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The Centre County Gazette
Local
Death Notices MILESBURG — Constance “Connie” J. Pilot died Saturday, May 27, 2017. She was 83. Arrangements were under the direction of Dean K. Wetzler Funeral Home, Milesburg. www.deankwetzlerfuneralhome.com CENTRE HALL — Doris F. Rudolph died Monday, May 29, 2017 at Wynwood House. She was 92. Arrangements were under the direction of Daughenbaugh Funeral Home, Centre Hall. www.daughenbaughfuneralhome.com PLEASANT GAP — Audrey Lou Lynn died Monday, May 29, 2017. She was 68. Arrangements were under the direction of Wetzler Funeral Service, Bellefonte. www.wetzlerfuneralhome.com BELLEFONTE — Mary Jane Cramer died Thursday, June 1, at Eagle Valley Personal Care Home. She was 90. Arrangements were under the direction of Dean K. Wetzler Funeral Home, Milesburg. www.deankwetzlerfuneralhome.com BELLEFONTE — Connie R. Huncheck died Thursday, June 1, 2017 at Centre Crest. She was 74. Arrangements were under the direction of Steven R. Neff Funeral Home, Millheim. www.stevenrnefffuneralhome.com MILESBURG — Nancy E. Shawley died Friday, June 2, 2017, at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville. She was 80. Arrangements were under the direction of Wetzler Funeral Service, Bellefonte. www.wetzlerfuneralhome.com BELLEFONTE — B. Glenn Lightner died Friday, June 2, 2017. He was 85. Arrangements were under the direction of Mark D. Heintzelman Funeral and Cremation Service, State College. www.heintzelmanfuneralhome.com SPRING MILLS — Jean O. Stover died Friday, June 2, 2017 at Salem Hill Haven. She was 91. Arrangements were under the direction of Steven R. Neff Funeral Home, Millheim. www.stevenrnefffuneralhome.com
The Centre County Gazette provides readers weekly death notices submitted by area funeral homes. There is no charge to the funeral home or family. If you would like to see your loved one's full obituary published in The Gazette, please notify your funeral director.
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June 8-14, 2017
Residents’ encampment protests development plan of Toll Brothers By GEOFF RUSHTON StateCollege.com
FERGUSON TOWNSHIP — The encampment of a group of area residents protesting Penn State’s planned sale of land to Toll Brothers and the builder’s proposed residential development continued this week. Along with several tents in the sprawling field, signs urging Penn State not to sell the land and a banner that reads “We Are (Waiting for) Penn State (to Join the Community)” were put up along the roadside near the intersection of Whitehall Road and Blue Course Drive in Ferguson Township, in the area where Toll Brothers plans to build a 264-unit luxury student housing development called The Cottages at State College. “We hope to continue this occupation for as long as it takes,” said Andy McKinnon, who had been camping at the site since June 3 and stood on the side of the road holding a protest sign June 5. McKinnon is a member of the Nittany Valley Water Coalition and one of 15 Ferguson Township landowners who appealed township supervisors’ November 2015 decision to approve the final Planned Residential Development plan for The Cottages. The coalition argued that the township’s approval violated its own ordinances and the state Municipal Planning Code. Penn State entered a binding agreement in 2012 to sell 44 acres of land to Toll Brothers for $13.5 million, contingent on approved use of the land by the Ferguson Township Board of Supervisors. Last year a Centre County judge decided in favor of the residents, ruling that the supervisors committed an error of law in approving the final PRD plan. But on May 17, a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court panel vacated that decision and returned the case to county court to enter an order quashing the residents’ appeal. The coalition is planning to appeal the latest ruling to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and at the same time has renewed its request for Penn State to withdraw from the sale agreement. “We’re growing our numbers all the time, especially since the latest legal event where the Toll Brothers appealed our successful suit against them and Ferguson Township,” McKinnon said. “The latest decision was in favor of Toll Brothers, so that has galvanized a lot of people. A lot of people are realizing this is serious business.” McKinnon said they’ve had more than 100 people on site since June 3 and passed out thousands of leaflets. He added that people have stopped by to make donations and give food to those who are camping out. Some of those participating, meanwhile, planted a garden on the grounds over the weekend. Since the project was introduced in 2014, township residents have been vocal about concerns that construc-
Graduation, from page 1 fith addressed the class members. Griffith expressed his confidence in the class’s ability to succeed in life, and wished them the best that life has to offer. High school principal Dustin Dalton spoke to the class, urging them to not be afraid of failure. “Greatness comes by being willing to fail,” he said. “Failure is just an opportunity to begin again.” He cited failures endured by people such as Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney and Thomas Edison before achieving their great successes. The class of 2017’s six valedictorians — Alexis Fiedler, Martha Dunkleberger, Peyton Bell, Virginia Stattel, Aubrey Feinour and David Krum — each spoke in turn, sharing memorable experiences of their time at Penns Valley High School. Following their remarks, diplomas were presented to the graduates by teacher Megan Hull. Centre County Christian Academy also held commencement services on June 2.
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tion and storm water runoff would harm the nearby Harter-Thomas well fields, the source of drinking water for the majority of homes served by the State College Borough Water Authority (SCBWA), which provides water to the Centre Region. Coalition member Kelli Hoover said in a press release June 4 that the land for the proposed development is on the same watershed as ClearWater Conservancy’s 300-acre Slab Cabin Run conservation easement project, which is seeking to protect the same well fields the coalition says the development threatens. “Obviously (the development) is going to destroy the landscape, but it could also destroy the water supply,” McKinnon said. “It’s about the stupidest place you could imagine for a housing development, any kind of development like that where it’s possible you could get a lot of contamination, because it’s right up gradient from two key well fields that provide two-thirds of the water for the State College area.” Thirty-eight acres of the property, where the units would be built, are zoned R4 for multi-family residential use. A storm water management facility is planned for 5.5 acres of Rural Agriculture-zoned land, which the coalition argued violates the township’s zoning ordinance. Part of the issue is that the area where the storm water basin would be located is around a prominent swale that could ultimately carry pollutants to Slab Cabin Run and the well fields. “The swale is there because it conforms to a fracture in the subsurface that’s been identified on the map,” McKinnon said. “If contaminants get down into that fracture they could be carried down into the well fields and degrade our water.” The coalition has also said that the site has existing sinkholes and cited a commissioned 2014 report that said the development project could increase the risk of sinkhole formation in the area. After the coalition sent its letter to Penn State last week, Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said the university is always concerned about water quality, but that the project has been subject to “stringent requirements to mitigate potential risks associated with water quality,” by the township and SCBWA. The water authority conducted four reviews and required geo-testing, “something that has never been done before with any other development,” said Powers, who noted Penn State is not involved in the development apart from agreeing to sell the land. The Cottages also would be the first housing development in the region to have a monitoring well installed as part of the project. She added that the township’s ordinances meet or exceed state laws for controlling storm water runoff and protecting groundwater quality.
The event was held at First Baptist Church in Bellefonte. There were eight graduating seniors at the commencement. Michael Hoffman was the guest speaker at the event. Sarah Cahill was the class valedictorian and Shigi Deng was the salutatorian. Bald Eagle Area’s commencement ceremony was held on the morning of June 3 at the school’s football stadium. A total of 140 students graduated in the Class of 2017. Senior Class President Madelynn Holderman offered the welcome, which was followed by remarks from valedictorian Karissa Bittinger and salutatorian Phoebe McClincy. Superintendent Jeffrey D. Miles then offered comments. The Bellefonte Class of 2017 was scheduled to graduate 197 seniors at commencement services at Rogers Stadium on June 7. Philipsburg-Osceola will graduate 100 students at services scheduled for Friday, June 9. There are 551 graduating seniors in the State College Area High School Class of 2017, which will hold ceremonies at the BryceJordan Center on Saturday, June 10.
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