Happenings: Our July Calendar of Events

June 29, 2023 | by Missy Smith

Museums & Art Spaces

AACA Museum
161 Museum Dr., Hershey
717-566-7100; aacamuseum.org

“The Liberty Car: Great War Cadillac US1257X,” through summer 2023

BMW Motorcycles Centennial, through Oct. 21

Early Cadillacs, through Oct. 21

“A Celebration of 20 Years—Going Back in Time,” through fall 2023

Art Association of Harrisburg
21 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-236-1432; artassocofhbg.com

95th Annual International Juried Exhibition, through Aug. 24

Carlisle Arts Learning Center (CALC)
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

“By the Book,” a whimsical, interactive exhibit featuring the artwork of nationally known children’s book illustrator Amy June Bates, through July 22

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

July artist of the month

Gallery on the Square
Millersburg Area Art Association
226 Union St., Millersburg
Facebook: Gallery on the Square

On the Porch with Delana Gray-Tuttle, July 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyart.org

HAAA Member Artwork at the Cocoa Beanery, through July 10

HAAA Member Artwork at Backstage Café, Allen Theater, through July 31

Hershey Public Library Exhibit Galleries, through Aug. 12

Messiah University
One University Ave., Mechanicsburg
717-766-2511; messiah.edu

Juried Student Art Exhibition, through Aug. 24; award ceremony and reception: Aug. 24, 4 p.m.

The Millworks
340 Verbeke St.; Harrisburg
717-695-4888; millworksharrisburg.com

New works by PD Murray, Julie Iaria, Carrie Shusta, RLO, Marjorie Taylor, Paul Vasiliades, through July 16

New Cumberland Public Library
1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland
717-774-7820; newcumberlandlibrary.org

Art in the Stacks featuring Jessica Mitchell, July 1-31

Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
1820 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-232-8915; pnfm.org

Exhibits dedicated to Pennsylvania firefighting history

Perry County Council of the Arts
PCCA Gallery, 1 S. 2nd St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“Pen & Ink,” featuring the art of Benjamin Ladieu, July 1-Sept. 16

Perry County Council of the Arts
Landis House, 67 N. 4th St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

Solo art exhibition featuring Karen Van Newhyzen, through Aug. 8

The State Museum of Pennsylvania
300 North St., Harrisburg
717-787-4980; statemuseumpa.org

“A Flair for Public Service—Genevieve Blatt and C. DeLores Tucker”

“Game Changers: Pennsylvania Women Who Made History,” celebrating women from across the state in diverse fields and detailing the contributions they made and challenges they faced in their lifetimes

“HORSE2AUTO—A Transportation Revolution,” through 2023

Susquehanna Art Museum
1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-8668; susquehannaartmuseum.org

“The Matter of Money,” artwork by Mark Wagner, best known for his intricate collages made entirely from deconstructed U.S. dollars, through Aug. 13

“Art and Activism at Tougaloo College,” through Sept. 10

“8th Annual Juried Exhibition—Transformative Craft,” through Oct. 15

“The Hidden Museum, 2018,” installation in which viewers are challenged to locate “hidden” works of art, through Dec. 31

The Trout Gallery
Dickinson College
240 W. High St., Carlisle
717-254-8159; troutgallery.org

“Perspectives,” a 40th anniversary showcase of art from the Trout Gallery’s permanent collection selected by gallery audiences, through Oct. 16

Wheel of Light Studio
3738 Peters Mountain Rd Halifax
wheeloflightstudio.com

“Generations—a Celebration of Family Creativity,” July 1-8

Read, Make, Learn

Capital Blue Cross Connect
4500 Marketplace Way, Enola
capitalbluecrossconnect.com

July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 BOOMer Fit @Enola Store, 9:30 a.m.
July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Tai Chi @Enola Store, 4 p.m.
July 3, 10, 24, 31: Virtual Pilates, 5 p.m.
July 5, 12, 19, 26: Strong & Fit @Enola Store, 4:30 p.m.
July 6, 20: Fit Chicks @Enola Store and virtual, 4:15 p.m.
July 7, 21: Virtual Booty Blast, 9:30 a.m.
July 7, 14, 21, 28: BOOMer Strong @Enola Store, 10 a.m.
July 7: Medicare Coffee Club @Enola Store, 10 a.m.
July 11, 18, 25: Virtual Yoga for Back Health, 10 a.m.
July 12: INSPIRED Virtual, 9 a.m.
July 13: BOOMer Fit Zoomer @Enola Store and virtual, 4:15 p.m.
July 14, 28: Virtual Barre Intensity Express, 9:30 a.m.
July 21: Medicare Coffee Club @Enola Store, 10 a.m.
July 26: Strong & Fit @Enola Store, 4:30 p.m.

Carlisle Arts Learning Center (CALC)
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

July 1: Copper Enameling Workshop (ages 13-adult), 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
July 1: Experimental Mixed Media, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 8: Vintage Tin Earrings (ages 13-adult), 1-3:30 p.m.
July 8, 15, 29: Character Drawing/Design (ages 12-17), 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 10-14: Art & Adventure Camp
July 10-14: Arty by Nature (ages 5-12), 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 10-14: Camp Groovy (ages 5-12), 1-4 p.m.
July 10-Aug. 4: Connect Summer Program (students going into 7th-9th grades), 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 11-25: Beginning Oil Painting (ages 16-adult), Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m.
July 12-Aug. 16: Hand Building (ages 16-adult), Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m.
July 17-21: Engineered Art (ages 5-12), 9 a.m.-12 pm.
July 21: Craft Beer & Clay, 7-9 p.m.
July 22: Plein Air Painting at Allenberry (ages 16-adult), 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 22: Encaustic 101 Paint with Wax (ages 18+), 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
July 24-28: Art & Adventure Camp
July 24-28: The Art of Abstraction (ages 5-12), 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 31-Aug. 4: Art & Adventure Camp
July 31-Aug. 4: What Makes Something Powerful? (ages 5-8), 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 31-Aug. 3: Teen Oil Painting (ages 12-17), 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Dauphin County Library System
dcls.org

July 1: Pokémon Go Walking and Meeting Group at Wildwood Park, 10-11:30 a.m.
July 8: Reading the Rainbow Book Club LGBTQ+ Book Club at Elementary Coffee Co., 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 11, 25: Find Your Voice—An Emotional Wellness Program on Zoom, 6-7 p.m.
July 12: Spanish Language Conversation Group on Zoom, 6-7 p.m.

Johnson Memorial Library
799 E. Center St., Millersburg
717-692-2658; dcls.org

July 6: Crafting Free for All, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 20: Egg Drop Challenge, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 27: Let’s Get Crafty—Art Supply Swap, 3-7 p.m.

East Shore Area Library
4501 Ethel St., Harrisburg
717-652-9380; dcls.org

July 6: Egg Drop Challenge, 6-7 p.m.
July 11: Ijapu’s Story Cloth with Mlanjeni Magical Theatre, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 13: STEAM Stations, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
July 20: Sip and Speak, 3-4:30 p.m.
July 20: LEGO Meetup, 6-7 p.m.
July 22: Ryan “The BugMan” Bridge, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
July 27: Egg Drop Challenge, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Elizabethtown Public Library
10 S. Market St., Elizabethtown
717-367-7467; etownpubliclibrary.org

July 1: Knitter’s Group, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
July 5: Art with Miss Allison, 2-3 p.m.
July 6, 13, 20, 27: Fiber Artists, 3-5 p.m.
July 8: Fiber Artists, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
July 11, 18: Tuesday Game Club, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
July 11, 25: Touch a Truck, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
July 27: Knitter’s Group, 5-7 p.m.

Fort Hunter
5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-599-5751; forthunter.org

July 8: Children’s Mansion Tour, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
July 12, 26: Stories on the Stairs, 10-11 a.m.
July 23: Home Skills from History, 1-3 p.m.

Fredricksen Library
100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill
717-761-3900; fredricksenlibrary.org

July 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26, 31: Summer Baby & Toddler Storytime, 10-10:30 a.m.
July 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26, 31: Summer Children’s Storytime, 11-11:30 a.m.
July 3, 10, 16, 24, 31: Book Explorers (ages 3-6), 5:30-6:30 p.m.
July 5: Moving Forward Book Group, 1-2 p.m.
July 5, 6: Device Advice, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 6: Pajama Day, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
July 6: Art 101, 6-7:30 p.m.
July 6, 13, 20, 27: Language at the Library—Spanish, 10-11 a.m.
July 6, 13, 20, 27: Meditation to Calm the Mind, 12-12:30 p.m.
July 7: Youth Chess Club, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
July 11: Curl up with the Classics—“Light in August” 10-11 a.m.
July 11: Genealogy Club, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 11: Plot Twisters Teen Writers Group, 6-7 p.m.
July 11: Ryan the Bug Man, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
July 11, 18, 25: Master Gardener Plant Clinics, 6-7:30 p.m.
July 13, 20: Meet and Greet Library Pups, 10-11 a.m.
July 13: Tween Epic Comic Club, 6-7 p.m.
July 14: Peaceful Poses Adult Yoga, 9-10 a.m.
July 14: Peaceful Poses Children’s Yoga Story Time, 10-10:45 a.m.
July 14: Film Friday, 2-4 p.m.
July 15: Pain with Us 2023, 1-3 p.m.
July 17: Frederickson Writes on Zoom, 6:45-8:45 p.m.
July 18: Tween Pokemon Meetup, 2-4 p.m.
July 18, 25: Teen LEGO Meetup, 6-8 p.m.
July 18: READ to Dogs, 6:30-8 p.m.
July 18: Gardening with Nature, 7-8:30 p.m.
July 19: Computer Basics, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 20: Teen Destress Meetup, 6-7:30 p.m.
July 20: Tween STEAM Meetup, 3-4:30 p.m.
July 22: Bingo for Books, 1:30-5 p.m.
July 24: Fredricksen Reads, 7-8 p.m.
July 26: Teen Crafternoon, 4-5:30 p.m.
July 29: Neurodivergent Adult Support Group, 3-4:30 p.m.

Gallery on the Square
Millersburg Area Art Association
226 Union St., Millersburg
Facebook: Gallery on the Square

July 6: Tree of Life Workshop, 6-8 p.m.
July 22: Sea Turtle Mosaic Workshop, 2-4 p.m.

Harrisburg Improv Theatre
1633 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
hbgimprov.com

July 13-Aug. 31: Level 1 Intro to Improv, Thursdays, 7-10 p.m.
July 18-Sept. 5: Level 2 Game of the Scene, Tuesdays, 7-10 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyart.org

July 13-Aug. 24: Water Media, Thursdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
July 19: Plein Air, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Hershey Public Library
701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey
717-533-6555; hersheylibrary.org

July 3, 10, 17: Books and Babies, 10:15 a.m.
July 3, 10, 17: Storytime for Everyone, 11 a.m.
July 5, 19: LEGO Club, 4 p.m.
July 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27: Penn State Hershey—Mothers & Babies, 10:15 a.m.
July 6, 20: Hershey Quilters, 12:30 p.m.
July 11: Silent Book Group at Starbucks in Hershey Towne Square, 10-11:30 a.m.
July 11, 18: 1, 2, Whee!, 10:15 a.m., 11 a.m.
July 21: Craft & a Movie—“Chicken Run,” 10 a.m.

Joseph T. Simpson Public Library
16 N. Walnut St., Mechanicsburg
717-766-0171; simpsonlibrary.org

July 3, 10, 17, 24: Storybook STEAM, 6-7 p.m.
July 6, 13: Beginning Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
July 6, 13, 20, 27: Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
July 10, 17, 24: Tea & Stitches, 10 a.m.
July 11, 18, 25: Toddler Time in the Park, 10 a.m.
July 11, 18, 25: Story Time in the Park, 10:30 a.m.
July 11, 18, 25: Teen Tuesday, 6-8:30 p.m.
July 12: Mad About Mysteries, 7-8 p.m.
July 14, 28: Dungeons & Dragons, 6-8 p.m.
July 17: Monday Night Book Club, 7 p.m.
July 22: Trivia at Home—Taylor Swift, 6-8 p.m.
July 25: Tabletop Game Night, 6-8 p.m.
July 28: Mr. Music, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Kline Library
530 S. 29th St., Harrisburg
717-234-3934; dcls.org

July 5: Silly Joe Sings, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 5: Summer Writing Workshop, 3-5 p.m.
July 6: Book Bingo at Kline Library, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
July 11: Ijapu’s Story Cloth with Mlanjeni Magical Theatre, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
July 12: Marble Run Building Challenge, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
July 12, 19: Summer Writing Workshop, 3-5 p.m.
July 15: Friends of Kline Library Children’s Festival. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
July 22: Ryan “The BugMan” Bridge, 2-3 p.m.
July 26: Crafting Free for All, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

The LGBT Center of Central PA
717-409-5781; centralpalgbtcenter.org

July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Passageways, 2 p.m.
July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Young Adult Group, 4 p.m.

July 5, 12, 19, 26: Common Roads (ages 12-17), 6-8 p.m.
July 8: QTPOC Advisory Group, 6-8 p.m.

Madeline Olewine Memorial Library
2410 North 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-232-7286; dcls.org

July 5: Silly Joe Sings, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
July 7: LEGO Meetup, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
July 21: Marble Run Building Challenge, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

McCormick Riverfront Library
101 Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-234-4976; dcls.org

July 3: Calling All Coders (children and teens, 8 and older), 2-5 p.m.
July 5: LEGO Stop Motion Animation (children and teens, 8 and older), 2-3 p.m.
July 6, 21: STEAMS Sensory Play Time (ages birth to 5 years), 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Middletown Public Library
20 N. Catherine St., Middletown
717-944-6412; middletownpubliclib.org

July 5: Bright Star Theatre, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
July 12: Grins and Grins, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
July 26: Talewise, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe
1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-236-1680; midtownscholar.com

July 7: Book Launch w/Monica Prince, Tara Stillions Whitehead, Jamie Beth Cohen, 7-8 p.m.
July 21: An Evening w/Colson Whitehead, 7-8 p.m.
July 27: An Evening w/CW Goodyear and Jeffrey L. Nichols, 7-8 p.m.

The Millworks
340 Verbeke St.; Harrisburg
717-695-4888; millworksharrisburg.com

July 1: First Saturday, 2-5 p.m.
July 8, 22: Kids Art Class on the Roof, 12-2 p.m.
July 23: Natural Ink Workshop, 1-3:30 p.m.
July 26: Millworks Makerspace on the Roof, 5-9 p.m.
July 30: Candle Making Workshop, 1-3 p.m.

National Civil War Museum
One Lincoln Circle, Harrisburg
717-260-1861; nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

July 8: Lessons in History Presentation with Scott Mingus, 1-2 p.m.
July 27: An Evening with C.W. Goodyear and Jeffrey L. Nichols, 7-8 p.m.

New Cumberland Public Library
1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland
717-774-7820; newcumberlandlibrary.org

July 1-31: July Scavenger Hunt—Things We Do Together (ages 0-12)
July 6, 13, 20, 27: All Together Now—Weekly Family Entertainment, 10:30 p.m.
July 7, 21: Movers & Groovers (ages 2-5), 10:30-11 a.m.
July 8, 22: Teen Craft Kits (ages 13-17), 10 a.m.
July 10: Outdoor Sensory Playtime (ages 0-5), 10:30 a.m.
July 10: Kids Paint Party (ages 6-12), 1:30-2:30 p.m.
July 10: Teen Paint Party (ages 13-17), 2:30-3:30 p.m.
July 11, 25: Tales for Tails (ages 6-12), 6:30-7:30 p.m.
July 14, 28: Block Party (ages 0-3), 10:30-11:30 a.m.
July 14, 28: Dungeons & Dragons (ages 13-17), 4-6 p.m.
July 15: Couponing for Extreme Savings, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 15: Children’s Book Writers Critique Group, 2-4 p.m.
July 17, 31: Musical Mornings (ages 2-5), 10:30-11 a.m.
July 19: Kid Builders (ages 3 and older), 1:30-2:30 p.m.
July 24: Summer Yoga for Kids (ages 2-5), 10:30 a.m.
July 24: Summer Yoga for Kids (ages 6-10), 11 a.m.
July 26: STEAM Discovery (ages 6-12), 1:30-2:30 p.m.
July 26: PennWriters Writing Group, 6-9 p.m.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania
300 North St., Harrisburg
717-787-4980; statemuseumpa.org

July 1: Camp Life, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 1-3 p.m.
July 7: Storytime, 10:30 a.m.
July 7: Travel by Land, Air, and Water, 1:30 p.m.
July 9: Moving Art, 1:30 p.m.
July 12: State Symbols—Firefly, 10 a.m.
July 12: Stargazing—Tonight’s Sky Live Chat, 2 p.m.
July 13: Geography of Pennsylvania Challenge with the Giant Map, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 14: Family Gallery Tour—Mammal Hall, 11:30 a.m.
July 15: Butterflies and Moths, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 1-3 p.m.
July 12: Stargazing—Tonight’s Sky Live Chat, 3 p.m.

Susquehanna Art Museum
1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-8668; susquehannaartmuseum.org

July 8: Kids Art Club—Mixed Media College (ages 9-12), 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
July 22: Kids Art Club—Mixed Media College (ages 4-6), 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
July 26: Open Figure Drawing, 7-9 p.m.

Wheel of Light Studio
3738 Peters Mountain Rd Halifax
wheeloflightstudio.com

July 8: Second Saturday Workshops and Artist Demonstrations, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
July 8: Macramé Paper Clip Bookmark Workshop, 6 p.m.
July 9: Vintage Tin Earrings Workshop, 6 p.m.
July 10: Susquehanna Clay Club Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Wildwood Park
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg
717-221-0292; wildwoodlake.org

July 6-7: Environmental Pioneers (ages 15-17), 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 8: Volunteer Work Day, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
July 10-14: Junior Naturalist (ages 9-11) Week 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 12: Kids Discover—The Ten Essentials (ages 6-10), 10-11:30 a.m.
July 13: Sustainable Living Series—Community Gardening and Community-Supported Agriculture, 6:30-8 p.m.
July 14: Walk and Talk with a Master Gardener, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
July 16: Flower Walk—Still More Blooms, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 17-23: Junior Naturalist (ages 9-11) Week 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
July 20: Natural Stone-Planter Workshop, 6-7:30 p.m.
July 22: Pound the Colors of Wildwood into Cloth, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
July 22-23: Moths of the Night, 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
July 25-27: Little Sprouts (ages 4-5), 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
July 25-27: Little Sprouts (ages 4-5), 1-4 p.m.

William H. & Marion C. Alexander Family Library
200 W. Second St., Hummelstown
717-566-0949; dcls.org

July 3: Marble Run Building Challenge, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
July 17: Crafting Free for All, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
July 18: AFL Friends—Novel Thoughts Too, 1 p.m.
July 18: AFL Friends—Novel Thoughts Book Club, 6 p.m.
July 22: Crafternoon at the Library, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
July 28: ZooAmerica—Paws, Claws, Scales & Tails, 2-3 p.m.
July 31: Masked Sing-Along, 10:30-11 a.m.

Live Music

American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster
717-397-7700; amtshows.com

July 2: Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
July 7: Three Dog Night
July 9: Straight No Chaser
July 14: EagleMania
July 16: Gene Watson, Wilson Fairchild
July 20: The Docksiders
July 23: Crowder
July 28: Lyle Lovett and His Large Band
July 29: Garrison Keillor
July 30: Always Loretta—The Ultimate Loretta Lynn Tribute Band

Appell Center for the Performing Arts
50 N. George St., York
717-846-1111; appellcenter.org

July 1: Pat Travers Band

Boneshire Brew Works
7462 Derry St., Harrisburg
717-469-5007; boneshire.com

July 6: Dennis McLaughlin

Carlisle Theatre
44 West High St., Carlisle
717-258-0666; carlisletheatre.org

July 15: Rivers

Central PA Friends of Jazz
www.friendsofjazz.org

July 7: Etienne Charles
July 29: Buster Williams Quartet

Central Pennsylvania Womyn’s Chorus
cpwchorus.org

July 28: Voices United 15

The Englewood
1219 Research Blvd. Hummelstown
717-256-9480; englewoodhershey.com

July 13: Sam Bush
July 15: Hometown Strangers, Viv & Riley
July 21: The Bad Toupees
July 22: Rhett Miller, Salim Nourallah

Fredricksen Library
100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill
717-761-3900; fredricksenlibrary.org

July 27: Shea Quinn

Gretna Music
gretnamusic.org

July 2: Timberdale Brass
July 7: Etienne Charles
July 9: Natasha Paremski
July 17, 31: Mr. Music Mondays free family sing-alongs
July 23: Chanticleer
July 29: Buster Williams
July 30: Sona Jobarteh

Greystone Brew House
303 Golf Club Ave., Dillsburg
717.347.0632; greystonebrewhouse.com

July 1: Lil Brother Band
July 7: Ryan Mayersky
July 9: Shine Delphi
July 14: Roy LeFever
July 15: Dan Jamison
July 21: Dave McCullough
July 22: Dave Kelly
July 28: Aaron Daniel Gaul
July 29: Josh Krevsky

Greystone Public House
2120 Colonial Rd., Harrisburg
717-829-9952; www.greystonepa.com

July 1: Noel Gevers
July 7: Shine Delphi
July 8: Corinna Joy
July 14: Tim Colgan
July 15: Keara Rose
July 21: Jason Carst
July 22: Josh Krevsky
July 28: Roy LeFever
July 29: Joe Cooney & Friends

H*MAC
1110 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-441-7506; harrisburgarts.com

July 2: Alba Ross
July 8: Emo Night
July 12: Joyce Manor
July 13: Wild Child (Doors tribute)
July 14: 90’s vs. 2000’s
July 16: Soul Glo
July 19: Willi Carlisle
July 21: Hazing Over
July 21: Bayside
July 22: Grip
July 22: Yellow Brick Road
July 27: Zao

Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra
The Forum at 5th and Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-545-5527; harrisburgsymphony.org

June 30: Summer Concert at Lebanon Valley College, Annville
July 1: Summer Concert at Negley Park, Lemoyne
July 2: Summer Concert at Dickinson College, Carlisle
July 3: Millerstown Park, Millerstown
July 4: Reservoir Park, Harrisburg

Harrisburg University Presents
concertseries.harrisburgu.edu

July 14: The Struts (at XL Live)
July 26: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (at Riverfront Park)
July 29: The Roots (at Riverfront Park)

Hershey Theatre
15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey
717-534-3405; hersheytheatre.com

July 6: Tori Amos

Hollywood Casino
777 Hollywood Blvd., Grantville
717-469-2211; www.hollywoodpnrc.com

July 1: Draw the Line
July 7: Jess Zimmerman Band
July 8: Smooth Like Clyde
July 14: Emily’s ToyBox
July 15: Cold Spring Union
July 21: Vertigo Vultures
July 22: Sapphire
July 28: Josh Squared Band
July 29: Stephanie Grace Band

Keystone Concert Band
145 E. Main St., First Floor, Mechanicsburg
717-329-7541; keystoneconcertband.com

July 8: Concert at St. Andrews In the Valley Episcopal Church, Harrisburg

Luhrs Performing Arts Center
1871 Old Main Dr., Shippensburg
717-477-7469; luhrscenter.com

July 13: Sarah Chang at The Shippensburg Festival
July 20: Jurassic Park in Concert w/the Shippensburg Festival Orchestra
July 22: Broadway Lovers—Richard Troxell and Melissa Errico

Majestic Theater
25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg
717-337-8200; gettysburgmajestic.org

July 6: Get the Led Out
July 29: Iron & Wine, Half Gringa

Market Square Concerts
www.marketsquareconcerts.org

July 7: Jason Vieaux, Julien Labro
July 12: Canellakis-Brown Duo
July 19: Escher String Quartet

The Mill in Hershey
810 Old West Chocolate Ave., Hershey
717-256-9965; themillinhershey.com

July 20: Ryan Mayersky
July 27: Lucy Freeman

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

July 8: Spin Doctors
July 22: Peter Rivera

The Peace Church
Trindle and St. John’s Church roads, Camp Hill
717-737-6492

July 9: The Vintage Brass Quintet
July 16: Louis Lynch and Friends
July 23: Cumberland Singers
July 30: Henry Koretzky & Jamie O’Brien

Perry County Council of the Arts
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

July 14: Tangle Up in Dead, Dandy at Little Buffalo State Park

The Susquehanna Folk Music Society
717-745-6577; sfmsfolk.org

July 26: Open Mic Night

West Shore Theatre
317 Bridge St, New Cumberland
717-759-5464; www.westshoretheatre.org

July 1: Shea Quinn’s The Band Who Sold the World
July 30: Acute Inflections

Whitaker Center
222 Market St., Harrisburg
717-214-ARTS; whitakercenter.org

July 29: Steve Vai

XL Live
801 S. 10th St., Harrisburg
717-409-8975; xlhbg.com

July 8: Roots of Creation
July 14: The Struts (HU Presents)
July 15: Back in Black
July 20: Ballyhoo!
July 22: Declan McKenna
July 28: One More Time Daft Punk Tribute

The Stage Door

American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster
717-397-7700; amtshows.com

July 21: The Magic of Rob Lake
July 22: Terry Fator

Appell Center for the Performing Arts
50 N. George St., York
717-846-1111; appellcenter.org

July 8: Drag Arena All Stars
July 14: Pat House and Jake Matter with host Ron Caine

Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
510 Centerville Rd., Lancaster
717-898-1900; DutchApple.com

July 1-Aug. 5: Disney’s “Newsies’”

Gamut Theatre Group
15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-238-4111; gamuttheatre.org

July 12-Aug. 19: “Three Little Pigs” w/Popcorn Hat Players
July 29: TMI Improv—Pride Fest

Gretna Music
gretnamusic.org

July 8: Bindlestiff Family Cirkus

Harrisburg Christian Performing Arts Center
1000 S. Eisenhower Blvd, Middletown
717-939-9333; thehcpac.org

July 28: “Hello. Shakespeare!”

Harrisburg Comedy Zone
110 Limekiln Rd., New Cumberland
717-920-5653; harrisburgcomedyzone.com

July 7: Divas Down Under “Back to 80s” Drag Show

Harrisburg Improv Theatre
1633 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
hbgimprov.com

July 7: Level 1 Class Show, Hoagie’s Heroes, Ham Juice, Frankenstein’s Monster!, Bandito
July 8: Kid Friendly Mixer, Solo Sleepover, Baby, Love Triangle, Barn Bitches, Uncomfortable, Tiny Town
July 9: Level 1 Class Show
July 14: Free Improv Jam, Is That Beef?, Team Z, Leg of Lamp, Phil’s Arcade, Holding Hands w/ John and Tyler—A Late Show with John and Tyler
July 15: Free Mixer, This Show Will Self Destruct, Mary Todd Lincoln—The Real Babe-raham Lincoln, Barbra, Tiny French Cigarettes
July 21: Free Improv Jam, Hoagie’s Heroes, Ham Juice, Cosmic Trash, The Bondfire Society
July 22: Free Mixer, Baby, Sunday School, Rockstar Goes Supernova, JODY
July 28: Free Improv Jam, Is That Beef?, Team Z, Midtown Funk, Merely Players
July 29: Free Mixer, Dark Horse, Original Six, Elderprov

Hershey Area Playhouse
830 Cherry Dr., Hershey
717-533-8525; hersheyareaplayhouse.com

July 20-30: “9 to 5 The Musical”

Hershey Theatre
15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey
717-534-3405; hersheytheatre.com

July 7: Jerry Seinfeld

Keystone Theatrics
The Playhouse at Allenberry
1559 Boiling Springs Rd., Boiling Springs
717-258-3211; www.keystonetheatrics.com

July 1-2: “Beautiful—The Carole King Musical”
July 21-Aug. 6: “The Sound of Music”

Gretna Theatre
Mt. Gretna Playhouse
200 Pennsylvania Ave., Mount Gretna
717-964-3627; www.gretnatheatre.org

July 13-16: “Gypsy—A Musical Fable”

Open Stage
223 Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-232-OPEN; openstagehbg.com

July 27: MTW 2023 Showcase—Heroes & Villains

Oyster Mill Playhouse
1001 Oyster Mill Road, Camp Hill
717-737-6768; www.oystermill.com

July 7-23: “Deathtrap”

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July Publisher’s Note

June 29, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda

From time to time, we at TheBurg fall butt-backwards into controversy.

In other words, we publish something intended to be positive, or even just neutral, and then—blammo—all heck breaks loose.

Enter Pursuit the dog.

Last July, for our annual pet-themed issue, we asked our talented illustrator, Ryan Spahr, to craft a portrait of Pursuit who, at the time, was the longest-tenured tenant at the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area. The adorable, tongue-wagging illustration had a plea, “Adopt Me,” scrolled beneath the portrait.

On the day the issue dropped last summer, we even went over to the Humane Society, where we met Pursuit, played with him and took a video, which we posted.

Unfortunately, our best efforts did not bear fruit. Pursuit wasn’t adopted and, last winter, was scheduled to be euthanized, which, as you may remember, led to protests at the Humane Society. Ultimately, a volunteer fled with the dog.

Suddenly, our prior July cover featuring Pursuit was all over the news—in stories, on the web, on TV, in social media posts.

Most entities didn’t ask permission to use our illustration, and I especially chafed at online speculation that we were somehow involved in this mess—when all we wanted to do was help get a dog adopted. What’s that old phrase: no good deed goes unpunished?

Fortunately, another old cliché concludes this story: all’s well that ends well. Pursuit was saved, which certainly was the best possible outcome to this topsy-turvy story.

Well, it’s July again, so our pet-themed issue is back, this time, I hope, with far less drama. In this issue, you’ll find a host of stories focused on our furry companions, including several that highlight the human/animal bond.

And, if you’re not that into pets, that’s OK, too. Our magazine always includes an array of stories from our community: people, food, sports, art, music and the list goes on.

Happy summer, everyone! Since it’s July in Harrisburg, I’m sure it’ll be a hot one. We hope to catch you out and about in the neighborhood, in the park or anywhere else there’s a cool breeze.

Lawrance Binda
Publisher/Editor

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

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

July News Digest

June 29, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Apartment Building Breaks Ground

The “Savoy 48,” an apartment building planned for Midtown Harrisburg, ceremonially broke ground last month.

Harrisburg-based developer Vice Capital, owned by LeSean McCoy, a former NFL running back and Harrisburg native, plans to construct a 48-unit apartment building with first-floor commercial space on the 1500-block of N. 6th Street.

“I’m so excited,” Mayor Wanda Williams said, at the event. “Our greatest days are ahead of us. I support him [McCoy] through and through.”

The property, near the new federal courthouse, formerly housed three rundown buildings before developers demolished them recently to make room for new construction.

The four-story, 46,000-square-foot building will include studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, 10 of which will be affordable by federal standards. There will also be a rooftop deck and fitness center.

While developers do not yet have tenants lined up for the 6,000-square-foot commercial space, they plan to bring in several businesses, possibly including a restaurant or office tenant, according to Ryan Sanders of Vice Capital.

The total cost of the project is around $9.5 million, which includes funding from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and Dauphin County. Harrisburg City Council approved the project in March.

“We are really looking forward to continuing to push development from downtown to Midtown to Uptown,” said Jonathan Bowser, founder and CEO of Wormleysburg-based Steel Works Construction, the general contractor for the project.

According to Bowser, construction will begin in the fall and is slated to be complete by the fall of 2024.

Wellness Boutique Opens

C.R. Blooms, a new wellness boutique, held a grand opening last month in downtown Harrisburg.

According to owner Carmelia Rameau, the wellness boutique offers facial treatments and wellness products, including teas, handmade Indian silk robes, cleansers, facial masks and more

“I am excited to bring my facial and wellness services to the downtown and surrounding areas and look forward to encouraging wellness and self-care to a new audience in this region,” Rameau said.

The 860-square-foot storefront is located at 7 N. 3rd St., on the 3rd Street side of Strawberry Square and across the street from Whitaker Center.

“We are thrilled to welcome C.R. Blooms to downtown Harrisburg,” said Brad Jones, president and CEO of Harristown Enterprises, which owns Strawberry Square. “Strawberry Square and the Shops on 3rd are a center of activity, and this boutique adds to the growing health and beauty corridor along N. 3rd Street and will offer unique wellness options unavailable elsewhere in downtown.”

“Tiny Home” Project Begins

Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania (VOPA) last month ceremonially broke ground on “Veterans Grove,” a project that will create a tiny home village for homeless veterans in Harrisburg.

Harrisburg, county and state officials put shovels in the dirt at the site of the construction project, a five-acre plot of land at 1105 S. Front St., along the riverfront past the PennDOT building.

“We’ve been working day and night,” said VOPA president and founder Tom Zimmerman. “What a great day it is today.”

At the site, VOPA will construct 15 tiny homes and a community center for veterans experiencing homelessness. The organization plans to work with local agencies to identify potential residents who will live in the homes rent-free.

The over $4 million project was approved by Harrisburg City Council in July 2021. Since then, the once-wooded land, donated by local philanthropist Peggy Grove, has been cleared for construction, according to VOPA board member John Hickey.

Hickey estimated that construction would take around eight months and be completed in February 2024.

“This is progress,” said Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams during the groundbreaking ceremony. “It is a step toward a more permanent solution.”

According to Hickey, there are about 25 homeless veterans in Harrisburg on any given day. The tiny home village will provide temporary housing, among other support services, to veterans in need.

Home Sales Down, Prices Steady

Home sales slumped but prices held firm in May in the Harrisburg area, according to the latest report on previously owned houses.

For the three-county region, 533 houses sold in May compared to 670 in May 2022, as the median sales prices rose slightly to $264,000 from $260,000, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 258 homes sold, a decline from 320 in the year-ago period, as the median sales price was nearly steady at $234,200, GHAR said.

It was a similar story in Cumberland County, where sales totaled 240 housing units compared to 322 a year ago, while the median price rose a bit to $299,950 from $291,000 in May 2022, according to GHAR.

Perry County saw 31 home sales, a gain of five from a year ago, as the median sales price dipped to $217,129 compared to $243,000 the prior May, stated GHAR.

The pace of sales slowed, as the “average days on market” rose to 25 days versus 16 days in May 2022, GHAR reported.

So Noted

David Cohen was hired last month as the new president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg, following a yearlong national search. In this role, he will lead the federation, the Jewish Community Center and partner agencies, as well as the organization’s transition to the Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life, which is slated to open later this year, according to the federation.

Greg Woodbridge last month was named music director of the Hershey Symphony, starting with the 2023-24 season. Woodbridge has served as the symphony’s principal guest conductor since 2017 and the associate conductor for 10 years, according to the symphony.

Harrisburg celebrated the grand opening of the Chutes and Ladders Playground in Reservoir Park last month. City officials were on hand to mark the occasion with food and music, as well as demonstrations of the expansive playground based upon the classic children’s board game.

Jon Kirssin, chairman of the board for Members 1st Federal Credit Union, last month received the 2023 Calvin Jackson Lifetime Achievement Award for “Volunteer of the Year” from CrossState Credit Union Association. In addition, the credit union’s Indirect Sales and Service Manager Deana Barnes was named one of the top three finalists in CrossState Credit Union Association’s 2023 Credit Union Ambassador Contest.

Mike Wilson has been named the new president and CEO of Members 1st Federal Credit Union, assuming the position on July 1. Wilson, who was most recently the credit’s union’s chief experience officer, replaces George Nahodil, who retired after 23 years with the Enola-based not-for-profit financial institution.

Paul D. Mahoney, M.D., a leading structural interventional cardiologist, has joined the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in Central Pa. as co-director of the structural heart program. He will work alongside interventional cardiologist, Hemal Gada, M.D., and cardiothoracic surgeon Mubashir Mumtaz, M.D.

TheBurg last month received 24 Keystone Media Awards in the annual, statewide journalism contest sponsored by the PA NewsMedia Association Foundation. TheBurg won awards in a diverse array of categories including reporting, writing, podcast, design, illustration and photography. For a seventh time, TheBurg also won the “Sweepstakes” award for best performance in its category. For the second straight year, contributor Diane McCormick won “Freelance Journalist of the Year,” a single award that spans all publications in the commonwealth.

UPMC in Central PA and the city of Harrisburg last month launched the “Minutes Matter” campaign to provide emergency training and education to the public. The initiative offers online and in-person training and resources on how to attempt to save the life of someone experiencing cardiac arrest, uncontrolled bleeding, opioid overdose or a mental health crisis. For more, visit www.minutesmatter.upmc.com.

In Memoriam

Mike Trephan, the inspiration and driving force behind the Pride of the Susquehanna riverboat, died last month at age 86.

Trephan, of Mechanicsburg, came up with the idea for the now-iconic, traditional red-and-white paddlewheel boat during the mid-1980s, when Harrisburg was trying to bring people and attractions back to City Island, which had undergone a long period of neglect. He then helped to fund and build the boat, which launched in 1988 and still operates today. In addition, Trephan, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, founded other long-time City Island attractions, including the carousel and the train now called the City Island Railroad.

“Very simply, the Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat would not exist without Mike Trephan,” said Kim Rice, board president of the Harrisburg Area Riverboat Society, the nonprofit that operates the Pride. “He not only had the idea to build the riverboat, he remained a huge advocate who kept his finger on the pulse of the riverboat for every one of our 35 years. He was an inspiration from the start who remained deeply involved. He will be so dearly missed.”

Changing Hands

Barkley Lane, 2514: Wengs Labor Services LLC to S. Rios, $169,000

Berryhill St., 1505: J. Prado to F. Ramirez, $41,000

Bigelow Dr., 12: S. Adamson to M. Albari, $90,501

Boas St., 222: C. McGill to U. Ottley, $160,000

Briggs St., 1810: Your New Home LLC to S. Martinez, $185,000

Brookwood St., 1854; 1733 Berryhill St.; 507, 549 S. 18th St.; 512 S. 19th St.; Brookwood Ventures LP to AD Commercial LLC, $11,000,000

Brookwood St., 2110: M. Clanagan to I. Williams, $112,000

Chestnut St., 1818: J. & A. Padilla to NDTPA Properties LLC, $90,000

Cumberland St., 270: D. Reinhart to J. Angell, $180,000

Curtin St., 508: SR Homes LLC to Dreams2Reality Services LLC, $57,000

Derry St., 1628: D. Albizuventura to Rivas Property Investments LLC, $58,000

Derry St., 2131: SPG Capital LLC to Global Reach LLC, $68,000

Derry St., 2606: DLK Properties LLC to A. & S. Gomez, $151,500

Disbrow St., 79: A. Crummel to Penn Es Holdings LLC, $46,000

Edward St., 106: E. Molnar to Aljo Properties LLC, $100,000

Emerald Ct., 2455: D. Nguyen & P. Quach to A. Das & G. Biswas, $160,000

Emerald St., 240: Great Row LLC to Global Reach LLC, $82,000

Emerald St., 328: D. Long to Jhonleo Home Renovations LLC, $60,000

Evergreen St., 313, 315 & 317: NA Capital Group LLC to RC Realty Investments LLC, $100,000

Forster St., 1923: T. Paige to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $40,000

Green St., 811: W. Hoover to C. Delgado, $185,000

Green St., 1002: PA Deals LLC to R. Delacruz & J. Alejandro, $175,000

Green St., 2030: D. Heller & M. Williams to J. Frederick & N. Esbiansky, $252,500

Green St., 2104: N. Harutyunyan to S. Margaryan, $128,000

Green St., 2144: K. Kassmel to D. Urrutia, $99,000

Harris St., 346: J. Cruz to J. Lamb & S. Pomroy, $197,500

Herr St., 312: M. Harris to S. Pannizzo, $213,000

Hillside Rd., 110: E. Kief to J. & K. Ford, $310,000

Holly St., 2009: SF Rentals LLC to H. Lee, $100,000

Howard St., 1345: A. Davis to ST Howard LLC, $73,000

Howard St., 1357: A. Cruz to P. & F. Eras, $49,000

Jefferson St., 2213: J. & T. Allan to NA Capital Group LLC, $55,000

Kensington St., 2345: 2101 Cedar Run 306 LLC to K. Deininger, $95,000

Kensington St., 2424: M. & C. Early to T. & P. Early, $100,000

Lawton St., 1416: J. Foote & R. Tompkins to SJL Rentals LLC, $636,000

Logan St., 1931: D. Boyle to J. Gomez, $40,000

Logan St., 2101: M. Badrani & Z. Alkubaisy to C. Samuel, $115,000

Maclay St., 415: T. Buttross to Shree Vinayaka LLC, $158,000

Manada St., 1913: J. Smith to M. Rodriguez, $65,750

Manada St., 2019: W. Skorija to D. Layton, $105,000

Market St., 2464: G. & J. Trump to S. Saini & H. Kaurm, $325,000

Muench St., 205: S. Vielot to A. Britcher, $169,000

Mulberry St., 1154: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to A. Gracia, $55,000

Mulberry St., 1901: R U Making Moves LLC to D. Vail, $180,000

Naudain St., 1515: Parcview 135 Corp. to WiseChoice USA LLC, $44,000

Naudain St., 1525: A. Cruz to P. & F. Eras, $45,000

North St., 1907: J&N Blowouts & Barber LLC to M. & B. King, $77,500

North St., 2014: Salah El Din LLC to C. Brooks, $75,000

N. 2nd St., 401: 401 Partners LLC to Harrisburg Heritage Coworking LLC, $381,150

N. 2nd St., 612: J. Chamberlin to E. Ni & A. Petersen, $195,000

N. 2nd St., 2037: WCI Partners LP to E. Ni & A. Peterson, $255,000

N. 3rd St., 600; 605 Susquehanna St.: Pennsylvania Motor Federation to Deels LLC, $475,000

N. 3rd St., 604: R. LaMarco to North of Liberty LLC, $580,000

N. 4th St., 1428: R. Kabir to E. Rossum, $95,000

N. 4th St., 2240: SPG Capital LLC to Penn Properties Associates LLC, $52,000

N. 4th St., 2425: D. Davis to E. Jensen & C. Dominguez, $86,500

N. 5th St., 2230: Jerry L. Parker Trust to V. Agun, $80,000

N. 5th St., 2406: C. Grimm & J. Price to S. Benson, $165,000

N. 6th St., 3156: J. Ulloa & A. Villar to T. Sechrist, $130,000

N. 15th St., 1121: B. Shephard & N. Cook to M3 6 Realty LLC, $95,000

N. 15th St., 1304: B. Shephard & N. Cook to M3 6 Realty LLC, $95,000

N. 15th St., 1308: Henry & Sons Property 2 LLC to C. & E. Little, $93,000

N. 16th St., 47: B. Shephard & N. Cook to M3 6 Realty LLC, $95,000

N. 18th St., 814: URED Know LLC to AJ Real Estate Properties LLC, $100,000

N. 18th St., 920: Link Investment Properties LLC to Global Reach LLC, $72,000

N. 19th St., 719: SPG Capital LLC to J. Roberts, $56,750

N. 19th St., 721: SPG Capital LLC to Burama Enterprises LLC, $59,500

N. 19th St., 1000: G. & K. Sipe to W. Slone, $150,000

N. Front St., 1201: Linden Terrace PA LLC to River Trail PA TC LP, $11,860,000

Norwood St., 920: J. Arocho & I. Gonzalez to C. Vega, E. Cruz & L. Rivera, $155,000

Park St., 1937: Adonis Real Estate LLC to V. Gil, $148,000

Pine St., 121: Bowser Properties LLC to Global Reach LLC, $180,000

Regina St., 1509: A. & T. Neal and T. Williams to O. & S. Malcolm, $87,000

Regina St., 1529: City Limits Foundation to R. Clark, $110,000

Regina St., 1829: C. Smith & D. Tisinger to B. Baptiste & B. Paul, $74,000

Rudy Rd., 1909: H. Shbeeb to G. Chacon, $40,000

Rudy Rd., 2107: P. Fanning to Bomadeck Home Care Services LLC, $159,999

Rumson Dr., 2923: H. & J. Rivera to L. Chavez, $130,000

Schuylkill St., 546: M. Powell to A. Shahin, $99,900

Seneca St., 517: R. Cutting to D. Boyle, $45,000

Showers St., 585: A. & K. Morris to C. Nguyen, $175,000

S. 13th St., 245: Inder Group Real Estate LLC to Zac Penn LLC, $60,500

S. 13th St., 347: Q. Phillips to P. Smith, $165,000

S. 15th St., 441: RRMMM Real Estate LLC to Glad Rentals LLC, $54,000

S. 15th St., 526: First Choice Home Buyers LLC to M. Gutierrez, $80,000

S. 16th St., 525; 1716, 1718 Miller St.; 1625, 1632 Park St.; 1945 North St.: Great Row LLC to RC Realty & Investments LLC, $329,000

S. 18th St., 169: R. Irvis to Sky Resort Investments LLC, $82,500

S. 23rd St., 1036: N. Farnum to R. & T. Spencer, $55,000

S. 26th St., 738: C. Roach to A. Ramirez, $133,000

S. 26th St., 741: L. Newton to EA&G Real Estate LLC, $45,000

Spencer St., 1855: M. Hoogerbrugge to M. Brown & C. Peters, $125,000

State St., 231, Unit 602: R. Murcia to P. & R. Takac, $167,000

State St., 1314: 88314 LLC to Kurtz Investprops LLC, $105,000

State St., 1732: M. Cepeda to Camacho Realty LLC, $85,950

Susquehanna St., 2032: S. Gomez to C. Zeger, $75,000

Verbeke St., 221: A. Smoot & C. Hogue to A&W Homes LLC, $220,000

Vernon St., 1407½: Buy the Block Back LLC to Vernon St. LLC, $72,000

Vine St., 119: D. Beebe to B. & P. Palmer, $155,000

Woodbine St., 346: J. Russell to Vram Homes LLC, $50,000

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

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The Simple Life: Marysville couple creates, embraces an off-the-grid lifestyle

June 29, 2023 | by Susan Ryder

Living simple means freedom, according to Ben Masters.

He and his wife Katie Haunstein live in a 600-square-foot, off-the-grid home in Marysville.

“Small but not quite tiny,” Masters said.

Surrounded by meadows on an utterly charming piece of property, with the song of the red-winged blackbird coming from the tall grass, the acreage has a “Little House on the Prairie” feel.

“We wanted it to be big enough that we wouldn’t ever feel that we needed to add on, but small enough that it would be easy to maintain and not become a place that we just filled up with unnecessary things,” Haunstein said. “We also didn’t want a home so expensive that we would have to work for the rest of our lives to pay it off.”

This small, off-the-grid living is much more about intentionality than the stereotype of dogged independence, criticism of modern amenities, or a desire to sequester oneself from the “outside world.” It has the typical amenities—electricity from a six-panel solar system, septic system for sewer, and propane for cooking and heating water.

When the weather doesn’t cooperate, the couple taps power from their lithium phosphate batteries. That’s a huge improvement from the lead-acid batteries they once relied on, which don’t store as much electricity.

“We’re living the good life now,” Masters said.

With physical space at a premium, thoughtful purchases are a requirement.

“Living in a smaller-than-average house also keeps us mindful of what we buy, what we have,” Haunstein said. “There’s not a lot of room for excess stuff.”

The home uses every inch efficiently, but is lovely. The kitchen, with its wooden live-edge countertop, holds an efficiency-sized refrigerator and oven. Rather than traditional cabinets, Ball jars on shelves store oats, flour, sugar and the like. Books line the shelves up the steps towards the loft. The full bath is small but well appointed, with a stained glass piece depicting a scene from Peru decorating the sink.

The couple’s two stints in the Peace Corps, Zambia and Peru, had them considering an even more meager lifestyle—a thatched roof with mud-brick walls wasn’t entirely out of the question. However, “a lot of the building techniques they use abroad we couldn’t use,” Masters said.

Also, living within a town came with certain rules.

Masters said that they talked with the Perry County commissioners about a composting toilet rather than septic system, but that was a no-go. They had also considered using salvaged barn beams as the structure for the house, but getting approval would have been costly.

Masters said that, even with all the regulations, the municipality was willing to work with their desire to be off the grid.

“We came in with some wacky ideas, and they said ‘Let’s dial it back, but there’s some wiggle room,’” Masters said.

They relied on local Amish builders to create the hemlock mortise-and-tenon structure, but the rest was a labor of love. The couple cut, planed and joined the rough-cut walnut, cherry, oak and hickory boards that make up the flooring, building about 80% of the home themselves.

They also chop all the wood that heats their home in the winter. The structural insulated panels provide terrific insulation, which keeps the house cozy during the cold months with minimal wood usage.

“For me, it’s like anything I look at, I can remember doing it,” Masters said. “That’s a rewarding feeling.”

There’s plenty to do outside, too. Haunstein handles the gardening and chickens.

“I love to garden,” she said. “It is a place that calms and grounds me, genuinely makes me happy. The yearly cycle of growth and new life is inspiring.”

Blackberry and raspberry bushes line the house’s front fence. The garden holds strawberries, cilantro and chives topped with purple globe blossoms. The summer will add a plethora of veggies. Pear, cherry, peach and apple trees round out the agrarian variety.

Haunstein doesn’t intend to grow all of their food, just enough organic produce to eat fresh through the growing season and some to “put up” for the winter.

The couple funds their lifestyle through each of their home-based small businesses, as well as Haunstein’s job as a massage therapy instructor at HACC. She has a massage studio in their loft, and Masters re-creates bike cranks into wall-art clocks in his basement workshop for his “Crank Therapy” Etsy page. He also dabbles in sewing wallets and small bags from bicycle tubes, using a bicycle-operated sewing machine.

“I wanted to do something I enjoyed,” he said.

Masters described their life as “homestead light.”

“My hope is that we can be an inspiration for someone to live a little more simply, with a little bit less, and a little more in tune with the world around them—and to know that it doesn’t have to be an extreme jump to go off the grid,” Haunstein said. “You can just take one small step in a new direction.”

For more information on Crank Therapy designs, visit www.etsy.com/market/crank_therapy.

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Safe & Sounds: It’s all good moos at Lancaster Farm Sanctuary

June 29, 2023 | by Gina Napoli

Claire and Jude

The green pastures of Lancaster County have some thorny terrain when it comes to rural legends of puppy mills and poor treatment of farm animals.

But since 2017, a dedicated team of animal advocates at Lancaster Farm Sanctuary (LFS) rescues and rehabilitates farm animals deemed “non-standard” or “not for farm use”— animals that otherwise may have been discarded.

Spanning 23 acres (and counting), LFS isn’t easy to find—down long and winding roads, tucked behind neighboring farms. A volunteer directed me down a maze of driveways confusing enough to turn around twice. At one point, three chickens literally crossed the road in front of me.

If my life were the movie I sometimes imagine it is, I would be starring in a classic fish-out-of-water story. My low-rider car isn’t for off-roading. I wore designer sneakers instead of boots, the more sensible choice to side-step animal scat. I brought hand sanitizer instead of accepting that organic things would stick to me.

LFS’s co-founder and executive director Sarah Salluzzo sniffed my trademark intensity right away.

“It’s nice to just be here with the animals,” she said. “Even people who volunteer here for one day let go of their stress. They tend to become more Type B.”

She was right. It’s relaxing when you can tap into non-verbal communication to bond with animals, stroking their fur in a hypnotically Zen state.

Then I met Salluzzo’s partner, Jonina Turzi, LFS vice president and co-founder. Like every other animal fanatic I’ve met, she will tell you everything about every animal she’s ever known. Some of the animals are even tattooed on her arms.

In addition to sharing the heartbreaking circumstances that brought the pot-bellied pigs to the sanctuary, Turzi wove fun backstories, spilling the tea about their friendship. Meanwhile, pot-bellied pig Pumpkin roamed the expansive pen with her first friends ever, having escaped filthy conditions, infections and eventual slaughter. LFS is their happily ever after.

Turzi and volunteer Amie Adams shared many general stories about common practices for animals raised for food:

Pre-pubescent chicks restricted to small spaces and fattened to the point that their legs couldn’t support their obese bodies.
Male chicks killed after birth by egg farmers before they can fertilize any eggs.
Animals’ ears and tails cropped without giving anesthesia.
Babies taken from their mothers immediately, before they could nurse.
Animals of all kinds found in puddles of their own waste, their own feet rotting underneath them.

Just to name a few.

Many animals came to LFS as the result of human cruelty cases, and some from police seizures. Many were rescued from the farming industry or from being turned into dog food. Almost all had outlived their usefulness as agricultural commodities.

“They would have been destroyed,” Adams said.

Pet Causes

Somewhere near the middle of all the spacious pens with pigs oinking, ducks quacking, horses neighing, and sheep baa-ing, Salluzzo and Turzi have their own little farmhouse. In addition to their sweat equity and resources from their nonprofit sanctuary, they estimate that their 30 to 40 volunteers donate some 36 hours per week to help run LFS.

They are fortunate to count a veterinarian as one of their volunteers. Although there are a few nearby vets for farm animals, sometimes they need to consult specialists in other counties.

“It’s telling that in an area as animal-saturated as Lancaster County, veterinarians are so scarce,” Turzi said.

In addition to LFS’s animal activism, their pet (pardon the pun) causes include veganism and LGBTQ+ rights. LFS believes strongly that rescued animals will find and choose their own families. They do not allow them to breed because there are way too many animals to care for already.

“There is an academic counter-argument that altering the animals removes their reproductive rights,” Turzi said. “But out here in the real world, we have to turn animals away every day.”

Most LFS residents felt content to chew everything in their immediate surroundings, respecting the humans’ personal space. But not all the animals on my two-hour tour were docile, or even happy to meet me. Adams warned me about the ducks not being super fans of humans. But no one warned me about the enterprising goats, Max and Kevin.

To be clear, Max and Kevin liked everyone else, accepting coos and scritches from over 20 other visitors. But every time I came into Max’s view, something pinged inside his brain, much like the Terminator’s computer brain chip on red alert. No matter where I hid, Max wove his horns through the crowd to find me, repeatedly ramming my thigh. Then when I thought I was safe, his friend Kevin took a bite from my notebook, just before delivering me fresh fertilizer.

Turzi reasoned that my notebook looked a lot like their food dishes. Totally logical. Until then, I was convinced goats just didn’t care for journalists.

So I had to get my mammalian affection from two very sloppy kissers, two cows rescued from the beef industry. Claire’s face is half paralyzed, her purple tongue darting in and out on one side. With Jude’s cleft palate, he can’t quite close his mouth, so his saliva drips everywhere.

Whether you are an old hand at farming, are a fellow fish out of water, or somewhere in between, you can learn the origin stories for the 80 rescued animals that live at LFS. And you can follow the animals and their antics on LFS’s very active social media sites.

Lancaster Farm Sanctuary is located at 1871 Milton Grove Rd., Mount Joy. For more information, visit www.lancastersanctuary.org or social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

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Furplus Inventory: Shelters, rescues struggle in a post-pandemic world

June 29, 2023 | by M. Diane McCormick

Cheddar. Image courtesy of Jennifer Grove

Jennifer Grove insisted that her new cat wouldn’t be kitten-age, but an animal rescuer talked her into meeting 6-month-old Cheddar at Abrams & Weakley, the Susquehanna Township pet store.

She loved the energetic, creamsicle-hued kitten but decided to think about it. As she closed the store door behind her, Cheddar ran up and put his little paw on the glass.

“Well, that’s it,” she thought. “I’m done.”

Now a year old, Cheddar is no longer climbing the bookcases of Grove’s Harrisburg home. He is content to venture into the backyard wearing a harness, sleep on a window ledge, and accept scritches from visitors.

A happy story, matching a willing human with a beautiful tabby that had been lingering among Harrisburg Area Rescue Team’s adoptables. And while fairy-tale endings remain on track in animal-adoption land, some stories are ending in sad surrender, while post-pandemic Harrisburg-area shelters and rescues, stretched to their limits, struggle for volunteers and resources.

“The national trend has been, since COVID, that intakes are outpacing outtakes,” said Amy Kaunas, executive director, Humane Society of Harrisburg Area.

While HSHA’s cats have been relatively consistent, in contrast to a tidal wave of felines washing over foster-based rescues, the volume of stray dogs “is definitely outside the norm.”

Plus, as other rescues agree, the peaks and valleys of past years have flattened to a constant stream that strains volunteer capabilities and expenses.

Why? It’s too early for data. Speculation points to the pandemic, when spay/neuter was deemed nonessential and halted. Perhaps it’s inflationary pressures on pet owners, or a rise in backyard breeders looking for quick money.

As the dog population suddenly swells, HSHA is putting a sit-stay on existing plans to redesign its dog kennels in response to a decades-long decline. In the meantime, HSHA is trying to ease the pressure on its shelter by participating in the Home to Home network, an online pet placement that facilitates owner-to-owner surrender, foster in or foster out, or adoption of a local pet.

The foster-based, all-feline Harrisburg Animal Rescue Team is feeling the post-pandemic effect, said founder Bill Forgey.

“I thought 2021 was bad, but 2022 was worse,” he said. “We’re expecting it to be bad again this year.”

Forgey is fostering 17 kittens in his Susquehanna Township home, plus—he counted in his head—“one, two, three, four mother cats.” With 10 to 12 foster humans who can only be asked to do so much, HART has been known to reach its limit.

“We do very good at keeping sustainable, but we got so swamped last year that we had to put a halt to the intake in September,” Forgey said.

It could happen again this year, he added.

At foster-based Castaway Critters, the dog program, which primarily took in dogs from southern shelters, is on hold. They hope to resume soon, but it’s a tough ask of volunteers as they retire, age or move.

“You have to be kind of on call all the time,” said office manager Jamie Balla of West Hanover Township. “Because we don’t have a brick-and-mortar shelter, it’s very difficult if there is an emergency. Are you willing to be that person? It’s hard to find a kennel, especially in the middle of the night.”

Never Ending

At Helen O. Krause Animal Foundation, Inc., in Dillsburg, manager Janet Cremo is fielding the saddest calls possible.

In one morning, she took three relinquishment requests, one for a dog and two for cats. The calls are often tearful, forced by homelessness or eviction or the choice between feeding families or feeding pets.

“They want their animals to be in a safe place,” Cremo said. “They’re reaching out to get help, instead of just dumping them.”

Space restrictions limit HOKAFI’s intake capabilities, but Cremo will “try to lead them in the right direction” by suggesting resources, such as Facebook rehoming sites, foster-based rescues or low-cost clinics.

In the meantime, HOKAFI adoptions are dwindling so much that some adoption days—Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m.—see no one walk through the door.

HSHA also pointed financially strapped pet owners toward resources—pet food banks, low-cost spay/neuter and veterinary services, behavioral resources.

“Call your local shelter and see what they can do to help,” said Amanda Brunish, HSHA director of marketing and outreach. “Anything to keep you from deciding to give up your dog.”

Many rescues struggle to find volunteers. Castaway Critters’ foster corps is shrinking, possibly because homelife is returning to the pre-pandemic normals of going out and traveling.

“Most of the fosters we have now are ones that were with us pre-pandemic,” Balla said. “They stuck through it.”

It’s a hard road for TNR (trap-neuter-release) and spay/neuter programs. From an old bank, Steelton Community Cats spays and neuters feral, colony and dumped kitties brought in through municipal contracts and a network of volunteers and rescues with cat traps.

“We filled the building for our May trapping,” said volunteer Rosemary Loncar. “It’s going to be like this the rest of the year, I’m sure. It’s just never ending. Never ending.”

In today’s inflationary spiral, rescues and shelters feel lucky that donors continue to open their wallets.

“If I put a request out for food and litter, people respond,” said Forgey. “They’re all animal lovers, and I think that’s why they donate.”

Now What?

Steelton Community Cats cherishes the volunteer services of Dr. Diane Ford, of Vetting Zoo, Palmyra, but must contend with rising costs of medical supplies for monthly surgery clinics: oxygen, anesthesia, vaccines and syringes, sterilization packs. Cat food has risen from 25 cents a can to 80 cents.

“All these animals cannot go into a shelter,” Loncar said. “If people don’t jump on the TNR wagon, what do you do? Here’s what happens. The cat that’s pregnant—you’re not dealing with just one cat. If she has five kittens, you’re now dealing with six cats that need to get done. And within five or six months, those six cats can become 20 cats, and the numbers keep going up and up and up.”

At HSHA, “obviously, we don’t have a lot of things we can sell” to raise funds, said Kaunas. The organization decided to raise adoption rates, which have not increased in nearly a decade, to bring them in line with fees at other shelters in the region. They also bumped up prices for their veterinary services, a fundraiser for the nonprofit.

“Some of the drug prices have gone up so high that we weren’t even charging what we were paying,” Kaunas said. “We want to keep it low cost, but we can’t lose money on it.”

The question lingers: How are rescues and shelters addressing the root problem of too many animals? They say they are doing everything possible.

“If you have numbers creeping back to before and you have the prevention programs in place, now what?” said HSHA’s Brunish. “Do you just do more?”

HSHA continues its mission of “getting out and educating people on the services we have and how people can take care of their animals,” she added. “We want people to keep their animals in their homes.”

The world needs more donors and more foster programs to place pets in homelike settings, where their personalities can shine for potential adopters to see, said Balla.

“We can save more if we have more fosters,” she said.

Jennifer Grove, cat mom to Cheddar, is doing her part for TNR. Her block’s self-sufficient stray, fondly named Tom by the neighborhood, would go to no one but her. She trapped him and got him spayed. Now, she provides food and water and allows him inside when he’s inclined.

Grove’s adopted fur baby Cheddar is her morning cuddle companion, gently purring beside her in bed until he signals that it’s time to eat. Grove adopted Cheddar through HART and is now “so glad to be able to finally bring in one of their kittens and give it a good home.”

“I know they do such good work, and they’ve been inundated with so many kittens and cats,” she said. “They’re so easy to work with. If they can help in any way to rescue a cat, they’re there, and I feel really fortunate to be able to continue supporting them.”

A Pet Fur You

For adoption information or to make a donation, visit the websites of organizations mentioned in this story:

Castaway Critters, www.castawaycritters.org

Harrisburg Animal Rescue Team, www.hart-harrisburganimalrescueteam.org

Helen O. Krause Animal Foundation Inc., www.helenkrause.org

Humane Society of Harrisburg Area, www.humanesocietyhbg.org

Steelton Community Cats, www.steeltoncats.org

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Positive Aura: New west shore restaurant takes your taste buds to the sunny Mediterranean

June 29, 2023 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Chef John Walsh with several of this Mediterranean-inspired dishes.

A healthy aura is said to signify a sound body, mind and spirit.

That’s what Brian Fertenbaugh and his wife Jennifer had in mind when they recently opened Aura Modern Mediterranean, their new restaurant at the former Cork & Fork location on the Carlisle Pike.

“It means good, or positive energy, which is what we are attempting to achieve here,” Fertenbaugh said.

When guests walk through the doors, they immediately understand what that means, from the bubble lighting to the Mediterranean-style tile, palm trees, blue-hued booths and walls and tapestries, which are evocative of ocean waves. The mood is definitively peaceful.

“We took soundproofing measures to cut down on the noise factor as well,” said Fertenbaugh, crediting his friend, interior designer Kim Holl, for helping bring his concept to life. “We work really well together, and she has great ideas that helped take my vision and make it into reality.”

Fertenbaugh, who owns Café Fresco Center City and Level 2 in Harrisburg, said that he was casually looking to open a restaurant on the west shore, initially choosing the former VRAI location in Lemoyne before the deal fell through. He then was approached by the investors at Cork & Fork, who offered a larger space, accommodating 100 diners inside, 44 outside and 15 at the bar.

“I ended up loving the space, and it played into the vision I had of dining on the Mediterranean coast,” he said.

Fertenbaugh entered the restaurant business at age 18, working at Pizza Hut. He moved on to Gullifty’s, starting as a busboy and eventually working every position in the restaurant, he said.

When he left Gullifty’s, he bartended for 15 years before going into management at Level 2 for legendary local restaurateur, Nick Laus.

“When Nick approached me with an offer to buy, I couldn’t pass it up,” he said.

Fertenbaugh said that he’s attracted to what the faint of heart steer clear of—a fast-paced, chaotic environment.

“Sure, it can be challenging at times, but I find this intriguing, and that’s what drives me,” he said.

Stellar

For Aura, Fertenbaugh said that it was important to choose a cuisine that would fill a niche in the area.

“We have plenty of Mexican restaurants and pizza places around here, but Mediterranean cuisine is lacking in this area,” he said.

Executive Chef John Walsh gains inspiration from the Iberian peninsula, France, Greece and northern Africa in order to create the Mediterranean vibe, with an emphasis on fresh vegetables, seafood and meats from the regions.

Tapas include dishes like baba ghanoush served on toasted ciabatta, red beet and goat cheese hummus on flatbread and white bean bruschetta. Small plates, plucked from the sea and perfect for sharing, include baby octopus, calamari and tuna tartare. Mains feature dishes like stuffed branzino, seared monkfish, oven-roasted chicken and dry-aged New York strip.

For those interested in more casual fare, Chef Walsh makes full use of the Earthstone oven to create pizzas topped with ingredients like Iberico pork, pepperoni, sausage and aged provolone, all of which are lightly charred and full of flavor.

Ronda Lawrence lives nearby in Mechanicsburg and said that her favorites are the beef carpaccio and the tuna tartare.

“All of the menu items I’ve tasted so far have been stellar, and my husband loves the pizzas,” she said, adding that she enjoys the outdoors seating now that the weather is nice. “It’s my new favorite restaurant.”

Michael Glaser, of Camp Hill, added that he is impressed with the service.

“The inside is beautiful, and I was astounded as to how well prepared they were on opening day, from the kitchen staff, to the servers, everyone has been on point from day one,” he said.

Some of Glaser’s favorites include the lamb kebabs, the charcuterie board and the Spanish-rubbed shrimp served atop homemade pasta.

“It’s a great date place,” he said.

Fertenbaugh said that he’s delighted to be located along the extremely busy Carlisle Pike and is looking forward to what the future holds.

“We’re in a great location, especially considering that luxury apartments behind us will be soon finished,” he said. “I think this is just what the west shore needed.”

Aura Modern Mediterranean is located at 4434 Carlisle Pike, Camp Hill (Hampden Township). For more information, visit www.auramodernmed.com.

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Cat’s in the Bag: Kitty Town Coffee is all about a good roast—and a good cause

June 29, 2023 | by Jeff Falk

Photo courtesy of Kitty Town Coffee.

At first glance, coffee and cats may not seem to have a lot in common.

But Zanetta Kok has identified enough similarities not only to fill a business model, but to funnel the profits towards a good cause.

She founded Kitty Town Coffee five years ago as part marketing strategy, part charity fundraiser and part to scratch an entrepreneurial itch. It’s also a way for Kok and her husband Ken to make a living while making a difference in the world.

“There is this mental correlation between cats and coffee,” said Kok, a 29-year-old resident of Lebanon. “Their warmth. Kind of like, ‘I want to sit down and cuddle with my cup of coffee and my cat.’ It just so happens that some coffee lovers are also cat lovers.”

The Koks have inserted feline into every part of their business—from their branding to their packaging to their coffee names.

The profits from every bag of coffee sold can feed a cat for a week, and the animal-related charity that Kitty Town Coffee helps to fund changes every month, including Loving Care Cat Rescue, The Nobody’s Cats Foundation and other societies and animal shelters.

“Doing good things makes the world a better place,” Kok said. “We feel like we’re doing our part by creating funds for these organizations.”

The Koks own three cats themselves, and each has a blend of coffee named after them. The Mr. Albert roast is “a little sweet, a little nutty and you’d swear we added cream,” Kok said. Isabelle is a cold brew that’s very unique, and then there’s Nadia, Jamaica Me Crazy.

Sydney, the original Kitty Town Coffee cat, who has since passed, has an entire company dedicated to her honor. In all, the business features 21 brands bearing the names of cats owned by friends and supporters.

“It’s been a crazy ride, running a business during COVID,” Kok said. “People didn’t understand at first. We’d get people asking, ‘Is this coffee for cats? Is there kitty litter in this coffee?’ People get it now. But I think the pandemic actually helped us, because people purchased more pets.”

A Great Need

The Koks founded Kitty Town Coffee in 2017 as a side hustle. Zanetta was working a job she enjoyed, “but I couldn’t picture myself doing it forever,” she said.

In 2018, she quit her job and made Kitty Town Coffee a full-time pursuit. Ken followed suit a year later, right before the outbreak of the pandemic.

Today, the Koks employ some 20 people, and Kitty Town Coffee has 24,000 followers on Instagram.

“It was either going to grow or it was going to totally fizzle out and die,” Kok said. “I think one of the biggest factors is that the world has changed and people are interested again. Through Kitty Town, we want to make people smile in the morning when they’re drinking their coffee.”

Becoming an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone. But neither are cats. Both require a specific fabric, a certain temperament.

“I want to be supporting people doing good in the world, instead of starting my own animal shelter,” Kok said. “There definitely is a great need.”

There are certainly a lot of great causes out there. What makes those associated with animals so worthy is the fact that pets enhance the human condition so much.

“Humans and cats have been fine together for thousands of years,” Kok said. “It’s a symbiotic relationship.”

It would seem that the same could be said about the relationship that exists between karma and a business plan.

“We’ve seen most of our growth over the last six months,” Kok said. “I would love for it to become a national brand. I’d like to see the Kitty Town Coffee brand be in local grocery stores. It’s definitely what we’re working towards.”

Kitty Town Coffee sells its products online and at numerous area shops. For more information, visit www.kittytowncoffee.com or their Facebook or Instagram pages.

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Closing Gaps: Addressing health equity benefits all of us

June 29, 2023 | by Capital Blue Cross Staff

“Health equity” is a term you are likely to hear often in discussions around fostering healthier communities.

But what does health equity mean? And why does it matter?

In the simplest terms, health equity means ensuring everyone can attain his or her fullest health potential regardless of factors such as income, race, gender, where they live or other social determinants. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), existing health inequities can lead to differences in:

Quality and length of life. For example, Americans age 65 and older and members of minority racial and ethnic groups have been disproportionately represented among COVID-19-associated deaths, according to a CDC study.
Rates of disease, disability and death. African American adults are 50% more likely to have a stroke compared to their white counterparts, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Severity of disease. Black and Hispanic children are hospitalized with complications of asthma much more often than are white children, according to the HHS.
Access to treatment. In 2017, African American mothers were 2.3 times more likely than white mothers to receive late prenatal care or no prenatal care at all, the HHS found.

Disparities such as these can impact all segments of our society.

Inequities in the availability and quality of healthcare not only negatively affect individuals, but they can take a toll on our workforces and our communities as well, creating social and economic costs that we all bear. When we work to address these inequities by ensuring that all members of our community have access to high-quality healthcare, the entire community benefits with better quality of life.

Addressing inequities in healthcare is becoming more important than ever as the country’s population grows more diverse.

To address disparities in care, insurers like Capital Blue Cross often turn to data to find out where gaps exist so they can act. For instance, when public health data showed minorities were lagging in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, Capital Blue Cross worked to establish pop-up clinics in minority and underserved neighborhoods to increase access to the vaccine. Those clinics—including ones hosted at the Hamilton Health Center and Heinz-Menaker Senior Center in Harrisburg and the Spanish American Civic Association in Lancaster—provided vaccines to thousands across central Pennsylvania.

In the long-term, addressing health equity will take changes in public policy and shifts in healthcare resources. But as those changes take place, the result will be improved healthcare access for all segments of our population.

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

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The Pet Pamperer: New shop brings grooming services to downtown Harrisburg

June 29, 2023 | by Rachel Lindsley

Alexandra Lauch grooms Ivy.

Harrisburg pet owners shouldn’t be afraid of the “ruff” summer heat this year.

A fresh haircut is just a walk away, as Unleashed Grooming Company recently opened in Strawberry Square.

Veteran Alexandra Lauch discovered her pet care career while deployed in Afghanistan with the National Guard, continuing her education when she returned home in 2011. Now, with more than 12 years of experience at five different salons, Lauch took the next step and opened her own business last February.

“Before we opened, there was not a pet grooming service within walking distance of Harrisburg city,” she said. “Once we found this location in the Shops at Strawberry Square, everything started to fall into place.”

Lauch and her fellow groomer, Amanda Mumford, pride themselves on making their salon a healthy, safe environment for pets to enjoy pampering and be unleashed, literally. While other groomers use crates to contain clients before and after appointments, Lauch has an open-floor policy that alleviates the normal stresses of grooming services.

Gray Harvey and his two golden doodles, Fletcher and Rideau, live in Midtown and love that Unleashed Grooming is a quick walk from his house. Rideau was previously afraid of the hair dryer and did not enjoy going to the groomers.

“Lexi took the time, over several visits, to help acclimate him to the sounds and equipment, and now he doesn’t mind it at all,” Harvey said.

Lauch said that she appreciates that some pets have a hard time with the tools of the trade, like nail trimmers, bathing and blow drying.

“These sounds can be alarming, especially for rescue animals who may have had a difficult past,” she said. “That’s why we make our clients feel as comfortable as possible before, during and after their appointments by allowing them to roam around the salon and get to know one another.”

Since opening day, Unleashed Grooming Company has served more than 100 clients from small to large dogs, cats and more. Grooming packages vary from basic to premium products, ranging from $40 to $120 based on the breed and size.

“All of our haircare products are hypoallergenic and range from affordable to premium options with varying scents such as our signature rose,” Lauch said. “We also have medicated and scent-free options for pets with sensitive skin types.”

Services include baths, blow drying, haircut, nail trimming and ear cleaning. Additional services such as de-shedding, flea and tick treatment, teeth cleaning and more are available.

Don’t have time to wait around for your furry friend? Unleashed Grooming Company offers express service where they block time to solely focus on your canine, so they are ready when you are. Lauch and Mumford also keep owners informed and updated throughout the day by sending before and after photos.

Harrisburg resident Mary Balchunis is thankful that Unleashed Grooming Company opened near her house. Balchunis rescued a mini poodle, who was previously nervous to go to the groomer.

“Lex and Amanda do such an amazing job making Ellie feel comfortable and taken care of,” Balchunis said. “They created a dog-friendly environment that keeps us coming back. Ellie always looks beautiful with her haircut, bow and collar.”

Unleashed Grooming Company is located at 3 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, in the Shops on 3rd, part of Strawberry Square. For more information, visit their Facebook and Instagram sites. To book an appointment, call or text 717-440-8597.

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