Retooled & Ready: Post-pandemic, Whitaker Center opened with a new look, new offerings

February 28, 2023 | by Gina Napoli

Purposeful Gaming Studio

The pandemic left dents on every person and business, and Whitaker Center was no exception.

Somewhat more delayed than others to fully reopen, the “crown jewel of Harrisburg” stayed in its jewelry box just a little longer. As it turns out, they were taking that time to be cleaned and polished.

We’re stoked that Whitaker Center has since swung their doors wide open to the public. With familiar mainstay offerings accompanying some exciting changes, Whitaker Center is showcasing a remodeled layout along with rejuvenated programming that’s enough to get your kids excited, even your sullen teens.

Picking Up STEAM

Where the ticketing center and the gift shop once stood is now PNC Innovation Zone, a Purposeful Gaming Studio. This new area (separate from Harrisburg University’s professional e-sports arena) provides a collaborative, experiential learning space to engage kids in STEAM through videogames.

Whitaker Center’s board and staff feel a responsibility to inspire kids and expose them to technology, providing access to those who don’t always have it. The gaming aspect of Whitaker Center is so cool that “people tend to forget we’re nonprofit,” said CEO Ted Black.

Innovation educator Steve Lockhart encourages parents to talk to their kids while they’re playing together “about possible future STEAM professions in videogames: coding, storytelling, 3-D modeling, designers, hardware, software, streamers, influencers, sound and music engineering—endless careers.” Kids in grades two through eight can learn STEAM concepts through structured class offerings.

And if you’d like to bond with your co-workers or friend groups through a videogame experience, Innovation Zone is a great hub for getting creative and building virtual bridges.

“We’re the first science center in the country with a space like this, and one of the first STEAM buildings that has everything intersecting all under one roof,” Black said.

Community Needs

During the pandemic, Whitaker Center’s doors weren’t bolted shut. Rather, they were propped open slightly ajar to meet needs within the community. In response to emergent virtual educational pivoting, Whitaker Center, along with help from Rep. Patty Kim and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region, hosted the Community Classroom within the Innovation Zone space.

Community Classroom provided a place for students (and overwhelmed parents) to log on with Wi-Fi to complete classwork and homework. Black credits this program as “fulfilling, rewarding and sobering, because it met needs at a granular level within the community,” while helping Whitaker Center to grow in an unexpected, yet still mission-driven manner.

Whitaker Center also assisted the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra during the pandemic when the Forum building was under construction by providing virtual delivery.

“We have an obligation to be the cultural center of Harrisburg, and we lean into that where we can,” Black said.

Window Opens

During the pandemic, the sudden need for virtual programming drove the Whitaker Center team to create virtual delivery and remote outreach for some of their key programs.

Surgery Live! presents high school students with a unique opportunity to view routine surgeries telecasted live from Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Because Surgery Live! influences high-schoolers to think about multiple careers in the operating room (not just as a surgeon), it’s a program that Black did not want to pause.

Pre-pandemic, students filed in to the Digital Cinema to watch surgeries on the big screen, while a doctor visited the kids in-person to narrate the procedures and answer questions. Then the pandemic pushed Whitaker Center staff to offer the program completely virtually instead of the hybrid format. This expanded the audience for Surgery Live!, allowing virtual field trips for even more students, regardless of their geographic locations.

Other field trips became virtual and socially distanced, too. Whitaker Without Walls provides education from afar. And for the younger kids, WOW (Whitaker on Wheels) delivers interactive STEAM education to preschools, daycare centers and elementary schools.

“We didn’t have the need for virtual programs before COVID,” Black said. “Now, we’ve developed the delivery because of COVID, and we’re able to reach into more areas, even other states.”

The pandemic also pushed many outdoors to seek safer, socially distanced activities. New in October 2022 was Whitaker Center’s Wildwood Preserve partnership: “Weekends with Whitaker.” Weather permitting, kids can become immersed in woodsy topics such as birdwatching, dip netting, tree identification, citizen science and nature appreciation.

New at Harsco

Brand new at the Harsco Science Center through Memorial Day is the temporary exhibit “Questioneers,” originally from the DuPage Children’s Museum. Based on the children’s series of New York Times bestseller chapter books, the bilingual exhibit focuses on problem-solving, featuring its beloved early elementary characters who hold such jobs as engineer, architect, scientist, leader and artist. Whitaker Center’s director of education, Sarah Throckmorton, is planning public outreach community days to highlight the bilingual aspect.

Documentaries Aplenty

The Digital Cinema features a rotation of 10 nature- and space-themed educational films—eight in 3D. Especially for the 3D movies, there’s nothing like watching a movie on a giant screen that’s 40-feet high and eight stories wide, like aerial shots soaring above the Grand Canyon, deep-diving through a coral reef, or watching monarch butterflies migrate through North America. You can even watch a videogame tournament on the big screen.

Culture Change

Despite the lean workforce that has become part of the post-pandemic culture, Black sees the current Whitaker Center staff as “energized, bringing their passion to the job for their particular areas.” He’s looking to build a culture of collaboration and purposeful insubordination [no “yes” people], providing staff members with opportunities to pursue their passions.

This enthusiasm has already influenced creative programming with an emphasis on STEAM, continued growth and fulfilling community partnerships.

Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is located at 222 Market St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.whitakercenter.org.

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Acts of Kindness, Consequence: Humanity, compassion take stage in first-ever Good at Heart Festival

February 28, 2023 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

As spring approaches, Open Stage prepares for its first annual “Good At Heart Festival” this month.

The festival will consist of Open Stage’s 23rd presentation of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” Sankofa African American Theatre Company’s presentation of “Anne and Emmett,” and several nights of conversation surrounding social justice, including Black NewsBeat with Dr. Kimeka Campbell, The Obstructed View and more.

What inspired the idea of the Good At Heart Festival? That is an honor that can only be attributed to Anne Frank.

“Anne Frank wrote, that, despite everything, she believes people are good at heart,” said Stuart Landon, artistic director of Open Stage. “And that is the driving force of her writing, in many ways, that we as an institution come back to again and again.”

This will be the 23rd year that Open Stages presents “The Diary of Anne Frank,” featuring four dates for morning matinees and one evening performance. As many as 4,000 students will be able to see Anne Frank’s story at the Scottish Rite Cathedral for the morning matinees (with limited available seating for the public), with a post-performance presentation by Holocaust expert, Lilian Rappaport. There also will be a Wednesday evening performance for the general public (with no post-performance discussion).

Landon thinks the content will hit a bit differently this year, as it’s the first time since the pandemic hit that “Diary” will be staged live.

“There’s something really special about it, because we went through an international trauma together, but not really together at all—we were isolated, living in a tumultuous time in our country,” he said. “Many countries are, when it comes to divisiveness politically, and there are so many echoes of our current world [in the play], and at the very least the emotions around what we’re dealing with.”

Another cornerstone of the Good At Heart Festival are some familiar characters.

“Anne and Emmett,” based on the book of the same name by Janet Langhart Cohen, and presented by Sankofa African American Theatre Company, is an exploration of what a conversation might be like between Anne Frank and Emmett Till from the beyond, or “in memory,” as Sharia Benn, artistic director of Sankofa, puts it.

The play joins these two young teenagers who experienced parallel hate and explores the topics of race, the times they lived in, and even gender perspective.

“There will be moments where the audience will be uncomfortable,” Benn said. “But we need to get into spaces where we go beyond just being uncomfortable—which leads us into silence and complacency—to where we can start to have healing, understanding and even acceptance that this happened… this is how it has impacted people, and that is real. Explore that.”

Benn described her process for choosing pieces for Sankofa as not only looking for content by and about the Black community, but also, “things that we can gather around—a diverse community, our diverse community, not just for a Black audience or a white audience, but to attract both, and different races and backgrounds, into one place so that we can have these meaningful and crucial conversations.”

And that is exactly what “Anna and Emmett” brings to the table—an invitation to delve into the shared experience that people across different races and religions have.

Hand in hand with the nights of conversation scheduled for that week, these two plays are sure to create a thoughtful, encouraging space for the type of discussion that the Good At Heart Festival was created to spark.

“Anne Frank wrote that she wanted her writing to live beyond her,” Landon said. “And has it! It is a great responsibility, and an honor, to take on this story every year and explore all the stories that need to be told.”

“The Good at Heart” Festival runs March 14 to 19 at Open Stage, 25 N. Court St., Harrisburg, and on March 15 at Scottish Rite Cathedral, 2701 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.openstagehbg.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS

At Open Stage
www.openstagehbg.com
717-232-6736

Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine’s
“Into the Woods”
Running through March 11

The Good at Heart Festival

Festival Kickoff
“Theatre for Good: Social Change & Performance”
Features performances from Reclaim Artist Collective & Narcisse Theatre Co.
Free to the Public
Tuesday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Black NewsBeat
With Dr. Kimeka Campbell
Wednesday, March 15

“The Diary of Anne Frank”
At Scottish Rite Cathedral
March 14 to 17
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:45 a.m.
Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Morning shows followed by short break and presentation from Holocaust educator Lillian Rappaport at 12:15 p.m.

“Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America”
Documentary Screening at Midtown Cinema
Thursday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m.

“Anne & Emmett”
A new play by Janet Langhart Cohen
Presented in partnership with Sankofa African American Theatre Co.
March 17 to 26 (various times)

The Obstructed View
Queer talk show taping
Saturday, March 18 at 6 p.m.

Lobby Talk
A discussion about “Anne & Emmett” with the cast
Led by Professor Ellen Stockstill
Free to the Public
Sunday, March 19 at 3 p.m.

An EDI Conversation
With Una Martone (Leadership Harrisburg)
And Joe Robinson (MLK Jr. Leadership Development Institute)
Sunday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Free to the Public

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Melodic March: Something for every taste this month

February 28, 2023 | by Belle Frank

This is the month when my resolution to go to more live shows really kicks off. Harrisburg has a jam-packed March—from homegrown bands like Yam Yam to major artists like Third Eye Blind. I’m personally going to three concerts this month just because the Harrisburg area is being blessed with so many amazing artists. Some of them are new to the music scene, and some of them have made a name for themselves for decades. Either way, I’m pumped.

Certainly So, 3/3, XL Live, 8 p.m.

Certainly So is a semi-new band that formed in September 2019. Drawing inspiration from artists like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, John Mayer and many others, they have an eclectic singer-songwriter vibe. Two of the members, Tanner Gray and Colby Wilson, were childhood friends who parted ways for college. While in college, Gray met the rhythm section, Chase Porter and Zach Corder. However, the band didn’t form until a couple of years after they finished school. Certainly So has curated a unique sound with a range of music that can feel melodic and down-to-earth or speedy and upbeat. I’ve personally had their song, “Dizzy,” on repeat for weeks. It’s got an exciting start, which carries through till the end.

alt-J, 3/16, XL Live, 8 p.m.

Forming in 2007, alt-J has made a splash on the music scene. Originating from Leeds in the United Kingdom, their first few years were spent in college creating music, as well as their debut album, “An Awesome Wave,” which came out in 2012. Alt-J’s music has a full sound. If you listen to a single song enough times, you can pick apart the layers that make it up. Some have been featured on shows and movies, such as “Left Hand Free,” the theme song for the Netflix show, “Outer Banks.” Their debut album was the only one I had in my car when I was in high school. I could honestly listen to the whole thing on repeat for hours. It’s hard to compare alt-J to another band because their sound is so distinctive.

Yam Yam, 3/17, H*MAC, 7 p.m.

Yam Yam got their start in Harrisburg in 2015, but the band now performs around the country. This funky band has an interesting styling. They have the typical guitar, keys and drums setup, but the addition of a saxophone gives their music greater quality and depth. I would describe Yam Yam as having a “groovy” sound, as they pull in influences from 1970s-era soul music, often overlaid with a jazzy vibe. These Harrisburg boys also have a killer stage presence, and their music makes me want to get up and move. It’s upbeat and positive, which makes it hard to stay still while hearing it, especially when experiencing it live.

Mentionables

The Grateful Shred, March 1, H*MAC
Everclear, March 2, XL Live
Kings Of Thrash, March 5, H*MAC
Jxdn, March 15, XL Live
Cold, March 23, Lovedraft’s Brewing Co.
Third Eye Blind, March 23, Hershey Theatre

March Concerts:

3/3
Certainly So
XL Live
8 p.m.

3/5
Kings of Thrash
H*MAC
7 p.m.

3/16
alt-J
XL Live
8 p.m.

3/17
YAM YAM
H*MAC
7 p.m.

3/23
Third Eye Blind
Hershey Theatre
8 p.m.

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The Rain Is Falling, but the Air Is Kind: Creating and recreating Old Ireland at Gamut Theatre

February 28, 2023 | by Francesca Amendolia

J. Clark Nicholson, Michael Bush & Ryan Hicks. Photo by John Bivins Photography.

What a wealth of images Ireland calls up in the American imagination—green hills and Guinness, the Blarney stone and peat bogs, leprechauns and banshees, car bombs and the Troubles, shamrocks and sea cliffs.

There’s a reason that almost everyone seems to be Irish come St. Patrick’s Day (and it’s not just for the beer). There’s something about the layered and ancient complexity of Ireland that takes an iron grip on our imaginations.

So, it’s surprising that there has never been a local production of the work of J.M. Synge, perhaps the most famous writer of the Irish Literary Renaissance and a playwright whose openings twice caused riots because of their intense scrutiny of the many conflicts woven into Irish culture—between paganism and Catholicism, the old ways and the new, Gaelic and English, women and men, the land and the sea, life and death. Synge’s plays not only capture that uneasiness but they do so in language so delicate and lyrical that they sometimes feel more like poetry than plays.

The poetry of Synge’s work is exactly why director Frank Henley wanted so much to bring his plays to Harrisburg audiences, their “intrinsic beauty,” as he puts it.

“This is beautiful writing for the sake of beautiful writing, but more than that, the things that Synge is writing about in such beautiful words are universal,” Henley said.

To further highlight that intricacy and universality, Henley decided to pair two one-acts: one set by the pitiless sea and one set in a lonely strath (a wide and empty field). He also decided to frame the plays with the poetry of W.B. Yeats, a friend and mentor to Synge, and the man who encouraged Synge to live on the Aran Islands, so that he could truly come to understand his fellow Irish. Thus was born the upcoming Gamut-Narçisse joint production of “Thistle & Salt: The Ireland of J.M. Synge; Riders to the Sea and In the Shadow of the Glen.”

When Henley started Narçisse Theatre Company in 2016, it was because he wanted to embrace and connect all the diverse theater scenes in Harrisburg, to create a theater that was for Harrisburg, by Harrisburg. “Diversity, inclusion, and access,” he said, “is the touchstone of Narçisse,” and it’s one reason why Henley likes to partner with longer-established companies like Gamut. While Narçisse has been a community partner for Gamut productions in the past (most recently for “A Winter’s Tale,” the 2022 Shakespeare in the Park show) “Thistle and Salt” is their first true coproduction, and it’s an exciting shift.

Henley never wants to give an audience a simple answer; he never wants an audience to feel like he’s telling them what to think. So like Chekhov, he said that his mantra is simple: “No happy endings.” This makes him an ideal director for J.M. Synge, who was himself uninterested in simple answers and heroic endings. The characters in “Thistle & Salt” struggle and mourn, they torment themselves and each other, but they also always look beyond their narrow lives. As one character says, “The rain is falling, but the air is kind and maybe it’ll be a grand morning by the grace of God.” In that one sentence is a sense of the divine, an acceptance of the inevitable, and a determined hope that makes even bad days good. And yet, there is no promise of happiness, and isn’t that life in a nutshell?

It would, however, be a mistake to think that a lack of happy endings makes for depressing theater. These plays are deliciously dark in their comedy (such as a man pretending to be dead but waking up for a sip of whiskey) and compelling in their tragedy (like the beautifully eerie keening that is how the Irish must mourn between death and burial). There will also be fiddle music and even Irish dancing from the McGinley School of Irish Dance.

“Audiences should be ready to push aside all their preconceived, stereotypical images of Ireland and see that this is a culture that is immensely old, one shaped by millennia of hardship,” said Henley. “And yet the Irish, despite their tragedies and troubles, have an enchanted spirit that lives and breathes till this day.”

And that’s what awaits audiences at Gamut—living, breathing enchantment.

“Thistle and Salt: The Ireland of J.M. Synge” runs from March 4 to 19 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.gamuttheatre.org/thistle-salt or www.narcissetheatre.org/current.

UPCOMING EVENTS
At Gamut Theatre
www.gamuttheatre.org
717-238-4111

“Thistle & Salt: The Ireland of J.M. Synge”
March 4 to 19
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

“Improvapalooza”
March 25 at 7:30 p.m.

“The Jungle Book”
March 31 to April 2
Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday at 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

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Sound of Silence: A deep humanity permeates ”The Quiet Girl”

February 28, 2023 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

Photo Courtesy of Super LTD.

Director Colm Bairéad brings us a devastatingly beautiful film about a quiet girl. But it’s the reasoning behind why she’s quiet that is key.

Cáit (Catherine Clinch) has multiple siblings, a mother (Kate Nic Chonaonaigh) who would rather get through her current pregnancy than spend time with her children, and a father (Michael Patric) who barely lifts a finger to help. There is much to say about the psychology of a neglected upbringing, but the film does a great job of depicting one of the outcomes, in the form of Cáit—a timid girl with no desire but to be invisible, hiding in fields and under the bed, trying not to be noticed in school, etc.

Cáit is sent off for the summer to live with her Mam’s cousin, Eibhlín (Carrie Crowley), and her husband, Seán (Andrew Bennet), to help ease the load at home. Eibhlín works hard to treat Cáit like her own, and in time, so does Sean. But Eibhlín promises no secrets in the household, and it is not long before Cáit discovers there is one.

Really, that secret is not the true conflict of the film, though it definitely pulls on your heartstrings and helps flesh out the family. “The Quiet Girl” is less about active conflict than it is about a story we wish we never had to see come to fruition in the first place. It is more a mood piece, simple and to the point but flooded deep with humanity. Like its title, the film is quiet, and that is kind of what makes it magical. There is at least one moment where the narrative arc feels a little too on the nose (probably as an attempt to give the film more conflict), but Bairéad makes up for that with the love he’s coaxed out of the characters.

Clinch is a joy in her role, and watching her inadvertently opening up (and also inadvertently closing down) is wonderful. And Crowley and Bennet do a fantastic job of creating a comfortable atmosphere for their new guest. The film toes the line between heartwarming and heartbreaking—a real tribute to the efforts of both Bairéad and the crew.

“The Quiet Girl” will play at Midtown Cinema in March. Make sure to catch this gem of a film.

Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.

March Events At Midtown Cinema

First-Run Films Opening
“One Fine Morning”
“Close”
Friday, March 3

“Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Re-opens at the Cinema
Friday, March 3

“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”
Oscar-Nominated Doc, One Day Only
Sunday, March 5

First-Run Film Opening
“The Quiet Girl”
Friday, March 10

Down in Front! Presents
“Terror Is a Man” (1959)
Friday, March 10 at 9:30 p.m.

Red Carpet Evening
Celebrate Hollywood’s Biggest Night!
Sunday, March 12 at 6 p.m.

Open Stage’s Good at Heart Festival presents
“Who We Are”
Thursday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m.

3rd in the Burg Movie Night
“Neverending Story” (1984)
Friday, March 17 at 9:30 p.m.

“All that Breathes”
Oscar-Nominated Doc, One Day Only
Sunday, March 19

“The Breakfast Club” (1985)
Friday, March 24, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 25, 10:30 a.m.
with breakfast cereal bar!

First-Run Film Opening
“No Bears”
March 24

“The Room”
With Greg Sestero, Live
March 25 at 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

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Brain Gain: Creative Craniums aims to strengthen memory for seniors

February 28, 2023 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Anne Shadis signed up for Greg Brown’s inaugural session of Creative Craniums at Hershey’s Leader Center for Active Life to stave off senior memory loss.

“I think every older person’s nightmare is, ‘Oh my God! I’m losing my memory!’” stated Shadis, 76, of Derry Township.

Brown, a third-year MD/Ph.D. student at Penn State Hershey who plans to enter a neurology residency after graduation, designed the four-week workshop with just that goal in mind.

“The workshop is an engaging way to exercise your brain and practice cognitive flexibility, short-term memory and emotional awareness,” he said. “The goal (of Creative Craniums) is to create a sense of play and curiosity for everyone through activities like charades, improv comedy, dancing, storytelling.”

“The biggest thing is that it’s fun,” Brown said. “Brain health doesn’t have to be this difficult thing.”

In turn, participants of Brown’s initial October 2022 session noted “a significant increase in quality of life” in their post-course assessments, along with feeling increases of energy and “joy in everyday life,” Brown reported.

“I liked it all,” Shadis said. “(Brown) would start every session with a song and end it that way. The minute he started to talk, we liked him. There were no wrong answers.”

Creative Craniums is just one of many enrichment activities offered at Leader Center, an independent, nonprofit organization based in Hershey. The center welcomes individuals over age 50 to participate in its “wide range of physical exercise opportunities, games, travel, educational courses and social and volunteer opportunities.”

Founded in 1983, the organization first utilized two rooms above the Hershey Public Library, eventually moving to other venues as membership grew. Last June, the center settled into its current 9,000-square-foot home at 605 Cocoa Ave.

Safe, Fun

For Creative Craniums, the group’s first exercise, Shadis recalled, involved seniors stating what part of life they’d like to be remembered for. Further challenges involved acting out common activities like housecleaning, plus one-on-one rock/paper/scissors sequencing and group memory sequences.

“You have to keep active (at this age),” said Shadis, whose other activities at the center include zumba, scrum fitness and tap-dancing. “You have to keep doing things.”

Sharon Sterns, 74, of Derry Township, said that she signed up for Brown’s October workshop because she already was involved with the Leader Center, and the Creative Craniums course “sounded interesting.”

“It was fantastic,” Sterns said. “After the first week, I looked forward to going there every week after that. It was lots of fun, and we shared lots of laughs. At the end of the four weeks, I knew everyone there very well. Even when we see each other now, we remember things that we learned about each other there.”

Sterns said that her favorite activity at the workshop was rock/paper/scissors “because everyone did it. You felt safe and could get into the fun of it.”

She readily admitted, though, that remembering during such activities “could be difficult. I had to force my brain to work.”

Brown said that workshop participants seemed to enjoy the chance to get together and have fun again after pandemic quarantining.

“COVID caused everyone to be so isolated,” he said. “Now that we’re finally getting out of that, we can all get together again.”

Brown said that he planned to conduct a second Creative Craniums workshop round soon at the Leader Center and “hopefully keep it running after that.”

To register for upcoming Creative Craniums sessions or other Leader Center events, visit www.leaderactivelife.org or call 717-533-2002.

Other area community or senior centers interested in hosting the workshop are invited to email Brown at [email protected].

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

February 24, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

The Dauphin County Commissioners approved the allocation of annual gaming grants this week.

It’s the weekend, which means it’s the perfect time to explore Harrisburg. Try a new restaurant, catch a movie at Midtown Cinema or stop by the Broad Street Market and try something new! Grab a copy of the magazine while you’re out and catch up on our daily news coverage, below.

Dauphin County announced the recipients of its annual gaming grants, our online story reported. Over 150 businesses and nonprofits were awarded from the county’s $8.3 million share of revenue from Hollywood Casino at Penn National.

The Dauphin County housing authority will hold a community meeting on March 15 to encourage landlords to accept housing choice vouchers, our online story reported. According to authority officials, there is an affordable housing shortage locally.

Down to Earth Café recently opened in Legacy Park in Mechanicsburg, our magazine story reported. Owner Alex Rojohn offers sustainably sourced coffee and strives to create a welcoming atmosphere.

The Federal Building in downtown Harrisburg has sold again, for the second time in a year, our reporting found. An out-of-town buyer has purchased the property, but it is unclear what plans they have for it.

The Harrisburg School District is in search of someone to take over operations of their Joshua Farm property, our online story reported. In the past, outside organizations have managed the farm, providing educational experiences for district students.

Harrisburg University Presents announced two bands that will perform in Riverfront Park as part of its 2023 Summer Concert Series, our online story reported. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit will take the stage on July 26 and The Head and The Heart will perform on Aug. 26.

Jonathan Diggs Duke has become a regular performer around Harrisburg, our magazine story reported. The jazz musician is often found playing his trumpet outside the Broad Street market or in other local venues.

Kappa Omega, the Harrisburg chapter of the national Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, celebrated its 100^th anniversary in January, our magazine story reported. For decades, the men have made an impact on the city through their careers, service and mentorship.

Long-haul COVID-19 is affecting the lives of people locally and across the country who continue to have lingering health issues years after contracting the virus. In our magazine story, read about what patients are dealing with and how physicians are treating them, while learning along the way.

Sara Bozich has a lot of fun events lined up for the weekend in the Harrisburg area. Find a show, concert or place to eat, here.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

February 23, 2023 | by Sara Bozich

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

What you’ll find:

For something new: Mac & Motors: Macaroni & Cheese Festival at AACA Museum Worth noting: Catch all the Oscar-nominated films at Midtown Cinema; Wild Rabbit Pies & Pizza is open; The Englewood has reopened Things on my agenda this weekend: Into the Woods at Open Stage, HU Presents Elle King at XL Live; a virtual brunch

For your weekend planning

View my local Restaurant Directory or Local Brewery, Winery, & Cidery Directory
See what else you missed on the blog

Below are options for your weekend.

A Look Ahead

sip @ soma with Castlerigg Wine Shop during Ice & Fire Festival
HU Presents announces spring 2023 lineup
The Best Farmers Markets around Harrisburg
Submit your events for the Weekend Roundup

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Dauphin County housing authority urges landlords to accept housing choice vouchers, will host educational event

February 22, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Dauphin County housing authority officials hope that an upcoming event will make a difference in increasing housing options locally.

The authority will host a conversation on March 15 to encourage more landlords to accept housing choice vouchers, in the midst of an affordable housing shortage.

“We are very limited as far as landlords that will take a voucher,” said Melany Alexis, housing development coordinator for the authority. “I get online every day, and I’m looking for rentals. It’s challenging.”

The authority serves all of Dauphin County except for Harrisburg city, which has its own housing authority. Currently, there are just over 1,000 county families who hold a housing voucher. According to Alexis, finding rentals for families with vouchers outside of the city is difficult and has become even harder since the pandemic.

She shared that one family has been looking for an apartment since November and may be at risk of losing their voucher if they don’t find a place to rent soon.

Since COVID, there has been a decrease in landlords who accept vouchers, Alexis said. Some may be deterred by not having received rent from tenants during the pandemic. Others may be struggling with higher building material and supplies costs and may feel they need to raise rents, she explained. Alexis also acknowledged the stigmas that often still surround families with vouchers.

At the event, which will take place at the Prince of Peace Parish in Steelton, the authority plans to address these concerns and misconceptions.

One of the most significant benefits to a landlord who accepts vouchers is that they are guaranteed a 70% payment of their tenant’s rent each month, as that is the amount that the housing authority directly pays them, Alexis said. The renter is responsible for the other 30%.

They also plan to offer incentives to new landlords who decide to accept vouchers.

The authority will host two sessions on March 15, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Alexis is hopeful that the event will increase access to housing in the county.

“For a family to find affordable, safe housing—it leads to a lot of benefits,” she said.

The Dauphin County housing authority’s event will be held at the Prince of Peace Parish, 815 S. 2^nd St., Steelton. For more information, visit their website.

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Dauphin County awards millions in gaming grant funds to area nonprofits, businesses

February 22, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

The Dauphin County Commissioners at Wednesday’s public meeting

Dozens of local projects are set to receive annual gaming grant funds.

The Dauphin County board of commissioners on Wednesday approved grant allocations to nonprofits and businesses, funded by the county’s share of revenue from Hollywood Casino at Penn National.

The grants will support infrastructure, emergency services, health and public safety and human services projects, among others, across Dauphin County, East Hanover Township and several contiguous municipalities.

Harrisburg-based projects that were awarded gaming grant funding include:

City of Harrisburg (Renovate MLK City Government Center floors and restrooms and purchase three police vehicles)-$290,000
Harrisburg Housing Authority (New construction of 42 affordable apartment units; conditioned upon full funding and tax credits)-$115,000
All You Can Inc. (Purchase 15-passenger van for youth program)-$23,000
American Literacy Corp. (Funding for computer, printer and software)-$4,000
Breaking the Chainz (Restoration and rehabilitation of 5 apartments)-$15,000
Bro2Go, Inc. (Purchase van to transport under-served population to work)-$23,000
Capital Area Greenbelt Association (Paxtang Parkway Trail restoration project; conditioned upon easements/ownership of sewer lines being finalized)-$65,000
Capital Area Soccer Association (Replacements and renovations to fencing and safety netting)-$5,000
CASA Charter School Foundation (Construction of state-of-the-art music recording and television production studio classrooms) -$50,000
Cathedral Parish of St. Patrick (Rehabilitate Shanahan Center –Phase II of Cathedral Education Center project)-$50,000
Chris Dawson Architect, LLC (Lowengard Building redevelopment project)-$55,000
Christian Recovery Aftercare Ministry, Inc. (Renovation/roof drainage project)-$21,589
Community Check-Up Center (Construction of elevator/lift system)-$57,650
Dauphin Co. Library System (McCormick Riverfront Library ADA accessibility and additional services)-$90,000
Downtown Daily Bread (Emergency shelter, meals and human services)-$5,790
Ecumenical Community of Harrisburg (Walking and fitness trail expansion and repairs)-$15,000
Ecumenical Food Pantry (Emergency food assistance)-$10,000
Fernandez Realty Group Affordable Houses (Construct Sycamore St. low-income housing project; conditioned upon securing affordable housing funds and City of Harrisburg funds)-$90,000
Fox’s Wash & Go (Phase 1 construction of new laundromat; conditioned upon receiving bank loan approval)-$70,000
Gamut Theatre Group, Inc. (Debt reduction for building loan)-$20,000
Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area (Framing and shell costs for affordable housing project)-$40,000
Harrisburg Area Police Athletic League (Youth crime prevention program)-$10,000
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HUE Invitational Esports Event)-$20,000
Historic Harrisburg Association (Install new HVAC system)-$15,000
Jewish Family Service (Elevator installation project)-$65,000
com (Renovate 1408 N. 3rd St. with electrical work)-$25,000
The National Civil War Museum (Long-term debt reduction)-$35,085
Nativity School of Harrisburg (Purchase new van to transport students)-$35,000
Open Stage (Upgrades to HVAC, plumbing, construction and signage)-$40,000
Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region (Closing the food loop –create hub for food and farm for local community)-$20,560
Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church (Entrance sign project)-$15,000
Paul Missionary Baptist Church (HVAC improvements)-$16,000
Stephen’s Episcopal School (Free meal program for students; conditioned upon no additional requests for this project)-$40,000
Summit Terrace Neighborhood Association (Building revitalization and technology and security upgrade)-$5,000
Susquehanna Art Museum (Create accessible outdoor event space; conditioned upon repaying $25,000 to Dauphin County IDA for RACP grant)-$40,000
Tabernacle Baptist Church (Hope & Healing project)-$5,500
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts (Debt reduction on projector project)-$15,000
United Way of the Capital Region (Expand access to health care to low-income families/individuals)-$15,000
Veterans Outreach of PA (Tiny homes community for veterans)-$40,000
Vice Capital (Savoy 48 –mixed-use development project)-$100,000
Vision Resources (Facility roof replacement)-$15,000
Zembo Shrine (Preservation of building –roof repair)-$29,000
Zeroday Brewing Co. (New restaurant design and construction project)-$16,750

According to Dauphin County officials, a record number of applicants applied for funds this year. Just over 200 applications were filed, requesting a total of over $20 million. On Wednesday, 151 projects were awarded money.

The funded projects will provide an estimated $78 million in additional investments in the county and over 2,365 jobs will be created or maintained in relation to the projects, according to the county.

The following is a complete list of the projects that were awarded funds this year:

Host & Contiguous

East Hanover Township ($517,000 Annual road maintenance and repair; $50,000 fire company hose and nozzle project; $100,000 fire safety equipment; $18,000 temporary shelter supplies)-$685,000
Derry Township ($123,500 Public Works Dept. F550 truck with plow and spreader; $47,000 Police Dept. interactive training simulator; $140,000 Hershey Volunteer Fire Co. new fire engine; $9,500 Hershey History Center building enhancements and technology upgrades; $15,000 Hidden Still Inc. construction, facility tours and education programs; $50,000 Mary’s Training Center HydroWorx treadmill; $12,392 Vista School ADA improvements and AED replacements)-$397,392
Middle Paxton Township ($163,000 Potato Valley Road improvement and Red Hill Road Bridge replacement project debt reduction; $98,000 Dauphin Borough construction of community building; $30,000 Dauphin Recreation Association pool repairs; $40,000 Dauphin Middle-Paxton Fire Co. outdoor sign) -$331,000
Rush Township ($50,000 new building to store equipment; $101,247 Jefferson Township tractor-loader) -$151,247
South Hanover Township ($200,000 municipal complex debt service; $100,000 new public works facility) -$300,000
West Hanover Township ($300,000 Debt reduction of fire engine; $45,960 Tall Cedars of Lebanon pavilion and roof replacement) -$345,960

Municipal and Municipal Services

Berrysburg Municipal Authority (Debt service for Sewage Treatment Plant System project)-$24,000
Conewago Township (DCIB loan debt reduction for Meadow Lane project)-$82,000
Court Administration for Magisterial District Judges (Debt reduction on construction of new MDJ facilities)-$165,000
Dauphin County General Authority (Golf course irrigation system debt payment)-$115,000
Dauphin County Industrial Development Authority (Debt service on solar farm project) -$246,000
Dauphin Co. Parks & Recreation Department (Design and construct 1-mile paved accessible trail loop at Detweiler Park)-$140,000
Dauphin County Sheriff’s Office (Debt reduction of new portable and mobile police radios) -$15,815
Derry Township Municipal Authority (Reduction of debt on Ridge Rd drainage improvement and Spring Creek Interceptor Upgrade project) -$65,000
Duncannon Vol. Fire Co. #1/Reed Township (Radio replacement) -$35,000
Jackson Township/Fisherville Vol. Fire Co. (Fire Station addition construction debt)-$25,000
Gratz Area Fire Co. No. 1/Lykens Township/Gratz Borough (Replace airpacks on engine and rescue engine)-$43,63512
Gratz Borough Water Co./Gratz Borough (Water meter replacement project and infrastructure improvements)-$59,05213
Halifax Fire Department/Halifax Township (Purchase new air packs)-$35,000
City of Harrisburg (Renovate MLK City Government Center floors and restrooms and purchase three police vehicles)-$290,000
Harrisburg Housing Authority (New construction of 42 affordable apartment units; Conditioned upon full funding and tax credits)-$115,000
Highspire Borough Authority (Wastewater treatment facility improvement project)-$90,000
Hummelstown Borough (Debt service for new municipal bldg., DCIB debt service for Swatara Township Authority biosolids dryer, stormwater construction projects, and Bullfrog Valley stream restoration project)-$140,000
Hummelstown Chemical Fire Company No. 1(Debt reduction on 107 ft. ladder truck)-$25,000
Liberty HoseCo. No. 1/ Williamstown Borough (Debt reduction on heavy-duty rescue truck)-$40,000
Liberty Hose Company No. 2/ Lykens Borough (Purchase 34 air pack cylinders and one RIT air cylinder)-$13,700
Londonderry Township (Fire engine procurement project)-$155,000
Lower Dauphin School District (Retaining wall repair/renovation project)–$45,000
Lower Paxton Township ($206,875 Police worn body cameras debt reduction; $90,000 Fuel tanks replacement)-$296,875
Lower Swatara Township (Annual payments on two DCIBloans)-$111,500
Lower Swatara Vol. Fire Department (Debt reduction on Tanker 59)-$45,000
Lykens Borough (Paving, milling and overlay project)-$115,000
Middletown Volunteer Fire Dept./Middletown Borough (Pumper Truck debt reduction)-$38,000
Mifflin Township (Weaver Rd. culvert replacement project)-$140,000
Millersburg Area School District (Security and accessibility upgrades at schools)-$15,000
Millersburg Borough (Revitalize Market Square Park)-$140,000
Millersburg Fire Co. No. 1/ Upper Paxton Township (Purchase mobile radios for the station and apparatus and three firefighter radios)-$62,450
Penbrook Borough (Asylum Run sewer project debt reduction)-$90,000
Pillow Borough Authority (Standpipe rehabilitation project)-$40,000
Pillow Fire Co./Pillow Borough (Pumper rescue transmission replacement and purchase of SCBA units)-$60,000
Reed Township (New municipal building)-$65,000
Reliance Hose Co. No. 1of Elizabethville (Debt reduction on Pierce pumper truck; conditioned upon applying the grant to one debt payment)-$35,000
Royalton Borough ($84,500 Borough Hall roof repairs; $20,000 Police in-car cameras)-$104,500
Steelton Volunteer Fire Department/Steelton Borough (Replace two portable radios and fire turnout gear)-$19,060
Steelton-Highspire School District (ADA compliance seating and ramps at War Memorial Veterans Field)-$40,000
Susquehanna Township (Replacement of Crown Point Park playground equipment, debt service on 2015 DCIB loan and construction of Public Works equipment storage facility)-$140,000
Swatara Township (Development and construction of emergency operations center and law enforcement facilities)-$155,000
Washington Township (Debt relief for municipal building roof replacement)-$65,000
Wiconisco Fire Engine Co. No. 1 (Debt reduction on new fire rescue)-$30,000
Wiconisco Township (Upgrades to Pump Station No. 2)-$40,000

Other

Advanced Training Programs, Inc. (Purchase youth uniforms)-$6,500
African Chamber (Assist individuals to full citizenship)-$65,000
All You Can Inc. (Purchase 15-passenger van for youth program)-$23,000
American Designed Technology Management (Expansion of operations and purchase equipment)-$42,200
American Literacy Corp. (Funding for computer, printer and software)-$4,000
The Arc of Dauphin County (Horticulture and cooking class lab expansion)-$13,000
Berrysburg Borough-Mifflin Township Recreation Assoc. (Playground/Park project)-$43,000
BP Consulting Resources (Neighborhood delivery service; conditioned upon agreement with Housing Authority of County of Dauphin)-$40,000
Breaking the Chainz (Restoration and rehabilitation of 5 apartments)-$15,000
Bro2Go, Inc. (Purchase van to transport under-served population to work)-$23,000
Campus Cinema LP (Improve theater projectors, seating and small renovations)-$10,000
Canthodel Holdings dba Harrisburg Heat (New glass walls and scoreboard; conditioned upon not requesting scoreboard funding in the next three years and completing a full season or return the grant funds)-$10,000
Capital Area Greenbelt Association (Paxtang Parkway Trail restoration project; conditioned upon easements/ownership of sewer lines being finalized)-$65,000
Capital Area Soccer Association (Replacements and renovations to fencing and safety netting)-$5,000
CASA Charter School Foundation (Construction of state-of-the-art music recording and television production studio classrooms)-$50,000
Cathedral Parish of St. Patrick (Rehabilitate Shanahan Center –Phase II of Cathedral Education Center project)-$50,000
Central Dauphin School District (Camera replacement project)-$40,000
Chambers Hill Fire Co./Swatara Township (Update handicapped parking to meet ADA requirements; conditioned on full funding)-$15,000
Chris Dawson Architect, LLC (Lowengard Building redevelopment project)-$55,000
Christian Recovery Aftercare Ministry, Inc. (Renovation/roof drainage project)-$21,589
The Circle School (Debt reduction on new building)-$18,000
Club Clippa dba Steelton Hair (Building and site improvements for expansion and safety)-$5,500
Cocoa Packs, Inc. (Funding to build a future for Cocoa Packs)-$15,000
Coexist Gallery (Trailer acquisition)-$12,000.
Community Aid (Second dock door)-$30,000
Community Check-Up Center (Construction of elevator/lift system)-$57,650
Dauphin Co. Anglers & Conservationists (Repairs, replacements and upgrades at cooperative trout nursery; conditioned upon matching the grant award)-$30,000
Dauphin Co. Critical Incident Stress Management Team (Provide training for CISM team)-$14,500
Dauphin Co. Library System (McCormick Riverfront Library ADA accessibility and additional services)-$90,000
Diverse Investment Group (Investment in building shipping container modular style affordable housing)-$40,000
Downtown Daily Bread (Emergency shelter, meals and human services)-$5,790
Ecumenical Community of Harrisburg (Walking and fitness trail expansion and repairs)-$15,000
Ecumenical Food Pantry (Emergency food assistance)-$10,000
Fernandez Realty Group Affordable Houses (Construct Sycamore St. low-income housing project; conditioned upon securing affordable housing funds and City of Harrisburg funds)-$90,000
Fox’s Wash & Go (Phase 1 construction of new laundromat; Conditioned upon receiving bank loan approval)-$70,000
Friends of Midland (Continued restoration and preservation of cemetery)-$5,000
Gamut Theatre Group, Inc. (Debt reduction for building loan)-$20,000
Graceful Acres (Debt reduction and purchase of ADA-compliant lift)-$8,000
Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area (Framing and shell costs for affordable housing project)-$40,000
HANNA Foundation (Provide packs of food to food-insecure students)-$15,000
Harrisburg Area Police Athletic League (Youth crime prevention program)-$10,000
Harrisburg Area YMCA Friendship Branch (Facility security upgrades)-$7,123
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HUE Invitational Esports Event)-$20,000
Historic Harrisburg Association (Install new HVAC system)-$15,000
The Historical Society of Millersburg & Upper Paxton Township (137-year history digitization project)-$6,000
Homeland Center (Acquisition and installation of new IP/Cell dialer)-$7,500
J & K Investment Holdings (Construct new 4-unit townhouse project)-$30,000
Jewish Family Service (Elevator installation project)-$65,000
Keystone Plus (Expand building infrastructure by extending sewer and water lines)-$15,000
Linglestown Baseball Association (New dugouts for three fields at Koons Park)-$10,000
Manada Golf Club, Inc. (Replace outdated dam)-$75,000
Midwest Food Bank Pennsylvania (Upgrades to refrigeration and freezer)-$10,000
Millersburg Ferry Boat Association (Retaining wall project)-$10,000
com (Renovate 1408 N. 3rd St. with electrical work)-$25,000
The National Civil War Museum (Long-term debt reduction)-$35,085
Nativity School of Harrisburg (Purchase new van to transport students)-$35,000
Neighboring Group (Convert steel shipping containers into modular spaces for student instruction)-$40,000
Open Stage (Upgrades to HVAC, plumbing, construction and signage)-$40,000
Panther Ram Foundation (Provide support for NutriPacks program)-$15,000
Paxtonia Athletic Association (Baseball/softball facility improvements and equipment)-$25,000
Penn State Health (Community outreach program for Penn National Racetrack backstretch workers)-$15,000
Pennsylvania State University (Phase III of Harrisburg Innovation Park planning project; conditioned upon establishing partnership with the Dauphin County Redevelopment Authority evidenced by a Cooperation Agreement)-$25,000
Peyton Walker Foundation (4-minute city –AED rapid response project)-$45,000
Phase 4 Learning (Upgrade equipment and career center)-$15,000
Pop’s House, Inc. (Mortgage debt reduction on veterans’ home)-$10,000
Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region (Closing the food loop –create hub for food and farm for local community)-$20,560
SkyPixGroup, LLC (Drone technology and mobile command center purchase)-$22,000
Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church (Entrance sign project)-$15,000
Catherine Laboure Athletic Association (Gym refurbishment)-$50,000
Paul Missionary Baptist Church (HVAC improvements)-$16,000
Stephen’s Episcopal School (Free meal program for students; conditioned upon no additional requests for this project)-$40,000
Summit Terrace Neighborhood Association (Building revitalization and technology and security upgrade)-$5,000
Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (Upgrade baggage handling system)-$65,000
Susquehanna Art Museum (Create accessible outdoor event space; Conditioned upon repaying $25,000 to Dauphin County IDA for RACP grant)-$40,000
Tabernacle Baptist Church (Hope & Healing project)-$5,500
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts (Debt reduction on projector project)-$15,000
United Way of the Capital Region (Expand access to health care to low-income families/individuals)-$15,000
Veterans Outreach of PA (Tiny homes community for veterans)-$40,000
Vice Capital (Savoy 48 –mixed use development project)-$100,000
Vision Resources (Facility roof replacement)-$15,000
Williamstown American Legion (New wiring and air conditioning at JFK Hall)-$14,075
Woodridge Home-Owner’s Association, Inc. (Spring Garden Dr. stormwater basin repair)-$36,000
Zembo Shrine (Preservation of building –roof repair)-$29,000
Zeroday Brewing Co. (New restaurant design and construction project)-$16,750
Dauphin County Industrial Development Authority (Administration) -$725,000

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