The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

April 26, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Local officials celebrated Earth Day at a press conference in Reservoir Park this week.

The weather looks like it’ll be heating up this weekend in Harrisburg. Get outside for a stroll in the sun and support some of our city’s great local businesses. Make sure you also find some time this weekend to catch up on this week’s news, below.

Bike Month is in May and local cycling groups have lots of festivities and educational events planned, our online story reported. Also during the month, there will be a Ride of Silence to honor cyclists who were killed or injured on the road.

Deborah and Scott Hershey showcase both of their passions in their storefront in Carlisle, our magazine story reported. Up front is Hershey Violins, Scott’s space, and closer to the back is where Deborah’s art is displayed.

Earth Day was this week and city and local officials celebrated by highlighting environmental initiatives, our online story reported. One of those programs is Lights Out Harrisburg, which aims to help save migrating birds.

Frederick, Md., has a vibrant arts scene and our arts writer Bob MacGinnes took a trip to explore it. Read his story to find out about all the best galleries and shops to visit.

The Harrisburg School District is slated to purchase a large office building on N. 7th Street for the district to use as its new administration building, our online story reported. The current admin building on State Street will become an elementary school, as part of the district’s reconfiguration plans.

Jim Doyle has been dedicated to the ancient art form of Bonsai for over 50 years, our magazine story reported. At Nature’s Way Nursery in Linglestown, Doyle shares his passion with the community.

Knowledge is power, according to healthcare professionals at Capital Blue Cross. Knowing your family health history can help you identify areas of potential concern and reduce your risks.

The Market Street Bridge will close for two nights in May in order for PennDOT to conduct a lighting study related to the bridge rehab project. Read our story for more information and to find detour routes.

PA primary election results came in this week and Democrat Janelle Stelson will face long-time incumbent Rep. Scott Perry in the Harrisburg area’s 10th congressional district race. To find out who won other local nominations, click here.

Sara Bozich has gathered up all of this weekend’s best events in the Harrisburg area. Find her list, here.

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Knead Pizza to reopen Midtown shop, nearly two years after unionization controversy

April 26, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Knead plans to reopen its Midtown pizza shop.

A Harrisburg pizza shop soon will fire up its ovens again.

Owners of Knead Pizza told TheBurg on Friday that they would reopen their N. 3rd Street location this summer after being closed for almost two years.

Knead suddenly shut down its slice shop, as well as its location in the Broad Street Market, in August 2022, following efforts by its employees to unionize.

However, Knead owners Jennie O’Neill and Terry Hanley said that they have missed making and serving pizza in their neighborhood and decided to reopen, likely in early June.

“We are happy to be back,” O’Neill said. “One of the best things in the world is people sitting down together over food. Giving that food is amazing.”

O’Neill and Hanley will operate the shop without additional staff and plan to open only on Thursdays and Fridays, from 3 to 8 p.m. Patrons can expect pizza similar to their previous style, with possibly a few tweaks here and there, O’Neill said. However, this time around, only full pies will be available to order, and there will be no alcohol for purchase, as the owners sold their liquor license.

Prior to deciding to reopen, the owners sought to sell the business, but didn’t get any offers that matched what they were looking for. And then, several weeks ago, they decided they’d keep the shop and return to making New York-style pizza.

“We spent a little time in the shop and we were like, yeah, we like what we did here and what we could do here,” O’Neill said.

After Knead closed in 2022, workers and the union that they sought to join, Philadelphia-based UNITE HERE Local 274, filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming that the closure was in retaliation to the unionization efforts.

According to Hanley, Knead has reached a proposed settlement for the National Labor Relations Board charge, but does not believe the case has yet been finalized. According to the NLRB website, the case is still open.

“We believe we’ve done everything we need to do,” Hanley said.

In the charge against the business, workers and the union claimed that Knead owners made coercive threats of store closure in response to unionization efforts. They also said that they weren’t being paid half-time pay for COVID-related store closures in retaliation to the union activity.

However, the owners said the decision to close was based on the fact that Knead was losing money, struggling to maintain a lunch crowd and couldn’t find employees to cover shifts when a staff member contracted COVID the same week that employees sought to organize a union.

“We felt our hands were tied. We had very few options,” Hanley said. “We are not anti-union in any shape or form.”

Prior to employees proposing unionizing, O’Neill said that they never heard any complaints about the workplace from staff. UNITE HERE Local 274 could not immediately be reached for comment.

While the owners expect that there may be some public concern about their reopening after everything that happened, they said that from those who know about the reopening, the response has been positive.

“We are going to figure it out as we go and take what comes our way,” O’Neill said. “We just want to make pizza.”

Knead Pizza will be located at 937 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg.

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Harrisburg School District slated to purchase new administration building amidst building reconfiguration

April 25, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

The Harrisburg School District is slated to purchase this property at 1010 N. 7th St. to serve as its administration building.

The Harrisburg School District soon may have a new home base for operations.

At a school board meeting on Wednesday, Receiver Dr. Lori Suski approved the purchase of a large office building on N. 7th Street for the district to use as its new administration building.

In February, the district decided to reconfigure several of its school buildings, moving some grades to different buildings and closing others. As part of the plan, the current Lincoln Administration Building on State Street will become an elementary school.

The district’s administrative offices are now slated to move to the 48,704-square-foot former Penn State Harrisburg Eastgate Center at 1010 N. 7th St.

The district entered into a purchase agreement with Penn State to buy the property earlier this month, but needs to officially settle the purchase. Wednesday’s approval by Suski allows the district to move forward with the settlement.

A February letter of intent to purchase the property, issued by the district, stated that it would buy the property for $3.1 million.

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, Suski approved an agreement with local nonprofit Ngozi, Inc. to serve as the fiduciary for a new program aimed at helping to improve student behavior.

In March, Suski approved a proposal to create a new Safe Passages Program that will be operated by local nonprofit Concerned About the Children of Harrisburg (C.A.T.C.H.) at the Harrisburg High School-John Harris Campus. As part of the program, nine adults will be present in the school during lunch and school dismissal to help diffuse student behavioral issues.

The program will be piloted over the remainder of the school year. Participants will be paid, through Ngozi, Inc., an hourly rate of $15 for up to three hours per day.

“The hope is that the students will be able to build relationships with these adults,” said Kia Hansard, co-founder of C.A.T.C.H. “They’re building a relationship so that if something were to happen, that relationship is there and hopefully those individuals would be in a position to diffuse it.”

Additionally, Suski approved the district to hire EConsult Solutions to perform a disparity study for the district at a cost of $150,000. The study will evaluate the district’s use of minority-owned businesses and other diverse vendors in its contracting processes and make recommendations for improvement.

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

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Market Street Bridge to close for two nights next month as rehab project moves forward

April 25, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Market Street Bridge

A Harrisburg bridge soon will be closed for two nights, as a roadway project moves forward.

PennDOT announced on Thursday that the Market Street Bridge will be closed overnight on Monday, May 6 and Tuesday, May 7, as crews perform a lighting study related to the bridge rehab project.

The bridge will be closed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. The west span of the bridge, connecting City Island to Wormleysburg, will be open to emergency vehicles only.

PennDOT’s plan for the Market Street Bridge would rehab the aging structure, making some changes to widen sidewalks and shoulder space, as well as adding a separate bicycle and pedestrian lane on top of a utility bridge that would be constructed along the south side of the bridge.

Previously, PennDOT officials stated that they anticipated starting construction on the project in 2025, at the earliest.

During the bridge closure next month, detours will be in place. Drivers heading to the west shore from the east shore should take N. 2nd Street in Harrisburg to Forster Street, turn left on Forster Street to cross the Harvey Taylor Bridge, turn right onto N. 2nd Street in Wormleysburg, turn right onto Stella Street, then right onto Front Street to proceed to Market Street.

Travelers heading east from the west side of the closure should take Front Street to Elm Street, turn left on Elm Street to N. 2nd Street, turn right on N. 2nd Street and continue to the Harvey Taylor Bridge, turn right to cross the bridge to the east shore, then turn right onto N. Front Street to proceed to Market Street.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. For more information on the Market Street Bridge rehabilitation plan, visit the project website.

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Harrisburg to celebrate Bike Month in May with cycling events, Ride of Silence

April 25, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

A past ghost bike display on the state Capitol steps.

Upcoming cycle celebrations may have you ready to roll right into May.

Harrisburg bicycling groups have lots of fun and educational events lined up for the city in honor of National Bike Month in May, including one to bring awareness to bike safety concerns.

“We need to encourage more people to ride,” said Ross Willard, founder of nonprofit Recycle Bicycle in Harrisburg. “I want to see more families riding bikes.”

And while there will be plenty of festivities, bike safety is an important topic for organizers to highlight during the month, Willard said, as cyclist fatalities on roads continue to increase.

On Wednesday, May 15, a group of local bikers will host the Harrisburg Ride of Silence to honor those killed or injured while cycling in the state. The 2.5-mile ride will begin at 7 p.m. behind the Armed Forces Reserve Center on the 2900 block of Green Street. The group will ride in silence to the state Capitol to raise awareness of the need for safer roadway conditions for cyclists and pedestrians.

Also that day, “ghost bicycles” will be on display on the state Capitol steps to represent the 27 bikers killed in the commonwealth in 2023. One red bike will represent the thousands of cyclists who are injured each year.

“Please slow down when you see a biker,” said Diane Dankman-Riley of the Harrisburg Bicycle Club. “We might be riding to school, a job or we might need to be on a bike because we have a handicap or cannot afford a car.”

To celebrate cycling in the city in May, Bike Harrisburg, a city-based organization, will promote group rides, bike workshops and family-friendly events.

Recycle Bicycle is offering Bike Bingo, which gives community members a chance to win a prize by completing tasks like biking to work, biking to a coffee shop or biking to see the sunset.

The Harrisburg Bike Crew will also host several casual social rides in the city throughout the month. The Harrisburg Bicycle Club will hold Sunday morning rides and Friday lunch rides, as well.

On Sunday, May 5, there will be a Capital Area Greenbelt ride at 1 p.m. Participants can meet at the trailhead behind the City Line Diner, 3302 Derry St., for a 20-mile casual ride.

Bike Harrisburg also encourages people to participate in National Ride a Bike Day on May 5, Bike to School Day on May 8 and Bike to Work Week from May 13 to 19.

If after all the biking, you’re in need of a tune up, Recycle Bicycle will offer free bike repair and education on May 17 and 18 at the Broad Street Market.

As Willard begins to see more and more people take up cycling in the city, he’s hopeful that these events will give newer riders a framework for safe cycling practices and bring awareness to the need for better bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

“We need to educate our riders on all levels,” Willard said. “I’m also looking forward to Bike Month because hopefully it’ll bring attention to some of our problems.”

For a full list of Bike Month events, visit Bike South Central PA’s website. To learn more about the Ride of Silence, visit their Facebook page. For more information on Recycle Bicycle, visit their website.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

April 25, 2024 | by Sara Bozich

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

What you’ll find ⤵️

For something new: I think the Lemoyne Arbor Day Festival sounds awesome Worth noting: Independent Bookstore Day! at Midtown Scholar on Saturday; great live music with Harrisburg University Presents Fri & Sat at XL Live. Things on my agenda this weekend: Shows Fri & Sat (see below, buy some tix, enjoy live music in Harrisburg), plus kid activities, including Mentored Youth Turkey Day (well I’m not doing it but …), baseball, and swim lessons. Steak Sunday will be well deserved.

For your weekend planning

HU Presents Beach Fossils with friends Nation of Language on Friday at XL Live!
Check out The Heavy Heavy with HU Presents at XL Live on Saturday
See what else you missed on the blog

Below are more options for your weekend.

A Look Ahead

The first SoMa Block Party of the season is one month away!! Add to calendar now!
Just announced SoMa Fest (a mega block party) on June 1
You can now sponsor the Weekend Roundup! Ask me how!
Submit your events for the Weekend Roundup

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General election contest set for Harrisburg area, as races for Congress, statehouse take shape

April 23, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda

Campaign signs on Tuesday outside Harrisburg city hall

Democrat Janelle Stelson will face long-time incumbent Rep. Scott Perry in the Harrisburg area’s 10^th congressional district race, as the general election field for federal and state offices took shape on Tuesday.

With nearly all votes counted in the PA primary, Stelson held a commanding lead in the six-person field for the Democratic nomination. The retired TV news anchor tallied almost 44% of the primary vote, nearly twice as much as her closest competitor, retired Marine Corps pilot Mike O’Brien. Candidates Shamaine Daniels, Rick Coplen, Blake Lynch and John Broadhurst, respectively, trailed the top two vote-getters.

In the Nov. 5 election, Stelson will compete against six-term incumbent Perry, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

“Thank you to those of you who voted for me. I will spend the next six months working hard to make you proud,” Stelson said, in a statement. “I am reaching out to Democrats, independents and Republicans who Congressman Perry has ignored and disrespected, to make the case for commonsense problem-solving, instead of extremism and chaos.”

In the PA statehouse, the battle for the newly redrawn 15th senatorial district is also set, as long-time state Rep. Patty Kim cruised by her Democratic challenger, Alvin Q. Taylor, a Harrisburg-area pastor. In the November general election, she will face Dauphin County Treasurer Nick DiFrancesco, who won the Republican nomination against Kenneth Stambaugh.

Kim is leaving her House seat to run for state Senate, which sparked a competitive five-person race for the open 103rd district legislative seat.

In that contest, Nate Davidson, a PA Capitol staffer, defeated four challengers: Camp Hill council member Mercedes Evans, UPMC executive Tina Nixon, Lemoyne council member Jesse Monoski and Harrisburg resident Laura Harding.

The 103rd district includes communities on both the east and west shores, and Davidson, of Harrisburg, won by pulling votes from both sides of the river, while the other candidates received support mainly from their home areas. He will run in November against Cynthia Ward, who ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.

In other local state House contests, incumbents Dave Madsen (D-104) and Justin Fleming (D-105) ran unopposed in their races. No Republicans ran for those seats, meaning the incumbents likely will win re-election in November. Likewise, incumbent Tom Mehaffie (R-106) ran unopposed in his primary and faces no Democratic opposition in the general election.

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Harrisburg celebrates Earth Day, announces Lights Out initiative to save migrating birds

April 22, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg, state officials display birdhouses made by local students, at a press conference in Reservoir Park.

On a crisp, sunny day in Reservoir Park, Harrisburg officials recognized the importance of caring for the earth.

Mayor Wanda Williams, along with local and state officials, celebrated Earth Day with a press conference on Monday highlighting the city’s environmental efforts.

“We have made it a priority to make Harrisburg cleaner and greener than ever before,” Williams said. “Protecting our environment is so much more than just throwing away trash or preventing harmful materials from getting into the atmosphere. It is making sure everyone and everything around us has a safe place to live as well.”

The city announced that Lights Out Harrisburg will return for the third year in an attempt to help save migrating birds. The initiative encourages businesses and residents to turn off exterior lights during the night, to prevent birds from getting confused by the bright light and colliding with windows. Lights Out began on April 1 and runs through May 31 for the spring migratory season. The program will then resume for the fall migration from Aug. 15 to Nov. 15.

According to Zach Richard, president of the Appalachian Audubon Society, over 1 billion birds die each year from window collisions.

“Your participation helps protect migratory birds,” Richard said.

Many local organizations plan to participate in Lights Out, such as Harristown Development Corp. and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District, as well as the commonwealth, which will turn off lights in the Capitol dome from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. during migratory seasons.

Williams also noted several other environmentally focused initiatives, including current dredging at Italian Lake to clean out dirt and debris and spring tree plantings around the city. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department also partnered with the Harrisburg School District to help fifth grade students at Melrose Elementary learn about wildlife and make their own birdhouses for city parks.

The city, along with the Appalachian Audubon Society, is also hosting several bird walks in city parks for local families on dates in April through June.

Parks and Recreation Department officials also noted that its free summer enrichment programming for city youth will begin on June 10 and include swimming, field trips, environmental awareness education, sports and many other activities.

“We believe that giving the youth the right tools in order to foster environmental stewardship with lead into their futures,” said Danielle Lewis, Harrisburg’s sustainability coordinator.

For more information about Lights Out Harrisburg, visit their website. To find out more about Harrisburg’s events and summer programming, visit their website.

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

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

April 19, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Broad Street Market temporary structure

This week in Harrisburg, we covered news about new businesses coming to the city, updates from the art world, community initiatives and city government happenings. If you missed any of it, find all of our stories linked below.

The Abbey Bar is back and once again hosting live music, our magazine story reported. Events are being coordinated by Moon Peak Productions and held in the large space above Appalachian Brewing Co. on N. Cameron Street in Harrisburg.

Bob’s Art Blog highlights artists at The Millworks and the new Ten Oh! Six art studio in Harrisburg. Click here to read his art world update.

Broad Street Market officials announced that three new vendors will open in the market’s temporary structure, our online story reported. Cookie company Taylor Chip, produce and flower grower Diaspora and local chocolatier Cherished Treasures will join seven other vendors in the tent when it opens.

Dauphin County Library System operates each of its local branches differently to fit the community’s needs, our magazine story reported. Soon, the library system will offer more resources to help caregivers, those with disabilities and others in the community.

The Great Harrisburg Litter Cleanup is happening this weekend, and Tri County Community Action is looking for volunteers, our online story reported. The event aims to help beautify the Midtown, Uptown and Allison Hill neighborhoods in the city.

Harrisburg City Council weighed a proposal by a local developer to construct an apartment building for seniors, as well as a park project planned for Allison Hill, our online story reported. At the same meeting, council also discussed spending several million dollars in federal COVID relief funds.

Harrisburg officials identified their choice for a construction manager to oversee the rebuild of the Broad Street Market brick building, our online story reported. However, City Council, which needs to approve the decision, has concerns about the fairness of the selection process.

The Harrisburg Singers are celebrating their 40th anniversary, our magazine story reported. To celebrate, the Singers will perform a weekend of concerts later this month, with locations on both the east and west shores.

Rosemary loves garlic. In her column, she offers suggestions for how to cook with it and shows you how to roast it.

Sara Bozich has you covered with lots of fun events for the whole family this weekend. Find them, here.

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Scrap That: Volunteers needed to help clean up Harrisburg during city-wide event

April 19, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Volunteers at a previous Great Harrisburg Litter Cleanup

This weekend, residents from around the city will work to beautify their neighborhoods.

On Saturday, April 20, Tri County Community Action will host its 12th annual Great Harrisburg Litter Cleanup, encouraging the community to pick up trash in Midtown, Uptown and Allison Hill.

“As we witness a concerning rise in illegal dumping, the Great Harrisburg Litter Cleanup takes on added significance,” said Tri County CEO Jen Wintermyer. “Tri County Community Action is deeply committed to addressing neighborhood revitalization through our Community Development programming.”

At last year’s event, over 400 volunteers served and collected more than 14 tons of trash and 450 tires from city streets and neighborhoods, according to the nonprofit.

Individuals, community groups, families and businesses are invited to participate in the cleanup, which runs from 8 to 11 a.m. People can register to be a trash picker, site coordinator, truck driver or dumpster monitor.

Free T-shirts are available for volunteers on a first-come-first-served basis.

Check in for registered volunteers will take place at the following locations:

Allison Hill: Tri County Community Action, 1514 Derry St.
Midtown: Reily and Logan streets
Uptown: Wesley Union AME Zion Church, N. 5th and Camp streets

“By engaging residents in initiatives like the cleanup, we not only tackle litter but also foster a sense of ownership and pride in our neighborhoods,” Wintermyer said. “Together, we can build a safer, more vibrant Harrisburg for all.”

To register for the Great Harrisburg Litter Cleanup, visit their website.

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What you’ll find ⤵️

For your weekend planning

A Look Ahead

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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