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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

First Time for Everything: Actors, audience share a new theater experience with Open Stage’s “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit.”

September 30, 2021 | by Rachel Landon

Actors featured in “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit”

What makes a play a play? Take away the set, the costumes, the director and any rehearsal, and what are you left with?

In an intimate theater on Court Street, audiences are about to find out.

Let’s rewind a few years. In 2010, Nassim Soleimanpour was a young playwright who refused compulsory military service in Iran. Because he refused to be conscripted, he was denied a passport and forbidden to leave Iran. He was, in a way, imprisoned.

But even if Soleimanpour could not leave the country, he realized that his words could.

Fast forward to 2011. Soleimanpour’s play, “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit,” premieres at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and is a critical success, played to sold-out houses, and is lauded by audiences for its brilliant originality.

The playwright, of course, was not in attendance. The show would continue to be a smash hit, being translated into dozens of languages and having hundreds of productions. And while his play would continue to travel the world, he would not.

All right. So. In most articles about plays, this would be a really good segue into the plot of the play. Here’s where I would tell you a bit about the story, the characters, the themes, etc. Where (if I did my job correctly) you would lean in and say, “Well that sounds interesting!” A tantalizing but tight paragraph that might fit into a TV Guide descriptor.

Here’s the rub: I can’t tell you.

It’s the worldwide phenomenon no one is supposed to talk about, but here’s the gist of it—the play has no team of designers, no director, no six-week rehearsal period. The actor will see the script the night of the performance, opening a sealed envelope in front of the audience right before the play is performed. It’s not a gimmick. It ties into a very important element of the show, and believe me when I tell you that the less you know about it, the more profound your experience will be.

Same goes for the actors in this play: they know nothing about what they are about to perform. The actor does get a few short directions before the show, before they open the sealed envelope with the script inside. And here’s another catch—once you’ve performed it, you can never perform it again. Theater is, by its very nature, ephemeral. And “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit” is perhaps the most momentary theatrical experience that any actor will ever have—no second nights, no do-overs.

And the actors! Believe me when I say that the lineup for the 12 performances of “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit” at Open Stage are powerhouses in the Harrisburg theater scene. These pillars of the community are artistic directors, drag performers, improvisers, theater educators, actors and singers, and each one has no idea what the show is about.

There have been a lot of big names who have performed “White Rabbit, Red Rabbit.” Americans will know actors like Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane, F. Murray Abraham, Cynthia Nixon, Martin Short and Wayne Brady, just to name a few. You might notice these actors aren’t exactly cut from the same cloth. The author created a piece where your “type” doesn’t matter. The story and the experience transcend the individual, and the performer can be any age, any gender, any race, any anything. And audiences can have a profoundly different journey every night.

While I can’t tell you what the journey is, I can tell you that the journey you’ll have is hilarious, heartbreaking, disquieting, illuminating and absolutely transformative. It’s just something you have to experience yourself.

One minor spoiler—you will see one thing that is the same in every single performance: an empty chair in the front row. At every performance over the last 10 years of “White Rabbit Red Rabbit,” the playwright requests that a seat be saved for him.

“White Rabbit, Red Rabbit” runs Oct. 1 to 24 at Open Stage, 25 N. Court St., Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, visit openstagehbg.com.

Special Events
At Open Stage

“White Rabbit, Red Rabbit”
a play by Nassim Soleimanpour
Oct. 1 to 24

Harrisburg Black NewsBeat
with Dr. Kimeka Campbell
Oct. 13 & 27 at 8:30 p.m.

The Obstructed View
Oct. 2 & 16 at 9:30 p.m.

The HallowQueen Ball
Drag Show & Costume Dance Party
Oct. 29 at 8 p.m.

Court Street Cabaret
Oct. 8 at 9:30 p.m.
Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

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

Building Back: Habitat for Humanity hammers home safety, prepares for post-pandemic work.

September 30, 2021 | by Diane McNaughton

Serina Gaston on a recently built porch in Allison Hill.

They are building their way back.

After a year of silenced backhoes, Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area has a new executive director and a retooled commitment to home renovation.

As part of a global network that spans 70 countries and all 50 states, the nonprofit has become known for teams of volunteers in T-shirts and tool belts framing new houses, scaling scaffolding and raising walls in massive speed-builds. But here at home in Harrisburg, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a lengthy construction shutdown and a shift in focus to home repairs.

Habitat hopes new home construction, paused in 2020 and 2021, will resume in 2022, according to Executive Director Serina Gaston, who assumed the reins in April.

This year, Habitat has bolstered its critical home repair program, improving existing homes with ongoing maintenance issues: leaky roofs, windows and doors; decaying porches and wobbly railings; broken bathrooms and dilapidated kitchens. Many of their jobs involve installing ramps and adding handrails to steps and showers.

Gaston noted that, every year, one in three adults over the age of 65 falls, often causing injury and even death. Their “Safe at Home” program repairs homes for seniors and adults with disabilities, with accessibility and safety as a focus.

Much of Habitat’s funding comes from individual donations, grants, and Managed Care Organizations such as Gateway Health Plan, which recently donated $60,000, earmarked for the homebound, those with disabilities and seniors.

In addition to home-building and repair, Habitat hosts a quarterly financial literacy workshop, and, of course, operates the Habitat ReStore, a used goods store that accepts small and large donations of new or gently used furniture, housewares, appliances, building materials and more.

Health Equity

A desire to make a home safer and healthier is built into Gaston’s DNA. She said that health care has been her lifelong passion, and safe, stable shelter is one of the foundations of good health.

“I have a heart for helping people,” she said.

That emphasis on food insecurity and healthier living began in her childhood in Elkins Park in Montgomery County. She has lived in central Pennsylvania for 24 years, after moving here to join her husband, a Steelton native. They met when they both were students at West Chester University.

Before coming to Habitat, Gaston worked as executive director of the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network, where she educated low- to moderate-income families about the building blocks to health—the importance of eating a balanced diet and the dangers of obesity and diabetes.

She also helped create the Pennsylvania VeggieBook app and focused on improving the social determinants of health. In addition, she worked at the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers and the state Department of Health and currently serves on the Pennsylvania United Way board, the state’s Office of Health Equity Advisory Committee and the Pennsylvania Chapter’s Society of Public Health Educators.

“My passion is health equity, and I believe that having a safe and decent place to live impacts your health,” Gaston said. “When we look at the social determinants of health, we can’t overlook having a safe place to live.”

Making Inroads

In the critical home repair program, the nonprofit partners with homeowners for internal and external renovations and repairs.

To qualify, applicants must be up-to-date on their property taxes and mortgage and have an income below 80 percent of the Dauphin County median family income.

For a family of four, that means income must fall below $67,900 or $54,350 for a two-person household.

If a resident qualifies, a construction team will go out and look at the project. Acting as both construction manager and coordinator, they will take pictures, talk to the homeowner and tap volunteers. If it’s a bigger job, like a roof, they may contract out the work, Gaston said.

There is no cost to the homeowner if they qualify.

“That is part of our mission,” Gaston said. “We want everyone to be able to live in a safe environment.”

The Etzweiler family was one beneficiary of the Critical Home Repair Program. They recently wrote to Gaston and her team:

“Thank you for the difference you have made. Through your help, we are getting closer to our goal of putting siding on our home, which will boost our confidence and self-esteem! Thank you for the windows you replaced, the bathroom floor and ceiling fan, the newer stove and hood with fan, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and all the electrical work that was done to improve our home situation. “

Whether in Harrisburg or Halifax, tough economic times have darkened the doorsteps of both rural and urban America, Gaston said.

They are making inroads. From 2006 to 2021, the nonprofit has completed 199 home repair projects and counting, prioritizing safety, energy-efficiency and code compliance.

Crystal Brown, a former board member of the nonprofit Tri-County Housing Development Corp. and once head of the Brethren Housing Association, applauds Gaston and the work of Habitat. Tri-County partnered with Habitat to do a three-house building blitz in 2018 along Swatara Street.

She also lauded Gaston for her commitment to housing equity, safety and fairness.

“She is a phenomenal woman and leader,” Brown said.

For more information about Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area, visit www.harrisburghabitat.org or call 717-545-7299.

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

Community Corner: Notable Events in October

September 30, 2021 | by Missy Smith

October Community Corner

HarvestFest
Oct. 1-2: Enjoy the fall season at a two-day craft festival of fall and winter décor, food, entertainment and activities at Mifflin County Youth Park, 110 W. Logan St., Reedsville. www.visitbigvalley.com

Pumpkin Festival
Oct. 1-31: Every weekend in October, the Rockhill Trolley Museum and East Broad Top Railroad, 421 Meadow St., Rockhill, will run scenic train ride through Aughwick Valley. Board a vintage trolley, pick out a pumpkin, enjoy some fun activities, shop with vendors and more. www.eastbroadtop.com

Gardening Event
Oct. 2: Harrisburg Young Professionals will host a gardening event at the Peffer Street Edible Forest Garden, 2002 Walter Alley, Harrisburg, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers are needed to weed and mulch the garden and help expose the buried sidewalk. Gloves and water bottles provided. www.hyp.org

HBG Flea
Oct. 2: Explore the HBG Flea on first Saturdays for art, handmade gifts and vintage wares from local artists and curators, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Outdoor markets are held from May to October at Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg, and indoor markets are held from November to April at Strawberry Square, 320 Market St., Harrisburg. www.hbgflea.com

Harrisburg Hoopla
Oct. 2: Harrisburg Young Professionals and the Foundation for Enhancing Communities will host the fourth annual Harrisburg Hoopla at City Island, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy a friendly track-and-field day for adults, organized to build community, boost the economy and raise money for local nonprofits. Visit www.hyp.org

Book Fest
Oct. 2: The Chocolate Town Book Festival will be held at the Hershey Public Library, 701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey, 2 to 5 p.m., followed by a piano night in the Reading Garden featuring pianists ages 9 or older, 7 to 9 p.m. The event will be held outdoors at the library, allowing attendees to meet and talk with local authors. In case of rain, the rescheduled date is Oct. 3. Attendees should bring lawn chairs. www.hersheylibrary.org

Fall Meet Week
Oct. 5-9: High-performance cars are in focus during the Eastern Regional Fall Meet, Hershey’s annual antique car show and festival. View period automobiles, see racecar demonstrations and visit the flea market. On Oct. 9, attend the annual “Night at the Museum” dinner and reception at the AACA Museum, 161 Museum Drive, Hershey, 6 to 10 p.m. www.hershey.aaca.com

Fall Storytime
Oct. 6: Kids ages 2 to 5 are invited to Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, for a story session, 10 to 10:45 a.m. Stories, songs, rhymes, play and an activity will introduce Wildwood critters and share the joy of reading with young attendees. www.wildwoodlake.org

Book Festival
Oct. 6-10: Midtown Scholar Bookstore, 1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, hosts the ninth annual Harrisburg Book Festival with in-person bookstore hours, an outdoor tent sale and virtual author events with award-winning and bestselling authors. www.hbgbookfest.com

Networking Mixers
Oct. 6, 21: Join the West Shore Chamber of Commerce for networking mixers, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., on Oct. 6 at Good Hope Fire Station, 1200 Good Hope Rd., Mechanicsburg, and Oct. 21 at Duke’s Bar & Grille Riverside, 313 S. Front St., Wormleysburg. www.wschamber.org

Curiosity Kids
Oct. 7: Visitors, ages 3 to 6, and families can enjoy “Curiosity Kids—SHAPES!” at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North St., Harrisburg, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Discover two-dimensional shapes and learn what makes each one unique, while exploring the 2021 “Art of the State” exhibit in search of these shapes. Participants will use their artistic and creative skills to create artwork of their own. www.statemuseumpa.org

Bird Walk
Oct. 8: Join volunteers Rick and Peggy Price for a morning walk at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, to look for fall warblers and other songbirds heading south, raptors including broad-winged and sharp-shinned hawks, and year-round resident birds. Meet in front of the Nature Center at 7:30 am. Pre-registration required. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Foreign Film
Oct. 8, 22: Join Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, for “Another Round,” a film from Denmark, on Oct. 8, and “The Mole Agent,” a film from Chile, on Oct. 25. Showings are at 2 and 7 p.m. Registration is required, and film nights will be held at 50% capacity. www.fredricksenlibrary.org

Golf Fundraiser
Oct 9: Daystar Center for Recovery will host a golf tournament fundraiser at Armitage Golf Course, 800 Orrs Bridge Rd., Mechanicsburg, 6 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. In addition to the four-person scramble, there will be contests with prizes, a lunch buffet and more. www.daystarrecovery.com

Space Day
Oct. 9: Celebrate “Space Day” at Whitaker Center, 222 Market St, Harrisburg, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year’s theme is “Women in Space,” with keynote speaker Dr. Jan Davis, NASA astronaut, a viewing of “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition,” hands-on activities and more. www.whitakercenter.org

Volunteer Day
Oct. 9: Head to Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, to enjoy the outdoors and help with continuing park and habitat enhancement projects, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tools and work gloves will be provided. Assume the workday is cancelled if it is raining. Pre-registration required. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Odd Ones Bizarre
Oct. 9: The Millworks, 340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg, hosts the Odd Ones Holiday Bizarre, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the corner of Verbeke and 3rd streets. Shop for unique, handcrafted items for the holiday season at this alternative arts and crafts event. www.millworksharrisburg.com

Homeschool Event
Oct. 12: Homeschool students are invited to Hershey Gardens, 63 West Chocolate Ave., to discover soil, worms and other creatures that live in the soil, to learn about the environment that exists beneath trees and shrubs, to visit the Bonsai exhibit, and to enjoy a garden story time, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. www.hersheygardens.org

Art Show
Oct. 15: The Civic Club of Harrisburg will host an art show at the Overlook Mansion, 612 N Front St., Harrisburg, 5 to 9 p.m., with about 15 local artists with work for sale. www.civicclubofharrisburg.com

3rd in The Burg
Oct. 15: Enjoy the best of Harrisburg during 3rd in the Burg, the monthly arts and culture event at galleries, restaurants and art spaces throughout downtown and Midtown, 6 to 9 p.m. www.thirdintheburg.org

Harvest Fest
Oct. 16: Central Penn College, 600 Valley Rd., Summerdale, hosts its annual Fall Harvest Festival, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The festival will feature live music, food trucks, vendors, kid games and more. www.centralpenn.edu

Wild Game Chef
Oct. 16: Join Rick Calla, the “Wild Game Chef,” for an afternoon of delectable dishes at Ned Smith Center, 176 Water Company Rd, Millersburg, 1 to 3 p.m. Admission is $20 per person or $35 per couple. Each guest will be able to taste the dishes the chef creates, learn about techniques involved, and how to pair with beer and wine. www.nedsmithcenter

Art Tour
Oct. 16-17: The third annual Hershey Hummelstown Art Studio Tour features 10 Hershey/Hummelstown artists who will open their studios to the public. Visitors can tour the studios, watch demonstrations, and purchase art. Studios will be open on Oct. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Oct. 17, 12 to 5 p.m. Visit “Hershey Hummelstown Art Studio Tour” on Facebook.

Book Giveaway
Oct 23: Friends of Kline Library will hold a Halloween book giveaway for children, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Kline Library, 530 S. 29th St., Harrisburg. Costumes welcome. www.dcls.org

Nature at Night
Oct. 23: Take an after-hours walk at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and watch the exhibit critters come to life. Then make s’mores around a campfire and sip apple cider, while taking in a Halloween story. Kids can dress as their favorite animal or in a costume. Bring a trick-or-treat bag. Cost is $5. www.wildwoodlake.org

Trunk or Treat
Oct. 24: AACA Museum, 161 Museum Dr., Hershey, will host “Trunk or Treat,” 12 to 3 p.m. Kids are invited to dress in Halloween costumes, decorate their own goodie bags and hunt for treats in the museum. Watch Halloween-themed videos in the indoor drive-in theater and see a hearse vehicle display. www.aacamuseum.org

Over the Edge
Oct. 29: Rappel from the rooftop of 200 N. 3rd St. in downtown Harrisburg between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Raise funds and awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region’s one-to-one youth mentoring programs. Register for this rooftop rappelling adventure at CAPBIGS.ORG.

Fall Garden Fun
Oct. 30: Join Penn State Extension Master Gardeners at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, to take care of your garden and support the birds in preparation for the upcoming winter months, 9 to 10:30 a.m. Workshops include indoor and outdoor components. Preregistration required. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

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

Art, on the Mark: Maureen Marks teaches children, families to create, enjoy art.

September 30, 2021 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Maureen Marks

At Maureen Marks Arts in Lower Paxton Township, students aren’t expected to create art perfectly.

Instead, owner Maureen Marks encourages her classes to create.

“Art is important to kids because it’s one of the few subjects that has no right or wrong answers,” she said. “Kids need to have that creative part during their development. You need to know there are possibilities.”

After years of teaching art in area public schools, Marks started teaching in her home, then in West Hanover Township. Four years ago, she renovated her current spacious, bright studio on Sunset Avenue in Lower Paxton from a building that once housed offices.

“I’ve been involved with doing art pretty much since birth,” Marks recalled. “My dad wanted me to be an English teacher, but I couldn’t stop making things.”

Maureen Marks Arts offers a wide variety of fall and spring classes each year for ages 3 to adult. Fall sessions usually attract a total of 120 students in all age groups with a “90% to 95% return rate,” she said.

Media instruction ranges from drawing, painting, clay, printmaking, pastel and crafts such as jewelry making.

The facility also offers a variety of public or private art parties and events, as well as several youth camps and “pop-up” events each year. Family paint nights held there are open to ages 8 and up.

Like many area venues, COVID-19 and the state’s pandemic orders have been a major challenge. Last year, the business was forced to close entirely from March through June. When it reopened, class sizes were reduced to meet state social distancing mandates. Masks were required, as well, and parents of students could no longer enter the building.

To further adhere to social distancing mandates, Marks split her 2020 summer art camps into two sessions each. Today, she still conducts classes “doing individual everything” with art supplies. “I’m still trying to separate things,” she said.

Marks also posted instructional project videos online during the pandemic.

“With COVID, everyone turned to art,” she said. “The soul needs this.”

Fun, Carefree

The Hamiltons are one of many families that have joined together for various activities at Maureen Marks Arts.

“Everyone in our family has been involved there at one time or another,” said Elizabeth “Liz” Hamilton, mother of Brooke, 14, Audrey, 10, and Landon, 6. The Lower Paxton Township family started going there in 2016 after a friend recommended it for Brooke’s birthday party.

Elizabeth Hamilton said she often participates in “pop-up classes” with friends or family at Marks Arts, such as holiday painting or watercolor events. Her favorite projects include a Christmas card with a pickup truck illustration, a Valentine gnome and wooden pumpkins made with her children.

“I never really thought of myself as an artist, but Maureen offers so many different materials to work with, and she explains it so well,” Elizabeth said. “I learned to have fun with it and not stress out about making it perfect. It’s fun to remember who we were with for each of the classes. Maureen is a great teacher. It’s been great seeing her giving the kids her knowledge.”

Brooke Hamilton has regularly attended sessions at Marks Arts since her initial birthday party there five years ago. From there, she was inspired to begin crafting her own jewelry at home, according to her mother.

“I’m really glad that Brooke found a craft there that she could take home and run with,” Elizabeth said. “When she’s not reading, she’s downstairs at her art table.”

Brooke, a freshman at Central Dauphin High School, said that she hopes someday to land a job “that has something to do with art.” Her favorite project done with Marks was a tree collage set on canvas using a variety of different materials.

“I liked crafting on my own before this, but she made it really fun and carefree,” Brooke said. “I have two really good friends who go there with me, and you have a lot of time to do things there, like around hour or an hour and a half for each one.”

In turn, Marks said she “loves going to work every day.”

“No two days are the same,” she added.

She also said that she enjoys watching her students grow both in art skills and in life skills.

“Part of kids learning to have self-esteem is working through your mistakes,” she said. “In art, it’s OK to make mistakes.”

Maureen Marks Arts is located at 103 Sunset Ave., Harrisburg. For information, call 717-545-5815 or visit www.maureenmarksarts.com.

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

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like