Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Minutes of Past Meetings
December 5, 1991
In attendance: Alex Dyakiw; Joyce Hagen; Nancy Perkins; Melady Kehm (Vice-president); Helen Bechdel; True Fisher; Rob Fisher; Romayne Naylor (Secretary); Judith Schardt (Treasurer); Dave Trost (President); Sarah Trost; Joanne TostiVasey; Joe Vasey; Kevin Burke; Carol Burke; Rob Gannon
The meeting, held at Helen's home, was called to order at 7:50 p.m.
Treasurer's Report:
|
November 30, 1991 |
October 31, 1991 |
|
|
CD |
$3,000.00 |
$3,000.00 |
|
Savings |
3,513.12 |
3,769.83 |
|
Checking |
498.69 |
538.33 |
|
|
$7,011.81 |
$7,308.16 |
Income: Library
Concert (Oct. 6, 1991) $19.00
Interest posted Oct. 31, 1991 43.29
$62.29
Expenses: Arts
Coordinator (Joan, Nov.) $264.00
Other
Expenses
94.64
$358.64
Do your dues! Judith is now
accepting checks or cash for membership dues that were due in November.
True presented the Arts
Coordinator report in Joan's absence. The fund-raising letters are at the
printer's. Alex and Joyce volunteered to help address and stamp them. An
addressed envelope will be stapled into the letter. Anyone needing help
preparing budget sheets should contact Judith. The arts coordinator apprentices
are doing well and a Fine Arts student has volunteered to help.
Recent mail included a membership
renewal letter from the Bellefonte Area Chamber of Commerce. The Dunnes and the
Fishers presented Bellefonte Borough Council a petition with 75 signatures
protesting Family Health Service's conditional use request to move its clinic
into the Dr. Paul Corman home on N. Allegheny Street. The Chamber submitted a
letter to Council protesting the subsequent denial of FHS's request. This
information prompted lively discussion of the issues. Rob F. said FHS attorney,
Melody Fleck, told Council the petition "counted for nothing." Rob
and True's Philadelphia attorney disagreed, saying that if FHS won their
appeal, Council effectively looses its authority over zoning and conditional
uses. That would mean all neighborhoods with the same zoning designation,
including those on Linn and Curtin streets, are at risk of the same thing
happening to them. Rob called for preventative action and handed out petitions
so that more signatures can be collected.
True suggested that we include the names of available buildings suitable for FHS's needs with our Chamber membership. Romayne moved that Dave write a letter saying that we object to the Chamber's endorsement of FHS's moving into the Corman home and that the letter be included with BHCA's Chamber membership check. Joe seconded the motion. The motion passed.
True announced the opening of
"Nativity," a gallery exhibit by local artists, coordinated by
Harriet Rosenberg, at 126 1/2 S. Allegheny St., Bellefonte. The exhibit will
run Dec. 6-15, with an opening reception Dec. 7. Harriet has offered to staff a
permanent gallery at that location. Helen suggested asking Joan to look into
the possibilities. Rob F. suggested that the Dunnes, who own the building,
might allow the gallery to run until a tenant is found for the space. Melady
said Joan and Harriet should work on a proposal and write a grant request. Nancy mentioned the gallery's proximity a pedestrian mall contained in the Borough's
recent master plan.
The proposed trip to visit Jim
Thorpe's Victorian Christmas Celebration was discussed. Because this year's dates
conflicted with Bellefonte's Victorian Christmas, Melady suggested making a
trip at a later date to see how the town has been revitalized.
True asked for volunteers to staff
tables at the Victorian Arts and Crafts Fair. The Burkes and Nancy Seward will
staff the table from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Melady had a group for 1-3:30 p.m. and HBI
members agreed to help 3:30-6 p.m. on Saturday. The Trosts, the Dyakiws and
Mary Parmenter volunteered for 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday. Judith said the
set-up committee will be there at 7 a.m. both days to make hot drinks. Mary
Ellen and Alex will staff the coffee table. Friday, Rob G. and Melady will go
with Centre County Prison inmates to Faith United Methodist Church to pick up tables. Peter will coordinate booth set up Saturday morning. Dave suggested
having brass plaques available at our table. Rob F. and the inmates (sounds
like a funky new band, doesn't it?) will handle clean up.
Joyce gave a Gamble Mill Gallery
report. There are only two openings through July 1992. She asked us to try to
find some new artists to increase the variety of the shows and so that we can
be more selective about which artists we choose. She also suggested a
"Bellefonte Invitational Exhibit" for January 1993, because January
is a traditionally hard month to fill.
Judith said we haven't received
any 35% commissions from artists in a long time. Joyce suggested sending a
reminder to the artists. She also said we need to purchase capsule lights for
the Gallery and said Susan Gephart should be responsible for doing so. Rob F.
asked for bids from Whitehill, Hite and Clyde Doll. Judith said she can
establish a credit account with Hite if necessary. Romayne agreed to check with
Clyde.
Dave said his survey of Old House
Fair Committee members indicated that we should skip this year and do something
special next year. Porter is enthusiastic about 1993 and said he could use his
connections to Norm Abrams or Bob Villa of PBS's "This Old House,"
but either will be quite expensive. We decided to also consider professionals
from commercial enterprises, such as a paint company or renovator's supply
house. Donna Clemson had said that she knows the editor of "Country
Living" and will explore possible publicity and/or support from the
magazine. True suggested the program be done in alternate years and held in
March or April rather than May.
In Jim Dunne's absence, there was
no report on the Library Concert Series. True said that, as Cece Eastman
attends most of these concerts, perhaps she would be interested in helping Jim.
Helen agreed to ask her.
Melady mentioned a service
organization has approached her about helping with Summer Sounds, perhaps by
sponsoring the August concert. Melady preferred not to name the organization
until its membership made a commitment.
These concerts are becoming more
popular. Approximately 600 attended The Little German Band performance. By Rob
G.'s rough count, 590 attended the Bellefonte Community Band concert and
400-plus the Bald Headed Blues Band. True reminded the committee that an application
for the Garver Fund must be sent soon.
Dave asked, "Victorian cookies: Scam or reality?"
We decided they will be a scam in
1991, because it's too late to have cookie cutters designed and made. (Watch
for the reality in 1992!) Nancy volunteered to design a series of cutters and
Helen suggested asking the Bellefonte Middle School metal shop classes to make
them.
Tombstone rubbings must be done in
nice weather, so that project has also been postponed. Marianne Hoover had 150 State College art students coming to tour the cemetery and do rubbings, but permission was
denied because, done improperly, repeated rubbings could damage the fragile old
stones. Therefore, tombstones have been laid to rest, but are not a dead issue.
Melady offered to tell Chuck Brown that BHCA is willing to help with the restoration of the portraits at Centre County Courthouse. Kevin will get the names of Penn State’s restorationist and Melady has another restorationist’s name. Both names will be passed along to Brown.
Judith, Joe and Joanne will have a Film Forum committee meeting and report at the next meeting. It was decided to continue using the second floor of the Bellefonte Elks Lodge, if possible. Bellefonte Borough will contribute $500 and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts funds will be solicited.
Dave ran short of letterhead paper, and Judith agreed to get more printed.
The next meeting was scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Friday, January 10 at the Trost’s home at 223 W. Curtin St.
Melady moved for adjournment. True seconded the motion.
Respectfully submitted,
Romayne Naylor, Secretary