Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

October 12, 2023 | 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: Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour | at Midtown Cinema Worth noting: The “toberfests” are prevalent this weekend: Choctoberfest, Beachtoberfest, Yorktoberfest, Senstoberfest Things on my agenda this weekend: might take Bo to see a Tom Petty tribute band on Friday …, Tres Bonne Annee Gala on Saturday

For your weekend(ish) planning

Grab tickets to see Gus Dapperton on Oct. 19
Find the perfect holiday-themed getaway — no planning required!
The Best Farmers Markets around Harrisburg
How to help the Broad Street Market and its displaced vendors
See what else you missed on the blog

Below are options for your weekend.

A Look Ahead

WIN tickets to see HU Presents Paul Cauthen on Oct. 28
Harrisburg Book Festival is next week!
The last SoMa Block Party of 2023 is Oct. 19!
Add ‘3rd in the Burg’ to your calendar now — we’ve got a good one in SoMa
Submit your events for the Weekend Roundup

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Harrisburg business incubator receives check from M&T Bank to support programming

October 11, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

M&T Bank officials presented a check to the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Harrisburg University.

A Harrisburg business incubator received an extra boost to help local, budding entrepreneurs.

M&T Bank, on Wednesday, presented the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at Harrisburg University with $250,000 to support its programming for startup businesses.

“This is an amazing program and we are privileged to be a part of it,” said Nora Habig, M&T Bank’s regional president for Central and Western Pennsylvania. “This new facility is really a gem in downtown Harrisburg.”

The center, located inside Strawberry Square, serves as an incubator for local entrepreneurs, with a focus on minority- and women-owned businesses. Currently, about 15 startups are participating in the 12- to 18-month-long program.

The CIE provides workshops, mentorship, coaching and resources to innovators, giving them a kick start in growing their businesses.

With M&T Bank’s financial support came a five-year commitment to assisting the CIE.

“Investing in Harrisburg University and the CIE will help us empower the next generation of innovators and change-makers,” HU President Eric Darr said.

The bank has previously partnered with the center for its Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Lab, an annual program that started in 2022. This year’s lab wrapped up June after a seven-week program, which provided free weekly business classes at HU to local minority entrepreneurs. The next lab will take place in the spring.

Beyond its incubator and business lab programs, the CIE also provides workshops and classes for entrepreneurs in the community.

With the funding from M&T Bank, the center will be able to continue providing these services, according to officials.

“The bedrock of any community is its local, homegrown business operations,” Mayor Wanda Williams said. “M&T Bank and Harrisburg University are directly helping the city of Harrisburg strengthen its future.”

For more information on the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Harrisburg University, visit their website.

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Apartment project for former Federal Building in Harrisburg receives final approval

October 10, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

A rendering of the proposed apartment building conversion for the former Federal Building. (credit: McKissick Associates)

A major downtown Harrisburg development project can move forward after receiving city approval.

On Tuesday, Harrisburg City Council unanimously approved a proposal to turn the former Federal Building into a 162-unit apartment building.

A New Jersey-based developer, Yasser Hellel, has proposed adaptively reusing the vacant, 11-story office building at N. 3^rd and Walnut streets and constructing one-bedroom, two-bedroom and studio units.

The building would also include first-floor commercial space and amenities such as a fitness center, penthouse lounge, shared office space, a rooftop deck and shared lobby.

Hellel said that the units will rent at market rate, with the exception of 10, which would be affordable by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines.

According to Hellel, the total cost of the project, including acquisition costs, would total about $35 million.

The building previously housed the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and other federal offices. Personnel have since moved to the new federal courthouse on N. 6^th Street.

Hellel has said that he expects to begin construction early in the summer of 2024 and continue for about 18 months.

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Harrisburg swears in new firefighters, recognizes life-saving achievements

October 10, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams swears in new firefighters.

Harrisburg firefighters were honored for their lifesaving efforts at an annual event on Tuesday.

The Harrisburg Fire Bureau presented awards and swore in new firefighters at a ceremony in the bureau’s Station 1 on N. 6th Street.

“Today is a day that we celebrate the acts of these members and their daily service and commitment to not only Harrisburg, but the region and our great country,” Fire Chief Brian Enterline said.

At the ceremony, Mayor Wanda Williams swore in four new firefighters, Kevin Tarapchak, Samuel Welk, Joshua Jones and Kaleb Shreiner. The new members bring the bureau’s complement of firefighters to 96.

According to Enterline, the new firefighters completed fire training at HACC and have been working in the bureau since June.

“We are grateful to have them join the ranks of our team,” Enterline said.

Also at the ceremony, Enterline announced the return of a partnership with the Harrisburg School District to have firefighters visit the district’s schools to talk with students about fire safety and career opportunities. The bureau is picking the program back up after over a decade without it.

“We really wanted to show our kids in Harrisburg that being a firefighter is a career opportunity,” said district Superintendent Eric Turman, at the event.

Additionally, the bureau awarded numerous firefighters for their lifesaving accomplishments including CPR saves and fire rescues.

The following awards and recognitions were given to firefighters in the bureau:

CPR Save—Lt. David Schock, Billy-Bob Holtzman, Shakur Hakeem-El, Jamie Kleckner, Jonathan Morrow, Allison Shattuck, Nathaniel Barbolish, Capt. Michael Feldman, Scott Young, William Kauffman, Cory Lease, Eriq Nowlin, Lt. Jeffrey Miller, Richard Brocius, Brendon Booz, Nicholas Hurst, Hadiel Bey, Bryan Rooney, Capt. Jeremy Saul, Bobby Jones, Michael Bruetsch, Kyle Paul, Jordan Stoudt, Robert Brackbill, James Grundon, Justin Kahill, Tyler Bender, Samuel Welk
Unit Citation—Lt. William Skinner, John Peskie, Capt. Jeremy Saul, Pablo Passalaqua, Lt. Matthew Kuntz, Gregory McDonald, Joshua Winters, Brayden Byers, Nathan Martin, Capt. Aldo Morelli, Connor Davis, Kyle Paul, Codie Schaffner, Jordan Stoudt, Garret Morey, Patrick Giberson, Lt. Brian Yonkin, Jared Briggs, Brendon Booz, Robert Brackbill, Hadiel Bey, Richard Brocius, Jonathan Morrow, Billy-Bob Holtzman
Merit—Richard Brocius, Bobby Jones
PA Task Force 1 Deployment—Joshua Hull, Lt. William Skinner, Brian Riddle, Benjamin Page, Zachary Miller, Capt. Aldo Morelli, Nathan Martin, Capt. Jeremy Saul, Lt. Justin Zimmerman

“Over the past year, you have saved countless lives through your quick decisions and heroic actions,” Williams said, addressing the bureau’s firefighters. “This city is certainly grateful to you.”

Enterline highlighted the fact that there have been no fatalities from fires in the city in the past two years and that the bureau responded to over 3,000 calls in 2022.

While not every action by a firefighter may receive an award, every effort to keep the city safe and informed is important, Enterline said.

“These everyday calls may seem mundane to us. However, to the 911 caller, it is probably their worst nightmare,” he said. “It gives our members an opportunity to engage and make a difference.”

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Home sales dipped, prices rose slightly in September in Harrisburg area

October 10, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda

A house for sale in Harrisburg

Harrisburg-area homes sales declined but prices inched higher in September, in the latest report on sales of previously owned homes.

For the three-county region, 542 homes sold, compared to 685 in the year-ago period, as the median sales prices rose to $260,575 from $254,900, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 258 houses sold in September versus 317 a year ago, while the median price was nearly steady at $229,900, GHAR stated.

Cumberland County had 257 sales, a drop from 324 the prior September, as the median sales price rose to $310,000 from $275,000, GHAR reported.

In Perry County, 22 homes sold, a dip from 40 in the previous year, as the median price rose to $257,000 from $217,450, according to GHAR.

The pace of home sales remained unchanged from a year ago, with the “average days on market” holding steady at 21 days.

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Bob’s Art Blog: Spooky Things that Go Bump in the Night

October 10, 2023 | by Bob MacGinnes

A longstanding love affair with October stems from my childhood—the anticipation of waiting an entire month for its very last day to dress up and be whatever you wanted to be…can life be any more exciting for an 8 year old?

The year was 1959 and the world was relatively safe back then. Neighbors dropped in unannounced, doors were left unlocked, and kids could play outside without fear. My favorite show was the brand new “Twilight Zone.” “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” (episode 22) wouldn’t air for another few months, but monsters were on my mind. A lot of kids from my generation shared the zeal for plastic replicas of Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Mummy and the Wolfman.

Back then, the best thing about Halloween was the event lasted a week. With different towns celebrating the holiday on different nights, we traveled to neighborhoods close by. Progress, Penbrook, Paxtang, minding our P’s, but where were the Q’s? We walked together as friends with bags overflowing. It was like Christmas morning in October.

“Two Sisters” by Tina Berrier, at HIVE artspace

Keeping that childlike innocence alive today regarding All Hallows’ Eve can be a real challenge, but, this October, HIVE artspace in York pulls out all the stops with a chilling show entitled, “The Annual Spooky Art Show.” Susan Scofield is the mistress of ceremonies, stirring her cauldron at 126 E. King St., with Kate Rush right by her side. Eye of newt and batwing broth may sound a bit much to swallow but, believe me, if you enjoy being spooked, or playing pranks, Susan and Kate and Heather Greenough are your “charmed” hostesses through Oct. 28. October’s theme for art at HIVE is timeless: the annual show speaks to their tradition as happens every October. It features an entire medley of mediums: pyrography, mosaic, felted wool, assemblage, painting, handmade art dolls, collage and photography. “Spooky” will make you want to jump over the candlestick!

“Hellebore and Death’s Head Moths” by Nicole Smeltzer (photo: Jana MacGinnes)

Susan edited hundreds of submissions down to a magical 100 throughout the gallery. Highlights include the return of Justin Ritmiller, paying homage to classic film monsters of the past, surely my kind of guy. “Of Monsters and Men,” his acrylic on canvas is a tribute to iconic director, James Whale, who immortalized Frankenstein and his bride from the 1930s, as well as Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula for his “Romanian Nobility,” an acrylic on wood panel—is that a stake by any chance?

Daphne Watts burns an image of Elsa Lancaster on a wood plaque in her iconic role as the Bride of Frankenstein. Beverly Hunter’s Nosferatu cuts to the quick with shards of ceramic, glass and mirrors. The ubiquitous Tina Berrier, (yes, that Tina of Millworks fame and the Nothing Pretty gang and the She Serpents) brings legerdemain with her mixed media assemblage piece, “Hellion.”

“Edgar” by Alana Beall (photo: Jana MacGinnes)

Nicole Smeltzer recently completed a wonderful, whimsical mural for the new Royal Square Mural Park. Her piece is “Hellebore and Death’s Head Moths,” an acrylic on canvas. Monique Kelly mixes media into heady potions with bottles assembled to suit her purpose. Sarah Liles may have you fawning over her watercolor, ink and acrylic marker, “Trick or Treat.” Gretchen Nevin keeps “Tradition” alive with her classic pumpkins, oil on canvas. Lastly, Alana Beall has my heart with a too cool for school acrylic and mixed media piece entitled, “Edgar,” the one and only E.A. Poe.

Be sure to check out the other 91 works as their bones are rattling to see you. As for Susan S., I knew when we first met and discussed Walpurgis Night (the eve of Beltane) “that spooky was a moniker that fit her well.” In keeping with the classic monster’s story arc for this exhibit, the carriage driver in Tod Browning’s 1931 “Dracula,” shuddered “do not cross the Borgo Pass on Walpurgis Night or you will never be seen again.” For me, I will wait for All Hallows Eve when the veil between two worlds is the thinnest.

Goes Bump

Illustration by Rob Sheley

The third edition of illustrator Rob Sheley’s “Things That Go Bump in the Night” at Metropolis Collective in Mechanicsburg gave me pause. I started writing this blog back in July as October holds a special appeal that dates back to the 1950s, as you are now aware of…for TheBurg this marks my fifth annual October paean. The 4th of July had just ended when I wrote the title, “Things That Go Bump in the Night.” When Hannah Dobek, gallery director and artist in residence at Metropolis, sent me notice for this show two weeks ago, a big smile crossed my lips. In truth, this phrase had its origin in the 19th century in literature. There is truly nothing new under the sun. The moon, now that is a different story…

“Things That Go Bump in the Night III” fills the eyes with macabre mayhem maniacally manipulated, maudlin and melancholy. Like myself, Rob has an abiding reverence for the “Famous Monsters of Filmland” (Frankenstein’s monster and his bride), making them the centerpiece of his solo exhibition for the new show. In the artist’s own words, “Through color, line, shade and composition,” new life is breathed into classic images formerly seen only in black and white. Rob’s empathetic point of view allows for a richer appreciation of the “monsters” we treasure from the Golden Age of Cinema in the 1930s and ’40s. The show’s fall run encompasses two full moons through its last day on Nov. 25. Rob is a Harrisburg native and has done album work for Elvis Costello, Drive by Truckers, Old 97 and a host of others, including Eastman Kodak. His work over three decades is legendary and begs to be viewed in person for full appreciation of his art. As illustrators go, he is in a class by himself with the images, photographic in detail, yet are not, become otherworldly. Contact the artist robsheley.com.

October Art Events

Arts on the Square, Sunday, Oct. 15, Market Street Presbyterian Church. Opening reception 12 to 1:30 p.m., featuring the works of fiber artist, Gloria McPherson

3rd in the Burg, Friday Oct. 20

Susquehanna Art Museum’s “Shifting Forms: 5 Decades of Abstraction” and “Diane Arbus: Ten Years” Both shows run through Jan. 21

Art Association of Harrisburg’s “Art Is” (members show), through Nov. 2

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Burg Review: Complexity across time, generations infuses Gamut’s deeply human, “I Don’t Speak Spanish”

October 8, 2023 | by Gina Napoli

In the autobiographical confession, “I Don’t Speak Spanish,” local playwright David Ramón Zayas offers audiences a generational extrospection of his Mexican culture, exploring the distance he feels from his ancestral roots, leading him to feel unmoored in his contemporary sense of self.

While this is the story that only Zayas can tell, many elements may feel familiar to Americanized descendants of immigrants. It’s an American story of our melting pot–one that seems to boil over every time another cook adds a spicy ingredient. In this case, it’s a bottle of tabasco sauce.

For those who are sometimes “othered,” cultural discussions arise more frequently if your skin looks a few shades darker than the Caucasian default, if you have been accused of “passing” after someone meets one of your brown parents, if you’re saddled with an impossibly ethnic name, or if you have an accent. Othered people straddle two worlds, with simultaneous pride and shame often driving the inner conflict. You can pride yourself on making your mother’s restaurant-quality enchilada recipe, but feel shame that the other kids laugh when you bring your mother’s enchiladas for lunch.

The imperfect people who nurtured us, fed us, and formed us are the same people who both shared their hopes and dreams for us and instilled their generational traumas within us. And they were formed by their own ancestral collective, complete with all their humanity. And so on. It’s with this ambivalent recognition that Zayas writes his own story within the context of his family story, fraught with all the stigma and societal issues that come from having a Mexican heritage in the United States over the centuries.

The above prologue is long because this play is long, just as our ancestry is long.

The play is structured as six vignettes that span from the first ancestor in 1528 to present day Tony (Zayas), the hero of this story. Although Tony is married to Michael (Thomas Weaver), who studies and lectures on Latin American culture for a living, and they both seem immersed in the Hispanic culture, Tony feels shame that he cannot speak Spanish. His acquaintance, Gustavo (Aldo Longoria), confronts him, and this leads Tony to confront his mother, Samantha (Nelly Torres). This sets the prequel on its journey back through the generations, making historically significant stops in South Texas during the Mexican Border War, in Los Angeles during World War II, and in New Mexico during 2011. We’re along for that ride, and all the mixed messages that come with it.

Although those cultural messages and themes grow to become bigger than the characters themselves, that in no way diminishes the actors’ performances.

Zayas is adorable as Tony, and we watch his character struggle as he searches and grows, finding his way through all the people and events who came before him, as well as navigate his marriage. Weaver plays Tony’s husband, Michael, as doting, with just a touch of self-recognized pomposity. The interplay and dynamics between the husbands feels genuine.

Kiryat Jearim Castillo infuses her character, Raquel, with a bratty flair. As her story develops, we feel her shame, her need to distance herself from the pervasive violence commonly inflicted on her culture within her time and place. Her dance moves with Cleo (Longoria) flowed nicely, too. Longoria delivers to the audience proud men in Cleo, Gustavo and Manuel, all of whom are not looking for a fight, but aren’t backing down from one, either.

Showcasing her range with playing strong female roles, Nelly Torres brings grit to a treasured family aunt, Maria Refugio, an independent woman full of resolve. Torres is daunting as Adela, an intimidating mother who gets about three inches from her daughter’s face and wags her finger well before her daughter has had a chance to do anything wrong. And she is hilarious as Samantha, who could be any of our own overly Americanized mothers.

Diego Sandino brings an intensity to all of his character portrayals, playing Robert, the table-side philosopher, Silverio, the brutish father, and Tomás, the border refugee with equal amounts of passion.

For many reasons, I like this play. I saw the table read in January 2022, so I have a second-row seat while watching the play evolve, improve. Although I’m a writer first, the editor in me sees places where the author can further tighten this script, should he choose to continue developing it.

For example, while it is important for the audience to understand the respective current events as the timeline hops around, I think planting context clues, character dialogue, or even the family overhearing news on the radio would have more impact than turning local officials into characters to deliver monologues. If part of the reason for the monologues was to show the disjointedness the playwright feels, then I get that, and I’ll shush about what I think. But I feel as if they interfere with the playwright’s personal relationship with the story, snipping the generational thread tying the vignettes together, in much the same way his ancestral heritage was interrupted along the way.

I can sense the author getting closer to his subject matter between last year and in this rendition. And I feel honored to have met Zayas’ family. May this play inspire you to think about your own ancestors, as well as your successors.

“I Don’t Speak Spanish” runs until Oct. 22 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4^th St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit https://www.gamuttheatre.org/i-dont-speak-spanish.

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Burg Review: Open Stage’s “The Exorcist” will grip, possess you

October 7, 2023 | by Gina Napoli

A scene from “The Exorcist” at Open Stage

I wish I could share with you some of my imitations of the hellish noises I heard during “The Exorcist.” I would snarl a demonic throat whisper so chilling it would make your scalp shiver the way mine did. Or I would crack my neck as I tried to spin it all the way around.

But I must leave unsettling sound effects to the professionals. Open Stage ratchets up the tension to create a disturbing and fearful experience that grabs you, possesses you.

William Peter Blatty’s award-winning novel, based on a true story, adapted for the stage by John Pielmeier and directed by Open Stage’s Stuart Landon, “The Exorcist” isn’t just a play to watch. The cast presents the audience with a sensory experience overladen with gore and terror. You smell the air blowing through the rusty casement window. You feel the vibrations from the quaking bed. You sense a presence skulking just offstage, somewhere in the shadows. The stage has an energy around it, like a foggy force-field serving as an imaginary barrier of safety. Then when you hear thunder clap or footsteps behind you, that safety melts away. The special effects surround you, penetrate your sensibilities, make you grab onto the arm of your plus-one for comfort.

In perfect keeping with Open Stage’s “Out of the Darkness” theme for its 38th season comes a story that preys on the blackest parts of the dark arts – in the struggle of good and evil, of things holy and unholy, where children don’t belong. Yet our 12-year-old main character, Regan MacNeil (Emily Reusswig), finds herself shackled to her bed, possessed by a demon that will only leave if he takes someone back to hell with him.

Reusswig delivers an impressive performance that showcases extremes in her range. She gives her voice a pining quality to evoke the audience’s sympathy for a lonely little girl. She swivel-chairs between that helpless and naïve sweetheart to a gnarled, revolting, belligerent beast. Tommy Dougherty plays The Demon, complete with threatening voice and aggressive presence.

Regan’s mother, movie star Chris MacNeil (Tara Herweg), plays a tired single mother who doesn’t believe in God. When her daughter’s soul is overtaken, Herweg transforms her character into a passionate fighter, believing in whatever she has to believe in to save her daughter, bringing the audience along to feel the depth of her desperation.

MacNeil’s director, Burke Dennings (Josh Dorsheimer), provides a touch of comic relief to this play, even adding a few contemporary jokes. The humor isn’t enough to lighten the play overall, but it does add a few smiling moments. Dorsheimer seems to naturally generate chemistry and rapport with the other actors.

Representing the pope, Father Damien Karras (Jeff Luttermoser) and Father Lancaster Merrin (Ted Hanson) both play the main priests exorcising the demonic spirit from Regan. Luttermoser delivers the audience a convincingly tortured and guilty man, shaky in his own beliefs, dealing with grief over his mother’s recent death. In contrast, Hanson’s onstage presence serves as a disruptor to the other characters, carrying a concrete and credible presence. (The feeling zaps me right back to Catholic school when a nun or priest would walk in, and all the students would immediately start behaving. Hanson was in charge.) Both priests say enough Latin and portions of the Mass during the actual exorcism that I feel like I’ve checked my box for the weekly attendance requirement dictated by the Catechism.

I must also praise the evil geniuses who set off every disgust-ometer in downtown Harrisburg with the play’s sinister special effects (Karen Ruch, John Kern, Chris Gibson, Jen Kilander, and Sammi Leigh Melville), frightening lighting design (Tristan Stasiulis), scary sound design (Josh Rhodes), petrifying property design (Becky Arney), and spine-chilling production stage management (Stacy Reck). Together this crew make the setting become its own terrifying character in its own right.

After the house lights come back on, you have to make your way through dim city corridors to find your way home in the dark (unless you attend one of the play’s two matinee showings.)

As with any art form, there’s always the opportunity for artists to offend even the sturdiest of viewers. To honor all that is decent within you, may the power of Christ compel you to leave your minor children at home for this play. And whoever your plus-one is, consider that you have to make eye contact with them at intermission after experiencing some severely lascivious material together. Or you could avert your gaze and spin your head all the way around.

“The Exorcist” runs Oct. 7 to 31 at Open Stage, 25 Court St., Harrisburg. For more information, check their website at https://www.openstagehbg.com/show/exorcist.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

October 6, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Officials cut the ribbon on the Pennsylvania Civil War Battle Flag Education Center.

This week’s stories brought news of unique art exhibits, ribbon cuttings and development projects. If you missed any of our coverage, don’t worry, it’s all listed below.

The Broad Street Market rebuild may be a years-long work in progress, but local officials are busy proposing ideas and planning its reconstruction, our magazine story reported. In the meantime, the city will provide a temporary location for displaced vendors.

A community comment from local group Strong HBG discusses the need for safety improvements to State Street in Harrisburg. Click here, to read about the changes they’re proposing.

Concerts in Harrisburg this month will not disappoint. Our music columnist has a great October lineup, here.

“The Exorcist” is coming to Open Stage, bringing the horror to Harrisburg, our magazine story reported. This new adaptation, penned by John Pielmeier, will run during the 50^th anniversary of the original movie’s release.

Family Fishing Day will return to Harrisburg’s Italian Lake on Oct. 7, our online story reported. The city’s event will offer residents the chance to learn the basics of fishing.

The Farmland Preservation Artists of Central Pennsylvania have artwork on display in the state Capitol this month, our online story reported. The group hopes to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the state’s farmland.

Gamut Theatre, starting this weekend, will host the world premiere of “I Don’t Speak Spanish,” a new work by local playwright David Ramón Zayas. In our magazine story, read more about the show, which is Zayas’ most personal play yet.

Harrisburg City Council weighed a proposal for a downtown apartment project on Tuesday, our online story reported. New Jersey-based developer, Yasser Hellel, has proposed turning the former Federal Building into 162 apartment units.

Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC announced its 2023 Catalyst Award winners. Click here, to find out which local leaders, businesses and community members were honored.

October events are aplenty this month, with lots of ways to enjoy fall. Find special autumn events in our Community Corner section, and all the theater, music and educational goings on in Happenings.

The Pennsylvania Civil War Battle Flag Education Center opened in Harrisburg this week, our online story reported. The center houses the commonwealth’s over 400 flags and features an interactive exhibit.

Our publisher, in his column, shares his thoughts on Harrisburg as a 15-minute city. He appreciates that, in the city, most daily necessities are within a short walk or bike ride.

Revolutionary Hot Sauce Eatery recently opened in Mechanicsburg, our magazine story reported. The shop sells owner Tim Myers’ hot sauce, as well as a menu of lunch and dinner offerings.

Sara Bozich has a great roundup of ways to spend your weekend in Harrisburg. Find them all, here.

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From Stubborn to Statin: A Cholesterol Journey

October 5, 2023 | by Jerry Reimenschneider, THINK Capital Blue Cross

Jerry Reimenschneider, his wife, Terese, and daughter, Alyssa, this spring

I bristled at my doctor.

“A statin?” I huffed. “For me?”

It was during a telehealth appointment in 2021, months after a medical exam for my new life insurance policy flagged an elevated overall cholesterol level of 244 and an alarming LDL (or “bad cholesterol”) level of – gulp – 167. As reference points, anything above 200 overall or 100 LDL is considered high.

Naturally my doctor was concerned, particularly after we’d worked together the previous few years to control my cholesterol through diet. He told me that since that hadn’t worked, it was time to put me on the statin, a well-known class of drugs that can lower cholesterol by blocking a substance the body uses to produce it.

I should have felt good about taking a medication I already knew was affordable and wildly effective. Instead, I was frustrated – and felt like a failure.

Over the previous four years, I’d dropped more than 30 pounds to get to the healthy weight my doctor wanted; intensified my exercise; and limited my intake of high-LDL culprits like cream and cheese.

And still I needed these pills? Weren’t statins for people struggling more with their weight, exercise, and diet? Weren’t they for smokers?

My doctor doubled down.

“Jerry, listen,” he said. “This could just be something out of your control. I can tell you just by looking at your cholesterol number and your demographics – your age (55 at the time), your race, your gender – that your probability of having a heart attack or stroke over the next decade is something like 12%. It shouldn’t be higher than 5%.

“It’s time to take the statin.”

Sufficiently terrified, I finally took the statin.

Not Always about Lifestyle

Turns out I’m far from alone.

My story serves as a reminder that while high cholesterol is often the result of the aforementioned lifestyle factors, it can simply be hereditary.

That’s the case for me and tens of millions of Americans, and a reason the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends all adults 20 and over have preventive cholesterol screenings every four to six years.

An estimated 12% of Americans, about 94 million, have high cholesterol. Because it comes without noticeable symptoms, it’s particularly perilous if left untreated – excess LDL can build and ultimately block a coronary artery, triggering heart disease and strokes.

Costly but Containable

An AHA-funded report found that high cholesterol would cost the United States $276 billion in lost productivity by 2030. But it need not cost so many lives and so much money, because experts agree on several effective approaches:

Take medications when prescribed. I finally succumbed to reality and did what was best for my health. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 45% of U.S. adults who could benefit from cholesterol medications don’t take them.
Maintain a diet low in saturated fats. Saturated, or “bad,” fats are the main culprits leading to high LDL.
Manage your weight. Excess body fat often means higher cholesterol.
Don’t smoke. It makes LDL “stickier,” and more likely to clog arteries.

Health insurance that covers screening, counseling, and treatment is critical to containing high cholesterol.

Capital Blue Cross offers a variety of preventive services with no cost share to members who have standard benefit coverage. Services related to healthy cholesterol levels may include:

An annual preventive visit to review health, as well as family and personal risk factors.
Preventive medications such as statins. See a full covered medication list at capbluecross.com.
A lab test, called a lipid panel, to check cholesterol levels.
Blood pressure screenings.
Screening and behavioral counseling for cardiovascular disease prevention.

So My Statin Worked

My statin – a generic of Lipitor – slashed my numbers to healthy levels within months, making me feel silly for being so prideful and waiting so long.

I’m lucky the issue didn’t create chronic problems, or worse, before I started the prescription, and urge anyone whose doctor recommends medication to take it as prescribed, in addition to doing the other good stuff: Eat healthy, exercise and kick those cigarettes to the curb.

High cholesterol can cause huge problems. But as my journey shows, there’s really no need to let it reach that point.

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

What you’ll find:

For your weekend(ish) planning

A Look Ahead

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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