September News Digest

August 29, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Market Restoration Plan Begins

Harrisburg last month took a significant step forward in its strategy for the Broad Street Market, voting to proceed with a plan for a temporary home for displaced vendors.

City Council voted to authorize the city to move forward with lease agreements related to constructing a temporary structure for market vendors displaced by July’s devastating fire.

The fire, caused by a ceiling fan malfunction, heavily damaged much of the market’s brick building. However, city and state officials have pledged to rebuild.

In the meantime, Harrisburg is moving forward with a temporary structure to be constructed on a grassy lot across the street from the market, as approved by council. City officials have said that they plan to lease the land from the Millworks owner, Josh Kesler, at the corner of Verbeke and N. 3rd streets.

According to City Solicitor Neil Grover, under that lease, the city will likely only pay for property taxes for the lot while using it.

Council’s approval also gives the city the ability to enter into an agreement with the Broad Street Market Alliance, which runs the operations of the city-owned market buildings, to oversee and manage the temporary structure.

Grover said that he expects that rebuilding the market’s brick building will take around two years.

Additionally, council approved the use of $500,000 in the city’s initial insurance proceeds to assist with fire-related expenses, such as costs to secure the damaged building and for the lease of the temporary market structure.

Council Candidate to Remain on Ballot

A Harrisburg City Council candidate will remain on the November general election ballot, as an attempt to kick him off failed last month in court.

Lamont Jones will have his shot in November at earning a seat on council, as Dauphin County Judge Jeffrey Engle ruled in his favor.

A lawsuit was filed in July to try to remove Jones, a Democratic candidate, from the ballot, based on his past criminal convictions dating back over 20 years. However, Engle sustained the defendant’s preliminary objections to the lawsuit and stated that, “the defendant should remain on the November election ballot.”

“I feel encouraged,” Jones said, surrounded by supporters cheering outside the courthouse, following the hearing. “This is a huge day today. We can go into November and remain on the ballot.”

During the hearing, Marco Attisano, the attorney representing the plaintiffs in the case, argued that Jones had misrepresented his eligibility for office and said that his prior convictions should be considered “infamous crimes,” offenses that could disqualify someone from assuming office. If Jones were elected and later found to be ineligible for office, city council would choose a replacement, which would take away the voters’ power to select their representative, Attisano argued.

Jones’ attorney, John Bravacos, countered that the challenge to Jones’ nomination petition fell outside the statutory filing period of seven days after the petition-filing deadline. Bravacos also argued that state election code law does not allow the court to force a candidate to withdraw his name from the ballot.

Kelly Summerford, elections chair for the Dauphin County Democratic Committee, testified during the hearing, stating that Jones was upfront with the committee about his criminal convictions during the committee’s interview process.

“He has redeemed himself,” Summerford stated. “I can’t think of a better candidate. I was amazed and disturbed that this even happened.”

Bravacos also spoke to the fact that Jones has applied for a pardon from the commonwealth and received support from the Dauphin County district attorney and a former secretary of corrections.

Jones is seeking a pardon for his past criminal convictions, including a misdemeanor in 1997 for false reports to law enforcement, and two felonies, once in 2004 and 2005, for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

As a result of the judge’s ruling, Jones’ name will appear as one of three Democratic candidates for city council in November, alongside incumbent council President Danielle Bowers and Crystal Davis, for three, four-year seats.

Apartment Project Gets Planning Approval

A major downtown Harrisburg apartment project has easily cleared its first significant hurdle, securing an approval of its building plan.

Last month, the city’s Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the land development plan for the conversion of the former Federal Building into a 162-unit apartment building.

“I think this is a great project,” said the commission chair, Joe Alsberry. “I do like projects that bring economic development to the city and bring taxpayers to the city. This project appears to be that type of project.”

The vote followed a 30-minute presentation by the New Jersey-based developer, Yasser Hellel, and the project’s Harrisburg-based architect, Vern McKissick, a long-time planning commission member who recused himself from the vote.

Hellel is proposing to construct 146 one-bedroom units, 14 two-bedroom units and two studio units from the 11-story, 196,000-square-foot office building located at N. 3rd and Walnut streets.

The plan also calls for first-floor commercial space and amenities such as a fitness center, penthouse lounge, shared office space, a rooftop deck, a shared lobby and a limited parking deck.

Until recently, the building housed the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and other federal offices. Court personnel moved in April to a new federal courthouse at N. 6th and Reily streets, leaving the building nearly empty.

In February, Hellel bought the 55-year-old structure for $13.3 million from Jeremy Etzin, who had purchased the building at auction a year before for $10 million from the U.S. General Services Administration.

In an interview with TheBurg, Hellel estimated the total project cost to be around $35 million, including acquisition costs.

During the Planning Commission meeting, Hellel and McKissick addressed two significant issues: parking and affordable housing.

Currently, the project includes only about 30 off-street parking spaces. Harrisburg’s Downtown Center zoning district does not require off-street parking to be included as part of the project.

However, Hellel said that they were seeking to address the issue by possibly leasing spaces in nearby parking garages, with a goal of securing one space per apartment.

He also said that he’s aware of the city’s desire that affordable housing be included in new apartment projects.

“We’re prepared to give some serious consideration as part of our application,” he said. “I think we’ll come up with something sensible to present to City Council.”

Next, the land development plan must be approved by City Council before construction can begin. Hellel said that he hopes to start work in January and believes that the project will take about 18 months to complete.

During the meeting, McKissick cited the potential effect of the project on the downtown economy, now that many workers who once spent their days in downtown offices work primarily from home. He estimated that the building would house 240 to 280 residents.

“It will be a significant impact and a positive one, we hope,” he said.

New Home for LGBT Center

After several years in a temporary location, the LGBT Center of Central PA has purchased a permanent home on a prominent Harrisburg street.

In late June, the organization bought a commercial-style building at 1323 N. Front St., near the corner of Verbeke Street, for $255,000 from DMI55 Enterprises LLC, according to Dauphin County sales data.

In a press release, the LGBT Center stated that staff will officially move into the 3,000-square-foot space this fall, following renovations. Improvements will include making the space fully ADA accessible, expanding the lobby and community room, and installing a full kitchen, according to the organization.

“This is especially meaningful for us because it is ‘A Home of Our Own,’ a building that we own, and a permanent space for the center,” said Executive Director Amanda Arbour.

The LGBT Center was located for nearly a decade in a building on the 1300-block of N. 3rd Street in Harrisburg, but moved out almost two years ago. It since has been operating out of the GLO-Harrisburg building on the 1700-block of N. 3rd Street.

The center serves over 2,000 people each year across Dauphin, Cumberland, York and Lancaster counties.

The LGBT Center stated that it was able to raise 61% of its $350,000 goal during its “quiet” fundraising phase, enabling it to purchase the building. The fundraiser is now in its “public” phase to raise the rest of the funds for the building.

“Our work at the LGBT Center of Central PA is as important as ever in the face of increasing anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and discrimination,” said Wallace McKelvey, board co-chair. “With the establishment of a home of our own, we extend heartfelt gratitude to all who support our efforts in fostering the health and wellbeing of our community.”

Home Sales Down, Prices Firm

Home sales dipped though prices inched up in July, according to the latest report on previously owned homes in the Harrisburg area.

For the three-county region, sales totaled 517 homes compared to 675 sales in July 2022, as the median price rose to $264,900 versus $255,000 last year, stated the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 245 homes sold against 344 the prior July, as the median price fell slightly, to $235,000 from $239,800, said GHAR.

Cumberland County reported 236 home sales, a drop from 303 last July, while the median price rose to $292,000 from $290,000, according to GHAR.

Perry County had 30 home sales, a decrease of eight units compared to July 2022, as the median price shot up to $267,500 versus $218,750 a year ago, GHAR said.

GHAR also reported that houses were selling a bit slower in July, as the “average days on market” rose to 19 days compared to 15 days in July 2022.

So Noted

Chase Bank opened a branch office last month in downtown Harrisburg at 10 S. 2nd St. The bank offers a full range of services from the location, including credit cards, mortgages, personal banking, auto financing and small business loans.

Daniel Snow was hired as Harrisburg’s new city engineer at an annual salary of $140,000. The post had been vacant for about 18 months, with Lower Paxton Township-based Dawood Engineering filling some functions during this time on a contractual basis.

Drew Iwaskow last month was appointed chief people officer for Goodwill Keystone Area, a newly created role in the organization. The position focuses on hiring, employee retention, employee development and other workforce issues. Iwaskow previously served as vice president of human resources for Dollar Tree Corp.

George Hartwick last month was named “County Commissioner of the Year” at the County Commissioners Association of PA (CCAP) conference in Erie. Hartwick, a Democrat, has been a Dauphin County commissioner since 2003.

Jeb Stuart last month was elected to serve as the president of Historic Harrisburg Association. Stuart, the organization’s 25th president, succeeds Thomas Darr, who served in the post for six years. Stuart has long been involved with HHA, including as board member, House Tour Committee chair, Preservation Advisor and member of the CHPF Council of Trustees.

Jess King has been named executive director of the Steinman Institute for Civic Engagement, a new institute concentrating on innovations in the areas of local news consumption and delivery, media literacy and civic life. The institute is a new venture for the public media organization, WITF, formed as part of the transaction that gifted LNP to WITF. King formerly served as chief of staff for the Lancaster mayor and has over 20 years of experience in public and nonprofit organizations, according to WITF.

Lou Baverso will step down this month as president of UPMC in Central Pa. following about a year in the post. Baverso, who spent 28 years with UPMC, is leaving to become chief operating officer at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System. David Gibbons, regional president, and senior vice president of the UPMC Health Services Division, will serve as interim president of UPMC in Central Pa. until a successor is named, said UPMC.

Robin Wiessmann last month was named “Housing Advocate of the Year” by Harrisburg-based Tri County Housing, an award presented at the organization’s annual golf outing fundraiser. Wiessmann is the executive director and CEO of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and the former state treasurer and secretary of banking.

Ryan Unger has been elected to the board of directors of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, an Alexandria, Va.-based organization that represents over 9,000 professionals who work at more than 1,600 chambers of commerce. Unger serves as president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC.

Changing Hands

Allison St., 1500: L. & B. Hummel to N. Kebede, $93,000

Bellevue Rd., 2012: T. & J. Lawson to J. Maneri, $170,000

Berryhill St., 2112: C. Ankeny to Two Three Two Investments LLC, $78,000

Berryhill St., 2152: D. Hess to Gamma One LLC, $85,000

Boas St., 1921: P. Holubowski & Lehman Property Management to D. Ruford, $75,000

Caledonia St., 1937: C. Maluchnik & G. Kerper to C. Buckles & C. Wise, $216,500

Camp St., 625: C. Perez to Penn Properties Associates LLC, $42,000

Chestnut St., 1217: Lorfax 1 LLC & Map T LLC to J. Tolentino, $77,000

Chestnut St., 1816: J. & A. Padilla to Y. De La Rosa & V. Yordan, $94,000

Chestnut St., 1917: S. Jawhar to CJMB Holdings LLC, $110,000

Crescent St., 325: D. & J. Tuzzato to L. Kaighn, $70,000

Crescent St., 455: K. Weldon to Val de Vie Estate Investment LLC, $45,000

Derry St., 1410: M. Wijaya & S. Liang to J., H. & S. Sandoval, $100,000

Derry St., 2325: C. McCormick to S. & M. Mejia, $120,000

Emerald Ct., 2451: M. Spence to T. Dafton, $160,000

Evergreen St., 319: A. Rivera to R. Pena, $46,580

Fulton St., 2033: S. Simmons to JHK Properties LLC, $110,100

Geary St., 619: Q. Watson to G. Rodriguez, $44,500

Green St., 1719: The Berlin Group to T. Yeargain, $276,000

Green St., 2230: SPG Capital LLC to Y. & R. Corniell, $155,000

Green St., 2323: A. Mohamed to J. Cabbagestalk, $87,500

Green St., 3212: J. & S. Compton to J. Brevan & A. Lovo, $150,000

Holly St., 2020: W. Brown to First Choice Home Buyers LLC, $65,000

Howard St., 1313 & 1319: A. Morillo to RC Realty & Investment LLC, $40,000

Hudson St., 1132: B. Laney to E. Koup, $165,000

Kensington St., 2267: Blackfoot Viking LLC to PA Deals LLC, $67,000

Locust St., 119: Sierra Real Estate LLC to N. Spacavento, $240,000

Market St., 1851: M. Stewart & Metro Bank to L. & V. Weiler, $145,000|

Mercer St., 2423: M. Kauffman to E. Green, $76,500

Muench St., 314: D. Keech to Aljo Properties LLC, $97,500

Muench St., 316: D. Keech to Aljo Properties LLC, $97,500

Mulberry St., 1202: D. Smarsh to Aden General Contracting LLC, $62,000

Mulberry St., 1843: A. Jacques to H. Hall & M. Stinson, $73,000

North St., 1732: B. Baker to J. Oshinuga, $90,000

N. 2nd St., 815: J. Ehring to U. Bigham, $225,000

N. 2nd St., 3237: H. & J. Loughery to R. Murray, $251,500

N. 4th St., 1324: R&K Realty Group LP to C. O’Donnell, $171,000

N. 4th St., 2333: I. Molina to S. Joseph & R. Louis, $156,000

N. 4th St., 3018: C. Johnson to J. & E. Kohute, $230,900

N. 6th St., 1344: H. Bevan to S. Mercurio, $175,000

N. 14th St., 211 & 213: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to Dreams2Reality Services LLC, $116,500

N. 14th St., 1208: M. Ellis & Law Offices of Craig A. Diehl to JTA Consulting Group LLC, $67,100

N. 15th St., 223: Lancaster Real Estate Fund LLC to L. Rivera & J. Hernandez, $62,000

N. 15th St., 1609: Top Notch Rentals LLC to A. McKune & A. Peterson, $79,500

N. 16th St., 805: M. Temba to M. Guzman, $62,000

N. 16th St., 1010: A. & A. Penn to Saintelia Properties II LLC, $160,000

N. 16th St., 1218: G. & C. Dauberman to R. Bujosa, $125,000

N. 17th St., 614: C. Johnson, C. Logan & S. Kent to F. Flores, $100,000

N. 18th St., 73: R. Newberry to C. de Jesus, $105,000

N. 18th St., 920: Global Reach LLC to L. Marte, $105,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 308: A. Kanpol to M. & J. Horgan, $205,000

N. Summit St., 127 & 2656 Jefferson St.: R. & M. Archie to Beahive Affordable Housing Outreach Inc., $65,000

Park St., 1734: Keystone Properties Solutions LLC to Y. Tejada, $135,000

Penn St., 1103: W. Osborne & R. Campbell to Equitable Builds LLC, $65,000

Penn St., 1826: A. Virant to E. Webb, $206,000

Penn St., 2138: L. Ramirez to Oasis Property Investment LLC, $47,000

Regina St., 1526, 1530 & 1532: J. & A. Wells to J. Vasquez & Y. Jaramillo, $62,000

Seneca St., 250: A. Nix to J. King & J. Wise, $149,000

S. 13th St., 435: Alliance Estates LLC to C. Blackwell, $129,900

S. 13th St., 1426: Far Reo Sub 1 LLC to A. Paredes, $119,000

S. 16th St., 15: T. Diggs to J. Mendez, $90,000

S. 18th St., 1206: Capital Property Investments LP to J. Gardner, $229,000

S. 21st St., 24: E. Lonardi to S. Singh, $200,000

S. 26th St., 620: F. Cain to F. Salvato & C. Daube, $175,250

S. 26th St., 734: J. Glipatrick to P. Williams, $125,000

S. 29th St., 624: J. Pham to K. Pham, $115,000

S. Front St., 563: T. Youngbluth to M. Dagneau, $193,500

Verbeke St., 1727: S. & A. Dougherty to L. & B. Robinson, $128,000

Walnut St., 1612: A. Lovo to HBA Landscaping LLC, $80,000

Wilson Parkway, 2694: L. Davis to Gamma One LLC, $86,000

Woodbine St., 237: Montalvo Investments LLC to Penn Properties Associates LLC, $105,000

Woodbine St., 330: L. Blanton to J. & K. Travers and F. Hamid, $120,000

Woodbine St., 642: YMCA Harrisburg & Cornerstone Initiative LLC to M. Scott, $158,000

Woodbine St., 644: YMCA Harrisburg & Cornerstone Initiative LLC to L. Little, $150,000

Harrisburg property sales, July 2023, greater than $40,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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Painting Times Two: Over decades, the Buchanans have shared a life, a talent

August 29, 2023 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

Painting by Robert Buchanan

The couple that paints together has grown more gifted together.

Since 1981, when Barbara and Robert Buchanan met while exhibiting separately at the Mt. Gretna Art Show, they have led intensive lives as fine artists—studying art, teaching art, practicing art, and showing it.

A few years later, they were married, inspiring each other as artists and people.

“Art takes one out of the mundane,” Robert said.

Both artists have had long and prestigious careers.

Robert is the author of “Four Contemporary Watercolor Illustrators” and has been published in many books and magazines. He has exhibited broadly, including for the U.S. State Department’s “Art in Embassies” program, and has taught at the Art Institute of York, among other places.

Barbara has exhibited at the Reading Art Museum, the Governor’s Mansion and the Lancaster Art Museum, to name just a few, winning numerous awards. Like Robert, she has taught art in many places, including the Lancaster Art Museum, Willow Valley Community, Mechanicsburg Art Center and the York Art Association.

Now in their 70s, these semi-retired artists continue to create and blend each other’s personalities, as they have since that day at Mt. Gretna.

Robert is the more vocal, likelier to answer questions. But he’s also sure to share the stage with Barbara. She credits Robert with being the better “marketer and promoter” of their art and especially with “encouraging” hers.

While two people in the same profession might understand each other better than those who aren’t, they can also be competitive. The rivalry intensified when she sold a painting or received a commission, Barbara said. For a while she stopped painting, though that period ended some 20 years ago.

It helps that the artists have their own specialties. Barbara’s is pastels, while Robert’s are oils and watercolors.

Painting by Barbara Buchanan

Another phase of their lives began when they moved to Masonic Village in Elizabethtown a few years ago. Aside from its rustic beauty and an apartment they love, the facility offered an artist’s studio, to the couple’s delight.

“We have to share it with others, but do have our own work area,” Robert said.

In addition, they have their own exhibiting space—Dutchland Galleries in Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse, Pa.

Mostly, Robert and Barbara work independently, but there have been a few joint projects. One is an illustrated volume of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” done for Reader’s Digest Books.

The Buchanans cite their friendly and interesting neighbors as part of the joy of living in Masonic Village. Admittedly, though, Barbara said that they’re perhaps more likely to know the name of the Buchanans’ dog—Salliann, a Maltese/Yorkshire mix.

Plus, being semi-retired means more time for their own hobbies. Robert enjoys hiking, classical music, going to museums, reading about artists, and watching British mysteries on TV. Barbara prefers antiquing, making Victorian ornaments, and reading about art.

Oh, yes, Robert has one more interest—genealogy. Turns out that he’s the eighth generation away from another famous person from central PA: President James Buchanan.

Over the years, the two artists may have slowed down a little in their painting but not in their passionate endorsement of it.

“To me, painting is visual music, a personification of my love of nature, objects and people, Robert said.

Added Barbara: “Upon viewing the landscape, I experience a longing for completeness. Through my paintings, I am able to express this feeling along with the beauty and timelessness I see in the earth around me.”

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Plant Pioneer: What’s it like to be on the ground floor of PA’s medical marijuana industry? Organic Remedies has a story to tell

August 29, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda

Eric Hauser

Most new businesses face big obstacles getting off the ground.

There are issues involving financing, location, products, leasing, taxes, regulations—among others.

For Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana companies, you can double those challenges—maybe triple them.

Indeed, anyone who thought that this business would be a golden ticket should speak to Eric Hauser, president of Carlisle-based Organic Remedies.

“It was kind of like block and tackle, honestly. Every day, it was something,” he said. “It was like 12-to-15-hour days almost every day of the week to get this thing off the ground.”

Hauser became interested in the emerging industry a decade or so back. By trade, he’s a pharmacist and spent many years at Rite Aid, rising through the corporate ranks to eventually land in pharmacy operations.

On a trip out west, his curiosity led him to visit several facilities in California and Oregon, where medical marijuana had been legalized.

“It was something that intrigued me—is this real? What is it?” he said. “I had no experience with marijuana before, like zero, prior to all this.”

At the dispensaries, he found people who were eager to share their knowledge and experience: the products they had, the conditions they treated, how they operated.

Around the same time, Pennsylvania was in the process of legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes, which it did in 2016, following years of grassroots advocacy and lobbying.

“I thought that Pennsylvania would be like the 50th state to legalize the program,” Hauser said. “But they did, and I started reading about it and thought, ‘Maybe this is something I could get behind.’ But first I need to know more about it.”

So, he set out west again, this time to Oakland, Calif., to a conference sponsored by the National Cannabis Industry Association. His plan—pick brains and vacuum up as much knowledge as he could.

There, he struck up a conversation with two other attendees, Mark Toigo and Ryan Simpson, who, by coincidence, were also from central PA. Toigo and Simpson operated Carlisle-based Toigo Farms, which then was the largest organic tomato greenhouse in North America.

Like Hauser, Simpson and Toigo—along with Toigo’s wife, Jaime—had conducted research into medical marijuana and became intrigued by Pennsylvania’s nascent movement, both as a treatment and as a business. Soon, the partners joined forces to found Organic Remedies.

“We just talked and said, ‘Maybe we should try this together. What the heck?’” Hauser said. “So, that’s what we ended up doing.”

As they moved forward, challenges mounted. The state Department of Health implemented a rigorous application and review process for potential licensees. Meanwhile, medical marijuana, though legalized by the state, remained a “Schedule 1” substance federally. This presented many legal, insurance and financial issues that most new businesses do not face.

For instance, Organic Remedies found itself shut out from bank financing, so had to turn to venture capital, a more expensive alternative. In addition, dispensaries can’t take credit cards—they’re an all-cash business—and health insurers don’t cover treatment. The founders also needed to find a bank willing to work with them, given their unconventional needs and the extra, costly compliance requirements.

“Banks are allowed to work with us—they’re not prohibited,” Hauser said. “However, there’s a lot of red tape that they have to endure.”

The Best

In the end, Organic Remedies applied for two licenses—a dispensary permit and a grower/processor permit.

The state health department awarded the company the former, allowing it to open its flagship Enola store on Feb. 15, 2018, the first day of legal medical marijuana sales in Pennsylvania. Locations in York and Chambersburg soon followed and, today, Organic Remedies operates six dispensaries, including, most recently, in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

In PA, medical marijuana is authorized to treat 24 different conditions. According to Hauser, pain treatment makes up about 80% of patient visits, followed by anxiety disorders and then “everything else.”

So, what should a patient expect upon first walking into an Organic Remedies dispensary?

First of all, they need two things: a doctor’s referral and an appointment. The doctor’s referral will qualify a patient for a state issued medical marijuana card. The appointment is necessary because a pharmacist meets with all new patients, Hauser said.

“We go, A to Z, through that patient’s medical history, their other prescription meds, their goals of treatment, their history with marijuana,” he said. “You’re going to spend more time with me as your pharmacist today than you have your whole life with your pharmacist at the retail store down the street.”

The company since has obtained its grower/processor permit and now operates a 250,000-square-foot facility in Carlisle. So, today, it’s a vertically integrated operation—one of the few companies in the commonwealth managing the process from plant to product. In addition, it wholesales its finished products, which includes oils, cartridges, tinctures, concentrates, tablets and capsules, to most of the 175 dispensaries in the state.

It also has partnered with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine for research. One current study is tracking the quality of life of 462 patients new to medical marijuana.

“Right now, it’s mostly data collection based on patient feedback after initiating treatment,” Hauser said. “We have other studies: one focused on autism, one focused on chronic pain, chronic pain patients who also have opioid use disorder.”

Armed with more research and data, Hauser hopes that greater acceptance follows, including on the federal level. He’d like those barriers to come down so that Organic Remedies can operate like any other legal business in PA—taking credit cards, getting bank loans, accepting health insurance.

Then, down the road, if more licenses come available, they’ll consider what to do next.

“We never wanted to be big. That was never something that was a goal or in our mission statement,” Hauser said. “We wanted to be the best.”

For more information about Organic Remedies, visit www.organicremediespa.com.

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Collective Effort: Art, community hit the streets for inaugural New Cumberland Music + Film Festival

August 29, 2023 | by Molly Pavlovich

West & Ward

Jonny Leahan, a board member of the New Cumberland Collective, lived in New York City for 20 years before moving to central PA in 2014.

The luxury of a lively and eclectic art scene was an element of city living he was fond of—filling his cup with film festivals, live music and the like. Fellow board member Pamela Cullen shares a similar story, having lived in Portland, Ore., for a decade before returning home to New Cumberland.

“One of the things that was most frustrating to me when I moved back was that people would ask me ‘Why would you want to move back here?’” Cullen said.

“You don’t have to go to New York, San Francisco, Portland or any other big city to have a meaningful experience in the arts,” Leahan added. “If you really look, there are amazing, creative people everywhere.”

Created in 2022, the New Cumberland Collective is rooted in the idea that community members can come together to create positive change where they live—from building community to civic engagement, tactical urbanism and amplifying arts and culture. The collective’s latest endeavor, taking place this month, is its inaugural New Cumberland Music + Film Festival.

The three-day festival headlines soul-singing Harrisburg native Shawan Rice and features various other acts, including a punk performance paying tribute to New Cumberland’s early 2000s music venue known as The Wire/Wyre, a music video exhibition curated from 600 local and global submissions, and a closing-day screening of the film “Hummingbirds,” followed by a Q&A session with its producers and co-directors, Jillian Schlesinger and Miguel Drake-McLaughlin.

Centered in the heart of downtown New Cumberland, festivalgoers will find many of the ticketed performances and film showings taking place at the West Shore Theatre and other local creative hubs, but the collective has also secured permission to bring the festivities outside. The 3rd Avenue alleyway that runs adjacent to the West Shore Theatre will house periodic performances from buskers, free of charge—immersing the town and its people in the reverberations of music and spirit.

“New Cumberland is such a lovely, walkable town,” Leahan said. “We wanted to keep everything clustered in that central area so that, even if there’s no scheduled performance going on for an hour, it’s going to feel like something is going on all weekend as people come and go. It’s our hope that people feel welcomed and energized to explore, gather and enjoy downtown together in between the weekend events.”

Dustin LeBlanc, the managing director of the West Shore Theatre that reopened last year, believes that the collective has its finger on the pulse of art movements on a local and larger level, and he’s enjoyed working alongside a likeminded organization to bring art-forward and community-minded ideas to reality.

“I hope people come and discover not just New Cumberland physically, but the people of New Cumberland and the things that are happening here—how we’re rallying together to reinvigorate the downtown scene through the theater, this festival and the overall efforts of the collective,” LeBlanc said.

Eager to cultivate a pride of place, the collective doesn’t have aspirations to emulate larger, nationally known festivals. Rather, it wants future New Cumberland Music + Film Festivals to be a balanced mix of community feedback and global trends—progressively drawing larger crowds, but ultimately remaining something that is special to right here.

“The arts can be a driver for so many other things—for discovery, curiosity and continued growth and development in the New Cumberland community,” Leahan said. “It’s precious and it’s powerful, and I think those who join us for the New Cumberland Music + Film Festival will be able to see that—experience it—firsthand.”

The New Cumberland Music + Film Festival takes place Sept. 15 to 17. To learn more about the New Cumberland Collective, the festival and other upcoming events, visit www.newcumberland.co.

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Oasis for Art: The Art Center is a haven for creativity, community

August 29, 2023 | by Alex J. Hayes

Pottery and glass blowing are among the many classes available at The Art Center School and Galleries.

On a recent Thursday, artists from around the area arrived at the Art Center School and Galleries for one of several classes for the evening.

Potters, glassblowers and water colorists greeted each other as old friends. The center, located in a beautiful barn on the outskirts of Mechanicsburg, is special to all as it gives them an opportunity to create, socialize and forget about life’s stressors.

“It’s hard to think about the Visa card bill when you are focused on keeping a vase straight,” said board member Justin Pettingell.

Next year, the center will celebrate its 70th anniversary. Over the decades, it has seen a lot of changes, including uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but its passionate members are now back and fully engaged.

Board members Tina Antonicelli and Bill Klaiber are a full-time husband and wife volunteering team.

Klaiber is a retired Mechanicsburg High School art and photography instructor. The 71-year-old has been coming to the Art Center since he was 16 years old, so he and Tina know firsthand how important it is to the local community.

Pettingell tells a similar story. The center displayed his art when he was in high school. Decades later, he rediscovered his passion and now teaches glassblowing classes in a studio that he and others constructed in the center’s basement.

Art also gives many people the chance to manifest their personality in ways their full-time jobs prohibit. For instance, Pettingell is employed as a grants processor, which he describes as a very “black and white” position.

Similarly, Jody Boyer works full-time in the healthcare industry. The pottery instructor joined the center in 2001 after completing her master’s degree.

“I wanted to take a class that didn’t have any homework,” she recalled.

Boyer developed an affection for the pottery wheel, and she now has a studio in her home. Working solo in her own space gives her control over many aspects of her art, but the Art Center offers community. More than 20 years after she attended her first class, Boyer continues to learn from those around her.

“My students challenge me,” she said. “They will often ask me to teach them to make pieces I have never made, so I need to learn first.”

Pettingell agrees and notes that the Art Center’s other glassblowing instructor, Michael Peluso, is one of his mentors.

“About half of my class is stuff he does, too,” Pettingell said.

The Art Center also features a large gallery space where work on display changes monthly. Anyone interested in viewing pieces is welcome to visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 7 p.m. From Sept. 8 to 26, instructors such as Pettingell and Boyer will have creations on display during the “School Days: Our Instructors’ Show.”

The center isn’t all adults who need a break from life’s stressors. Children attend classes there, too, and some adult classes are open to interested and responsible teenagers. Full and partial scholarships are available for families who are unable to afford tuition costs.

The Art Center’s members and instructors are a tightknit group, but they are always willing to open the barn doors for new members. Established artists who are interested in teaching should contact the center to pitch an idea. Those looking to take a class can explore the center’s many offerings, including glassblowing, painting, pottery, jewelry making and photography.

“Producing art is a sign of a society that is progressing. It is a sign of a society that is celebrating where they are and what they are doing,” Pettingell said. “Any way I can be part of that is special.”

The Art Center School and Galleries is located at 18 Artcraft Dr., Mechanicsburg. For more information, visit www.theartcenterschoolandgalleries.com.

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The Painted Word: “Art Is…” Gallery Walk at 35

August 29, 2023 | by Bob MacGinnes

Josephine Alexander

Sept. 10 marks the 35th edition of Gallery Walk, the one-day event scheduled for the first Sunday after Labor Day, set aside to tour art galleries, museums, restaurants and shops that designate space to the art of the community, our beloved Harrisburg. It is a day to celebrate the beauty of life through art. This special anniversary, symbolic of longevity and success, is a special tribute to the visionary who originated the concept.

The year was 1988, and CEO Carrie Wissler-Thomas of the Art Association of Harrisburg (AAH), in tandem with a list of who’s who art makers and shakers in the city, came together to present an all-inclusive gallery walk. Looking back to that year, individual exhibits from the Penn State Downtown Center, Temple University and the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, all located in Strawberry Square, threw their support to this collective art symposium. Independent galleries included Gallerie 110, Tangerine Gallery and Metro Arts, as well as the nonprofit Dōshi Gallery. On that day, flags waved outside the participating galleries with the downtown streets teeming with gallery-goers, brochures in hand, venturing from site to site. The day was a tremendous success and became an annual event.

This year promises even more excitement, as Gallery Walk isn’t the only anniversary. Midtown Scholar Bookstore turns 20, featuring the new George’s Collectibles, an adjacent building housing all sorts of antiques, rare prints and ephemera. Just a half-block down Verbeke, you’ll find Harrisburg art couple, Vivi Sterste, potter with elan, and Jeb Boyd, poet/photographer, welcoming guests to the 10th anniversary of their gallery, Vivi on Verbeke. Completing the 3rd and Verbeke triangle is Nyeusi Gallery, celebrating their second anniversary on Gallery Walk Sunday. The anniversaries are even more reason to get out and party, honoring these gems that beautify our homes and businesses with exceptional art, prints, pottery, photographs and more.

Art & History

Make your way to the AAH for the inside scoop on this year’s theme, “Art Is,” as presented by its members. Subjective studies swirl seductively, pulling the viewer into the members’ many moods of meaning. Smelling salts are offered for those who swoon under September’s spell. After you’re revived, spin around on the gallery floor to Hemlock Hollow’s mellifluous strains. Then go out the door on Front Street and turn left to 219 S. Front to the rich repository at the Historical Society of Dauphin County. Check off all the “A’s” that Christine Turner, its director, has in store: artifacts, artwork and architecture.

Up the street in the other direction, drop in at the newly renovated McCormick Riverfront Library and view the art on display while you marvel at the extensive restorations. Close by, you will find one of the Seven Lively Artists, Jonathan Frazier, showing his oil paintings at the Riverfront Gallery of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Zion Lutheran Church not only offers tours but the oil and acrylic paintings of John McNulty, who has exhibited with those magnificent seven. While there, catch the stencil prints of Japanese artist Sadao Watanabe.

One church leads to another over on Chestnut Street, with Salem United Church of Christ housing Roxanne Dombrosky’s Muddy Rox Pottery, organically influenced utilitarian vessels. Tours of the historic church will be in sync with stained glass art from Diane Hoffer. Nearby, CASA’s “Mixed Media Showcase” highlights the best from its students. Speaking of high school artists, more will show at Old City Hall Apartments as part of the “Artistic Expressions” group.

St. Michael’s Lutheran Church is excited to showcase the fine art of Yachiyo Beck. Her watercolor and oil paintings are internationally revered for their beauty. Do “Pass Go” and travel to 612 N. Front St for a visit with Contrena Baltimore, president of the oldest civic institution in our city, the Civic Club. Be sure not to “Overlook” the art at the mansion throughout this historic building.

Creative Gems

Now’s a good time to slow down the pace and catch your breath in the great outdoors. A “Capitol” idea forms at its steps at noon and 2 p.m. for Sprocket Mural Works tours of the Midtown mural corridor while, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., the tour heads to downtown’s mural scene. The best part is it’s just $15 per, with no speeding tickets given as each tour takes place at 1 mph. The State Museum of Pennsylvania offers free admission for Gallery Walk and mounts its 56th edition of “Art of the State.”

When it comes to local history, Historic Harrisburg Association’s David Morrison is a treasure trove of tales from the past and a wealth of knowledge regarding the rich and varied visual vignettes captured in photographic archives. Nearby, the Susquehanna Art Museum is the only dedicated art museum in the area and houses ever changing exhibits on its spacious two floors. If you have never visited, Gallery Walk provides the perfect opportunity. Catch “Transformative Craft” through Oct. 15 and vote for your favorite creation. Just doors away, at 1423 N. 3rd, is a gem of a boutique, the Nyianga Store. Owner Chantal Nga Elondou hails from Cameroon, bringing the best of her homeland. Clothing, rich and vibrant, an array of leather goods, jewelry, beauty products and art fill the interior with cultural treasures.

Another niche art gallery providing an alternative approach for art can be found at Gallery@2nd at 608 N. 2nd St. Proprietor and lowbrow artist, Ted Walke, and comrade in brush, Krissy Whiski, have a floor dedicated for each of their works. Under gallery Art Director Steve Barber, Nyeusi is a vital source for works that fall under the umbrella of Black art. It is the last word on African and Caribbean art, artifacts and books. Ending your day at Millworks has its advantages in viewing the featured artists on the lobby walls. Art Director Tara Chickey revealed that Paul Gallo, Elaine Elledge, Rebecca Adey, Linda Benton McCloskey and April Henbest will display their latest collections, and many of the Millworks’ studio residents will greet patrons and art lovers. Afterwards, stay for the second annual impromptu after-party at the restaurant and bar.

“Art Is”

Art is personal and universal rolled into one. Art is uplifting and buoyant. Art is moving and thought provoking. Art is an image that speaks to the soul, and art is something solely for you. Art is a thought put into action and the very act may give satisfaction to the artist and the audience from their own point of view. Art is meaningful or easily dismissed, art is beautiful like a lover just kissed, art is temporal or eternal, art is the language spoken around the globe. Art is a joyous slice or a feast for the senses. Art is transcendent for race, color and creed, leaving us speechless on bended knee.

The 35th annual Gallery Walk takes place on Sept. 10 at locations throughout downtown and Midtown Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.artassocofhbg.com.

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Art of the Harvest: PA Gourd Society creates from nature’s bounty

August 29, 2023 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Photos courtesy of Pennsylvania Gourd Society

For members of the Pennsylvania Gourd Society, gourds aren’t just for making Halloween jack-o’-lanterns.

Instead, the nonprofit organization embraces many varieties of gourds to make different types of art, including pyrography (think wood-burning), painting, carving, jewelry making and more.

“To me, (gourds are) a canvas,” said society president Claudia Hill, of Saylorsburg, Monroe County. “There’s chip carving using a hand gouge or power carver; you can make baskets out of them, you can bead them.”

Hill said that the state Gourd Society doesn’t really have a central location or a physical office. Instead, its roughly 1,940 members, hailing from across Pennsylvania, converge annually at the PA Gourd Fest featuring classes, workshops and competitions.

This year’s event, which was held in June at the Lebanon Valley Expo Center and Fairgrounds, attracted a crowd of around 300.

The society is hosting a 2023 fall member retreat later this month at Cherry Ridge Campground & Lodging in Honesdale, Wayne County. This event involves guest instructors, a team-building activity, gourd wreath challenge and more.

According to its website, the society’s mission is “promoting the use of gourds in Pennsylvania, growing different varieties, and using them in artistic and functional craft by providing a supportive and educational environment for our members and the community.”

Members also sell their gourd art at local craft shows and serve as PGS volunteers in their communities through educational visits to schools, garden clubs and similar venues.

“Our purpose is to educate people about gourds,” stated vice president Mariellen Hittner of Bethlehem Township in Northampton County. “It’s not about only crafting. It’s also about growing.”

The gourd society was started in 2003 with Hittner as a founding member. However, she credits another founder, Jenn Avery, of Lititz, as “the one who really started with gourds.”

“I became interested in doing gourds after seeing them in a craft store and found Jen online,” Hittner said. “I was painting animals on rocks before that.”

The society is just one of 24 state chapters that comprise the American Gourd Society, founded in Rockport, Mass., in 1932, according to the national organization’s website. North Carolina became the first chartered chapter in 1943. Today, the national nonprofit is based in Ohio.

The first domesticated bottle gourds, researchers suggest, were used by prehistoric people and sent to the Americas from Asia roughly 10,000 years ago, according to the AGS.

Records of gourd art first appeared in history books from China’s Ming Dynasty, which ran from 1368 to 1644. Records from this time trace the art back to the Tang Dynasty running from 618 to 907.

“Historically, a lot of different cultures have made musical instruments from gourds,” Hill said. “With a snake gourd, you can make drums or pianos. Other gourds are so small, you can make earrings out of them. People also make children’s push toys, like ducks, out of gourds.”

The PGS began holding its annual festival in 2007 at a Lancaster County farm, but it was later moved to the Lebanon Expo Center due to the farm’s space limitations as the event grew.

“It required a lot of work by the farmer to get ready,” Hill said. “A lot of the time, we needed electric setups for the wood burners, and so on. Once people realized what you can do with a hard-shell gourd, they’re interested.”

She said that she gives away “a lot” of her completed projects, while others are sold or placed in gallery shows. Crafting her pieces takes anywhere from “a few hours to several weeks,” depending on size and detail, she said.

Working with gourds has its unique challenges, since the art medium is a large, fleshy fruit. Cleaning and cutting them can be difficult and tedious, Hittner said. What does she like most?

“The creative part, of picking up a gourd and saying ‘I can do that,’” she said. “It’s very relaxing.”

For information about the Pennsylvania Gourd Society, visit www.pagourdsociety.org.

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Instrumental Conversation: Market Square Concerts introduces its 2023-24 season

August 29, 2023 | by Lori M. Myers

Galvin Cello Quartet

Music is a language that rarely needs translation and, even more, takes over when words fail.

The melodies, harmonies, rhythms—its lyrical qualities speak to us all. That’s why the members of the Aizuri Quartet, a string quartet that opens Market Square Concerts’ 2023-24 season on Sept. 27, views the music they play as a living art and a springboard for special interactions.

“In 1829, Goethe described Beethoven quartets as ‘four intelligent people conversing, which illustrates just how insufficient words are in capturing the richness of communication this genre has to offer,” said Peter Sirotin, co-director for Market Square Concerts.

Sirotin cites even more history on string quartets. They often served, he said, as a medium for the most intimate expression, boldest experimentation and longest creative collaborations.

“From Haydn’s hidden musical puns delighting a handful of his initiated friends under the nose of his unsuspecting aristocratic patrons to Shostakovich’s searing testimony about the brutality of Communist dictatorship, string quartets offer a deep insight into a lived experience of people from different countries and historical periods,” he said.

These ideas of cross-cultural collaboration, creative experimentation and community building are becoming more a focus of younger performers entering the musical arena, Sirotin added, making it an exciting time for chamber music as a genre. The Aizuri’s program is no exception. The concert will take place at Temple Ohev Shalom, where the award-winning string musicians will perform works by Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn, as well as by Robert and Clara Schumann, composers who profoundly changed the course of music history.

On Wednesday, Nov. 1, Temple Ohev Shalom will again play host to another award winner, the Amernet Quartet, which will commemorate the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht with a moving tribute to composers who perished in the Holocaust: Viktor Ullman, Erwin Schulhoff, Pavel Haas and Viktor Kohn.

The Amernet Quartet has been a passionate advocate of this powerful and moving music and will perform this repertoire in only a few cities in the United States. This music’s relevance is as strong today as it has ever been.

“In a broader cultural sense, the four great composers whose music will be performed in our November concert represent just a part of the tremendous loss of artistic and cultural heritage inflicted on the world by Nazism and World War II,” Sirotin said. “While the loss of life, as well as the destruction of European cities and monuments are well documented, the devastating loss of humanistic values and culture are somewhat overlooked.”

Despite the many decades that have passed, we are still experiencing the cultural shifts caused by the unfathomable losses resulting from the Holocaust, Sirotin added.

Just after the new year on Jan. 14, the Varshavski-Shapiro Piano Duo will return to Harrisburg’s Whitaker Center with music for four hands, including their own arrangement of Stravinsky’s ballet, “Petrouchka,” and works by Ravel, Schubert, Reger and Falla.

Continuing with the season of musical concerts are two groups making their Harrisburg debut. One is a young group of musicians, the Galvin Cello Quartet, which will perform a wide-ranging program of music, including a world premiere of a composition by Zev Malina on Feb. 21 at Market Square Presbyterian Church.

On March 24, another group will debut in the area and also will mark the debut of a venue new to Market Square Concerts. The Poulenc Trio will perform music by Rossini, Shostakoch, Glinka, Handel and Poulenc at the Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey.

“They have recently acquired a spectacular new Steinway grand piano,” Sirotin said. “We are thrilled to expand our geographical reach in this acoustically splendid venue.”

The season will finish on April 28 at Market Square Presbyterian Church with the always-anticipated “Stuart and Friends” program that will include the maestro’s favorite vocal repertoire from the romantic era, including those from Schumann, Berlioz and Mendelssohn, as well as music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter. Stuart Malina will be joined by a Harrisburg native, baritone Jonathan Hays, and Brazilian soprano Sophia Hunt.

“I believe that shared experience of a great live performance can be especially meaningful and even perhaps therapeutic to more people than ever at this point,” Sirotin said. “My hope is that chamber music concerts can serve as a ‘spiritual fireplace’ to gather around and experience community in a way that is healing and energizing.”

For more information on Market Square Concerts, visit www.marketsquareconcerts.org.

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Community Corner: Notable September Events

August 29, 2023 | by Missy Smith

Summer Flea
Sept. 2: Shop the HBG Flea for local art, vintage treasures, curated curios and unique gifts, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. The mission of the HBG Flea is to create a platform for community growth by bringing artists, small businesses and patrons together. www.hbgflea.com

Kipona
Sept. 2-4: Enjoy the 107th annual Kipona Festival in Riverfront Park and City Island with a multicultural celebration, Native American powwow, fireworks, live music, family fun zone, art, tightrope walkers, food trucks, beer/wine garden and more. www.harrisburgpa.gov

Vibrant Vibes
Sept. 2-4: Civic Club of Harrisburg Art, 612 N. Front St., Harrisburg, hosts “Vibrant Vibes at Kipona,” 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. More than 20 local artists will exhibit art both inside and outside the Civic Club. Enjoy beverages and a fish fry. www.civicclubofharrisburg.com

Open House
Sept. 5: Cumberland Singers will host an open house of socializing and singing for interested singers at Mechanicsburg Middle School, 7 p.m. Sopranos and altos are invited to attend and learn about the choir. www.cumberlandsingers.org

Business Panel
Sept. 6: Oaks of Central PA and U.S. Commercial Service, Harrisburg, will host a minority business panel discussion and information session, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Capital Blue Cross Connect, 4500 Marketplace Way, Enola. Free event, RSVP is required. [email protected]

Luminary Awards
Sept. 7: West Shore Chamber of Commerce will honor two female professionals at the Luminary Awards luncheon, Penn Harris Hotel, 1150 Camp Hill Bypass, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. www.wschamber.org

Film Friday
Sept. 8: Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, will show “Man on a Wire” from the United Kingdom at 2 p.m. Stick around for a discussion after the film. www.fredricksenlibrary.org

Jazz Walk
Sept. 8: Central PA Friends of Jazz and Dauphin County Parks and Recreation present the Harrisburg Jazz Walk, 6 to 9 p.m., at locations across Midtown Harrisburg, as part of the Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival. Relax at one venue or stroll the neighborhood. www.friendsofjazz.org

Jazz & Wine Fest
Sept. 9-10: Join Dauphin County Parks and Recreation at Fort Hunter Park to enjoy national, regional and local recording artists. Visit PA’s top wineries and browse craft and food vendors. Bring lawn chairs and picnic baskets. www.forthunter.org

Wreath Workshop
Sept. 9: Join Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, to design and decorate a fall wreath out of natural materials, 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. All supplies are provided, but participants may bring embellishments. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Midtown Tour
Sept. 9: Tour historic Midtown Harrisburg with Open Stage’s Stuart Landon, starting at 9:45 a.m. Make stops at Midtown Cinema, Broad Street Market, Millworks and Susquehanna Art Museum. Enjoy a fun tour, brunch items, snacks, samples and drinks. Tickets are $75 per person. www.openstagehbg.com

Walk Benefit
Sept. 9: SCPA Sickle Cell Council hosts the Sickle Cell Disease Walk/Run/Ride, starting at Commonwealth Avenue and ending at City Island pavilion. Registration is 10 a.m., with the walk stepping off at 10:45 a.m. www.scpascc.org

Volunteer Day
Sept. 9 Enjoy the outdoors and help with park and habitat enhancement projects at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tools and work gloves provided, and refreshments available. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Bash & Benefit
Sept. 9: Grandview Bash & Benefit 2023 will be held at Grandview Vineyard, 1489 Grandview Rd., Mount Joy, 1 to 8 p.m., with live music, food trucks, wine barrel auction and more. Bring blankets and chairs. Proceeds benefit the Aaron’s Acres. grandviewwines.com

Golf Scramble
Sept. 10: Veterans Outreach of PA will host the 3rd Annual Red, White and Blue Golf Scramble at Manada Golf Course, Grantville, to benefit veterans experiencing homelessness. The event begins at 8 a.m. www.veteransoutreachofpa.org

Wellness Fair
Sept. 10: Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg hosts a Health and Wellness Fair at the Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life, 2986 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg. Enjoy an afternoon with vendors, mini-sessions and speakers. Join the JCC 5K Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m. around Uptown Harrisburg. www.jewishharrisburg.org

Gallery Walk
Sept. 10: Explore 20 galleries and venues to enjoy art, music and refreshments during the Art Association of Harrisburg’s 35th annual Gallery Walk, 12 to 5 p.m., throughout Harrisburg. www.artassocofhbg.com

Harmony Walk
Sept. 10: Join Harmony Walk, a celebration of all people of all faiths in harmony and peace, 3 p.m. Meet at Goodwin Memorial Baptist Church, 2447 Green St., to walk a route of Christian, Jewish and Islamic houses of worship. Walk ends at Hadee Mosque, 245 Division St., for a dinner. www.hbgdiocese.org

Climate Program
Sept. 11: Hershey Horticulture Society will host a program, “Climate Change: Its Seasonal Effects in the U.S.” with climate scientist Zachary Labe at Brownstone Lodge, 1 p.m. The program is free and open to the public. www.hersheyhorticulture.com

Restaurant Week
Sept. 11-22: Harrisburg’s premier dining event returns, spanning two weeks, Sept. 11 to 15 and Sept. 18 to 22. Explore and enjoy the many flavors of Pennsylvania’s capital city. www.HarrisburgRestaurantWeek.com

Mega Mixer
Sept. 14: Join the members of the four Cumberland County chambers of commerce—Carlisle Area, Mechanicsburg, Shippensburg and West Shore—at Members 1st Federal Credit Union, 500 Marketplace Way, Enola, for the combined mixer, 5 to 7 p.m. www.wschamber.org

Food Rally
Sept. 14: Enjoy fresh, savory foods at the New Cumberland Food Truck & Restaurant Rally every second Thursday of the month, 5 to 8 p.m. Grab dinner from area food trucks or New Cumberland restaurants, and enjoy shopping and special promotions at local businesses. www.newcumberlandpa.org

3rd in The Burg
Sept. 15: Explore the best of Harrisburg during 3rd in the Burg, the monthly arts and culture event, where you can visit and enjoy galleries, restaurants and art spaces throughout downtown and Midtown, 6 to 9 p.m. www.thirdintheburg.org

Coin Show
Sept. 15-16: Explore the Harrisburg Coin Show at the Scottish Rite Entertainment Complex of Harrisburg, 2701 N. 3rd St., with more than 75 exhibit tables, a raffle, door prizes, food and free seminars, Sept. 15, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sept. 16, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. www.harrisburgcoinclub.com/coin-show

Arts Festival
Sept. 16: The 41st annual Hummelstown Arts Festival will be held in Hummelstown Square, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with works by more than 130 juried artists, children’s activities, a food court and more. www.hummelstownartsfest.com

Printers Fair
Sept. 16: See printing demonstrations and equipment and letterpress vendors at the ninth annual Lancaster Printer’s Fair, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Center for Letterpress and Book Arts at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, 117 Parkside Ave., Lancaster. www.lancasterprintersfair.org

Fall Libations
Sept. 16-Nov. 11: Visit Lebanon Valley hosts the third annual Fall Libations, a biannual, self-guided beer trail. www.visitlebanonvalley.com

Doll Show
Sept. 17: Central Penn Doll Collectors Club hosts a doll and bear show at the Lebanon Expo Center, 80 Rocherty Rd., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendors will offer antique, vintage, modern and artist dolls, doll clothing and furniture, bears and other doll-related treasures. www.centralpenndollcollectorsclub.org

Bridge Lessons
Sept. 20: The Harrisburg Bridge Club, 349 North 21st St., Camp Hill, is offering free bridge lessons for beginners on Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., starting Sept. 20. Classes run for six weeks. Contact [email protected].

Heart Walk
Sept. 21: American Heart Association’s Capital Region Heart Walk will be held on City Island, Harrisburg. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m.; walk steps off at 6:30 p.m. www.heart.org/capitalregionwalk

Fall Book Sale
Sept. 21-24: Shop the Friends of Fredricksen Fall Book & Media Sale at Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill. Library will hold a bag sale on Sept. 24, 1 to 4 p.m. www.fredricksenlibrary.org

Disco Party
Sept. 22: Historic Harrisburg Association will host “Party Like it’s 1973!”—a disco-themed costume and dance party at Historic Harrisburg Resource Center, 1230 N. 3rd St. Tickets are $35. www.historicharrisburg.org

Shoe Strut
Sept. 22: Join the Salvation Army Harrisburg for its annual Shoe Strut benefit, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Hershey Lodge, 325 University Dr. Enjoy a networking lunch, auctions, a fashion trends presentation, contests and more. Each purchased ticket provides one shoe voucher to a local child in need. www.shoestrut.com

Cocktails & Cannonballs
Sept. 22: Enjoy “Cocktails & Cannonballs—An Evening at the Museum,” at the National Civil War Museum, 1 Lincoln Circle, Harrisburg, with reenactors, costumes, a silent auction, a cigar bar, trivia, a live cannon firing and more, 6 to 9 p.m. www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

Cleanup Day
Sept. 23: Wildheart Ministries hosts a Love the Hill cleanup event, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers will pick up trash, do basic landscaping, help with dumpsite removal or plant flowers in the neighborhood. Bring a pair of gloves, a water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray and any tools you may have. www.lovethehillpa.com

Civil War Saturday
Sept. 23: National Civil War Museum, 1 Lincoln Circle, Harrisburg, hosts Civil War Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with live reenactors, cannon firing and demonstrations, live music, games and more. www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

Celebrate Wildwood
Sept. 23: Help celebrate Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, with a nature-themed afternoon, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participate in pumpkin painting, children’s crafts, live musical entertainment and guided walks. Walk the Delta Boardwalk and enjoy a fall-themed story walk. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Author Event
Sept. 23: Head to Rock Lititz, Pod 2, 201 Rock Lititz Blvd., for Books Books Books 2023, with 65 authors selling and signing books, 12 to 4 p.m. Tickets are $5. www.bit.ly/BooksBooksBooks2023

Annual Gathering
Sept. 23: Someone To Tell It To will host its annual gathering at WITF, 4801 Lindle Rd., Harrisburg, 4 to 7 p.m. Enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, music, stories of transformative impact, and an inspiring message by keynote speaker Alicia Richards of abc27. www.someonetotellitto.org

Chili Cook-off
Sept. 24: Alex W. Smith Foundation hosts Alex’s Chili Cook-off for A Cause at Greystone Brew House, 303 Golf Club Ave., Dillsburg, to carry on their son’s legacy and to bring people together with food and fun, 1 to 4 p.m. Proceeds support Central PA high school students with scholarship awards in Alex’s memory. www.alexwsmithfoundation.org

Evening Mixer
Sept. 28: Join West Shore Chamber of Commerce for an evening mixer at PaySmart Payroll Services, 650 Wilson Lane, Suite 100, Mechanicsburg, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. This free event is open to Chamber members. www.wschamber.org

Run/Walk
Sept. 29: “ZERO,” the End of Prostate Cancer’s annual run/walk, returns to City Island, Harrisburg, 4 p.m. The event helps raise funds and awareness for patients, caregivers, survivors and physicians fighting prostate cancer. www.zerocancer.run/harrisburg

Campfire Stories
Sept. 29: Families are invited to experience the nighttime magic of Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Make s’mores and listen to stories around a campfire and build a round robin story. Meet outside the Nature Center. Dress for the weather and bring something to sit on. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Goose Day
Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Juniata River Valley celebrates Goose Day, a centuries-long tradition started by an early settler from England. Enjoy local events and goose dinners at area restaurants. www.jrvvisitors.com

Charity Walk
Sept. 30: Join the 2023 Homeland Hospice 5K and Memory Walk at the Rossmoyne Business Center, 500 Ritter Rd., Mechanicsburg, 8:30 a.m. Registration is $25 for 13 years or older. Funds raised support Homeland Hospice supportive services. www.homelandevents.org

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How Youth Mental Health Impacts the Adult Workforce

August 29, 2023 | by Capital Blue Cross Staff

A mental health crisis among America’s children might not seem like a workplace issue at first glance.

But if your workplace is typical, about 40% of your colleagues are working parents of children under age 18. And as any working parent knows, when your child is not well, the stress and worry of home and family life often come into work with you.

About 1 in 6 children in the United States have a mental health issue, such as anxiety, depression or attention and behavior disorders. If left untreated, the consequences of these issues can range from academic or social struggles to substance abuse or self-harm.

For parents, the health and wellbeing of a child can affect their own health and wellbeing—and that can impact their job performance. A 2021 survey of more than 3,000 working parents in the U.S. found:

53% of working parents have missed work at least once a month to deal with a child’s mental health issues.
54% of working parents interrupted their work to address a child’s mental health needs.
Working parents under age 40 say they are more likely to choose employers based on access to mental health care benefits and resources.
While 85% of working parents think it’s a good idea to discuss children’s mental health, fewer than 1 in 4 have talked to their managers, human resources department or colleagues about their children’s struggles.

That last point is an important one to Karie Batzler, director of behavioral health at Capital Blue Cross.

“We all know issues at home don’t just switch off once we step into the workplace, but we often see a reluctance to talk about how that stress can carry over,” Batzler says. “Employers can play an important role in starting a dialogue around mental wellness, whether it impacts employees or their family members, and employers can help connect their employees to resources that can help.”

Capital Blue Cross, for example, offers resources for both its own employees and its members, including:

A behavioral health toolkit that employer groups can use to foster a more supportive work environment.
A devoted mental health and wellness page on Capital’s website.
A telehealth resource that goes beyond physical healthcare by offering fast and convenient access to psychologists, psychiatrists and other licensed behavioral health professionals.
A mobile app that helps users improve their mental wellness and better address anxiety, depression and other mental health needs.

Capital also supports its employees through an employee assistance program and volunteer-led employee resource groups (ERGs) that foster dialogue and a sense of connection among employees who share common interests, backgrounds or demographic characteristics.

No matter the path forward for your company, it can all begin with a simple conversation, according to Batzler.

“Often times, it can go a long way just to tell someone, ‘I’m sorry to hear about what you’re dealing with and please let me know how I can help,’” Batzler said. “Once a dialogue begins, it can pave the way toward seeking help and finding resources to support the employee and their family.”

For more health and wellness news and information, visit www.thinkcapitalbluecross.com.

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