TyronePA.com

TAHS Speech Team Following last Friday afternoon’s rehearsal for their February 21, 2008 Winter Speech Convocation at nearby Juniata Valley High School, as a show of Esprit de corps, the Tyrone Speech Team gathered round the wooden Golden Eagle, located in the athletic office lobby and donated to the school by the seniors on Tyrone’s 1957 basketball team. Ninety-five years after its creation in 1913, Tyrone’s speech team consists of these participants, from left: Coach Merryman, Grant Gonder, D.J. Cherry, Adam Stager, Marah Hawes, Jessica Thomas, Taylor Patton, Nathan Kruis, Ryan Bressler and Tyler Vasbinder. (The Daily Herald/Amanda Golden)

On Thursday afternoon, February 21, from 3:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., Tyrone High’s Speech Team will compete with three other schools in the Winter Convocation of the Central Pennsylvania Speech League, held this season at Juniata Valley High School, in nearby Alexandria.
Since this Winter Speech Convocation 2008 occurs in February, many of the 12 members of Tyrone’s oratorical team have chosen to perform poetry and prose related to February holidays – including Lincoln’s Birthday, Valentine’s Day, as well as Black History Month.
To celebrate the 199th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12, 1809, Tyrone team member Ryan Bressler will perform Lincoln’s favorite poem, entitled “Mortality,” by a Scottish poet named William Knox. President Lincoln loved Knox’s 56-line poem because it reminded him that all people should live out their lives in humility, since “the paths of glory lead but to the grave.” Tenth grader Adam Stager will echo Bressler’s Lincoln legacy by performing Walt Whitman’s eloquent elegy about the death of Lincoln called, “O Captain! My Captain!”
To commemorate Saint Valentine’s Day on February 14, Tyrone 9th grader Taylor Patton will re-enact two American love poems at the Winter speech competition. First, Patton will render Puritan poet Anne Bradstreet’s sonnet entitled “To My Dear and Loving Husband.” Next, Patton will follow that Puritan poem with romantic lyrics by the Civil War poet Emily Dickinson entitled, “If You Were Coming in the Fall.”
Tyrone sophomore Nathan Kruis will recognize Black History Month when he orally interprets selected excerpts from Martin Luther King’s powerful “I Have A Dream” speech, delivered by King in front of the Lincoln Memorial to an audience of 50,000 Civil Rights advocates in August of 1963. Charlene Wilson Adams will echo the theme of Black History Month when she renders a poem she created herself which encourages racial tolerance and is entitled, “The Message Overall.”
In addition to Ryan Bressler, Adam Stager, Taylor Patton, Nathan Kruis, and Charlene Adams, these other Tyrone student speakers also will perform at the Winter Speech Convocation: Joshua Bradley, Grant Gonder, Marah Hawes, Brittany Hosband, Brandon Parks, Jessica Thomas, and Tyler Vasbinder. Approximately 50 students from Juniata Valley, Southern Huntingdon, Tyrone, and Williamsburg High School will participate in this Winter Convocation of the Central Pennsylvania Speech League. With coaches Sherry Crawford (Juniata Valley), Regina Hicks (Southern Huntingdon), Richard Merryman (Tyrone), and Elizabeth McMullen (Williamsburg), this speech league has existed for 22 years – since 1986.
As in past speech competitions, all students will perform twice and have evaluations from two different adult judges. Judges will classify speakers as Outstanding, Excellent, Good, and Fair in these four categories of performance: The Speaker’s Introduction, Speaker’s Content, Speaker’s Voice, and Speaker’s Appearance.
After each student has performed two times for two separate judges, everyone will adjourn to the high school cafeteria for a light dinner, sponsored free of charge by the Juniata Valley Speech Team. At the close of dinner, all student speakers will receive a participation certificate, and all award winners will receive an engraved plaque.
Tyrone Coach Richard Merryman made this observation, “Each time that our students prepare for one of their competitions, I tell them that they stand as members of the oldest team at Tyrone High. I remind them that they follow in a speech tradition which has flourished at Tyrone High for 95 years – since 1913!”
“Furthermore, even as the long gone students from the Tyrone Speech Team of 1914 used their rhetorical skills to argue their positions about the expanding American military in the wake of World War I, so do modern day Tyrone students use their speech skills to comment on historical personalities, such as Abraham Lincoln, or historical events, such as Black History Month. And whether debating the size of the World War I American military or today’s Black History Month, both speech activities serve the same goal – to inspire Tyrone students to live, and move, and speak up as informed citizens in this great democracy we call America!”

Tyrone’s Junior high Basketball Team finished their regular season schedule last week with four games, taking on Indian Valley, Philipsburg, Penns Valley, and Bellwood Antis.
The Eagle’s finished their campaign with an overall record of 13 wins and 9 losses. Four of the Eagle’s losses this season were by a point, and five of their victories by less than three points.
“This team has faced more adversity than anyone could imagine,” said Coach Stever. “This team fought and competed to the finish in every game. Win or lose, they conducted themselves as gentlemen. I am very proud to be their coach.”
The Eagle’s put together some of their best games of the year against Indian Valley and Philipsburg defeating the Warriors 46-28 and avenging an earlier season loss to the Mounties by a score of 59-34.
Against the Mounties, the Eagle’s jumped all over the Mounties early and stayed on them for the duration of the game in their tough man defense only allowing eleven first half points and kept the Mounties out of their rhythm. Jared Templeton lit up the boards inside for a game high 25 points followed by another solid game at the point by Rich Stever with 10 points and as many assists. Jim Ferguson tossed in 8 points and pulled down a dozen rebounds. “The boy’s really wanted this game after losing at the buzzer in Philipsburg, said coach Stever. “I think they played their best basketball of the season today by far.”
Thursday, Penn’s Valley’s Rams would take advantage of the emotion from the previous day and defeat the Eagle’s 35-34 in another barn burner winning with a free throw with 3 seconds remaining.
“Penn’s Valley played some really good defense today,” said Stever, “and our guys were just a bit flat today after their win from the previous day and couldn’t make some plays when we needed to at the end of the game.”
Jim Ferguson led the way for the Eagle’s with 13 points, followed by Rich Stever with 10.
Friday, Bellwood Antis visited the Eagle’s and made the entry fee more than worth it in with one more barn-burner to finish the season as the Eagle’s would squeak out a victory 35-32.
Jared Templeton led the Eagle’s with a game high 17 points, followed by Jim Ferguson’s eight.
Garrett Lender led the Blue Devils scoring with 10, followed by Andrew DeGol’s seven points. “This was a typical Tyrone-Bellwood match up,” said Stever, “in a hard fought game to the end.”
The Eagle’s finish their season at Bishop McCort High School competing in the annual Mike Patcher Memorial Tournament February 15, 16, and 18.

Mike Blaska stood with the winners of last year’s Giggle Off Contest, an event he organized for the youth of the community.

The Tyrone community lost a friend this week as Mike Blaska passed away unexpectedly Tuesday night.
As his family grieves, with viewing and funeral services to be held tonight and Saturday, The Daily Herald would like to remember Mike for his past service to the Tyrone community.
He was employed as a sales representative for Pillsbury and General Mills for many years. He was named to the Pillsbury Circle of Excellence in 1998 and received numerous awards from Pillsbury and General Mills for his outstanding service as a sales representative.
Along with his work, he organized the local Giggle-Off contest held yearly during an Altoona Curve game at the Blair County Ball Park. The Herald participated with Mike in this venture for many years, and the office served as a place for area kids to enter the contest.
Mike loved this contest because the kids actually got to go onto the field and giggle into a microphone for the crowd to hear. The contestants were then judged based on their giggles. The crowd had the honor of picking the winner by applause.
Just last year, Mike said fondly of the contest, “It’s something the kids always enjoy. And I really like the contest because it provides a real family night out because the parents get to be there in the stands too.”
Every time he visited the Herald to promote a project, it was evident Mike always had the kids and their families at heart.
This was also true in another program Mike was active in for many years, the WALY-Warmth program, which supplies area children with warm coats, boots, hats and gloves during the holiday season.
Mike also enjoyed being a guest football picker for many years for The Daily Herald.
He was a member of B.P.O.E. No. 212 and was especially involved with the youth aspects of the organization.
He was active in Little League and the Hot Stove League at the Altoona Curve.
Mike also served as a volunteer at the Tyrone YMCA for many years, and he served as a basketball coach at Tyrone Area High School.
He most recently served as a member of the Albemarle Corporation Advisory Board.
In March 2004 he was recognized by WTRN with an “Outstanding Citizen” Award.
Mike will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved him. Contributions in his memory may be made to: WALY-Warmth for Underprivileged Children, c/o WALY Radio, 1 Forever Drive, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 or the Tyrone-Snyder Public Library, 1000 Pennsylvania Avenue, Tyrone, PA 16686.

Operation Our Town representatives held a news conference yesterday to report to the community on the successes of its first year and to announce: this year’s grants to local law enforcement; grant availability for prevention and treatment; support of the Booker T. Washington Community Revitalization Project and partnership with the Pennsylvania State Police.
The news conference followed a Chamber breakfast club meeting at the Casino at Lakemont Park during which OOT presented its first annual Community Partnership Award to Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett.
According to a press release issued by Operation Our Town, in 2007, OOT grants funded drug raids and seizures, saturation patrols and a part-time prosecutor in the Blair County DA’s office dedicated solely to drug crimes.
Many have credited this funding for the fact that Blair County drug arrests are up, and crime rates and drug deaths are declining.
Operation Our Town’s Most Wanted List, initiated May 23, 2007, has taken 11 of 17 suspects listed off the streets — a 65 percent capture rate.
‑Funding for programs like SWOOP (Street Wise Outreach Opportunity Program) and the R.O.C.K. (Reaching Out to Community Kids) are helping to educate kids and keep them from using drugs.
Other funding in 2007 included a $15,000 grant awarded for the purchase of a police dog to combat drug activity in Tyrone Borough and throughout Blair County through the Blair County Drug Task Force.
According to the release, Operation Our Town will award $200,000 in 2008 for law enforcement. The money will help pay for:
• Special operations — Warrant squad, interdiction squad, saturation patrols, search warrants, drug hot line, stakeout details, drug raids and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program;
• Blair County Task Force — Tactical equipment, rental vehicles, training, supplies, radios, entry vests and helmets and entry tools;
• Association of Blair County Law Enforcement (A.B.L.E.) — Police training equipment and materials to enhance, update and maintain the interactive training system provided by the regional terrorism task force and
• Logan Township Police Department — Tactical entry equipment.
In other developments, Operation Our Town will be making the second $45,000 payment on a three-year grant for a Blair County assistant district attorney specializing in drug cases.
Also, grant money totaling $200,000 will be available for proven local prevention and treatment programs in 2008. There will be two grant cycles of $100,000 each. The first applications will be accepted beginning in March, with the second cycle to follow in September.
Furthermore, Operation Our Town has initiated a partnership with the Pennsylvania State Police in Hollidaysburg for law enforcement in a further effort to reduce illegal drug use and related crime in our area. The partnership has three main components: saturation details throughout Blair County, which could include the use of K-9 units, helicopters and troopers; Operation SHIELD, a highway interdiction team for detection of narcotics in vehicles and undercover drug investigations.

Members of the Tyrone Hospital Auxiliary visited Tyrone Hospital on Valentine’s Day to provide refreshments for patients, staff and visitors. It is an annual tradition for the Auxiliary to provide treats not only on Valentine’s Day but also on other major holidays throughout the year. Each inpatient also received a long stem red rose as a gift from the Auxiliary. Pictured with the decorated refreshment cart and roses that were distributed are members of the Auxiliary. From left are Auxiliary members: Sally Miller, Frances Hunter, Donna Carson, Auxiliary Treasurer; Abigail Becker, Auxiliary Secretary and Helen Black. (Courtesy photo)