Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and Downtown State College has over 300 businesses to check out for a perfect day. And with so many options throughout Happy Valley, where does one start? Luckily for you, we have your day planned for every type of couple.

The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts is pleased to introduce Pamela Snyder Etters as the organization’s new Executive Director.

Tuesday, Jan. 31 was National Plan for Vacation Day. The annual U.S. Travel Association-sponsored initiative encourages Americans to plan all of their vacation days at the start of the year, inspiring travel throughout the United States.

Resting at the base of Mount Nittany, the beautiful Apple Pony Inn offers guests breathtaking views, farmhouse details and equine-inspired style in a beautiful country
setting.

The community is invited to Open Coworking hours from noon to 4 p.m. with a kick-off party from 4 to 6 p.m. on February 8 at its new location at 221 West High Street, #1300, Bellefonte, PA 16823. Come join the party to learn more about SpringBoard with cocktails and snacks by The Cakeshop by Tati and Gourmet Girl.

The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center is lucky to have Judy Karaky as its General Manager. For more than 20 years, Karaky has guided others through the spirit of hospitality, and helped to make the Penn Stater a welcoming place for visitors. She was the inaugural recipient of The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau’s “Excellence in Service, Food & Beverage” award, presented at a special ceremony this past November.

I’ve been an avid Penn Stater all my life, so when I became a student, I had a bucket list as long as my arm. In the last four years, I’ve gotten to check a lot off of that list, but there was still so much to do.

Volunteers are needed for the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley this summer.

The IRONMAN HAPPY VALLEY triathlon is set for July 2, 2023, and IRONMAN asks for the support of the community to pitch in to help. More than 1,200 volunteers will be needed leading up to race day. Individuals and groups are encouraged to sign up to volunteer.

R. Thomas Berner is co-author of “We Had Ink in Our Blood,” a retrospective on newspapers in Central Pennsylvania, but to be fair, he carries a good bit of Pennsylvania dirt in those veins too. He can trace his Pennsylvania roots back to 1733, and his Happy Valley ties to college days in 1968. After a stint in New Mexico, he says he and his wife moved back, gladly. Here’s why.