HYP names Meghan Bachmore as executive director, filling top leadership post

January 24, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Meghan Bachmore

After a long search, Harrisburg Young Professionals has a new leader at the top.

On Monday, the organization announced Meghan Bachmore as its new executive director.

“I’ve never seen a more passionate group of volunteers,” Bachmore said of HYP’s board and members. “I’m so impressed by them, and I’m excited to work alongside them.”

Bachmore fills a role for HYP that has been empty for the last two years. Derek Whitesel, the former director, stepped down just before the pandemic hit.

Previously, Bachmore served as the membership services director at the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC. She graduated from Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Bachmore is a Harrisburg resident and has been a member of HYP since 2020.

Last year, she was selected as an HYP honoree for “20 in Their 20’s,” which recognizes 20 of Harrisburg’s outstanding young people making a meaningful impact in their community and workplace.

“We are thrilled to welcome Meghan to our organization,” said HYP board President Jade Honey, who started in her post earlier this month. “Meghan values deep, authentic relationships with others and wants to make a difference in her community. She has the qualities and leadership we need to write the next chapter for our organization. We are excited to welcome her to HYP!”

Bachmore said that she has a 100-day plan for HYP that she believes will set the organization up for success moving forward. She hopes that, after years without a director, she can help the organization function more efficiently and smoothly, she said.

Additionally, she hopes to continue HYP’s mission of encouraging young professionals to live and get involved in the Harrisburg community, she said.

“It’s so important to have young people feel like they fit in and have leadership opportunities,” she said. “HYP provides a unique way for young people to connect.”

On Feb. 23, HYP will host its 24th Annual Meeting and Awards Night at The National Civil War Museum. At the event, the community, HYP membership, leadership and board will have the chance to meet Bachmore.

For more information, visit Harrisburg Young Professionals’ website.

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Historic Harrisburg announces 2022 “Preservation Priorities,” focused on threatened, blighted properties

January 24, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda

Balsley House in downtown Harrisburg

For a second straight year, Balsley House tops the list of threatened historic properties in Harrisburg, according to the city’s principal preservation organization.

On Monday, Historic Harrisburg Association released its proposed “2022 Preservation Priorities.”

Balsley House, a pre-Civil War double building, is on the list as it’s in danger of “demolition by neglect,” according to HHA.

The 2,590-square-foot building, located downtown at 220 N. 2^nd St., also was HHA’s top preservation priority last year. Despite the designation, little seems to have been done to stabilize or restore the deteriorating structure.

David Morrison, HHA’s executive director, expressed encouragement on Monday, saying that, since last year, he has been in contact with the building’s owner, Dusan Bratic of Mechanicsburg.

“Since it went on the list last year, we’ve had a couple of conversations with the owner,” Morrison said. “I think we might be able to take this in a positive direction.”

Balsley House has housed many different businesses over its long lifetime, but has sat empty and increasingly blighted for many years.

The other priorities on HHA’s 2022 list are:

Beidleman House at 1225 Market St.
The former William Penn High School at Italian Lake
The former Harrisburg State Hospital
Prospect Hill Cemetery Gatehouse near the city line

Balsley House has actually been on the list since 2018. Beidleman House has been on since 2011, William Penn since 2017, and the former state hospital since 2014. The Prospect Hill Cemetery Gatehouse went on the list last year after a car hit the structure, severely damaging it.

William Penn has been on the sales market for many years. However, the owner, the Harrisburg School District, recently indicated that it may decide to retain and renovate the building.

HHA also listed two “preservation successes” of the past year: Grace United Methodist Church, a downtown church that has revived its congregation, and Derry Street United Methodist, an Allison Hill church that was sold and now houses the Anglican Church of the Pentecost.

HHA listed no “preservation losses” since last year’s report.

Moreover, HHA put about 30 structures in and around Harrisburg on its “watch list,” meaning that they’re historic properties of concern. These range widely, but include such landmark buildings as the Broad Street Market, the former Coca-Cola bottling works on Allison Hill, the Riverside firehouse and even HHA’s own Historic Harrisburg Resource Center.

“We want to keep these on our radar screen,” Morrison said. “This way, people can help us keep track of them.”

Morrison noted one pending success. The commonwealth-owned Dixon University Center in Uptown Harrisburg is on HHA’s 2022 “watch list.” The Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg recently put the site under contract for purchase, with plans eventually to move its operations to the sprawling property.

“That will be to us the great success of the decade, if not the millennium,” Morrison said.

HHA’s board is expected to approve the Preservation Priority list at its February meeting.

On Monday, Jan. 24, HHA’s Preservation Committee will hold a virtual presentation of its 2022 Preservation Priorities at 6 p.m. Tune in here. For more information about the Preservation Priorities, visit HHA’s website.

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Bob’s Art Blog: The Year in Art Part II and the Amie Bantz Show

January 24, 2022 | by Bob MacGinnes

You Were Always on my Mind

Millworks artists occupied a large space in my head during 2021, all in a good way. They accounted for eight different chapters in my blogs during the period of time from March through December. Ladies before gentlemen, so here are the femme fatales of Millworks.

A number of female artists were already covered in Part I, and there is still a handful left for me to meet at Millworks in 2022. Herewith is the rest of this artistic group found on all three floors at the Millworks Loft Studios.

Tami Bitner, acrylic artist, paints in richly lustrous jewel tones and often employs a cold wax process. She is also a member of the “Mixed Media Art Group.” Reina Wooden (R76) amplifies her art with elements of symbolic sensations emanating from societal conflict and seeks positive resolution in their depiction on canvas. Kristen Fava’s medium is Old World letterpress printing as a graphic designer. Owner of Rexmake, her art at Millworks is focused “works on paper” that draw on a neutral palette.

Art by Yachiyo Beck

Elaine Elledge is also a printmaker with fantastical drawings in pen and ink of parachutes that are like poetry, precision put to paper. Her hot air balloons lift viewers up and away. The Fine Art of Yachiyo Beck deserves to be capitalized as she ascribes to the aesthetics of beauty as found in Asian art. Portraying soft and serene still-lifes, florals and landscapes, her art begs to be viewed up close. Linda Benton McCloskey is a master painter working in varied approaches to her craft that encompass cold wax and encaustic, contemporary and abstract art as well as oil paintings. She is a member of the International Society of Experimental Artists. Averill Shepps is an enamelist of consummate skill. She has honed her craft for over half a century, perfecting the art of jewelry making and enameling bowls of beauty as well as paintings. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.

Art by Ann Benton Yeager

The husband and wife team that forms Fennec Design, Joel and Justin Arawjo create housewares, textiles and jewelry with a thread of ingenuity. Their collaboration draws on nature and its role in elevating design with a purity of spirit and beauty. Rebecca Adey’s ModSew Designs is a Peaceable Kingdom menagerie of loveable critters and creatures. All adoptable animals made from three-dimensional “paper-cut portraits and plush mount sculptures” are created with a sense of whimsy and wonder. Mary Kandray Gelenser turns cast-off fabrics, found objects and ephemera into wondrous assemblages of art. Her compositions become stories of their own, full of history and archival materials from the past to become lasting treasures. Ann Benton Yeager, abstract artist of renown, was the “People’s Choice Artist of the Year” voted by readers of Harrisburg Magazine and the award was well deserved. Benton Yeager’s paintings use a color-laden cold wax process and her oil paintings are deeply saturated in tones and texture. She also specializes in mixed media works that incorporate hot wax elements.

Marsha Souders works in the medium of clay monoprinting. Over the course of the past decade, she has developed her own signature style with a nod to cave paintings that date back 30,000 years ago. Her process encapsulates paint-dyed clay slips applied to Remay paper which when rolled onto a clay slab, creates a singular image. Judy Kelly is affectionately known as “Robot Girl” at the studios as her unique figures are made from found objects of varying size, color and proportion then assembled, named and given their own back story. She also works in collage, oil and abstract paintings and wax as well as jewelry.

Meg Caruso is the creative director for TheBurg and is a ceramicist who creates a collection of objects d’ art with elaborate finishes, elevating a bowl to a work suitable for framing. Her “Quiet Clay” grouping commands attention without uttering a sound. Author and illustrator Lauren Castillo is a Caldecott Honor Award winner and recently published her latest book, “Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us,” which is all about the friendship between the title figure and best friend, Mutty. An endearing tale for children and adults, Castillo’s illustrations melt the hearts of her readers. Erin Musselman’s “Lupine Ceramics” are a testament to her skill as a potter and jeweler. She creates baskets, bowls, earrings and vessels that provide a visual punch to “art of the everyday,” as she describes her collection of housewares and wearable fashion.

Follow the Bouncing Ball: Oddities That Captured my Attention. Antiques, Comic Book Heroes, Vegetables & Peabody and Sherman

The Carlisle Antique Mall (CAM) is doing its part to revitalize downtown Carlisle by reviving an old dinosaur of a landmark building, an original Montgomery Ward store building from 1918. This brings a fresh spin on the block of N. Hanover Street that is having a ripple effect across quadrants and streets of historic importance. The entire downtown is benefitting from a renaissance of sorts from CAM’s basic premise of selling antiques to its special monthly events to a weekly Saturday flea market. CAM is thundering retail therapy under its owners, Richard and Tiffany Lawson. To learn more, visit The Art of Making What’s Old, New Again.

Photograph by Larry Washington Jr.

The Justice League of Art stems from my overactive imagination of a child of nine reading DC Comics, Justice League of America with its elite group of superheroes. Harrisburg has its own unique art superheroes that fly just under the radar. Comprised of abstract artist, Bethany Nicholle, metal manipulator, Keegan Beinhower, photographer about town, Larry Washington Jr. and portrait painter, Grace Robinson, collectively they light up the night sky to make Harrisburg a more interesting place enhanced by their art.

Art by Lina Ferrara

“Summertime and the garden is sprouting all over”…sang owners of Radish & Rye Food Hub, Dusty and Julia James, who elevate the art in vegetables to new heights at their Midtown outpost. Halifax-based “Veg Out” is part of the Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program headed by Melissa Barrick in the Broad Street Market. The Veg Out stand provides seasonal produce that anticipates the needs of shoppers for “The Art in Vegetables”. On a laconic summer morning at Negley Park, Peabody and Sherman (yes, from “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show”) happened upon a plein air class in a corner tucked away from the mainstream. No words were spoken, only deep concentration. Among the artists was Lina Ferrara, fully immersed in her work in progress of the Susquehanna River. Lina teaches oil painting at the Carlisle Arts Learning Center. For more info, read All the World’s a Stage.

Back Stage: The Gang’s All Here

The unsung heroes of art institutions in the area are what keep the wheels of art in motion and the glue that makes it stick. Art Association of Harrisburg (AAH) includes Randy Miller, webmaster design, Crista Sanfillipo, gallery assistant and drawing instructor, Jonathan Frazier, gallery assistant and painting instructor, Nate Foster, gallery assistant, drawing instructor and new father, and Paige Colditz, gallery assistant. Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM) is comprised of Tina Sell, director of education, Ross Tyger, director of the Van Go! Museum on Wheels and events manager, and Mark Bradshaw and Liliana Wara-Goss, visitor service managers. The Carlisle Arts Learning Center’s (CALC) team is made up of Amanda Kistler, administrative assistant, Maureen Madio, education director, Lauren Aungst, ceramics and youth programs, Savannah Manetta, CALC collaborative instructor and Tom Oakes, ceramic technician. Perry County Council of the Arts (PCCA) staff is headed up by Jasmine Coldert, gallery director, Leah Keilman, gallery manager, Missy Smith, communications director, Rachel Barron in charge of art and education, Kathleen Meglio, finance manager and Jacob Smith, gallery assistant.

Bob’s Art Blog Part II, The Year in Art is proudly sponsored by the Amie Bantz Show Live From State College

Art by Amie Bantz

Amie’s guests include a campus full of students at University Park to view her blockbuster exhibit, “Lunchbox Moments.” Artist Amie Bantz had more than a “moment” in 2021 as one of her pet projects Lunchbox Moments shared hundreds of them viewed by art patrons that flocked to the exhibit in August at the Carlisle Arts Learning Center. Now that 2022 has arrived, Amie has taken her powerful presentation on the road to State College at The Hub Galleries Exhibition Cases on main campus in the Robeson Gallery opening Jan. 26 and running through May 15. Highlights include the “Cases Reception” for the artist on Feb. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. when you can meet and hear Amie discuss the evolution of the exhibit. From Feb. 9 to 11, she will lead workshops and presentations with students as well as members of the AAPI communities. The exhibit revolves around a wall of statements depicted on lunchboxes gathered by the artist from a wide cross-section of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. If you happened to miss the exhibit last summer, State College is a short road trip of 75 miles from Harrisburg, well worth the drive to view “Amie Bantz Presents: Lunchbox Moments: Seek Understanding. Share Stories. Stop Hate.” The lunchbox narratives provide storytelling at its best presented to “provide empowerment to marginalized voices in using a platform to raise awareness.” The project is presented in partnership with Adult Learner Programs and Services, Residence Life and the Sustainability Institute. Seven stars out of five; “A Must See Exhibit” (Art WRLD). We now return to our regularly scheduled feature.

The Merry Men of Millworks Manor

The gentlemen artists of Millworks are, in a “manor” of speaking, an eclectic group joined by the common thread of manhood. In an ongoing adventure from their studios, I met quite a group of interesting, innovative individuals.

Art by P.D. Murray

Starting with P.D. Murray, an expressionist painter of movable part works, he takes the notion of a “diorama” to extraordinary heights. His cross-cultural conversations involve a painterly patois all his own. Paul Gallo, one of the Seven Lively Artists, demonstrates why, with his dramatic, outsized oil paintings full of energy pulled from his orbit. John Davis, multimedia artist, is also the art gallery educator and visual art coordinator at the Milton Hershey School. He works in oils, acrylics, ceramics, mosaics and found object art. Caleb Smith, instructor of film and photography at Harrisburg University, captures photos on digital plate and is a driving force behind Moviate. Retired art educator, Richard Souders, is a photo realist of street scenes seen and snapped. Paul Vasiliades, portrait photographer of weddings, branched out to his newfound passion for expansive landscapes through his many travels. Paul Zemiatis and son, Alexander, create scents to soothe and surround one in olfactory pleasures with their Moonrise Candle Co.’s unique fragrances. The latest addition to this group of merry men are the HuckleBuckle Boys, Garrick Dorsett and Zack Rudy who expand their minds on a regular basis to reveal potent poster children of this world and certainly others. Monoprints are their latest offerings digitally or hand-cranked old school.

The Independents: Artists in Their Own Rite

Art by Jessie Waite

‘Dube, dube, do…what were the chances?’ Carlisle’s own “photographer-will-travel” used the Carlisle Arts Learning Center as her studio in mounting the one-woman show, “Dramatis Personae,” by Nicole Dube. The title is Latin for persons of the play and the exhibit explored the schism of self. The face we show the world each day may be far different than the one we hold inside that waits to come out. Dube dramatically captured the two sides to a ‘T’ for transcendent tableaux as we are all but actors on the stage of life. “I wish that I had Jessie’s girl”—Waite, Jessie is a girl –in fact, I happened upon her abstract art, Jessie Waite’s “Map to Somewhere” this summer on a drive with the top down. I took in the scenery from places found along the way in her vibrant art that was as varied in her paintings as the terrains they depicted. Jessie Waite gave me the map to somewhere special, and I never had to leave the comfort of my easy chair. “Suzanne takes your hand…” sang poet Leonard Cohen. The spelling changes ever so slightly to Susanne Robinson who is not only a congregant at Market Street Presbyterian Church but a fiber artist of great skill able to weave color and narrative content into her richly textured tapestries. As a member of Arts on the Square Gallery, which is the latest addition to Harrisburg’s gallery scene, Susanne’s works may be featured at shows periodically in the coming year. Her rug-hooking art must be seen to be fully appreciated.

“Walden Pond” is a historic landmark found in Massachusetts. Gail Walden Coleman is also an abstract artist but, up until this year, she felt there was one key thing absent from her paintings. By adding water, not from the pond, to the mix, she discovered what set her apart. A splash of H2O released the floodgates of fantasy found in color and context.

“All you need is love” could be photographer Kim Love’s Instagram handle but instead it is “exposure with light.” Ms. Love’s black-and-white photograph titled “Gratitude” added a special quality to the association’s walls for its juried show this summer. It would later be included in the city government’s exhibit of her photography, “The Forgotten City.” The exhibit runs through Jan. 31 at the MLK City Government Center.

Art by Stephen Haas

Stephen Haas turned the house upside down this summer and made it his own with a mural that hopefully will withstand the test of time. Stephen is a muralist, cartoonist and balloonist who flies to and lives on a planet entirely his own. He had a number of coups this year, including capturing the Broad Street Market design award for its T-shirt contest, but he outdid that with a room-sized mural of Calvin and Hobbes for a client. One can imagine Stephen echoing Calvin’s words, “It’s a magical world, Hobbes ‘ol buddy. Let’s go exploring.”

Remember Hailey’s Comet? Haley Harned, photographer and visual stylist, shot a still life image for TheBurg’s November cover and creates art for various publications that are instantly recognizable. She is a Savannah College of Art and Design graduate. Lucy Giboyeaux is a Puerto Rican sculptor, painter and multimedia artist who pays homage to her heritage and cultural customs through her work, including keeping the Taino language alive.

“Whiskey bartender,” Krissy Whiski, shared that 2021 proved challenging at times but still made quite a splash at the Art Association’s “Nothing Pretty” exhibit and even got to travel to deliver her paintings to her clientele throughout the United States.

Art by Jim Caufield

Read all about it! Harrisburg artist landed on the pages of the New York Times with his whimsical hand-wrought forest house, “Not Gingerbread,” made of twigs and found objects incorporating nature through his art as a board member of The Friends of Wildwood and “Art In The Wild.”

Julie Riker, aka “The Camp Hill Kid,” rode out of the West (Shore), to the AAH to kick off 2021 with sidekicks Maureen Joyce, Carden Holland and Peg Belcastro for the Art Association’s first show of the year, “Observations and Experiences” in January. Later in the summer, Julie unveiled a Camp Hill vintage-styled postcard mural for the borough, adorning the law firm of Reager and Adler on Market Street.

Art by Michael McCullough

“The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Art…” close to the Mason Dixon Line, an annual art event every fall, in 2021 marked its 14th go-round of an open house art show in the Fairfield Valley. An eclectic 11 shared the stage by way of picturesque cottages, cabins and castles to Cashtown and points beyond. The Foothills Artists Studio Tour is led by its founder, Jack Handshaw, who brought together crafters, painters, sculptors, jewelry makers, potters a wood turner and fiber artist to amaze and astound visitors. Taking place over the weekend before Thanksgiving, this is a holiday open house you will want to mark on the calendar for next year. The artists Joh Ricci, Rod Stabler, Ann Rupert, Judy Pyle, Geoffrey Thulin, Laurie McKelvie, Geoff Grant, Anne Finucane and Michael and Sharon McCullough graciously set the table visually with a Thanksgiving dinner of art with all the fixings. Maureen Marks Art qualifies for the local “teacher of the year” as she completed another year of children’s art birthday parties and art classes for the younger set at her Linglestown studio. Maureen starts them off early at age 3 and even has adult classes for the kids at heart. Family paint nights are available for ages 8 and up. wwwmaureenmarksart.com.

On the Road Again: Millworks Redux

Art by the HuckleBuckle Boys

Millworks artists took advantage of the glorious fall weather, anticipating the upcoming holiday season when they took their art on the road this year. Pamela J. Black was a featured artist at Nemacolin Luxury Resorts at their Laurel Lane Gallery located in Farmington, Pa. Her show, “Changing Seasons,” was a highlight for the resort’s holiday season. Reina Wooden (R76) headed off to the Steel City to show her abstract originals in Pittsburgh. The HuckleBuckle Boys Zack Rudy and Garrick Dorsett headed out on I-78 to Easton for a special reception and show featuring their “The Wandering Ox” at Hemlock Art Space and Gallery in the downtown district. Their one-of-a-kind art was appreciated by an urbane crowd of hipsters.

It’s Your Thing

Millworks art director, Tara Chickey, orchestrated The Odd Ones Bizarres throughout the year and the indoor show, held Thanksgiving weekend, played to a packed house of patrons. Lined up, the love was obvious for all the odd ones that inhabit the Millworks studios and what they created. La Cultura continued its venue of variety, opening its doors consistently throughout the year for creatives, artists, poets, businesses and entrepreneurs to showcase their special events. Elyse Irvis continues to hold and highlight what is timely for the city’s professional needs. One such business, Vintage Wasteland, takes advantage of La Cultura’s vantage point with access to shoppers looking for retro clothes, accessories and special finds on a regular basis. Fashionista Jazmine Soberanis is a leader locally in “thrift resale” for the stylish public.

Owner Makayla Burton of Derry Street’s art gallery and ice cream coffee shop, The Tiger Eye, recently adjusted the shop’s hours to take advantage of art patrons coming out on the weekends for fresh jewelry, paintings, home fixtures and more. The art is featured on a rotating basis from her sweet roster of artists that rival the temptation of her Hershey’s ice cream choices.

Instagram handle “dirt petal”…an advice column for the followers of organically dyed wearable goods features the work of Jovana Sarver. Her galaxy of glamorous botanicals blossoms on her creations. Dear Miss Petal, please advise.

And that’s the year in art!

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

January 21, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

At an open house, Harrisburg residents and activists voiced concerns to PennDOT about a Market Street rehab project.

We are in the thick of winter here in Harrisburg with temperatures that seem to just keep dropping. This weekend, stay warm and stay up to date on local news, which is listed and linked, below.

Arepa House recently opened in downtown Harrisburg, bringing authentic Venezuelan food to the area, our magazine story reported. The restaurant offers various types of arepa sandwiches to choose from, each featuring a varied combination of meat, cheeses, beans, plantains, avocados and/or veggies.

Blogger Bob shares last year’s highlights from the local art world in this first installment of a two-part blog. Take a look at the best exhibits of 2021, here.

Our Burg Review featured Narcisse Theatre’s new show “Kill Keller.” In the play, writer Paul Hood reopens wounds and bares his painful childhood.

Capital Blue Cross has some tips for how to handle stress and strengthen mental health. Find ways to lower stress levels, here.

Carolina Harvey of Susquehanna Township became the first Latina to host the long-running A&E television network series, “Hoarders” in 2021, our magazine story reported. On a day-to-day basis, Harvey helps clients tidy their homes through her business, Cure The Clutter.

The Central PA MLK Day of Service was held mainly on a virtual format due to the snow, our online story reported. The committee still had plenty of ways for the community to celebrate the holiday through live-streamed seminars and activities.

The Harrisburg Heat soccer team has returned to the pitch for a new season. In our magazine story, read about the team that’s been kicking it for years.

The Harrisburg School District announced that it would move to a virtual format this past week due to a rise in COVID cases, our online story reported. That was the second week in a row that the district has opted for virtual learning.

The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra cancelled its weekend concerts due to the current spike in COVID cases, our online story reported.

A high-volume COVID testing site is planned to open soon at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, our online story reported. The Department of Health has not yet released details on when the site will open.

Kesher Israel has moved from its long-time location to a new building on the 3000-block of N. 3^rd Street, our reporting found. The location provides a more modernized and centralized place for the synagogue.

Midtown Cinema is hosting a meet and greet with “The Room” star Greg Sestero this weekend. In our magazine story, read about the movie that has become a cult classic because of how bad it is.

PennDOT presented its plans for the Market Street Bridge renovation at a community open house, our online story reported. Many business owners and activists showed up to ask questions and voice concerns.

The People’s Budget team surveyed Harrisburg residents to find out what they wanted prioritized in the city’s 2022 budget, our online story reported. Results showed that people favored investment in housing, roads and infrastructure, among other items.

Sara Bozich has lots of fun ideas for your weekend, despite the cold weather. Take a look, here.

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Harrisburg group surveys residents to find out what they want prioritized in 2022 city budget

January 20, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Screenshot from the People’s Budget team’s live-streamed presentation on their survey results.

As a new administration takes office, Harrisburg’s budgeting process looks a little different this year.

Harrisburg City Council approved a 2022 budget in December, but new Mayor Wanda Williams is expected to reopen the document and make changes in February. According to city Solicitor Neil Grover, council needs to adopt the final budget by Feb. 15, leaving a short turnaround time for council.

A local group now has used the additional time to make sure that more Harrisburg residents have the chance to offer input on the city’s spending plan.

Members of The People’s Budget team, a collaboration of the Harrisburg Abolition Table and the Young Professionals of Color-Greater Harrisburg, hope there’s enough time for additional community voices to be heard.

“A budget is a moral document,” said Lou Kirkland, a member of the team. “It’s important for residents of a city to be aware of where the city’s money is going.”

Between September and November of last year, the team distributed a survey through email, street canvassing, text and social media, asking community members what they would like to see prioritized in the 2022 budget. In the end, they collected responses from 80 Harrisburg residents.

In the survey, residents identified these top 10 items, in order, as needed investments by the city: housing, roads and road safety, infrastructure, sanitation, public spaces, blight remediation, youth programming, pedestrian accessibility, public transit and mental health care and crisis response.

According to the People’s Budget team, of those who took the survey, 30% lived in Midtown, 26% lived on Allison Hill, 25% lived in Uptown, 5% lived in downtown and 4% lived in South Harrisburg (10% responded “Other”). Additionally, 70% identified as white, 24% identified as Black/African American, and 6% identified as Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, or Other (residents could select multiple races).

Although the responses totaled only a small portion of the population, Kirkland said that she believes it represents the larger Harrisburg community’s views well.

Other findings from the survey showed that residents prioritized general fund spending on public works, the department of engineering and parks and facilities. About a quarter of respondents also stated that infrastructure like public works and parks and recreation should take priority in the budget over the police bureau to improve public safety.

In Harrisburg’s 2021 budget, policing took the forefront, as the city invested over $1 million additional dollars into creating new community policing positions within the bureau. At budget workshop meetings, many community members spoke out in opposition to the investment.

According to Kirkland, the People’s Budget team formed in response to these objections and what they saw as a lack of outreach and consideration by council during the budgeting process.

“There were voices saying this is not what we want, not what we need,” Kirkland said. “The city has done an abysmal job at reaching out to residents […] and taking their input into account.”

Kirkland hopes that their model of surveying residents and including them in the budget process will serve as a model for something the city could do on a larger scale.

The People’s Budget team plans to share the results of their survey with council before the 2022 budget is passed, Kirkland said.

“I would hope they actually take residents’ input into account,” she said.

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High-volume COVID testing site to open at Hershey Medical Center

January 20, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

The PA Department of Health’s map of COVID testing sites in the state.

Getting tested for COVID soon will be easier for people in the greater Harrisburg area.

The state Acting Secretary of Health Keara Klinepeter announced on Thursday that the federal government has approved a high-volume testing site at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

“The south-central location was selected because it is in an area with a high population and a region that has experienced a large increase in cases and testing needs,” Klinepeter said. “The Hershey location was also selected because of its ease of access in the region and proximity to socially vulnerable populations in the surrounding communities.”

The Department of Health has not yet released details on when the site will open.

The drive-through site will allow people to stay in their cars to receive testing. According to Klinepeter, the clinic will provide COVID tests for around 1,000 people each day.

“The latest intense surge of COVID-19 cases reminds us that accessible, reliable testing is a key tool in managing this pandemic,” said Deborah Addo, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Penn State Health. “Penn State Health is proud to play a role in making this new testing site available to people across central Pennsylvania.”

The site will be staffed by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services contractors with support from the medical center.

Clinical staff, testing supplies and laboratory support are funded by the federal government.

The creation of this site is part of the Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) state initiative. The state recently announced another high-volume testing site at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Delaware County for the southeast region of Pa.

The department also has an up-to-date map online detailing where people can obtain a COVID-19 test.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

January 20, 2022 | by Sara Bozich

Plan your weekend with my weekly list of things to do around Harrisburg and central PA! Scroll down or use the menu links to find ideas for your weekend.

What you’ll find:

For your weekend planning
Top Weekend Recs
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Like this content?

For something new: Check out Kill Keller at HMAC. TheBurg has this review of the production. Today is National Cheese Lover’s Day – check out these wine pairings. Lisa’s Café on Chocolate opens at The Hershey Story on Friday.

(Still) Worth noting: Check out my private Facebook community, Cheers Harrisburg. You can join the convo here.

Things on my agenda this weekend: Dinner with a good friend, not much else …

Don’t forget to support your local brewery! Click here to find one near you.

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COVID-19 Disclaimer: Masking and social distancing policies may vary per business, venue, and event. All events are subject to change. Please be considerate, follow the rules, and be nice. And tip extra!

Thursday

National Cheese Lovers Day 2022 Pairing at The Winery at Long Shot Farm
Live @ The Shire Marrisa Porter at Boneshire Brew Works
Winter Market at Farmers Market in Hershey Cocoa Beanery
Industry Night with DJ Caraby at The Englewood
90s Music Trivia at Hemauer Brewing Co.
Italian Cooking Classes with Banfi Wines Part 1: “Say Cheese” – Burrata Making at 1700 Degrees Steakhouse
Boozy Bingo Livestream!
Customer Appreciation Sip & Shop at Carriage House Consignment Boutique
Fulton Theatre presents The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Hershey Area Art Association presents Backstage Café’ Art Gallery features art by Gwen Leuschner and Diane Hoffer at Allen Theatre
Local HAAA artists featured at Hershey Library’s Hallway Art Gallery
Funtcase w/ SweetTooth at Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center

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Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra cancels weekend concerts due to pandemic

January 19, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra on stage at The Forum in 2019

Once again, the pandemic will put a damper on plans for a local musical event.

The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra announced that it will cancel its Jan. 22 to 23 Capital Blue Cross Pops concerts this weekend due to the current spike in COVID cases.

A lack of available COVID testing for musicians also prompted the cancellation, according to HSO.

“Our testing policy for musicians has been comprehensive from day one, and we will continue to do what we can to keep our players and audiences as safe as possible,” said Executive Director Matthew Herren. “It’s important to note that playing in an orchestra, particularly in a woodwind or brass section, involves an enormous, constant circulation of air.”

Earlier this month, HSO postponed its Jan. 8 to 9 Masterworks concerts due to COVID. They are working on rescheduling those, possibly in June.

According to HSO, ticket-holders were notified of the cancellation and offered refunds as well as other ticketing options. Patrons can contact the box office at [email protected] with questions.

For more information on the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, visit their website.

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Next Chapter: Harrisburg synagogue moves from long-time location to new home

January 19, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Rabbi Elisha Friedman leads a service in Kesher Israel’s new building.

A Harrisburg synagogue made the move last week from its mid-century building to a new place of worship.

Kesher Israel renovated and officially opened its new synagogue in the former Riverside Methodist Church on the 3000-block of N. 3^rd Street.

The congregation purchased the building in January 2020 and sold its former home on the 2500-block of N. 3^rd Street—where it was located for over 70 years.

“The new building came out beautifully,” Rabbi Elisha Friedman said. “The old building was way too big for us. This building works really well.”

Since purchasing the property, Kesher Israel completed extensive renovations to modernize the space and constructed an addition onto the building with a new sanctuary.

There are offices, conference rooms, a room to display the synagogue’s historical artifacts, a prayer chapel and a main chapel, among other rooms.

The building is far more manageable for the congregation, which, during COVID, has seen about 30 to 40 regular attendees, Friedman said. However, it’s still plenty of space for the congregation to grow.

Kesher Israel’s new building

According to Friedman, the new building is in a much more convenient location for congregants. At the old building, members had to walk anywhere from one-half to two miles from home to a service on Shabbat, the Sabbath day, on which driving is restricted. This new location cuts down that walking time for many.

“It will make it easier for people to come,” he said.

While it wasn’t an easy transition for all members to leave their former building, people are excited now to be in their new space, Friedman said.

“Our hope is always to grow,” he said. “Moving into this building shows that we plan to be here for awhile.”

Kesher Israel is located at 3200 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website.

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PennDOT brings Market Street Bridge plans to community; activists, business owners raise concerns

January 18, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Community members talk to engineers about the Market Street Bridge project at an open house held by PennDOT.

On Tuesday morning, people filed into the Wormleysburg Borough Office with questions about a major bridge rehabilitation project proposed for Harrisburg.

With informational poster boards and engineers placed around the room, PennDOT welcomed the public to comment on its plan to make major improvements to the Market Street Bridge.

“We want to know what the public wants,” said Heidi Mertz, the project manager for the bridge rehab. “We are willing to listen and to see what we can come up with.”

Late last year, PennDOT announced its $63.8 million plan for the bridge, which spans the Susquehanna River, connecting downtown Harrisburg to Wormleysburg, as well as City Island in the middle.

According to PennDOT, the bridge is in “fair to poor” condition with cracking, rusting and drainage issues that they plan to address.

The project will include work on both the east side of the bridge, which connects Harrisburg to City Island, and the west side, which connects City Island to Wormleysburg. Under the plan, PennDOT will rehab the historic arches of the near 100-year-old east portion and replace the deck and cracking sidewalks. They also plan to construct a new superstructure (deck and beams) on the western side.

All of this work will address the structural issues that the bridge has and “maintain a safe and efficient way to cross the Susquehanna River,” according to PennDOT.

But there’s a lot more to the project, changes that would impact the users of the bridge, as well as the businesses around it. The project could include cutting out lanes, creating new bike lanes or widening sidewalks.

This is what PennDOT wants input on, and on Tuesday, Harrisburg area residents showed up to voice their opinions.

Kevin Kulp, president of the Harrisburg Senators, was one of those people. He heard about the project and was concerned about how it would affect traffic to City Island, where FNB Field, the Senators’ stadium is located.

“I’m really glad I came,” he said. “Seeing the options, it’s certainly important for us to stay informed.”

PennDOT is presenting three options to the public:

Option 1: Keep four lanes of traffic and two sidewalks on each side of the bridge, improving sidewalk surfaces. Only on the western side would sidewalks expand and 2-foot shoulders would be added to provide space for bicyclists. With this option, PennDOT would have the flexibility to re-stripe the roadway in the future to take out a lane and add additional bike/pedestrian space if needed.

PennDOT’s proposal for Option 1

Option 2: Keep four lanes of traffic on each side of the bridge. Eliminate the upstream sidewalk on both to make room for a widened, near 10-foot, downstream sidewalk. This would be shared use for both pedestrians and bicyclists. Two 1-foot-wide shoulders would be created on the western side and one on the eastern side for additional space for bicyclists.

PennDOT’s proposal for Option 2

Option 3: Reduce to three lanes of traffic, eliminating one. PennDOT would make a wider upstream sidewalk for pedestrians and a wider, 10-foot downstream sidewalk for shared use. They would also add 2-foot shoulders between vehicle lanes and raised sidewalks—additional space for bicyclists.

PennDOT’s proposal for Option 3

According to Mertz, the Market Street Bridge sees “plenty” of pedestrian and bicycle use, warranting the multimodal upgrades.

David Morrison, executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association, has his concerns.

“I applaud them for the restoration of the historic eastern bridge,” Morrison said. “But they could just restore this as is and not try to make it a 21st-century recreational bridge.”

Morrison doesn’t see bicyclists using the bridge as much as PennDOT thinks they will. He pointed out what he sees as an unsafe crossing area once riders cross the bridge onto Front Street in Wormleysburg. He also cited the Harvey Taylor Bridge as an example of a failed multimodal attempt, saying how the pedestrian walkways, added in the early 2000s don’t get much use.

“I’m afraid we will get the same result,” Morrison said. “I’m afraid it’s going to be a waste of money.”

Morrison proposed that PennDOT explore an alternate option–restoring the western span of the Walnut Street Bridge and making that the primary non-vehicular passageway for cyclists, runners and pedestrians.

A few bicyclists showed up at the open house, including Dick Norford, a Capital Area Greenbelt Association (CAGA) board member. Norford thinks the pedestrian and bike lanes proposed for the Market Street Bridge will be used.

“There’s an ever-increasing number of people commuting on bicycles,” he said.

Norford had concerns about the safety of option two, which only has one shared sidewalk for bikers and pedestrians. But overall, he favored the idea of increasing access for bikers on the bridge.

“If we make it more inviting for bicyclists, they will use it,” he said.

PennDOT plans to begin construction on the Market Street Bridge in 2024. Mertz said that construction could take two to three years, plus additional time for the movement of utility lines under the sidewalks.

There is a possibility of that timeline changing depending on what happens with the South Bridge of I-83, which PennDOT has proposed widening and beginning to toll, Mertz explained. According to Mertz, they wouldn’t have construction taking place on both at the same time.

Throughout the Market Street Bridge construction, PennDOT said there will be access to City Island. They are still seeking public input and deciding on how traffic will be maintained and detours will be employed.

Kulp is nervous about the construction’s impact on allowing visitors easy access to the island’s amenities, including Senators games.

“We have to make sure people are going to be able to get to the island and get home in an efficient manner,” he said. “I want to look out for the interest of all the vendors on City Island.”

PennDOT is accepting public input on the Market Street Bridge project through Feb. 11. An additional open house will be held on Jan. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Wormleysburg Borough Office, Knisley Hall. Comments can also be made online.

For more information about the Market Street Bridge rehabilitation project, visit PennDOT’s website.

Updated on 1-20-22 to include a statement from David Morrison.

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