Instrument of Success: Harrisburg Academy student wins national youth art award, sets sights on future

July 30, 2024 | by Kawena Jacobs

Luca Savarino

For rising college freshman Luca Savarino, life is about finding the hardest thing to do and then doing it.

It’s playing his tenor saxophone with the high school band when he was only in sixth grade. It’s going to Messiah University’s jazz camp as a seventh grader who hated the unknowns of jazz but went anyway. It’s winning a YoungArts Award this past December for his efforts, yet already looking for the next big leap.

“That’s kind of always been my thing,” Savarino said. “If I’m scared of something, eventually, I just learn to love it.”

The YoungArts Award in question is an annual, national competition that receives thousands of applications each year, all from artists between 15 and 18 years old. The program, hosted by The National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists, offers winners mentorship, financial awards and professional development. Some previous winners include 2021 inaugural poet Amanda Gorman, actor Timothée Chalamet and actress Viola Davis.

Savarino applied in both his junior and senior years at the Harrisburg Academy, winning as a senior and joining 110 other winners in the jazz discipline from across the country. Auditioning for such an award with national reach and notable alumni like YoungArts might be intimidating for some, but Savarino didn’t seem to sweat it.

“It didn’t feel like much to me […] like any audition I would do for college,” Savarino said.

College is where his eyes are set now and his “next hardest thing”—the Manhattan School of Music in New York City.

“New York is absolutely a game changer for music, and it’s the highest level of competition you can have,” Savarino said. “Their students there really take this seriously, and they really want to follow their dreams.”

His dream, he said, begins by gathering all the knowledge and experience he can get his hands on in the city, then seeing where it might take him.

“Eventually, I think the dream really is to write my own music, make my own band, record albums, tour,” Savarino said. “It’s lofty, but I think I just need to find my space in the [jazz] world.”

Express Yourself

Like many aspiring musicians, Savarino started young. He first picked up the tenor sax, one that belonged to his grandfather, in fourth grade when he joined band. The beginning of his jazz career, however, began by learning under his teacher, Kurt Sipe.

“Pretty much everyone who went through his studio ended up in the all-state band and going to college where they wanted to go to college,” Savarino said. “From the beginning, he encouraged me, made it seem possible.”

Since then, Savarino played with district and all-state orchestras all three years he was eligible, created his own jazz quartet and became the student representative on the board of the Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz, just to scratch the surface.

Harrisburg Academy music teacher Dave Shover joined the school’s staff in 2023 and said it has been a privilege to be able to teach Savarino and play a part in his journey.

“My first day here, I was sitting in my office, and I hear this wonderful jazz music playing,” Shover said. “I thought it was a recording, and it’s [Luca] just sitting in there by himself practicing.”

Each time Shover accompanied Savarino to something like the district jazz band concerts, he said that other schools’ directors would gush over Savarino’s playing and tell Shover how lucky he must be to have him in his jazz band—although Harrisburg Academy doesn’t have one.

“He’s working on it himself,” Shover said. “He’s working on his own craft. Most people on the outside don’t know that.”

Savarino said that, while his practice regimen changes often, he always comes back to his three stages: maintenance, which he said is like hitting the gym but for instrument technique; transcribing, meaning listening to solos and songs then writing it down; and finally, “[expanding] his sense of music” by listening to new music and learning new tunes.

“I think that’s the best way to express yourself. Just listening and letting everything you’ve practiced, everything you’ve heard, everything you’ve done just respond,” Savarino said.

In his personal music-listening, he doesn’t choose camps in a way that might restrict his playing but often finds himself gravitating towards jazz from the 1950s and ‘60s—artists like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Cannonball Adderley, to name a few.

“The sound that really inspires me is something that comes from the tradition, but then also kind of acknowledges how far we’ve come since the ‘50s,” Savarino said.

Despite the years of hard work and racking up myriad accomplishments before he even graduated high school, he said he does not worry about hitting any sort of ceiling. He’s ready for the long-haul.

“I think jazz is one of those things that is never-ending, you can never get finished,” Savarino said. “There are periods when I doubt myself and I lose steam, but I’m always sucked back in no matter how hard it is.”

For more information about Harrisburg Academy, visit www.harrisburgacademy.org. For more information about Central PA Friends of Jazz, visit www.friendsofjazz.org.

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Hatching Wins: The “Penguin Project” puts special needs kids into the spotlight

July 30, 2024 | by Gina Napoli

As a parent of a special needs child, life is different for us.

We have less free time than parents of independent children. We spend more resources administering day-to-day care and attending appointments with specialists. We take emotional rides along the sliding scale of optimism/pessimism when dealing with our child’s limitations, both real and possibly overcome-able. And we’re often surprised by which are which.

Wherever your child is on their journey, there’s a place for you within the Penguin Project—giving developmentally disabled children ages 10 to 21 the opportunity to perform in a modified Broadway show.

Founded in 2004 in Peoria, Ill., by “Dr. Andy” Morgan, an accomplished developmental pediatrician, the Penguin Project has hatched 53 local chapters in 22 states, with the Theatre Harrisburg chapter being one of its most recent.

The final goal of the Penguin Project may be to put on a great show, but its wings span so much further.

Executive Director Lorien Reese Mahay attests to the program’s impacts reaching beyond the stage to enhance young Penguins’ social interaction, self-esteem, communication skills and self-confidence. The program has become its own community for children whose social opportunities may have previously been limited and for whom participation in traditional performing arts formats would be too overstimulating.

As much as possible, the staff treats the Penguin Project experience like a mainstage production, but with a few gentle tweaks to create an inclusive, sensory-friendly space. To keep from overstimulating the Penguins, setting and props are minimal. Lighting, sound and costume fabrics are sensory friendly, with no quick costume changes.

For production Director Matt Spencer, some Penguins met him first at his day job as Doc Chocolate at Hershey’s Chocolate World, where there is now a special time slot for those with sensory issues. The Penguin Project model has challenged him to think about how we can all show up for people in better and stronger ways, especially in creating an inclusive rehearsal space. Spencer brings that same level of energy from the sweetest place on earth to the Penguins’ igloo with his wife Abby, who serves as Theatre Harrisburg’s production manager.

The program model uses the buddy system to keep the Penguins on track. Each Penguin is paired with a peer mentor who helps them learn lines, cues, choreography and blocking. Depending on the pairing, mentors may need to provide support with emotional management, push wheelchairs or keep Penguins focused.

“The peer mentors are a huge part of the model,” Mahay said. “The mentor’s job is different for each Penguin. Some Penguins won’t need a partner, but support is always there.”

“The partnership between the Penguin and their mentor is the hallmark of the program. It’s the secret sauce of the recipe,” Spencer said.

The Penguin Project’s mentor coordinator has a challenging assignment, finding the right matches between peer mentors and Penguins, monitoring those pairings, and shuffling during vacation season. During rehearsals, Andrew Vinton helps keep the energy high, the chaos low, and the mood playfully chipper. Vinton and Spencer gain compliance from the colony without even a touch of impatience.

Penguins don’t have to endure the stress of formal auditions, according to Vinton, although they do participate in a lighter version called a “reading workshop.” Then, as everyone gets to know each Penguin, the staff casts onstage roles.

Penguins benefit from a lighter than average rehearsal schedule, with sessions lasting only one hour a few times per week, stretched over four months.

“Bite-sized rehearsals give [Penguins] the needed repetition,” Spencer said. “Using the show’s adaptive version and hitting the highlights allow the kids to succeed.”

A trending behind-the-scenes role in theaters Mahay finds useful when applied to the Penguin Project model is “intimacy coordinator.”

“COVID may have opened this conversation about acceptable touching,” Mahay said. “We have children who don’t accept touch, so we ask before touching them. Is it OK to touch on the arm, shake hands, high-five, elbow bump? There’s something so beautiful about the respect shown.”

Inspired by the Penguin Project, staff will consider the consent of touching in future productions, responding to expectations in terms of consent culture.

Although the Penguin Project began as a professional endeavor, it became personal for Mahay.

“As a mom, many stories from parents touched me,” she said. “A daughter who previously had no friends and was never included is suddenly getting phone calls, getting invited to the mall. She has friends now.”

Being time-poor, we special needs parents would probably confess to feeling isolated, if we had time. During rehearsals, it’s common to hear parents exchanging ideas about schools, community workshops, and other goings-on in the disabilities world. Parents have formed a life-changing support group, cultivating a sense of belonging.

“This four-month Penguin Project gave these parents a community, something to form around—deep roots that form over time,” Mahay said.

Although “not a theater guy,” Ron Hooven, father of Tyler, returned after last summer’s production of “Annie Jr.” at Whitaker Center.

“I thought it would be awkward seeing the people onstage, but I was blown away. That’s why I came back,” he said. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house for ‘Annie.’ We were laughing so hard.”

Theater veteran and proud mom, Gerren Wagner, vouched for the catchy quality of the lyrics and choreography.

“He can’t dance, and there he was, dancing onstage [at ‘Annie Jr.’],” she said of her son, Owen. “You could see the parents in the back, dancing and singing along.”

With each rehearsal, adults talk about Penguins’ wins.

“As long as each kid has one win, that’s what matters,” Spencer said. “This gives kids something to talk to their parents about. And they’re going to have amazing memories.”

Come see Harrisburg’s local Penguin colony in “Madagascar – A Musical Adventure Jr.,” Aug. 17 at 4 p.m., and Aug. 18 at 2 p.m., at Whitaker Center, 222 Market St., Harrisburg.

For more information on the Penguin Project, visit www.penguinproject.org and www.theatreharrisburg.com/penguin-project.

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Sweet Feat: Taylor Chip has brought their mega-cookies to the Broad Street Market, with further expansion in the oven

July 30, 2024 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Photo courtesy of Taylor Chip.

No doubt about it, Doug and Sara Taylor are a couple of smart cookies.

What started as a home baking challenge between the couple nearly a decade ago has since expanded into Taylor Chip, a cookie and beverage enterprise based in Lancaster County.

The husband-and-wife team’s confections are produced and shipped nationwide from the company’s main base in Intercourse and distributed to Taylor Chip stores in (so far) Lancaster, Intercourse, Hershey, York and the newest location inside Harrisburg’s Broad Street Market, which opened in May. A Philadelphia location is expected to debut this fall, with plans for further expansion on tap.

And these aren’t just any cookies, mind you. These are Taylor Chip’s “Delightfully Perfect Cookies,” weighing in at more than 5 ounces in 30 dense varieties and dubbed, “Big enough to share,” according to the company’s slogan.

“We want to brighten people’s days and bring families together,” Doug Taylor said. “Our cookies are the size of four Subway (sandwich shop) cookies. Our cookies are meant to share. At 5½ ounces, our price per ounce is competitive.”

The sweets are made with all-natural ingredients, using fresh butter rather than vegetable shortening. The recipes also exclude high-fructose corn syrup.

“When my husband and I were dating, we loved to make cookies,” Sara noted. “I made our chocolate chip cookies from a friend’s mom’s recipe with Crisco (vegetable shortening), but I said to Doug that we can’t be doing that. That’s when we decided to try making the cookies with a butter base.”

Easier said than done, the couple soon learned. Their first few rounds of chocolate chip cookies with butter weren’t so good, coming out of the oven too flat and crispy, each said. The next several batches weren’t great, either. In fact, Sara and Doug experimented for another 18 months before arriving at what they deemed butter-based perfection.

In August 2018, the Taylors officially began sales in a 13-by-8-foot stand in a Lancaster market. From there, they drew upon their previous business in branding and marketing while keeping Taylor Chip’s operating costs as low as possible and expanding by only as much as they could afford.

“If you’re not growing, you’re dying,” Doug said. “Sara and I both believe this business is something that has been gifted to us. We’re Christians. We’re motivated by our morals and ethics.”

Cameron Broadhurst, the company’s creative director, said that he shares the Taylors’ business approach despite a pressing challenge of “people’s interests and tastes changing so often.”

“We remain true to our values and not letting social media algorithms and trends alter our values and staying true to the vision we have for our company,” he said. “A lot of companies make choices due to social pressure and drive away from the heart of why they started in the first place.”

Sara’s favorite part of running the family’s business is “our team” of 40 employees.

“I love creating a culture where you have team players, and it’s a place where everyone wants to work,” she said.

The Taylors. Photo courtesy of Taylor Chip.

Since its inception five years ago, the Taylors’ enterprise has grown by 2,000%, Doug Taylor said. The company was named by Inc. 5000 as the 285th fastest growing business in the country and seventh in Pennsylvania. Doug said that he expects the company’s 2024 revenue as “pacing for $7 million,” possibly even topping $10 million.

Meanwhile, Taylor Chip continues to aim even higher with an ultimate goal of attaining “over 40,000 stores in 100 countries,” according to Broadhurst.

“We’re growth-oriented but not profit-oriented,” Doug stated. “Our profits are invested into our business. We’re self-funded and diligent with our capital.”

They’ve now begun entering related food categories.

This year, Taylor Chip expanded its menu to offer a select line of beverages. The company also offers gluten-free and vegan cookie varieties, as well as cookie cakes.

In addition, Taylor Chip has a new creamery “in the works” for its own natural ice cream line scheduled for launch later this year, according to Broadhurst. A full-scale creamery plant is under construction in Lancaster County and slated for completion in June 2025.

“We’ll do the same approach with ice cream as we do with our cookies. We’ll do our ice cream with a base of milk, cream and sugar,” Sara said. “My husband has always loved cookies, and I love ice cream.”

Taylor Chip is located at the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg, among other area locations. For more information, visit www.taylorchip.com or on social media.

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Adventure Together: Soak in the last bit of summer with nearby nature and animal excursions

July 30, 2024 | by Natalie diSanto

That Pet Place

August can be an oppressive month weatherwise, but it’s also one of impending change. Some kids may be itching to get back to their friends, favorite teachers and the glory of the next grade level, while others may cling to summer with tightly clenched fists. Whether you choose to embrace the heat or escape into air conditioning, the possibilities to stay entertained before summer comes to a close are endless.

Little Buffalo State Park boasts a trifecta of opportunity to stay cool, with a creek, lake and swimming pool. A stream winds along gorgeous paths nearly glowing with ferns, moss, vines and other greenery. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get to see some fungus larger than your head! The Covered Bridge Trail connects with a playground after 0.25 miles, so it’s an easy option for a low-impact nature excursion. The 88-acre lake is wonderful for kayaking or boating. Anglers of all ages can enjoy catch-of-the-day opportunities like largemouth bass, crappie, sunfish and yellow perch, though fishing regulations apply. The Little Buffalo pool has a $6 fee per swimmer. However, The Blue Ball Trail runs along a creek with multiple free access points to wade in and splash.

If you and your family are animal lovers, check out the Capital Area Therapeutic Riding Association (CATRA). Located in Grantville, they offer an atmosphere of support, respect and health for those who can benefit from time spent with animals. They need volunteers to help care for animals, including horses, goats, dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens and alpacas, as well as help maintaining their garden. Volunteers aged 13 and older are welcome, though children under 13 can volunteer with a guardian.

For an indoor excursion, That Fish/Pet Place in Lancaster has air conditioning and offers 88,000 square feet of animal experiences. Patrons can interact with hamsters and rabbits or admire beautiful birds as they chirp and sing. Turtles, frogs, lizards and more populate the reptile and amphibian section of the store. Kids will love the hide-and-seek games that these cold-blooded creatures play. The marine area includes far more than just traditional goldfish, as walls swim with fresh and saltwater fish sparkling beneath aquarium lights. While jumping in the water with these beauties sadly isn’t an option, there is a touch-tank where folks of all ages can pet stingrays. That Fish/Pet Place offers hours of entertainment and education as well as a respite from the heat.

Even though the days are long, summer passes quickly. Maybe it’s because this season is when it’s most fun to be outside, when hours spent playing, laughing and exploring dissolve into minutes. Though summer is nearing its finale, these magical moments are ours to hold, to keep us warm through the seasons to follow.

To find out more about Little Buffalo State Park, visit www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/LittleBuffaloStatePark.

Capital Area Therapeutic Riding Association is located at 168 Station Rd., Grantville. For more information, visit www.catra.net.

That Fish/Pet Place is located at 237 Centerville Rd., Lancaster. For more information, visit www.thatpetplace.com.

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Tail-blazers: Facility dog Kaia paved way for enduring care program at Penn State Health

July 30, 2024 | by Rachel Curry

Baron with a patient

In her first week of work at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center about eight years ago, Kaia—a golden retriever—showed a 5-year-old boy in the radiology unit how to endure a CT scan with a brave face.

“I cried. The physician cried. The parents were so happy that it was done, and we didn’t have to come back then with him going under anesthesia,” said Ashley Kane, manager of the Child Life Program at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, who oversees the facility dog program and was Kaia’s primary handler.

Within a matter of days, Kaia, the first facility dog in the program, proved just how valuable she was to the team.

In June, nearly eight years after her first shift and a few months ahead of a planned retirement, Kaia unexpectedly died.

“Since Kaia’s passing, I have learned that her impact and scope of her reach was far greater than I ever realized,” Kane said. “Kaia broke down barriers and loved everyone she met unconditionally.”

Despite this tragic loss, Kaia paved the way for five other full-time facility dogs to start a career at Hershey Medical Center, each one having their own specialty on campus.

Skye, whose primary handler is Kelly Fuddy, staff care chaplain for Penn State Health, is one such working dog. The chaplains were added in 2022 to assist with the growing distress experienced among healthcare staff.

“We reserve Skye’s energy and compassion for caring for our staff,” Fuddy said, recognizing the myriad stressors associated with healthcare, including exposure to trauma, grief and moral distress. “Skye sometimes takes it upon herself in a debriefing or meeting to jump up on a chair next to someone she thinks needs some TLC.”

Another facility dog, Pilot, tends to patients in pediatric surgery and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Captain focuses on helping young kids at the orthopedics and neurophysiology pediatric specialty clinics. Thor works with adult patients in acute care and inpatients at Penn State Cancer Institute, often helping them maintain strength by walking around the halls with them. Baron’s main stomping ground is the pediatric inpatient oncology and hematology unit.

In her work with children in the pediatric radiology and radiation oncology units, Kaia often jumped on tables to show patients how to go about a certain procedure or exam without debilitating fear. Patients could hold her leash, pet her or simply feel comfort knowing she was around or—in the case of instances like X-rays, during which no one can be in the room with them—just outside of the door waiting for them to finish. The hardest part of her job may have been helping families and patients in end-of-life care.

Thor

This hard work explains the need for rest and decompression in a working facility dog’s day. Just like pets at home, these dogs get plenty of rest during their time at the hospital. While I talked to Kane just prior to Kaia’s death, Kaia slept under her desk for the entirety of the conversation.

“They need that rest to be able to absorb all the emotions that people are feeling,” Kane said.

Playtime, too, is important. The dogs often meet up at noon in a secure play area, where their handlers remove their vests, and they enjoy time with their colleagues. At home, they’re just pets, some with canine siblings who are full-time pets—though they do enjoy extra baths to keep clean for a medical environment.

People need rest, too, but getting out of the working mindset can be hard for staff at Penn State Health. That’s one of the ways Skye comes in handy.

“Skye can reach staff in emotional moments in a way we humans are more limited,” said Fuddy. “Sometimes, people don’t want to stop to talk, but Skye gives them a great excuse to stop, smile and step away for a moment.”

The chaplain team seeks to help staff in three key areas: crisis response, residual distress and resilience making. Skye is part of this endeavor, too. She visits some units monthly for so-called “cuddle huddles,” where team members can process difficult cases and let go of that weight.

In an anonymous impact survey, one staff member wrote about Skye, “Skye came to debrief with the nurses on my floor the day after we sent a child into foster care whom we had become really close with over his six-month admission. A handful of us felt very conflicted about decisions made on his behalf. We loved him dearly, but his care was driving us into burnout. I honestly did not feel like talking about anything. I was just ethically drained. I personally felt regulated just sitting and hugging little Skye. Sometimes, we need to talk through things, and sometimes this is all we need.”

On the patient care side, Kane said that her career has been amplified with the experience of serving as Kaia’s primary handler.

Kaia’s first day

“The loss of Kaia has only helped to strengthen our commitment to our facility dog program with our existing five full-time facility dogs and their handler teams as we realize their purpose and impact,” Kane said. “And as we had planned prior to Kaia’s death, we will continue to thoughtfully grow our facility dog program over time.”

To learn more, visit www.pennstatehealth.org/childrens/your-visit/support-services/facility-dog-program, and you can follow the facility dogs on Instagram at @pennstatehealthpups.

Photos courtesy of Penn State Health.

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50 Years Race By: Harrisburg Area Road Runners celebrate half a century and many miles

July 30, 2024 | by Alex J. Hayes

A large crowd poses for a photo on Harrisburg’s City Island in June before running two miles to celebrate Harrisburg Area Road Runners’ 50th Anniversary.

Several dozen friends gathered on a Saturday morning in June to celebrate many miles, lots of T-shirts, a few injuries and special friendships.

In a time when many social organizations are struggling, the Harrisburg Area Road Runners Club (HARRC) is marking 50 years of helping residents of the capital region become the best versions of themselves through physical fitness and socialization.

The group also inducted its inaugural Hall of Fame class: Rick Blood, Carroll Myers, Walt Greene, Nick Marshall and Park Barner.

Greene, a founding club member, began running in 1966 while stationed with the Navy in Seoul, South Korea.

“My uniforms were showing every bit of my 160 pounds, which I attributed to little or no exercise,” he said.

Running for sport was in its infancy in the 1970s, but Greene and a few other marathoners saw a need to gather like-minded people to push each other to improve their times. Marshall was elected HARRC’s first president.

They hosted a race every Sunday that didn’t collect entry fees or distribute awards. The Harrisburg Patriot-News published the results weekly, and participation grew. Carroll Myers was one of the club’s earliest members.

Myers attended Dover Area High School before Title IX required schools to offer girls the same opportunities as boys. She was forbidden to train with the boys’ team in high school and ran with the men’s team at Lock Haven University.

In 1975, she had never run more than eight miles non-stop but registered for the Harrisburg Marathon on a bet. Her supposed running buddies dropped out early. She finished and was hooked on the sport. Running professionally for Adidas took Myers to many different cities, but her favorite marathon was always back home.

“I always loved making HARRC proud of their course and a well-organized race,” she said. “Big cities had nothing on Harrisburg.”

HARRC welcomed newbies such as Myers and professional runners like Park Barner. Known as “the human metronome,” Barner ran ultramarathons across America while remaining loyal to his beloved Harrisburg. He certified the course’s length in the first several years of the Harrisburg Marathon and ran in every race.

The American Ultrarunning Association considers Barner to be the first celebrity ultrarunner, a title he never sought nor embraced. Always keeping his eyes on the road, he even turned down an invitation to appear on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” because he preferred to use his vacation days for road races.

Rick Blood learned about HARRC in 1975 when his father read about it in the newspaper. His father was not a runner but joined his son—then a high school sophomore—on Sunday mornings. The welcoming group recruited him to become a race director and timer, and his son still cherishes several of the stopwatches he used.

“I’m very thankful for the people I got to meet and become friends with because of my association with HARRC,” Blood said. “I can also attribute a lot of my development as a distance runner to the road runners club.”

That One Thread

As HARRC grew and friendships formed, the original members always made room in their pack for newbies. Brad Colwell joined in 1985.

“That was back when runners wore blue jeans and basketball sneakers,” he said, while watching more modernly dressed athletes cross the finish line at HARRC’s 50th anniversary run.

The group has evolved over the years, Colwell said. In the early years, HARRC runners were more focused on their times.

“Our way of socializing was trying to beat the guy in front of you,” he said.

The regular Sunday runs are also a thing of the past as today’s runners use Facebook to organize outings that fit various schedules.

Colwell served as HARRC president for several years and was a member of the Hall of Fame selection committee.

“I got so much from this running community,” he said. “I just wanted to give back.”

As he watched his five friends receive their honors, Colwell remembered runners he had said goodbye to, especially Gary Grobman, who died in August 2023. HARRC named Grobman male “Runner of the Year” three times. He competed in nine Boston Marathons and was at the finish line in 2013 when bombs exploded on Boylston Street.

The HARRC Hall of Fame was Grobman’s idea, and Colwell and others were honored to carry out their friends’ wishes.

Those who were in focus at the HARRC 50th anniversary celebration now have gray hair and wobbly knees and can spend many hours sharing stories of the club’s past. That group is also excited about the future, which is in the hands of current President Kelly Waltman. She joined HARRC about 10 years ago for many of the same reasons as her predecessors—she was searching for community. HARRC has kept her motivated, accountable and social. She encourages runners of all abilities to join the club and reap the benefits so many others have for half a century.

“Sometimes, there is no better feeling than after you have gone for a run, even if it didn’t go how you thought it would be,” she said.

HARRC members often also run with other groups such as Harrisburg River Runners, Harrisburg Beer Runners, Fleet Feet Running Club and Appalachian Running Club. Waltman enjoys those groups but is honored to be at the helm of the one that started it all.

“HARRC has been that one thread through the running community for 50 years,” she said.

Harrisburg Area Road Runners Club runs are open to runners of all ages and abilities. To learn more, visit www.harrc.org.

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Give & Grow: Introducing kids to volunteering can help them learn importance of service, while boosting their confidence

July 30, 2024 | by Gina Napoli

Five years ago, Harrisburg resident Kim Hutnik coordinated a butterfly release through the local nonprofit where she then worked.

Her 10-year-old daughter filed in with the adult volunteers, helping to set up and distribute live butterflies. She loved it and wanted to help with butterfly releases in the following years. As she grew, her parents found other local volunteer opportunities.

“It seemed like a fun, educational option where she would be helping others,” Hutnik said.

While 10 years old felt like the right age for Hutnik to begin instilling a sense of civic-mindedness into her daughter, the right age depends on your child, said Heidi Neuhaus, director of the Volunteer Center at United Way of the Capital Region. One local nonprofit accepts volunteers as young as age 5, with parental supervision.

“There are jobs easy enough for young kids to do,” Neuhaus said. “Find something you can do together as a family.”

Acknowledging that some tasks may be unglamorous, Neuhaus recommends preparing your child by describing the task and goal and who it benefits, whether directly or indirectly. Connect their act of sweeping the floor or picking up trash to the overall mission of the nonprofit. It’s also important to share with kids the needs of the community—that certain tasks are needed, even if they’re not exciting or a preferred choice

“Picking up trash is always a huge need,” Neuhaus said.

Very young kids can be asked to donate toys they don’t need anymore, which is a powerful way to get them involved.

Some jobs are always more popular than others, such as working with animals or volunteering with friends. Kids enjoy volunteering for many of the same reasons that adults do: to meet people, make friends and maintain a sense of community.

“It’s more about who they’re with than the job they’re doing,” Neuhaus said.

In addition to passing down her values to her daughter, Hutnik believes that volunteering is a great way to prepare young teens for future employment and to teach them to interact with others outside of their regular groups.

“It gets them out of their comfort zones and helps them become comfortable working with others,” she said. “Depending on the opportunity, kids develop a sense of empathy as they work with others who may come from different backgrounds, family situations, circumstances, etc.”

A Lot to Offer

Along with developing kids’ self-esteem, self-confidence and community-mindedness, Neuhaus believes that fostering empathy is the biggest benefit of volunteer work.

“We want the best for our kids,” she said. “We want to shelter them. It’s eye-opening when they understand not everyone is as well-positioned in life as they are. They can see some of the problems their classmates are dealing with.”

Enter those rare volunteer opportunities that serve as a mentorship outreach program to their volunteers, without necessarily labeling it as that.

Bountiful Blessings, a faith-based nonprofit, offers volunteering opportunities at a farm in Mechanicsburg, purposefully enriching volunteers with skills to help them succeed in life. President Terry Orendi focuses on working with autistic teens and adults, youth with court-ordered community service hours and young adults transitioning out of foster care post-high school.

Whether volunteers do farm chores, crush aluminum cans or disassemble electronics for sellable scrap, the model “has been successful,” Orendi said.

“Kids look forward to it, and some have stayed on past their assigned time,” she said. “They’re all at different states and different capabilities.”

Drawing from 27 years of anecdotal evidence, Neuhaus believes that, if you ever need help yourself, you would be more willing to reach out if you’ve volunteered in the past.

“Children learn they are part of a community that cares,” she said. “They learn helping others is a good thing that can enrich your life.”

Young people who volunteer at Bountiful Blessings often suffer from anxiety and depression, stemming from issues at home, Orendi explained.

“For our kids who have been tossed around a lot, we help to build trust and confidence,” she said. “Once trust has been lost, it’s hard to rebuild.”

With an emphasis on Christian values, mentors help kids to feel safe trusting again.

“We’re not counselors,” Orendi said. During the normal course of doing chores, “we talk, play music, and we let everyone grow where they’re at. We’re not doing anything special beyond being there for them. We’re a listening ear. All they want is a listener.”

Hutnik has held volunteer coordinator positions in five local area nonprofits over the years and knows how priceless volunteers of any age can be. She has also seen how her own daughter has come out of her shell through volunteering, growing from a shy child into an outgoing and confident high schooler.

“I think most organizations don’t consider teenage volunteers because they don’t want to ‘babysit’ them while they do their assigned job. But with a little supervision and support, teens can do a lot more than most realize, and the experience benefits everyone,” Hutnik said. “Teenagers have a lot to offer and a lot to gain from helping others.”

For more information about United Way of the Capital Region and its volunteer opportunities, visit www.uwcr.org/volunteer.

To find out more about Bountiful Blessings Inc., visit www.bountifulblessingsinc.org.

For additional local volunteer opportunities, visit www.greatnonprofits.org or www.volunteermatch.org.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Musical Notes: Hot Picks for August

July 30, 2024 | by Skye Leppo

This summer’s been too dang hot to leave the house much (at least we have a new season of “The Bear” to binge, right? Send me a DM to let me know what your favorite track from the season three soundtrack is). I will put in a humble plug for the Susquehanna Folk Festival, though, as I was honored to be a part of the selection panel for contestants performing at the Emerging Artist Showcase on Aug. 10 at the Appell Center for the Performing Arts. The event is going to feature some truly amazing talent on the stage, and being a part of this committee was a great reminder to get the heck out there and support your local music scene. Here are some shows worth abandoning your air conditioner for.

DELIGHTFUL DISCOVERY

8/3, Harrisburg University Presents Arlo Parks, XL Live

If you want to have a lovely evening and leave with a very cool “I knew her when” story, you should plan to see singer-songwriter Arlo Parks when she plays XL Live (I would 10,000% be there if it weren’t the same weekend as my best girl’s wedding). Parks’ 2021 debut album, “Collapsed in Sunbeams,” is a joy to listen to. There is a brightness in her delivery, even through sometimes heady and melancholic lyrics, and a real unpredictability to her melodies that create such a beautiful surprise in every song. Highly recommend starting with “Black Dog” and “Eugene” from “Collapsed” or “Weightless” and “Devotion” from 2023’s “My Soft Machine.” Please give her a shot. I promise you won’t regret it.

DANCE FLOOR THERAPY

8/24, Pitbull, Hersheypark Stadium

Mr. Worldwide, Mr. 305—Pitbull’s got a lot of nicknames, but, after catching his 2022 concert in Hershey, I’d also like to add motivational speaker to the mix. His setlist was nothing but bangers, with club hits from “Timber,” “On The Floor,” “Fireball,” “Give Me Everything,” “Hotel Room Service” and so much more. The entire time was a blast, transporting the tens of thousands of fans in attendance right back to their favorite memories on the dance floor. Pitbull has an excellent way with words and a production script that segues his thumping hits from song to song with encouragement and positive vibes the whole way through. It makes for a night as energetic and fun as it is uplifting.

ALBUM RELEASE

8/24, YAM YAM with Muscle Tough, The Abbey Bar

Harrisburg’s sauciest live act, YAM YAM, is celebrating its third album, “slurp slurp,” with an album release show at The Abbey Bar this month with support from Muscle Tough. The jammy jazz/funk group has been inviting audiences all over the midstate to get down and groove with them for nearly a decade, and this communion between local live music lovers and the ‘Yams is sure to be a great night.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

8/3, New Kids on the Block, Hersheypark Stadium

8/9-8/11, Susquehanna Folk Festival, Appell Center for the Performing Arts

8/10, Green Day, Hersheypark Stadium

8/16, Tophouse, The Abbey Bar

8/18, Harrisburg University Presents Brothers Osborne, Riverfront Park

8/21, Joe Bonamassa, Hershey Theatre

8/23, Boys Of Fall, H*MAC

8/29, Daniel Donato, XL Live

8/30, Coheed and Cambria, XL Live

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Unhappy Campers: Uncomfortable truths eke out in “Good One”

July 30, 2024 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

Photo courtesy of Metrograph.

It is always refreshing to see a debut director so deftly grab the bull by the horns, but India Donaldson’s “Good One” has turned out to be something even more encouraging.

From the flaws of the supporting characters and the initial trust of the protagonist, this quiet, seemingly lollygagging film is a masterclass in blurred expectations, ego trips and the breaking and retaliation of a youth’s innocence. All in a weekend through-hike, to boot.

Seventeen-year-old Sam (Lily Collias) is hiking with her dad, Chris (James Le Gros), and his oldest friend, Matt (Danny McCarthy). It’s an odd group for a camping trip, as apparently the absence of one person can shift the dynamic entirely—Matt’s son has refused to come due to some family issues (We later learn why he doesn’t want to spend time with his father, when Matt makes his sadness everyone’s problem).

While it is clear that Chris and Matt have known each other for ages, the way they bicker and poke fun gives the impression that they may not fully like each other as they once did. And poor Sam is along for the ride, her attention partially divided by a group text with her friends back home and observing the chaos that Chris and Matt bring to the trip.

Sam is a good kid and quickly adopts the role of an adult essentially taking care of two kids in the woods. She cooks the meals, she cleans the dishes, and she therapizes Matt when he complains about his life. She quietly admonishes her father when he’s rude to his friend. Chris and Matt may have adult accomplishments ascribed to their name such as marriage, kids and divorce, but, at present, any responsibility they take is really just a claim of superiority over the other. Probably the only responsible thing that Chris does throughout the entire story is yell at his friend for having done something to potentially attract a bear, though his protective qualities end there, it seems.

The film is worth watching simply for the subtlety Donaldson works into every scene, though there is plenty more to applaud in this directorial debut (all three of the leading cast do such an excellent job, but Collias’ minute yet bold performance needs to be commended). Donaldson really makes you want to like the older characters for as long as possible. Chris and Matt are funny, and they’re comfortable with each other, and we tend to root for that. It takes a bit to click into place that this is actually intentional, but once you begin to notice, their selfish natures come shining through, leaving Sam to grapple with some uncomfortable truths. Her arc is fascinating as she slowly comes to grips with the entire experience, leaving us with a bleak yet hyper-realistic ending that will churn in your mind well after the credits roll. The fact that Sam throws out one last attempt at the end to claim her role as the child in the group is not lost on this reviewer.

The story moves at a very slow rate, but the payoff in the end is satisfying, if not simultaneously frustrating, and worth it. This is definitely a film you’ll want to sink your teeth into, and there are multiple facets of the story to chew on. “Good Ones” will play at Midtown Cinema this August. Do yourself a favor and give it a watch.

Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.

August Events At Midtown Cinema

Late Night Frights
“House of 1000 Corpses” (2003)
Friday, Aug. 2 at 9:30 p.m.

“The Funhouse” (1981)
Friday, Aug. 23 at 9:30 p.m.

“Audition” (1999)
Friday, Aug. 30 at 9:30 p.m.

National Theatre Live
“King Lear”
Sunday, Aug. 4 at 4 p.m.

“Fleabag”
Sunday, Aug. 11 at 5 p.m.

“Vanya”
Tuesday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m.

“Hamlet:
Sunday, Aug. 18 at noon

“Nye”
Sunday, Aug. 25 at 4 p.m.

Down in Front! Presents
“Tiptoes” (2003)
Friday, Aug. 9 at 9:30 p.m.

Sunday Docs
“My Octopus Teacher” (2020)
Sunday, Aug. 11 at noon

3rd in the Burg Movie Night
“Akira” (1988)
Friday, Aug. 16 at 9:30 p.m.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Talk of the Town: What’s on your mind, Harrisburg?

July 30, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck.

At TheBurg, we’ve been having conversations. Allow me to explain.

For the past few months, we’ve been on a community listening tour, holding brief, one-on-one interviews with Harrisburg-area residents, asking them about the community and about TheBurg.

Full disclosure: These conversations are part of our “homework.”

We’ve been taking an intensive course on how to support local news through greater fundraising/philanthropy. Our listening tour is part of that course and is based upon four major questions, listed below.

I’ve found these conversations to be fascinating, so I thought I’d share some of the results with you. These talks are off the record, but I believe that I can reveal general responses without betraying any confidences.

Question 1: What are some issues affecting the community? What’s not being covered enough?

For this first question, people answered based upon how they defined “community.” Some defined it as the greater Harrisburg area, some as the city itself. Others talked about a particular neighborhood or interest group or profession.

But one thing was common. However folks defined “community,” they wanted us to cover it more. In many cases, they told us honestly of their community’s challenges and hoped we could address those with greater frequency and depth. They also wanted more coverage of people, issues, trends and triumphs.

They talked of the need to revive downtown, boost tourism, put empty storefronts back into use. They spoke of improving Harrisburg’s schools, addressing parking concerns and strengthening the city’s cultural assets.

During these conversations, we appreciated that people seemed to understand our constraints—how small we are in terms of staff and budget. And that opened up the conversation as to why we were taking this rigorous class, so that, ultimately, we could raise money to add staff and cover more of these important community stories.

Question 2: Where do people in these communities get information now?

I found responses to this question to be both affirming—and dispiriting.

On the upside, most people cited TheBurg as an important source of community news—and I don’t think they were just trying to make us feel good. On the downside, nearly everyone interviewed said that their community, however defined, relied, to some extent, on social media for news.

I say “downside” because, whatever social media is, it certainly is not a news platform. It’s a place for gossip, opinions, pictures, cat videos and, as it was originally built, a way to keep up with family and friends. It does these things reasonably well. But it was never designed for news and, therefore, is profoundly unreliable as a news service.

Some of our interview subjects said as much, expressing worry that social media had too great of an influence on people. A few complimented TheBurg for trying to foster community but added that social media often had the opposite effect, spreading disinformation and division.

“I would like to see more information on how to achieve better-functioning neighborhoods that are more peaceful and livable,” said one respondent, who was especially critical of the impact of social media on the health of our community.

Like many news outlets, TheBurg uses social media to spread the word that we’ve published a story, but it’s a total crapshoot whether you’ll ever see that story in your social media feed. Therefore, I urge all our readers to bookmark our website or sign up for our daily emails—or both—so you can read all our reporting, not dependent upon social media as an unreliable, uncaring intermediary.

Question 3: What would be a meaningful outcome for this community?

One word: more.

Our interviewees wanted more breaking news, more coverage of disadvantaged communities, more arts coverage, more local economic coverage. They’d like to see more stories on health care, housing, small business, gun violence. They want local media to focus more on solutions than problems.

Interestingly, at least to me, not a single person mentioned wanting more stories on local politics or government. I guess we have that covered?

Question 4: What are we doing well? What can we improve on?

We were complimented for our overall product—our reporting, our reach, our aesthetic—but also for our presence in and concern for the Harrisburg community.

If there’s one overarching complaint, it’s this: people seem to want more of us—more frequency, more pages, more coverage. Sure, I know that sounds like one of those problems that really isn’t a problem—like when someone in a job interview says that their greatest weakness is that they work too hard.

Nonetheless, we are happy to oblige. We realize that there’s more demand for TheBurg than supply, whether that’s reporting resources, magazine copies, distribution locations, whatever. We’re short on all these things.

That’s why we’re taking this course on how to support local news through fundraising. With the support of the generous Harrisburg community, we hope to raise enough money to increase our coverage, publish more stories, print more copies, extend our reach, all to better serve this worthy community.

Lawrance Binda is the publisher and editor of TheBurg. Tell him about the issues affecting your community by emailing him at [email protected]. If we get enough responses, we’ll share them online.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

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