Making a Difference
Posted on | March 5, 2010 | No Comments
Habitat for Humanity tries to use all the resources it has and not make waste. On the rare occasion that they do have items they cannot use, they pass them on to the ReStore. The Lancaster ReStore runs on donations from Habitat as well as contractors, large businesses, and individuals doing home repairs.
The store sells these donated hardware items at a good price for those who may need spare parts but do not want to buy expensive, brand new pieces. Some of the stock at the store includes general hardware and building supplies.
The customers are what make working at the shop interesting every day, according to Matthew Witkovsky, Marketing and Business-Management Coordinator at the Lancaster ReStore. Regular customers include locals doing home repairs, Amish, and many different people of many different backgrounds, ethnicities, and nationalities. This makes it a “stimulating” working environment, Witkovsky said.
As donations come in, all the ReStore employees and volunteers can do to try to make it easier to find things is group similar objects in the same area. Recently, however, they have started plans for remodeling. This will help with the organization of the donations and will help customers find things easier throughout the store.
The store also provides a vital community service by being host to many different volunteers who have been given hours to work by the court. These workers sometimes work even harder than paid employees, however. Witkovsky remarked that they seem to be very goal oriented in their work.
One such volunteer had to do around 200 hours and Witkovsky commented that he was very dedicated and he “worked his butt off” just for some community service hours.
“[As a volunteer] you see your work at the store benefitting the people around you,” Witkovsky said. Until recently, he was also a volunteer. He was working through Brethren Volunteer Service. Either way, it is worth working hard to see the changes he is making in the community, the customers, and the other volunteers.
As a non-profit company, all the money that the store makes goes towards employee salaries and store operation costs, first, and then whatever is left goes back to Habitat. Habitat has created a great environment for community members to work together while also generating some money to help other people in the community. They aren’t in it to make a profit, Witkovsky commented, just to make a difference.
If you would like to make a donation or are in need of hardware or building supplies check out the Lancaster ReStore on the web or follow them on Twitter or Facebook.
ABC 27 News- Working for You
Posted on | March 5, 2010 | No Comments
ABC 27 is currently celebrating its 57th anniversary. The station first went on-air on June 19, 1953 as a locally-owned ABC affiliate with the call letters WTPA-TV. The Times Mirror Company acquired all of the Newhouse television stations (including WTPA) in 1980 and changed their calls to the current WHTM-TV. The station was sold to Smith Broadcasting Company in 1984 and was acquired by its current owner Allbritton Communications in 1996. The station launched its digital signal on VHF channel 10 in 1999.
The station is known as a big family. Since it is a family the station feels that it is important to treat its viewers as part of the family. Part of this campaign means keeping its viewers informed but also caring for their overall well being. A segment on ABC 27 News known as Talkback 27, allows viewers to call or email into the station with questions and concerns of all types. The news team then looks through all the concerns and tries to solve the problem. Usually these concerns are consumer related. The station also provides a helping hand to its community by distributing free smoke detectors to local residents in need. ABC 27 also had a hand in helping its global community by collecting survival materials to send to Haiti after the recent earthquake.
ABC 27 is known for several memorable broadcasts but most long time Harrisburg residents immediately remember the full broadcast of R. Bud Dwyer’s January 22, 1987 suicide. R. Bud Dwyer was found guilty of receiving bribes. On January 22, 1987, the day before his sentencing, Dwyer called a press conference to give an update on the situation. At the conference, an agitated Dwyer once again professed his innocence, and declared that he would not resign as state treasurer. At this point, Dwyer distributed several envelopes. One of the envelopes contained a suicide note to his wife. The second contained an organ donor card and other related materials. The third contained a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Robert P. Casey, who had taken office only two days before. Then Dwyer withdrew from a manila envelope a .357 Magnum revolver. ABC 27 was one of several stations that broadcasted every moment of the press conference. This incident has now gone down in the broadcasting ethics books questioning how an incident like this should be portrayed to viewers.
In lighter spirits, ABC 27 feature reporter; Chuck Rhodes had the opportunity to serve as a minor cast member in the film Lucky Numbers starring John Travolta. Travolta was starring as a lacking meteorologist and Rhodes was his big competition in Harrisburg.
ABC 27 News airs the only weeknight 7 o’clock newscast in the market. In addition to their main studios, WHTM operates a York Bureau and a Chambersburg newsroom. Tune in a watch ABC 27 News as they work for you!
Do You Know Who Comes Into Your Home Every Night?
Posted on | March 5, 2010 | No Comments
Do you ever wonder who those people really are behind those taking heads on the nightly news? Valerie Pritchett and Flora Posteraro of ABC 27 News WHTM- TV in Harrisburg are hardly just talking heads. Both women have been serving the Midstate for several years. “There are interesting people in the Midstate who have great stories to share,” says Pritchett. What does Posteraro like most about her job? “I like meeting people and telling their story. Every day I learn something or experience new and exciting things.”
In addition to her anchoring duties Pritchett is an award winning reporter. A project close to Val’s heart is Val’s Kids. Val’s Kids features children in foster care who, through the Statewide Adoption Network, are looking for permanent homes. Valerie also airs a segment every Friday afternoon called: Safe Kids. This segment relays information about various safety hazards involving children and how to best avoid injury.
Flora is an active enthusiast of the American Cancer Society, the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Flora is also a Co-Captain for the Caring Place in Lemoyne. The Caring Place helps children who are struggling with a broken heart after a parent or a loved one died.
A community volunteer, Valerie is the honorary co-chair for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, and the honorary chair for Daffodil Days events. She assists The Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania, The American Literacy Corporation, and many other nonprofit organizations.
“I am an animal lover!” Valerie helps many animal rescue organizations with fund raising. Valerie is also a member of the United Way Women’s Leadership Network. Both women reside in Harrisburg. Flora says that is a wonderful place to raise her son and loves working and living in the Midstate; still be close to her family in Pittsburgh. “My husband and I love living in the Midstate. There’s so much to do from enjoying a meal on Second Street to having fun with my two German Sheppard’s at the dog park,” says Valerie. And speaking of her husband he is a photog at WGAL, ABC 27’s competition. When asked if this causes tension; she said not at all. “We just look it as we are working in the same industry not necessarily whose station has the number one seat.”
Valerie Pritchett and Flora Posteraro can both be seen as anchors on abc27 News Live at Five. Tune in and watch how they are working for you!
The Hands-On Approach
Posted on | March 5, 2010 | No Comments
For Spring Break 2010, some Elizabethtown College students are dedicating their time in a different way than most. Through the Chaplain’s office and Faith in Action, they are helping the homeless in Los Angeles, CA. Rebecca Furru, a senior social work major, is one of these students. Furru decided, however, to do more than just serve the homeless. By putting flyers up and sending out campus connections updates, Furru tried to get the campus involved in creating hygiene kits to take along on the trip.
“[Etown Students] don’t come in contact with the homeless every day,” Furru commented, “I wanted to go above and beyond just helping in the soup kitchens.”
The kits include donated toothbrushes, washcloths, Band-Aids, feminine hygiene products, and soap. She also helped raise enough money to get deodorant and shampoo. To top it all off, someone donated little back-packs that are great for holding all the items.
Furru got the idea from her aunt who is a nurse practitioner at Michigan State. She passes out hygiene kits to those people in her area who need it on a regular basis. When Furru mentioned that she was interested in doing something special for her break, her aunt suggested she do the same.
After taking a human services class sophomore year, Furru decided that social work was meant to be her major. She came in as an international business major, changed to a psychology major and settled on social work.
“[Social work] provided more physical contact with patients than psychology did for me,” Furru said.
Growing up with two parents with cancer, Furru had to learn at a young age to be a caretaker. She would go to the clinics with her parents and sit and talk to the other patients.
To continue with the hands on approach, Furru decided that after college she has two options: to get her masters at Michigan State or to go into Brethren Volunteer Service. If she does BVS first then she will go for her masters after she is done her two year service abroad.
With over 300 toothbrushes and many kits, Furru is well on her way with her personal contact side of social work. She hopes to create a difference in some of the lives of the people she will meet in Los Angeles. The rest of the group will be doing the same at the soup kitchens and working at a Brethren work camp. This seems to be a promising trip and a great way to spend Spring Break helping others.
For the Cure
Posted on | March 4, 2010 | No Comments
Elizabethtown College will host Relay For Life in the Thompson Gymnasium beginning April 10th at 6 p.m. and ending April 11th at 6 a.m.
Relay is about celebrating the lives of the people who have battled cancer, remembering loved ones who have lost, and fighting back against the disease. Raising over $87,000 in their 2009 Relay, Elizabethtown College hopes to reach a new goal of $95,000 for the 2010 year.
To help raise awareness and funds, the College will be hosting three fundraising opportunities that are open to the public:
- March 20th – Baseball vs. Cancer: During the baseball game facts about cancer will be announced and t-shirts will be sold to help raise awareness.
- March 24th – Fundraising Rally: Relay teams will be selling crafts, baked goods, t-shirts, and other merchandise from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the BSC’s Blue Bean.
- April 10th-11th – Midway Fair: From 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. teams will be selling their products and refreshments and putting on games to continue raising funds for the final count.
Cancer is a disease that can afflict anyone, of any age–and it has no cure. Since 1913, the American Cancer Society has been researching to determine the causes of cancer and supporting efforts to prevent and cure the disease.
Dr. Gordy Klatt began the tradition of running a marathon to help raise money in 1985, and then went on to organize the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer in 1986. With 19 relay teams circling the track at Stadium Bowl in Tacoma, Washington, they raised $33,000 and solidified the tradition known today as Relay For Life.
During the Relay event, there are three traditional ceremonies. The event is opened with a Survivor’s Lap, where cancer survivors are celebrated as they circle the track. After dark the Luminara Ceremony begins. Participants circle in silence as candles are lit inside bags bearing the name of a person touched by cancer. The event ends with the Fight Back Ceremony, where participants make a personal commitment to help save lives and to take up the fight against cancer.
Consider these facts from the American Cancer Society about the U.S. battle against cancer:
- 1,479,350 new cases were expected in 2009, and that number grows each year.
- 28,690 Pennsylvanians died in 2009 because of cancer.
- Cancer is the second most common cause of death, just after heart disease.
- 1 in every 4 deaths is due to cancer.
Beginning in 1946, the Society has spent over $3 billion in the fight against cancer. As a private, non-profit organization, they depend on everyday people and government grants to help support them in their effort to save lives.
Family, Fun, and Pizza
Posted on | March 4, 2010 | No Comments
Looking for a great place to grab a delicious slice of fresh cooked pizza? How about chicken parmesan with spaghetti or a cold Italian wrap? Good food and great atmosphere are the staples of any good restaurant, staples that the P & J Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria serve in spades.
For 15 years the Bellia’s have owned and run the Pizza shop on 22 East High Street. They’ve blended the traditions of their Sicilian heritage with the traditions of their new town, Elizabethtown, to create a local treasure in the Elizabethtown square.
The business is a successful restaurant and has flourished in the hands Sal Bellia and his father Frank, even after a two-alarm fire nearly wiped out their business in February, 2003. The fire caused over $350,000 in damages and burned the two apartments above their shop. Today, pictures of the fire and articles of their store decorate the wall behind the counter, symbols of their dedication to their business and the town. Since the fire seven years ago, they have rebuilt the store and designed it to function with their daily needs, even installing a delivery window.
Even though the owners are named Sal and Frank, the restaurant is named P & J. “We wanted to keep it familiar because it was already known as a good pizza shop to the regular customers” said a member of the Bellia family of employees. When the family took over the business 15 years ago from Peter and Joe, they weren’t interested in starting afresh. Instead they wanted to improve on an already great establishment.
Their menu includes an assortment of subs, wraps, pizzas, calzones, and Italian Dinners. Gathering recipes from their trips to Italy and Sicily, the family spices their menu up with special meals and mixings. After his honeymoon in 2008, Sal returned from Italy with a few new pizza dishes, including the chicken and ham pizza with ranch dressing. Along with their traditional menu options, P & J’s also offers two customary Italian desserts; the Cannoli and Tiramisu.
Elizabethtown sophomore Kayla King finds P & J’s well worth the walk from Elizabethtown College. “I’d love to eat here every week because the food is just so satisfying and they’re very friendly owners.” In addition to great food, the pizza shop also provides free Wi-Fi, delivery to businesses, and catering service. P & J’s also works frequent deals with other local business owners to provide great deals to their customers. Currently, a customer can dine at P & J’s and get a deal to bowl a free game at Clearview Lanes.
Track Runner with Taco Bell In Hand
Posted on | March 4, 2010 | No Comments
Elizabethtown College is the choice institution for approximately 1,900 students. A majority of students live on campus. Each school year, a percentage of students are given the privilege of moving off campus into properties in the community. Senior Mike Mauger was released prior to his junior year.
Mike calls Elizabethtown home during the school year and calls Pottstown, PA home when school is out of session. As a prospective student, Mike was recruited to play men’s soccer and to study in the International Business program. After beginning his time at Elizabethtown, he quickly changed his aspirations. Mike moved into the English major with a focus on Literature. He also decided to pursue his athletics career in a different matter than soccer. Mike has competed on the men’s cross country team as well as the men’s indoor and outdoor track teams.
Mike lived in on-campus housing for his first two years at Elizabethtown College. For his junior year, Mike moved into a house with fellow track teammates. He quickly realized that living in an independent environment was completely different than college housing. For his senior year at Elizabethtown College, Mike moved into an apartment with two fellow students. This location is a little more removed from campus. Mike’s initial thought about moving off-campus was to realize the changes that would come with graduation. He has enjoyed his time being independent, but does miss his time in on-campus housing since it is in close proximity to his close friends.
Even though he moved off campus, Mike is still heavily involved in many aspects of everyday life at Elizabethtown College. Mike is a Peer Mentor and Tour Guide for the Office of Admissions. He introduces prospective students to the campus and then works with a small group of first-year students in the fall semester. Mike can also be seen at the hilarious Mad Cow Improv shows. He is the Vice President of the comedy group and enjoys sharing his talent with others.
When he is not busy on campus or with his school work, Mike can be found spending time with his friends. He enjoys catching up on his sports on ESPN and laughing to television shows including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Mike frequents Taco Bell, the Mexican fast food establishment, at all hours of the day. If it were possible, Mike would eat Taco Bell for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mike is eager to see what is next on his path of life, but will always remember Elizabethtown College and his life in Elizabethtown, PA.
Small Town Girl Exhibits Big Heart
Posted on | March 4, 2010 | No Comments
“Unlike many things in life, you cannot put a sticker value on experiences like this – they make volunteering priceless.” These words of wisdom come from Elizabethtown College junior Logan Reis. A native of Burnham, PA, Reis attributes her close knit community full of an emphasis on respect and compassion for others, to her values and overall kind heart and giving personality. “This compassion has driven me to dedicate time to worthy and noble causes and has had a great influence on my views and beliefs,” she said.
“Volunteering became a big part of my life in high school,” said Reis. “I began to feel a responsibility to help those less fortunate than myself so I began dedicating much of my time to functions and events in the community.” She collected and wrapped gifts to be distributed to less fortunate children with the Salvation Army, helped organize programs to have peers make and distribute Christmas cards to local nursing homes, and was active in the Special Olympics and United Way Campaigns.
Once at Elizabethtown College, Reis became equally involved. During her scheduled breaks from school, Reis was often found boarding a bus or plane attending school sponsored volunteering trips. In the winter of 2009 she went to Beaumont, Texas to aid in hurricane recovery where she was assigned to help renovate the kitchen and living room area of a severely damaged home. The following spring Reis headed to Albuquerque, New Mexico to do service work on an Indian Reservation. “After the great experience I had in Texas, I suddenly felt the thirst to do more and lend my hand to help more people,” she said. There, she visited a Navajo nursing home where she, along with the other volunteers, was able to interact and play games with the residents. A year later, Reis took a trip to Houma, Louisiana to aid in hurricane Ike recovery.
Over spring break next week Reis will be in Los Angeles, California. This trip will encompass prepping and serving lunch and dinner at homeless shelters and soup kitchens and helping at a shelter for women and children run by the Salvation Army. Reis will also have the opportunity to help with a school on wheels, a school for the children of the homeless on Skid Row. This will involved cleaning, painting, tutoring and playing with the children. “While I expect the trip to be a difficult one in the sense that I will be brought face-to-face with the homeless and other issues, I know it will be rewarding and a chance for me to learn and grow as a person,” she said.
Reis definitely plans on continuing with her volunteer work during her senior year of college and even after she graduates. “I have had numerous enjoyable experiences that have allowed me to gain a broader perspective of the world I live in, instead of just the college community,” comments Reis. “This gained insight is invaluable and only motivates me to want to do more.”
The Man behind the Sports Scene
Posted on | March 4, 2010 | No Comments
The work of a collegiate sports information director goes beyond the typical nine-to-five shift.
“There are a lot of nights where I sit at home and it’ll be 11 o’clock at night and, I’ll have my laptop open working on a game program for the next day, and I don’t even think twice about that,” said Jim Miller, the sports information director at Elizabethtown College.
Miller, who has been working at Etown since the summer of 2007, has a schedule that mirrors the men and women’s sports teams.
“If it’s a home game, usually I’m there, as long as there’s no conflicts with other events,” Miller said.
During events, he will be keeping statistics, working the scoreboard, announcing over the PA system or taking pictures. After a game, Miller will write up a press release about the score, key players from each team and other important facts. He is also in charge of keeping the athletics Web site up to date and running.
Miller said the hours and responsibilities scare away others, but it is something that he takes joy in.
“I don’t feel like I’m working, I feel like I’m creating,” Miller said. “That’s what keeps me going.”
Michael Behounek, a junior business major at Etown, has been assisting Miller in sports information for five semesters. He said Miller is “the expert” about not only Etown athletics, but Division III sports in general.
“I see him at the games taking live stats for lacrosse and basketball, and he’s always in a good mood,” Behounek said. “He’s happy to be there. He loves his job.”
As an undergraduate, Miller, a Lancaster native, attended Penn State Harrisburg, which at the time did not have intercollegiate athletics. But an internship at Franklin & Marshall College led to another at the University of Delaware, before he landed his first gig as the sports information director of the Middle Atlantic Conference. He took the same job at Susquehanna University, where he worked from 2000 until 2007.
“I consider myself very fortunate that in each case, pretty much every job I’ve gotten, I’ve applied at the right time,” Miller said.
Miller said that while working at Susquehanna, he watched Etown teams beat Susquehanna twice in conference championship games.
“Etown broke my heart a few times,” Miller said.
Miller now lives in Baimbridge, PA with his wife, Kristina, and three dogs, Sam, Joey and Copper. And while he said he is supposed to maintain neutrality when it comes to sports, he can’t help but have Etown Blue Jay pride.
“It did not take me very long to become as passionate about Etown athletics as I was about Susquehanna athletics,” Miller said.
Vicki Rowe on Life After Etown
Posted on | March 3, 2010 | No Comments
When Vicky Rowe first visited Elizabethtown, PA, in 2001, she felt “right at home.” Rowe was visiting several colleges in the area with her dad, and she knew that Etown’s campus was right for her. They had traveled seven-and-a-half hours to from her hometown of Dracut, Massachusetts, which is right on the New Hampshire border.
During her time as a music therapy major at the College, Rowe was involved in the Honors Program, Alpha Mu, the Harmony House SDLC, jazz band, community chorus, and concert choir. Her learning experiences went beyond the classroom in many ways; Rowe learned “how to budget money, manage my time, and keep myself healthy but not taking on more than I could handle. I had to grow up and make a lot of hard decisions.”
Today, Rowe is an official member of the real world. She is a board-certified music therapist for Living Unlimited in Harrisburg, PA, working with clients who struggle with communication and social skills, psychosocial development, mental retardation and brain injury. Rowe travels as far out as Carlisle, PA, visiting homes, schools, and group homes. One perk of her job, perhaps, is that she gets to play with instruments on a daily basis. These include guitar, piano, boomwhackers, xylophone, recorders, whistles, and the all-important vocal cords. “You name it, we use it,” Rowe said, smiling.
She lives in the Village Green Apartments across from Etown High School. In addition to working for Living Unlimited, Rowe attends graduate school part-time at Shenandoah University to obtain her master’s degree in Music Therapy. She also serves as a home-visit coordinator for Northeast Boston Terrier Rescue and volunteers to help with canine training at GEARS.
After graduating from Etown in 2005, Rowe married Nick, a 2003 alumnus. Since Nick was from this area, and the job market for music therapy majors was lucrative, they decided to stay in Etown. And they love it here. “Things happen at a slower pace here than in Dracut,” Rowe said. “It’s also a good place for the fine and performing arts. You can get a lot of high-quality events without losing the small-town feel.”
Perhaps it is kismet that Rowe, who helps people to become successful for a living, has been so successful in her own life. She has found an exciting niche for herself, hundreds of miles from home, with a husband and two Boston terriers, Ori and Molly. What’s the only drawback of remaining in the same town in which you went to college? Rowe laughs. “You never know when you’ll run into one of your former professors at Darrenkamps – it’s always at the most inopportune times!”
