Drop box deployed in downtown Harrisburg, as county begins to mail ballots to voters

April 26, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

This ballot drop box has been deployed in front of the Dauphin County Administration Building.

Dauphin County on Monday placed a ballot drop box in downtown Harrisburg, as it begins to send out mail-in and absentee ballots for the upcoming municipal primary.

The drop box is located at the front entrance of the Dauphin County Administration Building at 2 S. 2nd St.

“Our elections office staff have been gearing up for the primary for some time now, so we can ensure voters they will have convenience and a fair election process,” Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Pries said.

Elections staff has begun to mail out almost 15,000 requested ballots for the May 18 primary, according to the county.

In addition to the drop box, the county also began extending hours on Monday until 6 p.m. at its new elections office at 1251 S. 28^th St. in Swatara Township. The extended hours will run until election day, when the office will be open until the 8 p.m. voting deadline.

Also, the county’s Northern Dauphin Human Services Center in Elizabethville will serve as a ballot return site from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In related news, the county Election Board has approved three polling place changes in effect for the primary in the following districts:

– Middletown Borough 1^st Ward, 1^st Precinct: Now located at Ebenezer A.M.E. Church, 329 Market St., Middletown.

– Millersburg Borough: Now located at Millersburg Area High School, Susquehannock Room, 799 Center St., Millersville.

– Swatara Township 9^th Precinct: Now located at WITF Main Lobby, 4801 Lindle Road, Harrisburg.

Voters in these districts will be issued new voter ID cards alerting them to the change as well as a postcard reminder.

The county also reminded voters of the following important dates:

The last day to register to vote is May 3.
The last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot is May 11.
Deadline for returning ballots is 8 p.m on May 18.

“We are focused and intent on meeting the needs of voters and providing them with confidence that their vote will be counted,” said Commissioner George Hartwick.

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The Week that Was: News and features from around Harrisburg

April 23, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Harrisburg’s Reservoir Park

The Harrisburg community has some exciting new initiatives, projects and entertainment in store, many announced this past week. If you missed any of our coverage, we have it all listed and linked, below.

Artist Natalie Dohman was featured in Bob’s Art Blog. Dohman shares her experience creating with a unique condition, synesthesia.

DTLR, a lifestyle apparel store, recently returned to their shop in downtown Harrisburg after an expansion and renovation, our online story reported. The store, one of the largest retailers in the city, offers shoes and clothing from brands like Nike, Adidas and Timberland.

Electric vehicles were added to Harrisburg’s fleet, with plans to add many more over the next five years, our reporting found. The city also cut the ribbon on new EV charging stations on City Island on Thursday.

Harrisburg banned water shut-offs for a month, through mid-May, our reporting found. The temporary ban adds to the city’s existing eviction moratorium.

Harrisburg School District officials announced plans for summer school, during a board meeting on Monday night. The district will hold programs for students interested in enrichment or credit recovery, our online story reported.

Harrisburg University’s $100 million building project took a big step forward this past weekend, our reporting found. A crew assembled a sky-high tower crane at the construction site to help erect the 11-story academic building.

Historic City Gardens plans to hold a series of tours this spring and summer in the Midtown neighborhood. Director Faye Deckter said the goal is to promote urban gardening and beautification, our reporting found.

Live music returns to the Harrisburg area after a long hiatus due to the pandemic. Our online story details which local venues are reopening and who’ll be playing.

Open Stage announced the return of live performances to its downtown theater, our reporting found. They will begin with a series of concerts, beginning in late May with a Judy Garland celebration entitled, “Over the Rainbow: the Songs of Judy Garland.”

PA Farm Show traditional foods will be available to the community at a “Spring Food Fest” in May, our online story reported. According to the PA Department of Agriculture, the fest will include favorites from the PA Dairymen’s Association, PA Livestock Association, PA Mushroom Farmers and others.

Parks in Harrisburg may soon face changes to become more organically maintained, our online story reported. The city received a $25,000 check from Stonyfield Organic, GIANT and Non-Toxic Neighborhoods to make parks safer and greener.

Potholes can now be reported to the city through an online mapping system, our online story reported. Public works department officials said they plan to use the data to address road damage.

Rosemary has a light, fresh take on pasta for your spring menu, as set forth in her recent magazine column. Pasta alla Nerano is a simple, yet delicious recipe that’ll take your tastebuds to Italy.

Sara Bozich has your weekly list of fun activities for the weekend. This week’s roundup includes ways to enjoy music, food and nature.

Saturday Nights in the City will return for the second year in a row, our reporting found. Harrisburg will shut down several downtown streets for al fresco dining every Saturday in the summer.

A story in TheBurg produced a ripple effect that benefitted 50 local organizations. After reading a story by writer Karen Hendricks about her quest to run 50 races for 50 causes, Bill Blando was inspired to make his own charitable donations. Read more, here.

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Garden tour to spotlight residential plantings, promote beautification in Harrisburg

April 23, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

A property on Green and Hamilton Streets that will be on the tour

Faye Deckter wants people to consider how they can use their own property as a garden this spring and summer.

That’s why she is inviting Harrisburg residents to join Historic City Gardens for its “Spring City Beautiful 2.0 Garden Tour,” with dates in May and June.

“In addition to making the environment more beautiful and healthier, we want people to learn about plants and gardens and to be compelled to garden,” Deckter said.

Participants will view 11 residential gardens and about 20 house front spaces where they can see growth from the over 300 flowering bulbs that were planted for the event. Plants like perennials, grasses, shrubs and ground coverings will be featured as well.

According to Deckter, the tour will also include best practice tips for gardening.

“Gardening is a process and every space is different,” she said.

Deckter, the director of HCG, said that in 2015, “The City as a Park,” plan was created, but it dealt primarily with the city’s public park system. Her organization decided to build off of that concept and challenge residents to consider their own spaces and neighborhoods as parks.

The tour will also aim to honor the City Beautiful Movement of the early 1900s in Harrisburg and its successor, Harrisburg’s City Beautiful 2.0.

Deckter highlighted both movements’ missions to improve the city’s wellbeing and safety through beautification.

As an organization, HCG also champions education and engagement in environmental stewardship in Harrisburg and Philadelphia.

“If everyone would just put out one plant for the season, just think about how much better the environment will be,” Deckter said.

Historic City Gardens tours will be held on May 2, 16 and June 6. There will be two tours on each date, 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and 3 to 5:15 p.m. Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased at HCG’s website.

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Pothole Problems? Harrisburg wants to know about them

April 23, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Pothole on the 2000-block of N. 3rd St.

If you find yourself hitting a rut, the city wants to know.

Harrisburg announced on Friday a new way to report potholes on city streets using an online mapping system.

“I appreciate the ongoing efforts of our Public Works crews in addressing these needed road repairs,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse in a statement. “This new tool developed by our IT team will make it easier for residents to notify the city about potholes in their neighborhoods.”

Residents can report potholes on Harrisburg’s website, along with the location of the road damage, their contact information and any other details. The data will be entered into a geographic information system (GIS) map for the Department of Public Works to access.

“As weather conditions allow, we are using hot asphalt to patch up the roads throughout the city,” said Dave West, director of Public Works. “I encourage residents to use this new tool to alert us on locations that need addressed.”

Last year, Harrisburg launched a similar online database for residents to report the illegal use of fireworks. This is available at harrisburgpa.gov/fireworks.

To report potholes, visit https://harrisburgpa.gov/potholes/. Residents can also report issues via phone by dialing 3-1-1 or 717-255-3040, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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It’s Electric! Harrisburg adds charging stations on City Island, buys electric vehicles

April 22, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

City officials cut the ribbon on charging stations on City Island and new city electric vehicles.

When it comes to making environmentally friendly choices, Harrisburg is stepping on the gas, well, electric.

On Thursday, city officials unveiled electric vehicle charging stations in the City Island Garage and showed off two new hybrid vehicles that they’ve added to Harrisburg’s fleet.

“We are really excited about this,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse said. “We are looking forward to converting our city fleet in the years to come.”

Through a $36,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s “Driving PA Forward” program, Harrisburg was able to install eight charging stations for both city and public use.

Harrisburg received a similar grant from the state DEP in February 2020 for charging stations on N. 3^rd Street.

Harrisburg will utilize the City Island charging stations for the two new 2020 Ford Escape hybrid plug-in vehicles it purchased. The shiny white cars will replace two 12-year-old city vehicles, according to Fleet Manager Nick Fisher.

Over the next five years, they hope to add 10 EV cars each year, he added. Each year, the hybrid Ford Escapes will save the city around $460 per vehicle, compared to a gas-only Ford Escape.

The new cars compared to the 12-year-old cars will save around $1,300, according to the city.

This, Papenfuse said, isn’t just money in the pocket of the city, but of residents, as well.

“It’ll be real savings for the taxpayers, and we are excited to launch it,” Papenfuse said.

The city’s hybrid cars will require charging every night, said Sustainability Coordinator Chris Nafe.

The public can use the City Island Garage stations on Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nafe and Papenfuse demonstrated how to use the stations, utilizing the ChargePoint app. Each hour of charging costs 72 cents per hour.

Converting to electric vehicles is just one of the ways Harrisburg is going green, Nafe explained.

They also are in the process of working with Harrisburg University and the Department of Environmental Protection on a “Climate Action Plan” with the goal of reducing greenhouse gases.

“These are the kinds of programs that we are looking at continuing and expanding going forward as part of the Climate Action Plan,” Nafe said of the electric vehicle conversions.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

April 22, 2021 | by Sara Bozich

If you’re looking for things to do this weekend around Harrisburg and central PA, I got you! Scroll down or use the menu links to find ideas for your weekend.

What’s inside:

For your weekend planning:
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Top Weekend Recs
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Need something NEW to do? Midtown Cinema is open for screenings; the Historic Round Barn outside Gettysburg opens for the season this weekend. Plus, check out our Spring Bucket List!

(Still) Worth noting: We revived our private Facebook group, Cheers Harrisburg. You can join the convo here.

Things on my agenda this weekend: Photoshoot, dinner with friends, kiddo race pt. 3, and a massage!

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

For your weekend planning:

Best things to drink this spring
Our Spring Bucket List has 15+ ideas to enjoy the season
What to wear this spring
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

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Top Weekend Recs

Weekend Water
This beer or this wine
15+ things to do this spring around Harrisburg
Book a facial #selfcare
Binge Poured in PA: The Series!

COVID-19 Disclaimer: As always, please click through the links or call ahead to get the most up-to-date information about venues and/or events below. It should also go without saying, but I’ll say it — Mask up, follow the rules, and be nice. And tip extra!

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

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Harrisburg receives donation to aid in switch to organic, safe park maintenance

April 21, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Reservoir Park

With spring in full bloom, Harrisburg parks are looking colorful, but, according to some, not quite green enough.

On Wednesday, at a press conference in Reservoir Park, the city received a $25,000 check from The GIANT Company, Stonyfield Organic and Non-Toxic Neighborhoods to help Harrisburg transition to organic grounds maintenance.

“COVID-19 has shown us how important our parks are,” said Kim Konte, founder of Non-Toxic Neighborhoods, which seeks to rid parks of harmful synthetic pesticides. “We are excited that Harrisburg is going to be a leader in this.”

Konte said that they have worked with parks officials in Philadelphia and Allentown.

Stonyfield and Non-Toxic Neighborhoods will provide Harrisburg with technical support and guidance on how to maintain the city’s parks with organic and safe resources.

According to Dave Baker, director of city parks in Harrisburg, the department has been limited in the changes they could make up until this point.

“It’s an uphill battle if you don’t have the right resources,” he said.

The city has 27 parks, playgrounds and pools, Baker said, spreading money and manpower thin.

Giant and Non-Toxic Neighborhoods officials present Harrisburg with a $25,000 check.

He sees the partnership with GIANT, Stonyfield and Non-Toxic Neighborhoods as a chance to combine forces and move forward with making the switch to organic.

“We are looking at the same problem that we’ve always had with a different view,” he said.

Changes to maintenance may include using all-natural pesticides and weed killers or employing the help of goats to eat weeds and poisonous plants.

These changes can protect children from being exposed to health risks that pesticides can cause, Konte said.

Baker said that, with support from Non-Tox Neighborhoods, the city will decide which new practices are feasible.

“We are committed to green and sustainable parks practices,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse said. “We will be able to do a lot with this wonderful donation.”

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Harrisburg School District plans summer program for enrichment, additional help for students

April 20, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Screenshot from Monday’s Harrisburg School Board meeting

As local families make summer plans, the Harrisburg School District hopes education will be part of them.

At a board meeting on Monday, district officials announced that they are planning summer school opportunities for students to stay sharp and catch up if needed.

“Our overall goal is to provide the opportunity to re-engage our students,” said Jackie Castleman, assistant director of academic services. “We want it to be fun, and we feel like we have a plan in the works.”

The school will provide programs for kindergarten through 11th-grade students. There may be options for both in-person and virtual participation, Castleman said.

This comes after many students spent almost the entire school year learning virtually, in addition to much of last year. Some adapted to the virtual environment while others struggled to keep up.

Small cohorts of elementary students recently returned for hybrid, in-person and online classes.

The district hopes to keep the momentum going through the summer.

Kindergarten through eighth-grade students can enroll in a six-week course that will likely run Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Throughout the half-day, teachers will provide language, writing, math and STEAM classes. The program will run from mid-June through the end of July.

Students in grades nine through 11 have the chance to participate in a three-week program, Monday through Thursday. There will be two sessions each day, one from 8 to 11 a.m. and another from 12 to 3 p.m. This will provide enrichment opportunities, as well as credit recovery for those who failed courses during the school year.

The district plans to hire a district coordinator for the summer programs, as well as site coordinators, Castleman said.

Families will likely receive flyers about the programs by next week, and registration will open, as well.

“We hope to get lots of students involved in this opportunity,” Castleman said.

Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer said the district is planning to continue the summer school program in years to come.

“I can’t wait until we share more details with our families and start to see the enrollments come in,” he said.

For more information, visit the Harrisburg School District’s website.

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Dining to return to Harrisburg streets with re-launch of “Saturday Nights in the City”

April 20, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda

Diners crowd N. 2nd Street in Harrisburg during last summer’s “Saturday Nights in the City.”

Harrisburg’s restaurants may have reopened, but one pandemic innovation will return for a second year—dining in the city’s streets.

For a second straight year, Harrisburg will close several downtown streets to traffic so that patrons can enjoy dining al fresco. Conoy Street in Shipoke also will close.

“We are pleased to bring back this summer initiative,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “I encourage residents to come support their favorite restaurants.”

“Saturday Nights in the City” re-launches on May 1 and is slated to run each Saturday throughout the summer, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The initiative, shared by the city and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District (HDID), began last year in response to the pandemic-mandated shutdown of indoor dining.

Most restaurants have now reopened, with the commonwealth recently permitting 75% maximum capacity for indoor dining, as well as bar service. However, the city and the HDID deemed the program to be a success, so decided to bring it back with the return of warmer weather.

The list of participating restaurants includes Stock’s on Second, Carley’s Ristorante and Piano Bar, Ad Lib Craft Kitchen and Bar, Bourbon Street Saloon, Zembie’s, Arooga’s, Taste Key West, Cork & Fork, Federal Taphouse, Rubicon, Mangia Qui, Los Tres Cubanos, JB Lovedraft’s, McGrath’s Pub, The Brick Haus and Café Fresco.

For the weekly event, a number of streets will close. These include:

2nd Street, from Market to Pine streets
State Street, from Church to N. 2nd streets, westbound
North Street, from Susquehanna to 3rd streets
Conoy Street

Street closures will begin at 3:30 p.m. and run until 10 p.m., the city said.

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Harrisburg prohibits water shut-offs through mid-May, extending COVID relief

April 19, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Harrisburg’s MLK City Government Center

Harrisburg issued a temporary ban on water shut-offs on Monday, extending the city’s pandemic-related assistance to residents.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse issued an executive order that prohibits water shut-offs in the city through mid-May, in conjunction with the eviction moratorium.

“I’m very conscious that this is a serious issue,” Papenfuse said when reached by phone.

The declaration covers those who are delinquent, unable to pay or who violate a payment plan. However, the outstanding payments are not forgiven under this order, only delayed.

In the order, Papenfuse said that residential water shut-offs would increase the threat to public health and possibly cause displacement of individuals and households.

Capital Region Water, which oversees the city’s water system, planned to begin water shut-offs on Monday, Papenfuse said. He added that Harrisburg is working with CRW to educate residents on local relief programs available to them.

“I wanted to give people a little more time to get the help they need,” Papenfuse said.

Dauphin County officials recently announced their plan to release up to $18 million in state and federal CARES Rent Relief Program funds to those behind on rent or utilities.

Additionally, Papenfuse expects the city will soon receive federal funds from President Joe Biden’s “American Rescue Plan,” a COVID-19 stimulus package. The city is projected to get up to $48.8 million.

Papenfuse said he is considering the substantial funds and increased access to the COVID-19 vaccine and hoping he will not need to extend the eviction moratorium and water-shut off prohibition again. He has already extended the moratorium four times since he enacted it in December.

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What’s inside:

For your weekend planning:

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Top Weekend Recs

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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