January News Digest

December 29, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg Passes 2023 Budget

Harrisburg has approved a spending plan for the new year that includes increased investments in public safety and infrastructure.

City Council voted last month in favor of a $74.9 million general fund budget for 2023 that includes no property tax increase. The budget passed 6-1, with council member Shamaine Daniels voting against it.

Harrisburg introduced the budget to council in late November. Before voting to adopt the spending plan, council made small amendments to a few salaries, among other items.

In total, the budget equals $110.4 million, including the general fund budget, the $20 million neighborhood services fund budget and several other separately budgeted areas.

Public safety is an area of focus in this year’s budget, as salaries for city police officers are set to increase by 3.5% and 16 new positions in the bureau will be funded.

Infrastructure improvements are another focus of the budget, including street lighting upgrades and ADA accessibility improvements within the State Street construction project. There are also funds designated for renovations to the MLK City Government Center and the Public Safety building.

Ribbon Cut on Federal Courthouse

After decades of planning and years of construction, local, state and federal officials last month cut the ribbon to officially open the new federal courthouse.

Mayor Wanda Williams, Gov. Tom Wolf and retired Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, for whom the building is named, were all on hand for the debut of the expansive, 243,000-square-foot, $200 million building at Reily and N. 6th streets.

The journey to find a new location for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania began in the 1990s. The current federal courthouse, located in downtown Harrisburg, was deemed too small and not secure enough, unable to meet federal requirements.

Lengthy site selection and funding processes ensued, and the location was chosen in 2010. The first funds for the project came in 2004, with the remainder flooding in around 2018. The project ceremonially broke ground in June 2018.

“The new courthouse aims to build upon Midtown Harrisburg’s history and sense of community,” Rambo said during the ribbon cutting. “The building and its surrounding landscape will be a civic icon. The courthouse is a powerful symbol of justice and equality.”

Much of the courthouse construction is finished, though officials expect substantial completion this winter. Court personnel are expected to move into the building in the spring.

With its location in Harrisburg, officials stressed the potential impact that the new courthouse will likely have on the city.

“This space was an eyesore, a vacant parking lot, now transformation and redevelopment of this area is underway,” Williams said. “The possibilities are endless, and it starts here today.”

Milestone Reached for MulDer Square

A project to make a Harrisburg neighborhood safer and greener is nearing completion.

Last month, the city announced that road construction in MulDer Square, the area where Mulberry and Derry streets meet, was largely finished.

The project began in July, closing off Mulberry Street, from the Mulberry Street Bridge to Derry Street.

“This is one of the areas that had high fatalities due to accidents, so the point is to slow down any type of negative congestion in the area,” the city’s project manager Percy Bullock said.

According to Bullock, the construction included installing a roundabout at the intersection of Mulberry and Derry streets, making sidewalks ADA-accessible and updating street lighting. Side streets Nectarine and Evergreen were also paved, and Nectarine Street was transformed into a pedestrian-focused green walkway.

Additionally, the city is working on a project to transform the Derry Street cul-de-sac, which was previously a vacant, blighted area, into a linear park and pathway. The park will stretch from Sylvan Terrace to S. Cameron Street and include benches, ADA-accessible features, new trees and landscaping.

The park project will likely reach completion in April or May, according to Bullock.

The MulDer Square Redevelopment Project is part of the city’s Vision Zero initiative to reduce pedestrian fatalities.

Wastewater Rates Rise

Harrisburg utility customers will see their wastewater rates rise in 2023, though drinking water and stormwater rates will be unchanged.

In late November, Capital Region Water (CRW) passed its 2023 budget with new rates for the year.

Under the new rate structure, drinking water rates will be unchanged at $10.34 per 1,000 gallons consumed. Likewise, the stormwater fee will remain the same at $6.15 per month for most residential customers.

The wastewater rate represents the sole increase for next year. For Harrisburg residents, it will rise by 68 cents per 1,000 gallons consumed, from $8.56 to $9.24. That represents an increase of about $2.55 per month for the average residential customer who uses 45,000 gallons annually, according to CRW.

The overall increase for a Harrisburg residential customer is roughly the same as for 2022, when average rates rose by about $2.60 a month.

“It’s a testament to our leadership that we’ve been able to keep rates predictable this year,” said Capital Region Water CEO Charlotte Katzenmoyer. “Even through inflation and supply chain issues, we are focused on finding equitable and responsible ways to repair the aging infrastructure, both seen and unseen.”

Katzenmoyer added that the spending plan commits $58 million to capital projects aimed at reducing combined sewer overflows, addressing localized flooding and runoff, and meeting state and federal clean water requirements.

“This also comes at a time in which we have doubled the investment in our Customer Assistance Program,” she said.

Debt Payment Made

Harrisburg has made a major bond payment, as it eats away at the remainder of its once-mammoth debt load.

In late November, City Council passed a resolution to pay off $12 million of the city’s remaining $20 million in general obligation bond debt. This debt is money that the city owes after defaulting on loans during its financial crisis a decade ago.

“The city and members of this body and everyone involved wants to get the city out from under this debt that we got into,” said council member Westburn Majors. “We really see the light at the end of the tunnel. This agreement […] is a really good step in the right direction.”

While the administration had proposed paying off the remaining debt all at once, council had concerns about spending down such a large amount of Harrisburg’s fund balance.

While Harrisburg will still need to decide when and how to pay off the remaining $8 million of debt, Majors explained that the decision to pay off the $12 million early will save the city millions of dollars that would’ve accrued in interest had it continued with its regular payment schedule.

“We are very happy,” city Business Administrator Dan Hartman said, of the payment. “It’s a step in the right direction.”

Homes Sales Down, Prices Up

Residential sales declined but prices increased in November for the greater Harrisburg area, according to the latest report on previously owned houses.

For the three-county region, home sales totaled 616 units during the month compared to 724 in November 2021, as the median price rose to $255,000 from $231,000, said the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 279 houses sold, a drop from 371 in the year-ago period, as the median price rose to $219,000 compared to $208,500 last year, GHAR stated.

Cumberland County had 295 home sales, a dip from 299 a year ago, as the median price increased to $300,000 versus $245,000 in November 2021, according to GHAR.

In Perry County, sales fell by eight units to 38 homes, as the median price increased to $239,750 compared to $204,950 in the prior year, GHAR said.

Houses sold relatively quickly, as GHAR reported that the “average days on market” stood at just 17 days compared to 20 in November 2021.

So Noted

Capital Region Water has two new board members: attorney Karen Balaban and state House employee Nathan Davidson. City Council voted down two other proposed appointees, meaning that long-time members Marc Kurowski and Andrew Enders will continue to serve on the five-member board until reappointed or replaced, even though their terms have expired.

Dauphin County will hold its property tax rate steady for an 18th consecutive year. The county commissioners last month passed a $218.8 million general fund budget that maintains the county portion of the property tax at 6.88 mills.

David West last month was confirmed by City Council as the director of Harrisburg’s Public Works Department. West, who previously served in the post, was rehired out of retirement in July.

Fresca Burger & Chicken Shack is slated to open early in 2023 in the Strawberry Square food court. Owner Mina Gabriel plans to offer made-to-order burgers, chicken sandwiches, gyros and falafel wraps, plus a variety of side dishes, including loaded fries and onion rings, as well as all-day breakfast.

Harrisburg City Council this month will begin accepting applications for an open council seat. The application period opens on Jan. 3 and closes on Jan. 13. Applications are available on the city’s website and at city hall. The seat is open as former member Dave Madsen resigned last month after being elected to the state House of Representatives.

Harrisburg School Board last month reappointed Brian Carter as its board president for 2023, while naming Roslyn Copeland as vice president. The board currently lacks the ability to vote on most agenda items, however, as that power remains in the hands of the district’s state-appointed receiver.

Olivia Edwards Rindfuss has been named president of Harrisburg Young Professionals for 2023, replacing 2022 President Jade Honey. The executive board also will include vice presidents Iqbal Singh and Lauren Maurer, Treasurer Peter Megoulas and Secretary Ali McFadden.

PA Dairymen’s Association last month announced a special flavor to celebrate 70 years of Farm Show milkshakes: orange cream. You can grab one at the 2023 PA Farm Show, which runs Jan. 7 to Jan. 14.

SkarlatosZonarich last month announced the addition of Harvey Abramson, Esq., as Of Counsel, bringing 40 years of legal experience to the Harrisburg firm. Harvey will join the firm’s Elder Law, Estate Administration and Estate Planning Department.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2242: M. Moyer to C. Feliz & E. Suero, $98,000

Benton St., 704: PA Deals LLC to J. Marrero, $69,950

Berryhill St., 1101: J. Garcia to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $200,000

Berryhill St., 1417: NA Capital Group LLC to J. Alvarez, $55,000

Berryhill St., 1423: NA Capital Group LLC to R. Pena, $55,000

Berryhill St., 2479: P. & M. Myers to K. Dieu, $110,000

Bigelow Ct., 5: A. Blount to VAB Investments LLC, $80,900

Calder St., 104: M. Freeman to T. Green, $160,000

Capital St., 1228: S. Moore to M. Whipple, $205,000

Christian St., 1183: D. Vasquez & J. Paulino to Y. Martinus, $40,000

Division St., 501: G. Neff to EBM Real Estate Holdings LLC, $68,000

Edward St., 104: R., A. & S. Boyer to E. Chattah & Y. Guhl, $80,000

Emerald St., 409: 2 Sons Mechanical LLC to J. Tribue, $108,000

Forster St., 416: ITSM1 Inc. to M. Caylor & A. Shafer, $260,000

Geary St., 609: R. Dunbar to Balaci Properties LLC, $81,500

Geary St., 628: F. Ruiz to O. Rivera, $90,000

Green St., 1102: E. Kramer to C. Frey, $260,000

Green St., 1110: M. Schiavo to M. Siddique & N. Taraska, $207,500

Hamilton St., 208: K. West to Calder Street Development LLC, $225,000

Herr St., 1726: Gold Key Properties LLC to A. Otero, $128,000

Hoerner St., 140: A. & L. Maiga to Hamar Constructions Inc., $80,000

Howard St., 1347: H. Hidalgo to Val de Vie Estate Investment LLC, $160,000

Hummel St., 331: A. Hidalgo to E. Clemente & C. De Rojas, $53,000

James St., 1329: I. Mallouli to A. Hoffman & D. Payakmaloeng, $163,000

Kensington St., 2320: J. Cramer to A. & T. Hancock, $95,000

Kensington St., 2327: Lansanah Home Services Group LLC to R. Rodriguez & A. Matos, $130,000

Lenox St., 2000: B. & K. Ramper to KRP Limited, $57,000

Logan St., 2206: PA Deals LLC to Balaci Properties LLC, $87,000

Market St., 1827: Henry & Sons Property 2 LLC to Baker Property Services LLC, $83,000

Market St., 2006: C. Queeley to Willow Mill Realty Holdings LLC, $49,000

May St., 916: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to K. Laubach, $124,995

Nagle St., 112: J. Weaver to D. McLaughlin, $147,000

Naudain St., 1429: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to P. Sanchez, $59,995

Naudain St., 1436: J. Palmer to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $65,111

N. 2nd St., 513: Cricket Real Estate Enterprises LLC to Fernandez Investments LLC, $350,000

N. 2nd St., 1931: S., R. & S. Coslow to A. Spagnoli, $169,000

N. 2nd St., 2421: T. Weishaar to S. King, $275,000

N. 2nd St., 2441: J. Ryan to D. Mouzon, $115,000

N. 3rd St., 1101: D. Carroll to A. Blaylok, $200,000

N. 3rd St., 2301: Capital Tax Collection Bureau to Healing Center International Inc., $100,000

N. 4th St., 2319: Carters Clean Up LLC to Berrospi Properties LLC, $82,500

N. 4th St., 3221: M. Allen to C. Dyer, $132,000

N. 5th St., 1732: R. Nagel to J. Drayton & R. Nelson, $200,000

N. 5th St., 2238: D&F Realty Holdings LP to C. & A. Payano, $66,500

N. 5th St., 2406: R. & G. Kessler to C. Grimm & J. Price, $125,000

N. 6th St., 2521: M. Yablonski to L. Martinez, $115,000

N. 7th St., 2158: T. Karijomenggolo to L. Banks, $113,850

N. 7th St., 2164: M. Howell to K. Morrison, $130,000

N. 12th St., 35: D. Green to C. & R. Guerrier, $60,000

N. 13th St., 144: A. Odunayo to Cooper Hawk LLC, $72,000

N. 16th St., 617: T. Reeves to H. & C. Le, $170,000

N. 16th St., 1215: F. Washington & G. Worrell to R. & R. Loja, $65,000

N. 18th St., 703: Henry & Sons Property 2 LLC to E. Reyes, G. Alexander, V. Tejada & C. Tejada, $83,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 213: B. Esworthy to Selenite Real Estate LLC, $115,000

N. Front St., 2417: PA State Corrections Officers Associations to Beautiful Holding LLC & A. Stidfole, $330,000

Park St., 1919: Inoma Properties East Shore LLC to 2020 Real Estate Ventures LLC, $55,000

Paxton St., 1619: C. Barboza to L. Morales, $300,000

Penn St., 1603: M. Miller & D. Smith to Stanton Investments LLC, $170,000

Penn St., 2312: R. & S. George to JRP Transportation LLC, $58,000

Reel St., 2734: JAK Investment Properties LLC to MS AM Properties Inc., $60,000

Regina St., 1834: S. Olmeda to World Energy LLC, $65,000

Rolleston St., 1315, 1411: JWM Associates to Hyperion Capital LLC, $2,100,000

Seneca St., 263: L. Cervantes, T. Astuto & E. Marquez to K. Williams, $133,900

South St., 111: M. & N. Hylind to T. Chandler & D. Jackson, $125,000

S. 12th St., 1504: K. Foster to R. Hussain & H. Tagreed, $70,000

S. 13th St., 1257: Brookside Premier Properties LLC to Coopers Hawk LLC, $42,000

S. 17th St., 314: K. Hugo to GCA & BN Real Estate Holdings LLC, $240,000

S. 19th St., 228: G. Neff to J. Acosta, $63,500

S. 19th St., 1106: M. Murphy to R. Andia, $72,500

S. 23rd St., 612: A. Radon to Shutter Real Estate LLC, $400,000

S. 26th St., 706: F. Guzman to M. Cedeno, $42,000

S. 28th St., 737: S. & J. Rivera to K. Olotu, $130,000

State St., 1500: Stoute Housing Inc. to L. Voong, $204,000

State St., 1620: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to SNB Real Estate Solutions LLC, $109,900

State St., 1934: Wilton Hampshire LLC to SNB Real Estate Solutions LLC, $115,000

Summit St., 160: J. & J. Domenico to PR&J Properties LLC, $60,000

Taylor Blvd., 36: J., J. & P. Straw to LMG Enterprises LLC, $40,000

Verbeke St., 120: LanPro Properties LLC to S. & B. Gill, $180,000

Vernon St., 1535: 37 Estate B. LLC to World Energy LLC, $44,000

Wayne St., 1718: D. Daniel, C. Carey & E. Wilson to C. & T. Zerbe, $149,900

Wyeth St., 1409: H. Swanson to I. Jordan & A. Wooditch, $165,000

Wyeth St., 1418: Ruth E. Graham Trust to R. Martin, $165,000

Zarker St., 1812: J. Santiago to PACC Homes & Development LLC, $55,000

Zarker St., 1944: SR Homes LLC to J. Monegro, $65,000

Harrisburg property sales, November 2022, greater than $40,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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Stay a Spell: A major publication ranked Harrisburg among the best cities for retirement. We wanted to know why.

December 29, 2022 | by M. Diane McCormick

Bradley & Faye Gibson at their home

Faye and Bradley Gibson loved raising their children in the Harrisburg area before moving to her native northern Pennsylvania. Then they moved to Florida, which turned out to be too hot.

So, they returned to Harrisburg—Swatara Township, to be precise—and discovered that the region was pretty nice for retirement, too.

“We enjoy going out through the neighborhood when the weather’s better,” said Faye Gibson. “My husband was always a hiker. After he got his knee replacement, he started hiking again. He goes to the Appalachian Trail. He goes hiking everywhere.”

The Gibsons discovered for themselves what U.S. News & World Report calculated for its readers, ranking Harrisburg as No. 2 in “Best Places to Retire in the U.S. in 2022-23.” Second to Lancaster, but still, outranking all those sunny, more traditional retirement spots thanks to its housing affordability, happiness, desirability, retiree taxes, job market and healthcare quality.

Although the U.S. News website’s photos depict city attractions, it’s Harrisburg and its environs that garnered boffo reviews. Riverfront Park, the Appalachian Trail and camping got shout-outs as outdoors highlights. Amish County, Gettysburg and Hersheypark are an easy drive, and “big-city weekend getaways are also there for the taking.”

Actually, I once heard it said that Harrisburg’s civic slogan should be, “Two hours from major cities.” It comes up a lot in conversations about Harrisburg’s advantages for retirees.

“You’re so close to New York City and Washington and Philadelphia and Baltimore,” said Gibson. “We go to Baltimore just for a day trip.”

The region hasn’t been immune to rising real estate prices, but “we are still a really good value,” and its proximity to the cities of the Northeast makes it attractive to retirees, said Ray Davis, Jr., real estate agent with Howard Hanna.

“We’re convenient to New York, where people who want to go to Broadway can make a day trip out of it,” Davis said. “We’re convenient to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and all these areas. Particularly in Harrisburg, we’re the state capital. ‘Location, location, location’ really factors into our desirable situation as much as anything else.”

In some areas, housing is affordable because other enticements are scarce, but Harrisburg pairs affordability with good quality of life, said Davis. Some of his clients, such as the Gibsons, left the region for sunnier climes but then trekked back.

“We are a destination for some retirees,” Davis said. “They didn’t like Florida, and they realize that life here is pretty good.”

Everything & Anything

As for happiness and health, the region’s museums, galleries and robust theater scene spark engagement and connections.

Research finds that learning can help offset dementia, while socialization is “a key to avoiding depression,” said Anastasia Petrovskaya, director of Pathways Institute.

The Messiah Lifeways catalog of courses for the 55-plus crowd uses the region as a classroom, exploring the area’s history, art, culture and nature—everything from equine bonding to introduction to pickleball to canoeing 101 at Gifford Pinchot State Park.

“Learning is what unites people,” Petrovskaya said.

Connections matter for those who move to the area or move to retirement communities, she added. To accommodate those retirees who may still be working or deeply engaged in volunteer work, Pathways Institute is adding more weekend and evening courses.

“Retired people are the most busy people I have met,” Petrovskaya said. “Finally, people have the time to do all the things they always wanted to do.”

In 2013, retired educator Sandy Gilleo moved to Mechanicsburg from Bucks County at the urging of a friend. She experienced some culture shock, missing the wealth of adult learning available back home, before discovering Pathways Institute. Now, she’s a regular, taking “everything from history to religion to crafts to whatever you want,” said Gilleo, who moved pre-pandemic to Carlisle. “That’s what I’m interested in—everything and anything.”

The region has long been known as a top place to live, work, play and raise a family, and now, it’s “Destination Dauphin County” for people of all ages, said Dauphin County Commission Chair Mike Pries.

The Capital Area Greenbelt, local arts and museums, excellent health care and county parks such as Wildwood, Fort Hunter and Detweiler make the area attractive to retirees, he said. Plus, he noted, 18 consecutive years without a county property tax hike doesn’t hurt (and famously, Pennsylvania doesn’t tax pensions).

“We’re viewed as a place where an older person can retire with the confidence that, no matter their economic circumstances, they’ll be stable,” Pries said.

From veterans’ services to the Area Agency on Aging, county officials “connect the dots” to ensure a protective web of services for older adults, Pries added.

“We are in constant communication with the municipalities and the city, discussing with them opportunities for retirees,” he said.

All the Trappings

U.S. News weighted healthcare quality heavily, after happiness and housing affordability, in its rankings. Increasingly, local health systems are “age-friendly,” addressing the holistic needs of older adults, with support groups and education addressing mental and physical health, said Dr. Qurat-ul-Ain Mansoora, Geriatric Medicine, Post-Acute Care Clinical Services, UPMC in Central Pa.

“There’s a vast spectrum of needs people develop as they get older,” she said. “A good starting point is to find a very good personal care physician or geriatrician who can anticipate a person’s needs as they get older or even prior to it becoming an absolute necessity.”

The region’s engagement and interaction opportunities play key roles in elderly health because socialization is one of four criteria known to prevent or slow dementia, Mansoora said. The region’s pace of life and outdoors opportunities also amp up its appeal.

“Harrisburg and Lancaster are the perfect big little towns,” she said. “These are big little cities for older adults to live in and have a good social life, to be interactive, and still be close enough to their children or loved ones who are in New Jersey or New York or Maryland. Harrisburg is right along the river with a walking path for great exercise. It has enough activities to keep people engaged in society.”

Pries noted the region’s fit with the pandemic-driven, upward trend in outdoors activities.

“We are blessed,” he said. “We have all the trappings and the enticements of big-city living right here in rural, south-central Pennsylvania.”

Gibson, who is retired but back to working part-time at the flooring and carpet store where she used to work, agreed.

“There are a lot of things for retirees,” she said. “You can get involved with the art galleries or the Harrisburg Art Association. We like to go to some of the galleries. There’s a lot to do. You’re in the city, but it’s not a big city.”

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Change Agent: Meet Greg Czarnecki, a man on a mission to impact climate change, one Pennsylvanian at a time

December 29, 2022 | by Karen Hendricks

Greg Czarnecki
Photo by Dani Fresh

If there’s a face, or voice, of climate change awareness in Pennsylvania, it might be Greg Czarnecki’s.

As climate change and research coordinator for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), he’s the only person dedicating his entire focus to climate change at a Pennsylvania state agency.

For more than five years, he’s been crisscrossing the state, giving about 60 presentations annually, about the impacts of climate change on the Keystone State. His audiences include nonprofits, businesses, colleges and state agencies. That’s more than 300 speaking engagements about climate change, and counting.

But last summer, there were three that stood out as perhaps more vital than all the others.

“They were definitely my youngest audiences, and it’s really important for two reasons,” said Czarnecki. “Number one—they’re the ones that are going to suffer the brunt of what we’ve done and are still doing to the earth. And number two—they’re the ones that are going to be saddled with solutions, especially adapting to climate change.”

He’s talking about the next generation of Pennsylvania’s climate change agents.

Natural Leaders

About 100 teens—nominated by their teachers as outstanding students destined to become the next generation of park rangers, biologists and researchers—gathered for three separate weeks of intense summer study. Camps, organized by the nonprofit Wildlife Leadership Academy (WLA), deep in the woods of Centre County’s Krislund Camp and Conference Center, nearly pinpointed Pennsylvania’s geographic center.

And on Aug. 2, within one of those camps, Czarnecki’s presentation got to the heart of climate change issues in the commonwealth.

Czarnecki, 63, a 33-year veteran of the environmental field, began by explaining the greenhouse effect—the science that explains why the earth’s climate is changing.

“Sunlight travels through our atmosphere, to earth—and think of our atmosphere as a blanket, an insulating blanket that holds in some of that heat,” Czarnecki said, his PowerPoint graphic illustrating the process. “Greenhouse gases—think of them as the fiber in the blanket. We’ve nearly doubled the normal amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”

That carbon dioxide, the end result of burning fossil fuel—coal, oil and natural gas—has increased dramatically since the start of the Industrial Revolution about 200 years ago.

“Last summer, for the first time ever inside the Arctic Circle, it was over 100 degrees,” Czarnecki said, explaining rising temperatures associated with climate change. “My hometown is Erie, and the Great Lakes aren’t icing over like they used to. Warmer temperatures mean more lake effect snow. Last year, lake effect snow made it all the way to the Chesapeake Bay, which never used to happen.”

As the climate changes, affecting weather, nature too is shifting, impacting wildlife, habitats, agriculture, human and animal food supplies, human health and the economy.

“How are species going to respond? There are three responses,” Czarnecki explained to the teenage audience. “They either adapt, move or disappear. DCNR has studied about 150 species across the state to assess how they’ll do under climate change.”

There were times, throughout the presentation, when you could have heard a pin drop. That’s because the teens were rapt, processing, engaging and asking questions. They seemed to have both a sense of wonder and worry.

“For that reason, I try to be a bit more upbeat with younger audiences,” Czarnecki said later, “because I get a real sense they’re really worried—almost scared. One of the kids afterwards said, ‘Should we be planning to leave the planet—is that the solution?’ No, absolutely not— there are solutions—but that showed me the level of concern.”

2-Pronged Approach

The way forward, outlined in Pennsylvania’s Climate Change Plan, includes two strategies. The first, adaptation, identifies ways of coping with climate change’s direct and indirect impacts. Mitigation, however, seeks strategies for reducing greenhouse gases.

“We have to do both,” Czarnecki said.

Within the sprawling 2.5-million-acre network of state parks and forests is one form of adaptation. Countless culverts—pipes channeling stormwater—are being redesigned to withstand intense flooding, the kind Pennsylvania used to experience every 50 to 100 years. Under climate change, flooding frequency is increasing. Previously, culverts were created to withstand 25-year floods.

That’s just one adaptation strategy. But the students, like the vast majority of Czarnecki’s audiences, have a more personal, burning question.

“What can you do to help deal with climate change?” asked Czarnecki—and it brought a shift in energy to the room.

The entire hour, it felt like Czarnecki was briefing the high schoolers, preparing them for the passing of Pennsylvania’s environmental baton—and with it, the continuation of climate change research. But it’s not just a race for research and solutions. He’s in the midst of a marathon mission to change human habits.

Ripple Effects

“It’s a mindset—think about everything you do,” Czarnecki said. “Number one, reduce your carbon footprint—walk or bike.”

His message is that individual, daily decisions form habits that, collectively, can make a difference.

“I’m trying to change my habits. I feel like my family and I are conscious of climate change,” said 16-year-old Mia Carado of Linglestown, a Central Dauphin High School junior who not only attended WLA, but calls it “one of the most impactful weeks of my life.”

She’s implemented many of Czarnecki’s climate change-fighting strategies related to daily meals.

“I pack my lunches in reusable containers, and I reuse metal straws instead of plastic,” Carado said. “Our neighbors have a compost bin, and we add our food scraps. My family and I—we try to eat as organic and clean as possible. We don’t want to contribute to pesticide runoff in area creeks.”

Waterways are always running through her mind.

“I’m hoping to become a wildlife biologist,” Carado said. “I really enjoy creek-side studies and macroinvertebrates like crayfish, water pennies and mayflies, because the cool thing about macroinvertebrates is that they can tell you about the quality of the water.”

She especially perked up when Czarnecki mentioned that climate change’s warmer temperatures favor invasive species, including those invading warming waterways.

“I don’t want to see any animals going extinct, because all wildlife is in a delicate balance,” said Carado, who hopes to study environmental science at Washington College in Chestertown, Md.

While climate change was a small component of WLA’s enriching weeklong curriculum, organizers say it was one of the most critical.

“For me, as a director, I feel it’s a current topic kids are going to have to deal with now, and into the future—and we want to be part of that conversation,” said Michele Kittell Connolly, WLA’s executive director of 10 years. “The students are always asking questions—exceptional questions—and this conversation about climate change is something we’re grappling with as a society. Our hope is that we’re educating and empowering the next generation … to think, through science.”

For more information on Pennsylvania’s DCNR—including climate change, and the WLA, see dcnr.pa.gov and wildlifeleadershipacademy.org, respectively. To learn more about climate change from Greg Czarnecki, tune into TheBurg Podcast’s January episode, available on Jan. 13.

TheBurg is proud to present this first story in a six-part, Pennsylvania-focused climate change series by freelance writer Karen Hendricks, which will publish every-other month throughout 2023.

Make a Change

The following are ways you can lessen climate change impacts:

Reduce your carbon footprint by walking or biking.
Consider a hybrid or electric vehicle.
Choose an electric provider powered by wind-generated power.
Evaluate your diet and consider becoming a flexitarian (integrating meatless meals).
Choose locally grown foods that have a lower carbon footprint.

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Past Life: After retiring, John Maietta began a busy second career as a history lecturer

December 29, 2022 | by Dan Miller

John Maietta

John Maietta is a rock star of history.

He has groupies, like Nancy Bayuk. She has come to see him maybe 70 times over the past 10 years, every time he gives a talk at the Jewish Community Center in Harrisburg.

It’s an over-used cliche, but Maietta makes history come alive. He makes it fun, not focusing on the dates and names that made history so boring in your high school classroom, but relating it to your own experience in a way both entertaining and educational.

The success of this endeavor has surprised no one more than Maietta himself.

Following a civilian career in public relations and one in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard that saw him rise to the rank of colonel, Maietta, at age 60, decided to re-invent himself and to go back to his first love—history.

After a deployment in Iraq—his last stop before retiring from the military—he had brief stints handing out census forms and working the polls for the 2010 election.

“I thought, ‘I gotta do something more meaningful with my life,’” Maietta, now 72, mused during an interview at Cornerstone Coffeehouse in Camp Hill.

So, at a time when most of us are winding down professionally, Maietta decided to take advantage of his GI Bill benefits and enter graduate school at Shippensburg University to pursue a degree in applied history.

He embarked on this journey with some trepidation.

“I had never studied history professionally or academically,” said Maietta, who lives in Upper Allen Township with his wife Judy. “In fact, I got two ‘B’s’ in college—one was in gym and the other was in Chinese history. So, I didn’t have a good experience with history in college, but it was something I came to enjoy.”

His professors at Shippensburg were young enough to be his kids; his fellow students his grandchildren.

“It was always fun,” Maietta said, of returning to school as a senior citizen. “When we did group projects with these youngsters, I would do most of the work, but anyway that’s the kind of person I am.”

Instead of a thesis, Maietta opted for an internship exploring the idea of giving public lectures on history.

A contact at Messiah Lifeways told him about a lecture series the retirement village offered to its residents called “Pathways.”

The contact suggested that Maietta dip his toe into the water by presenting a program on his experience in Iraq, as well as a posting he had served in Germany helping with World War II commemorations throughout Europe.

The other came through a history professor who had served as his mentor at Shippensburg. As a result, Maietta started giving history talks to residents of Willow Valley, a retirement community in Lancaster.

While slowly building his resume as a guest lecturer at retirement communities, public libraries and an assortment of luncheon groups, Maietta spent several years as an adjunct history professor, first at Shippensburg and then at York College.

But he derived more enjoyment giving his talks to fellow senior citizens whom he found “very intellectually engaged” in the subjects he was presenting, in contrast to 18- and 19-year-old college kids who were just getting their history course ticket punched on the way to an unrelated degree.

Most in the audience for Maietta’s history lectures are his own peers in their 60s and 70s. He often begins his talks saying, “We are historical figures ourselves.”

“When I talk to older people, they can relate to the references I make,” Maietta said. “When I talk to older people about the Cold War, when I make references to a skit by Monty Python, when I tell a joke or reference some musical singer from the 1950s, all these things with older people, it connects with them. I can’t tell you how many people have come up to me afterwards and said, ‘You know if history had been taught this way when I was in school, I might have enjoyed it.’”

The popularity of the talks has soared since the reopening following the pandemic. Maietta estimated that he had presented well over 60 talks in just the first six months of 2022.

He has about 10 regular clients, including retirement communities and libraries, but he’s given programs to more than 50 different organizations and groups.

One is the Jewish Community Center in Harrisburg, where he recently gave a talk on the history of the automobile in the United States.

“He’s a really nice fellow,” said Bayuk, who never misses one of Maietta’s talks. “He’s very interesting. He always talks about something different.”

Maietta’s lectures cover a broad range of topics, from the trivial—like how the states got their names and where Christmas carols come from—to deep dives on Islamic art and architecture, and on the nature of the faith itself.

“I spent three deployments in predominantly Muslim countries, so it’s kind of interesting to me,” Maietta said. “We have a very active Muslim community in the area.”

As for his own personal interests, Maietta is partial to the history of ancient civilizations. He is also drawn to American history from the late 19th century into the early 20th century.

His talks from that period include the history of immigration to the United States, the impact of World War I on the home front, and the Jim Crow era, in which Maietta presents stories of African-Americans who excelled despite profound social, legal and political roadblocks.

His most popular in-demand topic?

“By far, the amazing history of ordinary things, from aspirin to the zipper—just where these ordinary items in our everyday life came from,” Maietta said. “I’ve given that program 27 times.”

To reach John Maietta, email [email protected].

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Founders Keepers: Hi-tech ideas hatch from HU’s business incubator

December 29, 2022 | by Deborah Lynch

Michael Hughes, Zack Schade, Dave Segal, Jay Jayamohan, MaDonna A. Awotwi, Shaina McDonald & Jamal Jones

Harrisburg University President Eric Darr had a big idea.

Certainly, it wasn’t his first one, as he’s guided HU from struggling to thriving, but it was an important one.

Economic development and support for businesses have always been part of HU’s mission. However, he wanted to institutionalize that mission, as well as focus on underrepresented communities. The result: the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at HU.

Less than three years in, the CIE has moved into accessible new digs in Strawberry Square and is home to nine founders in its business incubator program, 80% of which are BIPOC-owned and 50% women-owned. It also offers founders—the entrepreneurs who are invited into the incubator—residency space for up to 18 months, financial assistance, coaching and student interns.

That support is paying off. Several of the companies have raised a combined $3.6 million in investments. One, NAQI LOGIX, a thought-controlled earbud technology company led by Dave Segal, recently was valued at $100 million.

It took much more than a mission statement and Darr’s vision to reach this point. He needed to find the right person—someone who had been a founder, had connections outside the Harrisburg area, and could work in central PA. He found all of that in Jay Jayamohan, wooing him from D.C. to become the CIE’s founding executive director.

Jayamohan, who is from India, has a “typical immigrant story,” he said. He received his undergraduate engineering degree there before completing a master’s in management at George Mason University. He then worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers before he “stumbled into the world of startups.”

The end result was hardly a stumble. Jayamohan had created three start-ups with $22 million in venture capital. While one company failed, the others (both software firms) thrived, and he sold them both. He also got involved in startup centers at both George Mason and Georgetown universities.

Why teach? Because “50% of what you learn is completely useless when you go out and start a company,” he said. “It’s a whole different journey.”

That’s exactly where his experience benefits his HU CIE founders.

Just 30 months in, HU’s CIE program has had more than 250 applications, which Jayamohan said, “shows a huge appetite in the area.”

“I’m thrilled that Jay’s here,” Darr said. “The way it all kind of happened—to structure the CIE almost like a business within Harrisburg University. We gave Jay the authority to build programs to work with founders the way he wants to—the way he would as a founder.”

HU’s CIE invites applicants from the Harrisburg community and beyond. Of the nine founders currently in the program, only one is university-related.

“We hope, by having them come here, it creates new companies and jobs in this region,” Jayamohan said.

Jayamohan and his network mentor the incubator’s founders. They help them form corporations and connect them with funding resources. They help them find pro bono attorneys for their intellectual property. They help them flesh out ideas. They provide support staff. They connect them with technology and software development partners. They network.

In turn, founders who graduate from the incubator remain available as mentors to new founders.

“The center is for anybody who has an idea,” Jayamohan said. “It can be anybody who just has a concept, but doesn’t know where to start.”

Idea Is Born

Sharina Johnson was a military kid who moved a lot until her family landed in New Cumberland. After graduating from Dauphin County Technical School, she moved to Baltimore. She joined the Army Reserves while in high school. In 2004, she was activated and sent to Iraq for a year.

Coming home was difficult. She didn’t realize that she had PTSD. A highly functioning addict, she graduated from Morgan State University with a telecommunications degree. She slipped further into addiction. Finally, in 2018, she went into treatment. That journey sparked an idea, but a multicultural business event in 2021 featuring a presentation by CIE fueled it.

Today, Johnson is part of the incubator and has secured $100,000 from four investors for an application called “Arcana Recovery,” which will connect veterans with local resources. On a web platform, it will offer recovery support services, client management systems and data presentations. It will be able to track users’ moods. It also will include a wellness assessment that she hopes will be able to predict a relapse or spot people at risk for substance abuse.

Johnson hopes to launch her full product in June. Until then, she will continue to work within the CIE streamlining her product.

I Was Home

Segal, the NAQI founder, arrived similarly to the CIE—with “just a big idea and a few patents.” He said that his company wouldn’t be where it is without the CIE’s help with public relations, exposure and introductions to other big companies and investors.

Those introductions led him to a New York venture group that led him to Mark Godsy, now a co-founder and CEO of NAQI and one of the biggest biotech entrepreneurs in Canada.

“I basically said, ‘I’ll give you the keys to the car,’” Segal said about meeting Godsy.

Together, they have created an invisible, thought-controlled operating system that works with earbuds and head muscle contractions so users can control computers, wheelchairs and more.

“NAQI gives a silent, inconspicuous, invisible, multidirectional communication and navigation for everything,” Segal said. “Nobody would know what you’re doing.”

Segal’s “aha!” moment came in 2013 when he read about a soldier home from Iraq who was fitted with a thought-controlled prosthetic arm. It enticed him to Google “thought-controlled computing.” He started drawing patterns trying to figure out a thought-controlled OS. He got his first patent.

He had a concept and a patent, but his motivation came from a local man who was being treated at the Penn State Health Spinal Cord program. Now a close friend, this man, who is paraplegic, has joined development and executive meetings at NAQI to help inform their work.

“Meeting him changed the way I view all of this,” Segal said. “It happened for a purpose—he was my purpose.”

By the end of the first quarter of the year, Segal hopes to have a new design complete and a small run manufactured for user testing. His long-term goal is to complete an application programming interface that will allow other companies to integrate his OS into their products.

“Eric [Darr] has brought the region’s top innovative minds together with an open door to other start-ups. It’s almost like the Statue of Liberty—come in,” Segal said. “The moment I met the team at HU, I knew I was home.”

The Harrisburg University Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship is located in Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.cie.harrisburgu.edu.

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Gift of Thrift: Jay’s Boutique makes dressing to impress affordable, convenient

December 29, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Janica Wright

Janica Wright grew up thrifting. Shopping for affordable pieces made economic sense for her family, and she never minded secondhand.

“We’ve always been thrift store, consignment people,” she said. “You can get the same quality or better for a much better price.”

But for Wright, cutting back on spending never meant sacrificing fashion. Oftentimes, it actually meant the opposite. She could find unique pieces that might not be on-trend in stores, but fit her style and made a statement.

“Knowing I can walk into a place and know that no one has this is really cool,” Wright said.

That feeling is one that Wright wants to share with people through her new shop, Jay’s Boutique on N. 6th Street. The small shop recently opened in November and sits just outside Harrisburg, in Susquehanna Township.

In February, Wright began selling thrifted finds online with the goal of opening a storefront. Her new space is snug, but it’s the perfect size for her blossoming business, she explained.

Jay’s Boutique offers all of the best parts of thrifting to shoppers—the affordability, one-of-a-kind items and sustainability benefits. But here, you don’t have to sort through bins of unorganized secondhand items, scan dozens of racks or get overwhelmed by shelves of knickknacks and accessories arranged by color. Wright takes all of the stress out of the shopping experience by scouring the stores for the best pieces and whittling them down to a manageable, yet substantial collection.

“Let me do the hard work for you,” Wright said.

Jay’s caters to women’s fashion, including everything from casual to professional to formal wear. In addition to clothing, she sells shoes, purses, belts, jewelry, sunglasses and other accessories.

Unlike many boutiques, Wright makes it her mission to stock a wide range of sizes, including plus sizes and larger shoe sizes.

When a customer visits the boutique, Wright is available to help with styling tips and suggestions. She hopes to provide high-end pieces at affordable prices and show women that they don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars for quality outfits.

Wright’s full-time job is in management at a pediatric dental clinic. She’s found that the people skills needed for that position have helped her when interacting with customers at her new business.

To continue to engage customers beyond the typical shopping experience, she plans to host ladies night events and other in-store experiences. She also offers styling services to help clients plan outfits for special events.

“I’m a big fan of quality experiences,” she said. “Those are impactful.”

Just as Wright has been able to gain confidence and find her unique style through thrifting, she’s ready to help other women do the same.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to be myself and wear what makes me confident,” she said. “I want to help others feel confident in their own skin.”

Jay’s Boutique is located at 3525 N. 6th St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their Instagram @jaysboutiquepa.

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Sweat & Sisterhood: Harrisburg women dance for health, fun, fellowship at Zoombalicious

December 29, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Sandy Johnson & Charisse Grayer

What puts the “licious” in Zoombalicious?

“You’ve just got to see it,” explained the class of women before cranking up their speaker in the Foose Elementary School gym on a Thursday night.

The group spread out in the gym and, as the music turned on, so did their energy. And they were right—you have to see it to understand the “licious.”

There’s something about Zoombalicious that has kept the dedicated group of women coming back time and time again to dance, sweat and push themselves. Several of them even made their commitment permanent—getting tattoos in honor of the class, reading, “Z Z 4 L” or “Zumba zisters for life.”

Some come because the program helped them lose weight or combat health issues, others like the dancing, and most all of them love the sisterhood bond that it provides.

“We have a tightknit following,” said instructor Sandy Johnson. “It’s more than just exercise. Some of them became family.”

Glowing & Growing

I think everyone in the class would agree—there’s no Zoombalicious without Johnson, the founder and instructor of the class. Her energy on the floor is unmatched, which is one of the biggest reasons why people love coming.

“I’ve never seen nobody smile while they’re doing Zumba because you know it hurts,” said Lori Smith, a participant. “She has this glow when she does Zumba, and everybody just lights up from it.”

Johnson discovered Zumba around 2007, during the time that the dance exercise program took off and grew in popularity. She took a class at the East Shore YMCA and quickly started to stand out amongst her peers, as she would add her own flair to the moves, often earning her a spot up front leading.

“I feel like I’m in my own little place when I’m doing Zumba,” she said.

She loved dancing to the Latin music that typically accompanied Zumba, but wanted to switch things up once she got her Zumba license and started her own program. Johnson settled upon hip-hop and called her class Zoombalicious to distinguish it from traditional Zumba. Charisse Grayer, Johnson’s friend and fellow Zumba fanatic, joined her, leading the administrative side of the program.

The first class Johnson taught at a former dance studio downtown in 2013 was a packed house. But the program only continued to grow as she partnered with Harrisburg’s parks and recreation department to hold classes in local school gyms. Sometimes 80 to 100 women showed up to work out.

Just as Johnson had become hooked on Zoombalicious, the community did, too.

Participants started losing weight and improving their health. One woman lost 100 pounds.

“Health and wellness is very important, especially for women and women of color,” Grayer said. “Women of color don’t always get the same care.”

Zoombalicious student Gloria Ravenel, 62, found out years ago that she had high blood pressure and diabetes. She attributes her improved health to the class.

“I thank God for Zoombalicious because I might not be here today,” she said.

Here for You

Beyond the health benefits to the dance class, Zoombalicious has become a place for friends, new and old, to find community. It’s not uncommon to see students chatting after class, finding advice and comfort from their Zumba sisters, Johnson said.

“Every woman you see in here has a different background, a different upbringing, but when we all get together, you don’t see race, you don’t see income, you don’t see none of that,” she said.

The group has also participated in trash cleanups around the city and Christmas gift donation events and has given away free prom dresses to high school students.

Both Johnson and Grayer’s goal with the program is to give back to their community. Through their long-term dedication to leading Zoombalicious, they have influenced others to start their own fitness classes.

Traci-lyn Brown started attending the class about a year ago and loved the high intensity workout it provided. Just recently, she started her own step fitness program, “Xtreme Hip Hop.” Attending Zoombalious and seeing Johnson’s skill as an instructor gave her the confidence to lead her own class.

“They’re great women I can look up to,” Brown said.

Since COVID, Zoombalicious is still getting back into the swing of things, Johnson said. Class sizes are much smaller than they were before the pandemic, but that doesn’t stop her from bringing the energy.

“Even if I only have one person, it’ll be treated like a full class,” Johnson said.

In Zoombalicious, everyone is welcome, no matter their age or ability. Grayer will often model a modified, low-impact version of the night’s workout for elderly, disabled or injured students.

Some students have been at Zoombalicious since the beginning. Others are new, and some come and go as life changes.

“I’ll take a crazy job and my schedule won’t permit it for a while, but I’ll always come back anytime I can get here,” said Dennise Hill, a student and Harrisburg’s director of building and housing development.

The program has also changed somewhat over the years. In 2015, it moved under the city’s sports-related nonprofit, M.O.S.E.L.F. RBI, after it was on the brink of ending due to an expiring grant from Highmark. Students and instructors showed up to several city council meetings advocating for a solution and were successful. Then, this past December, Zoombalicious became its own nonprofit.

The common denominator during the ups and downs the program faced during the years? Instructors Johnson and Grayer. Their passion for the program hasn’t wavered.

“My family always gave back, and Charisse too,” Johnson said. “And being from the inner city, from Harrisburg […] and coming and giving back health-wise, it’s not tangible, but I’m here for you.”

To learn more about Zoombalicious, visit their Facebook page.

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Roll, Kick, Pose: Brazilian art of capoeira lands in central PA, with strength, energy

December 29, 2022 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Illustration by Aron Rook

On a brisk, still, winter night in Highspire, the Richie School of Dance pulsed with activity as a group of students ran, tumbled, cartwheeled and struck poses, while being coached by instructors Jessica and Ian Jackson.

“Good job,” boomed Ian, as an 8-year-old, whose nickname, “Grilo,” means cricket, rose quickly to his feet after emerging from a rolê (roll). The energy was so infectious that the couple’s little girl Izabella, at age 1, mimicked the action, attempting to complete a rolê while the others practiced around her.

Jessica explained that the children are learning a Brazilian dancelike martial art called capoeira. The couple’s son, 8-year-old Joseph Ortiz, known as “Esformiado,” meaning big appetite, helped me out with the pronunciation. “Ca-pa-wed-a,” he said, getting the tongue roll just right.

Jessica said that capoeira was used as a means of self-defense and that that part of the art is reacting quickly to trick, evade or attack your opponent.

She went on to explain that everyone in the class goes by nicknames that suit their personality.

“Approximately 4.5 million slaves were brought to Brazil and used capoeira as an escape and formed small towns in the forest called quilombos,” she said. “The nicknames were used so that the police would have difficulty identifying them.”

Jessica’s son volunteered more information to explain the art.

“We get to do a lot of kicks,” he said.

That becomes clearer over the course of the evening as I witnessed a litany of moves that aren’t for the faint of heart, from high kicks to reverse roundhouse kicks to circular leg kicks.

The children’s enthusiasm was palpable as they took their turns on the mat while percussive, instrumental music played in the background. Jessica identified the instruments used to set the pace of the movements.

“They typically used berimbaus (struck bows), pandeiro and atabaque (drums), agogôs (double bell) and sometimes a reco-reco (scraped bamboo tube),” she explained, adding that many of the songs describe the plights of the slaves and how they arrived in Brazil.

What makes the evening particularly fun, according to the Jacksons, is when participants form a circle called a “roda” and demonstrate the moves they’ve mastered, which lends a degree of autonomy and creativity to the practice.

Perfect Match

Jessica has been practicing capoeira for 23 years, first in Florida and now here.

“I saw a movie called “Only the Strong,” then later I witnessed two individuals doing it at a college and wanted in on it,” she said.

Fortunately, Jessica’s husband Ian was an NCAA gymnast at the University of Oklahoma.

“He is an acrobatics coach, so he helps me in class with that part,” she said.

When Jessica arrived in central PA, she was surprised that the area lacked exposure to capoeira.

“If you go to New York or Orlando, you’ll find plenty of capoeira classes, but here it’s not so prevalent,” she said.

And it wasn’t like Jessica could just touch down in Pennsylvania and start teaching.

“We keep a high degree of professionalism when teaching classes,” she said, mentioning that Master Mestre Lazaro, who lives in Brazil, acts as a mentor, teaching instructors how to conduct classes for children and adults.

“The main group is in Orlando, and there’s another one in Las Vegas,” she said.

June Popov brought her son, Jace, to the class, which meets twice a week.

“I learned about it when they demonstrated it at the Pennsylvania STEAM Charter School, and it was a perfect match,” Popov said.

Andrew Glenn attends the adult classes, stating that his interest was piqued when he enrolled his son, Liam. The Middletown resident gave it a shot and found it fun.

“There’s so much energy in the classes, and Ian and Jessica are very supportive when it comes to teaching and training,” he said.

Rachel Peacock, who lives in Midtown Harrisburg and goes by the name “Azul,” meaning “Blue,” is another one of the adults who joined the class.

“I’m Brazilian and was adopted by a Caucasian woman, so I decided to sign up to learn more about Brazilian culture,” Peacock said. “First and foremost, I learned that I have increased strength—I did a bridge not too long ago.”

According to the Jacksons, capoeira provides many other advantages of a good workout, like cardiovascular benefits, while improving agility, flexibility and balance.

The couple added that they are excited for the future of capoeira in the region and hope that their enthusiasm becomes contagious.

“It’s something that both children and adults can do, and we’re sharing it through demonstrations,” Jessica said. “So far, we’ve done shows at Disney, at professional soccer games, at cultural festivals, conventions and schools.”

Her face brightened as she provided a rundown of the events they’ve attended.

“I just love it,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful art that I think should be shared with everyone.”

The Highspire location of the Richie School of Dance is located at 679 Second St., Highspire. For more information, call 717-939-5378 or visit www.richiedance.com.

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Mind, in the Game: Ann Zaprazny helps athletes hone their mental acuity

December 29, 2022 | by Jeff Falk

Ann Zaprazny

Ann Zaprazny is not a sports psychologist or even a sports psychiatrist. She’s a certified mental performance coach.

The subtle difference is that she possesses a master’s degree in sports science with a concentration in sports psychology, not a doctorate. The principles, disciplines and techniques are very similar, and what Zaprazny lacks in a Ph.D., she more than makes up for in real-life experiences from the playing fields.

Zaprazny is the founder/owner/operator of Great Sports Minds of Hershey. Through personal interaction and training, she helps athletes of all sizes, shapes, ages and ability levels get the most of their talents, as well as their competitive experiences.

Yes, the mind controls the body. But when the heart, emotions, soul, body and mind are all working in unison, it provides the greatest opportunity for athletes to reach their full potential.

“I help my clients compete with greater confidence so they can achieve their goals,” Zaprazny said. “I’m helping to teach mental skills so they can perform how they’re capable of. Many athletes invest in physical skills, but many don’t invest into mental performance coaches. It’s kind of the missing piece.”

Zaprazny begins with a survey or an initial consultation that can be virtual. She incorporates mental exercises, on-line resources, meditation, journaling, goal setting and breathing strategies—even personal one-on-one support at the site of an athlete’s competition.

She views herself more as an educator than a clinician, or as she put it, “if my client has more than I can clinically handle, my job is to refer.”

She starts the conversation with “awareness guidelines.”

“That can help me peel back the onion,” said Zaprazny. “When we have really high expectations, it just creates this level of stress. The question becomes: ‘How do you get rid of those unrealistic expectations?’ It’s really about identifying what we want.”

Every athlete, every sport is different, but they are all linked to a very specific dynamic that requires athletes to compete against themselves within a team setting.

Zaprazny has worked with golfers, runners, tennis players, wrestlers—you name it—from elite levels like professional and Division One athletics all the way down to youth sports, from all around the world. But 70% of her clients are from central Pennsylvania.

“I was a Division One athlete, and if I knew then what I know now, I would’ve been a badass,” said Zaprazny, who starred at Delaware University in basketball and track and field. “I have more experience because I was an athlete, a high school coach, and I’ve been an AAU coach. I’ve been on the bench. I’ve been the star. I’ve had injuries. I’ve seen it all, and it’s put me in a position to help my clients.”

Need Is Great

Lateesha Mohl, a 26-year-old Harrisburg resident, is an aspiring boxer, mixed martial arts fighter and kick boxer who’s been working with Zaprazny on and off for the better part of four years. Mohl said that Zaprazny has helped her with her confidence, her preparation and her approach.

“I was having trouble with adrenaline dumps, and I didn’t know how to control that,” Mohl said. “At the beginning of fights, my adrenaline was shooting all the way up, and then it would dump out of my body. I have learned self-confidence. I have learned trust. But we had to get to the root of the problem.”

Once a successful senior executive with the Erie Insurance Co., Zaprazny founded Great Sports Minds in 2016. It was both the following of a calling and a leap of faith.

“I have had a ton of success throughout my career,” she said. “I went back to school at the age of 50 to help. I’m not chasing the money. I’m chasing the opportunities to help kids and athletes. I sometimes get goose bumps from what I do.”

Zaprazny said that she knows of only three other practitioners in central Pennsylvania who do what she does. While this focus on sports mindfulness is a relatively recent phenomenon in relation to athletics, the demand greatly exceeds the supply, especially when one considers the fact that all athletes—and coaches—can benefit from the mental services she offers.

Think. Believe. Achieve.

“I think the need is great,” Zaprazny said. “Elite athletes have the resources, but youth sports don’t. The athletes who work with me know it’s not weird. They know it can be game-changing. If you look at statistics, one of the reasons why kids quit sports is because of how hard they are on themselves.”

In addition to helping enhance communication, empathy and relationships with teammates, the principles of mindfulness can transcend sports and spill over into life. It would follow that a healthy mental approach to athletics also could be applied to an athlete’s existence outside of them.

Now, completely out of nowhere, perspective rears its attractive head.

“There’s an art to it and a science to it,” Zaprazny said. “The best in any game are athletes who have coaches helping them do their best. What I have found is that the better we feel, the better we perform. Everyone can benefit, but you have to do the work that works for you.”

Put another way, Zaprazny described it as “mentally getting out of our own way.”

“At first, it’s hard to reach out and get help,” Mohl said. “I’m so glad I did. Since I’ve worked with (Zaprazny), everything she’s told me has worked. It’s worked for me. That’s why I go to her.”

For more information on Great Sports Minds, visit www.greatsportsmindsllc.com or call 717-419-5789.

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Taking Flight: A place for connection, community at Freebird Yoga

December 29, 2022 | by Molly Foster

Chelsea Wanco, Jessie Davies, Mary Owens & Shea McGill. Photo courtesy of Tiffany Lantz Photography.

Grabbing fluffy floor pillows from the tea room where yogis can enjoy a warm beverage and lounge between classes, Freebird Yoga’s founder and owner Jessie Davies invited me to sit on the floor with her.

Her toddler daughter joined us and sweetly insisted on sitting, crossed legs, on the pillow with me.

“I want Freebird to feel like you’re walking into a friend’s house, not a business,” Davies said. “Rather than a sterile, ‘Welcome to Freebird,’ when people walk in, it’s, ‘Hey! Good to see you again.’ I want people to feel warm and at home—to feel free to take a big exhale.”

This foundational mission of home-like comfort and Davies’ desire to cultivate a community of kindred spirits can be found all throughout Feebird, from the vibrant, bohemian ambiance to the tastefully curated vendor items for sale in the foyer to the choice of name.

It’s not a play off of the Lynyrd Skynyrd song, but rather, the name, Freebird, is a commemorative nod to Davies’ mother, whom she described as a “phoenix rising”—a mystical presence—who several years ago was freed from a battle with cancer. More broadly, this abstract idea of being lightened from burden is also how Davies says she feels when her body meets her mat.

“When I get onto the mat, and I do the physical practice of yoga, it’s in essence this space of freedom for me. It’s a dance to connect my breath to movement,” she said. “It is important to me that, when people come to Freebird, they come to their yoga mat with whatever is on their hearts, on their minds, or in their body, and a freedom to express that.”

Freebird opened in June on W. Main Street in Mechanicsburg, and Davies admits that it was a bit of a leap of faith. However, it was something that Jackie Dahlheimer, a long-time friend and mentor of Davies, said they often chatted and daydreamed about together.

“I always knew it was coming,” said Dahlheimer, who opened her own yoga studio, House of Yoga, in York in 2016. “I may have started out as her mentor, but throughout our relationship, it got to the point where we just started running alongside each other—rooting for each other. My time came to step out of the way and tell her, ‘You’re more than ready. It’s time for you to lead.’”

In the eyes of Dahlheimer, Freebird’s eight class instructors, and the countless community members who are repeat attendees, Davies has soundly landed that leap of faith.

Nina Hamilton had a yoga studio on Mechanicsburg’s Main Street from 2012 to 2014, just a few doors down from Freebird. Rallying around Davies, she now leads regular power flow classes here. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys making the short walk from her house to the studio to practice yoga.

“It’s so special to have a studio back in Mechanicsburg,” Hamilton said. “Every town needs a place like Freebird on their main street.”

The studio offers a breadth of classes from beginner workshops to more advanced yoga mobility and moderate vinyasa, ensuring that all feel like they have a place for their mat at Freebird.

Rooted in four core values—freedom, connection, curiosity and play—Davies also periodically hosts events at the studio that take these principles of yoga off the mat, including paint nights, mala jewelry-making workshops, and makers markets featuring local artisans. And she doesn’t see an end to these mission-minded initiatives.

“I’m someone who likes to dream way big,” said Davies, who not only envisions more classes on the schedule in the future, but potentially international retreats and maybe even another yoga studio location one day. But for now, she says all she needs is right here.

“Right now, I just want to see us busting at the seams with community,” Davies said. “I want to fill these walls with good people, good conversation and sweetness, until we’re overflowing.”

Freebird Yoga is located at 13 W. Main St., Mechanicsburg. For more information, visit www.fbyogastudio.com.

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