THE CENTRE COUNTY
GAZETTE www.CentreCountyGazette.com
Dominating performance The Philipsburg-Osceola High School softball team rolled past county rivals Bald Eagle Area and Bellefonte this week./Page 19
May 2-8, 2013
Volume 5, Issue 18
Community discusses options for high school
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Area students celebrate Arbor Day By SAMI HULINGS shulings@centrecountygazette.com
By KEVIN HORNE StateCollege.com
STATE COLLEGE — Nearly 100 community members met at State College High School Thursday night to talk about plans for the rapidly aging High School buildings, a subject that has generated some controversy. An earlier proposal to build a new school building was torpedoed by strong opposition in the community. The school board is once again considering two options: building an entirely new school, or renovating the existing buildings, all before 2017. The evening started off with several hour-long tours led by State College high school students through the North and South buildings on Westerly Parkway. The goal was to illustrate the need for upgrades. Some of the classrooms haven’t been updated since initial construction in 1962. Concerns about the current state of the buildings include: ■ 85 percent of the campus is now over 40 years old. ■ Windows, heating and ventilation, electrical and plumbing systems require replacement. ■ Heavy leaking occurs in the building (according to a tour guide, the south auditorium floods every time it rains). ■ Classrooms are undersized and lack windows. ■ Neither high school building meet current borough codes. ■ Most rooms have no air conditioning. “We’re building the high school for the next 50 years,” said board vice president Amber Concepcion. Twenty-three different sites were evaluated as possible school locations, according to architect Matthew Harlow, which was recently narrowed down to three. The three locations include Everhart Farm off University Drive and two locations owned by Penn State, one near Whitehall Road and the other near the Fox Point neighborhood. “College Avenue and Blue Course Drive near the Waffle Shop is the demographic center of our district,” said Harlow. “These three locations satisfy that location.” The upgrades will mean higher costs for taxpayers. The board distributed a chart which outlined the average projected cost to State College homeowners based on the total project cost. Preliminary estimates put the cost of the project at $109.9 million to
High School, Page 5 Opinion .............................. 7 Health & Wellness ......... 8, 9
TIM WEIGHT/For The Gazette
PUMPED UP: Students at Park Forest Middle School dance during the school’s MiniTHON, which was held on April 26.
Mini-THON raises more than $45,000 School, Mini-THON 2013 began with dinner from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by the dance marathon portion from 6 p.m. to STATE COLLEGE — Up $11,000 from midnight, Rommel said, which included last year, Park Forest Middle School music, dancing, relay races and other acMini-THON 2013 tivities, as well as brought in $45,567 appearances by a over the weekend dance group, Ike for The Four Diathe Spike and the monds Fund. And Penn State men’s if there’s one lesbasketball team. son the students “It was amazmay have learned, ing,” Rommel said it’s that age about the energy. doesn’t matter “The kids were so when it comes to excited.” making a differOther event ence. highlights includIn its fifth year, ed cupcake decoMini-THON drew rating, face paintsome 250 particiing, a puzzle stapants, including tion, photo opporabout 200 Park tunities, a headForest students, shaving event, and parents and teacha hula hoop and ers, as well as stuHershey kiss relay, dents from Mount according to inforNittany Middle mation provided School and a high by Rommel. school alumni Part of what group, said Nanci made this year’s Rommel, PFMS Mini-THON so Mini-THON adviTIM WEIGHT/For The Gazette special, she said, sor. was having nine SHOW OF SUPPORT: Emily Whitehead, of Started in 2009, Four Diamonds Mini-THON is an Philipsburg, who is a Four Diamonds child, families present. extension of the shaves the head of Griffin Thompson, of Four Diamonds renowned Penn State College, at the Park Forest Mini-THON. friend Isabella State Dance Messina, a sixthMarathon, or THON – the largest stugrader at PFMS who was a Mini-THON dent-run philanthropy in the world. It’s captain and also this year’s top fundraisrun under the direction of Rommel and er, opened the program. the PFMS Student Council. Held April 26 at Park Forest Middle Mini-THON, Page 4
By MARJORIE S. MILLER
mmiller@centrecountygazette.com
Education .................. 10, 11 Community ................ 12-14
Summer Fun .............. 15-17 Sports ......................... 19-22
Arts & Entertainment 23, 24 What’s Happening .... 25, 26
UNIVERSITY PARK — In celebration of Arbor Day, more than 600 State College Area School District fourth-graders spent the day learning about nature and their impact on it at The Arboretum at Penn State. As the theme for the day’s activities centered around Arbor Day, students participated in 18 different nature stations, with many relating to trees. Students had the opportunity to help plant a seedling at the arboretum and “climb,” via harness and pulley, up into the high branches of giant oak tree. Each took home a pine tree seedling to plant. The event was sponsored by the Village at Penn State. In addition to the arbor related stations, Arbor Day activities also included information about forestry, land history, wildlife and art in nature. “The intent is to foster and understanding of the natural world, especially the relationship between plants and humans and to promote environmentally compatible uses of the land,” said Kate Reeder, event and marketing coordinator for The Arboretum at Penn State. According to Reeder, the event began four years ago out of a discussion between Patrick William, the arboretum director of development, and Donnan Stoicovy, principal at Park Forest Elementary School. Stoicovy had previously met with the arboretum’s horticulturist, director and other staff members in 2010 to discuss the kinds of educational field trips that could be planned for local elementary students in the newly opened H.O. Smith Botanic gardens.
Arbor Day, Page 5
SAMI HULINGS/For The Gazette
OUTDOOR EDUCATION: Fourth-grade students from Gray’s Woods Elementary use pipe cleaners to demonstrate the role of proboscises, the part of pollinators that enters a flower to collect nectar.
Group Meetings .............. 27 Puzzles ............................. 28
Business ..................... 29, 30 Classified ......................... 31