Gazette The Centre County
www.CentreCountyGazette.com
Mature Lifestyles
The Gazette’s special section includes everything seniors need to know about health and wellness. Find out more about eating right, how to sleep better and being active at your area gym./Pages 13-20
February 19-25, 2015
Volume 7, Issue 7
Williams looks to the future
Bus wraps here to stay By BRITTANY SVOBODA bsvoboda@centrecountygazette.com
By CHRIS MORELLI
editor@centrecountygazette.com
UNIVERSITY PARK — For a guy nearing retirement, Penn State Alumni Association executive director Roger Williams certainly doesn’t look any less busy. His office on the second floor of the Hintz Family Alumni Center is bustling with activity on a frigid Friday afternoon. He’s got mounds of paperwork on his desk. The bookshelves are filled to the max. No packing has begun. But Williams insists that it’s no ruse — he still plans on retiring on Tuesday, June 30. “I’m going to be 66 in May, so I’m of that age,” Williams said during a recent interview in his office. “I’ve been in this job for 12 years. I came here in June of 2003. It’s been a long tenure, relatively speaking … and a very good one.” For Williams, the last dozen years have gone by quickly, he said. During that time, the alumni association has seen unprecedented growth. During Williams’ tenure as executive director, the alumni association grew by 27,759 members, nearly hitting 175,000 total dues-paying members in 2014, making it the largest such alumni association in the world. Williams saw increases of $2.9 million in revenue from 2004 to 2014, a 33 percent increase from the $8.6 million total a decade ago. Williams is certainly proud of the growth. “The alumni association is in good shape. Our membership continues to grow substantially over the years. We’ve put a number of new programs in place and our financial underpinnings are healthy. I think we’re striving to position ourselves so we can carry on our mission,” Williams said.
CENTRE COUNTY SPOTLIGHT
Williams, Page 6
Gazette file photo
IT’S HERE: THON will take place this weekend at the Bryce Jordan Center. Last year, a recordbreaking $13.34 million was raised.
Dancers set to begin 46-hour marathon By ALEXA LEWIS
correspondent@centrecountygazette.com
UNIVERSITY PARK — The Bryce Jordan Center, at the corner of University Drive and Curtin Road, will host the annual 46hour IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, or THON, beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20. The event brings children and families of the Four Diamonds Fund, volunteers and others together after months of fundraising efforts. According to THON.org, the mission of the dance marathon is “to conquer pediatric cancer by providing emotional and financial support to the children, families, researchers and staff of the Four Diamonds Fund.”
THON weekend continues until 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22. “For spectators, THON weekend is an experience that you not only see, but feel immediately as soon as you walk into the BJC,” said Aly Young, THON’s public relations director. Spectators can use the Gate A entrance of the Bryce Jordan Center, Young said. No identification is needed to gain entry into the Bryce Jordan Center and the event is free to attend. Once inside the BJC, spectators can stand and watch performances that take place on the main stage throughout the weekend, Young said. Events will include a pep rally, fashion shows, family
For the Benner family, THON is a celebration of life By CHRIS MORELLI
BELLEFONTE — To say that the Benner family is excited for THON weekend would be quite the understatement. According to Tiffany Benner, it’s the highlight of their year. “Every year the kids get really excited and can’t wait to spend time in the BJC with the THON organization and all the other kids,” Benner said. “You kind of forget all that we’ve gone through. It’s one weekend a year where you try to forget everything that has happened. We’re ready. We’re excited. It’s just a good time to let the kids be kids and enjoy the weekend.” Benner’s son, Noah, is 10 years old. In 2012, he began having migraine-like headaches that caused severe pain. He was diagnosed with choroid plexus papilloma and had a mass on the right side of his brain. He’s had tumors removed from his brain three times. It’s been a long, arduous road for the Benner family. CHRIS MORELLI/The Gazette
Police ................................. 2 Opinion ............................. 7
Benner, Page 5
INSIDE Lions Pride has undertaken an initiative to benefit the annual fundraiser. Page 5
Education .......................... 8 Community .................. 9-12
Mature Lifestyles ....... 13-20 Sports .......................... 21-23
STATE COLLEGE — By popular demand, the giant, moving advertisements on CATA buses will become a permanent staple in the Centre region. For the past year, area residents have been treated to the exterior wrap advertisements on select buses as part of a trail for a new revenue source for the Centre Area Transport Authority. About a year into the 17-month trial period, CATA’s board of directors has decided to place the exterior wrap advertisements on 12 buses as a permanent part of the company’s ad program. The decision came at a special meeting on Feb. 10. “Everything is going well and this will be a great source of revenue for us,” said Jacqueline Sheader, CATA public relations manager. Sheader said it costs about $30,000 for a one-year exterior wrap advertisement on a bus. From that, CATA takes home half the profit, with the other half going to the advertising contractor who works with companies interested in purchasing the wraps. The current trial period will end Sunday, May 31. If all 12 buses are contracted for at least a one-year advertisement, CATA could have an extra $180,000 to work with next year. During the trial period, CATA made a little more than $30,000 off the four wrapped buses, and Sheader said at least two of the advertisers are interested in signing another contract.
Dancers, Page 4
editor@centrecountygazette.com
LEAVING A LEGACY: Roger Williams, executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association, recently announced his retirement. His last day on the job will be June 30.
FREE COPY
Submitted photo
SUPPORT TEAM: Noah Benner, of Bellefonte, center, poses with Penn State football players Donovan Smith (76) and Jesse James (18) following a practice in 2014. Benner is a Four Diamonds child who has had three brain surgeries. Community Profile ......... 24 Arts & Entertainment .25, 26
STEVE BAUER/StateCollege.com
THAT’S A WRAP: The advertisements that are wrapped around CATA buses will remain, according to Jacqueline Sheader, CATA public relations manager.
As part of the decision to make the trial wrap ads a regular thing, CATA reached out to local municipalities for feedback. Sheader said that for the most part, the new advertising option has garnered a lot of support. Concerns the municipalities had, however, included ensuring the buses maintained CATA branding, the number of buses that could be wrapped and the loss of 50 percent of the profit. “Right now we have the (CATA) logos on the buses,” Sheader said. “We’re going to continue to make sure we do that.” She also said that the number of buses that can be wrapped in the next year will be 12, about 17 percent of CATA’s fleet. “We may not sell that many and that’s fine,” Shearer said. “What we’ll do is reevaluate it next year.” CATA is also reassessing the sale and servicing of the advertising program, and is seeking proposals from new companies to handle it, Sheader said. While it’s common that the company who coordinates advertising like this takes 50 percent of the profits, she said that the split might change with the new proposals. Bus wrap, Page 6
What’s Happening ..... 26, 27 Puzzles ............................. 28
Business ...................... 29, 30 Classifieds ........................ 31