True Blue: Police officers and area youth forge brotherly bonds through “Bigs in Blue”

July 29, 2022 | by Karen Hendricks

Sgt. Darren Cotten & Bo Williams

There’s one story that always brings tears to the eyes of Derry Township Police Sgt. Darren Cotten.

“Bo was in second grade when we started having lunch together once or twice a month, then going out to recess together,” Cotten said. “We were a perfect match, instantly, because he’s a little athlete, into the same sports I’m into—football, baseball and basketball.”

The first few times, Cotten’s presence, as a fully uniformed police officer, drew curious looks from Bo’s classmates. They were skeptical.

“But I’d start playing out on the playground, and you’d start to see the barrier coming down,” Cotten said. “More and more kids would come hang out with us.”

The next year, there was a breakthrough.

“One day, we were at lunch, and all the kids were asking Bo, ‘Can I sit with you?’ And there was one seat left at our table. I tear up every time I tell this story because there was a kid sitting all by himself. And it was nothing I said to Bo, but he went over and asked that kid to sit with us.”

Cotten paused for a moment, remembering.

“The smile on that kid’s face, and to watch Bo go over to someone sitting by himself—was that part of Bigs in Blue? I don’t know,” said Cotten.

But you could tell, he wonders.

Bro Bonds

“Bigs in Blue” is a national initiative designed by Big Brothers Big Sisters to pair youth with law enforcement officer mentors. Officers meet with “little brothers” a few times a month at area schools.

Bo, who’s now 11, was adopted by his grandparents when he was 5.

“Bo struggled at first after he left his mom and dad, and we were looking for support to help him through that. I was very excited when I found out his teacher had recommended Bo for this program,” said his grandmother, Betty Jane Condron, of Derry Township. “Bo really respects Darren, and I love that Darren is a super good role model for Bo.”

The pair hit it off so well that they were approved to meet regularly off school grounds—at Cotten’s home, area pizza shops and Bo’s sporting events.

In fact, Cotten said, “My wife and son are always asking, ‘When is Bo visiting again?’”

Big Picture

Regionally, Bigs in Blue flourishes under the umbrella of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region (BBBSCR).

“Our goal is for kids to have a mentor that lasts a lifetime,” said Amy Rote, BBBSCR’s president and CEO, who established Bigs in Blue in central Pennsylvania. “It’s been my baby. It really started in 2014 with Ferguson [and the shooting of an 18-year old Black man by a white police officer]. I was receiving calls from ‘bigs’ asking, ‘How do I help my ‘littles’ be safe?’”

She started talking to area police departments, and Swatara Township was the first to come on board. BBBSCR’s Bigs in Blue officially launched in 2016.

“We have a region that’s really committed to giving back to kids and trying to build relationships—it just needed the structure [of Bigs in Blue],” Rote said.

Elizabeth Goodman is BBBSCR’s full-time Bigs in Blue coordinator. Her background includes several years of teaching experience, at Harrisburg’s Benjamin Franklin Elementary, then Yellow Breeches Educational Center—a private school for students struggling in their districts due to mental health and other diagnosed conditions.

“My grandfather was a police officer, and when I saw the Bigs in Blue position posted, it struck a chord with me, knowing the importance of relationships with police officers,” said Goodman, who personally interviews—and matches—officers with youth.

“Bigs get to learn about their littles and the struggles they’re facing, and littles get to realize their bigs are real people,” said Goodman. “The overall goal is to grow the program. We’re constantly bringing on new departments and expanding.”

Mentorship on the Map

BBBSCR currently has the second-largest Bigs in Blue program in the nation, in terms of the number of participants, behind Miami.

However, when it comes to the number of police departments engaged, BBBSCR leads the country. Thirteen area police departments spanning five counties, plus Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), participate in Bigs in Blue, through a total of 36 officers, with more than 20 additional officers awaiting matches this coming school year.

East Hempfield Township police recently became the first Lancaster County department to participate—“and four officers had their applications to me on the first day,” Goodman said. “That’s a moment that stands out for me, because it shows how much officers want to impact the life of a child.”

But the impacts radiate even further, beyond brotherhood into neighborhoods.

“Sometimes, the kids can change a parent’s outlook on police, or other kids’ outlooks,” Cotten said.

Cotten, Goodman and PSP were all featured speakers representing BBBSCR’s thriving program, at last year’s national Bigs in Blue conference.

Paradigm Shifts

PSP Lt. Adam Reed has volunteered with Bigs in Blue since the beginning. He’s currently matched with 11-year old De’Von, who moved to the area last year.

“Making new friends at a new school is always going to be a challenge, no matter who you are,” Reed said. “So, it was my hope that I could make that transition easier for him.”

Ultimately, does this program, Bigs in Blue, have the ability to change the narrative—to impact and improve relationships between today’s youth and police?

“Yes, you hit the nail on the head—it definitely has the potential to change the narrative and make positive impacts with Pennsylvania’s youth,” Reed said. “That’s important today, more than ever. Traditionally, people interact with police when they’re having their worst day. So, it’s really refreshing on our end to interact with the community in a positive way, and this program allows that.”

To learn more about Bigs in Blue and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region, visit capbigs.org.

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Musical Notes: Awesome August

July 29, 2022 | by Ellen Frantz

As the summer draws to a close, there are still plenty of chances to catch live music in the midstate. Whether you prefer a smaller, intimate venue or a sold-out stadium, there is something coming this month for everyone.

I personally believe that the concerts lined up for August are even better than those that came earlier in the summer. There are a lot of big names coming to Hersheypark Stadium and Hollywood Casino, as well as some very talented musicians headed to places like Harrisburg’s Riverfront Park and The Englewood in Hershey.

Here are the shows that you won’t want to miss:

Lord Huron, 8/20, 8 p.m., Riverfront Park, $55

When I spoke to Frank Schofield, Harrisburg University’s director of live entertainment and media services, about their summer concert series, he told me that Lord Huron was selling the most tickets. And rightfully so. This indie band’s music is described as having “cinematic flair.” You can hear that in their song, “The Night We Met,” which some may recognize from TikTok. Lord Huron’s music is often guitar-driven, exemplified on tunes like “I Lied” and “Ends of the Earth.” They’re sure to put on quite the show as they take the stage this month in Riverfront Park.

Lady Gaga, 8/28, 7:30 p.m., Hersheypark Stadium, $108-$450

In my opinion, this is the biggest name to come to the Harrisburg area this summer. The Grammy and Oscar award-winner is bringing her “Chromatica Ball” tour to only 18 cities across the globe, with one of them being Hershey. Gaga will perform songs from her 2020 “Chromatica” album, including the hit “Rain on Me” featuring Ariana Grande. Although this concert will most likely draw a younger crowd, fans of any age will be able to appreciate hearing hits like “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” live.

Cordovas, 8/30, 8 p.m., The Englewood, $25

Cordovas is a folk-rock band from Tennessee, and they are phenomenal. I am so glad I discovered their music because they’re a group worth checking out. Their new album, “Destiny Hotel,” focuses on the theme of openness, with songs like “Afraid No More” and “Destiny” being about living freely and authentically. This band is sure to delight not only fans of folk, rock and country, but also fans of musicians who tell stories.

Mentionables

Steve Forbert and the New Renditions, Aug. 6, The Englewood
Santana and Earth, Wind and Fire, Aug. 6, Hersheypark Stadium
“Weird” Al Yankovic, Aug. 6 & 7, American Music Theatre
Creed Bratton, Aug. 10, H*MAC
The Toasters, Aug. 11, H*MAC
JJ Grey and Mofro, Aug. 11, XL Live
Courtney Barnett, Aug. 12, XL Live
Susquehanna Folk Festival, Aug. 12-14, York Expo Center
Ballyhoo! and Shwayze, Aug. 18, XL Live
Chris Young ft. Rodney Atkins, Aug. 13, My Heroes Stage at Hollywood Casino
Rick Springfield, Men at Work and John Waite, Aug. 20, My Heroes Stage at Hollywood Casino
The Beach Boys, Aug. 21, American Music Theatre
Chris Stapleton, Aug. 27, Hersheypark Stadium
Alesana, Aug. 28, H*MAC

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The Right Tools: Evolve Youth Trades Academy offers students another path forward

July 29, 2022 | by Jeff Falk

Students at Evolve Youth Trades Academy

Workers tend to fall into two general buckets: those who work with their heads and those who work with their hands.

Evolve Youth Trades Academy’s mission is to educate young people about productive career paths that involve using their hands and their minds, while lifting them up and offering them hope.

“We believe that trades are not the last opportunity, but a first choice,” said Patricia Robinson, founder and CEO. “Without a path, students will end up on the streets or incarcerated.”

Evolve Youth Trades Academy provides middle and high school students in the Harrisburg area with training and practical, hands-on experience in the disciplines of carpentry, plumbing, HVAC, electrical and graphic design.

But beyond the basics, Evolve offers job training, apprenticeship programs, scholarships, life lessons, critical-thinking skills, community awareness, time management training and real-world opportunities, while instilling flexibility, persistence and determination.

Currently, Evolve works with students from the Steelton-Highspire School District, but hopes to expand its reach to other area schools. Evolve also maintains working relationships with the area Home Builders Association, the local home services company H.B. McClure and Lowe’s Home Improvement of Harrisburg.

“We want to make sure that there’s access for all students and that they are able to sustain themselves,” Robinson said. “We have children who are underachieving, and we want a level playing field. If we can give children access to opportunities, the community can thrive. We want to put the right tools in their hands so they can be proud of their sustainability.”

Ultimately, Evolve seeks the elusive win-win-win scenario—happy and productive workers, properly staffed and profitable local businesses and a safe and stable community.

“I have companies coming to me, and they don’t have enough people to fill positions,” said Robinson, a 55-year-old resident of Linglestown. “They’re telling me, ‘We’ll train them. We’ll pay them.’ It’s challenging to find work that fits everybody. People are getting into jobs because they have to, not because they want to, and that’s unhealthy.”

One Path

Four years ago, Robinson was a teacher in the Central Dauphin School District, until one day she felt it “wasn’t enough.” So, in April 2019, she founded Evolve Youth Trades Academy.

“I didn’t choose to start Evolve,” Robinson said. “I really think it kind of chose me.”

She explained that an eighth-grade student told her that he planned to drop out of school, and that inspired her.

“I realized I wasn’t having enough of an effect in the school district,” she said. “My goal is to shape young minds in order to create change.”

Janice Baldwin, a 17-year-old Harrisburg resident, is a testament to what students can attain. Two years ago, she was exposed to a hands-on, little-bit-of-everything course at Evolve, discovering a proclivity for carpentry. She also learned a little bit about herself.

“I love working with my hands and meeting new people,” Baldwin said. “At the school, it’s like a family environment. I think there’s power in confidence. I don’t think people should let others’ doubts and opinions bring you down, because you know yourself better than anyone.”

There are no requirements for acceptance—just an open mind and a natural curiosity for learning. The school accepts students as young as 12.

“We are looking for the underserved, marginalized students who are interested in the trades,” Robinson said. “Not all students are academically inclined. Oftentimes, students’ imaginations are stifled. Trades lead to creativity. There isn’t just one path to success.”

Because when their options are limited, students’ growth is stunted. Faced with decisions that will affect the rest of her life, Baldwin, for one, isn’t closing any doors.

“I plan on going to Penn State-Harrisburg and majoring in biology or science,” she said. “After I finish my years at Penn State, I do plan on getting a carpentry certification. I’m positioned for both. I see no reason to get rid of either.”

Evolve Youth Trades Academy is located at 4309 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.evolvetrades.org, call 717-608-2315 or email [email protected].

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Happenings: Our August Calendar of Events

July 29, 2022 | by Missy Smith

Museums & Art Spaces

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

“ATVs: Off-Road Adventure,” an exhibit of 3-wheel and 4-wheel ATV machines from the 1970s, ‘80s, ‘90s and early 2000s, through Oct. 16

“Orphan Cars—Vehicles from Discontinued Marques & Brands,” discontinued cars, buses and motorcycles from across the motoring landscape, through Oct. 23

“American Motors Owners Through the Decades,” through Oct. 26

“The Jenkins 1966 Volkswagen Type 2 Deluxe Microbus,” through Dec. 23

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

“Free For All,” student-member exhibition, through Aug. 18

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

“At the Table,” an exhibit about nourishing mind, body and soul, with ceramics by Janelle Hoch, Amy LeFever and Kirsten Olson, Aug. 5-Sept. 10

“In Full Chroma,” paintings by Jonathan Frazier, Thom Kulp and Geoffrey Thulin, three painters who employ vivid color in their works, Aug. 5-Sept. 10

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

August artist of the month

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

“Weather Reader,” paintings by Eleanor Conover, through Aug. 13

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

“Membership and Student Art Show,” through Aug. 13

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyareaartassociation.com

Campbelltown Academy of Music and Arts, through Aug. 6

Hershey Public Library Gallery, through Aug. 13

Historic Harrisburg Resource Center
1230 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
historicharrisburg.org

“Out on Campus—A History of LGBTQ+ Activism at Pennsylvania Colleges & Universities,” opening Aug. 19, 6-9 p.m.

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

New works by The Huckle Buckle Boys, Pat Frese, Susan Bailey, Kristen Fava and Ann Benton Yeager, through Aug. 14

New works by Tara Chickey, Julie Iaria, Rebecca Adey, Elaine Elledge and Paul Gallo, Aug. 16-Sept. 11

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

Exhibits dedicated to Pennsylvania firefighting history

Perry County Council of the Arts (PCCA)
Landis House, 67 N. Fourth Street
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“Director’s Choice,” featuring outstanding student artwork from Youth Art Day 2022, through Aug. 4

8th Annual Juried Exhibition, Aug. 23-Oct. 27

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

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

“A Place for All: Three Stories of Integration in Pennsylvania,” a long-term exhibition highlighting the history of three integration efforts in Pennsylvania after World War II

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

“Making Your Mark,” an array of 52 works on paper that break down various methods and materials used in modern artistic practice, through Sept. 18

“Future Places,” artists render their vision of a promising future, through Oct. 16

“Project—Nature,” a sneak peek of the current VanGo! Museum on Wheels exhibition “Nature in Art,” featuring the work of Victoria Fuller, through Aug. 22

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

“Art in the Wild,” featuring works of art composed of mostly natural materials to blend with Wildwood’s natural setting, through Sept. 30

Read, Make, Learn

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

Aug. 1-4: Teen Oil Painting Day Camp (ages 12-17), 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Aug. 1-5: Exploration Painting (ages 9-12), 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 1-5: Carnival of Art (ages 5-9) 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 1-5: Challenge & Choice (ages 5-12), 1-4 p.m.
Aug. 2: The Art of Visual Breathing—Expressive Abstracts in Watercolors (ages 16-adult), 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 8-12: Sir Mix-A-Lot (ages 5-12), 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 9, 16, 23, 30: Beginning Oil Painting (ages 16-adult), 10 a.m.-12 p.m. or 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 12: Craft Beer & Clay, 7-9 p.m.
Aug. 15-19: Sculpt, Carve, Shapes, Assemble (ages 5-12), 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 20, 27: Copper Enameling Workshops (ages 13-adult), 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Dauphin County Library System
dcls.org

Aug. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23: Born to Read, 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22: Board Game Club, 6 p.m.
Aug. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24: Born to Read, 10:15 a.m.
Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23: Toddler Storytime, 10:15 a.m.
Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23: Summer Art Series—Acrylic Painting, 5:30 p.m.
Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23: All Ages Storytime, 6 p.m.
Aug. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25: All Ages Storytime, 10:15 a.m.
Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24: Toddler Storytime, 10 a.m., 11:00 a.m.
Aug. 4, 11: Anime Club, 4 p.m.
Aug. 5, 6, 7: Escape The Library, 12 p.m.
Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26: Tween Dungeons and Dragons, 4 p.m.
Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26: Teen Dungeons and Dragons, 4 p.m.
Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26: Preschool Storytime, 10 a.m., 11 a.m.
Aug. 10: Spanish Language Conversation Group, 6 p.m.
Aug. 13, 27: Chess Club, 11 a.m.
Aug. 15: Spanish Grammar Workshop, 4 p.m.
Aug. 17: Young Adult Book Club, 4 p.m.

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

Aug. 1: Reptile Explorers, 10 a.m.
Aug. 1, 8: Baby Time Summer, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 2, 9: Tuesday Game Club, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 2, 9, 16: Teen Oddball Book Club, 2:30 p.m.
Aug. 2, 16: Teen SummerZine, 4 p.m.
Aug. 3: Toddler Time with Hank the Health Hero, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 4, 11: Family Storytime, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25: Fiber Artists, 3 p.m.
Aug. 5: Story of the Railroad Caboose, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 6: Knitter’s Group, 10 a.m.
Aug. 6: Coffee Art, 11:30 a.m.
Aug. 8: Make It! Mondays, 1 p.m.
Aug. 10: Toddler Time Summer, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 10: STEM Stations, 12:30 p.m.
Aug. 11, 25: Knitter’s Group, 5 p.m.
Aug. 13: Fiber Artists, 10 a.m.
Aug. 13, 27: LEGO Club, 11 a.m.
Aug. 20: Book Discussion Group, 10 a.m.
Aug. 20: Dog Tales, 10:30 a.m.

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

Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22: Baby & Toddler Time, 10-10:30 a.m.
Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22: Children’s Story Times, 11-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 2: Curl up with the Classics—“The Old Man and the Sea,” 10-11 a.m.
Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23: Master Gardener Plant Clinics, 6-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Career Exploration Workshop, 10:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 3: Moving Forward Book Group w/ Hospice of Central PA, 1-2 p.m.
Aug. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31: Discovery Zone Fun, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24: Children’s Story Time, 11-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25: Language at the Library—Spanish, 10-11 a.m.
Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25: Resume Writing Workshop, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Aug. 5: Chess Club, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26: Get That Job! Workshop, 10:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m.
Aug. 9: Teen STEAM, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Aug. 9: Teen Writers’ Meetup, 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 9, 23: READ to Dogs, 6:30-8 p.m.
Aug. 12: Peaceful Poses Children’s Yoga Story Time, 10-11 a.m.
Aug. 12: Kid’s Paint Night, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 12, 13, 14, 15: Life-Size Candy Land
Aug. 15: Frederickson Writes on Zoom, 6:45-8:45 p.m.
Aug. 19: Family Moving Night, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 22: Fredricksen Reads—“The Last Train to Key West,” 7-8 p.m.
Aug. 26: Film Friday, 2 p.m., 7 p.m.

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

Aug. 4: Intermediate Photography, 6 p.m.
Aug. 7: Ocean View Paint, 1 p.m.
Aug. 11: Birch & Birds, 10 a.m.
Aug. 14: Plein Air by the River, 3 p.m.
Aug. 17: Bits ‘n Pieces, 4 p.m.

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

Aug. 18-Oct. 6: Level 1 Intro to Improv, Thursdays, 7-10 p.m.
Aug. 23-Oct. 11: Level 2 Game of the Scene, Tuesdays, 7-10 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyart.org

Aug. 30-31: Collage Workshop, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

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

Aug. 2: Penn State Health Sibling Class, 5 p.m.
Aug. 2: National Night Out, 6 p.m.
Aug. 2, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30: Penn State Hershey—Mothers & Babies, 10:15 a.m.
Aug. 5-9: Book Sale
Aug. 10: Author Class with Cupboard Maker Books, 6 p.m.
Aug. 11: Fear of Commitment Book Group, 6 p.m.
Aug. 12: Craft and a Movie—“The Little Mermaid,” 10:15 a.m.
Aug. 13, 20: Chess Club, 1 p.m.
Aug. 17: Fun Time in Chocolate Town Park, 10 a.m.
Aug. 18: Hershey Quilters, 12:30 p.m.
Aug. 20: Cocoa Area Fiber Enthusiasts, 10 a.m.
Aug. 20: Cocoa Pack School Supply Drive, 1 p.m.
Aug. 23: Are Aliens Visiting Earth? The U.S. Navy’s UFO Videos and the Government Report, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 27: Chess Tournament, 9 a.m.

Historic Harrisburg Resource Center
1230 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
historicharrisburg.org

Aug. 6: Walking Tour—“Harrisburg, the City Beautiful, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 22: Fourth Monday Program—“Behind the Scenes at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, a Mid-century Modern Landmark,” 6-7 p.m.

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

Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Rhyme Time, 10:15 a.m., 5:15 p.m.
Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Toddler Time, 10:45 a.m., 5:45 p.m.
Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Storybook STEAM, 6:30 p.m.
Aug, 2, 9, 26, 23: Try It Tuesday, 1 p.m., 6 p.m.
Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Rhyme Time in the Park, 9-9:20 a.m.
Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Toddler Time in the Park, 9:35-9:55 a.m.
Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Tea & Stitches, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Story Time in the Park, 10:10-10:35 a.m.
Aug, 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Rhyme Time, 5:15 p.m.
Aug, 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Toddler Time, 5:45 p.m.
Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25: Story Time, 10:15-11 a.m.
Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25: Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25: Toddler Time, 11:30-11:50 a.m.
Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25: Rhyme Time, 12-12:20 p.m.
Aug. 8: English Conversation Club, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 10: Mad About Mysteries on Zoom, 7-8 p.m.
Aug. 12, 26 Dungeons and Dragons (ages 6-12), 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 13, 27: Block Party, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 15: Monday Night Book Club, 7-8 p.m.
Aug. 17: Watch the Skies Sci-Fi Book Club, 7-9 p.m.
Aug. 18: Thursday Morning Book Club, 10-11 a.m.
Aug. 23: Tabletop Game Night, 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 24: Apple Users Group, 1-3 p.m.
Aug. 27: Trivia at Home—Country at Home, 6-8 p.m.

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

Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Common Roads (ages 12-17), 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27: Passageways, 2 p.m.
Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28: Young Adult Group, 4 p.m.
Aug. 9, 23: Queers and Quests game night, 6 p.m.
Aug. 11: Aging with Pride Luncheon, 12 p.m.
Aug. 13: LGBTQ Book Club, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

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

Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Tales with T.A.I.L.S., 6-7 p.m.
Aug. 3: Wednesday Summer Reading, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25: LEGO and STEM Club, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26: Star Trek Rewatch online group
Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26: Online Science Fiction Book Club

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

Aug. 9: A Virtual Evening with Colson Whitehead, 8-9 p.m.
Aug. 12: Virtual Talk—Sabine Hossenfelder with Lawrence Krauss, 1-2 p.m.

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

Aug. 6: Free Kids Art Class on the Roof, 12-2 p.m.
Aug. 25: Processing through Abstraction, 6-8 p.m.
Aug. 27: Collaging the Silhouette, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

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

Aug. 3: Lessons in History with Dr. Robert Watson, 7-8 p.m.

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

Aug. 1: Musical Mornings (ages 2-5), 10:30-11 a.m.
Aug. 1, 2: LEGO Expo (ages 7-12)
Aug. 4: Ruth’s Mystery Discussion Group, 10:15 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 4: Peaceful Poses Story Yoga (ages 2-5), 10:30-11 a.m.
Aug. 4: Peaceful Poses Story Yoga (ages 6-12), 11-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 6, 19: Movers & Groovers (ages 2-5), 10:30-11 a.m.
Aug. 6, 20: Library Book Sales, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Aug. 8, 22: Block Party! (ages 0-3), 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Aug. 8, 22: Evening Family Storytime, 6 p.m.
Aug. 9, 23: Tales for Tails (ages 6-12), 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 9-30: Outdoor Storytime & More (ages 2-5), 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 9-30: Outdoor Book Babies (ages 0-2), 11:15 a.m.
Aug. 10: Kid Builders (ages 3 and older), 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Aug. 11: Family Game Night, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 15: Outdoor Sensory Playtime (ages 0-5), 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 16: Pigeon Goes Back to School (ages 4-8), 5:30 p.m.
Aug. 17: Tech Whiz Kidz (ages 8-12), 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Aug. 18: Story and a Show, 5 p.m.
Aug. 24: Page to Screen Club (ages 8-12), 5 p.m.

Palmyra Public Library
50 Landings Dr., Annville
717-838-1347; palmyra.lclibs.org

Aug. 8: Palmyra Public Library Book Club, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Perry County Council of the Arts (PCCA)
Landis House, 67 N. Fourth Street
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

Aug. 2-23: Watercolors for Middle Schoolers, 4 Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m.

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

Aug. 3: Explore! Paleontology, 11:30 a.m.
Aug. 3-31: “Birth of Planet Earth”
Aug. 3-31: “C.O.L.E. and C.A.M.I. Explore the Planets”
Aug. 4: Games and Puzzles of the 1950’s and 1960’s, 11:30 a.m.
Aug. 5, 20: Storytime, 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 7-28: Highlights Tour, 1:30-2:30 p.m. (Wednesdays-Sundays)
Aug. 10, 24: Family Gallery Tour—Mammal Tour, 11:30 a.m.
Aug. 11: Curiosity Kids—Memory and Logic, 11: 30 a.m.
Aug. 17: Explore! Ornithology, 11:30 a.m.
Aug. 18: Family Gallery Tour—Transportation, 11:30 a.m.
Aug. 25: Curiosity Kids—Ice Cream, 11: 30 a.m.

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

Aug. 6: Observational Drawing—Tools for Seeing and Constructing, 2-5 p.m.
Aug. 6, 13, 20: Saturday Morning Art Club, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Aug. 6, 13, 20: Young Artist Camp, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Aug. 20: Alternative Processes—VanDyke Brown Prints, 2-5 p.m.

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

Aug. 2: Wild Recipes—Summer Foraging in Your Backyard, 6-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 4: Greenbelt Connector Walk, 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Aug. 9: Keystone Trail Association Evening Trail Walk, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 10: Preschool Storytime—10-10:45 a.m.
Aug. 12: Walk and Talk with a Master Gardener, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Aug. 13: Volunteer Work Day, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Aug. 14: Flower Walk—Heat Tolerant Plants, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Aug. 14: Penn State Extension Master Gardeners’ Home Gardening Series, 1-2:30 p.m.
Aug. 16: Leave No Trace (ages 8-10), 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Aug. 25: Macrame Workshop, 6-8:30 p.m.
Aug. 30: Kids Discover—Monarchs (ages 5-10), 1-2:30 p.m.
Aug. 30: Keystone Trails Association East Shore Trail Work Night, 5-7:30 p.m.

Live Music

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

Aug. 6, 7: “Weird Al” Yankovic with Emo Philips
Aug. 12: Tracy Lawrence
Aug. 13: The Doo Wop Project
Aug. 14: Mac Powell
Aug. 18: Johnny Mathis
Aug. 21 The Beach Boys
Aug. 25: Amos Lee with Mutlu

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

Aug. 12: Dan Tyminski Band
Aug. 26: Ben Folds

The Belmont Theatre
27 S. Belmont St., York
717-854-3894; thebelmont.org

Aug. 5: “The Elephant Man”

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

Aug. 11: John Rossey of Cold Spring Union
Aug. 25: Matt Bynum

Dauphin County Library System
dcls.org

Aug. 5: Kevin Neidig

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

Aug. 5: Cold Spring Union with The Jacks
Aug. 6: Summer Artists on the Patio, Steve Forbert and the New Renditions
Aug. 12, 13: Summer Artists on the Patio
Aug. 19: Raelyn Nelson Band
Aug. 22: Chris Knight with Jason Eady
Aug. 30: Cordovas

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

Aug. 12: Mariachi Villasenor—The Authentic Mariachi Experience
Aug. 26: Across the Pond

Greater Harrisburg Concert Band
717-576-758; ghcb.org

Aug. 7: Concert at Carlisle Theater

Gretna Music
gretnamusic.org

Aug. 1, 18: Mr. Music GM4K
Aug. 12: Steve Turre Sextet
Aug. 13: PUBLIQuartet
Aug. 14: Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Aug. 28: Susanna Phillips and the Escher Quarter

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

Aug. 5: North Mountain Ramblers
Aug. 6: Lil Brother Band
Aug. 12: Noel Gevers
Aug. 13: Roy LeFever
Aug. 19: Erica Lyn Everest
Aug. 20: Curtis Smith
Aug. 26: Aaron Daniel Gaul
Aug. 27: Frets With Benefits

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

Aug. 3: September Mourning w/Renovare
Aug. 4: Holdfast w/Coffee with Lions & Powder Keg Culture
Aug. 5: Born a New
Aug. 8: Bartender’s Ball!
Aug. 11: The Toasters
Aug. 12: Jeff Caudill
Aug. 13: Emo Night
Aug. 18: Supersuckers w/Speedealer
Aug. 23: Beres Hammond
Aug. 24: Blacktop Mojo
Aug. 26: Messer and Defiant
Aug. 26: Christopher Cross
Aug. 27: Replicant
Aug. 28: Alesana w/Palisades

Harrisburg University Presents
concertseries.harrisburgu.edu

Aug. 12: Courtney Barnett, Lucy Dacus, Faye Webster, Caroline Rose at XL Live
Aug. 18: LANY at Riverfront Park
Aug. 20: Lord Huron at Riverfront Park

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

Aug. 26: Cocoa Cabaret Series

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

Aug. 3: Gov’t Mule

Historic Peace Church
Trindle Rd. & St. John’s Church Rd., Camp Hill
717-737-6492

Aug. 7: Norma Swain and Friends
Aug. 14: Christyan Seay
Aug. 21: John Catalano
Aug. 28: Vintage Brass

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

Aug. 5: Grant Bryan Band
Aug. 6: Flight Risk
Aug. 12: Light Up The Moon
Aug. 13: Jason Dumm Band
Aug. 19: Vertigo Vultures
Aug. 20: Fuzzy Bunny Slippers
Aug. 26: Smooth Like Clyde
Aug. 27: Funktion

Keystone Concert Band
145 E. Main St., First Floor, Mechanicsburg
717-421-1512; keystoneconcertband.com

Aug. 6: Concert at Essex House
Aug. 13: Concert at Baughman UM Ice Cream Festival

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

Aug. 7: Graham Nash
Aug. 12: The Doo Wop Project

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

Aug. 20: Shotgunn

Rusty Rail Brewing Company
5 N. 8th North St., Mifflinburg
570-966-7878; rustyrailbrewing.com

Aug. 1, 15: Monday Night JamFest
Aug. 11: Willie Jack and the Northern Light

Susquehanna Chorale
One College Ave., Mechanicsburg
717-533-7859; susquehannachorale.org

Aug. 21: Summer at Mt. Gretna Tabernacle concert series

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

Aug. 14: Glory to Ukraine Benefit Concert

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

Aug. 3: Ani Difranco
Aug. 4: Scarface
Aug. 5: Back in Black, Nightrain, Eclipse, Nicks in Time, Get Petty
Aug. 6: Lil Skies
Aug. 11: JJ Grey and Mofro with Nat Myers
Aug. 12: Courtney Barnett, Lucy Dacus, Faye Webster, Caroline Rose
Aug. 13: Several Species—The Pink Floyd Experience
Aug. 18: Ballyhoo!, Shwayze, Surfer Girl
Aug. 26: UB40, The Original Wailers, Maxi Priest, Big Mountain
Aug. 27: The Dazz Band with Shawan Rice, Soul Solution, Fleetwood Macked

The Stage Door

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

Aug. 19: Mark Gregory and Fen Guillaume

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

Aug. 2-6: “The Little Mermaid”
Aug. 12-Sept. 17: “Chicago The Musical”

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

Aug. 6-20: “The Princess & The Pea” w/Popcorn Hat Players

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

Aug. 10: Creed Bratton
Aug. 14: Queens Who Brunch

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

Aug. 12-14: “Footloose”

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

Aug. 5, 21: Divas Down Under
Aug. 6: Eddie Daniels

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

Aug. 19, 21: Musical Improv Class Show, Musical Level 1 Class Show
Aug. 20, 21: Level 1 Class Show

Hershey Gardens
63 West Chocolate Ave., Hershey
717-534-3492; HersheyGardens.org

Aug. 7: “Go, Dog. Go!” w/Gamut Theatre

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

Aug. 18-20: “Tommy and Me”

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

Aug. 5-7: “The Wizard of Oz”

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

Aug. 5-7: “Little Shop of Horrors”

The Ware Center
42 N. Prince St., Lancaster
717-871-2308; artsmu.com

Aug. 3-6: “Julia Caesar”

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

Musical Mind: A new film explores the character, the work of musician Courtney Barnett

July 29, 2022 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

Courtney Barnett. Image Courtesy of Oscilloscope.

It’s hard to put a finger on what exactly makes Australian musician Courtney Barnett so compelling.

She has effortlessly stormed the alternative rock scene with powerful lyrics and tunes, but there’s also a quiet kind of power stemming from her personal life and her incredible willingness to reach into the depths of emotion and human connection.

In director Danny Cohen’s “The Anonymous Club,” following Barnett’s “Tell Me How You Really Feel” tour and beyond, we begin to see this side of Barnett.

Her music dives deep into such topics as depression and anxiety, and even the tone of her music relays a certain amount of candid reality. Shot on 16mm, the film takes you into the corners of Barnett’s mind, not only drifting into why she writes music, but also the nature of connection and how an artist wants to interact with her audience. Cohen followed Barnett for three years, on and off tour, catching a level of emotional intimacy that is hard to find in rockumentaries.

Cohen took some really cool measures to make the film vibrantly real and vulnerable. For one thing, he set Barnett up with an audio diary, so she could open up on her own terms and not just when Cohen was pointing a camera at her.

“She’d use it as often as she wanted, whether it was in a hotel room, backstage, etc.—just wherever/whenever she felt comfortable,” Cohen told TheBurg.

The result is breathtaking. We get the chance to hear incredibly vulnerable snippets of Barnett’s thought process, such as how she views performance in vastly different ways day to day, depending on her mood.

“Liberating, electric, alive and another day it can feel rigid, full of fear, so far away,” she says.

On her anxiety about interviews, after a fan wrote to her saying her interviews were horrendous, she says, “I get angry at myself. It’s like, why can’t you just be a strong, powerful communicator?”

Cohen also became more than just an observer in the film. Cue one brilliantly gorgeous moment, in which Barnett worries about going out on stage and not being what the audience wanted—and from off-screen, we hear Cohen arguing against her, bringing logic to the table and telling her to just have fun and be herself.

Both Barnett and Cohen profess a hope that audiences will relate to this journey.

“I hope it can provide audiences with comfort, knowing that mental health is universal,” Cohen said. “It’s important to not just look after yourself but to look out for others, too.”

Don’t miss this beautiful film when it plays at Midtown Cinema in August. “The Anonymous Club” will carry on with you past the theater.

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

August Events At Midtown Cinema

National Theatre Live
“Henry V”
Sunday, Aug. 7 at 5 p.m.

Sing Along
“Monty Python and the Holy Grail”
Sunday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m.

Down in Front! Presents
“Attack of the Crab Monsters!”
Friday, Aug. 12 at 9:30 p.m.

Free Summer Outdoor Film
“Avengers Endgame”
Saturday, Aug.13 at dusk

National Theatre Live
“Prima Facie”
Sunday, Aug. 14 at 5 p.m.

3rd in the Burg Movie Night
“Drop Dead Gorgeous”
Friday, Aug. 19 at 9:30 p.m.

Free Summer Outdoor Film
“Up”
Saturday, Aug. 27 at dusk

Live Music on the Patio
Thursdays at 6 p.m.

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

A Summer Savor: Take your peaches and stuff them

July 29, 2022 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

Most Italians, I believe, have a love affair with fruit. That was certainly true in my house growing up.

After a big nightly meal, my mother would put a plate of whole fruit with a little paring knife at my father’s place. I always wondered how he could eat all that. In the winter, it was apples, oranges and pears. But summer was special. We celebrated the beautiful berries and stone fruits of the season. I still do.

I love the sweet aroma of strawberries cooking on the stove for strawberry glace pie or strawberry preserves. For me, there is always room for strawberry shortcake, which I make with biscuits, sweetened berries, powdered sugar and half and half (no whipped cream for us!).

And then there are blueberries. I make a simple blueberry cobbler—more biscuits and berries cooked with sugar, butter and cinnamon, served warm from the oven. And it is not the Fourth of July without homemade blueberry pie. This year, we celebrated two late June birthdays with a rich blueberry poundcake. No icing needed!

It’s hard for me to pick a favorite summer fruit. Some days, I can’t stop eating fresh bing cherries or sweet, ripe watermelon. But I think my heart might lie with fresh peaches. I was so carried away one summer that I picked a bushel, still warm from the sun, and wondered what I was going to do with all of them. They made their way into peach Marsala pies and peach chutney saved for Thanksgiving dinner. The leftovers were peeled, sliced, tossed with a little sugar and cinnamon and served as a simple weeknight dessert.

In Italy, peaches, or pesche in Italian, are found in many wonderful desserts, cocktails and even savory dishes. You will find peach granita and peach semi-freddo, chilled desserts for the hot summer months. Peaches-and-cream cookies and peach fruit tarts are loved, as well.

Perhaps the most classic of Italian peach desserts is known as pesche ripiene or baked stuffed peaches. They are very easy to prepare and can be served plain or with a little vanilla ice cream or gelato. There are several variations in Italian cookbooks for this recipe. Some call for lemon juice, others white wine for the cooking liquid. The recipe included here adds a little cocoa to the stuffing, but the peaches are good without it. What is most important is that you use only “freestone” peaches. This means that the peach pit pulls easily away from the peach flesh. Otherwise, it is very difficult to get a clean peach half.

Pesche Ripiene (Baked Stuffed Peaches)

Ingredients

4 ripe peaches, peeled, halved and pitted
2 teaspoons finely ground almonds
8 almond macaroons or Italian amaretti cookies, crushed
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
7 tablespoons dry white wine
3 tablespoons butter

Directions

Scoop out a little flesh from the hollows of the peaches and reserve.
Mix together the ground almonds, crushed cookies, half the sugar, the cocoa if using, 1 tablespoon wine and the reserved peach flesh.
Fill the peach halves with this mixture and top each one with a small cube of butter.
Arrange the peach halves in a buttered baking dish, pour over the remaining wine, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
Bake in a pre-heated, 350-degree oven about 25 to 30 minutes until the peaches are soft and tender. Serve warm plain, or with a little vanilla ice cream or gelato.

Additional Notes

Marsala wine can be substituted for the dry white wine. It will add additional sweetness.
Amaretti cookies can be found in the grocery store. But if you can’t find any, vanilla wafers can be used and mixed with some almond extract to taste.

Enjoy the peaches of August. Perhaps next year, we will talk about how we can create a wonderful Italian cocktail with white peaches and prosecco—the famous Bellini. You will love it.

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Welcome to the Workday: Junior Achievement’s BizTown gives kids a taste of their future lives

July 29, 2022 | by Gina Napoli

BizTown students

Hidden inside a repurposed warehouse in downtown York, BizTown feels like a miniaturized shopping mall.

There are storefronts with a grassy town square, complete with street signs, traffic signals, benches and a mural. Inside each storefront, inspirational posters and job title placards lend to the authenticity.

Junior Achievement’s BizTown experience combines in-class learning on work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship with a field trip to a simulated town where students test-drive a real workday.

“It’s amazing at meeting goals for the kids,” said Tammy DeSanto, a fifth-grade teacher at Eisenhower Elementary School in Camp Hill. “It teaches real-life skills in how the economy works, how commerce works.”

Junior Achievement of South Central PA serves over 100,000 K-12 students in 14 counties. The organization provides all materials and programs for BizTown, and area companies sponsor many of the exhibits.

Inside of BizTown, a loud hum of student “citizens” bustle about making work-type sounds: clicking pens against clipboards, waiting on customers, building saleable goods with their hands, attending meetings, and even waiting in line at the bank.

These “adulting” activities sound mostly joyless to me, too. But if you think back to the years when you had just reached double-digit ages, playing “pretend restaurant” was fun, and writing checks made you feel excited and grown up.

BizTown isn’t just a one-day elementary school field trip.

Allison Kierce, Junior Achievement of South Central PA’s chief operating officer, described the 20-year-old program as the capstone exercise of a longer running series of lessons.

“So much prep goes into this one day,” she said. “Kids prepare for this field trip starting in kindergarten.”

Junior Achievement’s volunteers visit participating K-5 schools at different intervals to teach 16 classroom lessons over the years, with all lessons building on each other.

Part of the BizTown preparation for fifth-graders is reviewing classified ads, drafting resumes and then actually interviewing for jobs. The mayor and district attorney jobs are elected positions.

“BizTown is a rite of passage for elementary students,” Kierce said. “Kids take this seriously.”

Connect the Dots

In their BizTown welcome packets, “citizens” receive on-the-job training instructions, lanyards, debit cards and detailed information about payroll, business loans and rental agreements. Depending on the jobs they land, they may receive iPads to make financial transactions or uniforms and PPE.

Some workers have kid-relatable jobs with noticeable results. Then there are the transactional service or government jobs with less tangible outcomes. Complex industries scale their missions for the elementary-level students.

For example, the chemists at “Lab Works” produce and sell hand sanitizer. The robotics lab, “Biz-botics,” makes pressed souvenir pennies, using a robot to create them. The workers at the “Wellness Center” produce stress balls with balloons and sand. Construction workers build a bench in the town square.

Citizens make decisions on how to spend their wages on their lunch breaks. They can purchase trinkets, graphics or a limited edition T-shirt freshly pressed in the T-shirt shop. Snacks and beverages are for sale at the farm-to-table garden café. For the right price, the local radio station plays requests or lets citizens guest DJ.

Other media jobs are plentiful in BizTown, with a newspaper and TV station. Citizens can even work at “Game Town” designing video games.

Some jobs cross over to different storefronts, like account managers selling ads, the photographer snapping pictures throughout BizTown to supply media outlets (and the commemorative slideshow), or anyone needing more envelopes and rubber bands from the distribution and delivery center, which is a wholesale business-to-business storefront.

Government City Hall is tucked away in a remote corner of BizTown, working seamlessly in the background. Citizens vote on important issues, like quality awards and which charity to collectively donate their nonprofit jar collections. Citizens attend the mayor’s inauguration and town meetings, where some try out their public speaking skills.

The adult volunteers of BizTown are ever-present in helping citizens with those problems that leave many flapping out in the real world: a printer paper jam, handling unsold merchandise or broken tools.

Then there are those harder grownup problems—feelings about team experiences and emotional moments when they realized they didn’t have enough money to buy everything they wanted.

With BizTown’s intricate inner workings, the immersion of being a BizTown citizen helps students connect the dots between what they learn in school and the world that awaits them once they graduate.

The fifth-graders at Eisenhower Elementary School in Camp Hill, in teacher Karen Anthony’s class, worked together to wordsmith a quote for this story.

“We thought Junior Achievement’s BizTown was an 11 out of 10 experience!” they wrote. “Even though we knew it was only a simulation, it was awesome working together in our businesses and feeling as if we had actual jobs. We wish we could do it all over again.”

Anthony loved BizTown so much that she “can see past retirement and still being part of this program.”

“It teaches kids how to be producers and consumers, the whole economic ecosystem,” she said.

Eileen Denlinger, a fifth-grade teacher at the same school, said that her class thought that BizTown “was one of the best days ever.”

“It was just like a real town, and we loved feeling like a grown-up working an actual job,” she said.

One of Denlinger’s students said, “Wow! I never knew how many bills adults had to pay!”

And that was perhaps the most important lesson of the day.

For more information on Junior Achievement of South Central PA and BizTown, visit www.jascpa.org.

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Community Corner: Notable August Events

July 29, 2022 | by Missy Smith

National Night Out
Aug. 2: Join your neighbors for National Night Out, with celebrations throughout the area. In Harrisburg, the Police Bureau will host the city-sponsored event at Camp Curtin Academy, 2900 N. 6th St., with food, live music, entertainment, games and kids’ activities, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Scoop Challenge
Aug. 4: Head to Riverfront Park, Front and Walnut streets, Harrisburg, for free Hershey’s Moose Tracks ice cream to help raise funds for the Salvation Army of Harrisburg, 3 to 7 p.m. For each scoop served, $1 will be donated, with the hopes of raising $10,000 for community programs. www.pa.salvationarmy.org/harrisburg-pa

Book Sale
Aug. 5-8: Hershey Public Library will hold its Friends Annual Summer Book Sale at 701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey. www.hersheylibrary.org

Outdoor Movies
Aug. 5, 19: Dauphin County Parks and Recreation presents Sunset Series Movie Night at Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, with screenings of “Encanto” on Aug. 5 and “The Lorax” on Aug. 19. The movies begin at 8:30 p.m. Bring a picnic or grab refreshments from the Friends of Fort Hunter concession stand. www.forthunter.org

Kindergarten Program
Aug. 6: WITF, 4801 Lindle Rd., Harrisburg, hosts “Ready Set Go… Kindergarten,” a fun morning out for families with children entering kindergarten and for recent kindergarten graduates, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. www.witf.org

Home Tour
Aug. 6: Enjoy the architecture and style of Mt. Gretna’s iconic homes at the annual Mt. Gretna Tour of Homes and Gardens, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Take a self-guided walking tour to see how people have transformed cottages to accommodate modern life while keeping the Mt. Gretna charm. www.gretnamusic.org

Summer Flea
Aug. 6: Shop the HBG Flea for local art, vintage treasures, curated curios and unique gifts, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. The mission of the HBG Flea is to create a platform for community growth by bringing artists, small businesses and patrons together. www.hbgflea.com

Cleanup Days
Aug. 6, 7: Wildheart Ministries hosts Love the Hill Cleanup events, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers work outside picking up trash, doing basic landscaping, helping with dumpsite removal or planting flowers. Bring a pair of gloves, a water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray and any tools you may have. www.lovethehillpa.com

Bike Trifecta
Aug. 6-Sept. 18: The Central PA Bicycling Trifecta brings together the Chocolate Tour in Manheim on Aug. 6, the Lancaster Bicycle Club’s Covered Bridge Classic in Lancaster on Aug. 21, and the Harrisburg Bicycle Club’s Three Creek Century in Newville on Sept. 18. Each of these events offers scenic rides of varying distances. www.threecreekcentury.com

Sousa Concert
Aug. 7: The Carlisle Town Band will host a Sousa Concert at the Carlisle Theatre, 40 W. High St. Enjoy an evening of music in the style of the iconic “March King,” John Philip Sousa, under the direction of guest conductor Dr. Jerry Rife, professor of music emeritus, Rider University. www.carlisleband.org

Evening Mixer
Aug. 10: Join West Shore Chamber of Commerce for an evening mixer at Pyramid Construction Services Inc., 840 N. Front St., Wormleysburg, 4 to 6 p.m. This free event is open to chamber members. Potential members are welcome to attend two free chamber events. www.wschamber.org

Food Rally
Aug. 11: Enjoy fresh, savory foods at the New Cumberland Food Truck & Restaurant Rally every second Thursday of the month, 5 to 8 p.m. Grab dinner from area food trucks or New Cumberland restaurants and enjoy shopping and special promotions at local businesses. www.newcumberlandpa.org

Curiosity Kids
Aug. 11, 25: Kids ages 3 to 6 are invited to Curiosity Kids to learn about memory and logic on Aug. 11 and ice cream on Aug. 25, at the State Museum of PA, 300 North St., Harrisburg, 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. This event is included with general admission to the museum, but space is limited. www.statemuseumpa.org

Golf Open
Aug. 12: The Education Foundation of Central Penn College hosts the 51st annual Golf Open, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Rich Valley Golf, 227 Rich Valley Rd., Mechanicsburg. All proceeds benefit student scholarship funds. www.centralpenn.edu

Folk Festival
Aug. 12-14: The Susquehanna Folk Festival will be held at the York Expo Center, 334 Carlisle Ave., York, with a full weekend of folk music, dance and art featuring blues legend Rory Block and bluegrass masters Watkins Family Hour. www.sfmsfolk.org

Volunteer Day
Aug. 13: Enjoy the outdoors and help with park and habitat enhancement projects at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tools and work gloves will be provided, and refreshments will be available. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Odd Ones
Aug. 13: Join the Millworks for its summer outdoor Odd Ones Bizarre with makers and artists set up in the grass and stone lots on the corner of 3rd and Verbeke streets, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will include a DJ, beer tent and Harrisburg’s Fringe Festival. www.millworksharrisburg.com

Art Soiree
Aug. 13: Art Association of Harrisburg hosts the “Manor on Front Soiree” at the home of Mark and Sheri Bennington, 2917 N. Front St., Harrisburg, 5 to 8 p.m., with featured artists Beth Hager, Linda Benton-McCloskey and Ann Benton Yeager. Cost is $45 in advance, $50 at the door. www.artassocofhbg.org

Outdoor Movies
Aug. 13, 27: Friends of Midtown and Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg, present a free showing of “Avengers Endgame” on Aug. 13 and “Up” on Aug. 27. Live music starts at 7:30 p.m., and the films begin at dusk. Bring your own lawn chair, get some Zeroday beer and concessions from Midtown Cinema. www.friendsofmidtown.org

Butterfly Service
Aug. 14: Salem United Church of Christ, 231 Chestnut St., Harrisburg, will host its annual butterfly service and release in its prayer garden at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome. A potluck follows the service in the fellowship hall. www.salemuccharrisburg.org

Flower Walk
Aug. 14: Take a walk at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., to see wetland plants, such as American lotus and the rose mallows, along the North Boardwalk. Learn how to identify common ragweed, a common allergen. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Opera in the Park
Aug. 14: Enjoy Harrisburg Opera Association’s “Opera in the Park—Songs of Freedom” at Italian Lake, Harrisburg, 4 p.m. Wear your aloha or casual attire and bring a picnic blanket. www.harrisburg-opera.org

Farm to River
Aug. 14: Fort Hunter will host its farm-to-river fundraiser at the mansion, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, 4:30 to 8 p.m., with locally sourced, homemade dinner offerings, local brews and wines and live acoustic music and more. Attendees enjoy hors d’oeuvres and signature drinks beginning at 4:30 p.m. www.forthunter.org

Finding Freedom
Aug. 17: Take in a day of music at the Finding Freedom Festival, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on City Island. Numerous bands will play, with proceeds benefitting Just for Today Recovery & Veterans Support Services. www.milb.com/harrisburg/fans/festival

Homecoming
Aug. 17-20: The Rockhill Trolley Museum will host Homecoming 2022, along with the adjoining East Broad Top Railroad. The event takes place at the museum, 430 Meadow St., Rockhill Furnace. www.rockhilltrolley.org

3rd in the Burg
Aug. 19: Explore the best of Harrisburg during 3rd in the Burg, the monthly arts and culture event, where you can visit and enjoy galleries, restaurants and art spaces throughout downtown and Midtown, 6 to 9 p.m. www.thirdintheburg.org

Back to School
Aug. 20: The Journey, 750 S. 29th St., Harrisburg, hosts its annual back-to-school block party with food trucks, music, backpack and school supply giveaways, clothing giveaways and more, 12 to 5 p.m. Enjoy a celebration of food and fun. www.thejourneyhbg.org

Concert Series
Aug. 21: Harrisburg Young Professionals hosts a free Italian Lake Concert series concert with Justin Murphy at Italian Lake, N. 3rd and Division streets, Harrisburg, 6 to 8 p.m. Bring a lawn chair, picnic blankets and snacks. www.hyp.org

Golf Tournament
Aug. 22: Bethesda Mission will host its annual Mission Open Golf Tournament at Colonial Golf and Tennis Club, 4901 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg, to raise funds for its long-term recovery program, starting at 8 a.m. www.bethesdamission.org

Golf Scramble
Aug. 26: The 11th annual Harrisburg Young Professionals Golf Scramble will be held at Dauphin Highlands Golf Course, 650 S. Harrisburg St., 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Teams of four golfers are invited to register online. Shotgun start begins at 1 p.m. Scramble includes a round of golf, a golf cart, lunch, dinner and an opportunity to win prizes. www.hyp.org

Film Friday
Aug. 26: Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, will show “Bread & Tulips” from Italy at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Rosalba, a middle-aged woman on a bus trip to Venice with her husband and sons, is left behind at a rest stop off the highway. This library will also host a film discussion at 4 p.m. www.fredricksenlibrary.org

Yard Sale
Aug. 27: Urturn Café, 7710 Allentown Blvd., Harrisburg, will host a community yard sale, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cafe will have a selection of board games for sale inside and a special menu of coffee, beverages and breakfast sweets. www.urturncafe.com

Run Wild
Aug. 27: Join Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, for the 3rd annual Run Wild for Wildwood 5K & 10K, 8 to 11 a.m. This scenic run/walk will take you on the Wildwood Way Trail around the lake and the Towpath Trail along the Pennsylvania Canal. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Art Soiree
Aug. 27: Art Association of Harrisburg hosts the “Mountaindale Soiree” at the home of Amy Taylor-Avery and Steve Landersman, 4709 Laurel Dr., Harrisburg, 5 to 8 p.m., with featured artists Susan Benigni-Landis, Mary Hochendoner and Lisa Moore. Cost is $45 in advance, $50 at the door. www.artassocofhbg.org

Concert Series
Aug. 28: Harrisburg Young Professionals hosts a free Italian Lake Concert series concert with Shine Delphi at Italian Lake, N. 3rd and Division streets, Harrisburg, 6 to 8 p.m. Bring a lawn chair, picnic blankets and snacks. www.hyp.org

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

Sweet Scoops: Hall’s Ice Cream keeps on churning, into 75th anniversary year

July 29, 2022 | by Karen Hendricks

Matthew Hall & Peggy Raub

It was 1947 when John Allen Hall made his first batch of cherry vanilla ice cream.

His concoction married the perfect blend of flavors, but his primary goal was to create ice cream worthy of a wedding, to his bride Sally.

Even though that was 75 years ago, ice cream lovers still enjoy his recipe. That first flavor, cherry vanilla, launched what would become—and still is—Hall’s Ice Cream, based in Millerstown in Perry County.

“Two things make it unique. First, it’s creamy, with 14% butterfat, which puts it up there with Ben & Jerry’s or Edy’s Ice Cream. And our ingredients have stayed the same,” said Peggy Raub, 74, current owner of Hall’s Ice Cream—and John Allen and Sally Hall’s daughter.

Raub literally grew up in her father’s ice cream business, her own birth following one year after Hall’s Ice Cream was born.

“I started working here at the age of 9 in 1957,” said Raub, “and I made 25 cents an hour.”

It was during that timeframe—the ‘50s—when Friskie, a kitschy calf, pranced onto Hall’s logo. And like a step back in time, Friskie’s friendly face—on the ice cream parlor’s signage—still greets today’s visitors.

Sweet Destination

As Raub likes to say, “Once people have a taste, they tend to come back,” whether they’re from the immediate Perry County community, the greater Harrisburg area, or they’re travelers who discovered Hall’s location just two miles off U.S. Route 322. Cyclists regularly brake for an ice cream break, too.

The pastoral fields framing the ice cream shop were once filled with the Hall family’s own dairy herd. Raub’s great-grandfather was Millerstown’s first milkman back in 1905.

Today, ice cream flavors from butterscotch to tin roof rely on PA Preferred milk deliveries from other central PA dairy farmers. Visitors can choose from 40 rotating flavors, including regional favorite teaberry, based upon the same recipes John Allen Hall established—utilizing techniques he learned from a Penn State ice cream course.

“He was always pioneering,” Raub said. “Our milk business was the first in the area to homogenize, the first to bottle in glass bottles, and when I was young, we even offered home delivery of ice cream.”

But this family-based business and its long lineage of dairy innovators nearly stopped cold.

Hall Gets a Call

Matthew Hall was studying geographical information science (GIS) out in Montana early last year when he got a call. It was his cousin, Peggy Raub, wondering if he’d be interested in changing career paths and giving the family ice cream business a whirl.

So, in 2021, he recalculated his GIS career goals by changing his own geography—moving across the country—to become manager of Hall’s Ice Cream.

“It’s definitely different than what I thought I’d be doing at the age of 28,” said Hall, who has fond childhood memories of visiting family—and the ice cream parlor.

“Matt is the future of the business,” Raub said. “Truthfully, if he didn’t come, we’d no longer be in business.”

One year under his belt, Hall has mastered all the cherished family recipes, in order to churn out between 200 and 300 gallons of ice cream a week.

All Hall’s Ice Cream flavors are still made in small batches, with ingredients added by hand, because “small keeps the quality good,” Raub said.

And small business partnerships are a key ingredient to their 75 years of success—as well as some of Hall’s most popular flavors.

Hometown Flavor

Local golden honey sweetens Hall’s Honey Ice Cream, a flavor that first created a buzz several years ago when the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association requested it for the Pennsylvania Farm Show and Ag Progress Days.

Ice cream sundaes are topped with peanuts supplied by Zimmerman’s Nuts and Candy in Penbrook. Hall’s ABC Root Beer and ABC White Birch Beer Ice Cream tap into a partnership with Harrisburg-based Appalachian Brewing Co.

Hall’s whipped up Fort Hunter Black Cherry Walnut Ice Cream for a festival at the Dauphin County park years ago, and the name stuck. Love 99 Malted Munchie pays homage to the longtime radio station. Hall’s has also created specialty flavors for Ronald McDonald House Charities’ fundraisers, and Forever Clover Crunch (mint ice cream with mint cookies) was concocted for the Perry County 4H Club.

In addition to their flagship ice cream parlor, Hall’s Ice Cream is available at Karns grocery stores, distributed to restaurants from Lititz to Gettysburg, and served at local fairs, festivals and weddings.

“Right now, we’re working with a gentleman from India to make traditional Indian ice cream—saffron pistachio and cashew raisin—getting the flavors right,” Hall said, “He’s talking to stores that carry Indian food products on the West Shore, and Karns has agreed to carry it in their Mechanicsburg store.”

Those community connections and family ties have created sweet success.

“There’s a lot more personality to a business when it’s family-owned,” Hall said. “To most people, it indicates a better connection to the community, and that’s something that sometimes gets lost when you’re a big business or corporation.”

The family’s dairy heritage has now spanned five generations. Raub notes that three additional family members are vital to Hall’s current success: her daughter and son-in-law, Marel and Jason King, along with Jason’s father Ernie King.

So how tempting is it, being around ice cream 24/7?

“I can easily eat ice cream every day,” Raub said with a smile, naming her personal favorites—coffee, coconut custard, vanilla and raspberry.

“Like all good things, I try to eat it in moderation,” Hall said, but he’s quick to add, “When we’re making—of course, we sample to make sure it’s good.”

Hall’s Ice Cream is located at 861 Raccoon Valley Rd., Millerstown. For more information, see hallsicecream.com.

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Strum Fun: Susquehanna Folk Festival tunes up for a return to live music

July 29, 2022 | by Ellen Frantz

HeatherMae & Crys Matthews

This summer, music festivals are back in central PA. To the great relief of traditional and acoustic music fans, this includes the return of the Susquehanna Folk Festival.

For the first time since 2019, the festival will return fully live this month, now setting up camp at the York Expo Center. All of the festival’s old traditions will be back, with some new experiences added to the mix.

The Susquehanna Folk Festival will take place both inside and outside with six different stages showcasing a variety of acts from across the country and region. There will also be workshops for fans to test their folk performance skills, as well as contests for storytellers and a host of family-friendly activities.

Since its founding in 1985, the Susquehanna Folk Music Society’s mission has been to support folk music, art and dance in the area, whether by local or nationally known artists, said Executive Director Peter Winter Lee. The festival started many years ago, but was then replaced by a recurring concert series. It was brought back in 2018 and held at Ski Roundtop.

During 2020 and 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was held over the course of the summer in a hybrid style, with half of the performances online and the others in-person.

Lee said that the area’s folk fans are excited that the live festival is back.

“We are a 100% grassroots, volunteer-driven organization,” Lee said. “It’s been really, really cool to see everyone who loves this music, from our newest members in their 20s and 30s, to our veteran members who have been around since the founding, bring this back and put so much time into it. Susquehanna Folk only works if the people in it want it to happen. Watching everyone volunteer these hours has been really inspiring.”

This year’s festival features musical acts from across the globe, and about 4,000 people are expected to attend.

Artists like Rory Block and Grammy Award-winners, the Watkins Family Hour, will perform, as well as local groups like Cas Ceol.

Food trucks have been added this year, and many festival-goers are excited by the large camping area, Lee said. Spaces must be reserved in advance with prices ranging from $76 for one car to $106 for an RV. Since it moved to the York Expo Center, the festival has more space both inside and outside for activities like swing dancing.

New this year will be the “Archive Challenge,” in which three festival musicians will have access to the online archives of the Library of Congress’ decades-old music catalog. They then can choose to make one of those songs their own and perform it. A talkback will follow each performance, with the performer and a Library of Congress representative offering history on the piece.

Local trio Cumberland Honey is among the groups performing at the festival. Made up of members Steph Landis, Grace Mahar and Virginia Masland, the female group specializes in folk and singer-songwriter music, with a touch of Appalachian bluegrass—a genre Landis refers to as “folkgrasscana.”

The band started in 2017 as a duo between Landis and Masland, adding Mahar a few months ago.

“We definitely have a good musical connection,” Landis said.

Mahar added that she is “honored” to be included in the band.

“This is what I wanted from the start, 10 years ago when I started making music, an all-girl folk band,” said Mahar. “It was like a dream come true.”

The group was initially set to perform at the 2021 Susquehanna Folk Festival, but plans fell through. However, they’re grateful for the timing since they now can perform at the festival with a third member.

“I’m really excited that it’s finally happening,” Landis said. “Now, we’re a three-piece, so we can do three-part harmony. Timing is everything and works out whenever it’s supposed to, whether we think it’s going to or not.”

For Lee, the event is an opportunity, once again, to provide a stage to performers and a great event to attendees.

“We want to honor our mission by giving a platform to the amazing local performers we have, while also bringing in titanic, top-tier talent to the local area,” he said.

The Susquehanna Folk Festival takes place Aug. 12 to 14 at the York Expo Center, 334 Carlisle Ave., York. For more information and tickets, visit www.sfmsfolk.org/festival.

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