October 2012 Town&Gown by Town & Gown

Inside: Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia • Supermarket expansion

Town&Gown FREE

OCTOBER 2012

townandgown.com

Renaissance Honorees of the

Year

Ed and Charlene Friedman

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

ET M AY FF P D U 2 N B O SU CH M T N U A R 0 B 0:3 1

Now Serving Lunch

Lunch at the Tavernâ&#x20AC;Ś

Relax and Enjoy our Daily Specials Serving lunch from 11:30 am to 3:00pm Monday - Saturday & Sunday Brunch Buffet 10:30 am to 2:00 pm

220 E. College Avenue, State College 814-238-6116 www.thetavern.com

The all-new BMW 5 Series Sedan bmwusa.com 1-800-334-4BMW

The Ultimate Driving Machine

ARRIVED AND CROWNED IN THE SAME BREATH. Fresh on the scene, the new 5 Series is already the most celebrated 5 Series ever, with the critics at CarandDriver.com concluding “The new 5 has us convinced. It’s luxurious, stylish, and fanastic to drive.” Also renowned for having our most generous maintenance plan ever, it’s coverd for everything but gas and tires. You pay nothing. And remarkably, this new 5 Series is recognized as a better value than ever, with a price point comparable to its predecessr. Stop by a BMW center today and experience the king of sport luxury sedans-the all-new 5 Series.

JOY IS THE ALL-NEW BMW 5 SERIES. Joel Confer BMW 120 E. Clinton Ave., State College 814-237-5713

4 - Town&Gown October 2012

We Are … Town&Gown continues its series by the people who live here on why they live here and are proud to live here. They’re your neighbors, coworkers, and friends — people our extended community can count on to see it through difficult times

Renaissance Honorees of the Year From education to community service to alpacas! — Ed and Charlene Friedman live a full life dedicated to helping others • by Rebekka Coakley

8 10 22 24

Faces of Hope and Courage As several local families show, raising a child with Down syndrome has many challenges. It also has countless moments of joy and love • by Amy King

The Burgh vs. Brotherly Love Because State College draws people from both sides of the state, the rivalry that exists between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia comes to a head here. Game on! • by Samantha Hulings

80 82

89 97 99

Special Advertising Section

111 114

Supermarket Shopping New grocery options move into the express lane • by Tracey M. Dooms

Town&Gown’s Guide to Financial Services Our annual guide looks at choosing the right bank, wealth transfer, low-interest rates, and more, and can help you find the financial institutions, investment specialists, and advisors that are right for you — and your money

115 116

Letter From The Editor Starting Off On Center: Banjo Summit 2 About Town: Camera Shop closes its doors after decades of helping photographers at all levels Health & Wellness: Menopause brings on variety of challenges for women This Month on WPSU Penn State Diary: Figuring out what to toss and what to keep has become an age-old dilemma Events: Tony-nominated director brings Sweeney Todd to PSU stage What’s Happening From the Vine: Boxed wines Taste of the Month/Dining Out: Foods on the farm Lunch with Mimi: Eileen Wise State College Photo Club’s Photos of the Month Guide to Advertisers Snapshot: Heather Fennessey

Cover design: John Hovenstine

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 2012 by Barash Media. All rights reserved. Send address changes to Town&Gown, Box 77, State College, PA 16804. No part of this magazine may be reproduced by any process except with written authorization from Town&Gown or its publisher. Phone: 800-326-9584, 814-238-5051. FAX: 814-238-3415. Printed by Gazette Printers, Indiana, PA. 20,000 copies published this month, available FREE in retail stores, restaurants, hotels and motels & travel depots. SUBSCRIPTIONS and SINGLE COPIES: $45/1yr; current issue by 1st-class mail, $10; back copy, $15 mailed, $12 picked up at the T&G office. www.townandgown.com

5 - Town&Gown October 2012

Town&Gown October

A State College & Penn State tradition since 1966.

Publisher Rob Schmidt Founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith Editorial Director David Pencek Creative Director/Photographer John Hovenstine Operations Manager/Assistant Editor Vilma Shu Danz Graphic Designer/Photographer Darren Weimert Graphic Designer Amy Schmalz Account Executives Kathy George, Debbie Markel Business Manager Aimee Aiello Advertising Coordinator Bikem Oskin Administrative Assistant Gigi Rudella Distribution Handy Delivery, Ginny Gilbert, Tom Neff

Our Product Is Service

Senior Editorial Consultant Witt Yeagley

Commercial Insurance

Intern Cara McShane (Editorial)

Personal Insurance Financial Services

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 Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pattee Library.

info@frostandconn.com 1301 N. Atherton St. â&#x20AC;˘ 237-1492

www.townandgown.com

6 - Town&Gown October 2012

Ed and Charlene Friedman 2012 Renaissance Fund Honorees

The Renaissance Fund will honor Ed and Charlene Friedman

November 15, 2012 The Penn Stater Conference Center Reception begins at 6 p.m. Dinner and program begin at 7 p.m.

For reservations or to make a contribution contact Kathy Kurtz, Office of Annual Giving, 814-863-2052 or KLK13@psu.edu. Advertisement courtesy of Mary Lou Bennett, Member Renaissance Fund Board of Directors RE/MAX - Centre Realty 814-231-8200, Ext 315 www.hellomarylou.com

letter from the editor

Hold on to History Tragedies and time are severing our ties with the past In September, this region lost another landmark when fire destroyed the Hotel Do De in Bellefonte. It was the fourth fire in the past eight years that has taken away a historical building in Bellefonte. The tragedy caused me to think about history and the fact that it isn’t just fires that are causing us to lose ours — or, maybe more accurately, our perspective on history — and it’s not just happening in Bellefonte. I realize I sound like an old fogy when I write this — but modern times with the Internet, social media, and the 24-hour news cycle that has networks quickly covering a story and then just as quickly not covering it are, I believe, causing us to become more disconnected to history. While it’s great to Google some historical event or person and find hundreds of stories about them, and maybe even watch a video, do we really gain a sense of our past that way? Maybe a little, but the fear, I have at least, is that we don’t explore and visit these historical places as much anymore, or talk as often to people who lived through historical times. And by doing those things less, we weaken our strong bonds to the past and perspectives on why things are the way they are and how we arrived at this point in time. One of the most obvious examples of this is the fact that we’re rapidly losing members of the World War II generation. These are people who lived through an extraordinary time in the world’s history, and their stories should be heard. Whether it’s a veteran who fought in Europe or the Pacific, or someone who just tried to get their family

through the Depression, we can learn a great deal just by listening to them tell their stories. A more current example is the presidential election coming up in November. History, especially with an incumbent running, should be a factor in determining who wins. Obviously, we want to try and envision the future and what we want the next four years to be like, but questions about our past also should be asked. Where are we as a country (and the world for that matter) now compared to four years ago? Are we better? Worse? And how did we arrive here? Depending on how you answer those questions will likely determine whom you are voting for. But in the age of Twitter, instead of big historical perspectives we usually get tit-for-tats. Obama says this. Romney says that. Obama responds. Romney responds. Then everyone does a poll. Repeat. Big moments demand more than just that. We need those strong connections to our history that give us perspectives and help us make sound decisions for our future. Perhaps in that same vein, Town&Gown continues to ask for people to send in their stories to be considered for the magazine’s “We Are …” feature each month. This month’s issue has four more personal stories, written by people who live here, on why they love living here. You can e-mail your stories to dpenc@barashmedia.com.

David Pencek Editorial Director dpenc@barashmedia.com

8 - Town&Gown October 2012

starting off

What’s John Hovenstine

New

Catholic Student Faith Center dedicated The Suzanne Pohland Paterno Catholic Student Faith Center was dedicated and opened during Sue Paterno a celebration in early September. The center, Sue Paterno located at 117 East Park Avenue, is named for Sue Paterno in recognition for her years of dedication to Catholic Campus Ministry at Penn State and her vision for the facility. The center includes a chapel, where weekday Mass will be celebrated; a Reconciliation room; gathering, meeting, and recreation areas, and a library. Paterno, who with her husband, Joe, helped raise the money for the $6.5 million facility. During the dedication ceremony, Sue Paterno called the center a “national championship for Penn State,” and a “home away from home” for many Penn Staters. She also recognized the Rev. Matthew

Laffey, who is director of the Catholic Campus Ministry at Penn State, for his role in the center’s opening. Medical center ready to grow again Mount Nittany Medical Center announced in September that it will have more expansion and renovation projects to meet the growing health-care needs of the communities it serves. The projects include the expansion of the surgical-services unit by 60,000 square feet, adding five new operation rooms, expanding the post-surgical-care area, and additional presurgery care areas. In addition, the medical center is expanding its painmanagement services and transitioning these services to the new facility at the intersection of Old Gatesburg Road and Blue Course Drive. Mount Nittany Medical Center will offer walk-in laboratory and radiology services at this location to improve convenience and access to these services. Mount Nittany Health recently added a three-story patient tower of private patient rooms and a new main entrance to the medical center. The first phase of the new emergency department is complete, with the second phase scheduled to be completed in spring of 2013. The Lance and Ellen Shaner Cancer Pavilion will open this fall on the medical-center campus, and the Sieg Neuroscience Center will open on Old Gatesburg Road in the fall as well. The health system has grown its physician practice to more than 65 physicians with locations in Bellefonte, State College, Penns Valley, Mifflin County, and Boalsburg. T&G

1kbb.com Check out our NEW website!

• Improved features • Search MLS properties for sale 1612 N. Atherton St. State College, PA

814-238-8080

2300 S. Atherton St. State College, PA

814-234-4000

10 - Town&Gown October 2012

WE ARE

PROUD SUPPORTERS OF

PENN STATE UNIVERSITY A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

FOR ALL OF KBB’S 80 YEARS.... AND ALWAYS WILL BE!!!

People in the

Community

entire season. Schram was not a member of the qualifying team but made a late run to make the roster for the World Cup. The US had lost to Germany, 3-0, in group play earlier in the tournament. Hayes and Schram rejoined the Penn State team in mid-September as the Lions began Big Ten play.

Jodi Moore

Maya Hayes & Taylor Schram

Penn State juniors Maya Hayes and Taylor Schram of the women’s soccer team helped Team USA win the U-20 World Cup in Japan. The US pulled out a 1-0 upset victory over German in the finals. Hayes scored four goals in the tournament, including three against Ghana. She finished second on the team with 24 points for the

Author Jodi Moore of Boalsburg recently received the Whitney and Scott Cardozo Award for Children’s Literature from the Library of Virginia. Moore received the honor for her book When A Dragon Moves In, which was published in May 2011. The award recognizes outstanding works of children’s literature by authors living in Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region. Moore writes picture books and young adult novels. She is the mother of two young adults and lives with her husband, Larry. Her next book, Good News Nelson, is due out in December.

Katie O’Toole

In early November, Katie O’Toole of Lemont and her son, David Gray, will run the New York City Marathon for a special cause. The two are raising money for the Tigh McManus Memorial Fund, which helps bring awareness and with research efforts on pulmonary fibrosis. McManus, who was from State College, lost his battle with pulmonary fibrosis in July 2010. He was 58. O’Toole is an adjunct instructor in Penn State’s College of Communications. Prior to that, she worked for 24 years at Penn State Public Broadcasting. She and her son are inviting people to contribute $26 ($1 for each mile they run in the marathon) to the cause. For information and to donate, visit the Tigh P. McManus Memorial Fund Facebook page or call (814) 404-0162. T&G

12 - Town&Gown October 2012

Q&A

with Kate Staley, lead developer of program content for Penn State’s Child Sexual Abuse Conference

Patrick Munsell/Penn State

By David Pencek During the last weekend in October, Penn State will host the Child Sexual Abuse Conference: Traumatic Impact, Prevention, and Intervention. It is obviously a piece of the puzzle that shows how the school is responding to the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The conference will feature experts from across the country discussing various topics on the subject of child sexual abuse. It also will feature former boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard and Elizabeth Smart, whose abduction and nine-month captivity in 2002-03 made national headlines. Kate Staley, a research scientist at Penn State’s Justice Center for Research, is a lead developer of program content for the conference. She discussed the upcoming conference and what visitors can expect. T&G: What has the reaction been to the fact the Penn State is hosting the Child Sexual Abuse Conference, given everything that has happened here? Staley: The reaction to the conference has been amazing! We have received many e-mails from people all around the country asking about how they can help Penn State’s efforts and be a part of the conference. These range from victims telling us about survivor support groups that helped them, to professionals in the field suggesting other programs that help prevention efforts, to ideas for next steps that Penn State could take, and many just thanking Penn State for responding in a substantive way to what happened here. T&G: What do you hope people will get out of the conference and come away with? Staley: We hope people leave first, with raised awareness regarding just how prevalent child sexual abuse is in our society, and that it occurs at all different socioeconomic levels and in all communities; second, better educated about what child sexual abuse is, its traumatic impact, how to prevent it, and effective therapies to help victims

recover; and third, inspired to take action and help end the silence that surrounds child sexual abuse. We designed the conference to engage people’s hearts and minds — because that is what it takes to create the potential for real change to happen. T&G: What kind of research is being done at Penn State? Staley: The Penn State Justice Center for Research, where I work and which is the primary organizer of the conference, is turning its attention to the field of child victimization, which includes child sexual abuse. For instance, we have already begun taking steps to be a partner in a research project to prevent child sexual abuse in large organizations, and we have other research-project ideas percolating as well. T&G: Besides this conference, how can Penn State and this community play a leading role in stopping abuse? Staley: The conference has helped generate a lot of momentum with regard to next steps Penn State could take. Add this to the fact that President Erickson and the board of trustees have made it clear that they want Penn State to become a leader in preventing child maltreatment, and the possibilities are limitless. Doris Mackenzie, director of the Justice Center, and I envision the momentum moving forward along several pathways. Certainly research is one. Community-university partnerships is certainly another. Efforts in this area might focus on prevention and education. The community is already surging forward by itself with recent discussions on creating a children’s advocacy center in the Centre Region. Other efforts that Penn State could lead on are directing attention to student victims of child sexual abuse and helping end the silence on campus and create a safer environment for survivors. Applying national statistics to our campus, there could be as many as 8,000 to 9,000 survivors here. How can we best help them? Part of that answer may emerge from a victim/ survivor-focused community panel discussion on child sexual abuse that Doris and I are putting together right now, for the night before the conference — a sort of kickoff event. That will take place on October 28 at 7 p.m. at Eisenhower Auditorium. I think the commitment both Penn State and the larger community have made on raising our awareness and helping end the silence surrounding child sexual abuse is already evident. And these efforts are just the leading edge of many more initiatives to come in the weeks and months ahead. T&G The Child Sexual Abuse Conference: Traumatic Impact, Prevention, and Intervention will be held October 29-30 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. For more information, including the agenda, visit protectchildren.psu.edu.

14 - Town&Gown October 2012

Looking Back Ribbons for Life

October 13 @ Home Reflections to benefit Breast Cancer Research.

236 East Calder Way • (814) 234-1620 Family owned since 1913

F. Glenn Fleming, Funeral Director/Supervisor John H. “Jay” Herrington, Funeral Director 2401 S. Atherton Street, State College, PA 16801 (814) 237-2712 • Crematory on Premises www.kochfuneralhome.com

Centre County history through the pages of Town&Gown October

1986 In “The Good-Time PartTime Job,” Town&Gown looked at what it’s meant to be a waiter and waitress at The Tavern restaurant over the years. Ex-waiter Walter Conti recalled what happened at The Tavern during football seasons when he was a waiter in the 1950s. “The restaurant had special hours during home-game Saturdays. And after a beer, everyone would meet outside before the game. They’d line up in the alley, and one guy with a beer-keg plunger would be drum major. Somebody else would play trombone. Then we’d march onto campus, past Beta house, right up to Beaver Field. It was quite a social event.” 1998 Patricia Farrell was the Renaissance Fund honoree this year, and she was profiled in “Patricia Farrell: Renaissance Woman.” In 1997, she wrapped up her career as a teacher at Penn State and said, “When you reach a certain age you start thinking about all the things you still want to do with your life. … My students were fun, my classes were going great, and I thought, ‘Now’s the time to go, when things are just smashing.” 2007 In the spirit of Halloween, To w n & G o w n l o o k e d a t some of the “spooky sights and chilling tales [that] remain closely tied to area landmarks.” Some claim Edgar Allen Poe wrote his poem “The Raven” while staying at Eutaw House in Potters Mills. Another story there states a prisoner being transported east stayed the night and hanged himself in the attic, where his spirit still resides.T&G

16 - Town&Gown October 2012

This Month On townandgown.com

Anthony Clarvoe Jodi Benson

•

In 5 Questions, Jodi Benson, the voice of The Little Mermaid, talks about what happened when her children watched the popular Disney movie.

•

Penn State students help Obama, Romney campaigns.

•

Dr. David Werner writes about children’s eye health.

•

Special recipes from Harner Farm, Tait Farm, and Way Fruit Farm.

And visit our Facebook site for the latest happenings and opportunities to win free tickets to concerts and events! And follow us on Twitter at TownGown1.

Bring Your Friends and Join the Fun the Inaugural Pink Zone

Dr e ss

The

l ittle B L

G oe

Ladies Night Out

Thursday October 18, 2012

s P nk i

! !! Seven

6:30-9:30pm

Mountains Wine Cellars $60 per person Fashion Show sponsored by

N’V Boutique & Portfolio Salon Silent Auction

Luxury Basket Raffle

Wine

hors d'oeuvres

Dessert

For Information & Reservations: www.pennsylvaniapinkzone.org or Call: 814-380-2856 BUS SERVICE TO AND FROM THE EVENT COURTESY OF FULLINGTON TRAILWAYS

18 - Town&Gown October 2012

Each year, approximately 550 Centre County residents are diagnosed with cancer.

www.cvcpennstate.org 20 - Town&Gown October 2012

Pizza Mia Catering Same great taste... Ready to feed the crowd! Your Custom Canvas Specialists

• Residential & Commercial • Back-lit Awning & Canopies • Stationary & Retractable Patio Covers • Window Awnings, Drop Curtains & Valances We also offer Aluminum Awnings and Patio Covers.

113 Musser Lane, Bellefonte, PA 16823 Free Estimates: 814-355-8979 • Toll Free: 800-669-2964 • Fax: 814-355-1405

www.midstateawning.com

PA # 687

21 - Town&Gown October 2012

on center

Super Strummers

Béla Fleck, Tony Trischka, and other expert pickers headline Banjo Summit 2 By John Mark Rafacz

Once upon a time in America the banjo was almost exclusively associated with the South. But a new concert tour, featuring six banjo masters with ties to New York, demonstrates that prime pickers also come from north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Headlined by Béla Fleck and Tony Trischka, the 2006 Banjo Summit was one of the most memorable Center for the Performing Arts presentations of the last decade. Fleck and Trischka return to Penn State’s Eisenhower Auditorium on November 1 for Banjo Summit 2 with Bill Keith, a trailblazer of melodic playing; Richie Stearns, who helped revive the old-time claw-hammer style; Eric Weissberg, who had a No. 1 hit with “Dueling Banjos,” the theme from the Deliverance soundtrack; and Peter “Dr. Banjo” Wernick, an influential instruction-book author and force in bands such as Hot Rize and Country Cooking. Fleck, generally regarded as the most accomplished master of the instrument, leads a concert that finds the banjo performed in conventional and unexpected ways. From solos and duets to fulltilt banjo blowouts with all six players, the concert features the banjo in traditional settings, including bluegrass and country, along with unconventional banjo genres such as jazz, classical, and rock. Traditionally, the banjo had a regional following in the southern Appalachians because that was the home of bluegrass. But the folk revival, which began in the 1950s and blossomed in the 1960s, along with the growth of television, introduced bluegrass to the North. “I got into it through the folk scare of the early ’60s — the Kingston Trio — and then from there found bluegrass,” says Trischka, who grew up in Syracuse. “Béla Fleck (a native of New York City) heard the Beverly Hillbillies, which was, you know, the national media.” But why did a seemingly humble instrument pique the curiosity of so many young musicians? “Who can say why someone’s attracted to play the banjo? It’s just that sound,” says Trischka,

speaking by phone from his home in New Jersey. “I’ve interviewed many people about this sort of thing — you know, other players. And people just say, ‘It’s the sound. It just got me excited.’ It’s usually the fast aspects of it, just that pointillistic sound of every one of those individual notes — just crisp, and sharp, and exciting.” Trischka started playing flute and piano as a youngster. Then he got into folk guitar, largely because of the music of the late Doc Watson. “But then I heard the banjo,” he says, “and that became an immediate passion, which it is to this day.” The year was 1963, and the song that did it was The Kingston Trio’s “Charlie and the MTA.” “There was a banjo solo on there that just blew me away,” he recalls. Trischka got a copy of Pete Seeger’s seminal banjo instruction book, but he couldn’t quite figure out the finer points of the instrument. “I was at a hootenanny in Syracuse, and this guy was playing [Earl] Scruggs-style banjo, and I was like, ‘That’s it!’ ” he says. “I prevailed upon him to give me lessons, and he did, and the door opened.” T&G Corvette America sponsors the performance. For more information or tickets, visit www.cpa.psu.edu or phone (814) 863-0255. John Mark Rafacz is the editorial manager of the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.

22 - Town&Gown October 2012

www.perrywellingtonrealty.com

ATTENTION HOMEBUYERS!

Use us to buy any house and we’ll give you $250 from our commission. Conditions apply, call for details.

The End of the 6 month Listing Contract! List your home for 90 days at Perry Wellington Realty Full time agents answer the phone 7 days a week. We have years of experience to help you buy and sell a home.

Your Lender Connection! CircuitMortgage.com

We’re growing – Hiring Agents – No desk fees, no required floor time, INBOUND LEADS, Work from home, Broker paid CE. Visit our website for more details.

Perry Wellington Real Estate Agency

PerryWellingtonrealty.com

814-693-5337

814-273-1446

Licensed by the PA Dept. of Banking #922931

814-695-8020

814-695-3050

Realty Abstract Services “Your Closing Specialists” Savings for Buyers & Sellers

4.5% Commission!

Call us 814-695-5323

Anything higher is too much!

AdvanceAcademyonline.com Get Licensed Scholarships Available!

Become a Real Estate Agent at Advance Academy

Now 5 Offices to serve you better & listing 4 MLS’s 511 Allegheny St. 314 S. Burrowes St. 1360 Eisenhower Blvd. Suite 406 Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 State College, PA 16801 Johnstown, PA 15904 814-695-5323 814-273-1446 814-619-0256

100 E. Pitt St., Suite 208 Bedford, PA 15522 814-310-0099

419 14TH St., Suite 209 Huntingdon, PA 16652 814-251-9725

about town

Photographic Memories Camera Shop closes its doors after decades of helping photographers at all levels By Nadine Kofman

The Camera Shop, a pop-and-pop (not to be confused with a momand-pop) operation, closed two months ago after 41 years. It leaves its relatively new neighbor, Jim’s Army & Navy Surplus Store, as the senior business in the 1920s stucco building. The small shop at 311 West Beaver Avenue — only a sliver by big-box The Camera Shop on West Beaver Avenue closed this summer after standards — was the 41 years of doing business. last camera shop in downtown State College. It was the survivor of for a shoot with one of the manual cameras I four that opened their doors within a few years bought there. They knew a lot. During the past several years, The Camera of one another: prominent Centre Film Lab, later The Film Center, at the corner of West Shop was the place to go for photo needs. One Beaver Avenue and North Atherton Street; of the biggest group of regulars, Penn State The Camera Shop; General Photographic, 325 students in the traditional darkroom course, East Beaver Avenue; and the below-stairs Penn bought paper and chemicals there. “We sold a lot of wet-darkroom supplies when Photo, South Fraser Street. Within that 300 block, The Camera Shop there was a Penn State class, but the university follows the bygone Balfurd’s Cleaners plant — isn’t doing the wet-darkroom class anymore,” but unlike Balfurd’s historic plant, The Camera Ammerman says. In the big picture, “There are a few diehards, Shop hasn’t moved on. “The whole industry is changing. I would say, and people are getting back into it,” says the in the next couple of years, the ‘point and shoot’ former shop owner philosophically. Besecker adds, “For the last six or seven cameras are coming to an end,” says owner Bill Ammerman, one of The Camera Shop’s two months, I hadn’t stocked cameras.” The few left Bills. The other, employee Bill Besecker, has sold first at the going-out-of-business sale. Left now are memories of “long-term been on the job since 1977. Ammerman, hired as a manager by the then Altoona-based chain customers and those who became friends,” he around 1975, bought The Camera Shop in 1981. says. A few include former Penn State President Over the years, I asked one or the other Bill Bryce Jordan (“He would come a lot when he about features of new cameras and lenses in the had a break”), Liberal Arts dean Susan Welch, display case and along the wall behind it, about and designer Lanny Sommese. There also were the camera bags hanging from a display pole, Penn State department heads and professors, and, from the film corner, about the correct one photographers, and others. 24 - Town&Gown October 2012

A couple of the photographers directed them out front for goodbye shots. In retirement, Ammerman, age 64, keeps on doing what he did, but at his home lab in State College. He does digital printing, including such photo restorations as old family photos, and makes large photos for local photographers Dick Brown and Steve Manuel. He also shoots, as before, the boys and girls who attend Camp Cadet, the Pennsylvania State Police’s summer camp, and some State College Area High School class reunions. On the other hand, Besecker, 57, of Pleasant Gap, snaps now for himself and has taken jobs outside of photography. “Networking” with friends proved “serendipitous” for him. Proving himself a “fairly eclectic” person, he is now a part-time State Store employee and a part-time security guard with Payton Security in State College. Ammerman, a 1966 graduate of State High, is a 1971 Penn State grad of the then College of Human Development. “I took a photographer class at Penn State and got hooked on it,” he says. “I bought my first camera in 1968” at age 20.

Among other pre-Camera Shop jobs was one that included hobby sales and fish care/sales at Ballenger’s Pet & Hobby Rama, where Kitchen Kaboodle is now. It was there that the bachelor first met the dog groomer/clerk, originally from Bellefonte; he and Vikki met again more recently and were married in 2006. Speaking of hobbies, Ammerman is a founding member of the Art Alliance Potters Guild and continues working in that art form. Besecker, who got his first camera at age 8, is a 1973 Bellefonte Area High School alumnus and graduated from PSU in 1977 in liberal arts and concentrated on photography. Following his outside-the-box karma, he took a break from The Camera Shop in 1985 to work on a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction in Penn State’s College of Education. Both Bills have moved on to the future. Says Besecker, “I started at the State Store the day that we locked the door.” T&G Nadine Kofman is a native Centre Countian and historian.

25 - Town&Gown October 2012

health & wellness

Dealing with The Change Menopause brings on variety of challenges for women By Iris Peters

You feel a burning sensation run through your body. You start to sweat and your heart is beating faster and faster. The heat started in your face and now you can feel it all the way on your lower back. You feel like you want to rip your clothes off. Then all of a sudden the heat subsides and the sweating turns to chills. While some may get concerned about what just happened, for you it is just another day of going through menopause. Menopause (October is World Menopause Month) is when a woman naturally misses her period for 12 consecutive months. The ovaries run out of follicles, cellular structures where young eggs develop, until there are no eggs left, therefore ending a woman’s reproductive years. This also causes hormone levels and estrogen levels to decrease, says Dr. Mary Kruszewski, DO and OB/GYN physician at Geisinger-Gray’s Woods. A woman can experience menopause anywhere from the age of 40 to well into her 50s. The average age for an American woman to go through menopause is around 51. Roughly 10 years before menopause happens, a woman can go through something called premenopause, or perimenopause. This is a time when the ovaries are starting to settle down and not function with the same regularity that they did during reproductive years. When a woman is fertile, the hormones that come from the ovaries have effects on the uterus. The lining of the uterus is normally stimulated to grow and prepare for a possible pregnancy, and, if that does not occur, then the hormone levels change and the lining is destroyed, which results in a period. However, when the ovaries don’t function normally, the periods will appear abnormal. “During this time the periods can become irregular because the hormone levels are all over the place. The periods can become heavier, lighter, or there may be spotting,” Kruszewski says.

There are a variety of symptoms a woman can have during her journey through menopause besides an irregular period. These symptoms are all related to the drop in estrogen levels. There are estrogen receptors, not just in the uterus and breasts but also all over a woman’s body. Once the estrogen level starts decreasing, the body can react negatively, causing hot flashes, mood changes, and sleep troubles, and feelings of fuzzy-headedness with trouble focusing. A hot flash is a sensation of intense heat, sometimes accompanied with redness and sweating, that overcomes the body. The face, chest, neck, and back are the most common places for a woman to feel heat but it can spread to the whole body. It also is common for a woman’s heartbeat to increase, sometimes making her feel lightheaded. These hot flashes can occur anywhere from a few times a week to a few times a day. “The temperature-regulation center in the brain isn’t acting like it is supposed to so it doesn’t regulate the temperature normally and you just get hot,” Kruszewski says. “It is

26 - Town&Gown October 2012

like the thermostat is not working. The body thinks it is a different temperature than it is and it does all the things that it normally would to compensate and get rid of the heat, such as sweating and getting red.” These hot flashes also can affect a woman while she is sleeping. Her temperature could be deregulating and it can keep her awake, which impairs mood, concentration, and other problems during the day. A woman also can suffer from insomnia during menopause because the lack of estrogen levels fails to produce the right amount of melatonin and serotonin. “Estrogen does a lot of good things, but once it starts to decline, things can fall apart. These symptoms can happen and it increases risk for bone and cardiovascular issues,” Kruszewski says. Women start losing bone density at about the age of 25 but it happens relatively slowly. Once estrogen levels drop during menopause, the bone loss can be rapid — this can end in osteoporosis. It is suggested that all women have bone-density scans after menopause, Kruszewski says. Because estrogen is a cardiovascular-protective hormone, it is not very common for women in the reproductive age to suffer from heart attacks. After menopause, the protective hormone decreases, escalating women’s chances each year for heart attacks, strokes, and other heart diseases. For some women, these symptoms can be unbearable, so there are treatments and lifestyle changes that they can try, including natural medications, herbs, and soy products. Women can change their lifestyles in order to help alleviate some of the symptoms. If they tend to get intense hot flashes, cutting

back on spicy foods, hot beverages, smoking, caffeine, and alcohol can help decrease those flashes. “Certainly working out might help as well,” Kruszewski says. “It releases endorphins, and if you are feeling good and feeling better about yourself, that might ease some of the symptoms.” Some women choose to use hormonereplacement therapy during and after menopause to supplement their bodies with hormones that the ovaries can no longer produce. These hormones can be either just estrogen or estrogen and progesterone combined. This can help relieve those symptoms that women may find intolerable. “I know there has been a lot of talk about how hormones are bad, but my personal feeling, and what I tell patients, is that if your life is miserable, take the hormones. If you can’t live with yourself, if no one can live with you, if you aren’t sleeping and becoming next to psychotic, take the hormones,” Kruszewski says. Hormone-replacement therapy is not for every women going through menopause and it is important that they research the therapy that they would be using. There are some health risks that all women should consider when thinking about hormone-replacement therapy, but it also is important to realize that taking the hormone replacement can prevent health problems such as heart disease. “There has been a lot of panic about hormones,” Kruszewski says. “They have some side effects — some that are good, some that are bad — but they also do a lot of good things. Woman by woman has to decide if it is right for her because life is too short to be miserable, and there is no reason to be.” T&G

Whether you are looking for a little help, or a lot of help, Home Instead can help.

To you it’s about making the right choice...To us, it’s personal.

• Companionship • Meal Preparation • Medication Reminders • Shopping & Errands • Personal Care Each Home Instead Senior Care franchise office is independently owned and operated. © 2012 Home Instead, Inc.

27 - Town&Gown October 2012

Call for a free, no-obligation appointment 814.238.8820 Serving 7 Central PA Counties

www.homeinstead.com/CentralPA

28 - Town&Gown October 2012

Boalsburg A BASKET FULL Gift Shop & Gift Baskets

n’V

“Our job is to make you feel good about yourself.” This is the goal of local business owners Chase and Ginny Glickman. Ginny, who has been in the clothing business for more than 30 years, understands how fashion should be used to make every man and woman feel like a 10 out of 10. Since the two opened n’V Boutique in 2007, the store, located on the diamond in Boalsburg, has attracted many customers who are looking for that special “casual luxury clothing” atmosphere that’s hard to find outside of a city. Chase adds, “Our passion for what our clients really want is our calling card to success. Trust and honesty is another service we provide. We’ll be honest. If those jeans do make your butt look big, we will tell you!” n’V has the largest selection of men’s and women’s denim in the area, and it now includes maternity denim. At n’V, the owners are “proud that we can find the perfect pair of jeans for every twentysomething, every mom, every dad, and every mother to be!”

121 E. Main St. Boalsburg 466-7788 www.basket-full.com

The Boalsburg Apothecary The only certified compounding pharmacy in the area

Serving You For 31 Years! Pharmacists Wayne Foster & Carol Younkins 814-466-7937 In the Boalsburg Medical Office Bldg. 3901 South Atherton Street

A unique, eclectic gift shop

Nature’s Hue is a unique, eclectic gift shop located in the historic town of Boalsburg. Gift shop items include antiques, vintage artwork, and much, much more! 122 East Main Street, Boalsburg, PA 16827 • (814) 466-7181

’

Duffy s Tavern October is “Ghost Story” Month at Duffy’s Tavern

Learn more about the other “Patrons” of Duffy’s Tavern… if you dare! Eat, Drink, and be Scary! Located “On the Diamond” For Reservations 466-6241 113 East Main Street www.duffystavern.com 29 31 -- Town&Gown Town&Gown October August 2012 2012

We Are... Are

Centre County and its communities are filled with farmers, doctors, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, teachers, retirees, artists, researchers, and so much more. Some were born and raised here; many, however, are from various parts of the United States and even the world. They all — we all — call this place Home. This month, Town&Gown continues its series by the people who live here on why they live here and are proud to live here. They’re your neighbors, coworkers, and friends — people our extended community can count on to see it through difficult times

30 - Town&Gown October 2012

Jerry Valeri Program director and morningshow host for Majic 99

Growing up in Blair County, I used to cherish the drive to State College on football Saturdays with my father. As season-ticket holders, we knew the drive well. When we turned onto Park Avenue and headed toward Beaver Stadium, you could feel the excitement grow as we neared the field and prepared for a day of laughter, fun, and football. That same excitement is beginning to build as my family and I inch closer to moving to Centre County. I’ve worked in State College radio for more than a decade and have had the pleasure of being part of the community, its local charities, and helping promote tons of wonderful events. Over the past five years, my wife, Kelly, and I have felt a gravitational pull of sorts toward State College and all it has to offer us and our children, Allison (4) and Evan (1). We find ourselves making the drive to State College almost every day for work, concerts, shopping, movies, and more. We drive to experience the

The Valeri family (from left) Allison, Kelly, Evan, and Jerry.

unique flavors of the many local restaurants. We drive to the Grange Fair so our kids know what a cow feels like. We drive to get a perfect view of the incredible 4thFest fireworks. We drive and drive and drive to be a part of the area and experience everything it has to offer. In one year, we logged more than 70,000 miles, mostly driving to and from State College. Although every minute in the car was worth it, we decided that the time would be better spent enjoying ourselves. So this summer, Kelly and I came to the conclusion that it was time to move. Fortunately, our house sold quickly, and we’re thrilled to be in the process of packing. We’re definitely looking forward to our new neighborhood in State College and everything that immediately surrounds it. I have no doubt that the State College Area School District will provide the best possible education for our children. But more than that, we’re excited they’ll grow up in the community surrounded by the other people who call it Home, including the organizations that help people every weekend, and the university that ensures that the area thrives. As a professional photographer and radio host respectively, my wife and I feel very fortunate to be in professions that allow us to constantly meet new people in the area. The Centre Region never ceases to amaze me with its beauty, and the people never disappoint either. This is truly an incredible area — big enough to offer an incredible education, top-notch medical care, and a cultural-entertainment calendar that rivals those of the biggest cities. But it’s small enough to recognize familiar faces, feel safe, and have a strong moral fiber. I’ve fallen in love with State College three times in my life: As a child for the football games, as a college student for the exciting atmosphere, and as a husband and father for everything in between. This month, the Valeri family is finally moving to Centre County — and we couldn’t be more excited.

31 - Town&Gown October 2012

Roger Garthwaite Partner, Ottoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pub & Brewery

I have lived in State College for 33 years. We moved here in 1979 with our two children, Sean and Kelly, after I accepted a position in the College of Education. I worked for Penn State for the next 26 years, retiring in 2005. My wife, Maureen, graduated from Penn State, and taught at Bald Eagle Area for 20 years. State College has provided us with great education, convenience, entertainment, and easy access to the more-than-human world. Over the years, we have been involved in a variety of nonprofit organizations, with our most recent focus on the Centre County Youth Service Bureau and ClearWater Conservancy. One word that I think

32 - Town&Gown & &Gown October 2012

describes the Centre Region is “generosity.” I am amazed every year at the level of support that our community gives to a wide variety of nonprofit organizations, helping each one meet its annual goals. We are a community that cares about each other. After retiring in 2005, I didn’t get out the rocking chair — I joined my son-in-law, Charlie, as a partner at Otto’s Pub & Brewery. This has been both the most challenging and most rewarding project I have ever undertaken. The decision was easier to make knowing that our customers would be the very same people who have made this community such a great place to live and work. We have four grandchildren living here, and my hope is that someday they will want to raise their families in Happy Valley!

D.J. Lilly Office manager, Schlow Centre Region Library

While I am from the southwest suburbs of Chicago, my parents are from Altoona, so we visited Central Pennsylvania often to see our extended family. For as far back as I can remember, traveling to Pennsylvania felt like coming home, instead of the other way around, and I always knew that I would live here someday. I tried and tried to reach that goal, but without much success. I tried to attend college and

Check-in Easy! Easy come, Easy go. Convenient self-serve kiosks and friendly customer service staff make checking in quick and “Easy.” Plus, University Park Airport provides courtesy airline baggage scales, free Wi-Fi, and a popular café where you can fuel up before your flight.

33 - Town&Gown October 2012

graduate school here, but the out-of-state costs were prohibitive. I tried to find a job here after I received my degree, but had no luck. I did visit my family here as often as my finances would allow, but the summer before my 30th birthday, the realization hit that time was marching on and I still hadn’t made it “home” yet. My PA job search began, and I came across an ad for somewhere called “Bellefonte.” I called my aunt, a longtime resident of State College whom I had visited there many times, if she had ever heard of this oddly French-sounding place. Of course, she burst out laughing. Within six weeks, I had interviewed, accepted the job, and moved to our charming county seat. It all went so smoothly that some might call it fate. My personal GPS sent me through Wisconsin, southern Illinois, and the Gulf Coast of Texas, but I had finally made it home. And Centre County truly is my home. I love strolling in downtown Bellefonte where no one is a stranger and everyone greets you with a smile. I love motoring to The Twin Kiss in Howard or Burkholder’s in Spring Mills, where genuinely nice people make some of the best milkshakes and

hamburgers I’ve ever had. I love the joy reflected in the faces of the folks who have staked out their spots for days to cheer for their friends and neighbors marching in the Philipsburg Heritage Days Parade. I must admit, I have only gotten to know State College recently, but I have come to love the variety of restaurants, stores, and events to be found here. And, of course, the unique history of Schlow Library, where I have worked for the last year, shows that anything is possible when a community pulls together. In about five years I will have lived here longer than I have lived anywhere else, but those are only numbers. Centre County has always been my home.

Jennifer Shuey Executive director, ClearWater Conservancy

I am a local. I grew up in Hublersburg, my dad grew up in Houserville, and my mom grew up in Nittany. My husband and his family are locals too — they are from Pleasant Gap and

Better rates. Better terms. Better deals. * Home Banking, VISA, and Debit Cards * Youth and Club Accounts * New Car Loan Special: 48 Months

PERSONAL, FRIENDLY SERVICE

422A Westerly Parkway Plaza

at 3.18%, No Refinancing

Shares are insured up to $250,000 State College Federal Credit Union is now on Facebook! State College, PA 16801 814-234-0252 www.statecollegefcu.com 34 - Town&Gown October 2012

Jennifer Shuey enjoys showing the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful scenery in her art.

Bellefonte. After my husband, Chris, and I graduated from Penn State, we left town for a few years, as many locals do, spending some time in California and Texas. But we soon found our way home. The notions of Home and Family have always been very powerful for me. They of course include the house I grew up in, my parents and brother, and my extended circle of relatives. But to me, Home and Family mean so much more. My life is grounded in this place, this geography, this landscape, this community of people. They have shaped who I am and continue to become. It is my honor to serve the community through my work at ClearWater Conservancy and as a volunteer at church and through the visual arts. Central to what I consider my mission in the world is ensuring that Centre County continues to be a beautiful place for people to call Home, and become a part of an extended family that values our Godgiven natural resources and works together to create a vibrant and dynamic community that builds on our collective strengths. T&G

35 - Town&Gown October 2012

John Hovenstine

36 - Town&Gown October 2012

Renaissance Honorees of the Year From education to community service to alpacas! — Ed and Charlene Friedman live a full life dedicated to helping others By Rebekka Coakley

estled halfway up a mountain in Boalsburg, a 175-acre ranch is home to more than 50 alpacas. The small llama-like animals of Mountain Edge Alpacas, established in 1997, can be seen grazing on hay or grasses at any time during the day. Alpacas are most popular for their wool, which is used often for blankets, scarves, sweaters, hats, and other warm clothing. Unlike llamas, who have a reputation for being unpleasant, alpacas have a surprising demeanor. “They’re very gentle and curious, each has their own personality. It’s like having 58 children,” Charlene Friedman, cofounder and owner of Mountain Edge Alpacas along with her husband, Ed, says with a laugh. “There’s just something calming about going to the barn and visiting them. They’re gentle creatures with small needs that give a lot of love and joy.” When the Friedmans bought this piece of land in 1987, a year before they married, they weren’t quite sure what they’d do with all those acres. They both loved animals and they considered raising horses or cattle or sheep, but settled on breeding alpacas. They started with just six alpacas and then

37 - Town&Gown October 2012

Contributed photos (3)

The Friedmans in 1991, (from left) Ed, daughter Salem, son Ty, Charlene, and dogs Misty, Ralph, Soda, Scotch, and Cha Su.

grew from there. The kind, selfless alpacas are fitting for a couple who personify such traits. Not only have the Friedmans built a successful business in State College, the Friedman Real Estate Group, they also have supported and volunteered with many organizations in the community and on the Penn State campus for several decades. “While we’ve worked hard all our lives, we’ve been very fortunate,” Ed says. “We’ve obtained a wonderful lifestyle and we like to devote our time to others.” The Friedmans’ dedication to both Penn State and the State College communities has not gone unnoticed. This year, the two have been named Penn State’s 2012 Renaissance Fund Honorees. They will be recognized for their commitment on November 15 at the 36th annual Renaissance Fund dinner, which will raise money for a scholarship in the Friedmans’ names. According to the Renaissance Fund Web site, the fund is “a highly visible example of Penn State’s efforts to ensure student opportunity through scholarship support funded by private philanthropy.” The annual dinner raises money

in the honorees’ names. Since 1969, nearly $10 million dollars has been raised. Last year alone, 422 students received Renaissance scholarships totaling $611,650. Scholarships are awarded to students based on academic achievement and financial need. “We each had the advantage of receiving a great education,” says Ed. “Helping people become more independent and achieving their highest potential is very important. Being able to help raise scholarship money is an honor to help change students’ lives.” Chosen each year by the Renaissance Fund board members, the honorees have always exemplified civic and university engagement. Both Ed and Charlene served and held leadership positions in multiple organizations in Centre County and they’re firm believers in the importance of higher education. Twenty years ago the couple created the Edward A. Friedman Scholarship to help State College students continue their educations at Penn State. Recently, they created another scholarship in the name of a friend, Nick Petnick, who passed away in December. They said he was a great thinker and

38 - Town&Gown October 2012

educator, and thought the Nick Petnick Trustee Scholarship would exemplify his endeavors. In addition to creating the scholarships, both Friedmans also have been educators themselves. “The breadth and the impact the Friedmans have had on both Penn State and Centre County collectively has been very significant,” Kathy Kurtz, associate director of Penn State’s Office of Annual Giving, says. “The Friedmans have deep roots in the community and their involvement with both Penn State and State College will leave a lasting and positive affect in Centre County.” The value of a good education is evident in both Friedmans’ backgrounds. Growing up in State College with two Penn Staters as his parents might have helped pique Ed Friedman’s interest in pursuing knowledge. The native earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration, majoring in real estate at Ohio State University. He then went to San Francisco State University and earned his master’s, also in real estate. But that wasn’t enough — he went on and earned a juris doctorate from the University of San Francisco

School of Law, specializing in real estate law and federal income taxation. When he returned to his hometown, he earned another master’s degree in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management from Penn State. Charlene grew up in New England and earned a bachelor’s in education from Seton Hall University. Soon after, she did postgraduate study at the University of Oregon, in disadvantaged youth/psychology. She moved State College in 1978 and eventually went back to school for postgraduate studies in accounting. “Higher education encourages thinking and exposes the individual to diverse perspectives,” she says. “It enhances personal skills and teaches individuals how to function in a broader, global perspective.” It also was education that brought the couple together. Charlene was pursuing a career in real estate and was taking night classes, and Ed was her teacher. In addition to receiving strong educations, the Friedmans found that teaching was just as important as learning.

Ed and his red-tailed hawk at the British School of Falconry.

39 - Town&Gown October 2012

Charlene Friedman received a Best Women in Business Award from then-Governor Tom Ridge

When witches go riding And black cats are seen, The moon laughs and whispers, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tis near Halloween. 8 Edgewood Drive, Reedsville, PA Milroy exit off Rte. 322, turn right at stop light. We are located approximately 1 mile on right (beside Honey Creek Inn Restaurant) HOURS: Mon.-Sat. 10-5; Sun. 1-5 For More Information Call 717-667-2556

www.squirebrowns.com

40 - Town&Gown October 2012

Ed was a faculty member in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management at Penn State, and Charlene was an adjunct professor in real estate at Penn State. Each also has been an instructor for the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS. Ed also has taught at San Jose State University. The couple also served on various development and advisory councils for the College of Health and Human Development and have assisted with all of the university’s capital campaigns. While it would seem education plays a huge role in their lives, based on their involvement in various State College organizations civic engagement is just as important. Together and independently, the Friedmans have served as leaders with the State College Area Food Bank, the Centre County United Way, Centre County Community Foundation, the Downtown State College Improvement District, the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission, and many other organizations. “My involvement with United Way showed me basic needs that people in Centre County have that I didn’t know about,” Charlene says.

“As the chairman, I was exposed to people in desperate situations from the area, basic human services — including affordable medicine — is needed. It’s important to help where you can.” While both Friedmans have lived in other states, what kept them in State College was the community. They thought it was a great place to raise their children, start their alpaca farm, and grow the real estate business Ed began 35 years ago. His parents had deep roots in the community as well and his father, Sidney, was a Renaissance Fund Honoree in 1991. “It’s a great honor to be recognized by the Renaissance Fund,” Ed says. “I have known many past recipients and they are all individuals I admire. Their work in the community has made them role models. It’s very humbling.” Charlene adds, “It’s a tremendous honor to be able to help raise money for scholarships. This isn’t about us but about the students whose lives will be forever changed.” T&G Rebekka Coakley lives in Bellefonte, is a freelance writer, and works for Penn State.

A Little Piece of Paradise!

On E. Branch Road, Huntingdon

$40,000

Over an acre flat building lot with it’s own wild trout stream and electricity hook up in place. A perfect place for a residential home or recreational cabin. Conveniently located between Penn State and Raystown Lake. Within 10 miles of 2 State Parks (Whipples Dam & Greenwood Furnace) and within walking distance of State Game Lands.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity.

MLS #37239

Scot Chambers, Realtor ABR, e-Pro, NAR Green Designee 740 S. Atherton Street State College, PA 16801 (814) 574-9267 (cell) (814) 272-3333 (office) ScotChambers@kw.com

Sering You in Central PA

41 - Town&Gown October 2012

John Hovenstine (3)

Eli Keim (2) was diagnosed with Down syndrome within an hour of his birth. His parents, Beth and Jonathan, say heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s starting to play and wrestle with his older brother, Isaac (6).

42 - Town&Gown October 2012

Faces of Hope and

Courage As several local families show, raising a child with Down syndrome has many challenges. It also has countless moments of joy and love By Amy King

hursday, November 13, 2003 — the day is still vivid in my mind. I was in the laundry room folding clothes when the phone rang. It was my brother-in-law relaying a wonderful message — my niece, Elizabeth Joy, had been born! Then he cautiously voiced the next piece of information — it was relatively certain that she had Down syndrome. I remember the long pause before I asked a flurry of questions, none of which he could really answer at the time. We hung up, and I called my husband with the news. We cried together over the phone. I’m sure we were crying for a myriad of reasons with the main one being the unknown. Several local families know well that sense of uncertainty. But, over time, they have come to know much more than those unstable feelings. Yes, there are frustrations and setbacks, but there also are laugh-filled days and a general sense of positivity and ceaseless love that comes from having and raising a child with Down syndrome.

43 - Town&Gown October 2012

In short, they are like any other family. Beth Keim and her husband, Jonathan, of State College are parents to two energetic boys, Isaac (6) and Eli (2). Within an hour of Eli’s birth, the Keims received his Down syndrome diagnosis. “ We w e r e v e r y accepting,” Beth recalls, “although it was a little unnerving to leave the hospital without more concrete knowledge. Jonathan’s stepsister has Down syndrome, and she has been in our lives for so long. We had some experience in that regard.” Beth goes on to say that, just as any family, they take the good Beth and Jonathan days with the bad. Keim with sons Eli (left) “I’ve learned to just and Isaac. deal with today,” she says. When talking about standards or benchmarks concerning Eli’s development, Beth’s no-pressure attitude shines. “He’ll get there when he gets there,” she says. While witnessing Eli in action, the first thing you notice is his charming smile and his slight fist-waving Hello. He’s a quick mover, recently accomplishing the challenge of climbing stairs. “He’s starting to play and wrestle with his older brother, whom he worships,” Beth shares. “Isaac is a great older brother, definitely a protector of Eli.” Kara Weitzel of State College is a six-year-old first-grader who enjoys playing with her friends, having tea parties with her babies, and building with blocks. She is a typical middle child, looking up to her older brother (Matthew, 9) and taking care of her younger brother (David, 4). She likes watching movies and eating out with her family (Garfield’s and DP Dough are some favorites). Kara Kerri and Mike also has Down syndrome. Weitzel with daugh“When we received ter, Kara (left), and our diagnosis, we weren’t son, Matthew. The scared,” Kara’s mother, couple’s youngest Kerri, shares. “We were son, David, is not mainly concerned that pictured.

she was healthy besides. When we found that she was, that was the important thing. “I definitely had some anger moments, but they weren’t for [my husband] Mike and me — they were for Kara. I knew she would come upon challenges in her life, and it made me mad thinking about some of the things she would have to deal with. I would have my moments of anger and move on — that’s all I could really do.” Kerri goes on to describe the positive philosophy Mike and she have adopted in raising their daughter. “Down syndrome doesn’t define who she is,” Kerri stresses. “Every child develops differently. We have learned to simply encourage and love Kara, just as our other children.” Kerri also relishes the role of being an educator for others who might lack facts regarding children with Down syndrome. “Sometimes offensive remarks are made, and I finally realized that I could live my life shaking my head and walking away angry or I could take a chance to educate someone, change a perception, and maybe start a positive domino effect with information about kids with Down syndrome,” she says. “Living life with a positive outlook is a much happier life to live!” Sara and John Brownson of Bellefonte had a disparate experience with their son’s diagnosis. Kaleb, now 10, was two-weeks old when tests confirmed he had Down syndrome. “Even though he was obviously the same child, it was almost like having a new baby,” Sara says.

44 - Town&Gown October 2012

The Masters family (front row) Sarah; (middle row, from left) Chris and Rob; (back row, from left) Bart, Stephanie, and Alek.

John and Sara Brownson with sons Kaleb (left) and Carter.

“We had a new set of expectations for what his goals would be.” Sara and John found they had numerous question marks and didn’t know where to turn. “My mom [a special-education teacher] was a great source of support,” Sara says, “and we moved forward together.” Now in fourth grade, Kaleb loves being an older brother to Carter, 6. “He’s a great helper,” Sara confirms. Kaleb has a noticeable happy demeanor (bantering with his mom seems commonplace) and patience (he sat and listened to adults talking for quite some time before it was his turn — no easy feat to be sure!). He loves the arts — acting, music, and singing — as well as school, where he is a thriving student. The Brownson family’s positive attitude is similar to that of the Weitzels’ — Sara explains that her family has always tried to have a “personfirst” outlook. “When people look at Kaleb, I hope they see Kaleb the person, not the Down syndrome,” she says. Chris and Rob Masters of State College are parents to four children: Bart (24), Stephanie (22), and twins Sarah and Alek (18). After Sarah and Alek’s births, Chris and Rob received word that Alek had Down syndrome. “There was literature [on Down syndrome]

available at the time,” Chris explains, “but it was horribly depressing. We took the family approach that we would prepare for more challenges even though we didn’t know what the challenges would be.” As the other families have employed affirming attitudes, Chris and her husband adopted the tactic of “when it happens, it happens” as far as developmental milestones for Alek when he was growing up. “It was actually quite interesting having twins,” Chris says. “Sarah would crawl, and I’d worry about Alek and when he would start. Next thing you knew, he’d be crawling, too.” Alek is like any other teenager — maybe even more polite than some. When he walked into a room while receiving a text message, he read it then quickly put his phone away and left it alone for the duration of the conversation he had. He played cymbals in the marching band at State High and enjoys writing lyrics for songs. “It’s how I express myself when I want people to know my feelings,” he says. The love and pride his twin sister, Sarah, feels for her brother is obvious even though, growing up, it wasn’t always easy for her. “It was sometimes hard to see the special opportunities Alek had because of his Down syndrome,” she says. “But my mom always reminded me that I had special opportunities, too — they were just different from his.” Chris shares a story of when Alek and Sarah were much younger. There was a tattling epidemic in their classroom, and the exasperated teacher finally told the students that they were to

45 - Town&Gown October 2012

worry only about themselves. Sarah quietly raised her hand and said, “But I need to worry about my brother, too.” Even though Alek doesn’t need Sarah’s protection, her devotion to her brother began at a young age and has carried through. Patrick Northup-Moore, 26, moved with his family to State College from Philadelphia when he was nine years old. Since then, he has become a devoted Penn State sports fan, particularly with men’s basketball — “It’s fast, and I like to watch them dunk,” he explains. He not only serves as one

The Northup-Moore family (from left) Kris, Pat, Lindsay, and Patrick.

of the mangers during the season but also works in the office handling mailing tasks. In addition, he completes AV setup at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel and volunteers once a week in a lifeskills classroom at State High. He takes full responsibility where these jobs are concerned. He calls and schedules all of his transportation through CATARIDE — a subsidiary of CATA that provides curb-to-curb transport for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. “Patrick is very trustworthy,” his mother, Kris, says. She iterates that Patrick’s iPhone is what makes him as mobile as he is. “We’re always in contact with him.” When not working, Patrick helps out around the home. He completes yard-work tasks, does his own laundry and dishes, and takes care of the dog by feeding and walking it daily. And in any spare time? “I read the newspaper every day,” he says. “And I like to be on the computer.” In addition, he loves to listen to music — Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift are some favorite artists — and he can reportedly do a mean impersonation of the Man in Black, Johnny Cash. Patrick has success stories on many levels — one

Pennsylvania’s Most Unique Haunted House & Trail!

GHOSTS & GOBLINS 2012

Celebrating 29 Spooktacular Years! Tickets @ www.lincolncaverns.com Every Friday & Saturday in October! Come Experience the Horror of our Haunted Halls! Saturday Daytime Family Tours Feature 2 Caverns—one haunted & one natural! Friday & Saturday Evening Haunted Caverns & Trail! Ask About Our...Group Tours! Birthday Parties! Friday Night Specials! Call 814.643.0268

Lincoln Caverns

7703 William Penn Hwy., Route 22, 3 miles west of Huntingdon, PA

46 - Town&Gown October 2012

of those demonstrates how far the education system has come in a relatively short 20 years. When he started to attend school, it was just the beginning of students with Down syndrome being mainstreamed. His father, Pat, remembers sending Patrick to kindergarten. “We took him in for registration, and the teachers and administrator just looked at us, almost confused, asking ‘He can’t go to school here, can he?’ And I firmly said, ‘Yes, he can,’ and that was it.” Pat adds, “We don’t view him as disabled — but differently abled.” To be sure, Patrick’s accomplishments are due to his loving upbringing, his dedicated work ethic, and his positive attitude. But some credit also lies within the LifeLink PSU (LLPSU) program. LLPSU is a partnership program between the State College Area School District’s specialeducation department and the College of Education at Penn State. In existence since the 2002-03 school year, LLPSU was the vision of Pat Moore (Patrick’s father and SCASD director of special education) and Teri Lindner (a nowretired teacher). It came to fruition and has been successful as a result of the efforts of many people from the school district, the university, and the community.

Down Syndrome Facts (Sources: www.mayoclinic.com; www.americanpregnancy.org; kidshealth.org.)

• Down syndrome occurs when an error in cell division results in an extra 21st chromosome (three copies of this chromosome as opposed to two) • Down syndrome affects about 1 in every 800 children born in the United States. • The risk for having a child with Down syndrome increases with maternal age (from about 1 in 1,250 pregnancies with a mother aged 25, to 1 in 100 pregnancies with a mother aged 40). • There are no known environmental or behavioral dynamics that cause Down syndrome. • Some physical characteristics of Down syndrome may include: almond-shaped eyes; low muscle tone/excessive flexibility; protruding tongue; deep crease in the palm of the hand/shorter, stubbier fingers; short neck. For more information, visit the National Down Syndrome Society at www.ndss.org.

47 - Town&Gown October 2012

a fundraiser — raising almost 90 percent of the CCDSS operating budget last year – but also an awareness raiser. “It lets people know we’re here, and it helps spark interaction between the community and our families,” he says. The State College Buddy Walk, one of more than 275 Buddy Walks across the nation, has seen exponential growth since its inception in 2008. What started in a local park with 50 to 60

The author with her niece, Elizabeth Joy. The Rogers family (from left) Genevieve, Celia, Emily Francis, Lucy, Ben, and Gregg.

“LLPSU allows for students with intellectual and physical disabilities to continue their education with age-appropriate peers on a university campus. They have the opportunity to grow and flourish in a rich and stimulating environment,” Pat says. Another community program that is important in these families’ lives is the Centre County Down Syndrome Society (CCDSS). Gregg Rogers of State College helped start up CCDSS in 2006, one year after his daughter, Genevieve, now 7, was born. He had been exceptionally frustrated with the lack of information he and his wife, Lucy, obtained when they received their prenatal diagnosis of Trisomy 21, which is the cause for nearly 95 percent of observed Down syndromes. “We were terrified when we received our diagnosis,” Gregg recollects. “We managed to stumble our way through [the rest of the pregnancy] without much help in the way of knowledge. For two pushy ex-New Yorkers, that wasn’t acceptable. We didn’t want anyone else to go through what we went through.” The mission of the CCDSS, as developed over the years, is to be an informational resource and support provider for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. In addition, they aim to increase awareness and understanding for the populace. One of the ways they do this is through the Buddy Walk. “My family attended a Buddy Walk at Central Park in New York City, and it was an amazing experience,” Gregg says. “We knew we wanted to bring that here to State College.” He explains that the Buddy Walk is not only

people attending has grown to more than 300 participants at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in a partnership with the State College Spikes. Last year alone raised more than $38,000 to help fund local programs, including therapeutic horsebackriding lessons, a book-donation program to the Centre County library system, and several social events for member families and their guests. This year’s event takes place on October 20. An awareness event, such as the Buddy Walk, can provide a link to educating the public about the realities of Down syndrome. Without firsthand experience, a typically developing person might not see the true talents of individuals with Down syndrome. That’s precisely why I so much cherish my time with my niece, Elizabeth. She’s kind-hearted. She’s funny. She fills me with elation when she wants to hold my hand. She makes me proud when she reads a book to me. She’s taught me a lot about patience — and that differences between others are good. T&G For more information on the Centre County Down Syndrome Society and the State College Buddy Walk, visit www.centrecountydownsyndrome.org. Amy King is a contributor to Town&Gown, and teaches preschool at Grace Lutheran Preschool & Kindergarten. She lives in State College with her husband and three children.

48 - Town&Gown October 2012

We Care about our families

• Special Needs Planning • Wills • Long Term Care Planning • Living Wills • Veteran’s Benefits • Powers of Attorney

Let us help take care of yours!

H. Amos Goodall Jr.

Jennifer White Member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

Certified Elder Law Attorney By the National Elder Law Foundation

328 S. Atherton St, State College, PA 16801

814-237-4100 • www.centrelaw.com

Cent re R egi on Se nio r

50 er

Aq ua ti

M ar

Centre Region Parks & Recreation

Yo ut h

es itn tF ul

Mil lbr oo k

Yo uth

ams ogr . pr rec

er nt

lt du dA an

; ter l pa en C ifu e ut tur Na

s rk

Millbrook Marsh Nature Center; Over 50 beautiful parks; Centre Region Senior Center; Youth and Adult rec. programs (tennis, rhythmic gymnastics, Preschool arts programs, swim lessons, Cardio Tennis); Youth and Adult Fitness (Yoga, Zumba, Zumbatomic, Pilates, Aerobics); Aquatics.

CRPR...Where Everyone Plays • www.crpr.org • 814-231-3071 50 - Town&Gown October 2012

Town&Gownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide to

Financial Services

Find the financial institutions, investment specialists, and advisors that are right for you â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and your money

51 - Special Advertsing Section

Special Advertising Section

Guide to

Financial Services A Window of Opportunity When it comes to wealth transfer, there’s no time like the present

By Carole Yon PNC Managing Director

e are in a unique period in our history where we believe there is a great window of opportunity for the affluent to transfer wealth or for owners of closely held businesses to execute their succession plans — or at least portions of them. The 2010 Tax Act has afforded individuals the chance to gift up to $5 million during their lifetimes without gift taxes ($10 million per married couple) during 2011 and 2012. Indexed for inflation in 2012, the exemption amounts have increased to $5.12 million per person, or $10.24 million for couples. These tax exemptions are at their largest in history, while the top tax rate of 35 percent is the lowest rate we’ve seen on wealth transfers in decades. But the opportunity to take advantage of these exemptions is temporary. Unless new legislation is passed, the amount for individuals will likely be reduced to $1 million in 2013. With this short-term window ending soon, now may be a good time to consider transferring wealth to your loved ones.

How Can You Take Advantage?

There are a number of ways you can take advantage of the current tax law before it expires on December 31, 2012. Here are five examples of how you may take advantage of these all-time high exemptions. 1. Testamentary Transfer. Transfer of the assets of an estate according to the provisions of the deceased person’s last will and testament. 2. Lifetime Exemption Transfer. A married couple can make a lifetime tax-free gift in excess of $10 million taxfree to their heirs if no prior taxable gifts have been made. 3. Dynasty Trust. You can set up a dynasty trust, which is designed to hold assets in trust without direct ownership being transferred to any beneficiary. Successive generations may receive distributions from trust assets, allowing

for growth. For tax purposes, the trust’s assets are valued at the amount they were worth when the trust was created as long as they stay in the trust. Appreciation is generally exempt from estate taxes. 4. Gift to Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT). As grantor, you would transfer funds to a life-insurance policy inside an ILIT. The trustee would use your gift to pay the lifeinsurance premium. Your transfer of funds will be considered a gift for gift-tax purposes. You can then use your remaining lifetime gift exclusion for other potential tax-free gifts in the future. 5. Gift Business Interests. Given the impending legislative changes, 2012 presents a potential limited window for business owners to implement their succession plans with potentially fewer tax consequences than if they waited until 2013. Two ways you may take advantage of this limited window if you own a closely held family business: Gift valuable business interests now to take advantage of the $5 million gift exemption. And gift noncontrolling interests in your business now. Discounts for lack of marketability and lack of control are still permitted. Carole Yon serves as the managing director of PNC Wealth Management in Central Pennsylvania. She can be reached at (717) 730-2257 or 1-800-762-0616 or by e-mail at carole.yon@pnc.com. To ensure compliance with Internal Revenue Service Circular 230, we inform you that any U.S. Federal Tax advice contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (1) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (2) promoting, marketing or recommending to any person any tax-related matter(s) addressed herein. The material presented in this article is of a general nature and does not constitute the provision by PNC of investment, legal, tax or accounting advice to any person, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or adopt any investment strategy. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. The information was obtained from sources deemed reliable. Such information is not guaranteed as to its accuracy. You should seek the advice of an investment professional to tailor a financial plan to your particular needs. For more information, please contact PNC at 1-888-762-6226. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (“PNC”) uses the names PNC Wealth Management®, PNC Institutional Investments® and Hawthorn PNC Family WealthSM to provide investment and wealth management, fiduciary services, FDICinsured banking products and services and lending of funds through its subsidiary, PNC Bank, National Association, which is a Member FDIC, and uses the names PNC Wealth Management® and Hawthorn PNC Family WealthSM to provide certain fiduciary and agency services through its subsidiary, PNC Delaware Trust Company. Brokerage and advisory products and services are offered through PNC Investments LLC, a registered broker-dealer and investment adviser and member of FINRA and SIPC. Insurance products and advice may be provided by PNC Insurance Services, LLC, a licensed insurance agency affiliate of PNC, or by licensed insurance agencies that are not affiliated with PNC; in either case a licensed insurance affiliate will receive compensation if you choose to purchase insurance through these programs. A decision to purchase insurance will not affect the cost or availability of other products or services from PNC or its affiliates. PNC does not provide legal, tax or accounting advice. “PNC Wealth Management” and “PNC Institutional Investments” are registered trademarks and “Hawthorn PNC Family Wealth” is a service mark of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Investments: Not FDIC Insured. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value. Insurance: Not FDIC Insured. No Bank or Federal Government Guarantee. May Lose Value.

52 - Special Town&Gown Advertsing October Section 2011

53 - Special Advertsing Section

Guide to

Financial Services Inherited Money — A Windfall that Can Last or Quickly Be in the Past

By Judy Loy

nheriting money is a windfall for most people. Some people who inherit money go on a spending spree by taking expensive trips, buying luxury cars, or putting additions on their houses. Before any decisions are made, however, it is important to take stock of your entire financial picture and make decisions based on your age, income, current assets, family obligations, and lifestyle. The most important starting point is strategy. Don’t act rashly when making decisions. Take time to think about your long-term financial goals and short-term financial needs. Buying that expensive car might sound good, but the money can quickly be spend. When you really evaluate your situation, other priorities might be higher on your list. First, you’ll want to understand how inheritance tax will affect the total you will receive. Money needs to be set aside to pay for state taxes and possibly federal taxes. Pennsylvania has different rates for different familial relationships of heirs. The rate is zero for spouses and dependent children under the age of 21. All other heirs have taxes to consider. In 2012, federal inheritance tax is paid only on estates worth more than $5 million. In 2013, the estate value reverts to a $1 million level, which will affect a lot more people. It can be tricky if the inherited assets are not liquid, such as a valuable family home that needs to be sold in order to share the profit with multiple heirs. Second, consider your entire financial situation. Do you have high-interest-rate credit cards? This is a good time to get rid of bad debt. One way to avoid future credit card debt is to start an emergency fund, a readily accessible

fund to be used for unexpected expenses, such as a major car repair. If possible, take some of your inheritance money and put the value of three- to six-month living expenses into a savings account or money-market account. Insurance, college planning, home repairs, mortgage payments, and retirement are other financial areas to consider. The level of importance that you place on each one is a personal decision. Keep in mind the old adage that you can borrow for college but not for retirement. You might think about using your inheritance to pay off a mortgage. Before this, consider the current interest rate on the loan and the tax deductions on the interest paid. Sometimes putting money in other investments versus paying

“... take stock of your entire financial picture and make decisions based on your age, income, current assets, family obligations, and lifestyle." off a mortgage can be a better financial move. An investment advisor can prepare a document for you called a “retirement planner” that looks at all your assets, debts, and income sources to help you evaluate how an inheritance might be invested. This document also can give you a better understanding of your retirement options. Overall, it is difficult to lose a loved one. Take the opportunity to get yourself on the right financial path and don’t spend an inheritance based on emotions. Ask an investment advisor or tax consultant for advice on how to handle your inheritance wisely. Judy Loy, ChFC®, is a registered investment advisor and CEO at Nestlerode & Loy Investment Advisors, State College. For more information, call (814) 238-6249 or visit NestlerodeAndLoy.com.

54 - Special Town&Gown Advertsing October Section 2011

55 - Special Advertsing Section

Guide to

Financial Services Tips During Low-InterestRate Periods Jack Infield Susquehanna Bank

ith interest rates at record lows, consumers can take advantage of a number of strategies. “Low-interest-rate periods offer a variety of opportunities and challenges for customers deciding how to manage their money,” says Jack Infield, regional president for Susquehanna Bank. “Customers should never take on more debt than they can afford to repay, but this could be a good time to consolidate debt to make payments easier, or make a home-improvement you’ve been thinking about for a long time.” Susquehanna Bank and the American Bankers Association offer the following tips for consumers during low-interest-rate periods: • Consolidate debt. With interest rates at historic lows, it makes sense to consolidate debt into one low-interest loan. For example, if you have outstanding balances on several credit cards, consider transferring those balances to one credit card with the lowest interest rate. If you qualify, it may be a good time to apply for a home-equity line of credit to consolidate debt or make a home improvement. • Consider making large purchases now. If you’ve been thinking of making a major purchase such as a house or a car, today’s low interest rates make it a good time to finance big-ticket items. However, make sure you have a good credit record and can pay off the loan before applying.

• Know your credit score. Before you apply for any loan or credit card, check your credit report and learn your credit score. Make sure your score is higher than about 680 to qualify for the best rates. If your score is lower than that, pay down your balances, remove errors from your credit report, and pay bills on time to raise your score. • Keep saving. Just because standard savings accounts aren’t paying a lot of interest now doesn’t mean you should stop saving for your future. Your savings will still accrue, you’ll be less likely to spend it, and you know it will be safe. Consider making automatic deposits into a savings account or, if you can afford to lock up your money for a while, consider longer-term certificates of deposit.

“Customers should never take on more debt than they can afford to repay, but this could be a good time to consolidate debt to make payments easier, or make a homeimprovement you’ve been thinking about for a long time.” It’s always a good idea to talk to your banker about your financial plans and goals so that they can recommend the best financial products and services to help you.

56 - Special Town&Gown Advertsing October Section 2011

Doing what counts for State College

1.01

Looking for a competitive money market rate? We can help!

PROMOTIONAL MONEY MARKET

In addition to enjoying a 1.01% APY* on your money, you get the convenience of having access to your funds.

APY*

GUARANTEED for 6 months

Visit our newest location at 125 Southridge Plaza Drive to open your promotional money market account today!

Minimum $10,000 | Maximum $100,000

Doing what countsâ&#x201E;˘. susquehanna.net | 800.311.3182 Member FDIC

*Annual Percentage Yield (APY). A $10,000 minimum deposit of new money, not currently on deposit with Susquehanna Bank, is required to open the Promotional Money Market, and earn the APY. Rates effective as of publication date and are subject to change without notice. Account must be opened by November 5, 2012. The 1.01% promotional APY is paid for a period of 6 months following the account opening date. Balances greater than $100,000 earn 0.45% APY. Thereafter, the Promotional MMDA automatically converts to a Premium Money Market account at the then current terms. Fees could reduce earnings. Federal regulation limits total transactions for money market accounts. This offer is available for new money market customers only. Current money market customers are not eligible. Current personal customers must have an active Relationship Checking or Relationship Checking: Senior account with a qualified direct deposit to qualify for this promotion. New and existing customers without a checking account must open a Relationship Checking or Relationship Checking: Senior account with a qualified direct deposit within 45 days of account opening to qualify ($25 minimum balance to open). Qualified direct deposits are defined as recurring ACH deposits of $100 or more, and include direct deposits of a paycheck, pension, or Social Security. For a Relationship Checking or Relationship Checking: Senior account, a combination of account balances or a combination of age and direct deposit are required to avoid a monthly service fee. Offer is limited to one promotional account per customer. All accounts opened in conjunction with this promotion may be opened only at the South Atherton, Beaver Avenue, or North Atherton Offices. No brokered deposits accepted. This is a limited-time offer and subject to change without notice.

20120907082000_OctoberTownAndGown_r3.indd 1

9/17/12 1:20 PM

57 - Special Advertsing Section

Botamer Financial

Registered Investment Advisor Christopher C. Botamer,

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional

FEE ONLY FINANCIAL PLANNING & INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

673 Devonshire Drive • State College, PA 16803 814-237-5150 • 814-234-0623 cbotamer@botamerfinancial.com

www.botamerfinancial.com 58 - Special Advertsing Section

Financial Wellness takes careful planning… We can help you get there! • Retirement Planning • Tax Planning • All Your Life Insurance Needs

Christopher D. Leitzell

Diversified Asset Planners

Donald E. Leitzell, CFP ®

1524 W. College Ave., State College • 814-234-2500 Securities offered through J.W. Cole Financial – Member FINRA/SIPC. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification AND in the U.S. Diversified Asset Planners and J.W. Cole Financial are independent firms. marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™

59 - Special Advertsing Section

Guide to

Financial Services

How to Pick a Bank

By Jim Holding

OK. You need a new bank. How do you pick the right one? In general, this community is blessed with an abundance of fine, reliable, healthy banks. (In fact, during the recent banking crisis, our state has escaped practically unscathed.) All the banks that serve this community offer banking products and services that will probably fill all your financial needs. First, ask yourself why you need a new bank. You’re probably going to be with your new bank for sometime. Ask yourself what is making you change banks. If you’re relocating, the answer is easy. If you’re leaving a bank for a definite reason, look for a new bank that has what your old one lacked. Second, decide what you need and want from your bank. Banks offer products and services for a wide variety of needs. Decide what yours are. If you want free checking or checking with interest, if you want interest on certificates of deposit or low interest on loans, if electronic banking services such as online banking or online bill payment are important to you — decide exactly what you want and need. If you don’t know what you need, ask bankers at two or three different banks. Compare what they tell you. Then decide for yourself, on your own. Lots of people are reluctant to “bother” a banker, but answering questions from customers, and especially from prospective customers, is part of every banker’s job. Make an appointment with a banking counselor. Describe your situation to him or her completely. Ask what bank products and services he or she thinks you need. Then be quiet and listen. Third, shop around. Compare banks, in person and online. • Ask your friends and coworkers for advice and their banking stories (and horror stories). • Look at branch location and branch networks. Many folks today bank almost entirely online or by ATM, but national statistics show that, on average, bank customers still visit their local branch bank once every week. Check to see whether your bank has a branch near your home

and near where you work. If you have someone in college, see if the bank has branches near home and near your child’s college campus. • What about ATMs? Automatic Teller Machines have become a face of life. Does your prospective bank offer a lot of them or very few? How do you locate no-fee ATMs when you’re out of town? Does the bank charge you if you use a machine it doesn’t own? • Check online banking services. Most online banking systems offer a “test drive,” so check them out. • Check for fees. Banks charge fees. It’s a fact of life. Learn what your prospective banks charge by asking for fee disclosures or finding them online. (Ask and you’ll get them. The Truth in Savings Act requires banks to disclose these fees.) Tip: You may have heard a lot about “guaranteed payment fees.” These are fees a bank charges you for letting you overdraw your account. They’re a hideous way to choose a checking account. Just don’t overdraw. If you never spend more than you have, the problem never comes up. • Check rates: Like fees, rates a bank pays on deposits and charges for loans are important. Ask what the current rates are or hunt them down online. Tip: Fees and rates are important, but they’re not the most important part of picking a bank. If you make your decision based only on fees and rates, you’ll be dealing with what’s called a “low cost provider.” This will save you money, but the bank will probably make up for it in another area, probably customer service. • Check for Federal Deposit Insurance. Look for the letters FDIC in the lobby or on signs. Pennsylvania has a good record as far as banks not failing goes, but safety pays. • Finally, talk to the staff members, the tellers, the customer-service representatives, the people who answer the toll-free number at the call centers — in short, the folks you’ll be dealing with. Ask them, “Why should I do my banking with your bank?” Then listen to what they say and to how they say it. Watch especially for sincerity and enthusiasm. When you’re done, compare what you’ve learned and make your choice. You will find your hard work was well worth the effort. Happy banking! Jim Holding is vice president of communications for Northwest Savings Bank.

60 - Special Town&Gown Advertsing October Section 2011

BUSINESS LOANS $50,000 & UP Commercial Mortgage Rates Below 6% • A/R Factoring Below 3% Equipment Leasing @ 7% • Venture Capital • Private Equity Placements TURNAROUND FINANCING • HARD MONEY & SALE-LEASEBACKS FREE CONSULTATION • NO A DVA NCED FEES

INVESTORS FIRST CAPITAL email: sm@investorsfirstcap.com web: investorsfirstcap.com

CALL US TODAY! (800) 458-9396 *not a residential mortgage or consumer lender!

Donate Your Car, Truck or SUV Help our local Salvation Army! (And Receive a Tax “Write Off”!)

www.nationalcharities.org

814-692-5277 or 814-861-6465

A 501(c)3 non-profit organization

61 - Special Advertsing Section

INVESTMENT â&#x20AC;˘ ADVISORS LLC 1276 N. Atherton St. State College, PA 16803 Ph: (814) 867-2050 FAX: (814) 867-2063 Seasoned investment advisor Rob Thomas founded Vantage Investment Advisors LLC in 2000 to provide a comprehensive approach to investment management for individuals, trusts and qualified plans. Through objective investment advice, exhaustive due diligence and research, and professional portfolio management, Vantage provides a comprehensive approach to asset management for high net worth individuals, trusts, IRAs and qualified pension plans. Vantage utilizes individual stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and institutional money managers to create a personalized asset allocation and investment portfolio for each client, taking into consideration their specific investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon. The firm currently manages approximately $600 million for business and retirement plans and for individuals and families.

VANTAGE:

offers a comprehensive approach to investment management. emphasizes versatility and customization in the structure of client portfolios. has access to 9,000 mutual funds and 350 institutional money managers. allows clients continuous access to information on their accounts through its website, www.vantageadvisors.com. CONTACT: Robert R. Thomas, CFA, CFPÂŽ (rob.thomas@vantageadvisors.com) or Jill W. Sutt (jill.sutt@vantageadvisors.com)

Celebrate

Homecoming

like Never Before!

Homecoming Key Events: October 2nd For The Glory Talent Show in Eisenhower Auditorium from 7-9pm October 3rd Best of Penn State Carnival on Old Main Lawn from 3-8pm October 5th Alumni & Student Ice Cream Social at The Hintz Family Alumni Center from 1-4pm October 5th 2012 Penn State Homecoming Parade starting at 6pm October 5th Homecoming Pep Rally in Rec Hall at 8:45pm October 6th Alumni & Student Tailgate Competition from 9:00-11:30am at the tailgating lots October 6th Kickoff at 12:00pm for the Penn State Homecoming Football Game against Northwestern TJ Bard, Alumni Relations Director for Penn State Homecoming; Mimi Barash Coppersmith, 2012 Honorary Grand Marshal; The Nittany Lion; Bridgette Carrier, Executive Director for Penn State Homecoming.

Please visit our website Homecoming.psu.edu for more information about all of our upcoming events! Sponsored by Penn State Food Services (HUB Dining).

Philipsburg - Linnwood - Oakwood Drive Immaculate well maintained one of a kind home with 4,000 sq. ft. of living area, backyard paradise with unique L-shaped in-ground pool and expansive deck for your relaxation and enjoyment. Features include 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, recreation room with a custom bar, gorgeous stone fireplace in the living room and a handicap accessible and designed in-law suite with abundant possibilities. Go to www.203oakwooddrive.com or text 398937 to 79564 MLS 36636

64 - Town&Gown October 2012

Reiter Agency

Edward E. Reiter Associate Broker

500 S. Centre St., PO Box 704 Phillipsburg, PA 16866 Office: 814-342-1664 Office: 800-750-0407 Cell: 814-590-9481 Email: edsells1@gmail.com www.edsells.com

The Burgh

VS. Brotherly Love

Because State College draws people from both sides of the state, the rivalry that exists between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia comes to a head here. Game on!

By Samantha Hulings 65 - Town&Gown October 2012

have a hatred for Pittsburgh. But, of course, some friendly banter always takes place during the sports seasons. “Playoff time is always interesting. I do welcome the rivalry, though,” he says. “I would say don’t wear a jersey if you will be in an area that is highly populated with the rival’s team, unless you can take harassment well. But again, it’s all welcome. It keeps things interesting.” Penn State senior Corbin Rogers of Pittsburgh takes a different approach — the competition between the two cities causes him to passionately dislike anything that is Philadelphia related. From a young age, Rogers bled black and gold. “When I was around two or three, my dad babysat me by planting me in front of the TV when the Penguins were making their multiple Cup runs in the early ’90s. From what I’ve been told, I would immediately stop crying and go into a sort of trance looking at the players play,” he says. Rogers’s love for the Burgh and its sports teams only deepened as he grew. Since 1994, he has attended more than 200 Pirates games, five Steelers games, and 24 Penguins games. As a fan who has watched the rivalry intensify for more than 20 years, he thinks the two cities tend to hate The Pittsburgh and Philadelphia rivalry becomes especially heated each other. during hockey season when the Penguins and Flyers play. “The inter66 - Town&Gown October 2012

Courtesey of Philadelphia Flyers

As a town in the center of Pennsylvania, State College is the front where the verbal and braggingrights battle between the state’s two biggest cities, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, is most heated. Hostilities reach their zenith during hockey season when the Penguins and Flyers play, especially if they meet in the playoffs. Still, the never-ending competition between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia has transformed from a simple sports contest to a no-holds-barred sibling rivalry between the two Keystone State cities. From colleges to food and everything in between, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia fans each believe their city will always come out on top. Sean Dalton, a Penn State alum, is one such fan. Growing up in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, located just 20 minutes from Philadelphia, Dalton always loved The City of Brotherly Love. “I think due to geographical location it is a matter of what I have to think. Cultural norm if you will,” he says. This closeness to the city made Dalton a Philly sports fan at a young age. “My first hat I ever owned was a Phillies hat,” he says. “I think the Phillies are my favorite team because I am a fighter in the sense of never giving up on anything, so I identify with them.” Like a true Philadelphia fan, Dalton also roots for the Flyers, 76ers, Eagles, and the Union. He tries to watch at least a portion of every game featuring a Philly team. Though he thinks the rivalry between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh runs deep, he doesn’t

state rivalry has been ramped up over the past few years because our sports teams have been winning championships. When we do play each other, the atmosphere is stifling, with dirty glares for all,” he says. “It can get heated. I’ve seen fights and beer thrown.” Greg DuBois, owner and operator of Damon’s Grill & Sports Bar in State College, says that though the rivalry in Happy Valley may run deep, he has never had to deal with anything more than the typical sports trash talk. He attributes this to the fact that both teams are well represented at the sports bar. What also may help is that DuBois likes Philadelphia, but his wife, Kerry, Damon’s banquet manager, roots for Pittsburgh, causing both cities’ teams to have comparable TV time. This draws fans of both cities to Damon’s, especially during hockey season. And because his sports bar isn’t oriented exclusively to Philadelphia fans, Dubois hears many arguments in which Pittsburgh fans use the history of their teams to back up their claims of superiority. “I just think that Pittsburgh fans needs to stop using things that happened well before they were born,” he says with a laugh. But for fans like Rogers, the winning legacy of Pittsburgh coupled with the recent championships helps to explain why his city is better. With three Stanley Cups, six Lombardi Trophies, and five World Series titles for Pittsburgh compared to two Stanley Cups, no Lombardi Trophies, and two World Series titles for Philadelphia, Rogers feels the numbers speak for themselves. For him, this legacy left by powerhouse Pittsburgh teams is the best part of the interstate rivalry. “I mean, look at the numbers. Quite the difference if I say myself,” he says. But even with his dislike for Philadelphia sports, he hasn’t let it affect his friendships with people he knows from the City of Brotherly Love. “There is a mutual respect for each other since we’re already friends, but it has been testy if our teams play,” he says. Unlike Dalton and Rogers, Sarah Kovalesky, a Penn State sophomore, is split down the middle when it comes to the rivalry between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Her parents grew up in Western Pennsylvania, but now live in Collegeville, just 45 minutes from Philadelphia. Because of this, she grew up watching both cities’ sporting events. When it comes to her favorites, nothing can compare to the Phillies. She attends as many Phillies

More Than Sports It doesn’t have to be about Penguins vs. Flyers or Steelers vs. Eagles. The battle between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia goes into all areas: Language: Yinz vs. Youse Food: Primanti Brothers sandwich vs. Philly Cheesesteak Beer: Iron City Brewing Company vs. Philadelphia Brewing Company

Celebrities (including sports): Pittsburgh: Michael Keaton, Mr. Rogers, Ted Cassidy, Holly Hunter, Andy Warhol, Christina Aguilera, The Clarks, Wiz Khalifa, Chuck Noll, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Tony Dorsett, Joe Namath, Ty Law, LaVar Arrington. Philadelphia: Will Smith, Kevin Bacon, Dick Clark, Bill Cosby, Tina Fey, Richard Gere, Grace Kelly, M. Night Shyamalan, Kobe Bryant.

Historical Figures:

Pittsburgh: Nellie Bly, Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Mellon, Art Rooney, George Westinghouse, H.J. Heinz. Philadelphia: Louisa May Alcott, Betsy Ross, Thomas Mifflin, Samuel Carpenter, Ben Franklin.

Colleges:

Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne University, Catham University, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Point Park, Robert Morris University, Carlow University, La Roche College. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Philadelphia University, Drexel University, Saint Joseph’s University, La Salle University, Thomas Jefferson University, The Art Institute of Philadelphia.

67 - Town&Gown October 2012

When he was in fourth grade, Sean Dalton (front row in red hat) threw out the first pitch at a Philadelphia Phillies game, and he and his family met the Phillie Phanatic.

games as she can, as she loves watching baseball and keeping up with the players. Because of her upbringing, Kovalesky was used to the rivalry clash that occurs in State College. But instead of partaking in the competiveness, she just finds the entire situation funny and a bit much. She does believe the atmosphere in town chills a bit during sports seasons though. “It can be tense and rather interesting when the two cities play each other, especially when it comes to hockey,” she says. Steve Hughes, who grew up in New Castle, also finds that the rivalry between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia is sometimes pushed a little too much. He believes it to be mostly a hockey rivalry due to the fact that the Penguins and the Flyers play in the same division. “I see Pittsburgh fans as a proud people who, until they run into a Philly fan, wouldn’t have an initial problem with them. But it’s the brashness that rubs me the wrong way,” he says, referring to Philadelphia fans. While at Penn State, Hughes had a few Philadelphia friends who had this “brashness.” Their Philly spirit and hatred for the Pens has caused a lot of disagreements.

Natural & Organic Cotton • Wool & Natural Latex Mattresses & Bedding for Children & Adults Eco-friendly • Solid Wood • Made in Pennsylvania Affordable Living Solutions

1199 E. College Avenue • State College

(866) ROOM DOC

www.RoomDoctor.com 68 - Town&Gown October 2012

“They love to instigate and probe for a fight in hockey,” he says. Hughes does his best to leave sports out of these relationships. He says he doesn’t want to miss out on a great friendship just because he loves Pittsburgh sports. “The sports rivalries do impact the friendship. I try to be understanding when they struggle in hopes that they will be there for me when my teams are down. I’ll root for their teams just so my friends can be happy, but when the chips are down, I want us to win,” he says. He feels that Philly fans hate Pittsburgh because of the fair-weather fans that simply like the Penguins when the team wins. He also believes the current rivalry exists because of hockey playoff rivalries that date back to the 1980s and 1990s. But when it comes to baseball and football, Hughes feels it is more of a respectful interstate rivalry. “I understand their desperation to win a Super Bowl because I have the same desperation for the Pirates [to win a World Series]. It’s been a struggle,” he says. And though he may not always agree with the rivalry, growing up 50 miles from Pittsburgh has

made Hughes a lifetime fan of the Steelers and the Pirates. To him, nothing can beat Steeler football. “The grit, the hustle, the blue-collar playing mentality of Steelers players, and the idea that the players struggle to make the team makes the Steelers great,” he says. “But most of all, the team plays hard and it’s always the way football was intended. It’s hard hitting, violent, and with little regard for each other’s well-being. It’s not like Philly stuff where they pass 40 times and run 10. That may be exciting, but it doesn’t win titles.” He also believes the rivalry depends on each fan’s generation, as both cities’ teams have been successful over the years. “The Eagles have been very competitive and have come close to winning a Super Bowl. The Pirates have a long history of success, but have 19 [consecutive] losing seasons. The Phillies have won the World Series in the past 10 years. The Steelers have won a Super Bowl twice and the Eagles only made it there once in the past 10 years,” he says. “If there is superiority on the playing surface [for Pittsburgh], it’s because of the city’s success in winning championships. We lap them in that category.”

69 - Town&Gown October 2012

Though the Burghand-Philly rivalry runs deep, fans understand that the cities are comparable, even similar. “There is a lot of emotion and passion which creates viewing pleasure amongst the teams and my friends,” Dalton says. Though he has One thing Pittsburgh fans can brag about is the fact that the Steelers never visited Pittsburgh, he have won six Super Bowls. does respect those who come from the city. He says Being able to partake in this rivalry in State that all those he knows from there have always been College was something Hughes enjoyed, though it great individuals. was difficult to deal with at times. And though he may not always like Philadelphia “The fans are chomping at the bit to just sling during hockey season, Rogers does respect the tradihate at each other. It’s tough because the fans are tion of the city. “I think in general, we are the same. so passionate on both sides, but you have to learn Traditional values, diverse communities, and strong to work in groups with these people, stand behind family bonds with other citizens. We are passionthem in coffee lines, and sit next to them in a ate people,” Rogers says. “But a Philly cheesesteak packed room of 300 people,” he says. couldn’t hold its own against a Primanti Brothers’ Because of the deep United States history that is sandwich.” T&G associated with Philadelphia, Hughes respects the city as a whole. He would even like to visit someday. “I would love to go for the history and to watch Samantha Hulings is a graduate of Penn State and a Phillies game. That would be special,” he says. a freelance writer in State College.

BuyHereLiveHere.com 70 - Town&Gown October 2012

Supermarket Shopping New grocery optio

ns move into the e

xpress lane

By Tracey M. Doo ms

72 - Town&Gown October 2012

The new Weis store in Bellefonte gave the supermarket chain one of its most successful 73 - Town&Gown grand openings. It features a gas station, cafĂŠ, andOctober baby 2012 center.

Fifteen years ago, State College-area residents could choose to do their grocery shopping at Weis, Bi-Lo, Giant, a brand-new Sam’s Club, or the food section of O.W. Houts. Bi-Lo and O.W. Houts are long gone, but other supermarket options have grown. By the end of this year, full-service choices for local shoppers will include three Weis stores, two Giants, two Walmarts, a Wegmans, a Sam’s Club, and a Trader Joe’s. At some grocery stores, shoppers also can buy beer and fill up their gas tanks, and organic and gluten-free sections have become popular. Meanwhile, a new Weis in Bellefonte is attracting shoppers from the edges of State College, and most local supermarkets have been renovated recently or have upgrades in the works.

Ahoy, Trader Joe’s!

Trader Joe’s expects to open its North Atherton Street store later this year — the California-based company’s ninth in Pennsylvania. At 12,500 square feet, the store will be just 20 percent of the size of most local supermarkets. “What makes us a little different from the traditional grocery store is that more than 80 percent of what we carry is under the Trader Joe’s label,” says Alison Mochizuki, director of public relations. “We consider ourselves a neighborhood grocery store.” In the highly competitive North Atherton Street grocery “neighborhood,” Trader Joe’s will set itself apart with its “adventure in shopping” theme. Employees wear brightly colored

People will soon be able to purchase Trader Joe’s products in the area.

The Giant on North Atherton Street in State College continues to undergo renovations. It has added a gas station, beer garden, and new deli section, and will soon have a 32-seat indoor café, a new hot-foods bar and updated salad bar, and more.

Hawaiian shirts, walls are cedar-planked, and hand-painted murals reflect the local community. A demonstration booth operates all day, every day so shoppers can try different products, none of which have artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Trader Joe’s bills itself as maintaining low prices because it generally buys in volume, directly from suppliers. “We don’t do sales,” Mochizuki says. “It’s a great price every day.” The chain doesn’t have a “shopper’s club” discount card, but it does accept coupons at face value for the branded items it carries.

Giant Renovations

Although Trader Joe’s small store size means it attracts a different kind of shopper than the average large supermarket, the new State College store still will pull in a definite “share of stomach,” according to Chris Brand, Giant Food corporate spokesman. “We view everyone as competition. We compete against Trader Joe’s in Philadelphia and quite a few markets, but we just focus on what we do best.” On North Atherton Street, Giant is doing just about everything. In April, it opened an eight-pump gas station at its Northland Center store, and in August it began selling beer.

74 - Town&Gown October 2012

Wegmans in State College is adding an outdoor seating area, a new “veggie market, and expanded food bars.

“We try to stay cutting edge by listening to our customers,” Brand says. Shoppers usually earn 10 cents off each gallon of gas with every $100 of groceries purchased through their rewards card. “Our gas-extra-rewards program is popular,” he notes. Built in 1989, the 65,000-square-foot Giant store has been undergoing extensive renovations that will add several thousand square feet by the time the remodeling project is finished in midNovember. For several months, shoppers have pushed their carts through temporary entrances and ever-changing aisles as crews remodeled one section at a time. On August 30, the store opened its new deli section and its beer garden and eatery, thanks to its purchase of the Eutaw House’s liquor license when the Potters Mills restaurant closed in 2009. The new beer section carries both domestic and imported beers with an emphasis on craft and specialty beers, explains store manager Scott Stephens. Customers can create their own mixed six packs. Among other new features when renovations are complete will be a 32-seat indoor café with WiFi access, 20-seat outdoor café, enhanced natural- and organic-foods

section, new hot-foods bar and updated salad bar, dedicated gluten-free section, and two separate store entrances instead of the previous shared vestibule. Brand notes that Giant strives for remodeling or refreshing its stores every seven to 10 years. That would mean the East College Avenue store, which opened in 1999, is due for an update, but the spokesman said last month that he had no announcements for that store. At 62,900 square feet, that store is slightly smaller than the Northland Center store but features a more open layout. “We like to provide shoppers with a bright, modern, clean, inviting place to shop,” Brand says.

Wegmans First With Beer

Giant is the latest supermarket in Centre County to add beer sales, but Wegmans was the first. With 80 stores in six states, the Rochester, New York-based company already sold beer in many nonPennsylvania stores when it began the practice in 2009 at its State College store, located in the Colonnade shopping center off North Atherton Street. “Beer is just an accompaniment to our great meals and our

75 - Town&Gown October 2012

great food options,” says store manager Todd Strassner. Supermarkets selling beer in Pennsylvania must have a restaurant where customers can drink their purchase with a meal; the restaurant must be separately defined from the rest of the store and seat at least 30 patrons. Carryout beer purchases must be made at the restaurant registers and are limited to a little more than a 12-pack. The Wegmans store itself opened in 2002 as the largest supermarket in the area, at 110,000 square feet, with an 80,000-squarefoot grocery area. The store features “extras” such as a wood-fired brick oven in the bakery, a sushi-demonstration booth, and a miniature train that travels a track suspended from the ceiling. Strassner says Wegmans has a reputation for being the store where “food enthusiasts” go when a recipe calls for an unusual ingredient; if the store doesn’t carry an item, he says, managers will try to get it for a customer. Ten years after it opened, Wegmans is undergoing renovations, including adding

an outdoor seating area to the restaurant as well as expanded food bars featuring “homestyle” foods, vegetarian foods, and Italian selections. A new “veggie market” will showcase chefs chopping and preparing vegetables. “The vegetables will all be cut — from veggie trays to fresh salsa to your most challenging vegetables, already cut up for you,” Strassner says. “There’s definitely a demand for convenience.” Next up on the remodeling list is an expanded organics and specialty department, with a larger glutenfree section.

“Home Run” for Weis

The newest grocery store in Centre County is the Weis supermarket at the Route 550 interchange with Interstate 99 just outside Bellefonte; the store opened in February. Although the store is removed from the competitive State College market, spokesman Dennis Curtin says it draws customers from a large area and showcases features that may be on the horizon for the Sunbury-based chain’s other stores.

With you every step of the way...

• Dependable, trained, professional personnel • Packing & Unpacking Services • Local, long distance & international moving • Safe & Secure Storage • Personal Move Coordinator • Free Estimates • Guaranteed on-time pick up and delivery available

HOY TRANSFER, INC. 2580 Clyde Avenue State College, PA 16801

814-237-4975 • 800-257-1110 www.HOYTRANSFER.com

PA PUC A-85095

76 - Town&Gown October 2012

“It’s been a home run for us,” Curtin says. “It was one of the most successful grand openings we’ve ever had, and the store continues to do extremely well. For most of the past decade, we had struggled to find the perfect site, and we finally did.” The 67,000-square-foot-store replaced a smaller one at 945 East Bishop Street in Bellefonte, near the high school. Curtin calls the Route 550 store the “next generation” of Weis markets, featuring a gas station, large produce and deli sections, pharmacy, pet center, baby center, and 35-seat café. The store prides itself on selling local baked goods and produce and on having an energy-efficient design, he says. Among its features are skylights, LED lighting, and an ionized concrete floor that can be disinfected using just water. The Spring Township store is one of 14 Weis markets to sell beer. “Customers tell us they appreciate the convenience,” Curtin says. “It’s a natural extension of our business.” Weis operates three stores in State College: a 59,500-square-foot store on

Rolling Ridge Drive, off South Atherton Street; a 52,000-square-foot store on Martin Street, off North Atherton; and a 38,000-square-foot store on Westerly Parkway. The company remodeled the Martin Street store two years ago and hopes to begin upgrades at its other two State College stores later this fall, to be completed during the first half of 2013, according to Curtin. Both projects will expand the usable display space within the existing store footprint, expand the produce section, add more food-service options, make the stores more energy efficient, and update the décor to reflect the look of the Martin Street and Bellefonte stores, he says.

Everything Under One Roof

Weis has been in the State College market longer than any of the current major supermarket companies. In 1998, BiLo, which was a mainstay of local shopping 15 years ago, sold its two stores to Jubilee, which closed them in December 1999. The former Bi-Lo/Jubilee at Hills Plaza is now

77 - Town&Gown October 2012

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, and the former North Atherton location was demolished when Walmart expanded its existing discount store into a 182,000-square-foot supercenter. Walmart’s entrée into the local grocery market dates back to 1995, when it opened the members-only Sam’s Club on the Benner Pike. In 2002, the chain turned its North Atherton Street Walmart into a supercenter by adding a grocery department of about 75,000 square feet and then did the same at the Benner Pike store in 2005. As a result, the Arkansas-based chain grabbed a large chunk of the State College area grocery market, just as it has done elsewhere. Nationwide, Walmart is the largest grocer in the country’s approximately $630 billion food market. Walmart stores are the largest grocers in America’s approximately $630 billion food market.

Future Plans

None of the major grocery chains already in the State College market have announced plans for new stores here, so Trader Joe’s may be the last new grocery option for a

LIGHT YOUR WOOD STOVE WITH THE PUSH OF A BUTTON. Revolutionary Avalon convenience! To Learn More Stop By Our Store Today!

PA012501

www.pennwoodcorp.com • (814)359-2761 78 - Town&Gown October 2012

while. However, long-term plans are in the works for at least two smaller stores. Developers Tom Songer II, Bob Poole, and Johnson Farm Associates would like to see a grocery store of about 20,000 square feet included in the 130,000 square feet of commercial space planned on Bristol Avenue between The Landings and Stonebridge residential developments, Songer says. In 2007, the developers had asked Ferguson Township for a variance to allow a 75,000-square-foot supermarket, but before plans could move any further, the economic downturn hit, and the project was put on hold. The developers now are looking to build a “community village-type shopping center” that would include a smaller grocery that Songer says would be the size of a Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Aldi, or O.W. Houts & Son, a local department store that included a small grocery until it closed in 2008. “Wouldn’t it be great to bring back an O.W. Houts?” Songer suggests, perhaps including a pharmacy, hardware store, and

grocery store, all of which would serve nearby residents. “It’s hard to find someone to do that because it’s a low-margin business.” Meanwhile, a grassroots group is conducting a feasibility study for a different type of local grocery store. Friends & Farmers Cooperative would like to develop a “community owned” grocery store here that would sell locally grown and produced foods, says Elizabeth Crisfield, steeringcommittee member. “My husband and I had been wishing there was a wider variety of local products available” in stores here, the Boalsburg resident says. The cooperative has a steering committee of about 20 people and an e-mail list of about 200 people interested in the concept, she says. For more information, e-mail info@ friendsandfarmers.coop. T&G Tracey M. Dooms is a freelance writer in State College and a contributor to Town&Gown.

1518 North Atherton Street, State College, PA

814-238-2103 • www.acofloors.com PA#005727

79 - Town&Gown October 2012

ThisMonthon PBS NEWSHOUR DEBATES 2012: A SPECIAL REPORT

Watch live coverage and analysis of the presidential candidates’ debates on WPSU this month. Jim Lehrer, executive editor of PBS NEWSHOUR, moderates the first debate at the University of Denver on Wednesday, October 3. The Denver debate will focus on domestic policy. The second presidential debate at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, on Tuesday, October 16, will take the form of a town meeting. Citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and domesitc issues. Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, will be the setting for the final presidential debate on Monday, October 22, where the questions will focus on foreign policy. The vice presidential candidates will meet in Danville, Kentucky, at Centre College for a 90-minute debate covering both foreign and domestic topics. Each debate will begin at 9 p.m. and will be followed by 30-minutes of analysis by the NEWSHOUR team at 10:30 p.m.

PENN STATE PUBLIC BROADCASTING

For additional program information, log on to wpsu.org

FRONTLINE: THE CHOICE 2012 Tuesday, October 9, at 9 p.m.

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have crafted their campaign narratives, telling you who they are, what they’ve done, and how they would lead America. But there’s more to their stories. In “The Choice 2012,” acclaimed FRONTLINE producer Michael Kirk (“Money, Power and Wall Street,” “Top Secret America”) documents the places, people, and decisive moments that made the men who are competing for the presidency. Hundreds of hours of research and dozens of original interviews reveal new details and fresh insights about the two candidates — and our choice this November.

MASTERPIECE CLASSIC “Upstairs Downstairs, Season 2” Sundays at 9 p.m.

In the year before WWII, 165 Eaton Place reopens its doors and welcomes viewers back into the lives of its inhabitants, upstairs and down. Set in 1936, the lives of masters and servants have never been so captivating, as two new arrivals make thier mark and Lady Agnes reveals a dark secret. With upstairs and downstairs harboring lifechanging secrets, and the menace of war creeping ever closer, the smooth running of Eaton Place threatens to come to a halt.

JAZZ@thePalmer Thursday, October 25, at 7:30 p.m. Info and tickets: wpsu.org/jazzatthepalmer

wpsu.org U.Ed. OUT 13-0069/13-PSPB-TV-0005

OCTOBER

penn state diary

To Save or Not to Save? Figuring out what to toss and what to keep has become an age-old dilemma By Lee Stout

82 - Town&Gown October 2012

Lee Stout

“How do you find anything in here?!?” My wife stands at the door of my study and plaintively asks me this question on a regular basis, and I return the favor just as often. We’re both retired and we managed to drag way too much stuff home with us from our former places of employment. We definitely saw future uses for it, but we didn’t have time to go through it all and weed, and we couldn’t bear to part with it, etc. Insert audible sigh here. After almost four A hidden work space that the author used to have in Pattee Library decades of dealing with shows how quickly things can pile up. other people’s “archives,” the subject of saving information, or being unable the types of records that must be kept and to discard it, is a very familiar one to me. I feel those that can be discarded. For records that your pain. have to be kept permanently (archives), it will For purposes of clarity here, I’m going to say state whose responsibility it is to carry out that that “saving” refers to information (documents, function. It also will specify how long those photos, e-mail, etc.) that you create or receive disposable records should be kept and in what in the course of conducting your life. There’s manner they should then be discarded. Laws also “collecting,” which refers to finding and and government regulations specify records acquiring other things (not just information), that must be kept, and sometimes also tell with an interest that ranges from “casual” to us that digitized copies can be substituted for “essential to your very existence.” Maybe we can paper originals. In addition, some organizations dissect collecting some other time; for now let’s keep more records than the legally required focus on the “saving our own stuff” conundrum. minimum to document important business In my experience, relatively few people decisions and the history of the organization. are so organized that they regularly clear out The key point is we don’t have to keep unwanted or unnecessary information from everything forever. As long as an office follows their piles, files, and hard drives. In offices, we the rules, keeps track of its regular disposals, most often hear, “I didn’t know I was allowed and sends archival records to the designated to do that,” or its variant, “I don’t know the repository, it is generally on safe ground. Of rules for how to do that.” In many offices, the course, we have to realize that the replacement of fear of getting into trouble for discarding some paper files by electronic records of all types does memo or e-mail that later turns out to be the not eliminate the need for a “records-retention very one the boss needs is palpable. policy.” From a legal standpoint, a record is a All types of organizations should have a record, regardless of whether it’s digital or paper. “records-retention policy,” which identifies But how does this carry over into our

personal lives? Everyone has records that should be kept to meet legal needs, such as financial and employment records for tax and benefit purposes, citizenship records such as birth certificates or passports, and finalarrangements materials such as wills and health-care directives. Some records should be kept beyond your lifetime; others can be discarded in the near future. Whether you are self-employed or a cog in the wheel of bureaucracy, there are published guidelines and advice that you should examine to make these determinations, or consult with a lawyer and/ or an accountant. Besides that relatively small amount of material, most of us have a vast quantity of other stuff that we have elected to keep. Almost everyone has family photos and film or video; many have family letters or scrapbooks. Academics and those with informationintensive hobbies, such as genealogists, have lots of other stuff they have accumulated to follow their passions. It might include correspondences, research notes and data compilations, copies of relevant things from periodicals, books, and online databases, teaching materials, materials from organizations to which you belong, even awards or plaques. Some of this may be valued and kept by your heirs, but the rest is surely headed for the landfill. But not necessarily. There may be archival repositories that value some of it, or fellow participants in your field who would like to have it. Then there is all your online stuff: e-mail, documents, financial files, images, and all that social media. You may well be the only person who can access and deal with it. Recognize that “just scanning all the paper” isn’t really a solution. You still have to decide what to do with it when it’s digital, and lacking good file structure and organization, it may even be harder to deal with than paper originals. So do your family a favor. Take care of it before it’s too late; don’t let the comparatively small amount of treasures be tossed out with all the junk. I’m going to start on mine — probably tomorrow. T&G Lee Stout is Librarian Emeritus, Special Collections for Penn State. 83 - Town&Gown October 2012

events

All for Love Tony-nominated director brings Sweeney Todd to PSU stage By Aimee Morgan

It’s the traditional love story. Man falls in love. Man loses the woman he loves. Man seeks revenge by killing people in his barbershop and making meat pies out of them with his accomplice who hopes to be his wife. OK, so it’s not the traditional love story, but the macabre Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is truly a love story at its core, according to Susan Schulman, director of Penn State Centre Stage’s production, which opens October 19 at the Pavilion Theatre and runs through November 2. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and libretto by Hugh Wheeler, Sweeney Todd won the 1979 Tony Award for Best Musical. The show is based on the 1973 play written by Christopher Bond, which was based on a serial story from nineteenthcentury London. “I think it’s a very black comedy,” says Schulman, who was nominated for Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for the 1989 Broadway revival. “I had the privilege to talk to Steven Sondheim about it quite a bit and I know he really wanted it to be funny as well as really scary. It’s kind of that heightened way of presenting the material so that you go to the limits of a person’s ability to believe what’s going on, because the passion and the emotions are so huge in this show and the characters are so big that I think you can get both those qualities.” The tale centers on Victorian-era barber Benjamin Barker of London. He is wrongly sent to an overseas disciplinary colony so a corrupt judge can seduce his wife and raise his daughter. After 15 years, Barker changes his name to Sweeney Todd, returns home, and reopens his barbershop, only to plot revenge against the crooked judge, in part by killing his barbershop customers. Mrs. Lovett, his neighbor, who is madly in love with Todd,

uses the bodies to make meat pies for her local bakeshop customers. “Sometimes when you’re in love — and sometimes obsessively in love — you do crazy things. … You wreak havoc on the souls of other people — and here, we’re wreaking physical havoc on their bodies,” says Schulman. “If you think about it, every single thing they do in this story, they do for love. Sweeny Todd comes back, and he is seeking revenge for love. He lost his daughter; he lost his wife — people he loved dearly. Mrs. Lovett does what she does for love of Sweeney.” Schulman is no stranger to love. Her love for the theater and for directing this production of Sweeney Todd is palpable. As a New York City native, she had early exposure to live theater — that sparked her interest. She will tell you, however, that attending a school for performing arts starting in junior high school embedded in her being that this was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. “I enjoy working with other creative people and putting on the show, and plus you’ve got all that beautiful music. Sometimes, when you’re doing a nonmusical, you have music but it’s mainly for background. Here, it’s such an

84 - Town&Gown October 2012

Director Susan Schulman leads a rehearsal of Penn State Centre Stage’s production of Sweeney Todd. The show opens October 16 at the Pavilion Theatre.

integrated part of the storytelling,” she says. Barbara Korner, Penn State’s dean of Arts & Architecture appreciates Schulman as both a colleague and a director. “I had the pleasure of having her direct me with another theater colleague, Susan Russell, in a staged reading of Vita and Virginia, by Eileen Atkins, performed in the Palmer Museum Gallery as part of an exhibit on the Bloomsbury group,” Korner says. “She is an insightful director who can bring out the best of both experienced and student actors. She is a great coach, and her work shines through in the nuances achieved by actors who have the opportunity to work with her on a show.” Penn State School of Theatre director Dan Carter says he’s known Schulman by reputation for a long time and explains her connection to Penn State. “Briefly, during a period of transition with our graduate directing program, Cary Libkin, professor in charge of our BFA musical-

theatre program, recommended that we reenvision the directing program to focus on musical theater,” he says. He explains that the two main reasons for this were to build on the strengths they had developed in the school as a result of the success of their undergraduate musicaltheatre program, and to offer a unique program for graduate students. According to Carter, the department did a national search and proactively reached out to identify first-rate candidates to head the program. “Susan emerged as the unanimous top choice. For various reasons, she was only able to join us for a single semester the first year, so we all used that as a temporary, trial run. Fortunately, we all were thrilled with Susan, and she found a home here, so we worked out all the details, and she settled in for the long haul,” says Carter. A long haul that Schulman is happy about, as she is entering her fifth year at PSU, and is currently head of directing for musical theatre.

85 - Town&Gown October 2012

“I’m really thrilled that I’m here doing this program because I love it and I love Penn State,” she says. Directing Sweeney Todd for Penn State is an encore performance for her. In the late eighties, the York Theater Company in New York City asked Schulman to stage a revival of the musical. According to Schulman, Sondheim has approval of directors who are going to direct his shows in the metropolitan area and her name was put forth to his agent. She was accredited because she had done a play by Wheeler and had also directed Sondheim’s musical Company at the York Theater. Schulman says Sondheim was in England doing lectures but came back in time to see the final dress rehearsal for the revival. “He was very appreciative that we opened at the York Theater first and we got very, very good reviews — and on the strength of the reviews we moved to Broadway,” she says. Her Tony nomination was one of four nominations the revival received. Now, she’s bringing her talented direction to Penn State’s production.

“Seeing Susan’s production of Sweeney Todd in the intimate setting of the Pavilion Theatre, transformed scenically to a macabre London, should be an unforgettable experience,” Carter says. “It’s a gripping story with music by Stephen Sondheim at his best. Richard St. Clair’s costumes will be breathtaking, and I have no doubt the performances will rise to the occasion, revealing the depths of talent we have come to expect from our students. This truly is a ‘don’t miss’ production.” Schulman adds, “It is a journey in which, if you prepare the audience, they really want to go. … It’s like a really scary amusement park ride. You laugh and you scream at the same time, and that’s what we’re after — screams and laughter all together!” T&G Sweeney Todd runs October 16 to November 6 at the Pavilion Theatre. For more information, visit theatre.psu.edu or call (814) 863-0255. Aimee Morgan is a freelance writer in State College. She enjoys sharing the beauty of the town with friends, family, and her two dogs, Willy and Danny.

Now Renting for 2013

Free Heat • Free Cooking Gas • Free Parking • Free Basic Cable Furnished or Unfurnished Apts. • On CATA Bus Route R Grocery Shopping Across the Street • 24-hour Maintenance On-Site Laundry & Management Office • Tennis and Basketball

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

86 - Town&Gown October 2012

COMING TO Bryce Jordan Center

October

6 The Blue Band TailGreat Show: Northwestern 10 a.m. 8 Tiesto 7 p.m. 10 Zac Brown Band 7 p.m. 12 Wiz Khalifa 7:30 p.m. 16 Ag Career Day 9 a.m. 27 The Blue Band TailGreat Show: Ohio State 4:30 p.m.

November

1 Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band 7:30 p.m. 8 Central PA Regional Business and Industry Expo 1:30 p.m. 13 Carrie Underwood 7:30 p.m. 17 The Blue Band TailGreat Show: Indiana TBA 24 The Blue Band TailGreat Show: Wisconsin TBA

October

what’s happening

1 Kenny Loggins performs at the State Theatre as part of the trio Blue Sky Riders.

Columbus Day

Centre County United Way holds its annual Day of Caring.

Penn State hosts Northwestern in its annual Homecoming Game.

The Zac Brown Band returns to the BJC.

PSU’s men’s hockey team begins Division I play hosting American International at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion.

The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD season begins at the State Theatre with Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore.

Doug Varone and Dancers perform for the first time at Eisenhower Auditorium.

27 Ohio State pays a visit to Beaver Stadium for a 6 p.m. showdown.

Halloween

It’s Trick-Or-Treat Night in State College.

Deadline for submitting events for the December issue is October 30.

Announcements of general interest to residents of the State College area may be mailed to Town&Gown, Box 77, State College, PA 16804-0077; faxed to (814) 238-3415; or e-mailed to dpenc@barashmedia.com. Photos are welcome. 89 - Town&Gown October 2012

Academics 18-19 – SCASD, no school.

Children & Families 3, 10, 16, 23, 30 – Fall Brown Bag “Lunch Bunch” Parenting Discussions – Tuning Into Kids, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., noon, www.schlowlibrary.org. 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31 – Music Together free trial class for children 0-5 and a parent, Houserville United Methodist Church, S.C., 9:30 or 10:45 a.m. Wed., 10:30 a.m. Sat., 466-3414. 3, 10, 23, 30 – Toddler Learning Center, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 9:15 & 10:30 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 – Music Together free trial class for children 0-5 and a parent, Oakwood Presbyterian Church, S.C., 10:45 a.m. Thurs., 9:30 or 10:45 a.m. Sat., 466-3414. 6, 13, 20, 27 – Saturday Stories Alive – story times, movies, or special events, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 11 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 11, 25 – Drop In Embroidery Group, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 6:30 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 18, 19 – No School Day, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 11 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 23, 30 – Everybody Stories Alive, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 10:30 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

Classes & Lectures 2 – Stewards of Children Child Abuse Prevention Training Program, The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, S.C., 6 p.m., dlre@uufcc.com. 2, 9, 16, 23 – “Life with Diabetes” education series, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 5:30 p.m., 231-7095. 2, 16 – “A Joint Venture,” a free class on hip and knee replacements, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 11 a.m. Oct. 2, 7 p.m. Oct. 16, 278-4810. 3 – “The Art of Poetry,” Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu. 3 – The Ninth-Annual Free Caregiver Seminar Series at Brookline, “Coping with the Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s,” with Sarah Keen of the Alzheimer’s Association, Windsong Dining Room, S.C., 7 p.m., 235-2000. 3 – Lecture: “Naval Warfare in the War of 1812 – The Beginning,” PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 7:30 p.m., www.pamilmuseum.org. 4 – American Art Lecture: “Defining American Modernisms,” Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 4:30 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.

5 – Gallery Talk: “From Here to There: Transportation Imagery in the Palmer Museum of Art,” Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu. 10 – The Ninth-Annual Free Caregiver Seminar Series at Brookline, “Navigating Your Healthcare Journey,” with Dr. Charles Maxin and MNMC case manager, Windsong Dining Room, S.C., 7 p.m., 235-2000. 11 – Research Unplugged Series: Lisa Gatzke-Kopp on “The ABC’s of ADHD: Inside the Brains of Kids with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders,” Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 12:15 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 18 – Research Unplugged Series: Jenni Evans on “Stormy Weather: Hurricanes, Monsoons, and Global Climate Change,” Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 12:15 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 18 – “Art and Life: Where They Intersect” with Chris Staley, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 4:30 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu. 19 – Gallery Talk: “Celebrating Forty Years of Gifts,” Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu. 22 – “Know Your Stats,” a free community education event about prostate health featuring Howard Miller, MD, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 6:30 p.m., 234-6727. 25 – Research Unplugged Series: Nadia Byrnes and John Hayes on “Some Like It Hot: The Science Behind Our Food Preferences,” Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 12:15 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org. 25 – The Natural Family Planning Center of Central Pennsylvania presents a free Introduction to Natural Family Planning, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 7 p.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

Club Events 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 – S.C. Sunrise Rotary Club mtg., Hotel State College, S.C., 7:15 a.m., kfragola@psualum.com. 3, 17, 24, 31 – Centre Squares Dance Club, Square Dancing, Pleasant Gap Elementary School, 8 p.m., 238-8949. 4 – 148th PA Volunteer Infantry Civil War Reenactment Group mtg., Hoss’s Steak and Sea House, S.C., 7:30 p.m., 861-0770. 4, 11, 18, 25 – S.C. Downtown Rotary mtg., Damon’s Grill & Sports Bar, S.C., noon, http://centrecounty.org/rotary/club/. 9 – Women’s Mid Day Connection Luncheon, Elks Club, Boalsburg, 11:30 a.m., 355-7615. 10 – Women’s Welcome Club of S.C., Oakwood Presbyterian Church, S.C., 7 p.m., www.womenswelcomeclub.org. 24 – State College Bird Club mtg., Foxdale Village, S.C., 7 p.m.

90 - Town&Gown October 2012

Community Associations & Development 10 – Member Information Session, CBICC, S.C., 8:15 a.m., 234-1829 or www.cbicc.org. 10 – Business After Hours hosted by Central PA Institute of Science and Technology, Pleasant Gap, 5:30 p.m., 234-1829 or www.cbicc.org. 11 – Centre County TRIAD mtg., Centre LifeLink EMS, S.C., 10 a.m., 237-8932. 16 – Spring Creek Watershed Association mtg., Patton Township Mun. Bldg., 7:30 a.m., www.springcreekwatershed.org. 17 – CBICC Membership Luncheon, Hoag’s Catering/Celebration Hall, S.C., 11:45 a.m., 234-1829 or www.cbicc.org. 24 – Patton Township Business Association mtg., Patton Township Mun. Bldg., noon, www.ptba.org. 25 – Business After Hours cohosted by United Way and First National Bank, First National Bank (117 South Allen Street), S.C., 5:30 p.m., 234-1829 or www.cbicc.org.

Exhibits Ongoing-Nov. 18 – Decade3 SCASD Alumni Art Exhibition, Robeson Gallery at the HUB-Robeson Center, PSU, 272-4067.

Ongoing-November – Foodways, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, www.pamilmuseum.org. October-November – Art of the Southwest, Bellefonte Art Museum, Bellefonte, 1-4:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun., www.bellefontemuseum.org. October-November – Sue Parsonage, Bellefonte Art Museum, Bellefonte, 1-4:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun., www.bellefontemuseum.org. October-November – Helena Martemucci, Robert Baumbach, Lori Fisher, Bellefonte Art Museum, Bellefonte, 1-4:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun., www.bellefontemuseum.org. Ongoing-Dec. 9 – Floating Between Worlds: New Research on Japanese Prints 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-Dec. 16 – Photography at the Palmer: A Selection of Gifts, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu. Ongoing-Jan. 20 – Celebrating Forty Years of Gifts: Works on Paper 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. 1-31 – Karen Deutsch, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., www.schlowlibrary.org. 5 – Paper Views: American Prints 1940-1960, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.

91 - Town&Gown October 2012

Health Care For schedule of blood drives visit www.cccredcross.org or www.givelife.org. 1 – Breast Cancer Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 5:30 p.m., 231-7005 4 – Grief Support Group, Centre Crest, Bellefonte, 6 p.m., 548-1140 or amboal@co.centre.pa.us. 9 – Brain Injury Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 7 p.m., 359-3421. 10 – The Fertility Issues and Loss Support Group, Choices (2214 N. Atherton St.), S.C., 6:30 p.m., www.heartofcpa.org. 11 – The Diabetes Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 6 p.m., 231-7095. 14 – Ostomy Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 2 p.m., 231-3132. 15 – Cancer Survivor Support Group, Centre County United Way, S.C., 11:30 a.m., www.cancersurvive.org. 16 – Multiple Sclerosis Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Outpatient Entrance, Pleasant Gap, 6 p.m., 359-3421. 18 – Better Breathers Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 2 p.m., 359-3421.

18 – 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. 30 – Stroke Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Outpatient Entrance, Pleasant Gap, 1 p.m., 359-3421.

Music 1 – Blue Sky Riders – Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman, Gary Burr, State Theatre, S.C., 8 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 1 – Flute Choir, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu. 3 – Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Schwab Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu. 4 – Ben Taylor with Grace Weber, State Theatre, S.C., 8 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 7 – Essence of Joy, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 4 p.m., music.psu.edu. 7 – Dimensions in Jazz, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu. 8 – Tiesto, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m., www.bjc.psu.edu. 8 – Tubafest, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu. 10 – Zac Brown Band, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m., www.bjc.psu.edu.

Women: The Dogged Pursuit of Their Dreams

Lunch with Mimi Live! Wed., Oct 17th • 11: 45 am

SPECIAL GUEST MC Carolyn Donaldson, WTAJ Anchor

$30 per Person • The Dean's Hall At The Penn Stater Mimi Barash Coppersmith, Founder of Town&Gown A Penn Stater, mother, grandmother, friend, fundraiser, and leader on both sides of College Avenue, Mimi can relate how she overcame major hurdles through self-determination, hard work, faith, optimism, tenacity, and persistence. She can share beautiful outcomes from horrible happenings. Her willingness to switch to the panel this time evolves from her even greater desire to motivate other women to feel as lucky as she now perceives herself to have been in her nearly 80 years on this planet.

Kim Tait, Owner of Tait Farm Kim is the Stewardess of the Land. On the family farm in Central Penn Pennsylvania, she oversees the diversified enterpris enterprises of Tait Farm Foods, which include 10 acres of certified organic agriculture that serves a 150 member Community Supported Agriculture membership (CSA), 3 restaurants, a local farmers market and an on-farm retail store. Kim has more than 30 years of experience in agricultural education, sustainable/organic farming and innovative business. She holds a graduate degree in education from UMASS. She has lost two husbands, one to divorce and another to cancer and understands opportunity on the road ahead. She has one grown daughter and shares life with Bob Anderson.

Coquese Washington, Head Coach of Lady Lion Basketball Coquese, entering her sixth year as Lady Lion head coach, faces ex a season of great expectations with four returning starters plus the addition of a top recruit. Coquese, like so many women coaches sacrificed another path to follow her dream. Her experience as a professional women’s basketball player and as the player representative to management pointed her career to leadership. Listen to her tales of how she got here and what she’s determined to do. A graduate of Notre Dame, she juggles teamwork, home, motherhood and public service.

Reservations required, please call Amanda Dutrow at Kish Bank 861-4660 ext. 8213. Co-sponsored by Town&Gown & Kish Bank Proceeds benefit the PinkZone 92 - Town&Gown October 2012

10 – Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu. 12 – Philharmonic Orchestra, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu. 12 – Wiz Khalifa, BJC, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.bjc.psu.edu. 13 – Richard Sleigh, Webster's Bookstore Café, S.C., 8p.m. 14 – Jodi Benson, The Voice of The Little Mermaid, State Theatre, S.C., 3 & 7 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 15 – Chamber Orchestra, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu. 17 – Richard Wylie: Music of Both Old and New for the Classical Guitar, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu. 20 – “Night Music in the Afternoon” with The Costa/Sorton Trio, C. Barton McCann School of Art, PSU, 3 p.m., 667-2538. 20 – Acoustic Brew Concert: James Keelaghan, Center for Well Being, Lemont, 7:30 p.m., www.acousticbrew.org. 21 – Music of the Reformation: Then and Now, Grace Lutheran Church, S.C., 2:30 pm., 238-2478. 22 – Percussion I and Mallet Ensemble, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu. 23 – Anonymous 4, Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu.

23 – Tinariwen with Kishi Bashi, State Theatre, S.C., 8:30 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 24 – Ted Neeley and the Little Big Band, State Theatre, S.C., 8 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 24 – Rick Hirsch and Hexagon, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu. 25 – Tubafest III, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu. 26 – Dave Bromberg Quartet, State Theatre, S.C., 8 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 29 – Tubaween, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu. 30 – Pretty Lights, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m., www.bjc.psu.edu.

Special Events 2 – Banff Mountain Festival Radical Reels Tour, 7 p.m., State Theatre, S.C., www.thestatetheatre.org. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 – Boalsburg Farmers’ Market, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 2 p.m., www.boalsburgfarmersmarket.com. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 – Tuesday Downtown State College Famers’ Market, Locust Lane, S.C., www.statecollegefarmers.com. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 – Lemont Farmers’ Market, 133 Mt. Nittany Road, Lemont, 3 p.m., www.lemontvillage.org.

Red Cross Honor Roll of Milestone Blood Donors

21 GALLONS: Robert Crowe 19 GALLONS: Roger Cartright 18 GALLONS: Margaret Ekdahl, Paul Springer 17 GALLONS: Darrell Hollis, Raymond Kristofik 16 GALLONS: Thomas Wolfe 2 GALLONS: Michael McCabe, Dennis McDowell, Duane McMullen, Deborah Meeker, Tawnya Meinen, Nan Moerschbacher, Dennis Murphy, Richard Myers, Valerie Narehood, Kelly Over, John Owens, Paul Peworchik, Karen Poorman, Dawn Praskovich, Margaret Roof, Adam Shellenbarger, Marla Siwert, Julie Snyder, Deborah Sotack, Mitzi Souchak, Daniel Stoltzfus, Kay Stover, Edna Strouse, E Lynn Tressler, Alison Turley, Michelle Visnofsky, Michelle Young 1 GALLON: Vincent Amendolare, Amos Dewey, Mark Anderson, David Archibald, Deborah Askey, Kent Bare, Tyler Bello, Agnes Berrena, Mary Besch, John Bober, Thomas Boob, Ramona Book THIS AD IS SPONSORED BY

650 N Science Park Rd

•

Join us for our

2012 Tailgate Event Saturday, Oct. 20

for information visit

2601-A E College Ave

bobperksfund.org

93 - Town&Gown October 2012

4 – 2012 PNC Bank – Centre County United Way Day of Caring, kim@ccunitedway.org or 238-8283. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 – Spook Haven Haunted House, Mill Hall, 7 p.m., www.spookhaven.com. 5, 12, 19, 26 – Downtown State College Farmers’ Market, Locust Lane, S.C., 11:30 a.m., www.statecollegefarmers.com. 5, 12, 19, 26 – Penn’s Cave Flashlight Tours, Penn’s Cave, Centre Hall, 6 p.m., www.pennscave.com. 6 – Haunted Sleepy Hollow Trail, Black Moshannon State Park, Philipsburg, 7:30 p.m., www.statecollege.com. 6 – Pink Zone kick-off event, BJC, PSU, www.gopsusports.com. 6-8 – Boalsburg Columbus Ball & Heritage Festival, Boal Mansion, Boalsburg, www.boalmuseum.com. 6, 13, 20, 27 – Bellefonte Farmers’ Market, Gamble Mill Restaurant parking lot, Bellefonte, 8 a.m. 6, 13, 20, 27 – Millheim Farmers’ Market, Millheim American Legion pavilion, 10 a.m., www.oldgreggschool.com. 6, 13, 20, 27 – North Atherton Farmers’ Market, Home Depot Parking Lot, S.C., 10 a.m., www.nathertonmarket.com. 10 – Boalsburg Farmers Market First Annual “Plow to Plate” Harvest Dinner, Mount Nittany Winery, Boalsburg, 5 p.m. 12-14 – Parade of Homes, centralpabuilders.com. 13 – Aaronsburg Dutch Fall Festival, Wert Memorial Park, Aaronsburg, aaronsburgcivicclub.org. 13 – Downtown State College Fall Festival, Allen Street, 10 a.m., www.downtownstatecollege.com. 13 – Cranberry Festival, Black Moshannon State Park, Philipsburg, noon, www.statecollege.com. 13, 20 – Way Fruit Farm Fall Festival, Way Fruit Farm, Port Matilda, 9 a.m., www.wayfruitfarm.com. 14 – Central PA Crossword Competition!, Patton Township Bldg., 1:30 p.m., www.mid-stateliteracycouncil.org. 16 – Ag Career Day, BJC, PSU, 9 a.m., 863-5500 or www.bjc.psu.edu. 18 – IAH Medal Ceremony: J.M. Coetzee, State Theatre, S.C., 8 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 19-20 – Pumpkin Festival, The Arboretum at Penn State, PSU, 6 p.m., www.arboretum.psu.edu. 19-21 – Bill Coleman Photo Sale, Holiday Inn Express, S.C., 238-8283. 20 – Punkin’ Chunkin’ Festival, Bald Eagle State Park, Howard, 571-8303. 20 – Harvest Fest, Mount Nittany Winery, Centre Hall, 10 a.m., www.mtnittanywinery.com 20 – Centre County Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, PSU, 10 a.m., www.centrecountydownsyndrome.org.

20-21 – Fall Foliage Train Rides, Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society, www.bellefontetrain.org. 24 – Dark in the Park, Sunset Park, S.C., 7 p.m., www.crpr.org. 27 – Philipsburg Harvest Fest, Philipsburg Towers, Philipsburg, www.philipsburgpa.org. 28 – Halloween Costume Parade, Burrowes Street, S.C., 7 p.m., www.crpr.org. 28 – The State College Elks Lodge #1600 Children’s Fall Festival, State College Elks Country Club, 2 p.m., 466-7231. 29-31 – The State Theatre’s “The Haunted Theatre Ghost Tour,” State Theatre, S.C., 6:30-11:30 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 31 – Trick or Treat Night, S.C., 6 p.m., www.crpr.org.

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. 2 – PSU/Bucknell, women’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 7 p.m. 6 – PSU/Northwestern, football, Beaver Stadium, PSU, noon. 7 – PSU/California, field hockey, PSU Field Hockey Complex, PSU, 11 a.m. 7 – PSU/Indiana, women’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 1 p.m. 10 – PSU/Akron, men’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 7 p.m. 12 – PSU/Purdue, women’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 8 p.m. 12 – PSU/American International, men’s ice hockey, Greenberg Ice Pavilion, PSU, 7:30 p.m. 13-14 – PSU/Syracuse, women’s ice hockey, Greenberg Ice Pavilion, PSU, 7 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. 13 – PSU/Indiana, women’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m. 14 – PSU/Iowa, field hockey, PSU Field Hockey Complex, PSU, noon. 14 – PSU/Michigan, men’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 3 p.m. 17 – PSU/Bucknell, men’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 7 p.m. 19 – PSU/Michigan State, women’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 7 p.m. 21 – Tussey Mountain 50-Mile Ultramarathon & Relay, Tussey Mountain, 8 a.m., www.tusseymountainback.com. 21 – PSU/Michigan, women’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 1 p.m. 23 – PSU/Bucknell, field hockey, PSU Field Hockey Complex, PSU, 6 p.m. 25-26 – PSU/RIT, women’s ice hockey, Greenberg Ice Pavilion, PSU, 7 p.m. Thurs., 7:30 p.m. Fri. 27 – PSU/Ohio State, football, Beaver Stadium, PSU, 6 p.m.

94 - Town&Gown October 2012

28 – PSU/Ohio State, men’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 1 p.m.

Theater Ongoing-5 – Penn State Centre Stage presents From Up Here, Penn State Downtown Theatre, S.C., 7:30 p.m., theatre.psu.edu. 7 – “Greats at the State” Film Series: Singin’ In The Rain, State Theatre, S.C., 2 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 7 – Manhattan Shorts, State Theatre, S.C., 4:30 & 7:30 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 8 – PSU Film Series: The Crying Game, State Theatre, S.C., 7 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 10-11 – Actors from the London Stage present The Merchant of Venice, Schwab Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu. 11 – National Theatre Live presents The Last of the Haussmans, State Theatre, S.C., 7 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 11-13, 18-21 – State College Community Theatre presents Proof, State Theatre, S.C., 8 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 13 – The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD presents Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, State Theatre, S.C., 1 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org.

15 – PSU Film Series: The Nun’s Story, State Theatre, S.C., 7 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 16 – In The Mood, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu. 16-Nov. 2 – Penn State Centre Stage Sweeney Todd, Pavilion Theatre, PSU, 7:30 p.m. (2 p.m. matinee Oct. 20), theatre.psu.edu. 19 – Doug Varone and Dancers, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu. 20 – Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra presents Ferdinand the Bull Meets Mother Goose, Mount Nittany Middle School, S.C., 3 p.m., www.centreorchestra.com. 20-21 – iDreams, State Theatre, S.C., 7 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., www.thestatetheatre.org. 22 – PSU Film Series: Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, State Theatre, S.C., 7 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 27 – The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD presents Verdi’s Otello, State Theatre, S.C., 1 p.m., www.thestatetheatre.org. 30 – Pilobolus Dance Theatre, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu. T&G

SAPPHIRE SELECT TRANSPORTATION

Executive & Private Service

Call 814-353-7433 95 - Town&Gown October 2012

Come Home to The State www.thestatetheatre.org • (814) 272-0606 130 W. College Ave. • Downtown State College

KENNY LOGGINS AND THE BLUE SKY RIDERS 10/1 at 8p

STATE COLLEGE COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS: PROOF 10/11-10/21 see website for show times

TINARIWEN 10/23 at 8:30p

BEN TAYLOR 10/4 at 8p

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE PRESENTS: THE LAST OF THE HAUSSMANS 10/11 at 7p

METROPOLITAN OPERA: L’ELISIR D’AMORE DONIZETTI 10/13 at 1p OTELLO VERDI 10/27 at 1p

DAVE BROMBERG 10/26 at 8p

JODI BENSON 10/14 at 3p & 7p

THE HAUNTED THEATRE GHOST TOUR 10/29-31 6:30p-11:30p Mon-Wed

from the vine

Go Outside — Or, Rather Inside — the Box Boxed wine has improved its quality and advantages By Lucy Rogers

Is there a place for boxed wine at your table? Well, maybe not on your dining-room table, but certainly on your kitchen counter. In the last few years, the quality of boxed wine across the board has improved tremendously, and it would be hard to argue about finding a better value in everyday wine. I have always believed that every type and style of wine has its place, and boxed wine is no exception. The best part is that there is more than one reason to explore boxed wines. Let’s start with the fact that there are more, better choices available on the shelves than in the days when Franzia cornered the market. Labels such as Black Box, Bota Box, Funky Llama, and Fish Eye each has wines available in several grape varieties. Then there are the international wines available from Underdog Wine & Spirits that are packaged in the Octavin Home Wine Bar, an octagonal-shaped box with a spout. Underdog offers quality wines from Spain, New Zealand, California, and France with names such as Seven, Silver Birch New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Evil Pinot Noir, and Pinot Grigio, and The Wine Group has Big House wines from California as well as Cardinal Zin in boxes. Improved wine quality is partly due to better winemaking techniques, but also because producing wine that goes in a bag and into a box is a big cost savings over traditional glass bottles. With no glass and no cork costs, which makes shipping cheaper as well, producers can offer more competitive pricing to consumers. On top of that is the more environmentally friendly aspect of boxed wines; cork is becoming a more limited and therefore more expensive resource, and one three-liter box holds the same amount of wine found in four 750-mililiter bottles. Considering that many of these better boxed wines range in the $18 to $22 range, you are paying somewhere

between $4 to $6 per bottle, a significant savings. This is particularly helpful when planning an event where you need wine for a larger group, where you would ordinarily have to pay $10 a bottle for a wine of the same quality. Another beauty of the boxed wine is its extended shelf life over a standard opened bottle of wine. A bottle of wine will last two to three days at best once opened — because once a wine is exposed to oxygen the clock begins to tick on the longevity of the wine’s drinkability. But a box, once tapped, can last up to a month because the design of the bag does not allow the wine to be exposed to air. Additionally, a box offers more efficient portion control, so you don’t have to worry about finishing the bottle soon after to avoid waste. Many times after a long day, all I want is a glass of wine but am reluctant to open a bottle if I think there’s a chance I won’t get to finish the bottle in the next day or two. Boxed wine is the perfect solution, allowing me to have

97 - Town&Gown October 2012

a glass or two one day, and know that I don’t feel any pressure to have another until I feel like it. So for what other occasions is the boxed wine a good choice? Well, they are a great option when you have to carry wine somewhere. Bottles can be awkward to transport, but boxes are relatively light considering one box is the equivalent of four bottles. They are easily stored and can even stack. When we got our panel together to taste a range of boxed wines, we were fortunate enough to have access to a friend’s mountaintop in Huntingdon. We carried our boxes up the trail to the mountain, where all we had was a table and a fire pit for grilling (as well as some spectacular views of the surrounding area!). Breaking down the boxes when finished makes cleanup a piece of cake, and the cardboard can all be recycled, with no worries of carting empty bottles to a recycling bin. Tailgates, where space and storage can be at a premium, are another great venue for boxed wine. And here at Penn State, glass bottles are forbidden at tailgates, so the box is a perfect solution to that restriction. Having said all that, not all boxed wines

are created equal although many are quite good. Wine Spectator did a blind tasting of 39 boxed wines in 2009. Of the 39 wines tasted, 27 scored between 80 and 84 points, or good, on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, while 10 others broke the 85-point barrier (very good). This is a significant percentage of good quality wines. Of the wines we tasted, Black Box Merlot was impressive with its ability to remain true to the varietal’s traditional characteristics, but the Malbec was dismal. The Chardonnay offered by Black Box also was a hit for us. Other wines that impressed us were Silver Birch’s New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which had many of the herbaceous notes found in many bottles of Sauvignon Blancs, from the same region, that cost a lot more. Seven, a Tempranillo from Spain, also managed to display its terroir and offer that earthy, leathery flavor so often found in wines from the Iberian peninsula. Bota Box’s Zinfandel was very fruit forward and easy drinking, perfect for a kitchen countertop, but Cardinal Zin also was impressive for its vanilla notes. Washington Hills Riesling also was quite good and would do well with a variety of ethnic cuisines, just as any other off-dry Riesling would do. It wasn’t cloying or syrupy and had a nice fruit component while still managing to remain pretty crisp. All of these boxes are available in the Pennsylvania state system and often are on sale for a dollar or two off. My own palate has gotten a little more particular as I get older and taste more wines, but even as that may be, these boxed wines can fit the bill for the right time and place. When having guests for an intimate dinner, it doesn’t seem like a boxed wine would be right. And nothing takes the place of the ceremony of opening a special bottle of wine carefully selected to serve with a meal you’ve created for friends. But if you’re on a budget, or don’t have a special bottle to open, you could just as easily serve boxed wine from a decanter at your dinner table and no one would be the wiser. I assure you, these wines may very well surprise you. T&G Lucy Rogers teaches wine classes and offers private wine tastings through Wines by the Class. She also is the event coordinator for Zola Catering.

98 - Town&Gown October 2012

John Hovenstine (4)

Taste of the Month 99 - Town&Gown October 2012

Harvest Time It’s a great month to visit local farms and try some of their tasteful bounties By Vilma Shu Danz Autumn is the best time of the year. Football season is in full swing. There’s a crisp nip in the air and the leaves start showing off their brilliant colors — bright reds, oranges, and yellows. It’s also harvest time on farms, and the apples, pumpkins, winter squashes, beets, and

other root vegetables are bountiful. Oktoberfest, fall festivals, and Halloween all occur in the fall, and then there is the unmistakable aroma of cinnamon apple pie and pumpkin bread baking in the oven to remind us that the holidays are just around the corner. Town&Gown visited three local farms to see what they will have available from this harvest and what fun activities they have planned for families visiting the farms this fall season.

Tait Farm Foods 179 Tait Road, Centre Hall (814) 466-2386 Tait Farm Foods owner Kim Tait calls herself the Stewardess of the Land. “I have been entrusted with a part of this family farm, and with that I feel a sense of responsibility to take care of the place, the people, and the heritage,” she explains. Penn Staters Marian and Elton Tait purchased the farm in 1950. By the early 1980s, the farm was commercially growing raspberries, asparagus, apples, and Christmas trees, and raising Basset hound dogs. It was known to locals as a place to come for pick-your-own crops, cutyour-own Christmas trees, and to get a puppy. In 1986, a bumper crop of raspberries led the Tait family into producing an old Colonial beverage called Raspberry Shrub. A shrub is made by preserving fresh fruit in vinegar and sweetening it with sugar, and the finished concentrate can be mixed with sparkling water or spirits to make a deliciously sweet, tart beverage that can be enjoyed year-round. Since then, the food business has continued to grow and develop more products that range from different shrubs and vinaigrettes to chutneys and jams. Today, there are more than 50 specialty-food products that can be purchased at the on-farm Harvest Shop, located seven miles

east of State College. “What we have found over the years is that the best food is often the simplest,” says Kim. “For example, we have a really good blueberry jam, a pure apple butter, and, new this fall, an Apple Chutney, which is a blend of fresh apples, raisins, candied ginger, and just a little spice — fresh fruit, uncomplicated flavors, and seasonally inspired.” Tait Farm Foods also manages 10 acres of certified organic vegetables, fruits, and greenhouse production that serves a community-supported agriculture program known as Community Harvest. Fall is the perfect season for hearty greens such as kale, root vegetables, and winter squashes. “When you think of the fall palate, you think of denser fruits and vegetables and more intense flavors, like our Cranberry Chutney or Fig & Honey Conserves,” says Kim. “Both pair great with some cheese on a cracker, or mix the Cranberry Chutney with fresh apples for a delicious Cranberry Apple Relish, and try baking brie in puff pastry with the Fig & Honey for a great appetizer.”

Web offer: For a special recipe for Delicata Squash with Apple Chutney from Tait Farm Foods, visit www.townandgown.com.

100 - Town&Gown October 2012

Harner Farm 2191 West Whitehall Road, State College (814) 237-7919 After graduating with a degree in horticulture from Penn State in 1939, Paul Harner worked on farms in State College until he bought his own on Whitehall Road in 1945. His son Dan (Penn State Class of 1968) took over the business in the 1970s, and, nowadays, Danâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son Chris (1994), the third generation of the Harner family, has continued growing apples, peaches, grapes, plums, cantaloupes, watermelons, tomatoes, pumpkins, sweet corn, different varieties of squashes, and Christmas trees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We grow 8 to 10 different varieties of pumpkins, so they vary in size, shape, color, including neons, howden biggie, gladiators, ironsides, and knuckleheads,â&#x20AC;? says Chris. Prices range from $3.75 for a small pumpkin to $6.75 for a large, and the extra large ones are priced at 40 cents per pound. October is the perfect time to visit Harner Farms. In addition to all the pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks, and fall decorations for sale, the entire farm store is decorated for Halloween with

ghostly music and even a haunted corn maze. The corn maze is open every day in October and costs $4.50 for adults and $3.50 for kids. Hayrides also are available, but call ahead to make prearrangements.

Web offer: For a special recipe from the Harner family for pumpkin bread, visit www.townandgown.com.

101 - Town&Gown October 2012

Way Fruit Farm 2355 Halfmoon Valley Road, Port Matilda (814) 692-5211 Way Fruit Farm’s orchard and farm store has been owned and operated for six generations by the Way family. The land was originally purchased in 1826, and the first fruit trees were planted in 1872 when 1,000 apple trees were given to Robert A. Way and Lucretia Fisher as a wedding gift. Now, there are more than 20,000 fruit trees planted on 200 acres of mountain ground producing apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, pears, apricots, and cherries. Today, owners Brooks and Sharon Way, along with their daughter Megan and son-in-law Jason Coopey, also grow sweet corn, pumpkins, strawberries, and blueberries. In addition to selling all the fruits and vegetables that they grow, People enjoy visiting the Fall they have partFestival at Way Fruit Farm. nered with other nearby farmers to offer customers a convenient one-stop shop for local meats, cheeses, milk, canned preserves, and other specialty products. The farm store also has expanded to include a bakery and café serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some of the café’s most popular lunch items include a Hog’s Galore pulled pork BBQ sandwich; a roasted, shredded beef sandwich; and a cluck and crow (chicken salad) sandwich. The bakery offers freshly baked breads, muffins, cookies, fruit pies, apple dumplings, homemade sticky buns made with real maple syrup, and apple-cider donuts. “We believe that local produce tastes better and is better for you, so we incorporate what

Way’s Apple Pie.

we grow and what we get from our local farm partners into our menu,” explains Coopey. “Our fruits are still our main focus, and we sell based on volume, so by quarter pecks, half pecks, pecks, and half bushels. This works out to be roughly a half to a third of the price at the grocery store.” During the fall, Way Fruit Farm hosts a number of workshops and festivals starting with the Apple Cider Demonstration Day on October 6 where people can come to the farm and see exactly how cider is made, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There also will be free wagon rides to the pumpkin patch for the kids. This year’s Fall Festival is October 13 and 20. In addition to the wagon rides, there is a craft show, a petting zoo, homemade apple dumplings and soups, and 10 percent of all the earnings on both days will go to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. T&G

Web offer: For a special recipe for sour cream apple pie from Way Fruit Farm, visit www.townandgown.com.

102 - Town&Gown October 2012

Dining Out Full Course Dining Allen Street Grill, corner of Allen Street and College Avenue, 231-GRILL. The food sizzles. The service sparkles. The prices are deliciously frugal. The menu is classic American grill mixed with popular influences from Mexico, Italy, and the Far East. AE, D, MC, V. The Autoport, 1405 S. Atherton St., 237-7666, www.theautoport.com. The all new Autoport offers exceptional dining featuring local produce and an extensive wine list. Tapas menu and special events every week. Catering and private events available. Live music. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar. Bar Bleu & Bar Q, 113 S. Garner St., 237-0374. Authentic Kansas City Barbeque featuring smoked ribs, pork, wings, plus down-home sides and appetizers. Roadhouse & Sports Lounge upstairs. Upscale martini bar downstairs featuring live music 7 nights a week. Open for dinner every night at 5 p.m. AE, D, DC, ID+, MC, V. Full bar. Bill Pickle’s Tap Room,106 S. Allen St., 272-1172. Not for saints…not for sinners. AE, DIS, MAC, MC, V. Full bar. Carnegie House, corner of Cricklewood Dr. and Toftrees Ave., 234-2424. An exquisite boutique hotel offering fine dining in a relaxed yet gracious atmosphere. Serving lunch and dinner. Prix Fixe menu and à la carte menu selections now available. AAA Four Diamond Award recipient for lodging and fine dining. Reservations suggested. AE, MC, D, V. Full bar.

The Corner Room Restaurant, corner of Allen Street and College Avenue, 237-3051. Literally first in hospitality. Since 1855, The Corner Room has served generous breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to the community and its guests. AE, D, MC, V. 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. The area’s largest menu! Soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, Mexican, Cajun. Dinners featuring steaks, chicken, seafood and pastas, heart-healthy menu, and award-winning desserts. AE, D, DC, LC, 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.

104 - Town&Gown October 2012

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.

We love People, Beer & Local Foods!

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.

Bringing you craft beer and fresh food using local products in a family friendly, casual atmosphere.

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.

Proudly Serving Our Dedicated, Loyal Customers For 10 Years

Food & Beer TO GO!

Bottles • Cases • Kegs • Growlers ring Now offe e ad locally m dy, , can be er soap ! & mugs

2235 N. Atherton St. State College 814.867.6886 www.ottospubandbrewery.com

105 - Town&Gown October 2012

India Pavilion Exotic Indian Cuisine

Open Tuesday thru Sunday Closed Monday Lunch Buffet: 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Dinner: 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

Carry Out Available

Galanga, 454 College E. College Ave. 237-1718. Another great addition to Cozy Thai Bistro. Galanga by Cozy Thai offers a unique authentic Thai food featuring Northeastern Thai style cuisine. Vegetarian menu selection available. BYO (wines and beer) is welcome after 5 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Gamble Mill Restaurant & Microbrewery, 160 Dunlop St., Bellefonte; 355-7764. A true piece of Americana, dine and enjoy our in-house craft beers in a historic mill. Experience bold American flavors by exploring our casual pub menu or fine dining options. Six to seven beers of our craft beers on tap. Brewers Club, Growlers, outdoor seating, large private functions, catering. Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Dinner 5-9/10 p.m. Mon.-Sat. “Chalk Board Sunday’s” 4-8 p.m. All credit cards accepted. The Gardens Restaurant at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, 215 Innovation Blvd., Innovation Park, 863-5090. Dining is a treat for breakfast, lunch and dinner in The Gardens Restaurant, where sumptuous buffets and à la carte dining are our specialties. AE, CB, D, DC, MC, V. Full bar, beer.

222 E. Calder Way 237-3400 www.indiapavilion.net

We continue the Luna tradition by using only the freshest ingredients!

1229 S o u t h A t h e r t o n S t r e e t S tAt e C o l l e g e 234-9000 A

true neighborhood hAngout highly

regArded for itS populAr And AuthentiC

n ew y ork - Style

wood - fired pizzA

And Commitment to quAlity .

A wArd - winning pizzA . And i tAliAn CuiSine homemAde with only the beSt And freSheSt ingredientS . www . fACCiAlunA . Com

We offer wood-fired pizza, fresh homemade pasta, as well as wood-grilled items such as Baby Back BBQ Ribs, homemade meatloaf, various fish and seafood and our soon to be award winning burgers!

www.luna-2.com 2609 E. College Ave. • State College, PA • 234-9009

106 - Town&Gown October 2012

Herwig’s Austrian Bistro, where bacon is an herb, 132 W. College Ave., herwigsaus trianbistro.com, 272-0738. Located next to the State Theatre. Austrian Home Cooking. Ranked #1 Ethnic Restaurant 5 years in a row. Eatin, Take-Out, Catering, Franchising. BYO after 5 p.m., D, MC, V. Hi-Way Pizza, 1688 N. Atherton St., 237-0375. Voted best pizza. Twenty-nine variations of pizza, entire dinner menu and sandwiches, strombolis, salads, spectacular desserts, and beer to go. 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, (call ahead.) MC, V.

Inferno Brick Oven & Bar, 340 E. College Ave., 237-5718, www.infernobrickovenbar.com. Casual but sophisticated atmosphere — a contemporary brick oven experience featuring a lunch and dinner menu of old- world favorites and modern-day revolutions. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. Full bar. Legends Pub at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, 215 Innovation Blvd., Innovation Park, 863-5080. Unwind with beverages and a casual lounge menu. AE, D, MC, V. Full bar. Luna 2 Woodgrill & Bar, 2609 E. College Ave., 234-9009, www.luna-2.com. Wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta, wood-grilled BBQ ribs, seafood, burgers, and don’t forget to try the homemade meatloaf! Sumptuous salads and desserts. Full bar service. Outside seating. Sorry, no reservations accepted. Dine-In, Take-out. MC/V.

Monday: Fajita Rita Day Classic Double fajitas $12.99 Tuesday: Burger with Fries $5.99 Wednesday: Half Order Texas French Fries $2.99, Whole Order $4.99 Thursday: Burger with Fries $5.99 137 S. Allen Street · 234-5922

107 - Town&Gown October 2012

Mario’s Italian Restaurant, 1272 N. Atherton St., 234-4273. The Italian tradition in State College. Homemade pasta, chicken, seafood specialties, veal, wood-fired pizza, calzones, rotisserie chicken, roasts, salads, and sandwiches, plus cappuccino and espresso! AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar. The Mt. Nittany Inn, 559 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Centre Hall, 364-9363, mtnittanyinn.com. Perched high above Happy Valley at 1,809 feet, the Mt. Nittany Inn offers homemade soups, steaks, seafood, and pasta. Bar and banquet areas available. AE, CB, D, MAC, MC, V. Full Bar. Otto’s Pub & Brewery, 2235 N. Atherton Street, 867-6886, www.ottospubandbrewery.com. Our new location provides plenty of parking, great ales and lagers, full service bar, signature dishes made with local products in a family-friendly, casual atmosphere. AE, D, DC, LC MC, V, Full bar.

The Tavern Restaurant, 220 E. College Ave., 238-6116. A unique gallery-in-a-restaurant preserving PA’s and Penn State’s past. Dinner at The Tavern is a Penn State tradition. Major credit cards accepted. Full bar. Whiskers at the Nittany Lion Inn, 200 W. Park Ave., 865-8580. Casual dining featuring soups, salads, sandwiches and University Creamery ice cream. Major credit cards accepted. Full bar. Whistle Stop Restaurant, Old Train Station Corner, Centre Hall on Rte. 144, 15 minutes east of State College. 364-2544. Traditional dining in an 1884 Victorian railroad station decorated with railroad memorabilia. Chef-created soups, desserts, and daily specials. Lunch and dinner served Wed.-Sun. D, MC, V. Zola New World Bistro, 324 W. College Ave., 237-8474. Zola combines comfortable, modern décor with exceptional service. Innovative, creative cuisine from seasonal menus served for lunch and dinner. Extensive award-winning wine list. Jazz and oysters in the bar on Fridays. Catering. AE, D, MC, V. Full bar.

108 - Town&Gown October 2012

Good Food Fast HUB Dining, HUB-Robeson Center, on campus, 865-7623. A Penn State tradition open to all! Eleven restaurants stocked with extraordinary variety: Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Higher Grounds, HUB Subs, Mixed Greens, Burger King, Panda Express, Piccalilli’s, Sbarro, Sushi by Panda, Wild Cactus, and more! V, MC, LC. Meyer Dairy, 2390 S. Atherton St., 237-1849. Stop and get your favorite flavor at our ice cream parlor. We also sell a variety of delicious cakes, sandwiches, and baked goods.

State College’s newest hangout

Try our onsite Smoked Pork Sandwich!

1301 West College Ave. • 814-308-8959 www.westsidestadiumbarandgrill.com

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. T&G

! ur tio to a ou or p k ec tdo Ch ou W E N

The Very BesT In AusTrIAn home CookIng “Where Bacon is an herb”™

Voted #1 Ethnic Restaurant 7 Years in a Row!

Bill O’Brien radio show live from the clubhouse every Thursday from 6-7pm!

NFL Sunday Ticket in HD on 7 big screens. Tailgate Party Packs available for every home PSU game for pickup or delivery. Call to Preorder. Bar open at 7am on PSU Gamedays. Best Bloodies!

AT GRECES! PRI

BREAD

U n iq u e D in in g Experie nce!

Pre-show Dinner Discounts

Mon-Wed 11:45am-8pm | Thu-Sat 11:45am-9pm

Check out our tailgate menu at damons.com under the catering tab.

132 W. College Ave. | 814-272-0738

1031 East College Ave. 814-237-6300 • damons.com

Rooms le ailab Still Av all for F nds! Weeke

Try our homemade

Eat In • Take Out • Catering • Franchising

NEW Fall Menu • Outdoor Fireside Seating • Nightly Entertainment

Best Happy Hours

Half price drinks & appetizers everyday from 5 to 7!

A Penn State Tradition since 1936! • Minutes from Campus 1405 South Atherton St. • State College, PA 16801 • www.theautoport.com • 814-237-7666 109 - Town&Gown October 2012

lunch with mimi

Still Needed: A Smart Start for Parents, Children According to the Harvard Center for the Developing Child, from the prenatal period through the first five years of life, the brain undergoes rapid development, and the early experiences can determine the future success or failure of a child. Children with access to quality early education are more likely to graduate from high school, attend college or job-training programs, and become homeowners and active members of the workforce and their communities. Smart Start-Centre County is a unique collaboration of early-childhood teachers, administrators, families, and business and medical professionals dedicated to leading and support- Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith (left) talks with ing community efforts to improve the health, Eileen Wise at Mario’s Italian Restaurant in State College. care, and education of young children. After 10 years of providing early-childhood activities in Centre under way in State College, Charlene Freidman, County, the organization’s expected state grant of $50,000 called me and told that the organization’s impendwas eliminated. With this sudden funding cut, Smart Start ing financing structure of upheaval is a result of the is facing the prospect of cutting back its programs in addition state suspending funding. to the termination of its executive-director position, which Eileen: Yes, Charlene was involved from the bewas held by Eileen Wise for the past seven years. ginning. Smart Start was actually created in 1999. It Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith was created in response to the United Way’s needs sat down with Wise at Mario’s Italian Restaurant to dis- assessment that was conducted that year, which cuss the organization’s programs. said that two of the biggest needs in Centre County Mimi: When you first came here 10 years ago, were for programming for parents of young children did you go directly to work with Smart Start? and for more affordable child care for parents. Eileen: No I didn’t. The first job I had was as a Mimi: Those are probably still serious needs. teacher at Penn-Mont Academy — a wonderful Eileen: Definitely. Another need is afterschool care. Montessori school — in Hollidaysburg. I taught math Those programs get filled up very quickly. Our organizaand science to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Then, I tion is designed to serve the whole county, but our office is became the director of a preschool in town called Our in State College, so a lot of what we do does happen here. Children’s Center Montessori School, and I was there Mimi: What does it do? for a year. That was learning experience for me — doEileen: We enhance parenting practices by providing administration and working with a board. Then, ing resources and training for parents so that they’re my husband had surgery, and it was a really good time helping their children get a good start in life. Smart Start for me to be home for a little bit with him because he was created with the idea that we would be a catalyst, needed some nursing care. So, I did some part-time but we never had a big enough budget to sustain regular teaching at the Children’s House Montessori School services. We’ve always operated with a very small budon Beaver Avenue. By that time I was doing volunteer get of $100,000 or less, and 60 percent of it came from work for Smart Start. I heard about Smart Start when the state grant called a Community Engagement Grant. I moved here in 2002. In 2005, I heard that they were The purpose of that grant was to engage the whole comlooking for an executive director, and I applied. That’s munity in understanding the importance of early childwhen I started with Smart Start. hood. That meant that our reach had to be very broad Mimi: We’re sitting here today because a per- — to parents, schools, preschools, churches, businesses, son who was very essential to Smart Start getting legislators, media, and libraries. 111 - Town&Gown October 2012

John Hovenstine

With Centre County’s program in jeopardy, former director still hopes families can get the help they need

Mimi: What are some of the activities? Eileen: The Countdown to Kindergarten is an annual activity that takes place at Nittany Mall in February — prior to kindergarten registration. Last year, we had a series of fun physical activities and stations set up that parents could do with the kids. The idea was to showcase how practicing physical activities as a family can be inexpensive and fun with homemade materials. One year at Countdown to Kindergarten, we showcased how to teach social and emotional skills to young children in a multicultural setting. Staff members at the Bennett Family Center created little villages representing different nations. We had villages representing Korea, China, Ivory Coast, and Russia. We had native speakers on loan from Global Connections who could translate, so we were able to offer a rich experience of social and emotional development. Both parents and children really got into it! Smart Start has held its grant from the state for 12 years. The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has one foot in the Department of Education and the other in the Department of Public Welfare. Because both of those departments handle children, OCDEL was created to serve specifically young children. Initially, the grant was called the Community Engagement Grant. When Governor Corbett

HAPPY VALLEY OPTICAL

came in, they changed the name to LEARN (Local Education and Resource Network) Grant. The governor’s initial budget proposal was to cut about $8.7 million from child-care services. He proposed that, and then our legislators talked him into reducing the cuts to a $4 million from child-care services. I have to give some of our local legislators credit because they did help with getting some of that money restored. Then OCDEL had the decision of where to take the $4 million from, and they decided to cut all of the LEARN grants across the whole state. Mimi: What will fill this void? Eileen: What we’re hoping to do is decide if we can continue to provide some of the services, stay alive, and see whether we can make some plans to bring back an executive. But right now there’s no money for an executive position, so that’s why I’m having to leave Smart Start. Mimi: Is somebody going to fill that gap? Eileen: We’re hoping that we can continue some of those networking-type services, some events, like the Countdown to Kindergarten and a few other things that we normally do. It may be possible to keep someone on part-time. Smart Start’s project manager, Kelly Johnson, has been working with me for the past three years coordinating projects. Another thing that I would like to see is high

Eyeglasses

Custom

Sunglasses

Style

D O W N T O W N S TAT E C O L L E G E Phone: 814.238.7281 Text: 814.470.1431

Taste of the Month Town&Gown’s Monthly Focus on Food

If it’s happening in Happy Valley, it’s in Town&Gown!

112 - Town&Gown October 2012

school students being required to take a class in child development and interpersonal relationships. Most of them are going to be parents someday. If they could actually see what happens during child development and know the kind of level of responsibility they have, I think it would help young men and women act differently both before and after they become parents. Mimi: How do we learn how to be better parents, so that our children have more of a smart start? That is part of what Smart Start is. Today, I don’t know what percentage of families in State College has both parents working, but I’m sure it’s a high percentage compared to what it was. Absentee parenting, substitute parenting, call it what you want. I think it’s safe to assume that the most critical time in the education of our children is in those first four or five years. Eileen: Yes, we need to set the stage, lay the foundation, and today’s mobile parents don’t have the support systems that existed when extended families were able to help out. Mimi: I think there’s lots of research that says children become who they are in that time period. Eileen: That’s exactly right. There have been studies done where they’ve compared the results from the kids in the study, who are now 40, with kids who weren’t in the study, that show if you enroll a child in a high-quality preschool program for just two years, from the ages of two to five, the differences are very significant. They compared things like graduation from high school, the kinds of jobs they got, whether they were married, if they owned their own home — and they’re attributing the difference to those two years of high-quality preschool. Mimi: I want to thank you for this opportunity for me to become more educated about Smart Start and open discussion on a subject that won’t go away and will always be present. Some things disappear, but how to be a good parent never does. Eileen: It has been great. I’ve loved working with families, early-childhood educators, and leaders at Smart Start, and I just think that it all starts at that beginning. If we can convince just one parent to read every day to their child or converse with them on their level as they’re doing their errands, empathize instead of scolding if their child is having a meltdown — if we can change just one pattern like that, we’ll be doing a great service. Mimi: Thank you. I’m sure you’ll land on your feet. T&G For more information on Smart Start-Centre County, visit www.smartstartcc.org.

BRA DAY USA Breast Reconstruction AWARENESS DAY

OCTOBER 17 BRA Day USA aims to educate breast cancer patients about their breast reconstruction options in a safe and timely manner. All women should know their breast reconstruction options.

BRADayUSA.org Blair Plastic Surgery Robert Louton MD Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Altoona & State College

814.234.1420

BlairPlasticSurgery.com

113 - Town&Gown October 2012

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 second place winner from the 2011-12 annual meeting competition as determined by a Photographic Society of America judge, and the winner of our June open-meeting competition.

2011-12 Annual Meeting Second Place: “Catch of the Day” by Gary Perdue

“I often carry a camera when I beach walk, and as I approached this boy from the other direction the sun was behind me, creating a well-lit scene. It wasn’t until I walked by and happened to turn around that the now silhouetted figure caught my attention, and when the wave action was right I got my ‘catch of the day.’ ”

June Meeting First Place: Open Category

“Toward Bellefonte on a Foggy Morning” by Christine Hill “A surprise capture during a Mother’s Day balloon ride. Looking ahead, a sunny blue sky was illuminating the buildings and early-spring foliage — a glimpse behind us lay a dark and grey foggy world highlighted to almost pure white by the same May sun.”

A copy of either of these photos may be obtained with a $75 contribution to the Salvation Army of Centre County. Contact Captain Charles Niedermeyer at 861-1785. You can select any size up to 11-inches wide. The State College Photo Club meets on the third Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Foxdale Village Auditorium. Guest and new members are welcome. Visit www.statecollegephotoclub.org for more information about how to join. 114 - Town&Gown October 2012

guide to advertisers

ATTRACTIONS, EVENTS, ENTERTAINMENT Arboretum of Penn State, The ....112 Bob Perks Fund ..............................93 Center for the Performing Arts ................... Inside Front Cover

BUSINESS, INDUSTRY

Diversified Asset Planners ...........59

RETIREMENT SERVICES

Altoona Blair Co. Development

First National Bank .........................58

Foxdale Village ................................69

Investors First Capital ....................61

Home Instead Senior Care ..........27

National Charities Benefit

Presbyterian Senior Living ............. 8

Corporation...................................81 Blair County Chamber Of Commerce ....................................70

Foundation ....................................61

CBICC .................................................19

Nestlerode & Loy ............................61 Nittany Bank .....................................58

Centre Region Parks & Recreation.....................................50 Coaches Vs. Cancer ......................20 Housing Transitions .......................78

CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Builders Association of

Lincoln Caverns ..............................46

Central PA .....................................28

Lunch with Mimi Live .....................92

S&A Custom Built Homes.............13

Northwest Savings Bank ..............61 PNC Bank Wealth Management ................................53 Shute & Coombs Financial Advisors .........................................59 Susquehanna Bank .......................57

Palmer Museum of Art ........... 35, 88

SERVICES Bennett, Mary Lou/Renaissance Fund.................................................. 7 Centre County Airport Authority ................................ 32, 33 Centre Elite Gymnastics, Inc ......... 4 Friends of GT Thompson ...... Inside Back Cover

Penn State All-Sport Museum ....68

DINING

Penn State Centre Stage ..............91

Autoport .......................................... 109

PinkZone ...........................................18

Chili’s Grill & Bar .......................... 107

State Theatre....................................96

Cozy Thai Bistro ........................... 107

Toftrees Resort ................................40

Damon’s Grill................................. 109

Company .................................... 105

Koch Funeral Home .......................16

Dantes ............................................. 103

Penn State Hospitality ..................... 4

McQuaide Blasko ...........................17

Vantage Investment Advisors LLC ................................62 LODGING Hospitality Asset Management

AUTOMOTIVE

Faccia Luna ................................... 106

Dix Honda ........................................... 2

Gamble Mill Restaurant.............. 108

MEDICAL

Driscoll Automotive ...... Back Cover

Herwig’s .......................................... 109

Blair Plastic Surgery ....................113

Joel Confer BMW .............................. 4

Hotel State College ..................... 104

Envision Laser Center ...................71

India Pavilion ................................. 106

HealthSouth/Nittany Valley Rehab

BANKS, FINANCIAL SERVICES Frost & Conn Insurance .................. 6 Penn State Federal Credit Union ..............................................64 State College Federal Credit Union ..............................................34

Luna 2 ............................................. 106

Handy Delivery ................................95 Happy Valley Optical ...................112 Hoy Transfer .....................................76

P2P Computer Solutions ..............28 Penn State Alumni Association ...................................63 Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics .........................................49

Hospital........................................... 6

Pennwood Corporation .................78

Mount Nittany Medical Center ...... 3

Red Cross .........................................93

Parlor ........................................... 109

Penn State Milton Hershey Medical

Room Doctor ....................................68

Otto’s Pub ...................................... 105

Center.............................................11

Tire Town ...........................................77

Meyer Dairy Store & Ice Cream

PSU Food Services

The Circulatory Center .................... 9 SHOPPING, RETAIL

(Hub Dining) .......................64, 108 Tavern Restaurant............................. 1

PRINTING, COPYING, MEDIA

America’s Carpet Outlet ...............79

Wegmans.........................................110

Penn State Public Broadcasting

Aurum Jewelers &

BELLEFONTE SECTION

Westside Stadium ........................ 109

Black Walnut Body Works............21

Whistle Stop Restaurant ............ 108

Confer’s Jewelers ...........................21

Zola New World Bistro................ 108

Mid State Awning & Patio Company .......................................21

Goodall & Yurchak..........................50

EDUCATION

(WPSU)...........................................80

Goldsmiths ............................ 50, 86 Collegiate Pride ...............................34

REAL ESTATE, HOUSING

Degol Carpet ....................................47

Berks Homes....................................46

Home Reflections............................16

Chambers, Scot-Keller

Jack Harper’s ...................................16

Williams..........................................41

Moyer Jewelers ...............................25

Kissinger Bigatel & Brower ..........10

Penn State Bookstore ...................83

Lions Gate Apartments .................86

Squire Brown’s ................................40

GUIDE TO FINANCIAL

Perry Wellington Realty .................23

Tubbies ..............................................76

BOALSBURG

SERVICES

Realty World Reiter Agency .........64

Woolrich Company Store .............87

A Basket Full ....................................29

Abundance Wealth Counselors ....55

Boalsburg Apothecary ..................29

Botamer Financial Corp ................58

Duffy’s Tavern ..................................29

Clearfield Bank & Trust..................55

Penn State Federal Credit Union ..............................................21

The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School ............................................15

Pizza Mia............................................21

Natures Hue .....................................29

VISITOR INFORMATION Central PA Convention & Visitors Bureau............................................12

N’v........................................................29 Tait Farm Foods...............................29

115 - Town&Gown October 2012

snapshot

Business Builder SBDC director aims to help entrepreneurs succeed By Cara McShane

While the nation’s economy has been moving almost at a snail’s pace during the past few years, Penn State’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has been helping an increasing number of businesses get up and running. “We’re here to create jobs,” director Heather Fennessey says. “Last year, we helped a record of 52 new businesses start.” Fennessey grew up in Wheeling, West Virginia. She moved to State College to attend Penn State, where she earned a degree in chemical engineering. She has lived in the area ever since. She has been the director at SBDC since 2009. She says that she has an interest in helping other businesses because “having a large beneficial impact during my career has always been important to me. Helping many entrepreneurs to succeed so we can have a robust local economy is very satisfying.” Fennessey was an entrepreneur herself. From 2000 to 2002, she owned and operated Fennessey Engineering, which provided environmental and pollution-prevention solutions for defense organizations. She closed the business after her third child was born due to time constraints, and also to focus on her career at Penn State. “Being an entrepreneur is a very difficult, yet rewarding lifestyle,” she says. The SBDC “offers free and confidential services to entrepreneurs in Centre and Mifflin counties.” It has three business consultants who “can help with business plans, financing, and HR issues.” It also has an environmental consultant who “specializes in environmental consulting and implementing green technologies.” As director, Fennessey is “in charge of overseeing the whole portfolio of services.” Penn State helps to pay for the SBDC’s services, which enables the center to offer its resources for free. The SBDC was established in 1997. In total, there are seven people on the staff and four graduate students who work at the center. It will be celebrating its 15th anniversary on October 5 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. “One of the ways we’ve evolved is we’re offering more,” Fennessey says. “We have aligned with Penn State’s research, had more students interested in entrepreneurship, and had a lot more student clients than we

Heather Fennessey Family: Husband, Larry; children, Ian (17), Brenna (12), and Aidan (10). Favorite thing about State College: The people. The innovative and resourceful residents, energetic college students, and incredibly bright youth in our community are outstanding. I am grateful to live here every day! Favorite things to do with your family: Cheering for the State High football team on Friday nights at Memorial Field, hiking Shingletown, riding horses, going to a Spikes game, having a bonfire at our home, trick-or-treating, going to the Apple Fest at Way Fruit Farm. But if I had to list only one, it would be Memorial Field, especially since my son Ian is the varsity kicker this year! have had in the past. “We are different because we’re related to the university. We’re constantly thinking of how we can work with faculty and students better.” When the SBDC works with a business, it defines the services it will provide, whether the business is in need of help to start, maintain, or expand. “Sometimes people just meet with us for just an hour and we don’t see them again,” Fennessey says. The SBDC offers educational programs for small businesses. Every first Tuesday of the month, it has a three-hour seminar about the first step in starting a business. The seminar “goes over all the mechanics of how to start a business and how to establish if it’s the right thing for you personally — from A to Z.” Quarterly, the SBDC offers another three-hour seminar about the second step of starting a business that “delves more into getting down your business plans.” It offers resources, such as QuickBooks, to businesses. Because of its ties to Penn State and State College, Fennessey says the SBDC is committed to the area’s success. “We want to see downtown do well,” she says. “We’re here to help the small businesses in our community and help them survive and thrive.” T&G

116 - Town&Gown October 2012

Hot Deals, Cool Prices!

2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class

2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo

2012 Nissan Leaf

100% Electric 3220 W. College Ave. (814) 238-2447