Gazette The Centre County
www.CentreCountyGazette.com
RAISING FUNDS
The Bikers Against Drugs group, along with Centre Hall American Legion Smith-Pletcher Post 779, held a benefit ride to raise money for Centre County’s HOPE Initiative. A total of $2,801 was raised./Page 10
August 17-23, 2017
Volume 9, Issue 33
FREE COPY
Council to decide on water reuse By SEAN YODER
syoder@centrecountygazette.com
SAM STITZER/For the Gazette
CRAIG HERROLD stretches a tarp over the tent and porch of his father, Robert Herrold, on the Grange Fairgrounds. Herrold and many other Grange campers spent Aug. 13 preparing their campsite for the week-long flurry of activities ahead. See more Grange Fair coverage on pages 17 to 24.
Setting up camp Grange Fair tenters move in By SAM STITZER correspondent@centrecountygazette.com
CENTRE HALL — Pickup trucks, SUVs and utility trailers snaked down the tent rows at Grange Park this week, and the sound of drills driving screws was heard, as tenters assembled front porches and rear kitchen add-ons in preparation for the 143rd annual Grange Fair and Encampment. Sunday, Aug. 13, was a day for tenters to set up before the fair officially opens on Friday, Aug. 18. The structures are mostly wooden, plastic pipe, or metal-tube framed, covered with plastic tarps. Many of the tenting families have been
doing so for generations. In the North 6 block of tents was Douglas Sampsell, of Bellefonte, sweeping leaves and debris off his tent floor, while his father, Robert Sampsell, began unloading furniture from his pickup truck. Robert Sampsell said his parents first acquired the tent in 1948, and that he and his family grew up with the Grange Fair. “This was always our vacation,” he said. Another multi-generation family of tenters included Craig Herrold, originally from Spring Mills, but now residing in Julian with his wife, Erin, and their children, Sage and Tanner. Camp, Page 5
STATE COLLEGE — The Centre Region Council of Governments will look at expanding beneficial reuse of water from the University Area Joint Authority. The general forum meets on Aug. 28, which is also the end of the 60-day comment period for a proposal that calls for 27,600 feet of 12-inch waterline to be installed from the booster station near the Centre Hills Country Club into Harris Township, so the UAJA can provide reuse water to the Mountain View Country Club, Tussey Mountain Ski Area and potentially other customers. However, there’s no guarantee the general forum will take action on the proposal. Cory Miller, UAJA executive director, said the authority is still gathering municipal comment on the proposal and it could be at least another month until action is taken. Beneficial reuse is water cleaned at an advanced water treatment facility and used to supplement environmental sites or by commercial sites such as car washes and golf courses. Currently, the UAJA distributes reuse water to nine customers and environmental sites in the Centre Region, with 180,000 gallons per day to commercial customers and 600,000 to environmental sites. The water treatment facility can provide for 1 million gallons per day, and the Harris connection would require another MGD. If the project is approved the schedule calls for a completion date of Sept. 1, 2018. The proposal is in a special update to a larger sewage management plan called Act 537, which is required for Pennsylva-
SEAN YODER/The Gazette
CORY MILLER, executive director of the University Area Joint Authority, stood in the advanced water treatment building at the UAJA facility off of Shiloh Road. Behind him are the reverse osmosis tubes, which contain spiral membranes that clean water on a molecular level. nia municipalities. In the Centre Region, Act 537 planning is handled by COG. The last update was in 2006. Sewage infrastructure planning partially dictates development of urbanized areas. That’s important for a growing region like Centre County, which saw a 13.4 percent increase in population between the 2000 and 2010 census. That trend is expected to continue across all age brackets, but especially those ages 20-29 and 50-64, according to Centre County Planning and Community Development. Water, Page 6
Bellefonte Church celebrates 200 years By SEAN YODER syoder@centrecountygazette.com
SEAN YODER/The Gazette
PASTOR CHRIS PASSANTE sat in the sanctuary of Trinity United Methodist Church. Police Blotter ..................... 2 Death Notices ................... 6
Opinion ............................. 9 Health & Welness ............ 10
BELLEFONTE — Trinity United Methodist Church is one of Bellefonte’s most visually prominent houses of worship, and yet the history of the congregation stretches back so far that the building at the corner of Howard and Spring streets is actually the third church. This year Trinity is celebrating 200 years as an organized congregation, with a huge celebration for the whole community scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 23. Pastor Chris Passante and member John Wilson joked that the whole weekend wasn’t going to be “churchy,” and that everyone is welcome to come have a hot dog, enjoy a free concert and attend a Sunday service welcoming back the pastors that have served the congregation in the past. Wilson said the congregation has enjoyed numerous events so far this year to celebrate 200 years of worship, with an opening service, the return of the Easter variety show and Logan Fire Company parade. A free concert in the sanctuary will begin on Sept. 22 Community ..................... 13 Grange Fair ...................... 17
Sports ............................... 26 Around & In Town .......... 32
at 7 p.m. featuring Debbie Trudeau and Jonathan Dexter of the Allegria Ensemble. On Saturday, Trinity is hosting a free community picnic on the lawn starting at noon, with the Bellefonte Community Band to perform at 2 p.m. Children’s events will run from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, will be a celebration worship service at 9:30 a.m. where the congregation will welcome back pastors who have served the church. Immediately following will be a catered lunch. Anyone wishing to enjoy lunch after the service is asked to RSVP by Aug. 31. Passante is in his third year as pastor at Trinity, and he said he’s seen great things happen in the last couple of years. “We’ve seen a lot of growth in our congregation numbers, in our operating budget, in our missions, in our outreach,” he said. As a sort of “downtown-centric” church, Passante and Wilson said they’ve worked hard to be inviting and open their doors to the community. But they’ve also reflected as a congregation. Church, Page 4 What’s Happening .......... 35 Puzzles ............................. 36
Business ........................... 37 Classifieds ........................ 39