Under the baobab: Events and openings mark busy spring in Happy Valley
Happy May Day and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
Congrats to our “Boys from Brazil” hair and make-up artist Vickie Lang. She won a BAFTA Theatre Award for work on “Amadeus.” Our neighbor Delroy Lindo presented the first BAFTA Film Award in February with fellow “Sinners” actor Michael B. Jordan. He said he couldn’t believe his ears when someone screamed the N-word from the audience. Apparently it was a person suffering from Tourette’s syndrome.
Congrats to Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane, who was selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Quarterback Drew Allar was chosen in the third round by the Pittsburg Steelers. Other PSU players chosen in the draft were: Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zakee Wheatley, Kaytron Allen, Nick Singleton, Drew Shelton and Zane Durant. Signed as unrestricted free agents were: Nick Dawkins, Dominic Deluca, Khali Dinkins, Tyler Duzansky, Trebor Pena, Devonte Ross and Nolan Rucci.
More than 1,200 runners and walkers participated in the 17th Annual Paterno Family Beaver Stadium 5K Race and 2-mile family fun walk. They were greeted by Sue Paterno, new head football coach Matt Campbell, football players and others. The run raised $500,000 for Special Olympics PA.
Other Blue-White weekend events included the Blue-White “Practice,” State College Alliance Church’s FoodPack event, the Boogie Wit Da Hoodie concert, the Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center Native Plant Sale, 41st annual Port Matilda Children’s Fishing Derby, the Outdoor Business Alliance inaugural expo, Essence of Joy Choral Ensemble Concert, “Total Praise: Richard Smallwood in Conversation with J.S. Bach,” Wild Wellness Festival and Market at the Penn State Arboretum and more.
Elsewhere in the community, the Borough of State College held its ABC Appreciation Dinner at the Nittany Lion Inn. Mayor Ezra Nanes and Borough Council President Evan Myers gave welcome and opening remarks. Borough Council member Kevin Kassab presented certificates of appreciation to many members. Distinguished Service Awards went to Linda LaSalle (Arnold Addison), Gary Abdullah (Legacy), Carleen Maitland (Ingrid P. Holtzman) and Zoe Boniface (XYZ).
RVOICE - Relationship Violence Outreach Intervention and Community Education sponsored a talk and feedback session with Tarana Burke, the creator of #MeToo. Sophia Mills acted as interviewer/moderator.
The State College Borough also held a Sustainability Expo at the Borough Building. About 25 exhibits were presented. Borough Manager Tom Fountaine, senior VP Kathy Bieschke, and state Rep. Paul Takac made remarks for over 100 exhibitors and participants including Director of Education at Sustain Penn State Peter Buck and Lara Fowler, former head of the Sustainability Institute.
The fourth annual APIDA Festival was held at the MLK Plaza. Hundreds of folks attended. Headline entertainment included Steel Dragon Martial Arts, Sangat, Sudha Mokkapati, Kalan-Ikethanaya, and the New Jersey Sri Lankan Dance Academy of NY & NJ. Gary Franco Prassano, president, and Andy Zheng, vice president of the PSU APIDA Caucus, hope the festival will “garner solidarity and build community through joy and cultural exchange.”
The Happy Valley Casino in the Nittany Mall held “test days” last Friday and Saturday before officially opening. The casino has nearly 380 part and full-time employees, which includes 96 who graduated from the casino’s 12-week dealer school. College Township is expected to receive more than $1 million in new tax revenue, with the county receiving about the same.
And the resistance continues. A protest against the alleged involvement of State College police with an ICE arrest was held by the People’s Defense Front and Student Committee for Defense and Solidarity outside the State College Borough Council Building. Inside there were several public comments to the council during their meeting. Council President Evan Myers reported that SCPD was not participating in ICE operations and suggested that protesters take up the issue at U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson’s office.
They do, on Thompson Tuesdays.
The U.S. has been in an undeclared war for 63 days. Stay strong.
Charles Dumas is a lifelong political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for the U.S. Congress in 2012. He is a Lions Paw honoree. He lives in State College with his wife and partner of over 50 years.