March News Digest

February 28, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

City Passes Amended Budget

Harrisburg last month approved an amended budget for 2022, making numerous changes from the original spending plan.

City Council approved a $70.7 million general fund budget that includes no tax increase. The bill passed with a vote of 6-1, with council member Shamaine Daniels voting against it.

“It’s a really good budget,” said Mayor Wanda Williams. “It puts us on good financial footing.”

The 2022 budget, although originally passed at the end of 2021, was reopened and amended as a new mayor and her administration took office in January.

The amended 2022 general fund budget is around $8 million less than the initial budget of $79 million passed in December, which was a replica of the 2021 budget and a placeholder while the administration changed. It also reflects the new administration’s priorities.

When Business Administrator Dan Hartman initially introduced the revised budget, he explained that the city had made significant cost reductions to be able to “live within its means” and to balance the budget.

Some cuts came from removing funding for unfilled positions. Hartman said that the budget did not include any layoffs. Spending also dropped by crossing off projects that were already completed and limiting the use of outside consultants. In some departments, expenses such as contracted services or equipment purchases fell.

However, the approved budget also features a number of additional expenditures.

In the mayor’s office, the city hired a new director of Equity and Compliance and a special assistant for Community Affairs. Williams has appointed Karl Singleton and Gina Johnson Roberson to fill those roles, respectively.

Additionally, council voted to remove funding for the city engineer position, which is currently vacant, and, instead, move towards contracting with an outside firm for those services. Williams said that she plans to test this arrangement for a year.

Another change outlined in the document is that the director of Building and Housing Development, Dennise Hill, will also take on the role of director of Community and Economic Development. Hill said that she would spend four days a week heading up Building and Housing and one day a week working on Community and Economic Development.

In addition to the general fund, the budget includes an $18.1 million neighborhood services fund (sanitation services), $10.7 million debt service fund and $8.9 million capital projects fund. In addition, Hartman explained that this will be the last year that the city will need to make payments on one of its general obligation bonds, which is due to be paid off, allowing that recurring expense to be reallocated in future years.

On the revenue side, the city expects general fund revenue of $72.5 million, including the use of $8.86 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as reimbursement for COVID-related expenses and revenue losses.

Before passing the budget, council made a number of amendments, including adding several positions, such as a special assistant to the finance bureau, a human resources specialist and an assistant city solicitor.

“This budget process has been a marathon to say the least,” said council President Danielle Bowers. “At the end of the day, we did not settle for what was presented…instead, we brought forth practical amendments that we feel are in the best interest of the residents of the city.”

Ice & Fire Returns

Harrisburg this month will re-launch its Ice & Fire Festival, featuring a street festival and display of ice sculptures around the city.

“We are really excited,” said Cortney Ranck-Cameron, the city’s interim manager of special events. “This is an event that the community really loves.”

On Saturday, March 5, the community can view over 50 ice sculptures scattered throughout downtown, Midtown, City Island, Shipoke, Italian Lake and Reservoir Park. Life-sized sculptures will include an ice throne, a Dr. Seuss hat and a Feeding America tribute. Sculptures will be on display from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and will be illuminated beginning at 7 p.m.

This year, a street festival will take place on Front Street, from Walnut to State streets. Ranck-Cameron said that it will include community favorite activities like an ice slide, fire pits with free s’mores, fire dancers and performances by local school and community groups. Food trucks and other vendors will also set up shop along Front Street and Riverfront Park.

That portion of Front Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from 8 p.m. on Friday, March 4, to midnight on March 5.

Last year, the city cut the street festival from the program due to the pandemic. Instead, it featured ice sculptures throughout the city and a drive-through event on City Island.

Ranck-Cameron said that they received positive feedback on the event and decided to keep some elements of it this year, including positioning the ice sculptures throughout the city.

In past years, the Ice & Fire Festival had been held on 2nd Street downtown. However, Ranck-Cameron said that they decided to hold it on Front Street to allow for access to parking on 2nd Street.

While visitors explore the ice sculptures, they can participate in a scavenger hunt for the chance to win gift cards from Harrisburg businesses. Each sculpture will have a QR code and participants must scan at least 10 different sculptures to enter the drawing.

Participating Harrisburg businesses will also feature coffee, cocoa and cocktail specials throughout the city.

“This event is a really great way for people to explore the city,” Ranck-Cameron said.

Visit Hershey & Harrisburg, ExploreHBG and M&T Bank are the main sponsors of the event.

Street parking is free after 5 p.m. on Saturday in the downtown area and free all day on Sunday. Get four hours of free downtown street parking using the code LUVHBG on the Parkmobile app. A discounted $10 daily rate is available at the Market Square Garage courtesy of Park Harrisburg on March 5. Parking on City Island is free. Check the city’s website for parking options in other areas of the city.

Residential Plan for Federal Building

The successful bidder for downtown Harrisburg’s federal building says he has an ambitious plan: a large apartment building, plus restaurants.

Justin Etzin, principal of Global Ocean Investments Ltd., last month said that he wants to transform the Ronald Reagan Federal Building into “The Federal,” a 288-unit “luxury” apartment building.

In an email, Etzin said that he is a Seychelles diplomat currently serving as a special envoy, having previously carried out three terms as his country’s consul general/tourism ambassador in New York.

Under the name RRF Building LLC, Etzin bought the 56-year-old, 251,000-square-foot modernist structure for $10 million from the U.S. government in a sale that closed early last month.

Etzin said that he expects to begin the project once the federal government vacates the building.

Currently, the U.S. General Services Administration is putting the finishing touches on the new federal courthouse, which is expected to open later this year at N. 6th and Reily streets in Midtown Harrisburg. Other federal government agencies with workers based in Harrisburg also will need to move to new offices.

Etzin said that he plans a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units for the building at 228 Walnut St. In addition, the building will feature two restaurants and two bars, he said.

“This development will be a first for Harrisburg with a concept for a rooftop with two restaurants and ‘The Sky Bar’ which can be accessed up via a panoramic elevator directly to the roof terrace or straight down to the former courtrooms which will house an incredible restaurant and below a speakeasy bar ‘the boiler room,’ which is located deep in the caverns of this former Federal Building,” he said.

The plan also includes a health club, co-working space and a rooftop pool, he said.

The project, he said, should be completed in 2024 or 2025.

New Chairs, Officers for Chamber, CREDC

The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC last month announced new board chairs, as well as new officers and members of the boards of directors.

For 2022, G. Greg Gunn will serve as the chair of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber board of directors, while Casey Khuri will serve as the chair of the board for CREDC.

“I want to make sure that the Chamber continues to educate and advocate for our area businesses and the tens of thousands of employees they engage,” said Gunn, president and CEO of Gunn-Mowery LLC, a Lemoyne-based insurance and consulting company. “The Harrisburg Regional Chamber defines itself with broad leadership, visionary members and powerful results, so I want to get to work with my fellow members and prove that definition every day.”

Khuri is vice president at Lemoyne-based NAI CIR, overseeing and managing the 50-year-old, family-owned, commercial real estate business.

“In both strong and challenging times, CREDC has been our region’s champion for economic growth, workforce retention and business creation,” said Khuri. “As a businesswoman and a mother, it gives me great pride to chair an organization that is focused on the betterment of our community.”

The chairs of both the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC hold yearlong terms.

“Greg and Casey have demonstrated they have the bold and visionary leadership skills to help lead our team,” said Ryan Unger, president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC. “We look forward to working with both of them to achieve our goals for 2022 and to continue to serve the businesses in our community.”

The additional slate of 2022 Harrisburg Regional Chamber officers is as follows:

1st Vice Chair, Karen Gunnison, Gunnison Consulting LLC
2nd Vice Chair, Zachary Khuri, Orrstown Bank
Treasurer, Kara Beem, Greenlee Partners
Secretary, Alisa Harris, UGI Utilities
At-Large member, Abigail Fortino, Conrad Siegel
Immediate Past Chair, Meron Yemane, Morgan Stanley

The additional slate of 2022 CREDC officers is as follows:

1st Vice Chair, Wade Becker, RKL, LLP
2nd Vice Chair, Katie Clark, LeTort Trust
Treasurer, Shawn Leppo, McNees Wallace and Nurick, LLC
Secretary, Beth Peiffer, Jones, Inc.
Immediate Past Chair, Michael Funck, Wohlsen Construction Company

Home Sales Flat, Prices Up

Harrisburg-area home sales were mostly flat in January, but prices were up, according to the latest report on previously owned houses.

For the three-county region, sales totaled 499 housing units compared to 508 in January 2021, but the median sales price rose to $211,900 versus $194,700 in the year-ago period, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, sales increased by four units to 244 homes, while the median price rose to $200,000 versus $174,900 in January 2021, said GHAR.

Cumberland County saw a small decrease in home sales, which dropped by six units to 215 houses. But the median sales price increased to $235,000 compared to $224,950 a year ago, GHAR stated.

In Perry County, sales were flat at 29 homes, but the median price rose year-over-year to $184,500 versus $174,900, according to GHAR.

Houses were selling relatively quickly in January, as the average “days on the market” dropped to 20 days compared to 31 days a year ago, GHAR said.

So Noted

Burn30 is under new ownership, as Nate Kresge, owner of the Harrisburg-based boutique video production company, GK Visual, has purchased the business. Kresge said the fitness center’s goal is to make people feel like they belong, no matter their physical condition or personal fitness goal.

Heart & Soul Books opened last month in Linglestown, led by owner Ashley Bailey. The cozy shop, on the second floor of 5970 Linglestown Rd., offers a variety of new and used books, with an emphasis on representation and inclusion.

Jeannetta Politis was named last month as the new executive director of the Joshua Group, a nonprofit focused on helping at-risk youth. Politis, who spent more than 20 years in commercial and retail banking, replaces the group’s founder and long-time leader, Kirk Hallett, who is retiring.

Dr. Lori Suski has been named the new receiver of the Harrisburg School District. The Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas appointed Suski, the district’s former chief recovery officer, to replace Dr. Janet Samuels, who served as receiver for 2½ years.

Katie Heimbach last month joined Capital City Mall as its new marketing manager, responsible for the development and implementation of mall marketing programs, according to an announcement from the mall. Before joining Capital City Mall, she served as a program manager for Best Companies Group.

Lauren Brinjac has joined the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association as senior director of government affairs. Brinjac previously served as director of government affairs for the Insurance Agents & Brokers Service Group and as legislative coordinator and lobbyist for the Pennsylvania Bar Association, according to PRLA.

Meghan Bachmore has been named the new executive director of Harrisburg Young Professionals (HYP). Previously, Bachmore served as the membership services director at the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC. The position had been open following the departure of Derek Whitesel, who left before the pandemic hit.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2251: V. Caraballo to A. Arenas, $95,000

Agate St., 2614 and 2242, 2244 & 2246 & 2514 Jefferson St.: Vogelsong Investment Properties LLC & J. Vogelsong to N. & J. Hoover, $195,000

Bailey St., 1196: Tassia Corp. to D. Boyle, $45,000

Balm St., 36: C. Salazar & J. Vega to Capital Venture LLC, $65,000

Bellevue Rd., 2200: R. Schuldenfrei & B. Tayler to S. Haas, $450,000

Berryhill St., 2338: L. Myers to Alliance Estates LLC, $87,500

Boas St., 218: J. Copus to S. Force, $177,000

Boas St., 1611: Skynet 1611 LP to Homeshare Harrisburg 1611 LLC, $490,000

Briggs St., 2023: J. & J. Folks to R. & R. Loja, $63,000

Brookwood St., 2300: F. & J. Maykovich to ID 2300 LLC, $375,000

Calder St., 521: L. Henry to D. Lim, $153,000

Caledonia St., 1937: M. Hare & T. D’Angelo to C. Maluchnick & G. Kerper, $166,000

Chestnut St., 1938: J. Cruz to T. Kea, $123,000

Church St., 602: Peleton Investments LLC & G. Rothman to C. Stalker & C. MacNett, $67,500

Curtin St., 535: Vogelsong Investment Properties LLC to J. & R. Armetta, $50,500

Dauphin St., 632: NA Capital Group LLC to J. Gonzalez & M. Santos, $70,000

Derry St., 1632: K. Gonzalez to M. Reyes, $65,000

Derry St., 2525: A. Williams to A. & D. Unterbrink, $54,000

Derry St., 2624: K. Lewis to P. & J. Lewis, $73,900

Emerald St., 321: 2013 M&M Real Estate Fund LLC to C. Risser, $85,000

Emerald St., 417: J. Cruz to O. Carter, $130,000

Emerald St., 419: J. Cruz to J. Lebo, $134,900

Evergreen St., 100: Evergreen 100 LP to Homeshare Harrisburg 100 LLC, $250,000

Forster St., 2015: L. & N. LeGrand to F. Burgos, $150,000

Fulton St., 1320: J. Silas to Family Tree Holdings LLC, $110,000

Fulton St., 1402: D. Carroll to J. Black, $154,900

Fulton St., 1721: G. & L. Neff to J. Cruz, $66,000

Graham St., 118: P. Furlong to D. Kyle & D. Holland, $330,000

Green St., 1226: K. Lesher & P. Boyed to M. Doherty, $170,000

Green St., 1914: K. Bogard to M. & C. Franz, $236,400

Green St., 2104: 2104 Green Street HBG LLC to N. Harutyunyan, $115,900

Green St., 2150: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Co. & Select Portfolio Servicing Inc. to 2020 Real Estate Ventures LLC, $68,601

Green St., 2227: M. & C. Stouffer to K. Aguilera, $115,500

Green St., 3216: M. Zeeshan to 3216 Green Street 17110 LLC, $162,000

Hale Ave., 204: A. Winter to BP Real Estate Investment Group LP, $109,251

Hamilton St., 236: T. & R. Broms to 236 HBG LLC, $130,000

Hamilton St., 340: Everence Foundation Unique Assets LLC to PD Estate Properties LLC, $75,000

Hamilton St., 344: Everence Foundation Unique Assets LLC to K. Dubina, $85,000

Herr St., 419: JMDM Properties LLC to G. Grasty, $216,500

Herr St., 1611: Henry & Sons Property 2 LLC to T. Merced, $75,000

Herr St., 1829: A&K Investments Partnership LLC to M. Dominguez, $131,400

Herr St., 1831: G. & J. Geiges to A&K Investments Partnership LLC, $70,000

Hoerner St., 135: SPG Capital LLC to Galaxy Real Estate Inc., $52,000

Holly St., 1853: C. Dunbar to R. Ortiz & N. Almeida, $115,000

Holly St., 1901: J. & K. Lyda to T WY Enterprise LLC, $48,500

Holly St., 2022: B. Smart to A. Pope, $105,000

Jefferson St., 2408: Great Row LLC to Galaxy Real Estate Inc., $59,000

Jefferson St., 2643: Dobson Family Limited Partners to D&A Homes LLC, $41,500

Kelker St., 327: 34 Construction Group to 3T Construction Group, $85,000

Kensington St., 1948: TRW Properites LLC c/o Property Management Group to E. & C. Onyewu, $80,000

Kensington St., 2121: P. Oden to Marie Buys Houses LLC, $53,000

Kensington St., 2222: K. & S. Ribble to M. Collins, $49,000

Locust St., 114: Akord LLC to D. & L. Butcher, $440,000

Locust St., 213: I. Mishkin to Newberry Partners LLC. $250,000

Logan St., 2344: Great Row LLC to Galaxy Real Estate Inc., $48,000

Manada St., 1934: R. Kates to Obear Properties LLC, $60,000

Market St., 1249, 1253 & 1255 and 3. S. 13th St.: Hill Café 1249 LP to 1249-55 Market LLC, $1,240,000

Market St., 2038: K. Roberts to M. Castro, $165,000

Mulberry St., 1848: Quality Rentals LLC to J. Rodriguez & V. Francisco, $102,000

Naudain St., 1433: G. Neff to P. & A. Bernard, $44,900

North St., 1938: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to P. Winka, $170,000

North St., 2007: Gary Neff Inc. c/o City Limits Realty to M. Johnson, $44,900

N. 2nd St., 930: R. Daniels to R. & S. Katsifis, $50,000

N. 2nd St., 1625: E. & P. Montgomery to L. & E. Hamilton, J. Niblett & J. Wilson, $216,000

N. 2nd St., 1711: R. Klein & V. Vail to T. Barr & A. Ekomin, $269,000

N. 2nd St., 1904: Skynet 1904 LP to Homeshare Harrisburg 1904 LLC, $240,000

N. 2nd St., 2205: M. Vayda to D. Hartman & B. Sammon, $255,000

N. 2nd St., 2309: K. Brown to J. & C. Brown, $150,000

N. 3rd St., 1841: Skynet 1841 LP to Glass Factory 1841 LLC, $2,330,000

N. 3rd St., 2115: Skynet 2115 LP to Homeshare Harrisburg 2115 LLC, $140,000

N. 3rd St., 2201 & 2205: S&P Property Holdings LLC to 22015N3HBG LLC, $320,000

N. 3rd St., 2218: J. & N. Grant to J. Greene, $154,500

N. 3rd St., 2248: N. Hartwig to J. Drummond, $189,900

N. 3rd St., 2640: Skynet 2640 LP to Homeshare Harrisburg 2640 LLC, $270,000

N. 4th St., 2637: M. Rosario to A. Cardona, $139,000

N. 5th St., 1700: Taylor Made Properties LLC to L. Motley, $169,000

N. 5th St., 2501: T. Evans to J. Castro, $58,000

N. 5th St., 2732: V. Clayton to J. & J. Scott, $110,000

N. 5th St., 3122: M. Haley to E. & C. De Jesus, $126,900

N. 6th St., 2338: F. Wofford to Galaxy Real Estate Inc., $55,000

N. 6th St., 2348: Wofford Enterprises Ltd. to V. Alli, $62,000

N. 6th St., 2409: Great Row LLC to Galaxy Real Estate Inc., $48,000

N. 6th St., 2466: Planet 3 Properties LLC to Rivas Property Investments LLC, $54,000

N. 6th St., 2523: L. Williams to R&K Realty Group LP, $65,000

N. 7th St., 2638: MidAtlantic IRA LLC & Harry Naill IRA to Elgamwo LLC, $56,000

N. 13th St., 1215: Skynet 1215 LP to Homeshare Harrisburg 1215 LLC, $650,000

N. 15th St., 1217: PA Deals LLC to SF Rentals LLC, $254,000

N. 15th St., 1617: T. Sweet to S. Salleb & M. Aziz, $55,000

N. 17th St., 717: D. Bacallao to A. Hassane, $105,000

N. 17th St., 900: Skynet 900 LP to Homeshare Harrisburg 900 LLC, $540,000

N. 18th St., 33: J. Vogelsong to D. Boyle, $45,000

N. 18th St., 41: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to RA Love Homes LLC, $149,995

N. 18th St., 606: Skynet 606 LP to Homeshare Harrisburg 606 LLC, $140,000

N. 18th St., 614: CR Property Group LLC to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $62,500

N. 18th St., 615: Skynet 615 LP to Homeshare Harrisburg 615 LLC, $220,000

N. 18th St., 916: PA Deals LLC to M. Castro, $100,000

N. 19th St., 712: H. Bueno to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $68,000

N. 19th St., 1001: Neidlinger Enterprises LLC to K. Somasundaram, $149,500

N. 20th St., 32: C. Carter & V. Diaz to M. Gramby, $95,000

N. Cameron St., 1317, 1319 & 1321: A. Reuveni to R. Chatue, $80,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 413: J. Becker to D. Kuligowski, $110,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 601: J. Devine to LE Real Estate Trust, $185,000

N. Front St., 3109: 3109 North Front MB LLC to Everything Alright LLC, $400,000

Park St., 1630: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to S. Prasad, $130,000

Paxton St., 1001: Pennsy Supply Inc. to I Mart LLC, $450,000

Peffer St., 431: Great Row LLC to Galaxy Real Estate Inc., $57,000

Penn St., 1208: G. Dunigan to K. Perry, $205,000

Penn St., 1317: M. Wilkins to D. Reinhart, $65,000

Penn St., 1501: T. Smith & M. Yost to G. & F. Lattimer, $164,900

Penn St., 1812: 2020 Real Estate Ventures LLC to A. Hutchinson, $220,000

Penn St., 1816: D. Osborn & M. Hoover to W. Dougherty, $159,900

Penn St., 2349: G. & R. Brown to Best By LLC, $90,000

Pennwood Rd., 3218: N. Canale to M. Bassit, $97,500

Radnor St., 551: A. & M. McGinty to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $103,000

Randolph St., 1618: R. Stevenson to L. & L. Morales, $60,000

Randolph St., 1620: Venus Properties LLC to CJ Good LLC, $88,000

Reel St., 2404: S&K Properties LLC to S&K Elite Properties LLC, $47,900

Reel St., 2732: A. & M. McGinty to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $88,500

Regina St., 1714: D. Mejia to D. Nunez, $70,000

Rolleston St., 1211: W. & J. Marshall to SPG Capital LLC, $53,000

Rumson Dr., 2639: R. Asplen to T. & J. Morra, $130,000

S. 13th St., 36: MLP LLC to 513 South Shippen Street LLC, $240,000

S. 13th St., 301: Skynet 301 LP to Homeshare Harrisburg 301 LLC, $1,025,000

S. 16th St., 568: V. Yanez to M. Medina, $90,000

S. 17th St., 1025: O. Bartley to L. Martinez, $146,500

S. 18th St., 1043: B. Do to PPL Electric Utilities Corp., $156,000

S. 19th St., 27 & 29: Sky at 27 & 29 S. 19th St., LP to Homeshare Harrisburg 27 & 29: $280,000

S. 19th St., 213: G. Neff to D. Figueroa, $40,000

S. 20th St., 219: H. Pham & V. Do to I. Mejias, $82,000

S. 29th St., 620: G. & S. Miller to J. & C. Holtzman, $238,000

Susquehanna St., 1714: L. Reda to C. Kenney, $120,000

Swatara St., 2224: L. Ho to R. Cruz, $160,000

Verbeke St., 1327 & 1329: Phantom Property Investments LLC to C. Sawyer, $199,900

Woodbine St., 240: T. Evans to J. Castro, $62,000

Woodbine St., 336: Paxton Auto Sales LLC to L. Rodriguez, $89,900

Wyeth St., 1401: M. Marciano to A. & S. Outlaw, $160,000

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

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

The Two Faces of Mort: Mild-mannered van driver by day, Rob Noxious by night

February 28, 2022 | by Jeff Falk

Photo courtesy of Hailee’s Photography

Humans are complex creatures. All rolled up inside of each and every one of us—in not so neat packages—are all these ideas, emotions, whims and life experiences.

Rob Mort exemplifies this complexity.

By day, Mort, a 52-year-old resident of Harrisburg, is a caring, mild-mannered van driver for Boyo Transportation Services. By night, he is “Rob Noxious,” an aggressive, loud-mouthed professional wrestler, who once was a heel, but now is a fan favorite.

“I’m a nice guy, but I don’t want people to think I’m too nice,” Mort said. “If you’re too nice, you get picked on. I’m a nice guy, but don’t cross me.”

Then, in typical Rob Mort/Noxious style, he quickly switches gears.

“I was put on this earth to help people and make them smile,” he said. “I like to think I can change people and put smiles on their faces.”

For Mort, it’s more an internal struggle between man and child than it is good versus evil. But it’s all extravert, all the time.

“I think who the real Rob is will be determined when I’m dead and gone,” Mort said. “I don’t think I truly know who I am.”

Mort’s day job as a van driver for Boyo involves safely transporting disabled children, mainly to schools. It requires compassion, empathy and diligence.

“They’re just kids, but they’re the reason I keep my job here,” Mort said. “They’re amazing people, and I like helping people like that. You’re not supposed to get to know them that well, but how can you not talk to people? They’re kids, but they want respect as much as adults do.”

Mort’s alter ego definitely commands respect.

Rob Noxious is Mort’s personification of a video game he once played growing up as a child in the 1980s. In the ring, when the bright lights go on, he is an entertainer, an athletic, larger-than-life figure who feeds off the energy of an engaged audience that has laid down 20 bucks apiece to see him perform.

“It’s crazy,” Mort said. “But every time before I go out there, I get sick. Then, as soon as I go through the curtain, I’m a totally different person.”

He pauses for a moment with another take on his personality.

“Actually, I think we’re really similar,” he said. “The only thing Rob Mort can’t do is smash someone in the face with a chair and not go to jail. Rob Noxious can. We’re pretty much the same person—one’s just amped up a little bit.”

And there’s yet another side to Mort: the businessman/promoter/teacher side.

He is the owner of Classic Championship Wrestling, which produces and stages professional wrestling shows all over central Pennsylvania. He also operates a related business, Fort Noxious Training Center in Highspire, which teaches aspiring performers how to wrestle professionally.

“We teach a lot of discipline,” Mort said. “We teach respect, and believe it or not, we teach them to be family-oriented.”

Important to professional wrestling, he also teaches his students to be showmen.

“You’ve got to teach timing and the psychology behind professional wrestling,” he said. “Some of the guys who come here are from rough neighborhoods, but we try to help everybody. We’ve got a lot of great guys.”

Mort has been a professional wrestler for more than 25 years now, about eight years longer than he’s been a van driver. While he’s careful not to have his two occupations intersect, he can’t change who he is.

“I think every single person in the world is unique,” he said. “You’ve just got to find what you’re good at. One of the kids on my van found out that I was a professional wrestler. She asked me, ‘Can I be a wrestler?’ I said, ‘Sure. If you want to be a professional wrestler, you can.’”

You could describe Mort as hard on the outside and soft on the inside—a large, muscled, tattooed adult for sure, but one with a very active inner child.

“I never, ever wanted to grow up,” Mort said. “I never want to stop wrestling. It helps me stay young. But I think driving the van is almost like my calling. I can’t be a person who works in a warehouse. Children are our future, so why wouldn’t you want to help develop them?”

For more information on Classic Championship Wrestling and Fort Noxious Training Center, visit their Facebook pages.

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

March Editor’s Note

February 28, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda

Nearly 14 years ago, I sat at my desk and began to draw up plans for a local publication that would become TheBurg.

I thought about what its contents might be, how it could be structured, what the design might look like.

As part of this process, I drafted a bunch of section titles to indicate the types of stories that I figured we would write.

So, for local business stories, I thought of “Shop Window” as a title. For restaurant stories, I came up with “Chef’s Kitchen.” And so on.

Over the years, I ditched several that I decided I didn’t like or didn’t use often (sorry, “State Street”—you were a decent idea, but we just don’t produce enough copy about state government).

In contrast, “Doing Good” has become one of our most frequent category titles. Nearly every month since we began publishing, we’ve featured stories on local nonprofit and charitable organizations—often, more than one a month.

When I started TheBurg, I knew that Harrisburg had a healthy share of folks “doing good,” but I wildly underestimated their number and impact.

Over the years, we’ve featured group after group advocating for and assisting our area’s youth, elderly, homeless, impoverished—well, the list goes on and on. We’ve introduced people who’ve started organizations to turn tragedy into triumph and others who have committed their entire lives to helping others.

In my view, this speaks both to the profound need in our community and to the amazing people stepping up to meet that need.

I mention this because, for the March issue, we have a special focus on folks “doing good.” In this issue, you’ll meet people striving to help refugees, to assist those with substance abuse issues and to support the families of sick children, among others.

You’ll also learn about companies who take their giving very seriously, who have embraced certain groups and causes as part of their corporate missions.

We hope our March issue offers some ideas if you’re interested in becoming more involved as a volunteer or even a staff member at a nonprofit. If your interests lie elsewhere, a simple online search certainly will help you discover the right fit for your own “doing good.”

Lawrance Binda
Co-Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

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

Happenings: Our March Calendar of Events

February 28, 2022 | by Missy Smith

Museum & Art Spaces

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

Packard Showroom Exhibit Presented by Keystone Packards, through April 23

“Survivors: Unrestored Classic Cars, Trucks & Motorcycles,” through April 23

“Pedal Cars & Go-Karts”

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

“Beauty & Discovery,” artist invitational featuring the work of Pamela J. Black, Ashley Moog Bowlsbey and Jessie Waite, through March 31

Arts on the Square
20 S. 2nd St., Harrisburg
717-257-1270; marketsquarechurch.org

Photography by Beth Hager, illustrating the appreciation of the commonplace through landscapes, architecture, still life and more on paper, canvas and metal, and craftswoman Kari Hultman, exhibiting woodworking, leatherworking and miniatures, March-April; reception: March 20, 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

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

“Go for the Gold,” members’ annual color show, featuring artwork in hues of gold, through March 5

“A Celebration of Student Art,” highlighting a broad selection of projects from Carlisle Area School District K-12 students, March 17-April 9

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

March artist of the month

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

Lenkerville Elementary Student Art Show, March 2-April 2; reception: March 6, 3-5 p.m.

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

“Beyond Limitations” digital sculpture, 3D printing and virtual reality by Joe Meiser, through March 6

“Senior Show I,” March 26-April 10; reception: March 26, 7 p.m.

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

New works by Tara Chickey, Amie Bantz, Tina Berrier, Averil Shepps, Caleb Smith, through March 13

New works by PD Murray, Reina 76, Rebecca Adey, Paul Gallo and Susan Bailey, March 15-April 10

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. 4th St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“Weaving Creativity,” a display of traditional and modern hooked rugs by the Magdalena Rug Hookers of Perry County, paired with basket designs by Teena Beutel, through April 22

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

“Natural Elements” artist invitational with Judy Bouder, Toby Bouder, Carolyn Pio, Todd Tabb and Hyeyon Wilson, through March 5

“Good Taste,” on-trend artwork depicting food and cooking, as well as home goods to use in the kitchen, for entertaining and to simply enjoy the art of food, March 12-April 23

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.

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

“Mythologies of Motherhood,” personal stories of artists currently raising children, March 10-June 26

“Approximate Release,” a sculptural installation in the DeSoto Family Vault by Ron Lambert, through April 10

“In Nature’s Studio,” showcasing a bounty of early 19th century through late 20th century American artists’ depictions of the landscape, through May 22

“Hedy O’Beil—The Late Work,” a selection of work from the 1970s to mid-1980s, through June 19

“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

Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery
Lebanon Valley College
101 College Ave., Annville
717-233-8668; lvc.edu/gallery

“Our Strength is Our People—The Humanist Photographs of Lewis Hine,” through April 6

Read, Make, Learn

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

March 1-April 15: Hand Building (6 Tuesdays), 6-8 p.m.
March 11: Indigo & Shibori, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
March 11: Craft Beer & Clay, 7-9 p.m.
March 12: There’s Gold in those Petals, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 12: Eucalyptus Magic-Gold Edition, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
March 16: Suicide Loss Survivors, 5:30-7 p.m.
March 17-31: Play with Clay at the End of the Day (ages 10-15), 3:30-5 p.m.
March 22-April 12: Abstract Painting, 12-2 p.m.
March 23-April 27: Fundamentals of Photography AM Session, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 26: Drawing on Enameling with Metallic Pens, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
March 30-April 27: Wednesday In-Person Art Club (grades K-2), 3:45-5 p.m.

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

March 17: Saint Patrick’s Day Celebration, 6-9 p.m.

Dauphin County Library System
dcls.org

March 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23: All Ages Storytime on Zoom, 6 p.m.
March 1, 4, 8, 11, 22, 25: Preschool Storytime (ages 3-5 years) on Zoom, 10:30-11:10 a.m.
March 1, 7, 8, 22: Born to Read (birth-18 months) on Zoom, 9:30-10 a.m.
March 1, 8, 15, 22: Virtual Tween Dungeons and Dragons, 4-5 p.m.
March 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18. 23, 25: Toddler Storytime (ages 19-35 months) on Zoom, 11-11:40 a.m.
March 3, 10, 17, 24: Virtual Anime Club, 4-5 p.m.
March 4, 11, 18, 25: Virtual Teen Dungeons and Dragons, 4-5 p.m.
March 15: Animal Crossing New Horizons 2.0 on Zoom (ages 18 and older), 4:30-6:30 p.m.
March 16: Virtual Young Adult Book Club (ages 13-18), 4-5:30 p.m.
March 16: Voter Information Session on Zoom, 6-7 p.m.
March 22; Women’s History Month—Esther Popel on Zoom, 6-7 p.m.
March 29: Spanish Language Conversation Group (ages 15 and older) on Zoom, 12-1 p.m.

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

March 2: Toddler Time, 10:30 a.m.
March 3: Family Storytime, 10:30 a.m.
March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Fiber Artists, 3 p.m.
March 8, 22: STEM Stations, 4:30 p.m.
March 10, 24: Knitter’s Group, 5 p.m.
March 12: Fiber Artists, 10 a.m.
March 12, 19: LEGO Club, 11 a.m.
March 15: Musik Time, 10:30 a.m.
March 19: Book Discussion Group, 10 a.m.
March 19: Knitter’s Group, 10 a.m.

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

March 2: Virtual Illustrated Talk—Hoofprints in History, the Role of the Domestic Dairy Cow, 7-8 p.m.

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

March 1: Teen STEAM Lab—Self-Care DIY, 4-5:30 p.m., 6-7:30 p.m.
March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Career Exploration Workshop, 10:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m.
March 2: Moving Forward Book Group w/ Hospice of Central PA, 1-2 p.m.
March 2: Artificial Intelligence—A ‘Hear Me Out’ Dialogue, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
March 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30: Discovery Zone Fun, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 3, 10, 17, 24: Language at the Library—Spanish, 10-11 a.m.
March 3, 10, 17, 24: Resume Writing Workshop, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 4:30-5:30 p.m.
March 4, 11, 18, 25: Get That Job! Workshop, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
March 5: Library for Lunch, 1 p.m.
March 5, 12, 19, 26: Teen Grab and Go Bag (ages 7-12), 1 p.m.
March 5, 19: STEM Grab & Go, 1 p.m.
March 7, 21: Zoom—Frederickson Writes on Zoom, 6:45 p.m.
March 8: Curl up with the Classics—“Things Fall Apart,” 10-11 a.m.
March 8: Comics Club, 6-7 p.m.
March 8: READ to Dogs, 6:30-8 p.m.
March 10: Plot Twisters, 6-7 p.m.
March 11, 25: Peaceful Poses Children’s Yoga Story Time, 10-11 a.m.
March 11, 25: Film Fridays, 7 p.m.
March 14: Philosophers’ Roundtable, 2-3:30 p.m.
March 14: Mission Transition Kindergarten, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
March 14: Twisted Stitchers, 6:30 p.m.
March 15-May 3: Natalie D. Craumer Writers’ Workshop—Critiquing the Critique, Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
March 18: Family Movie Nights, 6:30-8 p.m.
March 26: Paint with Us, 1-3 p.m.
March 28: Virtual Fredricksen Reads—“The Paris Library,” 7-8 p.m.

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

March 5: Spring Greens Painting Class, 4-7 p.m.
March 12: Process Painting, 10-11:30 a.m.
March 25: Acrylic Glaze Painting, 6-8 p.m.
March 26: Mosaic Cross Workshop, 1-4 p.m.
March 27: Paper Quilling, 1-3:30 p.m.

Harrisburg Chapter, National Railway Historical Society
www.harrisburgnrhs.org

March 12: Railroad and Model Trains Show at Harrisburg Scottish Rite Theatre, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Harrisburg Young Professionals
hyp.org

March 8: Toastmasters Meetings, 6-7 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyareaartassociation.com

March 11: Painting Glowing Watercolors, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

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

March 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29, 31: Penn State Hershey—Mothers & Babies Together, 10 a.m.
March 1, 8, 15, 22: Girls Who Code, 6 p.m.
March 2: LEGO Club, 4 p.m.
March 2: Hear Me Out—Artificial Intelligence, 5:30 p.m.
March 2; Silent Book Group at Mount Gretna Craft Brewery, 6:30 p.m.
March 3, 17: Hershey Quilters, 12:30 p.m.
March 5, 12, 19: Chess Club, 1 p.m.
March 7: Pencils and Pints at Troegs Brewery, 6:30 p.m.
March 10: Hershey Area Neighbors and Newcomers, 10 a.m.
March 16: String Art After School Craft, 3 p.m.
March 19: Cocoa Area Fiber Enthusiasts, 10 a.m.
March 19: ZooAmerica presents Native Pennsylvania Species, 2-3 p.m.
March 21: All Things Disney Trivia, 7 p.m.
March 21, 28: Facebook Live—Books and Babies (birth-12 months), 10:15 a.m.
March 22, 29: 1, 2, Whee!, 10:15 a.m.
March 24, 31: Storytime for Everyone, 10:15 a.m.
March 26: Chess Tournament, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
March 26: Blood Drive, 11 a.m.
March 26: Cooking with Herbs on Zoom, 2 p.m.

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

March 28: Fourth Monday Program—“The Bridges She Built: Women’s Role in Creating and Restoring Historic Bridges,” 6-7:30 p.m.

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

March 1: Tween Scene, 6-7 p.m.
March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Tea and Stitches, 10 a.m.
March 3, 10, 17, 24: Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
March 4, 11, 18, 25: LEGO Time, 10:15-11:15 a.m.
March 7, 14, 21, 28: Storybook STEAM, 6:30 p.m.
March 9: Mad About Mysteries on Zoom, 7-8 p.m.
March 11, 25: Dungeons and Dragons (ages 6-12), 6-8 p.m.
March 12, 26: Block Party, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
March 14, 28: English Conversation Club, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
March 17: Thursday Morning Book Club, 10 a.m.
March 19: Adventure Club, 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
March 19: Teen Squad, 3-4 p.m.
March 21: Monday Night Book Club, 7-8 p.m.
March 22: Tabletop Game Night, 6-8 p.m.

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

March 2, 9 ,16, 23, 30: Common Roads (ages 12-17), 6-8 p.m.
March 5, 12, 19. 26: Passageways, 2 p.m.
March 6, 13, 20, 27: Young Adult Group, 4 p.m.
March 8, 22: Queers and Quests game night, 6 p.m.
March 10: Aging with Pride Luncheon, 12 p.m.
March 12: LGBTQ Book Club, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

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

March 15: Beginner Ballroom Dance Lessons, 5:30 p.m.
March 15: Advanced Ballroom Dance Lessons, 6:30 p.m.

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

March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Storytime and Craft, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Tales with T.A.I.L.S., 6-7 p.m.
March 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30: Free Tax Preparation, 5:30-8 p.m.
March 3: Book Club, 6-7 p.m.
March 4, 11, 18, 25: Online Science Fiction Book Club
March 4, 11, 18, 25: Star Trek Rewatch online group
March 21: Mystery Book Club (in person and online), 6-7 p.m.

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

March 4: An Evening with Shelley Puhak, 7-8 p.m.
March 24: Michael Neiberg with Ian Isherwood, 7-8 p.m.

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

March 5: First Saturday, 2-5 p.m.
March 12: Kids Printmaking class with Amie Bantz 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 24: Intro to Landscape with Amie Bantz, 6-8 p.m.
March 27: Fluid Art with Ann Benton Yeager
March 18: 3rd in the Burg

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

March 12: Lessons in History with Garry Adelman, 1-2 p.m.

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

March 1-28: Beanstack Challenge—March Mindfulness (ages 0-18)
March 3: Ruth’s Mystery Discussion Group, 10:15 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 3, 17: Block Party! (ages 0-3), 10:30-11:30 a.m.
March 5, 19: New Cumberland Public Library book sales, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
March 8: Book Review Program, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
March 7, 21: Monday Great Books Discussion Group, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 7-28: Outdoor Storytime & More (ages 2-5), 10:30 a.m.
March 8: Tales for Tails (ages 6-12), 6:30-7:30 p.m.
March 8-29: Outdoor Book Babies (ages 0-2), 11:15 a.m.
March 9, 23: Wednesday Great Books Discussion Group, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 12: Write-On Writer’s Workshop, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 15: Leprechaun’s Garden (ages 4-8), 5:30-6:30 p.m.
March 19: Couponing for Extreme Savings, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 19: Children’s Book Writers Critique Group, 2-4 p.m.
March 20: Friends Cultural Series: The Lemoyne Susquehannock Site, 3-4 p.m.
March 22: Kid Builders! (ages 3 and older), 5:30-6:30 p.m.
March 23: PennWriters Writing Group, 6-9 p.m.
March 28: Music & More Mondays (ages 3-7), 5:30-6:30 p.m.

March 30: KIND Club—Kids Interested in Novels of Diversity on Zoom (ages 8-12), 5:30-6:30 p.m.

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

March 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 14, 16, 17, 21: Little Explorers Early Learning Classes, 10:30-11 a.m.
March 2, 9, 16, 23: Smart Start Storytime, 12:15-12:45 p.m.
March 3, 10, 17: Little Explorers Early Learning Classes, 1:30-2 p.m.
March 14: Palmyra Public Library Book Club, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

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

March 19: Basket Weaving—Small Market Basket, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

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

March 2: Explore! PA Architecture, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 2-31: Highlights Tour, 1:30-2:30 p.m. (Wednesdays-Sundays)
March 3, 17: Family Gallery Tour—Paleontology, 11:30 a.m.
March 4, 19: Storytime, 10:30 a.m.
March 9, 23: Giant PA Map, 11:30 a.m.
March 10, 24: Curiosity Kids, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 11: Learn at Lunchtime—1681 Pennsylvania Charter, 12:15-12:45 p.m.
March 16: Explore! Seasons—Spring, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
March 23: The Games & Puzzles Challenge
March 25: Virtual Adventures in Nature Lab—Freshwater Mussels, 12:15-12:45 p.m.

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

March 5, 12, 19, 26: Saturday Morning Art Club, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 5, 12, 19, 26: Young Artist Camp, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

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

March 2, 9, 16: Dr. Seuss Science Series, 10-10:45 a.m.
March. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Wednesdays Walk at Wildwood, 12-2 p.m.
March 3, 10, 17: Advanced Fly Tying Classes, 6-8 p.m.
March 5: Kids Discover—Woodpeckers (ages 4-6), 10-11:30 a.m.
March 5: Kids Discover—Woodpeckers (ages 7-10), 1:30-3 p.m.
March 11: Astronomy Program, 8-10 p.m.
March 12: Spring Wreath Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
March 12: Volunteer Work Day, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
March 12, 19, 26: Penn State Extension Master Gardeners’ Spring Symposium, 9:30-11 a.m.
March 19: Hello Spring!, 2-3:30 p.m.
March 23: Birdwalk—Waterfowl and Early Spring Migrants, 8-10 a.m.
March 24: Skunk Cabbage Walk, 2:30-4 p.m.
March 26: Bear Boy Scouts—Fur, Feathers & Ferns, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
March 31: Educator Workshop—Biodiversity, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Winters Heritage House Museum
41-47 E. High St., Elizabethtown
717-367-4672; elizabethtownhistory.org

March 5: Heirloom Seed Swap & Garden Workshop, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
March 31: Cli-Fi Short Story Writing Workshop Wrap-up, 7-9 p.m.

Live Music

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

March 5: Chris Lane
March 6: Bill Engvall
March 12: The Oak Ridge Boys
March 13: The Irish Tenors
March 25, 26: Celtic Woman
March 27: Straight No Chaser
March 31: America

Appalachian Brewing Co./Abbey Bar
50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg
717-221-1083; abcbrew.com

March 5: The Dirty Sweet
March 26: Tannahill Weavers presented by Susquehanna Folk Music Society

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

March 3: SON VOLT, Jesse Farrar of Old Salt Union
March 4: Jazz in the City
March 5: Start Making Sense
March 6: Téada presented by Susquehanna Folk Music Society
March 12: York Symphony—Queen
March 19: High Noon—A Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd & Southern Rock
March 24: Langhorne Slim, Riddy Arman

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

March 3: Karaoke, Open Mic with Dave Gates
March 10: Randy Z
March 20: Sviraj
March 24: Lil Brother Band

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

March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Industry Night w/DJ Caraby
March 4-5: The Badlees Reunion Weekend
March 9: Special Jazz Evening w/Ryerson & Rudolph
March 12: The Cure + The Smiths Tribute
March 13: Harrisburg Jazz Collective
March 18: Kilmaine Saints
March 19: On The Lash
March 19: Hometown Strangers
March 25: Rhett Miller w/Corinna Joy
March 26: Cold Spring Union w/Olivia Farabaugh
March 27: Sunday Jazz Series w/Bones of Contention

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

March 4: Boundaries
March 4: Ace Frehley
March 9: The Districts
March 10: Flatfoot 56
March 10: Jamestown Revival
March 11: Devon Allman Project & The Samantha Fish Band
March 12: Summer Salt
March 12: Figure presents Terrorvision
March 16: Trapt
March 17: Keller Williams
March 17: The Dangerous Summer
March 18: Vic Dibitetto
March 23: Extinction AD
March 24: Attila—Rage Fest
March 31: The Slackers

Harrisburg Scottish Rite Theatre
2701 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-238-8868; valleyofharrisburg.org

March 12: An Evening of Rock n Soul

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

March 19, 20: Masterworks—Heroes

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

March 5: Il Divo
March 9: Red Hot Chili Pipers
March 10: Joe Bonamassa
March 13: Brit Floyd (H.U. Presents)
March 26: Brothers Osborne

Harrisburg University Presents
concertseries.harrisburgu.edu

March 13: Brit Floyd at Hershey Theatre
March 24: Mayday Parade at XL Live
March 26: Wolf Alice at XL Live
March 31: The Maine at XL Live

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

March 4: The Stylistics
March 10: Celtic Thunder Ireland
March 12: The Grass Roots, The Buckinghams and The Box Tops
March 24: Kristin Chenoweth

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

March 26: EnVaGe Chamber Concert

Market Square Concerts
marketsquareconcerts.org

March 23: 40th Anniversary Concert with Stuart Malina, Ya-Ting Chang, Andreas Oeste, Jason Vieaux, Peter Sirotin, Dawn Wohn, Timothy Deighton, Fiona Thompson

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

March 25: Messiah University Concert Choir

Perry County Council of the Arts
Landis House

67 N. 4th St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

March 26: Charlie Zahm

Pine Street Presbyterian Church
310 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-238-9304; pinestreet.org

March 26: Amy Yang

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

March 3: The Klezmatics at Kulkarni
March 6: Téada
March 26: Tannahill Weavers at Appalachian Brewing Co.

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

March 18: Samara Joy with Pasquale Grasso Trio
March 25-26: Candace O’Donnell
March 29: Malevo

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

March 5: Steve Vai
March 7: Tower of Power
March 27: The Allman Betts Band

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

March 4: The Floozies, Daily Brea, Phyphr
March 11: Scythian, The Wilson Springs Hotel
March 12: Jameson Rodgers & Special Guests
March 18: Circles Around the Sun, Mikaela Davis
March 19: Coheed and Cambria, Sheer Mag
March 21: Dark Star Orchestra
March 23: Railroad Earth
March 24: Mayday Parade
March 26: Wolf Alice
March 31: The Maine

Zeroday Brewing Co.
925 N. 3rd St, Harrisburg
717-745-6218; zerodaybrewing.com

March 4: DJ Kyn
March 18: Kevin Koa

The Stage Door

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

March 20: Jay Leno

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

March 11: Rob Ward, Brian Tidwell, Rod Caine

The Belmont Theatre

27 S. Belmont St., York

717-854-3894; thebelmont.org

March 18: “Now & Then”

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

March 2-April 16: “Singin’ in the Rain”

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

March 4: TMI Improv
March 5: “3 Billy Goats Gruff”
March 12-27: “Orlando”

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

March 13: Queens Who Brunch
March 19: Fifty Shades Male Revue

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

March 18-20: “The Jungle Book The Musical”

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

March 4: Rehoboth Beach Queens Invasion!
March 4, 5: Tim Young
March 11, 12: Chris Harvey, AJ Wilkerson
March 18, 19: Rich Vos

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

March 4: Heartthrobs, The Outsiders, Meetwood Flac
March 4, 6: Level 1 Class Show
March 5: Solo Sleepover, Love Triangle, Barn Bitches
March 11: Leg of Lamp, The Outsiders, Introduce a Self
March 11, 13: Level 3 Class Show
March 12: Free Mixer, Ferret Prom, Bandito, Don’t Play with Deacon
March 18: Midtown Funk, Larry Bird, Cheese
March 19: Free Mixer, The Outsiders, Sugar Weasel, Rockstar Goes Supernova
March 25: Teen Girls, Same Each, HIT BITS
March 26: Free Mixer, Snicker Casket, Critical HIT!, Elderprov

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

March 3: “Blippi the Musical”
March 15-20: “Fiddler on the Roof”
March 25: Lewis Black

Keystone Theatrics

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

March 5-26: “Curious George—The Golden Meatball”

Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg
915 S. York St., Mechanicsburg
717-766-0535; ltmpa.com

March 3-13: “Wait Until Dark”

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

March 20: “Mutts Gone Nuts”

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

March 6: Catapult—Magic Shadows!
March 18: HYPROV—Improv Under Hypnosis

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

March 1-2: “A Year with Frog and Toad”

Narçisse Theatre Company
[email protected]; www.narcissetheatre.org

March 11-13: “Colorized—A Journey of Identity Through Art and Dance”

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

March 4, 5, 11, 12: Court Street Cabaret
March 4-12: “The Mad Ones”
March 17: “The Diary of Anne Frank”
March 26: “The Obstructed View”

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

March 18-April 3: “Parade”

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

March 4: We the People First Friday
March 4: On Screen/In Person—Equal Means Equal
March 5: Family Fun Fest—Collision of Rhythm

Zeroday Brewing Co.
925 N. 3rd St, Harrisburg
717-745-6218; zerodaybrewing.com

March 17: Boozy Bingo w/Felicia O’Toole

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

Arthouse Advisory: This year’s Oscar-nominated animated films are creative and compelling, but also are for adult eyes

February 28, 2022 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

“Robin Robin”

It’s happened again.

This year’s lineup for Oscar-nominated animated shorts is not kid-friendly (except for “Robin Robin”). Not only are the majority of the films not kid-friendly, but two have major warnings for very adult content.

It is an interesting trend, as many people still see animated films as cartoons solely made for kids, but filmmakers have been stretching and defying those boundaries for years.

Content warnings aside, it’s an extremely compelling program. Each film has a different emotional pull—from hilarious to disturbing to heartwarming—and a different animation style, from cel animation sketches to stop-motion to 3D digital animation. One film has photorealistic characters except for over-emphasized faces and stroke marks for shadows. One features a shiny ceramic character and her wool-felted dog.

The storylines are pretty diverse, as well. “Bestia” shows a horrifying, beautifully symbolic depiction of a woman who works as a secret police agent in the former military dictatorship of Chile. “Robin Robin” is an overbearingly adorable story of a robin who is raised by a family of rats and just wants to be a rat herself. “Boxballet” depicts an unexpected relationship between a boxer and a ballerina. “The Windshield Wiper” is… well, it’s hard to pinpoint what the film is about as it’s about contrasts, contradictions and happenstances, and seeks to answer the question, “What is love?”

And then there’s “Affairs of the Art,” which is this reviewer’s favorite of the bunch. “Affairs of the Art” is irreverent, lighthearted and hilarious. Directed by Joanna Quinn, the film is narrated by a character named Beryl, a factory worker in her late 50s who is obsessed with drawing and wants to be a famous artist. She details all of the obsessions in her family, going from family member to family member. The film will make you cringe continuously, while simultaneously warming your heart with its off-kilter energy. Beryl, who has been the star of several of Quinn’s other short films, is the everywoman trying to make something of herself. Her facial expressions will make you absolutely fall in love with her.

Will it have a chance of winning “Best Animated Short?” Maybe, though historically, the winner has been kid-friendly—an irony, given the direction that the category has been trending. It warms the heart to know that filmmakers keep making these amazing animations despite that caveat.

The animated shorts program will play alongside the live action and documentary shorts programs at Midtown Cinema. If you’re a grownup—make sure to catch them all.

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

March Events At Midtown Cinema

Down in Front! riffs on

“The Wasp Woman” (1959)

Friday, March 11, 9:30 p.m.

National Theatre Live

“King Lear”

Sunday, March 13, 5 p.m.

“Follies”

Sunday, March 20, 5 p.m.

3rd in the Burg Movie Night

“Airplane” (1970)

Friday, March 18, 9:30 p.m.

Red Carpet Evening

Including reception and Oscars watch party

Sunday, March 27

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

Green Cuisine: Rosemary honors the Irish this month with a unique soda bread recipe

February 28, 2022 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

I have always loved St Patrick’s Day, and I don’t really know why.

As I’m 100% Italian, perhaps my favorite day in March should be St. Joseph’s Day, which is celebrated on March 19. In southern Italy, especially in Naples, St. Joseph is honored for bringing deliverance from a drought. Special foods and breads are made to celebrate the day.

But no. As a little girl, I busied myself drawing shamrocks, rainbows, leprechauns and pots of gold. And now, as a “home chef,” I love to make beef stew, shepherd’s pie and corn beef and cabbage on that special day in March. I once spent an entire day making shamrock cookies—rolling three little balls of green dough onto a tiny “stem.” There were a lot of them and, unfortunately, they were not a big hit.

One of my favorite treats to make on St. Patrick’s Day is Irish soda bread. It is a “quick bread,” so known because it relies on baking powder and baking soda for leavening rather than yeast. Quick breads are easy to make. If you have ever whipped up some banana or zucchini bread, you have made a quick bread.

I rely on James Beard’s version of Irish soda bread. It is from a little cookbook I have long treasured called “Beard on Bread.” Written by the renowned chef, teacher, author and restaurateur, it covers every type of bread recipe you might ever look for.

Chef Beard uses whole wheat flour and promises this bread “will be different from every other bread you can find in the world.” It is best if you can make it the day you are serving it, but it comes together easily. A hearty soup, maybe lentil or ham and bean, to accompany it would be perfect. Beard offers another tip—always slice it thin!

James Beard’s Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 level teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon double acting baking powder
1½-2 cups buttermilk

Directions

Combine the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly to distribute the baking soda and baking powder.
Add enough of the buttermilk to make a soft dough (like a biscuit dough but firm enough to hold its shape).
Knead on a lightly floured board for 2-3 minutes until smooth and velvety.
Form into a round loaf and place on a well-buttered sheet pan.
Cut a cross on the top with a sharp, floured knife.
Bake in a pre-heated, 375-degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the loaf is nicely browned. (It should sound hollow if you tap it on top.)
The cross on top of the loaf will spread open as the bread bakes. It is the distinctive characteristic of Irish soda bread.
Let the bread cool slightly on a rack before slicing it very thin.

Many Irish soda bread recipes call for raisins to be added. So, if you like, you can fold a cup of black or golden raisins into the batter as you are combining the dry and wet ingredients.

Any leftover bread can be toasted for breakfast. Lather it with sweet cream butter and orange marmalade. (You are celebrating, after all.)

I wish readers of TheBurg a happy and fun “St. Patty’s Day,” even if your green beer days are over!

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

Love and Identity: “Profoundly fluid, poetic” story opens this month at Gamut Theatre

February 28, 2022 | by Carolina Nicholson

Gamut Theatre’s mission is to tell classic stories in new and exciting ways.

In this effort, they have managed to marry the ideas of “classic” and “contemporary” into one union, taking concepts that should be at odds with each other and letting them flourish together.

Such is the case with their spring showcase production, “Orlando.” Despite being written in 1928, this story is as relevant as ever for those who seek to truly know themselves. In a conversation with the director, Francesca Amendolia, I was able to learn more about the play.

“‘Orlando’ is a profoundly fluid, poetic piece of theater, one that makes unusual demands of the cast and crew and one that asks the audience to embrace that fluidity, to follow Orlando’s story with gentle curiosity and without judgment,” Amendolia explained.

Orlando, a young nobleman in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, yearns for love and adventure and to find his place in the world. So strong is his longing that he becomes untethered in time. Two hundred years of adventures and loves later, Orlando (who is now only 30) awakes from a weeklong sleep to discover she has become a woman. Transformed and yet essentially the same person, Orlando still hungers for adventure and love and understanding. So, has anything really changed?

“As a culture, we’re currently immersed in a long and complicated conversation about gender and gender expression,” Amendolia said. “Because so many young people are at the forefront, it can seem like a very modern conversation, but it isn’t. ‘Orlando’ was written almost a hundred years ago and, when Virginia Woolf titled it a ‘biography,’ she wasn’t entirely joking. The novel’s inspiration, Vita Sackville-West, was not only bisexual but also what we might today call gender fluid—she had a male persona named Julian. ‘Orlando’ reminds us that there’s nothing new about humans trying to figure out who they are.”

And in this vein, Orlando’s experience with loneliness and isolation throughout an extended timeline is very poignant to people right now. As we emerge from a pandemic that has been life-changing for so many, this story about finding your way to an earnest bond with others, while maintaining your own identity, is more relevant than ever.

So, what is “Orlando” really about?

“Orlando” is about finding yourself. “Orlando” is about gender. “Orlando” is about how deeply Virginia Woolf loved Vita Sackville-West. “Orlando” is about loneliness. “Orlando” is about love and loss. “Orlando” is about innocence and maturity. “Orlando” is about creativity and poetry. “Orlando” is about time. “Orlando” is a trans story. “Orlando” is a history, a biography, a fantasy.

“Here’s the real answer—the more we try to categorize ‘Orlando,’ the more we lose the point,” Amendolia said. “Woolf herself didn’t confine ‘Orlando’ to a single genre, instead interweaving fiction and biography, fantasy and history. There’s no single label that we can affix to ‘Orlando.’ There’s no box that ‘Orlando’ can’t kick to pieces.”

Maybe that’s the greatest takeaway for audiences. You can be who you are without trying to fit inside a designated box.

Audiences can expect to feel celebrated and entertained and, hopefully, more connected to each other. The intention of the play is to convey how important every human being is, regardless of how they define themselves.

Amendolia believes that there will be a wonderful aftertaste for those who come out to see this show.

“‘Orlando’ offers a glimpse of something beautiful—a world where people are entirely free to figure out who they are without judgment or restriction or fear, a world in which people can find their voices and then raise them to say true things,” Amendolia said. “For two hours, all of us will be in that world together, and I think that has the power to change us all for the better.”

“Orlando” runs March 12 to 27 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.gamuttheatre.org or call 717-238-4111.

UPCOMING THEATER EVENTS
AT HARRISBURG’S PROFESSIONAL
DOWNTOWN THEATERS

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

TMI Improv

Friday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Doors and bar open 45 minutes prior to the performance.

Tickets are $10.

“Three Billy Goats Gruff”

Feb. 19 to March 5

Saturdays at 1 p.m.

Group performances available on weekdays. Please contact 717-238-4111.

Tickets are $10.

“Orlando”

By Virginia Woolf

Adapted by Sarah Ruhl

March 12 to 27

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Doors and bar open one hour prior to the performance.

Tickets are “pick your price.” You can choose the recommended $38 ticket or a discounted ticket price of $26 or $14.

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

“The Mad Ones”

March 4, 5, 11 & 12 at 7:30 p.m.

March 6 at 3 p.m.

The Obstructed View

March 26 at 8 p.m.

Harrisburg Black NewsBeat

with Dr. Kimeka Campbell

March 9 & 23 at 8:30 p.m.

Court Street Cabaret

March 4, 5, 11 & 12 at 9:15 p.m.

“The Diary of Anne Frank”

Staged Read Through

March 17 at 8 p.m.

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

Dose of Salt: Savor the relaxing, therapeutic air at a nearby salt room

February 28, 2022 | by Gina Napoli

Gulien’s Massage & Saltroom, Palmyra

After this long winter, you may yearn for a day of beach therapy, taking in the warm, salty sea air.

Unfortunately, it’s still too cold to spend much time luxuriating by the seashore. But, much closer to home, there is a salty substitute.

Halotherapy, or salt therapy, allows you to immerse your body in salt and fill your lungs with concentrated salty air to harness its curative properties. It’s like a day at the beach in less than an hour’s time.

Eve Marton, co-owner of Gulien’s newly reopened farmhouse-style salt room in Palmyra, learned about halotherapy during school field trips to salt caves while growing up in Eastern Europe.

“We learned that pink Himalayan salt is the best type because it’s mineral-rich,” she said. “Salt is so important for your cellular function. It’s a natural antihistamine and contains antiseptic properties.”

Ionically charged with beneficial elements like potassium, calcium, iron, iodine, magnesium and bromine, salt has been used throughout the world, over centuries, to treat a long list of physical and mental ailments.

Modern salt rooms use a halogenerator, which micronizes salt and disperses microscopic particles into the air.

“The salt particles convert positives ions into negative ions, which is vital in strengthening the body’s immune system,” said Mel McGuire, owner of SaltEFX, located near Linglestown. “And it has a positive effect on the respiratory system and skin ailments.”

With a long list of touted benefits, the therapeutic claims do tend to raise the proverbial eyebrow. So, I had to see for myself during my own 45-minute salt room session.

Salty Benefits

To enter the salt room, I removed my shoes and walked barefoot through a floor coated with literally tons of salt—about eight inches of granules the size of garbanzo beans. After burying me under a salt pile, the attendant handed me heated rocks for each hand and placed a salt bag onto my stomach. That served as a good reminder to breathe through my diaphragm.

I did a few snow angels, but I mostly stayed still and relaxed, saturating myself in the ambiance. The salt bricks, arranged like beautiful mosaics around a warm fireplace, glowed to create the sensation that I was in a pulsating, neon crystal ski lodge. Halotherapy met color therapy and sound therapy for a balancing triad of mind, body and spirit.

Even lying on a heated floor, the salt quickly cooled most of my exposed skin. But my feet continued to burn and throb as if they had their own pulse.

“The salt is drawing out pollutants and inflammation,” McGuire said. “Can you feel your body detoxifying?”

That’s the moment I turned over and planted my face in the salt. Take that, acne and double chin.

Even if you have no physical afflictions, the relaxing atmosphere may calm your mind, allowing you to absorb the salty benefits into your mental psyche. Or you could indulge in a spa treatment with salt. It’s used in beauty treatments to exfoliate skin, reduce swelling in feet and under eyes, and detoxify glands in bath water.

Good For You

There’s a checklist for attending a salt session.

The rules vary per salt room, but there are some common threads—refrain from applying scented products to your body, no smoking prior to your visit, no eating or drinking, and wear comfortable clothing. Although salt absorbs bacteria, you won’t want to disturb the other guests by bringing the funk.

But you can bring your children. McGuire said that even young children respond well to halotherapy. Marton will even set up a playroom for your kids with sand and salt toys, complete with table soccer.

If you are under a doctor’s care, please consult your physician to discuss whether halotherapy is safe for your medical situation. Halotherapy, while practiced around the world, is considered an alternative treatment.

What should you expect after your session?

Your skin will definitely have a chalky coating. Your entire body will look like a gymnast’s hands. Your lips will taste like soft pretzels, minus the pretzels. But I found that it was worth it to feel your skin’s new softness, to restore your balance.

You also might have a runny nose or a light cough. According to McGuire, “that means it’s working.”

“That’s just the salt breaking down and purging toxins from your lungs,” McGuire said.

Marton offered one final piece of advice post-visit.

“Definitely make sure you hydrate,” she said. “And add salt to your water bottle to replace your electrolytes. Salt is so good for you.”

Salt Near You

The Harrisburg area has three independently owned and operated salt rooms to choose from.

Gulien’s, 125 N. Locust St., Palmyra: www.gulienmassagetherapy.com

SaltEFX Salt Room Center, 6009 Allentown Blvd., Harrisburg: www.saltefx.com

Tranquility Salon and Wellness Center, 257 Penrose Pl., Carlisle: www.tranquilitysalonandwellnesscenter.com

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

Harristown nears completion of Menaker Apartments in downtown Harrisburg, expects April opening

February 25, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda

A model unit at the Menaker Apartments

A Harrisburg developer has set an early spring date to debut its latest apartment project, with pre-leasing expected to begin shortly.

Harristown Enterprises said today that the Menaker Apartments would open for tenants in April. Tours of the model unit have already begun.

“We’re very excited about this project,” said Brad Jones, president and CEO of Harristown. “We believe that potential tenants will love these beautiful new units, some with stunning views, in a landmark Harrisburg building.”

A bedroom in the model unit

Originally constructed in 1906, the building is located on Market Square in Harrisburg. It was built for the Johnston Paper Co., a Harrisburg-based paper products manufacturer, as office and retail space. Most recently, it housed Skarlatos Zonarich, a law firm that since has moved its offices to Strawberry Square.

A bathroom in the model unit

In 2018, Harristown purchased the six-story, 33,809-square-foot building and, last year, began the conversion to an apartment building featuring 28 one- and two-bedroom units. The building interior has been completely renovated for residential use, but the historic exterior has been preserved and restored.

The building is named for Mortimer Menaker, a former chairman of the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority who oversaw a previous renovation in 1977.

At the Menaker Apartments, one bedroom/one bathroom units range in size from 600 to 700 square feet at a monthly rental rate of $1,200, plus electric, according to Harristown. Two-bedroom, 1.5-bath units total about 700 square feet for about $1,400 a month. Two-bed/two-bath apartments exceed 1,000 square feet at $1,595 to $1,625 a month, plus electric, Harristown said.

Each unit in the pet-friendly building features a full-sized washer and dryer and stainless steel appliances, Harristown said.

Exterior of the Menaker Apartments

In addition to the apartments, the building has a 2,000-square-foot, ground-floor space for a future restaurant or retailer.

Harristown’s partners on the project include Select Capital Commercial and Linkbank. Camp Hill-based ByDesign Consultants is the architect, and Mechanicsburg-based Mowery Construction is the general contractor.

In recent years, Harristown has converted numerous empty and underused office buildings to residential use in downtown Harrisburg. In addition, it is renovating an eight-story, century-old commercial building at 112 Market St. into 35 one- and two-bedroom apartments.

The Menaker Apartments is located at 17 S. 2^nd St., Harrisburg. For leasing information, visit www.hbgrealty.net.

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

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

February 25, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Development group Vice Capital purchased this block of N. 6th St. They plan to demolish existing buildings and build a new apartment building.

This week brought lots of stories of new local businesses, development projects and exciting partnerships between organizations. If you missed any of our coverage from this week, or need a new restaurant, brewery or art gallery to check out, look no further.

Chef Nadine Graham has always dreamed of opening her own restaurant, our magazine story reported. While she has operated Porters House in the Broad Street Market for years, she just recently opened her first standalone shop on N. 6th Street in Harrisburg.

Dauphin County awarded its annual gaming grants to local businesses and nonprofits this week, our reporting found. Over $8 million was allocated to local infrastructure, emergency services, health and public safety and public interest projects, among others.

Development group Vice Capital recently purchased a block of N. 6^th Street near the under-construction federal courthouse, our reporting found. The firm plans to build a 40-unit apartment building and startup business workspace for minority entrepreneurs.

The Frederick Douglass Driving Tour is not only educational, but also timely, given that it’s Black History Month. In our magazine story, find ideas for a road trip through Maryland with a focus on Black history.

The Harrisburg School District named a new assistant superintendent, Dr. Marisol Craig, at a board meeting on Tuesday, our online story reported. Craig previously served as the district’s director of virtual learning.

The High Road Brewing Co. taproom recently opened in Mechanicsburg, featuring IPAs, pilsners, lagers, stouts, etc., from a variety of area breweries, our magazine story reported.

Italian Lake is undergoing a dredging process, which will remove built-up sedimentation and waste, our online story reported. According to the city, portions of the lake may be closed off to the public during the two-week operation.

Nyeusi Gallery recently opened in Midtown Harrisburg featuring Black art. In our magazine story, read about how the gallery has become a gathering place for the community.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding visited Good Brotha’s Book Café in Harrisburg to discuss food insecurity and racial injustice, our online story reported. Redding said that the department is prioritizing initiatives to increase access to fresh food for urban communities.

Philadelphia author Kareem Rosser visited Harrisburg on Thursday for a book signing and virtual discussion, our online story reported. In his book, “Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport that Changed Their Lives Forever,” Rosser shares his story of growing up in the inner city of Philadelphia and becoming a national polo champion.

Sara Bozich has lots of fun on tap for this weekend in Harrisburg. In her Weekend Roundup, find local events, restaurants, and entertainment.

UPMC and Harrisburg University announced a partnership to address the national shortage of nurses, our online story reported. They will open the UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing at UPMC Harrisburg, which will feature an accelerated, 16-month degree program for registered nurses.

Wendy Allen has dedicated her entire career to painting one subject: Abraham Lincoln. The artist has painted the former president over 500 times, in different colors, angles and styles, according to our magazine story.

Wrestling has been hot in central Pennsylvania for years, with District III fielding strong representation in the state tournament each year, our magazine story reported. A newer phenomenon, however, is that high school wrestlers now have a way to turn their success into longer careers through Mixed Martial Arts.

Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily digest of news and events delivered right to your email inbox? If not, sign up here!

Support quality local journalism. Join Friends of TheBurg today!

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like