Harrisburg School District selects new superintendent of schools

August 27, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Dr. Benjamin Henry. Photo courtesy of the Harrisburg School District.

The Harrisburg School District has selected a new top official.

Dr. Benjamin Henry will soon serve as the new superintendent of schools, following a summer-long search, the district announced on Monday evening.

Henry fills the post left vacant by previous superintendent Eric Turman, who resigned and took a job as the superintendent of Central Dauphin School District. Following his resignation, receiver Dr. Lori Suski appointed Dr. Marcia Stokes, the district’s chief financial officer, as acting superintendent.

According to a press release from the district, Suski is slated to approve Henry’s appointment at a board meeting on Tuesday.

If approved, Henry’s four-year term would begin on Nov. 1, with Stokes continuing in the role in the meantime. The district has set Henry’s salary at $199,500.

Henry brings with him over two decades of experience in public schools, according to the district. He served as the regional assistant superintendent of Polk County Schools in Florida for the past four years, overseeing 29 schools. Before that, he held jobs as a special education teacher, a middle school math teacher and a principal. Henry was also appointed by the governor to serve on the state’s Education Ethics Committee.

Henry holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from Alabama State University, a master’s degree in computer information systems and a doctoral degree in educational leadership.

“The Harrisburg School District is eager to welcome Dr. Ben Henry as its next superintendent of schools. Dr. Henry has the full support of the elected school board,” Suski said.

Suski also said that Henry presents as a “systems thinker with a passion for urban education, a strong communicator and relationship builder.” His experience in education will also be helpful this year as the district enters the last year under the current three-year cycle of state-mandated receivership.

The district partnered with the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) on the hiring search, which included community surveys, recruitment, interviewing and additional processes. The search committee reviewed 21 applications, interviewed seven candidates and selected Henry from among three finalists, according to the district.

For more information, visit the Harrisburg School District’s website.

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Bob’s Art Blog: Sea Creatures, the Future Backward and Segue to September

August 27, 2024 | by Bob MacGinnes

Giant Puppet Parade

As the dog days of summer draw to a close, you can teach an old dog a new trick. Just ask the City of Harrisburg. On Aug. 31, Kipona (“on the sparkling water”) turns 108. That is how long this time-honored tradition has been around.

To celebrate the year, there will be a “Giant Puppet Parade.” This new addition will throw caution to the wind and hail the denizens of the deep blue sea—all puppets from sea urchins to crustaceans, jellyfish, amphibians, anemones, (not enemies), and even the “Creature from the Black Lagoon.”

Harrisburg invites you to join the parade and strut your stuff for Kipona’s second day, Sunday, Sept. 1, in a march that will go down in the annals and lore of our fair city. With a nod and a wink to Baltimore’s Kinetic Race Puppet Pageantry and Nola’s Giant Puppet Parade initiative, local creatives, led by Millworks artist P.D. Murray, brainstormed the idea. The city’s special events team then ran with the novel concept of a puppet parade featuring sea creatures via puppets for kids of all ages.

With Mayor Wanda Williams giving the green light, the city, in conjunction with a band of merrymakers, promise an afternoon festivity that will start the celebration in grand style. The parade jumps off at 4:15 p.m., with the vanguard forming at State and Front streets, led by a giant “River Monster” created by artist Jeff Semmerling of Co-Exist Gallery. They are sponsoring the event as well as Art Side Out Studio, both from Steelton. It’s a win-win for kids of all ages in costume or plying the puppets by plucking their strings and for all those onlookers watching the parade go by. Cash prizes in three categories will be awarded and presented by Co-Exist Gallery. The streets will teem within a dream, and you may scream with delight or fear, but better yet, send up a cheer!

Part II: The Future Backwards

Science fiction writer, William Gibson, wrote, “The Future is Already Here” In an election year to end all others, there may be two candidates who would love to see what Nov. 6 determines, from the day before.

The creative team at Carlisle Arts Learning Center, comprised of Cathy Stone, Abria Donato, Mo Geiger and Rachel O’Connor, recently unveiled an art installation dedicated to “the tense that is yet to be” but has already taken place. “Working Backwards,” the installation’s title, is an all-inclusive excursion traveling to the future, which takes us to the year 2124, complete with “artifacts, packages and paperwork.” All delineate events, ephemera and exculpatory evidence tied to the 100 years that lie before us, allowing mankind to, at the very least, examine life, as it may take from knowing what we know today, being able to change the future free from guilt or regret. We could easily be on the hook for future criminal acts such as ignoring the radical shift in climate change, the economy, public health, immigration and the list goes on. In viewing visual validations of all from the artist across categorical criteria, one can easily conclude history repeats itself time and again. Given a clear glimpse of a century forward, we can alter the trajectory of tried and true into one of tangible transformation.

A wall from the “Walking Backwards” exhibit

Artist and professor Mia Cinelli of Kentucky visited the Carlisle area, collecting objects and ideas in a mudlarking adventure by the Letort Creek before installing her digital exploration into working back to a timeline that mirrors present day. Coupled with satellite installments at the Cumberland County Historical Society and Bosler Library, the exhibits collectively entail “Working Backwards” on view through Sept.14. Based on the brilliant conceptualization and exacting execution of the complete presentation, this study is timely and thought-provoking with more than enough material to build a political platform so convincing a candidate could win election.

Part III: Sneak Peek for September’s First Week

Owner Debbie Smith of her eponymous gallery in New Cumberland is hosting an artist’s reception to kick off the fall art season on Thursday, Sept. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. at 190 Reno Ave. Her headquarters and art gallery will feature the oil paintings of nature lover, Linda Williard. Be sure to look for detective Benoit Blanc milling around with the guests inspecting the art. Artist Williard paints with a pallet knife—Hollywood may be scouting for a new locale for “Knives Out: Part IV.” Debbie, are you ready to make a cameo appearance?

A painting by Donna Berk Barlup

On Saturday, Sept. 7, the Mechanicsburg Art School and Center (The Red Barn) is hosting the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters in a “Paint Out” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the grounds at 18 Art Craft Drive. The artist reception will follow from 1 to 3 p.m. A paint out is the artist’s equivalent of a dance off at a nightclub. Come see for yourself and meet these talented artists. Look for local plein air luminaries Donna Berk Barlup, Lina Ferrara, Julie Riker, Susan Begnini-Landis, Kelly Charlesworth, Mary DePalma, Liz Dallucci, Karon Karhuff, Clare Klaum, Cate McKissick, Debbie Thompson and John Capowski. Repeat this five times real fast and then spin around and raise the mast.

Dates to Remember
Sunday, Sept. 8, the 36th Annual Gallery Walk, Harrisburg,12 to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 14, the 42nd Annual Hummelstown Arts Festival, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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The Salvation Army Harrisburg 13th Annual Shoe Strut

August 27, 2024 | by Admin

WIN Women INvolved, auxiliary to The Salvation Army Harrisburg, will be hosting its 13th annual Shoe Strut event on Friday, September 20th at 11:00 a.m. at the Hershey Lodge. Join us for Central PA’s largest networking lunch, silent and live auctions. This year there will be NEW fashion and contest elements in addition to the “Best shoes at the table” runway strut. Proceeds from the event provide funding for The Salvation Army Harrisburg’s programs and services to the local community. Also, each ticketed guest enables us to provide a shoe voucher to a local child in need. 700 guests are expected, so reserve your spot before the event sells out!

For sponsorship and ticket information, visit www.shoestrut.com or contact Cindy Minnich at 717-233-6755 ext. 119 or via email at [email protected].

Sponsored

Stories, art from movement to shut down PA immigrant detention center coming to Harrisburg art museum

August 26, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

“Flores de Libertad” by artist Michelle Angela Ortiz

An upcoming exhibit in Harrisburg will serve as a celebration, a historical archive and a lesson in the power of community action.

“Queremos Justicia: How We Shut Down Berks” will come to the Susquehanna Art Museum in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month, bringing art and stories from the years-long movement to close an immigrant detention center in Berks County.

The exhibit, which runs from Aug. 31 to Nov. 3, incorporates paintings, posters, T-shirts, photography and a documentary created and used for advocacy during the Shut Down Berks Coalition’s eight-year fight to close the prison, which detained undocumented immigrant families.

The detention center was one of only three prisons for immigrant families in the United States and was known to have unsafe and abusive conditions, according to Jasmine Rivera, a co-founder of the coalition. Over the years, hundreds of volunteers and organizations partnered with the coalition. On Jan. 31, 2023, the detention center was shut down.

Art became a significant piece of the puzzle for organizers, as artists reached out to support the cause, many volunteering to create work to educate and inform the public on the issue, advocate to lawmakers and amplify the voices of the immigrants.

“I and many folks in the coalition would say, ‘I don’t want to be part of a movement without art,” Rivera said. “Art brings people together. It was calls to action and community building.”

One of those artists involved in the movement was Philadelphia-based Michelle Angela Ortiz, who created murals, billboards and bus stop ads as part of her “Familias Separadas” campaign. She spent months visiting women in the detention facility, listening to their stories and working with them to create art installations and her documentary “Las Madres de Berks.” Ortiz is also responsible for a permanent mural in Allison Hill featuring an image of an immigrant woman and her son.

“I was trying to find ways to focus on their strengths,” she said. “I was able to work with them—not ignoring the struggles they’ve been through—but really focusing on their strengths.”

At the SAM exhibit, which is the fourth stop for the traveling show, viewers will get to see Ortiz’s “Flores de Libertad” display, which incorporates over a thousand paper flowers with messages of freedom written on them by community members and the women who were detained at Berks. This is the first showing of the exhibit that will include this piece of art. Her documentary will also be shown as part of the show.

For Ortiz and Rivera, the exhibit functions as an archive of history and tells the story of the fight for freedom, but also serves as a celebration of successful activism.

“The significance of having this prison shut down is massive,” Ortiz said. “This moment is a shining example of community coming together and winning a fight.”

Rivera also hopes that the Shut Down Berks Coalition’s story and its use of art for its mission inspires viewers to realize that their skills and passions can make an impact.

“I hope folks can see that when fighting for change we need everybody,” Rivera said. “Everyone is capable and talented. We need the artists just like we need the organizers.”

For more information about “Queremos Justicia: How We Shut Down Berks,” visit the Susquehanna Art Museum’s website. To view Michelle Angela Ortiz’s work, visit her website.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

August 23, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Denim Coffee Co. owners Tony Diehl and Matt Ramsay join Harristown CEO Brad Jones in front of their future location at the Menaker.

It’s been a mild, sunny week here in Harrisburg, giving us the first taste of fall weather on the horizon. Below, you’ll find all of our news coverage from this past week, so make sure you catch up before sliding into weekend plans.

The Broad Street Market was awarded $350,000 in a state grant, our online story reported. The funds will go towards upgrading and repairing the market’s stone building.

Denim Coffee Co. announced that it plans to open a second location in Harrisburg, our online story reported. The coffee shop signed a lease for space on the first floor of the Menaker apartment building downtown.

Harrisburg Area Road Runners is celebrating its 50^th anniversary, our magazine story reported. The group also recognized its inaugural Hall of Fame class.

Harrisburg called on volunteers to help clean up storm damage from Hurricane Debby in the Bellevue Park neighborhood. In our online story, find out how to get involved.

Hope Academy in Middletown is beginning its second year of offering bilingual STEAM education to preschoolers. In our magazine story, read about the benefits of learning a second language for a child.

Men in the Kitchen will bring its Cajun fusion cuisine to Harrisburg as owners plan to open in the former Firehouse Restaurant on N. 2^nd Street, our online story reported. The new restaurant will be the York-based business’ second location.

PennDOT shared that a portion of I-83 in Harrisburg would close overnight this weekend, our online story reported. The road will close as PennDOT demolishes the overhead 29^th Street bridge as part of its Capital Beltway project.

Taylor Chip, a cookie company based in Lancaster County, has expanded in its last decade of business to several locations in the area, including nationwide shipping. The company has recently set up shop in Harrisburg’s Broad Street Market, selling its uniquely large and dense cookies, our magazine story reported.

Volunteering is a great way for families to introduce children to service, our magazine story reported. Through spending time helping at local nonprofits and organizations, children can learn empathy and self-confidence.

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Broad Street Market receives state grant for stone building upgrades

August 23, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Rep. Patty Kim (D-103), along with other local and market officials, announces state grant for Broad Street Market at a press conference.

The Broad Street Market has announced that it was awarded a significant grant from the commonwealth.

At a Friday press conference, state Rep. Patty Kim (D-103) and Rep. Dave Madsen (D-104) shared that the market will receive $350,000 from the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

“During the budget negotiations, we worked hard to make sure this was included and was a priority,” Kim said.

The funds will support the market in making necessary upgrades to the stone building as well as helping with operational expenses. Specifically, the market will repair the roof, which frequently leaks, and consider HVAC upgrades in the building, according to the market’s board Chair Eric Hagarty. A needs assessment will also be completed to determine additional needed upgrades and repairs.

The news of the grant funding comes just over a week after the market shared that its former executive director, Tanis Monroy, has been charged with a felony for allegedly stealing from the market.

According to Hagarty, there will be audit and compliance requirements attached to the market’s spending of the grant money. Additionally, from now on, the market will require dual signatory requirements for expenses and is posting every bank account transaction publicly, he said.

“We have instituted a number of strong financial controls to make sure that something like this never happens again,” Hagarty said of the theft allegations.

While several months ago, the market was struggling with an operational deficit following the July 2023 fire, Hagarty said that the market has begun breaking even, allowing them to use the grant funding for needs beyond keeping the doors open.

“It’s going to be a game changer for us to be able to now improve the facility, make it a better experience for customers, and make it a better experience for the small businesses whose livelihoods depend on the market,” he said.

Harrisburg-based Midtown Property Management is providing services to the market, with staff member Ashlynn Buie serving as the acting market manager.

According to company owner Justin Heinly, the stone building upgrades will allow the market to match the new amenities that will be included in the brick building rebuild project.

The city is currently demolishing the interior of the brick building, which was heavily damaged by a July 2023 fire. Officials have shared that they expect the rebuild to be finished by winter 2026 or spring 2027.

For more information about the Broad Street Market, visit their website.

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On Fire: Cajun fusion restaurant to open in former firehouse restaurant in Harrisburg

August 22, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Men in the Kitchen plans to open in the former Firehouse Restaurant.

One of Harrisburg’s most unique restaurant venues has a new life ahead, with added spice.

Men in the Kitchen, a Cajun fusion restaurant in York, plans to bring the heat to Harrisburg, opening a second location in the former Firehouse Restaurant on N. 2^nd Street.

The restaurant will operate out of the historic Hope Fire Station, built in 1871, which has been a restaurant for over 20 years. The business was last operated by Atlanta-based owners, opening in 2020 and closing about a year later. The building has sat vacant since.

Men in the Kitchen co-owners Justin Coleman and Kyle Moore plan to keep the charm and unique features of the restaurant that people are familiar with, but will change the name and bring their own spin on the décor and menu.

“We were looking to expand into another market. We always had our eyes set on Harrisburg,” Coleman said. “We want to be seen as a go-to location in the Harrisburg area.”

Justin Coleman and Kyle Moore

Men in the Kitchen opened its restaurant and catering business in York in September 2023 and has since drawn a loyal following of customers, according to the owners.

Coleman, a former co-owner of Crawdaddy’s Restaurant in Harrisburg, and Moore became business partners, connecting over shared passions for cooking and customer service.

The restaurant serves fresh, house-made dishes such as Cajun pasta, “Sunken Crabcake”—crabcakes served in lobster bisque, and Cuban sandwiches.

Their Harrisburg menu will offer many of the same dishes and several new ones, as the new building provides them with a larger kitchen space. They will also offer drink pairings from the bar.

“We really pride ourselves on customer service, presentation and making sure that the food tastes good,” Coleman said. “We pay attention to the details.”

The owners plan to do renovations to the space, opening the first and second floors for dining and eventually utilizing the third floor for event space. They also hope to host live music in the restaurant and special events such as private dinners.

They expect to open the restaurant in early November.

Men in the Kitchen is slated to open at 606 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg. For more information about Men in the Kitchen, visit their website.

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Harrisburg seeks volunteers to clean up tornado damage

August 21, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Storm damage in Bellevue Park.

Harrisburg is calling on volunteers to help clean up damage caused by Hurricane Debby earlier this month.

The city’s Public Works Department and workers with Disaster Aid USA are asking for assistance removing downed trees and debris in the Bellevue Park neighborhood, which saw significant damage from an Aug. 9 tornado touchdown.

Community members can volunteer on the following days:

Thursday, Aug. 22 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 23 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 24 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cleanup will take place in the area where Briarcliff Road, Chestnut Street and Parkhill Lane meet. Volunteers will help move downed tree limbs and shrubbery to the curb and public works crews will use heavy equipment trucks to grab debris, cut up tree limbs and run logs through wood chippers.

Volunteer parking is available at The Bridge Eco-Village (former Bishop McDevitt High School).

People interested in helping should wear closed-toed shoes, pants and long-sleeve shirts. Gloves and hats are also advised. The city asks that they bring rakes and loppers if available. Water, porta-potties and a shade tent will be provided by the city.

During the cleanup, through traffic will be closed to non-emergency vehicles between the intersections of Briarcliff and Market streets and Chestnut Street and Pentwater Road.

“We are calling on Harrisburg residents to help our own in their time of need,” said Public Works Director Dave West, in a statement. “This tornado has massively devastated our community, and we are using every possible asset that we can to try and clean up this entire area so we can make the city better for our children, and all of our residents.”

City residents can also contact West directly at [email protected]. Public Works will pick up any debris left curbside. The city will also come onto residents’ property to remove debris, with written consent via email.

For more information, visit the city’s website.

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Harrisburg section of I-83 to close overnight this weekend as overhead bridge demolished

August 21, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

PennDOT I-83 detour map

A portion of I-83 in Harrisburg will close briefly this weekend due to construction.

PennDOT announced that on Saturday, Aug. 24, the highway between Exit 44B (19^th Street) and Exit 45 (Paxton Street/Bass Pro Drive) will temporarily close as the 29^th Street bridge is demolished.

The bridge demo is part of PennDOT’s I-83 Capital Beltway Project, which includes widening and reconstructing portions of the highway and overhead bridges at 29th and 19th streets, along with other work.

Due to the work, PennDOT will implement lane restrictions in both directions of I-83 between Exit 44B and Exit 45 at 7 p.m. on Saturday. A full closure of the interstate in this area will take place at 11 p.m.

The highway will reopen to traffic at 8 a.m. on Sunday

A detour will be in place, directing southbound I-83 traffic to take Exit 45 (Paxton Street/Bass Pro Drive) to Paxton Street, then proceed west on Paxton Street to 17^th Street and the ramp to southbound I-83. Northbound traffic will exit at 19^th Street, then take 19^th Street south to Paxton Street, then Paxton Street east to Eisenhower Boulevard north to the ramp to northbound I-83.

For more information about the I-83 Capital Beltway Project, click here.

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Denim Coffee Co. to open second location in downtown Harrisburg, with meeting space, food options

August 21, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda

Denim Coffee Co. owners Tony Diehl and Matt Ramsay join Harristown CEO Brad Jones in front of their future location at the Menaker.

A central Pa.-based coffee company plans to open a second Harrisburg location, in the heart of downtown.

Denim Coffee Co. has signed a lease for 2,500 square feet of space on the first floor of the Menaker apartment building, located at Market Square at 17 S. 2^nd St., according to building owner Harristown Enterprises.

“This is going to be a tremendous location for Denim on Market Square in downtown Harrisburg with access to a growing residential population and customers from the downtown hotels and the growing UPMC Harrisburg campus,” said Brad Jones, Harristown’s president and CEO. “We are particularly excited for our apartment tenants to have onsite access to this fantastic new coﬀee shop.”

In 2021, following a lengthy delay caused by the COVID pandemic, Denim opened its first Harrisburg shop in snug space at 401 Walnut St. It will retain that location, in addition to its new café, according to Denim.

“While our first Harrisburg location is fantastic, we have limited window bar seating, and we see a need in Harrisburg for meeting space,” said co-owner Matt Ramsay.

Harristown stated that it expects to begin building out the space next month, with a planned opening by the end of the year.

In addition to its two Harrisburg shops, Denim has locations in Chambersburg, Carlisle, Dickinson College and Mechanicsburg, with a new shop opening soon in Lancaster.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Harristown to bring our second Harrisburg café to Menaker featuring our standard espresso menu along with breakfast sandwiches and plenty of seating for guests and meetings,” Ramsay said. “If you like coﬀee and meeting space, you’re going to love this shop.”

The Menaker is a 28-unit apartment building, converted from a circa-1906 office building, that opened in 2022. It includes first-floor retail space, which Denim now will occupy.

For more information on Denim Coffee Co., visit their website.

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