My Personal Blog

CAUTION:  This entry is about a sensitive topic that I have spoken about for many years. I have said for many years that bullying in schools continues to be a major problem.  It isn't just an issue in Hermitage, Altoona, or Wyalusing.  It isn't just in issue in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  It's a national epidemic that too often leads to kids who are being bullied take their own lives, which is too many young lives lost due to incidences of bullying. I previously said that the states should place the onus on the schools to implement stricter zero tolerance policies regarding bullying and enforce them to their fullest extent by punishing those who bully and protect those who are being bullied and/or are witnesses lest they face the forfeiture of half of their state funding that comes from their state legislatures (e.g., Harrisburg).  Then there was the next best thing of local municipalities put local laws on the books that prohibit public bullying of other...

On Wednesday morning, PA state representative Charity Krupa of Fayette County harshly grilled the president of Penn State University in a House Appropriations Committee Hearing on state-related universities in Harrisburg.  Rep. Krupa took a shot at the university president for being a hypocrite by turning her back on seven branch campuses while at the same time asking for a total of $394.4 million in funding.  Krupa specifically mentioned that the university also approved $1 billion in discretionary spending (including $700 million earmarked for the ongoing renovation of Beaver Stadium, $50 million to buy out James Franklin's contract, and a $1.4 million raise in the president's salary). Krupa asked why taxpayers are being asked to pay more while there is no more money to keep seven branch campuses open (including Shenango) without transparency with the public and accountability.  She pointed out that her proposed legislation would require advance notice given to the comm...

Penn State basketball has a passionate fan base, bur for too long, the men's and women's programs haven't contributed points to the Learfield Directors' Cup like other sports do. Programs like wrestling, women's volleyball, men's and women's ice hockey and lacrosse, and football consistently carry the Cup totals.  In contrast, basketball currently contributes zero points, leaving a major gap compared with schools like Duke, UNC and Stanford. Imagine just one Sweet 16 run adding between approximately 60 to 80 points, an Elite 8 run adding 100 to 120 points, and a Final Four run that could earn 140 to 160 or more points, which would be enough to shift Penn State several spots in the Cup standings. In the Learfield Directors' Cup, each school must include at least 12 countable men's sports and at least 12 countable women's sports.  At least 4 men's sports and at least 4 women's sports must be team sports.  These are common examples of mandat...

If I decide in 2029 I am going to run for the Hermitage School Board, then I will make a promise to protect all victims and witnesses to bullying and severely punish those who bully other students. Why am I saying this?  Because the topic of bullying in schools hits home for me because I was a victim myself. If a student who I'll call Andy bullies a student who I will call Gina over her learning disability, and a student who I'll call Steve witnesses Gina being bullied, and Gina is the one hit with a three day out of school suspension, I will not approve of such disciplinary action taken against Gina because she was the victim and Steve witnessed it.  Rather, Andy should be the one hit with the said three day out of school suspension because he bullied Gina. Too often I see posts on social media from parents about their children being bullied and then getting suspended for protecting themselves against said bullies.  This issue is a major problem in the United States that...

This morning I posted on Facebook about a proposed awards program in the City of Hermitage. The Coach of the Year Award would go to a coach from either the Hickory Hornets athletic teams or to a coach on the various teams sponsored by the Parks & Recreation Department. The Employee of the Year Award would go to someone who works for the city and has provided outstanding work for the city. The Police Officer of the Year Award would go to a member of the Hermitage Police Department who has provided outstanding service to keep the city and its residents safe. The Firefighter of the Year Award would go to a member of the Hermitage Fire Department who has provided outstanding service to the city and keeping its residents safe. The Volunteer of the Year Award would go to a city resident who has freely given their time to provide outstanding service to the city. The Student of the Year Awards would go to 13 students in the Hermitage School District (one in each grade level from kindergart...

Mercer County, Pennsylvania has had its share of famous natives, including: Andre Coleman (Hermitage) Rodney White (Hermitage) Gerry Ricciutti (Sharpsville) Glenn Jones (Hermitage) Marc Howard (Sharon) Dick Bestwick (Grove City) Bill Cardille (Farrell) Dolly Neely (Mercer) Jack Marin (Farrell) Trent Reznor (Mercer) Nolan Reimold (Greenville) Alf Landon (West Middlesex) Judson Flint (Farrell) But did you know these famous folks visited Mercer County: Alex Trebek (host of Jeopardy! visited Greenville in 1994 as guest conductor of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra) Arnold Palmer (7x major champion visited Hermitage in 1996 to dedicate Buhl Park driving range) George H.W. Bush (former vice president visited Wheatland in 1985 following F5 tornado) Mike Pence (former vice president visited Grove City in 2017 to deliver keynote address at Grove City College commencement) Joe Paterno (Penn State football coach visited numerous times for recruiting) Jay Paterno (Penn State trustee visited Sharo...