Gazette The CenTre CounTy
www.CentreCountyGazette.com
Rite of spring
It’s mid-April and that can only mean one thing in Happy Valley: It’s Blue-White Weekend! Find out everything you need to know about the annual spring scrimmage in this week’s Centre Spread./Pages 16, 17
April 16-22, 2015
Volume 7, Issue 15
FREE COPY
Gordon hits the streets at Penn State By MATT BORTNER correspondent@centrecountygazette.com
UNIVERSITY PARK — It’s not every day that you see a NASCAR stock car driving down the streets of Penn State University. Your eyes did not deceive you, though — that was Jeff Gordon driving his replica No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS from the Business Building to the Berkey Creamery. Gordon, a four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion and three-time Daytona 500 winner, appeared at Penn State April 14 to announce Axalta Coating Systems’ partnership with the university. Axalta is a leading global provider of liquid and powder coatings to automotive, industrial, architectural and decorative customers, and it is also one of the main sponsors of Gordon and the No. 24 car. Part of the partnership includes a new paint scheme for Gordon’s car for the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 at the Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania on Sunday, June 7.
The paint scheme was revealed outside the Business Building: The No. 24 car will be coated in Penn State colors, with a blue base and white numbers and lettering. The car also has Penn State’s name adorned on the side and rear. “When I heard they wanted to expand to Penn State I got really excited,” said Gordon. “When I think of NASCAR and the avid fans, it is in the state of Pennsylvania.” More importantly, the partnership is designed to drive awareness for STEM and business education. During race weekend, 100 Penn State students in those fields will get the chance to tour the garages and chat with Axalta executives, as well as Gordon and his team. “I have had a chance to meet many Penn State students over the years,” said Gordon. “I know that there is not only some great engineers and future business leaders, but a lot of students who will take a part in this opportunity.” Gordon, Page 6
TIM WEIGHT/For the Gazette
PIT STOP: NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon drove his signature No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS through Penn State’s campus on Tuesday. Gordon was on campus to help announce Axalta Coating Systems’ partnership with the university.
Drive-in reborn as flea market Commissioners
voice concern on appointment
By CHRIS MORELLI editor@centrecountygazette.com
STATE COLLEGE — The Starlite Drive-In has new life. Beginning on Saturday, April 18, the location will be the site of Happy Valley Flea Market. The flea market is the brainchild of co-owners Scott Lang and Jim Forsyth. “It really was Jim’s idea,” Lang said. “He used to go to flea markets when he was young, down around the Harrisburg area. I used to go to them, too. He really wanted to open one in State College. We kept talking about it, then he identified the Starlite property.” The Starlite Drive-In opened in 1949 and closed in 2008. It has been vacant ever since. Lang said that he and Forsyth felt that the drive-in was the perfect location for a flea market. “We found out that we could lease it,” he said. “That really got the ball rolling.” The flea market will be held on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vendors can arrive at 6 a.m. to set up. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at noon this week. Eventually, a farmer’s market will be held on Fridays. Lang said that the fact that the flea market’s grand opening coincides with Blue-White Weekend was sheer coincidence. Opinion .................................. 7 Health & Wellness .............. 8, 9
By MICHAEL MARTIN GARRETT StateCollege.com
should help, according to Lang. “There are some, but they’re a couple of hours away.” As for the Starlite property, Lang couldn’t envision a better location. “It’s perfect,” he said. “The roads leads right into the property. It’s laid out great, it’s all set up.” According to Lang, the response has been terrific. “All positive,” he said. “We’ve talked to some antique vendors and they’re really excited. Everyone we’ve talked to have been really receptive.”
BELLEFONTE — The Centre County commissioners have weighed in on the Centre County district attorney’s decision to appoint her personal attorney as a special assistant prosecutor — and they are none too happy about it. DA Stacy Parks Miller appointed her attorney Bruce Castor — a former district attorney and current county commissioner in Montgomery County — as a special assistant district attorney last week. According to Castor’s oath of office, he has been appointed to deal specifically with “cases involving efforts to disqualify the District Attorney of Centre CounSTACY PARKS ty and her assistants from prosecuting cases.” MILLER Parks Miller is currently suing Centre County for releasing some of her cellphone records in response to Right-to-Know requests, and is represented by Castor in her litigation against the county. Centre County Commissioner Chris Exarchos says he’s “extremely uncomfortable” with Castor serving two roles for Parks Miller — one of which is for the
Drive-in, Page 6
Appointment, Page 2
TIM WEIGHT/For the Gazette
SIGN OF THE TIMES: The once-popular Starlite Drive-In Theatre is home to the new Happy Valley Flea Market, which will be held on weekends at the site through mid-October. “We originally thought we’d open in mid-April and then we realized it was Blue-White Weekend,” Lang explained. “Originally, we thought we’d wait. But with people in from out of town, we thought it might be a good time to have the grand opening.” The Starlite is located at 1100 Benner Pike, not far from Interstate 99. It sits on 17 acres of land, seven of which will be used for the flea market. About 40 vendors have already registered for the grand opening. Lang hopes that those numbers will increase as wordof-mouth spreads. The fact that there’s nothing like this in Centre County
Education ....................... 10, 11 Community .................... 12-15
Centre Spread ................ 16, 17 Sports .............................. 18-23
Spring Home Improvement 24 Arts & Entertainment .... 25, 26
What’s Happening ............... 27 Puzzles .................................. 28
Business .......................... 29, 30 Classified .............................. 31
2 FREE TICKETS TO SEE GARTH BROOKS AT THE BRYCE JORDAN CENTER Visit http://woobox.com/bwyu78 to fill out a quick survey to enter for a chance THE CENTRE COUNTY to win! Three winners will receive two tickets each!
GAZETTE