Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

September 30, 2021 | 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’s inside:

Add to calendar [NEW]
For your weekend planning:
Top Weekend Recs
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
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Need something NEW to do? SoMa Block Party TONIGHT. Explore downtown Camp Hill with Saturday’s Harvest Hop. Oktoberfest celebrations continue at LBC Harrisburg. Shop local with Cumberland County Best Kept Secrets Tour.

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

Things on my agenda this weekend: Block Party tonight (join me!), then OFF tomorrow to car shop and shop. Saturday, Pumpkin decorating with Bo at the Harvest Hop, plus more. Sunday, swim lessons and kitchen time.

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

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Thursday, Sept. 30 – SoMa Block Party in downtown Harrisburg
Thursday, Oct. 14 • Friday, Oct. 15 • Saturday, Oct. 16 – sip @ soma x 2

For your weekend planning:

Did you catch my IG LIVE last night with Radio Boka wine?
3 fun new ways to use Spiked Cherries
Shop these great local markets.
View our local Restaurant Directory
Local Brewery, Winery, & Cidery Directory
See what else you missed on the blog.

Below are options for your weekend.

Things to Do in Harrisburg + Central PA | Weekend Roundup | Sara Bozich

Top Weekend Recs

Make the ultimate fall cocktail
Enter to WIN Yuengling Hershey’s Chocolate Porter
Grab tix to see the #1 DMB tribute band in October
Explore the best local markets
Pick up a local 6-pack and stream ? episodes of Poured in PA: The Series

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

Thursday

SoMa Block Party | Funktion | Stash Vintage x The Midtown Dandy plus multiple guest vendors | Boneshire Taps @ SOMA | Englewood Brewery | Upper Reach Mead | Undone Kombucha | MoMo BBQ Co. | Reign & Taij’s Lemonade
Mamma Mia! at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
Cumberland County Best Kept Secrets Tour
Joshua Ferris in conversation with Rebecca Makkai: A Calling for Charlie Barnes with Midtown Scholar Bookstore
THE FEARLESS TOUR: JOYOUS WOLF wsg OF LIMBO & THE REVEL @ XL LIVE
Fall Carlisle 2021
FREE Beginner Cycling Workshop at H2L Studio
How To Design a Home Garden Bed at Wildwood Park

What are you doing this weekend around Harrisburg? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

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More People, More Problems? Harrisburg’s population is growing, with hopes and challenges.

September 30, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck

Nearly a decade ago, I wrote a column called, “Harrisburg Needs People.”

In it, I lamented the sense of emptiness here, how walks around town frequently felt desolate, lacking the pedestrians, commerce and activity that define a healthy city.

I’m happy to report that Harrisburg seems much more vibrant today, and the recent U.S. census backs up my less-than-scientific observation.

The 2020 census showed that Harrisburg’s population grew by 1.1%, a small increase, yes, but the second in a row after decades of loss.

Notably, the census ended in April of last year, thereby missing the migration of people into our area after the pandemic took root. So, today, the count well could be another notch or two higher.

But you shouldn’t necessarily take my word for it, based as it is upon glances out my office window and strolls down the sidewalk. A better gauge of where the city is heading may be the sudden spurt of interest among builders.

Harrisburg has thousands of empty lots, which have accumulated over many decades. Those lots once held buildings, which were abandoned or became so dilapidated that they were torn down, resulting in vast surface parking lots and acres of weed-strewn fields.

Not surprisingly then, the city’s population, even with the recent small increase, remains far below its 1950s-era peak of about 90,000.

The good news: after decades of essentially no demand for these empty lots, some developers want to put buildings and people back onto them. There still isn’t much interest among the deep-pocketed national guys, but some small, local developers see opportunity and have stepped up.

With proposals in the air, residents have begun to weigh in on what they would like to see as Harrisburg finally begins to redevelop. Obviously, there’s a wide range of opinion among people, but several ideas seem to be popular.

Affordable Housing: I already mentioned the good news from the recent census—the population increase. Now, here’s the bad—the city’s already high poverty rate ticked even higher. Harrisburg needs more affordable housing, which is widely recognized among city residents and officials. The main issue seems to be how best to achieve that goal. Earlier this year, City Council passed an ordinance that encourages developers to include affordable units in their buildings, which is a good first step, but more needs to be done. Personally, I would like to see the city encourage homeownership for lower-income families, which would help people build equity, stabilize neighborhoods and fight rapacious slumlords. Perhaps pandemic relief or other funds could be used to help fix up and sell the city’s vast inventory of blighted houses, with discounts to make them more affordable and a “revolving fund” to plow sales revenue back into additional rehabs. There’s plenty of upside here as, currently, the city’s homeownership rate stands at an abysmal 35.6%, according to the latest census.

Green Space: A few years ago, National Geographic named Harrisburg one of the most “green” cities in the country. As I wrote at the time, that designation seemed a bit off to me, as some parts of Harrisburg are very green, while others are not. Currently, the Reily Street corridor, where there’s lots of developer interest, is particularly harsh, with entire blocks of paved parking lots. A few small parks would go a long way to softening up the area, while offering current and future residents some fresh air without needing to hike down to the river.

Supermarket: In discussions of “what Harrisburg needs,” a decent supermarket almost always rises to the top of the wish list. One developer has proposed including a market in his Reily Street project, which would be welcome. Some residents also have been advocating for supermarkets Uptown and on Allison Hill, which developers should keep in mind when they do projects in those neighborhoods.

Dog Park: Sadly, the city’s only dedicated dog park just closed following a three-year pilot program. Friends of Midtown hopes to find another location, which seems necessary now more than ever. As people have moved into the city, they’ve definitely brought their pooches with them. So, builders or the city should make a new dog park a priority, carving out territory not just for people but for their furry companions.

These are just a few ideas of what Harrisburg could use as it rebuilds. Undoubtedly, there are many others.

After practically leaving the post-industrial city for dead decades ago, people are rediscovering Harrisburg. The pace may have begun slowly, but the momentum is positive and, I believe, will build over the coming years.

Some local builders have noticed the demand and want to provide housing and amenities that the city needs, on empty lots long waiting to be redeveloped. The question now is—how best to do it.

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

Illustration by Rich Hauck.

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Portrait of the Community: Sprocket Mural Works’ largest project showcases Harrisburg residents, behind the brush and on the wall.

September 30, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

Bottom, left: Ian Potter, Jonathan Molina, Kwatei Hector & Sharnee Burnett
Bottom, right: Bryan Hickman

Odds are, if you travel through Brooklyn, N.Y., you’ll see some of Harrisburg-native Ian Potter’s artwork—it’s hard to miss.

Although his name suggests a different type of art, Potter is a painter. Much of his time is spent on ladders, lifts and platforms against Brooklyn buildings. He works for Colossal Media, a mural company that hand paints advertisements for brands like Nike, Spotify, Amazon and Coca Cola.

Colossal is, as its name suggests, huge, and Potter is one of their top painters.

But before he was scaling walls in Brooklyn, assisting with the hundreds of murals that Colossal completes each year, Potter got his start at Gamut Theatre in Harrisburg.

This summer, he made the trip to Harrisburg to give back to the community that gave him his start. Potter, along with a team of local apprentices, painted Sprocket Mural Works’ largest mural yet, on the Mulberry Street Bridge in Harrisburg, as part of the 2021 Harrisburg Mural Festival.

While the mural itself is sprawling, the story of collaboration and education behind its creation may be even more inspiring.

Investing in Local

The Mulberry Street Bridge, which connects downtown Harrisburg to Allison Hill, once held a mural spanning 640 feet, picturing scenes of life in the city.

However, in 2014, PennDOT removed the mural to rehabilitate the bridge. Since then, the bridge has sat as an empty canvas—until this summer, when Sprocket got its hands on it.

Sprocket hopes it has brought life back to the bridge through a new mural recently completed, sponsored by M&T Bank and the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, with grant funding from The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC).

The mural features larger-than-life portraits of actual Harrisburg residents amidst swirling colors. As cars drive by, they see an elderly woman, a mother and child, a smiling man, a woman with fiery red hair—all members of the community, maybe even a familiar face.

“We wanted to really re-create the beauty of that project,” said Meg Caruso, co-founder of Sprocket, referring to the previous mural that was on the bridge. “It’s definitely exciting because it’s our biggest project yet.”

But Caruso said that her favorite part of creating the mural was utilizing the talent of local artists who worked as apprentices under Potter’s guidance.

While apprentices Sharnee Burnett, Kwatei Hector, Bryan Hickman and Jonathan Molina all have experience in art, none have worked on large-scale murals, Caruso said.

“To have a mentor like Ian, it’s really valuable to their growth and to Harrisburg, really,” Caruso said. “It means that, for future projects, we can pull from more local artists.”

Kwatei “Q” Hector, an artist from Allison Hill, has been drawing since he was a kid and has held some exhibitions, but never worked on a mural project.

This summer, he participated in Sprocket’s planter painting project in Allison Hill. Recognizing his potential, Caruso offered him the apprenticeship with Potter.

Hector loved seeing how his painted planter positively impacted his neighborhood and couldn’t wait to be part of another beautification project, he said.

“I’m grateful they’re beautifying the city and letting me be a part of it,” he said. “It’s a blessing to me.”

Hector said that Potter has taught him techniques including using an electro pounce machine, a pen that burns tiny holes onto a large sheet of paper to create a stencil to use when creating the mural. He then learned about “pouncing,” in which an artist taps a bag of charcoal powder over the holes in the stencil to transfer the outline of an image onto a wall. This is the first time that Sprocket has used these methods for a mural in Harrisburg, Caruso said.

Potter has also coached Hector as he’s worked on painting the portraits of the residents.

“Ian has a really beautiful ability to teach,” Caruso said.

Homegrown

While Potter is a mentor to artists now, he remembers being an apprentice himself.

In the early 2000s, Gamut Theatre hired him out of college as an actor and set designer. He would, almost singlehandedly, design, build and paint sets for the theater that often features plays by William Shakespeare, among others.

Judd “Pop” Nicholson, the father of Gamut-co-founder Clark Nicholson, was Potter’s mentor at the theater. With his experience as an old-school sign painter, before vinyl billboards replaced hand-painted ads, Judd taught Potter how to paint lifelike scenery.

“If I would make a mistake, he would be like ‘don’t worry about it; no matter what anyone tells you, you can paint,’” Potter said. “It stuck with me and propels me forward. It just so happened that, years later, I would become the modern-day equivalent of a sign painter.”

Judd taught Potter the methodology of painting, but most importantly, Potter said, at Gamut, he learned how to have a strong work ethic.

It’s this idea that he tried to pass onto his apprentices with Sprocket.

“It’s so cool to bring back some of that skill and knowledge,” Potter said. “This project is about lifting up our local artists in Harrisburg.”

While Caruso said that Sprocket is always trying to find ways to use the talents of local artists for its projects, they’ve especially focused their efforts this year, she said. That has shown through projects like the planter painting in Allison Hill, a mural painted by Harrisburg artist Sarah Fogg in Penbrook and the Mulberry Street Bridge mural, among others.

“There’s so much value in supporting local,” Caruso said. “We want to support our local artists.”

To learn more about Sprocket Mural Works, visit www.sprocketmuralworks.com.

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Meatballs of Fall: As the season turns, Rosemary prepares an Italian classic, with a twist.

September 30, 2021 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

October is here!

Many people will tell you that fall is their favorite time of year. In my little world of cooking, I enjoy summer the most, from savoring the sweet strawberries of June to the fat peppers and eggplants of late August. What can compare to fresh beefsteak tomatoes with olive oil and basil or sweet corn slathered in butter and crunchy sea salt?

I guess I’m ready. Tired of barbecue-sauced meats and chicken, I’m ready to head back inside to make some comforting food for those early fall days with a hint of chill in the air.

I turned to the “Silver Spoon Cookbook,” the decades-old bible of Italian cooking. In 2005, this cookbook was translated from Italian into English and offers more than 2,000 recipes drawn from “authentic” Italian cuisine. Interestingly, most of the recipes are simple. You can find multiple choices for anything from cauliflower to eel, including an entire section on “Woodcock and Snipe.” The only glitch is the occasional need to convert some measurements to accommodate differences in Italian and American systems.

“Meatballs in Brandy” takes a different spin on Italian meatballs. Adding a little brandy to the mix gives this dish just a blush of fall flavor and is key to its unique taste. (So, no substituting apple cider here!) The recipe doesn’t call for breadcrumbs, but you can add a little if you are having trouble getting the mixture to stick together. It also calls for a small amount of bechamel sauce.

Now, every serious cook should be able to whip up a good bechamel or “cream” sauce. It’s not difficult. Add a little cheese, and it becomes an Alfredo sauce. But for the very small amount needed here, search for a jarred or refrigerated Alfredo sauce from your supermarket. It’s a good substitute. I’ve increased the amount of fresh parsley from the original recipe because I love the freshness parsley brings to meatballs, and throwing a little extra brandy into the pan won’t hurt either.

Polpette al Brandy

Ingredients

1½ lb. ground beef (sirloin or chuck)
½ cup cooked ham, chopped
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
3-4 tablespoons bechamel or Alfredo sauce
All-purpose flour for dusting
¼ cup butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon brandy
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine the beef, ham, egg yolks, Parmesan, parsley and bechamel or Alfredo sauce in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. (My mother always taught me to make one small meatball first, fry it in a skillet, and, when cooked, test it for salt. I have always followed that advice because Parmesan cheese can vary in saltiness.)
Shape the mixture into balls and dust lightly with flour. (I love using Wondra flour; it’s light with no clumps!)
Heat the butter and oil in a large pan (non-stick works well)
Add the onion and cook over low heat until soft and golden
Increase the heat to medium high and add the meatballs to the pan. Brown on each side but be careful not to burn. Lower the heat a little to cook the meat through (about 5 more minutes)
Transfer the meatballs to a platter and keep warm.
Stir 2-3 tablespoons warm water and the brandy into the skillet and cook for a few minutes until slightly thickened. (There will be a little flour left in the pan.)
Pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve. Sprinkling a little extra chopped parsley over the top is pretty.

While this meatball dish is simple in preparation, a cook must get a feel for how the meat “feels” when mixing, how the size of an egg makes a difference (large is better than jumbo), how long the meatballs should be browned in the skillet (I have turned some of my meatballs into hockey pucks), and if more cheese should be added to “up” the taste.

Serve these brandied meatballs with garlic mashed potatoes, polenta or creamy rice. And if you get hooked on meatballs that are different than the usual red sauce variety, try the versions with anchovies, potato, lemon (really) or spinach.

Come back to the kitchen for some Italian comfort food from the “Silver Spoon.” But we can skip the recipes for “Woodcock and Snipe.”

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History & Mystery: Carlisle’s colorful, spooky past retold in new walking tour (shoes optional).

September 30, 2021 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Chris Jones & Courtney Cauthon

Why does it seem that history appeals mainly to older folks?

I’d argue that students would have been more excited to learn history if they were drawn in with scintillating stories, rather than forced to memorize dates. I’d also state that, if teachers were as enthusiastic as Courtney Cauthon, otherwise known as “The Barefoot Historian,” students might be even more eager to learn.

Cauthon’s tours are becoming more and more popular as word spreads about her ability to bring history alive with her tales of a bygone era. And it’s not just the older folks who attend her walks. Both young and old recently gathered at the Carlisle Cemetery for her “Homicidal History” tour.

And if you are wondering why Cauthon is shoeless, she’ll tell you that a guest on one of her tours informed her that her shoes could be more historically accurate.

“That sent me into a bit of a tailspin,” she said. “I decided to forego shoes for a time and people noticed and loved it.”

They started calling her the “Barefoot Historian,” and it stuck.

Her Passion

When it comes to sharing history, Cauthon certainly has the bona fides.

“It’s where my passion lies,” she said.

She explained that her dad was a professor of political science and her grandmother spent a lot of time recounting tales about WWII in southern California.

“I would ask her to tell me stories, which were vivid, wonderful and personal,” she said of time spent with her grandma. “It wasn’t just about dates. It was about Japanese submarines off the coast of California during Pearl Harbor and shutting the lights out at night to be less of a target and about females drawing lines on the back of their calves for stockings that they couldn’t get—things that my grandmother experienced firsthand.”

The stories inspired Cauthon to pursue a bachelor’s degree history, a master’s degree in international relations and an MBA. For a time, she worked as an accountant.

“That was just painful,” she said.

She decided to pivot and create TimeWalker Tours, which, unfortunately, became a casualty of COVID. Undaunted, she returned to the drawing board and is now hitting her stride as founder of the Barefoot Historian, while also working as an historical costumer. Cauthon’s storefront can be found adjacent to the Carlisle Theatre, where she also conducts ghost tours.

Elva Matos brought her family to the “Homicidal History” tour, and they loved it so much that they returned the next night for a tour at the theater.

“We were amazed that almost everyone had an experience with a ghost or spirit in the theater,” said the Carlisle resident.

Visitors who duck inside her shop to book a tour or schedule a field trip for students may see her hard at work creating outfits for re-enactors.

“I study the textiles, patterning and construction,” Cauthon said. “For re-enactors, it can’t just look right. It has to be the right material.”

Joining Cauthon at her brick-and-mortar is another history buff. Chris Jones does wet plate photography, or tintype, with a camera dating back to the 1880s and narrates tours with Cauthon.

“We mix all of our own chemicals as per an 1864 recipe, which is how Matthew Brady took some of the most iconic images of the Civil War and people like Abe Lincoln,” Jones said.

So Much History

“Homicidal History in Carlisle” (subtitle: “A grizzly evening walk through Carlisle’s gruesome past”) is held year-round.

During the walk, guests will learn about the “Babes in the Woods” and why 5,000 people lined up at Ewing’s Funeral Home in Carlisle, or why a cursory look at the wall constructed around the Carlisle cemetery reveals faces in the stone.

Another walking tour offered by Cauthon is “Haunted History in Carlisle,” as well as a candlelight ghost tour of the Carlisle Theatre, which is said to be haunted.

“We turn down all the houselights and everyone is given an LED candle backstage, and we go behind the scenes in all the creepy recesses that exist in the theater,” she said. “It’s a very active space.”

Cauthon, who is also the president of Historic Carlisle, Inc., is pleased that her tours are becoming more popular over time.

“It’s nice to collaborate with the Downtown Carlisle Association and Historic Carlisle to get people out into the community and interested in history,” she said. “That’s the best part of it for me—getting people to slow down and look around because there’s so much history that people miss just driving through.”

The Barefoot Historian & Co. is located at 42 W. High St., Carlisle. For more information, visit www.thebarefoothistorian.com.

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October News Digest

September 30, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Eric Papenfuse last month announced a write-in campaign for mayor.

Papenfuse Declares for Mayor as Write-In

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse made it official last month, declaring that he is running as a write-in candidate in the November general election.

Papenfuse made the announcement while standing in front of the Hudson Building, recently renamed the Atlas, a structure in Uptown Harrisburg undergoing extensive renovation.

He stated that he decided to run for a third term, despite narrowly losing the Democratic primary in May, based on his track record of fiscal management and rebuilding the capacity of city government, along with a pledge to forge a coalition across the city.

“I plan to lead by decisive outreach in a way that brings in people and has their voices heard in ways that they haven’t been heard before,” he said.

In May’s Democratic primary, Papenfuse lost by 46 votes to City Council President Wanda Williams. Two other candidates, David Schankweiler and Otto Banks, also tallied more than 20% of the vote in the five-person race.

Recently, Papenfuse named Banks as the city’s new economic development director.

“There was no mandate in the primary,” Papenfuse said. “If there was any lesson from the primary, it’s that we have to build a broader coalition. We have to work together, and I’m the candidate for that.”

Write-in campaigns are rarely successful, as the candidate’s name does not appear on the ballot, forcing voters to take an extra step to write in their choice.

Papenfuse said that he believed he could defy the odds, describing his decision to run as a write-in as a “long process.”

“I really took some time over the summer to think about what I wanted to do,” he said. “The way I saw it, I could either give up and watch the city fall apart or I could fight to keep the ship from sinking and keep us on course.”

Ribbon Cut on Herr Street Underpass

Harrisburg has cut the ribbon on a significant road reconstruction, restoring a major connection point between neighborhoods.

Last month, city officials ceremoniously reopened the updated Herr Street underpass, which connects Midtown/downtown and Allison Hill.

The roadway, just off N. 7th Street, dips under the Norfolk Southern railroad and connects to N. Cameron Street.

For years, the entity responsible for maintaining the underpass was under dispute, with the city and Norfolk Southern clashing on the issue, according to Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

In turn, the roadway and sidewalks deteriorated, and the steel underpass was in danger of structural failure, Papenfuse said.

“It was pretty awful,” he said. “Historically, this was something of a no man’s land.”

In the end, the state Department of Transportation worked with the city to repave the street, redo and widen the sidewalks, create new inlets and drainage systems and clean and fortify the steel columns under the railroad. The city also contributed new LED lighting.

Papenfuse also pointed out that the sidewalks are bike-friendly and connect riders to the new bike lanes on N. 7th Street.

In total, the project cost near $2 million, largely from PennDOT funds, with contributions from the city.

Harrisburg Plans New IT System

Decades after it was installed, Harrisburg’s aged mainframe appears headed for the scrap heap, as the city plans a major upgrade of its municipal computer system.

City Council, at a legislative meeting last month, passed a resolution that will start the process of phasing out the city’s existing, outdated mainframe and implementing new, more efficient IT systems.

“It’s about time,” said council vice president Ben Allatt, a sentiment echoed by other members.

The current system is about 35 years old, according to Steve Zimmerman, a former director of information technology for Harrisburg, who will provide consulting to the city on the legacy system. The city will pay Zimmerman up to $135,000 for one year of consulting work as it transitions off the old mainframe.

The city then will use Texas-based Tyler Technologies, a software company that works in the public sector, to complete the upgrade.

Over the next two years, the tech company will introduce an enterprise resource planning system that will manage day-to-day internal activities such as accounting, budgeting, payroll, scheduling and tax billing.

Harrisburg residents may also see some benefit from the upgrade, as it impacts businesses license and dog license registration, building permits access and online payments.

Tyler Technologies also provides contracting for the Harrisburg School District and works with over 100 entities in the state, said Terry Quinn, senior account executive of Tyler.

The initial cost of the conversion is about $651,000 with an annual cost of $331,000, Zimmerman explained. The existing system currently costs the city $504,000 annually, he said.

New Community Relations Director

A key member of the Harrisburg Police Bureau was introduced last month, tasked with creating conversations and enhancing understanding between the bureau and residents.

At a press conference, Mayor Eric Papenfuse announced Harrisburg native Fiordaliza “Ana” White as the bureau’s new director of community relations and engagement.

“She really brings a wealth of knowledge around topics such as community policing, crisis management, public relations, strategic partnership and mental health,” Papenfuse said.

White’s position was previously held by Blake Lynch, who recently left the bureau after three years for a position with the public media organization, WITF.

White, who speaks both English and Spanish, graduated from Harrisburg High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in educational studies and sociology from Denison University. She also serves as the director of programming for Bro2Go, Inc., a youth and adult reentry intervention and prevention program.

In her new role, White oversees the six new community service aides (CSAs) hired by the bureau to build relationships with residents, as well as assist officers with quality-of-life issues. They are:

Vanessa Bowers
Myron Brooks
Rayshawn Brown-Donald
Malachi Holmes
Jeret Spears
Sierra VanSickler

The police bureau is recruiting for a seventh CSA position.

New Plan for MarketPlace

There’s a new plan for a broad swath of Midtown Harrisburg, as the city’s redevelopment agency has selected a developer for dozens of long-empty lots.

In a meeting in late August, the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority chose the city-based development team of Chris and Erica Bryce and Harrisburg Commercial Interiors (HCI) to complete the unfinished MarketPlace development, a project totaling 67 lots sprinkled between Reily Street and the Broad Street Market area.

The unanimous vote gave the developers permission to move ahead with their plan, which includes a mix of single-family townhouses, small apartment buildings and mixed-use commercial space.

“I’m very pleased with this decision,” said Chris Bryce, after the meeting. “I think what happened will be great for the future of Harrisburg.”

Their plan bested a competing proposal by Philadelphia-based Odin Properties and Harrisburg-based RB Development, which likewise was seeking “designated developer” status for the lots.

The authority voted 3-0 for the Bryce/HCI proposal, though members did not state why they made their selection. After the vote, Ryan Sanders of RB Development declined to comment on the authority’s decision.

Both developers are currently active in the Midtown area.

Last year, the authority selected the Bryces/HCI to develop dozens of vacant lots that are part of the unfinished Capitol Heights project just across Reily Street. Earlier in August, RB Development received zoning board approval for Bethel Village, a low-income senior housing development at N. 6th and Herr streets.

In the proposal for MarketPlace, the Bryce/HCI team envisions a total of 104 to 120 housing units, including apartment units and for-sale townhomes. Thirty to 40 will qualify as affordable, bringing the project into compliance with the city’s recently passed affordable housing statute, according to Matt Long of HCI.

Federal Building for Sale

For a bid of at least $3 million, you could be the next owner of one of the most valuable parcels of land in downtown Harrisburg.

A somewhat dated, 246,000-square-foot building conveys with the property.

The federal General Services Administration posted notice last month that it is selling the Ronald Reagan Federal Building at 228 Walnut St. To bid in the online auction, a deposit of $100,000 is needed, with a minimum bid of $3 million.

The 11-story building was built in 1966 and is one of the largest freestanding office buildings in Harrisburg, occupying a full city block at N. 3rd, Walnut and Locust streets. In addition to nearly 250,000 square feet of finished space, it has a 55-space parking area in the basement.

GSA wants to sell the building as it nears completion of the new federal courthouse, a 243,000-square-foot building at N. 6th and Reily streets. GSA expects substantial completion of that project in summer 2022.

The Ronald Reagan Federal Building houses the current courthouse operations, in addition to other federal agencies with Harrisburg-based offices. Some of these offices, such as the U.S. Marshal Service, are slated to move to the new courthouse.

The Reagan building also houses a U.S. post office. GSA has not yet made public its plans for the post office.

Sale of the property had been in the cards for several years. In 2019, the Public Buildings Reform Board listed the property as one of 14 federal properties slated for disposal.

Area Home Prices Rise

Sales declined a bit, but prices increased considerably, as the area’s real estate association released its existing home sales report for August.

In the three-county coverage area, sales dropped to 810 housing units compared to 866 in August 2020, but the median sales price rose by 9.3% to $235,000, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

The Dauphin County market experienced substantial price appreciation, as the median sales price of a house jumped to $216,000 versus $170,600 last August. The number of houses sold dipped to 376, a decline of nine units, GHAR stated.

In Cumberland County, sales fell by 16 units to 380 houses, while the median sales price rose to $265,000 from $240,000 the prior August, according to GHAR.

Perry County had 41 home sales, a decline of two compared to last August, as the median sales price increased to $230,000 from $149,900 last year, GHAR said.

Houses were also selling quickly. According to GHAR data, the “average days on the market” in August was just 17 days, compared to 35 in August 2020.

So Noted

Broad Street Market reached its fundraising goal last month to repair and replace its large, notable sign. A $10,000 donation from the nonprofit, Lighten Up Harrisburg, pushed the campaign over its $40,000 goal, allowing the project to proceed following severe, storm-related damage to the sign.

Friends of Midtown Community Dog Park closed last month, as a three-year stint at a temporary location at N. 7th and Granite streets came to an end. Organizers are now seeking a new location that can serve as a permanent home for a dog park.

Melissa Mann last month was appointed the new director of the PA Historical & Museum Commission’s Bureau of Historic Sites & Museums. In this role, Mann will supervise the commonwealth’s 24 state-owned historic sites and museums, according to PHMC.

Michael Philip O’Brien has been named the new executive producer of Gretna Theatre in Mount Gretna. He replaces Brian Kurtas, who left to become the new associate artistic director of the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.

Midtown Cinema announced major personnel changes last month, naming Rachel Landon as general manager and Stacey Werner as assistant manager. They replace long-time director of operations Adam Porter and assistant manager Sammi Leigh Melville. Porter left to focus on his business, StartUp Harrisburg, as Melville finishes up her second novel.

Otto Banks last month was named Harrisburg’s new economic development director. Mayor Eric Papenfuse appointed Banks, who opposed him in the Democratic primary for mayor last May, to replace Nona Watson, who left the post several months ago.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2422: W. & B. Flagle to SPXT PA LLC, $83,750

Bellevue Rd., 1959: D. Hargrove & D. Surbrena to E. Ford, $62,000

Bellevue Rd., 2101: J. & E. Lewis to C. Dozier & H. Abraham, $324,900

Berryhill St., 1708: C. Zapata to A. Herr, $68,000

Berryhill St., 2310: L. & G. Smith to N. & Y. Reinoso, $105,000

Boas St., 116: J. Crouch to M. Manley & S. Clark, $186,500

Boas St., 265: 265 Boas Associates to SJL Rentals LLC, $562,000

Boas St., 1824: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to M. Freeman, $77,450

Briggs St., 1621: D. Floyd to K. & S. Green, $36,000

Brookwood St., 2440: M. Russell to B. Sium, $90,000

Brookwood St., 2442: D. Lawson & C. Jenkins to Alliance Estates LLC, $84,900

Capitol St., 907: E. Ashenfelder to J. Schmucker & C. Snook, $167,000

Cumberland St., 214: M. Santalucia to C. Anderson, $190,000

Cumberland St., 272: B. Hall & K. Humen to E. Maxson, $169,900

Derry St., 1727: D. Boyle to V. Severino, $30,000

Derry St., 1942: J. Wissler to 946 South 18th LLC, $60,000

Derry St., 2114 & 2116: MRI Properties LLC to P. Singh, $180,000

Derry St., 2405: J. Schwartz to R. Smith, $95,000

Derry St., 2508: B. Bandy to M. & S. Mejia, $85,000

Derry St., 2614: J. & T. Aitken to J. Klinger, $87,000

Emerald St., 519: J. Perkins to C. Aumuller & P. Carcione, $52,000

Fox Ridge Ct., 305: J. Sprajcar to T. Thompson, $165,000

Green St., 706: J. Choi & J. Crumbly to R. Eppley Jr., $207,000

Green St., 1113: M. Labuz to Eastlake Eleven LLC, $167,000

Green St., 1310: A. Johnson to K. & K. Daczka, $179,900

Green St., 1904: R. & A. Gonsar to T. Luckenbaugh, $237,500

Green St., 2046: HAMR Property Services LLC to CWJK Holdings LLC, $161,875

Green St., 2334: Phantom Property Investments LLC to J. Fermin, $120,000

Green St., 3113: M. Jarvis to M. & C. Rinkoff, $228,000

Greenwood St., 2118: MCCJ Properties LLC to SPG Capital LLC, $58,000

Hale Ave., 383: S. Henry to J. Jones, $75,000

Hamilton St., 201: Braxley Renovations LLC to SJL Rentals LLC, $205,000

Herr St., 206: S. Ntzanis to Z. & A. Martin, $161,000

Herr St., 226: V. Wills & R. Moore to D. Hack & B. Blakistone, $209,900

Herr St., 309: N. Kresge to M. Connors, $240,000

Herr St., 1823: M. Murphy, K. Seidel & Murphy Rentals Inc. to H. Toledo Jr., $59,900

Hummel St., 431: Bell Group LLC to Hillside Financial LLC, $120,000

Jefferson St., 2450: B. Koshkarian to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $73,500

Kelker St., 215: M. Novosel to A. & J. Bert, $115,000

Kensington St., 2037 & 2039: J. Echegaray to SNB Real Estate Solutions LLC, $110,000

Kensington St., 2262: R. Eden & PA Housing Finance Agency to D&A Homes LLC, $54,000

Kensington St., 2365: C. Woods to A. Pellegrini, $100,000

Linden St., 125: CR Property Group LLC to S. Tolopilo, $125,100

Mercer St., 2446: F. Beshara & L. Zeller to D. Sherer & M. Cohn, $106,000

Mulberry St., 2000: P. Robinson to J. Hunter, $105,000

Naudain St., 1421: Gary Neff Inc. & City Limits Realty to G. Ajakaye, $47,500

N. 2nd St., 709: KBH Properties to J. & K. Staz, $128,000

N. 2nd St., 1105: HAMR Second Street LLC to CWJK Holdings LLC, $161,400

N. 2nd St., 2315: H. Bower to J. Pulley, $159,900

N. 2nd St., 2333: C. Cullis to L. & J. Casey, $105,750

N. 2nd St., 2515: P. Burke to T. & B. Groce, $257,000

N. 2nd St., 2625: R. Morning to K. Boyer, $280,000

N. 2nd St., 3019: J. Erb to J. Steinbrunner, $180,000

N. 2nd St., 3232: J. Dresslar & W. Cleary to Alkaline Properties LLC, $95,000

N. 3rd St., 2251: M. Erazo to D. Riley, $126,000

N. 3rd St., 2550: N. Mindlin & J. Cutler to A. & I. Hermantin, $279,000

N. 4th St., 3209: M. Schuessler to T. & J. Perla, $88,512

N. 5th St., 1700: N. McWhite to Taylor Made Properties LLC, $61,001

N. 5th St., 1719: R. Cieszynski to Alkaline Properties LLC, $95,000

N. 6th St., 1500: P. Stier to L. Grossberg & J. Maes, $472,500

N. 6th St., 2901: Firetree Ltd. to Loving Handz Early Learning & Development Center Inc., $175,000

N. 6th St., 3105: K. Kissam to C. Penney, $117,900

N. 7th St., 2148: Tang & Perkins Property Management LLC to SPG Capital LLC, $47,500

N. 13th St., 18, 20 & 22 and 13 & 15 Linden St.: M. Lamereaux & S. Brady to E. Rodriguez & M. Taveras, $225,000

N. 14th St., 226: J. Bowen to Fernandez Realty Group LLC, $68,000

N. 14th St., 1203: N. Barber to FRDOCE03 LLC, $55,000

N. 16th St., 1103: RJ Schultz Enterprises Inc. to J. & J. Izurieta, $98,000

N. 18th St., 47: Great Row LLC to T. Paul, $45,900

N. 19th St., 709: J Linc Holdings LLC to Wisechoice USA LLC, $39,000

N. Front St., 1013: B. Rota to J. Charles Realty LLC, $250,000

N. Front St., 3211: 3211 Front Associates LLC & In Touch Holding to Empire Front Street LLC, $3,770,000

Park St., 1630: L. Palmer to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $67,500

Penn St., 1311: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to 1311 Penn Street LLC, $139,900

Penn St., 1612: N. & C. Giustra to M. Bravo, $208,400

Penn St., 2224: K. Lawler to A. Luchansky, $74,900

Penn St., 2313: M. Bekelja to SPG Capital LLC, $67,500

Reel St., 2616: E. Chattah to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $79,300

Regina St., 1819: J. Carmona & K. Contreras to M. Pichardo, $

Reily St., 430 & 432: Dobson Family Partnership to 400 Reily Street LLC, $300,000

Rolleston St., 1042: D. Lispi to R. Kinnard, $200,000

Rumson Dr., 2983: J. Jones to C. Caraballo, $100,500

Schuykill St., 536: E. Chattah & Y. Guhl to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $90,500

Seneca St., 262: CR Property Group LLC to C. Drayton, $59,900

S. 12th St., Neidlinger Enterprises LLC to M. Dalupang, $130,000

S. 14th St., 429: A. & T. Scott to C. Heras & W. Salinas, $53,000

S. 15th St., 17: H. Sostre & M. Gonzalez to F. Contreras, $85,000

S. 18th St., 14: K. Moore & Habitat for Humanity of Greater Harrisburg Area to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $59,000

S. 18th St., 28: RJ Schultz Enterprises Inc. to Moxie Properties LLC, $51,000

S. 21st St., 932: RTD Properties & Management to K. Ferrera, $57,000

S. 23rd St., 647: L. & M. Chen to J. Mears, $100,000

S. 25th St., 602: RDR Property Management LLC to D. Glatfelter, $68,000

S. 27th St., 734: B. McCann to D. Smith, $98,000

State St., 231, Unit 602: LUX 1 LP to R. Murcia, $140,000

State St., 1847: Blue Door Management LLC to Bridger Investments LLC, $40,000

Susquehanna St., 1809: S. Sehar to SPG Capital LLC, $82,500

Susquehanna St., 1839: S. Conover to E. Lindsay, $160,000

Vernon St., 1343: R. & D. Kauffman to J. & C. Glick, $60,000

Washington St., 111: C. Altman to O. Hannah, $170,000

Yale St., 225: L. & L. Napier to J. Camacho, $63,000

Harrisburg property sales for August 2021, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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October Editor’s Note

September 30, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

People often say that their favorite month is October.

Cool weather, Halloween, pumpkin spice everything. Sure, I get it.

Unfortunately, the month does quickly lead into the dark, cold and snow of winter, which is what knocks it down a notch or two in my book. Still, for beauty (the leaves!), comfort (sweater weather) and fun (when did Halloween turn into a month-long holiday?), it’s tough to beat.

Each October, TheBurg offers a smattering of fall-ish things to do around central PA. For some reason, autumn lends itself to a good day trip, so we tend to focus on places and events outside of the city, maybe while you’re out leaf-peeping or heading for that corn maze with the kids.

This month also wraps up our monthly stories on the 2021 Harrisburg Mural Festival, which we’ve been running since the June issue.

TheBurg has never before published a series of stories on a single topic for five straight months. However, we wanted to do so because we’re so impressed with Sprocket Mural Works and their dedication to the city and community.

Recently, a friend and I got into a discussion about developments around Harrisburg. He asked me what I thought was most encouraging, thinking that I would say this or that building proposal, since there are so many right now.

I told him that I was impressed not by a developer but by Sprocket. This group has taken it upon themselves to raise money for, plan and execute large-scale art projects throughout Harrisburg. In fact, they just celebrated their 50th Harrisburg-area mural.

As a result, over just a few short years, Harrisburg has become a city of lovely public art, a more beautiful place with a mural trail, art tours and a new tourist attraction. This has all been accomplished by a small core of dedicated volunteers who have donated their time and talents, without a profit motive, a paid staffer or the use of a single taxpayer dollar.

Now, that’s an impressive accomplishment.

Lawrance Binda
Co-Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Click here to read the digital version of our October issue.

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History on a Roll: For more than 2 centuries, the hungry, the thirsty, the weary have flooded into Shank’s Tavern.

September 30, 2021 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Present day and historic photos of Shank’s Tavern

J. Robert Shank busied himself chopping vegetables in the kitchen of Shank’s Tavern as he talked.

“We have a labor shortage, as you know,” he said, explaining his prep work.

He pointed to the ceiling.

“I was born up there approximately 73 years ago,” he said, referring to the apartments located above the business.

Shank grew up in the tavern and often lingered behind the jukebox as a child to eye up the clientele. You can tell that he’s proud of the provenance of the business that was established in 1814 and is known as the oldest tavern in Lancaster County.

“A riverboat captain used to own this place,” he said.

According to Shank, his grandfather, who purchased the tavern in 1930, benefited from the former Olmsted Air Force Base nearby in Middletown.

“The Marietta branch was the depot, so it was ‘Libertytown’ for GIs, and we always had good food and cold beer for them,” he said.

Eventually, Shank’s mother and father took the helm—that is, until the pair divorced, leaving his mom with the bar business.

For years, Shank studiously tried to steer clear of the place, enlisting in the Navy, seeking acting work in California and even moving to Florida to open up another bar. But like an old flame, the tavern wooed him back.

“When the Florida venture failed, I came home and tried to sell the place,” he said. “Then a light bulb went off in my head, and I said to myself, ‘Hey idiot, it’s paid for, it has a liquor license, get your head out of your butt and start running it like it’s supposed to be run,’ and the rest is history.”

That history is evident in the black-and-white pictures that festoon the walls and the décor that hasn’t changed in ages.

“Everything’s original except the wall that was taken down in 1954 that separated the ladies from the men,” Shank said.

And, like many old buildings, Shank’s is said to be haunted.

“My brother and I used to hear bumps and thumps in the night,” said Shank, telling tales of hangers flying across the room, disembodied voices and apparition sightings.

He also recounted a story of a neighbor who stayed the night and saw an apparition.

“He didn’t come back here for 20 years,” Shank said.

Shank and his mom ended up running the place until 2008. Now, he and his wife Wendy take care of the small business, which seats 58 inside and 35 outside on an attractive patio located at the side of the building.

Business was brisk over the years, and Shank’s became known not only for cold libations, but also for good, and sometimes, unfamiliar food. The businessman wasn’t shy about stepping outside of the Marietta comfort zone and taking risks, starting with tacos that he discovered during his Navy days in California.

“Back in the late ‘60s, people hadn’t heard of tacos around here,” Shank said.

Then came such additions as sushi, pho and microbrews. Bands played at the place four nights a week, and everything went along swimmingly—until COVID hit.

“Everything came to a screeching halt,” Shank said. “We lost close to $3,000 in food that we had prepared for St. Patrick’s Day. So, I ended up giving it all to the food banks.”

The tavern then shut its doors for 14 months.

“I’m very lucky because this place was paid for a million years ago and not having a mortgage is a real big deal,” Shank said.

When he finally reopened, he decided to pare his menu down to one page due to the labor shortage.

“It’s still going well though because people are so happy that we’re back,” said Shank, naming a few of the food items offered, like burgers, soups, flatbreads and salads.

Few are happier to have Shank’s reopen than Kaylee Schofield and Nathan Zaccarelli, who live about 10 minutes away in Bainbridge and have been visiting the tavern for six years.

“We think the place is phenomenal,” said Nathan, adding that his favorite item to order at Shank’s is the beef on weck, a sandwich originating from Buffalo, N.Y., that features roast beef on a kummelweck roll.

For Kaylee, it’s the turkey pesto flatbread. More important to the couple, though, is the friendliness of the tavern.

“It’s cozy and warm and feels like home,” said Schofield. “We especially like the staff. They are extremely welcoming and know us by name.”

That’s music to Shank’s ears, since he wants everyone to feel that way.

“I’m glad I now realize what a wonderful tavern this is, and I appreciate its rich history,” he said. “It has always been a place to serve friends and weary travelers. It’s not a Friday’s, it’s not a Wild Wings, it’s not a pool bar. It is what it is—a cool, neighborhood tavern.”

Shank’s Tavern is located at 36 S. Waterford Ave., Marietta. For more information, visit www.shankstavern.com.

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A Statue Story: After stumbling on an old family photo, a Harrisburg woman goes on the hunt for a missing elk.

September 30, 2021 | by M. Diane McCormick

Crystal Skotedis atop the elk at the scrapyard.

“We’re driving down some side streets, and I see it in a junkyard.”

Yes, a majestic statue of an elk would stand out. Crystal Skotedis thought her search for a forgotten piece of Harrisburg history—ostensibly what this story is about—had hit a dead end. Suddenly, there it was, as if the call of the elk had lured her to this spot.

Where to start? With the well-traveled statue, or with Skotedis’ sleuthing that led to new connections in family and Harrisburg history? Let’s begin with Skotedis.

The Photo

Visiting her grandmother in North Carolina, Crystal Skotedis was poring through family photo albums. A sepia picture of her great-grandmother and an unknown woman sitting on a bronze elk seemed jarringly whimsical.

“These people were from Lewistown,” Skotedis told me. “They never, ever traveled. They were farmers. For her to go to a destination and climb on top of a bronze statue, it was kind of surprising.”

She turned over the photo. “Harrisburg, Penna,” it said.

“What are the chances of that?” Skotedis marveled. “That’s where I live, and I have never seen this elk in my life.”

So many questions. Who was that other woman? Why had Skotedis never seen this elk? Where was it now?

An internet search revealed a PennLive story on Harrisburg’s monuments, and there it was—an elk erected in Reservoir Park by Elks Lodge #12, Harrisburg, PA.

An Elk Rises

In 1896 and 1897, Harrisburg attorney Meade D. Detweiler served as Grand Exalted Ruler of Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the USA for an unheard-of two terms. In that age of joining, he was renowned for his oratory and as the only person with “nerve sufficient,” in the words of one newspaper, to mediate disputes among warring Elks factions.

After the national Elks disbanded Harrisburg’s first Elks lodge, Detweiler recruited leading lights for a new lodge and, with his national clout, fought off other lodges for a coveted low number that had become available. In June 1904, just as national officers were arriving in Harrisburg to celebrate initiation of B.P.O. Elks Lodge #12, Detweiler fell ill and died, age around 38.

In October 1906, Reservoir Park resounded with speeches, poetry and music. Hundreds gathered for a ceremony dedicating Lodge 12’s Detweiler memorial, a $10,000 edifice of towering column, Detweiler bust and statue of an elk.

The work would “forever stand as an emblem to those beautiful, ennobling, uplifting, humanitarian principles of your order: Charity, justice, fidelity and brotherly love,” said Charles A. Disbrow, then-president of the city parks board. “In accepting the care of this handsome monument, which you have so generously presented to the city as an adornment of this park, the Park Commission promises you to cherish and preserve it in its present artistic beauty.”

By “forever,” Disbrow apparently meant about six decades. Someone broke off a tip of the horns that, in Elks lore, represent the spreading antlers of protection. Around 1966, Lodge #12 moved the statue—first, to its lodge in downtown Harrisburg, and then to guard its new lodge on Woodlawn Street, near the city line with Paxtang borough.

In those intervening generations, the statue became a destination. Locals and visitors would trek to Reservoir Park and hoist themselves on the back of the elk. Someone would pull out a Kodak Brownie and snap a pic.

Dauphin County Historical Society archivist Ken Frew helped Skotedis unearth the statue’s history.

“I’m pretty sure I have a photograph of me sitting on it or beside it when I was little,” he said. “It was a favorite spot for parents to take their children to get their picture taken.”

The Great Find

Jenny. That was the other woman on the elk, the sister of Skotedis’ great-grandmother. Skotedis learned this when her grandmother suggested that she connect with the daughter of her great-great-grandfather’s brother—still in Lewistown and a keeper of “generations of old family photo books.”

“She let me borrow her life’s work to take home and enjoy,” Skotedis said. “At this point, I’m anxious to see if I can find this statue. Maybe I can sit on it and re-create the photo.”

Skotedis dragged her husband to the Elks lodge, but the building recently had been sold. Her next thought—drive to Reservoir Park and take a photo at the statue’s pedestal, standing in the footsteps of her great-grandmother, named Zelda Irene Harshbarger.

That was when they passed that scrapyard. The gate was open. No one answered at the office. Skotedis hopped on the elk, her husband snapped a photo, and they darted away.

Worried that this “relic of the history of Harrisburg” would be melted down, Skotedis contacted Elks Lodge #12 and got a return call from Exalted Ruler Robert “Bullit” Martindill.

“He was wonderful,” she said. “He was as robust an Elk as you’d want someone to be.”

Sigh of relief there. The elk will not be melted down. The scrapyard belongs to a lodge member who accepted the statue for safekeeping after the Woodlawn Street building sold. It might even move temporarily to West Shore Lodge #2257 until Lodge #12 finds its new home.

Lodge #12 is devoted to community service, sponsoring youth events, supporting veterans and presenting drug awareness programs, said Martindill.

“That elk shows that we’re there for the community, and we’re here to spread goodwill and do what we can to help out,” said Martindill. “That’s why it’s important to keep the elk intact and have it displayed in front of our Elks building or any Elks building at this time.”

City Beautifying

So, they erected a monument in 1906. What else was going on in Harrisburg back then?

Oh, just construction of a water treatment system to eradicate the scourge of typhoid. And the paving of impassable dirt streets. And creation of a parks system that sparkles to this day. And the dedication of a grandiose state Capitol building.

Embracing the City Beautiful movement, Harrisburg was transforming from a swampy, disease-ridden backwater to a capital city.

“Statuary was a big part of it,” said Frew. “I’m sure that the Elks monument was part and parcel of that movement.”

With a career in public accounting, Skotedis is a principal with Boyer and Ritter LLC and a Harrisburg resident since 2003. She feels “appreciation and gratitude” for those City Beautiful pioneers and, following in their footsteps, serves on the Capital Region Water board.

“You can kind of transport yourself into that timeline and get energized by the passion of those people who were establishing a community,” she said.

Skotedis texted relatives with the play-by-play of her elk hunt, including the discoveries in their own heritage. There was the ninth great-grandfather who was the first Amish bishop to settle in Pennsylvania. An uncle helped test the first space shuttle and joined investigations into the Apollo I fire.

Mostly, Skotedis gifted her beloved grandmother, Doris Reed, with stories that brought young Zelda to life. As a businesswoman with a positive spirit, Reed was “my living, breathing example of a woman in business who was really assertive and really empowered,” Skotedis said. “I know 1,000% that’s one of the reasons I knew I could go into public accounting in a still very male-dominated field.”

Martindill, of Hummelstown, is a retired police officer still living with injuries sustained while rescuing inhabitants from a burning house that exploded around him. While other civic organizations bleed membership, he is busy initiating new members eager to serve.

“The young people mingle with the older crowd, and they’re respectful and they learn things,” he said. “In order to go forward in life, you need to understand what all us old farts have gone through to give you some direction.”

Skotedis sees that commitment to service in her search. She met people passionate about the community. She uncovered a quirk of Harrisburg history that draws others into its orbit. She found a statue and, she hopes, will follow its journey, wherever it leads.

All from a sepia photo marked “Harrisburg, Penna.”

“If you peel back a couple of layers, you’re not that far unrelated from people who walk down the street,” said Skotedis. “Holy cats. The elk really unified our family in a whole new way.”

For more information on Harrisburg Elks Lodge #12, visit https://bpoe12hbg.wixsite.com/website or their Facebook page.

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Much More than Chocolate: Hershey History Center tells a story of Derry Township dating back nearly three centuries.

September 30, 2021 | by Rachel Curry

Hershey History Center

Lisa Maloy has an affinity for locomotives.

As a volunteer for Hershey History Center, Derry Township’s grassroots historical society, she relishes the opportunity to put her passion to work.

“You could travel back in the day on the train and trolley and just cover the country,” said Maloy. “And Hershey, Derry Township, is just one stop on all that.”

This year, Hershey History Center received a narrow-gauge model train display called “Chocolate Town Special,” which depicts life in Hershey and Derry Township in the 1920s.

Maloy and the rest of the Hershey History Center team leapt at the chance to set up a limited-time exhibit. It shows locomotives and trolleys of the time amid the core buildings on Chocolate Avenue, plus the rolling countryside of central Pennsylvania, all in one seamless display.

The historical society, now 30 years old, started as a way to catalogue the rich history of Derry Township (Hershey didn’t get its name until 1903, long after the township’s 1729 incorporation).

“We started like most historical societies start—in the living room of somebody’s home,” Maloy said.

Back then, they were called the Derry Township Historical Society, eventually evolving to the Hershey-Derry Township Historical Society.

“And here we are today as the Hershey History Center,” Maloy said.

Despite their name, the Hershey History Center covers much more than chocolate—and despite Maloy’s interests, the center covers much more than trains.

The Hershey History Center wants to be a repository for genealogical research, deeds, land maps and the like. However, they also want to represent the voices and stories that reflect the community. That means covering military history, sports history and all the other facets that make Derry Township what it is today.

The center’s executive director, Nikki Soliday, is the only full-time employee working to preserve, promote and interpret the history of Derry Township. She works alongside a slew of volunteers dedicated to keeping the center going.

“Our story is more based on the voices of the people—those who created the community, lived in the community,” said Soliday.

Since joining the Hershey History Center, Soliday has learned more about the Hershey Bears hockey team than she ever thought she would. The center features the largest public collection of Hershey Bears artifacts. The Bears, the seventh oldest hockey team in all of North America after the NHL’s original six, are the most winning team in the American Hockey League. The center’s original documentary, “B’ars to Bears,” covers all that and more.

Then there’s the exhibit that divulges the legacy of brownstone manufacturing in Hershey.

“We had one of the most far-reaching brownstone industries on the East Coast,” said Soliday, adding that innumerable brownstones in Brooklyn, Boston, St. Louis and beyond have Hershey roots.

The “Dick Winters Exhibit” about the decorated World War II veteran is one that can’t be missed.

“He lived right here in town on Elm Avenue,” Soliday said of Winters.

When Winters died, he donated his entire collection to the center. The collection went on to inspire the book and subsequent Steven Spielberg-produced HBO miniseries, “Band of Brothers.”

As they compete with entertainment, amusements and other organizations with hefty foundation endowments, they want to be the community’s historical repository.

The Hershey History Center holds an archive library, museum and event space—and the society holds programming offsite, too. The 24th Annual Preservation Gala is being held at St. Joan of Arc Parish on Oct. 2. This year’s theme, “La Festa Italiana,” honors the rich Italian history found in the Hershey area.

And, of course, the center is now gearing up for its most popular feature—the annual holiday train exhibit.

Looking ahead, a few other permanent exhibits are underway, focusing on the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Hershey Estates.

Often, the Hershey History Center feels like a hidden gem, but they don’t want to be hidden.

“We think we’re pretty cool, but we don’t want to be unknown,” Soliday said.

The Hershey History Center is located at 40 Northeast Dr., Hershey. For more information, visit www.hersheyhistory.org.

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