The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

January 17, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

MLK365 board members and local officials at a press conference at Marshall Math Science Academy.

Looks like a deep freeze is headed to Harrisburg in the coming days—making it the perfect time to stay warm at home and catch up on your Burg reading, below.

An apartment project planned for N. Front Street got the green light from City Council this week, our online story reported. Also at its meeting, council heard from the director of the Heinz-Menaker Senior Center who was frustrated that the organization hasn’t received city funding.

The Central PA MLK Day of Service will take place on Monday, Jan. 20, our online story reported. There are dozens of volunteer projects in the region to get involved in.

Gather the Guitars will use music to raise funds for Harrisburg nonprofit Gather the Spirit for Justice, our online story reported. The Abbey Bar will host the event this weekend.

Harrisburg announced that the USDA Wildlife Service would be at Italian Lake sampling wild ducks and geese for avian influenza this past Thursday. The city issued the advisory to warn people that they may hear loud noises during the process, our online story reported.

The Harrisburg School District will reconsider a previous decision to terminate a lease agreement with Wildheart Ministries for use of a district farm property. District officials said that they were made aware of information that may change their minds, our online story reported.

Home sales and prices both rose in December, our online story reported. For the three-county area, 560 houses sold compared to 492 in December 2023, while the median sales price rose to $280,000 from $259,275.

Kingdom Fit in Lemoyne opened in 2022 as a project by owner Harry King to unite people despite differences. In our magazine story, read about the gym’s offerings and programs.

Lemons make the perfect cooking ingredient to brighten the winter. Find our recipe for limoncello pasta, here.

Mayor Wanda Williams and Treasurer Dan Miller argued on Tuesday over the city’s method of collecting trash fees, our online story reported. Miller has proposed initiating annual billing to cut down on delinquent bills, while Williams disagrees.

Realtor.com ranked Harrisburg the top market for first-time homebuyers in 2025, our online story reported. The report cited affordable sales listings, short commute times and a strong local economy, among other factors.

Sara Bozich has a list of all of this weekend’s happenings in the Harrisburg area, here.

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Music for Good: Gather the Guitars showcase to raise funds for Harrisburg nonprofit

January 16, 2025 | by Skye Leppo

The Abbey Bar (photo courtesy of Moonpeak Productions)

Connecting through music has long been a way to bring people from all walks of life together, and this weekend’s Gather the Guitars event is a perfect composition of community, entertainment and fundraising to help drive more opportunities for Gather the Spirit for Justice.

Gather the Spirit, an Allison Hill-based nonprofit centered on building community, is hosting its third annual “Gather the Guitars” event Sunday afternoon at The Abbey Bar, this time headlined by Vince Rollins, Matt Jameson and Rigo Giorgini.

Originally scheduled for this past weekend, the event was moved to Sunday, Jan. 26, due to the snowstorm.

Organizer and board member Brian DeBease said the organization is grateful to the musicians who are “all doing it for free — they’ve all donated their time and (are) great acoustic musicians.”

Each will play for about an hour, and guests will also have opportunities to participate in silent auctions, 50/50 raffles, imbibe and dine on appetizers and strengthen fellowship.

“It brings me so much joy, anytime I can help anybody, especially in the surrounding areas,” said Harrisburg guitarist Matt Jameson, who also played this event last winter. “It’s going to be a lot of fun working with Rigo and Vincent again.”

Gather the Spirit, which has been operating in the area since the 1970s (with a brief hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic), has been helping countless folks over the years, but especially since the group shifted gears in 2023 with a renewed zeal for meeting people with what they need right now.

What started as an effort to provide breakfast for a few people on Saturday mornings became a weekly meal for nearly 150 guests, said Art Williams, vice president of programming.

“We were averaging about 12 people the first three months,” Williams said, adding that, at that point, the weekly Common Grounds meal was mostly just coffee, hot cocoa, bananas and English muffins.

The community quickly started coming together, and in November 2024, one of the weekly community breakfasts drew nearly 200 folks to the doors at First Church of the Brethren.

“Word got out, and we got our act together,” Williams said, “and now it’s pancakes, grits, sausage and eggs when we can afford them.”

The programming at Common Grounds has expanded to include helping individuals register and pay for state identification cards, and the organization even offers English as a second language classes for people who speak Spanish and French/Creole as their primary language.

Most weeks, there are four classrooms operating, and in recent months they’ve been able to help guests who speak Arabic, or guests from Nigeria and Haiti, as well.

“A lot of times, I work the front door, and I’ve been working enough to know how to say hello in their languages to greet them,” Williams said. “Every week, we have somebody hesitantly come up who just really needs something, or they need that state ID, and I just love the look on that person’s face when I can bring them upstairs to get a cup of coffee, get them situated with materials to move forward.”

He also has helped some folks get situated with what they need to order their birth certificates from other states when he can.

“We can afford seven state IDs per week,” Williams said, “and we give them directions on how to walk to the DMV, two miles from Common Grounds, and tell them to come on back and take a photo with us when they’re done.”

“We have a small budget,” DeBease said. “We’re trying to raise money to provide these services. They need a birth certificate so they can get housing, government subsidies, things to get on their way.”

He added that these IDs also are crucial for helping people secure employment.

“We try to create relationships with other organizations in the community that provide services, leaning on others” to collaborate with those that are more knowledgeable with different needs, DeBease said, using the example of someone who might be experiencing homelessness and needs a place to live, or helping someone find rehabilitation services.

Gather the Guitars is Gather the Spirit’s biggest fundraiser of the year, DeBease said, and raised a little over $4,000 from last year’s event.

“We’d love to raise $5,000 to $10,000” this time, he said, adding that all the money raised will go directly to the organization’s programming and helping folks get more IDs, literature to run ESL classes and provide food.

IF YOU GO
When: Sunday, Jan. 26 at 3 p.m.; doors open at 2:30 p.m.
Where: The Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing Co., 50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg
Tickets: Tickets are $25 to attend and are all ages (guests younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult); tickets can be purchased at the door or online https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gather-the-guitars-tickets-1083037487279

Get involved: If you’re interested in learning more about Gather the Spirit for Justice, a 501(c)3, VP Art Williams says the best thing to do is to show up to the organization’s Common Grounds Coffee event on Saturdays from 9-11 a.m. at First Church of the Brethren, 219 Hummel St., Harrisburg, or email [email protected]

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

January 16, 2025 | by Sara Bozich

Plan your weekend with my weekly list of things to do around Harrisburg and central PA!

What you’ll find ⤵️

For something new: ALL-NEW Strawberry Square Music Series launches Friday with Aortic Valve – it’s a must-visit (and it’s free!) Worth noting: 3rd in the Burg Friday doesn’t stop for winter Things on my agenda this weekend: Youth wrestling, SSMS, Pinewood Derby, Threads of Hershey book launch

For your weekend planning

ALL NEW Strawberry Square Music Series with Aortic Valve – FREE!
Dog at home? Win $50 off Greenlin’s 5-Day Daycare Induction Program!
Staying in? How ’bout some cozy winter cocktails to keep you warm.
See what else you missed on the blog

Below are more options for your weekend.

A Look Ahead

Check the events page and mark down those SoMa Block Parties now
NYT Bestseller coming to Midtown Scholar Bookstore
Are you on my email list?
Submit your events for the Weekend Roundup

Monday | MLK Day

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Harrisburg School District to reconsider allowing nonprofit to operate farm in Allison Hill

January 15, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

The Hill Farm

A nonprofit may get a second chance at running a farm property owned by the Harrisburg School District.

At a school board meeting on Tuesday night, district officials said they would like to reconsider the termination of an agreement with Harrisburg-based Wildheart Ministries to operate the district’s Joshua Farm property.

In November, receiver Dr. Lori Suski terminated the agreement with the nonprofit, which leased 213 S. 18^th St. from the district since 2023 and operated a farm and farmers market on the land. At that time, Suski did not justify the reasoning behind cutting ties. However, the agreement with Wildheart was once before terminated, and shortly after, reinstated, due to Suski and the board’s concerns over the safety and use of the property.

Following the November district decision to end the relationship with Wildheart, representatives and supporters of the nonprofit spoke out to ask for a reconsideration, or at least additional time to remove their equipment from the property.

In response, Suski has since extended the ending of Wildheart’s lease from Dec. 31 to Jan. 31.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Suski also presented more detailed background on the termination decision, and why she now believes the district should reconsider.

Suski said that Wildheart had been operating the farm, calling it the Hill Farm, informally since about 2017. In 2023, a “small handful” of residents came to the district with a concern that a formal Request For Proposals (RFP) process wasn’t initiated for the farm, so the district issued an RFP and selected Wildheart to continue its work, she said. However, “detractors in the community” continued issuing complaints, some of which Suski said were “slightly legitimate” and others not, that the district addressed with Wildheart.

For the past year and a half, Suski said the district received no complaints about the farm, until around the time of the 2024 presidential election, when people began inquiring about Wildheart’s “alleged ties to certain political and ideological groups,” Suski said.

Suski also said that concerns were brought up about whether district students were being involved in the farm’s educational programming. But, at previous board meetings, a district student and staff member shared their experiences, stating otherwise.

“We learned in the past few weeks that hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funds have been awarded to Wildheart to perform the work on the farm,” Suski said. “We also learned that there is a tremendously positive impact on the community by growing and selling vegetables to people in what is known as a food desert community.”

At the November meeting where Suski terminated the agreement, district Superintendent Dr. Benjamin Henry had also proposed selling the land. He clarified on Tuesday that he made that proposal because Wildheart had expressed interest in buying it. However, several board members said they were opposed to a sale.

“If the board wishes to hold onto this piece of land, then why not allow Wildheart to continue its work through the 2025 year and beyond until such time that the board makes a decision to do something with the property,” Suski said. “As receiver, I’m asking the board to reconsider its stance.”

Several board members said that, after hearing more information and talking to community members and Wildheart staff, they were interested in allowing Wildheart to stay at the farm for at least another year.

“I think we were given limited information; we did not make a good decision based on that limited information and I think since then, the community has been engaged, we’ve been provided data, and, I don’t want to speak for everyone on the board, but I think we are, at least I am, in favor of extending the lease,” said board member Autumn Anderson.

Suski said that there will be a motion on the agenda for the Jan. 28 meeting to extend Wildheart’s lease for a year with the option of renewal.

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At council meeting, Harrisburg apartment project approved, senior center director expresses frustration

January 14, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council

At a Tuesday council meeting, a development project got the green light and officials with a senior center continued to ask council for funding.

City Council approved a plan to renovate a vacant office building at 315 N. Front St. and turn it into apartments, called Front Street Lofts. Developer Vernon Jones plans to convert the building into an eight-unit apartment building with six one-bedroom units and two two-bedroom units. Of the units, two will be designated as affordable housing. There will be 10 parking spaces provided for the building, four on-site and six off-site.

Les Ford

Additionally, prior to the council meeting, Les Ford, executive director of the Heinz-Menaker Senior Center in Harrisburg, held a press conference in city hall to urge council to give the center funding. Ford also addressed council on the matter during the public comment period and has done so several times before.

Harrisburg’s administration previously proposed giving the center $250,000 of its federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money, an allotment that was designated for senior programming. However, council has expressed concern with the proposal to give all of the funds for senior programs to one organization, and questioned why the city didn’t open an application process for the money.

Ford had previously said that without the city funds, the senior center would likely run out of money to operate by the beginning of 2025. However, at his press conference on Tuesday evening, he said that without the funds, the center could keep its doors open until June, but would have to cut several of its services.

“I don’t understand the reluctance to move forward,” Ford said. “It did not have to come to this.”

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Harrisburg mayor, treasurer disagree, argue over city’s method of collecting delinquent trash fees

January 14, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

(From left) Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams, City Communications Director Mischelle Moyer and Treasurer Dan Miller

Harrisburg’s mayor and treasurer clashed on Tuesday over a disagreement on the city’s trash billing process.

City treasurer Dan Miller called the press to city hall to discuss his proposal to implement annual trash billing instead of monthly, which he said will allow the city to better enforce payment.

According to Miller, $15 million in trash bills are owed to Harrisburg, with $13.4 million of that being delinquent. The city has little power to recoup under the current bill procedure, he argued.

Since 2018, Miller said he has proposed an annual trash fee that would be tacked onto residents’ real estate tax invoices. Billing for trash collection that way would add the threat of Dauphin County collections selling the property if fees are not paid, which he said would incentivize payment.

“It’s a great way for us to actually have a bit of a hammer, to make people pay, ‘collect this money and get that $15 million back into the city budget,’” Miller said.

Miller held a press conference on the matter in December 2023 following the administration’s proposal to increase the trash rate as part of last year’s budget. At that time, city officials expressed opposition to Miller’s idea.

On Tuesday, Miller said that he has continued to urge the mayor and council to consider the idea with no success.

Mayor Wanda Williams showed up at Miller’s press conference to ask Miller to shift his focus from her to council, while also expressing her concerns with his proposal.

“Go back to council. Talk to council. They have the legislative power to make decisions,” Williams said. “Don’t put this on the mayor; you have seven members on council. Ask what their feeling is about this.”

Williams did, however, say that she had concerns over the legality of enacting legislation like this after speaking with city Solicitor Neil Grover. She also questioned whether the collection would negatively impact the city’s low-income residents who may not be able to pay and would be at risk of losing their homes.

“I understand the residents owe the city money, but they’re not as fortunate as Mr. Miller is,” she said. “Right now, there are a lot of low-income residents in the city of Harrisburg.”

However, Miller argued that a majority of property owners who are behind on trash bills are business owners and landlords. For those who are low-income residents, Miller suggested a provision that would allow them to qualify for a reduction in fees.

Dan Miller and City Council member Lamont Jones

To Williams’ point about the legality of adding the fee to the tax invoice, Miller said several other municipalities already do it.

In the meantime, Miller said the city is losing about $1 million in uncollected trash fees each year, which he said will continue to negatively impact Harrisburg’s neighborhood services fund.

Miller also proposed enforcing the city’s landlord rental permit, which requires landlords to be current on fees.

Williams said that the city is working to go after delinquent property owners and hired a collections officer several months ago for that purpose.

Council member Lamont Jones also attended the press conference, saying that council was open to considering the proposal, but needed to look at the details of the plan to make sure it wouldn’t harm residents.

“I believe that this is a decent idea, and city council is open to negotiating and working with Mr. Miller to come to a sound solution for this,” Jones said.

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Expect loud noises on Italian Lake on Thursday due to waterfowl testing

January 13, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda

Italian Lake in Harrisburg (file photo)

If you hear a loud noise around Italian Lake later this week, don’t be alarmed, Harrisburg officials say.

On Thursday morning, the USDA Wildlife Services will be at the lake sampling wild ducks and geese for avian influenza, a disease common in wild birds that also is affecting domesticated poultry, according to the city.

USDA’s wildlife disease biologists will capture birds using a new net launcher that makes a loud noise, like a bang. After the birds are captured, they will undergo a “quick swabbing” before being released, officials said.

“We want the public to be made aware of this event so that no one is alarmed or panics due to the noise,” stated a city press release.

The event will start 8:30 to 9 a.m. on Thursday.

If birds test positive, the USDA will not take action other than to monitor sick or dead birds since the disease circulates naturally in wild birds, the city said, adding that the USDA has done this procedure before on Italian Lake and at no cost to the city.

“We are focused on determining if and where the disease occurs and what strains may be circulating,” stated Kyle Van Why, wildlife disease biologist, USDA Wildlife Services.

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Central PA MLK Day to offer dozens of service opportunities next week, volunteers still needed

January 13, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

MLK365 board members and local officials at a press conference at Marshall Math Science Academy.

In just one week, volunteers will take on dozens of projects in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of activism.

At a Monday press conference, MLK365 announced the details of its Central PA MLK Day of Service, which will take place on Jan. 20.

“We would love to see you come out and join us and make a real difference in our community,” said MLK365 board member Takia Colston-Krow.

This year’s theme for the day is “Championing the Next Generation” and will feature events focused on education and youth. The opening ceremony and special events, including panel discussions and performances, will take place at Marshall Math Science Academy in Allison Hill.

“We want to involve our young people in our neighborhoods in engaging their neighbors and serving alongside them,” said Chad Frey, board vice chair. “That’s a really critical skill. Dr. King knew that, knew that we had to pass that down, and so please come out and help us champion the next generation.”

Community service projects will be hosted by organizations throughout the region, including opportunities to help organize a food bank, clean up trash and serve food to the unhoused.

At Marshall Math Science Academy, festivities will kick off at 9 a.m. with an opening ceremony. MLK365 will present Drum Major for Justice awards to community activists, including Rabbi Ariana Cappatauber, Joshua Aponte, Jasmin Echeverria and Oslwen Anderson. Local students will also present readings inspired by King, musicians will perform, and community leaders will speak.

Following the ceremony, volunteers may choose to remain at the school to help assemble care kits for those in need, write letters to children in local hospitals and donate blood to the American Red Cross.

There will also be a career and family resource fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring over 30 organizations. Additionally, speakers will sit on a panel at 10 a.m. to discuss topics around college and career readiness.

Volunteer opportunities for the day are listed on the MLK365 website and, according to organizers, there are still around 1,000 volunteer slots open for sign-ups.

“I can’t think of a better way to uplift and recognize Dr. King’s legacy than getting out in the community and doing good works, so please come out and join us,” said Rep. Dave Madsen (D-104).

For more information or to volunteer, visit MLK365’s website.

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Harrisburg ranks first in nation for first-time homebuyers, says report

January 13, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda

A residential street in Harrisburg

A national real estate organization has named Harrisburg the best market in the nation for first-time homebuyers.

In its annual report, Realtor.com, the official website of the National Association of Realtors, ranked Harrisburg the top market for 2025, citing affordable sales listings, short commute times, a strong local economy and abundant amenities.

Together, these factors should appeal to first-time homebuyers, who are often young and beginning to form families.

“Harrisburg’s designation as the top market for first-time homebuyers in 2025 highlights its unique blend of affordability, job opportunities and community appeal,” said Jimmy Koury, president of the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors.

The study scored 3,579 Census-Designated Places that are located within the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the country and chose the highest-ranking 10 that had a population of at least 5,000 and at least 500 active for-sale listings in the past 12 months.

After Harrisburg, Rochester, N.Y., ranked second nationwide, followed by Villas, Fla., Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., and Altamonte Springs, Fla. Rounding out the top 10 were Lansing, Mich., North Little Rock, Ark., Baltimore, Tonawanda, N.Y., and Wilmington, Del.

For 2024, Harrisburg had a median listing price of $140,000 for previously owned homes compared to the national median of $416,880, according to Realtor.com. The market also had a relatively low price-to-income ratio of 2.6, meaning home prices were 2.6 times the median household income, compared to the national figure of 5.5.

The study cited one significant weakness for the Harrisburg market—a lack of inventory, as the market ranked in the bottom half of places in terms of listings per capita.

“The places highlighted offer opportunities for first timers in terms of the cost of housing, availability of homes for sale, and quality of the location,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com.

Notably, Harrisburg also ranked first last year for the best place to retire in the nation, according to an analysis from U.S. News & World Report.

Click here to read the full Realtor.com article.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

January 10, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Elementary Coffee Co. announced that it will reopen at the Broad Street Market.

This week’s news roundup includes lots of great community features on nonprofits, businesses and culture. So, if you’re looking to get to know your community better, look no further.

Bridge of Hope Harrisburg Area helps single mothers facing homelessness, our magazine story reported. The program helps participants secure housing and matches them with neighborhood volunteers for support.

Elementary Coffee Co. announced that it will reopen in the Broad Street Market, after being displaced by the brick building fire in 2023, our online story reported. The Harrisburg-based business will open a stand in the stone building in the spring.

Families can take a day trip to Lancaster County to visit a wolf sanctuary, hunt for treasures at a farmers market and admire nature at a wildlife center. Check out our Adventure Together column for our family fun recommendations.

Harrisburg offered free parking for city residents in the Locust Street Garage due to the snowstorm this week, our online story reported.

Marquis de Lafayette made a visit to Harrisburg in 1825, and to commemorate that trip his spirit returns with special programming from Jan. 30 to Feb. 3. The Lafayette 200 tour will include re-enactments, presentations and exhibits, our magazine story reported.

Midtown Cinema will show “All We Imagine as Light” this month, which tells the story of two women in Mumbai. To read our columnist’s review of the movie, click here.

Migrants to the United States often face many challenges during their journey and once they arrive as they seek asylum status. In our magazine article, we share the story of one family that settled in Harrisburg after a harrowing trip from Ecuador.

Oola Bowls recently opened a new location in Camp Hill, offering acai bowls, smoothies and salads. In our magazine story, find out more about the local business’ origin.

Sara Bozich has a list of musical, entertainment and culinary happenings coming to Harrisburg this weekend, here.

Winter can still be the perfect time for hiking despite the cold temperatures. In our magazine story, find out why some local hikers especially enjoy winter walks and read their tips for locations and attire.

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Plan your weekend with my weekly list of things to do around Harrisburg and central PA!

What you’ll find ⤵️

For your weekend planning

A Look Ahead

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday | MLK Day

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