Special Time, Special Needs: COVID has impacted families with special needs children in unique ways

March 31, 2021 | by Susan Ryder

Jayla with her augmentative and alternative communication device.

Schooling children adequately during COVID-19 has been an immense challenge, but especially for special needs children, their parents and educators.

Six-year-old Jayla, with her pixie haircut and smart-looking eyeglasses, chewed on her sleeve as she watched her mom talk on Zoom. Her mother, Hampden Township resident Stephanie Lane, spoke about schooling Jayla during COVID-19.

“She doesn’t want to get online, and getting her to sit in front of a screen and follow along is hard,” Lane said.

That would describe many students in this year of alternate schooling. But “Miss J,” as her family calls her, has what her family tells her are “special genes.”

Those genes cause Poirier-Bienvenu neurodevelopmental syndrome, resulting in a cocktail of symptoms, such as low muscle tone, developmental delays, severe speech disorders and learning disabilities.

And they make schooling during COVID-19 a challenge that sometimes seems impossible.

Lane has to sit with Jayla constantly because she won’t stay in her seat alone, she can’t unmute herself in the Zoom, and she is often completely lost during class.

Jayla receives pullout services for math, reading and writing, which, when school is in-person, would take her to a different classroom. But when school is virtual, it means going to a different Zoom session. But coordinating all of these sessions is often unachievable.

“It doesn’t all work,” Lane said. “She ends up missing the wrong parts of class.”

So, she’s often in class with non-special-needs children. With a pinch of frustration on her face and a crack in her voice, Lane described math class.

“The last time we went virtual, she was in a regular class for math,” Lane said. “But the math she doesn’t understand because she can’t count past 10. So, they were doing teens and 20s, and she’s just not comprehending it.”

Lane said that the teacher did the best she could, but Jayla can’t write the numbers. There are times when Lane can coordinate getting into the best class for her daughter, but some of them overlap, and she feels like she’s between a rock and a hard place.

“It’s like a big juggling act,” Lane said.

COVID prevented Jayla from having an updated individual education plan to start her kindergarten year of school.

When school began in September, Lane was beside herself because the school was unaware of Jayla’s disabilities.

“How comfortable does a parent feel sending their child to school, who can’t even verbalize they need to use the bathroom?” Lane said.

Not the Same

Unlike Jayla, 17-year-old Evan Book enjoys his Zoom lessons. With an impish spark in his eye, he’s happy to pop onto the screen to see what’s happening.

Evan’s medical condition is what the ICD-10 Code Book, which categorizes medical illnesses for insurance purposes, calls “other neurologically impaired.” Evan experiences severe apraxia, a motor planning disorder, intellectual developmental disabilities, epilepsy and severe lack of muscle tone. But his mother Abby described him as extremely social. So, Zoom is a fun event for him.

But it’s still not the same.

“It’s really, really, really hard for him to be in the house all day and to not interact,” Book said.

Evan relies on his parents, in their Boiling Springs home, for his social time and can be demanding when not entertained.

“I sit and read to him, play with him, and he can be like a golden angel child,” Book said. “But I have to work and my husband has to work.”

Evan has been in and out of school many times since September, and the transition between virtual and in-person is taxing. The interruptions have interfered with learning and the therapies that he receives.

“The thing is, with many kids with special needs, the inconsistency is really hard,” Book said. “So it’s like, two steps forward, 10 steps back. It’s not like you can just make that up.”

Book and Lane would both like special education students’ needs managed separately from the typical students during the pandemic.

The West Shore School District (WSSD) has tried to do that with its “low incident” special education students, those who have more severe disabilities, like Jayla and Evan. These students meet five days a week. But that decision wasn’t an easy one.

“It’s important that the community knows that, when we make decisions, we don’t make them lightly,” said Geraldine Ryan-Washington, director of special education for the WSSD. “And that we really do care about their kids, and we want to keep them safe.”

She described the first months into the pandemic as shifting sands, decisions being made, then reversed within hours of making them, due to changing COVID mitigations.

“We’re lucky that we have such a strong admin team here so that we were all able to get it done,” said Ryan-Washington. “And you can count on the teachers to do what they need to do.”

Return to Routine

Both Lane and Book feel that the schools and teachers are working hard to help their children.

“It’s not even the school district’s fault,” Book said. “I mean everybody’s trying to do the best they can in it.”

Lane said that Jayla’s school has been phenomenal, but is frustrated with some of the district’s decisions and having to fight so hard to get Jayla what she needed.

“They’re trying to do everything, but it seems like, through this whole thing, the special needs kids have been left behind in some way or another,” she said.

Book suggested that school districts “red shirt” special education children. She said they’ve lost a year of “normal” schooling and that an extra year could help these kids make up lost progress.

Jayla wants normal school back in session. Because of the constant shifting from in-person to virtual learning, she’s never sure what to expect. After a frustrating day of virtual school, Jayla will ask, in a way that only her mom could likely comprehend, “Am I going back to real school yet?”

A return to routine is what these parents of special needs children want for the new school year. What do educators hope for these students?

“That is the full components of their high school, whatever school experience…everything that they can gather from it,” Ryan-Washington said. “So basically, what we want for kids with significant disabilities is the same thing we want for all kids.”

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Happenings: Our April Calendar of Events

March 31, 2021 | by Missy Smith

Museum & Art Spaces

AACA Museum
161 Museum Dr., Hershey
717-566-7100; aacamuseum.org

“Look . . . They Gave Me a Map,” an exhibit examining the enduring appeal of free road maps, through April 23

“Minibike Mania,” a display of more than two dozen miniature motorbikes, through April 23

“Yeah, It’s Got a Hemi!” an exhibit focused on Hemi engines, through April 23

“Yes, We Drive These Cars!” is an exhibit of The Horseless Carriage Club of America, with three display cars, early signage and artifacts, and video of the cards on tour, through April 23

Art Association of Harrisburg
21 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-236-1432; artassocofhbg.com

“Figuratively Speaking,” annual juried membership show celebrating the human form, with an added theme of coronavirus lock-down/quarantine experience, through May 13

Carlisle Arts Learning Center (CALC)
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

“Annual Student Show: Honoring Seniors 2021,” through April 10

“Local Light,” paintings and drawings by David Reinbold and Mary Ann Lard This series of paintings and drawings that focus on the beauty of light and shadow in defining forms in landscape and still life, April 16-May 29

“I’m Fine,” a community-engaged exhibit of masks and stories dedicated to sculpting mental health awareness and support, April 16-May 29

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

Artist of the Month

Dickinson College
The Trout Gallery
240 W. High St., Carlisle
717-254-8159; troutgallery.org

“Imagining the Divine—Religious Mythology and Art,” featuring works from the museum’s permanent collection that considers how artists manifest notions of spirituality in the visual arts, through April 17

“Studio Majors Thesis Exhibition,” featuring projects by senior studio art majors under the direction of Rachel Eng with Todd Arsenault, Anthony Cervino, and Andy Bale, April 30-Sept. 11

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyart.org

Backstage at the Allen Theater Café, April 1-May 31

The Millworks
340 Verbeke St.; Harrisburg
717-695-4888; millworksharrisburg.com

Works by Amie Bantz, Tina Berrier, Pamela Black, Tristan Bond and Tara Chickey, through April 11

New works by Tami Bitner, Kelly Curran, Julie Iaria, and Reina Wooden, April 14-May 16

Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
1820 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-232-8915; pnfm.org

Exhibits dedicated to Pennsylvania firefighting history

Perry County Council of the Arts
PCCA Gallery, 1 S. 2nd St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“On and Off the Grid,” abstract paintings in grid style by Thom Kulp, inspired by the work of Agnes Martin and serving as metaphors for restrictions people have faced during the covid-19 pandemic, through April 10

“Home Goods Show” of locally made artwork and handmade home goods for spring redecorating or Zoom room makeovers, April 17-June 12

Rose Lehrman Art Gallery
One HACC Dr., Harrisburg
717-780-2435; hacc.edu

Virtual Student Honors Exhibition, April 21-May 6

Susquehanna Art Museum
1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-8668; susquehannaartmuseum.org

“Sun + Light,” a collection of works from the series “Everyone Loves the Sunshine” by contemporary artist Charles Edward Williams that highlight his own personal encounters, past and present, with the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, through April 11

“The Modernists: Witnesses to the 20th Century,” works by a variety of modern artists, through May 16

“Project Pattern” multimedia display of photography, painting, sculpture, and installation by artists Nate Ethier, Nicole Herbert, and Luke Murphy, through August

Wildwood Park
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg
717-221-0292; wildwoodlake.org

“Art in the Wild,” exhibit of naturally inspired trailside installations created by artists using mostly natural materials and inspired by the theme “reimagining,” April 10-Sept. 30

Read, Make, Learn

Carlisle Arts Learning Center (CALC)
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29” Thursday Art Club (grades 3-5), 3:30-5 p.m.
April 2, 9: Indigo and Shibori, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
April 14: Creative Collage, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
April 17, 24: Ceramic Jewelry, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Dauphin County Library System
dcls.org

April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Preschool Storytime on Zoom, 10 a.m.
April 2, 9, 16, 23: Dungeons and Dragons on Zoom, 4 p.m.
April 3, 10, 17, 24: Dungeons and Dragons on Zoom, 3 p.m.
April 5, 12, 19, 26 Born to Read (birth-18 months), 9:30 a.m.
April 5, 12, 19, 26: Virtual Anime Club, 4 p.m.
April 6, 13, 20, 27: Animal Crossing with The Library, 3:30 p.m.
April 6, 13, 20, 27: Virtual Family Storytime, 6 p.m.
April 7, 14, 21, 28: Virtual Toddler Storytime, 10 a.m.
April 7, 14, 21, 28: Virtual Create Lab, 4 p.m.
April 7, 14, 21, 28: Young Adult Book Club on Zoom, 4 p.m.
April 8: Dungeons and Dragons on Zoom, 7 p.m.
April 9: Virtual Device Club, 1 p.m.
April 13: Virtual Reading the Rainbow Book Club, 7 p.m.
April 28: Knit One, Crochet Too! on Zoom, 6 p.m.

Fort Hunter
5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-599-5751; forthunter.org

April 13: Fort Hunter Conservancy Walk, 2-4 p.m.
April 18: Maple Sugar Festival, 12-4 p.m.

Fredricksen Library
100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill
717-761-3900; fredricksenlibrary.org

April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Zoom Resume Writing Workshop, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Zoom Resume Writing Workshop, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Virtual Get That Job! Workshop, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Virtual Get That Job! Workshop, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
April 3-17: Easy Craft Grab and Go Bag (ages 4-7), 1 p.m.
April 5: Zoom—Fredricksen Writes on Zoom, 6:45 p.m.
April 5, 12, 19, 26: Career Exploration Workshop on Zoom, 4:30 p.m.
April 5, 19: Teen Grab and Go Bag, 9 a.m.
April 6: Zoom—Curl up with the Classics on Zoom—“The Hound Of The Baskervilles,” 10-11 a.m.
April 6, 13, 20, 27: Career Exploration Workshop on Zoom, 10:30 a.m.
April 7: Zoom—Moving Forward Book Group w/ Hospice of Central PA, 1-2 p.m.
April 9: Philosophers’ Roundtable, 2 p.m.
April 9, 23: Zoom STEM Storytime, 10 a.m.
April 11, 15: Virtual Peaceful Poses Children’s Story Time, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
April 12: Twisted Stitchers, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
April 12, 26: STEM Grab & Go Bag (ages 7-12), 9 a.m.
April 21: Zoom—Write On, 7:30 p.m.

Harrisburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta & Delta Research and Education Foundation
[email protected]

April 17: Virtual Party with a Purpose, 7-9 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyart.org

April 6-27: Learn Calligraphy, Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m.
April 28-May 19: Plein Air, Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Hershey Public Library
701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey
717-533-6555; hersheylibrary.org

April 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29: Penn State Hershey—Mothers & Babies Together, 10 a.m.
April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Facebook Live Storytime, 10 a.m.
April 5, 12, 19, 26: Facebook Live: Books & Babies, 10 a.m.
April 6, 13, 20, 27: Virtual 1, 2, Whee!, 10 a.m.
April 6, 20, 27: Beginner Calligraphy, 7 p.m.
April 7, 21: Virtual LEGO Club, 3:45 p.m.
April 12: Discovering Your Immigrant Ancestor (Friends Adult Program), 7 p.m.
April 17: Mirrors, Windows, & Sliding Glass Doors Family Book Group: Mommy’s Khimar, 2 p.m.
April 18: State Trivia (Family Program), 2 p.m.
April 20: Community Blood Drive, 1:30 p.m.
April 24: History of Blues in America—Kids Edition (Friends Children’s Program), 10 a.m.
April 24: Kids’ Carry & Craft Seed Bomb Edition, 12 p.m.
April 24: Teen/Adult Carry & Craft—Bird Feeder Edition, 1 p.m.

Historic Harrisburg Resource Center
1230 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
historicharrisburg.com

April 24: Special How-To Program—Preserving and Restoring Historic Windows, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Joseph T. Simpson Public Library
16 N. Walnut St., Mechanicsburg
717-766-0171; simpsonlibrary.org

April 1: LEGO Club (grades K-5), 6 p.m.
April 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30: Toddler Time (18 months to 3 years), 11:10 a.m.
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Story Time (ages 3-6), 10-10:45 a.m.
April 5, 12, 19, 26: Rhyme Time (18 months and younger), 10:15 a.m.
April 5, 12, 19, 26: Story Time on Zoom, 1:30-2 p.m.
April 5, 12, 19, 26: Zoom Rhyme Time (18 months and younger), 5:15-5:35 p.m.
April 5, 12, 19, 26: Family Story Time on Zoom, 6:45-7:15 p.m.
April 6, 13, 20, 27: Tea & Stitches on Zoom, 10-11 a.m.
April 7, 14, 21, 28: Zoom Story Time (ages 3-6), 10-10:45 a.m.
April 7, 14, 21, 28: Toddler Time on Zoom (18 months to 3 years), 11:10 a.m.
April 7, 14, 21, 28: Toddler Time on Zoom (18 months to 3 years), 6 p.m.
April 9, 23: Dungeons & Dragons (grades 6-12), 6-8 p.m.
April 13: Tween Scene on Zoom—Get a Clue Mystery Challenge (grades 4-5), 6:30-7:30 p.m.
April 14: Mad About Mysteries on Zoom, 7-8 p.m.
April 17: Kindergarten Club, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
April 19: Virtual Monday Night Book Club, 7-8 p.m.
April 20: Nancy Drew and Her Mysterious History online program, 2-3 p.m.
April 20: Zoom STEM Club, 6-6:45 p.m.
April 24: Trivia at Home—Nancy Drew, 6-8 p.m.

LBGT Center of Central PA
1306 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-920-9534; centralpalgbtcenter.org

April 3, 10, 17, 24: Virtual Passageways Transgender & Non-binary Group, 2-4 p.m.
April 19: Navigating K-12 Settings for Parents of Transgender & Non-binary Youth, 7-8:30 p.m.

Manada Conservancy
manada.org/events

April 8: Native Plant Initiative program, 7 p.m.

Middletown Public Library
20 N. Catherine St., Middletown
717-944-6412; middletownpubliclib.org

April 1: Virtual and in-person Book Club, 6-7 p.m.
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Online Science Fiction Book Club
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Star Trek Rewatch online group
April 19: Virtual and in-person Mystery Book Club, 6 p.m.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Café
1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-236-1680; midtownscholar.com

April 6: An Evening with Julie Metz and Menachem Kaiser, 6-7 p.m.
April 20: Audrey Clare Farley in Conversation with Susannah Cahalan, 7-8 p.m.

The Millworks
340 Verbeke St.; Harrisburg
717-695-4888; millworksharrisburg.com

April 3: First Saturday Open Studios, 2-5 p.m.
April 17: Fluid Art Class, 12-2:30 p.m.
April 18: Fluid Art Class, 12-2:30 p.m.

National Civil War Museum
One Lincoln Circle, Harrisburg
717-260-1861; nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

April 10: “Crossing the Deadline—The Rise of Civil War Prisons as Dark Tourist Destinations,” 1-2 p.m.

New Cumberland Public Library
1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland
717-774-7820; newcumberlandlibrary.org

April 3, 17: Book Sales, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
April 13: Book Review, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

April 24: Coffee Painting, 1-3 p.m.
April 24: Spring Bird Walk, 7:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Palmyra Public Library
50 Landings Dr., Annville
717-838-1347; palmyra.lclibs.org

April 6, 13, 20, 27: Librarians Around Town Storytime, 10:30-11 a.m.

Perry County Council of the Arts
Landis House, 67 N. 4th St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

April 7-28: A Novel Idea—Crafting a Memoir, 6-8 p.m.
April 10: Rug Hooking for Beginners, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania
300 North St., Harrisburg
717-787-4980; statemuseumpa.org

April 2: Virtual Artists Conversations—Violet Oakley’s William Penn Mural, 12:15-12:45 p.m.
April 9: Virtual Adventures in Nature Lab—Vernal Ponds, 12:15-12:45 p.m.
April 11: Virtual Tonight’s Sky—A Live Chat with the Planetarium Director, 2-3 p.m.
April 16: Virtual Curator’s Choice— Flyover Pennsylvania, T.M. Fowler’s Bird’s-Eye Views of Pennsylvania, 12:15-12:45 p.m.
April 23: Virtual State Museum Perspectives, 12:15-12:45 p.m.
April 30: Virtual Treasures from the Vault—PA’s Last Mountain Lion, 12:15-12:45 p.m.

Wildwood Park
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg
717-221-0292; wildwoodlake.org

April 2: Kids Discover—Birds and their Nests (ages 5-10), 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
April 6: Skunk Cabbage Walk 2:30-3:30 p.m.
April 10: Volunteer Work Day—Litter Clean Up, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
April 11: Art in the Wild—Meet the Artists, 1-3 p.m.
April 13: Fort Hunter Conservancy Hike, 2-4 p.m.
April 15: Kids Discover—Pollywogs (ages 5-10), 2-4 p.m.
April 18: Spring Flower Walk, 1:30-3 p.m.
April 24: Wetlands Festival, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Live Music

American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster
717-397-7700; amtshows.com

April 9: Trace Adkins
April 17: Spring Doo Wop Cavalcade
April 24: Mark Lowry
April 30: Justin Willman

Appell Center for the Performing Arts
50 N. George St., York
717-846-1111; appellcenter.org

April 30: Martin Sexton

Chameleon Club
223 N. Water St., Lancaster
717-299-9684; chameleonclub.net

April 8: Drake Bell

The Englewood
1219 Research Blvd. Hummelstown
717-256-9480; englewoodhershey.com

April 4, 11, 18, 25: Jazz Sunday Brunch w/Central PA Friends of Jazz
April 16: Cody Tyler and Gypsy Convoy

Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra
The Forum at 5th and Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-545-5527; harrisburgsymphony.org

April 17: Masterworks

Hershey Public Library
701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey
717-533-6555; hersheylibrary.org

April 10: Ryan Yingst

Market Square Concerts
marketsquareconcerts.org

April 28: Stuart Malina & Friends

Messiah University School of Arts
One University Ave., Mechanicsburg
717-766-2511; messiah.edu

April 6: Jazz Combo
April 13: Symphonic Winds and Brass Choir
April 19: Chamber Ensembles
April 22: Wind Ensemble
April 23: Symphony Orchestra
April 25: United Voices of Praise
April 28: Spring Choral Showcase
April 29: Musica Nova—Student Compositions
April 30: Jazz Ensembles

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

April 27: Stuart Malina & Friends

The Susquehanna Folk Music Society
717-745-6577; sfmsfolk.org

April 3: Tom Paxton and the DonJuans
April 10: Lui Collins
April 17: Bill and the Belles

Whitaker Center
222 Market St., Harrisburg
717-214-ARTS; whitakercenter.org

April 6: Tower of Power

The Stage Door

Appell Center for the Performing Arts
50 N. George St., York
717-846-1111; appellcenter.org

April 10, 12: York Symphony Orchestra—Music & Scenes from “Amadeus”

Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
510 Centerville Rd., Lancaster
717-898-1900; DutchApple.com

April 1-3: “Happy Days”
April 15-May 29: “On Your Feet”

Gamut Theatre Group
15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-238-4111; gamuttheatre.org

April 9-25: “2 By Strindberg—The Stronger & The Outcast”

Harrisburg Christian Performing Arts Center
1000 S. Eisenhower Blvd, Middletown
717-939-9333; thehcpac.org

April 23-25: “Manifest the Glory of God”

Harrisburg Comedy Zone
110 Limekiln Rd., New Cumberland
717-920-5653; harrisburgcomedyzone.com

April 2, 3: Larry XL and Kate Brindle
April 9, 10: Sean Finnerty and Tom Feeney
April 16, 17: Tennessee Tramp and Amy Dingler
April 23, 24: Rich Vos
April 29, 30: Shane Gillis

Open Stage of Harrisburg
223 Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-232-OPEN; openstagehbg.com

April 2-18: “Poirot Investigates! The Affair at the Victory Ball” virtual performance

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How Green Is My Grocer?: At Radish & Rye—very green. Very local, too

March 31, 2021 | by Norah Griffiths Johnson

Dusty and Julia James

Lately, it seems as if every time I walk along 3rd Street in Harrisburg, a new business, restaurant or shop has opened.

It’s thrilling to see and carries with it a feeling of momentum and hope. From a historical perspective, too, it feels more than fitting, given that many decades ago this street was home to a vibrant shopping district.

Amid the last days of February, Radish & Rye Food Hub became a welcome addition to this streetscape of entrepreneurial spirit and community pride. The shop, located on the 1300-block of N. 3rd, is an all-local grocer that exclusively carries foods from producers and farmers within a 150-mile radius of Harrisburg.

The business is a labor of love for Midtown residents Dusty and Julia James, who opened their store five years ago in the Broad Street Market before migrating across the street into their own brick-and-mortar.

“We’re not a supermarket, but more of a green grocer,” explained Dusty, of their approach.

There are numerous reasons behind Radish and Rye’s all-local focus, but environmental, economic and culinary get top billing.

When you step inside the store, you find yourself in a bright, welcoming space. Shelves full of pantry items stand at the ready, and sleek cases line the walls, filled with milk, artisanal cheeses, meats and fresh vegetables. Baskets of fresh bread sit atop a table, and the aroma of locally roasted coffee floats subtly in the air.

Thanks to a fully equipped commercial kitchen, prepared foods are an exciting addition to Radish & Rye’s offerings in the new space. Currently, they offer housemade stocks, soups and hummus, but have plans to expand this to include prepared meals.

“One of our goals is to offer food in every state of preparedness,” Dusty noted. “We want to help address the fallacy that only people who can cook from scratch every night can shop at a store like Radish & Rye.”

The Pivot

So, why the decision to scale up from a market stand to a brick-and-mortar store?

As Radish & Rye’s market stand grew, so did demand.

“Eventually, it felt like an obvious thing to do,” Julia said. “One of the things we have always loved most about the business is being part of the community. We loved what we were doing. We had energy around it, there was a clear need in the community, and the farmers and producers had the product.”

So in 2017, the couple purchased the property that now houses their store. They developed a plan and gathered funding, but a few, rather significant bumps extended their timeline—namely, unexpected construction issues coupled with, well, a global pandemic.

In March 2020, instead of planning for a grand opening, Dusty and Julia executed a rather masterful pivot to online fulfillment, contactless pickup, and seven-day-a-week hours of operation. Eventually, they dialed it back to a modest six—Tuesday through Sunday.

“It went pretty suddenly from ‘maybe this is something we should be considering’ to ‘this is something we have to do,’ and so we just did it,” Julia said, explaining their quick transition to creating an online ordering platform. “It took about a week straight of no sleep.”

All the Boxes

This journey from market stand to storefront typifies the kind of people behind Radish & Rye.

Dusty and Julia have long been committed to providing an extensive, reliable, humane and nutritious food source for the community. Even amid a pandemic and numerous business challenges, they proved themselves to be people who do not run from a challenge or resist creating a solution when they can provide one.

For another perspective, I spoke with Gary and Kali Tennis, Radish & Rye customers and Midtown Harrisburg residents who moved here in 2012. The couple spoke about their deep appreciation for Radish & Rye and the role it plays in their adopted hometown.

“If you care about climate change, responsible, sustainable agriculture and healthy eating, Radish & Rye checks all the boxes,” Gary explained. “I often describe them as a local grocer, and they really are.”

Kali emphasized their community focus.

“You get so much more than just food there,” she said. “It really is a community-binding force.”

So what does it mean to have gotten to this point?

“I feel really proud, in a lot of ways, for what we’ve been able to accomplish, but also so grateful,” Dusty said. “From grant money to the sweat equity and financial support of friends and family—the support from every part of our community and our customers has been amazing and kept us going when things were really hard.”

Julia also emphasized that the opening of the store went beyond just the two of them.

“Our team deserves a huge shout-out, too,” she said. “As much as Dusty and I have been working on this, there’s still so much that they do to keep things running. They’re doing such a great job.”

When people talk about what makes Harrisburg special, Radish & Rye is an example of how a community is a reflection of the people who inhabit it.

Radish & Rye Food Hub is located at 1308 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information and online ordering, visit www.radishandryehbg.com.

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From Despair, Victory: Amid a pandemic, the Steel-High Rollers season resulted in a championship—and more

March 31, 2021 | by Jeff Falk

Six people closely linked to the program died, during and around the season. But they didn’t endure a single loss on the field.

They had captured two similar titles. But this was the first one won during a pandemic.

The community was already tight. But it brought them even closer together.

In high school sports in Pennsylvania, winning a state championship is the ultimate accomplishment. But for the Steelton-Highspire Rollers, not only was 2020 an epic season. It was one for the record books—and one for the storybooks.

Now, a few months removed from the state title, what the Rollers really accomplished is beginning to sink in.

When they do allow themselves the luxury of looking back, they don’t think about the trophies, the school records and the accolades. They remember the people and the relationships and the life lessons.

“For us, COVID-19 turned out to be a blessing in disguise,” said Andrew Erby, who’s been Steel-High’s head coach for seven years. “What it did for us is make us embrace the opportunity. It made us appreciate our loved ones. We hugged a little tighter. It really gave us a reality check. It made us realize that life is real, and made us thankful for what we have, because life is not promised to you. A lot of bad came from COVID-19, but it made us closer as a family.”

Core Values

On a cloudy Friday afternoon, last Nov. 27 at Hersheypark Stadium, Steel-High defeated Jeannette 32-20 to claim the PIAA Class A title. After starting a COVID-19-delayed and shortened season with a 43-6 victory at Upper Dauphin on Sept. 26, the Rollers followed with 11 straight wins, some convincing blowouts and others nail-biters.

The year’s squad finished the season as one of the highest scoring teams in the illustrious history of Steel-High football. But as the special season was unfolding, Steel-High resisted the temptation to take a step back and view the big picture.

“Coming into the season, once we were able to get back to our workouts, our goal was to embrace every single game and every single opportunity,” said Erby. “We wanted to have fun every single day and enjoy it. I wasn’t a real ‘big-picture’ guy. It made us realize that this opportunity was special. I wanted to make it a good time. I didn’t want there to be any pressure.”

Before the year started, there were lingering doubts as to whether the PIAA would even conduct a fall season in 2020. But the Rollers doubled down on that uncertainty and turned it into desire, chemistry and intestinal fortitude, originating from the top and trickling down to all 30 young men on the roster.

“I think the key to our success was the leadership academy that we implemented at the beginning of the season,” said Erby. “We (the coaches) wanted to step back and implement core values on how to handle things. That allowed us to lean on each other. We talked about Roller pride. We talked about tradition. It prepared us to handle anything we might face.”

A Village

Steel-High has been playing high school football for more than 125 years, and the Rollers have fostered a proud tradition, one that has made them one of the most successful programs in Pennsylvania. Before this year, Steel-High had captured nine other state championships, the most recent being back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008.

The neighboring communities of Steelton and Highspire have long been linked by the school district and the success of the high school’s athletic programs. In staying true to themselves, the members of this year’s football team were very much playing for each other and their hometown.

“This state championship separates itself from the others, just because of all of the circumstances leading up to it,” said Erby. “There were so many things out of control around us. But from week to week, we found a way to get it done, at practices and at games. It wasn’t easy for grown men, and it wasn’t easy for young men. It was special because we made it through it.”

Every scholastic season in every high school sport is filled with adversity. This concept of “a perfect season” simply does not exist.

But what separates state champions from the pack is how they face adversity, how that adversity is handled. As time passes, that may be how the 2020 Steel-High Roller football team will be best remembered.

“I think what sticks out in my mind is how a group of kids were committed to ‘The Room,’” said Erby. “What that means is putting the team first and the community first. We had a special group of men who worked very hard. We were trying to do our best to stay safe, to make sure families were OK. We didn’t have one single case of COVID-19, and that just showed our kids did what they needed to do. It really did take a village.”

Certainly, Steel-High’s state championship will serve every member associated with the team well, moving forward. Overcoming adversity at an early age has a special way of preparing young men for the inevitable life challenges that the future holds.

“We look at ourselves as life coaches, not just football coaches,” concluded Erby. “I’m more than a football coach. These kids need us off the field. I thought my coaching staff did a great job of mentoring this season. A state championship was a bonus.”

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Artist in Focus: Brad Maurer

March 31, 2021 | by TheBurg Editor

Brad Maurer describes getting an engineering degree as “taking a bad turn in life.”

That’s because Brad is, at heart, an illustrator and cartoonist who studied art before breaking bad with an engineering career.

Now retired, he has happily returned to first love, creating art full-time. But Brad doesn’t dream that his work will hang in the great salons of Europe. Instead, he dreams of bugs—and sometimes those bugs say things and act in ways that only can be described as “human.”

On this page, we feature some of this Harrisburg resident’s delightful, whimsical illustrations. We hope they lighten your day, as they did ours. If you’d like to see more of the artist’s work, or contact him, visit his website at www.thecercus.com.

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More Plants, Please: Thoughts, advice and tales from an accidental “Plant Lady”

March 31, 2021 | by Sara Bozich

Like a vining philodendron, my path to becoming a “Plant Lady” was long and sometimes twisting.

My mother has a certifiable green thumb. Our home always had plants of one kind or another. I mostly ignored them, occasionally to her chagrin. Even today, she boasts one of the largest crotons I’ve seen in real life (she used it as a makeshift Christmas tree last year!), and she has managed to not only keep alive the key lime tree I gifted her some years ago, but she has produced fruit from it.

When I moved into Midtown Harrisburg in the early 2000s just after college, my mom showed up with three plants—a golden pothos, a heartleaf philodendron and an umbrella (or Schefflera) tree.

Though I didn’t know much about plants (I rejected most of my mother’s hobbies as a child only to go all-in as an older adult. See also: gardening, cooking), these were seemingly simple enough to keep alive.

All three made the move to my second apartment, about five years later, where the umbrella plant made its demise after my roommate’s cat used it as a litterbox.

Fast-forward another four or so years, we moved to our current home, and the pothos and philodendron came along, albeit as afterthoughts. The philodendron was placed on a high shelf and promptly forgotten about. RIP.

However, the golden pothos thrived, even when my manner of care was, “occasionally toss in the remnants of last night’s water glass as you pass by.”

That golden pothos is now more than 20 years old and has fostered many offspring, as they are notoriously easy to propagate—even for a novice.

Somewhere along the way, as the transition to embodying my mother continued, I accumulated a few more houseplants here and there. Mom was always good for a plant birthday gift—like a colorful croton, my beloved zebra plant (which I’m propagating for my sister’s birthday this year), and random succulents. This year, she replaced my Schefflera tree, which I’m thrilled to have back a decade-plus later.

I started buying them for myself, too. First, it was just picking up something interesting during our annual garden-get at Ashcombe. Then, I discovered Hilton Carter, a now three-time plant book author, and his fondness for the fiddle leaf fig. I wanted one, too. I now have three.

Today, I have somewhere around 50 plants, give or take, depending on who’s cooperating. I’ve saved plants from the brink, but I’ve also lost many to pests, root rot and just plain neglect.

Do not let plant death dissuade you from owning a houseplant or 10. Every plant parent has killed their fair share of plants.

Benefits

Experts extoll the virtues of plant ownership. Join a plant-focused Facebook group, and you’ll read inspiring tales of lives transformed, perhaps not solely by simply owning and caring for a plant, but its role as a purposeful and rewarding hobby.

Last year around this time, my anxiety was sky-high so I took a day “off,” disconnected, and repotted my plants. It was both relaxing and productive. Much like working in my outdoor garden, houseplant-tending forces me to take a break and rewards me for the time with new growth and cuttings I can share with friends.

Houseplant care

At its base, caring for houseplants, like any plant, can be simple. Consider light, water and food. It helps to know what kind of plant you have, so ask (too often the tag at the store simply says “foliage”—not helpful), or snap a photo and upload to Google or any of the many plant apps that now exist.

Plants need light and water most, but you have to figure out how much and how often. Overwatering tends to be more problematic than underwatering, and thirsty plants will give you notice. They can be dramatic that way. Only use pots with a drainage hole, or drill your own. Most plants want a decent amount of light, but direct light can also burn leaves. Sheer curtains are a friend.

Misting helps tropical houseplants feel more at home. Group them together to increase humidity and temperature. Have succulents? They prefer dry air, bright light, and let them get very dry between watering. When it’s time (leaves will often pucker slightly), give them a nice drink, then let them drain. Bottom watering (putting the pot into a tray of water and letting the roots suck up what they need) is also a convenient way to make sure these get all the water they need—and not too much. Just be sure not to leave them in the tray for longer than 30 minutes or so.

Houseplants are prone to pests, unfortunately. I personally find fungus gnats to be the devil. Neem oil, sticky traps and Katchy, a little indoor-safe infrared fan/zapper, can work together to eliminate them.

Be careful of potting soil—let it dry out for a few days before using (some people bake it in the oven, but I am not qualified to endorse that!).

Resources

Thanks to the upward trend in houseplants over the last few years, there are endless online resources, too. Shop any number of online plant shops, and you can join an email list or read blog posts about individual plant care, shop tools and more.

There also are countless online communities, like Facebook groups, dedicated to plant parenthood, or specific types of plants, like Monsteras (also known as the split-leaf philodendron). A friend of mine is in a “rare plant” group, where members often sell off cuttings of hard-to-find exotic plants for hundreds of dollars.

Where to Buy

I’ve purchased plants from Amazon, from Aldi, and a friend gifted me a “houseplant of the month” subscription, which ensures I am always flush with green plants. You can find houseplants nearly everywhere these days, including warehouse clubs, big box home improvement stores, grocery stores and hardware stores.

The best places to buy, however, are local, where the on-site plant experts can share their knowledge and recommendations. I do most of my plant shopping from Ashcombe Farm & Greenhouses in Mechanicsburg, Highland Gardens in Camp Hill, Floral Bouquet at the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg and Midtown Harrisburg pop-up shop, The Vintage Vine HBG.

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Dreams Don’t Wait: Despite a year of the pandemic, many small businesses chose to open up shop

March 31, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

For Shawn Durborow-Bowersox, opening a business this past year wasn’t all sunshine and roses—even if it was a flower shop he was opening.

Paper Moon Flowers, Durborow-Bowersox’s flower and décor shop in Midtown Harrisburg, was set to open in March 2020. He had the shop decked out for Easter with coolers stuffed with brightly colored fresh flowers for the holiday.

Little did he know he’d have to keep his doors shut as the pandemic grew and state shutdowns began.

Not long after all the Easter décor went up in the shop, it all came down. Durborow-Bowersox estimated that he lost at least $2,000 worth of flowers.

But he bounced back, again filling the shop with fresh flowers and decorating his huge storefront windows with flowers, plants and giant papier mâché mushrooms straight out of a fairy tale. Ready for summer, Paper Moon Flowers’ doors were finally open in June.

The commonly told story of small businesses during the pandemic has included reduced foot traffic, financial loss and even permanent closures. It’s a true story, one that Harrisburg has seen play out for itself. But there’s another story in the capital city—one where many new small businesses have opened despite the pandemic.

Paper Moon Flowers was one of those businesses, and Durborow-Bowersox had to navigate each unique challenge the pandemic brought, since day one, literally.

“I remember the first day. I sat there and nothing happened,” he recalled. “I thought, ‘Is this what the rest of my life will be like?’”

But by the next month, more and more people came in. He started hearing from customers who wanted to shop small and shop local, a movement that took hold nationally, as cities encouraged customers to support struggling local businesses.

Through Christmas and Valentine’s Day this year, Durborow-Bowersox said Paper Moon Flowers was doing great.

“I feel like I’m in a good place now heading into this Easter,” he said.

Different Story

According to Jamal Jones, director of business development for Harrisburg, there are a significant number of new businesses that opened in the city during 2020.

In 2018, 501 businesses applied for licenses and, in 2019, 520 did. Last year, there were 537, he said.

These numbers include existing businesses that were required to renew their business licenses, he said. Additionally, he noted that there may have been some businesses that weren’t licensed and completed the paperwork in order to become eligible for COVID relief grants.

But overall, Jones said there has been an increase in new businesses. From conversations he’s had with business owners, he believes that some are opening because they’ve had more free time during the pandemic to pursue a business idea. Others may be opening out of necessity, due to a job loss.

During a year when the story has been about businesses closing, many, like Paper Moon, were actually opening.

About a month after Paper Moon Flowers opened, another business opened in Midtown, but with a different first day experience.

At House of Vegans restaurant, a line formed down the block on opening day. People had caught word of the unique vegan soul food joint and showed up to support owners Stefan Hawkins and Laquana Barber, who were already known in the community for cooking for neighbors out of their house.

Hawkins said that COVID wasn’t much of a concern for him when he opened. He wasn’t seeing an end date in sight for the pandemic, and he wasn’t going to put the opportunity on hold. Plus, he had already signed the lease.

For the first few months, business was great—so good that Hawkins decided to lease another shop across the street and begin planning for a second business—Good Brotha’s Book Café.

But as the winter months rolled in, and Gov. Tom Wolf enacted a second shutdown, business started to freeze up.

“I didn’t think the hype was going to end, and that was my problem,” Hawkins said. “Eventually, people just weren’t as excited as they were before about vegan soul food.”

House of Vegans ended up closing in February, becoming another fatality during COVID.

“I stretched myself too thin,” Hawkins said.

He hopes to re-open House of Vegans in the future, but for now, he can focus all of his efforts on the success of Good Brotha’s, a café focused on promoting African American literature and art. So far, business is going well.

“It’s been great,” he said. “People see the vision and have been supportive.”

New Beginnings

According to Jones, businesses that are more pandemic-friendly, ones with online sales or delivery services, have seen more demand during COVID and have fared better. This includes small restaurants that rely on takeout.

This is exactly what Callie Alvanitakis decided to do with her new café, Deco Grab & Go.

“I saw restaurants closing around me,” she said. “That created a space for me to focus on COVID-safe dining.”

Deco Grab & Go, located in downtown Harrisburg, caters to those looking to grab lunch or one of Alvanitakis’ popular “cinnie buns” and continue on their way.

The restaurateur had 20 years of experience working at Harrisburg restaurants before opening Deco, so she knew what she was getting herself into. Alvanitakis tailored her business plan around a growing trend she saw that favored fast, casual dining, which fit perfectly within COVID restrictions and the small storefront she was in.

Alvanitakis is an optimist. She tries to see the silver lining in situations, but balance it with reality.

“My mother taught me to always hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” she said.

So far, business has been good, not booming by any means, but it’s what she expected.

“I obviously didn’t start this business to get rich,” Alvanitakis said. “I’m pretty adaptable. I think that’s why I will continue to succeed.”

Paper Moon Flowers is located at 916 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

Good Brotha’s Book Café is located at 1419 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

Deco Grab & Go is located at 240 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

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Home Is Where Her Heart Is: Lillie Williams helps Harrisburg-area residents with a safe place to stay

March 31, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which tore through Puerto Rico in 2017, Lillie Williams met a family who had lost everything to the storm. Social security cards, birth certificates, anything important was gone.

When the family made it to Harrisburg, Williams was working in property management. She was tasked with getting them an interpreter and helping them find shelter.

“Seeing the smile on their faces just to have a home again, that was a reward, to me,” Williams said. “It made me feel like I was in the right place at the right time.”

For over 20 years, Williams has dedicated her career to helping Harrisburg-area residents feel at home. It’s her passion, because she was once in the shoes of many of her clients.

Williams works as the interim director of the city’s Department of Building and Housing Development and is also the project director of asset management. In other words, she’s busy. Much of her time is spent working directly with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), budgeting and distributing city and federal funds to the community and local organizations.

In the past, she worked for a few property management and real estate investment groups, as well as the Cumberland County Housing Authority. Much of her career was spent managing affordable housing properties and assisting low-income clients.

“There were some families that didn’t have any hope,” she said. “They didn’t have hope that they could get a place or could afford it. They were overwhelmed.”

Passion Project

As a young girl, Williams grew up in Harrisburg’s Uptown and Allison Hill neighborhoods and moved just outside of the city as she got older. She remembers a time when her family lived in affordable housing.

When I asked her, over a Zoom call, if that experience had an impact on her career choice, it was like a light bulb went off.

“You know, I never thought about that until you just said that, but you’re right,” she said. “Wow, I guess you’re right because I’ve always been a helper. That (affordable housing) helped my mom, and that’s what I saw, so that’s what I did.”

It was like these two pieces of her life just clicked.

She went on to tell me that it wasn’t her only experience with affordable housing. At 18 years old, as a young, single mother, Williams moved out on her own. She remembers a time when she paid $23 in monthly rent.

“When I moved out, I was paying over $1,000 rent, and I bought my own home,” she said. “I set goals for myself, and anybody can do it.”

Williams’ story helps her relate to many of the people she now serves in her role with the city. She said that 70% of Harrisburg residents are low-to-moderate income, the population that DBHD generally serves.

In addition to working with HUD and providing financial help to residents, Williams’ team also oversees the “Lead Safe” abatement program and Housing Rehabilitation Program.

“This department is very important, and I’m very proud of it,” she said. “We try to help the community as much as possible.”

According to Dennise Hill, deputy director of DBHD, Williams leads by example.

Hill is Williams’ right-hand-woman. Their offices are connected by a door that often remains open, so they can talk about work or even chat about their kids. Over the few months Hill has worked for the city, the pair has become friends, she said.

“It’s amazing—we complement each other really well,” she said.

Like Williams, Hill’s passion is housing. Growing up in Steelton, her parents always welcomed into their home kids who needed a place to stay. Her parents’ values stuck with her and shaped what would become her life’s work.

Before coming to the city, Hill worked in a women’s shelter—a job she loved. She was nervous about switching careers, but working with Williams and the team has affirmed her decision.

More Work to Do

The 11-person DBHD team is more like a family than co-workers, Hill explained. Some, like Hill, are newer adoptees; others are longtime members.

During the pandemic, they’ve worked hard, pivoting to focus on distributing federal CARES Act funding to renters, food pantries and shelters, among others.

Williams has been busier than ever.

With a national and local crisis of people struggling to pay rent during the pandemic, Harrisburg’s rental relief program has been one of Williams’ main focuses. For months now, she has gone through hundreds of applications, distributing money to tenants in need. By March, about 100 households had received money. She estimated that, by the time the total of $500,000 is used up, around 200 families will benefit.

It can be stressful and includes a lot of guidelines and paperwork, she said, but she’s happy to do it.

“This is so important, and it affects so many people’s lives,” she said.

Williams credited her team, saying they’ve handled this “to a tee.”

In December, COVID-19 hit the team hard, she said. Four staff had family members who died from the virus. Everyone else had to step up, and Williams did what she always did—lead by example.

“There’s no task she wasn’t willing to help with,” Hill said. “She was consistently checking in on everyone. Keeping us in a good place mentally was important.”

Even with all the work the pandemic has put in Williams’ lap, she still takes time to pause, greet Hill in the morning, and ask her about her daughter.

During our Zoom call, I could see the many files pinned to Williams’ corkboard in the background of her office. I heard a few pings from her computer, email notifications, as we talked. I knew she probably had a hundred things to do that day, but she paused to talk and laugh with me.

As much as Williams is doing now, she said she still has a lot to do for Harrisburg.

“I see myself being able to help more people,” she said. “From where I came from to where I am now, I’m very proud of myself, and I still have more work to do.”

For more information about the Harrisburg Department of Building and Housing Development, visit www.harrisburgpa.gov/office-of-building-housing.

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Turning the Page: Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra notes 90th birthday, sets optimistic tone for future

March 31, 2021 | by Karen Hendricks

The original Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra in 1931

On one of his first trips to Harrisburg, Andreas Oeste learned a lot about the community’s love of the arts by stepping inside Neato Burrito.

“I was clearly not from town, and they sort of asked what I was doing in town,” he recalled. “I said I was playing with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra (HSO), and they said, ‘Oh—we love the symphony.’”

Oeste, now 29, began playing oboe with the HSO at the age of 25.

As one of the youngest musicians within the 70-member orchestra, what are his thoughts on the sustainability of a career in the arts today?

It basically boils down to one thing—location, location. And the Harrisburg community, well beyond Neato Burrito, values the arts, Oeste said.

“I feel constantly supported by our regular and wonderful patrons,” he said.

Additionally, the HSO’s musicians are financially fortunate to call Harrisburg home, because many orchestras around the country haven’t issued pandemic paychecks.

“Most famously [New York’s] MET Orchestra musicians have not been paid at all, and yet here in Harrisburg, the HSO is still paying musicians,” Oeste said.

Striking a Chord

The HSO marked its 90th anniversary in late March. Like many pandemic milestones, the celebration was “different,” via a live-streamed, pre-recorded, socially distanced performance—the HSO’s seventh of 10 ticketed virtual performances comprising “A Season Like No Other” that opened in October.

Although virtual performances have been a hot ticket, “the largest single element of the HSO’s budget is not ticket sales, but development money,” said Steve MacDonald, HSO board president.

This fiscal year—a year when live performances have been impossible—the HSO raised 93% of its annual goal by January. That’s $200,000 ahead of the previous year’s financials.

He calls it a “great tribute” to development staff and patrons, “who mostly give modest amounts of money” toward the HSO’s annual $3 million budget. It tells him “this community wants us to stay intact and thrive.”

What is it about the HSO that strikes such a chord among its patrons?

“I can’t read or play music, but I love it,” said MacDonald. “It moves me deeply. I think it’s one of the greatest things human beings have created. It’s my honor and duty to support the HSO.”

Movements, Online

Not a pandemic day has gone by without phone calls from “patrons who are like family,” said Gloria Giambalvo, HSO marketing director.

“Daily, from March 2020—I kid you not—in some way, I’ve been on the phone with our patrons who miss us dearly, love us and are concerned,” Giambalvo said. “They want to make sure we’ll be back.”

Many of those calls are also calls for help—asking how to access online audio or video performances. It’s a process that almost always ends with what Giambalvo describes as “a gasp I wish I could bottle” as the sound of music begins.

Not only did the HSO retain a large percentage of its audience via online performances, but it’s expanded its reach—no small feat for an organization that embraces primarily gray-haired patrons who often admit they’re not computer-savvy.

“For us, and arts organizations across the world, taking this step into the digital world has always been on our to-do list,” Giambalvo said. “So, if I had to find a silver lining in the pandemic, this would be it.”

Online performances have allowed musicians’ friends and family, as well as music lovers around the globe, to discover the HSO.

“The creativity we applied to this season will take us forward into more normal seasons with enhanced offerings,” said Maestro Stuart Malina, HSO music director and conductor. “We intend to continue streaming some of our concerts.”

Still, musicians and audiences alike are anxious to get back to live performances at Harrisburg’s Forum.

“Streaming concerts is innately problematic because you’re no longer creating a one-time experience—that innately changes the nature of what it is,” Malina said. “That’s why live performance is the greatest way to experience music, because it’s a moment in time, and that makes it magical.”

And that is also his rebuttal to the age-old criticism that classical music is dead.

“Great works of art are forever,” Malina said. “Through live performance, you’re actually bringing a work of art to life anew.”

Another classic question: How do you cultivate new audiences?

Critics have noted “gray-haired audiences” since the 1930s and ‘40s, Malina said, yet they “miraculously” continue to regenerate. HSO audiences have remained consistent under Malina’s baton the past 20 years, and HSO youth orchestras and family ticket programs—called “Musical Chairs”—are strong.

Setting the Stage

The fate of the HSO’s live outdoor concerts—summer staples—as well as next fall’s season, have not yet been announced.

“My hope is that we’ll have a season in the Forum this October to May,” said Matthew Herren, HSO executive director. “A lot depends on the vaccine rollout … but I’m optimistically tentative.”

He said that the need for music has never been greater.

“On a good day, I think the arts seek to explain or answer the great questions,” Herren said. “Who do you know during this past year who has not sought comfort in a book, been online binge-watching? We need [the arts] now more than ever.”

Music may indeed hold the key to post-pandemic healing, depolarization and perspective, said Peter Sirotin, who’s played violin with the HSO since 1996.

“I think having the opportunity to unplug and connect to a different space mentally and emotionally… is going to become more important as a form of physical self-preservation and wellbeing,” said Sirotin. “Music has a role to play, particularly music without words.”

For more information on the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, visit www.harrisburgsymphony.org.

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Good News: How a story printed in TheBurg produced the ripple effect of 50 gifts

March 31, 2021 | by Karen Hendricks

What happens after our stories are published in TheBurg?

As writers, we don’t always know. I, for one, hope that readers are inspired, moved or changed in some way. And if readers take action as a result, that’s even better.

I like to imagine ripple effects in the wake of every story—in readers’ heads, hearts or actions. But nothing prepared me for the tsunami-like ripple effect from a recent story.

Quoting Larry Binda, editor of TheBurg: “We’ve heard about things happening as a result of stories in TheBurg, but never anything like this.” And that’s why he asked me to turn this ripple effect into the story you’re about to read.

New Friends, News Friends

So let’s start at the beginning by introducing my friend, Bill Blando. We met several years ago, appropriately enough, while I was covering a story for TheBurg, and we became friends instantly. You know how you meet someone and feel like you’ve known them your whole life?

Our friendship is forged on journalism, truth and the love of a good story. You see, Bill is a retired newspaperman who worked for the Patriot-News for 27 years—and before that, for various mid-Atlantic newspapers, including several near his native New York City. On the night we met, we must have spent at least an hour talking about the news biz. I remember returning home from my assignment and telling my husband all about my new friend Bill—and very little about the actual story I was writing.

I must have passed muster because in a month, when that story published, Bill emailed, “You wrote one hell of a story,” and my heart about burst. To have this man’s approval, as kind of my own personal dean of all things journalism, meant the world.

Ever since, we’ve gathered over cups of coffee about once a month. And more than once, the baristas have asked—with a certain amount of jealousy, “Is that dear man your grandfather?” After all, Bill is 86 years young.

We mostly swap stories—our takes on the latest news. But some of the best stories are his life stories, and those, I treasure. His perspectives give me perspective—on issues such as civil rights, which we recently noted, morphed into Black Lives Matter.

“I thought 1968 was every bit as volatile as 2016, but I think the violence we’re experiencing now will surpass it,” Bill told me recently, as he reflected on his three-year news stint in another capital city—Albany, N.Y.

He’s my link to a bygone era of journalism that overlapped with my career. Similarly, I might be his connection to the current and future news industry.

But as Bill might say, “Let’s get to the story at hand.”

50 Gifts

Last fall, I wrote one of the most challenging stories ever—because it was personal, first-person. “Inspired Miles: Reflections on running 50 races for 50 causes while I was 50,” was published in the November issue of TheBurg.

One of the first readers I heard from was Bill—via a package that arrived in the mail. He had, of course, known about my races and causes. But after reading my story, he wrote, “This old curmudgeon found himself choked up—that hasn’t happened in a long time.”

As I read on and saw what he enclosed, it was my turn to get choked up. This kind man had enclosed five checks, each for $50, and he proposed a project. He wanted me to make the checks out to the five charities most important to me, from my list of 50, and forward them on.

But that wasn’t all. Five at a time, he wanted to donate an additional $50 to all 50 of the charities for which I had run. I called him right away, incredulous, and asked if he was serious.

“Karen, I’m 86 years old—I don’t do anything these days unless I’m serious,” he replied.

To date, we’ve sent 20 of the 50 checks. I enclose a letter, explaining the ripple effect that produced Bill’s gift. And, sometimes, we hear back from recipients, like Susan Cann of Harrisburg’s Downtown Daily Bread, who emailed her appreciation for our “heartwarming” story and gift.

“I was thrilled that you gave the background of this gift and how it came it about—it brought a smile to my face,” said Cann, when I called her. “Our mission is possible—we’re able to have our programs to serve the homeless and hungry residents—because of donations.”

Downtown Daily Bread’s soup kitchen currently serves breakfast for 30 people and lunch for 70 every day, while their day shelter—amid COVID-19’s social distancing—serves 40 people, and the night shelter houses 25.

I think about the tiny role our bonus gift played in these life-changing programs. I don’t think we should ever underestimate the value of touching one person’s life.

The Power of One

And speaking of “one person,” this story wouldn’t be good journalism without explaining the real motive behind Bill’s charitable giving—his wife Betty.

“She’s my inspiration to help others,” Bill said simply.

Betty, who devoted much of her life to volunteer work, died of cancer in 2011. The Blandos were married for 47 years, and, in many ways, Betty is still by Bill’s side.

“I could have very easily become depressed or bitter—I started to go that way,” Bill said. “But I knew Betty would not have wanted that, so I decided to support good causes, especially cancer-related charities, in her memory.”

Good people give our lives purpose. Good stories create good memories. And good stories are the backbone of good journalism.

“Each and every story we write will almost assuredly be based on some extraordinary person,” Bill recently told me, dispensing his grandfatherly journalism wisdom. In this case, Bill, you are that extraordinary person.

And now, readers, as another newsman once said, you know the rest of the story.

You can read Karen Hendricks’ original story, “Inspired Miles: Reflections on running 50 miles for 50 causes while I was 50,” which prompted Bill Blando’s donations, in the November issue of TheBurg.

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