Town&Gown MAY 2017
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Fostering
a Home
Foster families such as the Leddy family help create loving environments for kids
Inside: Rotary Foundation turns 100 • The diverse roles of local police
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2017 May T&G - 1
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features
28 / “Service above Self” Local clubs celebrate Rotary Foundation’s 100th anniversary • by Tracey M. Dooms
38 / Protection, Peace, and Perception
48
For police officers today, their job is more than just patrolling the streets. Those in blue take on many roles in serving their communities, and they are hoping that their community outreach efforts can help bring about a better understanding of the work they do • by Jenna Spinelle
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48 / Nurturing a Home Foster families help create loving environments for children in need • by Kevin Briggs
Special Advertising Section
59 / Family Fun Plan out your summer by checking out some of the hot spots featured in this special section On the cover: Photo by Darren Andrew Weimert. Thea and Scott Leddy with their children (clockwise, from top left) Nathaniel, Kayla, and Micah, and twins Olivia and Isabella, whom they adopted from foster care.
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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 2017 by Barash Media. All rights reserved. Send address changes to Town&Gown, 403 S. Allen St., State College, PA 16801. No part of this magazine may be reproduced by any process except with written authorization from Town&Gown or its publisher. Phone: 800-326-9584, 814-238-5051. FAX: 814-238-3415. Printed by Gazette Printers, Indiana, PA. 20,000 copies published this month, available FREE in retail stores, restaurants, hotels and motels & travel depots. SUBSCRIPTIONS and SINGLE COPIES: $45/1yr; current issue by 1st‑class mail, $10; back copy, $15 mailed, $12 picked up at the T&G office. townandgown.com
2017 May T&G - 5
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departments
10 Letter from The Editor 12 Starting Off: The List, People in the Community, Q&A 20 Living Well: Learning to let go and embrace imperfection • by Meghan Fritz 22 Health: The ability to identify the signs of a stroke can help save a life • By Sean Dreher
106
24 Great Outdoors: Centre County parks come in all shapes and sizes and offer a number of activities • by Rebekka Coakley
71
26 On Center: Yo-Yo Ma to return to Penn State in November concert with Kathryn Stott • by John Mark Rafacz
80 From the Vine: Enjoy some wines from Rioja this season • by Lucy Rogers
68 This Month on WPSU
What’s Happening: Big Ten Track & Field Championships, Used Book Sale, Big Spring Festival, Memorial Day, and more highlight May’s events
84 Taste of the Month/Dining Out: Spats Café highlights traditional Cajun and Creole cooking • by Vilma Shu Danz 98 Lunch with Mimi: Centre Foundation director helps organization react to how community gives 106 Artist of the Month: Talley Fisher has not only continued her father’s business but also has made a name for herself as an artist • by Rebecca Poling 108 Snapshot: Rowland Theatre board member spearheads 100th anniversary celebration • by Rebecca Poling
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Town&Gown May
A State College & Penn State tradition since 1966.
Publisher Rob Schmidt Founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith Editorial Director David Pencek Creative Director Tiara Snare Operations Manager/Assistant Editor Vilma Shu Danz Art Director/Photographer Darren Weimert Graphic Designer Cody Peachey Ad Coordinator Lana Bernhard Account Executive Nicohl Geszvain, Debbie Markel Business Manager Aimee Aiello Intern Rebecca Poling (editorial) Distribution Handy Delivery
To contact us: Mail: 403 S. Allen St., State College, PA 16801 Phone: (814) 238-5051, (800) 326-9584 Fax: (814) 238-3415 dpenc@barashmedia.com (Editorial) rschmidt@barashmedia.com (Advertising) We welcome letters to the editor that include a phone number for verification. Back issues of Town&Gown are available on microfilm at Penn State’s Pattee Library.
Facebook.com/townandgownsc @TownGownSC townandgown.com 8 - T&G May 2017
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letter from the editor
Charting a New Course Back when I was a Penn State student (and the one year I was a freelance writer based in State College), this area was a place I lived, but I never really considered it my home. For the past nearly 12 years, however, this has been a place I can proudly call my home. And thanks to this position as editorial director of Town&Gown that I’ve held, I’ve become more knowledgeable about and connected to this area. Through the stories we’ve done, the businesses that have advertised, and the organizations we’ve worked with, I’ve gained an amazing amount of appreciation for and inspiration from the people of Happy Valley — whether it’s those who do charitable work, are entrepreneurs, students, athletes, coaches, teachers, or just about any other walk of life. I will take that appreciation and inspiration with me as I move onto the next chapter in my life. State College will still be my home — and I will still be with Town&Gown on a part-time/freelance basis for the foreseeable future (so you may still see me and my name in the magazine) — but I have decided to take on some new adventures. Later this summer, I will start seminary school. I also have taken a position as communications manager for Schlow Centre Region Library, one of those places that, I believe, is another reason why so many of us love living in Happy Valley. Mark Brackenbury, who has done a tremendous job as editor for the Centre County Gazette the past several months, takes over as editorial director of Town&Gown, starting with the June issue, and Barash Publications. He earned his master’s degree from Penn State and brings a wealth of experience. While I am looking forward to this new path, leaving my position at Town&Gown was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make. Through the years, I have worked with some incredible people and made some great friends that will continue
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on after I leave. While it might be my face you see whenever you first start turning the pages of Town&Gown each month (well, my face and, of course, that of founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith in her “Lunch with Mimi” columns), it’s the staff (both current and former) that has made and continues to make this publication, and all of our publications, what it is. Often, the work that the staff does in putting together a magazine isn’t recognized as much as it should be. It takes a creative director who can put together award-winning designs, a photographer who can capture people in a different light, sales people and ad coordinators who can sell, design, and have ads ready to go for each of the 50-some publications (I’ve lost track!) Barash does each year. One of the things I’ll miss most is the back-and-forth, collaborative effort I had with people in putting together each publication. Since my time and space are running out, I just want to say Thank You to everyone — co-workers, readers, writers, anyone who has been a part of this magazine since I became editor in 2005. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. I’ll see you around in Happy Valley!
David Pencek Editorial Director dpenc@barashmedia.com
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starting off
The List
It’s a day to honor moms! Mother’s Day is May 15.
What to know about May April showers bring May flowers — and there are plenty of flower and plant events in Centre County happening in May (see “What’s Happening”). Other items of note in May include: May 5 is, what else, Cinco de Mayo! The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In the United States, the date has become associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture.
Centre County has some amazing teachers, and May 9 is a good day to say Thank You. It’s National Teacher Day.
Centre Gives, the annual 36-hour online fund-raising event through Centre Foundation, is May 9-10.
Forget about the diets and staying away from carbs — it’s Eat What You Want Day on May 11. Treat yourself to the great tasting food you want, even if it’s bad for you!
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Police Officer’s Memorial Day is May 15. It honors and remembers officers who gave their lives while on duty. Town&Gown looks at the different roles local police officers take on today in the story, “Protection, Peace, and Perception,” beginning on page 38.
National Wine Day is May 25. Happy Valley is fortunate to have several wineries in the region to enjoy on this day — or any day.
Boalsburg prides itself on being the birthplace of Memorial Day, which is May 29 this year. It’s a day to honor those who gave their lives while serving our country. T&G
People in the Community Jack Frisbie
Jack Frisbie, a freshman mechanical engineering major at Penn State, was selected as the Penn State Blue Band’s new drum major for the 2017-18 season. The Waynesboro, Virginia, native was picked after three days of auditions. Frisbie is taking over the position held by his brother, Jimmy, who had been the drum major for the past two years and is graduating this month with a degree in immunology and infectious diseases. “Being the Blue Band drum major represents a great opportunity to give back to the organization that has shaped so much of my time here at Penn State,” Jack Frisbie says. “I was both shocked and relieved when they called my name, and I can’t wait to begin my job in this position of service.”
Zain Retherford
Penn State wrestler Zain Retherford won the WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, which is given each year to the nation’s top collegiate wrestler. Retherford is the third Penn Stater to win the award, joining Kerry McCoy (1997) and two-time winner David Taylor (2012 and 2014). The junior helped lead the Lions to their sixth national title in seven years. He won the individual national title at 149 pounds after going 5-0 with four technical falls and a pin at the tournament. For the season, he went 28-0 with 17 pins, seven technical falls, and a major decision. The Hodge Trophy is just the latest honor for Retherford, who also was named the Most Dominant Wrester in 2017 and the NCAA Championships Outstanding Wrestler. He has a 63-match winning streak that includes the last two national titles and Big Ten titles in his weight class. “Dominating is a lot like anything in life … you need to be giving your best and not holding back on anything,” Retherford said in a press release. “You need to keep scoring and looking for the pin. But giving your best is the most important part of it.”
Chris Weakland
State High assistant principal Chris Weakland was approved by the State College Area School District board of directors to become the school’s next athletic director. He will succeed Peg Pennepacker, who is retiring in June. Weakland is a State College native and graduated from State High in 1984. After graduating from Penn State, he joined the State High faculty in 1990 as an English teacher. During his teaching years, he also coached varsity and JV football, high school baseball, and middle school and ninth-grade football. “I’m excited about it,” Weakland said about his new job in a press release. “I know it’s going to be a lot of hard work, a lot of hours. It’s been a dream of mine. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.” T&G 14 - 2017 May T&G
Amy Hays, M.D. & Jessica Woytowich, PA-C
Barbara Cole, CRNP & Christopher Heron, MD
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2017 May T&G - 15
Q&A with Sarah Anderson, director at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Penn State (OLLI) By Rebecca Poling
For 20 years, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Penn State has provided “mature adults with education and social enrichment opportunities that accentuate the joy of learning and personal fulfillment.” The institute began offering classes in 1997 with nine classes and 62 people signed up. Today, OLLI has a membership base of more than 1,200 people, and it offers more than 300 courses each year. Some of the offerings include classes on art, music, cooking, literature, science, health, history, and more. OLLI at Penn State is one of 120 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes across the country. OLLI at Penn State director Sarah Anderson talked about some of the new trends with OLLI and plans for the 20th anniversary celebration, which is May 18. T&G: How did you get started at OLLI? Anderson: I loved the human service aspect of adult education. After I got my master’s in adult education, I saw that Penn State had an opening at the Community Academy for Lifelong Learning, which later turned into OLLI. The company has grown with me, and I have grown with the company. When I started, our membership was 600. We have doubled since then — now we have 1,200 members. T&G: What do you like most about being director? Anderson: We’re friendly and we’re a family. I love my 16 - T&G May 2017
OLLI members. That’s what keeps me here. I love how much OLLI impacts people’s lives. I see it first-hand when members come into my office and tell me about their amazing experiences in their classes. T&G: Are there any new trends or programs at OLLI this year? Anderson: An interesting thing that we’re seeing more of is two generations taking classes together. Some people are living into their 90s who are healthy and active and have kids that are in their 70s, and both are OLLI members and sometimes take classes or go on trips together. Trends are to keep our structure of committees with planning. We will continue to put together programs that people are interested in. The success comes from our volunteers who find amazing people to teach these courses. They create connections, which is a huge job. T&G: What do you have planned for OLLI’s 20th anniversary? Anderson: It’s a luncheon event at the Ramada Inn Conference Center in State College on May 18. We expect about 200 people at the event. We will have beautiful live music throughout the day. A few special invites include [Penn State] President [Eric] Barron and his wife, Molly, Mayor of State College Elizabeth Goreham, Paul Clifford of Penn State Alumni Association, and the Bellefonte borough manager Ralph Stewart. Patty Satalia from WPSU will also make an appearance as she is the special speaker of the day, and we will unveil a new OLLI video that WPSU is creating. It will definitely be a fun event! T&G For more information about OLLI, visit olli.psu.edu.
Make Thursday Your Day
to pick up The Centre County Gazette
We cover what’s important to you! (814) 238-5051 • www.CentreCountyGazette.com
2017 May T&G - 17
This Monthtownandgown.com On
• In 5 Questions, Nittany Theatre at the Barn producing artistic director Dave Saxe talks about the third season of summer stock theater at the Boal Barn Playhouse. • A special recipe from Spats Café for red snapper with maple pecan vinaigrette. And more!
Visit our Facebook site for the latest happenings and opportunities to win free tickets to concerts and events! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @TownGownSC.
Toftrees Golf Club 2017 M E M B E R S H I P S Full Membership ...................................................................................................$2,250 Limited Membership.............................................................................................$1,650 Full Gold Tee (65+) ................................................................................................$1,850 Limited Gold Tee (65+) .........................................................................................$1,350 Young Professional (35 & Under) .........................................................................$1,750 Non-Resident ........................................................................................................$1,350
New Members receive a $100 discount through 5/15! Contact Charles Sheppard, Director of Golf at: charles.sheppard@marriottgolf.com Call 238.7600 or go to www.toftreesgolf.com 18 - T&G May 2017
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living well
Mommy Shaming Learning to let go and embrace imperfection By Meghan Fritz
As a first-time mom to a 6-month-old I am humbled and elated to celebrate my first Mother’s Day. Nothing could have prepared me for the joy, unconditional love, exhaustion, and anxiety that comes with the experience of being a new parent. What has been helpful on this new journey is talking to other first-time moms with babies around my son’s age. Sharing the challenges and allowing myself to be vulnerable with others have helped me navigate the tough days when it feels like the walls are caving in. While I would like to think I have it all together and have this new mom thing down, the truth is I skid and face-plant often, and being able to share that with women I trust has been emotionally freeing and healing. If you Google articles on motherhood, you will find tons of stories telling you what the right thing to do is, what you must do and must have for your baby, what you should feed your baby, what classes you should enroll them in, and how you should put them to sleep. The pressure to get it right can be emotionally paralyzing. 20 - T&G May 2017
Perhaps the most helpful advice I have received as a new parent is to follow my instincts and do what works for my baby and my family. I have found along the way that the more I read the more I feel frustrated or judged, and sometimes it’s best to shut down the Google search and take it one step at a time. Whether you are a first-time mom or a veteran, this parenting gig is hard. Recognize that you don’t have to have it all together, and it’s okay to be vulnerable with others. Don’t let the pressure of competing with other moms pull you down. You don’t have to be perfect and you certainly don’t have to know exactly what to do at every moment. Take a step back and don’t allow mommy peer pressure to get into your head. We all made it through high school; let’s not repeat the pattern of being good enough in the Mommy Club. If you do find yourself in the presence of a perfect, preachy, judgmental Mom type, put your head up and your shoulders back and remember how people behave is about the place they are in emotionally — it’s not about you. Someone who is a know-it-all or makes you feel like a failure as a parent is leading with their ego, and it’s not worth draining your energy and peace of mind to spend time with someone like that.
Spend time with other moms who encourage you, laugh with you, and cry with you. If you are surrounded by women who can’t be vulnerable with one another, do a gut check on why that works for you. What are you afraid of in connecting with others? Recognize that your ability to be vulnerable with yourself and others will bring a sense of peace, connection, and validation to your everyday life. The best gift you can give yourself this Mother’s Day is the gift of appreciation and gratitude. No one else was picked to be the mother of your child. You were made to be your child’s mother. Mistakes and do-overs are a part of the human experience, and while you may not always get it right, you are the right mother for your child. Keep your sense of humor, share the absurdities of parenting with women you trust, and recognize that we are all on the same path, evolving at different paces. You don’t have to perfect, but you can be perfectly you. Don’t waste another day in mommy shaming. Take it one step at a time and reach
out to women who will love and support you and make you laugh along the journey. You are worth it! Happy Mother’s Day! T&G Meghan Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing in State College.
ON AVERAGE, ONE PERSON DIES BY SUICIDE EVERY 5 HOURS IN PA
Join us in celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month! •35,180 years of potential life lost before age 65. •2nd leading cause of death for ages 25-34 •Nearly 3x as many people die by suicide in PA annually than by homocide. •11th leading cause of death overall in PA. FREE CONFIDENTIAL ASSESSMENT 24 hours / 7 days a week 800-641-7529 or visit www.themeadows.net 2017 May T&G - 21
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health
The Real Superheroes The ability to identify the signs of a stroke can help save a life By Sean Dreher May marks the unofficial start of summer — classes end, vacations begin, the days get longer, and millions of Americans pack movie theaters to catch Hollywood’s annual blockbusters. This May will see the first of not one but two big-budget, star-studded superhero movies slated for a summer release. It’s fitting since May is American Stroke Month, and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association hopes to turn regular people into stroke heroes. It doesn’t take X-ray vision, a cape, or a belt filled with crazy gadgets to be a stroke hero. All that’s needed is to know a simple acronym, FAST. Those letters represent the warning signs of stroke. F — Face drooping. Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven? A — Arm weakness. Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? S — Speech slurred. Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, such as, “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly? T — Time to call 911. If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time to record when the first symptoms appeared. Stroke heroes know that every 40 seconds someone has a stroke. It will affect one out of six people in their lifetime. They know that stroke is the leading cause of disability and the number five cause of death in the United States. Unfortunately, only one in three Americans is able to identify all the FAST stroke warning signs. The good news is that stroke is largely preventable. In fact, it is the number one 22 - T&G May 2017
Sean Dreher
preventable cause of disability. High blood pressure is the most important controllable risk factor for stroke. About three in four people who have a first-time stroke have blood pressure higher than 140/90 mm Hg. Smoking is another major preventative risk factor for stroke. A healthy diet and physical activity are important for reducing the risk of stroke. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recommends that adults participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity or a combination of both each week. Kids should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. The hardest part of getting started on the journey to better health is taking the first step, but one of the easiest ways to get going is by taking a walk. Walking is low-risk, and it can help improve fitness and reduce the risk of serious medical conditions. In fact, walking briskly can lower the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes as much as running, according to a 2016 study conducted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Life Science Division in Berkley, California. All three conditions are risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Researchers analyzed 33,060 runners in the National Runners’ Health Study and 15,045
walkers in the National Walkers’ Health Study. They found that the same energy used for moderate-intensity walking and vigorous-intensity running resulted in similar reductions in risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and, possibly, coronary heart disease over the study’s six years. The more people walked or ran each week, the more their health benefits increased. “The findings don’t surprise me at all,” said Russell Pate, PhD, a professor of exercise science in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. “The findings are consistent with the American Heart Association’s recommendations for physical activity in adults that we need 30 minutes of physical activity per day, at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, to derive benefits.” Walking with a group is an excellent way to stay motivated, and later this year hundreds of walkers will fill the streets of University Park for the annual Centre County Heart Walk. Set for Saturday, September 23 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, participants will make their way through the Penn State campus, choosing either a 1-km or 5-km fun run or walk. Walkers and runners can form teams and register by visiting heart.org/centrewalk.
With a goal of raising $75,000, the Centre County Heart Walk will contribute to lifesaving heart and stroke research and education. Currently, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is funding more than $660,000 in research at Penn State. Additionally, over the last year, the AHA/ASA educated more than 4,000 students in kindergarten through eighth grades through healthy lifestyle programs and trained 3,424 individuals to perform lifesaving CPR in Centre County. Those efforts, combined with healthy lifestyle changes and knowing the warning signs of a stroke, are key to creating the next wave of stroke heroes, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. They might help make the difference between life and death or between full recovery and permanent disability. Stroke heroes are the ones whose stories make for true blockbusters. T&G For more information about local AHA/ ASA efforts, contact division director Brooke Welsh at (717) 730-1713. Sean Dreher has been the communications director for the Central Pennsylvania Division of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association since 2015. 2017 May T&G - 23
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great outdoors
Playtime in the Park Centre County parks come in all shapes and sizes and offer a number of activities By Rebekka Coakley On a sunny Saturday afternoon in late spring, Tom Tudek Memorial Park in Ferguson Township is humming with activity. The butterfly garden is full of fluttering wings as flowers begin to bloom, shouts of cheering and laughter drift in from the playground and over a children’s soccer game, in the distance, dogs can be heard barking playfully as they frolic in their own park, and bicycle bells are ringing on the bike path. It’s the perfect place for Pam Wertz of Bellefonte to take her two daughters, Lucy, 2, and Bella, 8. “We have some amazing parks in Centre County,” Wertz says. “I like taking my kids to Spring Creek or Tudek because, with their age difference, there’s something they can both do.” While Lucy finds happiness on the smaller slides and in the baby swing, Bella can bring her basketball and play hoops, while her mom keeps an eye on her, from Lucy’s side. “Talleyrand is cool, too, because we can feed the ducks and watch them swim,” Wertz says. “Plus, Lucy is obsessed with trains, and there’s a stationary train there that she loves to see and a great water fountain — it’s another park that keeps everyone entertained.” Centre County has an impressive number of parks for families to enjoy, including about 51 in State College, plus two outdoor pools and a nature center, and two scenic parks and a pool in Bellefonte’s borough. Jeff Hall, sports supervisor for Centre Region Parks and Recreation (CRPR), is in charge of scheduling and divvying up the playing fields and diamonds for the many sports leagues for adults and children. “Outdoor-wise, we’re busy the start of April until November,” says Hall, noting that the Center Region Center is open year-round. CRPR has a staff of 19 full-time employees, not including seasonal maintenance workers, lifeguards, and camp leaders, to manage its 1,020 24 - T&G May 2017
acres and continually check the safety of equipment. Tudek, at 87 acres, is the biggest park operated by CRPR, which maintains parks in the Borough of State College, College Township, Harris Township, Ferguson Township, and Patton Township. Smaller parks, such as the Sydney Friedman Parklet and Nittany Village park, still offer picnicking space and some playing equipment. According to Hall, Bernel Road Park, near University Park Airport, is fairly new and growing in popularity. With an airport-themed playground, an 18-hold disc golf course, paved walking trails, tennis courts, and picnic pavilions, the unique park offers a variety of activities. For dog owners, dogs who are kept on their leashes and immediately cleaned up after are welcome in the Borough of State College only at Lederer Park, Walnut Springs Park, and in Orchard Park on the perimeter sidewalks. Pets are welcome in the township parks under the same stipulations, just as long as they are not in the playground equipment areas. Tudek
Millbrook Marsh Nature Center in State College offers kids a chance to learn about the natural world and environment.
Above, Lucy Wertz enjoys swinging at the park and going down a slide (right) with her older sister, Bella.
also offers an off-leash fenced-in area — big dogs and small dogs have their own places to play. In Patton Township, the Patton Woods Recreation Area (formerly Circleville Woods) allows dogs to be off-leash as long as they are within sight distance of their owner. According to Don Holderman, assistant manager of the Borough of Bellefonte, dogs kept on their leash are allowed at all of their parks — Talleyrand, Governor’s, Masullo Park off of Reynolds Avenue, Triangular Park by the Lamb Street Bridge, and Krauss Park by the Gamble Mill. He says each park in Bellefonte has its own personality. “Talleyrand is more historic and it’s in our downtown, so it gets a lot of pedestrian traffic,” he says. “It offers a nice playground utilized by a lot of families, plus there are the ducks, the creek, the gazebo, and a nice one-fifth of a mile walking path. It’s unique in its proximity to downtown. Governor’s is more of a picnic area with pavilions and is more or less used in the summertime. Masullo Park is a nice getaway for dogs to play, and it’s surrounded by Spring Creek and Logan Branch on two edges. Krauss Park is small, quiet place. It’s a very small park, a lot of people use it to fish.” Families that want to cool off with a swim can enjoy the Park Forest pool and William Welch pool in State College, and the Governor’s Park pool in Bellefonte.
“Bella is in the [ Bellefonte ] YMCA summer camp and spends more of her time [ at Governor’s Park ] swimming, making crafts, playing games,” says Wertz. “They have a playground and pavilions, too, so in the summer we’ll pack a picnic — play for awhile in the morning, have our lunch, and go to the pool to cool off, it’s a great facility.” Baseball, basketball, volleyball, bocce, tennis, disc golf, and hiking are all offered at the various parks in the Centre Region. Additionally, Millbrook Marsh Nature Center on Puddintown Road offers a unique experience for visitors. Its mission is to “educate and inspire people about the natural world, and to instill a passion for the environment through science, history, culture, and art.” As a parent who recently moved from the Washington, DC, area to State College, Wertz says she appreciates all that the parks have to offer and also the people that go to the parks. “Most of the parents seem really friendly and the parks feel safe,” she says. “They stand alone, they’re away from busy roads so I don’t have to worry about cars, and they’re all really clean. We’re really lucky to have such nice facilities.” T&G Rebekka Coakley is a freelance writer living in State College. 2017 May T&G - 25
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on center
Enduring Duo
Yo-Yo Ma to return to Penn State in November concert with Kathryn Stott By John Mark Rafacz Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, one of the world’s most celebrated musicians, will appear at Penn State for only the third time when he performs in concert with pianist Kathryn Stott November 3 at Eisenhower Auditorium. Ma, whose career is defined by an insatiable desire to find musical connections across cultures, and Stott, a fixture on the international music scene for decades, have performed together for more than 30 years. Their collaborations include two Grammy Award-winning albums, Obrigado Brazil and Obrigado Brazil–Live in Concert. The pair’s most recent album is 2015’s Songs from the Arc of Life. “When it comes to artistic partnerships, there’s a lot to be said for the fireworks of musicians joining together for the first time,” writes an NPR critic. “But there’s another kind of collaboration that can yield profound pleasure: a recording with two artists who know each other deeply, in a relationship that has unfolded over years and even decades. That’s the case with world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Kathryn Stott, who have been playing together since 1984. Over those many years, they’ve developed a wonderfully warm and mutually responsive musical partnership that has blossomed in performances that are both generous and incisive.” Ma’s discography includes more than 100 albums. Eighteen have earned Grammys. His most recent, Bach Trios, came out in April and is a collaboration with bassist Edgar Meyer and mandolinist Chris Thile. Sing Me Home, his 2016 recording with the Silk Road Ensemble, is a companion to the documentary film The Music of Strangers. Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble develops new music, cultural partnerships, education programs, and cross-disciplinary alliances. The ensemble has commissioned more than 80 musical and multimedia works from composers and arrangers across the planet. Ma’s popular and critically acclaimed recordings are doorways into classical and world music for people who might not otherwise listen. “I feel deeply committed to the tradition I know best, and I was schooled in, but I also feel that’s part of a world tradition. It’s one of the best things people have invented,” Ma said in a 26 - T&G May 2017
Yo-Yo Ma (left) and Kathryn Stott.
2009 interview with the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State. “And then I find that other people feel that way about their traditions, and I say, ‘Well, okay, show me what you know. Show me what you love, so I can love it, too.’ ” Ma last appeared at Eisenhower in 2009 for the world premiere of he, violinist Itzhak Perlman, and pianist Emanuel Ax in concert as a trio. The cellist first performed at Penn State as a soloist with the German Youth Orchestra in 1991. Stott has performed globally as a soloist and a chamber musician since 1978, when she was a prize winner at the Leeds International Piano Competition. She is an exponent of tango and other Latin dance music. Her most recent solo release, Solitaires, explores French works for piano. She was recently appointed artistic director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music. T&G For information about the Center for the Performing Arts 2017-18 season, visit cpa.psu.edu beginning June 12. John Mark Rafacz is the editorial manager of the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.
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“Service ab o
Local clubs c
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b ove Self” ’
s celebrate Rotary Foundation’s 100th anniversary By Tracey M. Dooms
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against polio. The Rotary International Foundation, which is the fund-raising arm of the service organization, has contributed more than $1.3 billion to vaccinate children against polio. Today, polio is found in only two countries — Pakistan and Afghanistan. “It’s very exciting to be part of eradicating a disease,” says Tracy oliomyelitis Sepich, president of the Rotary Club of State College/Downtown. is a terrible Founded in 1905, Rotary International was just 12 years old disease, primarily when the Rotary Foundation was born. At the 1917 Rotary affecting children Convention in Atlanta, Rotary president Arch Klumph proposed and often causing an endowment fund dedicated to “doing good in the world.” paralysis or In 1930, the Rotary Foundation made its first donation, giving death. Thanks $500 to the International Society for Crippled Children (known to vaccines developed in the today as Easter Seals), founded by Rotary member Edgar F. Allen. 1950s, polio was eradicated in The foundation has grown into one of the United States by 1980. the world’s leading humanitarian However, it still took a foundations, having spent more devastating toll on than $3 billion on life-changing children around the It’s very projects around the world. world, particularly in Local Rotary clubs are exciting to developing countries. celebrating the foundation’s In 1979, Rotary be part of 100th anniversary with International a gala and auction, eradicating joined forces with organized by the State the government of a disease. College/Downtown Rotary the Philippines to Club to benefit the Rotary immunize 6 million Foundation, on May 19 at the children there within Mountainview Country Club. five years. The success of Part of the funds raised will be that program led to Rotary’s earmarked for the PolioPlus program launching of PolioPlus in (with $2 in matching funds from the Bill 1985; three years later, the and Melinda Gates Foundation for each $1 donated), and the organization collaborated with rest will go to the foundation’s general fund for use in club the PanAmerican Health matching grants at home and abroad. Organization, World Health Organization, US Centers for Disease Control, and UNICEF on a campaign to eradicate polio worldwide. At that time, polio was present in more than 125 countries and paralyzed about 1,000 children each day. Over the past three decades, Rotary clubs and their members around the globe — including in State College — have raised funds and made individual donations to support the fight
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Tracy Sepich
Thanks to Rotary Foundation’s efforts, polio has been eradicated in all but two countries in the world. 30 - T&G May 2017
Above, Residents pump water from a new well in Tonosuano, Ghana. The Rotary Club of State College participates in a road cleanup.
2017 May T&G - 31
Rotary Club of State College
men and held the first formal meeting that October at Centre Hills Country Club. (US Rotary clubs did not officially admit women as members until 1987.) Recalling those early days, charter member Dick Grant said when the club celebrated Rotary got its start in State its 50th anniversary, “We were young, full of pep and vigor, College in 1924. Arthur and motivated by a sincere desire to do what we could for the Warnock, Penn State dean betterment of our community.” of men, and Claude Aikens, Among the club’s early community service projects were publisher of the Times (now helping to establish Holmes-Foster Park, develop Seven the Centre Daily Times), Mountains Boy Scout Camp, buy uniforms for the first State gathered 21 other local College High School band, install an outdoor running track at Memorial Field, and pay expenses for the State High drivertraining program, the first in the nation. By the time the club celebrated its 50th anniversary, it had financed new band and majorette uniforms in 1972, paid for a nurses’ station at the hospital now known as Mount Nittany Medical Center, and bought a mobile therapy van for the local Easter Seals chapter, among many other projects. Club members also were diligent in their contributions to the Rotary Foundation. Today, the Rotary Club of State College has 45 members who meet on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 at the Nittany Lion Inn. The current president is Elliot Abrams, senior vice president and chief forecaster for AccuWeather Inc. and a Patton Township supervisor. His wife, Bonnie, a retired elementary school teacher, also served as president recently. The couple joined Rotary about eight years ago, attracted by Rotary International’s motto of “service above self.” Elliot says, “Everybody is of the same mind of providing some service or help in State College Sunrise Rotary Club president Pam Ferguson. the community or the world.”
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Above, Rotary Club of State College/Downtown holds its Ice Cream Festival in June. Right, Rotary Club of State College/Downtown president Tracy Sepich.
That fits with Rotary International’s stated mission: to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. In addition to supporting the foundation’s global priorities, each Rotary Club funds local community needs and actively volunteers in the community. Often, leaders of local nonprofit organizations speak at weekly Rotary meetings to pique club interest in their projects. “We try to look at the community and figure out some of the places that need our help,” Bonnie Abrams says. For the Rotary Club of State College, recent projects have included support for Schlow Centre Region Library after a pipe burst and caused extensive water damage. Matching grants from the foundation helped fund a potato-peeling machine for State College Area Meals on Wheel and several Little Free Libraries, and annual fund-raising has supported numerous nonprofits, including Strawberry Fields, Centre LifeLink EMS, and Housing Transitions. Club members volunteer their time on projects ranging from the Centre Region Parks & Recreation Easter egg hunt to Centre Volunteers in Medicines’ Battle of the Minds.
“We like to think that everyone in the community is impacted in some way,” Bonnie says.
Rotary Club of State College/ Downtown
In 1986, with membership on the rise, the Rotary Club of State College sponsored
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The State College Sunrise Rotary Club honors local fire and EMS first responders.
a second local club. The 67 current members of Rotary Club of State College/Downtown meet at noon on Thursdays at the Ramada Inn & Conference Center.
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Sepich, optometrist and president of Restore Eye Care, is a fourthgeneration Rotarian, and her father, Peter Carpenter, is a past president of the Rotary
Club of State College. Sepich was in her mid-20s when she joined the Oil City Rotary Club. “I knew Rotary did good things around the world, and it’s also a good way to meet other professionals,” she says. In 2005, she became a member of the Rotary Club of State College/Downtown. “I love that Rotary is an active, diverse group of business and professional people. Everyone is valued, and everyone contributes.” Individual club members often make contributions to the Rotary Foundation, making the club eligible to apply later for matching funds for local projects. Most recently, the Rotary Club of State College/
Downtown contributed club and matching funds to the Boy Scouts for renovation of shower houses at Seven Mountains Scout Camp. The club also has supported international projects such as building water wells in developing countries and donating classroom furniture for a school in Turkey, as well as the Rotary youth exchange program. However, most of the money raised locally by the club is used locally, Sepich says. The club contributes to a variety of local organizations, especially those that focus on children, such as Schlow Centre Region Library’s children’s library, Discovery Space of Central
A student washes her hands at Lavena Parrotfish Kindergarten on Taveuni Island in Fiji.
Pennsylvania, and the Food Bank of the State College Area. Members participate in hands-on service projects, including the Downtown State College Polar Express and
the Jared Box Project. In an ongoing effort, club members pick up unsold food from the downtown farmers’ market on Friday afternoons and transport it to the food bank.
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State College Sunrise Rotary Club State College Sunrise Rotary Club is the youngest Rotary club in the Centre Region, founded in 2006 to accommodate local Rotarians who found it easier to attend morning meetings. The club meets on Wednesdays at 7:15 a.m. at the Hotel State College. Current president Pam Ferguson benefited from a Rotary Group Study Exchange program before she actually joined the organization. In 1996, as executive director of the Food Bank of the State College Area, she was awarded a six-week trip to western Australia as part of a group visiting social service organizations there and making presentations about her own organization to Australian Rotary clubs. “I learned so much from the exchange, and I saw what good work Rotary does,” she says. The next year, she joined the State College/Downtown Rotary Club; she switched to Sunrise Rotary after it was formed because morning meetings better fit her schedule. State College Sunrise Rotary Club has 31 members, representing a variety of professions. The antipolio mission continues to attract the biggest share of members’ individual contributions to the Rotary Foundation, Ferguson says. International projects of the club have included funding emergency shelter kits for victims of natural disasters 36 - T&G May 2017
Rotary in Centre County Among the 34,000 Rotary Clubs around the world are these Centre County clubs: • Rotary Club of State College: statecollegerotary.org • Rotary Club of State College/Downtown: downtownstatecollegerotary.org • State College Sunrise Rotary Club: statecollegesunriserotary.org • Bellefonte Sunrise Rotary Club: Bellefonte-Sunrise-Rotary-Club on Facebook • Rotary Club of Pleasant Gap: PGrotary on Facebook College and State College Area High School students also participate in the Rotary mission of “service above self”: • Penn State Rotaract Club: sites.psu.edu/psurotaractclub • State High Interact Club: scasd.org/domain/1719
(with the Centre County United Nations Association) and sending baby clothes to Rwanda. Sunrise Rotary members participate in monthly service projects that have included emptying trash cans at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, filling backpacks for the YMCA of Centre County’s Backpack Weekend Food Program, making mountain pies at Centre County Camp Cadet, and much more.
A majority of Sunrise Rotary members, including Ferguson, are graduates of Leadership Centre County. “Through Leadership Centre County, you learn so much about the county, and you want to keep learning,” she says. “Rotary is a great way to do that.” T&G Tracey M. Dooms is a freelance writer in State College and a special projects editor for Town&Gown.
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While police officers do spend their time patrolling the streets (top), they also are involved in outreach efforts such as Spring Township police office Chris Snare serving as a school resource officer for Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology in Pleasant Gap. 38 - T&G May 2017
Peace Protection Perception For police officers today, their job is more than just patrolling the streets. Those in blue take on many roles in serving their communities, and they are hoping that their community outreach efforts can help bring about a better understanding of the work they do By Jenna Spinelle
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E
Every day, hundreds of people across Centre County go to work protecting the community. They make decisions in the blink of an eye that could literally mean a person’s life or death. They play the roles of parent, companion, and therapist — sometimes all at once. And, thanks to smartphones and social media, their actions can be displayed online for the entire world to see. But no matter the situation, they are always police officers. It’s not always an easy job, but it is a rewarding one. Centre County’s police officers consider themselves lucky to live in a community where they have the opportunity to know the people they serve and see the impact of their work on a daily basis. However, that does not mean things are perfect, and they see opportunities to improve the public’s understanding about the work they do.
Joining the force
The drive to become a police officer is often borne out of a desire to help people in a way that few other professions can. Officer Adam Salyards of State College Police caught that feeling as a teenager in Blair County and carries it with him today. “I’ve always had a sense of community duty,” he says. “I grew up in community service … I was a volunteer firefighter when I was 14 and an EMT at 16 and continued both of those activities until I became a police officer in my early 20s.”
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Salyards became a police officer in his early 20s and is now the community relations and crime prevention specialist for the State College Police Department.
After spending a decade as a night patrol officer, Salyards became the State College Police Department’s community relations and crime prevention specialist last summer. He is responsible for educating the public on the work that police do and serves as a liaison to Penn State’s Office of Student Conduct and on on the committee for LION Walk, the university’s program intended to create good relations between borough residents and their student neighbors. He also represents the police department at community events and gives presentations on topics such as DUI, personal safety, and identity theft. “The majority of our job is community service, and that’s especially true in a position like mine,” he says. The Student Auxiliary Officer program within Penn State University Police provides an opportunity for college students to bridge the gap between volunteering in their hometowns and becoming police officers after graduation. About 100 auxiliary officers assist fulltime staff with duties such as campus patrols and traffic control during large campus events.
Above, Himes (left) and Sanjay both came up through the Penn State’s Student Auxiliary Officer program. Right, Foley followed her father, four uncles, and an aunt by becoming a police officer.
University Police Sergeant Monica Himes and Officer Sanjay Bridges came up through the auxiliary program and credit it with inspiring them to pursue law enforcement as a full-time career. Bridges had wanted to go to law school and was initially apprehensive about making the transition from auxiliary officers, who don’t carry guns, into a sworn police officer. He joined the force two years ago and hasn’t looked back since. “I grew up in a crappy neighborhood and didn’t know how I would feel about carrying a gun every day,” he says. 2017 May T&G - 41
Family connections also play a role in the decision to become a police officer. State College police officer Nicole Foley’s father was a police officer in Philadelphia, as are four of her uncles and an aunt. She knew that she wanted to follow the family’s line of work, but in a different environment. “I love it here versus living in the city,” she says. “It’s a whole different quality of life and more community oriented here.” Spring Township police officer Chris Snare has been an officer for three years and was drawn to the profession because of the fact that no two days are ever the same. “It’s the same kind of work every day, but it is constantly different problem-solving situations, physical exertions, and reasons to be proud at the end of the day,” he says. 42 - T&G May 2017
Challenges
Above, Himes teaches a self-defense course
State College and to Penn State students. Left, Danneker joined surrounding areas are the Spring Township Police Department in consistently ranked among 1992 and is now its chief. the safest places in the country, so being a police officer can’t be that difficult, right? While the Centre Region is no inner city, officers here say it does not mean they can sit back and take it easy. One of the biggest challenges is the ongoing perception that the police are the bad guys out to put people in jail. The reality, they say, is quite the opposite. “We’re all about protecting the rights of individuals, keeping the peace, and making sure everyone’s good to go,” Himes says. The belief that the police are out to get someone is especially true among college students, officers say. There’s not much to be done in the moment when someone is rowdy and drunk, officers say, but in the long run they try to turn the experience into a learning opportunity. Both State College Police and Penn State University Police have drug and alcohol awareness classes to help students who are charged with underage drinking and related charges. Foley, who not that long ago was in college herself, can put herself in the shoes of her students when teaching Youthful Offender Program classes.
“I really enjoy talking to students on that level,” she says. “Students can ask whatever questions they want, and I’ll answer.” On the university police side, officers try to meet with students after an incident occurs, which sometimes surprises students. “When we deal with someone who is highly intoxicated, they’re not the nicest. But when we bring them in and talk to them about what happened, nine times out of 10 they leave thinking, ‘Oh my God, it’s not me.’ ” Himes says. “We’re not out to ruin everyone’s lives. There may be penalties, but there are also teachable moments.” Another challenge with the college crowd in particular is social media. Anyone can film anything at any time and share it online for the entire world to see.
Spring Township police chief Michael Danneker has been a police officer since 1992. When he started, police reports were handwritten and no one had a cell phone. Now every police car is equipped with a laptop, and officers are starting to use technology such as microphones and body cameras to help document their work. Keeping up with that technology can be a challenge, Danneker says, especially when the public tends to adopt new things before law enforcement does. “I tell our officers that they need to be more alert and don’t do anything that would disgrace family or friends,” he says.
“Everyone has access to some sort of social media or camera, and it’s not always presented accurately.” How officers interact with social media personally can present some challenges. Unlike most of her millennial peers, Foley says she keeps a very limited profile online, interacting only with family so as not to compromise any of the work that she does. “I don’t want to be in a situation where if I arrest someone they can find me,” she says. “We also use social media for investigations. You’d be surprised what people put out there.” Another challenge local police face is one of logistics. Centre County has enough police officers to serve its residents, but not always the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come in for Penn State football games and other events. These situations require officers from across the county to work together to ensure the safety of everyone, regardless of whether they live in the Centre Region. “For things like Arts Fest and Penn State football, we all have to get together and help each other out. We’re not a city and don’t have the manpower to pull from,” Danneker says. 2017 May T&G - 43
Rewards
Like any job, the more difficult parts of being a police officer are countered by moments that remind officers of why they entered into this line of work in the first place. Those instances tend to be times when officers feel like they are helping someone, whether it’s actually saving a life in a medical situation or just providing a sympathetic ear for someone. “There are times when you’re that person’s last hope,” Salyards says. “There are times they don’t want to talk to other people, but they will talk to a police officer and we’re there to listen.” Officers also have the opportunity to connect with young adults and children through partnerships with local schools. Snare serves as a school resource officer for Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology in Pleasant Gap. In that capacity, he’s one of two officers responsible for discipline and security at the school and also for educating students on topics from drug and alcohol abuse to computer crimes and traffic laws. “A school resource officer helps build a positive relationship between students, police, and administration,” Snare says. “It’s about showing students that police are humans, too, and they can simply talk to us.” 44 - T&G May 2017
Mike Lyons (left) and Shawn Luse talk to students at Bellefonte Middle School.
Mike Lyons is the school resource officer at Bellefonte Area High School. Like Snare, he is responsible for dealing with disciplinary issues at the school. He says much of what he sees is related to the prevalence of social media and comments that quickly escalate into something more. “If I can get them communicating face-to-face instead of talking through social media, I’m usually able to get those kind of issues squashed pretty quickly,” he says. He adds that he tries to maintain a loose demeanor around the kids so they feel comfortable talking to him
if needed. He’s sometimes in the position of trying to counteract a stereotype that a child may have built up about the police based on a bad encounter a parent or family member had. He primarily works at the high school, but does visit the district’s elementary schools along with Shawn Luse, the school resource officer at Bellefonte Area Middle School. “We even get the elementary school kids used to seeing us,” Lyons says. “They’re not afraid to come up and talk to me whenever they see me.” He says he enjoys working in the schools because it allows him to be more proactive in a way that police officers do not typically get to be.
“There’s a lot that goes in with this other than waiting for someone to do something where they screw up and need my help,” he says. “I’ve done the street work for a long time, and it was nice to have that change” Outside of formal relationships like that, local police also speak frequently to groups from the community, conduct station tours, and hold events to educate the public about the work they do. In addition to the connections with the people they serve, police officers also enjoy a special type of camaraderie with each other. On days when it’s tough to put personal problems aside to focus on work or when a weekend shift means missing a family event, officers commiserate with each other because they’ve all been there. “They know you better than anyone else here,” Bridges says. “They know when you’re having an off day. They can be that shoulder you need so that you can be who you need to be to the community that you serve.” The majority of cases local police handle relate to drug or alcohol use and domestic or child abuse — all situations where officers have the opportunity to intervene and change longterm behavior patterns for the better. The same adrenaline-filled moments that make the job demanding also make it rewarding and keep law enforcement officers coming to work each day, even though it inevitably means missing out on family or other obligations as a result.
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“When you’re dealing with someone in a crisis situation, you’re not worrying about who they are or how they got there. You’re just worried about saving them,” Foley says. “At the end of it, you’ve succeeded in saving someone’s life, which is the most rewarding thing.”
Moving forward
While the job is rewarding to those who put on the uniform each day, they still feel there’s work to be done in educating the community about the work they do and the tough choices that are sometimes required of them. “A lot of people who are unhappy with law enforcement have never had contact with anyone in law enforcement,” Danneker says. “Everyone can be an armchair quarterback, but we are in situations where decisions are made in milliseconds in the dark or with sometimes little information provided.” That transformation happens through outreach events to the general public and also by changing the way that law enforcement is talked about in the classroom. Foley says she would like to go back to school and eventually teach criminal justice classes at the college level. Her experience was that those who were teaching courses related to police work did not have any hands-on experience in the field. “Some of my teachers had law degrees, but no one had a police background,” she says. “People who have actually been on the
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ground can bring a different aspect to teaching.” Local officers say they’ll continue to do the work of trying to change the perception some people may have of the police, especially when high-profile cases involving police shootings draw national attention. “Some people don’t respect police and what it is that we are trying to accomplish, which is really just having a safe place to live for our families and communities,” Snare says “I’d like to see less of that [lack of respect] in the years to come, but recognize that it is an uphill battle.” T&G Jenna Spinelle is a freelance writer and journalism instructor in State College.
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Nurturing A
Foster families help create loving environments for children in need
By Kevin Briggs 48 - T&G May 2017
Home The Leddy family, including twins, Olivia and Isabella, whom were adopted from foster care, enjoys dinner together.
2017 May T&G - 49
Centre County is known to be a wonderful place to grow up. It has all kinds of activities and highly regarded public and private schools. But even in Happy Valley children live in situations that may not be wonderful and conducive to their healthy development. For that reason, Centre County has a foster care community that provides children with families and living arrangements that can give them a chance to have stability and receive a level of care they may not be currently receiving. “As of today, I believe there are 61 children [in custody of Centre County] between the ages of newborn and 21,” says Centre County Children and
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“For us, being a foster family is an extension of our faith, so we have chosen to do it. This is how we feel we are supposed to make an impact on those around us.” — Hillary Haris
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Youth Services (CYS) foster home specialist Robin Cain. “We take kids from birth to 21 who are children in need. … Kids come, go, get adopted. It’s a very fluid number.” May is National Foster Care Month, and on May 2, the annual Change a Lifetime event happens on the steps of the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte. The event helps recognize those who are already foster families and also the need for more foster homes. According to CYS, of the 61 children in county custody, 34 have a foster family in Centre County, while 11 aren’t able to reside in the county because there aren’t homes available, and 16 children are residing in an alternative placement. The process to place a child into foster care is clear, but it is involved and can take quite a bit of time due to, among other things, the research that goes into each case. By the time a child is removed from custody of his or her current parent(s) or guardian(s), the details of the case have been well-documented and a foster placement has been determined to be in A single mother, the child’s best interest. Neale says being a foster mother was “The children that come into the something she always care and custody of the agency usually wanted to do. come from … they’ve experienced abuse, neglect,” Cain says. “A lot of kids coming into placement, their parents have addiction issues. We provide several different levels of service to families.” If Centre County CYS is made aware of a child’s difficult living situation, an intake worker can go to the home to make an assessment. If it is determined there is a need for ongoing monitoring, the case is elevated to Ongoing Protective Services, for which a caseworker manages and makes sure all aspects of the intake process are being addressed. OPS also involves parent education and support to the family. If a further determination is made that the
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living situation is not in the best interest of the child, the courts can become involved by request to have the child come into the care and custody of the agency. “If we decide a child is not safe in their home, their needs are not being met, we get the court involved,” Cain says. “It can be an emergency in that we can act immediately. More hearings follow. An emergency custody can happen after a petition.” Whatever the case may be, each fostering situation is different. “A lot of times [the children have] been abused or neglected,” says longtime foster parent Hillary Haris of Port Matilda. “There can be developmental delays and initial behavior issues for kids that come into care. Often, when they come into a foster home and they have stability, routine, and structure, these kids just grow by leaps and bounds. When they come into foster care and receive the love and attention from foster parents, they are able to meet their milestones and, a lot of times, exceed expectations.” Haris and her husband, Robi, started fostering children almost nine years ago. “We got into it because my husband was a full-time youth director, so we had kids in our
house all the time,” Hillary says. “We had teenagers in our house all the time for 10 years. For us, being a foster family is an extension of our faith, so we have chosen to do it. This is how we feel we are supposed to make an impact on those around us.”
Above, the Haris family (first row, from left), Riley, Hillary, Meghan, and Robi; (back row, from left) Jack, Taylor, and Anna. Hillary and Robi adopted Meghan, now 6, from foster care when she was 15 months old.
2017 May T&G - 51
“
“For me, it’s obviously helping these girls have a safe and loving environment to grow up in.” — Thea Leddy
Over the years, the couple has fostered a total of nine children, eventually adopting one of them. “We told [Centre County] Children and Youth Services we would foster anyone but babies,” Hillary says. “But CYS called us because they were desperate. They had lots of babies to place. They knew we were not fostering to adopt. They called us because they were desperate and needed a family to care for a baby. So we picked her [Meghan] up at the hospital. She was 6 days old. After four months, we were willing to adopt, and we finally adopted her at 15 months.” Along with Meghan, the Haris family also has four biological children, ranging in age from 15 to 22. Hillary and Robi also are actively employed. “[It’s rewarding] just knowing that the kids are safe and that foster families are able to help kids,” Hillary says. “Some of the kids come into care for only a few hours until a family member is identified. Sometimes, it’s a lifetime.” Center County CYS is the largest foster care agency in the area, but it is not the only one. There are some private agencies that also help children find families.
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“You can foster through private agencies and through the county,” Hillary says. “Most foster care training is similar, but for the county, it’s lots of background checks, references, and six nights of three-hour classes. Every case is so incredibly different. The classes are merely the tip of the iceberg. It makes a big difference if you have support after the child is in your home. Each foster situation is unique. continued on page 54
Foster Care FAQ
From Centre County Children & Youth Services
What is foster care? Foster care is a service that provides life experience in an approved household for children who temporarily cannot remain in their home and whose needs can be best met in a foster family setting. The basic purposes of foster care are: • To provide a safe, nurturing environment that provides the child’s maximum growth and development. • To work toward the achievement of a permanency goal for the child. Who needs foster care? Children and youth needing foster care placements come from a variety of social and economic backgrounds — from every race, religion, and nationality; and every age from birth to young adulthood. Children who need foster care may have experienced abuse, neglect, parent-child conflict, truancy, emotional problems.
What qualities do resource parents have? Resource parents are people like you. People who are genuinely concerned about the welfare of children and families in Centre County. Resource parents represent different ages, races, and income levels. They may be either married or single. They may have biological children and/ or adopted children living at home or have raised their own children to adulthood. There are resource parents who go to your church, work with you at your place of employment, or live in your neighborhood.
• Respite foster care. Is used to provide short-term relief to parents who need a break. The placement is typically planned in advance and involves one to two weekends per month. Respite care also is used to provide relief care for foster parents to give them a break from a youth with challenging behavior. Resource parents can choose to provide any of the different types of foster care. You will receive financial reimbursement for room, board, and clothing. Medical expenses are covered by the Pennsylvania Access Plus Program.
What is involved in foster care? Resource parents provide the daily basics — food, clothing, shelter, and love and guidance that every child needs. Resource parents work in partnership with the agency and other support services to help children and families.
What happens when you apply? A foster home recruiter will contact you by phone and arrange to meet with you and your family in your home to explain foster care at length and go over the application process. If you decide to pursue becoming a resource parent, you will participate in a home evaluation and study. The foster home recruiter will help you complete the evaluation and study. The foster home recruiter will introduce you to staff and Centre County Children & Youth Services, who provide preservice training to prepare you for taking foster children into your home. T&G
Is all foster care the same? There are several types of foster care: • Regular foster care. Resource parents provide a home for a child as long as it is necessary. The placement lasts anywhere from two weeks to several years. • Emergency foster care. Resource parents are available 24 hours a day to receive children into their home. The length of time of a child’s placement can vary anywhere from one day to two weeks.
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continued from page 52 “It’s very important to have your whole family on board when deciding to foster. It has been a real blessing to our family. My kids have learned so much through this process of fostering, and I have no regrets walking down this path. It’s been really good … difficult at times, but really good for my biological kids.” Along with the Haris family, the Leddy family of State College has its own story to tell, also fostering multiple
“
children over multiple years and eventually adopting twins, whom they fostered as newborns. “We have twin girls we brought home at 12 days old,” says Thea Leddy. “We’re adopting them in two weeks. They are 16 months old. I never wanted to adopt, and I had never wanted to foster. I told people I couldn’t do it, it’s too hard.” Leddy and her husband, Scott, had a moment prior to deciding to adopt the twins, and
“The children that come into the care and custody of the agency usually come from … they’ve experienced abuse, neglect.” — Robin Cain
“
Each May, Centre County Children and Youth Services holds its Change a Lifetime event in Bellefonte in honor of National Foster Care Month. 54 - T&G May 2017
it all had to do with conditions being right to adopt, including conditions being right for their biological children. “I looked at [Scott] and said, ‘I think we’re supposed to foster,’ ” Thea says. “He looked at me and said, ‘I think we’re supposed to, too.’ We completed a six-week class, and in November 2015, we were offered twin girls. We have three biological children — two boys and one girl — and we wanted a 6-year-old or younger. Our daughter is 8 now, so we wanted someone younger than her. Honestly, I never thought we’d get an infant.” One of Thea’s biggest delights is how well her biological children have taken to their new siblings.
“They love it,” she says. “They adore the twins. We talked to them a lot prior to fostering. We sat them down and said this is what we think we’re supposed to do. If one of them was strongly against it, we wouldn’t have pushed the issue. We talked to them frequently. We wanted them to know that they can come to us. But they adore the twins! From the moment we brought them home, they were attached.” For Sheri Neale of State College, the decision to become a foster parent emerged from a deeply embedded conviction and has led to continuous involvement in fostering since she first made
the decision. “I guess you can say being a foster mom was something I have always wanted to do,” she says. “When I first moved to PA at the age of six, I would go with my aunt to do home visits. We visited families who were in very sad situations. I always felt bad for the children I met.” Like many other foster parents, Neale now blends her biological children with the children she fosters. “I have two biological children, ages 29 and 25, and I always wanted more children,” she says. “I figured as a single woman this may be challenging, but I have the heart, experience, and a few empty rooms, so the process started in the fall of 2015. The children are still with
me, but due to confidentiality concerns I am not able to share any details about them. They are in the reunification process with their biological family.” In the end, the process is about community and family building, for Neale, and she plans to continue to be involved in fostering. “I want to be involved with mentoring and supporting fostering families in the future,” she says. “I will see what that looks like when the time comes. In my experience of being a foster mommy, I have met some amazing people. I have friendships with people that I hope to never lose. There are so many awesome families out there doing great things for kids in our community. My words of
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advice to those who have any interest in being a foster parent, connect with people who are doing it, as they are resourceful and knowledgeable.” Both Hillary and Thea also exude positivity, optimism, and a vision for their family’s future involvement in foster care, as well as what they love most about it. “For me, it’s obviously helping these girls have a safe and loving environment to grow up in,” Thea says. “I have a pretty
“
good relationship with the biological parents. Not only does it make a difference in the lives of the children, it makes a difference in the lives of the parents. I had said we were done with babies, but if God told us, ‘I want you to foster again,’ as difficult as it would be, we would do it.” Hillary emphasized how her foster and adopted children became a complete part of her core family unit. “There is no difference, and it’s hard to understand how that can be,” she says. “Before I adopted, somebody told me, ‘Oh, you’ll love them all the same. You’ll love your [biological children] the same as the adopted.’ It’s so true! It’s not even part of your thinking to think otherwise. Life at times is easier to live when you don’t get involved in the icky stuff of life that happens to kids. So sometimes you have to dig into your resources, and that’s why support is so important. You don’t know how long foster kids will be in your care, but while you do have them, you have the opportunity to love and care for them and provide structure that will have a significant impact on their little world.” T&G
“I figured as a single woman this may be challenging, but I have the heart, experience, and a few empty rooms ...” — Sheri Neale
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“
Kevin Briggs is a writer, musician, and teacher who writes for local publications and performs music at venues across Central Pennsylvania.
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family fun Special Advertising Section
It’s Finally
Summer! Time to soak in the sun, get active, explore, & enjoy the outdoors!
special advertising section
It’s Finally
Summer! Time to soak in the sun, get active, explore, & enjoy the outdoors!
family fun
S
ummer is quickly approaching, and you may be looking for ideas on what to do with the kids once they are off from school. Well, fill the water bottles, lace up your sneakers, slather on the sunscreen, and head outdoors to create experiences you and your kids will remember forever. Town&Gown’s Family Fun section highlights some summertime’s activities for kids to keep them busy all season.
From arts and crafts to gymnastics classes, Centre County has it all for all ages. Visit a hands-on exhibit, tour a museum, learn about Pennsylvania history, play mini-golf, go swimming at the pool, and seek out trails to hike. There are camps to sign up for, baseball games to go to, caverns to explore, festivals to attend, and fun to be had at family bowling nights! But don’t forget to make sure the kids keep up with their reading list at the library.
2017
60 - T&G May 2017
Kids BOWL FREE All Summer Long! All registered kids will receive
2 FREE Games Every Day All Summer
Over a $500 Value!
1521 Martin St. State College, PA 814.237.1500
Go To www.KidsBowlFree.com/NorthlandBowl Today!
LIVE Entertainment Fridays Saturdays
&
For our Full Menu and Entertainment Calendar visit thearenabarandgrill.com 1521 Martin St. State College, PA
For takeout or delivery call 814.237.8830 2017 May T&G - 61
family fun
Camp Peaceworks A collaborative social justice camp where centre county youth and adult allies work together to explore the roots of violence in our society and how we can make positive changes in our community. FREE Day camp for youth age 13-17 July 24-28, 2017 Camp held at Seven Mountains Scout Camp
Explore Pennsylvania’s Connections
Transportation, meals, and snacks will be provided
pamilmuseum.org (814)466-6263
For more information go to: www.ccwrc.org email: camp@ccwrc.org call: 814-238-7066
Making Family Memories
Right Here at Home! Donate to CRPR During Centre Gives
May 9th & 10th! www.crpr.org • 814-231-3071 62 - T&G May 2017
Schlow Centre Region Library 60 th Anniversary Anniversary Events Mid-Century Memories
Friday, June 2, 7:00 p.m.
Hear recollections from long-time local residents about State College life in 1957 when Schlow Library opened.
Community Open House
Saturday, June 3, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Enjoy special programs for all ages and sign up for the Summer Reading Program and prizes.
More info available at
schlowlibrary.org
I
n 1957, Mr. Charles Schlow, a local civic-minded businessman, gave space in one of his properties
for a community book collection. The Library grew over the years and today is a 35,000 square foot community landmark at 211 S. Allen Street with community meeting rooms, public computing,
educational
programs
for all ages, and a collection of over 166,000 items.
211 S. Allen Street • 814.237.6236 • schlowlibrary.org
family fun
Ice Cream Fest!
June 3, 2017 Downtown State College Allen Street
12 pm – 4 pm
Enjoy a family-friendly festival with events and delicious locally made ice cream! The proceeds for this event benefit many local non-profit organizations and other various Rotary projects.
RotaryIceCreamFest@gmail.com For ticket and event information, visit www.downtownstatecollegerotary.org 64 - T&G May 2017
This Month
on
For additional program information, visit wpsu.org
Victorian Slum House Tuesdays, at 8 p.m.
In this series, a Victorian tenement in the heart of London’s East End has been painstakingly brought back to life. A group of 21st century people are moving in to experience the tough living and working conditions of the Victorian poor.
Our Town: The Cove Thursday, May 18, at 8 p.m. Storytellers from the Martinsburg and Roaring Spring area came together to capture the spirit of their community with video, photos, and memories in Our Town: The Cove. Watch as they share stories from the area’s history, local attractions like Everett Railroad and Mamie’s Cafe, and agricultural stories that include pigmy goats and a world record dairy cow.
Dark Angel Sunday, May 21, at 9 p.m.
a benefit for WPSU-FM
Saturday, May 20, noon-4 p.m. Join us for a gathering of our region’s exceptional restaurant, catering, and food truck chefs. This is a family-friendly event, and WPSU will have children’s activities and visits from PBS Kids characters. • • • •
Joanne Froggatt, who stole the hearts of millions of viewers as Anna, the loving and resilient lady’s maid on Downton Abbey, stars in a totally different role in a spine-tingling twopart drama on MASTERPIECE. Dispensing death from the spout of a warm teapot, Froggatt plays the notorious poisoner Mary Ann Cotton.
wpsu.org U.Ed. OUT 17-0011/17-PSPB-TV-000
Food and Beverage Tastings Demonstrations from Innovation Park Businesses PBS Kids Character Visits and Activities Live Music at the Picnic Lawn
Wristbands are $30 for ages 12 and older. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free.
Visit wpsu.org/atasteofinnovation to purchase your wristband today!
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1515 N. Atherton Street, State College, PA 16803 814. 237.1515 • mikesvideo.com
Bryce Jordan Center / Medlar Field at Lubrano Park
Coming in June 19 Spikes vs. Williamsport Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 7:05 p.m. 21-23 Spikes vs. Batavia Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 7:05 p.m. 28-30 Spikes vs. Auburn Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 7:05 p.m.
Coming in July 1-3 Spikes vs. Batavia Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 7:05 p.m. Sat. & Mon., 6:05 p.m. Sun. 4 Central PA 4thFest TBA 5 Spikes vs. Williamsport Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 7:05 p.m. 7-9 Spikes vs. Auburn Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 7:05 p.m. Fri., noon Sat., 6:05 p.m. Sun. 19 Spikes vs. Williamsport Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 7:05 p.m. 23-25 Spikes vs. Mahoning Valley Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 6:05 p.m. Sun., 7:05 p.m. Mon. & Tues. 30-August 1 Spikes vs. Auburn Medlar Field at Lubrano Park 6:05 p.m. Sun., 7:05 p.m. Mon., noon Tues. 70 - T&G May 2017
T& G
May
what's happening
10
The popular children’s book series, Elephant & Piggie, comes to life in Fuse Author&Stacey Productions’ Elephant Lee visits and will Piggie’s: We Are in a Play! at the give a talk at the State Theatre. Nittany Lion Inn.
22
12-14 The Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be decided at Penn State.
13-16 AAUW holds its annual Used Book Sale at Snider Agricultural Arena.
20
21
The annual Big Spring Festival takes place in Talleyrand Park in Bellefonte.
The Performing Arts School of Central Pennsylvania presents its production of Cinderella at the State Theatre. Boalsburg hosts its annual Memorial Day Weekend events.
To have an event listed in “What’s Happening,” e-mail mbrackenbury@centrecountygazette.com.
25-29
2017 May T&G - 71
Children & Families
Club Events
3, 10, 17, 24 – Baby Explorers, Discovery Space, SC, 10:30 a.m., mydiscoveryspace.org. 4, 11, 18, 25 – Science Adventures, Discovery Space, SC, 10:30 a.m., mydiscoveryspace.org. 5, 12, 19, 26 – Music Makers, Discovery Space, SC, 10:30 a.m., mydiscoveryspace.org. 6 – Engineering My World, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 6, 13, 20 – Saturday Stories Alive, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 11 a.m., schlowlibrary.org. 12 – Mother’s Day Mommy + Me Jewelry Class, The Makery, SC, 5:30 p.m., themakerypa.com. 13 – Plants Around Us, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org 20 – My Happy Valley Sky, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.
3, 17 – Outreach Toastmasters, The 329 Building, Room 413, PSU, noon, kbs131@psu.edu. 4, 11, 18, 25 – State College Downtown Rotary, Ramada Inn & Conference Center, SC, noon, centrecounty.org/rotary/club. 4, 11, 18, 25 – Comics Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 3:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 6, 13, 20, 27 – Chess Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 6, 13, 20, 27 – Go Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 9 – Women’s Club Mid-Day Connection, Mountain View Country Club, Boalsburg, 11:45 a.m., 404-3704. 9 – The Nittany Valley Writers Network, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 6 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 10 - 148th PA Volunteer Infantry Civil War Reenactment Group, Hoss’s Steak and Sea House, SC, 7 p.m., 861-0770. 10 – Women’s Welcome Club of State College, Oakwood Presbyterian Church (not affiliated), SC, 7 p.m., womenswelcomeclub.com. 11, 25 – Schlow Stitchers (Formerly Embroidery Club), Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 5:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 13 – Boardgaming Meetup, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 10 a.m., schlowlibrary.org. 14 – Mother/Daughter Book Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 3 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 15 – Knitting Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 5:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 17 – Parrot’s Owner’s Group, Perkins, SC, 7 p.m., 237-2722.
Classes & Lectures 2 – The First Step of Starting a Small Business, 119 Technology Center, PSU, 9 a.m., cbicc.org. 2 – “150th Anniversary of President Lincoln’s Funeral Procession” by Sue Kellerman, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 7 p.m., pamilmuseum.org. 3 – Gallery Talk: Dr. Roberta Millard, Penn State All-Sports Museum, PSU, noon, gopsusports.com/museum. 3 – “Uncivilized Barbarity: Maritime Events Leading the United States into WWI” by Jim Bloom, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 7 p.m., pamilmuseum.org. 16 – “Financial Workshop for Nonprofits” by Brandon Zlupko, Centre LifeLink, SC, 5:15 p.m., leadershipcentrecounty.org. 16 – Straight Talk: “Mental Health Matters,” Mount Nittany Middle School, SC, 7 p.m., scasd.org/straighttalk. 25 – Jana Marie Foundation presents Mokita Dialogues: “Mental Health,” New Leaf Initiative, SC, noon, janamariefoundation.org.
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Community Associations & Development 2 – CBICC Membership Breakfast: A Conversation with James Franklin, Nittany Lion Inn, PSU, 8:30 a.m., cbicc.org. 11 – CBICC Business After Hours: Central PA Convention & Visitors Bureau, PSU, 5:30 p.m., cbicc.org. 16 – Spring Creek Watershed Association, Patton Township Municipal Building, SC, 7:30 a.m., springcreekwatershed.org. 16 – CBICC Membership Breakfast: Kerry Benninghoff, TBA, 8 a.m., cbicc.org.
18 – CBICC Membership Luncheon: State of Education, TBA, noon, cbicc.org. 24 – Patton Township Business Association, Patton Township Municipal Building, SC, noon, 237-2822.
Exhibits Ongoing-5 – From the Trenches: The Great War in Sepia, 103 Paterno Library, PSU. Ongoing-28 – Stacie Bird and Robert Johnson, Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, Bellefonte, noon-4:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun., bellefontemuseum.org. Ongoing-August 9 – Plastics: Knowledge and Information Taking Shape, Pattee Library Central Entrance, PSU. Ongoing-September 24 – Unraveling the Threads of History: Needlework Samplers from the 19th Century, Centre Furnace Mansion, SC, 1-4 p.m. Sun., Wed., Fri., centrehistory.org. 2-31 – Boal Mansion and Columbus Chapel Guided Tours, Boal Mansion, Boalsburg, 1:30-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun., boalmuseum.com.
5-28 – Alice Kelsey, Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, Bellefonte, noon-4:30 p.m. Fri.Sun., bellefontemuseum.org. 5-28 – Class of 2017 Art Show – The Future of Art in Centre County, Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, Bellefonte, noon4:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun., bellefontemuseum.org. 5-28 – Diane Maurer, Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, Bellefonte, noon-4:30 p.m. Fri.Sun., bellefontemuseum.org. 5-28 – Leslie Dyer, Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, Bellefonte, noon-4:30 p.m. Fri.Sun., bellefontemuseum.org. 5-28 – Michael Pelikan, Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, Bellefonte, noon-4:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun., bellefontemuseum.org.
Health Care For schedule of blood drives visit redcross.org or givelife.org. 2 – Learn about Hip or Knee Replacement – “A Joint Venture,” Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 11 a.m., vcoakley@mountnittany.org.
2 0 1 7 H I S TO R IC
29th ANNUAL
June 17, 18, 19, 2017 Festivities Include: • Open cruise • Sock hop • All-vehicle show • Parade of cars • Motorcycle games and lots more. Sunday Event: • 12:30pm - 5pm Soap Box Derby • Make A Wish Ride sponsored by Eagle Riders, all proceeds benefit The Make A Wish Foundation of Centre County. Ad Sponsored by: www.bellefontechamber.org
2017 May T&G - 73
3 – Amputee Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehabilitation Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 5 p.m., 359-5630. 3 – Breast Cancer Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 5:30 p.m., 231-6870. 4, 31 – Youth Mental Health First Aid (preregistration is required), 8 a.m., janamariefoundation.org. 8 – Weight Loss Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 5:30 p.m., 231-7194. 9 – Brain Injury Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehabilitation Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 7 p.m., 359-3421. 15 – Cancer Survivors’ Association, Pink Zone Resource Center in the Cancer Pavilion Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 11:30 a.m., 238-6220. 17 – Community Parkinson’s Disease Support Group, Foxdale Village, SC, 4 p.m., 359-3421. 17 – Alzheimer’s Support Group, Elmocroft Senior Living, SC, 6:30 p.m., 235-7675. 18 – Better Breathers Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehabilitation Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 5 p.m., 359-3421.
74 - T&G May 2017
18 – Parents-to-Be: HEIR & Parent Hospital Tour for Expectant Parents, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 6:30 p.m., 231-3132. 22 – Heart Healthy Support Group for Heart Failure, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehabilitation Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 4 p.m., 359-3421. 23 – Multiple Sclerosis Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehabilitation Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 6 p.m., 359-3421. 28 - Neuropathy Support Group of Central PA, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 2 p.m., 531-1024. 30 – Stroke Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehabilitation Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 4 p.m., 359-3421.
Music 6 – Nittany Knights present “New Beginnings,” State Theatre, SC, 7:30 p.m., thestatetheatre.org. 14 – State College Area Municipal Band presents “The Mother’s Day Concert,” Mount Nittany Middle School, SC, 3 p.m., crpr.org.
26 – Jazz in the Attic presents Dred “Perky” Scott & Steve Rudolph,” State Theatre, SC, 8 p.m., thestatetheatre.org. 30 – Eric Johnson Electric Band, State Theatre, SC, 8 p.m., thestatetheatre.org.
Special Events 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 – Tuesday Farmers’ Market, Locust Lane, SC, 11:30 a.m. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 – Boalsburg Farmers’ Market, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 2 p.m., boalsburgfarmersmarket.com. 3 – Raise Awareness for Mental Health Vigil, Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center, PSU, 4 p.m., skillsofcentralpa.org. 5 – First Friday, Downtown State College, SC, 5 p.m., firstfridaystatecollege.com. 5-6 – Birding Cup, Shaver’s Creek, Petersburg, shaverscreek.org. 5, 12, 19, 26 – Downtown State College Farmers’ Market, Locust Lane, SC, 11:30 a.m., friday-farmersmarket.com. 6 – Central PA Native Plant Sale, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 9 a.m., panativeplantsociety.org.
The Nittany Knights will perform “New Beginnings” May 6 at the State Theatre. 6 – Battery B Drill Exercise, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 10 a.m., pamilmuseum.org. 6 – Customer Appreciation Day, The Barn at Lemont, 10 a.m., lemontbarn.com. 6-7 – Spring Colors Studio Tour, various locations, 10 a.m. Sat., noon Sun., artalliancepa.org. 6, 13, 20, 27 – Bellefonte Farmers’ Market, Gamble Mill parking lot, Bellefonte, 8 a.m. 6, 13, 20, 27 – Philipsburg Farmers’ Market, Moshannon Building parking lot, Philipsburg, 9 a.m.
Protect what’s important now ...for them.
Plan now for your second half of life...
Julieanne E. Steinbacher, Certified Elder Law Attorney H. Amos Goodall Jr., Certified Elder Law Attorney
328 S. Atherton St., State College • 814-237-4100 2017 May T&G - 75
6, 13, 20, 27 – Millheim Farmers’ Market, American Legion, Millheim, 10 a.m. 6, 13, 20, 27 – North Atherton Farmers’ Market, Home Depot parking lot, SC, 10 a.m., nathertonmarket.com. 9-10 – Centre Gives, centregives.org. 13 – Lemont Plant Sale, Village Green, Lemont, 9 a.m., lemontvillage.org. 13 – Plant Celebration & Garden Sale, Centre Furnace Mansion, SC, 9 a.m., centrehistory.org. 13-16 – AAUW Used Book Sale, Snider Agricultural Arena, PSU, 9 a.m., aauwstatecollege.org. 14 – Mother’s Day Formal Tea, Boal Mansion, Boalsburg, noon, 876-0129. 19 – Palmer Museum of Art’s Gala 2017: Kaleidoscope of Glass, Nittany Lion Inn, PSU, 6:30 p.m., palmermuseum.psu.edu. 21 – Big Spring Festival, Talleyrand Park, Bellefonte, noon, visitbellefonte.com. 21 – A Celebration of Service: Honoring PA Veterans, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 12:30 p.m., pamilmuseum.org. 25-29 – Boalsburg Memorial Day Weekend, Boalsburg, boalsburgmemorialday.com. 27-28 – WWII Revisited Living History Bivouac, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 12:45 p.m., pamilmuseum.org. 29 – Allegheny Mountain Region AACA Car Show, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 9 a.m., pamilmuseum.org. 31 – Lemont Farmers’ Market, Coal Sheds (133 Mount Nittany Road), Lemont, 2 p.m., lemontvillage.org.
Sports For tickets to Penn State sporting events, visit gopsusports.com or call (814) 865-5555. 5 – Jim Thorpe Invite, track & field, Penn State Track, PSU, 2 p.m. 5-7 – PSU/Minnesota, softball, Beard Field at Nittany Lions Softball Park, PSU, 6 p.m. Fri., 3 p.m. Sat., 1 p.m. Sun. 5-7 – PSU/Minnesota, baseball, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, PSU, 6:30 p.m. Fri., 2 p.m. Sat., 1 p.m. Sun. 12-14 – Big Ten Outdoor Championships, track & field, Penn State Track, PSU, all day. 16 – PSU/Villanova, baseball, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, PSU, 6:30 p.m. 18-20 – PSU/Nebraska, baseball, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, PSU, 6:30 p.m. Thurs. & Fri., 11 a.m. Sat. 76 - T&G May 2017
Nittany Theatre at the Barn presents Greater Tuna May 23 to June 10 at the Boal Barn Playhouse.
25-29 – Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Race, outdoorexperience.org. 26-29 – Happy Volley Club Championships, various locations, PSU, all day.
Theater Ongoing-7 – The Next Stage Theatre Company presents Rain Dance, State Theatre, SC, 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 3 p.m. Sun., thestatetheatre.org. Ongoing-13 – Nittany Theatre at the Barn presents Church Basement Ladies, Boal Barn Playhouse, Boalsburg, 7:30 p.m., nittanytheatre.org. 10 – Fuse Productions presents Elephant & Piggie’s: We Are in a Play!, State Theatre, SC, 6 p.m., thestatetheatre.org. 12 – Tempest Productions presents Wit, Women, and Wine, State Theatre, SC, 8 p.m., tempestproductions.org.
Surviving
& Thriving:
Support Group for Male Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
Beginning in Summer 2017 Peaceful Hearts Foundation and CCWRC would like to invite male survivors to join an 8-week peer support group developed to meet the unique needs and challenges experienced by male survivors of child sexual abuse. This group program is free and confidential. All additional services provided by CCWRC are also available to male survivors.
For more information about the group visit visit www.ccwrc.org or peacefulheartsfoundation.org or call 1-877-234-5050
OUR SPONSORS:
|
13-14 – State College Community Theatre presents Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, Toftrees Resort, SC, TBA, scctonline.org. 19 – Out Loud: “Elder Voices in Centre County,” Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, Bellefonte, 6 p.m., bellefontemuseum.org. 20 – Performing Arts School of Central Pennsylvania presents Cinderella, State Theatre, SC, 3 & 7:30 p.m., thestatetheatre.org. 23-June 10 – Nittany Theatre at the Barn presents Greater Tuna, Boal Barn Playhouse, Boalsburg, 7:30 p.m., nittanytheatre.org. T&G
Town&Gown MAY 2017
FREE
TOWNANDGOWN.COM
Fostering
a Home
Foster families such as the Leddy family help create loving environments for kids
Follow Town&Gown on Facebook Twitter & Instagram (@TownGownSC)
The Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Race returns to Centre County May 25-29.
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Inside: Rotary Foundation turns 100 • The diverse roles of local police
T& G
from the vine
Summer in Spain Enjoy some wines from Rioja this season By Lucy Rogers Four years ago, my husband and I had the good fortune to embark upon a 1,000-year-old pilgrimage across northern Spain. We started the 500-mile El Camino de Santiago in the Pyrenees and traversed through many different wine regions as we made our way across the country toward the cathedral of St. James in the city of Santiago de Compostela in the northwest corner of Spain. One of my favorite parts of the journey were the days we spent walking through the vineyards of Rioja, and particularly the time we spent in the capital of Rioja, the city of Logroño. At just about 2,000 square miles, Rioja — Spain’s most well-known wine region — is a remarkable, beautiful, historic-yet-evolving wine region consisting of roughly 152,000 acres planted to vines, comprising 16,413 vineyards and 600 wineries. (By comparison, Napa Valley is 788 square miles with 43,000 acres planted to vines.) Many of the vineyards are small family vineyards that sell their grapes to wine co-ops in the region. The red grapes grown in Rioja are Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo, with Tempranillo being Spain’s indigenous star as well as being the country’s workhorse. Tempranillo is capable of growing
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in varying climates and soils, and so it is grown all over the country — an excellent example of terroir’s effect on a resulting wine. Wines made from Tempranillo grown in the Ribero del Duero region of Spain, where it is much hotter, are quite different in body and flavor profile than those in Rioja, which is located in the cooler climes of the central northeast part of the country, and is different than wines produced in Portugal, where Tempranillo (called Tinto Roriz there) is one of the four main grapes used to make port wine. Tempranillo grown in Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, two of Rioja’s subregions, are generally described as the most elegant expressions of the grape due to the region’s higher elevation and cooler temperatures, which results in wine with higher acidity levels. Rioja Baja, the more southern part of Rioja, tends to produce grapes with more fruit-forward flavors due to fuller ripening, a result of extended sun exposure on the valley floor. Traditionally, many wineries have blended grapes from all three subregions to find the perfect balance, and many still do, though we are starting to see more single vineyard or single subregion wines being made. Rioja reds, which comprise 85 percent of the region’s wine output, are usually blends dominated by the Tempranillo grape — a relatively tannic grape, tannin being a quality that enables wine to age. Fruity and full Garnacha is usually added to offset Tempranillo’s inherent astringency. Sometimes, small amounts of Mazuelo and Graciano also are added to the blend to enhance savory flavors and produce heightened aromas, respectively. Wines from Rioja usually exhibit dried fruit and herbs on the palate, often with a touch of leather or tobacco and, depending on the exposure to oak, vanilla also will be present.
Fine Wine Grown in Centre County
Mother’s Day
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Tasting Room Hours: Tues. - Thur. 11-6pm Fri. 11- 9pm Sat. 11- 9pm Sun. 1-6pm
576 S. Foxpointe Dr., State College • 814-308-8756
www.thehappyvalleywinery.com
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Which leads us to the aging of Rioja wines and subsequent labeling, and what you need to know when shopping for Rioja reds, i.e. determining which wines are more likely to suit your taste or your purpose. A wine labeled simply “Rioja” is considered a “vino joven,” or “young wine,” and has usually not come in contact with any oak. These wines are easily accessible and are meant to be consumed young, i.e. normally within two years of the harvest; they are not recommended for cellaring. Wines with the word “Crianza” on the label have been aged at least 24 months before being released, six of which must be in oak, the remainder of the aging occurs in the bottle. These are considered “everyday drinking” wines — affordable, approachable, and enjoyable with most meals. Reserva wines are aged three years before going to market, and at least one year must be in oak. Gran Reserva wines are aged five years before being released, and at least two of those five years must be in oak. Gran Reserva wines have the most aging potential due to their time spent in oak barrels, which imparts additional tannins. (Traditionally, Spanish winemakers opted for American oak for aging Rioja, but the wine industry is evolving and experimenting, particularly with French, Slovenian, and Hungarian oak, to see how it may or may not better suit Rioja wines.) While Rioja has a centuries-old tradition of making wine, Spain’s wine industry has seen its share of ups and down over the years — after the increase in demand for Rioja when France experienced its phylloxera epidemic in the late 1800s, the twentieth century saw an industry crippled by its own run-in with phylloxera in the early 1900s, which was followed by World War I, the country’s own Civil War in the 1930s, and then, of course, World War II. It wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that the industry was able to establish a path to modern 82 - T&G May 2017
wine-making that wasn’t bogged down by archaic laws and entrenched traditions — laws and traditions that kept Spain from competing in the ever-changing and expanding global wine market. Eventually, a younger generation of winemakers was able to incorporate what was good about traditional methods with the new techniques that continued to emerge. But what of the Rioja wines themselves? Well, it’s likely that I am more than a bit biased, as every time I open a bottle of wine from Rioja I am transported to a beautiful countryside with clear blue skies, vineyards all around, and a dusty path winding through the hillsides. But most wine professionals agree that the best value in wine these days can be found in the wines of Spain, including Rioja. They almost always over deliver for the price, offering a wide range of flavor profiles to choose from. The young Riojas are easy to drink with or without food, and those with some age offer a complexity usually not found in a $12 to $15 bottle of wine. (The wineries have done the aging for you!) Rioja’s compatibility with food is practically unrivaled — from smoked or cured meats and cheeses to heavily seasoned vegetables to roasts and grilled meats (Rioja could be your summer red!) — Rioja complements them all beautifully. Additionally, its lighter style means you could put a slight chill on the bottle before popping it open and the wine would still work well, if that’s what you need for warmer days. Fortunately for those of us in Pennsylvania, the PLCB’s Spanish wine selection is decent. Even in terms of some of the regularly listed items, there are good options (Campo Viejo Crianza is one of my everyday-type, go-to wines). But the state also carries centuries-old producers such as Marques de Caceres, Marques de Riscal, Marques de Montecillo as well as a whole host of newer-styled wines such as Las Rocas or Borsao. There is plenty to explore right on the shelves of your nearest state store, and the even better part is none of the wines will break the bank. Salud to that! T&G Lucy Rogers is the tasting room manager for Big Spring Spirits in Bellefonte. She can be reached at lucy@bigspringspirits.com, or you can find her in the tasting room.
Rediscover Central PA’s Best Kept Secret
Tues. - Fri. 11- 5pm, Sat. 10 -5pm, Sun. 12- 5pm 300 Houser Rd., Centre Hall, 16828 (7 miles from Penn State) www. mtnittanywinery.com • 814. 466. 6373 • Free Wine Tasting • Tours by Appt.
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2017 May T&G - 83
T& G
Taste of the Month
A Bit of the Bayou
Spats CafĂŠ highlights traditional Cajun and Creole cooking
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By Vilma Shu Danz Photos by Darren Andrew Weimert
T
At Spats Café and Speakeasy, take a fullflavored culinary journey through Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole cooking — a fusion of world cuisines from Spanish, French, and South American to Portuguese, German, and Cuban. When it first opened in 1987, Spats Café and Speakeasy was true to the theme of a Prohibition-style eatery where the undeniable allure was the idea of a secret hideaway where the door was locked and, to gain entry, one would knock and utter the password. “Male servers were in tuxedos, female servers in flapper dresses, and everyone was trained to do the Charleston dance when a guest buys a bottle of champagne. There was entertainment five nights a week, and the menu featured a lot of seafood and steaks,” says Spats owner Duke Gastiger. The origin of the term “speakeasy” refers to the practice of speaking quietly about such a place in public, or when inside it, so as not to alert the police or neighbors during the Prohibition years from 1920 to 1933.
Chef Brittany Pereda
Left, portobello, asparagus, and brie Napoleon stack on sautéed spinach and cheese grits with basil tomato sauce and balsamic drizzle. Creamy corn chicken with Gulf shrimp and house-smoked Andouille sausage on cornbread stuffing with collards. Over the years, Spats, located at 142 East College Avenue in State College, has evolved, becoming the best kept secret in town for traditional Cajun and Creole dishes and utilizing as much local, seasonal ingredients as possible. Although Spats takes walk-ins and guests are always welcome to sit at the full-service bar 2017 May T&G - 85
when dining tables aren’t available, it’s highly recommended for diners to make reservations for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. The French-Canadians who settled in Acadia, just west of New Orleans, became known as Cajuns. Cajun food is famous for being very well seasoned, which is sometimes misunderstood as spicy. Most dishes begin with a medley of vegetables based on the French mirepoix, but the holy trinity of Cajun cuisine utilizes onion, celery, and bell pepper (rather than carrots) to provide a flavor base for many dishes. Creoles consist of the descendants of the French and Spanish living in New Orleans. Over the years, the term “Creole” grew to include native-born slaves of African descent as well as free people of color. Typically, the term “French Creole” describes someone of European ancestry born in the colony, and the term “Louisiana Creole” describes someone of mixed racial ancestry. Spats Café and Speakeasy’s chefs Justin Berkebile and Brittany Pereda are both culinary school graduates whose passion for food and knowledge of multicultural cuisines allow for a perfect blending of flavors that is unique to the Cajun and Creole cultures in Louisiana. “What makes Spats stand out is the quality of ingredients and the chance to work with unique items,” says Berkebile. “My favorite dishes at Spats that people should try are the crispy skin duck breast with port wine glaze, Jamison lamb rack, beef short ribs, and sweet potato catfish.” Pereda adds, “As a Cuban American, Spats Café offers food that reminds me of home and the food my grandmother made when I was young. I recommend the Voodoo shrimp and grits, the catfish, the Portobello Napoleon stack, and, for dessert, the gluten-free chocolate cake — it melts in your mouth!” Other popular items include the Creole jambalaya, the pasta with crab and crawfish, creamy corn chicken, and gator bites. “Lagniappe is a word in the south that means a little something extra either before or after the meal,” says Gastiger. “At Spats, we like to give our guests a little surprise, whether it’s an ingredient they don’t expect, like crawfish, a little pecan bread, or an amuse-bouches, which is a gratis, single, bite-sized hors d’oeuvre, as a thank you for making reservations with us.” In-between courses, small fresh-made 86 - T&G May 2017
sorbets are offered as a palate cleanser. It is traditionally served between the appetizer or salad courses and entrée. “It will get your mouth ready for all the entrée flavors, so you start with a blank slate,” says Gastiger. “The idea is to have a touch of sweetness, but not overpowering, so we have made green tea, apricot, kiwi, Meyer lemon, basil, and other herb sorbets.” Spats’ menu changes seasonally and every week, depending on what fresh seafood is brought in Thursday morning. A special weekly menu is introduced every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. A new menu comes out in May that will include bison, American wagyu steak, lighter sauces, and dishes that highlight the local bounty. Gastiger is passionate about sustainable practices, responsible food sourcing, and energy-reduction strategies. The next step in incorporating these practices at Spats Café is his plans for a RE Farm Café, a groundbreaking farm-to-fork restaurant and sustainable grange scheduled to be operational next year. It will be a 58-seat restaurant that will be open only
Chef Justin Berkebile
March 21 to December 21 (Wednesday to Saturday for dinner and Saturday brunch). “I have been working on it for five years, and my wife, Monica, and I ended up buying a 57-acre farm on Filmore Road close to the airport. We put up a quarter-acre greenhouse to grow seeds, greens, and herbs for Spats Café and for RE Farm Café,” Gastiger explains. RE Farm Café is poised to be the first restaurant internationally to meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge, or LBC. That means RE Farm Café will need to be net-zero water, net-zero energy, and composed of chemical-free, reclaimed, and locally sourced materials. LBC also asks that buildings are community-focused centers for education in order to teach about sustainability, equality, and our relationship to nature. “We will be working with local chefs to do cooking classes and teaching people how to cook with local foods without trying to mask the flavors,” says Gastiger. RE Farm Café will have ultra-efficient building systems and on-site solar renewable energy production. The kitchen will
contain induction-cooking equipment that uses electromagnetic direct-heat transfer, minimizing energy consumption and waste heat. It also will use LED lighting, natural ventilation, and root-cellar food storage. “Ultimately, we will have chickens, sheep, goats, ducks, and turkeys on the farm,” Gastiger explains. “We have tapped over 200 trees for maple, hickory, and black walnut syrups. And we have plans on planting fruit trees, and the idea is to bring that heirloom quality to the menu.” T&G For more information about Spats Café and Speakeasy, visit spatscafe.com. For more information about RE Farm Café, visit refarmcafe.com. For a special recipe for smoked red snapper with maple pecan vinaigrette, visit townandgown.com. Vilma Shu Danz is is operations manager and assistant editor of Town&Gown. 2017 May T&G - 87
T& G
dining out
All restaurants are in State College or on the Penn State campus, and in the 814 area code unless noted.
Full Course Dining bar bleu, 114 S. Garner St., 237-0374, bar-bleu.com. Socializing and sports viewing awaits at bar bleu. Don’t miss a minute of the action on 22 true 1080i HDMI high-definition flat-screen monitors displaying the night’s college and pro matchups. The bar serves up 16 draft beers in addition to crafted cocktails, including the “Fishbowl,” concocted in its own 43-ounce tank! Pub fare featuring authentic Kansas Citystyle barbecue is smoked daily on-site. AE, D, DC, ID+, MC, V. Full bar. Barrel 21 Distillery & Dining, 2255 N. Atherton St., 308-9522, barrel21distillery .com. Barrel 21 offers a unique gastro-distillery dining experience that features our one of a kind spirits and beer which are made on premise. Our menu of rotating seasonal items blends classic dishes with current trends to deliver new and interesting presentations for our guests to enjoy. Sunday brunch is a favorite with made-to-order omelets, Bloody Mary bar, and full buffet, including Irving’s bagels, house-made pastries, and much more. Happy Hour is from 4 to 6 p.m.Tuesday through Friday, featuring half-price Barrel 21 spirits and Otto’s beer. Our tasting room also is open if you would like to take a bottle home with you, and our private dining room is available for your special event. We look forward to seeing you at Barrel 21! Carnegie Inn & Spa Restaurant, 100 Cricklewood Drive, 234-2424. An exquisite boutique hotel offering fine dining in a relaxed yet gracious atmosphere. Your dining experience begins with a wide array of appetizers and entrees that compare to the best restaurants of the largest cities in the United States. Additionally, the Carnegie Inn & Spa Restaurant wine list is one of the best in the area and features a wide variety of wines from California, France, and other countries. Reservations suggested. AE, MC, D, V. Full bar.
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Cozy Thai Bistro, 232 S. Allen St., 237-0139. A true authentic Thai restaurant offering casual and yet “cozy” family-friendly dining experience. Menu features wide selections of exotic Thai cuisine, both lunch and dinner (take-out available). BYO (wines and beer) is welcome after 5 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. The Deli Restaurant, 113 Hiester St., 2375710, The DeliRestaurant.com. Since 1973, The Deli has served up New York-style deli favorites on an American menu offering everything from comfort food to pub favorites, all made from scratch. Soups, breads, sauces, and awardwinning desserts are homemade here early in the morning folks. Look for its rotating menu of food- themed festivals throughout the year. AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar. The Dining Room at the Nittany Lion Inn, 200 W. Park Ave., 865-8590. Fine continental cuisine in a relaxed, gracious atmosphere. Casual attire acceptable. Private dining rooms available. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar. Duffy’s Boalsburg Tavern, On the Diamond, Boalsburg, 466-6241. The Boalsburg Tavern offers a fine, intimate setting reminiscent of Colonial times. Dining for all occasions with formal and casual menus, daily dinner features, specials, and plenty of free parking. AE, MC, V. Full bar.
Key AE............................................................American Express CB ...................................................................Carte Blanche D ................................................................. Discover/Novus DC.........................................................................Diners Club ID+ ................................................ PSU ID+ card discounts LC............................................................................. LionCash MAC........................................................................debit card MC........................................................................MasterCard V.......................................................................................... Visa ............................................... Handicapped-accessible
To advertise, call Town&Gown account executives Nicohl Gezvain or Debbie Markel at (814) 238-5051.
Faccia Luna Pizzeria, 1229 S. Atherton St., 234-9000, faccialuna.com. A true neighborhood hangout, famous for authentic New York-style wood-fired pizzas and fresh, homemade Italian cuisine. Seafood specialties, sumptuous salads, divine desserts, great service, and full bar. Outside seating available. Sorry, reservations not accepted. Dine-in, Take out. MC/V. Galanga, 454 E. College Ave., 237-1718. Another great addition to Cozy Thai Bistro. Galanga by Cozy Thai offers a unique authentic Thai food featuring Northeastern Thai-style cuisine. Vegetarian menu selection available. BYO (wines and beer) is welcome after 5 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. The 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 special- ties. AE, CB, D, DC, MC, V. Full bar, beer.
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Gigi’s, W. College Ave, on the corner of Cato Ave., 861-3463, gigisdining.com. Conveniently located 5 minutes from downtown State College, Gigi’s is a farm-to-table dining experience inspired by the hottest southern trends. Outdoor Patio. Lunch & Dinner. Full Bar. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. The Greek, 102 E. Clinton Ave., 308-8822, thegreekrestaurant.net. Located behind The Original Waffle Shop on North Atherton Street. Visit our Greek tavern and enjoy authentic Greek cuisine. From fresh and abundant vegetables to the most succulent kebabs, each dish has been perfected to showcase genuine Greek flavors. When we say “authentic,” we mean it. Full service, BYOB. D, MC, V. Herwig’s Austrian Bistro, “Where Bacon Is An Herb,” 132 W. College Ave., 272-0738. Located next to the State Theatre. Serving authentic Austrian home cooking in Central PA. Ranked #1 Ethnic Restaurant in State College for 8 years in a row. Eat-in, Take-Out, Catering. Glutenfree options available. Bacon-based dessert. Homemade breads, BYO beer or wine all day. Sense of humor required. D, MAC, MC, V.
Hi-Way Pizza, 1688 N. Atherton St., 237-0375, HiWayPizza.com. The State College tradition for nearly 50 years, nobody does it better than Hi-Way! Offering more than 29 varieties of hand-spun pizzas made from scratch offer an endless combination of toppings. Its vodka “flaky” crust and red stuffed pizzas are simply a must have. Hi-Way’s menu rounds out with pasta dishes, calzones, grinders, salads, and other Italian specialties. Eat-in, take-out, or Hi-Way delivery. AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar. Hoss’s Steak & Sea House, 1454 North Atherton Street, State College, 234-4009, www.hosss.com. Since 1983, Hoss’s has been providing considerate service, delicious food, and a pleasant environment that brings family and friends together. We offer a variety of steaks, chicken, seafood, burgers, and sandwiches. Hoss’s showcase is our all-you-can-eat Hosspitality Bars — offering fresh salads, soups, breads, and desserts. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V
Check out our new pool tables in our game room!
814.237.6300 • lettermans.net • Lettermans 1031 E. College Avenue • State College, PA 2017 May T&G - 91
Inferno Brick Oven & Bar, 340 E. College Ave., 237-5718, InfernoBrickOvenBar.com. With a casual yet sophisticated atmosphere, Inferno is a place to see and be seen. A full-service bar boasts a unique specialty wine, beer, and cocktail menu. Foodies — Inferno offers a contemporary Neapolitan brick-oven experience featuring a focused menu of artisan pizzas and other modern-Italian plates. Lunch and dinner service transi- tions into night as a boutique nightclub with dance- floor lighting, club sound system, and the area’s most talented resident DJs. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. Full bar. Legends Pub at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, 215 Innovation Blvd., Innovation Park, 863-5080. Unwind with beverages and a casual lounge menu. AE, D, MC, V. Full bar.
Visit
Liberty Craft House, 346 E. College Ave., 954-4923, LibertyCraftHouse.com. A worthy destination inspired by their passion for knowledge, skill, and small-batch artisan goods. Liberty is a humble neighborhood joint with design cues from the industrial revolution that provides a comfortable post for a few drinks, food, and good times. A one-of-a-kind, worldclass digital-menu-driven draft system features nitro-coffee, craft sodas, cocktails, wine, ales, lagers, and hand-pumped cask ale. Specializing in American whiskey, Liberty boasts a bottled beer, wine, mead, cider, and spirits list that would make your buddy jealous. Hungry? Liberty’s menu focuses on small-batch, local, organic, and artisan food made 100 percent in-house, fresh from scratch. Charcuerie, fromage, and flat breads are at the heart of the menu that is complemented by many other classic gastropub favorites. Open 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. every day (kitchen ’til midnight). AE, D, MAC, MC, V.
Enjoy Duffy’s
OUTDOOR PATIO
& Wine Selections for All
Fine Dining
Call Duffy’s Tavern for Reservations.
DuffysTavernPA.com 113 East Main Street, Boalsburg PA 16827 92 - T&G May 2017
Be Sure to Like Us on Facebook 814.466.6241
Mario’s Italian Restaurant, 272 N. Atherton St., 234-4273, MariosItalianStateCollege.com. Fresh specialty dishes, pasta, sauces, hand-tossed pizzas, and rotisserie wood-grilled chicken all made from scratch are just a few reasons why Mario’s is authentically Italian! At the heart of it all is a specialty wood-fired pizza oven and rotisserie that imparts rustic flavors that can’t be beat! Mario’s loves wine and is honored with six consecutive Wine Spectator awards and a wine list of more than 550 Italian selections. Mario’s even pours 12 rotating specialty bottles on its saints logo.white2.eps WineStation® state-of-the-art preservation system. Reservations and walk-ins welcome. AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar. Otto’s Pub & Brewery, 2235 N. Atherton St., 867-6886, ottospubandbrewery.com. State College’s most awarded craft-beer pub and brewery featuring more than a dozen fresh, house-brewed ales and lagers on tap as well as fine, affordably priced, local American food with vegan and vegetarian offerings, a kids’ menu, weekly features, and seasonal menu. Open for lunch and dinner in a family-friendly, casual atmosphere. Barrel 21 craft distilled spirits available. AE, D, MC, V. Full bar. SAINTS_Green only.eps
Philipsburg Elks Lodge & Country Club, 1 Country Club Lane, Philipsburg, 342-0379, philipsburgelks.com. Restaurant open to the public! Monday-Saturday 11-9, Sunday 9-3. Member-only bar. New golf-member special, visit our Web site for summer golf special. AE MC, V. Full Bar (members only). The Tavern Restaurant, 220 E. College Ave., 238-6116. A unique gallery-in-a-restaurant preserving PA’s and Penn State’s past. Dinner at The Tavern is a Penn State tradition. Major SAINTS_black.eps 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.
SAINTS_GreenWhite.eps
Join Us in Celebrating Our 1st Anniversary! April 29th Meet our coffee suppliers! Enjoy free samples, door prizes & more!
SAINTS_2Cshadow.EPS Now Hiring!
Come relax at 324 E. Calder Way, Downtown State College SAINTS_K_Green.eps Mon-Sat 7am-8pm, Sunday 9am-8pm
One Country Club Lane, State College, PA 16803
814.234.8000 • www.toftrees.com
2017 May T&G - 93
Zola Kitchen & Wine Bar, 324 W. College Ave., 237-8474. Zola Kitchen & Wine Bar features ingredient-driven, seasonal, new American cuisine paired with an extensive wine list, certified wine professional, and exceptional service. Zola’s also features a new climate-controlled wine room, premium by-the-glass wine pours, fine liquor, and craft beer at its full-service bar. Serving lunch and dinner seven days a week. Reservations recommended. Catering. Free parking after 5:30 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar.
Good Food Fast Baby’s Burgers & Shakes, 131 S. Garner St., 234-4776, babysburgers.com. Love poodle skirts, a jukebox playing the oldies, and delicious food cooked to order? Then Baby’s Burgers & Shakes is your kind of restaurant! Bring the entire family and enjoy a “Whimpy” burger, a Cherry Coke, or delicious chocolate shake, and top it off with a “Teeny Weeny Sundae” in our authentic 1947 Silk City Diner. Check out Baby’s Web site for full menu and daily specials! D, MC, V, MAC, Lion’s Cash.
INGREDIENT DRIVEN • SEASONAL • NEW AMERICAN CUISINE EXTENSIVE WINE LIST • BY THE BOTTLE & GLASS
PHOTOS BY ART MARGAUX
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ZOL A KI TCHEN .COM
MON. - THUR. 11: 30 -9PM • FRI. - SAT. 11: 30 -10 PM • SUN. 11: 30 - 8PM
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Bagel Crust, 460 Westerly Parkway, 308-9321, bagelcrust.com. Fresh, daily-baked New York style bagels with no artificial ingredients, no oil, no butter, and no cholesterol! Gourmet breakfast and lunch sandwiches with the best cold cuts from Boar’s Head. Come try our organic coffee blends, organic herbal and black teas, as well as flavored smoothies. Catering is available. AE, MAC, MC, V. Barranquero Café, 324 E. Calder Way, 954-7548, barranquerocafe.com. A locally owned coffee shop specializing in authentic Colombian coffees and specialty drinks. Works closely with its coffee suppliers in Colombia to ensure that it receives only the highest quality coffee beans the region has to offer. Also serves fresh fruit juices, empanadas, and more! Hopes to bring a little piece of Colombia to Happy Valley! Hours: Mon.-Sat. 7a.m.-8p.m., Sun. 10a.m.-8p.m. Fiddlehead, 134 W. College Ave., 237-0595, fiddleheadstatecollege.com. Fiddlehead is a soupand-salad café offering soups made from scratch daily. Create your own salad from more than 40 fresh ingredients.
Award-winning pizza and Italian Cuisine. Homemade… with only the best and freshest ingredients.
1229 S. Atherton St., State College
234-9000
W W W. F A C C I A L U N A . C O M
HUB Dining, HUB-Robeson Center on campus, 865-7623. A Penn State tradition open to all! Enjoy 12 different eateries in the HUB-Robeson Center on campus. Jamba Juice, McAlister’s Deli, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Burger King, Grate Chee, Sbarro, Soup & Garden, Diversions, Blue Burrito, Mixed Greens, Panda Express, and Hibachi-San by Panda.V, MC, LC.
TASTE of the
MONTH
Irving’s, 110 E. College Ave., 231-0604, irvingsstatecollege.com. Irving’s is State College’s finest bakery café serving award-winning bagels, espresso, sandwiches, salads, and smoothies. Meyer Dairy, 2390 S. Atherton St., 237-1849. A State College Classic! Meyer Dairy is the perfect choice for a quick, homemade lunch with fresh soups and sandwiches or treat yourself to your favorite flavor of ice cream or sundae at our ice cream parlor. Fresh milk from our own dairy cows (we do not inject our cows with BST), eggs, cheese, ice cream cakes, baked goods, and more! Plus, Meyer Dairy is the best place to pick up your Town&Gown magazine each month!
Each month, Town&Gown highlights a local place to eat and offers a glimpse into the great dining of our community.
Come Try Our Newest Location, Now with Oudoor Seating!
We have over 20 Years of experience making The Best Bagels! MONDAYS & TUESDAYS BUY ONE DOZEN, GET 4 FREE BAGELS
WESTERLY 814.308.9321
www.bagelcrust.com
CALDER WAY 814.308.9756
HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 7am - 5pm • Sat. - Sun. 7am - 4pm 2017 May T&G - 95
Saint’s Café, 123 W. Beaver Ave., 238-5707, statecollegecoffeeshop.com. Established in 1999, we are inspired by travel and a passion for exceptional coffee. Come try our espresso drinks, pour-over coffee, pastries, and free WiFi. Cafe Hours: Monday-Saturday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Specialty Foods Dam Donuts, 216 W. High Street, Bellefonte, 548-7825, damdonuts.com. Locally owned, specialty donut shop. Made-to-order donuts are made daily, right before your eyes! House-blend coffee, cold-brew coffee, and bubble tea also. We offer a variety of frostings and toppings to tickle your taste buds! Also offering call-ahead orders and special occasions orders. Hours: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. & Sun., Closed Mon. AE, D, MC, V. T&G
Milkshakes with your MOM at
Meyer Dairy Milk • Ice Cream • Eggs Cheese • Juices Candy • Pop's Mexi-Hots Baked Goods • Sandwiches Ice Cream Cakes & More! Open Daily 8 a.m. - 11 p.m. 2390 S. Atherton St. - (814) 237-1849
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The More…The Merrier! More places to enjoy Seven Mountains Wine, that is!
On the porch at the Seven Mountains Lodge, Only 20 minutes from State College! Open 7 days a week.
Relaxing at “Mountains on Main” Seven Mountains Wine Bar, On the Diamond in Boalsburg (814)808-6635
Check the website for our hours and special events! Find Seven Mountains Wine at Main Street Market, Reedsville and Castlerigg Wine Shop, Downtown Carlisle.
No w A t
BOALSBU R Farmers Market Ever y Tuesd
107 Mountain Springs Lane • (814) 364-1000 www.sevenmountainswinecellars.com Only 20 minutes from State College 1 Mile off 322 near Potters Mills/ Decker Valley Road
ay!
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lunch with mimi
Fund-Raising Agility Darren Andrew Weimert
Centre Foundation director helps organization react to how community gives
Centre Foundation director Molly Kunkel (left) talks with Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith at the Corner Room in State College.
On May 9-10, Centre Foundation holds its annual 36-hour online giving event Centre Gives, which raises funds and awareness for local organizations. For the past six years, Centre Gives has benefitted more than 150 local charities across Centre County, enhancing services across many interest areas — the arts, animals, education, environment, and health and social services — and investing more than $4 million in donations, prizes, and stretch pool funds into the community. Molly Kunkel joined Centre Foundation in 2008 as deputy director and was promoted to executive director in 2013. She brought more than 20 years of leadership experience in local nonprofits to Centre Foundation through her previous work as director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Juniata Valley. Born in Doylestown and raised in Bethesda, Maryland, she earned a bachelor’s degree in child and family services from the University of Delaware. She and her husband, Hal, have lived in the area for 25 years and raised two children here. She is an active member of University Mennonite Church and the State College Rotary Club. Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash 98 - T&G May 2017
Coppersmith sat down with Kunkel at the Corner Room in State College to discuss the successful growth of Centre Gives as well as how anyone can contribute or start a fund through Centre Foundation. Mimi: Well Molly, you’re here because we’re in the month that celebrates the sixth year of Centre Gives. How much has Centre Gives grown in those six years? Molly: We have grown exponentially, really. Last year we distributed back out over a million dollars. The actual gifts that came in were just under a million dollars. So we hope this year we actually bring in over a million. The first year, I think we raised about half that, and we were thrilled with that at the time. We were super excited when we started it off how well the community reacted. Mimi: What do you think caused that? Molly: I think it was a time when people were just ready to have a new way of giving. It makes it fun, and your gift is being added onto and enhanced. Mimi: How does an organization qualify to be a part of Centre Gives?
Molly: You have to be a 501c3. It has to be charitable organization that serves Centre County. Not all of the organizations are based in Centre County because there are some organizations that have a very active presence here, but they just aren’t housed here. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are both examples. They either have to have an office or a presence in town where they are actively serving Centre County residents, and they also have to sign, as part of the agreement to participate, they have to commit to all the money that they raise coming back and serving only Centre County. Mimi: How do you police it? Molly: We work with the organizations and follow up with them. We ask them to provide budget information. Mimi: For example, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are regional. Molly: Right. We ask them how many scouts are there and what programs they serve. It’s very clear that they are serving children, Boys and Girl Scouts in our area. Mimi: Who is the largest recipient? Molly: You know, I’m not sure. There are a
couple of the larger organizations that always do well. Schlow Library, Centre County PAWS, and ClearWater Conservancy always do very well. Two years ago, we separated out large and small organizations for some of the prizes along the way, and the prizes are based on the number of donors. We realized that we have some small nonprofit organizations that have a $100,000 or $50,000 budget every year, even if they have lots of donors, they are never going to be able to compete with someone like Schlow that has thousands of donors and much larger budgets. So there are two tracks, basically we have large organizations, they compete against each other, and small organizations compete against each other. That’s well-defined. That has been very popular with the organizations and with donors. One of the things that I like is we are able to be responsive to people. Mimi: And make it a game. Molly: Right. And that it’s a game and kind of a competition, and people like to compete. People in this area in particular respond well to competitions, we’ve noticed.
2017 May T&G - 99
Kunkel joined Centre Foundation in 2008 and became its executive director in 2013.
Mimi: Often, one organization’s success can, perhaps, negatively impact on another organization’s, in the same category, fund-raising. Molly: Actually, with this, I don’t really think that it does so much. For winning a prize, obviously one organization can win that, one large and one small for any independent prize. One of the things that I also like about it is the whole fund-raising event, the whole 36 hours. The more organizations promote themselves, the more they are also promoting other organizations because they are promoting the event as a whole. I hear from people all the time that they went to the site because they were getting e-mails or they went to donate to one organization and they started reading about other organizations. So they actually amplify each other rather than detract for that period of time. Mimi: I personally have observed, because of my keen interest in fund-raising for lots of organizations and the whole well-being of our incredible community, and you can’t help but observe if you are interested in this area like I am that while United Way has been struggling for multiple years to reach its goal, 100 - T&G May 2017
Centre Foundation has been being starring — each year, raising more than the previous year. United Ways across the country are experiencing a decline in participation. How do we avoid the demise of United Way and its philosophy? Is there any way that these two groups can work together? Molly: The Centre Foundation and United Way work together actually all the time. It’s something that is a little unusual among community foundations. I interact a lot with community foundations across the country and I’m engaged nationally with a lot of other community foundations, and many of them do not have great partnerships with their United Ways or do not work together. Again, in both cases, the executive director of United Way is on our board, and I serve on the United Way board. It’s been that way for a while. So we serve on each other’s boards, we communicate together all the time. Fund-raising is changing. I think it is important for any organization, whether it is a foundation or a United Way or a food bank, you need to be nimble and be able to react to still serve your community, but
also really be open to that community — to what the needs are and how people want to support those needs. Mimi: We are an amazingly philanthropic community. There are huge things that a lot of organizations do. Some of them, some 40 organizations I think, are in the United Way. How many different organizations gave to Centre Gives last year? Molly: Last year, it was just under 125. This year it is just under 150. Again, that’s just the difference in the model. We serve any nonprofit. The foundation, by its mission and by design, serves any nonprofit in the community. So as a community foundation, it is our mission to work not just through Centre Gives but actually through all our endowment building and everything else that we do — the other grants and programs we have. Certainly we work with our health and human development organizations, but we also work with environmental, animal, and education organizations. We work with the school districts and provide an enormous number of scholarships. We can also work with governmental organizations and churches. When Judge [Paul] Campbell started the foundation 36 years ago, it was a very different community foundation. The model was you worked with the wealthiest people in town to set up big endowments. All you did was open an endowment and you wrote an annual check to the organization. Over time, community foundations, like everybody else, have had to evolve. Because of their ability to serve across sectors in a broad way, it has evolved within the community to take advantage of the fact that we work with businesses, donors, and organizations. Mimi: I often speak of the Centre Foundation when in conversation with people as an example of what five strong women can do to run an organization. Tell us a little bit about the philosophy you used in building that organizations as you’ve done. Molly: We do have an amazing staff. In all the people I hire, I really do look for a sense of passion, which everyone in my staff has. I think they need to have a passion for the community because that is really what we’re all about, and
Get to to know... know... Get
Sherrie CecilyMagnes: Zhu: Cecily Zhu: Happiness starts at the kiosk Greener Transportation Transportation Greener Officially, Sherrie an ofofthe Cecily Zhuhas hasnever neverMagnes’ ownedaajob car.as Most the Cecily Zhu owned car. Most information kiosk attendant is to assist year,she shebikes bikesto towork workon oncampus; campus;in inwinter, winter,people she year, she withthe Penn parking“When and general campus takes the busState orcarpools. carpools. “When waslooking looking takes bus or IIwas information. Unofficially, her self-appointed foraaplace placeto tolive, live,IIlooked lookedinto intomy mytransportation transportation for role is first, to make people even when”” she options first, shesays. says.“It “Ithappy, hadto tobe be bikeable. options ””she had bikeable. has to send them someplace else to park. “I Clearly,Zhu Zhupractices practiceswhat whatshe shepreaches. preaches. AsPenn Penn Clearly, As havessfirst unhappy customers sometimes, but I try State’ firstalternative alternative transportation program State’ transportation program to make them happy before they leave.” coordinator, since fall2015 2015 shehas hasmanaged managed coordinator, since fall she Magnesfrom andbike herprograms colleagues the nine everything from bike programs tostaff carshare. share. She everything to car She kiosks on the University Park campus, doing alsoworks workswith withState StateCollege Collegeand andCentre CentreRegion Region also everything fromaselling visitor parking permits planners toensure ensure acohesive cohesive system. “Thisarea area planners to system. “This to giving directions to the golf course, the hassuch suchinteresting interestingbike bikeroutes routesand andconnectivity, connectivity,”” has Creamery, she says. and other destinations. From the she says. small where they work, impact Zhubooth grewup up inNew New York City,they where publicthe Zhu grew in York City, where public campus experience thousands eachearning year. aa transit and walkingare areof wayof oflife. life.After After earning transit and walking aaway A Pittsburgh area native, Magnes and her degreein inEnvironmental EnvironmentalStudies–Policy, Studies–Policy,Planning, Planning, degree husband, Ken, moved hereofof inEnvironmental 1994 after he and Lawfrom from SUNY College Environmental and Law SUNY College got a job atForestry, HRB (now Raytheon). She worked Science and Forestry, sheworked workedin inSyracuse Syracuse and Science and she and in PSU student accounts, was stay-at-home then Grand Tetons NationalPark Parkabefore before heading then Grand Tetons National heading mom for thewhere couple’s andaathen to Pittsburgh, where shetwo mostchildren, recentlywas was to Pittsburgh, she most recently was a learning support paraprofessional transportation policy andplanning planningfellow fellowfor forat the transportation policy and the Corl Street Elementary before taking on PittsburghCommunity CommunityReinvestment ReinvestmentGroup. Group.her Pittsburgh current jobState two job years ago. Last year, a serious ThePenn Penn State jobwas was attractive toZhu Zhu The attractive to illness kept her in the hospital for 68 days. becauseof ofthe theregion’ region’ssinterest interestin inalternative alternative because She returned(CATA’ to work in a wheelchair and has transportation (CATA’ clean-running compressed transportation ssclean-running compressed graduated to using a cane. “It’s all about your naturalgas gasfleet, fleet,for forexample) example)and andthe theopportunity opportunity natural attitude youron goal is,” sheAmong says. “My to developand newwhat programs oncampus. campus. Among the to develop new programs the goal is in to get better andaabike make the world a projects inthe theworks worksare are bikesharing sharing program projects program better place. ” and BEEP, safety-oriented BicycleEducation Educationand and and BEEP, aasafety-oriented Bicycle The Penn State Bookstore thanks Enforcement Program. Enforcement Program. Sherrie Magnes all faculty, and The Penn Penn State and Bookstore thanksstaff, Cecily The State Bookstore Cecily students who carry out thethanks university’s Zhu and and all all faculty, faculty, staff, and students students who who Zhu mission every day.staff, and carry out out the the university’s university’s mission mission every every day. day. carry
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a passion for excellence. We’re a hard-working group, and we expect that from our staff. It is very important that everyone works well together and we help each other. I always want to be the place where people that want to engage in philanthropy feel always welcome, always inspired. Mimi: I was sort of shocked at the list of the top five funds in the foundation. As an aside to our readers, I’ve been busy for 20 years trying to write a book, and I had an occasion to call and ask about a few more details about the foundation because I had the pleasure of being Paul Campbell’s vice chair when he started this thing. I was shocked at the unfamiliar names of the top five funds in the foundation — names I thought I’d recognize, and I didn’t recognize a single one. Molly: And they were all people who had been in the community for many, many years. Mimi: Perhaps one of your greatest assets is you have appealed not just to the wealthiest people in the community but there’s something for anybody if they wish to leave their legacy.
28 th Annual
Senior Health & Lifestyle Expo
Molly: Right, absolutely. To me there’s a real joy in meeting people in the community and seeing how much passion they have and at any level. To me, it’s exciting. Being able to leave a legacy is amazing. Mimi: Well, we usually think of then and now, but this is kind of a now and then. When you sit back and think about that, it has a lot of bells and whistles, unless you don’t give a darn. But if you can leave traces of your history by doing something that will be helpful to someone or something forever, that’s impact. Molly: And to just think about that and the people that have been gone, many of the biggest funds were started from estates of people that I never met. I’ve been with the foundation for nine years. Mimi: I can’t believe it’s been nine years! What’s your advice to people? How do they make it easy to make a gift to Centre Foundation? A lot of people are reluctant to even think about it. They buy life insurance, but they don’t think about dying.
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Molly: Starting small. I think that’s one of the things about Centre Gives that’s been nice. People realize it’s kind of fun. You can start small, and you can make a small gift there and realize that it feels good to help an organization or a cause that you feel good about in the community. The other thing is really with legacy giving. I encourage people with their estates; it’s the easiest gift to give because you won’t miss it. You can’t take it with you. You can buy a life insurance policy that costs you very little right now and making the foundation the beneficiary. We had a board member once that said, “You know when I had just graduated, I bought a life insurance policy when I was in my twenties and made a charity the beneficiary, and it didn’t cost me anything because I was young enough and it was all paid off.” That’s another way. Mimi: I believe the foundation has gotten some donations from being the beneficiary. They were modest people, like school teachers. Molly: Right. Exactly. That’s where I
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think a lot of people who don’t know what they’re going to need. Like you said, they live modest lives, but you can still leave that legacy. Mimi: I believe part of your success is chargeable to the kind of giving community that we have. The foundation is the final piece and may be also the final piece that gives you unusual peace of mind. Molly: I think one of the things that is inspiring about this community is how much people that are here really love the place. There’s a lot of love for this place. Mimi: So how many different funds do you have? Molly: We have right around 400 now. I just want to thank the community again for everything they do, and I’m thrilled to be able to be here. Have everybody check out Centre Gives, centregives.org, on May 9 and 10 this year. You can watch the fun and participate with us. Mimi: Thank you so much for sharing so much time. Molly: Absolutely, my pleasure. T&G
T& G
Artist of the Month
Carving Out Her Own Niche Talley Fisher has not only continued her father’s business but also has made a name for herself as an artist By Rebecca Poling Following the sudden death of her father, Rob, in 2006, Bellefonte artist Talley Fisher took over the suspended sculpting business he had started. With a background in zoology and landscape architecture, she has continued her father’s legacy, creating more than 40 pieces for major clients all around the world and finding her love for innovative sculptures. “I decided to take on the five outstanding projects that he had not completed when he passed away,” she says. “I set out to complete his sculptures, but as time went on, we kept getting more calls for new artworks and kept getting clients, so I started to create my own sculptures.”
“Sunrise Cascade," which is hanging at Pinnacle Bank head quarters in Omaha.
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The medium in which Fisher works is the same as her father’s, but her suspended sculpting technique could be considered more fluid and unique. Her biggest challenge is coming up with new and inventive ideas that bring her to a concept she has never previously seen. Her nonartistic background, including landscape architecture, has actually served her well in designing her unique sculptures. “Having that design foundation and the skills in being able to speak to an architect and an engineer and being able to read plans, this is all a really big part of the design process,” she says. The process for creating a suspended sculpture can be extensive. First, Fisher speaks with a client to understand what they want, and she will create a few concepts for them to review. Once she and a client decide on a concept, she will construct a more detailed design. She then works closely with architects and engineers to make sure that the ceiling where the piece will be hung can support the suspended artwork, and from there, she will take the design and create shapes. Next, she suspends the sculpture in her studio and sends pictures to the client to get their opinions. After review and corrections, the sculpture is anodized, or power-coated. Then it’s time for the sculpture to be installed by a professional rigging company, and Fisher is always on-site for the installation. Out of the entire process, she loves working with clients and seeing other people’s reactions to her work the most. “A lot of my clients are hospitals and medical centers, which is a huge benefit to the patients and the people who work there. They find suspended sculptures very uplifting, and I find that really rewarding,” she says. “I also love the excitement
“Allegro"
Talley Fisher
of putting [the sculpture] into its new home and watching people interact with it and hearing how people are interpreting it.” Some of Fisher’s work can be seen in Centre County, including at the Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County and Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College. A current project she is working on is a piece for the MTR Hong Kong “Ghaf Tree" Railway Station. She enjoys experimenting with twodimensional sculpture and using digital programs in the third dimension so she is able to have a 360-degree view of her work. For example, the piece is in two dimensions, but Fisher and MTR Hong Kong are using three-dimensional fly-through digital animations on a computer to properly visualize the suspended work. When she is not working with her many clients, Fisher likes to create pieces on her own time. “Most of my inspiration comes from the natural world and from my experiences, wandering around the woods, being outdoors, and travelling,” she says. “Also, looking at architecture from other places around the world
and integrating those concepts into my pieces.” She also continues to be inspired by the memories she carries of her father. “My father played a significant role in my life, teaching me how to view the world from an artist’s perspective,” she says. “He was extremely fascinated with the natural world, architecture, design, art, and many other things. He had a robust love of life and a way of talking to anyone and everyone that made you feel at ease. And he had the best — or, perhaps, worst — puns!” T&G Talley Fisher will be displaying two pieces at the State College Framing Company and Gallery on South Atherton Street in June. For more information about Fisher and her work, visit talleyfisher.com. 2017 May T&G - 107
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snapshot
Collecting History Rowland Theatre board member spearheads 100th anniversary celebration By Rebecca Poling In 1917, Charles Hedding Rowland, a congressman and local celebrity at the time, established the Rowland Theatre in Philipsburg. The theater has gone through its ups and downs since then, but a century later, its doors are still open as it brings in movies, musical acts, and more. A 100th birthday celebration for the theater will be held June 4. Rebecca Inlow has been sitting on the board of directors for two years, and she loves her time at the theater, especially researching its history. “At one of my very first board meetings, we talked about the theater turning 100 in 2017, and so we thought we should do a book for the 100th anniversary. They all looked at me! At first I didn’t agree to do it because I didn’t know anything about the history of the theater, but then I thought, Why not! And that is where this journey started,” she says. Since then, she has been collecting data and researching the history of Rowland Theatre, and she hopes to have the book go to press by the end of June and have it include the 100th anniversary celebration. She also is working on another big project that will be done close to the actual anniversary date in September. “One of the biggest projects that we have been working on for the last couple of decades is replicating the 1917 marquee outside of the theater,” she says. As a member of the board of directors, Inlow does most of the public relations work for the theater. However, since most people who work at the theater are volunteers, she helps out wherever help is needed. “Being [on the board] kind of fell in my lap, and I jumped right in and ran. It’s been wonderful,” she says. “I love local history, and I didn’t think I realized how much I like researching. I also love fixing this place up. The beauty about this theater is that it has kept its historical look to it.” Besides showing current movies similar to other theaters, the Rowland brings special shows and acts to 108 - T&G May 2017
Rebecca Inlow
Philipsburg. Upcoming this month, on May 20, Who Loves You? The Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Tribute Show will be presented at the theater. “Through the years we have had shows, but not on a regular basis. For the 100th anniversary, we want to have special shows and also movies to bring the theater back to its roots,” says Inlow. The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Rowland Theatre starts at 2 p.m. June 4, and the event is free to the public. There will be special guests, a documentary about the history of the theater, and a reception with plenty of birthday cake. “We want it to be a fun thing to attend, and we would love to fill the theater,” Inlow says. “We want people to come and celebrate the history of this great place.” T&G For more information on the Rowland Theatre, visit rowlandtheatre.org.
Tickets On Sale Now!
HappyValleyMusicFest.com