July Publisher’s Note

June 27, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda

Sometimes, I overdo it. Take this month, for instance.

Each July, we have a special “pet section,” which means that we publish a number of extra stories on our furry friends, with the occasional farm animal tossed into the mix.

So, I bank story ideas all year long, ready to, um, unleash them in the heat of mid-summer.

This year, I went a little—well, hog wild.

I assigned so many dog and cat stories that I needed to hold a few for future issues. So, please, enjoy our (very) pet-heavy issue—and expect a few more stragglers over the coming months.

July also is the month when we collectively celebrate America’s birthday.

If you live in the Harrisburg area, you surely already know the story of our cover model: Lady Liberty of the Susquehanna.

Back in 1986, a couple of crazy kids decided to erect a replica of the Statue of Liberty on an abandoned bridge pier in the middle of the Susquehanna River at Dauphin Narrows. The original toppled over after a few years, but was eventually replaced with the current, sturdier model.

Carlisle artist Kathy Maxwell captured Lady Liberty on canvas, and we made that painting our featured cover art for this month of independence.

On that note, I’ll end this introduction with two quick tidbits from deep within TheBurg trivia vault.

First, this is actually Lady Liberty’s second appearance on our cover. Fourteen years ago, in 2010, we featured a photograph of the statue, also in July, making this image a rare repeat.

Secondly, Kathy Maxwell is not only a gifted painter, but a member of our team. She and husband Lance have one of the most important jobs at TheBurg—distributing our cherished monthly magazine to a location near you.

Kathy and Lance deliver to most of our west shore spots. So, if you see them out and about, hauling in piles of Burgs to places like Cornerstone Coffeehouse and Wegman’s, please stop for a sec to meet our cover artist.

And, if you like her work, you can see (and purchase) more on her website and at Village Artisan’s Gallery in Boiling Springs.

It’s July, the month of sparkling fireworks, long, hot days and beach vacations. Stay cool, everyone!

Lawrance Binda
Publisher/Editor

Click here to read the digital version of our July issue.

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

The Milkman Cometh: Free Milk Sunday assists those who are “in between”

June 27, 2024 | by Susan Ryder

Over the past few years, you may have seen photos of long lines of plastic grocery bags hanging on fences around central Pa.

These bags hold milk, bread and other essentials, free for the taking thanks to an initiative called Free Milk Sunday, Inc.

Gary Grant—aka “The Community Milkman”—started this outreach at the beginning of the pandemic.

“I saw these pictures of fruits and vegetables hanging on the fence in a community in Germany,” he said. “I said, ‘This would be a really good idea.’”

He hung the first bags in his neighborhood near Memorial Park in Carlisle.

“It was easy to get to,” he said. “People could drive or walk.”

At first, Grant worked alone, all of the milk and bread funded by Relax and Ride Carlisle, the shuttle service he owns. And, he admits, back then, it was both about helping people and about keeping his COVID-impacted business in the community eye.

Eventually, he began getting donations from local grocery stores and food banks and wanted to expand to other sites. He needed more help, and it came from some folks who were on the receiving end of those little bags of blessings.

Kathy Topper responded after she saw a Facebook post requesting volunteers, but she also needed milk.

“I was like, ‘I could really use it,’” she said. “I don’t get paid until next week.”

Sherry Wileman found herself in a similar situation. She also was able to benefit from the service,

“It was awesome because I don’t qualify for any kind of help,” Wileman said.

Now, Grant calls both Topper and Wileman his foot soldiers.

“They get all the credit,” he said. “Without them, this doesn’t go anywhere.”

Grant has two other dedicated volunteers who distribute bread to six different locations, four in Harrisburg, one in Carlisle and one in Newville. The Harrisburg and Newville locations get a delivery about once a month and Carlisle twice a month, costing about $300 per site.

One of those locations is Downey Elementary School in Harrisburg.

There, Angela Gillis picked up her bread, milk and the unexpected eggs.

“There’s eggs? Hallelujah!” she exclaimed.

She said that the food helps her budget. She and her neighbors were very excited when the bags first showed up and are happy that they continue to arrive on the fence.

“Tell the Community Milkman, ‘thank you,’” she said.

A Blessing

Recipients often express gratitude for the food. In fact, the bags have created a community themselves.

“It’s nice to meet different people,” Wileman said.

They received cards at Christmastime, and one woman knitted stockings for the group. She also provided knitted hats that they placed on the fences for folks. Wileman said that one community member told them her husband was ill.

“So, we scrambled to get baby food and soft stuff,” Wileman said. “We would make a special bag for him. He’s passed, but we were also a support for her.”

Grant said that the groceries assist those who make too much money for assistance, but not enough to always meet their needs. They’re categorized by the United Way as ALICE—”Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.”

“It’s hard to ask for help,” Wileman said.

Grant likes the idea that people don’t have to fill out forms or present an ID to get help. They just walk up to the fence and help themselves.

“There’s a lot of people who are in between,” Topper said. “So, you pay your bills, milk and bread is $3. That $3 can go in my gas tank.”

Free Milk Sunday’s core groceries include milk, bread, eggs and cereal. When available through food bank donations, bags may offer peanut butter or other food. He added that his organization recently received 501(c)3 nonprofit status.

“We have plans,” he said.

Gary Grant

His goal is to provide bags for all six locations every week. He wants to be smart about it and grow incrementally.

“We’re going to do it methodically,” he said. “Just financially, we want to make sure we’re doing it the right way.”

Right now, they distribute about 30 bags per site a week. In its four years, Free Milk Sunday has distributed over 15,000 half gallons of milk and an equal amount of bread.

Grant is looking for businesses and individuals to participate in the cause by providing monetary or in-kind donations.

“We would love companies to sponsor a Sunday,” Grant said.

So, out of COVID came an unexpected community resource and vocation.

“I won’t ever stop doing this in my business because I feel like we are really making an impact on the community,” Grant said.

He’s spreading the gospel of Free Milk Sunday through his business, as well. Each of his drivers will have fliers about the organization.

“In life, everything is a blessing,” Grant said. “I’ve been blessed every single day in my business. So, I want to bless the people.”

For more information on Free Milk Sunday, visit the Facebook page: Community Milkman.

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

Belong, Together: Pride Festival of Central PA brings back parade after years off, celebrates LGBTQ community

June 27, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Pride Festival attendees, 2023.

It’s been over a decade since the last Pride parade filled Harrisburg streets with rainbow flags, balloons, music and colorful floats.

This year, it will return.

The Pride Festival of Central PA had already been dreaming up a way to bring back the popular event, which was last held in 2012, when Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams threw in her support. With the city behind them, organizers knew it was time to get the marching route ready.

“A lot of bigger cities have Pride parades, and everybody wanted to see that return to Harrisburg,” said Dr. Eric Selvey, president of the Pride Fest board of directors.

Williams too said that she’d observed Pride parades in other cities and was happy when the festival board approached her about bringing the parade back to Harrisburg for 2024.

“We have a St. Patty’s Day parade […] all types of parades, so why don’t we have this parade?” she said. “We want to send a message that the City of Harrisburg is a unified city.”

The parade will kick off the 32nd annual Pride Festival of Central PA on July 27, which takes place at Soldier’s Grove Park behind the state Capitol building. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. and march around the Capitol complex before returning to the park at noon for the festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This year, Selvey is especially excited about the amount of community support for the festival, as more and more companies, organizations, churches and businesses are participating as vendors and sponsors.

Pride Festival attendees, 2023.

The festival has come a long way in getting the community to recognize the importance of the day. When the event started in the late 1980s, it was called “Open Air,” to leave any mention of the LGBTQ community out of the name. At the time, organizers thought people may be unwilling to attend something labeled as a Pride event in a generally more conservative region, Selvey explained.

However, this year, he expects around 7,000 people to join the celebration, coming from all over the region and even from surrounding states.

“It’s a day of just celebration, a day of being ourselves,” he said.

Feeling that Lasts

The Brownstone Lounge in Harrisburg has participated in the Pride Festival for years and, this year, owner Kimberly Stekovich is looking forward to interacting with the community.

She is working on creating a float to represent her business in the parade, and while she wants to keep the design a surprise, it will feature an Alice in Wonderland theme.

“It gives us a chance to come out and show our pride,” Stekovich said.

Selvey explained that the theme of the parade is “Lead with Love,” and encouraged anyone who wants to get involved to participate, whether they’re part of the LGBTQ community or an ally.

Following the parade, the festival will welcome visitors at the Capitol, which Selvey said is a notable location, as he believes the Central PA festival is the only Pride Fest to happen on state grounds.

In the park, two stages will offer live entertainment from musical groups and drag performers. Taking the spotlight this year will be pop artist and “American Idol” finalist David Archuleta, who will also hold a meet-and-greet with fans.

Vendors will be set up around the festival grounds, as well as food trucks and kids’ activities.

The family-friendly atmosphere of the event is something that’s important to board secretary Joelle Liller, who started volunteering with the festival a few years ago. Liller was happy to get involved with the event, having a child who is part of the LGBTQ community.

“We make it so families can come because that’s how kids learn,” Liller said. “That’s our goal: to have everybody feel welcomed.”

And while Selvey said that the LGBTQ community has seen progress in terms of acceptance and equality, there is still work to be done.

Two days before the festival, on July 25, the organization will host a Pride Candlelight Vigil at Italian Lake to remember those the community has lost.

To foster a safe environment for attendees on the day of the festival, there will be “silent witnesses,” volunteers who stand around the perimeter of the area to deter potential protesters and encourage safety.

Drag performer Betty Whitecastle interacts with an audience member.

However, Selvey is hopeful for a smooth day, with plenty of hugging, smiles and unity.

The feeling that Selvey gets from attending Pride each year is like no other, and he looks forward to sharing those feelings of pride, joy and inspiration with everyone who attends.

“It’s sad that it’s only one day, but that feeling you get from the one day lasts a long time,” Selvey said. “Pride is a celebration of oneself, our community and those who support our community.”

For more information about the Pride Festival of Central PA, visit www.centralpapride.org.
Photos courtesy of Emmitt Dwight McKell.

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

Puff Place: Cigar smokers can indulge, relax at 611 Lounge

June 27, 2024 | by Mark O’Keefe

Billy Morrison

Billy Morrison has a simple goal for his new cigar lounge.

He wants the 611 Lounge in Mechanicsburg to be a “friendly” place where cigar smokers of all types can come in and feel welcome.

“We want this to be a special place,” he said. “We want it to be a haven where individuals can unwind, socialize and enjoy the art of cigar smoking in a luxurious setting.”

The lounge features plush leather seating, warm wood accents and ambient lighting, creating an inviting atmosphere.

“We want people to feel like they belong here,” Morrison said. “We want to carve out our own niche and make it a special place.”

Morrison said that the lounge caters to both long-time smokers and newbies, offering a wide variety of handcrafted cigars from renowned growing regions around the world.

He said that his staff will work with the patrons to make sure they find something they like and can enjoy.

“Cigar smokers can get whatever they want from our lounge,” he said. “Our staff is very knowledgeable and will work to find the best cigars for everyone.”

Morrison’s wife and co-owner, Jillian Biehl Morrison, has added her own touches to the lounge.

“Jillian has been very helpful in making our cigar lounge different from other cigar lounges,” Morrison said. “For instance, she did a really good job with our restrooms. She took a lot of time working on them and it shows.”

As a result, the lounge has seen an influx of women and younger patrons.

“We went for a more sophisticated look, and we feel like it’s paying off,” Morrison said.

The lounge also incorporates an “extensive amount” of smoke-eaters, which help clear the air.

“We have a lot of extra touches,” said Morrison. ”We don’t have the smoky atmosphere like a lot of cigar lounges have.”

Upscale Thing

This is the first cigar lounge for Morrison, but he’s been in the cigar business for some time as a seller. A cigar smoker for most of his life, he worked in banking before getting into the business.

Morrison said that he’s been looking for the right location for a cigar lounge and believes he found it in downtown Mechanicsburg.

“This is a growing area, and officials from the town have been very supportive and helpful,” he said. “We appreciate their help and are looking forward to growing with the town.”

Liquor won’t be sold at the lounge, mainly due to the cost of buying a license, but Morrison noted that patrons are free to bring in their favorite drinks. He added that the lounge also has locally made chocolates, along with Parlor Beverages root beer and Colina coffee.

Morrison added that the lounge will host monthly events with cigar makers and brand owners.

“Bringing the brand owner into the store creates a connection between the customers and the cigars they enjoy,” said Jillian Morrison. “Customers get to hear the story of the brand, learn the unique nuances of each cigar and build a new relationship.”

To further add to the experience, the lounge will provide private humidified lockers for select members.

But, for Morrison, it all gets back to making customers feel welcome. And, so far, things are going according to plan for patrons who have made the lounge a regular stop.

“I’ve been to a lot of cigar bars over the years, and this one is the best I’ve ever been in,” said Jon Wymer of Carlisle. “It feels very comfortable. All different types of people are coming in, and there’s a lot of diversity here with people from a lot of different backgrounds. Everyone gets along, and the conversation is great.”

Wymer added that he thinks that cigars are making a comeback.

“Cigars are seen as more of a luxury item now,” he said. “It’s an upscale thing, and it’s seen as something that more people are getting into.”

Andy Bathgate of Mechanicsburg said that Lounge 611 is a great place to “chill out.”

“If you want to come for some conversation, you can have that,” he said. “But if you just want to sit quietly by yourself, you can do that too.”

Bathgate especially likes the comfortable furniture and décor.

“It’s a very clean place with nice big chairs and fur rugs,” he said “It’s like being in a time warp. There’s something timeless about the place. You can just sit back and enjoy yourself.”

Lounge 611 is located at 11 N. Railroad Ave., Mechanicsburg. For more information visit www.lounge611.com or email the [email protected]. Photos courtesy of Billy Morrison.

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

Telling Tails: Kids gain confidence, skill through “Read to Dogs”

June 27, 2024 | by Ashley Andyshak Hayes

Nevan Jayakumar reads to Calvin & Hobbes

On a recent Tuesday evening in Camp Hill, the seats inside the Cleve J. Fredricksen Library’s youth section filled with a special group of visitors: therapy dogs and their owners.

The Read to Dogs program at the library invites children through age 12 to read to these furry listeners, allowing them to become more confident in their reading skills and overcome anxieties about reading aloud.

John Heil and his children have been attending Read to Dogs, along with many other library programs, for years.

His 10-year-old daughter, Frannie, said that she loves to snuggle with the pups while reading her favorite genres: graphic novels and autobiographies. On top of the joy of reading to the dogs, her reading speed has improved during timed exercises at school, she said, going from 110 to more than 140 words per minute.

“The dogs paying attention to them reinforces what they are doing,” Heil said. “I don’t know why it works, but it works. If kids are struggling or if you’re just trying to find a way to get kids to read, this is a great program.”

All of the dogs and owners involved in the Read to Dogs program are trained and certified through Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services (KPETS), a Lancaster County-based organization that trains dogs to serve in many therapeutic capacities.

When Joan Miller of Lower Allen Township retired from the Army in 2023, she decided to train her black Lab, Layla, to be a therapy dog through KPETS. She now brings Layla to listen to children read at the library twice a month.

“I love to see how the kids and dog bond,” she said. “As they feel more relaxed, you can see the progress in their reading over the weeks.”

Favorites of many of the young readers in the Read to Dogs program are Calvin and Hobbes, a pair of miniature Australian Labradoodles owned by Gregg Maberry of Mechanicsburg. The littermates are now 14 years old, and the regular interaction with the children at the library keeps them young, he says.

Pet therapy is a “win-win-win,” Maberry said—for the dogs, owners, the children and parents alike.

“I love to hear the kids reading, and they always have things to share about what’s going on (in their lives),” he said.

Participating in the program has inspired some young readers to create their own stories. Ten-year-old Corabelle Black wrote and illustrated two stories about dogs, one of which features many of the therapy dogs she’s met at the library.

Reading to and interacting with the dogs have helped Corabelle be more comfortable in social situations, said her mother, Carrie.

“After COVID, she had a lot of anxiety being around other people,” Carrie said. “I can see her being more self-confident. I wish they had an adult version.”

The Read to Dogs program does more than help improve reading skills. Some children have overcome a fear of dogs by interacting with the KPETS pups, and several participants who are on the autism spectrum find the interaction with the dogs therapeutic, said Gelene Keever, who coordinates the program.

“It has morphed into something broader that helps kids on so many different levels,” she said.

Nevan Jayakumar is one of these participants. Read to Dogs has allowed Nevan to discover books that he likes to read, helping him be more motivated to read and, ultimately, improving his reading scores in school, said his mother, Bernadette. Nevan also had a fear of dogs, which the program has helped to lessen.

“People with children on the spectrum have trouble finding resources, but there is more out there,” like the library-based programs, she said.

On a recent Tuesday evening, Nevan read to Xander, a collie owned by Marcy Prejean of Lewisberry. When he struggled and wanted to stop, encouragement from his mother and the comfort of Xander kept him going.

“This is why I do this,” Prejean said.

The Read to Dogs program is held the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the Cleve J. Fredericksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill. For more information, visit cumberlandcountylibraries.org/FRE or call 717-761-3900.

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

Read & Knead: Enola shop pairs laps, cats and a good book

June 27, 2024 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Annika

In the beginning, it was a choice between coffee and cats.

So explained Riley Haring, the son of Michelle and Jason Haring, owners of Cupboard Maker Books. The couple realized that the two didn’t work well together.

“The cats won out,” Riley said.

They sure did.

Today, three cats live full-time and roam freely inside the Enola shop: Odin, Annika and Mouse. Others make guest appearances, often appearing on the shop’s very active social media pages.

“Books, cats and community, that’s what we’re all about,” Michelle said.

A quarter-century ago, the Harings started out with a small footprint at 16 Juniata Ave. in Enola. As avid book readers, they had enough inventory to get started, but quickly outgrew the space and relocated.

By the fall of 2003, they were ready to move again, this time to their current location.

“We looked at 15 different properties before choosing one that was big, ugly and affordable,” said Jason, who painted book spines on the building to help it stand out to passersby. Kristian Beverly, an employee at the time, finished the art and the lettering.

“We painted ‘BOOKS’ all over the building and from then on, 10,000 books walked through the front door every month,” Jason said.

The couple’s inventory today is estimated at about 100,000 used books, along with a smaller selection of new.

The couple gets the word out with help from their feline friends. They reach out via social media with amusing and engaging cat videos. Some have even gone viral, grabbing the attention of late-night talk-show hosts.

“One morning, I woke up, and my phone was blowing up,” Michelle said. “I discovered that our cat Odin made an appearance on Taylor Tomlinson’s ‘After Midnight’ show.”

Another time, Newsweek came calling after one video received 4.2 million views, she added.

The Harings also attract attention by taking cats on excursions to show their support for other local businesses. Queen Annika has recently been spotted at Enola’s Whistle Stop, Carlisle’s Destiny Dairy Farm and at 3B Ice Cream in Duncannon sipping a shake.

Odin

If that’s not enough to generate attention, the couple tools around town in brightly colored cars containing pawprints and the name of their business, along with cat characters with names like Prince Fluffytail, which touts a book written by the couple’s son, Riley.

Those who have been frequenting the store for years may remember first meeting Riley as an infant. He grew up around books—and cats—and “worked” with his mother behind the front counter, cooing in a bassinet. Today, he’s all grown up and penning children’s books with titles like, “Prince Fluffytail Chases a Dragon.”

“It illustrates the bookstore through the unique perspective of a cat,” Riley said.

He has another book queued up for a fall release, “Mouse, Odin and the River Pirates,” inspired by the nearby Susquehanna River and the bookstore cats.

On any given day, bookstore customers are likely to see several cats that are up for adoption.

The bookstore posts pictures on social media of those that have taken up temporary residence at Cupboard Maker Books.

“Sometimes, we even get some with disabilities,” said staffer Olivia Kepler, adding that a three-legged cat and her brother were adopted together.

Mouse

Kim Cassel, who is a cat foster, said that the Harings have been fantastic friends to the fur babies.

“It’s a great venue for our kitties to be seen and get adopted,” she said.

It’s also a great attraction for the shop, as some people visit to mostly play with the cats and then leave with a book.

“Nothing is better than a good book with a kitty on your lap to help you read,” she said.

Cupboard Maker Books is located at 157 N. Enola Rd., Enola. For more information, visit www.cupboardmaker.com or their Facebook page.

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

Plates for Paws: Animal advocate Essie Petrovich uses license plates to share spay/neuter message

June 27, 2024 | by Jolie Lloyd

Essie Petrovich

Anyone who steps foot in Essie Petrovich’s home in Mechanicsburg can tell immediately that her advocacy for animals has become much more than just a passion—it has become her life’s mission.

After being greeted by her 17 rescue cats and three rescue dogs, a guest in Petrovich’s home is sure to engage in conversation about her most recent animal welfare initiative.

Currently, that would be the Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) license plate sale, a brainchild of hers that recently came to fruition.

Petrovich, the president of SNAP, a tri-state organization that provides financial aid to get stray animals spayed and neutered, has long desired to raise greater awareness of the issue. She explained that spaying and neutering reduces overpopulation, a problem that can lead to stray animals’ suffering and, often, euthanasia.

Years ago, Petrovich was inspired by a new way to highlight the cause.

She noticed a spay/neuter license plate in New Jersey and said that she “held that idea in the back of her mind” until 2019, when she started the process of creating a license plate for the commonwealth.

After a long legal process and pandemic delays, the “Spay/Neuter Saves Lives” plates became available in December 2023, and, so far, 125 cars bear the message of spay/neuter. Petrovich’s goal is to sell 10,000 plates.

Petrovich believes that this cause is vital to animal welfare but explained that not many people recognize or understand its importance. She believes that spay/neuter programs struggle more than other animal welfare programs to raise funds because people are not as willing to help financially when they do not see the direct result of their efforts.

“If you show a sick animal on social media, people will always send you money to help,” she said. “But with spay/neuter, people do not readily donate or volunteer. This is because, when people give of their time or money, they require a certain level of self-satisfaction. With spay/neuter, the results are not measurable, and people just can’t wrap their heads around it.”

While the license plates serve as a fundraiser for the organization, the main goal of the plates is not simply monetary—it is about publicizing the importance of spay/neuter.

Petrovich believes that by putting the message on license plates, it can reach more people than through another means, such as a billboard. She opted for the “Spay/Neuter Saves Lives” plate, promoting the message itself rather than promoting just SNAP.

“This is not just a local issue,” Petrovich said. “I wanted this to be available throughout the whole state of Pennsylvania. I didn’t want it to be SNAP specific. I wanted it to be about the message, not about SNAP.”

Driving Force

Petrovich’s passion traces back to her time living in Lewisberry in the early 1980s. Down the road from her house was a dilapidated barn overrun with stray cats, constantly pregnant and giving birth to kittens, which would often end up killed on the road.

When she discovered this tragic situation, she felt she had to take action. She reached out to the Humane Society for assistance, and they directed her to SNAP, which was a new organization at the time. After SNAP helped Petrovich get the stray cats spayed and neutered, she began volunteering with the organization.

Forty-five years later, she has held numerous leadership positions for SNAP, currently in her 24th year as the organization’s president. To date, SNAP has aided in spaying and neutering over 117,000 animals.

Lisa Snyder, the vice president of SNAP, has worked alongside Petrovich for many of these years and credits her for the success of the license plate program, despite facing setbacks.

“Essie was the driving factor. She did the work,” Snyder said. “Her work ethic is amazing on anything she does, and I think the license plate demonstrates it. With all the difficulty, many people would have let the project fall off the cliff. But not Essie.”

In April, Petrovich’s hard work was recognized publicly as she received the Humane Society of the United States’ “Advocacy Partner of the Year” award.

Petrovich sees her hard work as well worth the effort, as she believes that the spay/neuter cause is key in solving animal suffering.

“Homeless animals and animal suffering are 100% due to human negligence,” she said. “There are not enough homes, and animals are seen as disposable. Human beings are the ones who have created this problem. The animals didn’t. It is my belief that spay/neuter is the number-one way to stop the cruelty of suffering and death of animals.”

For more information on Spay Neuter Assistance Program, visit www.snapofpa.org. “Spay/Neuter Saves Lives” plates can be purchased on the site for $68.

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

It’s a Dog’s Life: Watson’s Wish Foundation gives pooches a second chance

June 27, 2024 | by Alex J. Hayes

Jessica Beninsky & Watson

Watson and Jessica Beninsky are best friends.

The spunky little corgi and energetic young woman have been pretty much inseparable since they met five years ago. Beninsky has always appreciated dogs and their unconditional love for their humans, but she never considered herself a dog person until Watson entered her life.

Since then, she has jumped into the dog world with both of her legs and all four of Watson’s.

Shortly after she realized how much Watson was increasing the quality of her life, Beninsky started thinking about other dogs and the challenges that they sometimes face, such as cancer, heart complications, eye injuries and broken bones. However, a dog’s fate is not always as secure as a human’s if its owner cannot afford to pay costly medical bills.

“I talked to several veterinarians and learned that, daily, people are forced to euthanize their dogs because they do not have the money for expensive surgeries,” Beninsky said. “I couldn’t live with that without trying to help.”

Beninsky and her husband, Marty, launched Watson’s Wish Foundation so that dog owners do not have to hesitate when their furry friend needs lifesaving or life-sustaining care. The nonprofit organization was launched in 2022 in the coal region town of Trevorton, Pa., in Northumberland County. The Beninskys recently moved to downtown Harrisburg and are excited to expand their impact to the state’s capital.

“I am looking forward to networking with people and getting to know different businesses that can help us make an impact,” Beninsky said.

Collaborating with likeminded individuals is an important key to Beninsky’s success. While she was living in Trevorton, Beninsky and her husband owned a coffee shop in nearby Sunbury. There, they hosted a “Coffee with Corgis,” which attracted dog lovers from as far away as Ohio. Several local businesses participated, including The Dog House of Millersburg, Pa., which specializes in making dog treats and dog bandanas.

Davia Erdman, owner of The Dog House, said that she was first interested in Watson’s Wish Foundation because she could directly relate to its purpose. Erdman’s Newfoundland dog named Gracie suffered from congenital heart defects, and treatments were expensive. Gracie eventually crossed what dog lovers call “The Rainbow Bridge”—a place animals are believed to go after death based on a famous poem by an unknown author—but assisting Watson’s Wish allowed Erdman to honor Gracie’s memory.

“Jessica has a very loyal group of supporters,” Erdman said. “It has been pretty cool to watch the foundation itself grow and hear the stories of the dogs she has helped.”

One of those dogs is very special to Erdman and her family. Her parents’ dog, a 7-year-old lab mix named Molly, suffered from liver failure in April. The only way for Molly to avoid The Rainbow Bridge was for her to receive medication to flush out her system. The procedure required a costly overnight stay in a vet office. Watson’s Wish Foundation stepped up to save Molly’s life.

“She is doing great now, and there was no way my parents would have been able to get her the treatment if it weren’t for Watson’s Wish,” Erdman said.

The foundation focuses its efforts on dogs that live in central or northeastern Pennsylvania. Treatments must be lifesaving or life-sustaining. The foundation helped nine dogs in 2023, Beninsky said, and 15 so far this year. Almost doubling the foundation’s impact in less than one year has energized Beninsky. She is working hard to have an even greater impact on the Harrisburg area.

Most of the foundation’s events to date have been small-scale affairs that yielded strong results. Beninsky is now thinking bigger. She recently signed a rental agreement with the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex to hold “Corgi Palooza” on May 9, 2026. Plans are still in their infancy, but proceeds from corgi races, a dog costume contest, vendor booths and food sales will help Watson’s Wish Foundation increase its impact.

“Unfortunately, I cannot say yes to all of the requests for help I receive, even though I want to,” Beninsky said. “If we don’t have the cash, it is a matter of life and death.”

Animal lovers do not have to wait two years to support Watson’s Wish Foundation and the dogs it helps. Donations can be made at any time through its website.

To learn more about Watson’s Wish Foundation and the dogs it has helped, or to make an online donation, visit www.watsonswishfoundation.org.

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

Fur the Win: Cats get run of the house at this no-kill shelter

June 27, 2024 | by Deborah Lynch

Cats saunter about as if they own the place, and in fact, they kind of do.

At Forever Love Rescue’s Kitty Corner in downtown Gettysburg, as many as 60 cats live in a home-like atmosphere, many of them cage-free, wandering the premises, jumping on counters, lounging in windows, and playing with a myriad of toys.

Forever Love Rescue started in 2013 as Vega’s New Leash on Life Pet Rescue after Stephanie and Jeffrey Baum made a trip to a shelter in Bamberg, S.C., to replace a pet dog that had died.

“On the way home, my wheels were turning,” Stephanie Baum said. “I wanted to start a program to bring dogs up north to try to find them homes.”

Baum brought more than 200 dogs through her home in the next three to four years, fostering them until she found them homes. While she still has a passion for dogs, she realized that south-central Pennsylvania didn’t really have a dog problem, but that cats needed saving. So, she branched out in 2014

“We realized that lots and lots of cats needed us,” Baum said. “It was much more feasible to house cats than a dog kennel.”

In 2015, the name of the rescue changed to Forever Love Rescue with a cat added to the logo, and, by October of that year, the Kitty Corner had opened in downtown Gettysburg.

As active participants in the trap, neuter, release (TNR) program, Kitty Corner began to focus almost exclusively on the overpopulation of cats in the community and expanded into the even larger Queen Street space in 2019.

Lovey Dovey

Every cat that comes to Kitty Corner goes through a quarantine period in a cage in a special room. Cats are not released to the general population until they are spayed or neutered and vaccinated, as well as micro-chipped.

The average cost to the shelter to prepare a cat for adoption is about $150. Meanwhile, Forever Love Rescue charges $60 for adoption of adult cats and $100 for kittens.

Some cats get adopted quickly, but others are long-term residents. That’s because Forever Love Rescue is a no-kill shelter.

“Once they enter our program, they stay with us until they get adopted,” Baum said.

Last year, the shelter took in 350 cats, 296 of which were adopted. Sometimes, foster families end up adopting cats, too.

Candi Clark adopted twin kittens right before a snowstorm in December 2020. She had intended on only one cat to replace hers that had recently died. When she visited, a kitten came over and climbed into her lap and fell asleep. Although it had picked her, she first went home to discuss it with her husband.

When she came back, a kitten came and put his paws on her shoulder and “was all lovey dovey.” Clark thought it was the kitten she had held previously, but it turned out to be its brother.

“I have to get both of them,” she said of the gray pair already named Grayden and Grady. “They had a sister named Grace, already gone, thank God, or I would have ended up with her, too.”

She believes in the mission so much that she does her part to support them, too. She crochets kitty beds that are given away at The Lucky Paw in Gettysburg in exchange for donations to the shelter.

“The experience with Forever Love has been great,” Clark said. “They are terrific about the whole adoption process.”

Filling the Void

Kitty Corner has just one full-time employee, Maddie Dzbynski, who was a volunteer before taking the job three years ago. She keeps the records, helps with adoptions, and manages schedules, donations and vet visits, among other duties

Otherwise, Kitty Corner relies exclusively on volunteers and foster families.

About four dozen volunteers not only help with cleaning and care, they also bake to raise money. Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are two of the biggest bake sale fundraisers, Clark said.

The rescue is a nonprofit that does not receive any large grants or government funding.
All bills are paid through donations. Kitty Corner also accepts donations of food, medicine, toys and other needed items.

“Everything we do is our generous community allowing it to happen,” Baum said.

When April Gerbrick retired as the supervising hygienist for a large dental practice in 2016, she needed something to fill the void. Since, she has volunteered five or six hours a week, helping with inventory and with adoptive family applications.

“It makes me feel good every day,” Gerbrick said. “We’ve seen some really sad cases come in here, but we have also seen some success stories.”

She added that she’s become passionate about TNR.

“All volunteers are pretty involved in trying to get the word out to the community,” she said. “A lot of people don’t understand about spaying and neutering and what can happen to kittens if they’re not taken care of.”

Baum said that, in helping with the TNR program, the shelter assists colonies of cats living outdoors with caretakers who feed them. They help caretakers catch the cats, get them fixed, and return them to their colonies so they aren’t producing kittens.

“Last year, we fixed 720 outdoor cats,” she said. “Our goal is to fix as many of them as we can so we don’t get all the calls in the spring that there are kittens that need rescued.”

Between Baum’s dedication, the work of fosters and volunteers and adoptive families, Forever Love Rescue is helping to fix a public problem.

“Our goal every day is just to do as much as we can, and we are very proud of everything we do,” Baum said.

Forever Love Rescue’s Kitty Corner is located at 39 Queen St., Gettysburg. For more information, visit www.foreverloverescue.com, follow them on Facebook at Forever Love Rescue or Instagram @Kittycornergettysburg.

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

Leader of the Pack: Trek and Trot’s Sandie Brandner is out on the trail, with dogs

June 27, 2024 | by Dan Miller

It’s Wednesday morning, and Hawkeye is ready for Trek and Trot.

The 5-year-old rescue Labrador retriever/border collie mix stares out the front door in his orange vest, waiting for Sandie Brandner to pull up in her bus.

Every Wednesday morning, Brandner picks up Hawkeye and other dogs for a spirited romp along one of the trails off Ridge Road near Michaux State Forest.

Sometimes, it’s a 4-mile trail; other days, it is 6. When they are all done, Brandner drives the bus back and returns Hawkeye to her owner, Jennifer Westford.

Hawkeye is content for the rest of the day. He finds a place to lie down to chill and mellow out.

Westford feels better, too.

She discovered Trek and Trot and Brandner about two years ago, through Trek and Trot’s Facebook page.

She was at her wit’s end with Hawkeye. Walking him 3 miles a day, five to six days a week, wasn’t enough. He had “crazy” energy.

Westford took Hawkeye to a trainer, but that didn’t work out. Brandner then came to Westford’s house to meet Hawkeye and another of her rescue dogs, Dexter, a 5-year-old boxer/pittie mix.

“I could tell that she loved the dogs,” Westford said of Brandner. “She had this understanding of them that just comes naturally.”

Hawkeye has been a fixture on Brandner’s dog bus each Wednesday ever since. If Westford is traveling, Hawkeye gets to do Trek and Trot more than once a week.

“I’d have him go five days a week if I could,” Westford said. “Sending my dog with Sandie once a week is the best thing I’ve ever done.”

She especially likes that Brandner comes to her house to pick up Hawkeye and drops him off a few hours later the same day.

“It’s just so convenient,” Westford said. “For me to have to take him somewhere to doggie day care or something just isn’t practical.”

Her Passion

Brandner started Trek and Trot in 2019, shortly before COVID-19. The idea came out of the frustration that Brandner was experiencing meeting the energy needs of her own dog.

“I had been taking my dog out in the mountains for a long, long time,” she said. “We had to kennel him one time, and he came back and was very excited and very freaked out, and I thought, ‘that’s such a shame.’”

At the time, Brandner was about 20 years removed from escaping with her children from an abusive marriage in New Jersey.

She had spent some time near Fort Ritchie south of the Pennsylvania state line, caring for her niece while Brandner’s brother was in the military.

“I just fell in love with Pennsylvania,” she said.And, when the time came to make a break for it and start a new life, she landed just outside Carlisle.

She started a cleaning business and drove a bus, “whatever I had to do to feed my kids and keep a roof over their head.”

She bought one house then a second. The kids grew up and moved out. Brandner met her current husband about 10 years ago. The couple settled on a small, 4-acre farm, where they remain.

Brandner has always been one of those people who loves animals—dogs were her passion. After all the years of hard work rebuilding her life, she was ready to do what she really wanted to do.

“It just reached a point where I decided to make a change in my life,” said Brandner, now 57. “I wanted to do what my passion was.”

Spot On

The key to the success of Trek and Trot could be Brandner’s “second-hand man,” her 3-year-old Doberman rescue, Groot.

When a new client contacts Trek and Trot, Brandner has the person bring their dog or dogs to her farm.

Groot goes out with each new dog. He tells Brandner everything she needs to know about the new dog, and what pack the new dog will best fit into on the trail.

“I watch how my dog reacts and how he is around them,” Brandner said. “He’ll let me know if the dog is really nervous or if the dog is spot on.”

When taking 10 to 15 unleashed dogs on a trail for several miles, all the dogs must be on board or it won’t work.

“I have to make sure that, when I have them out there, they listen, they come back, they know who the pack leader is, which is me, and they all get along,” Brandner said. “I just can’t take a dog in and go well, ‘OK, we’ll just take him up in the mountains.’ That dog needs to know who I am, first.”

Trek and Trot is open to any dog breed, any size or age, provided each dog has his or her shots and that their place in the pack is established with Groot’s help.

Brandner does trail trips every Monday and Wednesday. A few employees go along to help out, but Brandner is always there. Other days, she does dog training at the farm.

The rate for each Trek and Trot trail trip is $30 per dog, unless Brandner goes a distance out of her way, then it’s $40 for pick up and drop off. It’s $25 if you drop your dog off at the farm.

Brandner mostly serves the Carlisle and Boiling Springs area, but urges anyone with a need to contact her, regardless of where they live in south-central Pa.

“People are more than welcome to bring their dogs to me, or I can meet them somewhere,” she said. “There’s always a solution.”

To learn more about Trek and Trot, visit their Facebook page or call 717-658-7196.

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

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like