Gazette The Centre County
www.CentreCountyGazette.com
Growing anticipation
Ag Progress Days is here once again! The three-day event features the latest technology, research exhibits, educational programs and guided tours. Find out everything you need to know about the show, which is sponsored by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences./Pages 16, 17
August 7-13, 2014
Volume 6, Issue 32
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Fresh Air kids arrive in State College By CHRIS MORELLI editor@centrecountygazette.com
STATE COLLEGE — One by one, the children got off the bus and took in their surroundings. It didn’t take long before they began running around the park, playing, laughing and chasing one another. A group of Fresh Air kids from New York came to State College on Aug. 1. The bus arrived at Spring Creek Park in the middle of a gorgeous afternoon in Happy Valley. While some of the children were shy, others spoke excitedly about being in the “country” for a week or two. Latrell Grant, 15, has been coming to Centre County for several years. He said that he looks forward to it every summer. “It’s fun, it’s exciting to come here,” explained Grant, who lives in New York City. “It’s fun to explore and get away from where you live.” Grant has stayed with the same host family for several years. Last year, they went to Walt Disney World. “That was fun, seeing all the characters,” Grant said.
Dewin Gomez, 11, has been a “Fresh Air Kid” since he was 6. “I’ll probably be staying for a week or two,” Gomez said. “It was a long bus ride, but I like coming here. I like to see horses, things like that. It’s a lot of fun.” Brenda Whyte, of Warren, is a volunteer for the Fresh Air Fund. She rode in with the kids from New York. “This is great for the kids. They get to see and do things they’ve never done before. Many of these kids have never seen fireflies, never made s’mores. On the bus ride in, one of the kids said, ‘Look, a horse. I’ve never seen a horse.’ It’s a very neat experience,” Whyte said. The Fresh Air Fund is a nonprofit agency that provides free summer vacations for children who are from disadvantaged communities. The Fresh Air Fund has been around since 1877 and nearly 2 million children have taken part in the program. The children who arrived in State College on Friday afternoon were selected by administrators with the Fresh Air Fund, according to Whyte. Kids, Page 4
CHRIS MORELLI/The Gazette
PAYING A VISIT: Messiah Garcia, 11, and Angelina Castillo, 9, both of New York, get off the bus at Spring Creek Park in State College on Aug. 1. The Fresh Air Fund sends inner-city youth to different areas of the country every summer.
Visually impaired students graduate from summer academy By BRITTANY SVOBODA bsvoboda@centrecountygazette.com
TIM WEIGHT/For the Gazette
FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME: Penn State first-year football coach James Franklin enjoyed his first media day at the helm of the Nittany Lions. He met with reporters on Monday at Beaver Stadium.
UNIVERSITY PARK — In comparison to the commencement ceremonies that typically take place at Penn State, this one might have seemed insignificant on paper. In person, however, it signified more than just a new beginning. The students graduating that day, who are blind or have a visual impairment, have always been told, “You can’t.” For three weeks while they lived and were treated
like Penn State students, they proved that they can — and will. On Aug. 1, 23 students graduated from the 6th annual Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services Summer Academy. During their time at the academy, the students utilized and further developed the skills they will use on a daily basis when they are in college. This includes using assistive technology, attending classes and navigating campus, among other things. Graduates, Page 5
Franklin meets the press By CHRIS MORELLI editor@centrecountygazette.com
UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State first-year head football coach James Franklin took a seat in front of the microphone and examined the throng of reporters that had gathered in the media room at Beaver Stadium. Chances are that he’d never seen anything like this at Vanderbilt. It was standing room only inside the media room. Franklin launched into an opening statement before tackling questions on his first media day as head Opinion ............................. 7 Health & Wellness .......... 8, 9
coach of the Nittany Lions. “We’re obviously very excited. You know, I guess it’s been seven months since we arrived and we’ve gotten a lot of work done in a short period of time,” Franklin said. “I’m excited to get going and working with these guys day in and day out. There’s also a part of me that wished he had another seven months … you wish you could do more and you wish you had more time.” Media day is a sure sign that the start of the college football season is right around the corner. Franklin, Page 5
Education ........................ 10 Community ................ 11-15
Centre Spread ............ 16, 17 Sports .......................... 18-23
Submitted photo
GRADUATION DAY: The Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services Summer Academy held its graduation ceremony for 23 students last week. The ceremony took place at Penn State University.
Arts & Entertainment .24, 25 What’s Happening ..... 25, 26
Group Meetings ......... 26, 27 Puzzles ............................. 28
Business ...................... 29, 30 Classified ......................... 31