Bellefonte Braces for Sandusky Trial
By: Lynn Adler
Updated: June 13, 2012
BELLEFONTE, CENTRE COUNTY - The small town of Bellefonte braces for the trial the whole county is talking about.
For the Whitesell family the media frenzy isn't a site they have been used to seeing.
"It's (Bellefonte) a small town, so we've never had anything like this to happen to us," 14-year-old, Kaitlyn Whitesell said.
The Bellefonte Courthouse sits smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and the Whitesell family lives across the street.
"I think it's just kind of annoying to have a whole bunch of media around us, and it's hard to even go downtown anymore, because you're always just reminded of it," Kaitlyn added.
Stephanie Whitesell said it's not the traffic or congestion associated with the trial that's most upsetting, it's the thought that the place she's called home her whole life could forever be linked with Sandusky and the child sex abuse case.
"I guess the biggest frustration is it's such a nice little town, we don't have a lot of going on," Whitesell said. "I think worry about the perception being changed from that safe place to somewhere that's not as safe."
She said her neighbors don't go out as much as they used to.
While Whitesell said she hopes justice will be served, she said she is more than ready for the whole ordeal to come to an end.
For the Whitesell family the media frenzy isn't a site they have been used to seeing.
"It's (Bellefonte) a small town, so we've never had anything like this to happen to us," 14-year-old, Kaitlyn Whitesell said.
The Bellefonte Courthouse sits smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and the Whitesell family lives across the street.
"I think it's just kind of annoying to have a whole bunch of media around us, and it's hard to even go downtown anymore, because you're always just reminded of it," Kaitlyn added.
Stephanie Whitesell said it's not the traffic or congestion associated with the trial that's most upsetting, it's the thought that the place she's called home her whole life could forever be linked with Sandusky and the child sex abuse case.
"I guess the biggest frustration is it's such a nice little town, we don't have a lot of going on," Whitesell said. "I think worry about the perception being changed from that safe place to somewhere that's not as safe."
She said her neighbors don't go out as much as they used to.
While Whitesell said she hopes justice will be served, she said she is more than ready for the whole ordeal to come to an end.
