Penn State welcomes new football coach • Special Section: “Business Forward 2014”
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February 2014
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Well, Happy Valley is, thanks to the growth of stand-up comedy in the region, including the Penn State group Second Floor Stand Up
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February • Featur es 28 / 12 Months of Giving Town&Gown’s yearlong series continues with a look at The Arc of Centre County • by Samantha Hulings
30 / A Return Home Pennsylvania native James Franklin comes back to the Keystone State with the task of being the next head football coach at Penn State • by David Pencek
34 / Perfect Timing Bill O’Brien’s departure was best for both parties • by Frank Bodani
36 / Success Through Sports As National Girls and Women in Sports Day is recognized across the country, females — from the young to those playing at the professional level — continue to participate in athletics in increasing numbers and show the benefits of being part of a team • by Tim Gilbert
30
72 / What’s So Funny? Well, Happy Valley is, especially in the winter, thanks to the growth of stand-up comedy in the region • by Jenna Spinelle
Special Section 47 / Business Forward 2014 Town&Gown’s annual look at some of the businesses and people who are shaping Centre County’s economy
On the Cover: Photo by Darren Weimert. Nick Miller (left) and Mike Regan are members of the Penn State student comedy group Second Floor Stand Up.
36
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 2014 by Barash Media. All rights reserved. Send address changes to Town&Gown, 403 S. Allen St., State College, PA 16801. No part of this magazine may be reproduced by any process except with written authorization from Town&Gown or its publisher. Phone: 800-326-9584, 814-238-5051. FAX: 814-238-3415. Printed by Gazette Printers, Indiana, PA. 20,000 copies published this month, available FREE in retail stores, restaurants, hotels and motels & travel depots. SUBSCRIPTIONS and SINGLE COPIES: $45/1yr; current issue by 1st-class mail, $10; back copy, $15 mailed, $12 picked up at the T&G office. www.townandgown.com
5 - Town&Gown February 2014
Town&Gown February
A State College & Penn State tradition since 1966.
Publisher Rob Schmidt Founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith
98
Editorial Director David Pencek Creative Director/Photographer John Hovenstine Operations Manager/Assistant Editor Vilma Shu Danz
Departments 8 Letter From The Editor 10 Starting Off 20 On Center: Cantus sings about values that unite Americans 22 About Town: A life with cats 24 Health & Wellness: Good oral health starts at an early age 80 This Month on WPSU 82 Penn State Diary: Once a difficult place to get to, the school and region are now easily accessible by road and air 84 Events: Husband-and-wife duo puts a new twist on classical music and violin playing 89 What’s Happening: THON, Beauty and the Beast, and For Love of Art and Chocolate highlight this month’s events 96 On Tap: New local breweries begin serving their beers, grow county’s vibrant beer community 98 Taste of the Month/Dining Out: Kamrai offers Thai-Japanese tastes in Lemont 110 Lunch with Mimi: Bank executive, CBICC chair looks to help Centre County wherever he can 114 State College Photo Club’s Winning Photos 116 Snapshot: THON director prepares for his final dance marathon as a student
Graphic Designer/Photographer Darren Weimert Graphic Designer Tiara Snare Account Executives Kathy George, Debbie Markel Business Manager Aimee Aiello Administrative Assistant Brittany Svoboda Intern Cassandra Wiggins (editorial) Distribution Handy Delivery, Tom Neff Senior Editorial Consultant Witt Yeagley 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 2014
Front row, from left to right: JoAnn Parsons, Ella Forcey, Kelly Camden, Tracie Golemboski, Tom Miles, Adam Runk, Nancy Tanner, Kelly Wian. Back row: Shane Crawford, Art Dangel, Graham Sanders, Dan Musser, Tony Moist, James Menoher. Missing from photo: Renee Laychur, Felix Boake, Matt Stever.
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A Hello to Coach Franklin and Family Helping Penn State football’s new head man get acquainted with his new home To James Franklin and your family, Welcome to Happy Valley! Most in this region — and nearly all Penn State fans across the country — are happy to have you as the new head coach of the Nittany Lions. We know you’ve been going like warp speed since you became head coach in January — what with meeting your new players, recruiting (something about dominating the state has been uttered), putting together a staff, shaking hands and talking with countless people at the university and in the community, and just the whole moving thing — that perhaps you really haven’t looked around and seen what you’ve gotten yourself into by relocating here from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. So if you have a few minutes, we’d like to just mention a few things that may help with adjusting to your new life here. • As you’ve already likely noticed (and knew, since you’re from Pennsylvania) it’s a bit colder here than it is in Tennessee, and we do get more snow (Nashville, on average, gets a mere six inches of snow for the whole year), and it doesn’t get as hot in the summer. • This is a great month to see firsthand the giving heart of Penn State and this community. THON weekend is February 21-23, and you’ll likely be amazed by the effort from students and others that goes into helping kids with cancer. Penn State’s basketball teams also take on cancer this month with the men’s team holding its Coaches vs. Cancer game on February 9, and the Lady Lions hosting their Pink Zone game February 16. • We’re definitely not Nashville when it comes to the music scene here — not many places are. But we do have a nice eclectic mix of artists, and they enjoy helping each other and various causes — see
last month’s “Runnin’ Down A Dream” show that benefited Easter Seals and the State Theatre, and next month’s “Rock the ’80s” show that helps raise money for the Bob Perks Fund. • If you and your family love plants, you’ve come to the right place. Sure, Vanderbilt’s campus is designated a national arboretum and has more than 300 tree and shrub varieties. The Arboretum at Penn State is home to more than 17,000 individual plants representing more than 700 species. • We do have a Cracker Barrel Restaurant (Nashville, as you know, is the company headquarters for the chain), but we also recommend trying some of the unique eating establishments here. For the sake of fairness, we won’t mention any specific ones. • If you stay long enough you might have an ice cream flavor named after you at Penn State’s Berkey Creamery. NFL teams don’t offer that! • We love the outdoors (you’ll find some of the best hiking and biking trails around), supporting local endeavors — from food grown by area farmers to craft beers to the arts — helping people in need, festivals throughout the year, participating in various activities with our families, and, of course, we love our football and sports. Finally (on a personal note), since during your first press conference you offered to blow up balloons at birthday parties — my youngest son turns 1 on July 2, and my oldest turns 5 on August 2. Just thought I’d throw that out there in case you’re free either of those days. Welcome to Happy Valley — we think you’ll like it here! David Pencek Editorial Director dpenc@barashmedia.com
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Centre County Reads selects 2014 book Packing for Mars by Mary Roach was selected at the 2014 Centre County Reads book. In the book, Roach explores “the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity. Space is a world devoid of the things we
Mount Nittany welcomes first baby of 2014 Tate Andrew Rice was the first baby born at Mount Nittany Medical Center in 2014. He was born at 2:03 a.m. on January 1, and weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces. Tate’s parents are Mark Rice and Amy DomanickRice of Houtzdale. He also has a brother, Aaron Tate Andrew Rice Domanick, and sister, was born at 2:30 a.m on January 1. Hailey Domanick. Mount Nittany Health congratulated the family with gift cards to Mount Nittany Medical Center’s Café and Mount Nittany Physician Group Reconstructive & Cosmetic Surgery, as well as baby items donated by Bon-Ton. T&G
10 - Town&Gown February 2014
Contributed photo
National champs again! In December, the Penn State women’s volleyball team won its sixth national championship overall and fifth in seven years with a 3-1 win over Wisconsin in the national-title match in Seattle. The Nittany Lions are now tied with Stanford for the most women’s volleyball championships. Junior Micha Hancock was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. She had 48 assists and 16 digs in the title match and also had three service aces. The Lions won their last 25 matches to finish the year 34-2. In the NCAA Tournament, they swept LIU Brooklyn and Utah in the first two rounds, then beat Michigan State, 3-1, in the regional semifinals. In the regional finals, they won a thrilling match over Stanford, 3-2, before sweeping Washington in the national semifinals and defeating the Badgers in the championship. Head coach Russ Rose completed his 35th season of leading the Lions, and he now has a 1,125-177 record. He was named the AVCA Division I Coach of the Year for a fifth time.
need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? Smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour?” Roach takes readers on a “surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.” Centre County Reads encourages county residents of all ages to “explore the human condition and community issues by reading and discussing the same book.” Packing for Mars is the 11th book that has been selected by Centre County Reads. Several book discussions and events are scheduled in conjunction with people reading the book, including Roach appearing April 16 at the HUB-Robeson Auditorium for a talk and book signing. The kickoff event — called the “Space Carnival Kickoff” with the Penn State Lunar Lions — is March 1 at the Discovery Space Museum of Central PA.
Experience Experience Town and Town and Gown! Gown! with Town&Gown magazine with Town&Gown magazine
Experience Experience — — with with Town&Gown Town&Gown magazine magazine — —
the the Pink Pink Zone! Zone!
Tuesday, Tuesday, February February 11th 11th •• 11:30 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m.-1 p.m. p.m. at at Schlow Schlow Centre Centre Region Region Library Library (Downsbrough Community Room) (Downsbrough Community Room)
Town&Gown and Schlow Region Town&Gown and Schlow Centre RegionCentre Library invite Library invite you to hear from Penn State you to hear from Penn State Lady Lion head coach Lady Lion head coach Coquese Washington Coquese Washington and others about the 2014 and others about the 2014 Pink Zone and Pink Zone and the fight against breast cancer! the fight against breast cancer!
annual game hasone become The annualThe Pink ZonePink gameZone has become of the one of the big events in Valley each year, andand thisthis year’s game on February 16 at big events Happy in Happy Valley each year, year’s the Bryce Jordan Center will be no different! game on February 16 at the Bryce Jordan Center will Here’s your chance to hear from Coach Pennsylvania be no different! Here’s yourWashington, chance to hear from CoachPink Zone executive director Miriam Powell, a breast-cancer survivor, and others about Washington, Pennsylvania Pink Zone executive director this important fight and cause. Miriam Powell, breast-cancer survivor Marjorie Miller, and others about this important fight and cause. You’ll You’ll also also have have aa chance chance to to win win tickets tickets to to the the game! game! For more information, e-mail dpenc@barashmedia.com. For more information, e-mail dpenc@barashmedia.com. So So join join Town&Gown Town&Gown and and get get ready ready to to learn learn more more about about why why this this region region is is so so special! special! Town&Gown’s Town&Gown’s Experience Experience Town Town and and Gown Gown series series is is where where we we invite invite you you to to come come with with us us to to tour tour unique unique locations, discuss important issues, and just have an experience with some of the people and locations, discuss important issues, and just have an experience with some of the people and places places that that make the Happy Valley region and the rest of Centre County unique! make the Happy Valley region and the rest of Centre County unique! 35 - Town&Gown January 2014
People in the
Community Mary Jo Haverbeck Former Penn State associate sports information director Mary Jo Haverbeck died on January 6 at the age of 74. Haverbeck was the first woman inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame in 1995, and was the first recipient of the organization’s Trailblazer Award in 2001. She worked as an associate sports information director at Penn State from 1974 until her retirement in 1999. She became the first Penn State official to publicize the university’s women’s sports programs. She not only helped generate previously unrealized levels of media coverage of women’s athletics but she also worked to address women’s issues within the industry. In retirement, she stayed involved in Penn State athletics. She taught news writing and reporting classes at Penn State, and she also wrote for usatoday.com,
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Harrisburg Patriot-News, and BlueWhite Illustrated. “Mary Jo truly was a pioneer in the athletic-communications field, not only at Penn State, but nationwide,” Penn State athletic director Dave Joyner said in a press release. “She was a great mentor and friend to Penn State students, student-athletes, coaches, and many others who were in athletic communications and the media.” Douglas Meyer Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra recently announced that Douglas Meyer will retire as the orchestra’s music director and conductor after the 2013-14 season, which ends with a concert May 7. Meyer helped found the orchestra in 1991. Besides his work with PCO, Meyer has conducted various orchestras and symphonies in cities around the world, including Prague, Paris, Munich, Budapest, and Vienna. He told the Centre Daily Times that he plans to guest conduct still and compose more music. According to the Centre Daily Times, PCO plans to have each of the top three candidates to replace Meyer conduct a concert during the 2014-15 season and announce the new conductor after the season ends. Barbara Rolls Penn State professor of nutritional sciences Barbara Rolls recently had the diet she created, Volumetics, ranked sixth out of 32 diets in the Best Diets Overall category of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Diets 2014. Rolls also is the Helen A. Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Penn State. Volumetrics is based on decades of research on diet and nutrition done by Rolls. The diet shows that lowering the calorie density — or calories per bite — of food can help people feel full while eating fewer calories. “There is no magic way to get around the fact that to lose weight you must reduce calories you consume to below the number you burn,” Rolls said in a press release. “However, cutting calories doesn’t have to leave you feeling hungry.” Rolls has published three books focusing on Volumetrics principles. T&G
12 - Town&Gown February 2014
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Q&A
Q&A with Jane Zimmerman, chair of WPSU’s annual Connoisseur’s Dinner and Emeritus Board Member of Penn State Public Media By Sarah Harteis After more than 20 years of active involvement with WPSU, Jane Zimmerman has decided that it is time for her to step down. Her dedication and passion for WPSU has been evident, and will, without a doubt, leave behind an unforgettable legacy. Although she has worked in many areas of the organization, she has been known more recently for her work with the annual Connoisseur’s Dinner. As the chair of the event, she has successfully pulled together sellout dinners for multiple years in a row. She took time to share with Town&Gown some of her thoughts on WPSU and what she plans to do as she looks toward the future. T&G: After 20 years of being involved with the annual Connoisseur’s Dinner, what made you decide to step down? Zimmerman: I first began with WPSU as a member of the board of representatives. From there, I became the chair of the board development committee and then the chair of a digital conversion campaign. I did all this before I even got involved with the Connoisseur’s Dinner. That being said, I have been involved for a long time and I am stepping away because of two things: my bucket list and my age. It is time.
T&G: What have you enjoyed most during your time with WPSU? Zimmerman: I have enjoyed working with the employees of WPSU and folks who are WPSU listeners, viewers, and supporters. I have also enjoyed the challenging part of being involved in development. T&G: How has WPSU changed over the last two decades? Zimmerman: WPSU has been challenged with the reduction of funding, and new local programming has been added, in which the Our Town series has proven to be very successful. In addition, the trilogy of Penn State’s focused documentaries, Making of the Blue Band, Heart of the Lion, and Why We Dance: The Story of THON, also came to the forefront. The phenomenon of Downton Abbey has brought an unprecedented number to PBS viewing. The WPSU producers are creating a lot of the video material that supports many of the World Campus classes. T&G: What are your future hopes for WPSU as well as the annual Connoisseur’s Dinner? Zimmerman: I hope the tradition of the Connoisseur’s Dinner will carry on and be more successful than ever. My hope for WPSU is that it will stay in the forefront forever! T&G: As you say goodbye to WPSU, what kind of legacy do you hope to leave behind? Zimmerman: A legacy that stresses the importance of volunteering and how it can, and does, make a difference. T&G: What are some of your plans for the future? Zimmerman: I’ll have to take my vitamins because my list is lengthy. I’d like to have time to use all my season tickets for Penn State football, ice hockey, and men’s and women’s basketball. I’d like to play more golf and spend a lot of time with my four grandkids who live nearby. T&G
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1972 “Champ for Camp” looked at how State College residents helped raise money to help bring 75 kids from Harlem to a summer camp outside Williamsport. Camp co-chair Gabriel Escobar, a junior at State High at the time, wrote about his experience with CHAMP. “It is amazing to think how ordinary Centre County activities were so delightful to Harlem kids. Fishing, for example: I love seeing Rod or Ken jump in joy at having caught a fish. Or looking at everyday weeds and insects. The sights and sounds of Harlem kids gorging themselves on blueberries made the work worth it.” 1998 “Old Ways for New Times” took a look at how alternative medicine was gaining in popularity it State College. Faye Burtch, a local massage therapist and herbalist, talked about using herbs as both medicine and food. “To stay healthy you need to build a strong immune system, and one way to do that is to eat fresh green plants rich in chlorophyll and minerals. Lots of people take herbs or supplements in powder or pill form, and that’s OK, but fresh is better.” 2012 Town&Gown remembered Joe Paterno, who died January 22, 2012, in “Joe Paterno: In His Own Words.” It featured parts of the many one-on-one interviews Paterno did with Town&Gown’s Penn State Football Annual from 1992 to 2011. In 2010, on what he thinks his life has been about, he said, “I would hope when everything is said and done … they’ll go around saying, ‘You know, Paterno made this a better place. And the kids he coached are better for being in the program.’ If I get that out of it, that’s a pretty good legacy.” T&G
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This Monthtownandgown.com On • In• 5InQuestions, Broadway star Sutton whoOliver will perform 5 Questions, State College SpikesFoster, manager Marmol February 15 atthe Eisenhower what love talks about upcomingAuditorium, season andshares what it’s likefamous managing stories she enjoys. players at the Class A level. • A special coupon offer from Kamrai Thai & Sushi House. • A special recipe for the Greek Restaurant’s roasted leg of lamb. • Blogs on sports, entertainment, and more. • Blogs on sports, entertainment, and more. • Order copies of Town&Gown’s Penn State sports annuals. Oliver Marmol Sutton Foster Anthony Clarvoe
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The CBICC in 2014: Three-part plan for economic success
A healthy economy depends on a robust and diverse private sector in which business investments and job- and wealth-creation flourish. The Centre County Industrial Development Corporation — the economic development arm of the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County — works to fulfill this critical mission by embracing a three-pronged approach to economic development: competitive recruitment strategies, supportive business retention efforts, and a commitment to enhancing the entrepreneurial spirit within the region. CCIDC is carrying out this proven model of economic development by building on successful existing programs, implementing new initiatives designed to tap the energy and expertise of CBICC’s membership, and continuing beneficial collaborations with other economicdevelopment partners. As a result, the CCIDC is positioned to facilitate managed business growth, provide valuable assistance to new entrepreneurs, and foster the leadership required to promote prosperity in the Centre County region in 2014 and beyond.
on center
Common Ground Male chorus Cantus sings April 1 about the values that unite Americans By John Mark Rafacz
Cantus, called “the premier men’s vocal ensemble in the United States” by a critic for Fanfare, makes its Penn State concert debut this spring in A Place for Us. The eclectic program reminds audiences that even in our increasingly complex and diverse nation, we share a number of common values — the desire for individual freedom, hard work, spirituality, family, and, most importantly, a place to call home. The celebration of our national identity — scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, in Pasquerilla Spiritual Center — features “The Finlandia Hymn” by Jean Sibelius, the traditional fiddle tune “Flop-eared Mule,” “Lamentation Over Boston” by William Billings, the Appalachian folk song “Pretty Saro,” “Gravedigger” by Dave Matthews, “Paradise” by Malcolm Dollish, “Sweet By and By” by J. P. Webster, the Shaker tune “Simple Gifts,” “Goin’ Home” by Antonín Dvorák, ˇ the traditional African-American spiritual “I Can’t Tarry,” and “Somewhere (There’s a Place for Us)” by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. One of America’s few full-time men’s ensembles, Cantus is renowned for its warmth, exceptional vocal blend, and engaging performances of music from the Renaissance to the twenty-first century. A Washington Post reviewer hails the Cantus sound as having both “exalting finesse” and “expressive power,” and describes the group’s singing as “spontaneous grace.” The chorus, which regularly commissions new works, has released more than a dozen albums, including Song of a Czech (2013), a collection of works by Dvorák ˇ and Leoš Janácek; ˇ Christmas with Cantus (2011); That Eternal Day (2010); All is Calm (2008), a radio musical drama about the World War I Christmas truce of 1914; and There Lies the Home (2006). The ensemble is a frequent guest on public radio, including Performance Today’s annual “Thanksgiving with Cantus.” The group also has performed on two episodes of A Prairie Home
With its program A Place for Us, Cantus hopes to remind audiences that Americans share a number of common values, including the desire for individual freedom, hard work, spirituality, family, and a place to call home.
Companion with Garrison Keillor. Cantus will be in residence at the university for several days. One of the highlights of the visit is a free and informal Classical Coffeehouse — at 8 p.m. Monday, March 31, in the Hintz Family Alumni Center’s Robb Hall — in which the chorus will share and discuss its music with the public. As part of the Center for the Performing Arts Classical Music Project, Cantus also is set to spend a day interacting through performance and discussion with students, faculty, and community members at Penn State Altoona on Wednesday, April 2. T&G Designer’s Studio sponsors the Pasquerilla concert. WPSU is the media sponsor. The Classical Coffeehouse is presented in partnership with the Penn State Alumni Association and the Blue & White Society, with additional support provided by the Penn State Council of LionHearts. For information or tickets, visit www.cpa.psu.edu or phone (814) 863-0255. Tickets also will be available for purchase at Pasquerilla on the evening of the performance, but only cash or checks can be accepted at the concert venue. John Mark Rafacz is the editorial manager of the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.
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about town
A Life with Cats Friendships with felines hold special memories
By Nadine Kofman
Did you ever buy a greeting card to keep, rather than to address and mail? The one in your hand was just too swell to give up. I was hunting recently for a birthday card at familiar Nittany Quill in State College, when I came upon a poetic one for some occasion or other (I never peeled open its clear-plastic protector). Charmed by its front, I bought this one for me. The subject was pleasing: cats. My apologies to fur-allergy sufferers and to any unfortunate folks who are disgusted by felines. On the card front — a repeated New Yorker magazine cartoon — a cat admires its reflection in a mirror, acknowledging the self-description of The Tiger, a poem by William Blake (1757-1827). The complete poem is as follows: Tiger, tiger burning bright / In the forests of the night, / What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps or skies / Burnt the fire of thine eyes? / On what wings dare he aspire? / What the hand dare seize the fire? And what shoulder and what art / Could twist the sinews of thy heart? / And when thy heart began to beat, / What dread hand and what dread feet? What the hammer? What the chain? / In what furnace was thy brain? / What the anvil? What dread grasp / Dare its deadly terrors clasp? When the stars threw down their spears, / And water’d heaven with their tears, / Did He smile His work to see? / Did He who made the lamb make thee? Tiger, tiger, burning bright / In the forests of the night, / What immortal hand or eye / Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
Very few tabbies remind you of ancestral tigers. But, speaking of history, a cat lover’s history could be written cat after cat. My oldest one was P.T., who lived to be 25. Veterinarian McCormick acknowledged her as the oldest cat in his North Atherton Street practice. As I used to say as she aged, she took very good care of herself — never playing in traffic, roaming mostly through the backyard. Bill Welch, my 30-something roommate/ husband, named her. “P.T.” was his necessary abbreviation for a pet he dubbed Precious Tiny. “I can’t,” he would proclaim, “stand at the backdoor and yell, ‘Here, Precious Tiny. ’” The name came to him at their first meeting. Leaving them in the living room, I went off looking for the person who had deposited this beautiful calico kitten in the entryway of our 108 East Hamilton Avenue townhouse. When I returned, unsuccessful, the scene had changed. They were both on the sofa. Bill was cross-legged and relaxed, and she, curled-up along the back, was licking his outstretched hand. “I like her,” he pronounced, and that was that. To the uninformed, “cat” implies one psyche. I and many others would disagree. When I was a Penn State student, my family had a cat that would play happily by herself. If you gave her a cut rubber band, she would hold one end in her mouth and bat the hanging end with a paw. Cheap entertainment. In more recent decades, the Kofman-Welch household had a pair of feline siblings that liked to follow us, side by side, on walks around the block from our Sunset Road home. “Doglike,” some
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people observed. For many, the highest praise one can give a cat is to say it’s acting like a dog. Now that I’m a senior citizen, a pretty calico keeps me company — sometimes in my face, literally. “SweetPea” came to me with her sleek gray son “Brutus” (who has since moved in with a doting family) via Wiscoy from PAWS. “Why didn’t you contact us?” asked both my mailman, the late Jim Herrmann, cofounder of the 100 Cat Foundation, Centre Hall, and Shirley Fonda of Fonda’s Foundlings in State College. Of course, I could have gone to one of them, or to Pets Come First in Centre Hall, the SPCA’s warm-hearted successor, or to other places holding pet adoptions, or to one of Central PA’s rescue groups. Potential pets — whether cats, dogs, or whatever — need all the help they can get.
And we have all these options. Not far from my pet’s litter box is another New Yorker cartoon — not that I expect SweetPea to learn from it. A perky pet approaches the man of the house, sitting in his easy chair. “Can I get you anything?” the cat asks, causing the fellow to look up blankly from his newspaper. “New, Improved Cat,” reads the cartoon’s boxed caption. Cat devotees and detractors could share a good laugh at the thought. As is generally known, no matter how adorable and/or adoring the resident cat is, it appreciates a good servant — not the other way around. T&G Nadine Kofman is a native Centre Countian and historian.
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health & wellness
Open Up and Say, “Ahhh” Good oral health starts at an early age By Samantha Hulings
Everyone needs teeth. They aid in eating, speaking, expressing happiness in an ear-to-ear grin, and in oral growth. Because of the important part that pearly whites play in daily life, developing good dental habits at an early age is a must. Dr. Robert Kilareski, a dentist at Pediatric Dental Care in State College, says dental health care is a necessary part of growth for children. “Our goal as pediatric dentists is to not only help kids maintain a healthy mouth, but also set them up for a lifetime of pleasant dental experiences,” he says. Kilareski believes one of the most important parts of his job is not necessarily the dental aspect, but, instead, dealing with scared children and helping them through the process of understanding how important oral health care is. “Our specialty does not just involve fixing teeth, but helping scared kids through the process in a gentle way. There are many adults walking around that refuse to see a dentist because they are afraid,” he says. “Hopefully we can help some kids get over this fear before it starts.” Melinda Ohlson, a State College mother of four, agrees, saying a child’s first experience can really set the tone for future visits and oral care. Because of the child-friendly atmosphere at offices such as Pediatric Dental Care, her three oldest, Alayna, 8; Kierstin, 6; and Judah, 1, love going to the dentist. “For our kids, when we go to the dentist, it’s like going to the spa. I don’t know if this is normal, but my girls love it. They will dress up for it. It’s like they’re going on a date,” she laughs. Six-month evaluations are the recommended interval for children by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Evaluations should include examining the development of the teeth and their placement, the gums, and the toothand-jaw relationships. X-rays also are taken to
search for any signs of decay. Missing or extra teeth also will be given consideration, as well as signs of oral cancer or pathology. Dentists also will examine children’s speech, as teeth play a large role in speaking. Kilareski also says educating parents and children about home dental care is an important part of exams. “It’s always better to prevent something bad from happening then to try and correct it after it’s gone wrong. If we can talk to parents and kids about good hygiene and help them learn better techniques, it goes a long way,” he says. “Fixing teeth requires a bit more work for both us and the kids, so it’s just easier if we can prevent having to take that step.” Proper oral-health tips and tricks include showing children how to brush correctly. “For kids, it’s pretty simple — make little circles with the toothbrush through the entire mouth,” Kilareski says. One issue that does arise with brushing is that children often want to rush through the process or skip areas of the mouth. Because of this, Kilareski says he spends a lot of time explaining to children about slowing down and letting their parents help them brush twice a day. Brushing
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Tips for Good Oral Hygiene for Your Kids
(Source: Pediatric Dental Care) • Brush two times every day. After breakfast in the morning and right before bedtime are generally the best times to brush to control plaque buildup. • Brush for 2 to 3 minutes each time. Set a timer or have your child brush the length of their favorite song. There also are kids’ toothbrushes that will light up for the appropriate length of time they should be brushing. A visual timer is always fun for kids. • Sticker charts can be great motivators for younger brushers. • Flosser (with handles) makes flossing much easier for smaller hands. They also can be great tools for parents when flossing their children’s teeth for them. A very young child should lie down on their bed or on a couch to make their molars more visible and accessible to the parent who is flossing for them. • Ideally, flossing should be done every day. If daily flossing is not possible, try to do it at least three times a week. • An adult should help with home-care (brushing and flossing) until a child is 8 years old. Until that time, most children do not have the manual dexterity to thoroughly remove all of the plaque from their teeth. • A nightly fluoride rinse for children 5 years old and older will mineralize enamel and remineralize decalcified areas, helping to prevent decay. • Carefully watch the frequency with which children are eating and drinking sugars. The more often they are snacking on and/or drinking sugary products, the higher is their risk of developing decay. • Remember to visit your dentist twice a year. He or she will be able to identify problems early and give you more tips to keep your smile healthy. twice daily keeps food debris, plaque, and bacteria in the mouth to a minimum, reducing the amount of acid that attacks teeth and causes cavities and supports bacteria that causes gum issues, two of the most common oral issues for children. Though many kids try to be independent and brush all on their own, Kilareski says they don’t have the necessary coordination or understanding to brush properly until they are about 8 years old. To ensure children are cleaning their teeth in the best way, he recommends parents supervise or assist young children with oral care.
“Brushing twice daily is a great start to keeping teeth and gums healthy and clean. Flossing daily would be another great thing to do. This helps to clean in between the teeth where the toothbrush alone cannot reach,” he says. He understands flossing twice a day, every day can be a huge chore for parents and children, so he encourages flossing several times a week. Fluoride rinsing a few times a week also is a good, preventive idea, as it coats the teeth and helps to make the outer layers of enamel more resistant to acid attack that causes decay. Children
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must understand the process of spitting, though, as swallowing too much fluoride can be dangerous. For young children, Kilareski recommends parents swab fluoride on with a Q-tip. For Ohlson, this is second nature. Teaching her children to brush, floss, and spit fluoride was highly important to her and her husband, as grandparents on both sides have replaced teeth. “I saw the opportunity for having good lifelong dental health and getting early habits started,” she says. “You can break a bone, but if your tooth is gone, it’s gone.” To make brushing fun, Kilareski suggests singing a song, using a timer, or dancing while brushing, something Ohlson also believes in. During the mornings, brushing their teeth is part of a personal routine for her children, but in the evenings, she times them on her stopwatch. “Everybody starts together for two minutes. I usually provide some musical entertainment, so we have a small dance party while we are brushing,” she says. “The last 10 seconds, we call it ‘circle polish.’ We brush the tongue, and then they are all done.” She says she believes it is necessary to make brushing fun so her children develop the posi-
tive habit of taking care of their teeth, and, in turn, their bodies. “It gives an internal sense of ownership of their health and their body,” she says. “It’s a very practical, easy way to set them up for good choices and good self-care later on.” Kilareski says encouraging good oral habits similar to what Ohlson does is the best way to prevent decay and gum disease. Good dietary habits are very beneficial as well. He recommends parents limit snacking, especially on carbohydrate-laden foods. “Natural sugar is still sugar, so just because something is healthy — apples — doesn’t mean it can’t cause decay,” he says. Kilareski also reminds parents to not make dental care more complicated than it has to be. “Try to help your kids brush in the morning and at night. Try to help with flossing a couple times per week. Maintaining a good six-month recall schedule helps, as well. We can catch issues before they get big and harder to manage,” he says. “It’s all connected — good oral health helps with good overall body health.” T&G Samantha Hulings is a former intern at Town&Gown and is a freelance writer living in Chicago.
“Tasteful Touches for Every Room”
“Working with Beverly Beane Biddle of Designer’s Studio was truly a wonderful experience. When we decided to redecorate our living room, we told Beverly that we were looking for a room that had both elegance and comfort. Beverly’s design skills provided us with just that kind of room. Beverly’s dedication, creativity and responsiveness are exceptional.” - John and Joan Mandryk, Aspen Heights – Boalsburg, PA. InterIor DesIgn, Fa bulous Fur nIture, unIque gIF ts, WInDoW tre atments, Per sI a n rugs 107 Designers Drive • Centre Hall, PA 16828 Phone: 814-364-9220 • www.designerstudio.com Hours: Monday through Saturday • 10 to 5 Thursday till 8
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27 - Town&Gown February 2014
Located “On the Diamond” 113 East Main Street 814-466-6241 www.duffystavern.com
12 Months of Giving
President Effie Jenks (standing) and CEO Rebekah Cunningham help lead The Arc of Centre County, now in its 60th year of serving the county.
A Sense of Belonging The Arc of Centre County helps those with disabilities live independent lives By Samantha Hulings
(Editor’s note: This is the second of Town&Gown’s yearlong series profiling organizations, groups, and individuals who do noteworthy work to help others — and who also could use your help in aiding those in need. Each month, you’ll have an opportunity to read about these people and organizations in our communities, and maybe be able and even be inspired to provide some help to them. If you have a suggestion for our “12 Months of Giving” series, e-mail dpenc@barashmedia.com.) Like puzzle pieces, people want to fit in — to have purpose, to belong. Like people, each piece of a puzzle is different, unique, and important. Together, they create a masterpiece. Without one single piece, the puzzle is left unfinished and incomplete. To build the complete masterpiece of Centre County, residents must experience belonging in the community and at home. The Arc of Centre County, a nonprofit agency serving adults with intellectual disabilities of varying degrees, helps individuals by enhancing their lives and providing the highest quality of service in the least restrictive environment, fitting together the pieces of community, togetherness, and home. “We help people live their life,” says Rebekah Cun-
ningham, CEO of The Arc. “We provide services to people in the environment that meets their needs.” Though its name has changed numerous times since it began 60 years ago, the mission of The Arc has remained the same — aid those with intellectual disabilities to live life to the fullest. To do this, Effie Jenks, former CEO and current president of The Arc, says the agency offers residential, employment, and home- and community-habilitation services to individuals. For 34 years, Jenks has watched The Arc transform from a small organization with one group home to a twenty-first century nonprofit complete with multiple group homes, various services, and numerous fundraisers and events. Throughout this growth, The Arc accomplished many firsts in the state, including the creation of the first group home for children with disabilities. “Residential services provided those families with a place that was safe for their children,” says Jenks. “We really reached out and did a lot of firsts.” Though The Arc no longer serves children with disabilities, Jenks says many of the adults currently with the agency grew up within the organization.
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“Thanks to a lot of people who worked religiously and consistently, some of those children are functioning much more independently than they would if they hadn’t been in the program,” she says. According to Cunningham, independence for those with intellectual disabilities is key. Because of the varying degrees of disabilities, she says the level of aid The Arc provides to individuals differs greatly. Some individuals may live on their own or with a family member, and simply need help paying bills, running errands, or using public transportation. Others need 24-hour supervision and continuous care. Whatever the need, The Arc is there. “We want people to live as independently as they can. If that is in a group home, that’s great, but if they are able to live in the community and they don’t need 24-hour supervision then we encourage them to do that,” Cunningham says. “That is the ultimate goal — to help people live with no restrictions or with as few restrictions as possible. The sky’s the limit. [We help people] do what it is that their dreams are.” Currently, the agency provides some sort of service to 75 to 80 individuals. Jenks says years ago this number was much greater, but thanks to early intervention, the number needing continuous service from The Arc has been lowered. For those individuals receiving home- and community-habilitation services, programs vary according to the individual. Many of these individuals live alone or with a family member, friend, or roommate and are considered to live “in the community.” “By ‘in the community,’ we are going to people and helping them with whatever their needs may be,” Cunningham says. These services are mostly one-on-one and may consist of volunteering to become involved with the community, scheduling doctor’s appointments, going to the grocery store, or planning meals. “They are as different as you or I,” she says. “Our services are personalized. They are developed around whatever the person’s interests and needs are at that time.” The Arc also offers Nittany Employment Services (NES) to individuals. NES provides vocational support to individuals with intellectual disabilities who have been referred to the agency by the Centre County Mental Health/Intellectual Disability Office and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. “Their self-worth is enhanced when they have a job,” Jenks says. “It’s good for the public to see people with varying abilities do a really good job.” Cunningham says the goal of NES is to help
people who have a disability obtain and maintain competitive employment. The Arc does this by assessing an individual’s skill set, helping him or her fill out applications, going on interviews with an individual, and helping him or her to understand job expectations. Once a job has been secured, the agency will continuously work with an individual to ensure competitive employment is maintained through job coaching and job support. “Once they have a job, we support them in that job,” she says. For those individuals needing 24-hour care, The Arc offers numerous residential homes in Zion, Howard, and State College. According to Jenks, each home always has one staff member who sleeps at the home and may have one or two additional staff members, depending on the needs of the home. Cunningham says the homes are not what many expect them to be. Instead of hospital-like and institutionalized, the homes are personal, with normal, comfortable furniture and pictures on the walls of those who live there, and their interests. Each person’s bedroom is decorated with personal furnishing. “If you walk into one of our programs, it will look just like your house or my house,” she says. “Whatever it is that makes it unique and personalized to that individual, that’s what we strive for.” Jenks says these services are to enhance the lives of individuals and their families, allowing them to reach their highest potentials. “There certainly is a varying scale of accomplishments, but everybody is accomplishing something,” she says. For Cunningham, the many accomplishments of the agency are due to Jenks, who recently stepped down from her full-time CEO position to a part-time presidential position. “She is a cornerstone to where The Arc has been and where The Arc will go. She touched everything,” Cunningham says. “We tip our hat to Effie … for her dedication and commitment to our agency.” But for Jenks, the credit for the agency’s success goes to all those involved and the individuals receiving service. “They are a wonderful group of people at The Arc,” she says. “Any success I might have had is in a direct relationship to the people who work with me.” T&G For more information on how you can help and volunteer opportunities at The Arc of Centre County, call (814) 238-1444 or visit taocc.org.
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Annemarie Mountz
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He describes himself as the “Pennsylvania boy with a Penn State heart,” and coaching the Nittany Lions is his dream job. On January 11, James Franklin saw that dream become a reality as he was hired to become the 16th head coach in Penn State football history. His hiring came nine days after Penn State began its national search for a head coach to succeed Bill O’Brien, who left after two seasons to become the head coach of the Houston Texans. Franklin, who turns 42 on February 2, had spent the past three seasons building Vanderbilt into a top-25 program. He led the Commodores to a 24-15 record between 2011 and 2013, including a 9-4 record in each of the last two seasons.
He will earn $4 million in year one and receive a $100,000 raise to his base salary each year. His buyout for each of his first two years, should an NFL team or another college program want to hire him, is $5 million. It drops to $2.5 million in 2016, $2 million in 2017, and $1 million for both 2018 and 2019. Franklin, who spent one season in the NFL as the wide receivers coach for the Green Bay Packers in 2005, said he’s a college guy. “I’m a relationship guy,” he said. “To me, it’s about people. I love kids. You’re not going to find a coach that cares more about their players than me, and their complete development, academically, athletically, socially, spiritually, the whole package. That’s what drives me.”
A Return Home Pennsylvania native James Franklin comes back to the Keystone State with the task of being the next head football coach at Penn State
By David Pencek “It wasn’t an easy decision,” Franklin said during his introductory press conference in the Beaver Stadium media room. “We weren’t going to leave Vanderbilt. We worked very, very hard to build something that we could be proud of .... But we felt like this was a special opportunity, an opportunity where we could walk into a young man’s home and offer the best of everything. An opportunity to get a great education, an opportunity to play for championships, and that’s what we’re all about.” Franklin and O’Brien actually were on the same coaching staff together at Maryland in 2003 and 2004 under Ralph Friedgen. Franklin was the team’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator while O’Brien was the running backs coach. One person who is not going to be a part of Franklin’s staff at Penn State is longtime defensiveline coach Larry Johnson, who left to become the defensive-line and assistant head coach at Ohio State. Johnson was with the Nittany Lions for 18 seasons and served as interim head coach after O’Brien’s departure. Penn State signed Franklin to a six-year deal.
His hiring came with some questions about an alleged gang rape last year that involved some of Franklin’s former players at Vanderbilt. Four players were charged with rape and were dismissed from the team within days of the incident. Franklin said, “It’s the most challenging thing that I’ve ever been through personally, as a father of two daughters, and professionally.” Penn State athletic director Dave Joyner said Franklin underwent the “most thorough vetting process of any search, perhaps of any position, at this university. We utilized multiple independent third-party sources. … So my belief, without a doubt, is that James Franklin is a man of extremely high character. … I couldn’t be more confident in the character of this man, and the fact that we have somebody that when presented with, and hopefully will never be presented with a situation like that again, but I have extreme confidence that he will handle that situation with great class and honor and do the right thing.” Franklin grew up in Langhorne and attended Neshaminy High School near Philadelphia. He
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Vanderbilt Athletic Communications
Franklin went 24-15 during his three seasons at Vanderbilt, and led the Commodores to consecutive nine-win seasons and a top-25 ranking in each of the last two years.
then went to East Stroudsburg University where he played quarterback and set seven school records. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology. “I grew up a Penn State fan,” he said. “Always dreamed of this opportunity. And it’s funny, me and my wife were talking about it on the ride over here and we discussed this, when we first started dating, about my dream jobs, and my answer to her was ‘Penn State.’ I didn’t know if I’d ever have this opportunity because I didn’t think the guy that was coaching [Joe Paterno] when I was growing up would ever leave.” Franklin talked about Paterno several times during his press conference. He said he introduced himself to Paterno whenever he would see him at a coaches’ convention. He also said that the last time he and his wife went on the Nike trip, he developed a good relationship with Sue Paterno. As with the Paternos, he says he is looking to be out in the community. “We’ll do everything we can to bring this community back together and really take pride in this program and where we’re going and how we’re
Steve Tressler/Vista Professional Studios
Playing/Coaching Experience: 1991-94 — East Stroudsburg (Player). A four-year letter winner at quarterback for East Stroudsburg. Earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) honors twice. As a senior, was named team MVP and was a nominee for the NCAA Division II Player of the Year (Harlon Hill Trophy). Set seven school records as a senior, including total offense (3,128 yards), passing yards (2,586), and touchdown passes (19).
Meet James Franklin (Source: Penn State Sports Information) Born: February 2, 1972 Hometown: Langhorne. Attended Neshaminy High School near Philadelphia. Family: Wife, Fumi, and two daughters, Ava (7) and Addison (6). Alma Mater: East Stroudsburg University (1995, bachelor’s degree in psychology); also earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Washington State University in 1999.
1995 — Kutztown (Wide Receivers Coach). Helped lead the Kutztown Golden Bears to a 6-4 record and a third-place finish in the PSAC. Coached Darrien Peoples, who is fifth all-time at Kutztown in receptions, and Justin Borlemay, who is fifth in school history in touchdown catches. 1996 — East Stroudsburg (Graduate Assistant Coach – Secondary). Assisted his collegiate head coach, Denny Douds. Helped the Warriors to a 6-4 record. 1997 — James Madison (Wide Receivers). Working under head coach Alex Wood, worked with the wide receivers during his year at James Madison. 1998 — Washington State (Graduate Assistant Coach – Tight Ends). Under the direction of head coach Mike Price, worked with the tight ends as a graduate-assistant coach at Washington State.
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doing it,” he said. When asked about fans who look at the program “through the kind of glasses of what would Joe Paterno have done,” Franklin said he has tremendous respect for Paterno and what he did at Penn State and how he built the program. “I think the biggest thing is what I said before is that everybody is so passionate and has such strong opinions because they care so much about this university and what it stands for,” he said. “I think the fact that they have someone sitting in this role right now that cares just as much about it as they do, I think is important.” Another thing that is clearly important to Franklin is to “dominate the state” when it comes to recruiting. He said that multiple times during his press conference. He was asked if this was throwing down the gauntlet to Penn State’s interstate rival to the west — Pittsburgh. “I have tremendous respect for the University of Pittsburgh, tremendous respect for their coach, tremendous respect for their university,” he said. “But when I say Pennsylvania, and when I say Penn State, that is the whole state. We will recruit every
corner of this state, every school of this state, every neighborhood of this state. And when I say recruit, not only just student-athletes, I mean the people of the great state of Pennsylvania. We will recruit everybody, and that is with tremendous respect for the University of Pittsburgh. But we are … Penn State.” Family also is important to Franklin. He says his wife and daughters come to the football facility every day to lunch or at the end of the school day or workday. And he described the players he coaches — whether at his past job or his current one — as his sons. “Now I have two daughters and 95 new sons, and a lot of coaches say that, but we truly mean that,” he said. “My daughters’ favorite thing in the world is the football boys — their uncles.” After the press conference ended, it was time for Franklin to make the rounds and meet the people of his new home and school and team, and get to work. He ended the conference saying, “I can’t tell you how proud I am to be your football coach and to represent everybody in the great state of Pennsylvania, and to be a part of Penn State University. We are … Penn State.” T&G
1999 — Idaho State (Wide Receivers). Worked as the receivers coach under head coach Larry Lewis, helping the Bengals rank ninth nationally in total offense.
2008-10 — Maryland (Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks). In his first year as offensive coordinator, helped lead the Terrapins past four ranked teams en route to a bowl victory in the 2008 Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl. The Terrapins went 9-4 in 2010, finishing second in the ACC’s Atlantic Division
2000-04 — Maryland (Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator). Hired by Ron Vanderlinden prior to the 2000 season, also worked under Ralph Friedgen when he was named head coach in November. Helped the Terrapins earn three-straight postseason berths from 2001 to 2003, including an appearance in the 2002 FedEx Orange Bowl. 2005 — Green Bay Packers (Wide Receivers). Assisting head coach Mike Sherman, worked with a receiving corps led by Donald Driver, Javon Walker, and Robert Ferguson. With legendary quarterback Brett Favre directing the offense, the Packer receivers ranked third in receptions (383) and posted the seventh-most receiving yards (3,766) in the NFL in 2005. 2006-07 — Kansas State (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks). In his first season as offensive coordinator, helped the Wildcats to a 7-6 record, including a 45-42 victory over No. 4 Texas. Kansas State earned its first bowl berth in three seasons in 2006. In 2007, guided an offense that featured a 3,000-yard passer, 1,500-yard receiver, and 1,000-yard rusher for the first time in team history. Helped guide quarterback Josh Freeman to numerous school records. Freeman threw for 3,353 yards, including 122 completions to All-American receiver Jordy Nelson. Freeman was selected in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft (17th pick overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
2011-13 Vanderbilt (Head Coach). In three seasons, guided Vanderbilt football to unprecedented heights. He led the Commodores to three-straight bowl games for the first time in school history. With a 24-15 overall record, only College Football Hall of Fame head coach Dan McGuin (1904-06) had as many wins over a three-year period at Vanderbilt. Inherited a team that had gone 2-10 in two consecutive seasons and directed them to an appearance in the Liberty Bowl. A Bear Bryant Coach of the Year finalist, led the Commodores to nine wins in 2012, their most since 1915. The season also included a win in the Music City Bowl. The 2012 team finished in the top 25 in both the USA Today/Coaches poll (20th) and Associated Press poll (23rd). In 2013, Vanderbilt knocked off Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee in the same season for the first time ever en route to a nine-win season, marking the first back-to-back nine-win seasons at Vanderbilt in nine decades. The Commodores finished 2013 ranked No. 24 in the USA Today/Coaches poll, marking the first time in the program’s 124-year history that it had top-25 finishes in consecutive seasons. In his last 20 games at Vanderbilt, he was 16-4, a mark that is surpassed in the SEC only by Alabama (17-3). The Commodores knocked off Houston, 41-24, in the BBVA Compass Bowl in January.
33 - Town&Gown & &Gown February 2014
analysis
Perfect Timing Bill O’Brien’s departure was best for both parties
Steve Tressler/Vista Professional Studios
By Frank Bodani
Despite NCAA sanctions against Penn State, O’Brien led the Nittany Lions to a 15-9 record over two seasons. He left the team to become the head coach for the Houston Texans.
In many ways, the Bill O’Brien Age at Penn State was like fast-flowing fuel. It ran quick and hot and drove a program further than most could have imagined. Sparks always seemed to be shooting for one reason or another, mostly away from the field. And just when everyone truly started to adjust to the way things worked, it all burned out right before their eyes. While O’Brien somewhat surprisingly turned into the perfect fit for what Penn State needed the past two years, it became clear at the very end that he also picked the right time to leave. Whatever Penn State lost in stability with his hire it made up for with forceful, straight-ahead leadership through the most disrupting upheaval the university and its football program had ever faced. O’Brien’s run, which ended late on New Year’s Eve when he accepted the head-coaching position with the Houston Texans, was not what fans would have predicted or even desired in terms of length or, certainly, in style of exit. And yet, eventually it will be remembered for what it clearly was: a dramatic success.
• • • Go back to the beginning, in January of 2012, when the nearly anonymous assistant from the New England Patriots was chosen as the man to follow Joe Paterno. Fans wanted a bigger-name leader, or at least someone who had experience leading. O’Brien? He had never been in charge of any program. But he came confident and with a defined head-coaching vision, far beyond just tutoring quarterbacks and tight ends. For a rookie head coach, he pulled together an impressive staff with its mix of NFL and college experience, of up-and-comers and experienced teachers — and one of the nation’s top strength-and-conditioning coaches, Craig Fitzgerald, as its foundation. From the start, O’Brien acted decisively with his personnel (quarterbacks Rob Bolden, Paul Jones, and Steven Bench transferred away quickly) and he was bold in changing program tradition (names on jerseys, facial and long hair allowed, singing of the alma mater after home games). O’Brien also had a vision for updating Penn State’s stale football infrastructure with better salaries for assistants, more personnel and budget
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for recruiting, and facility facelifts, such as the weight room. He knew how good friend Nick Saban ran his program at Alabama and what Urban Meyer had to work with at Ohio State. But the NCAA’s unexpected crushing sanctions against Penn State six months after he took over changed everything. Suddenly, O’Brien could focus only on keeping his team from sinking. Remember what he was working under: The Lions were losing players, losing scholarships, and losing even fans at games. Most national experts predicted they would lose almost every time they stepped on the field. And this would become the underlying tone of O’Brien’s entire tenure at Penn State. Rarely could he focus his time on what he loved doing the most — simply coaching, the Xs and Os. Rather, he was forced to recover and build amidst Paterno’s death, the Jerry Sandusky trial, those sanctions, and even a Sports Illustrated exposé that questioned his program’s medical care. He had to lead weeks-long publicity-caravan tours to try and bring fans together and build ticket support — and looked exhausted by it all last spring. He had to fundraise and make countless PR appearances. He felt uncomfortable being viewed as the face of a program, no less an entire university. That just wasn’t him. That helps explain his affinity for the NFL and why he repeatedly expressed those feelings even after arriving at Penn State. He wanted to go back there some day, and most understood that. The question became, “How long could Penn State win him over before the NFL did?” The thing is, serious NFL head-coaching interest flew at him faster than probably he could have imagined. He got bites after his coach-of-the-year debut, but wouldn’t consider leaving his players then after everything they had just done to stay for him. But after a second resilient, winning record — and with behind-the-scene tensions seemingly building between him and his bosses — the Houston Texans became the perfect fallback option after year two. Of course, no one factor drove him there at the end. Though he clearly proved he could compete despite suffocating, ongoing sanctions, the thinning talent was catching up on special teams and even at quarterback. This upcoming season could be a Christian Hackenberg injury away from a big step back. So the time for the NFL guy was probably best to strike.
The Penn State players? They seemed to form more of an understanding, give-and-take bond than fans realized. “I do regret not being able to continue with the great kids on that team,” he said at his introductory press conference with the Texans. “Again, while I tried to never mislead anyone, I understand if some people feel let down. I do, I understand that. “Again, it was a decision that was once-in-alifetime opportunity for me, and it was a great opportunity for my family.” And, to a man, the Penn State players have repeatedly spoken up for him. Team leader Miles Dieffenbach, who will be a senior guard this season, tweeted this moments after O’Brien’s departure was announced: “I’ll love Coach O’Brien forever. He will always be a part of Penn State. One of the greatest men I’ve ever known.” More than a week after that, Hackenberg smoothly gave his take. After all, he came to Penn State in large part because of O’Brien’s tutoring. “It’s a business. He had to do what was best for his family,” the Big Ten Freshman of the Year said. “At the end of the day, that comes ahead of everything. I wish him luck and I can’t thank him enough for what he did for me and this team and this program. That’s what people should be focusing on.” Obviously, many fans and media types were far harsher in judgment, focusing on broken promises and unfulfilled potential. But Penn State made out well. O’Brien elevated the team through the worst of the sanctions, which are now lessening. He recruited well and his staff developed talent. And Penn State even made money off of him (his $6.7 million buyout clause was more than his two years of salary combined). And he gave it the opportunity to pursue Pennsylvania native James Franklin, who may not have been available even a year later. He is young enough, like O’Brien, and equally footballsavvy. Plus, he seems invested in the PR work O’Brien tired of, and looks ready to crank it up another few levels. All of which helps illustrate the bottom line: After getting so much from one man at the ideal time, who should decide how long he stays? The timing of it all, actually, couldn’t have been better. T&G Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record.
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John Hovenstine (2)
Mallorie Smith,12, enjoys playing softball, soccer, and basketball, along with occasionally playing football with the boys at recess.
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SucceSS Through SporTS As National Girls and Women in Sports Day is recognized across the country, females — from the young to those playing at the professional level — continue to participate in athletics in increasing numbers and show the benefits of being part of a team By Tim Gilbert
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Mia Johnson, 11, plays basketball and soccer, where she has made many of her best friends.
Twelve-year old Mallorie Smith is quiet as she sits with her mom, Connie, for an interview about her athletic talents. It’s funny, Connie says. Other parents are surprised to find out it’s Mallorie who’s one of the most aggressive and vocal when she’s on the field or court. A Bellefonte resident, Mallorie plays softball, soccer, and basketball. Mallorie, whose favorite sport is soccer, has found a home in sports. She loves watching the Little League World Series in Williamsport, and plays football with the boys at recess. She’s not the best player out there, she says, but she’s “better than most.” “They all accept her,” Connie says. “On both sides.” Mallorie doesn’t want to toot her own horn too much, but she did tell about one boy who didn’t take kindly to being worse than a girl at football. But, for the most part, she says they don’t care. Mallorie is among a rising number of young female athletes in America. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, nearly 200,000 female athletes played an NCAA sport in 2012. Nationally, women’s sports have
been gaining more attention. ESPN Films recently produced a series of documentaries called Nine for IX, playing on the name of Title IX, all of which focused on women in sports. The documentaries coincided with the 40th anniversary of Title IX, which helped increase women’s participation in sports. The network also now has a Web site dedicated to women’s sports called ESPNW.com. This year, the Women’s Sports Foundation also is celebrating its 40th anniversary and has scheduled the 28th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day for February 5. The foundation, founded by tennis legend Billie Jean King, looks to advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity. According to its Web site, high school girls who play sports are less likely to be involved in an unintended pregnancy, more likely to get better grades in school, and more likely to graduate than girls who don’t play sports. Also, girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and lower levels of depression. Connie sees that in Mallorie and says she is more confident about herself. “Many kids these days worry about what they are wearing, how they look, or who they are friends with,” Connie says. “She does not, as she wears what she likes and is not influenced by anyone. She seems to have her head up high and is not worried about what the next person thinks about her.” Kelly Mazzante, who is the Penn State Lady Lion basketball team’s all-time leading scorer, and played professionally in the WNBA and Europe, says playing sports has taught her so much. “For one, it allowed me to travel all over the world and play the sport of basketball that I loved doing,” she says. “It also taught me so much about camaraderie, being patient, learning how to set and achieve goals, and how to overcome things that aren’t always what you had planned. Sports has helped me to learn how to communicate with others better, learning how to fight through adversity, and that feeling of what it means to accomplish something as a group working together for a common goal. “Sports has helped to define who I am today, and I am forever grateful for that.” For the Johnson family, also of Bellefonte, sports are a way of life. Eleven-year old Mia plays soccer and basketball, and her father, Buddy, coaches football and basketball, and referees basketball. Mia’s 8-year old brother, Trevor, also
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Contributed photo
plays sports, playing whatever he can. Buddy coached Mia until she was 8 in soccer, when she “outgrew [his] expertise.” Mia’s mother, Jen, notes that Mia had great handeye coordination from a young age, and she learned to ride her bike before all of her friends could.
Smith played on the Penn United Team in summer, which includes kids from all over Central Pennsylvania.
won its fifth national championship in the last seven years, and sixth overall, moving into a tie for the most championships of all-time in its sport. The women’s soccer team made it to the national championship game in 2012, and the women’s basketball squad is a top-20 program that has made the NCAA Tournament for three consecutive seasons. Last season, the field hockey team won its second consecutive Big Ten title. Women’s volleyball head coach Russ Rose has been at Penn State for 35 years, where he’s seen women’s sports grow. “They’re treated differently by the public,” Rose says of the difference between men’s and women’s sports. “You get more people for football games, where the tickets for the championship game this year are $1,100 apiece, and you’ve got 34 bowl games that can’t sell their tickets. But, you know, we played [the volleyball Final Four] in Key Arena this year, and between 15,000 and 16,000 seats sold both nights for the event. “I think the fans of the sport watch the event but they’re two different things.” Rose notes Penn State’s dedication to Title IX equality, something he’s noticed since he’s been here. He says he thinks the local community around Penn State supports all of the women’s sports and has a better awareness than most about women’s sports due to their successes. Penn State field hockey head coach Char Morett says the university was “visionary” in that it started offering scholarships to women student-athletes in 1975, and it has continued to
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Penn State Athletic Communications (2)
Mia also plays some sports with boys, and she’s more blunt about being better than they are, with a laugh. However, she also is welcomed by the boys at recess. And like Mallorie, she has made a good deal of her friends through sports. “A lot of her best friends, she’s made through playing soccer at Bellefonte,” Buddy says. “They just welcomed her and made her feel at home and it’s just nice to see her interact with them.” The parents say that in the leagues in which their kids play, particularly soccer, boys and girls are treated very equally. Buddy says there might be some lag in Little League for the girls. Though its football team garners most of the attention, Penn State is a sports powerhouse across the board for both genders, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the start of women’s sports at the university. The school has enjoyed plenty of success from its women’s programs. In December, the Penn State’s women’s volleyball team celebrates winning the 2013 women’s volleyball team national championship. It was the program’s fifth national title in seven years.
blaze the trail in assuring equality. She adds that the attention women’s sports have received has grown immensely since she played for Penn State from 1975 through 1978, and since she became the head coach for the Lions in 1987. Like Rose, she credits the community and the clinics that women’s coaches do with raising awareness for women’s sports.
Both the Smiths and Johnsons have participated in Penn State camps for girls and have had the opportunity to meet popular women’s players such as soccer star Mia Hayes and Lady Lion guard Maggie Lucas. Both sets of parents note the helpfulness of coaches who attended the camps, such as women’s basketball head coach Coquese Washington, in getting the girls to have a good time. At one point this past season, each member of Mia Johnson’s soccer team got to run onto Jeffrey Field before a Penn State women’s soccer game with a player, which she loved. The Johnson family was interviewed for this story about an hour before the women’s volleyball team defeated WisPenn State field hockey head coach Char Morett played for the Lions when the school began offering scholarships to female student-athletes in 1975.
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Children ages 3 to 7 enjoy indoor organized activities while parents chat over coffee or tour the school. A Pre-K OPEN HOUSE will be held at Friends Schoolhouse Saturday, February 22nd. Learn more:
www.scfriends.org 237-8386
40 - Town&Gown February 2014
consin for the national championship, and Buddy mentioned that the family was preparing to watch the match. “I think the women are doing all right for themselves,” Buddy says, referencing women’s sports as a whole. “And I would bet that the [volleyball] ratings would be higher for women than for men.” Rose, however, believes that the equal commitment Penn State has shown to men’s and women’s sports isn’t standard across the board in the collegiate landscape. “I’m a father of four sons and have spent the last 40 years coaching women,” he says. “So I recognize that some people perceive that women’s sports take away from men’s sports’ participation and funding … and I think Penn State has made a longtime commitment to having a broadly based program.” He admits that because of the present climate in college athletics, some universities are beginning to drop sports because of funding issues. At the prep level, girls’ sports also have made strides. Bellefonte Area High School women’s soccer coach Stacey Miller notes that football is the breadwinner at high school and collegiate levels across America, but there is no lack of sup-
port for the girls’ soccer program at Bellefonte. She says Bellefonte hosts a tournament to open the season called the Raider Classic, and it is sponsored primarily by several local businesses. “They help to offset the cost and allow the opportunity for the female athletes from not just our school but three other high schools to be able to participate in that event,” she says.
“Sports has helped to define who I am today, and I am forever grateful for that.” — Kelly Mazzante Another aspect of sports in which women have strived to attain equality is the media. Student Megan Flood is president of the Association for Women in Sports Media at Penn State and played three sports in high school and now runs marathons. The organization that she heads has active chapters at eight universities, and it fights for the advancement of women in sports media. Though women have made strides in sports media, Flood says there is still work to be done in this regard. “In the media room [after the Penn State-Syracuse football game in August] there were about
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five women,” she says. “I counted. But that has potential to change … I don’t see why the world can’t change to where a lot of people don’t think it has to be men covering men’s sports and women covering women’s sports.” Lori Shontz, a longtime journalist and senior editor of the Penn Stater alumni magazine, is the faculty adviser for the association. Again, she notes the advancements women have made in the field, and spoke highly of the work the association has done. Still, she points out a double standard that has been hard to shake, wherein if a male writer makes a mistake, he “goofed up,” but if a female writer does so, “women can’t do this job.” An issue for AWSM has been the recruitment of male members. “We don’t want AWSM to be all women,” Shontz says. “That’s not the point.” Earlier in her career, she says she faced criticism from co-workers that she only got a certain job because she was a “girl,” as they told her. Now, though, a majority of sideline reporters at sporting events are female. “I think having role models who are in the industry, for young female students like myself is
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Tim Gilbert is a Penn State junior majoring in journalism and criminology. He covered the Penn State football team as an intern for the Philadelphia Daily News in 2012-13, in addition to working as an editor and reporter at the Daily Collegian for two years. He covered the Lady Lions for the Collegian in 2011-12.
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fantastic,” Flood says. On the professional scale, women’s sports also have seen some statistical boons. Despite an eventual loss, the United States Women’s National Soccer Team’s championship game against China in the 2011 World Cup was ESPN’s most-watched soccer game of all-time, averaging 13.5 million viewers, according to the Nielsen Ratings. Afterward, goalie Hope Solo became a household name. Flood also mentions tennis stars Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova along with skier Lindsey Vonn as role models for young girls. But, according to Flood, a member of the organization once said a key to making sure women and men are on equal footing in the sports world is getting girls to have an interest early. And that’s where young athletes such as Mallorie and Mia come in — and each says they have no plans to stop playing sports anytime soon. T&G
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Valentine’s Gift Guide The Woolrich Outlet Store is where you’ll enjoy saving 20% to 60% on Woolrich apparel, outerwear, accessories and more. Plus we offer a great selection of famous brand footwear and gifts for the cabin or home. A great experience and worth the trip. WOOLRICH Outlet Store 39 Boardman Dr. Woolrich, PA, 17779 (570) 769-7401
Let Dolce Vita make your Valentine’s Day a little sweeter with chocolate covered strawberries, cannoli, cake truffles, heart shaped cookies, brownies, and more. Dolce Vita Desserts also specializes in custom cakes, cookies, and cupcakes for all occasions. Stop by our quaint little shop in Lemont to experience a taste of the “sweet Life” or visit our website. 812 Pike Street Lemont, PA 814-470-6046 www.dvdesserts.com
The UPS Store across from Wegmans Sweetheart Special, $69 Canvas Print! Show your loved one how much you truly care this Valentine’s Day with our $69 Canvas Print Sweetheart Special! Whether you are an avid photographer or simply a customer with a digital camera, this amazing process of printing any photo as a ready-to-hang canvas makes a wonderful gift for any occasion! Other great gift ideas we can help you with: Jumbo Greeting Cards, Custom Calendars and Photo Packages! 19 Colonnade Way, Ste. 117, State College * 814-238-8001 theupsstorelocal.com/5642 * store5642@theupsstore.com You only have one body and one life, but studies show that our overall health is exponentially increased by sharing your life with someone special. Treat your “someone special” to ESSpa Kozmetica, at the Carnegie House Inn! Ladies love our Hungarian Facials, Stress-reducing Massages, luxurious Manis & Pedis and AVEDA Hair Salon. Or treat her to a Red Hot & Healthy or Couples Delight Package. And don’t forget Moms, Daughters, Grandmothers and Guys too on Valentine’s Day! Choose from our various spa treatments and packages, then, instantly buy ESSpa Gift Cards online. For more details, call 814-380-9772 or visit ESSPA.biz
43 - Town&Gown Special Advertising Section
Coaches vs. Cancer Sunday, February 9, 2014 Bryce Jordan Center Game Tipoff – 4:15PM
Vs. Band Together is back! Join your Penn State Nittany Lions, the Penn State Coaches vs. Cancer committee and your local American Cancer Society in support of cancer patients and survivors in our region by attending the PSU men’s basketball game against Illinois. The Band Together event will also feature a Silent Auction of sports and celebrity memorabilia on the BJC concourse. Auction begins when the doors open at 3:15pm. All proceeds from the auction benefit CVC.
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Business Forward
2014
Town&Gown’s annual look at some of the businesses and people who are shaping Centre County’s economy
Business Forward 2014
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
On the
Rebound Centre County economy beginning to bounce back
acy, and The Grove. The facilities target Penn State students; Penn State’s University Park enrollment jumped from 44,679 students in fall 2012 to 46,184 in fall 2013. Also in the real estate sector, just announced last month was an updated growth plan for Toftrees that includes 2,600 new residences (including single-family and multifamily homes) and 541,241 square feet of commercial space.
By Tracey M. Dooms How is the Centre County economy faring right now? That depends on which sector you’re talking about, and even which businesses w i t h in a part ic u la r se c to r. While national pundits have proclaimed the recession officially over, effects still linger in some sectors — nationwide, statewide, and in Centre County. During the national economic downturn that began in 2008, Centre County’s average annual unemployment rate peaked at 6.4 percent in 2010, and fell slightly to 5.5 percent in 2011 before creeping back up to 5.7 percent in 2013. Unemployment is down, but still higher than the 3.4 percent low of 2007. As always, though, Centre County’s unemployment rate remained among the lowest for Pennsylvania counties, and compared favorably with the 2012 Pennsylvania average of 7.8 percent and US average of 8.1 percent. The local residential real estate market has begun to rebound, particularly in the multifamily sector. Among a host of new apartment complexes opening in 2013 were The Retreat, The Heights, The Villas at Happy Valley, The Leg-
No wells for Marcellus shale have been drilled in Centre County since 2012.
Marcellus mining
Although development of the Marcellus shale in northern Pennsylvania brought dollars into northern Centre County beginning in 2008, no wells have been drilled in the county since spring 2012, reports Susan Hannegan, assistant director in the Centre County Planning & Community Development Office. Of the 63 Marcellus wells drilled here, 23 are in production, and four have active permits from the Department of Environmental Protection to begin drilling. “The reason the others aren’t in production is primarily because they lack the pipeline infrastructure to transport the gas to market,” Hannegan says. Statewide, the number of mining and logging jobs surged from 2009 through early 2012 but has begun falling, while total overall employment across all industries is almost back to prerecession levels.
Downtown
In downtown State College, evidence of the economic downturn lingers in the empty lot at West Beaver Avenue and South Fraser Street. Plans to build an exciting mixed-use residential and commercial development there have been in the works for a decade, put on hold when the nationwide recession put a damper on luxury condominium sales. The 12-story, 250,000-square-foot structure was supposed to house a hotel, theater, retail shops, offices, and condos. So far though, signage is all that has been constructed. Last fall, developer Susquehanna Real Estate announced that groundbreaking was imminent. Then in January, Susquehanna sold the property to a new partnership that has not set a timetable for development. The new partnership involves Gary Brandeis (a partner in the previous effort) of Real Estate Capital Management and Daniel Deitchman of Brickbox Enterprises; both are Penn State alumni. “We’re very hopeful that things will come together for the Fraser Centre project and bring more people into downtown,” says George Arnold, executive director of the Downtown State College Improvement District.
“Lodging properties were not sold out like we typically would be for football,” says Betsey Howell, executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Some retailers say they’re doing well; some say it’s down. Some hoteliers say they’re doing well; some say it’s down.” On the other hand, the opening of Pegula Ice Arena last fall is boosting attendance at hockey games and figure-skating events. Centre County also has seen an increase in visitors, and thus tourism revenue, for sectors such as wineries (the county now has three) and breweries (five) and special events such as the new Mount Nittany Marathon, Howell notes.
Football & fun
Penn State football is always a driving force in the State College and Centre County economy, with tourism, hospitality, and retail sectors receiving major boosts from out-of-towners who attend home football games. Although the 2013 season’s average home football attendance of 96,587 was again No. 5 in the NCAA, it was down slightly from 96,730 in 2012 and down an average of 4,840 fans per game from 101,427 in 2011. The highest single-game attendance last fall was 107,884 fans during the homecoming four-overtime win against Michigan. Many college football programs, including all of the top five for attendance, showed decreases in average home-game attendance in 2013. Despite the NCAA sanctions against Penn State over the Jerry Sandusky scandal, the decline of an average 143 fans per game at Beaver Stadium was the smallest decline among the top five.
Mount Nittany Winery
Seven Mountains Wine Cellars Centre County has three wineries that have attracted visitors from out of the county.
Happy Valley Winery
During 2013, the leisure and hospitality sector saw the largest jobs increase in Centre County — up 800 jobs, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. T&G Tracey M. Dooms is a freelance writer living in State College and a contributor to Town&Gown.
Business Forward 2014 The Arboretum at Penn State
This summer The Arboretum at Penn State will welcome children and adults of all ages to the newly completed Children’s Garden, a unique space for exploring nature, fostering wonder, and celebrating the plants, animals, and geography of Central Pennsylvania. Free of charge and open to the public every day from dawn to dusk, the Children’s Garden will serve as a cherished resource for the State College community and surrounding region, a place for families and children to enjoy the outdoors, learn together, and discover the natural world. Sunshine and water will greet visitors at the garden entrance— a “transformative” passage beneath an arched canopy of multicolored glass and between two waterlily-filled pools. Just beyond, the Central Valley will feature woven willow Susquehannock huts, garden beds brimming with vegetables, a charming greenhouse, and an old-fashioned farm pump inviting water play. Back towards Mushroom Hollow, visitors can explore the Discovery Tree, meet a giant caterpillar, or take a rest on a toadstool seat. Within the Fossil Ridge area, children will learn about the plants and animals that lived in Pennsylvania hundreds of millions of years ago – and will even have the opportunity to scale a child-sized climbing wall. Following the course of the Up, Down, In and Out Creek, visitors will discover the Grotto, an enormous cave featuring stalactites, a colony of bronze bat sculptures, and even a secret passageway! Throughout the garden, plantings featuring Pennsylvania native species will create a natural setting, celebrating the beauty and diversity of plant life in our region. Prominently featured everywhere will be natural limestone and sandstone boulders and walls evoking the landscape of central Pennsylvania and telling the story of our geologic history. Now, as garden construction nears its final stage, we are calling upon our loyal visitors and supporters to partner with us in the creation of this community resource. The future of The Arboretum at Penn State—and the future of the landscapes it celebrates—depends upon our success in inspiring new generations with a lifelong love of the natural world. Public support of the Arboretum is vital. Make a gift to the Children’s Garden today and help us create that inspiration. Thank you for your support, and we’ll see you in the garden. To learn more and make a gift, contact: Patrick J. Williams, Director of Development The Arboretum at Penn State (814) 865-0441 patrickwilliams@psu.edu Visit us online at: arboretum.psu.edu
A Discovery Tree in Mushroom Hollow will have elevated roots under which children may pass as they explore woodland environments.
A grotto featuring cave-like formations will help children explore the subterranean world and understand our local geology.
Sponsored by Mary Lou Bennett, Docent at The Arboretum at Penn State 1375 Martin Street • State College, PA 16803 • 814-231-8200
John Hovenstine (2)
Four Under 40 Rising stars in Centre County business
By Tracey M. Dooms In the world of business, some take the slow-and-steady route to success, and some are on a faster track. Following are the stories of four local businesspeople who are making their marks before age 40. One is working in energy development, one on the way human bodies apply energy, and two on connecting the energies of different groups and individuals.
Benjamin W. Hulbert, 39 President & CEO Eclipse Resources
Originally from Buffalo, Ben Hulbert earned his Penn State degree in finance on an Army ROTC scholarship. After graduation, he went on active duty in Texas and eventually deployed to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Ready to return to civilian life, he interviewed for jobs all over the country, but in 2001 he decided to take an offer back in Penn State country, where his wife, Genevieve, also had gone to school. With Lance Shaner, Hulbert cofounded Rex Energy, an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the Appalachian, Mid-Continent, and Rocky Mountain regions. “It really was just a good opportunity and a good time to enter the energy industry,� Hulbert says. Initially, Rex targeted producing oil and gas fields that could pay good dividends. Then,
Jinger Gottschall, 39 Associate Professor of Kinesiology Penn State University
Halfhearted exercisers, take heart: According to Jinger Gottschall’s research, it’s better to start a new fitness program slowly than to jump-start it by going to the gym five days a week. An associate professor of kinesiology, Gottschall focuses her research in two primary areas: exercise intervention and gait transition. In exercise intervention, she is looking for the exercise program that maximizes strength, bone density, cardiovascular fitness, and disease resistance. “My goal is to figure out what physical activity is the best and then how to motivate people to maintain a consistent routine,” she says. The winner so far: a combination of cardiovascular and strength training, with a slow start to any new fitness program. “A lot of folks, especially this time of year, Contributed photo
as the development of hydraulic fracturing opened horizontal drilling in the Marcellus and other shale plays, the company began doing more exploration for new wells and grew into a $300 million venture. In 2007, Hulbert led Rex through its initial public offering and then continued to serve as its CEO until October 2010. In February 2011, with his brother, Chris, Hulbert launched Eclipse Resources, an independent energy company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. Although based in State College, Eclipse currently is heavily focused on the Utica shale in Ohio, where it holds about 100,000 acres in the “best part of the play,” the president and CEO says. “Utica was in an earlier stage than Marcellus, so the acreage was more affordable. We got in early enough that it worked very well for us.” He adds, “I’m sure that in the future we’ll do some things back in Pennsylvania in the Marcellus.” Just three years after its founding, Eclipse Resources has assets worth more than $1 billion, plus about 150 employees, half of them in State College, according to Hulbert. “We’re most likely looking at an IPO (initial public offering) this year,” he says. In 2010, Ernst & Young named Hulbert its Entrepreneur of the Year for the Western Pennsylvania Region, and in 2013, Fortune magazine included him on its national “40 Under 40” list of young business hotshots. Hulbert loves working in the energy field. “It’s a very exciting, dynamic industry,” he says. “There’s constantly new developments, new investment opportunities, new acquisitions, new formations to drill.” However, he adds, “It’s also very capital intensive, so you’re constantly raising money.” The Hulberts live in Boalsburg with their three sons, ages 13, 9, and 5, and remain pleased that they chose to return to the area where they went to college. “We think it’s a nice town to live in and raise your kids,” Ben says.
join a gym and go five days a week,” she says. “Instead, you should hold yourself back for six to 12 weeks. If you can be a little more patient, it really helps people build this up as more of a routine.” Once you’ve achieved a consistent routine of three to five sessions a week, she says, then it’s time to include higher-intensity workouts. “That can give you the biggest boost in terms of reducing cardiovascular risk factors.” An outgrowth of this research focus on fitness is Fitology, a Westerly Parkway gym Gottschall started in January 2013. Fitology combines group fitness classes with on-site physiological and musculoskeletal testing, and also serves as a center for ongoing research. Gottschall’s second research focus is on walking and running gaits, and how to use the knowledge gained to minimize falls by older people, pregnant women, and others. “The greatest number of falls actually occurs on changes in terrain,” she says, such as going up and down stairs or stepping onto a curb. “We found that it’s the first step up that’s the highest risk.” To facilitate this research, a few years ago Gottschall led a Penn State team that developed a dual treadmill that can vary incline separately for each leg and then record how subjects adjust their stride as a result. A Denver native, Gottschall attended Colorado College and the University of Colorado. She became interested in kinesiology the summer after her freshman year when she participated in a research study about women combining weight training with cardiovascular exercise. “I was fascinated with the whole research process,” she recalls, “and I started doing these miniexperiments on my friends.” Her first “real project” was her senior honors thesis on the most economic bicycling style for triathletes. She earned her PhD in integrative physiology from the University of Colorado, did a research fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta, and then came to Penn State in 2007. A competitive triathlete during her 20s, she still practices what she preaches, teaching and taking classes at Fitology and running with her two redbone coon hounds.
Eric Sauder
Eric Sauder, 26, & Serena Fulton, 23 Codirectors & Hosts New Leaf Initiative
Many young people fresh out of college struggle to get their own careers started. Eric Sauder and Serena Fulton have bypassed that stage, focusing instead on bringing others together to facilitate change across the community through New Leaf Initiative. New Leaf is a shared space where “missiondriven” individuals, organizations, and resource providers can co-work and collaborate. Although the office space opens this month in the State College Municipal Building, the nonprofit organization began in 2010 and has been evolving ever since. “Every day, every month, every year, we try new things,” Fulton says. Sauder helped found New Leaf almost four years ago. He had earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State in 2008 and then his master’s in architectural engineering in 2010. “The idea for New Leaf really came from a lot of work I was doing in
Serena Fulton
affordable housing,” he recalls. As mobile-home parks in the Centre Region were closing, Sauder saw how community groups rallied to find new homes for the residents. “I got to see the capacity we have as a community, but I got frustrated with how problems were not being addressed proactively,” he says. “Organizations in different sectors of the community were not communicating with each other.” Until now, New Leaf did not offer physical space to participants. “It’s been more a group of people continually searching after ways to bring positive change to this community,” Sauder says. “We’re really interested in how do we build bridges between different parts of our community.” Fulton got involved with the fledgling organization in 2011. She was then a junior majoring in psychology at Penn State, and a friend mentioned to her that New Leaf was looking for interns. She laughs now about formally e-mailing, “Dear Mr. Sauder,” to someone who turned out to be just three years older than herself. She signed on and never left, even after completing her bachelor’s
degree last May. Today, Sauder and Fulton are both the brains (lots of ideas) and the brawn (Sauder is building much of the furniture) behind New Leaf’s next chapter, as the 501(c)3 organization opens its 2,600-square-foot co-working space on the third floor of the municipal building on South Allen Street. The space includes private and shared workspaces, meeting rooms, a café, and lounge area, available to three types of participants: • Co-workers pay monthly fees in return for private or shared desk space for 10 to 40 hours a week, as well as access to meeting space, brand promotion, and other amenities. • Community partners, who get access to open space after 12 p.m., wireless Internet access, discounted meeting-room rentals, and a spot in the partner directory. • Sponsors, whose contributions support scholarships to help aspiring entrepreneurs use New Leaf space. “To us, New Lear isn’t the four walls of the office,” Fulton says. “It’s the people. The office is just a vehicle to bring them together.” Sauder and Fulton are funding startup costs for the physical space primarily through a $75,000 grant from the Centre Foundation, in partnership with the Knight Foundation, and a $35,000 grant/loan from the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County. “It’s exciting to see these pillars of the community that are engaged in New Leaf,” Sauder says. Co-worker and partnership rental fees eventually will provide Sauder and Fulton with salaries, they hope. In fact, Fulton believes that New Leaf may reach capacity on co-workers this month. “The momentum and the energy behind it has been growing more than we anticipated,” she says. Neither Sauder nor Fulton is originally from Centre County — Sauder is from Lancaster and Fulton from Dallas, Pennsylvania. Now, though, both are committed to improving collaboration in the community where they went to college and have come to call home. Already, they’re talking about extending the New Leaf concept to smaller-area communities such as Millheim and Philipsburg. “At the end of the day,” Fulton says, “New Leaf is still an experiment and will always retain that experimental component.” T&G
Northwest: Centre County’s Trusted Advisor Northwest Savings Bank enjoyed another successful year in 2013 and continued to expand its market area, improve products and services, make loans to families and local businesses and support its communities. Improving Products and Services In 2013, Northwest launched new products and services to simplify banking and provide even more convenience to its customers. Advances in drilling have opened up the Marcellus, Utica and other unconventional natural gas fields throughout much of Pennsylvania and Ohio. To help landowners as they work with oil and gas companies, Northwest developed Royalty Manager. Royalty Manager connects the uniquely qualified oil and gas experts at Northwest with landowners, leveling the playing field with big oil and gas companies. Northwest experts assist landowners with the management of their royalty payments, assuring proper payment for the sale of these unique, unseen assets. In September, Northwest announced an upgrade to its mobile banking apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Android Tablet and Blackberry. The updates include enhanced features, improved search and a streamlined interface. With Northwest’s mobile app, customers can view balances, pay bills, transfer funds, locate Northwest offices and ATMs, customize account preferences, connect through social media, contact customer service and manage business Online Banking transactions. At the end of 2013, Northwest upgraded its automated teller machines (ATMs) in State College, Bellefonte, Centre Hall, Lock Haven and Loyalsock, among others, to accept cash and check deposits. The new service allows customers to make deposits through the ATM, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without envelopes or deposit slips. Deposits made at Northwest ATMs before 8 p.m. are credited on the same business day, although funds deposited may not be available for immediate withdrawal.
Northwest Operates Six Offices in Centre County. In October, the bank opened a full-service community banking office in Zelienople in Butler County, expanding its community banking network to 166 locations in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and Maryland. In December 2012, Northwest acquired the Bert Insurance Group, an employee benefits and property and casualty insurance firm specializing in commercial and personal insurance planning as well as employee benefits plans. Since that time, Northwest has integrated Bert with its other insurance subsidiary, Veracity Benefits, to become Northwest Insurance Services. In December 2013, the company announced the acquisition of Evans Capital Management, Inc., an Erie-based financial advisory firm. Gregory C. LaRocca, Executive Vice President of Northwest said, “We are extremely pleased to be able to partner with ECM and its staff. This combination will bring the expanded services of a larger organization to ECM’s customers and it significantly enhances Northwest’s wealth management activities in western Pennsylvania.” Finally, Northwest Advisors, Inc. was notified in December that its application to move from a state registered investment advisory firm to an SEC regulated firm was approved. John Beard, Northwest Advisors president, stated that with the new registration, Northwest Advisors can now serve customers in all 50 states. Supporting Communities In addition to the fundraising and volunteer efforts of our offices and employees in Centre County in 2013, Northwest donated money and time to support the initiatives of Housing Transitions, Easter Seals, Child Development Council of Centre County, Our Children’s Centre, State College Land Trust, Centre County United Way, Centre Volunteers in Medicine and Leadership Centre County. Serving all of your Financial Needs
“We are extremely excited about our mobile app upgrades and to bring our new depository ATMs to Centre County. The upgrades give our customers even more flexibility to bank when and where they want,” said Mike McAndrew, district manager of the bank.
“It’s safe to say that we’re serving the region better than ever by providing flexible, convenient access to all of our products and services, allowing our customers to spend more time doing the things in life that really matter,” said Mr. McAndrew.
Expanding Market Area
Northwest is a full-service financial institution. The bank offers a wide range of products and services to make banking easy and convenient, including checking and savings accounts, loans and lines of credit, employee benefits, investment management and insurance.
Over the past year, Northwest expanded and improved its physical presence to broaden the bank’s scope of service.
Northwest Direct: 1-877-672-5678 www.northwestsavingsbank.com Member FDIC
From Idea to Enterprise Local groups aim to boost Centre County entrepreneurism By Tracey M. Dooms Over the past 15 years, Centre County’s economy has shifted from a large private industrial base to a Penn State-driven model. Now another shift is under way, with small entrepreneurial companies becoming responsible for an ever-larger share of local economic output. Fueling the shift are a university policy change, programs that support business creation, and networking among entrepreneurs. In the mid-1990s, Penn State was Centre County’s largest employer by far, as it is now, with more than 14,000 nonstudent employees. Back then, however, large companies such as Corning Asahi, C-COR, and Raytheon also each employed significant numbers of workers and played a big role in the local economy. As these larger private employers shut down or downsized, the county’s economy began to rely more and more on Penn State.
“As a State College native, I thought, ‘Wow, this town has really changed,’ ” says Todd Erdley, president and CEO of Videon Central and chair of the new entrepreneurship committee of Centre County’s Chamber of Business & Industry. “Fifteen years ago, there was a good balance between private industry and Penn State. Fast-forward, private industry has almost disappeared, and Penn State is by far the dominant industry in this town.” Here are some of the efforts that are working to boost entrepreneurism, and thus private industry’s role in the Centre County economy:
Penn State policy change
In December 2011, Penn State made significant changes to its intellectual-property policies, saying that intellectual property resulting from industrysponsored research would no longer be mandated to be owned by the university. Hank Foley, then vice president for research, noted that, in contrast to earlier times, research universities now are expected to be engines of innovation. “Our goal then is to flatten any and all barriers or impediments to innovation, and that includes our own past stance on intellectual policy,” he said when announcing the change. Foley also announced intentions to create a culture of entrepreneurship at Penn State by building
“more trust, ownership, and excitement among faculty” and to aggressively market existing Penn State intellectual property.
TechCelerator
Earlier that year, the university had prefaced its policy change by combining its Industrial Research Office and its Intellectual Property Office into an Office of Technology Management, which was co-located at Innovation Park with the Small Business Development Center, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania, and Centre County Industrial Development Corp. These organizations partnered in March 2012 to form TechCelerator @ State College, a one-stop shop designed to assist inventors, Penn State faculty, and very early-stage entrepreneurs in converting their business ideas and concepts into operating ventures. “If somebody gets into this building and makes contact with someone, they’ll find that we’re all right here,” says Don McCandless, TechCelerator director and director of business development, Central Field Office, Ben Franklin Transformation Services. A primary TechCelerator function is TechCelerator director Don McCandless to offer training programs to help wouldbe entrepreneurs learn what it takes to turn ideas Penn State and community entrepreneurs from into businesses, according to McCandless: Centre County. Limited to six participants per • In a 90-minute “triage” session, an entrepreneur session, the program covers topics from filing can meet with representatives from all the patents to estimating operating costs to company TechCelerator partners, tell his or her story once, structure, and culminates in a Shark Tank-type and learn what kind of assistance is available. pitch to win $10,000 in actual startup funds. • The Research to Startup program is a “quick Twenty-four people have participated in the and dirty overview” of all the things a researcher four sessions held to date, resulting in 24 Centre might need to consider when commercializing County startup companies that eventually research, from the importance of filing an garnered $2.1 million in initial funding, and invention disclosure with Penn State to earlyemploy 51 workers. stage funding sources. Discussions are ongoing to start similar programs • The next step is a four-week boot camp in Erie and at the College of Medicine in Hershey. where university faculty, graduate students, CREN and postdoctoral scholars learn to ask the The Centre Region Entrepreneurial Network right questions, understand legal issues, and (CREN) started four years ago as a way to connect find out about business models as they pursue entrepreneurs with each other. Erdley recalls that, commercialization of their research. So far, 27 during business trips to the West Coast, he realized people have participated in three boot camps. the “fantastic” networking of entrepreneurs in • The eight-week training program is for both
Silicon Valley was not happening in Centre County. “It struck me that we as an entrepreneurial community don’t know each other,” he says. So he started inviting other entrepreneurs to get together and tour each other’s facilities, instructing people to “become more interested in everybody else than in yourself. It’s not a selling opportunity, it’s a learning opportunity.” He explains that he wanted a networking group different from general business organizations such as the CBICC. “I wanted something for people who’ve lain awake at night trying to figure out how they’re going to make payroll,” he says. Started with about 10 participants, CREN has grown to include 75 companies representing almost 1,000 employees.
HappyValleyStartups.com
HappyValleyStartups.com is primarily a Web site designed to connect entrepreneurs with the resources they need to grow their businesses. The organization is a collaboration sponsored by West Arete, Rowland Creative, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Babst Calland, Fulton Bank, The HR Office, Innovation Park, and Videon Central. Through the Web site, entrepreneurs can conduct a targeted search for organizations and events
that help with getting a business started, funding, human resources, sales and marketing, finance/taxes, government regulations, networking, and technology.
Chamber of Business & Industry
The CBICC’s entrepreneurship committee grew out of an idea Erdley pitched to CBICC president and CEO Vern Squier. The committee started meeting in the fourth quarter of 2013 and currently consists of Erdley and five “very, very seasoned entrepreneurs”: Allan Dar of ProAct Ltd., Jeff Erickson of Erickson Strategic, Nick Kello of Macro Range Capital, John Vidmar of Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and Jack Zerby of Goodsie.com and Hii Def Inc. At the CBICC’s January membership luncheon, Erdley spoke to chamber members about the entrepreneurship committee, noting that it will unveil an action plan in the spring. Squier elaborated on the chamber’s 3B33 initiative, an ambitious goal of growing Centre County’s private-sector economic output from $700 million to $3 billion by 2033, in part through entrepreneurial efforts. “That’s a big, hairy, audacious goal,” Erdley says of 3B33. “If we embrace that, it’s going to create tremendous balance with Penn State, and we’re going to have a better quality of life for everyone.” T&G
The Job that Changes Lives As 10,000 baby boomers retire each day, caregiving is in high demand in every corner of the country. Between 2010-2020, the job market is expected to grow rapidly by over 70%. As the largest provider of homecare services, Home Instead Senior Care is seeking folks with a caring heart and the desire to work with the elderly. For over 10 years, Home Instead Senior Care has been lending a helping hand to our elderly neighbors in Central PA. We provide companionship, as well as help with everyday tasks such as personal care, cooking, and light housekeeping. Are you interested in making a difference in the life of a senior? Call us today at 814-238-8820, we would love to talk with you. Change your life...and the lives of others.
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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, and Forestry, Chair Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs House Education & the Workforce Committee Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education 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.
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550 W. College Ave., Pleasant Gap, PA 16823 (814) 359-3421 www.nittanyvalleyrehab.com
HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehabilitation Hospital For thirty years, HealthSouth has been serving the region with the highest level of rehabilitation services, helping people get back to an active lifestyle after an illness, injury or surgery. HealthSouth is a Joint Commission Accredited Hospital with specialty certifications in four rehabilitation programs: Stroke, Brain Injury, Parkinson’s disease and Heart Failure. HealthSouth offers advanced technologies and experienced rehabilitation teams, providing inpatient and outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy. The hospital received the prestigious 2013 President’s Circle Award for the second consecutive year, and is one of only 10 in HealthSouth’s nationwide network of 103 rehabilitation hospitals to receive this award. This distinction recognizes the hospital’s outstanding performance in development of clinical programs, quality of patient care services, employee retention and overall operational excellence. The hospital has experienced significant growth in both patients and employees. Moving forward in 2014, our focus continues to be high levels of patient satisfaction and quality patient outcomes.
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 80 Condominium/Homeowner Associations and a significant number of 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 2014 and beyond as we provide the highest quality management services to our clients throughout the Centre Region.
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Koch Funeral Home Family Owned & Operated 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. 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
Crematory on site
PFDA
Business Forward 2014
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 81 years. We’re grateful for this wonderful 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 would love the opportunity to work for you.
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Inside: Bike riding in Happy Valley • College of Arts & Architecture celebrates 50th anniversary
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All Wright! Penn State senior and Bald Eagle Area alum Quentin Wright wins his second national title at the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships, and clinches the Nittany Lions’ third consecutive national championship
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Opening
Movements
Nittany Valley Symphony ’s Ann Keller Young Soloist Competition has helped launch many musical careers, and this season’s winner, Juliette Greer, hopes to be the latest Well, Happy Valley is, thanks to the growth of stand-up comedy in the region, including the Penn State group Second Floor Stand Up
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Well, Happy Valley is, especially in the winter, thanks to the growth of stand-up comedy in the region
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Darren Weimert (4)
By Jenna Spinelle
Andrew Oreskovich is president of Second Floor Stand Up, a student organization at Penn State devoted to stand-up comedy.
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Everyone needs a laugh sometimes — especially during the heart of winter in Central Pennsylvania. With numerous plays, concerts, and other performing arts events happening across the region, stand-up comedy might not always be on top of the list to those looking for entertainment options. However, State College has a small but active comedy scene that has produced comedians who are making names for themselves. HHH The Wisecrackers Comedy Club has been bringing comics from across the United States to State College since 2001. The club was started by brothers Tom and Scott Bruce, State College natives who drew from their own interest in comedy and the lack of options for seeing stand-up in the area. Scott Bruce lives in New York City and manages Wisecrackers clubs in Allentown and the Poconos. Tom lives in State College and runs things locally. The State College Wisecrackers started at the Ramada Conference Center on South Atherton Street and expanded to Celebration Hall in 2012. It began its 2014 season January 10. Friday shows are at Celebration Hall with Saturday performances at the Ramada Conference Center as well as Celebration Hall. “We capture a comedy-club atmosphere, and that comes from experience and knowing how to create a comedy-club atmosphere whether it’s a hotel ballroom or a real live club,” Tom says. “We imitate a comedy-club setting with close seating, correct lighting and music, and a bar with waiters and waitresses.” Each show features three comics — a headliner who performs for 45 minutes, a feature who performs for 30 minutes, and an emcee who performs for 15 minutes. Most of the comics come from the New York City area, although local acts are booked when possible. When booking shows, Tom says he tries to find comics who will appeal to a wide audience. “We like to call our shows ‘PG-15,’ ” he says. “The comedy is managed in such a way that we do not bring in over-the-top crude and rude and vulgar comics.” Even after years of experience working with
Comedian Tina Giorgi headlines the Wisecracker shows March 28-29.
comedians, Tom is quick to point out that he is not a comic. “I introduce every show and play the straight man,” he says. “Doing that for so many years that my wife starts shaking her head in the audience when she hears me do the same material. I have a day job and don’t have the desire to do comedy full-time.” Many Wisecrackers shows also serve as fundraisers for local nonprofit organizations. Groups receive a portion of the revenue for tickets they sell without needing to purchase any tickets in advance. Tom says the fundraisers are a good way to bring new faces into Wisecrackers and help organizations raise money quickly and easily. The Central Pennsylvania chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will hold its second fundraiser at Wisecrackers February 8. Alisa Martin, the group’s treasurer, says the chapter was drawn to Wisecrackers
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fundraising because it did not require any upfront payment and many of the chapter’s members were already familiar with the club. “When we were looking into it last year, I talked to a lot of people that had been to the shows already and enjoyed them,” she says. “It’s a nice opportunity to go out, and we had a wide array of folks from survivors of suicide to people who have lost someone to suicide to mental-health professionals.” The group hopes to sell 200 tickets this year after selling 162 last year. If they meet that goal, it will earn them $1,200 that they will use to fund events such as the Suicide Prevention Week and screenings of the documentary Toward Daylight. While the idea of comedy and suicide might not appear to go hand-in-hand, Martin says the two are actually more closely related than one would think. The environment created at Wisecrackers resembles the one the chapter tries to create among members. “People grieve and deal with losses in different ways, but our goal is to create an
Tom Bruce started Wisecrackers in State College with his brother, Scott, in 2001.
environment where people can laugh again — and know it’s okay to laugh again,” she says. Wisecrackers currently runs from January through April. With the popularity of fundraising nights and limited comedy offerings in the area, Tom Bruce has been asked about making the club a year-round thing — something he’s not quite ready to do. “By doing it the way we’re doing it we keep the area really hungry for us — and can’t wait for us to come back every year. It’s working,” he says. He would, however, like to see Wisecrackers partner with a larger venue such as the State Theatre or Bryce Jordan Center to bring in some more well-known comics while keeping ticket prices affordable. “We said when we started this that we could get into bigger and bigger acts once we establish ourselves,” he says. “We have reached a point where we can bring in bigger acts, but we need a bigger venue.” HHH While Wisecrackers is bringing comics to State College, a club at Penn State is giving students an outlet to share their own comedy and prepare to launch their own stand-up careers. Brandon Scott Wolf founded Second Floor Stand Up in 2009 as a group of friends performing stand-up in his apartment. It became an officially recognized student organization in 2010, and the group now presents biweekly performances on Fridays in the Carnegie Cinema on campus. “I was 19 or 20 and calling different bars downtown trying to find places to perform,” Wolf says. “They had open mics for music and things like that but nothing for stand-up or people under 21.” The group took off and caught the attention of TV network TBS and its National College Comedy Competition. Penn State’s team won the competition in 2011, and the school was named the “funniest campus in America.” In addition, Wolf was named MVP of the competition that year, which earned him the opportunity to perform on Lopez Tonight and at the Just for Laughs comedy festival. “A lot of people found it really interesting
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Russell Jordan Poole, a senior at Penn State and a member of Second Floor Stand Up, plans to continue his comedy career after graduating.
that we won, considering that State College is not exactly a hotbed for comedy like New York or Chicago,” Wolf says. Wolf moved to New York after graduating from Penn State and now performs with comedy troupe the Upright Citizens Brigade and works as a contributor to “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live and CollegeHumor Media, which is an online entertainment company targeting 18-to-49-year-olds. He says the experience he had performing at Penn State prepared him for performing in New York by giving
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him an opportunity to refine his material in a more low-pressure environment. He also credits Phroth, Penn State’s humor magazine, with helping to hone his comedy writing skills. He hopes to one day work as a televisionshow writer and perform stand-up across the country. Penn State senior Russell Jordan Poole is following in Wolf’s footsteps on the path to the Big Apple. Poole grew up in State College and spent last summer in New York interning with Upright Citizens Brigade and doing stand-up at comedy clubs around the city. He recalls hearing stand-up for the first time on a car trip with his parents when he was 8 years old. The recording was of Brian Reagan, whom Bloom still cites as an influence along with comedians such as Louis C.K. and Pete Holmes. Poole served as an opener and emcee at Wisecrackers during his time at State High, and joined Second Floor Stand Up when he started attending Penn State. “My material got a lot better once I joined up with Second Floor,” he says. “It’s great to
have an environment where we could critique each other.” Even with all that preparation, he was surprised at how different performing standup in New York is than performing in State College. “Here you mostly get college students and it’s mixed up in cities … it’s just a different experience,” he says. “I learned to keep my jokes short. If you don’t have a punch line every 30 seconds or so the jokes just get too wordy and the audience starts to get bored.” Poole will graduate from Penn State in May with a degree in theater. He plans to move back to New York this summer to continue his comedy career. From a small group in Wolf’s apartment, Second Floor Stand Up has grown to about 30 active members, according to group president Andrew Oreskovich. The club meets Tuesday nights during the fall and spring semesters in Carnegie Building. Oreskovich describes those meetings as part business and open mic for members to test out their material in advance of their
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performances on Friday nights. Oreskovich, a senior majoring in chemical engineering, recalls his first time performing at one of those Tuesday meetings. “The feeling of bombing hits you pretty quick,” he says. “You realize that just because your friends think you’re funny or you’ve watched a lot of stand-up on TV doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be funny in front of an audience.” As a result, he says all of the material performed in front of an audience has been worked on and critiqued for at least a few weeks prior. At meetings is a large chalkboard where students can brainstorm ideas and provide feedback on each other’s material. The group’s performances at Carnegie Cinema, located in 113 Carnegie Building on campus, are free and open to the public. Second Floor also performs at Late Night Penn State and other events sponsored by the university’s Student Programming Association. They also were invited in the fall to a regular open mic on Wednesday nights at Kildare’s
Love ,
and
Irish Pub. Oreskovich says the group is talking with other bars downtown about setting up other open mic nights for comedy. Unlike Wolf and Poole, Oreskovich does not plan on turning comedy into a career. He has accepted a job with Solvay Chemical and says his experience with Second Floor helped him in the interview process. “It was nice to have something completely unrelated to my major to talk about during interviews,” he says. “Doing comedy has definitely given me confidence, and helped me shatter stereotypes people have about engineers.” T&G For more information about Wisecrackers Comedy Club, visit wisecrackers.biz. For more information about Second Floor Stand Up, visit facebook.com/secondfloorstandup. Jenna Spinelle is a freelance writer in State College. She works in Penn State’s Undergraduate Admissions Office and is an adjunct lecturer in the College of Communications.
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ThisMonth on A WEEKEND SAMPLING OF OUR BEST February 7–9
P E N N S TAT E P U B L I C M E D I A
For additional program information visit wpsu.org
Join us this weekend as we revisit some of our most popular television programming from the past year. We promise a weekend filled with the best music from your favorite artists, as well as an interesting mix of self-help and other topics. The very best in public television is available for your enjoyment because of your support! During this special fundraising weekend, make your gift to public broadcasting by calling 1-800-245-9779, or by contributing online at wpsu.org/contribute. And, thanks for your support!
DOC MARTIN Thursday, February 6, at 9 p.m.
Martin Clunes reprises his role as Dr. Martin Ellingham, the G.P. with a brusque bedside manner and a phobia of blood, in eight new episodes. The sixth season of the enormously successful drama premieres Thursday, Feb. 6, at 9 p.m. with repeat airings on Saturday nights at midnight.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH February on WPSU-TV
In honor of Black History Month, WPSUTV will feature new specials providing an in-depth look at people and events that shaped black and American history. Mississippi Remixed examines the history and current state of race relations in Mississippi. The Civic Life of Nathaniel Colley highlights the career of one of Sacramento’s earliest African-American lawyers. Meet Me At Equality: The People’s March on Washington discusses the historic civil rights march in 1963. Check listings for program details.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DR. SEUSS! Week of February 24
In honor of Dr. Seuss’s 110th birthday, PBS Kids will celebrate with The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! Week from Feb. 24 to Feb. 28. The week includes a special episode, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That: Dr. Seuss’ Birthday. Kids can also take part in NEA’s “Read Across America Day” on March 3.
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Penn State University Archives (2)
penn state diary
Isolated No More Once a difficult place to get to, the school and region are now easily accessible by road and air By Lee Stout
Getting to State College and Penn State is quite a story. We heard former Indiana men’s basketball coach Bobby Knight call it “a camping trip” when Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1990. Back before World War I, President Edwin E. Sparks said we were “equally inaccessible from all parts of Pennsylvania.” If you went back as far as the 1860s, you’d be taking the Pennsylvania Railroad to Spruce Creek on the mainline — the closest station then — and making the rest of the 21-mile journey by stagecoach. In any case, to borrow a Cornell quip, we’re centrally isolated in the middle of Pennsylvania. It is said that the board of trustees chose this place for the Farmers’ High School, in part, to keep the boys away from the evils of the city, and they certainly succeeded. In 1855, when the site for the campus was chosen, the small inn and few houses around the corner of today’s College Avenue and Allen Street were part of Harris Township and would barely constitute a hamlet. Through most of Penn State’s nineteenth-century history, the train was the primary way of traveling here. Many people are familiar with the Bellefonte Central Railroad, which brought passengers right onto campus from Bellefonte starting in 1887. The hour-long trip along Buffalo Run valley, ending where Hammond Building stands today, connected passengers with the Pennsylvania Railroad. From Bellefonte, trains would head to Milesburg and Tyrone and the west. Eastbound travelers left Bellefonte and wound around Mount Nittany to the station at Lemont and then across Penns Valley, through the Coburn tunnel, on to Lewisburg, where one could connect to trains south to Harrisburg and north to Williamsport and beyond. Service from Lemont on this line was available from 1885, with horse-drawn “hacks” traveling between the
Top, the “Mountain Echo" was the hack used to meet students at the Pennsylvania Railroad station in Lemont and bring them to State College. Above, students test noise levels as US Air commuter turboprop takes off from University Park Airport.
Lemont station and downtown State College. Cars didn’t arrive here until the first decade of the twentieth century, and then the lack of paved roads was a major issue. Long-distance bus service was similarly problematic. Most buses ran more regional and local routes because of the difficulty of long-distance travel by road. The first roads were created by turnpike companies, which sold stock and collected tolls to pay for clearing, grading, and surfacing of the roads. Turnpikes linked Centre County with Lewistown, Clearfield, Huntingdon, Lock Haven, Tyrone, and Sunbury. In 1850, the Boalsburg and Bellefonte Turnpike Company formed and took a road around Mount Nittany through Dales Mills (now Lemont) and on to Axemann, where it followed the Logan Branch into Bellefonte. The primary route from the small village of State College was the Agricultural College and
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Junction Turnpike, which ran approximately three miles along the route of East College Avenue, turning east on Elmwood Street, to meet the Boalsburg and Bellefonte Turnpike at, appropriately, Pike Street in Lemont. Turnpikes lasted until the first decade of the twentieth century, when the state took over the remaining 722 miles of such routes and created the Pennsylvania Highway Department to begin building a system of paved highways to accommodate automobiles, trucks, and buses, which gradually replaced trains and horse-drawn carriages in our area. In the 1930s, today’s US Route 322, originally dubbed “the Lakes to the Sea Highway” since it ran from Cleveland to Atlantic City, arrived in State College. Interstate Route 80 — the “Keystone Shortway” — was opened in 1970, and Interstate 99 more recently, giving automobile, truck, and bus traffic the most effective travel routes possible. Only the Potters Mills-Boalsburg two-lane gap remains to be transformed to make Route 322 between Harrisburg and State College a fully interstate-quality highway. Air travel continues to expand with daily flights to Chicago just recently added. It was not always so. A State College air depot was planned along West College Avenue in the 1950s by local air pioneer Sherm Lutz, but the developing State College residential neighborhoods soon surrounded it. Mid-State Airport, at Black Moshanon near Philipsburg, provided commercial service via Allegheny Airlines from 1953 to 1978, when commuter services shifted to the University Park Airport. While economic development of the county on the Allegheny Plateau was likely impacted, the nerve-wracking drives up onto the mountaintop from State College, and frequent plane delays due to fog and bad weather were replaced by ever-increasing service, now from three airlines, at University Park. Today, the isolation is more imagined than real. We’re within easy driving distance of the Middle Atlantic states’ major metropolitan areas, and airplane travel connections can take us all over the world. We are no longer inaccessible — from anywhere. T&G
Lee Stout is Librarian Emeritus, Special Collections for Penn State.
Get to know...
Daniel Perkins: Supporting Military Families During graduate school, Daniel Perkins taught statistics and research methods to officers at Kadena Air Base in Japan. Impressed with the military, he then tried to join up but, at age 28, was turned down. Now, he’s helping the defense effort in a different way, as director of the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (www.militaryfamilies.psu.edu). “We found that military members were not able to do their job if they were too worried about their family back home,” says Perkins, who helped launch the Clearinghouse three years ago as a professor of family and youth resiliency and policy in the College of Agriculture. “It’s about building skills within families so they can deal with the added stress of a partner or spouse going off in harm’s way.” A Penn State and Michigan State alumnus, Perkins says that, although no major military installations are located near University Park, Pennsylvania has one of the country’s largest National Guard contingents. Plus, he notes, Penn State is a leader in translational research — applying basic research findings in evidence-based programs. The Clearinghouse has reviewed programs on topics ranging from alcohol abuse to parenting, thanks to funding from the Department of Defense, all four armed services, and the National Institutes of Health. “Today, more than half of military members are married with children,” Perkins says. “We’re preparing the family to be successful and resilient so the military member can come back safely.” The Penn State Bookstore thanks Daniel Perkins 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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events
Rockin’
the Classics Husband-and-wife duo puts a new twist on classical music and violin playing
Contributed photo
By David Pencek
or chances, and that’s what the Minnichs like to do with classical music and violin playing. The two Ohio natives, who married in July 2012, are each working toward a master’s degree at Penn State — Mark in performance and Sally in music education, which will be her second master’s degree. Each also teaches violin locally — Sally being an instructor at the State College Suzuki Program, and both are teaching this spring at the Grier School for girls near Tyrone. The two are members of the Altoona Symphony Orchestra and Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra (Mark was a featured soloist at PCO’s concert in January and Sally will be a featured
Sally Williams Minnich and her husband, Mark, have developed some unique ways to play classical music on their violins.
Mark and Sally Williams Minnich had performed their version of Bach’s Concerto for 2 Violins, or “Bach Double,” many times to perfection. The husband-and-wife duo, known as Revamped, does something quite unique during their performance of the piece. Toward the end, the two stand facing each other. Sally takes her bow and starts playing Mark’s violin while he is still holding it and pressing his fingers on the strings against the fingerboard. He then takes his bow and does the same on Sally’s violin. It’s an impressive “trick” when it works — which it usually does. Only during a performance they had last summer at Seven Mountains Wine Cellars, as they went to put their bows back on their own violins, their bows caught together and they had to stop and untangle them before they could start playing again. Such things can happen when you take risks
soloist at its concert on May 7 in Esber Recital Hall). Since they moved here in 2012, as Revamped, they have performed at various venues and events across the region, including First Night State College and, on February 23, they will perform at the Centre County Library and Historical Museum in Bellefonte as part of the Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association’s Sunday Afternoons at the Library concert series. Ever since the two began performing together while they were both attending Bowling Green State University, they have looked to do different things that one doesn’t normally associate with violin playing. “I had the idea, for whatever reason, that I wanted us to trade violins during the performance,” Sally, 24, says. “I thought wouldn’t that be cool to show ‘I can play on your violin and you can play on mine!’ But I didn’t want to stop
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the music to do that. Then I had to think about how can we possibly switch violins yet not stop playing on them.” On their performance of Vittorio Monti’s Csárdás they do just that. About midway through, Sally takes her bow and plays Mark’s violin while he is still holding it. Eventually, she seamlessly takes it from him while he takes her violin and begins playing it. The music never stops. “I’ve seen people play on each other’s violins before but not actually trade or switch without stopping,” Mark, 23, says. Another trick they have perfected comes in the middle of their performance of Paganini’s Caprice No. 24. Sally will end up holding and controlling the fingerboard on each violin — one resting on each shoulder — and Mark will stand behind her with both bows and play both at the same time. But it’s not just how they perform, it’s what they perform that also is unique. Their “set list” includes Bach and Paganini, but also has Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” among other pop and rock tunes. If one even yells “Freebird” at one of their concerts, they can do that too. “It’s tough to break through the mental barrier
that this is something that’s OK,” Mark says of performing rock tunes on violin. “Once you get there, it’s a lot easier.” Sally adds that another challenge to performing the rock songs is that, well, they have two violins, and that’s it. “When you think of rock music you think of bass and you think of drums, and we’re neither of them,” she says. “How we attempt to make ourselves sound like we have bass and drums is the really challenging part. We’ve learned percussive techniques — chopping, tapping — various things that make our instruments sound like percussion instruments. “We’re always on a quest to make ourselves sound like a much larger, much thicker group than we actually are.” Each began playing violin at a young age — Sally when she was 4 and Mark at the “ancient age” of 9. They met each other when they were representing their high schools at an allstate orchestra event in Ohio. At the event, a vendor brought a Stradivarius violin worth $2.5 million to show and for students to actually play. “I played it thinking ‘This is worth $2.5 milMusic and Lyrics by Steven Sondheim Book by James Lapine Directed by Kasey RT Graham
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lion,’ and then I set it down,” Sally says. “This guy came around and was playing really well but really vigorously, and I’m thinking he’s going to break it. That was Mark.” The two would meet again at a violin camp in Pittsburgh and they discovered that they would both be attending Bowling Green. As they began dating there, they also began practicing together and coming up with different ways of performing as a violin duo. They came up with the name Revamped because “nearly all the pieces we play we ‘revamp’ in some way to make them new and our own,” Sally says. When it comes to classical music, taking risks is, in and of itself, a risky proposition. The Minnichs say they have, for the most part, received positive feedback from teachers and audiences. But they do occasionally hear some negative comments about what they’re doing. “People have their hallowed ideas of classical music, and they object to changing that,” Mark says. “We need to connect with audiences. For the past 100 years or so, classical music has been going the other way of disconnecting with the general public … this is, I think, reaching back over that gap.” Sally says their concerts can bring a new audience in to hear classical music.
“Sometimes people who come to our concerts are ones who don’t frequent classical music concerts a lot,” she says. “We’re not just playing music that maybe they’re not familiar with, but we’re playing ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ and that’s from their childhood. It’s a nice bridge for people who don’t listen to classical music, and they enjoy those pieces, and then we play classical music as well and it kind of draws them in a bit.” The two say they would eventually like to record another CD — they recorded a Christmas one in 2009. They’d also like to experiment with loop pedals and more electronics. Whether through new techniques, the use of electronics, or additional tricks, Mark says he and Sally are just looking for ways to expand what they can do as a duo. “I’m 95 percent sure we’re the only people who do some of these things,” Sally says, “partly because we’re the only people insane enough to come up with them and invest that much time on them.” T&G Revamped will perform at 2:30 p.m. February 23 at Centre County Library and Historical Museum in Bellefonte. For more information, visit www.bellefontearts.org or www.revampedduo.com.
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Coming to Bryce Jordan Center
FEBRUARY 2 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Purdue 11:30 a.m. 6 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Iowa 6 p.m. 9 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Illinois 4:15 p.m.
Surveying Judy Chicago: Five Decades Continuing through May 11, 2014
FREE ADMISSION Museum Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m. Closed Mondays and some holidays For more information, please call 814-865-7672. Surveying Judy Chicago: Five Decades was organized by the museum in partnership with A.R.T. Corp. Above: Judy Chicago, Hitch Your Wagon to a Star, from Resolutions: A Stitch in Time, 2000, painting, appliqué, embroidery, and quilting. Needlework by Jacquelyn Moore Alexander, Jane Thompson, Pat Rudy-Baese, and Mary Ewanoski. © Judy Chicago. Photo © Donald Woodman. The Palmer Museum of Art receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
13 Kanye West 7:30 p.m. 15 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Iowa 1 p.m. 16 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Wisconsin 1 p.m. 20 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Northwestern 7 p.m. 21-23 THON 6 p.m. Fri.-4 p.m. Sun. 27 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Ohio State 7 p.m. 28 The Sing-Off Live Tour 7:30 p.m.
February
what’s happening
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Groundhog Day.
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The Penn State wrestling team hosts national power Oklahoma State.
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ClearWater Conservancy holds its annual For the Love of Art and Chocolate at the Ramada Conference Center.
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Penn State’s men’s basketball team takes on Illinois in its annual Coaches vs. Cancer game.
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THON weekend begins as dancers get up — and stay up until Feb. 23
Penn State Centre Stage opens its production of Into the Woods at the Pavilion Theatre.
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The Broadway hit and Disney classic Beauty and the Beast visits Eisenhower Auditorium for shows Feb. 25-26.
Steve Earle returns to the State Theatre for an 8 p.m. show.
Announcements of general interest to residents of the State College area may be mailed to Town&Gown, 403 S. Allen St., State College, PA 16801; faxed to (814) 238-3415; or e-mailed to dpenc@barashmedia.com. Photos are welcome. 89 - Town&Gown February 2014
Children & Families
Classes & Lectures
1 – Summer Youth Fair, Mount Nittany Middle School, S.C., 10 a.m. 1, 8, 15 – World Stories Alive, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 11 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 2 – For the Love of Reading, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 2 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 3, 4, 10, 11 – Baby & Me Storytime, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 9:30 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 3, 10 – Tales for Two, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 10:30 a.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 – 3s, 4s, 5s Storytime, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 9:30 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 5, 12, 19 – Tuning into Kids, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., noon, www.schlowlibrary.org. 5, 12, 19, 26 – Baby Explorers, Discovery Space of Central PA, S.C., 10:30 a.m., www.mydiscoveryspace.org. 8 – Countdown to Kindergarten, Nittany Mall, S.C., 10 a.m. 8 – Valentines in Nature, Millbrook Marsh Nature Center, S.C., 10:30 a.m., www.crpr.org. 9 – Go for the Gold with SPSEA, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 2 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 15 – Saturday Story Time, Discovery Space, S.C., 3 p.m., www.mydiscoveryspace.org. 15 – Adam Swartz Puppet Shows present My Unbelievable Aquatic Adventure, Millbrook Marsh Nature Center, S.C., 3:30 p.m., www.crpr.org. 16 – Block Party, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 2 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 16, 23, 30 – Science Adventures, Discovery Space of Central PA, S.C., 11 a.m., www.mydiscoveryspace.org. 16, 23, 30 – Story Time, Discovery Space of Central PA, S.C., 10:30 a.m., www.mydiscoveryspace.org. 17 – Discovery Days, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 11 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 22 – Good Humor Day, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 11 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.
4 – Penn State Forum Series: “50th Anniversary of the Freedom Riders” by Bob Zellner, Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, S.C., 11:30 a.m., pennstateforum.psu.edu. 4, 18 – “A Joint Venture,” a free class on hip and knee replacements, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 11 a.m. Feb. 4, 7 p.m. Feb. 18, 278-4810. 6 – “The History of the Farmland Preservation Artists” by Susan Nicholas Gephart and Kim Gates Flick, Village of Penn State, S.C., 3 p.m., farmlandpreservationartists.org. 7 – Interdisciplinary Lecture Series: “Memory as Song, Song as Memory” by Jurgen Thym, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 4 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu. 10, 24 – Life with Diabetes, Mount Nittany Health Diabetes Network, S.C., 12:30 p.m., 231-7194. 14 – Gallery Conversations: “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who’s the Finest of Them All: D(Evaluation) of Black Female Beauty” by Wanda Knight, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu. 15 – Introduction to the Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 2 p.m., fertility. appreciation@gmail.com. 18 – Penn State Forum Series: “Women in the Blues” by Teeny Tucker, Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, S.C., 11:30 a.m., pennstateforum.psu.edu. 18 – “A Sense of Place” by Julian Stair, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 4:30 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.
Club Events 3, 7 – Knitting Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 6:30 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 4, 11, 18, 25 – State College Rotary Club, Nittany Lion Inn, S.C., 5:30 p.m., statecollegerotary.org. 5, 12, 19, 26 – State College Sunrise Rotary Club mtg., Hotel State College, S.C., 7:15 a.m., kfragola@psualum.com. 5, 19 – Outreach Toastmasters Meeting, The 329 Bldg. Room 413, PSU, noon, kbs131@psu.edu. 6 – 148th PA Volunteer Infantry Civil War Reenactment Group mtg., Hoss’s Steak and Sea House, S.C., 7:30 p.m., 861-0770.
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6, 13, 20, 27 – State College Downtown Rotary mtg., Damon’s Grill & Sports Bar, S.C., noon, http://centrecounty.org/rotary/club/. 6, 20 – State College Toastmaster’s Club, South Hills School of Business and Technology, S.C., 6 p.m., wwwstatecollege toastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org. 11 – Women’s Mid Day Connection Luncheon, Mountain View Country Club, Boalsburg, 11:45 a.m., 355-7615. 12 – Women’s Welcome Club of State College, Oakwood Presbyterian Church, S.C., 7 p.m., www.womenswelcomeclub.org. 18 – Coffee/Tea with Women’s Welcome Club of State College, Oakwood Presbyterian Church, S.C., 9:30 a.m., www.womenswelcomeclub.org. 26 – State College Bird Club, Foxdale Village, S.C., 7 p.m., www.scbirdcl.org. 26 – Applique Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 7 p.m., 237-0167.
Community Associations & Development 13 – Centre County TRIAD meeting: 911 Facilities Tour, Willowbank Building, Bellefonte, 10 a.m., 238-2524.
13 – CBICC Business After Hours hosted by Phoenix Rehabilitation & Health Services, 5:30 p.m., www.cbicc.org. 18 – Spring Creek Watershed Association mtg., Patton Township Municipal Building, 7:30 a.m., www.springcreekwatershed.org. 26 – CBICC’s Chamber Seminar: “How Will the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Affect Small Employers in 2014,” Celebration Hall, S.C., 8:30 a.m., www.cbicc.org. 27 – CBICC Business After Hours hosted by Traditions of America at Liberty Hill, 5:30 p.m., www.cbicc.org.
Exhibits Ongoing-March 2 – On the Wild Side, HUB Gallery, PSU, studentaffairs.psu. edu/hub/artgalleries. Ongoing-May 4 – British Watercolors from the Permanent 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-May 11 – Forging Alliances, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.
BuyHereLiveHere.com 91 - Town&Gown February 2014
Ongoing-May 11 – Surveying Judy Chicago: Five Decades, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon4 p.m. Sun., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu. 1-March 30 – Japanese Prints, Bellefonte Art Museum of Centre County, Bellefonte, 1-4 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 1-4:30 p.m. Sun., www.bellefontemuseum.org. 1-March 31 – Preserving the Past for the Future, Village of Penn State, S.C., farmlandpreservationartists.org. 28 – Paper Views: Paper Tigress: Graphic Images of Female Power, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.
Health Care For schedule of blood drives visit www.cccredcross.org or www.givelife.org. 3 – Breast Cancer Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 5:30 p.m., 231-7005. 3 – Cancer Caregiver Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 10:30 a.m., www.cancersurvive.org. 6 – Children and Families with Type 1 Diabetes Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 6:30 p.m., 777-4664. 7, 11 – Alzheimer’s/Dementia Support Group, Mount Nittany Dining Room at the Inn at Brookline, S.C., 1 p.m. Fri., 6:30 p.m. Tues., 234-3141. 9 – The Ostomy Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 2 p.m., 234-6195. 12 – The Fertility Issues and Loss Support Group, Choices (2214 N. Atherton St.), S.C., 6:30 p.m., www.heartofcpa.org. 12 – The Diabetes Support Group, Centre Region Senior Center, S.C., 10:15 a.m., 231-7095. 13 – The Diabetes Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 6 p.m., 231-3076. 17 – Cancer Survivor Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 11:30 a.m., www.cancersurvive.org. 18 – Multiple Sclerosis Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Outpatient Entrance, Pleasant Gap, 6 p.m., 359-3421. 20 – Better Breathers Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 2 p.m., 359-3421. 20 – 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. 24 – Heart Failure Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 4 p.m., 359-3421.
25 – Stroke Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 4 p.m., 359-3421.
Music 6 – Vienna Concert-Verein Orchestra, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu. 8 – Acoustic Brew Concert Series: Verlon Thompson, Center for Well Being, Lemont, 7:30 p.m., www.acousticbrew.org. 8 – Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra presents “Bach in the Round,” Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church, S.C., 7:30 p.m., www.centreorchestra.org.s 13 – Kanye West, BJC, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.bjc.psu.edu. 15 – An Evening with Sutton Foster, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu. 16 – Saxophonist David Stambler, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County, 3 p.m., 237-7605 or www.uufcc.com. 16 – State College Area Municipal Band: Valentine’s Day Concert, State High South Auditorium, S.C., 3 p.m. 16 – JJ Grey and Mofro, State Theatre, S.C., 7 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 19 – The Art of Music: “Songs By, For, and About Women,” Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu. 21 – Brentano String Quartet, Schwab Auditorium, S.C., 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu. 21 – Rusted Root, State Theatre, S.C., 8 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 22 – Nittany Valley Symphony presents “Land of Hope and Glory,” Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, www.nvs.org. 27 – Steve Earle, State Theatre, S.C., 8 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 28 – The Sing-Off Live Tour!, BJC, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.bjc.psu.edu.
Special Events 1 – WPSU’s Connoisseur’s Dinner & Auction, Nittany Lion Inn, S.C., 6 p.m., wpsu.org. 1, 8, 15, 22 – Millheim Farmers’ Market, Old Gregg School Farmers’ Market, Spring Mills, 10 a.m., www.centralpafarmers.com. 3 – Mount Nittany Health’s Pink Out Day, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., noon, www.mountnittany.org. 4, 11, 18, 25 – Boalsburg Farmers’ Market, St. John’s United Church of Christ, Boalsburg, 2 p.m., www.boalsburgfarmers market.com.
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7 – ClearWater Conservancy’s For the Love of Art and Chocolate, Ramada Conference Center, S.C., 7 p.m., www.clearwaterconservancy.org. 7, 14, 21, 28 – State College Winter VILMA/AMY/JOHN&CREW: THIS IS Farmers’ Market, COPYState FOR College Municipal Building, 11:30AD a.m., FEB’14 REDS.C., CROSS – www.statecollegewinterfarmers.com. 15 – For the Love of Fiber 2014, General PLEASE MAKE IT Mills, LOOK10LIKE Potters Farm, Spring a.m., THIS. IF IT DOESN’T FIT VERTICALLY www.centrecountyknittersguild.com. OR 15 – Mount Nittany Health EMAIL CharityWITT Ball,– HORIZONTALLY, PLEASE Penn Stater Center HE Conference WILL MAKE IT FITHotel, S.C., 6 p.m., 234-6777. 15 – Wine & Chocolate, Mount Nittany Winery, Centre Hall, noon, www.mtnittanywinery.com. -pt XTRA SPACE 16 –2SpikesFest 2014,BETWEEN Multi-SportGAL Facility, GROUPS AS SHOWN (N/A) PSU, 11 a.m., www.statecollegespikes.com. 18 – Project Serve: Literacy and Children’s Needs in the Centre Region, Faith United Church of Christ, S.C., noon, www.faithucc.info. 2014-02 FEB Red Cross 21-23 – THON, BJC, PSU, 6 p.m., www.thon.org.
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1 GALLON: Kristi Armstrong, Emily Bacheler, Mickey Bellet, Brianna Ciesielski, Walter Cottrell, Ryan Cowan, Rebecca Dooling, Grant Dowell, Jessica Gee, Robert Gelb, Elise Gruber, Wilson Ha, Kelly Head, Jason Hirschfeld, Brian Johnson, Taylor Kilpatrick, Kirsten Knauer, Kelci Knepp, Kory Kohr, Alexander Kowaleski, Debra Lambert, Whitney Lee, Juliet Moen, Benjamin Munschy, Goeffrey Paxon, Trista Rappert-McGetrick, Emily Reddy, Brooke Ricker, Brandi Rodgers, Marianna Saucier, Christine Seklecki, Christine Siluk, Samuel Silverberg, Natalie Smith, Eric Smith, Sanford Smith, Gabriella Spero, Amy Stover, Brian Swedberg, Gina Valerio THIS AD IS SPONSORED BY
650 N Science Park Rd
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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/Kentucky, women’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 10 a.m. 1 – PSU/St. Bonaventure/Towson, men’s & women’s swimming, McCoy Natatorium, PSU, 1 p.m. 1 – PSU/RIT, women’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, 2 p.m. 1 – PSU/St. Francis, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 8 p.m. 1 – PSU National Day, track & field, MultiSport Facility, PSU, all day. 2 – PSU/Virginia Tech, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 11 a.m. 2 – PSU/Purdue, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 11:30 a.m. 2 – PSU/Cleveland State, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 5 p.m. 5 – PSU/Ohio State, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m. 6 – PSU/Iowa, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 6 p.m.
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7 – PSU/Erskine, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m. 7-8 – PSU/Michigan, men’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, 7 p.m. Fri., 5 p.m. Sat. 7-8 – Sykes & Sabock Challenge Cup Day, track & field, Multi-Sport Facitlity, PSU, all day. 8 – PSU/UMBC, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 11 a.m. 8 – PSU/Michigan, men’s lacrosse, Holuba Hall, PSU, 1 p.m. 8 – PSU/Temple, men’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 4 p.m. 8 – PSU/Nebraska, women’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 4 p.m. 8 – PSU/Bucknell, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 5 p.m. 8 – PSU/Pfeiffer, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m. 8-9 – PSU/Lindenwood, women’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, noon. 9 – PSU/Binghamton, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 11 a.m. 9 – PSU/Illinois, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 4:15 p.m. 9 – PSU/Lehigh, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 5 p.m. 14 – PSU/Marshall, women’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 6 p.m. 14 – PSU/NJIT, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m. 14-15 – PSU/Michigan State, men’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, 6:30 p.m. Fri., 3:30 p.m. Sat. 15 – PSU/Iowa, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 1 p.m. 15 – PSU/Loyola, men’s lacrosse, Holuba Hall, PSU, 1 p.m. 15 – PSU/Illinois, men’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 4 p.m. 15 – PSU/Rutgers-Newark, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 4 p.m. 15 – PSU/Illinois, women’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 4 p.m. 15-16 – PSU/Mercyhurst, women’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, 8 p.m. Sat., 1 p.m. Sun. 16 – PSU/Penn, women’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 11 a.m. 16 – PSU/Penn, women’s lacrosse, Holuba Hall, PSU, noon. 16 – PSU/Wisconsin, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 1 p.m. 16 – PSU/Oklahoma State, wrestling, Rec Hall, PSU, 2 p.m. 20 – PSU/Northwestern, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m.
21 – PSU/Sacred Heart, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m. 22 – PSU/Penn, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 11 a.m. 22 – PSU/Maryland, women’s lacrosse, Holuba Hall, PSU, 3 p.m. 22 – PSU/Harvard, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m. 23 – PSU/Clarion, wrestling, Rec Hall, PSU, 2 p.m. 25 – PSU/Ohio State, women’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 4 p.m. 25 – PSU/Duquesne, women’s lacrosse, Holuba Hall, PSU, 7 p.m. 27 – PSU/Ohio State, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m. 28 – PSU/Bridgeport, Western Michigan/ Yale, women’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.
Theater 1 – Mark Twain: Life Stories and Other Lies, State Theatre, S.C., 2 & 7:30 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 4 – Compagnie Kafig, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu. 5 – The Art of Poetry: “Monster Magnificent: Writing the Old Encounter" by Jen Hirt, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu. 6-9 – Fuse Productions presents Annie, State Theatre, S.C., 7:30 p.m. Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat., 3 p.m. Sun., www.thestatetheatre.org. 12-15 – Cultural Conversations presents The Right to Remain Violent: Gun Control F/or a New Civilization, Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, S.C., 7:30 p.m., www.culturalconversations.psu.edu. 14-16 – Mount Nittany Middle School Drama Club presents Cinderella, Mount Nittany Middle School, S.C., 7:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., mnmscinderella@gmail.com. 18-March 1 – Penn State Centre Stage presents Into the Woods, Pavilion Theatre, PSU, 7:30 p.m. (2 p.m. matinees February 22 & March 1), theatre.psu.edu. 22 – Metropolitan Opera Live in HD presents Dvorak’s Rusalka, State Theatre, S.C., 1 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 24 – Betsy, State Theatre, S.C., 7 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 25-26 – Beauty and the Beast, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu. 28-March 2 – National Theatre Live presents War Horse, State Theatre, S.C., 7 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 3 p.m. Sun., www.thestatetheatre.org. T&G
94 - Town&Gown February 2014
Come Home to The State www.thestatetheatre.org • (814) 272-0606 130 W. College Ave. • Downtown State College Mark Twain: Life Stories & Other Lies Starring Frank Wilson In The Attic Saturday, February 1 | 2p & 7:30p $15 ($2 ticketing fee) The Big Lebowski Saturday, February 1 | 7:30p & 10p $5 ($1 ticketing fee)
The State Theatre’s FUSE Productions Presents: Annie February 6-9 JJ Grey and Mofro Sunday, February 16 | 7p $30 Gold Circle & $25 Orchestra & Balcony ($3 ticketing fee)
Casablanca Friday, February 14 | 4p & 7:30p $5 (plus $1 ticketing fee)
Science Pub: “Finger-picking for Penguins” with Richard Alley Co-Sponsored by Discovery Space in The Attic Friday, February 21 | 7p $5 ($1 ticketing fee) Rusted Root Friday, February 21 | 8p Friedman Auditorium $26 ($3 ticketing fee per ticket)
Met Broadcast in HD Rusalka Saturday, February 22 | 1p $12-$22 (ticketing fees)
Contributed photo
on tap
Welcome Additions New local breweries begin serving their beers, grow county’s vibrant beer community By Sam Komlenic
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John Hovenstine
For years, Centre County has garnered the attention of craft-beer lovers as the home of three notable breweries: Otto’s, Gamble Mill, and Elk Creek. With the recent addition of two new beercentric enterprises, we’ve suddenly been cast into the top tier of beer destinations nationwide. Allow me to explain. According to the Brewers Association, an organization dedicated to promoting America’s craft brewers and their products, the most brewery-prolific states when compared to their populaInside Happy Valley Brewing Company, which has tions are Vermont (24,000-plus people per brewseven of its beers currently on tap. ery), Oregon (26,000-plus), and Montana (27,000-plus). Pennsylvania comes up 21st on the list, with nearly 119,000 citizens per brewery. If Centre County were a state (and I know we’re not, but there are no tighter statistics to work with), we’d rank fourth overall. In a county with roughly 155,000 residents and five breweries, we now have a brewery for every 31,000 incredibly lucky people! Nowhere in Pennsylvania, and in very few locales elsewhere, can you find so many options for exploring and enjoying great beer so close to home. Please join me in recognizing those who allowed us to enter such heady territory. Robin Hood Brewing Company is housed at Home D’s BelleHappy Valley Brewing Company, on fonte restaurant. Six of its beers are now being served at both Elmwood Street near Lemont, is the result the Bellefonte restaurant and the State College restaurant. of a partnership that includes local restaurateur bank. A beautiful back bar imported from AtScott Lucchesi and beer aficionado Greg Somers, lanta, Georgia, graces the bar area, which offers who years back cofounded the State College Brew full bar service. Expo. Situated in a sizeable barn that previously Downstairs, where livestock once took nourheld a furniture store, Happy Valley occupies a ishment, is a cozier space featuring a low-ceilinged jewel of a remodeled building. The upstairs is its bar with seating around the perimeter. It offers “loft,” with open beams framing a high ceiling an entirely different feel from the open expanse covered with classical, beer-themed murals, lit by upstairs, providing a more pub-like atmosphere. elegant fixtures that once graced a Philadelphia Each area, however, offers its own view of the
beating heart of the operation, a 15-barrel brewery run by the capable and creative Josh Davies. Formerly with Arcadia Ales in Michigan, Davies moved his family east, and now commands the brewhouse at HVBC. When asked to provide some insight into what attracted him to the brewing profession, and why he enjoys what he does, he says, “When I brew, I am trying to make something special for the people in my community. I want the beer to bring people together. Beer has been that constant thing throughout history that people have gathered around, made important decisions over, fallen in love to, forgotten about their problems with. I love carrying on that tradition.” When asked if he subscribes to a brewing philosophy, he replies coyly, “I do have a brewing philosophy, but it’s kind of a secret. I can,, however, let you in on part of it. Clean,, healthy fermentation, simple recipes, and a balance between Old World traditions and modern brewing practices. Or a balance between the Grateful Dead, bluegrass, and James Brown. However you want to look at it.” Currently, Happy Valley has seven brews flowing, with more on the way. According to Somers, its focus, to some extent, will be on “West Coast” styles, which emphasize the creative use of hops, especially emerging new strains. The beers complement an eclectic menu of food selections ranging from pub grub to entrees. The next entrant in our burgeoning beer scene needs no introduction to its culinary credentials. Home Delivery Pizza has been a fixture in the local restaurant scene for decades and is known for its extensive menu. The State College restaurant on South Atherton Street was recently expanded, and now includes a selection of 52 draft beers, including its own. Along with the revamp came a bit of a name change. Following the lead of countless locals, they’re now known simply as Home D Pizzeria. The Robin Hood Brewing Company, hearkening back to the name of a restaurant that once occupied the same location, is housed at Home D’s Bellefonte restaurant on Zion Road. This addition also required some remodeling, and its 3.5-barrel brewhouse is now visible from the bar and restaurant. In charge at Robin Hood is Chris Schell, who, when asked what his objective was in setting up Home D’s beer selection, replies, “Centre County is full of diverse, approachable, and practical people. Our beer se-
lection reflects that. My goal was to have a beer for every type of beer drinker to enjoy. That in mind, we established a core lineup of colorful, easy-drinking beers for the restaurant, and now we’re getting into the big imperial beers and unique ingredients that craft-beer fans crave!” When I wanted to know more about what makes his beers unique, Schell was effusive. “The secret ingredient is love! From a more functional perspective, I like to make sure my core lineup has at least three perfect menu counterparts at our restaurants. We’re a brewpub, after all!” Food never takes a back seat at Home D. At press time, Home D is pouring six house beers at each location, including a lager, an ambitious style for a startup. Plans are to have as many as 12 on tap, so stay tuned!
Local brewing news
• Z Bar at The Deli restaurant in State College begins another season of its popular “Meet the Brewery” tutored tastings this month. Sessions are held weekly through April (except for spring break), and each week features a different craft brewery pouring rare and unusual beers accompanied by a tapas menu of specially prepared hors d’oeuvres to complement the beers being served. Tickets are required and are available at The Deli’s Web site: www.dantesinc.com. • Seasonal offerings: Elk Creek Café + Ale Works will be pouring Willy’s Wee Heavy on the nitrogen tap — a big, malty, Scottish-style ale perfect for fending off the cold. Its Big Trout Oat Stout will be available in time for St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Gamble Mill is featuring Woolly Bugger, a powerful, hoppy India Pale Ale fermented with Belgian yeast, and it plans to offer its Bellefusionator Dopplebock (strong, malty lager) later this winter. At Otto’s Pub and Brewery you’ll find a dark, robust, yet lighter-bodied Schwarzbier, a German cold-weather specialty. It also is doing a purge of the hops inventory by brewing up Triple D, a hop bomb that builds on the already notorious reputation of its Double D IPA. T&G For more information on Happy Valley Brewing Company, visit www.happyvalleybeer.com. For more information on Home D’s Robin Hood Brewing Company, visit www.homedeliverypizza.net. Sam Komlenic, whose dad worked for a Pennsylvania brewery for 35 years, grew up immersed in the brewing business.
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John Hovenstine (5)
Kaprao Khai Dao from Kamrai Thai & Sushi House
Tasteof the Month 98 - Town&Gown February 2014
Positively Delicious Kamrai offers Thai-Japanese tastes in Lemont
By Vilma Shu Danz In the quiet and quaint village of Lemont, a new restaurant is firing up the taste buds of locals and visitors alike with its authentic Thai dishes and specialty sushi rolls. As you step inside, the calming sound of a water fountain running and the colorful Thai paintings that adorn the walls all help to set a cozy ambiance for an exquisite Thai-Japanese culinary journey. Kamrai Thai & Sushi House, located at 901 Pike Street in Lemont, opened in September 2013, and, true to its name, Kamrai, which in traditional Thai means “prosperity” and “everything is positive,” the restaurant quickly received a lot of accolades. Owners Nikki Jang, Max Ditin, Ken Chai, and his wife, Jasmine Kanja, are all originally from
Thailand, and relocated to this area from Florida. “We were visiting Pittsburgh and drove through this area by accident and were lucky to have found this building for lease,” explains Jang. “We love it here. The people are wonderful in Lemont and it’s just such a beautiful, peaceful setting.” Passionate about serving the most authentic Thai and Japanese cuisine in the area, the owners have made it their mission to source only the best ingredients for each dish. “When people come here, we want them to feel welcome, like they walked into our kitchen,” says Jang. “The Thai food is as authentic as you can get and we don’t skimp on any of the ingredients. Our seafood for our sushi has to be fresh,
Lobster Bomb — lobster tempura, avocado, cucumber, asparagus, sesame, and masago 99 - Town&Gown February 2014
Chicken Pumpkin Curry
or we won’t serve it to our customers.” The 30 different sushi rolls on the menu are carefully selected and artfully made to order by co-owner and sushi chef Ken Chai. “He has been a sushi chef for 10 years and his unique selections of rolls are his own creations based on what he thinks customers want to eat when they crave sushi,” explains Jang. “He is very passionate about his sushi, and each dish is a work of art.” Some of the most popular sushi rolls include the Penn State roll, Sex on the Moon roll, and the Lobster Bomb. On the Thai menu, popular dishes include Pad Thai noodles, different curries from Panang to pumpkin, and the crispy duck. Many diners also have enjoyed the pineapple fried rice, the Bangkok kimchi fried rice, or any of the lunch-box specials from a chicken teriyakishrimp tempura to the chef choice sashmi or sushi combo meal — all served with miso soup or house salad. In addition, there are a number of appetizers such as spring rolls, chicken satay, and the bomb dumplings — a fried chicken and shrimp-stuffed dumpling. Soups to try include the seafood basil, tom yum, and wonton. All dishes can be cooked to your level of spiciness, so alert your server. For more information, visit Kamrai Thai & Sushi House on Facebook or call (814) 777-2298. For a special offer, visit www.townandgown.com. T&G
Owners (from left) Jasmine Kanja, Nikki Jang, and Ken Chai.
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Kobi roll
> Featured Selections < Hours of Operations: Closed Monday Tuesday-Thursday & Sunday: Lunch 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Dinner 5-9 p.m. Friday & Saturday: Lunch 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Dinner 5-10 p.m. Make your reservations now for a Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day special; call (814) 777-2298. Small corking fee, BYOB. Parking on street and around the side of the building with additional parking at the post office after 5 p.m.
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Dining Out Full Course Dining 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 II, 135 S. Allegheny St., Bellefonte, 353-4696. Cozy and charming, yet affordable, Bella II’s specialty is good food! Fresh, classic pasta dishes with homemade sauces, large dinner salads, and in-house, hand-crafted desserts, top the favorites. Plan to try Bella II’s lunch buffet, Tues.-Thurs., featuring pasta, pizza, wraps, and desserts. BYOB welcomed! Take out available. Hours: Sun. 12-9, Tues.-Thurs. 11-9, Fri.-Sat. 11-10, Closed Mondays. AE, D, MC, V. 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. 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. Clem’s Roadside Bar and Grill, 1405 S. Atherton St., 237-7666, www.clemsbarandgrill.com. Chef/owner Greg Mussi combines forces with infamous griller Clem Pantalone to bring you a mix of classic BBQ and other signature dishes featuring local produce and an extensive wine list. Central’s PA’s unique “whiskey bar” and extensive wine list. Happy hours every day from 5 to 7 p.m. State College’s largest outdoor seating area. Groups welcome. Catering and private events available. Daily specials listed on Facebook. Live music. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar.
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. 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. 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. Down Under Steakhouse at Toftrees, One Country Club Lane, 234-8000, www.toftrees.com. A casual restaurant with unique dining featuring hearty appetizers, delicious entrees, fresh sandwiches and salads in a comfortable scenic atmosphere. Outdoor seating available. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar. 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.
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.
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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.
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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. The Greek, 102 E. Clinton Ave., 308-8822, www.thegreekrestaurant.net. The Greek Restaurant is located behind Original Waffle Shop on North Atherton Street. Visit our Greek tavern and enjoy authentic Greek cuisine. Full service, BYOB. D, MC, V. 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., 272-0738. Located next to the State Theatre. Serving authentic Austrian home cooking in Central PA. Ranked #1 Ethnic Restaurant in State College for 7 years in a row. Eat-in, Take-Out, Catering. Gluten-free options available. Bacon-based dessert. Homemade breads, BYO beer or wine all day. Sense of humor required. D, MAC, MC, V. Hi-Way Pizza, 1688 N. Atherton St., 237-0375, HiWayPizza.com. The State College tradition for nearly 50 years, nobody does it better than Hi-Way! Offering more than 29 varieties of hand-spun pizzas made from scratch offer an endless combination of toppings. Its vodka “flaky” crust and red stuffed pizzas are simply a must have. Hi-Way’s menu rounds out with pasta dishes, calzones, grinders, salads, and other Italian specialties. Eat-in, Take-out, or Hi-Way delivery. AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar. India Pavilion, 222 E. Calder Way, 237-3400. Large selection of vegetarian and nonvegetarian dishes from northern India. Lunch buffet offered daily. We offer catering for groups and private parties. AE, D, MC, V. (call ahead.)
We love People, cal Beer & Lo Fo ods!
Salata
Village Salad (Horiatiki)
Freshly cut campari tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green peppers, feta cheese, kalamata olives and our own Greek dressing.
Food & Beer TO GO!
Bottles • Cases • Kegs Growlers • Beer Soap Candy • Mugs Bringing you craft beer & fresh food using local products in a family friendly, casual atmosphere.
2235 N. Atherton St. State College 814.867.6886 www.ottospubandbrewery.com
Mon - Sat: 5pm - 9pm 102 E. Clinton Ave.
(Behind The Original Waffle Shop)
814-308-8822 www.thegreekrestaurant.net
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A DISTINCTIVE ITALIAN EXPERIENCE
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.
Located in the HUB-Robeson Center on-campus
HANDY DELIVERY THE AREA’S ORIGINAL, MOST RELIABLE TAXI CO. SERVING YOU WITH THE LARGEST FLEET & THE ONLY DRUG-TESTED DRIVERS
PUCA 107326
814-355-5555 We accept all major credit cards
www.handydelivery.com Courier Service • Local Deliveries • Mechanics on Duty 106 - Town&Gown February 2014
Mario’s Italian Restaurant, 1272 N. Atherton St., 234-4273, MariosItalianStateCollege.com. Fresh specialty dishes, pasta, sauces, hand-tossed pizzas, and rotisserie wood-grilled chicken all made from scratch are just a few reasons why Mario’s is authentically Italian! At the heart of it all is a specialty wood-fired pizza oven and rotisserie that imparts rustic flavors that can’t be beat! Mario’s loves wine, honored with six consecutive Wine Spectator awards and a wine list of more than 550 Italian selections. Mario’s even pours 12 rotating specialty bottles on its WineStation® state-of-the-art preservation system. Reservations and Walk-Ins welcome. AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar. Otto’s Pub & Brewery, 2235 N. Atherton St., 867-6886, 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.
A true neighborhood hangout highly regarded for its popular and authentic New York-style woodfired pizza and commitment to quality. Awardwinning pizza. and Italian cuisine homemade with only the best and freshest ingredients.
www.faccialuna.com 1229 South Atherton St. • State College • 234-9000
Finally... The wait is over!
Same great place...new great food!
Chef/Owner Greg Mussi and the renowned griller Clem Pantalone have joined forces to bring you some of the best food this side of the Mason Dixon Line! 1405 South Atherton St. State College, PA 16801 www.clemsbarandgrill.com 814-237-7666
Ice Cream Cake for your Valentine?
Meyer Dairy
Store & Ice Cream Parlor
g rin te e Ca bl te la Si i n- va O A
Milk • Ice Cream • Eggs Cheese • Juices Pop's Mexi-Hots • Baked Goods • Sandwiches Ice Cream Cakes & More! Open Daily 8 a.m. - 11 p.m. 2390 S. Atherton St. (814) 237-1849
Check out our web site for all our daily specials. Make your next Valentine’s Day reservations now & every lady gets a rose!
Check out our New 2 for $25 menu.. 1 app and 2 entrees all for $25!
Damon’s Delivers Everyday! Order online at lionmenus.com 1031 East College Ave. 814-237-6300 • damons.com
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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. 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.
Bella 2 is now OPEN! 135 S. Allegheny St., Bellefonte • 353-4696
Good Food Fast Baby’s Burgers & Shakes, 131 South Garner St., 234-4776, www.babysburgers.com. Love poodle skirts, a jukebox playing the oldies, and delicious food cooked to order? Then Baby’s Burgers & Shakes is your kind of restaurant! Bring the entire family and enjoy a “ Whimpy” burger, a Cherry Coke or delicious chocolate shake, and top it off with a “Teeny Weeny Sundae,” in our authentic 1947 Silk City Diner. Check out Baby’s Web site for full menu and daily specials! D, MC, V, MAC, Lion’s Cash. 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.
Bella Sicilia
2782 Earlytown Road, Centre Hall • 364-2176 Dining Room in rear. Both locations closed Mondays
India Pavilion Exotic Indian Cuisine
Now Open 7 Days a Week Lunch Buffet: 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Dinner: 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
222 E. Calder Way 237-3400 www.indiapavilion.net 108 - Town&Gown February 2014
Carry Out Available
Meyer Dairy, 2390 S. Atherton St., 237-1849. A State College Classic! Meyer Dairy is the perfect choice for a quick, homemade lunch with fresh soups and sandwiches or treat yourself to your favorite flavor of 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.westsidestadium barandgrill.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.
Specialty Foods Dolce Vita Desserts, 812 Pike St., Lemont, 470-6046, www.dvdesserts.com. Experience a taste of the sweet life with our specialty cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and more for all occasions. Baked fresh in our quaint Lemont Shop. D, MC, V.
Hoag’s Catering/Celebration Hall, 2280 Commercial Blvd., State College, 238-0824, www.hoagscatering.com. Hoag’s Catering specializes in off-site catering, event rentals, and on-site events at Celebration Hall. We do the work, you use the fork — large and small events. Hogs Galore, 330 Enterprise Dr., Philipsburg, 342-7060, www.hogsgalore.com. Locally raised farmto-table pork producer since 1979. Family owned and operated. Fresh and smoked meats on-site processing. Catering, BBQ restaurant, retail market, and wholesale meats. T&G
Taste of the Month Each month Town&Gown highlights a local place to eat and offers a glimpse into the great dining of our community.
If it’s happening in Happy Valley, it’s in Town&Gown! 109 - Town&Gown February 2014
lunch with mimi
Community Minded Bank executive, CBICC chair looks to help Centre County wherever he can John Hovenstine
In addition to being the senior vice president/area executive of AmeriServ Bank in State College, Ted McDowell volunteers his time to serving the community. H e is t h e c h a i r o f th e board of the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith (right) chats with Ted (CBICC), sits on Centre McDowell at Mario’s Italian Restaurant in State College. County United Way’s munity-service roles, the changes at the CBICC, board of directors and chaired its campaign in and what is needed to bring more business devel2010, and he is the board secretary for Centre opment to the area. Volunteers in Medicine. In 2011, he was awarded Mimi: Well, Ted, we go back awhile. I met the Leon R. Kneebone Award for extraordinary you when you first came to Centre County volunteerism by the United Way. in banking. Was that with Central Counties In his position at AmeriServ Bank, his responBank? sibilities include market management, new-busiTed: Yes, Central Counties Bank. I started ness development, community service, and demy career in Central Philadelphia with Girard livering exceptional customer service. Originally Bank right out of school, and came to Altoona from Port Allegany, McDowell has a bachelor’s in 1979 with Central Counties. I became fadegree in economics from Thiel College. miliar with State College because that bank Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Copwas headquartered here. persmith sat down with him at Mario’s Italian Mimi: But you left the area when? Restaurant in State College to discuss his com-
Presents...
Rustic Italian See our February Feature Menu Online!
HarrisonsMenu.com • 1221 E. College Avenue • 814.237.4422
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Ted: In 1999, I went to Chambersburg and was with a small community bank down there as executive vice president, and then reconnected with this market through AmeriServ. At the time, the CEO of AmeriServ and I had worked at Mellon, so that was our connection. We had always intended to retire here. This was home for us and we were very pleased to have the opportunity to come back. Mimi: Good place to be! I’ve invited you to this lunch because I think you’re a pretty interesting example of leadership who rises to the top and takes on the tough jobs. You did that as chair of the Centre County United Way campaign. When was that? Ted: That was 2010. Mimi: And it was when we were still whirling from places closing and a bad economy. In your mind, what is the most important thing you did in that campaign? Ted: Oh boy, I think one of the most important areas that we tried to concentrate on there was to engage more people, businesses, and volunteers. We tried to get out in front of businesses that we hadn’t contacted before. I believe we strengthened the relationship with Penn State and their campaign. They continue to be separately run campaigns, but in that year, we began to meet together. We began to take the best practices from both sides of the street and began to use those. It was a difficult time with the recession, and it’s still hovering over us with businesses watching every penny they spend. In spite of that, we were fortunate enough to exceed the previous year’s total, but it was a huge volunteer effort. I can’t express enough how pleased I was at the opportunity to work with those great volunteers and the leadership at the office. Mimi: Well, it’s come along, but it still faces interesting challenges in my mind. While on the one hand Centre Gives is an interesting new fundraising activity for Centre Foundation, in my personal opinion that is competition for United Way. How do you feel about that? Ted: Well, there’s no question that technology and the ability to be able to touch people through technology is going to change the way people give. That’s happening across the country. I think agencies like the United Way
have to embrace that. That’s just the way people are going to function. I think that’s a great program. A lot of nonprofits and agencies benefit from that program. It demonstrates to me that the United Way and other organizations like it have to really be out in front of their mission and the ability to reach out to people. Mimi: You are the chair of the Chamber of Business and Industry in Centre County when it is undergoing a huge transformation. In a few words, could you explain what has happened to the focus of the chamber? Ted: Sure. We recognized several years ago that it was important for the chamber to take a look at its mission, history, and services that it was delivering to the community, which had been typically on the economic-development side, a land-based initiative to create jobs. Benner Commerce Park and Penn Eagle Park were under the chamber umbrella. And we quickly realized that that’s a difficult task to undertake in the turn of events in 2008 with the recession and how things grounded to a halt with no business expansion. The park was underway and the interest of land, development, and business expansion diminished immensely. That caused us to rethink being in the land business and made our minds up that we would exit that strategy and become more program oriented, economic development driven toward recruitment, business expansion, and retention in the area — focus on what we’ve done best, which is entrepreneurships and startups. So, that began the negotiations to exit the land in the proper fashion and to continue the original purpose of the plan, which was to sell it to create businesses that brought family-sustaining jobs. And now we’re moving into a new era where we’re developing programs that will work and partner with the business community and the public sector, certainly Penn State, where they can assist us with economic development. It’s a strategy that a lot of our neighbors have employed. Blair County has been doing this for years. Williamsport has done it for years. Under the direction of [president/CEO] Vern Squier, whom we brought on board with his strong economic-development background, we’re now transforming this organization. Mimi: Well, you made your board smaller. What else have you done operationally to
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achieve your goals? Ted: We have decided to reduce the size of the board so we can operate a little more efficiently. We went from about 29 down to 18. We went from meeting every other month to monthly meeting. We created an economic-development division and have populated it with some key committees such as recruitment, business expansion, entrepreneurship, and, for the first time, a municipal-managers committee where we bring together the regional municipal managers of the boroughs. Mimi: Maybe they’ll get a little friendlier toward new business. Ted: It’s tremendous — the interest they have in economic development. Frankly, it’s a result of watching what’s happened around here with major employers leaving over the past 10 to 15 years, a few years ago with Jostens. We need an organization that can protect what we have and hopefully attract some new business that will complement what we have here. And again, grow your own, which is a strong component of what we’ve been doing. But it doesn’t happen without some leadership and without partnering with the public, private sectors, and the university. Mimi: So, you planted a lot of seeds, to use a metaphor. You’ve been fertilizing them. Is there anything in the wind that may happen, that may prove that we’re on our way? Ted: That’s a great question. There isn’t anything that we can point to from the new standpoint of a new business willing to relocate here. But the dialogue that we’re having, again with the public sector to support economic development, that’s where we need some strong support and we see that beginning to develop. The contact and relationship with the university I think can be very tangible in their willingness to partner with economic development. I think that some of the programs that will begin to roll out will demonstrate some of the things you’re looking at. We will have an active involvement in targeting certain companies that have an interest in this area. Mimi: Any hot tips on what we might expect? Ted: I don’t think we’re far enough along that path. We’ve got some great opportunity
with nanotechnology and advanced material research that’s going on. Mimi: Part of what Blair County did is they have a wonderful venture-capital group that has often been the catalyst to what has happened in Blair County. Ted: Venture capital is important. It comes at a particular time when you’ve either identified a startup or nurtured a startup to the point where a venture capitalist will have an interest in that risk. Prior to that, though, you really need to have a funding mechanism, a budget that can do the kind of marketing that’s important. There are ways to do it to target certain industries. If you go to conferences to begin to network with people, that’s a cost. So, we’re in the process of building that budget and partnerships to provide funding so that we can have a healthy economic-development program. Mimi: What makes Ted McDowell tick? What makes him willing, beyond his paying job, to take on an overall additional job? Ted: I’ve anticipated this question and I’ve been trying to figure out if there’s one answer or kind of a combination of reasons. I guess like anybody, it starts with core family values, what you learn as you grow up and in terms of giving back to a community. I came from that kind of environment. I was fortunate early on in my career to have some strong mentors that really reinforced that. Mimi: They were community bankers. Ted: Exactly, well said. And realize the importance of being involved in the community, protecting what you have. It’s a really good feeling when you’re in a room with a group of people who care about others and want to do the right thing. Mimi: It’s really a bonus to life. Ted: It is. As I grow older, it’s become increasingly obvious that that’s the most important thing. Mimi: I’m a lot older than you and let me assure you that it’ll keep going in that direction. There is a lot of help that is needed around a lot of corners. Some of them more noticeable than others. Well, what is our goal? How much money do we have to raise? Ted: Well, we brought in some consultants, primarily to inform people of what recruiters for businesses look at when they come to a
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community and how communities and states should look at marketing themselves. For a community this size, we ought to have an advertising/marketing budget in the neighborhood of $200,000. Mimi: That sounds reasonable. Ted: So, that’s one benchmark in terms of the funding. We need staff to deliver the services and programs. As I mentioned earlier, there are components to economic development, travel, and networking that are necessary. We probably need $400,000. Mimi: To get started? Ted: To get started and then to sustain that. A lot of communities, like Allentown for instance, there is a tax applied through the public sector that funds their economic-development group. And in Altoona, they have done it because years and years ago that organization, to this day, will erect the building and lease it out so they have lease income coming in. So, there are various mechanisms that can be used to fund economic development. Mimi: $400,000 is not a lot of money in Centre County. Ted: Well, it isn’t a lot of money, but I think that a lot of people are out doing fundraising, as well. Mimi: Well, they always will be. What do you have to do to get some priority attention to the growth of Happy Valley, because that’s the heartbeat? Ted: It is, and I think we’re out there talking to a lot of folks right now. We’re talking to them about how important it is for an organization to spearhead economic development,
create a mechanism if there are issues within the business community. Regardless of what it is, if there’s a voice, we can bring people together to solve the problems. To support business expansion, what programs are out there, a one-stop shop if you will. Call into an organization and get answers that can help existing businesses. The incubator that the chamber manages has produced many startup companies. Mimi: Well, we are blessed and we don’t know it. There’s no place better to live, grow, work, and stay healthy. Ted: I think you’re right. That’s what brought me back here. Mimi: But the business community has a great responsibility in providing the axle for the wheel. Ted: Absolutely. And there’s great leadership out there right now. I’m excited about the organization. It’s been a huge change. Mimi: Well, change is difficult at any level, but particularly the changes you’ve had the courage to undertake. Ted: It was necessary and we’re in a better place — there was no question about it. I think the interest that we’ve had from parties that have not been a part of our organization has increased tremendously. We’re continuing that dialogue. I think the future’s bright, but it has to come with a great deal of participation and communication. Mimi: Well, I want to thank you. I learned a lot from this interview. I hope our readers enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed having you. Ted: Thank you for the opportunity. T&G
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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 “Pumpkins”
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“Appetizing Pumpkin” by Christine Hill
“Pumpkins and squashes are a daily staple for the people of Cuba, but never did I see one so appetizingly displayed as one in Old Havana last spring. The shopkeeper at work in his ‘living-room store’ added interest to this photo shoot.”
November Meeting First Place: Open Category
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“Applying Lipstick” by Linda Hale
“This image was taken during a recent Arts Festival in downtown State College. The casual interaction between the three people caught my eye and I was able to capture the moment with a telephoto lens. While the image allows the viewer to interpret their relationship, only they know their ‘story.’ ”
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 (814) 861-1785 for more information. 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. Guests and new members are always welcome.
Visit www.statecollegephotoclub.org for more information about how to join. 114 - Town&Gown February 2014
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snapshot
Leaving a Positive Impact THON director prepares for his final dance marathon as a student By Amy Ross
While many students prepare for a long 46 hours of cheering and dancing at THON, that weekend will be a culmination of the work Ryan Patrick has put in since he became the executive director for this year’s Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon. “One of the most interesting things about the year on the executive committee is that nearly all of our planning takes place during the summer while we are away from Penn State,” he says. This year’s THON will be February 21-23 at the Bryce Jordan Center. The annual event raises money for Penn State Hershey’s Children’s Hospital’s Four Diamonds Fund, which helps families who have children with cancer. More than 700 students dance on stage and raise money for the fund. Since partnering with the fund in 1977, THON has raised more than $101 million, including last year’s record-breaking total of more than $12.37 million. “The driving force behind this incredible number is the more than 15,000 Penn State students that each year give their time and selfless dedication to make a difference ‘For The Kids.’ ” Patrick writes on the philanthropy’s Web site. A fifth-year mechanical engineering student and member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, Patrick began his involvement with THON in 2011 when he was a marathon chair for his fraternity. “I wanted to become involved with THON because I wanted to do something during my time at Penn State that would leave a positive impact on others,” says the Doylestown native. He has held several positions over the past few years. He became the merchandise captain, and last year he was the merchandise overall before being named executive director for 2014. “I ended up where I am today because of people that have helped develop me and my leadership style,” he says.
Ryan Patrick Where have you traveled outside the United States and are there places you’d like to go? “I love traveling and have been very fortunate to have traveled to several different places outside of the United States. These include Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, England, Spain, Italy, Monaco, France, and Canada. I’m also planning on traveling to northern Europe this summer to explore Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany!” What does your future career path look like? “I have been lucky enough to be given a position as a strategy and operations business analyst for Deloitte Consulting in Philadelphia.” What is your favorite food? “My favorite food is by far anything that includes Buffalo chicken. Boneless Buffalo wings win me over every single time!”
With his position, he serves as a liaison between THON and university administration, runs focus groups and executive-committee meetings, and makes sure that all directors are on track with their projects and are having a memorable THON experience, he says. That’s something he’s had during his time with THON. “There was just something about THON and the fact that I could make a direct impact on children and their families affected by pediatric cancer,” he says, “and I just knew it was what I wanted to be involved with.” T&G
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Good luck to all the dancers and especially our students and alumni on the floor. FTK!
You make all 616,000 alumni throughout the world Penn State proud.
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