educational planner Amy Yurko is one of the presidents of that company. She came in and worked with students. She’s working with the teachers to devise not just where we want a high school but also what do we want in our learning spaces and how big we want those spaces. So, it’s more about our educational plan to work with twenty-first century learning and technology, and how do we get people not to look at math separate from science. It sounds very out there, but this is what other forward-looking high schools are doing. The difference this time from the last, in my opinion, is we’re going to referendum. It’s a vote.

Mimi: You have to because the state mandates it. But you can’t do it without a tax increase.

Penni: Right. We can increase taxes 1.7 percent — that’s for this year. We can also apply for an exception to raise taxes more — but the money must be used for Public Service Employee Retirement System (PSERS).

Mimi: Teachers are the core and the heart of how well we do. We’ve seen charter schools

evolving, and they’re taking students away.

How do we fix that?

Penni: Certainly in more urban areas we see the benefit of charter schools. I see the benefit here because we have some students that want a different choice. What we need to do is get better. We have to get better at becoming the school of choice, and we do it with our teachers who are all very highly respected.

Mimi: Most of us do better when we have an incentive. I was an entrepreneur because I had an incentive every day of my life to do better. How do you provide an incentive?

“... our community should be proud of our high school. And right now you can be proud of what the students do and what the teachers do, but not of the facilities.”

Penni: We have done something in our school district that’s very difficult, but done well, and that is we have saved for our Public Service Employee Retirement System. We have actually put money aside using a payforward strategy. We have $11 million in an account for when PSERS increases — this year by $7 million. We’re going to start paying that down while we get additional money to pay what is needed for pensions. We also have some money banked so that we can use that toward the PSERS jumps we’re going to have. There’s no way we can tax enough in one year to accommodate PSERS. Many more school districts are in worse shape than we are because we’ve done the pay-forward PSERS account for 4 to 5 years.

Mimi: But as it keeps jumping at a more rapid rate, you can’t keep up with it, just like the government.

Penni: Right. What we can do is try to save for those jumps.

Mimi: Didn’t they do that before?

Penni: Well, first of all, you weren’t facing Act 1. It came about in 2006. So 2007 was the first year of Act 1, and at that point the indexes were higher. You could get more in taxes. It was maybe 3.4, and now it’s 1.7.

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And we don’t have all the new businesses coming to town and the new home development.

We were getting 3 to 4 percent in asset value.

We’re not getting that. Now we’re getting 1 percent or less.

Mimi: So, when the housing industry took a drop as of 2008 — and it’s still probably hasn’t come back to what it was — your budget also took a hit from it.

Penni: Yeah, because we counted on that.

Mimi: I don’t think most people think about that.

Penni: It is property taxes, and we were getting 3 to 4 percent that just always came in because there was growth in the economy and people were moving here, but now it’s down.

We can’t count on that money.

Mimi: Three years from now, what would you hope you would have accomplished?

Penni: I would hope we had a new high school. And when I say “new” I mean an updated facility of some kind that our students can learn and become more competitive in the global market. They’re getting a great education now, but it can improve.

Mimi: So, new high school. So, that means either new or remodeled? Which do you lean toward?

Penni: You’re going to think I’m being political, but I really could go either way that they can do it as long as we get something.

It’s important to me that our students are not in buildings that are slowing down their creativity, and I don’t want to say that they’re deprived, but they do have heating issues and they don’t have air-conditioning. There are issues with the way our schools are set up.

It’s a huge high school where people don’t always know each other. One of the situations

I would want to have addressed by the communities is their willingness to support something like small learning communities. This is where we were with the 2009 district-wide master plan. There was an Ed-Spec committee and they came up with this idea where you could have math, science, English — all the main subjects in an area — allocate some space in the middle for meetings, and students could go to art, gym or PE, and music. It is sort of like teams in our middle schools where teachers and students collaborate.

Mimi: And it works?

Penni: It works. Students could say they may not want “teams” when they get to high school, but maybe we have to talk about the possibilities. You’re a teacher and you have 20 students coming in every period, but you don’t know what other teachers those students are going to afterward. You have a concern and you wanted to talk about what’s best for this particular kid.

Mimi: So, you’re talking more collaboration. Isn’t that an administrative issue?

Penni: Yes, and the way we function and determine how we plan this building. One of the guiding principles is adequacy. So, are our facilities and buildings adequate for the sort of program that we want to teach? Another idea might be safety. Right now we have multiple doors all over the schools where students come in and out. Is that the best situation?

Mimi: Well, these days, there’s more concern about safety than there used to be.

Penni: Another one might be facility condition. Are we looking at a facility where it may cost more to renovate than it might be to build new?

Mimi: We have to set priorities, though,

121 - Town&Gown February 2013

because there are a lot of needs. How do you order priority?

Penni: That is tough. I want to see the elementary school redone, too. So, that all have equal opportunities.

Mimi: Up to speed in all of our facilities.

Penni: Yes, and that’s a big challenge because that really wasn’t addressed for a lot of years. When the district was doing really well financially we did not invest enough in our buildings, and now we are faced with a lot of buildings that need to have repairs and need to be renovated.

Mimi: You have repaired some. Easterly Parkway was repaired.

Penni: Yes, and then Gray’s Wood was built.

We also have Ferguson Township and Mount Nittany Elementary School that were just done this year.

Mimi: When do you see the referendum happening?

Penni: The end of 2013, probably the beginning of 2014.

Mimi: In theory this sounds wonderful. But the whole question of getting down to business and fixing what you know is broken to some extent can’t be extended too many years longer without losing a lot of ground in the quality of our education.

Penni: Well, our end date was the end of 2013. We may extend it to 2014, but you’re right.

Mimi: So, how do we the people help you move forward?

Penni: Come to our meetings. I want people to understand what we are doing. We have to be able to say what our ideas are before we can do surveys. We don’t want to ask how much of an increase the public wants to pay on taxes. It is about improvements for education. You want them to know what they will get.

Mimi: We have a responsibility to provide the best, well-rounded education for our kids at all levels. So, there’s nothing more important, really, for a community like ours to vest lots of time and money.

Penni: I am so with you. I agree, and our community should be proud of our high school.

And right now you can be proud of what the students do and what the teachers do, but not of the facilities.

Mimi: Well, you’re telling me we might not do anything to the facility for two years and that just doesn’t make sense.

Penni: It may take longer than that to get the plan. If you’re thinking you want to do it while students are in the high school … if we’re talking about building it on Westerly, that’s going to take even longer because you’re going to have students in classes while construction is taking place.

Mimi: You’re making me more frightened than I was when I started.

Penni: I’m sorry, but it is frightening. I worry about these things. So, that’s what we’re thinking. We say to people, “Are you okay with having the students and teachers in temporary conditions while construction is going on around them?” Now some people might say that’s fine. Some people might say, “No, I’d rather you move the building to another site.”

Mimi: I think you would be so much better off saying, “Here are the three recommendations that the board has reviewed and we put them in order of preference. You elected us. We’re telling you our point of view. Now we want to hear your feedback.” That would be far better than leaving an open book and never getting anyplace.

Penni: The high school is 40 years old.

Renovating is needed. They’re old. They have antiquated systems. They don’t have adequate lighting in places. They have flooding. I don’t know if it’s cheaper to demolish and build new. So, I feel like we need the information from the architects and information from the community as far as what they’d like to see in terms of an educational plan. Once the educational plan is done, we can show some options.

It’s this much to build on a new space, which might include an athletic facility, or maybe we have to wait and do phasing.

Mimi: What’s your biggest challenge as president?

Penni: Having the board reach consensus on certain items and get all the information they need to make decisions.

Mimi: Well, I wish you well. It’s got to be one of the tougher jobs in the area. So, God bless you for wanting to do the public service and I hope your leadership skills make it possible for you to reach your goals.

Penni: Thank you! T&G

122 - Town&Gown February 2013

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 to provide 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-place winners from the judged November meeting competition.

November Meeting First Place: Theme “Repeating Patterns” “Hammer Heads”

by Linda Hale

>

“A partial display of hammers used by a blacksmith near Sperryville, Virginia. Taken with a macro lens.”

November Meeting First Place: Open Category

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“Walking Towards the Shadow”

by Roel Fleuren

“I love taking candid street shots, and when seeing these kids walking toward our shadows in Brooklyn, New York, I just had to press the shutter.”

A copy of either of these photos may be obtained with a $75 contribution to the Salvation Army of Centre County. Contact Captain Charles Niedermeyer at 861-1785. You can select any size up to 11-inches wide.

The State College Photo Club meets on the third Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Foxdale Village Auditorium. Guest and new members are welcome.

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

123 - Town&Gown February 2013

snapshot

Directing Diversity Cultural-center director carries lifelong passion for social equality

By Cara McShane

Carlos Wiley was raised with nine brothers and sisters in the town of Lockport, New York, which is just outside of Buffalo. He was the second youngest in the family of 10 children.

His mother was very active in civil rights and fighting for equity, particularly for poor people.

“My passion for social-justice work and equality was instilled in me at a young age by my mother,” he says. “Seeing that really inspired me to learn about my black history, and fight for the rights of people who don’t have the voice to do it themselves.”

Wiley’s upbringing is one of the reasons he ended up where he is today — serving as director of Penn State’s Paul Robeson Cultural Center. He was hired in 2010 to replace interim director Tony Keith, who had replaced Toby Jenkins in 2009.

Depending on the day and time of year, Wiley may be meeting with a variety of people on campus or talking with students in his office. One of his main orders of business is to spread awareness about diversity, particularly the different aspects of racial diversity, and advise and talk with students about different things going on in their lives.

Along with the other staff members at the cultural center, Wiley runs programs for which he hosts speakers and open forums on diversity. The center also offers a Social Justice Initiative program.

“Within the Social Justice Initiative, we do an activity called the learning circle, which is a discussion group,” he says. “It allows students to talk about their own feelings and thoughts.”

In January, the Social Justice Initiative had a retreat at Bald Eagle State Park, where they talked about what it means to fight for social justice and be a social-justice agent.

Wiley attended Quincy University in Illinois and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1995 in sociology. He started the Black Student’s Perspective at the school. After graduating, he became a child-care worker at Wyndham Lawn Home for Children in Lockport. He worked with kids who were precorrections and were at their last stop

Carlos Wiley What do you like to do in your free time? “Golf. I’m a member at the Penn State courses.”

What is your favorite place to travel? “Florida.”

What is the most inspiring book you have read? “The Autobiography of Malcolm X.”

before going into a juvenile detention center. At Wyndham, the kids were given the opportunity to turn their lives around and change.

Wiley then went to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to work for his master’s degree.

While there, he was the minority admission advisor and an assistant coach of the football team.

Eventually, he served as director of the Multicultural Educational Resource Center (MERC), and as director of university diversity.

Although racial issues can go unnoticed, Wiley works every day to change that by bringing students together around issues, and seeing that things are done differently. Most of the programs that the Paul Robeson Cultural Center hosts are free and open to the public.

“We provide cultural-enrichment programs that the community can be involved in,” he says.

Carlos and his wife, Michelle, have two daughters — Jaiden, 12, and Morgyn, 10. He and his family have enjoyed State College since their move. He emphasizes their favorite aspect about the area: variety.

“The institution that I came from was very small. There weren’t a lot of options for us there,” he says, “so being here has definitely provided us with that.” T&G

124 - Town&Gown February 2013

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