Wonderland of Wheels: Lower Paxton neighbors form nonprofit to give away bikes for the holidays

November 30, 2021 | by Karen Hendricks

Facebook, maligned by many, can also turn merry. As a Lower Paxton neighborhood group discovered, it can actually be a vehicle for good.

“Initially, I had the Neighbors of Lower Paxton Facebook group as kind of a neighborhood watchdog, but it blossomed into something entirely different—neighbors helping neighbors,” said longtime resident Forrest Healey, 54.

Back in the fall of 2019, one of his neighbors—a woman who had lost her job— turned to that Facebook page for help as the holiday season approached.

“She was concerned about getting clothes for her two teenage kids—let alone anything else,” Healey said. “People came together—it was amazing to see. They helped her with a new job and gifts, and I was inspired by that.”

His Wheels Were Turning

Holiday kindness, especially toward kids, struck a chord with Healey.

“My father left us when I was 7, and my mother raised us on her own. She had to work nights … but one time we all got new bikes,” Healey said. “And my sister—who worked her way up from nothing—she has bike drives out in [my hometown] Las Vegas.”

With bikes on his brain, he floated the idea on Facebook. What did his Lower Paxton neighbors think about launching a bike drive?

Mike Williams and Tiffaney Horner were two of the first people to respond.

“So much of my career is focused on promoting play in children, and a bike is universal,” said Horner, a mother of three who’s worked with medically compromised children for 25 years. “You don’t ever age out of that essence of play.”

“The gift of a bike represents freedom—the first mode of escape, to jump on a bike and be carefree,” said Williams, a father of three who’s a former special agent with the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Child Predator Unit.

With the goal of gathering 30 shiny new bicycles and distributing them to families in need—just a few weeks after that initial Facebook post—the grassroots group exceeded expectations and provided 51 bikes for the 2019 holiday season. It was a community effort. Teachers at South Side and North Side elementary schools recommended kids in need. Healy matched donors—and predicted bike sizes—with children.

Much like a bike ride itself, their efforts were exhilarating.

“We were just acquaintances and friends, but somebody said we should form a nonprofit so we went down that path,” said Healey, a self-employed electrician who’s also a father of three. “I’m a little impatient, so we just flipped that switch and went.”

On Their Path

Bike a Better Path formed with Healy as executive director, and Horner and Williams serving as president and vice president, respectively. Additional board members and community volunteers are also essential.

Just like riding a bike, the group got right back on board for the 2020 holiday season. They doubled their goal, setting their sights on 100 bikes. Then the wheels fell off, figuratively. The pandemic hit, along with financial concerns and supply chain issues.

“I would definitely say the need grew, but I was genuinely surprised,” Horner said. “Everyone was affected or impacted by the pandemic, but that actually drew more donors to help where they could.”

Bikes were hard to find. The group had a system for scouring area stores, but most often, they encountered empty shelves.

“It was toilet paper, paper towels and bikes,” said Williams, counting the top three most sought-after items at area Wal-Mart and Target stores, on his fingers.

Still, the group once again exceeded expectations in year two by collecting and giving away 164 bikes.

This holiday season, with their newly minted nonprofit status in place, Bike a Better Path is aiming for 300 bikes. If they hit that goal, they’ll have given 500 kids their own set of wheels within three years.

Families can now submit confidential requests directly online. Healy personally reaches back to each and every one.

“It’s the loss of job, COVID, family dynamics, divorce, all kinds of things,” Healey said. “I’ve spent many a time managing it up till midnight, standing at my kitchen island. It’s basically what I do in all my spare time.”

While first-year requests came from Lower Paxton families, the group now considers requests from a 25-mile radius.

“We all have a soft spot for these kids wherever they come from—we don’t want to say no,” Williams said. “There’s no east shore, west shore rift here. It’s just nice to help those who are less fortunate. There’s no politics, no race or gender issues—we’re just trying to help parents supply bikes for their kids.”

Bike helmets are provided by the American Legion Post 272 in Linglestown, where this year’s distribution days are set for Dec. 17 and 18. That’s when the bikes come out of storage units donated by a local facility. All families receive bike locks, safety rules and a “bike promise” for parents and children to establish rules and responsibility. It takes more than 20 volunteers to make the event run smoothly.

After a year’s worth of work behind-the-scenes—gathering donations, putting bikes together, and hearing about hardships and heartache—there’s magic in the air. Maybe it’s because Bike a Better Path’s mission is “empowering youth through the magic of a bicycle.”

“There’s the excitement and gratitude of the recipients, lots of thank you and tears because they know their child will have a gift,” Williams said. “It takes a village, and this village is an awesome group of people from Lower Paxton Township.”

For more information on Bike a Better Path, see bikeabetterpath.com.

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Executive Exit: A reflection on a mayor’s tenure

November 30, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck

Back in December 2013, I visited then Mayor-Elect Eric Papenfuse in his transition office, a small, cluttered space just around the corner from city hall.

He was a busy man, squeezing in appointments, hiring staff and trying to learn the workings of the sprawling—and then deeply troubled and indebted—city government.

But he made some time for me that day and gave me an overview of his general goals as Harrisburg’s new mayor. Some of these, I agreed with; others, I didn’t.

Well, life never turns out quite the way you think it will, and the next eight years were filled with many high points and some low ones, too.

In general, I believe that Papenfuse has much to be proud of as he exits the mayor’s office in January. Harrisburg is in far better shape today than when he took office, the city then just emerging from its devastating financial crisis. That said—it’s been a bumpy ride for sure.

I’ve reflected back on what I consider to be the most significant accomplishments—and the shortcomings—of Papenfuse’s two-term tenure. Let’s hit the high notes first.

City Finances. When Papenfuse took office, the city’s future looked bleak. Harrisburg’s financial recovery plan offered some hope, but how would the city ever be able to continue to pay its bills, deliver critical services and whittle down its mountain of debt? It was anyone’s guess. Eight years later, the city has run successive budget surpluses and has plenty of money in the bank. Last year, it even got the state legislature to extend its extra taxing authority, which may be the single greatest achievement under Papenfuse. The fiscal picture is now so bright that the mayor’s latest squabble with City Council is not if the remaining debt can be paid off, but just how quickly.

City Services. As the city’s fiscal picture has improved, so has its delivery of core services. The city’s staff, stripped to the bone during the financial crisis, has doubled under Papenfuse. Does Harrisburg really have an arborist, park rangers, an event planner? Yes, it does. It even went into the sanitation business, extending trash pickup into neighboring towns. Having said that—many key people have left city employment recently, leaving Mayor-Elect Wanda Williams with a big personnel challenge as she assumes office.

Infrastructure. Long-time Mayor Steve Reed loved new building projects, but he often ignored the crumbling streets, sidewalks and sewers right beneath his feet. In contrast, Papenfuse made infrastructure a priority. Over his eight years, much of 3rd Street was rebuilt, the long-dreamed-of, two-way 2nd Street conversion began, and development in South Allison Hill was seeded. Most neighborhoods in Harrisburg saw significant infrastructure improvements, even as Papenfuse tussled with PennDOT over state-owned roads. The mayor brought some sanity back to the redevelopment game, as the city got out of the building business but laid the foundation to make Harrisburg a more hospitable place for residents and for new development. So far, it seems to be working.

Papenfuse had several qualities crucial to being a good mayor—smarts, administrative skills and a commitment to hard work. Unfortunately, he lacked one other skill important for success in the job: good people skills. When he chose to, he did a decent job hobnobbing and glad-handing and doing all those public things a politician needs to do. But often he didn’t want to, it seemed. And to make the situation worse, he appeared more comfortable attacking than appeasing, being pugnacious not gracious. His personal style ended up exacerbating, not solving, many of his problems and, in the end, likely cost him a third term as mayor.

Over the years, Papenfuse publicly feuded with, in no particular order, the county commissioners, the visitor’s bureau, the Civil War Museum, PennLive, Capital Region Water, state legislators, the Dauphin Democrats and the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority. I may have missed a few. He routinely spoiled relationships with people and organizations the city needed on its side, and, as far as I could tell, got little in return from the fights.

However, his two most problematic relationships were also his most important—with City Council and with the community at large.

In Harrisburg, bad blood between the mayor and council is something of a terrible tradition. Mayors Reed and Thompson deemed it beneath them to even attend a council meeting, even though doing so would have helped accomplish the public’s business.

To his credit, Papenfuse made a point to attend every council meeting—that is, until he lost the May primary, when he peevishly stopped. However, he never really formed working relationships or alliances with council members. At meetings, the two bodies often looked like opposing forces and frequently behaved that way. In fact, over time, instead of improving, their relationship grew worse, turning into he said/she said dysfunction.

On Election Day last month, Mayor-Elect Williams stood at the podium in victorious solidarity with most of her fellow council members. For the sake of the city, I hope their relationship remains as strong as it seems now, which would be a welcome break from the past.

Papenfuse’s relations with the community, broadly speaking, weren’t that much better. There are folks in Harrisburg who don’t feel a need to see or shake hands with their mayor. But there are others who definitely do. They want to see him or her out and about, eating tacos on Allison Hill, shopping in Midtown, just walking around, occasionally checking in at the local store, restaurant or salon.

Over the past few years, Papenfuse was an increasingly absent figure outside of city hall. I respected that he put in long hours at his desk. However, public engagement is part of the job and needs to be part of a mayor’s routine schedule. It’s also smart politics, especially if you plan to run for re-election.

In the end, I feel that Harrisburg is better for having had Eric Papenfuse as mayor for the past eight years. He helped settle the city’s troubled finances and build capacity within the municipal government. He entered office at a critical juncture in Harrisburg history and is departing with the city in far better fiscal and operational condition than when he entered. Yes, he should have been more attentive to building and maintaining relationships and, importantly, taken the tumult of city politics more professionally and less personally. If he had, he might’ve been mayor for the next four years. Nonetheless, he can leave office with his head high.

And now the city moves onto a new mayor, a new chapter in its history. I wish Mayor-Elect Williams all the best and much success, both for the people who will work directly for her and for the residents of our shared city.

Lawrance Binda is co-publisher/editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

Illustration by Rich Hauck.

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New Home, Same Family: Harrisburg congregation finds “dream” building, years after losing its historic church

November 30, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

Pastors Mack Granderson & Martin Romain

Paint was still being rolled onto the walls inside Crossroads Christian Ministry as Pastor Mack Granderson showed me around. It was a fresh white coat that would welcome churchgoers into the space, newly claimed by the congregation.

Granderson proudly walked me through the meeting rooms, sanctuary, the spacious fellowship hall and a room that would become the library. There was still work to be done—there was even talk of knocking down walls for more space. But Granderson and fellow pastor Martin Romain kept saying how perfect the building was.

“God has provided for us,” Romain said. “This is what we deserve after everything we’ve been through.”

In September, I wrote a story on the 10 United Methodist Churches in Harrisburg that were forced to close over two years ago by the local oversight body, the Susquehanna United Methodist Conference. I talked to pastors and congregants of churches that were shut down and how they’ve fared since. In the story, Granderson and Romain shared their experience—the loss of their church, formerly Derry Street UMC in Allison Hill, in the name of consolidation.

It was a time, they said, full of pain and closed doors. They had to leave the neighborhood they were rooted in, and Granderson was even stripped of his license as a UMC pastor.

However, the pastors also shared hope. They expressed gratitude to The Rock Church in Harrisburg for allowing them to share building space while they searched for a new home. When COVID hit, they found joy in meeting for services outside or online. For as many doors that were closed, Granderson and Romain found others that were opened.

And one of those doors just happened to be the entrance to an old Masonic lodge just outside the city in Oberlin, a community in Swatara Township. With a fresh coat of white paint on the walls, this would be their new church home.

“It felt like we were the Israelites in the wilderness,” Granderson said. “But, guess what? Canaan—it’s here.”

New Chapter

Crossroads pastors and members gathered on a Sunday morning in October for their first service in their new building on Harrisburg Street, near the Harrisburg Mall.

Unlike Canaan, the building wasn’t flowing with milk and honey when congregants arrived, but it did have plenty of off-street parking, which may be the modern equivalent for people used to fighting for spots at the former city locations. The pastors pointed that out a few times—50 spots and room for more on the acre of land that came with the building.

Granderson preached the sermon that first morning. It was about Crossroads’ story and everything that changed over the past few years, about how they made it to where they sat now. It was less about the loss and more about the restoration, Granderson said. The message elicited lots of tears. It was needed.

“For everything that’s been taken away from us, I don’t know if there’s anything that can make up for what we’ve gone through,” Romain said. “They can’t repay us, but what we can do is forgive. That was just a part of our journey. Now, we can let that go and move forward.”

They don’t really have an option as their congregation is growing fast. They’re busy. Sundays average anywhere from 100 to 150 attendees, a number that they haven’t seen since their days on Derry Street, before the closure and pandemic.

It’s a diverse group. Some people who attended Crossroads have stuck around, making the drive out of the city to the new location. Others come from Enola, Middletown, Linglestown and other surrounding areas. Still others join their streamed service online, even people from out of state. And then there are neighbors of their new Oberlin location who have come in to check it out.

It’s a racially, culturally and socioeconomically diverse assortment of members—who all are welcome, Romain said. Services are in English and Spanish, something they’re proud to provide.

“The Bible is clear when it teaches that we are to treat everyone with love and kindness,” Granderson said.

Family Ties

Harrisburg resident Cheryl Allen attended Derry Street Church, and later Crossroads, for about 47 years. There are a few other people who have been there as long, she said, some possibly longer.

She remembers when they got news that Derry Street would close. It was difficult.

“I still miss Derry Street. It was a beautiful building,” she said. “But it was more important to keep the family together.”

This family-like bond has been the church’s not-so-secret weapon, the thing that has kept Allen and others, she believes, around through the closure and the pandemic. The diversity of the members only makes the body stronger, in Allen’s opinion.

“We are one big family,” she said. “I love everybody.”

Allen is “thrilled” to be in the new location. She loved the Derry Street church, but doesn’t let the forced exit bother her anymore. Her family is intact—that’s all that matters.

The pastors echoed that sentiment, expressing a renewed realization that a building can’t be their foundation, lest it get pulled out from under them.

“People—that has become the centerpiece of my focus, not things,” Romain said. “Because things are temporary. Our true ministry isn’t the carpet, the paint, the walls or the ceiling. It’s the people—and that hasn’t changed.”

“All of this stuff could disappear, and we would still have a church,” Granderson added. “How do we know? Because we’ve been through it.”

When Crossroads was located in Allison Hill, community outreach was a huge part of their mission. They haven’t forgotten that neighborhood. Granderson assured me that they would still be making connections there. But he’s excited to reach the church’s new neighborhood in Oberlin, too.

“We are going to blanket this community,” Granderson said. “We are going to let people know who we are and what we are about. If you want to be a part of it, you are welcome, no matter who you are.”

Crossroads Christian Ministry is located at 350 N. Harrisburg St., Oberlin. For more information, visit www.thecrossroadsministries.org.

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December News Digest

November 30, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Wanda Williams Elected Harrisburg Mayor

Wanda Williams will be the next mayor of Harrisburg, as the City Council president handily beat back a write-in challenge from the incumbent mayor.

Williams, the Democratic nominee, received 4,429 votes compared to 1,920 votes for “write-in candidate 1,” who is presumed to be two-term Mayor Eric Papenfuse. Republican candidate Timothy Rowbottom received 470 votes.

At an election celebration in Uptown Harrisburg, Williams promised to be a “visible leader,” implicitly contrasting her style with that of Papenfuse.

“The residents of Harrisburg finally have an authentic leader, and that’s me—who’s rooted in the community and is going to take input from the community,” she said, before a crowd of cheering supporters.

Williams and Papenfuse also competed in May in a crowded, five-candidate Democratic primary, with Papenfuse losing the nomination for a third term by just 46 votes. In September, he declared that he would run as a write-in candidate.

Williams, who has served on City Council for four terms, will take office in early January. In the meantime, she said that her first priorities are to hire staff, speak with city residents over how to best spend federal pandemic relief money and confer with City Council members.

“It feels wonderful,” Williams said, following her victory. “I want to get in there and get started.”

In the race for Harrisburg City Council, four Democrats won after running unopposed for four, four-year seats. They are council veterans Ausha Green and Shamaine Daniels and newcomers Ralph Rodriguez and Jocelyn Rawls.

For city school board, Democrats Brian Carter, Danielle Robinson, Roslyn Copeland and Jaime Johnsen all won four-year seats. Democrats Terricia Radcliff and Ellis R. “Rick” Roy won two-year seats on the board.

Running unopposed, incumbent Charlie DeBrunner will serve another term as city controller.

In Dauphin County, Republican Mary Bateman won a two-year seat for county controller, defeating Democrat Eric Epstein in a close race. For prothonotary, Republican incumbent Matt Krupp defeated Democrat Anju Singh. Running unopposed, long-time county coroner Graham Hetrick will serve another term.

In the hotly contested race for an open judgeship on the Court of Common Pleas, Republican Jeff Engle defeated Democrat La Tasha Williams.

Market Street Bridge Rehab Planned

A major Harrisburg bridge connecting the east and west shores is slated to undergo rehabilitation.

PennDOT last month began seeking community input on a project that will make improvements to the historic Market Street Bridge.

The bridge spans the Susquehanna River, connecting Harrisburg to Wormleysburg, as well as City Island in between.

PennDOT plans to rehabilitate the historic arches of the bridge. The state transportation agency will also replace the deck and sidewalks on the eastern bridge and construct a new deck and beams on the western bridge.

According to PennDOT, the purpose of the $63.8 million project is to maintain a safe and efficient way to cross the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg and the west shore. The Market Street Bridge is one of the four main river crossings in the Harrisburg area.

A project overview, displays and plans are available on PennDOT’s website for the public to view. The agency hopes to receive feedback from the community through a comment form.

There will also be an in-person open house plan display held on Dec. 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Kinsley Hall, 20 Market St., Wormleysburg.

PennDOT is accepting comments on the project until Dec. 22. They anticipate starting construction in 2024.

“It is an important project for commuters and pedestrians, and we strongly encourage everyone to visit the project website or join us for the open house to learn about the preliminary plans to rehabilitate the bridge and maintain safety and multimodal access over the Susquehanna,” said PennDOT Acting District Executive Chris Drda.

Pet Store Opens in Kline Plaza

Harrisburg’s four-legged residents now have a place in the city that’s stocked with items just for them.

Butler’s Pet Feed & Supplies opened last month in the Kline Plaza shopping center on S. 25th Street. The store carries dog, cat, fish and turtle food and supplies.

“We are providing for residents what they are tired of traveling out of the city to get,” said Darryl Butler, who owns the store with his wife Celia. “These are high-quality products that no other local pet store has.”

Butler has over 20 years of experience in dog breeding and training, he said. He specializes in breeding German shepherds. Opening his own pet store has been a dream for the past 10 years and, finally, his wife Celia pushed him to make it happen, he said.

Butler plans to use his experience and knowledge to offer advice and education to customers.

“It’s difficult to know what quality dog food is,” he said. “We are here to educate.”

Butler’s carries over 10 brands of dog food and over five brands of cat food, he said. Additionally, their shelves are stocked with items like leashes, treats, food bowls, litter boxes, pet beds and toys.

Butler also mentioned that they have a scale for customers to weigh their pets and make sure they’re healthy.

“It’s not just about the business side,” he said. “It’s about the passion.”

Grocery Debuts in Uptown Harrisburg

Uptown Harrisburg has a new grocery store, as Market Fresh on N. 6th Street opened its doors for customers.

“This area didn’t have a lot of fresh vegetable and fruit options. We wanted to supply that for the community,” said Camila Contreras, who runs the store with her father Ramon Contreras and his wife Yamelyn Vargas.

Ramon, originally from the Dominican Republic, isn’t new to the grocery industry. He’s owned a handful of corner stores over the past 30 years. Market Fresh is his biggest store yet, he said.

After conducting a market study, the family settled on their Uptown location, noticing the need for a grocery store in the neighborhood, Camila said.

“We realized everything was really far away,” she said. “He [Ramon] saw it as an opportunity to grow and help the community out.”

In addition to fresh meats and produce, the store has aisles full of frozen and packaged items. Camila pointed out the large number of Goya and other Latino food products.

“Because the area is really mixed [culturally], we tried to supply food that catered to everyone in the community,” Vargas said.

Ramon said that he plans to get a sense of what the community would like to see at Market Fresh and is open to taking suggestions from customers.

“It may take awhile to figure out what items people like,” he said. “I hope the community supports me.”
It took the family two years to transform the space on N. 6th Street into what it is today, as the pandemic delayed its opening. Ramon said that he’s proud of his new shop and now sees how far he’s come through three decades in the grocery business.

“I’m really happy,” he said. “Now that I see it done, I feel great. My hope is to offer the best services and quality to the community.”

Surf’s Up, as Beach Club Opens

The Harrisburg Beach Club opened for business last month at the point on City Island.

The beach club is an outdoors venue, with a bar and tables located just outside of the city’s historic bathhouse, near the banks of the Susquehanna River. For the cold-weather season, owners Bryan Donovan and Adam Maust have deployed heaters and fire pits.

The century-old bathhouse, which had been shuttered for decades, is also part of the project. Before it could re-open to the public, the Tudor-style structure required extensive restoration, including renovating the first-floor bathrooms and changing areas.

The owners also made extensive improvements to the outdoor space, including lighting, landscaping and construction of a large bar.

The owners announced their venture in late May, hoping to open in early July. However, various delays pushed the opening into early November.

In order to serve alcoholic beverages, the beach club employs a satellite liquor license from Hidden Still Spirits, a Hershey-based distillery. The beach club also features beer and wine from PA-based producers, as well as coffee from Harrisburg-based Good Brotha’s. The bar has a 10-tap system.

“We’re really excited to showcase the space,” Donovan said. “We’ve put a lot of hard work into it, so we’re eager to show everyone what we’ve done.”

Hours are Thursday and Friday, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visit www.harrisburgbeachclub.com.

Home Sales Dip, Prices Jump

October home sales in the Harrisburg area were modestly lower but prices moved higher, according to the latest report on previously owned homes.

For the three-county region, sales totaled 741 housing units, down from 805 units in October 2020, but the median price increased to $229,500 from $209,900, stated the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, sales dipped to 376 units from 385 a year ago, but the median price surged to $210,000 compared to $185,000 the prior October, GHAR said.

Cumberland County saw sales of 330 homes versus 383 in October 2020, but the median price increased to $259,750 compared to $235,000 last year, according to the association.

In Perry County, sales fell slightly to 35 units, a drop of two compared to last October. However, the median price shot up to $239,900 versus $195,700 in the year-ago period, GHAR stated.

Houses also were selling faster than last year, as the “average days on market” dropped to 20 days, compared to 31 days in October 2020, according to GHAR.

So Noted

Church World Service will open a new Harrisburg office to help resettle Afghan refugees locally, it was announced last month. Services will include case management, basic needs support, cultural orientation, health access assistance and job preparation and placement help.

Fltbys opened last month in Midtown Harrisburg, offering a variety of streetwear and branded merchandise. The opening of the shop at 263 Reily St. coincided with a concert by owner and musician KOTA the Friend at H*MAC.

Foose School last month cut the ribbon on its Little Free Library, which allows people to access books 24/7. Students across five classrooms brainstormed ideas for the design, made small models and helped paint the little library, which was then stocked with donated books.

Harrisburg University last month held a signing ceremony to “top off” its under-construction academic building at S. 3rd and Chestnut streets in Harrisburg. The 11-story building, which will house health science and other classrooms and facilities, is slated to open by 2023.

James M. MacLaren was inaugurated as the new president of Lebanon Valley College in late October. He is LVC’s 19th president in its 155-year history, according to the college.

Mark Walsh and Michael Yan are the new co-owners of the Budget Blinds franchise for Harrisburg, Hershey and Carlisle. Shoppers can visit the showroom at 4915 Jonestown Rd., Harrisburg, call 717-657-6110 or visit www.budgetblinds.com.

The Manor on Front Bed & Breakfast last month expanded to the building next door, the historic Mary Sachs mansion. The B&B, located on the 2900-block of N. Front St. in Harrisburg, now includes two neighboring, century-old buildings—“The Mary Sachs,” named for the famed clothier who lived there, and the original “Ledgestone.”

WITF, Hamilton Health and PNC Bank last month opened a new “Family Play and Learn Space” in Hamilton Health’s building in Allison Hill. The play space is intended to benefit low-income families in the Women Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program.

In Memoriam

Kathy Possinger died suddenly on Oct. 22, following an accident at her Harrisburg home. Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Possinger, 44, spent most of her career working in the fields of fair housing and community support, including as executive director of Tri County Community Action in Harrisburg from 2010 to 2015. Afterwards, she held several positions in state government, most recently as a special advisor to Meg Snead, the acting secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. To honor Kathy’s life, her family asks for donations to be made to Tri County Community Action, www.cactricounty.org.

Changing Hands

Bartine St., 1331: F. Rigel to Capital Acres LLC, $85,000

Bellevue Rd., 1911: A&K Investments Partnership LLC to F. Paulino, $125,000

Bellevue Rd., 1956: Equity Trust Co. FBO K. Mangan & E. Peak to M. & P. Pierce, $98,000

Bellevue Rd., 2011: M. Feldman to A. & J. Brown, $80,000

Berryhill St., 1616: A. Reeves to Rivera Realty LLC, $40,000

Berryhill St., 2253: L. Tran & L. Vo to T. Dieu, $58,000

Berryhill St., 2332: J. Mayhew to S. Hoch, $105,000

Berryhill St., 2475: N., A. and K. Williams to L. & B. Reed, $73,000

Boas St., 1509: J. Tracy to A. Trueitt, $32,000

Boas St., 1853: F. & N. Pimentel to L. Portes, $35,000

Briggs St., 1616: W. & M. Snow to D. Chegar & A. Elkhadir, $35,000

Crescent St., 323: C. Patel to M. Olano, $40,000

Dauphin St., 632: L. & L. Gustin to NA Capital Group LLC, $30,000

Derry St., 1252, 1254, 1330, 1627, 1629, 1631 & 1633 and 225 S. 13th St.: A. Himalaya PA Properties LLC & SLK Global Solutions America to 1252 Derry PA LLC, $557,832

Derry St., 1312: A. Himalaya PA Properties LLC & SLK Global Solutions America to 1408 Vernon PA LLC, $739,464

Derry St., 1408: D. Judge to J. DeJesus, $37,000

Emerald St., 217: A. Spinicelli to M. Mtere & F. Laoukili, $94,000

Emerald St., 519: C. Aumuller & P. Carcione to PACC Homes & Development LLC, $52,000

Girard St., 746: B. Simmons to SPG Capital LLC, $57,000

Green St., 1603: T. Moberg to 1603 Green LLC, $210,000

Green St., 1902: B. Garner to M. Richards, $217,500

Hale Ave., 442: C. & C. Terrell to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $63,500

Herr St., 1001: Herr Street Investments LLC to 1001 Herr Street Holdings LP, $12,800,000

Hillside Rd., 212: S. Geary to S. Penn, $207,000

Holly St., 1912: Super Fun Real Estate Yes LLC to L. Konrad, $120,000

Jefferson St., 2631: R. & C. Johnson Trust to D. Boyle, $35,000

Kelker St., 315: C. Clymire to C. Nicassio, $120,000

Kensington St., 2249: N. Doan to K. Russ, $120,000

Kensington St., 2328: S. Henry to A. Ryabukha, $72,000

Kensington St., 2433: X. Nguyen to HT Properties LLC, $65,000

Lexington St., 2622: EAM LLC to SPG Capital LLC, $51,500

Lexington St., 2628: C. Stoute to SPG Capital LLC, $52,000

Liberty St., 1430: Ten Point Corp. to D. Boyle, $47,000

Logan St., 1733: D. Dougherty & K. Lyons to J. Wagoner, $140,000

Mercer St., 2453: L. Rossum to D. Silva, $79,900

Mulberry St., 1913: CRS Housing LLC to N. Martinez, $45,000

Naudain St., 1518: W. Kirchenbauer to A. Fulp, $43,000

North St., 259: L. Kirkhuff & J. Carfagno to Pine Asset Management LLC, $165,000

North St., 1850: C. Parkison to E. Locke, $32,405

N. 2nd St., 801: M. Slobodian to D. Jackson, $300,000

N. 2nd St., 1104: J. & M. Bradley to S. & J. Toole, $140,000

N. 2nd St., 2412: J. Wagoner to C. Ruffing, $199,000

N. 2nd St., 2746: D. Dilks & E. Moffit to A. Rao, $309,000

N. 2nd St., 2830: J. Davis to D. Lopko & E. Torres, $199,900

N. 2nd St., 3010: J. McLaughlin & C. Powers to L. Fortini, $180,100

N. 3rd St., 1804: M. & J. Robinson to D. & D. Evans, $201,000

N. 3rd St., 2451: Hornby Zeller Properties LLC to F. Clark, $150,000

N. 3rd St., 3021: D. Ortiz to Innovative Assets LLC, $65,000

N. 4th St., 1923: L. Newton to TKO Rental Properties LLC, $60,000

N. 4th St., 2240: THG of MD LLC to SPG Capital LLC, $45,000

N. 4th St., 3105: S. Diehl to S. Eldredge, $165,000

N. 4th St., 3219: S. Hertzler to B. Chavez, $168,000

N. 5th St., 2610: E. Chattah & Y. Guhl to K. Kaseem, $55,000

N. 6th St., 2713: CC&J LLC to X. Weng, $43,000

N. 14th St., 1201: S. & J. Willoughby to Doceuno LLC, $60,000

N. 16th St., 707: G. Thompson to D. Roebuck, $88,000

N. 16th St., 817: W. & B. Napper to T. Brantley, $92,000

N. 17th St., 705: E&T Enterprises LLC to A. Fergusson, $60,000

N. 19th St., 28: House Cash LLC to H. Rosario, $62,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 602: R. Hostetter to LE Real Estate Trust, $350,000

N. Front St., 3109: J. McCarthy to 3109 North Front MB LLC, $157,000

Oxford St., 608: L. Korn to Rich Steel Realty LLC, $50,342

Oxford St., 621: M. Goldberg to K. Cooke, $55,000

Park St., 1820: AMR Ventures LLC to Tinhel LLC, $38,000

Park St., 1821: C. Asare to D. Boyle, $49,000

Park St., 1931: D. Leon to A. Figuereo, $40,000

Penn St., 915: J. Craig & F. Combs to 915 Penn LLC, $107,500

Penn St., 1511: D. Houser & M. Gamber to V. Jones Sr., $192,000

Penn St., 1519: L. Rynard to H. Witwer, $190,000

Penn St., 1807: Wheatland Restore LLC to S. & N. Haverl, $205,000

Penn St., 2147: Meier & Simone LLC to Morbucks Enterprise LLC, $49,000

Penn St., 2315: M. Magaro & R. Barbush to SPG Capital LLC, $51,000

Penn St., 2327: I. Rodriguez to SPG Capital LLC, $60,000

Pennwood Rd., 3228: Stelvid Properties LLC to Equity Trust Company Custodian, $108,000

Raleigh St., 2422 & 2430 and 2419 Ellersie St.: General Electric Service Co. Inc. to Church of God & Saints of Christ, $100,000

Randolph St., 1620: P. King to Venus Properties LLC, $46,000

Reel St., 2619: E. Buckwalter c/o City Limits Realty to Realch LLC, $53,000

Rolleston St., 1140: M. Gonzalez to C. Thompson, $150,000

Rolleston St., 1318: K. & P. Ducarme to G. & A. Ortiz, $140,000

Rumson Dr., 2942: T. Runkle to H. Senat, $116,000

Seneca St., 523: Wofford Enterprises Ltd. to M. & G. James, $88,000

S. 14th St., 312: B. Zimmerman to D. Boyle, $37,000

S. 15th St., 16 & 18: C. Peters to O. Adegoke, $82,900

S. 17th St., 328: S. Atiyeh to M. Sanchez & E. Perez, $75,000

S. 17th St., 1012: C&H Holdings LLC & P. Hollinger to T. Hodge, $175,000

S. 19th St., 1129: T. Stackfield to M. Montano, $129,000

S. 21st St., 960: Y. Casiano & O. Morales to S. & R. Mercado, $64,000

S. 26th St., 808: AIS Property Management LLC to Star Harrisburg LLC, $1,700,000

S. 27th St., 701: J. Frantz to J. & T. McHugh, $200,000

S. Front St., 547: V. & Y. Browning to B. Ward, $140,000

State St., 1849: S. Walwyn to E. Hunt, $65,000

State St., 1918: J. Ward to Dreamland Investors LLC, $60,000

Susquehanna St., 1338: J. Grubbs to Green Scapes Investments LLC, $156,000

Swatara St., 2140: Equity Trust Co. to S. Ginder, $55,000

Vernon St., 1333 & 1408: A. Himalaya PA Properties LLC & SLK Global Solutions America to 1408 Vernon PA LLC, $772,992

Walnut St., 1822: E. Morales & A. Ayala to R. Almonte, $55,000

Wayne St., 1609: D. & J. Shertzer to M. & M. Swart, $88,000

Whitehall St., 1849 & 1851: A. & M. Reuveni to Best By LLC, $250,000

Whitehall St., 2050: M. Murphy to Wheatland Restore LLC, $51,000

Woodlawn St., 2710 & 2712: Fruition Holdings LLC to Preferred Residential LLC, $240,000

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All the Rage: Out with the anger, in with the fun, at Therapy Rage Room

November 30, 2021 | by Gina Napoli

Illustration by Ryan Spahr

By the time March 2020 reared its ugly head, Therapy Rage Room owner Charlynn Robinson had already experienced a string of personal tragedies and major life changes.

After moving and renovating her new kitchen, she took a sledgehammer to the cabinets.

“All that demolition and destruction felt good,” she said. “It gave me an outlet, another way to process.”

Exactly one year later, Robinson established the Therapy Rage Room in Mechanicsburg. The venue has a true party flow and a family vibe, with bold colors that embrace the chaos. You can make a huge mess, destroy everything in sight with provided implements of destruction, and someone else cleans up after you.

“The act of letting yourself go physically feels mentally cathartic,” she said.

Rage rooms are literally and figuratively all the rage.

They are trending hot for both adult and teen pop culture, making appearances on prime time, talk shows and TikTok. Visitors often travel to Mechanicsburg from out-of-state just to have the full rage room experience. Indeed, the importance of maintaining mental health is rising in popularity, although that movement arrived late to the party, in this writer’s opinion.

Some visit Therapy Rage Room specifically to work out their mental and emotional traumas, but most don’t.

Charlynn Robinson

“The majority of customers aren’t angry,” she said. “Most aren’t sure they’ll like it at first. They come with a group, just to be sociable.”

When they emerge half an hour later, Robinson usually hears people say, “I needed that,” or “I didn’t know how good this would feel.”

You and your demo crew can choose the theme for your personalized rage room, which staff will set up for you. You can grab a sledgehammer and smash a room full of furniture. You can swing a baseball bat at an old VCR. There’s even an option to BYOB, which means “Bring Your Own Breakables.”

I have a hutch full of hobnail milk glassware from Great Aunt Jean that’s just begging to connect with the rage room’s set of golf clubs.

Even if you’re not bringing your own smashables, you can leave donations outside the facility, adjacent to the dented car that serves as another party theme. Donations comprise almost 90% of the rage room’s inventory, with the other 10% invested in sturdy safety gear and an array of weaponry. (My favorite weapon is the mutilated frying pan. Andy Capp, anyone?)

When I visited the Therapy Rage Room, I donated an old printer that never worked right and never will, thanks to obsolete software and a thick layer of dust. If you’ve ever seen the cult classic movie, “Office Space,” you know the legendary scene in which the main characters hold a ceremonial smashing of the printer to hardcore rap. My years-long former frustration will now be someone else’s wild Friday night.

“You can bring a picture of your boss, ex-husband, something you’re letting go of,” Robinson said.

Throwing things represents another form of release. You could splatter paint over every inch of the paint room, and coat your date in the process. Black lights make the paint glow for a satisfying ASMR experience. Or you could throw the first scoop of shepherd’s pie in an old-fashioned middle school cafeteria food fight. That idea came from one of Therapy Rage Room’s customers.

If you’re too dainty to grab a paint can or bowling bag, you can participate in passive aggression or watch someone else smash things from the TV in the lobby.

Some special communities of visitors have more to be angry about than most, and they receive a special discount. This includes military, teachers, essential workers, healthcare workers and emergency responders. As a Navy veteran, Robinson feels strongly about giving back to honor the communities who clean up after us.

If only the pandemic were as easy to clean up after as a rage room after a knockdown, drag-out. The staff wipes down all the equipment, launders the coveralls, and tidies the floor with a push broom and a snow shovel.

If you visit the Therapy Rage Room, be sure to book a slot ahead of time so the staff can set up a nice selection of breakables, stock your room with spray paint, or even hang streamers and balloons for your kid’s birthday party (guests aged 5 and older).

“I never ask people why they come here,” Robinson concluded. “That’s personal. If people do want to share their stories, no judgment.”

Therapy Rage Room is located at 5231 Simpson Ferry Rd., Mechanicsburg. For more information, visit www.therapyrageroom.com.

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Embracing Inclusion: Monica Gould sees diversity as good for business, for people

November 30, 2021 | by Susan Ryder

Monica Gould

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace means diversity of thought. And diversity of thought is good for business.

Monica Gould has built her career around this core belief. She has worked in DEI for 27 years, long before it was a “thing,” as founder and president of Strategic Consulting Partners in Mechanicsburg.

“It’s a thought process,” she said. “It’s really embracing the concept that we’re all different.”

Components of DEI include the more obvious race, religion and gender and the less obvious education level, geographic area, generation and class.

“The biggest misconception about DEI is that it’s all about race,” Gould said. “In my practice, challenges between generations are probably greater in some cases than other challenges we have experienced.”

Another DEI stereotype involves drive-by diversity training as an organizational cure-all, allowing a company to check it off its to-do list. That approach does not change culture, a requirement for real transformation.

And while Strategic Consulting Partners does provide training, it also offers work culture assessment, develops strategies and measures results.

“Everybody feels it’s all about training,” Gould said. “It has to be more than training. You can’t change people with one-off events.”

The Journey

At Carlisle Construction Materials (CCM), executives, managers and plant employees have been working with Strategic Consulting Partners for about a year. Thus far, employees have given enthusiastic feedback, according to the company.

“They were so excited about the interaction that they had, questions they could ask the experts,” said Jodi Wadel, manager of talent development.

The questions included the difference between race and ethnicity, she said. She added that providing a safe environment where employees can feel comfortable asking questions is a key to success.

Gould said that people are much more interested in having mature and robust conversations around gender, race and generational understandings today, versus 20 years ago.

“They tiptoed around the issues, but now people are wanting to hear it, and then wanting to embrace it and want to… learn,” Gould said. “And that’s really why we’re here, to help people, to take them on that journey.”

Part of that journey includes understanding biases, that we all have them, even in the most mundane areas of our lives.

Gould gave the example of someone avoiding traveling on a particular street because their experience has always been that it’s heavily traveled. That same person may unexpectedly find themselves on that street and realize the traffic isn’t that bad anymore.

“It becomes unconscious, it becomes part of our psyche—part of our modus operandi, and we don’t even realize it’s wrong,” Gould said. “We didn’t realize that we were floating in our thinking because we had nothing else to change that viewpoint.”

CCM is having a similar experience around the concept of bias.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘I have biases, and I have to be aware of those biases, and I’m gonna start working on those. I recognize them,’” Wadel said.

About Respect

Gould experienced overt bias and inequity in her working life before Strategic Consulting Partners, and this, she said, is part of the reason she created her own company.

“I had to go through 10 extra hoops of any of my counterparts,” she said. “I was paid less, and I knew it, and they acknowledged it. They would say to me, ‘OK, you’re not the primary breadwinner. You’re not the man of the house.’”

Lack of DEI causes companies to lose good people, Gould said. By looking at retention of employees by demographics, employers can determine if they have a problem. Why is this important? Because turnover is expensive.

“It takes six months to a year for an employee to be fully productive in their role,” Gould said. “So, if you think about it, you’re turning these people over, you’re retraining them. You’re taking steps back as an organization if it drives down your overall team productivity.”

DEI information and training also help an organization become more efficient and innovative, she said. DEI allows for different perspectives not only to be included but seriously examined. Even a group that may seem homogeneous has many differences.

“We all see the same thing, but all of you have different experiences from growing up,” said Susan Wallace, vice president of human resources at CCM. “You come from different parts of the world. You have different educational backgrounds, you have different work experiences and different family experiences.”

Those perspectives help the organization see the world through a variety of lenses.

“And they’re important because those different perspectives are mirroring those perspective of our customers,” Wallace said.

DEI work directs employees to see that those differing perspectives are valuable.

“Diversity of thought brings innovation, brings new ideas, new concepts,” Gould said. “If people have different perspectives, different upbringing, different education, you bring all those parties together and guess what? You’ve got some great new innovation and great ideas.”

Organizations will not only lose out on innovation and ideas if biases prevent them from being heard, but they also will not attract the best talent.

Gould pointed out that organizations with a reputation for a hostile culture and lack of DEI could be relegated to accepting those who are willing to apply, rather than the cream of the crop.

DEI focuses on what diverse people, in gender, race, age, physical abilities and the like have to contribute and their unique competencies.

“Basically, it’s about getting to know people, and it’s respect,” Gould said.

For more information on Strategic Consulting Partners, visit www.yourstrategicconsultant.com

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Christkindl, Rekindled: Mifflinburg’s annual German Christmas celebration is back, with schnitzel, strudel and song

November 30, 2021 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Mifflinburg Christkindl Market

You could say that Joannah McGregor is a Teutonophile.

The Mifflinburg resident met her husband on an airplane in India. He was Austrian, working as the export manager of a German company. This twist of fate took her to Germany, where she spent 20 happy years immersed in the culture before returning to her hometown.

“I learned that Mifflinburg was looking for ideas to emphasize the town’s German heritage,” McGregor said. “A tour bus was going to be in the area, and they needed one more event to keep the bus in the area for an entire day.”

McGregor offered up the idea of a market that would replicate outdoor Christmas markets in Germany. The suggestion, she said, was met with skepticism. Town officials asked, “What vendors are going to stand there for three days and freeze?”

Determined, McGregor spent time explaining the popularity of the Christkindl Market in Germany. Eventually, she convinced the powers-that-be to give it a shot.

“It was like pulling teeth,” she said.

Ultimately, she was given permission to close one block.

“Now we’re in our 32nd year and still going strong,” she said. “Officials from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania showed up one year to get a few tips from us.”

Each year, organizers choose a theme based upon a German or Austrian town. This year’s theme is Cologne and the three kings, since the Cathedral of Cologne is said to house the bones of the three kings, she said.

McGregor will be onsite to give a talk about the theme and the traditions and history of Christkindl Market on each day of the three-day event, which is held this month.

“In the beginning, the townspeople would bake items or work on and sell a craft, and they discovered that, if they stood around a church, the people would buy something from them,” said McGregor.

Today, the event spans two-and-a-half blocks and attracts 8,000 to 10,000 people each year.

Food & Song

This year, the event will be comprised of 125 vendors. According to Matthew Wagner, Christkindl Market president, organizers begin planning the previous January.

“Half of our vendors will be artists, crafters and gift vendors, and the rest will sell food like strudel and schnitzel,” he said.

He added that one church will serve a sauerkraut dinner with pork, mashed potatoes and bratwurst. Local firefighters will offer a new food item this year—German crepes.

Wagner, who is a retired band director, coordinates all the musical performances.

To kick off the event, children will participate in an opening parade on Thursday, Dec. 9, at 5 p.m., which will feature St. Nicholas, a high school band and other participants. On Friday evening, second-graders will participate in a lantern parade.

Wagner said that the children will sing a traditional German lantern song derived from St. Martin’s Day. St. Martin’s Day is a religious observance in Germany that is popular with children and is dedicated to St. Martin of Tours to celebrate modesty and altruism. At the end of the parade, children will march onto a stage and sing Christmas carols.

Those who can’t make it for the first two days needn’t worry about missing a parade since a closing parade, featuring jolly old St. Nick, will take place as the event wraps up.

Wagner said that last year’s cancellation led to great disappointment, from the children who looked forward to the annual event to the businesses in town.

“I am friends with a statistician who moved back to town, and he gathered the information from the businesses,” he said. “He discovered that some make more in these three days than they do in a couple of months.”

While There

Attendees may want to explore additional attractions while in the area.

The Buggy Museum, located on 598 Green St., is known as the only intact 19th-century buggy factory. Guests can also tour the buggy-maker’s family home, along with a carriage house and showroom filled with buggies and sleighs. Reindeer also will be on hand for children to enjoy.

The Frederick Gutelius House Museum, located on 432 Green St., also will be open during the event. The log house dates back to 1803 and was owned by the first justice of the peace of Union County.

Finally, there’s the Rusty Rail Brewing Co., where customers can enjoy food like pasta Alfredo, crab cakes, salads, fish and chips, burgers and more. Rusty Rail’s 15-barrel brewhouse turns out some 8,000 barrels of beer per year, in many different styles.

Wagner said that he looks forward to rekindling the spirit of Christkindl Market.

“The Christkindl Market board and community volunteers are excited to again bring the Mifflinburg Christkindl Market to life as an important part of our community’s Christmas celebration,” he said.

Mifflinburg’s Christkindl Market celebration takes place Dec. 9 to 11. To learn more, visit www.oldchristkindl.com.

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Who Wants to See a Holiday Show? Five reasons to see “A Christmas Carol” at Open Stage

November 30, 2021 | by Cindy Lou-Who

Photo by Haley Harned

Oh hi! Hello! And “how do you do?”

It’s your favorite dame here—Miss Cindy Lou-Who!

I’m back on stage down on old North Court Street

In a holiday play that sure is a treat!

You can check me out soon in an adults-only show

But for family fun, there’s another show you should go….to.

Okay, there are a lot of reasons for me to hate Christmas (let’s just say one of the top reasons is green, hairy and rhymes with “The Finch”), and I can tell you all about it in my one-Who tour-de-force “Who’s Holiday!,” starting Nov. 26.

But bein’ around the cast and creative team behind “A Christmas Carol” has reminded me why this play and the people who put it on are so special. So, buckle up, buttercups—here’s Cindy Lou Who’s list of “The Top Five Reasons You Should See ‘A Christmas Carol’ This Year.” (For other listicles, including “Five Ways to Use Leftover Roast Beast,” “Fahoo Fores, Dahoo Dores and Seven Other Non-Secular Christmas Favorites” and “Thirteen Home Hacks With Your Zizzer-zazzer-zuzz,” you can check out my YouTube channel.)

It’s a ghost story

There’s a long tradition of telling ghost stories around Christmas that go way, way back before “Christmas” as we know it, and, of course, Chuck Dickens wrote the world’s most famous ghost story of Christmas in his 1860 bestseller “A Christmas Carol.” Boy howdy, this show is chock-full of spirits, apparitions and your run-of-the-mill scares. David Richwine returns for his fifth year playing Jacob Marley, and, seeing the looks on folks’ faces when Marley appears on stage for the first time—it takes my breath away. It’s terrifying, exhilarating and just plain fun! Everything a good ghost story should be.

There’s magic! Literal magic!

I’m not going to spoil too much, but there are some jaw-dropping special effects in this show. Every year, the staff members get asked, “How did they do that?” I would tell you, but honestly I have no idea…magnets?

Nicholas Hughes as Ebenezer Scrooge

Nick has been playing Scrooge since the early aughts, and the thoughtfulness and passion that he brings to this character is inspiring. “A Christmas Carol” proves that even the most miserable can find light in the world and help spread that light and love to his fellow humans (we in “The Biz” call it, a “redemption arc”). Mr. Hughes plays the part with grace, and performs to each audience as if it were the first time.

Okay, but like, the WHOLE CAST

Most of the folks who are joining us this year are returning to the show after a two-year hiatus (did you hear about theaters being shut down? It was a whole thing). To see people like Karen Ruch return as The Ghost of Christmas Past (all swishing skirts and gold glitter) or Patrick Hughes as Scrooge’s nephew Fred (a wealth of heartfelt speeches and the epitome of Christmas cheer) or Jonathan Hoover (who started six years ago as our Tiny Tim and is now taller than most of us)—to see them share the stage with some of our newcomers, who get to experience this magic for the first time—well, it warms my Who-heart.

We need a little Christmas

There is so much that I can’t fit into this list—the atmospheric lighting and sound effects, the beautifully painted stage, the lush costumes, the intimidating amount of fog, but when it comes right down to it, this is a show that will make you feel good. Let’s face it—it’s been a rough couple of years. We deserve all the joy, laughter, awe and wonder that this piece of theater brings every night.

I’m looking forward to welcoming you all back to Cindy Lou’s trailer this year (well, all of you adult yous) or seeing you in the audience at “A Christmas Carol.”

“Who’s Holiday!” runs Nov. 26 to Dec. 22. “A Christmas Carol” runs Dec. 4 to 23. Tickets and information can be found at www.openstagehbg.com.

UPCOMING THEATER EVENTS AT HARRISBURG’S PROFESSIONAL DOWNTOWN THEATERS

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

Popcorn Hat Players present
“Countdown to Noon!”

Held at Whitaker Center’s Sunoco Theater

Dec. 31 at 11 a.m.

Doors open at 10:30 a.m.

Tickets are $15 each.

TMI Improv presents
“Last Laughs of 2021”

Held at Gamut Theatre

Dec. 31, shows on the hour at 9, 10 and 11 p.m.

Doors and bar open at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets: $10 each or $30 for an all-night pass

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

“A Christmas Carol”

Dec. 4 to 23 at 7:30 p.m.

“Who’s Holiday!”

Nov. 26 to Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

“Drag the Halls” Presented by The Obstructed View

Dec. 5 at noon

Harrisburg Black NewsBeat with Dr. Kimeka Campbell

Dec. 9 & 21 at 8:30 p.m.

Figgy Pudding

Dec. 8, 22 & 23 at 9:30 p.m.

Court Street Cabaret

Dec. 3, 16, 17 & 18 at 9:30 p.m.

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December Editor’s Note

November 30, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

I learned something recently that I found interesting.

Around Harrisburg, the earliest sunset of the year is not the winter solstice, as I had long believed, but two weeks earlier, on Dec. 7.

This news made me feel a little bit better about this time of year.

As long-time readers of TheBurg may know, winter is not exactly my favorite season. Yes, the cold and wind get me down sometimes, but the lack of light has an even greater impact on my wellbeing.

A pre-5 p.m. sunset—a long day of work ended in darkness. Yuck.

But, by Dec. 9, the descent has stopped and reversed, and we’re treated to a whole three seconds more light at the end of the day. I think that’s something worth celebrating!

I hope you’ll find our December issue equally worth celebrating. As we normally do, we put try to put some seasonal cheer into your lives with an additional focus on holiday features and events.

In addition, I’d like to reiterate my call from last month to please support our local makers and merchants as much as possible this year. My hope is that there’s an upside from the global supply disruption—that people will seek out gift items made and sold close to home.

After all, why buy stuff shipped from halfway around the world when you can purchase things made right here, in and around central PA? You may need to get more creative, but, to me, that’s the fun part of the holiday shopping experience.

Now, here’s another thing I learned recently. While later sunsets begin two weeks before the solstice, mornings still get darker. Sunrises continue to be later for another two weeks after the solstice, before finally switching gears for good in early January.

Mother Nature, it seems, needs to balance herself out, much like we all do during this glorious, if stressful, time of the year. Happy holidays, everyone!

Lawrance Binda
Co-Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

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Still Cookin’: The Progress Grill’s recipe for longevity? Great food, loyal patrons

November 30, 2021 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

You could say that the Progress Grill has embraced the retro trend inadvertently—simply by staying the same as time passed by.

Upon entering, customers encounter carpeting, mirrored dining rooms, colonial light fixtures and a décor heavy on mauve. And I’d be remiss not to mention the sign. For people like me who enjoy following organizations like the Society for Commercial Archeology, the exterior signage is right out of the Atomic Age and a cool reminder of a bygone era.

But it’s really not the décor that attracts a loyal following of regular patrons. Rather, it’s the consistent quality of food, which customers have relied on for decades.

Hit Their Stride

The Progress Grill dates back to 1946. The men behind the restaurant today, Nick and John Karagiannis, purchased the place in 1981.

The brothers didn’t set out to become restaurateurs. John said that he came to the United States to pursue chemical engineering. Working in restaurants caused him to rethink his plan and strike out on his own.

“I bought this place when I was 24½ years old, and I told my brother, Nick, who was studying in Italy to become a doctor,” he said. “So, he quit college to come over here.”

When the brothers purchased the Progress Grill, they kept the name, but changed the menu.

“It included items like pizza, sandwiches and a few dinners,” John said.

The two had experience working in restaurants in Maryland and downtown Harrisburg. So, they were familiar with the industry, but perhaps not the pace.

“Downtown restaurants didn’t get much business at nighttime,” John said of those bygone days.

It didn’t take long, however, for the two to hit their stride, and soon they began expanding the menu. The changes were well received. This buoyed their confidence, and they began tackling the task of expanding the physical space.

“After two years, we bought the property next door and put in a new dining room and a new kitchen,” John said.

By 1994, the brothers were ready to add yet another dining room and double the kitchen size.

John credits his Maryland restaurant experience for making crab cakes that fly out the door.

“We brought that recipe here and changed it a bit,” he said, adding that they use top-quality crabmeat and very little filler. For their slow-roasted prime rib, their first priority is to seek the best quality.

“Then I check the price,” John said.

Recipe for Success

The brothers credit their loyal clientele and their focus on consistency for where they are today.

“Our customers love seafood and steaks, and it’s hard to find a good seafood and steakhouse these days,” John said.

If there’s anything that has changed over the years, it’s the cocktails. John said that the menu used to be heavy on old-school drinks like vodka martinis and Manhattans, but now people want more creative options.

“Fancy martinis are taking over,” he said, with a chuckle.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the greatest challenges over the long history of the Progress Grill. It forced the brothers to close for several months. After the restaurant reopened, the customers returned, but the employees didn’t, a common refrain in the industry.

Therefore, the brothers today spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen. And, no surprise—the supply chain has posed another big challenge.

“Our food distributor can’t find truck drivers or warehouse workers, so that’s a problem too,” John said.

The consistently bright spot? The Progress Grill’s loyal customers.

Ed and Malane Digon live a few miles from the establishment and have been patronizing it for years.

“We like sharing the mixed seafood platter, and we’re also fond of their filet and lobster tail, their shrimp cocktail, their cream soups and their desserts,” said Malane, adding that the couple celebrated their 60th anniversary there. “We’re always treated well.”

Dale Kaplan is another regular. He and his wife Ellen patronize the Progress Grill every week, on the same day.

“I call it Thursdays with Nick,” he said.

The Susquehanna Township resident said that the food is always consistent, the fish is always fresh, and the lamb chops are amazing. He also complimented the “excellent” customer service.

John said that the secret to running a beloved establishment for so long is to first love what you do, then take care of the customer.

“We offer quality food at a reasonable price, with good customer service,” he said. “If you have a recipe for success, you don’t change it.”

The Progress Grill is located at 3526 Walnut St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.progressgrill.com.

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