Water Ways: It’s smooth paddling ahead with the Canoe Club of Greater Harrisburg

March 31, 2022 | by Susan Ryder

Pennsylvania boasts nearly 85,000 miles of rivers and streams and 200,000 acres of lake.
How would one even begin to explore this watery expanse?

That’s where the all-volunteer Canoe Club of Greater Harrisburg paddles in.

“[We’re] a group of people who like to get out on the water and provide a way to connect with others who like to do that,” said Jennifer Brock, CCGH president.

For beginners, a kayak or canoe may be intimidating. There’s purchasing equipment, transporting boats, and navigating unknown waterways. CCGH helps with all of that.

The club has its own boats, paddles and life jackets.

“You can definitely try it out before you make the investment,” said Cynthia Mickievicz.

Membership is only $20 a year and allows paddlers to explore with folks familiar with a particular waterway. It also provides a way to get one’s kayak or canoe to a location and an opportunity to learn from veteran paddlers.

“There is a really good ratio of experienced people to beginners,” Mickievicz said.

Mini-Vacation

CCGH also provides a sense of community.

Michelle Jones joined the club in August 2020 after moving from the Finger Lakes region, where she left a group of about 30 family members who paddled together every Sunday. New to the area and isolated by the pandemic, she found a safe, outdoor way to meet people and do what she loved.

“It’s an eclectic group—engineers, government workers and lots of retired folks,” Jones said. “They’re just really welcoming.”

Member diversity extends to the type of water experience they enjoy—white or flat, excitement or leisure.

“I’m an outdoor naturalist,” Jones said. “I like to paddle and look at the birds.”

Mickievicz’s passion is whitewater, and she has been paddling the rapids for five years. Brock, an avid canoer, entered whitewater kayaking when the club offered a trip to paddle the Grand Canyon.

People shouldn’t let age be a factor, members said. Brock didn’t begin paddling whitewater until she was 50. And without revealing her present age, she said that she’s been doing it for a while.

The club gears its trips to the skill levels of those involved, including everyone when planning trips. Members can explore more waterways or sharpen their existing skills. Regardless of objectives, the water has the same effect.

“It’s like a mini-vacation,” Brock said. “Leave your problems on the shore.”

While it’s not required to join the group for a trip, CCGH offers classes, given by certified instructors, for all skill levels.

“When you’re a beginner, you don’t know what you don’t know,” Mickievicz said.

Newbies will learn about basic maneuvering, evaluating conditions, basic safety and handling capsizes. Higher-level classes include information on operating on moving water, water hazards and reading the water, with levels three and four dealing with increasingly challenging water. Some of this training takes place in local high school swimming pools, some on waterways.

Landlubbers may be concerned about being safe on the water.

“I don’t find kayaking any more dangerous than any other activity I’ve ever done in my life,” Jones said.

Her advice—be honest about your experience when purchasing a kayak or starting out. Kayak styles vary according to skill level and type of paddling. She added that people should wear a lifejacket and carry a whistle. She also lugs a roll of handy-dandy duct tape with her for any eventuality.

Been There

The Harrisburg area provides plenty of great waterways to enjoy.

Mickievicz likes Sherman Creek, a Susquehanna River tributary in Perry County.

“It’s gorgeous,” she said. “It’s one of those really close valleys where you’re just paddling through the bottom, and the hills are reaching up.”

She acknowledged that it’s not always running, depending on the water level. So, would-be paddlers should be aware of that.

More consistent is the Yellow Breeches Creek.

Jones has paddled “the Breeches” often. It runs from Boiling Springs to New Cumberland Borough Park. But due to portages—removing a boat from the water to avoid an obstacle—the next-best put-in point is at Messiah University. Jones also recommends Middle Creek for its wildflowers, Lock 13 on the Susquehanna for its rock formations and Pinchot Lake.

Club members have paddled all of these and many others.

“The Canoe Club, they’ve been everywhere,” Jones said. “I don’t think there’s a spot that I’ve mentioned…that the group’s not like ‘Oh yeah, we been there, we done that.”

Whitewater or flatwater, desiring connection or quiet time, paddlers can find it on Pennsylvania waterways. CCGH will help get you there and help you discover the experience.

“The club is definitely a sense of community in the water world in Pennsylvania,” Jones said.

For more information on the Canoe Club of Greater Harrisburg, visit www.ccghpa.com.

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Cabinetry, across Generations: At Mother Hubbard’s, the cupboard is full—and custom-made

March 31, 2022 | by Rachel Lindsley

Les Petrie, John Petrie and Rebecca Cusma

The heart of any home is the kitchen. It’s where celebrations take place, meals are prepared, and memories are made.

Fifty years ago, the kitchen inspired the opening of a local company that set out to help homeowners find their perfect cupboard. It was a business named for history’s most famous, if forlorn, cupboard owner, Old Mother Hubbard.

In the early 1970s, that nursery rhyme was the basis for the mascot of a kitchen cabinetry franchise named Mother Hubbard’s Cupboards. Guy Shirk, a local franchisee, opened a Mechanicsburg location and grew his local clientele, later separating as an independent business.

Les Petrie, a salesman and entrepreneur, bought the company from his uncle and made a name for himself using only a T-square and a sketchbook. He expanded the business with his family’s contemporary style and renamed it Mother Hubbard’s Custom Cabinetry to better encompass their inclusive services of kitchens, baths, living areas and more.

“We originally sold kitchens and kitchen accessories as Mother Hubbard’s Kitchen Center,” he said. “Later, we realized we needed to help our customers understand that we don’t only focus on kitchens. We design custom cabinetry for every corner of your life.”

Les’ son, John Petrie, and his wife, Carol, now own the business, bringing with them years of architecture and management experience. Their daughter, Rebecca Cusma, joined the team more recently, learning the ropes firsthand from her parents.

Located on Trindle Road in Mechanicsburg, Mother Hubbard’s showroom today offers kitchen and bathroom displays that stage a variety of styles and cabinet designs.

“Our showroom feels like home,” John Petrie said. “Clients can look around to see what design styles appeal to them and work with our team to customize everything to their liking.”

A Celebration

Many clients start their projects with a visit to Mother Hubbard’s website. There, they can see a variety of resources, such as a cost vs. value report, information on return on investment and other items to factor in before beginning.

A visit to the Trindle Road showroom often follows. There, they’ll receive guidance on preferences, wants vs. needs and establishing a budget. The planning then begins with design, including drawings of the floor plan, elevation and perspective and customer preferences such as cabinetry, finishes, appliances and more. Finally, preparation and installation take place at the home.

Mechanicsburg resident Lesley Trump completed two home renovation projects with Petrie’s team. Three years ago, the Trumps remodeled their kitchen and, this year, they remodeled their primary bathroom.

“We chose Mother Hubbard’s because of their attention to detail,” Trump said. “They make the entire process enjoyable for the customer—from design to product selection to construction and more.”

The entire team at Mother Hubbard’s focuses on making each renovation work for their clients’ needs, Cusma said.

“I think the Mother Hubbard’s difference really helps us take the stress away from our clients,” she said. “We are with them every step of the way, so the project comes together seamlessly.”

As a three [soon-to-be four] generation family-owned business, Mother Hubbard’s Custom Cabinetry soon will celebrate their 50th anniversary, having served nearly 3,000 customers over the past five decades.

“It is really a privilege and an honor to be asked to come into each of our clients’ homes to help them improve their living spaces,” John Petrie said. “We want to give back to our customers who have worked with us throughout the years and celebrate our team of certified designers, local subcontractors and suppliers.”

To commemorate the anniversary, the Petrie family will host several events at their showroom, including remote broadcasts, food trucks and a grand countertop giveaway. For more information on the special events, watch their Facebook page or visit their website.

“I would like for Mother Hubbard’s to continue for another 50 years,” John Petrie said. “During that time, we will continue to evolve with technology, high fashion, and the trends that appeal to our clients. My hope is that someday Rebecca will take over and continue my father’s legacy—as I did.”

Les Petrie smiled and agreed.

Mother Hubbard’s Custom Cabinetry showroom is located at 5309 Trindle Rd., Mechanicsburg. For more information, call 717-697-0949 or visit www.mhcustom.com. You also can follow Mother Hubbard’s on Facebook @MHCustom530 where they share recent renovation projects, tips for remodeling and NKBA news.

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“It’s Good to be Back”: Open Stage’s OSHKids returns with “Jack and the Giant”

March 31, 2022 | by Rachel Landon

Photo by Brianna Dow

In the late 1980s, my parents entered me into an after school theater program at the community center in our small town. Perhaps they thought I would expend my seemingly endless amount of 6-year-old energy in that 60-minute class.

I don’t remember much about the play, an original piece wherein I portrayed an overzealous alien in a rubber mask who got to shout three lines (which I meticulously highlighted and practiced over and over again). A few years later and a thousand miles away, the students of The Alsedek Theatre School at Open Stage are preparing to open the first in-person OSHKids production in two years.

The school started as a Meisner-based program in the late 1980s for adults in the Harrisburg area (around the same time a 6-year-old in Oklahoma was bellowing some lines in a cafetorium), and developed several classes for school-aged students by the early 2000s, one of which being the OSHKids Performance Company (“OSH” being Open Stage of Harrisburg). For almost 20 years, the program thrived with classes involving performance-based learning and creative dramatics, with lessons packed with gameplay, improvisation, movement, voice and character building. At the end of the eight-month-long class, the students performed a play.

Like everything else in the world, that halted in March of 2020.

Two years after the beginning of what the staff sardonically calls, “The Great Intermission,” the kids of The Alsedek Theatre School are preparing to open “Jack and the Giant,” a musical based on the English fairy tale more commonly named “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

The story is over 500 years old but goes something like this: there’s an optimistic (albeit naive) lad—always named “Jack”—who trades his last item of value, his cow, for a handful of beans. The beans, he is promised (by either a soothsayer, mysterious traveler, or even an actual con artist, depending on which version of the folktale you hear) are magic and will bring him great fame and fortune.

“Jack and the Giant” is a fast-paced, charming and colorful version of the story and throws in a singing troll, a dancing cow and something called “Wiggle Waggle.” Some of the students, who range in age from 6 to 13, will be performing in their very first play, while others are returning to the OSHKids program and are eager to get back on stage.

One of the returning students is Sawyer Bowie, who plays the titular Jack, the renowned slayer of giants. Sawyer began with the OSHKids program in 2019, and made his stage debut in the 20th anniversary production of “A Christmas Carol” the same year. Sawyer, who is 11 years old, is excited to bring Jack’s adventure to life. When asked what he loved most about his experiences on stage, he answered thoughtfully: “Expressing myself onstage and letting my personality shine through different characters.”

Sawyer’s mother, Heidi, appreciates the life lessons that the classes give him.

“It gives him a sense of community, especially coming out of COVID,” she said. “He loves it so much, and I feel like him having the ability to play different characters is helping him in life. Helping him to learn to adapt, helping him to learn to be the person that he wants to really be, because he’s able to put himself in someone else’s shoes. So, for me, that means everything. And it’s what lights him up.”

The return of the OSHKids Performance Company marks a huge moment emerging from “The Great Intermission,” and the theater is readying an entire year of youth programming, such as summer classes that include “Frozen KIDS” and Musical Theatre Workshop, as well as a return to OSHKids in the fall with a literary-focused class culminating in a production of “Charlotte’s Web.”

There’s a palpable excitement from the cast of this year’s Performance Company as they work on dance numbers, learn the music, talk about safety when doing fight choreography, and go through the myriad of details that bring a massively challenging show like “Jack and the Giant” together. It’s challenging, of course, but like any theater kid will tell you, they do it because it’s fun.

Sawyer says it best: “It’s good to be back.”

“Jack and the Giant” runs April 7 to 10 at Open Stage, 25 N. Court St., Harrisburg. For more information, and tickets, visit www.openstagehbg.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT HARRISBURG’S PROFESSIONAL DOWNTOWN THEATERS

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

TMI Improv
Friday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Doors and bar open 45 minutes prior to the performance.
Tickets are $10

“The Emperor’s New Clothes”
April 13 to 30
Saturdays at 1 p.m.
Group performances available on weekdays.
Tickets are $10.

Gamut’s Young Acting Company presents
“Panchatantra Tales”
By Sean Adams, based on the folks tales from ancient India
In partnership with Rasika School of Dance
April 8 to 10
Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 p.m.
Doors and bar open one hour prior to performance.
Tickets are “pick your price,” a recommended $38 ticket or discounted ticket prices of $26 or $14

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

12th Annual Capital 10-Miler
April 2

9:30 a.m. on City Island

The OSHKids present

April 7 to 9

“Jack and the Giant,” a musical

Black NewsBeat

With Dr. Kimeka Campbell

April 13 and 27 at 8:30 p.m.

The Obstructed View

April 16 at 8 p.m.

NYC Showtune Queen Paige Turner’s

What a Drag!

Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m.

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Easter, Italian Style: Here’s how Rosemary prepares her roast lamb

March 31, 2022 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

For most Italians, Easter, perhaps more than Christmas, reflects an emotional connection to their family, cultural heritage and religious faith.

I have so many childhood memories of Easter and the days of Holy Week before it—going to church services several days in a row, shopping for candy at Harrisburg’s long- time candy store, Matango’s, and the scent of lilies and hyacinths permeating our house.

Easter food was special, too—my aunt’s chicken and asparagus soup, my cousin’s cannoli and homemade peanut butter eggs, and my mother’s wonderful roast lamb with mint jelly.

At Eastertime, the rites of spring join religious symbols at the holiday table. For Christians, lamb signifies the Good Friday sacrifice of Jesus. And for those of the Jewish faith, lamb is an important part of the Passover Seder meal. Eggs signify fertility, while peas and asparagus reflect the fruits of a new growing season.

I follow my mother’s custom of ordering a whole leg of lamb from a favorite butcher at the farmers market. Lamb purchased there is fresh and often local, which I find tastes so much better than the shrink-wrapped legs of lamb from New Zealand found in the average grocery store.

I favor a whole, bone-in leg of lamb. While a boneless cut allows for very easy carving, the bone seems to give the meat so much more flavor. Young lamb roasts weigh about 5 to 7 pounds for a whole leg. Allowing about a half-pound per person works, but I usually order a larger one than I need. I am a cook who is always worried that there won’t be enough food.

Roasting lamb is no harder than making a ham, and it’s fun to experiment with different rubs, herbs and spices. I like to cook mine slowly at a medium heat so that it’s fairly cooked all the way through (but not dry). It must be roasted with no more liquid than a splash of wine to coat the bottom of the roasting pan. Roasting, not braising, is the key. I don’t really follow a formal recipe, but this is how I make my Easter lamb.

Agnello Arrosto

Ingredients

A 5-7 pound bone-in leg of lamb
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt and black pepper
Several cloves fresh garlic, cut into slivers
Fresh herbs of your choice, chopped finely (rosemary, thyme, oregano and parsley work well)

Directions

Remove the lamb roast from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before putting in the oven.
Spray a roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray to make cleanup easier. Many recipes advise using a rack in the pan, but this is not necessary.
Using a small paring knife, make numerous cuts into the roast (about ½-inch deep). Insert a garlic sliver into each cut.
Brush (or rub with your hands) olive oil all over the roast.
Sprinkle sea salt and pepper all over the roast as well as the chopped herbs of your choice.
Place the roast into a pre-heated, 325-degree oven. Do not cover the roast.
Cooking times vary depending on which cooking source you are checking and the degree of “doneness” you prefer. I roast about 25 to 30 minutes per pound, and cook until an internal temperature of about 160 degrees is reached. I like lamb fairly well done. If the roast starts to “over-brown” toward the end of cooking, it is OK to place a sheet of aluminum loosely over the top. Sometimes, I will splash a little bit of white wine in the bottom of the roasting pan to loosen the drippings.
Before carving, let the roast rest (covered) for at least 15 minutes.
Carve the roast and place on a large, oval platter, drizzling some of the pan juices over the meat. I garnish the platter with lots of fresh mint and, although it’s likely not considered “gourmet,” serve the lamb with lots of mint jelly.

I serve my roast lamb with either roasted russet potatoes, quartered and tossed in olive oil, or scalloped potatoes. We often have lemon-butter asparagus and peas with scallions and chopped mint. And eggs—either pickled or deviled. If I have time, I might make a fruit and nut bread per Italian tradition. Dessert will be an almond cake or a fresh ricotta cheesecake. It is a beautiful meal.

For those at my table who might not like lamb, I serve a small, boneless ham with a brown sugar glaze. My grandbabies appreciate this, but I hope to convert them one day.

I wish all TheBurg readers a happy, peaceful and hopeful Easter. Buona Pasqua!

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Four Decades of Song: Susquehanna Chorale celebrates its 40th year in fine voice

March 31, 2022 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

Linda Tedford, center, and the Susquehanna Chorale

When Linda Tedford arrived in central Pennsylvania some four decades ago, she wanted to serve both her own needs and those of the area.

“I had a degree in choral conducting but no choir,” she said. “There weren’t any in the area, except the Harrisburg Choral Society.”

So, Tedford decided to start her own chorus. She became founder, artistic director and conductor of a new group called the Susquehanna Chorale. One of the original members was her husband.

When the chorus performed for the first time in the historic St. Peter’s Kierch in Middletown in September 1981, Tedford may have wondered if it would flourish over the years. She needn’t have worried.

The Susquehanna Chorale has indeed thrived and grown. It began with 11 singers, and, today, that number has risen to 37.

“At 37, we’re still a chamber choir,” Tedford said.

Through the years, the chorale has been privileged to sing “wonderful pieces of music, many of them commissioned,” she said. They’ve also received numerous accolades, including being the first volunteer choir to win the prestigious Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence.

For Tedford, a recurring source of satisfaction has been those who sang with the chorale as kids and later returned to perform as adults.

Indeed, there are so many graduates, as the Susquehanna Chorale includes separate children’s, youth and young women’s chorales, with an annual Youth Choral Festival. The chorale also has developed educational programs for children and young people.

In the past, the Susquehanna Chorale has performed frequently with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, which Tedford calls “more than gratifying.” She looks forward to the day when this collaboration will resume. The HSO is now performing at the Scottish Rite Cathedral rather than in its usual venue, the Forum, which is undergoing renovation. Unfortunately, Scottish Rite doesn’t have enough space to fit both groups.

To honor its 40th anniversary, the Susquehanna Chorale is releasing a “Celebrating 40” book, with history, memories and pictures. Also, in a few months, it will be among the featured performers at the American Choral Directors Association of Pennsylvania’s summer conference, which takes place at Messiah University.

“It’s an honor to be chosen,” Tedford said.

The past few years have been tough ones, as they have for many arts organizations.

In March 2020, group members left a rehearsal with the usual words, “See you next week.” With the onset of the pandemic, that didn’t happen. Instead, like the rest of us, members resorted to meeting on Zoom. They later resumed rehearsals in a church that seated 800, which allowed for plenty of social distancing.

The chorale soon regrouped to perform outdoors at Italian Lake, restarting indoor concerts only recently. Now, it is gearing up for two spring concerts, one in Hershey and the other at Messiah University.

The spring program will include songs that “have delighted listeners for four decades,” Tedford said.

“There will be a fine balance between sacred and secular music,” she said.

Selections will include chorale favorites, such as Schubert’s “Holy, Holy Holy,” the early American folk classic, “Down to the River to Pray,” and a special performance of “Shenandoah” with chorale alumni.

Still ahead, if conditions allow, are touring performances this summer in Poland and Austria. As of this writing, chorale members were unsure if these would actually happen, given the political situation in Eastern Europe.

“We’re hoping for a miracle,” Tedford said.

Right now, the world could use a few miracles—and a whole lot of song.

The Susquehanna Chorale will perform two spring concerts: Friday, May 13, at 8 p.m., at the Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey, and Sunday, May 15, at 4 p.m., in the High Center-Parmer Hall, Messiah University.

For more information on the Susquehanna Chorale, call 717-533-7859, visit www.susquehannachorale.org and see past performances on YouTube. For tickets for all concerts, regardless of location, contact the Messiah University box office at 717-691-6036 or [email protected].

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Proactive, for Prevention: Cervical cancer remains a peril

March 31, 2022 | by Capital Blue Cross Staff

Roughly 14,500 women in the United States were newly diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2021, and about 4,300 U.S. women died from it last year, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

While vaccinations and appropriate screenings such as pap and HPV tests have dramatically dropped the number of cases, cervical cancer remains the fourth-most-common cancer among women worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

“So we cannot be complacent, because when not caught in time, the disease remains every bit the deadly threat it’s always been,” said Dr. Jennifer Chambers, chief medical officer at Capital Blue Cross.

The disease remains perilous, and statistics even suggest recent slippage in the cervical cancer fight, partly due to missed cervical screenings during the pandemic. The ACS projections for 2021 are trending in a troubling direction: nearly 500 more people diagnosed in 2021 than in 2020; nearly 1,700 more people diagnosed than in 2017; and nearly 100 more expected deaths vs. 2017. Also, despite steady improvement in survival rates, more than a third of Pennsylvania women diagnosed with cervical cancer will still die within five years, according to state Department of Health data.

Strikes in Life’s Prime

According to the ACS, cervical cancer primarily is most frequently diagnosed in women age 35 to 44. In Pennsylvania, the state Department of Health reports, the median age of incidence is 52.

It’s a costly disease, too. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put America’s annual cervical cancer bill at $1.6 billion.

We can all help improve these bleak statistics by encouraging women we know to be proactive about their preventive care. Capital Blue Cross helps do just that. The health insurer:

Reminds its members who have no cervical cancer screening records about the importance of having routine screenings.
Provides education, through member and employer-group newsletters, on screening’s importance and other preventive measures, including HPV vaccinations.
Shares with its medical providers best practices for increasing screening rates and offers some providers incentives for good performance in this area.
Shares screening information on social media.
Provides employer toolkits that include self-service guidance, step-by-step instructions and suggestions for promoting screening among employees, as well as the ability to provide presentations and post exhibits.

“Emphasizing the importance of cervical cancer screenings is an enormously effective first step,” Dr. Chambers said. “It’s important to take that step decisively.”

For more information about Capital Blue Cross, visit www.capbluecross.com.

This column is sponsored by Capital Blue Cross.

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Horror Lite: ”We’re All Going to the World’s Fair” will leave you more discomfited than scared

March 31, 2022 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

Jane Schoenbrun’s “We’re All Going To The World’s Fair” showcases the online community of horror fans—but that doesn’t mean it is a horror film by most definitions.

The film follows Casey (Anna Cobb), a teenage girl with a grunge aesthetic and a lonely perspective. In the opening scene, Casey immediately draws us into her headspace by spending eight solid minutes on a webcam, initiating herself into an online role-playing horror game called “The World’s Fair.” This extended static shot immediately clues us in to the ride we’re about to take—found-footage inspired cinematography and a drawn-out but powerful character study of a girl who desperately wants to be seen.

As Casey pricks her finger with a pin and recites the words, “I want to go to the World’s Fair,” over and over, her intentions—and her nerves—are perfectly clear. The game touts that the initiation will change you, slowly but in horrific ways—and Casey covers her excitement and uncertainty with a thick layer of cool, announcing her love of horror and claiming her readiness to see where the game leads.

And that is, in a nutshell, the premise of the story. Casey wants to be affected by the game, and so she is affected by the game. She watches clips of other role-players acting out the ways that they transformed (one girl claims she is slowly turning into plastic, and a young man describes how he believes there is a Tetris game being played in his body, and it has almost reached his neck), and begins to record herself in various scenarios, trying to document her transformation. Sometimes, she wakes up in the middle of the night and smiles creepily at the camera before falling back asleep; sometimes she dances happily to music before suddenly screaming in terror, etc.

Truthfully, the film would have hit all the right notes had it been promoted as a drama rather than a horror film. As far as creep factor goes, the progression of the story will leave most horror fans severely wanting and is much more fascinating as a case study of the theatrics we put into being someone, getting noticed, and having a purpose, to whatever extent we can get.

The film does an expert job of showing Casey’s feeling of social isolation and a drive to placate that loneliness through the internet. The tone of the film is heavily inspired by Creepypasta, an online horror storytelling platform, though the horror elements never progress past adolescent—the vibe is more akin to a teenager telling a ghost story while sneaking glances at their friends to gauge how scared they are—and maybe that’s the point, because that’s all that Casey, as an adolescent, is capable of. Because she wants to be a part of this community that is so seemingly affected, she does her best to draw out the creepiness in all of her online videos.

The true horror of the film (and by horror, I really mean a stark discomfort in the direction the action goes) is found in the relationship she strikes up with a member of the horror community, who hides behind an identity of JLB (played by Michael J Rogers). JLB, a middle-aged man who appears to be very well off and very lonely, exhibits some blatant examples of grooming behavior that will put any audience on edge. While it teeters on the edge of inappropriate, there are never any moments where the vehicle takes the plunge into adrenal fulfillment (again, another reason not to strictly call it a horror film), but the discomfort is still there, and still deserves recognition.

Schoenbrun has created a captivating, if slightly misnomered film that, regardless of genre, will draw you in and make you care about its protagonist. “We’re All Going To The World’s Fair” will play at Midtown Cinema in April.

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

April Events At Midtown Cinema

National Theatre Live presents
“No Man’s Land”
Sunday, April 3, 5 p.m.

“Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America”
New documentary with discussion panel
Sunday, April 3, 6 p.m.

Down in Front presents
“On the Line” (2001)

Friday, April 8, 9:30 p.m.

National Theatre Live presents
“Book of Dust”
Sunday, April 10, 5 p.m.

3rd in the Burg Movie Night presents
“Clueless” (1995)
Friday, April 15, 9:30 p.m.

National Theatre Live presents
“A View from a Bridge”
Sunday, April 24, 5 p.m.

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The Painted Word: Artists offer Sunlight and Shadows for the annual “Art in the Wild”

March 31, 2022 | by Bob MacGinnes

Art by Carrie Breschi

What started out as a grand experiment in 2012 is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

This month, “Art in the Wild” returns to Wildwood Park to mark a decade of magnificent outdoor installations.

In announcing this annual rite of spring, committee chair Jim Caufield shared that he felt “excitement about hosting the regionally recognized outdoor environmental art show at Wildwood Park, providing an opportunity for artistically minded participants to demonstrate their skills in this special genre of the art field.”

A decade ago, Elizabeth Johnson and a few likeminded Friends of Wildwood, including Caufield and Marcy Brenner, made it their mission to create unique, seasonal landscape installations, mounted from April through September’s end.

To date, over 140 works have been placed throughout the park throughout the history of “Art in the Wild,” with a promise of an additional 18 for this year’s exhibition.

For 2022, Caufield and Richelle Corty, environmental educator at the Olewine Nature Center, put out a call to new participants this past fall. A hands-on, mini-day camp to teach what is involved was held on an early November Saturday with four sets of instructors, veterans of the event instructing initiates in the art form. Two members of the class have now joined forces with past entrants for this spring’s event, and the instructional session will now take place annually.

Twelve returnees from past years, along with six new participants, will comprise the field in 2022. Of that half dozen, four will be students, including an art major from Dickinson College, a Central Dauphin High School student mentored by her art teacher, Newport High students and a group of art students from St. Joan of Arc Middle School. Last year’s top three winners are returning to the fray with Carrie Breschi, Jill Lippert and Carol Reed, who took first-, second- and third-place awards, respectively. The exhibit opens to the public Sunday, April 3, offering visitors the perfect time to come out to Wildwood and meet the artists to discuss their visions.

Serendipitously synched to the backdrop of world events surrounding the ongoing pandemic, this year’s theme is “Sunlight and Shadows.” Art enthusiasts creating new works will aspire to incorporate elements of both, sharing a message of hope in sunlight, even with the darkest days of shadows. One can’t help but think of the Irish elegy in song, “Danny Boy,” as the narrator’s solemn oath, “I’ll be here in sunshine or in shadow.”

It begs the question—did the “Art in the Wild” committee have that in mind when choosing the theme? The contrast between light and shadow is one of coexistence, for one does not exist without the other. In the end, it is the choice we make to remain in the shadows or step out into the light. The artist may straddle both, reflective of the balance in nature. To take part in their adventure, make a promise to be there in sunlight or in shadow.

“Art in the Wild” runs April 3 to Sept. 30 at Wildwood Park, Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.explorewildwoodpark.org. Images are from the 2021 “Art in the Wild.”

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New Harrisburg Havoc women’s football team to kick off season, break barriers

March 30, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

The Harrisburg Havoc team

As a young girl, Leah Crump was interested in football, but playing it was always out of the question.

“My whole life I wanted to play, but my mom said ‘no’ because she was afraid I was going to get hurt,” she said.

When Crump saw a new women’s football team forming in Harrisburg, she jumped at the opportunity to join. Of course, Crump is an adult now, so her mom couldn’t tell her ‘no,’ she said.

Crump was one of many rookies to join the Harrisburg Havoc women’s tackle football team, finally finding a place to participate in a sport that has largely left women on the sidelines. The team has been practicing for months and is gearing up for its first season on the field, starting April 9.

Harrisburg Havoc is part of the Women’s Football Alliance, the nation’s largest full-contact women’s football league. The Harrisburg team is one of 67 across the country.

While the team has many rookies, it also has a number of experienced football players.

Kaeli Thomas played flag football from ages 6 to 18 and, from there, started playing in leagues. For a while, she was part of the former local WFA team, Keystone Assault, which disbanded during the pandemic.

From there, Thomas and her mom Tiffany decided to start a new team.

“I just wasn’t done playing the sport,” she said.

It wasn’t hard to start assembling a team, Thomas said. Plenty of women jumped at the opportunity to play. The team now has a roster of 41 players, ranging in age from 21 to 49 years old. Players come from Harrisburg, as well as surrounding cities and states like Philadelphia, Lancaster, Allentown and Maryland, among others.

“Getting people wasn’t the hard part,” she said. “The hard part was getting people to take us seriously.”

For their first game, the Harrisburg Havoc will face off against the New York Knockout from Albany, N.Y. It will be a home game, played on the Kreiser-Hallman field at Lower Dauphin Middle School in Hummelstown. All of their home games will take place on that field at 6 p.m.

The team is led by a handful of male coaches from Harrisburg who have experience playing football and coaching. Michael Chism, or “Coach Chiz,” is the head coach, assisted by Lanthus Whiteside, Antoine Strong, Corey Jett II and John Balkcom.

The women have been training since the summer, as well as attending local events, parades and fundraisers to spread the word of their program. So far, they’ve received a lot of support from their city, Thomas said. She is eager to see those fans in the stands at their first game.

Crump, who will play her first official football game ever next week, is feeling a mix of emotions.

“I’m nervous,” she said. “It doesn’t feel real. But, I’m ready to show off my talents. It’s amazing. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to play football.”

Tiffany is confident in their ability to win, advance to the playoffs and even compete in the championship game, which would allow the team to play at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Ohio.

“Our mission is to empower women, to let them know that whatever they put their minds to, they can do,” she said.

That mission is already spreading, as Harrisburg Havoc players like Crump and Thomas are mentoring young girls that play football.

“I want to let little girls know that it’s OK to play football,” Crump said. “I want to have little kids look up to me.”

The team’s regular season runs through May 28, unless they advance to playoffs. They may be a new team to the league this year, but they’re ready to compete.

“It’s been blood, sweat and tears,” Thomas said. “But it’s all going to be worth it. At the end of the day, we all have the same goal—to bring that ring home to Harrisburg.”

For more information on Harrisburg Havoc and their 2022 season schedule, visit their website.

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Harrisburg restaurant to hold fundraiser dinner for family of Ukrainian employee, relief efforts

March 30, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Rubicon on North Street in Harrisburg

For Anya Romanenko, who has family in Ukraine, the past weeks have been “extremely emotional.”

Romanenko, a staff member at Harrisburg restaurants Rubicon and Mangia Qui, said that going to work has helped keep her steady during a devastating time.

The owners of the North Street trio of restaurants, Mangia Qui, Rubicon and Suba, saw how distraught she was and decided to take action.

On April 19, Rubicon will hold a fundraiser dinner to benefit Romanenko’s family, among others in Ukraine.

“This clearly falls into an unspoken part of our mission statement,” explained Qui Qui Musarra, co-owner of Rubicon. “Historically, Mangia Qui and Rubicon were always supportive of organizing fundraisers to support relief efforts. We are just doing our part.”

The event will feature a multi-course dinner reflecting dishes from Ukrainian cuisine. Romanenko and her parents, who are from Ukraine, will help prepare the food, as well.

According to Musarra, the menu will include authentic dishes like chicken Kiev, red beet borscht, salo or cured pork fat and vereniki, a dumpling dish.

Other local chefs will pitch in, as well. The owner of former Broad Street Market vendor Pikowski’s Pierogi Place and the owner of current market vendor Evanilla Donuts will help with food preparations.

All proceeds from the evening, including tips, will go to Razom for Ukraine, an organization supporting humanitarian relief efforts in the country. Some funds will also be sent to support members of Romenko’s family who are currently living in a bomb shelter.

In addition to experiencing Ukrainian cuisine, Romanenko hopes that guests will learn more about Ukrainian culture and the current war. She plans to speak at the event.

“I just want to bring awareness to people about what’s happening,” she said. “I’m hoping we are able to get the community involved.”

Rubicon is located at 272 North Street, Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website. To make reservations for the dinner to benefit Ukraine, call (717)-233-7358.

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