’Tis the Season
GAZETTE THE CENTRE COUNTY
www.CentreCountyGazette.com
Students from the State College Friends School, Pleasant Gap Elementary and the Bellefonte Youth Center contributed artwork for this week’s Centre Spread. Their efforts show us “The Holidays Through the Eyes of a Child.”/Pages 14-18
December 24-30, 2015
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Volume 7, Issue 51
Oliver prepares for transition to judge By SAMANTHA BASTRESS correspondent@centrecountygazette.com
STATE COLLEGE — As the year comes to a close, McQuaide Blasko’s Katie Oliver is preparing to transition from attorney to Centre County judge. Oliver, who was elected into the vacancy on the Centre County Court of Common Pleas Nov. 3, is the second woman to be voted into this judicial office. The first to be elected was current Judge Pamela A. Ruest, in 2007. Oliver is replacing Judge Bradley Lunsford, who announced his retirement in September. Oliver studied at both Bucknell University and Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law, where she graduated first in her class. “I’ve always had a passion for the justice system, and the study of it,” said Oliver. Oliver has been an attorney at McQuaide Blasko for 20 years, joining the firm right
“IT’S ABOUT helping to empower people to resolve their own disputes. It takes a lot of creativity and a lot of patience. I think it’s a really powerful tool and a great process.” Katie Oliver
Centre County judge after her graduation from law school. At McQuaide Blasko, Oliver worked primarily in civil litigation. She handled a wide variety of cases, including business disputes and medical malpractice cases. “In today’s world it’s becoming more and more unusual; people are specializing more. But I actually really like that diverse work,” said Oliver, when discussing the types of cases she undertook. In addition to her work as an attorney,
Oliver has also worked pro bono on mediation cases for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “It’s about helping to empower people to resolve their own disputes. It takes a lot of creativity and a lot of patience,” Oliver said. “I think it’s a really powerful tool and a great process.” Since November’s election, when she defeated Republican nominee Ron McGlaughlin with more than 52 percent of the vote, Oliver has been developing the skills necessary to serve as a Centre County judge. “I’ve been participating in the board of judges meetings, meeting with the other judges and sitting in on some of the court proceedings that I am not as familiar with at this point. I feel like I have a foot in each world,” Oliver said. As a Centre County Court of Common Pleas judge, Oliver will hold office for a term of 10 years beginning in January.
KATIE OLIVER
The Force draws fans from across area By CHRIS MORELLI
editor@centrecountygazette.com
STATE COLLEGE — The Force is strong in Centre County. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” opened last week at the two State College movie theaters — Premiere 12 and College 9. Crowds were big and lines were long at both locations as die-hard fans waited for hours to check out the latest film in the popular science fiction saga. According to Suzanne Downey, assistant manager at the Premiere 12 at 125 Premiere Drive, the demand for the latest installment of “Star Wars” has been unprecedented. “(Last) Friday and Saturday, we had 18 showings each day. We had 14 2-D showings and four 3-D showings,” Downey explained. “It was very busy. We had hundreds and hundreds of people all day. We had long lines but it moved quickly. We’d get a theater three-quarters filled and then people would start going to the next theater. It never got crazy, it was just very constant. It was actually very nice.” The strong opening was no surprise. The film logged the biggest domestic opening in history, collecting $238 million in the United States and Canada. It also set records in countries including Britain, Germany, Australia and Russia. Force, Page 6 TIM WEIGHT/For the Gazette
HELPING OUT: This is the office of Care for People located at 121/123 N. Allegheny St. in Bellefonte.
Care for People provides options for in-home care for elderly By ALEXA LEWIS news@centrecountygazette.com
BELLEFONTE — As the state budget impasse is stalling any major streamlining to in-home care for elderly and disabled residents, other local options remain affordable alternatives. Care for People, located in Bellefonte, is a company that hires independent caregiver contractors to deliver hourly or 24-hour care to the elderly at an affordable rate, almost matching the costs of inhome care programs that accept government assistance. “Care for People receives no state funding, so it is Opinion ............................ 7 Health & Wellness ............ 8
not impacted by the state impasse,” said company founder JoAnn Knupp. Former Gov. Tom Corbett expanded the availability of in-home care to low-income residents through waivers, which allowed the percentage of individuals receiving nursing home care and those receiving home assistance to reach a better 50-50 split. Then, in February, Gov. Tom Wolf said he would aim to extend in-home care to an additional 5,500 individuals through Medical Assistance waivers and the Option Personal Care Program, shifting the Care for People, Page 5
Education ....................... 10 Community ............... 11-13
Holiday Greetings ..... 14-18 Sports ......................... 20-23
TIM WEIGHT/For the Gazette
STAR POWER: Fans of the “Star Wars” series line up at Premiere 12 in State College for a weekday showing of the popular film “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
Women’s Corner ............ 24 Around & In Town .... 25, 26
What’s Happening ......... 27 Puzzles ............................ 28
Business ..................... 29, 30 Classified ........................ 31
For Holiday Parties, Business Meetings, or other Group Celebrations! Tuesday thru Saturday Tuesday thru Sunday 11:30am - 2:30pm 5pm - 10pm SUNDAY BRUNCH: 9am - 1pm
Next to Otto’s Pub & Brewery 2255 N. Atherton Street, State College • 814.308.9522 • barrel21distillery.com